All posts tagged: roots

From Augustine to Jefferson, the idea of separating church and state has deep religious and secular roots

From Augustine to Jefferson, the idea of separating church and state has deep religious and secular roots

Published by Sam Flores

(The Conversation) — The Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission released its report on June 26, 2026, on the state of religious freedom in the United States, declaring it to be under attack. The commission was established in May 2025 to identify and report on “emerging threats to religious liberty, uphold Federal laws that protect all citizens’ full participation in a pluralistic democracy, and protect the free exercise of religion.” Despite those altruistic goals, from the beginning, the commission faced criticism that the composition and agenda of the body were slanted toward a conservative Christian perspective. The commission conducted seven hearings over the course of a year, taking testimony from approximately 100 witnesses. The draft report recounts numerous incidents of reputed bias and mistreatment of people based on their religious faith, and it places the blame on bureaucrats who exhibit a disdain for demonstrations of religious conviction. The report attributes much of this to the use of “the metaphor ‘wall of separation of church and state’ to justify excluding religious Americans from equal participation in the …

Maya Hawke reveals next steps in marriage to musician husband as she puts ‘some roots down’

Maya Hawke reveals next steps in marriage to musician husband as she puts ‘some roots down’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Maya Hawke is enjoying all the next steps that come with married life. The Stranger Things actress tied the knot on Valentine’s Day 2026 in New York City, marrying musician Christian Lee Hutson. The couple are now putting down roots, and have settled down not far from none other than Maya’s mom Uma Thurman. © Getty ImagesMaya and Christian married on Valentine’s Day 2026 Speaking with People, Maya, 27, revealed that she and Christian, 35, purchased a home in upstate New York, where Uma also owns a home, reportedly in the Woodstock area of the Catskills. “I just got myself a home a couple of blocks away from my mom,” she shared, gushing: “I’m so excited to finally be able to put some roots down.” It’s a timely purchase in more ways than one, as Maya is currently filming God of the Woods, a television adaptation of the bestselling Liz Moore novel, right in the town she grew up in, in the Hudson River Valley, not far from where she has now purchased a new home. …

K-pop singer Samuel honors his Latino roots with flair in ‘Samuelito’

K-pop singer Samuel honors his Latino roots with flair in ‘Samuelito’

Published by Sam Flores

At only 24, Samuel Kim Arredondo, better known as Samuel, has lived through nearly every iteration possible in a K-pop idol’s career. As a child growing up in L.A.’s Koreatown, he attended Wilshire Park Elementary School — but by the fifth grade he had moved to South Korea with his mother, Kyung-ju, with dreams of K-pop stardom. There, he became a trainee under Pledis Entertainment. Now a subsidiary label of Hybe — parent company of K-pop superstars BTS — Pledis was forming what became one of the most successful “third generation” K-pop groups of all time: Seventeen. Samuel, who was in the running to debut with the group, is even captured in early footage from their “Seventeen TV” variety show. Though he didn’t make the cut, he remained close with the members and helped write lyrics for their 10-year anniversary album. Just last week, he filmed a dance challenge with singer-MC Mingyu for the reggaeton-infused pop number “Zigi Zigi Zigi” — the lead single off of his new EP, “Samuelito,” which dropped June 8. After …

Afro B celebrates his Ivorian roots on ‘Mapouka’ – arts24

Afro B celebrates his Ivorian roots on ‘Mapouka’ – arts24

Published by Sam Flores

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with British Afrobeats superstar Afro B. He is the brains behind the smash hit “Drogba (Joanna)”, one of first Afrobeats songs to break the US charts. He has collaborated over the years with the likes of French Montana and Chris Brown. He is back with a new single called “Mapouka”, a love letter to Ivory Coast. It’s the first taste of his upcoming album, “Afro Ivoire”. We also shine a spotlight on a rising star of the French music scene. Singer-songwriter Yoa actually trained to become an actress. But during Covid, she started making music in her bedroom and has since go on to sell out huge venues. She has garnered praise for her deeply personal lyrics, on subjects like mental health and sexual assault. Last year she won best new live act at France’s top music awards, the Victoires de la Musique. She spoke to FRANCE 24 about re-releasing her debut album “La Favorite”.  Source link

