U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he’s ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria as he stepped up his allegations that the government is failing to rein in the persecution of Christians in the West African country. The president also warned that he “will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria.” (Shibayan & Madhani, AP News)
Read MoreVice President JD Vance, who drew scrutiny this week by saying he hopes his Hindu wife converts to Christianity, on Friday pushed back against critics, accusing them of “anti-Christian bigotry.” (Vazquez & Boorstein, The Washington Post)
Read MoreJK Rowling has taken aim at Glamour UK magazine’s latest issue, which names nine males with trans identities among its “women of the year”. The cover features them posing in T-shirts and crop tops with the slogan “protect the dolls”, a term for trans women. (Gould, The Times UK)
Read MoreIt’s the spookiest time of year, when superstitions run wild and every treat might come with a trick. But, as with most things, the more you know about Halloween, the less scary it feels. Did you know that ringing doorbells and lighting candles were once believed to keep witches, ghosts, and evil spirits away? (Kiernan, WalletHub)
Read MoreThe average Southern Baptist church is likely an older, small Southern church. If you want to find a growing congregation, however, you might need to look for a new, larger church – or even one in the Northeast. (Earls, Baptist Press)
Read MoreRather than offering simple answers, the day explored tensions that define religion in 2025: faith as both connective tissue and fault line, as comfort and confrontation. Here are a few of the central truths that emerged from the program (Maccoby, Religion News Service)
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