George Floyd: We Rise. We Resist. We Remember. Five Years Later.
May 25, 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. In her message to the church honoring George Floyd, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton calls our attention to how this “horrific act revealed the deadly reality of racism in the United States for many across the world.” Eaton stresses that “racism is one of many tools of white supremacy and a sin that distorts God’s image in all of us, and it stands against the Gospel we proclaim.” ________________________________________________________________________________
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther. For more information, please visit http://ELCA.org
ELCA Advocacy welcomes Antoine Cummins as new Program Director for Civil Rights Policy.
Born on the Island of Barbados and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Antoine R. Cummins has spent 15 years serving the ELCA in various capacities including as Assistant to the Bishop of the Pacifica Synod, Advisory Board member of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, member of the ELCA Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church and Director of Campus Ministry at Waldorf University. “I find inspiration in how much healing can be found in community; when we approach each other with a posture of humility and walk away from our interactions with a sense of awe and wonder!”
Nevada would shoulder costs that have been almost entirely footed by the feds, more people would face work requirements, and fewer children would be eligible.
House Republicans have introduced a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that proposes major changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of a broader effort to make permanent the administration’s proposed tax cuts.
The legislation, unveiled May 13 by the GOP, would scale back federal spending on food and health-care assistance while preserving $4.6 trillion in tax relief.
Why It Matters
SNAP benefits are paid to low and no-income households across the U.S. that would otherwise struggle to afford groceries. Last year, the program reached some 41 million Americans.
The legislation, part of a wider reconciliation bill put forward by the GOP, seeks to cut $300 billion from Medicaid and SNAP over the next decade – well over the $230 billion in spending cuts originally ordered to be cut by the House Agriculture Committee, which oversees the program.
Key reforms include expanding SNAP work requirements and tightening eligibility criteria, which experts say would make it harder for older adults and low-income workers to qualify or stay enrolled. The bill is part of a broader Republican strategy to control federal deficits without touching defense spending or introducing tax reductions.
What to Know
The House bill would extend the tax cuts signed into law during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2017, due to expire in 2025. To offset the cost, Republicans included a suite of cuts to entitlement programs.
Among the changes are:
Work requirements for “able-bodied adults without dependents” would be expanded to cover those up to age 64, up from the current cap of 49.
Exemptions for individuals facing barriers to employment would be narrowed, and states would be given fewer waivers to bypass federal rules.
Administrative requirements would increase, including more stringent identity and income documentation, potentially causing eligible recipients to lose benefits due to paperwork delays.
Limiting future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, the formula that calculates SNAP amounts.
Forcing states to pay for more of SNAP administrative costs. Currently, benefit payments are funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and administrative costs are shared by federal and state governments.
Supporters have argued the plan encourages work and reduces long-term dependency on food benefits, while critics have warned it risks pushing millions into deeper poverty and would further strain already-vulnerable households.
Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada 