Officials in Rio have been calling on the centuries-old spirit, channeled by a 71-year-old woman in Guarulhos, to protect it from weather-related calamity for decades. With the emerging El Niño climate pattern on track to become the strongest on record, Rio has now extended the relationship with a 25-year agreement with the cacique’s foundation. (Dias, The Washington Post)
Read MoreA senior doctor is bringing legal action against her NHS trust, claiming a “bearded” transgender patient was allowed on to a female psychiatric ward only to expose himself to fellow patients, The Times can reveal. (Manning, The Times)
Read MoreUnlike in most European countries, the production, distribution and possession of pornography in Ukraine is illegal, punishable by up to seven years in prison. Still, Ukraine has been unable to curtail a vast and lucrative porn industry, which officials say operates with the protection of corrupt police. (Luxmoore, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreA federal appeals court’s affirmation of an earlier dismissal of an AI-generated child pornography charge against a Wisconsin man came with an admission that laws are lagging for the proper monitoring of generative AI. (Barkley, Baptist Press)
Read MoreThe Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a New York woman’s bid to send her son to kindergarten without receiving state-required vaccines, in a case that highlights the limits of the court’s push to expand religious rights. (Mark, The Washington Post)
Read MoreAs the continent’s ties to Christianity fade, churches are being abandoned. But some see a chance to transform them into communal spaces like care centers or venues for the arts. (Siegal, The New York Times)
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