Abdul El-Sayed could be the first Muslim senator. Here are 5 religion takeaways from his campaign.

The 41-year-old Muslim’s victory in the Michigan primary was greeted with pride from Muslims and trepidation by supporters of Israel.

Religion News Service

The Question About Transgender Youth That Adults Struggle to Answer

When a bullied trans teen asks whom she’s harming, the answer is clear—even if adults can’t always see it.

Psychology Today

When the men with stars on their shoulders are told to sit down

Washington is not Teutoburg. But six months into a war with Iran that was supposed to last four to six weeks, the pattern of ignoring the men whose job is to know better has become impossible to miss.

Middle East Monitor

HRC condemns DoE removal of LGBTQ+ bullying data from federal survey

Organization cites rise in homophobic, transphobic policies, worse mental health outcomes

Los Angeles Blade

Bedbugs, bad Wi-Fi: Federal workers say forced summer relocations have been chaos

But moving is costing the government money, an NPR review of public records shows, and federal workers say the relocations have been poorly coordinated and are causing work disruptions. The moves have also violated laws that require Congress to authorize relocations, according to two legal complaints filed in July against federal agencies and against senior leaders in the Trump administration.

NPR

The Attack We Knew Was Coming

Effectively defending against cyber threats against critical infrastructure requires a long-term commitment of political will.

The Bulwark

Adam Hamilton, mega-church pastor, wins Dem Senate primary. Now comes the hard part.

With a record-setting fundraising haul, Hamilton still faces an uphill battle to become Kansas’ first Democratic senator in nearly a century.

Religion News Service

The Suspected Gangster Causing Headaches for Kushner’s Albania Deal

Villagers say they warned Trump’s son-in-law their beachfront land was stolen by Artur Shehu, who now faces drug-related charges, which he denies

The Wall Street Journal

Missourians Reject Measure That Threatened to Kill Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives

Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly sided against a measure to restrict direct democracy, as Missouri officials are trying to block even more citizen-led reforms from the November ballot.

Bolts Magazine

While fighting wildfires, they’re also fighting illegal drones

Aircraft violating restrictions have disrupted firefighting efforts in Utah, Washington and other states.

The Salt Lake Tribune

There’s a birth control backlash online. Can it explain the rise in abortions?

“This is just the normal status quo now,” says Bernard, who was involved in a high-profile abortion case soon after Roe was overturned. “Other things that help you decide whether or not to use contraception are more top of mind.”

NPR

DoorDash Pushes to End DC’s Self-Governance Over a 20-Cent Tax

If passed, new legislation backed by DoorDash would strip DC of the ability to change its own tax code.

truthout

After Charlottesville, a historian asks: Did America miss the point?

Antisemitism has been here before, argues James Loeffler, a historian of modern Jewish history, in a new book. But public understanding of it has not necessarily grown.

Religion News Service

Why Gen Z turns everything – even murder – into a joke

I believe these reactions are better understood not as a rejection of value but as a refusal to participate in conversations that feel selective and disconnected from young people’s broader economic and political frustrations. In my assessment, Gen Z’s dark and nonsensical humor does not show a lack of moral values, but it’s instead the product of its desire to engage in more authentic conversations about what they believe.

The Conversation

FCC Commissioners Face Ethics Complaints for Taking Luxury Gifts From Paramount

Citing a ProPublica report on Paramount providing luxury Kennedy Center gala tickets to FCC officials, the complaints note that commissioners accepted the gifts while the FCC was reviewing or about to review megamergers involving Paramount.

ProPublica

‘The Bird-Watchers’ of Memphis: tracking ICE flights and documenting detainees in shackles

Many of The Bird-Watchers, like Joni, are retired Memphians. For months, they have painstakingly collected evidence of the harsh conditions in which ICE detainees are moved, bound in shackles and chains.

Arkansas Advocate

US Senate leaves town for recess after passing stopgap spending bill, blocking photo ID for voting

The U.S. Senate adjourned for its summer recess early Saturday after approving a stopgap spending bill but declining to advance legislation that would require photo ID for voting.

Tennessee Lookout

Are Montana Democrats Abandoning Their Own Candidate?

Democratic leaders are backing an independent Senate candidate in Montana. The Democrat is livid.

NotUs

Maine Prisoners Organize to Protect Their Rare Right to Vote

Maine is one of the only places in the country where prisoners keep their right to vote. But logistical barriers to voting still contribute to their larger exclusion from the political process.

Bolts Magazine

The Saudis Spurn the Abraham Accords

A defense pact in Mecca with Turkey and Pakistan shows a different outlook.

The Wall Street Journal

Nagasaki marks 81st atomic bomb anniversary as mayor says nuclear deterrence only increases risk

The anniversary coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ’s government revising the country’s defense policy to further bolster the military’s offensive capability. Speculation has risen about whether Takaichi, who supports nuclear dissuasion, may allow nuclear weapons to be brought into the country, going against the third non-nuclear principle.

AP News

Israel’s ‘Green Rafah’ plan aims to fragment Gaza, experts say

Analysts warn Israel’s new administrative zones seek to erase the Palestinian cause and force mass displacement.

AlJazeera

Iran releases rare video of Mojtaba Khamenei after reports of deteriorating health

The agency reported on Sunday that Mojtaba met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is beginning his third year in office.

Middle East Monitor

Yemen’s Houthis claim attack on Aramco oil facility in Saudi Arabia, and other Middle East news

Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, said they targeted an Aramco refinery in the city of Jazan with a drone. The attack was in response to Saudi drones’ breaching Yemen’s airspace over the provinces of Hajjah and Saada, he said.

NPR

A Tale of Two Mogadishus

The Somali capital has had a calm year, but what does it actually mean?

Lawfare

A Lost Civilization Is Baffling Experts and Rewriting China’s Origin Story

The otherworldly beasts and enigmatic masks of Sanxingdui still enthrall China, decades after unearthing of ceremonial pits

The Wall Street Journal