Monday’s News & Ideas - 7/6/2026
- New rules concern religious colleges
- Chinese pastor released
- Venezuelan pastors help victims
- AI religious objections?
- Khamenei’s funeral
- Clare Carlisle’s life writing
In final earnings test, some religious colleges get reprieve, but concerns remain
Inside Higher Ed: Programs that fail the accountability measure won’t face a more severe penalty if they don’t accept federal student loans — a change intended to address concerns.
Chinese pastor released from prison after Trump raised his case with Xi Jinping
NBC News: Ezra Jin Mingri, who founded Beijing’s Zion Church, was detained in October in one of China’s largest crackdowns on a single church in decades.
Reeling from Venezuela's earthquakes, churches rush to inspect buildings, distribute supplies
Religion News Service: Despite the fact that many Venezuelan faith leaders have been themselves impacted by the ongoing disaster, they’ve sprung into action to provide food, psychological support and other basic needs to the large population of victims.
What is the religious and political messaging behind Khamenei’s funeral?
Al Jazeera: The Islamic Republic is leaning into religious imagery to hone its political messaging locally and across the region.
Conscientious AI objectors: HR’s role in keeping workplaces human
Baptist News Global: In the aftermath of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical letter, human resource professionals are gearing up for religious accommodations to avoid using artificial intelligence tools in the workplace.
The Spark
The stretch of a soul: Clare Carlisle’s life writing
Whatever transcendence might be, who can argue that love is not its best irrefutable witness? asks The Point.
