Tom Gjelten reports on religion, faith, and belief for NPR News, a beat that encompasses such areas as the changing religious landscape in America, the formation of personal identity, the role of religion in politics, and conflict arising from religious differences. His reporting draws on his many years covering national and international news from posts in Washington and around the world.
Tens of thousands of people in the former Soviet republic of Georgia have been protesting a Russia-style draft bill they say will hurt free speech and democracy.
There is a split-screen of media coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli channels focus on the Oct. 7 attack, the soldiers and the hostages, while Palestinian media highlights daily suffering.
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo. Meanwhile, Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas attacked it.