Our Top 10 Tony Orlando &; Dawn songs list looks back at the magical career of a widely successful pop group from the 1970s led by Tony Orlando. The brilliant artist started his musical career in the late 1950s as a songwriter in the legendary Brill Building. Throughout the 1960s‚ Tony Orlando had his hand in everything as a songwriter‚ a singer of demos‚ a solo artist with a few minor hit singles‚ and a producer and record executive responsible for signing Barry Manilow. However‚ his recording of the song “Candida‚” under the band name Dawn‚ would turn him into The post Why We Love These 10 Tony Orlando &; Dawn Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Alien Ant Farm was formed in Riverside‚ California‚ in 1996. The band’s original lineup consisted of Dryden Mitchell (vocals)‚ Terry Corso (guitar)‚ Tye Zamora (bass)‚ and Mike Cosgrove (drums). Known for their energetic and inventive approach to alternative rock and nu-metal‚ Alien Ant Farm gained widespread attention in the early 2000s. As of my last update in April 2023‚ the band has released five studio albums: “Greatest Hits” (1999)‚ “ANThology” (2001)‚ “Truant” (2003)‚ “Up in the Attic” (2006)‚ and “Always and Forever” (2015). Alien Ant Farm’s commercial breakthrough came with their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal‚” featured on their The post Complete List of Alien Ant Farm Albums And Discography appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

The Biden Administration last week announced it would be seizing patents for drugs and drug manufacturing procedures developed using government money. A draft of the new law‚ seen by Reuters‚ said that the government will consider various factors including whether a medical situation is leading to increased prices of the drug at any given time‚ […] The post US Sets Policy to Seize Patents of Government-Funded Drugs if Price Deemed Too High appeared first on Good News Network.

As we wrap the latest chapter of the SFF Bestiary‚ I’m drowning in a plethora of mermaid films. It took me a while to decide which one to focus on‚ but ultimately the choice was not too difficult. I picked the one that best expressed the spirit of silly season. There are actually two Chinese films called The Mermaid. The 2016 film that’s better known (and a huge hit) is Stephen Chow’s comedy-romance about an obnoxious billionaire who’s killing off merpeople with his nifty new sonar invention. In that one‚ the mermaid is charged with killing him‚ but ends up in love with him instead. That’s not The Mermaid I found. The one I watched premiered in 2021‚ and is just about a point-for-point hommage to that great American classic‚ Splash‚ but with more mermaid backstory. The human love interest is a conflation of the Tom Hanks and Eugene Levy characters‚ and the mermaid has hidden depths—and a whole new family. Here the focus is on the research scientists who are looking for proof of the existence of mermaids. Evil senior scientist (complete with villainous pencil mustache) sets up trap to catch one. Adorable young marine biologist leads the attack. But first we see a pair of fishermen‚ and a mermaid who swims up to the boat and seduces one of them. The other comes at her with a knife‚ but she escapes. The leader of her clan—the subtitles call him “Patriarch”—rises up to smite the fishermen with swirls of blue magic. He hasn’t killed them; he’s cast them into a trance. They’ll wake‚ he says to the whole clan as it rises out of the waves‚ with no memory of what happened. That’s one of the mermaids’ powers. And then comes the attack‚ and the capture of the mermaid who originally approached the boat. But adorable young marine biologist falls overboard in the aftermath‚ and wakes up in a strange beachy sort of house‚ with an adorably perky young woman who informs him that she’s his bride-to-be. He’s apparently come to shore as a castaway‚ and been taken in by a human tribe. It’s their law‚ his rescuer tells him‚ that since she’s saved his life‚ he has to marry her. He is absolutely not on board with this‚ but masked clansmen convince him that it’s wise to submit. There’s a wedding on the beach‚ officiated by another masked man‚ and sealed with bracelets that serves as tokens of their love. Or her love. His is not voluntary. As soon as he can‚ he steals a boat and escapes. Which is all well and good‚ until he gets lost on his way home—and his bride pops up from under a tarp and declares brightly that she knows where to go. She’ll guide him in the right direction. The next time we see them‚ they’re in a glittering city‚ and they’re entering his apartment‚ still dressed in castaway clothes. (We won’t ask how they got from the harbor to the apartment‚ or what people thought of two very grubby people in fairly minimalist outfits. They must have had to walk; she wouldn’t have any money or ID‚ and he probably doesn’t‚ either. These are the sorts of questions Splash has taught us not to ask.) There’s much more going on than adorable young marine biologist Yang Fan realizes. Equally adorable mermaid Xiaoyu has been reading popular magazines to find out how human love works (shades of Aquamarine). She’s on a mission to rescue her captive sister and shut down the research project. While she and her reluctant (but increasingly less so) husband explore the city‚ equip her with the latest fashions‚ and introduce her to the outer levels of his workplace‚ the evil scientist and his second-favorite marine biologist have discovered a substance secreted by mermaids‚ which causes amnesia in humans. Of course it has strategic implications. They’ve been torturing their captive in order to obtain it. Yang Fan is very much against torture‚ but he’s not the man in charge. He soon deduces that Xiaoyu is a mermaid‚ though she has a magical pearl that prevents her legs from transforming into a tail when touched by water. As his feelings change toward her‚ he ends up on her side‚ and helps her clan infiltrate the research facility and rescue her sister. There’s the iconic scene‚ of course‚ with the mermaid in the bathtub. We cannot have a mermaid movie without it. And the mermaid in the tank is deteriorating terribly‚ and suffering accordingly. The end is surprisingly not warm and fuzzy. In order to save Yang Fan’s life after he’s nearly killed in the rescue attempt‚ Xiaoyu has to use up the power of the pearl. She’s already used it to wake his father from a coma—a proof of her love‚ though Yang Fan doesn’t know it. If she uses it again‚ she can save him‚ but she can never return to human form. She’s bound forever to her mermaid’s tail‚ and to the sea. Even worse‚ once he’s saved‚ Yang Fan will have no memory of her. That’s the mermaid’s gift and curse. In that way‚ the film echoes the original fairy tale. The mermaid sacrifices everything for the human beloved. He never knows‚ or in this case remembers. Or maybe not quite. Yang Fan is drawn to the sea. He spends long hours on the shore with his father in a wheelchair‚ staring out at the waves. It’s a great film to watch on late-night television‚ with its special effects reminiscent of vintage Doctor Who and Sixties sci-fi adventures‚ and its many echoes of Splash. What’s even more fun is the streaming algorithm which follows it with a whole succession of progressively more obscure and downright weird mermaid-themed movies. Last time I watched it‚ I found myself sitting up at midnight‚ unable to look away from something called Mermaid Down. I am not a fan of horror in general‚ or of gratuitous cruelty‚ but this ended up being surprisingly satisfying. It’s a weird combination of fishermen setting out to capture a mermaid and sell her for a fortune‚ truly horrible mistreatment of the captive (cut her tail off‚ sell the two pieces‚ get rich)‚ evil research scientist (in this case‚ a psychiatrist who has Plans for the human half)‚ and then suddenly we’re in a mental institution with a quirky and dare I say it delightful collection of young women patients and one older woman doctor. And Things in the basement. And a ghost. It has to be seen to be believed. The mermaid can’t speak‚ though she makes squealing sounds. She communicates in a rudimentary form of ASL‚ which one of the patients (and the ghost) can mostly interpret. (Shades of The Shape of Water.) It starts as a repellent form of slasher film (though the gore level is minimal) and turns into a celebration of female empowerment. With mermaid. And ghost. If I’d been able to stay awake past that‚ I could have been treated to the straightforward horror of Mermaid’s Song. And there’s also commenter Elise’s recommendation‚ The Lure. Horror and musical and dark comedy. That’s one I have on my list for watching later‚ though we’re done with this chapter now‚ and looking toward the new year with a new chapter and a whole new set of weird and wonderful creatures from the SFF universe. Judith Tarr is a lifelong horse person. She supports her habit by writing works of fantasy and science fiction as well as historical novels‚ many of which have been published as ebooks. She’s written a primer for writers who want to write about horses: Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting It Right. She lives near Tucson‚ Arizona with a herd of Lipizzans‚ a clowder of cats‚ and a blue-eyed dog.

Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings are wonderful. Howard Shore’s music has tremendous atmosphere‚ Jackson’s direction is emotionally perceptive‚ and the scripts (penned by Fran Walsh‚ Philippa Boyens‚ and Jackson himself‚ with Stephen Sinclair also contributing to the second film) are skillful. The performances also dazzle; Elijah Wood’s Frodo Baggins is haunted‚ Sean Astin taps into the sweetness of Samwise Gamgee‚ Andy Serkis is horrifying as Gollum‚ and Ian McKellen’s Gandalf is compassionate and comforting. There are‚ of course‚ Tolkien fans who are displeased with the changes made to the original text‚ but I actually think most of the changes work very well‚ such as Eowyn (Miranda Otto) having more of a presence in the second film. (In the books‚ it felt like she only came into her own in The Return of the King.) The one area where I find myself most disappointed with Jackson’s take‚ however‚ is his handling of the character Faramir in the theatrical release of The Two Towers. Tolkien’s Faramir is dignified and morally sound‚ and doesn’t come close to giving in to temptation for Sauron’s ring. He does show suspicion towards Frodo and Sam due to their secrecy‚ but eventually he discovers their goal (to take the ring to Mordor in order to destroy it) and releases them. In Jackson’s theatrical adaptation‚ however‚ Faramir (depicted by David Wenham) has a colder‚ threatening presence. In his very first scene‚ he does two things; shoots one of his enemies‚ and then orders Frodo and Sam to be taken prisoner. There is no discussion‚ no questioning. He simply takes them and the scene ends. When he does finally question them‚ they find out that he is the brother of their former fellowship member‚ Boromir (Sean Bean)‚ and that Boromir has died. We later see Faramir sitting in darkness and staring into the distance‚ but we have no idea what he’s thinking about; Jackson leaves this open to interpretation. In the middle of the night‚ his men discover Gollum‚ and Faramir threatens to kill him until Frodo hesitantly steps in. After questioning Gollum‚ Faramir confronts Frodo and Sam‚ and is seemingly intent on taking the Ring. It’s a chance‚ he says‚ for “Faramir‚ Captain of Gondor‚ to show his quality.” Without any context‚ this comes across as simply egotistical and a way of showcasing the Ring’s power to seduce. (In an interview with Jackson and Boyens‚ Jackson explains that they did this to maintain the sense of tension in the film; having Faramir ignore any temptation for the ring wouldn’t make sense for that goal‚ he argues.) Image: New Line Cinema Faramir takes them to the city of Osgiliath‚ which is under attack‚ and despite Sam and Frodo pleading with him‚ he still orders them taken to his father‚ with the message that he is sending a “mighty gift.” (An important phrase‚ as I’ll touch on.) After Sam’s speech about holding on to goodness in the world near the end of the film‚ Faramir (watching from a distance) tells Frodo that‚ at last‚ they understand one another. He releases them‚ even though he is warned by his men that his life will be forfeit‚ and that is the last we see of him in the film. This version is the live-action Faramir that became known to the world through the cinematic release of The Two Towers. For much of the public who never watched the extended versions or read the books‚ it is the only Faramir that they know. This is a terrible shame because the Extended Edition version of Faramir is not only much more nuanced‚ but also one of the best parts of Jackson’s adaptation. Let’s return to his very first scene‚ but this time looking at the Extended Edition. There is already a crucial difference on display: Sam protests that they are innocent travelers when Faramir’s men capture them‚ and Faramir‚ with the haunted look of a man always at war‚ observes that there are no travelers in that land‚ only servants of the dark tower. When Frodo sternly tells him that people who oppose “The Enemy” would do well to aid them‚ Faramir targets his use of ‘enemy’ immediately‚ as he stares at a dead man on the ground that he has just shot: “The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours‚ I deem. You wonder what his name is‚ where he came from‚ and if he was really evil at heart… what lies or threats led him on this long march from home… if he would not rather have stayed there in peace. War will make corpses of us all.” (This is a mildly altered version of a passage in Tolkien’s books‚ which originally comes from Sam’s thoughts.) In the context of the film‚ we see from this dialogue that Faramir is thoughtful‚ empathetic‚ and perhaps deeply tired of war. We are given moral nuance for the story as a whole‚ too. I have seen Sam’s original passage used during discussions over Tolkien’s handling of good and evil in The Lords of the Rings. The absence of this moment in the theatrical edition is staggering‚ not just for Faramir’s character‚ but for the moral texture of the tale itself. Image: New Line Cinema When he reveals that he is Boromir’s brother‚ we are also shown how he found Boromir’s body drifting in the water‚ which gives us a snippet of his own perspective instead of keeping us outside it. After this we see him holding Boromir’s split horn‚ in a pose that will mirror one his father takes in the final film‚ and then we are allowed to see what he was thinking about in that moment from the theatrical edition where he was sitting in darkness. It’s a flashback sequence‚ entirely new and absent from Tolkien’s text and the theatrical version‚ which is one of the best scenes in the entire film: Boromir stands high above the men of Gondor‚ triumphant and charismatic as he proclaims that they have retaken the city of Osgiliath from enemy forces‚ and that it will never again fall into evil hands. The mood is ecstatic‚ and when Boromir comes down to mix with the men‚ Faramir finds him and they share a warm moment where they drink together. “Remember today‚ little brother‚” Boromir says. “Today‚ life is good.” This is when their father enters; Denethor‚ the steward of Gondor‚ played by John Noble. Denethor embraces Boromir with real pride‚ but when Boromir points out that the victory also belongs to Faramir‚ Denethor is callous. It’s Faramir’s fault that Osgiliath was taken in the first place‚ he notes. “Always you cast a poor reflection on me.” Boromir and Denethor move away and talk together‚ Boromir trying to tell Denethor that Faramir loves him‚ while Denethor is unimpressed. He urges Boromir to go to Rivendell and bring him the Ring‚ “a mighty gift‚” before Boromir walks away again. Faramir overhears them when they return‚ and he offers to go to Rivendell instead. Denethor is distasteful at the very suggestion‚ and then we get dialogue from him that is crucial for Faramir: “You? Oh‚ I see. A chance for Faramir‚ Captain of Gondor‚ to show his quality. I think not. I trust this mission only to your brother—the one who will not fail me.” Faramir watches Boromir leave for Rivendell‚ and Boromir’s final words to him are‚ once again‚ reminding him to remember that day. His tone has changed now‚ though; he’s almost mournful. Always recall the warm moments and victory we had today‚ he is silently saying. He senses that darkness awaits in the pursuit of Isildur’s Bane‚ but even he doesn’t know that this will be the last time they see one another. Image: New Line Cinema This is a revealing scene. It gives us more of an idea of Gondor’s history in the war‚ we see the actual relationship of Boromir and Faramir and the contrasting dynamics they both have with their father. It shows us Osgiliath‚ which is key not just to Faramir’s arc in this film‚ but also to his character in the next one. It gives us more context for Boromir’s actions in the first film‚ helps us to understand Faramir in this one‚ and paves the way for Denethor’s cruelty in the final film‚ thus covering past‚ present‚ and future. Denethor’s line where he scoffs about Faramir wanting to show his quality is particularly important because‚ later on‚ we suddenly grasp the proper context when Faramir repeats this line in front of Frodo and Sam. It’s not egotistical at all; it is a sad yearning to please his father and prove himself. That‚ it seems‚ is what the Ring is particularly preying on. The scene near the end of the film with Faramir telling his men to deliver Frodo and Sam to Denethor also calls back to this