Havana’s U.S. flag no victory for pope
Nicholas G. Hahn III, USA Today
Francis should deny Castro communion at Mass in the same way Castro denies freedom to the Cuban people.
Air pollution causes nearly one in five deaths in China—and over 4,000 per day
Richard Macauley, Quartz
China has long known it has a problem with air pollution, but a recent study has attributed a startling new death toll to the issue. Berkeley Earth, a nonprofit that studies climate change and related issues, says 1.6 million deaths in China are caused by air pollution every year. That’s well over 4,000 per day, or 17% of all deaths.
Hey Christians, Say Goodbye To Religious Freedom
David Harsanyi, The Federalist
Incredibly, the court acknowledged in its decision that it would have looked at the First Amendment arguments more closely had the gay couple ordered a cake with some explicit messaging that advocated for gay marriage.
Clerk’s Office Defies Order; No Same-sex Marriage Licenses
Claire Galofaro and Adam Beam , Associated Press
A clerk’s office turned away gay couples who sought marriage licenses on Thursday, defying a federal judge’s order that said deeply held Christian beliefs don’t excuse officials from following the law.