Talarico says he ‘hates Christianity’ in unearthed interview with transgender ‘Latinx’ theologian
A prominent Democrat running for a critical U.S. Senate seat in Texas told a self-identified transgender, queer, “Latinx” podcast host that he “hates Christianity” in a 2021 interview. In a recently resurfaced episode of the “Activist Theology Podcast,” James Talarico, a Democratic state lawmaker now running for the Senate, confided that “I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity.” He went on to say, “I always get drawn back into it because nowhere else, in no other political philosophy and no other economic theory do I find anything nearly as truly radical or revolutionary as the teachings of that barefoot Rabbi.” Moments later, he told the podcast hosts that he believed the teachings of Christ are similar to “the teachings of the Buddha and other mystical traditions.” Democrats are hopeful that Talarico will flip one of Texas’ Senate seats blue for the first time in decades, which would be devastating for the GOP’s odds of retaining its upper chamber majority. He is running against Republican Ken Paxton, who currently serves as Texas attorney general. ‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY Though Talarico has touted his ability to draw both Democrats and moderate Republicans, his history of controversial statements has cast doubt on his bipartisan appeal. While identifying as a Presbyterian seminarian, Talarico has caused consternation by claiming “God is nonbinary” and that there are six genders. He also raised eyebrows in a resurfaced clip in which he called reducing meat consumption “existential” to fighting climate change. The latest comments to resurface come from Talarico’s interview with Roberto Che Espinoza, a transgender-identifying author, and Rev. Anna Golladay, a progressive minister currently running for Congress in Tennessee as a Democrat. During the interview, Talarico said he has been inspired by Espinoza’s writings, saying, “I couldn’t contain my inner fanboy because I had read your book last year, and it continues to inspire me, and y’all’s work continues to inspire me.” Talarico explained that his upbringing was influenced by what he described as a “Christian anarchist tradition.” He described himself as a “boring, cis-white man” and quipped, “I added Presbyterian to spice it up.” CRUZ SAYS MAMDANI, AOC, PLATNER SHOW DEMOCRATS’ LEFTWARD SHIFT: ‘THAT’S WHERE THE ENERGY IS’ He added that “my imagination is also just limited by my own background and identity, my whiteness, my masculinity, all those things limit my imagination about what’s possible. So, I have to continually press against that to try to expand the limits of what I’m dreaming of for our community. And that’s where, you know, Dr. Robyn [Espinoza], your book helps me do that and podcasts like this help me do that.” He later accused his Republican colleagues who don’t support transgender bathrooms of “threatening the existence” of people he loves, referring to them as “monsters.” “I have to work with people who have passed these policies that threaten the existence of people that I love,” he said. “Now they don’t threaten my existence, for the most part, but they threaten the existence of my friends and my loved ones. When I got elected, I went searching for those monsters, right? I got elected to the state house, and I was like, ‘I’m ready to find the monstrous people who passed these, you know, the show me your papers legislation, the bathroom bill.” However, he said, “I didn’t find monsters,” instead, “I found people who loved their kids, who loved their partners, who loved their colleagues, their immediate neighbors. “That was, like, a big — something that I struggled with my first term — like, how they could, you know, vote this way on the floor and then turn around and be so personally decent.” TRUMP ROASTS DEM CANDIDATE AS UNELECTABLE FOR CARDINAL SIN IN TEXAS Commenting on the latest resurfaced statements, Zach Kraft, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, told Fox News Digital, “You have to be either crazy or stupid to run for Senate in Texas openly hating Christianity and BBQ but ‘loving’ transgender kids.” “James Talarico is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, who has made it clear he intends to destroy Texans’ way of life and replace it with his woke socialist utopia where there are six genders, a Green New Deal, and a non-binary God,” he added. In response, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, told Fox News Digital that “the Christian seminarian who’s dedicated his life to the teachings of Jesus Christ obviously doesn’t hate Christianity.” “James is a devout Christian who fights religious and political corruption when he sees it — because there’s nothing Christ-like about powerful people twisting the teachings of Jesus to justify hate, violence, and greed,” added Ennis. “While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton attack James for his faith — he will continue encouraging Texans across the political spectrum to come together by loving their neighbors as themselves,” he said. Madison Cercy, a spokeswoman for Paxton’s campaign, responded by telling Fox News Digital, “Every time one of these comments resurfaces, James Talarico claims it’s being taken out of context or written off as another ‘cringey comment.’ But after years of saying the same things, Texans can see the pattern.” Cercy said that Talarico’s “record is a long history of fighting for the most progressive causes in the name of Christianity,” adding, “The truth is he uses it as a shield to justify his crazy ideas.”
