The “Sing With Us” study… is part of a growing body of research that points to the physical and mental health benefits of singing with others. “Sing With Us” linked singing in the choir to reduced stress hormones and increased cytokines, proteins that can boost the body’s ability to fight serious illness. (Moe, The Washington Post)
Read MoreTotal giving fell 3.4% in 2022 to $499.3 billion in current dollars, a drop of 10.5% when adjusted for inflation. The decline comes at a time when many nonprofits, especially ones providing services to those in need, report an increase in requests for help. (Gamboa, AP News)
Read MoreThe Church of England is to ditch about £100 million of investments in oil companies including Shell and BP, accusing them of not doing enough to tackle climate change. The Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board each will divest from companies producing fossil fuels this year, after concluding that they had failed to meet a mid-2023 deadline that the General Synod had set for alignment with the Paris climate accord. (Gosden & Vaughn, The Times UK)
Read MoreAs questions about abortion have shifted more into the political realm, the early post-Roe era has revealed broad support for at least some measure of abortion rights, including in some of the nation’s reddest states. That has scrambled state political dynamics, boosted Democratic political fortunes and divided abortion opponents on how to react. (Kusisto, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreAdolescence has always been tough, but the acceleration of modern forces makes it more stressful than ever. In the words of two San Francisco best friends – the middle school winners of this year's NPR Student Podcast Challenge – welcome to Middle School Now. (Carillo & Lee, NPR)
Read MoreA majority of Americans say they oppose the Supreme Court's decision a year ago to overturn Roe v. Wade, want to see affirmative-action programs in college admissions continue and have little confidence in this current court, the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds. (Montanaro, NPR)
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