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American troops have begun leaving Afghanistan for the initial troop withdrawal required in the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, the U.S. military confirmed Monday, amid political chaos in Kabul that threatens the deal.

March 10 2020 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent Reading 1 Is 1:10, 16-20 Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah!Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you...

The commander of U.S. Army Europe, along with several staff members, may have been exposed to the coronavirus during a recent conference, the Army said on Monday.

Though strenuously hyped by Feldman, the premiere for the film — at least online — was hampered from the get-go, beset by an awkward interface and complaints on Twitter directed at Feldman himself. (He was screening the film live in LA concurrently.) For $20, users were promised access to a live-stream of the film at 11 p.m. Monday, with a Q&A with Feldman to follow, and a second “screening” Tuesday afternoon. But, right up to the minute of the premiere, the film’s hashtag was mostly populated by fans either begging for or offering tech help with the various error messages....

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced Monday that coronavirus lockdown measures were being extended to the entire country, with travel to be restricted to reasons of work, health, and emergencies. The measures would become effective Tuesday and last until April 3, he said. (Please see link for full article)

Acclaimed actor from “The Exorcist” “Star Wars” and “Game of Thrones,” Max von Sydow, has died at age 90. Representatives for the star confirmed to Fox News that the star died on Sunday, March 8, 2020, but did not comment on any official cause of death. “It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow,” a statement from his wife, Catherine, reads

Maybe many folks aren’t so into this drag queen and kids phenomenon after all. Netflix just announced that it’s new-ish drag queen-centered show starring RuPaul and his enthusiastic 10 year-old sidekick has been cancelled after just one season. Good. There’s proof that there is some sanity in the world. The legendary drag icon and founder of RuPaul’s Drag Race -- which is set to air its twelfth season on VH1 -- had starred in the first season of the Netflix original series, “AJ and The Queen,” which centered on the story of a “down-on-her-luck” drag queen named Ruby who discovers...

There are politicians, media figures, and pop-culture influencers, too, jumping on the coronavirus scare, warning of its dangers, and perhaps, using it to demonstrate their bona fides as caring individuals, dedicated to the protection of human life. Largely due to the western world’s foolish dependence on mainland China as a source for both finished goods and components for manufacturing elsewhere, the coronavirus is currently causing a global short-term economic downturn. There should be no reason for this trouble to be lasting - if we keep our heads -but it is almost certain to be destructive if an economic panic gains...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An employee with Shelby County Schools had contact with someone who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a statement issued today by SCS. The employee worked at Treadwell Elementary School and Treadwell Middle School. An official said the employee has been placed on a 14-day quarantine and has not displayed any symptoms of the illness. Annie Jones was extra cautious when she went to Treadwell Middle School to pick up her nephew Monday. Like other parents, she learned about the quarantined employee through an early morning phone call. “They ain’t giving us no up to...

California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom is not a fan of Trump. However, he recently praised President Trump’s response to the Coronavirus. Newsom said that Trump and Pence have followed through on everything they said they would do. Newsweek reports: CALIFORNIA’S DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR PRAISES TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE: ‘EVERY SINGLE THING HE SAID THEY FOLLOWED THROUGH ON’ California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom praised president President Donald Trump on Monday for supporting his state as it combats the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Trump and his administration have faced criticism for their response to the coronavirus. But Newsom, who declared a state of emergency...

Still, excitement is building among both professional and amateur astronomers about the upcoming flyby of asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2 – the biggest asteroid due to fly by Earth this year – coming closest on April 29, 2020. This space rock is probably at least a mile wide (1.8 km) and maybe 2 1/2 times that big (4.1 km). Closest approach is April 29 around 5:56 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (09:56 UTC; translate UTC to your time). No access to a telescope? No problem. The Virtual Telescope Project in Rome will host a free, online public viewing of the asteroid on...

Are you sick of being healthy? Would you like to experience the coronavirus firsthand? Look no further than the Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre in London, which is looking for 24 volunteers to inject with the dreaded coronavirus and participate in their flu camp. They will be paid about $4,588 for their troubles. This isn’t the latest twisted Stephen King novel. Rather, it’s an attempt by medical research and development company Hvivo to create a vaccine for the deadly disease which has killed more than 3,800 across the globe. The human guinea pigs — who will receive a battery of...

KING CRIMSON will be playing one tour this year in USA and Canada during June and July 2020. Except for shows such as the Ottawa Blues Festival, all the dates will be double bills with THE ZAPPA BAND. "The summer tour will be a throwback one for us in a few ways; great to be going back to outdoor venues, some of them the 'sheds' we played in the 1980s," says KING CRIMSON's Tony Levin. "And we'll be travelling by tour bus, old school! As for what pieces we'll play, that hasn't been decided yet, but will likely be a...

PEARL JAM has postponed its previously announced spring U.S. tour due to concerns over the coronavirus. The 16-date trek in support of the band's upcoming "Gigaton" album was scheduled to kick off on March 18 in Toronto, hit the "Fabulous" Forum on April 15 and April 16, and wrap with a two-date stint in Oakland April 18 and April 19. The band announced the tour postponement in a social media post earlier today. PEARL JAM wrote: "As residents of the city of Seattle, we've been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids'...

WASHINGTON – A man from Ohio who attended the AIPAC policy conference in Washington last week has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in a statement released Monday, bringing to total of cases linked to the event to four. The three previous cases at the pro-Israel lobby's conference were diagnosed in New York and Los Angeles.

Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are taking precautions against the spread of novel coronavirus: Both programs will tape without a live audience “in the near term,” our sister site Variety reports. The decision was made for several reasons: Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is immunocompromised after being diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer last year, putting him at greater risk should he come into contact with the virus. The safety of audience members was also a concern, as they tend to skew older and often have come from out of town, sometimes via a flight, to attend the game shows. The...

BOCA RATON — John Kerry addressed a packed house Monday morning at a private event in Boca Raton, urging supporters of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden to keep working to get the vote out right up until the last minute. “Nothing is automatic in politics,” Kerry said, reminding the crowd of his own ill-fated presidential bid 16 years ago. “This is not to be taken for granted. You have to make phone calls, sign up and do the work.” After losing the 2004 election to incumbent President George W. Bush, Kerry, then a former Massachusetts U.S. senator, went on to...

REELEY — Former House District 50 Rep. Rochelle Galindo who stepped down from her office on May 12, 2019 amid allegations she sexually assaulted two minors who worked on her campaign, is scheduled for a jury trial in June for a charge stemming from those accusations. Galindo was never formally charged with the alleged assaults; however, she was charged with one count of providing alcohol to a minor. Galindo pled not guilty to the charge on March 2 before Weld County Judge Charles Unfug. A jury trial on that charge is scheduled to begin on June 24. Galindo was facing...

President of German Bishops’ Conference signals openness to female ‘deacons’ Bishop Georg Bätzing LIMBURG, Germany, March 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Georg Bätzing, the new president of the German Bishops’ Conference, has signaled that he is open to asking Pope Francis for an indult allowing female “deacons” in Germany. An indult is a special permission granted by the Vatican. In a radio interview on Sunday, Bätzing said he wanted to wait for the Synodal Path to be completed, arguing that a single bishop or even a bishops’ conference would not be able to get an indult from the Vatican. “A...