Tuesday's News & Ideas - 7/9/2024

Columbia removes three deans, saying texts touched on ‘antisemitic tropes’*
The New York Times: Nemat Shafik, the university president, called the sentiments in the text messages “unacceptable and deeply upsetting.”

SBC’s church planting agency now promoting private church-based schools
Baptist News Global: The Southern Baptist Convention’s church planting agency now has a program devoted to encouraging churches to start Christian schools in their buildings.

West Texas pastor who used illegal donations from churches to campaign for office is fined $3,500
ProPublica: Fines issued to Scott Beard of Abilene’s Fountaingate Fellowship and two pastors follow reporting from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that revealed the churches donated to his campaign for local office despite state and federal prohibitions.

DoorDash delivers 100 million charity meals, partnering with religious, other nonprofits
Religion News Service: “If it wasn't for DoorDash really partnering with us, a lot of things that we desire to do for the community probably wouldn’t come to pass,” a Chicago pastor said.

‘Which parts of the world do we stop covering?’ Former leaders alarmed by USCCB layoffs ask
Religion News Service: “The budget of an organization reflects its priorities,” said retired Des Moines, Iowa, Bishop Richard Pates.

The Spark

House keys carry symbolic weight for Gaza families repeatedly displaced by war
Over the nearly nine months since, Hassan Nofal and his family have been uprooted four times, driven back and forth across the Gaza Strip to escape the onslaught, The Associated Press says.

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