Democracy Now! Video: Democracy Now! 2026-09-30 Wednesday

Headlines for September 30, 2026 

"No Land to Stand On": Mahmoud Khalil on His Memoir, Palestine, Fighting Deportation & Suing Columbia 

80 Years After Nuremberg Trials, U.S. Leads Assault on ICC & International Law: Wolfgang Kaleck

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2026-09-30-wednesday/id75648468 

Democracy Now! Video: Democracy Now! 2026-09-29 Tuesday

Headlines for September 29, 2026 

Greenland Deal: Trump Drops Threat to Annex Denmark Territory in Favor of Greater U.S. Military Role 

"Buying More Time for the Genocide": Muhammad Shehada on Trump's Gaza Plan 1 Year Later 

Afghans "Have Been the Victims" of U.S. Military, Taliban, Cartels & More for Decades: Nagieb Khaja

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2026-09-29-tuesday/id75648468

Cruz blocks Senate Democrats’ bid to pass AI safety bill - Live Updates - POLITICO

Warner, Schatz and Kim’s new bill would have established a new safety board within the Commerce Department to vet models before they are deployed and set safety standards for the industry. It would also have created a reporting process for safety and security incidents…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/29/congress/cruz-blocks-senate-democrats-bid-to-pass-ai-safety-bill-01097480

 

Rest Assured: AI Companies Say They’re Investigating Tens of Thousands of Rogue Bot Incidents – Mother Jones

They’re also working with the Trump administration to remove AI regulation and obtain military contracts…

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/rest-assured-ai-companies-say-theyre-investigating-tens-of-thousands-of-rogue-bot-incidents/

 

WATCH: Sen. Booker questions Jack Smith on Trump investigations

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p17npEM-ZY

 

Federal watchdog says Trump’s $810M funding cancellation is unconstitutional - Live Updates - POLITICO

“Any withholding of appropriated funds beyond their date of expiration, regardless of size, subverts both the constitutional process for enacting federal law and Congress’s constitutional power of the purse,” Perez added. “The President may not force the expiration of budget authority Congress has already enacted and did not rescind.”…

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/29/congress/pocket-rescission-gao-unconstitutional-01096965

 

Schiff Calls Out GOP Hypocrisy, Refusal to Acknowledge Trump Conspiracies at Jack Smith hearing

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HVPJau6PIA

 

Judges Keep Striking Down Climate Laws. Some States Are Fighting Back. – Mother Jones

Hollins, who introduced and co-sponsored Minnesota’s superfund bill earlier this year, told me that Minnesotans could face $20 billion or more in climate-related costs by 2040. “That’s roughly a third of our state’s current budget,” she said. Her state’s superfund legislation would charge major polluters for damages to bridges, roads, and buildings caused by greenhouse gas emissions. That money would pay for natural disaster recovery, infrastructure projects, and public health efforts linked to pollution. 

Infrastructures costs, Hollins notes, are inevitably going to rise. “So is it taxpayers who are going to pay for it?” she asks. “Or is it billionaires?”

 https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2026/09/climate-superfund-new-york-supreme-court-suncor-boulder/

 

'A HUMILIATING mistake': Nicolle reacts to GOP's mortifying SELF-OWN during Jack Smith’s hearing

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_1iu_0hmiM

 

WATCH: Sen. Cruz questions Jack Smith on Trump investigations

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PtpSKvZS1o

Concern mounts over slow-moving, planetary-scale ‘Kelvin’ wave heading for California

The ocean phenomenon could raise sea levels by up to a foot as El Niño keeps warm water trapped along the coast

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/28/california-kelvin-wave

 

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Are Receiving Bipartisan Criticism – Mother Jones

“We write to demand that you immediately take this ad off the air and discipline the Federal employees who knowingly violated Federal law in working on and paying for this advertisement,” they continued, asserting the ad violated anti-propaganda law. “In addition, we demand a full account and breakdown of all Federal funds used to create and air this ad.” …: 

“Trump’s supposed PSA says and does very little beyond extolling Trump. Usually, a public service announcement announces something. This one announces pure right-wing vibes.”…

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/trumps-taxpayer-funded-ads-are-receiving-bipartisan-criticism/

 

The Evil Religious Beliefs of Billionaires (Drew McCoy/Genetically Modified Skeptic on YouTube)

"Billionaires justify their bad behavior with religion. Who would’ve guessed? Here I talk about Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, David Green, Mark Zuckerberg, and Mukesh Ambani"

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/908WSFU9io8?si=nGeRo9Jpi8hzhytq

