Saturday Lagniappe: 'The danger of smartphones for a child’s faith' And More

The danger of smartphones for a child’s faith

Will Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and other children’s Christian classics soon be relegated to museums due to the rise of the smartphone? And how will this affect the faith of the next generation?

23 of the Most Common Questions Asked about Church Revitalization, Part 1
Thom and Jess look at some of the most common issues and questions you have about church revitalization. Your questions have directed us in our research and writings, and they will continue to do so. Though there were several hundred questions you submitted, we selected 23 most common questions about revitalizing churches. Because of the number, we cover the questions in four consecutive podcasts.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

7 Standards for Good Writing
How can I call an opinion about a subjective form wrong? Well, because there are standards by which I can argue. Each standard is open for debate, but combine them all and a sieve of sorts is formed to sift the poor works and let through the quality ones.

We Are Not Númenóreans
Tolkien's ancient race still describes us . . . but what if there's something more?

USDA cuts could halt progress of SD local food scene
South Dakota farmers leading the "locally grown" movement have visions of a dynamic regional food production system but some of it is in doubt with looming federal cuts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is swept up in the Trump administration's downsizing of federal agencies, including cancellation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program for food banks to buy local produce at a market rate. Grants from the Regional Food Business Center program are also in limbo

Farmers panic as Trump threatens $1 billion in grants — that they've already spent
The Trump administration’s freeze on funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law from the Biden era, has left farmers and rural businesses across the country on the hook for costly energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy installations. The grants are part of the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP, originally created in the 2008 farm bill and supercharged by funding from the IRA. It provides farmers and other businesses in rural areas with relatively small grants and loans to help lower their energy bills by investing, say, in more energy-efficient farming equipment or installing small solar arrays.

New Social Security requirements pose barriers to rural communities without internet, transportation
Veronica Taylor doesn't know how to turn on a computer, let alone use the internet. The 73-year-old can't drive and is mostly housebound in her mountainous and remote West Virginia community, where a simple trip to the grocery store can take an hour by car. New requirements that Social Security recipients access key benefits online or in person at a field office, rather than on the phone, would be nearly impossible to meet without help.

Related: Social Security Employees Warn of Benefit Delays, A list of the Social Security offices across the US expected to close this year, 'Slap in the face': Pro-Trump Republican slams president’s closure of local Social Security office, Billionaire Commerce Secretary Says Seniors Wouldn't Mind Missing Social Security Checks, and DOGE’s plans for social security are a ‘backdoor’ way to cut payments, experts warn: ‘This is the most serious threat I’ve ever seen to it’

New Survey Finds Medicaid Cuts Would Devastate School Staffing and Services
As public education comes under attack on a number of fronts, school leaders are sounding the alarm about potential significant cuts to Medicaid. This federal-state partnership covers comprehensive and preventive physical, behavioral and mental health services and provides critical funding to K-12 schools and students.

Over 5 Million People Could Lose Medicaid Coverage If Requirements Change
More than 5 million Americans are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage if Congress enacts work requirements in 2026, according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Measles seizure risks outweigh rare vaccine side effects
As an outbreak of measles infects hundreds of Americans, social media users are warning parents against the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, falsely claiming the shot poses a higher risk of seizures than infection. Not only does measles pose a greater danger, but experts say seizure conditions related to the illness can cause life-long brain injury.

Related: When speaking with vaccine-hesitant patients, pediatricians turn to these tips; Debunked myths that vaccines cause autism are increasing stigma

After 5 years of COVID, the US is struggling with lower vaccination rates and distrust in public health
Last month, for the first time in two decades, a 6-year-old child in the U.S. died due to measles. Just a few weeks later, a second person died. Both were unvaccinated, making them part of a worrying trend that public health experts have seen increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notorious Anti-Vaxxer Tops Trump and RFK Jr.‘s List For New CDC Boss
The Florida surgeon general who said COVID-19 vaccines are the “anti-Christ” is gaining steam to be Donald Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida’s top doc, Joseph Ladapo, was HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s initial choice for the CDC gig in November, ABC News reported at the time, and he is now backed by top Trump allies and being discussed by the White House as a possible appointment again.

Individuals with higher cognitive flexibility are more positive toward vaccination 

A study conducted in New Zealand has found a link between cognitive flexibility and attitudes toward vaccination. Individuals with lower levels of cognitive flexibility were more likely to report personal barriers to vaccination—that is, they tended to state that vaccination conflicted with their personal beliefs. The research was published in BMC Psychology.