OUR STAFF

Ministers All of us

Pastor Rev. Cleo Graham

Deacon Chairperson Charron Stoddart

Moderator Min. Patricia Hollis

Minister of Music Wayne Dixon

Secretary Patricia Gray

Sound Technician Bruce MacCullagh

Treasurer Gail Martin

Sexton Thomas Best

Child Care Providers Kendall Hayes &

Ketaliah Brown

Holy Dysfunction
God enters the world in infinite ways. For Christians, the most important way was through a blended, non-traditional family with very imperfect ancestors.
Turn on the Lamps
We want a glimpse of the face of God, reassuring us that we are not alone, that the cycle of death and rebirth has not stalled but will continue.
With or From?
Invasive species tend to take over and cause all kinds of problems, and there’s no species more invasive than humans. We’ve left no corner of the planet untouched.
Delights of Discipline
‘Discipline’ can be overused when it comes from a disciplinarian with an axe to grind. But discipline – the steady practices of disciples – can lead to wonders, too.
Advent’s Thirst
A week before Christmas, we may know the psalmist’s thirst. We may feel their loneliness. If that’s true for you, take time to drink and drink and drink in the river of God’s love.

Synod approves nonbinary bylaw language — and keeps Robert’s Rules
United Church of Christ delegates cared enough about Robert’s Rules of Order to give them a separate vote at this year’s General Synod. The result: those rules will still be named in the UCC Bylaws as the way to conduct… The post Synod approves nonbinary bylaw language — and keeps Robert’s Rules appeared first on […]
Church leaders welcome baseball name change in Cleveland
Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team will take the field in 2022 with a new name: Guardians. United Church of Christ leaders welcomed the team’s July 23 announcement. For decades, the denomination has pressed for the name “Indians” to be replaced.… The post Church leaders welcome baseball name change in Cleveland appeared first on United Church […]
Pastors appreciate stewardship resources; ‘Rooted in Love’ now available for fall campaigns
How do you build an effective stewardship campaign? Ask a pastor who has done just that. That’s what the United Church of Christ OPTIC team did when it came time to develop this year’s stewardship theme materials. The Rev. Andrew… The post Pastors appreciate stewardship resources; ‘Rooted in Love’ now available for fall campaigns appeared […]
Synod learns about giving trends, impacts on ministry budgets, ‘experiments in fundraising’
At General Synod, when the business focused on finance and budgets, the talk turned once again to generating new sources of income to underwrite the work and mission of the United Church of Christ. “Long-term trends in Our Church’s Wider… The post Synod learns about giving trends, impacts on ministry budgets, ‘experiments in fundraising’ appeared […]
Synod closing gavel signals change in UCCB leadership
A transition in leadership for the United Church of Christ Board took place at the end of General Synod 33. The closing gavel ended the term of Board Chair Yvette Wynn and signaled the beginning two-year terms of new Board… The post Synod closing gavel signals change in UCCB leadership appeared first on United Church […]

Why Biden’s 'drop by' with Belarus opposition leader matters
The president signaled support for democracy over autocracy, after failing to meet with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya last week.
Latest solution for the global food supply? Less (waste) is more.
A U.N. pre-summit is highlighting a shift in thinking on how to improve the world’s food supply. Reduce food waste, and not just at fancy restaurants.
Summer school re-imagined: Sword fighting, gardening, and closing the gap
Can a summer make up for a “lost year” of education? Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of several cities trying to re-imagine summer school in the midst of the pandemic.
Atlanta-area spa shooter pleads guilty to four of eight murders
The Atlanta spa shooter, who murdered eight people – mostly Asian women – pleaded guilty to four of the murders and was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday. He is also facing four other murder charges in a neighboring county, where he could face the death penalty.
‘You held the line’: Police heroism in spotlight at Jan. 6 hearing
Police testified about defending the Capitol at an emotional congressional hearing, where their courage shone through the swirling politics.

