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AUGUST 2016

Wednesday - August 31, 2016 - Today In History:

1852 - The first pre-stamped envelopes were created with legislation of the U.S. Congress.
1920 - The first news program to be broadcast on radio was aired. The station was 8MK in Detroit, MI.
1920 - John Lloyd Wright was issued a patent for "Toy-Cabin Construction," which are known as Lincoln Logs. (U.S. patent 1,351,086)
1935 - The act of exporting U.S. arms to belligerents was prohibited by an act signed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1940 - Lawrence Olivier and Vivian Leigh were married.
1964 - California officially became the most populated state in America.
1965 - The Department of Housing and Urban Development was created by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.
1990 - U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar met with Iraqi Foreign Minister Aziz to try and negotiate a solution to the crisis in the Persian Gulf.
1990 - East and West Germany signed a treaty that meant the harmonizing of political and legal systems.
1991 - In a "Solidarity Day" protest hundreds of thousands of union members marched in Washington, DC.
1994 - A cease-fire was declared by the Irish Republican Army after 25 years of bloodshed in Northern Ireland.
1994 - Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltics after a half-century.
1997 - Britain's Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris at age 36.
1998 - A ballistic missile was fired over Japan by North Korea. The missile landed in stages in the waters around Japan. There was no known target.
2005 - Some 1,000 people were killed when a religious procession across a Baghdad bridge was engulfed in panic over rumors of a suicide bomber.
2006 - Iran defied a U.N. deadline to stop enriching uranium.
2010 - President Barack Obama ended the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, declaring no victory after seven years of bloodshed.

World News

ISIS says top-tier leader Abu Mohammed al-Adnani killed in Aleppo
RT - Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, Islamic State spokesman and its leader in Syria, has been killed in Aleppo province, according to ISIS’ own news agency Amaq. Pentagon told Reuters that it had carried out an air strike against a "senior IS official" but did not confirm that it was behind al-Adnani's death. One of the longest-serving Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS / ISIL) figureheads, al-Adnani was reportedly killed “while surveying the operations to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo.” The Syrian province in the midst of a multiple-way battle between the Syrian government, assorted militants and Islamic State. Despite a lengthy tribute, dated August 29, Amaq made no mention of who was responsible for killing al-Adnani, or whether he was killed from the air or from the ground. The US confirmed that it targeted the town of al-Bab, outside the city of Aleppo, in a recent air strike, and a rebel source told Reuters that this was also the last known whereabouts of al-Adnani. Washington said it was still reviewing the results of its operation, and was not prepared to issue a public statement…. Al-Adnani, a Syrian citizen in his late 30s, had a $5 million US Department of State bounty on his head – the second biggest for any IS official after the movement’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Israel’s ‘only real existential threat’ is potential civil war – fmr Mossad chief
RT - Potential civil war is the number one threat to Israel’s national security, a former Mossad chief said in his first public appearance since leaving office. Tamir Pardo named divisions within society and the triumph of hatred as the main driving forces of internal conflict. “There is no outside existential threat to Israel, the only real existential threat is internal division,” Pardo said at an annual event to honor fallen Druse soldiers in the north. “Internal division…can lead us to civil war.” Claiming that Israel is already on the path towards civil war, the former chief of the national Israeli intelligence agency warned that soon Israelis could cross a “certain line in its division and hatred” that could spill over into “a phenomenon like a civil war.” The State of Israel had a population of over 8,500,000 inhabitants as of May 2016. Some 74.8 percent of them are Jews, 20.8 percent Arab, while the remaining 4.4 percent are defined as "other". While Jews and Arabs are technically afforded equal rights under the Israeli law, in many ways, the two sectors live in separate societies – attending different schools, living in different cities, reading different newspapers and pursuing different political goals. To aid the state of society Pardo called for a diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying without it “we will never be able to achieve normalization with our Arab neighbors.” “The prime minister has said there will be two states between the [Mediterranean] Sea and the [River] Jordan and he’s right,” Pardo said. "In my opinion, we won't be able to reach any agreement with any country beyond what we have now if we don't solve the Palestinian issue."

Muslim Man Stabs Female Cop Because She “Represented France,” Police Blame “Psychiatric Disorder”
Paul Joseph Watson - The stabbing occurred earlier today in the Rempart Saint-Etienne area when a 31-year-old man Algerian man entered a police station under the pretext of making a complaint. After failing in his attempt to grab the officer’s gun, the assailant repeatedly stabbed her in the throat. “The woman is in a serious condition and the area around the police station is in lockdown,” reports the Express. According to reports, the man attacked the officer because she “represented France,” although despite this obviously political motive, authorities almost immediately concluded that the attack was driven by the attacker’s “psychiatric disorder”. Meanwhile, in another incident in France today, a man was arrested after he began shooting a gun out of a window while shouting “Allahu Akbar”. As we have documented, virtually every recent Islamist attack in Europe has been dismissed by authorities as either drug-fueled or caused by mental illness, despite in almost every case the attacker chanting “Allahu Akbar” or making political statements.

No questions asked’: Frenchman returning from Syria exposes ‘porous’ border control
RT - Despite a string terrorist attacks across France and increased numbers of ISIS fighters returning home from the battlefields, it could take potential terrorists mere minutes to cross the French border using E-passport gates at the airports, a French journalist told RT. Damien Rieu captured his brief experience crossing the French border at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport earlier this month. Filming the ease of entering the Schengen Zone, a gatehouse to 26 European countries that have abolished passport and any other type of border controls, Rieu said that his experience took less than three minutes. Posting the video, Rieu said that he was “amazed” how quickly he was allowed to enter France using his biometric passport, considering that he has just returned from Syria, a breeding ground for jihadists, whose fervent followers have continued to carry out atrocities in France for over a year.

More than 300,000 refugees in Germany work illegally, pay kickbacks to asylum center staff - reports
RT - Up to 30 percent of the 1.1 million asylum seekers who arrived in Germany in 2015 may be working illegally, German broadcaster NDR said, citing experts. It added that refugee shelter employees often help migrants find illegal jobs in return for kickbacks…. According to NDR’s own estimates, at least 100,000 refugees living in Germany are working illicitly while experts at the universities of Tuebingen and Linz say their share could reach 30 percent of the 1.1 million asylum seekers who came to Germany in 2015. At the same time, activists and social workers in Lower Saxony and Berlin put this number at 50 percent of all refugees in Germany.

Norway Raids Sovereign Wealth Fund To Cover Government Expenses
Zero Hedge - Saudi Arabia isn't the only oil-dependent nation struggling to make ends meet in the wake of weak oil prices. For the first time since its establishment in 1996, the Norwegian government is starting to withdraw money from its sovereign wealth fund to cover government expenses. In fact, in the first half of 2016 the government has withdrawn $5.4 billion. Moreover, withdrawals are expected to accelerate in 2H 2016 reaching nearly $20 billion, a run-rate that would have them exceeding the fiscal limits imposed on fund withdrawals of 4% of assets, or $36 billion. To put those withdrawals into perspective, Norway's economy is roughly $375 billion and federal spending accounts for roughly 60% or $225BN. Therefore, a $20BN withdrawal in 2H 2016 represents roughly 18% of total government spending.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

U.S. Gov’t. Says It’s No Longer Against Al Qaeda
Strategic Culture - «We’re not focused on the former al-Nusra Front [al-Qaeda in Syria]. We’re focused on Daesh [ISIS]. And that’s what we’re fighting and that’s where therefore we look and where we target». US Defense Department press briefing, 16 August 2016. Basic to America’s war against terrorism was Al Qaeda as being the specific target, but, on August 16th, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson said that Al Qaeda is no longer an enemy of the United States at all, and that only ISIS is America’s enemy in the war against terrorism. However, Congress never authorized anything but Al Qaeda to be the enemy in the war against terrorism. Consequently, President Obama is now violating the law by his no longer targeting Al Qaeda at all, and he is also ignoring the law by his targeting ISIS (as he has long been doing) without requesting a new authorization from Congress to do so — an authorization that both Democrats and Republicans in Congress would be virtually certain to grant immediately. This new war-authorization would need to rectify a key failing of the original war-authorization, by naming “jihadism” specifically as America’s enemy, so that regardless of what a particular jihadist group is, it can legally be a target to eliminate. Under the existing resolution, only Al Qaeda can be targeted, because that was the group which was ultimately determined to have caused 9/11, and because the existing war-authorization is restricted to only the organization that perpetrated that specific jihadist act. This new war-authorization would thus need to replace, instead of modify, the existing authorization, so that U.S. military action can legally be taken against any jihadist group, and not only (as at present) against Al Qaeda.

The State Department finds 30 deleted Clinton emails on Benghazi
Washington Examiner - State Department attorneys said Tuesday the agency had discovered 30 Benghazi-related emails among the records recovered from Hillary Clinton's private server. A judge asked the agency to hasten its review of the documents in preparation for release to Judicial Watch, the conservative-leaning group that filed the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The emails were included among the roughly 15,000 emails FBI agents said they pulled from Clinton's server in the course of a year-long probe. Others were deleted beyond recovery after the Democratic nominee's team used a digital tool called BleachBit to scrub the hardware that was eventually confiscated by law enforcement agents. Agency lawyers said during the hearing Tuesday before Judge Amit Mehta of U.S. District Court that they had not yet determined how many of the Benghazi-related emails had already been disclosed in the batch of 55,000 pages of emails Clinton turned over in late 2014. Judicial Watch attorneys had asked the State Department to examine the deleted records in order to determine whether any fell under to its FOIA request for emails that mentioned Benghazi.

Hillary Has Until September 29 To Respond - Under Oath - To These 25 Questions
Zero Hedge - Judicial Watch announced on its website today that it has submitted a list of 25 questions to Hillary Clinton regarding her email practices while serving as Secretary of State. Pursuant to a decision by U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, Hillary has 30 days to respond, under oath, to the questions. Per federal law, Judicial Watch was limited to a total of 25 questions. All 25 questions are included in their entirety below (we've highlighted some of the particularly amusing ones): 1. Describe the creation of the clintonemail.com system, including who decided to create the system, the date it was decided to create the system, why it was created, who set it up, and when it became operational. 2. Describe the creation of your clintonemail.com email account, including who decided to create it, when it was created, why it was created, and, if you did not set up the account yourself, who set it up for you. 3. When did you decide to use a clintonemail.com email account to conduct official State Department business and whom did you consult in making this decision? 4. Identify all communications in which you participated concerning or relating to your decision to use a clintonemail.com email account to conduct official State Department business and, for each communication, identify the time, date, place, manner (e.g., in person, in writing, by telephone, or by electronic or other means), persons present or participating, and content of the communication. 5. In a 60 Minutes interview aired on July 24, 2016, you stated that it was “recommended” you use a personal email account to conduct official State Department business. What recommendations were you given about using or not using a personal email account to conduct official State Department business, who made any such recommendations, and when were any such recommendations made?…

Obama Admits 10,000 Syrian Refugees: This Is Where They Are Headed
Zero Hedge - [Monday,] the White House announced that the US had met President Obama’s goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country; it did so ahead of schedule…. With many Americans curious where these refugees will land, a map we first posted last September shows a wide dispersion. More details can be found in a document from the Refugee Processing Center. According to NBC, the top destination for Syrian refugees arriving in the U.S. is the state of Michigan. More than a 10th of the 10,000 Syrians admitted this fiscal year at the urging of the Obama administration are headed there, according to State Department figures. Most of the 1,036 new arrivals are likely to settle in and around Detroit, which has long been a magnet for Arab immigrants. This despite the fact that Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder suspended efforts last November to bring more long-suffering Syrians to his state after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris…. Close on Michigan's heels is California, which has taken in 1,030 Syrians between Oct. 1 of last year and Aug. 29, the federal figures show. Arizona and Texas, two red states led by Republican governors who have flat-out said they don't want Syrian refugees because they supposedly pose a security risk, are next on the list having taken in 766 and 735 people, respectively, the figures show. Those states were followed by Pennsylvania (600), Illinois (569), Florida (542) and New York (538), the figures show.
* Related: DHS Tweets ‘Refugees Welcome’ After Obama Successfully Imports 10,000 Syrians Ahead of Schedule

Leaked Memo Reveals Soros Plan for Federally Controlled Police
Breitbart - The document identifies an opportunity in the police killings of African-American men in Ferguson, Staten Island, North Charleston, and Baltimore. It relates that the U.S. contingent of Open Society held a planning meeting titled, “Police Reform: How to Take Advantage of the Crisis of the Moment and Drive Long-Term Institutional Change in Police-Community Practice.” The extensive memo further documents that Soros-financed groups and personalities influenced President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which last May released a final report consisting of 60 recommendations providing guidance to localities on how to modify policing practices. The information was contained in a 59-page report on an Open Society Foundations’ U.S. Programs board meeting in New York from May 7-9 of last year. The document states that the Foundations’ U.S. Programs (USP) was seeking to use “this moment” – meaning the so-called crisis in policing following high profile shootings and charges of racism – to “create a national movement” for police reform.

Election News

Obama Admin Wants to Take Over Jurisdiction of US Elections – Form Central Election System
The Gateway Pundit - The Washington Examiner reported: DHS has a vital security role in 16 areas of critical infrastructure and they provide a model for what the department and Johnson could have in mind for the election. DHS describes it this way on their website: “There are 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.” A White House policy directive adds, “The federal government also has a responsibility to strengthen the security and resilience of its own critical infrastructure, for the continuity of national essential functions, and to organize itself to partner effectively with and add value to the security and resilience efforts of critical infrastructure owners and operators.” At the time, Johnson did not mention specific security issues, but the FBI has since cited one hack and another attempt. Johnson also said that the big issue at hand is that there isn’t a central election system since the states run elections. “There’s no one federal election system. There are some 9,000 jurisdictions involved in the election process,” Johnson said.

A Candidate's Death Could Delay or Eliminate the Presidential Election
US News - The presidential election could be delayed or scrapped altogether if conspiracy theories become predictive and a candidate dies or drops out before Nov. 8. The perhaps equally startling alternative, if there's enough time: Small groups of people hand-picking a replacement pursuant to obscure party rules. The scenarios have been seriously considered by few outside of the legal community and likely are too morbid for polite discussion in politically mixed company. But prominent law professors have pondered the effects and possible ways to address a late-date vacancy. "There's nothing in the Constitution which requires a popular election for the electors serving in the Electoral College," says John Nagle, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, meaning the body that officially elects presidents could convene without the general public voting. "It's up to each state legislature to decide how they want to choose the state's electors," Nagle says. "It may be a situation in which the fact that we have an Electoral College, rather than direct voting for presidential candidates, may prove to be helpful.”’ [Read more]

Establishment Already Preparing to Blame “October Surprise” on Vladimir Putin
Paul Joseph Watson - The Washington Post reports that the much anticipated “October surprise” could take the form of new revelations about Hillary Clinton’s ill health. However, the pro-Hillary publication asserts that any such information will almost certainly be doctored and leaked by the Russian government. The Post’s Dana Milbank asks, “Are Vladimir Putin’s operatives planning to dump edited DNC documents on the eve of the presidential election?” before going on to suggest that this contrived October surprise could “show that (Hillary) really did lose most of her brain function in that fall several years ago.” “Perhaps they’ll show that the Clinton Foundation has been funding the Islamic State, or they’ll have Hillary Clinton admitting that she didn’t care about those Americans who died in Benghazi after all,” he adds, claiming that any such damaging leaks will be the outcome of Russian “dezinformatsiya” campaigns. The October surprise is almost certainly going to come from Wikileaks’ Julian Assange, who has repeatedly challenged those who accuse him of using Russian sources to provide proof. By trying to entrench the narrative that any and all negative leaks about Hillary are based on fake documents released by a hostile foreign government, the establishment is trying to discredit the October surprise weeks before it even emerges.

1999: Jesse Jackson Praises Trump’s Commitment To Minorities, ‘Under-Served Communities’ (Video)
Daily Caller - In both 1998 and 1999, Trump was an honored guest at the annual Wall Street Conference hosted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson’ DC-based “multi-racial, multi-issue, progressive, international membership organization fighting for social change.” In 1998, Jackson introduced Trump ahead of his speech at the conference. “We need your building skills, your gusto,” Jackson told the real estate mogul before stating Trump is a model for “people on Wall Street to represent diversity.” You can watch Trump’s 1998 speech over at C-SPAN’s website. Jackson introduced his Trump — whom he called a “friend” — at the same conference in 1999, where this time he was invited to speak on the “challenges and opportunities to embrace under-served communities.” “He is deceptive in that his social style is of such, one can miss his seriousness and commitment to success, which is beyond argument,” Jackson said Trump. “When we opened this Wall Street project,” he continued. “He gave us space at 40 Wall Street, which was to make a statement about our having a presence there.”… “Beyond that, in terms of reaching out and being inclusive, he’s done that too,” Jackson added. “He has this sense of the curious and a will to make things better.” “Aside from all of his style, and his pizazz, he’s a serious person who is an effective builder of people.”

Economy & Business

Gold Withdrawals From The NY Fed Accelerate, Hit 388 Tons Since 2014
Zero Hedge - First it was Germany who redeemed 120 tons of physical gold from the NY Fed in 2014; then it was the Netherlands who "secretly" redomiciled 122 tons of gold; then last May, we learned that Austria would be the third "core" European nation to repatriate most of its offshore gold, held primarily in the Bank of England, redepositing it in Vienna and Switzerland. That was just the beginning. Thanks to the latest NY Fed data, we now know that beginning in 2014 and continuing through yesterday, the gold "bleeding" from the vault located 90 feet below street level at 33 Liberty Street is not only continuing but accelerating…. According to the Ny Fed, in the seven months ended July 2016, there were a total of 87 tons of gold withdrawals, 25% more than the 69 tons withdrawn in the same period in 2015, and 60% more than the 55 tons withdrawn in 2014. As of July 31, the NY Fed held 5,807 tons of gold in custody, well below the 6,606 "old normal" that was parked at the Fed until withdrawals started in early 2007. Just as remarkable, since the current round of monthly withdraws from the NY Fed started in February of 2014, there has been a total of 388 tons of gold redeemed by foreign central bank holders over a span of 30 months, which is just 20 tons shy of the previous burst of withdrawals which started in March of 2007, with the emergence of the subprime crisis, and culminating in November 2008 with the bailout of AIG.

Food Deflation Driving "Least Profitable Year In 20 Years" As Farmers And Grocers Get Crushed
Zero Hedge - Sinking food prices, while good for the consumer, is devastating for almost everyone else in the supply chain from the farmer all the way to the grocers. Farmers suffer as their key input cost, labor, is actually increasing in many states from the rash of minimum wage hikes around the country while fuel seems to move wildly with any number of daily rumors about production freezes in the middle east. Meanwhile, grocers suffer as already thin margins get compressed even further as existing inventories get marked down. Food prices have come under extreme pressure in 2016 due primarily to lower Chinese consumption resulting from a weak Chinese economy and a strong U.S. dollar. This slack in demand has resulted in massive supply gluts for several commodities as producers failed to adjust supply quickly enough to meet new levels of demand. In fact, the USDA recently provided a $20mm "bailout" to cheese producers and reports have surfaced that milk producers have been dumping excess milk on fields.

Science & Technology

5 Things You Better Get Off The Internet Before The Grid Goes Down
Off the Grid News - Even a few days without [the internet] could cripple American society’s ability to manage money, practice commerce, and communicate. Because of that, it is a good idea to reduce your dependence on the Internet by moving more of your needs offline. Here’s five areas to get your started: 1. Banking. Out of convenience, most Americans do at least a portion of their banking online. There’s no harm in using an online account to manage some of your bill payments and financial transactions. Just don’t rely on it to maintain your records. Monthly or quarterly, download a paper statement from your bank, print it, and file it away. Additionally, make sure you have paper records for all of the accounts you hold. Do the same thing for any stocks or important records of assets; record them on paper. Better still, do most of your bank transactions in person, at a local bank; you’ll have greater security and get better customer service. 2. Maps. Purchase or download updated local maps and keep them where they can be easily referenced or found in case of emergency. GPS won’t be a reliable source of navigation if the power grid is compromised. 3. Reference materials. Whether you read books on a Kindle or tablet, follow websites relevant to your interests, or just get the news delivered digitally, it is important to keep a paper trail for the information you’ll need in the future. 4. Email. Create a personal file of email correspondence for each family member and for your business activities. When agreements are solidified by email, print the message and file it accordingly….

Facebook fires human editors, algorithm immediately posts fake news
Ars Technica - Earlier this year, Facebook denied criticisms that its Trending feature was surfacing news stories that were biased against conservatives. But in an abrupt reversal, the company fired all the human editors for Trending on Friday afternoon, replacing them with an algorithm that promotes stories based entirely on what Facebook users are talking about. Within 72 hours, according to the Washington Post, the top story on Trending was about how Fox News icon Megyn Kelly was a pro-Clinton "traitor" who had been fired (she wasn't). The original accusations of bias came from a disgruntled ex-editor at Facebook, who leaked internal Trending training materials to Gizmodo. The training package offered tips on, among other things, how to curate news from an RSS feed of reputable sources when the stories provided by Facebook users were false or repetitive. Though the human editors were always expendable—they were mostly there to train the Trending algorithm—they were still engaging in quality control to weed out blatant falsehoods and non-news… And after Trending latched on to the fake Kelly scoop, it appears that human intervention might still be required to make Facebook's algorithms a legitimate source of news after all.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

11 Unusual Uses For Milk That Can Revolutionize Homestead Life
Off the Grid News - What you may not realize, however, is that milk can provide other benefits beyond its use as a beverage. Here are 11 unusual uses for milk that make a big difference if you’re a homesteader: 1. Relieve burns. You can experience quick pain relief and promote the healing of minor burns, including sunburn, by applying milk to the affected area. Soak a washcloth in whole milk and apply to the area for about 15 minutes. Repeat every few hours…. 2. Take the itch out of insect bites. Milk also can ease the pain, swelling and itchiness of insect bites. Create a paste with milk, water and salt, and place it on the bites. After a few minutes, redness and itching will be significantly reduced. 3. Repair china. Did you know you could use milk to fix cracks in your fine china? Fill a cooking pot with enough fresh milk or reconstituted powdered milk to cover a damaged cup or plate. Submerge the china in the milk and then bring the milk to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes. When you remove the china, the milk proteins will have diminished the appearance of fine cracks and lines (See below video). 4. Skin moisturizer. Try applying cold milk to calluses or other hard, dry areas of your skin three times a day. Another way to moisturize the skin with milk is to take a milk bath…. 5. Polish silver. You can clean your tarnished silver with the help of sour milk. Mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak the silver in the sour milk for 30 minutes. After rinsing with warm soapy water, buff the silver with a dry, soft cloth….

Survival/Preparedness

The Day The Lights Go Out And The Trucks Stop Running
Economic Collapse - Earlier today, I came across a quote from Alice Friedemann that detailed what we would be facing during a major national transportation disruption very nicely… “Within a week, in roughly this order, grocery stores would be out of dairy and other items that are delivered many times a day. And by the week, the shelves would be empty. Hospitals, pharmacies, factories, and many other businesses also get several deliveries a day, and they’d be running out of stuff the first day. And the second day, there’s be panic and hoarding. And restaurants, pharmacies would close. ATM’s would be out of money. Construction would stop. There’d be increasing layoffs. Increasing enormous amounts of trash not getting picked up, 685,000 tons a day. Service stations would be closed. Very few people would be working. And the livestock would start to be hungry from lack of feed deliveries. Then within two weeks, clean water supplies would run out. Within four weeks to eight weeks, there wouldn’t be coal delivered to power plants and electricity would start shutting down. And when that happened, about a quarter of our pipelines use electricity, and so natural gas plants wouldn’t be fed natural gas and they’d start shutting down.” There is so much infrastructure that we take for granted that would suddenly become very vulnerable in this type of scenario…. At some point a major national emergency will strike, and when that day arrives we could suddenly be facing major power grid and transportation disruptions. Are you prepared for that? If not, you might want to do so while you still have time.

Health

Under fire, Mylan to offer generic EpiPen for 50% less
USA Today - Drugmaker Mylan said Monday that it will offer a generic version of the life-saving allergy treatment EpiPen for half the list price of the brand-name treatment after it became the center of a national controversy over skyrocketing drug prices. The move marks a sharp shift in Mylan's position after it vigorously defended multiple increases over the years that resulted in a list price of about $600 for a two-pack of the emergency injection treatment, up from about $100 in 2009. The generic version of EpiPen "will be identical to the branded product, including device functionality and drug formulation," Mylan said in a statement…. Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., requested a slew of documents from Mylan, including details of EpiPen profits and sales, lobbying data, internal cost figures and federal health reimbursement numbers. Mylan has "a virtual monopoly over the epinephrine auto-injector market," the lawmakers said in a letter to Bresch. "While families and schools are struggling to keep up with your company's unreasonable price increases, Mylan has profited richly from its pricing strategy." he committee's letter, which requested a briefing by Sept. 6 and documents by Sept. 12, paves the way for a potential congressional hearing on the matter…. Mylan's generic version will hit shelves within several weeks at a list price of $300 for a two-pack carton in dosages of either 0.15 milligrams or 0.30 mg, the company said. Mylan will continue to sell EpiPen and continue to offer a $300 discount to certain families that qualify for assistance based on their income levels, a solution the company announced last week to assuage the firestorm that had erupted over the dramatic increase in price.

New Drug-Resistant Killer
Alliance for Natural Health - Once again, US public health officials have issued a warning concerning a multiple drug-resistant infection, but this time, it isn’t bacteria that are the problem—it’s yeast…. The emerging strain of yeast, Candida auris, has been found in nine countries and possibly the US, and has sickened hundreds of people. Fungal infections aren’t a new problem, but this particular strain is especially deadly, with only one-third of patients surviving the infection. The resistant yeast can also jump from patient to patient within a hospital. Nor is this the only drug-resistant fungal threat: before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heard reports about the threat of C. auris, the agency had been tracking a different drug-resistant yeast species, C. glabrata. Researchers say that drug-resistant fungi have arisen largely as a result of the use of fungicides on crops…. There are, of course, natural treatments for yeast. Many in the natural health community know of the numerous health benefits of supplementing with bacterial probiotics—beneficial organisms that aid in the health and diversity of the gut microbiota, and compete with both bad bacteria and yeast.

DEA Adds Kratom to Schedule 1 List Alongside Heroin
Brandon Turbeville - Fresh on the heels of the CDC labeling kratom as an emerging “public health threat” the notoriously fascistic U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has filed a notice of intent to not only list it as a controlled substance, but the DEA is planning to add it to the most restrictive classification possible. Mitragyna speciosa, aka kratom, and its two primary constituents, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are going to be placed onto schedule 1 temporarily beginning on September 30th. This information comes from a filing from the DEA on August 30th, but the full announcement is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on August 31st. Kratom is not an opiate but functions in a similar manner, i.e. attaching to activating opoid receptors. The substance has been shown to alleviate chronic pain and anxiety as well as aid in overcoming addiction despite its own “euphoric effects.” Studies in mice have actually demonstrated impressive results in overcoming addiction to cocaine. Many Kratom users have also sung the plant’s praises in regards to heroin addiction. Kratom users claim that the substance is an excellent substitute for prescription pain medication as well as the addiction that comes with prescribed opiates. The DEA is making its move after a few states toyed with the idea of placing kratom on their own controlled substances lists statewide, but failing to do so after public outcry got in the way.

Synthetic Cannabis Extremely Dangerous Vs. Marijuana, Driving Study Reveals
Green Med Info - A revealing new study published in the journal Clinical Toxicology shows that people under the influence of synthetic cannabinoids (also known as "spice") undergo far greater impairments than those using marijuana. In the study, entitled “Differential physiological and behavioral cues observed in individuals smoking botanical marijuana versus synthetic cannabinoid drugs,” researchers sought to measure performance and behavior by reviewing arrest reports generated by law enforcement drug recognition experts (DRE) to evaluate motorists arrested for impaired driving. The researchers concluded: Drivers under the influence of synthetic cannabinoids were more frequently impaired with confusion, disorientation, and incoherent, slurred speech than drivers under the influence of marijuana in this population evaluated by drug recognition experts."

Pet News

Dog brains don't just hear what we're saying, but how we're saying it
ScienceAlert - A new study by researchers in Hungary suggests that dogs can understand both the words we say and the way we say them to a certain degree, using the same parts of the brain as humans do to recognize spoken language…. During the experiment, 13 dogs listened to recordings of their trainers' voices as they spoke to the animals using different combinations of vocabulary and intonation, speaking both praise and neutral language. Sometimes the speech the dogs heard was praise spoken in neutral way, or praise spoken with a matching intonation. They also heard neutral language delivered with a praising intonation, and neutral words spoken in a neutral voice. But regardless of how the trainers delivered praise, the dogs' brain activity suggested that they were actually able to recognize the words as praise, meaning dogs can process vocabulary independently of how it's said, recognising particular words as distinct. According to the researchers, the brain activity shows that they do this in a similar way to humans, using the left hemisphere to process the meaning of words, and separately processing intonation in the right hemisphere. Interestingly, while these processes are distinct, the team found that praise only activates the canine brain's reward centre if it is spoken in a praising way.



Tuesday - August 30, 2016 - Today In History:

1780 - General Benedict Arnold secretly promised to surrender the West Point fort to the British army.
1806 - New York City's second daily newspaper, the "Daily Advertiser," was published for the last time.
1862 - The Confederates defeated Union forces at the second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, VA.
1941 - During World War II, the Nazis severed the last railroad link between Leningrad and the rest of the Soviet Union.
1945 - General Douglas MacArthur set up Allied occupation headquarters in Japan.
1956 - In Louisiana, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway opened.
1960 - A partial blockade was imposed on West Berlin by East Germany.
1963 - The "Hotline" between Moscow and Washington, DC, went into operation.
1967 - Thurgood Marshall was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a Supreme Court justice. Marshall was the first black justice to sit on the Supreme Court.
1983 - The space shuttle Challenger blasted off with Guion S. Bluford Jr. aboard. He was the first black American to travel in space.
1984 - The space shuttle Discovery lifted off for the first time. On the voyage three communications satellites were deployed.
1984 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan, and several others, were inducted into the Sportscasters Hall of Fame.
1991 - The Soviet republic of Azerbaijan declared its independence.
1994 - Rosa Parks was robbed and beaten by Joseph Skipper. Parks was known for her refusal to give up her seat on a bus in 1955, which sparked the civil rights movement.
1994 - The largest U.S. defense contractor was created when the Lockheed and Martin Marietta corporations agreed to a merger.
1996 - An expedition to raise part of the Titanic failed when the nylon lines being used to raise part of the hull snapped.
1999 - The residents of East Timor overwhelmingly voted for independence from Indonesia. The U.N. announced the result on September 4.
2002 - Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum merged to create ConocoPhillips. The new company was the third largest integrated energy company and the second largest refining company in the U.S.
2006 - California Senate passes Global Warming Solutions Act

World News

US Slams Turkish Bombing Of American Coalition Partners As "Unacceptable And A Source Of Deep Concern"
Zero Hedge - Concerned by Turkey's recent overtures toward Russia, which even hinted at military cooperation between Moscow and Ankara, Biden arrived in Turkey last Wednesday.... Meeting with Erdogan and Turkey's prime minister in Ankara, Biden delivered a message of alliance and conciliation.... That is all Erdogan needed to hear as he then proceeded to launch a bombing campaign not against Islamic State holdouts in proximity to the Turkish border - the stated reason for the Turkish incursion - but against his legacy foes, the Kurdish militia, the YPG, which problematically for the US, is part of the broader U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition.... As a result of today's verbal condemnation by the US, we expect Erdogan - who continues to hold all the Trump cards over Europe's future with some 2 million Syrian refugees housed within its borders, and which can be released into Europe on a moment's notice - to unleash another verbal assault on the US and its western allies, coupled with another Russian pivot threat, to show the Obama administration who is and remains in charge of the latest escalation in the 5 year old Syrian conflict.

Two US-backed groups clash in northern Syria
The Long War Journal - Jaysh al Tahrir, a rebel group that operates under the auspices of the Free Syrian Army and has received several TOW anti-tank missiles from the US, claims to have captured two villages from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) south of Jarabulus. The SDF has received considerable US-support, including airstrikes and special operations forces embedded within the group.... The US is now engaged in a balancing act between keeping close relations with Turkey and its main partner in the fight against the Islamic State.... this puts the US in an awkward position as the Kurds may see this, as well as tacit support of the Turkish intervention, as a betrayal. This also comes after US Vice President Joe Biden told the YPG portion of the SDF to retreat back to the eastern side of the Euphrates River, which was also likely seen as an insult by the US-ally.

Banks Warn: Economic Nuclear Winter to Hit World
Kit Daniels - Central banks are expecting an economic catastrophe to strike the world this winter, and will try to blame Brexit for their wrongdoings which triggered the crisis. Investors are dumping stocks in major European banks in particular, with the Royal Bank of Scotland losing 30% of its market value since June. The banks are “preparing for an economic nuclear winter situation,” an insider told CNBC. “This could mean triggering Article 50, referendum in other European nations leading to a break-up of the euro or sterling hitting below $1.20 or lower.”… The global economy is so dependent on China in particular that if the country were to completely implode, a world-wide recession would likely result – and right now China’s trajectory resembles the one that led to the Great Depression, with ever-expanding credit lines combined with widespread delusion that asset prices will never fall. “China grew too fast,” said economist Andy Xie. “The government is using its power to stop the unraveling but not address the issue.” “It is just buying more time.” But time is running out.

’No skirts’: India’s tourism minister warns female foreigners
RT - Women planning on travelling to India have been warned to not wear short dresses or skirts, or walk alone at night, “for their own safety.” The warning came from India’s Minister for Tourism, Mahesh Sharma.... Sharma said female tourists have been issued with a safety guidelines “kit” upon arriving into the country since last year. "The kit includes a card with do’s and don’ts – such as, do not venture out alone at night in small towns, do not wear skirts; take a picture of the registration number of the vehicle you use and send it to a friend," said Sharma, as cited by The Indian Express. “For their own safety, women foreign tourists should not wear short dresses and skirts,” he added, according to The Times of India. “Indian culture is different from the western.” Sharma went on to clarify that India is not issuing a dress code for women, but rather asking them to “take precaution while going on a night out”.... Sharma’s comments have been slammed for reflecting “the syndrome of blaming women” by Ranjana Kumari, the director of the Delhi-based Centre for Social Research, in a country where a reported 92 women are raped each day.

Iceland's Katla volcano hit by unusually large earthquakes
Reuters - Two unusually large earthquakes hit one of Iceland's biggest volcanoes early on Monday, raising concerns of a possible eruption, the Icelandic Met Office said. The Katla volcano has not erupted properly since 1918 and scientists say it is overdue to do so, although an eruption could still be decades away.... The volcano sustained similar movements in 2011. The volcano is covered by an ice cap, which should, in the event of an eruption, typically contain the lava for around 60 to 90 minutes, giving time to alert the population and international air traffic, [a natural hazards scientist at the Icelandic Met Office, Matthew] Roberts said.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

President Obama Plans Lame Duck Passage of Trans-Pacific Partnership
Breitbart - President Barack Obama still intends to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in the “lame duck session” after the November election, the New York Times reports, despite opposition from both major party presidential nominees. Research by economist Josh Bivens demonstrates that from the time Bill Clinton became President in 1992, imported goods from third world low-wage countries almost tripled from 3.1 to 8.4 percent of GDP by 2011. The vast majority of that increase in U.S. imports is directly related to Clinton’s negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the granting of Most Favored Nation status to China. Bivens calculates that the impact on the after-inflation wage for a typical non-college educated American worker from 1992 to 2011 was negative “5.5 percent, or by roughly $1,800 — for a full-time, full year worker.” With about 100 million American workers without a 4-year degree, that was a major blow.

Huma Abedin announces separation from Anthony Weiner after latest sexting scandal
McClatchy DC - Huma Abedin announced she will separate from her husband Anthony Weiner on Monday, after fresh allegations of sexting revealed the former congressman had sent an explicit photo to another woman with their child in the background.... Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, stood by her husband’s side when the former congressman resigned in 2011 after his habit of sending sexually explicit photos first became public. Weiner ran in 2013 for New York City mayor, but his bid was derailed when he admitted that he had continued sexting other women even after his resignation from Congress. Weiner had not sought political office since and stayed home to take care of the couple’s son while Abedin joined Clinton on the campaign trail.

As Obamacare choices dwindle, feds face consumer, political backlash
USA Today - Up to 2.1 million people will likely have to change plans for 2017 due to insurers leaving states' Affordable Care Act marketplaces, up from more than 1.2 million who had to find new insurers last year...The new estimates, from data expert Charles Gaba of ACASignups.net, come as another analysis shows five states are expected to have just one company selling insurance on the 2017 Obamacare exchanges. Consumers in most counties in nine other states won't find any competition for their exchange business either, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Video: Bill Clinton: Rebuild Detroit with Syrian Refugees
Breitbart - In a previously little-noticed video from February at the Clinton Global Initiative, former President Bill Clinton suggested that the U.S. use Syrian refugees to rebuild Detroit. “The truth is that the big loser in this over the long run is going to be Syria. This is an enormous opportunity for Americans,” Bill Clinton said about the Syrian migrant crisis. Detroit has 10,000 empty, structurally sound houses—10,000. And lot of jobs to be had repairing those houses. Detroit just came out of bankruptcy and the mayor’s trying to do an innovative sort of urban homesteading program there. But it just gives you an example of what could be done. And I think any of us who have ever had any personal experience with either Syrian Americans or Syrian refugees think it’s a pretty good deal. It is unclear from the video why Clinton seems to think it would be better to fill these Detroit jobs with imported foreign migrants rather than unemployed Americans already living there, who could perhaps benefit from good-paying jobs. In the video, Clinton discusses the migrant crisis with billionaire and mass migration enthusiast Hamdi Ulukaya of the Chobani yogurt empire. Ulukaya has become a figure of controversy for his decision to fill his yogurt plants with foreign refugees rather than unemployed Americans. At the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, Ulukaya encouraged other global elites to follow his lead.

Louisiana Officials Demand That Self-Reliant Locals Stop Surviving the Flood Without Permission
DC Clothesline - The southern state has been hit with the worst flooding in over 500 years.... This massive disaster was all but ignored by the mainstream media, since it didn’t fit the current agenda of divisiveness and racial tension. So what did the folks in Louisiana do? They rolled up their sleeves and took care of business.... And that is when the government said, “Oh, no. We can’t have that.” .... Like a horde of modern-day carpetbaggers, they began “helping” by forcing people who were struggling to rebuild to purchase permits. That’s right. They forced people to ask for permission for the right to repair their own property.... But that isn’t the worst of it. They also decided to charge fees to the Cajun Navy before they were “allowed” to continue rescuing people.... Louisiana State Senator Jonathan Perry is the engineer of the licensing requirements. “Perry said that if members of the Cajun Navy continue on without his legislation, they will be stopped by law enforcement officials from rescuing residents past police barricades… Under current state law, citizens who cross police perimeters are breaking the law and could face punishment.”

PEW Poll: 44 Percent of All Households Now Have a Gun
Breitbart - This same poll showed that 58 percent of respondents viewed gun ownership as something that brings safety, versus 37 percent who believe such ownership increases risk. The Pew poll follows more than a year of mainstream media contention that the breadth of gun ownership was actually shrinking, even as gun sales were soaring. For example, a March 2015 CBS report used a General Social Survey to suggest gun ownership had fallen to a point where only 32 percent of Americans lived in a household with a gun. The CBS report was followed by an October 2015 Washington Post report that sought to explain the record number of background checks by suggesting the same gun owners were simply buying more guns. At the same time, other polls focused on the attitudes of Americans–regarding more gun control versus less–substantiated the position that Americans’ appreciation of gun ownership was expanding, rather than declining. Moreover, high profile firearms-based attacks appeared to drive more Americans toward gun ownership, not gun control. For example, a CNN poll taken three weeks after the October 1 Umpqua Community College attack showed that three percent more Americans opposed gun control after the attack than had opposed gun control prior.

Election News

Why Did George Soros' Son Meet Over The Weekend With The New York Attorney General Suing Trump?
Vessel News - George Soros’ son Alex Soros posted a picture to Instagram yesterday of him hanging out with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.... Schneiderman is heading up a lawsuit against Donald Trump, alleging Trump University scammed participants out of tens of thousands of dollars. During a sit-down with George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America”, the New York Attorney General said “We have a law against running an illegal unlicensed university. This never was a university. The fraud started with the name of the organization, and you can’t just go around saying this is the George Stephanopoulos Law Firm/Hospital/University without actually qualifying and registering, so it was really a fraud from beginning to end.” The suit which was brought in 2013, is nothing but a ploy to blunt the real estate billionaire’s presidential ambitions, say critics of the case. The New York Democrat denies such claims. Trump believes the motive behind the suit stems from the New York developer’s refusal to donate to Schneiderman’s re-election campaign. The subject of the meeting between Soros and Schneiderman is unknown.

Huffington Post Bans Journalist For Writing About Hillary’s Health, Deletes Article
Paul Joseph Watson - David Seaman penned a commentary piece discussing questions surrounding Hillary’s health problems on Sunday. The story included a link to my viral video about the subject, which now has over 3.5 million views. The post, which had been trending at number 3 on the website, was deleted within hours and Seaman’s posting rights were completely revoked. The link now just contains an editor’s note stating, “This post is no longer available on the Huffington Post.” The Huff Post deleted the article despite the fact that pieces questioning John McCain’s health were heavily featured on the website in 2008. The left-wing news outlet also posted an article today speculating on Donald Trump contracting cancer, but its author was not banned. The double standard is brazen…. In a related development, Donald Trump officially challenged Hillary Clinton to release her full medical records, but the Clinton campaign almost immediately refused to do so.

UN-Linked “Elections Monitors” To Oversee U.S. Election
New American - A swarm of hundreds of United Nations-linked “international election monitors,” many of them hailing from nations ruled by repressive dictatorships, will descend on the United States this year to supervise and “monitor” America’s elections. The horde of international bureaucrats for the November elections will be 10 times larger — and probably even more controversial — than the smaller “monitoring” mission that sparked a national uproar in 2012. Last time around, Texas even threatened to arrest them, and for good reason. The mission by the international outfit, founded in large part by Yugoslavian and Soviet communists, is supposedly to combat alleged “voter suppression” by conservatives.

NBC Affiliate Posts "Election Results" For Florida Race That Hasn't Happened Yet
Zero Hedge - Republican candidate for Florida House District 86, Laurel Bennett, was a bit shocked over the weekend when she discovered that a local West Palm Beach NBC affiliate, WPTV, reported that she had lost a race even though votes hadn't been cast yet. Why do we need voters when it's far easier to just skip straight to the results? The note from WPTV showed Laurel getting 12,189 votes or 45%.... According to Bizpac Review, the station claims they were just "testing their election page" in an effort to "bring you fast and accurate election results on election day." “In order to make sure we bring you fast and accurate election results on election day, we are testing our election page ahead of time with test data. On election day, this message will be removed and the actual election results will be displayed on this page.”

FBI says foreign hackers penetrated state election systems (Video)
Yahoo News - The FBI has uncovered evidence that foreign hackers penetrated two state election databases in recent weeks, prompting the bureau to warn election officials across the country to take new steps to enhance the security of their computer systems, according to federal and state law enforcement officials.... The bulletin does not identify the states in question, but sources familiar with the document say it refers to the targeting by suspected foreign hackers of voter registration databases in Arizona and Illinois. In the Illinois case, officials were forced to shut down the state’s voter registration system for 10 days in late July, after the hackers managed to download personal data on up to 200,000 state voters, Ken Menzel, the general counsel of the Illinois Board of Elections, said in an interview. The Arizona attack was more limited, involving malicious software that was introduced into its voter registration system but no successful exfiltration of data, a state official said.

Trump Recruiting Army Of ‘Observers’ To Prevent ‘Rigged’ Election
Steve Watson - GOP nominee Donald Trump is actively recruiting supporters in order to form an army of ‘Election Observers’ to monitor polls on Election Day and ensure that voter fraud is prevented and exposed. A section has been added to Trump’s campaign website describing how supporters can get more information and sign up to be a “volunteer Trump Election Observer.” “Help Me Stop Crooked Hillary From Rigging This Election!” the page reads. “I hope you people can sort of not just vote on the 8th — go around and look and watch other polling places and make sure that it’s 100 percent fine,” Mr. Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, adding that the only way he can lose to Hillary Clinton in stronghold states is if there is ‘cheating’. Trump has warned supporters several times that the election could be ‘rigged’, prompting the media and the Clinton campaign to label him a ‘pathetic, dangerous, reflexive conspiracy theorist’…. Trump has specifically pointed to the fact that in the past fortnight, five courts in five states have ruled against voter ID and proof-of-citizenship laws. Trump said he is worried that the decisions will lead to widespread voter fraud.

Video: MSNBC plays fried chicken ad instead of Hillary racism speech clip
The American Mirror - MSNBC host Alex Witt wanted to play a clip of Hillary Clinton accusing Donald Trump of being a racist, but instead aired a Kentucky Fried Chicken ad. Witt was talking to Cornell Williams Brooks of the NAACP on Saturday when he teed up a portion of Clinton’s speech. “As you know, Hillary Clinton says that Trump’s campaign is appealing to a fringe in the Republican Party that is racist. I want to listen to part of her speech with you and get your reaction. So here it is,” Witt said. Inexplicably, the KFC ad aired with the MSNBC graphics still on the screen. “I am the extra crispy colonel,” Colonel Sanders actor George Hamilton said in the ad. “Absolutely not what we were going to play,” Witt said as they moved on.

Clinton News Network (CNN) Cuts ‘Crooked Hillary’ Reference from Trump Tweet
Breitbart - Sunday, CNN’s “Newsroom” highlighted a tweet from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sent out calling on his opponent Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to release her medical records. However, the CNN version scrubbed the “Crooked” moniker from the tweet in it’s report, which was displayed on screen and read on air by anchor Jim Sciutto.

25 Year-Old Scam Artist Raises $1 Million in Bogus Dinner with Trump Contest
The Gateway Pundit - LawNewz reported: A Maryland man is offering contest participants a chance to have dinner with Donald Trump. Or is he? 25-year-old Ian Hawes of Maryland set up dinnerwithtrump.org, a site that at first glance looks an awful lot like a Trump campaign page, until you read the fine print. The homepage tells visitors to “Enter for a chance for you and a guest to have dinner with Donald Trump. The flight, food & stay are on us.” It allows people to enter their name, email address, and zip code. Upon doing so, the next page says that people can double their chances of winning by donating, giving options for people to give different amounts. Hawes’ organization, American Horizons PAC, took out ads on Facebook to promote the site, according to a Politico report, drawing social media users to the site. They reportedly raised more than $1 million. But the small print on the bottom of the site tells people what they’re actually getting, and it’s not a private dinner with the Republican Presidential nominee. “Prize is for winner & guest to attend a Donald Trump fundraising event with other attendees,” it says, adding that it includes airfare and hotel accommodations, with a total approximate retail value of $3,600.

Economy & Business

The "Devastating" Truth Behind America's Record Household Net Worth
Zero Hedge - Here are the CBO report's summary findings: In 2013, aggregate family wealth in the United States was $67 trillion (or about four times the nation’s gross domestic product) and the median family (the one at the midpoint of the wealth distribution) held approximately $81,000, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.... But to get to the stunning punchline, one has to read The section on How Is the Nation’s Wealth Distributed?.... The distribution of wealth among the nation’s families was more unequal in 2013 than it had been in 1989. For instance, the difference in wealth held by families at the 90th percentile and the wealth of those in the middle widened from $532,000 to $861,000 over the period (in 2013 dollars). The share of wealth held by families in the top 10 percent of the wealth distribution increased from 67 percent to 76 percent, whereas the share of wealth held by families in the bottom half of the distribution declined from 3 percent to 1 percent. And there is your recovery: the wealthy have never been wealthier, while for half of America, some 50% of households, now own just 1% of the country's wealth, down from 3% in 1989.

Science & Technology

First GMO ever produced by genetic engineering poisoned thousands of Americans
(NaturalNews) The first edible product produced by genetic engineering killed dozens of people, and caused thousands more to become seriously ill, with many of them ending up permanently disabled. The product in question was a food supplement made of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan derived from bacteria that had been genetically altered. Despite meeting pharmacological purity standards, it contained trace amounts of impurities, one of which turned out to be highly toxic, even at low levels. The genetic engineering is believed to be responsible for the formation of the toxic substance behind the epidemic. No tryptophan supplements that were produced with non-engineered bacteria had ever previously been linked to the disease. Not surprisingly, the FDA issued a slew of deceptive statements trying to shift the blame away from the technology, and their efforts seem to have worked. Most people familiar with the situation seem to be satisfied with their explanations that GE was not responsible, even though the evidence paints the opposite picture. The majority of people, however, don't even realize this incident ever took place…. The tryptophan supplement disaster was followed by the first-ever whole food to be produced using GE, the "FlavrSavr" tomato from Calgene. In the company's voluntary feeding studies, there was a disturbing pattern of stomach lesions…. However, this was swept under the rug when they announced that the tomato was every bit as safe as other tomatoes, and that all safety questions had been resolved!

Health

How to Treat Digestive Disorders with Lemon Juice and Flax Seeds
Natural News Blogs - When you’re suffering from digestive problems, you may have some bad symptoms: bloating and gas, acid reflux, upset stomach, heartburn, abdominal pain…. There are many effective and safe remedies for the digestive problems to help treat your unset stomach and improve the digestive functions. The combination of lemon juice and flax seeds is one of the most effective ways to relieve the disorders. Lemon is one of the healthiest fruits we can eat, it’s a natural remedy for many ailments, including digestive problems…. Flax seeds are loaded with fiber, which has been associated to reduce the symptoms of digestive problems. Besides, the omega-3 fatty acids in them act as a natural anti-inflammatory agents, which can reduce the stomach aches. The recipe for lemon juice with flax seeds for treating indigestion: Half of a small lemon, 1 teaspoon of ground flax seeds [and] 1 cup of boiling water…. It’s recommended to consume the juice in the morning to stimulate your digestion for a whole day.

Homemade Lotion with Frankincense, Lavender & Peppermint Oils
Dr. Axe - Did you know that almost anything you put on your skin can seep right through and into your bloodstream? Yes, that includes parabens and other dangerous chemicals in skin products. So while many of you have taken the clean eating movement seriously (and that is fantastic!), many are forgetting about the products that they are slathering on their bodies. Unfortunately, too many of these products are littered with chemicals and preservatives that head right into the bloodstream and travel throughout our bodies, wreaking havoc by causing inflammation and more. But it doesn’t have to be that way with natural skin care, including my homemade lotion for your face and body…. Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons coconut oil, 1 tablespoons beeswax, 1 tablespoon shea butter, 10 drops frankincense essential oil, 10 drops lavender essential oil [and] 5 drops peppermint essential oil.

Satisfying Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroons Recipe
Healthy Holistic Living - Here’s a quick and easy gluten-free coconut macaroons recipe from Healthy Holistic Living. Try it, and an appetizing batch of these macaroons can be yours in less than half an hour! Ingredients: 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut, ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. coconut milk, 3 Tbsp. raw honey [and] ¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract.



Monday - August 29, 2016 - Today In History:

1833 - The "Factory Act" was passed in England to settle child labor laws.
1842 - The Treaty of Nanking was signed by the British and the Chinese. The treaty ended the first Opium War and gave the island of Hong Kong to Britain.
1944 - During the continuing celebration of the liberation of France from the Nazis, 15,000 American troops marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris.
1945 - U.S. General Douglas MacArthur left for Japan to officially accept the surrender of the Japanese.
1949 - At the University of Illinois, a nuclear device was used for the first time to treat cancer patients.
1957 - Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina set a filibuster record in the U.S. when he spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes.
1962 - The lower level of the George Washington Bridge opened.
1965 - Gemini 5, carrying astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles ("Pete") Conrad, splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean after eight days in space.
1971 - Hank Aaron became the first baseball player in the National League to hit 100 or more runs in each of 11 seasons.
1983 - Two U.S. marines were killed in Lebanon by the militia group Amal when they fired mortar shells at the Beirut airport.
1983 - The anchor of the USS Monitor, from the U.S. Civil War, was retrieved by divers.
1990 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, in a television interview, declared that America could not defeat Iraq.
1991 - The Communist Party in the Soviet Union had its bank accounts frozen and activities were suspended because of the Party's role in the failed coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev.
1991 - The republics of Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement to stay in the Soviet Union.
1992 - The U.N. Security Council agreed to send troops to Somalia to guard the shipments of food.
1998 - Northwest Airlines pilots went on strike after their union rejected a last-minute company offer.
2004 - India test-launched a nuclear-capable missile able to carry a one-ton warhead. The weapon had a range of 1,560 miles.
2005 - Hurricane Katrina slams into Gulf Coast

World News

Rebranded Al Qaeda Group In Syria Receiving US Weapons
Shadowproof - Though many scoffed when the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Jabhat Al-Nusra, rebranded itself Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham, that cosmetic change was apparently enough to convince the US government to start sending them arms. In the recent push by rebels in the city of Aleppo, Al-Nusra /Al-Sham took a leading role and was reportedly among the rebels groups who received US weapons. Those weapons will first be used to kill Syrian government troops and after that, well, who knows?... If Al-Sham and fellow Sunni jihadists prevail over Syrian government forces, a genocide will likely commence against religious minorities in Syria, starting with the Alawites and moving on to other Shiites.... While it would be a mistake to say this is the first time the US gave assistance to Al Qaeda-linked rebels in Syria, it is a pretty stunning digression from earlier claims from US officials that assisting Al Qaeda and ISIS was completely off limits.

World seeking power shift towards Iran-Russia alliance
Mehr News Agency - A former US army psychological operation officer and counter-terrorism analyst calls Iran-Russia cooperation plan to save Syria the greatest thing that has happened to the world in over 25 years. Scott Bennett asserted that Iran-Russia cooperation to fight terrorist extremists would not allow the reckless wars of American imperialism to spread any further, and gloriously China is also coming along side Iran and Russia in full agreement and assistance in this effort. The world is becoming aware of its mistakes towards the Middle East, with "Turkey’s President Erdogan seems to have come to understand that the power shift away from the US influence and towards the Russian-Iran-China alliance is something that he must adapt to," Bennett said in an exclusive interview with Mehr News Agency.

Doctors Without Borders Refused to Help American ISIS Hostage Kayla Mueller
Yahoo News August 24, 2016 - Even though she was kidnapped by ISIS from a Doctors Without Borders vehicle, and had helped a friend install equipment at a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Syria, the prestigious humanitarian group refused to help negotiate for the freedom of American hostage Kayla Mueller, her parents tell ABC News. Marsha and Carl Mueller of Prescott, Arizona, said the group refused to speak with them for months and then withheld critical information provided by freed Doctors Without Borders hostages -- information that directly concerned their daughter and was needed in order to begin negotiations for her release. In a phone conversation recorded by the Muellers 10 months after their daughter's kidnapping and provided to ABC News, they asked the group if it would help negotiate for their daughter. "No," the senior official replied. "So, the crisis management team that we have installed for our five people and that managed the case for our people will be closed down in the next week. Yeah? ... Because our case is closed." "They're a fabulous organization, and they do wonderful work," Carl Mueller told ABC News' "20/20" in an interview to be broadcast this Friday, "but somewhere in a boardroom, they decided to leave our daughter there to be tortured and raped and ultimately murdered."

Permanent ceasefire in Columbia by FARC rebels ends one of the world's longest running conflicts
The Independent - The ceasefire ends a half-century of political violence which has claimed more than 220,000 lives and driven more than 5 million people from their homes.... The commander of Colombia's biggest rebel movement has said its fighters will permanently cease hostilities with the government as a result of their peace accord. Rodrigo Londono, leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), made the announcement in Havana, where the two sides negotiated for four years before announcing the peace deal last week.... Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Friday his military would cease attacks on the FARC beginning Monday. The announcement formalised a truce which has been in place in effect for several months.... After the agreement is signed, FARC guerrillas will begin handing their weapons over to UN-sponsored monitors. The final peace agreement will be signed in the coming weeks.

Theresa May will trigger Brexit negotiations without Commons vote
The Telegraph - Theresa May will not hold a parliamentary vote on Brexit before opening negotiations to formally trigger Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, The Telegraph has learned.... It had been suggested - by Tony Blair, the former Labour Prime Minister, and Owen Smith, the Labour leadership candidate, among others - that Remain-supporting MPs could use a Parliamentary vote to stop Brexit. But sources say that because Mrs May believes that “Brexit means Brexit” she will not offer opponents the opportunity to stall Britain's withdrawal from the EU.... Mrs May has consulted Government lawyers who have told the Prime Minister she has the executive power to invoke Article 50 and begin the formal process of exiting the European Union without a vote in Parliament.... The majority of MPs in the Commons, a total of around 480, campaigned for Britain to stay in the European Union at the last election. The House of Lords is also overwhelmingly in favour of Britain staying in the EU, meaning that obtaining formal parliamentary approval for Brexit could take years.

TTIP Dead: Massive US-EU Trade Deal Falls Apart Says German Vice-Chancellor
Sputnik News - Free trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States have fallen apart in recent weeks with Europe reticent to open its agricultural industry to low-cost American “frankenfruits” in addition to concerns over the depletion of labor standards and worries that an unelected cabal will be able to dictate policy over the sovereign objections of participating countries.... The deal began to fall apart beginning in May when France first threatened to block the deal. At the time, President Francois Hollande said that he would "never accept" the deal because it abridges the sovereignty of France and the rest of Europe while disproportionately favoring US agro-business.... The deal has fallen under increased pressure in the wake of Britain’s historic vote to exit the European Union changing the dimensions and calculations of the trade pact while creating concern among US leaders that a TTIP deal without British involvement would actually diminish US-UK economic ties.... On Sunday Sigmar Gabriel, who is also Germany’s Economy Minister, said: "In my opinion, the negotiations with the United States have de facto failed."

Central Italy rocked by new 4.4 aftershock following deadly earthquake
RT- new 4.4-magnitude aftershock with a depth of about 9 km has rattled the region not far from the town of Arquata del Tronto in central Italy, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported. The area suffered a deadly earthquake four days ago. The aftershock’s center is located nearly 7 km from Arquata del Tronto. The tremor was felt in Rome, situated more than 150 kilometers south of the town, according to local broadcaster RaiNews24. A powerful earthquake hit central Italy on Wednesday night, leaving at least 290 people dead with the death toll still rising.... As many as 2,500 people have lost their homes to the earthquake, according to the data released by the Italian civil defense authorities. More than 1,800 aftershocks have rocked the region since Wednesday’s quake with Saturday night being the first one without any major tremors.

Italian Health Ministry Puts Strict Restrictions on Glyphosate Herbicides
Sustainable Pulse - Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe stated that the Italian restrictions ban the use of Glyphosate in areas frequented by the public or by “vulnerable groups” including children and the elderly. The list of banned areas includes parks, gardens and courtyards, the edges of roads and railways, urban areas, sports fields and recreational areas, playgrounds and green areas within the school buildings, and areas adjacent to health facilities. In addition, the pre-harvest use of Glyphosate – a process known as desiccation- has been banned. The desiccation of crops by spraying glyphosate is a primary source for residual pesticide contamination at the consumer level. Finally, the non-agricultural use of glyphosate is banned on soils composed 80% or more of sand–a measure designed to protect groundwater from contamination. This package of restrictions is significant as it marks one of the largest bans on both consumer and agricultural use of the controversial substance glyphosate.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Bill Clinton bombed Saddam to distract from the Monica Lewinsky scandal - what Huma Abedin's Muslim journal claimed about her boss's husband
Daily Mail - The claim made made in an article published in the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, where [Houma] Abedin was a member of the editorial board - the group of people who decide what is published in the academic journal. It is the latest bombshell to emerge from the archives of the journal, whose editor-in-chief is Abedin's mother, Saleha Mahmood Abedin, an academic in Saudi Arabia. Abedin, who is not an academic, has been Hillary Clinton's closest aide since spending time as an intern at the White House, at exactly the time the Monica Lewinsky scandal was unfolding.... Clinton's bombing of Iraq in December 1998 was widely mocked as 'Monica's war'. He ordered four days of strikes by bombers and cruise missiles at the height of his impeachment trial, brought in the wake of his admission that he had had a 'not appropriate' relationship with Monica Lewinsky. The strikes - known as Operation Desert Fox- were ordered the day after the House of Representatives issued a report accusing the president of 'high crimes and misdemeanors' and ended on the day the articles of impeachment were passed. Previous strikes in 1996, Operation Desert Strike, were ordered during a campaign finance scandal.

Another Dead Clinton Crimes Truth Teller: Wikileaks Julian Assange Lawyer Found Dead, After Being Struck By Train
SGT Report - John Jones 48, one of Britain’s top human rights lawyers, who represented Julian Assange was killed last Monday, when he was run over by a commuter train. The death is being called a suicide. British Transport Police were called to the West Hampstead train station in North London at 7:07 AM on Monday April 18, 2016 after a man was struck by a train. He was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene and his death is not being treated as suspicious. The event occurred almost one month to the day that the first batch of Clinton emails were released by his client from WikiLeaks.

DCLeaks Website Down, Twitter Suspended After Releasing Soros Docs
The Daily Caller - DCLeaks, a website that releases information on powerful political figures, has had part of its website taken offline after releasing a cache of documents on billionaire donor George Soros. The @DCLeaks Twitter account has also been suspended from Twitter for reasons unknown. The website had previously released 2,500 internal Open Society Foundation (OSF) documents in order to “shed light on one of the most influential networks operating worldwide.” OSF is one of Soros’ networks of organizations. The leaked documents had resulted in several damaging reports about the organization. OSF had previously confirmed that the documents were legitimate. Before the website went offline, an OSF spokesperson had called the leaks “a symptom of an aggressive assault on civil society and human rights activists that is taking place globally” in a statement released to The Daily Caller.

Recent Louisiana disaster spurs association with Agenda 21; mayor claims floods were 'man-made'
(NaturalNews) [The] mayor of Walker, Louisiana, another area slammed with heavy flooding, says the entire disaster could easily have been prevented. Mayor Rick Ramsey even went so far to say that the event was "man-made," adding that he intends to take legal action against the state of Louisiana and the federal government, as reported by WAFB. The mayor said "a six-foot tall concrete barrier that was put along I-12 when the interstate was expanded last year essentially put the city of Walker 'into a bowl,'" a barrier he says prevented water from draining out of the town. "When the Amite River went up, it hit that wall," said Ramsey. "We have video evidence that shows the concrete barrier and water lapping over the north shore of the interstate and bone dry on the south of the interstate. They basically built a dam for Walker.”… The mayor's comments sparked controversy, leading some to speculate whether or not the ordeal may have ties to Agenda 21, a comprehensive, global plan drafted by the United Nations…. Private property or private land ownership does not exist under Agenda 21, which has been adopted by hundreds of nations, all of which have pledged to implement the plan's sweeping goals.

Judges Give ‘Defacto Amnesty’ To 1/3 Of Illegals Charged With Crimes
Daily Caller - America’s immigration court judges allow one in three illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes — like rape and drunk driving — roam free in the U.S. The judges released 32.9 percent of 5,530 illegal aliens charged with crimes since Oct. 1, 2015. That’s the highest percentage since at least 1998, according to Executive Office of Immigration Review data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). “They’re not giving them a legal status, but they’re letting them stay,” Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “So it’s like a de facto amnesty.” If an immigration judge decides not to order a person’s deportation, the illegal immigrant may stay in the U.S. after serving any prison time determined in a criminal court.

Unlicensed Bus Driver in Crash That Killed 2 in U.S. Illegally, Cops Say
Yahoo News - Two people were killed and 41 were injured when a charter bus driven by a man without a license who is in the U.S. illegally crashed into vehicles at the scene of a previous minor accident on Interstate 10 near La Place, according to the Louisiana State Police…. The bus driver, Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, is from the Honduras and is in the U.S. illegally, [Louisiana State Police Trooper Melissa] Matey said. The people on the bus, which is owned by AM Party Bus/Christina’s Transportation, were "daily hires" who were in the area to do construction and rebuild following the devastating flooding that hit Louisiana, she said. It is not known who hired the workers, but police believe they are in the U.S. illegally, Matey said.

A Single Police Dept Costs Taxpayers Nearly $2K a Day to Keep Bad Cops on Paid Vacations
The Free Thought Project - Broward County, FL — A sizeable chunk of the Free Thought Project archives is devoted solely to a single department in Florida. The Broward Sheriff’s Office is notorious for its rapists, child molesting stalkers, sadistic dog siccing torturers, and woman battering deputies. Many of these cops are never fired, and, even if they are, they are likely all given paid vacations first — some of them for months, or longer. Deputy Gerald “Gerry” Wengert, the sadistic cop who forced his K-9 to tear into a teenager for suspicion of spray painting a train car, is one of those cops who was given an extended paid vacation. According to a report in the Broward New Times, for the past 440 days, Wengert has been on paid leave. Since his annual salary is $72,735.22 a year, he’s cost taxpayers $87,680.81 so far for not showing up to work…. Broward Sheriff’s Office is one department of thousands that employ the same tactics of paid vacation for bad cops. Across the country, problem officers on paid vacations are likely costing taxpayers tens of thousands a day, if not more, and there is no sign of this insane practice being reined in.

The EpiPen Scandal Is Worse Than You Think: What You're Not Being Told
The AntiMedia - Though the EpiPen is not covered by patent protection, [Mylan CEO and Sen. Joe Manchin's daughter, Heather] Bresch’s close relationship with Washington may have helped her company ensure competition wasn’t an issue. In an article for the Mises Institute, Jonathan Newman writes that “Mylan has been repeatedly protected from competition, and it has repeatedly (and predictably) increased the price of EpiPens in response.” According to Bloomberg, Mylan has been aggressive in its approach to regulators. For the past seven years, Bresch has been “[turning] to Washington for help. Along with patient groups, Mylan pushed for federal legislation encouraging states to stock epinephrine devices in schools.”.... “Epinephrine is extremely cheap,” .... In a free market scenario, “[a] firm cannot just willy-nilly raise their prices without a competing firm leaping in to give consumers what they want at a lower price,” Newman explains. But in the real world, “Mylan has a great friend who keeps would-be competitors out of the market, or at least makes it so difficult for them that they eventually go out of business.” Mylan’s friend, in this case, is the FDA — a government agency.

Election News

Barney Frank to Fed: Don’t raise rates before election
The Hill - Frank advised the Fed board not to risk destabilizing markets and perhaps the broader economy a few weeks before Election Day. “I think it would be a mistake to do it this close to the election,” Frank told The Hill.... “What the Fed should do this close to the election is make no waves,” he added. “Unless there was some totally off-the-charts jobs number, doing something this close to the election I think roils the waters unnecessarily.” .... It is generally thought that a rate hike before the election could be risky for Clinton, who is seeking a third term for Democrats in the White House. A rate hike could make it more expensive to borrow money and could slow the economy and cause stocks to fall. Frank said a blockbuster jobs report showing the creation of something on the order of 400,000 new jobs might justify action but anything in line with recent job gains would argue in favor of keeping rates level. While the unemployment rate stands at a healthy 4.9 percent, participation in the job market is only 63 percent — well below norms of the 1990s and 2000s – and earnings for S&P 500 companies have shrunk for six straight quarters.

ACLU Loses Court Ruling In Fight Against Wisconsin's Voter ID Law
Western Journalism - A federal appeals court on Friday declined to soften Wisconsin’s strict voter ID law, ending several weeks of legal jousting over the measure first approved by lawmakers in 2011.... In July, a federal district court had ruled against the law, saying that voters who did not have the required ID could sign an affidavit attesting to their identity. Wisconsin appealed that ruling. Initially, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit overturned the lower court. On Friday, the full court upheld the panel, rejecting an appeal from groups opposed to the law. In a separate challenge to the law, Wisconsin had been ordered to make it easy for potential voters to obtain IDs. One way the state would accomplish that was to give out temporary IDs at state Department of Motor Vehicles offices.... Because that requirement was in place, the appeals court said the affidavit process was not necessary.... The American Civil Liberties Union was unhappy with the ruling.

Video: Hacking Democracy - The Hack
This is the hack that proved America's elections can be stolen using a few lines of computer code. The 'Hursti Hack' in this video is an excerpt from the feature length Emmy nominated documentary 'Hacking Democracy'. The hack of the Diebold voting system in Leon County, Florida, is real. It was verified by computer scientists at UC Berkeley. Watch The Full HD Movie On Vimeo

Poor Tired Hillary Gets Only 4,000 Likes and 17,000 Dislikes for her YouTube KKK Speech – Now She’s Exhausted, Has No More Rallies Scheduled
The Gateway Pundit - Hillary Clinton’s campaign speech in Reno on Thursday is her last campaign event scheduled on her calendar. She does have the presidential debates scheduled but there are no more Clinton campaign rallies scheduled anytime in the future. It is really no wonder. Hillary’s ‘Racist Pepe’ speech in Reno was horrible for all involved. For starters, it almost didn’t start – it was actually 2 hours late in starting. It is unknown if Hillary was ill or whether she was waiting for more people to show up. Finally, someone had the courage to tell her that the show must go on. Fortunately, the local union had a few members attend or the numbers would have been worse. Eventually her speech got under way and to the horror of most in the audience it was full of racist name calling and angry contempt. … The speech will go down in history as one of the most racist and paranoid speeches of all time. The live stream of the speech was hijacked by Trump supporters. To date it has received 4,000 ‘likes’ on YouTube but more than 17,000 ‘dislikes’. It was nasty.
* Related: Dishonest CNN Says Trump is Spreading “Claim” That Hillary’s Mentor [Senator Robert Byrd] Was in the KKK

Video: KKK Grand Dragon Endorses Hillary Clinton
Gateway Pundit - For some reason this didn’t make it into her racism speech yesterday in Reno. This interview took place after a KKK rally in California in March. Reporter: Who do you like for president, sir. Will Quigg: Hillary Clinton. Reporter: Do you think whites are superior to Blacks and Latinos? Will Quigg: Well we are God’s chosen people….

Veteran News

Veteran Kills Himself in VA Parking Lot After Being Denied Treatment
The AntiMedia - He was reportedly seeking help for mental health issues at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center but was turned away, an unfortunately common experience plaguing veterans seeking healthcare in recent years. According to the New York Times, two people connected to the hospital spoke about the incident on the condition of anonymity. They explained “he had been frustrated that he was unable to see an emergency-room physician for reasons related to his mental health,” the Times reported. “He went to the E.R. and was denied service,” one anonymous source said. “And then he went to his car and shot himself.”.... One of the Times’ anonymous sources questioned why Kaisen had not been referred to Building 64, the mental health center at Northport. “The staff member said that while there was normally no psychologist at the ready in the E.R., one was always on call, and that the mental health building was open ‘24/7,’” the Times reported. “Someone dropped the ball. They should not have turned him away,” the source said. Christopher Goodman, a spokesman for the hospital, said there “was no indication that he presented to the E.R. prior to the incident,” and the Times was unable to determine whether there was an official record of his visit to the VA on Sunday.

Economy & Business

Illinois Governor Furious After Pension Fund Cuts Returns Forecast, Sticking Taxpayers With "Crippling" Tax Hike
Zero Hedge - Despite tremendous political pressure, on Friday afternoon, the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System, which serves almost 400,000 teachers, voted to cut the assumed rate of return to 7% from 7.5%.... Gov. Bruce Rauner wanted TRS [Teachers’ Retirement System] to delay the decision... "With less than two hours' notice, Illinois taxpayers including our social service providers and small business owners were just handed a bill for nearly a half-billion dollars," [Rauner spokesman Lance] Trover said in a statement.... Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Illinois politicians decided on a short-term hit, despite knowing that by deciding to make pensioners whole on legacy funding promises, they put their own careers in jeopardy as the taxpayer blowback would be swift and merciless to the existing administration.... For now, however, the "hit" will end up as a new line item to local tax bills, first in Illinois then everywhere else, as the gradual bailout of pension funds by taxpayers across the nation (and then, the world) begins.

Another Canary in The Coal Mine...
EPautos - Sales of Chevy’s Camaro muscle car and its two rivals, the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger, have stalled.... This after several years of double digit increases. Now, the reverse is happening. Camaro is down an ominous 15.4 percent for the year to date (January to July) despite the current model benefitting from an update that few, if any people could find fault with.... Same thing over at Ford and Dodge. Both of their muscle cars have been improved recently and neither has lost any of the attributes that made them successful… until now.... So what’s up? The better question is, what’s down? How about the financial ability of the middle class buyer (this is the demographic that buys cars like these) to afford them? Or – perhaps more to the point – their willingness to buy them? Interest rates are still low; gas is still cheap. But such things don’t matter when you can’t afford the car itself. Or begin to fear not being able to afford other, more important things – like the monthly mortgage. Or (more coming) your Obamacare premium.

Science & Technology

AT&T doesn’t want to repay money it got from alleged overcharges
Ars Technica - Last month, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) that says AT&T overcharged the Florida school districts of Orange and Dixie by nearly 400 percent.... The phone service in question is paid for by US citizens through surcharges on phone bills. Those surcharges fund the E-rate program that subsidizes telecommunications for schools and libraries. Under this program, the FCC says AT&T is required to charge schools and libraries the lowest available rates. The commission says AT&T should repay $63,760 it improperly received from the FCC in subsidies and pay an additional fine of $106,425. AT&T argues that it wasn't actually required to charge the school districts the lowest available price, because the school districts decided to buy service on a month-to-month basis instead of signing one-year contracts.... The company is also fighting a $100 million fine the FCC proposed after accusing AT&T of throttling the wireless Internet connections of customers with unlimited data plans without adequately notifying the customers about the reduced speeds.

