Barbara O'Brien

Does taking an oath of office in the U.S. require placing a hand on a Bible? Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as Mayor of New York City on the stroke of midnight, January 1, 2026.

The goddess appears about halfway through the Vimalakirti Sutra, a Buddhist scripture. Her story seems simple but does a lot of doctrinal heavy lifting.

Saint Thomas Aquinas (Tommaso d'Aquino, 1224/25-1275) developed precepts about the morality of war that influence international law to this day. Now the saint's writings on war are relevant to current events, as Christian views on war have been in the news,

The Avignon Papacy refers to a period from 1309 to 1376, when the Papacy was, in effect, forcibly captured by France. And it's in the news because of a shocking account of threats made to Pope Leo XIV by U.S. officials.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed open hostility to Pope Leo XIV. Trump was angered by the Pope's criticism of his bombing of Iran. You can read

"We're looking for a proposal to the Buffalo teachers that doesn't degrade and demean them," Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore said.

Contentious races emerged in several districts this year as issues such as mask mandates and curriculum concerns overshadowed traditional ones like taxes. Races in those districts attracted a lot of

More examples of violence involving Buffalo Public Schools have come to light following the stabbing and shooting at McKinley High School on Feb. 9.

Many school superintendents say the new requirements are being greeted with relief from many parents and staff, though some are concerned about the masks coming off so soon following winter

The legislation reduces the number of signatures required for nominating petitions. Instead of getting 500 signatures, candidates seeking district seats will have to turn in petitions with 200 signatures.