Unraveling the Mysterious Mutations That Make Delta the Most Transmissible Covid Virus Yet
Scientists are trying to piece together why the delta variant so readily infects unvaccinated Americans, spewing 1,000 times more virus particles.
Sign-Up Window for Free COBRA Coverage for Many Laid-Off Workers Closes This Week
The most recent covid relief law offered federal funding to pay insurance premiums for workers who lost their jobs and opted to keep their workplace insurance through COBRA. But the window to take advantage of the subsidized coverage is closing: Many workers would need to enroll in the program by July 31.
Women Say California Insurer Makes It Too Hard to Get Drug for Postpartum Depression
Brexanolone is a promising new treatment for postpartum depression. But one insurer's requirement that women try four other drugs and electroconvulsive therapy before the infusion means it is out-of-reach for millions of women.
Bye-Bye to Health Insurance ‘Birthday Rule’? Kansas Lawmaker Floats Fix
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas) introduced a bill to do away with a health insurance rule that dictates which parent’s plan becomes a new baby’s primary insurer. This could save some parents from unexpected, sometimes massive medical bills. Davids took up the issue after a KHN/NPR Bill of the Month story on one family’s unexpected […]
Want Fries With That Vaccine? Even at a Fast-Food Restaurant, Pop-Up Clinics See Slow Traffic
At a pop-up vaccine clinic in a McDonald’s parking lot in the city of San Bernardino, fewer than two dozen people agreed to get a shot, offering a snapshot of the faltering vaccination effort.

Algerian Olympian Sent Home After Refusing Potential Bout With Israeli Opponent
Judo athlete Fethi Nourine attributed his stance to his political support for Palestinians.
Olympic Opening Ceremony Director Fired For Holocaust Joke
Director Kentaro Kobayashi was dismissed after being accused of using the phrase, “Let’s play Holocaust” in his 1998 comedy act.
Top Catholic Official Resigns After Phone Data Reveals He Used Gay Dating App
Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill was accused of "possible improper behavior" and is believed to have used the app to visit LGBTQ and private residences.
California Synagogue Shooter Pleads Guilty
John T. Earnest avoided the death penalty with his plea in San Diego Superior Court.
William Regnery II, Reclusive Millionaire Who Financed American Fascists, Dead At 80
The avowed white nationalist inherited millions from his prominent Republican family and used the money to fund the rise of the so-called alt-right.

Faith Formation Communities of Practice: A Lifeline of Support
Faith Formation Communities of Practice (FF CoP) have continued to meet via zoom during this season of pandemic and they have been a key to resilience for many of our educators. Especially in times of isolation, this kind of small group provides a valuable network of support where leaders can gather and share. Here are […]
Youth Express Theology In Six Words
Can you define your faith in six words? SNEUCC Confirmation Students rose to the challenge at the recent Confirmation Enrichment program sponsored the Faith Formation Team. The fourth in a series called Nurturing Faith, this session focused on United Church of Christ values and beliefs. Dave and Becky Stambaugh of the Greens Farms Church of […]
Summer Mission Work Meets Youth @ Synod
Rev. Jennie Valentine had a brilliant idea for a Covid work-around for her youth ministry program in Sandwich, MA. When the pandemic restricted plans for summer travel for mission work, this SNEUCC pastor shifted gears and began to organize a local service-learning option that also includes a connection to the UCC General Synod. This year, […]
Youth @ Synod Serves as a Stepping Stone to Leadership
This summer the United Church of Christ will host a virtual General Synod gathering on July 11-18. Delegates from all over the country will convene for worship and discussion of resolutions. Planners have also been busy preparing special parallel programs for youth and young adults. Youth @ Synod is a life-changing experience of the wider church […]

