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Today's News: The Riley Report

JUNE 2017

Tues
day - June 13, 2017

On This Day In History

1777 - The Marquis de Lafayette arrived in the American colonies to help with their rebellion against the British.
1866 - The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the U.S. Congress. It was ratified on July 9, 1868. The amendment was designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of recently freed slaves. It did this by prohibiting states from denying or abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
1888 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Labor.
1898 - The Canadian Yukon Territory was organized.
1927 - For the first time, an American Flag was displayed from the right hand of the Statue of Liberty.
1940 - Paris was evacuated before the German advance on the city.
1943 - German spies landed on Long Island, New York. They were soon captured.
1951 - U.N. troops seized Pyongyang, North Korea.
1967 - Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
1971 - The New York Times began publishing the "Pentagon Papers". The articles were a secret study of America's involvement in Vietnam.
1979 - Sioux Indians were awarded $105 million in compensation for the U.S. seizure in 1877 of their Black Hills in South Dakota.
1988 - The Liggett Group, a cigarette manufacturer, was found liable for a lung-cancer death. They were, however, found innocent by the federal jury of misrepresenting the risks of smoking.
1989 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush exercised his first Presidential veto on a bill dealing with minimum wage.
1994 - A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, found Exxon Corp. and Captain Joseph Hazelwood to be reckless in the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
2000 - In Pyongyang, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il welcomed South Korea's President Kim Dae for a three-day summit. It was the first such meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Comey got 'steely silence' after confronting Loretta Lynch about Clinton's email probe
Ex-FBI Director James Comey has privately told members of Congress that he had a frosty exchange with Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch last year when he confronted her about possible political interference in the Hillary Clinton email investigation after showing Lynch a sensitive document she was unaware the FBI possessed, according to sources who were directly briefed on the matter. During his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee last Thursday, Comey alluded to the second exchange after publicly discussing an encounter with Lynch, where she ordered him not to refer to the criminal probe of Clinton’ handling of classified emails not as an “investigation” but rather as a “matter.” He suggested it smacked of political spin rather than the way professional law enforcement officers talk.

Maryland, D.C. sue Trump over his private businesses
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - In a new legal challenge to President Donald Trump, Maryland and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that his failure to shed his private businesses has undermined public trust and violated constitutional bans against self-dealing. The complaint opens uncharted legal territory. No state has accused a president of violating the emoluments clauses of the Constitution. One of those clauses bans federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments. A second prohibits the president from accepting economic benefits from the federal or state governments, other than his salary.

Federal appeals court upholds freeze on Trump's travel ban
Chicago Tribune - A West Coast federal appeals court upheld the freeze on President Donald Trump's travel ban Monday, declaring that Trump had exceeded his lawful authority in suspending the issuance of visas to residents of six Muslim-majority countries and suspending the U.S. refugee program. A three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled against the administration unanimously. Their ruling is another blow to Trump — though the administration has asked the Supreme Court to step in and save the ban in a different case.
* Related: Texas AG Accuses Lower Courts of Hypocrisy on Trump’s Travel Ban

NBC is under pressure to pull Megyn Kelly's controversial Alex Jones interview
Business Insider - NBC News is catching heat from viewers who are furious about anchor Megyn Kelly's interview with controversial right-wing radio host Alex Jones.
* Related: Video: Alex Jones Responds to Megyn Kelly Firestorm
Infowars - Alex Jones demands Megyn Kelly hit piece be held back, and not played during Father’s Day.

NJ High School Under Fire for Erasing Trump Slogans From Yearbook
Fox News - A New Jersey high school is under fire after President Donald Trump's name was digitally removed from two students' yearbook photos, and another student's quote from the president was also excluded. Wall Township High School says it has no policy preventing students from expressing their political views, so this apparent censorship has students and parents looking for answers. Wyatt Dobrovich-Fago, whose "TRUMP: Make America Great Again" vest was altered for the yearbook, believes there was a deliberate attempt to silence his freedom of speech. "I guess someone just didn't like our president and wanted to not have him in the yearbook," Dobrovich-Fago said on "Fox & Friends" this morning.

Federal Court Affirms Ban on Peaceful Protests on Supreme Court Plaza, Refuses to Protect Religious Freedom Rights of War, Death Penalty Protesters
Rutherford Institute - A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by The Rutherford Institute on behalf of two peace activists whose ability to engage in expressive activity in the Supreme Court plaza has been restricted by a federal law and U.S. Supreme Court regulation that forbid virtually all speech on the plaza in front of the Supreme Court’s building. In challenging the restrictions as a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a federal law protecting the exercise of religious beliefs, Institute attorneys argued that the Supreme Court’s ban on expressive activities on its front porch muzzled those whose religious beliefs compel them to engage in peaceful protests and speak out against war and the death penalty. However, in dismissing the lawsuit, the federal district court ruled that the law and regulation do not substantially burden the protesters’ religious beliefs and practices because the activists could demonstrate elsewhere. The ruling follows a 2015 decision that gave the Supreme Court the green light to restrict expressive First Amendment activities on its plaza.

Dianne Feinstein Calls For An Investigation Of Loretta Lynch’s Clinton Probe
The Daily Sheeple - Not much has come out of the James Comey testimony, except that the most egregious violation of federal law was the incident which took place between Comey and Loretta Lynch regarding Hillary Clinton’s email scandal.| Now, top Democrat Diane Feinstein is calling for an investigation into possible illegal activities.

World News

U.S.-led forces appear to be using white phosphorus in populated areas in Iraq and Syria
Washington Post - The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria appears to have used white phosphorus-loaded munitions on at least two occasions in densely populated areas of Mosul and in the Islamic State’s de facto capital of Raqqa, according to videos posted online and human rights groups. The often-controversial munitions are common in western militaries and are used primarily to create smoke screens, though they can also be dropped as an incendiary weapon. When a white phosphorus shell explodes, the chemical inside reacts with the air, creating a thick white cloud. When it comes in contact with flesh, it can maim and kill by burning to the bone.
*Related: White Phosphorus in Syria, Iraq: 'Nothing Will Change' Unless Western Govts Do

FT, NYT Reporters Mistake WWII Prop for 'Blockade' Against Protesters in Moscow
Sputnik International - Sputnik and RT broadcaster Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan exposed what she called "fake news" published by two foreign journalists on Twitter about an alleged threat of siege in Moscow on Russia Day. Neil Buckley, Eastern Europe Editor of the Financial Times, and Neil MacFarquhar, NY Times Moscow bureau chief, were deployed to Moscow city center to cover the protest rally held today. Both journalists retweeted a photograph posted by Russian journalist Alexey Venediktov on Monday. While Venediktov's original caption ("Moscow is ready for Russia Day") was clearly sarcastic, the US journalists' tweets were as serious as they get.

Egypt bans scores of news websites in growing censorship crackdown
Reuters - An often fiery government critic, Egyptian journalist Khaled al-Balshi has been arrested, had his operations monitored, and staff harassed by police for years. Yet his website Al-Bedaiah, a rare dissident voice in Egypt, had never been touched. On Sunday that changed when it suddenly went blank with no warning after being blocked, part of what Balshi called an unprecedented and far-reaching state crackdown on scores of news websites in recent weeks. "Let's be clear, the Egyptian websites going through this are dealing with a long-term shutdown -- this is not short term," said Balshi from his downtown Cairo office, where four work stations sat idle, because staff feared coming to work in case of arrest. Balshi's website was the 57th blocked since May 24, according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, a non-government organization tracking the affected sites through software that monitors outages.

Confirmed: US Enters Fight Against ISIS in the Philippines
Global Research - The Philippine military has confirmed that the United States has started to offer limited support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s battle with ISIS. Duterte had said that the US is unreliable as an ally insofar as they impose ideological conditions as a prerequisite for any kind of assistance. Duterte contrasted this with Russia and China which operate in a more straightforward and business like manner. The recent announcement of US forces aiding the Philippine struggle against ISIS may largely be due to the fact that Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte seem to have developed a good relationship. Duterte continues to speak positively about Trump in spite of his broader negative views on America’s colonial attitude towards post-colonial Philippines.

Iran Just Accused US of Alliance With ISIS — Claim They Have Proof
RT - Senior Iranian officials have accused the US of supporting the Islamic State terrorist group and effectively forming an alliance with it, claiming that Tehran possesses documents to prove the allegations. No evidence, however, has yet been presented. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mostafa Izadi on Sunday accused the US of supporting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), stating Tehran has evidence to back the bold allegations.

Economy & Business

Tech stock selloff goes on; oil prices gain
Reuters - A sell-off in Apple (AAPL.O) and other tech heavyweights dragged stocks down for a second session on Monday, while the dollar slipped ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting this week. The technology sector rout weighed on all three major U.S. stock indexes and raised concerns about lofty U.S. share levels. The Nasdaq ended down 0.5 percent after falling 1.8 percent on Friday. Apple lost 2.5 percent, though other tech giants Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Facebook (FB.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) also were down. At the same time, energy shares added to Friday's gains, suggesting that investors were seeking value. The S&P energy index .SPNY, which has had the biggest declines among sectors so far this year, ended up 0.7 percent.

Energy & Environment

Turkish mayor claims mystery foreign power responsible for Aegean quake
RT - Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek has called for an immediate investigation into "seismic research vessels" in the Aegean Sea following Monday’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake which claimed one life. “Now I think that this might be an artificial earthquake. I do not say it is certain but it is a very serious possibility,” Gökçek tweeted. “I say that it should definitely be investigated. Was there any seismic research ship sailing near the epicenter? If so, which country does it belong to?”

Science & Technology

Pig cell implants could hold key to alleviating Parkinson’s symptoms
RT - Pig cells implanted into the brain could help alleviate the symptoms of those living with Parkinson's disease, according to a New Zealand based biotech company. A major source of the tremors in those living with the disease is the loss of dopamine-making cells in the brain. Now, Auckland-based Living Cell Technologies is developing a treatment which extracts the dopamine-producing cells from the choroid plexus in pig brains and inserts them into groups of people living with Parkinson’s. The choroid is a group of nerves and vessels that produces cerebrospinal fluid. The pig cell implants are wrapped in a special coating made from seaweed to prevent patients' autoimmune response from attacking the foreign cells. Each implant measures just half a millimeter wide and contains roughly 1,000 pig cells.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Stockpiling 101: How Long Can You Store Powdered Milk?
Off The Grid News - Powdered milk, a dairy product made by evaporating milk to a dried form, is a great addition to your pantry.| It is useful as an inexpensive alternative to milk in recipes and is handy to have around when you run out of fresh milk. Powdered milk is also an important item to include in your preparedness stockpile. However, you may be curious how long powdered milk stays fresh. The answer depends on the type of powdered milk, the container and the storage details. Some manufacturers suggest using powdered milk within 18 months, but the USDA states that an unopened container of powdered milk can be stored anywhere from two to 10 years after a “best by” date. Some stores market nonfat dry powdered milk labeled with a 25-year shelf life.