White House accuses mainstream media of ‘parroting’ Iranian regime propaganda on nuclear deal terms
EXCLUSIVE: The White House slammed the “mainstream media” for citing Iranian state media reports that Tehran has no intention of honoring the nuclear inspection commitments that Vice President JD Vance says were agreed upon. Iran has agreed to “robust” inspections of its nuclear sites following the peace talks in Switzerland, according to a U.S. official. A White House official spoke to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, calling the sourcing for widespread reports from mainstream media outlets “propaganda from the Iranian regime.” “For the tireless scolding we hear from the mainstream media about their ‘journalistic ethics’ and ‘integrity of their reporting,’ you’d think they would view the misinformation flowing from Iranian state media with a high level of skepticism,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “Instead, the American press has spent every waking hour of this negotiating process mindlessly parroting hardliner propaganda from the Iranian regime,” the official added. “The President and Vice President of the United States, along with the entire U.S. negotiating team, are working around the clock to secure a great deal for the American people, and the updates they’ve provided on this process have been the truth.” LEAVITT REBUKES MEDIA OUTLETS RUNNING WITH IRANIAN NARRATIVES ON 10 DEMANDS Critics cited Iranian state media’s reporting that nuclear inspections would not be honored, despite Vance and the White House saying that the terms of the deal included the provision. “Despite their protestations and false statements to the contrary, coupled with the drumbeat of the Fake News, which is doing everything possible to make the U.S. Victory as small and insignificant as possible, Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!),” President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post. A source familiar with the talks expressed frustration to Fox News Digital over the irony of pundits speaking out against the deal for using talking points from Iranian public figures and state media, likening dialogue and reporting to an unwitting support for the Iranian regime. US OFFICIAL SAYS JD VANCE MADE ‘GREAT PROGRESS’ IN IRAN TALKS, CALLS SNUB REPORTS ‘FOREIGN PROPAGANDA’ A number of reports from mainstream outlets this week cited information surrounding Vance allegedly being snubbed by the Qataris after Qatar’s prime minister and chief negotiator, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, walked past Vance and warmly greeted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instead. In an interview on Monday with Qatar-funded media outlet, Al Jazeera, Al Thani denied snubbing Vance, saying he had just spent hours with Vance and hadn’t yet greeted Sharif. He blamed the media for misrepresenting the encounter. “And they just made the issue too big,” he said. A U.S. official told Fox News Digital the U.S. team had already been meeting with Qatari officials for hours, eliminating the need for a ceremonial greeting. The official added that the leaders’ joint remarks before the meeting were organized impromptu rather than as a staged public appearance. IRANIAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR NEGOTIATION AND DIALOGUE AS NUCLEAR TALKS CONTINUE Some reports also said the Iranians walked away from the negotiating table while Vance and the White House delegation were still in Switzerland. The reports mainly cited Iranian state media as a source. Vance said that there were threats to walk out, but denied the reports and allegations that the Iranians walked away from the table when speaking to the press on Tuesday. “They didn’t walk out, and their technical team is still here in Bürgenstock, working with our technical team,” Vance said. “When they make threats that aren’t rooted in reality, they have to accept that the President of the United States is actually going to set the record straight. That’s all that happened. So, yes, there was a little bit of threatening, there was a little bit of whining, but at the end of the day, the talks continued, and we made great progress.” During a news conference on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran will never negotiate its missile defense capabilities with any nation and stated that Iran believes “regional peace and stability can only be achieved through honest dialogue and intra-regional cooperation.” President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he expects nuclear inspections to occur “at the appropriate time.”
