Today's News: The Riley Report
JUNE 2017
Tuesday -
June 13, 2017
On This Day In History
1777 - The Marquis de Lafayette arrived in the American colonies to help
with their rebellion against the British.
1866 - The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the
U.S. Congress. It was ratified on July 9, 1868. The amendment was
designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of
recently freed slaves. It did this by prohibiting states from denying or
abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States,
depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due
process of law, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the
equal protection of the laws.
1888 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Labor.
1898 - The Canadian Yukon Territory was organized.
1927 - For the first time, an American Flag was displayed from the right
hand of the Statue of Liberty.
1940 - Paris was evacuated before the German advance on the city.
1943 - German spies landed on Long Island, New York. They were soon
captured.
1951 - U.N. troops seized Pyongyang, North Korea.
1967 - Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall was nominated by President
Lyndon B. Johnson to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme
Court.
1971 - The New York Times began publishing the "Pentagon Papers". The
articles were a secret study of America's involvement in Vietnam.
1979 - Sioux Indians were awarded $105 million in compensation for the
U.S. seizure in 1877 of their Black Hills in South Dakota.
1988 - The Liggett Group, a cigarette manufacturer, was found liable for
a lung-cancer death. They were, however, found innocent by the federal
jury of misrepresenting the risks of smoking.
1989 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush exercised his first Presidential
veto on a bill dealing with minimum wage.
1994 - A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, found Exxon Corp. and Captain Joseph
Hazelwood to be reckless in the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
2000 - In Pyongyang, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il welcomed South
Korea's President Kim Dae for a three-day summit. It was the first such
meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Comey got 'steely silence' after confronting Loretta Lynch about
Clinton's email probe
Ex-FBI Director James Comey has privately told members of
Congress that he had a frosty exchange with Obama Attorney
General Loretta Lynch last year when he confronted her about
possible political interference in the Hillary Clinton email
investigation after showing Lynch a sensitive document she was
unaware the FBI possessed, according to sources who were
directly briefed on the matter. During his testimony before the
Senate Intelligence Committee last Thursday, Comey alluded to
the second exchange after publicly discussing an encounter with
Lynch, where she ordered him not to refer to the criminal probe
of Clinton’ handling of classified emails not as an
“investigation” but rather as a “matter.” He suggested it
smacked of political spin rather than the way professional law
enforcement officers talk.
Maryland, D.C. sue Trump over his private businesses
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - In a new legal challenge to President
Donald Trump, Maryland and the District of Columbia filed a
lawsuit Monday alleging that his failure to shed his private
businesses has undermined public trust and violated
constitutional bans against self-dealing. The complaint opens
uncharted legal territory. No state has accused a president of
violating the emoluments clauses of the Constitution. One of
those clauses bans federal officials from accepting gifts from
foreign governments. A second prohibits the president from
accepting economic benefits from the federal or state
governments, other than his salary.
Federal appeals court upholds freeze on Trump's travel ban
Chicago Tribune - A West Coast federal appeals court upheld the
freeze on President Donald Trump's travel ban Monday, declaring
that Trump had exceeded his lawful authority in suspending the
issuance of visas to residents of six Muslim-majority countries
and suspending the U.S. refugee program. A three-judge panel
with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled against
the administration unanimously. Their ruling is another blow to
Trump — though the administration has asked the Supreme Court to
step in and save the ban in a different case.
* Related:
Texas AG Accuses Lower Courts of Hypocrisy on Trump’s Travel Ban
NBC is under pressure to pull Megyn Kelly's controversial Alex
Jones interview
Business Insider - NBC News is catching heat from viewers who
are furious about anchor Megyn Kelly's interview with
controversial right-wing radio host Alex Jones.
* Related:
Video: Alex Jones Responds to Megyn Kelly Firestorm
Infowars - Alex Jones demands Megyn Kelly hit piece be held
back, and not played during Father’s Day.
NJ High School Under Fire for Erasing Trump Slogans From
Yearbook
Fox News - A New Jersey high school is under fire after
President Donald Trump's name was digitally removed from two
students' yearbook photos, and another student's quote from the
president was also excluded. Wall Township High School says it
has no policy preventing students from expressing their
political views, so this apparent censorship has students and
parents looking for answers. Wyatt Dobrovich-Fago, whose "TRUMP:
Make America Great Again" vest was altered for the yearbook,
believes there was a deliberate attempt to silence his freedom
of speech. "I guess someone just didn't like our president and
wanted to not have him in the yearbook," Dobrovich-Fago said on
"Fox & Friends" this morning.
Federal
Court Affirms Ban on Peaceful Protests on Supreme Court Plaza,
Refuses to Protect Religious Freedom Rights of War, Death
Penalty Protesters
Rutherford Institute - A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit
brought by The Rutherford Institute on behalf of two peace
activists whose ability to engage in expressive activity in the
Supreme Court plaza has been restricted by a federal law and
U.S. Supreme Court regulation that forbid virtually all speech
on the plaza in front of the Supreme Court’s building. In
challenging the restrictions as a violation of the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a federal law protecting the
exercise of religious beliefs, Institute attorneys argued that
the Supreme Court’s ban on expressive activities on its front
porch muzzled those whose religious beliefs compel them to
engage in peaceful protests and speak out against war and the
death penalty. However, in dismissing the lawsuit, the federal
district court ruled that the law and regulation do not
substantially burden the protesters’ religious beliefs and
practices because the activists could demonstrate elsewhere. The
ruling follows a 2015 decision that gave the Supreme Court the
green light to restrict expressive First Amendment activities on
its plaza.
Dianne Feinstein Calls For An Investigation Of Loretta Lynch’s
Clinton Probe
The Daily Sheeple - Not much has come out of the James Comey
testimony, except that the most egregious violation of federal
law was the incident which took place between Comey and Loretta
Lynch regarding Hillary Clinton’s email scandal.| Now, top
Democrat Diane Feinstein is calling for an investigation into
possible illegal activities.
U.S.-led forces appear to be using white phosphorus in populated
areas in Iraq and Syria
Washington Post - The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria
appears to have used white phosphorus-loaded munitions on at
least two occasions in densely populated areas of Mosul and in
the Islamic State’s de facto capital of Raqqa, according to
videos posted online and human rights groups. The
often-controversial munitions are common in western militaries
and are used primarily to create smoke screens, though they can
also be dropped as an incendiary weapon. When a white phosphorus
shell explodes, the chemical inside reacts with the air,
creating a thick white cloud. When it comes in contact with
flesh, it can maim and kill by burning to the bone.
*Related:
White Phosphorus in Syria, Iraq: 'Nothing Will Change' Unless
Western Govts Do
FT, NYT Reporters Mistake WWII Prop for 'Blockade' Against
Protesters in Moscow
Sputnik International - Sputnik and RT broadcaster
Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan exposed what she called "fake
news" published by two foreign journalists on Twitter about an
alleged threat of siege in Moscow on Russia Day. Neil Buckley,
Eastern Europe Editor of the Financial Times, and Neil
MacFarquhar, NY Times Moscow bureau chief, were deployed to
Moscow city center to cover the protest rally held today. Both
journalists retweeted a photograph posted by Russian journalist
Alexey Venediktov on Monday. While Venediktov's original caption
("Moscow is ready for Russia Day") was clearly sarcastic, the US
journalists' tweets were as serious as they get.
Egypt bans scores of news websites in growing censorship
crackdown
Reuters - An often fiery government critic, Egyptian journalist
Khaled al-Balshi has been arrested, had his operations
monitored, and staff harassed by police for years. Yet his
website Al-Bedaiah, a rare dissident voice in Egypt, had never
been touched. On Sunday that changed when it suddenly went blank
with no warning after being blocked, part of what Balshi called
an unprecedented and far-reaching state crackdown on scores of
news websites in recent weeks. "Let's be clear, the Egyptian
websites going through this are dealing with a long-term
shutdown -- this is not short term," said Balshi from his
downtown Cairo office, where four work stations sat idle,
because staff feared coming to work in case of arrest. Balshi's
website was the 57th blocked since May 24, according to the
Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, a
non-government organization tracking the affected sites through
software that monitors outages.
Confirmed: US Enters Fight Against ISIS in the Philippines
Global Research - The Philippine military has confirmed that the
United States has started to offer limited support to President
Rodrigo Duterte’s battle with ISIS. Duterte had said that the US
is unreliable as an ally insofar as they impose ideological
conditions as a prerequisite for any kind of assistance. Duterte
contrasted this with Russia and China which operate in a more
straightforward and business like manner. The recent
announcement of US forces aiding the Philippine struggle against
ISIS may largely be due to the fact that Donald Trump and
Rodrigo Duterte seem to have developed a good relationship.
Duterte continues to speak positively about Trump in spite of
his broader negative views on America’s colonial attitude
towards post-colonial Philippines.
Iran Just Accused US of Alliance With ISIS — Claim They Have
Proof
RT - Senior Iranian officials have accused the US of supporting
the Islamic State terrorist group and effectively forming an
alliance with it, claiming that Tehran possesses documents to
prove the allegations. No evidence, however, has yet been
presented. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces
Major General Mostafa Izadi on Sunday accused the US of
supporting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), stating
Tehran has evidence to back the bold allegations.
Tech stock selloff goes on; oil prices gain
Reuters - A sell-off in Apple (AAPL.O) and other tech
heavyweights dragged stocks down for a second session on Monday,
while the dollar slipped ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve
meeting this week. The technology sector rout weighed on all
three major U.S. stock indexes and raised concerns about lofty
U.S. share levels. The Nasdaq ended down 0.5 percent after
falling 1.8 percent on Friday. Apple lost 2.5 percent, though
other tech giants Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Facebook (FB.O) and
Microsoft (MSFT.O) also were down. At the same time, energy
shares added to Friday's gains, suggesting that investors were
seeking value. The S&P energy index .SPNY, which has had the
biggest declines among sectors so far this year, ended up 0.7
percent.
Turkish mayor claims mystery foreign power responsible for Aegean quake
RT - Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek has called for an immediate investigation
into "seismic research vessels" in the Aegean Sea following Monday’s 6.3
magnitude earthquake which claimed one life. “Now I think that this
might be an artificial earthquake. I do not say it is certain but it is
a very serious possibility,” Gökçek tweeted. “I say that it should
definitely be investigated. Was there any seismic research ship sailing
near the epicenter? If so, which country does it belong to?”
Pig cell implants could hold key to alleviating Parkinson’s symptoms
RT - Pig cells implanted into the brain could help alleviate the
symptoms of those living with Parkinson's disease, according to a New
Zealand based biotech company. A major source of the tremors in those
living with the disease is the loss of dopamine-making cells in the
brain. Now, Auckland-based Living Cell Technologies is developing a
treatment which extracts the dopamine-producing cells from the choroid
plexus in pig brains and inserts them into groups of people living with
Parkinson’s. The choroid is a group of nerves and vessels that produces
cerebrospinal fluid. The pig cell implants are wrapped in a special
coating made from seaweed to prevent patients' autoimmune response from
attacking the foreign cells. Each implant measures just half a
millimeter wide and contains roughly 1,000 pig cells.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Stockpiling 101: How Long Can You Store Powdered Milk?
Off The Grid News - Powdered milk, a dairy product made by
evaporating milk to a dried form, is a great addition to your
pantry.| It is useful as an inexpensive alternative to milk in
recipes and is handy to have around when you run out of fresh
milk. Powdered milk is also an important item to include in your
preparedness stockpile. However, you may be curious how long
powdered milk stays fresh. The answer depends on the type of
powdered milk, the container and the storage details. Some
manufacturers suggest using powdered milk within 18 months, but
the USDA states that an unopened container of powdered milk can
be stored anywhere from two to 10 years after a “best by” date.
Some stores market nonfat dry powdered milk labeled with a
25-year shelf life.
12 plants that repel unwanted insects
These herbs and flowers can shoo pests from your garden and
skin.
Mother Nature Network - For those who would like to give the
natural route a try, we’ve described six easy-to-find herbs
readily available at most nurseries that are said to repel
mosquitoes and other annoying insects. The smell from fragrant
herbs is the result of the distribution of tiny globules that
contain oils. High temperatures, for example, can cause the
globules to become volatile, evaporating the essential oils and
turning them into vapors, Pennisi says.
*Related:
8 Essential Oils That Repel Bugs Naturally
Dangerous monopoly on the horizon as five of the "Big 6"
agricultural corporations now looking to merge
NaturalNews - Six of the world’s biggest agricultural companies
known as the “Big 6” may soon form a dangerous monopoly as
interest in proposed mergers has become more pronounced in the
last few years. For instance, Dow Chemical and DuPont proposed a
merger in December 2015, but are slated to eventually separate
their merged agriculture, materials science, and specialty
products businesses into three independent and specialized
firms. On the other hand, state-owned Chinese firm ChemChina
offered to buy out Syngenta at a whopping $43 billion early last
year. In September 2016 Bayer proposed to acquire Monsanto for
$66 billion. Antitrust authorities in the U.S. and the European
Union (EU) are set to review each merger. The Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) also noted that all three proposed mergers are
also slated to undergo assessments from antitrust agencies in
Australia, Canada, India, and Mexico. Both the reviews and the
financial aspect of the transactions are expected to defer the
completion of the mergers. The FTC noted that the U.S. antitrust
law gives the agency and the Department of Justice authority to
review and block mergers and acquisitions that may substantially
compromise competition.
New Colorado Law Affirms Farmers Can Use Water Rights To
Cultivate Hemp
Activist Post - Late last month, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper
signed a bill into law affirming hemp farmers have a right to
use their water rights for hemp cultivation, even if the water
is held in federal reservoirs. Sen. Don Coram (R-Montrose)
introduced Senate Bill 117 (SB117) in February. The legislation
confirms that a person with an absolute or conditional water
right decreed for agricultural use in Colorado may use that
water for the growth or cultivation of industrial hemp if the
person is registered by the department of agriculture to grow
industrial hemp in the state. SB117 passed the Senate 34-1 on
March 22. The House approved the measure April 24 by a 64-0
margin. Gov. Hickenlooper signed the bill into law on May 21. It
went into immediate effect.
Parents eye Austrian asylum in Italy vaccination dispute
BBC - A group of German-speaking parents in northern Italy are
so angry about a new requirement to get their children
vaccinated that they plan to seek asylum in nearby Austria. The
130 families live in Alto Adige - also known as South Tyrol - a
region that was part of Austria before 1919. Last month the
Italian government ruled that children must be vaccinated
against 12 common illnesses before they can enrol for state-run
schools.
*Related:
Italians Take to the Streets to Protest New Mandatory
Vaccination Law
South Sudan: 15 children die in botched vaccine campaign
ABC - Fifteen young children have died in a botched measles
vaccination campaign that saw people as young as 12 years old
administering the vaccines, South Sudan's government announced
Friday. The United Nations said the children died of "severe
sepsis/toxicity" from the contaminated vaccine, and the health
ministry blamed the deaths on human error. One syringe was used
for all the children during the four-day campaign, and the
vaccine was stored without refrigeration the entire time.
10 Best People Foods to Share With Your Beloved Pet
Mercola Healthy Pets - The goal in feeding your dog food he will thrive
on is to mimic his ancestral diet as closely as possible without
breaking the bank. My recommendation is to feed as much unprocessed,
fresh food as you can afford. For example, if you can't afford to feed
an all-fresh, living, raw food diet, offer fresh food snacks as an
alternative. Research shows that offering ANY amount of fresh food to
your dog is beneficial. Maybe you can manage two to four fresh food
meals out of 14 in a week. Or maybe you can go half-and-half by feeding
one meal of processed pet food and one fresh food meal each day. However
you do it, the important thing is to take small steps toward providing
the best diet you can afford for your canine companion.
Propaganda news in Sierra Club newsletter for 6/12/17
(sent by listener Laura):
* Tell Amazon to
stop funding hate and climate change denial propaganda!
*
Tell CEO Jeff Bezos to drop Breitbart.
Monday -
June 12, 2017
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
5 Stories You Missed While The Media Obsessed Over The Comey
Hearing
Activist Post - Like clockwork, the mainstream media is
fervently focusing on a story filled with scandal and intrigue:
James Comey’s testimony. Whether it’s a terror attack in the
West, a celebrity tailspin, or a superficial drama like James
Comey’s conversations in Congress today, when the media drives
an obsessive narrative, there’s usually other events occurring.
“But Russia might have intervened with our democratic process!”
some may retort. “Donald Trump is probably a criminal!” While
these things are certainly possible — though raw evidence is yet
to presented to prove as much — whether or not Russia intervened
in an electoral process already riddled with corruption,
conflicts of interest, violence, and deceit is ultimately
negligible. As the media continues to trump up the story,
however, below are five stories that reflect just how broken the
system already is — and continues to be as the public’s
attention is led toward media feeding frenzies and away from the
true levers of power. As Anti-Media often notes, these stories
are not entirely unreported by the media. Rather, they are
relegated to scrolling text at the bottom of cable news screens
and fail to draw attention from traditional publications as they
obsess over stories like Comey’s testimony
AG Jeff Sessions to testify before Senate intelligence committee
AL.com - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the former Alabama
senator, will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on
Tuesday. Sessions will speak to the committee in wake of former
FBI Director James Comey's testimony Thursday that raised
questions about the AG's meetings with Russian officials before
President Trump was sworn into office and while Sessions was
still a senator. "In light of reports regarding Mr. Comey's
recent testimony before the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence, it is important that I have an opportunity to
address these matters in the appropriate forum," Sessions said
in a Saturday letter to a House appropriations subcommittee.
Leaking US military files was 'responsibility to public' -
Manning in first interview after release
RT - t was her responsibility to reveal classified military
documents to the public, Chelsea Manning told ABC in her first
interview after leaving prison, adding that she was unaware that
the leaks could threaten US national security. “I’m just me.
It’s as simple as that,” Manning told ABC Nightline co-anchor
Juju Chang, when asked if she considered herself a hero or a
traitor. She said she “accepted responsibility” for providing
700,000 military documents on Iraq and Afghanistan to WikiLeaks
in 2010 – the biggest military leak in US history. “Anything
I’ve done, it’s me. There’s no one else. No one told me to do
this. Nobody directed me to do this. This is me. It’s on me,”
the whistleblower said.
ENOUGH! IF DEMOCRATS AND FAKE NEWS MEDIA CANNOT PRODUCE EVIDENCE
OF TRUMP COLLUSION, THEN GAME OVER
InvestmentWatch - IT IS TIME, AMERICA, FOR THE DEMOCRATS AND
EVERYONE ELSE WHO SUPPORTS THE TRUMP-RUSSIA HOAX TO PRODUCE ONE,
SINGLE SHRED OF EVIDENCE PROVING THIS POSITION. JUST ONE. James
Comey’s testimony proved one huge thing, and that is simply
this. If the Democrats, RINO Republicans and fake news media are
unable to produce one shred of evidence connecting Donald Trump
and his administration to the ethereal ‘Russian hacking’ farce,
then it is time for them to concede defeat, pack up and go home.
As of end of day yesterday, not one piece of actual, real
evidence has come to light. It’s time to pull the plug.
Seriously.
Texas AG: Trump Has Done More To Stop Illegal Immigration Than
Any Other In World History
Infowars by Mikael Thalen - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
repeatedly praised the Trump administration’s efforts to crack
down on illegal immigration in his Friday interview with The
Daily Caller, saying the administration has had unprecedented
success with stopping illegal crossings, which Paxton said is an
important issue to Texans. “They’ve done more than any
administration in the history of the world,” Paxton said when
asked if he thought the Trump administration had done enough to
keep Trump’s campaign promises regarding illegal immigration.
“So I’m pretty happy that they’ve done so much in such a short
period of time so it would really be difficult for me to
criticize them on that issue because there’s no comparison with
any other administration as far as how quickly and effectively
they’ve approached the problem on many different fronts.”
Senators debate bringing in Comey for Round 2
Infowars by Mikael Thalen - A key Senate panel is considering
whether to step up its battle to meet with former FBI Director
James Comey, who gave dramatic testimony this week to a
competing committee. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee
are debating subpoenaing Comey to compel his testimony. The move
would mark a dramatic escalation of their effort to dig into
Russia’s election interference and potential ties between the
Trump campaign and Moscow. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) told
The Hill that she and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman
of the committee, have discussed forcing Comey to appear before
their panel.
US military carries out first offensive airstrike in Somalia
under Trump's new authorities
ABC News - The U.S. military has conducted its first offensive
airstrike against the jihadist fundamentalist group al-Shabaab
in Somalia, targeting the group under the new authorities given
by the Trump administration in March that allows offensive
airstrikes. "On June 11, at approximately 2 a.m. eastern
daylight time, the Department of Defense conducted a strike
operation against al-Shabaab in Somalia," said Dana White, the
Pentagon's chief spokesperson in a statement.
Puerto Rican voters back statehood in questioned referendum
Washington Post - Puerto Rico’s governor announced that the U.S.
territory has overwhelmingly chosen statehood in a nonbinding
referendum Sunday held amid a deep economic crisis that has
sparked an exodus of islanders to the U.S. mainland. Nearly half
a million votes were cast for statehood, more than 7,600 for
free association/independence and nearly 6,700 for the current
territorial status, according to preliminary results. The
participation rate was just 23 percent with roughly 2.26 million
registered voters, leading opponents to question the validity of
a vote that several parties had boycotted.
Serbia's Idea to Sue NATO for 1999 Bombings 'Viable' - Lawyer
Sputnik International - Serbia has formed an international legal
team to file charges against NATO for using depleted uranium
munitions during the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia. The legal team,
proposed by the Serbian Royal Academy of Scientists and Artists,
will bring together the best lawyers from Serbia and also from
Germany, France, Italy, Russia, China, Britain and Turkey. In
March 1999, NATO launched a series of airstrikes against Federal
Yugoslavia. The aerial campaign and also NATO’s military
intervention in Kosovo were not authorized by the UN Security
Council and, therefore, violated international law. In an
interview with Radio Sputnik, Vice President of the
International Association of Russian-Speaking Lawyers, Mikhail
Ioffe, said that Serbia should have filed the lawsuits
immediately after the 1999 bombings.
3 US soldiers killed after Afghan Army soldier shoots at
American troops
RT - Several American servicemen have been killed and injured
after coming under fire in a ‘green-on-blue’ attack in eastern
Afghanistan, the Pentagon has announced. "Three US soldiers were
killed in eastern Afghanistan today," the Pentagon said in a
statement, adding, that another serviceman was wounded and is
now receiving medical treatment. Earlier on Saturday, Attahullah
Khogyani, a provincial spokesman in Nangarhar province, said
that two other soldiers were also injured in the attack, which
was carried out by an Afghan soldier in the Achin district,
where US and Afghan forces are carrying out joint operations
against Taliban and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL)
militants. “Today at around noon an Afghan commando opened fire
on US troops in Achin district, killing two American soldiers.
The soldier was also killed in the return fire,” Khogyani told
AFP. A Taliban spokesman claimed the shooter was a part of the
militant group and had killed four Americans and injured several
more, but this has yet to be confirmed by government sources.
The Achin district in eastern Nangarhar province, where the
attack took place, is also thought to be a stronghold of IS.
Massive Anti-Government Protests In Venezuela Worsen, Patterns
Emerge
Activist Post - As protests against Venezuela’s “democratic
socialist” government roll into their third month, Dr. Henrique
Montbrun, who oversees the triage post in the municipality of
Baruta, says the violence in the country has reached
unprecedented levels. “It’s madness,” he says. As more people
take to the streets to demand their freedom back in a nation
where tyranny took a firm hold shortly after the election of
self-proclaimed socialist, Nicolaus Maduro, the country
descended into complete government control, and the only people
with money are now those in the government. Socialism is fair
that way; as no system more equally distributes poverty, except
maybe communism. But a pattern is now emerging in the battle for
basic human rights and minimal freedoms.
Why US is Unlikely to Help Russia With Syria Safe Zones Amid
'Secret Talks'
Sputnik International - The Wall Street Journal reported citing
US officials that the President Donald Trump's administration
has been holding "secret talks" with Russia over the creation of
a safe zone near al-Tanf where the US-led coalition had
repeatedly bombed pro-Damascus allied forces. According to WSJ,
there were at least two "secret" meetings in Jordan between US
and Russian officials during which the de-escalation zones were
discussed. One more meeting allegedly should have taken place in
Amman this week, however, it was canceled and a new date has not
been set yet. The journal cited officials familiar with the
talks as saying that the "secret" negotiations are "threatened
by continued tensions in southern Syria between the U.S. and
forces allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad."
Wounded May soldiers on as election shock complicates Brexit
Infowars by Mikael Thalen - In a political drama both brutal and
surreal, British Prime Minister Theresa May tried Friday to
carry on with the business of governing as usual, while her
Conservative Party reeled from losing its parliamentary majority
and her opponents demanded she resign. An election that May
called to strengthen her hand as Britain leaves the European
Union ended with her political authority obliterated, her days
in office likely numbered and the path to Brexit more muddied
than ever. Meanwhile the supposed loser, Labour Party leader
Jeremy Corbyn, savored a surprisingly strong result and basked
in the adulation of an energized, youthful base. British
newspapers summed it up in a word: Mayhem.
*Related:
Theresa May's 2 chiefs of staff resign in wake of disastrous UK
election campaign
Labour rounds off remarkable election with narrow win in
Kensington
The Guardian - Conservatives defeated by 20 votes after third
recount in London seat, which has never been in Labour hands
before. Labour has staged a major upset by taking one of the
wealthiest constituencies in London, from the incumbent
Conservative candidate Victoria Borwick, in a dramatic result 24
hours after polling closed.
How 1967 Six-Day War Became Testing Ground for USSR, NATO
Advanced Weapons
Sputnik International - The Six-Day War of 1967 became a testing
ground for the USSR and NATO's cutting edge weapon systems,
Sputnik contributor Andrei Kots writes, unveiling one of the
reasons for the defeat of the Arab coalition. Exactly 50 years
ago, on June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War — the shortest armed
conflict of the second half of the 20th century — ended, Sputnik
contributor Andrei Kots writes, highlighting that the war put
the most advanced Soviet and NATO weaponry to the test. The
armed conflict between Israel and the coalition of Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Algeria had taken place between June 5
and June 10, 1967. In the very beginning of the war, the young
Israeli state managed to destroy most of the Egyptian aviation
and then swiftly occupied the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip,
the West Bank of the Jordan River, East Jerusalem and the Golan
Heights. However, according to Kots, it's not the strategy and
tactics of the participants of the Six-Day War what deserves
special attention but the weapons which they used during the
confrontation. The crux of the matter is that new tanks and
aircraft manufactured by the USSR of the countries of the NATO
bloc made their debut on the fields and in the air during the
conflict. Later these weapons were used and continue to be used
in dozens of conflicts around the world.
Monsanto and other biotech chemical giants just OUTLAWED seed
exchanges in Africa ... Seed colonization is nearly complete
Natural News - Monsanto has become infamous for covering up the
connection between glyphosate – which constitutes 50 percent of
its Roundup weed killer product – and cancer, particularly
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When the World Health Organization’s
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined in
2015 that glyphosate was “probably carcinogenic to humans,”
there was an immediate backlash against the company and multiple
lawsuits have ensued. Unfortunately, distributing cancer-causing
herbicides all over the world is far from this agricultural
giant’s only sin. Monsanto and fellow Big Agri villains like
Syngenta have quietly been destroying global crop diversity,
placing themselves in a position where they are poised to
control the entire planet’s food supply.
Is The Central Bank's Rigged Stock Market Ready To Crash On
Schedule?
Activist Post - We just saw a major rift open in the US stock
market that we haven’t seen since the dot-com bust in 1999.
While the Dow rose by almost half a percent to a new all-time
high, the NASDAQ, because it is heavier tech stocks, plunged
almost 2%. Tech stocks nosedived while others rose to create new
highs. Is this a one-off, or has a purge begun for the tech
stocks that have driven the nation’s third-longest bull market?
Could Cheap Car Loans Be The Cause Of The Next Economic
Collapse?
SHTF Plan - Ten years ago, sub-prime mortgages were getting the
blame for the economic collapse which followed.| Could the low
rates of car loans be the next vehicle which will fling us into
an even more unstable economy? Some experts seem to think so.
Smart Meters' claimed cost efficiency benefits are mostly BUNK, analysis
finds
NaturalNews - Compared to any other province, people living in Ontario
pay steeper rates for their power. According to The Globe and Mail,
electricity prices in Ontario have soared in the past decade, rising
four times as fast as inflation. Despite the use of the term “hydro” as
a synonym for electricity, Ontario relies on a mix of energy sources to
power the grid. Nearly 60 percent of the electricity comes from nuclear
power plants and about 24 percent comes from hydroelectricity. Today,
Ontario’s electricity system is a tangle of public, private, and
semi-private companies, hence its hefty price tag. In an attempt to
reduce energy consumption during peak periods and slash electricity
costs, smart meters and time-of-use rates were introduced in November
2011.
Unfortunately, Ontario’s $1 billion smart meter program has delivered
few benefits for the hefty electricity cost, new research conducted at
the University of Waterloo in Canada reported. Their analysis was
recently published in the journal Energy Policy.
Scientists Working On An Enzyme Capable Of Deleting Bad Memories
Activist Post - Scientists have discovered an enzyme in the brain
involved in memory formation, particularly with long-term memories. Are
there any bad memories you want to get rid of? The scientists believe
that those with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or other
memory-related afflictions can be treated by targeting an enzyme to
delete bad memories. At face value this may sound fine and well, but
those frequenting the alternative media may be experiencing a red light
warning right now: Could this form of memory hijacking be used for a
number of dark ulterior motives?
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
You're A Pepper. Your Family's Not. What Should You Do?
Off The Grid News - Perhaps one of the hardest things to do when
prepping is convincing family and friends to join you. Ask any long-time
prepper, and they’re likely to have had trouble discussing the topic
with loved ones. Prepping isn’t something you can hide from immediate
family, either. A basement full of food supplies would be hard to keep a
secret, as would a cabinet stocked with guns and ammo. Need help? You
definitely can win people to your side, even through small, incremental
ways.
Historic 1st: FDA calls for opioid to be removed from market
based on risk of abuse
RT - In an unprecedented move, the US Food and Drug
Administration has requested a drugmaker withdraw an opioid pain
medicine from the market due to its potential for abuse. The
agency cited the current "opioid epidemic" as a catalyst for the
move. The FDA has targeted the reformulated version of Opana ER,
or oxymorphone hydrochloride, for market removal, calling on its
manufacturer, Ireland-based Endo Pharmaceuticals, to take
voluntary steps to do so. If Endo chooses not to withdraw Opana
ER ‒ first approved by the FDA in 2006 – the federal agency said
it would take steps to rescind its approval of the drug. "We are
facing an opioid epidemic ‒ a public health crisis, and we must
take all necessary steps to reduce the scope of opioid misuse
and abuse,"said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.
Pepsi now experimenting with ground up insects as a source of
protein for its snack products
NaturalNews - While it may turn the stomach of consumers in
America, PepsiCo is betting that snacks and drinks made with
ground up bugs will become the next big thing. Although bug
protein is already popular in some parts of the world, it will
take some time for the West to adapt to the idea. Recently,
Pepsi — the food company known for its sodas and snacks like
Doritos, Cheetos, and Quaker Oats cereal — posted an innovation
request on the idea portal Nine Sights looking for novel,
sustainable, non-GMO protein sources for usage in their
products. The firm noted that the protein source should have a
minimal impact on the flavor and texture of the end product, and
must be easy to process and handle. aying they would like “to
achieve a protein level that provides a measurable positive
impact for consumers while enabling a comparable consumer
experience,” Pepsi’s primary focus is finding a plant-based
protein source. Though they are also considering fungi-and
insect-based protein.
Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol found to have a negative
impact on brain health
NaturalNews - You might want to think twice before reaching for
another shot of that drink especially if you have a big day at
work the next day. A new study published in the British Medical
Journal (BMJ) showed that drinking moderately may not be as
harmless as you believe. In fact, it makes you three times more
likely to suffer cognitive decline than those who don’t drink at
all.
700,125 pounds of spaghetti and meatball products recalled over
labeling concerns
ABC - More than 700,000 pounds of spaghetti and meatball
products have been recalled over allergen labeling concerns.
Conagra Brands, Inc. said bread crumbs included in various
products sold under Chef Boyardee, Libby's, Hy-Top and other
popular brand names may contain milk, an allergen not marked on
the products' labels.
Friday -
June 9, 2017
On This Day In History
1790 - John Barry copyrighted "Philadelphia Spelling Book." It
was the first American book to be copyrighted.
1790 - Civil war broke out in Martinique..
1923 - Bulgaria's government was overthrown by the military.
1934 - Donald Duck made his debut in the Silly Symphonies
cartoon "The Wise Little Hen."
1940 - Norway surrendered to the Nazis during World War II.
1943 - The withholding tax on payrolls was authorized by the
U.S. Congress.
1945 - Japanese Premier Kantaro Suzuki declared that Japan would
fight to the last rather than accept unconditional surrender.
1946 - Mel Ott (with the New York Giants) became the first
manager to be ejected from a doubleheader (both games).
1959 - The first ballistic missile carrying submarine, the USS
George Washington, was launched.
1978 - Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints struck down a 148-year-old policy of excluding black men
from the Mormon priesthood.
1985 - Thomas Sutherland, an American educator, was kidnapped in
Lebanon. He was not released until November 1991.
1986 - The Rogers Commission released a report on the Challenger
disaster. The report explained that the spacecraft blew up as a
result of a failure in a solid rocket booster joint.
1999 - NATO and Yugoslavia signed a peace agreement over Kosovo.
2000 - Canada and the United States signed a border security
agreement. The agreement called for the establishment of a
border-enforcement team.
2000 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal gift
and estate taxes. The bill called for the taxes to be phased out
over 10 years.
2011 - The world's first artificial organ transplant was
performed. It was an artificial windpipe coated with stem cells.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
James Comey Hearing Destroys Obstruction of Justice Case Against
Trump
Breitbart - Under questioning by Sen. James Risch (R-ID), James
Comey all but destroyed any hope Democrats had for bringing a
case of obstruction of justice against President Donald Trump.
Former FBI director James Comey began his testimony before the
Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday by suggesting that the
question of whether President Donald Trump had committed
obstruction of justice was one for Special Counsel Robert
Mueller to investigate. Democrats have hinged their hopes for
impeachment — and reversing the 2016 elections — on the idea
that Trump committed obstruction of justice. That case has now
been smashed beyond repair.
Comey: AG Lynch Directed Me to Call Hillary Email Investigation
a ‘Matter’
Breitbart - Thursday during a Senate Intelligence Committee
hearing, former FBI Director James Comey said former Obama
Attorney General Loretta Lynch had asked him to call the FBI
investigation into former Secretary of State and then-Democrat
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified
information on a private email server a “matter.” Comey said,
“There were other things that contributed to that.| One
significant item I can’t. I know the committee’s been briefed
on. There’s been public accounts of it which are nonsense. But I
understand the committee has been briefed on the classified
facts. Probably the only other consideration I guess can talk
about in an open setting is at one point the attorney general
had directed me not to call it an investigation but instead to
call it matter, which confused me and concerned me. But that was
one of the bricks in the load that led me to conclude I have to
step away from the department if we’re to close this case
credibly.”
Bombshell: Comey Admits Leaking Memos to Press
Infowars by Adan Salazar - Former FBI Director James Comey
admitted Thursday to orchestrating leaks to the press in hopes
of prompting the appointment of a special prosecutor. The fired
FBI director had kept written memos of his meetings with
President Trump. In testimony before the Senate Intelligence
Committee, Comey admitted to giving his memos to his Columbia
law professor “good friend” Daniel C. Richman to leak to the
press following Trump’s tweets insinuating he had recorded his
conversations with Comey.
Ex-FBI chief Comey: Many news stories about Russia are ‘just
dead wrong’
RT - Former FBI director James Comey has testified before the
Senate Intelligence Committee, confirming that he leaked a
meeting with Trump to the media and stating that some news
stories about Russia are "just dead wrong."
Trump’s lawyer calls for investigation of Comey for leaking
'privileged communications'
RT - President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz,
has called for former FBI Director James Comey to be
investigated after Comey testified in front of the Senate
Intelligence Committee about his abrupt firing by Trump.|
40,000 Petitions in Support of Sheriff Joe Delivered to DOJ
Breitbart News by Ian Mason - 40,000 signed petitions calling
for an end to the prosecution of former Maricopa County Sheriff
Joe Arpaio were hand-delivered to the Department of Justice by
National Center for Police Defense (NCPD) President James Fotis
Wednesday.
Texas Teacher Who Gave Student ‘Most Likely to Become a
Terrorist’ Award Is Out of a Job
NYT - A teacher at a Texas middle school is out of a job after
she gave mock awards to students that included designations like
“most likely to become a terrorist” and “most likely to blend in
with white people,” the school district and local media reports
said. “We have concluded our investigation, and the teacher
responsible is no longer employed by the district,” the
Channelview Independent School District said in a one-sentence
statement when asked on Wednesday to confirm reports that the
teacher was no longer working at the school, in Channelview,
near Houston. A spokesman did not reply to questions about
whether the teacher had been fired or had resigned.
US strikes pro-govt forces in Syria, shoots down drone
RT - The US-led coalition has struck Syrian pro-government
forces near its training base of At Tanf, and shot down an armed
drone outside its deconfliction zone.| The previous airstrike
close to At Tanf on Tuesday was condemned by Damascus and
Moscow.
US-Backed Forces Enter Syrian City of Raqqa
Global Research by Bill Van Auken - Backed by intense US
airstrikes and accompanied by beefed-up contingents of US
special operations troops, an armed force dominated by the YPG
(People’s Protection Force) Kurdish militia crossed into the
eastern sector of the Syrian city of Raqqa Tuesday.
Poland receives first shipment of American liquefied natural gas
RT - The first US tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG)
has arrived in the Polish port of Swinoujscie.| American LNG is
expected to compete in Europe with natural gas piped from Russia
and Qatari LNG.
Puerto Rico goes to the polls for statehood 51 state? And 70
billion in bankruptcy… Will Americans object?
InvestmentWatch - If statehood wins, as expected, the island
will enact what’s known as the Tennessee Plan, an avenue to
accession by which U.S. territories send a congressional
delegation to demand to be seated in Washington. Puerto Rico
will send two senators and five representatives, chosen by Gov.
Ricardo Rosselló (D), later this year, once the plan is put into
action. Statehood remains a long shot as many Republicans are
wary of adding a 51st state that could add two Democratic
senators and seven Democratic electors to the Electoral College.
Others, noting the examples of Alaska and Hawaii, both added to
the union in 1959, say it can be difficult to predict how
territories will vote as states.
World Famous Urban Food Street Just Got Mowed Down by City
Enforcers
NaturalBlaze - Urban Food Street (UBS) is a hugely popular
precinct in Buderim, on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland,
Australia. This precinct spanned 11 streets and over the past 7
years neighbors grow food on the verges, free to the community.
They grew enough food for 200 people and neighbors who didn’t
have food-bearing trees or gardens were welcome to trade other
wares. The citrus trees felled would have supplied jam for the
residents for the next 12 months. Residents, however, were
horrified to find “barren” ground where 18 trees had been
unapologetically chopped down and mulched last week. In one fell
swoop, the Sunshine Coast Council erased years of hard work.
“Why would the council chop down trees that produce what we eat?
They were 1.2 metres back from the road. There’s no danger,”
said one resident. The project was considered “internationally
significant” and residents said the council blocked attempts for
a solution. Unsurprisingly, the council took these actions based
on a “complaint.”
Dow hits record in midst of Comey hearing
CNN - Wall Street doesn't seem worried at all about FBI director
James Comey's hearing in Congress. The Dow, after initially
trading sideways, jumped to a new all-time high Thursday
afternoon towards the end of the highly-anticipated testimony.
The reaction suggests Wall Street believes Comey's testimony
produced no smoking gun that could further imperil President
Trump's stalled economic agenda.
Central Banks Now Own Stocks And Bonds Worth Trillions – And
They Could Crash The Markets By Selling Them
The Economic Collapse - Have you ever wondered why stocks just
seem to keep going up no matter what happens? For years,
financial markets have been behaving in ways that seem to defy
any rational explanation, but once you understand the role that
central banks have been playing everything begins to make sense.
In the aftermath of the great financial crisis of 2008, global
central banks began to buy stocks, bonds and other financial
assets in very large quantities and they haven’t stopped since.
In fact, as you will see below, global central banks are on pace
to buy 3.6 trillion dollars worth of stocks and bonds this year
alone. At this point, the Swiss National Bank owns more
publicly-traded shares of Facebook than Mark Zuckerberg does,
and the Bank of Japan is now a top-five owner in 81 different
large Japanese firms. These global central banks are shamelessly
pumping up global stock markets, but because they now have such
vast holdings they could also cause a devastating global stock
market crash simply by starting to sell off their portfolios.
Companies Race To Perfect The Computer Brain Interface
Activist Post - Another example of “the road to hell is paved by good
intentions.” No one would ever think to exploit a computer-brain
interface…. With all the malware out there, how could you guard yourself
from such an intrusion? Hmmmmm…..In this News Shot, Joe Joseph discusses
brain-computer interfaces that could turn us into programmable,
debuggable machines, and the possible horrible consequences of such
technology.
US’s Mysterious X-37B Space Plane to Head Back Into Orbit on SpaceX
Rocket
Sputnik - The Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, the Pentagon’s
secretive space plane, returned to Earth in early May after nearly two
years in space.| But in just a few months it’ll be heading back out to
orbit – except this time it’ll be on the back of a SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket.
Anxious robots will be less likely to launch AI uprising – study
RT - Creating robots with anxiety might keep the machines from talking
over the world, according to new research into AI technology.
Researchers from the University of California based their findings on a
mathematical model that simulated interaction between a robot and a
human. With this model, the team found they could lower the robot’s
self-confidence, from the unwavering level it has by default, to better
obey their human’s orders.
Alarms go off, crews take cover at Hanford nuclear site
RT - Two air monitor alarms went off in a demolition area of the Hanford
Site’s Plutonium Finishing Plant, causing workers to take cover less
than a month after a tunnel collapse at the Richland, Washington
facility, the Department of Energy-owned site said.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Nevada Disobeys the Feds, Passes Revolutionary Law to Grow Commercial
Hemp
The Free Thought Project by Rachel Blevins - Gov. Brian Sandoval signed
Senate Bill 396 into law, authorizing the cultivation of industrial hemp
for commercial purposes and the production of agricultural hemp seed in
Nevada. The bill was created by a group of 12 bipartisan senators, and
was initially introduced in March. After receiving unanimous approval in
the Senate, it went on to pass the full assembly by a vote of 34 to 5.
While state law previously allowed institutions of higher education or
the Nevada Department of Agriculture to grow industrial hemp for
approved research purposes, the new law will open licensing programs to
growers, handlers, and producers of hemp seed. Because industrial hemp
is the product of a variety of the cannabis plant, it is treated as a
drug in the United States. However, it is important to note that hemp is
non-psychoactive, and has the potential to be used in more than 25,000
products, including fibers, textiles, paper and construction and
insulation materials.
The Secrets to Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails
Dr. Group's Healthy Living blog by Zohair - Frustrated with
lackluster hair, dry skin, and brittle nails?|
You are not alone. There is a multi-billion dollar cosmetics
industry built on your hopes and dreams of shiny hair, strong
nails, and supple, hydrated skin. But do the potions and tonics
you apply to your tresses leave them dull and lifeless? Are your
nails prone to splitting and cracking? Are your knees ashy an
hour after applying lotion? There’s a reason why. The products
you use every day might be doing more harm than good. Cosmetic
products are often loaded with harmful chemicals and toxins that
detract from your health and appearance. Fortunately, the secret
to beautiful hair, skin, and nails is simpler than you might
think. Like so many other aspects of your health, your diet and
lifestyle are major determinants of your appearance. Keep
reading to find out how to improve and maintain strength and
shine for a lifetime.
The 7 Best Inflammation-Fighting Foods + How To Use Them In
Everything
mindbodygreen by Sarah Aldrich - One of the greatest sources of
chronic inflammation today is the Standard American Diet—eating
processed foods, too much sugar, lots of meat, etc. Luckily, our
diets are one of the easiest things we can fix. Opting for
inflammation-fighting foods can help your body fight disease,
and all it takes is a trip to the grocery store.
Gelatin in Vaccines Can Cause Allergic Reactions
Health Impact News by Admin - Orissa - In the early 1990s,
several reports implicating the presence of gelatin in live
virus vaccines to the occurrence of anaphylactic allergic
reactions came to light, and were reported in the medical
literature in Japan. [8] The increasing number of Japanese
patients with allergic reactions after administration of
gelatin-containing vaccines became more widely recognized,
including after administration of DTaP vaccine. What this
essentially means is that people with a gelatin food allergy may
develop an anaphylactic reaction after receiving a
gelatin-containing vaccine; however, it has also been reported
that people without a prior gelatin allergy can also experience
anaphylactic reactions in response to gelatin-containing
vaccines. This is believed to be a result of the injection route
of vaccine administration (injection versus ingestion).
Thursday -
June 8, 2017
On This Day In History
1786 - In New York City, commercially manufactured ice cream was
advertised for the first time.
1790 - The first loan for the U.S. was repaid. The Temporary
Loan of 1789 was negotiated and secured on September 18, 1789 by
Alexander Hamilton.
1861 - Tennessee voted to secede from the Union and joined the
Confederacy.
1872 - The penny postcard was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1904 - U.S. Marines landed in Tangiers, Morocco, to protect U.S.
citizens.
1915 - U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned
in a disagreement over U.S. handling of the sinking of the
Lusitania.
1947 - "Lassie Show" debuted on ABC radio. It was a 15-minute
show.
1953 - The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregated restaurants in
Washington, DC.
1965 - U.S. troops in South Vietnam were given orders to begin
fighting offensively.
1967 - Israeli airplanes attacked the USS Liberty in the
Mediterranean during the 6-Day War between Israel and its Arab
neighbors. 34 U.S. Navy crewmen were killed. Israel later called
the incident a tragic mistake due to the mis-identification of
the ship. The U.S. has never publicly investigated the incident.
1969 - U.S. President Richard Nixon met with President Thieu of
South Vietnam to tell him 25,000 U.S. troops would pull out by
August.
1987 - Fawn Hill began testifying in the Iran-Contra hearings.
She said that she had helped to shred some documents.
1988 - The judge in the Iran-Contra conspiracy case ruled that
Oliver North, John Poindexter, Richard Secord and Albert Hakim
had to be tried separately.
1991 - A victory parade was held in Washington, DC, to honor
veterans of the Persian Gulf War.
1995 - U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady was rescued by
U.S. Marines after surviving alone in Bosnia after his F-16
fighter was shot down on June 2.
1996 - China set off an underground nuclear test blast.
2004 - Nate Olive and Sarah Jones began the first known
continuous hike of the 1,800-mile trail down the U.S. Pacific
Coast. They completed the trek at the U.S.-Mexico border on
September 28.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Congressman starts impeachment process against President Trump
Infowars - Texas Democrat Rep. Al Green says he’s drafting
“articles of impeachment” against President Donald Trump.
Full Text: James Comey’s Prepared Remarks for His Congressional
Testimony
By Breitbart News - Former FBI Director James Comey is set to
testify before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Thursday regarding his firing by President Donald Trump and the
investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential
election. |
* Related:
Judge Napolitano: Comey’s Pre-Testimony Statements Reveal Trump
Did Nothing Illegal
Missouri governor calls special session on abortion
Reuters - Missouri's Republican governor on Wednesday said he
will convene a special legislative session next week to consider
new abortion regulations and counter a local St.| Louis law he
said made it an "abortion sanctuary city."
MILO Fan Sues UC Berkeley for $23 Million over Abuse Against
Conservatives on Campus
Breitbart News by Charlie Nash - A fan of former Breitbart
senior editor Milo Yiannopoulos is suing UC Berkeley for $23
million, claiming routine abuse against conservative students on
campus. The fan of Milo, whose book Dangerous reached #1 on
Amazon’s best sellers list within a day of being made available
to pre-order this week, claims that her First Amendment rights
were infringed after she was forced to evacuate Milo’s speech
on-campus in February when a left-wing protest turned into a
violent riot.
Donald Trump says Christopher Wray will be nominated as next FBI
director
The Sidney Morning Herald - Taking to Twitter on Wednesday
night, Trump said Christopher Wray – a former Assistant
Attorney-General in the George W. Bush administration – would be
nominated for the role. He said Wray, who is 50, had "impeccable
credentials". "I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man
of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI,"
Trump said. "Details to follow."
Jerry Brown Plays President; Signs Climate Deal with China
Breitbart - California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new climate
change agreement between the State of California and the
People’s Republic of China on Tuesday. The gesture continued
Brown’s efforts to expand ties with China, as well as his
diplomatic campaign to push for more action on climate change.
It came in the immediate aftermath of President Donald Trump’s
decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords.
Here’s Where The US Ranks On The List Of Most Peaceful Nations
In The World
By Darius Shahtahmasebi (Activist Post) - The Global Peace
Index, which bases its annual assessment on a complex analysis
of social, economic, and political factors, has found that the
United States of America is the 114th most peaceful nation on
the planet. This most recent ranking sees the U.S. down 11
places from the previous year. This drop places Armenia and
Rwanda in front of America, and El Salvador and China right
behind. (Have a read about the conflict in Rwanda if you have
the time). “Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the
world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the
top of the index by New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark.
There was also very little change at the bottom of the index.
Syria remains the least peaceful country in the world, followed
by Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen,” the report said.
Military Tested Germ Warfare On San Francisco And Other Major
Cities
By Heather Callaghan (Activist Post) - One of the largest human
experiments ever was conducted on unsuspecting residents in the
open air of San Francisco. It was the U.S. Government’s own
experiment conducted on its own people in 1950. IFL Science
reports [emphasis mine]: In the wake of World War II, the United
States military was suddenly worried about and keen to test out
the threats posed by biological warfare. They started
experiments looking into how bacteria and their harmful toxins
might spread, only using harmless stand-in microbes. They tested
these on military bases, infecting soldiers and their families
who lived with them, but eventually they stepped things up a
notch. Disclosed in 1977, it turns out that the U.S. military
carried out 239 secret open-air tests on its own citizens. In
one of its largest experiments – called Operation Sea-Spray –
the military used giant hoses [and burst balloons] to spray a
bacterial cloud of Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii,
both thought to be harmless bacteria at the time, from a Navy
ship docked just off the coast of San Francisco. They wanted to
investigate how the city’s iconic fog might help with the spread
of bacterial warfare. And spread it did. It’s estimated that all
of the city’s 800,000 residents inhaled millions of the bacteria
over the next few weeks as they went about their daily lives
none the wiser.
Trump offers to help Qatar resolve Gulf crisis
RT - US President Donald Trump has offered to host a Washington
meeting to discuss the Gulf crisis, the White House has said
Is Another War Brewing In The Middle East? Saudi Arabia Gives 24
Hour Ultimatum To Qatar
SHTF Plan - What’s going down in the Middle East right now is
the perfect example of a black swan event.| Out of nowhere,
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Egypt, Yemen, and the Maldives cut
off diplomatic relations with the nation of Qatar several days
ago. Saudi Arabia and the UAE (who are leading the charge
against Qatar) have since placed a naval blockade on Qatar, and
have cut air and land links with the nation as well.
US Missile Defense Chief: US Must Assume it Is in ‘Range’ of
North Korean Nuke
Sputnik - Vice Admiral James Syring, the head of the US Missile
Defense Agency, told a House Armed Services Committee meeting on
Wednesday that his agency must assume Pyongyang can today
“range” the US with a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic
missile (ICBM), and that North Korea’s missile program advances
are cause for “great concern.”|
* Related:
Pentagon upgrades assessment of ability to defend against ICBMs
- After a successful May test, the Pentagon has upgraded its
assessment of its ability to defend the United States against
incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles, like the ones
North Korea is attempting to develop, according to a memo seen
by Reuters on Wednesday.
Britain readies for election after tumultuous campaign
Al Jazeera - Polls put Corbyn between one and 12 points behind
May with youth turnout expected to decide the outcome of the
vote. Campaigning for the UK general election is drawing to a
close and millions of Britons will head to the polls within
hours to choose their next government. The general election on
Thursday pits Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party
against Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, with the nationalist Scottish
National Party expected to continue its domination in Scotland.
The centrist Liberal Democrat party has positioned itself as the
party that will reject Brexit and hold a second referendum, but
that platform has only earned them a modest increase in the
opinion polls. While the election was widely expected to be
fought on the basis of upcoming Brexit negotiations with the EU,
two recent attacks that killed at least 30 people and wounded
scores of others brought security to the top of the agenda. Both
attacks, one in Manchester and the other in London, were
believed to have been inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group. Corbyn has attacked
May for cutting police numbers during her time as Home Secretary
and leaving the country vulnerable to threats.
Czech Republic Now Refusing Migrants in Fresh Blow to EU Quota
Scheme
Breitbart - Brussels has threatened to take the Czech Republic
to court after its government announced its withdrawal from the
Commission scheme to force European Union (EU) countries to
welcome migrants from the third world. Citing security issues,
Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec said on Monday the
Visegrád nation will not be resettling any more of the quota of
2,691 migrants demanded by the scheme, having so far taken just
a dozen people who arrived uninvited to Italy and Greece on
boats.
EU Free Movement Gave London Bridge Jihadist Backdoor to Britain
After Failed Asylum Bid
Breitbart - Two of the three London Bridge terrorists are
believed to have used European Union migration rights to enter
Britain, despite one of them having previously had an asylum
application rejected. East London-based Rachid Redouane (above
left), 30, who claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan, was refused
asylum in Britain at an unspecified date, according to RTÉ News,
but was able to settle in the country after marrying in Ireland
and winning a ‘4 EU FAM’ residence card.
5 Trends That Are Destroying The Middle Class In America
Zero Hedge by Tyler Durden -The middle class in America has been
shrinking for decades, and our leaders seem powerless to do
anything about it. Two years ago, the middle class became a
minority in this country for the first time ever. In other
words, the middle class now accounts for less than 50 percent of
the population. But back in the early 1970s, the middle class
made up more than 60 percent of the population. I have often
compared being in the middle class to playing a really bizarre
game of musical chairs. When the music stops playing each month,
more chairs are being pulled out of the middle class, and most
of us are just hoping that we will still have a chair for the
next go around. Earlier today, I came across a USA Today article
that discussed some of the factors that are slowly but surely
eviscerating the middle class. I am going to share four of those
factors with you, and at the end I am going to add one extra
one.
By 2050 the world will face a $400 trillion shortfall in
retirement savings
GOVERNMENT SLAVES - The World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that
by 2050 the world will face a $400 trillion shortfall (pdf) in
retirement savings. (Yes, that’s trillion, with a “T”.) The WEF
defines a shortfall as anything less than what’s required to
provide 70% of a person’s pre-retirement income via public
pensions and private savings. The US will find itself in the
biggest hole, falling $137 trillion short of what’s necessary to
fund adequate retirements in 2050. It is followed by China’s
$119 trillion shortfall. Asset returns have been lower than they
were in the past and people are living longer, so some of this
shortfall is to be expected. The WEF assumes many people born
recently will live beyond 100, which may be a bit much (the
Social Security Administration expects most Americans born today
to live into their mid-80s). But much of the massive shortfall
is baked into retirement systems; setups in which nobody,
neither individuals nor the government, saves enough. About
three-quarters of the projected comes from underfunded promises
from governments, with the rest mostly accounted for by
under-saving on the part of individuals.
Gov. Jerry Brown Calls California Taxpayers “Freeloaders”
RedState - If you live in California, have a job and pay taxes
Governor Jerry Brown would like you to know that you’re a
freeloader and he’s tired of your complaining. In a speech in
Orange County last week Brown responded to criticism over a new
$52 billion tax hike that was hastily rammed through Sacramento
by the Democrat supermajority over the objections of taxpayers
across the state.
Lithuania Declares Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant National Security
Threat
Sputnik - The Lithuanian government declared the Belarusian nuclear
power plant in Grodno region a national security threat due to breaches
and incidents that keep happening during its construction, the
governmental press service said Wednesday.
Mars Astronauts Face Double the Cancer Risk, Says Study
Infowars by Adan Salazar - The cancer risk for a human mission to Mars
may be double what was previously expected, says a new study that is
partly based on studying tumors in mice. Astronauts are exposed to
radiation from galactic cosmic rays when they travel outside the
protective shield of Earth’s magnetic field. These cosmic rays — which
originate from the shockwaves of star explosions, or supernovas — can
disrupt the bonds inside human cells, leading to DNA damage and
mutation. “Exploring Mars will require missions of 900 days or longer
and includes more than one year in deep space, where exposures to all
energies of galactic cosmic ray heavy ions are unavoidable,” said lead
author Francis Cucinotta, a professor of radiation and space physics at
the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in a statement. His study was
recently published in Scientific Reports.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Despite links to cancer, the EU proposes a 10-year license renewal for
key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup
By Amy Goodrich (Natural News) - The World Health Organization’s (WHO)
cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” which is the
second-highest classification for substances that can cause cancer.
Glyphosate is the main ingredient of Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide
Roundup. Instead of protecting public health and removing it from their
products, Monsanto hired an army of fraudulent scientists and industry
lobbyists to push their agenda. Backed up by the government and
mainstream media, fake stories flooded the internet to cast doubts on
the cancer-causing properties associated with glyphosate, allowing
Monsanto to continue selling their toxic products.
Natural Remedies for Poison Ivy & Oak
By Ashley Houk (Mohter Earth Living) - If you’ve been in or around the
woods at all, you’ve probably heard the saying “leaves of three, let it
be.” Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, even for those allergic
to poison ivy, it can be a bit more difficult than that to avoid
breaking out in an unbearably itchy rash. Being on the lookout for
“leaves of three” is a great starting point, but what many of us aren’t
taught is that poison ivy, oak and sumac all contain the same oil—urushiol—which,
for some, can cause an allergic reaction when it binds to the skin and
that fact can increase the odds of coming into contact with something
bothersome.
Using Jewelweed for Poison Ivy Treatment:
1. Locate orange-flowered jewelweed (Impatiens biflora) and harvest,
making sure to keep stalks intact.
2. If outdoors, break the stalk and rub raw plant juices directly on
exposed areas.
3. If treating at home, place stalks in a blender and blend thoroughly.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator through spring and
summer. You can also boil crushed stalks to create an extract that can
be frozen for up to 1 year.
Easy-to-Find Alternatives to Raw Jewelweed:
If you aren’t in an area with abundant jewelweed habitats or can’t find
any, French green clay is an excellent alternative. It works somewhat
like Calamine lotion—but better, in my experience.
ZINC found to be a powerful mineral “secret” for fighting viral
infections of the liver (such as hepatitis C)
By Tim Wesley (Natural News) - Researchers were surprised to
discover that zinc may have the potential to fight liver disease
by suppressing the inflammatory effects of a protein called
interferon lambda 3 (IFN-λ3). This new research, published in
Nature Communications, proved how beneficial the mineral is in
curbing the negative effects of liver disease.
Low fat dairy raises risk of Parkinson's disease
Mail Online - Eating three or more portions of low fat dairy a
day raises risk by 34 per cent compared to eating less than one
serving, say researchers from the University of Harvard.|
5 Tips for Natural Stress Management
By Ashley Houk (Mother Earth Living) - Stress is a natural part
of life. The stress response system was designed to trigger the
“fight-or-flight” response to save our primitive ancestors from
life threatening situations. Today, this same mechanism jumps
into action even if we’re not in physical harm. Although some
stress can motivate us, long-term (chronic) stress can impact
our health—physical and mental—negatively.
1. Go Decaf
2. Eat Well
3. Try Acupuncture
4. Calming Herbs
5. Get Out
Report: PETA Produced Fake Animal Abuse Video as Part of Attempted Viral
Awareness Campaign
Breitbart News by Charlie Nash PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals) has reportedly produced a fake animal abuse video to “raise
awareness” of the issue online.“The animal rights group has produced a
disturbing new video that depicts a cat suffering at the hands of its
owner. It’s difficult to watch. It’s also completely fake,” reports
Mashable. “But it looks real; it is a skilled CGI work clearly meant to
deceive viewers. Now, PETA is trying to enlist complicit media
organizations to knowingly publish the fake video in an effort to make
the lie go viral.”
Wednesday -
June 7, 2017
On This Day In History
1712 - The Pennsylvania Assembly banned the importation of
slaves.
1775 - The United Colonies changed their name to the United States.
1776 - Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental
Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.
1929 - The sovereign state of Vatican City came into existence as copies
of the Lateran Treaty were exchanged in Rome.
1932 - Over 7,000 war veterans marched on Washington, DC, demanding
their bonuses.
1939 - King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, arrived in the U.S.
It was the first visit to the U.S. by a reigning British monarch.
1942 - The Battle of Midway ended. The sea and air battle lasted 4 days.
Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292 aircraft, and suffered
2,500 casualties. The U.S. lost the Yorktown, the destroyer USS Hammann,
145 aircraft, and suffered 307 casualties.
1942 - Japan landed troops on the islands of Attu and Kiska in the
Aleutians. The U.S. invaded and recaptured the Aleutians one year later.
1944 - Off of the coast of Normandy, France, the Susan B. Anthony sank.
All 2,689 people aboard survived.
1948 - The Communists completed their takeover of Czechoslovakia.
1965 - In the U.S., the Gemini 4 mission was completed. The mission
featured the first spacewalk by an American.
1968 - In Operation Swift Saber, U.S. Marines swept an area 10 miles
northwest of Danang in South Vietnam.
1981 - Israeli F-16 fighter-bombers destroyed Iraq’s only nuclear
reactor.
1983 - The U.S. ordered Nicaragua to close all 6 of its consulates and
informed 21 Nicaraguan consular officials that they could no longer
remain in the U.S.
1994 - The United States District Court for the Eastern District of
Virginia declared the RMS Titanic, Inc. (RMST) salvor-in-possession of
the wreck and the wreck site of the RMS Titanic.
2000 - U.S. Federal Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ordered the breakup of
Microsoft Corporation.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Contractor charged with leaking classified NSA info on Russian
hacking
CNN-The Justice Department announced charges Monday against a
federal contractor with Top Secret security clearance, after she
allegedly leaked classified information to an online media
outlet. Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a contractor with Pluribus
International Corporation in Georgia, is accused of "removing
classified material from a government facility and mailing it to
a news outlet," according to a federal complaint. CNN is told by
sources that the document Winner allegedly leaked is the same
one used as the basis for the article published Monday by The
Intercept, detailing a classified National Security Agency memo.
The NSA report, dated May 5, provides details of a 2016 Russian
military intelligence cyber attack on a US voting software
supplier, though there is no evidence that any votes were
affected by the hack. A US official confirmed to CNN that The
Intercept's document is a genuine, classified NSA document.
Supreme Court overturns Ninth Circuit 'provocation rule'
IURIST -The US Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 8-0 to strike down
the "provocation rule" created by the US Court of Appeals for
the Ninth Circuit which allows law enforcement officers to be
held liable for an otherwise defensive use of deadly force if
the officer provoked the violent encounter. Justice Samuel Alito
[official profile], in writing for the court, stated that
officers cannot be held liable for excessive force under the
Fourth Amendment because "a different Fourth Amendment violation
cannot transform a later, reasonable use of force into an
unreasonable seizure." The Fourth Amendment prohibits
unreasonable searches and seizures." Justice Alito wrote that
the issue with the provocation rule is that it instructs courts
to look back in time to see if there was a different Fourth
Amendment violation that is somehow tied to the eventual use of
force. That distinct violation, rather than the forceful seizure
itself, may then serve as the foundation of the plaintiff's
excessive force claim.
Trump announces plan to modernize, privatize air traffic control
RT - President Donald Trump plans to modernize US air traffic
control systems, while transferring operations from a federal
oversight body to a self-financing nonprofit organization. The
proposal is part of the administration’s ambitious
infrastructure agenda. Current air traffic control (ATC) still
runs on radar and ground-based radio technology, Trump told
reporters at the White House on Monday. The system was first
designed at a time when the number of air passengers was 100,000
a year, while that number is now approaching 1 billion. “Our air
traffic control is stuck, painfully, in the past,” Trump said,
decrying the “ancient, broken, antiquated, horrible system that
doesn’t work.” Flight delays are costing the US economy
approximately $25 billion a year, the president said, and the
previous administration’s attempts to upgrade the system cost $7
billion while yielding no results. “A modern air traffic control
system will make life better for all Americans,” Trump said.
Harvard revokes student admissions for 'offensive messages' in
private Facebook group – report
RT - Harvard College canceled admission offers to at least ten
prospective students of the Class of 2021 because of racist and
sexually explicit memes they posted in a private Facebook chat,
according to the a new report. The individuals were informed in
April that their admissions offers to the prestigious Ivy League
institution were under review, then later rescinded, because
they had posted memes mocking the Holocaust, sexual assault and
child abuse, among other topics, in a private Facebook messaging
group that was formed late last year, according to The Harvard
Crimson. The controversial Facebook group was an offshoot of a
separate private chat, joined by around 100 prospective Harvard
freshmen, that encouraged members to post memes about popular
culture. Both groups accumulated members based on the Harvard
College Class of 2021 Facebook group, an official group set up
by the school for those who had been accepted to Harvard.
We want some more! US Air Force asks for extra $10.7bn for
F-35s, lasers & other toys
RT - Though President Donald Trump’s budget proposal raises
military spending, the US Air Force wants more still. USAF has
asked Congress for nearly $11 billion in additional funds for
F-35 fighter jets, tankers, laser weapons and to modernize older
planes. The Air Force’s wish list includes $1.76 billion for 14
more F-35A fighters, made by Lockheed Martin, in addition to the
46 currently covered by the budget proposal. Another $1.3
billion would buy a dozen MC-130J special operations tankers and
one additional HC-130J search-and-rescue plane, both based on
Lockheed’s C-130 platform. Eager to replace older KC-135s, USAF
wants $600 million for three additional KC-46 Pegasus tankers,
manufactured by Boeing. “The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) has
forced us to make sacrifices as we balance readiness and
modernization,” USAF wrote in the letter to lawmakers, obtained
by The Hill.
Judge gives 'go ahead' in Flint water lead-contamination lawsuit
RT - Flint residents can move forward with their lawsuit against
some city and state employees for exposing them to
lead-contaminated water and hiding the contamination, a judge
has said though Governor Snyder and the state of Michigan have
immunity. The ruling concerns a lawsuit filed by Shari Guertin
and her child against the state, the city of Flint, Snyder and
13 other public officials, as well as two consulting firms
involved in the water scandal. Federal Judge Judith Levy of Ann
Arbor in a 101-page ruling agreed with the “bodily integrity”
that Guertin and her child were violated when city residents
were unknowingly exposed to dangerous levels of lead in the
city’s drinking water that officials were aware of but hid from
the public.
Unknown street drug blamed for deaths, dozens of overdoses in
Georgia
CBS News- Georgia authorities believe up to four people have
died and dozens more have become ill in the central part of the
state after overdosing on an unknown street drug. State
officials said it's the first suspected "cluster" of deaths and
illnesses in Georgia tied to a specific drug. Officials said
Tuesday that they were awaiting tests to confirm the cause of
the deaths and overdoses. But local officials said several
people told doctors and nurses that they became ill after
swallowing yellow pills purchased on the street.
Police arrest man at Heathrow airport over Manchester attack
REUTERS - British police said on Tuesday they had arrested a man
at London's Heathrow airport in connection with the
investigation into the suicide bombing on a concert hall in
Manchester last month which killed 22 people. "The 38-year-old
was arrested on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism
Act and remains in custody," Greater Manchester Police said in a
statement on Twitter. "The arrest was planned beforehand and
there was no direct threat to the airport."
UK police name third London attacker, Italy says was flagged in
advance
By William James and David Milliken (REUTERS) - Police on
Tuesday named the third of the jihadis who killed seven people
in a knife and van attack in London, someone an Italian
prosecutor said had been flagged to British authorities as a
potential risk after he moved to England last year. The attack
has eclipsed other issues in the political campaign for
Thursday's parliamentary election, with both the ruling
Conservatives and opposition Labour Party battling to defend
their records on security.
Iraqi forces carrying out tortures in Mosul mostly supervised by
US – security official
RT - The Iraqi military, who were filmed torturing and abusing
civilians, are “mainly supervised by US commanders,” a member of
the Baghdad Security Committee, has said, telling RT that
American military personnel have “some type of immunity” in such
cases. Saad Al-Muttalibi was responding after damning photos by
freelance photographer Ali Arkady were released to the media.
The pictures show Iraq’s elite Emergency Response Division (ERD)
in Mosul torturing and abusing their captives suspected of
having links with Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL).
“It is a war and a war is a horrible thing… It is a fact of war
that innocent people will pay with their lives. Such action
[torture and abuse] by army is definitely unsanctioned by the
[Iraqi] government. We have a number of officers either facing
trial or spending prison sentences here in Baghdad because of
human right violations,” he said.
US-led coalition destroys pro-government forces within
deconfliction zone in Syria – Pentagon
RT - The US-led coalition inside Syria says that it has
destroyed pro-government forces that entered the deconfliction
zone established by the United States and Russia around a
coalition training facility. The coalition last struck a
pro-government convoy in the area on May 18. “The Coalition
destroyed additional pro-Syrian regime forces that advanced
inside the well-established deconfliction zone in southern
Syria,” said a statement from the US Central Command. “The
Coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime or pro-regime
forces but remains ready to defend themselves if pro-regime
forces refuse to vacate the deconfliction zone.”
Deadly explosion strikes Afghanistan's Herat
Aljazeera - Several people killed in explosion near a mosque and
police offices in western province, local media report. At least
10 people were killed and several wounded in an explosion near
police offices and a mosque in Afghanistan's Herat province,
police officials told Al Jazeera. Abdul Ahid Wali Zada, police
spokesperson, said the bomb was planted in a rickshaw that
detonated near the Jama Masjid, a large mosque dating from the
12th century in Herat city on Tuesday. "The death toll coud
rise," he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, told Al Jazeera
that the group was not involved in the attack. Images posted to
social media showed plumes of black smoke rising above a mosque
complex. The reports came after a string of recent attacks in
Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and as President Ashraf Ghani
hosted a summit on security. On May 31, at least 150 people were
killed when a truck loaded with explosives detonated in a
fortified area of the city near several foreign embassies.
Ontario new law allows govt to seize children if parents oppose
their ‘gender identity’
RT - Legislation passed by the Canadian province of Ontario has
granted authorities the right to take children away from parents
who refuse to accept their children’s “gender identity.” Critics
of the new measure launched a petition aiming for a repeal of
the “totalitarian” child abuse bill. Out of Ontario’s 86
legislators, 63 voted in favor of Bill 89 or “The Supporting
Children, Youth and Families Act of 2017” on June 1. The
legislation replaces the Child and Family Services Act which
used to govern child protection, foster care and adoption
services in the province. The new law includes “gender identity”
and “gender expression” as factors to be considered by child
protection services “in the best interests of the child.” It
deprives parents of their earlier right to “direct the child’s
education and religious upbringing.” The family is now only
allowed to “direct the child or young person’s education and
upbringing, in accordance with the child’s or young person’s
creed, community identity and cultural identity.” The bill was
introduced by Ontario’s minister of child and family services,
Michael Coteau, who said, “I would consider that a form of
abuse, when a child identifies one way and a caregiver is saying
no, you need to do this differently.” “If it’s abuse, and if
it’s within the definition, a child can be removed from that
environment and placed into protection where the abuse stops,”
Coteau said as cited by Life Site News.
US Marines, Apaches provide ‘psychological edge’ as Kurdish-led
militia begins siege of Raqqa
RT - The US military is providing active support for the Syrian
Democratic Forces in the form of Marine Howitzers and “valuable
close-air support” from Apache helicopters in the SDF’s attack
on Raqqa, the so-called capital of Islamic State. The mainly
Kurdish SDF began its long-awaited siege on the Islamic State
(IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) stronghold in Syria on Monday, a week
after the US began delivering arms. Coalition warplanes and
artillery began strikes Monday afternoon, and continued through
Tuesday afternoon. The Apache gunships provide “valuable
close-air support” and a “psychological edge” in the battle
against IS, Defense Department spokesman Eric Payhon told RT
America. “When ISIS sees the Apache AH-64s, well, it’s a
psychological advantage.” The Marine M777 Howitzers “are
providing a significant enabling capability to our Special
Operations Forces and partners on the ground,” Pentagon
spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said during a briefing on Tuesday.
Read more
US-backed militia says it has begun siege of ISIS ‘capital’
Raqqa
The US is providing the SDF and the Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC)
with training equipment, assistance, intelligence and air
support as part of the US military’s “advise and assist”
mission, the Pentagon said in a statement. The DOD would not
comment on how many Apaches, Howitzers or troops were taking
part in the assault because “we have a limited presence in Syria
and we don’t want ISIS to have an idea of our capabilities,”
Payhon said. Last week, the Pentagon announced that it started
delivering weapons to the SDF, a militia dominated by the
Kurdish YPG (People's Protection Units), saying they were
necessary to capture Raqqa, despite the objections of Turkey, a
NATO ally.
Advocates denounce VA delays in developing housing for homeless
veterans at West L.A. site
By Gale Holland (Los Angeles Times) - A week after officials
disclosed a 57% rise in Los Angeles’ veteran homelessness,
advocates say the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is
delaying housing development on its West Los Angeles campus. A
report to be released Tuesday from Vets Advocacy, a non-profit
group created to oversee the development, accuses the federal
agency of stalling development of a model community for 1,200
homeless veterans on its long-neglected 388-acre campus. The
advocacy group says the VA also dragged out termination of
commercial leases on the property and blocked the group’s
oversight of negotiations with renters, including UCLA, whose
Jackie Robinson Stadium will remain on the VA land.
Veterans suicide prevention line still falling short, more than
a year after troubling report
Matthew Leonard - More than a year after an investigation, the
government agency that manages the nation’s suicide-prevention
hotline for veterans has not been able to put in place seven
recommendations from its own inspector general designed to
improve the crisis line’s performance. The February 2016
investigation of the Veterans Health Administration, which
manages the nation’s suicide-prevention hotline for veterans,
found significant problems with response times and quality
assurance at the call center, headquartered in Canandaigua. The
2016 report substantiated allegations that “some calls routed to
backup crisis centers were answered by voicemail and callers did
not always receive immediate assistance from VCL (Veterans
Crisis Line) and/or backup staff.” The recommendations included
gathering better data when callers were routed to backup
centers, silent monitoring of responders, and ensuring
orientation and training goals for staff were being met.
Veterans might face a number of challenges upon returning home,
which can be further complicated by post-traumatic stress
disorder and traumatic brain injury. According to the Department
of Veterans Affairs’ own assessment, an average of 20 veterans
die by suicide every day.
Investors flee to gold & German bonds over political unrest in
Middle East
RT - Stocks plunged globally, while gold and German government
bonds were in demand on Tuesday over the diplomatic rift between
Qatar and its Arab neighbors. British elections and upcoming
testimony before Congress of the former head of the FBI James
Comey also made investors shy away from risky assets. The gold
price has been rising consistently over the last month and
surged to $1,295 per troy ounce on Tuesday. Investors also
pushed German 10-year bonds’ borrowing costs to six-week lows.
Britain’s FTSE100, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC40 were all
losing momentum on Tuesday, down less than one percent. "We have
a big week or so ahead of us with the UK heading to the polls
and the ECB announcing its latest monetary policy decision on
Thursday and the Federal Reserve doing the same next Wednesday,"
said Craig Erlam, a market analyst for OANDA securities, as
quoted by Reuters. "Once these events pass, we may have a little
more clarity and therefore see a little less caution in the
markets," he added.
Bitcoin rival ethereum hits record high rallying almost 3,000%
this year
RT - he ethereum virtual currency reached an all-time high of
$250.41 over the weekend amid growing interest in digital assets
and increased trade in Asia. The value of ethereum is currently
30 times higher than the $8 price level it had on January 1. On
Monday, the cryptocurrency was trading slightly off its record
high, at $247.16 as of 1:00 pm GMT. According to industry
website CryptoCompare, much of the trading volume in ethereum at
the moment - around 38 percent - is coming from South Korea. It
said there is increased rising interest from other regions as
well. Ethereum’s total market cap currently stands at $21
billion. "All major Asian exchanges, including ours, are
currently overwhelmed by the sudden growth in our client base
and trading activity," Aurelien Menant, founder, and CEO of
Gatecoin, a regulated bitcoin and ethereum exchange located in
Hong Kong, told CNBC. "Specifically, requests for more ether
trading pairs seem to be a common theme," he added.
CONFIRMED: Three Mile Island nuclear accident found to have
significantly increased thyroid cancer in surrounding counties due to
radioactive Iodine-131
By Isabelle Z. (Natural News) - When a partial meltdown struck the Three
Mile Island nuclear generating station near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in
March 1979, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission tried to
downplay the incident. Much like the officials involved in the Fukushima
meltdown, they said at the time that the radiation released into the
environment was only in small amounts and had no detectable health
effects. However, researchers have finally shown a correlation between
the Three Mile Island meltdown and cases of thyroid cancer in the
surrounding counties. In a study led by surgery professor Dr. David
Goldenberg of Penn State College of Medicine, researchers examined tumor
samples from people who lived near Three Mile Island when the incident
took place and continued to live there afterward and eventually went on
to develop thyroid cancer. The areas in question were in York, eastern
Cumberland, western Lebanon, Lancaster, and Dauphin counties. In total,
they looked at 44 patients treated at Penn State Health’s Milton S.
Hershey Medical Center for papillary thyroid cancer, the most common
type, in the years from 1974 to 2014.
China's new electric train doesn't need driver or tracks
RT - Chinese rail transit firm CRRC has unveiled a 30-meter long ‘smart
bus’ or rather a combination of bus, tram and train rolled into one. The
new vehicle is expected to speed up public transportation in the
country. The developer describes the so-called Autonomous Rail Rapid
Transit (ART) as a ‘railless train’ and it can carry 300 passengers in
three carriages. Cars can be added or removed if needed. According to
the manufacturer, the electric vehicle can travel up to 40 km on a full
charge with a maximum speed of 70 km per hour. It runs on rubber tires
and has sensors to read the dimensions of the road and plan its route.
The idea is that the 'smart bus' could travel without a driver or rails.
FBI used Best Buy’s Geek Squad to spy on customers, lawsuit alleges
Andrew Wyrich (The Daily Dot) - A major internet rights advocacy
organization is suing the Department of Justice alleging that the FBI
used Best Buy’s computer repair service Geek Squad to search people’s
computers without warrants. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) complaint in federal court in
Washington, D.C., earlier this week. The search for documents was
sparked by court records of a child pornography case in California where
it was revealed that the FBI had been cultivating informants in Best
Buy’s Geek Squad in Kentucky, according to EFF. The Geek Squad employees
would search devices for child pornography, EFF said, and receive
payment from the FBI. No warrants were issued for the searches,
according to EFF. “Informants who are trained, directed, and paid by the
FBI to conduct searches for the agency are acting as government agents,”
David Greene, EFF’s civil liberties director, said in a statement. “The
FBI cannot bypass the Constitution’s warrant requirement by having its
informants search people’s computers at its direction and command.” The
FBI told the Daily Dot it does not comment on pending litigation. The
Department of Justice declined our request to comment.
EPIC Awarded Nearly $100,000 in Internet Surveillance Case
Epic - A federal judge in Washington, DC has issued a final order
granting EPIC substantial attorney's fees in a long-running case against
the Department of Homeland Security. EPIC sued the DHS in 2012 for
information about a secret program to monitor Internet traffic. The
"Cyber Pilot" program applied originally to defense contractors, but an
executive order dramatically expanded the program, raising concerns
about violations of federal wiretap law. EPIC's lawsuit produced the
release of several thousand pages on the program. EPIC sought attorneys
fees for the successful litigation, which the DHS opposed. In November,
Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that EPIC was entitled to attorney's fees
because it "substantially prevailed in [the] litigation" and added "to
the fund of information that citizens may use in making vital political
choices." On Monday, Judge Kessler confirmed that decision and awarded
EPIC nearly $100,000 in fees—the largest such award in EPIC's history.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Don't Peel Oranges. Quickly Unroll Them in a Strip Instead
Lifehacker - After you learn this trick, you'll never need to peel an
orange again and get your hands all messy. It only takes four simple
steps to roll an orange out into a strip: Cut the top and bottom of the
orange, cut a vertical slit on one side, then gently roll the orange
out. Pretty and neat!
5 Unusual Uses For Onions (Got Ant Problems? Then Try No. 3!)
Off The Grid News - Our ancestors who lived through the Great Depression
– like my grandmother – acquired knowledge the old-fashioned away. That
is, by trial and error. Today we are going to take a look at the lowly
onion and all the unusual ways that our ancestors used them.
1. Remove rust
2. Remove splinters
3. Insect and animal repellent
4. Ease congestion from colds
5. Easier wintertime driving
Why Coconut Oil Is So Good for You
By Dr. Mercola - Despite more than 1,700 medical studies1 being
performed on coconut oil, it continues to be vilified mainly
because 90 percent of its fat content is saturated fat. However,
saturated fats, and most particularly coconut oil, are a vital
part of the human diet. For decades, we've labored under the
false belief that saturated fat is a leading cause of heart
disease. Research suggests there is no significant evidence
demonstrating that saturated fat clogs your arteries or puts you
at risk for a heart attack or stroke. In fact, particular types
of saturated fat, including coconut oil, are necessary for
optimal health. If you have bought into the media hype that
saturated fats are unhealthy and will raise your risk of heart
disease, please reconsider your position. If you've been
avoiding coconut oil, you'll find that it has many beneficial
properties that make it a worthwhile addition to your diet.
Certainly, if you've stayed away from coconut oil because you've
been misled to believe it is fattening, you deserve to know the
truth that it can actually help you lose weight, not gain it.
Having said that, if you are allergic to coconut oil or you
simply don't like the taste, then it's best not to use it.
15 Iron-Rich Foods for Healthy Energy Levels
by Dr. Edward Group DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM - Some of the
most potent plant sources of iron are fortified cereals and
flour. However, fortified foods and enriched flour are heavily
processed and carry their own health risks.[8] It’s always best
to get your nutrition from natural sources. Fortunately, there
are plenty of plant-based foods that you can incorporate into an
iron-rich diet. Here are 15 of the top vegan food sources of
iron.
How to make a delicious detox cleanse using maple syrup
By Frances Bloomfield (Natural News) - Look up “detoxifying
drinks” and you’ll find a great number of recipes across the
Internet. A cursory glance through a search engine will bring up
dozens of recipes for you to look through and try. Read enough
of them, however, and they all start looking identical. A
detoxifying drink that is anything but the usual is the Master
Cleanse, a special drink that packs in loads of flavor with
plenty of health benefits. The Master Cleanse recipe calls for
some unexpected yet amazing ingredients that will definitely do
your body good.
Famous MMA fighter Bas Rutten reveals how CBD oil helps
professional fighters stay off addictive opioids
By Vicki Batts (Natural News) - CBD oil has been in the
spotlight recently due to its myriad of health and medicinal
uses. Cannabidiol, which is what CBD is short for, is a cannabis
compound that produces no psychoactive effects but offers a wide
variety of other benefits, such as treating people with seizure
disorders. It’s become clear that the benefits of CBD do not end
there, however, and renowned MMA fighter Bas Rutten has even
spoken out about how valuable this plant medicine is for
professional fighters. Rutten is a former world champion of the
mixed martial arts arena, and if you’ve ever watched MMA, you
know that those guys know a thing or two about pain. The
challenges of MMA extend far beyond the ring; in addition to
grueling fights, fighters must also push themselves to the brink
while training and preparing for their next match. MMA is a
strenuous sport, and that’s putting it mildly. Serious injuries
are an accepted risk of MMA, and where there are injuries, there
are probably opioids. Opioids are a highly addictive class of
drugs used for pain relief, but as Rutten explains, the drugs
can have extreme consequences. Rutten, now a celebrity announcer
and trainer, recently wrote an article about Mark Kerr — another
famous fighter who struggled with addiction, much like Rutten
himself. Kerr became addicted to opioids as he fought to cope
with the pain of MMA fighting. Rutten says that the drugs didn’t
just ruin Kerr’s career, but they also took a tremendous toll on
his body and his personal life.
Tuesday -
June 6, 2017
On This Day In History
1813 - The U.S. invasion of Canada was halted at Stony Creek, Ontario.
1833 - Andrew Jackson became the first U.S. president to ride in a
train. It was a B&O passenger train.
1924 - The German Reichtag accepted the Dawes Plan. It was an American
plan to help Germany pay off its war debts.
1925 - Chrysler Corporation was founded by Walter Percy Chrysler.
1932 - In the U.S., the first federal tax on gasoline went into effect.
It was a penny per gallon.
1933 - In Camden, NJ, the first drive-in movie theater opened.
1934 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Securities Exchange
Act, which established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
1941 - The U.S. government authorized the seizure of foreign ships in
U.S. ports.
1942 - The first nylon parachute jump was made by Adeline Gray in
Hartford, CT.
1942 - Japanese forces retreated in the World War II Battle of Midway.
The battle had begun on June 4.
1944 - The D-Day invasion of Europe took place on the beaches of
Normandy, France. 400,000 Allied American, British and Canadian troops
were involved.
1968 - U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at 1:44am in Los Angeles
after being shot by Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy was was shot the evening
before while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.
1982 - Israel invaded southern Lebanon in an effort to drive PLO
guerrillas out of Beirut.
1985 - The body of Nazi war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele was located and
exhumed near Sao Paolo, Brazil. Mengele was known as the "Angel of
Death."
1985 - The U.S. Senate authorized nonmilitary aid to the Contras. The
vote authorized $38 million over two years.
1993 - Mongolia held its first direct presidential elections.
2005 - The United States Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities
could prosecute sick people who smoke marijuana on doctor's orders. The
ruling concluded that state medical marijuana laws did not protect uses
from the federal ban on the drug.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump won't try to block James Comey's testimony
USA TODAY - President Trump will not try to assert executive
privilege over conversations with James Comey, a spokesperson
said Monday, clearing the way for the ex-FBI director's
testimony before Congress on Thursday. "In order to facilitate a
swift and thorough examination of the facts sought by the Senate
Intelligence Committee, President Trump will not assert
executive privilege regarding James Comey's scheduled
testimony," said White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders.
Trump renews calls for ‘tough’ travel ban, says US is ‘extreme
vetting’ new arrivals
RT - President Trump has renewed calls for his controversial
travel ban, stating that the US is already taking part in the
“extreme vetting” of those entering the country. He urged the
Justice Department to seek a tougher version of its “watered
down” ban. “People, the lawyers, and the courts can call it
whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it
is, a TRAVEL BAN!” US President Donald Trump tweeted. That
comment comes despite White House press secretary Sean Spicer
saying earlier this year that the proposed measure was in fact
not a travel ban, but a vetting system “to keep America safe.”
Trump went on to say that the justice department should have
stayed with his original travel ban, rather than making a
“watered down” and “politically correct” version.
US Military Sent Over $1 Billion Worth Of Light Weapons To
“Multiple Armed Groups” In Iraq
By Michel Chossudovsky - Report of Amnesty International
Management and Logistical Failure? Quoting a recently
declassified US government audit, Amnesty International reports
that the US Army “has failed to keep tabs on more than $1
billion worth of arms and other military equipment” channelled
to Iraq under the Iraq Train and Equip Fund (ITEF). In 2015, US
Congress appropriated $1.6 billion for the ITEF program. The
funds were earmarked to fight against the ISIS in response to
Obama’s counter-terrorism campaign launched in Summer of 2014.
In a bitter irony, a large number of these weapons landed up in
the hands of terrorists including the ISIS. The 1.6 billion were
spent on light weaponry. It’s all for a good cause: The
shipments of weapons and ammunition were according to reports
dispatched to Iraq (c/o the Iraqi Armed Forces) to be
distributed to armed groups involved in fighting ISIS-Daesh.
Some of the shipments unfortunately went astray or landed in the
wrong hands, according to Patrick Wilcken, an Amnesty researcher
on International’s Arms Control and Human Rights. This was
attributable to “US Army’s flawed – and potentially dangerous –
system for controlling millions of dollars’ worth of arms
transfers to a hugely volatile region.”
14 arrested as the many extremes of Portland collide in protest
By Paul Vercammen, Bill Kirkos, Traci Tamura and Emanuella
Grinberg, CNN
Portland, Oregon (CNN)At least 14 people were arrested on Sunday
amid competing protests in Portland, Oregon, over a tangled web
of emotions to arise from a deadly commuter train stabbing in
May. Hundreds of supporters of US President Donald Trump
converged on Terry D. Schrunk Plaza for an event billed as a
"Trump Free Speech" rally. They were slightly outnumbered by a
mixed assemblage of counterprotesters across the street who
viewed the free speech rally as an implicit endorsement of
racism given its close timing to the racially charged stabbing.
The groups were separated by a wall of officers, heavily armed
and wearing protective body armor, from local and federal police
agencies.
Man Who Mowed Lawn During Tornado: ‘I Was Keeping an Eye on It’
by Katherine Rodriguez - A tornado made landfall in Canada on
Friday, but one man decided that a tornado was not going to stop
him from mowing the lawn. Theunis Wessels, of Alberta, was
cutting the grass in his backyard with the tornado in the
background when his wife, Cecilia, decided to take a picture of
the scene to send to her parents in South Africa, the Canadian
Press reported. The photo quickly went viral on Twitter, gaining
over 1,000 retweets.
Fake News: NBC Issues Correction After Falsely Claiming Putin
‘Does Not Deny’ Having Compromising Info on Trump
Breitbart - “This is just another load of nonsense” - NBC News
was forced to issue a correction on Sunday evening after
spinning its newest talent Megyn Kelly’s interview to falsely
claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not deny
having compromising information” on President Donald Trump. To
promote the debut of Kelly’s “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly”
program, NBC News tweeted, “EXCLUSIVE: Putin does not deny
having compromising information on President Trump in interview
with @megynkelly.” CNBC, NBC’s sister station, did not send out
fake news, linking to the same story after tweeting, “Russia’s
Putin denies having compromising information on Trump.”
Education Official Got Secret Cash Bonuses as Office Lost
Billions to Fraud, Corruption
Judicial Watch - The senior Obama Education Department official
who resigned this month to avoid testifying before Congress got
hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses despite his
well-documented failures, sources inside the agency tell
Judicial Watch. The extra cash was kept off the books, away from
the public, and doesn’t appear on his official government salary
record but Judicial Watch has obtained the figures with yearly
breakdowns. The official, James Runcie, ran the scandal-plagued
Federal Student Aid (FSA) office, the government’s $1.4 trillion
financial aid program. It includes, among other things,
administering more than $150 billion in loans, grants and
work-study funds to help students pay for college.
DOD Denies Obama Holdovers Stripped Trump NSC Advisor of
Security Clearance for Partisan, Political Reasons
Judicial Watch - It appears that a respected veteran national
security analyst tapped by the White House to work on the
National Security Council (NSC) was abruptly stripped of his
top-secret clearance for partisan political purposes. His name
is Adam Lovinger, a 12-year strategic affairs analyst at the
Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment (ONA) and in January then
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn brought him over to the
NSC, the influential chamber that advises and assists the
president on national security and foreign policies. This month
Lovinger was notified by the Pentagon that his Top-Secret,
Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS-SCI) clearance was
suspended for “unspecified outside activities.”
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE Sever Ties With Qatar Over
Terrorism
By Kurt Nimmo (Activist Post) - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt,
and the United Arab Emirate have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
The nations accuse Qatar of promoting terrorism, meddling in
their internal affairs, and working with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors in
2014 in response to Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Saudis designated the Brotherhood a terrorist group in 2014.
This is ironic considering Saudi Arabia played host to the
Brotherhood in the late 1950s and early 1960s under Prince
Faysal. He incorporated the organization into his propaganda
machine to fight against Gamal Abdel Nasser in Egypt and Arab
nationalism in general. The Brotherhood subsequently integrated
itself within the ranks of university faculty, summer camps,
extracurricular organizations, and the jama’at, writes Kevin
Kelvington.
* Related:
Qatar diplomatic crisis: All the latest updates - The latest
news after Arab Gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar
and suspended Doha-bound flights.
* Related:
US military: No plans to change our posture in Qatar - US
Central Command says its flights out of Al-Udeid airbase in
Qatar will be unaffected by the Gulf diplomatic crisis.
* Related:
Qataris rush to stock up on food ahead of price hike as only
land border shut -Residents of Qatar have rushed local
supermarkets to stock up on food after Saudi Arabia closed the
only land border with the emirate, Doha News reports.
Police name 2 London Bridge attackers as Khuram Shazad Butt &
Rachid Redouane, release photos
RT - Metropolitan Police have named Khuram Shazad Butt and
Rachid Redouane as two of the three attackers shot dead by
officers during the terrorist assault on London Bridge and
Borough Market on Saturday. Both men were from Barking, east
London, and are believed to have carried out the attacks,
although “formal identification has yet to take place,” a police
statement said.
In Wake of UK Terror Attacks, Government Ready To Seize Control
Of Internet
By Jake Anderson (Activist Post) - In the wake of the second
alleged terrorist attack in England in as many weeks, Prime
Minister Theresa May is calling for new Internet regulations and
the suppression of digital tools that facilitate online “safe
spaces” where attacks can be coordinated. The proposal comes one
day after a Saturday night attack in London that left seven dead
and nearly 50 injured. It also comes on the heels of an
increasingly draconian ‘Big Brother’ counter-terrorism strategy
being implemented in the U.K.
A poised yet angry Britain heads toward election as police carry
out new raids
By Griff Witte and Karla Adam (Washington Post ) - The police
investigation of London’s latest terrorist attack intensified
Monday as politicians officially resumed campaigning ahead of an
unpredictable election that will be held in just three days.
Police carried out early-morning raids at addresses in Newham
and Barking — both in east London — that they said were
connected to Saturday night’s London Bridge attack, which killed
seven people and injured dozens more, including four police
officers.
India launches 'monster' rocket
BBC News - India's space agency has successfully launched its
heaviest rocket. The 640-tonne (580,598kg) rocket blasted off
from a launching site off the Bay of Bengal in Sriharikota. As
one website put it, "it's been a big day for India". The rocket
will reduce the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro)
reliance on European vehicles to launch heavy satellites. The
coverage of the launch has been euphoric, and often colourful,
with websites comparing the rocket to the weight of 200
elephants, or five jumbo jets.
“Literal Colonialism”: Blackwater Founder Calls For “American
Viceroy” To Rule Afghanistan
By Jake Johnson (Activist Post) - Displaying what one
commentator called “sheer 19th century bloodlust and thirst for
empire,” Erik Prince, founder of the private mercenary firm
Blackwater, argued in The Wall Street Journal this week that the
United States should deploy an “East India Company approach” in
Afghanistan. The country, he wrote, should be run by “an
American viceroy who would lead all U.S. government and
coalition efforts—including command, budget, policy, promotion,
and contracting—and report directly to the president.”
Raw milk on trial in Ontario, court could permanently shut down
sales
By Amy Goodrich (Natural News) - It’s shocking to think that in
some parts of the world GMO food and alcohol are legal, yet raw
milk – a natural, nutritious food consumed by humans around the
globe for centuries – is illegal. In recent years, raw milk has
received a bad reputation due to several cases of foodborne
illnesses. Canadian farmer fights for raw milk. Since 1981, the
sale of raw milk has been banned by the Canadian government out
of fear of possible Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria
contaminations. Ontario has taken it a step further by
restricting people from giving away raw milk for free. Outlawing
raw milk, however, hasn’t stopped one farmer from providing this
age-old nutritious food to the people. According to Modern
Farmer, raw milk outlaw Michael Schmidt has been in and out the
Canadian Province Court of Ontario over the past couple of
decades. His crime? The production and distribution of raw,
unpasteurized milk. Given the fact that raw milk is illegal in
Canada, Schmidt’s co-op has been operating without a license,
thus violating the Canadian Milk Act. For nearly 25 years,
Schmidt has been fighting to keep the raw milk flowing freely.
Though Schmidt wants to see raw milk legalized, he’s not even
fighting for the outright legalization of raw milk in Canada. He
just wants to give the people the freedom to make their own
informed decisions with their own cow. “It’s a total police
state when it comes to raw milk here because there’s absolutely
no leniency on any level,” he told Modern Farmer. “They are
saying it’s the most dangerous substance you can think of and
should never be allowed. There’s not even a proper scientific
debate about it. It’s all on an emotional, fear-based level.”
Unsealed 75 years after the Battle of Midway: New details of an
alarming WWII press leak
By Michael E. Ruane - Six months after the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor, the June 7, 1942, edition of the Chicago Sunday
Tribune trumpeted news of a stunning American victory over a
Japanese armada at the Battle of Midway. “Jap Fleet Smashed by
U.S.; 2 Carriers Sunk at Midway: 13 to 15 Nippon Ships Hit;
Pacific Battle Rages,” the front-page headlines read. And in the
center of the page, an intriguing side story: “Navy Had Word of
Jap Plan to Strike at Sea.” It was a fascinating, and detailed,
description of much of what American intelligence knew
beforehand of the enemy’s fleet and plans. Indeed, it was too
detailed. The report — 14 paragraphs long — suggested a secret
U.S. intelligence coup, and became one of the biggest and
potentially damaging news leaks of World War II. The leak hinted
that the United States had cracked a Japanese communications
code, sparking fury in the Navy and the administration of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It also led to a sensitive
grand jury investigation whose testimony would be sealed for
more than seven decades.
Oldest living World War II veteran in Colorado turns 104
By FOX 31 Denver - World War II Veteran, Nick Westendorf
celebrated his 104th birthday with family and friends on
Saturday. Westendorf was a mechanic for the U.S. Navy. During
his service, he was stationed in the South Pacific and the
Philippines. The veteran credits his long life to growing up on
a farm.
Though veteran unemployment is declining, thousands remain out
of work
By Jeff Malachowski (Daily News Staff) - While the national and
state unemployment rates for veterans have declined recently,
thousands of veterans like Plante remain out of work. The
national veteran unemployment rate dropped from 4.7 percent in
April 2015 to 3.7 percent this April. In Massachusetts, the rate
dropped from 4.4 percent in March 2016 to 3.9 percent this
March. Massachusetts has the 17th lowest veteran unemployment
rate in the state. “A lot more companies are realizing the value
of hiring veterans,” said Nicholas Charbonneau, Marlborough
veterans agent. Charbonneau himself struggled with what career
path to take when he was discharged in 2008 after four years in
the Marine Corps that included two tours of duty overseas.
Son surprises officials with Battle of Midway hero's WWII war
medals
By Lou Michel - The son of one of Buffalo's greatest war heroes
had a surprise for those who turned out to pay tribute Sunday to
C. Wade McClusky Jr. on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of
Midway.To welcome the son of the naval aviator who played an
instrumental role in winning the pivotal World War II Pacific
battle was exciting enough. But when Maryland resident Philip M.
McClusky unexpectedly donated four of his father's most
prestigious war medals to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval &
Military Park for permanent display, a sense of awe came over
the crowd at the Canalside park. The moment was made even more
special by Philip McClusky's words in presenting the medals to
Donald A. Alessi, chairman of the park's board of directors. The
words epitomized the humbleness of the Greatest Generation.
The Real Unemployment Number: 102 Million Working Age Americans
Do Not Have A Job
By Michael Snyder - If honest numbers were being used, the
unemployment rate is currently 22 percent - Did you know that
the number of working age Americans that do not have a job right
now is far higher than it was during the worst moments of the
last recession? For example, in January 2009 92.6 million
working age Americans did not have a job, but we just found out
that in May the number of working age Americans without a job
increased to just a shade under 102 million. We’ll go over those
numbers in more detail in a moment, but first I want to talk a
bit about the difference between perception and reality.
According to the bureaucrats in the federal government, the
“unemployment rate” in May was the lowest that we have seen in
16 years. At just “4.3 percent”, we are essentially at “full
employment”, and so according to them anyone that really wants a
job should be able to find one pretty easily. Of course that is
a load of nonsense. John Williams of shadowstats.com tracks what
our economic numbers would look like if honest numbers were
being used, and according to his calculations the unemployment
rate is currently 22 percent.
Gold stays strong following London Attacks
By GoldCore - A summer evening on London Bridge and in Borough
Market ended in terror on Saturday as attackers killed seven
people and injured 48. This is the second terrorist attack on
British soil in less than two weeks and the the third this year.
The attack was immediately labelled as a terrorist attack. In
the hours that followed police arrested a further 12 people who
were suspected of having links to the horrendous incident. As
was seen following the Manchester attack there has been a slight
uptick in risk aversion over night. This morning the British
pound slipped in Asian trading, both the Yen and gold have
retained earlier gains. After dropping 0.7 percent last week the
dollar index did edge higher earlier but remains close to
96.654, its lowest since the US election results.
Ten alarming, REAL threats to the environment that are widely ignored by
“climate change” advocates
By Mike Adams (Natural News) - The art of climate fear mongering is
rooted in the ability to terrorize the population over threats that
hardly matter at all while completely ignoring the REAL threats to our
global ecosystem. Isn’t it interesting how people who shudder in fear
over President Trump pulling out of the Paris climate treaty say nothing
about Fukushima radiation and the mass pollution of the Pacific Ocean
with radionuclides? Here, I’ve created a short list of ten REAL threats
to the environment that are largely ignored by climate change advocates,
even when they pose an immediate and serious risk to life on our planet.
The next time a climate change cultist berates you and claims you must
stop driving you car because the oceans might rise a few inches by the
year 2100, remind them that the things listed below are killing life
across our planet right NOW. Where is the media alarm over all these
threats to life? It’s practically non-existent.
A devastating global cyber attack is imminent, warn experts: The hack,
called 'ExplodingCan' could target computers running Microsoft Windows
2003
By Shivali Best For Mailonline - Experts have warned that a devastating
global cyber attack is imminent. The hack, called 'ExplodingCan',
targets computers running on Microsoft Windows 2003, which means that it
could be used to attack 375,000 computers worldwide. This puts it in the
same risk category as last month's WannaCry ransomware attack which
caused mayhem around the world, crippling vital servers such as those
used by the NHS.
CRISPR gene editing found to cause hundreds of “unintended mutations”,
warn scientists
By Isabelle Z. (Natural News) - When you choose to interfere with
nature, you should be prepared for results that are far from natural.
That’s the message of a new study out of the Columbia University Medical
Center, where researchers are warning scientists that the CRISPR-Cas9
gene editing technology results in unintended mutations that could go
undetected. As a relatively new technology, there are a lot of unknowns
when it comes to gene editing. Known for being precise, efficient, and
quick, the CRISPR-Cas9 method has shown some promise. For example,
scientists have used it to edit HIV out of some living organisms and
modify mosquitoes to get rid of malaria. However, this is far from a
perfect science, and now a study published in the journal Nature Methods
shows that it can cause unintended mutations in genomes. This is
particularly concerning when you consider the fact that clinical trials
of using CRISPR on humans are already underway in places like China.
The Next Thing To Upend EVERYTHING: Blockchain Technology
By Dawn Luger (Activist Post) - When it comes to blockchain technology,
the core technology underpinning Bitcoin, the digital currency that
operates on a decentralized swarm of computers, there are many other
applications as well. A real revolution may be unfolding all thanks to
the technology which underpins Bitcoin. Blockchain technology emerged
with the advent of Bitcoin in 2009. It was created when a programmer,
using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, came up with a novel solution
using a network of computers to track transactions in a way that is
secure, trustworthy, fast, and transparent. The technology is used in
either public networks open to the world or private ones that could
connect any type of groups. But it may also be the catalyst of a
peaceful revolution which will upend society’s most sacred institutions
– including government.
Shocking New Low in Vaccine Debate — Boston Herald Calls for
Violence Against Those Who Question Vaccine Safety
By Dr. Mercola - The vaccine industry, public health
organizations and many media outlets parroting the
pre-established talking points insist that the science on
vaccines is settled: Vaccines are safe and the childhood
vaccination schedule is scientifically sound. End of story.
According to some, the matter is so settled that anyone
questioning the data or pointing out inconsistencies and/or
research showing harm should be executed as punishment for
“lying.” This despicable call for violence came from editorial
staff at the Boston Herald. The whole nasty mess started with a
measles outbreak in Minnesota, the blame for which has been
placed on a large Somali community where vaccination rates have
declined in recent years due to parents’ concerns about vaccine
safety.
Parasites in Pools Are on the Rise
By Dr. Mercola - Sometimes the evening news reveals something
that causes you to worry about that which you never worried
before. Such may have been the case when news emerged recently
of a huge uptick in the number of diarrhea outbreaks after
people went swimming in a public pool and inadvertently
swallowed the water. But that was just the beginning of their
problem. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC’s) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)1 noted that
when they sought medical attention, the diarrhea sufferers
learned the pool water they ingested contained parasites and
that the parasites, known as cryptosporidium, or crypto, now
resided in them. Can it get worse? Well, yes: The diarrhea
outbreaks have doubled in just a few years, as there were at
least 32 known outbreaks due to crypto contamination in pools or
water parks in 2016, while there were only 16 cases in 2014, the
CDC reported. That’s not 32 people infected; that’s 32 outbreaks
that affected multiple individuals. Reuters added: “Arizona last
year reported that 352 people became sick with Cryptosporidiosis
from July through October, compared with no more than 62 cases
per year from 2011 to 2015. Ohio reported 1,940 infections in
2016, compared with no more than 571 in any one year from 2012
to 2015.
What’s good for sunburn? Check out the Best Home Remedies for
Sunburn
By Laurie Neverman - These easy to use home remedies for sunburn
will help bring relief from sunburn pain and speed healing from
your face to your toes. Remember, sunburns are burns – so always
be gentle to sunburned skin. If blisters appear, keep them clean
and watch for any signs of infection. (See note at bottom of
post for when to see a doctor for sunburn.) Most of the time
home sunburn treatment will take care of your symptoms, but be
careful out there.
Pharma Finding New Ways to Kill Us
By ANH – USA - It’s no longer just the side effects of their
medicines. A new study found “excessively high” levels of
antibiotic and antifungal drugs in water sources near a major
drug production center in India where 50% of the country’s drug
exports are produced and a fifth of the world’s generic drugs.
Unsurprisingly, the researchers also found high levels of
microbes that were resistant to those drugs. It should give us
no comfort that this was found in India and not the US. Microbes
travel long distances with ease. A drug-resistant pathogen first
noticed in parts of China infected its first US patient last
year. Of the twenty-three water samples the researchers took,
all but one contained bacteria that were resistant to multiple
drugs; all samples contained carbapenemase-producing bacteria,
which are known as the “nightmare bacteria” because it is
virtually untreatable and kills up to 50% of those who get
infected. Some drugs were found in concentrations hundreds or
thousands times higher than recommended safe limits. One water
sample contained an antifungal drug in concentrations 950,000
times higher than the safe limit.
Cancer rates to explode as global herbicide market projected to
reach $34 billion by 2022
By Earl Garcia (Natural News) - The global herbicide market is
poised to grow exponentially in 2022, which in turn may further
drive up the already high cancer rates around the world. Data
from the recent Research and Markets report showed that global
herbicide market was valued at $23.97 billion in 2016 and is
projected to grow to $34.10 billion by 2022. According to the
report, the industry is set to have a compound annual growth
rate of 6.05 percent during the six-year period. The researchers
also noted that the steady transition from selective herbicide
to non-selective herbicide use will be a primary trend during
these years. The report also revealed bio-herbicide use is
expected to show the biggest gains during the forecast period at
a CAGR of 23.5 percent, while the glyphosate segment is expected
to increase at a CAGR of 5.69 percent. The report also showed
that Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions were the leading
herbicide consumers in 2016, accounting for more than 50 percent
of the total market share in the previous year. According to the
report, Asia Pacific is slated to be the fastest growing
herbicide market. The report also noted that the increasing
demand from end applications and the booming agriculture
industry in both Latin America and Asia Pacific regions will
spur greater demands for glyphosate-containing herbicides.
According to the report, countries like China, Japan and the
U.S. were among the top users of pesticides around the world.
Monday -
June 5, 2017
On This Day In History
1752 - Benjamin Franklin flew a kite for the first time to demonstrate
that lightning was a form of electricity.
1794 - The U.S. Congress prohibited citizens from serving in any foreign
armed forces.
1851 - Harriet Beecher Stow published the first installment of "Uncle
Tom's Cabin" in "The National Era."
1865 - The first safe deposit vault was opened in New York. The charge
was $1.50 a year for every $1,000 that was stored.
1917 - American men began registering for the World War I draft.
1924 - Ernst F. W. Alexanderson transmitted the first facsimile message
across the Atlantic Ocean.
1933 - President Roosevelt signed the bill that took the U.S. off of the
gold standard.
1940 - During World War II, the Battle of France began when Germany
began an offensive in Southern France.
1944 - The first B-29 bombing raid hit the Japanese rail line in
Bangkok, Thailand.
1947 - U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at
Harvard University in which he outlined the Marshall Plan.
1967 - The Six Day War between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan began.
1975 - Egypt reopened the Suez Canal to international shipping, eight
years after it was closed because of the 1967 war with Israel.
1981 - In the U.S., the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
reported that five men in Los Angeles were suffering from a rare
pneumonia found in patients with weakened immune systems. They were the
first recognized cases of what later became known as AIDS.
1986 - A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Ronald Pelton of selling
secrets to the Soviet Union. He was sentenced to 3 life prison terms
plus 10 years.
1998 - A strike began at a General Motors Corp. parts factory near
Detroit, MI, that closed 5 assembly plants and idled workers across the
U.S. for 7 weeks.
2004 - Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, died in
Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
2007 - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis
"Scooter" Libby, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for lying and
obstructing the CIA leak investigation. (President George W. Bush later
commuted the prison sentence.)
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Brain-eating CNN host calls Trump 'piece of sh--'
WND - It’s getting nasty out there in the “mainstream,”
Russo-phobic, Islamophilic media world of CNN. After Donald
Trump posted a tweet Saturday urging “smart, vigilant and tough”
actions in response to the London Bridge attack, CNN host Reza
Aslan, best known for his multicultural human brain-eating
stunt, labeled the president “a piece of sh–” in a retaliatory
post. Read More...
SHOCK VIDEO: CNN Creates #FakeNews in London Following Terror
Attacks, Stages Anti-ISIS Muslim Protesters
TheGatewayPundit - A video released a day after the Islamic
terror attacks in London show a CNN crew staging a scene with
Muslims holding signs saying “ISIS Will Lose”. The same crowd
was used for another AP post it appears – note note the photo at
the above link. This is how fake news spreads.
Oil Leaks And Militarized Police: The Legacy Of The Dakota
Access Pipeline
By Derrick Broze - As the Dakota Access Pipeline nears
operational status the project is marred with new reports of oil
leaks and the presence of a private military contractor. While
protesters and water protectors battled against the Dakota
Access Pipeline throughout the second half of 2016 the public
was often left aghast at the brutal tactics employed by the
Morton County Sheriff’s office and supporting police. LRAD sound
cannons, tear gas, batons, tasers, and “less than lethal”
ammunition rounds were fired at the opponents of Energy Transfer
Partner’s DAPL. Now, new documents obtained by The Intercept
reveal the presence of TigerSwan, a private contractor with
origins as a U.S. military and State Department client in the
global War on Terror. TigerSwan was hired for their experience
dealing with “insurgent” movements in the Middle East.
Oath Keepers militia will attend Portland 'free speech' rally,
says leader
Stewart Rhodes tells Guardian group will ‘protect’ an
‘alt-right’ event set to go ahead Sunday in aftermath of double
murder despite mayor’s attempt to block Members of the Oath
Keepers militia will attend an “alt-right”-hosted “free speech”
rally in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, according to the group’s
leader. The rally is due to take place little more than a week
after the deaths of two men who came to the aid of women being
subject to racial abuse on a train in the city.
Christian Farmer Barred from Michigan Market Because of Views on
Gay Marriage
A Catholic apple grower in Michigan has been barred from a city
farmers’ market over his views on same-sex marriage, after he
refused to host a lesbian couple’s wedding at his orchard.
Stephen Tennes, the owner of Country Mill Farms, has sold his
fruit and vegetables at the East Lansing Farmer’s Market for the
past seven years. After city officials learned of his Christian
belief that marriage is the union between one man and one woman,
they invoked a non-discrimination policy to exclude him from
being able to sell at the farmers’ market.
Students Sue After Entire High School Illegally Groped And
Molested By Cops
Worth County, GA — Violated children and furious parents have
just filed a massive lawsuit after the Worth County Sheriff’s
office conducted an illegal search of 900 students — in the name
of the war on drugs. The rights-violating intrusive and
aggressive pat downs and drug dog searches at the school yielded
absolutely nothing.
What You’re Not Being Told About The Paris Climate Agreement
Op-Ed by Joey Clark - President Trump’s decision to withdraw the
United States from the Paris Climate Accord has thrown the world
into a blazing furnace full of weeping and gnashing of teeth—or
the political world, at least, has been thrown into a fiery
tizzy. The front page of the New York Daily News reads “TRUMP TO
WORLD: DROP DEAD, Decides to hell with science, Earth’s future.”
Former President Barack Obama broke his silence, saying, in
part, that with this decision the Trump administration “joins a
small handful of nations that reject the future.” Former
Secretary of State John Kerry lambasted Trump’s decision as “an
ignorant, cynical appeal to an anti-science, special-interest
faction,” as well as saying, “This choice will rightly be
remembered as one of the most shameful any president has made.”
And the list goes on and on and on.
Court Sets Ominous Precedent: Informing Jurors of Their Rights
Is Now ILLEGAL
By Justin Gardner - Big Rapids, MI — As constitutional rights
are steadily eroded in the U.S. through the burgeoning
police/surveillance state, one case in Michigan provides an
example of just how dire the situation has gotten. Keith Woods,
a resident of Mecosta County, was charged and recently convicted
for the “crime” of standing on a public sidewalk and handing out
fliers about juror rights. Woods was exercising his First
Amendment rights and raising awareness about something the
courts deliberately fail to tell jurors when beginning a trial –
jury nullification, or the right to vote one’s conscience. For
this, Woods – a father of eight and former pastor – was charged
with jury tampering, after an initial felony charge of
obstructing justice was dropped following public outcry. Even
with the reduced charge, the case has very troubling
implications for free speech rights. The county prosecutor,
seemingly furious that a citizen would dare inform the public on
jury nullification, said Woods’ pamphlet “is designed to benefit
a criminal defendant.”
Alec Baldwin Defends Kathy Griffin after Photo Firestorm: ‘F*ck
Them All’
Alec Baldwin has come to the defense of Kathy Griffin following
the widespread backlash over a photograph in which the comedian
was pictured posing with a bloodied, decapitated head meant to
resemble that of President Donald Trump. Writing on his Twitter
account Friday, the 59-year-old actor and Saturday Night Live
Trump impersonator reminded Griffin of the backlash he
experienced after he made fun of then-Republican lawmaker Henry
Hyde during a 1998 appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late-night
show.
Trump calls for ‘travel ban’ amid London terror attack
As authorities in Britain scrambled to respond to the knife and
truck attacks in the heart of London Saturday night, President
Trump’s immediate response was to publicly demand the courts
reinstate his executive order restricting travel from six
largely Muslim nations. “We need to be smart, vigilant and
tough,” tweeted Trump at about 7 p.m. ET — before news outlets
had been able to confirm any significant details about the
incident. “We need the courts to give us back our rights. We
need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!”
Turin bomb scare sparks stampede, leaving 1,500 injured
Turin (Italy) (AFP) - More than 1,500 people were injured, three
seriously, after a bomb scare triggered a stampede among
Juventus fans watching the Champions League final in Turin,
local authorities said Sunday. In an update on Saturday's
dramatic events in a square packed with supporters watching the
Cardiff match on a giant screen, the local prefecture said 1,527
had been treated for mainly minor injuries.
ISIS claims responsibility for London Bridge attack
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed seven
people in London on Saturday night. According to the SITE
Intelligence Group, the Islamic State’s official Amaq News
Agency posted a message on Telegram on Sunday claiming that
Saturday’s vehicle and stabbing attack was carried out by ISIS
fighters. “Security source to 'Amaq Agency: A detachment of
Islamic State fighters carried out the London attacks
yesterday,” the message reads. Counterterrorism sources tell ABC
News there is evidence suggesting the three terrorists who
carried out the attack might have been waiting to strike for
several months. The trigger may have been ISIS message posted on
Saturday that called on followers to use vehicles, guns and
knives to “kill the civilians of the crusaders” during the holy
month of Ramadan.
What You’re Not Being Told About The Paris Climate Agreement
Op-Ed by Joey Clark - President Trump’s decision to withdraw the
United States from the Paris Climate Accord has thrown the world
into a blazing furnace full of weeping and gnashing of teeth—or
the political world, at least, has been thrown into a fiery
tizzy. The front page of the New York Daily News reads “TRUMP TO
WORLD: DROP DEAD, Decides to hell with science, Earth’s future.”
Former President Barack Obama broke his silence, saying, in
part, that with this decision the Trump administration “joins a
small handful of nations that reject the future.” Former
Secretary of State John Kerry lambasted Trump’s decision as “an
ignorant, cynical appeal to an anti-science, special-interest
faction,” as well as saying, “This choice will rightly be
remembered as one of the most shameful any president has made.”
Fear penetrates Kabul after deadly cycle of violence
Streets in Afghan capital largely empty as residents say they
feel unprotected after multiple attacks in recent days. Multiple
assaults in the city highlighted the ability of fighters to
strike even in the capital's most secure districts [AFP] "Today,
Kabul looks like the city of the dead," Mohammed Asif Yousufi
says solemnly from the photography studio he owns on the
outskirts of the Afghan capital. "I have never seen this kind of
sadness and fear spread across the city before," Yousufi adds.
He is not alone in feeling like this. Kabul has just suffered
one of the bloodiest weeks in years, leaving its streets devoid
of life and its residents gripped by fear - and feeling
unprotected. The cycle of violence began on Wednesday when a
powerful truck bomb ripped through the city's diplomatic zone.
At least 90 people, mostly civilians, were killed and hundreds
were wounded. Officials described the attack as "one of the
biggest" to have hit the capital.
London Bridge: World leaders condemn deadly attack
Prominent figures across the globe express solidarity, outrage
after six people are killed in a car and stabbing attack.
Forty-eight people were wounded before the attackers were shot
dead by the police [Hannah McKay/Reuters] British and world
leaders have condemned an attack in London that killed at least
seven people and wounded 48, only days before the UK's general
election. A van on Saturday night ploughed into pedestrians on
London Bridge before three men with knives went on a stabbing
spree in the nearby Borough Market before being shot dead by the
police.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Iraq's pro-government forces retake Al-Baaj from ISIL
Al-Baaj district west of Mosul captured from the armed group
after weeks of fighting, government-allied forces say. The
forces on May 23 announced they had retaken Qayrawan. Both areas
are in Nineveh, the province of which Mosul is the capital, and
lie between territory under ISIL control in Iraq and Syria. The
armed group took over large swaths of territory of Iraq and
Syria in 2014, but have since faced offensives on several fronts
in both countries. Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition
have since October been battling to oust the group from Mosul.
They are advancing on the last areas of the city still held by
ISIS, but the presence of large numbers of civilians is slowing
their progress.
Megyn Kelly Drills Vladimir Putin on Presidential Election Hack,
Russia’s Ties With Trump (Video)
Former Fox News Channel star Megyn Kelly launched her latest NBC
News show with a bang on Sunday by securing a one-on-one
interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin. In her
introduction on “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly,” the host
described the “testy exchanges” that occurred at the St.
Petersburg International Economic Forum, where Kelly moderated a
panel that included Putin and other world leaders. Predictably,
Kelly asked the president about the hacking accusations and
Russia suspected interference in the presidential election,
pointing out that “hundreds of factors point to Russia,”
including IP addresses and fingerprints.
Large Hadron Collider 2.0: CERN fast-tracks plan to develop three time
bigger particle collider
A group of physicists have kick-started the decades-long process of
developing the Large Hadron Collider's (LHC) successor. Although the LHC
is currently functioning optimally, scientists have already begun
working on its next-generation version, which some estimate may take
years to build. Over 500 scientists from across the globe reportedly met
in Germany between 29 May and 2 June to discuss the future of particle
physics and come up with designs for the next LHC. The scientists are
part of a collaborative group called the Future Circular Collider (FCC)
Study and aim to create a new LHC that is seven times more powerful and
three times larger than the current one.
Man Jailed For 180 Days For Refusing To Give Police His iPhone Password
Should Americans face jail time for refusing to surrender their
passwords to police, or is the request alone a violation of their Fifth
Amendment right against self-incrimination? According to one judge in
Florida, the former is the correct answer. Christopher Wheeler, 41, was
sentenced to 180 days in jail by Broward Circuit Court Judge Michael
Rothschild for failing to reveal the correct passcode to his iPhone.
Wheeler was initially arrested on charges of child abuse in March, after
he was accused of hitting and scratching his young daughter. The catch
is that police are claiming the evidence of this abuse—multiple photos
of repeated injuries to the child—can only be found on Wheeler’s locked
iPhone.
Peach Jam Recipes – Peach Vanilla and Fuzzy Navel – Easy, Less
Sugar
Each year we buy a couple of cases of peaches from the local
Knight's of Columbus fundraiser. Some are eaten fresh, but quite
a few are preserved for later. These low sugar peach jam recipes
are an annual tradition. We make up at least one batch of each
peach jam – usually two. Peach jam is also a great way to use up
peaches that are too soft and ripe to be canned on their own. I
adapted the peach vanilla jam recipe from Grow It, Cook It, Can
It. It's on the right in the photo below. If you look closely,
you can see the flecks of vanilla bean. This one is the boys'
favorite – probably because it's a bit sweeter. It tastes good
when it's fresh, but tastes phenomenal once it's had a chance to
age. Note: These peach jam recipes use calcium water, which is
made from calcium powder included in the box of Pomona's Pectin.
A single box of Pomona's Pectin contains enough pectin and
calcium water for several batches of jam.
The Right Sunscreen Brands for You
There’s nothing worse than slathering yourself with sunscreen on
a hot day, only to find your face looking as white as a ghost,
or that you’re leaving a greasy mark on everything you touch. If
you’re in the “I hate sunscreen” camp, you can always cover up
with sun-protective clothing and a hat. For instance, if you
wear a long-sleeve shirt with a UPF (ultraviolet protection
factor) of 50 or higher, you don't need sunscreen on your torso
and arms. Don a densely woven hat and you can skip sunscreen on
your scalp. For the best protection, choose one with a wide (3
inches or more) brim. But you'll still need sunscreen on all
your uncovered skin, and finding one that you like increases the
chances that you’ll actually use it. Fortunately, many
sunscreens are now formulated to feel and smell good, and our
sensory experts have identified some of the best. Use their
advice to find the right sunscreen brand for you from among our
high-rated picks.
Friday -
June 2, 2017
On This Day In History
1774 - The Quartering Act, which required American colonists to allow
British soldiers into their houses, was reenacted.
1793 - Maximillian Robespierre initiated the "Reign of Terror". It was
an effort to purge those suspected of treason against the French
Republic.
1818 - The British army defeated the Maratha alliance in Bombay, India.
1851 - Maine became the first U.S. state to enact a law prohibiting
alcohol
1886 - Grover Cleveland became the second U.S. president to get married
while in office. He was the first to have a wedding in the White House.
1910 - Charles Stewart Roll became the first person to fly non-stop and
double cross the English Channel.
1924 - All American Indians were granted U.S. citizenship by the U.S.
Congress.
1933 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the first swimming
pool to be built inside the White House.
1953 - Elizabeth was crowned queen of England at Westminster Abbey.
1954 - U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that there were communists
working in the CIA and atomic weapons plants.
1957 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was interviewed by CBS-TV.
1979 - Pope John Paul II arrived in his native Poland on the first visit
by a pope to a Communist country.
1995 - Captain Scott F. O'Grady's U.S. Air Force F-16C was shot down by
Bosnian Serbs. He was rescued six days later.
1998 - Royal Caribbean Cruises agreed to pay $9 million to settle
charges of dumping waste at sea.
2003 - In Seville, Spain, a chest containing the supposed remains of
Christopher Columbus were exhumed for DNA tests to determine whether the
bones were really those of the explorer. The tests were aimed at
determining if Columbus was currently buried in Spain's Seville
Cathedral or in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
2003 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that companies could not be sued
under a trademark law for using information in the public domain without
giving credit to the originator. The case had originated with 20th
Century Fox against suing Dastar Corp. over their use of World War II
footage.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
PROMISE KEPT: Trump Withdraws From The Paris Climate
Agreement
The Daily Caller - President Donald Trump has made good on his
campaign promise to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement,
undoing a crowning achievement of the Obama administration.
Trump promised to “cancel” the Paris Agreement on the campaign
trail, but his own White House was split on the issue. The
president already issued executive orders to roll back Obama-era
global warming regulations. The White House said that the Paris
Agreement was poorly negotiated by the Obama administration and
did not put American workers first. White House aides said the
administration would withdraw from the Paris accord using the
process laid out in the agreement. Under this process, the U.S.
wouldn’t fully withdraw until November 2019 — more than two
years from now…. Trump’s announcement came after European
leaders pleaded with him to stay in the Paris Agreement at the
G7 conference in late May. However Trump could not be swayed, as
reports surfaced in the wake of the G7 meeting the president had
decided to withdraw from the Paris accord. “He should be
commended for recognizing it was a bad deal for American workers
and would have caused continued harm to those around the world
who suffer from energy poverty,” Pyle said. “Despite an intense
lobbying effort from corporations, green lobbyists, U.N.
bureaucrats, and the Al Gore’s of the world, Trump stood firm on
his commitment to resetting our energy and environmental
policies.”
* Related:
Video: President Trump Makes a Statement Regarding
the Paris Accord — Full Speech
* Related:
The 10 Dumbest Reactions to Trump Quitting the Paris
Climate Accord
House Intelligence Panel Issues Subpoenas, Including on Susan
Rice’s Unmasking
Breitbart - The House Intelligence Committee issued seven
subpoenas on Wednesday in its ongoing investigation of Russian
interference in the presidential elections, including one
related to Susan Rice’s role in unmasking Trump campaign
officials, according to a report. The committee issued four
subpoenas related to the Russian interference and three related
to questions about how and why the names of Trump associates had
their identities revealed during surveillance of foreign targets
and then distributed within classified reports by the Obama
administration during the transition, the Wall Street Journal
reported. Identities of U.S. citizens are supposed to be
minimized, or hidden, during the surveillance, unless “unmasked”
by senior intelligence or administration officials. Unnamed
officials later would begin leaking to the media private
conversations held by or about former National Security Adviser
Michael Flynn, Carter Page, and recently, Jared Kushner.
Regarding the unmaskings, the subpoenas have gone to the
National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and the Central Intelligence Agency. Those subpoenas seek
information on requests made by Rice, former CIA Director John
Brennan, and former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power.
The committee issued a statement saying subpoenas related to
Russian interference were for Flynn and the Flynn Intel Group
LLC, and Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen and Michael D. Cohen &
Associates PC. “As part of our ongoing investigation into
Russian active measures during the 2016 campaign, today we
approved subpoenas for several individuals for testimony,
personal documents and business records,” said Reps. Mike
Conaway (R-TX) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), who are leading the
Russia investigation.
Nigel Farage is 'person of interest' in FBI investigation into
Trump and Russia
The Guardian - Nigel Farage is a “person of interest” in the US
counter-intelligence investigation that is looking into possible
collusion between the Kremlin and Donald Trump’s presidential
campaign, the Guardian has been told. Sources with knowledge of
the investigation said the former Ukip leader had raised the
interest of FBI investigators because of his relationships with
individuals connected to both the Trump campaign and Julian
Assange, the WikiLeaks founder whom Farage visited in March….
Farage has not been accused of wrongdoing and is not a suspect
or a target of the US investigation. But being a person of
interest means investigators believe he may have information
about the acts that are under investigation and he may therefore
be subject to their scrutiny. Sources who spoke to the Guardian
said it was Farage’s proximity to people at the heart of the
investigation that was being examined as an element in their
broader inquiry into how Russia may have worked with Trump
campaign officials to influence the US election…. The source
mentioned Farage’s links with Roger Stone, Trump’s long-time
political adviser who has admitted being in contact with
Guccifer 2.0, a hacker whom US intelligence agencies believe to
be a Kremlin agent. Farage’s spokesman said he had never worked
with Russian officials, and described the Guardian’s questions
about Farage’s activities as “verging on the hysterical”.
Bilderberg group gathers in Virginia to mull Trump era
Daily Mail - A secretive group of global power brokers including
elder statesman Henry Kissinger and NATO secretary Jens
Stoltenberg will gather to debate Donald Trump's presidency. The
Bilderberg Group meeting in Chantilly, Virginia, will attract
131 elites on Thursday - from politicians and bankers to
business titans and European royalty. They will discuss
transatlantic relations, the future of the European Union and 'a
progress report' on the Trump administration behind closed doors
at the four-day meeting. This year's confab can be seen as a
chance for Trump supporters like Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross,
National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and billionaire tech
entrepreneur Peter Thiel to face his critics like Eric Schmidt.
Schmidt, the executive director of Google's parent company,
warned in January that Trump's administration will do 'evil
things.' The group has met every year since 1954 and was created
as a forum for fostering dialogue between Europe and North
America. The meeting, which will also be attended by to civil
rights activist Vernon Jordan. will gather less than 30 miles
from the White House. Several journalists are participating in
this year's forum, including London Evening Standard editor
George Osborne and Cansu Camlibel, the Washington bureau chief
for Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper. But per tradition, news outlets
are not invited to cover the event…. The meeting is expected to
address Russia, China, nuclear proliferation, globalization, and
'the war on information.' Guests scheduled to attend the meeting
include Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who works part-time as a
commercial pilot; David Rubenstein, co-founder of influential
global investment firm The Carlyle Group; and John Brennan, CIA
chief under Barack Obama. Ex-deputy secretary of state William
Burns and former deputy assistant secretary of defense Elaine
Bunn, both Obama-era officials, will also attend….
Anti-globalization protesters reportedly have descended on the
location of the meeting.
Bloomberg: '55 percent chance' Trump will win reelection
The Hill - Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks
there's a "55 percent chance" President Trump will be reelected
in 2020. Bloomberg, who politically identifies as independent,
told New York Times columnist Frank Bruni that he thought
Democrats didn't have an effective message to win the 2016
election and could repeat that mistake in 2020. “Hillary said,
‘Vote for me because I’m a woman and the other guy’s bad,’ ”
Bloomberg said about 2016. He said Democrats are still looking
for issues and messages. And he worries that too many Democrats
are eager to jump into the 2020 race. “They’ll step on each
other and re-elect Donald Trump,” Bloomberg said. Bloomberg
endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016
and spoke at the Democratic National Convention, calling Trump a
"dangerous demagogue."
Video: Even Hillary’s ‘PR Person’ Says She’s “Drawing a
Conspiracy Theory” Over Russia/Trump
Steve Watson - In another bizarre appearance Wednesday, Hillary
Clinton blamed everyone except herself for her election loss to
Donald Trump, espousing unsubstantiated claims, and leading even
her most ardent supporters in the media to admit she is ‘drawing
conspiracy theories’. NBC anchor Andrea Mitchell, who Trump
referred to as Hillary’s “PR person” during the campaign owing
to such partisan reporting, had some sobering comments following
the appearance. “She’s basically pointing to the Trump campaign,
saying that the dots are now being connected in the
investigation,” Mitchell said, appearing on Rachel Maddow’s
show. “She mentioned Jared Kushner, she mentioned Bannon and
Kellyanne Conway in the context of the fact that the Mercers,
the big fundraisers who contribute to the campaign and owned
Cambridge Analytics, had said to Trump, ‘Bring on Bannon from
Breitbart, bring on Kellyanne Conway,’ who are already on their
payroll, as part of the deal.” Mitchell continued. “And that
they connected with the data bank and the RNC. So she’s drawing
a conspiracy theory. She doesn’t have the evidence, but she is
obviously hoping that this is what Robert Mueller and what the
congressional committees can do.”
Government Accounting Office Report: Zika Fears Overblown
Health Impact News - The Washington Times recent article on the
latest Government Account Office (GAO) report looking into the
Zika virus confirms what many of us in the Alternative Media
have been reporting for the past couple of years …. Excerpts:
The Obama administration’s imprecise Zika maps may have
unnecessarily “spread fear” last year about the danger areas for
contracting the virus from mosquitos, Congress’s top watchdog
said Tuesday. The Government Accountability Office said the
Centers for Disease Control “painted with a broad brush” in maps
that showed entire states as mosquito habitat when only certain
areas of those states were infested. The National Institutes of
Health, meanwhile said it cannot predict when a vaccine that
taxpayers shelled out $400 million for last year will be ready,
with NIH chief Anthony Fauci saying he didn’t want to give false
hopes or set unrealistic goals. “I’m not gong to give you a
figure for a time for when we’re going to have a Zika vaccine,”
Dr. Fauci said. He was testifying to the House Energy and
Commerce Committee as the federal government and states begin to
prepare for another Zika season, trying to learn the lessons of
last year’s first encounter with the disease on the U.S.
mainland. Just 222 cases were reported contracted from mosquitos
on the mainland U.S. last year — 216 in Florida and six in
Texas. That’s far more localized than some public health warned
last year, when the Obama administration demanded more than $2
billion in emergency funding.
Student Petitions for School’s Name Change: Slave Owner James
Madison’s Name Means Black Students ‘Unsafe’
Breitbart - Mya Berry, a senior, says the fact that President
James Madison inherited slaves, along with his Montpelier
plantation, from his father means her school – which, like the
city of Madison, Wisconsin, is named after the fourth U.S.
president – is hostile to black students, reports the Capital
Times. In a change.org petition, which currently has nearly
1,500 supporters, Berry states: The significance of this name in
association with my school has a negative effect on memorials
black students. The lack of representation I feel in this school
makes me feel more than unsafe. I do not feel supported by the
majority of staff at memorial, especially considering the fact
that I’ve gotten called n word multiple times, along with having
an individual threaten me by telling me they would lynch me.
Berry continues in her petition that when race is discussed at
school, she is “told my perspective is just an opinion, and not
anything valid to take into consideration.”
He Was Fired Because He Was Homeschooled
Off the Grid News - An Alabama man lost his job simply because
he was homeschooled. “Homeschool diplomas are not recognized as
legitimate or accredited in the state of Alabama,” and
homeschool students “must receive a GED to have a true
graduation,” a statement from the unidentified employer obtained
by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSDLA) read. The
company fired the man, referred to as just “Jacob,” after a
third-party background check revealed he was homeschooled. The
employer stated that the man “must receive a GED to have a true
graduation.” Fortunately, the man got his job back after HSDLA
attorney Dan Beasley contacted the company and told them they
had violated Section 16-11.4 of the Code of Alabama, which bans
discrimination against homeschooled people and says
homeschooling is a legitimate form of education…. Said HSLDA,
“While this story has a happy ending, there are still many
homeschool graduates in Alabama and across the country who are
being discriminated against. For example, a statute mandating
that candidates for jobs as peace officers hold diplomas from
accredited or approved high schools means homeschool graduates
who wish to serve as peace officers in Alabama must take the GED.”
US Carrier Strike Groups Join Japanese Near North Korea’s
Coast
Mikael Thalen- The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike
group joined the USS Carl Vinson strike group Thursday near the
coast of North Korea. The pair accompanied Japanese forces in
what has been described as “the largest display yet of naval
power” against Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear weapons programs.
“These carrier strike groups, as well as two Japan Maritime Self
Defense Force ships, were taking advantage of the opportunity to
train and improve the way they operate together,” 7th Fleet
officials said. “Operating two carrier strike groups provides a
unique capability, one of the many ways the U.S. Navy promotes
security, stability, and prosperity throughout the region.” The
increased US presence in the Korean peninsula comes after North
Korea carried out its latest ballistic missile test Monday. US
President Donald Trump in a tweet following the launch condemned
the regime of Kim Jong Un for yet again disrespecting its
neighbors. “North Korea has shown great disrespect for their
neighbor, China, by shooting off yet another ballistic
missile…but China is trying hard!” Trump tweeted. KCNA, North
Korea’s official news agency, warned Tuesday that the US should
expect a “bigger gift package” of precision guidance missiles.
Waiver Signed: Donald Trump Delays Moving Embassy in Israel to
Jerusalem
Breitbart - President Donald Trump signed a six month waiver to
delay moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, despite
his campaign promise to do so. In a statement, the White House
said Trump was still committed to to his promise, but made the
decision to delay the move of the embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem for the sake of peace negotiations between Israel and
Palestine. “As he has repeatedly stated his intention to move
the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only
when,” the statement from the White House read. Trump’s decision
follows the precedent set by former presidents Clinton, Bush,
and Obama who all signed a six month waiver of the 1995 law.
No trace of Russian hacking in Macron election campaign attack –
French cyber defense chief
RT - French investigators have found no traces of a Russian
hacking group in the attack on President Emmanuel Macron’s
election campaign, in which thousands of emails were leaked, the
head of the French government’s cyber security agency told AP.
In an interview on Thursday, Guillaume Poupard, the head of the
National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI), said the hack
was “so generic and simple that it could have been practically
anyone.” According to Poupard, the simplicity of the attack
“means that we can imagine that it was a person who did this
alone. They could be in any country.” The leak of Macron
campaign data contained 9 gigabytes of emails, images and
attachments dating back several months. At the time, the French
authorities called on the national media not to report the
contents of the leak, saying that doing so would violate
election rules to stop campaigning a day ahead of an election.
Macron, who opposed National Front leader Marine Le Pen in the
run-off for the office of president, made his opposition to
alleged Russian meddling in the election a point of his
campaign. While he and his team didn’t directly accuse Russia of
being behind the May 5 hack, many media reports of the incident
speculated that Moscow may have made a last-ditch attempt to
undermine Macron’s position before the poll.
“Cultural Journalist”: Sweden Doesn’t Deserve to Celebrate its
Own National Day
Paul Joseph Watson - “Cultural journalist” Kristina Lindquist
says that Sweden is so xenophobic, it doesn’t even deserve to
celebrate its own national day and that “nationalism should be
wiped out.” “As if I would have a Swedish flag,” chided
Lindquist during an appearance on SVT Gomorron Sweden. “We live
in Europe. Look at the European 20th century and what
nationalism has done and what went on in the path of
nationalism. Nationalism is a dangerous purity ideology that we
should destroy,” said Lindquist, presumably unaware that the
Nazis were National Socialists. She then went on to make the
bizarre claim that “All political party leaders” in Sweden are
“supernationalist” because they “stand in front of Swedish
flags.” Lindquist also said that country shouldn’t have pride in
itself so long as it continues to deport illegal aliens….
Lindquist’s comments underscore how leftists will smear even the
most supposedly “progressive” and open border country as
xenophobic and lecture its citizens that they should be ashamed
of themselves. In reality of course, Sweden’s rabid
multiculturalism has led to entire areas of major cities
becoming no-go zone Islamic ghettos where non-Muslims are
attacked. A new study recently found that 90% of shootings in
Sweden are committed by migrants.
Vets Mock McMaster’s ‘Unwinnable War in Afghanistan’
Breitbart - Duffel Blog, a satire blog run by military veterans,
published a devastating critique of National Security Adviser
Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster’s reported support for putting more
troops in Afghanistan, amid an intense White House debate over
future U.S. involvement there. The post, while serious in tone,
was dripping with irony. It contrasted McMaster’s current
support for escalating the war in Afghanistan with his famous
study of the Vietnam War, “Dereliction of Duty,” in which he
criticized policymakers for escalating an “unwinnable war.” The
post is even more notable since the blog’s contributors consist
of veterans and active military members who write under
pseudonyms…. McMaster and allies on the National Security
Council reportedly support sending 3,000 to 5,000 more U.S.
troops in Afghanistan and hitting the Taliban harder in order to
drive them to the negotiating table. Others in the White House
want to scale back the U.S. role in Afghanistan’s war with the
Taliban, with enough U.S. troops to advise Afghan forces and
fight terrorists. The Duffel Blog post underscored the futility
with which some veterans and members of the military view
escalation in the Afghanistan War, which is now in its 16th
year. There were 100,000 U.S. troops there during the height of
the war.
DOWS SETS NEW RECORD as President Trump Announces US
Withdrawal from Paris Climate Accord
The GatewayPundit - The White House audience today broke out in
applause when President Trump announced the United States was
withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. What a wonderful day
for the American worker! The Dow Jones Industrial closed at a
record high on the news today.
Alarming Study: Pharmaceutical Factory Pollution Accelerating Spread of
Superbugs
Natural Blaze - The study, published in the scientific journal
Infection, focused on the environmental impact of drug production in
Hyderabad, a city in India that produces 40% of Indian generic drugs and
50% of the country’s exported drugs…. Researchers collected water
samples from various areas within and around Hyderabad’s industrial
district where several drug manufacturing facilities are located.
Sampling locations “were chosen to cover the direct vicinity of bulk
drug manufacturing facilities, rivers, lakes, ground water, drinking
water, water sources contaminated by sewage treatment plants, and
surface water from populated urban as well as rural areas,”…. The study
pointed out that India has “become a hot spot of drug resistance” with
over 56,000 babies dying yearly “infections by bacteria that are
resistant to first-line antibiotics.” Nearly all of the 28 water samples
gathered by researchers were found to contain bacteria and fungi that
are resistant to several drugs. These microorganisms, referred to as MDR
pathogens, are also referred to as “superbugs.” Further testing on 16 of
those samples showed that 13 samples contained antibiotic and antifungal
drugs…. While this study examined the implications of drug manufacturing
in one of India’s top producing cities, the study cautioned that
“microbes’ ability to travel within human hosts and traded animals or
goods means that multidrug resistance can move around the world within a
flight time of only a few hours.”
NASA Releasing Artificial Clouds Over Maryland Coast
Natural Blaze - Associated Press is reporting that NASA is to release
luminescent, artificial clouds above the mid-atlantic coast. The clouds
will be accompanied by a sounding rocket launch from the Wallops Flight
Facility on Virginia’s eastern shore between 4:25 a.m. and 4:42 a.m.
NASA’s stated purpose of the release is to test a new system to support
studies of the ionosphere. NASA is to launch a sounding rocket and
deploy the 10 canisters into the air about 6-12 miles from the rocket.
The canisters will “deploy blue-green and red vapor forming artificial
clouds, which will allow scientists on the ground to track particle
motions,” AP reports. The report came out on Tuesday, May 30 and stated
that the test would take place on Tuesday – so it is unclear to this
writer whether the clouds have already been released or if they are for
the following Tuesday. That’s all we know for now. As we’ve said with
the release of re-engineered mosquitoes and Zika spraying hysteria –
isn’t it nice when we get told what is going to happen instead of being
petitioned what experiments our public funds are used for?
Oops, My Bad: US Defense Contractor Exposes ‘Top Secret’ Info on Open
Server
Sputnik News - A cybersecurity firm has reported the discovery of 60,000
files from a US intelligence agency left on an unsecured public server
with absolutely zero protection, not even a password. The files were
related to a military project being undertaken by the National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), which uploaded the files to an
Amazon cloud storage server that anyone could access. Chris Vickery, a
risk analyst with cyber resilience firm UpGuard, did just that. Among
the files were sensitive information and even the security credentials
of a senior employee with defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH).
There were also the login credentials needed to access code repositories
that might contain classified information among the files. Vickery said
that the information appeared to have been accidentally leaked by a BAH
employee. "Information that would ordinarily require a Top Secret-level
security clearance from the DOD was accessible to anyone looking in the
right place," UpGuard's Dan O'Sullivan wrote in a blog post about the
leak. "No hacking was required to gain credentials needed for
potentially accessing materials of a high classification level." The
files have since been secured, but anyone who found them before Vickery
could have downloaded the files and used them to access NGA, Booz Allen
Hamilton or Pentagon data.
The Common Plant Extract That Kills Stomach Cancer, According
To Research
David Wolfe - Researchers studied whole tomato extract from the
San Marzano tomato and the Corbarino tomato. They found that the
extracts were able to stop the growth of cancer cells. They also
discovered that the tomato extracts had the ability to interfere
with cancel cell migration from the primary tumor to surrounding
parts, and even kill cancer cells…. Tomatoes are full of
additional health benefits that make them an important part of
any healthy diet. Not only do they have anti-cancer properties,
tomatoes also: • Improve Your Vision – The Vitamin A in tomatoes
help to improve your vision and prevent macular degeneration. •
Protect Your Heart – The lycopene in tomatoes prevent lipid
oxidation, which protects your heart from cardiovascular
diseases. • Aid In Digestive Health – Tomatoes keep you
digestive system healthy by preventing constipation and
diarrhea, and removing toxins from the body. • Promote Healthy
Skin – Tomatoes help maintain healthy teeth, bones, hair and
skin. The antioxidants in tomatoes are anti-aging. • Lower
Hypertension – Consuming tomatoes daily reduces your risk of
developing high blood pressure, thanks in part to the potassium
content of tomatoes.
28 Amazing Benefits Of Dandelion For Skin, Hair, And Health
1. Treatment Of Acne - Dandelion sap can be applied topically on
acne to inhibit microbial infection. The Vitamin C component
speeds up the healing process, thus reducing the visibility of
scars and red inflammation that often accompanies acne.
Dandelion tea can also be consumed to prevent acne…. 2.
Treatment Of Skin Diseases - Dandelion sap known as dandelion
milk is effective in treating skin diseases caused by microbial
and fungal infections. Dandelion sap is highly alkaline in
nature and exhibits potent germicidal, fungicidal and
insecticidal properties. So, it can be used to treat itchiness,
eczema, warts, athlete’s foot, ringworm, and other similar
conditions without any side effects… avoid contact with the eyes
when using it. 3. Treatment Of Burns And Stings - The inside
portion of dandelion flower stems can be used as a smoothening
agent for the treatment of burns and stings such as nettle
allergy or bug bites which are quite painful. 4. Anti-Aging
Benefits - Being rich in antioxidants, dandelions prevents aging
by reducing the appearance of fine lines, dark spots and
wrinkles around the eyes and lips. Besides nourishing your skin,
this herb helps tone and firm up sagging and unbalanced skin. 5.
Stimulates Hair Growth - Dandelion root is a rich source of
vitamin A, C, and E as well as B-complex vitamins. Besides, it
contains choline, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, biotin
and calcium all of which play a significant role in making your
hair healthy as well as stimulate hair growth….
Thursday -
June 1, 2017
On This Day In History
1774 - The British government ordered the Port of Boston closed.
1789 - The first U.S. congressional act on administering oaths became
law.
1792 - Kentucky became the 15th state of the U.S.
1796 - Tennessee became the 16th state of the U.S.
1861 - The first skirmish of the U.S. Civil War took place at the
Fairfax Court House, Virginia.
1877 - U.S. troops were authorized to pursue bandits into Mexico.
1892 - The General Electric Company (GE) began operations after the
merging of the Edison General Electric and the Thomson-Houston Electric
companies.
1915 - Germany conducted the first zeppelin air raid over England.
1916 - The National Defense Act increased the strength of the U.S.
National Guard by 450,000 men.
1921 - A race riot erupted in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 85 people were killed.
1943 - During World War II, Germans shot down a civilian flight from
Lisbon to London.
1944 - The French resistance was warned by a coded message from the
British that the D-Day invasion was imminent.
1958 - Charles de Gaulle became the premier of France.
1958 - IBM ended its design of machines that contained electronic tubes.
1961 - Radio listeners in New York, California, and Illinois were
introduced to FM multiplex stereo broadcasting. A year later the FCC
made this a standard.
1963 - Governor George Wallace vowed to defy an injunction that ordered
the integration of the University of Alabama.
1978 - The U.S. reported the finding of wiretaps in the American embassy
in Moscow.
1979 - In the U.S., the government-controlled ceiling on oil prices
ends. The control was phased out over 28 months.
1980 - Cable News Network (CNN) made its debut as the first all-news
station.
1998 - In the U.S., the FDA approved a urine-only test for the AIDS
virus.
1998 - A $124 million suit was brought against Goodyear Tire & Rubber
that alleged discrimination towards black workers.
1999 - Merrill Lynch chairman David Komansky announced that the firm
would soon allow its customers to buy and sell stocks over the Internet.
2009 - General Motors filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The filing made
GM the largest U.S. industrial company to enter bankruptcy protection.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Hillary: I Lost the Election Because of Infowars and Wikileaks
Paul Joseph Watson - Hillary Clinton is still blaming everyone
apart from herself for her election loss – almost seven months
later. During an on stage interview at the Code Conference
today, Clinton ran through the usual baseless conspiracy theory
about Russia coordinating with Wikileaks to sabotage her
campaign…. “Within one hour, the Russians, Wikileaks, same
thing, dumped the John Podesta emails,” said Hillary, before
claiming that the Podesta emails were “anodyne to boredom,”
while simultaneously asserting that they swung the entire
election… “Within one hour they dumped them and they began to
weaponize them, and they began to have some of their allies
within the Internet world like Infowars take out pieces and
begin to say the most outlandish, outrageous, absurd lies you
can imagine,” she added. “He dumps that on me on October 28th
and I immediately start falling,” said Hillary in reference to
the Comey memo (which she also claims was motivated by the
Russians. Hillary also blamed “Trump people” screaming “lock her
up, lock her up” as a reason for her defeat as well as Google
searches being predominantly for Wikileaks in the final days of
the campaign. She goes on to call the Wikileaks Podesta dump
“false information” despite earlier claiming it was “anodyne”
and boring. To witness Hillary still stuck in denial nearly
seven months after the election would be tragic if it were not
so hilarious.
Comey To Testify Publicly That "Trump Did Push Him To End"
Flynn's Russia Probe
Zero Hedge - The showdown between Donald Trump and James Comey
will be televised after all. According to CNN, the former FBI
director plans to testify publicly in the Senate as early as
next week to confirm bombshell accusations that President Donald
Trump "did push Comey to end his investigation into a top Trump
aide's ties to Russia.”… As CNN adds, "final details are still
being worked out and no official date for his testimony has been
set. Comey is expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence
Committee, which is investigating possible connections between
the Trump campaign and Russia during last year's presidential
election." Additionally, it emerged that Comey has spoken
privately with Special Counsel Robert Mueller III to work out
the parameters for his testimony to ensure there are no legal
entanglements as a result of his public account, a source said.
Comey will likely sit down with Mueller, a longtime colleague at
the Justice Department, for a formal interview only after his
public testimony. When he testifies, Comey is unlikely to be
willing to discuss in any detail the FBI's investigation into
the charges of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump
campaign -- the centerpiece of the probe, this source said. But
he appears eager to discuss his tense interactions with Trump
before his firing, which have now spurred allegations that the
president may have tried to obstruct the investigation.
Trump Trashes Democrats' Russia Probe "Witch Hunt", Urges Carter
Page To "Clear His Name"
Zero Hedge - President Trump's angry tweetstorm this morning
blasted Democrats, saying they no longer want Carter Page to
testify in the investigation into the Russian election meddling,
because he would counter previous testimony by former FBI and
intelligence officials.
Judge Hands Down Mind-Boggling Transgender Ruling
The Daily Caller - On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit ordered a taxpayer-funded school district in
Wisconsin to allow a female transgender student who dresses like
a boy and otherwise identifies as male to use the boys’
bathrooms and locker rooms on school premises…. Williams’s
appellate opinion notes that Whitaker’s birth certificate
designates her as female. However, the court opinion ignores
Whitaker’s biological status because Whitaker “does not identify
as” female. The appeals court proclaims that “it is unclear that
the sex marker on a birth certificate can even be used as a true
proxy for an individual’s biological sex.”
TSA to travelers: Is that a cookie or a bomb?
Sacramento Bee - Federal airport security officials have begun
asking travelers to take books and food out of their carry-on
luggage, prompting some fliers to complain about a further
invasion of the limited privacy they have left at checkpoints.
Transportation Security Administration officials say they are
taking the steps on a test basis, mainly because carry-on bags
are getting so stuffed that screening agents at x-ray machines
are have a hard time seeing what’s in the bags. University of
California Davis professor Julie Sze is among those who ran into
the new screening procedures Wednesday at Sacramento
International Airport. Federal screeners were asking people to
take reading materials and food out of their bags and to place
those items into a separate bin before sending them along the
conveyor belt into the screening machine.
CNN Terminates Kathy Griffin After Trump Rages At "Sick"
Comedian's Stunt
Zero Hedge - “As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo
is very disturbing,” the first lady said in a Wednesday
statement, according to reports.“When you consider some of the
atrocities in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is
simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the
person who did it,” Melania Trump said…. Despite [Kathy
Griffin’s] apology - after her ultimate act of virtue signaling
by holding up the blood-soaked head of the president backfired -
President Trump and his family failed to find the humor in this
heinous act….”Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My
children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a
hard time with this. Sick!”…. As Martin Armstrong writes...
While Kathy Griffin apologizes for going tooooo far, that is
obviously only because of the flack she got for even doing this
photo. If it were Obama, she would be called a racist. The mere
simple act of doing something like this is exposing just how
dangerous the future truly is. We have the left who thinks it is
their God given right to suppress if not kill anyone who
disagrees with them. I for one am starting to lean for the break
up of the United States and all the leftists please move to the
left of the country and anyone else who wants freedom from these
insane people, move to the right. They never heard of freedom
and that means to enjoy your own life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness without being told what to do by people who want to
rule the world their way. I have always had a simple motto –
live and let live. I ask for nothing but freedom from
oppression. Tyranny is what these people preach. It is their way
or no way. We need to separate or there will be blood in the
streets.
* Related:
US Secret Service Investigating Kathy Griffin Threat to
President Trump
Jeopardy Contestant Ken Jennings Ruthlessly Mocks 11-Year-Old
Barron Trump
The Daily Caller - Ken Jennings, the longest running Jeopardy
contestant, made fun of Barron Trump Wednesday for reportedly
thinking Kathy Griffin was actually holding his father’s severed
head. According to a report by TMZ, 11-year-old Barron first saw
the photo of Griffin holding Trump’s bloody severed head on
television and thought it was actually his father’s head.
Sources told TMZ that Barron cried out for his mother when he
saw the image. Ken Jennings saw this as the perfect opportunity
to mock the young boy, tweeting, “Barron Trump saw a very long
necktie on a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster. He thought
it was his dad & his little heart is breaking.”
USAA says it will reinstate ads on ‘Hannity’
Breitbart - The USAA financial services firm says it is
reinstating its advertising on Sean Hannity’s Fox News Channel
program after receiving heavy criticism from many of the
military members and veterans that it serves…. USAA was one of
10 companies that had pulled ads from “Hannity,” who had been
attacked for reporting a discredited story involving the death
of a Democratic National Committee staff member. Hannity has
said he will no longer talk about conspiracy theories on Seth
Rich’s death last year.
Russian Warship, Submarine Fire Four Cruise Missiles At ISIS
Targets In Syria
Zero Hedge - A Russian warship and submarine fired four cruise
missiles from the eastern Mediterranean at Islamic State targets
near the Syrian city of Palmyra, the Defense Ministry said on
Wednesday, as reported by CNN and Reuters. The strikes targeted
militant ISIS "shelters" east of the ancient city, which housed
heavy equipment and militant troops…. Russia had warned the
United States, Turkey and Israel before launching the missiles,
the ministry said. It did not say when the strike took place,
but Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
as saying that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had personally
told President Vladimir Putin about the military action late on
Tuesday.
Turkey blasts US for ‘extremely dangerous’ arming of Kurds in
Syria
RT - The US’ decision to arm Kurdish fighters in Syria is an
“extremely dangerous” mistake that should be reversed, Turkey’s
foreign minister has said. Earlier on Tuesday, the US announced
that it was starting to deliver weapons to the Syrian Kurdish
militia. “Such steps are extremely dangerous for Syria’s unity
and territorial integrity,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu told the media on Wednesday. “If we are looking for
stability in Syria, we should row back from those mistakes,” he
told a press conference, while speaking alongside his Slovenian
counterpart, Karl Erjavec. Earlier on Tuesday, the Pentagon said
deliveries of small arms, machine guns and other military
equipment to Kurdish fighters in Syria began this week, saying
the move is necessary to help the militias fight the Islamic
State terrorist group (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) near the city of
Raqqa. This runs counter to earlier reports which said that as
many as 100 trucks loaded with US weapons and ammunition had
already been delivered to SDF over the past few weeks. The
Pentagon said it considers the multiethnic Syrian Democratic
Force (SDF), which is dominated by the Kurdish Peoples’
Protection Units (YPG), to be the only military contingent on
the ground capable of taking the IS stronghold Raqqa.
Kabul: at least 90 killed by massive car bomb in diplomatic
quarter
The Guardian - A massive explosion in a highly secure diplomatic
area of Kabul has killed at least 90 people and wounded more
than 461, Afghan officials have said. The attack is the
deadliest in the Afghan capital since an Isis suicide bomber
killed nearly 100 people at a protest last summer, and one of
the largest to hit Kabul since the 2001 intervention. Most of
the casualties are expected to be civilians. The huge blast of a
bomb hidden in a sewage tanker occurred close to the German
embassy in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of the capital on Wednesday
morning, sending clouds of black smoke spiralling into the sky
near the presidential palace and foreign embassies. It took
place at the peak of Kabul’s rush hour when the streets were
packed with commuters and just days into the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan…. On Wednesday evening, the country’s intelligence
agency, the NDS, accused the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network,
with Pakistani support, of being behind the attack.
Mauldin Warns The Next Recession May Be A Complete Reset Of All
Asset Valuations
Zero Hedge - Sometime this year, world public and private plus
unfunded pensions will surpass $300 trillion. That is not even
counting the $100 trillion in US government unfunded
liabilities. These obligations cannot be paid…. We are coming to
a period I call “the Great Reset.” As it hits, we will have to
deal, one way or another, with the largest twin bubbles in the
history of the world. One of those bubbles is global debt,
especially government debt. The other is the even larger bubble
of government promises. The other is the even larger bubble of
government promises. History shows it is more than likely that
the US will have a recession in the next few years. When it does
come, it will likely blow the US government deficit up to $2
trillion a year.
Congress Fast-Tracks Bill That Would Give DHS Agencies Access To NSA
Collections
Techdirt - As a parting gift to the incoming president, Barack Obama
approved information-sharing rules which gave sixteen federal agencies
access to unminimized NSA collections…. Yes, the collected
communications can be masked to protect the identities of US persons,
but that call is made on a case-by-case basis by the NSA and there are
several government officials with the power to demand unminimized
access. This just isn't enough sharing, apparently. Patrick G. Eddington
of CATO reports a new bill is being quickly and quietly pushed through
the House to expand this sharing to several more federal agencies…. The
DHS is already on the list of agencies with access to NSA collections.
This bill would allow it to give underling agencies access to the same
info. Some notable three-letter agencies on that list include CBP, ICE,
and TSA. While the NSA's collections are supposed to serve a national
security purpose, the FBI uses its access for standard criminal
investigations. There's no reason to believe these agencies won't do the
same…. Worse, if the bill becomes law, the worst, most ineffective parts
of the DHS will be given access to data and communications gathered by
the NSA. Fusion centers -- which are already known for being mostly
useless, when not actively doing damage to Constitutional rights -- will
have even more information to misuse.
Left-Leaning Policy Group Appears To Have Flooded Net Neutrality Forum
With 100,000+ Fake Comments
The Daily Caller - More than 100,000 comments supporting government
regulation of the internet appear to have been automatically submitted
by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a left-leaning nonprofit,
according to a forensic analysis published Wednesday.
Delta Tests Replacing Boarding Passes With Fingerprints For Lounge
Access
The Consumerist - While it’s trying facial recognition automated baggage
drops in Minneapolis, Delta Airlines has implemented another form of
biometric identification at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Ultimately, the airline plans to let passengers use their fingerprints
in place of boarding passes to check in, check bags, and board their
flights. CLEAR is an existing service that speeds you past the security
line for a fee. People in the pilot program have to be enrolled in CLEAR
as well. Delta combines CLEAR’s data with your frequent flier
information and boarding pass information, with the goal of letting
passengers zip past checkpoints where they would normally need to show a
boarding pass. For now, a fingerprint only gives people who are part of
the program access to the Sky Club lounge. To be eligible, customers
need to be part of the Sky Miles program and also be enrolled in CLEAR.
The airline’s planned Phase 2 would let passengers use their
fingerprints at any time that they would normally need to show a
boarding pass, including when boarding the plane. JetBlue and British
Airways are testing similar programs, but they use facial recognition,
not fingerprints.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Beekeepers Continue to Experience Significant Losses as Pollinator
Crisis Moves into 11th Year
Beyond Pesticides - U.S. beekeepers lost an unsustainable 33% of their
hives over the past year, according to new data from the Bee Informed
Partnership. While this year’s numbers are lower than those recorded
last year, which found nearly half of U.S. honey bee colonies died off,
there is no cause for celebration. Declines are still well above
acceptable loss rates of 15% or less, and the data indicate a continuing
trend of substantial losses during the summer months. Without real
changes to U.S. policy that effectively eliminate pollinator exposure to
highly toxic and persistent pesticides such as neonicotinoids, there is
little likelihood that these unsustainable losses will subside…. There
is already evidence that the pollinator crisis is affecting crop yields,
as a study earlier this year revealed that wild bees are declining in
139 key agricultural communities in the country.
New Tumor Evidence Found in Confidential Glyphosate Data
Sustainable Pulse - Major news on the glyphosate front: the first ever
independent analysis of the complete confidential data set sent by
industry to the EU for the re-licensing of glyphosate shows EFSA and
ECHA’s safety assessment would have failed to identify several cases of
tumors and cancer following an exposure to the substance. …. This is the
first ever analysis of this dataset by a scientist who has no financial
links to the glyphosate industry and who has not participated in the
official EU assessment. This data set was obtained by CEO and Green MEPs
after an access to documents request, which took a year (and significant
resources) for EFSA to process as industry opposed it and demanded many
redactions.
Ohio sues five drug companies over opioid crisis
Reuters - The state of Ohio on Wednesday sued five major drug
manufacturers, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks of
prescription opioid painkillers that have fueled a sky-rocketing
drug addiction epidemic. The suit, filed by Attorney General
Mike DeWine, comes as a growing number of state and local
governments are suing drugmakers and distributors, seeking to
hold them accountable for a deadly and costly opioid crisis.
Opioid drugs, including prescription painkillers and heroin,
killed more than 33,000 people in the United States in 2015,
more than any year on record, according to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. The five companies Ohio sued
were Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen
Pharmaceuticals Inc unit, a unit of Endo International Plc, Teva
Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's Cephalon unit and Allergan Plc.
DeWine said the companies helped unleash the crisis by spending
millions of dollars marketing and promoting such drugs as
OxyContin and Percocet, overstating their benefits and
trivializing their potential addictive qualities.
Ibuprofen linked to 30 percent increased risk of cardiac arrest
(NaturalHealth365) The most commonly used non-prescription
medications in the world, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
– or NSAIDs – are taken by up to 30 million people every day to
reduce fever, pain, swelling and inflammation. But a new Danish
study showing that the NSAID ibuprofen increases risk of cardiac
arrest has researchers calling for sale restrictions on the
popular drug…. The study, helmed by Dr. Gunnar Gislason, a
professor of cardiology at the University of Copenhagen,
examined the medical records of 28,947 patients who had
experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between 2001 and
2010. Researchers then examined the use of various NSAID pain
relievers by a subset of 3,376 patients in the group. The NSAIDs
included ibuprofen – marketed as Advil or Motrin – diclofenac –
or Cataflam – and naproxen, or Aleve. Researchers also examined
two NSAIDs, rofecoxib and celecoxib, that work by inhibiting
COX-2…. The team concluded that the use of NSAIDs, in general,
caused a 31 percent increase in risk of cardiac arrest.
Diclofenac, which raised risk by 50 percent, caused the highest
increase, while ibuprofen also significantly raised risk by 31
percent.
Not just complementary, tai chi treats depression all by itself
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Tai chi, the slow-motion Chinese
exercise, has often been used as a complement to drugs for
treating depression—but a new study has discovered it can
dramatically improve the problem without the drugs. Performing
the exercises twice a week for 12 weeks can 'significantly
reduce' the symptoms of even major depression, researchers have
found. The researchers, from Massachusetts General Hospital, had
experts teach tai chi movements and breathing to 25 people who
had been diagnosed with major to moderate depression and who
weren't taking any medication for the problem. Another group of
25 were on a 'wait list' and were used as a measure of the
improvements in the exercise group. By the end of the 12 weeks,
the tai chi group reported 'significant improvements' in their
depression and anxiety compared to those who didn't use the
exercise. It's a credible alternative to drugs and other
therapies, say the researchers.
10 Health Benefits Of Cinnamon That Surprised Even Us
Off the Grid News - Ancient civilizations considered cinnamon to
be a gift fit for a king. Today, it is one of the healthiest
spices you can find in your grocery store. Here are 10 health
benefits cinnamon can offer. 1. Antioxidants. Cinnamon is loaded
with antioxidants known as polyphenols, phenolic acid and
flavonoids. These compounds, which are also found in dark
berries, red wine and dark chocolate, work to reduce free
radical damage in the body and can slow the aging process. In
terms of its antioxidant content, cinnamon outranks many
superfoods including garlic, oregano, rosemary and thyme. 2.
Anti-inflammatory effects. These antioxidants in cinnamon work
to reduce inflammation in the human body. Scientists believe
that the consumption of cinnamon can help the body reduce
swelling, repair tissue damage, relieve muscle soreness and
lower allergic reactions. 3. Heart health. Consuming cinnamon
can help reduce your LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, while keeping
your HDL (“good”) cholesterol stable…. 4. Diabetes. Another
benefit of cinnamon is its ability to help lower blood sugar
levels and improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which is
needed to balance the body’s blood sugar levels… 5. Brain
function. Cinnamon’s antioxidant properties also may benefit
cognitive function and overall brain health, offering protection
form neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and
Alzheimer’s disease. 6. Cancer protection. The compound
cinnamaldehyde found in cinnamon may help the body fight tumor
growth, DNA damage and cell mutation…. [When buying cinnamon,
look for Ceylon, or “true cinnamon,” preferably organic.]
* Related:
The Difference Between Ceylon Cinnamon VS Cassia Cinnamon
Canine Influenza A H3N2 Confirmed in Florida
Dogington Post - Although the dog flu quickly spread to 30
different states during the 2015 outbreak, this is the first
time it has been confirmed in Florida. With many dog-friendly
areas of Florida heavily populated with people and pets, dog
parks, dog day cares, and dog beaches, officials are concerned
the virus could spread far and wide very quickly. The flu is
spread from dog to dog (and now, to cats) much in the same way
the human flu is spread – through direct contact, through
coughing and sneezing, through contact with contaminated objects
and surfaces, etc. The flu is not contagious to humans. The most
common symptoms of H3N2 virus in dogs are runny nose, cough, and
fever, but not all dogs will show symptoms. In other words, your
dog could appear to be perfectly healthy while carrying and
infecting other dogs with the virus. Likewise, your dog could be
infected by a dog that appears healthy. If you’re living in an
area where the dog flu has been confirmed, keep your dogs on
leash and away from other dogs. Avoid dog parks, kennels, and
doggie day care centers where dogs are in close proximity to one
another or sharing toys and play surfaces…. Most dogs recover at
home without any complications. Some require hospitalization.
MAY 2017
Wednesday - May 31, 2017
On This Day In History
1854 - The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed by the U.S. Congress.
1859 - In London, Big Ben went into operation.
1879 - New York's Madison Square Garden opened.
1889 - In Johnstown, PA, more than 2,200 people died after the South
Fork Dam collapsed.
1907 - The first taxis arrived in New York City. They were the first in
the United States.
1913 - The 17th Amendment went into effect. It provided for popular
election of U.S. senators.
1915 - A German zeppelin made an air raid on London.
1927 - Ford Motor Company produced the last "Tin Lizzie" in order to
begin production of the Model A.
1929 - In Beverly, MA, the first U.S. born reindeer were born.
1941 - The first issue of "Parade: The Weekly Picture Newspaper" went on
sale.
1955 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered that all states must end racial
segregation "with all deliberate speed."
1977 - The trans-Alaska oil pipeline was finished after 3 years of
construction.
1994 - The U.S. announced it was no longer aiming long-range nuclear
missiles at targets in the former Soviet Union.
2003 - In North Carolina, Eric Robert Rudolph was captured. He had been
on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list for five years for several bombings
including the 1996 Olympic bombing.
2005 - Former FBI official W. Mark Felt stepped forward as "Deep
Throat," the secret Washington Post source that helped bring down
President Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
2009 - Dr. George Tiller, a provider of late-term abortions, was shot
and killed in a Wichita, Kan., church. (Gunman Scott Roeder was later
convicted and sentenced to life in prison.)
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Pentagon Tests ICBM Defense Grid for First Time in Three Years
(VIDEO)
Sputnik News - The Pentagon claimed a victory in its test of the
US' spotty ICBM interceptor system on Tuesday, in the wake of a
new spate of North Korean missile tests, some of which have
demonstrated surprising technological advancement that’s set
Washington on edge. In the case of an intercontinental ballistic
missile attack, the US has two Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
systems. One is located in California, the other in Alaska, but
neither has been tested since 2014. The former system is the
subject of the test, when a dummy ICBM was launched from the
Marshall Islands and the interceptor system at Vandenberg Air
Base in California attempted to detect it and shoot it down.
Reportedly, the test was a success.
White House Shakeup: Communications Director Resigns
Breitbart - Dubke resigned on May 18, according to Axios’s Mike
Allen, after taking the job in March. He was viewed as a
professional close to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer
and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, both familiar with the
workings of Washington, D.C. Mainstream media reporters also
respected Dubke’s background as a behind-the-scenes operative
who worked in Karl Rove’s orbit. But Trump loyalists never
trusted Dubke, seeing him as an establishment figure who didn’t
understand the president’s strengths. Communications
professionals in Washington view Dubke’s job as impossible as
President Donald Trump sets most of his communications strategy
himself on Twitter while leaving staffers to fill in the gaps.
Economist: Plot to Overthrow Trump Risks “Civil War” in America
Paul Joseph Watson - Economist Martin Armstrong warns that the
political class are risking “civil war” in America if they push
forward with an effort to overthrow President Donald Trump.
Armstrong is known for successfully predicting the 1987 Black
Monday crash as well as the 1998 Russian financial collapse.
Writing of a “very REAL plot to overthrow Trump led by the
political establishment and aided by the mainstream press,”
Armstrong says the elite has miscalculated in thinking the rise
of populism is over because of Emmanuel Macron’s victory “so
it’s time to get rid of Trump and it will all be OK again.”
Armstrong points the finger firmly at Republican insiders like
John Bohner, Lindsey Graham and John McCain as being the leading
forces behind the effort to de-legitimize Trump, cautioning “the
Republicans have lost it.” The mirrors the statement from a that
we reported on from an unnamed ranking Republican who told a
private gathering earlier this month that, “The object of the
coup was not impeachment, but the recruitment of a critical mass
of Republican senators and congressmen to the claim that Trump
was “unfit” for office and to force his resignation.”
