New York

Wall Street protesters are calling for a “Day of Action” Thursday, which will involve a demonstration of thousands of protesters that could impact commuters, subways and stores across New York City.

According to Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, “We are certainly anticipating tens of thousands of people protesting, aimed at significant disruptions of the lives of the people of this city.”

Protesters are reportedly looking to disrupt trains, with an eye on preventing people from going to work, as well as taking over Foley Square. Reportedly, this is partially a response to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s order to evict protesters from Zuccotti Park on Tuesday.  Protesters are also joining ranks to mark the two-month anniversary of the start of the Wall Street protest movement. more >>

A silver-gilded Holy Gospel book dating back to 1933 and other items that were stolen from a church in Buffalo, NY, have parishioners and church leaders devastated.

Robbers broke into the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Lovejoy on Saturday, and also stole more than $6,000 worth of copper that lined the roof of the church. The Holy Gospel book and a number of other goods were stolen as well, according to local station WGRZ.

“It was on Saturday morning that I was walking the dog and I noticed this light on this pole that was smashed,” Father Volodymer Zablotskyy said. Upon further examination of the building, he discovered that the copper inlays were torn from the roof. It was surmised that burglars used a ladder to reach the copper. more >>

As the world witnesses a growing amount of persecution, terror and religious violence, one question persists: Would the world be better off without religion?

On Nov. 15, atheists and believers will wrestle over and attempt to answer that controversial question in an upcoming live debate in New York hosted by Slate magazine and Intelligence Squared.

The types of motions that will be discussed, according to Slate, include: “Does religion lead to more evil or more good? Does religion breed intolerance and violence? Or has it primarily been a source for good, imbuing followers with purpose and encouraging moral behavior?” more >>

Hundreds of volunteers from across the country descended on New York City Friday in an effort to pack more than 5,000 shoe boxes with small Christmas gifts to send to some of the worlds neediest children.

The project, dubbed Operation Christmas Child, is an effort to place more than 8 million gift boxes in children’s hands worldwide this holiday season, organizers said.

“This is an opportunity to tell them that they haven’t been forgotten,” said Randy Riddle, the U.S. director for operations for the project. more >>

New York residents may soon be able to purchase “Choose Life” specialty license plates for their vehicles due to a recent federal court decision on the matter.

Judges ruled on Tuesday that the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles violated the First Amendment when it rejected The Children First Foundation’s application to sponsor a “Choose Life” specialty license plate as part of a state program, ordering the state to approve the plate application.

The N.Y. DMV had denied the foundation’s plate design, displaying a crayon drawing of a yellow sun and two smiling children with the words “Choose Life” written across the bottom, stating that many would find the design “offensive.” more >>

A recently discovered Jesus painting by Leonardo da Vinci is being revealed to the public eye for the first time starting Nov. 9 in a London exhibition and via a television series.

The painting, titled "Salvator Mundi" (Savior of the World), depicts Christ with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding a transparent globe. It is painted in oil on a wood panel and measures 26 by 18.5 inches in size.

It was discovered at an auction in the United States in 2005 and officially identified as a da Vinci in July of this year. It is the most precious art acquisition of the century, experts say. more >>