Shut out of the World Cup again, China roots for a referee

Shut out of the World Cup again, China roots for a referee

Published by Sam Flores

China’s national team failed to make the World Cup this year, again. But the country’s soccer fans have found someone else to cheer for on the field: a referee. With no players on the pitch, Ma Ning, 46, is the most prominent Chinese participant in this year’s tournament — and he’s parlayed his officiating experience, strict on-field demeanor and social media savvy into unlikely stardom back home, where he’s landed media interviews and major sponsorships. Source link

Xolo Maridueña on East L.A. roots, Latino representation and future projects

Xolo Maridueña on East L.A. roots, Latino representation and future projects

Published by Sam Flores

In this week’s episode of “The De Los Podcast,” hosts Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito sat down with actor Xolo Maridueña to chat about his East L.A. upbringing, the importance of Latino representation in his career and a litany of projects he has in the works. Born and raised in El Sereno, Maridueña was exposed to the arts at a very young age through local community arts hubs Casa 0101 and the Boyle Heights Art Conservatory, where his mother, Carmelita Ramírez-Sánchez, now serves as executive director. The 25-year-old actor credited his mom, who also previously worked as a radio DJ for decades in L.A., for encouraging him to explore a creative career. “She was in the music world at a time when that wasn’t really a thing as a Latina woman,” Maridueña said. “She met so many roadblocks and overcame those that when it came time to for her to eventually raise her own family, she understood the want to try something that was outside of what the education system would deem successful. As a …

Pathological Demand Avoidance: The Roots of Extreme Refusal

Pathological Demand Avoidance: The Roots of Extreme Refusal

Published by Jenni Sidey

Leo was 12 years old and “no” to almost everything. “Get dressed.” No.“Come to dinner.” No.“Time for school.” No. Mornings were especially frustrating. Leo often refused to get dressed at home, sometimes arriving at school in pajamas with clothes packed in a bag. His parents tried everything—rewards, consequences, firm limits—but nothing worked. Every request seemed to trigger the same immediate, reflexive refusal. When another parent suggested Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), it felt like an answer. Finally, there was a name for what they were seeing. But naming the pattern is not the same as understanding it. Is PDA a New Term or Diagnosis? Pathological Demand Avoidance is a term that has gained traction, particularly among parents trying to make sense of extreme resistance in their children. Originally described in the 1980s by Elizabeth Newson as a profile within autism, it is now widely used to describe children who show an intense and persistent avoidance of everyday demands. It has been reframed by some (including me) as Persistent Drive for Autonomy, but most of the research …

US get World Cup prayer as Pope Leo roots for the home team

US get World Cup prayer as Pope Leo roots for the home team

Published by Sam Flores

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT, June 6 : Pope Leo may have traded his life in Chicago for the ornate apartments at the Vatican’s apostolic palace, but he still plans to root for his old national team at the World Cup this month. Leo, the first U.S. leader of the global Catholic Church, told a journalist aboard his flight from Rome to Madrid on Saturday that he will be supporting the U.S. soccer team when the 48-team tournament starts on Thursday. “I would certainly support the U.S.,” said the pontiff. “I don’t know how many games I’ll be able to see but I wish them all the best.” The U.S., who are co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico, will play Paraguay, Australia and Turkey in Group D. Leo, originally from a south Chicago suburb, served as a missionary and bishop in Peru for decades before becoming pope. He said in an interview last year he would root for Peru over the U.S. in any soccer match-ups. Peru failed to qualify for this year’s tournament, opening …

A Tennessee School District has Banned Alex Haley’s ROOTS

A Tennessee School District has Banned Alex Haley’s ROOTS

Published by Jenni Sidey

Welcome back to another headline roundup for library employees. Today, we’re going with a bit of a theme and talking a lot about AI: authors using AI as part of the writing process, selling books written by AI, and more. Let’s jump in (but maybe hold your nose first). Barnes & Noble CEO Explores Idea of Selling AI-Written Books Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt made headlines when he said that he would support selling AI-written books in stores: “So as long as an AI-written book says it’s an AI-written book and doesn’t pretend to be something else and isn’t ripping off somebody else, as long as that’s clearly stated and the customer wants to buy it, then we will stock them.” He later issued a clarifying statement, saying that Barnes and Noble does not “endorse or intentionally sell AI-generated books. We take active measures to exclude all AI-generated books from our online offerings and never knowingly order any for in-store stock.” I don’t know how much this actually clarifies, but speaking as a book …