Released every five years, the National Climate Assessment is a congressionally mandated evaluation of the effects of climate change on American life. This new fifth edition paints a picture of a nation simultaneously beset by climate-driven disasters and capable of dramatically reducing emissions of planet-warming gasses in the near future. (Borunda, Sommer & Hersher, NPR)
Read MorePet psychics are making their way from the fringe to socially acceptable. Those who tell others about their experiences with animal communicators say they are more likely to be asked for referrals than be mocked. (Bindley, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreThe Satanic Temple, a Salem, Massachusetts based group announced that it will launch the club at Lebanon Elementary School in Lebanon, Connecticut on Dec. 1. The club is unaffiliated with the town and school district. (Al-Arshani, USA Today)
Read MoreIt's a major festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness and the start of new beginnings for millions of people of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths. Here's what you need to know about Diwali. (BBC News)
Read MoreThe Vatican says transgender people can be baptized within the church, as long as doing so doesn't create "public scandal or confusion among the faithful." The statement from the Vatican's theological watchdog group, called the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, came in response to a question from a Brazilian bishop, José Negri of Santo Amaro. (DeRose, NPR)
Read MoreRobert Halfon, the minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education, said he was “sickened” by the wave of antisemitism. He said the government would speak to the Office for Students about regulatory action where antisemitism is allowed to go unchecked, and would look at adopting a charter for universities, to “give teeth” to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s working definition of antisemitism. (Yeomans & Ledwith, The Times UK)
Read More