This week, Mormons observe Pioneer Day, which commemorates the arrival of Brigham Young and the first Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Also, Jews mark the solemn holiday of Tisha B’av, the saddest day in the Jewish … More →

July 24, 2015

The versatile actor and singer Theodore Bikel died this week. He was best known for his portrayal of the poor Jewish milkman Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Alongside his performances, Bikel was a strong advocate of all civil rights. … More →

July 24, 2015

U.S. Muslims were among those condemning the shootings at two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee that killed four Marines and wounded several others, prompting a federal domestic terrorism investigation. The deceased gunman was identified as a 24 year-old Kuwaiti-born man. … More →

July 17, 2015

Religious groups had wide-ranging reactions to this week’s historic deal to severely restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. The accord was reached after months of negotiation between Iran and a group of six countries led by … More →

July 17, 2015

This week President Obama continued his push to reform America’s criminal justice system. In Oklahoma, he toured the El Reno Corrections Facility, becoming the first sitting U.S. President to visit a federal prison. In an address to the NAACP Convention … More →

July 17, 2015

Now that Pope Francis has finished his week-long visit to South America, he says he’ll be preparing for his September visit to the U.S. And he says, that will include reading up on criticisms of some of his recent statements … More →

July 17, 2015

Planned Parenthood is facing several official investigations following the release of a secretly taped video that shows one of its executives discussing how the group provides medical researchers with the organs of aborted fetuses. The video was made public by … More →

July 17, 2015

Church-state activists are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the issue of whether faith-based nonprofits must provide contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act. This week the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a group of nuns, … More →

July 17, 2015

Hindus in Western India have kicked off a festival that happens once every twelve years. Over the next several weeks, millions of pilgrims are expected to bathe in the Godavari River during the Kumbh Mela, or pitcher festival. Hindu tradition … More →

July 17, 2015

Pope Francis received a warm welcome this week during his trip to South America that included stops in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay. In Ecuador, he led an outdoor mass for a crowd of approximately 800,000 people and urged an end … More →

July 10, 2015