Thursday’s News & Ideas - 5/28/2026
- Worship music at political rallies
- Historic Black church sells building
- Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act
- Teens who attacked Islamic center
- Texas Senate runoff ads
- AI-produced fiction
How worship music became the soundtrack of today’s political right
Religion News Service: One of the most popular worship songs, “How Great Is Our God,” has moved from churches to political rallies in recent years.
Historic Black Baptist church closes chapter with downtown service amid sale
The Fort Worth Report: For over a century, Mount Gilead Baptist Church has been a cornerstone of Fort Worth African American history.
An Ohio pastor-turned-lawmaker backs a Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act for schools
NPR: The bill says it would permit the teaching of the positive impact of “Judeo-Christian” values in U.S. history. It lists two dozen examples, from appeals to divine power in the Declaration of Independence and the religious backgrounds of the signers, to the impact of evangelical Billy Graham.
The teens who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego were latest to cite prior atrocities
The Associated Press: In rambling writings full of vitriol against a wide range of people, the teenagers who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego this week, killing three men and themselves, left little doubt about the models for their violence.
Texas Senate runoff sees surge of anti-Muslim rhetoric in campaign ads
The Guardian: Runoff between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton features ads and legal disputes targeting Texas Muslims.
The Spark
This literary AI scandal changes everything
A magazine’s response to accusations of publishing AI-generated fiction* points to a new phase in the struggle to keep literature human, The Atlantic says.
*access is limited for nonsubscribers