Report: US Supreme Court favors religion in emergency reviews
(RNS) — The analysis by Reuters found that the Court's shadow docket' in which emergency applications are decided hurriedly, provided religious applicants a win in every case. The post Report: US Supreme Court favors religion in emergency reviews appeared first on Religion News Service.
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church celebrates paid-off debts at major meeting
(RNS) — ‘Livingstone College, Hood seminary, and Clinton College — debts have all been satisfied,’ announced AME Zion Bishop George Edward Battle Jr. The post African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church celebrates paid-off debts at major meeting appeared first on Religion News Service.
In 2010, the US apologized to Native Americans. A new spiritual movement aims to recognize it.
(RNS) — Others feel the apology is inadequate and should not be accepted by Native Americans. The post In 2010, the US apologized to Native Americans. A new spiritual movement aims to recognize it. appeared first on Religion News Service.
Why Reform Jewish leaders support H.R. 40, the federal reparations bill
(RNS) — If we wish to redeem the soul of America, our efforts at earnest truth-telling must result in equally serious attempts to provide redress for past and ongoing harms through reparations. The post Why Reform Jewish leaders support H.R. 40, the federal reparations bill appeared first on Religion News Service.
Judge orders forfeiture of ancient tablet from Museum of the Bible
(RNS) — A federal judge ordered Hobby Lobby to forfeit a rare fragment of the Epic of Gilgamesh to the United States government. The post Judge orders forfeiture of ancient tablet from Museum of the Bible appeared first on Religion News Service.

Workers Beg Joe Manchin to Save West Virginia Pharma Plant as His Daughter Walks Away with $31M
More than 1,400 workers in West Virginia are set to lose their jobs this week when the Viatris pharmaceuticals plant in Morgantown shuts down and moves operations overseas to India and Australia. Workers say they've had no response to their urgent requests for help from their Democratic senator, Joe Manchin, who is often called the […]
NAACP Head Derrick Johnson Remembers Bob Moses as Key "Strategist" of Civil Rights Movement
We look at the life and legacy of civil rights icon Bob Moses, who recently died at the age of 86, with NAACP President Derrick Johnson, who formerly headed the NAACP Mississippi State Conference, where Moses served as field secretary for SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and helped register thousands of voters across the […]
"To Hell and Back": At Jan. 6 Hearing, Officers Describe Facing Brutal Attacks & Racial Slurs
We speak with Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, about emotional testimony from four police officers who were attacked by violent and racist Trump supporters while defending the Capitol. At the opening of the House select committee hearing on the January 6 insurrection, the officers described facing down the rioters, being beaten with […]
Headlines for July 28, 2021
U.S. House Cmte. Hears Harrowing Testimony from Officers Who Responded to Capitol Insurrection, CDC Says Vaccinated People Should Wear Masks Indoors in High-Risk Areas Amid Delta Spread , Tanzania Receives 1 Million J&J COVID Vaccines, Whistleblower Daniel Hale Sentenced to 45 Months for Exposing U.S. Drone Program, North and South Korea Restore Communications Hotline, U.S. […]
Calls Grow for Biden to Close Guantánamo Military Prison as U.S. Sanctions Cuba over Human Rights
As the United States imposes new Cuba sanctions, citing human rights abuses, we look at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, a notorious gulag that President Biden himself has called an "advertisement for creating terror." This month, the first Guantánamo Bay prisoner to be released under the Biden administration, Abdul Latif Nasser, returned […]

'Moonlight' Writer Tarell Alvin McCraney On His TV Series 'David Makes Man'
McCraney's script was adapted into the Oscar-winning film. David Makes Man, now in season 2, begins with a Miami boy whose mother struggles with addiction, and has echoes of McCraney's own childhood.
One Woman Takes A 'Wayward' Approach To Menopause In This Smart New Novel
Messy and floundering in late midlife, Dana Spiotta's heroine is roiling — along with the rest of the country — amid the 2016 election and the rise of the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements.
Think Of Your COVID-19 Vaccine Like A Very Good Raincoat, Says Dr. Leana Wen
It protects from drizzles and thunderstorms but not a hurricane. In other words, if you are exposed again and again to infected people, there's some risk you could get sick.
How Jad Abumrad, 'Radiolab' Creator And Co-Host, Got Hooked On Storytelling
Abumrad set out to compose film scores, but instead turned his focus to journalism. He has a new podcast miniseries called The Vanishing of Harry Pace.
Fresh Air Weekend: Questlove; Growing Up In A Utopian Community
For Questlove, the pandemic meant embracing quiet — and buying a farm. Ken Tucker marks the centennials of guitarists George Barnes And Mary Osborne. Akash Kapur writes about utopian communities.

28 Abducted Baptist School Students Freed in Nigeria
Parents reunite with sons and daughters at Bethel high school, yet more than 80 children remain with Kaduna kidnappers. Armed kidnappers in Nigeria have released 28 of the more than 120 students who were abducted at the beginning of July from Bethel Baptist High School in the northern town of Damishi. Church officials handed those […]
New Evidence Points to Old Motive in 1985 Church Murders
A South Georgia prosecutor is considering whether two Baptists were killed because they were Black. For 36 years, the murder of a Baptist deacon and his wife in the vestibule of their small white church off a two-lane highway in southern Georgia has been attributed to robbery, drugs, or revenge. But now the district attorney […]
The CRT Debate Distracts from God’s Justice
In the conflict over racial issues, “just preach the gospel” misses the gospel. I remember the World War II stories I was told as a middle school student. Wearing secondhand clothes and sporting an unkempt fade, I sat in a hard wooden desk too small for my growing black body in a classroom full of […]
One Solution to Social Conflict: Tell War Stories. But Tell Them Well.
The book of Samuel shows us how to reconcile our differences through redemptive storytelling. I am a missionary in Croatia, a beautiful country with a very complex past. Twenty-four years ago, when I first came here on a Cru summer missions trip, I found Croats were eager to spend hours in cafés sharing their stories. […]
Christian Wedding Site Designer Loses Appeal Case
While a baker from the same state won his challenge, court upholds Colorado anti-discrimination requirements for the owner of a creative agency. A US appeals court has ruled against a Christian web designer who didn’t want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples and sued to challenge Colorado’s anti-discrimination law, another twist in a series […]

Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience
The company is intensifying formal partnerships with faith groups across the United States and shaping the future of religious experience.
Are You in an Interfaith Relationship in India?
Religious diversity has defined India for centuries, but interfaith unions remain rare. The Times wants to know the social and political forces at work to separate or support those relationships.
Can Religion Guide the Ethics of A.I.?
Artificial intelligence promises to remake the world. These believers are fighting to make sure thousands of years of text and tradition find a place among the algorithms.
Northern Ireland Is Coming to an End
It might not even last another decade.
L'armée française réussit l'intégration des musulmans
À contre-courant d’une nation qui se méfie de l’islam, l’armée française met en pratique une laïcité souple qui permet aux musulmans de pratiquer leur religion au même titre que les soldats de confessions différentes.

A Year of U.S. Public Opinion on the Coronavirus Pandemic
The biggest takeaway may be the extent to which the decidedly nonpartisan virus met with an increasingly partisan response. The post A Year of U.S. Public Opinion on the Coronavirus Pandemic appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Methodology
The American Trends Panel survey methodology The American Trends Panel (ATP), created by Pew Research Center, is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. Panelists participate via self-administered web surveys. Panelists who do not have internet access at home are provided with a tablet and wireless internet connection. Interviews are conducted in both […]
In Their Own Words, Americans Describe the Struggles and Silver Linings of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The outbreak has dramatically changed Americans’ lives and relationships over the past year. We asked people to tell us about their experiences – good and bad – in living through this moment in history. Pew Research Center has been asking survey questions over the past year about Americans’ views and reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
How America Changed During Donald Trump’s Presidency
Donald Trump's four-year tenure in the White House revealed extraordinary fissures in American society but left little doubt that he is a figure unlike any other in the nation’s history. The post How America Changed During Donald Trump’s Presidency appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Methodology
In this data essay, we analyzed the national and state-level shifts in racial and ethnic makeup of the United States electorate from 2000 to 2018. The post Methodology appeared first on Pew Research Center.