Trump: ‘Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S.’
TheHill - President Trump early Tuesday said Russian officials
are likely “laughing” at the U.S. amid continuing reports
related to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race.
“Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. & how a lame
excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the
Fake News,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. The president has claimed in
the past that possible Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential
election is an excuse created by Democrats to explain his win
over Hillary Clinton. He has referred to the related
investigation as a “witch hunt” and criticized the recent naming
of a special counsel to lead it.Trump’s latest comments come
after reports last week that son in law and senior aide Jared
Kushner in December sought to establish a backchannel line of
communication between the Trump transition team and Moscow.
Anthropologist Says “White Genocide” is a “Good Plan”
Paul Joseph Watson - According to anthropologist Michael P.
Oman-Reagan, “white genocide” is a “good plan” because it will
entrench leftist power by preventing right-wingers from having
babies. Oman-Reagan is a Vanier Scholar and Ph.D. candidate in
the department of anthropology at Memorial University of
Newfoundland…. “Instead of politics, the Liberal Media Elite
should orchestrate deep social ad campaigns to convince people
to never reproduce with….” he added, before an emoticon of a
frog to symbolize the alt-right. Oman-Reagan said preventing
alt-right “Frog-Milk boys” from reproducing was a good thing
because, “They won’t be able to teach any children to be full of
hate or terrible attempts at owning people online.” “They can
leave the politics to the leftists, who will ensure everyone has
healthcare, free education, right to food and housing, etc,”
remarked Oman-Reagan, before later tweeting that America was a
“racist nation” with a constitution that primarily benefited
“white supremacists”.
CNN Contributor Kathy Griffin Beheads Trump in ISIS-Inspired
Photoshoot
Adan Salazar - Comedian Kathy Griffin posed for photos holding a
bloody decapitated head made in the likeness of Donald Trump.
Celebrity website TMZ got a hold of the photo Tuesday along with
behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot with photographer Tyler
Shields. “During the photo shoot, Kathy joked that she and Tyler
would need to move to Mexico once the pics got released, for
fear they’d be thrown in prison,” reports TMZ…. Twitter erupted
with users claiming the photo promoted violence against the
sitting US president, with others questioning whether CNN would
denounce Griffin’s actions. Others also inquired whether
advertisers would continue supporting the network…
Police 'firewood' checkpoints coming to a state near you
MassPrivate I - Since at least 2004, police in states across the
country have been using 'firewood' checkpoints to search
motorists vehicles. According to an article in the Daily
Jefferson, Ohio police have been setting up 'firewood'
checkpoints to search motorists vehicles since 2004. The article
went on to say, motorists could be fined could be as much as
$10,000 if they're caught with illegal firewood. In Michigan,
police have been using 'firewood' checkpoints since at least
2005 and the list is growing. A 2006 article in the Toledo
Blade, warns motorists, that Ohio police use 'firewood'
checkpoints and search vehicles stopped at rest areas. For more
than six hours, two U.S. Department of Agriculture officers
combed the parking lot of the Findlay-area rest stop searching
for people transporting firewood. State and federal officials
are enforcing the ban on firewood movement by checking vehicles
at several northwest Ohio locations this week and periodically
throughout the summer. Yesterday's blitz was the fourth since
the start of spring, with three held over Memorial Day weekend.
Last year, I warned everyone that police were using ELEVEN
different types of checkpoints. Sadly, the list just keeps
getting bigger, now you can add 'firewood' and boater sobriety
checkpoints to the list. 1. DUI 2. Super Bowl 3. DUI/Pedestria
4. License/Registration 5. Safety Belt 6. Bus Checkpoints 7. DNA
8. Escaped Fugitive 9. Pot Breathalyzer 10. Heroin 11. Drug
Testing 12. Firewood Checkpoints 13. Boater Sobriety Checkpoints
Stop inventing fictional threats from Russia – Putin to Le
Figaro
RT - With bombings in Paris and elsewhere across Europe and war
in the Middle East, it’s strange to hear speculation about a
fictional Russian threat, Vladimir Putin said in an exclusive
interview with Le Figaro. The Russian president, who visited
Paris to meet with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on
Monday, expressed the belief that Moscow and Western capitals
“all want security, peace, safety and cooperation.” “Therefore,
we should not build up tensions or invent fictional threats from
Russia, some hybrid warfare etc.,” the Russian leader in the
interview to be published in full on Wednesday. “What is the
major security problem today? Terrorism. There are bombings in
Europe, in Paris, in Russia, in Belgium. There is a war in the
Middle East. This is the main concern. But no, let us keep
speculating on the threat from Russia." “You made these things
up yourselves and now scare yourselves with them and even use
them to plan your prospective policies. These policies have no
prospects. The only possible future is in cooperation in all
areas, including security issues,” he added. Fighting
international terrorism is among the issues on which Russia and
the West must work together, Putin said.
ISIS attacks an ICE CREAM parlour packed with women and children
celebrating Ramadan: At least 27 dead and 100 injured in Baghdad
car bombings
Daily Mail - At least 27 people have been killed and more than
100 wounded after two car bombs ripped through Baghdad,
including one that targeted an ice cream parlour. Sixteen people
died in the first blast as ISIS militants detonated a car bomb
outside an ice cream shop as it was packed with women and
children breaking their Ramadan fast shortly after midnight on
Tuesday. A few hours later a second bomb the exploded by a
government-run pension officer near the city’s Al-Shuhada
Bridge, killing a further 11 people. More than 100 people are
thought to have been wounded in the two attacks in total. No
group has claimed responsibility for the second attacks, but
ISIS regularly bombs the city and had called for ‘all-out war’
during the holy month of Ramadan, which started on May 26…. The
bomb was placed inside a parked car and remotely detonated,
according to Iraqi officials who spoke on condition of
anonymity…. Ramadan is often marked by an uptick in violence in
Iraq. Last year, Baghdad was rocked by a huge truck bomb that
targeted a popular retail district in the city center.
Philippines crisis: Military launches air assault on ISIS-linked
fighters (PHOTOS)
RT - Philippine Armed Forces are carrying out airstrikes against
Islamic State-linked militants as fighting intensifies in the
city of Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao. The military
unleashed a barrage of attacks Tuesday in an effort to regain
control of the area after it was was overrun by insurgents from
the Maute group last week…. Despite the military effort,
Philippine news agency ABS-CBN reports that IS flags are still
on display around key bridges into the city. Areas in
neighboring Iligan city are also on lockdown, according to a
statement posted on the city's official Facebook page. Padilla
claimed that 65 terrorists have been killed during the eight
days of fighting, while tens of thousands of civilians have been
forced to flee their homes.
Sweden: Three Out of Four ‘Child Refugees’ Are Actually Adults
Paul Joseph Watson - A new study by the Swedish National Board
of Medicines has found that three out of four so-called child
“refugees” are actually adults, another illustration of how
European people are being massively deceived about the true
nature of the migrant crisis. The organization was given 4,200
orders from the Swedish Migration Board to conduct medical
assessments of asylum seekers who claim to be under the age of
18. Of these, just 4 per cent were female, illustrating again
how the clear majority of migrants entering Europe are men…. The
results are important because of controversy over European
countries accepting so-called “child refugees” who are clearly
not children.
Watchdog Claims 5K Noncitizens Registered to Vote in Virginia
Breitbart - A new report released shortly after the forming of
the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity finds
that more than 5,000 individuals were determined to be non-U.S.
citizens registered to vote in Virginia. Dubbed a “sequel” to a
similar 2016 effort, the latest study found 5,556 voters were
“quietly removed” from the records for reasons related to
non-citizenship “between 2011 and May 2017,” according to an
advanced look at the findings provided by the Public Interest
Legal Foundation (PILF). Of the total registered, one-third of
unlawful voters managed to cast ballots—leading to a total of
more than 7,400 illegal votes cast, according to the report. The
organization points out that it was unable to find any evidence
that illegal registrations or votes were ever prosecuted…. In
order to obtain the information necessary to perform the study,
the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed a total of three
lawsuits across the commonwealth in 2016. The group claims that
political interference from officials loyal to Governor Terry
McAuliffe (D) initially stalled the research effort…. The “alien
voting” report arrives at an interesting time. In addition the
presidential commission announced that plans to study similar
problems around the country, Virginia is also due to hold
statewide elections in November 2017.
Leftist Media Attacks Marines on Memorial Day over ‘Toxic
Masculinity’
Breitbart - Left-wing news outlet Vox attacked Marines on
Memorial Day, claiming in an article that the Marine Corps has a
“toxic masculinity problem.” The article, which was simply
titled “The Marine Corps has a ‘toxic masculinity’ problem,”
continued to claim that the Marine Corps often “marginalizes or
mistreats female troops.” Citing the Marines United nude photo
sharing scandal, Vox staff writer and defense correspondent Alex
Ward attempted to link the Marines with systemic sexism and
listed ways how the Corps could get rid of their “toxic
masculinity.” “And to be fair, it’s not just the Marines. Sexual
assault has increased in other services, and even in military
academies,” concluded Ward in the article. “According to one
Pentagon review, there were 6,172 reports of sexual assault last
year.” “So as the service tries to win battles around the world,
the most important fight may be the one closest to home,” he
continued. “The battle for the soul of the Marine Corps.” The
article was criticized by numerous other journalists on Twitter…
Restaurant Sign Stating ‘We Have 619,300 Reasons to Be Closed’
for Memorial Day Goes Viral
Breitbart - Mayberry’s, a restaurant in Washington, Kansas,
posted a sign that read, “We have 619,300 reasons to be closed
Monday!” in reference to those who died fighting in World War I,
World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan
wars, KSDK reported. Brandon Lee, a customer at the northern
Kansas establishment, posted a picture of the sign on Facebook
Thursday that went viral. As of Monday evening, the post has
been shared over 157,000 times…. Ray said he got his inspiration
for the sign while working for a restaurant in Missouri. “I
mentioned to the owner that we should be closed for Memorial
Day, and he said, ‘I can’t think of one good reason why we would
do that, because people are going to be out and they’ll want to
eat,’” Ray said. “I saw a post on Facebook with the number of
people who have died in our wars, so I basically just put that
on a sign and showed it to him.” The restaurant’s owners decided
to close on Memorial Day as a result.
Video: 98-Year-Old Grandmother Writes 7,000 Letters to U.S.
Troops Abroad
WGN9 - Alleen Cooper started sending letters to American troops
back during World War II. They’ve gone to injured soldiers and
to those who still sacrifice their lives every day. Cooper
started counting her letters six years ago. Since then, she’s
sent nearly 7,000, many of which are up to four pages long. Her
hands are getting tired, but this grandma to the troops tells us
her mission is far from over. She also video chats with soldiers
to express gratitude for their bravery. “I decided I’m going to
write as long as I can. And I just respect everything that you
do,” Cooper said.
Why Is The Media Ignoring America’s Drinking Water Crisis?
Natural Blaze - The report, “Threats on Tap: Widespread Violations
Highlight Need for Investment in Water Infrastructure and Protections,”
found close to 80,000 violations of drinking water standards in every
state in the U.S. “Very small systems found in rural or sparsely
populated areas account for more than half of all health-based
violations, and nearly 70 percent of all violations,” the NRDC writes.
Rural towns with smaller water systems are often unable to cover the
financial and technological burden required to upgrade infrastructure
which could reduce the amount of contaminants in the water. The report
concludes that nearly one in four Americans receive their drinking water
from systems which fail to meet federal health standards. This failure
is exacerbated by a lack of reporting these violations, as well as a
lack of enforcement when violations are reported. The council’s report
indicates that water contamination is not exclusive to Flint, but
rather, Flint is representative of a national water crisis…. Of all the
states with health-based violations, Texas comes in at number one,
followed by Puerto Rico, Ohio, Maryland, and Kentucky.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Sweden to Ban Roundup Herbicide and Vinegar?
Natural Blaze - Sweden may be going after the home use of weedkillers
containing glyphosate due to fears of its toxicity levels. Strangely,
some of the country’s authorities are taking this opportunity to ban the
use of a less toxic weedkiller – vinegar. Claire Robinson of GM Watch
writes that in a new report to the Swedish Government, it will only be
possible for private users to use products containing low-risk
substances. According to the preliminary assessment, glyphosate is “not
expected to be included among the low-risk substances” which means it
could be banned for home use in a few years’ time. [Note: these bans are
for the home use of chemicals, and probably don’t apply to commercial ag
use.] However, acetic acid, the main ingredient in vinegar also made the
list. When Robinson asked Mr. Peter Bergkvist, principal policy advisor
at the Swedish Chemicals Agency (known as Kemi) why vinegar was also
slated for a ban, he replied this was: …due to the hazard properties of
the substance and the fact that it has been classified as a skin
corrosive in category 1A in its pure form.
High cortisol increases the risk of disease and premature death
(NaturalHealth365) In a stress response, the body prepares to
meet a sudden crisis by releasing a burst of cortisol and other
adrenal hormones. This “fight or flight” physical reaction is
helpful when it comes to surviving an emergency – but when the
stress is chronic and unrelenting, the response itself becomes a
threat to your health. The devastating effects of chronically
heightened cortisol include a higher risk of disease – and a
shorter life. Fortunately, natural techniques can help to lower
excessive amounts of cortisol. Since cortisol is a steroid
hormone, it’s not surprising that exposure to excess cortisol
mirrors the physical and mental effects of chronic steroid
overmedication. Unhealthy levels of cortisol appear to actually
speed the aging process. In fact, researchers say having
chronically high cortisol can make you look older – as assessed
by facial photographs. Excess cortisol has been found to shorten
the telomeres – the “caps” at the ends of chromosomes that
prevent them from tangling with each other…. In one study, women
with high cortisol levels were found to be 82 more percent
likely to die than those with normal levels. For men, the
heightened risk was 63 percent…. Rhodiola rosea is an
adaptogenic herb that interacts with the brain-adrenal gland
system to reduce cortisol production. In addition, it is
believed to boost immune system function, improve mood, and help
to alleviate anxiety and depression. Studies have also proven
the potential of a lychee fruit-green tea combination to reduce
cortisol levels.
The chronic effects of low-dose mercury exposure
(NaturalHealth365) Although mercury can make its way into the
body through contaminated seafood, vaccines, and emissions from
factories and coal power plants, the main source of exposure is
from mercury-based dental amalgams. The World Health
Organization notes that the typical absorbed dose from amalgams
is 100 micrograms a day…. Mercury, which can destroy the
protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves, is highly
damaging to the neurological system…. In addition, mercury
exposure can cause deficiencies and imbalances of essential
minerals such as zinc and copper, a condition associated with
ADHD. Mercury exposure also interferes with the production and
function of various neurotransmitters, including the “calming”
body chemical GABA – thereby promoting the development of
depression, anxiety and sleep disorders…. Mercury’s ability to
bind to sulfur and selenium causes it to severely limit the
beneficial oxidation-fighting and cancer-fighting effects of
these antioxidant minerals. This interferes with the immune
system’s ability to identify cancerous cells, and causes it to
attack normal, healthy cells – triggering the development of
autoimmune disease and cancer…. Mercury exposure contributes to
heart disease by causing the oxidation of blood vessels and
creating endothelial dysfunction…. Mercury alters intestinal
flora, increasing the presence of undesirable bacteria and
pathogens such as Candida…. As if this weren’t damaging enough,
chronic exposure to mercury is linked with insulin resistance,
hypoglycemic symptoms and metabolic syndrome – a constellation
of unhealthy conditions that include high blood pressure, high
blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and high levels of unhealthy
LDL cholesterol.
If Your Kitty Sends You This Message, See Your Veterinarian Right Away
Dr. Becker - Feline hepatic lipidosis, also called fatty liver syndrome,
is a very serious condition and the most frequently diagnosed liver
disease in cats in the U.S. Interestingly, the disease doesn't occur in
any other animal — just kitties. Hepatic lipidosis is most often seen in
middle-aged, overweight cats who experience sudden weight loss. The
condition can be secondary to another disease, but is most often a
primary idiopathic (no identified cause) condition. A sudden loss of
appetite or significant cutback in caloric intake is the most frequent
predisposing factor for feline hepatic lipidosis. Environmental
stressors can cause appetite loss in cats, as can more serious problems
such as heart disease, kidney disease, chronic feline lower urinary
tract disease (FLUTD), upper respiratory disease, cancer and
pancreatitis. But believe it or not, I most often see this condition
after a pet parent decides to change their cat's diet and the kitty
simply refuses to eat the new food. Many people mistakenly believe, "If
my cat gets hungry enough, he'll eat." This isn't necessarily true, and
it's a dangerous assumption…. If your kitty refuses to eat, she should
be seen by a veterinarian right away. After a few days without adequate
daily calories, your cat's body will begin sending fat cells to the
liver to convert to energy. That's where the problem begins, because
sedentary cats don't metabolize fat very efficiently.
Tuesday - May 30, 2017
On This Day In History
1783 - The first daily newspaper was published in the U.S. by Benjamin
Towner called "The Pennsylvania Evening Post"
1854 - The U.S. territories of Nebraska and Kansas were established.
1868 - Memorial Day was observed widely for the first time in the U.S.
1879 - William Vanderbilt renamed New York City's Gilmore’s Garden to
Madison Square Garden.
1911 - Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500. At the time, it was
known as International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race. Harroun's average
speed was 74.59 miles per hour.
1912 - The U.S. Marines were sent to Nicaragua to protect American
interests.
1913 - The First Balkan War ended.
1921 - The U.S. Navy transferred the Teapot Dome oil reserves to the
Department of the Interior.
1922 - The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC.
1943 - American forces secured the Aleutian island of Attu from the
Japanese during World War II.
1958 - Unidentified soldiers killed in World War II and the Korean
conflicts were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
1989 - The "Goddess of Democracy" statue (33 feet height) was erected in
Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators.
1997 - Jesse K. Timmendequas was convicted in Trenton, NJ, of raping and
strangling a 7-year-old neighbor, Megan Kanka. The 1994 murder inspired
"Megan's Law," requiring that communities be notified when sex offenders
move in.
2002 - In New York, a ceremony were held to officially mark the end of
the clean up from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September
11, 2001.
2011 - Germany announced plans to abandon nuclear power over the next 11
years, outlining an ambitious strategy in the wake of Japan's Fukushima
disaster to replace atomic power with renewable energy sources.
2012 - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the Portion Cap
Rule. The proposed amendment to the city health code would have required
that food service establishments limit the size of sugary beverages to
16 ounces. On June 26, 2014, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that
the New York City Board of Health had exceeded the scope of its
regulatory authority.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Declassified memos show FBI illegally shared spy data on
Americans with private parties
Circa News - In his final congressional testimony before he was
fired by President Trump this month, then-FBI Director James
Comey unequivocally told lawmakers his agency used sensitive
espionage data gathered about Americans without a warrant only
when it was “lawfully collected, carefully overseen and
checked.” Once-top secret U.S. intelligence community memos
reviewed by Circa tell a different story, citing instances of
“disregard” for rules, inadequate training and “deficient”
oversight and even one case of deliberately sharing spy data
with a forbidden party. For instance, a ruling declassified this
month by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA)
chronicles nearly 10 pages listing hundreds of violations of the
FBI’s privacy-protecting minimization rules that occurred on
Comey’s watch….. The court isn’t the only oversight body to
disclose recent concerns that the FBI’s voluntary system for
policing its behavior and self-disclosing mistakes hasn’t been
working. The Justice Department inspector general’s office
declassified a report in 2015 that reveals the internal watchdog
had concerns as early as 2012 that the FBI was submitting
‘deficient” reports indicating it had a clean record complying
with spy data gathered on Americans without a warrant.
White House Petition to Investigate Seth Rich Murder Goes Viral
as Reward Tops $345K
The Free Thought Project - The petition was created by someone
only known as “J.F.” on May 19, 2017. Already, over 25,000
signatures have been obtained of the needed 100,000, requesting
the White House to open an official investigation into his
killing…. While the mainstream media appears to consider the
matter of Seth Rich a murder driven by motives of armed robbery,
the alternative media is camping out on the issue, refusing to
let his name, and his possible contribution to transparency
disappear. If the rumors were true Rich was the DNC mole, who
leaked the database of emails to Wikileaks, he would likely have
been targeted for discreditation, but, instead, he was found
with gunshot wounds to his back, clinging to life, and later
died from his injuries…. OAN’s [One America News] Pearson Sharp
concluded, “Solving this case could reveal important clues into
the 2016 election and how high up corruption at the DNC really
went. DNC officials have long pushed the views that Russia was
behind their email leak, but this latest information casts doubt
on those claims.”
Largest Sex Trafficking Bust in US History, Dozens of High-Level
‘Slave Traders’ Indicted
Daily Sheeple - In what is begin hailed as one of the largest
prosecutions of its kind in US history, dozens of high-level
modern-day slave traders were indicted this week in the US for
enslaving hundreds of young women. Spreading from coast to
coast, authorities are calling it a sophisticated sex
trafficking ring that forced hundreds of women to be “modern day
sex slaves.” Naturally, the root cause of the state finding the
organization wasn’t the sex slaves — it was was the concealment
of millions of dollars. This latest indictment goes after the
money as outside of the conspiracy to commit sex trafficking
charges, are the charges of conspiracy to engage in money
laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting
business…. The women were taken from Thailand and brought to the
United States. They were forced to work as sex slaves and told
they could buy their freedom if they paid off their nearly
insurmountable bondage debts. Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory
Brooker explained the women were rotated through trafficking
centers across the United States and “forced to have sex with
strangers, even if the men were abusive.”… While many high-level
arrests were made, the indictment noted that those at the top of
the trafficking ring remain at large. Although, one of the
bosses of the organization was arrested in the first phase of
the investigation and is in custody in Belgium. Authorities are
working to extradite her to the U.S., Khu said, according to the
AP. While the indictment notes that this ring forced hundreds of
women into the US to be sex slaves, it mentions very few who
were actually rescued.
Looks Like The Media Spread Another False Story About Trump
The Daily Caller - A BBC reporter kicked off an international
firestorm Saturday morning when he claimed that Trump chose not
to listen to a translation as Italian Prime Minister Paolo
Gentiloni was speaking at the G7 summit. BBC diplomatic
correspondent James Landale tweeted a “short clip that sums up”
the summit, attaching a video he claimed showed Trump had
“chosen not to hear a translation of his Italian host’s speech.”
From the clip Landale tweeted, Trump appeared to be the only
world leader not listening to a translation through headphones.
Journalists around the world quickly ran with the story …
There’s just one problem: Trump was listening to the speech
through an earpiece in his right ear, according to press
secretary Sean Spicer…. In other photos from the summit, Trump
can indeed be seen wearing an earpiece in his right ear.
Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs noted the White House’s displeasure
with the “false reporting.”
Flashing Red Lights Inside White House Trigger Anti-Trump
Crazies
Steve Watson - Morse code to the Russians! Last week the
internet was sent into a spiraling craze over President Trump
touching a glowing orb, this week anti-trumpers have been
triggered by some red flashing lights appearing to come from
inside the White House. Tom Johnson, a reporter for
Orlando-based Fox 35 brought attention to a video from Sunday
evening that appears to show some sort of red strobing light
coming from inside a room in the White House… Some at first
suggested the lights were reflections from outside, or an alarm
system being tested, or some kind of Secret Service test to look
for cameras or spy devices. However, the conversation soon
devolved into nonsense…
Matt Rinaldi, a Texas lawmaker, called ICE on 'sanctuary city'
protesters
Circa News - Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Texas
Capitol on Monday to show their opposition toward the state's
tough new anti-"sanctuary cities" law. Meanwhile, a tussle broke
out on the state House floor when Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving)
told a group of Hispanic lawmakers that he had called
Immigration and Customs Enforcement to report the protesters….
Rinaldi, however, defended his decision to call ICE. "We didn’t
know what to do,” he told the Texas Tribune. “A lot of people
had signs that said ‘We are illegal and here to stay.’” He said
calling immigration authorities was meant to give protesters an
incentive to leave the building. House rules explicitly forbid
spectators from cheering or jeering, according to The Statesman.
That, however, didn't stop protesters from chanting… loud enough
to force the Texas House leadership to stop their session and
clear the gallery earlier on Monday.
* Related:
Video: Chaos At Texas State House! Democrat Threatens to Shoot
Republican After He Calls ICE on Illegals in Building
Work requirements drop thousands in Georgia from food stamps
wistv - More than half of food stamp recipients in 21 Georgia
counties have been dropped from the program after the state
instituted work requirements. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
reports state figures released this week reveal that 11,779
people considered able-bodied without children were required to
find work by April 1 to continue receiving food stamps.
Sixty-two percent were dropped after the deadline, whittling the
number of recipients to 4,528. State officials began enforcing
the work mandate in 2016, and plan to expand work requirements
to all 159 counties by 2019. Around 1.6 million Georgia
residents use food stamps, which are funded with federal dollars
managed by the state Department of Family and Child Services. A
DCFS spokeswoman says the department has offered help with job
search and training to affected recipients.
Pennsylvania Republican Pushing Ban on Private Gun Sales
Breitbart - Pennsylvania State Rep. Jamie Santora (R-163) is
pushing a ban on private gun sales nearly identical to the ones
Michael Bloomberg-funded Moms Demand Action pushed in Washington
state, Maine, and Nevada. Santora’s bill would bar the private
sales that Americans have enjoyed since the Second Amendment was
ratified in 1791 and would require that every sale be processed
in front of an agent of the government via a background check.
This means that law-abiding Pennsylvanians selling a gun to a
fellow hunter, lifelong co-worker, or childhood friend would
have to seek out a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder and the
would-be buyer would have to pass a background check just as the
Orlando Pulse attacker (June 12, 2016), the Aurora movie theater
attacker (July 20, 2012), Gabby Giffords’ attacker (January 8,
2011), the Fort Hood attacker (November 5, 2009), and the
Virginia Tech attacker (April 16, 2007) did. According to the
Delaware County News Network, Santora says his attempt to expand
the frequency of background checks is “common sense.” He said,
“We’re not trying to take away Second Amendment rights. Anyone
who has a gun should have a background check.” It should be
noted that the following individuals all submitted to background
checks in order to acquire their guns: • the NY bombing suspect
(September 19, 2016) • the UCLA gunman (June 1, 2016) • the San
Bernardino attackers (December 2, 2015) • the Colorado Springs
attacker (October 31, 2015)….
Evergreen State College students SEIZE campus, begin forced
searches of vehicles for white professor who refused to kow-tow
to liberal insanity
The National Sentinel - On Friday the Washington Times reported
that in the preceding 72 hours, students had taken over — yes,
taken over — Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. The college
is known for its uber-Left-wing politics and its policy of
appraising student performance not with grades but with
“narrative evaluations.”… As the Times noted: Students…who
filmed their exploits and posted the videos on social media,
have occupied and barricaded the library, shouting down anyone
who disagrees with them or shows insufficient passion for racial
justice. Biology professor Bret Weinstein was berated by dozens
of students outside of his classroom Tuesday morning for
refusing to participate in an event in which white people were
invited to leave campus for a day. Now, he says police have told
him to hold his classes off campus due to safety concerns.
Weinstein’s ‘crime’ was writing a ‘racist’ email opposing the
“Day of Absence & Day of Presence” demonstration, in which he
said, “On a college campus, one’s right to speak — or to be —
should never be based on skin color.”
Boy's Graduation Speech Pulled over Christian Content in
Illinois
Todd Starnes - [In the] small town of Akin, the salutatorian at
Akin Grade School was told he could not deliver his graduation
speech because it was too religious. Seth Clark, 13, was mighty
proud of that speech. He referenced God and quoted from the
Bible and even mentioned his Christian faith. But just hours
before graduation, Seth was told that he would not be permitted
to deliver his remarks. “As a public school, it is our duty to
educate students, regardless of how different they or their
beliefs may be,” Supt. Kelly Clark wrote in a prepared statement
to the Benton Evening News. “While students are welcome to pray
or pursue their faith without disrupting school or infringing
upon the rights of others, the United States Constitution
prohibits the school district from incorporating such activities
as part of school-sponsored events, and when the context causes
a captive audience to listen or compels other students to
participate,” her statement read.
Conservatives Spot Something On Heineken Bottles, And It’s Going
To Lose Them TONS Of Customers…
SourcesNews - This is Memorial weekend which means many of us
are barbecuing with family and friends. … Many do not think of
all that was sacrificed to give us that freedom to enjoy that.
Our founding fathers and those after fought those who would seek
to overthrow our way of life. Our borders and American culture
are what sets us apart from others and it deserves to be
defended. After all, America is the last bastion of freedom
around the globe…. Here is what the Heineken bottle reads:
Here’s To An Open World – To a world without borders or
barriers. To the belief that there is more that unites us than
divides us. To find common ground to raise a bottle with the
person next to you. Because a stranger is just a friend that you
haven’t had a cold Heineken with yet. Open Your World. Ok, you
may be thinking it is just a stupid blurb on the back of a
bottle, but it isn’t. In fact, this whole “Open World” thing is
an entire campaign.
Trump honors fallen in visit to Arlington Cemetery
Breitbart - During a visit to Arlington National Cemetery on
Memorial Day, President Donald Trump honored U.S. military
members who died while serving their country. For the first time
as commander in chief, Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the
Unknown in Arlington, Va., on Monday. “Thank you for joining us
as we honor the brave warriors who gave their lives for ours —
spending their last moments on this earth in defense of this
great country and its people,” Trump said. “We only hope that
every day we can prove worthy, not only of their sacrifice and
service, but of the sacrifice made by their families and loved
ones they left behind — special, special people.”
* Related:
WATCH: President Donald Trump Speaks at wreath laying ceremony
Arlington National Cemetery Memorial
WATCH: Tillerson Rides with Rolling Thunder to Honor U.S.
Military on Memorial Day
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson joined almost one million
bikers on Sunday as a rider in a massive caravan of motorcycles
that rode from the Pentagon to the National Mall and the Vietnam
Memorial on Sunday. A video posted on YouTube shows Tillerson
posing for pictures with other bikers and preparing to mount his
own bike for the trip, an annual tradition that began in the
late 1980s as a way to honor the U.S. military and to support
the continuing search for U.S. soldiers who remained prisoners
of war or were missing in action following the Vietnam War.
* Related:
30th Rolling Thunder ride - in pictures
* Related:
Almost 1 Million Rolling Thunder Bikers in D.C. to Honor POW,
MIA
Mike Pence Sends Project Hero Riders Off on 10th Memorial Day
Ride for Veterans
Breitbart - Vice President Mike Pence honored veterans this
Memorial Day from his residence at the Naval Observatory, where
about 200 vets attended and Project Hero launched its 10th
Annual Memorial Day bike ride to Virginia Beach. Pence stepped
out and greeted the close to 100 riders to cheers from the
crowd. He was joined by Karen Pence and Veterans Affairs
Secretary David Shulkin. Project Hero President John Wordin
addressed the crowd, noting it was the fourth year in a row the
ride began at the Vice President’s residence. He pointed out the
problem of suicide among veterans and Shulkin’s work in
partnership with Project Hero to address it.
Related:
’Project Hero' -- Pence's Memorial Day Speech To Veterans Will
Run A Chill Up Your Spine
UK Launches Internal Probe Into Manchester Bomber Data Shared by
FBI
Sputnik News - According to reports, the FBI detailed to MI5
last January that Abedi was a member of a Daesh-affiliated group
and was plotting a terrorist attack in the UK…. Additional
information has revealed that, prior to the bombing, two people
familiar with Abedi separately contacted the police warning of
his extremist views, the BBC reports. While a teenager, Abedi
was reportedly associated with an armed insurgency against
former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, and worked with
extremist militants in the northern African country during
school holidays…. [British Home Secretary Amber] Rudd, when
asked about how many people were thought to be at risk of terror
activity in the UK, answered that, in the "top list," some 500
potential plots involving 3,000 people were currently being
tracked, as well as an additional 20,000 people with possible
connections to terrorism.
Manchester, Berlin, Paris, Nice, London, New York: Passports and
IDs Mysteriously Discovered in the Wake of Terror Attacks
Global Research - Is there a pattern? The ID papers of the
suspect are often left behind, discovered by police in the wake
of a terrorist attack. According to government and media
reports, the suspects are without exception linked to an Al
Qaeda affiliated entity. None of these terror suspects survived.
Dead men do not talk…. In reverse chronological order: The
Manchester Terror Attack, May 2017. “... The 22-year-old British
man … in a suicide-bomb attack, had ties to al Qaeda and had
received terrorist training … was identified by a bank card
found in his pocket at the scene of the ..”; Berlin Truck Terror
Attack, December 2016. “The suspect’s identity papers were found
inside the truck used in Monday’s attack on a Christmas market,
which left 12 people dead, German security officials said.”; The
Nice Terror Attack July 2016. “As in previous cases,
‘coincidence’ has it that his identity papers were found in the
truck.”; Paris Charlie Hebdo Terror Attack, January 2015.
“According to news reports, police found the ID of Said Kouachi
at the scene of the Charlie Hebdo shooting.; Paris Bataclan
Terror Attack, November 2015. “Syrian and Egyptian passports
from two of the suicide bombers were found at the scene of the
stadium attack…”; This brings us back to the September 11th
terror attacks where U.S. officials recovered a passport intact
a few blocks from the World Trade Center which did belong to one
of the hijackers.
Egypt launches retaliatory strikes after Coptic Christians
killed
UK Express - The move comes after gunmen in three
four-wheel-drive vehicles earlier today [Friday] attacked a bus
carrying worshippers in central Egypt, killing as many as 35
people and wounding a further 24. Eyewitnesses said masked men
stopped the two buses and a truck and opened fire on a road
leading to the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Minya
province, which is home to a sizeable Christian minority. The
Health Ministry said that a large number of those killed were
children…. In a televised speech, President al-Sisi said: "We
will not hesitate to protect our people from the evil." Egypt
carried out six air strikes on Derna in Libya, military sources
are indicating. The sources said the strikes took place at
around sundown. Mr al-Sisi said: "The terrorist incident that
took place today will not pass unnoticed. We are currently
targeting the camps where the terrorists are trained." He said
Egypt would not hesitate to carry out further strikes against
camps where people were trained to carry out operations against
Egypt, whether those camps were inside or outside the country.
North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile off western
Japan
Washington Times - North Korea fired a short-range ballistic
missile that landed in Japan’s maritime economic zone Monday,
officials said…. This launch of a suspected Scud-type missile,
which the South Korean military said flew about 450 kilometers
(280 miles), may also be an attempt to demonstrate North Korea’s
ability to strike U.S. and South Korean troops in the region….
Because Monday’s test — the North’s ninth ballistic missile
launch this year — was apparently of a short-range variety of
which Pyongyang has a surplus of reliable missiles, it may have
been meant more as a political and military message to outsiders
than as a crucial test of not-yet-perfected technology.
Report: Trump Tells Allies He Plans to Remove U.S. From Paris
Climate Agreement
Breitbart - Breitbart News has independently confirmed this
reporting and that Trump has told others the same thing: that he
plans to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. Earlier on
Saturday, the President tweeted from Italy that he would make
his final decision next week as to whether the U.S. will remain
in the Paris Accord. He was in Italy for the G7 summit at the
end of his first overseas trip, which was preceded by visits to
Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, and Brussels. While at the G7
summit, Trump was heavily lobbied to endorse the Paris Climate
Agreement, but he declined to do so. The agreement was entered
into under the Obama Administration. German Chancellor Angela
Merkel characterized climate change talks with Trump as “very
unsatisfying.”
Silicon Valley Elites Continue to Push for Universal Basic
Income
Breitbart - Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Y Combinator President Sam
Altman are just two of the tech elites pushing for universal
basic income in America. “We should make it so no one is worried
about how they’re going to pay for a place to live, no one has
to worry about how they’re going to have enough to eat,” said
Altman in a speech at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.
“Just give people enough money to have a reasonable quality of
life.” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, also floated the idea
in a Harvard commencement speech.“Every generation expands its
definition of equality. Now it’s time for our generation to
define a new social contract,” said Zuckerberg during his
speech. “We should have a society that measures progress not by
economic metrics like GDP but by how many of us have a role we
find meaningful. We should explore ideas like universal basic
income to make sure everyone has a cushion to try new ideas.”
Now Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) is getting onboard with the
idea, pushing to introduce a $1 trillion expansion to the earned
income tax credit that is currently available to low-income
families.
Dollar General Accounts For 80% Of All New Store Openings In The
US
Zero Hedge - First the good news: according to a recent analysts
by Bank of America's REIT team, in which the bank analyzes both
store openings and closings for the same sample of 33 retailers
that [it has] analyzed since 2007, it finds that the projected
net new store count for 2017 is 1,041, which is lower than last
year’s actual 1,109. While the net number of 1,041 openings this
year is lower than the 10-year average of 1,386, "nevertheless
the numbers are still positive" is how BofA spins the silver
lining…. Now the bad news: … of the 1,041 stores expected set to
open in 2017, 80%, or 810, belong to the one retail chain that
focuses exclusively on America's poorest, i.e., Dollar General.
Putting BofA's findings in context, US retail is still at least
somewhat alive, but only thanks to America's poorest, seemingly
a market of still largely untapped growth potential. In fact, of
the nearly 7,800 net new stores opened since 2008 per BofA's
sampled data, a whopping 76%, or 5,936, were Dollar General
Stores. It seems that in the otherwise gloomy US bricks and
mortar industry, a source of tremendous growth continues to
shine: catering to America's growing poor.
70% Of Millennials Have Less Than $1,000 Saved For Buying A
House
Zero Hedge - … a new study from Apartment List confirms the
underlying problem: nearly 70% of young American adults, those
aged 18 to 34 years old, said they have saved less than $1,000
for a down payment. This is similar to what a recent GoBanking
Survey found last year, according to which 72% of "young
millennials"- those between 18 and 24 years old - had $1,000 in
their savings accounts and 31% have $0; a sliver (8%) have over
$10,000 saved. Of the "older millennials", those between 25 and
34, 67% had less than $1,000 in their savings accounts, 33% have
nothing at all, and 15% have over $10,000. As the WSJ frames it,
with most millennials having saved virtually nothing for a down
payment on a home "many will face steep obstacles to
homeownership in the years ahead."…. Of course, there is a
loophole…. Speaking to CNBC, BofA [Bank of America] CEO Brian
Moynihan, the proud owner of Countrywide Financial, said that
his mission is to reduce mortgage down payment requirements to
10% for traditional loans…. Why not? Gradually destroying
lending standards worked out really well last time around.
Prison Labor Boosts Wal-Mart’s Profits Despite Pledge
Prison Legal News - The supplier pledge for America’s largest
retailer states: “Forced or prison labor will not be tolerated
by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart will not accept products from Vendor
Partners who utilize in any manner forced labor or prison labor
in the manufacture or in their contracting, subcontracting or
other relationships for the manufacture of their products.”
However… Recent developments, which include reports concerning
the use of prison labor and alleged abuses in labor practices by
its suppliers, have called into question whether Wal-Mart is the
good corporate citizen it claims to be. One area in which
Wal-Mart has profited through the use of prison labor is in “demanufacturing.”
That term refers to the disposal of millions of dollars’ worth
of “customer returns, buy-backs, over-stocks, shelf-pulls,
scratch-and-dent, and excess inventories” that all large
retailers must contend with, according to Al Norman, the founder
of Sprawl Busters. What separates Wal-Mart from other retailers
is its use of what amounts to taxpayer-subsidized prison labor
in the demanufacturing process…. [one of Wal-Mart’s
demanufacturing partners, Jacobs Trading Company] has made a
great deal of money by selling customer returns, overstock and
close-out merchandise from nine distribution centers, including
in Taft, Oklahoma. There, around 25 female prisoners at the
Eddie Warrior Correctional Center process semi-loads of
merchandise from JTC, remove any identifying marks, bar codes
and labels, and palletize and reship the goods nationwide for
resale, according to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
'Windows 10 China Government Edition' Grants China Back Door To
Everything
Technocracy News & Trends - Pandora’s Box has been opened as Microsoft
caves to China’s demands for full control over encryption and telemetry
[Telemetry is an automated communications process by which measurements
and other data are collected at remote or inaccessible points and
transmitted to receiving equipment for monitoring.]. This allows China a
‘back door’ to spy on everyone and every thing in its society. China is
an autocratic Technocracy that is consumed with the micro-managed
engineering of its entire society. Now, other nations will demand that
Microsoft build ‘back door’ versions for them as well, and you can bet
that the U.S. will be at the head of that line…. The new version… is
called Windows 10 China Government Edition and it makes a number of
concessions to keep Chinese officials happy. It’s a release that raises
a lot of questions. The Windows 10 China Government Edition allows the
country to not only use its own encryption, but also to control updates,
remove unwanted apps, and manage telemetry. Users around the world will
almost certainly be asking why control over telemetry is not an option
for them, and what the implications of making changes for the Chinese
government could be.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
7 Edible Perennials You Should Grow For ‘Survival Insurance’
Off the Grid News - Imagine being able to store fresh food and
medicines in the ground indefinitely for emergency purposes, not
only maintaining their nutrients, potency and freshness, but
actually increasing their quantities and quality from year to
year with little or no work…. 1. Perennial brassicas (Brassica
species) — Perennial brassicas like kale, broccoli and collards
are super-nutritious and packed with health-promoting compounds.
On top of this, their deeper root systems make them more
drought-tolerant and possibly more nutritious, considering they
have more potential to suck up nutrients. Brassica species, also
known as the cruciferous family, require full sun and a rich
soil fairly high in nitrogen. Some species to look out for
include Tree Collards, Sea Kale, Pentland Brig, and Perennial
Five Star Broccoli. 2. Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus)
— This perennial green was once grown as a popular addition to
salads, and is nutritious and easy to grow. It requires moist
soil, preferring part shade, but tolerating full sun, and grows
in most soil types. 3. Chinese toon (Toona sinensis) — Although
Chinese toons are technically trees, they are also an excellent
salad green right away, since their leaves are edible and have a
unique onion flavor, so they can be counted as a perennial
green. heir seeds also can be sprouted, as is done in China, for
a high nutrition sprout similar to alfalfa or bean sprouts. The
leaves are high in vitamin A and protein, and they require full
sun and fertile, well-drained soil. 4. Jerusalem artichokes
(Helianthus tuberosus) — Also called sunchokes, Jerusalem
artichokes are a prolific and aggressively spreading root/tuber
crop related to sunflowers. They require full sun and plenty of
space, ideally separate from the rest of your garden since they
can take over….
Italy Facing Unprecedented Mandatory Vaccine Push
Green Med Info -A 2015 government plan in Italy aimed to boost
vaccination rates and introduce a series of new vaccines
triggering protests among Italian citizens. The National
Vaccination Plan for 2016–18 would instantly make Italy a
European frontrunner in vaccination. At the time, many
questioned the sudden vaccine push. Some suspected the hand of
Big Pharma behind the government's new plan which was confirmed
when the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) suspended Sergio
Pecorelli, the president of its board and one of the authors of
the new plan, because of his conflicts of interest with Big
Pharma. In addition, GlaxoSmithKline made headlines in 2015 with
their announcement to invest more than €1 billion in Italy over
the next four years. Now recently, The Council of Ministers, on
the proposal of President Paolo Gentiloni and the Minister of
Health Beatrice Lorenzin, approved an emergency decree
containing what they deemed “urgent measures in disease
prevention.” According to the decree, vaccinations may only be
omitted or deferred in the event of an established health
condition in relation to specific, documented proof by a general
practitioner or pediatrician.
Chondroitin as effective as a prescription painkiller for
osteoarthritis
What Doctors Don't Tell You - If you're suffering from
osteoarthritis, your best option is chondroitin, a new study has
discovered. The supplements are as effective at reducing pain
and improving movement as the prescription drug celecoxib—and
without the dangerous side effects. To get the best results,
high-quality chondroitin needs to be used, say researchers, and
taking 800 mg every day for six months will be just as effective
as the NSAID (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug) painkiller
celecoxib, which is routinely prescribed for the condition. The
supplement matched the drug when it was given to 604 people
suffering from osteoarthritis in the knee. The group was given
the supplement, or 200 mg celecoxib, or a placebo or dummy drug
for six months. Pain reduction was 'significantly greater' in
those taking the supplement over those given the placebo, and it
had the same benefits as the drug, say researchers from Liege
State University in Belgium. Chondroitin also doesn't come with
celecoxib's side effects, which include stomach pains, swelling,
dizziness and rash.
Diet Soda: Warning Label Needed?
Alliance for Natural Health - Stroke and dementia too? Yes, you
can add those to the health risks of diet soda consumption.
Natural health advocates have known for quite some time that
artificial sweeteners like aspartame are dangerous and to be
avoided. They’ve been associated with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and
leukemia in men. These health effects aren’t all that surprising
when we consider that ten percent of aspartame is methanol,
which is converted to formaldehyde which, in turn, is converted
to formic acid—which is used to strip epoxy! According to a new
study, we can, in fact, add increased risk of stroke and
dementia to the list of dangers.
Monday - May 29, 2017 - Memorial Day
In honor of Memorial Day, there will be no news in our news section
today. Please take time out of your day to honor and remember the men
and women who died while serving our country. Thank You!!!
Friday - May
26, 2017
On This Day In History
1805 - Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy in Milan
Cathedral.
1835 - A resolution was passed in the U.S. Congress stating that
Congress has no authority over state slavery laws.
1836 - The U.S. House of Representatives adopted what has been
called the Gag Rule.
1864 - The Territory of Montana was organized.
1865 - Arrangements were made in New Orleans for the surrender
of Confederate forces west of the Mississippi.
1868 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted, by one vote,
of all charges in his impeachment trial.
1896 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average appeared for the first
time in the "Wall Street Journal."
1946 - A patent was filed in the United States for an H-bomb.
1946 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed a
military pact with Russian leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin promised
a "close collaboration after the war."
1948 - The U.S. Congress passed Public Law 557 which permanently
established the Civil Air Patrol as the Auxiliary of the new
U.S. Air Force.
1961 - A U.S. Air Force bomber flew across the Atlantic in a
record time of just over three hours.
1969 - The Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth after a
successful eight-day dress rehearsal for the first manned moon
landing.
1972 - The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) was signed
by the U.S. and USSR. The short-term agreement put a freeze on
the testing and deployment of intercontinental and
submarine-launched ballistic missiles for a 5-year period.
1978 - The first legal casino in the Eastern U.S. opened in
Atlantic City, NJ.
1998 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police officers in
high-speed chases are liable for bystander injuries only if
their "actions shock the conscience."
1998 - The Grand Princess cruise ship made its inaugural cruise.
The ship measured 109,000 tons and cost approximately $450
million, making it the largest and most expensive cruise ship
ever built.
1998 - The United States Senate approved legislation that
allowed the U.S. Mint flexibility on how the mandatory
inscriptions on the Washington quarter could be placed. H.R.
3301 allowed the mandatory inscriptions to be moved to the front
of the quarter for the 50 States Circulating Commemorative Coin
Program.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
FBI Withholds Russia Probe Docs Requested By House Intel
Committee
Zero Hedge - House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz
said today that the FBI had decided to withhold documents,
including memos, notes, summaries, and recordings, requested by
his committee in regards to the ongoing Russia probe. This was
revealed in a letter sent by Chaffetz to the FBI responding to
the agency’s decision to withhold documents requested by the
Committee on May 16, 2017…. The documents are due June 8, 2017,
but that may not happen as it appears the FBI is suddenly
unwilling to cooperate…. The FBI is withholding those documents,
citing to the appointment of Robert Mueller as Special
Prosecutor. According to a letter from your staff: "In light of
this development and other considerations [the Bureau] is
undertaking appropriate consultation to ensure all relevant
interest implicated by your request are properly evaluated”….
The American public is certainly looking forward to the FBI's
release of the full content of the Comey's memos, not only those
relating to his meetings with Trump, but just as importantly,
with Loretta Lynch, as well as Barack Obama and/or Hillary
Clinton
Trump travel ban blocked by Va.-based federal appeals court
Fox News - A Virginia-based federal appeals court blocked the
Trump administration's controversial travel ban, becoming the
second circuit court to uphold lower court rulings against the
policy. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond issued
the ruling Thursday, following arguments May 8. The ruling means
the Trump administration still cannot enforce its travel ban
which affects six Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Syria, Yemen,
Somalia, Libya and Sudan…. The ruling was issued by the full, or
en banc, court, in a 10-3 ruling with two abstentions. "Congress
granted the president broad power to deny entry to aliens, but
that power is not absolute. It cannot go unchecked when, as
here, the president wields it through an executive edict that
stands to cause irreparable harm to individuals across this
nation," the chief judge of the circuit, Roger L. Gregory wrote.
Judge Paul Niemeyer sharply dissented from the decision, saying
it will make the U.S. more dangerous. “Regrettably, at the end
of the day, the real losers in this case are the millions of
individual Americans whose security is threatened on a daily
basis by those who seek to do us harm," Judge Dennis Shedd wrote
in a separate dissent.
Trump Will Appeal Travel Ban To Supreme Court
Zero Hedge - …Jeff Sessions responded that the court's ruling
blocks Trump's "efforts to strengthen this country's national
security" adding that Trump is not required to admit people from
"countries that sponsor or shelter terrorism until he determines
that they can be properly vetted" and don't pose a security
threat…. As for SCOTUS, according to AP, the Supreme Court would
likely step into the case if asked as the justices almost always
have the final say when a lower court strikes down a federal law
or presidential action. Trump could try to persuade the Supreme
Court to allow the policy to take effect, even while the
justices weigh whether to hear the case, by arguing that the
court orders blocking the ban make the country less safe. If the
administration does ask the court to step in, the justices'
first vote could signal the court's ultimate decision…. Travel
ban aside, the upcoming case will be a litmus test of just what
(and how strong) the ideological leanings of the revised SCOTUS
bench are, now that Gorsuch is in town.
Twitter Suspends WND For Linking Donna Brazile to Seth Rich Case
Kit Daniels - Twitter suspended WND News for 12 hours for
revealing that DNC insider Donna Brazile reportedly panicked
over the private investigation into the death of staffer Seth
Rich. The social media giant even admitted WND’s tweet
“Bombshell: Donna Brazile warned off private eye on Seth Rich
murder” was the reason for the suspension. “A WND company
official confirmed the tweet was deleted per the company’s
instructions,” reported WND’s Bob Unruh. “The news story was
about a private detective’s revelation that former Democratic
National Committee interim chairwoman Donna Brazile was the
high-ranking DNC representative who allegedly called police and
the Rich family and demanded to know why a private investigator
was ‘snooping’ into the case.”… Interestingly, the tweet
apparently didn’t violate any of Twitter’s policies…the news
that Brazile allegedly freaked out over the private
investigation into Rich’s murder – was the sole reason for the
suspension…. “Brazile is the high-ranking DNC representative who
allegedly called police and the family of murdered DNC staffer
Seth Rich and demanded to know why a private investigator was
‘snooping’ into Rich’s death, the private eye revealed to WND on
Monday,” the article in question stated.
The Final Nail in the Mainstream TV News Coffin: Fox News
Ratings Plummet to 17 Year Low
Daniel Lang - For the first time in 17 years, Fox’s ratings
among a key demographic, fell behind both CNN and MSNBC. For the
week of May 15-19, Fox News averaged just 497,000 viewers in the
advertiser-coveted key demo of adults 25-54 during primetime
hours, compared to CNN’s 589,00 and MSNBC’s 611,000, according
to the Hollywood Reporter, which cited data from ratings tracker
Nielsen… If a juggernaut like Fox News is struggling, then you
know the mainstream media is near death. It may not look like
it, since CNN and MSNBC are making up for it with stronger
ratings. However, those ratings are only being fueled by people
who hate Trump…. Liberals are tuning in when they think Trump is
going to be impeached, and then dropping out when nothing comes
of his controversies…. Fox is now reaching the same popularity
levels as CNN and MSNBC, which have been a ratings joke for
years.
Sean Hannity Takes "Abrupt Vacation" Amid Advertiser Boycott
Zero Hedge - Is Fox News about to lose its last remaining "old
school" anchor holdout? According to Philly.com, Hannity is
taking "a couple days off amid a growing advertiser boycott"
over Hannity's pursuit of the Seth Rich story - an parallel to
Bill O'Reilly's final days - and so far, seven advertisers are
said to have pulled out of Hannity’s show…. Meanwhile, the Five
host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who has confirmed speaking to the White
House about potentially replacing press secretary Sean Spicer,
will be filling in on Hannity on Thursday and Friday. Preempting
speculation about a possible permanent departure, Hannity
announced on Twitter the vacation was his annual Memorial Day
getaway, and said "Uh oh My ANNUAL Memorial Day long weekend
starts NOW. Destroy Trump/Conservative media breathless coverage
starts! Did Hannity do last show?"
Concealed Carry Up 215%, Murder Rate Down 14%
Breitbart - Concealed carry permits rose 215 percent between
2007 and 2015, and the murder rate dropped 14 percent during
that same time period. In other words, more guns being carried
for self-defense correlated with fewer murders. On May 22,
Breitbart News reported that the demand for concealed carry
permits witnessed its greatest surge ever between May 2016 and
May 2017. Fox News referenced Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC)
data showing there were 14.5 million permit holders in May 2016
and approximately 15.7 million in May 2017. Now the NRA is
tweeting data which shows that the bigger picture is not just
the one-year surge but a 215 percent jump in concealed carry
permits between 2007 and 2015.
Students berate professor who refused to participate in
no-whites 'Day of Absence'
Washington Times - A mob of students at a Washington state
liberal-arts college confronted a professor and demanded his
resignation for writing an email questioning the propriety of a
race demonstration in which white people were invited to leave
campus for a day…. A video of the confrontation at Evergreen
State College, recorded by one of the protesters and posted to
Facebook on Tuesday, shows biology professor Bret Weinstein
attempting to reason with dozens of students who routinely shout
him down, curse at him and demand his resignation.
US Army lost track of $1 billion worth of arms and equipment in
Iraq, Kuwait
RT - A newly released declassified audit from the US Department
of Defense shows that negligent accounting by the military has
resulted in the Pentagon not knowing what happened to more than
$1 billion in arms and equipment meant for the Iraqi Army. The
Office of Inspector General for the Pentagon's findings from
September 2016 was made public Wednesday as a result of a
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from human rights
group Amnesty International. Over $1 billion worth of arms and
military equipment designated under the Iraq Train and Equip
Fund (ITEF) and meant to assist the Iraqi government in
combatting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), was not
accounted for, the DOD audit found. The Army’s 1st Theater
Sustainment Command “did not have effective controls to maintain
complete visibility and accountability of ITEF equipment in
Kuwait and Iraq prior to transfer to the Government of Iraq,”
the audit said. “This audit provides a worrying insight into the
US Army’s flawed – and potentially dangerous – system for
controlling millions of dollars worth of arms transfers to a
hugely volatile region,” Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty
International’s Arms Control and Human Rights Researcher, said
in the announcement on the group’s website. It makes for
especially sobering reading given the long history of leakage of
US arms to multiple armed groups committing atrocities in Iraq,
including the armed group calling itself the Islamic State.”
NATO allies must pay more to tackle terrorism, immigration &
Russia – Trump
RT - Terrorism, migration and threats allegedly coming from
Russia were named by US President Donald Trump as the main
issues demanding NATO's focus and funds, as he spoke at his
first meeting with the military alliance as America’s leader.
"The NATO of the future must include a great focus on terrorism
and immigration, as well as threats from Russia, and on NATO's
eastern and southern borders," Trump said on Thursday, speaking
in Brussels at a ceremonial unveiling of a memorial to the
victims of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Trump is on a
two-day visit to the Belgian capital, Brussels, as part of his
first foreign tour this week. As he meets NATO leaders and other
EU officials in Brussels for what's being described as informal
talks, there was an apparent disagreement on the alleged
"Russian threat.”… After listing what he deems the major threats
to NATO, Trump switched to the topic of defense spending, saying
he had been "very, very direct with [NATO] Secretary [Jens]
Stoltenberg and members of the alliance in saying that NATO
members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their
financial obligations." Accusing 23 NATO member states of "still
not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed
to be paying for their defense," Trump reiterated his stance on
financial contributions.
Terror Expert: “Political Correctness” to Blame for Manchester
Bomber Not Being Reported
Paul Joseph Watson - Terror expert Erick Stakelbeck says that
fears over “political correctness” prevented associates and
neighbors of Manchester bomber Salman Abedi from reporting him
to authorities despite clear signs that Abedi was a dangerous
jihadist. Amazingly, Abedi hanged an ISIS flag from the roof of
his house that was visible to his neighbors but none of them
reported him to the police. He was also heard loudly chanting
Islamic prayers in the street but this did not raise alarms
either, nor did the innumerable people visiting his house at all
hours of the day and night. Fox News host Shannon Bream asked
Stakelbeck if neighbors’ fear of appearing “racist” or “bigoted”
might have prevented them from raising the alarm. “Political
correctness is going to be the death of us, it’s been the death
of far too many people,” he responded, adding that moderate
Muslims were also not identifying extremists in their
communities for fear of retribution.
Broadcaster Censors Video of Muslim Woman in Full Burka Warning
of ‘Retaliation’ Against Islamophobia
Paul Joseph Watson - [UK broadcaster Channel 4] visited a Muslim
community in south Manchester to get their take on the Islamic
terror attack that killed 23 people and injured 120 others.
Viewers were immediately drawn to a woman wearing a full black
veil with only her eyes visible. The woman’s clothing had the
word “love” emblazoned on it, but on closer inspection, the
letters are made up of a machine gun and a hand grenade. Asked
by host Krishnan Guru-Murthy about her “reactions and feelings”
in the aftermath of the horrific attack, the woman said she
didn’t “need to prove anything”. Asked if she thought there
would be a backlash against Muslims, the woman responded that
the backlash had “already started” and that “Islamophobia will
probably rise now”. Guru-Murthy then quizzed the woman on
whether such “Islamophobia” will cause young Muslim men to feel
more “isolated”. “What do you think? I mean, obviously hate with
hate, people will retaliate obviously,” she responded. Other
Muslims interviewed for the segment denied that they needed to
do any more to rout out radicalization within their community,
with one man claiming Muslims, “are the ones who are collateral
damage of this kind of attack.” Channel 4 removed the entire
segment from their website without explanation, prompting
accusations that the broadcaster was attempting to cover-up the
true attitudes of Muslims towards the Manchester attack.
In Germany, Obama Lectures Trump on Immigration; ‘We Can’t Hide
Behind a Wall’
Grabian News - Sitting alongside German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, former President Obama lectured the current
administration about its immigration policy Thursday. While not
mentioning President Trump by name, Obama made clear to whom he
was leveling his criticism. “In this new world that we live in
we can’t isolate ourselves,” Obama said. “We can’t hide behind a
wall.” Obama is in Berlin to attend an anniversary celebration
of the German evangelical protestant church. His comments took
on a religious tone, intoning on the importance of religious
diversity and non-judgment….
World stocks hit record after Fed minutes, oil up as OPEC meets
Reuters - World stocks hit record highs on Thursday and the
dollar dipped after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled caution in
raising interest rates, while oil prices rose in anticipation of
top producers agreeing to extend output cuts for up to a year.
European shares opened higher, but quickly dipped into negative
territory. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was last down 0.3
percent, led lower by resources companies .SXPP after a 4
percent drop in iron ore on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange.
Free Money: Potential Presidential Candidate Mark Zuckerberg
Suggests That All Americans Should Get A ‘Universal Basic
Income’
Economic Collapse - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested that
this was something that we should “explore” during the
commencement speech that he just delivered at Harvard. For quite
a while it has been obvious that Zuckerberg is very strongly
considering a run for the presidency in 2020, but up until just
recently we haven’t had many clues about where he would stand on
particular issues. If he is serious about proposing a universal
basic income for all Americans, that would make Zuckerberg very
appealing to the far left voters that flocked to the Bernie
Sanders campaign…. But who is going to pay for this? Of course
the truth is that the money for the people that are not working
would come from taxing the people that are working…. Are young
people going to have an incentive to work if they can just stay
home and watch movies and play video games all day while
collecting their “universal basic incomes” from the government?
And why would anyone want to bust their rear ends working for a
living when their incomes are just going to be taxed extremely
heavily to pay for all the people that aren’t working? We are
already 20 trillion dollars in debt, but politicians on the left
just want to keep giving even more free stuff to people. During
his presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders suggested that
everyone in America “deserves a minimum standard of living” and
that every citizen is “entitled” to universal health care, free
college education and basic housing…
Transit police are secretly spying on commuters travel plans, texts and
emails.
MassPrivate I - A class action lawsuit in California, reveals that
Transit Police are using a free 'Bart Watch' app and Stingray
surveillance to secretly spy on commuters texts and emails. Transit
Police take their cues from other police departments, claiming they're
only interested in the public's safety and security, Safety and security
is our top priority.. BART Watch allows you to quickly and discreetly
report criminal or suspicious activity directly to BART Police.
Unfortunately, these 'See Something, Say Something' apps allow police to
spy on everyone. According to ABC7 News at least 10,000-50,000 people
have downloaded the Elerts spying app. While BART and ELERTS "represent
that the app is a 'discreet' way of reporting issues...the defendants
actually programmed the app to secretly collect transit users' unique
cellular identifiers, periodically monitor users' locations, and track
the identities of anonymous reporters," the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit
warns, that Transit Police also use Stingray surveillance to identify
individuals and spy on their texts and emails.
How Snoopers Can Photograph The Inside Of Your Home … With Your Own
Wi-Fi
Off the Grid News - It is now possible to take 3D pictures of the inside
of a room or building — from the outside — with Wi-Fi. The technology,
described in the journal Physical Review Letters, is still in the
development stage, although its impact on privacy is frightening. “You
could probably use a drone to map out the inside of an entire building
in 20 to 30 seconds,” Philipp Holl, an undergraduate at the Technical
University of Munich, told Business Insider. Holl is one of the
inventors of the new kind of holography that can turn Wi-Fi into a
surveillance tool…. Wi-Fi devices that can take pictures through walls
have been around for years but the image quality was terrible, Business
Insider noted. Holl and his academic supervisor, Friedemann Reinhard,
discovered how to take higher-resolution pictures through walls using
Wi-Fi. “Our method gives you much better images, since we record much
more signal,” Holl said. “We scan the whole plane of a room.” They use
two antennas. One antenna stays in a fixed position to capture the
background while the other is moved to get a complete picture. The data
captured is simultaneously fed into a computer, where software sorts out
the differences and creates a real-time picture. The software can create
many two-dimensional (2D) images that are combined to create a
three-dimensional (3D) picture or hologram. “These antennas don’t need
to be big,” Holl said. “They can be very small, like the ones in a
smartphone.” Some uses of the technology could be beneficial, such as
finding people in an earthquake rubble. But other uses – such as by spy
agencies or police – will be more controversial.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
California farmer fights $2.8 million federal fine for plowing
own field
RT - The US Army Corps of Engineers and state authorities are
seeking almost $3 million in fines from a California farmer
because residue from plowing polluted creeks on his property,
under environmental rules the Trump administration wants to
abolish. Federal authorities are charging John Duarte of Modesto
for not obtaining permits to discharge dredged or fill material
into seasonal wetlands that are considered waters of the United
States, the Redding Record Searchlight reported this week. “The
case is the first time that we’re aware of that says you need to
get a [US Army Corps of Engineers] permit to plow to grow
crops,” said Anthony Francois, a lawyer for the Pacific Legal
Foundation, a libertarian nonprofit working on Duarte’s behalf.
“We’re not going to produce much food under those kinds of
regulations.” Duarte, whose nursery business in Modesto bills
itself as the “largest permanent crops nursery in the United
States,” bought 450 acres of land in Tehama County in 2012. He
hired consultants to map out areas that drained into Coyote and
Oat creeks, which were subject to federal regulations, the
Record Searchlight reported. He plowed around those and planted
a wheat crop. In February 2013, however, the Army Corps and
California’s Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
accused him of not obtaining a permit to deposit drainage into
the waters. When Duarte sued the Army Corps and the state for
not granting him a hearing, they counter-sued him for violating
the Clean Water Act. In June last year, US District Judge
Kimberly J. Mueller sided with the government.
South Carolina Just Legalized Growing Hemp
Natural Blaze - Very quietly, South Carolina has just legalized
the growth of industrial hemp. House Bill 3559, mixed in among a
pile of legislation before the General Assembly, was signed into
law in mid-May. Lawmakers approved the pilot program to
determine what kind of value farmers will get from their crops.
After passing a State Law Enforcement Division background check,
growers will be issued licenses that will allow them to
cultivate the plant in-state. Hemp growers must have a
contracted buyer before they can proceed, and they also must
work with a research university to help develop the South
Carolina hemp market. This initial phase of the program — 20
licenses at 20 acres apiece — will expand to 50 at 50 after a
year. At that point, the program’s fate will be determined by
the state’s agricultural department and the research
universities working with the growers.
5 Beneficial Garden Bugs You Should NEVER Kill
Off the Grid News - Following is a short list of some of the
more common uninvited garden visitors and why they are your
friend — rather than your enemy. Many of these insects are so
helpful that it is actually advantageous to encourage them to
make a home in your garden by providing additional habitat so
that they can breed and reproduce. 1. Syrphid flies — These are
also known as sweat bees or hover flies. Many people assume that
these little flies are equipped with a stinger, since they share
some of the same colors and markings as yellow jackets and
hornets. However, these harmless little flies are actually
nectar- and pollen-feeders during their adult stage. During
their larval stage, they are voracious feeders and prefer to eat
aphids, scale insects and thrips…. 2. Praying mantis — Sure,
mantis can look intimidating, but they are excellent hunters and
harmless to humans. Mantis are ambush predators and prefer to
eat soft-bodied pests such as caterpillars and grubs. They also
will eat cabbage moths if given the chance. 3. Spiders — Be kind
to your eight-legged neighbors while out in your garden. There
are many different species of garden-friendly spiders, and all
of them are doing their part to defend your plants from harm.
Spiders tend to feed on caterpillars, leaf hoppers, aphids,
cucumber beetles, thrips and flies. An abundance of spiders in
the garden means there’s a lot of prey around….
Government Still Pushing HPV Vaccine on Kids a Decade after
Judicial Watch Exposed Deadly Side Effects
Health Impact News - A decade after Judicial Watch exposed the
dangers of a government-backed cervical cancer vaccine, a
federal lawsuit highlights its perilous side effects including
paralysis, seizures, nausea and death. Litigation was initiated
by disgruntled parents because the government is still pushing
the hazardous vaccine, manufactured by pharmaceutical giant
Merck, on children as young as nine years old to treat a
sexually transmitted disease. The vaccine is called Gardasil and
in the last ten years Judicial Watch has uncovered troves of
government records documenting its harmful side effects….
Regardless, the government has continued promoting the vaccine…
The Obama administration gave dozens of state and municipal
health agencies tens of millions of dollars to boost the number
of adolescents that get Gardasil…. U.S. law forbids lawsuits
against vaccine manufacturers, but Judicial Watch has obtained
records from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
revealing that its National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
(VICP) has awarded nearly $6 million to dozens of victims in
claims made against the very HPV vaccine it is pushing on
children.
Senator Passes Forced-Vaccination Law While Taking $420k From
Giant Lobby Group
David Wolfe - Who should our elected representatives represent?
The people who elected them, or shadowy corporations behind the
scenes? On paper, the answer should be obvious, but in practice,
corruption is festering for New York State Senator Kemp Hannon
who passed a law forcing vaccinations on 7th and 12th graders
while simultaneously taking hundreds of thousands of dollars
from Big Pharma…. The law would mandate children in 7th and 12th
grade to receive a vaccination for meningitis. But the corrupt
revelations suggest the possibility that Kemp may have passed
the regulation in order to benefit his own personal financial
interests. According to the New York Daily News: Sen. Kemp
Hannon (R-Nassau County) in 2014 invested in 14 companies that
would fall under his committee’s purview. By comparison,
Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried
(D-Manhattan) did not report owning any stock in health-related
companies. n addition to his investments, Hannon over the past
four years also received more than $420,000 from pharmaceutical
and other medical interests, records show. Hannon’s office had
no comment. On the part of his 2014 state financial disclosure
form dealing with investments, he wrote that sales and purchases
were ‘at sole discretion of the broker.’ By pinning the blame on
his broker, Kemp is attempting to absolve himself of the damning
allegations against him.
6 Dangerous Sunscreen Ingredients You Need To Watch Out For!
David Wolfe - 1. Oxybenzone - Oxybenzone is a chemical that
helps other chemicals penetrate the skin. It undergoes a
chemical reaction when exposed to UV rays, and it can cause a
eczema-like reaction to your skin. Research also suggests that
oxybenzone is a hormone disruptor that can have negative effects
on your endocrine system. 2. Octinoxate - Octinoxate is one of
the most common ingredients found in SPF sunscreens. It’s
designed to protect the skin from sun-induced aging, but experts
believe it may actually cause premature aging. Octinoxate
produces free radicals that damage the skin and cells. It’s also
an endocrine disruptor. 3. Retinyl Palmitate - Retinyl palmitate
is an antioxidant designed to improve sunscreen’s performance
against UV exposure. Unfortunately, retinol compounds break down
when exposed to the sun’s UV rays. This reaction can produce
free radicals that damage DNA. Studies have shown that retinyl
palmitate may even speed up the development of malignant cells
and skin tumors when applied to the skin. 4. Homosalate -
Homosalate helps sunscreen better penetrate the skin. Once the
skin absorbs it, homosalate accumulates quickly in the body. It
builds up at a rapid pace and the body isn’t able to get rid of
it. The build up of homosalate becomes toxic and disrupts
hormones in the body….
Heart flutter risk reduced by eating chocolate
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Eating some chocolate at least
once a week reduces the risk of heart flutter (atrial
fibrillation), a common problem that affects one in four people
at some time. The amount that needs to be eaten seems to vary
between the sexes: women can eat just one ounce, or 30g, of
chocolate to have the protective effect, while men need to eat
between two and six servings a week. A 30g serving is around a
third of the standard 100g chocolate bar. Overall, chocolate
reduces the risk by around 23 per cent, researchers from the
Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study have found. It's a
breakthrough discovery because there's not been an effective way
to prevent or treat atrial fibrillation up to now. The problem
causes heart flutter and irregular heart rhythm, and affects
around 25 per cent of adults at some point in their lives. Most
of the 55,502 participants were eating milk chocolate, which has
just 30 per cent cocoa solids, but the researchers recommend
eating the healthier dark chocolate, with 70 per cent cocoa, and
which has lower levels of fats and sugars. Other factors could
also be at play, including lifestyle choices and diet, but if
you've ever needed an excuse to eat chocolate, well, here it is.
Dog Noise Anxiety and Big Pharma’s Newest Treatment – Not Recommended
Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer - Big Pharma’s newest ‘treatment’ for dog
noise anxiety – ‘SILEO’ (dexmoedetomidine oromucosal gel), is made by
Zoetis, a large pharmaceutical company that supplies many drugs to the
veterinarian industry. SILEO is the latest in a series of conventional
anti-anxiety drugs Big Pharma has migrated from human use, to use for
dog noise anxiety. These drugs include Alprazolam (Xanax), Clomicalm (Clomipramine),
Clonazepam (Klonopin), Diazepam (Vallium), and Reconcile (Prozac).
Despite the dangers posed by the drug, Reconcile received FDA approval.
And now SILEO…. SILEO contains multiple toxic, inflammatory ingredients
that adversely affect the immune system, can damage gut health, and
cause inflammation throughout the body. If a dog is exposed to these
problematic ingredients once or twice in his/her lifetime, the negative
impact on health is minimal. However SILEO is not designed or marketed
as a ‘one time treatment’. It is marketed as a treatment to be used on a
repeated basis – whenever the ‘need’ arises. [Read More…]
Related:
FDA Issues Warning to Dog Owners Using Medication to Treat Noise Anxiety
Thursday - May
25, 2017
On This Day In History
1787 - The Constitutional convention opened in Philadelphia with
George Washington presiding.
1925 - John Scopes was indicted for teaching the Darwinian
theory in school.
1927 - Ford Motor Company announced that the Model A would
replace the Model T.
1953 - In Nevada, the first atomic cannon was fired.
1961 - America was asked by U.S. President Kennedy to work
toward putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
1968 - The Gateway Arch, part of the Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, MO, was dedicated.
1977 - An opinion piece by Vietnam verteran Jan Scruggs appeared
in "The Washington Post." The article called for a national
memorial to "remind an ungrateful nation of what it has done to
its sons" that had served in the Vietnam War.
1979 - An American Airlines DC-10 crashed during takeoff at
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. 275 people were killed.
1981 - Daredevil Daniel Goodwin scaled Chicago's Sears Tower,
while wearing a "Spiderman" costume, in 7 1/2 hours.s. The gross
was $6,219,629.
1985 - Bangladesh was hit with a hurricane and tidal wave that
killed more than 11,000 people.
1986 - Approximately 7 million Americans participated in "Hands
Across America."
1997 - U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond became the longest-serving
senator in U.S. history (41 years and 10 months).
1999 - A report by the U.S. House of Representatives Select
Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial
Concerns with the People's Republic of China concluded that
China had "stolen design information on the U.S. most-advanced
thermonuclear weapons" and that China's penetration of U.S.
weapons laboratories "spans at least the past several decades
and almost certainly continues today."
2006 - In Houston, former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and
Jeffrey Skillinng were convicted of conspiracy and fraud for the
downfall of Enron.
2008 - NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander landed in the arctic plains of
Mars.
2009 - North Korea announced that it had conducted a second
successful nuclear test in the province of North Hamgyong. The
United Nations Security Council condemned the reported test.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Netflix Series Exposes Gov’t Connected Child Sex Ring In
Baltimore, Police Forced To Respond (Video)
Government Slaves - Baltimore police have found themselves in an
awkward position as of late after a horrifying documentary from
Netflix exposed a dark underground child sex ring involving the
church, politicians, and cops. The series, titled, The Keepers,
has forced the Baltimore police to set up an online submission
form as people began to come forward after watching it. While
the series is on Netflix for the world’s entertainment, the
harsh truth is that it really happened. After the church
attempted to keep it quiet by paying off the victims under the
table, the documentary has exposed these monsters to the world.
The seven-part documentary series, which premiered on Friday,
also covers the unsolved murder of one of the teachers, Sister
Catherine Ann Cesnik. On Tuesday, enough former victims had seen
the documentary that they began calling the Baltimore police
department to report their abuse. Baltimore Police have since
made an online submission form available for those who would
want to report any instances of sexual abuse related to the
series. “We have been contacted by victims from the past who
want to report the sex offenses that occurred to them. The
murder investigation related to this Netflix series was handled
by the Baltimore County Police Department,” the website reads.
Dozens of victims had been suppressing the memories of their
abuses and when this documentary came out, it brought the
nightmares right back. Originally, many people thought the first
woman to come forward was ‘faking’ it, until dozens more
followed suit….
University Sued After Arresting Students For Distributing
Constitutions
The Daily Caller - An organization oriented around free speech
filed suit against a university Wednesday after the university
arrested students for handing out pocket-sized Constitutions.
Nonprofit organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed
for a temporary injunction against Kellogg Community College
after the university arrested two members of Young Americans for
Liberty (YAL) for distributing small Constitutions on campus… In
the complaint, YAL and ADF allege that Kellogg’s Solicitation
Policy “grants KCC officials unbridled discretion to restrict
the content and viewpoint of student speech if it does not
‘support the mission of Kellogg Community College (KCC) or the
mission of a recognized college entity or activity.'” “It is
shocking and upsetting to see officials from public colleges
refer to our country’s founding document as a threatening
solicitation,” said Cliff Maloney Jr., president of YAL. “The
blatant disregard for free speech on public campuses is
precisely why the words and rights of the U.S. Constitution
should be spread far and wide.”
FISA Court Finds "Serious Fourth Amendment Issue" In Obama's
"Widespread" Illegal Searches Of American Citizens
Zero Hedge - A newly released court order from the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) found that the National
Security Agency, under former President Obama, routinely
violated American privacy protections while scouring through
overseas intercepts and failed to disclose the extent of the
problems until the final days before Donald Trump was elected
president last fall. In describing the violations, the FISA
court said the illegal searches conducted by the NSA under Obama
were "widespread" and created a "very serious Fourth Amendment
issue." These new discoveries come from a recently unsealed FISA
court document dated April 26, 2017 and center around a hearing
dated October 26, 2017, just days before the 2016 election, in
which the FISA court apparently learned for the first time of
"widespread" and illegal spying on American citizens by the NSA
under the Obama administration…. The court order goes on to
reveal that NSA analysts had been conducting illegal queries
targeting American citizens "with much greater frequency than
had previously been disclosed to the Court"...an issue which the
court described as a "very serious Fourth Amendment issue."
House Democrats Ask Deutsche Bank If Trump Accounts Have Russia
Ties
Zero Hedge - In the aftermath of prior media reports that in the
past Deutsche Bank provided hundreds of millions in loans to
Trump, today Democratic lawmakers - looking for a smoking gun-
asked Germany's largest bank to hand over its findings on "two
politically charged matters", demand details whether Trump
accounts have Russia ties, and if Deutsche Bank loans to Trump
were backed by Russia…. Along with the internal review of the
Russian stock-trading scheme, Democrats are seeking any internal
correspondence and communications related to loans extended to
Trump and his immediate family members. The bank has made more
than $300 million in loans to Trump, for the Doral golf resort
in Florida, a Washington, D.C., hotel and a Chicago tower…. The
letter, which asks Deutsche Bank to respond by June 2, also asks
whether the bank’s loans to Trump, made years before the New
York developer ran for president, “were guaranteed by the
Russian government, or were in any way connected to Russia.” It
was not clear just how Russia would "guarantee" a loan that is
by definition secured (as a recourse loan at that) by an asset,
although the confusion is understandable, as the initiative is
being spreadheaded by Maxine Waters, who together with four
other Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee, has
asked the Frankfurt-based lender for the various documents.
Other details: the lawmakers asked whether the bank’s loans to
Trump, made years before the New York developer ran for
president, “were guaranteed by the Russian government, or were
in any way connected to Russia.” A copy of the letter sent to
the bank was reviewed by Bloomberg News. That said, it is
unlikely that either Trump or DB will lose much sleep over this
initial disclosure request: as the minority party, Democrats
don’t have the power to force Deutsche Bank to make any
disclosures.
Media Matters Targets Sean Hannity’s Advertisers In Attempt To
Stop Seth Rich Investigation
The GatewayPundit - …a full-scale media cover-up in the works
complete with progressive propaganda outlets like George Soros’
funded Media Matters attempting to target the advertisers of any
media figure that dares to look into Rich’s murder. Sean Hannity,
one of the few commercial media hosts to discuss the case has
been hit with over a dozen Media Matters attack pieces within
the past 24 hours. Despite that, Sean Hannity continues to
investigate Rich’s murder – a murder that would be under
significantly more scrutiny if Rich was not involved with the
immensely corrupt DNC. Targeting conservative media commentators
and outlets is nothing new, but the force that Media Matters is
coming after Hannity is cause for investigation. If these were
truly baseless allegations, as they claim, then why would they
invest so much effort and money into shutting down the
investigation? Despite the push to silence and platform Hannity,
he has committed to continue investigating the circumstances
behind the unsolved murder case.
* Related:
Sean Hannity Blasts Far Left Media Matters after Group’s Latest
Attempts to Silence Him
* Related Video:
Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson: Pressure from
Sponsors to Drop News Stories Like Seth Rich Is “Dangerous New
Development”
Obama Let in Admitted MS-13 Members, Whistleblower Says
Breitbart - Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of the Senate
Homeland Security Committee, said that a whistleblower turned
over documents that showed more than a dozen apprehended illegal
alien teenagers–who admitted to being MS-13 members–were
released by the Obama Administration to homes throughout the
United States…. Citing internal documents, Johnson said that the
teens were moved to juvenile homes after being released by U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “CBP apprehended them, knew
they were MS-13 gang members, and they processed and disbursed
them into our communities,” Johnson said…. The devastation
caused by MS-13, an El Salvadorian street gang, can be seen
throughout the United States where they have left a trail of
dead bodies in their wake. Recent murders across the U.S. in
cities such as Houston, New York, and Lynchburg led Sessions to
focus his attention and the resources of the federal government
to combat MS-13.
Cartel Smugglers, Migrants Growing More Violent Against Border
Patrol Agents
Breitbart - Border Patrol Agent Art Del Cueto, speaking to
Breitbart Texas in his role as National Border Patrol Council (NBPC)
spokesman, stated, “The smugglers are definitely becoming more
violent with our agents. They now try to evade arrest and even
use force to get away from us where during the Obama years they
would joke with us and not mind being caught. They knew, back
then, that they would get away with violating our laws.” Agent
Del Cueto continued, “We are talking about significant force and
violence being used against our agents. Very recently, one
smuggler slammed a large rock into the side of an agent’s
head.”… “Even the illegal aliens who aren’t smuggling dope are
growing more violent as they now face consequences for illegally
entering. Before they would be let go the next day or so, now
they face incarceration for illegally entering. They are willing
to do anything possible to evade us.”
Cold Welcome for Donald Trump in Brussels Ahead of NATO Summit
Sputnik News - As leaders of the 28 NATO member states arrived
in the Belgian capital for their annual meeting, thousands
marched through Brussels in protest. While some activists held
broadly anti-NATO signs, the majority of them seem to hold just
one NATO leader in particular contempt – and that person is
Donald Trump. The US president arrived in Brussels following his
meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Besides addressing the
leaders of NATO, Trump will also spend time with Belgium's royal
family and the country's top government officials. But unlike
those authorities, many in the city are unhappy with the visit.
Some recall Trump's harsh words about Brussels, while others
dislike his domestic or foreign policy more generally…. As for
Trump, it will be his first face-to-face talks with all the NATO
leaders, a good chance to discuss the alliance's most pressing
issues, like members' defense spending, as well as the US'
commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which ensures the
safety of all member states.
President Of Philippines Declares Martial Law After ISIS Group
Captures City: “If You Fight Us, You Will Die”
Mac Slavo - Yesterday, as the drama surrounding the Manchester
bombing was still unfolding, the media largely neglected a
bombshell story going on in the Philippines. An ISIS affiliated
terror organization called the “Maute Group,” attacked the
predominantly Muslim city of Marawi. Government forces had been
fighting these militants in the countryside for months before
they occupied the city…. At least 21 people have died in the
fighting between the militants and government forces, and a
number of civilians have been abducted. Thousands of residents
have fled the city, creating severe gridlock. President Duterte
has since declared martial law in the region, and has warned
that he may expand it to the rest of the country.
Operation Temperer: Theresa May becomes first PM to deploy up to
5,000 soldiers on streets
The Telegraph - Theresa May’s unprecedented decision to deploy
up to 5,000 armed troops at key strategic sites makes her the
first Prime Minister to use a new plan for a show of force in
the face of major terrorist threats. It puts her at odds with
her predecessor David Cameron who was reluctant to use the
controversial power. Operation Temperer - the government plan to
put thousands of soldiers on the streets in response to a major
terrorist threat, was devised in 2015 and had been a secret
until it was accidentally leaked to a newspaper. Whitehall
officials had been keen to keep it under wraps because it was
considered so sensitive. David Cameron was fearful that
implementing the plan would provoke comparisons to the Troubles
in Northern Ireland, when British soldiers patrolled the streets
for decades.
Manchester Bomber Traveled to Syria With ‘Proven’ Links to
Islamic State
Breitbart - Gerard Collomb said on BFM television Wednesday that
British and French intelligence have information that
British-born attacker Salman Abedi had been to Syria. He did not
provide details, and said it is unclear whether Abedi was part
of a larger network of attackers.
UK police make 7th arrest, seize ‘suspicious package’ in
widening Manchester bombing probe
RT - British police are continuing their searches and raids in
connection with the Manchester Arena suicide bomber attack,
bringing the number of suspects arrested in the fast moving
investigation to seven people. As it stands, six men and one
woman have been arrested in conjunction with the investigation
and remain in custody for questioning,” police said in a
statement Wednesday evening, following searches at an address in
Nuneaton, central England where a man was arrested. Earlier in
the day, police detained a suspect in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
According to photos and videos shared online, five plain clothed
police officers wrestled down a man who was wearing a white polo
shirt and jeans. Police said the suspect had a “package” on him
while witnesses reported a bomb squad arriving at the cordoned
off area. Authorities, however, did not reveal much information
about the incident.
Father of Manchester Suicide Bomber Arrested in Libya
(Reuters) The father of the attacker who killed 22 people in a
suicide bombing in Manchester has been arrested in the Libyan
capital Tripoli, according to a counter-terrorism force
spokesman and a witness. The counter-terrorism force detained
Ramadan Abedi outside his home in the Tripoli suburb of Ayn Zara
on Wednesday afternoon. An eyewitness said he was handcuffed by
armed men who drove him away in two unmarked vehicles.
Survey: Vast Majority Of People All Over The World Want Global
Government To Save Them
Steve Watson - A major new survey has found that the vast
majority of people all over the planet are ready to embrace a
global government in the hope that it will save humanity from
catastrophe and major threat. The survey, carried out by ComRes
on behalf of the Stockholm based group Global Challenges
Foundation found that on average, close to three quarters (71%)
of the general public wish to see the creation of a new
“supranational organisation to make enforceable global
decisions” about major threats to humanity. In every single
country, over 60% of respondents said they wished to see a
global government to tackle such issues as climate change,
disease pandemics, artificial intelligence turning against
humanity, weapons of mass destruction, natural disaster, and
asteroids.
Senate Committee Passes Major VA Accountability Bill Allowing VA
Sec To Fire Bad Employees
The Daily Caller - The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
cleared a bill Wednesday that would make it much easier for
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin to
fire bad employees, moving the legislation one step closer to
law. Now that the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection
Act of 2017 has passed the committee hurdle, it will move to the
floor of the Senate for further consideration. It’s not clear
exactly when the bill will reach the full chamber, but if the
Senate passes the bill, it will be sent to the House for a vote.
