Jim Bakker Dies: Televangelist’s Rise, Fall Captivated America
Jim Bakker turned television preaching into a multimillion-dollar empire before a spectacular downfall made him a household name for very different reasons.
The televangelist died Monday, Oct. 5, at 86. His wife, Lori, announced his death. A cause was not disclosed.
Bakker and his first wife, Tammy Faye, rose to national prominence through “The PTL Club,” blending faith, music, and celebrity interviews with appeals for donations.
Their ambitions stretched beyond the television screen. They built Heritage USA, a Christian vacation destination in Fort Mill, South Carolina, featuring a hotel …
Kosta Diamantis Gets 7 Years For CT School Bribery Conviction After Fleeing To Greece
A former Connecticut official who took bribes from contractors while overseeing school construction grants received a seven-year prison sentence while he remains a fugitive in Greece.
Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, 70, was sentenced in absentia in a Bridgeport federal court on Wednesday, Sept. 30, according to CT Mirror.
He was previously convicted on 21 counts, including bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and lying to investigators. His crimes involved a state program that helps fund school construction.
Two weeks before his sentencing, Diamantis fled the country to Greece, where his dual c…
These States Have Highest Flu Rates As Christmas Arrives: See Map
Flu season is ramping up across the country, with several states now experiencing severe or rising levels of illness, and a fast-spreading “super flu” variant is driving the surge.
The CDC’s latest FluView report for the week ending Saturday, Dec. 13, shows widespread influenza activity in nearly every region, with the Northeast and Mountain West hit especially hard.
As of Monday, Dec. 16, the CDC estimated that flu cases are growing or likely growing in 47 states. According to the agency, “very high” flu activity has been detected in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Col…
Covid-19 Cases 'Growing' Or 'Likely Growing' In 31 States, CDC Says
A late-summer COVID uptick is gaining momentum.
Infections are “growing” or “likely growing” in 31 states, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) said after releasing new data Tuesday, Sept. 2, even as the national share of emergency department visits for COVID remains low.
The CDC’s transmission model, based on emergency department trends through Aug. 26, estimates:
In the Northeast, trends are mixed. Connecticut is flagged as growing.
Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont are likely growing.
Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode …
'Our Pesticides Kill COVID:' Cherry Hill Biotech Founder, Philly Firm Hit With Federal Charges
A New Jersey man and the Philadelphia-based biotech company he founded are accused of selling pesticides with false claims that they could kill the virus that causes COVID-19, federal prosecutors said.
James Young, 46, of Cherry Hill — founder of ViaClean Technologies, LLC — was charged by indictment with conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, and violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), according to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf.
Sean Storrie, 59, of Philadelphia, was also charged with FIFRA violations, prosecutors said.
The indictm…
Covid-19: Highly Transmissible Strains Spark Summer Surge In Some States
New surveillance shows COVID-19 is quietly heating up at the height of summer, fueling concerns about travel plans and back-to-school prep.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) time-varying reproductive number dashboard, seven states now have a rate above 1.2, meaning each infected person is, on average, passing the virus to more than one other individual.
Louisiana tops the list with an Rt of 1.28, followed closely by Florida (1.24), Nevada (1.22), and Hawaii (1.21). Texas, Mississippi and Alabama are hovering just above the 1.15 mark, signaling sus…
