A Pennsylvania town took steps this year to make its public spaces more welcoming to all: Emmaus agreed to remove a Christian nativity scene from the lawn of its publicly owned library. The removal came after Americans United received a local complaint last December and sent Emmaus a letter requesting the library stop displaying the religious scene.

The U.S. Justice Department in October announced that it is undertaking an investigation into accusations of sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy in Pennsylvania.

The city of Philadelphia does not have to contract with religiously affi­li­ated foster-care placement agen­cies that engage in discrim­inatory policies against potential foster parents, Americans United argued in a legal brief filed Oct. 4.