A Christian college ministry repeatedly failed to stop a convicted sex offender. Texas Democrats flee to Illinois in a showdown with Republicans over redistricting. And an ex-football coach launches a Senate bid in Georgia.
Here’s what to know today.
How a Christian college ministry glorified and enabled a sex offender
Daniel Savala, a revered Pentecostal missionary, challenged his young followers to live for Jesus. In a 2023 confession, he revealed religion was just “a cover” to get them undressed.
In a video filmed by his lawyer, Savala described how, for decades, he gained the trust of college students who sought spiritual guidance to sexually exploit them. He would touch their penises and pressure them to touch his, all under the guise of bringing them closer to Jesus.
“He would say things like, ‘Hey, you know it’s OK to masturbate,’” said Joseph Cleveland, adding that Savala groomed and sexually abused him for a decade beginning in 2004, when he was 15. “‘Because we’re brothers, we can do it together.’”
The pastors who shepherded hundreds of high school and college students to Savala’s home were part of Chi Alpha, a Christian ministry that evangelizes on university campuses. The group is run by the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination.
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Savala’s ministry collapsed in early 2023 when several men came forward to accuse him and some of his protégés of sexual abuse and exploitation, leading to Savala’s arrest and charges for at least six others. As he awaits trial, Assemblies of God leaders have tried to distance themselves, maintaining that Savala was not employed by Chi Alpha and was never credentialed to preach with them.
But an NBC News investigation shows that Savala was deeply entrenched in Chi Alpha, hailed by many as a brilliant theologist. The reporting reveals that Assemblies of God leaders — all the way up to the denomination’s national superintendent — were warned repeatedly about Savala’s troubling history but did not cut off his influence. These failures allowed more children and young men to be abused, the reporting shows.
Ministry officials defended Savala in 2012 when was charged with sexually abusing boys as a youth minister in the 1990s. In the decade that followed, multiple whistleblowers tried to alert Assemblies of God that Chi Alpha was exposing students to a sex offender. Again and again, they were dismissed or ignored, NBC News found.
Read more from “Pastors and Prey”:
Assemblies of God church leaders allowed a children’s pastor to continue preaching for years after he was accused of sexually abusing girls.
Texas Democrats arrive in Illinois to deny GOP a quorum on redistricting
In an extraordinary move to counter Republican redistricting in Texas, dozens of Democrats in the state House of Representatives headed to Illinois to deny a necessary quorum for the GOP to move forward with those efforts.
Texas Democrats filed off buses and Ubers into a crammed county party headquarters Sunday night, standing alongside Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker met with the Texas caucus late last month and has directed his staff to provide logistical support for their stay.
Last week, Texas Republicans proposed a new congressional map that would give the GOP a path to pick up five seats in next year’s midterm elections. The move came after public pressure from Trump as he works to keep a majority in Congress.
Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said that he believes about 57 Democrats have left the state, with the bulk staying in Illinois for at least the immediate future. Others are in Boston and Albany, N.Y.
“We will not be complicit in the destruction of our own communities. We’re not here to play political games, we’re here to demand an end to this corrupt process,” Wu said.
In response to their actions, Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to try to remove the Democrats from the state Legislature and said some of them may even be “felons.” They also face the risk of a $500-a-day fine.
More politics news:
Federal officials are investigating former special counsel Jack Smith after prominent Republicans alleged his investigations into then-presidential candidate Donald Trump amounted to illegal political activity.
The Senate confirmed former Fox News host and prosecutor Jeanine Pirro as the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
As Congress prepares for summer recess, Republicans will try to sell the unpopular “big, beautiful bill” in their home states, while Democrats are working on their big brand problem.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will once again mention Trump in an exhibit about presidential impeachments.
Republican Derek Dooley launches Senate bid to win Ossoff's seat
Former college football coach and attorney Derek Dooley launched his bid this morning for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, a prime pick-up opportunity for Republicans next year.
Georgia Republicans hope Dooley can win back the seat from Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. It’s a major target for the GOP to maintain or expand its slim Senate majority, especially given that Democrats have overperformed in the traditionally red state.
Gov. Brian Kemp was pushing Dooley, whose father was a University of Georgia legend, to get into the race. Dooley has hired some of the governor’s advisers to consult on his new bid, a source familiar with the campaign launch said.
Dooley hopes to bridge the gap between the Kemp wing of the party and MAGA loyalists after Trump sparred publicly with Kemp and other Georgia officials who refused to challenge his 2020 election loss in the state.
“Unlike Ossoff, I’ll work with President Trump to implement his agenda, support his Administration, and move our country forward,” Dooley said in a statement. “I’m not part of the political establishment, and I haven’t spent my life climbing the D.C. political ladder.”
Read All About It
Loni Anderson, who starred on the hit TV comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died at 79, just days before her birthday.
Authorities warn the Montana bar shooting suspect could return to the town of Anaconda as the search for him continues.
This cookware manufacturer is expecting to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in steel and aluminum tariffs this year.
A Chinese swimming prodigy is drawing global praise, but fans back home caution against overhyping her.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is causing unhealthy air quality across the Midwest and Northeast.
Staff Pick: China’s swimming prodigy draws praise and a note of caution
Swimmer Yu Zidi, 12, has become a global sensation with her history-making race times and her triumph as the youngest-ever medalist at the World Aquatics Championships. But fans and observers at home in China are cautioning against overhyping the young star. They warn that fame can lead to too much pressure, “toxic” sports fandom and public scrutiny. Our story by Peter Guo and Eve Qiao not only shines light on a talented young athlete, but it raises concerns about the stress that comes with pushing for medals. It’s an important reminder that we should take steps to separate achievement from identity, giving young people like Zidi the chance to “splash slowly into a wave,” as one Chinese outlet said.
— Kayla Hayempour, associate platforms editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
If you love to pamper your fur baby, consider giving your pup a dental chew. NBC Select’s editors rounded up top picks, approved by the veterinary experts. Plus, here’s everything vets want you to know about dog food and the best brands to try.
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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