Republican tax law hits churches

For right-wing evangelicals, Kennedy's retirement is triumphant vindication for their support of Trump
Slate: The announcement of Justice Kennedy's retirement was a vindication for Trump's evangelical defenders, who had one message for voters in 2016: Close your eyes and think of the Supreme Court.

Travel ban decision follows the Supremes' record of racial classification
Religion News Service: Whether viewed in terms of contemporary politics or American history, the Supreme Court's ruling on President Trump's travel ban against several Muslim-majority countries is not surprising.
National Catholic Reporter: Nativist, anti-immigrant sentiment in the US has a long history

Republican tax law hits churches
Politico: Some nonprofits could start paying taxes for the first time.

Churchgoers sticking around for theology, not music
Baptist Press: Most churchgoers will put up with a change in music style or a different preacher, according to a LifeWay Research study. But don't mess with a church's beliefs or there may be an exodus.

A popular pope, but how powerful? Francis still fights internal battles
Reuters: Now in his sixth year as pope, Francis is still battling to put an end to recurring sex scandals, reform the Vatican's central bureaucracy and overcome a conservative backlash to his teachings.