Sunspots 734

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: A Relevant writer on what to do when you don't like reading the Bible.

A Relevant writer tells us some things that our culture tells us about love and marriage that are wrong.

A Relevant writer says that everything doesn't happen for a reason.

Relevant also tells us what the Bible says about treating refugees hospitably. See more such scripture here (there's some duplication).

Relevant (again!) reports that religious donations declined by 2 billion dollars last year.

Christianity Today reports that the latest tariffs on goods from China may make the prices of Bibles, in the US, go up significantly.

Christianity Today has an article on how to lessen the polarization that is all too common in our society today.

Education: (or something) Listverse tells us about the history of some special colors, such as why school buses are yellow.

Finance: Catherine Rampell points out that retail sales is the biggest business in the country, and it's hurting badly, partly because of tariffs on Chinese products. Both the owners and the workers are hurting, but no one seems to be making a crusade out of that. (She says that there are 20 times more department store employees than the number of coal workers.)

NPR on why hardly any shoes are now made in the USA, and why it would be hard to bring such  manufacturing back.

Health: A writer attempting to cover a national anti-vaccination conference describes that movement, and how she (and other reporters) was or have been kicked out.

Politics: Christianity Today points out that the international refugee crisis has hit a record high, while the US acceptance of refugees has hit a record low.

The Associated Press compares the President's statements, made at his campaign kick-off rally, with the facts.

Michael Gerson discusses the President's compulsion to disregard the facts, and to make himself look good. Sample: a) the Mueller Report was put together by Democratic enemies of the President and b) the Mueller report completely exonerates the President.


Science: Gizmodo tells us why it's been raining so much. (There are several causes.)

Gizmodo also reports on hybridization between beluga whales and narwhals, in the wild.

BioLogos presents 10 common misconceptions about evolution.

NPR reports on an experiment involving supposed lost wallets (the experimenters knew what was in the wallet, and tracked attempts at returning them.) The findings were surprising.

An article in Smithsonian about large, brightly colored squirrels.

Sports: NPR reports that a bacterial species, in the gut, that occurs more often in long-distance runners, helps mice to run better, when placed in the mouse's gut.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!