The Atlantic: Alana Semuels details the costs and burdens of incarceration on families, noting the ways in which incarceration perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

Vox: According to a survey from Faith In Public Life, in the short term, Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si has had little influence on right-leaning American Catholics’ views on the government’s role in environmental issues. David Roberts argues that this is evidence that partisanship trumps religion in the United States.

Institute for Family Studies: Continuing the debate on whether cohabitation presents a risk to relationship stability, Jaap Dronker’s analysis indicates that European couples who casually cohabit are far more likely to part ways than are married couples.

NPR: Rob Stein reports on the FDA’s safety review of Essure, a nonsurgical sterilization device.

Want to contribute to the ongoing discussion? Or highlight an important article? Contact us via our submissions page.