flashback‚ as Faramir uses Denethor’s exact phrase to Boromir (“mighty gift”) as a message for him. Did Faramir somehow overhear that full conversation‚ or is this mere coincidence? Either way‚ it is a reminder of what is motivating him‚ context absent from the theatrical edition. The important thing here is that the film gives us Faramir’s perspective. While the theatrical cut observes Faramir in a detached way‚ keeping him mysterious and less fleshed out‚ the extended one captures him intimately and sympathetically. When Faramir decides to let Frodo and Sam go‚ he doesn’t simply vanish from the film as in the theatrical cut. We see him showing them a way to the woods‚ and wishing them well‚ with the most important part being Sam telling Faramir that he has shown his quality — the very highest. Now that we know the struggle Faramir has endured‚ and why he was tempted‚ this line is the perfect end for his arc in the film. (Leave it to Sam to have the most touching dialogue.) Faramir in the Extended Edition shows his “quality” as a character‚ you might say‚ and Faramir in the theatrical edition is undeniably damaged from a narrative perspective. What makes this situation more complicated is that this also has an impact on Faramir’s depiction in the final film‚ The Return of the King. While my focus here is The Two Towers‚ there is one scene that I can’t help but reference in the third film‚ which is the one where Denethor and Faramir are together in Gondor‚ and Denethor is deeply displeased that Osgiliath has once again been taken by enemies. He clearly wants Faramir to retake it‚ but Faramir justifiably points out that it is simply overrun‚ and they are at too big a disadvantage. Denethor ignores him. Faramir then slowly asks the one terrible question: Does Denethor really wish that Faramir had died instead of Boromir? Denethor pauses‚ and then simply says that yes‚ he wishes that. Faramir‚ with tears in his eyes‚ says he will do his best to retake Osgiliath‚ and only asks that if he returns his father might think better of him. “That will depend on the manner of your return‚” Denethor says. Image: New Line Cinema It always seems to come back to Osgiliath for Faramir‚ doesn’t it? I wonder if‚ at this point‚ he views it as his own Waterloo. This once again shows how important the flashback scene in the extended second film was‚ as we saw Denethor accuse Faramir of being responsible for losing this exact location before. In a way‚ this scene feels like an essential sequel to that one. This specific scene‚ which is thankfully in both the theatrical and extended versions of the third film‚ really seems to make an impact on people. It’s Wenham’s performance‚ his look of overwhelming hurt‚ and even the way he slowly walks away. Roger Ebert‚ who complained about what he felt was a lack of psychological depth in the films‚ said he only felt “truthful emotion thoughtfully paid for” twice out of all the moments in the trilogy: the endings for Faramir and Gollum. (In Faramir’s case he seems to be specifically talking about the way Denethor breaks down and attempts to burn him alive.) That twisted relationship between father and son works so well due to scenes like the one I described above‚ and it must surely work even better if the viewer has seen the Extended Edition of The Two Towers and the Osgiliath flashback there. There is one thing both versions of the film Faramir‚ theatrical and extended‚ share; he seems more vulnerable‚ and less confident than in Tolkien’s text. Tolkien’s Faramir feels like an ideal captain; confident‚ wise‚ and morally pure. Jackson’s Faramir feels like a man trying to be a captain‚ endearingly so in the extended version‚ and mysteriously so in the theatrical. I don’t think that the fans that complain about Faramir in Jackson’s work are wrong‚ but they focus on the moral degradation of Tolkien’s version‚ while‚ for me‚ Jackson actually gave us an even more sympathetic version of Faramir but hid it in the Extended Edition. (Maybe that is fitting for a character who is supposed to have a more subtle and less visible value to him than his brother Boromir.) Perhaps Jackson’s Faramir‚ even the extended cut depiction‚ isn’t really the same as Tolkien’s character‚ but I think he has‚ as Billy Boyd’s Pippin put it so well in the extended Return of the King‚ “strength of a different kind.” He’s utterly human.   Aamir Mehar is a freelance writer and a lifelong fan of fantasy and science fiction. You can find him on Twitter: @Aamirmwriter

