June 30, 2025 — Today's Conservative Cartoon

It seems the whole world is rethinking the transgender procedures for kids. Peer-reviewed studies show their long-term harm. European countries are moving to ban the practice. And just last week, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Skrmetti that Tennessee’s law banning trans procedures for minors could stand. That landmark decision opens the door for future bans, and even caused The New York Times to warn that the case may have “set the movement back a generation.” But one group simply refuses to back down: the American medical establishment. The American Medical Association (AMA) recently reaffirmed its commitment to performing transgender procedures on minors, as The Daily Wire recently chronicled. President Trump tells NATO members to up their defense spending, a Democratic Socialist pulls ahead in NYC’s mayoral race, and the American Medical Association doubles down on transgender medical procedures for minors. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. Reporting from… pic.twitter.com/RCSuhDIXpW — Morning Wire (@MorningWire) June 25, 2025 They’re joined by a coalition of groups that essentially represent the entirety of the American medical establishment — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — to say nothing of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which has long been at the forefront of the effort to make transgender procedures available to children. American Medical Association The AMA’s new president, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, condemned Skrmetti, saying without a hint of irony that “all patients deserve access to high-quality, evidence-based medical care.” He added that decisions about medical treatment “must be made through a shared decision-making process between the patient and their physician.” Paul Morigi/Getty Images for PFLAG National Though the AMA has new leadership, the support for transgender procedures for children goes back years. About a year and a half ago, the AMA hosted a conversation on “what doctors should know” about so-called trans teens. The conversation was jarring, with one doctor claiming a child can know their gender is apparently wrong by age four.  “What we know about gender formation for all human beings is that young people really do know their gender by about age four,” Dr. M. Brett Cooper said. “It’s that young female assigned at birth that says, ‘Mom, I am a boy,’ or, ‘Mom, I’m like my brother. I’m a boy too.’ And they keep saying that, over and over and over again. Those are the folks that likely, but not always, will have a very firm gender diverse identity.”  Notably, in October 2024, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Cooper, as well as other doctors, for prescribing “gender transition” drugs to dozens of Texas children in violation of Texas law. In 2023, the AMA passed a resolution to commit to working with legislators to oppose policies that curb access to these treatments or prioritize parental rights. The resolution also promised collaboration with other organizations to “educate the Federation of State Medical Boards about the importance of gender-affirming care.” The group also enthusiastically supported Dr. Rachel Levine’s nomination as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. Levine, a male who identifies as a woman, is a proponent of all types of trans drugs and procedures for minors, and once talked about children going through the “wrong puberty.”  Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Levine — who transitioned *as an adult* — dismisses the question of why children can’t wait until they turn 18 to pursue sex change surgeries: “Adolescence is hard and puberty is hard. What if you’re going through the wrong puberty?” This… pic.twitter.com/vJAIwKE6Vl — Nicki Neily (@nickineily) July 18, 2023 Meanwhile, the gap between the American people and the medical establishment is continuing to widen. According to a recent New York Times and Ipsos poll, 71% of Americans believe children under the age of 18 should not be prescribed puberty blockers or hormones.  Fortunately for them, medical professionals who disagree with their profession’s trade groups are speaking out, and forming organizations that call for evidence-based medicine. One group, Do No Harm, has 16,000 members and is fighting to “curtail the unscientific and individually harmful practice of so-called ‘gender affirming care.’” The Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, meanwhile, researches and questions trans procedures for minors and promotes non-invasive approaches for gender confusion, like psychotherapy.  These groups have a strong ally in President Donald Trump, who ran on this issue, and gained massive support for opposing trans procedures for minors and protecting girls’ sports. During his second week in office, Trump signed an executive order stating the United States will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support gender transitions for children.  Now, his administration is joining the fight. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rescinded Biden-era guidance that promoted trans procedures for minors. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a memo in April that the Department of Justice would consider prosecuting doctors for mutilating children under the guise of “trans care.”  And, as The Daily Wire exclusively reported, the Federal Trade Commission will hold a workshop in July on transgender surgeries, hormones, and puberty blockers. An FTC memo said there’s reason to believe some doctors and medical providers are pushing these treatments on minors while “knowingly deceiving parents by exaggerating ‘benefits’ and downplaying…harmful side effects.” Related: ‘MAHA’ Report On Chronic Disease Will Cause Major Shift In Healthcare, FDA Chief Predicts

When self-described Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral Democratic primary, critics on both sides of the aisle began to wake up to just how problematic his meteoric rise could be. For those who don’t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week’s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed. The topic of conversation on many of the Sunday morning political shows — in addition to some conversation about Iran and the ongoing battle surrounding President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” — revolved around Mamdani, his history and proposed policies, and how mainstream Democrats who wanted to keep their House and Senate seats could go about responding to his win. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), for example, appeared to be uncomfortable when pressed on whether or not he intended to endorse Mamdani in the upcoming general election. It’s certainly possible that Jeffries hesitated because there may be three Democrats running — current Mayor Eric Adams, who won as a Democrat, has announced an independent bid for reelection; and disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), who lost to Mamdani in the primary, left the door wide open for a third party run. It’s also possible that Jeffries, who represents a district that is 11% Jewish, has concerns about Mamdani’s support for BDS — “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” — against Israel or his claim that, as mayor, he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he came to New York City. On ABC News’ “This Week,” host Jonathan Karl asked Jeffries to weigh in on Mamdani. “I congratulated him on the campaign that he ran, a campaign that clearly was relentlessly focused on the high cost of living in New York City and the economy. He outworked, he out-communicated, and he out-organized the opposition, and that’s clearly why he was successful,” Jeffries said — but added that he didn’t know the Democratic Socialist well enough to make an endorsement. “Well, our districts don’t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him. And so that’s the next step in terms of this process to discuss his vision for moving the city forward and addressing the issues that are important to the communities that I represent,” he said, and called on Mamdani directly to “clarify” his position on Israel. “Globalizing the Intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries concluded. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward. With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hesitated when pressed by @JonKarl about endorsing Democratic New York City mayor contender Zohran Mamdani. “I have never had a substantive conversation with him. That’s the next step in terms of this process.” https://t.co/XdRBpVxN5K pic.twitter.com/hM0H4CywiC — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 29, 2025 Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) was far more conciliatory toward Mamdani, arguing that Democrats should learn from the way he made his case on economic inequality — primarily by offering his voters things like rent freezes and “free” public transportation. “If you’re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you’re hitting the right notes,” he said. . @RepDeluzio on lessons Democrats should learn from Mamdani’s stunning win in New York: “If you’re a candidate who is laser-focused on bringing down costs, you’re hitting the right notes.”@RepRileyMoore @ashleyrallison and @Alyssafarah join @jaketapper to discuss. pic.twitter.com/20C2AJH1Ag — State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 29, 2025 Mamdani himself joined host Kristen Welker on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” where he doubled down on policy proposals that would shift the tax burden to “whiter” neighborhoods. When Welker pressed him on that, Mamdani claimed that he was simply “describing” the demographics as they were, not suggesting that white people should be taxed more. “It’s not driven by race,” he claimed. “I’m just naming things as they are.” Mamdani is unapologetic about language in his plan that would tax “whiter” neighborhoods at higher rates: “It’s not driven by race….I’m just naming things as they are.” pic.twitter.com/Dnrtij9BxH — Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 29, 2025 Given the fact that his tax plan also calls for higher taxes on top earners, Welker asked Mamdani whether he believed billionaires had a “right to exist.” Mamdani, laughing, said that he did not believe billionaires should exist “because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI: “I don’t think that we should have billionaires.” pic.twitter.com/optpzkp28w — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 29, 2025 Welker also pressed Mamdani on his apparent stance with regard to Israel, asking several times whether he’d condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which she correctly identified as a call to violence against Jews — and while Mamdani insisted that those were not his chosen words, he did not outright condemn the phrase. “Do you condemn that phrase, ‘Globalize the Intifada?'” Welker asked, and asked again a short time later when it was clear he was not answering: “But do you actually condemn it … which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?” “For the people who … feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?” Mamdani said a lot of words in his response to Welker’s query, but none of them were, “Yes, of course, I condemn it.” .@kwelkernbc to Mamdani: Do you condemn that phrase, Globalize the Intifada? But do you actually condemn it..which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews? For the people who .. feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it? Mamdani’s reply ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/eZuhMSEO0c — Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 29, 2025 So what’s to be done? Democratic strategist James Carville warned that Mamdani’s primary win signaled trouble for New York City, but still seemed hopeful that the “Communist lunatic” — that’s according to President Trump” — could still be stopped on his way to Gracie Mansion. “There’s a lot of baseball left here. We’ve got a lot of baseball left to play,” he said.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the dense, green arteries of Ecuador’s Amazon, something remarkable is gliding across the water without a sound. These aren’t ordinary boats. They’re solar-powered canoes, and they’re ushering in a transformative way for Indigenous Achuar communities to travel, heal, connect, and protect their homeland. Imagine 20 athletes from an isolated village setting off on a reunion journey, not in noisy, polluting boats, but aboard a sleek canoe powered by the sun. That scene recently unfolded in the village of Kusutkao, near Ecuador’s border with Peru. For many of the young men aboard, the sports competition in a neighboring village wasn’t just a match; it was a long-overdue return to childhood roots. These canoes are more than a mode of transport. They’re a symbol of self-determination and innovation, carrying schoolchildren, expectant mothers, elders, and mourners. As one resident, Ninki Roland Antik, recalled, a solar canoe once saved his wife’s life after a miscarriage by getting her to medical care. “Thanks to that, my wife is alive,” he said. Why rivers matter—and what went wrong In Pastaza province, a region nearly the size of Belgium, roads are few and far between. For the 7,000 Achuar people living here, rivers are lifelines. Historically, travel meant dugout canoes and a deep relationship with the river. But over the past few decades, noisy, fuel-guzzling boats called peque peques have taken over. With the power to travel farther and faster, these diesel boats reshaped life in the region but not without consequences. Peque peques leak oil into waterways, pollute the air, and disrupt fish populations. “There used to be plenty of cachamas, bocachicos and tanglas here,” said Achuar elder Anchumir Tentets. “But when the peque peque arrived, the fish disappeared.” Worse, diesel fuel in the Amazon is expensive; sometimes it costs ten dollars a gallon which is more than five times the cost in urban areas. Many can’t afford the rides these boats offer. Tentets remembers missing trips to the city to collect his government stipend simply because he didn’t have the cash. The sun, a story, and a solution The seeds of a new idea were planted in 2009, when Oliver Utne, a young American volunteer, arrived in the Achuar community of Yutzuintza. Immersed in the local way of life, Utne heard stories of a mythical electric eel—Tapiatpia—that ferried beings along the river’s floor. Years later, trained as a solar technician, Utne returned with a vision: What if the Achuar could create their own Tapiatpia? A canoe that ran on solar power, blending ancient myth with modern science. With the community, Utne co-founded Kara Solar, a nonprofit dedicated to building clean, reliable water transport. In 2017, the first canoe launched, navigating over 1,100 miles to prove it could handle the journey. Today, solar canoes operate in multiple countries, and the Achuar are aiming high with plans to launch 250 more in five years. Innovation meets resistance Of course, nothing in the Amazon is simple. Imported engines sometimes falter in the region’s unpredictable rivers, clogged with tree trunks and seasonal shifts. “The littlest thing goes wrong, and the whole boat stops working,” Utne admitted. Some locals still prefer diesel, arguing that speed matters when minutes can mean the difference in health emergencies or commerce. Andrés Granda, the elected provincial leader, echoed that sentiment, stressing the need for practical solutions. But he also acknowledged the power of solar boats as a preservation tool, calling them “a vital step to keep the territory preserved.” In response to challenges, Kara Solar is adapting again and modifying diesel boats to run on solar, while launching Motores Amazonas, a new company working with the Achuar to create stronger, locally adaptable engines. A vision rooted in sovereignty At the heart of the solar canoe movement lies a deeper purpose: sovereignty. The Achuar have seen what happens when roads carve through rainforest: disruption, deforestation, and rising substance abuse. That’s why they’re determined to steer their own course, preserving not just the forest, but their traditions, values, and autonomy. “We don’t want roads here,” said Nantu Canelos, president of Kara Solar. “Highways destroy communities.” Instead, they’re reimagining mobility on their own terms by turning rivers into solar highways and building boats that serve their people, not polluters. They are proving that the future of the Amazon might just lie in the power of a quiet, sunlit canoe.The post Steering toward the future: how solar-powered canoes are transforming life in the Amazon first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Suffering from sunburn and just used the last drop of aloe vera gel? Don’t fret—there’s a lesser-known sunburn soothing remedy that you may already have in your cabinet: argan oil. What makes argan oil so great for sunburns? Argan oil, thanks to its antioxidant activity, has actually been used for generations to help prevent sun damage. It’s even been found to help protect against UV damage and hyperpigmentation (though it shouldn’t be considered a sufficient substitute for sunscreen). Argan oil is rich in fatty acids, which help keep your skin moist and offer relief if the sunburn starts to peel. Also, argan oil offers anti-inflammatory properties that make it a fantastic remedy for skin barrier repair. Easing inflammation will also help make the burn feel less tender or itchy while it heals. One animal study demonstrated that the application of argan oil also sped up wound healing in second-degree burns. How to apply According to Whitney Bowe M.D., the first step is selecting the type of argan oil you want to apply. Bowe suggests using 100 percent argan oil instead of one that has fragrance in it, as a scented oil may be too aggressive for sensitive skin. It’s also important not to use argan oil on burns that are still fresh, hot, and raw. The oil is occlusive, meaning that it can trap all the heat in your skin and end up making the sunburn worse. Bowe explains that you should “try to avoid all oils or anything heavy [or] greasy until [the] burn cools down to the touch.” Argan oil will do its best work once the burn has cooled completely and maybe has started to peel.The post How to soothe a sunburn with argan oil first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Pornography dragged me into defeat, humiliation, and a sense of hopelessness. Each engagement with porn tore at my soul, obscuring Christ’s victory on the cross. Why did I do that? How did I fall for the same lie again? I believed porn’s fleeting comfort could bring life, but it delivered only death and despair. That truth was revealed after each encounter. Another bite of the apple and a renewed sense of failure. I worked through the shame-fueled inventory: Sin against God—check. Betrayal of my wife—check. Harming myself—check. I couldn’t tell if this was penance or an honest appraisal of my condition. Either way, I felt defiled and paralyzed. To run to the Lord, to confess my sin and seek his forgiveness, felt contrived and manipulative. It seemed impossible to believe I was still loved and accepted. The Enemy’s accusations spewed: “You’re pathetic. Weak. A cheater.” In the aftermath, I rehearsed soul-wrenching questions: Does God really forgive me? How could he love me? Pornography breeds darkness, yet amazingly, God’s grace remains sufficient for those in Christ Jesus. As God’s deeply loved children, we’re never alone in this battle against the Enemy. The Lord promises that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). Put On God’s Armor in Community Anyone will feel low after engaging with porn, but we don’t have to fall into the additional snare of self-abasement. With outstretched arms, we sprint back to the Father and begin anew. God is still with us and for us. Reassured in our faith, we recommit ourselves to the battle. Though broken and wounded, we remain warriors for and with Christ Jesus. We return to the weaponry the Lord has given us in his Word and “put on the whole armor of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). Pornography breeds darkness, yet amazingly, God’s grace remains sufficient for those in Christ Jesus. You may say, “Sure, I’ll run back to God, pray more, and read Scripture, but I’m still stumbling.” Yet wearing God’s armor means admitting we can’t fight this battle alone. By confessing our sin to a trusted Christian brother, we find the strength to persevere. The Holy Spirit’s work thrives in community. We need a pastor, counselor, or friend who will listen and guide us in our faith. If you’re married, discuss with this brother what it looks like to confess this sin to your spouse. If you’re single, you may think porn will stop with marriage—but even if that were true, the time to deal with porn is now. Let Light Shine in the Darkness Everything we do in the dark will eventually be brought into the light, so let’s take an active role in alleviating our suffering. We’re only as sick as our secrets, and what awaits us on the other side of confession is freedom. If we aren’t confessing our sin, we’re depriving ourselves of the blessings of forgiveness, which is the most essential ingredient in healing our wounds. The Holy Spirit’s work thrives in community. We need a pastor, counselor, or friend who will listen and guide us in our faith. We all want to display a better image of ourselves than what’s real. Yet after confession and exposure, the walls of denial and shame start to crumble, and while much hard work often lies ahead, we’re pulled forward in honest living under the warm light of Jesus Christ. We no longer feel alone as we live in the experience of God’s grace. Scary? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. God exposed my porn use through my wife’s painful discovery. Horrifying, I know, yet I look back and count it all as grace. When my darkest struggles were brought into the light, I was freed from their grip. Pulled from the slimy pit of despair, I found the strength to fight for my wife’s heart. By God’s grace, I’ve been porn-free for more than seven years, and I delight in the intimacy my wife and I increasingly share. The work to restore trust in my marriage after betrayal is more than I can address here, but I’ll just say this: She’s worth it, and so is your wife. If you’re married and looking at porn, God is calling you to fight to protect and restore your marriage relationship. Practical Steps for Fighting Porn We must stay vigilant to guard the freedom of a porn-free life. As soon as sexual temptation arises, pause, breathe, and ask God for help. Use prayer to interrupt the spiral of intrusive thoughts. God is always faithful, and he’ll intervene on your behalf. Progress in your fight against porn isn’t always linear, so even in instances of failure, trust that the Lord is working. If you’re in Christ, your salvation is secure, and “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). Each person has different stressors and vulnerabilities, but some are common to man. Being home alone is one obvious trap, yet it’s often unavoidable, so here are a few suggestions to protect you in moments of weakness when the Enemy attacks: Add restrictive software apps (which can block content and notify someone if you access them) to your computers and devices. Give up your smartphone, at least temporarily. Some phone options allow you to stay connected while eliminating the browser and other outlets for porn. Stop using alcohol or other psychoactive substances that lower your inhibitions and increase the likelihood of engaging with porn. Join an accountability network, in person or online, where you can be encouraged confidentially. If you continue to fall after adding restrictions and layers of accountability, put additional guardrails in place. Don’t fight this battle in isolation. Maintain an open line of communication with a trusted fellow believer. While restrictions, especially in the short term, are necessary, they largely constitute behavior modification—which ultimately isn’t the point. These modifications will hopefully assist and point you to the One who’s the ultimate fulfillment of our desire: Jesus Christ. Underneath the upside-down and distorted desire for porn is an authentic longing to worship the Lord. So instead of sitting in shame, embrace the truth of God’s love and know this: You’ll never fully taste his love through the fog of porn or any other created pleasure. They’ll serve as counterfeits if you attempt to gain from them what can only be found in the love of Jesus Christ.

On My Shelf helps you get to know various writers through a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their lives as readers. I asked Matthew Bingham—author of A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation—about what’s on his bedside table, his favorite fiction, the books he regularly revisits, and more. What’s on your nightstand right now? My usual method is to be actively reading three different books at any given moment: a novel; a Christian book; and a non-Christian, nonfiction book. So, at present, I’m reading Willa Cather’s novel Death Comes for the Archbishop. Slow, meandering, and strange, the story relates the work of two Catholic clergymen serving in the harsh and difficult conditions of 19th-century New Mexico. I’ve always enjoyed novels that reflect on life in ministry, even when the ministry depicted is wildly different from my own. My current Christian book is Workers for Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders by David Mathis. This is an edifying, helpful, and clear book in which Mathis uses the biblical qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 to explore the task of Christian leadership more broadly. It’s an effective approach that feels both familiar and fresh. And, unlike the characters in Cather’s novel, Mathis is working out of a theological and contextual paradigm fully aligned with my own. This is a book that would be great to read with a team of elders, and it’s one I hope to read alongside students at Phoenix Seminary in years to come. Finally, my current non-Christian, nonfiction selection is a relatively new book by the cultural critic Christine Rosen titled The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World. Over the years, I’ve benefited greatly from books on technology and how technological developments shape the ways we think and experience the world around us (e.g., Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, and 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke). In The Extinction of Experience, Rosen considers how digital culture, broadly conceived, alters our perception of reality by attenuating our connection with the physical world around us. What are your favorite fiction books? Some novels that I’ve especially enjoyed over the years include The Talented Mr. Ripley (and its sequels) by Patricia Highsmith, That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. One of the great joys of fiction is its inherent capacity to transport us to faraway places. My family lived in the United Kingdom for 10 years, and during that time I increasingly thought about the America I’d left behind. In response to this longing for home, I was drawn to novels set in big, open landscapes of the American West. During this time, I found great delight in the novels of Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, A. B. Guthrie, and others, all of which transported me from the pleasant, tame, green spaces of southeast England to the harsh, wild, unforgiving terrain in which the novels were set. Films can also communicate that sense of transport and vicarious experience, but for me, novels accomplish this in a much more intense and lasting way. This past summer, our family left the United Kingdom, returned to the United States, and has settled in Phoenix; perhaps this will be the year that I take up novels set back in England so I can return there, if only in my mind! What biographies or autobiographies have most influenced you and why? Three stand out: one is the most impressive, another the most enjoyable, and a third the most edifying. The most impressive biography I’ve ever read is The Power Broker by Robert Caro. The book chronicles the life and times of Robert Moses, an urban planner and public official in New York who wielded incredible power and influence across 40 years, despite never once being elected to public office. The subject may seem dull and obscure, but in Caro’s hands it’s absolutely gripping. He vividly brings to life his subject’s context and masterfully draws out the cross-cutting themes of Moses’s life and career. The result is a work that moves chronologically and yet maintains an impressive sense of coherence and unity. The most enjoyable autobiography I’ve ever read is Louis L’Amour’s Education of a Wandering Man. The word “idiosyncratic” doesn’t even begin to do justice to this highly unusual memoir. L’Amour lived a life as exciting as any of the characters in his novels, and in this odd but delightful book he communicates a sense of adventure while also giving fascinating insight into his own reading habits and the books that shaped him. Finally, the most edifying biography I’ve ever read is Iain Murray’s two-volume biography of Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Though perhaps overly long at times, Murray’s vivid portrait of “the Doctor” is as absorbing and encouraging a book as you’ll find. Lloyd-Jones is presented as a man utterly convinced that Christian ministry and biblical preaching is the most important work a man can find in this life. For me, reading the life of Lloyd-Jones while living and working in London made for an especially compelling experience. What are some books you regularly reread and why? Though I can’t say I’ve ever properly reread it all the way through since the initial reading, I do often return to the essays collected in Sven Birkerts’s The Gutenberg Elegies. Birkerts writes beautifully on life, memory, and the value of reading literature in a world that seems to have abandoned the practice. More than anything else I’ve ever encountered, the essays in this volume get inside the experience of reading a novel and explain why it’s so uniquely rewarding. The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis is, however, a book that I can say honestly claim to have read and reread in the proper sense. The book manages to communicate profound wisdom in a wonderfully clever and entertaining way. I love the breadth of the book’s vision as Lewis, among other things, warns against the dangers of prosperity, extols the value of true courage, and presents to the reader a typology of laughter—the book is as wide as life itself. What books have most profoundly shaped how you serve and lead others for the sake of the gospel? Many books come to mind, but four stand out as having been especially important for me. First, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome by Kent and Barbara Hughes helped me to meditate on what contentment in ministry looks like and to focus on faithfully doing the work the Lord had put in my hand to do rather than imagining other work that he might one day give me to do. Second, Mark Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church totally recalibrated my philosophy of ministry and rooted me in a more biblical sense of what the church is called to do and how the church is called to do it. Third, as I’ve transitioned from local church ministry to working in a seminary context, I’ve been shaped and inspired by David Calhoun’s two-volume history of Princeton Theological Seminary. The leaders of so-called Old Princeton—individuals like Archibald Alexander, Charles Hodge, and B. B. Warfield—modeled courage, intellectual rigor, and godliness, and they poured that ethos into the seminary and its students. Among other things, their example should put to rest any insinuation that a genuine tension exists between the head and the heart in Christian life and learning. Rather, they model how deep thoughts about God fuel and fire an abiding love of God, and that’s something I want to communicate to our seminary students today. What’s one book you wish every pastor would read? I wish that every pastor would read Don Carson’s wonderful book Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson. In this account of his father’s ministry among small congregations in Canada during the mid-20th century, Carson does a service for all pastors by showing how God is glorified in and through “ordinary” ministry. A lot of time and attention and praise is directed toward those whose careers in Christian service occupy prominent pulpits and high-profile positions. There’s nothing wrong with that in and of itself (see, for example, the Lloyd-Jones biography mentioned above), but if those are the only stories we ever hear, we risk forgetting that such isn’t the experience of most ministers and most ministries. Carson’s book celebrates pastoral ministry without downplaying its challenges and strains, a feat accomplished largely by putting the mundane and often exhausting nature of the work into its proper biblical context, a context in which weary workers can rest in the promise that “in the Lord [their] labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). What are you learning about life and following Jesus? I’m learning that the Christian life is lived one day at a time: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself” (Matt. 6:34). And the Lord is sufficient and generous to us in every stage and season: “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” (Ps. 4:7). We often want to see far down the path, but God doesn’t promise us that sort of knowledge. Rather, he promises to go with us and be for us as we step into the unknown, and that faithfulness is more than enough.

Just down the road from my house, a pastor was crucified in his bed — crown of thorns and all.That’s not the start of a horror movie. It’s the real story of Pastor William Schonemann of New River Bible Chapel in Arizona. His murder in May received almost no media coverage until last week, when the suspect not only confessed to the killing but admitted he had plans to assassinate four more pastors in Arizona — and others across the country.As a pastor who lives not far from where this happened, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was I on his list?If the killer had cited Christian teachings while attacking a Planned Parenthood activist or drag performer, Los Angeles would be on fire and the Palestinian flag would fly from city hall.The motive? The suspect claimed to be on a divine mission to “purify Israel” of anyone who teaches that Jesus is the Son of God. His logic was as deranged as it was deadly: You can’t kill the Son of God — so Jesus isn’t the Son of God. Therefore, anyone who says otherwise must die. He targeted pastors who preach that God forgives repentant sinners through Christ.In other words, he hunted Christians.This wasn’t an isolated attack. Just last week, a deacon in Michigan stopped a would-be shooter from opening fire inside a church. Whether through violence or through the daily pressure campaign of soft totalitarianism from elected leftists — who impose radical gender and social ideology — Christians face growing persecution in America.RELATED: Nigerian Christians face latest massacre by militant Muslims Getty ImagesSo here’s the question: Will these attacks on Christians be prosecuted as hate crimes?U.S. law defines a hate crime as violence motivated by bias against a protected class. Religion qualifies. A man confesses to murdering a pastor because he preached the gospel. That’s not just homicide — it’s a textbook hate crime.Crickets instead of courageSo where’s the outrage?The answer is simple. We’ve allowed a media and university culture to take root that treats Christianity not just as wrong — but as evil. Christians, they insist, stand in the way of liberation, especially sexual liberation. The man who murdered Pastor Schonemann didn’t need a gender studies degree to absorb the worldview pushed by most public universities and entertainment platforms.LGBTQ centers, DEI bureaucracies, and entire academic departments teach students that Christianity is repressive, outdated, and harmful. Professors tell them Christians cannot be victims of oppression because Christians are the majority. We must be decolonized, dismantled, or disappeared.Curriculum has consequences.Most people never enroll in Gender Studies 401, but they absorb the ideology from those who do. Graduates of these programs run media outlets, direct Netflix specials, and draft corporate policy. So when Amazon Prime pushes queer identity as liberation, the implied message is clear: Christian morality is the enemy. And when that message gets repeated often enough, unstable people act on it.A chilling double standardNow imagine the reverse. Had the victim belonged to a different religion — particularly one deemed “marginalized” or “indigenous” — CNN would run wall-to-wall coverage. MSNBC hosts would cry on air about America’s hatred. The Justice Department would announce investigations before the body cooled.If the killer had cited Christian teachings while attacking a Planned Parenthood activist or drag performer, Los Angeles would be on fire and the Palestinian flag would fly from city hall.But Pastor Schonemann preached Christ crucified. And so, the outrage is muted.Time to actCalling out this double standard matters, but it’s not enough. Pointing fingers at leftist hypocrisy only gets us so far. It’s time for action.First, Christians must expose the incoherence of the ideologies used to justify this persecution. These movements promise justice but cannot define it. They claim to liberate, yet they demand conformity and submission. As a philosophy professor, I’ve challenged my own university’s faculty to debate these ideas. So far, silence. But shining light on the hollowness of their worldview creates space for the truth — and for grace.Second, Christians must stop funding the institutions that despise us. Public universities are not neutral. They’ve become temples of anti-Christian dogma. Professors hide behind “academic freedom,” but the Constitution does not require taxpayers to bankroll propaganda. We must say: “No more. I won’t pay you to teach my child to hate the truth.”After the murder, Pastor Schonemann’s son noted that the media seemed more interested in the killer than in his father’s life and witness. He’s right. And when the media finally does speak, don’t be surprised if it’s to ask: “Why do Christians deserve this?”Universities are not neutralYears ago, I sat on a panel at Harvard Law School. It was just before the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. One panelist — an Ivy League professor of some renown — smiled and said, “Christians like to be persecuted, so let them be.” The audience applauded. No one flinched.It’s time for Christian parents to wake up. The age of the “neutral” university has ended. Our children are not just being taught to tolerate different views — they are being indoctrinated to hate what is true, good, and beautiful. They are told in no uncertain terms: Christianity is the problem.Until we demand equal protection under the law — and stop funding our own cultural executioners — the attacks will continue.The killer in Arizona refused dialogue. He chose violence to silence the truth. Ask yourself: How different is that from the message preached by DEI activists and gender ideologues who say we must either conform or disappear?They’ve told us exactly what they believe. It’s time we take them at their word.

American cattle rancher Shad Sullivan is sounding the alarm on the “war on beef” that the elites are waging against the American people, and Blaze media co-founder Glenn Beck is right there with him.“This is all coming from elites,” Glenn tells Sullivan. “85% of elites and super elites — super elites are ones that went to Ivy League colleges and have a doctorate. Just the elite are making $150,000 a year, they’ve gone to college, have one postgraduate degree, and they’re involved in the companies or countries.”“They just did a poll on those people. Eighty-plus percent say that Americans should not be allowed to eat beef or meat of any kind,” he continues.“We have to remember what Klaus Schwab said in 2023 at Davos. He said, ‘You will enjoy meat as a treat, but not for sustenance,’” Sullivan agrees. “And we know beef is really the only animal that can provide total and 100% sustenance to human life.”“These elite that you talk about, I hearken back to my dad. He’s gone now, but he was a self-made rancher. Started with nothing,” he continues. “I said, ‘Dad, what are we going to do?’ And he says, ‘Son, we’ll never change America until they sit in the dark, cold and hungry.’”“And that’s the truth. And he came from a place of suffering, so he understood that,” he adds, noting that the elites will never understand the kind of suffering that makes them grow.“I think about somebody on the side of the road with a flat tire. Those elites couldn’t even change a flat tire. They couldn’t do the most simple things that require real life, and here they are, demanding and dictating how we’re going to produce and consume, not only in America, but across the world,” Sullivan explains.However, there is one thing that keeps the elites from all-out rule over the American people.Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Many animals have a sense of quantity, but they don't count or do math the way humans do.