The month of June brings the start of summer AND the Braver Angels National Convention. If that is not reason to celebrate, we don’t know what is! To those of you who can make it, we look forward to seeing you in Philly! We will miss those of you unable to join us, but have no fear, regardless of whether or not you will join us as a Convention Delegate, we hope you will keep your ideas and feedback coming. You can start by sharing your thoughts in our latest resolution poll!
In this newsletter, you will find stories from our community, a recap of the June 2nd national debate, introductions of six summer interns, and much more.
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By the way: All pieces in this newsletter are free to read, and no subscription is required to access them via Substack (even though subscribing is free, too).
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Here are a few of our favorite recent stories from around the debates community.
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- On May 20, the Central NC Alliance hosted their fourth debate in cooperation with a local Catholic church. Debate Chair Jim Paisner, Debate Organizer Laura Gilliom, and a Debate Chair Trainee selected four resolutions from our Resolution Bank. Members of the alliance then voted, selecting “Resolved: Healthcare is a human right” for debate. Laura called the debate a success, noting Jim’s excellent work as Debate Chair, as well as the apt nature of the topic. For her, a highlight was a speaker who suggested we consider healthcare to be “a responsibility we have toward each other" rather than a right. The alliance was also pleased to have members of the UNC Chapel Hill campus community participate for the second time. Kudos to the Central Alliance—we look forward to seeing you in action in the months to come!
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In late June, the Laramie County Alliance will host a debate on the American Dream as a part of the Civic Season Celebration. In an effort to appeal to a younger audience, the Alliance — led by Debate Chair Tom Brantley—and the event co-sponsors, Civic Season for Cheyenne and the Laramie County Public Library, polled young people to determine topics of interest. Finding that the (in)accessibility of the American Dream was a top concern among this demographic, they decided to focus their resolution on how we define the American Dream. With the dedicated collaboration of all three partners, the debate planning is proceeding smoothly. We are excited to hear about how this great community collaboration manifests later this month!
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On May 30th, the North Carolina Triad Alliance hosted a Braver Angels debate on Resolved: There should be a national moratorium on AI data centers. Debate Organizer Kathe Latham and Alliance Co-Chair Lyn McCoy expected 20 participants. However, an impressive crowd of 37 turned out for the debate at First Baptist Church in Greensboro. Debate Chair Steve Warshaw reported an engaged and lively debate, and noted the nuance of the topic. Of the 37 attendees, 17 gave a speech, and seven asked at least one question. “We took a 10-minute break at the halfway point. When we resumed afterward, almost every chair was filled,” Steve told the Debate Dispatch. Congratulations all on a great debate!
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Thanks to our interns Logan Hollins and Emily Kantner for their hardy reporting!
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July 9 @ 7 pm ET
Resolution Development Workshop
Register here
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And...save the date!
August 11 @ 8 pm ET
National Debate
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Interested in joining an upcoming mock debate for additional practice or to help train new Debate Chairs? The next one is Tues July 28 at 7 pm ET. Email us at deb...@braverangels.org if you’d like to join.
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Fall Internship Applications Now Open
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Interested in joining the Braver Angels Debate team as an intern? Applications for our Fall 2026 Internships are now open! These internships are ideal for college students, graduate students, or recent graduates with experience or interest in political engagement, depolarization, or civic and political nonprofits.
Questions? Email us at deb...@braverangels.org. Apply by Sunday, July 26.
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Reflections on our June 2026 debate on Christianity and politics
By Maeve Korengold
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When I was first asked to chair the recent national debate on Christianity and Politics, I wondered if I had been typecast. If you know me, you know I am very interested in, and critical of, the dominant role Christianity has historically played in American law, politics, and culture. In the fall, I’ll begin a PhD in American Studies focused on Jewish identity formation in the United States and the ways law, race, and religion shape belonging.
In other words, the questions at the heart of this resolution are questions I’ve been wrestling with for years: What role should religion play in public life? What does religious freedom require of a pluralistic society? How should a nation whose citizens hold profoundly different beliefs about morality, tradition, and the common good be governed??
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🏖 Meet the Summer Interns
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We’re pleased to announce our newest cohort of interns. This summer Emily, Johana, Lana, Logan, Natalie, and Nora are excited to join us at Braver Angels. On projects from this very newsletter to local debate resource development and everything in between, we are grateful to have such thoughtful young people in our corner!
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🔆 Debate Highlights: Red/Blue at BA
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Is the Red/Blue dichotomy the best way to ensure viewpoint diversity at Braver Angels? Check out our May National Debate.Thanks to our friends Robert Hansen and Emily Kantner for help editing this video!
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“Blue books won’t save our children from AI” by Ben Austin for The Hill
💭 Lots to ponder as the world considers what role, if any, AI should have in education. –Logan
24 in 24: Last Chef standing, Season 3 on the Food Network.
💭 This elimination-style show follows top chefs in the country as they face a series of intense challenges over the course of 24 hours—the catch is that they must stay awake the entire time! Their skill, culinary knowledge, humor and mental toughness are fascinating! -Nora
“The Punchline,” Noah Eckstein, 2026 Harvard Commencement Address
💭 This commencement address is very Braver Angels-esque so it is no surprise that it has been shared by several members of the Braver Angels community! -Team
“View the FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Schedule,” FIFA
💭 The 2026 World Cup has started with 48 teams competing across North America, and the final game will be held in the US in July! -Emily
“Tolerance For Religious Freedom, Israel’s Influence, and Government’s Role in AI Job Loss” by More In Common
💭 These are great: one key point is that Americans of different faith groups (including atheists) ALL underestimate how tolerant their peers in other faith groups are of religious freedom and pluralism. –Sam
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Dear friends,
Summer is upon us…and that means the 2026 Braver Angels National Convention! We are looking forward to seeing many of you there. There will be something for everyone—whether you give a speech on a pressing topic such as artificial intelligence, immigration, or voter identification, learn to chair debates yourself, or begin organizing a debate for your community, we look forward to growing together. For now, allow me to tell you more about what we have been up to at Debates HQ the last few weeks.
In May, 259 of you joined us as we turned our methods inward in a debate on the future of the Red/Blue dichotomy at Braver Angels. Many of you shared passionate speeches for or against the dichotomy. (If you missed it, check out the highlights or view the full debate to hear what your fellow courageous citizens are thinking.) Shortly thereafter, we welcomed our first wave of summer interns. They got to work right away helping to shape our Convention sessions and other upcoming events.
Last week, we welcomed three more interns and hosted our June national debate on Christianity and politics. (If you weren’t able to join us, check out the recording or Madam Chair Maeve Korengold’s reflections.) In that same week, Sam represented Braver Angels at the World Expression Forum (WEXFO) Conference in Norway, leading three Braver Angels debates for conference goers. Back on this side of the Atlantic, I also had the opportunity to chair a debate at WelcomeFest.
During this time, leaders like you in communities across the country have hosted 5 debates on topics including data centers, ranked-choice voting, and healthcare. Many more of you continue to train as debate volunteers (16 new enrollees in May!). Others of you are hard at work planning debates for June and the months to follow.
Keep up the great work and stay tuned—we will have photos and stories from the Convention, an August national debate resolution, and much much more for you next month!
Resolved,
Natalie Laroche
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