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Fully MAGA-fied Christianity

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The contrast could hardly have been greater.
During a memorial service for Charlie Kirk, held in a stadium filled with nearly 100,000 people, Erika Kirk, the wife of the slain right-wing activist, expressed both her profound love for her husband and the profound grief brought on by his death. It was the speech of a woman deeply influenced by her Christian faith.

Black Liberation Activist Assata Shakur Dies at 78 in Cuba; Hear Her Read 1998 Letter to Pope

The Black liberation activist Assata Shakur died on September 25, 2025, at the age of 78. She passed away in Cuba, where she received political asylum in 1984 after escaping the U.S. prison system, and where she continued to reside for decades despite U.S. attempts to capture and extradite her. In 1998, Shakur wrote an open letter to Pope John Paul II during his historic visit to Cuba, after New Jersey state troopers requested the pope call for her extradition.

“War Criminal”: Thousands Call to Arrest Netanyahu, March at U.N. Against Gaza Genocide

Democracy Now! was on the streets as thousands marched to the United Nations in New York City Friday while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly. Despite the fact that Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes he has presided over in Gaza, he was able to travel to the U.N. without incident, as the United States says it does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.

“They’re Assassinating People for No Reason”: Cuban Minister Condemns U.S. Strikes in Caribbean

As the Trump administration escalates its pressure campaign on Venezuela, we speak with Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, who is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. In recent weeks, the U.S. has bombed multiple alleged Venezuelan “drug boats” at sea, killing at least 17 people without providing any clear evidence that they were involved in drug trafficking or linked to the government in Caracas. The U.S.

As Trump Vows War on Left, Ken Klippenstein Reveals Kirk & ICE Shooters Were Disengaged with Politics

President Donald Trump is escalating his attack on progressive groups following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and a deadly shooting that targeted an immigration jail in Dallas. White House officials have repeatedly blamed Democrats and left-wing groups for contributing to political violence, but investigative reporter Ken Klippenstein says the motivations of people who commit such acts are often more complicated.

“On Our Way to Annihilation”: Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud Reports Live from Outside Gaza City

Israel’s military has issued new evacuation orders for neighborhoods of Gaza City as Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into the Gaza Strip’s largest urban area. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have already fled Gaza City for overcrowded areas further south, as Israeli forces systematically flatten much of the city. Meanwhile, Israeli bombardment continues to kill dozens of Palestinians every day amid widespread famine.

Syncretism

My father does not believe in God or therapists—
instead, he pedals his bike past Brighton Beach
to the Coney Island Y to swim his fifty laps.
Once, I went with him and watched as he emerged
from the locker room in faded swim trunks
moving slowly to the edge of the pool. He paused,
lifting his hands over the gray halo on his chest,
pressing his palms together in a gesture
I know he learned as a boy.

Diseducators

Translated by Oonagh Stransky
One of my students constantly changes her name. I don’t find it particularly shocking. I’ve had students enter the classroom late through the window, instead of using the door. I’ve had students who choose to sit on the floor or at the foot of my lectern while I teach, not at their desks. I’ve had to break up violent fights, with desks and chairs flying across the room as if my lessons had released some kind of paranormal energy.