‘An Easter of Solitude’: Amid Coronavirus, World’s Christians Mark an Easter Like No Other

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By Associated Press. Christians around the world celebrated Easter Sunday isolated in their homes by the coronavirus while pastors preached the faith’s joyous news of Christ’s resurrection to empty pews. One Florida church drew a large turnout for a drive-in service in a parking lot. . .

Worldwide, families who normally would attend church in their Easter best and later gather for festive meals instead were hunkered down at home. Police checkpoints in Europe and outside closed churches elsewhere left the faithful with few worship options other than watching services online or on TV.

At the Happy Gospel Church in Bradenton, Florida, about 100 cars carrying 250 people gathered in the parking lot to hear Pastor Bill Bailey’s Easter sermon. Some sat in lawn chairs or on tailgates, but families stayed at least 6 feet apart; those in their cars occasionally honked to convey agreement with Bailey’s remarks. (Read more from “Amid Coronavirus, World’s Christians Mark an Easter Like No Other” HERE)

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Christians Mark Solemn Easter as Worldwide Cases Approach 2 Million

By CBS News. Christians throughout the world marked a solemn Easter amid the coronavirus pandemic. The number of cases worldwide topped 1.8 million on Sunday and the global death toll rose above 110,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. U.S. deaths passed 22,000. . .

Bells tolled in Spain for the almost 17,000 killed by coronavirus, a death toll behind only the U.S. and Italy. In Britain, the Archbishop of Canterbury led the Easter service online from his kitchen. In New York, the epicenter of the U.S. crisis, Cardinal Timothy Dolan led Mass before an empty St. Patrick’s Cathedral. (Read more from “Christians Mark Solemn Easter as Worldwide Cases Approach 2 Million” HERE)

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‘An Easter of Solitude’: Christians Across the World Mark Easter Sunday Amid the Coronavirus

By USA Today. His voice echoing through the nearly empty St. Peter’s Basilica, a somber Pope Francis celebrated one of the strangest Easter celebrations in Vatican history Sunday amid Italy’s national lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic. . .

“This is an Easter of solitude lived amid the sorrow and hardship the pandemic is causing, whether from physical suffering or economic difficulties,” Francis said in Italian.

Millions of Christians globally celebrated Easter, marking the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion. In the U.S., many churches were holding similar remote services intended to help slow the infection’s spread. Congregants posted photos on social media showing them attending drive-in services from their cars, and a pastor at a Boston church delivered his message to photos of his parishioners taped to the pews. . .

Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence planned to attend Easter services remotely. Trump said he’d be watching an online service led by Pastor Robert Jeffress of the 4,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas and a Fox News contributor. (Read more from “‘An Easter of Solitude’: Christians Across the World Mark Easter Sunday Amid the Coronavirus” HERE)

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Hospitals Say Feds Are Quietly Seizing Medical Supplies Across the Country

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Hospital officials are claiming the federal government are quietly seizing medical supply orders amid the coronavirus crisis, an investigation from the Los Angeles Times revealed April 7.

Staff from hospitals in seven states told the LA Times that they haven’t received guidance on why the materials are being taken, where they are going, or when they can expect replacement orders, according to the report.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had not publicly addressed why medical supply orders are being acquired by the federal government, but a representative told the newspaper that “high-transmission areas were prioritized, and allocations were based on population, not on quantities requested.”

The FEMA representative said the agency has developed a system to distribute supplies equitably, echoing the Trump administration’s assertion that the federal government is taking a “data-driven” approach to medical supply dispersal.

President Donald Trump also enacted the Defense Production Act — a law that allows the president to call for ramped up production of certain materials during a national crisis — to boost production of ventilators in the country. (Read more from “Hospitals Say Feds Are Quietly Seizing Medical Supplies Across the Country” HERE)

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REPORT: China HID Findings of a Coronavirus Expert; China Bans Consumption of Bats but Still Wants to Export Them to Other Countries

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By Mirror UK. China is accused of hiding the findings of a coronavirus expert – known as “Bat Woman” – after she quickly identified the genetic make-up of the new strain that has infected millions.

Wuhan-based virologist Shi Zhengli is one of the world’s top researchers on coronaviruses and has discovered dozens of deadly SARS-like viruses in bat caves.

She studied samples taken from some of the first people to become infected with the new and then-mysterious respiratory illness in China in December and found it was similar to SARS.

It was identified as a novel coronavirus and within three days she completed its gene sequencing, finding that it was 96 per cent identical to a virus found in horseshoe bats in Yunnan.

But she was “muzzled” and her team was ordered not to reveal any information about the new disease, which was already spreading rapidly as China kept the world in the dark. (Read more from “REPORT: China Hid Findings of a Coronavirus Expert” HERE)

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China Bans Consumption of Bats and Snakes but Now Wants to Export Them to Other Countries

By Wall Street Journal. Chinese authorities have temporarily banned the wild animal trade over coronavirus pandemic fears, but they are now offering tax incentives to export their edible exotic animals overseas.

China’s National People’s Congress said in a statement when banning the trade, “The prominent problem of recklessly eating wild animals and its potential risk to public health have aroused wide public concern.” But a new report by the Wall Street Journal says they are now hoping to cash in on the multi-billion dollar animal product industry by offering tax breaks on exports.

The Journal reports that last month, China’s Finance Ministry started offering value-added tax rebates on 1,500 Chinese products, including a 9 percent rebate on “edible snakes and turtles, primate meat, beaver and civet musk, and rhino horns.” (Read more from “China Bans Consumption of Bats and Snakes but Now Wants to Export Them to Other Countries” HERE)

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Evolutionists Face Another Massive Problem: DNA Discovered in Dino Bones

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A microscopic look at dinosaur cartilage from roughly 75 million years ago has turned up a cluster of exquisitely-preserved cells, and they just might contain something rather familiar.

Dusting off the skulls of two juvenile duck-billed dinosaurs (Hypacrosaurus stebingeri), shelved after their discovery in the 1980s, researchers noticed a bunch of tiny circular structures at the back – some linked together, others standing apart, all of them frozen in time.

Looking closer, several of these circles contained a dark material reminiscent of a nucleus, and others held tangled coils resembling chromosomes. . .

The half-life of this precious organic information has been calculated at about 521 years, so even under the best conditions, scientists predict it would only take about 5.3 millions years before the strands were completely unreadable.

Duck-billed dinosaurs were alive in Montana roughly 75 million years ago, which is 15 times longer than that; if their DNA is still around today, it would be astonishing. (Read more from “Evolutionists Face Another Massive Problem: DNA Discovered in Dino Bones” HERE)

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Teen Charged After Allegedly Fatally Pushing Marine Veteran in Front of Train

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An 18-year-old man accused of fatally pushing a Marine veteran in front of a train in Chicago is now facing first-degree murder charges.

Police arrested Ryan Munn Friday night and charged him with first-degree murder for allegedly pushing Mamadou Balde, 29, in front of a CTA Red Line train on Tuesday, WGN reported.

Munn was identified by witnesses as he “punched and pushed” Balde into the passing train, according to the police report. . .

Surveillance video reportedly showed Balde walking away from the squabble when one of the three men ran up to him and pushed him off the platform into a moving train, killing him instantly.

Balde, who served for two tours in Afghanistan, was found dead by the time the police arrived at the CTA Red Line station. (Read more from “Teen Charged After Allegedly Fatally Pushing Veteran in Front of Train” HERE)

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Mayor Says Hairstylists Not ‘Essential,’ Then Goes to Hairstylist

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The mayor of one of America’s largest cities is coming under fire after she urged people to stay at home instead of going to get their hair styled amid the coronavirus pandemic, and then getting her own hair professionally trimmed to look good on television.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, is defending her fresh “do” this weekend, while barbers and hair stylists in Illinois have been shut down by the state’s “stay-at-home” order.

According to the Chicago Tribune, when Lightfoot was asked about social-media photos showing her with a stylist, she acknowledged the trim, but claimed the public cares more about other issues. . .

A reporter asked her about one of her “stay home, save lives” public service announcements in which Lightfoot warns an off-screen person: “Getting your roots done is not essential.”

The Tribune says Lightfoot became “visibly annoyed” by the question, and responded: “I’m the public face of this city. I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye. (Read more from “Mayor Says Hairstylists Not ‘Essential,’ Then Goes to Hairstylist” HERE)

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DOJ: ‘Expect Action’ to Protect Churches From Tyrannical Local ‘Social Distancing’ Orders

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On Saturday, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokeswoman Kerri Kupec announced that Attorney General William Barr would take action to protect churches from tyrannical local government orders that destroy their religious freedom.

“During this sacred week for many Americans, AG Barr is monitoring govt regulation of religious services,” Kupec tweeted. “While social distancing policies are appropriate during this emergency, they must be applied evenhandedly & not single out religious orgs. Expect action from DOJ next week!”

This statement follows a week of legal clashes as Democratic mayors have explicitly banned drive-in church services where parishioners remain apart in their cars with the windows up. Police in the city of Greenville, Miss., have slapped worshipers with $500 fines and mobbed a drive-in service, apparently aiming to prevent attendance. . .

“Government is clearly overstepping its authority when it singles out churches for punishment, especially in a ridiculous fashion like this,” Ryan Taylor, director of the Center for Christian Ministries at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) said in a statement. ADF is representing Scott in a lawsuit against the leaders of Greenville. “In Greenville, you can be in your car at a drive-in restaurant, but you can’t be in your car at a drive-in church service. That’s not only nonsensical, it’s unconstitutional, too.”

On Thursday, police mobbed King James Bible Baptist Church, near Temple Baptist Church, just as Pastor Charles E. Hamilton Jr. was preparing for a service. Hamilton responded by preaching Romans 13, condemning a tyrannical government that does not exercise its God-given authority to punish evil, but rather punishes good. He also cited Acts 5:26-29, when Peter refuses a command to stop preaching the name of Jesus, saying, “We are to obey God rather than man.” (Read more from “DOJ: ‘Expect Action’ to Protect Churches From Tyrannical Local ‘Social Distancing’ Orders” HERE)

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Joe Biden Unveils His ‘Plan’ to Reopen America, Attempts to Bash Trump Administration

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By Newsweek. Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden has strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, while laying out his own plan to respond to the ongoing crisis.

In an opinion article published by The New York Times Sunday, Biden, who served as vice president under former President Barack Obama and is now the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Trump in November, argued that the president’s response to the pandemic had “led to catastrophic results.” He also presented his thoughts on the best path forward to deal with the fallout moving forward. . .

The Democratic contender called for three broad actions. He wrote that stringent social distancing measures needed to continue until the number of new cases declined significantly; that testing needed to be much more widespread along with contact tracing; and that “effective disease surveillance” would be required to prepare the health care sector for future flare ups.

“Once we have taken these steps, we can begin to reopen more businesses and put more people back to work. Things will not go back to ‘normal’ right away,” Biden noted. “As public health experts have said, we should expect activity to return gradually, with sites like offices and stores reopening before arenas and theaters,” he added. (Read more from “Joe Biden Unveils His ‘Plan’ to Reopen America” HERE)

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Biden Unveils Plan to ‘Safely Reopen’ U.S.: ‘We Cannot Repeat’ Trump Administration Mistakes

By The Hill. . .In a New York Times op-ed, Biden wrote that the U.S. must first acknowledge the Trump administration’s failure in its response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“As we prepare to reopen America, we have to remember what this crisis has taught us: The administration’s failure to plan, to prepare, to honestly assess and communicate the threat to the nation led to catastrophic results,” the former vice president wrote. “We cannot repeat those mistakes.” . . .

