Reduced State Religion; Abortion Justification Boon; Frenemies and Syria; Hamas (and UN and World Vision) Shaming; Pilot Down; Rise of the Lice; Sewing Mechines; and Storing Data in the Jacket

Society

California Lawmaker Drops Controversial Proposal to Regulate Religious Colleges christianitytoday

Earlier versions of Senate Bill 1146 would have prevented colleges that received state funds from enforcing codes of student conduct reflecting a college’s religious beliefs about sexual identity, including teaching that marriage is between a man and woman and limiting bathrooms to biological gender. Traditionally, California’s religious schools have received a religious exemption from non-discrimination laws. This bill would have limited it to students who were preparing for a religious career, such as ministry.

also see State senator drops proposal that angered religious universities in California

Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) is removing a provision of his bill that sought to take away the exemption of religious schools to anti-discrimination laws. Instead, he will press forward with the amended bill that would still require such schools to disclose if they have an exemption and report to the state when students are expelled for violating morality codes.

How a New Type of Prenatal Genetic Testing Could Predict Your Baby time w!

I try to treat them equally, to assume equal potential. But what if I knew my daughter carried a “smart” gene and my son did not? When he came home from school with a B, would I assume it was just his genes, and not push him to try harder? And what if I could have known this before he were born, at a time when he was just a little blip on an ultrasound? Frankly, I’m not sure I would trust myself with this information.

Russia-Turkey

What Russia and Turkey Bring to Syria nytimes

President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey are major players on opposite sides of the Syrian civil war. Mr. Putin has provided the crucial military support that is keeping Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, in power; Mr. Erdogan has helped arm opposition groups seeking Mr. Assad’s overthrow.

After the meeting, the Turkish foreign minister told the state-run news agency the two sides had “common views” on the need for a cease-fire in Syria, deliveries of humanitarian aid and a political solution to end the crisis. But there was no suggestion they had narrowed their fundamental differences — which include Russia’s bombing of Turkey’s rebel allies as well as Mr. Assad’s fate — even as the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate.

Israel

Netanyahu: I care more about Palestinians than their leaders do timesofisrael v

After two Palestinians who work for World Vision and the United Nations were charged by Israel this week of aiding the Islamist terror organization Hamas, Netanyahu took the opportunity to attack the group on social media.

Military

US Air Force facing bigger pilot shortage than thought cnn

Senior Air Force officials said Wednesday the Air Force will face a shortage of 700 fighter pilots by the end of 2016. That shortfall is estimated to grow to 1,000 by 2022.

Pestilence

Almost All Lice Are Now Resistant to Over-the-Counter Treatment livescience

Researchers found that head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) in 42 of the 48 states studied carry an average of three genetic mutations that make these bugs impervious to popular over-the-counter anti-lice remedies. In the remaining six states, the lice had zero, one or two of the three mutations, on average, the researchers reported in the study, published online March 31 in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Robotics

Retired Professor Tries To Teach Robots To Sew Clothes npr.org a

If the project succeeds, it could have a huge effect on the global economy, and clothing manufacturing could return to the U.S.

Tech

This leather jacket doubles as a personal, wearable cloud techradar

Using 10 Raspberry Pi computers adafruit, three power banks, a small remote touchscreen display and a natty leather jacket, Hasan and Rasib Khan built a prototype of the device for testing. They presented it at the 40th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society International Conference.

I bet that's one warm jacket :)

Others...

Rare 4th-century mosaic of chariot race found in Cyprus sfgate

Tiny Polish Car Catches a Wave in Auto-crazy Cuba hosted.ap.org