In major decision, Supreme Court allows cities to ban homeless camps

The decision is the most significant ruling from the court on homelessness in decades. Last year, 40% of homeless people slept under bridges, on sidewalks, in parks, cars, and abandoned buildings. The Supreme Court ruled Friday that people without homes can be arrested and fined for sleeping in public spaces, overturning a lower court’s ruling that enforcing camping bans when shelter is lacking is cruel and unusual punishment. (Groppe & Jansen, USA Today)

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Church & Culture
Oklahoma schools are required to teach the Bible, state superintendent says

Oklahoma’s state superintendent on Thursday mandated that all public schools teach the Bible in a move that he said was meant to impart “historical understanding,” but that critics say blurs the constitutional boundary between church and state. It was not immediately clear how the Bible would be taught or what instructional standards around it would require. (Kaur, The Washington Post)

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Church & Culture
Canadian Megachurch Puts Ministry on Pause After Insurer Pulls Abuse Coverage

The Meeting House was one of the largest megachurches in Canada, but this Sunday, each of its locations will be empty. Its home church gatherings won’t meet during the week. In the aftermath of an abuse scandal that shook the congregation and its leadership, the Ontario-area multisite church announced that it had lost a portion of its insurance coverage and would have to pause its ministry activities. (Shellnutt, Christianity Today)

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Church & Culture
Inflation is forcing Americans to be less generous these days

Many charities in the U.S. report feeling doubly squeezed by inflation. It's not only driving up their own expenses but also sapping contributions, as would-be donors look for ways to cut costs. Charitable giving fell sharply in 2022, when inflation hit a four-decade high. It bounced back slightly last year but remains well below the record levels of 2021, according to a new report from the Giving USA Foundation. (Horsley, NPR)

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Church & Culture