Construction company Skanska U.S.A. halted work on the church in December 2017 when the archdiocese ran out of money to complete the project. The half-finished church has been covered in white tarp since then.

NEW YORK (AP) Two years after a lack of funds halted construction of a marble-clad Greek Orthodox church at New York's World Trade Center site, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Greek Orthodox officials announced plans to resume construction with the goal of finishing the rebuilding by the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The completed St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, will welcome visitors from all faiths while also replacing an Orthodox church that was buried in the rubble of the trade center's south tower.

"This house of worship will serve as a reminder that our collective faith is something we can always count on to move past our painful memories and build a better tomorrow," Cuomo said in a statement.

Archbishop Elpidophoros, the head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, pledged that the rebuilt church will be "open to all women and men of goodwill who wish to honor the memory of all who perished on Sept. 11."

The cost estimate of the church just south of the rebuilt trade center's memorial pools has ballooned from $20 million when the design was announced in 2013 to $80 million, of which $40 million remains to be raised, said the Rev. Alex Karloutsos, vicar general of the archdiocese.

Construction company Skanska U.S.A. halted work on the church in December 2017 when the archdiocese ran out of money to complete the project. The half-finished church has been covered in white tarp since then.

Karloutsos said archdiocesan officials expect construction to resume by early March.

"We have a full understanding of the cost and we have a construction manager named," he said. "We're going to be very transparent and accountable."

The design for the church by Calatrava, also the architect responsible for the trade center's bird-shaped Oculus train hall, features a central dome flanked by towers like the two Byzantine shrines that inspired it, the Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora. The concrete structure will be sheathed in marble, and its dome will be lighted from the inside at night.

Officials with the archdiocese have acknowledged financial mismanagement during the tenure of the previous archbishop, Demetrios, who recently retired last year at age 91.

The new archbishop, Elpidophoros, said last June when he was installed as the first new leader in 20 years for the 1.5-million Greek Orthodox worshipers in the United States that completing the St. Nicholas shrine at the World Trade Center was his top priority.

Elpidophoros and Cuomo said an independent 13-member board called Friends of St. Nicholas will lead the fundraising effort to complete construction. The board will be chaired by Greek-American businessman Dennis Mehiel, former chairman of New York's Battery Park City Authority.

Elpidophoros led a ceremony at the shuttered construction site on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas' feast day, calling the rebuilding of the church "the single most important public affirmation of our Orthodox faith in our American nation" since the late Archbishop Iakovos marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama in 1965.

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Rebuilding of Church Lost in 9/11 Attacks to Resume - Construction Equipment Guide

Through its long history, Chatham has been known by many monikers, and now it may be acquiring a new one.

Without doubt, Chatham will be the organ town, says the Rev. Joseph Marchio, pastor, director of music and organist at the First Congregational Church of Chatham.

The church, celebrating its tercentennial this year, is joining St. Christophers Episcopal Church and the First United Methodist Church in upgrading their organs. The Congregational organ will be what Marchio calls a world-class instrument.

One blustery cold morning last week Marchio led a visitor on a tour of the church at 650 Main St., which is undergoing a renovation. Since November, Marchio and administrative assistant Mary Lou Foley have been using offices at the Methodist church up the street until the renovations are complete, scheduled for Sept. 1. The congregation moved its weekly services to St. Martins Lodge Hall. To provide music during the church services, the church has rented a digital organ.

The $700,000 upgrade to the organ is very much tied in with the churchs $2.5 million renovation. Renovations include improving handicap access and installing a new elevator that will run from the basement up three floors to the churchs attic and be large enough to hold a gurney in an emergency.

The entire project, known as Vision 2020, is all about improving the accessibility, functionality and hospitality of the church, Marchio says.

In the sanctuary, the northern wall will be pushed out 24 feet and a room will be created behind the sanctuary. The organ cabinetthat is the place where the organ pipes are housedwill be pushed back several feet into a recessed chamber, adding much-needed space to the chancel. Previously, the chancel was crowded as the organs console, the choir, the minister and more shared space there. Yet when the project is complete, when you sit in a pew in the sanctuary very little will look different.

The churchs organ was built in 1972 and donated by Robert Harned, a local physician who was then the choir director.

The organ served us well until recently when it was showing its age, says Cam Koblish, a member of the capital campaign committee who is overseeing the overall construction project. Marty Koblish, Cams wife, is, along with Bob Hessler, co-chairing the capital campaign. Parts like leather seals and valves start to show age.

The 48-year-old organ, built in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec by the firm of Casavant Freres, had 1,200 pipes which were housed behind the chancel. In the front, known as the faade, 18 large metal pipes were visible while the rest were hidden behind a latticed screen. In 2007 the church acquired a new electrified consolethat is the key and footboard portion of the organ. The console can be moved around to various places for worship and concerts.

The new organ will have 1,550 pipes. Of these, about 850 will be reconditioned while the remainder will be new. Added will be stops such as an oboe, three or four flutes and a herald trumpet.

The bride comes down the aisle, she wants the trumpet tune, Marchio says. The trumpet will also be used for festive hymns and concerts.

Now, heres how Chatham will become an organ town. While the new Dobson Pipe Organ that will be installed at St. Christophers is of French design, Marchio says, and the organ installed at the Methodist church a few years ago is of German design, the new organ at this church will be a little English cathedral organ.

No two organs are alike, and any given church will choose the one that sounds best in its sanctuary, says Marchio, who worked summers during high school and college with an organ builder.

In the Protestant tradition, hymn singing is fundamental, Marchio adds. The organ needed at this church is one to accompany the human voice. It will do more than great justice.

Down in the churchs fellowship hall, the construction crew is taking a coffee break. Along the side of the room the organ pipes that will not be reconditioned are standing in racks against a wall. Pipes range from the size of a pencil to 16 feet. Marchio picks one up and blows into it, creating a sound somewhat like a trumpeting elephant, startling everyone in the room.

Each pipe has a price tag as they will be sold as a part of the fundraising effort for the new organ. If additional funds can be raised, the organ can eventually have 1,800 pipes and even more stops.

People who are into history and want a little piece of ithow fun to have an organ pipe from a church thats going to be 300 years old, Marty Koblish says. She suggests the pipes could be blown at the towns annual noise parade during First Night celebrations.

In another commemorative effort, Forest Beach Design has designed a custom charm or pendant in sterling silver and 14-karat gold that shows the exterior of the church. The charm and the organ pipes will be sold through the church.

When the organ is completed this summer, Marchio will travel up to Saint Hyacinthe, about 50 miles from Montreal, and test-play the organ. When the pipes finally arrive in Chatham, it will take about five weeks to unpack, install and voice them.

For information on donating to the Vision 2020 project and the organ, visit http://www.chathamcongregational.org.

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New Organ Will Be Centerpiece Of Congregational Church Renovation - Cape Cod Chronicle

It will be able to host up to 40 thousand faithful and will be dedicated to Sofia Divine -Wisdom. Its construction was commissioned by Fr. Ilja Nozdin, spiritual father of the same patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev). It will be financed by some spiritual sons of the starets Sergij Romanov. The church already attracts many Chinese. It is an Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia. It will rise in the area where the family of Tsar Nicholas II was killed. It could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The largest Christian (or at least Orthodox) church in the world will be built in the territory of the female monastery dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "Bread Dispenser", capable of gathering almost 40,000 faithful.

The starets of the monastery, the skhiigumen Sergij (Romanov - see photo 1), announced the project to the Znak.com website. He is an almost legendary and rather mysterious character, with an (apparently) criminal past, with links to many Russian public figures: the Duma deputy Natalja Poklonskaja (ex-Crimean prosecutor), the hockey champion Pavel Datsjuk, the singer Aleksandr Novikov and others, including several entrepreneurs and oligarchs, all ready to finance the grandiose project.

Zhanna Rjabtseva revealed some details of the building plan. Ryabtseva is president of the regional parliament in Sverdlovsk, the Ekaterinburg area, and also a parishioner of Father Sergij. He states that the idea of the super-church was approved directly by another famous Igumen, father Ilja (Nozdrin), spiritual father of the same patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev). The church will be dedicated to Sofia, Divine Wisdom and will reach 77 meters in height, with a dome of 22 meters in height and 33 meters in diameter (the vaults of St. Peter's in Rome are 45 meters high, even if the Michelangelo dome reaches 133 meters).

The entire complex will be arranged in three large naves and will contain two churches, a lower one of 11 thousand square meters for 20 thousand people, and an upper of 6.5 thousand square meters for over 18 thousand faithful (photos 2 and 3). According to Rjabtseva the construction of the stylobate, the overall base, will begin this year and the foundations will be extended over 100x100 meters. The completion date, according to his words "are in the hands of God, but it will be a great popular event". When asked who the financiers of the project are, the only answer was that "they will be some of Father Sergij's spiritual children."

Again according to Rjabtseva, many Chinese would also be interested in the construction, fascinated by the events that led the members of the imperial family of Nicholas II to conclude their earthly journey on the Urals, and would have asked to receive baptism in these places, while now Chinese converts must go to other parts, such as the Diveevo monastery (founded by St. Seraphim of Sarov) or to the Lavra della the Holy Trinity of Saint Sergius, to reach the sources of the great Russian spirituality; over a thousand baptisms of Chinese per day are expected in the new church. " In this way, the church of St. Sophia would become the main Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia.

An entrepreneur interviewed, but under anonymity, explained that the fundraising had already been underway for the past couple of years, and that it took only a year and a half to determine the land on which to build the church, three and a half hectares of countryside owned by the Krekov family, whose members were initially unwilling to divest. President Rjabtseva then managed to convince them to sell it to the diocese of Ekaterinburg, for a sum that remained reserved, presumably close to 5 million euros. The Krekovs reject all request for interviews, declaring only that "our silence was one of the conditions of the agreement".

Even the diocese has so far not commented on the project, but has promised to convene journalists on the matter shortly. In the circles of the Muscovite Patriarchate there is no precise information on the future "super-cathedral", but for some time now it has been discussing various devotional and architectural initiatives to honor the memory of the tsar-martyr and his family in the Ekaterinburg area.

On the site of the assassination of Nicholas II, the so-called "Ipat'ev house", the large church "on Blood" has already been raised, of over 3 thousand square meters for a capacity of about 2 thousand faithful. The other major churches of Russia are the patriarchal cathedral of the Holy Savoir in Moscow, planned for 10 thousand faithful, and that of St. Isaac in St. Petersburg for over 11 thousand, even if it currently is still being used as a museum, despite the Churches request it be returned. The great Ural church could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia.

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RUSSIA The largest church in the Orthodox world will rise on the Urals - AsiaNews

By Dennis Mehiel and Michael Psaros January 25, 2020

Michael Psaros. (Photo by TNH/Costas Bej)

We were shocked by the appearance of a paid advertisement in the National Herald a few days ago urging our Omogeneia to abandon the St. Nicholas National Shrine. The completion of the Saint Nicholas Church and National Shrine is a singular priority for our community as we approach the one hundredth anniversary of the Archdiocese of America. The National Shrine will be the only religious institution on Ground Zero, a symbol and beacon of global Orthodoxy, and the most visited Church in New York (up to ten million people per year visit the World Trade Center).

It will also stand as an immortal monument to the memory of the 3,000 people who were murdered and martyred on September 11, 2001. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros has stated with conviction that completing the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine is the single most important civil act of the Orthodox Church in America, since Archbishop Iakovos marched across the Bridge at Selma with Dr. King.

His Eminence also believes that the completion of the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine will be a symbol of the resurgence of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, resulting in the re-engagement of our Faithful, the Nation, and the world with renewed vitality.

