thestream--2020-03-24--Military Photo of the Day: US-South Korea Team to Fight Coronavirus

U.S. Army and South Korean soldiers conduct a combined disinfection operation at an apartment complex in Daegu , South Korea @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Thank you to all military heroes on the front lines of this new @ @ @ @ @ Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The @ @

U.S. Army and South Korean soldiers conduct a combined disinfection operation at an apartment complex in Daegu, South Korea, on March 13, 2020.
Thank you to all military heroes on the front lines of this new war against the coronavirus.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-03-24--Abortion and Coronavirus: Here’s What You Need to Know

Abortion remains an issue of significance across the country even as the coronavirus spreads .
As the crisis unfolds , policymakers must ensure that life-affirming policies that protect innocent , unborn life remain an integral part of our nation ’ s response , both legislatively and administratively .
An initial draft of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act , which President Donald Trump recently signed into law , did not contain language applying Hyde Amendment protections to new funding .
Congress and the White House worked to ensure that the final version of the bill maintained this important protection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for elective abortions .
Policymakers must remain vigilant and ensure that future legislative proposals don ’ t open new doors to paying for elective abortions with federal tax dollars .
Here is a roundup of other recent key pro-life concerns and developments .
In Ohio , state officials last week ordered health care providers to cancel “ nonessential or elective surgeries and procedures ” as part of the statewide effort to conserve personal protective equipment for health care workers on the front line of the COVID-19 fight .
Personal protective equipment , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is a critical component to ensuring that doctors , nurses , and other staff are able to serve patients while preserving their own health and safety .
According to the order , an essential procedure is one that must be carried out due to a “ threat to the patient ’ s life , ” “ threat of permanent dysfunction , ” or “ risk of rapidly worsening to severe symptoms.
” The Washington Post reported that Ohio abortion clinics claim that they are in compliance with the state ’ s order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” time-sensitive procedure and that a delay or inability to obtain one can “ profoundly impact a person ’ s life , health , and well-being.
” Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » In the wake of complaints that abortion facilities continued flouting the order , Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter Saturday admonishing clinics for continuing to perform nonessential and elective surgical procedures .
Yost reemphasized the need to “ preserve PPE [ personal protective equipment ] for health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic … and also to preserve critical hospital capacity and resources.
” It remains to be seen whether Ohio abortion clinics will comply with the order to cease nonessential procedures and save personal protective equipment for health care providers working on the front line to save lives as the coronavirus ravages the state .
On Monday , Texas joined Ohio in warning abortion providers to cease performing medically unnecessary abortion procedures .
In contrast to Ohio ’ s action , authorities in Washington state and Massachusetts have declared that elective abortion will remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has indicated support for such policies .
However , the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement pushing back , noting that the other organization isn ’ t even representing its own membership , “ since more than 85 % of OB/GYNs do not perform abortions.
” According to the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs , performing elective abortions during a pandemic is “ medically irresponsible.
” In addition to using up desperately needed personal protective equipment , abortion procedures come with the risk of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including uterine perforation and hemorrhage .
As emergency rooms and hospitals try to keep up with COVID-19 patients , capacity and resources already will be stretched thin .
Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has loosened some regulations that apply to telemedicine , restrictions on accessing chemical abortion pills remain in place .
However , abortion advocates have criticized this policy , which is in place to protect women ’ s health and safety .
The chemical abortion pill regimen is governed by a “ Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a requirement that abortion pills be dispensed in person — not over the phone or at a pharmacy .
The current precautions for chemical abortions are not strong enough as it is .
The Trump administration should resist calls from abortion advocates to weaken important safety standards that are meant to protect women from further adverse health consequences .
A researcher at a National Institutes of Health facility in Minnesota has appealed to the federal government for an exemption to the Trump administration ’ s restriction on using fetal tissue from elective abortions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent Heritage Foundation report , the Trump administration announced last summer that it would “ cease intramural research ” within NIH that “ used fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions ” and would “ subject extramural research ( conducted outside the NIH , but with NIH grant money ) to additional levels of review.
” NIH also announced “ a $ 20 million funding opportunity for alternative methods to current fetal tissue research practices , ” the report said , adding : The Charlotte Lozier Institute , the research arm of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led the fight to dispel myths about fetal tissue from aborted baby body parts and has done great work to highlight the myriad of ethical alternatives .
In a written statement , the institute said : The Trump administration should wholly reject calls to walk back one of its signature pro-life victories .
In the weeks and months to come , policymakers at all levels of government will be working to respond to the coronavirus pandemic .
Policymakers must remain vigilant and reject attempts to weaken pro-life protections or prop up the abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be targeted , temporary , and directed at public health efforts .
”

Abortion remains an issue of significance across the country even as the coronavirus spreads. As the crisis unfolds, policymakers must ensure that life-affirming policies that protect innocent, unborn life remain an integral part of our nation’s response, both legislatively and administratively.
An initial draft of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which President Donald Trump recently signed into law, did not contain language applying Hyde Amendment protections to new funding.
Congress and the White House worked to ensure that the final version of the bill maintained this important protection, which generally prohibits federal funding from providing for elective abortions.
Policymakers must remain vigilant and ensure that future legislative proposals don’t open new doors to paying for elective abortions with federal tax dollars.
Here is a roundup of other recent key pro-life concerns and developments.
Ohio Declares Abortion a ‘Nonessential’ Service
In Ohio, state officials last week ordered health care providers to cancel “nonessential or elective surgeries and procedures” as part of the statewide effort to conserve personal protective equipment for health care workers on the front line of the COVID-19 fight.
Personal protective equipment, in short supply at hospitals across the country, is a critical component to ensuring that doctors, nurses, and other staff are able to serve patients while preserving their own health and safety.
According to the order, an essential procedure is one that must be carried out due to a “threat to the patient’s life,” “threat of permanent dysfunction,” or “risk of rapidly worsening to severe symptoms.”
The Washington Post reported that Ohio abortion clinics claim that they are in compliance with the state’s order because abortion is an “essential,” time-sensitive procedure and that a delay or inability to obtain one can “profoundly impact a person’s life, health, and well-being.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In the wake of complaints that abortion facilities continued flouting the order, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter Saturday admonishing clinics for continuing to perform nonessential and elective surgical procedures.
Yost reemphasized the need to “preserve PPE [personal protective equipment] for health care providers who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic … and also to preserve critical hospital capacity and resources.”
It remains to be seen whether Ohio abortion clinics will comply with the order to cease nonessential procedures and save personal protective equipment for health care providers working on the front line to save lives as the coronavirus ravages the state.
On Monday, Texas joined Ohio in warning abortion providers to cease performing medically unnecessary abortion procedures.
In a formal statement, Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said:
We must work together as Texans to stop the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that our health care professionals and facilities have all the resources they need to fight the virus at this time. No one is exempt from [Gov. Greg Abbott’s] executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures, including abortion providers. Those who violate the governor’s order will be met with the full force of the law.
2 States Declare Abortion ‘Essential’
In contrast to Ohio’s action, authorities in Washington state and Massachusetts have declared that elective abortion will remain an essential service.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has indicated support for such policies. However, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement pushing back, noting that the other organization isn’t even representing its own membership, “since more than 85% of OB/GYNs do not perform abortions.”
The pro-life group’s statement continued:
If abortion was an ‘essential component’ of women’s health care, it would be a part of most, if not all, of our practices. Services that are, in fact, part of essential care for women, such as cervical cancer screening, screening mammograms, and screening pelvic exams, are being postponed across this country as many offices reschedule non-urgent appointments in order to reduce their patients’ risk of exposure to COVID-19 and to conserve scarce medical resources.
According to the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs, performing elective abortions during a pandemic is “medically irresponsible.”
In addition to using up desperately needed personal protective equipment, abortion procedures come with the risk of their own complications that would require hospital evaluation, including uterine perforation and hemorrhage. As emergency rooms and hospitals try to keep up with COVID-19 patients, capacity and resources already will be stretched thin.
Loosening Safety Standards for Chemical Abortions
Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has loosened some regulations that apply to telemedicine, restrictions on accessing chemical abortion pills remain in place.
However, abortion advocates have criticized this policy, which is in place to protect women’s health and safety. The chemical abortion pill regimen is governed by a “Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy” that includes, among other things, a requirement that abortion pills be dispensed in person — not over the phone or at a pharmacy.
The current precautions for chemical abortions are not strong enough as it is. The Trump administration should resist calls from abortion advocates to weaken important safety standards that are meant to protect women from further adverse health consequences.
Scrapping Restriction on Fetal Tissue Research
A researcher at a National Institutes of Health facility in Minnesota has appealed to the federal government for an exemption to the Trump administration’s restriction on using fetal tissue from elective abortions in NIH research.
As explained in a recent Heritage Foundation report, the Trump administration announced last summer that it would “cease intramural research” within NIH that “used fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions” and would “subject extramural research (conducted outside the NIH, but with NIH grant money) to additional levels of review.”
NIH also announced “a $20 million funding opportunity for alternative methods to current fetal tissue research practices,” the report said, adding:
These measures rightly further separate federal research funding from the abortion industry. Good science and life-affirming, ethical research are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, it is ethically derived sources—such as discarded surgical tissue and adult stem cells—that have contributed to successful treatments for a variety of ailments—not tissue obtained from elective abortions.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, has led the fight to dispel myths about fetal tissue from aborted baby body parts and has done great work to highlight the myriad of ethical alternatives.
In a written statement, the institute said:
Those who advocate experimentation using body parts harvested from aborted children are shamelessly exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, playing on people’s fears at a vulnerable time so that a select few can continue to use aborted fetal tissue in their research. The fact is that there are modern, successful alternatives available. Already, over 60 potential treatments are under investigation–none of which need aborted fetal tissue to fight coronavirus. Instead of wasting precious time listening to these dishonest claims, we should continue to focus our attention on successful, ethical alternatives that don’t require the exploitation of baby body parts, taxpayer dollars, and public sentiment that just wants a swift and compassionate end to this crisis.
The Trump administration should wholly reject calls to walk back one of its signature pro-life victories.
More Developments Ahead
In the weeks and months to come, policymakers at all levels of government will be working to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Policymakers must remain vigilant and reject attempts to weaken pro-life protections or prop up the abortion industry. Responses to the pandemic “should be targeted, temporary, and directed at public health efforts.”
Copyright 2019 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-03-24--Lessons from Confinement: Plan for Tomorrow, But Hope in God

“ Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow , for tomorrow will be anxious for itself .
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
” — Jesus , Matt .
6:34 When ’ s this coronavirus crisis going to end ?
No one really knows .
When will the economy recover ?
When will the stock market bounce back ?
When will we all be back to work again ?
That ’ s even harder to predict .
When do you hope it ’ ll happen ?
That may not be such a good question to dwell on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time instead .
I heard a talk once by a retired Navy admiral who ’ d been one of the longest-held POWs during the Vietnam war .
He said two things about attitudes that kept men strong for the duration .
First , he said it was very clear that faith in God kept believers going stronger than unbelievers .
That didn ’ t surprise me much , but the second thing did .
He said there were some men who were counting on getting out by the next holiday .
Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The months went by , the holidays came , and they were still stuck .
Disappointed .
Crushed .
Time after time their hopes were struck down .
Many of them crumbled .
Other POWs resolved to take it one day at a time , not daring to try to predict when it would be over — and they did noticeably better .
You ’ d think hope would have helped keep them all going , and you ’ d be right to a degree : Hope in the Lord really did keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope .
But disappointed hope ?
That did some of them in .
Where the Lesson Fits , and Where It Doesn ’ t Our situation with the coronavirus isn ’ t completely on par with the POWs ’ .
They had absolutely no decision-making responsibility , whereas anyone who runs a business , or even a household , has to think through the what-ifs in light of how long this thing could last .
But we still have one crucial thing in common : We ’ re stuck , and we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is there still a lesson we can learn from the Hanoi Hilton ?
I think there is .
Jesus speaks to it in Matthew 6:25-34 , ending with the line quoted above .
First he reminds — or rather instructs us — not to be anxious for tomorrow , because God is good enough to take care of us .
We don ’ t know what ’ s coming next , but God does , and He loves us .
Then he closes this segment of his sermon with the clearest one-line teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one day at a time .
This is exactly what some of the POWs did , and it served them well .
We can do it , too , even where we have responsibilities that extend into the future .
How ?
The first answer is obvious : Make it through today .
Make today the best it can be , even .
My wife and I are talking more than ever about what we ’ re thankful for : each other , a good home , a reasonably well-stocked refrigerator and pantry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and running water .
We ’ re not always this aware of what a blessing those things are .
But what about planning for the future ?
Can we do that while still practicing the principle of living one day at a time ?
Sure .
It boils down to three questions , though the first one is the one that really matters : What decisions and what action do I need to make today ?
What do I need to know today in order to make the best decisions ?
How much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can control today ’ s decisions and actions .
We can do our best to obtain the information we need to decide what needs deciding .
We can ’ t control tomorrow ’ s outcome , though ; in fact , we can ’ t even control tomorrow ’ s decisions or actions , not until tomorrow becomes “ today.
” And although we ’ d love to know everything so we can plan perfectly , we can ’ t throttle a single one of all the huge unknowns into compliance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s available today .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » So we do what we can to understand what we can understand — today .
We make our best-informed decisions so we can do what we can — today .
If the decision is to do something tomorrow , we put it on the calendar — today .
Then we can forget it until tomorrow .
It ’ s tomorrow ’ s work .
Making the decision was today ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done .
And when we ’ ve done all of today ’ s work , we ’ re done for today .
It ’ s time to rest and thank God that we ’ ve made it through another day , and that we ’ ll make it through tomorrow , too ; for although tomorrow has its uncertainties , God ’ s character remains certain .
Plan for Tomorrow , But Hope in God Knowing this , believers can view tomorrow with calm no matter what happens .
That ’ s our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( I really don ’ t know how unbelievers remain at peace in a time when nothing about the future is certain — nothing but the proverbial death and taxes . )
The POW lesson is a good one , though , if we revise it in view of the decision-making we have to do .
Or here ’ s another way to put it : We ’ re wise if we plan and act today in light of our best educated guess about the future .
But just as we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tomorrow , we ’ d also be unwise to pin our hopes on it , when tomorrow is so far beyond knowing .
Pinning our hopes on the future works great if it all turns out right ; otherwise , as the POWs discovered , it can do more harm than good .
Let ’ s live today as today , and put our hopes in the Lord , for He is constant .
One way or another , the future is bound to disappoint our hopes .
God never will .
Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior editor with The Stream , and the author of the forthcoming ( summer 2020 ) Too Good To Be False : Unexpected Ways Jesus ’ Story Can Strengthen Your Faith .
He ’ s also written A Christian Mind : Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations : A Christian Parent ’ s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and was the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .
Originally published at Thinking Christian .
Used by permission .

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” — Jesus, Matt. 6:34
When’s this coronavirus crisis going to end? No one really knows. When will the economy recover? When will the stock market bounce back? When will we all be back to work again? That’s even harder to predict.
When do you hope it’ll happen? That may not be such a good question to dwell on. Better to take it a day at a time instead.
Lessons From the Hanoi Hilton
I heard a talk once by a retired Navy admiral who’d been one of the longest-held POWs during the Vietnam war. He said two things about attitudes that kept men strong for the duration. First, he said it was very clear that faith in God kept believers going stronger than unbelievers. That didn’t surprise me much, but the second thing did.
He said there were some men who were counting on getting out by the next holiday. Christmas. Easter. Their wedding anniversary. The months went by, the holidays came, and they were still stuck. Disappointed. Crushed. Time after time their hopes were struck down. Many of them crumbled.
Other POWs resolved to take it one day at a time, not daring to try to predict when it would be over — and they did noticeably better.
You’d think hope would have helped keep them all going, and you’d be right to a degree: Hope in the Lord really did keep men strong, those who had that hope. But disappointed hope? That did some of them in.
Where the Lesson Fits, and Where It Doesn’t
Our situation with the coronavirus isn’t completely on par with the POWs’. They had absolutely no decision-making responsibility, whereas anyone who runs a business, or even a household, has to think through the what-ifs in light of how long this thing could last. But we still have one crucial thing in common: We’re stuck, and we don’t know for how long. Is there still a lesson we can learn from the Hanoi Hilton?
I think there is. Jesus speaks to it in Matthew 6:25-34, ending with the line quoted above. First he reminds — or rather instructs us — not to be anxious for tomorrow, because God is good enough to take care of us. We don’t know what’s coming next, but God does, and He loves us.
Just as we’d be unwise to be anxious about tomorrow, we’d be unwise to pin our hopes on it, when tomorrow is so far beyond knowing.
Then he closes this segment of his sermon with the clearest one-line teaching you’ll ever see on living one day at a time. This is exactly what some of the POWs did, and it served them well. We can do it, too, even where we have responsibilities that extend into the future. How?
The first answer is obvious: Make it through today. Make today the best it can be, even. My wife and I are talking more than ever about what we’re thankful for: each other, a good home, a reasonably well-stocked refrigerator and pantry, a working furnace, even electricity and running water. We’re not always this aware of what a blessing those things are.
Today in Light of Tomorrow’s Unknowns
But what about planning for the future? Can we do that while still practicing the principle of living one day at a time? Sure. It boils down to three questions, though the first one is the one that really matters: What decisions and what action do I need to make today? What do I need to know today in order to make the best decisions? How much of that is actually knowable today?
We can control today’s decisions and actions. We can do our best to obtain the information we need to decide what needs deciding. We can’t control tomorrow’s outcome, though; in fact, we can’t even control tomorrow’s decisions or actions, not until tomorrow becomes “today.” And although we’d love to know everything so we can plan perfectly, we can’t throttle a single one of all the huge unknowns into compliance. We can only work today with information that’s available today.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
So we do what we can to understand what we can understand — today. We make our best-informed decisions so we can do what we can — today. If the decision is to do something tomorrow, we put it on the calendar — today. Then we can forget it until tomorrow. It’s tomorrow’s work. Making the decision was today’s work, and that’s done.
And when we’ve done all of today’s work, we’re done for today. It’s time to rest and thank God that we’ve made it through another day, and that we’ll make it through tomorrow, too; for although tomorrow has its uncertainties, God’s character remains certain.
Plan for Tomorrow, But Hope in God
Knowing this, believers can view tomorrow with calm no matter what happens. That’s our privilege in Christ, by His grace. (I really don’t know how unbelievers remain at peace in a time when nothing about the future is certain — nothing but the proverbial death and taxes.)
The POW lesson is a good one, though, if we revise it in view of the decision-making we have to do. Or here’s another way to put it:
We’re wise if we plan and act today in light of our best educated guess about the future. But just as we’d be unwise to be anxious about tomorrow, we’d also be unwise to pin our hopes on it, when tomorrow is so far beyond knowing.
Pinning our hopes on the future works great if it all turns out right; otherwise, as the POWs discovered, it can do more harm than good. Let’s live today as today, and put our hopes in the Lord, for He is constant. One way or another, the future is bound to disappoint our hopes. God never will.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream, and the author of the forthcoming (summer 2020) Too Good To Be False: Unexpected Ways Jesus’ Story Can Strengthen Your Faith. He’s also written A Christian Mind: Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, and was the lead editor of True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism.
Originally published at Thinking Christian. Used by permission.


thestream--2020-03-24--No Governor Northam, It Does Matter Who We Pray To

I understand what Ralph Northam , Governor of Virginia was trying to say .
After all , he is the governor of all Virginians and can not cater to one faith group above another .
But his tweet could easily be misunderstood , and it does call for a response .
On Monday night Gov .
Northam tweeted , “ Tonight , I held a call with faith leaders across Virginia .
I ’ m grateful for their leadership in bringing people together spiritually , while remaining physically apart .
“ This virus does not care who we pray to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together in fighting against it.
” But Who We Pray to Does Matter Mr .
Governor , with all respect , it certainly does matter who we pray to .
( I beg forgiveness of grammatically sensitive readers who will be distracted by the sentence-ending preposition .
Please overlook this fault . )
Again , I understand what Gov .
Northam was saying and doing .
And I appreciate him reaching out to a wide coalition of faith leaders which would have included Christians , Jews , Muslims and others .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s National Day of Prayer Proclamation , which said , “ In our times of greatest need , Americans have always turned to prayer to help guide us through trials and periods of uncertainty .
As we continue to face the unique challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic , millions of Americans are unable to gather in their churches , temples , synagogues , mosques , and other houses of worship.
” So , yes , I agree that these faith leaders have a responsibility to their respective communities .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in serving those communities during the present crisis .
I also agree that “ we must all work together in fighting against ” COVID-19 , regardless of our particular religious beliefs or practices .
And , while the wording is odd , I understand the governor ’ s point about the virus : “ it ” doesn ’ t care whether we are Muslims who worship Allah , Hindus who worship Krishna , or atheists who do not worship a creator .
It infects and kills indiscriminately .
Help us champion truth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Support The Stream » In that sense , it is totally impartial and shows no favoritism .
People from all backgrounds from around the world are dying .
The virus doesn ’ t care .
With all that , I agree , affirming Gov .
Northam ’ s desire to work with all the faith communities in his state .
Only One Has the Power to Save and Deliver At the same time , I categorically differ with the possible implication of his tweet , namely , that during a crisis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to or how we worship ” is irrelevant .
Of course this matters , quite deeply so , unless prayer and worship are just things we do .
In other words , if prayer and worship are simply religious rites practiced by devout people to make them feel better , then who we pray to doesn ’ t really matter .
But if prayer and worship are meant to connect us to the one true God , then you better believe we need to get this right .
As I tweeted in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yes , we must all work together , but NO , it matters who we pray to .
There ’ s an infinite difference between praying to THE God vs. a god.
” See also my separate tweet here : To underscore the point ( albeit in exaggerated form ) , do you think it matters whether we pray to Satan or to the God of the Bible ?
Or whether we pray to Hanuman , the Hindu monkey god , or to the Lord ?
Do you think it matters if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Age spiritual force or to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe ?
Only one has the power to save and deliver .
Only one can calm the storm .
Only one can intervene .
We Need to Turn to God But there ’ s another reason that it matters who we pray to .
As I tweeted on Sunday , “ We don ’ t know that the coronavirus is a divine judgment , but we do know that we have many sins as a church & as a nation , & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mercy .
So now is a great time to search our hearts , repent , & cry out .
God will accept our repentance & hear our cries.
” The point is that we don ’ t just need an end to the virus , we need a change of heart and mind .
We need national ( and international ) repentance .
We need soul searching and life transformation .
We need moral guidance as much as we need divine mercy .
That can only come from the God of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may sound to practitioners of other faiths ( or to the non-religious . )
And so , while the virus does not care who we pray to or how we worship ( seeing that the virus is not a sentient being ) , the one true God cares .
He cares about who we pray to .
About how we worship .
And about how we live .
Let ’ s be sure we get this right .
That ’ s why President Trump ’ s prayer proclamation did well to make frequent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quote several verses from the Bible ( 1 Peter 5:7 ; Luke 1:37 ; and Psalm 91 ) , and to speak of our “ Father.
” Who we pray to really does matter , especially during times of crisis .
It affects how we live as well .
The virus might not care , but the one true God certainly does .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Jezebel ’ s War With America : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What We Can Do to Turn the Tide .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

