| Can a 40-foot cross be secular? Supreme Court says yes Posted: 20 Jun 2019 02:23 PM PDT ![Can a 40-foot cross be secular? Supreme Court says yes]( "Can a 40-foot cross be secular? Supreme Court says yes") When Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan joined the fragmented 7-2 majority that allowed the Bladensburg Peace Cross in Maryland to remain standing as it is, she said she found much to admire in her conservative colleagues' reasoning – even those parts with which she disagreed. The Supreme Court decision announced on Thursday was the latest in a long history of vexing constitutional questions about the place of religious symbols in the nation's civic spaces – legal conflicts that have often contributed to the nation's "culture wars" and its deep social divides.
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| Brotherhood, debt, and the black college rising Posted: 20 Jun 2019 01:55 PM PDT ![Brotherhood, debt, and the black college rising]( "Brotherhood, debt, and the black college rising") James Hill III loved his visit to Morehouse College. A 16-year-old from Gainesville, Florida, who aspires to attend the private and historically black men's school, Mr. Hill felt embraced by the brotherhood of an institution that produced the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., film director Spike Lee, and many other civil and cultural leaders. James' picture of Mr. Smith at the podium was distributed by Morehouse and picked up by media organizations across the country.
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| In N. Korea nuclear talks, what about human rights? Posted: 20 Jun 2019 01:05 PM PDT ![In N. Korea nuclear talks, what about human rights?]( "In N. Korea nuclear talks, what about human rights?") After slipping first into China, Mr. Park and his family eventually found their way to Seoul. In the ensuing years, he finished high school and graduated college, and he now works at a nonprofit funded by the South Korean government that assists North Korean refugees. "North Koreans are struggling so much," he says.
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| Court’s burden in keeping religious harmony Posted: 20 Jun 2019 12:07 PM PDT ![Court's burden in keeping religious harmony]( "Court's burden in keeping religious harmony") For most religions, harmony is a core promise. In a 7-2 decision, the high court ruled that a local government in Maryland can continue to maintain a 40-foot cross at a busy intersection. Known as the Peace Cross, the monument was built in 1925 on private land with private money to honor soldiers who died in World War I. The state took it over in 1961 and has spent more than $117,000 to preserve it.
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