Worship leader Marty Sampson of Hillsong Church announced earlier this week he is “losing” his Christian faith in a lengthy and since-deleted Instagram post. The news drew swift and widespread reaction, surprising even Sampson, who posted Thursday, “I could not imagine the response. … I never expected to create any waves.”

As a young mom, Martha Hazelrigg rarely left the house with her four homeschooled children during school hours. When they did venture out, she coached them to tell inquisitive grocery clerks and shoppers they attended a local Christian school. It was true: Hazelrigg’s children homeschooled through that school’s independent study program. But in 1985, home education was rare, and mothers had legitimate fears that skeptics, even family members, might report them to the government.

Labor with Hope

Gloria Furman with Jesse Scheumann

Some Chicago-area parents have been gaming the financial aid system to get scholarships for their children that should go to needy students. A recent investigation by ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal uncovered the technically legal but unethical practice of parents transferring custody of their college-bound children to friends and relatives who make less money. Coming on the heels of the college bribery admissions racket in which 19 wealthy parents face criminal charges, the Chicago scandal puts more pressure on the U.S.

Nostalgia for the iconic summer of 1969 has gripped the entertainment industry in recent months. Events such as the first moon landing, the Woodstock music festival, and the killing spree by devotees of Charles Manson brought momentous highs and lows, and still captivate Americans 50 years later.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is ready to gamble that its massive audiences are diehard enough to embrace its first LGBT superhero. Spoiler alert: It’s the Asgardian warrior Valkyrie.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con that fans can expect an LGBT Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, in Thor: Love and Thunder, set to release in November 2021.

Netflix removed a graphic suicide scene from its popular teen series 13 Reasons Why on Tuesday after two years of warding off denunciations from parents, mental health advocates, and researchers who found the portrayal led to a spike in teens taking their lives.