Mistral CEO accuses competitors of 'negligence' - POLITICO

Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch on Tuesday said some U.S. tech companies are using the ongoing artificial intelligence safety debate to hide their “negligence,” warning that increasingly autonomous systems require stronger controls…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/mistral-ceo-accuses-american-ai-rivals-of-negligence

 

The Mysterious Millions Powering a Nevada Republican’s Bid for Congress – Mother Jones

Between January 2025 and June 2026, FEC records show Flippo making numerous loans to his campaign committee worth more than $1.6 million in total. About two-thirds of that money came on the final days of the quarterly FEC reporting periods that help shape perceptions of a campaign’s relative strength…

 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/mysterious-millions-powering-a-reno-republicans-bid-for-congress-david-flippo-nevada-trump/

 

WATCH: Sen. Whitehouse questions Jack Smith on Trump investigations

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

 

Supreme Court lets Trump resume third-country deportations - POLITICO

But the justices will hear oral arguments in December on the legality of the policy…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/third-country-deportations-supreme-court-ruling

 

White House looking to Europe to release diesel from strategic reserves - POLITICO

The idea comes as high energy prices drag GOP in midterm elections… 

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/white-house-looking-to-europe-to-release-diesel-from-strategic-reserves-01096937 

Trump announces $15bn Iowa steel plant as he bids to boost flagging midterm hopes

President says plant will be built by Indian-owned company and calls it largest such facility in American history…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/28/trump-steel-plant-iowa

 

Remember when the GOP frowned on selling arms to enemies who are supplying other enemies?

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I7e26ew7vW8

 

WATCH: Sen. Kennedy questions Jack Smith on Trump investigations

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

 

Pharma's new top lobbyist is former Majority Leader Eric Cantor - POLITICO

Deposed from his House seat by the tea party in 2014, the Virginia Republican has landed one of Washington's most lucrative lobbying jobs.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/pharmas-new-top-lobbyist-is-a-former-house-majority-leader-01097057 

 

Here's how we get Medicare for All done.

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TgYZzzYMdd8

 

WATCH: Sen. Blumenthal questions Jack Smith on Trump investigations

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpAxfa_m3ys

 

Democrats are running pastors for office. Republicans are attacking their religious comments. - POLITICO

“As a person of faith, I think that it’s time for the Democratic Party to reassert that Democrats are a big tent, and we have many elected officials from different faiths for whom faith is something very important to them,” said Ben McAdams, the Democratic nominee in Utah’s 1st District and a volunteer Sunday School teacher in his Latter-day Saint congregation in Salt Lake City. “The Republican Party of Donald Trump does not seem to be reflecting the Christian values that I grew up with.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/talarico-hamilton-christian-democrats-republican-attacks-01096657

 

Newsom signs laws targeting ICE with shock glove ban, detention center tax - POLITICO

“California is taking action to strengthen transparency, accountability, and oversight around immigration enforcement in our state,” Newsom said in a statement. “This is about stepping up where the federal government has failed our communities.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/ca-shock-glove-ban-signed-01094029

 

Jack Smith: "I will not be silenced"

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/luyU70vKb9U

 

 

Appeals court seems likely to let Boasberg’s contempt probe continue - POLITICO

A federal appeals court appears likely to allow a contempt investigation, which could include criminal charges, to proceed against Trump administration officials…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/29/james-boasberg-contempt-proceedings-deportations 

Atheism Makes More Sense! - Jul 16 (Jon Cohen, Unconvinced on YouTube)

You know it makes sense!
Gods are silly.
Come and discuss!

TIMESTAMPS

0:00:01 - intro and housekeeping

0:04:06 - Aaron Brereton - Claims biblical prophecies are true, Explains his personal, distorted understanding of time, space, matter (his trinity) & o light, etc. Implies fine tuning argument.

0:19:31 - Bingo & super chats

0:22:31 - B - Claims Morality comes from God. Justifies atrocious acts in the bible as morally good and accuses jon of being a psychopath.

0:45:10 - Bingo

0:48:02 - TxPostgrad - Baseball coach that condemns abortion and talks about IQ tests

1:03:17 - Superchats

1:05:33 - David - Claims there might be evidence for God and flat earth analogy. Caller has dilemma about going back to theism.

1:14:48 - Superchats

1:15:39 - Ernest Edwards - Talks gibberish and imaginary things that makes the hosts & audience think he was under some influence.

1:18:28 - Superchats, Sean's deconstruction story

1:23:39 - Michael - Pro-religious and "allegedly atheist🫤" that argues for a utilitarian defence of the new testament amd claims communist atrocities were due to lack of christianity.