With UCC grant, conference supports clergy mental health in pandemic
Both ordinary and extraordinary, the stresses on pastors and hospital, university and military chaplains during the COVID-19 pandemic are enormous. So the Indiana-Kentucky Conference United Church of Christ is pioneering ways to help clergy cope, using support that includes a UCC COVID-19 Conference Recovery Grant.
Meet UCC Volunteer Ministries volunteer Gail McAfee
The Rev. Gail McAfee is currently serving as a UCC Volunteer Ministries’ volunteer in North Carolina. She was brought in to provide mold remediation following Hurricane Florence. Why does she volunteer? “That’s what I was taught to do," she said. "I was raised by pastors and was taught to respect all people, regardless of their current […]
In typhoon-prone Philippines, recovery from Ambo begins as new storms hit
In the Philippines, UCC Disaster Ministries is aiding recovery from Typhoon Ambo/VongFong as new storms hit diverse areas of this nation of islands. Typhoon Goni/Rolly is on track to make landfall on Luzon Sunday morning (Nov. 1). Just a few days ago, Typhoon Molave killed 22 people in the Philippines.
Deadline extended for COVID-19 grants for conferences
The deadline for United Church of Christ conferences to apply for the UCC COVID-19 Conference Recovery Grant has been extended by two weeks, to December 14, 2020.

Millions could face eviction with the moratorium ending
More than 15 million people live in households that are behind on their rent, according to a new report from the Aspen Institute. And while Congress allocated $46 billion in federal assistance for renters during the pandemic, access to technology, language barriers and lack of information are proving to be hurdles for tenants behind on […]
Wall Street’s Sallie Krawcheck on the pandemic and the gender wealth gap
Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a digital financial company for women, discusses how COVID-19 exacerbated existing inequities between men and women. She also talks about why money causes stress and the future of her company. Also on today’s show: the continuing struggles of the travel industry, shifting language in home appraisals and what […]
Why some towns might pay you to move there
Towns like Augusta, Maine; Bemidji, Minnesota; and Savannah, Georgia, are among the more than 40 communities in the U.S. incentivizing people to move there. They dangle perks like housing assistance, camping equipment or up to $20,000 in cash. The incentives are aimed at convincing remote workers to make a move, which can boost the economies […]
Businesses are reopening across the U.S., especially where vaccine rates are higher
Over 60,000 businesses reopened during the second quarter, which is the highest volume of reopenings in the last year, according to data from Yelp. But there’s a distinct correlation between consumer interest and vaccination rates, meaning more Yelp searches, pictures and reviews for places like Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and New York than Arizona, Alabama and […]
When fast-fashion becomes real-time fashion
Though it may not be instantaneous, China-based online clothing brand Shein makes it pretty darn close. They’ve cut the clothing design and production process down to as little as a few days. In today’s show, we talk about one of the fastest-growing e-commerce companies in the world revolutionizing fashion and apparel. But first: rental bidding […]

