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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — An investigation by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office revealed 16 people being held captive in an east Bakersfield home. A neighbor’s home camera caught the footage.

The world's largest trial into the effect of multiple interventions for critically ill adults with COVID-19 on longer-term outcomes has released results from the 180-day (six month) follow-up of 4,869 critically ill patients. The study is part of the ongoing Randomized Embedded Multifactorial Adaptive Platform for Community Acquired Pneumonia (REMAP-CAP) trial led by Dr. Lisa Higgins. The study found that among critically ill patients with COVID-19 randomized to receive one or more therapeutic interventions, treatment with an IL-6 receptor antagonist (tocilizumab or sarilumab), led to a greater than 99.9% probability of improved 6-month mortality, while antiplatelet agents had a 95%...

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on the Senate floor he “looks forward” to hearing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s demands before Congress on Wednesday evening. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak and claim the $45 billion worth of aid designated for Ukraine in the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill is not enough support. Congress is weighing whether to pass the massive spending bill in addition to the $66 billion lawmakers have already approved of taxpayers’ money for Ukraine.

Sadiq Khan announced he will seek a historic third-term as Mayor of London after being backed by the Labour Party for the 2024 election. The far-left Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan will look to surpass his two predecessors, Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson both of whom served two consecutive terms, by clinging onto power for a record third term in office. Confirming his decision, Khan told the Evening Standard: “I’m more determined than ever to use all the experience and knowledge I’ve gained as mayor to deliver on the issues that matter to Londoners, including supporting them through the cost-of-living...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak to Congress and President Joe Biden on Wednesday and claim the $45 billion worth of aid designated for Ukraine in the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill is not enough support.

The Drug Enforcement Administration revealed Tuesday it seized more than 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl in 2022 — more than enough to kill every single American. According to a statement from the federal agency, DEA agents confiscated more than 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills, which is more than double compared to last year, and over 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder since January. The highly addictive synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl — an amount that fits on the tip of a pencil — is considered a potentially deadly dose. “These seizures...

One of the best parts of having a pet is cuddling. While some felines don't like cuddling because it makes them feel trapped, others do seem to enjoy it. This is the case of Ellie, a black and white cat who was surrendered by her owner because she wanted to cuddle with him at night. On December 8, 2022, Ellie was dropped off by her owner at the PetSmart in Chester, Virginia.

Vandals have destroyed sacred artwork in South Australia thought to be about 30,000 years old. The Nullarbor Plain art, which are designs carved into the chalk limestone walls of the Koonalda Cave, has special significance for the region's Aboriginal Mirning people. The vandals are thought to have dug under a steel gate before scrawling "don't look now, but this is a death cave" on the walls. The authorities are investigating. Individuals found to have damaged an Aboriginal site or item currently face a fine of A$10,000 ($6,700; £5,500) or up to six months in prison under South Australia's Aboriginal heritage...

VIDEO: . . https://twitter.com/ChristopherJM/status/1605637676136140802 . . . .

RIP to a great athlete. Wonder what Terry "that's horse paste, man" Bradshaw is thinking right now?

FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENTLuke 1:39-45 Friends, today’s Gospel tells the marvelous story of the Visitation. At the Annunciation, the angel had told Mary that the child to be conceived in her would be the new David.With that magnificent prophecy still ringing in her ears, Mary set out to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was married to Zechariah, a temple priest. No first-century Jew would have missed the significance of their residence being “in the hill country of Judah.” That was precisely where David found the ark, the bearer of God’s presence. To that same hill country now comes Mary, the...

US foreign policy collapsing with Ukraine

VIDEO AT LINK..........................

Ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again: It's time to give thanks for all the reckless government spending about to be pushed through the House and Senate. And in honor of our perfect money-hungry government elites, Rand Paul recorded his very own rendition of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." https://twitter.com/i/status/1605341754458525702

In the spring of 2001, Suzanne Farrin auditioned for the Juilliard School’s prestigious composition program. The night after her audition, she says that Christopher Rouse, a faculty member at the time, tried to kiss her. “I sort of twirled out of his arms and ran away,” Farrin said. Farrin wanted to join Rouse’s doctoral studio before that night. She had traveled to New York before her audition to show him her music. She had read a book about counterpoint that Rouse suggested, hoping her efforts to build a pedagogical relationship with him would lead to a spot in one of...

Probiotic bacteria usually found in fermented foods, such as yogurt, sourdough bread, and miso soup, might help dispel the embarrassment of persistent bad breath (halitosis), finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence. Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus reuteri, Streptococcus salivarius, Weissella cibaria, taken in the form of supplements in this study, may help freshen the breath. Volatile sulfuric compounds are the main cause of persistent bad breath. These compounds are produced by mouth bacteria as a result of bacterial mixing and food debris associated with poor gum and dental hygiene. Options used to tackle the problem include mouthwashes, chewing gums,...

It's a great time to be a candlemaker in Germany. "Candle demand is very strong right now," says Stefan Thomann, Technical Director of the European Candle Manufacturers Association. The candle boom began during the pandemic, after the government imposed lockdowns and Germans began spending a lot more time at home. The industry expected the boom to end once the nation opened back up, Thomann says. "But then the war (in Ukraine) started." Prior to Russia's invasion, Germany was getting more than half of its natural gas from Russia. It was Russia's biggest natural gas customer in the European Union, and...

Many parents will testify that it takes only a moment for a tragedy to occur. You can be watching over your kids exhaustively and within a moment and in the twinkling of an eye, they are gone. That is what happened on November 29, 2022, when Abigail, a 7-year-old girl and her 4-year-old sister Cecilia vanished from their parent's home in Louisiana. The young girls' parents, Mary and Justin Bourg, tearfully said their Golden Retriever family dog named Artemis first ran into the woods to explore and the girls followed him.

In Canada, when a disabled Canadian military veteran complained to Veterans Affairs about a delay in installing a wheelchair lift in her home, they offered to euthanize her. Lawrence MacAulay. Minister of Veterans' Affairs, explained "a wheelchair lift is just an expensive temporary solution. Euthanasia is an inexpensive permanent solution to the pains of disability. I don't blame staff for trying to persuade this vet to make one more sacrifice for our country." In Los Angeles, District Attorney George Gascón has ordered his prosecutors to "refrain from filing criminal charges against illegal immigrants because charges endanger their chances of remaining...

A study conducted shows that anti-inflammatory drugs commonly taken by children may be associated with dental enamel defects (DEDs) currently seen in about 20% of children worldwide. The authors investigated the effects of celecoxib and indomethacin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alongside paracetamol. Dentists have observed a sharp rise in the number of children seeking treatment for pain, white or yellow tooth spots, dental sensitivity and fragility. Dental decay in the form of carious lesions appears sooner and more frequently in these patients, whose restorations are less adhesive and tend to fail more. Studies have shown they may have to replace...