Kristi Noem Fired, Iran Chooses Leader, and Pakistan Fights Taliban

The Bulletin

Christianity Today

News, News Commentary, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.4 • 586 Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

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Summary

President Trump fires Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and chooses Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to take her place. Then, a parent from Georgia is convicted of second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after giving his son a gun with which he shot four individuals at his school. And, the son of the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been chosen as the next supreme leader of Iran. Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss the headlines, and then Clarissa sits down with Knox Thames to talk about the conflict between Pakistan and the Taliban and religious freedom in the region. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Blood and Water: The Life and Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Knox Thames is a diplomat and international human rights lawyer who served for 20 years in the US government across multiple administrations, most recently in the Obama and Trump administrations as a State Department special envoy for religious minorities in the Middle East and South/Central Asia. He is the executive director of the new Center for Global Religious Freedom, an initiative of Dallas Baptist University. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	As hosts of The Bulletin, we are passionate about featuring voices you know and love as we share breaking news and discuss issues that are shaping our world.
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0:24.4	that elevates the stories and the ideas in the kingdom of God.
0:28.3	That's orderc.com forward slash the bulletin, all one word.
0:33.8	We look forward to having you join us.
0:42.3	Music We look forward to having you join us. From Christianity, today you're listening to The Bulletin, a podcast about the people,
0:47.0	events, and issues that are shaping our world.
0:49.7	I'm Clarissa Mall.
0:51.3	This week, the Department of Homeland Security receives a new secretary. The first
0:56.0	parent is sentenced for second-degree murder in a school shooting, and Iran chooses a new leader.
1:02.1	Mike Cosper and I discuss these headlines, and Knox Thames joins us to explain the conflict in
1:07.6	Pakistan and the costs of religious freedom in South Asia. Welcome to the show.
1:17.7	Last Thursday, President Trump fired Department of Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noam,
1:23.3	the first of his cabinet appointees to get a pink slip. Quickly, the president moved to select Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullen to take her place.
1:32.3	Mike, what cost Christy Knoem her job?
1:35.2	The whole sort of DHS operation has been the subject of bad press since she took over the institution.
1:43.0	No one was hired largely because so much of the way Trump
1:47.4	thinks about leadership in his administration is about the theater of it and how people do on
1:53.5	television. And Noam has a certain set of instincts for those values. You were always seeing these
1:59.6	pictures of her, often wearing tight t-shirts
2:02.4	and posing with guns and military fatigue kind of things or standing in front of prisoners.
	...

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