I preached on Judas. Then I realized Paul doesn't know about him 😳 (C. J. Cornthwaite on YouTube)

Did the Apostle Paul know about Judas Iscariot? The evidence suggests he didn't.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says Jesus appeared to "the Twelve" - but according to the Gospels, Judas was already dead. And that famous verse about Jesus being "betrayed"? The Greek word παραδίδωμι (paradidomi) doesn't actually mean betrayal.

In this video, I examine:

• Why Paul says "the Twelve" when there should only be 11
• What παραδίδωμι actually means in Paul's letters
• How Paul uses this word elsewhere (Romans 8:32, Galatians 2:20)
• Why this suggests the Judas tradition came LATER

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/uQfQVhzt9Jw?si=SgSoBmihidnyIah-

Rep. Levin: There’s No Reason the House Shouldn’t be Working Right Now

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/43h0p1KkmRU

Houthis move to seize strategic terrain after Trump calls off airstrikes at last minute

Amid increasingly heavy fighting in Yemen, which has displaced tens of thousands of people in recent weeks, the New York Times reported on Monday that the US president had flip-flopped wildly in recent days after a call from Saudi Arabia for US strikes on the Houthis…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/21/houthis-seize-strategic-terrain-yemen-trump-calls-off-airstrikes-last-minute

 

Psaki debunks 'total B.S.' talking point about Biden press passes

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Hn3gFtIWwJY

 

Donald Trump just delivered the greatest speech of his life 🤯 #trump

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Wsd_E2ENm50

Why the CDC is excluding measles deaths in Pennsylvania even as outbreak appears to be ‘accelerating’

Meanwhile, the outbreak “seems to be accelerating”, said Dr John Goldman, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “And we’re seeing, actually, types of measles we’ve never seen before,” he added. 

Doctors are now treating congenital measles – newborns who contracted the virus in utero or at birth – which was once exceedingly rare because most pregnant people were protected by vaccines or, before immunization, surviving measles in childhood… 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/22/cdc-pennsylvania-measles-death-outbreak 

WATCH: Senate candidate El-Sayed and former VP Harris speak at Black maternal health roundtable | PBS News

"We're building an electoral coalition here," El-Sayed said, speaking about the economy hours ahead of a planned appearance with the former vice president…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/abdul-el-sayed-says-kamala-harris-visit-for-his-michigan-u-s-senate-race-is-about-democratic-unity

Whiplashed middle powers seek new alliances as Trump rages on world stage

Many observers, including the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and the former UK foreign secretary David Lammy, predict Trump will concentrate even more on his disruptive foreign policy after November’s midterms, seeking to go even further and faster. Potential legislative gridlock in Congress would block him off from domestic initiatives, so the thinking goes, but much less so foreign policy…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/21/us-allies-donald-trump-world-un-global-order

 

Trump, dragged down by Iran war, hits lowest approval ever on foreign affairs in new poll - POLITICO

Just 29% of U.S. adults said in the CNN/SSRS survey that they approve of the president’s handling of foreign affairs, down from 42% shortly after he returned to office last year and 36% this March, weeks after the war kicked off…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/22/trump-foreign-policy-approval-rating-poll-01087383

 

Worsening El Nino threatens Asia with severe drought, potentially threatening global food security | PBS News

BANTEN, Indonesia (AP) — All signs are pointing toward a record-breaking El Nino this year, which experts say may cause severe drought in Asia and other extreme weather across the world, threatening food security for millions of people…

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/worsening-el-nino-threatens-asia-with-severe-drought-potentially-threatening-global-food-security 

 

Trump signs ‘fantastic’ Greenland security deal with Denmark – POLITICO

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a deal on the future of Greenland, ending months of transatlantic tensions over his demand to take over the North Atlantic territory…

 https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-signs-fantastic-greenland-security-deal-denmark/

 

Part 5 1860 or 2026: Truly Making America Great Again #historyshorts

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vR56Je6j2O8

Trump talks peace, threatens annihilation of Iran in UNGA speech - POLITICO

But Trump insisted that his mantra of peace through strength is making the world a safer place — even as wars rage and a skeptical public looks likely to punish his party at the polls come November…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/22/trump-iran-annihilation-unga-speech-01087902

 

Appeals court’s Capitol steps ruling may signal trouble for Trump on media ban - POLITICO

The majority opinion, written by Trump appointee Neomi Rao, concluded that the East Steps of the Capitol are a “nonpublic forum” — just like most areas of the White House grounds, including the press facilities. While the government may impose restrictions on access to those nonpublic areas, the limits must be “viewpoint neutral,” apply “objective, workable standards” and not permit officials to exercise “unbridled discretion over a forum’s use,” the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel concluded…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/22/dc-circuit-ruling-capitol-steps-01087843 

Macron and Carney announce closer France-Canada ties amid Trump tensions

Two leaders meet in French territory off Canada as Ottawa seeks stronger relations with EU while fighting trade war with US…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/21/france-canada-relations-eu-europe-macron-carney

 

RFK Jr. Wants to “Investigate” Wi-Fi. Scientists Already Have

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/54ny_gyrBJY

 

FBI Eyed Susan Collins Over Defense Contractor’s Donations — ProPublica

Probe: In 2024, the FBI sought to launch a sweeping pay-to-play investigation examining interactions between Sen. Susan Collins and a top donor, records and emails show.

 Confession: The donor, an ex-defense contractor, told agents his company won millions in federal contracts by bankrolling campaigns of powerful politicians. 

Shutdown: After Donald Trump returned to office, the investigation died, a casualty of his purge of the FBI. Its closure shut a potential window into how Washington works...

 https://www.propublica.org/article/fbi-susan-collins-navatek-campaign-donations-investigation

 

Democrat says ICE restricted her oversight visit to country’s largest detention camp

Veronica Escobar tells Guardian she was prevented from speaking to detainees at much-criticized Texas facility

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/22/texas-democrat-visit-ice-detention-camp-east-montana

 

GOP senator wants to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. over Russian-funded wedding - Live Updates - POLITICO

Sen. John Curtis is calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to compel testimony from the president’s son…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/22/congress/curtis-has-questions-01086970

 

New York and California sue to block Trump's plans to cancel offshore wind projects | PBS News

"Americans are facing increasing energy costs because this administration would rather pay off energy companies than let us build the new power sources we need," James said in a statement. "These illegal backroom deals take money that should have gone toward lowering New Yorkers' bills and hand it to fossil fuel projects in other states."…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/new-york-and-california-sue-to-block-trumps-plans-to-cancel-offshore-wind-projects

 

Trump rejects global entity for AI oversight - POLITICO

On Monday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, 22 nations adopted a declaration that artificial intelligence “must remain under human direction, oversight and control” and suggested creating a global supervisory regime. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, one of the organizers of the document, told POLITICO that he thinks “it will be in the interest of both China and the United States to have some kind of guardrails.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/22/trump-rejects-global-entity-ai-oversight-01087546

Trump’s racist politics BACKFIRE in Michigan GOP primary

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J2H1wSM3YbI

‘The scientific, technical term is BS’: Inside the new Bessent-China AI hotline - POLITICO

“The dialogue mechanism is basically Bessent and He Lifeng — it’s not a formal body of experts,” said a person briefed by an administration official. 

“The scientific, technical term is BS,” said a second person familiar with the mechanism…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/22/new-ai-safety-mechanism-is-a-channel-between-bessent-and-his-chinese-counterpart-01086967

 

Democrats warn Trump plans to kill $3.2B in Hill-approved foreign aid - Live Updates - POLITICO

Congress “did not hand Trump a checkbook to spend on whatever he pleases while blocking funding for everything else,” Murray and Schatz said in a joint statement, urging Republican lawmakers to join them in demanding that the administration use those dollars “as Congress intended” before they expire next week…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/22/congress/usaid-shutdown-efforts-continue-01087928

Abdul El-Sayed: 'Me, my name, my faith, they're not raising the price of your gas

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jGbrEvDdNqk

 

Fact-checking Trump's speech to the 2026 United Nations General Assembly | PBS News

Here are fact-checks of some of Trump's statements…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-speech-to-the-2026-united-nations-general-assembly

The #KennedyCenter was thriving until #Trump took over #journalism

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/er7E8dFRaH0

 

House Republicans spent last week trying to create a new so-called “fraud enforcement unit

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rlmJe_hZQ4Q

 

RFK Jr. fuels ‘chemtrails’ conspiracy theory

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bQfREG0wb-U

 

I Took A Gay Conversion Class for Christian Teens. It Was Awful. (Drew / Genetically Modified Skeptic)

“The Holy Sexuality Project” wants kids to stop being gay. Can they pull it off?

