The practice of surrogacy is loosely regulated in the US, creating scenarios in which individuals can engage in “reproductive tourism.” Charles Hilu of The Dispatch shares his reporting on foreign nationals hiring surrogate mothers in the US. Then, Justin Giboney stops by to discuss US political developments that will influence the midterm elections coming in November. Finally, Seth Mandel of Commentary talks about the changes to rules around prayer on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE:

ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Charles Hilu is a reporter for The Dispatch. Previously he was the Collegiate Network Fellow at the Washington Free Beacon and interned at both National Review and the Washington Examiner.

Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, and ordained minister in Atlanta. He is also the cofounder and president of the And Campaign, a coalition of urban Christians who address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the gospel. Giboney is the coauthor of Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement.

Seth Mandel is the senior editor for Commentary magazine. He previously worked as executive editor of the Washington Examiner print edition and as the op-ed editor of the New York Post.

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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 Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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The Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened for the first time in a year, a step that will allow some Palestinians to leave for medical care. Then, President Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion for leaking his tax returns in 2019. Finally, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested in connection with the protest in Minnesota that interrupted a church service. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Pete Wehner of The Atlantic to discuss the difference between the MAGA Jesus and the real Jesus.

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:

MAGA Jesus is Not the Real Jesus - Pete Wehner, The Atlantic

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Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs.

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 Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Amidst protests and aggressive tactics by federal immigration agents, Christians in Minnesota are caring for their immigrant neighbors. CT’s Emily Belz joins us to talk about her reporting from the Twin Cities, with an eye to how churches are responding to those living in fear and at risk of deportation. Then, Harvest Prude stops by to give us an update on the annual March for Life, the largest gathering of pro-life supporters in the US, and how the pro-life movement is faring under the current administration. Finally, is Trump leaving behind pro-democracy Syrians? Hadeel Oueis joins Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to discuss the dynamics in the post-Asaad regime.

REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE:

In a Tense Minnesota, Christians Help Immigrant Neighbors - Emily Belz

First Year of Trump 2.0 Leaves Pro-lifers with Misgivings - Harvest Prude

ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Emily Belz is a staff writer with Christianity Today. She is a former senior reporter for World magazine. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and also previously reported for the New York Daily News, The Indianapolis Star, and Philanthropy magazine.

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.

Hadeel Oueis is a political writer with a focus on US foreign policy in the Middle East. She is a news analyst for BBC, France 24, DW Arabic, and other international news channels. In 2011, at the age of 18, she was arrested by the Assad regime for playing a key role in the early days of Syrian protests. In 2012, the US delegation in Geneva helped her relocate to the United States.

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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 Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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On Saturday, a US Customs and Border Patrol agent shot nurse Alex Pretti in the street after he stepped between a woman and the ICE agent who was pepper spraying her. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump announced his new Board of Peace to rebuild Gaza. And on Sunday, recordings of Senator Ted Cruz were leaked to the press, distancing himself from potential GOP presidential contenders in 2028. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Robert Smith, author of the book The Body God Gives (recipient of Christianity Today’s Book of the Year Award of Merit), to discuss a biblical response to transgender theory.

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW:

-The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory - Robert Smith

-First Comes Sex, Then Comes Gender - CT review of The Body God Gives - J. Alan Branch

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ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Robert Smith is an ordained Anglican minister and a lecturer in theology, ethics, and music ministry. He is the author of How Should We Think About Gender and Identity? and The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory.

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 Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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In 2014, the Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from the small town of Chibok, Nigeria. One of the young women, Naomi Adamu, and her friends smuggled a Bible into captivity, and for seven years the Scriptures were a source of their strength to resist. Upon the hostages’ release, Wall Street Journal reporters Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson interviewed Naomi and many others for their book Bring Back Our Girls, and wrote a 2021 cover story for Christianity Today in which they shared the role that their faith played in their captivity. As Boko Haram continues to kidnap and displace innocent people in Nigeria and religious conflict abounds, this piece offers an account of the ways that God can be at work in the darkest places.

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Drew Hinshaw is a senior reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the co-author of the books Bring Back Our Girls and Swap: A Secret History of the Cold War. He has been nominated six times for the Pulitzer Prize and has also written for The New York Times Magazine, Time, Al Jazeera, The Atlantic and Rolling Stone.

