Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Tuesday to go into effect on Jan. 1. It would authorize public schools and community colleges to close on Diwali. State employees could elect to take the day off and public school students will get an excused absence to celebrate the holiday. (Bharath, AP News)
Read MoreSpecialized agencies and market research firms like NinetyEight, named for its founders’ year of birth, are popping up, raising money and expanding. Legacy marketing and publicity firms are buying or building equivalents such as Edelman’s Gen Z Lab. (Deighton, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreThis observation could potentially have serious consequences in a society where images of big, engaged crowds at public events like rock concerts, protests and political rallies have major currency. (Veltman, NPR)
Read MoreNew polling finds that Americans are divided on the role religion should play in public schools: 34% say that religion doesn't play enough of a role, 26% say its role is about right, and 26% say it plays too much of a role. (Orth, YouGov)
Read MorePublished in the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, the study, conducted in January/February 2024, and published online Sept. 13, found that just over half of 1,278 respondents said the trauma they experienced personally or as part of the Israeli nation affected their level of religiosity and/or spirituality. (Chabin, Religion News Service)
Read MoreBanned Books Week is Oct. 5-11 and this year's theme is, "Censorship Is so 1984. Read for Your Rights." The theme is inspired by George Orwell's "1984," a dystopian novel that tells the story of a man trying to break away from his society's oppressive regime. (Cross, USA Today)
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