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Royal Society of Edinburgh: African Scientific Links With Scotland Formalised Through New Partnership
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct. 30 -- The Royal Society of Edinburgh issued the following news:
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29 October 2026
African scientific links with Scotland formalised through new partnership
The RSE and the African Academy of Sciences signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Royal Society of Edinburgh building on the Monday 19 October.
The agreement is the second between the RSE and an academy in Africa - the first being the MoU with The Academy of Sciences, Malawi (TAS) - which was signed in Lilongwe in February of this year.
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) was founded in 1985, with
... Show Full Article
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct. 30 -- The Royal Society of Edinburgh issued the following news:
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29 October 2026
African scientific links with Scotland formalised through new partnership
The RSE and the African Academy of Sciences signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Royal Society of Edinburgh building on the Monday 19 October.
The agreement is the second between the RSE and an academy in Africa - the first being the MoU with The Academy of Sciences, Malawi (TAS) - which was signed in Lilongwe in February of this year.
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) was founded in 1985, withthe mandate to improve lives through science. The African Academy recognises excellence through its fellowship and award schemes across the continent, providing non-political advice through its think-tank functions to shape Africa's science, technology and innovation sector, and implementing key programmes aimed at addressing Africa's developmental challenges.
The African delegation was welcomed by RSE chief executive Professor Sarah Skerratt. AAS President Professor Friday Okonofua FAS signed the MoU for the African Academy, with RSE Vice President, International, Professor James Njuguna FRSE signing on behalf of the RSE.
Professor Okonofua said: "The fact that we are here today to sign reflects the commitment required to bring an international institutional partnership to function and to action. So I thank everyone on both sides, on our side and your side, whose patience and engagement and hard work have brought us to this very important moment."
He added: "We believe that science flourishes when researchers work across multidiscipline geographical lines, when they exchange ideas freely, and they have a common approach to challenges."
Professor Njuguna added: "We hope to create a new beginning chapter for Scotland and Africa in terms of this collaboration, and not just for the science, but also for widening opportunities across the two continents. Because the true value of collaboration is not just simply sharing what we know, but also discussing what we would like it to become."
The MoU will support early career researchers, collaborative research, policy advice and resource mobilisation, with a specific focus on areas where Scotland and African countries share challenges, such as health, climate change pressures, food security, technology and sustainable growth.
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Original text here: https://rse.org.uk/african-scientific-links-with-scotland-formalised-through-new-partnership/
Health Foundation Responds to Decision to Retain Healthwatch
LONDON, England, Oct. 29 -- The Health Foundation issued the following news release:
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Health Foundation responds to decision to retain Healthwatch
28 October 2026
Responding to the government's decision to retain Healthwatch, Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy and Research at the Health Foundation, said:
'The government is right to reverse course on its plans to abolish Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch organisations. This will avoid yet more unnecessary disruption in the NHS and means patients retain an independent voice to influence how the health system works. The NHS has a
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Oct. 29 -- The Health Foundation issued the following news release:
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Health Foundation responds to decision to retain Healthwatch
28 October 2026
Responding to the government's decision to retain Healthwatch, Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy and Research at the Health Foundation, said:
'The government is right to reverse course on its plans to abolish Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch organisations. This will avoid yet more unnecessary disruption in the NHS and means patients retain an independent voice to influence how the health system works. The NHS has amixed record of listening to patients - so it's right that government is also using the bill to strengthen its own arrangements to hear and act on patients' views.
'But the experience of Healthwatch to date has been varied and its impact hampered by budget cuts and a power imbalance with the NHS. So, the decision to retain national and local HealthWatch bodies needs to be paired with sufficient resources and guidance for these organisations to fulfil their crucial roles effectively. Ultimately, changes to culture and management in the NHS will be needed to make policy ambitions on patient voice a reality.'
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/health-foundation-responds-to-decision-to-retain-healthwatch
Getty Exhibition Shines Light on Luminous Candlelights by Joseph Wright of Derby
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 29 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust posted the following news release:
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Getty Exhibition Shines Light on Luminous Candlelights by Joseph Wright of Derby
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A recently rediscovered candlelight painting to be reunited with some of the artist's most fascinating works
Body Content
The J. Paul Getty Museum presents "A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby," an exhibition showcasing the captivating candlelight paintings by 18th-century English artist Joseph Wright of Derby.
On view at the Getty Center from Nov. 24, 2026 to March 14, 2027, the exhibition highlights
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 29 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust posted the following news release:
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Getty Exhibition Shines Light on Luminous Candlelights by Joseph Wright of Derby
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A recently rediscovered candlelight painting to be reunited with some of the artist's most fascinating works
Body Content
The J. Paul Getty Museum presents "A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby," an exhibition showcasing the captivating candlelight paintings by 18th-century English artist Joseph Wright of Derby.
On view at the Getty Center from Nov. 24, 2026 to March 14, 2027, the exhibition highlightsnew discoveries regarding the artist's distinctive candlelight style and his inventive use of silver leaf to help create vivid light effects.
"This exhibition originates from the Museum's recent acquisition of Joseph Wright of Derby's 'Two Boys with a Bladder'--previously considered lost--and, for the first time, displays the painting alongside other early candlelights by the artist," said Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the Getty Museum. "With their rich color, theatrical lighting and engaging subject matter, Wright's magnificent candlelight paintings dazzled audiences in the 18th century and continue to captivate museumgoers today."
Joseph Wright grew up in Derbyshire, about 120 miles northwest of London. Trained as a portraitist, he began experimenting at around 30 years old with a different genre: scenes of people clustered in small dark interiors lit by the glow of a single flame. These striking works, called candlelights, were designed to capture attention in large annual exhibitions in London, where the painter was dubbed "Wright of Derby" as an affectionate tribute to his home town. His candlelights now stand out as the definitive and most acclaimed aspect of his career.
The exhibition gathers Wright's early candlelight paintings to explore how he developed and refined his approach. Featured is "Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candle-Light," from 1765, the painting with which Wright made his candlelight debut. It depicts the artist with two Derbyshire neighbors comparing a drawing with a famous ancient sculpture. Encouraged by the result, Wright embraced more ambitious projects, like "A Philosopher Giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in Which a Lamp is put in the Place of the Sun." This large scale candlelight was described by 18th-century writers as having been made by supernatural means, seemingly lit by a "magic mimic blaze." In the tightly framed scene, a lecturer demonstrates to an awestruck crowd the use of an astronomical model (an orrery) and a small oil lamp to illustrate how the sun's rays move through the solar system.
Beginning in 1767, Wright experimented with the use of precious metal in his candlelights. He applied silver leaf in places where he wanted to emphasize the illusion of light passing through translucent materials, like an inflated animal bladder, a sheet of paper, woven cloth or hot wax. A Getty-led team of conservators and scientists used X-ray fluorescence mapping to locate where the silver is present in Wright's paintings, with results presented in the exhibition and its accompanying catalogue. He is the only 18th-century British artist known to have employed this distinctive method.
Central to the display is "Two Boys with a Bladder," a recently rediscovered candlelight acquired by the Getty in 2020. New curatorial research presented in the exhibition sheds light on the origin of this picture, which is now known to have been exhibited in London in 1767 alongside its companion piece, "Two Girls Dressing a Kitten by Candlelight." At the Getty Center, the paintings will be displayed together for the first time since 1772. Technical analysis revealed that Wright incorporated silver leaf in each. They represent the earliest documented examples of his use of the technique.
"Wright depicts these enchanting scenes with intense precision and utter subtlety. They draw us in and, upon close inspection, their surfaces reveal themselves to be composed of confident, almost casual touches of paint," said Julia Siemon, deputy director and chief curator at Bard Graduate Center, and former assistant curator of paintings at the Getty Museum. "The variety of brushstrokes--dabbed here, whiskered there, dragged elsewhere--coalesce into nuanced gradations of tone, with each mark meticulously placed."
Works on paper by Wright and his collaborators are also featured in the display. Perhaps inspired by the rich black and sparkling grey tonalities of British mezzotint prints popular in the 1760s, Wright drew a small but striking group of portrait heads in black and white chalk. One highlight is the 'Study of a Boy Reading' acquired by Getty in 2024, which demonstrates the same concentrated attention to light effects and fine sensitivity to the nuances of expression that characterize the candlelight paintings. Finally, the exhibition includes mezzotint reproductions of Wright's candlelights, which were produced by talented British printmakers and helped garner widespread and lasting fame for Wright's compositions.
The exhibition also features Wright's "Self-Portrait" from the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Completed around the time Wright started creating his candlelights, the painting has never previously traveled to the United States.
"The rediscovery of Joseph Wright of Derby's 'Two Boys with a Bladder' and its acquisition by the Getty inspired curatorial and conservation research that has opened a new chapter in our understanding of the artist and his most celebrated works," said Davide Gasparotto, senior curator of paintings at the Getty Museum. "The exhibition presents an exciting opportunity to share these discoveries, and to revisit together some of the most remarkable paintings in the history of British art."
