June 16, 2025
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Georgia student competes in national RA Pinewood Derby

Mack Kenney poses with his car at the Royal Ambassador Pinewood Derby held June 9, just before the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas. (Index/Greg Teffertiller)
DALLAS — Georgia was well represented at the national Royal Ambassador Pinewood Derby held June 9, just before the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas. Among the participants was Mack Kenney, whose family are members at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta.
Trending stories
Chloe Taylor, a member of Lake Shore Baptist Church in Lake Dallas, Texas, waves a flag to call the next person in line at SBC registration in Dallas. (Baptist Press/Josselyn Guillen)
2025 Dallas messenger registration of 10,599 tops 2018 SBC meeting here
DALLAS (BP) — The 10,599 messengers who registered for the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting this week in Dallas topped the 9,632 who registered the last time the SBC gathered here in 2018, unofficial counts show.
Adam Wyatt, chair of the SBC Executive Committee’s Committee on Convention Finances and Stewardship Development, speaks as messengers approve the 2025-26 Cooperative Program allocation budget and additional business items during the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas. (Baptist Press/Sonya Singh)
Messengers approve $190 million CP allocation budget, business and financial plan, other items
DALLAS (BP) — Messengers to the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting approved a $190 million 2025-26 Cooperative Program allocation budget Wednesday, giving the Executive Committee a one-time $3 million special allotment for legal costs arising from investigations into its handling of sexual abuse claims.
Texas pastor Juan Sanchez puts forward a motion to amend the SBC Constitution with regard to the role of pastor. (Baptist Paper/Luc Stringer)
Amendment on role of women in pastoral ministry fails to achieve 2/3 vote
DALLAS (BP) – A proposed amendment to the SBC Constitution stating the office of pastor should be held only by men was rejected by messengers, receiving approximately 60 percent of the vote, but not reaching the required two-thirds marker.
Andrew Walker, chair of the Committee on Resolutions, gives the committee report during the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas. (The Baptist Paper/Van Payne)
Resolutions reflect SBC’s doctrinal commitments, cultural concerns at Dallas gathering
DALLAS — Messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly adopted resolutions of support for two time-honored tenets — the Cooperative Program and the Baptist Faith and Message.
A messenger to the SBC's 2025 annual meeting on Dallas raises his ballot to vote. (Baptist Paper/Mark Ira Hooks)
Messengers vote down motion to force financial transparency
DALLAS — Southern Baptist messengers to the 2025 Annual Meeting rejected an amendment Wednesday that would have required the Southern Baptist Convention to publish detailed financial information like IRS Form 990 disclosures.
Baptist Life

‘Stand together’ for the sake of reaching nations, Chitwood tells SBC messengers

Paul Chitwood, president of the IMB, thanked Southern Baptists for faithful giving to the Cooperative Program. Sixty-five percent of the CP funds IMB receives go directly to support overseas/field-based ministry. (Photo/IMB)
DALLAS — International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood encouraged all Southern Baptists to recognize their role in missions during the IMB report at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas.

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Volunteers provide a Thanksgiving meal in November 2024. (Photo/Matthew 25 Ministries via Facebook)
McMINNVILLE, Tenn. — “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in. I needed clothes, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you looked after me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me.”
Prayers are being offered for the church community of First Corinthian Baptist Church after a tragic bus accident that took the lives of two members. (Photo/via Kentucky Today)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – A tragic bus crash involving a Kentucky church claimed a husband and wife and left another person in critical condition Sunday morning. 
Harold Byron Twigg
Byron Twigg, age 83, of Statesboro, passed away Tuesday, June 10, 2025. A beloved husband, father and grandfather. Byron was born May 31, 1942. He received his Doctorate in Theology from Luther Rice College and Seminary in Stonecrest, GA. He was a Southern Baptist minister for over 50 years, with his most recent congregation at Clito Baptist Church in Statesboro, GA, where he became a source of guidance, inspiration and support for countless individuals and families.
Gen. Doug Carver leads a host of chaplains to the platform Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the SBC Annual Meeting. Messengers celebrated the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. (Baptist Press/Sonya Singh)
DALLAS — Clothed in his decorated, dress blue uniform, Gen. Doug Carver led a host of chaplains to the platform Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the SBC Annual Meeting. Carver led the messengers to celebrate freedom and honor service members, recognizing the important role chaplains play in Christian ministry.
Georgia

Leader of multimillion-dollar Georgia meth ring with ties to Mexico pleads guilty

ATLANTA — The head of a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking and money laundering ring faces at least a decade in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges involving methamphetamine “conversion” laboratories. Monica Dominguez Torres, 36, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced Monday.

Law enforcement personnel pose behind confiscated drugs. (Photo/Bibb County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook)

Drug trafficking investigation nets 11 arrests

ATLANTA – Eleven people have been arrested on drug, gun, and other charges following an investigation into gang-related criminal activities in Middle Georgia.
A man holds a lit cigarette while smoking in San Francisco, Dec. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Lawmakers, backed by health advocates, push for increase in cigarette tax

ATLANTA — Some Georgia lawmakers have been trying for years without success to raise Georgia’s tax on cigarettes, but some think cuts at the federal level may finally stir interest in their cause.
The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Supreme Court revives lawsuit from Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI will get a new day in court, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday.