The purpose of the bill is to decrease the amount of time it
takes to fire bad employees. The legislation also grants Shulkin
the authority to take back ill-gotten bonuses provided to
employees. He can also reduce the pensions of VA employees who
engaged in felonies related to their work. Employees who are
kicked out, moreover, would not receive payment while appealing
their terminations.
Expert: Mandatory E-Verify ‘Is Coming’
Breitbart - Nationwide mandatory E-Verify, which would weed out
the vast majority of American businesses hiring illegal aliens,
may be coming sooner than expected. President of the E-Verify
Employer Agent Alliance David Fowler told GCN that E-Verify “is
coming” because of expansion efforts by United States
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and President
Donald Trump…. E-Verify is a hiring tool where employers must
fill out I-9 forms for each employee they hire in order to
ensure that the employee is legally allowed to work in the U.S.
Illegal immigrants are not permitted to work in the country. In
states which mandate E-Verify already, a study by the Federation
for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) found that there were
fewer jobless Americans, as they did not have to compete for
work against cheaper, illegal immigrant job-seekers…. Every
year, about four million young Americans enter the U.S. job
market. At the same time, the U.S. admits more than one million
legal immigrants, not including the estimated 11 to 30 million
illegal immigrants already living in the country. Additionally,
the U.S. admits almost one million temporary foreign guest
workers a year through various visa programs. The combination of
a need for jobs for native-born Americans and mass immigration
has led to often times high unemployment and stagnant industry
wages.
“Soros Is Stepping Up His Game” – Unmarked Deluxe Busses Arrive
In Chicago Full Of “Protestors” (Photos)
The GatewayPundit - Thousands of people have recently taken to
the streets of Chicago to protest the current minimum wage and
demand an increase to $15/hr. One of the initial problems with
this wage increase is that a cashier at McDonald’s should not be
a job one aspires to retain for the rest of their lives; fast
food jobs have classically been reserved as a first job for
teenagers, and some college students, who are trying to make a
buck between classes. Increasingly, however, due to poor
government intervention in business and expansions in welfare,
these jobs have been increasingly filled by middle-aged people
who have become victims of the left’s system of governance. So
what is the solution? Well, apparently it is to increase
McDonald’s service people’s jobs to that of entry-level
accountants, which then prompts major fast food chains like
McDonalds to do away with those jobs altogether and replace them
with self-serving kiosks and machines. So why would this fight
continue if it is not only both bad for the company but also bad
for the actual future of those fast food jobs? Well, because it
is being *highly* funded by far-left organizations. 4Chan first
noticed that dozens of expensive, unmarked, buses took to
Chicago filled with “protestors” holding uniform and expensively
printed signs…
Existing Home Sales Slump As Prices Soar To Record Highs
Zero Hedge - Following yesterday's collapse in new home sales,
NAR reports that existing home sales in April also disappointed
- dropping 2.3% (and March revised lower). This drop happens as
median home prices spiked 6.0% YoY to record highs as sales
declines are blamed once again on a lack of supply (forget
affordability?).
Warning: 15,498 ‘High-Hazard’ Dams in America
Breitbart - The new American Society of Civil Engineers 2017
Infrastructure Report Card (ASCE) has identified 15,498 high-hazard
dams, whose failure could risk loss of life…. The average age of
America’s 90,580 dams is 56 years, the same age as the Oroville Dam,
which the California Department of Water Resources began constructing in
1961. As America’s tallest dam, Oroville was built with what was
considered at the time to be the best engineering and construction
safety standards to withstand floods and earthquakes…. The ASCE annual
report notes that the Association of State Dam Safety Officials
estimates that the cost to rehabilitate the nation’s federal and
non-federal dams would now exceed $64 billion. The number of high-hazard
dams — those whose failure would be anticipated to cause loss of life —
climbed by 52 percent in the last 12 years, from 10,213 to 15,498 dams.
Another 11,882 dams are currently labeled as significant hazard
potential, meaning that they are expected to soon join the watch list
for high-hazard dams. The cost to rehabilitate just the most critical
dams is estimated to cost $22 billion.
Ancestry.com takes DNA ownership rights from customers and their
relatives
ThinkProgress - Don’t use the AncestryDNA testing service without
actually reading the Ancestry.com Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
According to these legal contracts, you still own your DNA, but so does
Ancestry.com. The family history website Ancestry.com is selling a new
DNA testing service called AncestryDNA. But the DNA and genetic data
that Ancestry.com collects may be used against “you or a genetic
relative.” According to its privacy policies, Ancestry.com takes
ownership of your DNA forever. Your ownership of your DNA, on the other
hand, is limited in years. It seems obvious that customers agree to this
arrangement, since all of them must “click here to agree” to these
terms. But, how many people really read those contacts before clicking
to agree? And how many relatives of Ancestry.com customers are also
reading? There are three significant provisions in the AncestryDNA
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to consider on behalf of yourself
and your genetic relatives: (1) the perpetual, royalty-free, world-wide
license to use your DNA; (2) the warning that DNA information may be
used against “you or a genetic relative”; (3) your waiver of legal
rights.
Hacker Uses Printed Photo, Contact Lens To Trick Samsung S8 Iris Scanner
The Consumerist - Weeks after a security researcher demonstrated how he
could fool the facial recognition software in Samsung’s new Galaxy S8
smartphone with a digital photo, someone else has managed to hoodwink
the phone, this time by tricking the phone’s iris scanner with a printed
picture and a contact lens. In a video by the Chaos Computer Club in
Berlin, researchers snap a photo of a man at a medium distance away in
night mode, because the S8’s sensor uses infrared light to better detect
patterns in the iris. Back in the lab, he prints out an enlarged
infrared photo of his eyeball, and gently lays a contact lens over the
iris. After registering his real irises with the phone, he holds up the
photo to the sensor and boom — he’s in. While it is unlikely that a
hacker will go to such lengths to mimic your iris, Gizmodo notes that
Samsung probably shouldn’t go around touting iris authentication as a
secure method for locking your phone, or claiming that irises are
“virtually impossible to replicate.”
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Orange Petunias Are GMO Per Finnish Food Safety Authority Report
Natural Blaze - One of the staple flowering annuals of summer in the
Northern Hemisphere, petunias, has been confirmed to be genetically
modified (GMO) in Europe. The ORANGE-color petunia, according to Finnish
reports, is GMO. Petunias came in various naturally-occurring colors,
but never ORANGE! According to Greenhouse Management news, the USDA has
launched an investigation into orange-color petunias. Interestingly,
Greenhouse Management states that petunia breeders, who have been in
contact with the USDA, advise everyone to destroy ALL orange-color
petunia plants and SEEDS! The Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira issued
a statement April 24, 2017 wherein part it stated: [Evira] “decided to
remove from sale seeds and planting stock of the ornamental plant
petunia characterised by the orange colour of the flowers which has been
produced by means of genetic engineering. Genetically modified varieties
of petunia are not authorised for cultivation in the EU.” No matter how
novel, attractive or even tempting-to-purchase orange-color petunias may
be, if consumers refrain from purchasing them and also complain to
retailers about selling unapproved GMO-plants that can have an impact
upon the GMO-takeover of contaminating our food supply and more species
of the plant kingdom.
Treating Plant Diseases Naturally
Off the Grid News - Many of these treatments involve making and using a
spray. It is best to use the spray in the early morning or in the
evening. Do not spray when it is too hot, or it may burn your plant’s
leaves. Before trying any spray, you would be wise to test it on one
leaf first…. • Apple cider vinegar. Dilute one tablespoon of vinegar in
one gallon of water and use to treat fungal infection on any type of
plant. It can also help treat black spot on aspen trees and on roses. •
Baking soda. Another fungicidal spray is made with baking soda. Mix one
tablespoon of soda with two and a half tablespoons of vegetable oil and
add to a gallon of water. Shake the mixture well and add to it one half
teaspoon of castile soap…. • Elder leaf spray. Elder leaves are known to
be fungicidal. If you have a shrub on your property, collect several of
the leaves and simmer in water for about thirty minutes. Use about two
times as much water as leaves. Strain out the leaves and add a
tablespoon of castile soap per sixteen ounces of solution. Spray on your
affected plants…. • Milk spray. A milk spray has several uses. It can
treat common mildews that occur on tomato, squash, asters, and
cucumbers, as well as mosaic disease in cucumbers, tomatoes, and
lettuce. The milk changes the pH on leaves, making it a poor environment
for the growth of the disease. To make it, mix one part milk to nine
parts water. Spray plants thoroughly every three to four days when
mildew has already formed, or just once a week as a preventative
measure….
10 super affordable survival items you can stock up on NOW
without breaking your wallet
(Natural News) These 10 items are not only affordable and easy
to find, but incredibly useful in many ways, so you will
definitely get your money’s worth…. • Lighter cubes – Fire can
be useful in most survival situations, because they allow you to
keep warm, cook food, and boil water for drinking. However, it’s
not always easy to build a fire, but that’s where lighter cubes
come in. • Emergency blanket – While its main function is to
keep you extra warm and toasty, it’s really a multipurpose tool
that also works as a makeshift tent. According to
SeattleBackpackersMagazine.com, using it as a hammock, a funnel,
or to create an air pocket in a forest fire are just some of the
50 ways to make use of this simple but lifesaving item. • 550
Paracord – Yet another multi-functional item on the list, you
can use parachute cords to secure tents, create a pulley system,
mark a trail, or hang food above ground to save it from animals.
• Batteries – It’s best to make sure you have a good supply of
different kinds of batteries so your important electronics stay
powered. Batteries could also be a useful commodity to barter
with if the situation calls for it….
Depression overdiagnosed by questionnaire developed by drug
company
What Doctors Don't Tell You - People are being diagnosed with
depression with a simplistic point-scoring questionnaire that
was developed by the drug company that has some of the leading
antidepressant brands, and so is most likely to benefit from a
diagnosis and prescription. There's a danger that depression is
being overdiagnosed by busy family doctors, who are not trained
in psychiatric problems and instead rely on the PHQ-9
questionnaire, which was developed by Pfizer, the drug company
that makes the top-selling antidepressants Zoloft (sertraline)
and Effexor (venlafaxine). Although an antidepressant
prescription can be determined by responses to the PHQ-9, a
major study has found that it is inadequate, and shouldn't be
relied on for a clinical diagnosis…. The PHQ-9—or Patient Health
Questionnaire—asks nine questions that have four possible
answers, from 'not at all' to 'nearly every day'. The patient is
asked whether he or she has little interest or pleasure in doing
things, feels down or depressed, has trouble sleeping, feels
tired, has poor appetite, feels bad about themselves, has
trouble concentrating, moves or speaks slowly, and has thoughts
of self-harm or wanting to be dead. The answers notch up scores
that range from 0 to 27, and an antidepressant prescription can
be triggered by the doctor's judgement and any score that is
above 10.
Nightshades: Why Eating the Wrong Fruits and Vegetables Can Make
Pain Worse
REALfarmacy - Nightshades are a specific group of plants
belonging to the Solanaceae family which includes over 2,000
species. They are also some of the most popular foods consumed
today; they include tomatoes, potatoes, all types of peppers,
and eggplant. Not truly a nightshade member but containing the
same inflammation-inducing alkaloids are blueberries,
huckleberries, goji berries and ashwaganda (Indian Ginseng).
Nightshades induce inflammation through a specific chemical
known as solanine. Researchers now believe this chemical may
actually irritate the gastrointestinal tract. When it’s absorbed
into the bloodstream, it can cause destruction of the
oxygen-carrying red blood cells…. Solanines are not water
soluble, are not destroyed by cooking, and are not broken down
inside the body but must be excreted as alpha-solanine. Alpha-solanine
is classified as a neuro-toxin. Interestingly most “foods” that
contain alpha-solanine also contain at least 5 other neurotoxins
including atropine and nicotine. One of the major problems
attributed to nightshades is arthritis. In fact, one in three
arthritics will react badly to nightshades. [Read more on
ingredients to avoid…]
Wednesday - May
24, 2017
On This Day In History
1738 - The Methodist Church was established.
1764 - Bostonian lawyer James Otis denounced "taxation without
representation" and called for the colonies to unite in
demonstrating their opposition to Britain’s new tax measures.
1798 - Believing that a French invasion of Ireland was imminent,
Irish nationalists rose up against the British occupation.
1830 - The first passenger railroad service in the U.S. began
service.
1844 - Samuel F.B. Morse formally opened America's first
telegraph line. The first message was sent from Washington, DC,
to Baltimore, MD. The message was "What hath God wrought?"
1883 - After 14 years of construction the Brooklyn Bridge was
opened to traffic.
1913 - The U.S. Department of Labor entered into its first
strike mediation. The dispute was between the Railroad Clerks of
the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
1931 - B&O Railroad began service with the 1st passenger train
to have air conditioning throughout. It ran between New
York City and Washington, DC.
1954 - The first moving sidewalk in a railroad station was
opened in Jersey City, NJ.
1958 - United Press International was formed through a merger of
the United Press and the International News Service.
1961 - The Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi.
1976 - Britain and France opened trans-Atlantic Concorde service
to Washington.
1980 - The International Court of Justice issued a final
decision calling for the release of the hostages taken at the
U.S. embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979.
1994 - The four men convicted of bombing the New York's World
Trade Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison.
2000 - The U.S. House of Representatives approved permanent
normal trade relations with China. China was not happy about
some of the human rights conditions that had been attached by
the U.S. lawmakers.
2011 - NASA announced the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose
Crew Vehicle (MPCV) spacecraft. It is intended to facilitate
exploration of the Moon, asteroids and Mars.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
ObamaCare on federal exchanges increased by average 105% since '13:
report
Fox News - The cost of an individual ObamaCare policy has increased by
an average 105 percent from 2013 to 2017 in all 39 states that have used
the federal exchange, the Trump administration said Tuesday…. The
average monthly premiums increased from $224 in 2013 to $476 in 2017,
according to the report. The HHS official said the cost doubled in 20 of
the states and tripled in three of them. Alabama had the biggest
four-year increase, 223 percent, from $178 to $397, the report showed….
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is scheduled to release its
financial audit Wednesday of the ObamaCare overhaul bill that the
GOP-led House passed earlier this month and on which the GOP-led Senate
is working.
JUDICIAL WATCH Files FOIA Requests to DC Police and DC Mayor For Seth
Rich Murder Investigation Docs (Video)
The GatewayPundit - President of watchdog group Judicial Watch, Tom
Fitton discussed the controversy surrounding the murder of DNC staffer,
Seth Rich. Fitton said that Judicial Watch has filed Freedom of
Information Act requests to the D.C. Police Department and D.C. Mayor
for documents pertaining to the Seth Rich murder investigation. Tom
Fitton: “We (Judicial Watch) have filed Freedom of Information requests
to the D.C. Police Department and the D.C. Mayor’s office last week. We
have an FBI request pending from last year and of course separately we
are asking questions of the Federal Freedom of Information Act about the
DNC hack itself.”
Russia Hoax Fail: Trey Gowdy Makes a Fool of Ex-CIA Chief John Brennan
(Video)
TGP reported earlier that former CIA Director, John Brennan testified
before the House today about the 2016 election interference. When Dem.
Rep. Adam Schiff asked Brennan if Trump or his aides pressured the
Intelligence Community to drop the Flynn investigation, he said a clear
and concise, ‘No, sir”. Then, Trey Gowdy asked Brennan specifically,
“Did you have evidence of a connection between the Trump campaign and
Russian state actors?” Brennan responded saying, “As I said, Mr. Gowdy,
I don’t do evidence.” Brennan insisted that the Russians did interfere
with the 2016 election, however; he says it’s something that the
Russians have done dating back to the 1960’s and doesn’t think it was
worse this time around or if the CIA just has better tools now to pick
up on election interference. Zero evidence of Trump-Russia collusion….
The Trump-Russia hoax is blowing up so they will be forced to move onto
the next ‘scandal’ and shift the blame to a new conspiracy theory.
Ron Paul Issues Dire Warning: If Trump Disobeys The Deep State He Will
End Up Like JFK
The Free Thought Project - Former Congressman Ron Paul opined about
President Trump’s alleged involvement with Russia. Paul equated Trump’s
relationship with Russia to assassinated President John F. Kennedy’s
attempts to extend the olive branch to the USSR, a move which got him
killed, according to some…. Paul linked his comments to an article
written by Jacob G. Hornberger, entitled, “The Russian Obsession Goes
Back Decades.”…. Paul’s writer described how Kennedy angered the Deep
State, National Security establishment when he negotiated with Russia to
end above-ground nuclear testing, promised to remove American troops
from South Vietnam, and began secret talks to end the Cold War with
Russia and Cuba. With Trump being accused this week of passing
classified information to Russian diplomats, Hornberger says the
president crossed the same lines in the sand which Kennedy crossed….
Trump claimed to have joined hands with Russia to fight against ISIS.
But as The Free Thought Project has reported on numerous occasions - and
as has been verified by members of Congress, such as Hawaii’s Tulsi
Gabbard -the U.S. has been directly or indirectly funding ISIS since its
inception. If history repeats itself, Trump is apparently treading on
thin ice from members within his own government.
Charlie Daniels: We Need 1000 Paul Reveres, Because We Aren’t Going To
Allow The Radical Left To Steal Our Country From Us
Michael Snyder - Edmund Burke once said that “all that is necessary for
the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”, and if we sit back and
do nothing now the radical left is going to win in America. n a new
documentary entitled “Revelation: Dawn Of Global Government”, country
music legend Charlie Daniels is calling for “1000 Paul Reveres” to rise
up and sound the alarm in this country. Our constitutional republic is
under serious attack from forces that are intent on transforming the
United States into a fundamentally different nation than our forefathers
intended. Today we know them as “progressives”, “liberals” and
“Democrats”, but in the old days they were known as “socialists”,
“communists” and “Marxists”. In the film, Charlie simply refers to them
as “scumbags”. So many brave Americans before us have bled and died for
the cause of freedom and liberty, and there is no way that we are going
to allow the radical left to take it away from us now. And make no
mistake – the leftists clearly view this struggle for our country as a
war. Their street protests have become increasingly violent in recent
years, and it has gotten to the point where Republican members of
Congress are actually fearing for their physical safety when they go
back to their districts…
* Related:
Listen: “Revelation: Dawn Of Global Government” Trailer
Alabama Passes Bill Protecting Confederate Monuments
Opposing Views - The Alabama Legislature has passed a bill that would
protect any historical monuments, including those honoring members of
the Confederacy, from removal. State lawmakers had bitterly debated the
merits of the legislation, with supporters asserting that it would help
preserve Alabama history while critics contended that blocking any
attempts to remove Confederate monuments would help enshrine the legacy
of slaveholders and white supremacists…. Republican state. Sen Gerald
Allen of Alabama, who sponsored the legislation, described the measure
as a safeguard against a "wave of political correctness."
As Heroin Takes Hold, Some Librarians Learn How To Treat Overdoses
Consumerist - Librarians at the McPherson Square Branch library in the
Kensington neighborhood of Philly,… have been learning how to administer
overdose antidote Narcan, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer. Though the
branch’s manager has worked for almost 30 years at the library, she says
she remembers only one overdose there until this year, when they’ve had
to save people from overdosing four times in the building. McPherson
Square - the Philly public park of which the library is the centerpiece
- is known as “Needle Park” to some of the locals. When the Inquirer
reporter visited McPherson for this story, he encountered a young woman
who had just overdosed outside the library. A librarian who has
administered Narcan in the past rushed to help while the reporter called
9-1-1. Things have gotten so bad, management has taken steps like
instituting overdose drills for staff, and posting a bathroom monitor
and rules designed to keep drug tourists from using the facilities to
get high: Adults have to leave a library card at the front desk, and
bathroom use is limited to three to five minutes, before a guard will
knock. Of particular concern are the many children who use the library’s
resources and computers. One volunteer who searches the grass for
needles tells the Inquirer he finds twice the amount of needles he used
to a few years ago — even some on the jungle gym in the park nearby.
Theresa May warns a fresh terror attack is feared to be IMMINENT
as she raises threat level to critical and orders 5,000 troops
onto the streets after attack by British-born Libyan Salman
Abedi
Daily Mail - Theresa May announced the move this evening, less
than 24 hours after the bomb attack at a teen concert in
Manchester, which left 22 dead and 59 injured. But intelligence
agencies fear he may not have acted alone - leaving open the
possibility of an active Islamist terror cell on the loose. The
Prime Minister confirmed the identity of the Manchester suicide
bomber as 22-year-old British Libyan Salman Abedi. Britain's
Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre last night raised the terror
threat level to 'critical', its highest level…. The suicide
bomber Abedi, a Mancunian of Libyan descent, was the son of an
airport security worker, MailOnline can reveal…. The suicide
bomber Abedi, a Mancunian of Libyan descent, was the son of an
airport security worker… Police today carried out a controlled
explosion at the doorstep of his home during raids around the
city. Police also raided a house where Abedi's brother, Ismail,
lived and arrested a 23-year-old man, prompting speculation that
Ismail had been detained.
* Related:
Trump condemns 'evil losers' behind Manchester attack - video
Manchester terror WAS planned: ISIS cheerleaders tweeted on
arena attack hours BEFORE bomb
UK Express - ISLAMIC STATE supporting accounts tweeted about an
attack on Manchester arena - four hours before a suicide bomber
killed at least 22 people and injured 59 others at an Ariana
Grande concert…. An unverified Twitter account posted two
messages and an image of an ISIS flag. The messages appeared to
predict the atrocity at the arena filled with 21,000 fans. One
message said: “Are you forget our threat?” Followed by: “This is
just the beginning.”
London Police Launch Free Speech Crackdown Amid Manchester
Attack
Kit Daniels - Metropolitan Police are investigating Twitter
users who spoke out against the Manchester attack. Police have
already opened one investigating into Mail Online columnist
Katie Hopkins after she said Western men need to “demand action”
in response to the terrorist nail bomb attack which targeted
children leaving an Ariana Grande concert. One Twitter user,
Dbev007, complained about her tweet to police, claiming it
“incited racial hatred” despite her never mentioning anything
about race or even Islam, which isn’t even a race to begin with.
In response, police confirmed that the “allegation will be
reviewed and assessed by specialist officers.”… It’s mindblowing
that London police will spend manpower censoring free speech on
Twitter while children are being targeted in terrorist attacks,
but this isn’t accidental. By preventing people from speaking
out against the government policies that fuel terrorism, the
establishment can condition the public into believing they are
helpless in stopping the flood of military-age migrants into the
country. And people who have learned to be helpless are easier
to abuse and control. […] even more revealing was the
loudspeaker announcement telling Ariana Grande concert-goers
“there’s no problems here” and “everything is fine” after the
nail bomb blast. “There’s no need to bunch up and run. Take your
time, there’s no problems here,” the announcement stated. “Thank
you for coming and having a good time tonight.
Greek Authorities To Launch Mass Confiscation Of Safe Deposit
Boxes, Securities, Homes In Tax-Evasion Crackdown
Zero Hedge - Greek Finance Ministry inspectors are about to
start seeking out the owners of all local undeclared properties,
while the law will be amended to allow for financial products
and the content of safe deposit boxes to be confiscated
electronically. The plan for the identification of taxpayers who
have “forgotten” to declare their properties to the tax
authorities is expected to be ready by year-end, according to
the timetable of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue.
Greece fails to reach bailout deal with eurozone finance
ministers
RT - The International Monetary Fund, European finance
ministers, and Greek authorities have fallen short of securing
more debt relief for Greece, according to EU officials. The
parties postponed a final decision on a release of further
bailout funds for Athens until their next meeting, scheduled for
June 15…. Greece needs more emergency cash to avoid a default in
July when the country faces debt repayments of nearly €7.3
billion. To get a new installment of bailout funds, Athens has
already approved tax rises and additional pension cuts. However,
the EU ministers concluded that the country has not made enough
progress on that front and still needs to take further measures.
Last Thursday, Greek lawmakers passed new legislation with over
four billion euros ($4.48 billion) in new austerity measures.
Mnuchin Comments On Trump's "Historic" Budget Proposal: "It Will
Prevent Taxpayer Bailouts"
Zero Hedge - In a statement issued moments ago discussing
Trump's proposed, if completely impossible, budget proposal,
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that Trump's "budget will
achieve savings through reforms that prevent taxpayer bailouts
and reverse burdensome regulations that have been harmful to
small businesses and American workers." Translation: taxpayer
bailouts are imminent, especially now that the current economic
cycle is the 3rd longest of all time and a recession grows
likelier with every passing day. Mnuchin also said that Trump's
proposed initiatives "coupled with comprehensive tax reform and
other key priorities, will move America one step closer to
sustained economic growth of 3 percent or higher."
Related:
Watch: White House Releases Details Of Trump's 2018 Budget
Proposal
Illinois Democrats In Senate Pass 33% Hike Of Personal And
Corporate Income Taxes
Zero Hedge - Senate Democrats in Illinois, with a final vote of
32-26, have just passed a new budget proposal that includes a
massive personal and corporate income tax hike and an expansion
of the state's sales tax, after saying they are no longer
willing to wait for a broader deal with Republicans. As the
Chicago Tribune noted earlier this morning, the Democrats'
budget proposal includes a ~33% hike in both the the personal
and corporate income tax rates and an expansion of the state's
share of sales tax revenue. In all, the package would cost
Illinois taxpayers an incremental $5 billion…. Of course, the
Senate bill passed by Democrats is unlikely to become law as
Illinois' Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, presumably along
with a fairly substantial percentage of Illinois residents,
oppose such massive tax hikes…. Meanwhile, as we've noted
multiple times in the recent past, with Illinois pension systems
roughly $130 billion underfunded, state politicians pretty much
have to raise taxes because anything less would entail finally
admitting what most of us have known for some time, namely that
the state of Illinois is insolvent and undoubtedly headed for
bankruptcy and/or a federal taxpayer bailout.
Rotten Beef on Your Plate?
Alliance for Natural Health - Without country of origin
labeling, the meat you buy may be from a nation where meat
packers are under indictment. Recently, federal authorities in
Brazil revealed an investigation into widespread corruption in
the country’s meat packing industry involving payments to
government officials to forego safety inspections and cover up
health violations. The scandal involves some of the country’s
largest meat-packers—including the world’s largest red meat
producer—that have allegedly been selling rotten meat and
poultry for years. Acid and carcinogenic chemicals were
reportedly used to make the meat look fresh, while cardboard,
potato, and water was mixed in with poultry products to increase
profits. The investigation has already resulted in the
suspension of thirty-three government officials and the
indictment of sixty-three individuals. The scandal has prompted
some lawmakers to call for blocking shipments of Brazilian meat
into the US. However, many are worried that banning Brazilian
meat would open the US up to trade retaliation. With potentially
rotten Brazilian beef still flowing into our grocery stores, the
only hope consumers have is information. Sadly, we now cannot
know whether we are purchasing beef that is unsafe to feed to
our family. Before it was repealed, country of origin labeling
(COOL) for beef let consumers know where the meat they were
buying came from—information that would be especially useful
right now. Despite its usefulness, Congress repealed COOL for
beef in December 2015 after the World Trade Organization ruled
that labeling requirements unfairly discriminated against
Canadian and Mexican meat, entitling those countries to hit US
goods with $1 billion in tariffs.
Rhode Island’s “Surprising” Geoengineering Act of 2017
Activist Post - One well-informed Rhode Island state legislator,
Representative Justin Price, introduced “The Geoengineering Act of 2017”
[H6011] to be amended on to Title 23 of the General Laws titled “Health
and Safety.” The legislative intent of the bill is (a) “Geoengineering”
is defined herein as the intentional manipulation of the environment,
involving nuclear, biological, chemical, electromagnetic and/or other
physical-agent activities that effect changes to earth’s atmosphere
and/or surface. (b) The Rhode Island general assembly finds that
geoengineering encompasses many technologies and methods involving
hazardous activities that can harm human health and safety, the
environment, and the economy of the state of Rhode Island, (c) It is
therefore the intention of the Rhode Island general assembly to regulate
all geoengineering activities as further set forth by the terms and
provisions of this chapter…. Proposed Section 23-23.8-3. of the
Geoengineering Act of 2017 defines the scope of geoengineering to
include a ‘laundry list’ of technologies, which may not be familiar to
the public; or that those “technological advances” are considered as
“intentional manipulation of the environment”! OMG, is that a wakeup
call for everyone? [Read More…]
Google starts tracking offline shopping — what you buy at stores in
person
LA Times - The Internet giant said Tuesday that a new tool will track
how much money people spend in merchants’ bricks-and-mortar stores after
clicking on their digital ads. The analysis will be done by matching the
combined ad clicks of people who are logged into Google services with
their collective purchases on credit and debit cards. Google says it
won’t be able to examine the specific items bought or how much a
specific individual spent. But even aggregated data can sometimes be
converted back to data that can identify individuals, said Larry Ponemon,
chairman of the Ponemon Institute privacy research firm. Google says it
has access to roughly 70% of U.S. credit and debit card transactions
through partnerships with companies that track that data. By matching ad
clicks with this data, Google says it can automatically inform merchants
when their digital ads translate into sales at a physical store…. The
kinds of data that Google is collecting also could become an inviting
target for hackers, said Miro Copic, a marketing professor at San Diego
State University. The kinds of data that Google is collecting also could
become an inviting target for hackers, said Miro Copic, a marketing
professor at San Diego State University.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
The World’s ‘Apocalypse Seed Vault’ Is Flooding; Permafrost
Thawing; 1 Million Seeds Stored There
The world’s backup supply of seeds for essential food crops such
as wheat, beans and rice might be in danger. The Svalbard Global
Seed Vault on Norway’s Spitsbergen Island is – for the first
time – being threatened by flooding. Water from melting ice and
permafrost is gushing into the vault’s entrance tunnel, The
Guardian reported. The vault was placed in an abandoned coal
mine on an island north of Norway and expected to survive for
centuries without human assistance. It was not designed to
survive soaring temperatures in the Arctic…. The vault was
constructed to ensure the world’s food supply in case of global
catastrophes such as nuclear wars or a worldwide famine. It was
placed on Spitsbergen, one of the remotest places on Earth, for
that reason. Nearly a million packets of seeds for major food
crops are stored in the vault.
Dr Peter Gøtzsche exposes Big Pharma as organized crime
Natural Blaze - The drug industry buys the professors first,
then chiefs of department, then the other chief physicians and
so on. They don’t buy junior doctors. –Dr Peter Gøtzsche Big
Pharma drugs kill around 200,000 Americans every year – half of
them die while doing what their doctors told them. Sadly, the
side effects and medical errors combine to cause the 3rd leading
cause of death in America. Peter C. Gøtzsche, MD is a Danish
medical researcher and the author of Deadly Medicines and
Organized Crime: How Big Pharma has Corrupted Healthcare. In
this video interview courtesy of Dr. John McDougall, he exposes
how the pharmaceutical companies stealthily act as an organized
crime ring unbeknownst to the consumer.
10 Nutritional Deficiencies That Cause Depression and Mood
Disorders
REALfarmacy - Depression and mood disorders are devastating
health problems today. When you go to your doctor, their answer
is often a prescription for one of the various popular
anti-depressant drugs. Many doctors do not investigate for
metabolic or nutritional deficiencies that may be the ‘real
problem’ for your depression…. If you suffer from depression or
mood disorders you may be deficient in one of the nutrients
below. Researchers have found that many people who suffer from
depression and mood disorders are deficient in not just one
nutrient but several, all contributing to the symptoms. #1:
Healthy Food Deficiency? Junk Food Diet Is your diet filled with
sugar, junk foods, sodas, or processed foods? Do you often skip
meals. If you suffer from depression or mood disorders, start a
food diary of the foods you eat every day…. #2: Omega-3 Fatty
Acids Deficiency: These are found in foods such as fish and Flax
Seed Oil. A deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids or an imbalance
between Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids may be one of the
contributing factors to your depression. Omega 3 Fatty acids are
important to brain function and your mental outlook on life.
They also help people who suffer from inflammation and pain
problems…. #3: Vitamin D Deficiency: Important to immune
function, bones, and brain health. Sunlight is the richest
source for natural Vitamin D. The Journal Clinical Nutrition in
Jan 21st, 2013 published the result of research that analyzed
over 18000 British citizens for Vitamin D deficiencies and
associated mental disorders links. They found that a deficiency
of Vitamin D was present in patients with depression and panic
disorders. The study results stated that people who are
deficient in Vitamin D are at higher risk for developing
depression later in life….
Meta-Analysis Study: Whole Fat Dairy Healthy, Saturated Fats
Myth Exposed
Health Impact News - A 2017 meta-analysis of 29 studies has
concluded that consuming dietary dairy fat has no negative
effects on all cause mortality or mortality from cardiovascular
disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD). This includes
dairy fats of all types. One of the researchers, Ian Givens of
England’s Reading University, commented on the record: “There’s
been a lot of publicity over the last 5 to 10 years about how
saturated fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and a
belief has grown up that they must increase the risk, but they
don’t.” Actually, dairy and other animal sourced saturated fats
have been wrongly condemned as a contributor to obesity and
higher cardiovascular risk since Ancel Keys' notorious seven
countries study over 50 years ago, which spawned the “lipid
theory” of heart disease and obesity.
Anti-Declawing Handbook for Cat Lovers
Little Big Cat - Good news! We are getting closer every day to stopping
declawing! Despite the opposition of veterinary associations, New Jersey
and New York are both considering legislation to ban the practice in
their states. The NJ Assembly passed the ban 43-10 on January 23; now on
to the Senate! To help cat lovers and animal advocates understand the
truth about declawing that so many veterinarians lie about, Dr. Jean has
written a detailed, fully-referenced e-book called the Anti-Declawing
Handbook for Cat Lovers. It is available for free download here… Please
download freely, and send to anyone who needs it.
Tuesday - May
23, 2017
On This Day In History
1701 - In London, Captain William Kidd was hanged after being
convicted of murder and piracy.
1785 - Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter that he had invented
bifocals.
1788 - South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify U.S.
Constitution.
1873 - Canada's North West Mounted Police force was established.
The name was changed to Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920.
1879 - The first U.S. veterinary school was established by Iowa
State University.
1895 - The New York Public Library was created with an agreement
that combined the city's existing Astor and Lenox libraries.
1900 - Civil War hero Sgt. William Carney became the 1st African
American to receive the Medal of Honor, 37 years after the
Battle of Fort Wagner.
1901 - American forces captured Filipino rebel leader Emilio
Aguinaldo.
1908 - Part of the Great White Fleet arrived in Puget Sound, WA.
1922 - "Daylight Saving Time" was debated in the first debate
ever to be heard on radio in Washington, DC.
1934 - In Bienville Parish, LA, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
were ambushed and killed by Texas Rangers.
1949 - The Republic of West Germany was established.
1960 - Israel announced the capture of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in
Argentina.
1992 - In Lisbon, Portugal , the U.S. and four former Soviet
republics signed an agreement to implement the START missile
reduction treaty that had been agreed to by the Soviet Union
before it was dissolved.
1995 - The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City
was demolished.
2013 - Google acquired Makani Power for use for its Project
Wing.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Flynn Refuses To Turn Over Docs To Senate 'Fishing Expedition'
The Daily Caller - General Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s
former national security advisor, on Monday forcefully refused
to turn over subpoenaed documents demanded by the Senate
Intelligence committee, blasting it for its “sweeping” subpoena
for documents. A source close to Flynn told The Daily Caller
News Foundation its Russia investigation request appeared to be
a “fishing expedition.” Flynn’s lawyer, Robert K. Kelner,
charged the committee displayed “foregone conclusions” that the
decorated three-star general was guilty as part of an
“escalating public frenzy.” The committee’s original May 10
letter to Flynn demanded the general turn over information about
all meetings and communications between himself and unnamed
Russian officials and all records of communications between
himself and all of President Trump’s campaign staff over an 18
month period, from June 16, 2015 to Jan. 20, 2017.
House IT Workers Fear Members Are Being Blackmailed
The Daily Caller - Five Capitol Hill technology aides told The
Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group that members
of Congress have displayed an inexplicable and intense loyalty
towards the suspects who police say victimized them. The baffled
aides wonder if the suspects are blackmailing representatives
based on the contents of their emails and files, to which they
had full access. “I don’t know what they have, but they have
something on someone. It’s been months at this point” with no
arrests, said Pat Sowers, who has managed IT for several House
offices for 12 years. “Something is rotten in Denmark.” A
manager at a tech-services company that works with Democratic
House offices said he approached congressional offices, offering
their services at one-fourth the price of Awan and his Pakistani
brothers, but the members declined. At the time, he couldn’t
understand why his offers were rejected but now he suspects the
Awans exerted some type of leverage over members…. Awan began
working for Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida
in 2005, and his wife, his brother’s wife, and two of his
brothers all appeared on the payrolls of various House Democrats
soon after, payroll records show. They have collected $4 million
since 2010.
BREAKING: Three White House Leakers of Classified Info
Identified; Trump to Fire ‘Multiple People’
The GatewayPundit - Trey Yingst, the White House Correspondent
for One America News Network, reported via Twitter Monday
afternoon that President Donald Trump will fire ‘multiple
people’ after three White House staffers were identified as
leaking classified information…. SCOOP INFO: I’m told the names
of the leakers are being run by the Office of Government Ethics,
which is why they aren’t immediately fired.… I asked one source
why the leakers names would be presented to the Office of
Government Ethics. “This is criminal,” they said… [The] Office
of Government Ethics is not able to prosecute anyone. They will
advise the White House on how to proceed with leakers, I’m
told.”
The Hill' Promotes Victim-Blaming in Anthony Weiner Sexting Case
Observer - In the wake of former New York Congressman Anthony
Weiner pleading “guilty” to “[engaging] in obscene
communications with [a] teenager,” the narrative seems to be
shifting with regard to who the real victim is and who is to
blame…. Among the horrifying regurgitations published by The
Hill: “the girl was just shy of 17 when she approached Weiner,
not 15 as The Daily Mail cited when it initially broke the
story…[putting] her above the age of consent.”…. Why didn’t they
simply say 16? Because by saying “just shy of 17” enhances the
illusion of a greater lie and conspiracy…. The Hill also cited
the “report,” describing the victim as being from a
“Republican-friendly family,” and went further to note that she
“celebrated Trump’s victory,” that her “father is a registered
Republican,” and her mother posted negative tweets about the
Black Lives Matter movement. It is nothing short of galling that
The Hill put their masthead above attempts to undermine the
victim of a sex crime based on claims about the political
beliefs of her family. [Explicit Content in Article]
Planned Parenthood Set to Close Six Clinics in Three States
Washington Free Beacon - Planned Parenthood of the Rocky
Mountains (PPRM) announced that it would close five clinics in
Colorado and New Mexico, as well as the only Planned Parenthood
clinic in Wyoming. The organization said in a release that
closing the clinics would provide "long-term sustainability in
the communities we serve."…. Planned Parenthood performs about
30 percent of the nation's abortions each year. It derives a
significant portion of its revenue from taxpayer dollars through
Medicaid and Title X payments, collecting $550 million from
taxpayers in 2015. That money is in jeopardy, as Congressional
Republicans attempt to pass legislation that would send such
funding to women's health clinics that do not perform abortions.
Pro-life activists said that the announced closures signify
Planned Parenthood's reliance on taxpayer dollars to sustain its
operations. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life
Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement that the abortion
provider could not survive "in a market where there are so many
better options."
CNN Sites Wrong Data From Harvard Study Concerning Fox News'
Coverage Of Trump
Western Journalism - … the Harvard study found that Trump has
received far and away more negative coverage from the media than
any other recent president. In contrast to former President
Barack Obama, whose coverage in the first 100 days was 59
percent positive, Trump’s total positive coverage sat at just 20
percent. Furthermore, there was “not a single major topic where
Trump’s coverage was more positive than negative,” the study
noted…. On Sunday, CNN’s John Berman during a Reliable Sources
segment cited the Harvard study to try to argue that Fox News
was shilling for the president. Berman stated that the network’s
coverage was positive 67 percent of the time. The only problem
was the statistic CNN’s used was in relation to just one aspect
of FNC’s coverage: Trump’s fitness to serve. The Harvard study
found that aspect of coverage only accounted for 3 percent of
reporting about the president by media outlets…. What CNN did
not report is that Fox lived up to its motto –“fair and
balanced” — with 52 percent of stories overall being deemed by
Harvard researchers to have a negative tone and 48 percent
positive.
Art of the Deal: Trump to test waters for ‘Middle East peace’
Breitbart - President Donald Trump opened his first visit to
Israel Monday, an early visit by a president to a longtime
Middle East ally and one aimed at testing the waters for
jumpstarting the region’s dormant peace process…. Trump received
a warm welcome in Tel Aviv after becoming the first U.S.
president to include Israel on his maiden overseas trip. Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump “a true friend”
to Israel and sounded hopeful notes about the president’s role
in the Middle East peace process…. On Tuesday, Trump will meet
with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. After
hosting Abbas at the White House in March, Trump boldly stated
that achieving peace is “something that I think is, frankly,
maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years.”
“But we need two willing parties,” he said. “We believe Israel
is willing. We believe you’re willing. And if you both are
willing, we’re going to make a deal.”… Meanwhile, Palestinian
activists are calling for a “Day of Rage” when Trump visits the
West Bank on Tuesday. The demonstrations are meant to draw
attention to a month-long hunger strike by hundreds of prisoners
being held by Israel and to protest what many Palestinians say
is unfair U.S. support for Israel.
Israel to Make Rare Overture to Palestinians ‘at Trump Request’
Breitbart - Jerusalem (AFP) – Israeli ministers have approved
measures aimed at improving the Palestinian economy and
facilitating crossings, rare moves said to be at Donald Trump’s
request hours ahead of the US president’s arrival. An Israeli
official told AFP on condition of anonymity that ministers were
responding to a Trump request to present him with
“confidence-building measures” ahead of his talks with
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday. In a statement,
Trump’s administration welcomed the moves, saying he “has been
encouraging both sides to take steps that improve the
environment for peace making.” “He has expressed particular
interest in taking steps to improve the Palestinian economy in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” In what the Israeli official
described as a “gesture for Trump’s visit, which does not harm
Israel’s interests”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
security cabinet on Sunday approved the enlargement of a
Palestinian industrial zone on the edge of the southern West
Bank…. In an apparent attempt to calm opposition from within
Netanyahu’s coalition government, seen as the most right-wing in
the country’s history, the security cabinet also approved
setting up a committee to work for retroactive legalization of
wildcat Israeli construction in the West Bank, the official
said.
Trump visits Jerusalem's Western Wall to pray
Daily Mail - Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting
U.S. president to visit the Western Wall – the holiest site
where Jews can pray – and left a prayer note there in accordance
with Jewish custom. He made the highly symbolic visit to a site
which symbolizes the Middle East's tinderbox nature before
saying he believed in the possibility of a peace deal and saying
that the danger of Iran meant there was 'a lot of love out
there' for Israel from unlikely Muslim countries. Located in
Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Western Wall is a section of
one of four original retaining walls King Herod built in the
first century B.C. to support the Temple Mount. It is also the
only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple, which stood
in Jerusalem until the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. as they
put down a Jewish revolt. It has been U.S. policy for the last
50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel,
making a visit to the wall a political minefield. But Trump,
clad in a navy suit, red striped tie and black kippah, strode
into the Western Wall Prayer Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City on
Monday before placing his hand on the stone wall and praying for
30 seconds, slipping a note inside a crack between the stones.
Trump & 55 Muslim-majority states sign pact pledging 34,000
troops to fight ISIS in Iraq & Syria
RT - The US and Middle Eastern countries have backed a new pact
that promises to provide extra troops for defeating Islamic
State, singles out Iran for destabilizing the region, and says
that Riyadh is to become the heart of the region’s
counter-terrorism operations. Described as the Riyadh
Declaration, the document was signed following US President
Donald Trump’s visit to the Saudi capital for a summit that
brought in Islamic representatives from 55 countries, and vowed
“to combat terrorism in all its forms, address its intellectual
roots, dry up its sources of funding and to take all necessary
measures to prevent and combat terrorist crimes in close
cooperation among their states.”… The exact membership of what
the communique called the Middle East Strategic Alliance will be
decided next year, but putative members have committed to
assembling “a reserve force of 34,000 troops to support
operations against terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria
when needed.” Currently the burden of anti-IS combat in both
states is being shouldered mostly by local troops and Kurdish
forces, with the international coalition providing air support,
equipment and funding.
Trump's Budget Will Slash $1.7 Trillion In Entitlements, Cut
Food Stamps By 25%
Zero Hedge - More details from President Donald Trump’s first
budget proposal are trickling out via a flurry of overnight
reports from The Washington Post, Associated Press and Bloomberg
News. Here are some of the highlights from the latest batch of
trial balloons: ° Trump’s budget will include a massive nearly
$200 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program, the modern version of food stamps, over the next 10
years – what amounts to a 25% reduction, according to The
Washington Post. ° The food stamp cuts are part of a broader
$274 billion welfare-reform effort, according to a report by The
Associated Press. ° The budget calls for about $800 billion in
cuts to Medicaid for fiscal year 2018, WaPo reported. ° The
budget also calls for $2.6 billion in border security spending,
$1.6 billion of which will be earmarked for Trump’s proposed
wall along the U.S.’s southern border. ° The budget is also
expected to propose major domestic discretionary spending cuts -
an earlier version of the budget called for $54 billion in such
cuts next year alone. Predictably, Democrats are already up in
arms over the proposal, even though a formal draft isn’t
expected until Tuesday.
Bitcoin Blows Through $2100
Zero Hedge - Bitcoin is now up over 135% year-to-date, having
screamed above $2000 and $2100 overnight as the dollar limped to
6-month lows... Having shrugged off China crackdowns and worries
over 'hard forks', it appears the legalization of the virtual
currency in Japan (with Peach Aviation now accepting bitcoin for
flight ticket purchases) and broader adoption in Russia have
fueled demand in recent weeks...
Studies Prove This Herb Could Kill Cancer
REALfarmacy - There has been a rising interest in the
identification of natural plant foods that can help develop
effective agents against cancer. The anti-tumor effects of
oregano in the vivo and in vitro breast cancer model were
evaluated. Lyophilized oregano was administered at two
concentrations of 0.3 and 3% through diet. The experiment was
terminated 14 weeks after carcinogen administration. Low doses
of oregano suppressed tumor frequency by 55.5%, tumor incidence
by 44%, and tumor volume by 44.5%. High-dose oregano treatment
lengthened tumor latency by 12.5 days. The study shows that
oregano decreased survival and proliferation of MCF-7 cells. The
results demonstrate that oregano has a distinct
tumor-suppressive effect on breast cancer and tumors. This is a
huge step towards a potential breakthrough in what natural plant
foods can do in curing cancer.
Start eating nuts to stop cancer recurring, survivors told
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Eating a handful of nuts every
week should form part of every cancer survivor's diet. Nuts—and
especially tree nuts such as hazelnuts, chestnuts and
walnuts—reduce the chances of the cancer coming back. People
eating two ounces or more of nuts every week reduce the risk of
cancer recurring by 42 per cent, and lower their chances of
dying from the cancer by 57 per cent. It's effective even for
people who have been treated for stage III cancer, say
researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, who looked at
the survival rates and diets of 826 patients who had completed
treatment for colon cancer. The average three-year survival rate
for the cancer is around 70 per cent, but this improved
dramatically in patients who were regularly eating nuts. But the
benefits weren't seen in those eating peanuts, the most
widely-consumed nut in the US, or peanut butter. Only tree nuts
had the protective effect, possibly because the peanut is
actually a legume, the researchers surmise. Beyond that, they
admit they don't understand what it is about tree nuts that
helps the cancer survivor. Nuts help overcome or control a range
of health issues, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and
insulin resistance. They also reduce the chances of developing
cancer in the first place—and now they seem to reduce the odds
of cancer coming back.
25 powerful breast cancer fighting foods
(NaturalHealth365) Epidemiologist Dr. Hannah Weir of the CDC
predicts that by 2020 breast cancer will be second only to
prostate cancer in leading the increase in new cases.
Fortunately, nature has provided a protective arsenal of
superfoods that may help to prevent the development of breast
cancer. 1. The value of arugula - Sometimes known as “rocket,”
this amazing cancer-fighting salad green is a cousin to Brussels
sprouts and broccoli. Chewing arugula releases isothiocyanates –
compounds that neutralize carcinogens in the body…. 2. Favor
your diet with flaxseeds - Tiny, nutty-flavored flaxseeds are
packed with fiber, which reduces cancer risk. They also inhibit
the ability of excess estrogen in the body to trigger breast
cancer…. 3. Give green tea the green light - Green tea is packed
with flavonoids known as catechins, which protect against DNA
damage caused by free radicals. Catechins also suppress
urokinase, an enzyme that is often overactive in breast cancer
patients…. 4. Reap the rewards of raspberries - Raspberries are
rich in fiber and high in ellagic acid, a potent anti-carcinogen
and anti-mutagen that can prevent dangerous changes in cell DNA.
Studies have shown that raspberry extracts have caused apoptosis
– programmed cell death – in cancer cells…. 5. Get a boost from
asparagus - Asparagus is a good source of glutathione, a natural
antioxidant that is essential for detoxification from toxins and
carcinogens. Glutathione also boosts the immune system and
enhances the activities of cancer-fighting macrophages….
Resveratrol Improves Arteries
Dr. Mercola - A new study shows resveratrol, a powerful
antioxidant found in dark-colored berries, the skin of red
grapes, red wine and dark chocolate, may improve blood vessels
in people with type 2 diabetes. Resveratrol activates the gene
SIRT1, a protein that appears to delay aging and the development
of several diseases. Scientists dosed 57 patients with type 2
diabetes with either resveratrol or a placebo, resulting in
improved aortal stiffness in the first group, but an increase in
aortic stiffness in the placebo group at the end of the study.
Resveratrol has neuroprotective effects that can lower your
Alzheimer’s and dementia risks and may also protect against
obesity, optimize cholesterol and decrease inflammation.
Monday - May
22, 2017
On This Day In History
1761 - In Philadelphia, the first life insurance policy was issued in
the U.S.
1819 - The steamship Savannah became the first to cross the Atlantic
Ocean.
1868 - Near Marshfield, IN, The "Great Train Robbery" took place. The
robbery was worth $96,000 in cash, gold and bonds to the seven members
of the Reno gang.
1872 - The Amnesty Act restored civil rights to Southerners.
1900 - The Associated Press was incorporated as a non-profit news
cooperative in New York.
1906 - The Wright brothers received a patent their flying machine.
1939 - Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini signed a military alliance
between Germany and Italy known as the "Pact of Steel."
1947 - The Truman Doctrine was enacted by the U.S. Congress to
appropriate military and economic aid Turkey and Greece.
1972 - U.S. President Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit
Russia. He met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
1998 - New information came to light about the June 1996 bombing that
killed 19 American airmen. The information indicated that Saudi citizens
had been responsible and not Iranians as once believed.
1998 - A federal judge said that Secret Service agents could be
compelled to testify before a grand jury in Monica Lewinsky
investigation concerning U.S. President Clinton.
2002 - Chandra Levy's remains were found in Washington, DC's Rock Creek
Park. She was last seen on April 30, 2001. California Congressman Gary
Condit was questioned in the case due to his relationship with Levy.
2011 - A tornado devastated Joplin, Mo., claiming at least 159 lives and
destroying about 8,000 homes and businesses.
2002 - In Birmingham, AL, a jury convicted former Ku Klux Klansman Bobby
Frank Cherry of murder in the 1963 church bombing that killed four
girls.
2012 - In Japan, the Tokyo Skytree tower opened.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
CIA Incompetence Allowed China To Murder A Dozen CIA Assets
While Hillary Clinton Was Secretary Of State
Zero Hedge - The NYT just dropped its latest deep-state scoop,
and boy is it a doozy. But instead of using the information as
more leverage to attack President Trump, the leaks reveal
allegedly extreme incompetence at the highest levels of the CIA,
what NYT’s "current and former government sources" characterized
as the worst intelligence breach in decades. These officials
revealed that "the Chinese government systematically dismantled
CIA spying operations in the country starting in 2010, killing
or imprisoning more than a dozen sources over two years and
crippling intelligence gathering there for years afterward."….
Beginning in 2010, CIA operatives meant to collect information
on the inner workings of the Communist Party started
disappearing. The NYT reports that between the final weeks of
2010 through the end of 2012, the Chinese killed at least a
dozen of the CIA’s sources. According to three sources, one was
shot in front of his colleagues in the courtyard of a government
building – a grisly killing meant to send a message to any
others who might have been working for U.S. intelligence. Still
others were imprisoned. All told, the Communist Party killed or
imprisoned 18 to 20 of the CIA’s sources. But perhaps even more
disturbing than the killings themselves is the fact that, nearly
seven years after they started, the agency still isn’t 100%
about the source of the leaks, though the NYT mentioned a few
theories.
Kim Dotcom Just Admitted He Worked With Seth Rich to Get Info to
WikiLeaks
The Free Thought Project - Kim Dotcom, born Kim Schmitz, is a
wanted man by the FBI, the Justice Department, and especially
Hollywood. For the last decade or so, Dotcom has spent millions
fighting extradition to the United States for copyright
infringement laws involving Mega Upload, the file-sharing site
he founded…. On Friday, Kim Dotcom has weighed in on the
[Russians hacking the DNC] scandal and unsolved murder all in
one tweet. He tweeted, “If Congress includes #SethRich case into
their Russia probe I’ll give written testimony with evidence
that Seth Rich was @Wikileaks source.” After this tweet went
viral, Saturday afternoon, Dotcom de facto admitted to being
involved in the information exchange between Rich and WikiLeaks.
After this bombshell admission, Dotcom promised to clarify just
how involved he was by releasing a statement on Tuesday.
BREAKING: Mass Nationwide Anti-Trump Riots Planned For July 2nd
(Video)
D.C. Clothesline - Summer of rage set to boil over as militant
leftists plan to OVERTHROW Trump. Militant anti-Trump Antifa
leftists are planning huge RIOTS on July 2nd. The establishment
media is fanning the flames by portraying Trump as illegitimate.
This could be the flashpoint that brings about a violent coup in
America.
REPORT: Illegal Immigrant and Far Left Protester Arrested for
103 Counts of Anti-Trump Vandalism
The GatewayPundit - An illegal immigrant and former student at
the University of Connecticut is under arrest after vandalizing
numerous buildings around the campus with anti-Trump messages.
Illegal Eric Cruz López was a student protester and even
protested outside the Obama White House in Washington DC in
February 2016. Lopez was spotted in February leaving the areas
where the vandalism occurred on various occasions. The damage in
total added up to about $4,200…. One of the arguments we tend to
hear frequently about illegal immigrants is that the crimes they
commit would have been committed by someone else who was a
citizen, or they point to a citizen who committed a specific
crime that is similar to a crime committed by an illegal and
says, “Look at that! We do it, too!” This type of logic is
fallacious and misrepresents the argument and point that we are
trying to make.
Teachers' Union Contract Guarantees Jail-Time Pay
Washington Free Beacon - Staff members at the nation's largest
teachers' union are guaranteed pay for the time they spend in
jail if it is related to union work. Staffers at the National
Education Association … are entitled to their standard wage rate
during their incarceration, according to a copy of their
contract first reported by The 74 Million…. "Some union staffers
can receive incarceration pay ‘for reasons stemming from actions
taken by him/her in the scope of his/her Association
employment.' The NEA contract specifies that this will be at the
regular hourly rate for all time spent in jail," the website
reports. The staff members have a history of including
compensation during imprisonment in their union contracts. The
group's previous contract, which took effect in 2012 and expired
in 2015, also included a section that protected worker pay in
the event that they were arrested during the course of union
activities. The contract mandates that the union cover not only
the employee's wages, but the legal defense costs associated
with criminal or civil trials. Only in cases of "gross
negligence or gross irresponsibility" is the union relieved of
its duty to cover such expenses.
Your Child 'Belongs to the State': Lawmakers Claim the State
Owns Your Children
The Free Thought Project - HB 39, introduced by Rep. Gene Wu
(D-Houston), would mandate that the state’s Department of Family
Protective Services schedule a medical examination for children
who have been in temporary state custody for longer than three
business days…. While the bill was originally centered around
hastening medical exams for new foster children, questions arose
regarding whether vaccines would be included as part of these
medical exams…. The bill saw a turbulent debate upon [Rep. Bill]
Zedler’s amendment as the discussion turned to childhood
vaccines and who should be responsible for crucial medical
decisions when custody is obscured. “You get that child back
five, eight, 10 days later, and they’ve now had that surgery or
they’ve had these vaccinations,” Zedler said according to Dallas
Morning News. “That’s an issue of liberty.” Wu was vocal about
his belief that the law allows the state to assume authority in
such situations. “Let me make very clear: the moment a child is
removed from their home- the moment the child is removed- by
law, the child is now a child of the state of Texas,” said Wu….
In the video [link in article], Wu makes the ominous claim that
parents - who’ve not been found guilty of any wrongdoing - no
longer have care over their children and that those children now
belong to the state. When the state begins to claim they own our
children, something is very wrong.
President Donald Trump and President Barack Obama delivered
addresses to the Muslim world at roughly the same point in their
respective presidencies.
Breitbart - But unlike Obama, who attempted to appease Islamic
resentment of the West by admitting America’s faults, Trump’s
speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday emphasized terrorism
and challenged the Arab and Muslim world to foster peace by
“honestly confronting the problem of Islamic extremism, and the
Islamists, and Islamic terror of all kinds.” The first
difference between the two speeches was the setting. Trump
addressed a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders at a conference to
deal with terrorism. Obama, by contrast, invited members of the
Muslim Brotherhood to his address at Al-Azhar University in
Cairo. Trump rallied the nations of the region to deal with a
problem in their midst; Obama gave legitimacy to a banned group
associated with terror and extremist ideology. Obama began his
address by focusing on western guilt: More recently, tension has
been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to
many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries
were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own
aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity
and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile
to the traditions of Islam. In contrast, Trump began by
declaring that “Muslim countries must take the lead in combating
radicalization. He said that he was not there to lecture to
others about how to worship, but to call for unity “in pursuing
the one goal: … to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces
that terrorism brings with it every single time,” singling out
“young Muslim men and women.” Trump went further, taking on
“terrorism and the ideology that drives it.” He listed recent
terror attacks in the U.S. and around the world, and noted that
“the deadliest toll has been extracted from the innocent people
of Arab and Muslim nations.” The optimism of the region, he
said, was “held at bay by bloodshed and terror.” And he added:
“There can be no co-existence with this violence.” [Read More…]
* Related:
Video: Trump to 50 Muslim Leaders: "Drive Out the Terrorists!...
Drive Them Out! Drive Them Out!"
Trump: First Saudi Meetings Will Bring Americans ‘Jobs, Jobs,
Jobs’
Breitbart - President Donald Trump described the first day of
his overseas trip in Saudi Arabia as “a tremendous day” —
referring to billions in investments — in his first remarks at
the top of one of several bilateral meetings. Trump’s first
remarks to reporters on Saturday included: That was a tremendous
day. I just want to thank everybody. But tremendous investments
in to the United States, and our military community is very
happy, and we want to thank you and Saudi Arabia. But hundreds
of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and
jobs, jobs, jobs. During a signing ceremony, the U.S. President
signed a joint vision statement, private sector agreements, and
defense cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia. The defense
agreements are worth $110 billion effective immediately and
worth an additional $350 billion over ten years, according to a
White House official. At one point during the day, the
President’s Chief Economic Advisor Gary Cohn answered reporters’
questions as to what was being signed. He said that the signing
was “to invest a lot of money in the U.S. and have a lot of U.S.
companies invest and build things over here.” He continued,
“They’re going to hire U.S. companies … a bunch of
infrastructure related things … A lot of money. Big dollars. Big
dollars.” Cohn told reporters that things were going “really
well.”
GREAT AGAIN: Unlike Obama, Trump doesn't bow to Saudi king
(Video)
The American Mirror - What a difference an election can make for
the respect American leaders have for our country. There were
two very different outcomes when two American presidents greeted
the king of Saudi Arabia. All eyes were on President Trump today
as he arrived in the country for his first foreign trip. Video
shows the president stepping off the plane and greeting King
Salman: Trump stood up straight as Salman appeared to bow
slightly. Trump’s posture stands in stark difference to
President Obama’s in the early days of his presidency. Cameras
captured Obama bowing to King Abdullah, contorting nearly to a
90-degree angle in what many called a moment of American
weakness: Trump’s behavior was refreshingly noticeable…
Wave of 'more dangerous, skilled' ISIS jihadists bound to hit
Europe
RT - Scores of foreign Islamic State… fighters, determined to
come back to Europe, are “more dangerous” than previous waves of
returnees, Jean-Paul Laborde [head of the UN Security Council's
counterterrorism agency] told reporters on Thursday. Some may be
eager to seek revenge after defeats on the battlefield,
including in recent confrontations in Mosul. The first wave of
the returnees was mainly made up of young people who went to
Syria and Iraq “for T-shirts and photos,” Laborde said…. They
came back “disillusioned and dismayed.” The second wave may
contain much more extreme individuals, who had more time to
build contacts with criminal organizations that can assist them
in committing attacks. Between 40 to 50 percent of foreign
fighters, who left for Syria and Iraq, have already left
territories controlled by IS, Laborde added. “On average, these
people are much more committed, more experienced and more
skilled,” he told reporters, as cited by Reuters. “In spite of
the travel restrictions ... still you will have a number of
foreign terrorist fighters which will probably slip through the
borders and go back, come back to these countries, especially
with smuggling networks,” he added.
North Korea in 'significant' missile breakthrough confirmed by
US and the South
Express UK - Pyongyang has launched a ballistic missile which
successfully re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, according to
analysts. North Korea claimed the liquid- fuel Hwasong-12
travelled a distance of 489 miles before breaching Japan's Air
Defence Identification Zone and reached an altitude of 2,111.5
km (1,312 miles) before crashing in to the Sea of Japan. The
missile was fired on May 14. After confirmation from defence
officials the success of the missile has been labelled a
"significant breakthrough" for Kim Jong-Un's hermit state. North
Korean state media said the missile was capable of carrying a
"large-size, heavy nuclear warhead. South Korean government
sources told the JoongAng Daily the warhead survived the 5,000
degrees Celsius (9,032 Fahrenheit) and extreme vibration it
experienced on re-entry. The South confirmed it after analysis
of data communication from North Korea's missile control centre.
The Hwasong-12 according to experts, will take around three
years to become an intercontinental missile capable of striking
the mainland US. To have the technology applied will be another
story - but Pyongyang took a huge step toward that goal.
The worst guy on the planet
Sovereign Man - Jose Rafael Torrealba wins the award for biggest
scumbag on the planet today. Torrealba is a Venezuelan army
general who was featured in a leaked audio recording that was
just published yesterday. The recording is of a meeting that
took place a few weeks ago in Venezuela in which he and his
fellow generals discuss how to keep the civilian population
under control. Torrealba’s solution? Use snipers against his own
people. “There will come a time when we will have to employ them
[the snipers] and I want us to be ready for the moment that we
have to employ them because the president will not remain at a
green [preparation] phase, gentlemen.” One general at the
meeting who could not be identified voiced opposition to the
plan, saying that “if we keep going with the issue of the
snipers, all of us here will end up in jail.” Apparently the
obvious moral reasons for not using lethal force against your
own people didn’t factor into their logic. Torrealba indicated
that he didn’t care for public perception. And even after
admitting it was unconstitutional, he ordered everyone at the
meeting to make preparations to use snipers. That was back in
April. Since then dozens of people have died, including a
17-year old kid who was shot in the head earlier this week.
What’s Next For Julian Assange?
Daily Sheeple - WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, will not quit
releasing pertinent information, even after Sweden announced
it’s dropping the rape allegations against him. Assange, the
biggest enemy of the state, issued a defiant statement after
Sweden dropped the charges. He won’t be kowtowing to the
political elites, though; in fact, just the opposite…. “Today is
an important victory for me and the UN human rights system, but
by no means erases seven years of detention without charge…while
my children grew up. That is not something I can forgive or
forget,” Assange told journalists from a balcony at the
Ecuadorian embassy where he has lived for the last five years.
Marianne Ny, Sweden’s director of public prosecutions, earlier
said the investigation was dropped because Sweden had “exhausted
the possibilities” for investigating the allegations against
Assange. –Newsweek
Ebola Spreading: Infections Up 800% In Last Week, Officials Race
To Track Down 400 Possible Contacts
Mac Slavo - Last week three suspected Ebola infections were
detected in a remote region of the Congo. Since then, World
Health Organization officials have been scrambling to contain
the virus. Their efforts appear to have failed. The contagion
continues to spread, and though it’s nowhere near the 11,000
people who were infected during the outbreak in 2014, the
infection rate has spiked over 800% in just the last seven days,
with at least nine new cases reported in the last 24 hours: The
number of suspected cases of Ebola has risen to 29 from nine in
less than a week in an isolated part of Democratic Republic of
Congo, where three people have died from the disease since April
22, the World Health Organization said on Thursday…. The 2014
outbreak likewise started in a remote region of Africa, but
containment efforts were ineffective and the virus eventually
spread to the United States and Europe. According to W.H.O.,
about 400 people have come into contact with the 29 people
infected and officials are attempting to track them down for
monitoring.
Italy makes 12 vaccines mandatory for school children in an
attempt to combat 'anti-scientific theories'
The Independent - The new measures followed an intense public
debate over vaccines after a measles outbreak and political
sniping over accusations that the populist 5-Star movement had
emboldened anti-vaccine advocates. Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian
Premier, told a news conference that the new rules aimed to
combat “anti-scientific theories” that have lowered Italy’s
vaccination rates in recent years…. The government approved
making 12 vaccines, including measles, rubella and chickenpox,
mandatory starting this September for children attending Italian
pre-schools through the second year of high school. Other
required vaccines include tetanus, diphtheria, polio and
hepatitis B. The health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, said
children will not be accepted into nursery or pre-schools
without proof of vaccinations, while parents of children legally
obliged to attend school will face hefty fines for
noncompliance. The certification will be required every year,
she said.
A Quarter Of American Adults Can't Pay All Their Monthly Bills;
44% Have Less Than $400 In Cash
Zero Hedge - There was some good news and some not so good news
in the Fed's latest annual Report on the Economic Well-Being of
U.S. Households. First the good news. The report, …conducted in
October 2016, presents a "picture of improving financial
well-being among Americans", at least according to the
report.... Overall, 70% of the more than 6,600 respondents said
they were either "living comfortably" or "doing okay," up 1%
from 2015 and up 8% from the first survey results in 2013…. Now,
the not so good news. Nearly eight years into an economic
recovery, nearly half of Americans didn’t have enough cash
available to cover a $400 emergency. Specifically, the survey
found that, in line with what the Fed had disclosed in previous
years, 44% of respondents said they wouldn’t be able to cover an
unexpected $400 expense like a car repair or medical bill, or
would have to borrow money or sell something to meet it.
Troubling as this statistic remains, the overall share of adults
who would struggle to come up with $400 in a pinch has declined
by 2% from the last survey conducted in 2015, and down 6% since
2013.
We Now Know "Who Hit The Brakes" As Loan Creation Crashes To Six
Year Low
Zero Hedge - According to the latest Fed data, the all-important
C&I [Commercial & Industrial] loan growth contraction has not
only continued, but over the past two months, another 50% has
been chopped off, and what in early March was a 4.0% annual
growth is now barely positive, down to just 2.0%, and set to
turn negative in just a few weeks. This was the lowest growth
rate since May 2011, right around the time the Fed was about to
launch QE2. At the same time, total loan growth has likewise
continued to decline, and as of the second week of May was down
to 3.8%, the weakest overall loan creation in three years. …we
can now close the book on the WSJ's previously unanswered
question of "who hit the brakes?" The answer: the US consumer,
the driver behind 70% of US GDP, officially tapped out. In fact,
it was almost as if US consumers were hit by a perfect storm of
adverse events in late 2016 and early 2017, just as GDP was on
the verge of its first pre-recessionary contraction in years,
and just as the S&P rose to new all-time highs to distract from
what is emerging as an imminent US recession. Here's the bottom
line: unless there is a sharp rebound in loan growth in the next
3-6 months - whether due to greater demand or easier supply -
this most accurate of leading economic indicators guarantees
that a recession is now inevitable. How accurate: every single
time C&I loan peaked, a US recession follow[ed]. We doubt this
time will be different.
Another Hanford emergency: Signs of another leaking tank (Video)
King5 News - Hanford’s owner, The U.S. Department of Energy, is
scrambling to deal with the second emergency at the nuclear site in 10
days’ time. Signs have emerged that a massive underground double shell
nuclear waste holding tank may be leaking. The tank is known as AZ 101
and was put into service in 1976. The tank’s life was expected to be 20
years. Now it has been holding hot, boiling radioactive and chemically
contaminated waste for 41 years. A seven-person crew was undertaking a
routine job around 7 p.m. Thursday night. They had deployed a remote
controlled devise into the safety space of what is known as a double
shell tank…. A radiation specialist on the crew detected higher than
expected readings…. Detection equipment was then used to check for
contamination that might have become airborne and adhered to the
workers. They found radioactive material on one worker in three spots….
The AZ 101 contamination event comes just 10 days after a tunnel
collapse at Hanford that caused a site wide emergency. On May 9, workers
found a 20 by 20 foot cave in of a tunnel used to store highly
radioactive and chemically contaminated equipment from the Cold War-era.
In Urgent Request, US Special Ops Adds 350 Kamikaze Drones to
Fight ISIS
Defense One - Earlier this year, the military put out an urgent
request for inexpensive kamikaze drones that special operations
troops could fire from handheld bazooka-like launchers against
ISIS, according to documents obtained by Defense One. It’s
another sign that drone warfare is changing far faster than
traditional military equipping can keep up…. That delivery has
already been completed. AeroVironment officials confirmed to
Defense One that they recently delivered about 350 Switchblades,
a tube-launched drones outfitted with cameras and
cursor-on-target GPS navigation. The company bills the device as
a “miniature flying lethal missile can be operated manually or
autonomously.” It can fly for about 15 minutes, at up to 100
miles per hour…. The U.S. military isn’t alone in rapidly
experimenting with new types of drones. During a recent visit to
Mosul, Iraq, SOCOM commander Gen. Ray Thomas said he ran into a
pair of operators who had found an off-the-shelf rotary-wing
quadcopter adapted by ISIS weaponeers to carry a 40 mm weapon.
Facebook Internal Rulebook Leaked, Most Threats Of Violence,
Child And Animal Abuse "Acceptable" [Breaking]
Inquisitr - Facebook’s internal rulebooks on sex, terrorism,
hate speech, violence, and more have been leaked, and according
to a report from the Guardian, many will find Facebook’s
internal policies to be questionable…. Among the more
interesting excerpts, Facebook will allow users to live-stream
self-harm, on the basis that it “doesn’t want to censor or
punish people in distress.” Photos of non-sexual physical abuse
and bullying of children are allowable so long as there is no
sadistic or celebratory element. Videos of violent death, while
marked as disturbing, are also generally allowed, on the basis
that they create “awareness” of issues such as mental illness.
Animal cruelty is treated similarly; “celebrating” is not
allowed, but it is otherwise acceptable to raise “awareness” of
the issue. Perhaps most interesting is Facebook’s extremely
variable policy on threats of death and violence. According to
the documents, most threats of violence are to be considered
either generic, or not credible. According to Facebook, “people
use violent language to express frustration online” and they
should feel “safe to do so” on Facebook. Specific examples of
allowable, and forbidden, threats are included.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Mayor: Anything Not Permitted Under Law Is Now Banned (And That
Includes Gardens)
Off the Grid News - Columbiana, Ohio, is the latest city to
debate the legality of gardens, even if the two sides can’t
agree on what is up for discussion. Resident Tony Dolan claims
that the right to garden on a homeowner’s property is at stake.
The Columbiana city council at one point considered a proposal
that would have restricted gardens to back yards, although that
language was struck. “It has been frighteningly apparent that we
in this city have given our freedoms up in ways that we never
really saw coming,” Dolan wrote at the Columbiana for/against
Chickens Facebook page.Mayor Bryan Blakeman claims the gardening
ordinance is being considered because, technically, gardening
currently is banned. “Right now, if there is not something
expressly in this code that says that you can have one, you
technically can’t,” Blakeman told the Salem News. The newspaper
likewise reported that “if something is not permitted it is
prohibited.”
City Forces Homeowner To Rip Up His Own Yard And Pay For $8,500
Sidewalk
Off the Grid News - Homeowners apparently will be forced to pay
the city to rip up their front yards and install sidewalks under
a proposal in Grand Forks, N.D. “Sidewalks aren’t protestable,”
City Council President Dana Sande told The Grand Forks Herald.
“So once the city determines that the sidewalks should go into
your neighborhood, you have one of three options: you can either
put the sidewalk in yourself, you can hire a contractor to put
it in, or you can have the city hire a contractor to put them in
and be special assessed the fee. There are no other options.”…
The sidewalk requirement has been on the books for many years
but a previous council granted some homeowners a 10-year
exemption. The present council has decided not to honor that
provision. …homeowner Jared Johnson estimates the sidewalk he
does not want would cost $8,500. That would add about $100 a
month to his property tax bill.
Video: AMI Smart Meters Interfere With Human Heart Rhythms, EKG
Proves
Natural Blaze - One of the most intrepid independent lay EMF/RF
and AMI Smart Meter investigators Warren Woodward of Sedona,
Arizona, has taken upon himself to put AMI Smart Meters to the
heart test. [On] May 16, 2017 Warren emailed a most compelling
video “introducing ground-breaking new evidence that proves
everyone’s health is being affected by ‘smart’ meters.” After
the electrocardiogram test, Dr. Gilberto Leon, NMD, explained on
camera what happened when the graph registered a sizable glitch
in Warren’s heart rhythm when the AMI Smart Meter was turned on
after a perfect normal heart rhythm registered before the EMF/RF
exposure…. Consumers now have legal proof AMI Smart Meters
positively interfere with heart activity. Can you imagine what
happens to your heart when those meters operate 24/7/365 on your
home’s utilities? And many homes can have three AMI Smart
Meters: electric, natural gas and municipal water! AMI Smart
Meters obviously induce myocardial [relating to the muscular
tissue of the heart, the myocardium] stresses upon heart muscle
and its rhythms, as RFs definitely are heart stressors with
negative physiological consequences. That statement is not to be
confused with the stress test for myocardial infarction—heart
attack.
Negative Thoughts Harm Your Health By Damaging DNA
April McCarthy - Lose your temper on the road? Frustrated with
colleagues at work? You may be cutting your life short, warns
molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn--who won the Nobel Prize
in Medicine in 2009--and health psychologist Elissa Epel, who
studies stress and aging. The authors claim in their new book,
The Telomere Effect, that negative thoughts harm your health at
the DNA level. Research has shown that a person's "social
relationships, environments and lifestyles" affect their genes.
"Even though you are born with a particular set of genes, the
way you live can influence how they express themselves."
Blackburn and Epel say components of DNA called telomeres
determine how fast your cells age. Short telomeres are one of
the major reasons human cells grow old, but lab tests have shown
that they can also grow longer. In other words, aging "could
possibly be accelerated or slowed -and, in some aspects, even
reversed.”… Trying to suppress thoughts and feelings makes
matters worse. "The more forcefully you push your thoughts away,
the louder they call out for your attention... In a small study,
greater avoidance of negative feelings and thoughts was
associated with shorter telomeres." Even lack of focus is bad
for telomeres because "when people are not thinking about what
they're doing, they're not as happy as when they're engaged." To
reverse the harm to telomeres, try meditation and long-distance
running.
* Related:
4 Simple Ways To Stop Negative Thinking Before It Takes Over
When is a Banana Best to Eat?
REALfarmacy - Japanese researchers recently discovered something
fascinating about bananas; as a banana ripens, it produces more
antioxidants than its fresher brethren contain. When the banana
has dark spots on the peel, it produces what’s called TNF, or
Tumor Necrosis Factor, a substance that combats cancer and
abnormal cells. The darker the spots, the more powerful the
banana is at killing cancer cells. A ripe banana is eight times
more effective in boosting the body’s immune system than a fresh
banana is. So the best time to eat a banana? When it’s as ripe
as possible… Additionally, it’s worth noting, if you suffer from
type 2 diabetes, you may want to eat a ripe banana with nut
butter. The fats in the nut butter will slow down sugar
absorption in your blood stream so it doesn’t hit you all at
once, making it easier for your body to break down.
Friday - May
19, 2017
On This Day In History
1643 - Delegates from four New England colonies met in Boston to
form a confederation.
1847 - The first English-style railroad coach was placed in
service on the Fall River Line in Massachusetts.
1864 - The Union and Confederate armies launched their last
attacks against each other at Spotsylvania in Virginia.
1906 - The Federated Boys' Clubs, forerunner of the Boys' Clubs
of America, were organized.
1911 - The first American criminal conviction that was based on
fingerprint evidence occurred in New York City.
1921 - The U.S. Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act, which
established national quotas for immigrants.
1943 - Winston Churchill told the U.S. Congress that his country
was pledging their full support in the war against Japan.
1958 - Canada and the U.S. formally established the North
American Air Defense Command.
1962 - Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of "Happy
Birthday" for U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The event was a
fund-raiser at New York's Madison Square Garden.
1964 - The U.S. State Department reported that diplomats had
found about 40 microphones planted in the U.S. Embassy in
Moscow.
1967 - The Soviet Union ratified a treaty with the United States
and Britain that banned nuclear weapons from outer space.
1967 - U.S. planes bombed Hanoi for the first time.
1981 - The Empire State Building was designated a New York City
Landmark.
1992 - In Massapequa, NY, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot and
seriously wounded by Amy Fisher. Fisher was her husband Joey's
teen-age lover.
1992 - The 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into
effect. The amendment prohibits Congress from giving itself
midterm pay raises.
2003 - Hundreds of Albert Einstein's scientific papers, personal
letters and humanist essays were make available on the Internet.
Einstein had given the papers to the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem in his will.
2013 - The Yahoo board approved the $1.1 billion purchase of the
blogging site Tumblr.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Breaking: Comey Caught Committing Perjury to Congress?
Kit Daniels - Former FBI Director James Comey said he was never
told to stop an investigation due to political reasons during
testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 3, 2017,
which contradicts his new claim that Trump pressured him to stop
the Flynn investigation in February. Comey now claims President
Trump asked him to to shut down the federal investigation into
former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, in an Oval
Office meeting in February, according to a reported memo Mr.
Comey says he wrote after the meeting. The New York Times claims
this February memo is the “smoking gun,” but in fact it
contradicts Comey’s sworn testimony on May 3. During the Senate
testimony, Comey confirmed to Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) that
in theory, the Attorney General or senior officials at the
Department of Justice could stop a FBI investigation. The former
FBI director added it would “be a big deal to tell the FBI to
stop doing something that – without an appropriate purpose.”
“But I’m talking about a situation where we were told to stop
something for a political reason, that would be a very big deal.
It’s not happened in my experience.” Remember, he said this on
May 3, months after the reported memo he claimed to have written
after meeting with Trump.
Reuters Admits: “No Evidence of Collusion” Between Trump and
Russia (Video)
Paul Joseph Watson - A Reuters report detailing how Trump
campaign advisers were in contact with Russia during the last 7
months of the campaign admits that there was no evidence of
collusion between the two parties to influence the election,
dismantling the left’s entire Russian narrative. Although
presented as another major scoop designed to damage Trump, the
article, which is based on intelligence sources, completely
vindicates him. “Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald
Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and
others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during
the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race, current and
former U.S. officials familiar with the exchanges told Reuters.”
However, the true substance of the story is buried down in
paragraph six. “The people who described the contacts to Reuters
said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion
between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed
so far,” states the report. No collusion between Trump and
Russia. Let that sink in. The article also highlights how the
back channel communications were made with Russia in an attempt
to “bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both
sides considered hostile to improved relations.” In other words,
Trump wanted peace with the world’s other nuclear superpower
while forging ahead with a joint plan to destroy ISIS. How
terrible of him.
Trump Under Siege: More than 60 Percent of NSC Employees Placed
by Obama
Breitbart - Calls are growing for President Trump to “clean
house” at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, after a series of leaks
aimed at embarrassing and undermining the president sprung from
the White House this week. A White House source estimates more
than 60 percent of employees at the National Security Council
are not Trump administration appointees, but career officials
who were appointed to the White House from other agencies under
the Obama administration. The source said there are “whole
departments” at the NSC with only one Trump appointee. […] a
major problem for the Trump administration is that there is no
budget to bring in new people at the NSC until September, when
the new fiscal year starts, the White House source said. But
compounding the problem is that there are also hundreds of
political positions currently unfilled at departments that
interface with the NSC, such as State and Defense.
* Related:
Democrat Dennis Kucinich: “Deep State Is Trying to Take Down a
President – It Is a Threat to Our Republic” (Video)
Joe Lieberman Emerges As "Frontrunner" For FBI Director Post
Zero Hedge - With Joe Lieberman emerging as a potential
candidate for the FBI Director post only over the past 48 hours,
Trump delivered another surprise today when he told reporters
that he is "very close" to making his choice, with multiple
officials telling NBC News and CNN that the former Democratic
senator is now the current "frontrunner" for the job. The
president later confirmed that Lieberman has emerged as his pick
to replace Comey, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “he is.”
Trump also told reporters he could pick a new FBI director as
early as tomorrow…. According to NBC, on Wednesday, Trump met
with Lieberman, acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former
Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, and former top FBI official
Richard McFeely.
BUSTED: Trump NatSec Adviser Dina Habib Powell Leaks to NY Times
Democrat Operative Maggie Haberman
GotNews - Presidential Adviser Dina Habib Powell can’t stop
betraying President Donald J. Trump by leaking to New York Times
White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman, according to sources
close to GotNews and patriot pundit Mike Cernovich. Dina Habib
Powell is only the latest national security threat in the White
House…. In February, we revealed Deputy Chief of Staff Katie
Walsh as a White House leaker to the Times’s Haberman, resulting
in Walsh’s firing. On Tuesday, GotNews revealed Powell to be a
leaker, and can now report Haberman received classified
information from her.
Police Departments Stocking Up on Riot Gear in Preparation For
Summer of Rage
Paul Joseph Watson - Purchases of riot gear by police
departments are surging across the country as civil unrest
grows, with fears that major American cities could see more
violence this summer. According to an investigation by Muckrock
which is based on Freedom of Information Act requests, numerous
different police departments have spent six figure sums on
things like “bean bag launchers, smoke grenades, pepper spray
launchers, to plated body armor, helmets with protective visors
and throat guards, and aluminum batons,” in the last five years,
and the total outlay is increasing…. Rubber bullets, gas masks,
tear gas and flash bang grenades are also in demand. […] the
establishment’s effort to portray Trump as illegitimate by
pushing the idea of impeachment will embolden violent
demonstrators who have already caused mayhem on numerous
occasions, including immediately after Trump won the election
and on the day he was inaugurated. Explosive clashes between
far-left agitators and Trump supporters could also intensify if
Trump’s base feels that he is being sabotaged by deep state
entities that are attempting to bring about a coup de’tat.
Leftist demonstrators are also set to attend summer “resistance
camps” generously funded by the DNC where they will learn
tactics to prolong the “resistance” to Trump that began on
November 9. It’s set to be a long, hot summer of simmering
tensions and police departments across America are getting ready
for all eventualities.
Mike Pence Creates ‘Great America’ Leadership PAC
Breitbart - Vice President Mike Pence has created a new
leadership political action committee to help raise funds for
Republicans in 2018 and 2020. This is the first time a sitting
Vice President has formed this kind of leadership group,
according to NBC News. The group will accept funds to help pay
for Pence’s travel costs for various fundraisers for Republican
House and Senate candidates. But it could also help Pence build
a network of political donors if he decides to run for president
himself one day. Presidential hopefuls use PACs to dole out
funds to future congressmen in the hopes that they might return
the favor with an endorsement or political support in the
future.
Judge Says He May Have To Reject $142 Million Wells Fargo Fake
Account Settlement
Consumerist - Judge Vince Chhabria issued an order last night
asking lawyers for both parties to address a number of issues,
like an apparent sudden jump in the possible number of bogus
accounts. …total number of fraudulent accounts could be as high
as 3.5 million — a huge increase over the 2.1 million figure
that has been used since Wells reached its $185 million
settlement deal with federal and state regulators in 2016. How
did the estimated number of false accounts rise from 2.1 million
in the opening brief to 3.5 million in the reply brief?” asks
Chhabria, who also questioned both parties’ ability to provide
an accurate headcount of the various types of fake accounts that
were opened…. How can the Court be sure that all class members
who suffered actual damages will be fully compensated for actual
damages?” asks Chhabria, noting that customers whose credit
scores were dinged by the fraudulent accounts are a particular
concern. “What will the plaintiffs’ counsel request if one of
the settlement pools runs out of money for compensatory
damages?”
U.S. Airstrikes Hit Syrian Military Vehicles for Violating
‘De-Confliction Zone’
Breitbart - American airstrikes targeted a group of Syrian
militia vehicles after they ignored U.S. warnings and violated a
“de-confliction zone” on Thursday. CNN reports that the strike
occurred near a base American forces use to train allied Syrian
opposition fighters. A convoy of twenty vehicles approached the
town of An Tanf on Wednesday night, evidently searching for
opposition fighters and raising concerns among the U.S.
coalition. A total of thirteen vehicles penetrated the
de-confliction zone, but the U.S. did not take action until five
of them came with 29 kilometers of the base. When five Syrian
military vehicles persisted in approaching the base, the U.S.
conducted a “show of force” with two warplanes to persuade them
to halt. When the Syrians insisted on proceeding into the area,
the U.S. planes were cleared to fire. Although one of CNN’s
sources said it remained unknown whether the American planes
only fired warning shots, a second U.S. defense official said an
airstrike “did hit the convoy after the vehicles continued
toward the base.” According to ABC News, U.S. officials said
several of the Syrian vehicles were destroyed in the strike.
