At least nine coronavirus patients died in a fire at a hospital in southeastern Turkey. As per the information by Turkey's health ministry, the fire started when an oxygen tank exploded. The hospital is located in Gaziantep. The fire started in the intensive care ward.

"We are profoundly saddened by this tragedy," Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said before a planned visit to the hospital.

All the victims were patients who had been hospitalised with the coronavirus. Other patients affected by the fire were transferred to other hospitals.

Turkey has recorded more than 1.9 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 17,600 deaths since the pandemic began a year ago.

Faced with a surge in cases, Turkey strengthened restrictions put in place at the end of November with a total curfew during the weekend and partial one during the week.

(With AFP inputs)

At least nine coronavirus patients died in a fire at a hospital in southeastern Turkey. As per the information by Turkey's health ministry, the fire started when an oxygen tank exploded.

At least nine coronavirus patients died in a fire at a hospital in southeastern Turkey. As per the information by Turkey's health ministry, the fire started when an oxygen tank exploded. The hospital is located in Gaziantep. The fire started in the intensive care ward. "We are profoundly saddened by this tragedy," Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said before a planned visit to the hospital. All the victims were patients who had been hospitalised with the coronavirus. Other patients affected by the fire were transferred to other hospitals. Turkey has recorded more than 1.9 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 17,600 deaths since the pandemic began a year ago. Faced with a surge in cases, Turkey strengthened restrictions put in place at the end of November with a total curfew during the weekend and partial one during the week. (With AFP inputs)

Turkey: Fire in hospital kills 9 coronavirus patient

Parts of Sydney headed into a lockdown on Saturday as officials said they hoped the restrictions to be enough for control of a growing outbreak before Christmas.

Residents were ordered to stay at home from late Saturday until Wednesday midnight, other than for essential reasons. The cluster of cases on Sydney's northern beaches grew to 38.

"We're hoping that will give us sufficient time to get on top of the virus so that we can then ease up for Christmas and the New Year," said Gladys Berejiklian, the state premier of New South Wales of which Sydney is the capital.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-covid-vaccine-gets-go-ahead-in-switzerland-350989">Pfizer COVID vaccine gets go-ahead in Switzerland</a>

Hundreds of thousands of people in several suburbs were to be forced indoors with beaches, pubs and hotels closed.

Although the restrictions -- which will be enforced by police -- only apply to the northern beaches, Berejiklian pleaded with Sydney's more than five million residents to stay home as much as possible over the coming days.

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"Can I please ask everybody to abandon non-essential activity," she told local media on Saturday. "We don't want the virus to spread outside of the northern beaches."

Sydney to Hobart boat race was cancelled for the first time in its history on Saturday owing to lockdown regulations.

Parts of Sydney headed into a lockdown on Saturday as officials said they hoped the restrictions to be enough for control of a growing outbreak before Christmas.

Parts of Sydney headed into a lockdown on Saturday as officials said they hoped the restrictions to be enough for control of a growing outbreak before Christmas. Residents were ordered to stay at home from late Saturday until Wednesday midnight, other than for essential reasons. The cluster of cases on Sydney's northern beaches grew to 38. "We're hoping that will give us sufficient time to get on top of the virus so that we can then ease up for Christmas and the New Year," said Gladys Berejiklian, the state premier of New South Wales of which Sydney is the capital. Also Read | Pfizer COVID vaccine gets go-ahead in Switzerland Hundreds of thousands of people in several suburbs were to be forced indoors with beaches, pubs and hotels closed. Although the restrictions -- which will be enforced by police -- only apply to the northern beaches, Berejiklian pleaded with Sydney's more than five million residents to stay home as much as possible over the coming days. × "Can I please ask everybody to abandon non-essential activity," she told local media on Saturday. "We don't want the virus to spread outside of the northern beaches." Sydney to Hobart boat race was cancelled for the first time in its history on Saturday owing to lockdown regulations.

Australia battles virus as lockdown in Sydney torments residents ahead of Christmas

The final eighth phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir recorded almost 41 per cent voter turnout till 1 pm. The voting took place across 28 constituencies in 18 districts of the union territory.

The voting started at 7 am and concluded at 2 pm. The early morning chill resulted in lesser turnout at that time but footfall increased later on. Long queues of voters were visible outside almost all polling stations.

The polling was smooth across the UT and there was no untoward incident reported from anywhere, with Poonch district in Jammu recording the highest voter turnout of 70.09 per cent and Shopian district in south Kashmir registering the lowest at 6.42 per cent till 1 pm, the officials said.

According to the figures released by the office of the State Election Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a total poll percentage of 40.91 till 1 pm -- the Jammu Division recorded 56.40 per cent while the Kashmir Division 25.90 per cent.

In the Jammu Division, voters thronged the polling stations at various places before the start of the voting at 7 am to exercise their franchise. Poonch district was followed in the voter turnout by Rajouri at 68.57 per cent, Reasi (67.23), Samba (64.56), Ramban (63.48), Doda (61.08), Kathua (59.21), Jammu (58.48), Kishtwar (58.43) and Udhampur (44.48), the officials said.

Similarly, in the Kashmir Division, where most parts are reeling under sub-zero temperatures, Kupwara recorded a voter turnout of 53.61 per cent, followed by Bandipora (49.07), Baramulla (39.26), Budgam (29.78), Pulwama (10.17), Kulgam (8.47), Anantnag (7.58) and Shopian (6.42) till 1 pm, they said.

Over 6.30 lakh electors, including 3,03,275 female voters, were eligible to vote in this phase, the officials said, adding a total of 1,703 polling stations -- 1,028 in the Kashmir Division and 675 in the Jammu Division -- were set up.

The eight-phase maiden DDC elections, the first democratic exercise in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre abrogated the special status of the erstwhile state and divided it into two union territories, commenced on November 28.

While the first phase recorded 51.76 per cent polling, the subsequent phases on December 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16 witnessed 48.62, 50.53, 50.08, 51.20, 51.51 and 57.22 per cent polling, respectively.

(With PTI inputs)

The final eighth phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir recorded almost 41 per cent voter turnout till 1 pm. The voting took place across 28 constituencies in 18 districts of the union territory.

The final eighth phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir recorded almost 41 per cent voter turnout till 1 pm. The voting took place across 28 constituencies in 18 districts of the union territory. The voting started at 7 am and concluded at 2 pm. The early morning chill resulted in lesser turnout at that time but footfall increased later on. Long queues of voters were visible outside almost all polling stations. The polling was smooth across the UT and there was no untoward incident reported from anywhere, with Poonch district in Jammu recording the highest voter turnout of 70.09 per cent and Shopian district in south Kashmir registering the lowest at 6.42 per cent till 1 pm, the officials said. According to the figures released by the office of the State Election Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a total poll percentage of 40.91 till 1 pm -- the Jammu Division recorded 56.40 per cent while the Kashmir Division 25.90 per cent. In the Jammu Division, voters thronged the polling stations at various places before the start of the voting at 7 am to exercise their franchise. Poonch district was followed in the voter turnout by Rajouri at 68.57 per cent, Reasi (67.23), Samba (64.56), Ramban (63.48), Doda (61.08), Kathua (59.21), Jammu (58.48), Kishtwar (58.43) and Udhampur (44.48), the officials said. Similarly, in the Kashmir Division, where most parts are reeling under sub-zero temperatures, Kupwara recorded a voter turnout of 53.61 per cent, followed by Bandipora (49.07), Baramulla (39.26), Budgam (29.78), Pulwama (10.17), Kulgam (8.47), Anantnag (7.58) and Shopian (6.42) till 1 pm, they said. Over 6.30 lakh electors, including 3,03,275 female voters, were eligible to vote in this phase, the officials said, adding a total of 1,703 polling stations -- 1,028 in the Kashmir Division and 675 in the Jammu Division -- were set up. The eight-phase maiden DDC elections, the first democratic exercise in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre abrogated the special status of the erstwhile state and divided it into two union territories, commenced on November 28. While the first phase recorded 51.76 per cent polling, the subsequent phases on December 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16 witnessed 48.62, 50.53, 50.08, 51.20, 51.51 and 57.22 per cent polling, respectively. (With PTI inputs)

Jammu & Kashmir DDC polls: Nearly 41 per cent votes polled till 1 pm

Regulatory authority in Switzerland gave a go-ahead for Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Saturday. The Swissmedic regulatory authority took the decision on Saturday. It is the first vaccine to be authorised for use in the wealthy European nation.

"After a meticulous review of the available information, Swissmedic concluded that the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech is safe and that its benefit outweighs the risks," the body said in a statement.

"The safety of patients is an essential prerequisite, especially where the authorisation of vaccines is concerned," said Swissmedic director Raimund Bruhin.

"Thanks to the rolling procedure and our flexibly organised teams, we nevertheless managed to reach a decision quickly -- while also fully satisfying the three most important requirements of safety, efficacy and quality."

Population of Switzerland is 8.6 million. It has secured around 15.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by striking deals with thre manufacturers.

The deal with Pfizer/Biotech vaccine is for three million doses. The contract with Moderna has been made to procure 7.5 million doses. AstraZeneca will provide 5.3 million doses. Two doses are required per person with all these vaccines.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-authorises-moderna-as-second-covid-19-vaccine-350878">US authorises Moderna as second Covid-19 vaccine</a>

With Covid-19 cases and deaths still rising fast, the Swiss government announced Friday that restaurants and bars would be closed again across the country.

"The epidemiological situation is a cause of great concern," the government said in a statement.

"The number of infections is very high and is continuing to rise. Hospitals and healthcare workers have been under extreme pressure for weeks and the festive period increases the risk of an even more rapid rise in cases," it explained.

Switzerland is continuing to witness more than 4,000 new cases and 100 deaths each day.

In total, Switzerland has recorded more than 400,000 cases and nearly 6,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Regulatory authority in Switzerland gave a go-ahead for Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Saturday. The Swissmedic regulatory authority took the decision on Saturday.

Regulatory authority in Switzerland gave a go-ahead for Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Saturday. The Swissmedic regulatory authority took the decision on Saturday. It is the first vaccine to be authorised for use in the wealthy European nation. "After a meticulous review of the available information, Swissmedic concluded that the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech is safe and that its benefit outweighs the risks," the body said in a statement. "The safety of patients is an essential prerequisite, especially where the authorisation of vaccines is concerned," said Swissmedic director Raimund Bruhin. "Thanks to the rolling procedure and our flexibly organised teams, we nevertheless managed to reach a decision quickly -- while also fully satisfying the three most important requirements of safety, efficacy and quality." Population of Switzerland is 8.6 million. It has secured around 15.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by striking deals with thre manufacturers. The deal with Pfizer/Biotech vaccine is for three million doses. The contract with Moderna has been made to procure 7.5 million doses. AstraZeneca will provide 5.3 million doses. Two doses are required per person with all these vaccines. Also Read | US authorises Moderna as second Covid-19 vaccine With Covid-19 cases and deaths still rising fast, the Swiss government announced Friday that restaurants and bars would be closed again across the country. "The epidemiological situation is a cause of great concern," the government said in a statement. "The number of infections is very high and is continuing to rise. Hospitals and healthcare workers have been under extreme pressure for weeks and the festive period increases the risk of an even more rapid rise in cases," it explained. Switzerland is continuing to witness more than 4,000 new cases and 100 deaths each day. In total, Switzerland has recorded more than 400,000 cases and nearly 6,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Pfizer COVID vaccine gets go-ahead in Switzerland

Today in History: Slavery abolished in US, Indian action to liberate Goa, and more

Sweden's King criticised his country's handling of COVID-19 pandemic and lashed out at the pandemic policy saying 'we have failed'. There is a high death toll among the elderly citizens in Sweden.

Carl XVI Gustaf, whose son and daughter-in-law tested positive last month, used an annual royal Christmas TV special to highlight the growing impact of the virus, in a rare intervention from a monarch whose duties are largely ceremonial.

"I believe we have failed," the king said in an excerpt from the programme broadcast by SVT on Wednesday. The full show airs on Dec. 21.

"We have had a large number of deaths and that is terrible. That is something that brings us all suffering."

An official commission blamed high death tolls in nursing homes on systemic shortcomings in elderly care coupled with inadequate measures from the government and agencies &nbsp;

Sweden has registered more than 7,800 deaths, a much higher per capita rate than its Nordic neighbours but lower than in Britain, Italy, Spain or France, which have all opted for lockdowns.

The 74-year-old king has no formal political power and rarely comments on current and political issues, though he has addressed the nation to offer encouragement during the outbreak.

In the spring, the government's response to the pandemic was widely supported by Swedes who carried on much as normal while most of Europe entered lockdown.

But the rising death toll - particularly among elderly residents of care homes - has drawn increasing criticism.

(With Reuters inputs)

Sweden's King criticised his country's handling of COVID-19 pandemic and lashed out at the pandemic policy saying 'we have failed'. There is a high death toll among the elderly citizens in Sweden.

Sweden's King criticised his country's handling of COVID-19 pandemic and lashed out at the pandemic policy saying 'we have failed'. There is a high death toll among the elderly citizens in Sweden. Carl XVI Gustaf, whose son and daughter-in-law tested positive last month, used an annual royal Christmas TV special to highlight the growing impact of the virus, in a rare intervention from a monarch whose duties are largely ceremonial. "I believe we have failed," the king said in an excerpt from the programme broadcast by SVT on Wednesday. The full show airs on Dec. 21. "We have had a large number of deaths and that is terrible. That is something that brings us all suffering." An official commission blamed high death tolls in nursing homes on systemic shortcomings in elderly care coupled with inadequate measures from the government and agencies Sweden has registered more than 7,800 deaths, a much higher per capita rate than its Nordic neighbours but lower than in Britain, Italy, Spain or France, which have all opted for lockdowns. The 74-year-old king has no formal political power and rarely comments on current and political issues, though he has addressed the nation to offer encouragement during the outbreak. In the spring, the government's response to the pandemic was widely supported by Swedes who carried on much as normal while most of Europe entered lockdown. But the rising death toll - particularly among elderly residents of care homes - has drawn increasing criticism. (With Reuters inputs)

'We have failed' over COVID-19, says Sweden's King as deaths mount

In an inspiring story, a physically challenged man from Pulwama district has started his own business against all odds. 34-year-old Arshid Ahmad Wani, who could hardly make ends meet, is now providing employment to a number of people at his joinery unit.A resident of Malpora, Litter village of the Pulwama, Wani was a carpenter by profession.&nbsp;

In 2016, a tragedy took place and his life changed forever. While he was working on the rooftop of a cowshed, he lost his balance and fell on the boulders, which caused grievous injuries to his legs.

Wani survived after the treatment, however, his both legs got paralysed. Having confined to a wheelchair for over two years, he got depressed. Finally, he decided not to give up and come up with the idea of opening a woodwork unit. As Wani was facing financial constraints, he later got a loan for his business and things are going pretty well for him now.&nbsp;

"For some time, locals and a few relatives helped me for some time. Later, I realised that I should apply for a loan, and thanks to the then Deputy Commissioner Pulwama who appreciated my idea and helped me in getting the loan through District Industries Centre (DIC)," Wani said. "So far I have almost bought all the machines that I need for wood working."

At present, six persons are working at his unit and he is receiving many orders to make doors and windows.&nbsp;

"I request handicapped people not to beg but move on and try to explore ways and means of starting their own ventures," he said.

Mushtaq Ahmad, District Social Welfare Officer, Pulwama said that the district administration is also providing him a monthly pension.&nbsp;

"He came here and we provided him a wheel chair. We are also giving him a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 per month. We also assisted him to get a loan from DIC. He has established a unit. This is a message for physically handicapped people. If they need help, we will provide them," he said.&nbsp;

Yawar Magray, an employee of Wani`s unit, lauded his owner`s will power and extended gratitude to DIC for sanctioning a loan for him.

"They set up a unit with the help of DIC. We make doors and windows. Many others are also working here. We are getting employment because of him. I am thankful to DIC for helping him," he said

In an inspiring story, a physically challenged man from Pulwama district has started his own business against all odds. 34-year-old Arshid Ahmad Wani, who could hardly make ends meet, is now providing employment to a number of people at his joinery unit.

In an inspiring story, a physically challenged man from Pulwama district has started his own business against all odds. 34-year-old Arshid Ahmad Wani, who could hardly make ends meet, is now providing employment to a number of people at his joinery unit.A resident of Malpora, Litter village of the Pulwama, Wani was a carpenter by profession. In 2016, a tragedy took place and his life changed forever. While he was working on the rooftop of a cowshed, he lost his balance and fell on the boulders, which caused grievous injuries to his legs. Wani survived after the treatment, however, his both legs got paralysed. Having confined to a wheelchair for over two years, he got depressed. Finally, he decided not to give up and come up with the idea of opening a woodwork unit. As Wani was facing financial constraints, he later got a loan for his business and things are going pretty well for him now. "For some time, locals and a few relatives helped me for some time. Later, I realised that I should apply for a loan, and thanks to the then Deputy Commissioner Pulwama who appreciated my idea and helped me in getting the loan through District Industries Centre (DIC)," Wani said. "So far I have almost bought all the machines that I need for wood working." At present, six persons are working at his unit and he is receiving many orders to make doors and windows. "I request handicapped people not to beg but move on and try to explore ways and means of starting their own ventures," he said. Mushtaq Ahmad, District Social Welfare Officer, Pulwama said that the district administration is also providing him a monthly pension. "He came here and we provided him a wheel chair. We are also giving him a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 per month. We also assisted him to get a loan from DIC. He has established a unit. This is a message for physically handicapped people. If they need help, we will provide them," he said. Yawar Magray, an employee of Wani`s unit, lauded his owner`s will power and extended gratitude to DIC for sanctioning a loan for him. "They set up a unit with the help of DIC. We make doors and windows. Many others are also working here. We are getting employment because of him. I am thankful to DIC for helping him," he said

Pulwama: Wheelchair-bound man sets up his own business, provides employment to others

US military warned on Thursday that US warships will be "more assertive" against international law violations particularly by China. China has long taken expansionist actions in South China Sea. In a document, the Pentagon said that several countries, notably Russia and China "are contesting the balance of power in key regions and seeking to undermine the existing world order."

"Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily," the document said, noting their "growing aggressiveness" and calling China "the most pressing, long-term strategic threat."

The latest incident between the US and China naval forces took place in late August, when Beijing said it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago.&nbsp;

China claims almost all of the islands of South China Sea. This is disputed by other countries in the region like Vietnam, Malaysia, Philppines and Brunei.

To counter China, the US has been sending ships to the region more frequently to carry out what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations.

To maintain strategic advantage over the Chinese Navy whose "battle force has more than tripled in size in only two decades," the US Navy plans to modernize with smaller, more agile and even remotely piloted ships.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-us-withdraws-aid-chinese-mission-to-push-sri-lanka-further-into-debt-succeeds-350555">As US withdraws aid, Chinese mission to push Sri Lanka further into debt succeeds</a>

Penatagon's dpcument said that US ships will also "accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in our day-to-day operations"&nbsp;

For Navy Rear Admiral Jay Bynum that means being "more responsive, more assertive."

"In the past, our behavior was de-escalation. We would turn away and would minimize risk in those individual contacts," he said, noting that the Navy "might be ceding ground" with the approach.

(With AFP inputs)

US military warned on Thursday that US warships will be "more assertive" against international law violations particularly by China. China has long taken expansionist actions in South China Sea.

US military warned on Thursday that US warships will be "more assertive" against international law violations particularly by China. China has long taken expansionist actions in South China Sea. In a document, the Pentagon said that several countries, notably Russia and China "are contesting the balance of power in key regions and seeking to undermine the existing world order." "Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily," the document said, noting their "growing aggressiveness" and calling China "the most pressing, long-term strategic threat." The latest incident between the US and China naval forces took place in late August, when Beijing said it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago. China claims almost all of the islands of South China Sea. This is disputed by other countries in the region like Vietnam, Malaysia, Philppines and Brunei. To counter China, the US has been sending ships to the region more frequently to carry out what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations. To maintain strategic advantage over the Chinese Navy whose "battle force has more than tripled in size in only two decades," the US Navy plans to modernize with smaller, more agile and even remotely piloted ships. Also Read | As US withdraws aid, Chinese mission to push Sri Lanka further into debt succeeds Penatagon's dpcument said that US ships will also "accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in our day-to-day operations" For Navy Rear Admiral Jay Bynum that means being "more responsive, more assertive." "In the past, our behavior was de-escalation. We would turn away and would minimize risk in those individual contacts," he said, noting that the Navy "might be ceding ground" with the approach. (With AFP inputs)

To counter China, US Navy to be 'more assertive'

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence. Scientists continue to look into the space to study it primarily and to seek signs of whether we are not alone in this universe.

Now, an international team of scientists has received radio signals from a planet far far away. The planet is located in the star system named Tau Bootis which is 51 light-years away. The system contains a binary star and an exoplanet.

The team is led by Jake Turner (postdoctoral researcher in Cornell University), Philippe Zarka (Observatoire de Paris - Paris Sciences et Lettres University) and Jean-Mathias Griessmeier from Université d’Orléans.

The observation and the research has been published in scientific journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.

“The signal is from the Tau Boötes system, which contains a binary star and an exoplanet. We make the case for an emission by the planet itself. From the strength and polarization of the radio signal and the planet’s magnetic field, it is compatible with theoretical predictions,” said Jake Turner. He was quoted by Cornell University

Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasa-captures-himalayan-mountains-delhis-city-lights-from-space-350259">NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space</a> 
 
If the research and observation is confirmed through follow-up observations, this is likely to open new ways for us to study alien worlds both, to check for extraterrestrial life and also to tap their viability for human habitation.

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence. Scientists continue to look into the space to study it primarily and to seek signs of whether we are not alone in this universe. Now, an international team of scientists has received radio signals from a planet far far away. The planet is located in the star system named Tau Bootis which is 51 light-years away. The system contains a binary star and an exoplanet. The team is led by Jake Turner (postdoctoral researcher in Cornell University), Philippe Zarka (Observatoire de Paris - Paris Sciences et Lettres University) and Jean-Mathias Griessmeier from Université d’Orléans. The observation and the research has been published in scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. “The signal is from the Tau Boötes system, which contains a binary star and an exoplanet. We make the case for an emission by the planet itself. From the strength and polarization of the radio signal and the planet’s magnetic field, it is compatible with theoretical predictions,” said Jake Turner. He was quoted by Cornell University Watch: NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space If the research and observation is confirmed through follow-up observations, this is likely to open new ways for us to study alien worlds both, to check for extraterrestrial life and also to tap their viability for human habitation.

Aliens calling? Scientists receive radio signals from faraway planet

The image is startling, endearing and scary at the same time. Although the frame shows a cute deer, what is horrific is an arrow has pierced his head and come out of from just below his eye. The arrow remains lodged in the deer's head but the deer&nbsp;is very much alive. This viral image is being shared widely on social media.

The photo has been clicked by a photographer name Lee-Anne Carver. The deer who she named Carrot has befriended her for three years. But she was not ready for what happened just over a week ago.

"Today, he came to my house with an arrow through his head. It was disturbing, startling and crushing," she writes in a Facebook post dated December 10.

"My husband came in the house crying to tell me," she adds.

To both of their surprise, Carrot was behaving as if nothing had happened. It licked Lee-Anne's hands as it always did and showed no signs of pain. There was no blood, according to her.

"For now, allow me to say the arrow missed all vitals. His skull protected him," she says.

Before anyone could react on Facebook, she requested everyone to not rally for the deer to be put to death to end his misery as she said he was "thriving" and that there was "no need to put him down".

She has even posted a video of the deer walking around with the arrow wedged in his skull.

Here is the complete Facebook post she has written.

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Three years ago we met a fawn we came to call Carrot. I've met hundreds and hundreds of deer over the decades who are...
Posted by <a href="#" role="button">Lee-Anne Carver</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/leeanne.carver.5/posts/10158708524363467">Wednesday, 9 December 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The post has got many comments from users who suggest many things.

"Contact game warden" says a user while others opine say calling&nbsp;a veterinarian would be better. Many users have expressed dismay at how anyone could be this cruel to an animal to put an arrow through its head.

The photographer has posted a link of an FB page as an answer to many comments.

This page has a post that says...

"Carrot was shot with a &nbsp;target arrow made from carbon. He was shot in a residential area and it seems this incident had nothing to do with hunting"

What followed after the deer's image went viral was wonderful. Government officials visited the photographer's house to help the wild deer and by coincidence, it was present there when they arrived.

The officials carefully cut the upper protruding part of the arrow. They have opined that rest of the arrow is expected to naturally slide out as the deer's body heals itself.

"I went looking for Carrot in the evening and I found him with his friend," writes Lee-Anne. She adds that he was "chilling" with his deer friend.

All's well that ends well eh?

The image is startling, endearing and scary at the same time. Although the frame shows a cute deer, what is horrific is an arrow has pierced his head and come out of from just below his eye.

The image is startling, endearing and scary at the same time. Although the frame shows a cute deer, what is horrific is an arrow has pierced his head and come out of from just below his eye. The arrow remains lodged in the deer's head but the deer is very much alive. This viral image is being shared widely on social media. The photo has been clicked by a photographer name Lee-Anne Carver. The deer who she named Carrot has befriended her for three years. But she was not ready for what happened just over a week ago. "Today, he came to my house with an arrow through his head. It was disturbing, startling and crushing," she writes in a Facebook post dated December 10. "My husband came in the house crying to tell me," she adds. To both of their surprise, Carrot was behaving as if nothing had happened. It licked Lee-Anne's hands as it always did and showed no signs of pain. There was no blood, according to her. "For now, allow me to say the arrow missed all vitals. His skull protected him," she says. Before anyone could react on Facebook, she requested everyone to not rally for the deer to be put to death to end his misery as she said he was "thriving" and that there was "no need to put him down". She has even posted a video of the deer walking around with the arrow wedged in his skull. Here is the complete Facebook post she has written. Three years ago we met a fawn we came to call Carrot. I've met hundreds and hundreds of deer over the decades who are... Posted by Lee-Anne Carver on Wednesday, 9 December 2020 × The post has got many comments from users who suggest many things. "Contact game warden" says a user while others opine say calling a veterinarian would be better. Many users have expressed dismay at how anyone could be this cruel to an animal to put an arrow through its head. The photographer has posted a link of an FB page as an answer to many comments. This page has a post that says... "Carrot was shot with a target arrow made from carbon. He was shot in a residential area and it seems this incident had nothing to do with hunting" What followed after the deer's image went viral was wonderful. Government officials visited the photographer's house to help the wild deer and by coincidence, it was present there when they arrived. The officials carefully cut the upper protruding part of the arrow. They have opined that rest of the arrow is expected to naturally slide out as the deer's body heals itself. "I went looking for Carrot in the evening and I found him with his friend," writes Lee-Anne. She adds that he was "chilling" with his deer friend. All's well that ends well eh?

An arrow went through this deer's head and it is still alive

As lawmakers race to put the final touches on a $900 billion bipartisan stimulus package, one thing is becoming clear: Congress has left a significant challenge for the incoming president, Joe Biden, and his efforts to revive the faltering economy.

To seal the deal after months of struggle, lawmakers agreed to exclude a direct stream of money for state and local governments, which Republicans objected to as a blue state “bailout” but Democrats said was needed to prevent job cuts and economic pain.

Biden has promised to help local governments, which are struggling with plunging tax revenue and increased costs, creating huge budget gaps that have already resulted in 1.3 million state and local jobs lost since March. Economists warn that, without further help, states and cities could further slow the economic recovery by cutting more jobs and spending.

“States and cities are already facing large, large budget shortfalls this year,” Biden said this month. “They’ve already laid off more than a million workers. Even more teachers, firefighters, cops will lose their jobs unless federal government steps up now.”

As people steer clear of hotels, restaurants and sporting events because of the coronavirus pandemic, the plunge in economic activity has walloped tax revenue in many states, particularly those that rely heavily on tourism or on oil, coal and other sources of energy whose prices have fallen from reduced demand. Budgets have been further strained by spending on social assistance programs, like unemployment, and other pandemic-related costs, like safety measures in public buildings.

With most states required to balance their budgets, governments have turned to cutting jobs and other services rather than raising taxes on struggling households and businesses. The state and local government jobs shed since March — primarily in education — are a far higher toll than during the Great Recession, when cities and states laid off 800,000 workers from 2008 to 2013.

Democrats had made state aid a priority for a second round of stimulus, a demand that became a sticking point with Republicans. A centrist group of senators, trying to break the impasse, had included $160 billion in a direct stream of aid for state and local governments as part of a compromise bill. But congressional leaders excluded that funding this week. In exchange, they decided to drop a Republican priority, shielding businesses that opened amid the pandemic from certain lawsuits, to try to get the broader $900 billion package approved by both chambers and signed by President Donald Trump.

The deal is not yet final and could still be derailed by disputes over last-minute details, including a Republican effort that would prevent the Federal Reserve from restarting some pandemic-era loan programs without congressional permission. It is expected to include money for public transit authorities and potentially additional emergency assistance for state and local governments, though Republicans are opposing that aid, which would run through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The compromise is also expected to include billions of dollars for education and health programs, which state and local governments will most likely help distribute.

But the package is not expected to contain funding anywhere close to what Democrats and many economists say is necessary to avoid more public sector layoffs in the years to come.

State and local governments face more than $500 billion in revenue shortfalls from the pandemic, spread over three fiscal years, research published this fall by the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity estimates.

The researchers found that those governments entered the crisis in relatively strong fiscal positions, often with large rainy-day funds. But even with those reserves and an estimated $250 billion in federal aid approved earlier this year, they warned, the shortfalls could lead to tax increases or budget cuts.

The decision to exclude state aid will present an economic challenge for Biden, who is likely to face the same political dynamic if Republicans keep the Senate by winning the Jan. 5 election runoffs in Georgia.

The U.S. economy struggled to shake off the last recession, with historically slow growth and a sluggish job market, in part because cities and states continued to lay off workers years into the recovery, pushing up the unemployment rate. It took until 2019 for state and local jobs to return to 2008 levels of unemployment. Democrats and liberal activists have warned that Congress risks repeating those mistakes.

On Wednesday, Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, said that while “the picture is mixed” on state finances, the Fed is concerned about the 1.3 million jobs already lost.

“It’s a very large number of people to be out of work from just that one source,” he said.

Calculations from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office support the case for more aid, concluding that money for states and localities provided the most cost-effective economic boost of any of the provisions in the first wave of economic assistance this spring.

But the political argument has been muddled by the diverging experience of state revenues in the crisis, which does not hew neatly to party lines. States that depend heavily on tourism, like Florida, or on energy taxes, like Wyoming, face large shortfalls, along with liberal bastions like California and New York.

“There are many states that are doing reasonably well right now and a few that are struggling substantially,” said Jared Walczak, who compiles data on state and local aid as vice president of state projects for the Tax Foundation in Washington. “That makes it very difficult to put a coalition together. That list of states isn’t red or blue, but there is a divide.”

Some Republicans in the Senate have supported more aid to states, including negotiators in the bipartisan group such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. But lawmakers have struggled to reach agreement on how much is necessary and how to divvy up the funds.

“Some states have rainy day funds and are telling us they don’t need more money,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said at a news conference this week. “Others are saying they need much more than we can possibly imagine sending to them, so a lot of difference in data and difference in terms of how well they’ve managed themselves in the past.”

Many Republicans have consistently opposed state aid, saying it would reward Democratic states that mismanaged their finances. One of their main talking points has been that states could use federal assistance to shore up public employee pensions — though the draft bipartisan agreement would have prohibited such spending.

“What Democrats really want is for Congress to just send money to liberal politicians who have already shown they can’t be trusted with it,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. — a state that faces a $2.7 billion budget shortfall — wrote in an op-ed for National Review last week. “If these politicians have budget shortfalls, it’s because they did not prioritize their struggling constituents in the first place and instead wasted money on other things.”

Influential conservative groups like Americans for Tax Reform and Heritage Action for America have called the issue a “red line for conservatives.”

“When you have less money, it makes you do reforms to reduce spending,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Don’t bail them out,” he said, “or there will be no normal budget discipline.”

On Monday, the centrist group of negotiators split its original $908 billion framework into two bills — a $748 billion measure with broad consensus on how to provide support for unemployment benefits, food assistance, small businesses and vaccine distribution and a $160 billion measure with state and local government funding and liability protections.

To gain support for the $160 billion — which was significantly smaller than the nearly $1 trillion House Democrats sought for state and local governments May — lawmakers agreed to a number of guardrails, including prohibiting the use of the funds for pension obligations and distributing the funds based on the proportion of revenue loss and population.

Still, it was not enough to win buy-in from a critical mass of Republican senators, including Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, and was excluded from the emerging agreement.

As lawmakers race to put the final touches on a $900 billion bipartisan stimulus package, one thing is becoming clear: Congress has left a significant challenge for the incoming president, Joe Biden, and his efforts to revive the faltering economy.

As lawmakers race to put the final touches on a $900 billion bipartisan stimulus package, one thing is becoming clear: Congress has left a significant challenge for the incoming president, Joe Biden, and his efforts to revive the faltering economy. To seal the deal after months of struggle, lawmakers agreed to exclude a direct stream of money for state and local governments, which Republicans objected to as a blue state “bailout” but Democrats said was needed to prevent job cuts and economic pain. Biden has promised to help local governments, which are struggling with plunging tax revenue and increased costs, creating huge budget gaps that have already resulted in 1.3 million state and local jobs lost since March. Economists warn that, without further help, states and cities could further slow the economic recovery by cutting more jobs and spending. “States and cities are already facing large, large budget shortfalls this year,” Biden said this month. “They’ve already laid off more than a million workers. Even more teachers, firefighters, cops will lose their jobs unless federal government steps up now.” As people steer clear of hotels, restaurants and sporting events because of the coronavirus pandemic, the plunge in economic activity has walloped tax revenue in many states, particularly those that rely heavily on tourism or on oil, coal and other sources of energy whose prices have fallen from reduced demand. Budgets have been further strained by spending on social assistance programs, like unemployment, and other pandemic-related costs, like safety measures in public buildings. With most states required to balance their budgets, governments have turned to cutting jobs and other services rather than raising taxes on struggling households and businesses. The state and local government jobs shed since March — primarily in education — are a far higher toll than during the Great Recession, when cities and states laid off 800,000 workers from 2008 to 2013. Democrats had made state aid a priority for a second round of stimulus, a demand that became a sticking point with Republicans. A centrist group of senators, trying to break the impasse, had included $160 billion in a direct stream of aid for state and local governments as part of a compromise bill. But congressional leaders excluded that funding this week. In exchange, they decided to drop a Republican priority, shielding businesses that opened amid the pandemic from certain lawsuits, to try to get the broader $900 billion package approved by both chambers and signed by President Donald Trump. The deal is not yet final and could still be derailed by disputes over last-minute details, including a Republican effort that would prevent the Federal Reserve from restarting some pandemic-era loan programs without congressional permission. It is expected to include money for public transit authorities and potentially additional emergency assistance for state and local governments, though Republicans are opposing that aid, which would run through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The compromise is also expected to include billions of dollars for education and health programs, which state and local governments will most likely help distribute. But the package is not expected to contain funding anywhere close to what Democrats and many economists say is necessary to avoid more public sector layoffs in the years to come. State and local governments face more than $500 billion in revenue shortfalls from the pandemic, spread over three fiscal years, research published this fall by the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity estimates. The researchers found that those governments entered the crisis in relatively strong fiscal positions, often with large rainy-day funds. But even with those reserves and an estimated $250 billion in federal aid approved earlier this year, they warned, the shortfalls could lead to tax increases or budget cuts. The decision to exclude state aid will present an economic challenge for Biden, who is likely to face the same political dynamic if Republicans keep the Senate by winning the Jan. 5 election runoffs in Georgia. The U.S. economy struggled to shake off the last recession, with historically slow growth and a sluggish job market, in part because cities and states continued to lay off workers years into the recovery, pushing up the unemployment rate. It took until 2019 for state and local jobs to return to 2008 levels of unemployment. Democrats and liberal activists have warned that Congress risks repeating those mistakes. On Wednesday, Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, said that while “the picture is mixed” on state finances, the Fed is concerned about the 1.3 million jobs already lost. “It’s a very large number of people to be out of work from just that one source,” he said. Calculations from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office support the case for more aid, concluding that money for states and localities provided the most cost-effective economic boost of any of the provisions in the first wave of economic assistance this spring. But the political argument has been muddled by the diverging experience of state revenues in the crisis, which does not hew neatly to party lines. States that depend heavily on tourism, like Florida, or on energy taxes, like Wyoming, face large shortfalls, along with liberal bastions like California and New York. “There are many states that are doing reasonably well right now and a few that are struggling substantially,” said Jared Walczak, who compiles data on state and local aid as vice president of state projects for the Tax Foundation in Washington. “That makes it very difficult to put a coalition together. That list of states isn’t red or blue, but there is a divide.” Some Republicans in the Senate have supported more aid to states, including negotiators in the bipartisan group such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. But lawmakers have struggled to reach agreement on how much is necessary and how to divvy up the funds. “Some states have rainy day funds and are telling us they don’t need more money,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said at a news conference this week. “Others are saying they need much more than we can possibly imagine sending to them, so a lot of difference in data and difference in terms of how well they’ve managed themselves in the past.” Many Republicans have consistently opposed state aid, saying it would reward Democratic states that mismanaged their finances. One of their main talking points has been that states could use federal assistance to shore up public employee pensions — though the draft bipartisan agreement would have prohibited such spending. “What Democrats really want is for Congress to just send money to liberal politicians who have already shown they can’t be trusted with it,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. — a state that faces a $2.7 billion budget shortfall — wrote in an op-ed for National Review last week. “If these politicians have budget shortfalls, it’s because they did not prioritize their struggling constituents in the first place and instead wasted money on other things.” Influential conservative groups like Americans for Tax Reform and Heritage Action for America have called the issue a “red line for conservatives.” “When you have less money, it makes you do reforms to reduce spending,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Don’t bail them out,” he said, “or there will be no normal budget discipline.” On Monday, the centrist group of negotiators split its original $908 billion framework into two bills — a $748 billion measure with broad consensus on how to provide support for unemployment benefits, food assistance, small businesses and vaccine distribution and a $160 billion measure with state and local government funding and liability protections. To gain support for the $160 billion — which was significantly smaller than the nearly $1 trillion House Democrats sought for state and local governments May — lawmakers agreed to a number of guardrails, including prohibiting the use of the funds for pension obligations and distributing the funds based on the proportion of revenue loss and population. Still, it was not enough to win buy-in from a critical mass of Republican senators, including Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, and was excluded from the emerging agreement.

Biden faces challenge as US Congress drops state aid to secure stimulus

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to exempt religious schools in Kentucky from an order from Gov. Andy Beshear that temporarily shut down all elementary, middle and high schools, whether public or private, in an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The court’s brief, unsigned ruling stressed that the order from Beshear, a Democrat, would not be in place much longer. “The governor’s school-closing order effectively expires this week or shortly thereafter, and there is no indication that it will be renewed,” the court’s opinion said.

It added that the challengers had not squarely confronted an important distinction. “The order applies equally to secular schools and religious schools, but the applicants argue that the order treats schools (including religious schools) worse than restaurants, bars and gyms, for example, which remain open,” the opinion said.

“Under all of the circumstances, especially the timing and the impending expiration of the order,” the opinion said, “we deny the application without prejudice to the applicants or other parties seeking a new preliminary injunction if the governor issues a school-closing order that applies in the new year.”

Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch each filed a dissent that was joined by the other. Alito said the Supreme Court should have acted sooner to address the challengers’ application and said the courts could still address it.

“As things now stand,” Alito wrote, “this action remains on the docket of the district court. If the governor does not allow classes to begin after the turn of the year, the applicants can file a new request for a preliminary injunction, and if the lower courts do not provide relief, the applicants may of course return to this court.”

Gorsuch said the majority had invited political gamesmanship. The governor, he wrote, should not “be able to evade judicial review by issuing short-term edicts and then urging us to overlook their problems only because one edict is about to expire while the next has yet to arrive.”

The preferable approach, he said, would have been to require the appeals court to resolve the case now under the correct legal standards. That, he wrote, would “be better for everyone — from the parents who might have to miss work and stay home should decrees like these be upheld, to the state public health officials who might have to plan for school if they are not.”

The decision in the Kentucky case followed a series of rulings from the Supreme Court on state restrictions on religious services at churches and synagogues. The court had sustained such limits while Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was alive but changed course after she was succeeded by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The Kentucky case presented a related but distinct issue. In ordering the temporary closure of all K-12 schools, Beshear did not single out religious ones.

In a lawsuit challenging the order, Danville Christian Academy and Daniel Cameron, the state’s attorney general, a Republican, said that it did not matter that all schools were treated the same, as religious education was still subject to stricter restrictions than comparable secular activities. That violated constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion, they said.

Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove of the U.S. District Court in Frankfort, Kentucky, agreed. “In an effort to do the right thing to fight the virus,” Van Tatenhove wrote, “the governor cannot do the wrong thing by infringing protected values.”

“This court wonders why, under this executive order, one would be free to attend a lecture, go to work or attend a concert, but not attend socially distanced chapel in school or pray together in a classroom that is following strict safety procedures and social distancing,” the judge wrote. He issued an injunction overriding Beshear’s order and opening religious schools.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati stayed Van Tatenhove’s ruling, lifting his injunction while an appeal moved forward. In an unsigned opinion, the panel said that a recent Supreme Court ruling striking down limits on attendance at religious services in New York “does not compel a contrary result.”

“The contours of the order at issue here,” the panel wrote, “in no way correlate to religion, and cannot be plausibly read to contain even a hint of hostility toward religion.”

In asking the Supreme Court to intervene, the challengers urged the justices to take account of how secular activities in the state have been treated.

“In Kentucky,” the brief said, “one can catch a matinee at the movie theater, tour a distillery, work out at the gym, bet at a gambling parlor, shop, go to work, cheer on the Wildcats or the Cardinals and attend a wedding. A parent can send his or her child to day care or preschool. And college students can attend classes. But all of Kentucky’s religious schools are shuttered.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and 37 other senators filed a brief supporting the challengers. “COVID-19 is undoubtedly a serious health threat, but the Constitution applies even in difficult times,” the brief said. “This court should again remind governors across the country that shutdown orders cannot trample constitutional rights.

Lawyers for Beshear responded that in-person K-12 education “presents a perfect storm of factors that combine to generate a singular public health risk.”

Students spend long days indoors, the brief said; school-age children struggle to keep their masks on and must remove them to eat; and teachers, administrators, janitorial workers, cafeteria staff and parents are often present.

Kentucky has an unusually high percentage of children cared for by their grandparents and other older people, the brief said, and the Thanksgiving and year-end holidays are an especially dangerous time, particularly as a significant percentage of pediatric COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic.

Day care and preschool do not give rise to “anything approaching the high-volume mixing that unavoidably results from in-person K-12 schooling,” the brief said. And colleges and universities in the state, the brief said, will overwhelmingly be closed in the coming weeks and had mostly moved to remote learning in any event.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to exempt religious schools in Kentucky from an order from Gov. Andy Beshear that temporarily shut down all elementary, middle and high schools, whether public or private, in an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to exempt religious schools in Kentucky from an order from Gov. Andy Beshear that temporarily shut down all elementary, middle and high schools, whether public or private, in an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The court’s brief, unsigned ruling stressed that the order from Beshear, a Democrat, would not be in place much longer. “The governor’s school-closing order effectively expires this week or shortly thereafter, and there is no indication that it will be renewed,” the court’s opinion said. It added that the challengers had not squarely confronted an important distinction. “The order applies equally to secular schools and religious schools, but the applicants argue that the order treats schools (including religious schools) worse than restaurants, bars and gyms, for example, which remain open,” the opinion said. “Under all of the circumstances, especially the timing and the impending expiration of the order,” the opinion said, “we deny the application without prejudice to the applicants or other parties seeking a new preliminary injunction if the governor issues a school-closing order that applies in the new year.” Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch each filed a dissent that was joined by the other. Alito said the Supreme Court should have acted sooner to address the challengers’ application and said the courts could still address it. “As things now stand,” Alito wrote, “this action remains on the docket of the district court. If the governor does not allow classes to begin after the turn of the year, the applicants can file a new request for a preliminary injunction, and if the lower courts do not provide relief, the applicants may of course return to this court.” Gorsuch said the majority had invited political gamesmanship. The governor, he wrote, should not “be able to evade judicial review by issuing short-term edicts and then urging us to overlook their problems only because one edict is about to expire while the next has yet to arrive.” The preferable approach, he said, would have been to require the appeals court to resolve the case now under the correct legal standards. That, he wrote, would “be better for everyone — from the parents who might have to miss work and stay home should decrees like these be upheld, to the state public health officials who might have to plan for school if they are not.” The decision in the Kentucky case followed a series of rulings from the Supreme Court on state restrictions on religious services at churches and synagogues. The court had sustained such limits while Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was alive but changed course after she was succeeded by Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The Kentucky case presented a related but distinct issue. In ordering the temporary closure of all K-12 schools, Beshear did not single out religious ones. In a lawsuit challenging the order, Danville Christian Academy and Daniel Cameron, the state’s attorney general, a Republican, said that it did not matter that all schools were treated the same, as religious education was still subject to stricter restrictions than comparable secular activities. That violated constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion, they said. Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove of the U.S. District Court in Frankfort, Kentucky, agreed. “In an effort to do the right thing to fight the virus,” Van Tatenhove wrote, “the governor cannot do the wrong thing by infringing protected values.” “This court wonders why, under this executive order, one would be free to attend a lecture, go to work or attend a concert, but not attend socially distanced chapel in school or pray together in a classroom that is following strict safety procedures and social distancing,” the judge wrote. He issued an injunction overriding Beshear’s order and opening religious schools. A unanimous three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati stayed Van Tatenhove’s ruling, lifting his injunction while an appeal moved forward. In an unsigned opinion, the panel said that a recent Supreme Court ruling striking down limits on attendance at religious services in New York “does not compel a contrary result.” “The contours of the order at issue here,” the panel wrote, “in no way correlate to religion, and cannot be plausibly read to contain even a hint of hostility toward religion.” In asking the Supreme Court to intervene, the challengers urged the justices to take account of how secular activities in the state have been treated. “In Kentucky,” the brief said, “one can catch a matinee at the movie theater, tour a distillery, work out at the gym, bet at a gambling parlor, shop, go to work, cheer on the Wildcats or the Cardinals and attend a wedding. A parent can send his or her child to day care or preschool. And college students can attend classes. But all of Kentucky’s religious schools are shuttered.” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and 37 other senators filed a brief supporting the challengers. “COVID-19 is undoubtedly a serious health threat, but the Constitution applies even in difficult times,” the brief said. “This court should again remind governors across the country that shutdown orders cannot trample constitutional rights. Lawyers for Beshear responded that in-person K-12 education “presents a perfect storm of factors that combine to generate a singular public health risk.” Students spend long days indoors, the brief said; school-age children struggle to keep their masks on and must remove them to eat; and teachers, administrators, janitorial workers, cafeteria staff and parents are often present. Kentucky has an unusually high percentage of children cared for by their grandparents and other older people, the brief said, and the Thanksgiving and year-end holidays are an especially dangerous time, particularly as a significant percentage of pediatric COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic. Day care and preschool do not give rise to “anything approaching the high-volume mixing that unavoidably results from in-person K-12 schooling,” the brief said. And colleges and universities in the state, the brief said, will overwhelmingly be closed in the coming weeks and had mostly moved to remote learning in any event.

US Supreme Court rejects religious school’s challenge to Kentucky virus order

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