United but Not Uniform: Finding Faith at the Women’s Convention
Thousands of women gathered in Detroit over Halloween weekend for the Women’s Convention, a conference meant to build upon the energy of January’s Women’s March—the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Our Women and Girls Campaign Associate Jenna Barnett attended the gathering to learn what role faith played in this Convention. She was surprised by what […]
Black and DACAmented in the U.S.
With the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in limbo, our Associate Web Editor Dhanya Addanki talked to Patrice Lawrence and Mwewa Sumbwe of the UndocuBlack Network about what the end of DACA could mean. This network was founded by undocumented black immigrants who wanted to center the voices of black undocumented people that […]
Can Virtual Reality Rescue Humanity?
Video games have long been dismissed from mainstream audiences as shallow or immature, but can they be something more? Our multimedia editor JP Keenan traveled to the "Games For Change" festival to talk with game designers about the power of "empathy games" and learn about future of virtual reality to see if it's the game […]
How These Christian Activists Are Putting the Death Penalty on Trial
In January 2017, 18 anti-death penalty activists were arrested and taken to jail for protesting against the death penalty on the steps of the supreme court. On this episode, our Associate Web Editor, @dhanyaddanki, talks to three of the 18 arrested death penalty abolitionists about why they fight against capital punishment. @ShaneClaiborne, Derrick Wayne Jamison, and SueZann […]
You Can’t Mute All the Trolls: How to Be a Journalist in 2017
On today's episode, our deputy web editor @chwoodiwiss chats with with journalists @sullivanamy, @dawn_cherie, and @ayshabkhan about something journos usually don’t like talking about: when doing our job becomes too much. We discuss the public's rising suspicion of journalism, dealing with traumatic images, fending off Twitter hate, and—whew—why we still love the work. For more, read our companion piece in […]

Letters to the Editor (Resurrecting this Historical Section): Redefining Anthropology?
Editor’s Note The lifeblood of science and social science is competition among ideas in healthy debate testing scholarly standards and findings. In recent years, as standards have begun to disappear in social science and as journals begin to advocate for doctrine in place of social science and discipline, the opportunity to challenge colleagues (and editors) […]
Returning Discipline to the Discipline: A Model Procedure for Reviews in Anthropology, Social Sciences, and Other Related Disciplines
This piece uses participant observation of and research into disciplinary procedures to reveal that review policies in anthropology, other ‘social sciences’, and related disciplines have become arbitrary and politicised with little to protect professional standards of a discipline and to avoid conflicts of interest that prejudice scholarship. To address the problem, this piece takes the […]
The Nonsense and Non-Science of Political Science: A Politically Incorrect View of ‘Poly-T(r)ic(k)s’
The purpose of this short essay is to highlight the failures in contemporary Political Science by sketching a small model of what the discipline would look like if it were in fact a “discipline” driven by scientific questions and methods responsive to public benefit rather than to indoctrination and control. Rather than simply accept, on […]
An International Legal Scholar’s View on “Is Economics in Violation of International Law? Remaking Economics as a Social Science”
An Ecological Economist’s View on “Is Economics in Violation of International Law? Remaking Economics as a Social Science”
Introduction Is mainstream economics with its many theories and recommendations compatible with international law, such as the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP, 2007) or the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992 (UN Rio Declaration, 1992)? Are globally renowned universities teaching economics in ways that violate international law? Can […]

Personal Care Items Available for Pickup
Starting Wednesday, May 12, The Religious Coalition’s office will be open on Wednesday’s from 12–2pm for people to pick up personal care products including: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, facial tissue, soap, body wash, shaving supplies, etc. Please share this information with your network so our neighbors can get the personal care products they need. The post […]
Beyond Shelter Campaign reaches $2.0 million dollars in gifts and pledges
We are both humbled and incredibly excited to announce that the Beyond Shelter Campaign has surpassed $2.0 million dollars in gifts and pledges. Since 2014, The Religious Coalition has offered the only Emergency Family Shelter in Frederick County to help families in need. For the past six years, benevolent congregations and a strong network of […]
Beyond Shelter Campaign Update
A sincere thank you to Evangelical Lutheran Church, Frederick, Maryland for their recent gift to the Beyond Shelter Campaign. We are grateful for their loyal support over our 40 years serving the Frederick Community. In photo from left to right: Neil Donnelly, Director of the Emergency Family Shelter; Nick Brown, Executive Director of The Religious […]
Rental Assistance Program
If you have experienced a financial hardship due to COVID 19 and are behind on your rent and/or utilities, we may be able to help you. Visit rcehn.org/rental-assistance-program/ for information on how to apply. For those without access to the web, please call 1-800-220-9528. Email COVIDhelp@rcehn.org with questions and assistance. If you are not eligible […]
Thank you to all of the Episcopal Churches in Frederick
Thank you to all of the Episcopal Churches in Frederick, who are supporting our Beyond Shelter Campaign to give a home to families in Frederick that don’t have a place to stay. – All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Frederick, MD – Harriet Chapel, Catoctin Episcopal Parish – Grace Episcopal Church, Brunswick, MD – Grace Episcopal Church, […]

