The BBC reported on Monday that 100 Labour MPs had written to the Prime Minister arguing that, if assisted dying legislation does not pass, trust in politics will be undermined.

But the Labour MP Jessica Asato, who opposes the Bill, told the BBC: “The sponsor of the Bill has rejected 99 per cent of suggested improvements and amendments in the House of Lords and so it still contains all the same faults and issues. Any MP that voted to push this Bill through would do so knowing that it is unsafe and would harm vulnerable people.”

A new Whitestone poll of more than 2000 UK adults for Care Not Killing shows that the public wants Parliament to prioritise safety over choice.

Asked if they would support a law that enabled patient choice, but was implemented in a way that put other patients and vulnerable people at risk, respondents opposed the move by 42 per cent to 35 per cent. The proportion of those who “strongly” backed putting safety over choice was more than double the proportion of those who said the opposite (26 per cent to 12 per cent).

Read it all.

As the assisted-dying Bill runs out of debating time in the House of Lords, the Christian Labour peer Lord Rook on Friday tabled three amendments on protecting vulnerable people from coercion and safeguarding young people#HouseofLords #debate https://t.co/2Q3MhOVc5N

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 16, 2026

The question then becomes what status we should give to the acceptance of same-sex sexual relationships by some Anglican churches today.

In the words of C S Lewis, the traditional rule of the Christian Church with regard to sexual ethics has always been ‘either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence’[9] (marriage here means marriage between a man and a woman). This is the consensual teaching about marriage and sexual ethics that, as Vincent of Lerin puts it, has been held ‘always, everywhere and by everyone’[10] from biblical times onwards, in the same way that belief in the divinity of Christ and his bodily resurrection have been universally taught and accepted.

In the words of Darrin Belousek in his book Marriage, Scripture and the Church:

‘Scripture, consistently, presents a single picture of marriage and approves a single pattern of sexual relations: male- female union. Jesus summarizes this witness: ‘the two’ of ‘male and female’ joined into ‘one flesh.’ The Holy Spirit has woven this pattern of holy union throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, in the form, function, and figure of marriage. Tradition, East and West, also has consistently taught a single standard of sex and marriage: marriage is man-woman monogamy; all sex outside man-woman monogamy is sin. This doctrine has been taught always by the church, beginning with the apostles’ testimony to Jesus teaching; It has been proclaimed throughout the worldwide church, among all people in every place and epoch, as God’s will for sex and marriage; it has been articulated by apologetic writings and theological treatises, transmitted through baptismal catechesis and canonical discipline, celebrated in monastic vows and nuptial rites.’ [11]

Judged against this standard, the acceptance of same-sex sexual relationships (and even same-sex marriages) by some churches in the Anglican Communion has to be viewed as a ‘gross and grievous abomination,’ since it constitutes a departure from a key part of the Catholic and apostolic faith and an endorsement of sin. To put it plainly the churches involved have supported both heresy and immorality.

Furthermore, as the Church of England Evangelical Council report ‘Guarding the Deposit’ notes, the apostolic witness in the New Testament, which has also been accepted ‘everywhere at all times and by all,‘  teaches that:

‘…the Church should make a separation in this world between the people of God and those who practise sexual immorality (1 Cor 5: 1-13).

As Tom Wright notes, Paul teaches that the Church has the ‘God-given right and duty to discriminate between those who are living in the Messiah’s way and those who are not’.

Read it all.

Martin Davie–Assessing two different visions for the future of the Anglican Communion https://t.co/F3so2u4TtA 'The difference between the two views of the future of global Anglicanism put forward by the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals and The Abuja Affirmation is that the former holds… pic.twitter.com/LXTgMmiuOZ

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) March 16, 2026

Young men are entering adulthood later, redefining what it means to be a man and facing mounting economic and social challenges that shape how they see their future, according to a new survey released on Monday.

The report, conducted by Institute for Family Studies, paints a complex picture: Many young men in the United States feel uncertain or discouraged about their progress in life — yet remain hopeful about work, family and personal growth.

Traditional milestones like marriage and parenthood no longer dominate young men’s ideas about becoming adults, the report found. Instead, they increasingly emphasize psychological traits like responsibility, independence and personal decision-making.

In 2002, about 65% of young men said completing education was extremely important to becoming an adult. By 2025, that number had dropped to 31%. Only 9% today say marriage is an essential milestone — down slightly from 13% in 2002.