12 plants that repel unwanted insects
These herbs and flowers can shoo pests from your garden and skin.
Mother Nature Network - For those who would like to give the natural route a try, we’ve described six easy-to-find herbs readily available at most nurseries that are said to repel mosquitoes and other annoying insects. The smell from fragrant herbs is the result of the distribution of tiny globules that contain oils. High temperatures, for example, can cause the globules to become volatile, evaporating the essential oils and turning them into vapors, Pennisi says.
*Related: 8 Essential Oils That Repel Bugs Naturally

Dangerous monopoly on the horizon as five of the "Big 6" agricultural corporations now looking to merge
NaturalNews - Six of the world’s biggest agricultural companies known as the “Big 6” may soon form a dangerous monopoly as interest in proposed mergers has become more pronounced in the last few years. For instance, Dow Chemical and DuPont proposed a merger in December 2015, but are slated to eventually separate their merged agriculture, materials science, and specialty products businesses into three independent and specialized firms. On the other hand, state-owned Chinese firm ChemChina offered to buy out Syngenta at a whopping $43 billion early last year. In September 2016 Bayer proposed to acquire Monsanto for $66 billion. Antitrust authorities in the U.S. and the European Union (EU) are set to review each merger. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also noted that all three proposed mergers are also slated to undergo assessments from antitrust agencies in Australia, Canada, India, and Mexico. Both the reviews and the financial aspect of the transactions are expected to defer the completion of the mergers. The FTC noted that the U.S. antitrust law gives the agency and the Department of Justice authority to review and block mergers and acquisitions that may substantially compromise competition.

New Colorado Law Affirms Farmers Can Use Water Rights To Cultivate Hemp
Activist Post - Late last month, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law affirming hemp farmers have a right to use their water rights for hemp cultivation, even if the water is held in federal reservoirs. Sen. Don Coram (R-Montrose) introduced Senate Bill 117 (SB117) in February. The legislation confirms that a person with an absolute or conditional water right decreed for agricultural use in Colorado may use that water for the growth or cultivation of industrial hemp if the person is registered by the department of agriculture to grow industrial hemp in the state. SB117 passed the Senate 34-1 on March 22. The House approved the measure April 24 by a 64-0 margin. Gov. Hickenlooper signed the bill into law on May 21. It went into immediate effect.

Health

Parents eye Austrian asylum in Italy vaccination dispute
BBC - A group of German-speaking parents in northern Italy are so angry about a new requirement to get their children vaccinated that they plan to seek asylum in nearby Austria. The 130 families live in Alto Adige - also known as South Tyrol - a region that was part of Austria before 1919. Last month the Italian government ruled that children must be vaccinated against 12 common illnesses before they can enrol for state-run schools.
*Related:  Italians Take to the Streets to Protest New Mandatory Vaccination Law

South Sudan: 15 children die in botched vaccine campaign
ABC - Fifteen young children have died in a botched measles vaccination campaign that saw people as young as 12 years old administering the vaccines, South Sudan's government announced Friday. The United Nations said the children died of "severe sepsis/toxicity" from the contaminated vaccine, and the health ministry blamed the deaths on human error. One syringe was used for all the children during the four-day campaign, and the vaccine was stored without refrigeration the entire time.

Pet News

10 Best People Foods to Share With Your Beloved Pet
Mercola Healthy Pets - The goal in feeding your dog food he will thrive on is to mimic his ancestral diet as closely as possible without breaking the bank. My recommendation is to feed as much unprocessed, fresh food as you can afford. For example, if you can't afford to feed an all-fresh, living, raw food diet, offer fresh food snacks as an alternative. Research shows that offering ANY amount of fresh food to your dog is beneficial. Maybe you can manage two to four fresh food meals out of 14 in a week. Or maybe you can go half-and-half by feeding one meal of processed pet food and one fresh food meal each day. However you do it, the important thing is to take small steps toward providing the best diet you can afford for your canine companion.

 Miscellaneous

Propaganda news in Sierra Club newsletter for 6/12/17 (sent by listener Laura):
* Tell Amazon to stop funding hate and climate change denial propaganda!
* Tell CEO Jeff Bezos to drop Breitbart.
 



Monday - June 12, 2017
 

U.S. News, Politics & Government

5 Stories You Missed While The Media Obsessed Over The Comey Hearing
Activist Post - Like clockwork, the mainstream media is fervently focusing on a story filled with scandal and intrigue: James Comey’s testimony. Whether it’s a terror attack in the West, a celebrity tailspin, or a superficial drama like James Comey’s conversations in Congress today, when the media drives an obsessive narrative, there’s usually other events occurring. “But Russia might have intervened with our democratic process!” some may retort. “Donald Trump is probably a criminal!” While these things are certainly possible — though raw evidence is yet to presented to prove as much — whether or not Russia intervened in an electoral process already riddled with corruption, conflicts of interest, violence, and deceit is ultimately negligible. As the media continues to trump up the story, however, below are five stories that reflect just how broken the system already is — and continues to be as the public’s attention is led toward media feeding frenzies and away from the true levers of power. As Anti-Media often notes, these stories are not entirely unreported by the media. Rather, they are relegated to scrolling text at the bottom of cable news screens and fail to draw attention from traditional publications as they obsess over stories like Comey’s testimony

AG Jeff Sessions to testify before Senate intelligence committee
AL.com - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the former Alabama senator, will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. Sessions will speak to the committee in wake of former FBI Director James Comey's testimony Thursday that raised questions about the AG's meetings with Russian officials before President Trump was sworn into office and while Sessions was still a senator. "In light of reports regarding Mr. Comey's recent testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, it is important that I have an opportunity to address these matters in the appropriate forum," Sessions said in a Saturday letter to a House appropriations subcommittee.

Leaking US military files was 'responsibility to public' - Manning in first interview after release
RT - t was her responsibility to reveal classified military documents to the public, Chelsea Manning told ABC in her first interview after leaving prison, adding that she was unaware that the leaks could threaten US national security. “I’m just me. It’s as simple as that,” Manning told ABC Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang, when asked if she considered herself a hero or a traitor. She said she “accepted responsibility” for providing 700,000 military documents on Iraq and Afghanistan to WikiLeaks in 2010 – the biggest military leak in US history. “Anything I’ve done, it’s me. There’s no one else. No one told me to do this. Nobody directed me to do this. This is me. It’s on me,” the whistleblower said.

ENOUGH! IF DEMOCRATS AND FAKE NEWS MEDIA CANNOT PRODUCE EVIDENCE OF TRUMP COLLUSION, THEN GAME OVER
InvestmentWatch - IT IS TIME, AMERICA, FOR THE DEMOCRATS AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO SUPPORTS THE TRUMP-RUSSIA HOAX TO PRODUCE ONE, SINGLE SHRED OF EVIDENCE PROVING THIS POSITION. JUST ONE. James Comey’s testimony proved one huge thing, and that is simply this. If the Democrats, RINO Republicans and fake news media are unable to produce one shred of evidence connecting Donald Trump and his administration to the ethereal ‘Russian hacking’ farce, then it is time for them to concede defeat, pack up and go home. As of end of day yesterday, not one piece of actual, real evidence has come to light. It’s time to pull the plug. Seriously.

Texas AG: Trump Has Done More To Stop Illegal Immigration Than Any Other In World History
Infowars by Mikael Thalen - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton repeatedly praised the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration in his Friday interview with The Daily Caller, saying the administration has had unprecedented success with stopping illegal crossings, which Paxton said is an important issue to Texans. “They’ve done more than any administration in the history of the world,” Paxton said when asked if he thought the Trump administration had done enough to keep Trump’s campaign promises regarding illegal immigration. “So I’m pretty happy that they’ve done so much in such a short period of time so it would really be difficult for me to criticize them on that issue because there’s no comparison with any other administration as far as how quickly and effectively they’ve approached the problem on many different fronts.”

Senators debate bringing in Comey for Round 2
Infowars by Mikael Thalen - A key Senate panel is considering whether to step up its battle to meet with former FBI Director James Comey, who gave dramatic testimony this week to a competing committee. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are debating subpoenaing Comey to compel his testimony. The move would mark a dramatic escalation of their effort to dig into Russia’s election interference and potential ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) told The Hill that she and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the committee, have discussed forcing Comey to appear before their panel.

World News

US military carries out first offensive airstrike in Somalia under Trump's new authorities
ABC News - The U.S. military has conducted its first offensive airstrike against the jihadist fundamentalist group al-Shabaab in Somalia, targeting the group under the new authorities given by the Trump administration in March that allows offensive airstrikes. "On June 11, at approximately 2 a.m. eastern daylight time, the Department of Defense conducted a strike operation against al-Shabaab in Somalia," said Dana White, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson in a statement.

Puerto Rican voters back statehood in questioned referendum
Washington Post - Puerto Rico’s governor announced that the U.S. territory has overwhelmingly chosen statehood in a nonbinding referendum Sunday held amid a deep economic crisis that has sparked an exodus of islanders to the U.S. mainland. Nearly half a million votes were cast for statehood, more than 7,600 for free association/independence and nearly 6,700 for the current territorial status, according to preliminary results. The participation rate was just 23 percent with roughly 2.26 million registered voters, leading opponents to question the validity of a vote that several parties had boycotted.

Serbia's Idea to Sue NATO for 1999 Bombings 'Viable' - Lawyer
Sputnik International - Serbia has formed an international legal team to file charges against NATO for using depleted uranium munitions during the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia. The legal team, proposed by the Serbian Royal Academy of Scientists and Artists, will bring together the best lawyers from Serbia and also from Germany, France, Italy, Russia, China, Britain and Turkey. In March 1999, NATO launched a series of airstrikes against Federal Yugoslavia. The aerial campaign and also NATO’s military intervention in Kosovo were not authorized by the UN Security Council and, therefore, violated international law. In an interview with Radio Sputnik, Vice President of the International Association of Russian-Speaking Lawyers, Mikhail Ioffe, said that Serbia should have filed the lawsuits immediately after the 1999 bombings.

3 US soldiers killed after Afghan Army soldier shoots at American troops
RT - Several American servicemen have been killed and injured after coming under fire in a ‘green-on-blue’ attack in eastern Afghanistan, the Pentagon has announced. "Three US soldiers were killed in eastern Afghanistan today," the Pentagon said in a statement, adding, that another serviceman was wounded and is now receiving medical treatment. Earlier on Saturday, Attahullah Khogyani, a provincial spokesman in Nangarhar province, said that two other soldiers were also injured in the attack, which was carried out by an Afghan soldier in the Achin district, where US and Afghan forces are carrying out joint operations against Taliban and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants. “Today at around noon an Afghan commando opened fire on US troops in Achin district, killing two American soldiers. The soldier was also killed in the return fire,” Khogyani told AFP. A Taliban spokesman claimed the shooter was a part of the militant group and had killed four Americans and injured several more, but this has yet to be confirmed by government sources. The Achin district in eastern Nangarhar province, where the attack took place, is also thought to be a stronghold of IS.

