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The Venezuelan government says a search and rescue operation is ongoing to find thousands of people still missing after two huge earthquakes on Wednesday. Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, says nearly 600 people are now known to have died. The United Nations says more than a thousand international search and rescue workers have been deployed. Also: a spy scandal in Ukraine as a top agent is jailed for passing secrets to Russia; King Charles reveals his 17 million dollar tax bill; Paris restricts alcohol due to a severe heatwave; more than a million people are asked to evacuate their homes in Japan ahead of a tropical storm; and we bring you the latest from the FIFA World Cup. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: People react in the aftermath of earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, June 25, 2026 Credit: REUTERS/Maxwell Briceno

Dan is here with all the latest Liverpool news, including reports confirming the Reds' interest in Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. Also in the news, new Liverpool signing Víctor Muñoz speaks on his move to Anfield. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone in dynasty fantasy football has heard the "rules"—never draft running backs early, always trade aging veterans, rookie picks are king, and quarterbacks don't matter unless you're in Superflex. But how many of these dynasty strategies actually hold up under scrutiny?In this episode, we're putting some of the biggest dynasty fantasy football myths to the test. Inspired by MythBusters, we'll examine popular dynasty takes, debate the evidence, and decide whether each one is CONFIRMED, BUSTED, or PLAUSIBLE.We'll break down myths surrounding rookie draft picks, player age, running back value, wide receiver longevity, contender vs. rebuild strategies, trade philosophy, and much more. Whether you're a dynasty veteran or preparing for your next startup draft, this episode will challenge some of the assumptions that could be shaping your roster decisions.

NiKo finally wins the Major! Each Falcons' player story line that lead to that moment including karrigan's redemption arch and m0NESY's first Major MVP as well Major impressions and first roster talk in this episode of HLTV Confirmed.➡️ Follow us for updates: https://twitter.com/HLTVconfirmed

Glenn gives an open discussion on Substack about Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's unprofessional and outright rude conduct in the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund case. Listen in and interact with Glenn on Substack: glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Glenn gives an open discussion on Substack about Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's unprofessional and outright rude conduct in the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund case. Listen in and interact with Glenn on Substack: glennkirschner.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo have passed one thousand with more than 250 deaths.

Authorities have confirmed that a second sick bird found on a remote beach in Western Australia has tested positive for a deadly strain of bird flu.

Tony Squires is in with James and Wade Graham to recap all of the action from the latest round of NRL. We look at the fierce rivalry between the Sharks and Roosters wingers, and the Chooks' dominant display to get the job done last night. A Storm warning is coming, and Melbourne are looking the goods at the right time of year. The Warriors got a well-earned win against the Cows in Christchurch, but the biggest talking point was the city's new stadium and fans – will they be the 20th team? Plus, we look at Manly's bad loss, the Dogs' run home, Val Holmes' awful kick, and the players to watch in Origin contention this weekend! Check out Triple M NRL's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Squires is in with James and Wade Graham to recap all of the action from the latest round of NRL. We look at the fierce rivalry between the Sharks and Roosters wingers, and the Chooks' dominant display to get the job done last night. A Storm warning is coming, and Melbourne are looking the goods at the right time of year. The Warriors got a well-earned win against the Cows in Christchurch, but the biggest talking point was the city's new stadium and fans – will they be the 20th team? Plus, we look at Manly's bad loss, the Dogs' run home, Val Holmes' awful kick, and the players to watch in Origin contention this weekend! Check out Triple M NRL's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor James Russell joins the show to discuss what this means for Aotearoa and whether or not we're prepared to cope with an outbreak. 

HARRY & MEGHAN TO BRING THE KIDS TO BRITAIN, GEORGE'S ETON PLACE CONFIRMED, CHARLES'S HORSE FINISHES LAST .The BBC reports Harry and Meghan plan to bring Archie and Lilibet to the UK next month for the first time in four years — the children's first visit since 2022, with security arrangements still unresolved. Prince George's Eton place is confirmed for September. At Royal Ascot, Zara Tindall was briefly turned away by her own security, Mike Tindall pulled off his chocolate hat trick, Kate made a triumphant return, and the King's horse finished last by fifty-nine lengths. Trooping the Colour gave us Prince Louis, a near-early balcony exit, and the Duke of Kent filming the flypast at ninety. Plus: Charles likes being called "darling."Palace Intrigue is a daily British royal family podcast covering King Charles, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and the House of Windsor. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

Something important is happening inside the Flare ecosystem, and this time we're going directly to the source. Hugo Philion joins On The Chain for a special conversation about Flare, FAssets, XRP, interoperability, decentralized data, institutional adoption, AI, and what many believe could be one of the most significant developments happening in crypto today. What has Flare already accomplished? What is launching next? What does this mean for XRP holders? And what is the market still missing about the long-term vision behind Flare? Join us as we sit down with Hugo to discuss the technology, the roadmap, and the opportunities that could shape the next phase of blockchain adoption.

Listen to the Top News of 20/06/2026 in Hindi.

In this clip from Expert Insight, Dan is joined by Henry Chard to discuss the view from Osasuna, after Liverpool signed the Spanish winger for a transfer fee of €40m. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of My Xbox And Me, we somehow ended up spending way too much time talking about the GTA IV cover art. There's a lot more going on than you might think. We chat about the different panels, the characters, what they tell you about the game.00:00:00 Intro 00:04:28 Grand Theft Auto 6 Key Art and Pre-Order Date 01:24:14 Xbox in talks with Doublefine compulsion and ninja theory to spin off or shut down 01:45:55 Guess That Game

EA announced that they're going to be shoving more ads in their games. Because nothing will help sell your undercooked, overpriced games faster than also having unskippable advertising and product placement. Watch the podcast episodes on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://more.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629 MORE CLOWNFISH TV - Official Merch Store: http://ClownfishMinus.com Facebook - https://facebook.com/ClownfishTV X - https://x.com/ClownfishTVcom Clownfish TV subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClownfishTVOfficial/ Disclaimer: This series is produced by Clownfish Studios and WebReef Media, and is part of ClownfishTV.com. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of our guests, affiliates, sponsors, or advertisers. ClownfishTV.com is an unofficial news source and has no connection to any company that we may cover. This channel and website and the content made available through this site are for educational, entertainment and informational purposes only. These so-called “fair uses” are permitted even if the use of the work would otherwise be infringing. #EA #Games #Gaming #Podcast #Commentary #News #Reaction #Gaming #Comedy #Entertainment #Hollywood #PopCulture #Tech #Anime #FYP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ALSO: United Way - Nearly 4 in 10 Indiana households can't meet cost of living, Obama center opens, Nonstop flights begin from IND airport to Connecticut & North Carolina, and bad dream for the Fever.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

ALSO: United Way - Nearly 4 in 10 Indiana households can't meet cost of living, Obama center opens, Nonstop flights begin from IND airport to Connecticut & North Carolina, and bad dream for the Fever.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dadley Boyz review last night's episode of AEW Dynamite and discuss...Forbidden Door teams CONFIRMED!ANOTHER Forbidden Door match announced!Mercedes Moné is in the Owen Hart Cup final!Ospreay & Swerve's war of words!What does TMDK stand for?!ENJOY!Follow us on Twitter:@AdamWilbourn@MichaelHamflett@MSidgwick@WhatCultureWWEFor more awesome content, check out: whatculture.com/wwe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SCOTUS Decisions  Robinson Defense Requests Roommate  Man Charged in Data Center Stalking  Your Voice, Your Vote: CD3 and other Utah races  Parker Kingston Case Dismissed  Senator Curtis Celebrates America 250, Hits the Trail!  The Second Puberty of Fatherhood Fun Facts and Closing Arguments   

  2 Utah Supreme Court justices were confirmed yesterday, despite pushback from the Senate Democrats. Holly and Greg discuss their experience and what to expect next. 

Adrian Barry, Eve Conway & Arthur O'Dea are on hand for Thursday's Newsround as Carla Ward's Ireland team discover their road to the World Cup and Rory McIlroy tee's off at the US open. Viagra Connect 50mg film-coated tablets. Contains sildenafil. For adult men with erectile dysfunction. Subject to suitability. Maximum dosage one 50mg tablet per day. Always read the label.

Tom Holland seems to have confirmed the wedding already happened, and more details on Jelly Roll's divorce.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cologne Major reached playoffs: talking through the biggest stories so far (and to come!) with Monte's coach kakafu in live-with-audience special from SK Gaming headquarters in Cologne, Germany. ➡️ Follow us for updates: https://twitter.com/HLTVconfirmed

On today's episode of the Loaded Radio Daily Breakdown, host Scott Penfold drops a massive alternative metal bombshell: Faith No More is officially returning to live activity in 2027! We dive deep into bassist Bill Gould's revealing new interview regarding the physical toll of their music, alongside their game-changing global stadium deal with Latin American entertainment giant 30e.  Plus, the dark lord Glenn Danzig announces a 7-date US tour with Twin Temple and Burning Witches—and drops a major teaser for his massive Anaheim, California finale. Finally, we break down the completely unhinged news out of the UK where Leicestershire Police have launched a formal criminal investigation over a viral scandal on the Ferris wheel at Download Festival, right before Guns N' Roses hit the main stage.  All that, plus Mike Shinoda details Linkin Park's history-making night at Donington Park. Dive into the noise! Get the absolute best 24/7 commercial-free heavy metal soundtrack on the planet! Download the Free Loaded Radio App right now:

After Tom recently saw the film 'Disclosure Day', about meteorologist and a cybersecurity expert who find themselves at the center of a movement to expose the government's cover-up of extraterrestrial secrets, that got him thinking, how would the world react if extraterrestrial beings were confirmed real?

The New York Knicks championship parade just got even BIGGER! On WFAN, Craig Carton reveals that Alicia Keys will perform at the end of the historic Knicks parade, sparking debate over who should share the stage with the champions. Plus, an emotional call from a lifelong Knicks fan who experienced the 1970 and 1973 championships leaves Craig reflecting on the incredible family connections that make sports so special.

Ross and Russel confirmed this on the Rumour File from Tuesday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We Like Shooting - Ep 667 This episode of We Like Shooting is brought to you by: Foxtrot Mike (Code: WLSISLIFE) C&G Holsters (Code: WLSISLIFE) Midwest Industries (Code: WLSISLIFE) Gideon Optics (Code: WLSISLIFE) Blue Alpha Second Call Defense Otis Technology (Code: WELIKESHOOTING15) Guests: Paul Noonan, Foxtrot Mike Products – https://fm-products.com – @foxtrotmikeproducts Text Dear WLS or Reviews +1 743 500 2171 Public   Show Titles   GOA GOALS Aug 1-2 in Iowa. https://goals.goa.org/ JUNE 20th, 2026 GunCon.net Tickets on sale now. Use code AGENCY171 GEAR CHAT Foxtrot Mike Products Foxtrot Mike THEOUTDOORWIRE Hi-Point Hush-Point Cigar 22 Suppressor The Hush-Point Cigar 22 is a limited-run monocore .22 suppressor developed through a collaboration between Hi-Point Firearms, Taylor Customs, and Orion Wholesale. Released June 10, 2026, it is styled to visually resemble a premium cigar with a hard-anodized dark brown finish and gold accents. It is offered exclusively through Orion Wholesale for FFL dealers. CIVMEDICAL Civilian Medical CM1 Civilian Medical Training Civilian Medical provides online CM1 training designed for civilians with no medical background. The course uses scenario-based interactive learning with quizzes, decision-based scenarios, and over 30 lessons built on battle-adapted protocols. It offers a certificate of completion, self-paced lifetime access with saved progress, targeting professionals, parents, families, community volunteers, and concerned citizens. THIRD ECHELON DEVELOPMENT(Nick) Third Echelon Development Gas Cap Gen 3 4 5 Gas Cap™ significantly reduces the amount of debris and gas ejected into your eyes & face when shooting with the added backpressure of a suppressor, making for a much more pleasant experience. The Gas Cap is a direct-fit replacement slide plate for Glock Gen 3, 4, and 5 pistols (select models with 1-in/25.5mm wide slide). It is precision CNC machined steel with black nitride finish and functions as a two-position sliding assembly. The contoured shroud diverts excess gas and debris downward when using a suppressor. Note Best can for my ps-90? (Nick) Note Roadhunter update 6.5MM CREEDMOOR +PEAK(Nick) Federal Premium 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak The 6.5 Creedmoor has become one of the most popular modern cartridges for hunting and long-range target shooting. But Federal just unlocked its true potential with new 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak. Federal Premium 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak is a high-pressure cartridge utilizing patented Peak Alloy case technology. It delivers up to 300 fps higher velocity than standard 6.5 Creedmoor and 100 fps over 6.5 PRC while functioning in existing 6.5 Creedmoor rifles. Offered with multiple bullet options including 130 gr Terminal Ascent, 155 gr Fusion Tipped, and others; reloadable with unprimed cases coming soon. BULLET POINTS FOREST SERVICE DEBUTS NEW RECREATION MOBILE APP USDA Forest Service National Forests and Grasslands Mobile App The Forest Service launched the National Forests and Grasslands mobile app for iOS and Android during Great Outdoors Month. The app provides the most complete collection of Forest Service recreation sites, safety alerts, closures, and offline maps for the 164 million annual visitors to national forests and grasslands. The USDA Forest Service launched the National Forests and Grasslands mobile app on June 4, 2026 to provide a single comprehensive visitor information platform. It consolidates data from nearly 30 legacy apps, offering complete recreation site details, safety alerts, closures, amenity information, activity search, offline maps, and optional map layers for fire and weather data. The free app is available on iOS and Android for the 164 million annual visitors to national forests and grasslands. ATHLON OUTDOORS EXCLUSIVE FIREARM UPDATES, REVIEWS & NEWS NRA 2026 New Guns & Gear That Stole the Show Uncover the exciting NRA 2026 new products unveiled at the Annual Meetings & Exhibits, perfect for shooters and collectors. The article by P.E. Fitch highlights standout new firearms and accessories debuted or featured at the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, positioning the event as the industry's encore to SHOT Show. Coverage includes innovative designs from multiple manufacturers, with particular attention to eye-catching or controversial products that drew significant attendee interest. Specific product details, dimensions, weights, and pricing are not extractable from available page metadata and previews. INSIDE SAFARILAND Do Handgun Silencers Have a Place in the Self Defense World Do silencers have a place in the self defense world? They may not have completely made it there yet, but I think they will be. Safariland blog article examines whether handgun silencers (suppressors) belong in self-defense applications. The author gives a cautious but optimistic ‘yes,' particularly highlighting advantages for home defense scenarios while acknowledging practical limitations. The piece discusses benefits like hearing protection for the shooter and reduced disturbance to bystanders or family members, alongside typical drawbacks such as added size, weight, and legal/regulatory requirements. SOLDIERSYSTEMS Roni Nano Roni Pistol-to-Carbine Conversion Kit Houston, TX – Roni Corporaton, the leading designer and manufacturer of the renown Micro-Roni, PDW-style pistol-to-carbine conversion kits and other fi … The Nano Roni is Roni's most compact pistol-to-carbine conversion kit that installs a handgun into a chassis in seconds without tools, transforming it into a pistol-braced PDW. It includes a complete system with chassis plus accessories such as magazine holders, light mounts, Picatinny rails, charging handles, optics mounts, slings, and a belt holster. Initial compatibility covers multiple Glock models with additional Glock, SIG Sauer, Taurus, and Canik models planned; available in black, OD Green, and Flat Dark Earth. THE TRUTH ABOUT GUNS Can You Shoot 5.56 Through a .22 Suppressor? – The Truth About Guns Can you shoot 5.56 through a .22 suppressor? Usually no. Here's why pressure, heat, and gas volume matter so much. The article addresses whether .556/.223 ammunition can be safely fired through a standard .22LR (rimfire) suppressor. In the general case, it is not safe or recommended. Most dedicated rimfire suppressors are engineered only for the much lower pressures, smaller gas volumes, and reduced heat produced by .22LR, .22WMR, or similar rimfire cartridges. NSSF NSSF Releases Most Recent Firearm Production Figures (ATF AFMER 2023) Over 32 million Modern Sporting Rifles in Circulation WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, released the Firearm Production in the United States including the Firearm Import and Export Data 2025 Edition (reporting 2023 data) to its members. The report compiles the most up-to-date information based on data sourced from the Bureau of Alcohol, […] According to the NSSF article dated January 15, 2026, ATF AFMER data shows 2023 U.S. domestic firearm production at 8,466,729 units, a 15.4% decrease from 2022. Total firearms made available for the U.S. market in 2023 were 13,574,653 (handguns 8,176,535; rifles 3,899,907; shotguns 1,498,211). Cumulative civilian firearms in possession 1990–2023 reached 506.1 million, with modern sporting rifles (MSRs) in circulation estimated at over 32 million. GUN FIGHTS Play the best Price Is Right-style GunBroker game on the internet. BANGRANK A live cast ranking segment for anything and everything in the gun world, powered by questionable certainty, strong opinions, and audience voting. THE AGENCY BRIEF Agency Update 1. AGENCY BRIEF: STREET SWEEPER / USAS-12 DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE RECLASSIFICATIONWhat this really was: In 1994, ATF took lawfully owned shotguns and shoved them into the NFA “destructive device” category. No vote in Congress. No new statute. Just an agency ruling that turned specific 12-gauge shotguns into the same legal category as grenades. The targets were the Striker-12, the Street Sweeper, and the USAS-12. The Striker and Street Sweeper used revolving cylinders. The USAS-12 was a semi-auto, magazine-fed shotgun. They all fired ordinary 12-gauge shells, the same kind of ammunition people put through hunting pumps all over the country. The legal hook was buried in the National Firearms Act, specifically 26 U.S.C. § 5845(f). That section says a weapon with a bore over one-half inch can be treated as a destructive device unless the government decides it is “generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes.” A 12-gauge shotgun has a bore of about .73 inches. So every 12-gauge in America avoids the NFA only because ATF treats it as sporting enough. That is the trapdoor. In 1994, during the Clinton administration, ATF issued Rulings 94-1 and 94-2. The agency said these shotguns had no recognized sporting purpose, pointing to their weight, capacity, and military-style features. Once ATF withdrew that exemption, the guns became destructive devices. The pattern was simple: Start with a broad statute and an elastic test like “sporting purposes.” Use subjective factors, including appearance, to pull back prior approval. Reclassify the guns by agency ruling. Open a short amnesty period for tax-free registration. Turn missed paperwork into felony exposure. Confirmed fact: ATF used the sporting purposes clause to reclassify these firearms and require NFA registration without Congress passing a new law. What is less clear is how many legacy owners actually got notice before the amnesty window closed. But the legal threat was real, and the policy result stuck....

On June 9th, 2026, David Grush stood on the steps of the United States Capitol and moved from testimony to action. He was not alone. What happened on those steps, and what was confirmed about Varginha, Brazil for the first time in thirty years, is what this episode is about.Sitting members of Congress, Leslie Keane, James Fox, and the man who testified under penalty of perjury that the US government has recovered craft of non-human origin assembled at one in the afternoon with a single purpose. Fox opened by asking the President of the United States to declassify the Varginha files. The former Brazilian Minister of Defense confirmed publicly for the first time that in January 1996, a living non-human being was loaded into a police cruiser, transported to a hospital, and subsequently handed over to the US military. The officer who transported it was dead within three weeks. His widow was denied his death certificate and his medical records were seized by the Brazilian army the day after he died.Jared Moskowitz said plainly the American people were being lied to. Tim Burchett described being told in a classified briefing that the President of the United States is on a need-to-know basis. Leslie Keane asked the question nobody in official capacity has answered: by what authority can any institution on earth withhold confirmation of what may be the most consequential scientific discovery in human history?This is a special episode. No quick hits, no briefings. Just one story told the way it deserves to be told.Patreon: https://patreon.com/InfiniteRabbitHoleJeremy's Book: https://www.amazon.com/U-F-Elmwood-Cosmic-Puzzle/dp/B0GX1GBMZNYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfiniteRabbitHolePodcastWebsite: https://InfiniteRabbitHole.com

The FBI just foiled an expansive domestic terror plot that targeted the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn — drone bombs, a pre-staged sniper team, and a second wave to storm the gate. But the part legacy media won't tell you is the motive: per the federal affidavit, suspects like 19-year-old Tycen Proper and California's Michael Alan Thomas wanted to target "capitalist elites," billionaires, and AIPAC-funded politicians — rhetoric that sounds word-for-word like AOC, Bernie Sanders, and Graham Platner. For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial 580-308-0975 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go https://askchapter.org/oconnor *Paid Partnership* SHOP OUR MERCH: https://store.townhallmedia.com/ BUY A LARRY MUG: https://store.townhallmedia.com/products/larry-mug Watch LARRY with Larry O'Connor LIVE — Monday-Thursday at 12PM Eastern on YouTube, Facebook, & Rumble! Find LARRY with Larry O'Connor wherever you get your podcasts! SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7i8F7K4fqIDmqZSIHJNhMh?si=814ce2f8478944c0&nd=1&dlsi=e799ca22e81b456f APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larry/id1730596733 Become a Townhall VIP Member today and use promo code LARRY for 50% off: https://townhall.com/subscribe?tpcc=poddescription https://townhall.com/ https://rumble.com/c/c-5769468 https://www.facebook.com/townhallcom/ https://www.instagram.com/townhallmedia/ https://twitter.com/townhallcom Chapter: Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.Become a Townhall VIP member with promo code "LARRY": https://townhall.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst looks at two birth tragedies that have put "freebirths" in the spotlight. 

Barnaby goes live to discuss the £52m signing of Jean Paul van Hecke from BrightonSubscribe to my Patreon account to support me making Tottenham daily content here:https://www.patreon.com/BarnabySlaterPatreonWatch on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@barnabyslater_Instagram: @barnabyslatercomedyTikTok Football: @barnabyslaterTikTok Spurs: @barnabyslatercoys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

H.W. Brands describes how, by the summer of 1939, the destruction of Poland by German and Soviet forces confirmed that war was imminent, prompting Roosevelt to invoke neutrality laws as required by Congress. Despite his desire for privacy, Lindbergh began using his celebrity status to secure national radio airtime, feeling a duty to prevent Americafrom repeating what he viewed as the "mistake" of the First World War. His father, a former congressman, had been driven out of politics for opposing American intervention in 1917, a legacy that instilled in Lindbergh a profound distrust of politics as a "mean business" where truth was rare. Lindbergh argued that Britain and France were launching a war they could not win and would eventually force the United States into a permanent presence in Europe. During this period, he consulted with figures like Herbert Hoover, who suggested forming a committee that would eventually become "America First," and visited the "House of Morgan" through his wife's family connections. British observers, such as Harold Nicolson, were less impressed, dismissing Lindbergh as a "schoolboy" who possessed technical talent but lacked a mature understanding of diplomacy and the complexities of governing a great empire. Lindbergh remained unfazed by British criticism, asserting that he was an American and that his country's interests were distinct from those of the British Empire. (2)1936

Protecting Dogs from the Dangerous Return of the New World Screwworm Host Laura Reeves and veterinarian Marty Greer discuss the alarming resurgence of the New World Screwworm, outlining vital travel precautions, key symptoms to watch for and the medications used to treat this invasive parasite. The Return of a Lethal Threat:After being successfully managed since 1966 using a sterile fly release program, the New World Screwworm has crossed back over the U.S. border. Confirmed cases have already appeared in livestock and dogs.How Screwworms Differ from Normal Maggots:Unlike typical fly larvae that only infest damaged or dead tissue, New World Screwworm larvae aggressively penetrate and destroy healthy, normal tissue in dogs, cats, livestock and even humans.Fluid Travel Restrictions:State and international borders are experiencing rapidly shifting regulations. Dog owners are warned to avoid traveling across the Mexican border, remain highly cautious when traveling interstate and ensure they carry official health certificates.What to Do If You Find a Larva:This is a federally reportable disease. If you discover a larva in a wound, do not throw it on the ground where it can pupate. Instead, preserve it in alcohol or formalin and immediately contact your veterinarian to notify authorities.Treatment Options:Oral flea and tick medications in theisoxazolineclass (such as Cridelio, Nexgard, Brevecta, and Semperica) andnicotinamides(such as Capstar) are the primary medications utilized or suspected for emergency treatment, although their preventative capabilities are still being studied.Other Exotic Diseases on the Rise:The episode also flags other global health threats creeping into the U.S. due to warming temperatures, includingChagas disease(transmitted by the kissing bug and causing severe cardiac disease) and aliver flukeshowing up in the Colorado River Valley. Featured Resources: Worms and Germs Blog(Infectious disease updates by veterinarian Dr. Scott Weese)CapcVet(veterinarian-authored parasite prevalence maps)

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 71 Universe expansion still accelerating after all A new study has confirmed that the universe is continuing to expand at an ever-accelerating rate under the force of dark energy and heading for a cold, dark and empty fate. Mysterious cosmic signals finally explained Astronomers have discovered that dead stars called white dwarfs located in binary systems are a primary source of mysterious signals from deep space called long-period radio transients. What made last week's New England meteor incident so rare? Last week we reported on a meteor that rocked the afternoon spring skies over New England. It now turns out that was a very rare event. The Science Report Sugar-sweetened drinks increase the risk of two types of liver cancer. New fish species swimming in the warm tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef. A new study claims that living with cats does not worsen asthma or allergies in children. Skeptics guide to on line influencers.

Jeremy Zakis discusses the confirmed El Niño cycle bringing unusually warm, humid winter weather across Australia. He notes that local councils are performing early back-burning to mitigate bushfire risks during this dry period. Despite drought concerns, many residents are enjoying extended beach weather in coastal Sydney.1930 SOUTH AUSTRALIA

This hour: The Tartan Army will be stateside for at least another week; Tatum has a whole summer to get back to 1st-Team status; Sox win B2B home games for the first time in a long while; Christian Gonzalez wants to be a Patriot, not a holdout

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Jon Herold comes in Friday with the most material he has had all week, starting with Tulsi Gabbard's first round of declassification on US-funded biolabs. The release is four pages confirming what Russia disclosed back in 2022 and what the community has been saying for years while getting called conspiracy theorists for it. Jon uses the moment for some honest self-reflection: if this is true now, was it not equally true four years ago, and what does that say about how these stories tend to play out? Buried in the documents is a repeated mention of Black and Veatch, which Jon traces directly to Hunter Biden's Rosemont Seneca investments in Metabiota, adding a fresh wrinkle to Hunter's current media tour. The Iran deal saga continues its now-familiar whiplash: bombing threats, then cancellation, then Trump calling the leaked terms completely fake while JD Vance pushes back on the reporting. FISA 702 failed in the House with real Republican defections that Mike Johnson conveniently left out of his floor speech. The FBI raided an Ohio voter registration group, and Jon's live dig into their tax filings turns up a board stacked with Jim Mattis, John Kerry, and Dave McCormick paying themselves enormous consulting fees. Also, Elon Musk is now the world's first trillionaire and Jon is still working on it.

Steven Crowder. L.A. Voter Fraud. Trump Assassin Was Secretly Communicating With Police, FBI Hid Evidence. Inside Job Confirmed?!   Nobody Trusts This Bullsh*t On election night Nithya Raman was in third place and crying to supporters. By Sunday she had passed Spencer Pratt and now has a 40% shot at winning the general. Raman has won every single vote dump since Friday but couldn't even win her own city council district. Click here for today's sources: https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/sou... Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/gMdUE5BGAb8?si=6fU0OfPvGHi9FhYw StevenCrowder 5.88M subscribers 157,962 views Jun 8, 2026 Go to http://blackoutcoffee.com/CROWDER and use code CROWDER for 20% off your first order! Foundation Daily is made up of premium ingredients to reduce inflammation and stress and promote clean energy and mental clarity. Subscribe now and receive 40% off for life. https://foundationdaily.com/ DOWNLOAD THE RUMBLE APP TODAY: https://rumble.com/our-apps Join Rumble Premium to watch this show every day! http://louderwithcrowder.com/Premium Bite-Sized Content: https://rumble.com/c/CrowderBits Subscribe to my podcast: https://feeds.libsyn.com/576250/rss FOLLOW ME: Website: https://louderwithcrowder.com/ X: https://x.com/scrowder Instagram:   / louderwithcrowder   Facebook:   / stevencrowderofficial     Trump Assassin Was Secretly Communicating With Police, FBI Hid Evidence | Inside Job Confirmed?! Watch this video at https://youtu.be/TjfVVn-X8H8?si=dTVy2I2LiKlx2EAD Benny Johnson 6.09M subscribers 289,768 views Jun 7, 2026 New Crooks emails were just released... If you want to help support independent journalism, become a Member:    / @bennyjohnson   FOLLOW BENNY ON SOCIALS: https://www.bennyjohnson.com/follow CHECK OUT OUR MERCH: https://shop.bennyjohnson.com/ Sign up for The Benny Newsletter: https://www.bennyjohnson.com/newsletter SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.bennyjohnson.com/thebenny...

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Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by John Plake, Chief Innovation Officer and Editor-in-Chief of the State of the Bible research at the American Bible Society. With decades of experience as a pastor, missionary, professor, and researcher, John brings a unique perspective on how people are actually engaging with Scripture and what we should do about it. The “movable middle” is growing. // One of the most significant insights from recent research is the rise of what John calls the “movable middle”—millions of people who are open to the Bible but not yet engaged with it. This group has grown by approximately nine million people in recent years. They are curious, interested, and even positive toward Scripture, but they lack the tools, confidence, or guidance to engage it meaningfully. This represents a massive opportunity for churches willing to step in and help. People want a guide. // Through focus groups and research, John discovered that many people in the movable middle feel intimidated by the Bible. They struggle with language, context, and navigation. But perhaps most striking is they want help. Contrary to what some leaders might assume, they are not rejecting the church as a guide. In fact, many say, “If we can't trust the church to help us understand the Bible, what good is it?” This creates a clear invitation for churches to step into a more relational, guiding role in discipleship. A surprising discipleship gap. // One of the most sobering findings is that nearly half of weekly church attenders are not regularly engaging Scripture on their own. While churches invest heavily in preaching and programming, many people are not developing personal habits of Bible engagement. John suggests that churches often focus on delivering content rather than equipping people to engage Scripture themselves. The result is a gap between what happens on Sunday and what happens in everyday life. From teaching to equipping. // If churches want to close that gap, they must shift from being primarily content providers to equipping environments. This means helping people develop the skills, habits, and confidence to read and apply Scripture on their own. It also requires understanding the real barriers people face, like time constraints, confusion, or lack of community support, and addressing those barriers with practical solutions. A new tool for churches. // To help leaders take action, the American Bible Society has developed the “Next Step for Church” assessment. This free tool allows churches to measure spiritual health, Bible engagement, and key leadership behaviors within their congregation. Within a few weeks, leaders receive a detailed, data-driven report highlighting strengths, challenges, and suggested next steps. Data that leads to discipleship. // John emphasizes that data is not an end in itself; it's a tool for better shepherding. By listening to their congregation at scale, leaders can identify patterns, confirm instincts, and prioritize what matters most. The assessment surfaces both what's working and where growth is needed, giving churches a clear path forward. It also connects individuals to personalized Scripture engagement resources, helping them take their next step spiritually. Why Scripture engagement matters most. // Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than a person's relationship with the Bible. In fact, Scripture engagement accounts for a significant portion of overall spiritual health. When people consistently engage with God's Word, transformation follows—affecting beliefs, behaviors, and relationships. Signs of hope for the future. // Despite broader cultural challenges, John sees encouraging trends, especially among younger generations. Millennials and Gen Z show increasing openness to Scripture, even if they are still exploring. While overall trends may appear flat, meaningful change is happening beneath the surface. For churches willing to engage this moment, there is real opportunity for impact. To explore the research further or access the free church assessment, visit church.nextstep.bible and begin discovering how your church can better equip people to engage Scripture every day. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Risepointe Do you feel like your church’s or school's facility could be preventing growth? Are you frustrated or possibly overwhelmed at the thought of a complicated or costly building project? Are the limitations of your building becoming obstacles in the path of expanding your ministry? Have you ever felt that you could reach more people if only the facility was better suited to the community’s needs? Well, the team over at Risepointe can help! As former ministry staff and church leaders, they understand how to prioritize and help lead you to a place where the building is a ministry multiplier. Your mission should not be held back by your building. Their team of architects, interior designers and project managers have the professional experience to incorporate creative design solutions to help move YOUR mission forward. Check them out at risepointe.com and while you’re there, schedule a FREE call to explore possibilities for your needs, vision and future…Risepointe believes that God still uses spaces…and they're here to help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I am so glad that you have decided to tune in today. This is one of those episodes that there’s a great resource in it that going to want to make sure you engage with. There’s super helpful content. Plus it’s about an area that I know so many of us are thinking about, we’re wondering about, we’re asking questions about. Rich Birch — So super excited to have John Plake with us today. He is the chief innovator ah innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible Research Series, which comes from the American Bible Society. And they’re on a mission to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford so that all may experience its life-changing message. ABS has really a whole bunch of different tools and approaches, and we’re excited kind of expose a little bit more about that today. John has been in ministry over 30 years. We’ll just call it over 30 years. And it served as a pastor, missionary, professor, researcher. John, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.John Plake — Thanks so much for having me today. It’s great to be with you.Rich Birch — Why don’t you fill in the picture a little bit? Tell us a little bit about your background. You know, what brings you to your current work?John Plake — Yeah. Closer to 40 years now. Rich Birch — Nice. Yeah, yeah. That’s great.John Plake — It’s a little uncomfortable to talk about that.Rich Birch — That’s great.John Plake — Yeah. You know, I start out like a lot of people in ministry. I grew up in a home that ministry was central. Actually, both my grandfathers were ministers. My father was a minister. Ministry is kind of the family business in a way, but I really did sense a direction from God when I was about 15 years old to to pursue full-time ministry.John Plake — There was some detail around that. Ended up going to Bible college and and then started what turned out to be about nine years of full-time pastoral service. And I hadn’t been in that for very long before I realized that everything I learned in Bible College was preparing me to serve a generation that no longer existed in a culture that was gone. John Plake — And I thought, my goodness, I know God’s word pretty well. And mean, I’m a lifelong learner of God’s word. I love the Bible. And yet, didn’t really know culture very well. And I didn’t develop those tools until just years and years of practice, some missionary service, wonderful teachers at at Wheaton College and graduate school and and just a lifelong journey of learning.John Plake — So at American Bible Society, when I got here, the State of the Bible, program or this research project was already underway. And we’d been helped out by the Barna Group, which does some wonderful foundational work. And eventually it just kind of grew up and it got to a place where we had an internal team that was running it ourselves, now in collaboration with the National Opinion Research Council or NORC at the University of Chicago. We just do, I think, what is the largest ongoing study of Americans’ relationship with the Bible and faith and the church. And we get to talk about it all the time. Rich Birch — Yeah, I love it.John Plake — So, I mean, this is the best job in the world.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. It’s it’s great research, something that I think should be on the kind of list of things that we need to be paying attention to. It’s been a gift to the church for so long and something that we should continue to to pay attention through. Now, let’s talk about you specifically. You spent three plus decades. I didn’t want to say almost 40. You know, I’m not saying that. I’m not saying that. I could say that, you know, a couple years ago, I clicked across one of those numbers with a zero on the end as my birthday. And ever since then, I’m a little sensitive about the the age thing. Rich Birch — So anyways, As a ministry, missionary professor, researcher, you’ve done a lot. How does wearing all of those hats, what do you what does that bring to you as you come to the data? How does that impact you as you think about really the state of the Bible research?John Plake — Yeah, you know, I think research can be dull. You know, it can sound like it’s all about writing questions or it’s all statistics and numbers. But for me, the research is all about the people. Rich Birch — So true.John Plake — It’s all about the people in our communities and in our churches that we’re trying to understand better so we can serve them well with the gospel. I, for years, I’ve used the analogy that that being in gospel ministry is like being a human bridge across a river. I grew up not very far from the Mississippi River in the St. Louis area, and there was a big 100-year flood when I was early on in ministry. And I mean, none of the bridges worked anymore. You couldn’t get from one side to the other.John Plake — And I thought, you know, that’s a tragedy that I encountered sometimes in ministry where maybe I was deeply rooted in one bank of the river, the text, but I wasn’t necessarily deeply rooted in the other bank of the river, which was the context.John Plake — And it’s this lived experience of the people that I was I was serving. And that I wanted to serve in my community, but I needed to understand them better. So I wasn’t just spouting you know Aristotelian logic to them. Or I wasn’t just coming at them with the pat answers that I’d learned. Like I’d never heard anybody in my life walk into my office and say, Pastor John, you got to tell me, what can you describe hamartiology to me from. You know like I had to learn that in school, but that’s not what people struggle with. Rich Birch — That’s so true. Yeah. John Plake — They had totally different questions and I needed to love them and honor them enough to understand their questions and answer them responsibly and reliably from the pages of scripture.Rich Birch — Yeah, love it. Okay, well, we’re going to dig into a little bit of just a couple of the findings just to kind of, we’re trying to whet your appetite, friends, to take steps towards this. So the 2025 data showed, and we’ve seen this, a real bump in Bible engagement, particularly among millennials and men. If I’m reading it correctly, though, we saw 2026, a shift happen, maybe back down. And so what’s going on? Actually, I heard another sociologist in a kind of a related field that was about church attendance talked about the dead cat bounce, that it was like, you know, which I thought, oh, that’s a, but there’s a similarity going on here. Pull this, this finding apart. Help us understand this.John Plake — Yeah, apologies to cat lovers out there.Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.John Plake — We were we were hoping, you know, I think we were really hoping. We looked at 2025. We saw that men in particular were leaning into the Bible in ways we hadn’t seen recently. Millennials doing the same thing. There there were some interesting numbers in 2025. And so when the 2026 numbers came to my desk in late January, I thought, I hope we’re extending I hope it’s going to be a trend. But it wasn’t. It was a blip.John Plake — And there’s more to it, though, than just the fact that scripture engagement didn’t go up. It also didn’t go down. And the level of people in America who are Bible disengaged, meaning they never pick up the Bible on purpose at all, that actually didn’t go up either. What grew was this kind of curious explorer group in the middle that we call the movable middle. And over the last two years, it’s grown by 9 million American adults. Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — And so what we do see is there’s there’s openness to the Bible. There’s experimentation with the Bible. But people are jumping in and they’re trying it and they’re not being able to get hold of it. And I think that’s largely because of us.John Plake — Because Bible people who are around them aren’t saying, please come do this with me. Let me help you. Let me honor you enough to to respect your questions, to ask what you’re dealing with, and help you explore those issues through the pages of Scripture.Rich Birch — I love that movable middle, man, that feels like the kind of group we want to connect with and reach out to in our community. Any other, when you, when you’ve been thinking about this movable middle, what are some other kind of characteristics of those people or other things that, you know, are kind of telltale signs of this group as we’re thinking about them as it, as it pertains to Bible engagement?John Plake — Yeah, they’re an amazing group, and we’re going talking more about them all year, but they are probably my favorite subject in America. There are 74 million American adults that are in the movable middle.Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — 74 million of our neighbors who are like…Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — …and here’s what they tend to say: They love the Bible. They think it’s a great idea. But if you handed them a Bible, they don’t know how to find what they’re looking for. They don’t know how to navigate it. They get confused by the language in in Scripture.John Plake — I remember doing a a focus group with a bunch of people in the movable middle. I was in Chicago. it was an area I was really familiar with. I used to pastor in that area. And we got them talking about their experience with the Bible. And we said, hey, does anything ever stop you or kind of you know make you check out because you’re struggling with what’s going on? John Plake — And one young lady at the table said, yeah, you know the language of the Bible is really really hard for me to understand. It’s it’s a really old book. It uses expressions I don’t understand. And a gentleman sitting across the table from her just kind of chuckled and said, yeah, what the hell’s a mustard seed? And everybody laughed.John Plake — I was behind the glass and I just about fell out of my chair because they didn’t teach me to talk like that in a Assemblies of God seminary.Rich Birch — Yes.John Plake —Things like that, you know, that’s just not the way we roll.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Yes.John Plake — But it was so authentic and he wasn’t being mean.Rich Birch — No.John Plake — He was just saying, boy, I don’t I don’t get it. And then they said, you know, we really want a guide. Rich Birch — That’s good.John Plake — And so we pushed on that a little bit. At the time, there were some clergy abuse scandals that actually there were billboards up in Chicago about clergy abuse scandals that all of us lamented. And so we’re like, OK, listen, do you trust the church to be your guide? Because ee saw these billboards, you know, and it’s your city. And so what what do you think?John Plake — And they said, well, of course we do. I mean, it’s terrible when people in the church abuse their position and abuse others. And that’s not what they’re supposed to do. But if we can’t trust the church to help us understand the Bible, what good are they, really? And so, yes, we’re looking to you, church, to help us connect more deeply with the Bible, understand what it meant to the original hearers and readers and how we apply it to our lives today.Rich Birch — Okay, that’s yeah, that’s really cool. I look forward to hearing more about the movable middle in this coming year. Another thing that jumped out to me, which I feel like, man, I’ve seen this in my church. This is like you you named a group that I see, but it’s surprising, at least it’s surprising on its face. So nearly half of weekly church attenders, weekly church attenders, which is, that’s like really engaged, you know, are not regularly engaging, engaging scripture on their own.Rich Birch — Man, what, so what should we do about that? That’s an interesting, how does, how should that impact our discipleship strategy? What are you encouraging us to be thinking about? And these people that are with us all the time, but they’re not engaged with scripture.John Plake — Well, I think the first thing to do is to just recognize it. Rich Birch — Right.John Plake — You know, a lot of pastors that I’ve talked to, when we talk about scripture engagement, they tell me things like this: Everything we do is scripture engagement. I spend my whole week preparing a scriptural message. I’m, you know, we’re preparing small group curriculum and Sunday school curriculum and all of this stuff. It’s all about the, everything we do is about the Bible. John Plake — Well, okay. But I had a I had a young youth pastor come to me not that long ago and he said, John, look, you were me once a few years ago. If you knew then what you know now, what would you do differently?John Plake — And the answer is I would do everything differently, than the way I ought to do it. Because what, in my tradition, there was a lot of emphasis on the preaching event, and I put a lot of effort into those communication events, but what I didn’t put as much effort into is empowering people in my church to do what I was doing, which was dig into scripture, understand it for themselves, giving them the tools to do that.John Plake — And then in May, we’re going to be releasing a chapter, just in a few few days now, we’re going to be releasing a chapter all about parents. And one of the startling things is the time pressure that moms are under. I mean, it’s incredible. And so we need to understand where they’re coming from and where they have barriers, but also have some compassion on them and help to support them when they’re really facing struggles. Like they don’t have enough time. They don’t have the resources or the community coming around them to help them to engage God’s word ah more fulsomely, more transformatively.John Plake — We know how to do this stuff, but we’re not connecting the dots to everybody that’s coming to hear us talk every…Rich Birch — That’s good. That’s good. I know I’ve in my seat as an XP, um you know, I’ve overseen a lot of what we do on the programming side and what we do on the weekends. And I’ve, you know, it’s like, that i don’t think I’ve ever said this publicly. It’s like the kind of behind the scenes conversation. I’ve sometimes wondered, I’ve said, you know, like, what we do on the weekend to try to make the Bible understandable is so completely different than Tuesday morning in someone’s life. Rich Birch — Like, we pull out all the stops to make it interesting. We get like world class communicators, incredible graphics, you know, emotional music, all of this to try to… But then the question is, okay, so now on Tuesday morning when you’re tired and you haven’t had your coffee yet and you’re just about to go read scripture, man, like that feels like a long ways away. There’s like a gap there that I sometimes wonder maybe we’re making it worse. You know. Maybe we’re making it harder. I said that. You didn’t say that. Rich Birch — So maybe there’s pastors that are listening here and they read this kind of report. They read this kind of finding and they’re like, hey, that’s interesting. But like, how what do I do in my church specifically? So you know we want we don’t want to just leave people with a tough stat.Rich Birch — I think we see that in our church. There’s people in our church that are here all the time. They’re not that engaged. But you’ve actually developed a new tool or ABS has developed a new tool to help us think through that. Why don’t you walk us through it? Tell us a little bit about it. How’s it work? Talk us how it can help us.John Plake — Yeah, so recently we developed two tools that kind of work together. One of them you can find on the internet at nextstep.bible. And it’s just for anybody who’s like, hey, I’m on a spiritual journey. I’m kind of stuck. I don’t really know what to do next. Maybe you’re just getting started exploring what it means to be a Christian. Maybe you’re Jesus’ little brother or sister. Wherever you are in that journey, there’s always a next step for us.John Plake — And so what we’ve done is analyzed along about a million spiritual life surveys. Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — And from this huge quantity of data, we’ve learned that people are at different places in that journey. They’re at different points on the map. And we want to make sure that they’re equipped to have the right thing at the right time. I think currently there are 21,000 scripture engagement resources available there.Rich Birch — Wow.John Plake — They’re absolutely free. They’re in English, Spanish, and French. So go check it out, nextstep.bible.John Plake — But if you’re a pastor or you’re a church leader, you’re probably wondering, well, what’s going on in my church, right? So I see all the national data, but I think our tendency is to say, well, we’re the exception, right?Rich Birch — So true. Well, that’s not our people. John Plake — I know I know everybody else is struggling, but we’re doing okay.Rich Birch — Yes.John Plake — And and so it’s good to check our assumptions a little bit. They used to say a really sad statistic that 10 o’clock on Sunday morning was the most segregated hour in America, which makes me sad. What makes me sad also is that 12 o’clock noon in America is the most dishonest hour in America. That’s the hour when pastors tend to start greeting their people after the church service closes and they hear all these comments: oh, Pastor, that was the best sermon I’ve ever heard. And it wasn’t. It just wasn’t. All right, let’s face it.John Plake — There’s somebody out there who preaches better than you do and better than I do. They’re available on YouTube. People don’t need you to be the best Bible teacher in the world. They need you to be the best pastor for them. Rich Birch — That’s good.John Plake — And the tools that are all about focusing on their relationship with the Bible, their holistic spiritual formation, and our leadership behaviors. And so for that, we built the Next Step for Church Assessment.John Plake — It’s actually standing on the foundation or built on the engine block, if you want a different metaphor, of the old reveal research that the Willow Creek Association had come out with. It’s no longer available. And we were able to acquire all of their historical learnings, but also add in things like human flourishing and e-pastoral leadership behaviors that lead to churches really being missionally effective and strong. Excellent stuff on Bible engagement and spiritual formation. John Plake — So the the big challenge we had, I was talking with Dr. Ed Stetzer about this because he was at LifeWay Research when the Transformational Church Assessment was being built. And it was always hard because analyzing this kind of data required a lot of human intervention. It’s very expensive to do. It’s very complicated to deliver. And even a small cost can be a barrier for churches that have strained budgets. It doesn’t matter if you’re a church of, you know, 2,500 25,000 or 250. There’s always more places to put your money than there are dollars that are available to do it.John Plake — And so at American Bible Society, we said, you know what, as a gift to the church, because we love the church, we need to make it completely free. And so you can go to church.nextstep.bible and you could sign up today. Literally, we’re recording this on a on a Thursday. You could go there today and by Sunday, you could be launching your survey. Two weeks later, you’d automatically have results in your own online dashboard. You’d get key highlights emailed to you. There’s a place for custom questions. There’s just all kinds of really, really rich information.Rich Birch — So good.John Plake — And it it doesn’t take the place of the kind of learning that you have as a pastor. You learn deeply in relationship with others. You’re observing what’s going on. You have a team that’s around you. But what it does is it provides this valid, reliable sift and sort function. It’s based on well, I don’t know even know how many, well over 3000 churches, well over half a million survey responses went into building this and making it a tool that that is a good benchmark for you to say, you know what, if we want to move from where we are today to where God is calling us, here are the things we need to focus on.Rich Birch — It’s so good. And friends, I want to encourage you to to go there. Just church.nextstep.bible. I know many of us have a heart for saying, listen, we want to measure more than just nickels and noses. The number of people that show up and revenue that comes in. And this a great way to kind of inject at something that’s at the core of what we’re supposed to be doing as a church. So why don’t we just give a little bit more detail?Rich Birch — What is it? You know, what’s it actually measuring? How is it? You know, how could it be helpful? How how could it kind of dovetail with some of the things we’re already tracking? Maybe give us, you know, what kind of insights are we going to gain from this if we if we put our people through this?John Plake — Yeah, maybe it’s worthwhile to just back up and say it’s based on a congregational assessment. So really this kind of work is all about just listening to your congregation at scale. So if you have 25 people coming to church, you can probably have this conversation with them if you know how to ask the right questions. Rich Birch — Right.John Plake — You can go to the website. You’re like, what’s in the survey? There’s a button you can click. You can read the whole survey. It’s fine. We’re not going to try and surprise you with anything. But really simple stuff. How’s your relationship with Jesus? How often are you interacting with Scripture? What difference is that making in your life? We ask the standard Harvard human flourishing questions. We ask about um how the pastoral team or the senior pastor, him or herself, is doing at actually modeling Christlike leadership for you. Rich Birch — It’s so good.John Plake — And all of that reporting then gets brought into a database. It’s all anonymous. So individuals don’t, they don’t have to tell you who they are. They can’t tell you who they are other than by characteristics. And you’re going to get this really good, robust picture of what’s going on at the church. John Plake — Now, what does it take for somebody to do that? It takes about 20 minutes of their time, and time is expensive, right? People always have too much to do. So in return for that investment, at the end of their survey experience, they will have already told us everything we need to know to match them to great resources at nextstep.bible.John Plake — And with their permission, not without it, they can click a button, pass that data over to the individual nextstep.bible platform. They can create an account and right away, they’re going to be finding things like YouVersion Bible reading plans that are just for them.John Plake — If you’ve got people in your church and they’re outliers, they’re they’re way more spiritually advanced than everybody else, or they’re just getting started and everybody else is way ahead of them, these kinds of tools create bespoke pathways for them so they know what to do next. All the while, the church leadership can sit back and say, okay, here’s our results. And as a team, now what do we need to do to serve the whole congregation well?Rich Birch — I love this. You know, this is what incredible tool that you’ve put together here for our churches to wrestle through and to, you know, not only help us as a church as we’re thinking about these issues, but then help individuals in our church. What what would be some of the ways that churches might use the data that’s generated to impact what we’re doing in our programming? How how could we use this to improve what we’re doing?John Plake — Sure. There are really three things we want everybody to do. First, just discover what’s going on. Just just check your assumptions at the door and and say, okay, what do the data tell us about what’s going on in our church life and in our people’s lives? That’s the first thing.John Plake — Second thing is it’s going to surface for you the top three things that you’re doing great. And it’s going to give them to you in the report. And you need to throw a party. Like there are people who make these things happen for you. No pastor is doing this all by themselves. And so plan a party, celebrate what’s going well.John Plake — The third thing it’s going to do is it’s going to give you suggestions about, okay, here’s where your congregation is today. It won’t surprise you, but it might inform you. I’ve never seen a pastor look at the report and go, ah you guys got it wrong. Rich Birch — Sure, right.John Plake — Usually they they see the report and they go, yeah, okay, yeah, you got me.Rich Birch — Yeah. Confirmed some hunches I’ve had. Yeah. Yeah.John Plake — Right? But we don’t we don’t have time. We don’t have the resources. We don’t have the expertise to be able to sit down and and kind of scientifically walk through this process. So we do that for you. We deliver the report. And then we’re going to give you two key action items that we think churches like yours in a similar place have done that have helped move them toward spiritual health and missional effectiveness.John Plake — And that’s really what it’s all about. We want your congregation to be spiritually healthy. We want your your church as a whole to be missionally effective. And when that happens, often there’s numerical growth. Often there’s financial growth. But there’s certainly more missional impact that’s coming through your congregation and its work.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. So if I’m like a church of a thousand people, let’s say, and just round number to picking out of the sky, how how what kind of percentage of my congregation would I need to take this to give me a reasonable, you know, statistical, you know, feeling good about the data for it? What what kind of number um should I be thinking about?John Plake — Well, the first thing is we’ve built in a tool that will tell you how to get to a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. Rich Birch — Love it.John Plake — And that does vary depending on the adult attendance that you have. So let’s say you’ve a thousand adults. And by adults, I mean anybody in high school or older can probably take this survey. Rich Birch — Yep.John Plake — And you can cut the data like by gender or by age. All of that live filtering is in the online platform. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s so good.John Plake — So if you’re the you’re the youth pastor and you’re like, well, wait, tell me about the young people that took the survey. You can just look right at them and compare them to the rest of the congregation, which I bet will be enlightening. But nevertheless, how many do you need if you’re a church of 1,000, it’s about 275.Rich Birch — Okay.John Plake — If it’s a smaller church than that, then you’re still going to need a pretty significant percentage. So if I roll that all the way down to a church of 100, you need 80.Rich Birch — Okay.John Plake — And if you roll that up to a church of 5,000, well, you don’t need that many more than 275.Rich Birch — Interesting.John Plake — So you’re going to report that out to you. It’s very, very doable. And, you know, I’ve pastored at large churches and I pastored a small church. And I’ll tell you, when I pastored a church of under 100, I could have gotten a census of the people, like everybody, to do a survey like this. They would have been glad to tell me these things. Rich Birch — Right.John Plake — And it’s not that I couldn’t have had a conversation one-on-one with most of the adults in the congregation. It was something different in that case. I actually didn’t know what to ask. I used to run into this when I was a campus pastor at a Christian university. And I would have young people walk into my office and I was like, I know I should be able to help them, but the challenge they’re facing is different than anything I’m familiar with. I don’t have any analog for this in my personal experience. And so this sort of takes the mystery away. We don’t ask fluffy questions. We ask research proven questions that are going to give you the information you really need so you can take action.Rich Birch — That’s amazing. That’s think this is such a great tool for people. I can see how, you know, it’d be so helpful for folks that are listening in to, you know, might be be able to plug in grab this experience for their people, help their church, help the folks that are attending. That’s, that’s incredible.Rich Birch — So, you know, you’ve picked an interesting vocation to be connected with the American Bible Society. And because, you know, this is such a critical and important part of developing people’s relationship, obviously, with Jesus; its core to all of it. And we have seen a long historical downward trend, and you’re pushing against that, which is amazing. But what gives you hope in the middle of all of that? What would it when you look at the church around you know, the country, where do you see flashes of just good things going on that are like, you know, when it comes to the relationship with scripture that even, you know, even when we see maybe the overall numbers are not as great as we want them to be, what are some kind of flashes of hope we should, that we could encourage folks with today?John Plake — Well, I’d like to maybe point to just three things that leap to mind. Rich Birch — Yep.John Plake — The first of them is I never talk to anybody in the church who says the Bible is a bad idea. Rich Birch — Sure.John Plake — Everybody likes the Bible. We’re all trying to figure out how to communicate its message better, to understand it more deeply. It’s transforming our lives, and we want to be able to share it with others. John Plake — And that’s great because, number two, there’s nothing that makes a bigger difference in somebody’s spiritual life than their relationship with the Bible. I mean, absolutely nothing. And I’m saying this as a researcher. I’ve tested it. I can’t find anything that makes a bigger difference. John Plake — In fact, when we looked at Christian college and university students, 60% of their overall spiritual health across lots of domains—beliefs, practice, putting faith into action, loving God, loving others, all these things, 60% of the variance in their spiritual health is solely accounted for by their relationship with the Bible.John Plake — So if we can help people have a dynamic relationship with scripture, we win. That’s all there is to it. It’s just that simple. And so that is really encouraging.John Plake — And then the third thing, ah the third thing is how I say this nicely? I'm I’m from Gen X and so to my Baby Boomer friends, I’m sorry, but you guys don’t have the influence that you once did.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s true.John Plake — And that’s a good thing because there’s new openness among Millennials, and Gen Z and even younger Gen X um that we just don’t see among Baby Boomers. It’s like Baby Boomers made up their minds in the 60s and early 70s and said, this is what I believe and I’m not changing. And they haven’t. John Plake — That’s not to say that someone who’s a Baby Boomer can’t have a a spiritual experience and transformational experience. It does happen. But on the population level, like when we looked at the Bay Area of San Francisco, if you look at the scripture engagement, church engagement, love God, love others data in the Bay Area, it looks like what you’d expect, until you strip out the Baby Boomers. And then suddenly it looks better than every place else in America.John Plake — You’re like, what’s going on? Well, looks like all the unreconstructed hippies that moved to the Bay Area are actually holding a lid on the population numbers. And when you remove that and you go, oh, wait a minute, let me look under the headline and say what’s happening. There’s more going on than is easy to see. And I think this happens in big national trends.John Plake — Oh, is Scripture engagement up or down? Is you know church attendance up or down? Whats what’s going… big national trends. Yeah, okay, those are helpful, and we want those to change. But what’s changing first is below the fold. Things in Gen Z, things among Millennials, things in young men, those things are starting to change, and I think those are the first glimmerings that God is at work in a new way in America, and I can’t wait to see it.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s that’s a great word. And that lines up with what we’re seeing, even just experientially talking to churches across the country. You know we’re so we’re seeing there is something going on with younger generations, which is great to see. I was I was born in 1974, the lowest birth rate year of the 20th century. I am classic Gen X. Like you know I am like statistic I’m the statistical average Gen X and has spent a lot of my time trying to hand stuff from the Boomers to the Millennials. And, yeah, there’s lots of encouraging news there, particularly with the younger generations. Rich Birch — I also want to speak to on the the work I’ve done in the church growth stuff that I’ve done and coaching I’ve done with churches, one of the things that’s just undeniable is churches that have a high view of scripture, that is, they’re trying to get people engaged with scripture. They they talk about it like it’s actually true. How do we say don’t know what’s the best way to talk about that? Those are the churches that are prevailing, and that actually works out statistically. You see that time and again. Talk to us about that dynamic, which is kind of co-related to the things we’re talking about today. From your perspective in the stats and all that, how how have you seen that work out as you’ve looked at churches across the country?John Plake — Yeah, I think you’re exactly right. The churches that are the healthiest in America, that are growing, that where where people are spiritually healthy, have a really dynamic relationship with Scripture. And it kind of it cuts across tradition. Rich Birch — Yep.John Plake — There are some traditional things going on. I was listening to Justin Brierley and his surprising Rebirth of Belief in God podcast, and it was from last season, and he he had someone on, he was interviewing, and what she was saying was there are the parts of the church that seem to be thriving are kind of the, the the older, the ancientness traditions, whether it’s Catholic or Orthodox, that what she called somewhat irreverently, the smells and bells side of of the church.Rich Birch — Sure, sure.John Plake — And on the other side, kind of my end of the swimming pool, I’m, from the Assemblies of God, so the Pentecostal and Charismatic side. And she said, what’s going on is that both ends of that spectrum are totalizing. John Plake — They’re saying, you know what, the the Bible places certain expectations and demands on people. Christ places certain expectations and demands on people. And these parts of the church aren’t sort of shy about talking about that from a biblical perspective. She said, what’s what’s dying is that part in the middle where we’ve reduced church to a PowerPoint and you know an Excel spreadsheet. And she said, that part of the church seems to be dying and no one’s coming to the funeral. Rich Birch — That’s good. John Plake — And I thought, you know okay, right?Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, that’s good.John Plake — So if we revitalize our relationship with God through scripture, there’s a next step for every church. It doesn’t matter what, you know whether you’re mainline or evangelical or, you know, Pentecostal or Orthodox or whatever it is, but but reviving our relationship with God through Scripture is really where it’s at.Rich Birch — That’s so good. i Yeah, I call that middle group the just because it rhymes doesn’t mean it’s true group. You know, like the, you know, were just like, it’s all my thoughts. No one wants to come and find us. They want to find God ultimately. Well, I don’t want to pick any fights with anybody that’s listening in, but I really appreciate today’s conversation, John. This has been great. So we want to send people to church.nextstep.bible.Rich Birch — The the promise of in two weeks, your church could have a comprehensive report on spiritual health, on where your church is, spiritual health is at, that’s a huge promise. And so again, this is go to church.nextstep.bible. Any kind of final words as we wrap up today’s episode?John Plake — You know, you might be familiar with Cally Parkinson. Cally was the co-author of all of the Reveal books, every single one of them. She was head of communications for the Willow Creek Association when they were running this. She’s probably had more conversations with pastors and church leaders about survey results like this than anybody I know, maybe than anybody alive. And Cally likes this so much. She said, John, I want to have a personal consultation with the first hundred churches that go through this.John Plake — And so if you want to be in that group, she’s going to offer to spend an hour with you and just walk through your results and help explain it. There are videos throughout the platform that will explain it as well. And you can’t beat talking to Cally. She loves pastors. She says you’re the salt of the earth. And she just really wants to serve you because the work that you do to save people is just so valuable to her. So anyway, just wanted to offer that. And I know you’d probably love to meet Cally.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s fantastic. Well, appreciate you being here today. Thanks for the great work you do at the American Bible Society. John, appreciate you being on today. Thank you.John Plake — Thank you.

This week on Big Kick, Maisie's being roasted by the Lionesses (and Suzi), we try not to dwell on the Spain game, Suzi's done with touring for the summer and there are two surprisingly solid Josh Widdicombe impressions.You can email us on bigkickpod@gmail.com. We love getting your match reports and stories!And you can find us on...Instagram @bigkickenergypodTikTok: @bigkickenergyAnd you can watch full episodes on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@THEBIGKICKENERGYPODCAST Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan's Soap https://AlansSoaps.com/Todd Honor John's memory and the legacy he created for Ian and Alan with Alan's Artisan Soaps “John's Favorites” bundle.  Get one bar of each of his favorites for only $28.99. Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddGet the new limited release, The Sisterhood, created to honor the extraordinary women behind the heroes.   Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeEpisode links:James Talarico, who voted against a bill banning trans surgeries for Texas kids and infamously said he loves “trans children,” flips mid campaign: “I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors.” Daily Signal interviewed both pro-trans activists and parental rights champions outside SCOTUS today following oral arguments for Skrmetti.  This mom told us child identified as trans at age 1.5. An Arlington Official Says Her Son Came Hom Cyring Because a Teacher Taught Babies Come from A Man and A WomanSCOTUS JUST PUBLISHED THE EXACT LIST OF RIGHTS PARENTS NOW HAVE IF A SCHOOL TRIES TO BLOCK THEM OUT. Not vague victories. Not "parents win somehow." NAMED PROTECTIONS. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS. School by school.State of Parental Rights, 2026: Parental Rights FoundationWARNING! THIS  IS NOT SAFE FOR KIDS OR WORK! We have been fighting agains this perverse, pornographic sex-ed in schools battle since 2020. This a a video of a radio program I did with Maia Espinoza, a candidate at the time to be the Superintendent of Government Schools in WA State. You will not believe what we uncovered as we read from the suggested curricula that Democrats successfully jammed down the throats of parents. 

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