Pope Francis: The Sick are ‘Not Disposable’

Currents News Staff

With several children joining him in the popemobile, on August 28 the Holy Father returned to Saint Peter’s Square for his weekly teaching to pilgrims.

This time, Pope Francis focused on the sick and our responsibility to care for them, centering his catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles.

He reflected on when St. Peter passed through Solomon’s portico and his shadow healed the sick.

He recalled how throughout the ages, the sick have always been at the heart of the Church. Even during St. Peter’s time, he said, it was already “a field hospital” for those most in need.

“The sick are the privileged recipients of the happy proclamation of the kingdom. They are brothers and sisters in whom Christ is present in a special way to allow himself to be sought and found by all of us,” the pontiff said.

“The sick are the privileged for the Church; for the priestly heart; and for all the faithful. They are not disposable. On the contrary, they must be treated and cared for. They are the object of Christian concern,” he added.

The Holy Father noted how Peter received leadership from Jesus, but it didn’t make him believe he was more important than others. This is because Peter knew it was another who manifested himself through Peter’s works.

“In this way, God manifests his closeness and makes the wounds of his children the theological place of his tenderness. In the wounds of the sick, in the illnesses that prevent us from moving forward in life,” Pope Francis said.

“It is there where Jesus is always present. It is there where He calls each one of us to take care of the sick, to support them and to heal them.”

The pontiff also pointed out that the teaching of the Apostles and Peter disturbed the Sadducees who persecuted them and imprisoned them. However, the Apostles never wavered, knowing “we must obey God rather than men.”

Pope Francis also asked the Holy Spirit to give people the strength not to be frightened when others try to silent them, slander them or attack their lives.

Tropical Storm Dorian to Make Landfall in Puerto Rico, Caribbean

Currents News Staff

Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover two years after being devastated by Hurricane Maria, and now residents are bracing for another significant storm. In Ponce, Puerto Rico, forecasters expect tropical storm dorian to make landfall on August 28.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that by the time it reaches the island, Dorian will be a category 1 hurricane. With many homes still covered in blue tarp as makeshift roofs, any kind of significant winds or heavy rain could make a devastating impact.

All week, residents have been preparing for what tropical storm Dorian could bring.

“We were caught by surprise with Maria, but now we’re on alert,” said Jose Juan Rivera, a resident of Puerto Rico.

According to Roberto Garcia, a meteorologist from the National Meteorological Service in Puerto Rico, “the whole island including Culebra is going to be under tropical sustained tropical storm winds with higher gusts, gusts that could get to hurricane force winds.”

Potential flooding from heavy rains is also on the radar.

“We are expecting now four to six inches, widespread, with isolated amounts up to eight inches in some areas,” he added.

Although Dorian is expected to be a smaller and less intense storm than Hurricane Maria, authorities warn any impact could put the most vulnerable at risk, including those who still rely on tarps for shelter.

“The ones that have blue tarps. The ones that live in the areas that are flooding, they have to move out to our refuges,” said Maria “Mayita” Melendez, the mayor of Ponce.

The governor of Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency on August 26, warning hospitals and shelters to be at the ready.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also deployed supplies and incident management assistance teams to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This comes as residents hope they’ve done enough to prepare

“I’m ready for whatever comes,” said Yolanda Alvarado, who lives in Ponce.

FEMA reportedly has thousands of agents on the ground already, as many are concerned of massive power outages following the storm.

Chris and Emily Norton “The Seven Longest Yards” Part 2

Craig Syracusa sits down with Chris and Emily Norton, who have captivated the hearts of the American people one step at a time. After an injury that left him paralyzed and only a 3 percent chance to move anything below his neck again, Chris worked tirelessly to regain enough function in his legs to be able to not only walk to receive his business degree but also to be able to walk down the aisle with Emily on their wedding day. Both videos have garnered millions of views online. Now their story is featured in the new book “The Seven Longest Yards”. The couple talk not only about the injury and those famous walks, but also how they met and fell in love, and how they are now working to raise awareness of spinal injuries and how Chris works to inspire others to overcome their own hardships and seemingly unbeatable odds. They also speak on how Emily’s depression almost ended their love story. Tune in for all this and more on Walk in Faith!

Chris and Emily Norton “The Seven Longest Yards” Part 1

Currents News for Tuesday, August 27, 2019

On the newscast: Puerto Rico is getting ready for a hurricane as a new storm that is growing in strength heads their way. Residents are stocking up on supplies; Missouri’s strong law to protect the unborn has hit a roadblock; In the midst of Hong Kong’s unrest, we’ll have an exclusive interview with the leader of the city’s catholic students; And we’ll tell you about U.S. Catholic students who are tackling a big problem facing veterans.

Watch weeknights at 7:00 pm EST on NET-TV in the New York City area on Spectrum, Optimum, and Fios. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications about new content.

Puerto Rico, Caribbean Brace for Impact of Tropical Storm Dorian

Currents News Staff

Puerto Ricans are scrambling to stock up on supplies before tropical storm Dorian churns closer and closer by the hour, with the potential to hurricane strength.

