North Carolina Sheriff Jody Greene is gaining national attention for refusing to remove a Bible verse from a wall at his office, the Christian Post website reports today (December 31, 2021).
Greene has cited the need for "more Jesus" as the reason for his decision not to comply with the demands of a leading atheist legal organization to take it down.
The sheriff wrote in Facebook,"My motivation comes from the greatest motivational speaker of all time, Jesus Christ."
A Bible museum in Germany has staged an LGBTQ-themed exhibit that proclaims to all: "You are good as you are," the WND website reports today (December 30, 2021).
Decision magazine reported last week on the project at the Bible museum of Frankfurt, a six=month display that it said "made blatantly false claims about biblical teaching, including that the Bible contains LGBTQ themes."
Also featured at the Bible museum was a play called "The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven," which was authored by a transgender person.
Pope Francis released a letter to married couples across the globe on December 26 as part of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year in the runup to the World Meeting of Families set for 26 June 2022, the Independent Catholic News website reports today (December 29, 2021).
Pope Francis begins his letter by expressing his desire that families feel his "affection and closeness at this very special time," which has been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and recurring lockdowns.
He said in his letter,"Our relationship with God shapes us , accompanies us, and sends us forth as individuals and, ultimately, helps us "set out from our land," albeit in many cases "with a certain trepidation and even fear in the face of the unknown."
A mosque in northern France has been ordered closed for six months for "inciting violence," the Euro News website reports today (December 28, 2021).
The prefecture of the Olse department said the large mosque in Beauvais closed for "inciting hatred," "violence," and "apology of jihad."
France's interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, ordered the mosque closed because of "unacceptable preachings" against Christians, homosexuals, and Jews.
While New Yorkers are going ahead with their iconic New Year's celebration, authorities in many other major cities around the world have canceled celebrations due to the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Christian Post website reports today (December 27, 2021).
Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Rome, London,Edinburgh, Athens, and New Delhi are among the cities where New Year's celebrations have been canceled or large gatherings prohibited.
In Germany, a massive fifth wave of COVID-19 with omicron infections is feared while the hospitals are already overloaded.
At least 16 people have died after a migrant boat capsized in the Aegean Sea on December 24, bringing to at least 30 the combined death toll from three accidents in as many days involving migrant boats in Greek waters, The Guardian website reports today (December 26, 2021).
The sinkings came as smugglers favor a perilous route from Turkey to Italy, which avoids Greece's heavily patrolled eastern Aegean islands.
The Greek coast guard said 62 people were rescued after a sailboat capsized on December 24, about five miles off the island of Paros in the central Aegean. Survivors told the coast guard that about 80 people had been on the vessel.
Pope Francis prayed today (December 25, 2021) for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, using his Christmas Day address to urge health care for all, vaccines for the poor, and for dialogue to prevail in resolving the world's conflicts, according to the Yahoo News website.
Amid a record-setting rise in COVID-19 cases in Italy this week, only a few thousand people flocked to a rain-soacked St. Peter's Square for Francis' annual Christmas address.
Although Italy this week counted more than 50,000 cases in a single day for the first time, the government has not ordered another lockdown.
Pope Francis urged Vatican cardinals, bishops, and bureaucrats yesterday to embrace humility this Christmas season, saying their pride self-interest and the "glitter of our armor" was perverting their spiritual lives and corrupting the church's mission, the AP website reports today (December 24, 2021).
Francis used his annual Christmas address to take Vatican administrators to task for their perceived moral and personal failings, denouncing in particular those pride-filled clerics who rigidly hide behind Catholic traditions rather than seek out the neediest with humility.
The cardinals and bishops sat stone-faced as they listened to Francis lecture them in the Hall of Blessings.
A 2021 poll by the Pew Research Center has found that 45% of U.S. adults say they pray every day, compared to 55% in 2014 and 58% in 2007, the Worthy News website reports today (December 23, 2021).
Conducted from May 29 to August 25, the poll found that 32% of U.S. adults rarely or never pray.
The poll also found that 29% of U.S. adults identify as religious "nones:" atheists, agnostics, or "nothing in particular."
Grammy-award-winning pop megastar Mariah Carey is rejecting the moniker "Queen of Christmas," saying it belongs to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, the Christian Headlines website reports today (December 22, 2021).
Carey, whose career spans over three decades, received the Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Award earlier this month for her hit single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
It was through that song that Carey would be dubbed the "Queen of Christmas." But in a recent interview on BBC Radio 2, Carey noted that she did not give herself the festive moniker and does not consider herself the "Queen of Christmas."
Pope Francis celebrated his 85th birthday on December 17 by meeting with a dozen refugees who recently arrived in Italy thanks to the intercession of the Vatican, Catholic movements and authorities in Cyprus, where the pope visited in early December, the Religion News website reports today (December 21, 2021).
"You saved us!" one young Congolese refugee told the pope during the private meeting at the Vatican.
The group's deliverance from refugee camps on Cyprus was arranged during the December 2--6 papal visit to the Mediterranean countries of Cyprus and Greece, where Francis spoke repeatedly and sometimes emotionally about the need for wealthy countries to welcome and integrate immigrants. He urged European nations to work together to ensure the human dignity of asylum seekers and immigrants.
Pope Francis condemned domestic violence yesterday, saying that men who commit it are engaging in something "almost satanic," the Yahoo News website reports today (December 20, 2021).
Domestic violence levels have risen throughout the world during the pandemic, as lockdowns and strained health systems have cut many women off from vital sources of help while trapping them with their abusers, according to U.N. Women.
New figures released last month show that there are 90 cases of violence against women in Italy daily, with 62% of these being incidents of domestic violence.
The Vatican yesterday warned conservative Roman Catholics who have balked at Pope Francis' decision to restrict the old traditional Latin Mass that they were sowing division and engaging in "sterile polemics," the Reuters website reports today (December 19, 2021).
The Vatican department overseeing sacraments and liturgy issued a directive in response to bishops' requests for clarification following a document in July in which Francis overturned decisions by his two predecessors and tightened access to the Mass.
Since July some conservatives, including bishops, have openly defied the pope, resulting in the latest chapter of what some have dubbed the Church's "liturgy wars."
A panel of women, who have attained leadership positions in the Catholic Church, met December 16 to discuss Pope Francis' ambitious plan to reform the power structures in the church, raising questions about female ordination, the role of bishops, and the need for women.
In October, Francis launched a three-year churchwide consultation process titled "For a Synodal Church...Communion, Participation and Mission," commonly known as the Synod on Synodality.
The pope's project, if successful, is poised to increase the participation of the most marginalized groups in the church, including women.
The Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries thanked God yesterday, as it announced that the 12 remaining missionaries who were among 17 kidnapped by the notorious 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti have now been released, the Christian Post website reports today (December 17, 2021).
"We glorify God for answered prayer -- the remaining 12 hostages are FREE! Join us in praising God that all 17 of our loved ones are now safe..." the international aid ministry said in a statement.
A source with knowledge of the releases said that no ransom was paid even though 400 Mawozo gang leader, Wilson Joseph, had threatened to kill all the missionaries if his gang didn't receive one million dollars each for their release.
A federal judge has ruled that a New York-based photographer must provide services for same-sex wedding celebrations despite holding religious objections to gay marriage, the Christian Post website reports today (December 16, 2021).
Judge Frank Geraci, Jr.of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, rejected a request by Emilee Carpenter of the upstate New York-based Emilee Carpenter Photography to grant a preliminary injunction against a state anti-discrimination law.
In his ruling, Judge Geraci concluded that "New York has a compelling interest in ensuring that individuals, without regard to sexual orientation, have equal access to publicly available goods and services, and that the Accommodation clause is narrowly tailored , as applied to Plaintiff, to serve that interest."
Dr. Anthony Fauci said today (December 15, 2021) that people shouldn't worry about getting any Omicron-specific vaccine to protect themselves against the new variant of coronavirus, according to the Daily Beast website.
The nation's top infectious disease expert said there is no need for it "at this time," since booster shots have been shown to be effective.
He pointed to data that shows boosters are 75 percent effective in preventing severe illness.
Hollywood legend Frank Sinatra was honored with a life-size bronze sculpture in his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey on December 12, the Euro News website reports today (December 14, 2021).
On what would have been his 106th birthday, the crowd sang happy birthday to the singer and actor.
Considered to be one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, the 1954 best supporting actor Oscar winner died from a heart attack in 1998.
Pope Francis today (December 13, 2021) offered condolences and prayers to those who lost family members in tornadoes in the U.S., the Yahoo News website reports.
The pontiff said he was praying for the people impacted by "this immense tragedy" and that he was saddened to hear about it.
He also said he was grateful "for the tireless efforts of the rescue workers and all those engaged in caring for the injured, the grieving families, and all those left homeless."
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace announced today (December 12, 2021) that he is leaving the network, according to the Newsmax website.
Later, CNN confirmed Wallace was joining their network streaming service, CNN Plus.
Wallace, the anchor of Fox News Sunday since 2003, announced his departure on the program this morning.
The second-largest school district in the U.S. is facing mounting woes over its coronavirus vaccine mandate, recently terminating hundreds of employees who refused to comply and vowing to put thousands of unvaccinated students into online classes, the Washington Post website reports today (December 11, 2021).
Board members of Los Angeles Unified School District -- which has one of the strictest vaccine mandates in the nation -- voted December 7 to terminate 496 employees who failed to get vaccinated ahead of the deadline.
"We care deeply about all our employees," interim superintendent Megan Reilly said in a statement following the board's decision. "Parting ways with individuals who choose not to be vaccinated is an extremely difficult, but necessary decision to ensure the safety of all in our school communities."
In a move that could serve as a harbinger to the overthrow of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court today (December 10, 2021) declined to halt Texas' heartbeat abortion ban, according to the Christian Headlines website.
The justices allowed the Texas heartbeat abortion ban to remain in effect, although they also allowed abortion supporters a legal path to block it.
"We are grateful that the Supreme Court practiced judicial restraint today and stopped the Biden administration's pro-abortion campaign against the strongest pro-Life Law being enforced today," said Texas Right to Life director of media and communication Kimberlyn Schwartz.
A Catholic diocese in Michigan has ruled that transgender members and those in same-sex relationships cannot be baptized or receive communion unless they have repented.
It directs the Church's priests on how to develop a pastoral relationship with these people.
The Marquette Diocese says priests should lead them step-by-step "closer to Jesus Christ in a manner that is consistent with the Church's teaching."
A marble statue of Our Lady of Fatima near the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. was vandalized, withMary's hands and nose cut off, her face scratched, and the cross on her crown broken off, the Crux website reports today (December 9, 2021).
A spokesman at the national shrine said that around 10:45 p.m. on December 5, the perpetrator got to the statue by climbing a locked fence that surrounds a rosary walk and garden that includes the statue.
Video footage showed a masked person doing the damage, which was discovered the next morning. Police are investigating the vandalism.
President Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in a video call yesterday not to mount a new invasion of Ukraine and laid out the economic and security costs Russia would face if the Kremlin chooses to go down that path, the Washington Post reports today (December 8, 2021).
Biden also offered a diplomatic route to end the war scare that has arisen since the Kremlin massed troops and materiel near the border with Ukraine, raising fears of an offensive far larger and more deadly than its invasion eight years ago.
During yesterday's two-hour call, Putin told Biden that NATO is "building up its military potential at our borders" and asked for "reliable, legally fixed guarantees excluding the expansion of NATO in the eastern direction and the deployment of offensive strike weapons systems in the states adjacent to Russia," the Kremlin said in a statement.
On the last day of Pope Francis' apostolic visit to the island of Cyprus yesterday, the Vatican Press Office announced he will be taking 12 immigrants and refugees in Greece and Cyprus back to the Vatican, the Religion News website reports today (December 7, 2021).
When Pope Francis visited a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos in April 2016, he decided to take 12 immigrants and asylum seekers back with him to Rome. On December 3, the Vatican Press Office announced the pope will do so again on this trip.
During an ecumenical prayer in Nicosia, Cyprus, Pope Francis met with some of the refugees who will be returning to Rome with him. "You are no longer strangers, you are citizens," Pope Francis told migrants during the prayerful event on December 3, quoting from the letters of St. Paul, who inspired the December 2--6 papal trip to Cyprus and Greece.
America's unemployment rate tumbled last month to its lowest point since the pandemic struck, the Newsy website reports today (December 6, 2021).
The government reported that private businesses and other employers added just 210,000 jobs in November,
But the unemployment rate plummeted from 4.6% to 4.2% as a substantial 1.1 million Americans said they found jobs last month.
Speaking to migrants and refugees today (December 5, 2021) on the Greek island of Lesbos -- a main entry hub for migrants and refugees seeking asylum in Europe -- Pope Francis said he came to the island "to see your faces..." the CRUX website reports.
Pope Francis is visiting Lesbos as part of a broader December 1--6 trip to Cyprus and Greece. He arrived in Athens yesterday and has met with Greek authorities as well as members of the local Catholic community.
Today's stop on Lesbos marks Francis"s second visit to the island, having traveled there in 2016 to shed light on the migration crisis and pray alongside Greek Orthodox leaders for the thousands of migrants and refugees who die in an attempt to reach Europe.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak in a video call on December 7, as tensions between Washington and Moscow escalate over a Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border, the Euro News website reports today (December 4, 2021).
Mindful of Russia's bold seizure of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea just a few years ago, Biden yesterday pledged to make it "very, very difficult" for Putin to take military action in Ukraine.
Kyiv and Washington accuse Moscow of massing tens of thousands of troops on the border and of drawing up plans to invade.
Los Angeles County reported its first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus this week, the LA Times website reports today (December 3, 2021).
County health officials said the infection was probably travel-related, as the individual had returned from South Africa via London on November 22.
Officials are urging LA residents to get tested more frequently -- particularly if they plan to travel or gather with family or friends during the holiday season.
Pope Francis arrived in Cyprus today (December 2, 2021) for an official five-day visit to the Mediterranean island and Greece, according to the Euro News website.
The trip will draw new attention to the plight of migrants on Europe's borders and the disconnect between countries and the Vatican.
The pope has called for EU member states to welcome and integrate migrants, but front-line governments have been increasingly unwilling.
A 15-year-old boy opened fire in a Michigan high school yesterday with a semi-automatic pistol his father had purchased days earlier, killing three fellow students and wounding eight other people before he was arrested, the Reuters website reports today (December 1, 2021).
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told a news briefing hours after the rampage at Oxford High School that investigators were at a loss to explain what might have precipitated "an unspeakable and unforgivable" act of violence.
The suspect, whose name was withheld because he is a minor, was disarmed and taken into custody by sheriff's deputies minutes after the shooting began, has declined to speak with investigators after his parents retained a lawyer and denied authorities permission to interview their son, Bouchard said.
Kathie Lee Gifford has issued a blistering condemnation of both "cancel culture" and today's money-driven church, urging the Body of Christ to remember that the way of Jesus is one of kindness, humility, and empathy, the Christian Post website reports today (November 30, 2021).
The four-time Emmy Award-winning entertainer lamented the fact that society today abides by the mantra, "If you don't believe in what I say and you don't agree with my opinion, then I'm just going to cancel you as if you've never existed."
As author of over 25 books, Gifford has used her platform to share her faith with others, Her latest book, "The Jesus I Know:Honest Conversations and Diverse Opinions about Who He Is," is no exception.
The Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers has just been temporarily blocked for hospitals that receive federal funding within 10 states, the CBN News website reports today (November 29, 2021).
A federal judge issued a temporary injunction today citing multiple reasons U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp said the mandate would result in staffing shortages without evidence that it would prevent the spread of the virus.
The 10 states listed in the order are Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Efforts to tackle COVID-19 have sparked violent protests on the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the Euro News website reports today (November 28, 2021).
Four people were shot and a number of businesses destroyed in Martinique in riots last night.
Meanwhile, in Pointe-a-Pitre, the capital of French overseas territory Guadeloupe, more than 200 people came out to rally against coronavirus measures yesterday.
Parts of the U.S.have begun an all-out assault against the new, highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19, as Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the variant is likely already circulating in the U.S., the Daily Beast website reports today (November 27, 2021).
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency yesterday, limiting hospital capacity to emergency needs as of December 3 and arranging for the purchase of medical supplies.
The emergency state, which bars elective surgeries, will remain in effect until at least January 15.
Vice President Kamala Harris spent almost $600 on cookware appliances with U.S. taxpayer funds, as Americans face rising costs and economic turmoil going into the holiday season, the Daily Caller website reports today (November 26, 2021).
During her four-day government trip to Paris in mid-November, Harris visited high-end cookware store E. Dehillerin located outside the Louvre museum.
The vice president bought a $375 serving dish and a $160 frying pan totaling 516 euros or nearly $600.
Bulgarian officials say that "human error" on a "dangerous stretch" of highway is the most likely cause of the fiery bus crash this week in western Bulgaria that killed at least 44 people, all of them from North Macedonia and many of them children, the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty website reports today (November 25, 2021).
The announcement came today, as authorities revised downward the confirmed death toll to 44. A deputy chief prosecutor and chief of Bulgaria's national investigation service, Borislav Sarafov, announced in Sofia that investigators had ruled out a terrorist act and established that there was no explosion.
He added that "the leading version [of events] is human error."
Target and Walgreens are among 13 companies that have been placed on a Christian conservative legal nonprofit's "Naughty List" for failing to spotlight Christmas during the holiday season, the Christian Post website reports today (November 24, 2021).
On November 19, Liberty Counsel released its "Naughty and Nice Retail List" of businesses that either "recognize and celebrate Christmas" or "silence and censor Christmas."
Target is "naughty" because it "has surprisingly few mentions of Christmas.." Walgreens "refers to the term 'holiday' often and only one reference to the term 'Christmas' on its website.
On December 1, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in the abortion case that some say is the most important since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the CBN News website reports today (November 23, 2021).
In fact, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization could overturn Roe, plunging the U.S. into a post-Roe landscape.
"This is the case for everyone to be watching," said Americans United for Life President Catherine Glenn Foster. "Are we able to restrict abortion prior to viability in line with our neighbors in Europe, in line with pretty much the entire rest of the world because we're one of the most foremost radical nations in the entire world on abortion?"
Millions of federal employees and contractors face a deadline today (November 22, 2021) to provide proof that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 -- including workers at the Transportation Security Administration -- which is facing a large uptick in passengers for the Thanksgiving travel period, according to the UPI website.
President Joe Biden ordered the vaccine mandate in September. It requires that all federal workers and contractors complete a full vaccine regimen by today or face possible termination.
AAA projects a significant increase in travel for the Thanksgiving week, including millions more at airports.
An unnamed U.S. intelligence source has claimed that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine as colder days approach, due to Russia staging a military buildup along Kiev's eastern border, the RT website reports today (November 21, 2021),
U.S. Defense Secretary LLoyd Austin last week urged Moscow to "be more transparent on the buildup of the forces around the borders of Ukraine."
Austin added that he was not sure exactly about Russian President Vladimir Putin's plan of action.
A 52-year-old Texas woman has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in federal prison as a part of a plea deal, for using more than $450,000 from church funds for personal expenses, the Christian Post website reports today (November 20, 2021).
U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced Lisa Stabeno from Lubbock, Texas , this week, calling her actions "brazen thefts" from Church on the Rock and ordering her to pay $450,000 in restitution in addition to her prison sentencing.
Stabeno, who worked as an accounts manager for Church on the Rock's "Dream Center," an outreach program for "underserved individuals," pleaded guilty in May to two counts of bank fraud.
A standoff between the governor of Oklahoma and the Pentagon over a coronavirus vaccine mandate for National Guard troops has turned into a stormy test of federal power, the New York Times website reports today (November 19, 2021).
Oklahoma's adjutant general for the National Guard, Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, announced last week on behalf of Gov. Kevin Stitt that guardsmen in the state would not be required to get COVID-19 vaccine.
The policy defies a Pentagon directive issued in August that made vaccination mandatory for all troops, including National Guard, by deadlines set by each service branch.
With an overwhelming positive vote. the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops yesterday approved a much anticipated document on the Eucharist that -- to the disappointment of some and joy of others -- makes no reference to pro-choice Catholic politicians who receive Communion, the CRUX website reports today (November 18, 2021).
After a short public discussion -- that followed lengthy private talks -- 222 bishops voted in favor of the document, eight against, and three abstained. The voting was electronic and secret.
The document is 30 pages long and is called "The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church."
The U.S. State Department has officially added Russia to its register of the world's "worst violators" of religious freedom, a list that includes Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and five other countries, the RFERL website reports today (November 17, 2021).
The U,S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) proposed in its annual report released on April 21 that Russia, India, Syria, and Vietnam be put on the "countries of particular concern" list, a category reserved for those countries that carry out "systematic, ongoing, and egregious" violations of religious freedoms.
On November 17, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that, of those four countries, he would be adding Russia to the list.
Michelle Wu was sworn in today (November 16, 2021) as Boston's first woman and person of color elected mayor in the city's long history, the U.S. News website reports.
The swearing-in of Boston's first Asian American mayor came two weeks after Wu won the city's mayoral election.
"City government is special. We are the level closest to the people, so we must do the big and the small," Wu said after taking the oath of office.
At least 26 starte school board associations have distanced themselves from the National School Board Association (NSBA) after it urged the Biden administration to use federal law enforcement agencies against parents who oppose the teaching of controversial curriculum in public schools by labeling them as potential "domestic terrorists." the Christian Post website reports today (November 15, 2021).
The national grassroots organization Parents Defending Education (PDE) wrote to NSBA member states for their comment on the September 29 letter sent to them by NSBA Interim Executive Director Chip Slaven, which critics believe likened activism of concerned parents to "domestic terrorism."
The letter said the NSBA had asked the U.S. Department of Justice to mobilize law enforcement agencies to respond to "threats and acts of violence against public schoolchildren. public school board members, and other public school district officials and educators" as actions of "domestic terrorism."
A group of faith communities has warned "time is running out" as the negotiations at the United Nations COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland reach "a critical moment." the CRUX website reports today (November 14, 2021).
The document, signed by over 40 faith leaders -- including several Catholic bishops -- called for "urgent and ambitious action to deliver justice for the most vulnerable people and communities."
"World leaders must now step up and deliver a clear, actionable text that strengthens previous agreements and puts those living on the frontline of the climate crisis at its heart," the document said.
According to data released today (November 12, 2021) by the Labor Department, the number and percentage of U.S. workers voluntarily leaving their jobs reached an all-time high in September, The Hill website reports.
Roughly 4.4 million workers quit their jobs in September and the "quits rate" rose to 3 percent, according to the latest edition of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) survey, each a new record.
Economists see quits as a window into how willing workers are to leave their current job in search of another role with higher compensation or greater personal fulfillment.
The U.S. bishops will gather November 15--18 in Baltimore for their annual fall assembly, the National Catholic Register website reports today (November 12, 2021).
There, it's virtually certain that the issue of Catholic politicians who promote abortion rights and also insist on receiving Communion will dominate the secular media's coverage of their discussions.
Since Joe Biden became president in January, aided and abetted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's actions in Congress, he has sought to push forward the Democratic Party's current pro-abortion agenda, which is the most extreme of the so-called right to abortion in our nation's history,
Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko has threatened to cut gas supplies to the European Union (EU) if it imposes new sanctions against his regime over the influx of migrants on the country's western border. the Euro News website reports today (November 11, 2021).
Thousands of people remain stuck out in the open in harsh conditions on the Belarusian-Polish frontier amid a standoff between Minsk and the EU.
Western members of the United Nations Security Council today condemned Belarus for instigating the migrants.
Although a federal appeals court has ordered a halt to President Biden's vaccine mandate on larger private businesses, the White House is telling businesses to move ahead with the plan anyway, the WND website reports today (November 10, 2021).
"People should not wait," Biden Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a White House briefing.
She described the mandate as "an obligation that the Department of Labor has to protect workers who face grave danger."
A new survey from Lifeway Research shows that a majority of Protestant churches are now open for in-person services, but foot traffic has been slow to return to the pews, particularly for black churches, the Christian Post website reports today (November 9, 2021).
The survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors conducted September 1--29 shows that some 98% of all Protestant churches are now open for in-person worship services, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels.
Still, data on in-person church attendance looks very little like it did pre-pandemic. Compared to figures from January 2020, the survey showed that as of August, 13% of churches were attracting less than 50% of their pre-COVID-19 attendance.
According to a new study by Arizona Christian University, about one-third of millennials identify as LGBTQ, but also report viewing Jesus and the Bible favorably, the Christian Headlines website reports today (November 8, 2021).
The research report, titled New Insights into the Generation of Influence:Millennials in America, was led by Dr, George Barna, the lead researcher at Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center.
