Friday's News & Ideas - 8/8/2025

Israel announces plan to take over Gaza City in another escalation of the war
NPR: The announcement from the prime minister’s office comes some 23 months into a war in which Israeli airstrikes and attacks have killed at least 61,000 Palestinians, a third of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Brooklyn’s Black church choirs persist amid attendance decline, gentrification
Religion News Service: Choirs that once packed Brooklyn sanctuaries now sing to smaller crowds as pandemic-era streaming lingers and gentrification reshapes Black neighborhoods.

Liberty University’s baby business
Religion Dispatches: In a secretive maternity home, pregnant teenagers are cared for and often coerced into placing their babies up for adoption to more “deserving,” often White, upper-class Christian couples with connections to Liberty University.

Palestinian nonviolent activist killed by Israeli settler is buried after IDF releases body
Religion News Service: Only about 200 people were able to attend the early morning funeral for Awdah Hathaleen, after the Israeli military closed off the village and set up checkpoints at key areas.

Canadian cities cancel US Christian nationalist’s performances
The Guardian: Eight cities have revoked permits for Sean Feucht, a pro-Trump preacher and singer.

The Spark

Enough of the billionaires and their big tech. ‘Frugal tech’ will build us all a better world
Tech titans would love us to believe innovation means top-down solutions that only enrich the wealthy. But in fact, we all have the power, The Guardian says.

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