If things are bad in the United States for the Catholic Church (think California, New York, and New Jersey), they aren’t as bad as in Poland and France. Both countries witnessed the publication of comprehensive abuse reports that quantified the sexual abuse of children by…
Recent studies have established a causal link between exposure to paraquat, the active ingredient in several commercial pesticides, and Parkinson’s disease. Paraquat is a highly toxic chemical that requires a commercial license to use, and inhalation of paraquat is believed to have a neurotoxic effect…
The most recent period of scandal involving Catholic clergy and the sexual abuse of minors began after the reporting of the Boston Globe in 2002. The daily barrage of investigative articles on numerous priests of the Archdiocese of Boston engaging in criminal abuse of children…
Last week, the former prince of the Catholic Church, Theodore McCarrick appeared in a Dedham MA criminal court room to answer charges that he had sexually molested a minor boy 50 years ago. As expected, he pled not guilty. The presiding judge ordered $5,000 bail,…
This week, criminal charges were filed against disgraced and defrocked Theodore McCarrick for incidents that began in 1974 in Massachusetts. The sexual abuse of the then 16-year-old began at a wedding reception in Massachusetts where the survivor lived with his family. McCarrick faces 3 counts…
Last month, Louisiana Governor Bel Edwards signed into law House Bill 492 abolishing the statute of limitations for any abuse survivor under the age of 28. Those over 28 will have a three-year “lookback window” to reconcile their existing cases. Rep. Jason Hughes (D-New Orleans)…
The federal bankruptcy proceedings governing the Diocese of Rochester and its 485 creditors, most of whom are priest abuse survivors, has been stalled for months as lawyers for both sides wrangle over insurance coverage and the actual assets of the Diocese. A July 9, 2021…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the Class I recall (the most serious type) of about 8,825 Medtronic Pipeline Flex Embolization Devices. Doctors use these products to treat and prevent certain types of brain aneurysms. This is an expansion on a previous…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently required the manufacturers of arthritis medications Xeljanz (tofacitinib) and Xeljanz XR (extended-release) to add new warnings to their medications. These warnings will alert doctors and patients to an increased risk of serious heart-related events such as heart…
Two months ago, one of the strongest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the United States hit Louisiana. Hurricane Ida killed 115 people, and experts estimate that it will cost insurers a staggering $30 billion because of the extensive property damage it left behind. After…