Massive Anti-Government Protests In Venezuela Worsen, Patterns Emerge
Activist Post - As protests against Venezuela’s “democratic socialist” government roll into their third month, Dr. Henrique Montbrun, who oversees the triage post in the municipality of Baruta, says the violence in the country has reached unprecedented levels. “It’s madness,” he says. As more people take to the streets to demand their freedom back in a nation where tyranny took a firm hold shortly after the election of self-proclaimed socialist, Nicolaus Maduro, the country descended into complete government control, and the only people with money are now those in the government. Socialism is fair that way; as no system more equally distributes poverty, except maybe communism. But a pattern is now emerging in the battle for basic human rights and minimal freedoms.

Why US is Unlikely to Help Russia With Syria Safe Zones Amid 'Secret Talks'
Sputnik International - The Wall Street Journal reported citing US officials that the President Donald Trump's administration has been holding "secret talks" with Russia over the creation of a safe zone near al-Tanf where the US-led coalition had repeatedly bombed pro-Damascus allied forces. According to WSJ, there were at least two "secret" meetings in Jordan between US and Russian officials during which the de-escalation zones were discussed. One more meeting allegedly should have taken place in Amman this week, however, it was canceled and a new date has not been set yet. The journal cited officials familiar with the talks as saying that the "secret" negotiations are "threatened by continued tensions in southern Syria between the U.S. and forces allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad."

Wounded May soldiers on as election shock complicates Brexit
Infowars by Mikael Thalen - In a political drama both brutal and surreal, British Prime Minister Theresa May tried Friday to carry on with the business of governing as usual, while her Conservative Party reeled from losing its parliamentary majority and her opponents demanded she resign. An election that May called to strengthen her hand as Britain leaves the European Union ended with her political authority obliterated, her days in office likely numbered and the path to Brexit more muddied than ever. Meanwhile the supposed loser, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, savored a surprisingly strong result and basked in the adulation of an energized, youthful base. British newspapers summed it up in a word: Mayhem.
*Related: Theresa May's 2 chiefs of staff resign in wake of disastrous UK election campaign

Labour rounds off remarkable election with narrow win in Kensington
The Guardian - Conservatives defeated by 20 votes after third recount in London seat, which has never been in Labour hands before. Labour has staged a major upset by taking one of the wealthiest constituencies in London, from the incumbent Conservative candidate Victoria Borwick, in a dramatic result 24 hours after polling closed.

How 1967 Six-Day War Became Testing Ground for USSR, NATO Advanced Weapons
Sputnik International - The Six-Day War of 1967 became a testing ground for the USSR and NATO's cutting edge weapon systems, Sputnik contributor Andrei Kots writes, unveiling one of the reasons for the defeat of the Arab coalition. Exactly 50 years ago, on June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War — the shortest armed conflict of the second half of the 20th century — ended, Sputnik contributor Andrei Kots writes, highlighting that the war put the most advanced Soviet and NATO weaponry to the test. The armed conflict between Israel and the coalition of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Algeria had taken place between June 5 and June 10, 1967. In the very beginning of the war, the young Israeli state managed to destroy most of the Egyptian aviation and then swiftly occupied the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank of the Jordan River, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. However, according to Kots, it's not the strategy and tactics of the participants of the Six-Day War what deserves special attention but the weapons which they used during the confrontation. The crux of the matter is that new tanks and aircraft manufactured by the USSR of the countries of the NATO bloc made their debut on the fields and in the air during the conflict. Later these weapons were used and continue to be used in dozens of conflicts around the world.

Monsanto and other biotech chemical giants just OUTLAWED seed exchanges in Africa ... Seed colonization is nearly complete
Natural News - Monsanto has become infamous for covering up the connection between glyphosate – which constitutes 50 percent of its Roundup weed killer product – and cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined in 2015 that glyphosate was “probably carcinogenic to humans,” there was an immediate backlash against the company and multiple lawsuits have ensued. Unfortunately, distributing cancer-causing herbicides all over the world is far from this agricultural giant’s only sin. Monsanto and fellow Big Agri villains like Syngenta have quietly been destroying global crop diversity, placing themselves in a position where they are poised to control the entire planet’s food supply.

Economy & Business

Is The Central Bank's Rigged Stock Market Ready To Crash On Schedule?
Activist Post - We just saw a major rift open in the US stock market that we haven’t seen since the dot-com bust in 1999. While the Dow rose by almost half a percent to a new all-time high, the NASDAQ, because it is heavier tech stocks, plunged almost 2%. Tech stocks nosedived while others rose to create new highs. Is this a one-off, or has a purge begun for the tech stocks that have driven the nation’s third-longest bull market?

Could Cheap Car Loans Be The Cause Of The Next Economic Collapse?
SHTF Plan - Ten years ago, sub-prime mortgages were getting the blame for the economic collapse which followed.| Could the low rates of car loans be the next vehicle which will fling us into an even more unstable economy? Some experts seem to think so.

Energy & Environment

Smart Meters' claimed cost efficiency benefits are mostly BUNK, analysis finds
NaturalNews - Compared to any other province, people living in Ontario pay steeper rates for their power. According to The Globe and Mail, electricity prices in Ontario have soared in the past decade, rising four times as fast as inflation. Despite the use of the term “hydro” as a synonym for electricity, Ontario relies on a mix of energy sources to power the grid. Nearly 60 percent of the electricity comes from nuclear power plants and about 24 percent comes from hydroelectricity. Today, Ontario’s electricity system is a tangle of public, private, and semi-private companies, hence its hefty price tag. In an attempt to reduce energy consumption during peak periods and slash electricity costs, smart meters and time-of-use rates were introduced in November 2011.
Unfortunately, Ontario’s $1 billion smart meter program has delivered few benefits for the hefty electricity cost, new research conducted at the University of Waterloo in Canada reported. Their analysis was recently published in the journal Energy Policy.

Science & Technology

Scientists Working On An Enzyme Capable Of Deleting Bad Memories
Activist Post - Scientists have discovered an enzyme in the brain involved in memory formation, particularly with long-term memories. Are there any bad memories you want to get rid of? The scientists believe that those with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or other memory-related afflictions can be treated by targeting an enzyme to delete bad memories. At face value this may sound fine and well, but those frequenting the alternative media may be experiencing a red light warning right now: Could this form of memory hijacking be used for a number of dark ulterior motives?

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

You're A Pepper. Your Family's Not. What Should You Do?
Off The Grid News - Perhaps one of the hardest things to do when prepping is convincing family and friends to join you. Ask any long-time prepper, and they’re likely to have had trouble discussing the topic with loved ones. Prepping isn’t something you can hide from immediate family, either. A basement full of food supplies would be hard to keep a secret, as would a cabinet stocked with guns and ammo. Need help? You definitely can win people to your side, even through small, incremental ways.

Health

Historic 1st: FDA calls for opioid to be removed from market based on risk of abuse
RT - In an unprecedented move, the US Food and Drug Administration has requested a drugmaker withdraw an opioid pain medicine from the market due to its potential for abuse. The agency cited the current "opioid epidemic" as a catalyst for the move. The FDA has targeted the reformulated version of Opana ER, or oxymorphone hydrochloride, for market removal, calling on its manufacturer, Ireland-based Endo Pharmaceuticals, to take voluntary steps to do so. If Endo chooses not to withdraw Opana ER ‒ first approved by the FDA in 2006 – the federal agency said it would take steps to rescind its approval of the drug. "We are facing an opioid epidemic ‒ a public health crisis, and we must take all necessary steps to reduce the scope of opioid misuse and abuse,"said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

Pepsi now experimenting with ground up insects as a source of protein for its snack products
NaturalNews - While it may turn the stomach of consumers in America, PepsiCo is betting that snacks and drinks made with ground up bugs will become the next big thing. Although bug protein is already popular in some parts of the world, it will take some time for the West to adapt to the idea. Recently, Pepsi — the food company known for its sodas and snacks like Doritos, Cheetos, and Quaker Oats cereal — posted an innovation request on the idea portal Nine Sights looking for novel, sustainable, non-GMO protein sources for usage in their products. The firm noted that the protein source should have a minimal impact on the flavor and texture of the end product, and must be easy to process and handle. aying they would like “to achieve a protein level that provides a measurable positive impact for consumers while enabling a comparable consumer experience,” Pepsi’s primary focus is finding a plant-based protein source. Though they are also considering fungi-and insect-based protein.

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol found to have a negative impact on brain health
NaturalNews - You might want to think twice before reaching for another shot of that drink especially if you have a big day at work the next day. A new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) showed that drinking moderately may not be as harmless as you believe. In fact, it makes you three times more likely to suffer cognitive decline than those who don’t drink at all.

700,125 pounds of spaghetti and meatball products recalled over labeling concerns
ABC - More than 700,000 pounds of spaghetti and meatball products have been recalled over allergen labeling concerns. Conagra Brands, Inc. said bread crumbs included in various products sold under Chef Boyardee, Libby's, Hy-Top and other popular brand names may contain milk, an allergen not marked on the products' labels.


Friday - June 9, 2017

On This Day In History

1790 - John Barry copyrighted "Philadelphia Spelling Book." It was the first American book to be copyrighted.
1790 - Civil war broke out in Martinique..
1923 - Bulgaria's government was overthrown by the military.
1934 - Donald Duck made his debut in the Silly Symphonies cartoon "The Wise Little Hen."
1940 - Norway surrendered to the Nazis during World War II.
1943 - The withholding tax on payrolls was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1945 - Japanese Premier Kantaro Suzuki declared that Japan would fight to the last rather than accept unconditional surrender.
1946 - Mel Ott (with the New York Giants) became the first manager to be ejected from a doubleheader (both games).
1959 - The first ballistic missile carrying submarine, the USS George Washington, was launched.
1978 - Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints struck down a 148-year-old policy of excluding black men from the Mormon priesthood.
1985 - Thomas Sutherland, an American educator, was kidnapped in Lebanon. He was not released until November 1991.
1986 - The Rogers Commission released a report on the Challenger disaster. The report explained that the spacecraft blew up as a result of a failure in a solid rocket booster joint.
1999 - NATO and Yugoslavia signed a peace agreement over Kosovo.
2000 - Canada and the United States signed a border security agreement. The agreement called for the establishment of a border-enforcement team.
2000 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal gift and estate taxes. The bill called for the taxes to be phased out over 10 years.
2011 - The world's first artificial organ transplant was performed. It was an artificial windpipe coated with stem cells.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

James Comey Hearing Destroys Obstruction of Justice Case Against Trump
Breitbart - Under questioning by Sen. James Risch (R-ID), James Comey all but destroyed any hope Democrats had for bringing a case of obstruction of justice against President Donald Trump. Former FBI director James Comey began his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday by suggesting that the question of whether President Donald Trump had committed obstruction of justice was one for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate. Democrats have hinged their hopes for impeachment — and reversing the 2016 elections — on the idea that Trump committed obstruction of justice. That case has now been smashed beyond repair.