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Nation
Claire Stein places flowers at a makeshift memorial for Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at the state Capitol, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Prosecutors say suspect in shooting of two Minnesota state lawmakers planned to target two others

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man accused of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another went to the homes of two other legislators on the night of the shootings, intending to inflict more carnage against those on his hit list, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

Cars are submerged in floodwaters, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Wheeling, W.V. (Wheeling West Virginia Fire Department via AP)

Flash flooding kills 5 in West Virginia, rescue teams searching for missing people

Flash flooding caused by torrential rains killed five people in northern West Virginia, and rescue crews were searching for three other people who were missing Sunday as authorities assessed damage to roads, bridges, natural gas lines, and other infrastructure.
Law enforcement officers grab a demonstrator outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs building during a riot Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Scattered violence as anti-Trump demonstrators crowd streets, parks and plazas across the US

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Masses of demonstrators packed into streets, parks, and plazas across the United States on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, marching through downtowns and small towns, blaring anti-authoritarian chants mixed with support for protecting democracy and immigrant rights. Violence broke out between authorities and protesters in Los Angeles and Portland, Ore.
Members of law enforcement agencies investigate near a vehicle suspected to belong to shooting suspect Vance Boelter, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Belle Plaine, Minn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Man suspected of shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers is in custody after surrendering to police

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (AP) — The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge.

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World
From left, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz participate in a session of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

G7 leaders want to contain the Israel-Iran conflict, as Trump calls for talks between the countries

KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) — The Group of Seven summit began in Canada on Monday with world leaders scrambling to contain the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, with U.S. President Donald Trump reiterating his call for the two nations to start negotiating.

Smoke rises from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran missile attacks on Israel kill 8; Israel warns some Tehran residents to evacuate before strikes

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks at Israel early Monday, killing at least eight people. Meanwhile, Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people in the middle of Tehran to evacuate ahead of new strikes.
Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a missile launched from Iran struck Haifa, in northern Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rami Shlush)

Israel and Iran trade strikes for a third day and threaten more to come

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel and Iran traded more missile attacks Sunday despite calls for a halt to the fighting, with neither country backing down as their conflict raged for a third day.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader, US official tells AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump rejected a plan presented by Israel to the U.S. to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

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Perspectives
Phil Hudgins
Have you ever thought about the importance, attraction, and power of water? That thought came to mind the other day as we watched our great-nephew, David Thomas, being baptized in a creek—Hagen Creek, to be exact, coincidentally, or providentially, the name of David’s church, Hagen Creek Community Church.
Todd Gaddis
One day, a parishioner went into the office of renowned 19th-century English preacher Joseph Parker and found him pacing back and forth, with hands clasped tightly behind his back. “Dr. Parker,” asked the man, “what’s the problem?” “To which he replied, “The problem is, I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t.” 
Ralph Fudge
A good friend of mine once said that whenever anyone tells him that he has been saved, the friend asks him when he had changed. My friend makes a good point by this question, because one is always changed by salvation. In fact, one’s heart is changed by God even before he can be saved.
Adam Dooley
To the world, she was Francis, but to us, she was Nanny. I first met her when my wife and I were dating. After eating at her table for the first time, I knew this was a family I wanted to be part of. Even better, though, was the example set by her and her husband.
David Chancey
Someone defined fathers as “men who give their daughters away to other men who aren’t nearly good enough so that they can have grandchildren who will be smarter than anyone else’s.”

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Business
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after arriving on Air Force One, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump announces new China trade deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will get magnets and rare earth minerals from China under a new trade deal and that tariffs on Chinese goods will rise to 55%.

Sales staffs work at an Apple shop in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh, File)

U.S. inflation remained mostly tame last month

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation remained mostly tame last month, though still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Trucks loaded with containers move through a container terminal port in Shanghai, China, Monday, June 9, 2025. (Chinatopix Via AP)

China says its exports to the US fell 35% in May, as trade talks are due to start in London

China's exports to the United States fell 35% in May from a year earlier, new customs data show, adding to pressure on the world's second-largest economy as a new round of trade talks with Washington was due to start later Monday in London.
Shoppers pass large-screen televisions on display in a Costco warehouse in Colorado Springs, Colo., Dec. 19, 2024 (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

US consumer confidence rebounds after five straight months of declines

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ views of the economy improved in May after five straight months of declines. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose 12.3 points in May to 98, up from April’s 85.7, its lowest reading since May 2020.
A shopper looks at plants at a Home Depot store in Hiram, Ga., July 15, 2022. (Index/Henry Durand, File)

Home Depot says it doesn't expect to boost prices because of tariffs

Home Depot doesn't expect to raise prices because of tariffs, saying it has spent years diversifying the sources for the goods on its shelves. Billy Bastek, executive vice president of merchandising, said during a conference call on Tuesday that Home Depot's suppliers have shifted sourcing across several countries and that the company doesn't expect any single country outside of the U.S. will represent more than 10% of its purchases 12 months from now.

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Sports
Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes, left, speaks with catcher Sean Murphy in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Holmes' 'special' game with 15 strikeouts is wasted in loss as Braves shift focus to visit from Mets

ATLANTA (AP) — Grant Holmes believed he was on the verge of a game to remember when the Atlanta right-hander reached 10 strikeouts for the first time in his career — and it was only the fifth inning.

Colorado Rockies' Ryan Ritter bunts against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

McMahon hits go-ahead homer in 7th as Rockies beat Holmes and Braves 10-1

ATLANTA (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh and the Colorado Rockies overcame Grant Holmes' 15-strikeout performance to beat the Atlanta Braves 10-1 on Sunday and avoid a series sweep.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (56) throws during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Spencer Schwellenbach pitches 1st career complete game as Braves top Brewers 6-2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Spencer Schwellenbach pitched his first career complete game, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. each hit a two-run homer, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 on Wednesday.
Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio watches after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Chourio, Bauers hit home runs to lead Brewers past Braves 4-1

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers hit home runs, Quinn Priester struck out seven in six strong innings, and the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Tuesday night.

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