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Transgender trailblazer Sarah McBride heads to her debut in Congress, hoping for a touch of grace

Transgender trailblazer Sarah McBride heads to her debut in Congress, hoping for a touch of grace

DOVER, Del. (AP) — It was her last day in session as a Delaware state senator, and Sarah McBride sat in her tiny office at the state Capitol, preparing farewell remarks.
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Cities across the globe prepare to welcome the New Year in celebrations tinged with local traditions

Cities across the globe prepare to welcome the New Year in celebrations tinged with local traditions

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Cities around the world are readying to ring in the New Year with celebrations highlighting local cultures and traditions, after a year roiled by ongoing conflict and political instability .
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Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday , inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome in a test of the pope's stamina and the ability of the Eternal Cit
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Catholic priest in Belarus sentenced to 11 years as crackdown on dissent continues

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Catholic priest in Belarus on Monday was convicted on charges of high treason for criticizing the government and handed an 11-year sentence, in the first case of politically-driven charges against Catholic clergy since Belar
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Syria's dwindling Jewish community can visit one of the world's oldest synagogues again

Syria's dwindling Jewish community can visit one of the world's oldest synagogues again

JOBAR, Syria (AP) — In this Damascus suburb, the handful of remaining Jews in Syria can again make pilgrimages to one of the world’s oldest synagogues where people from throughout the region once came to pray.
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Former New Orleans priest convicted of raping teen boy dies while serving life sentence

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 93-year-old former Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for raping a teenage boy has died, Louisiana authorities and his lawyer confirmed Friday.
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Former New Orleans priest convicted of raping teen boy dies while serving life sentence

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 93-year-old former Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for raping a teenage boy has died, Louisiana authorities and his lawyer confirmed Friday.
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What is the Native American Church and why is peyote sacred to members?

What is the Native American Church and why is peyote sacred to members?

The Native American Church is considered the most widespread religious movement among the Indigenous people of North America. It holds sacred the peyote cactus , which grows naturally only in some parts of southern Texas and northern Mexico.
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Peyote sacred to Native Americans threatened by psychedelic renaissance and development

Peyote sacred to Native Americans threatened by psychedelic renaissance and development

HEBBRONVILLE, Texas (AP) — In this corner of southern Texas, the plump cacti seem to pop out of arid dust and cracked earth, like magic dumplings.
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Pope brings Holy Year and prayers for better future to Rome prison, a 'cathedral of pain and hope'

Pope brings Holy Year and prayers for better future to Rome prison, a 'cathedral of pain and hope'

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis inaugurated his Holy Year at Rome’s main prison on Thursday, bringing a message of hope to inmates and involving them in the Catholic Church’s once every quarter-century celebration that is expected to bring about 32 million
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