The 62-page study, which was released last month, highlights how millennials were seeking answers to their problems while "disengaged from spiritual teaching and practice, resulting in a paucity of knowledge, understanding, experience, and growth in this realm."
A U.S. federal appeals court issued a stay yesterday, freezing the Biden administration's efforts to require workers at U.S. companies with at least 100 employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly, citing "grave statutory and constitutional" issues with the rule, the Newsmax website reports today (November 7, 2021).
The ruling comes after several Republican-led states filed legal challenges against the new rule, which is set to take effect on January 4.
Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda said the Labor Department was "confident in its legal authority" to issue the rule, which will be enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
There waa much rain over Glasgow, Scotland today (November 6, 2021), but that did not stop more than 100,000 people from taking to the streets in the city to call for more climate justice as part of a worldwide campaign,according to The Straits Times website.
They gathered near the COP26 summit venue marching from Kelvingrove Park to the Glasgow City Center about four miles away.
They carried signs urging world leaders to respect the rights of indigenous communities and consider how climate change was impacting the most marginalized of groups, from refugees to women and those facing persecution from governments back home.
Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the national Unity Day holiday with a trip to Crimea yesterday, declaring the region will always be a part of Russia, the Euro News website reports today (November 5, 2021).
Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 -- a move western countries regard as illegitimate.
Putin exalted the annexation while visiting Sevastopol, the city in Crimea that is now home port of Russia's Black Sea fleet.
A new Pentagon report says that China has accelerated the pace of its nuclear weapons development and could have up to 1,000 deliverable warheads by 2030, far exceeding projections from just one year ago, the UPI website reports today (November 4, 2021).
The Department of Defense released its annual China Military Power Report yesterday.
The report said Beijing may have up to 700 deliverable warheads by 2027, and likely intends to have at least 1,000 warheads by 2030.
A man has walked 500 miles from London to Glasgow for the COP26 summit -- calling on others to join the battle against climate change -- the Jewish News website reports today (November 3, 2021).
Stephen Marcus, a primary school supply teacher, began his arduous journey from Piccadilly Circus on 5 September, arriving in Glasgow on 30 October == coming a distance of 500 miles.
"From what I understand about Judaism, it's our duty to do what we can to make the world a more just place," he said.
World leaders gathered in Scotland today (November 1, 2021) at a massive and critical United Nations climate change summit known as COP 26, according to the CNN website.
There is increasing alarm that countries won't do enough to hold world temperatures below the key threshold most scientists have set.
There is also a growing skepticism over the world's ability to meet key benchmarks in time to avert catastrophic effects.
President Joe Biden received Communion at St. Patrick's Church during last Saturday's Vigil Mass, a day after saying Pope Francis told him he should continue to partake the sacrament, prompting negative reactions from Catholic priests upset that the president's support of abortion is not in line with Church doctrine, the Yahoo News website reports today (November 1, 2021).
Several U.S. bishops expressed dismay about the pope's reported words to Biden.
Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas retweeted a blistering blog post by conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke that strongly reaffirmed that Catholic politicians who support abortion rights cannot receive the sacrament.
A new NBC News poll shows not only has President Joe Biden's approval rating fallen to just 42%, but 71% of Americans -- and even half of Democrats -- say the country is headed in the wrong direction, the Newsmax website reports today (October 31, 2021).
"What people voted for was stability and calm, and what they got was instability and chaos," NBC's Democratic pollster Peter Hart said.
The Democrats now trail Republicans on the economy, inflation, and immigration, and have even lost ground on tried-and-true Democratic issues like education and the coronavirus.
President Joe Biden said yesterday that Pope Francis had told him he should keep receiving Communion amid fierce debate in the U.S. Church over Biden's support of abortion, the Reuters website reports today (October 30, 2021).
Biden has come under pressure from conservatives at home and his most ardent critics in the U.S. Church hierarchy have said he should be banned from receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the faith.
Asked if the topic of abortion came up during a long meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday, Biden said no. He said the pope told him he was happy he was a good Catholic and he should "keep receiving Communion."
A new study shows that while a majority of evangelicals say tithing -- giving 10% of one's income to the church -- is a biblica; commandment, only an estimated 13% engage in the practice, while half give away less than 1%of their income annually, the Christian Post website reports today (October 29, 2021).
The study, "The Generosity Factor, Evangelicals and Giving," which will be formally released on November 1, reflects data collected from 1,000 American evangelical Protestants and highlights how and when evangelicals give money.
The study also found that half of all American evangelical Protestants give less than 1% of their household income to the church or charity.
A Florida elementary school took students on a field trip to a local gay bar called Rosie's, according to a school board member who accompanied the children, the WND website reports today (October 28, 2021).
Sarah Leonardi of the Broward County School Board wrote yesterday in Twitter that she "wa so honored to be invited to chaperone."
She added "the students and I had a fun walk and learned a lot about our community."
The State Department said today (October 27. 2021) that the U.S. has issued its first passport with an "x"gender designation and expects to be able to offer the option to nonbinary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming people early next year, according to the Newsmax website.
Jessica Stern, U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights, said the move brings the government documents in line with the "lived reality" that there is a wider spectrum of human sex characteristics than is reflected in the previous two designations.
"When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect," Stern said.
The spiritual leader of the world's 200 million Eastern Orthodox Christians brings an agenda spanning religious, political and environmental issues to a 12-day U.S. visit beginning this week that includes a meeting with President Joe Biden and various ceremonial and interfaith gatherings, the Religious News website reports today (October 26, 2021).
Bartholomew's title, Patriarch of Constantinople, reflects the ancient imperial name of the city now known as Istanbul in the predominantly-Islam country of Turkey where Orthodox Christians are mostly ethnically Greek, and are a small minority.
Bartholomew will receive an honorary degree from the University of Notre Dame on October 28 in an event highlighting efforts to improve Orthodox-Catholic ties, centuries after the two churches broke apart in 1054 amid disputes over theology and papal claims of supremacy.
The Patriarch of Constantinople is considered the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox hierarchy, which gives him a role of leadership, but not as much power as the Catholic pope.
Pope Francis hosted a group of prisoners and ex-prisoners at the Vatican recently, listening to their stories and offering words of advice, including telling them to ask for help when they need it, the Crux website reports today (October 25, 2021).
Speaking to the group during the October 22 meeting at the Vatican's Saint Martha guesthouse, Pope Francis stressed the importance of having the courage to take the first step toward self-improvement, saying "in life,there must always be a first step."
Francis said a person might want to take that first step, but might not know what to do, and in these cases he said it's important to pray, and to ask God for help. This, he said, is "a true prayer."
Pope Francis today (October 24, 2021) urged countries not to send migrants back to insecure countries such as Libya, where he said many suffer violent and inhumane conditions, the Newsmax website reports.
The pope's appeal at his Sunday blessing came as European Union leaders are struggling to overcome their differences on how to handle immigrants.
"We have to put an end to the return of migrants to countries that are not secure," he said, citing "thousands of migrants, refugees, and others who need protection in Libya."
In an interview to an Argentine news site, Pope Francis today (October 23, 2021) confirmed that he is planning to travel to Greece and Cyprus in early December, and urged world leaders preparing for the G20 summit in Rome and COP28 gathering in Glasgow to be creative in how they approach global politics and economics in a post-pandemic world, according to the Crux website.
He also heaped praise on outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, calling her a leader who has made history and a model for women in leadership.
"In the first week of December, I am going to Greece and Cyprus," Pope Francis said to the Argentine news outlet "Telam."
The U.S. Supreme Court today (October 22, 2021) said it will consider legal arguments over the Texas abortion law that is the nation's most restrictive, on November 1, and that the law will remain in effect, according to the Washington Post website.
The court granted an expedited review of what is called S.B.8, which the Biden administration in a filing today said "has virtually eliminated abortion in Texas after six weeks of pregnancy."
The decision sets up a momentous term for abortion rights in the Supreme Court. The justices on December 1 will consider a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks, far earlier than the court's precedents currently allow.
The Taliban beat up several journalists today (October 21, 2021) to prevent media coverage of a women's rights demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, according to the Euro News website.
One foreign journalist was hit with a rifle butt by a Taliban fighter, while another fighter punched him.
At least two other journalists were hit as they scattered, pursued by Taliban fighters throwing kicks.
