🗳️ Lower the voting age?

Good morning. This is Shades of the Day, the daily newsletter that summarizes and organizes the different shades of perspective in news and culture so that you can see the big picture quickly.

Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed. The easiest (and most fun!) way to do that is with the Shades mobile app, where this newsletter’s content is pulled from.

It’s Monday, April 8 — here’s what you’ll find in today’s newsletter:

• The Vatican’s view on transgender surgeries

• Newark’s decision to lower the voter age for school board elections

• 4 quick hits of news from the last 24 hours

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

📜 The Vatican’s view on transgender surgeries

The Vatican's new document makes assertions about transgender surgeries, the criminalization of homosexuality, and more.

📜 The Vatican's new “Infinite Dignity” document asserts that transgender surgeries violate God's plan. The document also slammed surrogacy and the criminalization of homosexuality.

📜 You can read the complete “Infinite Dignity” (titled “Dignitas Infinita”) here.

📜 The Executive Director of New Ways Ministry spoke out against the document: It marginalizes the LGBTQ+ community. The Church is wrong to dismiss the realities of gender expression.

📜 On the other hand, analysts in The Pillar backed the Vatican's stance: The Church's document isn't motivated by hate. It's a needed defense of sexual difference — part of God's plan.

🗳️ Lower the voting age?

Newark lowered the voting age to 16 for school board races.

🗳️ NYT: Newark lowered the voting age to 16 for school board races. It could spark a nationwide trend to include younger people in the democratic process.

🗳️ Washington Examiner argues against it. 16 year olds have a lot of immature behavior.

🗳️ Njisj.org disagrees: 16-17 year olds are mature and informed enough to vote. Young people's voices are crucial to democracy.

🗳️ Vote16usa.org agrees: Lowering the voting age can boost turnout and civic engagement. Let's do it!

Quick hits

🎸 Country singer Morgan Wallen faces felony charges after allegedly throwing a chair from a rooftop bar.

🔌 TSMC receives a $6.6 billion subsidy from the US for its new chip manufacturing plant in Arizona.

🇺🇸 Trump advocates for states to have the power to legislate on abortion rights and acknowledges his role in Roe v. Wade's overturn.

🚔 Authorities arrested a suspect linked to an alleged arson attack on Senator Bernie Sanders' Vermont office.

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