Free Xi’s Political Prisoners and the Cost of Degrowth
Generation Z's surge in digital Christian content consumption reflects a troubling shift toward superficial, screen-based faith that lacks the depth and community of traditional church attendance.
As New York Post reports, young Americans are increasingly engaging with Christianity through influencers, podcasts, Bible apps and subscription services that promise convenient access to spiritual content. Yet this digital-first approach produces what critics describe as a shallow, commodified version of faith that prioritizes speed and convenience over depth and commitment.
Virtual Faith Replacing Real Worship
Freya India, writing at The Free Press, warns that the gamification of Christianity through apps and online communities creates the same problem seen with Instagram networks and digital pornography: users encounter virtual versions before experiencing authentic reality. Learning about faith may feel easier than ever, but the substance remains hollow.
The solution, India argues, requires offering Generation Z something that transcends market logic—a faith that cannot be accessed through subscribe buttons or algorithm-driven content feeds. Young people need to understand that genuine Christianity demands complexity and community found only by physically entering church buildings.
Economic Folly of Managed Decline
French economist Thomas Piketty has proposed capping gross domestic product per capita in wealthy nations at approximately $69,000, a scheme that would restrict United States growth to just 0.115% annually compared to the current average exceeding 3%.
Veronique de Rugy at Reason characterizes this degrowth agenda as global managed decline disguised as climate justice. The plan would require a coercive apparatus unprecedented in human history to restructure the global economy at such scale.
The proposal conflates poverty with inequality, promoted by affluent individuals who already enjoy high incomes, comfortable housing, generous healthcare and secure pensions. Implementation would harm not merely billionaires but every American citizen.
Inflation Concerns Persist Despite Some Relief
Consumer price index data for May showed inflation at 4.2% annually, though this figure came in better than market expectations given recent oil price shocks. Core inflation excluding food and energy slowed to a 2.9% annual rate, suggesting energy price increases have not spread throughout the broader economy.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board cautions against Federal Reserve interest rate hikes until price increases extend beyond the energy sector. An oil shock already functions as a blow to economic growth without monetary authorities raising borrowing costs to compound the damage.
Political Prisoners Should Top China Agenda
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s upcoming United States visit presents an opportunity for President Trump to demand the release of political prisoners as a precondition for negotiations. Olivia Enos and Michael Sobolik at the Washington Examiner emphasize that Trump previously raised specific cases including Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai and Chinese Christian pastor Ezra Jin Mingri during Beijing meetings.
Congress has passed resolutions calling for high-priority political prisoner releases, providing presidential mandate to leverage China’s need for American market access. If Beijing refuses to show mercy, negotiations should not proceed. Securing freedom for the unjustly detained represents core American values.
New York Targets Data Centers With Harmful Moratorium
New York state legislators approved what could become the nation’s first moratorium on large data center construction during the final days of the 2026 legislative session. The yearlong pause would remain open-ended and permanently increase deployment costs even for relatively small facilities.
Ken Girardin at City Journal notes lawmakers sought an energy scapegoat for soaring residential electricity rates, with data centers embodying popular anxieties about artificial intelligence as a job destroyer. Yet state policymakers, not data centers, drove rising electricity prices through their own regulatory choices.
The ban exempts public research institutions including the state’s 15-megawatt Empire AI project, revealing that Albany lawmakers may be less concerned about data centers than their public rhetoric suggests.
With information from New York Post