Microsoft Excel blamed for gene study errors
BBC News - Researchers trying to raise awareness of the issue claim that the spreadsheet software automatically converts the names of certain genes into dates. Gene symbols like SEPT2 (Septin 2) were found to be altered to "September 2".... The researchers claimed the problem is present in "approximately one-fifth of papers" that collated data in Excel documents. The trio, writing for the Melbourne-based academic institute Baker IDI, scanned 3,597 published scientific papers to conduct their study. They found 704 of those papers contained gene name errors created by Excel. Ewan Birney, director of the European Bioinformatics Institute, does not blame Excel and told the BBC: "What frustrates me is researchers are relying on Excel spreadsheets for clinical trials." The Excel gene renaming issue has been known among the scientific community for more than a decade, Birney added. He recommended that the program should only be considered for "lightweight scientific analysis".... Excel's automatic renaming of certain genes was first cited by the scientific community back in 2004, the Baker IDI study claims. Since then the problem has "increased at an annual rate of 15%" over the past five years.

Spotted: A Self-Driving Uber in Pittsburgh
Gizmodo - Pictures of self-driving Ubers are starting to emerge from Pittsburgh. Uber announced the launch earlier this month. While the cars do indeed drive themselves, there’s still going to be a human at the wheel. Which is probably a good idea! Uber is partnering with Volvo to roll out these self-driving cars.

Health

New research links excessive oxalates to breast cancer
(NaturalHealth365) …in reality, oxalates are neither good nor bad. They can become problematic, however, when too many of them accumulate in the body. When there’s too many oxalates – they can overwhelm the kidneys and lead to kidney stones and immune deficiency. Plus, according to a recent study, high levels of oxalate in the mammary area has been linked to breast cancer tumor growth as well. Oxalates (COOH), or oxalic acid, are strongly acidic substances that help both plants and animals in metabolization. About 60% to 80% of oxalates are formed by the body’s functions themselves. The other 20 to 40% of oxalates come from food…. The following foods contain a high amount of oxalates overall: Rhubarb, Chocolate, Spinach, Beet greens, Swiss chard, Some nuts, especially almonds, cashews and peanuts, Some berries, especially gooseberries, Lemon and lime peel, Some grains and pastas (except brown rice), Some legumes, especially navy beans, black beans and soybeans, Okra [and] Parsley…. Three ways to reduce your oxalate levels: 1. Obtain calcium from natural foods - When calcium is combined with foods that are high in oxalates within the intestines, the two together form an oxalate-calcium crystal that the body cannot absorb. When this happens, a “stone” is formed that will make its way to the kidneys to eventually be eliminated in the urine. 2. Be aware of your protein intake… 3. Maintain good intestinal flora…

Ingenious First Aid Blanket Is Covered With Instructions To Save Lives
Natural Blaze - You never know when disaster might strike. And, not everyone is CPR-certified or capable of thinking clearly during tense situations. Fortunately, researchers of Zhejiang University in China have developed a first-aid blanket which may help save lives. The clever blanket is covered with instructions describing what to do in an emergency situation. From correctly administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to helping unblock airways, the blanket is encrypted with knowledge average citizens may rely on as they wait for paramedics to arrive and take over. or understandable reasons, the blanket won the prestigious Red Dot Award for conceptual design in 2014. Little is known about when the blanket might be available for purchase, but Ippinka relays that it is more than likely the life-saving invention will be sold in stores in the near future.

NYC allows doctors to prescribe fresh fruit and vegetables as treatment for obesity; FDA declares veggies 'unapproved drugs'
(NaturalNews) …a program embraced by New York City is newsworthy. Dubbed the "Fruit and Vegetables Prescription Program," it allows doctors to "prescribe" fresh fruit and vegetables to overweight or obese patients by giving them "Health Bucks" that are redeemable at local farmer's markets…. This program makes New York City the largest U.S. city to officially acknowledge that fruits and vegetables have a role to play in preventing chronic degenerative disease -- an idea that the FDA insists is delusional. According to the FDA, there is no such thing as any fruit, vegetable, supplement or superfood that has any ability whatsoever to prevent, treat or cure any disease. And according to the FDA, the mere "prescribing" of a food as something to prevent obesity automatically transforms that food into a "drug." Under current FDA regulations, then, NYC is guilty of promoting "unapproved drugs" which are really just fruits and vegetables. But that's how FDA logic works.

4 Reasons Why You Should Wash Your Face With Apple Cider Vinegar
David Wolfe - #1 – Age Spot Removal - The alpha hydroxy acids in apple cider vinegar work away old, dead skin that’s overstayed its welcome. Place a dab of apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball and apply it directly to the spot. Let the vinegar sit there for about 30 minutes, then wash the spot and dry it. Repeat this twice a day. You should notice significant changes within a matter of weeks. #2 – Acne Treatment - It will remove harmful bacteria as well as excess dirt and debris from your pores. Get yourself some apple cider vinegar and dilute it in water at a ratio of one part ACV to three parts water. Then, soak a cotton pad in this mixture and apply it directly to your face after you’ve washed it. Do this twice daily. #3 – Wrinkle Reduction - Apple cider vinegar contains beta-carotene – an antioxidant that combats the free radical damage behind wrinkles and other signs of aging. When applied to skin, it restores a youthful, healthy appearance. Dilute your ACV as per the instructions in the last point. Get yourself a cotton pad, soak it in the mixture and apply this directly to the wrinkles. #4 – Toxin Removal - Apple cider vinegar is a diuretic; it promotes the excretion of toxins and waste…. If you’ve got particularly sensitive skin, using an apple cider vinegar mixture that’s too strong can burn you. After you’ve diluted it, test the mixture on a small area of your hand. If it feels fine, go on to test it on a small area of your face. If you feel uncomfortable burning, add more water and try again until it no longer hurts.

Pet News

5 Natural Remedies for Your Pet's Nausea
Dr. Becker - If your pet tends to suffer with sporadic bouts of nausea and vomiting, the first thing you should do, if you haven’t already, is make an appointment with your veterinarian…. Once Fido or Tiger has received a clean bill of health from your vet, you can start experimenting with natural remedies to relieve his occasional upset stomach. As always, I highly recommend that you consult with a holistic or integrative veterinarian on the most appropriate remedies and dosing for your individual pet. 1. Herbs - Catnip is a very effective herb for calming a pet with an upset stomach. I recommend using a glycerine tincture, about 12 to 20 drops for every 20 pounds of body weight. You can also combine fennel with catnip to treat your pet’s nausea. Other herbs that help with indigestion and nausea include peppermint, dill, and one of my personal favorites, ginger. I recommend using fresh ground ginger or the dry herb, in the following amounts mixed into a delectable meatball… 2. Kefir - Some pet parents swear by the benefits of kefir to soothe their dog’s or cat’s indigestion. Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that contains beneficial probiotics. Although regular, pasteurized cow's milk can be irritating to pets' GI tracts, fermented milk is different. 3. Flower Essences - Many pet parents have good luck treating their pet’s nervous nausea with Bach Flower essences such as Scleranthus, Rock Rose, or Rescue Remedy.



Friday - August 26, 2016 - Today In History:

1842 - The first fiscal year was established by the U.S. Congress to start on July 1st.
1847 - Liberia was proclaimed as an independent republic.
1873 - The school board of St. Louis, MO, authorized the first U.S. public kindergarten.
1920 - The 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect. The amendment prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in the voting booth.
1934 - Adolf Hitler demanded that France turn over their Saar region to Germany.
1937 - All Chinese shipping was blockaded by Japan.
1945 - The Japanese were given surrender instructions on the U.S. battleship Missouri at the end of World War II.
1957 - It was announced that an intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully tested by the Soviet Union.
1957 - The first Edsel made by the Ford Motor Company rolled of the assembly line.
1973 - A U.S. Presidential Proclamation was declared that made August 26th Women's Equality Day.
1981 - The U.S. claimed that North Korea fired an antiaircraft missile at a U.S. Surveillance plane while it was over South Korea.
1990 - The 55 Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait left Baghdad by car and headed for the Turkish border.
1991 - Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev promised that national elections would be held.
1992 - A "no-fly zone" was imposed on the southern 1/3 of Iraq. The move by the U.S., France and Britain was aimed at protecting Iraqi Shiite Muslims.
1998 - The U.S. government announced that they were investigating Microsoft in an attempt to discover if they "bullied" Intel into delaying new technology.
2003 - Investigators concluded that NASA's overconfident management and inattention to safety doomed the space shuttle Columbia as much as damage to the craft did.

World News

Turkey sends more tanks to Syria, town of Jarablus ‘being cleansed’ of ISIS
RT - More Turkish tanks have crossed the border into Syria in a military operation ostensibly aimed at taking the border town of Jarablus from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). Damascus has called the move “a blatant violation of sovereignty.” According to a witness cited by Reuters, at least nine Turkish tanks entered northern Syria on Thursday morning. AFP and Haberturk TV also reported that more Turkish tanks and machinery had entered Syria. Some 20 tanks are already inside the country, a Turkish official confirmed to Reuters, adding that additional tanks and machinery would be sent in as required.,,, US Secretary of State John Kerry told Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday that the People’s Protection Units (YPG) are moving back to the east side of the Euphrates River, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources told Reuters. YPG, a Kurdish militia that claims to be fighting Islamic State, is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, but is backed by the US.

Russia urges ‘caution’ on UN’s Syria chemical weapons report, will talk to US
RT - Russia’s UN envoy has called on the international community not to draw “hasty conclusions” from a year-long UN investigation that blames the Syrian government for carrying out two chemical weapons attacks in the past two years, and Islamic State for one. “We shouldn’t come to hasty conclusions. We need to step very carefully here,” Vitaly Churkin told the Russian media in New York, saying Russia needs more time to study the 95-page report. The UN Security Council-backed investigation was conducted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN’s Joint Investigative Mechanism, a body known as JIM that investigated nine separate chemical weapons attacks that had been previously verified by the OPCW. All incidents occurred after 2013, when Syria handed over its chemical weapons arsenal to international monitors. In six instances, JIM was not able to definitively apportion blame, in two cases, in Idlib in 2014 and 2015, the report said that government forces had used chlorine gas – which was not removed in 2013 due to its civilian uses, but is forbidden on the battlefield. In one case, Islamic State appeared to have used mustard gas in Marea in August of 2015. Churkin said that the findings were notable, as “usually all blame gets assigned to the Syrian government.”

The Death Toll in Yemen Is So High the Red Cross Has Started Donating Morgues to Hospitals
Blacklisted News - Almost a year and a half into Saudi Arabia’s U.S.-backed bombing campaign in Yemen, the humanitarian toll has become so extensive that the International Committee of the Red Cross has taken the unusual step of donating entire morgue units to Yemeni hospitals. “The hospitals were not able to cope,” said Rima Kamal, a Yemen-based spokesperson for the Red Cross. “You could have more than 20 dead people brought into one hospital on one single day. The morgue capacity at a regular hospital is not equipped to handle this influx of dead bodies.”

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Judge orders search of new Clinton emails for release by September 13
Reuters - A U.S. judge ordered the State Department on Thursday to release by Sept. 13 any emails it finds between Hillary Clinton and the White House from the week of the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, among the thousands of additional emails uncovered by federal investigators. The order came after the Federal Bureau of Investigation gave the department a disc earlier this month containing 14,900 emails to and from Clinton and other documents it said it had recovered that she did not return to the government…. Judge William Dimitrouleas of the U.S. District Court in southern Florida made his order in response to a request by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, which is suing the State Department for Clinton-era records under freedom of information laws.

FBI Admits Clinton Used Software Designed To "Prevent Recovery" And "Hide Traces Of" Deleted Emails (Video)
Zero Hedge - South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy appeared on Fox News today and disclosed new details about the Clinton email scandal that seem to indicate intent to destroy evidence. Gowdy reveals that Clinton used "BleachBit" to erase the "personal" emails from her private server. For those not familiar with the software, BleachBit is intended to help users delete files in a way to "prevent recovery" and "hide traces of files deleted." Per the BleachBit website: Beyond simply deleting files, BleachBit includes advanced features such as shredding files to prevent recovery, wiping free disk space to hide traces of files deleted by other applications, and vacuuming Firefox to make it faster. During his appearance on Fox, Gowdy clearly indicates that Clinton's use of BleachBit undermines her claims that she only deleted innocuous "personal" emails from her private server. Gowdy also questioned whether Hillary considered "Clinton Foundation" emails to be "personal" and, if not, asked why the FBI's investigation revealed minimal emails about Foundation-related topics.

1/3 of Abedin emails 100% redacted
WND - Judicial Watch’s release this week of 725 pages of State Department emails involving Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin demonstrates the Obama administration considers a large percentage of the emails sent through Clinton’s private server too sensitive for Congress or the American public to read. Of the 725 pages, more than 250 pages were 100 percent redacted, many with “PAGE DENIED” stamped in bold. Judicial Watch said the new cache includes previously unreleased email exchanges in which former Abedin “provided influential Clinton Foundation donors special, expedited access to the secretary of state.” Judicial Watch added that in many instances, the preferential treatment provided to donors was at the specific request of Clinton Foundation executive Douglas Band…. “The Abedin emails reveal that the longtime Clinton aide apparently served as a conduit between Clinton Foundation donors and Hillary Clinton while Clinton served as secretary of state. In more than a dozen email exchanges, Abedin provided expedited, direct access to Clinton for donors who had contributed from $25,000 to $10 million to the Clinton Foundation,” Judicial Watch said in a statement announcing the release.

FBI reports regarding Hillary Clinton & Vince Foster that have gone missing (Video)
David Knight - In an exclusive interview with InfoWars, Roger Stone reviewed, in detail, how physical evidence contradicted the official story that Vince Foster committed suicide in the park. Stone said whether it was murder or suicide, “Hillary Clinton was the one who ordered this body moved. In her book, Hard Choices — which you can find in the fiction section at Barnes & Noble — she specifically says that upon hearing of Vince’s death, her immediate concern was that his office would become a crime scene and that federal investigators into his demise would have access to their most sensitive personal records. Which is precisely why Hillary ordered a guy named Livingston and a guy named Kennedy — by the way if you boys are out there and you want to sue me, bring it on — they moved the body.” According to testimony from former FBI agent Jim Clemente and his supervisory agent Coy Copeland, the missing National Archive documents had testimony recalling Hillary humiliating Foster and essentially saying you’ll never work in this town again.

Boston Police Department remains tight-lipped about helicopter exercise with defense department
Fox 25 - For several days this week, people in Boston and the surrounding area have heard large helicopters flying around the area. FOX25 found a video posted on YouTube showing several helicopters flying low above the high rise buildings in Boston. Boston police sent out a community advisory to alert residents about a planned training exercise in conjunction with the defense department. The advisory said the training is not in response to any world events. FOX25 reached out to the Boston Police Department and was told “specifics are kept mysterious for good reason.”… The exercise is expected to continue until Friday, and FOX25 is told the Boston Police Department will release more information after it ends.

Police use 'Pay-By-Plate' to "hotlist" motorists across the country
MassPrivateI - Police State America has devised a new way to track dissidents or person's of interest, they're calling it Pay-By-Plate. Raytheon's Pay-By-Plate system will allow police to "hotlist" motorists across the country. What are vehicle "hotlists"? Page 6, of the Cincinnati Police Dept.'s, "Success in Automated License Plate Recognition Technology" report, reveals what vehicle "hotlists" actually mean. Terrorist Watch Alerts, Amber Alerts, Part 1 Crimes, Drug Trafficking, NCIC National Crime Center), LEADS (Law Enforcement Agencies Data System), RCIC and other regional wanted vehicles (Regional Crime Information Center), Warrants, Stolen, Delinquent, Etc…. The nature of the LPR collected from private sources tends to be stationary vehicles and/or vehicles entering into parking and/or other access controlled locations…providing law enforcement with detailed precise and targeted historical location information for vehicles of interest…. According to a Boston Globe article, 'detailed precise' toll transactions are being stored indefinitely by the MassDOT. The MassDOT claims, they don't have any plans to use the information to ticket speeding motorists yet!… [The] Feds claim they're only taking pictures of our license plates [but] If you look closely at the above picture, you can see two surveillance cameras, one that takes a picture of the front of the vehicle, and one that's aimed at the rear of the vehicle. Raytheon's Vigilant Solutions, ' National Vehicle Location Service' cameras can identify drivers and passengers faces in "near real time", flagging any 'person of interest’…. Raytheon's surveillance cameras can be found everywhere, from traffic intersections to store fronts and inside businesses across the country.

Pennsylvania Children with Genetic Disorder Medically Kidnapped, Mother Falsely Accused of Abuse
Health Impact News - Pennsylvania mother Jessica Battiato has been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome - a rare inherited connective tissue disorder which can cause brittle bones which may be easily broken. When she took her first-born son to the doctor more than a year ago for a swollen leg, she was shocked to learn that he had 18 to 20 fractures in his body. Cesar was seized by child protective services. Since that time, experts have diagnosed him with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, low vitamin D, and infantile rickets. However, after more than a year, the state has still not released Cesar back to his parents. In April, Jessica gave birth to another baby. Jessica hid her pregnancy from Berks County social workers out of fear that they would take her baby from her as soon as he was born. This fear appears justified, as social workers around the country often seize babies, even breastfeeding babies, right from the hospital, especially if another child in the family is already in the system. Jessica was afraid, so she sought prenatal care and gave birth on April 27 in another county. She and the boys' father Cosme were able to bond and spend those very important early weeks bonding together. Then, when baby Julius was 7 weeks old, Jessica says that she applied for Medicaid for him. That was when their family time ended. Their new baby was taken by Berks County Children and Family Services, and Jessica is once again being accused of child abuse.

Election News

Assange: New Hillary Info Could Swing Election “If it Catches Fire” (Video)
Paul Joseph Watson - Asked by Fox News host Megyn Kelly if he thought the information in Wikileaks’ possession could be a “game-changer” in the U.S. election given that Hillary is currently ahead in the polls, Assange responded in the affirmative…. Elsewhere in the interview, Assange vowed that the information would be released before November 8 and that there was “thousands of pages of material” which would be released in staged batches. “People have a right to understand who it is they’re electing,” said Assange, adding that the information comprised of “a variety of different types of documents, from different types of institutions that are associated with the election campaign, some quite unexpected angles that are quite interesting, some even entertaining.”… Other leaks could come from the additional 14,900 emails in the possession of the FBI. On Tuesday, Wikileaks tweeted that it would be releasing some of this “bombshell” information.

Hillary Defines The Enemy: You! Clinton Calls 31M Breitbart Readers ‘Racists,’ White Supremacists, Ku Klux Klan Members…
Breitbart - Amid a deafening chorus calling for the closure of her corrupt foundation to stop bagging foreign cash for favors, embattled Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has decided to label 31 million people as racists, simply because they don’t agree with her: The Clinton campaign attack ad targeting Donald Trump portrays Breitbart News employees and readers as racists, white supremacists, and members of the Ku Klux Klan. The ad includes shots of men dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes followed by footage of crowded Trump rallies. One shot shows Stephen K. Bannon, who temporarily stepped down as executive chairman of Breitbart News, standing in front of a mural depicting the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Paranoid Hillary Smears Alex Jones During Conspiracy-Obsessed Rant (Video)
Paul Joseph Watson - The speech in Reno was billed as Hillary’s moment to demonize Trump by equating him with racist, white supremacist conspiracy theorists, but she ended up weaving a giant fairytale of her own, reinvoking the vast “right wing conspiracy” that she has been ridiculed for hammering on in the past. Except this time it’s former KGB agent and Russian President Vladimir Putin who is somehow the evil genius secretly controlling Infowars, Breitbart, Nigel Farage and the entire Alt-Right. Hillary said Putin is, “The godfather of this global brand of extreme nationalism.”… Hillary also accused Trump of “taking hate groups mainstream,” the very thing that her and Barack Obama have done by supporting ‘Black Lives Matter’ – a group that has inspired the murder of police officers and whose ideological inspiration is a convicted cop killer on the FBI’s Most Wanted Domestic Terrorists list. Clinton attacked Trump for appearing on the Alex Jones Show, claiming that Jones “said the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre were child actors and no one was actually killed there.” In reality, Jones has never claimed that nobody died at Sandy Hook. As Infowars Editor-at-Large, I’ve been attacked repeatedly for saying the very opposite. Hillary also savaged Trump for becoming embroiled in 9/11 conspiracy theories for saying that Muslims celebrated on 9/11. As we have documented, reports from the day itself clearly suggest that yes Muslims in New Jersey did indeed celebrate the 9/11 attacks.

Hillary Slams ‘KKK’ Trump But Her “Friend and Mentor” Was KKK Leader Robert Byrd
Paul Joseph Watson - Hillary Clinton’s new campaign strategy is to claim that Donald Trump is the candidate of the KKK, conveniently leaving out the fact that Hillary herself described Robert Byrd – a KKK leader who once called black people “mongrels,” as her “friend and mentor”. Earlier today, the Clinton campaign released a video which “makes the case that Donald Trump is the candidate of racists, white supremacists and neo-Nazis.” “The reason a lot of Klan members like Donald Trump is because a lot of what he believes, we believe in,” says a robed KKK Imperial Wizard in the clip. Hillary is also set to give a speech today in which she will attack the Trump-supporting “Alt-Right” by demonizing it as racist and misogynistic. However, Hillary’s attempt to denounce Trump by linking him with the KKK is laced with hypocrisy because Hillary herself called once praised ex-KKK kingpin Robert Byrd as her “friend and mentor”. Byrd became the leader of a KKK chapter when he was 24-years-old because he didn’t want to fight alongside “race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds,” during World War II. “I shall never fight in the armed forces with a negro by my side,” vowed Byrd in a 1944 letter to Sen. Theodore Bilbo (D-MS). Byrd subsequently wrote another letter in 1946 in which he asserted that, “The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation.
* Related Video/Article: Clinton ad ties Trump to KKK, white supremacists

Corruption: Did Hillary Just Manipulate Stock Prices Using Twitter?
Kit Daniels - Hillary Clinton’s recent tweet attacking biotech firms lowered their stocks significantly, but not before an insider made a 2900% profit by “predicting” biotech stocks would collapse. On Aug. 24, Hillary blasted the biotech sector over recent price hikes for autoinjectors – which she reportedly uses herself to prevent seizures – but roughly three hours before Hillary sent out her tweet, a stock trader placed an usual “put option” that the biotechnology index would collapse within two days. The put option, which gives the owner the right – but not the obligation – to sell an asset at a “strike” price (in this case $290 – far below the trading price), was set to expire on Aug. 26 and would have been completely worthless unless Hillary sent out her tweet. “These puts for IBB [the biotech sector index] 290.00 strike with an expiration date of August 26th were worthless before [Hillary’s] tweet,” a diagram uploaded to Imgur revealed. “Roughly three hours before the tweet goes out, an usual block order worth $1900 is executed.” “Far above normal volume for a worthless strike price.” But once Hillary sent out the tweet, the stock did collapse below $290 per share, and whoever made the “prediction” just made a ton of money.

Economy & Business

"Things Are Worse" - Dollar Stores' Startling Admission: Half Of US Consumers Are In Dire Straits
Zero Hedge - Discount retailer Dollar General said it was cutting prices on its most popular items such as bread, eggs and milk, intensifying a price war among already commoditized products with retail giant Wal-Mart Stores to win back falling market share. It shares fell the most on record, plunging by 18% after the company missed on revenue, blaming aggressive competition, lower food prices and reduction in SNAP, or food stamp, coverage in 20 key states…. But the biggest factor by far impacting the performance of both dollar stores was the sharp, adverse turn in the purchasing power of the lower half of US consumers. Both Dollar General and Dollar Tree said pressures on their core lower-income shoppers contributed to the same-store sales misses that both retailers reported. On today's conference call, Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said that he was surprised to admit that while on the surface things are supposed to be getting better, the reality is vastly different for low-income US consumers: ”I know that when we look at globally the overall U.S. population, it seems like things are getting better. But when you really start breaking it down and you look at that core consumer that we serve on the lower economic scale that's out there, that demographic, things have not gotten any better for her, and arguably, they're worse. And they're worse, because rents are accelerating, healthcare is accelerating."

GM cleared in second U.S. verdict over crash blamed on ignition switch
Reuters - A Texas jury said on Thursday a General Motors Co ignition switch, linked to nearly 400 injuries and deaths, was not to blame for a fatal 2011 crash, according to a company statement. The verdict in Harris County, Texas, was the second in favor of GM this year in lawsuits over the now recalled ignition switch. Plaintiff Zachary Stevens alleged that a defective switch caused him to lose control of his 2007 Saturn Sky and crash into another vehicle, killing the other driver. GM said his reckless driving was at fault. During the trial, which opened on Aug. 9, Stevens’ lawyers pushed back against GM and noted their client suffered a severe head wound in the crash. Manslaughter charges initially filed against him were dropped after GM recalled 2.6 million vehicles with the switch in 2014, according to his lawsuit…. The case was the third involving the switch to go to trial since the beginning of the year. The first was voluntarily dismissed by plaintiffs during the trial, and the second resulted in a verdict clearing GM of liability for a 2014 crash in New Orleans.

Energy & Environment

Nuclear waste accident 2 years ago may cost more than $2 billion to clean up
Ars Technica - According to the LA Times, the 2014 explosion at the WIPP was downplayed by the federal government, with the Department of Energy (DoE) putting out statements indicating that cleanup was progressing quickly. Indeed, a 2015 Recovery Plan insisted that "limited waste disposal operations" would resume in the first quarter of 2016. Instead, two years have passed since the incident without any indication that smaller nuclear waste cleanup programs around the US will be able to deliver their waste to the New Mexico facility any time soon. The 2014 explosion apparently occurred when engineers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory were preparing a drum of plutonium and americium waste—usually packed with kitty litter (yes, kitty litter)—and decided to "substitute an organic material for a mineral one." "The new material caused a complex chemical reaction that blew the lid off a drum, sending mounds of white, radioactive foam into the air and contaminating 35 percent of the underground area," the LA Times wrote. The dump's filtration system, which was supposed to "prevent any radioactive releases," subsequently failed.

New Study Finds Living Near a Fracking Site Is Tied to Migraines and Fatigue
Natural Blaze - New research indicates that living near a natural gas hydraulic fracturing site is associated with increased rates of sinus problems, migraines and fatigue in Pennsylvania residents – a state that has over 9,700 fracking wells. This study is the latest in mounting scientific evidence and research proving that fracking has severe health risks. It follows a July 2016 Johns Hopkins study showing that fracking is linked to increased asthma attacks in Pennsylvania, a recent analysis of over 680 peer-reviewed studies that indicate ‘concerns for public health, air quality and water quality,’ and a compendium of peer-reviewed scientific papers, numerous government reports and findings, demonstrating the risks of fracking to public health, air and water quality, birth and infant health, the environment, and climate change.

Science & Technology

ZigBee Radio Transmitter: How Many Do You Have?
Natural Blaze - Every “smart” appliance in your home has what’s called a “ZigBee radio transmitter” installed by the manufacturer, which spies on your usage and reports back to Big Brother, i.e., the utility company for now, but will tie into the Internet of Things in the very near future. The ZigBee chip allows each appliance’s electronic signature to be recorded so utilities and others, who track your data, can determine which appliance is being used, length of time, etc. thereby providing a profile of when you are home or someone’s in the house using appliances, plus the awful realization that your information relay can be HACKED by any two-bit hacker for any nefarious reason: burglary, surveillance, or whatever…. The ZigBee is a combined chip device containing a transmitter, receiver and antenna radio circuit that sends back to the utility the consumer’s usage data, plus is capable of receiving instructions from the utility company too. Think forced “brown outs” during peak summer air conditioner usage or turning off your utility service for whatever reason the utility elects. The ZigBee radio transmitter NEVER sleeps; constantly produces EMFs; and you can’t turn it off, like you can your cell phone or computer. Basically, with your AMI Smart Meter ZigBee you’re living inside a microwave-oven-like atmosphere, since the AMI Smart Meter ZigBee operates at 2.4 GHz microwave frequency and radiates out for 250 to 300 feet! Plus all the added ZigBees’ radiation from your appliances!… The sad fact about the ZigBee chip is that manufacturers protect it indefinitely by tying it into the smart appliance warranty. If you remove the ZigBee chip, the appliance warranty becomes null and void.

Health

Doctors Disciplined for Misconduct Remain on Industry Payroll as Consultants and Speakers
AllGov -The analysis identified at least 2,300 doctors who received industry payments between Aug. 2013 and Dec. 2015 despite histories of misconduct. Hundreds of doctors were disciplined for severe offenses, including providing poor care, inappropriately prescribing medications, bilking insurance programs, even sexual misconduct. At least 40 physicians had their licenses revoked, in most cases permanently. More than 180 had their licenses restricted. Almost 250 were placed on probation.

HRT can triple breast cancer risk
What Doctors Don't Tell You - If you’re suffering through the menopause, think twice before you turn to HRT (hormone replacement therapy): it really does increase your risk of breast cancer. Women who take it for a long time triple their risk, a major new study has discovered. The risk is twice as bad as previous studies had warned, and it increases the longer women take it. By the time a woman has taken it for 15 years or more, her risk has more than trebled, but the average time women take HRT is five or so years, and for them the risk is slightly under three times. The risk seems to be only with the combined estrogen plus progestogen HRT, and there’s no risk associated with the estrogen-only version. The risk also recedes rapidly once a woman stops taking it, say researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research…. Although most studies for the past 15 years have seen an association with breast cancer, the latest one has discovered that the risk is twice as high. Previous studies hadn’t kept on top of the data, the researchers say, which would explain why the risk has been under-stated.

General Mills Sued over Glyphosate Contamination in ‘Natural’ Nature Valley Snack
Sustainable Pulse - Three U.S. based non profit organizations filed a lawsuit against General Mills on Thursday for misleading the public by labeling their Nature Valley brand granola bars “Made with 100% NATURAL whole grain OATS.” It was recently discovered that the herbicide chemical glyphosate, an ingredient in Roundup and hundreds of other glyphosate-based herbicides, is present in the Nature Valley granola bars, which consumers expect to be natural and free of toxins. Moms Across America, Beyond Pesticides and Organic Consumers Association with The Richman Law Group filed jointly on behalf of the non profit members in Washington DC under the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act…. Proponents of glyphosate herbicide use may claim that the residue levels found in many foods and beverages in America recently are below the EPA allowable levels established in 2014, and therefore consumers have no reason to be concerned. However, a 2015 study published in the journal Environmental Health finds that chronic, low-dose exposure to glyphosate as low as .1 parts per billion (ppb) leads to adverse effects on liver and kidney health.

Balance your blood sugar without toxic drugs
(NaturalHealth365) As we know, an unhealthy diet – high in processed foods and sugars – is one of the key villains that help to create the vicious cycle of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance typically follows a period of excessively high insulin secretion, which in turn is the result of eating – you guessed it – excessive amounts of processed carbohydrates. In this vicious cycle, excess weight – especially around the belly – leads to more insulin resistance and inflammation, which in turn lead to greater amount of insulin resistance…. Chia seeds, the seeds of the desert plant Salvia hispanica, are true heavy hitters when it comes to warding off blood sugar imbalances. Because of their tendency to become gelatinous in the stomach, these tiny seeds slow the digestion of carbohydrates, delaying the process of turning them into a simple sugar – making chia seeds a perfect food for people with insulin resistance. In addition, chia seeds help to curb the appetite and reduce the urge to overeat – which can elevate blood sugar. Plus, when it comes to the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, chia seeds are perfect. A true ‘anti-inflammatory superfood.’ Dr. Loscalzo recommends that we eat a tablespoon or two of chia seeds with meals. Of course, use only organic chia seeds and you’ll reap the rewards of better blood sugar control. Bottom line, you don’t need drugs to balance blood sugar levels.

Homemade Hemp Milk Recipe
David Wolfe - Hemp milk is a nutritious and delicious plant-milk that contains about 7g of plant-protein per cup, plus a variety of vitamins, mineral and healthy fats, including omega-3s. In addition to being creamier than store-bought hemp milk, it is a higher quality option. Store-bought hemp milk often contains a variety of preservatives, thickeners, and fillers, not to mention added sugar. . Requiring only 2 minutes to prepare, whipping this up is a lot faster than a trip to the grocery store! This homemade hemp milk should last about 5 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. Ingredients: 4 cups water, 1 cup hemp seed, 8 pitted medjool dates (or more depending on desired sweetness) [and] 1/4 tsp. vanilla (optional), Place all ingredients in a high speed blender*, and blend on high for 1 minute, or until completely smooth. Pour into sealable glass jars and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Pet News

Bugs and Pesticides in the Pet Food, Shared by an Employee
Susan Thixton - They are afraid of losing their job, so most will not talk. But when the brave few do, what we learn is horrifying. The following is what was just shared with me by a pet food manufacturing employee. This information (with further details) has been reported to FDA, the specific State Department of Agriculture, the specific state OSHA office, and the specific state pesticide compliance office. Batches of pet food have been recently shipped out that are below protein levels required by regulation and that do not meet the protein percentage stated on the Guaranteed Analysis on the pet food label. I was told the pet food manufacturer was well aware of the low protein, but instructed employees to ship the pet food anyway. Of more significant concern is the recent use of “bad grains”. Recent shipments of grains were “very buggy” (bug infested grain). Pesticides were applied to the grains at the pet food plant, and then the pesticide contaminated, bug infested grains were processed into pet food. The employee I spoke with was very concerned not only to the condition of the pet food, but for employee exposure to pesticides as well. The name of the pet food company and the exact brand name cannot be disclosed publicly (authorities are aware)…. My suggestion to all, know your pet food company well. Ask lots of questions and if your gut tells you the answer didn’t sound right, listen to your gut. There are good companies that would never use bug infested, pesticide contaminated ingredients. But please know there are some who don’t think twice about it. Know your pet food company well.



Thursday - August 25, 2016 - Today In History:

1718 - Hundreds of colonists from France arrived in Louisiana. Some settled in present-day New Orleans.
1814 - The U.S. Library of Congress was destroyed by British forces.
1875 - Captain Matthew Webb swam from Dover, England, to Calais, France making him the first person to swim the English Channel.
1916 - The National Park Service was established as part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
1920 - The first airplane to fly from New York to Alaska arrived in Nome.
1921 - The U.S. signed a peace treaty with Germany.
1941 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the bill appropriating funds for construction of the Pentagon.
1944 - Paris, France, was liberated by Allied forces ending four years of German occupation.
1944 - Romania declared war on Germany.
1950 - U.S. President Truman ordered the seizure of U.S. railroads to avert a strike.
1972 - In Great Britain, computerized axial tomography (CAT scan) was introduced.
1988 - Iran and Iraq began talks in Geneva after ending their eight years of war.
1990 - Military action was authorized by the United Nations to enforce the trade embargo that had been placed on Iraq after their invasion of Kuwait.
1991 - Byelorussia declared independence from the Soviet Union.
1997 - The tobacco industry agreed to an $11.3 billion settlement with the state of Florida.
1998 - A survey released said that 1/3 of Americans use the Internet.

World News

‘Blatant violation of sovereignty’: Damascus condemns Turkish operation in Jarablus
RT - Damascus denounced Turkey’s joint military operation with the Syrian rebels aimed at re-taking the Syrian border town of Jarablus from Islamic State militants (IS, former ISIS/ISIL). Damascus said it considers Turkish troops’ incursion into Syria a violation of its sovereignty. Damascus condemned Turkish incursion into the Syrian territory after Turkey’s tanks and Special Forces supported by the Turkish and US aircraft and Syrian rebels launched an offensive on the Syrian northern border town of Jarablus, calling it “a national security issue.” Syrian government officials said that any side willing to fight terrorism on the Syrian territory should cooperate with the authorities and the Syrian Army, “which has been fighting terrorism for over five years,” as reported by SANA news agency. Syrian government called the Turkish operation a “blatant violation of the sovereignty” of Syria, adding that “replacing” Islamic State with “other terrorist organizations backed directly by Turkey” cannot be regarded as a fight against terrorism…. The Syrian UN envoy also said Wednesday that the Syrian government did not request any such aid from Turkey and stressed that all foreign forces fighting terrorism in Syria should coordinate their actions with the Syrian Army.
* Related: Turkey Invades Syria, Backed By U.S.

US airstrike against ISIS ‘may have’ killed civilians – CENTCOM
RT - American jets targeting Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria may have killed an unknown number of civilians during an airstrike Tuesday, the US Central Command has said. “Reports indicate that what appeared to be a non-military vehicle drove into the target area after the weapon was released from the aircraft,” CENTCOM said in a statement Wednesday, referring to Tuesday’s airstrike near the self-proclaimed capital of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).“The vehicle's occupants may have perished as a result of the strike.” US bombers were targeting a “weapons facility” outside of Raqqa, CENTCOM said, adding that officials at joint task force level will review the incident and decide whether it warrants an investigation. Raqqa, under control of jihadist rebels since March 2013, was declared the capital of the self-proclaimed Caliphate in January 2014. In October that year, Washington launched a campaign against IS, eventually named “Inherent Resolve.” The US war effort is coordinated by CENTCOM, from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

US Destroyer Intercepted at High Speed by Iranian Vessels Near Strait of Hormuz (VIDEO)
Sputnik News - According to US defense officials, the guided missile destroyer USS Nitze was intercepted by four Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The American destroyer was operating in international waters alongside the USS Mason when officials say four Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels performed a "high-speed intercept" of the Nitze. "These sorts of unsafe and unprofessional actions can lead to escalation and miscalculation, which may necessitate additional defensive measures," said Cmdr. Bill Urban, public affairs officer for US Naval Forces Central Command, according to Stars and Stripes. He added that over the past year and a half, roughly 10 percent of Iran’s interactions with the US Navy were deemed unprofessional. The US destroyer allegedly attempted to make radio contact with the vessels, but received no response. Crewmembers then sounded the Nitze’s ship whistle, a naval signal meant to express that the ship is unclear about another vessel’s intentions. The destroyer then fired ten flares toward the Revolution Guard vessels, still without response. According to the statement, the Revolutionary Guard forced the Nitze to change course in order to avoid a potential collision. After coming within 300 yards of the Nitze, the Iranian vessels left.

50 U.S. Nuclear Bombs Are Housed At A Base 70 Miles From ISIS — ‘The Warning Bells Are Ringing’
Off the Grid News - Thousands of Turks tried to take control of a US Air Force base this summer, where at least 50 nuclear bombs are stored, raising the possibility that radical Islamists could take control of dozens of America’s most dangerous weapons. The facility, Incirlik Air Force Base, is just 70 miles from Syria, where ISIS is fighting. Adding to the tension, Turkey Wednesday sent tanks into Syria to battle ISIS. Some estimates put the number of bombs at the facility as high as 90.

State Dept urges US citizens to leave Gaza 'as soon as possible'
RT - The US State Department has urged Americans in the Gaza Strip to leave the area “as soon as possible.” The announcement follows an escalation between Palestinian militants and the Israeli military over the weekend. “Gaza is under the control of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization. The security environment within Gaza and on its borders is dangerous and volatile,” the travel warning statement reads. The State Department warned Americans against “all travel” to Gaza and urged those present to “depart as soon as possible when border crossings open.” The warning follows a flare-up Sunday, which began when a rocket was fired from the Strip on the Israeli border town of Sderot. In response, Israel launched dozes of strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza. Four people were wounded by the Israeli strikes, according to Palestinian medical officials. No injuries were reported from the rocket fired by Palestinian militants.

'Threat is real': France to deploy 3k troops, prepare students for terror attacks on schools
RT - France will deploy around 3,000 reserve troops to provide security to schools, education and security ministers have announced. Anti-terror drills aimed at preparing students for potential attacks will also be ramped up…. All students aged 13-14 will be adding basic life-saving measures to their portfolio of skills, in case they need to provide assistance to classmates in a worse-case scenario…. Around 500 school administrators will also be trained each year at the national gendarme training center to manage crisis centers and act as liaisons with security officials. Vallaud-Belkacem said during the press conference that the new plans are “not about ceding to panic or paranoia,” but conceded that “the threat is high, it is real.” In addition […] security forces have been ordered to be particularly vigilant around schools, and some 3,000 gendarme reservists will be deployed to provide reinforcement for local authorities, including police, Reuters reported…. The government has decided to provide 50 million euros ($56.2 million) to local councils to help them pay for security equipment such as video door phones and new alarm systems.

Norway to build fence on border with Russia to curb refugee inflow
Rt - Norway is planning to build a steel fence at its only border crossing point with Russia, citing the necessity to deter refugees, after thousands for asylum seekers entered the Nordic country through the “Arctic route.” The new fence will be 200 meters long and 3.5 meters high and will stretch from the Storskog-Borisoglebsk border crossing that will also be equipped with new gates, Reuters reports, citing sources in the Norwegian government. The construction of the fence will be finished in the coming weeks before winter frosts set in to make it harder for illegal migrants to cross into Norway via the forest. At the same time, the move provoked criticism from some Norwegian politicians and activist groups that said a fence prevent people fleeing war and persecution from coming to Norway. "We've an obligation to be a country people can flee to," said Linn Landro, of the Refugees Welcome group in Norway, as quoted by Reuters. "The fence sends a very negative signal, including to Russia because it says that 'we don't trust you,'" he added.

'This used to be my home': Italians in shock after devastating earthquake (Videos, Photos)
The Guardian - At least 159 people died and dozens more were injured, or feared still trapped in debris, after a powerful pre-dawn earthquake devastated a string of remote hilltop towns and villages across a swath of central Italy on Wednesday. The 6.2-magnitude quake struck at 3.36am when most were still asleep, razing homes, buckling roads and burying residents under mounds of masonry in the hardest-hit towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto…. Italy’s civil protection agency, coordinating the rescue operation, said the death toll from the quake, which was felt in Rome more than 93 miles (150km) away, was provisional and likely to rise.
*Related: Before and after pictures of Italian towns devastated by deadly earthquake

U.S. News, Politics & Government

2 days after cash delivery, US paid $1.3 billion to Iran
AP - The Obama administration said Wednesday it paid $1.3 billion in interest to Iran in January to resolve a decades-old dispute over an undelivered military sale, two days after allowing $400 million in cash to fly to Tehran. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau says the U.S. couldn't say more about the Jan. 19 payments because of diplomatic sensitivities. They involved 13 separate payments of $99,999,999.99 and final payment of about $10 million. There was no explanation for the Treasury Department keeping the individual transactions under $100 million. The money settles a dispute over a $400 million payment made in the 1970s by the U.S.-backed shah's government for military equipment. The equipment was never delivered because of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the shah and ended diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran.

New revelations show a nation for sale under Hillary Clinton
New York Post - An Associated Press investigation finds that more than half the private citizens who met or spoke with Clinton while she was secretary of state also happened to donate to her foundation. What are the odds? It’s implausible that a majority of the 154 citizens — people who’d kicked in at least $156 million to her charity — would also happen to catch Clinton’s ear as she toiled away at State. It’s also worth remembering this list doesn’t even include officials from the 16 governments — many of them autocrats — who threw the foundation another $170 million. Recently, the foundation announced it would ban donations from corporations and foreign countries if Hillary is elected president. The question is: If it’s a conflict of interest when Hillary will be president, why wasn’t it a problem when she was secretary of state? Let’s also not forget that during Clinton’s tenure at State, she failed to disclose that regimes across the world were giving her charity hundreds of millions. Because she needed to hide this, she ended up sending 110 emails containing classified information — eight of which had “top secret” information, according to the FBI.

US Army Pulls Training Slide Listing Hillary Clinton As A Security "Threat"
Zero Hedge - Perhaps it was the ultimate Freudian slip. On Monday, a leaked Army operational security brief showed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former CIA Director David Petraeus listed as two key examples of potential insider threats. As the Daily Caller reported at the time, admins of the Facebook page “U.S. Army W.T.F! moments” told The Daily Caller News Foundation this is the second time they’ve received a picture of this particular slide in the last six months. They posted the slide to their page Sunday. The brief, marked unclassified, lists servicemembers Nidal Hassan, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and Aaron Alexis as examples of threats. On the second row, the brief pictures Clinton and Petraeus. The text of “careless or disgruntled employees” echoes FBI Director James Comey’s description, “extremely careless,” of Clinton’s handling of top secret and classified information when she served as Secretary of State. Following vocal public outcry, with some wondering if this was a joke, while others jumping on the army's suggestion that Hillary is one of the bigger threats to nation's security, moments ago the US Army said it was a mistake for a local unit to identify Hillary Clinton as a potential threat during a training presentation and has halted the practice.

As Congress Prepares To Crackdown On Epipen Price Increases, A Problem Has Emerged
Zero Hedge - So far, this year's melodrama has culminated with [Senator Chuck] Grassley sending an angry letter to Mylan CEO Heather Bresch, in which he said that "the substantial price increase could limit access to a much-needed medication.".... However, a problem has emerged if Congress plans to follow the usual script and call Bresch to Capitol Hill next month to explain her company’s justification for raising the price on the life-saving allergy shot. As Bloomberg writes this morning, that could be awkward, since she’s the daughter of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. This means that any hearing would likely reveal that close lobby ties between pharma companies and the US government: as Bloomberg adds, congressional anger may be fueled by the company’s tactics in pushing legislation that helped boost the use of EpiPens. Mylan spent about $4 million in 2012 and 2013 on lobbying for access to EpiPens generally and for legislation, including the 2013 School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, according to lobbying disclosure forms filed with the Office of the Clerk for the House of Representatives. Mylan also was the top corporate sponsor of a group called Food Allergy Research & Education that was the key lobbyist pushing for the bill encouraging schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors, of which EpiPen is by far the leading product.

Pew: Americans giving up on God, miracles
Washington Examiner - Half of Americans who have left their church no longer believe in God, leading a surge of nearly one quarter of the nation who have no affiliation with any religion, according to a new survey. Pew Research Center said Wednesday that 49 percent of what they term "nones" left their church and religion because they "don't believe." Another 20 percent said they don't like organized religion. Other reasons included "common sense" and a lack of belief in miracles. The survey is the latest from Pew that demonstrates a growing trend in America: more and more people are junking religion and many are giving up on God.

Video: Animated map shows how religion spread around the world
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are five of the biggest religions in the world. Over the last few thousand years, these religious groups have shaped the course of history and had a profound influence on the trajectory of the human race. Through countless conflicts, conquests, missions abroad, and simple word of mouth, these religions spread around the globe and forever molded the huge geographic regions.

Election News

Nigel Farage To Tell 'Brexit Story' At Trump Rally In Mississippi
Sky News - Mr Farage is expected to talk about how the "anti-establishment beat the establishment" to bring about Brexit. Raheem Kassam, a former UKIP adviser, told the Press Association that Mr Farage will not endorse the Republican candidate. "As I understand it," Mr Kassam said, "I think the plan is for him to speak ahead of Trump's speech, and basically just to walk the audience through the Brexit campaign and how the anti-establishment beat the establishment. Ahead of the appearance, Mr Farage appeared on the radio show SuperTalk Mississippi. He railed against the political classes and compared Mr Trump's popularity with the "silent majority" of the British people who voted for Brexit. He said that just as Brexiteers mobilised a "people's army", so too can Mr Trump in the United States. Mr Farage told the show: "I'm telling a story about Brexit, and it's a story that if the grassroots Republicans pick up, and if they understand that what they've got to do is not just sit in their armchairs, they've got to get out, put their walking boots on, deliver leaflets, go out and meet these people in the communities. "In a sense what I'm saying is that we mobilised a people's army in the United Kingdom that went out and spoke to everybody and got them down the polls, the same thing can happen here."
* Related: Watch: Donald Trump Rally In Jackson, Ms

Trump: Hillary Wants ‘Massive Amnesty’ And ‘Totally Open Border’
Steve Watson - In a rally Tuesday night, GOP nominee Donald Trump slammed Hillary Clinton on immigration policy…. Hillary Clinton wants a totally open border. She wants catch and release. She wants Obamacare and other things for illegal immigrants. In many cases, more than our great veterans get,” Trump said during the appearance in Austin, Texas. “She has said she’s going to give massive amnesty in her first 100 days. She wants to gut immigration enforcement. The immigration people do such a great job, but they have no leadership at the top.” Trump added. Trump also stated that Hillary plans to flout the law by allowing immigrants to overstay visas without being deported. He described Clinton’s policy on immigration as “One lawless order after another.” Trump also knocked Clinton for supporting sanctuary cities, gesturing to the crowd with a throat cutting motion. “We must not let that happen. We are going to vote for President Donald Trump and we’re going to stop it,” Trump declared to a thunderous ovation.

TRUMP Donates $100,000 to LA Flood Victims – Hillary Takes Selfies with Justin Timberlake
The Gateway Pundit - Republican Donald Trump donated a truckload of supplies to Louisiana flood victims. Trump also donated $100,000 to Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, which lies to the northeast of Baton Rouge, in a zone affected by floods. Clinton surrogate James Carville thanked Donald Trump for his donations and visit to the region. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton took selfies with Justin Timberlake in Hollywood.

Commercial flights are too ‘burdensome’ for Clinton
NY Post - An exchange from May 4, 2009, between Clinton and her closest aide, Huma Abedin, show the former secretary of state trying to figure out how to avoid the “burdensome” shuttle. The shuttle refers to hourly commercial plane service between New York and Washington, DC. “Do you think we could get a plane for Westchester flight back tonight?” Clinton wrote in an email released this week as part of an ongoing Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department. “It’s going to rain all day and I still don’t feel great so the idea of playing a guessing game w the shuttle is really burdensome to me. What do you think? Could be anytime that works for the Air Force,” she added…. It’s unclear if Clinton hitched a ride on an Air Force plane — but the exchange highlights the perks of being the nation’s top diplomat.

Economy & Business

Commissioner's Office: Obamacare Near Collapse In Tennessee
The Daily Caller - Even though [Tennessee’s insurance regulator, Commissioner Julie] McPeak has stated her main goal is getting as many insurers that are in the marketplace as possible, [director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Kevin] Walters noted that by 2017,”Tennessee will be going from zero counties with only one insurer on the exchange participating to 57 counties with one,” according to statements released to TheDCNF [Daily Caller News Foundation]. This lack of competition in the marketplace isn’t just relegated to those counties. Walters told TheDCNF that the state “will go from 57 counties with 2 insurers in 2016 to 24 counties with two insurers in 2017,” and will have “38 counties with three insurers on the ACA exchange in 2016 to 14 counties with three insurers in 2017.” The percentage rates for insurance have increased substantially over the past three years. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield experienced a 19 percent increase in 2015, a 36.3 percent increase in 2016, and a projected 62 percent increase in rates by 2017, Walters told TheDCNF.

D.C. Restaurants Lose Eight Jobs A Day As Wage Hikes Take Effect
Free Beacon - Employment in the food service industry fell in Washington, D.C. even as it continued to increase in the region. Restaurants shed 1,400 jobs in the first six months of 2016, a three percent decrease and the largest loss of jobs since the 2001 recession, according to an analysis from American Enterprise Institute scholar Mark Perry. The steep drop was isolated to D.C. Neighboring suburbs in Virginia and Maryland added nearly 3,000 jobs over the same period, a 1.6 percent increase in hiring. Perry said the hiring slowdown can be tied to recent minimum wage hikes in the city. Washington, D.C. began the year with a higher-than-average wage for tipped employees in the restaurant industry. Tipped employees in the nation’s capital earn a base wage of $2.77, almost 30 percent above the federal minimum of $2.13 that is used by Virginia. The city also mandated a $10.50 minimum hourly wage for non-tipped employees in January—higher than Virginia’s $7.25 and Maryland’s $8.75 rate.

Energy & Environment

Officials Pull Water Supply as Dakota Access Protest Swells in Number and Spirit
Common Dreams - Growing in number and spirit, the Standing Rock Sioux protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline is swiftly gaining strength ahead of a federal hearing on the controversial project. Support has spread across the country, and thousands have descended on the peaceful “prayer camps” in recent days, prompting state officials on Monday to remove the demonstrators’ drinking water supply. North Dakota homeland security director Greg Wilz ordered the removal of state-owned trailers and water tanks from the protest encampment, despite the sweltering heat, because of alleged disorderly conduct, according to the Bismarck Tribune, including reports of laser pointers aimed at surveillance aircraft…. Tribal activists say the state’s response, which includes surveillance, road blockades with military checkpoints, and a state of emergency declaration, has been overly aggressive and manipulative. “It is deeply ironic that the Governor would release emergency funds under the guise of public health and safety, but then remove the infrastructure that helps ensure health and safety in the camp,” said Tara Houska, national campaigns director for Honor the Earth…. The tribe says that the pipeline—which will carry up to 570,000 barrels of fracked Bakken oil daily across four states to a market hub in Illinois—puts the sacred waters of the Missouri River at great risk.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Natural, Off-Grid Cures For Spider Bites
Off the Grid News - All spiders are venomous, meaning that they inject venom when biting another subject, but how individuals react to the spider’s venom varies greatly. In North America, the most severe reactions are caused by the venom of a black widow spider or that of a brown recluse spider, but any type of spider venom can cause painful symptoms…. If ice is available, apply it to the location of the bite while waiting to begin alternative treatments. Ice will decrease the amount of swelling at the site…. Applying a poultice or paste that draws out the venom is the next step in naturally treating a spider bite. There are many herbal poultices that are useful in natural healing. Below are a few of the best for healing venomous wounds. Activated charcoal, or active carbon… a paste of active carbon and water is applied to a spider bite, it will trap the venom and allow it to be washed away while contained in the carbon. Creating a thick paste that is applied to the affected area for up to four hours is the most effective way to use activated charcoal. Bentonite clay can be used in a similar manner as the active carbon. Bentonite clay, made of volcanic ash, absorbs toxins, heavy metals and other impurities when used in conjunction with a liquid. Create a poultice with plain water and bentonite clay…. A plantain poultice is also helpful in treating spider bites. Since plantain grows readily in most areas, it is the most likely ingredient to have available in an emergency…. Used as a standalone poultice, as part of an herbal poultice, or as a medicinal wash, slippery elm is valuable in treating spider bites naturally. The inner bark can be used to create a poultice to reduce swelling and help manage pain.

Health

It wasn’t just Subway using the ‘yoga mat chemical’ in their food
Well and Good - Remember that dark day when you learned that, unbeknownst to customers, Subway was dyeing its veggies and baking bread made with azodicarbonamide (AKA an ingredient used to make yoga mats)? Well, today’s about to get downright bleak because it turns out that it wasn’t just Subway adding ADA to its foods. Bloomberg reports that McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Wendy’s, White Castle, and Chick-fil-A all used the chemical too…. The good news is, all the chains called out above have phased out the harmful azo-laced foods. As Vani Hari (AKA Foodbabe) originally called out back in 2012, the chemical is used to make bread “stay fresh” for up to two weeks, and has been linked to causing asthma, respiratory problems, and allergies, according to the World Health Organization. Oh, and it also could cause cancer. After Subway got called out big time, other major chains realized they wouldn’t be able to get away with using the sneaky chemical for long and quietly phased it out before it was their name making headlines. And ADA’s not completely off the menu for good. Dunkin’ Donuts still uses it in their Texas toast (although Bloomberg reports that the company is currently testing an azo-free version), and it’s used in Burger King’s French toast sticks.

Thyme Oil Kills Infections, Increases Circulation & Balances Hormones
Dr. Axe - Thyme oil is one of the strongest antioxidants known, and it has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times. Thyme supports the immune, respiratory, digestive, nervous and other body systems.… 9 Thyme Oil Benefits: 1. Treats Respiratory Conditions - Thyme oil drains congestion and cures infections in the chest and throat that cause the common cold or cough…. 2. Kills Bacteria and Infections - Due to thyme components like caryophyllene and camphene, the oil is antiseptic and kills infections on the skin and within the body. Thyme oil is also antibacterial and inhibits bacterial growth; this means that thyme oil is able to treat intestinal infections, bacteria infections in the genitals and urethra, bacteria that builds up in the respiratory system, and heals cuts or wounds that are exposed to harmful bacteria…. 3. Promotes Skin Health - Thyme oil protects the skin from harmful bacteria and fungal infections; it also works as a home remedy for acne; heals sores, wounds, cuts and scars; relieves burns; and naturally remedies rashes…. 4. Promotes Teeth Health - Thyme oil is known to treat oral problems like tooth decay, gingivitis, plaque and bad breath. With its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, thyme oil is a natural way to kill germs in the mouth so you can avoid oral infections, so it works as a gum disease natural remedy and cures bad breath….
 


Wednesday - August 24, 2016 - Today In History:

1814 - Washington, DC, was invaded by British forces that set fire to the White House and Capitol.
1912 - A four-pound limit was set for parcels sent through the U.S. Post Office mail system.
1932 - Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the U.S. non-stop. The trip from Los Angeles, CA to Newark, NJ, took about 19 hours.
1949 - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) went into effect. The agreement was that an attack against on one of the parties would be considered "an attack against them all."
1954 - The Communist Party was virtually outlawed in the U.S. when the Communist Control Act went into effect.
1959 - Three days after Hawaiian statehood, Hiram L. Fong was sworn in as the first Chinese-American U.S. senator while Daniel K. Inouye was sworn in as the first Japanese-American U.S. representative.
1968 - France became the 5th thermonuclear power when they exploded a hydrogen bomb in the South Pacific.
1990 - Iraqi troops surrounded foreign missions in Kuwait.
1991 - Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the head of the Communist Party.
1998 - U.S. officials cited a soil sample as part of the evidence that a Sudan plant was producing precursors to the VX nerve gas. And, therefore made it a target for U.S. missiles on August 20, 1998.
2001 - In McAllen, TX, Bridgestone/Firestone agreed to settle out of court and pay a reported $7.5 million to a family in a rollover accident in their Ford Explorer.
2001 - The remains of nine American servicemen killed in the Korean War were returned to the U.S. The bodies were found about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. It was estimated that it would be a year before the identities of the soldiers would be known.
2011 - Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple Inc.

World News

Turkey evacuates border town ahead of potential military incursion into Syria
Deutsche Welle - Turkey has pledged to push jihadi fighters belonging to the so-called "Islamic State" out of the Syrian town of Jarablus near the Turkish border. The announcement came as Turkey evacuated a town caught in crossfire. Turkish police instructed residents to leave the town of Karkamis near the Syrian border after it was hit by shelling, according to reports on CNN Turk. Minibuses were reportedly being made available for people needing transportation to escape the beleaguered town. Situated just across the border from the Syrian town of Jarablus, Karkamis was hit by two mortar shells earlier on Tuesday. Turkish military retaliated by returning fire at IS targets in northern Syria.

‘NO’ German Girls Given Temporary Tattoos To Help Prevent Swimming Pool Sex Attacks
UK Express - The small press-on designs also sport angel-like wings and are part of a new prevention campaign launched in the Bodensee district in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. Veronika Wascher-Goggerle, the Women’s and Family representative of the district, is behind the launch and said the press-on tattoos would also help raise awareness over the growing issue of sex attacks in swimming pools. The Bodenseekreis is famous for its bathing and boasts numerous indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Alleged sex attacks by migrants have caused heated debate in the area over the last few months and some pools are hiring extra security – or even banning asylum seekers altogether. However, Wascher-Goggerle does not want to associate her campaign with any problems with migrants, stating that there have always been sexual abuse problems at swimming pools, even before the start of the refugee crisis.

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile From Submarine
Sputnik News - The test comes one day after the United States and South Korea launched joint military exercises on the peninsula. Pyongyang had warned against the drills, threatening to launch a preemptive nuclear strike. The DPRK has test fired a number of ballistic missiles in recent months, and has also conducted nuclear tests. Condemned by the international community, these resulted in the implementation of harsh new sanctions by the United Nations.

14 arrested for smuggling Fukushima-irradiated seafood in Shandong
Global Times - Customs authorities in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, detained 14 people for smuggling frozen seafood from Japan, including irradiated high-end seafood from waters near Fukushima prefecture, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday. The group has smuggled over 5,000 tons of frozen seafood - including shrimp and king crab - valued at $34.5 million - into China over the past two years, according to an announcement by the Qingdao Customs District (QCD) posted on its official website on Monday. Some of the high-end products were from Fukushima, one of 12 Japanese prefectures from which China has banned any seafood imports due to the contamination of their waters after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, according to CCTV.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

State Department Has No Idea Where $400 Million Iran Money Went
Steve Watson - In an unbelievable exchange with reporters, State Department spokesman Mark Toner admitted that he has no idea who picked up the $400 million in cash that was put on a plane to Iran. Toner claimed that the Obama administration knows where the money went…. Toner added that he also had no idea whether the information would ever be made public. Critics have previously noted that the money could easily have ended up in the hands of terrorist groups actively supported by elements of the Iranian government.

Emails: Huma Abedin Left Classified Material Unsecured In The Front Seat Of Her Car
Daily Caller - Emails released on Monday show that Hillary Clinton’s top State Department aide, Huma Abedin, left classified government information that needed to be burned in the front seat of her vehicle. “Favor” is the subject of Abedin’s July 20, 2009 email to Lauren Jiloty, Clinton’s personal assistant. Judicial Watch obtained the records and hundreds more pages of Abedin emails as part of its ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department. “I’m going to have ambassador ride on next drive,” wrote Abedin. “There’s a bunch of burn stuff in the pocket of my front seat.” And seemingly realizing the significance of her error, Abedin asked Jiloty to move the documents to a more secure location. “Can u put in trunk?” she asked.

Condi Rice Also Has No Recollection Of Hillary’s Email Convo With Colin Powell
Daily Caller - Rice’s inability to recall the conversation makes her the second person to publicly undercut Clinton’s claim. Both NBC News and The New York Times reported last week that Clinton told the FBI that Powell offered her the email advice during a dinner party at former Sec. of State Madeleine Albright’s home. Rice and another Henry Kissinger, another former secretary of state, were present at the dinner party, where the former diplomats were asked to provide Clinton with advice to help her tackle her new job.

Wikileaks E-Mails: Hillary Looked Into Parkinson’s Drug After Suffering From “Decision Fatigue”
Paul Joseph Watson - Emails released by Wikileaks show that Hillary Clinton looked into a drug used to treat sleepiness and Parkinson’s disease after she apparently began suffering from “decision fatigue” back in 2011. Clinton sent an email to close confidante and advisor Cheryl D. Mills on August 19, 2011 featuring the text of an article entitled Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue? The article talks about how people in positions of power and influence can suffer from “decision fatigue” that causes them to be “low on mental energy” and prompts the sufferer to “become reckless” and “act impulsively”. The article also explains how “decision fatigue” could explain why “ordinarily sensible people get angry at colleagues,” which is possibly a nod to Clinton’s infamous temper tantrums that have left her staffers in tears. “Wow that is spooky descriptive,” wrote Hillary in response to the article. In a separate email sent two months later, Hillary received information from her top foreign policy advisor Jacob Sullivan about a drug called Provigil (Modafinil), which is used to treat “excessive sleepiness in patients with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis,” as well as “excessive sleepiness caused by narcolepsy”.

The Film VAXXED Could Be Outlawed In California, If This Bill Passes…
Jon Rappoport - The shocking film Vaxxed (trailer) is drawing audiences all over the country. It details the confessions of a CDC researcher, William Thompson, who states that he and his colleagues buried data in a key study on the MMR vaccine. In the study, the vaccine was given a free pass, with assurances that it didn’t increase the risk of autism in children—when, in fact, the data showed it did increase that risk. ***The key moments in Vaxxed are audio recordings of CDC researcher Thompson confessing his sins. But wait. Now we have a bill, AB 1671, up before the California legislature. If it passes, it could make it a crime to screen Vaxxed or even write an article about it. Furthermore, AB 1671 specifically seeks to protect “healthcare providers” from “exposure” via “undercover recordings” documenting their crimes. […] AB 1671 isn’t just targeting people who make the undercover recordings. Its focus is on reporters who receive those recordings and then use them, post them, and write about them.

Md. school district: Don’t tell parents if transgender males bunk with daughters on field trips
Washington Times - A Maryland school district is instructing teachers and administrators not to tell parents if their daughters are bunking with male transgender students on overnight field trips. Bob Mosier, chief communications officer for the Anne Arundel County public school system, says in a training video on how to accommodate transgender students that privacy issues prevent the district from informing parents about such arrangements. “So, many of you might be asking yourselves, ‘So I’m at an overnight field trip, and I have student who’s biologically a male, identifies as a female, and we’ve worked with that student and her family, and that student wants to sleep in the dorms, or whatever sleeping arrangements are, with the females,’” Mr. Mosier says in a video of the training session. “‘They don’t want to sleep in a room by themselves, they want to sleep with the rest of the females. So what do we do?’”

Election News

Trump Calls For Independent Investigation Of ‘Clinton Email Crimes’ (Video)
Steve Watson - During a campaign rally in Ohio, Trump called the DOJ a “political arm” of the White House, and said “After the FBI and Department of Justice whitewash of the Clinton email crimes, they certainly cannot be trusted to quickly or impartially investigate Hillary Clinton’s crimes.” Trump’s renewed calls for action over Clinton’s emails came following the discovery of 15,000 more emails by the FBI, which contain more evidence of Hillary abusing her position as Secretary of State by mixing official affairs with Clinton Foundation activity.

AP: Many Donors to Clinton Foundation Met with Hillary at State
Breitbart - At least 85 of 154 people from private interests who met or had phone conversations scheduled with Clinton while she led the State Department donated to her family charity or pledged commitments to its international programs, according to a review of State Department calendars released so far to The Associated Press. Combined, the 85 donors contributed as much as $156 million. At least 40 donated more than $100,000 each, and 20 gave more than $1 million. Donors who were granted time with Clinton included an internationally known economist who asked for her help as the Bangladesh government pressured him to resign from a nonprofit bank he ran; a Wall Street executive who sought Clinton’s help with a visa problem and Estee Lauder executives who were listed as meeting with Clinton while her department worked with the firm’s corporate charity to counter gender-based violence in South Africa…. The 154 did not include U.S. federal employees or foreign government representatives. Clinton met with representatives of at least 16 foreign governments that donated as much as $170 million to the Clinton charity, but they were not included in AP’s calculations because such meetings would presumably have been part of her diplomatic duties. Last week, the Clinton Foundation moved to head off ethics concerns about future donations by announcing changes planned if Clinton is elected.
* Related: Matthews: New Emails Show Clinton Fdn Donors ‘Getting What Appears To Be Special Access,’ ‘They Are Admitting There’s a Conflict’

Hillary Skips Louisiana, Collects Hollywood Cash at Beverly Hills Mansion
Breitbart - Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger, Chernin Group founder Peter Chernin, MarketShare CEO Jon Vein, former DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, CAA agent Michael Kives and Los Angeles 2024 Olympics bid chief Casey Wasserman served as event co-chairs, according to Variety. Actors Will Ferrell and Tony Goldwyn and Hewlett-Packard CEO and former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman were also reportedly in attendance. Attendees told Variety that Clinton discussed policy issues at the event, including infrastructure, education and the Clinton Foundation, reportedly emphasizing the good works the organization has done and reminding attendees that all recent presidents have set up charitable foundations. Tickets for the event reportedly went for $100,000 per couple. Around 80 people attended, according to the outlet.

Hooray! Hillary Clinton Announces She Will Visit Louisiana Flood Victims After All (Video)
The Gateway Pundit - Last week Donald Trump visited Louisiana to speak with flood victims who were suffering through the worst natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast in 2012. Donald Trump helped hand out supplies to flood victims. The Democratic governor and former Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu praised Trump for bringing attention to this horrible disaster. And the flood victims cheered Donald Trump. On Tuesday the Hillary campaign finally announced she will make a trip to visit the flood zone [eventually].

UPI Poll: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in Virtual Tie
The Gateway Pundit - The UPI reported: The UPI/CVoter daily presidential tracking poll released Tuesday shows Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump by less than 1 percentage point for a second consecutive day. The online poll shows 47.98 for Clinton, compared to 47.24 for Trump. Each candidate dropped two-tenths of a point in Tuesday’s poll, with the percentage of “others” increasing by four-tenths. “Others” in the poll are defined as respondents who decline to pick either Clinton or Trump. The UPI/CVoter online tracking poll surveys about 200 people each day, leading to a sample size of roughly 1,400 people during any seven-day span.

Video: Trump Talks Border Security to Packed House in Texas’ Most Liberal City
Breitbart - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will talk to a packed house in Texas most liberal city, Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night. He is expected to discuss border security, the impact of illegal immigration on wages, trade issues that impact farmers, and support for law and order…. Earlier in the afternoon, Mr. Trump appeared on a Sean Hannity Town Hall event that was taped for broadcast later Tuesday night. That show will be broadcast on Fox News Channel at 9 p.m. CDT. Mr. Trump is expected to talk about border security and will be supported by members of the National Border Patrol Council. Texas Governor Rick Perry was also scheduled to appear with Mr. Trump according to his spokesman, Stanley Gerdes. The crowd is so large in Austin, the Austin Police Department just tweeted out that there is no more parking available.

Economy & Business

Neiman Marcus Blames 81% Profit Loss On Lack Of Tourists
Government Slaves - It’s been 10 months since Neiman Marcus laid off 500 employees, or about 3 percent of its workforce, and last week the luxury retailer was forced to further trim its headcount. Roughly 80 positions were purged Thursday—50 of which were in the Dallas area—as Neiman Marcus continues to combine online and store operations, Dallas News reported. The layoffs followed a hefty 81 percent decline in profits in the third quarter, as revenues dropped 4.2% to $1.17 billion and comparable store sales slipped by 5 percent. CEO Karen Katz called the quarter “challenging” and attributed the poor performance to a trifecta of complications: the strong dollar, falling foot traffic and decreasing oil prices.

Energy & Environment

Flint 2.0? Indiana residents suddenly evicted after decades of lead, arsenic contamination
RT - After decades of nearby industrial pollution, residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago, Indiana, were abruptly warned that they must vacate their homes for demolition given hazardous levels of lead and arsenic in the soil. More than 1,000 residents of the 346-unit public housing complex were told last month by the city of East Chicago that they must find new housing, as the city planned to demolish all dwellings in the complex. Just days before, the city said residents would only have to temporarily relocate based on a US Environmental Protection Agency finding that soil around the complex contained toxic levels of lead and arsenic since at least 2014. Plans to remove the soil dated back to 2012. The housing complex, home to mostly African-American and Hispanic residents, is located near the former site of a plant that melted lead and copper, tossing toxic matter into the air throughout the area. The U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery, Inc. plant was one of several industrial facilitates that likely contributed to the current contamination, AP reported. The lead plant closed in 1985, yet the housing complex and nearby areas were not added to the EPA's cleanup priority list until 2009. In 2012, the EPA had devised a plan to haul away much of the soil around the housing complex, but it was not until this May that the agency told the city that it wanted to begin digging. That notice triggered signs in the neighborhood warning residents to keep their children out of the soil.

6 Power Grid Problems That Should Terrify You
Off the Grid News - It’s clear that damage to the power grid, whether the work of enemies or due to some natural disaster, would be disastrous to our country. According to the report of the congressionally funded EMP Commission, loss of the power grid for one year would result in the death of nine out of every 10 Americans. Here are six reasons all of us should be concerned about the power grid: 1. The age of the grid. Our electrical grid is old. Originally designed to last 50 years, many parts have already surpassed that. There are even parts that are about 100 years old. Yet little is being done to replace the aged parts. This has resulted in the American Society of Civil Engineers giving the power grid a D+ for reliability…. 2. Increased blackouts. According to statistics gathered by the Department of Energy, major blackouts are on the upswing. Incredibly, over the past two decades, blackouts impacting at least 50,000 customers have increased 124 percent, according to DOE data. This is mostly the result of our aging grid; with equipment staying online longer than its programmed life, chances of problems increase. 3. The war on electricity. Most people have heard of President Obama’s war on coal – which Hillary Clinton supports — but the liberal war on power is much older than that…. 4. Risk of an EMP or solar storm. One of the biggest dangers our power grid faces today is that of an EMP attack or solar storm. A high-altitude EMP, created by a nuclear device exploded 300 miles over the center of the country, could kill the entire grid, as well as destroying the vast majority of our electronics. Almost nothing has been done to prepare for this threat…. 5. Possibility of cyber-warfare. It is believed at the highest levels of our intelligence community that China could shut down our power grid at any time. This has already been done in other countries; one example was when Russia shut down the grid in the Ukraine. If they can do it, you can be sure that China can, as well. They started the idea of cyber-warfare…. 6. Direct terrorist attacks against the grid….

Science & Technology

Your 'Smart' Power Outlets Are Now Botnets Thanks To The Internet Of Broken Things
Tech Dirt - Thermostats that fail to heat your home. Door locks that don't protect you. Refrigerators that leak Gmail credentials. Children's toys that listen to your kids' prattle, then (poorly) secure said prattle in the cloud. Cars that could, potentially, result in your death. The list goes on and on, and it grows exponentially by the week. The latest gift of the Internet of Things industry, revealed last week by security researchers at Bitdefender, is smart electrical sockets that can be hacked to hand over e-mail credentials, create a botnet, or (potentially) burn your house down by firing up connected appliances. The devices are sold as an amazing new tool to help create a connected home, allowing users to manage any device plugged into them via a smartphone and/or the internet. The problem, as usual, is an (unspecified) company that treated security as an afterthought…. And while security is a big part of the problem, equally troubling is the rise of "smart" products that stop working once the company's manufacturer gets bored or sold. Like, you know, connected light bulbs that no longer really connect to much of anything:

Health

Hundreds Of CA Children Sent Home On First Day Of School Due To New Vaccination Law
CBS News - Scores of California students may be sent home on their first day of school because of a new vaccine law that took effect this year. The new state law took effect July 1. Now, parents can no longer use personal or religious beliefs as a reason not to have their kids immunized. This school year, kindergartners and seventh graders must show proof of immunizations…. Young children who got their personal belief exemptions approved before January 2016, will be grandfathered in. According to the new law, they still must get immunized when they reach seventh grade.

