Kari DeHaven

A screenshot of a large group of people facing a heavily damaged building. A few of them are scaling the rubble. A headline reads: "Iran Says Dozens Are Killed in Strike on School" Photo by IRIB TV, via Agence France-Presse

During the U.S.-Israeli attack in Iran on Saturday, dozens of people, most of them likely children, were killed when a strike hit a girls’ elementary school in Minab and a high school in Tehran, according to Iranian health officials, state media and a human rights group. trib.al/y3MsQLC

We deserve congressional representation that won’t enable Trump’s unconstitutional wars and we deserve fair elections, free of interference from PACs.

Pro-Israel group’s donors and affiliates pour $13.7 million into Chicago-area primaries A WBEZ survey of the 46 Democratic congressional candidates in four key races shows the few hopefuls getting AIPAC-linked support would not answer yes or no on putting strict conditions on U.S. milita...

AIPAC is pouring millions of dollars into Chicago area primaries and some candidates backed by AIPAC have refused to answer questions about whether there should be strict conditions on military aid to Israel. AIPAC is supporting some of the biggest names in these races.
www.wbez.org/politics/202...

who could have seen AI become weaponized by a corrupt government, except for literally everyone, as well as decades of science fiction

Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump.

An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump.

The New “Book Club” Scam Targeting Authors and How to Spot It A Public Service Post for Writers

PSA for UGA Press authors (all authors, really): There is a proliferation of sophisticated AI phishing scams going around. Many look legit b/c they hide behind the banner of a "book club." Please don't engage them! Here's a good blog post on the phenomenon. https://loom.ly/ahTL8A0

70% OFF The Last Romantic: C. S. Lewis, English Literature, and Modern Theology (Hansen Lectureship Series) Three Essays on C. S. Lewis and Romanticism Many readers have heard C. S. Lewis's logical arguments for the Christian faith. Yet throughout his wide-ranging study and writing, Lewis often bega...

I'm told that it's been a year since my book on C. S. Lewis came out as an audiobook and they are running a special discount in celebration! Feel free to take a listen if you haven't had a chance already.

Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies The Spiritual Practice of Watching Movies What's your favorite Christmas movie? Easter movie? Pentecost movie? Casual viewers and movie buffs alike have favorite movies to watch at certain times of the year. But for film critic Abby Olcese, movies with spiritual themes aren't just limited to the holiday season. They're part of a deep human need to connect our favorite stories to the natural rhythms of our lives, and to let them shape and give meaning to our experience of the seasons all year long. The life of the church is also defined by stories, which we revisit through the pattern of the Christian year. In Films for All Seasons, Olcese invites us to reflect on the great themes of the church calendar through the lens of film. From superhero movies and Star Wars to classics and arthouse films, she chooses movies for each liturgical season and leads us through them with skill and infectious enthusiasm, exploring how each one can inform and deepen our appreciation of its corresponding season. Films for All Seasons is more than just a book about movies-it's a model for how we engage with art as Christians. Includes: Explorations of popular, classic, and arthouse films and how they relate to liturgical seasons Reflections on the great themes of the church calendar Discussion questions after each movie designed to facilitate discussion with small groups and friends

It's Ash Wednesday! If you're looking for Lenten companion material that's a little different from your standard devotional, I wrote a book that recommends movies for all six weeks of Lent, plus Holy Week and Easter: share.google/NQTQkr4kchEZ...

Please enjoy this. You will never see a happier pup,

Olympic Ice Dancer Gabriella Papadakis on the Relationship That Ended Her Career In her first English-language interview, Papadakis reflects on her relationship with her ice dancing partner.

“‘When the choice is between your safety and even, like, life, the choice is not, Oh, I chose to retire. No, I was pushed out,’ Papadakis says.”

"Pappas is running for re-election as county treasurer, a post she’s held since 1998. She has no challengers in the March 17 Democratic primary, and has floated running for mayor in the 2027 election," @adquig.bsky.social reports

Adjunct pay/working conditions AY25-26 This form is part of a project to crowd-source pay and working conditions for people who teach and research in colleges and universities during AY2025-2026. This form is for people paid by the course ...

Well, let's give it a shot again and see what we get.

Cover of the book Decoy Saves Opening Day with Shohei Ohtani petting his dog Decoy

Stickers, a bookmark, and a bookplate signed by Shohei Ohtani for the book Decoy Saves Opening Day

I was beyond excited to get my copy of Decoy Saves Opening Day by Shohei Ohtani, and the stickers and bookmark from @honestdogbooks.bsky.social were a delightful surprise

It makes a difference to me that my current priest actually listens to me and is fine with my questions. I liked the idea of confirmation at a previous church, but being taught EFS in class and the fact that the bishop who prayed over me at confirmation has since been defrocked changed things.

For me it completely depends upon the church context. I’m wary of churches where membership is a multi page contract that involves signing off on not questioning church leadership, but at my current church it means calling the church home and voting on major decisions.

My professor’s lecture on reading Ecclesiastes in an age of empire with “there is nothing new under the sun” felt very appropriate today.

We’re putting the finishing touches on our judicial election guide. Want to be the first to get it? Subscribe to our (free) newsletter for a first look at the guide. buff.ly/0Upa6K8

Did they also give him the necklace from 30 Rock?

Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 25, 2026

Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026

Tomorrow’s front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 23, 2026

Final takeaway: be nice to your publicist 🫶
There’s invisible work happening behind the scenes, and trust me, we want the coverage as much as you do. Your wins are our wins. It’s brutally competitive out there (academic books vs. commercial everything + everyone’s phone). We’re on your team :)

Ep. 99 - Book Publicity 101: What Scholarly Authors Need to Know (with publicist Amanda Ice) In this episode, Leslie chats with Harvard University Press senior publicist Amanda Ice about the do's and don'ts of book publicity.

Hey hey, academic Booksky, first post is me doing the most publicist thing possible:
📣 sharing an interview I did about how scholars can get meaningful attention for their books.
Here's a few key takeaways:
yourwordsunleashed.com/ep-99-book-p...

Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino lied about firing tear gas at protesters in Chicago, a federal judge ruled in November.
Backgroud, from @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2025/11/06/b...

ICE Started a ‘Five-Alarm Fire’ in Minnesota, say Refugee Aid Orgs “People aren’t going to work, kids aren’t going to school, people aren’t going to church on Sunday,” a spokesperson for World Relief told Sojourners.

"Faith-based refugee resettlement organizations are raising alarms that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is detaining lawfully resettled refugees," reports @saraheinselen.bsky.social for @sojo.net.

*lawfully resettled* let that sink in
sojo.net/articles/new...

Chicago: Always Down, Never Out
(No Matter What)

Lexi the dog has never watched a complete football game with me before and she is so confused this evening but enjoying all of the extra pets

This is only of the only commercials NBC/Peacock has been showing me all week

Yelling at my tv before this Bears game has even started because of how poorly these reporters are dressed for the weather.

Volumes Bookcafe in Wicker Park prepares to close

The independent bookstore, which is closing Jan. 31, said sales dropped after Barnes & Noble opened nearby.