The leftist networks think the entire concept of election integrity and voter fraud is a MAGA fever swamp. They pose as lovers of Democracy‚ but they don’t think anyone should ever check a voter roll and remove anybody. Quin Hillyer at the Washington Examiner flagged an aggressive CBS Mornings report by Major Garrett on December 4. The words on screen were "Challenging the Vote: Conservative Activists Look to Purge Voter Rolls Ahead of 2024.” Conservatives push a Purge!  Garrett won't acknowledge there's any kind of problem here. It was not a sketchy right-wing group but the universally respected Pew Research Center that reported in 2012 that 1 of every 8 voter registrations‚ about 24 million in the United States‚ “are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate‚” that “ more than 1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters‚” and that “approximately 2.75 million people have registrations in more than one state.” Improved state laws and better enforcement since then have cleaned up some‚ but nowhere near all‚ of this mess. Garrett pitched this as a racial conspiracy in Georgia‚ a white woman disenfranchising black voters. It didn't hold up. That’s why Garrett’s report‚ especially as bookended by inflammatory comments by CBS Mornings hosts‚ was so unfair. With Garrett’s all-but-explicit endorsement of the claim‚ black Georgia voter James McWhorter told Garrett that a mistaken citizen challenge to his own voter registration was part of a deliberate effort “to disenfranchise certain demographics‚ trying to put a foot on someone else’s neck.” Garrett amplified the insinuation by asking the citizen who issued the challenge‚ a retired white woman named Gail Lee‚ if she could “understand how people who are African American might feel this deeply‚ personally‚ in that your work feels threatening to them?” It was no wonder‚ then‚ that studio host Jericka Duncan summed up Garrett’s report by saying‚ “This really highlights the strategy being used to try and prevent people from having their voices heard.” That allegation is patently unjust. Despite numerous assertions and insinuations to the effect that citizen challenges have been motivated by race and a desire to stifle otherwise eligible voters‚ Garrett actually provided not a shred of evidence of such intent. Indeed‚ Lee‚ who has issued some 500 challenges to suspicious registrations‚ had absolutely no way to know the race of any of the names she challenged: She merely analyzed computer printouts for anomalies and filed challenges based on them. And rather than trying to stop eligible people from voting‚ Lee and other citizen activists quite obviously believe they are trying to identify fake registrations used to perpetrate fraud.... Other than Garrett acknowledging at the end of his report that at least 12‚000 challenges in Georgia actually had been upheld‚ a fact he immediately dismissed as representing “overwhelmingly clerical errors and technical violations‚” there was not a single other word in 7 minutes that gave credence to concerns about voting irregularities. Hillyer turned to J. Christian Adams‚ who argued "the citizen-challenge method used in Georgia is well intentioned but problematic because ordinary citizens usually are not well trained to navigate complicated laws governing voter registration." Adams said‚ though‚ that by systematically presenting data to trained election officials to investigate‚ errors can and should be corrected. And there are errors aplenty‚ such as the “27‚000 dead people that Michigan kept on the rolls sometimes for 20 years after they died‚” in whose names other people have indeed sometimes voted.

I have been interested in survival stories all my life and since I was invited to write about survival about thirteen years ago‚ I have had the opportunity to research thousands of survival stories. The post 438 Days Adrift at Sea appeared first on Survivopedia.

