Vice President JD Vance comments about his interfaith marriage saying he hopes his wife becomes a Christian. Fighting in Nigeria continues, and President Trump remarks about possible intervention. Tucker Carlson hosts a friendly interview with alt-right Nazi sympathizer Nick Fuentes. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts defends the interview and re-ups his support for Carlson. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Clarissa talks with Collin Hansen of The Gospel Coalition about cultural apologetics in our modern age.  

REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE:

-The Bulletin episode 213 - segment 2 about Nigerian Christians with Liam Karr

-Jihadists Persecute Christians in Nigeria. Is It Genocide? by Emmanuel Nwachukwu

-The Gospel After Christendom: An Introduction to Cultural Apologetics 

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Collin Hansen is the vice president for content and editor-in-chief of The Gospel Coalition and executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. He is an author, journalist, and podcast host known for books like Young, Restless, Reformed and Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. Hansen also hosts the Gospelbound podcast and is an adjunct professor at Beeson Divinity School. 

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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President Trump has been dropping hints that he will run for a third presidential term. Charlie Sykes joins Russell, Mike, and Clarissa to discuss if there’s any merit to these claims. Elizabeth Neumann stops by to talk about the US’s continued strikes on boats off the coast of South America. And, ChatGPT announces it will offer erotica content to adult users. Brandon Rickabaugh discusses spiritual formation for an AI world.

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

-The Bulletin's AI Miniseries.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Charles J. Sykes is a political commentator who hosted a conservative talk show in Wisconsin for 23 years. He was the former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, and is currently an MSNBC contributor. Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Salon, USA Today, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and other national publications. He has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC and has been profiled on NPR. 

Elizabeth Neumann is a national security expert who has served across three presidential administrations: on the inaugural staff of the White House Homeland Security Council under President George W. Bush, as an advisor to the office of the director of national intelligence during the Obama Administration, and as the Department of Homeland Security’s deputy chief of staff and assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention in the Trump administration. Neumann is also a national security contributor for ABC News.

Brandon Rickabaugh is the founder and director of NOVUS, a center dedicated to applying Christian wisdom for the renewal of public life and academia. He is the co-author of The Substance of Consciousness and the author of two forthcoming books: What is Consciousness? and The Unity of Consciousness and Self.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As New York City heads into a mayoral election next week, progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani leads the polls over the former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Will his emphasis on the rising cost of living win him the race? Putin’s tactics in Ukraine show his desire for the war to continue, while President Trump softens towards Ukraine. And, Hurricane Melissa poses a threat to Jamaica. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Clarissa sits down with Kutter Callaway, host of the CT’s podcast Be Afraid, to talk about how violence in horror films compares to violence in the news, and why Christian filmmakers are producing horror films.

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Kutter Callaway is the William K. Brehm Chair of Worship, Theology, and the Arts, associate dean of the Center for Advanced Theological Studies, and associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Seminary. He is author and contributor to several books, and his most recent book is Theology for Psychology and Counseling: An Invitation to Holistic Christian Practice. 

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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This week, Trump’s nominee to the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, drops out after his racist texts are revealed. CT’s Harvest Prude joins Russell, Mike, and Clarissa to discuss. Then, Rev. Jady Koch joins us to talk about the Anglican Communion’s recent split to preserve biblical authority. Finally, former Congressman George Santos is released from prison after President Trump commutes his sentence for fraud, aggravated identity theft, and embezzlement.  

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Harvest Prude is Christianity Today’s national political correspondent and a congressional reporter based in Washington, DC. She is a former reporter for The Dispatch and World, having served there as political reporter for their Washington bureau.

Jady Koch is the rector of Holy Trinity Parish in Hillsdale, Michigan. He earned his doctorate in systematic theology at the University of Humboldt in Berlin, Germany in 2014. He's the author of The Distinction Between Law and Gospel as the Basis and Boundary of Theological Reflection. He hosts a weekly podcast called Stand Firm in Faith. 

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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This weekend, violence erupted between Gaza militants and Israeli soldiers, threatening the ceasefire. Millions joined No Kings protests, expressing a range of complaints against the current administration. And, a heist of precious jewels from the Louvre prompts questions about national identity and politics. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Clarissa sits down with Kendra VanderMeulen of the National Christian Foundation to discuss the great wealth transfer happening between generations. 

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Kendra VanderMeulen is the CEO of the National Christian Foundation, the largest Christian grantmaker in the world. The team at NCF mobilizes resources and inspires Biblical generosity, serving thousands of families, advisors, and ministries nationwide. 