Dr. Christopher Yuan of Moody Bible Institute used to live as a gay man, but now no longer identifies as gay. He does not use the term ex-gay or ex-LGBT, but embraces what he calls Holy Sexuality. His curriculum for parents of LGBT kids explains why. Is this gay conversion therapy? How does gay conversion therapy work? Can you go from gay to straight? Can you stop being gay? Can Christians support LGBT people? Is being transgender anti-science? Here I answer all of those questions.

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/-QnyYMEy3HA?si=w3RQdzCwu7wkFIHJ

Trump LIED. #isaiahmartin #debate #democrats

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9Ar0DawpwXM

God Is Evil AND Silly Jul 12 (Jon Cohen, Unconvinced on YouTube)

A mix of serious moral critique and complete absurdity as we examine religious claims, apologetics, suffering, divine hiddenness, eternal punishment, and the strange lengths people go to defend impossible ideas.
Believers and nonbelievers welcome.
Just bring arguments.

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/TSoUWo0ftW4?si=ZjYB-St8aX-NVO_W

On Apple Podcasts: Democracy Now! Video

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-video/id75648468

Key senators reject White House proposal on NIH grants | PBS News

Murray said that under the administration's effort, a single political appointee could kill a cancer study for no scientific reason. 

 "Whether lifesaving medical research gets funded or not should be determined by experts at the NIH—not a panel of lackeys chosen by Donald Trump and Russ Vought," Murray said…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/key-senators-reject-white-house-proposal-on-nih-grants

 

Everyone’s talking about ‘electability.’ Our poll shows where voters stand. - POLITICO

An experiment from The POLITICO Poll shows what voters do and don’t care about in choosing their candidates…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/21/poll-voters-electability-age-religion-2028-01084908

Christians Keep Asking What Would Change My Mind. This Would.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFsKVTUYqXs

 

Black Tesla employees accuse company of fostering racial discrimination in major trial

Dozens of Black employees at Tesla’s flagship plant in California said they were subject to racist slurs, unequal pay and promotions, and bullying by supervisors on a daily basis, a situation management did little to nothing to fix… 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/21/black-employees-accuse-tesla-fostering-discrimination 

 

Mike Johnson boasts about Congress' productivity despite its lack of productivity

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FoAbIWTPM_w

 

Flights halted at US airports as watchdog warns over hacking threat

Senator Ron Wyden calls for swift action after GAO report finds systems guiding US aircraft vulnerable to interference…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/21/airports-flight-ground-stop-hacking-threat

 

‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warn

The planetary life support systems relied upon by humans have deteriorated to their worst levels ever recorded amid ongoing pollution and habitat destruction, according to a key yet grim annual update by scientists. 

Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that help determine whether life can flourish on Earth, seven are being breached at their highest ever levels of transgression, according to the latest planetary health check, a process that was established in 2009…

 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/21/planetary-boundaries-breached-scientists-warn-climate-crisis

 

September 20, 2026

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WhWW6R18w60

 

Why You Should Still Have Hope for America | ACLU

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQC3FVcdKs0

Who Really Wrote The Bible? Documentary Hypothesis Explained (Justin on Atheist Experience show on YouTube)

Anne asks about Bible authorship and history. Justin provides detailed academic explanation of documentary hypothesis, multiple sources, editing over time, and political motivations behind compilation.

Interview: 

• YouTube video: https://youtu.be/r7wgK9ZsP4o?si=aJkgf1F9gx6nMcy5

• Audio podcast: (Ann's question starts at 23:00): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-atheist-experience-30-28-with-justin/id118720919?i=1000776539232

Why the Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket Rulings Are on the Rise — ProPublica

For likely the first time in modern history, the Supreme Court decided more cases in fast-tracked, secretive proceedings than in open court. We break down how a once-rare emergency process became the norm — and what it means for public trust… 

https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-shadow-docket-explainer 

Banished to alien lands: Trump’s secret deportation deals

After a plane journey in shackles, an Iranian woman found herself in the middle of Africa in a country she did not know existed. She is one of thousands deported from the US on the back of shadowy deals made with dozens of countries. An in-depth investigation reveals the ‘show of force’ costing American taxpayers millions…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/sep/21/trump-deportation-deals 

US environment agency let Bayer pick regulations for destructive weedkiller, documents show

 Environmental Protection Agency asked firm to choose rules it wanted for dicamba, then put the choices in a proposed federal rule…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/20/epa-bayer-regulation-pesticide-dicamba

 

Trump’s Desperate for TV Cameras Until They Tell the Truth – Mother Jones

The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC said in a joint statement of solidarity. Those five networks belong to the White House television press pool and rotate daily to provide reporting, video, and audio of the president’s daily events to share with other outlets around the world…

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/trumps-desperate-for-tv-cameras-until-they-tell-the-truth/

Amway and affiliates agree to pay $225 million to settle lawsuit over alleged deception of workers

In its complaint, the FTC said workers, whom Amway refers to as "Independent Business Owners," or IBOs, were falsely told they could expect to earn substantial income, exceeding $40,000 a year, or enough income to replace their full time job and retire early, when most who joined after 2020 spent more money on Amway products and training than they received from Amway. 

 "Amway and its affiliates misled prospective workers with false earnings claims and then pressured them to buy Amway products they were unlikely to be able to sell," said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection…

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/criminal-justice-legal-system/2026-09-18/amway-and-affiliates-to-pay-225-million-to-settle-lawsuit-over-alleged-deception-of-workers 

ICE agent shoots and wounds Venezuelan man at traffic stop in Austin, Texas

Austin police officers were not involved in the operation or the shooting, which occurred after a traffic stop, Davis told reporters. The city’s police arrived on the scene after the shooting and could be seen on bystander video asking the federal officers what had happened and then rushing back to their squad car to get surgical gloves and a medical kit and administering first aid to the man. The federal officers could be heard saying they had called an ambulance, but they did not appear to attempt to give first aid…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/20/man-shot-ice-agent-austin-texas

 

Major TV networks decline White House pool duties - POLITICO

The move could make it more difficult for images and video of President Donald Trump’s activities at the United Nations General Assembly this week to get to the American public. The television pool provides video from events where space constraints prevent every outlet from sending its own camera crew, with footage then made available broadly to news organizations…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/21/networks-white-house-pool-duty-01086044

Middle East braces for more violence as Iran claims US is planning to renew bombing campaign

Tensions grow as Trump tells Fox News he is considering ‘wiping Iran out’ after attacks on Riyadh by Houthi rebels…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/20/middle-east-braces-for-more-violence-as-iran-claims-us-is-planning-to-renew-bombing-campaign

 

Starbucks baristas reel from surges in health insurance costs: ‘I’m considering a second job’

“That is another $40 each week that I am not going to have in my income, if I choose to go with it, and that’s just not something that financially I can afford,” she said. “I have to drop my insurance because the company will not cover those costs when it’s clear that they’re definitely making enough.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/21/starbucks-baristas-health-insurance-surge

 

Senior GOP appropriator pours cold water on funding Trump’s arch - Live Updates - POLITICO

“If it was my choice, I wouldn’t put any of that money into the arch,” Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson said…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/21/congress/trump-arch-pushback-01086147

‘Jaw-dropping’ El Niño bursts through temperature record months before peak

‘Godzilla-level’ phenomenon is supercharging the climate crisis and will have a huge impact on communities across the world…

 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/21/super-el-nino-temperature-record

 

European spy chiefs warn Moscow is planning more decisive action against Nato

Exclusive: Intelligence officers say Russian campaign could intensify ‘in months, not years’ – but that panic risks playing into Kremlin psy-ops…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/20/baltic-spy-chiefs-warn-moscow-is-preparing-for-more-decisive-action-in-europe

 

In the general assembly’s shadow, Mamdani looks to bolster international left - POLITICO

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans to meet with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, the latest engagement showcasing Mamdani’s desire to build bridges with like-minded politicians outside the U.S…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/21/in-the-general-assemblys-shadow-mamdani-looks-to-bolster-international-left-01085441

The journalists caught up in Trump’s ICE crackdown

Media workers are grappling with increasingly volatile press climate in US, with some detained and even deported…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/21/journalists-caught-up-in-trump-ice-crackdown-press-freedom

 

Heaven's IT Guy - The Healing Cloth #comedy #itguy

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hLXthBTYYJo

 

I will NOT Bow to, or submit to the propaganda #religion #atheist #atheism

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e7vQxu3wMQ

 

Democracy Now! Video: Democracy Now! 2026-09-21 Monday

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2026-09-21-monday/id75648468

FBI and DHS Override Prosecutors (Andrew McCabe and Allison Gill; Unjustified podcast)

A top Justice Department official threatened prosecutors with termination if they didn’t pursue voter fraud cases.