1:34:28 - Bingo & superchats

1:42:38 - Karl with a C - Claims people are defined by their actions. Proceeds to imply based off that proposition that belief is a choice

1:57:33 - Bingo

1:58:13 - Devilawesomeme - Brings in the psychology experiment out of context. Talks about fabricated memories/ confabulations as psychologists call it, out of context. Tries to argue for the accuracy of the bible & gap fill God into uncertainties around abiogenesis & big bang.

2:22:04 - Superchats

2:23:43 - Clifford - Claims christianity is the highest form of intelligence. Accuses jon of lacking the maturity and intelligence to understand the bible. Does performative laughing as Jon presents the false prophecies in the bible.

2:52:14 - Bingo & superchats

2:54:13 - Guard dog - Asks if the world is ready for secularism. Talks over the hosts and tries to argue that God exists despite there not being evidence because of utility in religion.

3:02:08 - Superchats

3:03:53 - Gerardine Farah - South african or maybe Scottish caller (the accemt sounds confusing) with sore throat claims to use science to prove God exists. Tries to use cosmological arguments (conflates big bang and carbon dating) and reads passages out of the bible, saying that it is the science that proves God. Accuses jon and Sean for not giving her a chance to speak.

3:14:54 - Gadman - Claims he died as a 6 year old from an injury and that Jesus sent him back. Sweet and innocent caller that Jon politely ended the call with.

3:20:38 - Superchats

3:23:10 - Top_Z - Discussion around choice in beliefs. Ella comes in and educates everyone on human DNA, common genetic areas with apes and also medusa viruses. Overall cordial caller

3:43:09 - Superchats

3:44:38 - DBN Khosta - Claims that mental health problems being healed by exorcism is evidence for God. Tries to argue there is no morality without God.

3:51:23 - Superchats

3:53:43 - The Guided servant - Claims a man from the 6th century knew about universal expansion and modern science. Bails out when asked to answer the ethical validity in pedophilia & scientific inaccuracies in the Quran.

3:59:30 - Midwest - friendly caller that leaves to call on the friday show

4:00:53 - Anthony - Claims Love is from God and uses cosmological argument. Gets into DNA, abiogenesis after which Scientificsnitch comes in to explain the nuances and depth of molecular biology, microbiology and evolution.

4:26:53 - Hodge - Comes in with the traditional God did it, watchmaker/designer argument. Gishgallops, gets kilswitch'd and leaves after insulting Jon with the N word.

4:36:13 - Samuel hate video

4:41:58 - Superchats

5:02:05 - Member questions

5:09:29 Bingo & Superchats

5:15:43 - Champ of champs - calls in to get clarification. Agrees and leaves

5:19:00 - Superchats

5:20:28 - Matic - Phil bro that was banned before for talking condescendingly. Does the same and gets kicked again.

5:24:13 - POTS - Claims asking for evidence is not relevant to proving God and that not all decisions are rational. Gets kilswitchd after repeated circular arguments

5:37:53 - DMC - Tries to argue around moral relativism but ends up talking over the hosts and complains about the meta of the conversation. Gets killswitchd which jon vetoes

5:51:58 - Superchats

5:58:19 - Broncoboo -Equates Gambling dilemma and other ethical dilemma to dilemma between beliefand non belief.

6:03:23 - Superchats

6:11:23 - Information on innercircle

6:15:03 - Superchats

6:16:18 - Bingo winner (le me😁), caller ratings and conclusion.

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/tfa-dfH_p7s?si=yw3iAEWoqgO6W47z

The Trump administration weakens car fuel efficiency standards : NPR

The revised rules, which were finalized Monday, will now require carmakers to make their new passenger car and truck fleets up to 1% more fuel efficient each year, aiming for an average of 34.9 miles to the gallon in model year 2031. 

This is down from Biden-era rules, which required an annual 2% increase in fuel efficiency with a goal of most vehicles getting, on average, 50.4 miles to the gallon by 2031…

 https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5918509/car-fuel-efficiency-cafe-standards-rollback

 

Alito bows out of blockbuster Supreme Court climate case - POLITICO

Alito had faced calls to recuse himself from Suncor v. Boulder over his financial interests in energy companies. A Monday letter from Scott Harris, clerk of the court, informed the parties that Alito “has determined that he will not continue to participate in this case.” The notice did not further explain his decision to sit out arguments Oct. 5, the first day of the court’s new term…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/28/supreme-court-alito-climate-case-01095470

 

Corruption Chronicles No.23

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Nq6TA_DLlN0 

 

Trump administration reinstates sexual misconduct rule for schools - POLITICO

“While the administration is unlawfully eroding protections for trans students under the guise of ‘protecting women and girls,’ they are systematically weakening the very laws that keep students safe and schools accountable,” said Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center. “Protecting women and girls means not limiting Title IX protections based on students’ reproductive traits and anatomy and enforcing Title IX to make sure schools are inclusive spaces that provide equal educational opportunity for all students.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/28/trump-administration-finalizes-repeal-of-biden-era-title-ix-rule-01094990

