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June 4, 2026

‘Teachers Are Going to Hate It’: How Social Media Apps Hooked Teens at School

June 4, 2026

Internal documents show how tech giants grabbed children’s attention throughout the day, a strategy that schools say has undermined education. (Valentino-DeVries, The New York Times)

June 4, 2026

The sweeping ways religion is mixing with public education

June 4, 2026

New laws and policies across the country are dismantling the idea — celebrated by some, rejected by others — that prayer and proselytization should be kept out of public schools. Increasingly, religion is being injected all over the place. (Meckler & Lumpkin, The Washington Post)

June 4, 2026

How Voodoo overcame suppression and became a democratic force in the West African nation of Benin

June 4, 2026

Two decades and three presidents later, this West African nation is a bastion of democracy in a region dubbed “the coup belt” for the trend since 2020 of military takeovers. President Romuald Wadagni was inaugurated on May 24 to replace Patrice Talon, who stepped down after serving two terms. (Muhumuza, AP News)

June 4, 2026

AI godbots: religious leaders warn of ‘alarming consequences’ when machines speak in the name of God

June 4, 2026

The phenomenon of religious AI chatbots – also known as “godbots” – is a recent development. In most cases, they are not officially sanctioned by religious leaders or policy. Rather, they are set up by enterprising individuals or organisations that see demand and opportunity. But with opportunity comes danger. (Fenton & Shannahan, The Conversation)

June 4, 2026

News Archive:

Featured

‘Teachers Are Going to Hate It’: How Social Media Apps Hooked Teens at School

Internal documents show how tech giants grabbed children’s attention throughout the day, a strategy that schools say has undermined education. (Valentino-DeVries, The New York Times)

Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti, who serves as chief exorcist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, joined the growing chorus of Catholics and other Christians warning that UFOs and related phenomena are likely demonic. (Brown, Christian Post)

A report explains this paradox and divides Americans into three groups, showing how people differ in their money mindsets. (Singletary, The Washington Post)

While varieties of web modeling and virtual sex work have furnished episode arcs in past series as varied as “Broad City,” “Giri/Haji” and “The Good Fight,” this year TV’s cam aperture has expanded. (Soloski, The New York Times)

The cancellation, suspension, or lapse of these licenses under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has forced many charities to either fully shut down or significantly scale down their operations. This has effectively snatched away the little developmental aid that millions of families… have relied on. (Mukka, Christianity Today)

Having close social ties and support can improve health and resilience to stress and maybe even increase longevity. However, some research suggests that being married or being in a partnership could come with specific health-related benefits. (Zickl, The Washington Post)

From Argentina to Mexico, devotion to the game often spills into everyday life, inspiring rituals and beliefs tied to the sport. “There has been an emotional connection between the public and their soccer teams for a long time,” said Mexican analyst Erick Fernández. “It fosters identity and bonds that make us feel part of a sporting process that represents us.” (Hernández, AP News)

India is in the throes of Shivaji fever. Across the country, hundreds of statues of the king — usually on horseback, brandishing a sword — have begun studding the broader landscape, popping up in the country’s port cities and along its disputed borders with China and Pakistan. (Das & Raj, The New York Times)

For many of the pastors in the room, and some other Christians, there’s only one possible explanation for extraterrestrial beings: They are not neutral visitors from other planets or dimensions, but demonic entities. (Graham, The New York Times)

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that two-thirds of U.S. adults who regularly attend religious services say they have heard their clergy speak about at least one political or social issue in the past few months. Of the seven topics we asked about, abortion, Israel and homosexuality were among the most commonly cited. (Alper, Pew Research)

On trips to Spain this month and France in September, Leo will find thousands of young people… in these traditionally Catholic but now staunchly secular countries, where historic churches are abundant and Mass attendance is sparse. (Dell’Orto, AP News)

Internet culture is showing up in a big way in theaters, as low-budget horror films “Backrooms” and “Obsession” led this weekend’s box office and beat out big franchise films like “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.” (Masunaga, Los Angeles Times)

The Thunder is the only NBA team to hold a public, ecumenical invocation before the singing of the national anthem and player introductions — a longstanding tradition that continues to confound basketball fans who live outside of OKC. (Esensten, Religion News Service)

The Great Depopulation

Why has the number of births declined everywhere, all at once? Some blame technology, particularly smartphones and social media. Others blame a kind of 21st-century weltschmerz—a sadness about the state of the world and our uncertain future in it. (Thompson, The Atlantic)

I Mog, He Mogs, You Mog, We All Mog

While the term has existed for decades, it has taken on a new life on social media and among the younger generations, who typically use it to describe outdoing oneself or others, usually in a joking manner. (Stock, The New York Times)

One of the best things about chatbots is that they have a long memory, learning more about you from one conversation to the next. The result is a smarter assistant that knows your writing style, remembers your dietary restrictions or picks up a project where you left off. But that great memory also carries some drawbacks. (Snow, The Wall Street Journal)

Television is now saturated with self-doubting, affluent white male characters dealing with a world that no longer gives priority to their needs. The problem, as a trio of newish shows suggests, is that the old scripts for proving one’s vaunted manliness no longer function the way they once did—if they ever did. (Black, The Wall Street Journal)