How Evangelicals Teamed up with the White House on Prison Reform
(RNS) — At a dinner last year with prominent evangelical Christians in the Blue Room of the White House, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, invited their table mates to discuss the issues most important to them.
35 Million Above U.S. Poverty Level Lack Funds for Basic Needs
Nearly 51 million households in the U.S. lacked funds to buy basic necessities in 2016, according to a United Way study published on May 17.
As US Cities Re-Examine Bail, Muslims Launch a Fund at Ramadan to Pay It
(RNS) — Like many Muslims, Chicago attorney Nura Maznavi pays zakat during the holy month of Ramadan.
And like many Muslims, she usually fulfills her zakat, an obligatory tax meant to purify Muslims’ wealth, by giving to local social service organizations and international relief groups. This year, she’s chosen a less traditional cause: helping people who are stuck in jail make bail.
For 40 Days in 30 US Cities, King’s Poor People’s Campaign Lives Again
RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) — Under sweltering 94-degree heat in front of the General Assembly building, a hardy group of progressive activists gathered to revive the 40-day Poor People’s Campaign, the civil disobedience movement founded 50 years ago by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Trump to Sign Executive Order Creating New White House Faith-Based Initiative
WASHINGTON (RNS) — President Trump plans to unveil a new initiative that aims to give faith groups a stronger voice within the federal government and serve as a watchdog for government overreach on religious liberty issues.
Social Safety Nets Reduce Poverty, Income Inequality
Not only do social safety nets "play a pivotal role" in reducing poverty and lowering income inequality but they also have been demonstrated to be effective in doing so.
Housing Discrimination Still Draws Focus 50 Years Later
NASHVILLE (BP) -- On the 50th anniversary of America's Fair Housing Act, Baptists noted progress in eliminating race-based housing discrimination while also citing a need for further improvement.
Don’t Domesticate MLK
(RNS) -- Whenever we remember the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., some people inevitably pull out a piece of sandpaper and try to smooth the sharp edges of the great civil rights prophet.
Most SNAP Participants Employed — But in Unstable Jobs
A majority of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants are employed while receiving assistance but in positions with unstable hours resulting in income volatility, according a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report released on March 13.
Urged by Their Youth, Faith Groups Flocked to the March for Our Lives
WASHINGTON (RNS) -- When Lydia Catterall, a junior at Norcross High School in Norcross, Ga., was asked why she was participating in the March for Our Lives demonstration to protest gun violence in the nation's capital, she was quick to cite the tragic school shooting that left 17 people dead in Parkland, Fla., in February.
But she was just as quick to reference her faith community: Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Atlanta.