The National Shrine will also be a symbol to the world of New Yorks and Americas resilience, a living icon of American values and value system, and a declaration of Americas commitment to freedom. Governor Cuomo said that St. Nicholas is not just a national shrine, but a rather a global shrine. St. Nicholas is a symbol of peace and unity to a country that is desperately divided and to a world which is in chaos.

His personal conviction was not just clear, but moving, and he pledged the unconditional support of the State and the Port Authority to our effort. Friends, with the extraordinary support of our Omogeneia, together will pick up the Cross with faith, humility, and prayer to complete the construction of the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine. We, are confident that we, the Church militant, will prove ourselves worthy of the Church triumphant.

*Dennis Mehiel and Michael Psaros are Chair and Co-Chair of The Friends of St. Nicholas

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Have Faith in Saint Nicholas! - The National Herald

A group of volunteers were busy Saturday as they wrapped up construction on a Habitat for Humanity home.

First United Methodist Church volunteers partnered with Habitat for Humanity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Just about every room of the house was occupied as seven volunteers cleaned, painted and used an electric saw machine and nail gun.

While each volunteer worked separately or in pairs, they all did it for one common goal: to complete a house that will soon be turned over to a family.

"We are in the final stages of this particular house build," said Josh Beshears, repairs manager for Habitat for Humanity. "We are set to dedicate this one Thursday, Jan. 23, so we have about six days."

As a spiritual-based organization, Habitat for Humanity leans on church partners to provide volunteers, Beshears said.

"In essence, the way that we build is with volunteer labor, so the more people we can have come out to give a hand, the faster and better the product becomes," Beshears said.

In addition to the seven volunteers at the construction site, four volunteers spent part of their day at ReStore, Habitat for Humanity's home improvement store.

With over 2,000 volunteer hours put into the house, Beshears said he hopes helping build gives the volunteers a sense of community and accomplishment.

"We always want to empower people to do new things, to help not only themselves but help others," Beshears said. "Volunteers learn skills, they learn the building component. We always like to say, 'Hey, if there's something you really wanted to do, come here we will teach you how to do it.' Our entire house, with the exception of all the trade work, is done by volunteer labor. So all this dry wall you see hung, the flooring, the cabinets, the closets we teach people how to do all of those things."

Natalie Barbee, a volunteer, worked in the house's basement Saturday morning cleaning and organizing the storage room. This was her first time volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

"My dad has always worked in the construction business for many years, and my son also has done it so I thought it was my turn," Barbee said.

Barbee hopes to leave with a sense of giving back.

"A home is such a comforting feeling, and I hope that (the family) feels the love that we put into this," Barbee said.

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CapFed Best News: Church volunteers give back in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day - The Topeka Capital-Journal

Six Voorhees College students pose together for the colleges announcement in June 2019 that they were selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the colleges paid internship program. Photo: Voorhees College

[Episcopal News Service] Christina Donovan considers herself a nontraditional undergraduate student. At age 27, she is older than many of her classmates at Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Yet she exemplifies, with her personal background and academic interests, the type of student whom administrators say they strive to serve at Voorhees, a historically black college whose ties to The Episcopal Church date to 1924.

With about 500 students, the colleges faculty can devote greater attention to nurturing students academically than what pupils could expect at a large university, Donovan told Episcopal News Service. And as a young black woman from Brooklyn, New York, she appreciates being joined by other African American students as they spend these years focused on their education.

Christina Donovan, a senior at Voorhees College, served last year as president of the Student Government Association. Photo: Voorhees College

On campus, everybody knows everybody, she said, like a family. I love it. The fact that I was able to be around people that looked like me was a little easier because youre not competing or not dealing with a lot of the issues.

Those issues often center around race and racial tensions, which sometimes become distractions in multiracial learning environments, Donovan said. Instead, her academic career has flourished since she left New York in 2017 for Voorhees, including a stint last year as the colleges Student Government Association president and a fellowship this year with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Behind the success of students like Donovan is a range of assistance financial, administrative, spiritual provided to the college by The Episcopal Church, Voorhees President W. Franklin Evans said in an interview with ENS. He became president in 2016 and has been encouraged since then by the churchs solidification of its financial support. The churchs last two triennial budgets included more than $1.6 million for Voorhees and Saint Augustines University in Raleigh, North Carolina, another historically black school with Episcopal roots.

Having support from The Episcopal Church is paramount, Evans said, and the importance of that connection to the church goes beyond the direct payments that help Voorhees and Saint Augustines keep operating. Church staff, particularly in its development office, have helped the colleges improve their financial controls and increase their own fundraising capacity.

Its really critical that we have donors, and we are able to tap into folks who can really help us financially, he said.

The church also is in its third year raising money for the two schools through its Absalom Jones offering, named for the first black Episcopal priest. The campaign has collected more than $75,000 in the past two years, and this years campaign is underway, leading up to Joness feast day on Feb. 13. Donations can be made online here.

Such assistance, as well as the churchs administrative guidance, has been critical to ensuring that Voorhees and Saint Augustines maintain their accreditations after the uncertainty of previous years.

That uncertainty was particularly acute at Saint Augustines, which just two years ago was operating under the cloud of probation and the threat of losing its accreditation due to past financial struggles and enrollment decline. In December 2018, however, the university announced it had turned a corner after implementing its improvement plan; its accrediting agency removed Saint Augustines from probation and granted it a 10-year accreditation.

W. Franklin Evans has served as Voorhees Colleges president since 2016. Photo: Voorhees College

Voorhees received its 10-year accreditation in 2011, though it was still working to bring some of its operations up to standards, such as in record-keeping and financial management, Evans said. Shortly after he became president, the college completed a five-year review, and its accrediting agency responded favorably, without identifying any concerns. The college now is preparing for its next 10-year reaccreditation, in 2021.

The Episcopal Churchs recent work with historically black colleges and universities, also known as HBCUs, coincides with a greater emphasis on racial reconciliation under the leadership of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who was elected in 2015 as the first African American bishop to head the church. Evans said Voorhees is looking forward to welcoming Curry to speak on campus this April 7 as part of the colleges 123rd Founders Day celebration.

Historically black colleges and universities are essential institutions that help prepare people from diverse backgrounds for success in an array of vital professions, Curry said in a news release this month announcing the Absalom Jones offering campaign. It is fitting that we honor his memory by lending our support to two schools that continue to form new African-American leaders.

Historically black colleges and universities like Voorhees and Saint Augustines were founded in the post-Civil War period to provide educational opportunities to black men and women who were excluded from white institutions of higher learning because of segregation. Saint Augustines was established in 1867 by The Episcopal Church and opened its doors the following January. The school that later would become Voorhees College was founded in 1897, and The Episcopal Church has supported it since 1924.

The Rev. Martini Shaw, chair of the HBCU committee of The Episcopal Churchs Executive Council, thinks the church stepped up its support of those two schools in 2015 at a critical time, particularly given the uncertainty at Saint Augustines.

Having the support and the partnership of the church really helped the school attain accreditation, said Shaw, rector at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Absalom Jones first served as rector.

The HBCU committee also is encouraged by recent enrollment and fundraising gains at Voorhees. The church continues to serve as a partner and a supporter of the institution, Shaw told ENS. His committee has scheduled an in-person meeting on the campus in April, which he explained, is our way of letting them know at Voorhees that the church is in full support of that institution.

The churchs financial support in recent years has included hundreds of thousands of dollars through various grant programs, including Educational Enterprise Grants, Sustainability Grants and the United Thank Offering program. The UTO grant of $73,700 that was awarded to Voorhees in 2019 is supporting a renovation and construction project on campus that includes an admissions center and a community wellness complex.

We believe in the mission of educating young people in order that they might become all that God intends for them to be, as positive, productive citizens of our nation and the world, Episcopal Church Chief Financial Officer Kurt Barnes said by email. By enabling a healthy, continuing and independent Voorhees, we hope the relationship promotes racial healing, justice and reconciliation.

When Donovan graduates this spring with a bachelors degree in mass communications, shed like to find an opportunity to continue working in Washington but doesnt yet have firm plans. She will leave Voorhees with memories for a lifetime, like the time she served as the thurifer on Absalom Jones feast day in the campuss St. Philips Chapel and smoked it out with an intense level of incense.

The colleges affiliation with The Episcopal Church was one reason she was drawn to Voorhees. Im able to still have my church life and be at school, she said, also recalling childhood Sundays when she would serve as an acolyte at Christ Church in Brooklyns Bay Ridge neighborhood, near her home in Sheepshead Bay.

Donovan will remember feeling initially apprehensive at moving to a small Southern city but then quickly right at home as a part of the campus community. Her memories also will include listening to Voorhees professors who shared with students their experiences traveling to Ghana and seeing firsthand the vestiges of the transatlantic slave trade.

Shell also remember her first visit to campus when she learned about Voorhees founding in 1897 by Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, whose mission was to improve black lives through education. And the college continues to keep her spirit alive for new generations of students like herself, Donovan said.

Its a place for you to find who you are and what you can do for the world or in your community.

David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

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Voorhees College draws on strong bond with Episcopal Church to live into educational mission - Episcopal News Service

The south side of Temple Square in Salt Lake City is about to look drastically different.

Demolition on the Temple Square South Visitors Center and portions of the Temple Squares south wall began Friday as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints starts a four-year renovation of its Salt Lake Temple and the surrounding grounds.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed the churchs iconic temple on Dec. 29.

The decommissioning process involves removing furnishings and sacred elements to the church from the inside of the temple in preparation for the renovation.

In the past week, hazardous materials abatement teams have begun work, according to the church.

Workers are now preparing the site ahead of excavation, the church announced Friday.

The site preparation process includes removal of statues from the grounds, including statues of the churchs founder Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith that stood south of temple. The two statues each of which weigh 18,000 pounds were put in storage.

The church also said that trees and vegetation are being removed but that they are trying to preserve some of the trees.

Andy Kirby, director of historic temple renovations for the church said in a release Friday that the tall Cedar of Lebanon tree, brought to Temple Square as a seedling more than 70 years ago, will be preserved during the renovation.

Its a special tree. Its beautiful, beloved by many, so well go through great efforts to preserve this tree as we excavate around it, Kirby said.

The excavation around the Salt Lake Temple will also start soon, according to the church. The excavation will allow for access to the temples foundation for the installation of a base isolation system that will help protect against earthquake damage.

Were designing our earthquake stabilization system to withstand ground motions or forces from an earthquake similar to a 7.2 [magnitude] earthquake, Kirby said.

The church is also emphasizing that Temple Square remains open for visitors during the renovation.

The Salt Lake Temples renovation is expected to be completed in 2024, and will be followed by a public open house and rededication.

The temple is one of the churchs pioneer-era buildings, and was completed in 1893. Several of the churchs temples from that era will be renovated, including the St. George, Manti and Logan temples.

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Demolition begins at Temple Square as part of Salt Lake Temple renovation project - Daily Herald

Happy Friday! Where yours truly is a little in awe and a little dazed at the idea of China in the span of six days building an entire hospital to handle patients of the coronavirus. The pictures from the construction site with what looks like a toddlers toy boxs worth of excavators alone are worth clicking through for.

Speaking of, you may have just may have heard theres a coronavirus outbreak happening in China. Considering Ive processed nearly 40 stories per day on the topic, I found it impossible to link to just one. If youd like to thoroughly check out the full onslaught, weve got you covered. But here are some highlights:

Although the death toll has climbed to 26 people, there are more than 800 confirmed cases, which means the death rate is not startlingly high. On top of that, mostly older men with underlying illnesses are the ones who have succumbed to the virus.

One case has been confirmed in the United States and one possible case reported. Airports in five major U.S. hubs ramped up their screenings of passengers coming in from China.

The World Health Organization is holding off on declaring a global emergency since there have been few cases outside China, and the disease doesnt seem to be spreading within other countries.

This happened at possibly one of the worst times it could have, as millions of Chinese had been preparing to travel to their hometowns for the Spring Festival.

How do you avoid the coronavirus? Wash your hands. Thats way more effective than those face masks.

Bottom line is, right now, unless you just came back from the Wuhan area in China, you probably dont need to worry about getting infected. But it does raise a good question: Is the United States ready to handle a pandemic? Experts say that, although strides have been made in recent years, no, now we are not.

The Washington Post: U.S. Readiness for a Viral Outbreak Has Improved, But Theres a Long Way to Go

And dont forget to get your flu shot! So far, in the U.S. 6,600 have died and 120,000 have been hospitalized during the 2019-20 flu season.

Whew! OK, believe it or not there was other news beyond the coronavirus.

The Supreme Court gave Republicans some breathing room when it declined a request to fast-track the health law case. The Democrats defending the law wanted the justices to make a decision before the 2020 elections and (nervous) Republicans were like, Nooo, please take your time. Any decision would have been ammo for Democrats right at the height of election season. Dems used Republicans attacks on the increasingly popular law to surge into the House during the previous midterms.

CNN: Supreme Court Signals It Wont Consider Obamacare Challenge Before Election

Meanwhile, the debate over contraception coverage is going to land back in front of the justices. At the heart of the case the justices agreed to hear lies the question: Can the Trump administration allow all sorts of employers with religious or moral objections to contraception to opt out of the coverage requirement? The overarching issue is no stranger to the Supreme Court, but it comes with the caveat that most lawsuits will come within the coming year: With conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch now on the bench, past cases wont dictate what we can expect from current ones.

The New York Times: Supreme Court to Consider Limits on Contraception Coverage

On that note, March for Life swept into the nations capital Friday, but many advocates on both sides of the culture war have their sights trained a little further in the distance namely, at Supreme Court oral arguments a little more than a month away. The case over a Louisiana law requiring hospital admitting privileges for abortion providers will be the first big abortion case in front of the newly conservative court.

The Associated Press: Supreme Court Case Looms Large for Rivals in Abortion Debate

If all goes as scheduled, President Donald Trump will become the first sitting president to speak in person at the March for Life event. Trump, who in the past called himself very pro-choice, has found a fierce political ally in the anti-abortion movement in fact, the announcement that he would speak at the event came just a few days after the Susan B. Anthony List said it would spend $52 million to help the presidents reelection.

The Washington Post: Trump to Become the First President to Speak in Person at March for Life

In other news, Trump restored womens health funding in Texas, rolling back an Obama-era punishment for the state for excluding abortion providers from its program. The decision could give other conservative states the green light to cut off family planning funding for groups like Planned Parenthood.

Texas Tribune: Donald Trump Restores Womens Health Funding in Texas Stripped by Obama

Trump handed Democrats a gift this week when he mused that the idea of cutting entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare were on the table as a way to rein in the deficit. Dems sprang into action as might be expected voters have a history of being, uh, less than receptive to that idea by highlighting Trumps previous campaign promises to protect such safety-net programs. Trump then walked back the statement, tweeting: I have totally left [Social Security] alone, as promised, and will save it!

The New York Times: Trump Tries to Walk Back Entitlement Comments As Democrats Pounce

CNBC: Davos 2020: CNBCs Full Interview With President Trump

CMS is apparently full steam ahead in crafting guidance that would help states transform their Medicaid programs into a block-grant model. Although some say the rules could come as early as this month, theres still some disagreement over the scope of the plan. The terminology might even get a rebranding away from block grant, as the phrase has quite a bit of partisan baggage.

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration to Soon Issue Guidance on Medicaid Block Grants

Politico: Trump Administration Finalizing Medicaid Block Grant Plan Targeting Obamacare

Insurers are getting in on the hot new trend for curbing high drug prices manufacturing your own generics. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and 18 of its health plans are teaming up with Civica Rx to make up to 10 yet-to-be-determined high-cost generics in an effort to increase competition and address shortages. The move comes not long after California Gov. Gavin Newsom floated a similar proposal for his state.

Stat: Civica Rx Teams With Blue Cross Blue Shield to Widen Market for Generics

HHS Secretary Alex Azar apparently had to bear the brunt of Trumps anger after the president got polling data showing Democrats are more trusted than Republicans on such health care topics as controlling high drug prices.

Politico: Trump Berates Azar Over Bad Health Care Polling

In the miscellaneous file for the week:

Workers who struggle with depression or other mental health issues cant get fired because of existing federal protections. But churches are exempt. Pastors routinely lose their positions after church officials learn of their diagnoses.

The Wall Street Journal: Its Like I Got Kicked Out of My Family. Churches Struggle With Mental Health in the Ranks.

After a Native American girls disappearance, state and federal law enforcement quickly mobilized a search instead of letting the case go cold. This shouldnt be notable, and yet it is.

The New York Times: Rural Montana Had Already Lost Too Many Native Women. Then Selena Disappeared.

Should congressional candidates be able to use campaign funds to pay for health care? One progressive Georgia Democrat says that not allowing candidates to do so creates structural barriers that make running for office cost-prohibitive for middle-class Americans.

The Hill: House Candidate Asks FEC to Let Her Use Campaign Funds for Health Insurance

A new wave of state-level laws have been introduced to penalize medical providers who give certain types of care to young transgender patients. The speed and sheer number of bills introduced in recent weeks have prompted transgender advocates to mobilize in response.

The Washington Post: Republican State Lawmakers Push Bills to Restrict Medical Treatments for Transgender Youths

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Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes - Kaiser Health News

I HOPE Braintree Council, Abbeyfields and the various bodies and organisations involved in construction work on Polys Hill in Bocking realise there are no road signs or markings to warn motorists that there is a concealed entrance or even a warning sign that the site is under construction.

If at any time during construction of the site - and even when it is completed - someone is exiting on to Polys Hill and a fast-approaching vehicle is coming down the hill, the chances are that as there is a blind corner and a concealed entrance, there will be a very nasty accident and the vehicle exiting will be pushed right down the hill past the mini roundabout in Church Lane.

And look at the state of that lovely hedge, an absolute mess, and talking of mess. There is still evidence of mud and remains of the hedge cuttings on the road.

The site management must surely be held fully responsible for this, just imagine when its wet with that mud on the road, how far would a vehicle skid?

What we all could have done with on that site in Bocking was a decent shopping centre with all of the essential things that most of us need, this would then perhaps encourage a bus company to put a regular bus service along Church Lane, something the elderly population must have.

Also take a look at the amount of asphalt used, it gives the impression of a aircraft runway.

Kenneth Pallant Church Lane, Bocking

Originally posted here:
LETTER: Work site needs better signage to avoid accident - Braintree and Witham Times

St Lukes Church at Tixover has reopened for services following refurbishment.

Restoration of the roof, windows, stone and plaster was funded by a 97,000 grant from landfill operator Mick George Ltd, through its community fund, and carried out by Messenger Construction of Collyweston.

The early 12th Century church is one of the oldest in Rutland. Standing alone in fields, it has no electricity and is lit by candles, attracting many visitors to its monthly services.

Churchwarden David Gandy said: I have been in the construction business for over 60 years and was most impressed by Messengers performance.

They started and completed the works to the agreed schedule, provided skilled crafts-men such as are required for such work, and were a pleasure to do business with.

An official re-opening will coincide with the Candlemas service on Sunday, February 2.

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Candlelit church restored o glory with landfill money - Stamford Mercury