Wednesday’s News & Ideas - 4/22/2026

AME Church clergy could recover $44M more in retirement scandal settlement
Religion News Service: “We still have defendants who are fighting, and we have more work to do, but this is a major step forward in this litigation,” said lawyers involved in the case.

The deconstruction narrative has a rage problem. Taylor Tomlinson has the antidote.
Religion News Service: You cannot be a humorless deconstructionist on a comedy stage.

How Islamophobic rhetoric leaves an impact on the mental health of Muslim Americans
The Conversation: Research consistently shows that negative portrayals of Muslims shape public attitudes toward Muslims and can lead to increased discrimination, hate crimes and psychological consequences.

What types of news do Americans seek out or happen to come across?
Pew Research Cetner: A growing share of Americans say they mostly get news because they happen to come across it, not because they’re actively seeking it out.

Trump support drops in Utah, driven by religious voters
Deseret News: A new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by Morning Consult shows that more than half (54%) of Utah voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, outweighing the 44% of voters who said they approve.

The Spark

Our longing for inconvenience
The modern world has made us ill-equipped for the nuisances of past technologies, even as it has fueled nostalgia* for things that might transport us back to calmer times, The New Yorker says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers