By Jonathan Howe
“On the Horizon” is a preview of newsworthy events coming within the week.
Child Detention Center Bill to Be Introduced
ABC News first reported over the weekend that a new bill will be introduced in Congress that would limit the time frame for child detainees at the border to 20 days. While this is not the comprehensive overhaul wanted by many in Washington (or the rest of the country), it is progress.
Elections in Mexico Could Escalate Tensions
This Saturday (July 1) a new president of Mexico will be elected, and polls indicate the favorite to win is firebrand politician Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Labeled as “Mexico’s answer to Donald Trump,” the populist AMLO, as he is known, has also been likened to Hugo Chavez, the former Venezuelan dictator. An AMLO victory would likely increase political tensions between the U.S. and Mexico.
Sessions Under Church Discipline?
Last week, more than 600 Methodists filed a formal complaint against Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy. News reports surrounding the policy have only escalated in the days since, but the United Methodist Church has been silent on the complaint but did speak to the immigration policy.
World Cup Gets Political
Mohamed Salah (EGY), Granit Xhaka (SUI), and Xherdan Shaqiri (SUI) all are making World Cup headlines but for the wrong reasons.
Salah was dragged into a political row last week after being granted honorary Chechen citizenship. This move by Chechnya President Ramzan Kadyrov has riled World Cup host country Russia to the point that rumors began circulating that Salah might retire from international football.
Shaqiri and Xhaka (who are ethnic Albanians from Kosovo) both face possible suspensions from FIFA after celebrating their goals against Serbia with a double eagle hand sign—a reference to the Albanian flag and Serbia’s refusal to recognize Kosovo as an independent state. Who knew football could be so political?
Questions Still Unanswered at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
SWBTS is still yet to announce a search team to find a successor for former president Paige Patterson.
The delayed nature of that announcement could be tied to the uncertainty still surrounding the finalization of Patterson’s severance agreement. The mandatory EEOC 21-day acceptance period expired late last week, so news on the future of SWBTS may emerge soon.
Be sure to check FactsAndTrends.net throughout the week for continued coverage of these stories and much more.
JONATHAN HOWE (@Jonathan_Howe) is Director of Strategic Initiatives at Lifeway Christian Resources.