 

Most Americans don’t know Hasan Piker. The rest say he is changing this year’s elections

Piker features in Republican campaign ads. A photo of him nearly nude, inexplicably, appeared on the jumbotron at the party’s midterm convention. And Republicans have tried hard to tie Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in the critical swing state of Michigan, to Piker after El-Sayed campaigned with him in the primary. (The candidate has since distanced himself from Piker.)…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/sep/27/hasan-piker-republicans-democrats-us-midterm-elections

 

Rep. Levin: You Paid for Trump’s Illegal Propaganda

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/svd3SmsIdQk

 

Rep. Levin: Corruption Chronicles #26

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T8eiun507xY 

 

ICE operations are making it hard for vulnerable Republicans fighting for their political survival - POLITICO

Immigration enforcement in Kansas, Texas, Florida and beyond is forcing battleground Republicans to answer for the fallout…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/27/ice-crackdown-immigration-republicans-midterms-01093912

 

‘Love letter’: California AG takes aim at Trump’s links to Big Oil - POLITICO

Bonta also challenged Trump’s relationships with the fossil fuel industry and corporations, accusing him of failing to enforce antitrust laws. 

“Trump has been writing an ongoing love letter, or at least attempting to, to the fossil fuel industry, writing different chapters and different verses and trying to provide them giveaways time and time again,” he said…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/28/love-letter-california-ag-takes-aim-at-trumps-links-to-big-oil-01094545

 

Inside the anti-climate campaign against researchers - POLITICO

It’s the latest strategy in a decades-long campaign by right-leaning groups to discredit scholars whose work could persuade judges and juries in the high-stakes climate cases. Now it’s gathering steam amid a growing push by the Trump administration to block dozens of lawsuits levied at energy companies by communities that were affected by extreme weather…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/28/climate-science-conservative-documents-universities-01065669

 

Where to Place Our Anger

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TgWUvXuhFz0 

 

RNC falsely says 54% of NC’s commercial driver licenses were issued illegally to noncitizens – PolitiFact

The Republican National Committee based its numbers on a sampling — not a full accounting — of commercial driver’s licenses issued in North Carolina. 

The North Carolina DMV says 8,540, or about 2.6% of its 325,114 active CDLs, were issued to noncitizens. 

Of the 8,540 CDLs issued to noncitizens, 1,149 were issued incorrectly, but not to immigrants in the U.S. illegally...

https://politifact.com/factchecks/2026/sep/24/republican-national-committee-republican/rnc-falsely-says-54-of-ncs-commercial-driver-licenses-were-issued-illegally-to-noncitizens/  

News publishers accuse Trump admin of bias toward AI companies in copyright suit - POLITICO

The publishers are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement. The Justice Department earlier this month filed a statement supporting OpenAI’s defense in the case, arguing that copying others’ content without permission in order to train large language models is protected under the “fair use” doctrine…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/28/openAI-new-york-times-copyright-lawsuit

 

Trump asked Xi Jinping if China would like to buy US weapons, American ambassador says

…while the state department said: “US law prohibits arms sales to China and there is no offer or plan to sell arms to China.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/28/trump-xi-jinping-china-buy-weapons

 

John Thune: Taxpayer dollars shouldn't fund Trump ads - Live Updates - POLITICO

One of the ads that has aired in recent days is virtually identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad except that the new version states it is “paid for by the U.S. government.” …

 https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/28/congress/john-thune-knocks-trump-ads-01095763

 

Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever

Though agents appear to be moving with more stealth than they were before, ICE arrests are still, often, violent. Glimpses of that violence are – despite Mullin’s initial intentions – still making national headlines. 

 Last week, an ICE agent shot Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez in Austin, Texas. The Venezuelan asylum seeker, who had received a deportation order after missing a letter to appear in immigration court, was discharged from a local hospital with a bullet still lodged near his spine and then taken to ICE detention. That same day, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a Guatemalan man died in a fiery crash while fleeing federal immigration agents. 