I understand what Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia was trying to say. After all, he is the governor of all Virginians and cannot cater to one faith group above another. But his tweet could easily be misunderstood, and it does call for a response.
“The Virus Does Not Care”
On Monday night Gov. Northam tweeted, “Tonight, I held a call with faith leaders across Virginia. I’m grateful for their leadership in bringing people together spiritually, while remaining physically apart.
“This virus does not care who we pray to or how we worship––we must all work together in fighting against it.”
Tonight, I held a call with faith leaders across Virginia. I'm grateful for their leadership in bringing people together spiritually, while remaining physically apart. This virus does not care who we pray to or how we worship––we must all work together in fighting against it. pic.twitter.com/zbuwr48Zb9 — Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) March 24, 2020
But Who We Pray to Does Matter
Mr. Governor, with all respect, it certainly does matter who we pray to. (I beg forgiveness of grammatically sensitive readers who will be distracted by the sentence-ending preposition. Please overlook this fault.)
Again, I understand what Gov. Northam was saying and doing. And I appreciate him reaching out to a wide coalition of faith leaders which would have included Christians, Jews, Muslims and others.
This is in harmony with the words of President Trump’s National Day of Prayer Proclamation, which said, “In our times of greatest need, Americans have always turned to prayer to help guide us through trials and periods of uncertainty. As we continue to face the unique challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are unable to gather in their churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship.”
Points of Agreement
So, yes, I agree that these faith leaders have a responsibility to their respective communities. And I agree that they should be encouraged in serving those communities during the present crisis.
I also agree that “we must all work together in fighting against” COVID-19, regardless of our particular religious beliefs or practices.
And, while the wording is odd, I understand the governor’s point about the virus: “it” doesn’t care whether we are Muslims who worship Allah, Hindus who worship Krishna, or atheists who do not worship a creator. It infects and kills indiscriminately.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In that sense, it is totally impartial and shows no favoritism.
Skin color doesn’t matter. Ethnicity doesn’t matter. Political affiliation doesn’t matter. Religious dogma doesn’t matter.
People from all backgrounds from around the world are dying. The virus doesn’t care.
With all that, I agree, affirming Gov. Northam’s desire to work with all the faith communities in his state.
Only One Has the Power to Save and Deliver
At the same time, I categorically differ with the possible implication of his tweet, namely, that during a crisis of this magnitude, “who we pray to or how we worship” is irrelevant.
Of course this matters, quite deeply so, unless prayer and worship are just things we do. In other words, if prayer and worship are simply religious rites practiced by devout people to make them feel better, then who we pray to doesn’t really matter.
But if prayer and worship are meant to connect us to the one true God, then you better believe we need to get this right. As I tweeted in response, “With all respect, Governor, yes, we must all work together, but NO, it matters who we pray to. There’s an infinite difference between praying to THE God vs. a god.” See also my separate tweet here:
According to VA Gov. Northam, "This virus does not care who we pray to or how we worship––we must all work together in fighting against it." Yes, we must all work together, but NO, it matters who we pray to. There's an infinite difference between praying to THE God vs. a god. — Dr. Michael L. Brown (@DrMichaelLBrown) March 24, 2020
To underscore the point (albeit in exaggerated form), do you think it matters whether we pray to Satan or to the God of the Bible? Or whether we pray to Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, or to the Lord? Do you think it matters if we pray to some nebulous, New Age spiritual force or to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe?
Only one has the power to save and deliver. Only one can calm the storm. Only one can intervene.
We Need to Turn to God
But there’s another reason that it matters who we pray to. As I tweeted on Sunday, “We don’t know that the coronavirus is a divine judgment, but we do know that we have many sins as a church & as a nation, & we also know that we need God’s mercy. So now is a great time to search our hearts, repent, & cry out. God will accept our repentance & hear our cries.”
We don't know that the coronavirus is a divine judgment, but we do know that we have many sins as a church & as a nation, & we also know that we need God's mercy. So now is a great time to search our hearts, repent, & cry out. God will accept our repentance & hear our cries — Dr. Michael L. Brown (@DrMichaelLBrown) March 22, 2020
The point is that we don’t just need an end to the virus, we need a change of heart and mind. We need national (and international) repentance. We need soul searching and life transformation. We need moral guidance as much as we need divine mercy.
That can only come from the God of the Bible, as offensive as that may sound to practitioners of other faiths (or to the non-religious.) And so, while the virus does not care who we pray to or how we worship (seeing that the virus is not a sentient being), the one true God cares.
He cares about who we pray to. About how we worship. And about how we live. Let’s be sure we get this right.
That’s why President Trump’s prayer proclamation did well to make frequent reference to “God,” to quote several verses from the Bible (1 Peter 5:7; Luke 1:37; and Psalm 91), and to speak of our “Father.”
Who we pray to really does matter, especially during times of crisis. It affects how we live as well.
The virus might not care, but the one true God certainly does.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Jezebel’s War With America: The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-03-24--How Americans are Being Affected by the Coronavirus — Here’s What You Can Do About It

Huge numbers of people have already lost their jobs .
Some from the social distancing , some from the effects of social distancing .
The social distancing has killed restaurants .
It ’ s put out of work cooks of all sorts , from chefs in fine restaurants to the short-order cooks at the local diner .
Busboys and waiters too .
Dock hands lost work when the cruise lines shut down .
People who work for garbage disposal companies have lost work because all the closed businesses , schools , and restaurants don ’ t need their services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had to close , because cutting hair isn ’ t an essential service .
All the people who work in stores that aren ’ t open any more have found themselves out of work .
Craftsmen aren ’ t getting work because people can ’ t afford them anymore .
Contractors and roofers find contracts being cancelled or postponed .
Writers have been losing contracts and assignments Lots of people you don ’ t think of are losing their jobs .
Many of these perform services at the edges of the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by hard work .
Like petsitters and dog walkers , who lose jobs because of people canceling vacations .
In response , some companies are ramping up .
They include Amazon , Costco and some grocery chains .
Since many restaurants have been forced to shut down their dining-in option , delivery drivers are increasing .
For the most part , delivery drivers can use their own cars and do not need to have newer cars .
BizX founder Bob Bagga and Aaron Blank , CEO of The Fearey Group public relations firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement to help local businesses in the Seattle area .
He helped a chef out of work offer virtual cooking classes to Fearey Group employees as a corporate team-building exercise , with Amazon Prime delivering the needed groceries .
Credit card companies , banks holding mortgages and auto lenders are letting customers skip this month ’ s payment .
If your lender doesn ’ t offer it to you , ask .
Phone and internet companies are agreeing not to terminate accounts for nonpayment .
The list of companies is here .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Other people have shown entrepreneurial drive to do jobs that need to be done in new ways .
Delivery services are overwhelmed .
I ’ ve been unable to order groceries from Walmart or Fry ’ s .
This really affects the elderly , some who may not be able to get out of the house to shop .
Others don ’ t want to due to the risk of contracting the virus .
College student Jayde Powell has started a “ shopping angel ” service to help the elderly get groceries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help those who can ’ t afford the cost of the groceries .
Connect with her over Facebook to obtain services or offer your help .
Some states like New Jersey are mobilizing the National Guard to bring meals to seniors .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » OneDine is offering to turn any restaurant with a parking lot into a “ sonic ” like take out within 24 hours using their technology for free .
This will allow restaurants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without leaving their cars .
You can help out severely affected businesses by buying their services and goods in advance .
Buy gift certificates to give them the cash now you ’ ll use later .
Author Shea Serrano is raising money for people who need it on Twitter .
He asks people to tweet their situation and how to send them money , then asks his 345,000 followers to retweet them and directly contribute to them .
By Sunday , he had raised $ 10,000 .
Each of Us Helping Others What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump said he is going to give every working American who is not rich a large sum of money , maybe $ 2,000 .
Consider donating this to a relief fund or to someone you know who was hit hard financially by the virus .
Donate blood .
Since many people are concerned they may be sick , they are refraining from donating .
Healthy people are desperately needed to donate blood since supplies are becoming low .
Click here to find a location .
Increase tipping for those being affected the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I noticed one of my delivery services included a note suggesting I increase my tip for the delivery driver due to the hard times .
A generous customer left a $ 9,400 tip at a Texas restaurant to help the employees affected there .
Louis Galvan , owner of Irma ’ s Southwest in Houston said it made a difference .
“ Honestly , we were going to close , but now we ’ re going to try and make the best out of this deal , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing work.
” Remember the pet sitters I mentioned at the beginning ?
One dog sitter sent out an email to her regular clients explaining what was happening .
She asked if they might consider paying her anyway , even if they did not need her services .
My friend ’ s brother is one of her clients , and I am happy to say he paid her for a week of dog walking .
If you ’ re not well off , think of ways that you can uniquely help people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has helped me in many ways including my website was taking a hit to his two jobs , one a small business , I started giving him advertising revenue from my website .
For me , five minutes worth of work for $ 80 here and there is nothing .
He has a son and employees underneath him .
Many organizations have been stepping up to help those in need .
And even if you don ’ t need help , consider donating money or food to one of them .
Some states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advances to nonprofits that contract with the state .
The Global Empowerment Fund is providing money and food to people affected by the virus , especially children not in school who need meals .
They ’ re also providing “ coronakits ” — tote bags with sanitation wipes , gloves , water and other necessities — to people in various cities .
Children in rural areas can get meals from a collaboration between the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty , McLane Global , PepsiCo and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals a week .
Email feedingkids @ usda.gov to help .
The Seattle Foundation is providing grants to fund organizations that are helping residents without health insurance or access to sick days , health care and gig economy workers , and communities of color in the Puget Sound region .
Some people are keeping an upbeat attitude despite the gloomy situation .
Some people are applauding the medical workers : Here ’ s what some are doing in Italy : Follow Rachel on Twitter at Rach_IC .
Follow The Stream at streamdotorg .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @

Huge numbers of people have already lost their jobs. Some from the social distancing, some from the effects of social distancing.
The social distancing has killed restaurants. It’s put out of work cooks of all sorts, from chefs in fine restaurants to the short-order cooks at the local diner. Busboys and waiters too.
Dock hands lost work when the cruise lines shut down. People who work for garbage disposal companies have lost work because all the closed businesses, schools, and restaurants don’t need their services. Your local barber and hair salon may have had to close, because cutting hair isn’t an essential service. All the people who work in stores that aren’t open any more have found themselves out of work.
Craftsmen aren’t getting work because people can’t afford them anymore. Contractors and roofers find contracts being cancelled or postponed. Writers have been losing contracts and assignments
Lots of people you don’t think of are losing their jobs. Many of these perform services at the edges of the economy, people who are putting together lives by hard work. Like petsitters and dog walkers, who lose jobs because of people canceling vacations.
Businesses Helping Businesses
In response, some companies are ramping up. They include Amazon, Costco and some grocery chains. Since many restaurants have been forced to shut down their dining-in option, delivery drivers are increasing. For the most part, delivery drivers can use their own cars and do not need to have newer cars.
There are many jobs that you wouldn’t guess are being affected.
BizX founder Bob Bagga and Aaron Blank, CEO of The Fearey Group public relations firm started a “Business Saving Business” movement to help local businesses in the Seattle area. He helped a chef out of work offer virtual cooking classes to Fearey Group employees as a corporate team-building exercise, with Amazon Prime delivering the needed groceries.
Credit card companies, banks holding mortgages and auto lenders are letting customers skip this month’s payment. If your lender doesn’t offer it to you, ask. Phone and internet companies are agreeing not to terminate accounts for nonpayment. The list of companies is here. Many utility companies are also participating in this.
People Helping People
Other people have shown entrepreneurial drive to do jobs that need to be done in new ways. Delivery services are overwhelmed. I’ve been unable to order groceries from Walmart or Fry’s. This really affects the elderly, some who may not be able to get out of the house to shop. Others don’t want to due to the risk of contracting the virus.
College student Jayde Powell has started a “shopping angel” service to help the elderly get groceries. It also includes a GoFundMe account to help those who can’t afford the cost of the groceries. Connect with her over Facebook to obtain services or offer your help. Some states like New Jersey are mobilizing the National Guard to bring meals to seniors.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
OneDine is offering to turn any restaurant with a parking lot into a “sonic” like take out within 24 hours using their technology for free. This will allow restaurants to let people order, pay and pick-up without leaving their cars.
You can help out severely affected businesses by buying their services and goods in advance. Buy gift certificates to give them the cash now you’ll use later.
Author Shea Serrano is raising money for people who need it on Twitter. He asks people to tweet their situation and how to send them money, then asks his 345,000 followers to retweet them and directly contribute to them. By Sunday, he had raised $10,000.
Each of Us Helping Others
What can you do? Many things. President Trump said he is going to give every working American who is not rich a large sum of money, maybe $2,000. Consider donating this to a relief fund or to someone you know who was hit hard financially by the virus.
Donate blood. Since many people are concerned they may be sick, they are refraining from donating. Healthy people are desperately needed to donate blood since supplies are becoming low. Click here to find a location.
Increase tipping for those being affected the worst, such as waiters and waitresses. I noticed one of my delivery services included a note suggesting I increase my tip for the delivery driver due to the hard times.
A generous customer left a $9,400 tip at a Texas restaurant to help the employees affected there. Louis Galvan, owner of Irma’s Southwest in Houston said it made a difference. “Honestly, we were going to close, but now we’re going to try and make the best out of this deal,” he said. “We’re going to make this thing work.”
Remember the pet sitters I mentioned at the beginning? One dog sitter sent out an email to her regular clients explaining what was happening. She asked if they might consider paying her anyway, even if they did not need her services. My friend’s brother is one of her clients, and I am happy to say he paid her for a week of dog walking.
If you’re not well off, think of ways that you can uniquely help people. When I found out a friend who has helped me in many ways including my website was taking a hit to his two jobs, one a small business, I started giving him advertising revenue from my website. For me, five minutes worth of work for $80 here and there is nothing. He has a son and employees underneath him.
Groups Helping People
Many organizations have been stepping up to help those in need. And even if you don’t need help, consider donating money or food to one of them. Some states, like New Jersey, are providing advances to nonprofits that contract with the state.
The Global Empowerment Fund is providing money and food to people affected by the virus, especially children not in school who need meals. They’re also providing “coronakits” — tote bags with sanitation wipes, gloves, water and other necessities — to people in various cities.
Children in rural areas can get meals from a collaboration between the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, McLane Global, PepsiCo and others. They will deliver almost one million meals a week. Email [email protected] to help.
The Seattle Foundation is providing grants to fund organizations that are helping residents without health insurance or access to sick days, health care and gig economy workers, and communities of color in the Puget Sound region.
People Cheering People
Some people are keeping an upbeat attitude despite the gloomy situation. Some people are applauding the medical workers:
Tonight Amsterdam clapped for healthcare workers everywhere #applausvoordezorg and let’s make that for all others that keep our country in a healthy state too. #applause pic.twitter.com/Z6t6roVgT3 — Regina Romeijn (@reginaromeijn) March 17, 2020
Here’s what some are doing in Italy:
https://twitter.com/QTAnon1/status/1240115722900078592
And in Ireland:
A family in Ireland staged a St. Patrick's Day parade in their backyard, complete with toy cars, trucks and tractors—some carrying hand sanitizer and toilet paper—to celebrate the day, after parades were canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/ORFKnbOQR1 pic.twitter.com/7TddbEcUUg — ABC News (@ABC) March 17, 2020
Follow Rachel on Twitter at Rach_IC. Follow The Stream at streamdotorg. Send tips to [email protected].


thestream--2020-03-24--Big Bird Eats Filet Mignon While Your Kid Goes Hungry in Democrat’s Coronavirus Bill

House Democrats are getting slammed by American citizens over revelations that their massive coronavirus relief package would actually fund hundreds of millions of dollars in pet projects .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s 1,100-page proposal includes $ 35 million for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington , D.C .
The Democrats seem to believe that nothing can lift the American spirit during a global pandemic quite like a Broadway show choir prancing across the stage in spandex and sequins while flashing jazz hands .
But among the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic ’ s largesse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and PBS , affectionately known as Public Welfare Broadcasting System .
PBS , the home of popular programs like Sesame Street , would receive $ 300 million to “ prevent , prepare for , and respond to coronavirus.
” It takes $ 300 million to tell a staffer to wash up before he sticks his hands in the backside of a muppet ?
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » The National Endowment of the Arts would receive $ 300 million and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A grand total of $ 600 million for artists , dancers , and poetry slams .
But even that amount pales in comparison to the $ 500 million the Democrats want to give to the Institute of Museum and Library Services .
The money would be designated in part to purchase wi-fi access , computers and “ other internet-enabled devices.
” I ’ m fairly certain Comcast or Spectrum would be more than happy to provide a package deal for a fraction of that amount .
And they ’ d probably throw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
Millions of people across this nation are unemployed .
An untold number of small businesses are on the verge of economic collapse .
Your children could go to bed hungry while Big Bird dines on filet mignon .
Todd Starnes is a columnist , commentator , author and radio talk show host .
His latest book is Culture Jihad : How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation .
Click here to subscribe to his weekly newsletter .

