RNS Morning Report - NY City Council passes bill to protect Muslim pilgrims from Hajj scams

Top Stories NY City Council passes bill to protect Muslim pilgrims from Hajj scams (RNS) — Some pilgrims save for years to afford the trip, which can cost anywhere between $9,000 and $15,000, and many turn to specialized travel agencies to handle the planning. Eli Lilly sues church leaders for alleged $200 million ‘sham’ drug program (RNS) — A lawsuit filed by the pharmaceutical giant alleges that Bishop Jerry Maynard Sr. and Elder Readus C. Smith III, a national COGIC leader, worked with wholesalers to submit fraudulent drug reimbursement claims. As Iran war persists, some US Muslims consider risks of Mecca pilgrimage STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (RNS and NPR) — Hajj is performed on the eighth through 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhu'l-Hijjah, or from May 25 to May 30. Opinion What is an encyclical? Inside Pope Leo’s urgent warning about AI and the ‘culture of power’ (RNS) — Encyclicals have become a way the Catholic Church presents its moral vision to the whole world, especially in the face of evolving developments and challenges that arise from economics and technology. What Memorial Day once meant for us (RNS) — Few Americans didn't know someone whose life hadn't been claimed by war. I went to Anthropic’s ethics gathering. I left believing wisdom traditions have key role. (RNS) — At the convening of technologists, theologians and practitioners, the most urgent questions about artificial intelligence turned out to have some of the oldest answers. The growing divide between the Trump administration and the LDS Church (RNS) — The church's pointed emphasis on charitable giving feels like the politest and most quintessentially Mormon 'F you' ever. ICYMI In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV says AI must serve humanity, not the powerful few VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In ‘Magnifica Humanitas,’ Leo's 83-page manifesto on AI, the pope tackles the social, economic and political challenges associated with artificial intelligence. Pope Leo calls just war theory ‘outdated’ in new encyclical (RNS) — 'Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the 'just war' theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated,' Leo writes in 'Magnifica Humanitas.' Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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