The three-word declaration “Christ is king” may sound like a harmless statement of Christian values. But lately it has become the locus of a thorny linguistic debate. (Pemberton, The New York Times)
Read MoreA new report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research shows signs of a shift — for the first time in two decades, attendance is up. More people are volunteering, and there also seems to be a renewed sense of optimism among pastors and other clergy. (Smietana, Religion News Service)
Read MoreThe Trump administration announced Friday that it will authorize firing squads as a federally permitted method of execution, deepening its push to revive the death penalty — underscoring a sharp divide with Pope Leo XIV and recent Catholic teaching. Hours after the Justice Department. (Marx, NPR)
Read MoreAs the Jackson estate’s latest megaproject, the Hollywood biopic “Michael,” arrives this week, the King of Pop is more popular — and the business behind him more lucrative — than at any point since his 2009 death. (Sisario, The New York Times)
Read MoreIt was 20 years ago today that Spotify began to play. And to mark the streaming service’s big anniversary, for the first time ever on Thursday (April 23) Spotify shared its list of the most streamed artists, songs, albums, podcasts and audiobooks in its history. (Kaufman, Billboard)
Read MoreCrunching data from the General Social Survey, Peltzman documented “a sudden, sharp and historically unprecedented decline in self-reported happiness in the US population” after COVID that “mainly persists” through 2024. (Derek Thompson)
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