Retired Pope Benedict XVI said he hopes to soon join a beloved professor friend in "the afterlife" in a sign that the 94-year-old pontiff is not only accepting his eventual death but welcoming it, the Newser website reports today (October 20, 2021).
Benedict penned an October 2 letter to a German priest, thanking him for letting him know of the passing of the Rev. Gerhard Winkler, a priest and academic colleague of the former Joseph Ratzinger.
"Of all my colleagues and friends, he was the closest to me," Benedict wrote. The two men worked together for several years at the University of Regensburg.
Dr Anthony. Fauci says if you are vaccinated and plan to be around other people who are vaccinated, you can get together and do so safely, the Newsy website reports today (October 19, 2021).
"That's one of the reasons why we emphasize why it's important to get vaccinated," Fauci said.
Just a few weeks ago, Fauci had said it was too soon to tell whether or not holidays should go as planned.
A federal appeals court has handed the Biden Department of Justice another legal defeat in its bid to halt Texas' heartbeat abortion ban, the Christian Headlines website reports today (October 18, 2021).
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals , in a 2--1 decision, denied the Department of Justice's request to block the law which prohibits an abortion if an unborn baby's heartbeat is detected.
"We are excited to continue serving hundreds of lives through the Texas Heartbeat Act," said Kimberlyn Schwartz, director of media for Texas Right to Life.
Pope Francis said yesterday he realizes some people -- including within the church -- consider him to be a "pest" for defending the poor, but it won't stop him as it is part of Christianity, the Reuters website reports today (October 17, 2021).
"Thinking about these situations, I make a pest of myself with my questions, and I go on asking and ask everyone in the name of God," said Francis.
He called on pharmaceutical companies to make vaccines for the COVID-19 more available to the poor, noting that only 3%--4% of the population in some countries had been vaccinated.
A new survey reveals that evangelicals account for a higher share of practicing Christians than their mainline counterparts, the Christian Post website reports today (October 16, 2021).
The American Bible Society released the seventh chapter of its 11th annual State of the Bible Report on October 14 titled "The Bible in the American Church." Data in the chapter was based on a survey of 3,354 adults.
The chapter differentiates between self-identified Christians and practicing Christians, A practicing Christian is defined as one who "identifies as a Christian, attends a religious service at least once a month, and strongly agrees their faith is very important in their lives." In contrast to practicing Christians, who "have incorporated the faith into their life and routine in a transformative way," self-identified Christians are those who "simply say they believe."
Pope Francis encouraged a group of medical professionals at the Vatican yesterday to keep working to protect human life, including unborn babies from abortion "homicide," the Life News website reports today (October 15, 2021).
Speaking to a group of medical professionals gathered for a medical conference, Pope Francis encouraged them to keep working to protect all their patients, including those who are still in the womb.
"I have been very clear -- 'abortion is homicide,'" he said.
Millions 0f retirees on Social Security will get a 5.9% boost in benefits for 2022, the Newsy website reports today (October 14, 2022).
The biggest cost of living adjustment in 39 years follows a burst in inflation as the economy struggles to shake off the drag of the coronavirus pandemic.
The COLA (cost of living adjustment) amounts to $92 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates released yesterday by the Social Security Administration.
Gas prices have nearly doubled in the past 17 months, the Yahoo News website reports today (October 13, 2021).
In fact, the national average price has hit a seven-year high.
AAA says a gallon of unleaded gas averages $3.27 nationwide.
Since April 2020, five men, including Vladimir Skachidub, have been convicted and imprisoned for practicing their faith in Russia's Krasnodar Territory where their religion is considered an extremist group, the Religious News website reports today (October 12, 2021).
Skachidub, a Jehovah's Witness, was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison yesterday, for his religious beliefs.
"I am a Jehovah's Witness, and I am being prosecuted solely for my peaceful religious activities..." said Skachidub during a hearing.
Christian leaders in India are demanding action be taken against a mob of some 200 radical Hindu nationalists who left a church damaged and at least three Christian women seriously injured in an attack in India's northern state of Uttarakhand, the Christian Post website reports today (October 11, 2021).
The attackers accused the church of "illegally" converting people to Christianity.
Christians make up about 2.5% of India's population, while Hindus comprise 79.5%.
Despite ongoing tensions between Nancy Pelosi and a portion of the U.S. Bishops' Conference over her pro-abortion stance, the Speaker of the House had a private audience with Pope Francis yesterday that she called "a spiritual personal and official honor," the Crux website reports today (October 10, 2021).
His Holiness's leadership is a source of joy and hope for Catholics and for all people, challenging each of us to good stewards of God's creation..." Pelosi said in a statement.
Pro-abortion Catholic politicians -- particularly President Joe Biden and Pelosi -- have been a frequent topic among U.S. bishops, with a number of prelates advocating that they and others be barred from communion.
California yesterday became the first state to make ethnic studies a required class for high school graduation to help students understand the struggles and contributions of Black, Asian, Latino, Native/Indigenous Americans, and other groups that have experienced racism and marginalization in America, the Yahoo News website reports today (October 9, 2021).
The bill gained overwhelming support in the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The requirement would first apply to those who graduate in 2030.
New York City officials are phasing out the "Gifted and Talented" program for elementary school students, a significant change aimed at addressing racial disparities in the largest school system in the country, the NY Daily News website reports today (October 8, 2021).
The entry exam identifying students as "gifted" will be eliminated, officials confirmed today.
Under its use, about 2,500 incoming kindergarteners per year passed the optional exam, going on to spend the elementary school years in separate classrooms and schools.
Small units of Taiwan's military ground forces have been trained by a U.S. special operations unit and a contingent of Marines, who have been secretly operating in that country, the Newsmax website reports today (October 7, 2021).
Some two dozen members of U.S. special operations and support troops have been conducting the training in an effort to strengthen Taiwan's defenses in light of concerns about potential aggression by Red China.
Officials in Taiwan said that American forces have been conducting the training for at least a year.
The granddaughter of Italian dictator and ally of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, looks set to win the most votes in municipal elections in Rome, the Euro News website reports today (October 6, 2021).
According to a near-final count today, Rachele Mussolini of the far-right Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia) party was the most popular candidate.
The 47-year-old had received more than 8,200 votes after ballots were counted in more than 97% of polling stations in Rome.
The latest data released by the government of Indonesia indicate that the number of Christians in the Muslim-majority archipelago has increased, the Christian Post website reports today (October 5, 2021).
The Southeast Asian country, which is home to the world's largest Muslim population, now has over 28 million Christians.
Among Indonesia's population of 236.63 million, 86.88 percent identify as Muslims.
Pope Francis and other religious leaders made a giant appeal today (October 4, 2021) for next month's U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) to offer concrete solutions to save the planet from "an unprecedented ecological crisis," the Reuters website reports.
The "Faith and Science Towards COP26" meeting brought together Christian leaders, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Orthodox Ecimenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as representatives from several other religions.
"COP26 in Glasgow represents an urgent summons to provide effective responses to the unprecedented ecological crisis and the crisis of values that we are presently experiencing, and in this way to offer concrete hope to future generations," the pope said.
Crews raced today (October 3, 2021) to contain the damage from a major oil spill off the Orange County coast in California that left crude spoiling beaches, killing fish and birds, and threatening local wetlands, the LA Times website reports.
The spill -- first reported yesterday -- originated from a pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach.
The failure caused at least 126,000 gallons of crude to spill into coastal waters.
Conservative televangelist Pat Robertson announced yesterday he is stepping down from his role as host of "The 700 Club" television program, the Raw Story website reports today (October 2, 2021).
While his Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is calling it "60 years of History-Making TV Ministry," many others are applauding his decision.
For more than half a century Robertson, an ordained minister, waged what he saw as a religious war against the LGBTQ community.
At Penn State University, 117 students have been placed on interim suspension for failure to comply with the university's weekly COVID-19 testing requirement, the WND website reports today (October 1, 2021).
Students at Penn State who are subject to required weekly COVID -19 testing have been notified by the university that they are out of compliance with the school's health and safety policies and have been placed on interim suspension through the Office of Student Conduct.
Students on interim suspension may not participate in classes, in person or remotely; are not allowed on university property; and may not attend any Penn State-sponsored events, programs,and activities. They are also temporarily removed from their residence halls.
Pope Francis praised a youth climate activist conference yesterday for the participants' "dreams and projects of goodness" and encouraged them to keep up their action to combat climate change, the Yahoo News website reports today (September 30, 2021).
Speaking via video to the Youth 4 Climate event in Milan, which drew 400 young activists from 197 countries, the pope said their work is "for the good of humanity," and it "is capable of challenging the adult world."
The pope has long advocated environmental protection and has been outspoken about climate change.
The FBI says 2020 was the most dangerously violent year in more than half a century, the CBN News website reports today (September 28, 2021).
While the world was dealing with COVID-19, civil unrest, and many other unknowns, homicides were hitting an all-time high. More than 21,500 people were murdered in America last year.
The pandemic and higher gun sales are being cited as reasons for the surge in violence. Another factor may be the high number of police officers leaving the force in cities across the country.
People who have not received the coronavirus vaccine "aren't listening to God," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared in remarks yesterday to Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center, the Breitbart website reports today (September 27, 2021).
"I prayed a lot to God during this time... and God did answer our prayers," Hochul stated before denigrating those who have not yet received a coronavirus shot.
"God made the smartest men and women, the scientists, the doctors, the researchers -- He made them come up with a vaccine. That is from God to us and we must say, thank you, God. Thank you."
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says foreign partners are turning a blind eye in a security crackdown in Serb-majority areas of Kosovo, where breakaway region's forces have brought essential cross-border traffic to a halt, the RT website reports today (September 26, 2021).
"The complete occupation of northern Kosovo and Metohija with armored vehicles by Pristina has been going on for the past seven days, and everyone in the international community stays thunderously silent," Vucic said today.
The statement refers to the ongoing crisis in northern Kosovo, involving several crossings into inner Serbia, which have been blocked by authorities of Kosovo after the government in Pristina banned cars with Serbian license plates from entering the region.
The chief executive officer of the company that produced the Moderna vaccine, Stephane Bancel, said yesterday a boost in COVID jab production will mean there's enough for "everyone on this Earth" by next year, the Mirror website reports today (September 25, 2021),
Bancel said a boost in vaccine production should mean enough jabs for "everyone on the Earth" by the middle of next year.
He added: "Those who do not get vaccinated will immunize themselves naturally, because the Delta variant is so contagious."
The Army is changing its retentions program for fiscal 2022 by shrinking the window of time during which soldiers can reenlist, the Army Times website reports today (September 24, 2021).
The modifications reduce the options available to soldiers who want to re-up.
The service is reducing its "Reenlistment Opportunity Window" from 15 months prior to a soldier's scheduled separation to 12 months, according to an Army news release today.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise at U.S. colleges despite COVID-19, The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law reports today (September 23, 2021).
Students are feeling unsafe, concerned about being verbally or physically attacked as Jews.
Young adults are concluding that to avoid anti-Semitism they must view their religion and Jewish identity as something to hide, not celebrate.
In Pope Francis' vision for the future of the Catholic Church, bishops will no longer make decisions alone but in dialogue and discernment with the faithful in their community, the Religion News website reports today (September 22, 2021).
When it comes to the voice of women in the church, though, it may not be enough.
The question of the role of women in church leadership remains one of the biggest ecclesial and social challenges in the Catholic Church. Despite Pope Francis' appointment of women in leadership positions at the Vatican, women are not allowed to vote in synods -- the summit of bishops at the Vatican -- and cannot be ordained.
In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly since taking office, President Biden today (September 21, 2021) noted that his speech also marked "the first time in 20 years that the United States is not at war," the Yahoo News website reports.
"We've ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan," he said. "As we close this period of relentless war, we're opening a new era of relentless diplomacy."
Biden's appearance at the UN comes less than a month after the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, which triggered the quick collapse of the Western-backed government and military, allowing the Taliban to control the country.
A Texas abortion doctor said that he willingly violated the state's new heartbeat abortion ban and is ready to be sued in order to challenge the law in court, the Christian Headlines website reports today (September 20, 2021).
Alan Braid, an abortion doctor in San Antonio, said he believes the law -- which prohibits an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected -- is unconstitutional.
"I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient..." Braid wrote. "I fully understood that there could be legal consequences -- but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn't get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested."
Pope Francis yesterday called on the Church to "listen to the call" of survivors of clerical sexual abuse and said care of children must not be sidelined in favor of managing the Church's reputation, the Catholic News website reports today (September 19, 2021).
"Only by facing the truth of these cruel behaviors and humbly seeking the forgiveness of the victims and survivors will the Church be able to find its way to be once again confidently considered a place of welcome and safety for those in need," the Pope said.
He added... "If we recognize our mistakes, we will have nothing to fear, because it will be the Lord Himself who will have led us to that point.
A federal judge has rejected the Bidwn administration's emergency request to block Texas abortion law, marking the latest setback for abortion advocates seeking to overturn the pro-life measure, the Christian Post website reports today (September 18, 2021).
In an opinion released September 16, U.S. District Judge Robert Pittman rejected the request of the U.S. Department of Justice to issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction against Texas' Senate Bill 8.
The law, which went into effect September 1, bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks gestation.
With the Biden administration set to roll out its COVID-19 vaccination booster plan next week, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel today (September 17, 2021) voted 16-2 to reject one of Pfizer's booster vaccine in people ages 16 and older, according to the WND website.
The panel said there is insufficient data to judge the risks to younger groups, including the possible increased risk for heart inflammation, particularly among males ages 16-17.
A new study from the University of California at Davis found that teenage boys are six times more likely to suffer from heart problems from vaccine than be hospitalized from COVID-19.
Pope Francis said yesterday that abortion is "murder," even soon after conception, but also appeared to criticize some U.S. Catholic bishops for dealing with U.S. President Joe Biden's pro-choice position in a political rather than pastoral way, the Reuters website reports today (September 16, 2021).
On the flight returning from Slovakia to Rome, Francis was asked for his opinion about the debate within the U.S. Bishops Conference about whether Biden, who is Catholic, should be denied communion because of his support for a woman's right to choose even though he is personally against abortion.
"Abortion is murder. Those who carry out abortions kill," the pope said.
According to a new CNN poll, most Americans are angry about how things are going in the United States, the Christian Headlines website reports today (September 15, 2021).
The poll, which was conducted online over a month between August and September 2021, found that 74 percent of Americans are somewhat (48 percent) or very (26 percent) angry about the way things are going in the U.S. today.
Only 26 percent said they were not too angry (17 percent) or not angry at all (8 percent)
America's schools have opened for the new school year, but some if the kids have not gone back to their classrooms, the CNN website reports today (September 14, 2021).
The nationwide shortage of school bus drivers is one of the obstacles to get students into school classrooms.
Massachusetts has called up the National Guard to drive kids to and from schools.
Unchecked poverty and ignorance help fundamentalist violence to take hold easily, Pope Francis said as he urged religious leaders and others in Bologna, Italy to counter the phenomenon by promoting schooling, the Yahoo News website reports today (September 13, 2001).
"We must help each other to free the horizon of the sacred from the dark clouds of violence and fundamentalism," Francis said.
The pope decried that about 5,000 people have been killed in places of worship throughout the world in the last 40 years.
Pope Francis warned today (September 12, 2021) of "the threat of antisemitism" in Europe and beyond in an address to Christian and Jewish leaders during a brief visit to Hungary, where he also met with anti-migration premier Viktor Orban, according to the Times of Israel website.
"This is a fuse that must not be allowed to burn. And the best way to defuse it is to work together, positively, and to promote fraternity," the pontiff said.
During the pope's one-day visit in Budapest, he was also set to meet with the country's bishops and various Christian congregants, as well as Hungary's Jewish community, the largest in Central Europe.
President Joe Biden faces major obstacles to achieving his goal of closing the prison in Guantanomo Bay, Cuba, including opposition in Congress for the men accused of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Washington Post website reports today (September 11, 2021).
This week, the five men charged with helping plan those attacks, appeared in a pretrial hearing at the prison.
Their trial is not expected to begin until at least 2022.
The U.S. Justice Department yesterday sued Texas over a new state law that bans abortion, arguing it was enacted "in open defiance of the Constitution," the Newsy website reports today (September 10, 2021).
The Justice Department argues the law unlawfully infringes on the constitutional rights of women and violates the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which says federal law supersedes state law.
The Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect a heartbeat -- usually around six weeks -- before some women know they are pregnant.
The world's three main Christian leaders met at Vatican City yesterday and issued a joint appeal to members of their Churches to "listen to the cry of the earth" and back action to stem the effects of climate change, the Reuters website reports today (September 9, 2021).
In "A Joint Message for the Protection of Creation," Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew asked Christians to pray that world leaders of all United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November make courageous choices.
"We call on everyone, whatever their belief or world view, to endeavor to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behavior and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth, which God has given us," the message said.
Britney Spears' father has filed an unexpected request to terminate the conservatorship that has controlled the singer's life for 13 years, The Guardian website reports today (September 8, 2021).
Jamie Spears, who is the conservator of his daughter's estate, said "recent events" called into question whether she still needed a court to oversee her personal affairs and finances.
The filing at a court in Los Angeles states: "Ms. Spears (39) has told this court that she wants control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship."
Methodist Health System in Texas is firing dozens of workers for refusing to take the experimental COVID-19 vaccinations, the WND website reports today (September 7, 2021).
The Liberty Counsel has sent the corporation a letter saying the medical care company utilize only legal reasons for rejecting exemption requests based on religion, or the case could end up in court.
"Methodist Health System cannot violate federal and state law and deny employees' religious exemptions to inject a drug into their body ..." said Liberty Counsel chief Mat Staver.
On October 9 and 10, 2021, Pope Francis will inaugurate a three-year preparation process and the 2023 Synod which will focus on reforming the synodal process , the Christian Headlines website reports today (September 6, 2021).
The preparation process and the 2023 Synod, with the theme "For a Synodal Church communion, participation and mission," have the potential to revolutionize the way decisions are made in the Catrholic Church and promote a more decentralized structure of authority.
The three-year synodal review process will take place in three phases: a local phase at the diocesan and parish level; a continental phase engaging bishops' conferences around the world; and a universal phase, when bishops and lay people will convene in Rome to discuss the findings and topics developed in the first two phases.
A hostage situation is brewing in Afghanistan as the Taliban refuses to allow six planes filled with Americans and Afghan allies to leave the country, the WND website reports today (September 5, 2021).
Texas Rep. Mike McCaul said today, "We have six airplanes at Mazar Sharif Airport -- six airplanes with American citizens on them as I speak, also with these interpreters -- and the Taliban is holding them hostage for demands right now."
McCaul added ..."They're not going to allow American citizens to leave until they get full recognition from the United States of America."
U.S. authorities are now investigating the cases of so-called "child brides" among the Afghans who fled Afghanistan in the past few weeks and are now in U.S. custody, the Yahoo News website reports today (September 4, 2021).
CBS News learned that "several" Afghan women and girls who were evacuated to facilities in the United Arab Emirates have told officials that their families forced them into marriage outside of the Kabul airport so that they would be eligible for evacuation.
Human trafficking is a federal crime and also illegal in every U.S. state.
Former Donald Trump advisor Jason Miller and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) both revealed after conversations with the former president that a 2024 run is happening, the RT website reports today (September 3, 2021).
Miller and Jordan both indicated this week that a 2024 announcement was imminent and Trump was going to take advantage of President Joe Biden's poor handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Reporter Lauren Windsor revealed this week that Jordan told her about Trump's plans to announce a plan for a run "any day now" during an event in Iowa, although Jordan denied ever saying that.
A divided Supreme Court broke its silence yesterday and declined to block a Texas law that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, the CBN News website reports today (September 2, 2021).
The court voted 5-4 to deny an emergency appeal from abortion advocates to stop the lsw that went into effect on September 1,
"What unimagined joy to see Roe crumbling in front of our very eyes," said Kyleen Wright, CEO of Texans for Life Coalition.
Texas has become the first state in the nation to enact a "Heartbeat" abortion law, which bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, the Biznewspost website reports today (September 1, 2021).
As of 12:00 a.m., September 1, "the Texas Heartbeat Act is in effect," said a statement from Texas Right to Life.
In a last-minute effort to block the law, abortion providers applied to the U.S. Supreme Court for an injunction, but the high court has not ruled on the matter.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is keeping his word to withhold funds from local school boards that mandate masks in schools, The New American website reports today (August 31, 2021).
In a statement today, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced that the department has withheld the salaries of the school board members for Alachua and Broward Counties, two districts that imposed a mask mandate for its students.
Corcoran added that since parents know what is best for their children, the department will continue "to fight to protect parents' rights to make healthcare decisions for their children."
Public-school officials are panicking over drops in enrollment going into the new school year, The New American website reports today (August 30, 2021).
They're going door -to-door to enlist students,.planting yard signs pleading with parents to enroll their children, and requiring bus drivers to call parents during their off hours.
Almost 60 percent of the decline is due to the growth in homeschooling, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Ed Asner, whose Lou Grant character gave every American worker hope that the boss really does have a heart, died today (August 29, 2021) at the age of 91, surrounded by loved ones, according to the NY Daily News website.
Asner won seven Emmy Awards -- five for playing the crusty Grant on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and later on his own "Lou Grant" show.
He is the only actor to win Emmys for playing the same character on both a sitcom and a drama.
The U.S. launched a drone strike against the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan early today (August 28, 2021), two days after President Joe Biden vowed revenge for a suicide bombing that killed 13 American troops, The Daily Beast website reports.
Military officials said the strike targeted a member of IS in the Nangarhar region who was believed to be involved in the planning of attacks on the U.S. in Kabul.
But it was not clear if the person who orchestrated the bombing at the Kabul airport, which also killed scores of Afghans trying to flee the country after the Taliban's swift takeover.
California's parole board voted today (August 27, 2021) to free Robert F. Kennedy's assassin after two of RFK's sons said they supported releasing him and prosecutors declined to argue he should be kept behind bars, the Newsmax website reports.
The governor of California will ultimately decide if Sirhan Sirhan leaves prison.
Douglas Kennedy was a toddler when his father was gunned down in 1968. He told a two-person board panel that the 77-year-old should be released if he's not a threat to others. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.wrote in favor of patrolling Sirhan.
The Supreme Court's conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the U.S.,blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington Times website reports today (August 26,2021).
Roughly 3.5 million people in the U.S. said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to Census Bureau data.
The court said today that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reimposed the moratorium August 3, lacked the authority to do so under federal law without congressional authorization.
Hypocrites are afraid of the truth, fearful of who they really are, and incapable of truly loving, Pope Francis said yesterday during his weekly general audience, the Catholic News website reports today (August 25, 2021).
What hypocrites do "is like putting makeup on your behavior" and hiding the truth, the Pope told those gathered in the Paul VI audience hall at the Vatican.
Hypocrisy in the church is "detestable," the Pope tells his audience.
Students at Eatonville High School in the state of Waashington were forced to wear ankle monitors in order to participate in athletics, the WND website reports today (August 24, 2021).
Upon hearing of the situation from her high school daughter, a mother went to the school where school employees told her that a meeting had been held the previous week to discuss the implementation of a monitoring program.
It was designed for contact tracing in the event a positive COVID test of a student.
A Virginia school board has defied a new state law requirement and voted down a proposal that would have forced schools to allow students to use the restroom and locker room they wish, the Christian Headlines website reports today (August 23, 2021).
The Newport News School Board opposed the proposal in a 5-1 vote on August 17 after hearing from both sides.
The new LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestite) law, passed by the Virginia legislature in 2020, requires that all public school districts adopt a policy permitting students who identify as transgender to use the restroom and locker room that matches their gender identity.
"The abandonment of Afghanistan and its people is tragic, dangerous, unnecessary,not in their interests, and not in ours," Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, wrote on his institute's website, the Euro News website reports today (August 22, 2021).
Blair, who was British Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007, supported the U.S. in the Afghanistan invasion and in removing the Taliban in 2001, in the wake of the 9/11/ 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
"The world is now uncertain of where the West stands because it is so obvious that the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in this way was driven not by grand strategy but by politics," Blair wrote.
Gunmen shot and killed two Catholic nuns while they were traveling on a highway in South Sudan, the Christian Post website reports today (August 21, 2021).
While five other nuns survived the attack, two men were also killed.
Sisters Mary Daniel and Regina Roba from the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in the Archdiocese of Juba were buried at the St. Theresa Cathedral yesterday.
Rstaurant owners, gym owners, healthcare worker, teachers, and parents stood with San Diego County community leaders fed up with severe government-imposed COVID restrictions, and confronted the San Diego County Board of Supervisors during a board meeting on August 17, just as the board is preparing to issue new response proposals to combat what it deemed a "local health emergency," The New American website reports today (August 20, 2021).
Should the board approve new recommendations put forth by local public health officials, San Diego County would be added to the expanding list of U.S. cities and counties instituting mandatory vaccine passports to enter restaurants and retail stores, and reinstituting masking in schools and indoor public spaces.
The group ReOpen San Diego issued a Proclamation Against Discrimination for San Diego restaurants, saying "We will never discriminate against anyone and deny them the right to eat based on a vaccine passport."
In a joint statement released today (August 18, 2021) the nation's top health officials said the U.S. is prepared to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to Americans beginning September 20, according to the Fox News website.
The shots would be offered to individuals whose second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was eight months ago or longer.
"The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be remarkably effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant," the statement said.
Joe Biden received a negative approval rating as President in a national poll today (August 17, 2021) for the first time, the Life News website reports.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for today shows that 45% of likely U.S. voters approve of Biden's job performance, and 54% disapprove.
Biden is getting low marks as he is hell-bent on forcing Americans to fund abortions and has compiled a radically pro-abortion record.
With children going back to school, many parents are wondering about the risks of their children contracting the coronavirus, the LA Times website reports today (August 16, 2021).
In California, there have been about 18 new COVID-19 hospitalizations a day for children up to age 17 over a recent seven-day period.
California's latest hospitalization rate among children is 10% that of the rate for adults in their 30s.
President Joe Biden and his administration struggled today (August 15, 2021) to project order amid a race by American troops to evacuate Afghanistan, as Taliban fighters entered its capital, Kabul, the CNN website reports.
The rapid fall of Afghanistan's national forces and government has come as a shock to Biden and senior members of his administration, who believed it would take several months before the civilian government in Kabul fell.
Now, months after his initial declaration that all 2,500 U.S. troops would be out of Afghanistan by the end of the summer, some 6,000 troops are expected to facilitate the evacuation.
Afghan citizens face killings, forced marriages, and other war crimes as the Taliban sweeps across Afghanistan wrestling control from ineffective government forces as the U.S. troop withdrawal is completed, according to the Fox News website.
The militants have seized territory at an alarming rate, while Afghan government troops and their allied militias fail to put up an effective resistance.
The U.S. embassy in Kabul said it received reports that Taliban members were executing surrendering Afghan troops and unlawfully detaining some members of the government.
Israel today (August 13, 2021) became the first country in the world to give third COVID booster shots to people over 50, The Times of Israel website reports.
Last month, Israel became the first country in the world to begin administering booster shots to those over 60, and it will once again be a pioneer in the move to begin giving the third vaccine dose to an even younger age group.
As of this morning, 775,703 people in Israel have received the third booster.
President Joe Biden today (August 12, 2021) called on Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to drive down the cost of prescription medications, according to the UPI website.
"For every other type of healthcare service, Medicare works to get the best prices for American seniors but for prescription drugs," the White House said in a statement today.
Millions of Americans are buying their drugs from Canada and other foreign nations, because the cost is less than half the U.S. cost.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a former Catholic-school guidance counselor who broke her contract by entering a same-sex union which is a violation of church teaching, the CBN News website reports today (August 11, 2021).
Lynn Starkey sued Roncalli High School,a private Catholic school in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the Archdiocese in 2019 charging "discrimination, retaliation, and a hostile work environment."
Attorneys defending the Archdiocese argued that it is unlawful for the government to force the Catholic Church to hire educators who oppose Catholic teachings, The court agreed.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today (August 10, 2021) announced that he would be resigning amid the sexual harassment probe in 14 days, the Fox News website reports.
"New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York and I love you," Cuomo said.
The governor said he's deeply sorry for any behavior deemed inappropriate during his time in office , but denied the sexual harassment allegations by 11 current and former women employees from 2013 to 2020.
Canada today (August 9, 2021) opened the border it shares with the U.S. for the first time in more than a year, welcoming U.S. citizens and returning Canadians who have been fully vaccinated, the UPI website reports.
Today was the first time vaccinated travelers were allowed to cross the border since shortly after COVID-19 arrived last year.
At the border, all travelers must show proof of vaccination that is uploaded through a Canadian app, and a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of entry.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said today (August 8, 2021) that elderly people will likely need booster shots for COVID vaccines, according to the NY Daily News website.
The level of protection vaccines provide against the virus goes down over time, Dr. Fauci explained.
"Sooner or later, you're going to see an attenuation to the point where we're going to have to give an additional boost to people, very likely the elderly, before you give it to otherwise normal people who are not old," Fauci said.
At least eight people were missing today (August 7, 2021), as what has become the largest single wildfire in California"s recorded history continued to scorch through northern communities, forest, and tinder-dry scrub in the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to The Guardian website.
The fire threatened to reduce thousands of homes to ashes.
The blaze, which has been raging for three weeks and has incinerated much of the gold rush-era town of Greenville this week, was threatening more than 14,000 buildings in the northern Sierra Nevada.
About 1,800 Americans directly impacted by the September 11, 2001 terorist attacks are calling on President Joe Biden to skip the 20th anniversary events in New York and Pennsylvania unless he releases documents they believe may reveal a link between Saudi Arabian leaders and the attacks, the Newsmax website reports today (August 6, 2021).
The group maintains Biden -- as a presidential candidate -- had agreed to release information, but has since ignored their letters and requests.
"We cannot in good faith ... welcome the president to our hallowed grounds until he fulfills his commitment," the group of family members, first responders, and survivors wrote.
The New York Assembly's impeachment into Gov. Cuomo is "nearing completion," as lawmakers warn they will "soon consider potential articles of impeachment against the scandal-scarred governor , the NY Daily News website reports today (August 5, 2021).
Cuomo, who has resisted calls to resign in the wake of a report outlining sexual harassment allegations against the governor by several women, has until August 13 to provide any "additional evidence," according to a letter sent to his lawyer.
"We wrote to inform you that the Committee's investigation is nearing completion and the Assembly will soon consider potential articles of impeachment against your client," the letter states.
More than 100 homes and businesses were destroyed by a wildfire in Greece overnight, as firefighters raced today (August 4, 2021) on the outskirts of Athens to contain the fire that forced thousands to flee their homes, according to the Euro News website.
The fire services this morning sent low-flying helicopters and planes to dump water on charred forest land around Tatoi, about 20 miles north of Athens. More than 500 firefighters battled through the night to contain the blaze.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, "We had no loss of human life. Homes will be rebuilt, and over time the forest will grow back."
New York City residents and visitors will be required to show proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms, and shows, as announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio today (August 3, 2021), according to the Fox Business website.
"This is a miraculous place, literally filled with wonders," de Blasio said of the city..."
New York City is the first in the nation to take this approach. It will be enforced starting September 13, 2021.
The number of U.S. households contributing to charitable causes fell below 50% in 2018, according to a report from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the Good Faith Media website reports today (August 2, 2021).
Only 49.6% of households engaged in charitable giving, a 16.6% decline from the year 2000.
"We've seen a downward trend in households' participation in giving since the Great Recession, but this is the first time that only half of U.S. households donated to charity," said Una Osili, Ph.D., associate dean for research and international programs, in announcing the report.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, predicted today (August 1, 2021) that lockdown measures aren't coming back but the COVID outbreak is going to get worse, the NY Daily News website reports.
Fauci lamented increasing case numbers, but said enough Americans have gotten vaccinated to avoid a return of major restrictions on daily life.
His comments came as the highly contagious delta variant of the virus has become the dominant strain in the country, fueling a surge in cases.
As many schools across the U.S. prepare to reopen this year, the number of parents opting to homeschool their children has surged in the wake of COVID-19 school lockdowns, the WND website reports today (July 31, 2021).
A common theme for a number of parents is that their kids performed well while homeschooling and they don't want to change that.
Yvonne Bunn, director of homeschool support and government affairs with Home Educators Association of Virginia, said it had to increase its staff in order to answer the spike in questions from parents.
A memo issued by Thomas Manger, chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, ordered officers on the House of Representatives side of the Capitol Building to arrest staff and visitors who refuse to wear a mask in defiance of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's new rule reinstating mandatory masking in the chamber, The New American website reports today (July 30, 2021).
"Any person who fails to either comply or to leave the premises after being asked to do so would be subject to an arrest for Unlawful Entry," the memo reads.
Per the memo, officers are not to arrest members of Congress, but they are to report the noncompliance of lawmakers to the House's sergeant-at-arms.
