RNS Morning Report: White House outreach; Mormon no more; Remembering Charleston

President Trump, largely surrounded by evangelical leaders, holds up an executive order that he signed during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Need to know: Monday, October 8, 2018

Trump White House faith outreach a picture of selective access

The White House says it "continues to engage hundreds of faith leaders on various issues that directly impact their communities," but some say they’re not in that number.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir changing its name but not its tune

Responding to a request from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the musical group will now be called "The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square."

Surgeon who recites Bible and Quran to patients wins UN award

Inspired by his faith, this Kenyan doctor has spent more than two decades working to save the lives of people fleeing war and persecution in Sudan and South Sudan.

How we remember

CBS Religion looks at Confederate monuments, the memorial for Charleston church shooting victims and the Little Syria neighborhood to consider how we memorialize and preserve collective memory.

Con man claimed to ‘cure’ childless women. Blackmail followed, then bodies.

Mullah Landay—who had no religious credentials, despite passing himself off as an Islamic cleric—led an extortion ring targeting women in Afghanistan.

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At long last, Muslim high fashion catapults into the mainstream

(RNS) — San Francisco's de Young Museum has produced the first major museum exhibition to focus on Islamic fashion worldwide.

Pope OKs study of Vatican archives into McCarrick scandal

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The study refers only to documentation, a potentially limiting constraint, given the McCarrick scandal apparently involves private, verbal communications that might not have paper trails in Vatican archives.

Mormon church backs deal to allow medical marijuana in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The agreement in such a conservative state underscores the nation's changing attitude toward marijuana.

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Nadia Murad’s Nobel win explained: Who are the Yazidis?

(The Conversation) — Nadia Murad's work against sexual violence, which has won her a share of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, came after suffering persecution by ISIS for being a Yazidi.

The Vatican’s China deal is medieval (and that’s a good thing)

(RNS) — When you've got a church that's been around for the better part of two millennia, there's a lot of history to learn from.

‘The Trump Prophecy’ includes troubling parallels for American democracy

(RNS) — A new documentary claiming God ordained the 2016 election likens President Trump to the Persian king Cyrus. The comparison, increasingly common among conservative Christians, ignores disturbing facts about Cyrus’ impact on the Jews.