Friday's News & Ideas - 4/11/2025

Pressed for evidence against Mahmoud Khalil, government cites its power to deport people for beliefs
The Associated Press: Facing a deadline from an immigration judge to turn over evidence for its attempted deportation of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, the federal government has instead submitted a brief memo.

Black Americans are more likely than other racial groups to express their faith in the workplace
The Conversation: Nearly 40% of Black workers feel comfortable talking about their faith with people at work, the highest of any U.S. racial group, two recent studies found. But they also risk facing religious discrimination.

In win for faith groups, federal judge rules Trump must begin admitting some refugees
Religion News Service: “We pray the government finally respects the court order as well as human dignity, and admits the thousands of refugees,” said Mark Hetfield, whose organization, HIAS, was one of the plaintiffs.

How the sainthood of Catholic priest could change a Kansas town
NPR: Father Emil Kapaun, a Catholic priest and Korean War hero from Kansas, was recently moved one step closer to canonization as a saint. That could mean big changes for his small hometown.

Ink, angels and hard graft: The artists keeping Ethiopia’s ancient illuminated manuscript craft alive
The Guardian: In an Addis Ababa workshop, sacred texts are painstakingly crafted on goat skin using methods dating back to early Christianity — plus a bit of inspiration from Google Images.

The Spark

Scientists are ‘X-raying’ the Amazon, unlocking a lost human history
Lidar* is ushering in a new era of discovery in the Amazon. The laser sensor, which can be mounted on an airplane or drone, has given scientists the equivalent of X-ray vision, enabling them to puncture the forest’s dense canopy like never before, The Washington Post says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers