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Sec. Def Lete Hegseth’s Sept. 30 “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico combined structural changes to the military with a much stronger emphasis on religion and what he called the military’s “warrior ethos.” He announced six initiatives, including a new autonomous-warfare command, additional officer-training programs, infrastructure changes and the Office of Religious Affairs.  The Office of Religious Affairs One of the most closely watched announcements was the creation of a Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs , which will report directly to the defense secretary. Hegseth said its purpose is to provide “first-class religious support” and elevate spiritual health alongside physical health . The office is intended to give military chaplains a direct line to Pentagon leadership and advocate for religious support and resources. The announcement is controversial because Hegseth has increasingly incorporated his evangelical Christian beliefs into his public vision...

  Essay by Mona Austin  Packaging, Streaming, and the Staying Power of The Clark Sisters Used bookstores hold the history of collectible music. In 1983, compact discs reached American consumers, and a smaller medium set off a revolution in audio recording. Through every change in packaging since, the sound of The Clark Sisters has endured. This is a Slice tribute to their staying power and a look at how the presentation and consumption of music have changed over four decades. One afternoon, to the dread of my allergies, I stepped back in time, facing the dust-laden, stale air inside a used bookstore to browse the CDs. I was searching for nothing in particular when I wandered into the music section and spotted a piece of vinyl treasure. I quickly scanned the area to see whether anyone else was eyeing the jewel I'd found. I snatched up the LP, the medium that predates the CD, with a quiet "eek" and a slightly louder "O-M-G." I gawked at the cover of the 1980 reco...

Ex-offenders meet Pres. Donald J. Trump on April 1 in celebration of the First Steps Act By Mona Austin (Washington, D.C): Kushner is being lauded by his father-in-law for his work on a recidivism reduction bill that has set the captives free. Under the prison reform bill, The First Steps Act, Pres. Dnald Trump said over 500 people have re-entered socity since January on Monday at a celenratopn of the Act in the Wast Room of the White House.  Faith and community leaers joined 6 recently released inmates largely impacts African AMeicans disproportionately imprisonedthat Pres Trump passed last December was celebrated at the White House on Monday.  Led by Jared Kushner There was harmony among Democats and Republicans at the White House at the celebration of the Frist Steps Act. Ben Carson, HUD Secretary and AG William Barr attened teh event along with a host of faith leaders including pastors Jetsen Franklin and Jack Graham Kim Kardashina West approached the president ...

  As of the time of this writing,the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Act is in the There are two main paths to gaining freedom and equality  in America -- the ballot box and the battlefield.  African Americans have actively engaged in both to have the same freedom afforded to others in America,  For African American Christians voting is a dear right that was directly pursued through Black churches, making the chruch one of the most powerful instruments for change in America.  We saw the power of the faith-based voter most rencetly take affect in the last presidential election.  Whie evangelicals becane a distinct constituency for republicans.   When then candidate Joe Biden was drifting downward in the presidential primaries in 2020, he leaned on the support of Jim Clyburn, a veteran Democrat from South Carolina.  A part of the Bible Belt, Black South Carolina voters  were the life line that saved Biden. Clyburn hosted a community event ...

  Tennessee’s attempt to execute Christa Pike on Tuesday night ended in a stunning failure after two attempts. Pike, now 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital during a lethal injection at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. She would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years . Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of fellow Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville — a case that drew national attention for its brutality. Pike has never denied her role, while supporters point to her age at the time, her mental illness, and allegations of severe sexual abuse. The execution proceeded only after a legal battle. A federal appeals court issued a stay, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it , clearing the way for the lethal injection. Pike had requested a firing squad, but that request was denied. Witnesses say the execution team struggled for nearly an hour to establish an IV line. One of Pike’s attorneys counted at lea...

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is promoting a film tax credit bill for film production in the US that is designed to keep jobs at home. The Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act was introduced on Sept. 24. Now Scott is selling it.  He said the bipartisan  proposal will protect the blue collar jobs in the film industry.   It offers tax credits as an incentive to film in the US.  The be eligible for the tax credit 75% of the film must be done in the U.S. the Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act on Sept. 24. Scott is the co-author of the bill.  He is a film and theater enthusiast and said his favorite film is "The Notebook" with "Forest Gump" coming in second. "We also get to export American values in films...That is why I celebrate the diversity of multiple locations," he stated. The bill is not limited to one state.  The goals is to help the film industry flourish in all of the locations in the c...