Randi Weingarten: Why Fascists Fear Teachers (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)

Randi Weingarten, a prominent labor leader and educator, shares insights from her book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, focusing on the critical role of public education and the separation of church and state in preserving democracy. 

Weingarten discusses the threats to public education from authoritarian figures and billionaires aiming to consolidate power. 

She highlights how educators promote pluralism and critical thinking, countering authoritarian tactics of fear, division, and isolation. Weingarten also critiques voucher programs, arguing they divert funds from public schools, benefit affluent families, and fail to improve educational outcomes.

Interview: 

https://freethought-tv.maz.tv/apps/846/3135159-3236191?mode=details#3135159-3236191/f7e90d9405c12540676b2c5b4657399f-3386461-3488138/59877387c271d941cb09635a08420c06-4539094-4657802

Forrest Valkai: How to Teach Evolution to a Creationist (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)

Forrest Valkai, a biologist and science communicator, shares insights on effectively teaching evolution to creationists. Valkai explains that many creationist arguments stem from fundamental misunderstandings of evolution. 

He emphasizes the importance of correcting these misconceptions, showing how evolution connects to other scientific fields, and encouraging open-mindedness.

Interview:

https://freethought-tv.maz.tv/apps/846/3135159-3236191?mode=details#3135159-3236191/f7e90d9405c12540676b2c5b4657399f-3386461-3488138/59877387c271d941cb09635a08420c06-4544285-4663137

Gigi Cervantes and Johnnie Cotton: Teachers Standing Up for the First Amendment (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has recognized two courageous Texas teachers, Gigi Cervantes and Johnny Cotton, with their Civil Rights/First Amendment awards for refusing to comply with the state's mandate to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. 

Both educators chose to resign rather than violate their students' constitutional rights and their own principles. 

Gigi, a high school theater teacher, and Johnny, a band teacher, shared their stories of standing up against what they saw as an infringement on religious freedom and academic integrity. Their actions highlight the ongoing struggle to maintain the separation of church and state in public education. The FFRF continues to advocate for policies that ensure government neutrality in religious matters.

Interview: 

https://freethought-tv.maz.tv/apps/846/3135159-3236191?mode=details#3135159-3236191/f7e90d9405c12540676b2c5b4657399f-3386461-3488138/59877387c271d941cb09635a08420c06-4538243-4656949

Botkin Sisters: We Were Wrong to Promote Submission (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #658)

— They told Christian girls to submit. Now the Botkin Sisters say they were wrong. (0:17)

— Kenyan starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie convicted in deaths of 191 people. (23:57)

— Americans are deeply divided over empathy. White evangelicals oppose it. (34:30)

— Colorado parolees can now choose secular addiction recovery programs. (40:19)

— Salem Witch Museum to give Batavia High students free tickets after pastor’s objection. (48:52)

— Florida’s new science standards downplay evolution and climate change. (56:49)
Interview: 

• Audio only podcast, with Jessica: https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2026/10/21/botkin-sisters-we-were-wrong-to-promote-submission/

• YouTube video, with Jessica:  https://youtu.be/0DsgdWAoML0?si=W3M4CFBP861Q60mp

• YouTube video, without Jessica: https://www.youtube.com/live/j8IrM5E_1t0?si=1270ToSLSZTgCXmf 

Christianity Is Fueling the American Illiteracy Crisis

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g42H2pF5zuM

 

Humanist Celebrant and Chaplain Info Sessions!

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QgKQwSW7FvI

 

Friendly Atheist News Roundup 10/8/2026: The Grifty Legacy of Jim Bakker (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #656)

0:00 Intro
0:21 Jim Bakker, the godfather of scamvangelism, is dead at 86.
16:27 A Christian influencer says he went to Heaven and met a testosterone-fueled Jesus.
25:47 A restaurant stood up to Doug Wilson’s Christian Nationalists—and won.
40:22 Texas judge forces Galveston school district to display Ten Commandments posters.
48:48 Idaho’s attorney general gave churches a dark-money loophole to fight abortion rights.
58:23 The Mormon Church’s own lawyer just undermined its case against John Dehlin.

Interview: 

• Video, with Jessica: https://youtu.be/Bjt02R9vqw8?si=s4QzyJIGCFZOV-7Z
• Video without Jessica: https://www.youtube.com/live/1lfQP5gbsaM?si=qhf5HEINthIhFHEb
• Audio only, with Jessica: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/656-the-grifty-legacy-of-jim-bakker/id888637335?i=1000793748775. 

Why Fascists Fear Teachers (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)

FFRF Action Fund’s legislative team gives us a rundown on the Nov. 3 ballot initiatives around the country, both good and bad. Then, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten describes her new book, “Why Fascists Fear Teachers.”

Interview: 

https://ffrf.org/news/freethought-radio/freethought-today-october-8-2026/

Just 1 in 4 Michigan juniors are ‘college ready,’ SAT scores indicate

The decline in college readiness comes as the state continues to struggle in other academic performance measures, including low reading scores and an absenteeism rate that remains above 27%…

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/education/2026-10-06/just-1-in-4-michigan-juniors-are-college-ready-sat-scores-indicate

 

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

How do societies come back? #history #historyshorts #historyfacts

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vJz6O5Zrcts

 

Interfaith TX parents speak out against 10 Commandments in Public Schools (Americans United on YouTube)

Ted & Rebekah Lowe are an interfaith couple (Jewish and Christian) with kids in Texas public schools. They believe the government should have no say in the religious upbringing of their children. That’s why the Lowes and other Texas families are in court challenging the Ten Commandments in public schools. Listen to and share their story.

Texas politicians are trying to force their preferred religion on public school students by mandating the display of a state-selected, Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. A federal appeals court allowed it, downplaying the display as “a poster on a classroom wall.” But the Ten Commandments is a religious document that is sacred for some — and forcing it on every Texas public school student violates the First Amendment.

Families — not politicians or the government — should get to decide what role religion plays in their children’s lives. The Lowes and other families are taking this case as far as needed to make sure religious freedom is protected.

Share their story and learn more at au.org/TenC/
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/LnssVHGyPbY?si=IF_EsMzEa_O5sjlH

TX Rabbi and his Family Fight 10 Commandments in Public Schools (Americans United for the Separation of Church and State on YouTube)

Public schools are for education, not religious indoctrination. Classrooms are for teaching, not preaching. That’s why families are in court challenging a Texas law that requires all public schools to display a government-selected version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom.

The Fixler family understands that every student has the right to an inclusive education, free from government-imposed religion, and they’re speaking out to protect separation of church and state.

Share their story and learn more at au.org/TenC/

Allies in this Fight:
— AU: au.org/
— ACLU: aclu.org/
— ACLU-Louisiana: laaclu.org/
— ACLU-Texas: aclutx.org/
— FFRF: ffrf.org/

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/mUpAw1ujgFU?si=FCtvsv3PsmU6coWJ

Isaiah Martin explains his strategy for how to win an argument with MAGA (Find Out podcast on YouTube)

Isaiah Martin knows how to leave MAGA speechless - and it isn’t an accident.

The viral content creator and CNN contributor joins the Find Out Podcast to reveal how he prepared for Jubilee’s “1 Liberal vs. 20 Conservatives” debate, why facts and discipline beat Republican rage bait, and how his political videos reach more than 200 million views per month.

Isaiah also explains why Democrats should attack MAGA politicians - not their voters - and how a bold economic agenda built around healthcare, childcare, education, and affordability could create a lasting political realignment. Plus, the group discusses Trump’s war in Iran, breaking through right-wing echo chambers, flipping Texas, and the Democrats’ chances in the 2026 midterms.

00:00 Isaiah Martin Joins the Podcast
01:21 How Isaiah Became a Political Creator
03:47 The Intense Preparation Behind His Jubilee Debate
07:00 How Isaiah Leaves MAGA Speechless
11:26 What Really Happened During “1 vs. 20”
13:13 Can Political Debates Actually Change Minds?
17:13 Training Inside MAGA Debate Rooms
18:43 Reaching 200 Million Views With Political Content
22:02 Attack MAGA Leaders - Not Their Voters
26:37 Why Trump Supporters Are Beginning to Break Away
29:35 Democrats’ Opportunity for a Political Realignment
34:34 How Democrats Can Win Texas and the Midterms
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/50RrGzG2P6k?si=TRc7ha9rBDhd_sIa

Ten Commandments Showdown at Supreme Court (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podcast #649) Friendly Atheist News Roundup 8/19/2026

— Texas’ Ten Commandments law is heading toward a Supreme Court showdown. (0:32)

— Colorado school district dumps Bible-heavy curriculum borrowed from Texas after 3 days. (22:00)

— Satanists sue Iowa officials for blocking them from erecting a holiday display in the Capitol. (31:40)

— Arizona Supreme Court says pastor’s admission of abuse is NOT protected by religious privilege. (40:13)

— Canada’s military tells chaplains: At public events, serve everyone, not just Christians. (54:07)

— Connecticut Republicans finally rejected the Christian extremist they never vetted. (59:15)

— Christian televangelist Katie Souza claims aliens stole her eggs and made a hybrid baby. (1:06:01)
Interview: 

• With Jessica, YouTube: https://youtu.be/FxY20f3yMaA?si=fMD_xXT6HzgLnLv-
• Without Jessica, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/tmHrA61O7vE?si=xbCH48aHjF0_DMCk
• Audio only podcast, no YouTube ads: https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2026/08/19/ten-commandments-showdown-at-supreme-court/

Hitchens vs. The Church (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)

We hear the brilliant late journalist/intellectual Christopher Hitchens debate an archbishop on the topic “Is the Catholic Church a force for good in the world?” and FFRF Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens explains what’s wrong with Texas’ new bible-infused public-school curriculum.

Interview: 

https://ffrf.org/news/freethought-radio/freethought-today-august-13-2026/

US accused of meddling in British politics with $500,000 grant for ‘public education’ courses

Lisa Smart, a Liberal Democrat MP and the party’s Cabinet Office spokesperson, said: “Magna Carta aimed to limit the powers of tyrants and said everyone was subject to the rule of law, something for which Trump has repeatedly shown utter contempt. 

“We have a proud tradition of liberty and freedom of speech in this country and we don’t need Trump’s Maga money meddling in our democracy.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/08/us-accused-of-meddling-in-british-politics-with-500000-grant-scheme-promoting-shared-values

 

Oh baby girl...

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B7tmmA3ifp0

 

Students created AI rules they hope schools will adopt : NPR

"There's nothing that says students need to be proficient before using it," Herrera told her subcommittee colleagues. "It's basically saying they can use it whenever. Which I think is a misuse of it." 

Her subcommittee's proposed solution: require schools to teach AI literacy as soon as devices are introduced in the classroom, including misinformation, plagiarism, bias in AI design, student privacy, appropriate academic use and AI's environmental impact...

 https://www.npr.org/2026/07/30/nx-s1-5853571/students-set-ai-policy

 

Black History: The History They Left Out of the Classroom''

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