For decades, advances in healthcare and safety steadily drove down death rates among American children. In an alarming reversal, rates have now risen to the highest level in nearly 15 years, particularly driven by homicides, drug overdoses, car accidents and suicides. (Adamy, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreIn what could be a sign of COVID-19’s influence, some sectors of US society—specifically white evangelicals and Republicans—are showing a growing aversion to the requirement that schoolchildren be vaccinated for illnesses like mumps and measles. (Banks, Christianity Today)
Read More"Every year the pews are getting emptier and the collection plates getting lighter. We're going to see thousands of churches closing in America over the next 20 or 30 years in every part of the country, in every region and every state, urban, suburban, rural." (Neuman, NPR)
Read MoreA shrinking number of Americans — 16% — say religion is the most important thing in their lives, down from 20% in 2013. And nearly 3 in 10 — or 29% — say religion is not important to them at all, up from 19% 10 years ago. Those are among the findings in a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute on religion and congregations fielded in 2022 and published Tuesday (May 16). (Shimron, Religion News Service)
Read MoreThe annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom – the International Religious Freedom Report – describes the status of religious freedom in every country. The report covers government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world. (US Department of State)
Read MoreThe North Carolina legislature banned most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy Tuesday evening, voting to override the veto of Gov. Roy Cooper (D), while a similar measure heads to a final vote in Nebraska in the coming days. (Kitchener, The Washington Post)
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