The Bulletin

A study published this year found that pro-gun PACs consistently increased campaign donations to politicians in the aftermath of fatal school shootings in their districts. Reporter Jack Panyard and school shooting survivor Taylor Schumann join Russell and Clarissa to discuss the aftermath of school shootings, the complexity of forgiveness, and whether to hold parents accountable for children’s crimes. Then, a former CIA agent who is transgender wrote an Atlantic article about her experience giving Vice President Mike Pence daily intelligence briefings. We re-air a conversation in which Mike Cosper and David French discuss the violent rhetoric directed by the online far right towards transgender people and how Christians should view the free speech of people they disagree with. Finally, a new study found that at least 1 in 4 NFL players likely has the degenerative brain disease CTE, which is caused by repeated hits to the head. We re-air a segment in which former NFL player Derwin Gray discusses how he found Jesus playing football, the violence of the NFL, and how the audience can view the sport and players. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: The Gun Lobby’s Most Cynical Move Yet - The Atlantic The Wrong Kind of American - The Atlantic Major Study Finds at Least 1 in 4 NFL Players Gets CTE - The New York TImes GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Taylor Schumann is a writer, activist, and survivor of the shooting at New River Community College in Christianburg, Virginia in 2013. She wrote the book When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough. Jack Panyard is a news writer for Christianity Today. Previously he was covered breaking news, courts, crime, politics, education, and health for LNP and Lancaster Online. He has reported on Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes in the podcast Broken: Jeffrey Epstein. David French is a columnist for The New York Times. He’s a former senior editor of The Dispatch and author of Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. Derwin Gray played professional football in the NFL for five years with the Indianapolis Colts and one year with the Carolina Panthers. He received his M.Div. from Southern Evangelical Seminary and now serves as the Lead Pastor of Transformation Church in South Carolina. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Host: Alexa Copeland Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland 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, the Trump administration announced that $2 billion will be given to faith-based organizations providing humanitarian aid, including World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, and Compassion International. We’re re-airing a segment in which Mindy Belz discusses the shuttering of USAID during the second Trump administration and why the US has historically offered help abroad. Then, President Trump nominated a new inspector general for the Department of the Interior, who will oversee any review of the recent controversy surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation. Trump nominated Dennis Kirk, an author of The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. We revisit a conversation between Mike Cosper and David Graham, author of The Project, about the policy ideas behind Project 2025 and how the administration has been enacting them. Finally, tradwives are having a moment, thanks in part to the summer’s popular book Yesteryear. Nicole Martin, Russell Moore, Mike Cosper, and Clarissa Moll discuss the phenomenon of tradwives and theobros, as well as how to discern what is genuine and offer true hospitality. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: After Aid Cuts, US Announces $2 Billion for Christian Groups - CT Emily Belz The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America - David A. Graham GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Mindy Belz is a journalist who has covered wars and victims of conflict in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, and the Balkans. She recounts some of her experiences in a 2016 award-winning book, They Say We Are Infidels. She is the former senior editor at World magazine and has done writing and editing for Christianity Today. David Graham is a journalist based in Durham, North Carolina. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers politics, criminal justice, music, and other topics. His coverage of the 2020 presidential election won the 2021 Toner Prize for Excellence in National Political Reporting. He was previously editor of The Atlantic’s politics section, which won a Webby Award. Nicole Martin serves Christianity Today as President and CEO. She has more than 25 years of nonprofit, academic, ministry leadership, and church engagement experience and has served at CT since 2023 as Chief Impact Officer and most recently Chief Operating Officer. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Host: Alexa Copeland Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland 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, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Donald Trump in the White House. His visit highlights the drawn out war in Iran, as well as growing antisemitism in the US. We re-air a conversation between Russell Moore and Rabbi Michael Holzman about the difference between dislike for Netanyahu and antisemitism and the true definition of pluralism. Next, there have been more cases of measles so far in 2026 than in all of 2025. Dr. Lydia Dugdale joins Clarissa Moll to discuss specifics about measles, and how distrust in the US government during the Covid pandemic spilled over into more widespread vaccine skepticism. Finally, a recent Wall Street Journal article suggests that some therapists play a part in the trend of adults cutting off their parents. Psychotherapist Allison Cook shares some categories to think about estrangement from a family member. REFERENCED IN THE SHOW: Are Therapists to Blame for the Rise of Adults Cutting Off Their Parents? - The Wall Street Journal GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Rabbi Michael Holzman is the spiritual leader of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation and the founder of the American Scripture Project and Faith250. Rabbi Holzman has partnered with a variety of organizations like the Aspen Institute, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement and the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America to examine the intersection of faith and democracy. Lydia Dugdale is the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center and director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She also serves as co-director of clinical ethics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her scholarship focuses on end-of-life issues, the role of aesthetics in teaching ethics, moral injury, and the doctor-patient relationship. Alison Cook is a therapist and host of The Best of You podcast. She is the author of the ECPA-bestselling book The Best of You and coauthor of Boundaries for Your Soul. Cook empowers individuals to heal from past wounds, develop a strong sense of self, forge healthy relationships, and experience a loving God who is for them. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Host: Alexa Copeland Associate Producer: Alexa Copeland 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