In conjunction with the exhibition, Getty will hold two free public lectures. A conversation with curator Julia Siemon on Dec. 6 will dive into Joseph Wright of Derby's candlelights and his impact on the art world. On March 12, Siemon will be joined by Getty conservators for a conversation to discuss new findings about the artist's use of silver leaf.
"A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby" was curated by Julia Siemon.
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Original text here: https://www.getty.edu/news/getty-exhibition-joseph-wright-of-derby
Georgia Public Policy Foundation: Who's Afraid of AI?
ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 29 -- The Georgia Public Policy Foundation posted the following news release:
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Who's Afraid of AI?
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A former employee of the AI firm Anthropic, Jacob Coxon, recently went viral for being a whistleblower about the future of artificial intelligence. "I believe that if we don't slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future," he said. Coxon worries that AI developers are racing through self-improving superintelligence, resulting in technology that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight,
... Show Full Article
ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 29 -- The Georgia Public Policy Foundation posted the following news release:
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Who's Afraid of AI?
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A former employee of the AI firm Anthropic, Jacob Coxon, recently went viral for being a whistleblower about the future of artificial intelligence. "I believe that if we don't slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future," he said. Coxon worries that AI developers are racing through self-improving superintelligence, resulting in technology that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight,and acquire real power and resources.
Both Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk, CEO of xAI, have agreed with Coxon's concerns, and called for both independent monitoring of AI development and government regulation. There has been some suspicion as to the devious motivations of these businessmen. Why would these AI developers call for something that would, supposedly, cut into their profits and progress? More laissez-faire commentators argue that these regulations would actually do the opposite for big businesses by blocking out small startup competitors who can't compete with rising red tape.
In connection with these assertions, the AI debate is often incorrectly accepted under the premise that it only benefits the rich. Supposedly, data centers cut into everyday Americans' housing and water costs, Flock cameras gather personal information valuable to those rich enough to obtain it, and social media is full of anti-AI posts and comments with most bemoaning that their jobs will soon be taken by robots. And it's all because of evil Trump-loving billionaires... or is it?
"The rich in Ancient Greece would have benefited hardly at all from modern plumbing: running servants replaced running water," Milton and Rose Friedman wrote in Free to Choose. "Television and radio--the patricians of Rome could enjoy the leading musicians and actors in their home, could have the leading artists as domestic retainers." This point from the Friedmans isn't unique to plumbing and radio, but applies to many types of tech, including AI.
I use ChatGPT for things like meal- and garden-planning, research, and interpreting the writings of crazy philosophers like Jacques Derrida. Similar to the rich in Ancient Greece, the wealthy today have chefs, gardeners, and researchers. The rich don't benefit from AI in the same way ordinary people do. For every common person who hates AI, there is a common person using AI. On college campuses, 86% of students use AI in their studies. One in four use it daily. These same students boo commencement speakers who talk about AI positively. In the workplace, 38% of adults report using chatbots for everyday tasks, and outside of the office, about half of US adults report using chatbots in general. If we're so worried about AI stealing our jobs, why do 38% of employees use it at work?
There are certainly legitimate questions as to whether or not this use of AI actually benefits people. As the argument goes, the more we outsource human activities to robots, the less human we become. But it does beg the question: If there are so many problems and dangers with AI, why do so many use it? Virtually every invention has outsourced a human activity to a machine. There are massive cons to running water, guns, television, radio, cell phones, and social media. But again: Why would so many people use these devices if they didn't believe they benefited their life in some way?
"The real result of the machine is to increase production, to raise the standard of living, to increase economic welfare," Henry Hazlitt wrote in Economics in One Lesson. "Full employment--very full employment; long, weary, back-breaking employment--is characteristic of precisely the nations that are most retarded industrially."
In Milton Friedman's vision of the world, as Thomas Sowell wrote in his book A Conflict of Visions, "exploitative situations have been seen as more effectively eliminated by the systemic characteristics of a competitive economy than by the deliberate intervention of political leaders in complex economic processes that they cannot comprehend."
In other words, if the rich are prone to exploit others, this is better resolved by a free-market competitive economy than by government regulation. "Intervention" in "complex economic processes that they cannot comprehend" is particularly true of artificial intelligence. How can you regulate something that is always changing, and most politicians likely do not comprehend?
