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STORY AT-A-GLANCEAn advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted to grant emergency authorization to Merck’s oral COVID-19 pill molnupiravir (Lagevrio) — by a narrow 13-to-10 marginAmong those who received the drug, the rate of all-cause hospitalization or death was 6.8%, compared to 9.7% in the placebo group — a relative risk reduction of just 30%The full data showed more hospital admissions among patients taking molnupiravir (6.2%) than among those taking a placebo (4.7%)Molnupiravir works by triggering mutations that ultimately kill the virus; a risk of cancer and birth defects is possible, and the drug shouldn’t be taken...

The Democratic leaders of both Long Island counties have joined with dozens of Republican officials around the state to defy Gov. Kathy Hochul’s private-sector mask mandate — and boost the ranks of renegade county governments to nearly two-thirds the total. “While we will not be actively enforcing the mandate, we will respond to complaints and assist businesses with education and compliance however we can,” Democratic Nassau County Executive Laura Curran told The Post on Friday. ... Among the Big Apple’s five northern suburbs, only Westchester County has said it will crack down on violators — although in extremely vague and...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican and USCCB leave transgender policy texts unpublishedNews: Gender identityWhile U.S. bishops have made headlines for releasing policies addressing gender identity and pastoral ministry, guidelines on the subject have been drafted but not published by both the U.S. bishops’ conference and the Vatican’s doctrinal office, leaving diocesan bishops to address the issue at the local level.St. Peter’s basilica, Vatican City. Alamy Stock Image ShareA document issued in July by Bishop John Doerfler of Marquette, Michigan, garnered international media attention this month, after it was tweeted Dec. 7 by noted LGBT-rights activist Fr. James Martin, SJ. “It is not...

An excellent Ted talk by Sharyl Attkisson that was done 6 years ago explains how we got here and how you can tell when you are being manipulated.Six years ago, Sharyl Attkisson gave an excellent TED talk entitled “Astroturf and manipulation of media messages.”It explains precisely what is happening now including:why my reputation on Wikipedia went from hero to zero over a few days.how we are all being manipulated.But most of all, at the very end, it explains the subtle clues that we are being manipulated. A key lesson: Beware of those who question people who question authority. In short,...

France’s heritage authorities approved on Thursday controversial plans for the interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.Members of the National Heritage and Architecture Commission backed the proposals during a closed-door meeting on Dec. 9 amid an outcry over the restoration of the cathedral badly damaged by fire in 2019. French media quoted the Ministry of Culture as saying that “the experts gave a favorable opinion on the interior refurbishment program.” The commission expressed two reservations about the plan. The first concerned a proposal to remove saints’ statues in the chapels. The second related to plans to install moveable pews. AFP reported...

The Baal Shem Tov once said that he was capable of rising to heaven in a fiery chariot as did Elijah, but he would rather undergo the transformation of “…and to the earth you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) Because through the initial dip downward—as far down as you could possibly go—you can reach much higher. So if it seems to you at times that your life has made a sharp turn downward, or that the world around you has taken a great leap backward, Know that this is only a necessary prelude to a great spring forward and upward yet...

The pro-LGBT priest's tweet led to inaccurate headlines about the Diocese of Marquette's document on worthiness for the sacraments.(LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic diocese in Michigan is suffering the ire of mainstream media after Fr. James Martin brought attention to an instructive “Pastoral Care” document released by the diocese defending the faith against the LGBT agenda. NBC News and other mainstream media outlets have directed their attention to the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan after Martin, a pro-LGBT Jesuit priest, pointed out on his popular Twitter account that the diocese had released an instructive document affirming authentic Church teaching and rejecting the...

This is a horrendous story to report but I would like my readers to have a full understanding of the repercussions of mRNA vaccines. I previously reported that the government-sponsored Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) admittedly records fewer than 1% of adverse reactions, and therefore, we do not understand the full scope of side effects. As of the first week of December, VAERS reported 52 infant deaths and 30,550 adverse reactions in children under 17. Even VAERS acknowledges this figure is drastically understated. Pregnant and breastfeeding women have been losing their babies due to bleeding disorders after being exposed...

Catholics in Bahrain hail mainly from the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. South Americans, EuropeansA general view shows Our Lady Arabia Cathedral during its inauguration in Awali south of the Bahraini capital Manama, which was opened for prayers on Dec. 10 by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, head of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP)Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, head of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, consecrated Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Bahrain, the newest and largest cathedral in the Persian Gulf region, Dec.10. Until now, church officials said Bahrain...

The omicron variant of COVID-19 shows no signs of being less severe than the delta variant, according to a new study in the United Kingdom. Researchers with Imperial College London, who analyzed PCR test-confirmed COVID-19 cases in England between Nov. 29 and Dec. 11, said their endeavor found "no evidence of Omicron having lower severity than Delta," judged by looking at "either the proportion of people testing positive who report symptoms, or by the proportion of cases seeking hospital care after infection.".... ....The Imperial College London team also reported findings that show "the risk of reinfection with the Omicron variant...

