What We’re Watching - 7/31/25
With so much going on, it is understandable for people to feel news whiplash. To help our partners stay focused and find the signal in the noise, we are happy to share what we are tracking this month:
The Main Point: July brought a historic shift in long-established church-state norms alongside an escalating campaign to undermine freedom of the press.
Some Examples:
Overruled law means clergy can no longer avoid political pressure– On July 7, the IRS announced in a court filing that religious institutions can endorse political candidates from the pulpit without risking tax-exempt status. This law reversal removes a protection that has helped religious leaders avoid political pressure for 70 years. Jewish leaders are sounding alarms, with rabbis across denominations warning it will subject clergy to political manipulation and divide congregations.
Legal pressure campaigns force major media settlements– On July 1, Paramount and CBS settled President Trump's “60 Minutes” lawsuit for $16 million. The case follows similar settlements by ABC ($15 million) and Meta ($25 million). Media companies may be reluctant to report on the Administration going forward – a potentially chilling effect for a free press.
NGOs respond to House panel demands– More than 600 nonprofits united to publicly rebuke the House Homeland Security Committee’s “letters of inquiry” to some 200 NGOs. We will continue to watch these continued attempts to intimidate nonprofits whose activities are politically unfavorable to the Administration. Click here for topic-specific primers on what to do if your organization is targeted.
Why it matters: The Johnson Amendment reversal, media settlements, and investigations targeting nonprofits represent simultaneous erosions of traditional safeguards (one removing barriers between religious institutions and politics, another undermining press independence, and a third threatening civil society organizations).
Read more from the What We’re Watching archives:
