Daily Archives: 12/16/2019


‘Obamacare’ Sign-Up Deadline Extended Following Glitches

People will get more time to sign up for “Obamacare” health insurance, the Trump administration announced Monday, following a spate of computer glitches over the weekend.The new HealthCare.gov deadline is 3 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare …


In Reversal, Hallmark Will Reinstate Same-Sex Marriage Ads

The Hallmark Channel, reversing what it called a “wrong decision,” said Sunday it will reinstate commercials featuring same-sex couples that it had pulled following a complaint from a conservative group.The earlier decision by Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, to pull …


UN AIDS Agency Fires Whistleblower After Misconduct Probe

The United Nations’ AIDS agency has fired two staffers for financial and sexual misconduct, including a whistleblower whose allegations of being sexually assaulted sparked months of turmoil at the organization. Last March, Martina Brostrom publicly accused a senior UNAIDS director …


Zimbabwe Doctors’ Strike Floods Mission Hospitals with Patients

With no end in sight to the Zimbabwe doctors’ strike over salaries and poor working conditions, desperate patients have looked to church-run mission hospitals for much-needed healthcare. Karanda Mission Hospital, about 200 kilometers north of the capital Harare, is overwhelmed …


Holiday Exhibit Showcases America’s Spectacular Gardens

The spirit of Christmas is featured again at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC.  This year’s annual holiday event showcases displays highlighting the beauty of America’s public gardens.  They include recreations of garden conservatories, fountains and other sculptures made …