In addition, Biden wrote that hospitals and health care providers must be adequately prepared for the virus to reemerge later in the year once economic activity restarts. Hospitals must have the staff and equipment necessary, and public health officials must conduct proper disease surveillance, Biden said.

He reiterated his calls for President Trump to make greater use of the Defense Production Act to help support hospitals in need of medical equipment such as ventilators, which provide oxygen to severely ill patients. He also pushed for convening experts in private industries to generate ideas on “how to operate more safely.” (Read more from “Biden Unveils Plan to ‘Safely Reopen’ U.S.: ‘We Cannot Repeat’ Trump Administration Mistakes” HERE)

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State Tickets 50 Cars Attending Easter Church Service

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As hymns sang out Easter Sunday from a large outdoor speaker overlooking the Maryville Baptist Church parking lot, two Kentucky State troopers placed quarantine notices on parishioners’ cars and wrote down their license numbers.

Inside the church, roughly 50 worshipers ignored Gov. Andy Beshear’s order against mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic so they could attend services together on Christianity’s holiest day.

Several said as they left that they had no intention of abiding by the notice on their windshields that called for a 14-day self-quarantine or face the threat of “further enforcement measures.” . . .

Even so, it’s clear that Maryville’s pastor, the Rev. Jack Roberts, has no intention of ending in-person services, despite the deadly pandemic, putting his church among a handful of others across Kentucky that have rebuffed Beshear’s wishes.

Roberts arrived at the church Sunday morning to find several piles of nails dumped at the church entrances to the parking lot. He said he wouldn’t tell his congregation to follow or defy the orders that Beshear announced Friday in his ongoing effort to hold down the spread of COVID-19. (Read more from “State Tickets 50 Cars Attending Easter Church Service” HERE)

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False Negatives Raise Doctors’ Doubts About Coronavirus Tests; U.S. to Trial Japanese Anti-Flu Drug

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By Bloomberg News. False-negative results from coronavirus tests are becoming an increasing concern, say doctors trying to diagnose patients and get a grip on the outbreak, as a surprising number of people show up with obvious symptoms only to be told by the tests that they don’t have the disease.

While still more research is necessary to determine the true prevalence of such false-negative results, experts agree that the problem is significant. False negatives not only impede the diagnosis of disease in individual patients and an accurate understanding of the extent of its proliferation, but also risk patients who think they aren’t ill further spreading the virus.

Some doctors described situations in which patients show up with clear symptoms such as a cough and fever, test negative, and then test positive later on. It’s a particular issue in New York, where the disease has likely infected far more than the 174,000 people confirmed through limited testing. At Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, doctor Jeremy Sperling says so-called false-negative tests are now a frequent occurrence in the emergency room. . .

Concerns about false negatives arise from a mix of factors: quickly created tests from dozens of labs and manufacturers that haven’t been extensively vetted by federal health regulators; a shortage of supplies and material for the tests that may impact results, long incubation times for the infection, and the challenge of getting an adequate sample from a patient. (Read more from “False Negatives Raise Doctors’ Doubts About Coronavirus Tests” HERE)

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U.S. to Trial Japanese Anti-Flu Drug Avigan for Potential Coronavirus Treatment

By Newsweek. Avigan, the Japanese anti-viral drug being tested in Japan and China for its potential use as a treatment for the novel coronavirus, will also begin its first U.S. clinical trials in Massachusetts, the drug’s manufacturer, Fujifilm Corporation, announced.

Avigan (also known as favipiravir), approved for manufacture and sale in Japan back in 2014, is said to fight influenza by interfering with the virus replication process. Avigan “selectively inhibits RNA (ribonucleic acid) polymerase necessary for influenza virus replication,” Fujifilm noted in a statement. . .

The drug will be tested on nearly 50 COVID-19 patients at three hospitals in Massachusetts, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. (Read more from “U.S. to Trial Japanese Anti-Flu Drug Avigan for Potential Coronavirus Treatment” HERE)

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