U.S.

About 40 percent of U.S. Catholics are foreign-born or the children of immigrants. The change is having profound effects, from reviving dying parishes to shifting the church's geographical center.

San Quentin prison's university gets high marks. But few prisons in the nation are following the California model.

Most jobs added since the recession are going to workers either in the top third or the bottom third of income. Those in the middle are getting squeezed out — especially men.

The increasing popularity of the trail is raising concerns at Baxter State Park in Maine, where thru-hikers often complete their arduous journeys with a celebratory climb up Mount Katahdin.

A Marquette University scientist slogged through more than 200 rice varieties to find the most promising few; he then subjected those to real Wisconsin weather on rooftop paddies outside his lab.

Villanova University students are integral to Pope Francis' U.S. social media team via the college's Vatican internship program. They were part of the launch of the papal Twitter account and the Vatican's ongoing social media efforts.

Commuters often tell Lamour Rogers that they were having a bad day until they heard his voice. He says it's in his soul to make people happy.

Pope Francis' upcoming visit to the U.S. has American Catholics excited — but they aren't the only ones. The pope's statements on the environment and social issues have appealed to non-Catholics, too.

A new experimental drug is designed to slow down Alzheimer's by protecting brain cells from toxins associated with the disease. That's a different approach from other Alzheimer's drugs, which have tried to eliminate those toxins.

John F. Kennedy's presidential bid was challenged by Protestant leaders who charged that he would be a tool of the Vatican. Concerns were widespread about Catholic leaders demanding political loyalty on issues involving church doctrine. But today, the question is whether Catholic voters and Catholic politicians still give deference to Vatican views. Does the Pope still have clout when it comes to pronouncements he makes on key issues?