• Religious Dress Code Changed in US Army Regulations to Allow Turbans, Hijabs, Beards, Bracelets

  New U.S Army regulations released on Tuesday state service members at the brigade level now will be granted religious accommodations to wear turbans, skullcaps, beards and hijabs, in accordance with their faith, effective immediately. The new policies also permit religious bracelets, as well as dreadlocks for female soldiers. Permissions of this type previously were made on a case-by-case basis.

  

• Faith-Based Politics: How Many US Politicians Truly Believe in Christianity and in What Form?

  Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life staffers released a new study that indicates one of two vastly different realities: either "a profound theological dissonance" exists between American people and those they elect as their representatives in Congress, or "a great number of those representatives lie to people who take surveys," proposes Charles P. Pierce, lead political blogger for Esquire.

  

• Religion, Caste Banned in India Election Campaigns

  India's Supreme Court officials on Monday ruled future political elections must be secular in approach, and specifically banned the use of religion and caste in political activities prior to state polls, citing that such affiliations often determine the fate of campaigns.

  

• Religious Police Attire: New York Officers Now Can Wear Turbans, Grow Beards

  New York Police Department (NYPD) managers now allow police officers for religious reasons to wear turbans in place of traditional police caps, and to have beards up to an inch away from their faces.

  

• Christian Church Services in Barn Resume in California After Religious Ban

  Northern California county officials recently reversed their decision to ban a Christian congregation from meeting in a barn. Located just outside of Oroville, Calif. in Butte County, a group of Christians had been holding meetings in a barn, but county officials informed the owners of the barn and property they could no longer use the space to host church services. The same officials later even banned church gatherings in an open pasture on the property.