Tuesday’s News & Ideas - 2/17/2026

‘I am somebody!’: Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader who ran for presidency, dies at 84
Religion News Service: “I don’t think Jesse Jackson saw his political life as something different from his call from God as a preacher,” said the Rev. Valerie Bridgeman.
Politico: Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist and presidential candidate, dies at 84

How the university replaced the church as the home of liberal morality*
The New Yorker: As progressive Americans have become more secular, the academy has become their primary moral training ground. The results have not been good.

A binge and a prayer: Italian monks told to avoid Netflix and social media
The Guardian: A prior of an hermitage says digital technologies are designed to be addictive and present a “challenge for monastic life.”

Gaza’s Nasser Hospital condemns MSF decision to suspend most services
The Associated Press: The rare public friction between two well-known health care providers in Gaza came as the Palestinian death toll since the current ceasefire surpassed 600. At least 11 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the last 24 hours, hospitals said.

‘Adopt a Statue’ program for Milan’s iconic Duomo restores centuries-old marbles
The Associated Press: The program recruits donors — either companies or individuals — to fund restoration of a statue under a loan agreement that allows it to occasionally be displayed outside the Duomo.

The Spark

‘I felt betrayed, naked’: Did a prize-winning novelist steal a woman’s life story?
His novel was praised for giving a voice to the victims of Algeria’s brutal civil war. But one woman has accused Kamel Daoud of having stolen her story — and the ensuing legal battle has become about much more than literary ethics, The Guardian says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers