45 wildfires raging on overall area of 5,900 hectares across Russia

1132502MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. As many as 45 wildfires on an overall area of 5,900 hectares are reported across Russia, with the wildfire season starting in 77 Russian regions, the press service of the Federal Forest Protection Service said on Thursday.

The biggest wildfires are reported in the Far Eastern Amur regions (3,900 hectares) and in the Siberian republic of Buryatia (1,400 hectares).

Wildfires are also reported in the Transbaikal and Krasnoyarsk Territories, in the republic of Tuva, in the Tomsk, Sverdlovsk, and Vologda regions. Source

Hepatitis C deaths hit all-time high in United States

160504112955-hepatitis-c-virus-restricted-exlarge-169(CNN)  Hepatitis C-related deaths reached an all-time high in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday, surpassing total combined deaths from 60 other infectious diseases including HIV, pneumococcal disease and tuberculosis. The increase occurred despite recent advances in medications that can cure most infections within three months.

“Not everyone is getting tested and diagnosed, people don’t get referred to care as fully as they should, and then they are not being placed on treatment,” said Dr. John Ward, director of CDC’s division of viral hepatitis.  Source

Mexico City declares 3rd day of traffic cuts over high smog

09a92d3b498ac516970f6a706700d5b0MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico City is ordering 40 percent of cars and trucks to stay off the streets Thursday, extending for a third day a traffic cutback aimed at lessening pollution.

Under a rule in effect through June, one-fifth of the city’s vehicles normally must stay at home on a weekday, with the day determined by license plate numbers. But on Wednesday, smog stayed above 1½ times acceptable limits for a third straight day, meaning an additional 20 percent of vehicles can’t be used Thursday.

Ozone, a key component of smog, reached 1.9 times acceptable limits. The metropolitan environmental commission blamed Mexico City’s typical spring weather: hot, dry weather, a lack of wind and sunny days that favor the creation of ozone.  Source

L.A. sees another sharp rise in homelessness and outdoor tents

la-me-ln-homeless-count-20160504-001Homelessness rose 11% in the city of Los Angeles and 5.7% in the county last year despite an intensive federal push that slashed the county ranks of homeless veterans by nearly a third, according to a report released Wednesday.

The increase marks the fourth consecutive year of rising homelessness in L.A., as local officials struggle to identify funding for billion-dollar plans they approved to solve the nation’s most intractable homeless problem.

Countywide, nearly 47,000 homeless people were counted in 2016, up from 44,000 in 2015 and 39,000 in 2013, the homeless report said. Nearly two-thirds — 28,000 — were in the city of Los Angeles.  Source

Christians to flock to massive atheist rally in D.C.

lincoln-memorialCall it resistance with love. A massive gathering of atheists that takes place every year in Washington, D.C., will now face some concerted counterpointing, thanks to the rally call of one church in California for those of Christian faith to travel to the freethinkers’ scene to try and change hearts.

The Living Waters Church, out of Pasadena, California, and founded by Ray Comfort, has scheduled to film its next episode of its televised “The Way of the Master” program in the nation’s capital – and it’s coincidentally on the same June 4 day as the “Reason Rally.” The annual event is basically a “mega atheist gathering” and this year will include “big-name speakers such as Bill Nye, Penn Jillette, Lawrence Krauss and actor Johnny Depp,” the church said in a statement on its website. Source

Parents who constantly check mobile phones will raise children with short attention spans, study suggests

96505624_mobile-phone-news-large_trans2vx1u98yphn7kc8mgpwavstr-ssctfk1ocf38oigsg0Parents who look at their phones or get distracted when playing with their children may raise youngsters with short attention spans, research suggests.

Psychologists said they have found the first direct connection between how long a parent pays attention to a toy and the impact this has on their child’s concentration.

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, has implications for how a child goes on to perform at school, they added.  Source

New poll finds fewer people keep the Sabbath than in the 70’s, but many people still value it

2bc3557695The Sabbath may be losing its religious significance in the eyes of many Americans, but a majority still believe taking a day of rest benefits society, according to a new survey on Sabbath observance by the Deseret News.

Half of U.S. adults today (50 percent) say the Sabbath has personal spiritual meaning for them, down from 74 percent in 1978. However, 62 percent of people agree that it’s important for society to have one day a week set aside for spiritual rest, the survey reported — and only 11 percent disagree with that proposition.

The Deseret News poll was conducted by Y2 Analytics and YouGov among 1,691 Americans, including an oversample of Mormons and Jews, two groups known for their Sabbath observance. It finds that members of some religious groups, such as Mormons and evangelicals, continue to focus their Sunday activities around church attendance and Bible study, while others spend their time on less spiritual pursuits. Source


!!! Please note: The Sabbath being reported here is actually Sunday and not Saturday (the seventh day of the week).  The Catholic Church admitted that the change from Saturday to Sunday is not biblical but only from the her tradition. 

Nothing is said in the Bible about the change of the Lord’s day from Saturday to Sunday. We know of the change only from the tradition of the Church–a fact handed down to us from earliest times by the living voice of the Church. That is why we find so illogical the attitude of many non-Catholics, who say that they yet will believe nothing unless they can find it in the Bible and yet will continue to keep Sunday as the Lord’s day on the say-so of the Catholic Church.The Faith Explained, by Leo J. Trese, page 246. Nihil Obstat by Louis J. Putz, C.S.C., Univ. of Notre Dame. Imprimatur by Leo A. Pursley, D.D. Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

Oklahomans to Vote on Whether to Return Ten Commandments Monument to State Capitol

25891-ten-commandments-facebook-800w-tnControversy over a Ten Commandments monument removed from the grounds of the state Capitol in October continues with an effort to reinstate the monument.
The Associated Press reports that the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted 65-7 on Thursday in favor of a statewide vote to determine whether to remove an article of the state constitution which prohibits the use of state funds to support religion. Source

Christians buried alive defending church

The Week That Was in Asia Photo GalleryWife of Chinese Church Leader Reportedly Buried Alive and Killed After Protesting Church’s Demolition.

Two members of a church demolition team in China’s central Henan province buried a house church leader and his wife alive Thursday when the pair tried to prevent the destruction of their church, according to local news sources. Though the church leader managed to escape, his wife suffocated to death before she could be freed.

The couple had petitioned the destruction of their church, China Aid reported Monday.

 On April 14, a government-sponsored company sent workers to bulldoze Beitou Church in Zhumadian. The order came after a local developer expressed interest in the church’s valuable land.

When the demolition crew showed up, Li Jiangong, the church leader, and his wife, Ding Cuimei, stepped in front of the bulldozers to protest the demolition.

“Bury them alive for me,” one of the workers said, according to China Aid. “I will be responsible for their lives.”

The couple was reportedly pushed into a pit with a bulldozer, which proceeded to cover their bodies with soil, suffocating Ding and nearly killing Li.  Source

Shake ‘n’ bake: Quakes, volcanoes in sudden eruption spree

ecuador-earthquake-1A flurry of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions wreaked havoc around the globe in the past week and reignited widespread interest in the natural time bombs beneath humanity’s feet.

A volcanic eruption near Mexico City on Monday and an earthquake in Ecuador on Saturday followed a pair of earthquakes that rocked Japan last week. In short, Mother Nature dealt millions of victims five days terror that involved collapsed buildings, soot-filled streets, tsunami warnings and emergency workers searching through rubble.

Filerma Rayo, 33, told Reuters she spent five hours trapped under debris in Pedernales, Ecuador, after Saturday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Nearly 300 people and at least 2,000 were injured. Hundreds of corpses were consolidated at a nearby stadium to be identified. Source