Axios reports: House Republican leaders are signaling confidence they’ll round up enough GOP votes to pass House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s compromise with President Biden to raise the debt ceiling for two years. The leaders are trying to counter the notion that the loud complaints about the bill from members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus — and other Republicans — …

Politico reports: Joni Ernst sees WMDs as the secret to expanding the Republican Party’s appeal. No, she doesn’t mean that kind of weapon: “Women. Millennials. And Dudes with beards and tattoos. WMDs,” the Iowa senator explained in an interview. The acronym is ubiquitous in her office, a reminder of the work that lies ahead for the party to make inroads …

The New York Times reports: Allies of former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey have formed a super PAC to support him in the nascent Republican primary, as he makes preparations for a likely campaign kickoff in the next two weeks, according to an official with the group and others briefed on the matter. Mr. Christie’s candidacy is likely to …

The Birmingham News reports: Multiple motorists traveling on Interstate 65 on Monday near Clanton reported Alabama Department of Transportation signs displaying messages for a group identified as a white supremacist organization. Images on social media showed large digital traffic signs displaying the words “Patriot Front” and “reclaim America.” The SPLC identifies Patriot Front, based in Texas, as a “white nationalist …

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott called an immediate special session Monday night, just hours after lawmakers completed the year’s regular legislative session without passing numerous key bills state leaders had identified as priorities. Abbott said in a statement the special session officially began at 9 p.m. Monday and will be focused on property tax relief and border security. …

The Associated Press reports: A historic impeachment trial in Texas to determine whether Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton should be permanently removed from office will begin no later than August in the state Senate, where the jury that would determine his future could include his wife, Sen. Angela Paxton. Setting a schedule was one of the last orders of business …

Via press release from the White House: The enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is a tragic violation of universal human rights—one that is not worthy of the Ugandan people, and one that jeopardizes the prospects of critical economic growth for the entire country. I join with people around the world—including many in Uganda—in calling for its immediate repeal. No one …

Via press release from American Atheists: Today, the church-state separation watchdog American Atheists claimed victory in its goal to remove mandatory “In God We Trust” language from Mississippi’s official license plate. In June 2021, American Atheists filed a lawsuit against the state of Mississippi on behalf of the Mississippi Humanist Association and three nonreligious Mississippi residents, accusing Mississippi officials of …

Variety reports: Zachary Quinto is making the rounds promoting “Historical Homos,” an upcoming docuseries about LGBTQ history that he produced. Historian Bash and film producer and actor Donal Brophy host the program.  “I do think it’s an incredibly important moment to proudly tell stories about our heritage and our past,” says Quinto, who came out as gay in an interview …

Florida Politics reports: The Governor has vowed to work against equity initiatives in the military, even saying he would act on his first day as President. During an interview on Good Morning Orlando, the new Republican presidential candidate spotlighted DEI and using various gender pronouns as “nonsense” ripe for instant removal. “I think it’s been politicized. I think you have …

Posted to Franklin Graham’s Facebook page: It’s a shame that the Los Angeles Dodgers want to give such perversion a platform. They’re hosting an event honoring LGBTQ Pride and inviting a group that calls itself the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence whose very goal seems to be mocking the Catholic faith. One bishop who strongly opposes their displays points out that …

“I will wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor. To know that my commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime brings me immense joy. I will continue to stand with and for Ukraine’s freedom until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory. Finally, here’s an offer to …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas lawmakers sent a sweeping school safety measure to Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, including in their response to last year’s Uvalde massacre a requirement to post an armed security officer at every school and provide mental health training for certain district employees. The measure also gives the state more power to compel school districts to …

Raw Story reports: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Monday got pushback from some of his followers after he condemned a newly passed law in Uganda that makes homosexuality a crime that is punishable by death. Writing on Twitter, Cruz, who has long been an opponent of LGBTQ rights in the United States, argued that executing people simply for being gay …

Reuters reports: The Vatican urged bishops and high-profile lay Catholic leaders on Monday to tone down their comments on social media, saying some were causing division and stoking polemics that harmed the entire Church. The appeal was part of a 20-page document by the Vatican’s communications department titled, “Towards Full Presence. A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media.” “The …

The Daily Beast reports: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s recent comments during his Friday meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in the war-torn country caused outrage and fury in Moscow, with the head of RT Margarita Simonyan calling for his assassination. In a video clip of the meeting, Graham’s comments were spliced in a way that made it seem …

Politico reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday slammed the bipartisan debt ceiling deal, saying the country was still “careening towards bankruptcy.” “Prior to this deal, our country was careening towards bankruptcy, and after this deal, our country will still be careening towards bankruptcy, and to say you can do 4 trillion of increases in the next year and a …

The Roys Report reports: Soul Survivor Watford has formally suspended Mike Pilavachi, founder of a large Christian youth festival in the U.K., who’s facing allegations he spiritually and sexually abused young men under him. The suspension comes amid revelations that ministry leaders in the U.K. knew about allegations concerning Pilavachi for nearly two decades but did nothing. On Saturday, Soul …

Religion News Service reports: Southern Baptists have been dogged by leadership scandals for years. Now they have a different kind of abuse scandal on their hands. James David “Jim” Goldston III, 71, and his wife, Agnes, 73, are accused of poisoning their neighbor’s three dogs. Two of the dogs, Labrador retrievers, died. A veterinarian confirmed that all three dogs were …

“After the 2020 election and the attack of January 6th, my fellow Republicans wanted me to lie. They wanted me to say the 2020 election was stolen, the attack of January 6th wasn’t a big deal, and Donald Trump wasn’t dangerous. “I had to choose between lying and losing my position in House leadership. Cleta Mitchell, an election denier and …