At The New Republic, read Emily Atkin on "Scott Pruitt vs. The Pope." Atkin examines the rather self-serving religious justifications Pruitt puts forward for his subservience to the extraction industry. I think it is fair to say that Pruitt's views lack the sophistication of the Holy Father's. But my favorite line is this: "Pruitt's rejection of Pope Francis isn't exactly scandalous — he's a Southern Baptist, not a Catholic." Ergo, the rejection of Laudato Si' by Catholics is perceived as scandalous. Take note, Acton Institute.
Speaking of global warming, the North Pole went above freezing – in the winter! We all need a wake-up call here. Those scary projections about environmental tipping points, the ones that are so dire it is hard to get our heads around them, they are coming true and sometimes coming true faster than feared.
Also at The Post, a report on a different kind of danger, the rise of anti-Semitism in Poland. Those who think anti-Semitism was eradicated by the Shoah, or that there is no substance to Jewish alarm: Pay attention.
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President Donald Trump and Fox News were screaming "fake news" at CNN last week for "scripting" the students at a town hall meeting on gun control. Turns out, CNN did nothing of the kind. It told this kid he couldn't read a speech that appeared to be crafted by his dad. Read the full emails for yourself, and you will see that the suggestion CNN's producers were trying to censor this young man's thoughts is ridiculous.
From the category of "I need a heart-warming story," the Journal-Sentinel on a Milwaukee laundromat that provides free cleaning for the clothes of people who are homeless, just like Pope Francis started to do at the Vatican. After a White House press briefing, stories like this help restore equilibrium.
[Michael Sean Winters covers the nexus of religion and politics for NCR.]
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