House Democrats are getting slammed by American citizens over revelations that their massive coronavirus relief package would actually fund hundreds of millions of dollars in pet projects.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 1,100-page proposal includes $35 million for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The Democrats seem to believe that nothing can lift the American spirit during a global pandemic quite like a Broadway show choir prancing across the stage in spandex and sequins while flashing jazz hands.
But among the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic’s largesse are the National Endowment of the Arts and PBS, affectionately known as Public Welfare Broadcasting System.
PBS, the home of popular programs like Sesame Street, would receive $300 million to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.”
It takes $300 million to tell a staffer to wash up before he sticks his hands in the backside of a muppet?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The National Endowment of the Arts would receive $300 million and so would the National Endowment of the Humanities. A grand total of $600 million for artists, dancers, and poetry slams.
But even that amount pales in comparison to the $500 million the Democrats want to give to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The money would be designated in part to purchase wi-fi access, computers and “other internet-enabled devices.”
I’m fairly certain Comcast or Spectrum would be more than happy to provide a package deal for a fraction of that amount. And they’d probably throw in free cable and phone service, too.
Millions of people across this nation are unemployed. An untold number of small businesses are on the verge of economic collapse. Your children could go to bed hungry while Big Bird dines on filet mignon.
Todd Starnes is a columnist, commentator, author and radio talk show host. His latest book is Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation. Click here to subscribe to his weekly newsletter.


thestream--2020-03-24--Italian Priest Gives Up Respirator for Another in Need, Dies

Sometime during the night of Sunday , March 15 , a priest in northern Italy died quietly .
But his death speaks loudly of his Lord .
For this priest had given up his respirator to save another .
Don Giuseppe Berardelli , 72 , lived in the village of Casnigo and served the parish of San Giovanni Battista .
( “ Don ” is a title of respect for priests . )
A health worker from San Giuseppe told the newspaper Araberara that Don Giuseppe gave up his respirator that he needed to stay alive — in fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him .
He gave it up so it could go to a younger person in need .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » The priest ’ s death is a reminder that during this pandemic we should all be looking out for others in need .
1 John 3:16 says , “ This is how we know what love is : Jesus Christ laid down his life for us .
And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus told his disciples to love one another as he loved them .
“ Greater love has no one than this : to lay down one ’ s life for one ’ s friends.
” May we all stay in good health during this time of uncertainty in the world .
Let us love one another and think of others first .
May we let Don Giuseppe ’ s example inspire us to live out Jesus ’ instructions to us .
May we — like Don Giuseppe Berardelli — be God ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hope that we have in Christ .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

Unfortunately, this story has proven to be inaccurate, according to a story by the Catholic News Agency. The priest’s friends believe he was a kind and loving man who would have given up a respirator to save someone else’s life, but he didn’t actually do that. We apologize for running the story. We want good news and didn’t check the story closely enough.
Sometime during the night of Sunday, March 15, a priest in northern Italy died quietly. But his death speaks loudly of his Lord. For this priest had given up his respirator to save another.
Don Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, lived in the village of Casnigo and served the parish of San Giovanni Battista. (“Don” is a title of respect for priests.) A health worker from San Giuseppe told the newspaper Araberara that Don Giuseppe gave up his respirator that he needed to stay alive — in fact, a respirator his parish community had purchased for him. He gave it up so it could go to a younger person in need.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The priest’s death is a reminder that during this pandemic we should all be looking out for others in need.
1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” In John 15:13, Jesus told his disciples to love one another as he loved them. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
May we all stay in good health during this time of uncertainty in the world. Let us love one another and think of others first. May we let Don Giuseppe’s example inspire us to live out Jesus’ instructions to us. May we — like Don Giuseppe Berardelli — be God’s love to others and a shining example of the hope that we have in Christ.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-03-24--Ohio Department of Health Issues Cease and Desist to Abortion Clinic Defying Coronavirus Order

The Ohio Department of Health ( ODH ) issued a cease and desist order Monday to a Cleveland abortion clinic that defied an order to stop performing abortions during the coronavirus pandemic .
Preterm employee Fiona Thomas confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation Monday morning that the clinic would not stop performing abortions , despite a Wednesday order from the ODH and a Friday letter from Attorney General Dave Yost mandating that all non-essential and elective surgeries , including abortions , cease in order to preserve Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) for health workers .
Following a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press secretary Melanie Amato said in a Monday evening statement to the DCNF that the ODH “ has been made aware of allegations that some health care providers appear to have violated the order on performing non-elective procedures.
” “ When ODH is made aware of allegations that medical facilities are not being complied with ODH ’ s order , ODH is asking the Ohio Attorney General ’ s Office to issue cease and desist orders , ” Amato told the DCNF .
“ These orders have started going out.
” “ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she added .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Preterm Executive Director Chrisse France told the DCNF Monday morning that her organization would continue to provide “ the full range of abortion care services because it is essential healthcare.
” France added : “ In compliance with the order from the Ohio Department of Health , our physicians will be making individualized determinations to ensure each person gets the healthcare they need and that all healthcare providers across the state have access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Preterm declined to comment Monday afternoon on how the clinic could be in compliance with ODH ’ s order to cease all non-essential and elective surgeries that use PPE if the clinic continues to perform abortions .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) issued a cease and desist order Monday to a Cleveland abortion clinic that defied an order to stop performing abortions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Preterm employee Fiona Thomas confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation Monday morning that the clinic would not stop performing abortions, despite a Wednesday order from the ODH and a Friday letter from Attorney General Dave Yost mandating that all non-essential and elective surgeries, including abortions, cease in order to preserve Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers.
Following a report from the Daily Caller News Foundation, press secretary Melanie Amato said in a Monday evening statement to the DCNF that the ODH “has been made aware of allegations that some health care providers appear to have violated the order on performing non-elective procedures.”
“When ODH is made aware of allegations that medical facilities are not being complied with ODH’s order, ODH is asking the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to issue cease and desist orders,” Amato told the DCNF. “These orders have started going out.”
“This is now an enforcement issue,” she added.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Preterm Executive Director Chrisse France told the DCNF Monday morning that her organization would continue to provide “the full range of abortion care services because it is essential healthcare.”
France added: “In compliance with the order from the Ohio Department of Health, our physicians will be making individualized determinations to ensure each person gets the healthcare they need and that all healthcare providers across the state have access to the supplies needed during this pandemic.”
Preterm declined to comment Monday afternoon on how the clinic could be in compliance with ODH’s order to cease all non-essential and elective surgeries that use PPE if the clinic continues to perform abortions.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-03-24--Why COVID-19 May Be Less Deadly Than We Thought

We ’ ve put our lives on hold until further notice because we expect things to get worse quickly over the coming weeks with COVID-19 .
Rather than quarantining at-risk groups and advising public precautions , we ’ ve shut down tens of thousands of businesses , churches , schools and universities .
If they last for long , these wartime measures could exact a steep price in American lives and well-being .
So , our fear of impending doom ought to be built on solid ground .
Is it ?
Take Italy , which is suffering the most from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest the coronavirus is less deadly than we ’ ve feared .
By the time the Italian authorities had their country on lockdown on March 10th , over ten thousand Italians had been infected with the coronavirus .
Health authorities worldwide concluded that the response was too late .
The virus was by then too widespread to be controlled .
They were probably right .
Judging by published numbers , the virus paid no attention to the March 10 restrictions .
If we believe the headlines , things soon will get much worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the numbers from Italy and elsewhere seem much less grim .
Viruses sweep through populations with a characteristic growth and decline .
The rate of new infections skyrockets until a sizable segment of the people have been infected .
At that point , the growth starts to taper off — slightly at first , and then dramatically .
So how do we tell what ’ s likely to happen in this case ?
We would like to know whether the deaths caused by the coronavirus are swelling the number of daily deaths above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the moment , we don ’ t have those numbers .
In the meantime , another way to gauge the spread of this infection is to compare the count of virus-associated deaths per day with the usual number of daily deaths .
The deadliest viruses cause huge spikes in death rates .
For example , about 57 people died every day in Philadelphia prior to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic .
When the virus swept through that city , 759 people died in one day — thirteen times the normal count .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a tiny Alaskan village with 80 adult residents lost 72 souls over a period of five wretched days .
It doesn ’ t take an expert to spot tragedy on this scale .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » So far , no country-level COVID-19 death count has surpassed its normal pre-pandemic daily death count .
Spain , which loses about 1,200 people on a regular day , is now attributing about a quarter of that number to COVID-19 .
Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sees about 1,800 deaths on a normal day .
The coronavirus is now reported to claim under half that number .
By our estimates the daily death count there should start to drop within days ( see below ) .
Iran seems to have peaked at about 150 virus deaths per day .
That ’ s a small fraction of the usual 1,100 .
The rate comparison in the U.S. is even less close .
Italy seems to be about two weeks ahead of the U.S. in terms of the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth seems to be tapering off in total cases and total deaths .
Everything depends on the accuracy of the numbers .
But if these are correct , then the daily deaths should peak in Italy by midweek .
After that , they will decline quickly , as they have in China , South Korea and Iran .
It looks as though they will peak at a number close to the pre-pandemic death rate — nowhere near the devastation of the Spanish flu .
It ’ s harder to predict how the effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting our lives on hold will play out .
So much depends on how well we return to normal .
We ’ d like to think that this all-out effort is saving millions of lives .
But it ’ s unclear what that number would be even if COVID-19 had been as virulent as the Spanish flu .
What ’ s almost certain is that the true number will be much smaller .
These aren ’ t easy calls to make .
Desperate times do sometimes call for desperate measures .
But overreaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trigger too quickly and sweepingly in this pandemic could set a dangerous precedent for the next one .
Progression of COVID-19 infection and deaths in Italy over the past 30 days .
The top solid-line curve shows the number of cases as a running total .
The top dashed curve shows model projections for this running total , predicting a final case count just over 100,000 .
The bottom solid curve shows the daily deaths attributed to COVID-19 , again with the model projection shown as a dashed curve .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaking right now and should show rapid decline in the coming weeks .
The middle curve gives the running total of virus-associated deaths , which is predicted to level off at just over 10,000 by early April .
All data are taken from worldometer .
Douglas Axe , Ph.D. , is Maxwell Professor of Biology at Biola University .
William Briggs , Ph.D. , is a writer , statistician , scientist , and consultant .
Jay Richards , Ph.D. , is Executive Editor of The Stream and a research assistant professor in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of America .

