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By Matt Barnum The law is clear: In order to be eligible for federal charter grants, charter schools must not be “affiliated with a sectarian school or religious institution.” But Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said earlier this week that she will no longer enforce this prohibition. Religious organizations should feel free to apply for federal money to open charter …

By Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli Pope Francis indeed has a mask. It’s unadorned and white, just a shade paler than his papal cassock. But he almost never wears it. He goes maskless in public appearances. He goes maskless when hosting visitors. His aversion is deep enough that even guests seem to take the cue: …

By Zalman Rothschild The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to decide a case this term that, once again, pits religious freedom against the rights of the LGBTQ community. Earlier this month, Justice Clarence Thomas, in a concurrence written on behalf of himself and Justice Samuel Alito, attacked Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision that established a constitutional right …

By Brandon Specktor Earth orbits the sun like a ship sailing in circles around its anchor. But what if someone — or something — cut that ship loose? Unbound from any star or solar system, what would become of a tiny world flying helplessly and heedlessly through interstellar space? What happens when a planet goes rogue? …

By Juwan J. Holmes The next landmark case for LGBTQ rights before the Supreme Court of the United States will be heard the day after Election Day. The Court in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia will rule on the question of whether religious foster care agencies have a First Amendment right to refuse to work with LGBTQ …

By David K. Li Former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. filed a state lawsuit Wednesday against the evangelical school founded by his father, claiming he was wrongly ousted from his leadership post. Falwell had led the school for 13 years before he resigned under pressure in late August amid a series of embarrassing scandals. In a complaint …

By Bill Chappell A man used a knife to attack people at the Notre Dame Basilica in Nice, France, Thursday, killing three people, authorities say. Several more were injured. Police have arrested a suspect, according to Mayor Christian Estrosi. Two people were killed inside the church, and another died outside it, according to local media …

By Stephanie Pappas Rapid melt is reshaping coastal Greenland, potentially altering the human and animal ecosystems along the country’s coast. New research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface on Oct. 27 finds that the ice retreat in Greenland has changed the way glaciers flow and where they dump into the sea. These changes could impact …

By Sydney Bauer A Texas regulatory board has reinstated protections that bar social workers from refusing services to LGBTQ people and people with disabilities. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, or BHEC, on Tuesday unanimously reversed an Oct. 12 decision made by the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners, which had stripped language from its …

By Hemant Mehta In one Oklahoma school district, administrators are not even subtle about forcing Christianity on children. The American Humanist Association just filed a federal lawsuit against the Maryetta Public Schools (and several administrators) over a constitutional violation, and the details are just mind-blowing. You won’t believe how long this district has been able to get …

By John Gramlich The United States holds a presidential election every four years, but it’s not just the candidates and issues that change from one campaign cycle to the next. The electorate itself is in a slow but constant state of flux, too. The profile of the U.S. electorate can change for a variety of …

By Bob Smietana After nearly two weeks of speculation that had pastors across North Carolina issuing denials, an online North Carolina news outlet identified the Rev. Danny Chalmers as the “well-known pastor” charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly urinating on a fellow passenger on a flight to Detroit. The NC Beat published a police report Monday (Oct. …