Monday’s News & Ideas - 8/4/2025

More than 1,000 rabbis and Jewish leaders denounce starvation in Gaza
NPR: More than 1,000 rabbis and other Jewish leaders from around the globe, including in Israel and the U.S., have signed a public letter urging Israel to allow extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral state
The Associated Press: Italy agreed Thursday to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world’s first carbon-neutral state.

UK’s first female archbishop tells of how she hid her sexuality for decades
The Guardian: The new archbishop of Wales says faith kept her going through a decades-long struggle for acceptance as a woman and lesbian in the Anglican church.

Mike Huckabee, Israel’s passionate defender as Gaza war drives allies away*
The New York Times: Mr. Huckabee, a Baptist minister, is the first evangelical to serve as American ambassador to Israel. Christian conservatives and the Netanyahu government are pleased.

‘They do not teach us what we need’: Inside the expansion of religious schools for girls across Afghanistan
CNN: Afghanistan remains the only country in the world that prohibits girls and women from getting general education at secondary and higher levels.

The Spark

‘Self-termination is most likely’: The history and future of societal collapse
An epic analysis of 5,000 years of civilization argues that a global collapse is coming unless inequality is vanquished, The Guardian says.

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