Pope to Take 12 Migrants to Vatican from Cyprus; He Had Taken 12 from Lesbos during a 2016 Trip

 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.  

Unemployment Rate Is Lowest Since Pandemic; About 1.1 Million Americans Found Jobs in Nov.

 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.

Pope to Migrants: "I Came to See Your Faces;" Visits Greek Island of Lesbos for Second Time

 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. 

Biden, Putin Will Address Russian Troop Buildup; Biden Plans to Ensure Putin Won't Invade Ukraine

 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. 

LA County Reports 1st Case of Omicron Variant; May Be Due to Person Traveling to South Africa

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 Arrives in Cyprus, to Visit Greece; May Try to Enhance Migrants' Travel to Europe

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.

3 Students Shot Dead, 8 Wounded at MI School; 15-Year-Old Boy Arrested, Won't Speak to Police

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.