POLL: Less than half of Americans set to take a COVID-19 vaccine
A new poll finds that only about half of Americans are all in for taking a COVID-19 shot once a vaccine is approved.
News
YouTube to remove videos challenging 2020 election, but ‘Russia collusion’ videos left uncensored
Tech giant and Internet video pioneer YouTube this week announced that it will begin to remove videos challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election, a policy it plans to enforce even as numerous videos remain up challenging the outcome of the 2016 election in which Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton.
UK, Canada Sign Trade Agreement
The United Kingdom on Wednesday signed a trade agreement with Canada, days before the end of the Brexit transition period, removing the risk of an estimated £42 million ($56.15 million) tariff burden on UK exports.
‘A Direct Threat to Christian Education’: LGBT Activist Group Calls for Biden to Target Christian Schools
A prominent LGBT rights group is trying to persuade former Vice President Joe Biden and his presumptive administration to adopt guidelines that could lead to the closing of private Christian colleges and universities.
Pro-Life Researchers Find Majority of ‘Operation Warp Speed’ Vaccines Not Produced with Abortion-Derived Cells
A pro-life research and education organization has published a new chart detailing whether the eight leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates supported by President Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed” are produced or tested using cells derived from abortions.
Ministers approve draft of bill to enable adoption by same sex couples
Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn and Welfare Minister Itzik Shmuli on Wednesday approved the draft of a bill that will change a decades-old law permitting adoption only for heterosexual couples and allow same-sex couples to be equally eligible.
Knesset dispersal bill advances with March 16 election date
The Knesset House Committee decided on Wednesday by a ten-to-seven vote to advance the Knesset dispersal bill.
UN Chief urges Iran to stop violating nuclear deal
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is trying to persuade Iran to resume its obligations under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear arms deal, the Times of Israel reports. In a report to the Security Council published Tuesday, Antonio Guterres called on Iran to address concerns about its decision last year to begin, among other violations, the enrichment of uranium beyond the agreed limits.
Lung specialist tells Senate committee that Ivermectin anti-parasite medicine is “wonder drug” for COVID-19
A lung specialist at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee has pleaded with a Senate committee to review his study of an anti-parasite drug which he says has produced dramatically positive results in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients, CNS News reports.
Judge directs stinging rebuke at LA County for outdoor dining ban
A Superior Court judge has said it is “just shocking” that LA County had not “seriously” considered the impact of outdoor dining on the COVID-19 pandemic before banning it indefinitely on November 25, the LA Times reports. Restricting the ban to just three weeks, LA County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant ruled Tuesday that county officials must carry out a risk-benefit analysis if they want to extend the order beyond December 16.
Texas files lawsuit directly to Supreme Court challenging election results in four states
In a novel legal strike, the state of Texas has asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the election results in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, arguing officials in those four battleground states violated the Constitution by making changes to how ballots were cast and counted without legislative approval.
Gideon Sa’ar quits Likud, ‘a tool for Netanyahu’s interests,’ to lead ‘New Hope’
Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar, long seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief rival within Likud, on Tuesday announced he was quitting Likud and will form his own right-wing party, to be called “New Hope,” and run for the premiership in the next election.
House overwhelmingly approves defense bill over Trump veto threat
The House voted overwhelmingly to pass a critical defense bill that President Trump has threatened to veto because it lacks new language that would punish social media firms.
In newly surfaced July interview, Fauci warns that widely used COVID tests may pick up ‘dead’ virus
In a newly resurfaced video from July, Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared to acknowledge that large numbers of positive COVID-19 cases may arise from oversensitive tests that pick up mere fragments of the virus rather than active, viable infections.
Trump signs order prioritizing US in coronavirus vaccine distribution
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at prioritizing shipment of the coronavirus vaccine to Americans over other countries as the United States inches closer to authorizing the first shots.
British Grandmother First Person To Receive COVID-19 Jab
A British grandmother has become the world’s first person to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 injection as part of a controversial global vaccination program.
Nigeria added to US blacklist of countries which allow religious freedom violations
The United States added Nigeria to a blacklist of countries that violate religious liberties Monday, DW reports. Joining Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and China, Nigeria is now listed as a country “of concern” “under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.”
Swiss court pauses ban on religious services in Geneva
Switzerland’s Constitutional Chamber has ordered the suspension of a COVID-19 ban on religious gatherings in the Canton of Geneva, enabling churches in the region to resume in-person services again, Christian Post reports. The court will make a final ruling on the ban in due course but has reportedly indicated that the likelihood it will permanently strike down the ban is “high.”
President Macron says France will do business with Egypt while disagreeing with President el-Sissi’s crackdown on critics
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France will continue to make economic and defense deals with Egypt, despite Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s heaviest crackdown on dissent in the Arab country’s modern history, the Washington Times reports. While he gave this assurance during the Egyptian leader’s two-day state visit to France, Macron emphasized that he and el-Sissi have “disagreements” on human rights issues.
Over 1,000 Chinese researchers leave US amid crackdown on technology theft
The United States Department of Justice has announced that over 1,000 Chinese researchers have left America amid a US national security crackdown on alleged technology theft, Sky News reported Thursday. The researchers are believed to be connected to China’s People’s Liberation Army.