(  )  Italy’s constitutional court has ruled that the non-biological mother in a same-sex union is entitled to paternity leave, equating her role with that of the father and therefore entitled to bonding time with a newborn. The court found that a 2001 decree on parental leave is unconstitutional because it doesn’t recognize non-biological mothers in lesbian civil unions.  In May, the Italian court ruled that two women can register as parents of a child on a birth certificate, saying recognition of parental rights can’t be restricted to the biological mother alone in families with same-sex parents.  LGBT advocates are hailing the decisions.

(  )  The Trump administration is investigating the Oregon Department of Education for allowing boys to compete on girls sports teams. The probe follows a complaint by America First Policy Institute saying that a number of high-school aged female athletes in the state had lost medals and other competitive opportunities to males. The administration says transgender athlete policies such as the one in Oregon violate Title Nine, the 1972 federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex.  The investigation is the latest effort by President Trump to protect female sports in the country from encroachment by males.

(  )  While most wealthy countries have witnessed steep declines in religious faith in recent years, the United States is an outlier by comparison.  Multiple polls do indicate that the percentage of Americans belonging to a religious congregation is declining. However, the percentage of Americans who are intensely religious has remained unchanged over the past several decades. Around 29 percent of Americans report praying several times a day, for example. The Trump administration has vowed to encourage faith and make it easier for Christians to practice their religion and make their voices heard in the public square