Religion's declining importance in the U.S.; Congress takes on AI; How a debt ceiling affects you

Plus, why leaving offices closed is bad for the economy. [View this email online]( [NPR Up First Newsletter]( by Suzanne Nuyen May 16, 2023 Good morning. Nearly 6,000 people entered NPR's Tiny Desk Contest this year. [The winner moved our judges to tears]( and filled them with hope. Here's what else we're following today. President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are expected to continue negotiations over the U.S. debt limit today. Without an agreement, the U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills in just two weeks. As a default looms, [we answer your biggest questions]( from how the government can tell when funds are out to why a default is different from a shutdown. [( Peter Morgan/AP 🎧 Americans who get payments from the federal government or programs funded by it — like Social Security, military and veteran benefits or food stamps — will [feel the effects of a default first](. On Morning Edition, Joel Dickson, the global head of advice methodology for Vanguard, discusses [how a default would affect retirement accounts](. Sam Altman, the CEO behind the AI company that created ChatGPT, will testify today in a Senate hearing to discuss [measures being taken to regulate AI](. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has met with at least 100 experts in the past several weeks to craft new legislation. 🎧 NPR's Claudia Grisales says Congress is [behind the EU in AI regulation](. She tells the Up First podcast that trying to get things done quickly "does not bode well" for a bitterly divided Congress. ➡️ Do you worry about how AI will affect your job, or are you embracing it? [Let us know]( and you could be in our next story. Religion isn't as important as it used to be in America. Only 16% of Americans surveyed by the [Public Religion Research Institute]( say it's the most important thing in their lives. But those who still practice remain positive: 8 in 10 say they're optimistic about the future of their church, and 9 in 10 say they're proud to be associated with their church. 🎧 NPR's Joel Rose says "Americans are on the move when it comes to belief," with 24% of respondents saying they [previously followed a different faith]( than the one they currently practice. Rose notes most are leaving Christianity or religion altogether, and the number is up significantly from 2021, where only 16% had said they left or changed religions. 🎧 On Morning Edition, Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas discusses religious ideology divides with host Leila Fadel. She explains that churches remain segregated because "[people who have the same life experiences are people who tend to worship together]( When asked about the responsibility of church leaders to bridge this divide, she suggests that addressing inequalities in the country should be a starting point. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [The 777 Tower in downtown Los Angeles' financial district.]( Arezou Rezvani/NPR The debt ceiling is just one threat to the U.S. economy. Companies are [cutting back on office space]( as employees continue to work from home. 🎧 It could have [big consequences]( for banks, small businesses and cities that benefit from the property taxes tied to office buildings. 🏢 If companies keep giving up leases, office landlords may not be able to collect enough rent to cover mortgage payments. 🏢 The bulk of the $1.2 trillion in office space debt is owed to smaller regional banks, which are already in turmoil from depositors fleeing to bigger banks. 🏢 Businesses such as dry cleaners and convenience stores that have depended on heavy work week foot traffic are struggling to survive. 🏢 Landlords see some solutions, like converting office buildings to apartments. But it's a major undertaking and not all buildings can be transformed. --------------------------------------------------------------- Living better [An illustration of a woman with her arm wrapped around a child's shoulder as the two look at trees.]( Janice Chang for NPR Living Better is a [special series]( about what it takes to stay healthy in America. Jen McLellan and Grace grew up struggling with their body size. Their doctors saw obesity as a lack of willpower, and they felt shamed for not being able to lose weight. Scientific understanding of obesity has changed, and doctors now see it as a disease driven by many factors. Now, as Jen and Grace are raising children of their own, they [wrestle with decisions about their kids' weights]( — and often come to divergent conclusions. --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Quaker Bakers team is made up of students from the Sandy Spring Friends School. They participated in the "Sheep to Shawl" competition at the Maryland Sheep & Wool festival as part of their fiber arts class. From left, Ayla Keynes, Caitlyn Holland, Travis Hurley, Zoe Burgess, teacher Heidi Brown, and (front) shearer Emily Chamelin.]( Rachel Guy Adra Ready, set, shear, spin, weave! At the "[Sheep to Shawl]( contest at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, a team of five people get three hours to shear a sheep and turn its wool into an award-winning shawl. Michigan State Police say a 13-year-old boy in Michigan saved his sister from a would-be kidnapper by [shooting him with a slingshot](. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that bans the state's public colleges from [spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. 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