As Pope Francis packed his bags to travel internationally for the first time in 15 months, news stories were flashing warnings about the dangers of his March 5-8 visit to Iraq, not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of Iraq's long-term security problems, including bomb and rocket attacks.
Democratic members of the U.S. Senate were hopeful their version of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package would be passed the second week of March, so they could send it to President Joe Biden for his signature before unemployment assistance expires March 14.
Reading the Bible has had a positive effect on people's "mental well-being" during the pandemic, according to a Christian Research survey conducted in the United Kingdom.
The independent drama "Roe v. Wade" had its red-carpet premiere, billed as the first large-scale movie opening since the pandemic began, on Feb. 26 at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando.
Use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, approved Feb. 27 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, raises moral concerns because it was "was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines," the chairmen of two U.S. bishops' committees said March 2.