The fifth edition of the Religious Freedom Index provides an opportunity to reflect on half a decade of Index results, gauge how American attitudes towards religion have shifted in response to changing concerns, and analyze the return to normalcy after a worldwide pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. (Becket)
Read MoreTens of thousands of people protested the far right in cities across Germany on Saturday, attending events with slogans such as "Never Again is Now," "Against Hate" and "Defend Democracy." The large crowds were the latest in a series of demonstrations that have been gaining momentum in recent days. (NPR)
Read MoreSocial scientists have taken note of these hardening political divisions, pumping out academic articles and books that add data to what appears to be a steady rise in tribalism. (Achenbach, The Washington Post)
Read MoreDespite company pledges to crack down, falsehoods, hoaxes and conspiracy theories circulated with few warning labels or links to credible information in 2023, contributing to a dramatic surge in the number of posts denying climate change last year, according to the report shared exclusively with USA TODAY. (Guynn, USA Today)
Read MorePrime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a gigantic new temple in the Indian city of Ayodhya on Monday, the conclusion of a mostly 20th-century odyssey in which Hindu nationalists eventually tore down a centuries-old mosque that has now been replaced with a structure devoted to the Hindu deity Ram. (Travelli & Kumar, The New York Times)
Read MoreExperts in artificial intelligence have long warned that AI-generated content could muddy the waters of perceived reality. Weeks into a pivotal election year, AI confusion is on the rise. Politicians around the globe have been swatting away potentially damning pieces of evidence — grainy video footage of hotel trysts, voice recordings criticizing political opponents — by dismissing them as AI-generated fakes. (Verma & Vynck, The Washington Post)
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