Voice of America News reports the decision to launch the
airstrike was made by a commander on the ground, and does not
reflect a broader change in U.S. policy.
US conducts drill aimed at destroying N. Korean weapons of mass
destruction – media
RT - American soldiers stationed in South Korea have completed
the ‘Warrior Strike 7’ exercise, which includes a ship-to-shore
air assault from a South Korean warship, according to the US
Army. The exercise took place at Camp Stanley in Euijeongbu,
South Korea, and the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex near the border
with North Korea, according to a Tuesday Facebook post by the
1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The post
also stated that the drill involved ship-to-shore air assault
from the South Korean naval vessel Dokdo. According to Yonhap,
US soldiers aboard a helicopter practiced an infiltration into a
mock facility of the enemy, in order to strengthen their
capability to destroy a mock WMD in a timely manner. South
Korean servicemen also reportedly took part in the drill. The
joint drills come amid increased tensions between the US and
North Korea, with Pyongyang launching a medium-range ballistic
missile on Sunday. North Korea said the launch confirmed the
“tactical specifications and technical characteristics” of the
rocket, which it claims is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
US to sign major oil deals with Saudi Arabia during Trump visit
RT - Oil major Saudi Aramco is expected to sign contracts with a
dozen US firms during President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi
Arabia, Reuters reports, quoting sources familiar with the
matter. According to the news agency, US companies Schlumberger,
Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and Weatherford will help Saudi
Arabia to develop local production. The Saudis will also sign
deals with General Electric and drilling companies National
Oilwell Varco, Nabors Industries and Rowan Companies and others,
Reuters’ sources said.
Le Pen French election victory would have triggered 'emergency
crisis plan' – report
RT - France was ready to deploy a secret crisis plan to "protect
the republic" if far-right politician Marine Le Pen had won the
election, a French magazine has reported, citing sources. The
plan included flooding the streets with police to maintain
order. Citing three senior sources close to the French
government and state organizations, France's L'Obs magazine has
revealed that a plan was devised because the country was fearing
"extreme violence" and chaos if Le Pen won the election against
Emmanuel Macron.
California Governor Jerry Brown Slams Taxpayers As “Freeloaders”
For Opposing Higher Taxes
Activist Post - Millions of Californians are outraged by a
recent bill that would increase the state’s gas tax by 12 cents
per gallon, and increase vehicle license fees by $50 per year.
All told, the plan amounts to a $52 billion tax hike. The
proposal has since been passed in the state’s legislature,
despite the fact that a majority of Californians opposed the
bill. The tax is so controversial that state senator Josh
Newman, who helped it pass, may face a recall election in the
near future. Amid this outrage, California Governor Jerry Brown
defended the senator and the gas tax in a recent speech, during
which he revealed how much disdain he has for middle class
voters who are tired of being taxed to death…. “The freeloaders
— I’ve had enough of them,” Brown said, adding that the approved
tax and fee hikes bring those charges to the level they were 30
years ago if adjusted for inflation. “They have a president that
doesn’t tell the truth and they’re following suit.”
Apple Is Lobbying Against Your Right to Repair iPhones, New York State
Records Confirm
Motherboard - Lobbying records in New York state show that Apple,
Verizon, and the tech industry's largest trade organizations are
opposing a bill that would make it easier for consumers and independent
companies to repair your electronics. The bill, called the "Fair Repair
Act," would require electronics companies to sell replacement parts and
tools to the general public, would prohibit "software locks" that
restrict repairs, and in many cases would require companies to make
repair guides available to the public. Apple and other tech giants have
been suspected of opposing the legislation in many of the 11 states
where similar bills have been introduced, but New York's robust lobbying
disclosure laws have made information about which companies are hiring
lobbyists and what bills they're spending money on public record.
According to New York State's Joint Commission on Public Ethics, Apple,
Verizon, Toyota, the printer company Lexmark, heavy machinery company
Caterpillar, phone insurance company Asurion, and medical device company
Medtronic have spent money lobbying against the Fair Repair Act this
year. The Consumer Technology Association, which represents thousands of
electronics manufacturers, is also lobbying against the bill.
Australian parents who don’t vaccinate their children will be
fined $14 per week by the authoritarian regime
(Natural News) If you live in Australia and want to exercise
your right not to vaccinate your kids, you’d better be prepared
to pay for that privilege. The new federal budget will see
parents who don’t vaccinate losing AUD$14 per week, which
equates to around USD$10.49 at today’s rate, from their family
tax benefit payments. The measure will be set in motion starting
July 2018, and it is expected to raise millions of dollars while
punishing those who don’t want to vaccinate their kids. Health
Minister Greg Hunt and Social Services Minister Christian Porter
have said that taking this approach rather than withholding a
supplement at the end of the year would be a good way to
constantly remind parents that they need to vaccinate their
kids. It will also apply to families who do not get their
four-year-olds a health check, which presumably is yet another
way to try to push vaccines on kids.
Diabetes Drug Invokana Must Warn Patients About Increased Risk
Of Foot, Leg Amputation
Consumerist - People with diabetes are already at risk of having
lower limbs amputated because of circulatory and nerve damage
that the disease does over time. However, in two clinical trials
of the drug canagliflozin, marketed as Invokana, Invokamet, and
Invokamet XR, patients taking the drug were twice as likely to
need amputations. Most of the amputations were of toes or the
middle of the foot, but some patients needed their entire foot
or leg removed, sometimes even above the knee. The two studies
lasted a year. In one, which had 4,330 patients enrolled, 5.9
out of 1,000 patients treated with the drug needed amputations,
compared to 2.8 out of 1,000 patients receiving a placebo. In
the other, which enrolled 5,814 patients, 7.5 out of 1,000
patients receiving canagliflozin had a foot or leg amputation
that year, compared to 4.2 out of 1,000 of the patients
receiving a placebo…. Discovering serious risks from taking a
drug after it’s been on the market isn’t unusual: A recent study
shows that one-third of medications have new risks discovered
after they’ve already been on the market.
Psychiatric Association Wants FDA to Expand Electroshock Used on
Children and Elderly
Health Impact News - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
allowed the electroshock therapy (ECT) device to remain on the
market without requiring clinical studies proving safety and
efficacy, and is considering the American Psychiatric
Association’s written proposal to expand ECT’s use on the
general public, including on children. According to the FDA’s
mission statement, the FDA “is responsible for protecting the
public health by ensuring the safety” and “efficacy” of medical
products, including “medical devices” (the ECT device included).
Due to the documented risks attributed to ECT, we are calling on
the FDA to prohibit its use…. Psychiatrists claim that modern
ECT is nowhere near as barbaric as the electroshock treatment
depicted in the Academy-Award-winning film, One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest. But the voltage and electrical current of modern
ECT is higher than it was during the era of electroshock
portrayed in the film, when patients used to break bones due to
the violent convulsions produced by the “treatment.” The reason
patients no longer break bones isn’t because there is less
electrical current (modern ECT uses a stronger current), but
because muscle relaxants are first administered, making ECT
appear less brutal. The muscle relaxant itself can be highly
dangerous, with the most commonly used ECT muscle relaxant
documented to cause cardiac arrest, prolonged respiratory muscle
paralysis and potentially life-threatening and/or fatal allergic
reactions. [Read More]
Sacramento Law Bans the Sale of Non-Rescue Cats & Dogs From Pet Stores
The Catington Post - In an effort to put an end to inhumane “puppy mill”
breeding operations, Sacramento lawmakers passed an ordinance that
permanently bans the sale of non-rescue dogs, cats, and rabbits by pet
stores in the city. Under the new law, individuals can still buy animals
from licensed breeders, but retails shops cannot sell them – they are
only permitted to adopt out animals that come from shelters, Humane
Societies and registered rescue groups. Sacramento is joining more than
200 other cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego,
Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Austin by passing the new legislation
which was designed to target puppy mills and backyard breeders, and also
to cut down on the vast number of animals that are euthanized in area
shelters every year. You can see a full list of cities with active bans
right here. All but one retail pet store under jurisdiction of the new
law already currently source animals from local rescue organizations.
“In many cities, animals are brought in from other states, from ‘puppy
mills,’ where they live a horrific life — especially the breeder
mothers, in cages their entire lives,” Front Street Animal Shelter
Director Gina Knepp said.
* Related:
People Are Shocked To Discover Where Pet Store's Puppies Come From
Thursday - May
18, 2017
On This Day In History
1792 - Russian troops invaded Poland.
1798 - The first Secretary of the U.S. Navy was appointed. He
was Benjamin Stoddert.
1802 - Great Britain declared war on Napoleon's France.
1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte was proclaimed emperor by the French
Senate.
1917 - The U.S. Congress passed the Selective Service act, which
called up soldiers to fight in World War I.
1931 - Japanese pilot Seiji Yoshihara crashed his plane in the
Pacific Ocean while trying to be the first to cross the ocean
nonstop. He was picked up seven hours later by a passing ship.
1934 - The U.S. Congress approved an act, known as the "Lindberg
Act," that called for the death penalty in interstate kidnapping
cases.
1942 - New York ended night baseball games for the duration of
World War II.
1951 - The United Nations moved its headquarters to New York
City.
1974 - India became the sixth nation to explode an atomic bomb.
1980 - Mt. Saint Helens erupted in Washington state. 57 people
were killed and 3 billion in damage was done.
1983 - The U.S. Senate revised immigration laws and gave
millions of illegal aliens legal status under an amnesty
program.
1994 - Israel's 3 decades of occupation in the Gaza Strip ended
as Israeli troops completed their withdrawal and Palestinian
authorities took over.
1998 - The U.S. federal government and 20 states filed a
sweeping antitrust case against Microsoft Corp., saying the
computer software company had a "choke hold" on competitors
which denied consumer choices by controlling 90% of the software
market.
1998 - U.S. federal officials arrested more than 130 people and
seized $35 million. This was the end to an investigation of
money laundering being done by a dozen Mexican banks and two
drug-smuggling cartels.
2012 - Facebook Inc. held its initial public offering and began
trading on the NASDAQ. The company was valued at $104 billion making it
the largest valuation to date for a newly listed public company
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Putin Ready To Give Congress Transcript Of Trump-Lavrov
Conversation To Prove No Secrets Were Revealed
Zero Hedge - As the quest to unearth just what Trump told
Russian foreign minister Lavrov continued, an unexpected
development emerged on Wednesday morning, when none other than
Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Trump did not share
any classified information or state secrets to foreign minister
Sergey Lavrov, and to prove it he was ready to hand over a
transcript of the talks between Putin and Lavrov to Congress if
the White House requests it…. As for the reason behind Putin's
generous offer: the Russian president said that the latest
reports about Trump revealing security secrets to Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have become "political
schizophrenia", and Russia is willing to help resolve these,
adding Russia highly appreciates results of Trump-Lavrov talks.
"We are seeing in the US a developing political schizophrenia,"
Putin said quoted by RT. "There is no other way I can explain
the accusations against the acting US president that he gave
away some secrets to Lavrov" and added that "it's hard to
imagine what else can these people who generate such nonsense
and rubbish can dream up next," said Putin. "What surprises me
is that they are shaking up the domestic political situation
using anti-Russian slogans. Either they don't understand the
damage they're doing to their own country, in which case they
are simply stupid, or they understand everything, in which case
they are dangerous and corrupt." "Anyway, this is a US matter,
and we don't want and don't plan to interfere," the Russian
president said.
Chaffetz invites Comey to testify next Wednesday
Politico - House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz is inviting
former FBI director James Comey to testify next Wednesday at
9:30 a.m. Chaffetz (R-Utah) told POLITICO he has officially
scheduled the hearing and is in the process of trying to connect
with Comey. The hearing will be the day the FBI is due to send
documents to the oversight panel. Comey hasn't officially
accepted the invite, "but wants to testify publicly as soon as
he can," one person who has spoken to Comey said. "They are
trying to connect," this person said.
DOJ Appoints Special Counsel for Russia Probe, Former FBI
Director Mueller
The GatewayPundit - Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein
appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel
to investigate the allegations of Russian interference in the
presidential election and rumors of collusion with the Trump
campaign. Mueller was appointed FBI Director by President George
W. Bush in 2001 and served an extra two years past his ten year
term at the request of President Barack Obama and with the
approval of Congress. Mueller served from September 4, 2001 to
September 4, 2013 according to Wikipedia. Mueller is good
friends with his successor, now-fired FBI Director James Comey,
according to a profile by Washingtonian published in 2013 with
the headline, Forged Under Fire—Bob Mueller and Jim Comey’s
Unusual Friendship.
If Comey Memo Is Real and He Held It and Did Not Turn It Over -
He May Be Prosecuted
Gateway Pundit - FOX News legal expert Gregg Jarrett argued
Tuesday that if James Comey obstructed justice and held onto a
memo of the president asking him to end an investigation then
Comey could be prosecuted. FOX News reported: Three months ago,
the then-FBI Director met with President Trump. Following their
private conversation, Comey did what he always does –he wrote a
memorandum to himself memorializing the conversation. Good
lawyers do that routinely. Now, only after Comey was fired, the
memo magically surfaces in an inflammatory New York Times report
which alleges that Mr. Trump asked Comey to end the Michael
Flynn investigation. Those who don’t know the first thing about
the law immediately began hurling words like “obstruction of
justice”, “high crimes and misdemeanors” and “impeachment“.
Typically, these people don’t know what they don’t know. Here is
what we do know. Under the law, Comey is required to immediately
inform the Department of Justice of any attempt to obstruct
justice by any person, even the President of the United States.
Failure to do so would result in criminal charges against Comey.
(18 USC 4 and 28 USC 1361) He would also, upon sufficient proof,
lose his license to practice law. So, if Comey believed Trump
attempted to obstruct justice, did he comply with the law by
reporting it to the DOJ? If not, it calls into question whether
the events occurred as the Times reported it.
CNN’s Bash Admits Comey Memo is “Deep State” Revenge Against
Trump
Paul Joseph Watson - In yet another anonymously sourced news
story, the New York Times reported yesterday that they were told
about a memo (without having seen it) where Trump told former
FBI Director James Comey, “I hope you can see your way clear to
letting this go, to letting Flynn go, he is a good guy. I hope
you can let this go.” The anti-Trump media immediately ran with
hysterical headlines accusing Trump of obstructing justice, with
several news anchors and columnists calling for his impeachment.
Amidst all the frenzy however, CNN’s Dana Bash let slip the
truth – that the memo is just the latest volley in the
Hillary-aligned deep state’s revenge campaign against President
Trump…. Former CIA analyst and retired U.S. Army Reserve
Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer echoed Bash’s sentiments during
an appearance on Fox Business with Lou Dobbs. “This is truly
deep state,” said Shaffer. “This is something being done by
those in the deep state to upset everything that’s going on and
try to undermine the president in every breath.”
Trump Administration Taps Sheriff David Clarke for DHS Role
Washington Free Beacon - The Trump administration tapped
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke to serve as assistant
secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for partnership
and engagement. Clarke, a tough-talking, conservative firebrand
recognized by his penchant for cowboy hats, announced the
appointment during an interview with a local Wisconsin radio
station Wednesday afternoon. "I'm both honored and humbled to be
a appointed to this position by [DHS Sec. John Kelly], working
for the Trump administration in this position," Clarke told WISN
Milwaukee. Clarke will begin in the position in June. The
position does not require Senate confirmation. Clarke, a Trump
loyalist who served as a surrogate during the campaign, was one
of three black speakers who endorsed President Donald Trump at
the Republican National Convention. He is a vocal proponent of
gun rights with close ties to the National Rifle Association….
Clarke's brazenness and tendency to fire-off provocative,
off-hand comments have contributed to his rise as one of
Wisconsin's most controversial political figures. The
law-and-order sheriff has frequently told Black Lives Matters
protesters to "stop trying to fix the police, fix the ghetto"
and referred to Ferguson demonstrators as "vultures on a
roadside carcass."
You Won't Believe Why Washington State Isn't Allowed to Prepare
for Nuclear War
Joshua Krause - With all the hype surrounding North Korea’s
missile tests, many states are reexamining their nuclear
preparedness plans, except in Washington, where apparently it’s
illegal for state authorities to even make those plan. According
to King5 news out of Seattle:… “State law does not allow any
advanced planning,” said Karina Shagren with the Washington
State Emergency Management Division. RCW 38.52.030, passed in
1983, says “The comprehensive, all-hazard emergency plan
authorized under this subsection may not include preparation for
emergency evacuation or relocation of residents in anticipation
of nuclear attack.”…. The author of the state law preventing a
nuclear attack plan, former Democratic state lawmaker Dick
Nelson, says at the time, Washington state was inundated with
nuclear threats, and the idea was to create an example of peace.
“It was about finding a middle ground we could all agree on,” he
said. Nelson also felt that if Seattle were to be attacked, the
chances of survival would be so low that a preparation plan
would have been moot anyway. Today, Nelson still says he has no
regrets. So in other words, the state decided that refusing to
prepare for a nuclear war would send the message that nuclear
war is bad and peace is good…or something.
Can Concealed Carry Be Banned? Supreme Court May Decide
Off the Grid News - The U.S. Supreme Court may decide in its
next term if citizens have a constitutional right to carry a
handgun for self-defense outside the home. Earlier this month,
the court “relisted” the case, Peruta v. California, meaning the
justices are still considering it. “I suspect they’re going to
grant it,” John Eastman, director of the Center for
Constitutional Jurisprudence and the former law dean at Chapman
University, told Fox News. The lawsuit was filed by a California
man, Edward Peruta, who challenged San Diego County Sheriff
William D. Gore’s denial of concealed carry permits to
applicants who did not show “good cause.” Gore does not consider
self-defense to be good cause for a concealed carry permit.
Autistic 7-Year-Old Cuffed at School, Held for 6 Days in Mental
Facility
Daily Sheeple - A 7-year-old special needs student was
handcuffed for misbehaving at school on May 9 and held in a
mental health facility for six days without the consent of his
parents, a Texas Fox affiliate reports. District officials claim
the boy was restrained for his own safety, but his arrest was
captured on camera and the photos don’t appear to show what the
officials claim. Contrary to what one would expect to see in a
picture of an out-of-control 7-year-old, the boy appears to be
standing calmly beside two uniformed officers. Finally released
on Monday, the boy’s family is outraged and looking for answers.
The family and their attorney said the school violated district
protocol by failing to seek consent before detaining their son
in a facility for nearly a week. It is unclear why he was held
for so long, but the family’s attorney said they were informed
that the boy was released once it was determined that he no
longer posed a danger to himself or others…. The child is
finally back in the custody of his family, but they have
requested a detailed account of what occurred on May 9, and they
have questions about whether the school’s staff members are
adequately trained to handle children with autism or other
special needs.
S Korea to Convince US to Turn THAAD Radars Away From Chinese
Territory
Sputnik News - The special envoy of the newly elected South
Korean president, during his upcoming visit to China will try
once again to convince the Chinese leadership of the need to
deploy the US THAAD missile defense complex on South Korean soil
and will propose a plan to reduce China's concerns. The plan is
to turn away the radars from China and direct them only toward
North Korea instead…. According to Yonhap news agency, it was
the US who noticed the launch of the North Korean Hwasong-12
missile and the South Korean military learned about it after
receiving a phone call from its American counterpart. However,
the fact that the data was actually received from the THAAD
radar became known later on after receiving clarification from
the South Korean side. No other details were provided by the US
military.
Victims of Communism Memorial Group Tells Networks to Stop
Whitewashing Crimes of Socialist Venezuela
Washington Free Beacon - Media attention on Venezuela has been
sparse, as the country is on the brink, with a food shortage, an
inflation rate as high as 800 percent, and violent crackdowns
and the detention of thousands of protesters who oppose
President Nicolas Maduro. Four more people were killed
yesterday, adding to the more than 40 dead and 750 injured since
protests began in March. Marion Smith, the executive director of
the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, sent letters to
the heads of CBS, NBC, and ABC on Tuesday asking the networks to
adequately cover the violence and failures of the socialist
country, which he says is closer than ever to becoming a
communist regime…. The major networks' nightly newscasts have
made only brief mention of Venezuela this year. ABC World News
Tonight with David Muir has mentioned Venezuela in two
segments.… World News Tonight also mentioned the food crisis in
schools on Feb. 14…. NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt did one
segment this year on April 20…. CBS Evening News with Scott
Pelley also has only mentioned Venezuela once this year, on May
4.
Hackers Offer 'Data Dump of the Month' With Nuclear Secrets,
Attack Tools
Sputnik News - On Wednesday the Shadow Brokers announced that in
June they would begin charging "monthly dues" for new hacking
tools that are potentially more dangerous than those used in the
ransomware attack that affected computers in 150 countries. "TheShadowBrokers
Data Dump of the Month" will offer members top secret
"compromised network data" from the ballistic missile and
nuclear programs of Iran, North Korea, Russia and China, along
with hacking implements for routers, operating systems like
Windows 10 and web browsers…. Though it isn’t clear how the
hackers acquired the NSA tools, the Washington Post reported
that former agency officials say the exploits are "identical" to
data seized from former NSA contractor Harold T. Martin III, who
was arrested last August for possessing 50 terabytes of
confidential information from US intelligence agencies. In a
Tuesday blog post the hackers said that if some entity purchased
"all lost data before it is being sold to the peoples," they
would "go dark permanently," as they would no longer have
incentive to operate…. Jerusalem Online quoted Roni Bachar of
the US-based Cybersecurity firm Avnet saying, "… But I believe
that the security companies, Microsoft and the others, will
purchase the tools in order to research them and develop
suitable protection."
UK gave Google's DeepMind access to patient data without legal
basis
Ars Technica - Google's DeepMind AI wing was given access to the
personal medical records of 1.6 million NHS patients on an
"inappropriate legal basis," the UK's top data protection
adviser to the health service has said. The London-based Royal
Free Hospital (RFH) inked a controversial deal with Google last
year, allowing its Streams AI app to be tested on the medical
records of sufferers of acute kidney damage. It apparently helps
clinicians to quickly administer potentially life-saving
treatment. However, [National Data Guardian Dame Fiona]
Caldicott challenged the hospital's claim that the transfer of
1.6 million identifiable patient records to DeepMind had been
processed as "implied consent for direct care."…. Caldicott had
written to the RFH in December explaining that she was advising
the Information Commissioner's Office on the common law duty of
confidentiality around the sharing of identifiable medical
records where consent is implied for the purpose of direct care.
Brain Injury or Mental Health Behind Most Military Misconduct
Discharges – Govt Watchdog
Daily Sheeple - More than six in 10 service members who were
discharged for misconduct had a brain injury or mental health
condition, and many of them are potentially ineligible to
receive health benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs,
a new report has found. The US Government Accountability Office
(GAO), an independent government watchdog agency, reported that
57,141 of the 91,764 service members who were separated or
discharged for misconduct from fiscal years 2011 through 2015
had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a
traumatic brain injury (TBI), or another mental health condition
at least two years before their separation.
The Comey Effect: Dow Drops 370 Points
Breitbart - Stocks closed sharply down on Wednesday as political
chaos in Washington, D.C. dominated headlines. The Dow Jones
Industrial Average fell nearly 373 points, or 1.78 percent. The
S&P 500 fell 43.6 points, a decline of 1.82 percent. The Nasdaq
Composite index fell 2.57 percent. It was the worst day for U.S.
stocks since September of 2016. The financial sector led the way
down, suffering its worst day since last June. Big banks were
some of the worst performing stocks of the day. Stocks have
rallied this year on hopes of tax cuts and regulatory reform.
Many investors now worry that the Trump administration’s latest
political troubles could delay or prevent the implementation of
its agenda. Wednesday’s declines reversed all the gains the
market had made in May.
What This City Did With An Abandoned Walmart Is Absolutely
Brilliant. You’ll Love It
REALfarmacy - Officials in McAllen, Texas, were faced with this
problem when their local Walmart shut down. Instead of letting
the giant store sit vacant, they did something amazing. They
transformed it into the largest single-floor public library in
America…. The library now boasts 16 public meeting spaces, 14
public study rooms, 64 computer labs, 10 children’s computer
labs, and 2 genealogy computer labs. Of course there is also a
cafe, a used book store, an auditorium, and self check-out
stations. This next part makes it perfect… What’s more is that
they host an incredible Farmers’ Market. Where you can get
everything you need. They even set up shop indoors in the
winter. And Nino’s RioPizza Gulino dishes out fresh handmade
pizza made with ingredients from the market! Even the grounds
look amazing. This has to be the coolest public library ever.
The WannaCry Ransomware Hackers Made Some Major Mistakes
WIRED - Despite the giant footprint of the attack, which leveraged a
leaked NSA-created Windows hacking technique to infect more than 200,000
systems across 150 countries, malware analysts say poor choices on the
part of WannaCry’s creators have limited both its scope and profit.
Those errors include building in a web-based “kill-switch” that cut
short its spread, unsavvy handling of bitcoin payments that makes it far
easier to track the hacker group’s profits, and even a shoddy ransom
function in the malware itself. Some analysts say the system makes it
impossible for the criminals to know who’s paid the ransom and who
hasn’t. An attack of this magnitude involving so many missteps raises
plenty of questions while delivering a sobering reminder: If actual
cybercriminal professionals improved on the group’s methods, the results
could be even graver…. “From a ransom perspective, it’s a catastrophic
failure,” says Craig Williams, a cybersecurity researcher with Cisco’s
Talos team. “High damage, very high publicity, very high law-enforcement
visibility, and it has probably the lowest profit margin we’ve seen from
any moderate or even small ransomware campaign.”
11-Year-Old Activist Warns About The Internet Of Things By Weaponizing A
Teddy Bear
Activist Post - 11-year-old Reuben Paul took the stage at the World
Forum cyber security conference in The Hague. “From airplanes to
automobiles, from smart phones to smart homes, anything or any toy can
be part of the” Internet of Things (IOT),” he said, a small figure
pacing the huge stage at the World Forum in The Hague. “From terminators
to teddy bears, anything or any toy can be weaponised.” “IOT home
appliances, things that can be used in our everyday lives, our cars,
lights refrigerators, everything like this that is connected can be used
and weaponised to spy on us or harm us.” Reuben demonstrated this fact
by first obtaining the numbers of audience members via their Bluetooth
connection, then taking one of the numbers to hack into his toy teddy
bear. The bear now became a surveillance and recording device….
Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that young Reuben is on his way to work
for the dark side. Instead he is shouting from the rooftop that we are
entering a very dangerous new world where the things around us become
“timebombs” as he calls them.
7-11 Korea Goes Full Big Brother With Smart Stores That Allow You To Pay
With Body Part Linked To A Card
Government Slaves - In conjunction with Lotte Card and Lotte Data
Communication, 7-Eleven has launched its first smart convenience store
equipped with a BioPay system at Lotte World Tower on Tuesday. BioPay is
a payment method that allows consumers to make transactions by
identifying themselves with a part of their body linked to a preassigned
credit card. It is the first such store to be opened by 7-Eleven in the
world, the company said. The HandPay system, in which individuals are
recognized by their veins, was chosen over other types of BioPay — such
as iris or fingerprint recognition — to maximize convenience, added the
company.
Health food stores raided for CBDs, police ridiculously claim
they’re narcotics
(Natural News) It seems that cops are now cracking down on the
sale of CBD oil, even if it’s made from hemp. Two health food
stores in Bismarck, North Dakota were subjected to police raids
this past week — for selling CBD oil. Officers from the police
force’s Narcotics division “visited” the Bisman Food Co-op and
Terry’s Health Products on May 11, both of which sell the
hemp-based product. According to a spokesperson from Terry’s,
they demanded that the owners remove the CBD oil products from
their stores’ shelves, but did not confiscate the items — and in
fact, the narcotics officers actually purchased some of the oil
for testing. The shop owners were reportedly told to stop
selling CBD products until the police were able to wrap up their
investigation. As it turns out, officials in North Dakota
declared that CBD would become a Schedule I drug under the
state’s own laws in December. Though the spokesperson from
Terry’s Health Products says that they were unaware of the
change, they and the owners of Bisman Food Co-op will face stiff
penalties if their products test positive for either cannabinoid.
They could be charged with Distributing a Schedule I drug, which
is a Class B felony and carries up to 20 years in prison.
7 Benefits of Eating Hemp Seeds You Won’t Believe
Dr. Axe - Hemp seed oil, or hemp oil, is made by pressing hemp
seeds. Unlike cannabis oil, which, where it’s legal, is often
used to treat pain and other health conditions, hemp seed oil
contains only trace amounts of THC and is used for many
commercially manufactured products…. 1. Rich in GLA - Gamma-Linolenic
acid (GLA) is a necessary building block for some prostaglandins
— hormone-like chemicals in the body that help smooth muscles,
control inflammation and body temperature, and are vital to
other body functions…. 2. Arthritis and Joint Pain - Research
has shown that hemp seeds and hemp seed oil can be helpful in
relieving rheumatoid arthritis symptoms…. For treatment, take
one tablespoon of hemp seed oil daily along with a quality fish
oil. 3. Weight Loss - Hemp is a natural appetite suppressant and
can help you feel full longer and reduce sugar cravings. Some
experts recommend that adding four tablespoons of the seeds to
your breakfast will help curb excess hunger the entire day…. 4.
Digestive Health - High in insoluble and soluble fiber, hemp
seeds provide more than enough bulk to keep your
gastrointestinal system regular…. 5. Hair, Skin and Nails - The
oil in hemp seeds penetrates the inner layers of the skin and
promotes healthy cell growth… 6. Cancer - The British Journal of
Cancer reports that the THC in hemp seeds can stop and possibly
reverse glioblastoma multiforme (a deadly form of brain cancer).
The journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment confirmed the
THC in hemp seeds improved advanced stage breast cancer.
Researchers from the University of Rostock, Germany, discovered
similar evidence that cannabinoids derived from hemp seeds can
inhibit cancer growth and metastasis, particularly in lung
cancer.
Alzheimer’s Patient Reverses Symptoms by Applying Coconut Oil On
A Daily Basis
Natural News Blogs - On February 14, 2016, Carolyn made the
hardest and probably the most important decision for her mother
and removed her from the toxic nursing home environment and took
her home to care for her. While in the care of the nursing home,
Carolyn’s mother was diagnosed with stage 6 Alzheimer’s. Stage 6
is also known as the “severe decline” stage…. Carolyn had read
about and was familiar with the benefits of coconut oil.
Immediately after her mother’s liberation from the nursing home,
Carolyn started liberally applying coconut oil. She would do
this twice a day, after bathing in the morning and again at
night before bedtime. Within 5 days she started noticing an
immediate and drastic improvement in her mother’s condition. Her
mother started remembering people and names she hadn’t in years.
She was able to communicate again…. These results may have been
shocking, but they are no surprise given the results of a recent
Spanish clinical trial…. The study concluded that there was a
statistically significant increase in test scores demonstrating
improved cognitive status in the control group that received the
coconut oil. The study clearly demonstrated the potentially
powerful positive effects of coconut oil on patients struggling
with Alzheimer’s.
* Related:
Coconut Oil Improves Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms
Protect Your Pet From The Dangerous Amphibians
Dogington Post - …Not native to Florida, Bufo toads were originally
brought to the area to control insect population in sugarcane fields,
but have quickly become a nuisance and a danger to pets. The
grayish-brown Bufo marinus toads secrete a toxin that is highly
poisonous to dogs, cats and other animals. They are most active in the
evening and after rain. Small dogs and cats are most at risk, but larger
dogs that encounter these toads can suffer severe medical problems.
Symptoms typically begin with mouth pain – foaming around the dogs lips,
swollen gums, or redness are usually evident. Other symptoms include
stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy. More seriously, dogs can
begin to exhibit neurological and cardiovascular distress including
seizures and irregular heartbeat, and death… To best protect your pet
from the dangerous amphibians, feed your dog indoors, don’t leave bowls
of water sitting outside, keep grass mowed and clear of hiding spots,
and always monitor your dog outside, especially if you’re in an area
where Bufo Toads are known to live.
Wednesday - May
17, 2017
On This Day In History
1756 - Britain declared war on France, beginning the French and
Indian War.
1792 - The New York Stock Exchange was founded at 70 Wall Street
by 24 brokers.
1814 - Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. Norway's constitution,
which provided a limited monarchy, was signed.
1875 - The first Kentucky Derby was run at Louisville, KY.
1940 - Germany occupied Brussels, Belgium and began the invasion
of France.
1946 - U.S. President Truman seized control of the nation's
railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and
trainmen.
1954 - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled for school
integration in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. The
ruling declared that racially segregated schools were inherently
unequal.
1973 - The U.S. Senate Watergate Committee began its hearings.
1987 - An Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in
the Persian Gulf, killing 37 American sailors. Iraq and the
U.S. called the attack a mistake.
1996 - President Clinton signed a measure requiring neighborhood
notification when sex offenders move in. Megan's Law was named
for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed in 1994.
2000 - Thomas E. Blanton Jr. and David Luker surrendered to
police in Birmingham, AL. The two former Ku Klux Klan members
were arrested on charges from the bombing of a church in 1963
that killed four young black girls.
2006 - The U.S. aircraft carrier Oriskany was sunk about 24
miles off Pensacola Beach. It was the first vessel sunk under a
Navy program to dispose of old warships by turning them into
diving attractions. It was the largest man-made reef at the time
of the sinking.
2007 - Trains crossed the border dividing North and South Korea
for the first time since 1953.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Murdered DNC Staffer Seth Rich Shared 44,053 Democrat Emails
With WikiLeaks
Zero Hedge - According to Fox News, though admittedly via yet
another anonymous FBI source, [Seth] Rich made contact with
WikiLeaks through Gavin MacFadyen, an American investigative
reporter and director of WikiLeaks who was living in London at
the time. According to Fox News sources, federal law enforcement
investigators found 44,053 emails and 17,761 attachments sent
between DNC leaders from January 2015 to May 2016 that Rich
shared with WikiLeaks before he was gunned down on July 10,
2016. … Then, on July 22, just 12 days after Rich was killed,
WikiLeaks published internal DNC emails that appeared to show
top party officials conspiring to stop Bernie Sanders from
becoming the party’s presidential nominee. As we've noted
before, the DNC's efforts to block Sanders resulted in Debbie
Wasserman Schultz resigning as DNC chairperson. These new
revelations seem to be consistent with the findings of Rod
Wheeler, a former DC homicide detective and Fox News
contributor, whose private investigation firm was hired by
Rich’s family to probe the case…. As you'll recall, Rich's death
[…] was reportedly shot from behind in the wee hours of the
morning but was not robbed of the nearly $2,000 worth of cash
and jewelry on his body at the time. … Shortly thereafter,
Julian Assange implied that Seth Rich was, in fact, a source for
WikiLeaks and offered a $130,000 reward for information leading
to his killer….
* Related: Wikileaks:
Seth Rich's new "family spokesman" is a professional Democrat
crisis PR consultant with the Pastorum Group.
* Related: Video:
DC Police Ordered To Stand Down On Seth Rich Murder
* Related: Video:
Bodies Have Been Stacking Up: The Video Hillary Clinton Does Not
Want You To See…
Globalist Mag Claims American Revolution “Was a Mistake”
Kit Daniels - The New Yorker, a globalist-oriented magazine that
advocates the overthrow of President Trump, suggests the
American Revolution “was a mistake.” An article by long-time
staff writer Adam Gopnik says America might have been better off
as a “social-democratic commonwealth” much like Canada, which is
still technically a constitutional monarchy under Queen
Elizabeth II. “And what if [the American Revolution] was a
mistake from the start?” He asks. “The Declaration of
Independence, the American Revolution, the creation of the
United States of America—what if all this was a terrible idea,
and what if the injustices and madness of American life since
then have occurred not in spite of the virtues of the Founding
Fathers but because of them?” “The Revolution, this argument
might run, was a needless and brutal bit of slaveholders’ panic
mixed with Enlightenment argle-bargle, producing a country that
was always marked for violence and disruption and demagogy.” In
other words, Gopnik suggests we ignore all the good aspects of
American history, including individual drive and innovation, to
instead focus entirely on the bad because “muh globalism.”
One Day, Three Serious News Stories That Turn Out To Be False
Blacklisted News - Three stories are making the rounds through
the media that are each based on false or widely exaggerated
interpretation of claims. North Korea, Syria and the U.S.
President are the targets. 2. Back in February Amnesty
International (which promotes NATO interventions) issued a
sensational report about alleged killings in Syrian prisons. As
we wrote at that time: A new Amnesty International report claims
that the Syrian government hanged between 5,000 and 13,000
prisoners in a military prison in Syria. The evidence for that
claim is flimsy, based on hearsay of anonymous people outside of
Syria. The numbers themselves are extrapolations that no
scientist or court would ever accept. It is tabloid reporting
and fiction style writing from its title "Human Slaughterhouse"
down to the last paragraph…. The U.S. State Department now
reused that fake report and adds wrongly interpreted satellite
pics to further slander the Syrian government: In its latest
accusations of Syrian abuses, the State Department said it
believed about 50 detainees each day are being hanged at
Saydnaya military prison, about 45 minutes north of Damascus….
3. The deep state is out to get U.S. President Trump impeached.
Yesterday a new, well prepared and coordinated campaign against
Trump was launched. Anonymous claims to the Washington Post were
"confirmed" by similar claims from (likely) the same sources to
Buzzfeed. The claims may have some grounds in reality but the
actual facts, even as described in shrill words, are harmless.
WaPo: Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian
foreign minister and ambassador…
* Related:
McMaster Responds To Wapo: “I Was In The Room, It Didn’t Happen.
The Story Is False”
Height Securities Begins Contemplating "Impeachment": Here's
What To Look For
Zero Hedge - Height writes that ending Trump’s viability as
president "depends on Republicans turning against him", as
impeachment proceedings can only begin with the majority party.
What the firm will be closely watching to see if the Trump drama
enters a potentially terminal phase: the main catalyst is Sen.
John McCain…. Sen. John McCain said that allegations Trump
shared highly classified information with top Russian officials
are "deeply disturbing," and added that "regrettably, the time
President Trump spent sharing sensitive information with the
Russians was time he did not spend focusing on Russia’s
aggressive behavior, including its interference in American and
European elections, its illegal invasion of Ukraine and
annexation of Crimea, its other destabilizing activities across
Europe, and the slaughter of innocent civilians and targeting of
hospitals in Syria," he said. He was not alone, joining other
Republicans who voiced similar criticism about Trump's actions
in the Oval Office…. Senator Bob Corker was even more blunt,
saying the White House is "in a downward spiral right now and
have got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that's
happening…. It was the harsh Republican response that prompted
Height Securities’ Peter Cohn to write a note to clients on
Tuesday that Trump's recent conduct "raises questions for
investors about whether senior Republicans will abandon ship."
A Random Walk Down Baltimore's Triangle Of Death (Map, Video)
Zero Hedge - As of Tuesday, 129 citizens in Baltimore City,
Maryland have been murdered, including nine in the recent week.
Baltimore City’s homicide rate is now ranked number one in the
United States surpassing cities, such as New Orleans, St. Louis,
and Detroit. The city has deteriorated so quickly this year that
the Mayor of Baltimore has called on Federal Government agencies
to restore order. According to WaPo, Baltimore’s homicide rate
“is more than triple Washington’s rate and higher than the
homicide rates in New Orleans and Chicago, two places that have
become national symbols of gun violence”. Michael Snyder from
‘The Economic Collapse’ blog has summed up Baltimore in his
latest article titled “Baltimore Has Become A Rotting, Decaying
War Zone As A Raging Opioid Epidemic Eats Away At The City Like
Cancer”. Referred to as the ‘Triangle of Death’, West Baltimore
City is a stark reminder if America doesn’t get her industry
back, this is coming to a town near you.
U.S. Supreme Court Won't Revive North Carolina Voter-ID Law
Bloomberg - The U.S. Supreme Court dealt an unexpected setback
to the voter-identification movement, refusing to reinstate
North Carolina ballot restrictions that a lower court said
target blacks “with almost surgical precision.” Turning away the
appeal pressed by state Republican leaders, the justices left
intact a ruling that said the provisions were racially
discriminatory in violation of federal voting-rights law. In
addition to requiring people to show a photo ID, the North
Carolina law reduced the number of early voting days and
eliminated same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting.
Cockpit access codes for United Airlines spill online
Ars Technica - If a 69-year-old United passenger being
manhandled wasn't bad enough for United, there's word that the
carrier's security codes enabling access to the cockpit spilled
online over the weekend. It wasn't some nefarious hackers that
disclosed the codes. Instead, an airline attendant inadvertently
exposed the access codes to the cockpits that were secured in
the wake of 9/11…. The Air Line Pilots Association said the
problem has been fixed. CBS said the codes needed to be manually
programmed for each plane in United's fleet, which has some
4,400 departures daily across the globe. All the while, pilots
were being told to continue with the practice of visually
determining who somebody is before allowing them into the
cockpit. Pilots can also override efforts by people trying to
enter the cockpit, even if the correct code was entered on a
keypad affixed on the outside of the cockpit door…. United
e-mailed employees, saying that "the risk of a breach of the
flight deck door is strongly mitigated by carefully following
the flight deck security procedures." The Chicago-based airline
also instructed employees that access code information "is
sensitive security information and sharing this with anyone not
authorized or who does not have a need to know is strictly
prohibited."
Russia Reacts To Trumpleaks: "We Want Nothing To Do With This
Nonsense"
Zero Hedge - With both the White House and Trump himself denying
that they had done anything wrong in response to the WaPo story
that Trump improperly shared confidential information with the
Russian foreign minister and ambassador, next it was Russia's
turn. And sure enough, on Tuesday morning, Kremlin spokesman
Dmitry Peskov said that "we don’t want anything to do with this
nonsense,” in response to reporter questions prompted by the
WaPo articles. "It’s complete nonsense" He did however
cryptically note that "Russia doesn’t forget about the principle
of reciprocity in relation to sanctions against its companies by
Ukraine and “unfriendly” actions that “violate rights of people
in Ukraine." Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Maria Zakharova interjected her traditionally cynical retort on
Tuesday when she advised that people don't read American
newspapers, in response to U.S. media reports that Trump had
disclosed classified intel. Zakharova said she had received
dozens of messages asking about the reports, which have been
denied by the White House. "Are you guys American newspaper
reading again? Don't need to read them. They can be used in
different ways, but there is no need to read lately it is not
only unhealthy, but dangerous." she said on Facebook.
Israel Minister: "The Time Has Come To Assassinate Bashar Assad"
Zero Hedge - Israel's Housing and Construction Minister Yoav
Galant called for the assassination of Syrian President Bashar
Assad following yesterday's US State Department report that the
Syrian regime was using a prison crematorium to hide mass
killings outside Damascus, the Jerusalem Post reported. Speaking
at a conference outside Jerusalem, Galant, a retired Israeli
Defence Forces general, said that in light of recent allegations
that Assad’s regime carried out mass executions and burned the
bodies of the victims, he had to be killed…. Galant also likened
the assassination of Assad to cutting off the “tail of the
snake.” After that, he said, “we can focus on the head, which is
in Tehran.” In a conversation with The Times of Israel after his
speech, Galant stood by his comments and acknowledged that
targeted political assassinations are considered illegal under
international law, but clarified that he “wasn’t speaking about
practicalities.” However, he added, “Anyone who murders people
and burns their corpses does not have a place in this world.” As
reported on Monday, the United States State Department accused
the Assad regime of carrying out mass killings of thousands of
prisoners and burning the bodies in a large crematorium outside
the capital.
US Nears Record $100 Billion Arms Deal For Saudi Arabia
Zero Hedge - Earlier this month, US officials said the US was
seeking to reach “billions” of dollars in arms sales to Saudi
Arabia as part of Trump’s visit to Riyadh. With a week left
before the visit, officials now say the White House is very
close to the deal, and that it will amount to over $100 billion
in sales. Details are still emerging, but the plan is for this
to set out a series of growing deals over the next decade that
will involve more than $300 billion going to arms dealers, not
just to arm the Saudis, but in extra aid to Israel to ensure
their “qualitative military edge” over the Saudis. White House
officials said the move would be good for the economy, and
insisted that building Saudi Arabia’s already substantial
military was “essential” because of regional problems. Saudi
Arabia, of course, spends much of its military budget invading
Yemen and trying to reinstall former President Hadi in power.
Given Saudi Arabia’s Yemen-centric foreign policy, US sales are
likely to be heavily on warplanes and bombs to drop on northern
Yemen, as the conflict has lasted far longer than the Saudis
anticipated, and there is little sign they are interested in
extricating themselves from the conflict anytime soon.
Hackers Unleash Second NSA-Developed Cyber-Weapon On Dark Web
Zero Hedge - While a second variant of the WannaCry(pt)
ransomware (based on NSA's EternalBlue exploit) was spreading
across the globe yesterday, The FT reports criminal hacking
groups have repurposed a second classified cyber weapon stolen
from US spies and have made it available on the so-called dark
web. On Monday, the WannaCry attack, which hit 370,000 computers
across 150 countries, appeared to slow. Europol, the European
police agency, said the spread of the virus had stalled in
Europe. But while infection rates have slowed, a Europol
spokeswoman warned, "we do not think this is the end of the
crisis. The hackers have already evolved the malware, and will
probably continue to do so." Notably as Europe woke up (and US
opened), the infection rate started to rise once again... But as
The FT reports, intelligence and law-enforcement officials said
they fear WannaCry may foreshadow a wave of similarly damaging
attacks, as criminals and others race to make use of digital
weapons that for years were only available to the most
technologically sophisticated nation states. At least a dozen
other NSA tools are currently being discussed and worked on as
the basis of potential new cyber weapons on hacking forums on
the dark web, parts of the internet not accessible via normal
search engines.
Louisiana Committee Passes Bill to Encourage Use of Gold and
Silver as Money
Tenth Amendment Center - Yesterday, a Louisiana House committee
unanimously passed a bill that would exempt the sale and
purchase of gold and silver from state sales and use taxes,
encouraging their use and taking the first step toward breaking
the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money. Rep. Stephen Dwight (R)
and Rep. Mark Abraham (R) introduced House Bill 396 (HB396) on
March 31. The legislation would exempt the sale of platinum,
gold, or silver bullion, ingots, or coins from the state sales
tax. It would also exempt certain numismatic (collectable)
coins.
Video: AMI Smart Meters Defined In Four Minute Cartoon
Natural Blaze - To most utility customers, AMI Smart Meters may be an
unknown entity, even though they have one on their electric service, and
probably on their natural gas and water utilities too! The goal is to
have at least 90 million AMI Smart Meters installed in the USA by 2020.
Larger cities already are AMI SM-retrofitted. Electric power prices may
rise! How interesting, since an ‘objective’ of AMI SMs supposedly is to
save consumers money. Well, in order to do that, think about making
dinner at 10 PM, running the dishwasher at midnight, or doing laundry at
2 AM in order to save on your utility bills. Otherwise, consumers, who
use power during peak hours, will be making mucho profits for utilities
bottom lines. What’s the meaning of the 2020 date mentioned in the
not-so-funny, but-fact-serious-cartoon? It apparently is a pre-set date
for AMI SM installation ‘completion’ so as to be in compliance with the
New World Order Agenda 21, which incorporates the AMI Smart Meter agenda
as part of the global surveillance schema being rolled out using
technology and all ‘smart’ appliances, including that beloved smart
phone.
GE moths to be released in New York State?
Natural Blaze - Cornell University has applied for a permit to execute
the world’s first open-air trial of a genetically engineered diamondback
moth (GDM). The purpose of this new GM insect is to reduce pest
populations of diamondback moths through engineering a new female
lethality trait (female larvae die, and males go on to reproduce until
the population is destroyed) into male GDM. Those pushing this new
technology have not completed any worldwide assessments of health and
environmental safety, and only the most cursory of environmental reviews
has been conducted by the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS). Unless and until all environmental and health impacts have been
reviewed, it is reckless to release hundreds of thousands of novel
organisms around the citizens and farms of New York State…. Concerns
include the contamination of crops with female GM larvae, which die
while feeding on the crop, and impacts of this single-species approach
on other pests which could cause increases in their numbers.
Scientists Fearful of ‘Ecological Risks’ Sparked by GMO Microalgae
Natural Society - Researchers at the University of California San Diego
and Sapphire Energy have successfully grown genetically modified algae
outdoors for the first time. They claim that the GM algae don’t harm
native algae populations and, moreover, can fend off deadly bacteria.
Genetically modifying algae makes them grow more quickly. Scientists
believe the technology could allow the creation of algae that produce
more oil, which can then be used to make biofuels or biodegradable
plastics. The genetically engineered algae also have the potential to be
made more nutritious, to feed livestock or people…. But this supposedly
glorious research is occurring outside of adequate regulatory oversight
and the EPA’s process of establishing and updating regulations for GE
algae to protect human health and the environment (although the EPA did
monitor the experiment). “This study confirmed that genetically
engineered microalgae grown in open ponds will escape and spread into
the environment. Once this genie is out of the bottle, there is no way
to put it back. Not only is it impossible to contain GE algae in open
air production, but there are currently no adequate regulations which
fully address its risks to our environment, from lab to final product.
Without this essential oversight, there should be no environmental
release or commercial uses of GE algae and other synthetic biology
organisms.”
Hawaii Seeks a Ban on Chemical Sunscreens in Effort to Save Coral Reefs
Waking Times - Around the world ocean’s coral reefs are dying as a
result of bleaching, water temperature increases, poor stewardship,
vandalism, tourism, and pollution, and worldwide attention is needed to
protect them. Now, in an effort to save coral reefs, Hawaii is making an
effort to ban certain chemical sunscreens for the impact they are having
on the breathtaking coral reefs surrounding the islands. Hawaiian
Senator Will Espero has presented a state congressional bill which would
outlaw the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, two
UV-blocking chemicals which are disrupting coral reefs as beachgoers are
washing tons of this stuff into the oceans…. Hawaii’s Department of Land
and Natural Resources has already urged the public to use reef-friendly
sunscreens, also noting that these chemicals are bad for human health:
“Besides damaging coral, oxybenzone may have negative effects on human
health. Oxybenzone and two other sunscreen chemicals, octinoxate and
homosalate, have all been shown to cause disruptive reproductive system
effects, due to their hormone-like activity. Oxybenzone and octinoxate
have also been associated with moderate to high rates of skin allergy.”
As Espero’s bill works its way through the halls of government, however,
resistance to his proposal is already being assembled by the sunscreen
industry.
UK gave Google’s DeepMind access to patient data without legal basis
Ars Technica - Google's DeepMind AI wing was given access to the
personal medical records of 1.6 million NHS patients on an
"inappropriate legal basis," the UK's top data protection adviser to the
health service has said. In a letter sent to the Royal Free Hospital's
medical director professor Stephen Powis, and seen by Sky News, the
National Data Guardian Dame Fiona Caldicott—whose job it is to
scrutinise the government when it hands over NHS patient records to
private companies—concluded that the decision to share the data under
implied consent was wrong. The London-based Royal Free Hospital (RFH)
inked a controversial deal with Google last year, allowing its Streams
AI app to be tested on the medical records of sufferers of acute kidney
damage. It apparently helps clinicians to quickly administer potentially
life-saving treatment. However, Caldicott challenged the hospital's
claim that the transfer of 1.6 million identifiable patient records to
DeepMind had been processed as "implied consent for direct care."
Delta Wants To Expedite Self-Service Bag Drops With Facial Recognition
Tech
Consumerist - The airline spent $600,000 on four new self-service bag
drop machines at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport designed to
allow customers to quickly check their own bags. One of those machines
will be equipped with facial recognition technology that can match
customers with their passport photos to verify their identity when
checking bags without the help of airline workers, which Delta says is a
first for U.S. carriers. Though some travelers might find it creepy to
have a machine scanning their faces, Delta says the tech will save them
time and free up airline employees to “seek out travelers and deliver
more proactive and thoughtful customer service.”
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Stay Away From This Brand of Organic Dairy
Dr. Mercola - In the U.S., organic dairy brings in about $6 billion in
sales annually.1 Consumers pay a premium for the milk expecting they are
getting a superior product. Organic milk (and meat) from cows raised
primarily on pasture have been repeatedly shown to be higher in many
nutrients, including vitamin E, beta-carotene and beneficial conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA). Organic milk also contains about 25 percent less
omega-6 fats and 62 percent more omega-3 fats than conventional milk…
Unfortunately, not all organic dairy is created equal… An investigation
by The Washington Post revealed that some organic dairies are nothing
more than CAFOs in disguise, selling higher-priced milk that is scarcely
different from conventional CAFO dairy. When the Post visited Aurora
Organic Dairy in Colorado, the company that provides organic store
brands to corporations like Wal-Mart, Target and Costco, a few problems
were evident right off the bat. For starters, the farm is massive,
housing 15,000 cows, "making it more than 100 times the size of a
typical organic herd," the Post noted. Further, organic standards
require that cows have free access to certified organic pasture for the
entire grazing season, but there are large loopholes in the requirement.
Related:
Cornucopia’s Dairy Report and Scorecard
Mushroom Powders Linked To Heart Health Benefits
Natural Blaze - Consuming Portobello or Shiitake powder may
protect your arteries from the detrimental effects of a high fat
diet, according to findings presented at Experimental Biology
2017. Mushrooms are known for their immune system boosting
properties as well as treatments for anxiety and anti-cancer
capabilities. For centuries, mushrooms have been used as
medicinal plants, and, more recently, have been a growing
component of a healthy diet. Mushrooms are low in sodium and are
good sources of fiber, bioactive compounds, selenium, potassium
and vitamin D, all which may contribute to a healthy heart
through anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic activities….
Consumer interest in mushrooms and their potential health
benefits has been growing in recent years, with demand for
Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, Maitake, and the rest has never been
higher and the global market was pegged at $18 billion in 2014
(up from $6 billion in 1999).
Never Use Body Products Containing This Toxic Ingredient
REALfarmacy - It might be a good idea to take a look at the
ingredient list on your facial cleanser, body wash, toner, or
moisturizer, and see if polysorbate-20 is on the list.
Polysorbate is a harmless sorbitol in its original form as a
sugar alcohol. Yet when it is used in personal care products, it
is treated with ethylene oxide…. The issue with any ingredient
that is treated with ethylene oxide is that it can then become
contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a potentially dangerous
by-product. 1,4-dioxane is a known animal carcinogen that can
penetrate into the skin. This ingredient has also been linked to
skin allergies. A class-action lawsuit has been filed in New
Jersey against manufacturers of children’s bath and personal
care products because defendants manufactured, distributed,
marketed, or sold products containing formaldehyde and
1,4-dioxane. The Organic Consumers Organization […] report shows
that the levels of 1,4-dioxane found in many personal care
products are 1,000 times higher than those found to cause cancer
in animal studies. They also add that according to the FDA,
“Skin absorption studies demonstrated that dioxane readily
penetrates animal and human skin from various types of
vehicles.”… In animal studies, high doses of polysorbate-20
resulted in developmental and reproductive toxicity. Moderate
doses are also linked with skin irritation.
5 Unique ways to use almonds
(Natural News) Aside from being a staple heart healthy snack,
almonds can be used in a variety of ways to make consumption a
bit more exciting. An article published in MindBodyGreen.com
listed five unique ways in using almonds. 1. Coffee creamer –
Unlike heavy coffee creamers, almond creamers are dairy- and
gluten-free, making it an ideal healthier substitute. 2.
Protein-packed snacks – According to the article, almond pulp or
almond meal can be used in making fiber-rich crackers. These
crackers could use some flaxseeds and additional flavors such as
nutritional yeast and rosemary. The article suggested making
almond-based energy balls in different combinations such as
almonds, dates and maca. Almonds, cherries, and cacao also make
for an ideal combination. 3. Almond meal and butter – The
article suggested adding almond meal or almond butter into a
variety of foods including morning oats, soups and stews. Almond
meals and butter can also be incorporated in smoothies and
gluten-free bread to increase fiber and protein intake. 4.
Exfoliating agent – Both ground almonds and almond meal are
excellent exfoliants that help eliminate dead skin, according to
the article. In addition, the almond’s high vitamin E content
could greatly benefit the skin. The article suggested combining
almond meal with honey and jojoba oil in making the exfoliant.
5. Skin treatment – Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which helps
revitalize the skin. According to the article, almond oil can be
used as a regular body oil, an eye-makeup remover and a facial
moisturizer.
New Study Confirms This Is the Worst Food to Feed Your Cat
Dr. Becker - The article at the U.K. diabetes site reports on a Swedish
study of a little over 6,700 cats, 1,369 of which had diabetes. The
cats’ guardians completed an online survey involving dozens of questions
about their pet’s breed, age, sex, spay/neuter status, general health,
body size, exercise habits, behavior, medications and diet. Based on the
owners’ answers regarding diet, the cats were divided into three groups:
cats who were fed dry food, cats fed wet food and cats fed a combination
of dry and wet. The kitties’ body types were also categorized as
underweight, normal weight or overweight. According to lead researcher
and veterinarian Dr. Malin Ohlund: "Through our research we found that
while obesity is a very important and prominent risk factor for diabetes
mellitus in cats, there is also an increased risk of diabetes among
normal-weight cats consuming a dry food diet…. Grain-free dry foods also
contribute to obesity and diabetes, because they are calorie-dense and
contain high glycemic potatoes, chickpeas, peas or tapioca, which
require a substantial insulin release from the body. All the carbs
(starches) in your cat's food break down into sugar. Excess sugar can
trigger diabetes…. The ideal nutrition for cats is whole, fresh and
unprocessed animal meat, organs and bones, with a small amount of
vegetables.
Tuesday - May
16, 2017
On This Day In History
1866 - The U.S. Congress authorized the first 5-cent piece to be
minted.
1868 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted during the Senate
impeachment, by one vote.
1881 - In Germany, the first electric tram for the public started
service.
1888 - The capitol of Texas was dedicated in Austin.
1910 - The U.S. Bureau of Mines was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1914 - The American Horseshoe Pitchers Association (AHPA) was formed in
Kansas City, Kansas.
1920 - Joan of Arc was canonized in Rome.
1960 - A Big Four summit in Paris collapsed due to the American U-2 spy
plane incident.
1977 - Five people were killed when a New York Airways helicopter,
idling on top of the Pan Am Building in Manhattan, toppled over, sending
a huge rotor blade flying.
1987 - The Bobro 400 set sail from New York Harbor with 3,200 tons of
garbage. The barge travelled 6,000 miles in search of a place to dump
its load. It returned to New York Harbor after 8 weeks with the same
load.
1988 - A report released by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop declared
that nicotine was addictive in similar was as heroin and cocaine.
1988 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police do not have to have a
search warrant to search discarded garbage.
1991 - Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address
the U.S. Congress.
2000 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was nominated to run for
U.S. Senator in New York. She was the first U.S. first lady to run for
public office.
2002 - The remains of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel
Pearl were unearthed in Pakistan.
2003 - Five simultaneous suicide attacks claimed the lives of 33 victims
and a dozen suicide bombers in Casablanca, Morocco.
2005 - Newsweek magazine retracted a story that claimed investigators
had found evidence the Quran was desecrated by interrogators at the U.S.
naval prison at Guantanamo Bay. The story had sparked deadly protests in
Afghanistan.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Push for Convention of the States to rein in government gains
steam
Fox News - When Democrats launched into a spontaneous chorus of
"Na na na na, hey hey, goodbye" on the House floor after the
passage of the American Health Care Act last month, it may have
marked a modern-day low mark in open hostility on the House
floor. It and numerous other cultural barometers – from cable
news contributors losing their cool, to contentious town halls,
to street fights – are signaling tectonic rumblings in America's
political health.
State Department: Renamed Al-Qaeda Not A Terrorist Organization
- Can Receive CIA Supplies
Blacklisted News - Max Abrams, a professor who works about
terrorism, came up with this new definition of "terrorism":
Nonstate actors who use violence against civilians for a
political goal and haven't been supported by the US…. Prof.
Adams remark came after a report by the Canadian CBC which found
that the U.S. has not designated al-Qaeda's recently renamed
organization in Syria as a "foreign terrorist entity". The U.S.
just offered a $10,000,000 reward… for Abu Muhammad al-Joulani
the founder al Al-Qaeda in Syria (aka Jabhat al-Nusra aka Jabhat
Fatah al-Sham). But newly again renamed organization which he
leads as the official military commander, the Hay'at Tahrir
al-Sham (HTS), is not on any U.S. (and Canadian) terrorist
entity list… The non-designation will make it more difficult to
prosecute members and supporters of the organization. Donations
and other support to HTS are now legal…. As long as HTS is not
designated as terrorist group the CIA, and anyone else, can
supply it with weapons and money without using any "Free Syrian
Army" cut-outs in-between…. As long as HTS is not officially
designated it will likely continue to have access to CIA
delivered TOW anti-tank missiles and other heavy supplies like
artillery munition. It will continue to prepare for new attacks
on Syrian government forces and Syrian civilians.
Report: Justice Scalia Believed Supreme Court was Being
Surveilled by Obama (Video)
The GatewayPundit - Judge Andrew Napolitano, Fox News senior
judicial analyst, went on FOX Business Network on Monday to
discuss allegations Senator Rand Paul and another senator were
under surveillance by the Obama administration. Napolitano also
dropped a bomb on the Obama administration spying on the US
Supreme Court. Judge Napolitano: Justice Scalia told me that he
often thought the court was being surveilled. And he told me
that probably four or five years ago…If they had to unmask
Senator Paul’s name to reveal a conversation he was having with
a foreign agent and the foreign agent was hostile to the United
States they can do that. That’s not what he’s talking about.
They’re talking about unmasking him when he’s having a
conversation with his campaign manager when he’s running in the
Republican primary. During the discussion Judge Napolitano also
said Barack Obama could be subpoenaed to testify if he viewed
the unmasked intelligence.
Supreme Court Throws Out State Rule Protecting Nursing Home
Residents From Having Rights Signed Away
Consumerist - In 2015, the Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled…
against multiple nursing home operators, concluding that while
power of attorney might give someone the authority to sign
contracts on your behalf, it doesn’t explicitly allow them to
preemptively waive your rights to a jury trial…. The Kentucky
court held that the country’s founding fathers “deemed the right
to a jury trial to be inviolate, a right that cannot be taken
away; and, indeed, a right that is sacred, thus denoting that
right and that right alone as a divine God-given right.” The
nursing home operators petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court… last
year, arguing that the Kentucky court’s ruling violates the
Federal Arbitration Act. That 1926 law states that arbitration
agreements “shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, save
upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the
revocation of any contract.” And today, in a 7-1 ruling, SCOTUS
agreed that their counterparts in Kentucky had indeed violated
the FAA by “singl[ing] out arbitration agreements for disfavored
treatment.”
DNC Faces Class Action Lawsuit After $1 million in Bonuses Given
Out
Observer - On May 12, CBS reported another class action lawsuit
was filed against the DNC for stiffing dozens of field
organizers all over the country for overtime work during the
2016 election while the DNC gave out $1 million in bonuses,
including more than $300,000 to Democratic National Convention
Host Committee Executive Director Kevin Washo. The lawsuit was
filed by Justin Swidler of Cherry Hill, N.J. on behalf of 40 to
50 field organizers against the DNC, Pennsylvania state
Democrats, and five other state Democratic Parties. “These
workers were out there in a campaign that was promising $15 an
hour minimum wage and expanding the overtime rights of workers,”
Swidler told CBS. He added the lawsuit seeks “fair pay for fair
work” and to hold the Democratic Party accountable to the ideals
it markets itself with…. Many of the plaintiffs in the class
action lawsuit worked 80 to 90 hours a week for Hillary
Clinton’s campaign and were compensated only $3,000 a month.
Hillary Emerges from Woods, Launches ‘Resist’ Trump ‘Dark Money’
Organization
Infowars - Failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary
Clinton announced the formation of a nonprofit organization
Monday, which aims to encourage citizens to “Resist, insist,
persist, enlist.” The former secretary of state unveiled her
Onward Together 501(c)(4) non-profit via Twitter, claiming she’s
spent the last few months reflecting on her defeat, and “yes,
taking walks in the woods.” On the Onward website, the group
claims its mission is to advance “the vision that earned nearly
66 million votes in the last election.” “By encouraging people
to organize, get involved, and run for office, Onward Together
will advance progressive values and work to build a brighter
future for generations to come,” the site states.
Trump Will Light White House Blue in Honor of Fallen Law
Enforcement — Something Obama Refused to After Police Massacre
The GatewayPundit - Trump released a statement on Monday
morning: “In humble appreciation of our hard-working law
enforcement officers, Melania and I will light the White House
in blue on May 15.” This is something the Obama White House
refused to do after five police officers were gunned down by a #BlackLivesMatter
sympathizer last July. At a press briefing in July 2016, White
House Press Secretary Josh Earnest blew off a request made to
President Barack Obama by a federal government police union to
honor the five Dallas police officers massacred last week by a
Black Lives Matter supporter by illuminating the White House in
blue.
1,746 American Adults Were Asked To Point Out North Korea On A
Map: This Was The Result
Zero Hedge - In April 2014… some 2,066 Americans were asked to
show where the Ukraine was on a map. The result, while leaving
something to be desired, was not terrible. Fast forward to this
weekend, when the NYT repeated the same exercise with the latest
geopolitical hotspot: North Korea. In an experiment led by Kyle
Dropp of Morning Consult, he asked 1,746 American adults to
point to where North Korea is on the world map…. The bottom
line: just 36% got it right…. the NYT provided the following
details explaining why the study was conducted: respondents who
could correctly identify North Korea tended to view diplomatic
and nonmilitary strategies more favorably than those who could
not…. They also viewed direct military engagement – in
particular, sending ground troops – much less favorably than
those who failed to locate North Korea…. However what was far
more surprising according to the Morning Consult survey, is that
on average, Republicans – and Republican men in particular –
were more likely to correctly locate North Korea than Democratic
men. And Republicans were more likely to be in favor of almost
all the diplomatic solutions posed by the researchers.
Report: U.S., British Forces Enter Southern Syria Alongside
Terrorists; Is A Bigger Battle Shaping Up?
Activist Post - Days after reports that Damascus was on high
alert due to increased U.S. troop levels on the Jordanian border
and an apparent preparation for an invasion from the south and
southeast, the United States and Britain have indeed pushed into
Syria from the very location earlier reports suggested would be
used…. SMART News Agency has provided video evidence of their
claims. This video reportedly shows several military personnel
in armed Humvees engaging in a firefight alongside terrorist
forces, who were operating the cameras. Indeed, the familiar
“Allahu Akbar” chant can be heard throughout the video…. This
movement of troops is significant because their goal could be to
cut off the Syrian military’s progress toward Deir ez-Zour.
Essentially, it is a way to prevent the Syrian military from
lifting the siege of the city and prevent its progress in the
east without violating the Russian No Fly Zone over other parts
of the country…. A U.S. / British / Military presence in the
area, however, could also lead to a direct confrontation between
Western and Syrian forces. Syria has repeatedly warned against
Jordanian and Western aggression and the Syrian government does
not appear willing to allow the United States to cut off its
progress toward Deir ez-Zour. Some reports coming out of the
Middle East have reported that the Syrian military is in the
process of dispatching troops to the area. These reports,
however, are unconfirmed.
ISIS Commanders Join "Moderate" Syrian Rebels
Zero Hedge - Once again confirming that there is no such thing
as a "moderate" Syrian rebel (although there certainly is for
State Department funding and arming purposes), on Friday, two
prominent ISIS commanders have left the ranks of the caliphate
to join forces with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters, i.e.,
"moderate rebels" on the provincial border between Homs and Deir
Ezzor, al Masdar news reported. After communicating with FSA
contingents, Ghassan Al-Sankeh and Mahmoud Al-Faraj arrived in
Badia in central Syria and defected quietly, leaving behind ISIS
fighters under their command in rural Deir Ezzor. Meanwhile,
with ISIS' oil funding almost entirely gone, and its fighters on
the defensive in both Syria and Iraq, it is now quietly melding
back into other opposition groups that have been cheered,
supported and armed by the west. In other words, ISIS is
returning back to where it started.
New Variant Of "WannaCry" Virus Emerges Infecting 3,600
Computers Per Hour
Zero Hedge - The initial attack was stifled when a security
researcher disabled a key mechanism used by the worm to spread,
but experts warned the hackers were likely to mount a second
attack because so many users of personal computers with
Microsoft operating systems couldn’t or didn’t download a
security patch released in March that Microsoft had labeled
“critical.”… However, new variants of the rapidly replicating
malware were discovered Sunday. One did not include the
so-called kill switch that allowed researchers to interrupt the
malware's spread Friday by diverting it to a dead end on the
internet. As Bloomberg reports that Matt Suiche, founder of
United Arab Emirates-based cyber security firm Comae
Technologies warns a new version of the ransomware may have also
been spreading over the weekend. About 50% of machines that
would have spread the infection by the second variation of the
malware have Russian I.P. addresses, according to Suiche. Over
40,000 machines appear to have been infected by the second
variation of the malware already. Update: according to the
latest data from Check Point Software, cited by Reuters, a new
variant of the WannaCry ransomware is now infecting on average
3,600 computers per hour.
Putin: Malware created by intelligence services can backfire on
its creators
RT - The ransomware that hit computers across the world could
backfire on its creators, Russian President Vladimir Putin said
in Beijing, adding that the implications of the global hack
attack need to be discussed on a political level. The ransomware
was apparently developed in the US, Putin said. “Microsoft’s
management has made it clear that the virus originated from US
intelligence services,” the Russian president stressed. Putin
added that launching cyber-viruses is “lifting a lid” that
“could backfire on those who developed and created them,”
including intelligence agencies.
Sweden in hot water for giving Christian asylum seekers Bible
quizzes
RT - A few questions on the quiz cited by Swedish SVT
broadcaster included: “How many parts are there in the New
Testament?” “Can you tell us about the Trinity? “What is the
difference between the Orthodox and the Protestant church?” “Can
you tell us about the Letter to the Romans?” Some of the asylum
seekers became Christians in their home country and fled because
of persecution, while others just wanted to leave Islam, SVT
reports. Religious persecution can be a reason for applying for
asylum in Sweden…. Some representatives of the Church of Sweden
were hesitant to support the idea of administering detailed
‘Christianity quizzes.’ “Migration Board tests the knowledge of
Christianity, not faith,” a deacon of a Swedish church that has
been working with Christian asylum seekers for years told SVT on
condition of anonymity. The deacon’s church has already begun
writing a handbook of facts on Christianity to prepare asylum
seekers for their interviews with the Migration Agency, SVT
said. Hans-Erik Nordin, Bishop of the Diocese of Strängnäs in
southeastern Sweden, was curious about how much the Migration
Agency itself actually knows about religion.
Germany Confiscating Homes to Use for Migrants
The Gatestone Institute - Authorities in Hamburg, the
second-largest city in Germany, have begun confiscating private
dwellings to ease a housing shortage — one that has been acutely
exacerbated by Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to allow more
than two million migrants into the country in recent years. City
officials have been seizing commercial properties and converting
them into migrant shelters since late 2015, when Merkel opened
German borders to hundreds of thousands of migrants from Africa,
Asia and the Middle East. Now, however, the city is
expropriating residential property units owned by private
citizens. In an unprecedented move, Hamburg authorities recently
confiscated six residential units in the Hamm district near the
city center. The units, which are owned by a private landlord,
are in need of repair and have been vacant since 2012. A trustee
appointed by the city is now renovating the properties and will
rent them — against the will of the owner — to tenants chosen by
the city. District spokeswoman Sorina Weiland said that all
renovation costs will be billed to the owner of the properties.
Financial Weapons Of Mass Destruction: The Top 25 U.S. Banks
Have 222 Trillion Dollars Of Exposure To Derivatives
The Financial Collapse Blog - The recklessness of the “too big
to fail” banks almost doomed them the last time around, but
apparently they still haven’t learned from their past mistakes.
Today, the top 25 U.S. banks have 222 trillion dollars of
exposure to derivatives. In other words, the exposure that these
banks have to derivatives contracts is approximately equivalent
to the gross domestic product of the United States times twelve.
As long as stock prices continue to rise and the U.S. economy
stays fairly stable, these extremely risky financial weapons of
mass destruction will probably not take down our entire
financial system. But someday another major crisis will
inevitably happen, and when that day arrives the devastation
that these financial instruments will cause will be absolutely
unprecedented…. According to financial expert Jim Rickards,
[Warren] Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is hoarding 86
billion dollars in cash because he is likely anticipating a
major stock market downturn… Warren Buffett didn’t become one of
the wealthiest men in the entire world by being stupid. He knows
that stocks are ridiculously overvalued at this point, and he is
poised to make his move after the pendulum swings in the other
direction. And he might not have too long to wait.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK! $697,177 for a 'Climate-Change Musical'
InvestmentWatch - [The ] WSJ reports: The [National Science Foundation],
whose mission is to ensure U.S. leadership in areas of science and
technology that are essential to economic growth and national security,
frequently funds politically correct but low-value research projects. A
few doozies include the veiling-fashion industry in Turkey, Viking
textiles in Iceland, the “social impacts” of tourism in the northern tip
of Norway, and whether hunger causes couples to fight (using the number
of pins stuck in voodoo dolls as a measure of aggressive feelings).
Research funding in the geosciences, including climate change, is
certainly legitimate, but not when it goes to ludicrous boondoggles such
as a climate-change musical that cost $697,177 to produce. The primary
culprit is the NSF’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic
Sciences, known as SBE. Underlying its ability to dispense grants is the
wrongheaded notion that social-science projects such as a study of
animal depictions in National Geographic and a climate change musical
are as important as research to identify early markers for Alzheimer’s
disease or pancreatic cancer.
The Pentagon's New Algorithmic Warfare Cell Gets Its First Mission: Hunt
ISIS
Defense One - By year’s end, the Pentagon wants computers to be leading
the hunt for Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, through turning
countless hours of aerial surveillance video into actionable
intelligence. It’s part of Project Maven, a fast-moving effort launched
last month by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work to accelerate, improve,
and put to wider use the military’s use of machine learning…. The
Pentagon has raced to buy and deploy drones that carry high-resolution
cameras over the past decade and a half of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But on the back end, stateside analysts are overwhelmed. Pentagon
leaders hope technology can ease the burden on the workforce while
producing better results on the battlefield…. Officials see the effort
to automate intelligence processing as the starting point for using new
technology in other military functions. “There are a thousand things we
want to do with artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep
learning, computer vision, but everybody has cautioned us, don’t take on
too much the first time you do this,” [Air Force Lt. Gen. John N.T.“Jack”]
Shanahan said. “You have to go after a manageable problem, solve it,
show early wins and then start to open Pandora’s box and go after all of
these other challenges across the department.”
Experts Warn of Second Round of Cyberattacks Following Friday's Massive
Hack
Sputnik News - Friday’s massive global cyberattack affected more than
300,000 computers in 150 countries. Though some facilities were able to
combat the first wave, British cybersecurity officials said Monday that
new malware attacks are possible, “at a significant scale.”…. On Friday,
Dr. Binoy Kampmark, Senior Lecturer at RMIT University in Melbourne told
Radio Sputnik that although the tactics used in this latest hack aren’t
new, it hasn’t been seen on this scale before, and noted that future
attacks are likely. He said, "The reality is that these particular
systems are going to be used, more will be coming out because this is
after all a new frontier … we are set to deal with matters of security
in this way, which connect intelligence agencies but also those in the
private sector. So, we are concerned essentially about security of data
both in a private and a public sense, so we can expect more of that, I'm
afraid."
TV Networks Watch You Back With The Help Of Big Data
Consumerist - … according to the L.A. Times, networks are trying to
reassure advertisers of two things: They know a lot about their viewers
and they know how to reach those viewers who fast-forward through
commercials. One of the criteria that networks have used in choosing
their programming for the 2017-2018 TV year is whether a show lends
itself to product placement. If you watched American Idol in its
original incarnation on Fox, Coca-Cola and Ford are probably burned onto
your brain, and that’s one of the reasons why ABC decided to revive the
singing contest…. Networks also want to harness Big Data to find the
right people to advertise to. This is a specialty of NBC Universal,
which is of course owned by cable giant Comcast. Quietly gathering
viewing data about its customers from their DVRs and cable boxes and
matching it up with information from the U.S. Census and consumer
databases, TV networks will be able to tell advertisers a lot about you.
NBC is able to use the data it has to sell ads it may not otherwise have
sold.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
County may press for quarantine of an organic farm
Capital Press - Sherman County may order owners of a 2,000-acre
organic farm to spray noxious weeds or face a possible
quarantine….. The issue has blown up on social media. The
manager of Azure Farms, Nathan Stelzer, urged supporters to
“Overwhelm the Sherman County representatives with your voice.”
A video posted on the farm website called for people to express
their outrage reportedly has resulted in hundreds of phone calls
and thousands of emails to county officials. The issue may come
to a head Wednesday when the county’s Board of Commissioners
takes up the issue. The county is expecting such a crowd that it
moved the session from the courthouse to the Sherman County
School gym… Oregon Tilth, which certifies organic operations, is
calling for calm and urging the county to pause its enforcement
timeline. Executive Director Chris Schreiner said Oregon Tilth
hopes mediation can result in a weed management plan that allows
Azure Farms to retain its certification while addressing
concerns of neighboring farmers. Wheat farmer Bryan Cranston,
who grows certified seed next to Azure Farms, said its weed
problems have gotten progressively worse over the years.
Cranston said he spoke to Selzer and told him, “I don’t drift
chemicals on you, I’d appreciate it if weeds don’t drift on me.”
Cranston said he told Selzer, “I grow seed wheat to garner more
out of the market, you grow organic to garner more out of the
market — we have a lot in common here.” But he added, “You’re
messing me up.”
5 ‘Survival Insurance’ Trees Every Homesteader Should Plant
Off the Grid News - 1. Hazelnut - Nuts are one of the most
nutrient-dense, long-term storage crops you can grow, and
hazelnuts top the list of best nuts to plant. This is because of
their exceptional nutritional value as well as their ability to
produce quickly, within 4-5 years. Keep the nut shell on and
store in a cool, dry place, and it should store for at least 12
months. An edible oil can be extracted from the seed…. 2. Walnut
- The nuts are high in calories and nutrients, with a sweet,
rich flavor. They can be stored like other nuts (dried, kept
cool and dark) and will keep for up to 6 months, though roasting
extends storage times…. 3. Shagbark Hickory - Much the same as
walnut, particularly the edible nut. Hickory nuts store better
than walnuts, however, keep for up to 2 years. The seed also can
be ground into a meal and used as a thickener, while it is also
sweet and delicious on its own…. 4. Mulberry - Mulberry has a
sweet and delicious edible berry that is usually produced in
abundance, and can be eaten fresh (although it doesn’t keep
well), made into preserves, or dried…. 5. Honey Locust - Seeds
are edible raw or cooked, with a taste similar to peas, and they
are high in carbs and protein. Seed pulp is sweet and can be
eaten or used as a sugar substitute. Pods also are great
livestock fodder, and the tender young seedpods are edible
cooked. The tree fixes nitrogen so is a good companion plant for
many other plants, and can be used to make a “living fence” by
planting them densely in rows and then keeping them trimmed.
Wood is very rot-resistant and can be useful for making tools or
fence posts (although living fences are much smarter since they
never rot)….
One in three new drugs have serious—and sometimes deadly—safety
issues
What Doctors Don't Tell You - There's something seriously wrong
with our drug approval processes. One in three drugs that pass
all the usual checks before being given a license are unsafe,
and are causing serious—and sometimes deadly—health reactions in
patients. The safety concerns are so serious that the drug
either is pulled from the market, or the drug regulator is
forced to issue special warnings that the drug can have fatal
effects. The dangers of the new drugs often don't come to light
until four years after they have been licensed, which means that
many thousands of patients may have been affected…. Researchers
from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston uncovered the
failures in safety testing when they looked at the track record
of 222 new drugs that had been passed as safe by America's drug
regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), between 2001
and 2010. One in three of these had a 'safety event', the
researchers discovered, which included three drugs which were
withdrawn because they were so dangerous, 61 had 'boxed
warnings'—the FDA's most serious alert before a drug is taken
off the market, and means the drug may be a killer—and 59 had
their safety questioned…. The drugs with potentially fatal
effects included SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
antidepressants, antipsychotics and a new class of drugs that
treats auto-immune problems.
Antidepressants in Pregnancy Tied to Autism
Alliance for Natural Health - After extensive reports showing
the negative effects of antidepressants, this new study, which
looked at nearly 150,000 babies, has found a link between
antidepressants taken during pregnancy and autism in young
children. Children of women who took antidepressants during the
second and third trimesters of pregnancy were 87% more likely to
develop autism than kids born to women who didn’t take the
drugs. This is just the latest reason to be wary of these drugs.
We’ve reported previously that there is good evidence to suggest
that these mind-altering drugs have played a part in a large
percentage of the mass shootings that have occurred in the last
few decades. Important research has shown major drugs like Paxil
and Prozac to be linked with violence at a substantially higher
rate than other drugs—users of Paxil are 10.3 times more likely
to do violence to themselves or others, while users of Prozac
are 10.9 times more likely to commit those acts. There is not
merely an increased risk of suicide, which is now on the label;
there is also a dramatically increased risk of violence toward
others.
11 Surprising Benefits of Coconut Oil
Organic Facts - People are discovering the wonders this oil can
create and it is again gaining popularity throughout the world.
Let us look at some of the known benefits of coconut oil…. 1.
Skin care: Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil that acts as
an effective moisturizer on all types of skin, including dry
skin. Unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any
adverse side effects on the skin from the application of coconut
oil. 2. Hair care: Coconut oil helps in healthy growth of hair
and gives your hair a shiny quality. It is also highly effective
in reducing protein loss, which can lead to various unattractive
or unhealthy qualities in your hair…. By regularly massaging
your head with coconut oil, you can ensure that your scalp is
free of dandruff, even if your scalp is chronically dry. It also
helps in keeping your hair and scalp free from lice and lice
eggs. 3. Heart diseases: There is a misconception spread among
many people that coconut oil is not good for heart health. This
is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. In
reality, it is quite beneficial for the heart. It contains about
50% lauric acid, which helps in actively preventing various
heart problems like high cholesterol levels and high blood
pressure. Coconut oil does not lead to increase in LDL levels,
and it reduces the incidence of injury and damage to arteries,
and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis. 4. Weight
loss: Coconut oil is very useful for weight loss. It contains
short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off
excessive weight. 5. Immunity: It strengthens the immune system
because it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric
acid and caprylic acid, which have antifungal, antibacterial and
antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into
monolaurin, which research has supported as an effective way to
deal with viruses and bacteria…
3 Simple Ways Apple Cider Vinegar Can Help Your Dog
Dogs Naturally - While apple cider vinegar has been touted to help with
everything from boosting the immune system and detoxifying kidneys to
helping lower cholesterol, here are three popular ways it can help your
dog…. Itchy Skin: ACV can help relieve itchy skin and rashes caused by
yeast and poison ivy. The best way to apply is by making a 50/50
solution of apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle and applying
directly onto itchy spots, but NOT open wounds – the vinegar will sting
if the wound is raw. If you can’t apply topically and yeast is the main
concern, you can feed ACV in your pet’s food or water…. Ear Cleaner:
Itchy skin is often accompanied by itchy ears – and nobody wants that.
Holistic veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker recommends a proactive cleaning
regimen using half ACV and half purified water to prevent ear
infection…. Flea and Tick Repellant: Before your dog goes out, spray him
with that 50/50 solution of ACV and water…. NOTE: When using apple cider
vinegar internally or topically, remember to monitor your dog for any
adverse reactions. Some dogs may need a lesser dose and some dogs may be
too acidic already…. Apple Cider Vinegar Tea Body Rinse: This body rinse
can be useful to restore skin pH, soothe itchy skin, calm rashes and
welts, and has some added benefits for keeping biting flies, fleas and
gnats at bay. Mix the following ingredients together… Apple Cider
Vinegar: 1/2 cup, Brewed Green Tea (cooled): 1/2 cup and Distilled
Water: 1 cup. After bathing, apply this warm water/apple cider vinegar
rinse to your animal friend’s coat/skin and massage in. Rinse well and
pat dry, or allow the apple cider vinegar mix to air dry for the added
benefit of bug relief…..
Video: Hummingbird Pool Party
Healthy Pets - Hummingbirds love water, and a shallow fountain provides
them the perfect retreat! Buzzing like needle-beaked bumblebees, this
horde of hummingbirds demonstrates noisily how attracted they are to
water, splashing and dashing to their hearts’ content!
Monday - May
15, 2017
On This Day In History
1702 - The War of Spanish Succession began.
1862 - The U.S. Congress created the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
1911 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of
Standard Oil Company, ruling it was in violation of the Sherman
Antitrust Act.
1916 - U.S. Marines landed in Santo Domingo to quell civil
disorder.
1918 - Regular airmail service between New York City,
Philadelphia and Washington, DC, began under the direction of
the Post Office Department, which later became the U.S. Postal
Service.
1930 - Ellen Church became the first female flight attendant.
1940 - Nylon stockings went on sale for the first time in the
U.S.
1942 - Gasoline rationing began in the U.S. The limit was 3
gallons a week for nonessential vehicles.
1957 - Britain dropped its first hydrogen bomb on Christmas
Island in the Pacific Ocean.
1970 - U.S. President Nixon appointed America's first two female
generals.
1970 - Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green, two black
students at Jackson State University in Mississippi, were killed
when police opened fire during student protests.
1972 - Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot and paralyzed by
Arthur Bremer in Laurel, MD while campaigning for the U.S. presidency.