Insurance Companies Use Bait-and-Switch Tactics to Maintain the Status Quo of Mercury Amalgams
Dr. Mercola - Many people buy dental insurance believing their dental fillings are covered under their policies. But buried in the fine print of those policies are many restrictions that limit the insured's access to mercury-free dentistry. For example: Many insurance policies only pay for amalgam in molar teeth; if you want composite, you have to pay out-of-pocket. Many insurance policies that do pay for composite fillings in molar teeth only cover them up to the cost of an amalgam, then leave you to pay the difference. Many insurance policies claim to cover "silver fillings," but don't tell unsuspecting customers that there is no such thing as a "silver filling" — they are in fact mostly mercury. Many insurance policies will not pay for the removal of old amalgams and replacement with composite fillings — even if your dentist believes this is the best treatment…. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Dental Association (ADA) and the State dental boards — conspired to make sure consumers were told that amalgam is "silver." Hardly any of us outside dentistry had any idea that dentists were plowing our mouths full of mercury.

Do NOT Throw Away Strawberry Leaves. The are the Highest Source of Vitamin C
Living Traditionally - Strawberry leaf has a mild, fruity flavor […] rich in tannins, contains vitamin C and other vitamins and trace minerals; along with antioxidant flavonoids, caffeic acid, iron and calcium…. The ellagitannin content of strawberries has actually been associated with decreased rates of cancer death. In one study, strawberries topped a list of eight foods most linked to lower rates of cancer deaths among a group of over 1,000 elderly people. Those eating the most strawberries were three times less likely to develop cancer compared to those eating few or no strawberries. It has been found that strawberry leaves contain antioxidant property and phenolic compound, which makes it an ideal ingredient used in home remedies for gastritis…. Add a tablespoon of strawberry leaves in a cup of hot water. Let it steep for some minutes then strain. Use the solution to consume 2-3 times daily. Help with Arthritis and Rheumatism: It is said that caffeic acid, being a natural diuretic, helps to pull water from your joints, which can alleviate the pain and swelling caused by arthritis and rheumatism.

Pet News

The Official Unofficial Dumping Ground
Susan Thixton - Flood damaged crops? Sell it to pet food. As we have seen on the news, Louisiana is suffering from damaging floods. The August floods not only left residents homeless, the floods damaged crops. From DeltaFarmPress.com “About 75 percent of our rice is located in southwest Louisiana,” says Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter rice specialist. “A lot of the area got 18 to 24 – even more than 24 – inches of rain. That caused a lot of flooding, including rice fields. Water from many of the initial rains actually did begin to recede before backwater flooding moved in from bayous, streams and rivers.” Of concern to pet food consumers (bold added): “Water that goes over the headed rice, or rice that lodges and lays over in the water, can definitely cause economic damage. If it’s mature, it won’t take long for the grain in the heads to sprout. If it drains early enough, the rice can still be harvested even though the quality will suffer. There is a market for at least some of that type of rice – things like pet food. Rice that’s submerged for an extended period will rot, become rancid.” Pet food is the Official Unofficial Dumping Ground for all things waste. ‘Official’ because of statements like the above and FDA Compliance Policies; regulatory authorities openly allow waste to be dumped into pet food. ‘Unofficial’ because pet food consumers are NEVER warned.
 



Tuesday - August 23, 2016 - Today In History:

1838 - The first class graduated from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, MA. It was one of the first colleges for women.
1839 - Hong Kong was taken by the British in a war with China.
1914 - Tsingtao, China, was bombarded as Japan declared war on Germany in World War I.
1939 - Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression treaty.
1944 - During World War II, Romanian prime minister Ion Antonescue was dismissed. Soon after the country would abandon the Axis and join the Allies.
1944 - Marseilles was captured by Allied troops during World War II.
1982 - The parliament of Lebanon elected Bashir Bemayel president. He was assassinated three weeks later.
1983 - The U.S. announced that it was nearly ready for a test flight of an anti-satellite missile.
1990 - President Saddam Hussein appeared on Iraqi state television with a group of Western detainees that he referred to as "guests." He told the group that they were being held "to prevent the scourge of war."
1998 - Protestors in Sudan carried a sign that bore the resemblance of Monica Lewinsky and the words "No War for Monika." The anti-U.S. demonstration was in Khartoum, Sudan.
1998 - Boris Yeltsin dismissed the Russian government again.
2003 - Former Roman Catholic priest John Geoghan, a convicted child molester, was killed by a fellow inmate in a Massachusetts prison.
2005 - Israeli forces evicted militant holdouts from two Jewish settlements, completing a historic withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank.
2008 - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama introduced his choice of running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

World News

MI5 ‘blocked’ arrest of ISIS-supporting radical preacher Choudary ‘for years’
RT - Counterterrorism officers were repeatedly blocked by British security service MI5 from pursuing criminal investigations against Britain’s highest-profile radical preacher, Anjem Choudary, it has been claimed. Last week, Choudary was found guilty of supporting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL).... Following his conviction, it was revealed that the 49-year-old former lawyer had been linked to at least 15 terrorist plots since 2001. Police also believe he has connections to as many as 500 of the 850 young British Muslims who have traveled abroad to join IS. According to the Telegraph, counter-terrorism officers often felt they had enough evidence to build a case against the cleric, only to be told to hang fire by MI5 because he was crucial to one of their ongoing investigations. The situation led to a build-up of tension between the two sides, with police feeling “frustrated” that Choudary was not being brought to justice, a source told the newspaper. He was eventually prosecuted after swearing an oath of allegiance to IS and posting YouTube videos in which he praised the group.

Pre-Teen Suicide Bomber Ignites Rage At ISIS
Vocativ - The sight of a boy barely in his teens being stripped of an explosive vest before being led away by Kurdish police has ignited rage against the Islamic State, in whose name the boy planned to blow himself up. According to the local Kurdish Rudaw news, the boy, said to be between 12 and 13 years of age, was arrested in Kirkuk late on Sunday. They found him wearing a vest rigged with explosives, hidden under a Barcelona Football Club jersey. Rudaw reported that some hours before this incident, another suicide bomber managed to detonate himself in front of a Shiite shrine in Kirkuk, wounding three people. Social media users shared images of the boy, saying “this is how children grow up under ISIS’ ideology. Even childhood is lost.” Others shared images of the boy sitting handcuffed after the arrest, writing: “It breaks my heart to see a boy who is supposed to be in school uniform removing instead a suicide vest because he’s in the wrong environment. ISIS has destroyed a whole generation.”

As Muslim World Suffers 2 Major Terror Attacks, Islamic Bloc Silent, Except for Blast at Israel
CNS News - The Muslim world suffered two major terrorist attacks over the weekend – in Turkey and Somalia – but the bloc of Islamic states found just one subject worthy of commenting on on Sunday – the “painful occasion” of the anniversary of a failed arson attempt at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque almost half a century ago. By the end of the weekend, the Saudi-based secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had issued no public reaction to deadly suicide bombings targeting a wedding party in southeastern Turkey and a government building and market in central Somalia. Fifty-one people were killed and 69 wounded in the bombing in Gaziantep, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said had been carried out by a suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14-years-old. In Somalia, at least 20 people were killed and more than 80 injured in twin bombings for which al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.... The OIC did, however, release a statement on Sunday, marking the 47th anniversary of “the wanton arson attack on the blessed al-Aqsa mosque” in Jerusalem’s Old City, which Muslims revere as the third-holiest in Islam after mosques in Mecca and Medina.

Yemen Offers Russia Use Of Its Airports And Ports In "Fight Against Terrorism"
Zero Hedge - While Obama was golfing in the midst of another Louisiana natural disaster, and is set to end his vacation so he can do what is truly important, support Hillary Clinton in the presidential race, Putin has been busy making new friends: first he did the seemingly impossible, having rekindled relations with Turkey to the point where Ankara itself is warning it may quit NATO to seek "military cooperation" with Russia, followed quickly by strengthening relations with Iran so that Moscow can now use an Iranian airbase to strike ISIS, much to the angry dismay of the US and the United Nations, the latest stunning pivot toward Russia comes from yet another civil war-torn nation, Yemen, whose former president, Abdullah Saleh, said its newly-formed governing council could work with Russia to "fight terrorism" by allowing Moscow use of the war-torn country's military bases. What makes the announcement even more striking is that Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's ex-president who was toppled by mass protests in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring launched by none other than the US when it "intervened" in Libya and Egypt, was a former staunch counter-terrorism ally of the US; it is this former US ally who told state-owned channel Russia 24 that Yemen was ready to grant Moscow access to air and naval bases.

National Borders Politicians' 'Worst' Invention - EC President
Sputnik News - "Borders are the worst invention ever made by politicians," Juncker said at the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) in Austria, as quoted by the United Kingdom's ITV news channel. The forum discussion was focused on the refugee influx that Europe is currently struggling with. The top EU official stressed the necessity of showing solidarity with refugees, especially children, as well as expressing regret at the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union. Juncker's words reportedly triggered a response from UK Prime Minister Theresa May, who expressed disagreement and said that the people of the United Kingdom consider the control over their country's borders to be important. The remarks come as the leaders of Italy, Germany and France are meeting on Italian island of Ventotene to discuss the future of the European Union in the light of Britain's vote to the leave the bloc. The meeting is being held in preparation for an informal EU summit, which is to be held without Britain in Bratislava, Slovakia on September 16.

After Confiscating Their Guns, Venezuela's Maduro Has Another Warning For Coup Plotters
Zero Hedge - To be sure, Venezuela does indeed have a high murder rate.... However, the real reason for the crackdown on guns was different: after last month's failed Turkish coup, the socialist ruler is worried - with good reason - that he may be next. So in order to preempt "next steps", and just in case gun confiscations are insufficient to prevent the inevitable, the Venezuela ruler took to direct threats, warning his countrymen that Erdogan's purge would look like child's play compared with the action he would take if opposition tried something similar in the OPEC nation.... The opposition plans a big march in Caracas on Sept. 1 to demand a recall referendum aimed at cutting short Maduro's six-year term, due to end in 2019. After gathering more than 200,000 signatures for the effort, the opposition is waiting for clearance from the National Electoral Council to get 20 percent of the 20 million person electorate to sign in order to move forward. Sadly for the Venezuelan people, the referendum will not happen for one simple reason: as Bloomberg reported earlier, "in a replay of one of the ugliest chapters in the two-decade rule of the socialist party in Venezuela, a top government official said Thursday that a list of those who signed a petition seeking to recall President Nicolas Maduro will be handed over to government ministries and state-run companies."

Nestle continues to extract water from Ontario town despite drought: activists
The Globe and Mail - Wellington Water Watchers says the permit for Nestle Waters in Aberfoyle, Ont., expired on July 31, but the company has been allowed to keep extracting water from a local well even in the midst of a severe drought. The group says the Ministry of Environment did not post Nestle’s renewal application for the usual 30 days of public comment, and instead granted the company an automatic extension without consulting people who live in the area. But the ministry says a water-taking permit remains in force if a renewal application is made at least 90 days before it expires, and it plans to post Nestle’s application for comment once the supporting documents have been reviewed.... Documents on a ministry website show Nestle Canada has three permits to take up to 8.3 million litres of water every day for bottling, while Nestle Waters Canada — a division of Nestle Canada — has a half dozen Ontario permits allowing it to take an additional 12 million litres a day.... Ontario charges companies just $3.71 for every million litres of water, after they pay a permit fee of $750 for low- or medium-risk water takings, or $3,000 for those considered a high risk to cause an adverse environmental impact.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

FBI Uncovers Over 15,000 More Emails In Clinton Probe
Zero Hedge - in yet another incident pointing to Hillary's 'above the law' persistent lies, [Washington Post] WaPo reports The FBI’s year-long investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server uncovered tens of thousands more documents from her time as secretary of state that were not previously disclosed by her attorneys. Worse still, as Judicial Watch details, “it looks like the State Department is trying to slow roll the release of the records." Having suffered blowback from throwing Colin Powell under the bus over the weekend, the Clinton campaign is likely back in panic mode as The Washington Post reports the number of emails to be released is nearly 50 percent more than the 30,000-plus that Clinton’s lawyers deemed work-related and returned to the department in December 2014... Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton tweeted Monday morning that..."FBI found almost 15,000 new Clinton documents. When will State release them? Court hearing today.".... The pre-emptive excuse already being pitched by FBI Director Comey is just as disgusting as his previous statement that investigators found no evidence that the emails it found “were intentionally deleted in an effort to conceal them.” Clinton's lawyers also may have deleted some of the emails as "personal," Comey said, noting their review relied on header information and search terms, not a line-by-line reading as the FBI conducted.

Colin Powell Throws Hillary Clinton Under the Bus over Email Scandal
Breitbart - Her people have been trying to pin it on me,” Powell told PEOPLE magazine in the Hamptons this weekend. Powell was referring to Clinton’s interview with FBI interrogators, in which she claimed that Powell told her in a memo that he used a private email server as Secretary of State and that she could too. But Powell made clear to PEOPLE that he is not involved in Clinton’s mess. “The truth is, she was using [the private email server] for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did,” Powell stated.... Powell’s representatives recently put out a statement saying that Powell only used his private AOL account for “unclassified” communications. Even the Washington Post thought Clinton’s claim to the FBI was “just plain wrong.” The Post‘s Chris Cillizza wrote: The attempt to - again - equate what Powell did with what Clinton did is yet more evidence that either the candidate, her senior advisers or both simply don’t get it. No, Clinton wasn’t indicted by the Justice Department for her email setup. But she was badly reprimanded by FBI Director James Comey for her email practices; it was an unequivocal condemnation of her conduct in relation to her approach to electronic communications while serving as the country’s top diplomat.

New Abedin Emails Reveal Hillary Clinton State Department Gave Special Access to Top Clinton Foundation Donors
Judicial Watch - The Abedin emails reveal that the longtime Clinton aide apparently served as a conduit between Clinton Foundation donors and Hillary Clinton while Clinton served as secretary of state. In more than a dozen email exchanges, Abedin provided expedited, direct access to Clinton for donors who had contributed from $25,000 to $10 million to the Clinton Foundation. In many instances, Clinton Foundation top executive Doug Band, who worked with the Foundation throughout Hillary Clinton’s tenure at State, coordinated closely with Abedin. In Abedin’s June deposition to Judicial Watch, she conceded that part of her job at the State Department was taking care of “Clinton family matters.” Included among the Abedin-Band emails is an exchange revealing that when Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain requested a meeting with Secretary of State Clinton, he was forced to go through the Clinton Foundation for an appointment. Abedin advised Band that when she went through “normal channels” at State, Clinton declined to meet. After Band intervened, however, the meeting was set up within forty-eight hours.

Obama Readies Big September Push for TPP Corporate Takeover
NY Times - President Obama is readying one final push for approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the largest regional trade agreement ever, between the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations. And though the odds may be long, a presidency defined by partisan stalemate may yet secure one last legacy -- only because of Mr. Obama's delicate alliance with the Republicans who control Congress... Although the administration's push will begin in September, no vote on the accord will occur before the election.

Judge in Texas temporarily blocks Obama's transgender rules
CNS News - In a temporary injunction signed Sunday, U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor ruled that the federal education law known as Title IX "is not ambiguous" about sex being defined as "the biological and anatomical differences between male and female students as determined at their birth." The judge said the order would apply nationwide. The ruling, he said, was not about the policy issues of transgender rights but about his conclusion that federal officials simply did not follow rules that required an opportunity for comment before such directives are issued. "This case presents the difficult issue of balancing the protection of students' rights and that of personal privacy ... while ensuring that no student is unnecessarily marginalized while attending school," he wrote. The ruling was the second recent setback for transgender advocates. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Virginia school board can block for now a transgender male from using the boys' restroom while justices decide whether to fully intervene.

Congress Demand An Explanation For Epipen Price Increases; Mylan Slides
Zero Hedge - In a rerun of last summer's political interference in pharmaceutical pricing spearheaded by both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton... over the past few days much of the media's attention has focused on the ongoing cost increases of Mylan's Epipen.... In 2007, a two-pack of the epinephrine-filled devices went for $56.64 wholesale, according to data gathered by Connecture, a health insurance technology and data analytics company. Now it's jumped to $365.16, an increase of 544.77 percent. Since the end of 2013, the price has gone up by 15 percent every other quarter. And, echoring the public outcry following Turing's 2015 price increase for its toxoplasmosis drug Daraprim, doctors, parents, patients, and a former presidential candidate are speaking out on social media — and negative comments are filling up Mylan's Facebook page following an NBC story.... The biggest irony, however, just like last year, is that it is the permissive government regulations and the US reimbursement system that allows pharma companies like Mylan to charge as much as they want, and - mostly - get away with it. However, since that particular system is too big, and too unwieldy to change, it appears that Mylan will be this year's sacrificial distraction, meant to placate the public, even as the underlying problem with the US healthcare system remain largely unchanged.

State trooper shoots dead an unarmed deaf mute father who was trying to communicate via sign language after being pulled over for a speeding violation
Daily Mail - Daniel Kevin Harris, 29, a father to a four-year-old boy, was killed just feet from his home in Charlotte by trooper Jermaine Saunders on Thursday evening. Police say Saunders tried to pull Harris over for a speeding violation on Interstate 485 at around 6.15pm, but the driver led authorities on a brief pursuit before stopping. Officials said that's when the driver got out of his car and an encounter took place between the driver and the trooper, causing a shot to be fired. Harris died at the scene. But witnesses said Harris – who was unarmed – was shot ‘almost immediately’ after he exited his vehicle, WCNC reports. They also say he appeared to be trying to communicate with the trooper using sign language.

The NYPD's Third 'Forfeiture' Option: Call Seized Items 'Evidence;' Never Give Them Back
Techdirt - Kaveh Waddell of The Atlantic is highlighting another way law enforcement agencies are taking possession of property: by calling it "evidence" and playing keep away with former defendants who've had their cases dismissed or have been acquitted.... Not only is the process labyrinthine, frustrating, and nonsensical, but there's a clock ticking the whole time. A person has 120 days from the point the criminal case has ended to demand return of their items from the NYPD. If their case has been dismissed, they have 270 days to secure the elusive release form from the DA's office -- something that explains the office's disinterest in answering phone calls, emails or letters asking for this piece of paper. Once the clock runs out, the city is free to auction off the seized property. If the DA's office wants to put seized items into indefinite limbo, all it has to do is classify them as "investigatory evidence," which means they might be used at some point in future to further a criminal investigation. The DA's office has every reason to put seized items out of reach of their owners and very little compelling it to relinquish control of property that can eventually be used to (indirectly) fund its office.

Govt Officials Furious at Drop in Revenue as Cops Write Less Tickets to Stop Actual Crimes
The Free Thought Project - Beginning in 2011, Bergen County saw a sharp decline in the number of tickets written.... While there are multiple inputs contributing to this decline, Sheriff Michael Saudino noted, according to North Jersey.com, that he had asked officers to use more discretion when stopping landscapers and other small truckers.... Former County Police Chief Brian Higgins said that the decline in tickets was also due to police patrolling for actual crime and responding to more allegations of assault.... After county officials noted the decline, they began to squeeze the department.... Although ticket quotas have been specifically outlawed in New Jersey since 2000, pressure from officials coupled with veiled threats of disbanding the department and losing out on pay increases has had an apparent effect on ticket numbers. Since January of this year, the number of tickets written has skyrocketed by nearly 450 percent, from a mere 700 tickets written in January to 3,100 tickets written in June.

Election News

Top Doctor: Concerns Over Hillary’s Health ‘Not a Conspiracy Theory’
Paul Joseph Watson - Top doctor and Rutgers University Professor of Medicine Bob Lahita says that concerns over Hillary Clinton’s health are not a conspiracy theory and that Clinton should be assessed by an impartial panel of physicians. Lahita told Fox Business that he agreed with Dr. Drew on several points about Hillary’s health. Last week, Drew told KABC that he is “gravely concerned” about Hillary Clinton’s health, noting that the treatment she has received is “bizarre”…. Asked whether the concerns over Hillary’s health were objectively authentic regardless of politics or whether the leftist media were right to label the issue a conspiracy theory, Lahita responded, “I don’t think it’s a conspiracy.” “You go back to the history of our presidents and we’ve had many presidents up until Lyndon Johnson who’ve concealed their health during their campaigns and it had dire effects for our country, going from Kennedy to Roosevelt, to Woodrow Wilson whose wife ran the White House for some time – so we have issues here and I think both candidates should be very forthcoming and perhaps have an impartial panel of physicians review the data and make that kind of decision before Americans go to the polls,” remarked Lahita.

US Army Slide Lists Hillary Clinton as Security Threat (Video)
Joe Biggs - Alleged OPSEC brief lists Democrat nominee a "insider threat”. An alleged U.S. Army training slide is circulating online with an image of Hillary Clinton and David Petraeus listed as “Insider Security Threats” along with Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. According to the “U.S. Army W.T.F! moments” Facebook page, who posted a photo of the slide Sunday, the image originally came from a servicemember stationed at Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood. Admins for the page told the Daily Caller that they have now received two photographs of the slide in the last 6 months. The images bares resemblance to a 2015 Justice Department slide that similarly listed Snowden and fellow NSA whistleblower Thomas Drank as “those that have done us harm.” The Army has thus far not responded to questions concerning the slide’s legitimacy.

Hillary has No Campaign Rallies Scheduled on her Calendar
Gateway Pundit - No campaign rallies are scheduled for the next month! A list of her upcoming events shows a fundraiser she is expected to participate in Sunday August 21st with Cher and then no campaign rallies scheduled into the foreseeable future. The only other event in August that she is currently scheduled to participate in is on August 31st at the American Legion National Convention. Donald Trump on the other hand continues to outpace Hillary Clinton in rallies and in attendance at campaign events through the first three weeks of August. Trump now has more than doubled the number of events that Clinton has held.... Clinton took the weekend of August 6th and 7th off, three days off the following weekend, August 12th through 14th, and has not held any campaign rallies since Wednesday, August 17th.... When Clinton had a similar pattern in the primaries, mainstream media came to the rescue and implied that Clinton’s strategy was “going small”.

Economy & Business

Puerto Rico’s $70 Billion Defaulted Debt Jumps to $113 Billion
Breitbart - With a Congressionally appointed federal control board about to take over Puerto Rico’s finances, the U.S. territory just admitted that its massively spiked public pension plan owes another $43 billion..... In the newest disaster for Puerto Rico, a recent audit revealed that the Puerto Rico Employees’ Retirement System and two smaller public pension plans only have about $1.8 billion in assets to pay $45 billion in pension liabilities. About one in 10 Puerto Ricans are either government public employees, retirees, or beneficiaries, according to the retirement system. But even more challenging, there are 120,169 retirees and beneficiaries, compared to just 118,780 public employees still working.... Rather than paying anything to the defaulted bondholders, Puerto Rico’s Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla increased the island’s annual cash contribution to the pension plans in July to $747.3 million, up from about $400 million in 2015. The vulture capitalists holding Puerto Rico’s general-obligation debt immediately filed a lawsuit against the governor, claiming his administration was diverting cash for debt payments to pension contributions in violation of its Commonwealth’s Constitution.

Energy & Environment

1,690-Page ‘Climate Change’ Reg Increases Cost of Tractor-Trailer Up to $15,119
CNS News - A “regulatory impact analysis” published by EPA and NHTSA estimates the regulation will add an average of as much as $13,749 to the cost of a tractor truck and $1,370 to a trailer, making some tractor-trailer combinations $15,119 more expensive in 2027 than they would be under current regulations. While admitting that the regulation will increase the cost of trucks and the other vehicles it effects, the administration argues that the owners of these vehicles will actually save money by using less fuel and that the regulation “will result in up to $230 billion in net benefits to society.”.... “The typical buyer of a new long-haul truck in 2027 could recoup the extra cost of the technology in under two years through fuel savings,” says the fact sheet. “The program will also benefit con­sumers and businesses by reducing the costs for transporting goods,” says the EPA fact sheet. “In total, the program will result in up to $230 billion in net benefits to society over the lifetime of vehicles sold under the program. This includes fuel savings, carbon reductions, health benefits, energy security benefits, along with travel benefits, and refueling benefits.”

Science & Technology

The US Air Force reveals radical plan to 'bomb the sky' to improve radio reception
Daily Mail - A fleet of tiny satellites could one day be used to detonate plasma bombs in Earth’s upper atmosphere to improve the range of radio communications. The US Air Force has granted contracts to three research teams to develop the technology needed to do this, with hopes that CubeSats could carry massive amounts of ionized gas to the ionosphere to create radio-reflecting plasma. The ionosphere begins roughly 40 miles above the surface and becomes denser with charged particles at night, allowing signals to travel much farther. Ground-based radio signals are limited by the curvature of Earth’s surface, and those travelling more than about 44 miles are typically stopped if they aren’t given a boost, according to New Scientist. These communications can be improved by bouncing the radio signals between the ionosphere and the ground, allowing them to zigzag over greater distances. In one of the USAF-backed projects, researchers with General Science and Drexel University in Pennsylvania are working to develop a way to vaporize metal by heating it beyond its boiling point. This would allow it to react with atmospheric oxygen to produce radio-reflecting plasma. Another project from a team at Enig Associates and the University of Maryland plans to heat metal by detonating a small bomb, and converting the blast into electrical energy.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

First Hemp Crop Planted in Maine; A Step Toward Nullifying Federal Prohibition in Effect
Tenth Amendment Center - A Maine grower has planted the state’s first hemp crop, ignoring federal prohibition and taking another step toward effectively nullifying the fed’s ban…. Last summer, the Maine legislature overrode a Gov. LePage’s veto to authorize hemp farming in the state without gaining any federal permission. Rep. Deborah Sanderson (R-Chelsea) sponsored LD-4. She said despite legislative action, the the state has been “very slow” in getting the crop going. Glenn Lane’s late wife was instrumental in grassroots efforts to get the bill introduced. He accused the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry of prolonging the rule-making process. He said the state has not advocated for hemp aggressively enough. Despite apparent state foot-dragging, the efforts of individuals like Zeno and Passamaquoddy tribal leaders have created a toehold for the fledgling hemp industry in Maine. If Vermont and Colorado serve as any indication, it will ultimately take root and grow….While a single acre of hemp may not seem all that significant, It’s important to put things into a broader context. The federal government considers all of this illegal. Nevertheless, by simply removing a layer of law – state prohibition – and creating a structure to grow hemp, Maine has kick-started an industry that will undoubtedly continue to grow. As more growers see the economic opportunities in hemp farming, they will take the plunge.

Health

Acid Blockers Shut Down More than Stomach Acid
Alliance for Natural Health - Recent research warns that they also shut off production of acid inside the mitochondria every cell in our bodies! Sometimes our cells need more acid and sometimes the opposite…. Each cell may have hundreds or even thousands of mitochondria. As if this news is not scary enough, in his most recent newsletter (Second Opinion, August 2016), Dr. Frank Shallenberger discusses a brand new study showing that acid blockers do not simply cause acute kidney disease (acute interstitial nephritis)—they may also be associated with chronic kidney disease…. The study also found that the risk was dose-related—the more acid blockers patients took, the higher the incidence of this kidney disease. Kidney disease is only one among many known health problems caused by acid blockers, including higher risks for dementia, heart attacks, pneumonia, heart palpitations, muscle cramps, convulsions, weak bones, and more…. As we’ve pointed out before, too little stomach acid is more often than not the culprit behind indigestion and stomach pain. Taking acid blockers in these cases offers temporary relief but over time just makes the problem much worse. Low stomach acid—also called hypochlorhydria—affects about half of the population, especially middle-aged and older people, the ones who typically develop stomach issues.

Avoid inflammation: Top 5 anti-inflammatory foods everyone should eat
(NaturalHealth365) In a recent article published in the psychoneuroimmunology journal, Dr. George Slavich discloses that inflammation is involved in 8 out of 10 leading causes of death seen in the United States today! Without a lifestyle change, inflammation will continue to wreak havoc for millions of people…. These foods will help you reduce inflammation and avoid health problems… #1: Beets: Not only are beets a beautiful addition to any plate, they work wonders at help to repair cell damage caused by systemic inflammation. #2: Blueberries: Blueberries have been known to help slow down cognitive decline, and improve memory function by protecting the body from inflammation and combating oxidative damage, and stress. #3: Walnuts: Walnuts are actually excellent for brain health, and rich in omega 3 fatty-acids. For those who don’t get enough omega 3’s from fatty fish, walnuts are an excellent option. #4: Leafy Greens: Leafy greens are packed full of powerful minerals to nourish your body while also being high in antioxidants and flavonoids to help fight free radicals in the body, and reduce overall inflammation. #5: Pineapple: Pineapple is high in bromelain which not only packs in a nice dose of anti-inflammatory benefits but it helps assist with digestion as well. Pineapple is also high in vitamin C, which can help the body fight against germs, and illness.

Fluoride consumption linked to diabetes using mathematical models
ScienceDaily - A recent study published in the Journal of Water and Health examined links between water fluoridation and diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic in the United States. Incidence rates have nearly quadrupled in the past 32 years and show no signs of stopping. According to the study, fluoridation with sodium fluoride could be a contributing factor to diabetes rates in the United States, as the chemical is a known preservative of blood glucose…. In the study, [Kyle Fluegge, PhD] used mathematical models to analyze publicly available data on fluoride water levels and diabetes incidence and prevalence rates across 22 states…. Fluegge reported that a one milligram increase in average county fluoride levels predicted a 0.17% increase in age-adjusted diabetes prevalence.

Hepatitis A Linked to Strawberry Smoothies
Natural Society - A string of cases of Hepatitis A outbreaks in Virginia may actually be linked to strawberry smoothies from a certain cafe, officials have stated. The outbreak could be linked to the chain Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Virginia. Genetic testing reveals that the disease is the same that caused past issues via Egyptian strawberries. The chain has recalled them and has found another source for their fruit. The chain, which also operates outside of Virginia, has asked that all of their cafes nationally cease using the Egyptian strawberries immediately. They maintain that their food handling practices is in no way a cause of the outbreak, and that the outbreak is all down to the problematic strawberries.
 



Monday - August 22, 2016 - Today In History:

1642 - The English Civil War began when Charles I called Parliament and its soldiers traitors.
1762 - Ann Franklin became the editor of the Mercury of Newport in Rhode Island. She was the first female editor of an American newspaper.
1770 - Australia was claimed under the British crown when Captain James Cook landed there.
1775 - The American colonies were proclaimed to be in a state of open rebellion by England's King George III.
1846 - The U.S. annexed New Mexico.
1902 - In Hartford, CT, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt became the first president of the United States to ride in an automobile.
1906 - The Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden, NJ began to manufacture the Victrola. The hand-cranked unit, with horn cabinet, sold for $200.
1910 - Japan formally annexed Korea.
1941 - Nazi troops reached the outskirts of Leningrad during World War II.
1968 - Pope Paul VI arrived in Bogota, Colombia, for the start of the first papal visit to Latin America.
1973 - Henry Kissinger was named Secretary of State by U.S. President Nixon. Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize in the same year.
1984 - The last Volkswagen Rabbit rolled off the assembly line in New Stanton, PA.
1990 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush signed an order for calling reservists to aid in the build up of troops in the Persian Gulf.
1990 - The U.S. State Department announced that the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait would not be closed under President Saddam Hussein's demand.
1991 - Mikhail S. Gorbachev returned to Moscow after the collapse of the hard-liners' coup. On the same day he purged the men that had tried to oust him.
1996 - U.S. President Clinton signed legislation that ended guaranteed cash payments to the poor and demanded work from recipients.
2003  - Alabama's chief justice, Roy Moore, was suspended for his refusal to obey a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of his courthouse.
2005  - The last Jewish settlers left the Gaza Strip, ending decades of Israel's turbulent occupation.

World News

Erdoğan blames Isis for suspected suicide attack at wedding in Gaziantep
The Guardian - At least 50 people were killed and nearly 70 injured in the blast, which Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, blamed on Islamic State and said had been carried out by a child of between 12 and 14 years old “who either detonated [the bomb] or others detonated it”.... Mahmut Toğrul, a local MP, said the wedding guests were largely supporters of his pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP). “This was not a random target and not just any wedding,” he told the Guardian. “Most of the people celebrating at the wedding were HDP supporters. People came together to celebrate, they were defenceless. [Isis] has always targeted civilians, but we need to see this attack as a revenge attack on Kurds.” Isis, which has not claimed the attack – historically it has not claimed attacks in Turkey – has recently lost swaths of territory in northern Syria to Syrian-Kurdish fighters. Some analysts as well as locals have pointed to this as possible motivation for attacks against Kurds.

Footage Of Boy In Aleppo Is Opportunistic, Vile Propaganda From Western Media
Brandon Turbeville - The picture of a little boy, seemingly injured in some type of bombing incident, sitting alone in an orange chair in the back of an ambulance, blood stains on his face and covered in dust from cracked concrete also comes in video form, footage that lasts for about two minutes, showing the boy being carried to a well-equipped ambulance (with English writing on some of the equipment). The boy’s story is also accompanied by “heart wrenching” stories from “activists” in east Aleppo alleging the crimes of the Syrian government and the horrific situation in the area…. It is rather clear that the child is being used as a stage prop. After being passed to the medical “attendants,” little Omran is placed in an orange chair facing the camera and immediately left alone. He is not treated, no one else is being lifted into the ambulance, and no one is even in the vehicle with him. Instead, he is left to face the “activists” outside the vehicle and their cameras for what seems like too long a time to be anything other than a photo op for the “activists” videotaping him. While some more discerning alternative media outlets are questioning the credibility of the footage – suggesting that the entire affair was simply staged by “activists” (meaning terrorists and terrorist supporters like the White Helmets) for propaganda purposes – one need not go so far in order to destroy the narrative being pushed by Western outlets.

UK: Migrants to be offered FREE degrees at top university
Daily Express - Russell Group member Bristol University has offered scholarships and softened the application process for refugees and asylum seekers as part of a scheme to integrate those escaping conflict into education. Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, said: "We know there are factors that make it difficult for people from refugee and asylum-seeking communities to apply to university. “Their previous studies may have been interrupted, they might not have evidence of their previous qualifications or their qualifications are not transferable. “Our scheme has been designed to accommodate these factors, so please don't let them stop you from applying.” It comes as many working class students are put off the idea of going to university due to the huge debts incurred – with many leaving higher education after taking on more £40,000 of debt. For six out of 10, cost is the main thing stopping them from going to university or dropping out when they get there, according to new research from NotGoingToUni.co.uk.

Germany Tells Citizens To Stockpile Food In Case Of Attacks
Breitbart - For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the German government plans to tell citizens to stockpile food and water in case of an attack or catastrophe, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper reported on Sunday.... “The population will be obliged to hold an individual supply of food for ten days,” the newspaper quoted the government’s “Concept for Civil Defence” – which has been prepared by the Interior Ministry – as saying.... A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the plan would be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday and presented by the minister that afternoon. He declined to give any details on the content. People will be required to stockpile enough drinking water to last for five days, according to the plan, the paper said. The 69-page report does not see an attack on Germany’s territory, which would require a conventional style of national defence, as likely. However, the precautionary measures demand that people “prepare appropriately for a development that could threaten our existence and cannot be categorically ruled out in the future,” the paper cited the report as saying.

Samsung Slave Factories Caught Covering Up Cancer Deaths
The Star - An Associated Press investigation has found South Korean authorities have repeatedly withheld from workers and their bereaved families crucial information about chemicals they were exposed to at Samsung’s computer chip and liquid crystal display factories. Sick workers need access to such data through the government or the courts to apply for workers’ compensation from the state. Without it, government officials commonly reject their cases. In at least six cases involving 10 workers, the justification for withholding the information was trade secrets. South Korean law bars government agencies from withholding public health and safety-related information because of trade-secrets concerns, but there are no penalties for violations. Samsung no longer omits lists of chemicals used on production lines from reports on workplace safety.... But officials have withheld details about exposure levels and how the company’s chemicals are managed.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Families from El Salvador flee violence to U.S.
Fusion - Salvadorans are fleeing to the United States in massive numbers, and now they’re bringing the whole family along. Though the number of unaccompanied Salvadoran minors crossing the border has not returned to the surge numbers seen in 2014, the number of Salvadoran family units apprehended on the southern border has increased by a whopping 96% over the past year.... the timing of the new surge might seem strange considering that the country’s murder rate, which was the highest in the world in 2015, has dropped significantly during the first half of this year.... But behind the numbers there could be a gathering storm that’s hard to see from the outside, but one that Salvadorans can feel in the air.... The headlines in El Salvador suggest something’s brewing—possibly a war. The attorney general’s office last week announced that state security forces recently foiled a dangerous terrorist plot by the MS-13 (Salvatrucha) that could have escalated the country’s gang war into something more akin to a guerrilla insurrection.

Video: Bill Still Report #1128 – Clinton Gets Rapist Off
In 1975, a young lawyer helped get a sex offender off with time served who had brutally raped a 12-year girl. Her name was Hillary Rodham…. Bill Still is a former newspaper editor and publisher. He has written for USA Today, The Saturday Evening Post, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, OMNI magazine, and has also produced the syndicated radio program, Health News. He has written 22 books and two documentary videos.

Nail in the Coffin: Huffington Post Calls for End to Clinton Foundation: 'Just Shut it Down'
Breitbart - The left-wing outlet’s front page banner linked to a New York Times article, which highlights, among other things, that Bill and Hillary Clinton’s billion dollar nonprofit has “accepted tens of millions of dollars from countries that the State Department - before, during and after Mrs. Clinton’s time as secretary - criticized for their records on sex discrimination and other human-rights issues.” The Huffington Post is just the latest outlet to acknowledge that the explosive research... has inspired a massive movement of journalists and political figures - on the left, right, and center - calling on the Clintons to dismantle their problematic nonprofit..... Bill Clinton told a room full of the foundation’s staff on Thursday that he will resign from the Clinton Foundation board if Hillary Clinton wins the White House in November.... Bill Clinton’s announcement followed former Democratic Pennsylvania Governor and longtime Clinton ally Ed Rendell’s remarks that the foundation should shutdown if Hillary Clinton became president.... On Tuesday, the Boston Globe, which endorsed Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, called for the “shut down” of the Clinton Foundation, should Hillary win.

Obama offends Louisiana flood victims with memo warning them not to discriminate
Washington Times - In a 16-page guidance issued Tuesday, the Obama administration, led by the Justice Department, warned Louisiana recipients of federal disaster assistance against engaging in “unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency).”.... Needless to say, some Louisiana residents were offended, including the American Conservative’s Rod Dreher, who took umbrage at receiving an anti-discrimination lecture from Washington, D.C., as locals struggle to rescue, house and feed their neighbors. “[E]verywhere you look you can find black folks and white folks loving on each other, helping each other through this crisis,” Mr. Dreher said in a Thursday post. He referred to the guidance as a “long bureaucratic memo” issued by the “Department of Justice and many other agencies of the executive branch overseen by He Who Cannot Be Troubled to Leave Martha’s Vineyard.”

Vacation Obama Squeezes in Tenth Round of Golf Before Louisiana Trip
Breitbart - President Barack Obama headed out for another round of golf Sunday prior to ending his 16 day Martha’s Vineyard vacation on schedule. Obama hit the links with investor Glenn Hutchins, Robert Wolf, the former CEO of UBS investment bank and Washington lawyer Cy Walker this afternoon, at Farm Neck Golf Club. This is the tenth and final round of golf for the president as he wraps up his vacation. Obama drew criticism for refusing to end his vacation prematurely to visit the devastation caused by historic flooding in Louisiana. After Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump drew attention to the area by visiting on Friday, the White House announced that the president would also visit the disaster area on Tuesday — once his vacation was over. Hillary Clinton has also spent the weekend on Martha’s Vineyard attending fundraisers and hosting a birthday party for her husband Bill Clinton.

The Man Behind the ‘Cajun Navy’ Speaks Out About Saving Thousands in Louisiana Floods
Independent Journal Review - [Point man for the Cajun Navy, Bob] Gaudet explains that the Cajun Navy is comprised of dozens of volunteers from Louisiana and Mississippi, with about 60 boats to help rescue those in need.... Through tears, Gaudet says the first people to respond in Louisiana were victims of Hurricane Katrina. He explains though he was in Shreveport, Louisiana, when the historic hurricane hit New Orleans, he and his family took in some evacuees. They lived with them until they could get back on their feet. He sees the same thing happening in Baton Rouge — neighbors helping neighbors... Gaudet says the Cajun Navy even came across a woman and her family sitting in lawn chairs that were submerged in six inches of water, under a canopy. They had every reason to be sad, frustrated, and upset, but instead they greeted everyone with a warm smile and pot of gumbo.... Though he doesn’t have exact numbers, Gaudet tells Independent Journal Review that the Cajun Navy has likely rescued 20 percent of those who’ve been rescued so far. In fact, he says one man single-handedly saved one thousand people out of houses in just 24 hours, which is just another story Gaudet believes you won’t see on your evening news.

Federal Judge Recommends Criminal Charges Against AZ Sheriff Arpaio
Western Journalism - On Friday, federal Judge G. Murray Snow ordered the U.S. Attorney’s Office determine if Arpaio and Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan should be held in criminal contempt of court for ignoring court orders to stop racially profiling Latinos. This stems from a 2007 lawsuit that was filed against Arpaio, alleging that his Maricopa County deputies systematically targeted Latinos in traffic stops to catch those who were in the country illegally. Snow presided over the case and ruled in 2011 that deputies were to change their training and modify routine procedures. But in May, Snow found Arpaio and three members of his office to be in civil contempt because of continued failure to follow the previous ruling of the court.... In the midst of this controversy, Arpaio is also running for re-election.... [Arpaio’s campaign manager, Chad Wilhems] also noted that he wasn’t surprised by the referral, claiming “the judge has made it clear that this was the direction he was going to go in,” and the campaign was “somewhat relieved that this process is out of the judge’s hands and will go to an independent review for an unbiased look at the case and the law.

N.C. Pregnancy Center Sues City of Raleigh for Right to Open Next Door to Abortion Clinic
CNS News - A Hand of Hope bought property next door to the Preferred Women’s Health Center of Raleigh abortion clinic last year for $309,000. The pro-life group obtained zoning approval in May from Raleigh’s Planning Commission and Citizen Advisory Council to use it for a not-for-profit pregnancy help center to share “God’s love and free resources with women facing the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy.”.... “The Planning Commission found that the requested rezoning was consistent with Raleigh’s Comprehensive Plan and Raleigh’s Future Land Use Map and that it was not inconsistent with any of Raleigh’s policies,” the lawsuit noted. “The Planning Commission also found that Hand of Hope’s proposal was reasonable and in the public interest…[and] compatible with the surrounding area.” However, the Raleigh City Council unanimously voted to deny Hand of Hope’s zoning approval request on July 5th, with council member Kay Crowder telling the News & Observer that the property should be rezoned later as part of a larger commercial project.... Raleigh’s City Council and the city attorney “defended their decision by citing their power and ‘wide discretion’ to decide what is the best use for Hand of Hope’s property,” according to the pro-life group.

Election News

Hillary Campaign Vows To Destroy Opposition Website
The Daily Caller - Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook made the Sunday show rounds to vaguely defend his boss on the Clinton Foundation scandals tearing away at the embattled Democrat’s campaign. “We’ve had a conservative media in this country for a while,” says the email, sent Thursday and signed by deputy communications director Christina Reynolds. “I don’t always like what they have to say, but I respect their role and their right to exist Reynolds’ acknowledgment that the regular conservative media has a “right to exist,” though, is used to contrast it with Breitbart, which apparently has no such right. “Breitbart is something different,” she says. “They make Fox News look like a Democratic Party pamphlet. They’re a different breed altogether — not just conservative but radical, bigoted, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic conspiracy peddlers who never have been and never should be anywhere near the levers of power in this country.” One of the goals of Clinton’s campaign, Reynolds says, is to ensure Breitbart is destroyed.
Related Video: Email shows Clinton wants to destroy all opposition

Louisiana Governor Changes His Opinion of Trump's Visit
Townhall - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was skeptical of Donald Trump's visit to the flooded regions of his state. If the GOP nominee was simply coming to Louisiana for a "photo-op," he may as well stay away, the governor warned. Yet, after seeing Trump and his running mate Mike Pence meeting with families and handing out resources, Edwards appears to have changed his tune, telling CNN the two were "helpful." "Because it helped to shine a spotlight on Louisiana and on the dire situation that we have here ... it was helpful," Edwards said. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton offered a phone call to Gov. Edwards and President Obama, after much criticism for deciding to remain on vacation at Martha's Vineyard instead of immediately flying to Louisiana, will be booking a flight there on Tuesday, according to the White House.
Related Video: Donald Trump and Mike Pence Visit Louisiana Amid Flooding - FULL COVERAGE

Leftist Activists Crash Trump Fundraiser, Attack Motorcade, Assault Trump Supporters in Violent 'Gauntlet'
Breitbart - Video shows dozens of anti-Trump activists shouting obscenities and throwing debris as they surround Donald Trump supporters attempting to exit the Minneapolis Convention Center. Trump fundraiser attendees attempting to exit the building were forced through a gauntlet of punches, with one protester seen violently attacking an elderly man as another man and a woman caught the brunt of the brutal beating. Some attendees attempting to leave the event were also spit on as they left the ­convention center, the [Minneapolis] Star Tribune reports. Jaime DeLage of the St. Paul Pioneer Press captured video of Trump supporters being forced to run a “gauntlet” to get into the fundraiser.

Hillary Clinton Campaign Attacks Trump for Not Releasing Health Records
Breitbart - Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook made the Sunday show rounds to vaguely defend his boss on the Clinton Foundation scandals tearing away at the embattled Democrat’s campaign. Though he remained characteristically guarded, Mook slipped at one point while trying to pivot to Donald Trump. “Trump hasn’t released a serious health letter yet,” Mook said. This is not the line of attack the Clinton campaign wants to go with.

RICH: Hillary flies 20 miles in private jet from Martha’s Vineyard to Nantucket
American Mirror - Hillary Clinton is very important, and she can’t be bogged down by pesky things such as boats or waiting. The presidential candidate, who is endlessly trying to tell factory workers in Ohio and Pennsylvania that she’s one of them, jetted approximately 20 miles from Martha’s Vineyard — where she was last night partying with President Obama — to Nantucket for a fundraiser on Saturday.

Clinton campaign halfway to $1 billion fundraising goal
CNS News - Her campaign has resisted publicizing a fundraising target for the general election, fearing it would draw attention to big donors at a time when voters angry about the role of money in politics. She aimed to raise $100 million for her primary bid. Clinton raised $90 million for her campaign and Democratic party committees in July, according to finance reports released on Saturday. She's maintained a staff of about 700 for months, opened up offices across the country and already spent $67 million on general election ads. This week, she'll spend at least $10 million more on ads. GOP rival Donald Trump raised $80 million for his campaign and the Republican party, including a $2 million contribution from Trump himself. He's kept his payroll to about 70 employees, only began airing ads in recent days and has not undertaken a significant operational buildout across the country. Instead, nearly half the money he spent in July went to one web design firm, whose president is the campaign's director of digital marketing.

FelonsVotesMatter: Virginia Governor To Announce 13,000 Ex-Cons Have Been Registered To Vote (For Hillary)
Zero Hedge - Back in July, Virginia's Supreme Court blocked McAuliffe's effort to restore voting rights to 200,000 ex-felons all at one time saying that he would instead have to restore each person's voting right individually. Proving his determination and willingness to devote unlimited taxpayer funds to the effort, the Washington Post is reporting that McAuliffe will announce on Monday that he has restored efforts to the first 13,000 ex felons on a "case-by-case" basis. He is expected to continue the effort until the voting rights for all 200,000 ex-felons have been restored. Not everyone is happy with the efforts, of course. According to the Washington Post, Republicans have questioned how thoroughly the list of ex-felons is being vetted noting that the Governor's previous efforts mistakenly restored voting rights to 132 sex offenders still in custody among other criminals that were still incarcerated.

Does all voting happen on Election Day? Think again
Associated Press - Election officials begin mailing ballots Sept. 9 to any registered voter in North Carolina who formally requested one. That's the earliest in the country and 60 days before the Nov. 8 election. A few other battleground states start mailing absentee ballots two weeks later. An array of states follows with differing forms of early in-person voting in the campaign's final weeks. It's for that reason that North Carolina provides campaigns with an early test. People don't have to give a reason to vote by mail in North Carolina, such as out-of-town Election Day traveling or being too sick to leave the house. A little over 200,000 mailed ballots were collected in 2012, which amounted to less than 5 percent of the state's 4.5 million voter turnout. Republicans historically have favored mail-in ballots and could be critical to who gets the state's 15 electoral votes. Republican Mitt Romney won the state by 92,000 votes in 2012, while Democrat Barack Obama won by 14,000 votes in 2008.

Economy & Business

The Biggest American Layoff Queens in 2016 “So Far”
Wolf Street - 24/7 Wall St. interviewed John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray. And digging into additional data, it came up with its list of the biggest layoff announcements in 2016 so far – “so far” because the year isn’t over yet.... Wal-Mart Stores: 17,500 job cuts; Halliburton: 15,200 job cuts; Intel: 12,000 job cuts; Schlumberger: 10,000 job cuts; Seagate Technology: 8,100 job cuts; Bank of America: 8,000 job cuts, plus; Weatherford International: 8,000 job cuts; DuPont Pioneer: 6,000 job cuts, plus; National Oilwell Varco: 6,000 job cuts; Cisco: 5,500 job cuts; Microsoft: 4,700 job cuts; Hancock Fabrics: 4,500 job cuts; Macy’s: 4,350 job cuts, plus.... What stands out among these announcements? They’re company or industry specific: oil-and-gas, brick-and-mortar retail, and tech – all three of them deeply troubled. Well, OK, a bank too. Smaller companies in these and other sectors often lay their workers off quietly, and unless you’re working there, or know some who is, you’ll never hear about it.

Energy & Environment

Johns Hopkins prof: Don’t have kids if you want to save the planet from climate change
The College Fix - In a Thursday story at NPR.org, Travis Rieder of Johns Hopkins’ Berman Institute of Bioethics says “[m]aybe we should protect our kids by not having them” in this precarious era of climate change. The “tweedy jacket and tennis shoe-wearing” Rieder uses the year 2036 as a potential “tipping point” for “cataclysmic” climate change where the average global temperature will have increased by two degrees Celsius. By that time, or perhaps a bit after, “the world is expected to add several billion people […] each one producing more [greenhouse gas] emissions.” But if the global fertility rate could be slimmed to a half-child per woman, that “could be the thing that saves us,” the professor says…. Ethically, Rieder says poor nations get some slack because they’re still developing, and because their per capita emissions are a sliver of the developed world’s. Plus, it just doesn’t look good for rich, Western nations to tell people in poor ones not to have kids. He suggests things like paying poor women to refill their birth control and — something that’s had proven success — widespread media campaigns…. Rieder proposes that richer nations do away with tax breaks for having children and actually penalize new parents. He says the penalty should be progressive, based on income, and could increase with each additional child.

Forget Solar Panels, Tesla Announces Plans to Build Stunning Solar Roofs
Natural Blaze - When SolarCity’s merger with Tesla will complete by the end of this year, electric car maker Tesla Motors will start selling a new type of roof that isn’t covered with solar panels. Instead, it’s seamlessly integrated with Tesla’s home battery storage technology, allowing homeowners to use solar power even at night. The idea is to sell an entire roof with the solar power capabilities built into it, rather than selling solar panels that can be placed on someone’s existing roof…. These solar roof modules will be made at SolarCity’s $750 million manufacturing plant in Buffalo, New York…. The announcement comes as good news for homeowners looking at replacing their roofs, as well as produce their own electricity: they will now have an option of buying roofs with solar panels embedded into it.

Science & Technology

The NSA Built a Secret, Warrantless, Shadow 'Social Network' and You're Already On It
The Free Thought Project - This time, their unscrupulous spying involves a shadow “social network” that combs data from all social networks and your online data to create a graph of everyone and everyone they know.... NSA even has a website for this network on which they gladly display all the information they collect. It’s called GETPRSM.... While they originally claimed this information was only being collected on foreigners, a shift in their policy showed that this was not the case. According to a scathing report in the NY Times, the NSA no longer cares if the data they collect is foreign as they no longer check for these constraints.... now they’re arguing that they can look at anything else so long as they claim that there’s a “foreign intelligence justification.” That means they have no limits. They just have to come up with some wacky reason to claim that so-and-so might have foreign connections that are important to know about, and voila, their life is open for the NSA to dig in, all without any oversight or a warrant.

The NSA Leak Is Real, Snowden Documents Confirm
The Intercept - The evidence that ties the ShadowBrokers dump to the NSA comes in an agency manual for implanting malware, classified top secret, provided by Snowden, and not previously available to the public. The draft manual instructs NSA operators to track their use of one malware program using a specific 16-character string, “ace02468bdf13579.” That exact same string appears throughout the ShadowBrokers leak in code associated with the same program, SECONDDATE.... But malicious software of this sophistication doesn’t just pose a threat to foreign governments, Johns Hopkins University cryptographer Matthew Green told The Intercept: The danger of these exploits is that they can be used to target anyone who is using a vulnerable router.... It’s worse, in fact, because many of these exploits are not available through any other means, so they’re just now coming to the attention of the firewall and router manufacturers that need to fix them, as well as the customers that are vulnerable.... So the risk is twofold: first, that the person or persons who stole this information might have used them against us. If this is indeed Russia, then one assumes that they probably have their own exploits, but there’s no need to give them any more. And now that the exploits have been released, we run the risk that ordinary criminals will use them against corporate targets.

Blogger Criticizes Sheriff, So Sheriff Raids Home And Takes Computers
Off the Grid News - The deputies were trying to identify the person behind a blog called ExposeDAT. ExposeDAT accused a number of local officials, including Sheriff Jerry Larpenter, Parish President Gordon Dove and District Attorney Joe Waitz, of various forms of corruption, according to WWL-TV. One of the last entries on the blog, dated July 31, accused officials of helping a company called Baby Oil and Environmental Equipment Inc. avoid paying $400,000 in taxes to the parish. On August 2, Larpenter’s deputies went to the home of Houma, Louisiana, Police Officer Wayne Anderson and executed a search warrant. The deputies seized computers and Facebook information in an attempt to determine who is behind ExposeDAT. The warrant is part of Waitz’s attempt to prosecute Anderson for a crime called criminal defamation…. Attorney Mary Ellen Roy told WWL that the U.S. Supreme Court found the law unconstitutional when it is used “…to punish public expression and publication concerning public officials, public figures and private individuals who are engaged in public affairs.” But that hasn’t stopped the sheriff. “If you’re gonna lie about me and make it under a fictitious name, I’m gonna come after you,” Larpenter told the TV station.

Health

Essential Oils With These Frequencies Might Stop Cancer In Its Tracks
Natural Blaze - Even scientists now recognize the power agents that exist within some essential oils which stops cancer spreading, and which induces cancerous cells to close themselves down. Their disease-preventing ability is no longer doubted, especially for cancer. A healthy body, from head to foot, typically has a frequency ranging from 62 to 78 MHz, while disease begins at 58Hz. During some testing with frequency and the frequency of essential oils it was measured that: Holding a cup of coffee dropped one man’s frequency from 66 Hz to 58 MHz in just 3 seconds. It took three days for his frequency to return to normal. Other studies show that: Negative thoughts lower our frequency on average 12 MHz. Positive thoughts raises our frequency on average 10 MHz. Studying some of the most popular essential oils in current use, such as mint, ginger, lemon, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, chamomile, thyme, rose, and cinnamon, researchers sought out to discover how these oils may combat cancer. They did so by testing antibacterial potency as well as in vitro toxicology against human cancer cell lines…. “Cancer starts when the DNA code within the cell’s nucleus becomes corrupted,” says Immunologist Mahmoud Suhail. It seems some essential oils have a re-set function. It can tell the cell what the right DNA code should be.

Don’t believe the hype: Sugar alcohols like Xylitol are neither sugar nor alcohol and may increase your risk of breast cancer
(NaturalHealth365) Sugar alcohols like xylitol are also known as polyols. They can be found in processed foods such as chewing gum, candy, ice cream, baked goods, fruit spreads, frostings, yogurts, tabletop sweeteners and increasingly in the multitude of “diet” and so-called “vitamin infused” beverages on the market today…. It is true that they are very low in calories and rank low on the glycemic index. The reason for this, however, is that they are highly-refined, processed chemical substances that the body simply cannot absorb… Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that sugar alcohols are “GRAS” (Generally Recognized as Safe), the evidence is mounting that connects these mysterious substances to many disease conditions…. The most noticeable side effect of consuming sugar alcohols is how they affect your gut. Sugar alcohols interfere with the functioning of the gut lining, the very area where immune cells reside. Because they are not able to be digested, sugar alcohols will pass through the stomach and land in the small intestine fully intact. After that, a process of “passive diffusion” occurs; the end result is unmetabolized portions which remain in the gut indefinitely. These particles will eventually begin to rot, creating an environment ripe for bad bacteria and other pathogens to grow. The chemical materials in the gut will also affect the enterocyte cells that line the intestinal wall…. This entire process leads to what is known as leaky gut, the primary health issue that studies show is connected to dozens of other disease conditions including: autoimmune disease, thyroid disease, metabolic issues, neurological issues and breast cancer.

Ginger fights inflammatory bowel disease
STEPin2 - According to Healthline: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a group of intestinal disorders that cause prolonged inflammation of the digestive tract. The digestive tract is composed of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. It’s responsible for breaking down food, extracting the nutrients, and removing any unusable material and waste products. Inflammation anywhere along the digestive tract disrupts this normal process. IBD can be very painful and disruptive, and in some cases, may even be life-threatening. The research team led by Dr. Didier Merlin started their experiment by juicing fresh ginger from the local farmer’s market. Next, they used a high speed centrifuge to form the ginger juice into particles. They found that the ginger particles helped to repair the intestines by encouraging the survival of good cells in the lining of the colon. They also helped to lower proteins that cause inflammation, and increased proteins that fight inflammation. The researchers believe that these particles could be used to treat IBD and cancer that is linked to colitis.

Pet News

One of the Most Important Pet 'Survival Skills' You Could Learn
Dr. Becker - Knowing how to perform basic CPR on your pet is one of the most important skills you can learn. No one expects to find their dog unconscious and in need of urgent medical care — but if the unthinkable happens, knowing CPR can save your pet's life…. I recommend all dog owners become familiar with the CPR guidelines above now, before your dog needs them. When an emergency occurs, you won't have time to start reading through the instructions, and you'll likely be shaken and possibly panicked. If you already have a firm grasp on how to perform CPR, you can move right into action, as mentioned, preferably in a car while someone drives you and your dog to an emergency animal hospital. You should not, however, practice CPR on a healthy dog, as this can lead to injury.
Related Article/Video: How to Perform CPR on Your Dog and Cat

Safe Herbs & Spices
The Canine Chef Cookbook - Holistic veterinarians consider these herbs & spices to be safe for healthy dogs with no underlying health issues. Before using any herb or spice consult with your veterinarian for any cautions, possible side effects or conventional drug interactions. Not all herbs and spices are safe for pregnant or lactating dogs or puppies…. Chia Seeds contain large quantities of protein, five times the calcium of milk, boron (a trace mineral that aids in the absorption of calcium into the bones), Omega oils 3 and 6, and can help regulate blood sugar levels and aid in maintaining a healthy weight…. Flaxseed, also known as linseeds, plays a significant role in canine cardiovascular health and skin and coat health since it is an important source of fiber and antioxidants, and it may have anti-tumor properties as well. omega-3 fatty acid and B vitamins, and ground flaxseed may be added in place of oils in the diet. It not only improves the shine of the pet’s coat but aids in the movement of food through the digestive system…. Milk Thistle is well known as a "liver herb" both for humans and pets. It contains a flavonoid compound called "silymarin" which itself is a combination of several other active compounds. Extensive studies around the world have found that silymarin is safe and effective in treating a variety of liver diseases and other conditions, from kidney disease to mushroom or lead poisoning….
 



Friday - August 19, 2016 - Today In History:

1812 - "Old Ironsides" (the USS Constitution) won a battle against the British frigate Guerriere east of Nova Scotia.
1848 - The discovery of gold in California was reported by the New York Herald.
1919 - Afghanistan gained independence from Britain.
1934 - Adolf Hitler was approved for sole executive power in Germany as Fuehrer.
1940 - The new Civil Aeronautics Administration awarded honorary license #1 to Orville Wright.
1942 - About 6,000 Canadian and British soldiers launched a raid against the Germans at Dieppe, France. They suffered about 50 percent casualties.
1960 - Francis Gary Powers, an American U-2 pilot, was convicted of espionage in Moscow.
1960 - Two dogs were launched in a satellite into Earth's orbit by the Soviet Union.
1974 - During an anti-American protest in Nicosia, Cyprus, U.S. Ambassador Rodger P. Davies was fatally wounded by a bullet while in the American embassy.
1981 - Two Libyan SU-22s were shot down by two U.S. Navy F-14 fighters in the Gulf of Sidra.
1991 - Soviet hard-liners announced that President Mikhail Gorbachev had been removed from power. Gorbachev returned to power two days later.
1998 - The first piece of the 351 foot bronze statue of Christopher Columbus arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2004 - The Internet search engine Google went public.
2005 - Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. liable for the death of a man who'd taken the once-popular painkiller Vioxx.
2010 - The last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion began.

World News

Report: US Moving Nukes Closer to Ukraine
Kit Daniels - The US is reportedly moving nukes from Turkey to Romania amid rising tensions in Ukraine – and after a recent report warned that ISIS could steal the nukes in Turkey. At least 50 tactical nukes are stored at the Incirlik Air Base about 70 miles from the Syrian border, and according to EurActiv, the US is moving at least 20 of them to Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine. US officials have denied the claim, but recent developments reveal there’s credibility to the reported nuke transfer. For one thing, Turkey is now considering military ties with Russia due to its deteriorating relationship with NATO…. Additionally, the Pentagon is claiming that nearly 40,000 Russian troops are massing on Russia’s border with Ukraine, including armored vehicles, tanks and fighter jets. And the nukes stored in Turkey are at risk of being stolen by ISIS, according to a report by the Stimson Center. “From a security point of view, it’s a roll of the dice to continue to have approximately 50 of America’s nuclear weapons stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey,” said report co-author Laicie Heeley. “There are significant safeguards in place… but safeguards are just that, they don’t eliminate risk.” “In the event of a coup, we can’t say for certain that we would have been able to maintain control.”

Turkey considering military ties with Russia as NATO shows unwillingness to cooperate – Ankara
RT - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has lashed out at NATO, saying the alliance is not fully cooperating with Ankara. In an interview with Sputnik, he hinted that Turkey would consider military cooperation with Russia. Cavusoglu says that Ankara has become alarmed at the lack of willingness shown by NATO to cooperate with Turkey, which is a member of the alliance. "It seems to us that NATO members behave in an evasive fashion on issues such as the exchange of technology and joint investments. Turkey intends to develop its own defense industry and strengthen its defense system,” he said in an interview with Sputnik. “In this sense, if Russia were to treat this with interest, we are ready to consider the possibility of cooperation in this sector," Cavusoglu said when asked about the possibility of working with Russia in the defense sphere.

US: Russia’s Use of Iran Bases Could Violate UN Resolution
Antiwar - The US State Department is claiming that the Russian use of an Iranian air base for strikes against ISIS in Syria could violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and claims to be consulting “our lawyers” to decide if it amounts to a violation. Resolution 2231 bans Iran from obtaining nuclear-capable ballistic missiles or combat aircraft, though the State Department claims it can be used to do a lot of other things, and that Russia having military assets inside Iran might amount to the “transfer of military technologies” to them. Russian officials are pointing out that’s obviously not the case, and that no aircraft or supplies are being transferred to Iran, they’re just using an Iranian base. The language of the resolution does not suggest any ban on Iran allowing the use of their air bases.

'Not one single convoy' reached besieged Syrians this month, says UN envoy
Deutsche Welle - Citing "deep unhappiness," UN envoy Staffan de Mistura abruptly cut short Thursday's meeting of the UN's humanitarian task force for Syria because new fighting in the five-year war has impeded aid convoys to the more than 590,000 people living in besieged cities and towns. De Mistura said convoys had not reached any besieged areas of Syria in August and that Madaya, Zabadani, Foah and Kafraya had had no aid for 110 days…. De Mistura has attempted to increase pressure on the United States and Russia, the 17-nation task force's co-chairs, to help produce a 48-hour ceasefire in the northern city of Aleppo in the face of a recent government offensive…. The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday it was ready to support weekly 48-hour "humanitarian pauses" that would go into effect around Aleppo "next week." Moscow also said it was ready to guarantee safety to aid convoys in cooperation with the Syrian regime. However, the Russian army added that it expects similar guarantees from the United States in the areas controlled by the "moderate opposition," Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Asia & Pacific‘False’ Reuters Report on Vietnam Rocket Launchers Sparked Chaos in South China
Sputnik News - A Reuters report citing unnamed Western officials that Vietnam had deployed rocket launchers to the Spratly Islands and pointed them toward Chinese facilities led Beijing to call on Hanoi to “remember” the 1979 War that led to 137,000 Vietnamese deaths. On Thursday, Vietnam again refuted a Reuters report that it allegedly deployed rocket launchers to bases in the Spratly islands — allegations that led Beijing this weekend to remind Hanoi about previous wars which many view as a not-so-veiled threat to attack Vietnam. The diplomatic row began following an August 10 Reuters report suggesting that "Vietnam has discreetly fortified several of its islands in the disputed South China Sea with new mobile rocket launchers," in recent months. Reuters also reported that Vietnam’s foreign ministry said the information about the deployment of rocket launchers, based on unnamed Western officials, was "inaccurate." Despite the countervailing statement by Vietnam and the lack of satellite photography or other tangible evidence to substantiate the report, the news outlet chose to run the story, sparking an international incident.

US Air Force Flies B-52 Bombers in Afghanistan for First Time in Decade
Sputnik News - US Air Force Chief of Staff General David L. Golden announced in a media release Tuesday that Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers have completed airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan for the first time in ten years. He stated, "We got the B-52 back in the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq," adding, "We have the B-52 contributing to a significant ground effort and employing weapons in close proximity of friendly troops who are under attack [and] who are preparing the battlefield in new ways. The aging bomber also flew two sorties in Afghanistan recently, dropping 27 bombs in two counter-terrorism strikes. The Air Force did not specify when B-52H operations resumed in Afghanistan. The USAF has conducted more than 140 strikes and flown over 800 sorties since June, when US President Barack Obama ordered air power to be used more proactively in the country.

Taliban active in more parts of Afghanistan than before US invasion – intel agency
RT - Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan are now operating in more territories than they were prior to the 2001 US campaign, a report by private intelligence agency Stratfor cautions. The paper also warns of the Taliban’s closer ties with Islamic State. Despite partial success by the Afghan military, their action is being “overshadowed by the Taliban's much larger gains elsewhere,” Stratfor says in its latest assessment. The agency warns that the “Taliban now operates in more territories in Afghanistan than it has in 2001” when the US started its military campaign in the country to drive the group out. A major point of concern is Afghanistan’s largest province of Helmand, which is almost completely under the control of insurgents. “Despite heavy U.S. airstrikes in the area, the Taliban – who already control 80 percent of the region – have steadily encroached on the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah,” Stratfor warns. The group is now engaged in a large-scale offensive to seize the remaining territories in Helmand. Despite joint efforts by the Afghan army and US Air Force, insurgents continue to push forward in other provinces. On August 15 the Taliban seized a key district in northern Baghlan province, just 100 kilometers away from the country’s capital Kabul.

US Has Nearly 30,000 Defense Contractors in Afghanistan
Antiwar - While the Obama Administration has presented its (already-stalled) drawdown in Afghanistan as “ending” the war and bringing the number of US forces down in the country to very small levels, they rarely discuss the substantial number of American defense contractors still in the country. While the US officially has just 9,000 troops in Afghanistan, they also have some 29,000 contractors stationed around the country. Two-thirds of the contractors are said to be foreign nationals, with the Pentagon saying they are mostly involved in logistics and maintenance for the ongoing war. The US has long used large numbers of contractors as a way to have more boots on the ground than the officially publicized figures. This has tended to be rough parity between the two forces, however. At the peak of the Afghan War, the US had 88,000 troops and 117,000 contractors.

Terrified British Motorist Is Attacked In Calais By Gang Of Chainsaw-wielding Migrants Who Hurled Concrete Boulders At His Car
Daily Mail - Rhys Williams, 53, was approaching the French port in the early hours when migrants from the sprawling jungle camp smashed his windows, causing up to £3,000 of damage. They ran onto the road brandishing chainsaws and throwing Molotov cocktails at the police and passing traffic in scenes that he said ‘resembled a war zone’. The attack is the latest in a string of incidents where migrants have attacked cars in a bid to block roads so they can access lorries bound for the UK.

Venezuela Confiscates Guns As Murder Rates Soar
Zero Hedge - Just to prove the US isn't the only place where governments seek to cure symptoms rather than diseases for political benefit, Venezuela's Interior Minister, Nestor Reverol, launched a campaign in Caracas to "disarm" citizens in an effort to curb rampant violence. Venezuela has the world's second highest murder rate which Reverol attributes, at least in part, to heavily armed gangs roaming the streets with guns that they apparently acquire from "corrupt" police officers. To address the violent crime issue, Venezueala has decided to chop up over 2,000 shotguns and pistols and laser tag ammunition as apparently the majority of ammunition used for violent crime in the country is manufactured by the state and "sold by corrupt police" as well. We're noticing a trend here.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

State Dept.: $400M to Iran was contingent on US prisoners’ release
NY Post - The State Department admitted Thursday that the US would not hand over $400 million in cash to Iran until it released four American hostages — two weeks after President Obama insisted the payment was not a “ransom.” State Department spokesman John Kirby was asked at Thursday’s press briefing: “In basic English, you’re saying you wouldn’t give them $400 million in cash until the prisoners were released, correct?” “That’s correct,” Kirby replied. In an Aug. 4 press conference, President Obama said the opposite. “We do not pay ransom. We didn’t here, and we won’t in the future,” the president told reporters, speaking of the Jan. 17 payment and hostage release…. The US claims the money — delivered in cash stacked aboard an unmarked cargo plane — was part of a settlement of a longstanding dispute with the Iranian regime over a never-completed arms deal from the 1970s. Kirby continued to maintain Thursday that “the two negotiations were separate,” referring to the hostage release and arms deal. Kirby spoke after the Wall Street Journal reported that the departures of the crisscrossing planes — the one with the $400 million and the one with the four Americans — were linked.

Defective Combat Helmets Made by US Prisoners Cost Taxpayers Millions
Sputnik News - According to a new watchdog report, prison inmates used crude, makeshift tools to fashion faulty Kevlar helmets worn by US troops on the battlefield. Construction implements included a screw shoved through a piece of wood and makeshift hatchets. Under a government contract, more than 126,000 helmets made at a Texas prison in 2010 were recalled when major defects were discovered by inspectors, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG). ArmorSource, the company responsible for the faulty gear, was awarded additional government contracts even as the OIG conducted its probe, although taxpayers and the government lost some $19 million on the unsound helmets. The helmets were made as then-President George W. Bush ordered a US military surge in an effort to beat back Al-Qaeda…. Officials at [the Federal Prisons Industries] FPI "pre-selected" helmets for quality checks that were supposedly random, but the IG report found that staff instructed inmates to doctor documents "to falsely indicate that helmets passed inspection and met contract specifications."

Seth Rich Disappeared For Almost Two Hours Before He Was Murdered
Paul Joseph Watson - Rich was shot in the back in Washington D.C. on July 10, the apparent victim of an attempted “robbery” despite the fact that no possessions were taken. Last week, Wikileaks’ Julian Assange appeared on Dutch television and implied that Rich was one of the sources of the DNC email leak. A Daily Mail article that set out to debunk “conspiracy theories” surrounding Rich’s murder only served to throw up fresh questions. It reveals that Rich was visibly upset and bothered by something in the hours before his death, although the piece speculates that this was due to an argument with his girlfriend. Rich visited Lou’s City Bar on the evening before his death and began drinking heavily. He left at 1:45am and headed to another bar called Wonderland, which closed at 2:30am that night. No other bars are clubs were open after this time. The one mile walk from Wonderland to Rich’s Bloomingdale home would normally have taken around 30 minutes, possibly a little longer if he was drunk. However, police didn’t hear the gunshots that led to his death until 4:19am, leaving a gap of nearly two hours between when Rich would have left Wonderland and when he was shot dead.

Justice Dept Announces it Will End Use of For-Profit Prisons — Prison Stocks Plummet
The Free Thought Project - In a stunning turn of events, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday it will no longer use private prisons to incarcerate federal prisoners, deeming the notorious for-profit facilities both less safe and less effective in providing correctional services than those operated by the government…. This announcement comes on the heels of a rather scathing report from the DOJ’s inspector general last week which found the nefarious privately-run facilities had a greater number of safety and security incidents than those run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. According to that report, various disturbances in private prison facilities in recent years led to “extensive property damage, bodily injury, and the death of a Correctional Officer.”mmm As soon as the news broke the DOJ would be abandoning for-profit prisons, stock value crashed for both Corrections Corporation of America and the GEO Group, as Zero Hedge reported, the latter evaporating 35 percent of its value in record time.

The Princeton University Human Resources department has banned the word “man” from its offices. It might be offensive
The Gateway Pundit - The College Fix reported: “The Princeton University HR department has largely wiped the word “man” from its vocabulary. The relatively new policy in effect at the Ivy League institution spells out the directive in a four-page memo that aims to make the department more gender inclusive. Instead of using “man,” employees are told to use words such as human beings, individuals or people. Other guidelines? Instead of “man and wife” use spouses or partners. Switch out “man made” with artificial, handmade or manufactured. Don’t use the verb “to man,” as in to work something, instead use to operate or to staff. Throw out workmanlike and replace it with skillful. The memo goes on to list a variety of occupations that typically include the word “man” in them and offers replacements: business person instead of businessman, firefighter instead of fireman, ancestors instead of forefathers, and so on.

Election News

Trump hires 'street fighter' in new shakeup of White House campaign
Reuters - U.S. Republican Donald Trump overhauled his presidential campaign team on Wednesday for the second time in less than two months, hiring the head of a conservative news website to bolster his combative image and try to reverse poor opinion poll numbers. Trump named Steve Bannon, head of the Breitbart News website, as campaign chief executive officer, a new position. He also promoted senior adviser Kellyanne Conway to the post of campaign manager. The latest shake-up combines Bannon, a conservative flamethrower, with Conway, a measured, data-driven analyst who might be able to broaden Trump's appeal to women and independent voters. It offers Trump's team a chance to return to the "let Trump be Trump" style practiced by former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski that helped Trump, who has never held elective office, win the Republican presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election…. A Trump campaign statement announcing the changes touted a Bloomberg Politics article that branded Bannon "the most dangerous political operative in America.”… On Wednesday afternoon, Trump received his first intelligence briefing from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Retired U.S. Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, a Trump adviser who attended the briefing at the New York field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said the officials who conducted the two-hour session were "absolutely professional" and that it was "a great conversation." Intelligence officials brief the major-party U.S. presidential candidates on foreign policy and national security issues but do not disclose ultra-sensitive information about ongoing U.S. undercover operations, methods or the identities of intelligence sources.

Shock Poll: Trump’s Black Support Grows 6X in Week
Breitbart - When the “Daybreak” poll began July 10, Trump‘s support among black voters was 4.6 percent and he fluctuated between 5.4 percent Aug. 1 and 2.5 percent Aug. 11. The upswing in support for Trump–more than 500 percent above his low less than a week previous–comes after the New York City developer’s address Tuesday in the Milwaukee suburb of West Bend, Wisconsin. In that speech, Trump made his most direct play for African-American support in the campaign: We reject the bigotry of Hillary Clinton which panders to and talks down to communities of color and sees them only as votes, not as individual human beings worthy of a better future. She doesn’t care at all about the hurting people of this country, or the suffering she has caused them. The African-American community has been taken for granted for decades by the Democratic Party. It’s time to break with the failures of the past – I want to offer Americans a new future. The speech itself was a risk because the Trump campaign had planned the event before Sunday’s riots less than an hour south in the black neighborhoods of Wisconsin’s largest city.

Hillary Clinton Picks TPP and Fracking Advocate to Set Up Her White House
The Intercept - Two big issues dogged Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary: the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement (TPP) and fracking...In two of the most significant personnel moves she will ever make, she has signaled a lack of sincerity. She chose as her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine, who voted to authorize fast-track powers for the TPP and praised the agreement just two days before he was chosen. And now she has named former Colorado Democratic Senator and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to be the chair of her presidential transition team -- the group tasked with helping set up the new administration should she win in November...As a senator, Salazar was widely considered a reliable friend to the oil, gas, ranching and mining industries. As interior secretary, he opened the Arctic Ocean for oil drilling, and oversaw the botched response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since returning to the private sector, he has been an ardent supporter of the TPP, while pushing back against curbs on fracking.

Expert: Hillary Clinton ‘Doesn’t Get’ Death Tax; It Hurts Regular People More than Billionaires
Breitbart - Steve Moore, an advisor on Donald Trump’s tax plan and a distinguished visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Institute for Economic Freedom and Opportunity, laughed at Hillary Clinton’s charge that Trump’s plan to terminate the federal estate tax — also called the death tax — would save his family $4 billion dollars. “She says we’re going to get $4 billion from Donald Trump on the death tax? No you’re not, you’re not going to get anywhere near that,” he chuckled, dismissing the claim Clinton made while campaigning in Ohio on Wednesday. “The people who tend to get killed by the death tax are not people like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump — they have tax advisors.” “Think of what we could do with $4 billion in Ohio,” Clinton stated while campaigning… “We could build 280 new elementary schools. We could eliminate the outstanding student loan of 166,000 Ohioans. We could provide healthcare to 370,000 veterans. And we could sure rebuild every crumbing bridge in this state and fix a lot of the highways that are causing folks trouble.” The Tax Foundation found that although the U.S. has one of the highest death taxes, it only makes up less than one percent of the federal revenue.

Economy & Business

Texas State Gold Depository Another Step Closer To Reality
Tenth Amendment Center - Gov. Greg Abbot signed legislation creating the state gold bullion and precious metal depository in June of 2015. The facility will not only provide a secure place for individuals, business, cities, counties, government agencies and even other countries to to store gold and other precious metals, the law also creates a mechanism to facilitate the everyday use of gold and silver in business transactions. In short, a person will be able to deposit gold or silver – and pay other people through electronic means or checks – in sound money. The state issued a formal Request for Proposals last month. Companies interested in building and running the facility must have their plans submitted by Sept. 30. According to an article in the Star-Telegram,” state officials want a facility ‘with an e-commerce component that also provides for secure physical storage for Bullion in an existing facility or a newly constructed facility.’ Officials say plans for a depository should include online services that would let customers accept, transfer and withdraw bullion deposits and related fees. By making gold and silver available for regular, daily transactions by the general public, the new law has the potential for wide-reaching effect. Professor William Greene is an expert on constitutional tender and said in a paper for the Mises Institute that when people in multiple states actually start using gold and silver instead of Federal Reserve notes, it would effectively nullify the Federal Reserve and end the federal government’s monopoly on money.

Tech Wreck: 100+K Jobs Gone and More Cuts Coming
Fox Business - At the same time it announced a fiscal fourth-quarter earnings beat on Wednesday, Cisco (CSCO), the world’s largest networking giant, said it was cutting 5,500 jobs or 7% of its global workforce. Mark Havanas, of tech news website CRNOpens a New Window., which earlier in the day reported Cisco would eliminate potentially as many as 14,000 jobs, told FOX Business the tech industry is cutting the dead weight…. Microsoft (MSFT), Hewlett-Packard Enterprises (HPE) and Intel (INTC) have already slashed more than 100,000 jobs over the past 12 to 14 months, according to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, and that number is rising.

Science & Technology

Uber buys self-driving truck startup Otto; teams with Volvo
Reuters - Ride service Uber Technologies Inc said on Thursday it acquired self-driving trucks startup Otto and formed a $300 million alliance with Volvo Car Group to develop self-driving cars. Uber's moves reflect its eagerness to advance self-driving technology. If its ambitions are realized, these vehicles could over time reduce its biggest cost, paying drivers. Uber would also be positioned to expand into the trucking industry, which had revenue of about $726.4 billion in the United States in 2015, according to trade data…. Uber, which has a research center in Pittsburgh, will by the end of this month begin a pilot program in which trusted Uber customers will be able to use their phones to summon a self-driving car for use in a downtown Pittsburgh, according to a source with knowledge of Uber's plans. It will be the first time members of the public will be able to use self-driving vehicles. A driver trained to handle the autonomous cars will be behind the wheel to step in if needed.

Health

13 Year Old Boy Becomes Paralyzed from Neck Down After Gardasil HPV Vaccine
Health Impact News - The film VAXXED continues to be shown in new cities across the U.S., with the film crew also traveling to these cities to sponsor Q&A sessions after the filming. Producer Del Bigtree states that the story of the CDC whistleblower and cover-up told in the film is "Bigger than Watergate." The film crew also often films parents of vaccine damaged or vaccine killed children who turn out to view the film and tell their own stories. The story in the video below is about Colton Berrett, who received the Gardasil HPV vaccine at 13 years old, and soon afterwards became paralyzed from the neck down. After many months of recovery, he still needs a breathing apparatus and still suffers some paralysis. His mother states in the interview that they are still seeing the same pediatrician, who reported the vaccine to VAERS, and no longer gives the vaccine to boys, and cautions girls as well. Colton has regained his speech, and also speaks during the interview.

How to Clean Up and Detox Your Lungs in just 3 Days
Natural Blaze - Whether you smoke or not, your lungs need regular cleansing; since second hand smoking, industrial and vehicular pollution can also cause damage to your lungs and airways. Over time, toxins from mold and bacteria can destroy the health of your lungs and even lead to fatal conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease…. Regular detoxification helps in smooth functioning of lungs and quick expulsion of toxins. However, to help your body prepare for this short detox, it is important that you must get rid of all the dairy products two days before you begin your detox. Additionally an evening before the purification process, drink a cup of your favorite herbal green tea before going to bed to release toxins from the intestines. Once you are ready, follow these steps each day for three days: 1. In a 300 ml glass of warm water, add a quarter cup of lemon juice (juice of about two lemons) and drink it before breakfast. 2. During breakfast, drink 300 ml of pineapple or grapefruit juice. These juices contain natural antioxidants that help improve the respiratory system and clean your lungs. 3. To alkalize your body for the detox, drink at least 300 ml of freshly squeezed carrot juice between breakfast and lunch. 4. During lunch, drink 400 ml of juice rich in potassium such as beets, parsley, oranges, banana, tomatoes, dates, and figs. 5. In the evening, before going to bed, drink 400 ml of cranberry juice to fight infection causing bacteria in the lungs….

Grape Seed Extract Lowers Blood Pressure In Double-Blind Study
Green Med Info - A simple dietary supplement has once again been shown to produce valuable health benefits. Specifically, a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition has validated the effects of a previous study showing grape seed extract can effectively and safely normalize blood pressure in many subjects. This new study is very good news for the 74 million Americans with high blood pressure as it offers a safe alternative to the use of drugs to lower blood pressure, all of which carry a significant risk for side effect.

Kentucky Pharmacies Now Selling Naloxone Without Prescription
Natural Society - To combat opioid overdoses, Kentucky will begin selling the drug Naloxone over the counter without a prescription in 96 Kroger outlets across the state. Naloxone is a drug that can reverse an overdose of opioid drugs and often is only administered in the emergency room. However, due to the fact that Kentucky is one of five states with the highest rates of opioid overdoses, a decision has been made to make Naloxone available quickly and easily to anyone who needs it.

Pet News

Huge Win for Dogs: New Anti-Tethering Law Passed in Phoenix, Arizona
Dr. Becker - A tether can provide a safe way for a dog to enjoy the outdoors, provided it’s a tether that gives the dog plenty of room to romp, and it’s used only for short periods of time and under close owner supervision. Sadly, some dog owners use tethers or chains as a means of permanent restraint. Many dogs are tethered outdoors without access to food, water or shelter. Dogs trapped at the end of a tether or chain suffer immensely, both physically and emotionally. In addition to being exposed to the elements, including extreme heat and cold, tethered dogs are vulnerable to other people and animals, as they have no way to escape. As a result, tethered dogs may become aggressive and are far more likely to bite than dogs living in a healthy environment. Because the practice of tethering or chaining is a form of animal cruelty that also poses a public safety hazard, many U.S. cities have enacted legislation against it. Phoenix, Arizona is among them. In June 2016, city officials passed a tethering ordinance to protect dogs.



Thursday - August 18, 2016 - Today In History:

1735 - The "Evening Post" of Boston, MA, was published for the first time.
1840 - The American Society of Dental Surgeons was founded in New York City, NY.
1846 - Gen. Stephen W. Kearney and his U.S. forces captured Santa Fe, NM.
1894 - The Bureau of Immigration was established by the U.S. Congress.
1914 - The "Proclamation of Neutrality" was issued by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. It was aimed at keeping the U.S. out of World War I.
1916 - Abraham Lincoln's birthplace was made into a national shrine.
1920 - Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Amendment guaranteed the right of all American women to vote.
1938 - The Thousand Islands Bridge was dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The bridge connects the U.S. and Canada.
1940 - Canada and the U.S. established a joint defense plan against the possible enemy attacks during World War II.
1963 - James Meredith graduated from the University of Mississippi. He was the first black man to accomplish this feat.
1966 - The first pictures of earth taken from moon orbit were sent back to the U.S.
1981 - Herschel Walker of the University of Georgia took out an insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London. The all-American was insured for one million dollars.
1990 - The first shots were fired by the U.S. in the Persian Gulf Crisis when a U.S. frigate fired rounds across the bow of an Iraqi oil tanker.
1991 - An unsuccessful coup was attempted in against President Mikhail S. Gorbachev. The Soviet hard-liners were responsible. Gorbechev and his family were effectively imprisoned for three days while vacationing in Crimea.
2004 - Donald Trump unveiled his board game (TRUMP the Game) where players bid on real estate, buy big ticket items and make billion-dollar business deals.

World News

Russia Conducts “Armored Train Drills For First Time In 15 Years”
Mac Slavo - These drills appear to be very serious training for the mobilization of a major force that intends to bring in vast numbers and superior equipment under cover from fire. The Russians have been flaunting their latest equipment for communications jamming, which allows them to literally dominate and control an area; they have been flexing their ICBM mobile trucks and they have been giving every sign that they will not be pushed around by NATO, rightly or wrongly. They will be rolling out their carefully regulated, exercised and trained 21st century army ready to engage in electronic warfare. Ukraine and Syria are both still open proxies, and attempts to bring Ukraine into NATO could provoke open war: Much of this comes as NATO and the IMF continue to attempt to garner Ukraine into the EU and make the country a full-fledged NATO member. Such an action will not come without a price, however, and an excellent example of this can be found in an article entitled “Ukraine joining NATO would be trigger for war with Russia,” by Debra Killalea of news.com.au. “The red line in the sand is if NATO makes Ukraine a member. That will be seen as a call for war.” Dibbs also added that a nuclear war with Russia was “not an impossibility.”

US-backed forces give hundreds of ISIS fighters safe passage
RT - Several hundred vehicles containing 100 to 200 Islamic State fighters were given safe passage by US-based forces, out of the northern Syrian city of Manbij, after surrendering their weapons, according to defense officials. US Army Col. Carver, a spokesman for the US-led coalition fighters, told Pentagon reporters the decision to let Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) convoys leave the city was made by commanders of the Syrian Democratic Force. Col. Carver described how IS had civilians in each of the vehicles, and the military wanted to avoid casualties. He didn’t know how many of the civilians had been in the cars voluntarily but said some were likely hostages. The 100 to 200 fighters left the city of Manbij last Friday under watch of coalition drones to ensure the militants didn’t regroup and try to return to the city. It was the first such agreement with the terror group. IS fighters were allegedly using civilians as human shields to escape.

ISIS Has A New Focus: Killing Christians And Bombing Churches Wherever They Can Find Them
Michael Snyder - … ISIS has a new focus. They are very clear about the fact that they intend to kill as many “citizens of the cross” as they possibly can, and they plan to bomb churches wherever they can find them. In a previous article, I explained how an entire church in the U.S. ended up on an ISIS kill list, and we just saw in France that they are willing to strike anywhere and at any time. Religious targets now appear to be a top priority for ISIS, and that means that every church and every Christian in the western world needs to start thinking differently about security…. Thousands of American Christians have already been put on ISIS kill lists, and ISIS has already instructed their operatives to kill those that they can. The following comes from an excellent article by Bethany Blankley… According to a report recently made public, early this year, ISIS specifically identified 15,000 Christian Americans for death and instructed jihadists already in America to begin widespread murder. The Kill List report comes in the wake of ISIS already publicly warning American and British Christians that “they were next.” British police last week publicly warned its 5.4 million Christians to be on alert and in some areas increased security.

Refugees did not bring terrorism to Germany, says Angela Merkel
The Guardian - Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that refugees had not brought terrorism to Germany, and that Islam belonged in the country as long as it was practised in a way that respected the constitution. More than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere arrived in Germany last year. The mood towards them has soured after a spate of attacks on civilians last month, including three carried out by migrants. Two of the attacks were claimed by Islamic State. “The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism, of Islamic State, is not a phenomenon that came to us with the refugees,” Merkel said at an election campaign event for her Christian Democrats in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ahead of a regional vote on 4 September. She said many people had travelled from Germany to Syria for training with Islamist militants. In June, the country’s interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, said more than 800 were believed to have gone to Syria and Iraq.

What Brexit? UK jobless rate falls to 11-yr low
RT - The number of unemployed Britons fell by 52,000 to 1.64 million in July as the country’s labor market showed no signs of adverse effects from the vote to leave the European Union. The unemployment rate remained at 4.9 percent in the three months to June, according to official data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday. Average earnings grew 2.4 percent compared with a year earlier, with total pay excluding bonuses rising 2.3 percent, the ONS reports. The latest data also shows that the claimant count – which measures the number of people claiming for unemployment-related benefits – fell by 8,600 against a previously projected 9,500 increase. Overall, 172,000 people joined the workforce during the period covered.... Data published by the agency last month showed the unemployment rate in the UK was lower in the three months to May, reaching 4.9 percent – the lowest since 2005 with average wages rising 2.3 percent year-on-year.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Israel, Pakistan To Join Nevada War Games As US Prepares For Large-Scale Space & Cyber Wars
Mint Press - International war games being fought this week in the Nevada desert suggest the U.S. military is preparing for new, large-scale warfare against powerful enemies. This year marks the 41st year of the Red Flag military exercises, which are considered among the most important training exercises carried out in the United States. A grab bag of international troops are also invited to participate in the Air Force drill, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan, according to an Aug. 3 report from The Times Of Israel. The report, which cites unnamed U.S. and Israeli military officials and an amateur aviation blog as its sources, emphasizes that U.S. forces remain in charge of the drills, with other countries treated as “guests.” But it also suggests the exercises can be interpreted as a sign of strengthening ties between countries’ troops in an increasingly volatile world.

HUGE VICTORY! Federal Court Bans Govt from Prosecuting Medical Pot Users and Growers
The Free Thought Project - Last week, the tyrannical DEA doubled down on their asinine and immoral decision to classify marijuana as having no medical value — promising to continue to kidnap, cage, and kill people for possessing it. However, in a major victory, and a well-deserved slap to the face of the DEA, a federal appeals court just ruled that prosecuting medical marijuana users and growers is now banned. The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals’ three-judge panel has ruled that the Department of Justice (DOJ) cannot spend budget money to prosecute people who grow, sell or use medical marijuana — if they comply with state law. The 25 states who’ve found themselves subject to continuous raids — in spite of medical pot being legal — will now have solace in the fact that the DOJ can no longer throw money at the futile and immoral practice of arresting people for a plant. “If the federal government prosecutes such individuals, it has prevented the state from giving practical effect to its law,” Circuit Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain wrote for the court.

Here’s How Much Michael Phelps Might Have to Pay the IRS for Winning Olympic Medals
The Anti-Media - “You didn’t win that” might as well be the U.S. government’s official congratulatory platitude to American Olympians who succeed in Rio this summer. This year, the IRS will impose a nearly 40% “victory” tax on athletes who take home gold, silver, and bronze medals for the United States. American Olympians earn $25,000 for gold medals, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze, paid for by the U.S. Olympic Committee. But according to the non-profit advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, “a gold medalist from Team USA could end up facing a tax bill of $9,900 per gold medal, $5,940 per silver medal, and $3,960 per bronze medal.”… Michael Phelps [this year] won five gold medals and one silver, making the total he could owe the government as high as $55,000.

North Carolina Teachers Ordered to Avoid Calling Students ‘boys and girls’
Adan Salazar - Educators at a North Carolina public school district have been ordered to avoid using gender-specific pronouns when addressing pupils, according to a recently published training manual. A slideshow presentation, entitled “Supporting Transgender Students,” provides guidance for the upcoming school year to K-12 teachers of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district, directing them how to properly handle students with gender identity issues. “Transgendered,” “transsexual,” “transvestite,” “MtF or FtM,” “Cross Dresser,” and “Drag Queen/King,” are all terms teachers are instructed to avoid in order to “maximize academic achievement for every child.” Instead, the slideshow suggests, teachers should familiarize themselves with terms such as “Questioning,” “Cisgender,” “Non-binary,” “Genderqueer,’ and “Gender nonconforming.” A worksheet with a purple unicorn appears amid the instructional, which students are intended to fill out with their own gender identities. Among techniques to “avoid gender specific classroom management,” the slideshow tells teachers to line students up by birth month, favorite color, or alphabetized, rather than “boy/girl.” Children should also be addressed as “scholars or students vs. boys and girls,” the guidance recommends. Additionally, faculty should “allow students to dress in accordance with their gender identity” (emphasis theirs), and “students must have access to the restroom/changing facilities that correspond to their gender identity,” in accordance with a recent Fourth Circuit court ruling.

Target To Spend $20 Million On Private Bathrooms After Customer Revolt
Government Slaves - Target Corp. said it will spend $20 million to add a private bathroom to each of its stores by next year, following customer protests over its policy allowing transgender individuals to use whichever restroom corresponds with their gender identity. Most of Target’s 1,797 locations already have single-occupancy or unisex restrooms, but it will add the option to 277 stores by November and to about 20 remaining stores by March 2017, the company said on Wednesday. Target’s finance chief Cathy Smith said the move is a response to feedback from customers voicing displeasure over the company’s bathroom policy. She added the customer discontent hadn’t had a material impact on sales. CEO Brian Cornell had promised to roll out family restrooms earlier this year and defended the company’s stance on diversity.

Executive Disorder
Snopes.com - Umimaginative fake news publishers have recycled an old hoax about President Obama's banning the Pledge of Allegiance. Apparently having run out of anything remotely approaching an original thought, in August 2016 fake news publishers fell back on the old chestnut of reporting that President Obama had issued an executive order banning the Pledge of Allegiance in U.S. schools (for the umpteenth time): Early this morning, President Obama made what could very well prove to be the most controversial move of his presidency with the signing of Executive Order 13738, which revokes the federal government’s official recognition of the Pledge of Allegiance. Under the new order, it is now illegal for any federally funded agency to display the pledge or for any federal employee to recite, or encourage others to recite, the pledge while on duty. This law also applies to federal contractors and other institutions that receive federal funding such as public schools. Individuals who violate this order can face fines of up to $10,000 and up to one year in federal prison. During the press conference, the President explained his decision was based on a personal belief that the language used in the pledge is “divisive” and “contrary to America’s deepest held values.”

Election News

Political Science Prof: Trump Has 87% Chance of Winning the Election
Paul Joseph Watson - Political science professor Helmut Norpoth, whose election model has accurately predicted the outcome of the popular vote five times in a row, asserts that Donald Trump has an 87% chance of winning the presidency. Appearing on Fox Business with Lou Dobbs, Norpoth said his forecast confounded the poll numbers…. Norpoth’s model has correctly predicted the outcome of the popular vote for every election since 1996, including the 2000 race where Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush took the presidency. One of the factors the model takes into account is the unlikely scenario of an incumbent party remaining in power after two terms. The accuracy of the model built by Norpoth stands at 96.1%… Norpoth’s confidence in Trump winning has slipped since February, when he predicted a 97% chance of a Trump victory, but his analysis still stands in stark contrast to the mainstream media narrative that the New York billionaire’s campaign is collapsing. While online polls like that released by Zogby yesterday show Clinton and Trump almost tied, other polls show Hillary enjoying a significant lead.

Firefighters Union Abandons Hillary Clinton – Refuses Endorsement
The Gateway Pundit - Via California Firefighters News: The International Association of Fire Fighters, a politically powerful labor union, has abandoned its initial plans to endorse Democrat Hillary Clinton for U.S. president, the New York Times reported on Friday. Citing union sources, the Times said the Clinton campaign was told on Monday by IAFF President Harold Schaitberger that there was not enough support on the union’s board or its rank-and-file members for an endorsement of the Democratic front-runner. Support from labor unions is an important source of strength for Democratic candidates and their endorsements are eagerly sought by campaigns.

Poll: Three out of five Texans who support Trump want secession if Hillary becomes president
Chron - If anyone needs proof that the presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton truly is dividing the country, they should look to Texas. According to poll results from Public Policy Polling released Tuesday, three out of five Texans who support Donald Trump said they would support seceding from America if Hillary Clinton becomes president.

New Trump Campaign Manager Kellyanne Conway: This Isn’t A Shakeup
Breitbart - Wednesday on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” new campaign manager to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump Kellyanne Conway said the changes in Trump’s staff are not a shake-up, just an attempt to “expand the senior team that allows us to meet the needs.”… “We just need to sort of beef up the senior level roles in a way that we are, dividing and conquering. There is great deal to do. I think Paul Manafort as chairman and Rick Gates as deputy have done a phenomenal job building our campaign over last five or six months to put it in a competitive place going into the fall. So I look forward to continuing to work with both of them. I think my role will be TV, but also flying on the plane with Mr. Trump more. Certainly working with our many different messaging partners in our coalitions, just to make sure that we are all coordinating and doing it together.

Dr. Drew “Gravely Concerned” About Hillary Clinton’s Health
Paul Joseph Watson - Appearing on KABC’s McIntyre in the Morning, the hosts of the show were expecting [Dr. Drew Pinsky, known as “America’s most trusted physician,” to debunk claims that Hillary is having significant health problems, but Pinsky instead dropped several bombshells. Pinsky said he and his colleague Dr. Robert Huizenga had already analyzed what medical records on Hillary had been released and were “gravely concerned….not just about her health but her health care.” Pinsky noted that after her fall, Hillary suffered from a “transverse sinus thrombosis,” an “exceedingly rare clot” that “virtually guarantees somebody has something wrong with their coagulation system.” “What’s wrong with her coagulation system, has that been evaluated?” asked Dr. Drew, adding, that Hillary was being given “weird” medication that could be exacerbating her health problems. “So the very medicine doctors are using may be causing this problem and they’re using an old fashioned medicine to treat it – what is going on with her health care?” asked Pinsky…. Dr. Drew also highlighted when Hillary had to wear prism glasses after her fall, declaring, “that is brain damage, and so that’s affecting her balance…” Pinsky pointed out that the treatment for Hillary’s hypothyroidism – Armour Thyroid – was also “unconventional” and that it has “weird side-effects”. According to RXList.com, those side-effects include “severe dizziness,” while WebMD lists another side-effect as “tiredness”.

Photos: Hillary Clinton Has To Be Propped Up With Pillows
Heat Street - Hillary Clinton doesn’t like reporters, so she did an interview last week on a podcast hosted by her own presidential campaign. Notice anything about the image? Hillary is being propped up by a pillow, and it’s hardly the first time this has happened. In fact, the former secretary of state used to include propping cushions on her list of demands during her lucrative time on the paid celebrity speaking circuit. According to the Washington Post, for one speech at UCLA, a public university that she graciously offered a discounted rate of $300,000, Hillary demanded that “chairs be outfitted with two long, rectangular pillows — and that two cushions be kept backstage in case the chair was too deep and she needed additional back support.”

Video: Joe Biden Welcomed to Serbia with massive rally for Trump
The Gateway Pundit - Joe Biden flew to Serbia today [Aug 17th]. He was greeted by a massive protest for Trump!

Economy & Business

Overwhelmed By Debt, Nearly 1 In 5 Young Adults Live With Their Parents Or Grandparents
Economic Collapse - In America today, more than 60 million people live in multi-generational households…. According to the Pew Research Center, 12 percent of the U.S. population was living in multi-generational households back in 1980. Today, that number is up to 19 percent. That means nearly one out of every five U.S. adults now live with their parents or their grandparents. One of the big culprits, of course, is student loan debt. According to CNN, approximately 70 percent of all college graduates will have student loan debt to pay off once they leave school, and the average loan balance for those graduates is about $28,950. But there are many that run up $50,000 or $100,000 in debt at high end schools…. We are also seeing other forms of debt rise to frightening levels in this nation. The following comes from the New York Times… Over all, Americans’ use of credit cards has recently been creeping up again: Household debt in the United States increased by $35 billion, to $12.29 trillion, during the second quarter of 2016, a 0.3 percent rise from the previous quarter that was driven by credit cards and auto loans, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. We often criticize the federal government for being 19.4 trillion dollars in debt, and rightly so, but let us not forget that U.S. households are 12.2 trillion dollars in debt.

Energy & Environment

Radioactive Waste Leak at New York Nuke Plant Left Unrepaired for Years
Sputnik News - According to a quarterly inspection report by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the leak at the Fitzpatrick plant is of "very low safety significance” in the immediate future, as it is in a contained area, but regulators warn that it will make the site far more difficult to decontaminate when the reactor is shut down. The NRC has stated that plant owner Entergy Corp. has not repaired the leak, despite knowing about it for four years and considering the uncontrolled radioactivity to be a "more than minor significance.” "The bottom line is, we have been aware of this issue for some time, but it poses no immediate risks to any residents or the environment,'' NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan told Syracuse.com. Entergy claims that they have not cleaned up the spill because they do not want to expose their workers to radiation, reportedly implementing a robot to perform the task. The report does not detail how much waste has been spilled, but does indicate that it consists of beads and powdered resin from filters used to clean reactor coolant. The NRC is treating the leak as a “non-cited violation,” meaning that Entergy will not face increased oversight or penalties for the four-year leak. The NRC rated the plant’s safety performance as “green,” the highest rating available.

IRS Tax Loophole Can Reward Excessive Water Use in Drought-stricken West
Pro Publica - Here’s how it works: Farmers — or anyone who uses water in a business — can ask the Internal Revenue Service for a tax write-off for what’s called a “depleted asset.” In certain places, water counts as an asset, just like oil, or minerals like copper. The more water gets used, the more cash credit farmers can claim against their income tax. And that’s just what almost 3,000 Texas landowners in just one water district appear to have done last year — a year in which nearly half of Texas was in a state of “severe” or “extreme” drought.”…. We talked to an accountant in Levelland, Texas. He had a client who wrote off $10,000. “Whenever you buy land, you’re getting the dirt … and of course you are getting the water,” said Sham Myatt, the accountant. And the idea is that that water is part of what you paid for in the land deal. If the aquifer was 50 feet deep at the time of the land sale, and it drops 10 feet in a dry year, then the farmer can deduct one-fifth of the value, and so on, until all the water is gone…. A farmer who tries to use less water because of the drought, say, by switching to really efficient irrigation techniques, could actually make less money. His water might last longer, but producing his crop would get a lot more expensive…. We asked [the IRS] for clarification… The deduction is only available for one small part of the country — an area that includes parts of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. And it should only apply if people are using water from a source that is running dry anyway.

Science & Technology

America to hand off Internet in under two months
Washington Examiner - The Department of Commerce is set to hand off the final vestiges of American control over the Internet to international authorities in less than two months, officials have confirmed. The department will finalize the transition effective Oct. 1, Assistant Secretary Lawrence Strickling wrote on Tuesday, barring what he called “any significant impediment.” The move means the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, which is responsible for interpreting numerical addresses on the Web to a readable language, will move from U.S. control to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a multistakeholder body that includes countries like China and Russia. Critics of the move, most prominently Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, have pointed out the agency could be used by totalitarian governments to shut down the Web around the globe, either in whole or in part. "The proposal will significantly increase the power of foreign governments over the Internet, expand ICANN's historical core mission by creating a gateway to content regulation, and embolden [its] leadership to act without any real accountability," Cruz wrote in a letter sent to Commerce and signed by two fellow Republicans, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. In the event any facilities are relocated to China, senators noted, they could go in the same building as the agency responsible for censoring that country's Internet.

Health

This 85-Year-Old Woman Had A Hunchback For Decades. THIS Fixed It! (Video)
David Wolfe - For decades, [Anna Pesce ] had been living with a herniated disc, scoliosis and osteoporosis – all of which meant the 85-year-old grandmother walked around with a hunchback. And then, in 2014, Anna nearly collapsed trying to climb a set of stairs while visiting her children. “I had this horrible pain shooting up my back,” she told the New York Post. “I had to be carried up the stairs and put into a wheelchair for the rest of my stay.” At that point, enough was enough for Anna. She had tried acupuncture and visited a chiropractor to no avail. This time she decided to enlist the help of certified yoga instructor Rachel Jesien. Once a week, the two met. Rachel taught Anna restorative poses like the child’s pose and chair savasana. Within a month, Anna could walk again…. Four months into yoga, Anna was able to do a modified headstand! Keep in mind, this was an 85-year-old who, just months prior, couldn’t walk on her own. According to Rachel, yoga – with proper guidance and certified instruction – can increase bone density, strengthen muscles and relieve back pain…. Two years after meeting, Anna and Rachel continue to work together on a weekly basis.

Banana Ice Cream
David Wolfe - If you’re looking for a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth, you have to try banana ice cream, sometimes also called nana ice cream or n’ice cream. All you need is frozen bananas and a high speed blender. It’s so rich, creamy, sweet, and decadent, you seriously won’t even realize there’s no dairy or added sugar. Ingredients: Banana N’ice Cream Base - 2 frozen bananas*l, 1/4 tsp vanilla. Add Ins: (choose a favorite) Chocolate: 2 -3 tsp. cacao powder. Chocolate Almond Butter: 2-3 tsp. cacao powder + 1 Tbsp. almond butter. Carob: 2-3 tsp. carob powder. Date: 3-4 pitted dates + 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Strawberry Mint: 1 cup frozen strawberries + 6 mint leaves. Coconut: 1 Tbsp. coconut butter or shredded coconut. Almond Ginger: 1 Tbsp almond butter or 1 Tbsp. almonds + 1/2 inch piece peeled ginger…. Place all ingredients (banana base plus the add in ingredients of your choice) into a high speed blender and blend on high until soft serve ice cream consistency is reached, which should be about 30-60 seconds.

Pet News

They Saved THIS Dog So He Could Die In Peace. Then He Recovered! (Video)
David Wolfe - Valia Orfanidou has spent many years volunteering as an animal rescuer and trainer in Greece. She’s fostered many, many dogs in her life. She had seen so many dogs in grave conditions that she’d just about become desensitized. But nothing could have prepared Valia for the experience she’d have upon meeting Billy. Billy was abandoned and left to die in the city. He had a bad case of mange and was severely emaciated. Valia and her fellow rescue workers weren’t entirely sure if Billy would survive; the most they were hoping to do was provide him with a peaceful place to die in. In addition to his severe physical condition, it was obvious that Billy had a hard time trusting people. And how could he not? Just imagine the conditions he must have endured throughout his harsh life. But still, Valia was determined. She took Billy into her own home and gave him a quiet place to eat, sleep and recover in…. In a matter of two months, Billy showed Valia and her rescue team the true meaning of resilience. He overcame not only his physical damage but his mental scars as well. Check out the video of Billy’s transformation below. I guarantee it will warm your heart and put a smile on your face.
 



Wednesday - August 17, 2016 - Today In History:

1790 - The capital city of the U.S. moved to Philadelphia from New York City.
1863 - Federal batteries and ships bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC, harbor during the Civil War.
1896 - The Klondike gold rush was set off by George Carmack discovering gold on Rabbit Creek in Alaska.
1961 - The Communist East German government completed the construction of the Berlin Wall.
1969 - Hurricane Camille slammed into the Gulf Coast, killing 248 people.
1977 - Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reported that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland had surpassed the number for any other event in the company's history.
1982 - The Senate approved an immigration bill that granted permanent resident status to illegal aliens who had arrived in the United States before 1977.
1985 - A year-long strike began when 1,400 Geo. A. Hormel and Co. meat packers walked off the job.
1996 - Ross Perot was announced to be the Reform Party's presidential candidate. It was the party's first-ever candidate.
1998 - U.S. President Clinton admitted to having an improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern.
2005 - Israeli security forces began the forcible removal of Jews from four settlements in the Gaza Strip.
2010 - A mistrial was declared on 23 corruption charges against ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. (He was convicted of 17 counts of corruption in a retrial.)

World News

US Troops Fighting on the Ground in Libya
Libyan War The Truth by Jimmy and JoAnne Moriarty - US has put troops on the ground in Libya. The authority to put troops on the ground in Libya is non existent. The excuse being spewed out by the Pentagon and the lame stream media is that the UN "Unity" Government has invited them into Libya.

Russia bombs IS targets from Iranian air base
Deutsche Welle - Russia has said it launched strikes against the so-called "Islamic State" from air bases in Iran. It's a noticeable change of strategy for Moscow as it continues to aid the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Moscow announced on Tuesday that it had widened its bombing campaign in Syria by using Iran as a base to launch air strikes against militant targets. A statement released by Russia's defense ministry said that a fleet of long-range and frontline bombers had taken off from the Hamedan air base in Iran to conduct air strikes against members of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) and al-Nusra terrorist groups. The ministry said the bombing campaigns had destroyed five warehouses used to store weapons and ammunition, as well as jihadist training camps in the provinces of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and Idlib. In addition to this, a number of militants were killed when Russian planes struck command centers in the targeted areas. The campaign is the first time Russia has used a foreign power's military base to conduct air strikes in the Middle East, having normally flown planes out of its own air bases in Moscow and also in Syria. It's also virtually unprecedented for Iran to allow another world power to use its territory for military strikes.

China Sides With Russia In Syrian War, Will Provide "Aid And Military Training" To Assad
Zero Hedge - Beijing and Damascus have agreed that the Chinese military will have closer ties with Syria, and provide humanitarian aid to the civil war torn nation, a high-ranking People's Liberation Army officer said, adding that the training of Syrian personnel by Chinese instructors has also been discussed, according to Xinhua. As has been historically the case, China tends to leave Middle Eastern diplomacy to the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, namely the United States, Britain, France and Russia, while relying on the region for oil supplies. But lately, for unknown reasons, China has been trying to get more involved, including sending envoys to help push for a diplomatic resolution to the violence there and hosting Syrian government and opposition figures according to Reuters.

US Scrambles for New Weapons to Counter ‘Revolutionary’ Russian, Chinese Hypersonic Missiles
Sputnik News - In April, Russia successfully carried out the first test flight of a hypersonic Yu-71 glider launched with the use of an RS-18A strategic ballistic missile in the Orenburg Region in the Ural Mountains. The missile accelerated up to 7,000 MPH. Defense analyst Bill Gertz labeled the glider "revolutionary." Three days later, China conducted a similar experiment, launching its DF-ZF hypersonic glider from atop a missile traveling at speeds up to 7,672 miles per hour. Commenting on the tests, Pentagon strategic forces policymaker Mark Schneider, conceded that "US programs involving hypersonic vehicles are modest by comparison.” Calls quickly followed to boost the US defense budget. The director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Vice Adm. James Syring, urged Congress to allocate at least $23 million for laser interceptors. Lawmakers were also encouraged to fund the development of “a defensive system to defeat boost-glide and maneuvering ballistic missiles.”

US Defense Firms Profit By Saudi Arabia’s Slaughter Of Yemen
Shadowproof - It is not secret that Saudi Arabia has been carrying out ghastly war crimes on the people of Yemen using US weapons and support. Despite the US’ endless (and largely hypocritical) complaining about civilian deaths in Syria, the Saudis have deployed unprecedented violence on civilians in Yemen with no audible opposition from the US. One of the US weapons making an appearance in Yemen are widely banned cluster bombs, specifically the CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon from Textron Systems of Wilmington, Massachusetts. The bombs are not only lethal upon initial use but often the parts of the bomb do not explode as planned and spontaneously detonate later or by accident when scavengers stumble upon them while looking for scrap metal. Each cluster bomb costs the Saudis $360,000, and they have so purchased $641 million worth, but, as a new article in Harpers shows, Textron Systems is hardly the only US defense contractor making a killing in Yemen. A new arms deal between the US and Saudi Arabia, worth $60 billion and negotiated by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, became the largest in history. The deal included 84 Boeing F-15 jets and an estimated 170 helicopters, in addition to the cluster bombs. As if that was not enough of a payday, the US also has a lucrative contract to service the weapons.

Rampaging South Sudan troops raped foreigners, killed local
Washington Times - On July 11, South Sudanese troops, fresh from winning a battle in the capital, Juba, over opposition forces, went on a nearly four-hour rampage through a residential compound popular with foreigners, in one of the worst targeted attacks on aid workers in South Sudan’s three-year civil war.... For hours throughout the assault, the U.N. peacekeeping force stationed less than a mile away refused to respond to desperate calls for help. Neither did embassies, including the U.S. Embassy.... The accounts highlight, in raw detail, the failure of the U.N. peacekeeping force to uphold its core mandate of protecting civilians, notably those just a few minutes’ drive away.... The American who was released early in the assault and made it to the U.N. base said he also alerted U.N. staff. At around dusk, a U.N. worker he knew requested three different battalions to send a Quick Reaction Force. “Everyone refused to go. Ethiopia, China, and Nepal. All refused to go,” he said. Eventually, South Sudanese security forces entered the Terrain and rescued all but three Western women and around 16 Terrain [the compound] staff. No one else was sent that night to find them. The U.N. timeline said a patrol would go in the morning, but this “was cancelled due to priority.” A private security firm rescued the three Western women [and] the staffers the next morning.

‘It makes no sense’: Australians pay over 60% more for their gas than Japanese, survey shows
RT - A lack of competition and cartel-like behavior has hiked the gas price for Australians, according to analysts. For the Japanese, Australian gas comes with a 60 percent lower price tag. In a matter of the several months since May, the wholesale gas price on Australia’s east coast has surpassed that in Japan by as much as 65 percent, reports News.com.au, based on a survey by Australia’s Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The analysis was made ahead of a meeting of state and federal energy ministers at the Coag Energy Council on Friday. The situation looks even more irrational considering the fact that Australia has large-scale gas deposits and its citizens could actually “swim in gas,” while Japan has low gas deposits and has to import large volumes of liquefied gas from as far away as Australia.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

State Department To Release All Of Hillary's Deleted Emails
The Hill - The State Department will release all of the work-related emails that the FBI recovered from Hillary Clinton’s private system, the department confirmed in a recent court filing, eliminating the possibility that the messages will remain secret. However, it remains unsettled whether the full set of emails will be out before the presidential election on Nov. 8. The thousands of messages will be released to Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that has filed numerous legal complaints over the former secretary of State’s email setup while in office, the department said. Judicial Watch, which routinely releases documents it obtains via open-records lawsuits, is expected to make the emails public. The State Department has declined to set a timeline for releasing the emails, and a court conference to discuss the matter has been scheduled for Aug. 22. Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, has urged the department to release the emails before the November elections.

House Republicans Pursue Perjury Charges Against Hillary
Adan Salazar - Members of the House Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee are pointing out evidence taken directly from sworn testimony which may lead to perjury charges against Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Republicans Jason Chaffetz and Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte penned a letter to the US attorney for the District of Columbia presenting key pieces of information showing Clinton willfully lied during an October 22, 2015, interrogation regarding the Benghazi debacle, in which she also answered questions concerning her illegal private email server. “The four pieces of sworn testimony by Secretary Clinton described herein are incompatible with the FBI’s findings,” the letter to US Attorney Channing D. Phillips says. A representative for the Justice Department responded to the request on Aug. 2 saying they would “take appropriate action as necessary,” however no timeline was offered.

Hacked Soros Memo: $650,000 to Black Lives Matter
Breitbart - George Soros’s Open Society Institute viewed the 2015 Baltimore unrest following the death of Freddie Gray as opening a “unique opportunity” to create “accountability” for the Baltimore police while aiding activists in reforming the city, according to hacked documents reviewed by Breitbart Jerusalem. The documents further confirm that the Open Society last year approved $650,000 to “invest in technical assistance and support for the groups at the core of the burgeoning #BlackLivesMatter movement.” The information was contained in a detailed 69-page Open Society report on the agenda of an Open Society U.S. Programs board meeting held in New York October 1 to October 2, 2015. The report directly states the Open Society views the Baltimore unrest last year as a crisis that can be utilized to carry out the organization’s agenda.

California Bill Criminalizing Media Reporting of Undercover Videos Alarms Free Speech Advocates
AllGov - Controversy surrounding secretly recorded videos showing Planned Parenthood employees discussing fetal tissue sales has morphed into a California proposal that would punish media companies for reporting on certain undercover videos.... Born from the 2015 hidden-camera footage released by the anti-abortion Center for Medical Progress, Planned Parenthood is pushing Assembly Bill 1671 which it claims will protect abortion clinics and other health care providers from similar malicious sting operations. The bill would criminalize publishing undercover video footage of "health care providers" and subject third parties, including journalists, to penalties for reporting and distributing the illegally recorded footage. Under AB 1671, a journalist receiving and posting footage from an anonymous source could be punished by the state as well as be opened up to potential civil lawsuits. Whistleblowers would not be exempt from the proposal either, regardless of how they obtained the illegal footage. First-time offenders could be fined up to $2,500 while repeat offenders could face up to a year in prison.

Error-filled state gang database lists 42 people less than 1 year old
Ars Technica - An internal database used by California's police agencies chronicles some 150,000 suspected gang members. However, the CalGang database is so riddled with errors that its authenticity, and its ability to help the authorities fight gang violence, is now being questioned by the state's auditor. Consider that an audit of the crime-fighting database—which points to gang member booking photographs, birth dates, race, gender, known addresses, tattoos, convictions, interactions with police, and so on—listed 42 people under the age of one as suspected gang members…. The 109-page report found that the California policing agencies have wrongly used the database, implemented in 1997, for employment screening purposes, and that it has also been used in court to help bolster support that a defendant was a gang member. The report found there was little to no oversight of the database as well—a fact that has led to it being prone to errors.

Dallas PD Asks Attorney General For Permission To Withhold 'Embarrassing' Documents About Its Bomb Robot
Tech Dirt - The unprecedented deployment of a bomb-defusing robot by Dallas police to kill an armed suspect raised several questions. While these robots have sometimes acted as part of a negotiation team in the past, no police department had previously rigged one up with an explosive device to take a suspect out. One question that remains unanswered is whether this use of the Dallas PD's robot violated its own policies. Gawker's Andy Cush filed a public records request for PD policies on using robots to kill and discovered Dallas law enforcement was basically making things up as it went along.

Diagnoses of 9/11-linked cancers have tripled in less than 3 years
New York Post - More than 5,400 Ground Zero responders and others who lived, worked or went to school near the fallen Twin Towers have come down with 9/11-linked cancers, a grim tally that has tripled in the past 2¹/₂ years. As of June 30, 5,441 people enrolled in the WTC Health Program have been diagnosed with 6,378 separate cancers, with some struck by more than one type, officials said. That’s up from 1,822 victims in January 2014.... The program now monitors more than 48,000 cops, hardhats, volunteer firefighters, utility workers and others who toiled at Ground Zero. The FDNY has its own 9/11 health program with 16,000 members. In all, at least 1,140 have died, officials said. The feds have listed more than 50 types of cancer believed to be related to the toxic smoke and dust of 9/11.... So far, scientists have found five cancers hitting the 9/11 community at a significantly higher rate than expected in the normal population — prostate, thyroid, leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Obama to issue transgender bathroom order for federal facilities: Report
Washington Times - BuzzFeed News reported Monday that the regulation will be posted in the Federal Register at some point this week, opening up thousands of federally operated restrooms to transgender people who wish to use the facilities corresponding with their gender identity rather than biological sex. The rule will apply to roughly 9,200 properties operated by the General Services Administration and will not be limited to employees. GSA spokesperson Ashley Nash-Hahn said anyone visiting a federally operated property, including courthouses and various agencies, will be allowed to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity…. The directive builds on other orders handed down by the Obama administration integrating intimate facilities on the basis of gender identity. The administration issued an edict in May compelling public schools nationwide to permit access to bathrooms, locker rooms and showers on the basis of gender identity. Two coalitions of states have sued the administration over that order, saying it constitutes federal overreach and misinterprets Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in education but specifically allows intimate facilities to be regulated on the basis of biological sex.
* Related: Chicago parents seek injunction from transgender bathroom directive as school starts

Grade school kids to be given 'social and emotional mindset assessments'
MassPrivateI - According to the [The National Assessment Governing Board] NAGB, school kids from 4th-12th., grades will be given 'mindset assessments.’… Each NAGB assessment scenario takes between 10-30 minutes to complete, one task can cover a range of assessment areas and difficulty levels. Assessing a students mindset will allow the gov't to determine a child’s moral and religious beliefs. It should come as no surprise that Google, the NSA's right hand is involved in student mindset assessments. Google, provides a student assessment tool, Chromebooks, Apps. and forms to schools nationwide…. Assessments violate the government's Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). According to the PPRA, student assessments are illegal, no “student shall be required, as part of any applicable program, to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning..." (1) political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student's parent; (2) mental or psychological problems of the student or the student's family; (3) sex behavior or attitudes; (4) illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior; (5) critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships; (6) legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers; (7) religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student's parent…. Individual student data may be released without consent to organizations and entities that have “legitimate educational interests,” which basically means for any reason that a state or the federal governments or researchers or corporations want to use the data in conjunction with any state or federal program.

Election News

More than 120 Republicans tell RNC to cut off funds to Donald Trump
CBS News - A letter that urges the Republican National Committee to cut off funds to Donald Trump has collected more than 120 signatures from current and former elected officials, according to the final version obtained by CBS News. The letter, which will be delivered to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus Tuesday, includes two sitting members of Congress and 27 former RNC staffers, among many others. "...[W]e urge you to immediately suspend all discretionary RNC support for Trump and focus the entirety of the RNC's available resources on preserving the GOP's congressional majorities," says the letter, whose draft CBS reported on last week when there were already 70 signatures…. "We believe that Donald Trump's divisiveness, recklessness, incompetence, and record-breaking unpopularity risk turning this election into a Democratic landslide, and only the immediate shift of all available RNC resources to vulnerable Senate and House races will prevent the GOP from drowning with a Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck," the letter says. The group added that every dollar the RNC spends on Trump's campaign "is a dollar of donor money wasted on the losing effort of a candidate who has actively undermined the GOP at every turn."

At Least Six Swing States Face Double-Digit Premium Hikes under Obamacare
Breitbart - Double-digit Obamacare premium hikes projected in 2017 may bode in Donald Trump’s favor, as several swing states are being impacted by double-digit increases under the law and consumers are expected to see the hikes around Nov. 1 — one week before heading to the polls…. The Heritage Foundation found dramatic increases on premiums in Wisconsin and Florida as well as Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina under the law in comparison to before Obamacare went into effect. Currently, insurers in the Obamacare marketplace in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois are wanting double-digit hikes on premiums. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is reportedly requesting to increase rates by more than 18 percent, while in Ohio, the average requested hike is around 10 percent. In Pennsylvania, companies want hikes averaging 23.6 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. The next president may face the meltdown of Obamacare, as Aetna announced on Tuesday that it’s pulling back coverage in 15 states and will only remain in four states due to a $200 million dollar loss.

Website Offers $1 Million Bounty For Hillary’s Medical Records (Video)
Paul Joseph Watson - After promising a $50,000 dollar reward for Clinton’s health history, TruePundit.com has now upped its offer to a cool million…. The website claims it has assembled a group of individual donors who are willing to put up the money to encourage the release of the records…. Questions over the presidential candidate’s health came under focus again yesterday after Clinton almost fell over after giving a speech in Scranton, Pennsylvania, forcing Joe Biden to hold her arm. It was also revealed that an exhausted Hillary is taking off most weekends despite being in the midst of a political dogfight with Donald Trump. Suspicions over Hillary’s health have been swirling all year but they picked up again at the start of the month after our viral video spotlighted Clinton’s bizarre behavior while taking questions from reporters and at the DNC. Whether the $1 million bounty is serious or merely a ploy for web traffic remains to be seen – it’s probably the latter – but the offer at least serves to illustrate the intense interest in Hillary’s health despite the best efforts of the establishment media to dismiss the entire issue as a conspiracy theory.

Energy & Environment

Feds Hide $25 Million In Payments To Lawyers Suing Under Environmental Laws
Daily Caller - Groups concealed by the government have raked in $25 million in legal fees from federal agencies through lawsuits under three environmental laws The Department of Treasury’s Judgment Fund database tracks how much federal agencies have paid out for lawsuits and court settlements, but doesn’t track the names of the individuals or groups that are actually suing the government. More than $49 million in taxpayer funds was paid to lawyers suing the Obama administration under three major environmental statutes, TheDCNF found. Environmental activists have gotten millions from taxpayers suing the government to expand federal regulation.

Navajo Nation announces lawsuit against EPA for 'unprecedented' Gold King Mine 'disaster'
Washington Times - The New Mexico-based nation is scheduled to hold a press conference Tuesday on its reservation near the San Juan River, which was contaminated after an EPA-led crew accidentally uncorked 3 million gallons of toxic sludge from an inactive mine upstream near Silverton, Colorado.... The Navajo lawsuit comes as the latest litigation stemming from the August 2015 contamination: In May, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas filed a complaint in federal court against the mine’s owners and the EPA, arguing that the agency’s response was inadequate. Mr. Balderas also sued the state of Colorado for what he described as its “reckless” management and lax oversight of the mine.... So far, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman has taken no legal action against the EPA.... The EPA already has awarded $602,000 in reimbursements to the Navajo Nation for costs incurred for “various activities associated with the release response, including field evaluations, water quality sampling, laboratory analyses, and personnel,” according to an Aug. 6 update.... EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy promised to take responsibility for the clean-up shortly after the spill, although House Republicans have accused the agency of holding itself to a lower standard than that expected of private companies.

Science & Technology

Fuchsia: Google is Building a New Operating System, But No One Knows What it's For
Futurism - Google appears to have started building a new OS. They quietly posted the pile of code under the name ‘Fuchsia’ in their code depository and on Github… The odd part is that, while this OS can run on both phones and PCs, it isn’t related to Android or Chrome OS. With Fuchsia, the company seems to finally be parting ways with their long-term partner Linux, since the new OS does not rely on the Linux kernel, the core basic code running both Android and Chrome OS. Instead, the new OS uses Magenta, an in-house project created by Google that seems to be aimed more towards exploring the possibilities of machine learning and intelligence.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

20 Creative Ways To Use Mason Jars to Cut Waste
Natural Blaze - Mason jars were originally created for canning food to be stored and used at a much later date. They’re good for making preservatives and jams, but they have more every day uses as well…. Drinking glass - The most obvious first choice! The edges of a mason jar are smooth and the jars come in many different sizes. The lid is water-tight as well, and doesn’t break easily if you toss it in your bag and bring it along with you. Smoothies - The mason jar’s clear, thick glass keeps in the cold and refrigerates easily if you want to save it for later. You can also buy a super cool coffee lid to put on your mason jar! Coffee/tea - Your best bet here is iced coffee or tea, but the mason jar can handle heat like a pro too. Cereal - You can toss some cereal in a mason jar and put the milk in a separate container, or fill the glass half full with milk so the cereal at the top doesn’t get too mushy. Salads - Mason jars are ideal for holding a mixed salad, and you can choose to either layer it or mix it all together. Your best bet if you want to keep a salad for a few days, put the dressing at the very bottom layer and put the dry ingredients at the top so they won’t soak….

Health

Alert: FDA Attempting to Halt Creation of New Supplements
Natural Blaze - In 2011, the FDA created a troublesome revision of how the supplement industry could comply with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). DSHEA had successfully replaced an Act that would have blocked consumer rights in a major way and tightly restrict natural supplements. Essentially, DSHEA is why we currently enjoy consumer access to natural health products of all kinds. According to natural health advocacy groups, the FDA’s 2011 revisions were a thinly veiled reversal of the consumer rights that were so hard to keep to begin with. In other words, it was an attempt to block the natural health industry and clamp down on consumer access once again. After some outcry, the FDA went back to revise, and now, this is the draft the ANH-USA has been waiting for. Unfortunately, aside from a couple “crumbs” of improvement, the draft appears to reverse the relative freedom of consumer and industry under DSHEA. Furthermore, it already appears to be incredibly confusing. The 2011 draft put forth the FDA’s approach on how companies should comply with DSHEA’s NDI requirements. I.e., how and when a NDI notification should be submitted, what info was required, what is an NDI, among other things. ANH-USA expresses some startling information on the new draft below. Essentially, the requirements for new supplements, even within the same company are so rigorous as to break them. Furthermore, it appears the companies can be easily run out by Big Pharma.

11 Amazing Health Benefits of Bergamot Essential Oil
Natural Blaze - Bergamot fruit is a time-honored, exquisitely fragranced orange that now comes mainly from Italy and the Ivory Coast of Africa. The word bergamot may have meant “the prince of pears,” or the “prince’s pear,” a label originating from the Turkish labels beg-armudi or beg armut. The small fruit growing from small trees resembles either a round lime or small orange and it is sour and very bitter. It is the fragrance and flavor that have been used extensively throughout history in trade. You may know the familiar flavor of bergamot from drinking Earl Grey tea. It is rumored that Britain allowed the use of bergamot as a way to mask cheap tea in order to imitate high quality Chinese teas…. Here is a list of 11 research-backed reasons to embrace Bergamot Essential Oil… Depression and Anxiety – When combined with lavender essential oil and massaged into the skin, it was found to significantly decrease pulse rate, cystolic and diastolic blood pressure…. Inhaling bergamot reduces psychological stress responses and serum cortisol levels as well as blood pressure for people who have essential hypertension. Anxiety – In another study pointing toward bergamot’s abilities to help with anxiety, both bergamot and diazepam helped reduce the corticosterone response to stress in rats as well as their anxiety-based behavior. Cancer – Bergamot essential oil and its fractions have been found to exhibit anti-cancer properties in vitro….

Obama Administration's DEA Ignores Marijuana Therapeutic Research – Keeps Status Illegal to Protect Big Pharma
Health Impact News - The recent 2016 DEA decision to keep cannabis as a controlled substance Schedule I drug came amidst high hopes that it would be placed as Schedule II or below. Schedule I means the substance is dangerous, addictive, and has no medical merit. Marijuana or cannabis is therefore still ranked with heroin, and LSD. Heroin is an addictive and dangerous opiate that in other opioid forms such as morphine is used to suppress pain with legal prescriptions. Yet on the federal level, doctors cannot prescribe marijuana, in spite of so much evidence of its therapeutic value. At the same time, however, in what appears as an obvious hypocritical move that benefits only Big Pharma, the DEA, while not removing the criminal legal status on marijuana, did relax the laws regarding medical research on marijuana which will soon benefit drug companies looking to patent drugs that mimic what the plant already does.

Pet News

How Does Your Shelter Rate?
Animal Place - Food for Thought Shelter Report Card: Curious about how much your local animal shelter really cares about animals? Check out this Shelter Report card from our Food for Thought program. It’s a working list of animal shelters across North America that ranks the animal-friendliness of their menu policies for events and fundraisers. More than 1,000 animal organizations are ranked from A+ (Formal Vegan) to F (No Policy or No Response) so their communities can see exactly where they stand on compassion for farmed animals as well as companion animals. Ethical animal rescues and shelters are increasingly adopting plant-based menu policies to align with their missions and address critical public concerns such as environmental sustainability and human health. Food for Thought has reached out to organizations in the following regions…
 



Tuesday - August 16, 2016 - Today In History:

1777 - During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Bennington took place. New England's minutemen routed the British regulars.
1812 - Detroit fell to Indian and British troops in the War of 1812.
1829 - The "Siamese twins," Chang and Eng Bunker, arrived in Boston, MA. They had come to the Western world to be exhibited. They were 18 years old and joined at the waist.
1861 - U.S. President Lincoln prohibited the Union states from trading with the states of the Confederacy.
1923 - Carnegie Steel Corporation put into place the eight-hour workday for its employees.
1930 - The first British Empire Games were held at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The event is now called the British Commonwealth Games.
1937 - Harvard University became the first school to have graduate courses in traffic engineering and administration.
1999 - In Russia, Vladimir V. Putin was confirmed as prime minister by the lower house of parliament.
2000 - Delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles nominated Vice President Al Gore for president.
2002 - Terrorist mastermind Abu Nidal was found shot to death in Baghdad, Iraq.
2007 - Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held for 3-1/2 years as an enemy combatant, was convicted in Miami of helping Islamic extremists and plotting overseas attacks. (He was sentenced to 17 years, four months in prison.)
2010 - China eclipsed Japan as the world's second biggest economy after three decades of blistering growth.

World News

At least 11 dead after Saudi-led coalition bombs Yemen hospital
The Guardian - At least 11 people have been killed and 19 injured in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition on a Yemeni hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières as the conflict escalates following the collapse of peace talks. The strike on Monday, in which a member of MSF staff died, was the latest in an increasing number of attacks targeting places commonly used by civilians, including hospitals where MSF doctors and nurses work. It followed similar airstrikes on a food factory and a school in the course of the last week.

US-Trained Army Rapidly Losing Ground in Southern Afghanistan
Townhall - According to a New York Times report, the regular police and army forces have failed to stand firm, raising the possibility that the Taliban could overrun the capitol city in the area. “The police, as soon as they were inflicted with some casualties, gave up about 27 posts one after another without a fight, and our posts were surrounded by surprise,” said Col. Nematullah Khalil, the commander of the Afghan Army’s Third Regiment, 215 Corps. But don't worry America, the U.S. has donated nearly $1 billion worth of real property to the Afghan government over the last five years to help solve the problem.... Congress has appropriated nearly $113 billion for reconstruction since 2001 when U.S.-led forces invaded the country and toppled the Taliban. About 60 percent of the $113 billion Congress has appropriated has gone to train and equip Afghan security forces.... And to make things worse, according to the Department of Defense in the Report to Congress, ISIS is expanding into Afghanistan.... So what is the answer to the problem? Well, Barack Obama has announced that there is effectively no new plan in Afghanistan and that the 16-year-long war will be handed off the the next president.

Calais Locals Warned to Stay Away from Main Roads As Migrants Smash Vehicles
Breitbart - Migrants wielding bats and knives have been smashing up vehicles on roads near Calais as their owners sit in traffic, reportedly “just for fun”. Local residents are warning others to avoid the area, saying that the migrants are not even checking to see whether children are in the vehicles before they set upon them…. Despite French politicians repeatedly promising to cap the population of the nearby Jungle migrant camp at 2,000 people, including around 400 children, the camp has now spiralled to a population of nearly 9,000 migrants, making the encampment the third largest ‘town’ in the region. Thousands more are camped at nearby Dunkirk in a bid to make the crossing into England without falling foul of local authorities. As the population has grown, tensions within the camp have also risen. Sami, an Eritrean migrant who has been living in The Jungle for six months, told local paper Nord Littoral: “There are people who come from different countries who do not speak the same language. That creates tensions, particularly in the queues for food. I have seen conflicts start there; you’re more likely to get meal if you’re big and strong.” Three weeks ago an Eritrean man was hacked to death and six others badly wounded as migrants ran riot throughout the camp, staging running battles fought with knives and bats between gangs of Afghans and Africans throughout the night.

Swiss Central Bank Holds $5.3 Billion in Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft Stocks
Wall Street On Parade - The Swiss National Bank is just one of more than a dozen central banks that are now investing in publicly traded stocks.... We checked SEC filings for other central banks that are known to be buying stocks but could find only one other listing: the Bank of Israel.... Another major central bank plowing into stocks is the Bank of Japan.... If one adds the stock holdings of massive sovereign wealth funds, which are also deploying government money, to the growing stock market participation of central banks, alarm bells start to go off. Forbes contributor Adam Sarhan wrote the following earlier this year: Over the past 7 years, we have seen unprecedented action from global central banks all aimed at keeping stock prices up. It’s normal to see global central banks adjust monetary policy, up or down, based on economic conditions. But it is not normal to see global central banks print gobs of money every day to stimulate markets and it is definitely not normal to see them buy stocks outright. I’m not a lawyer but it raises the question: Is it even legal? I’m sure the BOJ [Bank of Japan] is not alone in this questionable activity. The U.S. Fed refuses to be audited. One is compelled to ask: Why?”

Zika Virus News

After Diverting Zika Money to UN Slush Fund, Obama Demands More
The New American - The Obama administration is demanding that Congress immediately approve new tax funding for Zika research, but has so far failed to mention that Obama already diverted $500 million worth of infectious disease research funds to illegally finance the United Nations “climate” bureaucracy’s slush fund. In the meantime, to deal with the alleged budget shortfall caused by the previous illegal diversion of funds, the White House has diverted tax money from other programs to pay for Zika research. But the supposed problem is entirely self-inflicted. In March, after Congress refused to approve funding for the UN’s global-warming agenda — funding that is now officially illegal under federal law — Obama illegally raided the funds previously approved by Congress for use in battling infectious diseases such as Zika. Instead of using those funds for the Zika research that Obama now claims is so crucial, though, he sent the half of a billion U.S. tax dollars to a UN “Green Climate [slush] Fund” (GCF) controlled by brutal dictators and other unsavory regimes.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Shrinking Gitmo: 15 prisoners transferred in largest Obama-era release
RT- Only 61 captives remain in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, following the largest single transfer out of the notorious facility under the Obama administration. Fifteen men were sent to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, the Guardian reported, citing an anonymous Obama administration official ahead of the formal announcement from the Pentagon. The Emirates have accepted former inmates of the facility in the past. Though President Barack Obama vowed to close down the infamous camp, established by the Bush administration in 2002, he has been unable to do so, due to opposition from Congress and the military. Instead, he has pushed to transfer out detainees cleared for release by the federal Periodic Review Board…. So far this year, Obama has released a total of 31 prisoners. In January, 10 Yemenis were accepted by Oman, and another two were released to Ghana. Gitmo’s last Kuwaiti was also released that month, along with a Saudi prisoner. Following that wave of releases, an Egyptian was transferred to Bosnia, and one more Yemeni was handed over to Montenegro at the end of January. In April, two Libyan prisoners left Gitmo to Senegal, while nine Yemenis were moved to Saudi Arabia. The last two times prisoners were released were in June and July, when a total of four people were let go to three foreign countries, Montenegro, Italy and Serbia.

FBI To Hand Over Clinton Email Probe Files To Congress
Zero Hedge - In what may be some overdue, and much needed transparency, the WSJ [Wall Street Journal] reports that the FBI will "hand over" its Clinton email probe files to Congress.... Actually, in retrospect, don't hold your breath for any new revelations for one simple reason: there will be no actual testimony. As CNN reported overnight, the FBI does not have a complete transcript of the interview, FBI Director James Comey told Congress in long testimony earlier this summer, as Hillary was not under oath at the time. Which means members of Congress will have be content with the FBI's notes taken during the interview.... According to the WSJ, the FBI will provide interview notes from its probe of Hillary Clinton’s emails, as well as a summary of all the evidence uncovered by agents and copies of the classified emails at the heart of the case, according to people familiar with the decision.... And the punchline: "There could be significant redactions from those documents, these people said." In other words, fluff.... In short, expect a scrubbed, carefully doctored release which will provide absolutely no new information.

Citing Clinton, sailor seeks leniency in submarine photos case
Politico - Petty Officer First Class Kristian Saucier, 29, is set to be sentenced Friday on a single felony charge of retaining national defense information without permission. In May, Saucier pleaded guilty in federal court in Bridgeport, Conn., admitting that while working on the U.S.S. Alexandria in 2009 he took and kept six photos showing parts of the sub's propulsion system he knew to be classified. The defense and prosecutors agree that sentencing guidelines in the case call for a prison term of 63 to 78 months, but defense attorney Derrick Hogan cited the treatment of Clinton as he argued in a filing last week that Saucier should get probation instead.... "In our case, Mr. Saucier possessed six (6) photographs classified as 'confidential/restricted,' far less than Clinton's 110 emails," Hogan wrote. "It will be unjust and unfair for Mr. Saucier to receive any sentence other than probation for a crime those more powerful than him will likely avoid.".... Saucier remains in the Navy, but expects to be dismissed from the service with an "other than honorable" discharge, the defense filing said.

Mayor issues curfew after Milwaukee unrest
USA Today - After the second night of unrest in Milwaukee, the city's mayor announced a 10 p.m. curfew for teens this week starting Monday.... An 18-year-old Milwaukee man was shot and seriously injured during the unrest, according to Milwaukee police. Officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve him and take him to a hospital. Police continue to look for suspects. There were multiple reports of shots fired, as well as reports of a car fire.... According to the Milwaukee Police Department, 14 arrests were made, three squad cars were damaged and one store had broken windows from the riots and protests Sunday night. Four Milwaukee police officers and four Milwaukee County deputies were injured overnight during the clash with demonstrators. Sheriff's spokeswoman Fran McLaughlin said Monday the deputies were hit by concrete or rocks and that two of them haven't returned to duty, according to the Associated Press.

Sylville Smith's father, Patrick: We have to 'be better role models'
Washington Times - The father of Sylville Smith, an armed black man who was fatally shot by Milwaukee police, sparking a wave of violent protests over the weekend, says his son was a product of bad parenting.... Mr. Smith blamed himself for being a bad role model for his 23-year-old son, who was shot by a black police officer after refusing orders to drop a loaded handgun, which turned out to be stolen, during a traffic stop in Milwaukee’s north side. “I had to blame myself for a lot of things, too, because your hero is your dad and I played a very big part in my family’s role model for them,” Mr. Smith said. “Being on the street, doing things of the street life: Entertaining, drug dealing and pimping, and they’re looking at their dad like, ‘He’s doing all these things.’ I got out of jail two months ago, but I’ve been going back and forth in jail and they see those things. So I’d like to apologize to my kids because this is the role model they look up to. When they see the wrong role model, this is what you get.”.... “I don’t know when we’re gonna start moving. I’ve gotta start with my kids and we gotta change our ways, to be better role models,” he continued. “And we gotta change ourselves. We’ve gotta talk to them, put some sense into them."

Milwaukee Black Lives Matter Ignores 52 Shot in Nearby Chicago
Kit Daniels - The violent unrest targeting whites in Milwaukee was somehow sparked by the death of Sylville K. Smith, 23, who reportedly aimed a gun at police before he was killed by an African-American cop. At the same time Chicago, which is only 100 miles away, experienced one of its most violent weekends ever with 52 shot and at least nine dead, but Black Lives Matter doesn’t protest the deaths of Chicago blacks who make up a large portion of the 2,600 shot in Chicago this year alone. “Three people were shot to death and at least seven others were wounded on the first night of the weekend, between 9 p.m. Friday and early Saturday,” the Chicago Tribune reported. “At least 16 people were shot Sunday into early Monday.” “One of the victims was a 6-year-old girl who was shot in the arm around 9:10 p.m. outside her home in the 12300 block of South Perry Avenue.” Unfortunately for the victims, they weren’t shot by police so apparently their lives don’t matter quite as much.

Wall Street is buying 911 emergency services and giving homes color-coded threat ratings
MassPrivateI - Since the 2008 mortgage crisis, private equity firms have increasingly taken over a wide array of emergency services like 911. They also own two of the biggest ambulance companies in the country, according to the article they own at least 10 more ambulance companies. States like KY, NC, DC, MO, CA, FL, KS, IL, IA and UT have or are considering privatizing their ambulances services…. “These are very sophisticated investors, and they’re not just looking for ways to get bigger,” says David White, CEO of New York-based TransCare, the largest privately owned ambulance service in the mid-Atlantic states. “They’re looking for ways to create more value when they put everything together he said. Wall Street firms also own, healthcare groups and anesthesiology companies…. Companies like Intrado Communications which is run by two former deputies are in charge of our country's 911 services. Intrado Communications assigns every home a threat rating. "... Smart911 is a national system that provides citizens with the ability to create safety profiles online holding personal data that is automatically displayed to 9-1-1 only during emergency calls. Information can include children’s photos, medical conditions, disabilities, home addresses of cellphone callers, or other rescue-related information…”… Any high-priority 911 calls, defined as in-progress or life-threatening crimes, will now be filtered through a database to assess any possible threats an officer may encounter while responding. "The database goes through all public information for the call’s location — from arrest records to pizza deliveries — and gives the address a rating. Green means minimal threat, yellow a possible threat and red a major threat." Alarm bells should be going off across the country. Why are private equity firms allowed to run 911 emergency services?… Numerous private equity firms are owned by foreign investors, which means foreigners are giving American homes threat ratings!

Agriculture Department's new SNAP standards could be impossible
McClatchy - The standards proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would require retailers that accept food stamps to stock more and fresher varieties of food. But many convenience stores won’t be able to meet the requirements and will be forced from the the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, or food stamps, critics say.... USDA drafted its proposal to codify language in the 2014 Farm Bill that required stores that accept SNAP to offer seven varieties of food items in each of four staple food categories.... meat, poultry or fish; bread or cereal; vegetables or fruits; and dairy. The law states stores must include at least one perishable item in three of those categories. This more than doubles the varieties of foods stores will have to stock to 28, a change convenience store owners say they do not oppose.... In particular, convenience store owners object to a new definition of what constitutes a staple food. Under the USDA’s proposal, products with more than two ingredients, such as soups or frozen dinners, no longer count. Another major concern with USDA’s proposal is the requirement that six items from each of the seven food varieties must be displayed on a shelf at all times.