Still, for every arrest that breaks through into public view, countless others happen quickly, before anyone can notice. “The detentions are happening in a flash – we’re talking, like, 90 seconds from the time ICE shows up to that person being driven away,” Willis said. “And often they are moving very quietly, with very soft feet.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/sep/28/ice-us-immigration-new-tactics

 

Trump asks Supreme Court to OK limits on transgender-related care for prisoners - POLITICO

“The lower courts have consistently found the administration’s policy is a direct threat to the well-being of transgender people in federal custody and an open violation of their fundamental rights,” the attorneys said in a statement Monday. “The withholding of medically necessary health care, including gender-affirming health care, from people in prison violates their Constitutional right to serve their sentence free of cruel and unusual punishment. We will continue to defend the rights of our clients and all incarcerated people.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/28/transgender-care-prisons-supreme-court-appeal

 

Three Genuinely Good Lay Treatments of Bible History • Richard Carrier Blogs

Today I want to introduce you to three books about the Bible not written by PhDs yet are outstanding enough to be well worth reading....

 https://www.richardcarrier.info/archives/43987

 

Michigan Republicans are trying to sell you the fix for their own mess

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EvAVnH1p210

 

John Fetterman accidentally calls himself ‘a lifelong Republican’ Inbox

Social and news media commenters seize on senator’s gaffe, with some characterizing it as a Freudian slip…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/28/john-fetterman-gaffe-republican

 

You Did That, Donald ⛽ | Paula Poundstone #shorts

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/z7UIqa9G9eg

Democracy Now! Video: Democracy Now! 2026-09-28 Monday

Headlines for September 28, 2026 

Forcible Eviction of 87-Year-Old Madrid Woman Sparks Protest Encampment over Spain's Housing Crisis 

"Britain's Gaza Secrets Exposed": How U.K. Downplayed Israeli Crimes to Keep Selling Weapons 

"Valley of Death": Sharon Weinberger on Big Tech, AI Warfare & the CIA's Secret Backing of Steve Jobs

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democracy-now-2026-09-28-monday/id75648468

Volume II Catch-22 (Andrew McCabe and Allison Gill; Unjustified podcast)

A high profile hacking group claims it has breached multiple FBI-related services and stolen data “on all FBI employees and applicants.”

Lawyers for several FBI agents fired by Kash Patel have filed a motion asking Judge Aileen Cannon how they’re supposed to testify in the “Grand Conspiracy” case without violating her order prohibiting conveyance of anything in Volume II of Jack Smith’s final report.

Lawyers for former federal prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg say she retired Thursday from the Justice Department — a week before a federal judge is expected to hold a crucial hearing over the mishandling of the “Broadview Six” case.

The Justice Department argues the recent Supreme Court ruling widening the President’s power to fire certain agency leaders also extends to Maureen Comey.

Plus listener questions.

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/volume-ii-catch-22/id1317481380?i=1000791846173

From cybersecurity to AI to Taiwan, what's at stake in Trump's summit with Xi (Terry Gross, Fresh Air podcast)lll

As President Trump and China's President Xi prepare to meet, Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations explains the current state of U.S.-China relations and what to expect from this summit.

Interview: 

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/23/nx-s1-5978691/from-cybersecurity-to-ai-what-at-stake-in-trumps-meeting-with-and-president-xiwhy-the-us-and-china-are-at-a-precarious-moment-in-their-relationship

Apple Preview Is Secretly Insane.

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

There’s a deliberate scheme to raise your energy costs. Who’s responsible? Trump and Big Oil

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9yU9HfXBU-U

 

Rep. Levin: Why does Speaker Johnson have so much Power?

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WXZrkroc2z8

 

Major incident declared near airbase used by US forces as men held on suspicion of explosives offences

People evacuated from village after men are arrested on suspicion of explosives offences near Gloucestershire airbase used by US forces…

 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/27/major-incident-declared-near-raf-fairford-as-men-arrested-on-suspicion-of-explosives-offences 

 

Proposed Head Start Regulations Overseen By RFK Jr.

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5FHRM-6gjFo

 

Trump allies could use ‘counting window’ to disrupt results, experts warn

Fears grow that loyalists in key states could use critical period when votes are counted to amplify false claims…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/27/trump-midterms-counting-window

 

US senators propose legislation to limit ICE arrests and indefinite detention

Exclusive: Democrats Dick Durbin of Illinois and Alex Padilla of California seek to prevent unlawful arrests…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/25/ice-legislation-dick-durbin-alex-padilla

 

The James Talarico pastor “scandal” is a NOTHINGBURGER!

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NTH9uaWNPOU

 

Christian Tries Lecturing a Soldier on War Crimes… Big Mistake

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CPTjkgVKxA

 

FBI Looks Into Illegal Pay-To-Play

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1cEW6ZDyd-Q

 

White House orders over $800M in funds rescinded; Collins calls it 'clear violation' of law - ABC News

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins -- who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee -- blasted the move in a statement on social media on Friday, calling it an attempt to "undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse" and a violation of the law. 