We’ve put our lives on hold until further notice because we expect things to get worse quickly over the coming weeks with COVID-19. Rather than quarantining at-risk groups and advising public precautions, we’ve shut down tens of thousands of businesses, churches, schools and universities. If they last for long, these wartime measures could exact a steep price in American lives and well-being. So, our fear of impending doom ought to be built on solid ground. Is it?
Take Italy, which is suffering the most from the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers there suggest the coronavirus is less deadly than we’ve feared. By the time the Italian authorities had their country on lockdown on March 10th, over ten thousand Italians had been infected with the coronavirus. Health authorities worldwide concluded that the response was too late. The virus was by then too widespread to be controlled. They were probably right. Judging by published numbers, the virus paid no attention to the March 10 restrictions.
If we believe the headlines, things soon will get much worse.
In other ways, however, the numbers from Italy and elsewhere seem much less grim. Viruses sweep through populations with a characteristic growth and decline. The rate of new infections skyrockets until a sizable segment of the people have been infected. At that point, the growth starts to taper off — slightly at first, and then dramatically.
Comparing Virus-Associated Deaths With Usual Deaths Per Day
So how do we tell what’s likely to happen in this case? We would like to know whether the deaths caused by the coronavirus are swelling the number of daily deaths above the average in a given country. At the moment, we don’t have those numbers. In the meantime, another way to gauge the spread of this infection is to compare the count of virus-associated deaths per day with the usual number of daily deaths.
The deadliest viruses cause huge spikes in death rates. For example, about 57 people died every day in Philadelphia prior to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. When the virus swept through that city, 759 people died in one day — thirteen times the normal count. At the other end of the continent, a tiny Alaskan village with 80 adult residents lost 72 souls over a period of five wretched days. It doesn’t take an expert to spot tragedy on this scale.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
So far, no country-level COVID-19 death count has surpassed its normal pre-pandemic daily death count. Spain, which loses about 1,200 people on a regular day, is now attributing about a quarter of that number to COVID-19.
Italy, with a population of 60 million, sees about 1,800 deaths on a normal day. The coronavirus is now reported to claim under half that number. By our estimates the daily death count there should start to drop within days (see below). Iran seems to have peaked at about 150 virus deaths per day. That’s a small fraction of the usual 1,100. The rate comparison in the U.S. is even less close.
Italy seems to be about two weeks ahead of the U.S. in terms of the spread of the virus. And there the exponential growth seems to be tapering off in total cases and total deaths. Everything depends on the accuracy of the numbers. But if these are correct, then the daily deaths should peak in Italy by midweek. After that, they will decline quickly, as they have in China, South Korea and Iran. It looks as though they will peak at a number close to the pre-pandemic death rate — nowhere near the devastation of the Spanish flu.
These aren’t easy calls to make. Desperate times do sometimes call for desperate measures. But overreaction can cause even more harm.
It’s harder to predict how the effects of fanning the flames of fear and putting our lives on hold will play out. So much depends on how well we return to normal. We’d like to think that this all-out effort is saving millions of lives. But it’s unclear what that number would be even if COVID-19 had been as virulent as the Spanish flu. What’s almost certain is that the true number will be much smaller.
These aren’t easy calls to make. Desperate times do sometimes call for desperate measures. But overreaction can cause even more harm. Pulling the trigger too quickly and sweepingly in this pandemic could set a dangerous precedent for the next one.
Progression of COVID-19 infection and deaths in Italy over the past 30 days. The top solid-line curve shows the number of cases as a running total. The top dashed curve shows model projections for this running total, predicting a final case count just over 100,000. The bottom solid curve shows the daily deaths attributed to COVID-19, again with the model projection shown as a dashed curve. According to the model, the virus-associated deaths are peaking right now and should show rapid decline in the coming weeks. The middle curve gives the running total of virus-associated deaths, which is predicted to level off at just over 10,000 by early April. All data are taken from worldometer.
Douglas Axe, Ph.D., is Maxwell Professor of Biology at Biola University. William Briggs, Ph.D., is a writer, statistician, scientist, and consultant. Jay Richards, Ph.D., is Executive Editor of The Stream and a research assistant professor in the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America.


thestream--2020-03-24--Important News You’ve Missed Due to the Coronavirus

Have you tried to look for news not related to the coronavirus in the past two weeks ?
It ’ s almost impossible to find .
I tried to find some and had to dig .
And dig .
Dig some more .
And ask colleagues for help .
The media is ignoring other news .
And I ’ m sure some people who could be announcing news are holding off , knowing everyone it will be ignored if released now .
But things are continuing to happen that would make big headlines normally .
So let ’ s take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been getting covered .
Right in the middle of people trying to come together and fight the coronavirus , the Southern Poverty Law Center drops its annual list of hate groups .
As usual , there are plenty of Christians and conservatives on the list , while few on the left made the list .
Groups with names that include “ patriot ” or “ constitution ” are prevalent on the list .
The Christian conservative site WND , which runs my columns , is on the list ( SPLC hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves WorldNetDaily years ago , so much for careful scrutiny ) .
Republicans Win Three State House Seats — Including One in Area That Had Gone For Hillary Last Tuesday , there were three special elections for state House seats in Pennsylvania .
The Republicans won all three .
Since all the incumbents were GOP , this normally wouldn ’ t be news .
Except that one seat was in a district Hillary won by 9 points in 2016 .
The “ experts ” expected it to go Democrat this time around .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfortable margin .
And this during an election when the Democrats had a heated contest to goose turnout .
While the Republicans had no big incentive to show up .
But they did anyway .
Maybe that ’ s another reason why this story didn ’ t make the news .
Prosecutors aren ’ t letting the coronavirus slow them down in their quest to punish David Daleiden .
He exposed Planned Parenthood ’ s crimes .
Daleiden was originally charged with 15 felonies for his undercover videotaping , but a judge dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , prosecutors added another one regarding novelty IDs .
He was arraigned last month .
This means the judge explained the charges to him .
He now faces trial in San Francisco Superior Court .
Located in one of the most left-wing areas of the country , the court is unlikely to deliver a favorable outcome .
This case could create a dangerous situation for undercover journalism .
Daleiden did what any undercover journalist does .
He secretly taped someone in order to obtain valuable information , such as evidence of a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegally selling aborted fetuses for profit .
Not the journalist who exposed them .
Newsbusters discovered that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave at least $ 11,381,171 to the leftist “ overpopulation ” -focused Population Council between 2018 and 2020 alone .
Influence Watch summarizes the organization ’ s goals : “ The council conducts demographic research and analysis to support and promote the global use of artificial birth control and abortion ; biomedical research to discover and develop new contraceptive drugs and technologies ; and demographic analysis in support of population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in underdeveloped countries.
” The couple ’ s foundation has a history of contributing to left-wing causes , including at least $ 81,009,329 to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from 2009 and before to 2018 .
Everyone has been used to NFL football quarterback Tom Brady regularly leading the New England Patriots to Super Bowl victories … or annually being a threat to win .
But he recently became a free agent and decided to leave the Patriots , rather than finish his career in New England .
Speculation soared where he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Many sports writers , commentators , and players consider Brady to be the greatest quarterback of all time .
Among players with at least 2,500 career pass attempts , his career 1.79 interception percentage is the second-best ever behind Aaron Rodgers .
Almost no one mentioned the fact that President Trump ’ s son Barron turned 14 .
His mom mentioned it in a tweet .
Country music star Kenny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 81 .
Dolly Parton , who performed the hit “ Islands in the Stream ” with him , posted a beautiful tribute to him on Twitter .
Area the Size of Chicago at Yellowstone is Breathing In and Out Inside Yellowstone National Park , an area the size of Chicago has been inflating and deflating due to the pressure of magma .
The Norris Geyser Basin rose 5.9 inches each year from 2013 to 2015 .
Until now , scientists were unable to figure out why .
Using satellite radar and GPS data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was from a magma intrusion underneath the basin ’ s surface .
Judicial Watch has released 80 pages of new emails from Hillary Clinton recently found by the FBI .
In one email she sent after the Benghazi terrorist attack , she references a “ Benghazi security ” issue .
Another email , which was sent to Clinton by former Ambassador Joseph Wilson , disparaged “ cost plus contractors ” and promoted his company , Symbion Power .
Clinton forwarded the email to to Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She wrote , “ Please check out what Joe is saying here .
He is now working for a company that has a good track record building in Iraq and wants to do so in Afghanistan .
Let me know .
Thx.
” 200 Million Americans Just Had Their Personal Data Exposed If it wasn ’ t for the coronavirus , this would have been front page headlines everywhere .
Almost two-thirds of Americans , 200 million , just had their personal information exposed by a Google Cloud database .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fortunately , the database was wiped on March 3 .
But hackers could have swiped the info by then .
The database included names , addresses , email addresses and phone numbers .
It had birthdates and credit ratings .
There were detailed mortgage and tax records .
There was also detailed info about about the individuals ’ personal interests , investments , as well as political , charitable , and religious donations .
CyberNews believes the info was compiled by “ a data marketing firm or a credit company.
” The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 19 last week .
Bet you missed that .
I did .
This is the earliest it ’ s started since 1896 .
Usually it begins on March 20th or 21st .
That ’ s when the equinox occurs — when daytime and nighttime are roughly the same length .
They ’ re the same because the earth isn ’ t tilting away from the sun on its axis .
The reason it occurred early this year is because our system of dividing the year up into 365 days isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years on Feb. 29 fixes most of the problem .
Follow Rachel on Twitter at Rach_IC .
Follow The Stream at streamdotorg .
Send tips to rachel.alexander @ stream.org .