Considered to be one of the most influential women at the Vatican, Becquart is optimistic about gender equality in the institution.VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Amid Pope Francis’ attempts to reform the hierarchical structures that have defined the Roman Catholic Church for centuries — structures that have in many ways limited the influence of lay people and especially women — few have had such a decisive say on shaping the future of the institution as Sister Nathalie Becquart. In February, the pope named the French religious sister of the Congregation of Xavières to become the undersecretary of the General Secretariat of...

A Maryland school district on Friday announced that its school system will temporarily be returning to virtual learning amid a surge of COVID-19 cases. In a note to the county's school community, Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson said that schools will be returning to remote learning beginning on Monday. Goldson noted that after students return from winter break on Jan. 3, schools will continue virtual learning until mid-January, with students returning to the classroom on Jan. 18. Students participating in a virtual learning program for those in kindergarten through sixth grade will return to in-person instruction on...

Covington Catholic graduate Nicholas Sandmann says he reached another settlement with a member of news media, this time with NBC. Sandmann, a 19-year-old from Kentucky, announced on social media he had reached the settlement. The settlement with NBC marks his third settlement with a news outlet following CNN and the Washington Post. "At this time I would like to release that NBC and I have reached a settlement," Sandmann wrote Friday. "The terms are confidential." Documents filed Friday in federal court in Kentucky showed both sides agreed to dismiss the case without a judgment from the court, the Cincinnati Enquirer...

A three-week archaeological dig in the English Channel took a bizarre, inexplicable turn, after researchers chanced upon a carefully cut grave hidden in the soil – the contents of which were definitely not human.The discovery, made on the small island of Chapelle Dom Hue off the coast of Guernsey in September 2017, revealed the ancient remains of a medieval porpoise buried in the earth, and archaeologists were at a loss to explain the story behind this mysterious animal tomb."It's very peculiar, I don't know what to make of it," archaeologist Philip de Jersey from Oxford University in the UK told...

A brawl over pay at Columbia challenges academic solidarity with the working class. Consider Columbia, where many student workers earn little more than New York City’s $15 hourly minimum wage. The UAW wants $45,000 for 12-month appointments and a minimum $26 hourly rate for non-salaried workers, with annual increases. The union says a single adult had to make at least $45,285 to live in Manhattan in June 2020—before this year’s inflation. “Columbia made $3.1 billion in returns on its investments this past year alone,” the union says, adding that its demands for a three-year contract would amount to a mere...

Former New York Times journalist Bari Weiss confronted CNN’s Brian Stelter about his network’s coverage of, amongst other things, the COVID-19 lab leak theory. Russell Brand commentary - CNN Coverage Called Out, To Its Face

Polypharmacy, or the use of multiple medications, is common in older adults. While 89 percent of people aged 65 and older take at least one prescription medication, 54 percent take four or more. Data from Merck similarly found that nearly 80 percent of older adults regularly take at least two prescription drugs, while 36 percent regularly use five or more different drugs—and this doesn’t include over-the-counter medications. Adverse effects from polypharmacy are common and may drive patients to seek out ever-more drugs to treat the side effects caused by their drug regimen. This can create a vicious cycle that’s perpetuated...

A federal appeals court has reinstated the Biden administration’s vaccine and testing requirement for private businesses that covers about 80 million American workers. The ruling by the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati lifted a November injunction that had blocked the rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which applies to businesses with at least 100 workers. In the decision Friday, the 6th Circuit noted that OSHA has historical precedent for using wide discretion to ensure worker safety and “demonstrated the pervasive danger that COVID-19 poses to workers—unvaccinated workers in particular—in their workplaces.”

The Black Stallion is a 1979 American adventure film based on the 1941 classic children's novel of the same name by Walter Farley. The film starts in 1946, five years after the book was published. It tells the story of Alec Ramsey, who is shipwrecked on a deserted island with a wild Arabian stallion whom he befriends. After being rescued, they are set on entering a race challenging two champion horses. The film is adapted by Melissa Mathison, Jeanne Rosenberg and William D. Wittliff. It was directed by Carroll Ballard. The film stars Kelly Reno, Teri Garr, Hoyt Axton,...

The French Government donated 1,000, 800 doses of Johnson and Johnson covid-19 vaccines to Ethiopia, that will be delivered on December 17th in Addis-Abeba, through Covax mechanism. This donation comes in addition to the 843 600 AstraZeneca vaccine doses already donated by France in July (391 200) and October (452 400) via Covax, in partnership with the African Union and its African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) initiative, for the second one.