"The independent Government Accountability Office has concluded that pocket rescissions are unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act," Collins wrote. "Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law."…

 https://abcnews.com/Politics/white-house-orders-800m-funds-rescinded-collins-calls/story

 

‘Hell on earth’: last residents eat weeds to survive in Russian-occupied Oleshky

Supplies cut off from Ukrainian city where bodies are being left to be eaten by dogs because of deadly risk from drones…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/27/hell-on-earth-last-residents-eat-weeds-to-survive-in-russian-occupied-oleshky

 

Trump uses taxpayer money for ad that promotes himself

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hNm9kIZMxOc 

 

Trump Is Tying U.S. Economic Reliability to Low Polls

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a5WbndSMxfA 

 

Bill Gates says unchecked AI could ‘cause a billion deaths’, in call for regulation

“There’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools,” Gates added, echoing other recent similar warnings by a wide array of tech and political figures…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/27/bill-gates-artificial-intelligence-kristen-welker

 

You're the National Security Issue, Donald 🇺🇸 | Paula Poundstone #shorts

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IVZPZuavgP8 

 

Christian Admits Unbelief Is A Crime Then Completely Unravels

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4KO0EGkErA

 

He Walked Into This Completely Unprepared

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B9pZ4M5_Tg

 

LIVE DEBATE [Your God is Fiction] 5-8-2026 (Justin at DZ Debates on YouTube)

TIMESTAMPS 

28:12 Lucas - If we are in a simulation, would God be the one in control of the simulation?

29:45 Leo - The Holy Spirit is quantifiable, it helps our brains to fend off bad stuff, and caller has written a paper about it

40:58 Nathaniel Ward - Mezzo joins; Caller claims there is power in the name of Jesus and calls both hosts serpents; Call devolves to Justin and Mezzo clowning on caller; Evolution vs creation

1:16:30 (Nathaniel Ward) - When was Jesus born? Caller runs

1:35:00 Crystal joins to remind everyone that today is the last day to bid on a signed Bible

1:38:45 Larry Speghetti - Caller claims to be Jewish but gets antisemitic real quick; Is it good when God has women graped (2 Samuel 12)? Caller claims that anything God says to do is good; Is God just?

2:14:15 Craigp45 - Did the universe have a beginning? Is an infinite past possible? A-theory and B-theory of time and what time is; What exists necessarily?

2:47:20 (Craigp45) - Was Jesus a false prophet? What will happen in the new Jerusalem? Will there be ongoing physical sacrifices (Ezekiel 44)? Caller doesn’t really settle on any explanation

3:08:22 (Craigp45) Is Ezekiel 46 a metaphor or will it happen? Did Jesus fulfill any prophecies? Why did Jesus come to Earth?

3:42:55 Benson - What does Matthew 24 say will happen when Jesus returns? Caller has connection issues

4:02:50 Steve - DNA is information so it has a mind behind it; M’s talks DNA and the evolution of genes

4:39:35 (Steve) - How about deistic evolution? How old is the Earth and how do thermodynamics/dark energy play into it? Can God act outside of time? What does “theory” mean in science?

5:13:25 LastIchEffort - Believes in a creator but not a god

5:15:00 WillHeFindFaith - Caller yaps and goes off of personal experience a lot; Caller claims the Old Testament God is wicked but Jesus is different; Why does the quote in Matthew 27:9 not appear in Jeremiah? Answer: a lot of stuff in the Bible has changed over time

5:39:10 (WillHeFindFaith) - Did God tell David to do a census and was it against God’s laws (2 Samuel 24)? Did Jesus tell us to follow the Law of Moses?

5:56:45 (WillHeFindFaith) - Is Jesus in the Old Testament? Was Jesus the snake in the Garden of Eden? Is Revelation true?

6:37:00 Superchats and wrap up

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/L0Ut5AP4vzo?si=O7LlGLk94AQLdFQB

Friendly Atheist News Roundup 9/24/2026 (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #654)

0:00 Intro
0:20 Jehovah’s Witnesses just gutted their deadly blood transfusion policy.
18:32 Trump’s “Top 250 Victories for People of Faith” collapse under scrutiny.
36:50 An Alabama church says God made a paraplegic man walk again. There’s a better explanation.
52:00 Nearly half of people raised Mormon have left the LDS Church.
1:02:53 James Talarico’s pastor welcomes atheists. Conservatives think that’s a scandal.

Interview: 

• Video, with Jessica: https://youtu.be/JoitL7S8Kbg?si=SjvLNEghC7CqhNhC
• Video, without Jessica: https://www.youtube.com/live/Qg1-85lzNzM?si=9ILTzaupJ2DP3bzC
• Audio only, with Jessica: https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2026/09/23/jehovahs-witnesses-gut-their-blood-ban/

Still searching… Funny how it’s never there. (Jon Cohen, Unconvinced)

All believers seem to have their own ideas about which parts are metaphorical and which are to be taken literally. Of course, the book itself has nothing to say on the matter. 