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Hamas increased violence against Palestinians in response to the Israel-Gaza ceasefire. Jonathan Schanzer from Foundation for Defense of Democracies joins to discuss the feasibility of Hamas disarming according to the peace plan. Then, Kevin Stansbury, CEO of a rural hospital in Colorado, stops by to talk about how the government shutdown is exposing the challenges to and importance of healthcare in rural America. Finally, Jen Wilkin joins Russell, Mike, and Clarissa to talk about a New York Times piece that links American wedding traditions to unhealthy Christian purity culture. 

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

-What Medicaid Cuts Would Do To My Rural Hospital - Kevin Stansbury

-How Purity Culture Still Haunts the Bridal Aisle - Gina Ryder

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and he is also on the leadership team of FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power. He previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the US Department of the Treasury. Schanzer has appeared on CNN, Fox News, Al-Arabiya, and Al-Jazeera.

Kevin Stansbury serves as the CEO at Lincoln Health in Hugo, Colorado. With more than 35 years in healthcare, primarily in community hospitals, Kevin’s work has taken him across the globe in a variety of roles. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Colorado Hospital Association Board of Trustees as immediate past-chair. He has also served on a variety of state and national task forces supporting the cause of rural health. Mr. Stansbury is a founding member of the Eastern Plains Health Consortium. 

Jen Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. An advocate for Bible literacy, her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Israel and Hamas begin the first phase of a peace deal. Twenty Israeli hostages come home in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Gaza opens for a flood of international aid. President Trump travels to Saudi Arabia to continue negotiations. Haviv Rettig Gur, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Robert Nicholson join us to discuss this significant world event.

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Haviv Rettig Gur is a veteran Israeli journalist who serves as senior analyst for The Times of Israel. He has covered Israel's politics, foreign policy, education system and relationship with the Jewish diaspora since 2005. 

Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He codirects the Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative, which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity, and Israel. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to The New Republic. 

Robert Nicholson is Editor-at-Large of Providence, co-founder and board member of Save Armenia, founder of The Philos Project, and co-founder of Passages Israel. Robert also serves on the advisory board of In Defense of Christians and The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation. His written work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Telegraph, New York Post, Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, Newsweek, First Things, The Hill, and others.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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This week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that argued a Christian therapist in Colorado was restricted from counseling clients with unwanted sexual attractions. Adèle Keim from Becket joins Russell and Clarissa to discuss whether this is conversion therapy or a free speech issue. Then, Michael Sobolik from the Hudson Institute stops by to talk about the new TikTok deal between the U.S. and China, and what that means for the security of Taiwan and Americans. Finally, CT’s Nicole Martin and Kate Shelnutt join us to discuss the Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris convicted of sexually abusing children, and Donald Trump’s consideration of pardoning Jeffrey Epstein’s sidekick Ghislaine Maxwell.  

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Adèle Keim is a senior legal counsel for Becket, a non-profit, public-interest legal and educational institute with a mission to protect the free expression of all faiths. Prior to working with Becket, Adèle was an associate in the appellate practice at Winston & Strawn in Washington, D.C, and she clerked for Hon. Edith Brown Clement on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. Adèle has been featured on CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, EWTN, TheBlaze, and MSNBC. 

Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He specializes in United States–China relations and great power competition with a focus on geopolitics, net assessments, and competitive strategies. He is the author of Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Reuters, Foreign Policy, Wired, and The Free Press, among others. He has also appeared on Fox News, ABC, BBC, and other outlets.

Nicole Martin is Christianity Today’s chief operating officer. She is the author of several books including Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender and Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry.

Kate Shellnutt is editorial director of news for Christianity Today, where she leads the magazine’s news team and reports and edits for online. 

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump attempts to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. The US Treasurer announces the plans to mint a commemorative one-dollar coin with the president’s face on it. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll talk about these headlines, and Mike sits down with National Review’s Noah Rothman in remembrance of the October 7th attack on Israel. 

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Noah Rothman is a senior writer with National Review and a contributor to MSNBC. He is the author of Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America and The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back Against Progressives’ War on Fun. 

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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This week, Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump addressed the top military brass and indicated that U.S. cities should be used as a training ground for the military to fight the “enemy within.” Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll discuss the implications. Then, Liam Karr from the American Enterprise Institute joins us to give context to Bill Maher’s claims that Americans are ignoring Christian genocide in Nigeria. Finally, Michael Wear stops by to talk about the federal government shutdown and who it will hurt the most.  

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:  

Liam Karr is the Africa team lead for the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute. He covers sub-Saharan Africa and specializes in the Sahel and Somalia. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Political Science, History, and Arabic and an International Security Studies Certificate.

Michael Wear is the founder, president, and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Wear is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. He writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult magazine, Christianity Today, and other publications on faith, politics, and culture.

ABOUT THE BULLETIN: 

The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. 

The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. 

“The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today 

Producer: Clarissa Moll 

Associate Producer: Alexa Burke 

Editing and Mix: TJ Hester

Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs

Music: Dan Phelps 

Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper  

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices