In a significant policy shift, the IRS has announced that churches and religious leaders can now endorse political candidates without risking their tax-exempt status. This ruling reverses a longstanding ban and permits clergy to support candidates from the pulpit or during services, a move seen by some as enhancing the political influence of religious institutions. Critics, however, have expressed concerns regarding the implications of this decision, arguing that it may lead to increased partisanship in places of worship and undermine the separation of church and state.