1975 - The merchant ship U.S. Mayaguez was recaptured from
Cambodia's Khmer Rouge.
1988 - The Soviet Union began their withdrawal of its 115,000
troops from Afghanistan. Soviet forces had been there for more
than eight years.
1990 - Vincent Van Gogh's "Portrait of Doctor Gachet" was sold
for $82.5 million. The sale set a new world record.
1999 - The Russian parliament was unable a attain enough votes
to impeach President Boris Yeltsin.
2014 - The National September 11 Memorial Museum was dedicated
in New York City.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump’s First Commencement Speech: ‘In America We Don’t Worship
Government, We Worship God’
Breitbart - President Donald Trump gave his first commencement
speech at Liberty University on Saturday, encouraging “dreamers”
to ignore critics, take risks, never quit, and remember that “in
America we don’t worship government, we worship God…. “You are
about to begin the greatest adventure of your life,” said Trump
who remarked how blessed the graduates are. Ask yourself, with
all of those blessings and all of the blessings that you have
been given, what will you give back to this country and indeed
to the world, what imprint will you leave in the sands of
history? What will future Americans say we did in our brief time
right here on earth. Did we take risks? Did we dare to defy
expectations? Did we challenge accepted wisdom and take on
established systems? I think I did, but we all did and we’re all
doing it. Or did we just go along with convention, swim
downstream, so easily with the current and just give in because
it was the easy way, it was the traditional way or it was the
accepted way? Remember this: nothing worth doing ever, ever,
ever came easy. Following your convictions means you must be
willing to face criticism from those that lack the same courage
to do what is right and they know what is right but they don’t
have the same courage or guts or stamina to take it and to do
it. It’s called the road less traveled. Trump said that he knows
each graduate will be “a warrior for the truth”, “a warrior for
our country and for your family.” He encouraged them that they
will do what is right even when it isn’t easy, “You will be true
to yourself, your family, your beliefs.”. [Read More…]
* Related Video:
President Trump Makes Remarks at the Liberty University
Commencement Ceremony – Full Speech
Rand Paul: Another Senator Surveilled by Obama Admin
Fox News Insider - On "America's News HQ" this afternoon, Sen.
Rand Paul (R-KY) revealed that another senator confided in him
that he was surveilled by the Obama administration. Earlier this
week, Paul said reporters have told him they have evidence he
was a target of Obama administration spying. This is the first
time that Paul mentioned another senator is also concerned about
the Obama administration's surveillance. He said if this proves
to be true, it's a much bigger story than any allegations about
collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the
presidential election. "It's about your own government spying on
the opposition party," Paul said. "That would be enormous if
it's true." Paul told Fox Business Network’s Charles Payne on
Wednesday that he's asked the White House and the House and
Senate intelligence committees to investigate. He said if the
intelligence community is indeed being used for politics, it's a
"very, very serious crime." Paul added that the possible illegal
use of intelligence community resources for political purposes
raises chilling questions.
Video: Thanks to President Trump US Government Will Finally
Cross Check Voter Rolls with DHS Alien Lists
The GatewayPundit - Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach joined
Maria Bartiromo this morning on Sunday Morning Futures. Kobach
was picked this week to lead President Trump’s voter fraud
panel. Kobach discussed Obama’s failures as president to assure
voter integrity. Kris Kobach: You pretty much need an ID to
function in American society… One thing that’s never been done
that I alluded to earlier is the Department of Homeland Security
has a database of all known aliens, green card holders,
temporary visa card holders in the United States. And that has
never been bounced against a state’s voter rolls, to say, “Hey,
how many of these people with this name and this date of birth…
how many of them are registered to vote in state A or state B.
It’s stunning that this was never performed before now. And
watch Democrats fight this with court case after court case.
Police Dept Wanted a Cop to Kill a Suicidal Dad, He Chose Not
To, So They Fired Him
The Free Thought Project - … on May 6, 2016, [Weirton WV police
officer Stephen] Mader responded to a domestic call about a
suicidal person. When he arrived on the scene, Mader confronted
23-year-old Ronald D. Williams who was armed and mentally
distraught. Made said that he began talking to the young man in
his “calm voice.” Mader showed incredible restraint in the
situation, even though Williams was attempting to provoke a
suicide by cop. Sadly, as Mader began to reason with Williams
and de-escalate the situation, backup arrived, and another
officer immediately shot and killed Williams without a second of
consideration. To add insult to injury, Mader was fired for his
restraint, and the officer who murdered Williams was cleared of
all wrongdoing… Now, Mader is understandably reconsidering his
career choices and has filed a lawsuit against the city that
employed him…. Mader has no regrets and still believes he did
the right thing.
Mormon Church Cuts Ties With Boy Scouts - Sort of ...
The New American - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints — the Mormons — has announced that it will pull over
180,000 older teens from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), as it
transitions to its own internal scouting-style program….
Although the loss represents a small percentage of the 2.3
million young people enrolled in Boy Scout programs, the BSA has
been losing members steadily over the past several years as it
has made policy changes at odds with the traditional values
embraced by longtime faith-based partner organizations. Among
the major conservative Christian denominations that have
experienced a mass-exodus of its members and congregations from
scouting programs are the Southern Baptist Convention and the
Assemblies of God, which have turned instead to such wholesome,
faith-based organizations as the Royal Rangers (sponsored by the
Assemblies of God) and Trail Life USA, organized in part by
individuals and groups who had previously been involved in
traditional Scouting programs…. While the present decision only
impacts teens fourteen years old and older, observers say it is
only a matter of time before LDS leadership pulls children ages
eight to thirteen from BSA programs as well.
New Private Terminal At LAX Allows Oligarchs To Mock Debt-Serfs
Hauling Luggage Via Tele-screen
Zero Hedge - If there was ever an article that perfectly summed
up the times we live in, it’d have to be the one published
yesterday at The Guardian titled, At LA Airport’s New Private
Terminal, the Rich Can Watch Normal People Suffer. Here are a
few excerpts: ” The guiltiest pleasure at Los Angeles
international airport’s (LAX) new private terminal for the
mega-rich is not the plush, hushed privacy, or the beds with
comforters, or the massages, or the coriander-scented soap, or
the Willie Wonka-style array of chocolates and jelly beans, or
the Napa Valley cabernet. It is the iPad that sits on a counter
at the entrance, with a typed little note: “Here is a glimpse of
what you’re missing over at the main terminal right now.” The
screen shows travelers hauling bags through packed terminals,
queuing in long lines, looking harassed and being swallowed into
pushing, shoving paparazzi scrums – routine hazards for the 80
million people who pass through LAX each year. “There they
process thousands of people at a time, they’re barking. It’s
loud. Here it’s very, very lovely,” said Gavin de Becker, who
runs the new terminal, called Private Suite.”…. The fact that
the super rich and powerful have it so much better than everyone
else is nothing new. It’s been that way in pretty much every
society you can think of, whether capitalist or communist. The
real sickening thing is that the geniuses behind this terminal
thought it’d be a nice touch to add a screen from which
oligarchs can watch and jeer at the unwashed masses. The idea
clearly being that this would add to the experience and provide
additional entertainment for the mega-rich. This speaks to a
special type of demented self-satisfaction that is not
representative of a healthy society.
North Korea: Test To Deliver "Large Scale Heavy Nuclear Warhead"
Was Successful
Zero Hedge - After North Korea provoked both its neighbors and
the US when on Sunday morning it fired off yet another ballistic
missile from Kusong near the border with China - one which this
time did not explode upon launch - just days after the election
of a new South Korean president who ironically advocates more
engagement with Pyongyang, experts said the missile appeared to
be a new type of ballistic missile, and had a far greater range
than any other weapon North Korea has successfully launched….
Cited by the WSJ, independent experts said the missile, if fired
at a conventional angle, could have flown 2,800 miles—far enough
to reach the U.S. military base in Guam. That is a “considerably
longer range than its current missiles,” said David Wright,
co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of
Concerned Scientists, in an analysis of the launch. As the
Journal adds, while North Korea’s Taepodong-2 rocket has flown
farther than Sunday’s missile, North Korea classifies it as a
satellite launcher that isn’t designed to deliver a warhead back
to earth. It is, however, banned by United Nations sanctions
because similar technology could be used to make an
intercontinental ballistic missile.
BBC Has Evidence of Syrian Chemical Weapons, but There's One
Major Problem
The AnitMedia - According to a document provided to the BBC by a
“Western intelligence agency,” chemical and biological munitions
are being produced at three main sites near Damascus and Hama.
The document also alleges that Iran and Russia are well aware of
these activities…. In its report, the BBC then tied the
information from the document into the wider issue at hand —
that the Syrian government is deemed by Western powers to be the
number one culprit behind the most recent chemical weapons
attack at the beginning of April. Most disturbing, however, is
the fact that the BBC advanced this information with the
following provisos buried in the final paragraphs of its report:
“The intelligence information about the suspected weapons
manufacturing sites was shared with the BBC on condition the
agency providing it would not be named. “It does not give detail
about how the alleged evidence was gathered.”…. Real journalism
requires a much higher standard than that, assuming our job is
to publish the truth. The stakes are high in Syria, and we can’t
afford to let the U.S. government and allies employ a
shoot-first-ask-questions-later mentality — the same kind we
have seen cause such widespread catastrophe in countries such as
Iraq and Libya…. This time, let’s question the propaganda before
the invasion — not after it.
Leaked NSA Malware Is Helping Hijack Computers Around the World
The Intercept - The malware worm taking over the computers goes
by the names “WannaCry” or “Wanna Decryptor.” It… remains
invisible to users until it unveils itself as so-called
ransomware, telling users that all their files have been
encrypted with a key known only to the attacker and that they
will be locked out until they pay $300 to an anonymous party
using the cryptocurrency Bitcoin….The price rises to $600 after
a few days; after seven days, if no ransom is paid, the hacker
(or hackers) will make the data permanently inaccessible….
Reuters said that “hospitals across England reported the
cyberattack was causing huge problems to their services…. The
worm has also reportedly reached universities, a major Spanish
telecom, FedEx, and the Russian Interior Ministry. In total,
researchers have detected WannaCry infections in over 57,000
computers across over 70 countries. ... today’s ongoing WannaCry
attack appears to be based on an attack developed by the NSA,
code-named ETERNALBLUE…. Today shows exactly what’s at stake
when government hackers can’t keep their virtual weapons locked
up.
'Accidental hero' halts ransomware attack and warns: this is not
over
The Guardian - The “accidental hero” who halted the global
spread of an unprecedented ransomware attack by registering a
garbled domain name hidden in the malware has warned the attack
could be rebooted…. But the spread of the attack was brought to
a sudden halt when one UK cybersecurity researcher tweeting as @malwaretechblog,
with the help of Darien Huss from security firm Proofpoint,
found and inadvertently activated a “kill switch” in the
malicious software. The researcher, who identified himself only
as MalwareTech, is a 22-year-old from south-west England who
works for Kryptos logic, an LA-based threat intelligence
company. “I was out having lunch with a friend and got back
about 3pm and saw an influx of news articles about the NHS and
various UK organizations being hit,” he told the Guardian. “I
had a bit of a look into that and then I found a sample of the
malware behind it, and saw that it was connecting out to a
specific domain, which was not registered. So I picked it up not
knowing what it did at the time.” The kill switch was hardcoded
into the malware in case the creator wanted to stop it
spreading. This involved a very long nonsensical domain name
that the malware makes a request to – just as if it was looking
up any website – and if the request comes back and shows that
the domain is live, the kill switch takes effect and the malware
stops spreading. The domain cost $10.69 and was immediately
registering thousands of connections every second.
EBOLA IS BACK: World Health Organization Declares Epidemic:
“Taking It Very Seriously”
Mac Slavo - The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola
epidemic in the North East region of the Democratic Republic of
Congo. At least three deaths have thus far been linked to the
virus… The virus originated in a remote region of the Congo, but
WHO is tracking down any possible contact the victims had with
others. The virus, when detected, often originates in remote
regions, but because of international air travel and other modes
of transportation, could spread quickly to neighboring villages,
then regions, then countries…. Though Ebola doesn’t move as
quickly as a cold or flu, it is significantly more deadly, and
according to the following model it could potentially spread
fairly rapidly should it escape containment. It would take only
one individual to make it through an airport checkpoint and all
bets are off… Microsoft founder Bill Gates warned earlier this
year that the world is not prepared to deal with a widespread
contagion and that viruses like Ebola or modified biological
weapons could kill hundreds of millions of people in a truly
global outbreak.
Mexican Supreme Court Refuses to Review Monsanto Appeal on GMO
Maize Permits
Sustainable Pulse - The first chamber of the Mexican Supreme
Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has refused to review or
analyze an appeal by Monsanto regarding the issuance of
commercial permits for the sowing of GMO maize in the country.
In this way, the decision to resolve the GMO trials involving
the companies Monsanto, Dow, Pioneer and Dupont, as well as the
Mexican Government Departments of the Environment and
Agriculture, and on the other side, civil society and academic
organizations that are opposed to the sowing of GMO maize, will
have to be resolved by the First Collegiate Court on Civil
Matters…. The lawyer of the civil society Corn Collective, René
Sánchez Galindo, explained that last Wednesday in a private
meeting, the Supreme Court judges evaluated the appeal that
Monsanto filed. None of the judges endorsed the company’s
request, which was a requirement for the Court to place the
appeal on its docket.
An elementary school in British Columbia banned celebrating
Mother's Day and Father's Day in the classroom
12NEWS - An elementary school is canceling Mother’s and Father’s
Day events in an effort to celebrate diversity and inclusivity
after a traumatic incident involving one of its students. Staff
from Albert McMahon Elementary School in Mission, British
Columbia, Canada sent a letter to its students’ parents,
indicating the cancellation of events related to the holidays.
In it, the letter reads: As Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
approach we have met as a Primary (Grade 1 and 2) team to
discuss our core values. In an effort to celebrate diversity,
inclusivity and also nurture our students who are part of
non-traditional families, we have decided to encourage those
celebrations to take place at home. Due to this, the children
will not be making gifts at school to give on Mother’s Day and
Father’s Day. We feel each family knows the best way to
celebrate with their own family.
Veterans Denied Medical Benefits for Smallpox Vaccine Injuries
Health Impact News - A local veteran was denied benefits for an
illness he says was caused by a vaccine he was ordered to take.
An Action News Jax investigation uncovered the federal
government is refusing to compensate some veterans who suffered
debilitating side effects from the smallpox vaccine they said
they were forced to get. Smallpox was eradicated in 1977 and
routine vaccinations ended a few years later. After the Sept. 11
attacks, the federal government began inoculating some volunteer
first responders and active duty military. The Department of
Veterans Affairs says between 2002 and 2008, 1.7 million service
members were vaccinated, including Jacksonville’s Sean Kelly….
Kelly was diagnosed with Pericarditis, or inflammation of the
heart, a documented side effect of the smallpox vaccine. He
couldn’t work and spent weeks in the hospital. He said he filed
for VA benefits for a vaccine-related injury and was denied. “It
can be quite difficult, especially if you don’t have the records
that reflect it,” Dr. Bradley Bender, chief of staff for the
North Florida South Georgia Veterans Health Systems, said. When
asked how many vaccine-related cases of Myocarditis or
Pericarditis he’s seen, Bender said none. “There is no blood
test that you can do to say this is Myocarditis related to
smallpox vaccine,” Bender said.
Jerry Brown: California to Suffer $20 Billion Tax Crash in Next
Recession
Breitbart - Governor Jerry Brown warned in his May Revised
Budget last week that California is expected to suffer a $20
billion tax crash in it next recession. Brown and the
Democrat-controlled majority in the state legislature have been
crowing about the governor’s 2017-2018 May Budget Revision
update, which predicts the State of California will collect
another $2.5 billion in tax revenue over the three fiscal years
from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018. Brown’s budget update
states that the extra tax revenue will help fund more social
justice programs, including: 1) raising the minimum wage to $11
per hour in 2018; 2) expanding health care coverage for
Obamacare and undocumented children; 3) increasing Medi‑Cal
primary care; 4) providing an increase to Supplemental Security
Income; 5) repealing the welfare maximum family grant rule; 6)
creating the state’s first Earned Income Tax Credit; and 7)
reserving $575 million in a “rainy day fund.”
* Related:
Jerry Brown’s New Budget Includes Millions to Defend Illegal
Aliens from Deportation
Arizona Passes Bill To End Income Taxation On Gold And Silver
Zero Hedge - Sound money advocates scored a major victory on
Wednesday, when the Arizona state senate voted 16-13 to remove
all income taxation of precious metals at the state level. The
measure heads to Governor Doug Ducey, who is expected to sign it
into law…. If taxpayers own gold to protect themselves against
the devaluation of America’s paper currency, they frequently end
up with a “gain” when exchanging those metals back into
dollars…. This “gain” is often a nominal gain because of the
slow but steady devaluation of the dollar. Yet the government
nevertheless assesses a tax…. Ron Paul noted, “HB 2014 is a very
important and timely piece of legislation. The Federal Reserve’s
failure to reignite the economy with record-low interest rates
since the last crash is a sign that we may soon see the dollar’s
collapse. It is therefore imperative that the law protect
people’s right to use alternatives to what may soon be virtually
worthless Federal Reserve Notes.”
Great News For College Grads: Starting Salaries Are Finally Back
To Where They Were 10 Years Ago!
Zero Hedge - The Wall Street Journal and others are cheering
today as a new study from executive search firm Korn Ferry
International found that the "average base pay for college grads
this year ticked to the highest level in at least a decade." We
guess in the new millennial world that getting back to your
original starting point is actually celebrated as an
'accomplishment'. “This has been the best year for students that
I’ve seen since coming here,” said Thomas Ward, executive
director of the career-services center at Adelphi University, in
Garden City, N.Y… Some students at the school are fielding
multiple job offers, allowing students to be choosier about
where they ultimately land, he said. “It’s very rewarding.” So
where are new college graduates earning the most bank? Well,
average starting salaries for 2017 grads are just under $50,000
but software developers, engineers and actuaries, particularly
those moving to San Francisco, can be expected to outperform
that average by quite a bit. Of course, while this may all seem
like a lot of money, with median rents in San Francisco still
hovering around $3,200 per month that means that the average
college graduate will be about $5,000 short of covering their
annual rent payments.
Keylogging Spyware Found On Dozens Of HP Laptop Models
Consumerist - A security research firm based in Switzerland announced
its discovery of the keylogger this week. The problem software is part
of the audio driver — the little bit of code that make your laptop able
to play sound through your headphones. In several laptop models, the
Conexant driver was found to include a keylogger that captured every
single keystroke on your machine. That includes login names and
passwords, every comment you put on the internet, every email you send,
every document you write, every keyboard command you issue. And yes,
that is a giant security problem. Those keystrokes weren’t sent
anywhere, as far as anyone knows, but they were all stored in an
unencrypted text log — meaning anyone who has access to your computer,
including malware on your computer, could access and read it. The
security firm also notes that the driver’s API (code that allows
software to talk to other software, basically) can also allow malware to
“silently capture sensitive data by capturing the user’s keystrokes.” In
short, this flaw in the audio driver would pretty easily let anyone
“listen” in on everything you type, without accessing the log. That’s
the bad news. Here’s the better: HP’s already pushed a fix. Owners of
2016 and 2017 models can already download a patch from Windows Update or
HP.com. A patch for 2015 models is supposed to become available sometime
today [May 12].
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
We're All Tenant Farmers: Oregon Plans to Douse Azure Standard Organic
Farm in Pesticide
DC Clothesline - If you buy organic products, chances are you have heard
of Azure Standard, which is sort of like a mobile co-op that delivers
well-priced organic food and products in bulk to drop-off points around
the country [in 37 states]…. Just in case you were under the
misconception that we actually own our land and can decide what happens
to it in this country, it appears that we’re tenant farmers with no
options if the local government decides to wipe us out: “Sherman County
may be issuing a Court Order on May 22, 2017, to quarantine Azure Farms
and possibly to spray the whole farm with poisonous herbicides,
contaminating them with Milestone, Escort and Roundup herbicides. This
will destroy all the efforts Azure Farms has made for years to produce
the very cleanest and healthiest food humanly possible. About 2,000
organic acres would be impacted; that is about 1.5 times the size of the
city center of Philadelphia that is about to be sprayed with noxious,
toxic, polluting herbicides. The county would then put a lien on the
farm to pay for the expense of the labor and chemicals used.” …. So not
only will they poison the crops and kill off Azure’s livelihood, they’ll
charge them for it. That’s a brazen insult on top of the injury.
* Related:
Take action: email or call Sherman County Court today and stop them from
spraying Stelzer’s 2,000-acre Organic farm
“Hang The Anti-Vaxxers” Is Called For By The Boston Herald
Newspaper
Natural Blaze - The American media truly has lost its scruples,
including its corporate mindset, and ethically should be
denounced for inciting domestic terrorism and vigilantism
regarding persons in the USA who oppose the use of mercury,
aluminum, and other toxic chemicals being injected into their
bodies and/or children’s bodies because they want to exercise
their God- and Nature-given rights to self-determination. Such
individuals pejoratively are referred to as “anti-vaxxers”! If
anyone should be disciplined, it should be: CDC/FDA bureaucrats
and scientists, who promote fraudulent science, commit
conspiracies to withhold scientifically-valid adverse
information about vaccines, especially the MMR and HPV vaccines:
Big Pharma corporate officers and scientists, who do not submit
all the data (positive and negative studies) for new vaccine
licensures… the U.S. media which does not report the facts about
vaccine science… Those are the people The Boston Herald should
be calling up for jurisprudence to be dealt upon swiftly and
accurately before Autism afflicts every child in the USA, not
folks who exercise their Constitutional rights within what is
supposed to be a FREE United States of America, not a Big Pharma-run
Corporatocracy, a socialist, or autocratically-run third world
country!
Air Pollution Linked To Measles Incidence, Proving Immune Status
Is Vital In Disease Risk
Green Med Info - A new study published in the journal
Environmental Research reveals that exposure to air pollution is
significantly associated with measles incidence in China. This
is consistent with the view that infection is not solely
determined by exposure to a virus particle but also involves the
immune status of the subject which depends on various
nutritional and environmental factors, including the
immunosuppressive function of air pollution. In other words,
it’s not just the “germ” alone but the terrain that determines
disease…. This study is important for a number of reasons. …it
undermines the narrative maintained by the medical orthodoxy
that measles virus alone is capable of inducing disease. By
attributing this power to an invisible particle barely
detectable by an electron microscope, instead of taking into
account the multitude of preventable or mitigable factors linked
to nutrition, lifestyle, and environmental exposures, the
corollary myth that vaccines alone confer bona fide protection
against infection, the agenda of universal vaccination and
global eradication programs can continue unabated…. when one
considers that the measles vaccine is responsible for at least
100 deaths a year versus the less than 10 deaths caused by
measles in the U.S. since 2003, the risk/benefit ratio,
therefore, is clearly biased towards not vaccinating.
10 Raw Foods That Improve Immunity and are Beautifying
Natural Blaze - Without enough minerals, our immunity, mood, and
skin all suffer greatly. They help to keep our bodies
functioning on a deeper, cellular level. The antioxidants found
in many raw foods also help improve our beauty and defense
mechanisms against different types of disease…. 1. Pineapple -
The sweet delicious fruit contains over 100 percent of our daily
Vitamin C needs together with high levels of the bromelain
enzyme which helps break down proteins in the body. These
properties not only improve immunity and digestion, but they
also increase our body’s alkalinity to prevent inflammation by
reducing acidity in the body…. Avoid the dried or canned
varieties which have been heavily processed and often have added
sugars. 2. Raw Cacao - Raw cacao is high in a beauty-boosting
and liver detoxifying mineral sulfur. It is also a high potent
source of flavonoids, antioxidants, and other minerals like
magnesium and iron. Cacao is even high in zinc and copper which
improve the strength of your blood and your immunity. Choose
dark chocolate with at least 90 percent cacao or eat it raw and
unsweetened. 3. Camu Camu - Camu camu is a superfood that’s very
beneficial for women that in some cultures it’s even considered
to be a medicinal herb. The fruit is the highest source of
Vitamin C per serving on the planet and it comes from the
Amazon. It also contains amino acids and several trace minerals.
Camu berry is amazing for your skin, because of its high Vitamin
C and amino acid content, it can help aid in digestion and is
improving anxiety. It also has antiviral properties which can
help fight off candida and other infections that are
fungal-related harm your health….
Friday - May
12, 2017
On This Day In History
1780 - Charleston, South Carolina fell to British forces.
1926 - The airship Norge became the first vessel to fly over the
North Pole.
1940 - The Nazi conquest of France began with the German army
crossing Muese River.
1942 - The Soviet Army launched its first major offensive of
World War II and took Kharkov in the eastern Ukraine from the
German army.
1943 - The Axis forces in North Africa surrendered during World
War II.
1949 - The Soviet Union announced an end to the Berlin Blockade.
1965 - West Germany and Israel exchanged letters establishing
diplomatic relations.
1975 - U.S. merchant ship Mayaguez was seized by Cambodian
forces in international waters.
1978 - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced that they would no longer exclusively name hurricanes
after women.
1982 - South Africa unveiled a plan that would give voting
rights to citizens of Asian and mixed-race descent, but not to
blacks.
1984 - South African prisoner Nelson Mandela saw his wife for
the first time in 22 years.
2002 - Jimmy Carter became the first present or former U.S.
president to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro seized power in 1959.
2003 - Suicide bombers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed 26
people, including nine U.S. citizens.
2003 - In Texas, fifty-nine Democratic lawmakers went into
hiding over a dispute with Republican's over a congressional
redistricting plan.
2009 - Five Miami men were convicted in a plot to blow up FBI
buildings and Chicago's Sears Tower.
2011 - A German court convicted retired U.S. autoworker John
Demjanjuk of being an accessory to the murder of tens of
thousands of Jews as a Nazi death camp guard. (Demjanjuk, who
maintained his innocence, died in 2012.)
2015 - It was announced that Verizon would be acquiring AOL.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
CIA Creates Mission Center to Address North Korean Threat
Mikael Thalen - Located in CIA headquarters in Langley,
Virginia, the unit, according to an agency press release, will
focus on “the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by
North Korea.”… The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has
established a Korea Mission Center to harness the full
resources, capabilities, and authorities of the Agency in
addressing the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by
North Korea,” the statement says. “The new Mission Center draws
on experienced officers from across the Agency and integrates
them in one entity to bring their expertise and creativity to
bear against the North Korea target.” An unnamed veteran CIA
operations officer, who recently became Assistant Director for
Korea, has been chosen to head up the center. According to CIA
Director Mike Pompeo, the unit will analyze and direct CIA
efforts toward the “serious threats” posed by the regime.
White House Sources: Trump Looks to Replace Spicer as Purge of
Establishment Advisers Begins
Paul Joseph Watson - White House sources tell Infowars that Sean
Spicer could be fired within the next week as President Trump
begins a purge of establishment advisers who he feels have
failed to properly investigate leaks coming from within the
administration. Speculation is already swirling as to whether or
not Spicer will return after he was “benched” and temporarily
replaced with Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Spicer has behaved like a “deer in the headlights” in recent
weeks and is not able to handle the pressure of the job,
according to one source. They add that Spicer will be gone by
next week and that former prosecutor and current Fox News host
Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was previously considered for the role,
is currently the favorite to replace him. However, these
assertions are being disputed by other insiders who insist that
Spicer will return to his current role within the next week.
Acting FBI head disputes Trump's turmoil claims
Reuters - President Donald Trump on Thursday called ousted FBI
chief James Comey a "showboat" and "grandstander," but its
acting leader contradicted the president and promised the
agency's probe into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia would
proceed with vigor. Trump, facing Democratic accusations that he
fired Comey on Tuesday to hinder the FBI investigation into
alleged meddling by Russia in the 2016 U.S. presidential
election, said he would have taken the action even without a
recommendation to do so by the two top Justice Department
officials…. Trump told NBC News he never pressured Comey into
dropping the FBI probe, adding: "If Russia did anything, I want
to know that." Trump said there was no "collusion between me and
my campaign and the Russians," but added that "the Russians did
not affect the vote.”… The Trump administration has said Comey's
firing was unrelated to the Russia investigation. It said on
Tuesday that Comey's firing arose from his handling of an
election-year FBI probe into Democratic presidential nominee
Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server during her time
as secretary of state.
VIDEO: Condoleezza Rice Crushes Ladies Of ‘The View’: No, Russia
Didn’t Delegitimize The Election
The GatewayPundit - Condoleezza Rice appeared on The View this
week and the ladies wanted her to say that Russia made Trump’s
election illegitimate. They were sorely disappointed by Rice’s
completely rational answer.
Dems Say Trump Must Meet Demands Or Face Senate Slowdown
The Daily Caller - Democrats continued their efforts to slow
down business in the Senate Thursday in order to pressure the
Trump Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor for the
Russia investigation and to give into other demands. Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went to the floor and demanded
that Attorney General Jeff Sessions not be involved in the
search for former FBI Director James Comey’s replacement.
Aetna fully exits Obamacare exchanges with pull-out in two
states
Reuters - Health insurer Aetna Inc said on Wednesday it will
exit the 2018 Obamacare individual insurance market in Delaware
and Nebraska - the two remaining states where it offered the
plans. Aetna had already said it would exit the individual
commercial market in Virginia and Iowa, after pulling out of
several other states last year. Aetna has now "completely exited
the exchanges," the company said in an emailed statement.
Insurers Humana Inc and UnitedHealth Group Inc have also pulled
out of most of the government subsidized individual health
insurance market. Republicans in the U.S. House of
Representatives last week voted to undo the Affordable Care Act,
often called Obamacare, the signature domestic achievement of
former President Barack Obama. But even if the Republicans' bill
- known as the American Health Care Act - is passed by the
Senate it would not solve a critical outstanding issue for
insurers looking at 2018: Will the government continue to fund
the cost-sharing subsidies that help individuals pay for care?
Boeing Pays Tab on $4M Damage to POTUS’ Air Force One After
Dangerous Mistake
Sputnik News - A new government report has found that Boeing
mechanics accidentally left the president’s personal ride in the
sky vulnerable to fire. The issue wound up causing $4 million in
damage to oxygen systems on one of the two jets comprising Air
Force One. A mishap involving the use of a contaminated
regulator and other tools during jet maintenance in April 2016
led to the potential fire hazard. Contractors’ failure to abide
by explicit warnings for work on oxygen systems, inadequate
oversight of the mistake and insufficient mechanic training were
also cited in the Accident Investigation Board report created by
Air Force Material Command.
Jeff Davis monument comes down after 106 years
WWL - A large police presence as well as large cranes and heavy
equipment were all part of the removal of the monument to former
Confederate President Jefferson Davis early Thursday, May 11.
Workers who showed up to work on the removal were again shrouded
with masks and dark clothing as the city has said there have
been threats made against those participating in the removal.
The monument to Jefferson Davis was erected in 1911 and had
stood in its location at the corner of Jefferson Davis Parkway
and Canal Street for 106 years…."This morning we continue our
march to reconciliation by removing the Jefferson Davis
Confederate statue from its pedestal of reverence," said Mayor
Mitch Landrieu in a statement.
The Map the Media Doesn’t Want You to See: Nations With the Most
Refugees Have the Most Terror Attacks
Mac Slavo - The nations that have become the hottest
destinations for refugees, are also the nations with the most
terrorist attacks. France, Germany, Sweden, and the UK are
brimming with terror incidents. Meanwhile, countries that didn’t
take in so many refugees, like Poland, Slovakia, and the Baltic
states, have very few terrorist attacks or none at all….
Obviously there’s a link between admitting countless refugees
from the Middle East, and domestic terrorist attacks. Our
government knows this as well. For instance, a few days before
FBI director James Comey was ousted by Trump, he stood before a
Senate committee and admitted that 15% of his agency’s terror
related investigations involved refugees. That’s a shocking
number when you consider that the US admitted 85,000 refugees
last year, and the percentage of the population that would
consider themselves to be refugees is probably less than 1%.
Austria on the edge: Government set to COLLAPSE – and it could
cause an EU nightmare
Daily Express - And the crisis could a huge headache for
Brussels as the anti-EU Freedom Party is currently leading in
the polls. Yesterday the future of the coalition government was
thrown into doubt after Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner
resigned, prompting calls for an election. Many within his
People’s Party believe an election should be called rather than
simply replacing him as party leader and continuing the shaky
coalition with the Social Democrats. The two parties had clashed
regularly since taking power together in 2013 and Mr.
Mitterlehner’s resignation looks set to be the uneasy alliance’s
death knoll. Officials also fear the resignation could provide a
huge chance for the far-right Freedom Party, who were founded in
1956 by a former Nazi and are vehemently opposed to migration
and the European Union. The party came incredibly close to
securing the country’s presidency last year when candidate
Norbert Hofer stormed to victory in the first round of victory
before being defeated in the second. Now the party are setting
their heights higher and hope to secure control of the
government during the next election - which could come sooner
than previously expected. The Freedom Party are leading in the
polls and would be expected to win around a third of the
national vote if an election were to be held.
Venezuelans are flooding into Colombia - and it’s starting to
feel like a refugee crisis
Blacklisted News - In January, 47,095 Venezuelans entered
Colombia, more than double the number from January of last year.
Some 21,000 of them crossed into Norte de Santander, the state
of which Cúcuta is the capital. Here and at other points along
the nearly 1,400-mile border, the situation is beginning to feel
like a refugee crisis. As Venezuela’s economic and social crisis
has reached a boiling point in recent weeks, with enormous and
increasingly violent protests and President Nicolás Maduro
descending further into authoritarianism, migration into
Colombia has too begun to reach crisis levels. (In the past two
years Maduro has intermittently closed the border with Colombia
to prevent people from exchanging currency, importing groceries,
or smuggling gasoline and other contraband. The border remains
closed to vehicle traffic but has been open to foot traffic
since August.)
Welcome to Your Agenda 21 Apartment: Thousands of Hong Kong
Residents Forced to Live in Subdivided “Coffin Homes”
Mac Slavo - The explosion of housing costs is one of the
greatest economic crises in the developed world. From San
Francisco and New York to London and Vancouver, the average
worker’s paycheck is being devoured by the cost of rent. This
daunting financial barrier is putting people on the streets, and
preventing the next generation from raising families and
entering the middle class. For people who live in these cities,
there’s really only one thing they can do. Their only option is
to look for a smaller apartment, even if it’s tragically tiny.
That’s what’s happening in Hong Kong, a city that now has the
most unaffordable housing market in the world. Over 200,000 of
the city’s poorest residents are forced to live in subdivided
apartments, many of which are so small they’ve been dubbed
“coffin homes” according to the Daily Mail. A coffin apartment
like that can cost over $300. But in many cases, subdivided
apartments that are only a little bigger than that, are home to
entire families. Homes like that are so common in Hong Kong,
that the UN has called the situation “an insult to human
dignity.” And that’s exactly what it is, because this didn’t
have to happen. Only 7% of Hong Kong’s land is designated for
housing. However, Hong Kong isn’t the only city where we’re
beginning to see these ridiculously tiny apartments.
Video: Trump Signs Executive Order To Investigate Voter Fraud
The GatewayPundit - President Trump’s executive order titled
“Presidential Commission on Election Integrity” is aimed at
forming a bipartisan commission to review potential voter fraud
and “suppression”. The commission would be chaired by Vice
President, Mike Pence. Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders
spoke on the executive order in today’s press briefing: The
commission will also include individuals with knowledge and
experience in election management and voter integrity . . . The
commission will review policies and practices that enhance or
undermine confidence in elections and identify system
vulnerabilities. Fox News reports: The commission will also
include individuals with knowledge and experience in election
management and voter integrity,” White House Deputy Press
Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders said on Thursday at the White
House daily press briefing. “The commission will review policies
and practices that enhance or undermine confidence in elections
and identify system vulnerabilities.
Frustrated Veteran Threatens to Operate on Himself After VA
Refuses to Pay His Medical Bill
Daniel Lang - A veteran from New Hampshire by the name of John
Irish has come face to face with that unfortunate reality many
times. During a recent interview with Boston25 News, the former
National Guard medic revealed that he had suffered a cut on his
hand from a power tool that was so severe, he had to go to the
hospital. When he approached the VA however, they refused to pay
his bill as they had done many times before. His dramatic
response convinced them to finally cover his procedure. “They
handed me a slip of paper saying, ‘we are going to have to have
you sign this, because the VA says they’re not going to pay the
bill,” he said. Irish receives benefits through the Veterans
Affairs Choice program, which allows vets to access private care
amidst lengthy wait times at VA medical facilities. Irish says
Veterans’ Choice has refused to pay for other bills and this was
the final straw. “I thought it was about time the VA of New
England got exposed for what it’s doing on this Choice program,”
he said. rish threatened to remove his own sutures, in his home,
live on social media. Within hours, the VA agreed to pay for the
procedure. “It’s totally disgusting that they have to threaten,
beg or borrow to get medical treatment,” he said.
Man Declared Dead By Government For 29 Years, Kept Paying Taxes
Anyway
Consumerist - Nearly 30 years ago, the Social Security
Administration decided that a 4-year-old Minnesota boy was dead.
He was not. SSA employees chalked it up to a “glitch” and
promised to correct the error. They did not. And even as that
boy grew up and began paying taxes, the federal government still
considered him deceased, at least until his local TV station and
a U.S. Senator got involved. The SSA zombified the preschooler
back in 1987. That’s when, according to KMSP-TV, his recently
remarried mom received a letter from the government saying she
could no longer receive child support, not because she had a new
spouse but because her living, breathing son was dead as far as
the government was concerned. At the time, the SSA assured her
that it had fixed the situation, but wouldn’t send her a copy of
the documentation. That undead boy went on to stay alive, go to
school, be gainfully employed, have three children, and get
engaged. He also paid taxes, and everything was fine until 2009,
when he only received half of the tax refund that he was
supposed to. The IRS’s reason? He was dead. Yes, dead people are
supposed to file tax returns for income they earned and taxes
they paid in the last year that they were alive, but what’s with
the half refund? He was unable to figure it out, and the IRS
remained convinced that he was dead for the next eight years.
[Read More…]
Dakota Access pipeline has first leak before it's fully operational
The Guardian - The $3.8bn oil pipeline, which sparked international
protests last year and is not yet fully operational, spilled 84 gallons
of crude oil at a South Dakota pump station, according to government
regulators. Although state officials said the 6 April leak was contained
and quickly cleaned, critics of the project said the spill, which
occurred as the pipeline is in the final stages of preparing to
transport oil, raises fresh concerns about the potential hazards to
waterways and Native American sites.
Trump signs order aimed at upgrading government cyber defenses
Reuters - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on
Thursday to bolster the government's cyber security and protect critical
infrastructure from cyber attacks, marking his first significant action
to address what he has called a top priority. The order seeks to improve
the often-maligned network security of U.S. government agencies, from
which foreign governments and other hackers have pilfered millions of
personal records and other forms of sensitive data in recent years. The
White House said the order also aimed to enhance protection of
infrastructure such as the energy grid and financial sector from
sophisticated attacks that officials have warned could pose a national
security threat or cripple parts of the economy. The directive, which
drew largely favorable reviews from cyber experts and industry groups,
also lays out goals to develop a more robust cyber deterrence strategy,
in part by forging strong cooperation with U.S. allies in cyberspace.
Police given access to DHS's massive biometric database
MassPrivate I - According to an article in Texas Public Radio, law
enforcement will now have access to DHS's massive biometric database.
"Texas law enforcement are now getting a big assist from the federal
government. Texas is the first and only state to get access to a massive
Department of Homeland Security biometric database..." Letting police
have access to everyone's biometrics is asinine and the potential for
abuse is astronomical. Just imagine what will happen, when a politician
wants police to give them information about a political opponent. Just
imagine what will happen, when a cop wants to get information about a
pretty woman or handsome man? Just imagine what will happen when police
want information on activists. This has all the earmarks of a police
state. DHS's massive database is called the 'Automated Biometric
Identification System' (IDENT). "IDENT has evolved over the years into
the central DHS -wide system for the storage and processing of biometric
data. IDENT stores and processes biometric data—digital fingerprints,
photographs, iris scans, and facial images—and links biometrics with
biographic information to establish and verify identities. IDENT serves
as a biographic and biometric repository for the Department." DHS
Secretary Patrick Nemeth, admits that they're spying on millions of
people, "we have a database of 212 million people."
Forced Vaccinations Violate Constitutional Rights, Sweden’s
Parliament Declares
Natural Blaze - May 10, 2017 is a day that ought to live in
infamy! Why? The Parliament of progressive Sweden adopted a
decision, which contained several motions, one being “it would
violate our [Swedish Constitution] if it introduced compulsory
vaccination, or mandatory vaccination.” … Personally, I cannot
offer enough kudos, standing ovations, and applause to the
Swedish Parliament for members’ level-headedness in assessing
vaccines as the bargain basement technology of the 20th century,
and not mandating them. However, that seems to be the emerging
meme, especially in foreign countries where Big Pharma and
vaccine manufacturers are being sued left and right for vaccine
damages!
Orange Essential Oil Could Help PTSD
Dr. Mercola - Antidepressants such as Effexor, Paxil, Prozac and
Zoloft are the most commonly prescribed drugs for PTSD, but
their effectiveness varies widely. As with all pharmaceutical
drugs, these medications carry with them the potential for
harmful side effects. Due to their dangers, as well as the
reality that research has shown placebos to be as effective as
some prescription drugs, I would like to draw your attention to
research suggesting a potential natural treatment for PTSD.
Specifically, scientists at George Washington University have
suggested orange essential oil may offer a non-drug option for
PTSD sufferers. Research performed on lab mice has demonstrated
the value of orange essential oil in the reduction of fear and
stress associated with the disorder. Of course, similar studies
involving humans would be needed to fully validate this body of
work. That said, this research marks a promising step forward in
identifying potential natural remedies for PTSD that could be
used alongside other non-drug interventions such as cognitive
therapy, exposure therapy and EMDR eye movement desensitization
and reprocessing
Jury Awards $1.26 Million to Family of Dog Shot, Killed by Police
Dogington Post - Anne Arundel County police officer Officer Rodney Price
claimed that he was attacked by Vern at the home of Vern’s owner,
Michael Reeves, while he was canvassing the neighborhood following a
burglary. Around 4pm, Officer Price approached the Reeves’ home where he
was confronted by 4-and-a-half year old Vern in the front yard.
Following the shooting, an Anne Arundel County Police investigation
cleared Price of any wrongdoing, stating that the dog was aggressive.
But, the Reeves family – who was not involved in the burglary that
brought police to their neighborhood contested that Vern was not
aggressive and did not attack or endanger the officer’s life but simply
barked at the stranger entering his property. A necropsy performed after
the shooting disproved the officer’s account of what happened when he
shot the dog. The 3-day trial took place in the Circuit Court for Anne
Arundel County where it was revealed that the the dog did not bite or
otherwise injure Officer Price before the shooting. Price also admitted
that no other steps were taken to deal with the dog before he pulled his
gun and fired it twice.
Thursday - May
11, 2017
On This Day In History
1792 - The Columbia River was discovered by Captain Robert Gray.
1812 - British prime Minster Spencer Perceval was shot by a bankrupt
banker in the lobby of the House of Commons.
1858 - Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. State.
1889 - Major Joseph Washington Wham takes charge of $28,000 in gold and
silver to pay troops at various points in the Arizona Territory. The
money was stolen in a train robbery.
1910 - Glacier National Park in Montana was established.
1927 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded.
1944 - A major offensive was launched by the allied forces in central
Italy.
1947 - The creation of the tubeless tire was announced by the B.F.
Goodrich Company.
1949 - Siam changed its name to Thailand.
1985 - More than 50 people died when a flash fire swept a soccer stadium
in Bradford, England.
1995 - The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was extended indefinitely.
The treaty limited the spread of nuclear material for military purposes.
1996 - An Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff
from Miami & crashed into the Florida Everglades. All 110 people on
board were killed.
1998 - India conducted its first underground nuclear tests, three of
them, in 24 years. The tests were in violation of a global ban on
nuclear testing.
2001 - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced his decision to
approve a 30-day delay of the execution of convicted Oklahoma City
bomber Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh had been scheduled to be executed on May
16, 2001. The delay was because the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) had failed to disclose thousands of documents to McVeigh's defense
team. (Oklahoma)
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump Meets Russia Foreign Minister at White House
The Epoch Times - The talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
were the highest-level public contact between Trump and the
government of Russian President Vladimir Putin since the
Republican took office on Jan. 20…. Trump described his talks
with Lavrov as “very, very good.”… He and Lavrov said they
discussed the civil war in Syria, where Russia backs President
Bashar al-Assad. “We want to see the killing, the horrible
killing, stopped in Syria as soon as possible and everyone is
working toward that end,” Trump told reporters. Lavrov, who
earlier met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said his
discussions with members of the Trump administration had
convinced him they were people who wanted to cut deals and solve
problems. “Now our dialogue is free of the ideologisation that
was characteristic of the Obama administration,” Lavrov said.
“The Trump administration, and the president himself, and the
secretary of state, I was persuaded of this once again today,
are people of action.” U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a
January report that Putin had ordered an effort to disrupt the
2016 election that included hacking into Democratic Party emails
and leaking them, with the aim of helping Trump. Russia denies
the allegations. Blaming “fake information,” Lavrov said: “I
believe that politicians are damaging the political system of
the U.S., trying to pretend that someone is controlling America
from the outside.”
Study: Majority of Americans Believe U.S. Losing its Culture and
Identity
Paul Joseph Watson - A new study has found that 55% of the U.S.
public believe America is in danger of losing its culture and
identity. Non-partisan research group PRRI has published a raft
of statistics that underscore how insecure Americans,
particularly white working class Americans, feel about their
future. Asked if the United States was “losing its culture and
identity,” 55% of respondents said yes, with 68% of white
working class Americans feeling that way. Almost half (48%) of
white working class Americans also feel that “things have
changed so much that I often feel like a stranger in my own
country,” while 62% believe that immigrants arriving from other
countries threaten American culture. 65% of white working class
respondents feel that “American culture and way of life has
deteriorated since the 1950s,” while 52% believe discrimination
against whites is now as big a problem as discrimination against
blacks and other minorities. 70% of white college educated
Americans disagreed. Asked if the American dream of working hard
and getting ahead still holds true, 46% of white working class
Americans agreed, while 48% said the American dream was once a
reality but isn’t any longer.
Calls to Investigate ‘Crooked Hillary’ Gain Steam Amid Comey
Firing
Adan Salazar - Following FBI Director James Comey’s termination
Tuesday, many called on President Trump to hire a new agency
head that will seek to prosecute former presidential candidate
Hillary Clinton. Political adviser and longtime confidante Roger
Stone voiced his support for the administration to move
offensively against the former secretary of state. “Essential
the next FBI Director work closely with DOJ to send @HillaryClinton
to prison-"no person is above the law" Fox News anchor Sean
Hannity made it a point Tuesday night to ask his panel what they
thought might happen to Hillary, which he framed as “the most
important question of the night.” “If you’re Hillary Clinton
tonight, what are you thinking?” Hannity asked Circa News’ Sarah
Carter. “Why do we have to obey the laws and she gets off
scot-free?” Kenneth Timmerman at The Hill asked in a headline,
“Comey got fired – will Clinton get indicted?” “The real
question raised by Comey’s firing is whether Justice Department
prosecutors are finally getting ready to pick up the Clinton
email investigation where the FBI left off last year and make a
determination on whether to prosecute Hillary Clinton and her
associates, based on the evidence FBI investigators so ably
gathered.”
Sources Claim That Comey Firing Could Result In Release Of
Documents, Potential New Clinton Probe
Disobedient Media - In the wake of Donald Trump’s dismissal of
FBI Director James Comey citing “serious mistakes” and
mishandling of the Hillary Clinton investigation, emerging
information appears to indicate that in the aftermath of Comey’s
firing the FBI intends to begin releasing documents on the
Clinton investigation and the Department of Justice may request
a second look at the investigation…. Upon news of Comey’s
removal, Julian Assange tweeted that a source within the FBI had
informed him that the Bureau would begin leaking documents from
the investigation…. If confirmed, the reports indicate that
Comey’s firing represents a renewed focus on information
pertaining to the investigation into Hillary Clinton, after the
previous one was criticized by both supporters and detractors of
the Former Secretary of State and Senator, both of whom painted
the investigation as being either politically motivated or
hampered by alleged attempts to cover up evidence of wrongdoing.
10 Major FBI Scandals on Comey’s Watch
Grabien News - Comey will inevitably be remembered for the
controversial role he played in the 2016 presidential election,
where his agency conducted surveillance of the Trump campaign as
well as investigated the Clinton camp for mishandling classified
materials, giving both sides arguments for how the FBI
ultimately swayed the vote. But even before the 2016 campaign,
the FBI endured a number of humiliations under Comey’s tenure….
1. Before he bombed the Boston Marathon, the FBI interviewed
Tamerlan Tsarnaev but let him go. Russia sent the Obama
Administration a second warning, but the FBI opted against
investigating him again. 2. Shortly after the NSA scandal
exploded in 2013, the FBI was exposed conducting its own data
mining on innocent Americans; the agency, Bloomberg reported,
retains that material for decades (even if no wrongdoing is
found). 3. The FBI had possession of emails sent by Nidal Hasan
saying he wanted to kill his fellow soldiers to protect the
Taliban — but didn’t intervene, leading many critics to argue
the tragedy that resulted in the death of 31 Americans at Fort
Hood could have been prevented. 4. During the Obama
Administration, the FBI claimed that two private jets were being
used primarily for counterterrorism, when in fact they were
mostly being used for Eric Holder and Robert Mueller’s business
and personal travel. 5. When the FBI demanded Apple create a
“backdoor” that would allow law enforcement agencies to unlock
the cell phones of various suspects, the company refused,
sparking a battle between the feds and America’s biggest tech
company. What makes this incident indicative of Comey’s
questionable management of the agency is that a) The FBI jumped
the gun, as they were indeed ultimately able to crack the San
Bernardino terrorist’s phone, and b) Almost every other major
national security figure sided with Apple (from former CIA
Director General Petraeus to former CIA Director James Woolsey
to former director of the NSA, General Michael Hayden), warning
that such a “crack” would inevitably wind up in the wrong hands.
[Read More…]
Aetna Is Latest Health Insurer to Quit Obamacare Markets
Bloomberg - “We will not offer on- or off-exchange individual
plans in Delaware or Nebraska for 2018, and at this time have
completely exited the exchanges,” Aetna said in a statement
Wednesday. Aetna had indicated it might pull out earlier this
month, when Chief Financial Officer Shawn Guertin said the
company would take steps to limit its financial losses in the
program. Aetna has said it expects to lose more than $200
million on individual health plans this year in the four states
where it’s still selling Affordable Care Act plans. Obamacare’s
markets are becoming increasingly vulnerable as major health
insurers exit, citing financial losses. Some insurers have
stayed in, but raised the premiums they charge customers by
double-digit percentages…. Some of the instability has been
going on for years, as fewer people than expected have signed up
for plans and many have been sicker than insurers accounted
for…. Aetna’s decision could leave Nebraska with just one
insurer, Medica. Medica has pulled back from Obamacare as well,
saying it may exit the program in Iowa, leaving much of the
state without insurance options under Obamacare. In Delaware,
the Blue Cross and Blue Shield company Highmark would be the
lone Obamacare insurer in the state, assuming no other insurers
enter.
Los Angeles School District Declares all Campuses 'Sanctuary
Schools'
Breitbart - The Los Angeles Unified School Board (LAUSD) passed
a resolution Tuesday declaring all schools “sanctuaries” for any
illegal alien students and their families — even criminal aliens
— who might be facing deportation. Not only does the resolution
designate every LAUSD campus as a “safe place” for illegal
aliens and their families, but it goes further, as quoted by the
Daily News: - schools can’t ask about a student’s or family
member’s immigration status; - the district will partner with
legal services organizations to create “Know Your Rights”
presentations for students and their families to educate them
about their rights when interacting with law enforcement and
immigration agents; - district employees can refuse, to the
fullest extent possible under the law, to share information with
immigration agents; - the district will help with legal support
for immigrant students and their families by offering referrals
to reputable legal organizations; [and] - the district will
create a “rapid response network” to help st udents or family
who have been detained by immigration officials.
US Sees Massive Drop in Illegal Border Crossings in Trump Era
Sputnik News - There has been a 76 percent drop in illegal
border crossings into the US since President Donald Trump took
office – and this before plans for “the wall” have been
finalized. Analysts say that the decline is even more marked for
children and families, and have attributed the difference to the
Trump administration’s strict enforcement of his immigration
policy. In April, apprehensions by border patrol personnel
dropped to 11,129, with the number of children apprehended
coming in below 1,000. This marks the lowest total for any month
in decades, the Washington Times reported. In December, 43,253
were apprehended while trying to cross the southern border. The
number of apprehensions is generally seen as an indicator of
overall flow: the more people who are apprehended, the more
people likely also made it across undetected. In contrast to the
policies of the Obama administration, Trump has called for
speedy deportations and additional detention centers to house
apprehended undocumented immigrants so they are not released
into United States prior to their hearings.
Gun Groups React Positively to New Trump Judicial Nominations
Washington Free Beacon - Gun rights activists praised President
Trump's new judicial nominees on Wednesday. "As he did in
nominating Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, once again
President Trump is keeping his promise to the American people by
nominating constitutional originalists across the federal
courts," Chris Cox, head of the National Rifle Association's
Institute for Legislative Action, told the Washington Free
Beacon…. The Second Amendment Foundation, which has a number of
gun-rights cases pending in the federal courts, said the
nominations look "very promising."… At this point, there are
over 120 federal court vacancies waiting to be filled. With
federal judges serving life terms, President Trump has an
opportunity to shape the federal court system in a significant
fashion…. Liberals and Democrats have reacted to the news of the
nominations with a great deal of alarm…. [Second Amendment
Foundation founder Alan] Gottlieb said the scorn from liberal
groups only served to make him more confident in the president's
nominees.
Cedarville University Embraces Ohio's Campus Carry Law, Arms
Faculty
Breitbart - Beginning August 1, full-time faculty and staff
possessing concealed carry permits will be able to carry guns
for defense of themselves and their students at Cedarville
University…. According to Cleveland.com, Cedarville is a Baptist
affiliated school that enrolls nearly 4,000 students for
undergraduate, graduate, and online studies. “University
President Thomas White said school officials consulted with law
enforcement and attorneys and got input from employees through a
town hall meeting and surveys” before voting to allow concealed
carry on campus. The surveys revealed that “only 8 percent of
[Cedarville] faculty and staff…did not want anyone to carry a
concealed firearm a concealed firearm on campus.”…. Breitbart
News reported that Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) signed campus
carry legislation into law on December 19, 2016; less than a
month after an Islamist armed with a butcher knife and a car
attacked unarmed innocents on the Ohio State University campus.
Since that time, Arkansas and Georgia both adopted campus carry
as well, bringing the total number of campus carry states to 11.
The other eight are Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Texas, Mississippi,
Wisconsin, Idaho, and Kansas.
The 2017 “March Against Monsanto” May 20, 2017
Natural Blaze - The Organic Consumers Organization is providing
a listing of 184 MAM-march organizer contacts on its website.
There are 95 contacts listed for marches taking place in the
USA; 14 for Canada; Japan 5; 14 France; 5 Mexico; 6 Argentina; 4
Bolivia and numerous others for countries across the globe.
Organic Consumers Organization is offering free materials to
reproduce for the marches at its website where you can click on
links and print any of the various materials to reproduce for
marchers to display. According to OCO, “More than 300 cities on
6 continents are participating.” Please consider joining the
world-wide “March Against Monsanto” to show government
officials, the media and all GMO developers your dissatisfaction
with being force-fed ersatz ‘phood’—something really not found
in Nature, but synthesized in Monsanto’s and other GMO
producers’ laboratories.
Turkey Warns US Decision To Arm Kurd "Terrorists" Is A "Crisis",
Gives Trump Chance To "Reconsider"
Zero Hedge - Following yesterday's news that the White House had
radically changed its strategy involving Syrian military
intervention, and that it had decided to provide weapons to
Kurdish militants in the region, we were curious to see just how
livid Turkey would be when it inevitably responded to Trump's
announcement. One day later we got the answer when the Turkish
Defense Minister Fikri Isik was quoted by Reuters that the U.S.
decision to provide weapons for Kurdish militants in the fight
against ISIS "is a crisis" and warned it would not benefit the
United States or the region…. The decision to supply arms to
Kurds would have “consequences” and a potentially “negative
result” for Washington, warned Turkish Prime Minister Binali
Yildirim warned on Wednesday…. A third warning came from Turkish
Deputy PM Nurettin Canikli who told local TV station A Haber
that “we cannot accept the presence of terrorist organizations
that would threaten the future of the Turkish state…. Responding
to the Turkish laments, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said
he was confident the United States would be able to resolve
tensions with Turkey the decision. “We will work very closely
with Turkey in support of their security on their southern
border. It's Europe's southern border, and we’ll stay closely
connected,” Reuters quoted Mattis on Wednesday.
Migrants Rampage Through Streets After Storming Spanish Border
Breitbart - Hundreds of African migrants have stormed the
Spanish-Moroccan border, injuring guards and pouring into the
streets of Melilla. The city, which has belonged to Spain since
1497, is one of two centuries-old settlements on the North
African coast which belong to the European country. Their
frontiers with Morocco represent the European Union’s only land
borders with an African nation…. Around a hundred migrants broke
through the city’s defences successfully, rampaging through the
streets and turning cartwheels in celebration. They could not be
immediately ejected due to EU rules which require the
authorities to let them lodge asylum applications on reaching
Spanish soil…. Border violations at the two exclaves had already
tripled on 2016 by February, with Moroccan agriculture minister
and billionaire oil and gas tycoon Aziz Akhannouch indicating
that the North African dictatorship would relax its efforts to
stem the flow of migrants if the EU refused to give way to on
issues related to farming, fishing, and the long-standing
illegal occupation of Western Sahara…. In fact, the EU does pay
Morocco an unspecified sum, reported to be in the tens of
millions of euros, to police its borders.
Paris's Largest Migrant Camp Evacuated by Police
Breitbart - The Porte de la Chapelle migrant camp used to be the
largest in Paris, but after Tuesday morning the camp no longer
exists. Police arrived at the camp at 5:30 am and began the
process of relocating some 1,600 migrants, the vast majority of
whom were men, away from the area, L’Express reports. According
to police, there were 1,609 people, of which 75 were considered
“vulnerable” including underage migrants and women, who were
relocated to official accommodation facilities. The camp was
mostly populated by men from Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Sudan….
Aside from the health hazards in the squalid camp, many
authorities worried about rivalries between the different
nationalities of migrants that led to a particularly violent
incident last month. Last week, Breitbart London travelled to
the camp to talk to migrants who had come to Europe. One migrant
said that he blamed Europe for “ruining” his country and almost
all agreed that European governments owed them access to welfare
and housing. According to one of the residents at the camp,
originally from Sudan, the most violent people at the camp were
the Eritrean men.
Millions of Pakistanis sent govt blasphemy warning by text
RT - Pakistan’s government has sent millions of text messages
warning citizens against the sharing of blasphemous content
online. The move comes as authorities bid to combat a major
uptick in religious violence as mob rule decides if
‘blasphemers’ live or die. Pakistan Telecommunications Authority
(PTA) asked members of the public to report any objectionable
content to authorities. The telecom regulator told AFP that it
was acting on a court order. It’s feared, however, that the
government message will embolden the actions of violent mobs.
Mexico's 2016 Murder Tally Exceeds Those of Many Countries at
War
The Epoch TImes - Mexico had the second-highest number of
murders last year among countries considered in “armed
conflict,” more than Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a report
published on Tuesday that dealt a blow to President Enrique Peña
Nieto’s efforts to end a deadly drug war. With nearly 23,000
intentional homicides in 2016, Mexico’s murder tally was second
only to war-torn Syria’s 60,000, said Antonio Sampaio, one of
the authors of the International Institute for Strategic
Studies’ “Armed Conflict Survey 2017.” Iraq had roughly 17,000
murders, while Afghanistan had 16,000 last year, he added,
noting that Mexico’s militarized drug battle increasingly
resembles an armed conflict…. While homicides are generally
reported at a rate per 100,000 people, Sampaio said many
countries in armed conflict lack reliable population data. “We
think absolute numbers are a good way of measuring intensity,”
he said. “Plus 23,000 is a huge number; no doubt about that.”…
The 2016 murder tally rose to its highest level since Pena Nieto
became president, and the first few months of 2017 have shown no
signs that the violence has stopped. In January, Reuters
reported that Mexico’s declining security budget could help
drive the 2017 murder tally to its highest level ever.
Obama Uses Private Jet, 14 Car Convoy to Get to European Climate Change
Speech
Independent Journal Review - Former President Barack Obama traveled to
Italy this week to make a speech on climate change at the “Seed & Chips:
The Global Food Innovation Summit” in the city of Milan. It seems like
Obama has taken a page out of Leonardo DiCaprio's book of “do as I say,
not as I do” and took a private jet to Milan. Not only that, he had a 14
car convoy to get into the city, which also included protection from
above with a helicopter. It doesn't end there. According to The Daily
Mail, 300 police officers were used to protect the former president. The
fleet of 14 included multiple SUVs, police cars, and sedans — not to
mention a few motorcycles. While in Milan, Obama also met with former
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who was a close partner during
their respective times in office. During his post-presidency vacation,
Obama spent many weeks in French Polynesia on music mogul David Geffen's
450ft superyacht, which surely does not frugally sip fossil fuels like
he wants the rest of the country to do. Seems like President Obama’s
retirement is going well.
* Related:
Obama Pockets $3.2 Million For Speaking At A Conference In Milan
An AI Will Decide Which Criminals in the UK Get Bail
Motherboard - Get arrested in Durham, England, and artificial
intelligence could help decide whether you're held in custody or sent
home—but it's not yet clear if the algorithm is more accurate than
police officers when it comes to assessing whether someone is likely to
reoffend. Durham Constabulary has worked with academics from the
University of Cambridge to develop the Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART),
an algorithm that analyses crime data and predicts whether an arrested
suspect is likely to pose a risk if released from custody. The tool is
similar to those recently rolled out in the United States…. Alongside
that, Durham is running a "wilful blindfulness exercise", where officers
aren't shown HART's prediction, but instead make their own guess as to
whether the suspect will reoffend within two years and whether it will
be serious, so researchers can see if humans and machines make the same
choice. So far, HART and officers agree only 56 percent of the time.
Durham will have to wait two years to see which is correct more often.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Victory: Seed sharing platform disrupting dangerous companies who
control more than 60% of the global seed supply
(Natural News) A new peer-to-peer seed sharing program could turn the
agricultural world upside-down. In order to help preserve biodiversity
and increase food security, some gardeners and small farmers are
focusing on growing and saving seeds from heirloom plants and crops.
Heirloom crops and plants that can be open-pollinated and that have
adapted to specific climates and environments are integral to
maintaining genetic diversity among plants and helps to ensure food
security. Modern farming practices, however, have taken their toll on
biodiversity. In fact, in less than a century, the United States alone
has seen fruit and vegetable seed diversity decrease by 1200 percent. In
total, about 93 percent of once-diverse crop and plant species have
vanished. Worldwide, plant diversity has decreased by a staggering 75
percent.
Do your part and save the bees with these 10 easy-to-grow flowers
(Natural News) Bee populations have dwindled in recent years.
Pesticides, parasites, and the disappearance of wildflowers have all
been cited as reasons for the declines of domesticated and wild bees.
Without these important little pollinators, the amount of agricultural
crops would shrink considerably. Less bees means less food for us.
Fortunately, the simple act of planting annual flowers can help bring
bee numbers back up. 1. Garden Nasturtium – Beloved as both an
ornamental and medicinal plant. 2. French Marigold – Commonly used as a
companion plant, French Marigolds protect vegetable crops from harmful
insects like white flies. 3. Common Marigold – These are fast-growing
plants blessed with aromatic leaves and vibrant flowers. They also serve
as excellent substitutes for saffron in rice dishes. Californian
Bluebell – These are hardy flowers that do well in dry soil, require
little attention, and attract pollinators. Common Sunflower – Whether
you plant giant Sunflowers or the shorter varieties, be sure to plant
them where they can get the most amount of sun. There are pollen-free
cultivars on the market which aren’t good at attracting bees, so avoid
these at all costs. Baby’s Breath – These delicate white flowers are
known for being easy to grow from seeds. More than just bouquet fillers,
Baby’s Breath lure in honeybees with ease….
About a third of FDA-approved drugs go on to have major safety
issues
Ars Technica - Among 222 novel therapeutics approved by the
agency between 2001 and 2010, 71 (or 32 percent) had safety
events arise a median of 4.2 years later. Safety events assessed
in the study were marked by any of three FDA actions:
withdrawing a drug entirely from the market; adding a boxed
warning to a drug’s label, which is often added for
life-threatening health risks; or issuing a safety
communication, which is for serious, but non-life-threatening,
health risks. In all, the agency withdrew three drugs*, added
boxed warnings to 61, and issued safety communications for 59.
The authors of the study, led by Joseph Ross, a Yale professor
of general medicine and public health policy, hope the analysis
helps regulators identify features of drugs that may have hidden
health risks at the time of their review…. “The majority of
pivotal trials that form the basis for FDA approval enroll fewer
than 1,000 patients with follow-up of six months or less, which
may make it challenging to identify uncommon or long-term
serious safety risks,” Ross and his colleagues note. “The high
frequency of post-market safety events highlights the need for
continuous monitoring of the safety of novel therapeutics
throughout their life cycle.” But the study also may offer a
glimpse of what could come from policies designed to quicken the
FDA’s already swift reviews.
Baltimore group pushes FDA to issue cancer warning labels on
acid reflux drugs
(Natural News) Acid reflux affects most people at one time or
another. Rethink Health reports that 60 million adults in the
U.S. experience it at least once a month, while 25 million
suffer with it on a daily basis…. For many, the solution seems
simple: Just use an over-the-counter medication to deal with the
acid and resolve the problem. What most people don’t realize is
that though they may no longer feel the symptoms after taking an
OTC medication, the problem is still there, and left untreated,
can lead to a serious condition called Barrett’s Esophagus, in
which all that stomach acid eventually damages the lining of the
esophagus. In turn, this condition can eventually result in
esophageal cancer. As reported by The Baltimore Sun, a group
called the Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN), which is
based in Baltimore, is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to add warning labels to OTC medications
like Nexium, Prilosec, Omeprazole, Prevacid, Dexilant, Aciphex
and Protonix.
The More Muscle, The Less Diabetes
Natural Blaze - If you have more lean muscle tissue, you have
less risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Findings outlined
by US and Chinese scientists provide further insights into how
muscles use glucose in a feedback loop as well as its role in
whole-body glucose balance…. “The majority of cases of type 2
diabetes could be prevented by the adoption of a healthier
lifestyle,” reported researchers led by Dr. Frank Hu of the
Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts….One
study looked at 13,600 people and followed them for 6 years.
Researchers found that people who had just 10% greater amount of
muscle tissue in their body, according to a special
bioelectrical impedance measurement, had 12% less chance of
developing pre-diabetes or diabetes type II. The Diabetes
Prevention Program (DPP), a trial published in 2002, found
intensive lifestyle interventions such as diet or exercise were
more effective than the diabetes drug metformin in preventing
the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Lettuce Has … No Nutrition? Perhaps, If You Eat The Wrong Kind
Off the Grid News - Nature gives us a great hint for choosing
healthy fruits and vegetables – color. The darker the berry, the
higher the antioxidant value. Similarly, the darker the shade of
lettuce is, the higher its nutritional content. Take iceberg
lettuce, for example. The longtime and popular American salad
staple has a pale color and, accordingly, offers little in the
way of vitamins and minerals. In fact, it ranks last on our list
of healthy lettuce…. Romaine – With its dark red and green color
and its elongated leaves, romaine (also called “cos”) is rich in
folate and vitamins A and C. It also contains a healthy dose of
Vitamin K, zinc and potassium. Each romaine leaf has a sturdy
rib that helps it stand up well in salads and on sandwiches, but
its flavor is surprisingly sweet. Even better: Romaine will last
for 10 days or more in your fridge…. Loose leaf lettuce —Second
only to romaine in Vitamin A content… Loose leaf contains the
most fiber of any lettuce and also is rich in potassium.
Butterhead – Butterhead has double the magnesium content of any
other lettuce and is a good source of vitamin A. It also has
small amounts of calcium and iron. Leaf lettuce — It is a good
choice for sneaking some Vitamins A and K into the diet of the
picky eaters in your family. The greener or redder the leaf, the
more nutrients this lettuce provides, according to the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Wednesday - May
10, 2017
On This Day In History
1768 - The imprisonment of the journalist John Wilkes as an outlaw
provoked violence in London. Wilkes was returned to parliament as a
member for Middlesex.
1773 - The English Parliament passed the Tea Act, which taxed all tea in
the U.S. colonies.
1775 - Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold led an attack on the
British Fort Ticonderoga and captured it from the British.
1840 - Mormon leader Joseph Smith moved his band of followers to
Illinois to escape the hostilities they had experienced in Missouri.
1865 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union
troops near Irvinville, GA.
1872 - Victoria Woodhull became the first woman nominated for the U.S.
presidency.
1876 - Richard Wagner’s "Centennial Inaugural March" was heard for the
first time at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, PA.
1898 - A vending machine law was enacted in Omaha, NE. It cost $5,000
for a permit.
1908 - The first Mother's Day observance took place during a church
service in Grafton, West Virginia.
1924 - J. Edgar Hoover was appointed head of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
1933 - The Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany.
1940 - Germany invaded Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
1941 - England's House of Commons was destroyed by a German air raid.
1941 - Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler's deputy, parachuted into Scotland on
what he claimed was a peace mission.
1942 - U.S. forces in the Philippines began to surrender to the
Japanese.
1943 - U.S. troops invaded Attu in the Aleutian Islands to expel the
Japanese.
1968 - Preliminary Vietnam peace talks began in Paris.
1986 - Navy Lt. Commander Donnie Cochran became the first black pilot to
fly with the Blue Angels team.
1994 - Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first black
president.
2000 - 11,000 residents were evacuated in Los Alamos, NM, due to a fire
that was blown into a canyon. The fire had been deliberately set to
clear brush.
2002 - Robert Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for
parole. Hanssen, an FBI agent, had sold U.S. secrets to Moscow for $1.4
million in cash and diamonds.
2002 - Taiwan test fired a locally made Sky Bow II surface-to-air
missile for the first time. They also fired three U.S.-made Hawk
missiles.
2011 - It was announced that Microsoft had closed a deal to purchase the
internet phone service Skype for $8.5 billion.
2013 - In New York, NY, crane operators hoisted the final pieces of the
spire atop One World Trade Center (formerly called the Freedom Tower).
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump
New York Times - President Trump has fired the director of the
F.B.I., James B. Comey, over his handling of the investigation
into Hillary Clinton’s emails, the White House said on Tuesday.
Mr. Comey was leading an investigation into whether members of
the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016
election. “While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three
separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I
nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of
Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau,”
Mr. Trump said in a letter to Mr. Comey dated Tuesday. “It is
essential that we find new leadership for the F.B.I. that
restores public trust and confidence in its vital law
enforcement mission,” Mr. Trump wrote.
Clinton Campaign Manager ‘Terrified’ Over Comey Firing
The GatewayPundit - Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election campaign
quickly expressed their disapproval of Trump’s decision to fire
FBI Director James Comey. Hillary’s campaign manager, Robby Mook
tweeted about the news of Comey’s firing claiming it terrified
him. That makes us even happier here at TGP! Mook tweeted out
‘Twilight zone. I was disappointed and frustrated as anyone at
how the email investigation was handled. But this terrifies me.’
Comey’s firing was of course welcomed by conservatives and
patriots alike. Comey was involved in one scandal after covering
for Hillary Clinton. Comey’s firing came at the recommendation
of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General
Jeff Sessions.
* Related:
Flashback: Comey and FBI Never Asked for DNC Hacked Computer
Servers During Investigation
Trump Nominates Ten Conservatives to be Federal Judges
Breitbart - Trump has already made one other judicial
nomination: Judge Amul Thapar to the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Sixth Circuit. Thapar is currently a federal district judge
(the trial court in the federal system) in Kentucky. But at this
moment, there are 122 judicial vacancies in addition to the one
Thapar will fill when he is confirmed. On Monday, Trump
nominated ten additional picks to fill many of those seats, five
for the federal appeals courts and four for the federal district
courts (in addition to one for a specialized court, the Court of
Federal Claims). Most of the public attention will go to the
appellate nominees, because more than 99 percent of the time a
decision from a federal appeals court is a final decision
because the Supreme Court does not select it for review.
California may end ban on communists in government jobs that has
been on the books since the Red Scare of the 1940s and '50s
Daily Mail - Being a communist would no longer be a fireable
offense for California government employees under a bill passed
Monday by the state Assembly. Lawmakers narrowly approved the
bill to repeal part of a law enacted during the Red Scare of the
1940s and '50s when fear that communists were trying to
infiltrate and overthrow the US government was rampant. The
bill, which was authored by Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta,
now goes to the Senate. If passed there, it would eliminate part
of the law that allows public employees to be fired for being a
member of the Communist Party…. Assemblyman Randy Voepel, a
Southern California Republican who fought in the Vietnam War,
said communists in North Korea and China are 'still a threat.'
This bill is blatantly offensive to all Californians,' said
Assemblyman Travis Allen, a Republican who represents a coastal
district in Southern California. 'Communism stands for
everything that the United States stands against.'
College Destroys Books After Digitization, Sparking Fears of
1984-Style Censorship
Kit Daniels - California universities were caught removing and
even destroying library books after digitizing them, a process
critics warn leads to 1984-style censorship in which only
“corrected” copies of books remain. UC Berkeley in particular
recently removed 135,000 books from its school library, claiming
that by digitizing the books, library space can be reused for
meeting rooms and “nap pods.”… “The removal of 60% of the
physical collection at the science library of the University of
California, Santa Cruz, for instance, caused an uproar after it
was reported that many of the books removed had been destroyed,”
reported the Christian Science Monitor. “A campus spokesman said
that nothing had been lost from the scholarly record, since
duplicates were retained in other libraries or available
online.” “Given the short timeframe and seeming lack of
consultation of the faculty, however, many critics expressed
doubts that this was actually the case.” This, of course, draws
parallels to the novel 1984, in which the protagonist, Winston,
works at the Ministry of Truth altering books and important
texts while sequentially destroying the original sources to hide
the evidence of tampering. In reality, it’s certainly plausible
that SJW student-workers digitizing books at a university could
“correct for history” by altering or downright removing passages
from books that don’t conform to their world view.
Fed Tech Slowed ICE Agents Tracking Visa Overstays, Report Finds
Breitbart - A recent report issued by the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) shows just how much the federal
government has done to handicap ICE agents who are working to
find those who are illegally in the country because of visa
overstays. Estimates reveal there are 1.2 million of these
individuals in the country. Two of the 9/11 terrorists
overstayed their visas. Visa overstays are one of the primary
causes for illegal immigrants to be in the United States.
Moreover, as discussed on Breitbart News Radio in an interview
with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in late January, “about 40 percent
of people who come to visit our country on a visa overstay their
visa, and we have no idea where they are.” The senator from
Kentucky added, “On 9/11, at least two of the hijackers were
here on visa. They were traveling back and forth to the Middle
East, and we really had no idea where they were or what they
were doing, and they were overstaying their visa. So, there are
problems I think in the immigration system that need to be fixed
for our safety.” The report issued by DHS last week shows that
ICE investigators are given a sluggishly encumbering system,
causing delays in determining whether a visa holder poses a
national security threat.
15 Illegal Immigrants Arrested for Alleged Identity Theft
Breitbart - The 15 illegal immigrants were indicted by a federal
grand jury for identity theft, accusing the men of “using social
security numbers of actual citizens, and making false claims of
United States citizenship in order to obtain jobs at the
facility over the past three years,” the statement read.
According to prosecutors, the illegal immigrants were working
under names of actual U.S. citizens. The stolen identities
primarily came from citizens living in Puerto Rico. Prosecutors
said that after the illegal immigrants stole the Social Security
numbers, they received state-issued identification cards from
Louisiana, Missouri, Texas and Arkansas in order to work in
those states. The stolen Social Security numbers allowed the
illegal immigrants to get past the E-Verify systems.
"Chicago Is A War Zone": Police Suicide Rate Surges To 60% Above
The National Average
Zero Hedge - “Chicago is a war zone,” said Alexa James, the
executive director of the National Alliance on Mental
Illness-Chicago. “They (officers) are seeing the worst day of
everybody’s life every day.” “Suicide is killing officers,
alcohol is killing officers, at a far greater rate than
ambushes, but there is not the same sense of urgency around this
issue,” said Christy Lopez, a former Justice Department official
who led the Chicago federal probe. Chicago police’s suicide rate
was 29.4 per 100,000 department members between 2013 and 2015,
the report said, citing police union figures. The department
disagreed in the report, putting the rate at 22.7 suicides per
100,000 members. Both estimates were higher than the national
average of 18.1 law enforcement suicides per 100,000…. To add
insult to injury, because of Chicago’s onerous gun laws that
permanently prohibit anyone who has been involuntarily committed
for in-patient mental health treatment from carrying a gun, a
requirement for cops, the folks working for the Chicago PD
generally refuse mental health services out of fear of losing
their job.
* Related:
Chicago Gangs Turn To "Armor-Piercing Rifles" In Police Ambush
A Tour Down Homicide Lane, As Baltimore Descends Into Chaos
Zero Hedge - According to The Baltimore Sun Newspaper, the city
has logged in 118 homicides today with the projection of >400
murders for year’s end. It’s so bad here that Baltimore’s Mayor
has asked the Federal Government for help in attempt to regain
control. Even the police union sounds the alarm of an officer
shortage leading to decrease in patrols. All of this is
occurring as the Baltimore population declines, nearing a
100-year low, U.S. Census says…. The mainstream media dares not
to share this with you, because it destroys the gentrification
narrative to lure in the millennial generation for city life.
Millennials’ are frantically buying real estate <2 miles from
this high homicide area. For the sake of the millennials’, let’s
hope a spillover in crime does not occur in their neighborhoods.
It would be detrimental to home prices.
Govt to Grab $3M from Taxpayers to Propagandize Us Into Eating
GMOs
Natural Blaze - Washington Post reports: The Food and Drug
Administration will fund a campaign to promote genetically
modified organisms in food under a bipartisan agreement to keep
the government funded through the end of September. The deal to
avert a government shutdown allocates $3 million to “consumer
outreach and education regarding agricultural biotechnology,”
which includes genetic engineering of food and commodity crops.
The money is to be used to tout “the environmental, nutritional,
food safety, economic, and humanitarian impacts” of biotech
crops and their derivative food products. More than 50
agriculture and food industry groups had signed on to an April
18 letter urging the funding to counter “a tremendous amount of
misinformation about agricultural biotechnology in the public
domain.” But some environmental groups and House Democrats have
derided the provision as a government-sponsored public relations
tour for the GMO industry…. Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.) tried to
get the measure struck from the bill last month. During a
hearing she had said: It is not the responsibility of the FDA to
mount a government-controlled propaganda campaign to convince
the American public that genetically modified foods are safe.
The FDA has to regulate the safety of our food supply and
medical devices. They are not, nor should they be, in the
pro-industry advertising business.
US to send heavier weapons to Syrian Kurds and reassures NATO
ally, Turkey – Pentagon
RT - The Department of Defense has confirmed delivery of heavier
weapons to US-allied Kurdish fighters, for the upcoming ‘long
and difficult’ battle to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from
ISIS. The Pentagon has also offered protection to its NATO ally,
Turkey…. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis is meeting with
Turkish officials in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday to work out
differences over the US’s continued support for Syrian Kurds
against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters and
efforts to retake Raqqa. Turkey considers them an extension of a
banned terrorist group on its territory. The weapons shipment
was also confirmed by the White House on Tuesday…. Spicer said
the US "reassures the people and the government of Turkey that
the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and
protecting our NATO ally."
EXCLUSIVE: ‘It Was An Invasion’: How Hungary Managed To Erase
Illegal Immigration In Just A Few Months
The Daily Caller - When other countries welcomed refugees with
open arms, Hungary decided it was time to eradicate illegal
immigration at any cost. The country succeeded, but that success
damaged relations with the European Union in the process.
Hungary’s second border fence has just been completed in the
southern town of Asotthalom. The 96-mile long, 14 ft. tall
double-line of defense doesn’t look too intimidating from a
distance. Go a little closer and you’ll notice several layers of
razor-wire capable of delivering electric shocks, cameras, heat
sensors and loudspeakers ready to tell migrants they’re about to
break Hungarian law if they as much as touch the fence. Add a
few hundred military officers and “border hunters” and it’s
virtually impossible to break. Close to every police officer in
the country is part of a rotation to make sure the grounds are
covered at all times. Temporary military bases have been set up
by the border to house them while they do their rotation. More
than 1,000 volunteers will receive generous salary and benefit
packages when they deploy as “border hunters” after extensive
training…. If a migrant is lucky enough to make it across, local
guards patrol the surrounding area around the clock. The ones
who are caught are arrested and dropped off on the Serbian side.
They don’t even get a chance to apply for asylum unless they do
so at a “transit zone” where they are held in housing containers
while their cases get processed.
For The First Time, You Can Track Every Dollar The Government
Spends
Zero Hedge - Despite paying trillions in Federal taxes every
year, Americans' requests for a clear, detailed breakdown of
where their money goes every year, have gone unanswered and been
ignored by both Republican and Democrat administrations for one
simple reason: transparency has an unpleasant way of mutating
into accountability, which is the scariest thing imaginable for
any career politician. Not any more. On Tuesday, the US Treasury
launched a new website designed to track virtually every dollar
- out of roughly $4 trillion - in federal spending. The new
website, Beta. USAspending.gov, was created to put data into the
hands of taxpayers by empowering them to track how their tax
dollars are spent. The site is designed to follow federal agency
spending and, for the first time, links spending data to awards
distributed by the government…. More than just pretty charts,
however, the site will likely serve as a tool for investors
following along with Trump Administration proposal debates, and
tracking who, where and when is set to receive several billion
in excess government generosity.
Bitcoin Soars Over $1700 - 2017's Best-Performing Currency
Zero Hedge - Bitcoin is now up for 16 of the last 18 days,
soaring over 50% in the last month and up almost 90% in 2017 -
making its the year's best performing currency. There appears to
be no specific catalyst for today's move as the surge in
Japanese interest and news that Russia is considering, like
Japan just did, to allow cryptocurrencies as a legal payment
method are outweighing fears over 'hard forks', SEC rejections,
and Chinese crackdowns. One wonders whether this 'spurious'
correlation has anything to do with Bitcoin's rise - as
Venezuela's black market Bolivar plunges into hyper-inflationary
collapse, non-fiat currencies are bid... We summarized the
ongoing bitcoin frenzy as follows last week: "just as the
Chinese bubble frenzy in bitcoin is fading, it may be replaced
with a new one, in which thousands of Mrs. Watanabe traders
shift their attention away from the FX market and toward digital
currencies" and added that "If the transition is seamless, there
is no telling just how far this particular bubble can grow."
Purple Mattress Company Allegedly Sues Man For Questioning
Product’s Safety
David Wolfe - A new viral video is alleging that the company
Purple, Inc.—creators of a product that’s the “perfected science
of sound sleep”—is suing a review site for questioning the
mattress’ safety. “Do you want to know why Purple Mattress is
suing me over four simple safety questions,” begins the video…
According to the man in the video, who runs a YouTube channel
called “Honest Mattress Reviews,” the Purple Mattress contains a
white powdery substance that could potentially be dangerous, he
says. Claiming to contacted Purple, Inc. by phone to inquire
about the powdery substance, he says they originally told him it
was “talcum powder”… it was “a hypoallergenic, nontoxic,
powder.”… According to one of his videos, upon opening up the
Purple Mattress and pressing a black shirt against it, a visible
stain of powder appears on the shirt, at which point he asks,
“if you slept on it, and this much powder was on it, would you
be concerned?” After he was sued, the man in the video claims he
hired a First Amendment attorney and that “he reviewed my case
and realized that my rights had been completely steamrolled.”
According to the mattress reviewer, the Harvard scientist’s
preliminary findings, he said, “Polyethylene is a common plastic
formed into many structures. As inhalable microspheres, these
have the potential to cause respiratory irritation especially
when inhaled in large numbers as shown in my laboratory.”
Hanford Tunnel Breach Confirmed In Emergency At Nuclear Reservation
Tai-City Herald - An emergency has been declared in central Hanford
after a tunnel used to store highly radioactively contaminated waste
collapsed. An aerial survey midmorning Tuesday showed an opening about
20 feet by 20 feet into one of two tunnel, which had been covered with
about eight feet of soil. The breach at the defunct Purex processing
plant could expose the highly radioactive material disposed of in the
tunnel to the atmosphere. No airborne radiation had been detected as of
about 10:30 a.m. Radiological surveys were continuing. The tunnels are
about 25 miles northwest of the center of Richland in the Hanford
nuclear reservation’s 200 East Area. Instructions for people to shelter
in place were expanded from central Hanford to most of Hanford,
including LIGO and the reactor areas along the Columbia River, after the
aerial survey. No one is being allowed to enter the site beyond the
security barricades. Earlier in the morning workers near Purex had
noticed a 4-foot-by-4-foot depression that was 2 to 4 feet deep over the
tunnel. Workers in Purex were evacuated when the depression was noticed.
