“Sound of Freedom” has been accused by some critics of warping the truth about child exploitation and catering to QAnon conspiracy theorists — something its distributor, Angel Studios, denies. The Guardian’s critic called it a “QAnon-adjacent thriller seducing America.” And the film’s star, Caviezel, has openly embraced the extreme movement, suggesting at media events that a shadowy international cabal is kidnapping children to consume their organs. (Scribner & Sommer, The Washington Post)
Read MoreWhile Pew’s new research focused solely on U.S. Latinos, a 2022 study by the American Survey Center, which broke down religious preferences by generation, showed that up to a third of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Zers (born between 1997 and 2012), regardless of ethnicity, have drifted away from the religion of their parents and grandparents. (Moreno-Paz, USA Today)
Read MoreAccording to “fourth turning” proponents, American history goes through recurring cycles. Each one, which lasts about 80 to 100 years, consists of four generation-long seasons, or “turnings.” The winter season is a time of upheaval and reconstruction — a fourth turning. (Kurutz, The New York Times)
Read MoreAddiction haunts the recesses of this ancient port city, as people with gaunt, clumsy hands lift crack pipes to lips, syringes to veins. Authorities are sealing off warren-like alleyways with iron bars and fencing in parks to halt the spread of encampments. A siege mentality is taking root in nearby enclaves of pricey condos and multimillion-euro homes. (Faiola & Martins, The Washington Post)
Read MoreDemocrats in the Maine Legislature on Thursday passed a contentious proposal expanding abortion access to later in a pregnancy, a move that will give Maine some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country. (Mistler, Maine Public)
Read MoreAs of 2021, 25% of 40-year-olds in the United States had never been married. This was a significant increase from 20% in 2010, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. (Fry, Pew Research Center)
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