I love getting up on Sunday mornings, brewing some coffee, and sitting down to read the paper. A languid Sunday morning and fresh, hot coffee are part of the delight, but so is the anticipation of stumbling across some interesting topic that I wouldn’t have discovered had I not picked up that paper.
These Sunday Morning Coffee posts are written on my laptop, posted on Substack, and certainly don’t come to you via newsprint. But they are a collection of topics I’ve been reading or thinking about, with links to various newspaper articles, magazine pieces, podcasts, and more. Whether you read it on Sunday or on some other day of the week, I hope you’ll also stumble across some random, interesting topic here.
WHAT I’M THINKING ABOUT
Donald Trump is selling Bibles
Yes, Donald Trump is now selling bibles. Not just any bible, mind you, but a bible that includes copies of the U.S. Constitution and other founding documents, along with the pledge of allegiance and the lyrics to “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood.
Not exactly separation of church and state here. And Saturday Night Live, as you might imagine, had a few things to say about the topic.
But while it’s easy to roll one’s eyes at a presidential candidate hawking both gold sneakers and God Bless the USA Bibles, the interweaving of religion and politics has increasingly become a central part of Trump’s presidential campaign. And there are definite dangers involved, as the embrace of religion has been a pretty typical strategy for authoritarian leaders over the years.
I’m working on a possible longer piece about this topic, but it’s something to keep an eye on because the intertwining of religion and politics can have ramifications that are not quite as amusing as it may seem in a late night comedy sketch.
WHAT I’M READING
Politics Articles
A subset of American voters thrive on chaos and just want to upend the political system.
The belief that life begins at conception is actually not “a universally agreed upon matter of historical Christian doctrine,” argues a former evangelical minister.
Does the United States face the likelihood of post-election violence no matter whether Donald Trump wins OR loses the 2024 election?
Gen Z is more pessimistic and disillusioned about government than just about any other previous generation.
What are some of the potential scenarios for a future Russia, with or without Vladimir Putin?
Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has written a book, Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism, and is warning about the Court’s direction and the way it now interprets the law.
Life Beyond Politics
SPORTS: Joe Mazzulla, coach of the Boston Celtics, studies the tactics of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and uses soccer philosophies in his approach to coaching basketball.
“Soccer and basketball, when I watch it, it’s kind of the same sport from that tactical standpoint of how do you create advantages?” Mazzulla said. “How do you create two-on-ones? How do you recognize weaknesses in the defense and how do you take advantage of angles?”
HISTORY: How a rhyme inserted into a speech helped FDR fight back in the 1940 presidential election.
MOVIES: Greta Gerwig made Barbie into a smash hit. Next up is C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. Gerwig is interviewed by Time for its Women of the Year issue.
TRAVEL: The 89-year-old woman who is still traveling the world solo.
HEALTH: The link between your emotions and your gut.
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
You are what you read. This episode of The Read Well Podcast asks an interesting question: If you were going to a deserted island for a year and could take any books you wanted — but only books written by five authors — which authors would you choose?
Are there comparisons to be made between America in 2024 and Germany in 1933? Author Adam Gopnick joins the New Yorker Radio Hour podcast to discuss similarities and differences between threats to U.S. democracy today and the rise of fascism in Germany in the 1930s.
(Sunday Morning Coffee - original photo by Engin Akyurt via Pixabay.)