This State Just Approved A Bible-Based Curriculum

TOP OF MIND

Everything's more biblical in Texas
The Texas State Board of Education voted in favor of introducing a new bible-based curriculum into public elementary schools across the state.

Schools that opt-in will receive additional state funding, and the new lessons could hit classrooms as early as the next school year. It's reported the material leans heavily on lessons from Christianity, which has some critics worried about kids who come from different faith backgrounds.

Other critics have expressed concern that young children might struggle to distinguish faith-based information from empirical knowledge.

But what do the proponents say?

The important bits
Mary Castle, director of government relations for the advocacy group Texas Values, claims teaching biblical references will deepen students' understanding of literature and culture.

Others disagree. Faithful America, an organization of Christians supporting social justice causes, started a petition against the proposal which has received over 15,000 signatures.

"Forcing Christianity on others doesn't spread our faith—it corrupts it," the petition reads.

It's worth noting Texas is not alone in this battle to introduce religion into the classroom. In Oklahoma, State Superintendent Ryan Walters allocated $3 million to purchase Bibles for classrooms, despite a lawsuit from teachers and parents seeking to block the move.

In Louisiana, they tried to pass a law that would require schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, but a U.S. District Judge recently blocked the proposal, calling it unconstitutional.

What's it all mean?
That's above our paygrade, but this writer who grew up in the Bible Belt has an insightful take on the matter.

DID YOU HEAR

🤑 Santa's workshop can't compete with Temu/Shein prices
You might be tempted to buy a majority of your Christmas presents from sites like Temu and Shein. After all, they offer up some amazing deals, but is it too good to be true? Probably. A new report from the Public Interest Research Group found that toys purchased from sites like Temu are typically not inspected before they arrive at your doorstep. These companies sell toys for basically nothing because they use cheaper materials, unqualified labor, and skip third-party testing. All things that wouldn't fly on Santa's sleigh!

📉 Cervical cancer deaths are dropping rapidly
Some good news to report for a change. A new study has found that since a vaccine for HPV was introduced in 2006, deaths from cervical cancer in young women have been plummeting. The team found a nearly 4% annual decline in cervical cancer deaths through 2013–2015, with around 0.02 deaths per 100,000 in the final period. Then, over the next six years, they found a dramatic reduction in mortality of just over 60%. Read why they're giving credit to the HPV vaccine.

🗣️ How to stop yelling at your children
No one wants to yell at their children, but sometimes they just make it so tempting, you know? Experts say while it's important to give yourself grace, it's also important to understand the impacts yelling can have on a child. In fact, some research claims it's worse than spanking. Here are four ways to put an end to the yelling.

📵 Australia bans social media for kids under 16
Oh, crikey! The Australian Parliament just passed a law that will make platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram liable for fines up to $33 million for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from opening accounts. The companies have just one year to implement the changes before the fines start coming in.

😳 Speaking of Shein...
You'll never guess what this mom found inside a prank can of peanuts she bought for her son off Shein.

A DOSE OF GOOD

@barstoolsports

Just one time 🤣 @Podfathers Show

BITES WITH KIYAH

No one wants to wake up to a house full of hungry people (especially pre-coffee) and have to tell them to wait for breakfast. And the last thing I usually want to do in the morning is spend my time in the kitchen (especially pre-coffee)!

This is why make-ahead breakfasts like baked French toast, quiche, or scones are always on hand when we have company.

Check out these other Make-Ahead Breakfasts for more ideas to satisfy everyone you may be hosting this month.

HERE’S A QUESTION

The "Today Show" team was asked how many presents a kid should receive for Christmas, and as you can imagine, they all had different answers. 

Last week, we asked if you agreed with a mom who claimed the parking spot next to the cart return is for moms only. It was a close vote, with around 56% saying, "No!" and 44% saying, "Yes!"

RECALLS

Cucumbers have sickened nearly 70 people
Multiple grocery stores, including Walmart, Albertsons and Costco, are being impacted by a massive cucumber recall that has already sickened 68 people in 19 states.

Arizona company SunFed Produce has recalled cucumbers sold Oct. 12-Nov. 26 due to a salmonella outbreak. 

Albertsons also issued a recall Thursday of vegetable platters and trays (some with hummus), salad and lettuce mix bowls, and sliced cucumbers.

Get all the important details here.