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 expresses his desire to possess Greenland, causing tension between the administration and European leaders. Noah Rothman of National Review sits down with Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to discuss the president's overtures and their implications on the post-WWII global order. A worship service in St. Paul, Minnesota is interrupted by protestors, where the pastor is an ICE field director. Pastor and community organizer Chris Butler helps us consider how Christians can think about protesting. And finally, David Zahl of Mockingbird Ministries stops in to discuss Democratic Texas state representative James Talarico and his statements about reclaiming Christianity for the left.

REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE:

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.

Chris Butler is the director of Christian civic formation at the Center for Christianity and Public Life, and he has pastored at Ambassador Church in Chicago for nine years. Chris co-authored Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement.

David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird website, and co-host of both The Mockingcast and The Brothers Zahl podcasts. His latest book is, The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World. His writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and The Guardian, among others.

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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 Producer: Erik Petrik

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Last week, a war powers resolution that would require congressional approval for military action in Venezuela died on the Senate floor after Vice President Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in cases regarding trans athletes participating in women's sports. And, ICE continues controversial immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum as she shares an analysis on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: 

-Listen to the first episode of the new season of Autocracy in America, hosted by Anne Applebaum.

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Anne Applebaum is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gulag: A History. She is staff writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Her most recent books include the New York Times best sellers Twilight of Democracy and Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World. She was a Washington Post columnist for 15 years and a member of the editorial board. 

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 Producer: Erik Petrik 

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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

This week, protests continued against the Iranian government with the death count rising to more than 3,000, according to Iranian health officials. Jonathan Schanzer joins Mike, Russell, and Clarissa to discuss why this is such an important moment for the Iranian people and for peace in the Middle East. On Sunday, the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell released a video responding to grand jury subpoenas regarding renovation costs for federal buildings. Charlie Sykes explains the backdrop of the DOJ’s investigation and what this could mean for the economy. Then, Christine Emba stops by for a discussion about Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, which has begun granting a large number of user requests to undress images posted by other people. 

REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE:

-Updates on X’s policies regarding Grok’s image generation.

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.

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 has appeared on the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC.

Christine Emba is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where her work focuses on gender and sexuality, feminism, masculinity, youth culture, and social norms. She is concurrently a contributing writer at The New York Times, and previously was a staff writer at The Atlantic, a columnist and editor at The Washington Post. She is the author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation. 

GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: 

-Join the conversation at our Substack. 

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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 Producer: Erik Petrik 

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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Protests escalate in Iran, growing from frustrations about the country's economy to more general anger over the country’s authoritarian government. Last week, an ICE agent in Minnesota shot and killed US citizen Renee Nicole Good. And, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller says power is the primary currency in the real world. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss these headlines, and Mike sits down with Brad Edwards, CT’s Book of the Year winner, to talk about why the church matters. 

REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: 

-The Reason for Church - Brad Edwards

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Brad Edwards is the lead pastor and church planter of The Table Church in Lafayette, Colorado. He is a regular contributor to Mere Orthodoxy and The Gospel Coalition, and he cohosts the podcast PostEverything. He is Christianity Today’s 2025 Book of the Year winner for his book The Reason for Church.

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 Producer: Erik Petrik 

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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The world grapples with the US’s capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro. The Hudson Institute’s Michael Sobolik joins the show to discuss how China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and others might respond. January marks the one year anniversary of California’s devastating Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires. CT’s Mia Staub shares about her reporting on churches whose buildings burned down and have not been rebuilt. Finally, many say revival is happening in America, but it doesn’t seem to be showing up in our churches or in research data. Michael McClymond from Saint Louis University joins Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll to talk about the history of revivals, and whether it’s something we can predict.   

REFERENCED IN THE EPISODES:

-⁠A House of Worship Without a Home⁠ - Mia Staub

-Religion Holds Steady in America - Pew Research Center

ABOUT THE GUESTS: 

Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. 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, and Reuters, among others. He has also appeared on Fox News, ABC, BBC, and other outlets.

Mia Staub is the senior editorial project manager at Christianity Today. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and is currently working toward a Master in Theology of Public Life and Justice with Princeton Theological Seminary.

Michael McClymond is a professor of modern Christianity at Saint Louis University. He is the author of The Devil’s Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism and the editor of Encyclopedia of Religious Revivals in America.

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Join the conversation at our Substack. 

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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 Producer: Erik Petrik 

Senior Producer: Matt Stevens

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