The storm system intensified as it raged across the Atlantic on August 27. Puerto Rico’s governor has declared a state of emergency, and now other parts of the Caribbean are following suit and making preparations.

“When a storm comes, we are much worried about what is going to become after,” said Kamil Matos who is preparing for the storm.

Residents are bracing for impact while many are still reeling from Hurricane Maria’s devastation in 2017, when thousands were killed and power was knocked out for nearly the entire U.S. territory.

“The whole island has been traumatized, so you have to take that into consideration,” explained Dr. Jesus Vega, a resident of the island.

In Barbados, anxiety over the storm had motorists lined up bumper to bumper to fill up on gas.

And in Florida, the Federal Emergency Management Agency activated two Miami-based federal task forces — one headed to Puerto Rico and another to Saint Croix.

“We prepare, we train year round and our guys are elite. They’re the best of the best. The 28 teams around the country are the elite. They are trained to the technician level across the board and where their expertise might be,” said Scott Dean, Assistant Chief of Miami’s Fire Rescue.

Measles Outbreak Leads to Mandatory Vaccinations for Returning Students

By Tim Harfmann

As parents prepare to send their children back to school, New York remains at the forefront of the measles outbreak.

Of the 1,200 confirmed cases across the U.S. in 2019, more than 75 percent are linked to New York State, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the five boroughs alone, there have been 654 confirmed cases since September of 2018, according to the city’s health department.

Opposition to the vaccination of children has played a key role in the outbreak.

Doctors like Joseph Kaplovitz, a pediatrics specialist at NYU Langone, are still urging people to get the vaccine and watch out for symptoms.

“The anti-vaccine movement, in general, has this belief that by giving the vaccine, I’m going to danger my own child. That becomes a very hard thing to try and fight,” said Dr. Kaplovitz.

“It starts off as fever, usually a high fever like 104 or 105; cough, congestion, runny nose; red eyes, what’s called conjunctivitis; and it also comes with a head-to-toe rash,” he explained.

While many cases have been found in predominantly Jewish communities, now all students throughout the state must get vaccinated.

The New York Supreme Court recently upheld a new law eliminating any religious exemptions from required vaccinations.

Yoel Binyomin, a father living in Brooklyn, also believes children should be vaccinated.

“You have to obey the doctors. If the doctors say you got get vaccinated, then you have to take the vaccine,” Yoel said.

If the city’s health department identifies any child without the necessary vaccinations, that family could face a $1,000 fine.

Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572 Million in Oklahoma Opioid Trial

Currents News Staff

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson will appeal a judge’s landmark decision that is holding the company financially responsible for its role in the opioid crisis in the state of Oklahoma.

This marks the first time ever that a drug maker is being held responsible for one of the worst man-made epidemics in history.

Johnson and Johnson has now been ordered to pay the state of Oklahoma $572 million in the result of a case which spanned two years and a seven-week long trial.

In his decision, Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman cited what he called the drug giant’s false and misleading marketing of opioids.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter called Johnson & Johnson the “kingpin” behind the nation’s opioid crisis. “We have proven that Johnson & Johnson built its billion dollar brand out of greed and on the backs of pain and suffering of innocent people,” he said.

Hunter’s team of 13 attorneys described the trial as “taking on the lion.” The ruling also marks the first case in the nation to reach trial out of dozens others by states suing opioid drug makers. He hopes it’ll help other states be successful.

But an attorney for Johnson & Johnson described the judge’s decision as “flawed.”

“Johnson & Johnson did not cause opioid abuse crisis in Oklahoma, or anywhere in this country,” said company attorney Sabrina Strong.

Johnson & Johnson attorneys say the company has strong grounds for appeal and intend to pursue those vigorously.

Catholic Students ‘March’ Forward to Support Veterans

Currents News Staff

Four Catholic school students — Kellen Witty, Quinn Schoenenberger, Karsen Sherrick and Devon Johnson — aren’t just talking the talk. They’ve walked the walk, all 140 miles of it.

All four are members of St. Norbert Catholic College’s ROTC program.

With rucksacks on their back, they spent six days trekking from Green Bay to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as part of the fourth annual ‘For Them 140-Mile Ruck March.’ By walking, they raised money and awareness for the fourth H.O.O.A.H Wisconsin, an organization that supports deployed and returning military members and their families.

For these students it was a difficult undertaking, but one they said was a worthy challenge once they saw the positive publicity that came from it.

“We got a ton. People say like, ‘Hey, we saw you on the news. We heard you on the radio.’ And that really is the point of what we’re doing here is to raise awareness and get the cause out,” said Karsen.

“140 miles is like almost like an attention grabber. When they ask about it, that’s when we come in and say, ‘You know, we’re actually walking to raise awareness and money for people who are suffering from combat,’” he explained.

“I would say it just pays tribute to everyone that is going through the issues after deployments after serving in the military,” said Devon.

“Doing this raises awareness and lets them know that there is a community out there and there are people that care,” added Kellen.