As a top Democrat called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign and GOP assembly members drafted a resolution to impeach him, the governor received some support from rank-and-file Democrats in the assembly.
National News
Doctors Seek Permanent Relief From Mandate to Do Transgender Surgeries
Attorneys for doctors and hospitals argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit March 3 that they shouldn’t be forced to perform gender-transition surgeries required under the Affordable Care Act, stressing this is an issue of conscience.
Filipino Expert Urges American Catholics to Rethink Rhetoric on Vaccines
As American Catholics continue to wrangle over the morality of COVID-19 vaccines using stem cell lines remotely derived from aborted fetuses, one Filipino Dominican priest, who’s both a moral theologian and an MIT-trained molecular biologist, is pleading with them to consider the potentially dangerous global consequences of their rhetoric.
Minnesota Faith Leaders Pray for Peace, Justice During Chauvin Trial
Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis prayed March 7 for peace and justice in the upcoming trial of a white former city police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, an African American. He died while in police custody last May.
Bishops Say Pandemic Relief Bill Must be Passed Without Abortion Funding
If it becomes law, the American Rescue Plan Act would pit the great need Americans have for economic relief in this pandemic against those who insist the bill must include abortion funding, said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chairmen of seven USCCB committees.
Social Workers Talk About Life During COVID
March is National Social Work Month and the theme of this year’s celebration is “Social Workers are Essential.” The theme would seem to be right on target, judging from what Karen Wilkow, a social worker with 20 years of experience has to say about her job.
Recognizing Women Prophets in the Old Testament
“Are there any women prophets in your book?” That’s the question that stuck with Kieran Larkin, a religious studies teacher at The Mary Louis Academy, after he published his first book, “Messengers of God: A Survey of Old Testament Prophets,” in 2019. Having written about male prophets who were chosen by God to deliver messages of encouragement or condemnation — like Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah — Larkin did a deep dive into the few “prophetesses” mentioned in Scripture.
As Texas and Mississippi Lift COVID Restrictions, Bishops Voice Caution
Catholic prelates in Texas and Mississippi will, for the most part, maintain COVID-19 precautions at their parishes despite recent announcements from each state’s governors that restrictions will ease.
Health Experts See Emotional Toll in Patients One Year Into COVID
Even with light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel in the form of vaccines, medical experts said the pandemic’s toll on mental health a year into the crisis is significant.
15 Years of Turmoil in Puerto Rico
In 2006, Puerto Rico’s economy entered a recession. A key factor was the United States federal government phased out a provision of the Puerto Rican tax code that gave U.S. corporations in Puerto Rico tax exemptions. The move prompted companies to move out of Puerto Rico and cost thousands of Puerto Ricans their jobs.