Comey: AG Lynch Directed Me to Call Hillary Email Investigation a ‘Matter’
Breitbart - Thursday during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, former FBI Director James Comey said former Obama Attorney General Loretta Lynch had asked him to call the FBI investigation into former Secretary of State and then-Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information on a private email server a “matter.” Comey said, “There were other things that contributed to that.| One significant item I can’t. I know the committee’s been briefed on. There’s been public accounts of it which are nonsense. But I understand the committee has been briefed on the classified facts. Probably the only other consideration I guess can talk about in an open setting is at one point the attorney general had directed me not to call it an investigation but instead to call it matter, which confused me and concerned me. But that was one of the bricks in the load that led me to conclude I have to step away from the department if we’re to close this case credibly.”

Bombshell: Comey Admits Leaking Memos to Press
Infowars by Adan Salazar - Former FBI Director James Comey admitted Thursday to orchestrating leaks to the press in hopes of prompting the appointment of a special prosecutor. The fired FBI director had kept written memos of his meetings with President Trump. In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey admitted to giving his memos to his Columbia law professor “good friend” Daniel C. Richman to leak to the press following Trump’s tweets insinuating he had recorded his conversations with Comey.

Ex-FBI chief Comey: Many news stories about Russia are ‘just dead wrong’
RT - Former FBI director James Comey has testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee, confirming that he leaked a meeting with Trump to the media and stating that some news stories about Russia are "just dead wrong."

Trump’s lawyer calls for investigation of Comey for leaking 'privileged communications'
RT - President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, has called for former FBI Director James Comey to be investigated after Comey testified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee about his abrupt firing by Trump.|

40,000 Petitions in Support of Sheriff Joe Delivered to DOJ
Breitbart News by Ian Mason - 40,000 signed petitions calling for an end to the prosecution of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio were hand-delivered to the Department of Justice by National Center for Police Defense (NCPD) President James Fotis Wednesday.

Texas Teacher Who Gave Student ‘Most Likely to Become a Terrorist’ Award Is Out of a Job
NYT - A teacher at a Texas middle school is out of a job after she gave mock awards to students that included designations like “most likely to become a terrorist” and “most likely to blend in with white people,” the school district and local media reports said. “We have concluded our investigation, and the teacher responsible is no longer employed by the district,” the Channelview Independent School District said in a one-sentence statement when asked on Wednesday to confirm reports that the teacher was no longer working at the school, in Channelview, near Houston. A spokesman did not reply to questions about whether the teacher had been fired or had resigned.

World News

US strikes pro-govt forces in Syria, shoots down drone
RT - The US-led coalition has struck Syrian pro-government forces near its training base of At Tanf, and shot down an armed drone outside its deconfliction zone.| The previous airstrike close to At Tanf on Tuesday was condemned by Damascus and Moscow.

US-Backed Forces Enter Syrian City of Raqqa
Global Research by Bill Van Auken - Backed by intense US airstrikes and accompanied by beefed-up contingents of US special operations troops, an armed force dominated by the YPG (People’s Protection Force) Kurdish militia crossed into the eastern sector of the Syrian city of Raqqa Tuesday.

Poland receives first shipment of American liquefied natural gas
RT - The first US tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) has arrived in the Polish port of Swinoujscie.| American LNG is expected to compete in Europe with natural gas piped from Russia and Qatari LNG.

Puerto Rico goes to the polls for statehood 51 state? And 70 billion in bankruptcy… Will Americans object?
InvestmentWatch - If statehood wins, as expected, the island will enact what’s known as the Tennessee Plan, an avenue to accession by which U.S. territories send a congressional delegation to demand to be seated in Washington. Puerto Rico will send two senators and five representatives, chosen by Gov. Ricardo Rosselló (D), later this year, once the plan is put into action. Statehood remains a long shot as many Republicans are wary of adding a 51st state that could add two Democratic senators and seven Democratic electors to the Electoral College. Others, noting the examples of Alaska and Hawaii, both added to the union in 1959, say it can be difficult to predict how territories will vote as states.

World Famous Urban Food Street Just Got Mowed Down by City Enforcers
NaturalBlaze - Urban Food Street (UBS) is a hugely popular precinct in Buderim, on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia. This precinct spanned 11 streets and over the past 7 years neighbors grow food on the verges, free to the community. They grew enough food for 200 people and neighbors who didn’t have food-bearing trees or gardens were welcome to trade other wares. The citrus trees felled would have supplied jam for the residents for the next 12 months. Residents, however, were horrified to find “barren” ground where 18 trees had been unapologetically chopped down and mulched last week. In one fell swoop, the Sunshine Coast Council erased years of hard work. “Why would the council chop down trees that produce what we eat? They were 1.2 metres back from the road. There’s no danger,” said one resident. The project was considered “internationally significant” and residents said the council blocked attempts for a solution. Unsurprisingly, the council took these actions based on a “complaint.”

Economy & Business

Dow hits record in midst of Comey hearing
CNN - Wall Street doesn't seem worried at all about FBI director James Comey's hearing in Congress. The Dow, after initially trading sideways, jumped to a new all-time high Thursday afternoon towards the end of the highly-anticipated testimony. The reaction suggests Wall Street believes Comey's testimony produced no smoking gun that could further imperil President Trump's stalled economic agenda.

Central Banks Now Own Stocks And Bonds Worth Trillions – And They Could Crash The Markets By Selling Them
The Economic Collapse - Have you ever wondered why stocks just seem to keep going up no matter what happens? For years, financial markets have been behaving in ways that seem to defy any rational explanation, but once you understand the role that central banks have been playing everything begins to make sense. In the aftermath of the great financial crisis of 2008, global central banks began to buy stocks, bonds and other financial assets in very large quantities and they haven’t stopped since. In fact, as you will see below, global central banks are on pace to buy 3.6 trillion dollars worth of stocks and bonds this year alone. At this point, the Swiss National Bank owns more publicly-traded shares of Facebook than Mark Zuckerberg does, and the Bank of Japan is now a top-five owner in 81 different large Japanese firms. These global central banks are shamelessly pumping up global stock markets, but because they now have such vast holdings they could also cause a devastating global stock market crash simply by starting to sell off their portfolios.

Science & Technology

Companies Race To Perfect The Computer Brain Interface
Activist Post - Another example of “the road to hell is paved by good intentions.” No one would ever think to exploit a computer-brain interface…. With all the malware out there, how could you guard yourself from such an intrusion? Hmmmmm…..In this News Shot, Joe Joseph discusses brain-computer interfaces that could turn us into programmable, debuggable machines, and the possible horrible consequences of such technology.

US’s Mysterious X-37B Space Plane to Head Back Into Orbit on SpaceX Rocket
Sputnik - The Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, the Pentagon’s secretive space plane, returned to Earth in early May after nearly two years in space.| But in just a few months it’ll be heading back out to orbit – except this time it’ll be on the back of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Anxious robots will be less likely to launch AI uprising – study
RT - Creating robots with anxiety might keep the machines from talking over the world, according to new research into AI technology. Researchers from the University of California based their findings on a mathematical model that simulated interaction between a robot and a human. With this model, the team found they could lower the robot’s self-confidence, from the unwavering level it has by default, to better obey their human’s orders.

Energy & Environment

Alarms go off, crews take cover at Hanford nuclear site
RT - Two air monitor alarms went off in a demolition area of the Hanford Site’s Plutonium Finishing Plant, causing workers to take cover less than a month after a tunnel collapse at the Richland, Washington facility, the Department of Energy-owned site said.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Nevada Disobeys the Feds, Passes Revolutionary Law to Grow Commercial Hemp
The Free Thought Project by Rachel Blevins - Gov. Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 396 into law, authorizing the cultivation of industrial hemp for commercial purposes and the production of agricultural hemp seed in Nevada. The bill was created by a group of 12 bipartisan senators, and was initially introduced in March. After receiving unanimous approval in the Senate, it went on to pass the full assembly by a vote of 34 to 5. While state law previously allowed institutions of higher education or the Nevada Department of Agriculture to grow industrial hemp for approved research purposes, the new law will open licensing programs to growers, handlers, and producers of hemp seed. Because industrial hemp is the product of a variety of the cannabis plant, it is treated as a drug in the United States. However, it is important to note that hemp is non-psychoactive, and has the potential to be used in more than 25,000 products, including fibers, textiles, paper and construction and insulation materials.

Health

The Secrets to Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails
Dr. Group's Healthy Living blog by Zohair - Frustrated with lackluster hair, dry skin, and brittle nails?|
You are not alone. There is a multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry built on your hopes and dreams of shiny hair, strong nails, and supple, hydrated skin. But do the potions and tonics you apply to your tresses leave them dull and lifeless? Are your nails prone to splitting and cracking? Are your knees ashy an hour after applying lotion? There’s a reason why. The products you use every day might be doing more harm than good. Cosmetic products are often loaded with harmful chemicals and toxins that detract from your health and appearance. Fortunately, the secret to beautiful hair, skin, and nails is simpler than you might think. Like so many other aspects of your health, your diet and lifestyle are major determinants of your appearance. Keep reading to find out how to improve and maintain strength and shine for a lifetime.

The 7 Best Inflammation-Fighting Foods + How To Use Them In Everything
mindbodygreen by Sarah Aldrich - One of the greatest sources of chronic inflammation today is the Standard American Diet—eating processed foods, too much sugar, lots of meat, etc. Luckily, our diets are one of the easiest things we can fix. Opting for inflammation-fighting foods can help your body fight disease, and all it takes is a trip to the grocery store.

Gelatin in Vaccines Can Cause Allergic Reactions
Health Impact News by Admin - Orissa - In the early 1990s, several reports implicating the presence of gelatin in live virus vaccines to the occurrence of anaphylactic allergic reactions came to light, and were reported in the medical literature in Japan. [8] The increasing number of Japanese patients with allergic reactions after administration of gelatin-containing vaccines became more widely recognized, including after administration of DTaP vaccine. What this essentially means is that people with a gelatin food allergy may develop an anaphylactic reaction after receiving a gelatin-containing vaccine; however, it has also been reported that people without a prior gelatin allergy can also experience anaphylactic reactions in response to gelatin-containing vaccines. This is believed to be a result of the injection route of vaccine administration (injection versus ingestion).


Thursday - June 8, 2017

On This Day In History

1786 - In New York City, commercially manufactured ice cream was advertised for the first time.
1790 - The first loan for the U.S. was repaid. The Temporary Loan of 1789 was negotiated and secured on September 18, 1789 by Alexander Hamilton.
1861 - Tennessee voted to secede from the Union and joined the Confederacy.
1872 - The penny postcard was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1904 - U.S. Marines landed in Tangiers, Morocco, to protect U.S. citizens.
1915 - U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned in a disagreement over U.S. handling of the sinking of the Lusitania.
1947 - "Lassie Show" debuted on ABC radio. It was a 15-minute show.
1953 - The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregated restaurants in Washington, DC.
1965 - U.S. troops in South Vietnam were given orders to begin fighting offensively.
1967 - Israeli airplanes attacked the USS Liberty in the Mediterranean during the 6-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors. 34 U.S. Navy crewmen were killed. Israel later called the incident a tragic mistake due to the mis-identification of the ship. The U.S. has never publicly investigated the incident.
1969 - U.S. President Richard Nixon met with President Thieu of South Vietnam to tell him 25,000 U.S. troops would pull out by August.
1987 - Fawn Hill began testifying in the Iran-Contra hearings. She said that she had helped to shred some documents.
1988 - The judge in the Iran-Contra conspiracy case ruled that Oliver North, John Poindexter, Richard Secord and Albert Hakim had to be tried separately.
1991 - A victory parade was held in Washington, DC, to honor veterans of the Persian Gulf War.
1995 - U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady was rescued by U.S. Marines after surviving alone in Bosnia after his F-16 fighter was shot down on June 2.
1996 - China set off an underground nuclear test blast.
2004 - Nate Olive and Sarah Jones began the first known continuous hike of the 1,800-mile trail down the U.S. Pacific Coast. They completed the trek at the U.S.-Mexico border on September 28.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Congressman starts impeachment process against President Trump
Infowars - Texas Democrat Rep. Al Green says he’s drafting “articles of impeachment” against President Donald Trump.

Full Text: James Comey’s Prepared Remarks for His Congressional Testimony
By Breitbart News - Former FBI Director James Comey is set to testify before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Thursday regarding his firing by President Donald Trump and the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. |
* Related: Judge Napolitano: Comey’s Pre-Testimony Statements Reveal Trump Did Nothing Illegal

Missouri governor calls special session on abortion
Reuters - Missouri's Republican governor on Wednesday said he will convene a special legislative session next week to consider new abortion regulations and counter a local St.| Louis law he said made it an "abortion sanctuary city."

MILO Fan Sues UC Berkeley for $23 Million over Abuse Against Conservatives on Campus
Breitbart News by Charlie Nash - A fan of former Breitbart senior editor Milo Yiannopoulos is suing UC Berkeley for $23 million, claiming routine abuse against conservative students on campus. The fan of Milo, whose book Dangerous reached #1 on Amazon’s best sellers list within a day of being made available to pre-order this week, claims that her First Amendment rights were infringed after she was forced to evacuate Milo’s speech on-campus in February when a left-wing protest turned into a violent riot.

Donald Trump says Christopher Wray will be nominated as next FBI director
The Sidney Morning Herald - Taking to Twitter on Wednesday night, Trump said Christopher Wray – a former Assistant Attorney-General in the George W. Bush administration – would be nominated for the role. He said Wray, who is 50, had "impeccable credentials". "I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI," Trump said. "Details to follow."

Jerry Brown Plays President; Signs Climate Deal with China
Breitbart - California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new climate change agreement between the State of California and the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday. The gesture continued Brown’s efforts to expand ties with China, as well as his diplomatic campaign to push for more action on climate change. It came in the immediate aftermath of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords.

Here’s Where The US Ranks On The List Of Most Peaceful Nations In The World
By Darius Shahtahmasebi (Activist Post) - The Global Peace Index, which bases its annual assessment on a complex analysis of social, economic, and political factors, has found that the United States of America is the 114th most peaceful nation on the planet. This most recent ranking sees the U.S. down 11 places from the previous year. This drop places Armenia and Rwanda in front of America, and El Salvador and China right behind. (Have a read about the conflict in Rwanda if you have the time). “Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark. There was also very little change at the bottom of the index. Syria remains the least peaceful country in the world, followed by Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen,” the report said.

Military Tested Germ Warfare On San Francisco And Other Major Cities
By Heather Callaghan (Activist Post) - One of the largest human experiments ever was conducted on unsuspecting residents in the open air of San Francisco. It was the U.S. Government’s own experiment conducted on its own people in 1950. IFL Science reports [emphasis mine]: In the wake of World War II, the United States military was suddenly worried about and keen to test out the threats posed by biological warfare. They started experiments looking into how bacteria and their harmful toxins might spread, only using harmless stand-in microbes. They tested these on military bases, infecting soldiers and their families who lived with them, but eventually they stepped things up a notch. Disclosed in 1977, it turns out that the U.S. military carried out 239 secret open-air tests on its own citizens. In one of its largest experiments – called Operation Sea-Spray – the military used giant hoses [and burst balloons] to spray a bacterial cloud of Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii, both thought to be harmless bacteria at the time, from a Navy ship docked just off the coast of San Francisco. They wanted to investigate how the city’s iconic fog might help with the spread of bacterial warfare. And spread it did. It’s estimated that all of the city’s 800,000 residents inhaled millions of the bacteria over the next few weeks as they went about their daily lives none the wiser.

World News

Trump offers to help Qatar resolve Gulf crisis
RT - US President Donald Trump has offered to host a Washington meeting to discuss the Gulf crisis, the White House has said

Is Another War Brewing In The Middle East? Saudi Arabia Gives 24 Hour Ultimatum To Qatar
SHTF Plan - What’s going down in the Middle East right now is the perfect example of a black swan event.| Out of nowhere, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Egypt, Yemen, and the Maldives cut off diplomatic relations with the nation of Qatar several days ago. Saudi Arabia and the UAE (who are leading the charge against Qatar) have since placed a naval blockade on Qatar, and have cut air and land links with the nation as well.

US Missile Defense Chief: US Must Assume it Is in ‘Range’ of North Korean Nuke
Sputnik - Vice Admiral James Syring, the head of the US Missile Defense Agency, told a House Armed Services Committee meeting on Wednesday that his agency must assume Pyongyang can today “range” the US with a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and that North Korea’s missile program advances are cause for “great concern.”|
* Related: Pentagon upgrades assessment of ability to defend against ICBMs - After a successful May test, the Pentagon has upgraded its assessment of its ability to defend the United States against incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles, like the ones North Korea is attempting to develop, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Britain readies for election after tumultuous campaign
Al Jazeera - Polls put Corbyn between one and 12 points behind May with youth turnout expected to decide the outcome of the vote. Campaigning for the UK general election is drawing to a close and millions of Britons will head to the polls within hours to choose their next government. The general election on Thursday pits Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party against Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, with the nationalist Scottish National Party expected to continue its domination in Scotland. The centrist Liberal Democrat party has positioned itself as the party that will reject Brexit and hold a second referendum, but that platform has only earned them a modest increase in the opinion polls. While the election was widely expected to be fought on the basis of upcoming Brexit negotiations with the EU, two recent attacks that killed at least 30 people and wounded scores of others brought security to the top of the agenda. Both attacks, one in Manchester and the other in London, were believed to have been inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group. Corbyn has attacked May for cutting police numbers during her time as Home Secretary and leaving the country vulnerable to threats.

Czech Republic Now Refusing Migrants in Fresh Blow to EU Quota Scheme
Breitbart - Brussels has threatened to take the Czech Republic to court after its government announced its withdrawal from the Commission scheme to force European Union (EU) countries to welcome migrants from the third world. Citing security issues, Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec said on Monday the Visegrád nation will not be resettling any more of the quota of 2,691 migrants demanded by the scheme, having so far taken just a dozen people who arrived uninvited to Italy and Greece on boats.

EU Free Movement Gave London Bridge Jihadist Backdoor to Britain After Failed Asylum Bid
Breitbart - Two of the three London Bridge terrorists are believed to have used European Union migration rights to enter Britain, despite one of them having previously had an asylum application rejected. East London-based Rachid Redouane (above left), 30, who claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan, was refused asylum in Britain at an unspecified date, according to RTÉ News, but was able to settle in the country after marrying in Ireland and winning a ‘4 EU FAM’ residence card.

Economy & Business

5 Trends That Are Destroying The Middle Class In America
Zero Hedge by Tyler Durden -The middle class in America has been shrinking for decades, and our leaders seem powerless to do anything about it. Two years ago, the middle class became a minority in this country for the first time ever. In other words, the middle class now accounts for less than 50 percent of the population. But back in the early 1970s, the middle class made up more than 60 percent of the population. I have often compared being in the middle class to playing a really bizarre game of musical chairs. When the music stops playing each month, more chairs are being pulled out of the middle class, and most of us are just hoping that we will still have a chair for the next go around. Earlier today, I came across a USA Today article that discussed some of the factors that are slowly but surely eviscerating the middle class. I am going to share four of those factors with you, and at the end I am going to add one extra one.

By 2050 the world will face a $400 trillion shortfall in retirement savings
GOVERNMENT SLAVES - The World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that by 2050 the world will face a $400 trillion shortfall (pdf) in retirement savings. (Yes, that’s trillion, with a “T”.) The WEF defines a shortfall as anything less than what’s required to provide 70% of a person’s pre-retirement income via public pensions and private savings. The US will find itself in the biggest hole, falling $137 trillion short of what’s necessary to fund adequate retirements in 2050. It is followed by China’s $119 trillion shortfall. Asset returns have been lower than they were in the past and people are living longer, so some of this shortfall is to be expected. The WEF assumes many people born recently will live beyond 100, which may be a bit much (the Social Security Administration expects most Americans born today to live into their mid-80s). But much of the massive shortfall is baked into retirement systems; setups in which nobody, neither individuals nor the government, saves enough. About three-quarters of the projected comes from underfunded promises from governments, with the rest mostly accounted for by under-saving on the part of individuals.

Gov. Jerry Brown Calls California Taxpayers “Freeloaders”
RedState - If you live in California, have a job and pay taxes Governor Jerry Brown would like you to know that you’re a freeloader and he’s tired of your complaining. In a speech in Orange County last week Brown responded to criticism over a new $52 billion tax hike that was hastily rammed through Sacramento by the Democrat supermajority over the objections of taxpayers across the state.

Energy & Environment

Lithuania Declares Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant National Security Threat
Sputnik - The Lithuanian government declared the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Grodno region a national security threat due to breaches and incidents that keep happening during its construction, the governmental press service said Wednesday.

Science & Technology

Mars Astronauts Face Double the Cancer Risk, Says Study
Infowars by Adan Salazar - The cancer risk for a human mission to Mars may be double what was previously expected, says a new study that is partly based on studying tumors in mice. Astronauts are exposed to radiation from galactic cosmic rays when they travel outside the protective shield of Earth’s magnetic field. These cosmic rays — which originate from the shockwaves of star explosions, or supernovas — can disrupt the bonds inside human cells, leading to DNA damage and mutation. “Exploring Mars will require missions of 900 days or longer and includes more than one year in deep space, where exposures to all energies of galactic cosmic ray heavy ions are unavoidable,” said lead author Francis Cucinotta, a professor of radiation and space physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in a statement. His study was recently published in Scientific Reports.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Despite links to cancer, the EU proposes a 10-year license renewal for key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup
By Amy Goodrich (Natural News) - The World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” which is the second-highest classification for substances that can cause cancer. Glyphosate is the main ingredient of Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide Roundup. Instead of protecting public health and removing it from their products, Monsanto hired an army of fraudulent scientists and industry lobbyists to push their agenda. Backed up by the government and mainstream media, fake stories flooded the internet to cast doubts on the cancer-causing properties associated with glyphosate, allowing Monsanto to continue selling their toxic products.

