Month: February 2022

Growing Number of Experts Call on US Government to Recognize Natural Immunity

A growing number of experts are urging the U.S. government to formally recognize natural immunity, or the protection one enjoys after recovering from COVID-19. More and more experts are arguing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended vaccination schedule should feature fewer doses—or none at all—for people who have contracted COVID-19 and…


Ukraine Moves to Impose State of Emergency, Calls on Its Citizens to Leave Russia, Conscripts Reservists

Ukraine has shifted to a war footing, moving to impose a nationwide state of emergency, urging all of its citizens to leave Russia immediately, and introducing conscription for reservists as the crisis deepens. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council on Wednesday backed imposing a state of emergency on all of the country’s territory, apart from the conflict-stricken…


World Stocks Bounce as Investors Eye Putin’s Next Steps in Ukraine

LONDON—Global stocks broke a four-day slide on Wednesday and demand for safe-haven assets waned, with investors waiting to see Russian President Vladimir Putin’s next move after he sent troops into separatist regions of Ukraine. The initial push to send soldiers to Donetsk and Luhansk this week triggered coordinated, yet modest sanctions from Western countries, albeit…


Chicago to Drop Vaccine, Indoor Mask Mandates for Certain Locations: Mayor

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday that the city’s indoor mask mandate and COVID-19 vaccination requirement for certain businesses will be scrapped effective Feb. 28. Lightfoot told reporters at a news conference that mask-wearing will still be enforced in the city’s public transit system, health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes, and congregate…


VIDEO: Mama Elephant’s Hilarious Response to Tire Toy After Her Baby Gets Stuck in It

Spotting her calf with his leg stuck in a hanging tire toy, a mother elephant at a Thai sanctuary had the funniest response. The relatable interaction between mom, baby, and the tire was caught on camera. Two-year-old elephant calf Perm Poon, who resides at Samui Elephant Haven in Bophut on Thailand’s Koh Samui island with…


UK Urged to Take Action Against ‘Golden Visa’ Recipients Linked to Russian Government

The UK government has been urged to take action against people granted so-called “golden visas” who have close links to the Kremlin and pose a security risk to the UK, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to send troops into eastern Ukraine. The main opposition Labour Party has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel demanding…


What’s Your Fortune?

I’m a big fan of Chinese food. I’m also a fan of fortune cookies, and I generally grab a handful when I pick up an order. My husband and I generally save these little crisp, sweet, folded morsels until the end of the meal and then share our ‘fortunes’ with one another. I thought his…


UN Projects Climate Change Will Increase Risk of Catastrophic Wildfires

A new report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) predicts that climate change will raise the global likelihood of catastrophic wildfires—defined as one-in-100-year wildfires—by a factor of 1.31 to 1.57. “The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report indicates that weather conducive to wildfires (‘fire weather’—hot, dry, and windy) is becoming more…


Alaskan Miner Sells Giant 12,000 Carat Opal Bigger Than a Brick for Nearly $144,000 at Auction

A gemstone, billed as one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, was sold for $143,750 at auction in Alaska on Sunday. The opal, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals. It also has a long history. Most recently, it was kept in…


Airbnb ‘Proud’ to Reach ‘Milestone’ Target of Housing 20,000 Afghan Refugees, Plans to House 20,000 More

Airbnb announced on Feb. 22 that it will accommodate another 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan and other countries after meeting its previous goal of housing 20,000. In a statement, the San Francisco-headquartered company said it was “proud” to have met its previous goal of providing free housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees and is marking the “important milestone”…