Minnesota officers arrested ICE agent Christian Castro during a traffic stop after Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to extradite him. Castro now faces both federal and state charges stemming from the non-fatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Selis.

Kash Patel testified before the Senate this week and defended lowering standards for hiring agents at the Bureau.

The FBI halted cooperation with Canada over references to the September 11th attacks, further straining relationships with foreign law enforcement agencies.

Plus listener questions.
Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fbi-and-dhs-override-prosecutors/id1317481380?i=1000790763754

CBS Exclusive Reveals Iran War Damage

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MK1MoJzKSzo

 

As White House shields the AI gold rush, Trump family and other allies strike it rich – with few guardrails

Donald Trump’s sons, through a series of AI-linked defense and technology ventures, have picked up a $620m Pentagon loan, a Marine Corps robotics contract and an undisclosed air force drone deal in the past year. His longtime friend Michael Dell won a Pentagon contract worth nearly $9bn. And this week, as public support for artificial intelligence sinks to some of the lowest levels ever recorded, the president went to bat for the industry…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/20/trump-ai-policy-financial-interest

 

‘People are pissed off’: anger at the elite and the establishment is fueling this year’s midterms

Coming midterm elections are starting to be framed not as right versus left but instead the ‘well-fed versus the fed-up’…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/sep/20/anger-midterm-elections

 

Reαd carefully: how to spot – and avoid – a homoglyph attack

Scam emails are increasingly using psychological tricks, such as using near-identical URLs like miсrosoft.com…

 https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/sep/20/how-to-spot-avoid-homoglyph-attack-scam

 

Ukraine targets Moscow with hundreds of drones and first ballistic missile Kyiv has used in the war

Authorities accuse Zelenskyy of trying to disrupt Russian elections, with at least two killed and oil refinery damaged…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/20/hundreds-of-drones-target-moscow-on-last-day-of-voting-in-russias-parliamentary-election

 

Massie Signals Low Hanging Fruit

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a3eAMYYm9VI

In Canada, “nasty” is just pride with the gloves off.

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oOGiY6J57L

We Can Trust The Bible Because It's Wrong Sometimes (Viced Rhino on YouTube)

The people from the PursueGod YouTube channel really want us to trust the bible...but they wind up making a decent case against it by mistake.

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/wOqnEgz1Lr4?si=jGM7FnAGknO8xSoM

This simple argument SHOCKED him into Silence right away

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-r_zHyf67D4

 

Weekly Roundup: Trump Gets SCOTUS Blocked (and the GOP's Nazi Problem) (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

SCOTUS just blocked Donald Trump's attempt to use the U.S. Postal Service to interfere with mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterms — but is the fight over election integrity really over? Brad Onishi and Dan Miller break down the ruling, the dissents from Alito and Thomas, and why Mike Johnson could try to pull a "January 3rd" power grab reminiscent of January 6th.

Then: a viral photo from a UT Austin football game reignites controversy over white nationalism in the GOP. Brad and Dan connect the dots between Bo French, the True Texas Project, Christian nationalist pastor CJ Engel, and a pattern of Nazi-adjacent scandals rocking Republican campaigns this week — from a Senate staffer's Nazi military exercises to congressional candidates with white nationalist ties.
Interview: 

https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/trump-loses-at-scotus-but-mike-johnson

Not Today, Fascists! (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)

On Constitution Day, we celebrate a legislative win for a Washington, D.C., memorial to Forgotten Freethinking Founder Thomas Paine. 

Then, popular podcaster Jennifer Welch tells us about her new book, Not Today, Fascists: The Lies That Got Us Here, and the Truths That Will Reunite Us.

Interview: 

https://ffrf.org/news/freethought-radio/freethought-today-september-17-2026/

The War on Empathy (Conspirituality podcast #326)

Humans are social animals. We’re not the strongest, fastest, or even best adapted to our environment. But what we excel at is our ability to work together, which means we’ve been able to adapt to every environment, a true outlier in the animal kingdom. And a big reason for that is our ability to empathize with others.

Basically, empathy is the ability to step into someone else's shoes, understand what they are thinking or feeling, and share in that emotional experience. The main types of empathy are cognitive, affective (or emotional), and somatic.

Derek looks at the first two in segment two through the lens of Paul Bloom’s work, but given a recent book by Lebanese-born Canadian marketing professor, Gad Saad (which Matthew covers in segment three), we thought we’d look at how empathy is being used, and potentially distorted, in modern society. Or, as Julian starts with, how it’s being weaponized on social media by Christian nationalists.
Interview: 

https://www.conspirituality.net/episodes/326-the-war-on-empathy

Is Jared Kushner a 'walking conflict of interest'? (Tonya Mosley; Fresh Air podcast)

How Jared Kushner is mixing U.S. diplomacy with his billion-dollar business.

Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins says while Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is a U.S. special envoy negotiating peace, he's also working on private business deals, raising billions in some of the same countries. “He's potentially a walking conflict of interest,” Filkins tells Tonya Mosley.
Interview: 

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/16/nx-s1-5971273/is-jared-kushner-a-walking-conflict-of-interest

Let’s Be Honest about Why You Are a Christian or a Muslim: Your Forebears Murdered Their Way into Your Mind (Richard Carrier blog)

Christianity, as with all religions, started in one tiny place, when the rest of the Earth was populated by a wildly marvelous diversity of religious beliefs—and yet, curiously enough, the concept of warfare over religious differences was virtually nonexistent. Most people in ancient times believed it was proper to respect the gods of other peoples. This changed on a global scale when Christianity was spread, quite literally, by the sword. Those who attempted to assert their religious differences were harassed, tortured, robbed of their land and belongings, even killed. Before it achieved political power, Christianity was a small sect, a heresy against the Jewish faith, that had to accept equality among all the other religions of the Roman Empire. Yet it was the first religion to openly attack the religions of other people as false (the Jews, at least, were a little more tactful). Needless to say, Christianity only truly flourished when it had the ability to eliminate the competition—when it had the full support of Rome’s Emperors after 313 A.D., and when, in 395 A.D., every religion other than Christianity was actually outlawed...

It is not a coincidence that the two most widespread religions in the world today are the most warlike and intolerant religions in history...

So why are convictions still so strong when it comes to the certainty of such amazing claims as God and heaven or the miracles of Jesus? Though theologians still answer this question with the claim that it is evidence of their truth and God’s grace in the world, the real answer is that many are essentially afraid not to believe, a fear whose encouragement is built into each religion itself—as we saw, for example, in the quotations from scripture above. Besides threats of hell, we face an almost insurmountable degree of peer pressure when it comes to our religious convictions. Some still say to themselves that if everyone else believes it, it must be true. After all, how could so many people be that crazy or misguided? Some might jokingly call this the “lemming” effect, but it is no small force in society. Ask yourself how often you have held a serious critical discussion about the reasons and evidence supporting your beliefs. If you think about it carefully you might realize that the support for some of your beliefs is so vague or weak that the same reasons and experiences could just as easily support any religion on earth, including voodoo and alien mind control...

In the final analysis, the only reason you or anyone today is a Christian or a Muslim is because your forebears murdered their way into your mind. Had Christianity and Islam behaved peacefully and with tolerance and acceptance, and taught rather than threatened, abused, and poisoned to crush and displace its competitors and dominate society like an abusive tyrant, no empire would ever have been Christian or Islamic. The religions you would find familiar and socially accepted and providing of all the things you want, from answers to community, kindness and honesty, would be tolerant heathen pantheons. There might still have been corruption and villainy, but it wouldn’t have been the norm, and it would more freely and easily have been called out and diminished...

