The Matthew 25 debate rages on

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fsdo16DVDS4

 

Is punishing the poor Trump’s last hand to play?

The pre-midterm defenestration of ACA enrollees looks like political madness – but the president appears to believe hitting poor people might work for him…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/13/trump-aca-healthcare-politics-midterms

 

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

Ruhle FACT-CHECKS Trump's UN speech

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Oe2cDuP5XpE

 

Billy Bragg - 'Why we build the wall' (Nashville 2016)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eI69AhNW_Y 

Life in America 😭😭😭

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Sira6o6oNH0

 

Report: Many Michiganders are struggling to afford basic needs

“The poverty line for a family of four is $33,000,” she said. “The ALICE threshold is $67,000 and so, these are people who are struggling to make ends meet, but they’re not considered poor. They don’t qualify for programs and these are people who are often forgotten when we talk about social safety nets.”…

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/economy/2026-08-10/report-many-michiganders-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-needs

Michigan expands WIC eligibility under federal guide, allowing more families to qualify

The state's thresholds are pinned to federal guidance, which is updated yearly based on inflation. Under the updated WIC income eligibility guidelines, a family of four can now qualify with an annual income of up to $61,050. This is an increase of more than $1,500 from last year…

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/community/2026-08-06/michigan-expands-wic-eligibility-under-federal-guide-allowing-more-families-to-qualify

 

"Why Take Only Some of the Bible Literally?" (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's In the Code 201

Dan Miller continues his "Questions You Weren't Supposed to Ask in Church" series with a reflection on why only some biblical commands are to be taken literally, but others are not. The episode is based on an email from a listener named Matt, who writes: “If we as Christians are to love as Jesus loved (e.g., John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend”), then why don’t conservative, 'Bible-believing' Christians, people who say they take the Bible “literally,” that we’re commanded to do everything it directs us to do, etc., not abide by the social demands that seem to be presented in the Bible?"

He offers us a few examples:

 Mark 12:31: “Love your neighbor as yourself”

 James 1:27: “take care of the infants and the widows”

 Hebrews 13:3: “remember those who are in prison”

 Matt 25: 40: “just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

If we say we believe the Bible, follow Jesus’ commands, etc., shouldn’t this mean that should support and participate in a robust range of ministries intended to meet social needs?
Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-201-why-take-only-some-of-the-bible-literally/id1441649707?i=1000779002630

 

‘When she turns eight they will take her’: rising number of Afghan girls being sold into child marriage

Afghanistan is seeing a resurgence in underage brides and mothers as desperate families sell their children in order to eat…

 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/15/afghanistan-girls-sold-into-child-marriage

 

Either tax the rich more or have extreme poverty

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V2M0_T-l2LE

 

 

Christians Ignore the MOST Repeated Biblical Sin #biblestudy

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UXc5izUPfoQ

 

"Who Are the Elites?" (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's in the Code ep 185

Josh Hawley says that the crisis of masculinity in America is due to the fact that men won't work. 

And the reason they won't work, he assures us, is because liberal elites have convinced them not to. 

But what does Hawley overlook to tell this story? How does he ignore his own status as a cultural elite, and his political party's support of economic policies that favor the elites? 

What is Hawley hiding behind his appeals to masculinity?

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/its-in-the-code-ep-185-who-are-the-elites?hsLang=en

The impact of Trump’s food stamp changes on single parents : NPR

"We're going to see increases in poverty. We're going to see increases in food insecurity"…

https://www.npr.org/2026/03/10/nx-s1-5737476/snap-trump-work-requirements-families 

 

'Be The People' campaign wants to unite Americans to solve problems | PBS News

The "Be The People" campaign aspires to change the perception that the U.S. is hopelessly divided and that individuals have little power to overcome problems like poverty, addiction, violence and stalled economic mobility. It also wants to move people take action to solve those problems...

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/be-the-people-campaign-wants-to-unite-americans-to-solve-problems 

War and America’s role in the world: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words

You've probably never heard anything but the "I have a dream" speech. This one is very different, and well worth a listen in the light of current events.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCm31YLLDSo

The worst politicians in America are about to quote Martin Luther King Jr.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LDscJ3tPUZg

 

 

Church Whistleblower's Unjust Fine Upheld (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #618)

— Court upholds $400,000 fine against lawyer who warned Catholic school about predator on staff. (1:15) — Scott Adams’ deathbed conversion to Christianity shouldn’t be taken seriously. (25:30) 

— Texas attorney general sues state for non-existent religious discrimination. (42:27) 

— Ohio’s “Success Sequence” bill turns poverty into a personal failure. (55:59) 

— Can students fail an assignment if they cite God? Not if Florida Republicans get their way. (1:08:13)

Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2026/01/15/church-whistleblowers-unjust-fine-upheld/

Pope Leo calls for kindness to strangers and the poor in Christmas message

Refusing to help those in need is tantamount to rejecting God himself, says pontiff during Christmas Eve mass…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/24/pope-leo-christmas-message-kindness-strangers-poor

 

 

The POVERTY PENALTY - hidden costs of being poor. #poverty #economicjust...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mT1B9P7QceU