ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 36

3 Dead In Apparent Terrorist Knife Attack At Church In Nice, France

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 …

Greenland ice melt is changing the shape of its coastline

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 …

Texas reverses decision that allowed social workers to deny LGBTQ, disabled clients

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 …

Lawsuit: An Oklahoma School Let Christian Missionaries Preach to Kids Each Month

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 …

What the 2020 electorate looks like by party, race and ethnicity, age, education and religion

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 …

‘Peeing pastor’ hunt comes to an end

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. …

In Madagascar, Endangered Lemurs Find A Private Refuge

By Erik Vance Madagascar has always been one of the best places on Earth to study the natural world. Seventy percent of its species are found nowhere else — the largest concentration of endemic wildlife anywhere. In the last 10 years alone, scientists have discovered 40 new mammals, 69 amphibians, 61 reptiles, 42 invertebrates and 385 …

Sean Feucht’s ‘finale’ worship protest on the National Mall included more politics than usual

By Jack Jenkins Christian musician Sean Feucht held a politically charged concert in front of thousands on the National Mall Sunday night (Oct. 25), framing his performance as a protest against restrictions on churches but also voicing opposition to abortion and celebrating the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. Throngs of …

Seeking power in Jesus’ name: Trump sparks a rise of Patriot Churches

By Sarah Pulliam Bailey The new congregation is gathered in a barn in Lenoir City, Tenn., with a roof that has a 60-foot American flag painted on it. And they are praying for a Trump landslide. Standing in a circle, the dozen or so men and women, young and old, lay their hands on their …

Senate Confirms Barrett, Delivering for Trump and Reshaping the Court

By Nicholas Fandos Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative appeals court judge and protégée of former Justice Antonin Scalia, was confirmed on Monday to the Supreme Court, capping a lightning-fast Senate approval that handed President Trump a victory ahead of the election and promised to tip the court to the right for years to come. …