Instead, the 74-page report said, many define adulthood in more internal terms: More than half say accepting responsibility and making independent decisions are key signs of maturity.

Read it all.

In our new YouGov survey of young men, ages 18-29, we find that young men view college with a great deal of ambivalence, especially young men who are not attending college but also young men who are currently attending college or have a degree.

Read more: https://t.co/vjXfWJNMAc pic.twitter.com/2LGpKPBmzr

— The Institute for Family Studies (@FamStudies) March 16, 2026

I am not, by temperament, a gambling man. As a suburban dad with four kids, a mortgage, and a minivan, I’m more likely to be found wrestling a toddler into a car seat than scouring moneylines or consulting betting touts. And as a practicing Mormon, I am prohibited from indulging in games of chance. Besides, I had always thought of gambling as a waste of time. This makes me an outlier among my generational peers: Since 2018, Americans have wagered more than half a trillion dollars on sports, and roughly half of men ages 18 to 49 have an active account with an online sportsbook.

When I set out to report on the sports-betting industry—its explosive growth, its sudden cultural ubiquity, and what it’s doing to America—my editors thought I should experience the phenomenon firsthand. Mindful of my religious constraints, they proposed a work-around: The Atlantic would stake me $10,000 to gamble with over the course of the upcoming NFL season. The magazine would cover any losses, and—to ensure my ongoing emotional investment—split any winnings with me, 50–50. Surely God would approve of such an arrangement, my editors reasoned, because I wouldn’t be risking my own hard-earned money.

This spiritual loophole intrigued me. But for the sake of my soul, I decided I’d better consult a higher ecclesiastical authority than The Atlantic’s masthead.

A few days later, I sat across from my bishop, explaining the experiment and watching a look of pastoral concern come over his face. After some consideration, he said (a bit tentatively, if I’m being honest), “I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong.” He grasped the difference between gambling with my own money and using my employer’s for research purposes. But he had also seen too many lives wrecked by vice to let me leave without a warning. He told me stories he’d heard about upstanding family men who had let an initially modest gambling habit ruin them, and a cautionary tale about a churchgoing lawyer who developed an unhealthy curiosity about sex work after handling a prostitution case and wound up devastating his family.

I promised the bishop that I would steer clear of slippery slopes. “This will really just be a journalistic exercise,” I assured him.

Read it all.

The Atlantic: Sucker – My year as a degenerate gambler – A fantastic longform article on gambling https://t.co/9ShN6LGFwD

— Aaron M. Renn 🇺🇸 (@aaron_renn) March 13, 2026

Grant us, O Lord, to rejoice in beholding the bliss of the heavenly Jerusalem; that as she is the home and mother of the multitude of the saints, we also may be counted worthy to have our portion within her; through thine only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Over The Fence. 6°C and a bright start. Daffodils pic.twitter.com/RseIzCKeLt

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) March 16, 2026

I will sing of thy steadfast love, O LORD, for ever; with my mouth I will proclaim thy faithfulness to all generations. For thy steadfast love was established for ever, thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens.

–Psalm 89:1-2

Jamnik pic.twitter.com/LYrZdDofHE

— Jure Kravanja Yurko (@JureYurko) March 16, 2026

Almighty God, who has taught us in thy holy Word that the law was given by Moses, but that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ: Grant that we, being not under the law but under grace, may live as children of that Jerusalem which is above, and rejoice in the freedom of our heavenly citizenship; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

–The Rev. James Mountain (1844-1933)

London is full of carpets of violets…. Spring is sprung! pic.twitter.com/vcTt41P9me

— Amanda Chadburn (@AmandaChadburn) March 15, 2026

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.

So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

–Romans 8:11-25

Sunday sunrise before the rain in Elie pic.twitter.com/vneogl5Dxw

— Ms Marchmont 🏳️ (@lucynorris1) March 15, 2026

 Almighty God, who lookest upon the inward man, forbid us in thy presence the vain endeavor to hide from thee what we have thought and done and truly are.  Give us candor to acknowledge freely to thee what must be forever hidden from the knowledge of others, and may no false shame keep us from confessing those sins which no proper shame kept us from committing; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

Sunset – Gillean Beach, Achnacloich, Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @ThePhotoHour @StormHour @VisitScotland pic.twitter.com/rKLpsQdWIo

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) March 13, 2026

I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to dance.” We must not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents; nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

–1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sheep and Glastonbury Tor. I think the sheep was trying to say "look at me, not the tower" 😂 pic.twitter.com/G3xoUCxrur

— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) March 14, 2026

Most gracious God, by the calling of thy servant James Theodore Holly thou gavest us our first bishop of African-American heritage. In his quest for life and freedom, he led thy people from bondage into a new land and established the Church in Haiti. Grant that, inspired by his testimony, we may overcome our prejudice and honor those whom thou callest from every family, language, people, and nation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

James Theodore Holly emigrationist, missionary, and bishop, was born in Washington, D.C.

In 1874 he was consecrated missionary bishop of Haiti at Grace Church New York City, becoming the first African American Bishop in the Episcopal Church.

James Theodore Holly died in… pic.twitter.com/5EZhtOHq7z

— MACCEXCLUSIVESAPPAREL (@maccexclusives2) March 13, 2024

O Eternal God, who through thy Son our Lord hast promised a blessing upon those who hear thy Word and faithfully keep it: Open our ears, we humbly beseech thee, to hear what thou sayest, and enlighten our minds, that what we hear we may understand, and understanding may carry into good effect by thy bounteous prompting; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Morning Lanes. 5°C and breezy. Blackbirds. pic.twitter.com/abgPFwWBdg

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) March 13, 2026

So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; they are now in the land of Goshen.” And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land; for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, we pray you, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen; and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my cattle.”

Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ram′eses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

–Genesis 47:1-12

Friday morning vibe. Have a fabulous day, wherever and whatever you’re doing 🥰 pic.twitter.com/jol421jLgG

— Andrew Edwards (@AndrewOpera) March 13, 2026

The next Suffragan Bishop of St Germans, in the diocese of Truro, is to be the Revd James Treasure, Downing Street announced on Monday.

He succeeds the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson, who was translated to Worcester last year (News, 29 July 2025).

Mr Treasure became the Vicar of St Thomas and St Luke (known locally as “Top Church”), Dudley, in 2018, and has been Team Rector since 2023.

He trained at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and was ordained priest in 2017. He served his title at St John the Baptist and Holy Innocents, Kidderminster, in Worcester diocese. He was previously “a leader in a free church” before his move back to the Church of England, the Truro statement said.

Read it all.

New Bishop of St Germans and Bodmin archdeacon https://t.co/XYWD9xMCO2

— BBC Cornwall (@BBCCornwall) March 10, 2026

The Bishops’ Conference said it strongly disagrees with the Government’s position, noting that every organization has guiding values that shape its mission and practice.

“For many faith‑based organizations, including Catholic hospices and care homes, these values are fundamentally incompatible with the introduction of assisted suicide,” said Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.

“The Bishops’ Conference maintains that no organization should be compelled by the State to participate in the deliberate ending of life when doing so would violate its ethical or religious principles,” the bishop said.

Anthony Horan, the Director of the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office, said the Scottish Government and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) must accept that Catholic hospices and care homes cannot, in good conscience, provide any services under the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, nor can they be expected to refer anyone to such services.

“Assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel,” he told Crux Now.

Read it all.

Ahead of a key vote, the bishops of Scotland, along with pro-life leaders, have made a passionate plea to politicians to reject a proposed assisted suicide bill because it is “unsafe.” https://t.co/Jl3aGGoLhL

— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) March 6, 2026

A decade-long winning streak continues for the Holy City after it was crowned the South’s best destination by Southern Living readers.

The annual awards highlight readers’ favorite destinations and experiences — from cities and beach towns to restaurants, resorts and hotels.

Charleston beat out hotspots like Savannah, Asheville, N.C., and Nashville, Tenn., among others.

Southern Living writers said Charleston’s streak “proves that what’s old can always be new again.”

“Our readers will never tire of this Lowcountry gem’s sparkling harbor, charming historic architecture, and first-rate dining scene,” the publication stated.

Read it all.

For the 10th straight year, readers of Southern Living have named the Holy City the No. 1 destination in the South. The awards highlighted local favorites — from Isle of Palms and Folly Beach to restaurants like FIG and Poogan’s Porch. https://t.co/ez3f1b1RAO

— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) March 12, 2026

Gregory I (540-604) was the first monk to become pope. He was born into the ruling class, but had given away everything he owned to become a monk. During his impressive papacy, he devoted himself to reforming the church and monasteries and to helping Italians who were suffering from famine, plague, and invasions.

Another of his lasting achievements was the conversion of Southern England. This area of Britain had been conquered by pagan Angles and Saxons, ‘the English’. But when King Ethelbert of Kent married a Christian princess, it seems Gregory saw an opening, and sent his prior Augustine (not to be confused with Augustine of Hippo, whom we have already met) to evangelize them. One story, that is not included in our excerpt from Bede, says that Gregory was inspired by the sight of some young English slaves whom he saw in Rome. Amazed by their fair hair, he asked who they were, and being told they were Angles, replied “Not Angles, but angels.”

Read it all.

Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of the Church (604)

One of the greatest Popes, he healed schisms, revived discipline, aided the conversion of Spanish and French Goths, and sent St. Augustine of Canterbury to evangelize England. He set in order the Church's prayers and chant. pic.twitter.com/OvOwzSzqM4

— Memento Mori (@TempusFugit4016) March 12, 2024

Almighty and merciful God, who didst raise up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God, and didst inspire him to send missionaries to preach the Gospel to the English people: Preserve in thy Church the catholic and apostolic faith they taught, that thy people, being fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

"The Lord of men and of angels, has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage – and yet you neglect to read them eagerly. Study them, I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator. Learn the heart of God in the words of God" – St. Gregory the Great pic.twitter.com/0Kkl0Lv8hV

— Memento Mori (@TempusFugit4016) March 12, 2026

Lord Christ, almighty Saviour, we cry to thee for aid against our strong enemy.  O thou who art the Stronger than the strong, deliver us, we pray thee, from the evil one, and take sole possession of our hearts and minds; that filled with thy Spirit we may henceforth devote our lives to thy service, and therein find our perfect freedom; for the honour of thy great name.

Likely, the exact spot of the Viking landings on Lindisfarne. pic.twitter.com/vZPKflnxmY

— Jim Scott (@jimscottphoto) March 12, 2026

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.3This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more?

Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have any one deprive me of my ground for boasting.

–1 Corinthians 9:1-15

Na een grijze regenachtige dag kwamen er toch nog een paar opklaringen langs. Fijne donderdag😀 #zonsondergang #roeibootje pic.twitter.com/AQ4TbmJtxJ

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) March 12, 2026

Gracious God, we thank you for the life and witness of Saint Kessog, who brought the light of the Gospel to the lands of Scotland. Grant us grace that we may follow his example, be resolute in our faith even amidst great challenges, and bring peace, hope and love to everyone to whom we minister through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit ever reigns, one God over all. Amen (moved from yesterday).

Things named after St Kessog:
1. Kessog bridge📷
2. #Kessock area of #Inverness
3. Kessog oil field in the North Sea📷!

St Kessog often depicted in military dress holding a bent bow with an arrow in it, or sword! Claimed he was a soldier saint! 🎨Alan Lees. pic.twitter.com/HnOVlqxyVr

— Irish History Bitesize! (@lorraineelizab6) March 10, 2020

O Thou who hast prepared a place for my soul, prepare my soul for that place.  Prepare it with holiness; prepare it with desire; and even while it sojourneth upon earth, let it dwell in heaven with thee, beholding the beauty of thy countenance and the glory of thy saints, now and for evermore.

Good Morning and a happy Wednesday – Hay Wood, Baddesley Clinton pic.twitter.com/IWdDpXWVEE

— Terry (@No1GhostDog) March 11, 2026

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” “Knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through being hitherto accustomed to idols, eat food as really offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in an idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall.

–1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Guten Morgen und einen schönen Mittwoch ☕️ pic.twitter.com/GfTBqtdkPo

— Renate Umundum (@RUmundum) March 11, 2026

We invite your prayers for our bishop, clergy, delegates, diocesan leaders, and staff as we travel to Myrtle Beach March 13 and 14 for the annual ADOSC Diocesan Convention. The event is being hosted by Trinity Church.

View the convention schedule, see who is standing for election, and read more here.

