RNS Updated Budget — Thursday, February 27, 2020

As parts of Northern Italy are under curfew and quarantined amid growing coronavirus concerns, Catholic priests in the region look for new and creative ways to administer Mass in the days leading up to Lent. Fears of virus have led priests […]

NEWS STORY
RNS-Coronovirus-Lent: Coronavirus outbreak in Italy challenges Lenten celebrations
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — As parts of Northern Italy are under curfew and quarantined amid growing coronavirus concerns, Catholic priests in the region look for new and creative ways to administer Mass in the days leading up to Lent. Fears of virus have led priests to look for new ways to say Mass, through streaming and personal visits, to ensure that faithful have the opportunity to receive ashes, an essential element of the celebrations preceding the forty days of Lent before Easter. By Claire Giangravé. 784 words. (category: i)

NEWS STORY
RNS-Ohio-Bill: Muslim runner’s disqualification inspires Ohio bill to end hijab waiver requirements
(RNS) – A bill introduced in the Ohio Senate on Wednesday (Feb. 26) to allow student athletes to wear religious apparel without the need for special waivers was inspired by a Muslim teen in the state named Noor Alexandria Abukaram. Abukaram was disqualified from a track meet last year due to her hijab. By Aysha Khan. 512 words. (category: a)

NEWS STORY
RNS-Russia-Rights: Russia’s human and religious rights record criticized at House hearing
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Russia’s human rights record — including its treatment of religious minorities — is worsening, according to speakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill. By Adelle M. Banks. 400 words. (category: a)


NEWS BRIEF
RNS-Pew-Candidates: What religious left? Few Americans see Democratic presidential field as very religious
(RNS) — Few Americans see the Democratic presidential candidates as very religious, according to a survey released Thursday (Feb. 27) by Pew Research Center. Of the four candidates included in the survey (former Vice President Joe Biden; former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Sen. Bernie Sanders; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren), Americans were most likely to say Biden was “very” or “somewhat” religious — but that still was just over half (55%) of survey respondents, according to Pew data. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 489 words. (category: a)

NEWS STORY
RNS-Sanders-Barber: Bernie Sanders talks to Rev. William Barber about poverty ahead of Super Tuesday
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (RNS) — In a visit to one of North Carolina’s most influential African American churches, Sen. Bernie Sanders scored big points talking about poverty in the United States. But on the critical issue of race, Sanders talked more generally. By Yonat Shimron. 950 words. (category: a)

COMMENTARY
RNS-Singh-Oped: Why I joined Elizabeth Warren’s interfaith advisory council
(RNS) — When I saw the Christocentric makeup of the candidate’s interfaith advisory group, my first impulse was to flame her online. Instead, I reached out to inquire why her limited roster clashed with what I knew about Warren. This month, I joined the council myself. By Simran Jeet Singh. 912 words. (category: k)

COMMENTARY
RNS-Smietana-Oped: Remembering Roy Larson, legendary religion journalist and teacher
(RNS) — The Chicago Sun-Times’ longtime religion editor, who died this week at 90, taught us that we could be both hard-nosed reporters and decent people. A former pastor, Larson had a way of asking difficult questions without demeaning other people. He had both a skeptical eye and common courtesy, which made him stand out. By Bob Smietana. 1,004 words. (category: k)