Ruth Graham

A Complimentary Profile Of Jason Lee That Was Surprisingly Difficult To Publish | Defector If you walked down Colorado Boulevard in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles at some point in the past three years, you might have noticed a modest, pueblo-style beige building with “PHOTO” painted above its door. And if you had decided to go in, there was a decent chance you’d know the pers…

This @defector.com story is a good (non-political) example of why it’s not enough to have a bunch of individual reporters with newsletters running around. You need some kind of institution with the resources (and principles) to publish despite legal threats. defector.com/a-complimentar…

The Birthrate Is Plunging. Why Some Say That’s a Good Thing.

"Now the girls are stone cold, not emotional." Fascinating, complicated story about the declining birthrate: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/u...

My favorite was a passage in "Death in Venice" annotated "Gay?"

Generations of ‘Mystic Girls,’ Divided by a Deadly Texas Flood

Since July 4, I've been struck by the closeness of Camp Mystic's alumnae, who helped me understand the power of summer camp in Texas. Now, in the midst of so much grief, painful fractures are opening up as some families decide to send their daughters back to camp. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/u...

Big update here: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick just released a letter urging the state not to issue a new camp license to Camp Mystic for this summer. "It would be naive to allow Camp Mystic to return to normal operations before all of the facts are known.” x.com/LtGovTX/stat...

I clicked through to find out if there was really a new television character named Alice Munro. Apparently it's "Monroe" but still, huh

Texas Officials Share Blame in Camp Mystic Deaths, New Lawsuit Claims

New from me: Nine families of girls who died at Camp Mystic just filed suit against the Texas Department of State Health Services, accusing the agency of approving the camp's emergency plan even though it included no provisions for evacuation. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/u...

I wouldn't say 100% of my eating-food experiences have been terribly imbued with dignity, come to think of it

not endorsing any particular theology, but e.g. this from Pope Francis is striking in light of that Altman clip: "it is necessary to reiterate that every human being is endowed with dignity by simply existing, as a spiritual entity, created by God and destined for a filial relationship with Him."

Theology of human dignity taking on new implications every day.

I have no doubt, but that doesn't seem to be his point.

Pope in dialogue with Rome's priests: Be friends, beware of envy and the internet - Vatican News Pope Leo XIV answers four questions from priests of the Diocese of Rome and gives wide-ranging responses touching on spiritual guidance, indications ...

Leo cautions priests against using AI to write homilies. “'To give a true homily is to share faith,' and AI 'will never be able to share faith.'" www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...

Teen Tiny Memoirs: The Winners of Our 4th Annual 100-Word Narrative Contest

These are lovely! www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/l...

I imagine it was extremely disturbing

The Babies Kept in a Mysterious Los Angeles Mansion A wealthy couple obtained dozens of children through surrogates. Did they want a family, or something else?

Riveting, empathetic, uncomfortable, bonkers -- that is, everything I want from magazine journalism. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

UPDATE: Just spoke with the head of CSPL.

They have *still* not heard from ICE/DHS about granting clergy access to the Broadview ICE facility. A federal court order issued last week required ICE/DHS to work with CSPL to grant clergy access to the site on Ash Wednesday.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

important perspective from this 1969 sports headline

Robert Duvall, oh, I loved him. My tops are "The Apostle," "Tender Mercies," and "Lonesome Dove," and I'm not just saying that because I'm a religion writer in Texas. (Or maybe that's WHY I'm a religion writer in Texas? Much to ponder.)

Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses

"We will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns." www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...

Conservative Women Find a New Way to Talk About ICE When can an influencer opt out of the news cycle?

“I am not a news source anymore. ... God called me out of that season.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Named after an iconic character we all know and love

Why did Van Gogh die in poverty when he owned so many Van Goghs? Real missed opportunity

This is a quote from someone in the story, not my own point of view.

U.S. Archbishop Will Be Beatified, One Step Away From Sainthood

The last year has been a big one for Catholic clergy born in Illinois. New from me: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/u...

Without a Border ‘Invasion,’ Texas G.O.P. Turns to an Old Enemy, Islam

“Any event you go to, people ask about it. It’s like the border used to be. ... ‘What are you doing about Shariah law? What are you doing about the Muslims taking over the state?'" www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...

Rev. James Martin on Our Moral Duty in Turbulent Times

Honored to be interviewed by the @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/m...

For traditional Catholics, Charlotte Communion dispute is a battle line A seemingly esoteric dispute over the proper way to take Communion signals the rising power of more traditional voices within the Catholic Church.

"You are either trusting and believing God sends certain leaders or you’re figuring some other way around it.” @michelleboorstein.bsky.social on the communion divide in Charlotte: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...

YouTube video by Saturday Night Live Beyond the Headlines - SNL

"How nice is it to wear jeans to church?" www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUsW...

Hundreds of clergy descend on Minneapolis and go on lookout for ICE MINNEAPOLIS (RNS) — The faith leaders, who hail from across the country and represent a range of religious traditions, deployed to neighborhoods with significant immigrant populations, where DHS agent...

"You can only preach against ICE for so long before God calls you to get out of the pulpit and get to the streets." religionnews.com/2026/01/22/h...

Dallas County Exonerates Black Man Who Was Executed in 1956

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/u... An all-white jury convicted Tommy Lee Walker of rape and murder, relying on inadmissible evidence and a coerced confession that he immediately recanted, county officials said.