Natural Remedies for Poison Ivy & Oak
By Ashley Houk (Mohter Earth Living) - If you’ve been in or around the woods at all, you’ve probably heard the saying “leaves of three, let it be.” Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, even for those allergic to poison ivy, it can be a bit more difficult than that to avoid breaking out in an unbearably itchy rash. Being on the lookout for “leaves of three” is a great starting point, but what many of us aren’t taught is that poison ivy, oak and sumac all contain the same oil—urushiol—which, for some, can cause an allergic reaction when it binds to the skin and that fact can increase the odds of coming into contact with something bothersome.
Using Jewelweed for Poison Ivy Treatment:
 1. Locate orange-flowered jewelweed (Impatiens biflora) and harvest, making sure to keep stalks intact.
 2. If outdoors, break the stalk and rub raw plant juices directly on exposed areas.
 3. If treating at home, place stalks in a blender and blend thoroughly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator through spring and summer. You can also boil crushed stalks to create an extract that can be frozen for up to 1 year.
Easy-to-Find Alternatives to Raw Jewelweed:
If you aren’t in an area with abundant jewelweed habitats or can’t find any, French green clay is an excellent alternative. It works somewhat like Calamine lotion—but better, in my experience.

Health

ZINC found to be a powerful mineral “secret” for fighting viral infections of the liver (such as hepatitis C)
By Tim Wesley (Natural News) - Researchers were surprised to discover that zinc may have the potential to fight liver disease by suppressing the inflammatory effects of a protein called interferon lambda 3 (IFN-λ3). This new research, published in Nature Communications, proved how beneficial the mineral is in curbing the negative effects of liver disease.

Low fat dairy raises risk of Parkinson's disease
Mail Online - Eating three or more portions of low fat dairy a day raises risk by 34 per cent compared to eating less than one serving, say researchers from the University of Harvard.|

5 Tips for Natural Stress Management
By Ashley Houk (Mother Earth Living) - Stress is a natural part of life. The stress response system was designed to trigger the “fight-or-flight” response to save our primitive ancestors from life threatening situations. Today, this same mechanism jumps into action even if we’re not in physical harm. Although some stress can motivate us, long-term (chronic) stress can impact our health—physical and mental—negatively.
 1. Go Decaf
 2. Eat Well
 3. Try Acupuncture
 4. Calming Herbs
 5. Get Out

Pet News

Report: PETA Produced Fake Animal Abuse Video as Part of Attempted Viral Awareness Campaign
Breitbart News by Charlie Nash PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has reportedly produced a fake animal abuse video to “raise awareness” of the issue online.“The animal rights group has produced a disturbing new video that depicts a cat suffering at the hands of its owner. It’s difficult to watch. It’s also completely fake,” reports Mashable. “But it looks real; it is a skilled CGI work clearly meant to deceive viewers. Now, PETA is trying to enlist complicit media organizations to knowingly publish the fake video in an effort to make the lie go viral.”
 


Wednesday - June 7, 2017

On This Day In History

1712 - The Pennsylvania Assembly banned the importation of slaves.
1775 - The United Colonies changed their name to the United States.
1776 - Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.
1929 - The sovereign state of Vatican City came into existence as copies of the Lateran Treaty were exchanged in Rome.
1932 - Over 7,000 war veterans marched on Washington, DC, demanding their bonuses.
1939 - King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, arrived in the U.S. It was the first visit to the U.S. by a reigning British monarch.
1942 - The Battle of Midway ended. The sea and air battle lasted 4 days. Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292 aircraft, and suffered 2,500 casualties. The U.S. lost the Yorktown, the destroyer USS Hammann, 145 aircraft, and suffered 307 casualties.
1942 - Japan landed troops on the islands of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians. The U.S. invaded and recaptured the Aleutians one year later.
1944 - Off of the coast of Normandy, France, the Susan B. Anthony sank. All 2,689 people aboard survived.
1948 - The Communists completed their takeover of Czechoslovakia.
1965 - In the U.S., the Gemini 4 mission was completed. The mission featured the first spacewalk by an American.
1968 - In Operation Swift Saber, U.S. Marines swept an area 10 miles northwest of Danang in South Vietnam.
1981 - Israeli F-16 fighter-bombers destroyed Iraq’s only nuclear reactor.
1983 - The U.S. ordered Nicaragua to close all 6 of its consulates and informed 21 Nicaraguan consular officials that they could no longer remain in the U.S.
1994 - The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia declared the RMS Titanic, Inc. (RMST) salvor-in-possession of the wreck and the wreck site of the RMS Titanic.
2000 - U.S. Federal Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ordered the breakup of Microsoft Corporation.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Contractor charged with leaking classified NSA info on Russian hacking
CNN-The Justice Department announced charges Monday against a federal contractor with Top Secret security clearance, after she allegedly leaked classified information to an online media outlet. Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a contractor with Pluribus International Corporation in Georgia, is accused of "removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet," according to a federal complaint. CNN is told by sources that the document Winner allegedly leaked is the same one used as the basis for the article published Monday by The Intercept, detailing a classified National Security Agency memo. The NSA report, dated May 5, provides details of a 2016 Russian military intelligence cyber attack on a US voting software supplier, though there is no evidence that any votes were affected by the hack. A US official confirmed to CNN that The Intercept's document is a genuine, classified NSA document.

Supreme Court overturns Ninth Circuit 'provocation rule'
IURIST -The US Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 8-0 to strike down the "provocation rule" created by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit which allows law enforcement officers to be held liable for an otherwise defensive use of deadly force if the officer provoked the violent encounter. Justice Samuel Alito [official profile], in writing for the court, stated that officers cannot be held liable for excessive force under the Fourth Amendment because "a different Fourth Amendment violation cannot transform a later, reasonable use of force into an unreasonable seizure." The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures." Justice Alito wrote that the issue with the provocation rule is that it instructs courts to look back in time to see if there was a different Fourth Amendment violation that is somehow tied to the eventual use of force. That distinct violation, rather than the forceful seizure itself, may then serve as the foundation of the plaintiff's excessive force claim.

Trump announces plan to modernize, privatize air traffic control
RT - President Donald Trump plans to modernize US air traffic control systems, while transferring operations from a federal oversight body to a self-financing nonprofit organization. The proposal is part of the administration’s ambitious infrastructure agenda. Current air traffic control (ATC) still runs on radar and ground-based radio technology, Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. The system was first designed at a time when the number of air passengers was 100,000 a year, while that number is now approaching 1 billion. “Our air traffic control is stuck, painfully, in the past,” Trump said, decrying the “ancient, broken, antiquated, horrible system that doesn’t work.” Flight delays are costing the US economy approximately $25 billion a year, the president said, and the previous administration’s attempts to upgrade the system cost $7 billion while yielding no results. “A modern air traffic control system will make life better for all Americans,” Trump said.

Harvard revokes student admissions for 'offensive messages' in private Facebook group – report
RT - Harvard College canceled admission offers to at least ten prospective students of the Class of 2021 because of racist and sexually explicit memes they posted in a private Facebook chat, according to the a new report. The individuals were informed in April that their admissions offers to the prestigious Ivy League institution were under review, then later rescinded, because they had posted memes mocking the Holocaust, sexual assault and child abuse, among other topics, in a private Facebook messaging group that was formed late last year, according to The Harvard Crimson. The controversial Facebook group was an offshoot of a separate private chat, joined by around 100 prospective Harvard freshmen, that encouraged members to post memes about popular culture. Both groups accumulated members based on the Harvard College Class of 2021 Facebook group, an official group set up by the school for those who had been accepted to Harvard.

We want some more! US Air Force asks for extra $10.7bn for F-35s, lasers & other toys
RT - Though President Donald Trump’s budget proposal raises military spending, the US Air Force wants more still. USAF has asked Congress for nearly $11 billion in additional funds for F-35 fighter jets, tankers, laser weapons and to modernize older planes. The Air Force’s wish list includes $1.76 billion for 14 more F-35A fighters, made by Lockheed Martin, in addition to the 46 currently covered by the budget proposal. Another $1.3 billion would buy a dozen MC-130J special operations tankers and one additional HC-130J search-and-rescue plane, both based on Lockheed’s C-130 platform. Eager to replace older KC-135s, USAF wants $600 million for three additional KC-46 Pegasus tankers, manufactured by Boeing. “The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) has forced us to make sacrifices as we balance readiness and modernization,” USAF wrote in the letter to lawmakers, obtained by The Hill.

Judge gives 'go ahead' in Flint water lead-contamination lawsuit
RT - Flint residents can move forward with their lawsuit against some city and state employees for exposing them to lead-contaminated water and hiding the contamination, a judge has said though Governor Snyder and the state of Michigan have immunity. The ruling concerns a lawsuit filed by Shari Guertin and her child against the state, the city of Flint, Snyder and 13 other public officials, as well as two consulting firms involved in the water scandal. Federal Judge Judith Levy of Ann Arbor in a 101-page ruling agreed with the “bodily integrity” that Guertin and her child were violated when city residents were unknowingly exposed to dangerous levels of lead in the city’s drinking water that officials were aware of but hid from the public.

Unknown street drug blamed for deaths, dozens of overdoses in Georgia
CBS News- Georgia authorities believe up to four people have died and dozens more have become ill in the central part of the state after overdosing on an unknown street drug. State officials said it's the first suspected "cluster" of deaths and illnesses in Georgia tied to a specific drug. Officials said Tuesday that they were awaiting tests to confirm the cause of the deaths and overdoses. But local officials said several people told doctors and nurses that they became ill after swallowing yellow pills purchased on the street.

World News

Police arrest man at Heathrow airport over Manchester attack
REUTERS - British police said on Tuesday they had arrested a man at London's Heathrow airport in connection with the investigation into the suicide bombing on a concert hall in Manchester last month which killed 22 people. "The 38-year-old was arrested on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act and remains in custody," Greater Manchester Police said in a statement on Twitter. "The arrest was planned beforehand and there was no direct threat to the airport."

UK police name third London attacker, Italy says was flagged in advance
By William James and David Milliken (REUTERS) - Police on Tuesday named the third of the jihadis who killed seven people in a knife and van attack in London, someone an Italian prosecutor said had been flagged to British authorities as a potential risk after he moved to England last year. The attack has eclipsed other issues in the political campaign for Thursday's parliamentary election, with both the ruling Conservatives and opposition Labour Party battling to defend their records on security.