The rich always have more resources at their disposal than do the poor, albeit with much more risk. But, AI, like many other inventions, gives the ordinary person the resources that previously may have been only available to the rich.
"Human nature will not change," journalist Matt Ridley wrote in his book The Rational Optimist. "The same old dramas of aggression and addiction, of infatuation and indoctrination, of charm and harm, will play out, but in an ever more prosperous world."
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Original text here: https://www.georgiapolicy.org/news/whos-afraid-of-ai/ (TNSmrp)
Foundation for Economic Education Issues Commentary: European Free Trade Area Deal Could Keep Vietnam's Tiger Economy on Track
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 29 -- The Foundation for Economic Education issued the following commentary:
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October 28, 2026
Vietnam Banks on Europe
Jake Scott
The EFTA deal could keep Vietnam's Tiger Economy on track.
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For most economies, especially those in the West, a growth of 9.95% would be celebrated--but in Vietnam, it has caused legislators to go into a panic. Despite achieving the fastest economic growth since 2022, it has fallen short of a target set by Vietnam's National Assembly in April 2026, of an average annual growth of at least 10% over the next five years.
It is for this
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 29 -- The Foundation for Economic Education issued the following commentary:
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October 28, 2026
Vietnam Banks on Europe
Jake Scott
The EFTA deal could keep Vietnam's Tiger Economy on track.
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For most economies, especially those in the West, a growth of 9.95% would be celebrated--but in Vietnam, it has caused legislators to go into a panic. Despite achieving the fastest economic growth since 2022, it has fallen short of a target set by Vietnam's National Assembly in April 2026, of an average annual growth of at least 10% over the next five years.
It is for thisreason that Vietnam is banking on the new free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) to provide the final boost.
For anyone who is unfamiliar, EFTA is not the same as the EU, but a distinct group of four nations--Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. The market itself is small, with roughly 15 million people across the four nations, but the per capita wealth is very high: collectively, the EFTA bloc has a GDP of about $1.33 trillion, or about $108,000 per person in 2024.
Not to confuse things too much, but there is some overlap between EFTA and the EU, in that all EFTA nations except Switzerland have access to the EU Single Market through the European Economic Area agreement of 1994.
This distinction is important in context. While Vietnam and the EU have an existing trade agreement, in place since 2020 and intended to eliminate 99% of all tariffs, the new agreement between Vietnam and the EFTA specifically (EFTA-FTA) has been presented by both sides as a way to diversify markets while an ongoing trade war disrupts global trade. Indeed, the value of the deal is expected to boost economies at both ends of the deal significantly: already, Switzerland is Vietnam's largest trading partner within the EFTA, with bilateral trade reaching approximately $3.5 billion in 2025.
Agreed on October 18, 2026, in Hanoi, the deal is expected to come into force, according to the Ambassador for Norway Stein Iversen, "three months after Vietnam and at least one of the four EFTA members complete ratification."
The value of the deal is obvious for the EFTA nations: Vietnam can act as a ready gateway into Asia. Vietnam itself has a population of around 100 million, and--more importantly--the Vietnamese economy is linked to the ASEAN single free trade area (roughly 680 million people). In theory, a Swiss watchmaker could now relocate production to Vietnam, and ship the completed products back to Switzerland, potentially reducing prices for Swiss customers while bringing jobs for Vietnamese workers. Moreover, that Swiss watchmaker could now shop tariff-free to nations like Japan or Australia (provided the origin rules are met).
For Vietnam, however, the deal is part of a wider strategy dictated by the Communist Government towards the economy and domestic policy. Outlined earlier this year as the Vietnamese "Tiger Economy" strategy, the goal is for the economy to grow by 10% every year until 2030 in order to bring it into line with the wider Southeast Asian region. And while 9.95% is an impressive level of growth, when a target is politically motivated rather than economically determined, the risk comes from what--or who--is to blame for the target being missed. With a shortfall this small, it is easy for the government to blame the economy, rather than prompt a re-examination of the target itself.
But the EFTA-FTA is highly attractive to Vietnam for what it might do to the import/export balance sheet. Throughout 2026 Q3, exports rose by 24.5%, itself worth celebrating; but balanced against an increase of imports by 36.7%, this has led to a record trade deficit of $19.42 billion.
However, by gaining access to a market of an estimated 15 million consumers in the EFTA nations, Vietnam has the potential to reach a significant and wealthy market that desires exactly the products Vietnam leads in.
