Podcast: Download MYS342: For hundreds of years, the Catholic Church has had a variety rites to expel evil spirits from people who are possessed by them. But in 1614 and again in 1998, the Church published official rites for the procedure, and in this episode Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss what the rites actually… Continue reading Exorcism (the Old and New Rites of Exorcism)
Kristi Noem, Set to Oversee Disaster Agency, Has Rejected Climate Science
CLIMATEWIRE | President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the department in charge of disaster recovery has been skeptical of climate change, declined to accept federal climate money and been criticized for her own handling of a natural catastrophe. Trump named Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota on Tuesday to run the Department of Homeland Security,… Continue reading Kristi Noem, Set to Oversee Disaster Agency, Has Rejected Climate Science
Restore the American Spirit | RealClearPolicy
Critics of President-elect Trump assert that mass deportation is morally wrong for two reasons: first, Trump’s plan is said to be overbroad and will deport people indiscriminately; second, Trump’s plan will cause unjust suffering for those affected. Let us address each objection in turn. The idea that mass deportation will be indiscriminate is false. Since… Continue reading Restore the American Spirit | RealClearPolicy
Mathematicians Uncover a New Way to Count Prime Numbers
A new proof has brought mathematicians one step closer to understanding the hidden order of those “atoms of arithmetic,” the prime numbers. The primes — numbers that are only divisible by themselves and 1 — are the most fundamental building blocks in math. They’re also the most mysterious. At first glance, they seem to be… Continue reading Mathematicians Uncover a New Way to Count Prime Numbers
A Special Advent Message
Podcast: Download This is Dom Bettinelli, CEO of StarQuest, with a special message as we approach the Christmas season. Over the years, the StarQuest Network has continued to grow as a unique Catholic apostolate, bringing faith and culture together in ways that educate, inspire, and entertain. Shows like Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World, Secrets of Doctor Who, and… Continue reading A Special Advent Message
AI Analysis of Body Camera Videos Offers a Data-Driven Approach to Police Reform
A decade ago then president Barack Obama proposed spending $75 million over three years to help states buy police body cameras to expand their use. The move came in the wake of the killing of teenager Michael Brown, for which no body camera footage existed, and was designed to increase transparency and build trust between… Continue reading AI Analysis of Body Camera Videos Offers a Data-Driven Approach to Police Reform
After 2024 Losses, Hardball Democrat Lawyer Marc Elias Vows to Fight Back in ’26 and ’28
Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias had a rough election. Several of his clients, notably Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, fell to defeat. But instead of accepting their losses, Elias disputed the presidential and senatorial results in Pennsylvania, leading to charges that Elias, a self-advertised “democracy defender,” is what he’s accused Donald Trump of… Continue reading After 2024 Losses, Hardball Democrat Lawyer Marc Elias Vows to Fight Back in ’26 and ’28
Melting Glaciers Are Causing Billions of Dollars of Damage
This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network. BAKU, Azerbaijan—During 2024, the hottest year on record, snowpack in the Himalaya Mountains has plummeted to unprecedented lows, the Arctic has become a net carbon emitter, and once stable Antarctic sea ice appears to be permanently melting. The deterioration of the planet’s… Continue reading Melting Glaciers Are Causing Billions of Dollars of Damage
Nearly 4 Years Later, No Letup in Jan. 6 Prosecutions, Possible Pardons or Not
Even as President-elect Donald Trump promised on Sunday to act “very quickly” on pardons for many of the protesters involved in the events of January 6, the Biden administration’s Justice Department is continuing to arrest and try people for actions that occurred almost four years ago while opposing motions to delay trials because of the… Continue reading Nearly 4 Years Later, No Letup in Jan. 6 Prosecutions, Possible Pardons or Not
Teen Mathematicians Tie Knots Through a Mind-Blowing Fractal
Menger’s statement didn’t distinguish between homeomorphic curves. His proof only guaranteed, for instance, that the circle could be found in his sponge — not that all homeomorphic knots could be, their loops and tangles still intact. Malors wanted to prove that you could find every knot within the sponge. It seemed like the right mashup… Continue reading Teen Mathematicians Tie Knots Through a Mind-Blowing Fractal