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LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria destroyed more than 1 million expired doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday after authorities said they could not be used before their expiration date. Faisal Shuaib, head of Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said health officials in Africa's most populous country were left with little choice after receiving the donated doses that didn't have much shelf life left. “We had developed countries that procured these vaccines and hoarded them," he said. “At the point they were about to expire, they offered them for donation.” Last week Shuaib had announced that Nigeria would...

Alicia Witt, known for her roles on “Dune” and “The Walking Dead,” is grieving the mysterious sudden death of her mother and father. Diane Witt, 75, and Robert Witt, 87 were found deceased by a relative at their home in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Monday. The discovery came after Witt, who hadn't heard from her parents in severals days, asked a cousin to do a wellness check. “Sadly, the outcome was unimaginable,” Witt, 46, told Worcester's Telegram & Gazette in a statement. “I ask for some privacy at this time to grieve and to wrap my head around this turn of...

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has deemed math proficiency tests for teachers “unconstitutional” due to “racial disparities.” The court ruled that because non-white teachers are less likely to pass the math test, it should no longer be required. As one social media commentator aptly pointed out, Ontario teachers no longer need to pass basic math in order to teach basic math. As bad as your first-impression take on this might be, it's actually even worse. Read closely: this math proficiency test isn't for the students, it's for THE TEACHERS. Your Ontario teacher no longer needs to pass basic math...

Russian officials are claiming that military contractors sent from the United States are preparing for conflict. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed on Tuesday that more than 120 U.S. private military contractors are currently located in two eastern Ukrainian villages. While there, Shoigu told officials that he believed they were stockpiling toxic chemicals and training Ukrainian soldiers as if they were preparing for a confrontation. Shoigu made these claims at the same meeting that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently held with the Russian Defense Ministry. "Tanks with unidentified chemical components have been delivered to the cities of Avdeyevka and Krasny...

In May, a worker at Sony Life Insurance Company in Tokyo allegedly diverted $154 million to a personal account at a Southern California bank when the company was instead trying to transfer the funds between financial accounts, according to a Monday press release from the US Justice Department. The worker, identified as Rei Ishii, then converted the money to bitcoin, the release said. Law enforcement from the US and Japan eventually found the "private key," or password, to the bitcoin address that held the 3,879 bitcoin tokens — now worth more than $180 million — and seized the funds on...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Move over, Chairman Meow! The Biden family has brought an adorable puppy into their family, and have decided to name this "pawesome" pal Karl Barx, after the brilliant economist Karl Marx, who inspired many of Biden’s policies during his flawless first year as President. “We are so happy to welcome Karl Barx into our happy, non-dysfunctional family,” said First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Esquire, as her husband showed their fur baby the proper way to chew on slippers. “Our new pup has really grown into his new name, demanding to control the distribution of the nation’s dog food. Simply...

President Joe Biden's coughing during an address to the nation about measures to tackle COVID-19 has raised concerns about his health ahead of a test for the virus he's due to receive on Wednesday. The president tested negative for COVID on Monday a day after he had been in close contact with a White House staff member who had tested positive for the virus. Biden appeared to cough and excused himself twice while speaking about his administration's plans to deal with COVID amid the surge of the Omicron variant in the U.S. He also appeared to briefly have a catch...

hina allegedly sought out top Taiwan military officials and lured them into becoming spies. Beijing also initiated a campaign to extract details of the self-ruled island's high-tech weapons and defense planning, said a report quoting official documents. According to a special report by Reuters, a "Hong Kong businessman" Xie Xizhang visited Taiwan for over two decades, recruiting spies for Beijing. He befriended a senior retired Taiwanese navy officer Chang Pei-ning who later became Xie’s agent. Chang allegedly helped Xie penetrate Taiwan’s active military leadership as part of a long-running Chinese operation to build a spy ring among serving and retired...

The New York City Council voted earlier this week to ban new buildings from using natural gas, as the country experiences a notable spike in energy prices. The law will create the new restrictions that go into effect in 2023 and will primarily force newly constructed buildings to use electricity instead of gas. Americans are currently facing a nationwide rise in the cost of energy. Two months ago, the Biden administration's Energy Department said it expects heating costs to increase by as much as 54% over the the winter months. Despite rising costs, the new law is expected to raise...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The nation’s capital grew even more festive as the White House unveiled its facade lit with a resplendent light display spelling out the touching message, “YOU WILL DIE.” The holiday message of light and hope comes at a dark time for our nation, as millions of Americans have chosen to ignore scientifically rigorous government lobbyists and refused to get vaccinated against a virus with a 100% mortality rate. “Our country needs a message of hope from its leadership during this dark, deadly, perilous, disastrous, corpse-strewn winter season,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, “That’s why the President chose...

According to White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, Americans "may never shake hands again," we'll all be wearing masks on planes for the rest of our lives, and you definitely need to ask friends and family coming to your house this holiday season for their vaccine papers. His latest advice is also likely to fall on deaf ears. With the more mild Omicron variant sweeping the nation, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said it's probably a good idea to go ahead and disinvite those unvaxxed relatives of yours, which will go over...

U.S.—As violent crime has skyrocketed to historically high levels, particularly in democrat-run cities, democratic leaders expressed shock and dismay at the rampant crime they have openly, blatantly, and very specifically promoted. “There is an attitude of lawlessness in our country that springs from I don’t know where,” said Nancy Pelosi after 18 months supporting local and state campaigns to pull hundreds of millions of dollars from funding police departments, while also urging officials to pardon violent criminals. “We are investigating possible causes, such as irresponsible retail owners displaying products that people want, or reckless republicans legalizing crowbars.” San Francisco mayor...

Fourth Week of Advent Luke 1:46-56 Friends, in today’s Gospel, we hear the Magnificat—Mary’s great hymn of praise to Yahweh. The hymn commences with the simple declaration, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord." Mary announces here that her whole being is ordered to the glorification of God. Her ego wants nothing for itself; it wants only to be an occasion for giving honor to God. But since God needs nothing, whatever glory Mary gives to him returns to her benefit, so that she is magnified in the very act of magnifying him. In giving herself away fully to...

This submarine drone is powered by a 20-meter-long fiber battery that is wrapped on its surface. Credit: Tural Khudiyev, Jung Tae Lee, Benjamin Grena, Yoel Fink et al =========================================================================== Researchers have developed a rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the form of an ultra-long fiber that could be woven into fabrics. The battery could enable a wide variety of wearable electronic devices, and might even be used to make 3D-printed batteries in virtually any shape. The researchers envision new possibilities for self-powered communications, sensing, and computational devices that could be worn like ordinary clothing, as well as devices whose batteries could also...

It is no secret that the Oscars are decided upon by a coastal cabal of predominantly old white men who dictate their emails. That’s why male vets, attractive young women, and sentimentalist fare like Green Book keep taking home the gold. The Academy that votes on the Oscars is also comprised of people in Hollywood who are total suckers for self-worship. In the last decade alone, three films celebrating Tinseltown have won Best Picture—including Argo, wherein an aging Hollywood producer joins forces with the CIA to rescue diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis. One industry that Hollywood has always viewed...

While Glenn Youngkin rode the Critical Race Theory (CRT) backlash wave to the Virginia governorship, a Daily Wire review of his new education nominee’s background raises questions about the Republican’s commitment to eradicating politics from the classroom. Aimee Rogstad Guidera, who was nominated by Youngkin on Monday to be secretary of education, is an education consultant — the president of Guidera Strategy. According to public records, in recent years Guidera has owned a home and operated her business out of the Minneapolis, Minnesota area. The area includes some of America’s most “woke” school districts, and many radical ideas that have...

People think that the Fed controls inflation, and they think that because they were taught to think that while getting expensive educations at institutions of higher learning. And besides, everyone says so, and so it must be true. But what if I could model the movements of inflation rates using no financial or economic data at all as inputs? What would that do to your own personal confidence about the premise of the Fed controlling inflation? This is the quandary I am going to confront you with in this week’s chart, and it is understandably going to make you feel...

After entertainer Bette Midler called West Virginians “poor, illiterate and strung out,” a coal miner from that state responded by saying West Virginians contribute far more to America than anything she does – and that many West Virginians would even be better at doing her job. In an interview on Fox & Friends First on Wednesday, coal miner Bo Copley said that West Virginians aren’t losing any sleep over Midler’s insult, especially since her career has been at a standstill for a while now: “I think my first reaction was, ‘Bette Who?’ I don’t really recall anything that she’s done...

The local and systemic response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adults. Schematic summary of the difference of the airway and systemic immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection between children and adults, reflecting the maturation of the immune landscape throughout childhood to adulthood. Key points are: (1) Immune cell proportions display strong maturation patterns throughout healthy child- and adulthood, with a notable innate to adaptive immunity switch. (2) In airways, the local innate IFN response to SARS-CoV-2 is stronger in pediatric airway immune cells compared to adult ones. (3) In blood, the systemic innate IFN response to SARS-CoV-2 is stronger in...