Two teenage girls in London have been arrested after they allegedly robbed and beat a Jewish woman unconscious. The authorities are treating the attack as a possible hate crime. An Orthodox Jewish woman‚ 20‚ was seen on CCTV being hit and dragged to the ground by two girls‚ 13 and 14 years of age‚ on Rostrevor Avenue in Haringey on Thursday. The two teens‚ who were apparently still wearing their school uniforms‚ could also be seen kicking the victim‚ according to the Telegraph.A neighborhood group‚ Shomrim‚ posted to X following the incident‚ suggesting that the victim had been "beaten unconscious." However‚ the woman reportedly did not need hospital treatment following the brutal attack. — (@) The attack is being treated as a possible hate crime‚ though the investigation is still ongoing. “At around midday on Sunday‚ 10 Dec.‚ officers went to an address in Haringey where they arrested two girls aged 13 and 14 on suspicion of robbery‚" the Metropolitan Police said. "They remain in custody.”LBC reported that Detective Sergeant Asli Benson‚ who has been leading the investigation‚ stated that "this was a terrifying incident for the young woman who was attacked. We will continue to ensure she has the right support.""Officers have been pursuing all available lines of enquiry since the incident and these arrests are a very positive development.""The victim is from the Orthodox Jewish community. It would have been obvious from her appearance that she was Jewish‚ and there has been significant concern that she was targeted for that reason.""In the current climate‚ when fears and uncertainty in the wider Jewish community are heightened following the terror attacks in Israel and the subsequent rise in anti-Semitic hate crime here in London‚ these concerns are entirely understandable.""While we are keeping an open mind as to the motive behind the incident and will continue to explore all avenues‚ we are treating this as a possible hate crime."The authorities thanked the community for supporting the investigation and said that they have been working with school officers and school staff to identify the two teens responsible.The attack comes as anti-Semitism has seen a dramatic rise since Hamas' surprise attack against Israel on October 7. The Anti-Defamation League reported in late October‚ just weeks after the attack‚ that there had been 190 anti-Semitic attacks directly related to Hamas' ambush of the Jewish state. “When conflict erupts in Israel‚ anti-Semitic incidents soon follow in the U.S. and globally‚” Jonathan Greenblatt‚ ADL CEO‚ said. “From white supremacists in California displaying anti-Semitic banners on highway overpasses to radical anti-Zionists harassing Jewish people because of their real or perceived support for the Jewish state‚ we are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic activity here while the war rages overseas.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Anthony Fauci‚ 82‚ revealed in a recent interview that he doesn't need organized religion‚ particularly not Catholicism‚ because he already has a strong moral guide: himself. During a lengthy interview with the BBC's Katty Kay published earlier this month‚ the former director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases pointed out the chapel where he married Christine Grady in 1985. "It's beautiful‚" said Kay. "Yeah‚ it's really nice‚" responded the geriatric immunologist. Kay asked‚ "Do you still go there? ... You don't practice any more‚ do you?" Fauci repeatedly responded in the negative‚ indicating there were a "number of complicated reasons" for his lapse in religiosity. Despite his complicated relationship with the truth‚ support for abortion‚ and apparent willingness to see monstrous experiments funded — including the dangerous tests executed at what would become the epicenter of a catastrophic pandemic — Fauci said‚ "First of all‚ I think my own personal ethics on life are‚ I think‚ enough to keep me going on the right path." Fauci has previously made little effort to conceal his fulsome self-esteem‚ claiming that those who criticize him are "really criticizing science‚ because I represent science." Fauci's office is reportedly littered with representations of his preferred science. The New York Times noted last year that "the walls in Dr. Anthny S. Fauci's home office are adorned with portraits of him‚ drawn and painted by some of his many fans." After intimating to Kay that he is beyond the need for guidance or correction from organized religion‚ Fauci‚ whose birthday falls one day short of Christmas Day‚ noted that "there are enough negative aspects about the organizational church that you are very well aware of." While noting he is "not against it" and has previously taken the sacraments and baptized his children‚ Fauci underscored that "as far as practicing it‚ it seems almost like a pro forma thing that I don't really need to do." Fauci's personal indifference to organized religion make sense of his willingness to tell Americans to cease their own religious practices during the pandemic. In May 2020‚ he told the Jesuit magazine America that Catholic churches should "forestall" the distribution of communion‚ "limit the number of people‚" prohibit singing‚ and require masking. Stanford University's Dr. Jay Bhattacharya‚ co-author of the "Great Barrington Declaration" that Fauci called "very dangerous‚" wrote in response to the interview‚ "Hard to say which is worse — his theology or his science." Stephen Miller‚ contributing editor at the Spectator‚ wrote on X‚ "He played God once. Why should he have to take a demotion?" Cultural critic James Lindsay noted‚ "He isn't just Science. He's Religion too." Fauci's recent admission comes over two years after Tucker Carlson suggested that "Tony Fauci is a figure of religious veneration. He is Jesus for people who don't believe in God." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!