Brooklyn coffee shop that targeted Jewish congressman faces DOJ probe after reported tax, health code issues
The owner of a Brooklyn coffee shop that publicly attacked Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., over his support for Israel is reportedly facing tax and health code issues and previously donated to Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner‘s campaign. The revelations come as Poetica Coffee faces a Justice Department civil rights probe after the shop publicly targeted Goldman, a Jewish lawmaker and outspoken supporter of Israel. Poetica Coffee is owned by Parviz Mukhamadkulov, an Uzbek immigrant, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon. Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show that Mukhamadkulov contributed $35 to Platner’s campaign, which has been under fire for a variety of scandals, including a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest. In a now-deleted social media post, Poetica Coffee raged at the Jewish congressman. “Hey @repdangoldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee,” the post said. “Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference? See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between.” NYC COFFEE SHOP BANS PRO-ISRAEL POLITICIAN IN HOSTILE SOCIAL POST: ‘WE DON’T SERVE… GENOCIDE ENABLERS’ After facing backlash, the coffee shop deleted its entire Instagram account. “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away,” the post continued. “We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.” The Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a civil rights probe into the matter. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS OVER MAMDANI’S SILENCE AFTER BROOKLYN COFFEE SHOP BANS JEWISH CONGRESSMAN Meanwhile, Poetica has a growing list of issues unrelated to their post and the DOJ investigation. The Washington Free Beacon reported that as of June 20, 2026, Poetica Coffee and Mukhamadkulov owed New York state hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes. Fox News Digital has reached out to the New York Department of Taxation and Finance for comment and confirmation. Further, one of the company’s locations in Brooklyn has faced health code violations each year since 2023. CHRISTIAN COFFEE SHOP OWNER HELPING HOMELESS FACES PROTESTS IN FAR-LEFT CITY The latest violations, issued in June, describe “filth flies” inside the restaurant. “Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment’s food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies,” the violation says. Another June violation said that the sewage disposal system in the shop was “not provided, improper, inadequate or unapproved,” and that personal cleanliness among staff was “inadequate.” PORTLAND PIZZA JOINT HITS SITE VISITORS WITH ‘F— ICE’ MESSAGE, DECLARES FOOD IS ‘POLITICAL’ The restaurant was hit with the same violations last December, plus a violation that said there was “evidence of rats or live rats in establishment’s food or non-food areas.” Poetica has also been cited for failing to store pesticides or other toxic chemicals properly. Mukhamadkulov, who shared far-left messages on his X account, deleted his account on Tuesday. Several posts were archived by the Free Beacon. UNEARTHED ANTISEMITIC, ANTI-ISRAEL POSTS FROM MAMDANI AIDE SPARK GOP OUTRAGE In a reply to a post by conservative actor James Woods, he boasted about supporting socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Just went to vote for him. All for you babes. He will be NYC mayor and you and all your likes cant do s— about it. Racist piece of s—,” he posted in October 2025. In July 2025, he celebrated the death of an Israel Defense Forces combat engineer, saying, “One less baby killer.” He has also blamed Israel for 9/11, smeared the country as a “Nazi nation,” and accused Israel of “genocide.” Poetica did not return a request for comment. Fox News Digital left voicemails on two phone numbers associated with Mukhamadkulov. Goldman did not return a request for comment.
