The latest news on Faith-based initiatives, Evangelical churches in Brazil, Abortion, Health care, Immigration, President on Wall Street, Wealthy pay, Cuban embargo extended, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan, and Select op-eds.

Children in prison. After murders committed by juveniles spiked in the early 1990s, states toughened laws, making the United States the harshest nation in world in the legal punishment of children, according to a recent study.

Green energy. With the most diverse array of alternative energy potential of any state in the nation, Hawaii has set out to become a living laboratory for the rest of the country, hoping it can slash its dependence on fossil fuels while keeping the lights on.

Iran. The US and Iran are to hold their first face-to-face talks in three decades after the European Union struck a deal to resume nuclear negotiations.

Quote of the day. “We don’t need the news that comes from TV. This is news we care about, and it comes fast enough for us." Ohio Amish farmer Karl Yoder on The Budget, a newspaper that has served as the main source of news for Amish communities since 1890. (Los Angeles Times)