Christianity and Islam cannot survive true religious freedom because they only exist today because of their core DNA of religious oppression. By violently colonizing the globe, Christianity colonized your mind. You are only a Christian or a Muslim because of mass global murder. Not because of evidence, utility, or wisdom... 

https://www.richardcarrier.info/archives/43391

Trump ally Stephen Miller leads sweeping push to accelerate removal of migrant children

Stephen Miller is leading an unprecedented and intense White House drive across a host of government departments to accelerate the removal of undocumented immigrant children from the US, using tactics that critics say are cruel and racist and, in some cases, flout federal law, the Guardian has learned…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/19/stephen-miller-trump-migrant-children

 

President Trump makes bizarre vaccine recommendations. #publichealth

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nBL-RqnPwwI

 

What the Hell? (Part 2) (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's In the Code 206

Can God be perfectly good and perfectly just and still send people to hell? What’s at stake with questions like these? How do adherents of high-control religion respond to questions like these? Check out this week’s episode to hear Dan’s discussion of why the doctrine of hell fundamentally calls God’s goodness and justice into question.

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-206-what-the-hell-part-2/id1441649707?i=1000790157385

Karl Rove Announces He Will Vote Democrat In Fiery Rebuke Of GOP: 'I'll Have No Part Of It'

"The GOP has a growing number of Bo Frenches—and not only in Texas," wrote Rove. "Conservativism and the party it dominates have an increasing number of bigoted advocates of a 'heritage America' composed of white descendants of the original European settlers." 

He continued, "There are 'just asking questions' Jew-haters, misogynists who worship hypermasculinity, conspiracy nuts seeking clicks for profit, and religious bigots who won't differentiate between Muslim terrorists and Muslim American patriots."

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/karl-rove-announces-vote-democrat-150338309.html

 

You're Terrible at Hiring, Donald 🔥 | Paula Poundstone #shorts

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jB0bK6sMAbs

 

The Case for Heaven is Dismissed (Lee Strobel response) (Paulogia on YouTube)

Best-selling author Lee Strobel explores heaven, hell and the afterlife in the theatrical-release documentary, THE CASE FOR HEAVEN. We look at the film, its claims and the evidence presented to see whether we can be convinced that heaven awaits.

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/SvYLwtFwo6Q?si=dcaDuQ3rXx8JlOjS

Elon Musk's Secret Voter Plot UNCOVERED As Alarming Website Details Revealed

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyQV2bgqEy8

 

 

Elderly man allegedly beaten to death in Virginia Walmart by parents of employee

Bert Atienza and teen worker reportedly exchanged words before parents showed up and allegedly attacked shopper…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/19/elderly-man-beaten-to-death-virginia-walmart

JD Vance asked for the one thing we don’t have #jdvance #politics #economy

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8LT6z9CFNew

 

Have they read the bible?

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5OFK_ImGmKg

 

I Took a Gay Conversion Course for Christian 9-Year-Olds. (Drew McCoy/Genetically Modified Skeptic on YouTube)

Christopher Yuan is an Evangelical Christian who made a class called the Holy Sexuality Project. It's awful.

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/U6AAHG1TOZ0?si=lREi8UXuZCnYYbyi

Trump Has Turned America Into a Credit Risk | The David Frum Show

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaseJWqyG_U

 

Celebrating the 250th with Revisionist American Christian Nationalist History

The Museum of the Bible exploits is location on the National Mall and the credibility of downtown Washington Museums while Trump demonizes Smithsonian Museums…

 https://axismundinetwork.substack.com/p/axis-daily-brief-celebrating-the

 

The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2026-09-18

Domestic

This week the nation woke up to the potential danger of runaway tech — that AI is behaving in ways its creators don’t intend and can’t control. And that we might be as little as six months to a year away from AI being capable of acting on its own.

The midterm election is coming. Prices are high. And a new Congressional Budget Office report out this week says the main reason for relentless inflation is the Iran war.

And President Donald Trump has made mail-in-voting a major part of his campaign to sow doubt in the voting process. But on Monday, the Supreme Court blocked his executive order to change how mail-in ballots are sent to voters across the country.
Interview: 

https://the1a.org/segments/ai-iran-voting/

International

This week, Yemeni Houthis militia members seized the Red Sea port of Mokha and several islands inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping passage.

Reporting from The Washington Post revealed the details of a $2.8 billion arms package the Trump administration will send to Israel. The sale includes 2,000-pound bombs, the largest single sale of the controversial munition in recent years.

And next week, is the U.N. General Assembly will stage its annual meeting in New York.Then, Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to Washington for a much-anticipated meeting with President Donald Trump.
Interview: 

https://the1a.org/segments/houthis-israel-jinping/