Republicans break with Trump to rebuke Iran war — but it won’t change policy
Senate Democrats scored another win in pushing back against President Donald Trump’s war in Iran on Tuesday, but the symbolic victory won’t actually curb his war powers in the region. Aided by absences from Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Dave McCormick, R-Pa., Democrats and a handful of Republicans passed a war powers resolution rebuking the conflict in Iran. It’s the same resolution that passed the House earlier this month in a rare display of House Republicans breaking with Trump. Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., joined nearly every Senate Democrat to adopt the resolution on a 50 to 48 vote. But unlike several previous attempts in the Senate to curb Trump’s authority, the House-passed measure does not carry any legally binding weight and won’t go to the president’s desk for his signature, where it would likely be vetoed. TRUMP SUFFERS RARE HOUSE DEFEAT AS BIPARTISAN VOTE MOVES TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM IRAN CONFLICT Still, after stumbling last week, Democrats notched another victory against the war. The vote comes as Congress reels over the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the U.S. and Iran that, for now, has allotted more time for officials to negotiate a longer-lasting peace deal. Many Republicans recoiled at the drip-feed of information coming out about the deal, with some comparing it to former President Barack Obama’s own Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., shredded the MOU in a statement Thursday in which he cautioned that the agreement “negotiates away the victories of Operation Epic Fury in ways that are completely out of step with the president’s goals.” TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN RIPS INTO TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL, SAYS $300 BILLION MAKES OBAMA DEAL LOOK LIKE ‘A PITTANCE’ Wicker took particular issue with the proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund, which he acknowledged wouldn’t be funded by taxpayers, but “would make Iran’s payoff under President Obama’s 2015 deal look like a pittance by comparison.” Other Republicans aren’t thrilled with sanctions on Iranian oil being lifted, even temporarily, after years of keeping their oil business in a vice grip. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he wanted to “tie lifting sanctions or financial incentives to conditions on Iranian behavior,” and acknowledged that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a component of that. IRAN WAR’S PRICE TAG HITS $80B — MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT CONGRESS WAS TOLD But he also said that the “objective here is always going to be Iranian compliance” with ending their nuclear program in exchange for financial incentives. And if the final deal does include an agreement touching Iran’s nuclear program, lawmakers will get to vote on it. Congress is also gearing up to mull an $80 billion supplemental spending request from the Pentagon to cover the costs of the war, a figure that’s more than double what War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon comptroller told lawmakers during a hearing earlier this year. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., argued that as the MOU takes hold, now is the “perfect time for Congress to step back and ask ourselves the question of what should the next chapter be, rather than allowing one man to make that decision.” “If you have to come to us for diplomacy, and you have to come to us for money, you shouldn’t be able to end-run us to initiate war on our own,” Kaine said.
Alaska’s blockbuster Senate race thrown into chaos as same-name challenger fights disqualification in court
A controversial candidate sharing the name and party affiliation of a vulnerable GOP incumbent is vowing not to go down without a fight after Alaska’s top election official blocked him from the state’s blockbuster Senate race. Dan J. Sullivan, the same-name challenger running against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R-Alaska, filed a lawsuit to remain on the August primary ballot after Director of Elections Carol Beecher disqualified his candidacy last week. Beecher determined that Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who recently changed his party affiliation to the GOP, did not launch his campaign “in good faith,” and sought to “confuse or mislead” voters at the ballot box. But counsel affiliated with the same-name candidate argues that his removal runs afoul of state law. SAME-NAME CANDIDATE DISQUALIFIED FROM KEY SENATE RACE OVER ALLEGED DEM SCHEME TO CONFUSE VOTERS “Nothing in Alaska law regulates in any way the private motivations that draw individuals to declare or campaign for office,” a court filing from attorneys Jeffrey Robinson, Bryn Pallesen and Zoe Eisberg obtained by The Associated Press reads. The fate of his candidacy could prove decisive in the state’s hotly contested Senate race in which Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is seeking a third term in the Republican-leaning state. Democrats are hoping that former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, whom Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., helped recruit into the race, will unseat Sullivan in November. Primary ballots are expected to be printed later this month. Under Alaska’s open primary system, the top four vote-getters