“Sesame Street” is introducing a new Muppet to its cast—Alex, whose father is in jail. “I just miss him so much,” he confesses. “I usually don’t want people to know about my dad.” Alex was created, in part, because the issue of parental incarceration (and its effect on children) is a growing and often overlooked problem. One out of every 28 children has a parent in prison. (NBC)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.