Have you tried to look for news not related to the coronavirus in the past two weeks? It’s almost impossible to find. I tried to find some and had to dig. And dig. Dig some more. And ask colleagues for help. The media is ignoring other news. And I’m sure some people who could be announcing news are holding off, knowing it will be ignored if released now. But things are continuing to happen that would make big headlines normally. So let’s take a look at what hasn’t been getting covered.
SPLC Issues its Annual Hate Report With Christians, Conservatives Targeted
Right in the middle of people trying to come together and fight the coronavirus, the Southern Poverty Law Center drops its annual list of hate groups. As usual, there are plenty of Christians and conservatives on the list, while few on the left made the list. Groups with names that include “patriot” or “constitution” are prevalent on the list. The Christian conservative site WND, which runs my columns, is on the list (SPLC hasn’t yet figured out that they stopped calling themselves WorldNetDaily years ago, so much for careful scrutiny).
Republicans Win Three State House Seats — Including One in Area That Had Gone For Hillary
Last Tuesday, there were three special elections for state House seats in Pennsylvania. The Republicans won all three. Since all the incumbents were GOP, this normally wouldn’t be news. Except that one seat was in a district Hillary won by 9 points in 2016. The “experts” expected it to go Democrat this time around.
Instead, the Republican won by a comfortable margin. And this during an election when the Democrats had a heated contest to goose turnout. While the Republicans had no big incentive to show up. But they did anyway. Maybe that’s another reason why this story didn’t make the news.
Pro-life Undercover Videographer David Daleiden Arraigned on 10 Felony Counts
Prosecutors aren’t letting the coronavirus slow them down in their quest to punish David Daleiden. He exposed Planned Parenthood’s crimes. Daleiden was originally charged with 15 felonies for his undercover videotaping, but a judge dropped six of them in December. However, prosecutors added another one regarding novelty IDs. He was arraigned last month. This means the judge explained the charges to him. He now faces trial in San Francisco Superior Court. Located in one of the most left-wing areas of the country, the court is unlikely to deliver a favorable outcome.
This case could create a dangerous situation for undercover journalism. Daleiden did what any undercover journalist does. He secretly taped someone in order to obtain valuable information, such as evidence of a crime. Planned Parenthood should be prosecuted for illegally selling aborted fetuses for profit. Not the journalist who exposed them.
Bill Gates’ Foundation Gave Millions to Organization Concerned With Overpopulation
Newsbusters discovered that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave at least $11,381,171 to the leftist “overpopulation”-focused Population Council between 2018 and 2020 alone. Influence Watch summarizes the organization’s goals: “The council conducts demographic research and analysis to support and promote the global use of artificial birth control and abortion; biomedical research to discover and develop new contraceptive drugs and technologies; and demographic analysis in support of population control experiments, policies, and programs in underdeveloped countries.”
The couple’s foundation has a history of contributing to left-wing causes, including at least $81,009,329 to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from 2009 and before to 2018.
Tom Brady Signs With the Buccaneers
Everyone has been used to NFL football quarterback Tom Brady regularly leading the New England Patriots to Super Bowl victories … or annually being a threat to win. But he recently became a free agent and decided to leave the Patriots, rather than finish his career in New England. Speculation soared where he would land. On March 20, he chose the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Many sports writers, commentators, and players consider Brady to be the greatest quarterback of all time. Among players with at least 2,500 career pass attempts, his career 1.79 interception percentage is the second-best ever behind Aaron Rodgers.
Barron Trump Turned 14 Almost no one mentioned the fact that President Trump’s son Barron turned 14. His mom mentioned it in a tweet. Happy Birthday BWT ❤❤❤ pic.twitter.com/S0VlfMXFmd — Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) March 20, 2020 Kenny Rogers Died Country music star Kenny Rogers died of natural causes at age 81. Dolly Parton, who performed the hit “Islands in the Stream” with him, posted a beautiful tribute to him on Twitter. Area the Size of Chicago at Yellowstone is Breathing In and Out Inside Yellowstone National Park, an area the size of Chicago has been inflating and deflating due to the pressure of magma. The Norris Geyser Basin rose 5.9 inches each year from 2013 to 2015. Until now, scientists were unable to figure out why. Using satellite radar and GPS data, they were able to figure out it was from a magma intrusion underneath the basin’s surface.
FBI Finds New Clinton Emails
Judicial Watch has released 80 pages of new emails from Hillary Clinton recently found by the FBI. In one email she sent after the Benghazi terrorist attack, she references a “Benghazi security” issue.
In an email sent to Clinton, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson disparaged “cost plus contractors” and promoted his company, Symbion Power.
Another email, which was sent to Clinton by former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, disparaged “cost plus contractors” and promoted his company, Symbion Power. Clinton forwarded the email to to Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Jacob Lew, Mills and Sullivan. She wrote, “Please check out what Joe is saying here. He is now working for a company that has a good track record building in Iraq and wants to do so in Afghanistan. Let me know. Thx.”
200 Million Americans Just Had Their Personal Data Exposed
If it wasn’t for the coronavirus, this would have been front page headlines everywhere. Almost two-thirds of Americans, 200 million, just had their personal information exposed by a Google Cloud database. It’s not clear who owns the database. Fortunately, the database was wiped on March 3. But hackers could have swiped the info by then.
The database included names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. It had birthdates and credit ratings. There were detailed mortgage and tax records. There was also detailed info about about the individuals’ personal interests, investments, as well as political, charitable, and religious donations. CyberNews believes the info was compiled by “a data marketing firm or a credit company.”
The Start of Spring
The first day of spring began on Thursday, March 19 last week. Bet you missed that. I did. This is the earliest it’s started since 1896. Usually it begins on March 20th or 21st. That’s when the equinox occurs — when daytime and nighttime are roughly the same length. They’re the same because the earth isn’t tilting away from the sun on its axis. The reason it occurred early this year is because our system of dividing the year up into 365 days isn’t precise. Adding a leap year every four years on Feb. 29 fixes most of the problem.
Follow Rachel on Twitter at Rach_IC. Follow The Stream at streamdotorg. Send tips to [email protected].