Friday's News & Ideas - 2/5/2021

Biden, at prayer breakfast, calls out ‘political extremism’
Associated Press: President Joe Biden on Thursday called for a confrontation of the “political extremism” that inspired the U.S. Capitol riot and appealed for collective strength during such turbulent times.

She guarded the BLM memorial for months. Now it’s preserved in archives.
Sojourners: The Library of Congress and Howard University selected various pieces of the artwork to add to their historic collections. Other pieces of artwork will be donated to local museums and schools.

Funeral directors survive ‘surreal’ year with creativity and faith
Religion News Service: With safety precautions changing the way people mourn, as well as the sheer volume of COVID-19 deaths, the men and women who sometimes wryly call themselves ‘last responders’ have had a year like no other.

Israeli archaeologists find first purple fabric from King David’s era
Christianity Today: Researchers recreated the ancient dyeing process with mollusks.

The church must make amends to Black people with reparations
National Catholic Reporter: Throughout the American church’s history and well into the twentieth century, religious orders were actively working to keep Black women and men out.

The Spark

Three American mothers, on the brink
Eleven months, multiple breakdowns, one harrowing realization: They’ve got to get back up and do it all again tomorrow, says The New York Times.

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