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Trump-Endorsed Bibles Stir Controversy In Oklahoma’s $3m School Plan

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Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is pushing forward with his plan to introduce Bibles into classrooms, opening bids Monday for a contract to supply 55,000 Bibles to the state’s Department of Education.

The move follows his long-held stance of incorporating the Bible into the educational environment, but the specifics of the bid have raised legal and ethical concerns.

According to the bid documents, the Bibles must adhere to strict requirements: they must be King James Version (KJV), include both the Old and New Testaments, and be bound in leather or leather-like material.

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Additionally, they must contain several American founding documents, including the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

However, finding Bibles that meet these criteria has proven challenging. A salesperson from Mardel Christian & Education, a major supplier of Christian educational materials, reported that despite carrying 2,900 different Bibles, none met the bid’s specifications.

Yet, one Bible does: the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible—often referred to as the “Trump Bible”—endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Priced at $60 each, this Bible is available online, with Trump receiving fees for his endorsement. Another option, the We The People Bible, endorsed by Donald Trump Jr., retails for $90.

The involvement of Trump-endorsed products has sparked criticism.

Colleen McCarty, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, expressed concerns about the bid process.

“The RFP on its face seems fair, but with additional scrutiny, we can see there are very few Bibles on the market that would meet these criteria, and all of them have been endorsed by former President Donald Trump,” McCarty said.

Former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson weighed in, suggesting that the specifications could be legally questionable. “It appears to me that this bid is anything but competitive,” Edmondson said.

“It adds to the basic specification other requirements that have nothing to do with the text.

“The special binding and inclusion of government documents will exclude almost all bidders. If the bid specs exclude most bidders unnecessarily, I could consider that a violation.”

Beyond the potential legal and competitive issues, concerns about the cost have emerged. If the state opts for the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible at $60 per copy, the total expense for 55,000 Bibles would amount to $3.3 million.

Walters’ agency had requested $3 million from the Oklahoma Legislature as part of its fiscal year 2026 budget, specifically earmarked for Bible purchases, despite cheaper options being readily available.

Paperback versions of the New King James Version can be purchased for as little as $2.99, and free Bible apps are widely accessible.

Walters has frequently spoken about his desire to place Bibles in classrooms, though he has clarified that they would only be used in academic contexts, such as history or literature classes.

However, with only 43,000 classroom teachers in the state, many of whom do not teach these subjects, the request for 55,000 copies has drawn skepticism.

“We have talked about ensuring that our history courses include the role the Bible played throughout American history,” Walters said.

“We’ve talked about the efforts of left-wing groups and the teachers’ unions to drive the Bible out of school. I believe it’s important for historical context for our kids to understand the role the Bible played.”

The inclusion of government documents in the Bible has been another sticking point, with Walters explaining that while he does not want “extra things” added, items like the Constitution and the Magna Carta could be valuable historical references.

 

 

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Ferrari’s First Electric Car Makes History With Record $40m Auction Sale

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Ferrari’s first fully electric car, the Luce, has made automotive history after a bespoke version of the vehicle sold for a record $40 million at a charity auction in California.

The tailor-made Ferrari Luce “Chassis 0” was sold during Monterey Car Week on Saturday, becoming the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, according to collector car auction company RM Sotheby’s.

The winning bid was 36 times the car’s original estimate of $1.1 million.

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Ferrari USA celebrated the landmark sale in an Instagram post, saying, “The bids kept climbing. Then, history was made,” while describing the transaction as a new record for the highest-priced new car ever sold at auction.

The sale comes months after Ferrari unveiled the Luce in May. The electric model features a distinctive bubble-like design that differs significantly from the Italian automaker’s traditional angular styling and has received mixed reactions from some Ferrari enthusiasts.

Ferrari previously described the Luce as “a different sort of Ferrari for a different sort of Ferrari client.”
The Luce is powered by four electric motors, with one motor driving each of its four wheels.

The exclusive “Chassis 0” features a pearl-like semi-gloss finish with a personalised pigment that produces changing reflections ranging from green to violet when struck by light.

Its interior is equally distinctive, featuring Perla Le Mans metallic leather and black design elements against a predominantly white background.

Ferrari said proceeds from the record-breaking auction will go to The Ferrari Foundation to support educational initiatives.

Following the auction, the vehicle will return to Maranello, northern Italy, where it was built, before being delivered to the unnamed winning bidder in the first quarter of 2027.

Meanwhile, deliveries of the regular Ferrari Luce, priced at about €550,000 ($640,000), are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

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Trump Threatens to Bomb Oman Over Iran Deal

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US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if the country obstructs efforts to reach a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the threat on Monday during an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing discussions between Oman and Iran concerning control and navigation through the strategic waterway.

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“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst, referring to the talks between Oman and Iran while the United States pursues its own discussions with Tehran.

Iranian and Omani officials have been negotiating for weeks over future maritime navigation arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Iran effectively restricted traffic through the waterway at the beginning of the war on February 28, while Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strategic route should be under US control.

On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory. Iran rejected the position, insisting that the crucial waterway would “remain Iranian.”

Before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an open international waterway. The route is critical to global energy supplies and carries significant volumes of oil and other commodities.

Iran has used its control over the strait as leverage against US-led efforts to weaken its military capabilities and force Tehran to abandon its controversial nuclear programme.

Trump also called on Iran to surrender, saying Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender.”

Despite the growing tensions and the political pressure surrounding the conflict ahead of the November midterm elections in the United States, Trump said he was not in a hurry to reach a deal.

He further disclosed that his administration maintains a direct back-channel with officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump was quoted as saying.

 

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Petro Warns Colombia Is Heading Toward Civil War After Alleged Election Fraud

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Colombia’s outgoing President, Gustavo Petro, has warned that the country could descend into civil war following what he described as widespread fraud in the recent presidential election.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Petro claimed that the June presidential runoff was tainted by “algorithmic, systemic electoral fraud” involving a massive number of votes, insisting the results were manipulated against his political ally, Ivan Cepeda.

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“We are facing fraud and an undoubtedly profound institutional problem, namely the inauguration of an illegitimate president,” Petro said.

The outgoing leader alleged that “foreign money and foreign companies with the capacity to manipulate algorithms” interfered in Colombia’s electoral process, accusing external actors of influencing the outcome of the election.

Petro’s remarks come just days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is due to be sworn into office on Friday in the southwestern city of Cali, a departure from the longstanding tradition of holding presidential inaugurations before Congress in the capital, Bogota.

The Colombian leader also claimed that De la Espriella, who received the endorsement of United States President Donald Trump before the election, plans to extradite him to the United States on what he described as false charges.

Warning of the potential consequences, Petro said, “It’s crystal clear what a civil war in Colombia could look like,” arguing that public resistance to the incoming administration’s actions could trigger widespread unrest.

The political crisis has deepened further after the left-wing bloc in Congress, led by Cepeda, announced it would boycott De la Espriella’s inauguration and called for nationwide mobilization against the president-elect.

Observers have also raised concerns that Colombia could witness a return to violent street protests similar to those experienced between 2019 and 2021, which left dozens dead.

Despite having no prior political experience, De la Espriella has pledged to boost private investment, shrink the size of government by 40 percent, and intensify military operations against guerrilla groups and drug cartels as the country battles its worst surge in violence in a decade.

His inauguration is scheduled for Friday amid heightened political tensions and growing uncertainty over Colombia’s future.

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