will advance to the November general election. Republicans have argued that Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy is a “sham” attempt orchestrated by Democratic operatives to potentially trip up voters and siphon off votes from the incumbent, but Democrats, including Peltola, have denied involvement. “Even by Chuck Schumer’s low standards, this was an outrageous attempt to trick Alaska voters and rig the election,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said last week. GOP FIGHTS TO STOP MULTIPLE DAN SULLIVANS FROM APPEARING ON ALASKA BALLOT, CALLS CANDIDACY A ‘SHAM’ Dan J. Sullivan has dismissed Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, R-Alaska, highlighting “credible allegations” that suggested he filed to run with the intention of deceiving voters. “The Lieutenant Governor’s job is to oversee elections fairly and impartially,” Dan J. Sullivan wrote on Facebook last week. “Instead, her actions create the impression that the state government is being used to protect an incumbent senator at the ballot box.” “The people of Alaska are fully capable of deciding for themselves who should represent them in Washington,” he added. The political newcomer has come under scrutiny over ties to Democratic consultant Amber Lee, who was revealed as the author of his campaign launch announcement in metadata reviewed by Fox News Digital. Lee has notably supported Peltola’s prior runs for office and expressed optimism to The Hill in January that the Alaska Democrat would unseat the incumbent Sullivan. According to Beecher’s letter, Dan J. Sullivan requested to appear on the primary ballot under the name “Dan Sullivan” despite previously registering as “Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.” Beecher also noted that his campaign materials are visually similar to the incumbent Republican’s campaign and that he had no affiliation with the GOP prior to jumping into the race shortly before the filing deadline. The nascent candidate notably sought to register with the incumbent’s “S” initial at one point, according to Beecher. “‘S’ is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours,” the election official noted. Amid mounting scrutiny, Dan J. Sullivan has largely brushed off concerns about his name. “My grandfather was Dan, and between my dad, uncle, and cousins, there were six more Dans in the family,” he wrote on Facebook recently. “Nicknames were a necessity, and mine will never be revealed. Fox News Digital reached out to the Dan J. Sullivan campaign for comment.
Why do the UK’s prime ministers keep resigning?
Keir Starmer is the latest to step down, after less than two years in office. From a landslide victory in 2024 to a remarkable downfall this week. Keir Starmer is quitting. He’s the sixth British prime minister to step down in the last decade. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list His resignation came one day before the anniversary of the vote to leave the European Union. Many say Brexit has been one of the main drivers behind the leadership crisis. Others point to increasing public discontent over successive governments. Starmer’s departure will set in motion a contest to replace him as head of the Labour Party and PM. But will his replacement be able to succeed where so many other prime ministers have failed? Presenter: Imran Khan Guests Jennifer Nadel, Co-founder of the cross-party think-tank Compassion in Politics Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London Zaid M Belbagi, Managing Partner at Hardcastle Advisory Published On 23 Jun 202623 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli forces set olive trees on fire in occupied West Bank
NewsFeed Footage shows the aftermath of Israeli forces setting olive trees on fire in the small Palestinian village of Rummanah in the occupied West Bank, northwest of Jenin. The area’s olive groves and Palestinian farmers have frequently been targeted by Israeli settlers and soldiers in recent months. Published On 23 Jun 202623 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Who’s being left out of the World Cup?
Can football’s biggest stage stay global as visa denials and border restrictions mount? The excitement of the World Cup has arrived in North America. But behind it have been stories of fans being denied visas, players being searched by sniffer dogs, and Iran’s team being forced to base itself outside the US. What happens when a global tournament collides with US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies? In this episode: Boima Tucker (@chiefboimah), director of operations, Africa Is a Country Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Tamara Khandaker with Marcos Bartolomé, Spencer Cline, Jana Dabliz, Catherine Nouhan, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Published On 23 Jun 202623 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
NEET candidate delay: Bengaluru Traffic Police’s ‘fact check’ says Congress rally not to blame
The aspirant departed from home only 33 minutes before the prescribed cut-off time and selected a longer travel route.
Dust storm in Delhi-NCR, light rain bring respite from heat in these states, IMD issues forecast
An intense dust storm swept through several parts of Delhi-NCR on Tuesday afternoon, bringing a sudden change in weather conditions across the region, followed by spells of rain and thunderstorms. The dust storm was witnessed in various parts of Delhi and the adjoining Noida in Uttar Pradesh.