Big check to the church for communion ?

https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-meeting-with-pope-francis/

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with His Holiness Pope Francis in Vatican City. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to working closely with the Holy See to address global challenges and the needs of the world’s least fortunate and most vulnerable, including refugees and migrants. The Secretary thanked Pope Francis for his longstanding leadership on the need to care for the environment and tackle the climate crisis. The Secretary and Pope Francis also discussed China as well as the humanitarian crises in Lebanon, Syria, the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and Venezuela.

http://uawire.org/sea-breeze-2021-multinational-military-exercises-kick-off-in-black-sea

The current exercises are the largest in 20 years. They will last from June 28 to July 10.

From the Ukrainian side, 24 ships and boats, 17 aircraft, dozens of weapons and military equipment will take part in the exercises. In addition, out of 3,000 participants of the exercises, half of the personnel will be Ukrainian military.

See Breeze-2021 will have four phases: the arrival of forces and the deployment of control points, the coordination phase, the active phase, the conclusion of training and withdrawing of forces. About 50 military from 17 countries will be advisers and observers at Sea Breeze 2021.

"In general, the participants of the international exercises want to convey to the world the importance of security, peace and stability in the Black Sea region," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry added.

Earlier, Russia called on the United States and NATO not to take part in this joint military exercises with Ukraine. The Russian embassy in the U.S. said that the exercises "encourage militaristic sentiments in Kyiv."

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/the-common-cold-makes-a-comeback-in-colorado

Doctors seeing viruses circulating off-season

Doctors are seeing a resurgence of viruses not typical in the summer months.

Many Coloradans enjoyed a break from seasonal coughing and sneezing during the pandemic, as we kept our distance and wore masks. But as more of us return to work and resume pre-pandemic behaviors, colds are making a comeback.

“We’re starting to see some respiratory viruses and diseases, gastrointestinal viruses. Norovirus is making a comeback a little bit too,” said Sam Dominguez, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued an alert for a surge in Respiratory Syntactical Virus (RSV) for the southern states.

“We usually never, ever see RSV in the summer,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said because of the measures people took to prevent the spread of COVID-19, viruses that normally circulate during the winter were almost non-existent, and some of our immunity to those viruses may have waned. Immunity to different viruses lasts for different amounts of time.

“I do have some concern this might be a more severe respiratory season coming up,” Dominguez said.

To prevent colds, doctors suggest people practice good hygiene, like frequent handwashing. As an extra step, Dr. Dominguez said adults and children may choose to continue wearing masks during the fall and winter months.

“Absolutely, masks are going to prevent other infections as well,” he said.

I wonder what that weighs

https://www.metro.us/blinken-and-pope-meet/

The visit follows a conference at which U.S. Roman Catholic bishops voted to draft a statement on Communion that may admonish Catholic politicians, including Biden, who support a woman’s right to abortion despite opposing the practice personally..

The bishops decided to move forward with the document, mostly disregarding a Vatican warning that it would be highly divisive.

The topic did not appear in statements by State Department spokesperson Ned Price and the Vatican and, when asked specifically at a news conference afterwards, Blinken would not be drawn.

He said the meeting with the pope was “extremely warm and very wide ranging” but he did not answer directly, saying that domestic politics was not part of his job.

Blinken gave the pope a gold and silver sculpture of a dove holding an olive branch

Jeez you gender unknowns need to clean up

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9733091/The-morning-litter-strewn-Washington-Square-Park-following-wild-weekend.html

The morning after… empty liquor bottles, beer cans, and pizza boxes are seen littered across Washington Square Park following another weekend of fights, arrests and revelry

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

The scene at Washington Square Park on Monday morning was quite dirty following another weekend of assaults, arrests and revelry, after New York City's Pride celebrations ended early Monday morning

Fallen Pride flags, empty liquor bottles and beer cans, and pizza boxes were among the trash that had been strewn about the park amidst the weekend's festivities

Thousands of people descended upon the iconic Lower Manhattan park over the weekend, while partying well past the park's midnight curfew

A food vendor was punched in the face several times late on Sunday night as the city's Pride celebrations continued in Washington Square Park, and at least three people were also arrested Sunday afternoon

NYPD officers in riot gear used pepper spray on parkgoers

Tensions were already high between the police and LGBTQ community after uniformed NYPD cops were banned from attending any official Pride events until at least 2025

Throughout June, with COVID restrictions lifted, Washington Square Park has been the site of rowdy all-night parties and even illegal boxing matches

The park has been the site of stabbings and drug use, to the fury of well-heeled local residents in Greenwich Village

http://ballot-access.org/2021/06/28/maine-legislature-will-make-final-decision-on-letting-independents-vote-in-primaries-on-june-30/

Although the Maine legislature has already passed LD 231, which lets independents vote in partisan primaries, the bill is not entirely through the legislature. It is on the Appropriations Table, which means it won’t take effect unless money in the budget is appropriated to handle the small amount of expense caused by the bill. That will be settled on June 30.