BREAKING NEWS Famous televangelist Jimmy Swaggart dies at age 90
Swaggart's passing comes weeks after he suffered a cardiac arrest in his Louisiana home on June 15.
A Grammy-nominated preacher, Swaggart was best known as the legendary leader behind the SonLife Broadcasting Network and pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge.
Famed for his dramatic performances in front of huge crowds, his ministry was rocked by scandal in 1988 when he was implicated in multiple prostitution scandals.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as information is confirmed.
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BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Jimmy Swaggart, ogbonge televangelist wey die at di age of 90 bin make news for im following and scandal
US televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, don die at di age of 90 years. Di family say di preacher bin dey intensive care for hospital afta im bin suffer heart attack for im house for Baton Rouge on 15 June. "For ova seven decades, Brother Swaggart bin pour out im life to preach di gospel, sing songs of faith, and point millions to di saving power of Jesus Christ and di Baptism of di Holy Spirit," im church tok for inside statement as dem confam im death. Dis na tins you need to know about di Ogbonge American evangelist. Life and times of Jimmy Swaggart Oga Swaggart bin start to broadcast sermons in di 1960s and become a pioneer of televangelism, wey extend im his success into a media empire until one sex scandal ssata eviritin. For im peak in di 1980s, Oga Swaggart broadcast bin dey reach millions of viewers for more dan 100 kontris and e bring in $140 million a year, along wit sales of gospel albums and branded items wey range from bible study manuals to remake of Jesus crown of thorns. Im bin describe imself as an "old-fashioned, Holy Ghost-filled, shouting, weeping, soul-winning, Gospel-preaching preacher" to di media. Im Family Worship Center for Baton Rouge dey sit 7,000 pipo, wia im dey conduct im intense services. Worshipers often dey cry and sometimes speak in tongues - na sign of deep devotion for American Pentecostal faith wey Oga Swaggart bin dey practice. Im bin dey like to preach about di eternal struggle between good and evil, wey bin include sermons against temptations of di flesh. For 1988, wen im been dey reign well-well, photographers bin snap oga Swaggart for New Orleans wit a sex worker. Di fallout increase afta im bin address di incident wit im congregation. For one televised appearance, im bin beg for forgiveness for im sins as tears roll down for im face. "To di hundreds of millions wey I don stand bifor … I don sin against una, and I dey beg una to forgive me," im tok. "I don sin against you, my Lord." Oga Swaggart bifor dis mata bin dey highly critical of oda high-profile preachers, especially those wey get similar scandals. Im bin also make controversial comments about Catholicism and Judaism, e call dem illegitimate faiths. Tori be say dem catch again wit a sex worker again three years later, dis time na for California. Im bin no too apologise like im bin do for di first one, "di Lord bin tell me say na none of una business," na so im tok for one broadcast. Afta di New Orleans scandal, dem comot Oga Swaggart from di ultra-conservative Assemblies of God, one association of Pentecostal churches. Religious network drop im programs and di size of im ministry, wey once be a major employer for Louisiana, shrink. Legal troubles wey get to do wit tax payments further drain im resources.
Daily Mail
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Brad Pitt reveals ONLY two women have left him starstruck (and it wasn't Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie)
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The Independent
26 minutes ago
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University of Virginia president resigned after ‘pressure campaign' from Trump admin to remove him from post
The president of the University of Virginia has resigned after facing pressure from the Justice Department over his institution's alleged failure to DEI values, according to reports. James Ryan submitted his resignation on Friday and posted an open letter on social media explaining the decision, saying he had made it 'with a very heavy heart' and that, while he is 'inclined to fight for what I believe in,' he could not 'make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job.' His departure from the school he has served since 2018 will be effective 'no later than August 15,' The New York Times has since reported. The NYT first reported that the administration was trying to force Ryan out of his role on Thursday, a saga that began earlier this year when members of the UVA board alleged that it was not in compliance with Trump's January executive order banning organizations that receive federal funding from engaging in DEI hiring practices. The UVA's Board of Visitors voted unanimously to shut down its DEI offices in March but Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department's civil rights division, went on to write to Ryan on April 28 notifying him about the complaints regarding his leadership. That was followed by another letter on June 17 that warned the administrator: 'Time is running short, and the department's patience is wearing thin.' Ryan's resignation letter last week made clear that he felt he faced an ultimatum: step down or cost the university millions of dollars in vital support. 'While there are very important principles at play here, I would at a very practical level be fighting to keep my job for one more year while knowingly and willingly sacrificing others in this community,' he wrote. Dhillon, who happens to be an alumna of the UVA School of Law, responded to his ousting by saying: 'The United States Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal discrimination in publicly-funded universities. We have made this clear in many ways to the nation's most prominent institutions of higher education, including the University of Virginia. 'When university leaders lack commitment to ending illegal discrimination in hiring, admissions, and student benefits – they expose the institutions they lead to legal and financial peril. We welcome leadership changes in higher education that signal institutional commitment to our nation's venerable federal civil rights laws.' A spokesperson for the university said: 'UVA is committed to complying with all federal laws and has been cooperating with the Department of Justice in the ongoing inquiries. The federal government's support of the university is essential to continue the core mission of research, education and clinical care.' Two of the state's Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, have since leapt to Ryan's defense, declaring in a joint statement: 'It is outrageous that officials in the Trump Department of Justice demanded the Commonwealth's globally recognized university remove President Ryan – a strong leader who has served UVA honorably and moved the university forward – over ridiculous 'culture war' traps. 'Decisions about UVA's leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia's well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future.' Warner also spoke up for Ryan on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday morning, telling anchor Margaret Brennan: 'This is the most outrageous action, I think, this crowd has taken on education. 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Ross Mugler, acting CEO and board chair of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, warned: 'The situation at the University of Virginia represents a serious escalation in the political pressure campaign against higher education – and a clear signal that this fight is not confined to elite private institutions like Harvard or Columbia. 'What we're seeing is a widening effort to reshape governance, leadership and institutional autonomy across the entire sector – including public universities that serve as civic anchors and engines of opportunity in their states.'
