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WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Although Catholics in most East European countries have backed measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic, for some it has also revived painful memories of communist rule. Sensitivities over church closures have also surfaced in Western Europe, where some Catholics have questioned the right of civil authorities to prohibit religious worship. "The terrifying vision of empty churches shows how it might have been if past anti-Catholic hostilities had prevailed," said Polish Radio presenter Malgorzata Glabisz-Pniewska. "There hasn't been any great resistance, since these measures have been ordered by a government seen as sympathetic to the faith, with...

Thousands of colleges across the country are being infused with billions of dollars in cash after they were forced to close their campuses and move classes online amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund is part of the $2 trillion CARES Act that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump. The fund contains a total of about $14.2 billion for both private and public colleges and universities across the U.S. In a letter to college presidents dated April 9, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wrote that "the most significant portion of that funding...

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading a bipartisan effort to wean the United States from its reliane on China for drugs and medical supplies by turning to Middle East ally Israel. Cruz and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., are seeking $12 million to enhance partnerships between companies in the U.S. and Israel "to develop innovative medical projects aimed at detecting, treating, and curing COVID-19," Breaking Israel News reported. "I've long said that China poses the most significant, long-term geopolitical threat to the United States," Cruz wrote on Twitter. "Our dependence on China for life-saving medications and treatments is deeply problematic. The...

Several more Orthodox clerics have come under fire this week for celebrating the Divine services and giving Holy Communion to the faithful—this time from the Greek and Cypriot Churches. Greek authorities have opened a criminal case against His Eminence Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, the Mayor of Corfu Merope Hydraiou, and Chairman of the Municipal Council Dimitrios Metallinos for violating the ban on holding religious services, for celebrating and attending Divine Liturgy for the Great Feast of Palm Sunday at the Church of St. Spyridon, report RIA-Novosti with reference to the Greek outlet Kerkya Simera. The hierarch explained to the Prosecutor...

Chinese investors who agreed to provide millions of dollars in funding for a series of North Texas land development deals are moving to put the projects in bankruptcy. The forced bankruptcy attempts involve suburban land developments in several locations. The developers of the projects say the Chapter 7 filings have no merit and are part of long-running legal disputes. The development projects — including WALL017 LLC, WALL012 LLC, WALL016 LLC, WALL009 LLC, WALL010 LLC and WALL011 LLC — were launched by companies organized by Dallas-based JMJ Development. Chinese investors agreed to provide millions of dollars in funding for the hundreds...

I gave up on Drudge (a really nice guy) long ago, as have many others. People are dropping off like flies!

BBC also broadcasts Imam's recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and quotes of Holy Prophet before delivering the sermon and leading the listeners in prayers. Every Friday the program 'Islamic Reflections' led by an Imam will be broadcasted.In a first, BBC begins the broadcast of Muslim prayers on its network as mosques shut down across Britain, part of the extensive measures against coronavirus. Hence, British-Muslims will hear the Friday prayers broadcast on BBC Radio for the first time. Different imams lead the 5:50 am broadcasts every week on Friday from 14 local radio stations of BBC. The imam recites...

As the president of the United States shelters in place with the White House press corps, and Joe Biden gibbers senselessly into the GoPro camera in his Delaware basement, this fall’s national election has been thrown into a cocked tricorn by the coronavirus. Many of Donald Trump’s retail-politicking strengths — the huge rallies, his command of crowds — have been neutralized, and while he still has control of the narrative from his bully pulpit in the West Wing, the national media remains dead set against him, and puts the worst possible spin on every word he speaks. Meanwhile, Biden and...

White House officials said Friday that states have enough COVID-19 tests to proceed to phase one of the Trump administration’s plan to restart the economy. Vice President Mike Pence told reporters at a briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force that “our best scientists and health experts assess that states today have enough tests to implement the criteria of phase one if they choose to do so.” Pence’s remarks come as the administration faces pressure to increase testing capacity, seen as key to faster lifting of lockdowns. Meanwhile, protests have erupted across the country amid record job losses and...

Americans won’t put up with permanent COVID-19 restrictions. Over the past month, we’ve had a national experience that has been part medical crisis, part unintentional social experiment. It’s been a bit surreal for almost everyone, I think. (snip) Nobody choreographed the virus. Never blame the buzzards for the roadkill! Nobody stage-managed the crisis, and only a relative few have shamelessly turned it into a political opportunity. Still, we can be sure that leaders and “influencers,” from every political and cultural faction, are observing keenly. As a nation, we need to teach our “ruling class” the right lessons. (snip) That is,...

It was autumn 1989. Momentous things were taking place in the world. The Berlin Wall had fallen. The people of the Eastern Bloc had succeeded at getting to the West through Hungary. The firm line between east and west was wavering. The situation was moving away from the course that Warsaw Pact communist governments had charted: that their populations must remain captive within the borders of the Communist Bloc. It was unclear whether this social contagion for freedom would spread into Czechoslovakia. But then November 17, 1989, arrived, a day etched in history. This was Students Day, a legal holiday....

Columbus, OH – The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law today moved to enjoin the Ohio Department of Health from continuing to enforce its criminalization of “non-essential business,” as implemented through the Director’s April 2, 2020 Stay at Home Order. The April 2 Order fails to provide owners of “non-essential businesses” any opportunity for a hearing where the State must demonstrate that such businesses are indeed “non-essential” and incapable of safe operation, even as many other businesses and operations not essential to survival have been exempted. The legal action is brought on behalf of an otherwise-successful Columbus bridal shop and its...

Take a look at the largest virus bank in Asia Date：04-06-2018   |   【Print】 【close】 Recently, the National Health Commission of China officially designated the China Center for Virus Culture Collection (CCVCC) in Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) as a "National-Level Culture Collection Center", which is an important milestone in the development of the Center's innovative construction. The species and samples of pathogenic microorganisms are important strategic resources for ensuring national social security, economic security and biological safety. As a national-level culture collection center, the CCVCC will be oriented to national strategic needs and will play an indispensable...

s United States intelligence agencies continue their investigation into the source of the COVID-19 spread, the vice director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology spoke out Saturday to defend the Chinese government and his laboratory from allegations that the coronavirus originated in Wuhan. Yuan Zhiming, who is also the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan Branch, broke the lab's silence after Trump administration sources last week said China and the World Health Organization (WHO) were being investigated for a potential coronavirus cover-up. China's foreign ministry on Thursday told reportersthe WHO found "no evidence" the outbreak started at the...

COLUMBUS, Ohio—JoAnn Fabric and Craft and Michaels stores in Ohio will be allowed to remain open during the coronavirus crisis after agreeing to social-distancing precautions, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office. Yost, a Columbus Republican, initially sent cease-and-desist letters to the two retailers, as well as Hobby Lobby, demanding they close their Ohio stores under Gov. Mike DeWine’s order to shut all “non-essential” businesses. But while Hobby Lobby agreed to close its locations, JoAnn and Michaels argued they should be allowed to remain open because they offer “essential” services exempted under the governor’s order...

I live in New York State. But, I live in Western New York—not New York City, or downstate. If you ask anyone from downstate, they are New Yorkers, I am not. And quite honestly, I’m okay with that. I have no problem with not being lumped in with the downstaters. Except I still am. New York is a hotspot when it comes to coronavirus cases and deaths, but that’s only because of downstate. Upstate New York’s coronavirus situation pales in comparison to downstate. New York City, in particular, was doomed due to the incompetence of local leaders, as well as...

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, accused Democrats of exploiting the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic in order to push for "extreme changes in immigration policy." "This concept ought to be simple: We should not turn our back on the citizens and lawful immigrants of this great country to favor those that broke the law and came here illegally or overstayed their visas," said the Ohio congressman during a conference call with Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Matthew Albence and Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Mark Morgan. Democrats have called...

A controversial drug heralded by some as a coronavirus cure comes with symptoms of its own, Rita Wilson says. The actress, 63, says she was given chloroquine after she and husband Tom Hanks tested positive for COVID-19 while in Australia last month. The malaria treatment may or may not have helped her beat the virus, but it certainly gave her “extreme side effects,” she tells Gayle King on Tuesday’s “CBS This Morning.” After getting the chloroquine, Wilson became “completely nauseous” and experienced vertigo and weakened muscles, she warns. “We have to be very considerate about this drug,” she says. “We...

      TIPS FOR THE PITS We have all been there....Blue Monday. Nothing is more miserable than feeling depressed. Depression has been, and continues to be, the world's #1 public health problem. All of us are susceptible to depression. It all begins with the blues, which come and go like the common cold. The "Poor Me" syndrome hits us and drags us to the pits of depression. What are the signs of depression? Dragging through the day, wondering how we will get through it; getting bogged down at the least little obstacle; thinking negatively about everything; all we...

Friday marked the eighth day of new reporting standards to comply with federal guidelines to now include cases identified from non-testing evidence and some other tests not previously included. This has resulted in 249 additional “probable” cases than would have been reported previously, including 74 on Friday. That is just one variable that has played into tracking the numbers. Also, in the last week testing has ramped up significantly in prisons, even among those showing no symptoms. Prison officials on Friday identified 692 inmates and 197 staff with coronavirus, up from 489 inmates and 184 staff on Thursday.