The Bulletin

On Tuesday, President Trump posted inflammatory threats towards Iran on Truth Social. The Atlantic's Pete Wehner joins Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll to discuss these words and how the Republican party has abandoned conservatism. Next, as Artemis II splashes down, Jim Bridenstine shares about the founding of the Artemis program during his time as the NASA administrator under the first Trump administration. Then, Anthropic is releasing a new model of AI called Claude Mythos, which will be offered only to specific companies for cybersecurity. Marcus Schwarting from AI and Faith helps us understand this new technology. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: How Trump Killed Conservatism by Pete Wehner - The Atlantic Anthropic's Restraint Is a Terrifying Warning Sign - The New York Times Artificially Intelligent - The Bulletin's AI miniseries ABOUT THE GUESTS: Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and The New York Times, and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner's work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs. Jim Bridenstine was the 13th administrator of NASA and a former US representative from Oklahoma. During his tenure at NASA, Bridenstine oversaw the development of the Artemis project. In Congress, he was on the Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Prior to that he was a US Navy pilot, flying combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Marcus Schwarting is the senior editor of AI and Faith and an AI researcher at SUNY Buffalo. His research is focused on applying AI to problems in chemistry and materials science. His work on AI ethics has been published in Christianity Today, the Journal of Theology and Science, and the Journal of Lutheran Ethics. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the weekend, the US military rescues a weapons systems officer who was shot down in enemy territory over Iran. President Trump dismisses US attorney general Pam Bondi. And the Artemis II crew gets closer to the moon than any American astronaut since 1972. Michael Reneau from The Dispatch joins to discuss these headlines with Clarissa Moll. Then, Clarissa speaks with Mark, Rachel, and Sarah Lanier, the attorneys who won the first case that held media companies responsible for creating social media apps that addict and harm children. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Michael Reneau is a managing editor at The Dispatch and is based in Greeneville, Tennessee. Prior to that, he was editor of WORLD Magazine and for several years was editor of a daily newspaper in East Tennessee. Mark Lanier is an American trial lawyer and founder and CEO of the Lanier Law Firm. He has led a number of product litigation suits resulting in billions of dollars in damages, including Johnson & Johnson baby powder and Merck & Co.'s Vioxx drug. Lanier Law Firm has provided services in the past to Christianity Today. Rachel Lanier is the managing attorney of the Los Angeles office of the Lanier Law Firm and a member of the trial team. She practices in the areas of personal injury, toxic torts, pharmaceutical litigation, mass torts, and product liability. Sarah Lanier is an associate attorney in the Houston office of the Lanier Law Firm. Her practice areas include personal injury, toxic torts, mass torts, products liability, and pharmaceutical liability. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected a Colorado law that restricted counselors from assisting clients who wished to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. Luke Goodrich from The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty joins to discuss with Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll why the Supreme Court was nearly unanimous on the decision, and the implications for free speech. Then, CT's Sho Baraka stops by to discuss the high unemployment and underemployment rate of college graduates, and where grads can find hope. Finally, Daniel K. Williams joins to analyze Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's service at the Pentagon in which he prayed imprecatory prayers against America's enemies. This in contrast with Pope Leo's Palm Sunday sermon, in which he prayed for peace in the midst of war. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Conversion Therapy, TikTok's Algorithm, and Child Abuse Convictions - The Bulletin Young Graduates Face the Grimmest Job Market in Years - The New York Times War Projections, 2028 Hopefuls, AI Novels, and Men's College Attendance - The Bulletin ABOUT THE GUESTS: Luke Goodrich is vice president and senior counsel at Becket, where he represents religious organizations and individuals in religious liberty disputes in courts across the country, including in the Supreme Court. He is the award-winning author of Free to Believe: The Battle Over Religious Liberty in America. Luke has appeared on CNN, Fox News, ABC World News, PBS, and NPR, and has been published or quoted in major outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and The New York Times. Sho Baraka is Christianity Today's Big Tent editorial director. He is a recording artist, performer, culture curator, activist, and writer. He is a cofounder of Forth District and the And Campaign, and he has served as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He was an original member of influential hip-hop consortium 116 Clique, recording with Reach Records. Daniel K. Williams teaches American history at Ashland University and is the author of several books on Christianity and politics in the United States, including The Politics of the Cross: A Christian Alternative to Partisanship and Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A jury rules that Meta and YouTube were responsible for damages to children's mental health, and attention shifts to states and school districts that have lawsuits against social media companies. Will they be effective in regulating technology use in the classroom? Over the weekend, Millions of Americans attend anti-Trump No Kings Protests. And, the US has 50,000 troops stationed in Iran. Former Congressional Representative Adam Kinzinger and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and then Clarissa talks to human rights activist Anna Lee Stangl about the political situation and religious persecution in Cuba. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: CT's Cuba Reporting GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Adam Kinzinger is an American politician, senior political commentator for CNN, and former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. He served as a United States representative of Illinois from 2011 to 2023. He is featured in the documentary The Last Republican. Anna Lee Stangl is the Senior Advocacy Officer for the Americas at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a British human rights organization with a focus on freedom of religion and belief. She has directed CSW's research and advocacy in Latin America for 14 years, in which time they have maintained documentation of violations of freedom of religion or belief in Cuba. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, President Trump posted on Truth Social that more ICE agents will be present at airports to address the long waits caused by the Department of Homeland Security partial shutdown. Elizabeth Neumann and Harvest Prude join us to discuss this and the ramifications of the shutdown. Then, a Georgia jury convicts a parent whose son murdered multiple people in a school shooting of second degree murder. Shooting survivor Taylor Schumann and breaking news reporter Jack Panyard help us understand these new prosecution strategies. Finally, a Los Angeles court ruled that Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are knowingly creating products that cause addiction and harm to children. Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and parent technology coach Krista Boen join to share about these technologies and the implications for families. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Stop Being Anxious About Your Anxiety - Russell Moore ABOUT THE GUESTS: Elizabeth Neumann is a national security expert who has served across three presidential administrations: on the inaugural staff of the White House Homeland Security Council under President George W. Bush, as an advisor to the office of the director of national intelligence during the Obama Administration, and as the Department of Homeland Security's deputy chief of staff and assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention in the first Trump administration. Neumann is also a national security contributor for ABC News. Harvest Prude is Christianity Today's national political correspondent and a congressional reporter based in Washington, DC. She is a former reporter for The Dispatch and World, having served there as political reporter for their Washington bureau. Taylor Schumann is a writer, activist, and survivor of the shooting at New River Community College in Christianburg, Virginia in 2013. She wrote the book When Thoughts and Prayers Aren't Enough. Jack Panyard is a multimedia journalist covering breaking news, courts, crime, politics, education, and health for LNP and Lancaster Online. He has reported on Jeffrey Epstein's crimes in the podcast Broken: Jeffrey Epstein. Frances Haugen is an advocate for accountability & transparency in social media. In 2021 after becoming alarmed by the choices Facebook was making to prioritize their own profits over public safety, she disclosed tens of thousands of Facebook's internal documents to the SEC and The Wall Street Journal. Since then she has testified in front of Congress and has engaged with lawmakers internationally on how to best address the negatives of social media platforms. Krista Boan is the co-founder and director of culture at the organization Screen Sanity, a non-profit that provides trainings, tools and tips to help communities and families maximize the benefits of technology, while minimizing the negative side effects. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, President Trump announced that the end of the Iran war may be in sight, while news outlets report the US is deploying thousands of troops to the Middle East. Then, Democratic governor of Kentucky Andy Beshear hints at a 2028 presidential campaign while making jabs at Vice President JD Vance. And, book publisher Hachette found that a book that they were about to publish was 78% AI-generated. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and then Clarissa speaks with Ben Smith and Isaac Bledsoe from the American Institute for Boys and Men to discuss the trend that fewer men are going to college. What's to account for the shifting demographics in college attendance? REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Getting Men Re-engaged in College by Isaac Bledsoe and Ben Smith CT's education reporting GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Isaac Bledsoe is a senior research assistant at the American Institute of Boys and Men (AIBM) with an interest in transitions to adulthood, as well as fatherhood and family. Isaac was a research assistant at the Urban Institute, supporting a national survey of Early Head Start directors and a study to understand and improve parents' experiences with Georgia's child care subsidy program. Ben Smith is a researcher at AIBM with an interest in male labor market decisions and educational outcomes. He previously worked as a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation where he frequently focused on issues related to labor, employment, and financial decision making. His research provides an in-depth, ethnographic look at the ways some Americans manage day-to-day financial volatility. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, top US counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigned, saying he could not support the ongoing war in Iran. Charlie Sykes joins Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to discuss Kent's claims that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US. Then, Rebeccah Heinrichs from the Hudson Institute stops by to talk about global players in the war in Iran and what's going on with US allies. Finally, the Supreme Court recently voted to give California parents the right to be informed if their child chooses to gender transition at school. Adèle Keim from Becket joins us to share why California schools were not communicating critical information to parents, and how the Court affirmed parents' constitutional right to raise their children. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Charles J. Sykes is a political commentator who hosted a conservative talk show in Wisconsin for 23 years. He was the former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, and is currently an MSNBC contributor. Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Salon, USA Today, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and other national publications. He has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC and has been profiled on NPR. Rebeccah Heinrichs is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative. She specializes in US national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence. Heinrichs currently serves as a commissioner on the bipartisan Strategic Posture Commission. She also serves on the US Strategic Command Advisory Group and the National Independent Panel on Military Service and Readiness. She is an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics, where she teaches nuclear deterrence theory and is also a contributing editor of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy. Adèle Keim is a senior legal counsel for Becket, a non-profit, public-interest legal and educational institute with a mission to protect the free expression of all faiths. Prior to working with Becket, Adèle was an associate in the appellate practice at Winston & Strawn in Washington, D.C, and she clerked for Hon. Edith Brown Clement on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. Adèle has been featured on CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, EWTN, TheBlaze, and MSNBC. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Israeli Defense Force pushes Hezbollah further north into Lebanon to protect those living in the north of Israel. Meanwhile, Ukraine worries that American focus has drifted away from their war with Russia. And, how should we feel about AI data centers being built in towns and cities around the US? Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and then Mike sits down with The Wall Street Journal's China bureau chief Jonathan Cheng to talk about the Christian evangelical roots of the founding leader of North Korea, Kim II Sung. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Korean Messiah - Jonathan Cheng GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Jonathan Cheng is the China bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, overseeing a team of more than two dozen correspondents and researchers in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore and New York. Previously, Mr. Cheng was the Seoul bureau chief for the WSJ. He speaks English, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, French and Korean, and his book Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult will be published in April of this year. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first six days of the war with Iran have cost more than $11.3 billion, and 140 US troops have been injured, according to Pentagon officials. Tom Nichols, professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval War College and staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Russell, Mike and Clarissa to discuss military strategy and the costs of war. Since President Trump's inauguration, border crossings at the US's southern border have slowed. Bri Stensrud from Women of Welcome joins talk about how women are responding to the immigration policies of the Trump administration. Then, CT's Bonnie Kristian stops by to discuss the reordering of the global Anglican church, and how to think about evangelicals' approach to staying in or leaving a church or denomination. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Tom Nichols is a staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the US Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School. He has served as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts House and the US Senate. His books include The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy. Bri Stensrud is an author, human dignity advocate, and the Director of Women of Welcome. Her passion is to equip the Church to engage more consistently and tangibly in holistic human dignity issues. Bri holds a Masters of Biblical & Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and has authored two books: Start with Welcome: The Journey toward a Confident and Compassionate Immigration Conversation, and a children's book: The Biggest Best Light: Shining God's Light into the World Around You. Bonnie Kristian is the deputy editor at Christianity Today. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. Her writing has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and others. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump fires Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and chooses Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to take her place. Then, a parent from Georgia is convicted of second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after giving his son a gun with which he shot four individuals at his school. And, the son of the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been chosen as the next supreme leader of Iran. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss the headlines, and then Clarissa sits down with Knox Thames to talk about the conflict between Pakistan and the Taliban and religious freedom in the region. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Blood and Water: The Life and Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Knox Thames is a diplomat and international human rights lawyer who served for 20 years in the US government across multiple administrations, most recently in the Obama and Trump administrations as a State Department special envoy for religious minorities in the Middle East and South/Central Asia. He is the executive director of the new Center for Global Religious Freedom, an initiative of Dallas Baptist University. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Next month, the Supreme Court will be reviewing a case on birthright citizenship. Two Catholic organizations submitted an amicus brief explaining why those who are born in the US should be allowed to become citizens both from a constitutional framework and based on Catholic social teaching. Anna Gallagher, executive director for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, joins to discuss the brief. The US-Israeli attack on Iran continued this week with six Americans killed in Kuwait and the Trump administration indicating the war might take longer than Americans expect. Russell Moore and Clarissa Moll talk about the moral hazards of this war. Lastly, professor Alan Noble stops by to discuss the crisis of reading and claims that young men can be saved by good literature. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Can Reading Fix Young Men's Modern Malaise? - Luke Simon To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times - Alan Noble ABOUT THE GUESTS: Anna Gallagher is the executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, where she leads nationwide efforts to provide expert legal training and advocacy support to migrants and refugees. Alan Noble is Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of numerous books and articles. Alan's writing appears in Modern Reformation, Christianity Today, Vox, Buzzfeed, and The Atlantic. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials. In the following days, Iran retaliated with attacks against US bases in neighboring countries, and three US planes were shot down in Kuwait. Mike Cosper sits down with journalist Yossi Klein Halevi to understand what this military action means for the quest for peace in the broader Middle East, and Mike and Clarissa discuss the uncertainty and tensions Americans carry as the nation heads to war. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Iran After the Ayatollah - Mark Tooley GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He codirects the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative, which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity, and Israel. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to The New Republic. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the President is not authorized to impose tariffs, affirming that Congress alone has the power to tax. Entrepreneur and pastor Mark Franco joins Russell, Mike, and Clarissa to discuss the future of tariffs. Then, President Trump suggests that he would launch a strike on Iran if they do not back down from their nuclear weapons program. Jonathan Schanzer stops by to share about Iranian protests and possible regime change. Finally, President Trump's annual State of the Union address lasted a record breaking 1 hour and 48 minutes. Mike, Clarissa and Harvest Prude recap the highlights. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Trump's SOTU Heralded a Revival. The Data Is Mixed. - Harvest Prude ABOUT THE GUESTS: Mark Franco is the president and CEO at MXD Process, a company that oversees the manufacturing and supply of industrial process equipment, and serves as the managing partner at Soterra Capital. Prior to that, he was the principal at Franconia Enterprises and president at Unified Manufacturing and Design, LLC. Mark is a pastor at Sojourn Community Church. Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and he is also on the leadership team of FDD's Center on Economic and Financial Power. He previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the US Department of the Treasury. Schanzer has appeared on CNN, Fox News, Al-Arabiya, and Al-Jazeera. Harvest Prude is Christianity Today's national political correspondent and a congressional reporter based in Washington, DC. She is a former reporter for The Dispatch and World, having served there as political reporter for their Washington bureau. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This weekend, The Bulletin met up with Inkwell's Young Storytellers Initiative in Nashville for a live recording of the show. Inkwell is a community within Christianity Today that explores the depths of Christian life through artful storytelling and cultural reflection. In this episode, recorded live, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll sit down with CT's Sho Baraka to talk about the challenges of pursuing a career in a quickly changing vocational landscape. They discuss the idea of a Christian calling, the value of vocation, and the threats and promises of artificial intelligence for creativity and culture making. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Learn more about Inkwell. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Antarctica experiences six months of darkness every year, but God is not absent from this desolate place. Brett Baddorf spent nine months as a missionary in the South Pole, and he saw God in the grandeur of the night sky and in taking time to withdraw from normal life. He also found that others on the station were open to spiritual conversations and wrestling with their faith. In this edition of Sunday Afternoon Reads, Brett narrates his 2017 cover story “Lord of the Night.” We hope this journey to Antarctica is a balm to your winter blues. READ THE PRINT VERSION: Lord of the Night - Brett Baddorf GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Brett Baddorf lived at the South Pole as a missionary for Hope Church in Cordova, Tennessee. He has worked as a youth minister for more than ten years, a collegiate minister for three, as a children's minister and as a clinical chaplain. He and his wife, Sarah, live with their two children in Asheville, NC. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week, the CEO of AI company Anthropic spoke with The New York Times' Ross Douthat about his predictions for the future of artificial intelligence. Notre Dame's Meghan Sullivan joins us to discuss how we should ethically think about these ideas. Then, President Trump announced the elimination of a scientific ruling that said climate change endangered humans and the environment. Political consultant Mike Murphy stops by to discuss the effects of this huge deregulatory action. And finally, former president Barack Obama expresses his views on aliens on a podcast released last week. Russell Moore and Mike Cosper share their beliefs on aliens, in turn… kind of. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Anthropic's Chief on A.I.: ‘We Don't Know if the Models Are Conscious'- Interesting Times with Ross Douthat Your Understanding of Calling Is About to Change Radically - Russell Moore Artificially Intelligent - The Bulletin's mini-series on AI ABOUT THE GUESTS: Meghan Sullivan is a professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. She serves as director of the ethics Initiative and is the founding director of Notre Dame's Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. She is the author of Time Biases, and The Good Life Method based on a popular introductory philosophy course she developed at Notre Dame called “God and the Good Life.” Mike Murphy is a political media consultant, and has handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and senatorial campaigns. He served as a top campaign messaging and political strategist for Senator John McCain's campaign in 2000, as well as for successful gubernatorial candidates Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tommy Thompson, and John Engler. In 2020 he served as a key strategist for Republican Voters Against Trump. He currently co-hosts the weekly politics podcast Hacks on Tap with David Axelrod. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Secretary of State Marco Rubio addresses the Munich Security Conference, calling Europe to a “new Western century.” The New York Times reports 57 cases of measles at a Catholic college in Florida and 50 students quarantined at a SBC-affiliated university in South Carolina due to a separate outbreak. And, NBC host Savannah Guthrie pleads for her mother's release two weeks after she went missing. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and then Mike talks with The Atlantic's Thomas Chatterton Williams about race and identity since George Floyd's murder in 2020. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: Summer of Our Discontent by Thomas Chatterton Williams GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Thomas Chatterton Williams is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Losing My Cool and Self-Portrait in Black and White. He is a visiting professor of humanities and senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, a 2022 Guggenheim fellow, and a non-resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine and a columnist at Harper's, he has written for The New Yorker, the London Review of Books, and Le Monde, among other publications. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last Thursday, the last Cold War-era nuclear treaty between the US and Russia came to an end. Erin Dumbacher from the Council on Foreign Relations joins to help us understand the global nuclear situation. Then, the New York governor signs the Medical Aid in Dying Act into law, legalizing assisted suicide. Russell Moore and Mike Cosper consider the implications. Finally, CT's Bonnie Kristian stops by to discuss the overemphasis on gender on both sides of the political aisle. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: We Are Obsessed with Gender - Bonnie Kristian ABOUT THE GUESTS: Erin Dumbacher is an international security and technology policy researcher and advisor. She is the Stanton nuclear security senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, she served in the U.S. Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy and worked as a director at In-Q-Tel and senior program officer at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Bonnie Kristian is the deputy editor at Christianity Today. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. Her writing has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and others. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Thursday, President Trump posted a meme to his Truth Social account that depicted former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as apes. On Friday, JD Vance was booed at the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. And the Department of Justice released millions of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files, leading to revelations about those with connections to Epstein. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and then Mike talks with political scientist and statistician Ryan Burge about what the data say about revival in the US, the shifts in young men's participation at church, and how political polarization has changed the makeup of churches. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us - Ryan Burge Graphs about Religion - Ryan Burge's Substack GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Ryan Burge is professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. He has written for the New York Times, POLITICO, and The Wall Street Journal. He has authored over thirty peer-reviewed articles and book chapters alongside six books about religion and politics in the United States. His most recent book is The Vanishing Church. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The practice of surrogacy is loosely regulated in the US, creating scenarios in which individuals can engage in “reproductive tourism.” Charles Hilu of The Dispatch shares his reporting on foreign nationals hiring surrogate mothers in the US. Then, Justin Giboney stops by to discuss US political developments that will influence the midterm elections coming in November. Finally, Seth Mandel of Commentary talks about the changes to rules around prayer on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Can Congress Stop Chinese Billionaires From Fathering 100 Kids? - Charles Hilu CT Pro-Life reporting ABOUT THE GUESTS: Charles Hilu is a reporter for The Dispatch. Previously he was the Collegiate Network Fellow at the Washington Free Beacon and interned at both National Review and the Washington Examiner. Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, and ordained minister in Atlanta. He is also the cofounder and president of the And Campaign, a coalition of urban Christians who address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the gospel. Giboney is the coauthor of Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement. Seth Mandel is the senior editor for Commentary magazine. He previously worked as executive editor of the Washington Examiner print edition and as the op-ed editor of the New York Post. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened for the first time in a year, a step that will allow some Palestinians to leave for medical care. Then, President Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion for leaking his tax returns in 2019. Finally, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in connection with the protest in Minnesota that interrupted a church service. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Pete Wehner of The Atlantic to discuss the difference between the MAGA Jesus and the real Jesus. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: MAGA Jesus is Not the Real Jesus - Pete Wehner, The Atlantic GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amidst protests and aggressive tactics by federal immigration agents, Christians in Minnesota are caring for their immigrant neighbors. CT's Emily Belz joins us to talk about her reporting from the Twin Cities, with an eye to how churches are responding to those living in fear and at risk of deportation. Then, Harvest Prude stops by to give us an update on the annual March for Life, the largest gathering of pro-life supporters in the US, and how the pro-life movement is faring under the current administration. Finally, is Trump leaving behind pro-democracy Syrians? Hadeel Oueis joins Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to discuss the dynamics in the post-Asaad regime. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: In a Tense Minnesota, Christians Help Immigrant Neighbors - Emily Belz First Year of Trump 2.0 Leaves Pro-lifers with Misgivings - Harvest Prude ABOUT THE GUESTS: Emily Belz is a staff writer with Christianity Today. She is a former senior reporter for World magazine. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and also previously reported for the New York Daily News, The Indianapolis Star, and Philanthropy magazine. Harvest Prude is Christianity Today's national political correspondent and a congressional reporter based in Washington, DC. She is a former reporter for The Dispatch and World, having served there as political reporter for their Washington bureau. Hadeel Oueis is a political writer with a focus on US foreign policy in the Middle East. She is a news analyst for BBC, France 24, DW Arabic, and other international news channels. In 2011, at the age of 18, she was arrested by the Assad regime for playing a key role in the early days of Syrian protests. In 2012, the US delegation in Geneva helped her relocate to the United States. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Saturday, an ICE agent shot nurse Alex Pretti in the street after he stepped between a woman and the ICE agent who was pepper spraying her. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump announced his new Board of Peace to rebuild Gaza. And on Sunday, recordings of Senator Ted Cruz were leaked to the press, distancing himself from potential GOP presidential contenders in 2028. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Robert Smith, author of the book The Body God Gives (recipient of Christianity Today's Book of the Year Award of Merit), to discuss a biblical response to transgender theory. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: -The Body God Gives - Robert Smith -First Comes Sex, Then Comes Gender - CT review of The Body God Gives - J. Alan Branch GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: -Join the conversation at our Substack. -Find us on YouTube. -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Robert Smith is an ordained Anglican minister and a lecturer in theology, ethics, and music ministry at Sydney Missionary and Bible College. He is the author of How Should We Think About Gender and Identity? and The Body God Gives. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2014, the Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from the small town of Chibok, Nigeria. One of the young women, Naomi Adamu, and her friends smuggled a Bible into captivity, and for seven years the Scriptures were a source of their strength to resist. Upon the hostages' release, Wall Street Journal reporters Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson interviewed Naomi and many others for their book Bring Back Our Girls, and wrote a 2021 cover story for Christianity Today in which they shared the role that their faith played in their captivity. As Boko Haram continues to kidnap and displace innocent people in Nigeria and religious conflict abounds, this piece offers an account of the ways that God can be at work in the darkest places. READ THE PRINT VERSION: Whispered Prayers, Hidden Bibles, Secretly Scribbled Verses: Inside the Resilient Faith of the #BringBackOurGirls Hostages - Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw Bring Back Our Girls - Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Drew Hinshaw is a senior reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the co-author of the books Bring Back Our Girls and Swap: A Secret History of the Cold War. He has been nominated six times for the Pulitzer Prize and has also written for The New York Times Magazine, Time, Al Jazeera, The Atlantic and Rolling Stone. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump expresses his desire to possess Greenland, causing tension between the administration and European leaders. Noah Rothman of National Review sits down with Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to discuss the president's overtures and their implications on the post-WWII global order. A worship service in St. Paul, Minnesota is interrupted by protestors, where the pastor is an ICE field director. Pastor and community organizer Chris Butler helps us consider how Christians can think about protesting. And finally, David Zahl of Mockingbird Ministries stops in to discuss Democratic Texas state representative James Talarico and his statements about reclaiming Christianity for the left. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Can James Talarico Reclaim Christianity for the Left? - The Ezra Klein Show ABOUT THE GUESTS: Noah Rothman is a senior writer with National Review and a contributor to MSNBC. He is the author of Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America and The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back Against Progressives' War on Fun. Chris Butler is the director of Christian civic formation at the Center for Christianity and Public Life, and he has pastored at Ambassador Church in Chicago for nine years. Chris co-authored Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement. David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird website, and co-host of both The Mockingcast and The Brothers Zahl podcasts. His latest book is, The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World. His writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and The Guardian, among others. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week, a war powers resolution that would require congressional approval for military action in Venezuela died on the Senate floor after Vice President Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in cases regarding trans athletes participating in women's sports. And, ICE continues controversial immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum as she shares an analysis on Russia's war in Ukraine. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:  -Listen to the first episode of the new season of Autocracy in America, hosted by Anne Applebaum. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Anne Applebaum is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gulag: A History. She is staff writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Her most recent books include the New York Times best sellers Twilight of Democracy and Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World. She was a Washington Post columnist for 15 years and a member of the editorial board.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, protests continued against the Iranian government with the death count rising to more than 3,000, according to Iranian health officials. Jonathan Schanzer joins Mike, Russell, and Clarissa to discuss why this is such an important moment for the Iranian people and for peace in the Middle East. On Sunday, the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell released a video responding to grand jury subpoenas regarding renovation costs for federal buildings. Charlie Sykes explains the backdrop of the DOJ's investigation and what this could mean for the economy. Then, Christine Emba stops by for a discussion about Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, which has begun granting a large number of user requests to undress images posted by other people.  REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: -Updates on X's policies regarding Grok's image generation. ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and he is also on the leadership team of FDD's Center on Economic and Financial Power. He previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the US Department of the Treasury. Schanzer has appeared on CNN, Fox News, Al-Arabiya, and Al-Jazeera. Charles J. Sykes is a political commentator who hosted a conservative talk show in Wisconsin for 23 years. He was the former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, and is currently an MSNBC contributor. Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Salon, USA Today, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC. Christine Emba is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where her work focuses on gender and sexuality, feminism, masculinity, youth culture, and social norms. She is concurrently a contributing writer at The New York Times, and previously was a staff writer at The Atlantic, a columnist and editor at The Washington Post. She is the author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation.  GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Protests escalate in Iran, growing from frustrations about the country's economy to more general anger over the country's authoritarian government. Last week, an ICE agent in Minnesota shot and killed US citizen Renee Nicole Good. And, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller says power is the primary currency in the real world. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Brad Edwards, CT's Book of the Year winner, to talk about why the church matters.  REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:  -The Reason for Church - Brad Edwards GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Brad Edwards is the lead pastor and church planter of The Table Church in Lafayette, Colorado. He is a regular contributor to Mere Orthodoxy and The Gospel Coalition, and he cohosts the podcast PostEverything. He is Christianity Today's 2025 Book of the Year winner for his book The Reason for Church. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The world grapples with the US's capture of Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro. The Hudson Institute's Michael Sobolik joins the show to discuss how China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and others might respond. January marks the one year anniversary of California's devastating Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires. CT's Mia Staub shares about her reporting on churches whose buildings burned down and have not been rebuilt. Finally, many say revival is happening in America, but it doesn't seem to be showing up in our churches or in research data. Michael McClymond from Saint Louis University joins Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to talk about the history of revivals, and whether it's something we can predict.    REFERENCED IN THE EPISODES: -⁠A House of Worship Without a Home⁠ - Mia Staub -Religion Holds Steady in America - Pew Research Center ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is the author of Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and Reuters, among others. He has also appeared on Fox News, ABC, BBC, and other outlets. Mia Staub is the senior editorial project manager at Christianity Today. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and is currently working toward a Master in Theology of Public Life and Justice with Princeton Theological Seminary. Michael McClymond is a professor of modern Christianity at Saint Louis University. He is the author of The Devil's Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism and the editor of Encyclopedia of Religious Revivals in America. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  Join the conversation at our Substack.  Find us on YouTube.  Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the weekend, American special forces captured and extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Attention shifts now toward New York where Maduro will appear in court for charges of drug trafficking and narcoterrorism. David French and Elizabeth Neumann join Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll to discuss possible reasons for the capture, America's history with executing regime change, and what could come next for the US and Venezuela.  GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUEST:  Elizabeth Neumann is a national security expert who has served across three presidential administrations: on the inaugural staff of the White House Homeland Security Council under President George W. Bush, as an advisor to the office of the director of national intelligence during the Obama Administration, and as the Department of Homeland Security's deputy chief of staff and assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention in the first Trump administration. Neumann is also a national security contributor for ABC News. David French is a columnist for The New York Times. He's a former senior editor of The Dispatch and author of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll gather at the end of the year to reflect on 2025's top news stories–what mattered, what didn't, and what thoughtful media engagement means for Christians. Together, they consider the influential rise of artificial intelligence, the merging of politics with the pulpit, and the timeless call of Jesus–“Do not be afraid”--that anchors Christian hearts in the truth, no matter what the news cycle brings. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grab a loved one and gather round for a special reading of the Christmas story from your friends at CT Media podcasts. Music from The Porter's Gate, poetry from Malcolm Guite, and more – shared by the voices you know and love from your favorite shows here at Christianity Today! GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  TODAY'S VOICES: Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll of The Bulletin. Nicole Martin, president and CEO of Christianity Today. David Zahl, Bulletin guest and author of The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World. David French, Bulletin guest and New York Times columnist. Sho Baraka, editorial director of CT's Big Tent Initiative. Steve Cuss of Being Human. Jesse Eubanks and Faith Stults of Wonderology. Music used with permission from the Porter's Gate album, Advent Songs. The poem “The Magi” is written by Malcom Guite, from his collection Sounding the Seasons: 70 Sonnets for the Christian Year (Canterbury Press). ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a mom of six, author Leslie Leyland Fields was shocked when she first heard the term “breeder” to describe mothers of large families. In this edition of Sunday Afternoon Reads, Leslie reads her piece “The Case for Kids,” which was published nearly twenty years ago as a cover story for Christianity Today, offered today with all new statistics for contemporary listeners. As the birth rate in the US has declined to a record low, Leslie's words are more prescient than ever.  READ THE WRITTEN VERSION: -The Case for Kids - Leslie Leyland Fields GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.    ABOUT THE GUESTS:   Leslie Leyland Fields is a writer, speaker and professional editor who lives on Kodiak Island, Alaska in the winter and Harvester Island in the summer, where she works in commercial salmon fishing with her family. She co-hosts “Off the Shelf” on KMXT Public Radio and is the author of Parenting Is Your Highest Calling, Surprise Child, and other books. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper   Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss the complexities of recent violence, including the shooting at Brown University and an antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney. They explore the media's role in covering such incidents, the impact on affected communities, and the loss of empathy. Then, Mike sits down with former Representative Adam Kinzinger to talk about his experience on Capitol Hill during the January 6 riots, his new documentary The Last Republican, and what true courage looks like. They finish the conversation talking about the war in Ukraine and the Venezuelan boat strikes.  REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: -The Last Republican  -Adam Kinzinger's Substack GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS: Adam Kinzinger is an American politician, senior political commentator for CNN, and former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. He served as a United States representative of Illinois from 2011 to 2023. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Sunday, a Hanukkah celebration in Australia was interrupted by a horrific shooting which killed at least 15 people. At Brown University in Rhode Island, a gunman shot and killed two students and left nine injured at a Saturday exam study session. In light of these tragedies, we're re-releasing a conversation about violence and antisemitism between Mike Cosper, Rabbi Joshua Stanton, and Bishop Robert Stearns. Then, Australian Steve Cuss of CT Media's Being Human podcast drops by with a Christmas meditation on the hospitality of God to those the world considers strangers.  REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: -Trump Disses Putin, Kermit Speaks at Graduation, and The Israeli Embassy Suffers Loss - The Bulletin -Hosted by God at Christmastime - Being Human with Steve Cuss GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Follow the Being Human podcast. -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Rabbi Joshua Stanton is associate vice president for interfaith and intergroup initiatives at the Jewish Federations of North America. He is also on the board of governors with the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, which presides over Jewish-Christian relations with the Vatican.   Bishop Robert Stearns is the founder and executive director of Eagles' Wings and the presiding bishop of the historic Tabernacle Church in Buffalo, New York. Stearns serves as president of the Israel Christian Nexus in Los Angeles and has ministered in more than 30 nations around the world, with a central focus on the nation of Israel.  Steve Cuss is a pastor, former chaplain, and founder of Capable Life which helps people lower internal and relational anxiety in the workplace and at home. He is the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs and The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God. Steve hosts the CT Media podcast, Being Human. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, officials examine Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's role in recent drug boat strikes. Charlie Sykes joins Mike and Clarissa to explain the legalities of the recent military action. Then, President Trump's tariffs are beginning to affect US farmers. Gretchen Ronnevik shares perspectives from America's heartland. Finally, a new Pew report says religiosity in America isn't diminishing quite as quickly as in previous years. We ask veteran journalist Bob Smietana to help us interpret the new data. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:  -⁠Hamas Crackdown, Rural Hospitals, and Why Brides Wear White⁠ - The Bulletin GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS: Charles J. Sykes is a political commentator who hosted a conservative talk show in Wisconsin for 23 years. He was the former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, and is currently an MSNBC contributor. Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Salon, USA Today, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC.  Gretchen Ronnevik is the author of Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted and the co-host of the weekly podcast Freely Given. She and her family live in Minnesota on the family farm. Bob Smietana is a national reporter for Religion News Service based near Chicago, covering evangelicals, weird religion, and the changing religious landscape. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Australia bans kids under 16 from social media platforms. Should the US do the same? The CDC votes to change the recommendations for the hepatitis B infant vaccination schedule. Notre Dame is snubbed from the playoffs and rejects a bowl game. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines. Then, Mike sits down with Rebeccah Heinrichs of The Hudson Institute for a conversation about the shifting historical narratives of the far right, why young men are drawn to authoritarian ideas, and the importance of maintaining global alliances to prevent world wars.     GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS: Rebeccach Heinrichs is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative. She specializes in US national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence. Heinrichs currently serves as a commissioner on the bipartisan Strategic Posture Commission, which was created in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. She also serves on the US Strategic Command Advisory Group and the National Independent Panel on Military Service and Readiness. She is an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics, where she teaches nuclear deterrence theory and is also a contributing editor of Providence: A Journal of Christianity and American Foreign Policy. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the Trump administration temporarily halted all asylum application decisions following the shooting of two National Guardsmen by an Afghan refugee. CT's Andy Olsen joins Mike Cosper and Russell Moore to discuss the implications of this change. Then, Dalibor Rohac of the American Enterprise Institute stops by to talk about Russia's rejection of the U.S.'s 28-point proposal for ending the war in Ukraine, despite indications that the proposal was overly favorable to Russia. Last, Mike and Russell talk about the fallout from the U.S. Navy's attack of alleged Venezuelan drug boats and whether the U.S. committed war crimes by killing survivors.  REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: -‘Amid Peace Talks, Russian Drone Damages Christian School in Kyiv' by Jill Nelson -‘⁠Trump's full 28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan⁠' - Axios GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS: Andy Olsen is the senior features writer at Christianity Today. He previously oversaw the print magazine team. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, among other outlets, and has been recognized by the Religion News Association and the Evangelical Press Association. Dalibor Rohac is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies the political economy of the European Union and transatlantic relations. He is concurrently a research associate at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies in Brussels. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik   Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us for the kickoff of Advent as Russell Moore, Clarissa Moll, and Being Human's Steve Cuss discuss when they officially start listening to Christmas music, their favorite Christmas memories, nativity story characters that are meaningful to them, and what “Six White Boomers” means for Australians at Christmas.  GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS: Steve Cuss is a pastor, former chaplain, and founder of Capable Life which helps people lower internal and relational anxiety in the workplace and at home. He is the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs and The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God. Steve hosts the CT Media podcast, Being Human. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper   Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, the kidnapping of children from a Catholic school in Nigeria prompted further discussions about Christian persecution in the country. Then, in a surprising turn of events, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she will resign in January, while newly elected mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani held a friendly meeting with President Trump. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines and share favorite gift ideas as the holiday season begins. This conversation features gratitudes from listeners near and far. REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: -⁠JD Vance's Interfaith Marriage, Fighting in Nigeria, Nick Fuentes Interview⁠ -⁠Pete Hegseth Addresses Military, Nigerian Christians, Government Shutdown GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: TJ Hester Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper   Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Thursday, Christianity Today announced that Nicole Martin will be our new president and CEO. In this episode, Nicole and CT board member Walter Kim join Clarissa Moll for a conversation about the legacy of Billy Graham, the call to unity in the midst of division, the centrality of Christ and pro-life values, and the vision for CT's future. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Nicole Martin is Christianity Today's president and CEO. Formerly, she was CT's chief operating officer. She is the author of several books including Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender and Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry. Walter Kim is the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and is on Christianity Today's board of trustees. He previously served as a pastor at Boston's historic Park Street Church and at churches in Vancouver, Canada and Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as a campus chaplain at Yale University.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more.    The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today  Producer: Clarissa Moll  Associate Producer: Alexa Burke  Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper   Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, President Trump hosts the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for a formal White House visit, despite the prince's responsibility for numerous human rights abuses. National security expert Elizabeth Neumann joins Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll to discuss how to interpret this visit. Then, New York Times columnist David French stops by to talk about shifts in the Republican party as the U.S. emerges from the government shutdown. Finally, CT's Sho Baraka joins us to talk about the TikTok trend of the performative male, and how one man in Detroit is using jujitsu to teach boys and men to control their strength and be emotionally open.  REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: -Mastering Masculinity with Jason Wilson by Sho Baraka   GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  -Join the conversation at our Substack.  -Find us on YouTube.  -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice.  ABOUT THE GUESTS:   David French is a columnist for The New York Times. He's a former senior editor of The Dispatch and author of Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. Elizabeth Neumann is a national security expert who has served across three presidential administrations: on the inaugural staff of the White House Homeland Security Council under President George W. Bush, as an advisor to the office of the director of national intelligence during the Obama Administration, and as the Department of Homeland Security's deputy chief of staff and assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention in the Trump administration. Neumann is also a national security contributor for ABC News. Sho Baraka is a recording artist, performer, culture curator, activist, and writer. Baraka is an alumnus of Tuskegee University and the University of North Texas. He is a cofounder of Forth District and the And Campaign, and he has served as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He was an original member of influential hip-hop consortium 116 Clique, recording with Reach Records. In 2024, Baraka became the Big Tent editorial director for Christianity Today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices