Source: The Hill
by David Wippman and Glenn C Altschuler
“Earlier this year, a presidential commission staffed almost entirely by conservative Christians urged Americans to rethink the separation of church and state and build ‘bridges’ between them. Last week, the Department of Justice directed federal agencies to expand protections for religious expression in public employment, military service, education, healthcare and federal contracting. These policies reflect the influence of Christian nationalism, a movement predicated on the belief that the United States is ‘divinely chosen,’ the New Testament should shape government policies, and white Christians should dominate American culture.” (08/02/26)
“What is very likely to be the last reelection bid of Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was confirmed on Sunday by his Workers’ Party as the 80-year-old leader faces increasing pressure from foreign leaders ahead of October’s elections. It will be his seventh race for the top job. Lula’s rival, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, has enjoyed open support from members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Brazil’s president said in his party convention speech he wants to boost his country’s defense industry, protect its rare minerals, and claimed ‘no Chinese, no American, no French will touch’ these resources without respecting the South American nation’s sovereignty.” (08/02/26)
“Your Android phone is a tracking device that happens to make calls. It knows where you sleep, what you search, who you talk to, and what you whisper near its microphone. The apps below won’t make you invisible—but they’ll make you expensive to surveil.” (08/02/26)
“Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, confirmed in writing on Sunday night that the Justice Department would abandon elements of the deal it struck with President Trump to resolve his lawsuit against the I.R.S., conceding to demands from Republican senators who had threatened to block his nomination as attorney general. The Republican holdouts, Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, had vowed that they would not confirm Mr. Blanche for the role unless he provided written assurances that the Justice Department had formally killed a planned $1.8 billion fund to pay those who claim they were unfairly persecuted by the government. The senators also insisted that Mr. Blanche narrow the scope of the sweeping immunity from I.R.S. scrutiny that was granted to Mr. Trump, his family and their businesses under the same agreement.” (08/03/26)
“The ‘school choice’ movement in the US supports tax-funded ‘vouchers,’ targeted tax credits, and ‘charter’ schools, on the theory that giving parents more options on where, how, and by whom their children are taught isn’t just a good thing, but a thing that government ought to be, and can legitimately be, involved in. Unfortunately, the real effect of that kind of ‘school choice’ is to turn all the available options into carbon copies of the ‘public’ school system it supposedly helps parents and students escape.” (08/02/26)
“At least 14 people, including five police personnel, were killed and over 15 others injured in a suspected suicide attack outside a police station during a peace rally in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, officials said. The blast occurred in Kabal town in the Swat district while the Swat Peace Rally was underway opposite the Kabal Police Station. The rally, organised by the Swat Aman Jirga, saw participants carrying placards and raising slogans demanding peace in the region. Protesters alleged that police inaction had contributed to the deteriorating security situation in recent months. According to the Swat District Police Officer, the suspected suicide bomber attempted to enter the Kabal Police Station and Police Lines compound but was stopped by security personnel at the main gate. The attacker then detonated the explosives, damaging the entrance but failing to breach the heavily guarded compound.” (08/02/26)
“Stasis is a state in which opposing forces balance so precisely that nothing moves. It is a useful word because it names something real, and something increasingly common in political and social argument. There are people, and indeed whole movements, who want the world to stop where it is now, as though the present moment were a plateau to be defended rather than a point passed through on the way to somewhere else. This yearning deserves examination, because it is often mistaken for Conservatism, and the mistake matters.” (07/31/26)
“The U.S. has agreed to pause attacks on Iran, President Donald Trump said Saturday, amid what he said were the ‘perimeters of a deal’ that would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. … The president said the U.S. was ‘locked and loaded and ready to go’ but that he agreed to cancel attacks ‘subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.’ … The statement came after the State Department on Saturday urged Americans across the Middle East to consider leaving the region or be prepared to depart on short notice. It also warned of flight disruptions and security risks as the conflict with Iran appeared to be escalating.” (08/02/26)
