Thursday's News & Ideas - 8/1/2022
- Pandemic set US education back
- Religious schools shun state funding
- Some Muslims internalize stereotypes
- Rodney Stark dies
- UN report on Uyghur abuses
- It’s time to talk about poo
The pandemic erased two decades of progress in math and reading*
The New York Times: The results of a national test showed just how devastating the last two years have been for 9-year-old schoolchildren, especially the most vulnerable.
Religious schools shun state funding despite Maine victory
Associated Press: Parents of children enrolled in Maine religious schools fought for years for the state to treat tuition reimbursements the same as other private schools, but only one of the religious high schools that stood to benefit has signed up to participate this fall.
Some US Muslims have negative stereotypes about themselves
Religion News Service: American Muslims scored 26 on the Islamophobia Index, which measures a group’s endorsement of anti-Muslim stereotypes — higher than many other religious groups.
Rodney Stark, sociologist who said religion is a rational choice
Christianity Today: His theories of conversion and competition shaped widely held views of church growth and decline.
Rights groups call for inquiries into Uyghur abuses in China after damning UN report
The Guardian: Governments urged to launch formal investigations after UN findings on treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang.
The Spark
Why it’s time to talk about poo
The nutrients in human waste are drifting into our oceans and landfills instead of back into soils. But there are much better uses for human poo than flushing it down the drain, the BBC says.
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