(SRN NEWS)-( ) The commission organizing America’s 250th birthday celebration wants to turn it into the country’s single biggest year for volunteering. But America Gives, the program unveiled last month, will have to revitalize a culture of service that has recently waned. Just 28 percent of Americans say they volunteered time to a religious or secular charitable organization […]
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(SRN NEWS)-( ) The commission organizing America’s 250th birthday celebration wants to turn it into the country’s single biggest year for volunteering. But America Gives, the program unveiled last month, will have to revitalize a culture of service that has recently waned. Just 28 percent of Americans say they volunteered time to a religious or secular charitable organization in 2025, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. And volunteering rates overall still aren’t back to pre-pandemic levels. However, Christians are volunteering their time at a higher rate than the general population and they’re giving more money too.
( ) President Trump says he’s endorsing Nassau County’s Republican executive for governor in this year’s New York race. The endorsement could help ensure that Bruce Blakeman doesn’t face a serious contender in his push to win the GOP primary. Blakeman came to national prominence for championing a policy that bans teams and organizations that let males play against females from using Nassau County sports facilities. He has also created a volunteer law enforcement unit that works alongside federal authorities in President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. If Blakeman wins the nomination he will face incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochl.
( ) A federal appeals court says the Trump administration can continue to withhold Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood while legal challenges continue. President Trump and the Republican-led Congress cut Medicaid reimbursement for America’s largest abortion business and some other abortion providers in July, sparking multiple lawsuits. In two cases, a federal judge issued preliminary orders siding with Planned Parenthood and a coalition of mostly Democratic states, but an appeals court overturned the first order on December 12th and has now put the second one on hold. A third case was recently abandoned by a network of Maine clinics.
( ) Eight-time Grammy-nominated gospel singer Richard Smallwood has died at 77. His songs were recorded by artists such as Whitney Houston and inspired many, including Chaka Khan, who praised his brilliance and spirit. Smallwood was a music pioneer in multiple ways at Howard University in Washington, where he was a member of the school’s first gospel group, the Celestials. After college, he taught music at the University of Maryland and went on to form the Richard Smallwood Singers in 1977, bringing a contemporary sound to traditional gospel music. He later formed Vision, a large choir that fueled some of his biggest gospel hits.