10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S.
Here’s a closer look at public opinion on the death penalty, as well as key facts about the nation’s use of capital punishment. The post 10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S. appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical use
As more states continue to legalize marijuana, 91% of U.S. adults say either that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use. The post Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical use appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Under Trump, the federal prison population continued its recent decline
The number of federal prisoners sentenced to more than a year behind bars decreased by 5% between 2017 and the end of 2019. The post Under Trump, the federal prison population continued its recent decline appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Trump used his clemency power sparingly despite a raft of late pardons and commutations
Only two other presidents since 1900 – George W. and George H.W. Bush – granted fewer acts of clemency than Trump. The post Trump used his clemency power sparingly despite a raft of late pardons and commutations appeared first on Pew Research Center.
How Trump compares with other recent presidents in appointing federal judges
Donald Trump leaves the White House having appointed nearly as many appeals court judges in four years as Barack Obama appointed in eight. The post How Trump compares with other recent presidents in appointing federal judges appeared first on Pew Research Center.

PBS NewsHour: Russia’s war in Ukraine leads to historic split in the Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church in Ukraine has been under the authority of Moscow since 1686. Until the 2014 war with Russia, that situation bothered few. Now a growing number of congregations, approximately 500 so far, have joined a new independent Ukrainian … More → The post PBS NewsHour: Russia’s war in Ukraine leads to historic split […]
PBS NewsHour: Following Father Theodore Hesburgh through Civil Rights era
The new documentary, “Hesburgh,” explores the life of Father Theodore Hesburgh, who served as a long-time president of the University of Notre Dame and is recognized now as one of the most important civic and educational leaders of the 20th … More → The post PBS NewsHour: Following Father Theodore Hesburgh through Civil Rights era […]
VIDEO: California’s first Muslim judge on faith and public service
Justice Halim Dhanidina was recently elevated to California’s Courts of Appeal, making him the state’s most senior judge of Muslim faith. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent David Tereshchuk talks with Dhanidina about engaging with supporters and critics alike, and setting an … More → The post VIDEO: California’s first Muslim judge on faith and public service […]
America’s Foremost Muslim Judge
America’s Foremost Muslim Judge By David Tereshchuk It wasn’t exactly a surprise for Halim Dhanidina to get a call in 2012 from California Governor Jerry Brown’s office saying he’d been picked to serve as a judge on the state’s Superior … More → The post America’s Foremost Muslim Judge appeared first on Religion & Ethics […]
The relationship between science and religion
The friction between science and religion goes back centuries. While the conflict often lies in beliefs and research, the common ground between the two is sometimes left unexplored. Researchers dive deeper into this debate. The post The relationship between science and religion appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Algerian Olympian Sent Home After Refusing Potential Bout With Israeli Opponent
Judo athlete Fethi Nourine attributed his stance to his political support for Palestinians.
Olympic Opening Ceremony Director Fired For Holocaust Joke
Director Kentaro Kobayashi was dismissed after being accused of using the phrase, “Let’s play Holocaust” in his 1998 comedy act.
Top Catholic Official Resigns After Phone Data Reveals He Used Gay Dating App
Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill was accused of "possible improper behavior" and is believed to have used the app to visit LGBTQ and private residences.
California Synagogue Shooter Pleads Guilty
John T. Earnest avoided the death penalty with his plea in San Diego Superior Court.
William Regnery II, Reclusive Millionaire Who Financed American Fascists, Dead At 80
The avowed white nationalist inherited millions from his prominent Republican family and used the money to fund the rise of the so-called alt-right.