About 3,000 workers in central Hanford initially were told to take
shelter indoors, including about 1,000 workers at the vitrification
plant construction site. Ventilation systems at the vit plant were
turned off as part of the emergency procedure and equipment that could
generate heat were powered down…. Private pilots in the area have been
told to avoid flying over Hanford. The Hanford Patrol is working with
the Federal Aviation Administration to put a formal air restriction in
place until the FAA can confirm there is no danger. Railcars full of
highly contaminated materials and equipment from the plant were backed
into waste disposal tunnels at the plant and left there as a disposal
method. The material was so radioactive that several empty cars were
placed between the railcar holding waste and the locomotive to protect
the driver from radiation…. Last year a new legal deadline was set
requiring the DOE to start some work toward assessing the the waste
disposal tunnels by September of this year.
* Related Video:
Hanford nuclear site is America's most toxic place
Bombshell Studies: Vaccinated Kids Sicker than Unvaccinated
Alliance for Natural Health - The first study, comparing
unvaccinated and vaccinated children, looked at the link between
preterm (i.e., premature) infants, vaccination, and the
development of neurological development disorders (NDD) such as
autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and learning disabilities.
Preterm babies are already at increased risk for NDD, but the
study found that vaccinating preterm babies—which is standard
medical practice—significantly increases that risk. Preterm
birth combined with vaccination was associated with nearly
seven-fold increased odds of NDD…. The second study, which
surveyed more than 400 homeschooling mothers with 666 children
(39% of whom were unvaccinated), found even more causes for
concern. It found that vaccinated kids were, on the whole,
sicker than unvaccinated kids. Vaccinated children were more
than three times as likely to have allergies, six times as
likely to have pneumonia, about three times as likely to have
NDD, and almost twice as likely to have any chronic illness.
Additionally, the study also found that vaccinated kids were far
more likely to use medications and other health services. They
were more likely to have been prescribed antibiotics, allergy
drugs, and fever medications; fitted with ventilation ear tubes;
visited a doctor in the previous year for a health issue; and
been hospitalized…. It is shocking that such studies have never
been done, considering that the childhood vaccination program
now includes forty-eight doses of vaccines for fourteen
diseases—all administered between birth and age six—compared to
three vaccinations for seven diseases in the 1970s. If those who
wish to force vaccinations on the US population are so confident
that vaccines are safe, why not do the studies? The likely
answer: Big Pharma makes Big Money from pumping the most
vulnerable among us full of vaccines.
Eating 'too much' salt doesn't raise blood pressure—it lowers it
What Doctors Don't Tell You - We're told to eat less salt to
keep our blood pressure in check. But a major new study is the
latest to suggest the guidelines are just plain wrong. Blood
pressure was higher in people who kept to the 2.3 g of sodium
(around 6 g of salt) recommended daily amount, and lower in
those who consumed more. "We saw no evidence that a diet lower
in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood
pressure. Our findings add to growing evidence that current
recommendations for sodium intake may be misguided," said Lynn
Moore from Boston University school of medicine, and the lead
researcher. Instead, eating plenty of potassium, calcium and
magnesium every day did more to keep blood pressure in check,
the researchers found when they looked at the diets and salt
intake of 2,632 men and women aged between 30 and 64. Those who
ate the highest amounts of potassium and sodium also recorded
the lowest blood pressure levels. Of these, Dr Moore thinks that
potassium—derived from foods such as avocado, spinach, sweet
potato, bananas and coconut water—has the most important role to
play in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Spinach,
chard, almonds and black beans are rich in magnesium, while
calcium is found in milk and cheese, soya beans and nuts.
The Unexpected Life-or-Death Disease That's Probably Not Even on Your
Radar
Dr. Becker - Cats with asthma can't draw a deep breath, but it’s not
always obvious. Instead, kitty develops a dry hack that often sounds
like gagging or retching. In fact, some cats with asthma are initially
diagnosed with hairballs. Wheezing, which can sound like a high-pitched
sigh or a whistle, is another classic symptom. Labored breathing and
exercise intolerance are also signs. Even if your cat has a dry cough as
her only symptom, it's not necessarily a measure of the severity of the
condition. Kitties can have quite serious asthma but very few symptoms.
Some cats have no symptoms at all until suddenly they can’t breathe. An
acute asthma attack can be life-threatening…. Symptoms of feline asthma
are seen in other diseases as well, so it's extremely important to get
an accurate diagnosis. Cats are often misdiagnosed with asthma when they
actually have a heart condition; so again, getting a correct diagnosis
is crucial…. I recommend you talk to a holistic or integrative
veterinarian about natural remedies to control lung inflammation and
promote respiratory health in your kitty. I find naturally extracted
plant sterols and sterolins to be beneficial for these patients, as well
as homeopathics and Chinese herbs. I also encourage you to consider
acupuncture. Acupuncture helps reduce systemic inflammation in a cat's
body, and it can also help reduce the frequency and intensity of
asthmatic episodes.
Tuesday - May
9, 2017
On This Day In History
1754 - The first newspaper cartoon in America showed a divided snake
"Join or die" in "The Pennsylvania Gazette."
1825 - The Chatham Theatre opened in New York City. It was the first
gas-lit theater in America.
1901 - In Australia, the Duke of Cornwall and York declared the First
Commonwealth Parliament open.
1904 - The Great Western Railway Number 3440 City of Truro became the
first railway locomotive to exceed 100 miles per hour.
1926 - Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett became the first men to
fly an airplane over the North Pole.
1941 - The German submarine U-110 was captured at sea by Britain's Royal
navy.
1960 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for sale an
oral birth-control pill for the first time.
1962 - A laser beam was successfully bounced off Moon for the first
time.
1974 - The House Judiciary Committee began formal hearings on the Nixon
impeachment.
1994 - Nelson Mandela was chosen to be South Africa's first black
president.
1996 - In video testimony to a courtroom in Little Rock, AR, U.S.
President Clinton insisted that he had nothing to do with a $300,000
loan in the criminal case against his former Whitewater partners.
2002 - In Bethlehem, West Bank, a deal was reached that would end the
38-day standoff at the Church of the Nativity. Thirteen suspected
militants were to be deported to several different countries. The
standoff had begun on April 2, 2002.
2002 - In Kaspiisk, Russia, 39 people were killed and at least 130 were
injured when a remote-controlled bomb exploded during a holiday parade.
2002 - In Bahrain, people were allowed to vote for representatives for
the 1st time in nearly 30 years. Women were allowed to vote for the 1st
time in the country's history.
2012 - President Barack Obama declared his support for same-sex
marriage.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Sally Yates Admits Defying Executive Order Partly 'as a Policy
Matter'
Breitbart - Yates told the Senate Judiciary Committee that her
decision was made “not purely as a policy matter,” but suggested
that she had been guided by “statements” that were made
“contemporaneously or prior” to the order. She did not specify
which statements she meant, but several of the judges who have
blocked the executive order — and its less ambitious successor —
have referred to statements made by Trump on the campaign trail
about a “Muslim ban.” Under questioning, Yates admitted that
“people of goodwill can make different decisions about this” —
having just argued, moments before, that the conclusion of the
Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel was so wrong
that it had to be overruled.
FBI Email Exposes Attorney General Promise To Protect Hillary
Clinton From Criminal Charges
Activist Post - A report from the New York Times last month
first discussed the ostensible contents of this mystery document
and its implications, stating it appeared Comey and his
associates harbored misgivings about the oversight of their
bosses at the Justice Department — and whether or not their
biases would allow for a neutral probe…. Even the very existence
of this damning document has never been proven — perhaps due to
its incendiary contents. At Wednesday’s hearing, Republican
Senator Chuck Grassley referenced the New York Times’ article in
questioning Comey, stating it “reportedly provided assurances
that Attorney General Lynch would protect Secretary Clinton by
making sure the FBI investigation ‘didn’t go too far.’” “How,
and when, did you first learn of this document? Also, who sent
it and who received it?” Grassley queried the FBI chief. “That’s
not a question I can answer in this forum, Mr. Chairman, because
it would call for a classified response,” Comey stymied….
Grassley, not content at the stonewall tactic, pressed further
in a similar vein,…. Comey balked, however, refusing on the same
grounds his answer would be considered classified — and
maintained that position…. With the FBI still looking into the
campaigns and communications of Clinton, the document in
question - and its likely damning contents pegging the U.S.
Attorney General responsible for abating efforts to levy charges
as needed against the former secretary of state -could prove
combustible, if not detrimental, to assumed neutrality of
high-level investigators in preeminent law enforcement agencies.
And So It Begins, Trump's Great Climate Purge
Breitbart - EPA administrator Scott Pruitt – perhaps stung by
criticisms that he was turning into a squish – today reaffirmed,
in an interview with CNBC, that he is not a believer in
catastrophic man-made global warming. This new boldness
coincides with a purge of warmist scientific advisers at both
the EPA and the Interior Department. From the Washington Post:
“EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has chosen to replace half of
the members on one of its key scientific review boards, while
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is “reviewing the charter and
charge” of more than 200 advisory boards, committees, and other
entities both within and outside of his department. EPA and
Interior officials began informing outside advisers of the move
on Friday, and notifications continued over the weekend.
Pruitt’s move could significantly change the makeup of the
18-member Board of Scientific Counselors, which advises EPA’s
key scientific arm on whether the research it does has
sufficient rigor and integrity. All of the members being
dismissed were at the end of serving at least one three-year
term, although these terms are often renewed instead of
terminated.”
Obama Urges Members Of Congress To Have The ‘Courage’ To Save
Obamacare
Daily Caller - The former president made his first public
remarks about the proposed health care legislation just days
after House Republicans voted to pass the measure 217 to 213. If
it passes the Senate, it would repeal and replace major parts of
Obamacare. “As everyone here now knows, this great debate is not
settled, but continues,” Obama said at the John F. Kennedy
Library while accepting the annual Profile in Courage Award. “It
is my fervent hope, and the hope of millions, that regardless of
party, such courage is still possible. That today’s members of
Congress, regardless of party, are willing to look at the facts
and speak the truth, even when it contradicts party positions.”
“I hope that current members of Congress recall that it actually
doesn’t take a lot of courage to aid those that are already
powerful, already comfortable, already influential, but it does
require some courage to champion the vulnerable, and the sick,
and the infirmed,” he continued.
Colossal Pedophile Ring Busted, 900 Arrests, 300 Kids Saved -
Corporate Media Ignores
The Free Thought Project - After a nearly two-year
investigation, 870 suspected pedophiles have been arrested
across the world, and least 259 sexually abused children have
been identified in the wake of major underground online global
pedophilia network being taken down, according to the FBI and
European authorities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
and Europol announced the arrests on Friday…. Unsurprisingly,
this massive pedophile bust has failed to crack the pervasive US
media censorship regime, as not a single mainstream corporate
media source in the United States has reported on this story.
Perhaps, within those 900 sickos, there are some folks who have
enough power not to let their names out…. Make no mistake that
this is just the latest case to emerge in what is now being
dubbed #PedoGate. #PedoGate refers to the increasingly common
recognition of international pedophile rings, which has
previously been steadfastly covered up by the western fourth
estate. Speaking to the scope of the problem, after President
Trump held a press conference in February, in which he detailed
his plans to go after the victims of the “human trafficking
epidemic,” former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney weighed in
on the subject, noting that going after child predators will
lead to the downfall of both Republicans and Democrats in the
United States — as this problem goes all the way to the top.
Condoleezza Rice: 'Sanitizing History' By Removing Slave Owner
Monuments Is a 'Bad Thing'
Breitbart - Monday on Fox News Channel’s “FOX & Friends”
President George W Bush former Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice said tearing down monuments and statues to historical
figures who owned slaves is “sanitizing history.” Partial
transcript as follows: KILMEADE: As an African-American woman,
do you see yourself in this constitution? Do you think that,
when we look at nine of our first twelve presidents as slave
owners, should we start taking their statues down and say, we’re
embarrassed by you?” RICE: I’m a firm believer keep your history
before you. So I don’t actually want to rename things that were
named for slave owners. I want us to look at the names and
recognize what they did and be able to tell our kids what they
did and for them to have a sense of their own history. When you
start wiping out history, sanitizing history to make you feel
better, it’s a bad thing. But let me say one thing about our
constitution, that constitution originally counted my answers as
3/5 of a man. In 1952 my father had trouble registering to vote
in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2005, I stood in the Ben Franklin
room, one of our founders, I took an oath of office to the same
constitution, and it was administered by Jewish woman Supreme
Court justice. That is the story of America. The long road to
freedom has indeed been long. It has sometimes been violent. It
had many martyrs but ultimately has been Americans claiming
those institutions for themselves and expanding the definition
of ‘We the People.’
Texas Governor Signs Bill To Fight Sanctuary Cities; Threatens
Cops With Prison
Zero Hedge - Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has
officially signed into law a measure to punish so-called
"sanctuary cities," despite pleas from some of the police
departments of cities like Austin to halt the bill they said
would hinder their ability to fight crime…. Per Reuters, the
Republican-dominated legislature passed the bill on party-line
votes and sent the measure to Abbott earlier this month. The
bill is designed to punish local authorities who do not abide by
requests to cooperate with federal immigration agents. Police
officials found to be in violation of the law could face removal
from office, fines and up to a year in prison if convicted. The
measure also allows police to ask people about their immigration
status during a lawful detention, even for minor infractions
like jaywalking. Of course, Texas, which has an estimated 1.5
million illegal immigrants and the longest border with Mexico of
any U.S. state, has been at the forefront of the immigration
debate. “As governor, my top priority is public safety, and this
bill furthers that objective by keeping dangerous criminals off
our streets,” Abbott said in a statement. The law will take
effect on Sept. 1.
Student Issued 10-Day Suspension For “Liking” Instagram Photo Of
An Airsoft Gun
Activist Post - Zachary Bowlin, a seventh grader at Edgewood
Middle School, was slapped with a 10-day suspension after the
school somehow found out the boy liked this photo of an airsoft
gun on the social media platform: “I liked it, scrolling down
Instagram at night about 7, 8 o’clock I liked it,” Zachary said.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong. [The] next morning, they
called me down and, like, patted me down and checked me for
weapons. Then, they told me I was getting expelled or suspended
or whatever,” he told NBC4…. Mr. Bowlin said his son’s decision
to like the photo of the gun, which included the caption
“Ready,” was harmless. “The young man that posted it and my son,
and probably four or five other kids, play airsoft in our
field,” he explained. “So I pretty much knew what it was about.
So I really wasn’t concerned.” “I mean, I figured he’d cleaned
his gun and was ready, wanting to play and stuff,” Zachary
added. On Friday, the school sent an email to parents that said:
Yesterday evening school officials were made aware to an alleged
threat of a student bringing a gun to school. We act on any
potential threat to student safety swiftly and with the utmost
importance. This morning, the alleged threat was addressed and
we can assure you that all students at Edgewood Middle School
are safe and school will continue as normal. Thank you.
An…alleged threat?
Therapy dogs, chocolate, Play-Doh: Universities offer ways to
cope with finals
The College Fix - At the University of Pennsylvania, for
example, several different student groups offered various study
breaks, including a Zumba class, a video game stress reliever,
and a “Chocolate and Chocolate Labs” event, the Daily
Pennsylvanian reports…. Penn State’s “De-Stress Fest” included
origami folding, Wii gaming, “brain massage music” and more,
according to the university’s website. The University of
Michigan offered Play-Doh and more in an event billed as a way
to de-stress before final exams, according to its Facebook page.
Other relaxers at the event included glitter bottles, Legos and
dominoes…. Meanwhile, students at Montana State University were
invited to the library to de-stress by playing with furry
friends provided by Intermountain Therapy Animals, including a
group of dogs and a 900-pound donkey named Oliver, the Bozeman
Daily Chronicle reported, added that a survey taken from
participating students shows it did relieve stress.
North Korea says China is 'stomping on a red line' in relations
after Beijing asked Kim Jong-un to give up his nukes
Daily Mail - North Korea has blasted China for 'stomping on a
red line' in relations and said Kim Jong-un has no plans to give
up his nuclear weapons. The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper
accused Beijing of 'dancing to the tune of the US' in the second
rebuke to be published in as many days. North Korean officials
have been venting their fury after China called for more
sanctions on Kim's regime if he does not curtail the country's
nuclear programme…. Earlier in the day, China's Foreign Ministry
spokesman Geng Shuang insisted the country wanted to remain
'good neighbours' with North Korea. The USA has urged China,
North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein its nuclear
programmes, with President Trump warning the 'era of strategic
patience' is over…. China has repeatedly said that while it is
happy to help arrange talks, it is ultimately up to the United
States and North Korea to sort out their differences.
Russia puts Europe on alert as Putin’s warships enter waters
after US destroyer swoops
Daily Express - THREE Russian warships have challenged Nato by
entering Latvia’s exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea,
according to armed forces officials in Riga. The corvettes -
Liven 551, Serpukhov 603 and Morshansk 824 - were detected only
four nautical miles from Latvian territorial waters. It was the
latest in a series of moves by Vladimir Putin's naval forces
seen as testing the response of the small Baltic state, a NATO
and EU member. The move on Sunday was linked today to the
arrival in the Baltic Sea of US warship, USS Carney, with cruise
missiles on board. The three Russian vessels had been deployed
to St Petersburg ahead of the country's annual war commemoration
on 9 May, known as Victory Day. But they suddenly left again for
deployment in the Baltic, according to news agency Fontanko.ru
Syria rejects UN monitors for safe zones
Deutsche Welle - Syria's government has dismissed the idea of UN
peacekeepers patrolling four safe zones as part of a recently
brokered deal. Damascus also said it is "premature" to talk
about whether the deal will succeed. Walid al-Moallem, Syria's
foreign minister, explained the decision regarding the
recently-brokered deal involving four "de-escalation" zones
during a press conference in Damascus on Monday. "The Russian
side stressed that military police will be deployed and not
peacekeepers under the supervision of the United Nations," to
oversee the implementation of the deal, al-Moallem told
reporters…. The Syrian official noted that it was "premature" to
talk about whether the agreement would be successful, but noted
that the government would "harshly" retaliate against any
violation by rebels while the deal was in force. Neither the
Syrian government nor the opposition have signed the agreement.
Facebook Deletes Tens Of Thousands Of Accounts Ahead Of UK
General Election
Zero Hedge - Ahead of the British general election on June 8,
Facebook has deleted tens of thousands of accounts in Britain in
its ongoing battle with "fake news" the AP reports. The campaign
is part of Facebook’s evolving response to accusations the group
was responsible for influencing the US presidential election,
through the spread of fake news stories and “filter bubbles”….
Additionally, on Monday, the social [network] announced a
national print advertising campaign in the UK to "educate the
British public" about fake news, as part of a concerted global
effort to crack down on the false information epidemic it has
seen on its platform. The ads suggest that readers should be
"skeptical of headlines," and to "look closely at the URL." The
company says it has made improvements to help them detect fake
news accounts more effectively…. This "spring cleaning" would
“reduce the spread of material generated through inauthentic
activity, including spam, misinformation, or other deceptive
content that is often shared by creators of fake accounts”. The
new activities reflect an effort by Facebook to head off a
potential reaction from lawmakers, similar to those in Germany
pursuing fines for fake news.
Rape Legalization Gains Ground Amid Migrant Influx in Europe
Kit Daniels - France, Sweden, Germany and other European nations
are on a path to legalize rape committed by migrants because
it’s “their culture.” As shocking as this might seem, a recent
number of rapists who avoided severe punishment suggests there’s
a precedent already in place to decriminalize rapes by migrants
because they don’t “culturally understand” Western rape laws or
even the word “no.” In short, rapes by migrants are downplayed
as “cultural misunderstandings” and thus the victims never
receive justice, meaning that “de facto” rape legalization is,
for the most part, already in place. For example, a German judge
recently acquitted a Turkish drug dealer of rape despite
believing “every word” of the 23-year-old victim’s accusation
because, according to the judge, what the victim “had
experienced as rape… “The leftist narrative has indoctrinated
German natives so strongly that their inclusive multicultural
respect and bureaucratic conformism is even able to warp what is
beyond doubt rape into an offensive cultural question, a
question both a legal authority and the sexually assaulted woman
answered yes to,” remarked Damian Black with Return of Kings.
“Nothing was hidden, nothing concealed; all evidence was
confirmed and understood, only to be disregarded as an ethnic
misunderstanding.”
Adult Millennials Returning Home Is Crushing Baby Boomer Budgets
Zero Hedge - …confirmed by a recent study conducted by Fidelity
and the Stanford Center on Longevity, the added stress of caring
for all those 'adult' children is putting a severe emotional and
financial strain on Baby Boomers with over 75% saying their
adult children are cutting into their budgets and over 50%
saying they're generally less happy about life…. That said,
these Boomer parents shouldn't expected their basement-dwelling
snowflakes to leave the nest, for the second time, anytime in
the near future because, as we pointed out a few weeks ago,
roughly one-third of all millennials live at home with their
parents and one-fourth of them can't be bothered with enrolling
in school or finding a job. According to… Bloomberg, there are
2.2 million millennials who live at home with mom but neither
attend classes nor have a job. Of those, 40% of them are already
in their 30's, they're predominantly white and have a high
school diploma or less…. Meanwhile, for the first time in
history, more young adults today are living at home with mom and
dad than with a spouse.
Video: Terrifying speed-demon robot looks like a dinosaur – and can run
faster than a human
The Sun - Now scientists have designed a super-speedy robot which proves
there will be no escape if machines really do decide to rise up against
us. The ‘bot is called the Planar Elliptical Runner and can motor along
at 10 miles per hour, which is faster than the average marathon runner.
However, if it was scaled up to human size the tiny terror could reach
speeds of up to 30 miles per hour – quicker than the 27.8 mph achieved
by Usain Bolt during the 100 metres sprint at the World Championships in
2009. Boffins at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in
Florida designed the speedy droid to show how robots could walk and run
on two legs – just like humans…. Let’s hope one of these applications
doesn’t involve chasing human victims.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
5 Forgotten Things Grandma Did With Dandelions
Off the Grid News - Here’s how our grandmothers used them: 1. Dandelions
as food - Think of dandelions as you would other leafy greens, like
lettuce or spinach. This means you can use them in: Salads, Soups or
casseroles, Green juices, Stir fry. 2. Dandelion tea - My grandmother
used both the greens and the root. Simply boil a little more than a cup
of water, add about a tablespoon of dried leaves and/or root, and cover
and allow to simmer for three or so minutes. Strain and add some honey.
3. Dandelion honey - Start off by gathering a bunch (perhaps four cups)
of dandelions, roots and all. Wash and place in a pot of boiling water.
Allow to boil for about 3 minutes; cover, and turn off the fire. Allow
to soak overnight. Strain out the dandelions, and put back on the stove
under a very low flame. Add about a cup of sugar and the juice of one
lemon. Leave the pot uncovered and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or
until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. This tastes so good, you
won’t believe it! 4. Dandelion wine - For this recipe, you will only
need fresh flowers, no roots or leaves. Be sure to pull the green little
stem at the bottom of the flower. All you want are the yellow petals
(nothing green or the wine is very bitter)! There are dozens of recipes
online…
Related:
Organic Dandelion Root Raw Powder and Dandelion Leaf is available at the
Power Hour Mall!
5 All-Natural, Inexpensive Ant Repellents You Already Own
Off the Grid News - If you’ve removed their food and water sources, and
have sealed any noticeable entrances, but you still have ants indoors,
there are a number of cheap natural repellents that you can use. 1.
White vinegar or lemon juice - Vinegar and lemon juice both disrupt the
pheromone trails, making it difficult for ants to know where to go. Mix
one part white vinegar (or one part lemon juice) with one part water.
The solution can be sprayed around the area the ants congregate and/or
their suspected entrance, or it can be applied to a cloth so that those
surfaces can be wiped down. 2. Essential oils - A number of different
essential oils may deter ants from coming in, including eucalyptus,
cinnamon, clove, tea tree, peppermint, neem and citrus oils. Like
vinegar and lemon juice, essential oils disrupt the ants’ pheromone
trails. Citrus oils have an added benefit: because they contain
d-limonene, they’re toxic to ants…. 3. Spices - If you don’t have
essential oils on hand, you can use similar spices, such as ground
cinnamon, ground cloves, dried mint, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt,
bay leaves, or garlic powder. Just sprinkle where needed. 4. Food grade
diatomaceous earth [sometimes called Fossil Shell Flour] - While DE has
health benefits for mammals and plants, it is toxic to insects that have
exoskeletons, including ants. The sharp edges of DE particles damage the
waxy coating on ants, and once that happens, DE dehydrates the insect.
* Related:
The Power Hour Mall has 100% Pure Food Grade Fossil Shell Flour 10lbs
We’ve Updated Dollars for Docs. Here’s What’s New
ProPublica - ProPublica has been publishing data on conflicts of
interest in medicine since 2010. We’ve updated our Dollars for
Docs database with billions of dollars in payments made last
year…. Dollars for Docs now includes payments made from August
2013 through December 2015…. Companies made about $2 billion in
general payments to 618,000 physicians each year, in addition to
another $600 million a year to teaching hospitals. General
payments cover promotional speaking, consulting, meals, travel,
gifts and royalties, but not research…. Dollars for Docs dataset
now contains nearly $6.25 billion in medical industry payments
made to more than 800,000 physicians in the U.S…. Has Your
Doctor Received Drug or Device Company Money?
Search here.
Victims of Vaccine Damage Can Sue Manufacturers in the US
Jon Rappoport - Right now, lawyers and their clients are suing
Merck, the manufacturer, for injuries incurred from Merck’s
shingles vaccine, Zostavax. Among the claimed injuries:
contracting shingles; blindness in one eye; partial paralysis;
brain damage; death. One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys told me he
has already filed two cases in California. Each case has 50
plaintiffs. He states he has 5000 clients waiting in the wings.
There are other attorneys with other plaintiffs. But wait. Isn’t
there a federal law that bars people from suing vaccine
manufacturers? Isn’t that law the 1986 Childhood Vaccine Injury
Act? Doesn’t it demand that people go to a special federal
“vaccine tribunal/court” and plead for compensation from the
government?… Well, it turns out there are exceptions to the
rule. Adult vaccines are not part of the 1986 federal law. The
law shielding vaccine companies only applies to childhood
vaccines. The Merck shingles vaccine is only for adults…. Here,
from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is the list of adult
vaccines: Influenza; Td/Tdap; MMR; VAR; HZV (shingles); HPV
Female; HPV male; PCV13; PPSV23; HepA; HepB; MENACWY/MPSV4; MenB;
Hib. However, some of the vaccines on this list are recommended
for both adults and children. When a vaccine is recommended by
the CDC for both adults and children, adults seeking
compensation for vaccine-injury would not be permitted to argue
their cases in ordinary courts and sue the manufacturer.
Instead, they would have to go to the special federal vaccine
“court” and try to obtain compensation from the government.
Cancer detection breakthrough uses chewing gum to trap and
analyze biomarkers for cancer already growing in your body
(Natural News) According to the company’s scientists, each type
of cancer produces a unique set of chemicals known as volatile
organic compound. These chemicals differ in composition per
cancer type, in the same way a healthy lung produces compounds
that are different from a diseased lung, the scientists
explained. Researchers said the gum absorbs these volatile
compounds from a person’s saliva. The chewing gum is then
analyzed after 15 minutes of chewing. The chewing gum detects
cancer by identifying cancer-related compounds that are present
in the mouth. Analyzing the gum sample may help clinicians
identify the type of cancer that a patient has, said Volatile
Analysis president and CEO Katherine Bazemore. The biotech
company has now developed different chewing gums for detecting
pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. The chewing
gum is only in its testing phase, but the company hopes to make
the product available to physicians next year.
Low-protein diet starves cancer cells
What Doctors Don't Tell You - The idea of starving cancer is
getting traction. A strict low-protein diet—which means cutting
out meats, eggs, oats and dairy—starves cancer cells and slows,
and even stops, their growth. Proteins contain two non-essential
amino acids—serine and glycine—that cancer cells need. In tests
on laboratory mice, removing the amino acids also slowed the
growth of the cells, researchers from the University of Glasgow
found. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy boost levels of the amino
acids in the cancer cells, suggesting that the conventional
treatments are helping cancers to grow. The restricted diet may
not work for all cancers. In the current study, it was effective
against lymphoma and intestinal cancer, but the researchers fear
it may not help in cancers that have a special genetic
expression, known as the Kras gene, that is found in pancreatic
cancer, for instance. They also say that the diet is very
restricted and specialised, and people shouldn't just adopt it
without being supervised by a medical professional.
Mycotoxins Are Raging - Avoid These 8 Common Ingredients Now
Dr. Becker - If you’re still feeding your furry family member
commercially available pet food containing corn or other grains, now
might be a good time to think seriously about upgrading your pet's diet.
That’s because according to recent survey results, corn and distiller’s
dried grain crops (cereal byproducts of the distillation process)
produced during 2016 are testing positive for high levels of mycotoxin
contamination. Mycotoxins (derived from the Greek words for “fungus” and
“poison”) are noxious chemical substances produced by certain types of
fungi that infect crops, and U.S. pet food manufacturers are being
advised to monitor the quality of these ingredients going into their
products. A total of 387 corn samples and 79 distiller’s dried grains
with solubles (DDGS) samples from across the U.S. were tested. Results
revealed that 90 percent of corn samples and 100 percent of DDGS samples
were contaminated by at least one mycotoxin, and 96 percent of the DDGS
samples contained more than one…. Mycotoxin poisoning is a true medical
emergency, and your pet will need immediate treatment and
hospitalization. Your veterinarian must take early and aggressive action
to remove the toxic substances from your pet’s body.
Monday - May
8, 2017
On This Day In History
1794 - The United States Post Office was established.
1846 - The first major battle of the Mexican War was fought. The battle
occurred in Palo Alto, TX.
1886 - Pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pemberton invented what would later be
called "Coca-Cola."
1904 - U.S. Marines landed in Tangier to protect the Belgian legation.
1914 - The U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution that designated the
second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
1933 - Gandhi began a hunger strike to protest British oppression in
India.
1945 - U.S. President Harry Truman announced that World War II had ended
in Europe.
1958 - President Eisenhower ordered the National Guard out of Little
Rock as Ernest Green became the 1st black to graduate from an Arkansas
public school.
1973 - Militant American Indians who had held the South Dakota hamlet of
Wounded Knee for 10 weeks surrendered.
1984 - The Soviet Union announced that they would not participate in the
1984 Summer Olympics Games in Los Angeles.
1985 - "New Coke" was released to the public on the 99th anniversary of
Coca-Cola.
1986 - Reporters were told that 84,000 people had been evacuated from
areas near the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Soviet Ukraine.
1998 - A pipe burst leaving a million residents without water in
Malaysia's capital area. This added to four days of shortages that 2
million already faced.
1999 - The first female cadet graduated from The Citadel military
college.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump's Refugee Order Back In Federal Court This Week
The Daily Caller - The 4th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals will
hear arguments from government lawyers and civil rights
advocates Monday, as they vigorously contest a lower court
decision temporarily halting the implementation of a key
provision of the revised order. District Judge Theodore Chuang
issued a decision in March barring enforcement of a provision of
the order that temporarily banned citizens from six countries
with significant terrorist presence from entering the United
States. The 4th Circuit will review Chuang’s order during
Monday’s hearing…. Fourteen of the 4th Circuit’s judges, nine of
whom were appointed by Democratic presidents, will participate
in Monday’s arguments. For the first time since 1998, the court
preemptively decided to hear the case “en banc,” a procedure in
which all active judges in a circuit court participate in a
case…. Professor Carl Tobias of the University of Richmond
School of Law says the case will likely turn on how the court
chooses to frame the controversy. “I think a lot depends on how
the judges view the case,” Tobias told the Associated Press. “Is
this a national security case or is this an immigration case? Or
is this a religious freedom case?” Should the court evaluate the
case within a national security framework, the government is
more likely to prevail…. The court is likely to issue a decision
in a matter of weeks, given the urgency and controversy
surrounding the order.
Trump Signs Spending Law That Funds Planned Parenthood and
Sanctuary Cities But Not Border Wall
CNS - …on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump signed a law
to keep the government funded through the end of September…. The
bill won more Democratic votes than Republican votes in both the
House and Senate. In the House, it prevailed 309 to 118—with
Republicans voting for it 131 to 103 and Democrats voting for it
178 to 15…. In the Senate, it passed 79 to 18 with 3 members not
voting. All 18 Senate votes against it were cast by Republicans
and 2 of the 3 members not voting were Republicans. Thus, 20 of
the Senate’s 52 Republicans did not vote for the bill…. On the
Trey Ware radio show in Texas on Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz
(R.-Texas) explained why he opposed the bill. “On the spending
side, it’s just unfortunate, they have cut a deal that largely
gave the Democrats everything they wanted,” Cruz said…. Sen. Jim
Risch (R.-Idaho), explaining his opposition to the spending
bill, pointed to the fact that it increases spending in a
country that already has a massive debt…. The Democrats on the
House Appropriations Committee put out a summary of the spending
law that included a list of things it did “not include” that
made it more acceptable to House Democrats. “The Omnibus does
not include,” the Democrat summary said, “President Trump’s
request to cut FY2017 non-defense budget authority by $18
billion; President Trump’s request for funding to construct a
wall on the U.S.-Mexico border; supplemental funding to hire
additional ICE agents or to expedite hiring; poison pill riders
restricting so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ from receiving federal
grants, defunding Planned Parenthood, or undermining the
Affordable Care Act.”
Federal Court Demands Release Of Hillary's State Dept Emails On
Benghazi Attack
Zero Hedge - A Washington DC federal court judge has ordered the
State Department to turn over Hillary Clinton’s emails that
immediately followed the terrorist attack in Benghazi to the
conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch. As RT reports, US
District Judge Amy Berman Jackson reviewed the documents and
rejected the government’s contention that the records had been
properly withheld under FOIA exemption…. Judicial Watch hopes
the emails will reveal what Obama and Clinton knew following the
attack. “Does President Trump know his State and Justice
Departments are still trying to provide cover for Hillary
Clinton and Barack Obama?” said Judicial Watch President Tom
Fitton said in a statement. “An extraordinary court ruling that
could result in key answers about the Benghazi outrage is being
opposed by the Trump administration. This may well be an example
of the ‘deep state’ trying to get away with a cover up – if so
then the Trump administration must put a stop to it.”
Trump Signs Executive Order Giving Churches THIS Power
David Wolfe - Fulfilling one of his oldest and most popular
campaign promises, President Trump on Thursday signed an
executive order allowing churches/religious organizations to
more easily engage in political activism without compromising
tax exemption…. The initiative centers around the Johnson
Amendment which has long served as a means of limiting churches
from engaging in political activity. Essentially, the amendment
instructs the IRS to “exercise maximum enforcement discretion”,
effectively silencing churches’ political voice…. In addition to
limiting the power of the Johnson Amendment, Trump’s directive
will ease the regulatory burden imposed on organizations that
“object to ObamaCare’s preventive service mandate on religious
grounds.” Some Republicans have proclaimed their support for
Trump’s executive order, including Rep. Jody Hice who said the
Johnson Amendment created a “chilling effect through fear and
intimidation from IRS threats.” Others have come out in
opposition, including Democrats who believe the Johnson
Amendment prevents the politicization of nonprofits and
emboldens “dark money” in politics.
Sec. Kelly Fires Back After Dem Senator's Immigration Tweetstorm
The Washington Free Beacon - Secretary of Homeland Security John
Kelly on Thursday responded harshly to Sen. Bob Casey's (D.,
Pa.) public Twitter attempts to stop the deportation of a
25-year-old mother and her 5-year-old son to Honduras…. Over the
course of Wednesday morning, the Pennsylvania Democrat tweeted
dozens of times documenting his attempt to stop the deportation
of the pair, whom Casey claimed were "targeted for death" after
the woman witnessed her cousin's murder. Casey tweeted at
President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security's
account multiple times, calling on Trump, Kelly, and DHS to "do
the right thing."…. But the woman had exhausted her legal means
of relief, insisted Kelly, who said it was his duty as head of
DHS to enforce the law's conclusion. "Over the period of almost
two years, I think there were five or six denials. Not by ICE
[Immigration and Customs Enforcement], not by DHS, not by Kelly,
but by the court system that ultimately led to [her] deportation
yesterday," he added. "I say it over and over again: If the laws
are not good laws, then change them," Kelly told the audience.
"Don't call me, or Twitter or tweet, or go to the press with
outrageous stories about how we do business or why we're
deporting somebody."
Leaked
drone footage reveals fishing boats and vacationers on
jet-skiers in Florida are being used as ‘dummy targets’ by the
US military
Daily Mail - The video appears to be recording thousands of feet
above northwest Florida, over the coast, with the camera aimed
at random civilian boaters. Experts have deduced that the
footage came from Predator drones, which are primarily used by
the Air Force and CIA to record an area right before a missile
is dropped. The servers were discovered on Wednesday by The
Daily Beast journalist Kenneth Lipp, who found them while
randomly searching Shodan, a search engine for
Internet-connected devices. Both servers were accessible just by
typing their IP addresses inside the browser. The webpage then
loaded with a ‘Welcome to FMV!’ title. It also included logos
for three US government agencies: the National Reconnaissance
Office (NRO), the Aerospace Data Facility-East, and the
Washington Innovation Center of the Combat Information Center.
The footage that appeared showed civilian boats and people on
other water vehicles.
A New Street Drug Can Kill You by Touching Your Skin: What You
Need to Know
The AntiMedia - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu spoke at a
press conference this week, warning that a drug that’s 10,000
times stronger than morphine has made its way into the state. As
a result, many first responders have been left scrambling to
find a way to handle this new threat. Carfentanil, a powerful
new opioid, has already claimed three lives. Engineered to be
used as an elephant tranquilizer, the drug’s lethal dosage is 20
micrograms. Since the product can cause deadly effects just by
being sprinkled on someone’s skin, authorities are highly
concerned…. “There is nothing out there other than going in in
hazmat suits on every single overdose that is going to
completely protect us. We just have to be super, super careful
with it,” [Manchester Fire’s EMS Director Chris] Hickey told his
own crew. The drug is so powerful that first responders are even
having a hard time reversing overdoses when they arrive at
emergency locations. On one occasion, Hickey said, one of his
men had to use six to eight doses of Narcan, an overdose
reversal drug, to revive a victim — twice the dose used in most
cases. As doctors and first responders notice a pattern, they
are also warning the public that Narcan isn’t going to be enough
from now on.
California Wants To Tax Space Flights... By Miles Traveled
Zero Hedge - California wants to collect taxes from space
transportation companies based upon, get this, a formula of how
frequently a company launches spacecrafts out of the state, and
most absurdly, how far a commercial spacecraft travels from
California soil. They want to tax space travel per mile and
claim 62 miles above California belongs to the State.… The space
launches are taking place from Vandenberg Air Force Base, in
Santa Barbara….They have claimed that taxing space travel from
California “will lead to increased activity in the industry and
will foster an atmosphere of growth and prosperity once present
during the golden age of California’s aviation industry, thereby
creating jobs as the industry thrives in this state.”
ISIS’ Next Plan Involves U.S. Gun Shows
Off the Grid News - The terror masterminds at ISIS are urging
their followers to adopt a horrific new tactic: Buy weapons at
U.S. gun shows and use them to take innocent people hostage. A
gun show purchase would allow them to get around background
checks. “Ideal target locations for hostage-taking scenarios
include night clubs, movie theaters, busy shopping malls and
large stores, popular restaurants, concert halls, university
campuses, public swimming pools, indoor ice skating rinks, and
generally any busy enclosed area,” an article in the May 4
edition of the ISIS online magazine Rumiyah recommends…. Another
frightening recommendation is to place a fake job ad to lure a
person to a remote location so they can be killed or taken
hostage. Non-Muslim men in countries such as the United States
seem to be ISIS’ target of choice…. Other methods of luring
innocent people to their deaths include advertising rooms for
rent on eBay Listings and Craigslist ads. The Middle East Media
Research Institute’s Jihad & Terrorism Threat Monitor speculated
that ISIS wants to recruit Muslims in the West to commit such
atrocities.
Syrian Kurds are now armed with sensitive US weaponry, and the
Pentagon denies supplying it
Military Times - The gear includes U.S.-manufactured
night-vision goggles, rifles and advanced optics among other
items, the same as that used by American special operations
forces and the foreign commando units they train. In northern
Syria, where about 900 American advisers are supporting separate
coalitions comprising thousands of Kurdish and Arab conscripts,
it’s been fielded by the People’s Protection Unit. The militia,
widely known as the YPG, has emerged as the U.S. military’s most
trustworthy and capable proxy on the ground. The development is
likely to infuriate Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist
group, and could prove problematic for President Donald Trump
and his national security team…. While the Pentagon acknowledges
arming some allies inside Syria, typically with AK-47 assault
rifles and other basic Russian-made weapons, U.S. military
officials denied providing anything to the YPG and offered only
ambiguous responses when asked by Military Times how such
sensitive equipment was obtained by the group’s commando force,
called Yekineyen Anti-terror, or YAT. It was likely funneled to
them through “other means by other sources,” a defense official
said, insisting on anonymity because the matter remains fraught
with diplomatic implications.
North Korea Detains Another American Citizen
Epoch Times - North Korea said on Sunday it has detained another
U.S. citizen on suspicion of “hostile acts” against the state,
which would make him the fourth American to be held by the
isolated country amid heightened diplomatic tensions with
Washington. Kim Hak Song, who worked for the Pyongyang
University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday,
the North’s KCNA news agency said…. A third U.S. citizen, Kim
Sang Dok, who was associated with the same school, was detained
in late April for hostile acts, according to the North’s
official media…. A message by Kim Hak Song dated February 2015
on the website of a Korean-Brazilian church in Sao Paulo said he
was a Christian missionary planning to start an experimental
farm at PUST and was trying to help the North Korean people
learn to become self-sufficient. No further details were
available about the circumstances related to the arrests of the
two men associated with the college.
Macron elected French president: estimates
Paris (AFP) - Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron resoundingly
won France's landmark presidential election, first estimates
showed Sunday, heading off a fierce challenge from the far-right
in a pivotal vote for the future of the divided country and
Europe…. Initial estimates showed Macron winning between 65.5
percent and 66.1 percent of ballots ahead of Le Pen on between
33.9 percent and 34.5 percent. Unknown three years ago, Macron
is now poised to become one of Europe's most powerful leaders,
bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and
economic reform for France and the European Union…. After
Britain's vote last year to leave the EU and Donald Trump's
victory in the US, the French election had been widely watched
as a test of how high a tide of right-wing nationalism would
rise. Le Pen, 48, had portrayed the ballot as a contest between
Macron and the "globalists" -- in favour of open trade,
immigration and shared sovereignty -- and her "patriotic" vision
of strong borders and national identities…. Macron will now face
huge challenges as he attempts to enact his domestic agenda of
cutting state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education
in deprived areas and extending new protections to the
self-employed. The philosophy and literature lover is
inexperienced, has no political party and must try to fashion a
working parliamentary majority after legislative elections next
month.
Total of 4.2Mln of French Voters Cast Empty Ballots
Sputnik News - According to the pollsters, 8.9 percent of the
total of 47.6 million voters cast empty ballots, refusing to
give their support to either of the candidates. Preliminary
results released by the country’s Interior Ministry show that
leader of the En Marche! movement Emmanuel Macron is winning
with 62.34 percent of votes, while right-wing candidate Marine
Le Pen received 37.66 percent, after some 60 percent of the
ballots counted.
French Universities Email Students – Tell Them to Vote Against
Marine Le Pen
The GatewayPundit - Westmonster reported: “According to a report
released by polling organization Odoxa on Dec. 16, the National
Front is the political party with the most support among French
people aged 18-34. Universities across France have begun
emailing all of their students as well as University staff,
telling them not to vote for Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s decisive
second round, which will decide who becomes the country’s next
President. Christian Roblédo, President of the University of
Angers in Western France, said in an email to students: “If as a
citizen I can not bring myself to live in a society where the
extreme right is in power, as university president it is my duty
to denounce the harmful ideology that it conveys (withdrawal
into oneself, Intolerance, fear of the other, refusal of
differences) and which reason as so many threats on what
constitutes the very essence of higher education and research in
France, namely values of humanism, openness, Pluralism and
freedom of expression. Already in 2002, we were placed before
such a choice. At the time, a Republican front had come together
to make the National Front score as low as possible. In 2017, it
is to beat him, and will not be beaten by abstaining or voting
white. So we have to vote massively so that his candidate does
not win the presidential election.”
Study: Migrants Are Less Integrated The Longer They Stay in
Europe
The Washington Standard - A study out of Norway, which was
released in January of this year indicates that third world
migrants see a dramatic drop in labor participation compared to
native-born citizens of Norway the longer they remain in the
country. The 36-page report by the Institute of Labor Economics
titled Immigrant Labor Market Integration across Admission
Classes examined patterns of labor market integration across
immigrant groups. According to the study, it “draws on Norwegian
longitudinal administrative data covering labor earnings and
social insurance claims over a 25‐year period and presents a
comprehensive picture of immigrant‐native employment and social
insurance differentials by admission class and by years since
entry.” According to the researchers at the Ragnar Frisch Centre
for Economic Research, they discovered “encouraging signs of
labour market integration during an initial period upon
migrants’ admission.” However, “the integration process goes
into reverse with widening immigrant-native employment
differentials and rising rates of immigrant social insurance
dependency”.in a short period of five to ten years, the report
indicates that things seems to go backwards. “The integration
process goes into reverse with widening immigrant-native
employment differentials and rising rates of immigrant social
insurance dependency,” the report reads…. This is not rocket
science. You have people from a certain ideology, largely
influenced by Muhammad, and they have a very hard time moving
past that. It much more than the labor and welfare issue you
have to worry about. It’s your entire culture imploding on
itself.
Related Video:
Daily Mail’s columnist Katie Hopkins gives Tucker Carlson her
take on the study.
Rwanda plans to move towards a cashless society
BizNis Africa - The Government of Rwanda and MasterCard have
reaffirmed their shared commitment to the development of strong
digital platforms to meet the needs of the country’s citizens
and work towards Rwanda’s goal of promoting a cashless society.
According to FinScope 2016, about 68% of adults in Rwanda have r
use formal financial services. The partnership agreement signed
between MasterCard and the Rwanda Development Board at the World
Economic Forum on Africa in Kigali in 2016 will have a
significant impact on this number. “Named SIKASHI, the project
is focused on digitising numerous state services to improve the
efficiency and transparency of public services and ultimately
promote the move to a cashless society – a critical pillar of
Rwanda’s broader Vision 2020 to create a knowledge-based economy
in a world beyond cash,” says Clare Akamanzi, Rwanda Development
Board Chief Executive Officer and Cabinet Member.
Indian police claim rats drank 900,000 liters of confiscated
alcohol - Not Satire!
RT - Police in the Indian state of Bihar, where alcohol was
outlawed last April, have accused rats of decimating the
majority of the stash of booze confiscated over the past year –
over 40,000 cases, or about 900,000 liters. According to the
Hindu newspaper, senior superintendent of police of state
capital Patna, Manu Maharaj, was informed of the disappearance
of contraband from storage in a meeting this week, and was
initially skeptical about how rats could have gained access to
sealed glass bottles. His subordinates told him that the rodents
chewed through the bottle caps, before glugging the drink.
Maharaj immediately instructed police stations across the state
– some of which had been forced to rent additional space to
accommodate the confiscated stock – to rid police stations of
rats, and sprinkle contraband with rat poison. Nonetheless,
suggesting that he wasn’t entirely convinced by the explanation,
the senior superintendent also ordered regular breathalyzer
tests for officers.
Manufacturing CEO Says He’s Investing $2 Billion in US Because
of ‘Confidence in Trump’
The Washington Free Beacon - Australian billionaire and
manufacturing CEO Anthony Pratt said Friday on Fox Business that
he is investing $2 billion in the United States because he has
“confidence” in President Trump. “We have enormous confidence in
President Trump. He’s doing a wonderful job, and we think he
will continue to do a great job,” Pratt said. “He’s reducing
unemployment. As we saw today, the job figures show unemployment
is the lowest it’s been for a decade, and he’s supporting
manufacturing.” “And that’s why we are doubling down on our
investment in the United States, creating 7,000 high-paying
manufacturing jobs, mainly in the Midwest,” Pratt added. The
latest jobs report was released Friday and showed the U.S.
created 211,000 jobs in April, leading the unemployment rate to
fall to its lowest level in a decade, 4.4 percent. The report
also showed 12,000 more Americans joined the labor force in
April.
Obamacare "Death Spiral": Maryland Insurer Seeks 50% Premium
Increase For 2018
Zero Hedge - The latest evidence of Obamacare's "death spiral"
comes from the state of Maryland where insurers have just
submitted their rate increase requests to Insurance Commissioner
Al Redmer. Unfortunately for Maryland residents the numbers are
fairly staggering, in a bad way, with the largest insurer in the
Mid-Atlantic region, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield,
requesting a 50% YoY premium increase…. CareFirst said the rate
increases are necessary because the company has lost $600
million serving ObamaCare exchanges since the company first
started selling plans in the marketplace 4 years ago…. The rate
filings are a starting point for negotiations, but [chief
executive of CareFirst, Chet] Burrell noted that the numbers
could rise. He said his company had made its filings assuming
that the cost-sharing reductions, billions of dollars in federal
payments that lower out-of-pocket expenses for about 7 million
Americans, would be made. Politicians have not committed to
making those payments in 2018, and if those go away, premiums
could rise another 10 to 15 percent, Burrell said. Meanwhile,
the proposed 2018 rate hike of 50% comes on top of a 25% hike in
2017 meaning that Maryland residents will be paying 87.5% more
for individual health insurance plans in 2018 than they were in
2016.
The System To Collect Defaulted Student Loans Is No Longer
Functioning
Consumerist - Consumers who expected their student loan payments
to be deducted from their bank accounts this month have
reportedly found the funds untouched, and their calls to the
companies unanswered thanks to a Department of Education’s order
prohibiting the debt collection companies from working on
default accounts in response to two lawsuits against the agency.
The system used by the Dept. of Education to collect on
defaulted student loans came to a standstill last month, leaving
an estimated 91,000 accounts in limbo, when the agency ordered
debt collectors under contract to stop making collections on
accounts…. Suzanne Martingale, policy staff attorney for our
colleagues at Consumers Union, tells Consumerist that the stop
in collections and payments could do “untold damage to
borrowers.” “Meanwhile, they’re going to rack up a ton of
charges as more interest accrues on their loans,” she adds.
Offshore Wind Power Will ‘Absolutely Cost Jobs’ Of US Fishermen
The Daily Caller - An offshore wind turbine three miles off the coast of
Block Island, Rhode Island, will kill large numbers of fish and
potentially drive hundreds of small coastal enterprises out of business,
according to a fishing industry representative. Fishermen fear offshore
wind turbines will continue to pop up along Atlantic Coast, eventually
make it impossible to be a commercial fisherman. “This will absolutely
cost jobs in the U.S.,” Bonnie Brady, director of the Long Island
Commercial Fishing Association, told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
“If New York Governor [Andrew] Cuomo’s administration gets what it wants
from offshore wind that’s thousands of fishing jobs. It’ll rip the
coastal communities apart.”… Brady says New York’s government is
willfully ignoring fishing jobs in favor of the wind industry and thinks
the consequences of Cuomo’s policy could spread economic devastation to
fishermen well beyond the state. […] proponents allege offshore wind
farms are good for the environment, wind farms can be deadly for fish
and other marine life and will ruin the fishing industry, Brady said. DW
plans to use loud pile driving to anchor the windmill to the seabed.
Water magnifies sounds, and so underwater the pile driving noise can
reach levels up to 220 decibels, according to Brady. To put that in
perspective, 150 decibels of sound can burst human eardrums, and 185 to
200 decibels is the range usually considered to be the threshold for
causing human death. “Biologically these things are a nightmare,” Brady
said. “The only green about this project is that which lines investors
pockets.
More Android phones than ever are covertly listening for inaudible
sounds in ads
Ars Technica - Almost a year after app developer SilverPush vowed to
kill its privacy-threatening software that used inaudible sound embedded
into TV commercials to covertly track phone users, the technology is
more popular than ever, with more than 200 Android apps that have been
downloaded millions of times from the official Google Play market,
according to a recently published research paper…. The apps silently
listen for ultrasonic sounds that marketers use as high-tech beacons to
indicate when a phone user is viewing a TV commercial or other type of
targeted audio…. "The example of SilverPush highlights how easily this
technology can be used to spy on users," Erwin Quiring, one of the
researchers, wrote in an e-mail. "In this way, they can track the TV
viewing habits of users precisely even with traditional broadcasting
technologies.
Cord-cutting spikes fivefold in cable TV's worst quarter ever
FastCoNews - Cable's day of reckoning has come. With all the major cable
and satellite companies having reported their quarterly numbers, analyst
firm Moffett Nathanson put together a new cord-cutting report, and
things are bad. Pay-TV providers lost an estimated 762,000 pay-TV
subscribers over the first three months of this year — five times more
than they lost during the same period last year. To make matters worse,
Q1 has historically been a strong season for pay TV. "For the better
part of 15 years, pundits have predicted that cord-cutting was the
future," an apocalyptic Craig Moffett wrote. "Well, the future has
arrived." … Comcast was the only major provider to buck the trend, but
judging by the way things look, that winning streak won't last.
An Open Letter to Legislators Currently Considering Vaccine
Legislation from Tetyana Obukhanych, PhD in Immunology
Health Nut News - … It is often stated that those who choose not
to vaccinate their children for reasons of conscience endanger
the rest of the public, and this is the rationale behind most of
the legislation to end vaccine exemptions currently being
considered by federal and state legislators country-wide. You
should be aware that the nature of protection afforded by many
modern vaccines – and that includes most of the vaccines
recommended by the CDC for children – is not consistent with
such a statement. I have outlined below the recommended vaccines
that cannot prevent transmission of disease either because they
are not designed to prevent the transmission of infection
(rather, they are intended to prevent disease symptoms), or
because they are for non-communicable diseases. People who have
not received the vaccines mentioned below pose no higher threat
to the general public than those who have, implying that
discrimination against non-immunized children in a public school
setting may not be warranted. 1. IPV (inactivated poliovirus
vaccine) cannot prevent transmission of poliovirus. Wild
poliovirus has been non-existent in the USA for at least two
decades. Even if wild poliovirus were to be re-imported by
travel, vaccinating for polio with IPV cannot affect the safety
of public spaces…. 2. Tetanus is not a contagious disease, but
rather acquired from deep-puncture wounds contaminated with C.
tetani spores. Vaccinating for tetanus (via the DTaP combination
vaccine) cannot alter the safety of public spaces; it is
intended to render personal protection only. 3. While intended
to prevent the disease-causing effects of the diphtheria toxin,
the diphtheria toxoid vaccine (also contained in the DTaP
vaccine) is not designed to prevent colonization and
transmission of C. diphtheriae. Vaccinating for diphtheria
cannot alter the safety of public spaces; it is likewise
intended for personal protection only. 4. …the 2013 meeting of
the Board of Scientific Counselors at the CDC revealed
additional alarming data that pertussis variants (PRN-negative
strains) currently circulating in the USA acquired a selective
advantage to infect those who are up-to-date for their DTaP
boosters, meaning that people who are up-to-date are more likely
to be infected, and thus contagious, than people who are not
vaccinated…..
10 Solid Reasons to Avoid Soy Milk
REALfarmacy - Despite mounting evidence to the contrary,
mainstream nutritional guidelines have instructed Americans to
eat soy and drink soy milk. BUT soy milk is not a healthy
choice…. 1. Soybeans contain large quantities of natural toxins
or “anti-nutrients”. Drinking just two glasses of soy milk daily
can significantly alter a woman’s menstrual cycle. 2. Soy has
been found to increase the body’s need for vitamin B12 and
vitamin D. 3. Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a
clot-promoting substance that causes your red blood cells to
clump. 4. 99% of soy is genetically modified. It contains one of
the highest contamination by pesticides of any of our foods. 5.
Soybeans and soy products contain high levels of phytic acid,
which inhibits assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron,
and zinc. 6. Soy foods contain high levels of toxic aluminum,
which negatively effects the nervous system the kidneys and has
been linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s. 7. Soy contains a
compound resembling vitamin B12 that cannot be processed by your
body. Thus, soy foods can contribute to B12 deficiency. 8.
Fragile soy proteins are exposed to high temperatures during
processing in order to make soy protein isolate and textured
vegetable protein, making them dangerous for human digestion. 9.
Soy contains toxic isoflavones.The soy isoflavones genistein and
daidzein can stimulate existing breast cancer growth showing
risk in consuming soy products if a woman has breast cancer. 10.
Soy contains plant estrogens, called phytoestrogens, which
disrupt endocrine function and lead to infertility and breast
cancer in women.
Friday - May
5, 2017
On This Day In History
1798 - U.S. Secretary of War William McHenry ordered that the
USS Constitution be made ready for sea. The frigate was launched
on October 21, 1797, but had never been put to sea.
1814 - The British attacked the American forces at Ft. Ontario,
Oswego, NY.
1862 - The Battle of Puebla took place. It is celebrated as
Cinco de Mayo Day.
1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery
in the U.S.
1891 - Music Hall was dedicated in New York City. It was later
renamed Carnegie Hall.
1892 - The U.S. Congress extended the Geary Chinese Exclusion
Act for 10 more years. The act required Chinese in the U.S. to
be registered or face deportation.
1901 - The first Catholic mass for night workers was held at the
Church of St. Andrew in New York City.
1904 - The third perfect game of the major leagues was thrown by
Cy Young (Boston Red Sox) against the Philadelphia Athletics. It
was the first perfect game under modern rules.
1912 - Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda began publishing.
1916 - U.S. Marines invaded the Dominican Republic.
1955 - The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) became a
sovereign state.
1961 - Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he
made a 15 minute suborbital flight.
1966 - Willie Mays broke the National League record for home
runs when he hit his 512th.
1978 - Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds registered his 3,000th
major league hit.
1987 - The U.S. congressional Iran-Contra hearings opened.
1991 - In New York, Carnegie Hall marked its 100th anniversary.
2010 - Preliminary plans for a mosque and cultural center near
ground zero in New York were unveiled, setting off a national
debate over whether the project was disrespectful to 9/11
victims and whether opposition to it exposed anti-Muslim biases.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Two GOP Legislators Propose American Replacement Bill, Plus
Amnesty
Breitbart - Two GOP legislators are introducing legislation to
let states annually import 500,000 foreign blue-collar workers
and white-collar professionals to replace Americans who have
fallen out of the workforce and into drug addiction. The
American replacement bill is needed because companies can’t hire
the employees they want amid the massive decline in the number
of Americans who are seeking work, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson
told an event hosted Wednesday by the CATO Institute…. The bill
would allow states to each get 5,000 visas for additional
foreign workers per year, plus a population-based share of
another 245,000 visas, plus a share of any visas not used by
other states. The inflow of foreign workers would start at
495,000 in the first year, not counting the additional family
members of each imported worker. The bill would also create an
amnesty, because the visas could be given to 11 million plus
illegals living in the United States, including those who
returned to the United States after being deported. The Senator
said he has 50 co-sponsors, but acknowledged the likely
unpopularity of his American replacement bill, which is formally
titled the “State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program of 2017.”
Republicans Pass Obamacare Replacement Bill; Let The Senate
Bickering Begin
Zero Hedge - After a stunning defeat on March 24th, followed by
over a month of back and forth bickering, Paul Ryan & Co. has
finally passed an Obamacare replacement bill after just securing
the required 216 votes…. Per the Washington Post, here is what
happens next: [The] Bill must pass Senate: Because Republicans
hope to pass this legislation under the less-onerous budget
reconciliation process, which would allow it to pass the Senate
with only 51 votes, House leaders must make the bill comply with
the Senate’s “Byrd Rule.” Generally, the rule says a
reconciliation bill must relate to the budget, which means some
of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions cannot be addressed via
this process because they do not deal with taxes or spending. It
also stipulates that the law cannot add to the deficit in the
long term (10 years after it is implemented). It will be up to
the Senate parliamentarian to decide whether the legislation
meets the Byrd Rule standards. Democrats have said that the bill
does not meet the standard, something Republicans sacrificed in
favor of a more complete repeal. It’s likely that the Senate
will do a significant rewrite of the legislation, modifying it
but also setting up a showdown with House Republicans aiming for
a more conservative approach.
Victory! Supreme Court Rules States Cannot Steal Money From The
Innocent
The Free Thought Project - Colorado, like most states, forces
convicted criminals to pay court costs, fees, and restitution
after they’ve been found guilty. But the question arises, “What
happens when someone who’s been found guilty, has paid their
dues, and then has their convictions overturned on appeal? Do
they get their money back?” Not in many states, like Colorado.
But all of that has changed after a landmark ruling from the
Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). The state not
stealing money from innocent people sounds like common sense,
right? Well, unfortunately, in the land of the free, it was
necessary for SCOTUS to step in and tell the greedy state that
they do not have a right to steal people’s money. According to
Forbes, “defendants, Shannon Nelson and Louis Madden, were
convicted for sexual offenses and ordered to pay thousands of
dollars in court costs, fees and restitution. Between her
conviction and later acquittal, the state withheld $702 from
Nelson’s inmate account, while Madden paid Colorado $1,977 after
his conviction. When their convictions were overturned, Nelson
and Madden demanded their money back.” Colorado refused, even
after the plaintiffs won in a state-level appellate court…. The
Inspector General of the Justice Department concluded their
practices constituted a threat to everyone’s civil liberties,
and now, apparently, the SCOTUS agrees. Everyone is entitled to
due process under the law and are likewise entitled to keeping
their assets once they’re found not guilty in criminal court.
It’s a good day to be an American. Maybe now law enforcement at
all levels will stop such controversial practices.
Pentagon Pulls Security Clearance of Trump White House Aide
Washington Free Beacon - The Pentagon this week suspended the
security clearance of a White House National Security Council
analyst that U.S. officials say was the target of political
retribution by government bureaucrats opposed to President
Trump’s appointees. Adam S. Lovinger, a 12-year strategic
affairs analyst with the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment (ONA),
has been on loan to the NSC since January when he was picked for
the position by then-National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn.
Lovinger was notified in a letter from the Pentagon on Monday
that his Top-Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information
(TS-SCI) clearance had been suspended and that he had to return
to the Pentagon. The letter cited unspecified outside activities
by Lovinger. The notice said the suspension was approved by
Kevin Sweeney, chief of staff for Defense Secretary James Mattis.
One official said Lovinger was targeted by Trump opponents
because of his conservative views and ties to Flynn,
specifically his past association with the Flynn Intel Group,
Inc., a consulting business….
TSA Report Warns Against Truck Ramming Attacks By Terrorists
NBC News - Truck owners and truck rental agencies in the U.S.
must be “vigilant” about the increasing frequency of “ramming
attacks” by terrorists using vehicles as killing machines,
according to a new Transportation Security Administration report
obtained exclusively by NBC News. The unclassified report warns
owners, operators and rental agencies to protect their vehicles
from theft. Entitled “Vehicle ramming attacks: Threat landscape,
indicators and counter measures,” the report was sent Tuesday to
local law enforcement agencies and private companies working
with the Department of Homeland Security. The report notes that
in the past three years, at least 173 people have been killed
and more than 700 wounded in 17 ramming attacks around the
world. Of the 17 attacks, 13 resulted in fatalities. Five were
carried out in France both before and after the Nice attack and
four took place in Israel. Nine of the 17 attackers were carried
out in the past 10 months. One involved an Ohio State University
student who drove his car into a crowd last November, then began
slashing fellow students before campus police killed him. Eleven
people were wounded.
Congress just blocked Jeff Sessions from messing with medical
marijuana
Ars Technica - The recent 1,665-page spending bill maintains a
provision that prevents the Department of Justice from using any
of its funds to hamper state laws related to medical marijuana.
The department cannot “prevent any of them from implementing
their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession,
or cultivation of medical marijuana,” Section 537 of the bill
reads…. With Section 537, Sessions can still go after
recreational use of marijuana in the eight states that have
passed such laws. But without funding, Sessions’ has little
ability to fight the medical marijuana laws in 29 states and the
District of Columbia.
6 Months In Jail For Selling … Cookies?
Off the Grid News - A ruling from a judge may be needed to sell
homemade baked goods in Wisconsin. Three home bakers in the
state are challenging a state law that can punish people who
sell homemade cookies, brownies and other treats with up to six
months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Lafayette County Judge Duane
Jorgensen will rule on May 31 if Wisconsin’s ban on the sale of
homemade baked goods is unconstitutional, the Associated Press
reported. The challenge to the home-baking ban was brought by
the Institute for Justice. The Institute filed a lawsuit
challenging the ban on behalf of Lisa Kivirist, Kriss Marion and
Dela Ends. The three women try to augment their family incomes
by selling baked goods…. Ends used to make extra cash with her
homemade cinnamon rolls until she found she might face fines or
jail time. Her alternative would be to spend tens of thousands
of dollars to open a commercial bakery. Ironically, Ends is
allowed to sell a wide variety of other homemade food, including
jams and pickles — but not baked goods. Wisconsin is one of the
two states that ban the sale of homemade baked goods. The other
is New Jersey.
Russia, Iran, Turkey sign agreement on creation of Syria safe
zones
RT - Ceasefire guarantor states Russia, Iran and Turkey have
adopted a memorandum on the creation of four security zones in
Syria, during peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The
de-escalation zones were earlier proposed by Russia. They are
aimed at separating extremist groups, including Islamic State
terrorists (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Nusra
Front), from the moderate opposition. Idlib, Latakia and Homs
are included in the safe zones, as well as parts of Aleppo,
according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Under the memorandum,
any fighting between government forces and armed opposition will
cease within the safe zones. Checkpoints and observation posts
are to be positioned along the de-escalation lines within the
safe zones, according to the document. They will provide free
movement of unarmed civilians and humanitarian access to the
areas, under guarantor states’ control. Russian chief negotiator
Aleksandr Lavrentyev stated that Russia is ready to send its
observers to the established zones and work more closely with
the US and Saudi Arabia on Syria. He also said that a working
group on an exchange of captives could be settled by the
evening. However, he lamented the US poor participation in
establishing better cooperation. "Unfortunately, the Americans
are still ignoring our attempts to establish closer military
cooperation, but we will keep trying," the Russian chief
negotiator said.
Russian bombers, fighter jets fly near Alaska, prompting Air
Force escort
Fox News - Two Russian Bear bombers — escorted for the first
time by a pair of Su-35 “Flanker” fighter jets — entered
Alaska’s Air Defense Zone early Thursday morning, U.S. officials
told Fox News. The Russian formation was intercepted by a pair
of U.S. Air Force F-22 stealth fighter jets that were already
flying a patrol about 50 miles southwest of Chariot, Alaska. It
was the first time the U.S. Air Force has seen advanced Russian
Su-35 fighter jets escort Russian Cold War-era bombers near
Alaska. The Russian fighter jets were unarmed and remained in
international airspace, officials said. Late last month, Russian
bombers flew near Alaska over four consecutive days for the
first time since 2014.
Farage Officially Endorses Le Pen: ‘If She Fails, She Will Win
in 2022’
Dan Lyman - Brexit architect Nigel Farage has officially thrown
his support behind French presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen,
as Sunday’s final round of voting approaches. “I’m supporting
Marine Le Pen, and if she fails this year, she will win in
2022,” wrote Farage in an editorial penned for the Daily
Telegraph, assuming that if the French are not quite ready to
embrace nationalism in the interest of self-preservation, they
will be after five more years of globalist strip-mining and open
borders…. Farage went on to refute the smears of the mainstream
media, who never fail to tag Le Pen with the ‘far-right
extremist’ slur – one they often slap on the likes of Farage and
Donald Trump, for simply being opposed to globalism and tidal
waves of Third World migrants pouring into the West.
Video: Obama Endorses Emmanuel Macron for French President
Steve Watson - After months of accusing Vladimir Putin of
interfering in the US election, former US president Barack Obama
has openly endorsed Emmanuel Macron for French president, saying
that “he is committed to a better future for the French people.”
Obama posted a video Thursday morning giving his support to
Macron, the centrist liberal candidate who is running against
the nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen. “I know that you face
many challenges and I want all of my friends in France to know
how much I am rooting for your success,” Obama said, adding
“Because of how important this election is, I also want you to
know I am supporting Emmanuel Macron to lead you forward. En
march. Vive la France.” Obama added that Macron “appeals to
people’s hopes and not their fears.” “He has stood up for
liberal values. He put forward a vision for the important role
that France plays in Europe and around the world.”… Obama noted
that “I’m not planning to get involved in many elections
anymore, now I don’t have to run for office again.”
This Has Never Happened Before...
Zero Hedge - With debt ceilings, spending plans, and tax reforms
focusing all eyes on Washington, we thought it notable that for
the first time in US history, the cost of interest on US
government debt has risen above half a trillion dollars... One
wonders, given the grandiose spending plans, if we will ever get
back below half a trillion dollars?
Why the Retail Crisis Could Be Coming to American Groceries
Bloomberg - The American grocery store has so far been mostly
immune to the ravages of online shopping and the all around
apocalyptic outlook facing the nation's retailers. But a war is
coming to the staid supermarket, and that could mean more
consolidation, bankruptcies, and falling prices. An invasion is
getting under way. Lidl, a German retailer known for low prices
and efficient operations, is expected to start an aggressive
U.S. expansion in the coming weeks that could open as many as
100 new stores across the East Coast by the summer of 2018. The
company, which runs about 10,000 stores in Europe, has also set
its sights on Texas, one of the most competitive grocery markets
in the U.S. Analysts expect Lidl to expand to nearly $9 billion
in sales by 2023. The last thing U.S. grocers need is more
cutthroat competition. As the ranks of U.S. grocery stores have
swelled, food has become a way for struggling brick-and-mortar
retailers such as dollar stores and pharmacies to compete for
customers. Even though groceries have been somewhat insulated
from online pressure, Amazon.com remains dedicated to cracking
the code, finally, on fresh food.
Untold Numbers of Canadians Are Streaming Live Online Without Their
Knowledge
Motherboard - If there's an internet-connected security camera in your
home, office, or at your children's daycare—or hell, even if you're just
at the mall—you may be streaming live over the internet and not even
know it. On Thursday, that students at an elementary school in Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia, were being broadcast on a site that streams cameras
that haven't been properly secured. But it's not just one school.
Unsecured cameras are an old-as-time blight on the internet, so much so
that art projects have been made using them. And right now, churches,
daycares, and places of business across Canada are live and online. One
notorious site is called Insecam, which the CBC focused on, but there
are others. A quick dive into the selection of Canadian cameras on these
sites quickly turned unsettling. In a few short hours on Thursday
morning, I found two publicly viewable streams that appeared to be
coming from daycares or kindergartens in Canada. In one, children were
clearly visible eating and napping. (Many daycares offer a webcam
service to parents who want to check in on their kids, usually available
for a sign-up fee.)… A stream on another site allowed me to watch people
amble around a shopping mall. I'm not even going to talk about the many
bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens streaming live.
California DOJ purchases facial recognition cameras to spy on everyone
MassPrivate I - An article in Muckrock reveals that the California
Department of Justice (CDOJ) is using facial recognition cameras to spy
on everyone. The CDOJ spent close to one million dollars ($850K) to
install NEC's NeoFace system everywhere. According to the article, the
CDOJ has been spying on everyone since April 26th., 2016. What's even
worse is the CDOJ is paying NEC $650,000 every year in 'support fees'.
Which means Calif. taxpayers are paying $650K a year for the privilege
of being spied on. Is it a coincidence that NEC opened up a Biometric
Center for Excellence in California and another one in Washington, DC?
California and the NEC call their new system the Integrated Criminal
Justice Image System (ICJIS) which is actually run by DHS Fusion
Centers! According to page 8 of NEC's, ICJIS document, when the
contractors were finished with the installation they had to destroy all
evidence (documents) of their collaboration with the CDOJ. In other
words, the DOJ is covering their tracks and doesn't want the public to
know how widespread their facial recognition surveillance system really
is…. "Law enforcement, public safety, courts, corrections, probations,
parole, DAs and public defenders, and even agencies like the DMV, Labor,
Business Licensing and, Human and Social Services, are involved in
criminal justice integration systems (CJIS) projects and are leveraging
our tools to share data in real time.”… Court visitors are asked to
pause at the gates and take off their hats, glasses or other
obstructions, so facial recognition cameras can identify them. Soon
every government agency will have facial recognition cameras, unless we
do something now.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Nourishing Food Requires Soil
Alliance for Natural Health - Help us protect real, organic food!… You
may be buying produce that was not even grown in soil. In other words,
when you think you’re purchasing a nutrient-rich meal, you may be paying
for produce from a process that actually denies them those very
nutrients. Recently, an ANH-USA staff member ordered a salad at a
restaurant. It was touted as “locally-sourced, no pesticides”—all the
things natural health advocates look for in produce. On further
questioning, however, the staff member found out that the produce was
grown hydroponically. Hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in
water with dissolved fertilizers rather than actual soil. Produce grown
hydroponically is often produced in massive warehouses under artificial
lighting. The liquid fertilizers used to feed the plants can come from a
variety of sources, including highly processed GMO soybeans. No matter
where one stands on hydroponic versus conventional agriculture, there is
definitely a problem with calling hydroponic fruits and vegetables
“organic”—an issue that the National Organic Standards Board is
currently considering…. As we’ve reported before, plants interact with
the microorganisms in the soil in complex and fascinating ways that
obviously cannot be reproduced without soil. It is these interactions
that account for the high nutrient content in the organic fruits and
vegetables we eat. Microbes in the soil are also hugely important in
converting organic matter into a form that plants can use.
As health care costs explode, hospitals are now trying to force
patients to PRE-PAY for treatment
(Natural News) The rise of high-deductible health insurance
plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nicknamed Obamacare,
has led to a rise in unpaid hospital bills among the insured
population. This has prompted more hospitals in America to
require patients to pay before they are wheeled into the
operating room. Thanks to Obamacare, millions of Americans now
have a health insurance plan. Attracted by the lower monthly
cost, many people are choosing for the bronze and silver plans,
which can carry deductibles of up to $15,000. According to a
poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly half of Americans
already have difficulty paying for an unexpected $500 bill. The
most widely used Obamacare health plan, however, has a
deductible of $6,000 for an individual and double the amount for
a family, which is an 18 percent spike compared to 2014,
reported Reuters.
10 Impressive Echinacea Benefits to Support Your Health
Dr.Edward Group - Echinacea is a powerful and beneficial herb
used by people around the world to maintain good health. Every
part of the plant, from the roots to the flower petals, is
bursting with vital nutrients. With a reputation as a natural
cold remedy, many people enjoy echinacea in one form or another,
whether as a tea, a supplement, or even the raw plant. Here,
we’ll look at ten impressive ways echinacea can support your
health…. 1. Echinacea can have a powerful impact on the immune
system; over 14 clinical trials have confirmed its ability to
encourage good health all year long. 2. Reduces Redness and
Swelling - Systemic swelling, redness, and discomfort in the
body can have multiple sources, including an unhealthy diet or
strenuous exercise. Consuming echinacea or applying skin care
products that contain echinacea essential oil can help reduce
and alleviate tissue irritation. 3. Promotes the Health of Cells
- Many of the compounds in echinacea support immune cells and
encourage healthy cell growth. 4. Facilitates Oxygen Transport -
Echinacea increases erythropoietin production in the bone
marrow, this, in turn, promotes red blood cell production and
increases the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen. 5.
Supports Oral Health - Echinacea has been evaluated in
combination with other herbs like sage and lavender and found to
reduce bad breath. It’s believed this effect is partly due to
echinacea’s ability to neutralized the harmful organisms that
cause bad breath….
6 Gut Instincts You Should Never Ignore
David Wolfe - If you’re especially in touch with your inner self, you
might be a pro at something that many people struggle with: listening to
your gut feelings. That little voice in the back of your head, that
feeling you get in the pit of your stomach, those things are there for a
reason. If you have a strange feeling that something isn’t quite right,
it’s important to pay attention to that feeling. Most of the time, your
instincts are right. Ignoring them can lead you down a path of danger,
hurt and regret. Here are six gut instincts you should never ignore: 1.
“This Situation Seems Dangerous” - You might notice a stranger staring
at you on the subway. When you get off the subway, you turn to see that
the same person is walking behind you down the street. You might shake
it off as paranoia, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry…. 2. “I
Don’t Feel Good” - If you ignore problems with your body, they can end
up turning into serious health issues. Your body sends you subtle signs
to let you know when something is wrong. If you’re experiencing odd
symptoms and you feel like something isn’t right, don’t wait to get it
checked out. Visit a health care professional as soon as possible. If
there is something wrong, catching it early can be vital. 3. “I Should
Help That Person” - A gut feeling doesn’t have to be a negative one.
Sometimes, your instincts tell you to take action. If you see someone
being bullied, or someone struggling to open a door with their hands
full, do something to help. It might be a small act, but any act of
kindness can help make someone’s day. Don’t stand by and watch as others
struggle. Listen to your gut feeling and offer a helping hand….
Bunny Breeder Says United Airlines Cremated Rabbit Without Consent
WBIW - Remember that giant rabbit that was found dead at Chicago O'Hare
International Airport last month after arriving on a United Airlines
from London? Regina Holmes, of Talk Media News reports, in yet another
PR nightmare for United, the carrier has been accused of cremating Simon
the rabbit without the consent of the breeder or the new owner after the
animal died in a freezer at O'Hare. Simon's breeder, Annette Edwards,
told the British tabloid The Sun that "the whole thing stinks of a
cover-up." The black rabbit was nearly three feet long and was expected
to grow into the world's largest bunny. But Simon died en route to its
new home in the U.S. on April 19. Simon apparently arrived safe and
sound in Chicago for a connecting flight. But shortly thereafter, the
rabbit was found dead. The ground crew at O'Hare had accidentally put
Simon in a freezer, Edwards was told. She demanded a necropsy to
determine the cause of death. She said she asked United "over and over
again" for the body but the airline never got back to her. She later
found out the rabbit had been cremated on Friday without her knowledge.
* Related:
United Airlines pay five-figure compensation to rabbit breeder whose
giant bunny froze to death on its way to America
Fake Service Dogs are Becoming a Real Problem
Dogington Post - The Americans With Disabilities Act protects the rights
of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service dogs
in public places not normally considered dog-friendly…. But a new trend
among dog owners is quickly becoming a big problem for legitimate
service dog teams. People are disguising untrained family pets as
service dogs, complete with vests and identification cards, in order to
take them anywhere and everywhere they wouldn’t normally be welcomed.
CBS Chicago reported, A search of eBay for “service dog patches” and
“service dog vests” produced more than 22,000 results. Several websites
sell similar items for as much as $150 after requiring answers to just a
few easy questions…. A service dog is not legally required to wear a
vest, patch, or carry any type of ID card, though many service dog teams
do these things because it’s easier to just show a meaningless ID card
when asked for one than it is to explain the laws to business owners,
managers, and employees, and even law enforcement officers that haven’t
been educated. Additionally, because ADA laws prohibit questioning a
person about their disability and from asking for evidence of a service
dog’s certification, business owners and authorities are left with their
hands tied. Legitimate service dogs are well trained and a necessity to
their handlers. They are trained to not be disruptive or cause a scene
while in public. You will never see a service dog jumping up at people,
barking or growling (unless alerting their handler to a problem), or
even using the bathroom inappropriately. Fake service dogs are both a
safety issue for the public and for legitimate service dogs. They
negatively impact the acceptance and public opinion of service dogs and
their disabled handlers.
Thursday - May
4, 2017
On This Day In History
1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom from England two months
before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
1814 - Napoleon Bonaparte disembarked at Portoferraio on the
island of Elba in the Mediterranean.
1863 - The Battle of Chancellorsville ended when the Union Army
retreated.
1886 - A bomb exploded on the fourth day of a workers' strike in
Chicago, IL. Eight people died in the violence during violence
that day.
1904 - The U.S. formally took control of the property for
construction of the Panama Canal.
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea commenced as American and
Japanese carriers launched their attacks at each other.
1942 - The United States began food rationing.
1961 - Thirteen civil rights activists, dubbed "Freedom Riders,"
began a bus trip through the South.
1970 - The Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on students
during an anti-Vietnam war protest at Kent State University.
Four students were killed and nine others were wounded.
1979 - Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman prime
minister.
1981 - The Federal Reserve Board raised its discount rate to
14%.
1987 - The First Bank of the United States was listed as a
National Historic Landmark.
1994 - Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader
Yasser Arafat signed a historic accord on Palestinian autonomy
that granted self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
2000 - The citizens of London elected their mayor for the first
time.
2012 - In Las Vegas, NV, Google received the first self-driving
vehicle testing license.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
U.S. Test Fires Missile Off Calif. Coast; Can Carry Nuclear
Weapons, Travel 8,000 Miles
Off the Grid News - The U.S. Air Force Wednesday morning
successfully test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile
(ICBM) that is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The test –
the second one in the past week — came as the crisis with North
Korea continued to escalate. Both missiles were fired from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and flew more than 4,000
miles across the Pacific before splashing down in the ocean. The
tests came days after North Korea tested its own missile. Each
U.S. missile is capable of traveling more than 8,000 miles…. The
missiles, which carried no payload, splashed down in the Pacific
near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, about 2,500 miles
south of Hawaii.
Sean Spicer Promotes ‘Bollard Wall’ Fencing to Satisfy Budget
Critics (Video)
Breitbart - … White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer claimed
that Republicans did get funding for a “wall,” pointing to
existing photos of fences with bollard style steel construction
and “levee walls.”… Spicer refused to describe his fence photos
as Trump’s promised wall, but assured them that it would be
effective in protecting the border. He told reporters that the
fencing was endorsed by DHS Secretary John Kelly. Kelly has
proposed large bollard fencing to help secure the border,
although he has also supported the idea of “a concrete wall” on
the border…. The House budget agreement specifically cites
funding for “border fencing” and “steel bollard designs,” not a
wall, after Democrats insisted that money for border security
would not be used to fund Trump’s wall.
* Related:
Video: Full White House Press Briefing
California Mulls Blacklist for Border Wall Contractors
Breitbart - State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D) said that California is
not interested in doing business with any company that works on
President Trump’s proposed border walls… Lara introduced a bill
in December 2016 that initially would have required voter
approval for any federally-funded infrastructure project built
along the California-Mexico Border. In April 2017, he amended
the bill to prohibit the State from awarding contracts to any
person who works on a federally-funded “wall, fence, or other
barrier along California’s southern border,”… Former California
Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D), who’s now a lobbyist for
California contractors, noted that California is on a dangerous
path with this type of legislation. “What we’re doing here is
very dangerous in that we’re creating a slippery slope and
hand-picking projects that are not politically favorable to the
California Legislature,” Fuentes said.
Obamacare Repeal Suddenly Looks Possible After Two Key GOP
Holdouts Flip
Zero Hedge - …Republican reps. Fred Upton and Billy Long both
said Wednesday they will support the GOP’s ObamaCare
repeal-and-replace bill with the addition of a new amendment
Upton drafted. Until this morning, both had opposed the bill,
and prompted us to write on Monday that Republicans are just one
vote away from failure again. The two Republicans told reporters
at the White House after a meeting with President Trump that
they are ready to vote for the bill once a new amendment Upton
helped devise - which would boost funding for people with
pre-existing conditions - is added. The amendment would provide
$8 billion over the next 5 years to reduce premiums and other
costs for those with pre-existing conditions who have a gap in
coverage and reside in states that received waivers from some of
Obamacare’s requirements.
COMEY: Huma Abedin’s Classified Emails Were Regularly Forwarded
to Her Husband Anthony Weiner’s Computer (Video)
The GatewayPundit - In a new update on the Hillary Clinton email
scandal, FBI Director James Comey spoke before the Senate
Judiciary Committee in a hearing on FBI oversight wherein he
states that emails containing classified information were
forwarded to Huma Abedin’s then-spouse, former congressman
Anthony Weiner. Weiner was being investigated separately because
of his (possible) inappropriate communications with a minor.
Speaking on the topic, Comey remarked: “Somehow, her emails were
being forwarded to Anthony Weiner, including classified
information . . . His then-spouse Huma Abedin appears to have
had a regular practice of forwarding emails to him for him to
print out for her so she could deliver them to the secretary of
state.” When asked if former Congressman Weiner read any of the
classified emails, Comey took a long pause and then stuttered
his way to the phrase: “I don’t think so,” He then went on to
say, “I don’t think we’ve been able to interview him because he
has pending-eh, criminal problems of other sorts…”
Report: Hillary to Start PAC to Fight Trump, Will Resume Giving
Paid Speeches
The GatewayPundit - Mike Allen of Axios reports: “Hillary
Clinton soon will launch a PAC as a way of “acting as a quiet
catalyst” for organizations she cares about, and eventually will
help 2018 congressional candidates — but with no intention of
making it a vehicle to run for anything herself. According to a
source familiar with the planning, the initial focus will be on
lifting up organizations that are the product of the energy and
activism she has seen since the election, and existing groups
that have been reignited and reinvigorated by that energy. She
has met with some of these groups, and it’s something she’s
become increasingly passionate about with each meeting, the
source said.” Clinton also plans to return to paid speaking. The
Harry Walker Agency, her speakers’ bureau, has a page up
inviting clients to “Book Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
Obama Unveils The $500 Million Obama Presidential Center In
Chicago
Zero Hedge - Signing $60 million for a book contract, and
rolling out on the speech circuit at $400k a pop is enough to
inspire former US presidents with creative ways how to be
remembered by future generations. Take former President Obama
for example, who together with Michelle, are in their hometown
Chicago this week and offered the city its first peek of the
future Obama Presidential Center, which will be built on a
200,000-square-foot campus in Jackson Park on Chicago's South
Side. A memorial that would make pharaohs jealous, the center
will sit near a lagoon that runs into Lake Michigan in the
Jackson Park neighborhood and will feature three buildings: a
museum, a library, and “forum,” which will house an auditorium,
restaurant, and public garden. It will also have a sledding
hill. The Obama Foundation said that the center, located near
Chicago's historically African-American Woodlawn neighborhood,
will revitalize the Jackson Park neighborhood by attracting
hundreds of thousands of visitors and creating new jobs on the
South Side…. Obama is expected to use the center as a platform
to work on issues such as criminal justice reform and education
for underprivileged children. The entire project is expected to
cost $500 million.
China Reportedly Issues Final Warning To North Korea
Zero Hedge - With President Trump placing his faith in China’s
ability to keep its neighbor under control – through threats,
promises, or oil embargoes – it appears, according to
unconfirmed rumors spreading widely on Chinese social media
Tuesday, that North Korea just got its final warning…. The rumor
cited the May issue of Hong Kong monthly news outlet Dong Xiang.
It said a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs junior minister
invited Park Myung-ho, an official of North Korea, for a
meeting. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting
and asked his junior to read aloud the warning to the North over
the nuclear test. The memorandum mentioned that China will
condemn strongly, pull back on all economic cooperation and even
blockade North Korea if it conducted the test.
North Korean media issues rare criticism of China over nuclear
warnings
Reuters - A commentary carried by the official Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA) referred to recent commentaries in China's
People's Daily and Global Times newspapers, which it said were
"widely known as media speaking for the official stand of the
Chinese party and government." "A string of absurd and reckless
remarks are now heard from China every day only to render the
present bad situation tenser," it said. "China had better ponder
over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act
of chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations," the
commentary said, referring to North Korea by the acronym for its
official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
‘War will see Japan under radioactive clouds before any country’
– N. Korean state media
RT - If the Korean Peninsula standoff evolved into an armed
conflict, Japan would be the first to suffer from the fallout –
both political and nuclear – North Korean state media said,
warning Tokyo against any hostile actions. “In case of a nuclear
war on the peninsula, Japan that houses logistic bases,
launching bases and sortie bases of the U.S. forces will be put
under radioactive clouds before any country,” state-run Rodong
Sinmun newspaper said on Wednesday. The newspaper reminded Tokyo
of its previous experience involving nuclear weapons, stating
that the country would become the number one target for a North
Korean strike as it housed US forces and would be “put under
radioactive clouds before any country.” “If Japan is truly
concerned about its interests, it has to make due efforts for
the peaceful settlement of the Korean peninsula issue,” the
commentary reads.
France's Macron, Le Pen face off in final TV showdown
Deutsche Welle - The two rivals for the second round of France's
presidential election launched personal insults and attacked
each other's manifestos on Wednesday evening as they faced off
in the final TV debate ahead of Sunday's vote. During the
high-stakes duel, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen hit out at
her centrist opponent Emmanuel Macron's record as a former
economy minister, accusing him of playing a key role in selling
off several of France's state-led companies. During the
high-stakes duel, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen hit out at
her centrist opponent Emmanuel Macron's record as a former
economy minister, accusing him of playing a key role in selling
off several of France's state-led companies. Instead, Le Pen
promised to create a sovereign wealth fund to prevent what she
said were foreign "vultures" from taking over French companies.
In response, Macron accused the National Front candidate of
misleading voters about his record, of having no experience in
economic issues and no workable ideas…. Macron repeated his vow
to lower taxes for workers, and allow self-employed people - who
are currently excluded from France's generous unemployment
scheme - to benefit, if they go bankrupt. Le Pen stuck to her
main campaign message, telling an estimated 20 million viewers:
"I'm the candidate of the people, who protects our jobs, our
security, from external competition and from the rise of Islamic
fundamentalism." She insisted Macron was the "candidate of the
elite.”… [Read More…]
More Than Half of Young Europeans Say They Would Join an
“Uprising” Against the Elite
Paul Joseph Watson - A whopping 580,000 respondents in 35
different countries were asked; “Would you actively participate
in large-scale uprising against the generation in power if it
happened in the next days or months?” More than half of 18- to
34-year-olds said that they would. The sentiment is likely to be
driven by a number of factors, including Europe’s chronic rates
of youth unemployment, which have spiked as high as over 50% in
Greece and Spain. Greece, Spain and Italy top the poll, with
over 60% in all three countries saying they would join a large
scale uprising against the establishment. Even in sleepy Belgium
and prosperous Switzerland, the figure is higher than 40%.
Respondents in France, where 61% said they would rebel, blamed
corruption, high taxes and “too many rich people” for their
discontent. The Quartz study also pinpoints “voter apathy” and
being “sick of the status quo” as reasons for why so many young
people are ready to engage in civil unrest.
"They Know Something That We Don't" – Corporate Insiders Are
Dumping Their Stocks "At Levels Rarely Seen"
Zero Hedge - There aren’t any surefire ways to tell if the stock
market, and perhaps the rest of the economy, is about to take a
nosedive. That’s because millions of people with millions of
ideas are involved, so it’s an inherently unpredictable system.
However, there are certain players in our economy that have a
lot more influence and insider knowledge than the rest of us. So
when they make a move in unison, you know there’s a good chance
that something is about to go down. And that’s exactly what’s
going on with the stock market right now. The people who would
stand to lose the most if the markets crashed; the corporate
executives and insiders, are all jumping ship and selling their
stocks…. “As the investing public has continued to devour
stocks, corporate insiders have been offloading shares to an
extent not seen in seven years... If the people with the deepest
knowledge of a company are cashing out, why should investors
keep buying at current prices?"
Facebook Adding 3,000 Workers To Monitor Videos Of Crime And Suicides
Zero Hedge - "Facebook's latest response to the public outcry that
resulted from the recent live-streaming of a murder on the social
network, was announced moments ago when on his personal blog, Mark
Zuckerberg announced that over the next year, Facebook "will be adding
3,000 people -- on top of the 4,500 we have today -- to review the
millions of reports we get every week, and improve the process for doing
it quickly." In addition to violence, the crackdown also targets "hate
speech and child exploitation." Zuckerberg also notes that "we'll keep
working with local community groups and law enforcement who are in the
best position to help someone if they need it -- either because they're
about to harm themselves, or because they're in danger from someone
else.”… “In addition to investing in more people, we're also building
better tools to keep our community safe. We’re going to make it simpler
to report problems to us, faster for our reviewers to determine which
posts violate our standards and easier for them to contact law
enforcement if someone needs help.”
Cell phones definitely cause brain tumors, Italian court rules
(Natural News) The link between brain tumors and cellphones is now more
real than ever. As reported in Hosted.AP.org, an Italian court recently
ruled in favor of a telecom company employee after it concluded that his
brain tumor was caused by excessive use of the company cellphone.
According to the report, Telecom Italia employee Roberto Romeo was
obliged to use the company cellphone for three hours a day for 15 years
for work-related matters. As Romeo pointed out in the report, cellphone
use of just one hour a day is already considered “intense use”. The
court ruled that his excessive use has resulted in a brain tumor which,
while benign, has caused hearing loss in his right ear.
Hemp food products surged 44% to $129 million in sales despite
insane regulations
(Natural News) Hemp is an incredibly versatile plant that is
also extremely nutritious. It’s used to create building
materials, automobiles, paper, clothing, jewelry and furniture,
but it can also be found in a variety of heath-focused foods.
Hemp-based foods are a budding market, with a wide array of
offerings: Hemp protein powder, hemp seeds and hemp milk are
just a few of the plant-based items you can find available
today…. When it comes to money, hemp sales reached an impressive
$688 million during 2016, a $100 million increase from just
2015. Hemp-based food sales, however, boasted a particularly
dramatic boost in sales; a 44 percent increase to $129 million
has got more people putting their sights on hemp foods than ever
before…. Hemp seeds are extremely nutritious and are a great
source of healthy fat and protein. They are loaded with omega-3
and omega-6 fatty acids, for example…. Hemp seeds also contain a
wide variety of micronutrients, including magnesium, potassium,
calcium, iron and zinc. Not only is hemp a great source of
protein, it is one of the few complete plant-based proteins.
This means it contains all of the essential amino acids. The
protein from hemp seeds is also easily absorbed due to its
highly digestible nature. Whole hemp seeds are also a great
source of fiber, both insoluble and soluble.
Gingko Biloba Protects Against Cognitive Effects of Heavy Metals
Prevent Disease - Ginkgo biloba, one of the oldest living tree
species and best selling herbs, also protects the brain from the
toxic effects of aluminium chloride exposure, which has been
linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's and other cognitive
impairments. Solid research has been performed on extracts of
ginkgo biloba, which contain antioxidant compounds that protect
cells from free radical damage within the nervous and
circulatory systems. The protective effects of Ginkgo biloba was
clearly observed, said researchers. Ancient Chinese medical
manuscripts indicate that at least 5000 years ago, extracts of
the leaves of the ginkgo tree were being used to treat a variety
of medical conditions, including asthma, Raynaud's syndrome (a
circulatory disorder affecting the hands and feet), and
age-related memory loss. Even though the well-designed German
studies showed that ginkgo had significant positive effects on
the mental functioning of Alzheimer's patients, many physicians
in the United States were still skeptical of ginkgo's
usefulness, perhaps because of the long tradition in Europe of
being more open to alternative therapies…. With the abundance of
information on ginkgo now available, it should be clear to the
most skeptical of mainstream doctors that the use of Ginkgo
biloba should be part of the treatment regimen for every
Alzheimer's patient.
9 Amazing Bread-less Sandwich Ideas That Will Make You Drool
Healthy Holistic Living - A growing number of people have sworn
off bread and for good reason. If you’re not able to access
healthy ingredients and or unable to bake it yourself your
options can be very limited let alone excessively expensive.
Well the good news is that there are ways to enjoy and even
enhance some of your favorite dishes without having to worry
about finding a bread that doesn’t make you feel awful or
pollute your body. You’re going to want to save the ideas below
because once you try them, you’re going to forget all about your
retired packaged bread obsession. After tasting these, they just
might occupy your plate more than you planned. Don’t say we
didn’t warn you!
The Truth About The Type of Meat Evanger’s Really Used
Truth about Pet Food - It was more than inedible, the meat
supplier Evanger’s Pet Food purchased from [Bailey Farms] was a
dead animal carcass processor [in Wisconsin]…. [Bailey Farms is]
a company that picks up dead animals (cattle and horses) from
area farms and processes meat from these animal carcasses into
pet food meat – no matter why the animal died and no matter if
the animal was euthanized for sale to pet food…. Are more stock
removal companies selling dead animal carcass meats – including
euthanized horse meat – to pet food companies? Absolutely there
are. In every state – multiple in areas of the US that have
large livestock populations – there are companies that remove
dead animal carcasses and process the meat into pet food/animal
feed. These companies are just like Bailey Farms – selling raw
meat processed from the dead/non-slaughtered or euthanized
animal carcass. And as well, rendering companies (some) pick up
and process dead animal carcasses into pet food ingredients
(though these would be rendered ingredients – not raw meat). Is
this legal?… Per federal law, it is ILLEGAL for animal food to
contain any part of an animal that is non-slaughtered. The
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act defines an adulterated
(illegal) food as (in part) “if it is, in whole or in part, the
product of a diseased animal or of an animal which has died
otherwise than by slaughter”. Repeat: it is a direct violation
of federal law for a pet food (any food) to contain even the
smallest amount of meat sourced from a dead/non-slaughtered
animal. But…FDA openly allows anyone in the animal food business
the opportunity to violate that law without prosecution. The
exception is…unless the pet food company or meat supplier gets
caught harming an animal…. [Read more]
* Related:
As Evanger’s Scandal Unfolds, a Look Back at Their Troubled
History
Will New York Become the First State to Ban Declawing Cats? (We
Hope So!)
The Catington Post - Efforts to ban the inhumane practice of
declawing cats has been before lawmakers in New York state in
the past and didn’t get passed. However, an effort to ban the
practice is back in front of lawmakers. Legislation to prohibit
the procedure for aesthetic purposes has been introduced in the
Senate and Assembly. [Declawing is] a painful amputation of a
cat’s knuckles – not simply removing claws, as many people still
believe. It’s a procedure that’s extremely painful, and can have
lasting, even lifelong, emotional and physical effects on a cat,
whose very nature is to use his claws. New York’s largest
veterinary association come out against the ban, saying the
procedure should remain legal as a last resort for cats that
won’t stop scratching furniture or people. However, the Humane
Society, as well as many veterinarians and politicians are on
board with this ban including Democratic Assemblywoman Linda
Rosenthal, who sponsored the bill. If the bill passes, New York
would become the first state in the union to enact a statewide
ban of the practice of declawing, though a similar bill has been
introduced for consideration by lawmakers in New Jersey, and it
is already banned in many cities in California, including Los
Angeles and San Francisco. The practice is also considered cruel
and illegal in several countries in Europe and the United
Kingdom.
Wednesday - May
3, 2017
On This Day In History
1802 - Washington, DC, was incorporated as a city.
1888 - Thomas Edison organized the Edison Phonograph Works.
1921 - West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax.
1926 - U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua and stayed until 1933.
1933 - The U.S. Mint was under the direction of a woman for the
first time when Nellie Ross took the position.
1937 - Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for "Gone With The
Wind."
1944 - Wartime rationing of most grades of meats ended in the
U.S.
1968 - After three days of battle, the U.S. Marines retook Dai
Do complex in Vietnam. They found that the North Vietnamese had
evacuated the area.
1971 - Anti-war protesters began four days of demonstrations in
Washington, DC.
1971 - National Public Radio broadcast for the first time.
1971 - James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King's assassin, was caught
in a jailbreak attempt.
1988 - The White House acknowledged that first lady Nancy Reagan
had used astrological advice to help schedule her husband's
activities.
1992 - Five days of rioting and looting ended in Los Angeles,
CA. The riots, that killed 53 people, began after the acquittal
of police officers in the beating of Rodney King.
1997 - The "Republic of Texas" surrendered to authorities ending
an armed standoff where two people were held hostage. The group
asserts the independence of Texas from the U.S.
2000 - The trial of two Libyans accused of killing 270 people in
the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 (over Lockerbie) opened.
2006 - In Alexandria, VA, Al-Quaida conspirator Zacarias
Moussaoui was given a sentence of life in prison for his role in
the terrorist attack on the U.S. on September 11, 2001.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Senate Quietly Drops Russian Sanctions Bill, Focuses On Iran
Crackdown
Zero Hedge - Much to the likely chagrin of the mainstream media,
and Democratic Party blame narratives everywhere, Politico
reports that the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee have reached a decision that’s sure to disappoint
Russia hawks: They’re not taking up a Russia sanctions bill
anytime soon. Instead, Committee Chairman Bob Corker of
Tennessee and ranking Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland have
agreed to move forward on a measure to counter Russian influence
in Eastern Europe without using sanctions as well as an Iran
sanctions bill…. The measure to counter Russian influence is
expected to draw from a bill put forward by Cardin in January
but will strip the measure of its sanctions. The Iran sanctions
bill was introduced in March by Corker and has bipartisan
support. It’s in retaliation for Iran’s ballistic missile
development, support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups and
human rights violations. Cardin’s sanctions bill is co-sponsored
by 10 Republican defense hawks, including Sens. John McCain of
Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of
Florida. Cardin spokesman Sean Bartlett confirmed the agreement
in an email…. Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations panel,
indicated Monday he was unhappy with the decision to table the
Russia sanctions measure for now.
1,665 Pages: GOP Spending Bill Longer Than Obama’s Stimulus
CNS News - The new federal spending bill proposed in the
Republican-controlled Congress to fund the government through
the end of September–which is now posted on the House Rules
Committee website–is 1,665 pages long and includes an average of
approximately 210 words per page. That makes this bill
approximately 350,000 words long—or about twice as long as the
stimulus law (the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”) that
President Barack Obama signed less than a month after his
inauguration in 2009.
Related:
Federal Spending Bill Text
Trump: The US government needs a good 'shutdown' if Senate rules
don't change
CNBC News - President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to call
for a government shutdown later this year in response to a
bipartisan spending deal that looks set to pass Congress this
week. In tweets, the president contended that the bipartisan
agreement — which funds the government through Sept. 30 — shows
that Republicans should get more senators elected or change the
Senate's rules so they can push spending through with only a
majority vote, rather than 60 votes. He then wrote that the
country "needs a good 'shutdown' in September" to fix what he
called a "mess.”… Just last week, Trump blamed Democrats for
what he called a desire to shut down the government, a charge
that Democratic leaders denied. He called the possibility of
national parks getting closed "terrible."
Massachusetts Senior Citizen and Attorney Medically Kidnapped –
Estate Plundered – Represents National Epidemic
Health Impact News - Retired lawyer Marvin Siegel of Boxford,
Massachusetts, has lived an isolated and heavily-medicated
existence, against his will and wishes, after court proceedings
in August in 2011 resulted in his being placed under a
court-appointed guardianship and conservatorship that his family
considers to be unlawful. His meticulous estate planning has
been eviscerated, and millions of dollars continue to be
plundered from the 88-year-old’s estate. He is being held
prisoner in his own home, under medical providers that his
daughter has termed "24/7 guards." Meanwhile, his daughters
Attorney Lisa Siegel Belanger and Devora Kaiser tirelessly
advocate for him in the court system, despite those who are
working vigorously to shut them out of their father’s life. At
this point, those in charge of Mr. Siegel’s estate have drained
half of the retired attorney’s approximate nine-million-dollar
estate deceptively and fraudulently, according to Lisa. Further,
as Lisa began to research her father’s case, she uncovered a
network of corruption within the family and probate court system
of Essex County, where the case is, as well as in other
Massachusetts counties. The daughters’ court documents allege
fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering, involving 40
litigants in the Siegel case alone. Lisa states that the medical
kidnapping and plundering of senior citizens' estates is common,
as they target poor and rich alike: "The scary part of it is
that this is not an isolated incident. This is business as
usual. It is a pattern of isolate. Medicate. Liquidate. It
doesn’t matter the amount of a person’s estate, even if a person
has virtually nothing to their name. The fact that an elder is
receiving some sort of government benefit that automatically
brings you into their clutches. People don’t realize that it
affects basically everyone."
Drugged driving eclipses drunken driving in tests of motorists
killed in crashes
Washington Post - For the first time, statistics show that
drivers killed in crashes are more likely to be on drugs than
drunk. Forty-three percent of drivers tested in fatal crashes in
2015 had used a legal or illegal drug, eclipsing the 37 percent
who tested above the legal limit for alcohol, according to a
report released Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety
Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol
Responsibility. Of the drivers who tested positive for drugs,
more than a third had used marijuana and more than 9 percent had
taken amphetamines…. The opioid epidemic — heroin use and the
abuse of prescription drugs — is well established. In 2015, more
than 33,000 people fatally overdosed on opioids, almost equal to
the 35,095 people killed that year in all traffic crashes. The
number of drivers who tested positive for drugs after dying in a
crash rose from almost 28 percent in 2005 to 43 percent in 2015,
the latest year for which data is available…. Although the
liberalization of marijuana laws and increase in drug-use
fatalities might lead to an easy conclusion, the report cites
European studies that found marijuana use slightly increased the
risk of a crash, while opioids, amphetamines and mixing alcohol
with drugs greatly increased the risk of a crash.
Officer recorded shooting unarmed man in back pleads guilty
Ars Technica - A white South Carolina police officer accused of
the video-taped shooting of a fleeing, unarmed suspect pleaded
guilty Tuesday to a single federal civil rights violation. A
video of Officer Michael Slager shooting and killing 50-year-old
Walter Scott was secretly taken in 2015 by a passerby. The video
has been viewed millions of times online and on television. It
was a key factor in the North Charleston Police Department's
decision to abandon its initial backing of the shooting. The
deal with federal and state prosecutors includes Slager's guilty
plea to one count of a three-count federal civil rights
indictment. In exchange, federal prosecutors will drop two
lesser charges. South Carolina prosecutors, under the deal, will
not retry the 35-year-old Slager…. Attorney General Jeff
Sessions praised the outcome. "The Department of Justice will
hold accountable any law enforcement officer who violates the
civil rights of our citizens by using excessive force," Sessions
said. "Such failures of duty not only harm the individual
victims of these crimes; they harm our country, by eroding trust
in law enforcement and undermining the good work of the vast
majority of honorable and honest police officers."
Putin, Trump speak by phone, discuss Syria, N.Korea – Kremlin
RT - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart,
Donald Trump, held a phone call in which they have agreed to
cooperate on promoting diplomatic progress in dealing with
tensions on the Korean peninsula and in Syria, according to the
Kremlin. “Vladimir Putin has called for restraint and decreasing
of the level of tensions” on the Korean peninsula, the statement
said. “It has been agreed to work jointly on a diplomatic
solution that will settle the crisis.” Putin and Trump have
spoken about coordinating Russia’s and US efforts aimed against
terrorism in Syria, the statement adds. Putin and Trump have
decided to “activate the dialogue between the heads of the
foreign ministries of both countries who will seek variants to
secure the ceasefire regime, stabilize it and control it,” the
statement says. “The goal is to create the background that would
help launch a real peace process in Syria. This means that
Russia’s foreign minister and the US secretary of state would
inform their leaders about progress in this regard." The call
between the two presidents came a day before a new round of
talks on Syria in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. This is the
first time that Trump and Putin have talked to each other since
the US missile strike on a Syrian airfield that set back
US-Russia diplomatic relations.
North Korea says U.S. bomber flights push peninsula to brink of
nuclear war
Reuters - North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of
pushing the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war after a
pair of strategic U.S. bombers flew training drills with the
South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of
strength. The two supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers were deployed
amid rising tensions over North Korea's pursuit of its nuclear
and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. sanctions and
pressure from the United States…. South Korean Defence Ministry
spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a briefing in Seoul that Monday's
joint drill was conducted to deter provocations by the North.
North Korea said the bombers conducted "a nuclear bomb dropping
drill against major objects" in its territory at a time when
Trump and "other U.S. warmongers are crying out for making a
preemptive nuclear strike" on the North. "The reckless military
provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula
closer to the brink of nuclear war," the North's official KCNA
news agency said on Tuesday. Tensions on the Korean peninsula
have been high for weeks, driven by concerns that the North
might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of pressure
from the United States and Pyongyang's sole major ally, China.
China Relations with U.S. Declining Fast
France24 - China demanded on Tuesday an immediate halt to a
controversial US missile shield hours after Washington announced
that the defence system was now operational in South Korea.
Washington and Seoul agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area
Defense (THAAD) battery deployment in July in the wake of a
string of North Korean missile tests. But its deployment has
infuriated China, which fears it will weaken its own ballistic
missile capabilities and says it upsets the regional security
balance…. While Beijing lashed out at the shield's deployment,
the foreign ministry expressed support for US President Donald
Trump's surprise comments that he would be "honored" to meet
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions. "If
it would be appropriate for me to meet with him I would,
absolutely. I would be honored to do it," Trump said in an
interview with Bloomberg. Asked about Trump's remarks, Geng said
that China "has always believed that dialogue and
consultation... is the only realistic and viable way to achieve
denuclearisation." "We also said many times that the US and DPRK...
should make political decisions at an early date, take action
and show good faith so that we can create a better atmosphere
for resuming the peace talks and settling the issue," he added….
Earlier, US Forces Korea said THAAD is "operational and has the
ability to intercept North Korean missiles and defend the
Republic." A US defence official told AFP, however, that the
system has only "reached initial intercept capability". This
initial capability will be augmented later this year as
additional hardware and components arrive to complete the
system, officials said…. Beijing has imposed a host of measures
seen as economic retaliation against the South for the THAAD
deployment, including a ban on tour groups…. Further
complicating matters, Trump stunned Seoul last week when he
suggested South Korea should pay for the $1 billion THAAD
system.
U.S. issues travel alert for Europe, citing threat of terrorist
attacks
Reuters - The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for
Europe on Monday, saying U.S. citizens should be aware of a
continued threat of terrorist attacks throughout the continent.
In the alert, the State Department cited recent incidents in
France, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom and said Islamic
State and al Qaeda "have the ability to plan and execute
terrorist attacks in Europe." The State Department's previous
travel alert for Europe, issued ahead of the winter holiday
season, expired in February. A State Department official said
Monday's alert was not prompted by a specific threat, but rather
recognition of the continuing risk of attacks especially ahead
of the summer holidays. The alert expires on Sept. 1. Malls,
government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of
worship, parks, airports and other locations are all possible
targets for attacks, the State Department's alert said.
Belgium Bans Monsanto’s Weedkiller for Non-Professionals
Natural Blaze - Fresh on the heels of France’s glyphosate ban in
public spaces, Belgium turned heads with the announcement by
federal minister of agriculture, Willy Borsus, that he wishes to
ban the use of herbicides by non-professionals – especially
glyphosate. Borsus said there were safer alternatives, such as
heat treatment, mechanical weeding, or bio-pesticides.
“Considering the risk-benefit balance, there is no justification
for the use of herbicides for individuals,” he said. EU member
states are “forging ahead” with their own wave of glyphosate
bans and restrictions even though the EU Commission is
stalwartly defending the safety of glyphosate. This time period
is an absolute showdown because glyphosate’s potential
reauthorization at the EU level is ongoing.
Crushing Blow to Soy Processors as Chinese Grow Wary on GMO
Sustainable Pulse - A Chinese consumer backlash against
genetically modified (GMO) crops is beginning to dent demand for
soy oil, the nation’s main cooking oil, and could spell crisis
for the multi-billion-dollar crushing industry, which depends on
GMO soybeans from the United States and elsewhere. Soyoil sales
account for about 36 percent of cooking oils used in Chinese
kitchens, more than three times the next highest, and most of it
is made from imported soybeans, which are nearly all genetically
modified. The Chinese government says GM foods are as safe as
conventional foods, but wealthier urban consumers are replacing
soyoil with sunflower, peanut or sesame, all free of biotech raw
materials.
Hillary Clinton: "I Was On The Way To Winning Until Comey And
'Russian' WikiLeaks" (Video)
Zero Hedge - Speaking during an interview on CNN, losing
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton explained why she thinks
she lost the election... "I was on the way to winning before Jim
Comey's letter and 'Russian' Wikileaks... scared off late
voters.”… All of this is ironic given Democratic Party
strategists recent comments: After crunching numbers for months,
a group of Democratic strategists have finally figured out why
Hillary lost the 2016 election: "her base didn't turn out."
Sure, it probably had absolutely nothing to do with all those
criminal FBI investigations or the fact that Trump was able to
flip some Midwest states that haven't gone Red since Ronald
Reagan…. Ironically, while offering up the most ridiculous
explanation possible for the outcome of the 2016 election,
undoubtedly in an effort to erase all blame from Hillary herself
(it wasn't Hillary's fault, her team just didn't turn out the
voters...they failed her), one strategist noted it's important
to "learn the right lesson from 2016" and not just the one "that
makes us feel good at night." And as The Washington Post's most
recent poll shows, two-thirds of Americans think the Democrats
are out of touch - including nearly half of Democrats
themselves.
45% Of Americans Spend Up To Half Their Income Repaying Credit
Card Debts
Zero Hedge - On several occasions we've pointed out that the
baby boomer generation is, to put it mildly, ill-prepared for
retirement. In fact, over 50% of baby boomers have basically no
savings set aside for retirement at all. Now, a new survey from
Northwestern Mutual helps to shed some light on why Americans
are completely incapable of saving money. First, roughly 50% of
Americans have debt balances, excluding mortgages mind you, of
over $25,000, with the average person owing over $37,000, versus
a median personal income of just over $30,000. Therefore, it's
not difficult to believe, as Northwestern Mutual points out,
that 45% of Americans spend up to half of their monthly take
home pay on debt service alone....which, again, excludes
mortgage debt.
Auto Bloodbath: Every OEM Misses April Sales Estimates As
Inventories Continue To Soar
Zero Hedge - After an abysmal March print and growing
speculation on wall street that auto sales are looking less like
a "plateau" (Ford's label not ours) and more like a debt-fueled
bubble on the verge of an epic collapse, auto investors were
looking toward April auto sales for signs of hope.
Unfortunately, the "hope" trade failed to materialize as every
single, major auto OEM missed their April sales estimates in
fairly spectacular fashion.
NSA gained phone records despite law change: report
Reuters - The U.S. National Security Agency collected more than 151
million records of Americans' phone calls last year, even after Congress
limited its ability to collect bulk phone records, according to an
annual report by the top U.S. intelligence officer. The report from the
office of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats was the first
measure of the effects of the 2015 USA Freedom Act, which limited the
NSA to collecting phone records and contacts of people U.S. and allied
intelligence agencies suspect may have ties to terrorism. It found that
the NSA collected the 151 million records even though it had warrants
from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court to spy on only
42 terrorism suspects in 2016, in addition to a handful identified the
previous year. The NSA has been gathering a vast quantity of telephone
"metadata," records of callers' and recipients' phone numbers and the
times and durations of the calls - but not their content - since the
September 11, 2001, attacks. The report came as Congress faced a
decision on whether to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which permits the NSA to collect
foreign intelligence information on non-U.S. persons outside the United
States, and is scheduled to expire at the end of this year.
GOP’s “Internet Freedom Act” permanently guts net neutrality authority
Ars Technica - Nine Republican US senators yesterday submitted
legislation that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission
from ever again using the regulatory authority that allowed the
commission to impose net neutrality rules. The "Restoring Internet
Freedom Act" would prohibit the FCC from classifying ISPs as common
carriers under Title II of the Communications Act and "from imposing
certain regulations on providers of such service." The Internet "is
threatened by the Federal Communications Commission’s 2015 Open Internet
Order, which would put federal bureaucrats in charge of engineering the
Internet’s infrastructure," Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). said in an
announcement yesterday. "That is why I am introducing the Restoring
Internet Freedom Act, which would nullify [the] Open Internet Order and
prohibit the FCC from issuing a similar rule in the future.”… In the
announcement, [co-sponsor Ted Cruz] repeated his charge that net
neutrality is "Obamacare for the Internet."
Video: Kid Genius Max Laughlin Explains Why He Thinks CERN Destroyed Our
Universe…
True Activist - Science just barely starts to scratch the surface to the
nature of reality and still, its discoveries are more shocking than we
were able to imagine. It proves of quantum entanglement, unified field
of consciousness, free energy, superhuman abilities, singularity,
parallel universes and alternate realities. All of this is so mind
boggling that you would never think a kid can understand. But maybe we
need a kid, someone who is brave enough to think about crazy ideas and
theories because most of the world we live in today was built upon such.
Max Laughlin is not just any kid. He is probably the smartest kid in the
world. When he had only 13 years he invented a Free Energy Device,
something that could potentially power the whole world for free. He
became famous across the world for his brilliant ideas and points of
view on interesting topics like the nature of The Universe and Alternate
Realities. But now he has a theory that CERN destroyed our Universe and
we live in another Universe that was parallel and closest to it. He
thinks the famous Mandela Effect is a result of that. Max explains it
all beautifully in this video…
9 Reasons to add Chlorella superfood to your diet
(Natural News) Like spirulina, chlorella is a green alga with a
host of health benefits. Though it has been around forever, this
single-celled alga remained well hidden in freshwater ponds in
the Far East until the end of the 19th century… Recently,
chlorella has been receiving a lot of buzz and has earned
“superfood” status because of its extraordinary nutrient
density…. Here are nine of them you should know about to improve
your family’s health. 1. Packed with essential nutrients - About
60 percent of it is complete protein, containing all nine
essential amino acids. It has an excellent omega-3 to omega-6
ratio and offers a broad range of essential vitamins and
minerals such as vitamin C, iron, vitamin B12, and beta-carotene
2. Binds heavy metals - Another reason chlorella has gotten some
buzz is because of its ability to bind and help eliminate heavy
metals, such as cadmium and lead, and other toxic compounds,
such as dioxin, from the body. Its amazing detoxing properties
come from chlorophyll and vitamin B12, which produce
glutathione, a potent antioxidant to safeguard the body against
toxicity and disease. 3. Boosts the immune system - Though the
evidence is limited, research has shown that chlorella may boost
the immune system to ward off unwanted intruders that can make
you sick. 4. Improves cholesterol - Several studies have found
that daily supplementation of five to ten grams of chlorella can
reduce triglycerides and total cholesterol in people with high
blood pressure and/or elevated cholesterol levels. It is
believed that niacin, fiber, and catenoids, among other
antioxidants present in chlorella, are responsible for the
cholesterol-lowering effect. 5. Acts as a powerful antioxidant -
Though more studies are needed to confirm the results,
chlorella’s antioxidants — including chlorophyll, vitamin C,
beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein — have shown to lower
oxidative damage to prevent chronic diseases.
*
We have Chlorella at the Power Hour Mall!
Ginger and chili pepper combination block cancer cell growth
(NaturalHealth365) Ginger has been used for centuries to bring
relief to digestive issues and nausea, while the chili pepper is
known to boost mood, metabolism and immune system health. Both
spices can bring positive effects to circulation and blood flow
in the body…. A study published in the online Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that the 6-gingerol in
ginger and a chili pepper compound called capsaicin seem to work
together cooperatively to help fight off cancer. This is because
6-gingergol binds to capsaicin to create a new, extremely strong
compound that effectively works to inhibit tumor-growing cell
receptors in the body.
Strawberries slow growth of breast cancer—in the laboratory, at
least
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Strawberries could slow the spread
of breast cancer. It's already known that eating between 10 and
15 of them has powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory
effects, and now researchers are hoping the fruit could also be
a treatment for the cancer. So far, an extract from the fruit
has worked in the laboratory on cancer cells and in laboratory
mice, but the researchers don't yet know if the same effects
will be seen in cancer patients. Researchers from the Marche
Polytechnic University in Italy used an extract from the Alba
variety of strawberry, which is rich in phenolic compounds, on
the most aggressive and invasive breast cancer cells. It stopped
the growth of the cells for up to 72 hours, the researchers say,
and it also stimulated a gene that suppresses the spread to the
lymphatic system, which can lead to the cancer developing in
other parts of the body. Not only was the spread of the cancer
halted, the weight and volume of tumors was also "significantly
reduced", the researchers said. But they sound a note of
warning: they can't be sure it would work in cancer patients.
People are complex, as are cancers, and the concentration of the
phenolic compounds—thought to be the active part in the
fruit—varies from variety to variety. Nonetheless, eating a
healthy diet, that includes plenty of strawberries, is something
every cancer patient should do, they say.
Tuesday - May
2, 2017
On This Day In History
1776 - France and Spain agreed to donate arms to American rebels
fighting the British.
1863 - Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was wounded
by his own men in the battle of Chancellorsville, VA. He died 8
days later.
1865 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson offered $100,000 reward for
the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
1890 - The Oklahoma Territory was organized.
1926 - U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua to put down a revolt and
to protect U.S. interests. They did not depart until 1933.
1941 - The FCC agreed to let
regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations
begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television.
1946 - Prisoners revolted at California's Alcatraz prison.
1965 - The "Early Bird" satellite was used to transmit
television pictures across the Atlantic.
1969 - The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) made its maiden
voyage.
1970 - Student anti-war protesters at Ohio's Kent State
University burn down the campus ROTC building. The National
Guard took control of the campus.
1974 - Former U.S. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was disbarred
by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
1993 - Authorities said that they had recovered the remains of
David Koresh from the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, TX.
1994 - Nelson Mandela claimed victory after South Africa's first
democratic elections.
1997 - Tony Blair became, at age 44, Britain's youngest prime minister
in 185 years.
2012 - Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sworn in to
Myanmar's military-backed parliament.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Paul Ryan Unleashed — New Budget Restricts Any And All Funding
Of Trump Border Wall
The GatewayPundit - Paul Ryan and House Republicans included
strict language in their trillion dollar budget that prevents
any and all funding of President Trump’s border wall. Paul
Ryan’s new budget bill will fund: ** Planned Parenthood **
Central American illegal immigrant centers ** Domestic spending
will increase ** No cuts in funding to EPA despite Trump’s
promises ** Continue payment on Obamacare subsidies ** No
funding cuts to sanctuary cities But the House budget includes
language that FORBIDS the President of the United States of
building a border wall with Mexico. The Washington Post
reported: There are explicit restrictions to block the border
wall. We knew last week there would be no money to start
construction on a project that the president says is more
important to his base than anything else. But the final
agreement goes further, putting strict limitations on how Trump
can use new money for border security (e.g. to invest in new
technology and repair existing fencing). Administration
officials have insisted they already have the statutory
authority to start building the wall under a 2006 law. This
prevents such an end run. The $1.5 billion for border security
is also half as much as the White House requested. Additionally,
there are no cuts in funding to sanctuary cities, something a
federal judge said last week would be required for the Justice
Department to follow through on its threats. And there is also
no money for a deportation force.
Republicans Just One Vote Away From Failing To Repeal Obamacare,
Again
Zero Hedge - While one can debate if last week's failed attempt
by Trump to pass the GOP healthcare vote before the expiration
of his 100 days in office counts as attempt #2 by the
administration to repeal Obamacare, the Republicans are now back
to square one, because based on the latest whip count by The
Hill, the GOP again appears to lack sufficient votes to pass its
Healthcare bill in the House, despite earlier reports from GOP
leaders and the White House that it might be approved by the
lower chamber this week. The Hill's most recent whip list
reveals 22 Republicans - mostly moderates - who oppose the bill,
the maximum number of GOP defections that can be afforded,
meaning the GOP is just one vote away from another failure. The
latest Republican to announce his opposition is Rep. Billy Long
(Mo.), a staunch conservative who often says he was “Tea Party
before Tea Party was cool.” He told The Hill he wouldn't support
the bill because of the impact it could have on people with
preexisting conditions.
Daniel Defense: Second Amendment Rights Come From God, Not
Government
Breitbart - During the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta,
Daniel Defense president and CEO Marty Daniel affirmed his
conviction that Second Amendment rights come from God, not from
government. This is the same position our Founding Fathers held;
the same position they all supported with their signatures when
signing the Declaration of Independence, which says: We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed. It is crucial to note two things in
this portion of the Declaration: 1. Thomas Jefferson sourced our
rights in our “Creator,” not in government or in a majority vote
of the population. 2. Jefferson sourced government’s power in
the people. In other words, governments possess powers, not
rights, and the U.S. government only has power because the
people lend it a portion of the authority that they possess by
birth. And the authority which the people lend government never
communicates permission to infringe on the rights with which the
people were endowed. (This is why James Madison used Federalist
46 to stress that “ultimate authority…resides in the people
alone.”)… It is interesting to note that President Donald Trump
struck a similar tone when speaking to the NRA-ILA Leadership
Forum on April 28. Trump said, “Freedom is not a gift from
government, freedom is a gift from God.”
New York Democrats Sign Legislation to Uncover President Trump’s
Tax Returns
The GatewayPundit - Evidently Democrats were not satisfied after
Rachel Maddow released President Trump’s 2005 tax return that
showed Trump paid a higher rate than Socialist Bernie Sanders.
The AP reported: New York Democrats have hatched a plan to get a
look at Donald Trump’s tax records by crafting a piece of
legislation designed to get at his state returns that does
everything but mention the Republican president by name. The
bill introduced this month in New York’s Senate and Assembly
would require the state to release five years of state tax
information for any president or vice president who files a New
York state return…. Democrats in New York and more than two
dozen states have crafted bills that would require presidential
candidates to release their federal returns in order to appear
on that state’s ballot. None of those, however, would require
Trump to release old returns.
Student penalized for using word ‘man’ on his essay
The College Fix - At the University of Florida, a student was
recently penalized for writing “man” instead of “humankind” in a
class paper. History major Martin Poirier wrote “Water is a
thing prior to man” on a paper for a history class called
“History of Water.” “Thoughtful paper, although the
writing-mechanics errors are killing you,” Professor Jack Davis
wrote at the bottom of the paper. He gave the student a B minus,
according to a copy of the essay published in the student news
outlet the Daily Nerv. Davis circled “man” and referenced his
Writing Mechanics Exercise #20, which draws a distinction
between “mankind” and “humankind.” Davis defended the
penalization in an email to The College Fix. He explained that
the “exercise and inclusion of ‘humankind’ are consistent with
the Chicago Manual of Style, the style and the usage guide
followed in the discipline of history.”… This incident in
question of a lower grade was not the first time Poirier has
faced what he considers a troubling trend on campus. “Political
correctness on college campuses goes far deeper than this one
excess by this one teacher. By and large, the radical
liberationist ideas go unchallenged because no truly
oppositional content is presented,” he said.
Bill Shine, co-president of Fox News, will part ways with the
cable news network
Breitbart - Fox News has confirmed Shine’s resignation, with a
press release reading in part: Bill Shine, Co-President of FOX
News Channel (FNC) since August 2016, has resigned and will
leave the company after helping the transition over the next few
weeks, announced Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman of 21st
Century Fox. Shine has been with FOX News since its inception
over 20 years ago…. Last week, primetime host Sean Hannity
tweeted that if Shine were to leave the network, “that’s the
total end of the FNC as we know it. Done.” Several inside
accounts have framed Fox News’s current woes as an identity
crisis; Murdoch’s sons James and Lachlan are reportedly hoping
to shake up their aging father’s creation into something more
palatable to their worldview and less friendly to American
conservatives.
Sean Hannity Meets With “Army of Attorneys” Warns ‘IP Addresses
Are Traceable” so “Get Ready”
The GatewayPundit - Sean Hannity hit back hard after he was
accused of sexual harassment by blogger and attorney, Debbie
Schlussel. He vowed to take legal action causing Schlussel to
walk back her claims. … Hannity took to his Twitter account and
fired a few warning shots saying, “A lot of time with an army of
attorneys. Topics include: libel, slander, defamation, tortious
interference. Stay tuned.” Hannity also tweeted saying ‘FYI,
whoever you are IP addresses are traceable. Get ready.” His
series of tweets sounded like he may be going after more than
just one person who has been spreading lies about him. In any
event, it’s about time conservatives hit back. Leftists
constantly slander us conservatives, accusing us of being
racists and anti-Semites with no evidence to back it up.
Video: ”That's Enough" - Angry Trump Kicks CBS Reporter Out Of
Oval Office
Zero Hedge - Having been pestered by CBS reporter John Dickerson
over what great advice President Obama had given him (and his
wiretapping accusations); President Trump's frustration briefly
boiled over as he turned his back and remarked "ok, that's
enough, thank you, goodbye," gesturing for the reporter to leave
The Oval Office... As Washington Free Beacon reports, the
exchange, which aired Monday, began when Dickerson asked Trump
if his predecessor had given him any advice since taking office.
Trump said Obama had been "very nice" initially but since then
there had been "difficulties." "Words are less important to me
than deeds, and you saw what happened with surveillance," he
said, calling it "inappropriate." Trump was referring to a claim
he made on March 4 that Obama tapped his phones during the
presidential campaign. There is no evidence to substantiate the
claim, but Trump has never retracted it. When Dickerson pressed
for details about the surveillance, Trump responded, "You can
figure that out yourself."
Hundreds Suffer as City Shuts Down Church for Helping the
Homeless
The Free Thought Project - A church in Davenport, Iowa, facing
zoning restrictions related to its outreach program to feed the
homeless, is appealing its local council and questioning the
legality of the city’s regulations. This all stems from a cease
and desist order they received — because feeding the homeless is
not allowed when you’re zoned as a church…. One of the primary
missions of the church is focused on outreach to poor and
homeless individuals, offering addiction resources, haircuts, a
food pantry, clothing, and meals at no charge, according to the
ministry’s website. Timothy’s House of Hope center has estimated
thousands of meals served each month…. Bruce Berger, Davenport’s
economic development and planning director, said that the
property must first be classified as a “Planned Institutional
District” specified for “Housing and Supporting Services.”…
Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch told WQAD News 8 that “We can’t
let this be interpreted in any way that we do not support the
great work that timothy house of hope is doing,” and has said
that the city is reaching out to the city attorney to check the
possibility of re-opening as the zoning issues are addressed.
It’s Disturbingly Easy To Reroute Someone Else’s Mail
Consumerist - The U.S. Postal Service has made the process of
changing your address when you move super easy and convenient,
by just filling out a form online and paying $1. Maybe that’s
not so good, though: The process is so easy that an identity
thief can redirect your mall to their address by just filling
out a form online and paying $1. A couple who were victims of
this scheme contacted Kurtis Ming of CBS Sacramento to share
their story. Yes, they received a letter at their home address
that told them their mail was being redirected, but by the time
that showed up, important mail like a Medicare card and a
package containing prescription medication was redirected to the
identity thief. The identity thief also opened a credit card in
the husband’s name. As an experiment, reporter Ming tried the
USPS change of address form and tried to have a co-worker’s mail
re-directed to him. She didn’t have to give permission, and her
mail began to appear in his mailbox just over a week later. The
chief postal inspector issued only a statement about how
important security is, while still making no changes to the
process of changing one’s address.
Report: China Preparing For “Huge Exodus” of North Koreans
Fleeing War
Paul Joseph Watson - China has ordered the “urgent” recruitment
of Korean-Chinese interpreters in a town near the North Korean
border as Beijing prepares for an onslaught of refugees in the
event of a U.S. military strike against Pyongyang. A Chinese
government document obtained by the Korea Times orders “the town
of Dandong to recruit an unspecified number of Korean-Chinese
interpreters to work at 10 departments in the town, including
border security, public security, trade, customs and
quarantine.” The document suggests Beijing is “bracing for an
emergency situation” arising out of a “possible military clash
between the United States and North Korea” which would trigger a
“huge exodus” of North Koreans fleeing to China, according to
the report. Officials in Dandong have also been put on rotating
night shifts since April 25th in preparation for the emergency.
China is already home to some 100,000 North Korean defectors and
Beijing is unlikely to welcome a large wave of new refugees.
Macron PLUMMETS in the polls as Marine Le Pen enjoys boost a
WEEK AWAY from election vote
Daily Express - Recent moves by Ms Le Pen to appeal to a wider
audience seem to be working as she has removed herself as the
leader of the Front National party, and rebranded her campaign
with the new motto “Choose France”. Pollster Harris Interactive,
who correctly predicted the result of the first round, revealed
a six points slip by Mr Macron since last Sunday. Ms Le Pen
said: “The country Mr Macron wants is no longer France; it’s a
space, a wasteland, a trading room where there are only
consumers and producers.” The latest polls were conducted prior
to the announcement that defeated first round presidential
candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, would be Ms Le Pen’s prime
minister if she wins the presidency.
Venezuela's Maduro hikes minimum wage amid rising protests
ABC News - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro hiked wages and
handed out hundreds of free homes Sunday amid his efforts to
counter a strengthening protest movement seeking his removal. On
his regular television show, "Sundays with Maduro," the
president ordered a 60 percent increase in the country's minimum
wage starting Monday. It was the third pay increase the
socialist leader has ordered this year and the 15th since he
became president in 2013…. With the latest wage increase and
mandatory food subsidies, the minimum take home pay for millions
of Venezuelans now stands at 200,000 bolivars a month — or less
than $50 at the widely used black market rate.
Sparking Fears of Airborne Radiation, Wildfire Burns in
Fukushima 'No-Go Zone'
Common Dreams - Local officials were forced to call in the
Japanese military, the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF), to help
battle the blaze, which continued to burn on Monday. At least 10
hectares of forest have burned so far…. In a blog post last
year, Anton Beneslavsky, a member of Greenpeace Russia's
firefighting group who has been deployed to fight blazes in
nuclear Chernobyl, outlined the specific dangers of wildfires in
contaminated areas. "During a fire, radionuclides like
caesium-137, strontium-90 and plutonium rise into the air and
travel with the wind," Beneslavsky wrote. "This is a health
concern because when these unstable atoms are inhaled, people
become internally exposed to radiation." Contaminated forests
such as those outside fallout sites like Fukushima and Chernobyl
"are ticking time bombs," scientist and former regional
government official Ludmila Komogortseva told Beneslavsky.
"Woods and peat accumulate radiation," she explained "and every
moment, every grass burning, every dropped cigarette or camp
fire can spark a new disaster."
EPA purges climate change information as part of “Website Updates”
Ars Technica - On Friday, the Trump administration removed all of the
EPA's climate information from the agency's website. In its place was
this announcement: "We are currently updating our website to reflect
EPA's priorities under the leadership of President Trump and
Administrator Pruitt." The official EPA announcement of the changes says
they're needed to "reflect the agency’s new direction under President
Donald Trump and Administrator Scott Pruitt." Removing them, according
to the EPA spokesman, was needed to "prevent confusion." hat confusion
would be caused by the promotion of outdated policies that were put in
place by the previous administration. Chief among those policies is the
Clean Power Plan, the Obama Administration's response to climate change
(the EPA announcement refers to it as "the so-called Clean Power Plan").
Worm Eats Plastic – Is This Really Good for The Earth?
Natural Blaze - Daily Mail reports: Researchers from the Institute of
Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria in Spain found that wax worms
can do serious damage to a plastic bag in less than an hour. […] The
researchers showed that the wax worms were not only ingesting the
plastic, they were also chemically transforming the polyethylene into
ethylene glycol – a translucent alcohol. From RT: The team exposed about
100 wax worms to a typical plastic bag from a UK supermarket and found
that holes started to appear after just 40 minutes. 12 hours later there
was a reduction in mass of 92mg, which scientists say is extremely fast
compared to other recent discoveries…. I know I might get boo-ed for
splashing cold water here, but let’s think about this… The byproduct of
the caterpillars will become ethylene glycol which is used for
anti-freeze. I ask you – at what point will the earth then be overrun by
ethylene glycol, a solvent known to cause miscarriages? Are we now to
breed countless numbers of these caterpillars who only get a steady diet
of polyethylene – and then…what about them? (On the other hand, the
worms are currently bred commercially for fish bait before they can
become wax moths – they might like a change of employment.) But how do
we obtain the clear alcohol they produce? Will it leak into the earth?
Will wax worms become a scourge?
FB Under Fire for Selling Emotionally Vulnerable Kids’ Data to
Advertisers
The Anti-Media - Less than two months after announcing it would begin
using artificial intelligence tools in its marketing arm, Facebook is
now being accused of letting advertisers target emotionally vulnerable
children. According to The Australian, a 23-page leaked document
obtained by the outlet — marked “Confidential: Internal Only” and dated
2017 — reveals that the social media giant used algorithms to sift
through the posts, pictures, and reactions of 6.4 million “high
schoolers,” “tertiary students,” and “young Australians and New
Zealanders…in the workforce” with the aim of learning about their
emotional state. The news outlet says the algorithms essentially looked
for “moments when young people need a confidence boost” — moments when
kids feel “worthless” or “insecure” and are perhaps more open to an
advertiser’s message. Facebook says the data amassed by the algorithms
was never used for targeted ads, but merely “to help marketers
understand how people express themselves on Facebook.” Still, the
company acknowledges a “process failure” and says an investigation has
been opened to correct the mistake. That’s a good thing because
Facebook’s real-time monitoring of kids might actually be violating the
Australian government’s ethical standards. The Australian points out
that the Australian Code for Advertising and Marketing Communications to
Children defines children as age 14 and under and says any information
that could potentially reveal a child’s identity must be obtained
through a parent or legal guardian.
9 Health Benefits Of Walking Barefoot and Connecting With The
Earth
Natural Blaze - At first, it might sound strange (throwing away
your shoes and walking barefoot in the grass or sand) but there
is evidence that this can be very beneficial for your health….
The more time we spend in shoes and indoors, the more important
it becomes to get outside and get grounded…. Just go outside,
find a patch of grass or dirt, take off your shoes and socks,
and start walking barefoot. This growing health practice is
called Earthing, and it is literally grounding out your body to
the electrical field of The Earth. The focus of Earthing is
“reconnection” with the earth and our body…. Ideally is to spend
at least 15 minutes a day walking barefoot or grounded but you
can also receive the benefits just by spending even a few
minutes a day barefoot on the ground. Here are 9 other reasons,
in addition to Earthing, to go barefoot each day. … Emerging
evidence shows that contact with the Earth—whether being indoors
connected to grounded conductive systems or outside barefoot
—may be a natural, simple, and yet profoundly effective
environmental strategy against inflammation, chronic stress,
poor sleep, pain, ANS dysfunction, disturbed HRV, cardiovascular
disease, hypercoagulable blood, and many common health
disorders.”… Walking barefoot strengthens our ankles and feet
because it allows them to move in a natural way and
unrestricted…. When you’re grounded you receive free electrons
from the earth that can reduce free radicals. Free radicals
cause accelerated aging and are damaging to healthy cells in
your body. Earthing can drastically reduce inflammation in our
bodies….
Related Book:
Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? (Find it
at The Power Hour Mall)
Beets Boost Brain Health and Much More
Dr. Mercola - Beets can improve athletic performance, help fight
inflammation, lower blood pressure, help you detoxify, lower
your risk for heart failure and stroke, help combat cancer and
improve brain neuroplasticity. Many of the benefits of beets are
due to their high nitrate content. Your body transforms nitrates
into nitic oxide, which enhances oxygenation and has a
beneficial impact on your circulatory system. Beets are very
high in sugars, so if you’re insulin resistant, diabetic, or are
in the initial stages of nutritional ketosis, fermented beets
and beet juice may be preferable, as virtually all sugar is
eliminated during fermentation.
The
Appendix Could Be More Important Than Expected
REALfarmacy - For the past few decades, conventional medicine
believed the appendix was an unimportant organ that served
little to no function. Yet evidence shows that the appendix may
play a vital function in the development of the immune system.
According to research, lymphoid tissue accumulates in the
appendix after birth. In turn, the appendix helps in the
maturation of B lymphocytes and the production of antibodies.
The appendix produces specific molecules that aid in the
movement of lymphocytes to various locations within the body.
Based on current evidence it seems that the appendix serves as a
“reservoir” for beneficial gut flora. When illness reduces good
bacteria from the intestines, the appendix may store some of
that good bacteria for back up. It has also been shown that
individuals without an appendix could be four times more likely
to suffer from recurrent Clostidium difficile colitis, an
irritation of the large intestine by spore-forming bacteria.
This condition is often present when the body is running low on
gut flora, potentially explaining the connection between the
appendix and its role in maintaining probiotic levels. While the
research is ongoing, it seems that the appendix is important for
maintaining optimal health.
The Power of Thought in Our Lives
Healthy Beginnings - Three things happen when you think a
thought: The first is that the vibrational frequency of that
thought, like a radio signal, goes out into this energy soup we
live in and attracts back to the people, conditions and
situations that match the thought. That thought also brings up
an emotion, which drives your words and actions, and your words
and actions make up your life. The second thing that happens
when you think a thought is the vibrational frequency of that
thought, like a cell phone signal, goes from your conscious mind
into your subconscious. The subconscious can’t tell the
difference between real and pretend, so it thinks that thought
you’re thinking has actually happened to you today. Even though
it happened years ago. Or maybe it’s just a fear of what might
happen in the future. It still gives you the emotions to match,
just like it happened today. Your emotions then drive your words
and actions and of course your words and actions make up your
life. The third thing that happens when you think a thought is
the vibrational frequency of that thought floods all 50 trillion
of your cells and causes that pharmaceutical company inside your
body to manufacture chemicals and hormones to match the thought.
So if your thoughts are happy and cheerful, your body
manufactures endorphins or serotonin. But if your thoughts are
negative or worried, your body manufactures cortisol, a major
stress hormone…. Whenever you think a negative or worried
thought, take action if necessary, then pivot your mind to
something juicy and delicious that you’d really love to do. […]
as you consciously control your thoughts, you begin to attract
the opportunities, people, situations and conditions that you do
want. Imagine what our world would be like if we had learned
this as kids, if we had understood how powerful our thoughts
were, how they create our reality.
Why Your Cat Needs a Cat Patio, or Catio
Dr. Becker - Providing your cat the opportunity to experience the
outdoors safely while also living indoors provides the stimulation your
cat needs mentally without the risks of free roaming. It also gives your
cat an opportunity for beneficial grounding. One option is to walk your
cat using a cat harness and leash. Most cats, especially kittens, can be
trained to walk on a leash, but not every cat will enjoy the experience.
You’ll know best whether your cat has the personality to enjoy taking a
walk around the neighborhood or whether it would simply stress her out.
Another alternative is to create a safe outdoor enclosure or cat patio —
catio — which allows feline family members secure access to the
outdoors. The enclosure should be open air, allowing your cat to feel
fresh air and sunlight, but shielded enough to prevent escape or a
predator from gaining access.
Related:
DIY Catios & Cat Enclosures
Monday - May
1, 2017
On This Day In History
1707 - England, Wales and Scotland were united to form Great
Britain.
1805 - The state of Virginia passed a law requiring all freed
slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or
deportation.
1863 - In Virginia, the Battle of Chancellorsville began.
General Robert E. Lee's forces began fighting with Union troops
under General Joseph Hooker. Confederate General Stonewall
Jackson was mortally wounded by his own soldiers in this battle.
(May 1-4)
1867 - Reconstruction in the South began with black voter
registration.
1877 - U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew all Federal
troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
1898 - The U.S. Navy under Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at
Manila Bay in the Philippines.
1927 - Adolf Hitler held his first Nazi meeting in Berlin.
1931 - The Empire State Building in New York was dedicated and
opened. It was 102 stories tall and was the tallest building in
the world at the time.
1937 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act of
neutrality, keeping the United States out of World War II.
1945 - Admiral Karl Doenitz succeeded Hitler as leader of the
Third Reich. This was one day after Hitler committed suicide.
1948 - The People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea)
was proclaimed.
1960 - Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down over the
Soviet Union. Powers was taken prisoner.
1961 - Fidel Castro announced there would be no more elections
in Cuba.
1968 - In the second day of battle, U.S. Marines, with the
support of naval fire, continue their attack on a North
Vietnamese Division at Dai Do.
1986 - The Tass News Agency reported the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant accident.
1992 - On the third day of the Los Angeles riots resulting from
the Rodney King beating trial. King appeared in public to appeal
for calm, he asked, "Can we all get along?"
2001 - Chandra Levy was last seen in Washington, DC. Her remains
were found in Rock Creek Park on May 22, 2002. California
Congressman Gary Condit was questioned in the case due to his
relationship with Levy.
2011 - U.S. President Barack Obama announced that U.S. soldiers
had killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
President Trump: In my first 100 days, I kept my promise to
Americans
By Donald J. Trump - One hundred days ago, I took the oath of
office and made a pledge: We are not merely going to transfer
political power from one party to another, but instead are going
to transfer that power from Washington, D.C., and give it back
to the people. In the past 100 days, I have kept that promise —
and more…. We have opened the White House doors to listen,
engage and act. We’ve invited in labor leaders, factory owners,
police officers, farmers, veterans and Democrats, Republicans
and independents. The change began with the termination of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership…. We have also launched an
investigation into foreign trading abuses and taken steps to
protect the production of American steel and aluminum. After
years of federal contracts going to foreign bidders, we are
ensuring that government agencies enforce “Buy American” rules
and give preference to American companies — and that American
companies hire American workers. Crucially, to bring back our
jobs, we are going to pursue a complete renegotiation of the
North American Free Trade Agreement…. At the center of our
economic agenda, we’ve undertaken the most far-reaching effort
in history to remove job-killing regulations. I’ve ordered that
for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be
eliminated. We’ve signed a record 13 Congressional Review Act
resolutions to scrap job-crushing regulations, and I’ve signed
29 pieces of legislation in total — a mark not surpassed in the
first 100 days since Harry S. Truman. Those newly enacted laws
include Veterans’ Choice legislation — which became law while at
the same time we’ve increased by 42 percent the number of
veterans approved to see the doctor of their choosing. And we’ve
provided transparency by publishing all wait times at the
Veterans Affairs health system online, backed up by a new
Veterans Affairs Office of Accountability…. [Read more]
Trump Touts Achievements, Blames Dems For Disappointments,
Blasts Media In 100-Day Rally
Zero Hedge - Donald Trump celebrated his 100th day in office on
Saturday by holding a "freewheeling campaign-style rally",
touting the accomplishments of his first three plus months in
office, ignoring the disappointments, and once again slamming
the media. Trump held the rally with supporters as a contrast to
the annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA)
dinner, an annual star-studded gala in Washington that
presidents typically attend…. While Trump told the Pennsylvania
crowd he was just getting started on meeting his campaign
promises, he repeatedly attacked an "incompetent, dishonest"
media, saying they were not telling the truth about his
administration's accomplishments…. Focusing on his tenure in the
White House, Trump listed what he said were some of his key
early accomplishments, including the successful confirmation to
the U.S. Supreme Court of Justice Neil Gorsuch and clearing away
many regulations on the environment and business according to
Reuters. He also listed his approval of the Keystone XL and
Dakota Access pipelines, killing a pending Asian trade pact, and
enhanced security measures that have led to a sharp decline in
illegal border crossings at the southern border…. At the same
time, he shrugged off his more prominent failures on his core
campaign promises, such as repeal and replacement of the
Affordable Care Act and construction of a Mexican border wall.
Trump's ban on visitors from some Muslim nations was blocked in
court. He blamed Democrats for the legislative failures so far
and said all of his promises would be kept eventually. "We'll
build the wall, people, don't even worry about it," he said.
Donald Trump in Harrisburg marks his 100th day in office, takes
dig at 'boring' WHCD
Washington Times - The president arrived in the Keystone State
Saturday afternoon and made an unexpected trip to a local
wheelbarrow factory with Vice President Mike Pence. Mr. Trump
said he was glad not to be at the dinner and instead be with his
supporters…. When Mr. Trump asked the audience to rate the
media’s 100-day performance, the crowd erupted with boos. “If
the media’s job is to be honest and tell the truth, then I think
we would all agree that the media deserves a very very big fat
failing grade,” he said…. In addition to his media criticisms,
Mr. Trump took the opportunity to tout the accomplishments of
his first 100 days, including the addition of Justice Neil
Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, decreasing illegal border
crossings, rebuilding the military and creating an economic plan
“even bigger than that of Ronald Reagan.” The president also
doubled-down on his campaign promise of building the border
wall, slamming Democrats and Senate Minority Leader Charles E.
Schumer for their lack of support…. On Obamacare, the president
said it would be repealed and replaced as promised, making that
known to Reps. Mike Kelly and Tom Marino, who were both
present.“I’ll be so angry at Congressmen Kelly and Congressman
Marino, and all the congressmen in this room, if we don’t pass
this damn thing quickly,” Mr. Trump said, before laughing and
pointing them out. The president also said he’d make a decision
on whether to pull the United States out of the Paris climate
agreement sometime in the next two weeks. Mr. Trump also
addressed China, saying his position had not flipped, but that
the media was falsely accusing him of doing so. He has been
criticized for appearing to take a softer stance on China, which
he pushed back on saying their help with containing North
Korea’s nuclear program is taking a priority over economic
issues.
Video: ”The CIA Has Been Deeply Humiliated" - Ron Paul
Interviews Julian Assange
Zero Hedge - Having blasted the Trump administration for their
hypocritical flip-flop from "loving WikiLeaks" to "arrest
Assange," Ron Paul made his feelings very clear on what this
signals: "If we allow this president to declare war on those who
tell the truth, we have only ourselves to blame." Today he sits
down with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for a live
interview... "The CIA has been deeply humiliated as a result of
our ongoing publications so this is a preemptive move by the CIA
to try and discredit our publications and create a new category
for Wikileaks and other national security reporters to strip
them of First Amendment protections," Assange said in a preview
clip from the interview below...:
NYT's 'Impossible to Verify' North Korea Nuke Claim Spreads
Unchecked by Media
FAIR - Buoyed by a total of 18 speculative verb forms—five “mays,”
eight “woulds” and five “coulds”- New York Times reporters David
E. Sanger and William J. Broad… painted a dire picture of a
Trump administration forced to react to the growing and
impending doom of North Korea nuclear weapons…. From the
beginning, the Times frames any potential bombing by Trump as
the product of a “stark calculus” coldly and objectively arrived
at by a “growing body of expert[s].” The idea that elements
within the US intelligence community may actually desire a
war—or at least limited airstrikes—and thus may have an interest
in presenting conflict as inevitable, is never addressed, much
less accounted for. The most spectacular claim—that North Korea
is, at present, “capable of producing a nuclear bomb every six
or seven weeks” - is backed up entirely by an anonymous blob of
“expert studies and classified intelligence reports.”…. Once
again, the essential antecedents of war are being established
based on anonymous “experts” and “officials,” and hardly anyone
notices, much less pushes back.
Donald Trump insists South Korea should pay for missile system
Washington Times - President Trump pushed back Friday against
South Korea’s objections to paying for a U.S.-deployed missile
defense system, insisting that it’s “appropriate” for Seoul to
shoulder the $1 billion cost. “Why should we pay for it?” Mr.
Trump said in an exclusive interview with The Washington Times.
“It’s a phenomenal protective system, best in the world by far,
and that’s meant to protect South Korea. So I respectfully say
that I think it would be appropriate if they paid for it.” The
U.S. military is deploying the missile shield as a defense
against North Korea. The South Korean defense ministry said it
has no plans to pay for the system, and South Korea’s leading
presidential candidate Friday called Mr. Trump’s demand an
“impossible option.”
The F-35 Just Got $1.7 Billion More Expensive
The National Interest Blog - The GAO [Government Accountability
Office]echoed much of the information released by the Pentagon’s
top weapon testing office earlier this year, but painted an even
bleaker picture of the future of the most expensive weapon
program in history. The F-35 Joint Program Office recently
admitted it would cost $532 million beyond current budget levels
to complete the development process. The Pentagon’s Cost
Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office estimated it
would cost about twice that amount—$1.125 billion. The GAO now
says the task will take $1.7 billion…. The challenge now is the
flight tests of the final, and most complicated, version of the
F-35’s mission software…. The contractor released what is
supposed to be the final version of the software in November
2016.... The program office claims it will be able to complete
these flight tests by October 2017. The history of the program’s
testing calls this claim into question, though: the most recent
publicly available testing report showed the program was only
able to accomplish 82 percent of the planned mission system test
points in 2016, 975 of 1,189 planned, or about 83 per month.
According to the GAO, the program would have to complete an
average of 384 mission system test points a month to meet the
October 2017 completion date, quintuple the current,
demonstrated rate.
Will Trump Release the Missing JFK Files?
Politico - The answer must come within months. And, according to
a new timeline offered by the National Archives, it could come
within weeks. Under the deadline set by a 1992 law, Trump has
six months left to decide whether he will block the release of
an estimated 3,600 files related to the assassination that are
still under seal at the Archives. From what is known of the JFK
documents, most come from the CIA and FBI, and a number may help
resolve lingering questions about whether those agencies missed
evidence of a conspiracy in Kennedy’s death…. Under the 1992 JFK
Assassination Records Collection Act, the library of documents
about Kennedy’s death must be made public in full by the
deadline of this October 26, the law’s 25th anniversary, unless
Trump decides otherwise. It is his decision alone. The prospect
of the release of the last of the government’s long-secret JFK
assassination files has long tantalized historians and other
scholars, to say nothing of the nation’s armies of conspiracy
theorists, since no one can claim to know exactly what is in
there…. Martha W. Murphy, the Archives official who oversees the
records, said in an interview last month that a team of
researchers with high-level security clearances is at work to
prepare the JFK files for release and hopes to begin unsealing
them in batches much earlier than October – possibly as early as
summer.
AG Sessions to MS-13 gang: 'We are coming after you'
Fox News - Years of open borders and lax immigration laws have
allowed one of the country’s most brutal gangs to thrive
nationally, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Friday.
Sessions gave a speech in Long Island close to where police
found four bodies bearing the gang’s hallmarks: repeated hacking
– apparently from a machete – that left the victims
unrecognizable. “I have a message for the gangs that target our
young people,” Sessions said. “We are targeting you. We are
coming after you.”…. The attorney general's appearance on Friday
comes amid a spate of violence in two communities near the
federal courthouse where he spoke in Central Islip. The bodies
of 11 people have been found in parks and vacant lots since last
September. Police believe the killings are the work of MS-13.
The gang, which was formed in the 1980s in Los Angeles by
Salvadoran immigrants, has expanded to 42 states and is feared
for its brutality. Teens say any perceived slight to a gang
member can mean death…. But not everyone was welcoming the move.
Dozens of protesters showed up at his speech accusing him of
using gang violence to enforce what they called draconian
immigration laws. But some parents said stepped up enforcement
is needed to bring a sense of tranquility. Things have gotten so
bad, some parents said, they are afraid of letting their
children go to school.
Portland Rose Parade Cancelled Amid THREATS OF VIOLENCE From
Anti-Fascists
Mac Slavo - The latest example of a society on the brink of
civil war comes to us from Portland, Oregon, where every year
the 82nd Avenue of Roses Business Association kicks off the
city’s annual Rose Festival with a family-friendly parade.
Except this year, there will be no parade. Organizers have
cancelled the event amid threats of violence from groups
referring to themselves as “Anti-Fascist.” According to The
Washington Post, the reasoning behind the threats is reportedly
outrage over the fact that the county’s Republican Party was
given one of the nearly 100 spots in the parade…. “You have seen
how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop
us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision
wisely,” the anonymous email said, referring to the violent
riots that hit Portland after the 2016 presidential election,
reported the Oregonian. “This is nonnegotiable.” The email said
that 200 people would “rush into the parade” and “drag and push”
those marching with the Republican Party. “We will not give one
inch to groups who espouse hatred toward LGBT, immigrants,
people of color or others,” it said…. While these folks may
think silencing the free speech of political ideologies contrary
to theirs through violence is a means to a worthy end, it was
the Bolshevik ideology, similar to what we’re seeing from
“comrades” in the anti-fascist movement, that eventually gave
way to one of the world’s most brutal dictators and was
responsible for the deaths of, quite literally, over 100 million
people in the 20th century. On another and perhaps equally
interesting note, we’ll mention the fact that for years the
Department of Homeland Security and domestic law enforcement
agencies had warned Americans that it was lone wolves with
conservative values who stockpiled guns, food, bibles and
peacefully protested government overreach who were, by officials
and congressional members, deemed terrorists.
US Deploys Troops Along Syrian-Turkish Border After Erdogan
Bombs Anti-ISIS Ally
Western Journalism - The Turkish provocation started Tuesday
when Erdogan’s warplanes launched a massive assault on Kurdish
Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq and on positions of the
Kurdish dominated Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria….
The Russian army and the central command of the U.S.-led
coalition in the Middle East received an advance warning less
than one hour before the strikes began, but American pleas to
call off the assault were ignored by the Turks…. The Turkish
dictator’s aggressive behavior apparently caused Trump to
rethink his policy of cooperation with Erdogan, as was apparent
Friday when U.S. Special Forces began to deploy along the Syrian
northern border…. The Pentagon did not deny the deployment of
the U.S. forces but refused to elaborate on the new military
action in Syria by the Trump administration. The measure came a
day after Trump decided to delegate the “authority for Force
Management Levels for Iraq and Syria to Defense Secretary James
Mattis,” according to Pentagon spokesman Cpt. Jeff Davis…. The
U.S. forces now try to avoid further Turkish cross border
attacks on the Syrian Kurds, but Erdogan seems not be deterred.
On Saturday, he again provoked the United States by allowing his
air force to carry out new strikes on the Kurds in Syria and
Iraq.
U.S. Signals Possible Airstrikes in Somalia by Asking Aid Groups
for Their Locations
The Intercept - The document, dated April 24, provides
instructions for how groups should share coordinates of offices,
hospitals, refugee camps, and other facilities. “Please be aware
that all information submitted … will be used to inform U.S.
military planners about the location of humanitarian and
development personnel,” it says. It also includes a bold-type
warning that providing the information does not “guarantee the
safety of personnel, vehicles, facilities, or sites. Entities
operating in this environment continue to do so at their own
risk.” Such deconfliction efforts are not uncommon in the
context of intense or prolonged U.S. military operations, such
as Afghanistan. This week’s letter is similar in wording to one
received by NGOs in 2014, at the outset of the anti-ISIS
campaign in Iraq and Syria. In Yemen, the United States briefly
shepherded NGO coordinates from nonprofits to the Saudi-led
coalition at the start of its military campaign there in early
2015…. But for Somalia, such an encompassing request is novel.
Taken with Trump’s declaration of active hostilities, the note
suggests that it’s a question not of if, but when, more
airstrikes will take place.
ISIS Apologized To Israel For Attacking IDF Soldiers
Zero Hedge - Discussing the wider Israeli policy of “neutrality”
in Syria, former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon accidentally
admitted that Israel has an open communications channel with an
Islamic State cell which operates in Golan Heights. “There was
one case recently where Daesh opened fire and apologized,”
Ya’alon said on Saturday, quoted by the Times of Israel. Asked
to expand on his controversial statement, Ya’alon’s office
refused to elaborate. The IDF also declined to comment. Under
Israeli law, any communication with terrorists is considered
illegal, unless of course the Israel state covertly does not
consider ISIS terrorists…. While the official Israeli position
is pursuing neutrality in the Syrian conflict, Tel Aviv has on
several occasions engaged Syrian military targets in Syria -
most recently on Wednesday - usually under the pretext of
preventing the alleged transfer of weapons to Hezbollah,
considered a terrorist group by Israel…. While Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the repeated incursions,
explaining that IDF planes targeted a Hezbollah weapons convoy,
Damascus has said that the Israeli strikes only benefit the
Islamic State and other terrorist groups. Earlier this month the
Syrian President Bashar Assad once again blamed Israel of
helping militants terrorizing his country. "You can assume that
these terrorists are fighting for Israel. If they aren't part of
the regular Israeli army, they're fighting for Israel. Israel
has common goals with Turkey, the United States, France,
Britain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries,” Ynet quoted
Assad as saying.
Erdogan Blocks Wikipedia, Bans TV Dating Shows, Purges Another
4,000 Public Officials
Zero Hedge - … [Turkey’s President] Erdogan decided to take his
newly decreed powers for a spin and overnight in rapid
succession surprised foreign observers when Turkey decreed that
it would ban TV dating shows, fire an additional 4,000 public
officials and also ban Wikipedia. The country's Official Gazette
published the decrees on Saturday evening. The first named
thousands of civil servants to be dismissed, including nearly
500 academics and more than 1,000 Turkish military personnel….
The second decree, among other things, bans radio and television
programs for "finding friends and spouses" according to AP….
Some see in this decree the first traces of Turkey sliding back
away from the secular state, established less than a century ago
by the creator of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and
toward conservative Islam under Erdogan. However, AKP [Justice
and Development Party] supporters have responded that dating
shows receive thousands of complaints every year and the ban is
in the public interest. Separately, Turkey also said it had
blocked all access to Wikipedia; the country's Information and
Communication Technologies Authority implemented the ban against
the online encyclopedia because Wikipedia "had failed to remove
content promoting terror and accusing Turkey of cooperation with
various terror groups" according to AFP. "
Leaked Memo: Airport Border Guards Ordered to Turn Blind Eye to
Illegal Immigrants
Breitbart - Border guards at Heathrow Airport have been
privately told not to ‘waste time’ interrogating potential
illegal immigrants, and instead focus on jihadis with European
travel papers. Terrorists must be the Border Force’s “number
one” priority, according to a leaked memo seen by the Mail on
Sunday, because extremists entering Britain with European Union
(EU) documents don’t require visas. The memo comes as thousands
of EU citizens who fought with ISIS are fleeing Iraq and Syria,
attempting to return to Europe as the Islamist terror group
loses ground…. Deputy director of Heathrow Airport’s Border
Security Command, Nick Jariwalla, spelled out the threat in a
recent message to Border Force guards entitled “Protecting the
Public”. In it, he insisted staff change the way they work so as
to “really focus” on the threat of terrorists arriving from
Europe, writing: “We are not sufficiently focused on the threat
from passengers seeking to enter on EU documents. “This is the
number one thing that colleagues from the security services talk
to me about.” Interrogating potential illegal immigrants is “a
poor use of our time”, Jariwalla told staff in the memo, stating
that visa holders already have permission to enter Britain.
Latest GDP Report: The Good News and the Bad News
The New American - Friday’s report from the Bureau of Economic
Analysis (BEA) was so filled with disclaimers that one will have
to wait another month to get a true picture of how the economy
is performing under President Trump. In the meantime, said the
BEA, real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP)
increased at an annual rate of 0.7 percent in the first quarter
of 2017. However, last-minute retail sales data (which showed
slowing) wasn’t incorporated into Friday’s report, causing the
BEA to say that its estimate “is based on source data that are
incomplete or subject to further revision.” The “second”
estimate on the first quarter’s economic performance will be
released on May 26. Economists polled expected a 1.0 percent
gain. The report from May is likely to be closer to 0.5 percent.
That would make it 11 straight years when the economy has failed
to produce 3.0 percent growth in its economic output. That’s the
bad news. The good news is that the bad news will likely be
revised higher in May…. The consumer is in pretty good shape,
and getting better. Strong stock market gains, an improving
labor market, gradually rising real wages, and Trump optimism
all will likely show up in improved economic activity in the
second and third quarters…. There’s more good news. The last
time there was an extended period of 3.0 percent growth was the
seven years under President Ronald Reagan (1983 through 1989),
who implemented “Reaganomics” that looked very much like Donald
Trump’s “Trumponomics”: tax cuts, cuts in government red tape,
and increased employment, resulting a rising stock market.
IRS Tax Fraud Prevention Program Costs Taxpayers $18.2 Million,
But Doesn't Work
Washington Free Beacon - In 1994, in an attempt to catch
fraudulent tax returns, the IRS created the Electronic Fraud
Detection System. In 2009, the IRS began to modernize this
system by working on the Return Review Program to replace it."
Despite the recognized need to get the [Return Review Program]
in place in a timely manner, the program is still in
development, and is now estimated to be completed in 2022," the
watchdog group [Citizens Against Government Waste] explains.
"The program is also ineffective." In 2015, the inspector
general found that the program missed 54,175 fraudulent returns
that totaled $313 million. Additionally, the Government
Accountability Office found that the program incurred cost
overruns and surpassed its initial budget by $86.5 million…. "On
far too many occasions, the federal government tries to build IT
systems, particularly software, that is available in the private
sector at a lower cost," the group [CAGW] says…. According to
the inspector general, the program could cost taxpayers $18.2
million per year if it does not set a termination date for the
program due to additional operation and maintenance costs.
"It's Just Crazy" (Again): 2-Bedroom LA House Sells 40% Above
Asking
Zero Hedge - … in US home price trends: a new bubble appears to
be emerging in all the "usual suspect" places…. like Las Vegas
and San Francisco…. Meanwhile, markets like Denver and Dallas
that didn't participate as much in the 2007 mania are now
surging to all-time highs, with Dallas prices up 55% over the
past 5 years."…. The Wall Street Journal added that some of the
home buying behaviors of consumers, like paying prices well
above appraisal values and waiving home inspections, are
starting to be eerily reminiscent of 2006: In some markets,
bidding wars are breaking out. Agents said some buyers are
kicking in extra cash when properties don’t appraise for the
asking price, and some are waiving their right to home
inspections. “It can’t be sustained,” said David Berson, chief
economist at Nationwide Insurance and a former chief economist
at mortgage giant Fannie Mae, referring to the frenzied buying.
“It can’t go on forever.” Other signs of over-exuberance have
emerged, including surging levels of licensed Realtors all
chasing a quick buck…. So what do you get for just under a
million in LA these days? Not much: two bedrooms, less than two
bathrooms, a 2 car garage, a decorative fireplace, a rec room,
and a 7,195 sq. foot lot.
Damaging storms strike southern US after tornadoes kill at least 5
Accuweather - Severe weather, including tornadoes, is threatening lives
and property across the Deep South after deadly tornadoes killed at
least five people in northeastern Texas on Saturday. Three confirmed
tornadoes touched down in northeastern Texas during the late afternoon
and evening of Saturday. The five deaths occurred in Van Zandt County.
One person was killed along Interstate 20 in Canton, according to local
NBC affiliate. More than 50 people sustained injuries as homes were
destroyed or damaged. More lives and property will be threatened as the
severe weather focuses on communities from Alabama to the Tennessee and
Ohio valleys. The severe weather and soaking rain to the north will also
put residents and motorists at risk for new or worsening incidents of
major flooding. Drier weather will return to these areas to start May,
but rivers will continue to rise through this week.
Brewery Develops Edible 6-Pack Rings to Save Marine Life, Reduce Plastic
Waste
Natural Blaze - A Florida microbrewery has adopted a novel way to not
only reduce plastic waste but also give a little something back to the
environment. Saltwater Brewery, located on the Atlantic coast, uses
barley and wheat leftover from the brewing process to produce
biodegradable six-pack rings that serve as food for wildlife. Plastic
six-pack rings and other forms of plastic waste kill millions of
seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles every year. At the current
rate, scientists predict that by 2050 there could be more plastic than
fish in the oceans. Problems like this one, demand creative solutions,
and Saltwater Brewery has delivered. Instead of posing a massive threat
to marine life, the compostable beer packaging either biodegrades or
becomes a safe snack for fish and other sea creatures.
NSA Backs Down on Major Surveillance Program That Captured Americans'
Communications Without a Warrant
The Intercept - Under pressure from the secret court that oversees its
practices, the NSA said its “upstream” program would no longer grab
communications directly from the U.S. internet backbone “about” specific
foreign targets — only communication to and from those targets. This is
a major change, essentially abandoning a bulk surveillance program that
captured vast amounts of communications of innocent Americans – and
turning instead to a still extensive but more targeted approach…. Until
now, upstream was examining every Internet communication that traveled
on the huge telecommunication cables going in and out of the U.S.,
searching through every word, grabbing sometimes very big chunks of data
that included even a single mention of a specific target, and then
putting everything into a database for NSA analysts to look through.
Communications between people, including Americans, was being captured
and examined not because they were suspected of anything, but because of
what they were saying. And the program wasn’t even efficient at limiting
it to that. The NSA statement on Friday said the move came “after a
comprehensive review of mission needs, current technological
constraints, United States person privacy interests, and certain
difficulties in implementation.” But reading between the lines, it
wasn’t voluntary.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
GMO Citrus Coming to a Store Near You?
Natural Blaze - The Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS)
is getting ready to do an environmental impact statement on a
genetically modified citrus tree. If past experience is any guide, the
government will most likely approve this latest GMO experiment. Here’s
the rub: the trees are treated with a genetically modified virus that
makes them resistant to citrus greening disease, which has caused major
problems for citrus growers in Florida. But according to the
government’s definition, neither the trees nor the fruit will be
considered genetically modified (an assertion that is patently absurd),
so once again consumers will be in the dark about what kind of food
they’ll be eating.
This Is Why You Should Never Kill House Centipedes
David Wolfe - As creepy as they are with their long bodies and too many
legs to count, there’s a pretty good reason why you should let them
live. When you find one crawling around your bathroom, just remember
that they might be the only thing standing between you and a bathroom
full of other creepy creatures. The house centipede is a little shorter
than his family friends, and he has about 30 legs. He isn’t exactly
attractive to look at, but he’s one of nature’s best defenses against
other unwanted house guests. The house centipede has an interesting
diet. It’s full of spiders, ants, bedbugs, cockroaches and silverfish.
Silverfish tend to share the same environment with centipedes. They both
enjoy cool, humid areas, which often makes your bathroom the perfect
home. If you spot a centipede crawling around your home but you haven’t
noticed any other bugs, particularly silverfish, you probably have your
own personal creepy-crawly exterminator to thank. Now, this doesn’t mean
you should let your home become a free-for-all for house centipedes. But
instead of killing them, consider scooping them into a jar and putting
them outside in an area around your home with lots of damp leaves and
rocks. He can continue his lunch in peace and help stop a few creatures
from finding their way into your home.
SSRI Antidepressants Increase Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage
Natural Blaze - Psychiatric News reports (4/7/17): “A study
published in February in JAMA Neurology has found that patients
taking antidepressants that are strong inhibitors of serotonin
reuptake (SSRIs) may be at an increased risk for intracranial
hemorrhage, particularly during the first month of use…” “The
results showed that compared with patients taking [the older]
tricyclic antidepressants, patients being treated with SSRIs had
a 17 percent increased risk of experiencing an intracranial
hemorrhage. The risk was highest during the first 30 days the
patients were taking the medications.” SSRIs include: Celexa;
Prozac; Paxil; Zoloft; Lexapro; Luvox…. Suddenly withdrawing
from these drugs can be very dangerous. Psychiatrist Peter
Breggin publishes this warning: “Most psychiatric drugs can
cause withdrawal reactions, sometimes including life-threatening
emotional and physical withdrawal problems. In short, it is not
only dangerous to start taking psychiatric drugs, it can also be
dangerous to stop them. Withdrawal from psychiatric drugs should
be done carefully under experienced clinical supervision.
Magnesium deficiency increases your risk of dying from any cause
(NaturalHealth365) Recent research has shown that higher
magnesium is not only linked with decreased risk of death from
all causes, but also with lower odds of a stroke, type 2
diabetes, and heart failure. In a meta-analysis published in
2016 in BMC Medicine, researchers evaluated the results of
studies published in 40 different medical journals, with
particular attention to the relationship between dosage and
effects. The various studies – some of which were conducted for
up to 30 years — involved over a million participants. And what
they showed were the dramatic effects of higher dietary
magnesium intake on health. Participants with the highest intake
of magnesium enjoyed the most protection against disease and
premature death – with higher amounts of magnesium boosting
protection proportionately. For example, an increase of 100 mgs
of magnesium per day was associated with a 22 percent reduction
in heart failure risk, a 7 percent decrease in stroke risk, and
a 19 percent decrease in risk of developing type 2 diabetes –
not to mention a 10 percent lower risk of dying from any cause.
In another recent systematic review, which analyzed 25 studies
and 637,922 subjects, researchers studied the effects of dietary
magnesium on participants who reported daily intakes ranging
from 115 to 478 mgs a day. Again, they found a strong
association between increasing magnesium levels and a lowered
risk of type 2 diabetes.
PAST NEWS
|