Over the past decade, media reports have described rising popular interest in New Age practices such as astrology, tarot card reading and fortune-telling. These practices are frequently associated with young people, and they have developed their own social media cultures on TikTok and other platforms, especially during the period of social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. So, how popular are these practices, and why do Americans engage in them? (Rotolo, Pew Research)
Read MoreThe developers behind Character.AI are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the company’s chatbots pushed a teenage boy to kill himself. The judge’s order will allow the wrongful death lawsuit to proceed, in what legal experts say is among the latest constitutional tests of artificial intelligence. (Payne, AP News)
Read MoreThe archdiocese, its parishes and several insurers will pay $179.2 million into a trust to benefit survivors, according to a statement by the committee that negotiated the agreement. The money will be distributed after the church emerges from bankruptcy, it said. (AP/NPR)
Read MoreSome people thought the 1925 Scopes monkey trial marked a cultural defeat for biblical fundamentalism. But a century after what was dubbed the Trial of the Century, the issue is far from settled. Many American adults still embrace creationism — a belief in the literal truth of the Genesis account of the origins of the Earth and humanity. (Smith, AP News)
Read MoreA few weeks ago, [evangelical pastor Maurilio Ambrocio] was detained in President Trump's massive immigration crackdown, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has promised to fully partner with - in fact he's pledged to make the state the lead on the government's deportation campaign. (Garsd, NPR)
Read MoreThe weekend bombing of a Palm Springs, Calif., fertility clinic has cast a fresh spotlight on a 19th century philosophy linked to Russian revolutionaries. The explosion at the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic on May 17 killed Guy Edward Bartkus, the prime suspect in the bombing, and injured four other people. Investigators on Sunday said Bartkus had "nihilistic ideations." (Diaz, NPR)
Read More