The latest Enewsletter from the #Anglican diocese of #SouthCarolina https://t.co/NSfiqsiLu1 #parishministry #lowcvountrylife #media #communication pic.twitter.com/YPA2kjdGuy

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 11, 2025

A team at Eon Systems PBC, led by senior scientist Philip Shiu, has demonstrated the world’s first embodied whole-brain emulation. Not an AI trained to mimic biology. Not a reinforcement learning policy. A literal copy of a biological brain, neuron by neuron, synapse by synapse, running inside a physics-simulated body.

In 2024, Shiu and collaborators published in Nature a computational model of the entire adult fruit fly brain—125,000 neurons and 50 million synaptic connections—built from the FlyWire connectome and machine learning predictions of neurotransmitter identity. That model predicted motor behavior with 95% accuracy. But it was disembodied: a brain without a body.

Now, the ghost has found its machine. Using the NeuroMechFly v2 framework and MuJoCo physics simulation, Eon integrated the connectome-based brain emulation with a digital fly body. Sensory input flows in, neural activity propagates through the complete connectome, motor commands flow out, and the simulated body moves.

And here’s the jaw-dropper:

Scientists just copied a fruit fly’s brain into a computer. Neuron by neuron. No training data. No machine learning.It woke up and started walking. No one taught it to walk. No gradient descent. It just… knew what to do.

Read it all.

This breakthrough comes from Eon Systems, using the full connectome of the adult Drosophila melanogaster brain—over 125,000 neurons and 50 million synapses—to create the world's first embodied whole-brain emulation. https://t.co/Psimms60v2

— PoliticsVideoChannel (@politvidchannel) March 9, 2026

Although private in his own religious convictions and skeptical of fanaticism, in his Farewell Address (1796), Washington’s clarion, prescient warning to contemporary and future Americans — on national and international affairs — definitively emphasized that “[o]f all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” Moreover, to “subvert” such “great pillars of human happiness” — like the freedom of religious expression — would be considered unpatriotic.  

Indeed, Washington believed religiosity served as a bedrock for national stability and individual virtue, and a lack thereof would cripple cohesion, writing: 

“And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” 

He was not the only Founding Father to stress religion’s intrinsic importance to the new republic. John Adams once reflected, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Benjamin Franklin, likewise, considered religious practice important for developing virtue, and believed “[God] ought to be worshipped” and “the most acceptable service we render to him is doing good to his other children.” 

Even Thomas Jefferson, the most notable deist among the Founding Fathers, warned about the consequences of abandoning religious conviction entirely. 

Read it all.

George Washington’s Warning About Religion Still Matters https://t.co/Wlhmss8SoB #history #religion #usa #worldviews #faith #ethics #presidency #culturewatch

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) March 10, 2026

Millions of people voted in an online poll in 2015 to have the face of Harriet Tubman on the US$20 bill. But many might not have known the story of her life as chronicled in a recent film, “Harriet.”

Harriet Tubman worked as a slave, spy and eventually as an abolitionist. What I find most fascinating, as a historian of American slavery, is how belief in God helped Tubman remain fearless, even when she came face to face with many challenges.

Read it all.

Harriet Tubman (d 3/10/1913), born and raised in slavery, divined that God wished her to be free. She escaped to freedom, but realized she could not be truly free as long as others were enslaved. So she went back 19 times to “Pharaoh’s Land,” risking death to liberate 300 slaves. pic.twitter.com/voLZQijnAZ

— @RobertEllsberg (@RobertEllsberg) March 10, 2020

O God, whose Spirit guideth us into all truth and maketh us free: Strengthen and sustain us as thou didst thy daughter Harriet Tubman. Give us vision and courage to stand against oppression and injustice and all that worketh against the glorious liberty to which thou callest all thy children; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church celebrates Harriet Ross Tubman, Social Reformer, 1913 https://t.co/imm5spc4A8

Image: Carte-de-visite portrait (1868/9) by Benjamin F. Powelson, in the Collection of @NMAAHC shared with the Library of Congress. Public Domain (CC 0) pic.twitter.com/O0Jz5DSWLN

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) March 10, 2023

O God, who through thy Son has taught us that a house divided against itself must fall: Save us, we beseech thee, from the danger of a divided allegiance; unite our hearts to fear thy name; and grant that in all our course of life our eye may be single and our purpose one; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

All wildlife pictures I post on X are taken from my property in Northern Maine.
I hope you enjoy them. pic.twitter.com/b27lepnA6a

— Dogman (@Dogman1013) March 9, 2026