Friday’s News & Ideas - 3/20/2026
- Bethlehem tourism struggles
- César Chávez accused of abuse
- Pastor had Epstein ties
- Hard to find progressive church
- Christian March Madness hero
- Women reporters changed journalism
Shuttered stores, canceled pilgrimages: Can Bethlehem’s Christians survive another Easter?
Religion News Service: The Iran war could be the final blow to Bethlehem’s tourism industry — and to the already-dwindling Christian population as well.
César Chávez, noted for his Catholicism, accused of sexually abusing labor rights leader Dolores Huerta
Crux: Huerta said she stayed silent for 60 years out of concern that her words would hurt the farmworker movement.
Pastor suspended after church learns she once managed Jeffrey Epstein's private island
People: “I knew him for the last nine months of his life, well after he served time for the things that he was accused of doing,” said the Rev. Stephanie Remington of the UMC.
It’s hard for most Americans to find a progressive church
Baptist News Global: The data clearly show that progressive (and even moderate) American churches are scarce — and becoming more so every year.
He was an aspiring minister who didn’t make a layup all season. Now he’s a March Madness hero*
The Athletic: The High Point guard, a graduate student eyeing a career in ministry, hit a critical 2-point shot against Wisconsin.
The Spark
Lede-ing ladies
How female foreign correspondents transformed journalism, thrilled by “that life of rushing and asking questions,” says The American Scholar.
*access is limited for nonsubscribers