The foremost amongst these is the machinery and electrical equipment that Vietnam produces, of which the EU imported roughly Euros33.8 billion (about $38 billion at time of writing) in 2025--but importantly, more than half of all imports in this category came from Vietnam. EFTA might be small in comparison to the EU's, but reducing barriers to entry for this market which already buys machinery from Vietnam will be a major boost to the Vietnamese economy.
Alongside electrical goods, Vietnam produces many items that are highly valued in the wealthy EFTA economy: textiles and high-end fashion items produced in the Southeast Asian country are particularly appealing, as are every day staples like coffee (which, with cashews and pepper, was worth Euros4.5 billion, or $5.04 billion, in 2025), seafood, and handcrafted items like wooden furniture.
Moreover, the motivation of diversifying the economy in the face of tariffs and import duties is a major one for Vietnam, which acts in many ways as a middle-economy for firms in the United States and China. Vietnam's surplus with the United States reached $122.6 billion, while the deficit with China hit $121.5 billion. With figures so symmetrical between nations in the midst of a trade war, it makes Vietnam look more like a conduit than an economy--but a diversification of markets away from the two sides of a trade war can reduce the dependency risk of being tied so firmly into the supply chain.
The actual contents of the EFTA-FTA deal do not vary massively from the current status quo--Switzerland already scrapped tariffs on all industrial goods in 2024--but for electronics, clothing, and shoes, the deal is there to make trade rules more predictable and concretize zero tariffs as the standard.
The main gains for Vietnam are in food exports. As European nations--both within the EU and in ancillary markets like EFTA, Britain, and neighboring nations--protect their agricultural markets stringently, the new deal promises Vietnam farm concessions in line with the EFTA's recent FTAs with other countries.
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Jake Scott
Dr Jake Scott is a political theorist specialising in populism and its relationship to political constitutionality. He has taught at multiple British universities and produced research reports for several think tanks.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/vietnam-banks-on-europe/
FIRE calls on 20 Washington cities to end censorship of social media comments
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Oct. 29 -- The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression posted the following news release:
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FIRE calls on 20 Washington cities to end censorship of social media comments
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SEATTLE, Oct. 29, 2026 -- The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression today urged 20 Washington cities -- from Seattle to Spokane Valley -- to eliminate unconstitutional restrictions that regulate citizens' comments on the cities' social media pages.
The First Amendment protects citizens' right to criticize government officials and otherwise speak their minds in public forums,
... Show Full Article
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Oct. 29 -- The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression posted the following news release:
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FIRE calls on 20 Washington cities to end censorship of social media comments
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SEATTLE, Oct. 29, 2026 -- The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression today urged 20 Washington cities -- from Seattle to Spokane Valley -- to eliminate unconstitutional restrictions that regulate citizens' comments on the cities' social media pages.
The First Amendment protects citizens' right to criticize government officials and otherwise speak their minds in public forums,including the comment sections of city-run social media pages opened for public discussion. Rules that unduly restrict this right are prevalent in the state of Washington. Violations of these rules can result in the deletion of comments or even citizens being blocked from their local government's social media pages.
"The First Amendment doesn't allow a city government to pick and choose which opinions people can express on its social media pages," said FIRE's Vice President of Public Advocacy Aaron Terr. "Washingtonians deserve to know what their fellow citizens think, and banning protected speech not only does them a disservice, but is unconstitutional."
The government can restrict speech that falls in an unprotected category such as true threats. In certain circumstances, when a forum is limited to a specific public use, other restrictions may also be lawful, like a requirement that public comments during a city council meeting relate to city affairs. Still, even those rules must be reasonable -- they cannot use vague language or unnecessarily ban large swaths of protected speech -- and they cannot target speech based on viewpoint.
But many comment rules for cities in Washington run afoul of these constitutional principles. For example:
* Seattle bans "personal attacks," "insults," and "support for or opposition to political campaigns."
* The city of Kennewick bans all "political statements" and "religious statements."
* Bellevue bans comments "deemed potentially libelous" (as opposed to actually libelous comments).
* "Offensive" language and "unsupported accusations" are prohibited on Federal Way's social media pages.
* "Random or unintelligible comments" are a no-go in Olympia.
Some rules flat-out discriminate based on viewpoint, such as the ban on statements from a religious perspective. Many others leave Washingtonians in the dark about what they're allowed to say. After all, when does legitimate criticism become a "personal attack"? Is any criticism of a city policy or official a "political statement"? What language is "offensive"? There are no clear answers to these questions because the answers are subjective -- they vary from person to person. And that makes it all too easy for city officials to use these vague rules to suppress criticism and just about any other speech they don't like.
Public discourse is vital to democracy, and when cities allow discussion on their social media sites they cannot turn around and ban whatever speech rubs them the wrong way. The remedy for objectionable speech is more speech, not forced silence. Washington's cities can address criticisms and false information on their social media pages by responding to the comments, not by deleting them and blocking users.
When local governments fail to respect constituents' First Amendment rights, they can expect to hear from FIRE. In 2023, a letter from FIRE successfully prompted Bristol, Tennessee, to eliminate its unconstitutional restrictions on public comments that were "disparaging" or "offensive." And in 2024, following pressure from FIRE, the city of San Antonio, Texas, agreed to stop hiding constitutionally protected comments on its Animal Care Services Facebook page.
"As more Americans turn to social media to engage with their local governments, it's increasingly important that those governments respect their constituents' right to speak freely," Terr said. "FIRE is happy to help city officials across Washington rework their policies to align with the Constitution, free of charge."
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought -- the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.
CONTACT
Katie Stalcup, Communications Campaign Manager, FIRE: 215-717-3473; media@fire.org
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Get the latest free speech news and analysis from FIRE.
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Original text here: https://www.thefire.org/news/fire-calls-20-washington-cities-end-censorship-social-media-comments (TNSmlt)
FFRF Warns That Pentagon's Christian Nationalist Problem Goes Deeper Than Hegseth
MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 29 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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October 28, 2026
FFRF warns that Pentagon's Christian nationalist problem goes deeper than Hegseth
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is decrying the growing influence of Christian nationalism at the Pentagon following disturbing revelations about a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A new CNN investigation reveals that Ryan Higgins, Hegseth's senior adviser on religious matters, has spent years promoting conspiracy theories, spreading racist and homophobic rhetoric
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 29 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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October 28, 2026
FFRF warns that Pentagon's Christian nationalist problem goes deeper than Hegseth
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is decrying the growing influence of Christian nationalism at the Pentagon following disturbing revelations about a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A new CNN investigation reveals that Ryan Higgins, Hegseth's senior adviser on religious matters, has spent years promoting conspiracy theories, spreading racist and homophobic rhetoricand openly rejecting the separation of church and state. For example, Higgins has declared that the "Separation of Church and State does not exist" and proclaimed, "THIS IS A CHRISTIAN NATION." His social media history includes describing LGBTQ Americans as "the satanic cult of LGBTQ," condemning same-sex marriage as "abominable," and attacking Muslims with the claim that "Islam teaches death to all who do not comply." He also defended a deplorably racist video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes and promoted baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
Even more alarming, multiple sources have told CNN that Higgins has helped shape Hegseth's Christian nationalist messaging and has played a significant role in establishing the Pentagon's new (and unconstitutional) Office of Religious Affairs.
"These revelations expose the danger of allowing Christian nationalist extremism to take root in our military," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Someone who openly rejects the separation of church and state and posts disgusting disparagements of religious, sexual and racial minorities has no business shaping policy at the Pentagon. Our military exists to defend the Constitution, not impose Christianity."
The disclosures come as Hegseth continues injecting Christianity into military leadership. He has hosted monthly Christian worship services at the Pentagon, including one featuring Christian nationalist Pastor Doug Wilson, who has advocated for repealing women's voting rights and criminalizing homosexuality. Hegseth also declared last month that the military was putting on the "full armor of God" (citing a New Testament bible verse meaningful to Christian nationalist extremists) and described the Pentagon's mission as a spiritual battle. He additionally announced in September the creation of the Office of Religious Affairs, which reports directly to him.
FFRF warns that the Pentagon's increasing embrace of explicitly Christian messaging threatens the constitutional rights and domestic security of non-Christian and nonreligious service members. The military serves Americans of every religion and no religion, and no service member should face religious pressure from the secular government they have sworn to defend. FFRF has called on Hegseth to resign.
"Atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Jews and Americans of every belief or nonbelief serve our country honorably," says FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. "They deserve military leaders who respect their rights, not Christian nationalist ideologues who treat religious hegemony as patriotism."
FFRF is insisting on congressional scrutiny of Hegseth, the new Office of Religious Affairs and Higgins' role in promoting religious favoritism and coercion in the military.
"The Pentagon is supposed to defend the Constitution, not wage a crusade for Christianity," concludes Barker.
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 40,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-warns-that-pentagons-christian-nationalist-problem-goes-deeper-than-hegseth/
[Category: Religion]
