I reported for Reuters at the Washington state Capitol yesterday, covering the public hearings on a gay marriage bill — and in between, the breaking news that the state Senate now has enough votes to pass the bill. (The House already had enough votes.) It now appears that Washington’s lawmakers will legalize gay marriage next month,…

Top five points I took away from last night’s “Can Foreign Aid Really Help Africa?” talk in Seattle, featuring American Jewish World Service president Ruth Messinger and University of Washington Prof. Dan Chirot: 1) Faith-based organizations are strongly motivated to help the poor, but be wary of those that may also be in it to…

This one just can’t wait for Fun Friday: Netanyahu Government Suggests Israelis Avoid Marrying American Jews (The Atlantic) Oy! I believe this qualifies as biting the hand that feeds you. And, as I noted on Facebook, nothing sends most young adults screaming from the mother(land) faster than a nonsense guilt trip. Besides, if the Netanyahu…

For longtime religion reporters, it’s a challenge to come up with fresh ideas for the same holidays each year, especially for smaller groups like Judaism (depending on where you live). In a pinch, there are a few go-to angles that can give these stories a twist: “food,” “interfaith,” “gay,” “converts,” “technology,” “military,” etc. — but even…

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