Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

http://www.signonsandiego.com/

On March 16, 2001, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center is about to open in Washington, D.C. It "is slated to become a combination research center and interactive museum, art gallery and a bit of a presidential library." According to the cardinal who came up with the idea, the center is "designed to bring about a dialogue of cultures, to encourage ecumenical and interfaith activity...

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

http://www.signonsandiego.com/

On March 16, 2001, The San Diego Union-Tribune published an editorial by Mohamed El-Bendary, a doctoral student at Louisiana State University in which he condemned the Taliban's destruction of Buddhist statues.

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

http://www.signonsandiego.com/

On March 14, 2001, The San Diego Union-Tribune published an editorial by Muhammad Aquil, director of public relations at the Islamic Center of San Diego, in which he said that the way the press covers the Taliban often casts a bad light on Muslims in general.

Source: The Washington Post

On March 14, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "nearly two-thirds of U.S. congregations maintain strong ties to their religious denominations, debunking the widely held belief that affiliation with major religious groups has declined, according to the largest study ever of congregational behavior, which was released yesterday...The interfaith survey, 'Faith Communities in the United States Today,' involved 14,301 congregations in 41 denominations or faith groups...The survey confirms that the growth of less hierarchical,...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 14, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on "the findings of Faith Communities Today, the largest survey of American religious congregations ever conducted. Among these are that "more than three in four congregations report that most or all of their regularly attending adult worshippers are white." In addition, "Changes in worship patterns...have a strong, positive association with congregational vitality, member growth, financial stability and other signs of a healthy congregation."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On March 13, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that, according to the 2000 census, "nearly one in every three Americans is a member of a minority group, reflecting a massive surge in immigration during the 1990s." The Latino and Asian populations are making the most rapid increases. "On initial analysis, the Census Bureau's first attempt at giving respondents the chance to choose more than one race may yield as much befuddlement as enlightenment."

Source: AMC-NET

On March 13, 2001, the American Muslim Council reported that "the American Muslim Council hosted a forum Monday, at Georgetown University, geared toward helping formulate a policy position and consensus among the community regarding President Bush’s Faith-based Initiative." A lot of the talk focused on American Muslim involvement "in the selection process when it comes to determining eligibility. The community called on the White House to ensure balanced representation and objectivity in the Office." The AMC Executive Director sees the...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 13, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "according to results released by the Census Bureau...2.4 percent of Americans, or nearly 7 million out of 281 million people, took advantage of the new census option to identify themselves as belonging to more than one race...About 4 percent of Americans under age 18 were listed as multiethnic, compared with about 2 percent of those 18 and over."

Source: Omaha World-Herald

On March 13, 2001, the Omaha World-Herald reported that, according to the Census 2000, "racial and ethnic minorities now make up about 7 percent of Iowa, compared with about 4.5 percent in 1990." The largest increase in population was among the Hispanic population. "The increase...has forced [Sioux City] to adapt. Interpreters are in demand to assist with the Spanish-speaking population. Schools have adjusted their programs."

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On March 13, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported that Baltimore's "Mayor Martin O'Malley called on religious leaders yesterday to support his faith-based initiative, Baltimore Rising, which will connect 300 mentors in inner-city churches with 100 youths deemed most likely to kill or be killed by violent crime...Solving the crime, violence and drug addiction in the inner city 'requires a spiritual element...,' O'Malley said."

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 11, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "the Bush administration is defending its faith-based initiative against a string of attacks from...the Christian right." Their fears include strings being attached to government funds, and fears that some faiths will be discriminated against.

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

https://sfchronicle.newsbank.com/browse/SFCB/2001/march/11

On March 11, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that, "in the Bay Area, more than a dozen religious groups are considering using" the federal law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons...

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On March 11, 2001, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "the American Indian tribe that the state of Kansas gets its name from is slowly working its way back home. The Kanza last year bought 170 acres in eastern Kansas with hopes of turning it into a heritage park" and has plans for another park and a child-care health center in the state. The Kanza were forcibly removed from Kansas 127 years ago. Today there are about 2,300 members nationwide.

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 11, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "the White House believes President Bush will pick up significant support for his faith-based initiatives" from "black churches -- despite opposition from some African-American leaders." GOP pollster Frank Luntz calls the faith-based initiatiave "the first successful effort I have seen to penetrate the black mind-set that has worked...They are the most faith-based segment of the population there is." Some African-American leaders and...

Source: The New York Times

On March 10, 2001, The New York Times reported that "among the most vivid threads in the New Jersey census figures...are stark figures on the diversification of the suburbs around the state....The blizzard of numbers from the census tell of a new kind of immigrant, the educated, high-achieving striver" who chooses central New Jersey to be in "commuting distance of its electronics, pharmaceutical and medical care industries."