Read a Nov. 25, 2012, article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about “Preppers” – people obsessed with preparing for the end times, who flourished under the shadow of the looming catastrophe.

Read a Nov. 8, 2012, article from Virginia’s WTVR about hotels in Mexico and Central America that used the Dec. 21 date as a hook to lure tourists.

Read a Nov. 30, 2012, article from the New York Times about television networks from using the date of the supposed apocalypse to promote their apocalypse-themed programming.

In Russia and elsewhere, the end-of-the-world predictions in December 2012 caused some to panic, as this Dec. 1 New York Times story reports.

A story on President Bush’s proposal of $1.9 billion in aid to students affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Read the government’s past updates on its “Hurricane Help for Schools” program (the site is no longer updated past August 2006). Private schools and religious schools are eligible for aid.

Why should the secular media cover religion? By Gayle White The Atlanta Journal-Constitution* Why should the secular media cover politics? Or science? Or sports? Because they are part of human life and contribute to the order of society. Often, religion provides the “why” in the equation of a story. Faith motivates people, groups and, at […]

The Rev. Jennifer Jones-Bridgett is executive director the Louisiana chapter of People Improving Communities through Organizing, also known as PICO Louisiana or PICO LIFT (Louisiana Interfaith Together). This network of more than 100 faith communities has developed a “Covenant to Rebuild Louisiana,” which calls for clergy to work together with government leaders.

Jim Pate is executive director of New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, which worked to clean up homes damaged by Katrina and to build hundreds of new houses.