The most consequential story of the week is, no doubt, Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her 2024 running mate. The internet almost immediately erupted, with critics digging into Mr. Walz’s past to point out controversial policy positions. 

“‘Tampon Tim’ became the top trender Tuesday on X shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris announced Mr. Walz as her running mate, a reference to the bill he signed last year requiring schools to provide free menstrual products in all student restrooms in grades 4-12,” The Washington Times’ Valerie Richardson writes. Read more about it here.

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Evangelical power slips

A new survey from veteran evangelical pollster George Barca finds that the religious right is poised to have less impact on the presidential election than ever before.

Mr. Barna’s survey found that just 10% of U.S. adults are evangelical Christians in a traditional sense, the equivalent of 25 to 30 million people, and only one-third of them are “very likely” to vote in November’s election, The Times’ Sean Salai writes. Read more here.

Olympic outrage, part two

The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony continues to spark outrage from the public and religious leaders alike. The Vatican joined the voices lambasting the ceremony, which featured what many saw as an offensive, drag-queen-led reenactment of “The Last Supper.”

“The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offense caused to many Christians and believers of other religions,” read a statement issued last weekend. Read more here.

Plus, the debate over two boxers whose gender is in dispute persists. The feud between the International Olympic Committee and the International Boxing Association has only intensified over the gender-disputed boxers, with no conclusive end in sight.

Cuba Gooding Jr. speaks on biblical stories returning to Hollywood

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr., who has been acting since the 1980s, says Hollywood finally sees the value in uplifting, powerful, faith-based movies. In an interview with The Washington Times’ Higher Ground, Billy Hallowell talks with him about his career, avoiding negativity and staying grounded in his faith. Mr. Gooding stars in the new faith film “The Firing Squad,” which is based on a true story and is in theaters now. Watch the discussion.

NCAA fight over female sports

Republicans are urging the NCAA to “limit participation in female sports to biological women only, citing the threat from the Biden administration’s ‘unprecedented assault’ on Title IX,” as Ms. Richards writes. 

Thus far, the NCAA has allowed male-born students identifying as female to play against women so long as they meet criteria, including testosterone serum levels. Here’s more on the letter Senate Republicans recently sent to the student athletics regulatory body.

Scary study on kids and screen time

The Times’ Sean Salai breaks down a new analysis of 100 international studies that collectively include a whopping 176,742 participants — and the results are deeply concerning.

“A new study finds that young children watching digital screens by themselves develop more mental struggles and behavior problems, as parents ignore them to fixate on their own devices,” he writes. Here’s more on the eyebrow-raising data.

In our opinion

Olympic hope. Despite so much Olympic furor, Mr. Hallowell reveals the bright lights that can be seen amid the darkness. “Many athletes competing in the Olympics this year have offered powerful performances in their sports, while simultaneously sharing their extraordinary faith and devotion to God,” he writes. Read more about the four Olympic stars who have some truly incredible stories.  

A leader to follow. Everett Piper in his “Ask Dr. E” column answers an intriguing question amid what many see as a crisis of moral and ethical leadership. A reader asks, “Do you have a key leader you look to for inspiration? Is there a model leader that you believe exceeds all others and sets an example all of us should be following?” Here’s his response.

The bestselling book of all time. Did you know the Bible is the most read and sold book in history? “By most estimations, upwards of 7 billion Bibles have been sold over the years, making it the most popular title of all-time,” Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, writes. “Breaking it down even more granularly, 6.4 Bibles are sold every 10 seconds.” Here’s why that matters.

The real danger surrounding the gender battle. Ken Harrison and Promise Keepers ask a key question in a new column: What’s really under attack when men masquerade as women? Here’s their answer.