|
December 6, 2021 at 11:45 am
The Senate is set to vote this week on a resolution to nullify President Biden's vaccine mandate for private companies, as Republicans and at least one Democrat push back on the administration's rule requiring vaccines or inconvenient testing rules for workers at large businesses.
All 50 Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., backed a challenge to the vaccine mandate last month under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). That law allows Congress to officially disapprove of an executive branch regulation via a resolution passed through each chamber.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said last week he also supports the Braun resolution.
"I do not support any government vaccine mandate on private businesses," Manchin said Thursd...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:40 am
A former D.C. National Guard official is accusing two army generals of lying about the military’s response to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Col. Earl Matthews, who at the time was the top attorney for then-D.C. National Guard commander Maj. Gen. William Walker, wrote a memo to the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack that was obtained by Politico.
In the memo, Matthews called Gen. Charles Flynn and Lt. General Walter Piatt, director of Army staff, “absolute and unmitigated liars” for their recollections of the Capitol riot.
Matthews said the men lied in their testimonies to Congress about how they responded to pleas for the D.C. Guard to be deployed on Jan. 6; what they told the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector ...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:34 am
'Until we know more, we should be cautious, and take steps to slow down the spread of this new variant'
Future pandemics could be even more lethal than Covid, one of the creators of the AstraZeneca vaccine said Monday.
Covid killed 5.26 million people across the world so far, according to Johns Hopkins University, wiped out trillions of dollars in economic output and turned life upside down for billions of people.
"The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or both," Sarah Gilbert said in the Richard Dimbleby Lecture, the BBC reported. "This will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods."
Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said the world should make sure it is be...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:29 am
Covid variants change in severity, transmissibility, and immunity to vaccines produced to combat the virus
Any virus, including SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes Covid - can change over time, leading to thousands of different variants of Covid circulating across the world.
While most have little to no impact on the properties of a virus, some changes can affect how easily it spreads.
Changes include the severity of the virus as well as the performance of vaccines, which in turn cause public health and social measures to fluctuate.
How do Covid variants happen?
The genetic material of the Covid variants lies in something called RNA, which has similarities to DNA.
When a virus infects you, they attach to your cells and make copies of their RNA, which helps it t...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:16 am
Former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon spoke on Monday about Israel's conduct throughout the negotiations on the renewal of the "Iran deal."
When asked whether Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is adopting former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's modus operandi, Ya'alon told 103 FM Radio, "I really hope not. We are at an important junction, and we must find a common denominator with the Americans."
"I don't understand the Chief of Staff's statements, or the exposure of things we don't agree with the Americans on," he said, adding that he believes things should be handled behind closed doors.
The discussions on Iran, Ya'alon told 103 FM, "must be held in such a way that Iran will never become nuclear. We must ...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:07 am
The Jerusalem District Committee refrained from approving for deposit the plan for the construction of the new Jerusalem neighborhood of Atarot.
The committee's decision stated that the Environmental protection Ministry should first carry out a survey of the plan's environmental impact.
However, it said: "The committee is under the impression that the plan proposes a proper utilization of the land reserves which have not been utilized to date."
Regional Cooperation Minister Issawi Frej (Meretz) appeared before the committee to argue against the construction of the neighborhood, despite the fact that Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked made it clear to the committee members that he did not represent the government and its views on the matter. Instead he argued for the reopening of ...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:07 am
The number of confirmed cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Israel has risen to 21, the national headquarters for the fight against the coronavirus announced Monday.
16 of the cases were individuals who returned from South Africa, England, France, the US, and the UAE. The other five cases were people who came into contact with individuals who returned from South Africa and the US.
Eight of the cases are among 'unprotected' individuals, meaning they were either unvaccinated, had recovered from the coronavirus more than six months ago, or more than six months had passed since their second vaccination dose and they had not received a booster shot. The other 13 cases are among 'protected' individuals, meaning they had recovered from t he coronavirus less than six ...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:01 am
Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the failure of the Vienna nuclear talks, saying that Israel must present a real military threat against Iran.
At the beginning of the Likud faction meeting, Netanyahu said that "only one agreement with Iran can be considered. The only agreement that can be reached is an agreement that dismantles Iran's nuclear capabilities."
"In the absence of such an agreement, Israel must be prepared to act independently against the Iranian nuclear program. Independently means even without prior notice - and with surprises. If the United States is not willing to present a real military threat against Iran, Israel must do so."
"Because of the weakness of the government, we are witnessing two intensifying phenomena - an inc...
|
December 6, 2021 at 11:00 am
They couldn’t believe
their eyes- having assumed for twenty-two years that Yosef was lost to slavery
or even murdered, they could hardly imagine that he currently stood before them
as the second most powerful man on Earth. Flabbergasted and speechless they
wondered about the identity of this intimidating accuser turned "loving
brother". Could this really be Yosef? Maybe he was an impostor or perhaps
this was just another stage of his crafty manipulation.
Looks can be deceiving
but language is very reliable. The midrash reports that by speaking directly to
his brothers in Hebrew, Yosef convinced them of his true identity. Prior to the
great reveal, he communicated with them through a translator, pretending to be
Hebrew-illiterate. Hearing him speak Hebrew convinced t...
|
December 6, 2021 at 10:54 am
The miracle of Chanukah is not limited to a past event
I have been waiting an entire year to share an insight from Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein's Chanukah: Capturing the Light (Mosaica Press). The time has finally arrived.
The Ramban famously quotes at the beginning of parshas B'haalosecha the midrash that all the sacrifices of the Beis Hamikdash were only performed so long as the Temple stood. But the lights of the Menorah will illuminate forever.
On its face, the statement is puzzling, for the lighting of the Menorah is no more performed today than the sacrifice of any of the korbanos.
The Ramban explains that the lights of the Menorah refers to the Chanukah lights. But that explanation only raises other questions. For one thing, the Menorah in the Temple involved a daily mirac...
|
December 6, 2021 at 10:50 am
Jerusalem, Israel - Dec. 6, 2021 - The 10th Flag Football World Championship games are taking place in Jerusalem, Israel from December 6 to 8th, at the Kraft Family Sports Complex. A record 39 teams from 21 countries are competing, with the USA gold medalists favored in winning again.
An opening night event was held at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel for the estimated 900 participants, players, coaches, and managers. Steve Leibowitz, President of AFI American Football in Israel and a driving force behind the games while most of the world was hesitant due to the pandemic, welcomed the audience.
The program held on the last night of Chanukah started with the lighting of the large Chanukah menorah by Rav Aharon Katz, the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Derech Etz Chaim. For many of the&...
|
December 6, 2021 at 10:34 am
New York City will require all private-sector workers be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.
The new mandate will go into effect Dec. 27. Children ages 5 through 11, who recently became eligible to get vaccinated against the virus, will also need to have vaccine proof for indoor dining, entertainment and fitness.
“We’ve got Omicron as a new factor. We’ve got the colder weather, which is going to really create additional challenges with the Delta variant. We’ve got holiday gatherings,” Mr. de Blasio said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where he announced the new mandate. “We in New York City have decided to use a pre-emptive strike to really do something bold to stop the further growth o...
|
December 6, 2021 at 10:29 am
Two threats of wintry weather are on the horizon for Maryland this week, according to the National Weather Service. A hazardous weather outlook issued by the agency calls for strong winds Monday, followed by two winter storm threats later in the week.
Temperatures are expected to drop more than 30 degrees Monday, from the high 60s to the low 30s. Rain and snow showers are possible Monday, and so are powerful winds.
Gusty winds Monday may lead to isolated instances of wind damage, according to the hazardous weather outlook.
After 9:30 a.m., the Maryland Transportation Authority placed the Bay Bridge under wind warnings, issued for winds over 30 mph. Drivers of the following vehicles should use extra caution while crossing the Bay Bridge: house trailers, box trailers, motor...
|
December 5, 2021 at 10:47 pm
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 5, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to to Mr. And Mrs. Simcha Feldman on the birth of a son.
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
|
December 5, 2021 at 10:47 pm
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 5, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. And Mrs. Zvi Spiegel on the birth of a son.
יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
|
December 5, 2021 at 10:42 pm
The number of states that have reported cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has jumped to 17. On Sunday, the Georgia confirmed its first in-state case, while the St. Louis Health Department said a Missouri resident has also contracted the variant.
Both cases were in patients who had been traveling—one to South Africa, the other in the U.S. Previously, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin had detected cases of the variant.
|
December 5, 2021 at 10:34 pm
More than half of America’s youngest adults – 56 percent of those ages 18 to 25 – are overweight or obese, according to Johns Hopkins research, published in JAMA.
Using data from a nationally representative sample of 8,015 people in that age bracket, the researchers compared average weights over the past four decades. In that time, that population’s average body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on a person’s height and weight, had increased by 4.6 points – from 23.1 (considered normal weight) to 27.7 (considered overweight). That shifted the number of overweight young adults from about 18 percent in the late 1970s to nearly 24 percent by 2018.
The biggest spike in weight measurements, however, was in the prevalence of obesity, which increa...
|
December 5, 2021 at 10:34 pm
Mayor de Blasio says he might require people to get COVID-19 booster shots if they want to attend concerts, restaurants and similar indoor venues, as the new Omicron variant continues to spread citywide, the NY Post reports.
“I think it’s a fair question that we’re going to analyze now – with all of our approaches to COVID, we’re going to update them, because we’re dealing with some new challenges at this moment,” de Blasio said during his weekly appearance of WNYC radio’s “The Brian Lehrer Show.” “So, that will be looked at along with a series of other actions, because it’s really dynamic right now.”
Such a new mandate could include a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Currently, the city req...
|
December 5, 2021 at 10:34 pm
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she is confident House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will take “decisive action” this week against Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., for her anti-Muslim remarks about Omar last month.
“I’ve had a conversation with the speaker, and I’m very confident that she will take decisive action next week,” Omar said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” It is unclear what Pelosi’s “decisive action” would include. Omar said that Boebert should be stripped of her committee assignments and that House leaders should rebuke her to send a “clear and decisive” message.
“I think it’s important for us to say this kind of language, this kind of hate cannot be condoned by the House of R...