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MIbNqd67x4g?feature=share

  

'American Scoundrel' traces Roy Cohn's playbook from McCarthyism to Trump (Terry Gross, Fresh Air podcast)

In Kai Bird's biography of Cohn, he looks at how the lawyer taught Trump how to deny, delay, attack, sue and countersue, never admit defeat, side-step paying bills and avoid a paper trail.

Interview: 

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/17/nx-s1-5965831/american-scoundrel-traces-roy-cohns-playbook-from-mccarthyism-to-trump

Inside a 'modern slavery situation' where cyber scammers are victims themselves (Terry Gross, Fresh Air podcast)

Wired's Andy Greenberg explains how a cybercrime operation in Southeast Asia trapped computer engineers into defrauding victims of billions of dollars. Plus, he discusses the scam involving Fresh Air.

Interview: 

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/22/nx-s1-5977731/inside-a-modern-slavery-situation-where-cyber-scammers-are-victims-themselves

White House claims pro-Trump ad it paid Fox to air was ‘public service announcement

Some Democrats say taxpayer-funded ad could be illegal government propaganda aimed at influencing voters…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/25/white-house-pro-trump-ad-fox

Trump reportedly rejects Iran’s seven-day peace deal to reopen strait of Hormuz

Tehran awaits official response to plan, but US president is said to expect renewed strikes after midterms…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/26/trump-dismiss-iran-seven-day-peace-deal-hormuz

 

Paul's Spiritual Gifts Are Not a Tier List (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

Wisdom, healing, prophecy, tongues — the gifts of the spirit sometimes get treated like a skill tree you level up, but 1 Corinthians 12 isn't handing out superpowers. Instead, Paul is refereeing a squabble, and his point is that a body needs a hand as much as a head.

This week on Data Over Dogma: what the gifts actually are, why Paul counts celibacy among them, and how a spirit-led movement turned into an org chart with qualifications.

Chapters:

0:00 Welcome and Whence
0:49 A Listener's Suggestion
1:37 Gifts of the Spirit
1:47 Starting in 1 Corinthians 12
2:07 Where Else They Appear
3:03 Paul Writes to Corinth
3:45 Spirituals, Not Gifts
4:09 Paul's Actual Argument
4:42 Diversity Without Hierarchy
5:45 Edification and Order
6:12 The Skill-Tree Misconception
7:34 The Encanto Model
7:59 Celibacy as a Gift
8:53 The Magic Mike Detour
10:52 Not a Prize Catalog
11:17 Gifts or Roles
12:52 A Spirit-Led Church
13:19 The Pastoral Epistles
14:32 Romans 12's Gift List
15:26 Fledgling Movement, Then Institution
16:44 Tongues: Two Kinds
18:04 Tongues on a Mission
19:23 Tongues in the Early LDS Church
20:43 Ephesians 4 and the Body
22:08 Cool Gift, Now What
23:36 Join Us and Patreon

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/Nhx1IrH5ssM?si=eBn1UQLidVJI0D8e

Does God Change His Mind? (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's In the Code Ep. 207

Does God change his mind? 

CAN God change his mind? 

The traditional theological answer to both of these questions is “no.” 

But what if the answer is “yes”? Why would this represent such a threat to high-control religion and traditional Christian teaching? Check out this week’s episode to find out!

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-ep-207-does-god-change-his-mind/id1441649707?i=1000791464937

We're keeping public schools secular every day

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-9A8Ixvlnaw.

AOC Meets MAHA (Conspirituality podcast #327)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been meeting with MAHA activists in an attempt to bring the coalition to the Democratic party. Recent reporting reveals that she’s been meeting (or trying to meet) with some close to RFK Jr, as well as those who have been critical of the HHS Secretary. It might be a sound political strategy, but what happens when you start courting conspiracy theorists? Derek looks into that first.

Julian then looks at where MAHA currently is based on two recent Kennedy appearances. Matthew returns to AOC to ask how the DSA might assess her MAHA pivot.
Interview: 

https://www.conspirituality.net/episodes/327-aoc-meets-maha

Sorry to interrupt family game night with the collapse of democracy

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

How Paul Got Out of Jerusalem Alive (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

Paul is back in Jerusalem, and just about everyone wants a piece of him.

This week we're going chapter and verse through Acts 23-26: the hearing that turns into a brawl, the forty men who swore off food until they'd killed Paul (and then told everyone the plan out loud), the nephew who blew their cover, and the two long years Paul spent in Caesarea while a Roman governor waited around for a bribe.

Plus: what Paul actually gained by appealing to the emperor, and what it cost him.

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/MYoHAs6PpXY?si=MLUDy_gqmsAVTzOY

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
0:23 Paul's Infamous Incarceration
1:18 Who Was Paul, Anyway
3:47 Pharisee and Roman Citizen
4:31 What Is the Sanhedrin
5:38 "You Whitewashed Wall"
7:29 Resurrection Starts a Riot
9:47 A Vision of Rome
10:33 Forty Men, One Oath
12:04 Paul's Nephew Spoils It
13:46 Escort to Caesarea
15:22 Spotting a Pharisee
17:06 Herod's Headquarters
18:45 Tertullus Makes His Case
20:33 Who Were the Nazarenes
21:49 Paul's Defense
23:10 Before "Christian," the Way
24:26 Caesarea's Hidden Cells
26:23 Felix Stalls for Two Years
27:31 Appealing to the Emperor
28:59 Almost Persuaded
30:44 Shipwrecked on Malta
31:40 Thanks for Watching

The truth behind Donald Trump’s ‘biggest oil deal in world history’

The US’s oil deal with Venezuela faces multiple legal and logistical problems, including questions about whether it can be implemented…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/26/donald-trump-oil-deal-with-venezuela

 

Gaza: a week in the life of five ordinary Palestinians

As the war pushes deep into its third year, what does daily life look like for people living there and how has the conflict changed it?

 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2026/sep/26/gaza-a-week-in-the-life-of-five-ordinary-palestinians

 

The REAL House of David (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

Thirty-some years ago, excavators at Tel Dan pulled three broken pieces of basalt out of the ground, and six of the letters carved into them spell out something no other inscription clearly does: the house of David.

This week, Dan M walks us through what the Tel Dan Stele actually says, why an Aramean king was bragging about killing two kings you can find in your Bible, and what it means that his version of events contradicts both biblical accounts.

Also: how one hunk of stone helps date the oldest historical prose in the Hebrew Bible, and no, Steely Dan was not named after it.

Chapters:

0:00 Steely Dan Jokes
1:18 What Is a Tel
2:06 Gates, Altars, Standing Stones
3:31 Three Fragments, One Inscription
4:19 Dating It to Hazael
5:00 The Chalk-Filled Letters
5:52 Dots Instead of Spaces
6:34 Bragstones and Royal Resumes
7:13 Reading the Inscription
9:04 Two Dead Kings
10:01 Kingdom Versus Dynasty
11:08 Evidence for a Historical David
12:30 Hazael in Second Kings
13:21 Jehu Drives Like a Maniac
13:53 Who Killed Ahaziah
16:22 Taking Credit for the Kill
17:53 Dating Kings and Chronicles
19:07 Who Really Killed Goliath
19:58 The Birth of Historical Prose
21:32 Poetry Came First
23:01 Story, Then Song
24:19 Steely Dan Came First
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/2nldu9Ox6qA?si=h_ayUNV6dNWTkLsG

Sisterhood Is Global (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)

After reporting the good and the bad news about Christian nationalist antics, we remember the life and legacy of well-known feminist and atheist activist Robin Morgan, who died earlier this month.

Interview: 

https://ffrf.org/news/freethought-radio/freethought-today-september-24-2026/

The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2026-09-25

Domestic

President Donald Trump banned television networks he deemed adversarial from the White House press pool this week. Following a lawsuit, a judge issued a 14-day stay, temporarily restoring White House access to CNN, MSNow, and POLITICO.

New reporting indicates that the ICE agent who shot a Venezuelan man in Austin, Texas, last Sunday was issued a body camera for use in the field, but wasn’t wearing it at the time of the encounter.

And a poll finds that President Trump’s approval ratings have sunk to another low — diving to 32 percent.
Interview: 

https://the1a.org/segments/trump-ban-ice-approval/

International

The 81st United Nations General Assembly opened in New York City this week. President Donald Trump threatened to annihilate Iran, the Israeli delegation walked out during a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the leader of the Palestinian Authority addressed the assembly via video after being denied a U.S. visa.

Pomp, pageantry and grand displays of friendship. But was there substance in the Trump – Xi Summit in Washington?

Leaders in the Tigray region of Ethiopia say they’re mobilizing their military against the country’s federal government and a 2022 ceasefire falls apart. And as the Ebola virus continues to surge in Congo, the World Health Organization is warning that there may be a shortage of aid workers to staff treatment centers.
Interview: 

https://the1a.org/segments/unga-congo-ebola/