Death Toll Rises to 7 in Historic Louisiana Flooding; 20,000 Rescued (Video)
The Weather Channel - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that more than 20,000 people had been rescued by all participating agencies and volunteers since the flooding outbreak began. "This is a serious event," Edwards said. "It is ongoing. It is not over." The governor said in a press conference Sunday that as many as 10,000 people were in shelters as a result of the widespread flooding. The downpours have sent at least six river gauges to record levels in Louisiana. This includes the Amite River, which exceeded its previous record by over 6 feet in Magnolia, and by over 4 feet in Denham Springs.

Election News

Another Mysterious Death: Anti-Clinton Author Found Dead at 54 (Video)
The Gateway Pundit - Anti Clinton author Scott Robert Makufka, better known as his penname Victor Thorn, was found dead this past week….. Victor Thorn spoke with Texe Marrs about ‘The Clinton Body-Count’ a few months before being found dead on his birthday, 1st August, apparently from a self inflicted gunshot wound. The Political Insider reported: American Free Press contributor Victor Thorn, 54, a long-time researcher and critic of Hillary and Bill Clinton, has been found dead. Police reports indicate he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The author of more than 20 books, he was best known for the Clinton trilogy, “three definitive works that delved into the history of the power couple including their sordid scandals, Bill Clinton’s sexual assaults of multiple women, and the drug running out of Mena, Arkansas while Clinton was governor of the state.” AMERICAN FREE PRESS contacted the State College [Pa.] Police Department this morning for any news on the suicide of Victor Thorn, whose birth name was Scott Robert Makufka. AFP asked the policeman who answered the phone if the department could provide any updates. “There was something that occurred on Monday morning, but I don’t know if we’ve released any identities or any details about it at this time.” AFP asked if he knew when the release might happen. “I don’t. I don’t know what the status of the investigation is. I have not seen the detective that’s in charge of that today yet. They’ll release it as soon as they can. I don’t know what the holdup is or the details are at this point.” Thorn’s most recent book is “CROWNING CLINTON: Why Hillary Shouldn’t Be in the White House” and is described as a serious prosecution of Hillary Clinton’s criminal activity.

Anti-Trump letter reveals jittery band of Republican establishment power brokers
Washington Times - An anti-Trump letter signed by 50 national security Republicans provided a look inside at Washington’s shadow power structure — the largely unseen roster of former officials who have exchanged their government jobs for the capital’s lucrative corporate landscape.... “The national security establishment is scared of Trump, not necessarily because he’s largely unknown to them, but because he doesn’t care one bit who’s who,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and one of the first members of Congress to endorse the real estate mogul. “As president, Trump won’t care who did what, or who’s selling what weapons system, and that can have an effect on business and standing, and the defense establishment doesn’t like it.”.... The total makeup: 15 consultants and/or lobbyists, four investors, eight lawyers who advise corporate clients, 14 think tank analysts who also can advise businesses and governments, and nine professors. Among them, six are affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations, a large collection of foreign and defense policy analysts whom some have likened to a semi-official government advisory board.... Mr. Trump thanked the 50 for underscoring his campaign against Washington’s elite.

Trump Calls For 'Extreme Vetting' to Screen 'Hostile Attitudes'
NBC News - Donald Trump on Monday promised "extreme vetting" of immigrants, including ideological screening that that will allow only those who "share our values and respect our people" into the United States. Among the traits that Trump would screen for are those who have "hostile attitudes" toward the U.S., those who believe "Sharia law should supplant American law," people who "don't believe in our Constitution or who support bigotry and hatred." Those who Trump will allow in are "only those who we expect to flourish in our country." The Republican nominee did not disavow his prior proposal to temporarily ban all Muslims from the United States "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." The position, released in December 2015, is still on the nominee's website. He did, however, call for a temporary suspension "from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism" in order to succeed in the goal of extreme ideological vetting.
* Related: Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy Speech In Youngstown, OH

Video: Crazy Uncle Joe Biden Gives Away Agent Holding Nuclear Codes at Hillary Rally
The Gateway Pundit - Hillary Clinton took Joe Biden with her on the campaign trail today after a weekend of rest. Biden took to the stage to bash businessman Donald Trump. Then he gave away the Secret Service agent who was holding the nuclear codes. “Donald Trump… He cannot be trusted. There’s a guy that follows me [pointing to him], has the nuclear codes. So, God forbid anything happen to the president and I had to make a decision the codes are with me… He is not qualified.

Clinton Campaign Looking To Illegal Immigrants To Drum Up Votes
Western Journalism - The so-called DREAMers- a group of about 730,000 young people who were brought to the United States illegally as children and attended school here - are not allowed to vote in the upcoming election, but have been recruited to assist the Clinton campaign. In a program known as “Mi Sueno, Tu Voto/My Dream, Your Vote,” Clinton’s campaign will have the DREAMers knocking on doors and attempting to persuade the more than 27 million eligible Latino voters to vote for her. The announcement of the new program was strategically made on the fourth anniversary of enrollment in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, announced in a 2012 executive order by President Obama.... The Clinton campaign plans to send many of the DREAMers to states such as North Carolina, Florida, Nevada and Colorado where a large number of Latino immigrants are registered to vote. Clinton hopes that by having the DREAMers knocking on doors and speaking to voters, those reluctant voters will decide to go to the polls in November in support of her campaign.

Exhausted Hillary Is Taking Off Weekends — And Media Is Covering It Up
The Gateway Pundit - Clinton took the weekend of August 6th and 7th off and she decided to take three days off this past weekend August 12th through 14th. She also has no events scheduled to participate in this coming Thursday through Saturday August 18th through 20th. This in essence would mean another three days off after three days of events scheduled starting today. In total Clinton has taken 7 days off in August out of the first 14 days and is scheduled to continue with this approach through at least this coming Saturday. Donald Trump on the other hand has taken only two days off in August, Sunday August 7th and Sunday the 14th. Trump has 7 days where he has participated in more than one campaign event. As previously noted, Trump has more than ten times the number of people at his campaign events than Hillary has at hers since August 1st. More than 100,000 people have shown up for Trump events since the beginning of August (with many more turned away due to the events reaching capacity). Hillary on the other hand hasn’t even had one tenth of that or not even 10,000 show up at her events since August 1st. rump’s largest event was in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, where it was estimated that the massive crowd there to see him was near 20,000. The largest crowd Clinton spoke at was in Washington, DC but this was a NABJ/NAHJ Event which had an estimated 4,000 in attendance. Hillary’s largest event held by her campaign in August was back on August 1st in Omaha, NE when businessman Warren Buffett joined her and an estimated 3,000 locals. In total when looking at just the Clinton campaign events, barely 8,000 people showed up to the seven campaign events since August 1st.

Energy & Environment

California Freeways Will Soon Generate Electricity
EcoWatch - The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a pilot program in which piezoelectric crystals will be installed on several freeways…. Piezoelectric crystals, about the size of watch batteries, give off an electrical discharge when they're mechanically stressed, such as when a vehicle drives over them. Multiply that by thousands of vehicles and it creates an electric current that can be harvested to feed the grid. In fact, scientists estimate the energy generated from piezoelectric crystals on a 10-mile stretch of freeway could provide power for the entire city of Burbank (population: more than 105,000)…. Piezoelectric-based energy‐harvesting technology is already being used in other countries. Since 2009, all the displays in the East Japan Railway Company's Tokyo station have been powered by people walking on the piezoelectric flooring. Italy has signed a contract that will install this technology in a portion of the Venice-to-Trieste Autostrada. Israel is already using this technology on some highways… Piezoelectric technology has been used for years in electric guitars and sonar. The crystals are "in effect the reverse of sonar: a vibration comes in and an electric pulse comes out," according to the press release. After California Gov. Brown vetoed an assembly bill Gatto introduced in 2011 that would have launched two piezoelectric pilot programs in California, Gatto asked the CEC to study the technology. Five years later, the CEC has agreed to fund pilot projects around the state.

Science & Technology

Mysterious Group Hacks The NSA
Zero Hedge - ... a mysterious hacker group by the name “The Shadow Brokers” claims to have hacked the Equation Group - a government cyberattack hacking group associated with the NSA, and released a bunch of the organization's hacking tools. The hackers are also asking for 1 million bitcoin (around $568 million) in an auction to release more files.... In February 2015, Ars Technical dubbed The Equation Group "the most advanced hacking operation ever uncovered." According to Kasperky, the "Equation Group" is a threat actor that surpasses anything known in terms of complexity and sophistication of techniques, and that has been active for almost two decades." While Kaspersky Lab stopped short of saying it’s the NSA, its researchers laid out extensive evidence pointing to the American spy agency.... A review of the files revealed what appear to be vulnerabilities and exploits for some widely-used firewalls — network security technologies that aim to block digital snoops from entering.... Alongside those alleged exploits were implants — malware that is covertly dropped on the network once the firewall and other security mechanisms have been bypassed. There were also some scripts and basic instructions for the malware’s usage. While it was initially unclear if the data is legitimate, some security experts agree that it likely is.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Federal Court Slams EPA for 9-Year Delay in Banning Dangerous Pesticide
The Ninth Circuit scoffed Friday at the latest attempt by the Environmental Protection Agency to drag its heels on banning a dangerous pesticide. "EPA's nine-year delay in taking action was 'objectively extreme' when we received [the] petition for mandamus, and nothing has changed that would justify EPA's continued failure to respond to the pressing health concerns presented by chlorpyrifos," the 4-page order states. Chlorpyrifos, introduced in 1965, is widely used to control pests that threaten more than 60 crops including almonds, walnuts, oranges, cotton and grapes. The EPA barred the pesticide from homes in 2000, saying then that the action was "good news for the protection of our country's public health," but this rule did nothing to bar the chemical's application in agricultural settings….In 2007, the Pesticide Action Network North America and Natural Resources Defense Council petitioned the EPA to cancel pesticide's registration. The groups noted that the chemical has poisoned many workers, children and rural families, and is linked to neurological impairments in children…. The Ninth Circuit directed the EPA to take final action by Dec. 30, 2016, but still the agency waffled. Friday's order notes that the EPA cited "extraordinary circumstances" in requesting a six-month extension. CropLife America and other industry groups meanwhile wanted a year-long delay, the court found…. Final action by the EPA is due on March 31, 2017.

Survival/Preparedness

21 Home Remedies for a Toothache
Survival Life - You can’t schedule a toothache, and it never fails that a major toothache hits when it’s late at night and your dentist’s office is closed, or you’re somewhere remote and getting to a dentist any time soon is just not an option…. Although in most cases only a doctor can cure the source of the problem, this list of treatments and pain relief remedies should get you through until you can visit the dentist…. Salt Water: Mix a heaping tablespoon full of salt in a small glass of warm water; swirl around inside your mouth for as long as you can, spit out. Repeat as needed. Hydrogen Peroxide: Swoosh a bit of hydrogen peroxide. If the taste is too horrid for you, try diluting with a bit of water. Alcohol: Swoosh a bit of whiskey, scotch, brandy or vodka. A strong mouthwash that contains alcohol will do the trick too. Vanilla Extract: Saturate a cotton ball with vanilla and hold in place. Can also use a cotton swab dipped in extract. Other extracts that have the same effect are: Almond Extract, Peppermint Extract & Lemon Extract. Tea Tree Oil: Just a drop or two will do the trick. You can also add some to a cotton swab and hold in place or add a few drops of tea tree oil to a small glass of lukewarm to warm water and rinse your mouth with it. Oil Of Oregano: Mix a few drops with a bit of olive oil, then saturate a cotton ball with mixture. Can replace the olive oil with lukewarm water if preferred. Apple Cider Vinegar: Soak a cotton ball with apple cider vinegar (ACV) and hold it in place. Can also try regular household vinegar. Ginger Root: Take a fresh piece of ginger and chew it a bit. Garlic: Take a clove of garlic, smash it and apply (settle it inside cheek). You can also mash some garlic with salt….

Health

CDC Launches War on Kratom; Evidence Who Needs It?
Brandon Turbeville - As kratom, a natural pain reliever that has also been known to assist in breaking addiction becomes more and more popular, the Police State and the Nanny State are doing their best to tag-team yet another plant and the concept of individual rights. Demonstrating how so much “science” in modern America isn’t scientific at all, the CDC has now released a report claiming that kratom is “an emerging public health threat.”… The CDC cites a number of alleged kratom-related deaths in the United States as well as DEA hysteria to show that kratom is a becoming potentially dangerous health issue and to justify the flurry of laws dedicated to banning the substance in various states. The NIDA alleges that kratom can cause psychosis, seizures and death…. As for the death attributed to kratom, the individual in question was also exposed to anti-convulsion and anti-depressant medications meaning that the death could have been caused by either of the pharmaceuticals or a combination. Is the CDC now going to label Prozac as an emerging public health threat? With so much violence and suicide connected to SSRIs, the answer should clearly be yes if the CDC is going to follow its own logic and principles.

6 Plants Other Than Cannabis That are High in Healing Cannabinoids
Wake Up World - Cannabis is not the only plant that contains medically beneficial cannabinoids, although it has driven the research to understand the powerful therapeutic properties of these plant compounds. In actuality, there are several plants that are also rich in cannabinoids and benefit the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for helping the body maintain internal balance, or homeostasis, which is needed for attaining optimum health…. 1. Coneflower – Echinacea - This plant is well-known for its ability to help the body fight off the common cold. It is also used to relieve anxiety, fatigue, migraines, and arthritis. Echinacea is a bit different than cannabis because it uses cannabimimetics instead of cannabinoids to engage the endocannabinoid system, particularly the CB2 receptor. Similar to THC in cannabis, the N-alkyl amides (NAAs) in echinacea are responsible for regulating the immune system, pain and inflammation. 2. Electric Daisy – Acmella oleracea - Native to the Amazon region, the electric daisy is used to create a painkilling gel. It successfully blocks pain receptors at nerve endings, as per trials conducted by Cambridge University. The compounds found the the electric daisy are called N-Isobutylamides, and similarly to other connabinoid-like compounds they regulate pain and inflammation. This natural remedy is emerging as a dental remedy for ailments such as impacted wisdom teeth. 3. Helichrysum umbraculigerum - Native to South Africa, this daisy has a strong mood-stabilizing and anti-depressant affect due to a large amounts of cannabigerol (CBG), also found in the cannabis plant….

Top 18 Things Amazingly Treated By Acidophilus
Brandon Turbeville - Lactobacillus acidophilus is a probiotic, i.e., “friendly bacteria” that naturally occurs inside the human body – especially in the intestines, female reproductive system and mouth. It serves a very important purpose in keeping gut microbes in check… Once again, we are providing only those claims of acidophilus backed by research… 1. Cholesterol – a combination of lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidum decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic patients over a period of six weeks. 2. Allergies – subjects who were given acidophilus showed statistically significant improvement in their allergy symptoms both in their nose and eyes. 3. Diarrhea as a result of antibiotics – research is showing a proprietary blend of probiotics that included lactobacillus acidophilus was shown to be effective for reducing the risk of AAD as well as CDAD which is clostridium difficile associated diarrhea in patients who have been hospitalized and on antibiotics. 4. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – four weeks of treatment with acidophilus reduced the amount of pain and discomfort. There was a significant reduction in abdominal pain and discomfort. 5. Eczema – acidophilus is an effective approach in preventing eczema in infants in the first year of life. 6. MRSA Antibacterial Activity – After the direct application of L. Acidophilus to methicillin-resistant staphylcoccus aurus (MRSA) a multi-drug resistant bacteria, 99% of the bacteria were eliminated within 24 hours….

Homemade Raw Blueberry Jam
STEPin2 - Blueberries are fast becoming champions when it comes to their antioxidant and cancer preventing properties. Combine them with chia seeds and you have a potent recipe!… This recipe is a fast one and once you have all the ingredients it will take less than 10 minutes to make…. Ingredients: 4 cup fresh blue, 2 Tbsp of raw honey [and] 2 Tbsp chia seeds. Soak the chia seeds in 4 Tbsp of filtered water for 1o minutes. Mix all the ingredients for 3 to 4 minutes using a blender. The chia gel will give the jam texture. Keep refrigerated: Good for up to 2 weeks.

Pet News

Hundreds of pets rescued from deadly Louisiana flooding
Fox News - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries had rescued 566 animals by early Monday, according to spokesman Adam Einck. “It does present a lot of challenges, but our agents have been trained for this,” he told FoxNews.com. “What our guys do is very heroic - they are going into these neighborhoods, the terrain is very treacherous, they work throughout the night.” Some 99 percent of the animals rescued are pets, according to Einck…. The state’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is working closely with animal shelters and the humane society to ensure that pets are taken care of when rescuers get them to high ground, Einck added.
* Related: Woman, dog rescued from raging Louisiana floodwaters
 



Monday - August 15, 2016 - Today In History:

1877 - Thomas Edison wrote to the president of the Telegraph Company in Pittsburgh, PA. The letter stated that the word, "hello" would be a more appropriate greeting than "ahoy" when answering the telephone.
1914 - The Panama Canal was officially opened to commercial traffic as an American ship sailed from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The first vessel to pass through the canal was the American cargo and passenger ship SS Ancon.
1918 - Diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Russia were severed.
1944 - The Allied forces of World War II landed in southern France.
1945 - The Allies proclaimed V-J Day a day after Japan agreed to surrender unconditionally.
1948 - CBS-TV inaugurated the first nightly news broadcast with anchorman Douglas Edwards.
1961 - East German workers began construction of the Berlin Wall.
1971 - U.S. President Nixon announced a 90-day freeze on wages, rents and prices.
1986 - The U.S. Senate approved a package of economic sanctions against South Africa. The ban included the importing of steel, uranium, textiles, coal, and produce from South Africa.
1992 - Vietnam blamed Hollywood for creating the "myth" concerning the issue of U.S. servicemen still being held prisoner in Indochina.
1997 - The U.S. Justice Department decided not to prosecute FBI officials in connection with the deadly 1992 Ruby Ridge siege in Idaho. The investigation dealt with an alleged cover-up.
2001 - Astronomers announced the discovery of the first solar system outside our own. They had discovered two planets orbiting a star in the Big Dipper.
2006 - Israel began withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon.
2011 - Google announced that it would acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion.

World News

Brexit could be delayed to late-2019 as government not ready: Sunday Times
Reuters - Prime Minister Theresa May, who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU and leads a cabinet of ministers from either side of the debate, has said she will not trigger Brexit talks this year as Britain needs time to prepare. But British government ministers have warned senior figures in the City of London, London's financial district, that Article 50 was unlikely to be triggered early in 2017 because the situation in government was "chaotic", the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.... Elections in France in May, and Germany in September, could also push back the timing of Brexit.... Any delay to the process, however, is likely to draw criticism from the pro-leave side of May's Conservative party, with senior members such as John Redwood calling for a quick departure from the bloc.

Soros hacked, thousands of Open Society Foundations files released online
RT - More than 2,500 files from the raft of organizations run by billionaire George Soros have been leaked by hackers. Saturday’s leak, published by DC Leaks, includes hundreds of internal documents from multiple departments of Soros’ groups, predominantly the Open Society Foundations. The files are grouped into sections such as geographical region, the World Bank and the President’s Office, and cover the period from 2008 up until 2016, according to The Daily Caller. They reveal work plans, strategies, priorities and other activities by Soros, and include reports on European elections, migration and asylum in Europe.... An email leaked by WikiLeaks earlier this week showed Soros had advised Hillary Clinton during her tenure as Secretary of State on how to handle unrest in Albania – advice she acted on. Soros’ Open Society Foundations provides funding to the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists, which came under the spotlight earlier this year after the release of the Panama Papers, which included millions of records from law firm Mossack Fonseca showing how the wealthy are using tax havens. The Panama Papers leak came under criticism from WikiLeaks, who claimed the US government and Soros funded the project to attack Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

German President Joachim Gauck says "elites are not the problem, people are the problem”. Gets booed and spit on (Video)
TheDuran - In a recent TV interview, German President Joachim Gauck said… “The elites are not the problem, the people are the problem.”.... Germans did not take kindly to the President’s statements, and let him have it with boos and spit.... Official German State TV and State Radio reported that “a handful of right wing extremists” have attacked the president and disturbed the otherwise peaceful and welcoming reception of the President. This is simply not the case, as seen in the video… The people repeatedly shouted “Traitor!”, “Get out!”, “We don’t want STASI Pigs” and “We are the people!”. One man, carrying his young son on his shoulders, appears to have spit on him whilst exclaiming insults. Other citizens were heard saying “You killed our children” and “What have you done to us?”. They were blocked by police in riot gear, to whom they said “You are protecting warmongers, shame on you!” The situation escalated and the riot police was forced to use pepper spray.

Report: More Than 1,000 Known Child Marriages in Germany
Bretibart - The girls are usually married to older men, and the trend is being linked to the new wave of migrants who entered the country over the past 18 months. The state has logged over 1,000 child marriages, but [the website] N24.de reports that the number of unreported cases may dwarf this number.... And officials are also contemplating a change in law to refuse to accept an underage marriage that took place in a different country before the migrants arrived.... “These marriages have been recognized in Germany, although they violate our rights,” said Interior Committee Bundestag spokesman Armin Schuster.... In February, Breitbart London reported that dozens of child brides had arrived in Norway, with the youngest being just 11-years of age. The phenomenon has also caused concern in the Netherlands, prompted by the disappearance of the nine-month pregnant 14-year-old girl Fatema Alkasem and her 24-year-old husband. Last month the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia, which has seen 188 marriages of migrants who are underage, saw calls grow for the government to intervene and stop the practice.

SOCIALISM IN REAL TIME: Venezuela's Economic Turmoil Has Brought Malaria Back
Economic Policy Journal - With Venezuela’s economy in tatters, at least 70,000 people from all walks of life have been streaming into a mining region to hunt for gold in watery pits. It is a perfect breeding ground for the mosquitoes that spread malaria. Then, with the disease in their blood, the miners return home to cities where there is often no medicine and little fumigation, and they have passed the disease on to tens of thousands more people and left entire towns desperate for help. Venezuela was the first nation in the world to be certified by the World Health Organization for eradicating malaria in its most populated areas, beating the United States and other developed countries to that milestone in 1961. In the first six months of the year, malaria cases rose 72 percent, to a total of 125,000, according to the figures. The disease cut a wide path through the country, with cases present in more than half of its 23 states. And among the malaria strains present here is Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most fatal form of the disease.

The Vatican Has Paid Close To $4 Billion To Settle Child Molestation Lawsuits
Collective Evolution - According to Jack and Diane Ruhl of the National Catholic Reporter, who decided to research this particular topic, since 1950, the Vatican has spent a disgusting $3,994,797,060.10. That’s nearly $4 billion to keep things hush hush. That number may even be a bit conservative, as we cannot know for sure the agreed upon “under the table” amount. The figure is based on a three-month investigation of data, which includes a review of over 7,800 articles from LexisNexis Academic and NCR databases and information from BishopAccountability.org. Reports from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were also used…. In the early nineties, a monk who worked at the Vatican opened up to The New Yorker, admitting: “You wouldn’t believe the amounts of money the church is spending to settle these priestly sexual-abuse cases.” By 1992, U.S. Catholic dioceses had given 400 million dollars to settle hundreds of molestation cases. That was a shocking chunk of change then, and that figure has only risen exponentially since. The men running the Vatican are well aware of the problem, and yet they refuse to provide justice.

Ryan Lochte, 3 other Olympic swimmers robbed at gunpoint in Rio
Oregon Live - Ryan Lochte and three other American swimmers were robbed at gunpoint early Sunday by thieves posing as police officers who stopped their taxi and took their money and belongings, the U.S. Olympic Committee said. In the latest security incident to hit the Rio de Janeiro Games, Lochte told NBC that one of the robbers put a gun to his forehead before taking his wallet. No one was injured.... Word of the robbery touched off a chain of confusion between Olympic and U.S. officials. An International Olympic Committee spokesman said reports of the robbery were "absolutely not true," then reversed himself, apologized and said he was relying on initial information from the USOC that was wrong. Street crime was a major concern of Olympic organizers going into the games. Brazil deployed 85,000 soldiers and police to secure the games, twice as many as Britain used during the 2012 London Olympics. Last week, a Brazilian security officer was fatally shot after taking a wrong turn into a dangerous favela, or slum. Two Australian rowing coaches were attacked and robbed by two assailants in Ipanema, and Portugal's education minister was held up at knifepoint on a busy street.

Italy threatens jail time for parents raising vegan children; but toxic vaccines and cancer-causing junk food are still legal
(NaturalNews) Italian parents who force a vegan or vegetarian diet on to their children under 16 could face up to four years in jail if the Italian parliament passes the new controversial bill. The proposal comes from Elvira Savino, from the conservative Forza Italia party, who claims that these restrictive diets jeopardize the health of young children and leave them malnourished. According to Savino and some health experts, a vegetarian or vegan diet may lack sufficient amounts of zinc, iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, omega-3, and protein which are all essential nutrients for growth and overall health. She told Reuters that she doesn't have a problem with vegans or veganism, as long as it is a free choice that is being made by adults. However, she did go on to say, "I just find it absurd that parents are allowed to impose their will on children in an almost fanatical, religious way, often without proper scientific knowledge or medical advice.”… Unfortunately, not all parents that make the decision to feed their little one a strict plant-based diet have done their homework. In the past eighteen months, several Italian children have had to undergo hospitalizations, due to the effects of nutritionally insufficient, poorly planned vegan diets.

Zika Virus News

Bombshell: Zika Fraud Leads to Toxic Mosquito Spraying and Autism
Jon Rappoport - The title of this piece could have been, “When the cure for a problem causes the problem.” Naled, the organophosphate pesticide now being sprayed on Miami to kill “Zika mosquitoes,” has dire effects. Reference: a 2014 study, “Neurodevelopmental disorders and prenatal residential proximity to agricultural pesticides: the CHARGE study.” [Environmental Health Perspectives, 2014 Oct;122(10):1103-9.] Key quotes from the study: “Gestational exposure to several common agricultural pesticides can induce developmental neurotoxicity in humans, and has been associated with developmental delay and autism.” [Emphasis added] “We evaluated whether residential proximity to agricultural pesticides during pregnancy is associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or developmental delay (DD)…” “Approximately one-third of CHARGE study mothers lived, during pregnancy, within 1.5 km (just under 1 mile) of an agricultural pesticide application. Proximity to organophosphates at some point during gestation was associated with a 60% increased risk for ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorders], higher for third-trimester exposures…and second-trimester chlorpyrifos [an organophosphate pesticide] applications…” “This study of ASD strengthens the evidence linking neurodevelopmental disorders with gestational pesticide exposures, particularly organophosphates…”

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Govt Task Force Confirms US Intelligence Faked Reports to Manipulate Public About ISIS
The Free Thought Project - A scathing government task force report released on Thursday, shows that intelligence generated by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) was deliberately skewed. Last year a senior analytst came forward noting that classified intelligence was being withheld. The whistleblower’s complaint is what led to the intitial investigation by the Defense Department inspector general.... The task force confirmed that both classified and public information was being manipulated by high-level officials.... According to the unclassified report, much of what was presented to the public was false.... While the Obama administration is attempting to maintain that they knew nothing about this intelligence manipulation, the nature of this report and the high-level officials involved, implies otherwise. “The cancer was within the senior level of the intelligence command,” one defense official told The Daily Beast in September. “There’s enormous evidence about how this information from talented career professionals inside the analytic arm at CENTCOM did their job and accurately depicted what was going on on the ground, but when it got to very senior levels, that information was changed,” [Congressman Mike] Pompeo said.
* Related: Ten Most Troubling Finds Inside House Probe of Pentagon’s ‘Distorted’ Intel on Islamic State

"Russian" Hacker Guccifer 2.0 Publishes Complete Personal Information Of All Congressional Democrats
Zero Hedge - According to so-called experts, the Romanian (as he described himself) [Full Transcript of Our Interview With DNC Hacker] hacker Guccifer 2.0 is really a Russian (even though there is still not a shred of evidence to confirm this) who several weeks ago provided a trove of 20,000 emails to Wikileaks, which exposed the corruption at the Democratic National Committee as it rigged the primary election on behalf of Hillary, further revealing just how deeply in bed the DNC and the "independent" media were. As of this afternoon, the "Russian" has made it possible for millions of American to contact their Democratic representative instantly, after he released an excel spreadsheet on his blog - obtained from hacking the DNCC - which includes the personal cell phone number, physical and email address as well as full personal information for some 200 congressional Democrats…. In addition to the Excel file, the alleged Russian hacker also uploaded documents that include the account names and passwords for an assortment of subscription services used by the DCCC, from Lexis-Nexis to Glenn Beck’s web site (password: nutbag). While "Guccifer 2.0" has claimed to be a foe of "all the illuminati and rich clans which try to rule the governments," cyber investigators are busy trying to convince the American public that he is just serving as the media liaison for the Russian government hacking teams suspected of breaching the Democratic Party's computer systems.

Gov. Walker activates National Guard; Milwaukee shooting victim identified
Oregon Live - Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby Sunday in case of another outbreak of violence in Milwaukee, after a deadly police shooting touched off a night of arson and rock-throwing in a mostly black neighborhood. At least four businesses were burned and an officer was hurt by a thrown brick in the unrest that erupted on the city's north side Saturday night a few hours after the killing of a black man who authorities say was armed and fleeing a traffic stop.... The weekend shooting in Milwaukee is under investigation. The mayor said the officer was wearing a body camera. Mayor Tom Barrett said police stopped the motorist for what the mayor described only as "suspicious activity." Police said the man was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a burglary in March.... At one point Saturday evening, as many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue, surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers. The Journal Sentinel reported that some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire. The newspaper said one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched. In addition to the gas station, a bank, an auto parts store and a beauty supply shop were burned. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.

Republican Lawmakers Block Promised Visas for At-Risk Afghan Translators Who Aided U.S.
AllGov - For more than eight years, the State Department has offered a visa program designated for many of those who face an “ongoing serious threat” as a result of having provided critical linguistic support — whether in oral interpretation or written translation — in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the last 2 1/2 years, officials say, they have issued visas to more than 8,000 Afghans and their immediate families.... As of July 10, fewer than 3,000 of those visas remained, but about 12,000 individuals have at least started the application process, according to the State Department. Applicants must apply by Dec. 31 in order to be considered. Then this year, something changed: A few Republicans said no, asking whether more visas were necessary when the State Department still had thousands of visas from previous years yet to be distributed.... The government has struggled to keep pace with the influx of Afghan and Iraqi applications for special visas and changes to the eligibility rules made by lawmakers, mistakenly disqualifying some applicants and trapping others in a holding pattern that lasts months or even years. That is time, several translators and interpreters said, that the applicants cannot afford to waste as they face serious threats to their lives every day.

National Guard Helicopters To Drop Supplies To 1,500 Stranded Motorists As "Historic" Floods Cover Louisiana
Zero Hedge - The heavy rain began on Friday, with between 6 and 10 inches of rain falling on parts of southeast Louisiana. Several more inches fell Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. "The water's going to rise in many areas. It's no time to let the guard down." In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches, according to The Associated Press.... "It's not over," said Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday cited by NBC, who previously declared a state of emergency and called the floods "unprecedented" and "historic.".... Edwards said crews had already rescued 7,000 people from their deluged homes. More than 5,000 people stayed in Red Cross and government-run shelters Saturday night, Department of Children & Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters added.... residents in affected areas were warned to stay in their homes — unless they're told to evacuate — and off the roads. The warning, however, came too late for over one thousand cars who have been caught in the flood on I-12. As a result, the Louisiana National Guard troops are preparing to drop water and other supplies from helicopters Sunday morning to more than 1,500 motorists who have been stranded on Interstate 12 for almost 24 hours.

Dad and his 7-year-old daughter held at gunpoint in terrifying encounter with out-of-control AZ cop
Raw Story - A California man and his 7-year-old daughter had a terrifying run-in with the Arizona Highway Patrol Friday night on their way to visit the Grand Canyon. In a lengthy Facebook post, Ken Walton described the experience, in which he and his daughter were held at gunpoint by an out-of-control highway patrolman. Late Friday night, Walton wrote, “Tonight, I was arrested at gunpoint by an Arizona highway patrol officer who threatened to shoot me in the back (twice) in front of my 7-year-old daughter. For a moment, I was certain he was going to kill me for no reason. I’m alive, and I need to share the story. PLEASE SHARE IT, because I have an important reason for staying up past 1AM to write it down.”

Election News

Secret Service Leaks Hillary’s Health to Press
Kit Daniels - Hillary Clinton apparently suffers from Parkinson’s or a similar disease and experiences seizures from flashing lights, such as camera flashes at press conferences, the Secret Service told Infowars. Additionally, the federal government has reportedly spent nearly a quarter-million dollars to add handicap steps on government vehicles because Hillary struggles with balance, a fact already established by a Reuters photo showing two men helping Hillary up stairs. The revelations explain her odd, epileptic behavior on camera and why she avoids press conferences in general. Her health is deteriorating badly; over the past several months Hillary has suffered several seizures and near-comatose freeze-ups during speeches which, combined with her previous blood clot, concussions and severe coughing fits, reveal she’s hiding serious medical issues that jeopardize her ability to hold public office.

Trump Brought Down House Last Night, Then Walked Outside & Got Surprise Of A Lifetime!(Video)
Liberty Writers News - Trump held one of the biggest rallies yet in Kissimmee, Florida. This is the same town that Hillary held a rally in and invited the father of the Orlando terrorist. She only got like 20 people to show up. Trump sold out the Silver Spurs Arena. That arena can fit 8,000 people. And there was overflow. And everyone there was excited actually to see him…. And, then Trump walked outside. … Police from all around Kissimmee heard that Donald Trump was coming and escorted him back to his plane.

Energy & Environment

6 Million Americans in 33 States Are Drinking Toxic 'Teflon Chemicals' With Their Water
EcoWatch - At least 6 million Americans in 33 states are being exposed to unsafe levels of industrial perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) chemicals in their drinking water, found a study published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters…. The Washington Post details the researchers' findings: 194 of 4,864 water supplies across nearly three dozen states had detectable levels of the chemicals. Sixty-six of those water supplies, serving about six million people, had at least one sample that exceeded the EPA's [Environmental Protection Agency] recommended safety limit of 70 parts per trillion for two types of chemicals—perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)…. Moreover, the study also notes that research suggests "that exposure to these chemicals can make people sick, even at or below the concentration recommended as acceptable under the EPA health advisory," according to the Gazette-Mail.

Science & Technology

Secure Boot snafu: Microsoft leaks backdoor key, firmware flung wide open
Ars Technica - Microsoft has inadvertently demonstrated the intrinsic security problem of including a universal backdoor in its software after it accidentally leaked its so-called "golden key"—which allows users to unlock any device that's supposedly protected by Secure Boot, such as phones and tablets.... researchers note that this snafu is a real-world demonstration of the lack of wisdom in the FBI's recent demands for universal backdoors in Apple's devices.... The golden key policy seems to have been designed for internal debugging purposes, to allow OS [operating system] signature checks to be disabled, apparently so programmers can test new builds. In practice, it could well open up Microsoft's tablets and phones to serious attacks. At first, Microsoft apparently dismissed the find as a non-issue, before changing its mind, and then slowly applying a patch. The software giant eventually awarded a bug bounty in June, and has since released two patches... with a third on the way. It's understood that none of them are able to directly shut the back door, and there's a distinct possibility that the hole opened by the golden keys may not be truly closable.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Remove Mold FAST With Tea Tree Essential Oil!
Mold is a lot more than just annoying little growth in your bathroom. It can actually pose significant risks to your health. You could wind up with nasal stuffiness, throat irritation and even a severe allergic reaction…. Tea tree oil has traditionally been used as an antifungal and antiseptic treatment for everything from toenail fungus to acne. It even works for strong types of mold. All you’ve gotta do is mix one teaspoon of tea tree oil with one cup of water. Put this mixture in a spray bottle and have a go at any mold-ridden areas in your home. Leave the liquid to work on the area for a while before wiping it off with a cloth. Is your mold problem a bit on the larger side? The next solution is for you. While a small bottle of tea tree oil can get pricey (keep in mind, though, it does have a number of uses besides mold), a large bottle of distilled vinegar should cost you next to nothing. Vinegar is mildly acidic and kills up to 82% of all mold species. Attack the mold in full force by pouring straight vinegar into a spray bottle and having a go at any growth. Let the vinegar sit for an hour and then wipe the surface with clean water. If the vinegar smell doesn’t go away after several hours, just place a bowl of lemon water around the area.

Health

Ginger: The Enemy of Type 2 Diabetes
Green Med Info - While ginger is widely used as a spice today, its role as a healing agent is often overlooked in modern society despite its thousands of years of documented use as a powerful medicine. Modern science, however, is finally catching up to the wisdom of the ancients. For instance, there are over 2100 published studies on the medicinal properties of ginger in the scientific literature, and the Greenmedinfo database contains evidence that it has value in over 170 different health conditions, and has over 50 different beneficial physiological effects. Notably, of all the conditions the research on ginger we have indexed reveals its therapeutic value for, type 2 diabetes is top on the list, with seven studies on our database providing proof of its efficacy…. A new study published in the journal Complementary and Integrative Medicine, "The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes," confirms that ginger is a serious contender for addressing some of the root causes underlying this devastating condition.

These 7 Turmeric Brands are Being Recalled Due to Lead Contamination
Natural Society - There are now 6 more brands of turmeric being recalled due to lead contamination. So far, there have been no illnesses or injuries reported from the high lead levels in the turmeric, but Gel Spice, Inc., the company expanding the recall, is taking precautions. The FDA lists the following products as being recalled due to potential lead contamination:… Spice Select, Market Pantry, Gel, Clear Value, Leiber’s, Spice Supreme. The FDA’s website also provides pictures of the products for those who are unsure whether or not one that they own is on the list. Those who are concerned or have questions about the recall can contact Gel Spice, Inc. at (201) 564-0435. They are available to speak to consumers from 8am to 4pm Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Over-the-counter cold medicine linked to dementia
(NaturalHealth365) Recent research shows certain medications may be bad for your brain. Some of the ones to be concerned about include a group of medications called anticholinergics, with brand names including Benadryl, Demerol, and Pamine. One study looked at 451 individuals with an average age 73. Those whose regular medications included one or more anticholinergics had a higher risk of dementia and poorer performance on cognitive tests. They also had smaller brain volumes, compared to people who were not using these types of medicines. The result can be an increased risk for cognitive problems including memory loss. Another concern with these anticholinergic medications is that they also appear to slow brain glucose metabolism. Your brain uses glucose as a fuel source, and slower glucose metabolism is linked to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The change occurs in parts of your brain that are used for memory, and lower metabolism in these areas can cause memory loss and dementia as you get older.

Pet News

WATCH: Dog Sobs With Relief When She’s Finally Rescued From Well
Dogington Post - When rescuers from Animal Aid Unlimited, a rescue center, animal hospital, and sanctuary for street animals in India, received a call that a dog had fallen deep into a well in a village outside of Udaipur, they didn’t hesistate to rush to her aid. … Rescuers from Animal Aid Unlimited described Ruby’s rescue on Facebook: We have no idea how Ruby could have survived this incredibly long fall. From the bottom of a 50 foot hole (a dry well) rose up the most plaintive cries for help. When our rescue crew arrived she literally sobs she’s so beside herself with emotion, as if she needed to share behind tears the whole of her terrible ordeal, the fear she must have felt while falling, the disastrous realization that she couldn’t get out…and above her, she weeps almost in disbelief, may be–…yes–it is help! Watch the strain on our rescuer Ganpat’s face in the final moments before Ruby is lifted from his shaking arms after he is rope lifted some 50 feet.

 


Friday - August 12, 2016 - Today In History:

1865 - Disinfectant was used for the first time during surgery by Joseph Lister.
1867 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson sparked a move to impeach him when he defied Congress by suspending Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
1877 - Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and made the first sound recording.
1898 - The Spanish-American War was ended with the signing of the peace protocol. The U.S. acquired Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Hawaii was also annexed.
1953 - The Soviet Union secretly tested its first hydrogen bomb.
1977 - The space shuttle Enterprise passed its first solo flight test.
1981 - IBM unveiled its first PC.
1986 - It was announced by NASA that they had selected a new rocket design for the space shuttle. The move was made in an effort at correcting the flaws that were believed to have been responsible for the Challenger disaster.
1992 - The U.S., Canada, and Mexico announced that the North American Free Trade Agreement had been created after 14 months of negotiations.
1993 - U.S. President Clinton lifted the ban on rehiring air traffic controllers that had been fired for going on strike in 1981.
1994 - Major league baseball players went on strike rather than allow team owners to limit their salaries. The strike lasted for 232 days. As a result, the World Series was wiped out for the first time in 90 years.
1998 - Swiss banks agreed to pay $1.25 billion as restitution to World War II Holocaust victims.
2000 - The Russian nuclear submarine Kursk sank and its 118-man crew died during naval exercises in the Barents Sea.
2004 - The California Supreme Court voided the nearly 4,000 same-sex marriages that had been sanctioned in San Francisco earlier in the year.
2008 - Russia halted its five-day assault on Georgia.

World News

Russia Is Not The Aggressor In Ukraine
Steven DeNoon - On July the 8th we reported that Ukraine was moving tanks, some 30 plus tanks to the contact line line with Donetsk region – the self proclaimed Peoples Republic, “New Russia”. Not a single national media group even covered this breaking news. Alex Jones the day before published his news report on Info Wars that Putin was at his final straw, trying to get journalists to warn the world that we were moving closer to global conflict. A conflict that could become nuclear. Still International news like CNN, BBC, were silent. There were scant reports that the OSCE had mentioned troop buildup by Ukraine forces near the contact line of Donetsk, but International media ignored these reports as well. Eleven days later I broke the news that Russian tanks are on the streets of Donetsk – BBC reporters circulated my Broadcast on Twitter wondering if this was true. “This could be big” However they were afraid to source us because we exposed the start of tensions. Russia now facing Ukraine terrorism threats is forced to move massive troops to its northern border of Crimea, or at least that is what the world believes Russia’s troop movement is for. Yet on tonight’s broadcast we reminded our viewers of a report we shared back in March where Russian media revealed the conversation between Petro Poroshenko and President Erdogan. The plans included the joint effort to retake Crimea.
Related Video: Fighting Breaks Out On Crimean Ukraine Border

Putin Prepares For War As Ukraine Infiltrates Crimea
Infowars - Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine is “playing a dangerous game” following a reported incursion by Ukrainian special forces into Crimea that left two Russian personnel dead…. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced it had thwarted two attempts by Ukrainian special forces to infiltrate Crimea and target critical infrastructure with explosive devices. Ammunition used by the Ukrainian Army’s special forces was reportedly discovered along the Crimea/Ukraine border, and clashes killed one Russian soldier and one FSB employee. The FSB reported the attempts by Ukrainian forces to cross the border “were accompanied by massive covering fire from the neighboring state and from Ukrainian armored vehicles.” After a meeting in Moscow with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Putin warned that Russia “will not walk past something like this,” following the death of two Russian soldiers in a cross border raid by Ukrainian special forces in Crimea, and called the Ukrainian government’s actions “stupid and criminal.” “I think it’s obvious that Kiev’s current authorities are not seeking for ways to solve problems through negotiations but have turned to terrorism,” Putin added, warning Ukraine was “playing a dangerous game.” Online activists recently published videos on social media of Russian trains carrying army vehicles to the Kerch Strait, which lies directly between Crimea and southern Russia. Western media was quick to suggest Putin was preparing to use the cross border attack as justification for an all out invasion of Ukraine.

Erdogan Threatens To Abandon US Dollar In Trade With Russia
Zero Hedge - The unexpectedly sharp antagonism between Turkey and the west accelerated today, and one day after NATO preemptively reminded Turkey that it is still a NATO alliance member and advising Ankara that "Turkey’s NATO membership is not in question", Turkey had some more choice words for its military allies. Cited by Reuters, Turkey foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish's NTV television on Thursday that the country "may seek other options outside NATO for defense industry cooperation, although its first option is always cooperation with its NATO allies." Translation: if Russia (and/or China) gives us a better "defensive" offer, we just may take it. The sharply worded retort came on the same day that Turkey said it will resume airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, and asked Russia to carry out joint operations against its “common enemy.” Ankara halted strikes after the downing of a Russian plane by Turkish forces last year. In the same interview, Cavusolgu said that Ankara “will again, in an active manner, with its planes take part in operations” against Islamic State targets. Cavusolgu also said that Ankara has called on Moscow to carry out joint operations against the “common enemy” of IS. "Let's fight against the terrorist group together, so that we can clear it out as soon as possible," Cavusolgu said, adding that otherwise IS will continue to expand and spread into other countries.

US Nuclear-Bomber in Pacific for First Time as China Reaches Boiling Point
Sputnik News - The United States has dispatched its three strategic bomber types to the Pacific region for the first time, in a bid to reassure allies amid growing aggression from China in the wake of the Hague-based Court of Arbitration ruling against Beijing’s claim to territories in the South China Sea, and the deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system. Announced Wednesday, the US Air Force will dispatch a Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, a Rockwell B-1B Lancer, and a Northrup Grumman B-2A Spirit bomber to operate concurrently in the US Pacific Command region in support of the Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP) and Bomber Assurance and Deterrence (BAAD) missions. The US Air Force announcement cited the need to ward off potential adversaries but refused to explicitly name China, whose growing military strength puts Beijing on other side of the American nuclear barrel, though the connection is "clear," according to IHS Jane’s Defence. Additionally, the region has become increasingly unstable due to a proliferation of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles at the hand of the unstable regime of Kim Jong-Un in North Korea…. The movement of US B-1Bs, B-2As, and B-52Hs to the Pacific region has not only incensed of China, but has left North Korea feeling cornered, accusing the US of planning a preemptive nuclear strike against Pyongyang, according to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

ISIS sleepers ‘arrived as refugees’ in Germany, ready for action – top intel official
RT - Hit squads linked with ISIS terrorists have infiltrated Germany camouflaged as refugees, the head of Bavaria’s intelligence service warns. citing “irrefutable evidence” of planned attacks in the country in the wake of recent assaults by migrants. “We have to accept that we got hit squads and sleeper cells here in Germany,” Manfred Hauser, vice-president of Bavaria’s department of the Office for the Protection of Constitution (BfV) told BBC Radio 4. His agency is now looking into hundreds of potential cases of terrorists who made their way to Germany disguised as refugees. "We have substantial reports that among the refugees are hit squads," Hauser claimed. BfV is getting the information from various sources, he added, including from interviews with asylum seekers arriving in the country. The risk of terror attacks by the sleepers is “very high” according to the official. The BfV has “irrefutable evidence that there is an ISIS command structure that makes an attack in Germany highly possible.”… Last month Germany’s Federal Criminal Police (BKA) revealed that the body has information on 410 leads on possible terrorists among asylum seekers in Germany. "Given the ongoing immigration to Germany, we must assume that there could be active and former members, supporters and sympathizers of terrorist organizations or Islamist-motivated war criminals among the refugees,” the BKA told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung.

France calls on public to house refugees as asylum centers reach bursting point
RT - The French government wants members of the public to take in refugees because there is no room left at the country’s asylum centers. The authorities are even offering financial handouts to charities which actively engage in finding accommodation. The sheer numbers of migrants entering France has forced many to sleep out on the streets because refugee centers do not have enough beds to house everyone. That has led the government to come up with a plan to try and get members of the public to take in refugees who have nowhere to go. The idea is being championed by Housing Minister Emmanuelle Cosse, who understands that something needs to be done given the sheer number of refugees in need of accommodation. “By the end of September, we will more than double the capacity of the refugee centers, from 2,000 to 5,000 beds,” she told Le Monde, adding that all major cities across the country had accepted the move…. The number of refugees in France is expected to rise to 30,000 by 2017 as the country takes its share of the quota set by the EU.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Hillary Clinton Email Archive
WikiLeaks - On March 16, 2016 WikiLeaks launched a searchable archive for 30,322 emails & email attachments sent to and from Hillary Clinton's private email server while she was Secretary of State. The 50,547 pages of documents span from 30 June 2010 to 12 August 2014. 7,570 of the documents were sent by Hillary Clinton. The emails were made available in the form of thousands of PDFs by the US State Department as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request. The final PDFs were made available on February 29, 2016.

Several FBI Field Offices’ Pushed DOJ to Probe Clinton Foundation After ‘Clinton Cash’
Breitbart - While the federal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State was underway, “several FBI field offices” asked the Justice Department to investigate the murky connections between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation, but were shutdown, according to a report by CNN. “Several FBI field offices approached the Justice Department asking to open a case regarding the relationship between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation, according to a law enforcement official,” CNN said late Wednesday. “At the time, DOJ declined because it had looked into allegations surrounding the Clinton Foundation around a year earlier and found there wasn’t sufficient evidence to open a case,” the report continued.

Obamacare On "Verge Of Collapse" As Premiums Set To Soar Again In 2017
Zero Hedge - If Obamacare enrollments continue their current trend and insurers continue to hike premiums at alarming rates then Republicans may not have to worry about "repealing and replacing Obamacare" as it might just work itself out "naturally". The 4th open enrollment period for Obamacare begins on November 1, 2016 and industry experts are warning that another year of tepid demand from "young and healthy" Americans could force more insurers out of the exchanges effectively marking the end of Obamacare as we know it. According to a story published by The Hill, 11 million people bought health insurance through the exchanges for 2016 which was drastically below the Congressional Budget Office's initial projection of 21 million…. With America's youth continuing to shun health insurance, insurers are all racking up massive losses on the exchanges. For many insurers the losses will simply result in massive premium hikes but others have decided to withdraw from the exchanges all together. In fact, UnitedHealthCare recently announced plans to exit most state exchanges by 2017.

DEA regularly mines Americans’ travel records to seize millions in cash
USA Today - Federal drug agents regularly mine Americans’ travel information to profile people who might be ferrying money for narcotics traffickers — though they almost never use what they learn to make arrests or build criminal cases. Instead, that targeting has helped the Drug Enforcement Administration seize a small fortune in cash. DEA agents have profiled passengers on Amtrak trains and nearly every major U.S. airline, drawing on reports from a network of travel-industry informants that extends from ticket counters to back offices, a USA TODAY investigation has found. Agents assigned to airports and train stations singled out passengers for questioning or searches for reasons as seemingly benign as traveling one-way to California or having paid for a ticket in cash. The DEA surveillance is separate from the vast and widely-known anti-terrorism apparatus that now surrounds air travel, which is rarely used for routine law enforcement. It has been carried out largely without the airlines’ knowledge. It is a lucrative endeavor, and one that remains largely unknown outside the drug agency. DEA units assigned to patrol 15 of the nation’s busiest airports seized more than $209 million in cash from at least 5,200 people over the past decade after concluding the money was linked to drug trafficking, according to Justice Department records. Most of the money was passed on to local police departments that lend officers to assist the drug agency…. In most cases, records show the agents gave the suspected couriers a receipt for the cash — sometimes totaling $50,000 or more, stuffed into suitcases or socks — and sent them on their way without ever charging them with a crime.

Election News

Democratic ‘Crisis Communications’ PR Agent Hired to Shut Down Seth Rich “Conspiracy Theories” (Video)
Paul Joseph Watson - The man hired to shut down “conspiracy theories” surrounding the mysterious murder of former DNC staffer Seth Rich is a public relations manager who specializes in “crisis communications” for the Democratic Party. 27-year-old Rich was shot in the back in Washington D.C. on July 10, the apparent victim of an attempted “robbery” despite the fact that no possessions were taken. Earlier this week, Julian Assange appeared on Dutch television and implied that Rich was one of the sources of the DNC email link. Wikileaks then offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of his killer. It has since emerged that Rich’s family is now being represented by Brad Bauman, whose LinkedIn page lists his roles as, “Managing a crisis communications and full service public relations firm,” and “Providing strategic communications advice to Democratic candidates and labor unions.” Earlier today, Wikileaks tweeted, “Seth Rich’s new “family spokesman” is Brad Bauman a professional Democrat crisis PR consultant with the Pastorum Group.”… Wikileaks, which yesterday published tweets suggesting that Assange himself might be a target of assassination, clearly thinks that something sinister is afoot, otherwise it wouldn’t keep drawing attention to the issue. Why did Seth Rich’s family apparently hire someone who, according to his own LinkedIn page, specializes in crafting messages to manipulate media coverage? The family seemed to be communicating with the media perfectly adequately before Bauman arrived on the scene. As the video below documents, Seth Rich may not be the only recent mysterious death connected to Hillary Clinton and the DNC leaks.

Wikileaks Proves Trump Is Right: Hacked Emails Include Info On Hillary’s Arming Of Jihadists, Including ISIS
The Gateway Pundit - Republican nominee Donald Trump spoke to the National Association of Home Builders on Thursday morning. Trump repeated his line that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama created ISIS. He even went further and said Hillary Clinton was the MVP of ISIS. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knew that the US was sending arms from Libya to Syria back in 2011, a year before the Benghazi consulate attacks. Hillary Clinton denied she knew about the weapons shipments during public testimony (under oath) in early 2013 after the Benghazi terrorist attack…. On Tuesday Julian Assange told Democracy Now that the Wikileaks DNC emails contains information on the weapons shipments to Syria. Julian Assange: So, those Hillary Clinton emails, they connect together with the cables that we have published of Hillary Clinton, creating a rich picture of how Hillary Clinton performs in office, but, more broadly, how the U.S. Department of State operates. So, for example, the disastrous, absolutely disastrous intervention in Libya, the destruction of the Gaddafi government, which led to the occupation of ISIS of large segments of that country, weapons flows going over to Syria, being pushed by Hillary Clinton, into jihadists within Syria, including ISIS, that’s there in those emails. There’s more than 1,700 emails in Hillary Clinton’s collection, that we have released, just about Libya alone. This is another brilliant move for Donald Trump to bring this up now knowing that Wikileaks is going to release more documents in the coming weeks tying Hillary Clinton to ISIS.

In Michigan, Hillary Clinton Promises To Oppose TPP As President
Breitbart - Hillary Clinton is reassuring supporters in Warren, Michigan that her anti-trade position on Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership is not simply political positioning. “I oppose it now, I’ll oppose it after the election and I’ll oppose it as president,” she said. Clinton famously lost Michigan’s primary to Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had stronger anti-trade credentials. Her position on trade has evolved since she served as Secretary of State in the Obama administration, praising Obama’s trade plan 45 times before eventually turning against the president during the Democratic presidential primary. Questions were raised about Clinton’s position on trade after her close confidant Gov. Terry McAuliffe asserted that she would change her mind after she was elected.

Veteran News

Federal Court Punishes US Marine for Posting Bible Verse On Her Desk
The Gateway Pundit - The Becket Fund reported: The military’s highest court ruled yesterday that men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces can be punished for exercising their religion if judges deem the practice not religiously “important.” The ruling upholds the government’s criminal prosecution of a U.S. Marine for refusing to discard personal notes that had Bible verses on them. The case may now be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2014, Marine Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling was ordered to remove from her workstation three pieces of paper with a paraphrase from the Book of Isaiah, “No weapon formed against me shall prosper,” even though co-workers were permitted to keep nonreligious messages on their desks. She declined and was court-martialed. A lower court upheld Sterling’s court martial, rejecting her argument that her faith was protected by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. “This is a real-life example of why judges shouldn’t play theologians,” said Daniel Blomberg, legal counsel of the Becket Fund, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the Lance Corporal. “Here, a few judges concluded that keeping scripture nearby isn’t ‘important,’ even though more than half of the world’s population belong to religions that teach the exact opposite. Avoiding obvious errors like this is why RFRA protects all religious beliefs, not just beliefs that government officials deem ‘important.’”

Economy & Business

Obama's Administration Collected $20 Trillion In Taxes And Still Increased National Debt $9 Trillion
Zero Hedge - During the 90 months that President Obama has been in office, the federal government collected a total of $19,966,110,000,000 in tax revenues (in non-inflation-adjusted dollars) and still managed to drag the country into almost 9 trillion dollars of new debt, according to the Monthly Treasury Statements…. From CNS: During those same 90 months, the federal debt rose from $10,632,005,246,736.97 to $19,427,694,579,786.64—an increase of $8,795,689,333,049.67. In July, according to the Monthly Treasury Statement released today, the federal government took in $209,998,000,000 in taxes and spent $322,813,000,000—running a one-month deficit of $112,815,000,000. So far in fiscal 2016, according the Treasury statement, the federal government has collected approximately $2,678,824,000,000 in taxes and spent approximately $3,192,487,000,000—running a deficit of $513,662,000,000 for the first ten months of the fiscal year. If the Bureau of Labor Statistics is correct when they reported there were 151,517,000 people employed in the United States in July, the amount of taxes the Treasury has collected during Obama’s first 90 full months in office would amount to $131,775 per worker.

All major US stock indexes post record closes; oil rallies
CNBC News - Stocks closed higher Thursday, with the three major indexes closing at new record highs, amid sharp gains in oil prices and strong quarterly results from retailers. "I think there are two main drivers here. One of them is oil," said Mariann Montagne, senior investment analyst at Gradient Investments. "The other part is this retail rally." Thursday also marked the first time since 1999 the Dow, S&P and the Nasdaq posted record closing highs on the same day, according to Bespoke. The Dow Jones industrial average closed about 115 points higher, with 3M contributing the most gains. The 30-stock index also traded above a previous record high of 18,622.01. The benchmark S&P 500 advanced about 0.5 percent, with energy rising more than 1 percent. The index also briefly traded above its previous all-time intraday high of 2,187.66.

What Do They Know That We Don’t? World’s Billionaires Are Stockpiling Cash: “Taking Money Off the Table”
Mac Slavo - via CNBC: The world’s billionaires are holding more than $1.7 trillion in cash — the highest amount since one firm began recording the measure in 2010. Because of what they perceive to be growing risks in the economy and world, the world’s 2,473 billionaires are keeping 22.2 percent of their total net worth in cash, according to the Wealth-X Billionaire Census. The group has also benefited from the recent surge in so-called liquidity events from corporate acquisitions and mergers. Altogether, their cash hoard is now roughly the size of the Brazil’s GDP. “Billionaires are taking money off the table where available, while uncertainties in the economy and the historical highs found in deals have resulted in cash-flush portfolios,” the report said. The firm’s findings are in line with those from other recent surveys. A study released by UBS last month said wealthy Americans are keeping around 20 percent of their portfolios in cash, in line with their post-2008 average. More are considering reducing their exposure to the markets because of uncertainty over the presidential election, UBS said.

Wall Street bankers’ bonuses expected to decline
Reuters - Bankers, traders, and dealmakers on Wall Street will face significant cuts in their bonuses, according to a report from compensation consultant Johnson Associates. Year-end compensation will fall 5-15 percent for investment bankers consulting on mergers and acquisitions, the report said. Bankers who help companies raise equity and debt are likely to lose up to 25 percent of their bonuses. Both stock and bond traders could have their compensation cut by as much as 15 percent. Wall Street companies have seen bond trading revenue contracting for about seven years, as new trading regulations are cutting profits. Banks are also preparing to cut salaries and staff. Citigroup, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs have cut staff in order to maintain profit levels.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

America's farm animals could undergo mass vaccination as producers move away from antibiotics
(NaturalNews) Recognizing that the future of antibiotics as an adjunct to commercial animal husbandry is just one "superbug" mutation away from an utter and catastrophic breakdown, the pharmaceutical industry is busy developing the next phase of drug-based "healthcare" for livestock: mass vaccination with an ever-evolving pipeline of new vaccines. Elanco LLC, a unit of drug giant Eli Lilly & Co., recently opened the doors to a new 48,000-square-foot facility located about 23 miles outside of Indianapolis that's dedicated entirely to developing new vaccines for the world's 70 billion farm animals, many of which are currently fed huge amounts of antibiotics to make them bigger and fatter prior to slaughter. Livestock animals account for the bulk of antibiotic use, consuming some 80 percent of all antibiotics currently in production. This is a multi-billion dollar business for drug companies, especially in the U.S., which is why Big Pharma is now scrambling for an alternative as the era of antibiotic misuse and abuse comes to a bitter end.

Health

7 Reasons Why You Should Drink Green Tea Every Day!
David Wolfe - For thousands of years, cultures have been relying on green tea to cure a number of ailments, both physical and mental. Today, we know for a fact that they were onto something. Let’s dive right into 7 proven benefits of drinking green tea regularly. #1 – Brain Power - According to researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland, regular green tea drinkers have increased activity in the parts of the brain that handle memory. Specifically, green tea was found to increase the communication between the frontal lobe and parietal lobe. #2 – Diabetes Prevention/Treatment - According to the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, green tea contains polyphenols and polysaccharides that lower blood sugar. #3 – Oral Health - According to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology, regular intake of green tea goes a long way towards promoting healthy teeth and gums. The study reports that one’s risk of any sort of oral disease decreases with each cup of green tea consumed per day. What do we have to thank for this? A green tea antioxidant called catechin. It works by warding off harmful periodontal bacteria and reducing inflammation in the mouth. #4 – Body Weight Maintenance - According to a study published in Physiology & Behavior, green tea can be a valuable part of any weight loss plan. …epigallocatechin-3-gallate is responsible for this; it increases your body’s amount of norepinephrine, a hormone that instructs fat cells to break down fat. This broken down fat is then, in turn, pushed into the bloodstream where it becomes energy….

The truth comes out: Even low doses of BPA can damage your reproductive health and nervous system
(NaturalNews) For years, the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) – commonly found in plastic bottles, can linings and other products – has been linked to a number of negative health consequences, and now a new study has indicated that even in small doses BPA can cause significant changes in metabolism as well as affect the reproductive and nervous systems. Researchers from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark found "reduced sperm count, obesity and changes to breast development and behaviour" in rats who were given small amounts of BPA, and believe that similar effects may occur in humans. These effects were observed in low doses – in roughly equivalent levels to what humans are exposed to on a daily basis. From a university press release accompanying the study: The results show that particularly low doses of bisphenol A affect the development of the animals. The female rats that were exposed to the lowest dose weighed more as adults, and their behaviour had changed in a direction that resembled male behaviour. This could indicate masculinization of the females' brains. Male rats that were exposed to the lowest dose had increased growth of mammary gland tissue, and decreased sperm count as adults. These effects were not observed at the higher bisphenol A doses. Mammary gland changes that could be indicative of an early stage of breast cancer were observed in aging rats exposed to the second lowest dose of bisphenol A.

Just How Gross is Double Dipping?
Natural Society - Double-dipping, for those unaware, is when one dips a chip, takes a bite, and then dips their chip again. […] Harvard researchers turn to a 2009 study at Clemson University in which dip is carefully studied before and after someone dips their chips into it. They found: “Bacterial counts in the dip increased significantly after a person took a bite from a chip and then dipped again. The number of bacteria contaminating the dip varied depending on the dip – salsa had more bacteria after double-dipping compared with chocolate or cheese dips (perhaps due to differences in thickness and acidity of the dips).”… So does this mean you’ll spread all of your nasty germs to other party goers by double dipping? Harvard’s Healthbeat does say that it can spread illness for sure, especially if the double-dipping offender is sick or is about to get sick. This means you’re better off with your own vat of salsa, or carefully watching others to ensure that they don’t commit the cardinal party sin.
 



Thursday - August 11, 2016 - Today In History:

1860 - The first successful silver mill in America began operations. The mill was in Virginia City, NV.
1896 - Harvey Hubbell received a patent for the electric light bulb socket with a pull-chain.
1909 - The American ship Arapahoe became the first to ever use the SOS distress signal off the coast of Cape Hatteras, NC.
1934 - Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay, received federal prisoners for the first time.
1941 - The Atlantic Charter was signed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
1942 - During World War II, Pierre Laval publicly announced "the hour of liberation for France is the hour when Germany wins the war."
1945 - The Allies informed Japan that they would determine Emperor Hirohito's future status after Japan's surrender.
1965 - The U.S. conducted a second launch of "Surveyor-SD 2" for a landing on the Moon surface test.
1975 - The U.S. vetoed the proposed admission of North and South Vietnam to the United Nations. The Security Counsel had already refused to consider South Korea's application.
1984 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan was preparing for his weekly radio broadcast when, during testing of the microphone, the President said of the Soviet Union, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you that I just signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."
1990 - Egyptian and Moroccan troops joined U.S. forces in Saudia Arabia to help protect from a possible Iraqi attack.
1991 - The space shuttle Atlantis ended its nine-day journey by landing safely.
1992 - In Bloomington, MN, the Mall of America opened. It was the largest shopping mall in the United States.
1995 - All U.S. nuclear tests were banned by President Clinton.
1997 - U.S. President Clinton made the first use of the line-item veto approved by Congress, rejecting three items in spending and tax bills.
1998 - British Petroleum became No. 3 among oil companies with the $49 billion purchase of Amoco. It was the largest foreign takeover of a U.S. company.
2003 - In Kabul, NATO took command of the 5,000-strong peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.

World News

Russia Is Not The Aggressor In Ukraine
IsraeliNewsLive - Russia now facing Ukraine terrorism threats is forced to move massive troops to its northern border of Crimea, or at least that is what the world believes Russia’s troop movement is for. Yet on tonight’s broadcast we reminded our viewers of a report we shared back in March where Russian media revealed the conversation between Petro Poroshenko and President Erdogan. The plans included the joint effort to retake Crimea.Perhaps Putin’s meeting with Erdogan discussed the details and the sign for this preemptive strike. This may be the real reason for such a mass troop movement. Pay attention BBC, and CNN

Red Flag: Israel to Play in US War Games Alongside Pakistan, UAE
Sputnik News - In preparation for upcoming joint military exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Israel has sent a fleet of fighters and refueling jets to fly alongside US, Pakistani, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) aircraft. Each year, the US and its allies conduct a series of joint aerial combat exercises known as Red Flag. Divided into two teams, a wide range of fighter jets perform simulated dogfights over Nellis Air Force Base. Israel isn’t the only Middle Eastern country participating, as Pakistan and the UAE will join, along with the United Kingdom, Australia, Turkey, Italy, and Spain. In addition to air-to-air combat, exercises will also involve anti-aircraft equipment. Speaking to the Times of Israel earlier this year, a senior IAF official stressed that the benefits of international drills are about diplomacy as much as military readiness. While Israel maintains strong ties with the US, it has no formal relationship with Pakistan and the UAE. Red Flag will also give Washington a chance to showcase its F-35 Lightning II fighter, deemed combat-ready earlier this month. This week, however, reports surfaced that the US Air Force is still attempting to fix the aircraft’s faulty ejection seat, which could put the lives of pilots at risk.

Vietnam Secretly Moves israeli Rocket Launchers To Disputed Islands To Counter China
Zero Hedge - ... Reuters reports that in a move that is likely to substantially "raise tensions with Beijing", Vietnam has secretly fortified several of its islands in the disputed territory with Israeli-made EXTRA mobile rocket launchers 'capable of striking China's runways and military installations across the vital trade route.".... The move, which analysts say "is the most significant defensive move Vietnam has made on its holdings in the South China Sea in decades", is designed to counter China's build-up on its seven reclaimed islands in the Spratlys archipelago.... Vietnam's concern is understandable: China took its first Spratlys possessions after a sea battle against Vietnam's then weak navy in 1988. After the battle, Vietnam said 64 soldiers with little protection were killed as they tried to protect a flag on South Johnson reef - an incident still acutely felt in Hanoi.... And now that China has a "credible" reason to further build up its military on the various reefs and inslands in the contested territory, it will do just that, making the likelihood of an all out military conflict, whether intentional or accidental, that much higher, further rising the possibility of an armed conflict in the region involving not just the Pacific Rim nations, but the US on one side, and Russia - as documented previously - on China's.

Photos Confirm U.K. Special Forces Protecting Terrorists In Syria
Brandon Turbeville - On August 8, 2016 the BBC published photographs and reported on yet another illegal incursion into Syria by Western NATO forces and yet another violation of Syrian national sovereignty by the United Kingdom. This time, the photographs show British Special Forces operating on the ground inside Syria in al-Tanf, near the Syrian-Iraq border, an area that is also near the Jordanian border. The pictures themselves date back to June of this year and appear to have been taken shortly after a battle at al-Tanf between the New Syrian Army and ISIS, both Western-backed terrorist organizations. The British soldiers are photographed allegedly setting up a perimeter in order to guard the NSA base from further incursion by ISIS.

Over 6,000 Migrants Sue Germany For Taking Too Long With Asylum Claims
Breitbart - After receiving over one million new migrants looking to claim asylum in 2015, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has been unable to shift a significant backlog of cases to process. The agency has long been troubled with extended waiting periods to deal with asylum claims, with the average waiting time being around five to six months. Complex cases in which migrants do not have passports or identification can take even longer. Now many migrants are dissatisfied with the wait and are looking to lawyers to bring suits against the government, reports German magazine Focus Online. Over 6,000 migrants have made formal complaints to BAMF over the speed with which their asylum claims have been handled, and they are actively suing the government body over what they are calling “inactivity” on the agency’s part.

Swedish Church Wants to Drop Bibles in Daesh Territory by Drone Middle East
Sputnik News - In a questionable strategy for missionary work, a Swedish evangelical church plans to use military UAVs to airdrop thousands of electronic copies of the Christian Bible over Syria…. The Bibles will be “pillbox”-size and battery-powered. They will be dropped by a private contractor that, presumably, has clearance to operate in Syrian airspace. Critics have pointed out that using military drones doesn’t exactly send a welcoming message. For those on the ground, being unable to differentiate the Bible from a Hellfire missile doesn’t bode well for a successful promotional pitch.

Argentina Has a “City of Death” Thanks to Monsanto
Natural Blaze - Monte Maíz, a city in Argentina, has five times the rates of miscarriages and cancer than among half the world’s population – all eyes are on glyphosate. Here’s the scary part – they only have a population of around 8,500 people. Furthermore, lung cancer accounts for 40% of the deaths there, and Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide is said to be the direct cause…. In Monte Maíz, dubbed “the city of death,” where, tucked within, are 22 hangars with equipment for spraying pesticides. Herbicide spray vehicles apparently drive through the city streets polluting the city air. Argentine pharmacist Carlos Vicente described the spraying saying “this is the worst…” and called for the removal of the hangars and reconsideration of this toxicity…. As of 2014, cancer deaths had doubled in Argentine agro-cities. It looks like Monsanto has gone much too far in Argentina, since reports of death are now visible after profuse spraying – meaning that the retort of “correlation doesn’t equal causation” simply won’t cut it here. Additionally, the people of Argentina are making a lot of noise – they are not going quietly. Protests of various forms have been going on for a few years. Monsanto has foolishly lashed back and wants royalties, but the people aren’t having it. Furthermore, the government appears to be on the people’s side.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

The murder of 27-year-old Seth Rich - suspected of leaking the 20,000 DNC emails - takes a sinister turn as anti-Clinton forces suggest Bill and Hillary were involved
The Daily Mail - The mystery surrounding the murder of rising Democrat star Seth Rich took a sudden sinister turn Wednesday with claims that he was responsible for the email dump that brought down close Hillary Clinton ally Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Julian Assange, the head of Wikileaks, the organization that released the emails, announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to Rich's July 10 death, hinting that Rich was responsible for leaking the documents. Assange's offer has also added fuel to the flames of conspiracy theories sweeping the Internet that the Democratic presidential candidate and her husband Bill were somehow involved in Rich's death…. Hillary Clinton has suggested that Russia was responsible for hacking party computers and leaking the documents. But the new theory suggests Rich, who was murdered in what looked like a botched robbery, was behind the leak… Rich's body was found on the 2100 block of Flagler Place NW, but he still had his watch, cell phone and wallet on him. 'There had been a struggle. His hands were bruised, his knees are bruised, his face is bruised, and yet he had two shots to his back, and yet they never took anything,' his mother Mary told Washington's NBC affiliate.
* Related: The Clinton Body-Count

Latest Hillary Email Scandal Reveals State Department "Favors" To Clinton Foundation
Zero Hedge - …Judicial Watch released 296 pages of new emails from Hillary's personal server, most of which were not handed over as part of the 30,000 emails originally provided to the FBI. The emails were provided to Judicial Watch pursuant to a FOIA request. These new emails, among other things, demonstrate how the Clinton Foundation and it's top donors sought favors from the State Department within 3 months of Hillary taking the Secretary of State position…. The first request for a "favor" came in April 2009, just 3 months after Hillary was confirmed as Secretary of State on January 21, 2009. The request came from Doug Band, a long-time adviser to Bill Clinton who helped him setup the Clinton Foundation after his Presidency. Per the email exchange, Mr. Band reached out the State Department to ask a "favor" on behalf of a person who the Clinton Foundation had recently setup with a trip to Haiti which he found "eye-opening" (the name of the person seeking the favor was redacted from the email exchange). Another request came from Gilbert Chagoury, a long-time associate of the Clintons with a checkered past…. Chagoury is known for his ties to Nigeria’s military dictator, Sani Abacha, who was instrumental in helping him secure some lucrative construction contracts in the mid-90s. In 2003, Chagoury helped organize a trip to the Caribbean where former President Bill Clinton was "paid" $100,000 for a speech. Chagoury has also made contributions to the Clinton Foundation of between $1-$5 million…. In yet another email, Clinton chief of staff Cheryl Mills wrote to Hillary to inform her that the NSA was working on a modified blackberry that could be used for personal emails while working in restricted State Department offices. Even though Clinton thought this was "good news" she continued to just use her personal server anyway.

Arkansas sheriff's deputy shot dead responding to disturbance call, suspect arrested
Fox News - Sebastian County Deputy Bill Cooper, who had been shot in the neck, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at Sparks Hospital in Fort Smith.... Hackett Chief of Police Darrell Spells earlier was treated and released from the hospital after being grazed in the forehead by a bullet.... Billy Monroe Jones, 34, was identified as the accused gunman and taken into custody shortly before noon, nearly five hours after the shooting at Jones' home east of Hackett, near the Oklahoma border"We have limited information as to why this has happened," Hollenbeck said, adding that investigators are "looking into" the possibility that this was a planned attack. [Sebastian County Sheriff Bill ] Hollenbeck said Jones had gone to his father's house earlier Wednesday to take some tools. At some point, Jones pointed a gun at his father, who called 911. The sheriff added that Jones was due to appear in court today for a hearing on whether a previous suspended sentence should be revoked. "Jones wanted to cause what was told to us as a 'ruckus,'" Hollenbeck said. Cooper and Spells were among officers who found Jones with a rifle and body armor when they went to his home.

Baltimore officials, Justice Department promise sweeping overhaul of city police
Washington Post - Baltimore’s top law enforcement and political leaders on Wednesday vowed a sweeping overhaul of the city Police Department after a searing rebuke of the agency’s practices, which the Justice Department said regularly discriminated against black residents in poor communities. Officials promised improved community relations, a purge of race-based policing and a modernized department that better trains officers and holds them accountable. But they warned that reforming an agency entrenched in a culture of unconstitutional policing would be a slow process and could cost millions of dollars.

Ten Year Study Finds Nearly 7,000 People Died in Texas Jails and Police Custody
Activist Post - A new report on Texas in-custody deaths, released by the Texas Justice Initiative, showed that nearly 7,000 inmates died between 2005 and 2015. The study compiled data reported by law enforcement and jail officials. It looked at totals by suicide, homicide, natural causes and illness. Texas has an unusually high number of in-custody deaths; unfortunately, it is not outside the norm nationally…. Texas averaged over 623 deaths per day over the ten-year period. The number of in-custody deaths peaked in 2015, when there were 683 deaths. The number of pre-booking deaths – meaning between the time the person is arrested and when they are checked into jail – rose by 84%.

Election News

'He is the founder of ISIS, okay?' Now Trump repeatedly claims Obama deserves credit for creating the terror army and calls Hillary its 'co-founder' - as he deploys an array of new signs in Florida
The Daily Mail - Donald Trump claimed Wednesday night during a raucous south Florida campaign rally that President Barack Obama and his first secretary of state Hillary Clinton were the 'founder' and 'co-founder' of the ISIS terror army.
His stunning claim came at the end of a pointed lecture recounting the conditions that led the regional militant group called al-Qaeda in Iraq to grow its ambitions – and blaming the president for creating the power vacuum that terrorists rushed in to fill.

House Speaker Paul Ryan Wins His Primary
Breitbart - The Associated Press called the race at around 8:30 p.m. — just half an hour after the polls closed. With 28.4 percent reporting, Ryan was leading 85 percent to Nehlen’s 15 percent. Nehlen was expected to lose the race against Ryan but experienced a surge of interest after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump praised the long-shot candidate. The final point margin between the two candidates remains unclear. Nehlen’s campaign gathered interest around the nation for his anti-globalist, anti-establishment message, similar to that of Donald Trump. Trump, however, endorsed Ryan last Friday to signal party unity.

Photo: Hillary Clinton Propped Up by Man to Keep From Falling Over While Making Campaign Speech
The Gateway Pundit - A photo from April shows now-Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton being firmly held up by a man on her right side to keep her from falling over as she addressed an overflow crowd during a campaign stop in Los Angeles, while a man on her left side is seen urgently extending his arm to aid in propping up Clinton. The man holding Clinton up has one hand clasping her right hand and his other hand grasping her bicep. Clinton is leaning forward speaking to the crowd using a microphone held in her left hand…. Another photo taken by Ralston from the same perspective shows Clinton was standing on a large, square concrete platform meant for sitting that was wide enough to hold several standing people. Clinton is seen standing alone and unaided in that photo. It is not clear what made Clinton lose her balance such that two men had to rush to keep her from falling down.

Fresh Off His Campaign to Make Socialism Great Again, Bernie Sanders Buys $600,000 Summer House
Independent Journal Review - After losing to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders is back to his day job as a US Senator for Vermont. Sanders campaigned against the 1%, promising to bring America closer to his Democratic Socialist ideal and to take corporations and rich people down a peg or two. But now that his campaign is over, he’s picking up a sweet new pad. According to Seven Days, a news publication in Vermont, the Democratic Socialist from Vermont shelled out 600 grand for a lake house.... Sanders’ new waterfront crib has four bedrooms and 500 feet of Lake Champlain beachfront on the east side of the island — facing Vermont, not New York. The Bern will keep his home in Burlington and use the new camp seasonally.... Congrats to Senator Sanders. The lake house looks lovely, especially as a third home.

Veteran News

Detroit VA Hospital Spent $300,000 On Never-Used Televisions
The New American - A new report from the Detroit Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general (IG) reveals that the Detroit VA hospital spent over $300,000 on televisions that were ultimately placed in storage and never used. This is just one of many revelations related to the VA’s abuse of funds that have been exposed following the initial VA scandal…. The IG’s August 9 report substantiates the allegation and finds that the televisions were purchased simply because funds were “available.” Furthermore, the warranties have all now lapsed. The televisions were to be used for a new patient area that had not even been built at the time — and indeed, has still not been built. Further, the IG learned that the wrong TVs were ordered. Though the contractor and officials at the VA agreed to have Ethernet hookups in the patient area, the VA ordered TVs with cable hook-ups instead…. Rather than returning the TVs, officials at the VA decided to pay the contractors to install cable. The IG stated, “The TVs and related accessories should have been purchased closer to the award date of the construction contract…. Despite claims by VA facilities that they do not have the necessary funding to provide appropriate care for their patients, this report’s findings accentuate that the real problem is a brazen indifference toward the use of taxpayer dollars that could be better spent elsewhere. And the 300 televisions are just one example.

Economy & Business

20 Months, 90 Bankruptcies In North-American Oil & Gas
OilPrice.com - A report published earlier this month by Haynes and Boone found that ninety gas and oil producers in the United States (US) and Canada have filed for bankruptcy from 3 January, 2015 to 1 August, 2016. Approximately US$66.5 billion in aggregate debt has been declared in dozens of bankruptcy cases including Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 15, based on the analysis from the international corporate law firm. Texas leads the number of bankruptcy filings with 44 during the time period measured by Haynes and Boone, and also has the largest number of debt declared in courts with around US$29.5 billion. Forty-two energy companies filed bankruptcy in 2015 and declared approximately US$17.85 billion in defaulted debt. The costliest bankruptcy filing last year occurred in September when Samson Resources filed for Chapter 11 protection with an accumulated debt of roughly US$4.2 billion…. The main factors behind the rise in bankruptcies is the fall in the price of oil, hurting companies that over expanded with cheap debt. Haynes and Boone researchers expect the number to bankruptcies to keep increasing in the months ahead due to the low price of oil.The main factors behind the rise in bankruptcies is the fall in the price of oil, hurting companies that over expanded with cheap debt. Haynes and Boone researchers expect the number to bankruptcies to keep increasing in the months ahead due to the low price of oil.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Just "Revised" Away Obama's "Fastest" Wage Growth Since The Crisis
Zero Hedge - Back February 2016, Obama took to the stage at a press conference to boast about job growth and "most importantly" how the stronger job market was "finally starting to translate into bigger paychecks." He also took the opportunity to jab at Republicans saying the strong jobs data was "inconvenient for Republican stump speeches" as they continued their "doom and despair tour.".... In yet another stunning tribute to the "accuracy" and "consistency" of economic data being reported by our government agencies, the Bureau of Labor Statistics yesterday reported a massive downward revision of the 1Q 2016 YoY [Year over Year] real wage growth from +4.2% to -0.4% (a 4.6% swing). But we wouldn't worry much about it because the revisions resulted in only "small" changes in the underlying data according to the BLS.... Revisions to manufacturing wages and durable manufacturing wages were even worse. Real manufacturing YoY wage growth was revised from +2.8% to -4.3% (a 7.1% swing) while real durable manufacturing YoY wage growth was revised from +1.9% to -5.6% (a 7.5% swing).... Adding to the "inconvenience," 2Q 2016 real wage growth didn't look much better declining -1.1% QoQ [Quarter over Quarter].

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Farmer Forced By USDA Board To Dump Cherry Crop On Ground
Off the Grid News - The Michigan farmer, Marc Santucci, posted a picture to Facebook July 26 showing thousands of cherries on the ground, hours from rotting, because of an order from a board that is overseen by the US Department of Agriculture. He said he was forced to dump 14 percent of his crop, and other farmers as much as 30 percent…. “These cherries are beautiful,” Santucci wrote on his Facebook page. “But, we have to dump 14 percent of our tart cherry crop on the ground to rot. Why? So we can allow the import of 200 million pounds of cherries from overseas! It just doesn’t seem right.” At issue is something called the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (CIAB), which determines the percentage of cherry crops that can be placed in the market. The board’s order has the force of law, and farmers are prohibited from selling more than the percentage that is set…. Supporters of the board say the rules keep prices stable…. “Last year the cherry farmer received between $.32 and $.37 for a pound of cherries,” Santucci wrote. “This year it looks like it will be between $.16 and $.20 of the cherries we are allowed to sell. How stable does that look? And assuming next year we have a normal harvest, the situation will not get any better. “The reality is that as long as imports are allowed to come into the market freely any attempt to support prices above the cost of the foreign producer will be futile,” he added.

Illegal spraying of Monsanto's new glyphosate-dicamba cocktail is destroying crops on neighboring farms
(NaturalNews) Farmers throughout the Midwest are having to battle a new pest that's not a weed or an insect, but an illegal chemical manufactured by the Monsanto Company as a pairing for "2 Xtend," the next generation of genetically-modified organism (GMO) that requires even more and harsher chemicals than first generation Roundup Ready crops. Known as dicamba, the new chemical hasn't been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use with glyphosate on Monsanto's Roundup Ready 2.0 seeds. But because the multinational corporation has already begun selling 2 Xtend seeds to farmers, some of them are bootlegging older versions of dicamba to keep their crops in check, and many of their neighbors are suffering as a result. That's because the type of dicamba farmers are mixing with glyphosate to try to match the glyphosate-dicamba cocktail that Monsanto hopes to eventually release, pending EPA approval, is a heavy drifter, meaning it easily spreads to nearby crop fields. Monsanto claims that its patented formula doesn't do this, but the old one does, and it's wreaking havoc all over the place. More than 100 complaints have been filed thus far by farmers in both Missouri and Arkansas, claiming that dicamba drift from nearby farms is destroying their crops. Dicamba is an ultra-potent herbicide, and unless a crop has been genetically-engineered to resist it, it kills almost anything with which it comes into contact.

350,000 People Call on Gov. Brown to Stop Irrigating Crops With Oil Wastewater
EcoWatch -The wastewater, sold by Chevron and California Resources Corporation, is now being used to irrigate more than 90,000 acres in the Cawelo Irrigation District and the North Kern Water Management District and is slated to expand in the near future to other districts. The group, which included Assemblymember Mike Gatto, UCSF nurse practitioner Lisa Hartmayer, Center for Biological Diversity scientist John Fleming and California consumers, delivered a petition with more than 350,000 signatures, gathered around the state and nation, calling for an immediate halt to the practice. California produces almost half of the fruits, nuts and vegetables that feed the U.S. and more than 100 farms in the Central Valley use oil wastewater for irrigation. Some of the U.S.' most popular brands grow food in the Cawelo and North Kern water districts, including Trinchero Family Estates (makers of Sutter Home wines), Halos Mandarins (formerly known as Cuties) and The Wine Group (makers of Cupcake and Fish Eye wines)…. Some of the chemicals used in oil operations are linked to cancer, kidney failure, reproductive issues and liver damage. No comprehensive and independent analysis has been conducted to assess the safety of the wastewater. Oil-industry wastewater can contain high levels of benzene and other cancer-causing chemicals. State oil officials' own study detected benzene levels in oil wastewater at thousands of times the federal limits for drinking water.

Health

New Study: Sandalwood has DNA-destroying abilities against breast cancer
(NaturalHealth365) Research published just a few months ago points to how sandalwood heals breast cancer cells at the deepest level. The research is stunning… In the published report, the researchers named three proteins in particular – Ku70, Ku80, EPHX1, and 14-3-3 – as producing “single and double strand breaks” in the MCF-7 breast cancer cells. This was the first study to claim that sandalwood has not only “cytotoxic” effects, but also a “genotoxic” effects as well and the first to name the specific molecular pathways through which this genotoxicity could be expressed…. Although the University of Texas study is considered groundbreaking, it is actually not the first to point to the unique way sandalwood effects cancer. The study dovetails on a previous project that occurred at the University of Oklahoma in 2014 which compared the different ways that sandalwood and frankincense oils affected human bladder cancer cells. The U of O researchers acknowledged that both were potent against cancer in general, but in drastically different ways…. “While frankincense essential oil elicited selective cancer cell death via … oxidative stress, sandalwood essential oil induced non-selective cell death via DNA damage and cell cycle arrest.”

The Benefits of Organic Hemp Milk and How to Make Your Own
Natural News Blogs - There is a reason why so many health nuts are going – well, nutty – over hemp milk. The number of nutrients and other healthful compounds in a single glass is amazing. This dairy alternative will provide the body with: Vitamins like Vitamin A, E, B-12, folate and riboflavinMinerals like calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron and zincAll 10 essential amino acidsProtein (4 grams per serving)Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids Being this nutrient-rich, it is no wonder that hemp milk provides so many health benefits as well! Because of these nutrients, hemp milk can help to strengthen the body’s immune system, develop glowing skin as well as strong and healthy hair and nails, a healthy heart and sharper cognitive skills, including learning and memory…. Ingredients : 1 cup shelled organic hemp seeds, 5-6 cups purified water [and] raw organic honey to taste. Directions: Add shelled seeds and the water to a blender and process together until smooth. It is okay to use more or less water than the amount given, depending on the desired texture: more water will make the drink lighter, while less will give it a smoother and creamier taste. After this is done, add the honey to taste and process again. Decant into a pitcher and refrigerate. This will keep up to 3 days.

Pet News

Be Aware: This Popular Landscape Plant Can Kill Pets in Minutes
Dr. Becker - Many pet parents don't realize how deadly the oleander plant can be if ingested by humans, dogs, cats, birds, horses, cows, and other animals…. The common oleander (Nerium oleander) and the yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) belong to the dogbane family of plants. The common oleander (which I'll refer to hereafter as simply the oleander) is the prevalent species in the U.S., and is found primarily in warm regions of the south and southwest, California, and Hawaii…. Every part of the oleander plant, including the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruit, sap and nectar, contains naturally-occurring cardiac glycosides, which are toxins that directly affect the electrolyte balance within the heart muscle. Even water in which oleander leaves are floating contains these toxins. The roots and stems of the plant contain the highest amount of cardiac glycosides, followed by the leaves and flowers…. Other plants known to contain glycosides include dogbane, giant milkweed, foxglove (from which the human drug digoxin is extracted), kalanchoe, lily of the valley, milkweed, and Star of Bethlehem…. If you happen to live in Texas, Arizona, Nevada, or California, where oleander grows wild and is also a popular landscape plant, you should watch off-leash pets carefully. One of my clients who runs an animal shelter in Austin tells me she keeps very high potency homeopathic Nux vomica on hand, which has proven to be very beneficial in cases of oleander poisoning. She gives the remedy immediately — usually en route to the emergency animal hospital.

Signs Your Pet May Be Dehydrated
Dr. Becker - One of the simplest ways to determine if your pet needs to drink more water is to lift some skin at the back of her neck, then let it go. In a well-hydrated animal, the skin will quickly fall back into place. If your pet is dehydrated, however, the skin will fall slower and may stay in a tent formation. You can also check your pet’s gums; they should be moist and slick. If your pet’s gums are dry or sticky, she probably needs more water. Also, if you press on your pet’s gums, they should turn white and then quickly turn back to pink when you remove your finger. If the gums take awhile to regain their pink color, your pet may be dehydrated. Other signs of dehydration include: Fatigue, Loss of appetite. Panting (dogs), Sunken or dry eyes, dry nose and gums, Constipation. Signs of severe dehydration include weakness and difficulty walking. If your pet is severely dehydrated, get to an emergency veterinary center right away, as your pet will need to be given fluids intravenously or subcutaneously.
 



Wednesday - August 10, 2016 - Today In History:

1821 - Missouri became the 24th state to join the Union.
1846 - The Smithsonian Institution was chartered by the U.S. Congress. The "Nation's Attic" was made possible by $500,000 given by scientist Joseph Smithson.
1859 - In Boston, MA, the first milk inspectors were appointed.
1881 - Thomas Edison's exhibit opened the Paris Electrical Exhibition.
1885 - The first electric streetcar, to be used commercially, was operated in Baltimore, MD, by Leo Daft.
1914 - Austria-Hungary invaded Russia.
1921 - Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio.
1927 - Mount Rushmore was formally dedicated. The individual faces of the presidents were dedicated later.
1944 - U.S. forces defeated the remaining Japanese resistance on Guam.
1945 - The day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan announced they would surrender. The only condition was that the status of Emperor Hirohito would remain unchanged.
1949 - In the U.S., the National Military Establishment had its name changed to the Department of Defense.
1954 - Construction began on the St. Lawrence Seaway.
1988 - U.S. President Reagan signed a measure that provided $20,000 payments to Japanese-Americans who were interned by the U.S. government during World War II.
1993 - A massive deficit-reduction bill was signed into law by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
1994 - U.S. President Clinton claimed presidential immunity when he asked a federal judge to dismiss, at least for the time being, a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Corbin Jones.
1995 - Norma McCorvey, "Jane Roe" of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, announced that she had joined the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue.

World News

US sends $50mn worth of weapons to Lebanon as aid against terrorism
RT - The US has delivered a new shipment of weapons and military equipment to Lebanon in an attempt to bolster the Middle Eastern nation in countering extremists and militant groups from neighboring war-torn Syria. The shipment provided to the Lebanese army by the US includes 50 armored vehicles, 40 artillery pieces, and 50 grenade launchers. This new $50 million package brings US military aid to Lebanon to $220 million this year, Reuters reports, citing the US ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard. The US handed three military helicopters over to the Lebanese army in March, while the UK promised to provide training for Lebanon’s Land Border Regiments. The UK is to spend $30 million to train Lebanese troops in special “urban counterterrorism” techniques over three years. In the meantime, Saudi Arabia, a traditional financial supporter of Lebanon, has announced that it is suspending a $3 billion aid package for Lebanese security forces because of what it called Beirut’s failure to condemn attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in January. The move has raised concerns in the US, prompting it to discuss the issue with the Saudis in early March.

U.S. Approves $1.15 Billion Sale of Tanks, Other Equipment to Saudi Arabia
Reuters - The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment, worth about $1.15 billion, to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The approval for land force equipment comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition in support of Yemeni forces loyal to the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who are trying to oust Iran-allied Houthi forces from the capital, Sanaa. The coalition’s air strikes have come under criticism from rights groups for the deaths of civilians. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, said that General Dynamics will be the principal contractor for the sale, adding it would contribute to U.S. national security by improving the security of a regional partner. “This sale will increase the Royal Saudi Land Force’s (RSLF) interoperability with U.S. forces and conveys U.S. commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and armed forces modernization,” the agency said in a notice to lawmakers posted on its website.

Hungarian Voters Get Wage Increases By Blocking Arab Migration
Breitbart - Broad public opposition in Hungary to Arab migration is boosting Hungarians’ take-home wages because employers are facing a shortage of workers amid good economic growth. With no migration, and “with unemployment at a record low … [Hungarians’] average monthly salaries after taxes rose 8.4 percent in January-May compared with last year,” according to Bloomberg‘s coverage of the small country, which is wedged between Serbia and Austria in southeastern Europe. More pay increases are pending…. That’s a huge contrast from the United States, where both political parties support immigration policies that annually import roughly one new foreign worker for every two Americans who turn 18. That yearly flood of extra workers lowers Americans’ lifetime wages — while also raising profits for corporate donors.

Suicide bomber kills at least 70 at Pakistan hospital, ISIS claims responsibility
Reuters - A suicide bomber in Pakistan killed at least 70 people and wounded more than 100 on Monday in an attack on mourners gathered at a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta, and Islamic State claimed responsibility. The bomber struck as a crowd of mostly lawyers and journalists crammed into the emergency department to accompany the body of a prominent lawyer who had been shot and killed in the city earlier in the day, Faridullah, a reporter who was among the wounded, told Reuters. Abdul Rehman Miankhel, a senior official at the government-run Civil Hospital, where the explosion occurred, told reporters that at least 70 people had been killed, with more than 112 wounded.

Germany's Migrant Rape Crisis Spirals Out Of Control
Gatestone Institute - Sexual violence in Germany has reached epidemic proportions since Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed into the country more than one million mostly male migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East…. Germany's migrant rape crisis has now spread to cities and towns in all 16 of Germany's federal states. Germany is effectively under siege; public spaces are becoming increasingly perilous. Police have warned about a potential breakdown of public order this summer, when young male migrants are likely to see women lightly dressed. During the month of July 2016, hundreds of German women and children were sexually assaulted by migrants (see Appendix below). The youngest victim was nine; the oldest, 79. Attacks occurred at beaches, bike trails, cemeteries, discotheques, grocery stores, music festivals, parking garages, playgrounds, schools, shopping malls, taxis, public transportation (buses, trams, intercity express trains and subways), public parks, public squares, public swimming pools and public restrooms. Predators are lurking everywhere; safety nowhere.

Zika Virus News

Texas Confirms Its First Zika Fatality
Breitbart - The State of Texas confirmed its first Zika-related fatality in Harris County, shortly after an infant was born whose mother recently traveled to Latin America. This marks the second death in the United States…. Harris County Public Health (HCPH) officials stated the baby girl died shortly after being born. The baby tested positive for the virus and exhibited Zika-linked birth defects including microcephaly, the condition where babies are born with small heads and deformed brains.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Obama’s Offering of Largest Military Aid Package Ever Is Not Enough for Israel
Sputnik News - Last week, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford met with his Israeli counterpart at the Pentagon to discuss the new multi-billion-dollar military assistance package currently in negotiation between the Obama and Netanyahu administrations. The package, proposed by the White House, calls for an unprecedented $40 billion in military aid over the next ten years, the single largest appropriation of foreign financial aid in world history, and significantly higher than the previous $30-billion agreement signed 10 years ago. The Netanyahu Administration remains adamant that they will hold out for the best possible deal in light of geopolitical developments in Turkey and Syria that have resulted in a winnowing of America’s regional allies and its subsequent ability to project influence into the Middle East. The Israeli PM expressed unwillingness earlier in the year to accept anything less than $50 billion over the next ten years.

Missile Defense Program Accused of Wasting $40 Billion
AllGov - The development of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense missile system began in 2002 with an initial goal of operational capability by late 2004. Today, the system has a pitiful test record and no demonstrated ability to stop an incoming missile. Ultimately, the taxpayer funded program has resulted in an excessive expenditure with no recorded operational capacity. Fifteen years and $40 billion later, we are left with an unreliable anti-ballistic missile system and a gaping hole in our pockets.

Two Benghazi Parents Sue Hillary Clinton for Wrongful Death, Defamation
NBC News - The parents of two Americans killed in the 2012 terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court Monday against Hillary Clinton. In the suit, Patricia Smith and Charles Woods, the parents of Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, claim that Clinton's use of a private e-mail server contributed to the attacks. They also accuse her of defaming them in public statements. Smith was an information management officer and Woods was a security officer, both stationed in Benghazi.

Creative Masterminds Behind ‘Batman,’ ‘The Hulk,’ and ‘Suicide Squad’ Join Forces with ‘Clinton Cash’ for Graphic Novel
Breitbart - Inspired by Schweizer’s New York Times bestseller Clinton Cash, Clinton Cash: A Graphic Novel—adapted by Chuck Dixon and Brett R. Smith—retells in high-definition detail how Bill and Hillary Clinton auctioned U.S. policies to foreign companies and Clinton Foundation donors in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars in donations and public speaking fees. Comic book legend Chuck Dixon said he was attracted to the Clinton Cash project because of the book’s important investigative revelations. “[Clinton Cash] was a story that needed to be told, and I thought I could bring my talents to bear to reach a larger audience in new media,” Dixon told SiriusXM host Stephen K. Bannon on Friday.

Election News

Donald Trump 'dangerous' say 50 Republican major US national security figures
The Telegraph - Fifty senior US Republican national security officials have said Donald Trump would be "the most reckless president in American history" as the billionaire's opponents within the party launched a former CIA officer as an alternative candidate. In a letter to the New York Times a group including people who served in George W Bush's cabinet, said Mr. Trump lacked the "character, values and experience" needed for the White House and would "put at risk our country’s national security and well-being."

Trump Blasts RINOs who Attacked Him: ‘They are the ones who allowed rise of ISIS’
Adan Salazar - Former national security officials, including desperate remnants of the George W. Bush administration, wrote a letter opposing a Trump presidency, declaring, “None of us will vote for Donald Trump.” “From a foreign policy perspective, Donald Trump is not qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief,” the letter reads. “Indeed, we are convinced that he would be a dangerous President and would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being.” “We are convinced that in the Oval Office, he would be the most reckless President in American history.” Rather than attacking them outright, the Trump campaign instead thanked the 50 Republicans for coming out of the woodworks and exposing themselves to the American people. “The names on this letter are the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess, and we thank them for coming forward so everyone in the country knows who deserves the blame for making the world such a dangerous place,” the Trump camp responded. “They are nothing more than the failed Washington elite looking to hold onto their power, and it’s time they are held accountable for their actions.”

Fed and State Raid on Union IBEW & Hillary Campaign Office (Video)
The Political Insider - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have sized a massive truckload of financial records from a large Philadelphia-area labor union which supports Hillary Clinton. As the video shows (below) the entire raid was conducted in front of their large “Hillary for President” campaign sign for the 2016 presidential election. It appears the suspects in question have close ties to Hillary Clinton: Video of the raid posted to YouTube shows FBI agents carrying the boxes from the front door of the union hall, right below a huge “Hillary for President” sign. The national IBEW union endorsed Clinton’s presidential bid in June. According to NBC Philadelphia’s report, the raids also targeted “two rowhouses, a pub, … and the political offices of a City Councilman.” A common link for all the search sites became clear immediately: the city’s most influential labor union, IBEW Local 98, and its powerful leader known by the moniker Johnny Doc. The FBI confirmed by mid-morning that the searches and subsequent seizures of enough boxes to fill an actual rental truck were part of an “ongoing investigation,” apparently into the Philadelphia local for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. John Dougherty, who played a major role in getting Mayor Jim Kenney elected last year and at the same time helped his brother Kevin win a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, paced outside his home as agents searched inside. Dougherty and Kenney both attended “a very private meeting with Secretary Clinton” in April, Dougherty said in a statement at the time. “We talked with Ms. Clinton for 20 minutes about her support of Pre-Apprenticeship Programs, diversity in the workforce, and Project Labor Agreements,” he revealed. “It was a quick but great meeting and we appreciated Secretary Clinton’s time and attention to our issues.”

Orlando Terrorist’s Father Cheers at Hillary Clinton Rally; Calls For Gun Control
Breitbart - Seddique Mateen, the father of the Orlando nightclub shooter, attended a Hillary Clinton rally in Kissimmee, Florida, placing himself prominently behind the presidential candidate as she spoke to supporters…. When reporters asked Mateen why he supported Clinton, he replied, “Hillary Clinton is good for United States versus Donald Trump, who has no solutions. He showed reporters a sign he made in support of Clinton, calling for more gun control laws.
* Related: Adviser to Pro-Hillary Super PAC: Campaign Needs To Disavow Mateen and ‘Fire the Advance Person’

Media Photoshops Hillary Crowd to Make Her Audience Look Bigger
Paul Joseph Watson - A tweet entitled ‘WATCH LIVE: Clinton holds Fla. rally after major Trump speech’ was illustrated by a picture of Hillary giving a speech surrounded by a large crowd of people. However, the image is obviously a mock up, with groups of people layered into the shot. The real crowd at the event looked somewhat less sizeable and a lot less enthusiastic. “A couple of hundred people showed up [door count puts the number at 171] within a St. Petersburg venue capable of holding in excess of 4,000 without seating,” points out the Conservative Treehouse. The media’s apparent effort to artificially inflate the size of Hillary’s crowds is noteworthy given that Donald Trump has consistently accused the press of refusing to show the huge attendances at his own rallies, as seen in the footage below.

Economy & Business

Social Security’s looming $32 trillion shortfall
CNBC News - A projection, known as the "infinite horizon," takes into account all the program's future liabilities, even those beyond the 75-year period that Social Security actuaries typically use in their calculations. Under the infinite horizon, Social Security will have $32.1 trillion in unfunded liabilities by 2090, $6.3 trillion more than last year's projection. The infinite horizon calculation is the most important part of the trustees' annual report, said Laurence Kotlikoff, a Boston University economics professor and co-author of "Get What's Yours," a best-seller about how to maximize claiming Social Security retirement benefits. "We're not broke in 20 years to 30 years, we're broke now," Kotlikoff said. "All the bills have been kept off the books by Congress and presidential administrations for six decades."

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Genetically engineered coconuts now invading U.S.
(NaturalNews) Biotechnology firms have already begun to work their evil in laboratories to create agronomic traits for coconuts so that they are resistant to insect pests, particularly the larvae of moths and butterflies. Right now, in Vietnam, genetically modified coconuts are being rolled out to change the characteristics of the composition of the fatty acids (the oil). Not only are field trials underway, but somehow, GM coconuts have found their way into American foods, including dessert items. Research projects are claiming that the genetically mutated coconuts are limited to the laboratory and greenhouses, but that's a big lie. One dessert called flan, which is sold in America, lists the genetically modified coconut right on the label, and says the product is made in Bedford, Illinois. The product is Raymundo's Homestyle Classics Caramel Flan. The ingredients list on the front of the product lists milk, water, sugar, modified food starch, eggs, corn syrup, and "coconut produced with genetic engineering."

As Bad as Glyphosate?
ANH USA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to review pesticides and herbicides approved for use in the US every fifteen years. The agency just completed its updated environmental impact assessment of atrazine, the second most widely used herbicide. Atrazine is a chlorine-based chemical just like DDT—the once-popular insecticide—and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl). It can persist in soil for twenty-two years. Lots of evidence shows the extent to which atrazine is contaminating our food supply, which is little surprise given that as much as 70 million pounds of the stuff is used by farmers each year, mostly on corn. In its 500-page draft report, the EPA found that atrazine, which is produced by biotech giant Syngenta, can be dangerous to animals and fish—and leaves behind a troubling amount of residue. According to the report, atrazine exceeds the agency’s “levels of concern” for chronic risks to animals and fish by 198 times and 62 times, respectively. Despite the length of the report, the EPA found it convenient to omit all discussion of atrazine’s risk to humans, promising to return to that subject in the future.

US Department of Monsanto (a.k.a. USDA)
ANH USA - We think of Monsanto and other companies as developers and promoters of GMOs. But thanks to passage of the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986, as well as President Reagan’s Executive Order #12591—“Facilitating Access to Science and Technology”—the USDA is also directly in the business of developing, patenting, and promoting biotechnology inventions. The difference is that the USDA slips the patents, developed from government research and paid for by US taxpayers, into the hands of private companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta. You read that right. According to the USDA’s own Agricultural Research Service (ARS), about sixty new patents are issued for USDA inventions each year. These patents are then transferred through licenses to the private sector—mostly to biotech companies. ARS has released more than 400 new crop germplasm lines since 2000, and the USDA spends about $220 million taxpayer dollars on biotechnology research each year. A cursory search through the recent inventions of the USDA reveals nearly two dozen inventions in the “plant genes” and “crop protection” categories. These patents range from the use of RNA interference to control gypsy moth populations, to genetically altered citrus plants that protect the plant from citrus greening and citrus canker. The USDA’s research into plant genes includes isolating genes in peach, plum, almond, and apricot trees that can be manipulated to affect tree shape with “desired branch angles.” Another patent uses double-stranded RNA constructs to inhibit the expression of certain proteins and kill aphids. There are many more such examples.

Health

Consumer Reports Joins Pharma Campaign Against Dietary Supplements
Dr. Mercola - Consumer Reports article claims dietary supplements put your health at risk simply because they’re not regulated as drugs. The article contains the same talking points and is supported by the same “experts” as other hit pieces against supplements, making it obvious that it is part and parcel of the pro-pharma campaign to eliminate supplements. Data shows that adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs are 62,000 times more likely to kill you than food supplements.

Key studies cited to 'prove' vaccines are safe were funded almost entirely by vaccine manufacturers
(NaturalNews) In this critical review of the scientific literature on vaccines, ANH-USA and Brian Hooker carefully scrutinize the gross scientific flaws and blatant financial conflicts of interests that undermine the most commonly cited scientific studies which "prove" vaccines don't cause autism. In a startling percentage of these studies, the "scientists" were either directly funded by vaccine manufacturers who stood to profit from vaccine safety whitewashing or served as highly paid expert witnesses to defend vaccine makers against lawsuits. What we really see in this critical review is a systemic pattern of scientific fraud, criminal corruption and the complete abandonment of research ethics in the relentless quest to "prove" vaccines are safe (and thereby sell more of them to more vaccine victims).

Here is Why You Should Take a Ginger Shot a Few Minutes Prior to Eating
Living Traditionally - A “ginger shot” or ginger elixir is a fantastic digestive system aid. Simply take about one ounce (a shot) of this Aryurvedic formula a few minutes prior to eating. The lemon/ginger combination delivers quite a punch which is perfectly tempered by the raw honey used in the formulation. This addictive elixir has components which both warm and sooth the stomach as well as stimulate the release of gastric juices…. [Ingredients:] Five lemons, 3 pieces of ginger root, 1/4 cup of raw organic honey, 1/4 teaspoonful of Black pepper, 1 cup of purified water [and a] Juicer for the ginger.
 



Tuesday - August 9, 2016 - Today In History:

1790 - The Columbia returned to Boston Harbor after a three-year voyage. It was the first ship to carry the American flag around the world.
1831 - The first steam locomotive began its first trip between Schenectady and Albany, NY.
1848 - Martin Van Buren was nominated for president by the Free-Soil Party in Buffalo, NY.
1944 - The Forest Service and Wartime Advertising Council created "Smokey the Bear."
1945 - The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The bombing came three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. About 74,000 people were killed. Japan surrendered August 14.
1945 - The first network television broadcast occurred in Washington, DC. The program announced the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan.
1973 - The U.S. Senate committee investigating the Watergate affair filed suit against President Richard Nixon.
1974 - U.S. President Richard Nixon formally resigned. Gerald R. Ford took his place, and became the 38th president of the U.S.
1975 - The New Orleans Superdome (which cost $163 million) opened when the Saints played the Houston Oilers in exhibition football.
1985 - Arthur J. Walker, a retired Navy officer, was found guilty of seven counts of spying for the Soviet Union.
1996 - Boris Yeltsin was sworn in as president of Russia for the second time.
1999 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin fired Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin and his entire cabinet for the fourth time in 17 months.
2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush announced he would support federal funding for limited medical research on embryonic stem cells.
2004 - Terry Nichols was sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences on state murder charges in the Oklahoma City bombing.
2010 - Former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, 86, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate, was killed in a plane crash in southwestern Alaska.

World News

Suicide bombing at Pakistani hospital in Quetta kills 63
Washington Times - A suicide bomber killed at least 63 people and wounded dozens in an attack that struck a gathering of Pakistani lawyers on the grounds of a government-run hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta on Monday, police and doctors said.... Nearly 100 lawyers had come to the hospital in the heart of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, after the body of their colleague, prominent attorney Bilal Kasi was brought there. Kasi, the chief of the province’s bar association, was shot and killed by gunmen earlier on Monday as he was on his way to his office. The lawyers gathered at the Quetta Civil Hospital to express their grief as is common with public figures.... Quetta and the rest of Baluchistan province have long been hit by insurgency. There are several ethnic Baluch separatist groups operating in the resource-rich province, but al-Qaida and other militant groups also have a presence here.

American, Australian kidnapped in Afghan capital: officials
Reuters - Afghan authorities are searching for an Australian and an American who were kidnapped by gunmen in the capital, Kabul, officials said on Monday. The pair, believed to be affiliated with a Kabul university, was taken by four or five gunmen from a nearby road late on Sunday, said an official with the Ministry of Interior who spoke on condition of anonymity.... Kidnapping is a major problem in Afghanistan with Afghans the most affected, although a number of foreigners have also been abducted in recent years.... In June, police began advising foreigners living in the capital that they should travel with guards or avoid leaving their homes.

Google Ignites International Outrage After Wiping Palestine Off the Map, Replacing it with Israel
The Free Thought Project - Internet giant Google has come under fire from around the world this week, after removing the name Palestine from Google Maps and replacing it with Israel.... This marks a dramatic reversal of course for Google, as it was only in May 2013, that Google “recognized” Palestine by changing the text of its Palestinian homepage from “Palestinian territories,” to “Palestine”.... As of September 2015, 136 (70.5%) of the 193 member states of the United Nations and two non-member states have recognized the State of Palestine. Many of the countries that do not recognize a State of Palestine nevertheless recognize the PLO as the “representative of the Palestinian people.”

Muggings, stray bullet, gridlock mark first Olympic weekend
McClatchy - Many Olympic events were half empty, with ticket prices out of reach for many Brazilians. But those who did come to the Olympic park and other venues faced long lines to get in and wait times of two hours or more.... Leaving the venues has also proved challenging, with the main roads largely closed off to traffic and taxis because of security concerns.... Felipe Seixas, a senior federal lawman and head of security for the Opening Ceremonies at Maracana Stadium, was the target in an attempted mugging outside the stadium early Saturday in which his police escort shot and killed a would-be attacker. Also Saturday, Portuguese education minister Tiago Brandao Rodrigues was mugged in Ipanema by knife-wielding attackers.... Both events happened even as more than 85,000 soldiers and police have been dispatched to Rio to provide security for the Games.... The most serious incident of the weekend was confirmed at a news conference Sunday.... a bullet tore through the roof of the Olympic equestrian center’s media room.... Rio Olympic spokesman Mario Andrada at first quickly dismissed the incident as a stray bullet and not an attack on the center, but did not say how that was determined.

Refugee team welcomed but Olympics displace 77,000 people in Rio
RT - The Rio 2016 Games are the first to have a team of refugees compete, in recognition of the 60 million refugees around the world. Athletes from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were chosen to represent the refugee team, which has been handed a group of coaches and support staff to help them during the Games.... Although the Olympics may offer a handful of refugees a temporary home in Brazil, the event itself has directly forced around 77,000 Brazilian natives from their homes to make way for infrastructure. As was the case in the football World Cup in 2014, protesters opposed the hosting of a major sporting event in Brazil – mainly due to the country’s dire economic situation and the social issues that ravage the nation. One of the main reasons for opposition to the 2016 Olympics has been the creation of IDPs, internally displaced persons, in Brazil. Among the worst-affected areas was the poverty-stricken Rio suburb of Vila Autodromo, where residents were forcibly removed from their homes. The infrastructure upgrade to Vila Autodromo will drive development projects including plush apartment buildings, but serves as a sardonic reminder to poor families that they have been forced out of their homes.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Bush Administration Official: Saudi Ties to 9/11 Hidden to Protect Iraq War Narrative
28Pages.org - As former State Department official Lawrence Wilkerson tells 28Pages.org, to a White House bent on selling an invasion of Iraq, compelling evidence of Saudi complicity in the attacks was an unwelcome distraction.... “They wanted to go to war with Iraq. Anything that supported al Qaeda connections with Baghdad, therefore, was good. Saudi Arabia just confused things so keep that out of it,” says Wilkerson, who served in the Bush administration as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell. “That wasn’t so much an effort to protect the Saudis, I don’t think, as it was an effort to justify the war with Iraq.”.... To Wilkerson, the 28 pages—which detail direct and indirect links from the hijackers and other al Qaeda members to various Saudi government employees and even the Saudi ambassador to the United States—point to at least some degree of Saudi government attachment to the 9/11 attack.... Regardless of how strong the evidence pointing toward Saudi Arabia, Wilkerson says Cheney effectively dampened discussion of it—even within the intelligence community that was charged with rooting out those who enabled 9/11.

Video: Camera Man Goes Inside WTC 7 Before The Second Tower Falls
Blacklisted News - Inside 7 World Trade Center Moments Before Collapse. Building 7 collapse was and still remains a mystery, as to why it even collapsed. Leave your thoughts on the mystery behind building 7 collapse, and what you think caused it to smash to the ground. This is a rare 9/11 WTC attack footage that will knock you completely out of your seat.

Pamela Geller–Undercover FBI Agent Told Garland Jihadist: ‘Tear Up Texas’
Breitbart - [Pamela Geller is the President of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), publisher of PamelaGeller.com and author] The Daily Beast recently reported that “days before an ISIS sympathizer attacked a cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, he received a text from an undercover FBI agent. ‘Tear up Texas,’ the agent messaged Elton Simpson days before he opened fire at the Draw Muhammad event, according to an affidavit (filed in federal court Thursday.”… While I do believe that undercover FBI agents have to play along with the jihadis they’re dealing with, because in order to be in an informant you have to have credibility, it’s a whole other thing if you’re encouraging and cheering on the proposed murder of Americans who are standing in defense of the freedom of speech, and then not doing anything about it.... Now we find they were in on the planning of the jihad attack, and did nothing about it. If you recall, the FBI only got around to alerting Garland police about Simpson’s jihad plans three hours before our event. It was Garland police, not the FBI, that coordinated all the super security efforts with our own security team.... They knew about the attack, yet they didn’t have a team there in case the jihadis started shooting? It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the Obama FBI wanted me and the other speakers at the event dead.... If people had died at our Garland event, the murders would have had a blood-chilling effect on the freedom of speech in America. That, in my view, appears to have been what the Obama administration wanted — and certainly that’s what the enemedia wanted in the wake of our event, as it gleefully and relentlessly blamed us for violating Sharia blasphemy laws and getting shot at.
* Related: Affidavit In Support Of An Application For A Criminal Complaint And Arrest Warrant

Audit Reveals the Pentagon Doesn't Know Where $6.5 Trillion Dollars Has Gone
Free Thought Project - A new Department of Defense Inspector General’s report, released last week.... report revealed the Pentagon couldn’t account for $6.5 trillion dollars worth of Army general fund transactions and data, according to a report by the Fiscal Times.... According to the report by the Fiscal Times: The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), the behemoth Indianapolis-based agency that provides finance and accounting services for the Pentagon’s civilian and military members, could not provide adequate documentation for $6.5 trillion worth of year-end adjustments to Army general fund transactions and data. The DFAS has the sole responsibility for paying all DOD military and personnel, retirees and annuitants, along with Pentagon contractors and vendors. The agency is also in charge of electronic government initiatives, including within the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Energy and the Departing of Veterans Affairs.”.... While many of the problems occurred due to bookkeeping errors rather than actual financial losses, the DFAS has failed to provide the necessary tracking information essential to performing an accurate audit of Pentagon spending and obligations, according to the IG’s report.

Snowden alive and well: Lawyer quashes 'dead man switch' theories
RT - After Snowden issued two mysterious tweets last week, both of which were then deleted and no further tweets sent, theories began circulating suggesting he had been kidnapped or killed. Speaking Monday, Snowden’s lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said such theories were nothing new but they were false.... Last Wednesday, the 33-year-old posted this message on Twitter: “Did you work with me? Have we talked since 2013? Please recontact me securely. It’s time." Then, on Friday, he tweeted a seemingly random 64 digit code, which some theorized was a “dead man’s switch” – a message which would automatically send if there is no activity on his account for a certain period of time so people would know something was amiss. Others have suggested that the code may have been a decryption key and the lack of activity on Twitter since is due to an upcoming WikiLeaks dump, with some thinking it may relate to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

15 cool new military weapons joining the fight
Washington Examiner - Now more than ever, the Defense Department is placing a premium on innovation.... With that in mind, here are 15 of the coolest, most cutting-edge weapons that defense firms and the Pentagon itself are developing for the near future. LITSABR: this new technology will allow sailors at sea to spot lasers before they are in the line of target. LOCUST: drones that can navigate off each other, mirroring the swarm behavior of birds, fish and insects. TERN: an unmanned aerial vehicle that can take off and land on smaller decks and in rough seas. ACTUV: DARPA christened its first "ghost ship" this year that can sail for months at a time without any crew on board Railgun: This high-speed weapon can launch projectiles at speeds greater than Mach 6 with no gun powder JAGM: a catch-all system that will replace the TOW, Hellfire and Maverick missiles. Pike: a hand-held precision missile for soldiers, is 17 inches long and weighs two pounds, small enough to fit in a gun-mounted grenade launcher HEL Photon Cannon: a "death ray on wheels," Boeing's High Energy Laser is a solid-state laser capable of destroying mortars, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Pyros: a small, lightweight air-to-ground precision weapon built to be used against insurgents. Carl Gustav: Saab M4 Carl Gustav is a multi-role, shoulder-fired weapon optimized by Saab for use in cities and can launch programmable anti-personnel, anti-tank, smoke and illumination missiles. CHAMP: a non-lethal missile that aims a microwave at a target and shuts down all electronics inside. HELLADS: a High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System... will give Air Force special operators the capability to attack more quietly than conventional weapons Phantom Eye: Boeing's latest hydrogen-fueled, high-altitude, long-range unmanned aircraft capable of staying airborne for four days at 65,000 feet SR-72: the unmanned successor to the Cold War-era SR-71. Small Diameter Bomb II: an all-weather, GPS-guided precision bomb.

'Clock Boy' Ahmed Files Lawsuit Alleging 'Discrimination' Against Texas School, City
Breitbart - The lawsuit claims Ahmed Mohamed’s rights were violated when he was arrested last year after the 14-year-old brought to school a clock device that resembled a hoax bomb.... No charges were ever filed against the teen once the situation sorted itself out, but Mohamed served three days of suspension before his family withdrew him from Irving ISD [Independent School District] and relocated to Qatar where Mohamed accepted a full scholarship to attend a Qatar Foundation school.... The suit alleges a violation of the teen’s civil rights. During the press conference, [attorney Susan] Hutchison asserted “there was no cause” for the Ahmed Mohamed’s arrest last year and accused the Irving school district of “paranoia” towards Muslims. She said the only remedy to this matter is “money” and they are “suing for justice.”.... The family has had several lawyers represent them along the way, including a west Texas personal injury attorney Kelly Hollinsgworth demanded a total of $15 million last November — $10 million from the City of Irving, and $5 million, from the Irving school district.... In June, Mohamed told news media he returned to Texas for a summer internship with Twitter, although, CBS DFW reported the family returned to visit family.

‘Pokemon Go’ Players Blamed For Damage At Historic Massachusetts Fort
CBS Boston - Caretakers of Fort Phoenix in Massachusetts say players of the popular smartphone game are damaging the historic site. Gary Lavalette, volunteer caretaker at the fort in Fairhaven, near the Rhode Island state line, says people have been leaving trash, vandalizing historic structures and publicly urinating. He told WLNE-TV that a stone wall was taken apart with a crowbar and parts of the property look like a “minefield” because people are digging up the ground.... The Fairhaven Historical Commission says hundreds of “Pokemon Go” players have been flocking to the fort, often at night, because it’s where a rare Pokemon can be found. Lavalette said that some visitors were searching for “buried treasure” at the site because they didn’t understand its history. The fort was destroyed by the British in 1778 but later rebuilt.

Election News

DHS to run elections, wants voting classified as “critical infrastructure"
MassPrivateI - According to a NY Times article, the Obama administration wants DHS to run our electronic ballot casting system. DHS wants to classify our election process as “critical infrastructure."…. According to USA Today article, DHS's secretary plays a central role in deciding what public and private sectors should receive the “critical infrastructure" designation. Critical infrastructure is defined by DHS as "sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety.”…. The president is on DHS'S Board of Directors… Think about what happened last week, Obama and his wife tried to sway American voters to vote for Hillary Clinton. Ask yourselves, what would happen, if a sitting President had access to our voting process. The President and DHS, could decide the outcome of any election.

Paul Ryan to Headline #NeverTrump Conference 3 Days After Primary
Gateway Pundit - Paul Ryan hopes to survive his primary contest against conservative businessman Paul Nehlen on Tuesday. Then on Friday he will headline the #NeverTrump Redstate Gathering in Denver, Colorado. Speaker Paul Ryan, TV host Glenn Beck, and Lyin Ted Cruz will headline the August Redstate #NeverTrump conference in Denver... Other notables speaking at the conference include #NeverTrumpers Senator Ben Sasse, Governor Nikki Haley, Carly Fiorina, Ken Cuccinelli, Katie Pavlich, Guy Benson, Hugh Hewitt and Erick Erickson are the featured speakers at the annual RedState gathering in Denver in August.... Redstate blog devotes their entire website to defeating Donald Trump in November.

Khizr Khan Bashes Trump on Pro-Taliban TV Network
Wayne Madsen - Hillary Clinton’s chief Muslim surrogate, Khizr Khan, the celebrated Gold Star father whose son, U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan was killed in Iraq in 2004, appeared recently on a pro-Taliban Pakistani television network to bash Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Khizr Khan appeared on Pakistan’s Dunya News TV network on August 4. Khan said during the interview, “Allah makes people like Trump make mistakes to discredit them in public eyes forever.” Khan held up a pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution to accuse Trump of violating it. However, by invoking the name of Allah to criticize Trump, Khan, himself, was violating the constitutional spirit of the separation of church (or mosque) and state.

Video: The Clinton Foundation is a FRAUD
By Peter Schweizer author of Clinton Cash.

Hillary's Handler Carries DIAZEPAM Pen for Patients Who Experience Recurrent Seizures!
Gateway Pundit - In a recent campaign stop in a Union Hall in front of a sparse crowd, at about the time when some liberal protesters began to protest, Hillary Clinton suddenly froze. She looked dazed and lost. Seeing this, a group of men rushed to assist the candidate on the stage. One man however gently pats the candidate’s back and then says, “Keep Talking.” An expert on Secret Service tactics told TGP Secret Service agents would not touch a candidate in the manner that this individual did and especially Hillary Clinton. It has been widely reported on Hillary’s disdain for the agents who work to protect her. The man who touches Hillary may be a member of Hillary’s close staff – but he is NOT a Secret Service agent. Now this… Mike Cernovich pointed out that Hillary’s handler carries a Diazepam pen. Diazepam auto-injector pens are used for for Acute Repetitive Seizures. Diazepam is prescribed for patients who experience recurrent seizures!.... Hillary’s handler was definitely carrying an auto-syringe at the DNC Convention on Hillary’s big night. [Photo]

CNN Bashes “Conspiratorial” Questions About Hillary’s Health
Paul Joseph Watson - CNN is attempting to dismiss questions about Hillary Clinton’s health by asserting that photos which appear to show her struggling to climb some steps are old and merely show the aftermath of her slipping. However, the news network conveniently fails to mention the fact that both federal and NYPD sources have blown the whistle on Hillary’s difficulties with balance and walking in the past. Under the headline ‘Drudge Report misleads readers with Hillary Clinton photo’, CNN’s Brian Stelter writes that news aggregator Matt Drudge is “taking a six-month-old photo out of context,” adding that Drudge was “wrong” to imply that Clinton has a hard time walking. Stelter claims that the images merely show Hillary being aided after a slip and dismisses concerns about Hillary’s health by blaming “conspiratorial corners of the conservative media” for pushing a “fringe issue”. Stelter fails to explain why it’s unreasonable to ask whether or not someone slipping as they walk up some steps is related to that person having walking difficulties. In addition, the claims of John Cardillo, a former police officer who provided VIP security detail for the NYPD, are not mentioned. Cardillo told Breitbart about two different individuals, one a federal agent and another an NYPD officer worked security at a Hillary event in New York City, who both personally witnessed Hillary’s walking difficulties.

Gun Control Doesn’t Stop Anti-Trump Shooter
Kit Daniels - The suspect, Darnell Hall, has been charged with felonious assault over the July 25 shooting in which a 60-year-old was shot in the leg for believing Donald Trump will make a good president. Hall pulled a pistol from his pants and shot the 60-year-old man in the right thigh, police said,” cleveland.com reported. “Hall then ran out the bar’s front door, jumped into a Cadillac truck and drove off, according to police.” A photo of the bar reveals the “No Guns” sign posted on the door, which didn’t stop the shooter despite reassurances from anti-Second Amendment groups that gun control works. “An analysis of mass shootings in the United States since the year 2002 shows that gun-wielding mass killers are more likely to strike where the Second Amendment right to bear arms has been supplanted by ‘gun-free zone’ ordinances, be they federal, local, or specified by the owner of the property,” Patrick Tyrrell of the Daily Signal revealed.

Trump Statue Set Ablaze on Homeowner’s Property
Adan Salazar - Staten Island resident Sam Pirozzolo had a 12-foot, custom-made capital letter “T” emblazoned with the American flag displayed on the front lawn of his Castleton Corners property as a show of his support for the GOP nominee. Early Sunday morning, the sign was reportedly set ablaze by an unknown arsonist…. The fire marshall is still investigating the cause of the fire, but Pirozzolo as well as his attorney believe a Trump hater is responsible. Pirozzolo told CBS he fears other members of his community could be targeted for exercising their First Amendment rights…. The homeowner’s attorney, Richard Luthman, says they will press charges if the offender is caught.

Veteran News

Spooked by obesity trends, the U.S. military is redefining its basic fitness standards
Military Times - For the first time in 14 years, the military is rewriting its body composition standards and the methods used to determine whether troops are too fat to serve.... The review comes amid rising concern about obesity. Among civilians, it is shrinking the pool of qualified prospective recruits. And in the active-duty force, a rising number of overweight troops poses risks to readiness and health care costs.... The current policy requires service members to maintain body fat levels below a key threshold — 26 percent for men and 36 percent for women. And for years the Pentagon has required the services to enforce that using a notoriously low-tech “tape test.”.... Today, new research and technology is available, enabling the military's health experts to reassess the value, practicality and fairness of those rules. The objective now is to identify and leverage the best, most financially feasible way to distinguish between troops who are truly unhealthy and those who have nontraditional body types but are otherwise fit.

Economy & Business

Lockheed Martin may move production of F-16 from Fort Worth to India
The Star-Telegram - The defense giant has offered India exclusive rights to produce and export F-16s, said Ken Ross, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth.... Lockheed acknowledged in February that the company had offered to build F-16s in India last year at a meeting between Lockheed’s CEO Marillyn Hewson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is looking to replace many of its air force’s 650 planes and wants to become a hub for defense manufacturing.... Work on the F-16, which has been built since the 1970s, has been winding down in Fort Worth as the program matured and attention turned to building the next-generation F-35. Several hundred workers continue to build about one F-16 a month for Iraq at the Fort Worth plant, with orders in place to last through October 2017. Over the life of the program, Lockheed has delivered more than 4,500 F-16s.... Lockheed is beginning to ramp up production of the F-35 fighter jet. The company is on track to deliver 53 F-35s this year and expects to more than double output to 120 aircraft by 2019.

Health

Acupuncture Beats Injected Morphine for Pain: Groundbreaking Study
Green Med Info - A truly groundbreaking study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine titled, “Acupuncture vs intravenous morphine in the management of acute pain in the ED,” reveals that acupuncture -- one of the oldest techniques to treat pain -- is more effective, faster in relieving pain, and with less adverse effects, than intravenous morphine…. Acupuncture happens to be one of the most extensively supported alternative modalities, with clinical trial data supporting its value in over 100 different conditions. If you do a pubmed.gov search you'll find over 6,700 published studies related to the keywords "pain" and "acupuncture."

Fat cells found to promote breast cancer growth
(NaturalHealth365) For the last 50 years, research has shown links between being overweight and having a higher risk of breast cancer. Leptin and adiponectin (substances produced by fat cells) in particular seem to increase risk, decrease the effectiveness of cancer treatment, and lead to higher death rates! Conversely, those who work toward a healthy weight through good nutritional habits and exercising regularly are able to beat cancer more effectively. The value of regular exercise to overcome cancer has been substantiated by many scientific studies…. Researchers have now discovered that fat cells are active cells that create over 400 types of hormones (adipokines) – which can easily enter the bloodstream. These fat cell hormones have been linked with breast cancer growth in obese persons; however, in lean people, a smaller amount of stored fat gives off hormones that inhibit cancer cell growth.

10 Benefits of Himalayan Salt for Health and Beauty
Natural News Blogs - Himalayan salt is distinctive and famous for its nutritional value because it consists of a large amount of essential minerals. Himalayan salt is majorly extracted from the Himalayan belt, also known as “White gold”. Often called “pink salt”, Himalayan salt contains chloride, sulfate, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, copper, zinc, and fluoride. Because the majority of minerals available in this salt exist in the colloidal form, they can easily be absorbed by the human cells. Besides, because of its rich content of minerals, Himalayan salt offers a wide range of healing and therapeutic uses for both physical and mental health. The following list introduces 10 out of benefits of Himalayan salt for health and beauty…. 1. It Helps Maintain Fluid Balance… 2. It Can Detoxify The Body… 3. It Supports The Process Of Digestive Tract Cleansing… 4. It Maintains A Balanced pH Level…

Flossing your teeth is a waste of time, health advisers admit
What Doctors Don't Tell You - The UK’s Public Health England is now reviewing the findings, and may well add its voice to the advice. The British Dental Association has already said that flossing is ineffective and a waste of time. Its scientific adviser, Prof Damien Walmsley, says: “Small inter-dental brushes are preferable for cleaning the area in between the teeth, where there is space to do so. Floss is of little value unless the spaces between your teeth are too tight for the inter-dental brushes to fit without hurting or causing harm. It’s important to tell people to do the basics. Flossing is not part of the basics.” The new announcement came about after journalists at the AP news agency asked America’s health agencies for evidence that flossing did any good. Eventually, the agencies admitted that flossing had never been properly researched, and the recommendation to floss was quietly removed from the latest health advice. And what research is out there suggests that flossing could even be doing more harm than good. Careless flossing can damage the gums and teeth, and even dislodge fillings.

Pet News

Could This Potentially Cancer-Causing Microchip Law Happen Here?
Cats & Dogs Naturally - If you adopted your dog from a shelter or rescue, he’s highly likely to have a microchip. If your dog didn’t come to you already micro-chipped, then you can choose whether to get him one or not. But in some countries, dog owners don’t have a choice. ALL dogs are required, by law, to be micro-chipped. The UK is one recent example. Many dog owners there are up in arms because, starting in April 2016, the government has mandated compulsory micro-chipping for all dogs…. You don’t microchip your dog and you’re caught? You’re up for a £500 fine (about US$665). That’s a pretty steep fine…. With the controversy about the UK legislation, there are increasing reports of pets developing fatal tumors at the microchip site – and in many cases the micro-chip is found embedded at the base of the tumor. Dogs Monthly Magazine in the UK gathered several anecdotes about pet owners who had microchips implanted without knowing the risks beforehand … and they were horrified when their animals developed cancer…. Cancer isn’t the only problem with microchips. Some vets use a local anesthetic to implant microchips – and they should. Dr Karen Becker says implantation uses a really large 12-gauge needle to implant the chips and that, no matter what you’ve been told, the procedure hurts!… There are horror stories of chips being implanted incorrectly into the spinal canal, causing paralysis or other neurological damage. Other animals have bled to death after blood vessels were punctured when the chip was implanted. A kitten died when a chip was inserted into its brain stem. So if you do decide to microchip your dog, make sure the procedure is done by an experienced veterinarian, not by a technician or even a shelter employee…. The plain truth is that microchips don’t always work and aren’t always found by the scanners.
 



Monday - August 8, 2016 - Today In History:

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena, in the South Atlantic. The remainder of his life was spent there in exile.
1900 - In Boston, the first Davis Cup series began. The U.S. team defeated Great Britain three matches to zero.
1911 - The number of representatives in the U.S. House of Rep. was established at 435. There was one member of Congress for every 211,877 residents.
1940 - The German Luftwaffe began a series of daylight air raids on Great Britain.
1945 - The United Nations Charter was signed by U.S. President Truman.
1945 - During World War II, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan.
1966 - Michael DeBakey became the first surgeon to install an artificial heart pump in a patient.
1974 - U.S. President Nixon announced that he would resign the following day.
1978 - The U.S. launched Pioneer Venus II, which carried scientific probes to study the atmosphere of Venus.
1988 - It was announced that a cease-fire between Iraq and Iran had begun.
1990 - American forces began positioning in Saudia Arabia.
1991 - John McCarthy, a British TV producer, was released by his Lebanese kidnappers. He had been held captive for more than five years. A rival group abducted Jerome Leyraud in retaliation and threatened to kill him if any more hostages were released.
1991 - The U.N. Security Council approved North and South Korea for membership.
1995 - Saddam Hussein's two eldest daughters, their husbands, and several senior army officers defected.
2005 - Iran resumed work at a uranium conversion facility after suspending activities for nine months to avoid U.N. sanctions.
2008 - The Summer Olympic Games opened in Beijing.
2008 - Former Democratic vice-presidential nominee John Edwards admitted having had an extramarital affair.

World News

Christian Charity Loses Two Top Donors After Israel Charges Director With Funding Hamas
Haaretz.com - After giving World Vision over $3.8 million dollars, Australia suspends funding to projects in the Palestinian territories; Germany freezes payments totaling $1.66 million.

Iran executes nuclear scientist accused of spying for the US
The Journal - “Shahram Amiri was hanged for revealing the country’s top secrets to the enemy,” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying by the Mizan Online news site. Amiri disappeared in Saudi Arabia in June 2009 and resurfaced a year later in the United States. Iranian officials welcomed him back to Iran but there has been little information released since. Amiri said after returning to the Islamic republic that he had been held in the US for more than a year after being “kidnapped” at gunpoint by two Farsi-speaking CIA agents in the Saudi city of Medina.... “This person, having access to confidential and highly confidential information of the regime, had established a connection to our number one enemy, America, and had provided the enemy with Iran’s confidential and vital information,” Ejeie said. “Shram Amiri was tried in accordance with law and in the presence of his lawyer. He appealed his death sentence based on judicial process. The Supreme Court… confirmed it after meticulous reviews,” he added. The spokesman dispelled a “rumour” by Amiri’s family that he had received a 10-year prison term.
* Related: Cotton: Clinton discussed executed Iranian scientist on email

Islamic (Welfare) State: ‘Belgium taxpayers paid for terrorist attack’
RT - ... most of the Syrian fighters returning to Belgium get allowances after proving that they are not able to get work. This is a general phenomenon, Gerolf Annemans, Vlaams Belang Party, told RT. Belgian investigators revealed at least five of the suspects behind the terror attacks on Paris and Brussels were receiving welfare benefits prior to the atrocities.... "People must know that Belgium is one of the most Islamised countries of Western Europe. My party especially concentrates on Jihadi fighters coming back from Syria and what they are still receiving after they’ve gone to Syria. Some of them received health care; we repaired their legs, etc. We discovered also that most of these Syrian fighters get allowances after proving that they are not able to get work. So this is a general phenomenon. Now we are very glad, because the Belgium press put this aside, never focused on it and never mentioned it.".... "First of all, we have to choose other leaders, elect other leaders; leaders that have steel teeth, and can bite and can fight against Islamization of our society, and for instance blocking the social security. It is an enormous tragedy that we are in this paradox that the Belgium taxpayers paid for this Islamic attacks.".... "These people, the people that are here, and are peaceful, and are not radicalizing, or are not promoting Muslim society on Western Europe soil, these people should get the message from our politicians, from our political regimes that they should adapt to our culture of our society. And for the rest we should close the borders that the EU opened widely."

Cashless banking best solution for black money problem: Modi
India Today - Pitching for greater cashless banking transactions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said this can be the best solution for the problem of black money [funds earned on the black market], even as he asked banks to look for ways to discourage people from investing huge amounts in gold.... He said banks in India should compete for achieving maximum cashless transactions, as this would be the "best solution" to the problem of black money.... Modi also said Indians have a good habit of savings, but these savings have diverted to gold over the time as a measure of security and banks have a challenge to look into ways to discourage huge amounts of money being kept in gold.... The government has been trying to dissuade people from investing huge amounts in gold and put their savings into more productive financial market assets. "Banking sector has a challenge in developing credibility among the common mass to get the habit of a bank account, instead of buying gold... This way, people can be deterred from buying gold," Modi said.

What Venezuelans Make An Hour Under Socialism Is Appalling–And There’s Another Issue That Strikes Close To Home
Townhall - Alejandro Toro, who you may have seen on Fox’s MasterChef, described what’s going on in his home country.... His identification number is 20.227.668, which means that if he lived in his home country, he could only buy groceries on Fridays. The minimum salary is $33.30 a month, which comes out to $0.20 an hour. Toro also says having enough food, enough money, and the simple question of can we survive dominate the national consciousness. The inflation rate in the country is set to soar to 700 percent and the economy is projected to contract by 10 percent this year. Yet, Toro hits on something close to home. He says that the biggest problem that's arisen since the left-wingers took power was dividing people into groups. “They fed the country hatred, so they separated into two types of people. We stopped being one group of people—and we became either red or blue,” he said. Does that sound familiar? It should.

The First "Bitcoin Bail-In": All Bitfinex Users To Lose 36% In "Shared Loss" After Historic Hack
Zero Hedge - Last week's sharp, 30% plunge in the price of bitcoin ... after news hit that 119,756 bitcoins, or about $70 million, had been stolen from the Hong Kong-based bitcoin exchange Bitfinex, demonstrated once again the biggest risk with digital currencies.... Now, adding insult to injury for those who "held" their BTC at the hacked exchange, Bitfinex announced it would pull a page right out of Europe's bank resolution mechanism, saying that all of its users will lose 36% of their deposits after it concluded its review the massive hack, in what is set to be the first ever "bitcoin bail-in." And, in pulling another page out of Europe, Bloomberg adds that to compensate its customers, Bitfinex users would receive (largely worthless) tokens that may later be redeemed or exchanged for shares in its parent company.... According to Bloomberg, a representative of the exchange wrote on Reddit that the 36% loss “applies to all assets across the site, so everyone.” The exchange previously said losses would only apply to users who either had bitcoin deposited at the exchange or who were in the process of lending U.S. dollars for margin trading.

Local Residents Force Monsanto to Tear Down GMO Seed Plant in Argentina
Sustainable Pulse - Local Malvinas citizens and GMO Free campaigners from across Argentina forced Monsanto to stop the construction of their GMO seed plant in 2014, through well-coordinated protests at the construction site. Sources from the head office of Monsanto in Latin America told local Argentinian media that the decision has been made to dismantle the controversial seed plant; the unnamed Monsanto spokesman stated; “The plant was designed to treat 3.5 million hectares of maize, however last year only 2.5 million hectares were sown.” Thus, he stated added “an investment of almost 1500 million makes no sense.” The Monsanto spokesman also conceded that the local pressure and blockade of the construction site by Malvinas residents and environmentalists had been a factor in the company’s decision.

Zika Virus News

Florida Spraying Residents with Neurotoxic Pesticide Banned in Other Countries to Combat Zika
Free Thought Project - Areas of Miami, Florida, are now being sprayed with the insecticide naled in an attempt to eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito — carrier of the zika virus. Naled, a potent neurotoxin that kills mosquitoes on contact, is perfectly safe, or so the Environmental Protection Agency insists, despite Puerto Rico’s rejection of its use to combat the spread of zika there — due to concerns about its safety. To keep naled airborne where it would be most effective, the agent is sprayed in very fine aerosol droplets — about two tablespoons can be dispersed to cover an area the equivalent of two football fields, a local CBS affiliate reported. If a ‘far greater’ amount of naled were employed, according to the Florida Department of Health, ‘it could cause a person to salivate more, feel numbness, headaches, dizziness, tremors, nausea, abdominal cramps, sweating, blurred vision, difficulty breathing and a slowed heartbeat.’… [Toxipedia] notes the EPA, itself, classified a component of naled as a “possible carcinogen,” because mice developed lung tumors. Following protests by residents concerned for their health and potential effects on wildlife — and despite the CDC having controversially sent advanced supply to officials, which was subsequently returned — Puerto Rico opted to spray an organic larvicide known as Bti.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Clinton’s Former Employer, LaFarge, Faces Allegations of Funding ISIS
The Observer - One of the most troubling revelations exposed by Wikileaks has been completely ignored by mainstream media. On August 1, Wikileaks shared an article on Twitter from a French publication which outlined the connections between LaFarge, a French company linked to funding ISIS in Syria, and Hillary Clinton. “Apart from being a regular donor to the Clinton Foundation, Clinton herself was a director of Lafarge in the early 1990s, and did legal work for the firm in the 1980s,” The Canary reported on July 29. In June 2016, one of France’s most well-known publications, Le Monde, released an investigative report accusing LaFarge of making payments to ISIS. The connection was first made in February 2016, when a Syrian opposition publication revealed emails and documents it obtained from LaFarge, implicating CEO Frederic Jolibois negotiated with ISIS in order for the company to continue doing business in Syria. Between 1990 and 1992, Clinton served on Lafarge’s Board of Directors. “Shortly before Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, Lafarge was fined $1.8 million by the Environmental Protection Agency for pollution violations at its Alabama plant. A year later, the Clinton administration reduced that fine to less than $600,000,” reported The Washington Post in 2007. While Clinton served on the board for Lafarge, the company was embroiled in controversy over its use of hazardous waste to fuel its U.S. cement plants.

Mysterious Tweet Sparks Fears Edward Snowden Is Missing Or Dead
Your News Wire - Edward Snowden tweeted a cryptic 64 character code on Friday evening that was deleted minutes later, sparking fears the message was a ‘dead man’s switch’ meaning Snowden is either dead or missing. A dead man’s switch is a message set up to be automatically sent if the holder of the account does not perform a regular check-in. In Snowden’s case, his dead man’s switch would be the key to the encrypted files he distributed among journalists and associates.... Two days ago Snowden sent an equally cryptic tweet, addressed to his former NSA colleagues, with the message “It’s time.” It is understood with Friday’s 64 character tweet that he may have just released the key to the encrypted files.... Reports have surfaced that at least eight popular torrent sites used for distributing large files were immediately taken offline after Snowden’s tweet, suggesting the distribution of files is being suppressed, or at least slowed down, adding to the speculation that Snowden has been killed and the key to his sensitive insurance files has been released. Until the former NSA contractor turned whistleblower tweets again – and we can verify that it is actually him tweeting – question marks will remain regarding his situation.

Federal Appeals Court Rules In Favor Of Tea Party In IRS Suit
Western Journalism - The IRS had asked that the lawsuit be dropped, because the organization said it had “voluntarily” stopped the targeting. Federal Appeals Court Judge David B. Sentelle rejected the notion, citing that some tea party groups were still awaiting approval for tax-exempt status despite having applied years earlier. Sentelle went on to point out that the IRS’s claims that the groups’ requests could not be processed because they were suing the IRS for not processing the requests created a classic catch-22. I“The IRS is telling the applicants in these cases that ‘we have been violating your rights and not properly processing your applications. You are entitled to have your applications processed. But if you ask for that processing by way of a lawsuit, then you can’t have it,'” Sentelle wrote. “We would advise the IRS: If you haven’t ceased to violate the rights of the taxpayers, then there is no cessation. You have not carried your burden, be it heavy or light.”

FBI Finally Releases Secret Spy Plane Footage of Freddie Gray Protests
Counter Current News - According to Nathan Freed Wessler of ACLU, “In response to an ACLU Freedom of Information Act request, the FBI has released more than 18 hours of video from surveillance cameras installed on FBI aircraft that flew over Baltimore in the days after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in 2015..." .... Wessler states, “Records from the Federal Aviation Administration showed that the FBI’s aircraft, which were registered to front companies to conceal their ownership, carried sophisticated camera systems on board, complete with night-vision capabilities. FBI evidence logs showed that the agency had retained copies of surveillance videos and perhaps other electronic surveillance information from the flights, but the agency initially declined to release the actual videos.” Fortunately, the FBI reconsidered their surveillance secrecy in this case, and the footage has been released and is now public record. [link to FBI site with videos in article]

John McCain’s 1969 “Tokyo Rose” Propaganda Recording Released
TRUNEWS - The 1969 North Vietnamese radio broadcast has never been heard in the United States of America. In fact, there has never been any knowledge that such a recording existed. The audio recording was found in a misplaced file in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The broadcast was recorded by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, a branch of the CIA that monitored international shortwave and foreign radio broadcasts…. In the propaganda recording, Lt. Commander McCain said he was “guilty of crimes against the Vietnamese country and people.” He confessed that he bombed “their cities, towns, and villages and caused many injuries, even deaths, for the people of Vietnam.” He praised the medical care and kindness of his communist captors even though he came to North Vietnam as “an aggressor.” McCain said he wished to express his “deep gratitude” for their “kind treatment” and that he “will never forget” the kindness extended to him by the communist North Vietnamese.

Massachusetts Family Group: Why Is Legislature Kicking Predators Off ‘Pokemon Go,’ But Allowing Them in Women’s Restrooms?
Townhall - Keep MA Safe, a group that was created out of a need to preserve family structure in Massachusetts, is noticing a tinge of hypocrisy in the state legislature. Democratic Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik introduced a bill this week that would ban sex offenders from using the popular game “Pokemon Go,” arguing these criminals could use it to seduce children. Similarly, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned 3,000 sex offenders from using the app. While Democrats may be heralding Zlotnik’s new legislative effort, concerned family groups are pointing out a serious case of hypocrisy. For instance, the final version of the bill for which Zlotnik voted allows men who identify as female to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms. Keep MA Safe Chairwoman Chanel Prunier responded to Zlotnik’s inconsistent voting pattern in a new press release. “While I understand their concern about sex offenders exploiting ‘augmented reality,’ our lawmakers failed to address the very real loophole the transgender law has created for predators,” Prunier said. “This is why we have to bring the issue to a vote by the citizens.”

Election News

Video: Clinton Body Count +5 in Just 6 Weeks
Hillary will stop at nothing to claw her way into the White House; unfortunately, people are dropping dead left and right in her path and, in the case of the last two found dead earlier this week, the mainstream media is pretending not to even notice they are gone...

Hillary Refuses to Meet White Reporters in First Press Conference of 2016
Kit Daniels - Clinton is holding a press conference at the Washington, DC, Marriott on Friday that’s open only to members of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, according to a press release…. It’s unknown whether she’ll take questions, but given her past hostility to the press, it’s doubtful unless the questions are given to her ahead of time…. “She gets her message out in ways that are completely controlled, but American citizens deserve better,” Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan once wrote, a rare admission from the anti-Trump outlet. The Clinton campaign even physically lassoed reporters with ropes to keep them from approaching Hillary Clinton during a parade in July 2015. “Campaign events are carefully stage managed, with reporters getting few opportunities to question the candidate,” the Huffington Post admitted. “Journalists privately met… to discuss grievances over access on the campaign trail — from not receiving timely logistical information to being kept too far from the candidate at public events or kept completely out of fundraisers.”

WikiLeaks drops Hillary email labeled ‘tick tock on Libya’ – will Rush’s prediction come true?
BizPac Review - When Hillary Clinton is asked about her plan to invade Libya while she was secretary of state, she often passes the buck to President Obama, saying he ultimately had to make the final decision. But, new emails from WikiLeaks’ hack [view at link] into Clinton’s private email server show she openly bragged about having a “critical voice” in the invasion of Libya, which ultimately led to the rise of the Islamic State and the Syrian refugee crisis.... Just a few days ago, conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh made a big prediction about Clinton’s involvement in Libya and what it may reveal through the next WikiLeaks email drop. Limbaugh said emails could expose how Clinton was involved with running a gun-running scheme in Libya, with that being the motive behind her toppling of strongman Moammar Gadhafi. The gun-running scheme, according to Limbaugh, would eventually be tied to Clinton’s State Department selling guns to Libyan rebels, guns that eventually ended up in the hands of Syrian ISIS members.

Melania Trump's immigration file requested
Washington Times - The Democratic Coalition Against Trump, a political action committee, said it was filing an open-records request for Mrs. Trump’s visa records — though it’s unlikely they will be successful. Mrs. Trump, posting a message on Twitter, insisted she followed all the laws in arriving in the U.S. on a visa, obtaining a green card granting her permanent legal residency in 2001 and then becoming a citizen in July 2006. “Let me set the record straight: I have at all times been in full compliance with the immigration laws of this country. Period,” she said. “Any allegation to the contrary is simply untrue.” But one of the country’s foremost specialists said details that have been made public so far leave plenty of unanswered questions about Mrs. Trump’s path to citizenship. “Unfortunately, the Trump campaign has not released her immigration records, so no one knows for sure,” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor at Cornell University Law School.... The group has targeted Mrs. Trump before, filing a complaint with federal election officials after an employee of the Trump Organization, the candidate’s business empire, said she wrote Mrs. Trump’s convention speech. Mr. Cooper’s organization said there were no records of the woman being paid by the campaign for her work. The campaign said she was volunteering her time and didn’t need to report it.

Princeton Professor Shows How Easy it Is to Hack an Election in Just 7 Minutes
The Free Thought Project - Professor Andrew Appel and grad student Alex Halderman took just seven minutes to break into the authentic Sequoia AVC Advantage electronic voting machine Appel purchased for $82 online — one of the oldest models, but still in use Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia, Politico reported. After Halderman picked the hulking, 250-pound machine’s lock in seven seconds flat, Appel wrested its four ROM chips from a circuit board — an easy feat, considering the chips weren’t soldered in place. Once freed, Appel could facilely replace the ROM chips with his own version “of modified firmware that could throw off the machine’s results, subtly altering the tally of votes, never to betray a hint to the voter,” Politico’s Ben Wofford explained. Appel and a team of other so-called cyber-academics have hacked into various models of electronic voting machines in order to prove to the public the equipment is ridiculously bereft of security. Together with Ed Felten, Appel and a group of Princeton students “relentlessly hacked one voting machine after another … reprogramming one popular machine to play Pac-Man; infecting popular models with self-duplicating malware; [and] discovering keys to voting machine locks that could be ordered on eBay.” Their efforts have gone largely ignored for 15 years.

Once Again, Libertarian and Green Parties are Denied Participation in Presidential Debates
AllGov - A federal judge on Friday shot down the Libertarian and Green parties' claim that they have a legal right to participate in this year's presidential debates.... U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer disagreed in a 27-page ruling filed Friday morning dismissing the case.... Green Party spokesman Scott McLarty said the party is disappointed with Friday's ruling. "Any candidate who has ballot lines in enough states to win, if enough voters voted for him or her, should be admitted to the debates," he said via email. "That should be the qualification. In 2012, Green nominee Jill Stein was on the ballot in 37 states, enabling 82 percent of voters to vote for her if they chose to do so.".... Ron Nielson, Johnson's campaign manager, also expressed disappointment with the ruling and said, "From an initial look, our legal counsel sees several serious flaws in the court's basis and reasoning." "We are exploring our options, with the firm resolve that this case and the larger issue of fair debates are too important to simply allow such an arbitrary dismissal," Nielson said in a statement. "At the same time, with Gov. Johnson consistently polling in double-digits, we continue to believe that the CPD should make the right and fair decision to invite him to participate in the upcoming debates.

Video: Hah! New Trump Ad Mocks Hillary as "Short-Circuited" Robot
Gateway Pundit - A new internet video ad by Donald Trump asks, “Is robot Hillary melting down?”

Veteran News

Navy Says Sailors Will Be Allowed To Wear “Don’t Tread On Me” Patches On Their Uniforms
Weasel Zippers - Obama’s EEOC will not like this, they ruled this week that employees who wear the “Don’t Tread On Me” insignia could be guilty of racial harassment. Via WAM: Along with announcing Aug. 5 that they would soon be ditching the blue digital camouflage Navy Working Uniform Type I, the U.S. Navy said it will also allow the popular “Don’t Tread On Me” patches for its uniforms and would offer new insignia for its boat driving commandos. As of Oct. 1, any sailor wearing the woodland digital NWU Type III duds can sport the DTOM flag patch in the same camouflage scheme. SEALs and other Naval Special Warfare Unit sailors, or those specifically authorized to wear the desert digital NWU Type II, may also wear a similarly-camouflaged DTOM patch.

Economy & Business

Establishment Tries To Suppress "Dissident Actuaries" Explosive Report On Public Pensions
Zero Hedge - Pensions and Investments reports: The American Academy of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries Monday abruptly disbanded its longtime joint Pension Finance Task Force, objecting to a task force paper challenging the standard actuarial practice of valuing public pension plan liabilities. “This paper (is) being censored by the AAA and SOA”, said Edward Bartholomew, who was a member of the former task force, in an interview. “They didn’t want it to get out.” Others who were members of the task force also said in interviews the two actuarial groups are trying to suppress publication of the paper.... There are powerful interests that don’t want public pensions to be governed by the same kinds of accounting principles used in the private sector because… well, because if they were, public pensions would go from seriously underfunded to catastrophically underfunded.

A Realistic Look at July’s Nonfarm Payrolls
Wall Street on Parade - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its nonfarm payroll data this morning, showing that 255,000 jobs were created in July.... Unfortunately, drilling down into the more granular details, a far less rosy picture emerges.... The data for July shows that the U-6 unemployment number is 10.7 percent of the nation’s workforce, more than double the official number of 4.9 percent. The U-6 unemployment rate includes the number of people unemployed; plus individuals just marginally attached to the labor force; plus those employed part-time for economic reasons.... But a far bigger problem with the BLS data is what constitutes an “employed” worker to our Federal government’s numbers crunchers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you could be an out of work MBA graduate but if you help your brother in his deli for 15 hours in a week while living in his home, you’re counted as employed.... Or, if you’re not working for a family member making no money at all but earn at least $20 working for a stranger for at least an hour in a week – you’re counted as an employed worker.... This helpful-to-the-administration-in-power rosy interpretation of the unemployment rate helps to explain how the U.S. economy could be showing a robust growth in jobs while simultaneously reporting an abysmal labor force participation rate.

Health

Government advises airlines to spray pesticides on passengers
(NaturalHealth365) The International Civil Aviation Organization and World Health Organization (WHO) admit that aircraft cabins are being sprayed with what they are calling a “fast-acting insecticide” with passengers on board, right before takeoff. Some airlines are instead treating aircraft interiors with a “residual-insecticide aerosol” right before passengers get on board…. However, all passengers exposed to these toxic chemicals “agree” to the conditions, even if they aren’t aware of it. The fact that spraying will occur on a flight is stated in the fine print when the airline tickets are purchased. Passengers implicitly agree to being sprayed just by buying a ticket for a flight where these practices will take place.… Many airline passengers are already reporting negative health effects from exposure to toxic chemicals on flights. For example, flu-like symptoms, sinus issues, rash/hives, headaches and swollen joints are just some of the horrible effects. However, far more serious issues like acute respiratory problems and anaphylactic shock have occurred. Chronic issues affecting the neurological and immune systems have also been reported. The most common aircraft pesticides used on airplanes are synthetic pyrethroids, specifically permethrin and d-phenothrin. Remember, they kill insects by attacking their nervous systems…. Bottom line: Before you take that flight – make a phone call to your airline of choice and ask the question, “are you spraying insecticides on this flight.”

Flaxseed Reduces Blood Pressure and Decreases Oxylipin Levels
Green Med Info - The St. Boniface and University of Manitoba researchers gave one hundred and ten peripheral artery disease patients a placebo or thirty grams of ground flaxseed every day for six months. After the six months, the flaxseed group had marked and significantly lower levels of oxylipins. Oxylipins are known to be linked with artery damage, thrombosis, hypertension and cardiovascular disease in general. Recent research from Philadelphia's Thomas Jefferson University has linked high oxylipin levels with diabetes as well. Oxylipins are formed when polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) become oxidized. This formation of oxylipins can occur in lipids such as free DHA and EPA, along with others. The blood pressure of the St. Boniface and University of Manitobagroup group given the flaxseed was lowered significantly. Their systolic blood pressure (SBP) on average was 10 mm Hg lower than at the beginning of the study, and their diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was lower by 7 mm Hg on average. Flaxseed contains a number of constituents that work synergistically to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. These include alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, oligosaccharide-rich fiber and lignans.

Study: Eating more Plant Protein Offsets ‘Dangers of Eating Meat’
Natural Society - A new study suggests that those who consume animal proteins are at a higher risk for death than those who do not. This is even true when those who do not ingest animal proteins are heavy drinkers and smokers. The good news here is that replacing animal proteins with plant proteins seems to significantly reduce the mortality risk. The study was conducted at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where 130,000 healthcare professionals across the United States were followed over several decades. Half of those participating in the study were getting at least 14% of their protein from animal products. At the end of the study, researchers stated that each 3% increase in calories of plant protein lowered the risk of death (in the study period) by 10%.

Inspirational

Video: WE’RE THE SUPERHUMANS Rio Paralympics 2016 Trailer
Channel 4 (UK Paralympic Broadcaster) is proud to present the 3-minute trailer for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Slideshow: 25 Kids Who Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity
True Activist - It can be a trying task to remain optimistic about Earth’s future, especially when one is bombarded with news of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Brexit, ISIS, pollution, the Syrian war, and police brutality on the daily. Thankfully, it is a fact that while negative happenings do take place, many positive ones do, as well. And, many of those good deeds are conducted by none other than children. After reviewing many of the compassionate acts kids around the world have conducted, we’re sure you’ll agree that there is hope for humanity. Compiled by Bored Panda, the collection inspires faith in the prospect that things can – and will – change for the better, and hopefully soon.

Pet News

Why Your Pet's Allergies Are Getting Worse - and 7 Ways to Help Stop Them in Their Tracks
Dr. Becker - 1. The first thing I do with a dog or cat with allergies is review their diet and assess for the possibility of leaky gut syndrome. Often, dysbiosis, which is also called leaky gut, is the reason seasonal allergies get progressively worse from one year to the next…. Any pet on routine drug therapy should be assessed for a leaky gut. There's a new canine dysbiosis test from Texas A&M GI Lab you can use to test for this condition if you're unsure if your pet is affected. Another trigger for leaky gut is a processed diet containing genetically modified ingredients. Pets with allergies should be transitioned to an anti-inflammatory diet. Diets that create or worsen inflammation are high in carbohydrates. 2. The second thing I recommend is boosting the omega-3 fatty acids in your pet's diet. The best sources of these fatty acids come from the ocean, including krill, salmon, tuna, anchovy, and sardine oil, and other sources of fish body oils…. I also recommend coconut oil for allergic pets because it contains lauric acid, which has natural anti-fungal properties that can help suppress the production of yeast in your pet's body. Omega-3 oils combined with coconut oil can moderate or even suppress the inflammatory response in allergic pets. 3. Because allergies are an exaggerated immune system response (the definition of an allergy is an immune system overreaction), it's important not to add to the problem. This means avoiding unnecessary vaccines and veterinary drugs, including chemical pest preventives….

Incredible moment coastguard officer brings kitten back to life with mouth-to-mouth after she nearly drowns (Video)
Mirror Online - Italian officers found the lifeless kitten in the port of Marsala, Western Sicily, after some children attracted their attention. They were on a training mission when they discovered the kitten but abandoned their duties to save her. An officer dived into water to retrieve the animal before reviving her on board the vessel. The incredible footage shows the officer breathing into the tiny kitten's mouth and performing cardiac massage to get her breathing again. Things seem bleak, but water begins to come out of the cat's nose and she is heard making a tiny 'meow' sound. An officer is then heard saying, "She breaths, she breaths! Call the vet!" In a statement a spokesman for the Italian coastguard confirmed the kitten later received medical attention and is in good health.
 



Friday - August 5, 2016 - Today In History:

1833 - The village of Chicago was incorporated. The population was approximately 250.
1861 - The U.S. federal government levied its first income tax. The tax was 3% of all incomes over $800. The wartime measure was rescinded in 1872.
1864 - During the U.S. Civil War, Union forces led by Adm. David G. Farragut were led into Mobile Bay, Alabama.
1884 - On Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was laid.
1953 - During the Korean conflict prisoners were exchanged at Panmunjom. The exchange was labeled Operation Big Switch.
1964 - U.S. aircraft bombed North Vietnam after North Vietnamese boats attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.
1966 - In New York, groundbreaking for the construction of the original World Trade Center began.
1974 - U.S. President Nixon said that he expected to be impeached. Nixon had ordered the investigation into the Watergate break-in to halt.
1981 - The U.S. federal government started firing striking air traffic controllers.
1989 - In Honduras, five Central American presidents began meeting to discuss the timetable for the dismantling of the Nicaraguan Contra bases.
1990 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush angrily denounced the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
1991 - An investigation was formally launched by Democratic congressional leaders to find out if the release of American hostages was delayed until after the Reagan-Bush presidential election.
1991 - Iraq admitted to misleading U.N. inspectors about secret biological weapons.
1998 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein began not cooperating with U.N. weapons inspectors.
2011 - NASA announced that its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter had captured photographic evidence of possible liquid water on Mars during warm seasons.
2011 - Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a mission to Jupiter. It was the first solar-powered spacecraft to go to Jupiter.
2011 - Standard & Poor's Financial Services lowered the United States' AAA credit rating by one notch to AA-plus.

World News

ISIS wants ‘loads of attacks in England, Germany & France,’ jailed jihadist says
RT - The terrorist group is actively seeking volunteers in Germany and the UK to carry out “loads of attacks at the same time in England, Germany and France.” Members of the far-reaching Islamic State’s (IS, formerly ISIS) intelligence service, called Emni in Arabic, allegedly told Sarfo they were first and foremost interested in waging terrorism across the globe. In an interview with the New York Times, Sarfo, who is currently serving a three-year term on terrorism charges at a maximum security prison near Bremen, recalled what one masked commander once told him. “He was speaking openly about the situation, saying that they have loads of people living in European countries and waiting for commands to attack the European people. And that was before the Brussels attacks, before the Paris attacks.”

Iran Is Cheating On The Nuclear Deal, Now What?
Zero Hedge - One year into the nuclear deal, two credible and timely intelligence reports reveal that Iran has no intention of honoring the terms of the deal, which, anyway, it never signed. Germany's domestic intelligence agency revealed that the Iranian government has pursued a "clandestine" path to obtain illicit nuclear technology and equipment from German companies "at what is, even by international standards, a quantitatively high level." A secret agreement, obtained by the Associated Press, discloses that Iran's nuclear deal would not only lift constraints on Iran's nuclear program after the nuclear deal, but it will also do so long before the deal expires -- including the installation of thousands of centrifuges, five times more than what it currently possesses, as well enriching uranium at a much higher pace. The more the White House ignores Iran's violations of the nuclear accord, the more Iran will be emboldened to violate international laws and the terms of the nuclear agreement.

Egypt says kills leader of ISIS Sinai branch suspected of downing Russian plane
RT - The Egyptian military has claimed that it killed the leader of the Sinai branch of Islamic State, suspected of downing a Russian passenger jet over Sinai in October last year. Abu Duaa al-Ansari, the leader of the ISIS Sinai Peninsula terror group, was killed in northern Sinai, south of the coastal city of el-Arish, Egyptian officials said on Thursday. A Facebook post on the page of Egyptian military’s spokesperson claimed that “accurate intelligence” allowed security forces to kill the jihadist. Fox News cited intelligence sources confirming the killing of al-Ansari in a targeted airstrike. The outlet reported the man had actively been involved in organizing attacks against the UN personnel on Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptian military added that 45 members of the group were also eliminated during the operation. The Egyptian branch of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) is suspected by the CIA of planting a bomb on the Russian Metrojet passenger plane that crashed on October 31, 2015, killing all 224 people on board.

Stash of US-made heavy weapons found in terrorist-held Aleppo district (Video)
RT - Footage has emerged online allegedly showing mortars, anti-tank missiles and grenades being uncovered along with a quantity of western (mostly US)-made weapons and ammunition in territories abandoned by terrorists in Syrian Aleppo.
The video appeared online on Thursday and purported to show the discovery of a large cache of western arms and ammunition in a house in Aleppo’s eastern Bani Zaid district. The majority of the weapons appear to be of US origin and include US-made anti-tank missiles system (TOW 2A), American UN0181 missiles, as well as US-made 81mm mortars and ammunition. Some of the boxes containing weapons are labeled with the letters ‘USA’…. The territory in which the weapons were found was recently abandoned by fighters from the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra). It is considered a terrorist group by the UN and is not part of the cessation of hostilities in Syria. The group recently rebranded itself while breaking its ties with the global terror network Al-Qaeda…. In October last year a Pentagon-trained group of Syrian rebels known as Division 30, handed over their US delivered weapons to al-Sham terrorists, the western media widely reported citing US military sources.

Eight Billion To Assist The Terrorists?..only from Obama's White House
Pickering Post - According to Egypt’s TV14 network, Obama had secretly transferred eight billion dollars to the Muslim Brotherhood, not the Egyptian Government, as payment to guarantee that a large portion of the Sinai Peninsula would be turned over to the terrorist organisation Hamas, an enemy of both the United States and Israel. White House National Security Council spokeswoman at the time Bernadette Meehan, declined to comment on this secret directive that was discovered following the overthrow of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Leader, Morsi. When asked, Meehan said, “We have nothing for you on this”. The directive outlines why the US Administration had chosen the Muslim Brotherhood which is widely accepted as a terrorist organisation by the US, Israel, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The secret agreement was signed by deposed president Mohammed Morsi and his second in command, Khairat el Shater.

EU hits Russian & Chinese steel with anti-dumping tariffs
RT - The European Union has imposed anti-dumping import duties on cold-rolled flat products of iron or non-alloy steel produced in Russia and China. The new tariffs vary from 18.7 to 36.1 percent, and are imposed for a five-year period applied retroactively from December 2015. The EU claimed imports from both countries were unfairly undercutting European producers such as ThyssenKrupp and ArcelorMittal. EU-based manufacturers suffered “material injury” as a result of dumped imports from Russia and China, according to the investigative commission. “This shows our continuous efforts to use to the fullest extent the available trade defense instruments to fight unfair imports of steel products,” said Mina Andreeva, a spokeswoman for the European Commission…. Under World Trade Organization regulations, the EU is authorized to impose anti-dumping duties on goods manufactured outside the bloc if the products are priced below fair market value and cause injury to the bloc’s industry.
* Related: Welcome To The Trade War - China Imposes Tariffs On EU, US And Japanese Steel Imports

Greek parliament votes to speed up $1mn Athens mosque construction
RT - Greek lawmakers have given the go-ahead for the first official mosque to be built in Athens in over 180 years. The state-funded project has faced opposition from right-wing party Independent Greeks and the ultranationalist Golden Dawn. The vote was passed by a landslide, with 206 members of the Greek parliament voting to accelerate the construction on the mosque and 24 objecting out of the 230 MPs present…. The Greek government has been promising to build a mosque in Athens using public money since 2006. However, the project, which will cost €950,000 ($1 million), has been hit by numerous delays including legal challenges. The Orthodox Church, which plays a powerful institutional and cultural role in Greece, has also opposed its construction. Education Minister Filis added that building an official mosque could help stop the radicalization of local Muslims. Around 50,000 mainly Muslim refugees are believed to be in Greece as a result of the migrant crisis that has swept Europe, which was triggered by wars in the Middle East.

Rio 2016: Olympic torch skirts riots and drug gang clashes in host city
The Guardian - Police used stun grenades and tear gas to clear protesters in the path of the Olympic torch in a poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, two days before South America’s first Olympic Games open under tight security…. Police said anti-government protesters in Duque de Caixas, on Rio’s north side, threw rocks and blocked the torch’s path. Police dispersed them with pepper spray and rubber bullets. Three people were injured by rubber bullets, including a 10-year-old girl, local media reported. The clash, which came a day after anti-torch protests in nearby towns and amid several days of gang violence in northern Brazil, underscored social tension in the massive country…. Some 85,000 police, soldiers and security personnel are being deployed in Rio, more than double the amount in London in 2012, to deter both violent street crime and the threat of attacks by extremists.

Zika Virus News

Scientists edge closer to creating effective Zika virus vaccine
The Guardian - Of the three vaccines tested by Barouch and others, the most conventional and ready for development is a whole, killed Zika virus, which is being pursued by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland. The other two vaccines are more novel. In one, a single and harmless Zika virus gene is stitched into a loop of DNA. When injected into the body, cells take up the DNA loop and from it produce Zika proteins that trigger an immune response against them. The third and final vaccine adds the Zika virus gene to a harmless adenovirus. This behaves like a Trojan horse and smuggles the DNA into cells, which then produce antibodies to wipe out the whole virus. No DNA or adenovirus vaccines have been approved for use in humans before, but clinical trials are underway. The vaccine based on the whole, killed virus will go into human trials this autumn.

Texas on High Alert For Local Zika Transmission
Breitbart - Texas continues to roll out its statewide preparations to forestall or lessen the severity of Zika when and if it becomes local statewide. In February, Breitbart Texas reported DSHS officials feared a “transmission cycle” could happen in Texas as has now occurred in Florida especially because Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry Zika are native to Texas…. As of July 29, Texas reported 42 pregnant women to the CDC’s Zika Pregnancy Registry. That number reflected three pregnant women confirmed with Zika. It also included other pregnant women and any newborns who tested positive for the virus but showed no symptoms or the symptoms they exhibited could not be specifically identified as Zika by health professions. Texas Medicaid announced it will cover the costs of up to two cans of mosquito repellent per month through October 31 for eligible women between the ages of 10 and 45 or pregnant. To receive the free mosquito repellent, eligible women must be enrolled Medicaid, CHIP, CHIP-Perinate, Healthy Texas Women, or the Family Planning program. A doctor must prescribe the repellent and it must be picked up at a pharmacy.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

First "Shocking" Deposition In Clinton Email Case Reveals She Did Not Use A Password
U.S. Ambassador Lewis Lukens’s sworn testimony in the case of Hillary Clinton’s privatization of the U.S. Secretary of State’s email is the first evidence to be released in the Clinton email cases, and it was published on May 26th at the website of Judicial Watch, the organization that originally brought the suit. Headlining "First Deposition Testimony from Clinton Email Discovery Released”, it reported that: Judicial Watch today released the deposition transcript of Ambassador Lewis Lukens, former deputy assistant secretary of state and executive director of the State Department’s executive secretariat. The transcript is available here. Amb. Lukens was deposed last week as part of the discovery granted to Judicial Watch by U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in response to its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit involving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s unsecured, non-government email system (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:13-cv-01363)). Lukens is the first of seven depositions of former Clinton top aides and State Department officials that Judicial Watch has scheduled over the next four weeks. Also to be deposed are Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin, as well as top State Department official Patrick Kennedy, and former State IT employee Bryan Pagliano.

Obama will bypass Congress, seek U.N. resolution on nuclear testing
Washington Post - President Obama has decided to seek a new United Nations Security Council resolution that would call for an end to nuclear testing, a move that leading lawmakers are calling an end run around Congress. Top administration officials, including Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, briefed lawmakers and congressional staffers this week about President Obama’s decision to push for the U.N. action this September, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which was adopted in September 1996 but was never ratified by the Senate…. The administration did not consult Congress before making the decision, and leading Republicans, including those who opposed Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, are irate that the White House plans another major national security move without their advice or consent. “This is a plan to cede the Senate’s constitutional role to the U.N. It’s dangerous and it’s offensive. Not only is this an affront to Congress, it’s an affront to the American people,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) told me. “It directly contradicts the processes that are in place to make sure that Congress appropriately weighs in on international agreements.”

Undercover govt group easily purchased ‘dirty bomb’ materials in Texas says report
RT - Gathering the materials for a radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ isn’t supposed to be simple in the US. In fact, it’s supposed to include a stringent inspection process. But an undercover congressional group in Texas had a remarkably easy time completing the task. […] The journey to the deadly ingredients began in Dallas, where the group incorporated a shell company they never intended to run. In order to have an address for the license application, they rented an office space in an industrial park. When asked to identify their safety officer on the form, they created a false name and attached a fake resume. And when they were asked what their intentions were, they said they needed the material to power an industrial gauge used in oil and gas exploration. The application then went to Texas regulators who are permitted by the NRC to grant licenses without federal review. And although the regulators did, at the very least, fulfill the requirement of an on-site visit, they didn't seem too alarmed when an inspector arrived at the fake office to find it was empty and had no security precautions. Getting around that little speed bump was incredibly easy for the group – they simply assured the inspector that once they had a license, they would be able to make the necessary security and safety improvements. That was apparently all the inspector needed to hear, as he granted the group a license on the spot. That piece of paper allowed the group to purchase the sealed radioactive material in an amount smaller than needed for any kind of ‘dirty bomb’.

Federal Agency Debating Whether ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ Symbol Is Racial Harassment
Mikael Thalen - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is currently debating whether attire bearing the Gadsden flag symbol can be construed as racial harassment. The case began in 2014 at a private business when a black employee filed a complaint with the agency over a coworker who regularly wore a hat featuring the iconic snake and the “don’t tread on me” phrase. The complaint alleged the flag was inherently racist because Christopher Gadsden, the flag’s designer, was “a slave trader & owner of slaves.” Even though the hat’s owner never made any racist comments according to the complaint, the black employee asserted the symbol is a “historical indicator of white resentment against blacks stemming largely from the Tea Party.” The complainant also notes that the coworker continued wearing the hat even after being told to stop by his superiors. Although the EEOC’s preliminary ruling stated that the flag was not racist, the agency is continuing to gather evidence before coming to a final conclusion.

Election News

Deceased FBI Agent Found At Trump Tower With Silenced Pistol
Brian Michael - A source within the NYPD has reported that an armed 62 year old man tried to sneak in to the Trump Tower late Tuesday night. Interestingly the suspect who was found with a semi-automatic handgun fitted with a silencer has been identified as Barry Lee Bush, a former Newark NJ FBI agent who has been dead since 2007. A Secret Service agent discovered Bush after he had circumvented a security partition on the bottom floor of the Trump Tower. Questioned by Secret Service at the scene, Bush who initially identified himself as Barry Franklyn, remained silent offering no explanation for why he broke security at the Trump Tower. According to the NYPD source, Bush was arrested for trespassing and for illegally carrying a pistol fitted with an illegal silencer. During his booking at the NYPD Jail, Bush’s fingerprints were submitted to the National Crime Information Center, which immediately reported Bush’s true identity.

Hillary: ‘We Are Going to Raise Taxes on the Middle Class’ (Video)
Breitbart - During a speech in Omaha, NE, in what may or may not have been a Freudian slip, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said she would raise taxes on the “middle class.” “Trump wants to cut taxes for the super-rich,” Clinton said. “Well we’re not going there, my friends. I’m telling you right now, we’re going to write fairer rules for the middle class and we are going to raise taxes on the middle class.” The crowd in attendance cheered on Clinton after the proclamation.

Clinton Donors Push Health Tax in Texas’ Poorest Region
Breitbart - A local ballot measure supported by Hillary Clinton donors hopes to levy a new tax on one of the poorest regions in the country in the spirit of improved public health. This week, the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court moved to have a proposition included on the November General Election ballot. If passed, the new taxing entity would collect property taxes to reimburse a local hospital for money spent treating the indigent population. The measure had been defeated two years before, however local and state Democrats have pushed the ballot measure once again…. According to the Mayor of Mission, Beto Salinas, [County Judge Ramon] Garcia is not explaining is the fact that the majority of the individuals who qualify as indigent health care recipients include people living in Mexico and illegal immigrants — leaving few viable options to collect on the money spent.

Experts: Hillary is a Sociopath and Could Have Brain Damage
Paul Joseph Watson - Hillary’s bizarre behavior and strange seizures: Is she having a breakdown or does she actually have brain damage?I asked mental health experts about her strange outbursts that have been caught on camera. They told me that the odd manifestations and facial ticks are likely side-effects of her blood clot. But Hillary’s conduct also strongly indicates she is a sociopath who has a total lack of empathy for other people. Watch the video to find out more.

Dem Launches Petition to Force Donald Trump Psychiatric Exam
Breitbart - Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) has launched an online petition to force the Republican Party to submit presidential nominee Donald Trump to a psychiatric evaluation. The petition at Change.org reads, in part: Donald Trump is dangerous for our country. His impulsiveness and lack of control over his own emotions are of concern. It is our patriotic duty to raise the question of his mental stability to be the commander in chief and leader of the free world. Mr. Trump appears to exhibit all the symptoms of the mental disorder Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Mental health professionals need to come forward and urge the Republican party to insist that their nominee has an evaluation to determine his mental fitness for the job. It is entirely possible that some individuals with NPD can successfully function in many careers, but not the Presidency of the United States. We deserve to have the greatest understanding of Mr. Trump’s mental health status before we head to the polls on November 8th, 2016.

Microsoft Pitches Technology That Can Read Facial Expressions at Political Rallies
The Intercept - On the 21st floor of a high-rise hotel in Cleveland, in a room full of political operatives, Microsoft’s Research Division was advertising a technology that could read each facial expression in a massive crowd, analyze the emotions, and report back in real time. “You could use this at a Trump rally,” a sales representative told me…. At one exhibit, titled “Realtime Crowd Insights,” a small camera scanned the room, while a monitor displayed the captured image. Every five seconds, a new image would appear with data annotated for each face — an assigned serial number, gender, estimated age, and any emotions detected in the facial expression. When I approached, the machine labeled me “b2ff” and correctly identified me as a 23-year-old male. It interpreted my facial expression as “neutral,” with a bit of “surprise.”… Microsoft’s sales representatives told me that political campaigns could use the technology to measure the emotional impact of different talking points — and political scientists could use it to study crowd response at rallies.

Energy & Environment

U.S. Navy Sued over Environmental Devastation Expected from Warlike Military Exercises on Mariana Islands
AllGov - Northern Mariana Island conservation groups sued the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense over plans to conduct live-fire exercises on Tinian and Pagan in connection with a planned military buildup on Guam. Part of the larger "pivot to the Pacific," some 5,000 U.S. Marines are slated to be relocated from Okinawa over the next decade and would train on the Mariana Islands to the north using artillery, mortars, rockets, amphibious assaults, attack helicopters and warplanes, and ship-to-shore naval bombardment. Plaintiffs Tinian Island Women Association, Guardians of Gani, Paganwatch and Center for Biological Diversity claim, however, that the Navy violated the National Environmental Policy Act (pdf) by failing to evaluate all the impacts of the their plans in a single initial environmental impact statement. Since the plan to move 5,000 Marines to Guam "triggered" a subsequent need for a training area, both impacts should have been considered in a single statement. Instead, the groups say, the Navy relied on separate, deficient assessments, which rest in turn on the larger matter of national security for their justification.

Science & Technology

Chip-and-PIN credit cards hacked easily, Black Hat conference proves
RT - The new credit card with a chip in it in your wallet ‒ touted as being less vulnerable than the old magnetic swipe version ‒ isn’t as safe as you think. Hackers at Black Hat proved once again the chip-and-PIN cards are not as impenetrable as they seem. It only takes small modifications to equipment to bypass the chip-and-PIN protections and enable unauthorized payments, multiple researchers at the Black Hat convention in Las Vegas, Nevada demonstrated on Wednesday. The new cards, which began rolling out in the US in October 2015, use technology ‒ called Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) ‒ that has long been standard in Europe. It’s designed to prevent the duplication of cards and crack down on cards that have been stolen. The tech works by inserting the chip into a card reader, then entering a personal identification number, or PIN. However, in the US, the financial industry only requires a signature after the chip is read, which is less secure.

U.S. Government To Lift Ban On Part-Human, Part-Animal Embryos
Zero Hedge - From an NPR article published this morning: The federal government announced plans Thursday to lift a moratorium on funding of controversial experiments that use human stem cells to create animal embryos that are partly human. The National Institutes of Health is proposing a new policy to permit scientists to get federal money to make embryos, known as chimeras, under certain carefully monitored conditions. The NIH imposed a moratorium on funding these experiments in September because they could raise ethical concerns. One issue is that scientists might inadvertently create animals that have partly human brains, endowing them with some semblance of human consciousness or human thinking abilities. Another is that they could develop into animals with human sperm and eggs and breed, producing human embryos or fetuses inside animals or hybrid creatures. But scientists have argued that they could take steps to prevent those outcomes and that the embryos provide invaluable tools for medical research. For example, scientists hope to use the embryos to create animal models of human diseases, which could lead to new ways to prevent and treat illnesses. Researchers also hope to produce sheep, pigs and cows with human hearts, kidneys, livers, pancreases and possibly other organs that could be used for transplants. In addition, the NIH would even consider experiments that could create animals with human sperm and human eggs since they may be useful for studying human development and infertility. But in that case steps would have to be taken to prevent the animals from breeding.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Major U.S. Poultry Producer Embraces Use of Antibiotics despite Potential Health Threat
AllGov - In the last couple of years, the poultry industry has sharply reduced its use of antibiotics, responding to concerns among public health officials and regulators about the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But now, one major poultry processor is standing its ground. Sanderson Farms, the country’s third-largest poultry producer, has started an advertising campaign to defend its continued use of antibiotics — and calls its competitors’ efforts in the other direction a “marketing gimmick” aimed at charging higher prices…. Sanderson’s marketing campaign is likely to intensify the already fierce fight over the use of antibiotics in agriculture. Consumers, advocacy groups and corporate customers like McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A have said they will buy only chicken raised without the antibiotics used to treat humans. Those commitments and others have persuaded four of the five large U.S. poultry producers to begin reducing their reliance on antibiotics. But not Sanderson.

Health

FDA Enhances Warnings on Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics
Natural Society - On July 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bolstered the warnings concerning a certain class of antibiotics, called fluoroquinolones, saying they’re too strong for bronchitis, sinus infections, and simple urinary tract infections. Levofloxacin (brand name Levaquin) and ciprofloxacin (brand name Cipro) are both examples of commonly prescribed fluoroquinolones. These drugs are associated with serious and long-lasting side effects. A good friend of mine suffers from permanent neuropathy in her hands as a result of taking Cipro several years ago. The FDA said in a statement: “While these drugs are effective in treating serious bacterial infections, an FDA safety review found that both oral and injectable fluoroquinolones are associated with disabling side effects involving tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and the central nervous system. These side effects can occur hours to weeks after exposure to fluoroquinolones and may potentially be permanent.” Two or more of these side effects can occur together. Fluoroquinolone injuries are so common, in fact, that victims of the antibiotics refer to themselves as “floxies.” The name comes from ciprofloxacin.
 



Thursday - August 4, 2016 - Today In History:

1735 - Freedom of the press was established with an acquittal of John Peter Zenger. The writer of the New York Weekly Journal had been charged with seditious libel by the royal governor of New York. The jury said that "the truth is not libelous."
1753 - George Washington became a Master Mason.
1914 - Britain declared war on Germany. The U.S. proclaimed its neutrality.
1944 - Nazi police raided a house in Amsterdam and arrested eight people. Anne Frank, a teenager at the time, was one of the people arrested. Her diary would be published after her death.
1954 - The uranium rush began in Saskatchewan, Canada.
1972 - Arthur Bremer was found guilty of shooting George Wallace, the governor of Alabama. Bremer was sentenced to 63 years in prison.
1977 - U.S. President Carter signed the measure that established the Department of Energy.
1989 - Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani offered to assist end the hostage crisis in Lebanon.
1990 - The European Community imposed an embargo on oil from Iraq and Kuwait. This was done to protest the Iraqi invasion of the oil-rich Kuwait.
2007 - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft was launched on a space exploration mission of Mars. The Phoenix lander descended on Mars on May 25, 2008.
2009 - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il pardoned two American journalists, who had been arrested and imprisoned for illegal entry earlier in the year.

UN "Blue & Orange" Watch Page

Check out our Blue and Orange Page!!!
 

World News

‘Possible terrorism’: At least 1 dead, 6 injured in London stabbing
RT - A knife-wielding man attacked people at Russell Square, central London, killing one and injuring at least six. Police apprehended the suspect and are investigating the incident as a possible act of terrorism. Police were called in response to an ongoing attack at Russell Square, Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden at 10:33 pm local time, according to the Metropolitan Police. Upon arrival, officers discovered six people with wounds, with one person later dying from her injuries. “Up to six people were found injured at the location,” police said in a statement. “A female (no further details) was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.”.... Police have also notified that they arrested the suspect after one of the officers took him down using a Taser.... “Terrorism is one possibility being explored at this stage,” the official statement added.

Files linking Britain to Israel’s nuclear weapons go missing from National Archives
RT - Official documents on Britain’s relationship with Israel, including papers on “military and nuclear collaboration” in the 1970s, have disappeared from the National Archives in the last four years. More than 400 records have gone missing from the repository in Kew, southwest London, including a 1947 letter from Winston Churchill and a Home Office document on the 1910 Suffragettes “disturbances.” The Archives reassured the public it is following a “robust” plan to find the lost files.... Among them is a Foreign Office file titled ‘Military and nuclear collaboration with Israel: Israeli nuclear armament,’ in which the British government notes Israel’s intention to purchase nuclear weapons.... This is not the only National Archives paper to report on Anglo-Israeli nuclear agreements. A 1958 document, made public by the BBC a decade ago, showed how Britain sold 20 tons of heavy water – one of the ingredients needed to generate plutonium – to Israel, to be used in the country’s top secret Dimona nuclear reactor.... Israel neither admits nor denies its possession of nuclear weapons and has never publicly tested one. It is universally believed to have them, however, but its official secrecy means it is unclear exactly how many.

Archbishop Warns of Muslims’ ‘Will to Conquer’
Breitbart - One of the most important prelates in the Catholic Church in Hungary has warned that the enormous waves of migrants rolling into Europe are due in no small part to a Muslim “will to conquer,” by expanding their territory into the continent.
“Jihad is a principle for Muslims that means they must expand,” said Archbishop Gyula Marfi in an interview Wednesday. “The earth must become dar al-Islam, that is, Islamic territory, by introducing Shariah—Islamic law.” The archbishop of Veszprém said that although there may be other motivations, the conquest of European territory for Islam plays a significant role in the unusual pressure to migrate to Europe…. Beyond the migrants themselves, Marfi said that there has been an economic push, with financial support from Arab banks driving the migration from Muslim lands into Europe. “They do not let them come into Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, but they give them money and incite them to immigrate here,” he said…. Asked about recent declarations from Pope Francis about welcoming migrants in Christ’s name, Marfi said that the Pope had to be careful not to come out strongly against Islamic violence, because otherwise Muslims could take out their revenge on Middle Eastern Christians.

Number of Refugees Fleeing to Europe Soars to 1.3 Million
Truth Revolt - Last year, Europe saw more asylum applicants than in the previous peak years of 1992 and 2002 combined. Last year’s number amounts to about one-tenth of all applications received in the past 30 years in the European Union, Norway and Switzerland. About half of the 1.3 million come from only three countries: Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria – nations that have been devastated by war and conflict…. Since 2012, Germany has been the primary destination country for asylum seekers in Europe, receiving 442,000 asylum applications in just 2015. Measured per capita, Hungary, followed by Sweden and Austria, received the highest numbers of asylum seekers in 2015. In comparison, France and the UK received roughly the same number of applications in 2015 as in years prior to last year’s refugee surge. The number of parent-less children has also notably increased. In 2015, the number increased by 7 percent.

Muslims Interrupt Memorial For Munich Victims, Chant 'Allah'hu Akbar!'
Truth Revolt - German vigil-holders were enraged and confronted the Muslim group, some used profanity. Police attempted to quell the escalation, but understandably those present to pay their respects to the dead were having none of it. Last week an Iranian-German teen named Ali Sonboly lured children to a local MacDonald's where he carried out a massacre. He, too, screamed "Allah'hu Akbar" before opening fire, according to a witness present (who, by the way, identified herself as Muslim). At least nine were killed and 16 were injured. The mainstream media and German authorities have attempted to sell the narrative that Ali was not motivated by Islam, nor was it an act of terrorism. They claim, rather, that the troubled youth suffered from psychiatric disorders.

Syrian refugee in Germany arrested after killing woman in machete attack
Reuters - A 21-year-old Syrian refugee was arrested on Sunday after killing a pregnant woman with a machete in Germany, the fourth violent assault on civilians in western Europe in 10 days, though police said it did not appear linked to terrorism…. German police said they arrested the machete-wielding Syrian asylum-seeker after he killed a woman and injured two other people in the southwestern city of Reutlingen near Stuttgart. The Syrian had been involved in previous incidents causing injuries to others, and had apparently acted alone, a police spokesman said. "Given the current evidence, there is no indication that this was a terrorist attack," a police statement said. "The attacker was completely out of his mind. He even ran after a police car with his machete," the mass-circulation Bid newspaper quoted a witness as saying. A motorist knocked down the attacker soon afterward and he was then taken into custody by police, the witness told Bid. The police spokesman said the man was being interrogated after receiving medical treatment.

France: Water Park to Hold “Burkini” Day: Non-Muslim Swimming Attire BANNED
Paul Joseph Watson - Speed Water Park near Marseille, a city with a Muslim population of around 25 per cent, is advertising a private women only day to take place on Saturday September 10th. Visitors to the water the park on this day will be required to wear one piece swimsuits known as “burkinis” or “bath jilbabs” (pictured above) which cover the entire body, including the head. Responding to pressure from incensed residents, local council officials are attempting to nix the plan, with one possibility being an “administrative closure for security reasons”. Council member Romain Amaro said it was impossible that the event should be allowed to take place “in the current context”. Valérie Boyer, an elected official for the region, also expressed her outrage at the event. The controversy is yet another example of how France is becoming Islamicized even as the country is constantly hit by Islamic terror attacks.

BBC Still Rejecting White Job Applicants
Kit Daniels - The BBC is still recruiting job applicants based on skin color, despite the controversy over its hiring practices that erupted earlier this year. A job advertisement posted on July 29 states, in no uncertain terms, that the “Creative Access” position is “only open to UK nationals from a black, Asian or non-white ethnic minority.” Additionally, the website for Creative Access attempts to justify the racial discrimination by claiming that “media cannot reflect society, if society is not reflected in the media.” In other words, the BBC wants to reflect racism in society rather than disavow it. Just imagine the backlash if the mainstream media discovered a company hiring “whites only:” thousands of reporters would condemn the company until it goes completely under.

Israeli policeman caught on video taking crying eight-year-old Palestinian girl's bike and throwing it in bushes
The Independent - The footage, released by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, shows an officer running over to the girl as she plays in the street with her siblings in Hebron. She is seen screaming and dropping her bicycle, which the armed officer then proceeds to step on as she starts to cry. The girl then runs away as the police officer shouts at her, while holding his gun. His colleague proceeds to pick up the bicycle and throw it in nearby bushes.... She had been riding her bicycle on the paved part of a road leading up to the Tomb of the Patriarchs/ Ibrahimi Mosque holy site, which is restricted for use by Jewish settlers and Israelis while Palestinians are ordered to use an unsurfaced pathway on the other side of a fence.... Tensions frequently boil over into violent protests around Hebron's contested Old City, where there is a heavily guarded Israeli settlement. Hebron has been the site of massacres of both Muslims and Jews, and has seen several attacks by Palestinians – who have been shot dead by security forces - during a wave of intensified violence that started last year. The conduct of Israeli forces came under scrutiny in March after a soldier was filmed shooting a disarmed Palestinian man in the head as he lay injured on the ground following an attempted stabbing.

Zika Virus News

Is Zika Outbreak Blowback From the Release of GM Mosquitoes? “Nature Finds A Way”
Brandon Turbeville - Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Zika went from its first discovered case in 1947 and sporadic appearances up until last year, the virus is now in outbreak stage with WHO officials concerned that it may become a pandemic. World health researchers seem perplexed as to the genesis of the virus or at least, the sudden appearance and rapid spread of it in 2015. Claire Bernish of The Anti-Media points out one possibility: When examining a rapidly expanding potential pandemic, it’s necessary to leave no stone unturned so possible solutions, as well as future prevention, will be as effective as possible. In that vein, there was another significant development in 2015. Oxitec first unveiled its large-scale, genetically-modified mosquito farm in Brazil in July 2012, with the goal of reducing “the incidence of dengue fever,” as The Disease Daily reported. Dengue fever is spread by the same Aedes mosquitoes which spread the Zika virus — and though they “cannot fly more than 400 meters,” WHO stated, “it may inadvertently be transported by humans from one place to another.” By July 2015, shortly after the GM mosquitoes were first released into the wild in Juazeiro, Brazil, Oxitec proudly announced they had “successfully controlled the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads dengue fever, chikungunya and zika virus, by reducing the target population by more than 90%.”Though that might sound like an astounding success — and, arguably, it was — there is an alarming possibility to consider…. The mosquitoes that were released by Oxitec OX513A, were genetically engineered to need the presence of tetracycline in order to survive to maturity. Outside of the presence of tetracycline, they die…. There is a massive problem with this program, however, most notably, the fact that the presence of tetracycline in the environment is not as rare as one might suspect. Particularly in a place like Brazil.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Report: Obama Admin Airlifted $400,000,000 to Iran as Americans Freed…
Breitbart - Seemingly violating the claim that America doesn’t negotiate with terrorists and hostage takers, reports have revealed that the Obama administration organized an airlift to transport $400 million in cash to Tehran which coincided with the January release of four Americans taken prisoner by Iran. Reports say wooden pallets stacked with a variety of currencies were loaded onto an unmarked cargo plane and flown to Iran. American officials procured the money from banks in Switzerland and the Netherlands, according to the The Wall Street Journal report. The money was purportedly only the first installment of a $1.7 billion deal the Obama administration reached with Iran over an arms deal brokered with the Shah of Iran just before the Mullah’s took over in 1979. But the payments also came just as Iran was releasing Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari in January of this year. The administration returned seven Iranian prisoners in exchange for the release of the Americans. Obama also dropped extradition proceedings against another 14 Iranians as part of the deal…. However, no mention was made of the secret transfer of $400 million in cash to Iran until now. The Obama administration has now denied that the amazing amount of cash had anything to do with the hostage release agreement.

D.C. Area Transit Cop Busted for Supporting Islamic State
Breitbart - The accused, a 36-year-old transit police officer in Washington, D.C. named Nicholas Young, was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, according to the Washington Post. Young was caught in an FBI sting operation, in which an undercover operative for the Joint Terrorism Task Force convinced him to provide “codes for mobile messaging cards that Young believed would be used by Islamic State fighters overseas to communicate,” as the Washington Post reports. NBC News more specifically details that Young attempted to buy 22 mobile messaging gift cards for ISIS. He had a total of 20 meetings with an FBI informant who was posing as an Islamic State fighter.... Wiedefeld also notified his colleagues that Young was fired, “effective immediately.”.... Young has been working for the D.C. Metro police since 2003 despite being monitored by the FBI since 2010, and traveling to Libya twice in 2011 to fight alongside rebel forces against the regime of Moammar Qaddafi.

Chicago: ‘Deadliest July in 10 Years’ — Gun Control Haven
Breitbart - July 2016 was the “deadliest July in 10 years” for heavily gun-controlled Chicago: Sixty-five individuals were shot and killed. Moreover, according to the Chicago Tribune, such death figures do not set a new record — they simply tie a record set in 2006, when 65 individuals were killed in the month of July. This brings Chicago’s homicide total to “nearly 400” for the first seven months of 2016 alone. The number of homicides for the whole year of 2015 was 490…. These shootings come in spite of the city’s “assault weapons” ban, “violence tax,” strict rules on acquiring handguns, and micro-management of the number of gun stores in the city, as well as of the locations of those stores.

Election News

TRUMP ON TOP in Latest USC-LA Times Daybreak Tracking Poll – But It Gets Even Better…
The Gateway Pundit - The poll is weighted to match demographics from the 2012 election. Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton 45.3 to 43.7 in the latest USC-LA Times Daybreak tracking poll. Donald Trump shattered the previous GOP primary record by 1.4 million votes this year — and that was with 17 candidates in the race! Hillary Clinton received 1.5 million fewer votes this year than she did in 2008 – when she lost! Trump continues to sell out venue after venue. Hillary can’t fill a high school gymnasium this week without hauling in high school kids to sit in the stands.

Exclusive: Khizr Khan Founded Islamic Journal to Defend Sharia Law
Wayne Madsen - Khizr Khan, the Muslim immigrant lawyer from Pakistan who arrived in America by way of Dubai and pulled at the heart strings of viewers of the Democratic National Convention by regaling the audience with the story of the loss of his son in Iraq, Army Captain Humayun Khan, told his son’s story but skipped over his own. Khizr Khan entered the United States in 1980 from Dubai to attend Harvard Law School. That year saw the Central Intelligence Agency ramp up its operations in Pakistan in support of the Afghan mujaheddin against the Soviets. The Pakistan operation was shepherded by national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, currently an outspoken opponent of Donald Trump and a bitter foe of Russia…. Khan specializes in international trade law for Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. As anyone familiar with these countries knows, trade law for both countries involves the traditional Muslim bribe, the baksheesh, which, depending on the value of the deal, can involve millions of dollars. These deals are very familiar to Trump, who could have strengthened his argument against Khan by revealing the “Gold Star father’s” specialty in the “art of the bribe.” Khan co-founded the Journal of Contemporary Issues in Muslim Law, an academic periodical that seeks to defend the arcane Sharia law to a legal system based on Western jurisprudence. Of course, Sharia law justifies the execution of gays, prostitutes, blasphemers, and Muslim “apostates” who convert to other religions.

America’s Electronic Voting Machines Are Scarily Easy Targets
Wired - The extent of vulnerability isn’t just hypothetical; late last summer, Virginia decertified thousands of insecure WinVote machines. As one security researcher described it, “anyone within a half mile could have modified every vote, undetected” without “any technical expertise.” The vendor had gone out of business years prior.... The worst part about the current state of voting machines is that they don’t even require outside interference to undo an election.... “It’s impossible to have a perfectly secure, perfectly reliable computer.” That’s true, but in fairness, most computers aren’t quite this imperfect, either.... So electronic voting machines aren’t ideal. The good news is, it’s entirely possible to mitigate any potential harm they might cause, either by malice or mistake.... Three-quarters of the country will vote on a paper ballot this fall, says Pamela Smith, president of Verified Voting, a group that promotes best practices at the polls. Only five states—Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and New Jersey—use “direct recording electronic” (DRE) machines exclusively.... More than half of the states conduct post-election auditing, by checking vote totals against paper records, to ensure that the votes are accurate.... The problem is that not every state does post-election audits. And even some that require them by law, namely Pennsylvania and Kentucky, don’t actually use voter-verifiable paper trails, meaning they have no way to complete an audit.

MASSIVE LINES to See DONALD TRUMP in Daytona, Florida (Video)
The Gateway Pundit - Right Side Broadcasting has video from the Donald J. Trump for President town hall event in Daytona Beach, FL at the Ocean Center.

Media Exaggerates Size of Crowd at Hillary Clinton Rally
Truth Revolt - A reporter from the Washington Post tweeted a picture of a Hillary Clinton rally describing, “Big boisterous crowd here in Omaha for Hillary Clinton and Warren Buffet.” But another attendee posted an image that painted a much different picture…. Are you reporting on the 50 people who showed up to Hillary rally in Omaha today?

Funny Trump Ad Turns Hillary into Email-Eating Pac-Man (Video)
Mikael Thalen - The latest campaign ad released by Donald Trump Wednesday features political rival Hillary Clinton destroying emails in the style of 80’s video game icon Pac-Man. “Crooked Hillary is a lot like Ms. Pac-Man—she’ll keep going and going and going until she’s cornered and caught! #‎MakeAmericaGreatAgain,” Trump’s Facebook page wrote. The video shows Clinton devouring emails while evading FBI agents before finally being caught. Before being apprehended, Clinton is able to successfully destroy 30,000 emails – an obvious jab at the 30,000 deleted by the former secretary of state. The video, which has been viewed more than a quarter-million times since its publication, is one of several released by the Trump campaign that aims to use popular culture against Clinton. A similar video released in July used the extremely popular “Pokémon Go” cell phone game to target Clinton as well. Entitled “Crookéd Hillary No,” the video has been viewed more than 12 million times to date.

Iowa Parade Float Depicts Crooked Hillary in Orange Jump Suit in Jail
The Gateway Pundit - BEST. FLOAT. EVER. Iowa parade goers were treated to a depiction of Hillary Clinton in jail. Kyle Julin. of Manilla, pulls his Hillary Clinton-masked friend Adam Corky, of Odeboldt, through the parade during the Arcadia Fire Department’s 100th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday. The group received both accolades and criticisms for handing out water ballons to throw at the candidate.

Economy & Business

Goldman Fined 0.1% Of Revenue For "Criminal Theft" Of Confidential Fed Information
Zero Hedge - ... the Fed announced that Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $36.3 million to settle allegations by the Federal Reserve that it obtained and used confidential regulatory materials from the central bank two years ago. This amounts to 0.1% of the firm's 2015 revenue of $33.8 billion.... The Fed also found that "a Firm employee engaged in the criminal theft of confidential supervisory information of the Board of Governors and other banking regulators, and disseminated such information to multiple employees within the Firm; ".... As a reminder, the person who originally obtained the secrets was former NY Fed employee, Rohit Bansal, who had since moved to work to Goldman from where he was in 2014 and whom the Fed also banned permanently from the banking industry last November. Bansal received the documents from Jason Gross, a former co-worker at the NY Fed. Gross was also fired and sentenced in court after pleading guilty to the charges. He was fined $2,000 and sentenced to a year of probation with 200 hours of community service.

Health

Can Gluten Cause Depression?
Natural Blaze - Gluten is a complex two-part protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and spelt. The two different proteins that comprise gluten are called glutelin and gliadin. Breads, cereals, and baked goods are obvious sources of gluten (unless they are labeled gluten-free), but they aren’t the only foods that contain the protein – it can be found in many items, even those you wouldn’t expect. People who have celiac disease, a chronic autoimmune/inflammatory disorder, must avoid the consumption of gluten. Celiac disease originates in the gut, but affects the entire body when untreated. In people with celiac disease, the villi of the small intestine are damaged when gluten is consumed. When a person with celiac disease continues to eat gluten, serious health problems can develop, including neurological conditions, osteoporosis, other autoimmune disorders – and depression…. The intestinal damage gluten causes in people with celiac disease prevents absorption of essential nutrients that keep the brain healthy, especially zinc, tryptophan, and the B vitamins. These nutrients are necessary for the production of essential chemicals in the brain such as serotonin, a deficiency of which has been linked to depression.

What Is Oil Pulling?
Dr. Mercola - The history of oil pulling dates back nearly 3,000 years. Before modern medicine, elders in India developed Ayurveda, a form of mind-body health system. The basic tenet of Ayurveda is that when balanced, your body has amazing powers to heal itself. Practitioners recommend you provide your body support through a healthy diet, adequate sleep, reduced stress, strong digestive process and living in tune with your natural constitution. One of the practices of Ayurveda is oil pulling, or the act of swishing and rinsing your mouth with oil. Oil pulling has been used in traditional Indian folk remedies to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, bleeding gums and to strengthen your teeth and gums…. Oil pulling is an effective mechanical method of cleansing your teeth and the smallest crevices along your molars that the bristles of your brush cannot reach. Your dentist may have recommended using sealants on your teeth to help prevent decay from forming in these tiny areas. In the past, popular oils for pulling were sesame and sunflower oils. However, those are high in omega-6 fats, which you likely get enough of each day. Cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil is my oil of choice for a couple of reasons…. Coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid found to inhibit Streptococcus mutans, the chief bacteria responsible for cavities. Coconut oil also protects against yeast infections in the mouth, generally referred to as thrush. This condition is more common if your immune system is compromised, or may be experienced by infants and nursing mothers.

Pet News

Meet the Man Who Almost Died Four Times Saving Over 1,000 Dogs From Torture
The Anti-Media - [WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT] Marc Ching recently made headlines — and amassed a large, supportive following — for his multi-country trips to Asia, where he rescues dogs who have been subjected to torture. Anti-Media recently met with Ching at his non-profit Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation just north of Los Angeles in Sherman Oaks, California, where he helps rehabilitate the tortured dogs he rescues, as well as other local victims of animal cruelty. He also runs The PetStaurant next door, which offers organic foods and homeopathic treatments for pets. Ching, who is currently on his eighth trip to rescue dogs and just shut down his seventh slaughterhouse, spoke with us recently about the heartbreaking experience he has had while going undercover in China and elsewhere — and how his ragtag rescue operation is changing the fate of countless suffering dogs…. His emphasis on education extends to the global community, which he believes is vital to stopping the practice: “There’s a lot of people who close their eyes to what they see, or can’t watch, or can’t look at the pictures, but then you enable [the slaughterhouses] to keep doing what they’re doing. If all the people shared and talked to other people about what’s happening, one million grows to 100 million, and without that pressure, nothing changes. That is how people can help more than anything.” “Another good way,” he adds, “is [people] can adopt a dog from us.” This not only rescues the dog, but also allows its new owner to act as an ambassador and inform others of the efforts to save other dogs…. Visit his website here for more information on how to support him or adopt a dog.

Humor/Satire

VIDEO: Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?
 



Wednesday - August 3, 2016 - Today In History:

1492 - Christopher Columbus left Palos, Spain with three ships. The voyage led him to what is now known as the Americas. He reached the Bahamas on October 12.
1777 - During the Siege of Fort Stanwix the first U.S. flag was officially flown during battle.
1914 - Germany declared war on France. The next day World War I began when Britain declared war on Germany.
1923 - Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th president of the U.S. after the sudden death of President Harding.
1933 - The Mickey Mouse Watch was introduced for the price of $2.75.
1936 - The U.S. State Department advised Americans to leave Spain due to the Spanish Civil War.
1943 - Gen. George S. Patton verbally abused and slapped a private. Later, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered him to apologize for the incident.
1956 - Bedloe's Island had its name changed to Liberty Island.
1988 - The Iran-Contra hearings ended. No ties were made between U.S. President Reagan and the Nicaraguan Rebels.
1992 - The U.S. Senate voted to restrict and eventually end the testing of nuclear weapons.
1995 - Eyad Ismoil was flown from Jordan to the U.S. to face charges that he had driven the van that blew up in New York's World Trade Center.
2004 - In New York, the Statue of Liberty re-opened to the public. The site had been closed since the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001.
2004 - NASA launched the spacecraft Messenger. The 6 1/2 year journey was planned to arrive at the planet Mercury in March 2011. On April 30, 2015, Messenger crashed into the surface of Mercury after sending back more than 270,000 pictures.
2009 - Bolivia became the first South American country to declare the right of indigenous people to govern themselves.

World News

China Prepares For War As Navy Conducts Massive Military Exercise
Zero Hedge - China further substantiated its displeasure with last month’s international tribunal ruling on the East China Sea according to which the country has no claim over the disputed territory, by holding a large-scale “live ammunition” drill in the East China Sea, which involved hundreds of ships and submarines from all three fleets of the People’s Liberation Army. The exercise involving China’s East Sea, North Sea and South Sea fleets practiced both offensive and defensive capabilities of the Chinese naval power. The exercise mobilized some 300 ships, dozens of fighter planes, and involved troops that are responsible for coastal defense radars, communications, and electronic warfare defense, daily newspaper The China Times reported…. China’s Defense Ministry called the drills “routine” and not directed against any third party. The drills, however, comes at a time of heightened tensions in East Asia after an international arbitration tribunal last month rejected Chinese territorial claims to the South China Sea. Beijing rejected the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague calling the ruling “waste paper.”

'Unintentional Consequences': Japan Warns of Chinese Aggression in Pacific
Sputnik News - Entitled "Defense of Japan 2016," the new report outlines Tokyo’s defense priorities for the coming year, and chief among its concerns is China’s growth in the Pacific. "There has…been a noticeable trend among neighboring countries to modernize and reinforce their military capabilities and to intensify their military activities," the report reads. In particular, it points to Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea, "where the Hague-based Court of Arbitration recently ruled against China’s territorial claims. Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling as valid, and aims to follow through with its land reclamation projects in the region. The Chinese Defense Ministry has criticized the report for hyping an already tense situation. "China’s military is extremely dissatisfied with this and resolutely opposed to it," it said in a statement. The United States and its Pacific allies, including Japan, have expressed concern over Beijing’s construction of artificial island in the South China Sea, claiming they will used to establish an air defense zone. China maintains it has every right to build within its own territory and that the islands will be used primarily for humanitarian purposes. The Pentagon has carried out a number of aggressive naval and air force patrols near these projects, and vows to continue to do so in the wake of the Hague ruling. Washington has also conducted joint military exercises with regional partners, including Japan, which has rolled back key provisions of its pacifist constitution,” the 2015 report read.

North Korea Reportedly Launches Ballistic Missile Towards Sea of Japan
Sputnik News - The missile was launched from the North Korean province of Hwanghae-Namdo toward the Sea of Japan, Yonhap news agency reports, citing the South Korean military. Pyongyang has launched a number of missiles in recent months, and also conducted nuclear tests. Both have been condemned by the international community, including Russia, China, the United States, and the United Nations. Harsh new sanctions have been implemented against the country. The DPRK claims to have developed a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could, theoretically, be launched with an intercontinental missile. The United States has used these tests as justification for the installation of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the peninsula, despite criticism from both China and Russia that the battery threatens their own national security.

Czech President Calls For Arming Citizens to Defend Against Terrorism
Paul Joseph Watson - Having previously been against private gun ownership, Zeman now says “citizens should arm themselves” to deal with the threat of terrorism…. Zeman also called for a fence to be built along the country’s border “if there were a large inflow of illegal migrants,” while also urging failed asylum seekers to be deported more quickly. The Czech Republic is not the only European country in which demand for firearms has seen a resurgence since the spate of terror attacks and migrant crime waves over the last year. As we reported last month, a councilor in southern France wrote about how residents of his town were gearing up for civil war by joining gun clubs, which memberships having quadrupled in the last few months alone. Meanwhile in Germany, which has been hit with several terror attacks over the last 2 weeks as well as the mass molestation of women by migrants in Cologne and Hamburg on New Year’s Eve, self-defense weapons are also flying off the shelves…. Contrast this to the situation in the United Kingdom, where citizens are being told they should “run away as far as possible” if Islamic State terrorists launch an attack on London.

Dozens of French towns to arm local police as mayor says non-lethal weapons not enough
RT - The Pau mayor has decided to give guns to some 35 municipal police officers. Bayrou noted that 75 percent of those who will be given the arms “were either in the police or in the national police or in the army, and are therefore trained in handling the weapons.” All the officers are required to undergo 57 hours of training to obtain authorization…. As things stand, of the approximately 20,000 municipal French police, “fewer than half are armed,” Cedric Michel, the national president of the municipal police defence union (SDPM), told Le Figaro last month. In June, France relaxed gun rules for its police force, allowing officers to carry firearms while off-duty. The policy change came just days after a police couple was murdered by a jihadist in a Paris suburb. France is currently under a state of emergency, first declared by President Francois Hollande hours after the Paris attacks in November last year. It was renewed for the fourth time following the Nice attack last month.

France closed 20 mosques, prayer halls since December
RT - French authorities have closed around 20 mosques and prayer halls considered to be preaching radical Islam since December, according to the country's interior minister. He went on to promise that “there will be others.” There is no place...in France for those who call for and incite hatred in prayer halls or in mosques, and who don't respect certain republican principles, notably equality between men and women," Bernard Cazeneuve said following a meeting with leaders of the French Council of the Muslim Religion on Monday, as quoted by AFP. "That is why I took the decision a few months ago to close mosques through the state of emergency, legal measures or administrative measures. About 20 mosques have been closed, and there will be others,” he continued.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

FBI Agent Caught Spying For China Draws Comparisons to Hillary
Clifford Cunningham - Kun Shan Chun, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Guangdong, China, was accused of collecting highly sensitive information from his post as an electronic technician at the FBI’s Manhattan Field Office and transmitting it to Chinese businesses and government officials. According to prosecutors, Chun used his work computer to downloaded an FBI organizational chart in 2013, which he provided to the Chinese. In addition, Chun took photographs of documents that provided details about “multiple surveillance technologies used by the FBI” and forwarded them to a Chinese government official. While the exact cause of their initial suspicion remains unclear, an FBI agent posing as a Chinese-born American citizen contracted with the Defense Department approached Chun and expressed interest in passing sensitive information to the Chinese government. Officials at the Justice Department claimed that Chun and some of his relatives had maintained relationships with several Chinese businessmen affiliated with the technology manufacturing company Zhuhai Kolion, as well as with at least one government official…. The idea that a relatively low-level FBI employee would be arrested for providing sensitive information to the Communist Chinese government while a high-ranking Chinese agent like Hillary Clinton is allowed to continue running for President of the United States is not surprising. Hillary Clinton reportedly met Chinese billionaire Wang Wenliang during a fundraiser at her Washington D.C. home in September 2013. Barely a month later, Wenliang made a $500,000 donation to the Clinton Foundation; ultimately, he would give a total of $2 million to the foundation.

The ATF Is Illegally Hoarding American Gun Owners’ Personal Information
Daily Caller - The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the go-to federal oversight agency, conducted an audit of ATF [The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] and found it does not remove certain identifiable information, despite the law explicitly mandating it do so. GAO conducted reviews for four data systems, and concluded at least two of ATF’s systems violated official protocols. One of the data-collecting systems called Multiple Sales (MS) requires that multiple firearms purchased at once must be reported to ATF by the federal firearms licensee (FFL). ATF policy requires that the bureau internally removes particular data from multiple gun sales reports after two years if the firearm has not been traced to criminal activity. GAO found that ATF does not adhere to its own policy. In fact, “until May 2016, MS contained over 10,000 names that were not consistently deleted within the required 2 years.”

Texas allows guns in college classrooms under new law
Reuters - A new law went into effect in Texas on Monday that allows certain students to bring guns into classrooms, with supporters saying it could prevent mass shootings and critics saying the measure will endanger safety on campuses. The so-called state "campus carry" law allows people 21 and older with a concealed handgun license to carry pistols in classrooms and buildings throughout public colleges, including the University of Texas system, one of the nation's largest with an enrollment of more than 214,000 students…. Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican who supports campus carry, said a gunman could already bring a firearm on to campus, and the law could prevent mass shootings because someone with a licensed concealed weapon could be ready to confront a gunman.

Election News

Trump Refuses to Support Republicans John McCain, Kelly Ayotte
Breitbart - Republican nominee Donald Trump refused to endorse Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), who are both up for reelection this year. “I’ve never been there with John McCain because I’ve always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets,” Trump told the Washington Post on Tuesday. “He has not done a good job for the vets and I’ve always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets. So I’ve always had a difficult time with John for that reason, because our vets are not being treated properly. They’re not being treated fairly.” Trump told the Post that Ayotte was weak and disloyal. “New Hampshire is one of my favorite places,” Trump stated about Ayotte’s state — Trump’s first primary victory where he won big. “You have a Kelly Ayotte who doesn’t want to talk about Trump, but I’m beating her in the polls by a lot. You tell me. Are these people that should be representing us, okay? You tell me.”

Trump Says It's Time To Sell Stocks, Warns Of "Very Scary Scenarios" For Investors
Zero Hedge - Presidential candidates worry about how the stock market might affect their political outcomes. The reason for this is that historically, the market performance in the three months leading up to a Presidential Election has displayed an uncanny ability to forecast who will win the White House… the incumbent party or the challenger. Since 1928, there have been 22 Presidential Elections. In 14 of them, the S&P 500 climbed during the three months preceding election day. The incumbent President or party won in 12 of those 14 instances. However, in 7 of the 8 elections where the S&P 500 fell over that three month period, the incumbent party lost. There are only three exceptions to this correlation: 1956, 1968, and 1980. Statistically, the market has an 86.4% success rate in forecasting the election!… Clearly, a rising stock market indicates an "improving economy", something Obama has pointed out so many times in the past several years, which means rising confidence and increases the chances of the incumbent party’s re-election…. Well, we are now almost exactly three months away from the November 8 election, and if Trump wants to really boost his chances, a market crash right now would be certainly most welcome by his campaign. That may be why Trump on Tuesday urged his supporters holding 401-(k) to get out of equities as interest rates set by the Federal Reserve are inflating the stock market. “I did invest and I got out, and it was actually very good timing,” the Republican presidential nominee said in a phone interview with Fox Business. “But I’ve never been a big investor in the stock market.” “Interest rates are artificially low,” Trump said. “The only reason the stock market is where it is is because you get free money.” Trump also warned of "very scary scenarios" ahead for investors.

Trump Says Fracking Bans Should Be Left To Local Voters
Daily Caller - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he personally supports hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, yet believes drilling should be up to local voters to decide. “Well, I’m in favor of fracking, but voters should have a big say in it. Some areas maybe they don’t want to have fracking. And I think if the voters are voting for it, that’s up to them,” Trump told reporters Friday while at a campaign stop in Colorado. “Fracking is something that we need. Fracking is something that’s here whether we like it or not, but if a municipality or a state wants to ban fracking, I can understand that,” the real estate mogul turned presidential nominee added. Trump’s position may not go over well in a state like Colorado, where energy groups and others have criticized municipalities in the state for putting the legality of fracking up to a popular vote. It may also run smack dab against a recent court ruling prohibiting municipalities and local areas from outright banning or restricting natural gas development.

Senior Democratic National Committee officials resign - DNC
Reuters - Three senior officials with the Democratic National Committee have resigned, the DNC said on Tuesday, amid a shake-up following a hack of thousands of emails that embarrassed the party just as it staged its national convention last week. The resignations of DNC Chief Executive Officer Amy Dacey, Communications Director Luis Miranda and Chief Financial Officer Brad Marshall were announced by interim Chairwoman Donna Brazile. Brazile, who took over the role after Debbie Wasserman Schultz stepped down last week, did not mention the hacks or give a reason for the resignations in a statement on the reorganization, but cast the changes as looking ahead to the U.S. general election on Nov. 8. The hack on the DNC emails stirred discord at the start of the party's convention in Philadelphia where Hillary Clinton formally accepted her party's presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election.

Veteran News

Court Denies Sea-Based Vietnam Vets’ Claim against VA over Agent Orange Disease Benefits
AllGov - The D.C. Circuit upheld the dismissal of "blue water" Vietnam veterans' claim that the Department of Veterans Affairs wrongly refused to compensate them for injuries caused by Agent Orange exposure. The U.S. military used Agent Orange as a defoliant to clear forested areas throughout the Vietnam War, and thousands of soldiers were exposed to the herbicide mixture. A list of potential health consequences posted on the VA's website notes that exposure can lead to increased rates of acute leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, throat cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, Ischemic heart disease, soft tissue sarcoma and liver cancer. Exposure to Agent Orange was so prevalent that Congress eventually recognized the long-term health effects of the chemical and passed the Agent Orange Act of 1991, which creates a presumption that veterans who served between 1962 and 1975 were exposed. If these veterans develop diseases linked to Agent Orange, they can receive disability compensation without proving they were exposed to the herbicide. However, the VA does not offer such benefits to veterans who served on ships offshore, never set foot on Vietnamese soil, or served on ships that entered inland waterways. Instead, these "blue-water" veterans must prove exposure on a case-by-case basis. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association unsuccessfully challenged the distinction in a 2015 lawsuit…. On Friday, the blue-water veterans lost their appeal of the dismissal of their case. D.C. Circuit Judge Thomas B. Griffith acknowledged that proving individual exposure is "an extremely difficult task," but insisted that his hands were tied.

Economy & Business

Seattle $15 Minimum Wage Hurts Workers & Gov’t Budgets
Breitbart - Although the City of Seattle launched the “$15 For All” minimum wage movement in 2014 to help the poor and cut government welfare spending, new research reveals that the minimum wage increases unemployment and causes welfare spending to spike higher. The Democratic Party’s platform “justified” raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, not only as a humanitarian effort to help low wage workers, but also supposedly to help cut the $1 trillion federal, state and local government welfare budget. According to the Employment Policy Institute, each $1 increase for the minimum wage will shrink government welfare spending by $155 a month because of the “means-testing” requirements of the Earned Income Tax Credit, the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit; the SNAP food stamp program; the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program; Medicaid; and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program cash assistance programs.

Energy & Environment

Criminal investigation into Gold King spill confirmed; EPA’s tab reaches $29M
Denver Post - Federal authorities have confirmed for the first time that a criminal investigation into the 2015 Gold King Mine spill is underway, saying their probe involves the U.S. Attorney’s Office and came at the request of members of Congress. The announcement Monday came from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) as it released letters sent to lawmakers about the status of its work to analyze the disaster. Documents reviewed by The Denver Post on Monday indicate the probe has been in progress for nearly a year. Jeffrey Lagda, spokesman for the inspector general’s office, said the OIG is working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the criminal investigation. It was “based on requests from several members of the House and Senate,” he added…. The spill sent more than 880,000 pounds of metals cascading through three states and American Indian land. The U.S. Department of Interior, which conducted an independent investigation of the Gold King disaster on the behest of the EPA, found the spill was preventable. Also Monday, the EPA released a 23-page retrospective report on the Gold King and its efforts since the incident to restore and protect impacted communities. The agency said that as of July 15 it has dedicated $29 million in response efforts and for continued water quality monitoring.

Science & Technology

Get off my lawn: New Jersey man sues Pokemon game creators over players on his property
RT - Augmented-reality game Pokémon Go has motivated millions of its players to hunt for pocket monsters in diverse and sometimes dangerous places, but more often than not, on private properties. Now a man is suing the company for the players present in his yard. A New Jersey man is taking Niantic Labs, Nintendo and The Pokémon Co. to California’s federal court to keep Pokémon hunters off his lawn. Jeffrey Marder, of West Orange, claims that the companies have created a source of public nuisance by encouraging players to trespass on private property…. Strangers have been turning up near his property ever since the game hit the virtual shelves last month, Marder claims. At least five of the most polite Pokémon chasers even knocked on his door, looking for a permission to catch a cyber creature allegedly hanging out in his backyard…. The lawsuit filed on Friday asserts that the game that uses GPS coordinates distributes Pokémons, Pockestops – shops – and gyms, where gamers can train their monsters, next to or at private properties without owners’ consent…. The game has been banned in several countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia while some other countries, such as Spain, Britain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Japan and others issued safety warnings for Pokémon Go enthusiasts. Two teenagers were shot at on a street in the town of Chiquimula, Guatemala, at the end of July while playing this utmost addictive game. One of the teens, aged 18, died in hospital while the other one suffered severe wounds.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Japan Halts U.S. White Wheat Purchases Until GMO Test is Created
Natural Blaze - New purchases of Western white wheat have been halted in Japan until some type of validated test can ensure that no GMOs are present in U.S. wheat exports. This news unsurprisingly follows U.S. reports of a third incidence of GMO wheat contamination in the Pacific Northwest. Contrary to popular belief, wheat containing GMOs are not approved for the U.S. commercial market…. White wheat is a crossbreed from other varieties that has a milder taste and color, making it ideal for giving a refined feel while keeping the “whole grain” so to speak. It is popular in Australia and Asia. With declining wheat sales in the U.S., this Pacific Northwest breed is important to farmers who have a market in Asia. This incident is another example of how the carelessness of Monsanto is devastating not only to human health and the environment, but also to farmers and the U.S. economy.

Health

Candy-Flavored Meth For Kids Approved By FDA, Despite Side Effects Like Heart Attacks
Natural Blaze - An FDA-approved, candy-flavored amphetamine is to be used to treat children six or older that have been diagnosed with ADHD. The label itself says that the drug has a “high potential for abuse and dependence,” which is not something most parents want their children to be consuming daily. Active ingredients in the drug itself make it addicting, but the sweet, candy-flavored gummies only serve to keep kids wanting more. Many healthcare professionals are concerned about possible addiction-forming that could follow the children into adulthood, but that hasn’t stopped Neos Therapeutics from producing the drug. The Dallas-based pharmaceutical company is pushing forward with Adzenys XR-ODT, the name give to this new form of meth. The CEO of the company, Vipin Garg, “launching now at full speed”—pun intended—in an effort to get “ahead of back-to-school season.”… While lawmakers are attempting to ban cannabis edibles that resemble sweet treats, the government is continuing to push these addicting gummy drugs because it can actually be controlled and turn out a profit…. To top it all off, the side effects of these drugs range from mild to sudden death, which has apparently happened in adults…. Other side effects include fever, hair loss, hallucinations, psychotic episodes, strokes, and dangerously high blood pressure, meaning that there are no benefits for children in taking this drug over Adderall, which may have the same active ingredients but at least it doesn’t taste like candy.

Cannabis Oil Cures 3 Year Old Boy Of Cancer After Doctors Gave Him 48 Hours To Live
Natural Blaze - A young boy named Landon Riddle was diagnosed with Leukemia, and was told by his doctors that he only had an 8-10% chance of living for more than a day or two. “His whole chest was full of leukemia tumors, which is why he couldn’t breathe. They started him on chemo, but told us that he probably wasn’t going to make it,” his mother, Sierra Riddle said. After two months of Chemotherapy, Landon became sick and would refuse to eat. According to his mother, he would vomit up to 50 times a day, and the doctors eventually lost hope, seeing no other solution than Chemotherapy. Then one day, Landon’s grandmother suggested that they look into cannabis oil treatment. “We discussed all of our concerns with his medical team in Utah and watched Landon continue to suffer and wither away as the piled on drug after drug. Then my mother came across cannabis oil online,”…. The family then fled the state of Utah for Colorado, where cannabis oil treatment was legal. In just days, Landon began vomiting less and less each day and finally began to eat…. Now, Landon’s cancer is in remission.

Echinacea Helps With Anxiety and These 22 Other Issues
Natural Blaze - … the following are research-based demonstrations of echinacea’s benefits in lab settings, and not just anecdotal testimonials or website rehashings. Echinacea may help with more issues than are included below, but we’ve included only those claims that have studies…. Anxiety – Echinacea is currently being recognized in health magazines for its effects on anxiety; however, more research is anticipated…. Yeast Infections (Candida)… Swine and Avian Flu – The research suggest that this herb is more effective when it has direct contact with the virus prior to infection but that echinacea continues to act as an antiviral agent even after the person is infected…. Common Cold – Several studies have confirmed its benefits in regards to the common cold, including the fact that those treated with echinacea saw their symptoms alleviated more rapidly…. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) – Echinacea reduces the latency rate in herpes – keeps it from going dormant so you can continue to treat it…. Influenza – Echinacea has been shown to eliminate the symptoms and treat the pathology of certain influenza strains…. Leukopenia (low white blood cell count) – Research has revealed that echinacea induces an immune response by virtue of increasing white cell counts, improving erythrocyte anti-oxidant defenses and altered expression of leucocyte hsp70. The increase of white cell counts holds particular promise for individuals suffering from leukopenia as a result of chemotherapy….

Pet News

Older Kitties Love It When You Do These Things, Even If They Won't Show It
Dr. Becker - At around age 10, your cat is considered a senior, has likely started to slow down a bit, and may be showing other subtle signs of aging . A kitty at 16 is comparable to an 80 year-old human. Senior and geriatric cats need regular health monitoring and ongoing adjustments to their environment to enhance comfort and quality of life. It’s important to feed cats at any age a balanced, antioxidant rich, species-appropriate diet that includes omega-3 essential fats and is loaded with moisture. An aging cat’s brain can benefit from a SAMe supplement and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) like coconut oil. It’s also important to keep your older cat in good physical and mental condition with regular exercise and environmental enrichment.

People Think These Pets Are Inherently Unhealthy, but That Is a Myth
Dr. Becker - Sadly, some of the pets least likely to be adopted at animal shelters across the U.S. are kitties with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Shelter experts realize that prospective pet owners are hesitant to adopt an FIV-positive cat, and they're hoping to change attitudes through increased awareness…. An infected cat can transmit the virus to another kitty, but contrary to what many people believe, it's a rare occurrence… The virus survives for only a brief period of time outside a cat's body, and it cannot be transmitted indirectly on food, food bowls, toys, bedding, or human clothes, shoes, or hands (this is not the case with feline leukemia, however)…. There is no specific treatment for the virus itself, however, any existing secondary infections will need to be treated. FIV-positive cats should be kept indoors, which will prevent the spread of the virus to other cats, while also reducing the risk that your kitty will be exposed to pathogens her immune system may not be able to handle. FIV-positive cats should not breed. Cats with the virus should be fed a balanced, nutritionally complete species-appropriate diet. Unless your kitty has a low white blood cell count — in which case I recommend cooked fresh food — a raw diet is fine. You can also feed commercially available sterile raw food that has been high-pressure pasteurized.

Elephant desperately trumpets for help throughout the night after its calf falls into a well
Daily Mail - This is the dramatic moment villagers rescue a young elephant from a construction well after its mother stood by her baby throughout the night. The calf got trapped while a herd of more than 60 elephants passed through a stretch of the Ramgarh district in India. Throughout Wednesday night the mother relentlessly kept trumpeting and tried to pull the calf out…. Forest ranger Ramlakhan Paswan, who led the rescue operation, told MailOnline: 'We widened the well's mouth with the earth mover to make a slope and helped the calf come out of the pit after an hour-long operation.



Tuesday - August 2, 2016 - Today In History:

1776 - Members of the Continental Congress began adding their signatures to the Declaration of Independence.
1791 - Samuel Briggs and his son Samuel Briggs, Jr.  were the first father-son pair to receive a patent - for a nail-making machine.
1824 - In New York City, Fifth Avenue was opened.
1858 - In Boston and New York City the first mailboxes were installed along streets.
1861 - The U.S. Congress passed the first income tax. The revenues were intended for the war effort against the South. The tax was never enacted.
1939 - Albert Einstein signed a letter to President Roosevelt urging the U.S. to have an atomic weapons research program.
1939 - U.S. President Roosevelt signed the Hatch Act. The act prohibited civil service employees from taking an active part in political campaigns.
1943 - The U.S. Navy patrol torpedo boat, PT-109, sank after being attacked by a Japanese destroyer. The boat was under the command of Lt. John F. Kennedy.
1964 - The Pentagon reported the first of two North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.
1983 - U.S. House of Representatives approved a law that designated the third Monday of January would be a federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The law was signed by President Reagon on November 2.
1990 - Iraq invaded the oil-rich country of Kuwait. Iraq claimed that Kuwait had driven down oil prices by exceeding production quotas set by OPEC.
1995 - China ordered the expulsion of two U.S. Air Force officers. The two were said to have been caught spying on military sights.

World News

Brazil sends 1,200 troops to city of Natal after gangs start all-out war on govt
RT - The Brazilian government authorized sending 1,200 troops to the Rio Grande do Norte capital, Natal, to quell gang uprisings, now in their third day. Urban unrest exploded when the government decided to jam cellular coverage in a local prison. So far 52 arrests have been made of people suspected of involvement in the attacks. According to Portalnoar, a total of 53 cases of debauchery and destruction of property were reported by Sunday night. Government and other buildings also sustained heavy gunfire. Unrest was experienced in 20 municipalities, according to the Secretariat of Security.... The situation was only beginning to show signs of calming down on Monday, authorities told Brazilian media. But people were tweeting worrying images amid confusion surrounding the hashtag #PrayForNatal, because so few people knew what was going on.

‘He tainted Islam’: Muslim community refuses to bury French priest killer
RT - The Muslim community in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in northern France, where two jihadists slit Father Jacques Hamel’s throat, is refusing to bury one of the attackers, saying that he put a stain on Islam, the French media reported. Algerian-born 19-year-old Adel Kermiche was one of the two attackers who killed the 85-year-old priest and seriously injured an elderly parishioner. A French citizen, he was living in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and attempted to join Islamic jihadists in Syria back in 2015. “We’re not going to taint Islam with this person,” Mohammed Karabila, a leader at a local mosque, told Le Parisien newspaper, “We won’t participate in preparing the body [for the burial] or the burial.” A Muslim worshiper, Khalid El Amrani, supported the move, saying that the refusal to bury the terrorist is “normal.” “What this young man did is sinful,” the 25-year-old engineer said, “He is no longer part of our community.” Now it is up to the local authorities to decide how to issue the burial permit for Kermiche.

Soldiers replace police as embassy guards in Vienna to help tackle refugee crisis
RT - Starting from August 1, 110 soldiers will perform 24-hour guard duty for 24 embassies and offices of international organizations located in the Austrian capital, which were previously guarded by police, Austrian media report. The move is aimed at freeing up officers as the police force faces a staff shortage amid the ongoing refugee crisis, Austrian Kurier daily reports. The extra officers made available by the new measure will deal with crime prevention, carry out patrol tasks, and tackle the ongoing refugee situation. The soldiers, most of whom initially served in the 13th armored infantry battalion in the town of Ried-im-Innkreis in northern Austria, underwent a special 10-day training course before taking up their new posts.... In February, Austria sent extra troops to the border to carry out checks on those arriving in the country, and also deployed units of military police across the country to stem the inflow of asylum seekers. In January, the Austrian defense minister said that longer military service terms are required to cope with the inflows of asylum seekers.

Ankara Threatens to Pull Out of EU-Turkey Migrant Deal Over Visa-Free Travel
Sputnik News - Under the deal, the EU was due to pay Turkey, initially, US$3.95 billion to bolster its refugees camps and accept "irregular" migrants denied asylum in Greece in return — on a one-for-one basis — for Syrian refugees in Turkey being relocated in the EU. However, as part of the deal, the EU was supposed to grant Turkish citizens visa-free access to the EU by the end of July and accelerate its accession to becoming a full member of the EU.... The deal had already hit the skids over Erdogan's increasing grip on power, crackdown on opposition parties and the media, as well as criticism of Turkey's human rights record. Since the attempted coup, however, his massive suppression of those associated with the coup — the judiciary, the military and the police — has been the cause of deep skepticism within the EU. If Turkey fails to meet the basic benchmarks on democracy and human rights required by the EU, the visa-free travel deal will be abandoned and — with it — the whole migrant deal, once again leading to another flood of migrants crossing into Europe.

Thousands Of Germans Demand Merkel's Resignation; Protest "Open Door" Immigration Policy
Zero Hedge - Speaking at an annual summer press conference in Berlin on July 28, a defiant Merkel ignored critics of her refugee policies and insisted there would be no change to her open-door migration stance.... The problem for Merkel is that increasingly less of her countrymen share her sentiment. A recent poll found that two-thirds of Germans oppose a fourth term for Merkel.... It got even much worse for Merkel yesterday when Bavaria's premier, a key coalition ally for Merkel's CDU, whose state bore the brunt of recent attacks in Germany, took aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door refugee policy on Saturday by rejecting her "we can do this" mantra.... But worst of all, the anger has now openly spilled over from the top political ranks and the front pages of local newspapers to the streets, as more than 5,000 people protested in Berlin and thousands more throughout Germany over Merkel's 'open-door' policy that many have blamed for the four brutal terrorist attacks that left over a dozen dead. Indeed, the local population appears to have finally had enough, after an axe rampage, a shooting spree, a knife attack and a suicide bombing in the span of a week stunned Germany.

The Looming Financial Crisis Nobody Is Talking About
The AnitMedia - Despite what establishment media narratives push, the most dangerous threat to our way of life isn’t a religious ideology or political divide. The real risk is a contagion that is undermining the core of the financial system.... Italian banks are the latest on the chopping block in the wake of Brexit. For years, they have been acknowledged as a weak link in the economic chain, but they now face stress tests that could expose the scope of their internal problems. The oldest bank in the world, Monte Dei Paschi, is at the center of the controversy, with an expected shortfall of over 3 billion euros. Other big names, like UniCredit, are in equally bad shape. Wells Fargo recently found that nearly 15% of all loans held by Italian banks could be at risk of default, a staggering figure to attempt to unwind.... Deutsche bank is by far the most crucial in the E.U., as it supports the union’s powerhouse economy of Germany. In the last year alone, however, their stock price has plummeted more than 60%, bringing the total decline to 90% since its peak in 2007. The bank also just announced its plan to close over 188 branches and cut 3,000 jobs in the coming months.... Germany is the last strong economy left to prop up the crumbling trade bloc in Europe, and without its stability, this grand experiment is doomed to fall apart at the seams.

Jamaica Is Paying Its Oil Debts To Venezuela With Food
Vice - Jamaica has announced it is going to pay off oil debts it has with Venezuela with food, medication, and fertilizers, instead of cash. The barter agreement comes at a time when Venezuela is suffering from acute shortages of basic products amid a major economic and political crisis. Jamaica’s government announced the deal last Friday, saying that the transfers will take place in the last quarter of this year and amount to $4 million. The oil-for-basic products exchange is taking place within a regional agreement known as PetroCaribe that was signed in 2005 by Venezuela and 12 Caribbean States. The deal requires the Caribbean nations to pay for half of the oil at market prices immediately. The remaining 50 percent can be paid up to 25 years later. A special “compensation mechanism” within the agreement allows for cash substitutes to be used to settle that delayed payment.

Venezuela gov’t celebrates dead Hugo Chavez’s birthday with $100,000 cake while the people starve
Fellowship of the Minds - Nothing describes socialism more aptly than baking a 4 feet tall cake weighing 90 kilos for Hugo Chavez’s birthday (a dead man) while the rest of the country starves, cannot find basic necessities. The cake is a recreation of the “Cuartel de la Montana”, the palace that Chavez famously stormed in 1992 as an army commander to protest Carlos Andres Perez’s government. According to a local newspaper, the following ingredients were used to make the cake - all in short supply in Venezuela’s supermarkets: 720 eggs, 23 kilos of butter, 90 kilos of flour, 90 kilos of sugar, 44 gallons of milk. Meanwhile, hungry Venezuelans cry at the sight of food, as the country’s economic crisis deepens. While it is true that it was the Venezuelan people who had bought into the socialist pipe-dream and elected Hugo Chavez and his successor Maduro, even fools don’t deserve to starve while their president, who can lose a few pounds, and the political élite eat cake.

Poor quality of water in Rio raises concerns for Olympic athletes, tourists
CS Monitor - Just days ahead of the Olympic Games the waterways of Rio de Janeiro are as filthy as ever, contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria, according to a 16-month-long study commissioned by The Associated Press. The AP's survey of the aquatic Olympic and Paralympic venues has revealed consistent and dangerously high levels of viruses from the pollution, a major black eye on Rio's Olympic project that has set off alarm bells among sailors, rowers, and open-water swimmers.... The most contaminated points are the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, where Olympic rowing will take place, and the Gloria Marina, the starting point for the sailing races. Sampling at the Lagoon in March 2015 revealed an astounding 1.73 billion adenoviruses per liter. By this June, adenovirus readings were lower but still hair-raising at 248 million adenoviruses per liter. By comparison, in California, viral readings in the thousands per liter set off alarm bells.... The first results of the AP study published over a year ago showed viral levels at up to 1.7 million times what would be considered worrisome in the United States or Europe.
*Related: Rio's Olympic air: Dirty, deadly and no cleaner legacy from Games

Zika News

Travel Advisory issued for Florida over Zika
McClatchy - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel advisory warning pregnant women from visiting an area with ongoing Zika virus transmission in Miami. At least 14 people have been infected in the first locally transmitted Zika outbreak in the continental United States. The White House confirmed Monday that the Centers for Disease Control would send an emergency response team to Miami to help the state’s health department in its investigation of the local cases. The local cases, which have occurred within a one-square mile area, touch on the Wynnwood, Midtown and Design District neighborhoods in Miami, popular with tourists. The CDC travel advisory recommends that pregnant women who live or travel to the area be tested for Zika. It suggests that couples who live or travel to the areas wait at least eight weeks before attempting to get pregnant. And men who have Zika symptoms should wait at least six months before trying to impregnate a partner. It said the advisory applies to anyone who has visited the area since June 15, the earliest date any of the 14 diagnosed cases might have contracted the virus.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

What The Media Is Not Telling You About The Muslim Who Attacked Donald Trump: He Is A Muslim Brotherhood Agent Who Wants To Advance Sharia Law And Bring Muslims Into The United States
Shoebat.com - The Muslim who attacked Donald Trump, Khizr Muazzam Khan, is a Muslim Brotherhood agent, working to bring Muslims into the United States. After reading what we discovered so far, it becomes obvious that Khan wanted to ‘trump’ Trump’s Muslim immigration policy of limiting Muslim immigration into the U.S.  But not so fast. Trump we have your back.Khizr Muazzam Khan graduated in Punjab University Law College, as the New York Times confirms. He specialized in International Trade Law in Saudi Arabia. An interest lawyer for Islamic oil companies Khan wrote a paper, called In Defense of OPEC to defend the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), an intergovernmental oil company consisting of mainly Islamic countries. But more than this...Read more.....

Pentagon Cites 15-Year-Old Military Authorization for Libyan Anti-Daesh Strikes
Sputnik news - On Monday, the Pentagon announced it carried out its third round of anti-Daesh airstrikes in Libya since November. The airstrikes were requested by the internationally recognized Libyan Government of National Accord. "The 2001 authorization for the use of military force [AUMF] , similar to our previous airstrikes in Libya," Cook told reporters when asked the legal basis for the latest US airstrikes. The 2001 AUMF was passed in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and provided the authority to target any person, nation, or organization that planned or aided the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Since military action against Daesh began in August 2014, President Barack Obama has not been able to get a new AUMF passed by Congress. The Obama administration has defended the legality of using the 2001 AUMF to engage in anti-Daesh operations.

NSA Whistleblower: Agency Has All of Clinton’s Deleted Emails
Breitbart - The National Security Agency (NSA) has “all” of Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails and the FBI could gain access to them if they so desired, William Binney, a former highly placed NSA official, declared in a radio interview broadcast on Sunday. Speaking as an analyst, Binney raised the possibility that the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s server was done not by Russia but by a disgruntled U.S. intelligence worker concerned about Clinton’s compromise of national security secrets via her personal email use. Binney was an architect of the NSA’s surveillance program. He became a famed whistleblower when he resigned on October 31, 2001, after spending more than 30 years with the agency.

Julian Assange: Hacked Emails Include Info On Hillary’s Arming of Jihadists, Including ISIS, in Syria
The Gateway Pundit - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knew that the US was sending arms from Libya to Syria back in 2011, a year before the Benghazi consulate attacks. Hillary Clinton denied she knew about the weapons shipments during public testimony (under oath) in early 2013 after the Benghazi terrorist attack…. On Tuesday Julian Assange told Democracy Now that the Wikileaks DNC emails contains information on the weapons shipments to Syria…. Julian Assange: So, those Hillary Clinton emails, they connect together with the cables that we have published of Hillary Clinton, creating a rich picture of how Hillary Clinton performs in office, but, more broadly, how the U.S. Department of State operates. So, for example, the disastrous, absolutely disastrous intervention in Libya, the destruction of the Gaddafi government, which led to the occupation of ISIS of large segments of that country, weapons flows going over to Syria, being pushed by Hillary Clinton, into jihadists within Syria, including ISIS, that’s there in those emails. There’s more than 1,700 emails in Hillary Clinton’s collection, that we have released, just about Libya alone.

Hillary Clinton Lies About Emails, Again
ShadowProof - In one of her first post-convention interviews, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Fox News Anchor Chris Wallace that “[FBI] Director Comey said my answers [regarding the email scandal] were truthful, and what I’ve said is consistent with what I have told the American people, that there were decisions discussed and made to classify retroactively certain of the emails.” This is flatly not true and, more to the point, Hillary Clinton knows it is flatly not true. Even the Clinton-friendly Washington Post said Clinton lied and gave her “Four Pinocchios,” the worst rating. FBI Director Comey made it crystal clear he did not agree with Clinton’s statements or narrative on how she handled classified emails, both in his press conference and before Congress.... Director Comey never said Clinton did not lie; he never even said she did not break the law. Instead, Comey claimed he and the FBI concluded that no reasonable prosecutor would bring a case, an argument that drew reasonable scrutiny given that was arguably a decision for Attorney General Loretta Lynch to make. But, in any case, Comey never exonerated Clinton nor said she was telling the truth about her email practices.

Frustration mounts over ObamaCare co-op failures
TheHill - Four ObamaCare co-ops have failed due to financial problems since the beginning of the year, the latest trouble for the struggling program. The co-ops were set up under ObamaCare to increase competition with established insurers, but just seven of the original 23 co-ops now remain. The latest round of failures poses an even thornier problem than earlier cases because enrollees’ coverage is now being disrupted in the middle of the year. That can increase patients’ out of pocket costs and make it harder to keep the same doctors.... Having to switch plans in the middle of the year is a problem because it often means that enrollees need to start over on paying their deductibles, in effect increasing the amount they pay out of pocket for care.... Another issue is that people can lose access to doctors if their new plan has a different network, a problem that Reat also cited with enrollees he works with.

Leaked Text Messages Suggest Politics Played Role In Prosecution Of 'Baltimore Six'
Western Journalism - Now that the gag order has been lifted on the case, lead detective Dawnyell Taylor’s case notes have been made public. In her notes, Taylor records being uncomfortable with the prosecutors’ account of events that they wanted her to read to the grand jury. The detective recounts that she was handed a narrative by prosecutors, which had “had several things that I found to be inconsistent with our investigation.” She adds that when jurors asked her questions, prosecutors intervened before she could answer them. She believes the prosecutors “did not intend for me to answer any questions, because my answers would obviously conflict with what I had just read to [the jury].” Mosby claimed at a press conference on Wednesday, following her decision to drop all charges against the remaining three officers due to be tried, that Taylor created her notes well after her grand jury testimony as a means to undermine the state’s case. However, a leaked text message to the Deputy State’s Attorney in Mosby’s office, Janice Bledsoe, the day Taylor testified before the grand jury, contains nearly the identical language to her case notes. “I did not feel comfortable reading that script before we discussed it and I swore to it,” she texted.

New ATF Head Wants Computerized Database of All Gun Purchases
The New American - Deputy Director Thomas Brandon (shown on right), head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) appeared on CBS’s Sunday Morning television show, complaining that his agency is “a small agency with a big job” and that he really needs more agents and more money to do that job. What he would really like, however, is a computerized database of all gun purchases made by every buyer and seller in the country: "There’s a lot of things that don’t make sense.… Would [having such a database at the ATF] be efficient and effective? Absolutely. Would the taxpayers benefit with [improved] public safety? Absolutely. Are we allowed to do it? No." Brandon took over the agency in April 2015 after Todd Jones bailed out following the agency’s failed attempt to ban ammunition for the popular AR-15 rifle. Jones had taken over the agency after Kenneth Melson bailed out in 2011 following the implosion of the ATF’s Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal.

Soros And State Dept. Funded Group Claims Most Terrorists In The US Are White
Kurt Nimmo - A George Soros and State Department funded organization, the New America Foundation, has released a report that states white Americans represent the largest domestic terror threat. The organization claims the Charleston shooting, the murder of three police officers in Pittsburg by Robert Poplawski, Andrew Joseph Stack’s plane crash in Austin and other attacks constitute organized “right-wing” terror incidents instead of individual actions by mentally disturbed individuals….NBC News has highlighted the extremely misleading report and insinuates that people the government has designated as right-wing terrorists should be sent to Guantanamo Bay and militia groups along the border attacked with Predator drones…. The claim that specific groups of white Americans are engaged in terrorist attacks against the United States is simply untrue and little more than propaganda designed to force the government to act against individuals and groups opposed to the federal government and its policies.

California Assembly Declares August ‘Muslim Appreciation Month’
Breitbart - The California State Assembly [passed unanimously] a bill Monday declaring August “Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month,” in accordance with a resolution proposed by Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), and supported by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)…. CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror funding trial, and has been declared a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates. After the San Bernardino terror attack in December last year, CAIR offered assistance to the terrorists’ family, and suggested U.S. policy was partly to blame. The resolution declares, “The history of Islam in this country dates back to before its founding,” referring to slaves with Muslim beliefs — though, curiously, it avoids mentioning the slave trade in the Islamic world. The resolution also says that Muslims have been “fighting and sacrificing in every major war from the American Revolutionary War to present-day conflicts” — but it fails to mention the Barbary Wars, which were fought against Muslim potentates who kidnapped Americans for ransom, nor does it mention the radical Muslims who launched the War on Terror. The bill is also silent about recent Islamic terror carried out in California itself, such as the attack in San Bernardino, which claimed 22 innocent lives. Instead, the resolution complains of “harassment, assault, and discrimination” that Muslim-Americans have been “forced to endure” since 9/11.

Election News

Report: Clinton Campaign Manager Podesta Company Bagged $35M from Russian Govt… Putin Connection
Breitbart - Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta sat on the board of a small energy company alongside Russian officials that received $35 million from a Putin-connected Russian government fund, a relationship Podesta failed to fully disclose on his federal financial disclosures as required by law. That’s one of the many revelations from a 56-page report released late Sunday titled “From Russia with Money: Hillary Clinton, the Russian Reset, and Cronyism” by the non-partisan government watchdog group, the Government Accountability Institute (GAI). Breitbart Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon holds the same title in GAI and Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Peter Schweizer serves as GAI’s president.

US Election Shocker: Is This How The Vote Will Be Rigged?
ActivistPost - Bev Harris, at blackboxvoting.org, is exploring a specific “cheat sheet” that has vast implications for the Trump vs. Hillary contest. It’s a vote-counting system called GEMS. I urge you to dive into her multi-part series, Fraction Magic (Part-1 here). Here are key Harris quotes. They’re all shockers: “Our testing [of GEMS] shows that one vote can be counted 25 times, another only one one-thousandth of a time, effectively converting some votes to zero.” “This report summarizes the results of our review of the GEMS election management system, which counts approximately 25 percent of all votes in the United States. The results of this study demonstrate that a fractional vote feature is embedded in each GEMS application which can be used to invisibly, yet radically, alter election outcomes by pre-setting desired vote percentages to redistribute votes. This tampering is not visible to election observers, even if they are standing in the room and watching the computer. Use of the decimalized vote feature is unlikely to be detected by auditing or canvass procedures, and can be applied across large jurisdictions in less than 60 seconds.”.... “Instead of ‘1’ the vote is allowed to be 1/2, or 1+7/8, or any other value that is not a whole number.” “Weighting a race [through the use of GEMS] removes the principle of ‘one person-one vote’ to allow some votes to be counted as less than one or more than one. Regardless of what the real votes are, candidates can receive a set percentage of votes. Results can be controlled. For example, Candidate A can be assigned 44% of the votes, Candidate B 51%, and Candidate C the rest.” “All evidence that [rigged] fractional values ever existed [in the GEMS system] can be removed instantly even from the underlying database using a setting in the GEMS data tables, in which case even instructing GEMS to show the [rigged] decimals will fail to reveal they were used.”

Hillary Clinton Loads Up Omaha Rally With High School Kids – Still Can’t Fill It Up!
The Gateway Pundit - Hillary Clinton held a rally today at North High School in Omaha. The gym was half empty when the rally started. She packed the high school gym with high school kids who are too young to vote. The kids were wearing their “Vikings” jerseys.

Clinton’s Plan For Victory: Register 3 Million New Voters
Breitbart - “We are hiring organizers here and between now and election day, we are going to register 3 million more people,” she said at the close of her DNC campaign speech. “We are not just going to register them, we are going to get them to commit to vote.” Clinton’s plan was announced at an NAACP rally, when she told Democrats that it was more important than ever to build up their voting rolls for victory. She revealed that campaign employees and volunteers would be going to minor league baseball games, college campuses, barbershops, hair salons, and street corners. Clinton also touted her campaign’s new voter registration tool in both English and Spanish languages. “I think your votes count more than ever,” Clinton said during her NAACP speech. “That’s why we’ve got to stand up against any attempt to roll back the clock on voting rights. Encourage everyone, everyone we know to stand up and be counted in this November election.”

Economy & Business

U.S. factory activity slips; construction spending hits one-year low
Reuters - U.S. manufacturing activity eased in July amid shrinking order backlogs and declining employment, while an unexpected drop in construction spending in June suggested second-quarter economic was probably even weaker than reported last week. The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) report on Monday also showed manufacturers ramping up production to an 18-month high even as factories continued to draw down inventories, which some economists said pointed to moderate growth in the sector. Tim Quinlan, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina, said it was counterintuitive for manufacturers to step up production while cutting payrolls and running down inventories, given that production is a coincident indicator for the economy.... "Any growth in manufacturing is of the hand-to-mouth variety rather than a vibrant expansion," said Michael Montgomery, U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts. "With the recent strength in the dollar still not fully reflected in imports and exports yet, we will need the data to be more convincing to call this anything more than almost stalled."

Nearly 1 in 3.6 Working-Age, Native-Born Americans Not in the Labor Force
Breitbart - The report, authored by [Center for Immigration Studies] CIS’ director of research Steven Camarota, reveals that during the first quarter of 2016, nearly 48.5 million working-age, native-born Americans were not in the labor force. In other words, 28 percent of American-born citizens ages 16 to 65 years old were neither employed nor looking for work.... As Camarota details in the report, the situation is also striking for people without a bachelor’s degree. During the first quarter of 2016, just 65 percent of native-born Americans ages 18-65 years old without a bachelor’s degree had a job, lower than the 69.4 percent registered in the first quarter of 2007 and 72.2 percent in 2000. “Combining those not in the labor force and those unemployed shows 39.7 million native-born Americans without a bachelor’s degree not working in the first quarter of 2016, compared to 31 million in the same quarter of 2000,” Camarota reports.

Energy & Environment

Solar Storm To Hit Earth Tuesday – ‘Power Grid Fluctuations’ Possible
Off the Grid News - A solar geomagnetic storm capable of producing “power grid fluctuations” is expected to hit earth Tuesday, Aug. 2 in what the government’s NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center is calling a moderate storm. The storm was sparked by a coronal mass ejection that can be visually seen in a NASA space video. “Power grid fluctuations can occur. High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms,” the NOAA alert read. The primary impact is expected to be north of 55 degrees latitude, NOAA reported…. On NOAA’s 5-number scale, this one is a G2, which if it is a “long-duration storm” could “cause transformer damage.” A G5 storm, the most severe type, can cause “complete collapse or blackouts,” NOAA says. The 1859 Carrington Event, which occurred prior to the modern-day electrical grid, was a G5. It rendered telegraph machines – the most advance electronics of the day – unworkable.

A Journeyman — Not an Apprentice — Electrician Explains Faulty Smart Meters
Activist Post - From 1981 to 2008 Robert Marx of Redford, Michigan, worked as a journeyman electrician. Obviously, he is qualified to discuss electric meters. In the video below, he explains what he’s found on an AMI Smart Meter that’s been removed from a meter housing/box. Apparently, the removed AMI Smart Meter shows what happens when a Smart Meter is retrofitted on to the former analog meter box and busbars [1] don’t line up and cause overheating to occur. AMI Smart Meters are dangerous for many reasons, especially what you will learn in this 10 minute educational video. Robert talks about flickering lights and appliance interruption, which many folks experience since AMI Smart Meters have been forced on homeowners electric services. Consumers may want to save this information in the event you, God forbid, experience a Smart Meter fire and have to fight with your insurance company, the utility company or even your state public utility commission for not providing SAFE replacements meters. One thing I’ve learned from researching Smart Meter fires is this: If you experience a house fire started by the retrofitted AMI Smart Meter, do everything in your power to keep that meter as proof, as both utility company personnel and firemen will try to remove it ASAP and destroy the evidence!

Smart Meter, Wi-Fi and Microwave Radiation Information Consumers Need to Know (Video)
Activist Post - Cordless phones and baby monitors also are discussed. So is electronic hypersensitivity (EHS), the real, not psychosomatic illness, which now affects a growing number of the population. Wikipedia claims that about 5 percent of the population suffers with EHS. AMI Smart Meters are tested in that video, plus microwave ovens, which everyone needs to see and hear the results of the Extech 480386 EMF meter as it registers EMFs coming off electronics, Smart Meters in particular! Microwaves escape microwave oven shielding, so please remember that, and have your microwave oven checked periodically by a qualified EMFs electronics professional.

Science & Technology

NASA Spacecraft Set to Explore Giant Asteroid That Could Destroy Earth
ABC News - The OSIRIS-REx Mission, headed by NASA and the University of Arizona, plans to launch an unmanned spacecraft on Sept. 8 of this year to reach Bennu, a large near-Earth asteroid, in August 2018, according to a website devoted to the mission. The spacecraft will survey Bennu, and a small vacuumlike device capable of hovering above the asteroid will suck up 60 to 400 grams of "gravel and soil" to bring back to Earth in 2023, according to Dante Lauretta, a professor of planetary science and cosmochemistry at the University of Arizona's lunar and planetary laboratory.... "We believe Bennu is a time capsule from the very beginnings of our solar system," Lauretta said. "So the sample can potentially hold answers to the most fundamental questions human beings ask, like 'Where do we come from?'".... Lauretta said Bennu once resided in the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter.... He said that the asteroid could strike Earth and cause tremendous destruction but that we shouldn't be too frightened by the prospect. "Don't run out and buy asteroid insurance," he joked. Bennu has a 1 in 2,700 chance of hitting Earth, and such an event wouldn't take place until 2175 or 2196, he said.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

7 Common, Everyday Plants You’ll Be Shocked Are Poisonous
Off the Grid News - It’s not common for most people to walk around a yard or garden and indiscriminately munch on plants. But it’s a whole different story when it comes to kids and pets. There are also plants that can cause significant skin irritations while planting or weeding a garden. We’re going to review some common plants that are surprisingly toxic — and in many instances, deadly. If you have them in your garden, you may want to think twice if young children or family pets are around. 1. Yew. A common evergreen that is popular as a landscaping shrub, the yew has bright red berries with a dark side peeking out at the bottom of the berry. What’s curious is that the berry itself is not toxic, but every other part of the plant, including the seeds in the berries, are dangerously poisonous…. 2. English ivy. It decorates the walls of buildings on college campuses across the country. Many people plant it to create a similar look on their homes. Too bad it’s poisonous. The leaves can cause rashing, blisters, general skin irritation and itching. Ingesting the leaves can lead to convulsions, fever, delirium and even hallucinations. It doesn’t sound real smart to plant English ivy anywhere…. 3. Easter lily. A flowering plant that’s popular and common at Easter, it is, in fact, quite toxic, especially to small animals like cats. Humans don’t fair much better due to an alkaloid called lycorine…. 4. Holly. Children ingesting as few as two red berries will suffer vomiting, drowsiness, diarrhea — and higher doses can be lethal. Twenty holly berries could kill an adult.

Health

New Gardasil Vaccine Guidelines From American Cancer Society Censors All Risks to Vaccine
Health Impact News - The American Cancer Society issued a press release recently stating that they were agreeing with the U.S. Center for Disease Control's (CDC) recommendation to now start vaccinating boys as well as girls with the Gardasil vaccine, and that Gardasil vaccines can begin as young as age 9. Noticeably absent from the press release was any warnings on Gardasil risks and side effects, or any mention of how other countries around the world are now investigating the vaccine due to the amount of injuries being reported. Japan and other nations have actually withdrawn their recommendation of the HPV vaccine. Because the manufacturers of vaccines are not immune from liabilities due the harm their vaccines cause in these countries, in contrast to the United States where one cannot sue a vaccine manufacturer, many are taking legal actions against HPV manufacturers. You will read none of this in U.S. mainstream media…. Dr. Deirdre Little, a pediatrician in Australia, was the first one to sound the alarm over the HPV vaccine causing premature menopause when she observed it in one of her 16 year old patients in 2012. Dr. Little published a paper in the British Medical Journal warning that the premature menopause of a healthy 16-year-old girl may be linked to the Gardasil vaccination. Now, another study has published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology documenting three more cases of “Primary Ovarian Failure,” where three young girls stopped having periods and showed signs of menopause. The study confirms Dr. Little’s experience, and was conducted in Israel and Italy.

Strong link between low omega-3 blood levels and depression
(NaturalHealth365) A new Japanese study has found a significant correlation between depression symptoms and low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the bloodstream. The study results also underscore the need to reduce inflammation in order to avoid health issues, such as depression…. The study evaluated over 2,100 persons age 40 or older who were evaluated using a standard 20 question test for depression. Their blood then was tested for levels of different fatty acid types. The results showed that the persons who had the lowest omega-3 levels tended to have the highest risk of depression. Conversely, higher levels of omega-3s corresponded with a lowered risk of depressive symptoms by as much as 43 percent.

Too Little Too Late: McDonald’s Will Remove Some Artificial Preservatives
Government Slaves - McDonald’s is accelerating plans to simplify its food and announced intentions Monday to remove artificial preservatives from its chicken nuggets, breakfast sausage patties and egg products. The fast food giant will also remove high-fructose corn syrup from its buns by the end of this month. Mike Andres, president of U.S. operations, announced the changes at the burger chain’s Oak Brook headquarters. He said the changes are part of an ongoing effort by McDonald’s to cater to more health-focused customers who demand fresh, wholesome food.

Pet News

Please Don't Wait for This First Symptom to Digress Into Full-Blown Heart Failure
Dr. Becker - The mitral valve on the left side of your pet’s heart can be defective at birth or wear out over time, such that it no longer snaps closed to form a tight seal, which allows blood to flow backward as the heart pumps. In symptomatic pets there is usually a low-grade heart murmur in the early stages of the disease. Other signs develop over time and can include a reluctance to exercise, difficulty breathing and coughing or gagging. The traditional treatment of mitral valve disease is to wait till the pet is symptomatic, and then prescribe one or more drugs depending on the type and severity of the disease. This isn’t a good approach, since by the time symptoms are apparent, most pets have a diminished quality of life. A better approach is to proactively begin supplementing with a high dose of ubiquinol as soon as your pet is diagnosed, which can dramatically slow the progression of the disease. Also critically important for dog and cat heart patients is a balanced, species-appropriate, unprocessed meat-based diet that provides all the essential amino acids necessary for heart muscle function

One of the Most Vexing Problems Dog Owners Face
Dr. Becker - Separation anxiety is a common behavioral problem, especially in shelter dogs that may have been previously abused or neglected, that can take a serious toll on both pets and their owners…. Once you’re sure separation anxiety is the problem, begin behavior modification right away, preferably with the help of a professional. Separation anxiety can be very challenging to overcome and will likely take time, determination and effort on your part to help your pet…. These recommendations may sound cold and heartless, but remember in many cases we unknowingly feed our dog’s anxiety with how we act, so: 1. Ignore your pet’s attention-seeking attempts. Any interactions with your dog should be initiated by you and not by your dog. 2. Avoid interacting with your pet in the 30 minutes prior to your departure. The idea is to get your dog used to you not being home. The exception is that when you leave, you can give your dog a treat-dispensing toy to help keep him occupied. Make this a treat your dog really loves and only offer it when you are leaving. 3. When you arrive home, ignore your dog until he is relaxed. This helps to reinforce the relaxed behavior. 4. Get your dog used to departure cues by doing them when you’re not really leaving. For instance, grab your car keys and your wallet or purse. Put on your coat and sunglasses and walk out to your car….

Humor/Satire

Bald Eagle mistakes Donald Trumps hair home, begins nesting
American Irony - While at a campaign stop a bald eagle confuses Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s hair for a nest and proceeded to make a home on his head. Initially viewed as a threat offers by members of the audience to shoot the bird clean off his head were rejected by Trump, who ultimately welcomed the bird to make his home on what he deemed to be prime real estate….



Monday - August 1, 2016 - Today In History:

1774 - Oxygen was isolated from air successfully by chemist Carl Wilhelm and scientist Joseph Priestly.
1790 - The first U.S. census was completed with a total population of 3,929,214 recorded. The areas included were the present states of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia
1876 - Colorado became the 38th state to join the United States.
1907 - The U.S. Army established an aeronautical division that later became the U.S. Air Force.
1914 - Germany declared war on Russia at the beginning of World War I.
1936 - Adolf Hitler presided over the Olympic games as they opened in Berlin.
1943 - In the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Navy patrol torpedo boat PT-109 sank after being hit by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. The boat was under the command of Lt. John F. Kennedy. Eleven of the thirteen crew survived.
1944 - In Warsaw, Poland, an uprising against Nazi occupation began. The revolt continued until October 2 when Polish forces surrendered.
1946 - In the U.S., the Atomic Energy Commission was established.
1956 - The Social Security Act was amended to provide benefits to disabled workers aged 50-64 and disabled adult children.
1957 - The North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) was created by the United States and Canada.
2005 - King Fahd of Saudi Arabia died. Crown Prince Abdullah, the king's half-brother, became the country's new monarch.
2006 - Cuban leader Fidel Castro turned over absolute power when he gave his brother Raul authority while he underwent an intestinal surgery.
2011 - The U.S. House of Representatives passed, 269-161, emergency legislation to avert the nation's first-ever financial default.

World News

Al-Nusra Front Rebrands Itself to 'Become as Powerful as Daesh'
Sputnik News - Al-Nusra Front that now calls itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, or the Front for the Conquest of Syria, is trying to paint itself as "an independent force that does not need patronage, including ideological backing from al-Qaeda," he [political analyst Sergei Demidenko] said. ".... The senior lecturer... further noted that al-Nusra Front does not want to become a global force. The group's new name points to local territorial aspirations.... Demidenko noted that al-Nusra Front's rebranding will not alter the balance of power on the Syrian battlefield. Moreover, it will not affect how Russia and the United States view the organization that has been designated as a terrorist group by Moscow, Washington and the UN.... This is precisely why al-Nusra Front has tried to rebrand itself, Vladimir Sazhin, a senior expert at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Middle Eastern Studies, told RIA Novosti. The militants who have been trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and establish a caliphate in the war-torn country "simply don't want to be the target of the Russian and US-led counterterrorist campaigns," he explained.

‘Not Our Friends’: Erdogan Stokes Anti-US, Anti-NATO Fervor in Turkey
Sputnik News - On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned West for refusing to show solidarity with Ankara in the wake of a failed attempt to overthrow the government saying that NATO 'allies' that are more concerned about the fate of coup supporters than the survival of Turkey are not friends of Ankara.... The statements come in response to US National Intelligence Director James Clapper’s statement on Thursday that the purges were harming the fight against Daesh in Syria and Iraq by stripping away key Turkish officers who had worked closely with the United States. Comments made at Erdogan’s rally on Friday follow remarks made earlier in the day blasting four-star US General and CENTCOM commander Joseph Votel for criticizing Turkey’s post-coup attempt purge.... The remarks come at a troubling time only one day after over 5,000 protesters yelling "death to the US" marched towards NATO’s critical Incirlik Air Base which houses between 50 and 90 US tactical nuclear weapons before security officials successfully dispersed the raging demonstrators.

Obama Touts UN Agenda as Solution to Terror
The New American - Because this particular terrorist used a truck instead of a firearm to murder close to 100 victims, Obama's standard propaganda pushing more gun control was obviously inappropriate for the occasion. So, on July 15, responding to the terror attack in Nice, France, Obama pushed a different but related agenda, instead arguing that the solution to terrorism, violence, and other problems is actually globalism.... Specifically, Obama told a room full of ambassadors that the world needed more global “institutions” to promote “common humanity” and fight against people's “impulses” to remain loyal to their tribes, nations, and religions ahead of the globalist mechanisms being imposed on them. As part of the push for what top administration officials call the "New World Order," Obama also touted the United Nations Agenda 2030 and his deals with communist dictatorships. The controversial remarks came just two weeks after Obama, standing alongside fellow North American leaders, warned yet again that the “international order” was here to stay.

Russia says spyware found in state computer networks
Reuters - Russia's intelligence service said on Saturday that the computer networks of 20 organizations, including state agencies and defense companies, have been infected with spyware in what it described as a targeted and coordinated attack. The Federal Security Service, the FSB, said the malware and the way the networks were infected were similar to those used in previous cases of cyber espionage found in Russia and other countries. The agency did not say who it suspected of being behind the attacks.... The FSB's announcement follows reports of cyber attacks on the U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the fundraising committee for Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. Cyber security experts and U.S. officials have said there was evidence that Russia engineered the DNC hack to release sensitive party emails in order to influence the U.S. presidential election. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident.

Ireland Jails 3 Top Bankers over 2008 Collapse
The AntiMedia - The longest-ever criminal trial in Ireland lasted 74 days and led to convictions for former Irish Life and Permanent Bank Chief Executive Denis Casey; former finance director at the failed Anglo Irish Bank, Willie McAteer; and former head of capital markets at the Anglo Irish Bank, John Bowe. They received sentences ranging between two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half years. As light as those sentences may seem considering the dire effect bankers’ actions had on the Irish economy, U.S. and English bankers have evaded convictions altogether. Though banks in those countries have since paid out billions of dollars in settlements to regulators for their role in the 2008 crash, no one from those companies has been sentenced to prison.... In spite of the questions surrounding whether or not convictions like those issued Friday will produce tangible change, the symbolism of bankers actually being held accountable for the destruction caused by their schemes is sure to resonate with Irish citizens, as well as observers from around the world. Meanwhile, in America, the political party vowing to end the banking oligarchy held its convention at the Wells Fargo center for a candidate bankrolled by Goldman Sachs.

Venezuela Institutes Forced Labor, Orders Citizens to Do Farm Work
Activist Post - In an effort to deal with the country’s food shortages, the government has decreed that citizens who are physically able will have to work on Venezuela’s farms for at least 60 days per year, regardless of what their current job entails. Workers will still be paid their normal salaries and can’t be fired from their day jobs. The government reserves the right to increase this farm work period if needed. Obviously this won’t work. Venezuela doesn’t have food shortages because people aren’t working the fields. High-yield farms require equipment and fertilizers that can’t be made domestically anymore, and nobody can afford to buy these supplies abroad either. The real problem is that people can’t work these farms, because they don’t have what they need to run them. Instead of the solving the food crisis, the forced labor program is going to send hundreds of thousands of urban dwellers to the farms, where they will be paid to do nothing. And since they won’t be doing their day jobs, more shortages and dysfunction will emerge in other sectors of the economy.

Starving Venezuelans Break Into Zoo And Eat Equally Starving Animals
True Activist - Last week, groups of intruders broke into Caricuao Zoo in Caracas, Venezuela, pulled a rare black stallion from its cage, and slaughtered him there on the spot. They left behind only his head and ribs, which zookeepers found in the morning when they entered to care for the lone horse. Earlier this month, Vietnamese pigs and sheep that called the zoo their home were stolen by citizens for food as well. If the animals aren’t being stolen and butchered to feed the starving Venezuelan citizens, they’re dying from starvation themselves, as the zoos’ food shipments are few and far between.... The zookeepers have resorted to feeding the animals food that isn’t in their normal diet; lions and tigers are eating pumpkin rather than meat and elephants are eating tropical fruit instead of hay. Their situation is similar to those of the Venezuelan citizens, who wait in long lines at supermarkets everyday hoping to find severely overpriced meat, rice, and chicken.

After 100 years World War I battlefields are poisoned and uninhabitable
We Are The Mighty - Immediately after the war, the French government quarantined much of the land subjected to the worst of the battles. Those areas that were completely devastated and destroyed, unsafe to farm, and impossible for human habitation became the Zone Rouge.... An estimated 720 million shells were fired during the Great War, with approximately 12 million failing to detonate. At places like Verdun, the artillery barrages were so overwhelming, 150 shells hit every square meter of the battlefield. Concentrated barrages and driving rains turned the battlefield into a quagmire that swallowed soldiers and shells alike.... Further complicating the cleanup is the soil contamination caused by the remains of humans and animals. The grounds are also saturated with lead, mercury, and zinc from millions of rounds of ammunition from small arms and artillery fired in combat. In some places, the soil contains such high levels of arsenic that nothing can grow there, leaving haunting, desolate spaces. Though the Zone Rouge started at some 460 square miles in size, cleanup efforts reduced it to around 65 square miles. With such massive amounts of explosives left in the ground, the French government estimates the current rate of removal will clear the battlefields between 300 and 900 years from now.

Zika Virus News

Officials Go Door to Door Asking for Urine Samples During U.S. Zika Outbreak
Brandon Turbeville - According to CNN, four individuals located in Miami-Dade and Broward counties have been infected with the Zika virus as a result of local mosquitoes. These are the first known cases of Zika transmission by mosquitoes in the continental U.S. Currently there is no treatment or vaccine for Zika and officials believe the transmission is confined to a single zip code, an area north of downtown Miami. Despite the fact there have been 386 cases of Zika in Florida, the mainstream media and many health officials are treating this new transmission as a cause for potential panic. …officials are now going door to door asking residents for urine samples and other information.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Panama Papers: Will Wall Street Get Swept Up in Justice Department’s Investigation?
Wall Street On Parade - The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C. and its U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan “have launched a criminal investigation into whether individuals at Mossack Fonseca & Co., the law firm at the center of the ‘Panama Papers’ scandal, knowingly helped its clients launder money or evade taxes…” That investigation, if conducted thoroughly and without improper interference, could turn up the heat on some powerful Wall Street players.... Internationally known hedge fund billionaire mogul, George Soros, turned up in the Panama Papers.... Another hedge fund mogul, S. Donald Sussman, founder of Paloma Partners, appears in the ICIJ offshore database from a document leak in 2013.... Another hedge fund billionaire in the ICIJ database is David E. Shaw.... Soros, Sussman and Shaw are among the largest donors to the SuperPac supporting Hillary Clinton, Priorities USA.

President Obama Just Signed the DARK Act Into Law
Natural Blaze - A brief press release by the White House simply mentioned a list of bills and S. 764, “which directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard,” was listed at the end. The “disclosure standard” must be an inside joke, because the disclosure involves the consumer having to scan a QR code on a food product to find out about genetically modified ingredients, or call a 1-800 number. These measures might not even happen for another five years. The federal measure authored by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and fast-tracked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (no committee, no debate) has now quelled all state efforts for clear text labeling of genetically modified organisms in food. This writer wonders whether the state labeling initiatives purposely held off their labeling efforts until 2018 – 2016 at the earliest – in anticipation of this federal measure.

Hillary Clinton’s Memoir Deletions, in Detail
The Americas Blog - As was reported following the assassination of prominent Honduran environmental activist Berta Cáceres in March, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton erased all references to the 2009 coup in Honduras in the paperback edition of her memoirs, “Hard Choices.” Her three-page account of the coup in the original hardcover edition, where she admitted to having sanctioned it, was one of several lengthy sections cut from the paperback, published in April 2015 shortly after she had launched her presidential campaign. A short, inconspicuous statement on the copyright page is the only indication that “a limited number of sections” — amounting to roughly 96 pages — had been cut “to accommodate a shorter length for this edition.” Many of the abridgements consist of narrative and description and are largely trivial, but there are a number of sections that were deleted from the original that also deserve attention.

Video: Clinton Cash - Full Film
Forbidden Knowledge TV - [In case you may have missed it…] 'Clinton Cash', is a stomach-turning, very well-researched feature documentary based on Peter Schweizer's book of the same title, that the New York Times hailed as “The most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle.”

Two Shootings in Texas Capital City Leave 1 Dead, 4 Wounded
Breitbart - One woman is dead and four others were wounded in two separate shooting incidents in Austin, Texas. The first shooting occurred in the heart of the city’s famous 6th Street entertainment district while the second occurred a few blocks away. Shortly after 2 a.m., one suspect began firing a gun into the crowd following a disturbance. One woman was killed in this shooting. Four others were wounded, KXAN NBC reported in Austin. The shooting occurred on 6th Street at San Jacinto. The second shooting took place a few blocks away in a parking garage located in the 800 block of Trinity. The suspect in this shooting was allegedly engaging in an aggravated robbery and fired at his would-be victim. That suspect was wrestled to the ground and his gun was taken from him. Police arrived and arrested the suspect. Because of the close proximity of the two separate shooting incidents both in terms of timing and geography, police initially thought they were dealing with an active shooter situation. They later determined the two incidents were unrelated.
* Related Video: Austin Shooter Still on the Run

New Law in Alaska Restores Right of Parent to Control Content, Quality of Child's Education
The New American - Specifically, the new statute recognizes the authority of the parents, allowing them “to object to and withdraw the child from a standards-based assessment or test required by the state” and “to object to and withdraw the child from an activity, class, or program.” In other words, children in Alaska will not be forced by the government - local, state, or federal - to participate in standardized testing (exams which more often than not don’t test any relevant skills and serve merely as vehicles for qualifying for federal funds or collecting critical personal data about the children and their families) and they will not be forced to sit through classroom instruction that violates or contradicts the principles of the children’s families -sex education, for example. Shane Vander Hart of the group Truth in American Education, praised the new bill, while acknowledging its limitations. “This doesn’t change Alaska’s standards which are essentially Common Core,” Vander Hart said in a blog post, “but this is a win for parents who were having issues opting their students out of assessments and certain classes, like sex ed.”

Exposed: Orlando Shooting Used To Strengthen Sandy Hook Lawsuit
The Government Rag - There is quite a bit of information to digest when it comes to the Sandy Hook lawsuit, the Orlando shooting alleged victims families joining the lawsuit, the manufacturer’s response to the Sandy Hook shooting, and the introduction of the Firearms Risk Protection Act. Studying them all closely as well as the gun haters agenda, it is quite clear the Second Amendment is up for sale. The Firearms Risk Protection Act alone will profit billions to insurance companies making it mandatory gun owners have liability insurance on their weapons. Depending on ‘your risk assessment, you may either be considered a ‘low risk’ individual and pay lower rates or a ‘high risk’ person and pay higher rates. What they do not specify is how they determine what risk you are. I suppose all the tracking and databases are tied together now so who knows what lies ahead for American gun owners. Mental health agenda is also tied into the gun control debates. Following the Sandy Hook shooting, the push for DNA testing and studies for the ongoing search for the ‘evil gene’ is underway. Obama is demanding the CDC receive millions of dollars in funding to study gun-violence and Hillary Clinton vows to keep the guns out of the hands of who she believes are dangerous individuals.

Election News

Trump: Clinton And Democrats Rigged The Debate Schedule!
TPM - Donald Trump raised objections to the general election debate scheduling Friday, saying that it was rigged by the Democrats. In a late night tweet, Trump voiced his displeasure with the fact that two of the debates are during NFL games. “As usual, Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games. Same as last time w/ Bernie. Unacceptable!” Both Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have taken issue with debate schedules in the past. Trump planned on skipping two debates because of scheduling conflicts and because "we've had enough debates," though the second debate was ultimately cancelled. Sanders took issue with Clinton's refusal to debate in California.

Democratic Party’s congressional fundraising committee was also hacked
Ars Technica - Yet another cyber-attack has targeted a Democratic Party organization—or more specifically, the party's donors. Reuters reports that the FBI is investigating a breach of the systems of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. While the details of the alleged intrusion were not revealed, visitors to the DCCC's site were apparently redirected to a malicious lookalike website mimicking the DCCC contribution page.... It is not clear whether the attackers were after financial information for credit card fraud, or if they were collecting personal data for use in directed attacks against donors. But the attack's timing—or at least the registration of the domain used in the attack—matches up with the recent discovery of a Democratic National Committee breach. The DCCC shares office space with the DNC in Washington.
*Related: DNC Breach extended to systems used by Clinton campaign

Lapel Pin That Tim Kaine Wore Instead Of American Flag Ignites Controversy
Western Journalism - Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine accepted the Democrat Party’s nomination for vice president Wednesday.... While all eyes were on Kaine, people noticed something funny about his attire. U.S. politicians usually wear American flag lapel pins, but that was not the case with the Virginia senator -he had a flag with a star in the center of it. Some people immediately began tweeting that he was wearing the Honduras flag as a desperate attempt to attract more Latino voters. The North Carolina GOP Twitter account said, “Tim Kaine wears a Honduras flag pin on his jacket but no American flag. Shameful.” But others noted that the pin was the Blue Star service flag, with the star symbol representing how many active military members there are in your family. Kaine’s son, Nat, serves in the Marine Corps and was deployed two days before his father accepted the nomination.

Intelligence Chief Suffers Intelligence Failure Over His Own Team’s Willingness to Brief Donald Trump
The Intercept - The country’s top intelligence official, James Clapper, insisted on Thursday that there has been no hesitation within the intelligence community when it comes to giving classified briefings to the presidential candidates, including Donald Trump.... But several news reports over the past several months have indicated there was dissension in the ranks when it comes to telling Trump secrets - culminating in a Washington Post story Thursday night that quoted a senior intelligence official saying, “I would refuse.” All of which raises the question: How good can Clapper be at ferreting out secrets from foreign adversaries if he doesn’t even know what his own staff is thinking? Then again, he could just have been lying. He’s done it before.... Both candidates are expected to receive intelligence briefings as soon as next week. “There’s a long tradition that the intelligence community at the appropriate time — and now is the appropriate time, since both candidates have been officially anointed — that both campaigns will be — both camps will be reached out to and offered briefings,” Clapper said Thursday.

Donald Trump Tells the Clinton Campaign That Things Are Going to Change
Western Journalism - During a Colorado Springs rally, chants of “lock her up” rang out, recalling similar chants at the Republican National Convention when Clinton’s name was mentioned. Since then, Trump has sought to limit the use of the chant. Not anymore. “You know what? I’ve been saying — I’ve been saying let’s just beat her on Nov. 8th, but you know what? No. no. You know what? I’m starting to agree with you,” he said. “I’ve been nice, but after watching that performance (Thursday) night, such lies,” he said. “I don’t have to be so nice anymore. I’m taking the gloves off, right, yes? Take the gloves off. Right?”

Federal Courts Strike Down Voter ID Laws In Wisconsin, North Carolina
Outside The Beltway - Federal Judges in two separate cases have struck down Voter ID laws in North Carolina and Wisconsin on the ground that the law impermissibly discriminates against African-American voters.... The North Carolina ruling tossed out the state’s requirement that voters present photo identification at the polls and restored voters’ ability to register on Election Day, to register before reaching the 18-year-old voting age, and to cast early ballots, provisions the law had fully or partly eliminated.... In the Wisconsin decision, Judge James D. Peterson of Federal District Court ruled that parts of Wisconsin’s 2011 voter ID law are unconstitutional. He ordered the state to make photo IDs more easily available to voters and to broaden the range of student IDs that are accepted at the ballot box. The decision also threw out other rules that lengthened the residency requirement for newly registered voters, banned distributing absentee ballots by fax or email and sharply restricted the locations and times at which municipal voters, many of them Milwaukee blacks, could cast absentee ballots in person.

Veteran News

Veterans Affairs Drops $20 million on Art Collection
Breitbart - “Included in the expenditures is a 27-foot artificial Christmas tree for $21,500 delivered to Chillicothe, Ohio and two sculptures costing $670,000 for a VA facility in California that serves blind veterans,” according to the report produced by the government spending watchdog Open the Books. Open the Books was established as a legacy of Dr. Tom Coburn’s vigilance over government spending during his Senate career. Other examples of the VA’s art spending spree include $6.3 million in taxpayer funds expended at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. There, $483,000 went for a large decorative rock and $807,000 was for the site preparation for the rock outside the building. Inside the center, the VA built a $330,000 half arc in the lobby of the mental health clinic, spent $365,000 for a sculpture at the entrance to the pool, and $305,000 for a sculpture in the center’s main lobby. Maybe, the most ambitious of the health center’s art programs was the $285,000 spent for the wall of dozens of rocks that light up to spell out quotes by President Abraham Lincoln and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt–in Morse Code.

Economy & Business

Barack Obama Is On Track To Be The Only President In History To Never Have A Year Of 3% GDP Growth
Economic Collapse - It was being projected that U.S. GDP would grow by 2.5 percent during the second quarter of 2016, but instead it only grew by just 1.2 percent. In addition, the Census Bureau announced that GDP growth for the first quarter of 2016 had been revised down from 1.1 percent to 0.8 percent. What this means is that the U.S. economy is just barely hanging on by its fingernails from falling into a recession.... Barack Obama remains solidly on track to be the only president in all of U.S. history to never have a single year when the economy grew by at least 3 percent. Every other president in American history, even the really bad ones, had at least one year when U.S. GDP grew by at least 3 percent. But this has not happened under Obama even though he has had two terms in the White House. The following are the yearly GDP growth numbers under Obama. They come directly from the official website of the World Bank… 2009: -2.8 percent, 2010: 2.5 percent, 2011: 1.6 percent, 2012: 2.2 percent, 2013: 1.5 percent, 2014: 2.4 percent, 2015: 2.4 percent. Does that look like a “recovery” to you?

US Government Entitlements - The Sixth Biggest Economy On Earth
Zero Hedge - Because the main street economy is failing, the nation’s entitlement rolls have exploded. About 110 million citizens now receive some form of means tested benefits. When social security is included, more than 160 million citizens get checks from Washington. The total cost is now $3 trillion per year and rising rapidly. America’s entitlements sector, in fact, is the sixth biggest economy in the world. Yet in a society that is rapidly aging to the tune of 10,000 baby boom retirees per day, this 50% dependency ratio is not even remotely sustainable.... So the job of the central bank is to pump reserves and credit into the macroeconomy until the resulting incremental spending by households, business and government has caused “full employment GDP” to be filled to the brim. In effect, spending derived from current production and income is supplemented with proceeds extracted from increasingly indebted balance sheets. Needless to say, this amounts to borrowing from future production and income.

UBS Debunks "Strong Consumer" Farce Saying Consumer Credit Cycle Is In "Later Innings"
Zero Hedge - In a survey of 2,100 US adults over the age of 21, UBS found that nearly 70% of the respondents, with incomes under $40k, either couldn't cover their monthly expenses or were breaking even each month. Moreover, a comparison of historical results seems to imply that the financial situation of these folks is deteriorating as the survey found QoQ and YoY increases in "stress" levels in June. In his view, Mish believes this deterioration in consumer health is due to the fact that costs of living, primarily the cost of housing and healthcare, are outpacing wage growth. When asked whether their financial situation was getting better or worse roughly 85% said their financial condition had stayed the same or gotten worse over the previous 6 months. And finally, since nearly 70% of people in the lowest earning bracket say they're either breaking even or burning cash each month it would stand to reason that they're probably not contributing that much to retirement savings. In fact, the survey found that less than 20% of respondents in the lowest quartile of earners even had a retirement account (much less a meaningful balance in the account) and practically no one had other savings in the form of stock/bond portfolios. Perhaps even scarier is that the other quartiles are not fairing that much better at saving for retirement.

New U.S. Currency Already in Our Money Supply
The Millennium Report - If you have been putting your money under the mattress for the last few years, you will want to take the time to read this article so that you can replace the old fiat currency of the Federal Reserve Note (FRN) with new currency.... Examine the new [2009 series] one-hundred-dollar bill.... Note that the security strip is not in the exact center of the folded bill, but just to the outside of the fold.... What is really remarkable about the new bill is all the gold color and shimmer on the right side of the bill, which is conspicuously absent on the left side of the bill.... But what you may have missed is where the phrase “This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private” is located. It is now on the right side of the bill. The two halves of the bills look like two entirely different notes!... As you hold the folded new $100 bill in your hand, it is though it has been designed to be a redeemable “coupon” where one would tear or cut the left side off the bill, discarding it for the worthless paper it has become. There is even room to cut the bill in half without damaging the 3-D security strip. This leaves the right side, ornate with gold, to be used as transitional legal tender until a new currency can be printed and circulated.

Energy & Environment

Much Hated, Giant “Freak” Fish, Targeted for Extermination, is Now Valued Weapon against Carp
AllGov - It's a toothy giant that can grow longer than a horse and heavier than a refrigerator, a fearsome-looking prehistoric fish that plied U.S. waters from the Gulf of Mexico to Illinois until it disappeared from many states a half-century ago.... Alligator gar, the second-largest U.S. freshwater fish behind the West Coast's white sturgeon, have shown a taste for Asian carp, which have been spreading and out-competing native fish for food. The gar dwarf the invaders, which themselves can grow to 4 feet and 100 pounds. The world-record alligator gar was 8 ½ feet and 327 pounds, though they can grow larger.... Gar now are being restocked in lakes, rivers and backwaters — sometimes in secret locations — in several states. Earlier this year, Illinois lawmakers passed a resolution urging state natural resources officials to speed up its program and adopt regulations to protect all four gar species native to the state.

Science & Technology

Police 3D-printed a murder victim's finger to unlock his phone
The Verge - Police in Michigan have a new tool for unlocking phones: 3D printing. According to a new report from Flash Forward creator Rose Eveleth, law enforcement officers approached a professor at Michigan State earlier this year to reproduce a murder victim’s fingerprint from a prerecorded scan. Once created, the 3D model would be used to create a false fingerprint, which could be used to unlock the phone. Because the investigation is ongoing, details are limited, and it’s unclear whether the technique will be successful. Still, it’s similar to techniques researchers have used in the past to re-create working fingerprint molds from scanned images, often in coordination with law enforcement. This may be the first confirmed case of police using the technique to unlock a phone in an active investigation.

Hear Voices? It May Be an Ad
AdvertisingAge - New Yorker Alison Wilson was walking down Prince Street in SoHo last week when she heard a woman's voice right in her ear asking, "Who's there? Who's there?" She looked around to find no one in her immediate surroundings. Then the voice said, "It's not your imagination." Indeed it isn't. It's an ad for "Paranormal State," a ghost-themed series premiering on A&E this week. The billboard uses technology manufactured by Holosonic that transmits an "audio spotlight" from a rooftop speaker so that the sound is contained within your cranium. The technology, ideal for museums and libraries or environments that require a quiet atmosphere for isolated audio slideshows, has rarely been used on such a scale before. For random passersby and residents who have to walk unwittingly through the area where the voice will penetrate their inner peace, it's another story. Mr. Pompei [president and founder of Holosonics] said the company also has tested retail deployments in grocery stores with Procter & Gamble and Kraft for customized audio messaging. So a customer, for example, looking to buy laundry detergent could suddenly hear the sound of gurgling water and thus feel compelled to buy Tide as a result of the sonic experience.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Illegal GMO Wheat Discovery in Washington State Causes Global Export Panic
Sustainable Pulse - U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced Friday that twenty two unapproved genetically modified (GMO) wheat plants have been discovered in Washington State, sending export markets in to panic. The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it had asked APHIS to provide details on the unapproved wheat and methods of inspection and added that it has already suspended customs clearance for some wheat imports from the United States. Chinese, Japanese and European Union authorities are also set to react to the news over the weekend.

Seeds of Death: Unveiling The Lies of GMO’s – Full Movie
Natural Blaze - The world’s leading Scientists, Physicians, Attorneys, Politicians and Environmental Activists expose the corruption and dangers surrounding the widespread use of Genetically Modified Organisms in the new feature length documentary, “Seeds of Death: Unveiling the Lies of GMOs”.

Health

10 Brain-Boosting Foods That Just Might Make You Smarter
Off the Grid News - According to Cynthia Green, PhD, an expert on memory and brain health, key nutrients — along with exercise and daily brain stimulation – help keep brain cells healthy and prevent inflammation. Green writes that a person’s memory, attention span and ability to learn all benefit from the right food choices. Here are 10 brain-boosting foods to make a part of your diet. 1. Fish — Salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, trout and sardines are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which experts believe are essential for healthy brain function. Nearly 40 percent of the fatty acids found in brain cell membranes are the DHA variety, which are found in fish oil. 2. Dark green leafy vegetables – Dark green vegetables, such as kale, collard greens and spinach, are excellent sources of vitamin E and folate. Folate may protect the brain by lowering levels of an amino acid known as homocysteine in the blood. Nitrates in spinach help increase blood flow to the brain and thereby improve mental performance. 3. Nuts and seeds — As sources of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and vitamin B6 and vitamin E, nuts (especially walnuts) and seeds are good for the brain and the nervous system. 4. Berries – Dark berries, such as blueberries, cherries and blackberries, are both good to eat and good for your brain. They contain anthocyanins and other flavonoids that improve memory function and cognitive function. 5. Avocados — Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fats, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, potassium, vitamin K and vitamin E.

Cultured Food Life
Hi! I’m Donna Schwenk and I am the creator and founder of Cultured Food Life. I am excited to share with you about these probiotic super foods called – cultured foods. These foods changed my life so miraculously that I couldn’t keep it to myself. I would love to help you discover how they can help you too.



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