(  )  Political scientist Ryan Burge, who studies religious demographics, is issuing a warning for the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.  He says that despite a rise in baptisms and attendance, the Southern Baptist Convention faces a likely future of continued declines.  Last year’s three percent membership drop amounted to nearly 400,000 people — which is the size of some small denominations.  Burge, a professor at Washington University, adds “The SBC has a baby boomer problem. Structurally speaking, it’s hard to outrun that demographic cliff.”

(  )  Recent court rulings on abortion pill access have reignited a contentious political issue in a midterm year.  It’s too early to say whether the rulings will affect the outcome of races this fall, but advocates on both sides hope it will sway voters their way.  Some abortion advocacy groups are strategizing ways to reach voters who may be more motivated to turn out for Democrats.  Meanwhile, pro-life groups who say the federal government hasn’t done enough to ban the pills are warning their typically loyal Republican voters could sit out future elections.  One advocate says the issue is a “five-alarm crisis” for the GOP.

(  )  Within the past decade, most women’s colleges in the United States have expanded their admissions policies, allowing men who are living as women to attend.  Now the Trump administration is investigating Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts for violating Title Nine, the law that prohibits discrimination based on someone’s sex.  The Education Department has issued a statement saying “An all-women’s college loses all meaning if it is admitting biological males.”  Many alumni of women’s colleges have expressed concern about admitting men, saying the decision threatens a women’s college’s reputation and identity.