Iraqi forces carrying out tortures in Mosul mostly supervised by US – security official
RT - The Iraqi military, who were filmed torturing and abusing civilians, are “mainly supervised by US commanders,” a member of the Baghdad Security Committee, has said, telling RT that American military personnel have “some type of immunity” in such cases. Saad Al-Muttalibi was responding after damning photos by freelance photographer Ali Arkady were released to the media. The pictures show Iraq’s elite Emergency Response Division (ERD) in Mosul torturing and abusing their captives suspected of having links with Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL). “It is a war and a war is a horrible thing… It is a fact of war that innocent people will pay with their lives. Such action [torture and abuse] by army is definitely unsanctioned by the [Iraqi] government. We have a number of officers either facing trial or spending prison sentences here in Baghdad because of human right violations,” he said.

US-led coalition destroys pro-government forces within deconfliction zone in Syria – Pentagon
RT - The US-led coalition inside Syria says that it has destroyed pro-government forces that entered the deconfliction zone established by the United States and Russia around a coalition training facility. The coalition last struck a pro-government convoy in the area on May 18. “The Coalition destroyed additional pro-Syrian regime forces that advanced inside the well-established deconfliction zone in southern Syria,” said a statement from the US Central Command. “The Coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime or pro-regime forces but remains ready to defend themselves if pro-regime forces refuse to vacate the deconfliction zone.”

Deadly explosion strikes Afghanistan's Herat 
Aljazeera - Several people killed in explosion near a mosque and police offices in western province, local media report. At least 10 people were killed and several wounded in an explosion near police offices and a mosque in Afghanistan's Herat province, police officials told Al Jazeera. Abdul Ahid Wali Zada, police spokesperson, said the bomb was planted in a rickshaw that detonated near the Jama Masjid, a large mosque dating from the 12th century in Herat city on Tuesday. "The death toll coud rise," he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, told Al Jazeera that the group was not involved in the attack. Images posted to social media showed plumes of black smoke rising above a mosque complex. The reports came after a string of recent attacks in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and as President Ashraf Ghani hosted a summit on security. On May 31, at least 150 people were killed when a truck loaded with explosives detonated in a fortified area of the city near several foreign embassies.

Ontario new law allows govt to seize children if parents oppose their ‘gender identity’
RT - Legislation passed by the Canadian province of Ontario has granted authorities the right to take children away from parents who refuse to accept their children’s “gender identity.” Critics of the new measure launched a petition aiming for a repeal of the “totalitarian” child abuse bill. Out of Ontario’s 86 legislators, 63 voted in favor of Bill 89 or “The Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act of 2017” on June 1. The legislation replaces the Child and Family Services Act which used to govern child protection, foster care and adoption services in the province. The new law includes “gender identity” and “gender expression” as factors to be considered by child protection services “in the best interests of the child.” It deprives parents of their earlier right to “direct the child’s education and religious upbringing.” The family is now only allowed to “direct the child or young person’s education and upbringing, in accordance with the child’s or young person’s creed, community identity and cultural identity.” The bill was introduced by Ontario’s minister of child and family services, Michael Coteau, who said, “I would consider that a form of abuse, when a child identifies one way and a caregiver is saying no, you need to do this differently.” “If it’s abuse, and if it’s within the definition, a child can be removed from that environment and placed into protection where the abuse stops,” Coteau said as cited by Life Site News.

US Marines, Apaches provide ‘psychological edge’ as Kurdish-led militia begins siege of Raqqa
RT - The US military is providing active support for the Syrian Democratic Forces in the form of Marine Howitzers and “valuable close-air support” from Apache helicopters in the SDF’s attack on Raqqa, the so-called capital of Islamic State. The mainly Kurdish SDF began its long-awaited siege on the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) stronghold in Syria on Monday, a week after the US began delivering arms. Coalition warplanes and artillery began strikes Monday afternoon, and continued through Tuesday afternoon. The Apache gunships provide “valuable close-air support” and a “psychological edge” in the battle against IS, Defense Department spokesman Eric Payhon told RT America. “When ISIS sees the Apache AH-64s, well, it’s a psychological advantage.” The Marine M777 Howitzers “are providing a significant enabling capability to our Special Operations Forces and partners on the ground,” Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said during a briefing on Tuesday. Read more

US-backed militia says it has begun siege of ISIS ‘capital’ Raqqa
The US is providing the SDF and the Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC) with training equipment, assistance, intelligence and air support as part of the US military’s “advise and assist” mission, the Pentagon said in a statement. The DOD would not comment on how many Apaches, Howitzers or troops were taking part in the assault because “we have a limited presence in Syria and we don’t want ISIS to have an idea of our capabilities,” Payhon said. Last week, the Pentagon announced that it started delivering weapons to the SDF, a militia dominated by the Kurdish YPG (People's Protection Units), saying they were necessary to capture Raqqa, despite the objections of Turkey, a NATO ally.

Veteran News

Advocates denounce VA delays in developing housing for homeless veterans at West L.A. site
By Gale Holland (Los Angeles Times) - A week after officials disclosed a 57% rise in Los Angeles’ veteran homelessness, advocates say the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is delaying housing development on its West Los Angeles campus. A report to be released Tuesday from Vets Advocacy, a non-profit group created to oversee the development, accuses the federal agency of stalling development of a model community for 1,200 homeless veterans on its long-neglected 388-acre campus. The advocacy group says the VA also dragged out termination of commercial leases on the property and blocked the group’s oversight of negotiations with renters, including UCLA, whose Jackie Robinson Stadium will remain on the VA land.

Veterans suicide prevention line still falling short, more than a year after troubling report
Matthew Leonard - More than a year after an investigation, the government agency that manages the nation’s suicide-prevention hotline for veterans has not been able to put in place seven recommendations from its own inspector general designed to improve the crisis line’s performance. The February 2016 investigation of the Veterans Health Administration, which manages the nation’s suicide-prevention hotline for veterans, found significant problems with response times and quality assurance at the call center, headquartered in Canandaigua. The 2016 report substantiated allegations that “some calls routed to backup crisis centers were answered by voicemail and callers did not always receive immediate assistance from VCL (Veterans Crisis Line) and/or backup staff.” The recommendations included gathering better data when callers were routed to backup centers, silent monitoring of responders, and ensuring orientation and training goals for staff were being met. Veterans might face a number of challenges upon ­returning home, which can be further complicated by post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ own assessment, an average of 20 veterans die by suicide every day.

Economy & Business

Investors flee to gold & German bonds over political unrest in Middle East
RT - Stocks plunged globally, while gold and German government bonds were in demand on Tuesday over the diplomatic rift between Qatar and its Arab neighbors. British elections and upcoming testimony before Congress of the former head of the FBI James Comey also made investors shy away from risky assets. The gold price has been rising consistently over the last month and surged to $1,295 per troy ounce on Tuesday. Investors also pushed German 10-year bonds’ borrowing costs to six-week lows. Britain’s FTSE100, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC40 were all losing momentum on Tuesday, down less than one percent. "We have a big week or so ahead of us with the UK heading to the polls and the ECB announcing its latest monetary policy decision on Thursday and the Federal Reserve doing the same next Wednesday," said Craig Erlam, a market analyst for OANDA securities, as quoted by Reuters. "Once these events pass, we may have a little more clarity and therefore see a little less caution in the markets," he added.

Bitcoin rival ethereum hits record high rallying almost 3,000% this year
RT - he ethereum virtual currency reached an all-time high of $250.41 over the weekend amid growing interest in digital assets and increased trade in Asia. The value of ethereum is currently 30 times higher than the $8 price level it had on January 1. On Monday, the cryptocurrency was trading slightly off its record high, at $247.16 as of 1:00 pm GMT. According to industry website CryptoCompare, much of the trading volume in ethereum at the moment - around 38 percent - is coming from South Korea. It said there is increased rising interest from other regions as well. Ethereum’s total market cap currently stands at $21 billion. "All major Asian exchanges, including ours, are currently overwhelmed by the sudden growth in our client base and trading activity," Aurelien Menant, founder, and CEO of Gatecoin, a regulated bitcoin and ethereum exchange located in Hong Kong, told CNBC. "Specifically, requests for more ether trading pairs seem to be a common theme," he added.

Energy & Environment

CONFIRMED: Three Mile Island nuclear accident found to have significantly increased thyroid cancer in surrounding counties due to radioactive Iodine-131
By Isabelle Z. (Natural News) - When a partial meltdown struck the Three Mile Island nuclear generating station near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in March 1979, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission tried to downplay the incident. Much like the officials involved in the Fukushima meltdown, they said at the time that the radiation released into the environment was only in small amounts and had no detectable health effects. However, researchers have finally shown a correlation between the Three Mile Island meltdown and cases of thyroid cancer in the surrounding counties. In a study led by surgery professor Dr. David Goldenberg of Penn State College of Medicine, researchers examined tumor samples from people who lived near Three Mile Island when the incident took place and continued to live there afterward and eventually went on to develop thyroid cancer. The areas in question were in York, eastern Cumberland, western Lebanon, Lancaster, and Dauphin counties. In total, they looked at 44 patients treated at Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for papillary thyroid cancer, the most common type, in the years from 1974 to 2014.

Science & Technology

China's new electric train doesn't need driver or tracks
RT - Chinese rail transit firm CRRC has unveiled a 30-meter long ‘smart bus’ or rather a combination of bus, tram and train rolled into one. The new vehicle is expected to speed up public transportation in the country. The developer describes the so-called Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) as a ‘railless train’ and it can carry 300 passengers in three carriages. Cars can be added or removed if needed. According to the manufacturer, the electric vehicle can travel up to 40 km on a full charge with a maximum speed of 70 km per hour. It runs on rubber tires and has sensors to read the dimensions of the road and plan its route. The idea is that the 'smart bus' could travel without a driver or rails.

FBI used Best Buy’s Geek Squad to spy on customers, lawsuit alleges
Andrew Wyrich (The Daily Dot) - A major internet rights advocacy organization is suing the Department of Justice alleging that the FBI used Best Buy’s computer repair service Geek Squad to search people’s computers without warrants. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) complaint in federal court in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. The search for documents was sparked by court records of a child pornography case in California where it was revealed that the FBI had been cultivating informants in Best Buy’s Geek Squad in Kentucky, according to EFF. The Geek Squad employees would search devices for child pornography, EFF said, and receive payment from the FBI. No warrants were issued for the searches, according to EFF. “Informants who are trained, directed, and paid by the FBI to conduct searches for the agency are acting as government agents,” David Greene, EFF’s civil liberties director, said in a statement. “The FBI cannot bypass the Constitution’s warrant requirement by having its informants search people’s computers at its direction and command.” The FBI told the Daily Dot it does not comment on pending litigation. The Department of Justice declined our request to comment.

EPIC Awarded Nearly $100,000 in Internet Surveillance Case
Epic - A federal judge in Washington, DC has issued a final order granting EPIC substantial attorney's fees in a long-running case against the Department of Homeland Security. EPIC sued the DHS in 2012 for information about a secret program to monitor Internet traffic. The "Cyber Pilot" program applied originally to defense contractors, but an executive order dramatically expanded the program, raising concerns about violations of federal wiretap law. EPIC's lawsuit produced the release of several thousand pages on the program. EPIC sought attorneys fees for the successful litigation, which the DHS opposed. In November, Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that EPIC was entitled to attorney's fees because it "substantially prevailed in [the] litigation" and added "to the fund of information that citizens may use in making vital political choices." On Monday, Judge Kessler confirmed that decision and awarded EPIC nearly $100,000 in fees—the largest such award in EPIC's history.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Don't Peel Oranges. Quickly Unroll Them in a Strip Instead
Lifehacker - After you learn this trick, you'll never need to peel an orange again and get your hands all messy. It only takes four simple steps to roll an orange out into a strip: Cut the top and bottom of the orange, cut a vertical slit on one side, then gently roll the orange out. Pretty and neat!

5 Unusual Uses For Onions (Got Ant Problems? Then Try No. 3!)
Off The Grid News - Our ancestors who lived through the Great Depression – like my grandmother – acquired knowledge the old-fashioned away. That is, by trial and error. Today we are going to take a look at the lowly onion and all the unusual ways that our ancestors used them.
  1. Remove rust
  2. Remove splinters
  3. Insect and animal repellent
  4. Ease congestion from colds
  5. Easier wintertime driving

Health

Why Coconut Oil Is So Good for You
By Dr. Mercola - Despite more than 1,700 medical studies1 being performed on coconut oil, it continues to be vilified mainly because 90 percent of its fat content is saturated fat. However, saturated fats, and most particularly coconut oil, are a vital part of the human diet. For decades, we've labored under the false belief that saturated fat is a leading cause of heart disease. Research suggests there is no significant evidence demonstrating that saturated fat clogs your arteries or puts you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. In fact, particular types of saturated fat, including coconut oil, are necessary for optimal health. If you have bought into the media hype that saturated fats are unhealthy and will raise your risk of heart disease, please reconsider your position. If you've been avoiding coconut oil, you'll find that it has many beneficial properties that make it a worthwhile addition to your diet. Certainly, if you've stayed away from coconut oil because you've been misled to believe it is fattening, you deserve to know the truth that it can actually help you lose weight, not gain it. Having said that, if you are allergic to coconut oil or you simply don't like the taste, then it's best not to use it.

15 Iron-Rich Foods for Healthy Energy Levels
by Dr. Edward Group DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM - Some of the most potent plant sources of iron are fortified cereals and flour. However, fortified foods and enriched flour are heavily processed and carry their own health risks.[8] It’s always best to get your nutrition from natural sources. Fortunately, there are plenty of plant-based foods that you can incorporate into an iron-rich diet. Here are 15 of the top vegan food sources of iron.

How to make a delicious detox cleanse using maple syrup
By Frances Bloomfield (Natural News) - Look up “detoxifying drinks” and you’ll find a great number of recipes across the Internet. A cursory glance through a search engine will bring up dozens of recipes for you to look through and try. Read enough of them, however, and they all start looking identical. A detoxifying drink that is anything but the usual is the Master Cleanse, a special drink that packs in loads of flavor with plenty of health benefits. The Master Cleanse recipe calls for some unexpected yet amazing ingredients that will definitely do your body good.

Famous MMA fighter Bas Rutten reveals how CBD oil helps professional fighters stay off addictive opioids
By Vicki Batts (Natural News) - CBD oil has been in the spotlight recently due to its myriad of health and medicinal uses. Cannabidiol, which is what CBD is short for, is a cannabis compound that produces no psychoactive effects but offers a wide variety of other benefits, such as treating people with seizure disorders. It’s become clear that the benefits of CBD do not end there, however, and renowned MMA fighter Bas Rutten has even spoken out about how valuable this plant medicine is for professional fighters. Rutten is a former world champion of the mixed martial arts arena, and if you’ve ever watched MMA, you know that those guys know a thing or two about pain. The challenges of MMA extend far beyond the ring; in addition to grueling fights, fighters must also push themselves to the brink while training and preparing for their next match. MMA is a strenuous sport, and that’s putting it mildly. Serious injuries are an accepted risk of MMA, and where there are injuries, there are probably opioids. Opioids are a highly addictive class of drugs used for pain relief, but as Rutten explains, the drugs can have extreme consequences. Rutten, now a celebrity announcer and trainer, recently wrote an article about Mark Kerr — another famous fighter who struggled with addiction, much like Rutten himself. Kerr became addicted to opioids as he fought to cope with the pain of MMA fighting. Rutten says that the drugs didn’t just ruin Kerr’s career, but they also took a tremendous toll on his body and his personal life.
 


Tuesday - June 6, 2017

On This Day In History

1813 - The U.S. invasion of Canada was halted at Stony Creek, Ontario.
1833 - Andrew Jackson became the first U.S. president to ride in a train. It was a B&O passenger train.
1924 - The German Reichtag accepted the Dawes Plan. It was an American plan to help Germany pay off its war debts.
1925 - Chrysler Corporation was founded by Walter Percy Chrysler.
1932 - In the U.S., the first federal tax on gasoline went into effect. It was a penny per gallon.
1933 - In Camden, NJ, the first drive-in movie theater opened.
1934 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Securities Exchange Act, which established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
1941 - The U.S. government authorized the seizure of foreign ships in U.S. ports.
1942 - The first nylon parachute jump was made by Adeline Gray in Hartford, CT.
1942 - Japanese forces retreated in the World War II Battle of Midway. The battle had begun on June 4.
1944 - The D-Day invasion of Europe took place on the beaches of Normandy, France. 400,000 Allied American, British and Canadian troops were involved.
1968 - U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at 1:44am in Los Angeles after being shot by Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy was was shot the evening before while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.
1982 - Israel invaded southern Lebanon in an effort to drive PLO guerrillas out of Beirut.
1985 - The body of Nazi war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele was located and exhumed near Sao Paolo, Brazil. Mengele was known as the "Angel of Death."
1985 - The U.S. Senate authorized nonmilitary aid to the Contras. The vote authorized $38 million over two years.
1993 - Mongolia held its first direct presidential elections.
2005 - The United States Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities could prosecute sick people who smoke marijuana on doctor's orders. The ruling concluded that state medical marijuana laws did not protect uses from the federal ban on the drug.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Trump won't try to block James Comey's testimony
USA TODAY - President Trump will not try to assert executive privilege over conversations with James Comey, a spokesperson said Monday, clearing the way for the ex-FBI director's testimony before Congress on Thursday. "In order to facilitate a swift and thorough examination of the facts sought by the Senate Intelligence Committee, President Trump will not assert executive privilege regarding James Comey's scheduled testimony," said White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders.

Trump renews calls for ‘tough’ travel ban, says US is ‘extreme vetting’ new arrivals
RT - President Trump has renewed calls for his controversial travel ban, stating that the US is already taking part in the “extreme vetting” of those entering the country. He urged the Justice Department to seek a tougher version of its “watered down” ban. “People, the lawyers, and the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN!” US President Donald Trump tweeted. That comment comes despite White House press secretary Sean Spicer saying earlier this year that the proposed measure was in fact not a travel ban, but a vetting system “to keep America safe.” Trump went on to say that the justice department should have stayed with his original travel ban, rather than making a “watered down” and “politically correct” version.

US Military Sent Over $1 Billion Worth Of Light Weapons To “Multiple Armed Groups” In Iraq
By Michel Chossudovsky - Report of Amnesty International
Management and Logistical Failure? Quoting a recently declassified US government audit, Amnesty International reports that the US Army “has failed to keep tabs on more than $1 billion worth of arms and other military equipment” channelled to Iraq under the Iraq Train and Equip Fund (ITEF). In 2015, US Congress appropriated $1.6 billion for the ITEF program. The funds were earmarked to fight against the ISIS in response to Obama’s counter-terrorism campaign launched in Summer of 2014. In a bitter irony, a large number of these weapons landed up in the hands of terrorists including the ISIS. The 1.6 billion were spent on light weaponry. It’s all for a good cause: The shipments of weapons and ammunition were according to reports dispatched to Iraq (c/o the Iraqi Armed Forces) to be distributed to armed groups involved in fighting ISIS-Daesh. Some of the shipments unfortunately went astray or landed in the wrong hands, according to Patrick Wilcken, an Amnesty researcher on International’s Arms Control and Human Rights. This was attributable to “US Army’s flawed – and potentially dangerous – system for controlling millions of dollars’ worth of arms transfers to a hugely volatile region.”

14 arrested as the many extremes of Portland collide in protest
By Paul Vercammen, Bill Kirkos, Traci Tamura and Emanuella Grinberg, CNN
Portland, Oregon (CNN)At least 14 people were arrested on Sunday amid competing protests in Portland, Oregon, over a tangled web of emotions to arise from a deadly commuter train stabbing in May. Hundreds of supporters of US President Donald Trump converged on Terry D. Schrunk Plaza for an event billed as a "Trump Free Speech" rally. They were slightly outnumbered by a mixed assemblage of counterprotesters across the street who viewed the free speech rally as an implicit endorsement of racism given its close timing to the racially charged stabbing. The groups were separated by a wall of officers, heavily armed and wearing protective body armor, from local and federal police agencies.

Man Who Mowed Lawn During Tornado: ‘I Was Keeping an Eye on It’
by Katherine Rodriguez - A tornado made landfall in Canada on Friday, but one man decided that a tornado was not going to stop him from mowing the lawn. Theunis Wessels, of Alberta, was cutting the grass in his backyard with the tornado in the background when his wife, Cecilia, decided to take a picture of the scene to send to her parents in South Africa, the Canadian Press reported. The photo quickly went viral on Twitter, gaining over 1,000 retweets.

Fake News: NBC Issues Correction After Falsely Claiming Putin ‘Does Not Deny’ Having Compromising Info on Trump
Breitbart - “This is just another load of nonsense” - NBC News was forced to issue a correction on Sunday evening after spinning its newest talent Megyn Kelly’s interview to falsely claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not deny having compromising information” on President Donald Trump. To promote the debut of Kelly’s “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly” program, NBC News tweeted, “EXCLUSIVE: Putin does not deny having compromising information on President Trump in interview with @megynkelly.” CNBC, NBC’s sister station, did not send out fake news, linking to the same story after tweeting, “Russia’s Putin denies having compromising information on Trump.”

Education Official Got Secret Cash Bonuses as Office Lost Billions to Fraud, Corruption
Judicial Watch - The senior Obama Education Department official who resigned this month to avoid testifying before Congress got hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses despite his well-documented failures, sources inside the agency tell Judicial Watch. The extra cash was kept off the books, away from the public, and doesn’t appear on his official government salary record but Judicial Watch has obtained the figures with yearly breakdowns. The official, James Runcie, ran the scandal-plagued Federal Student Aid (FSA) office, the government’s $1.4 trillion financial aid program. It includes, among other things, administering more than $150 billion in loans, grants and work-study funds to help students pay for college.

DOD Denies Obama Holdovers Stripped Trump NSC Advisor of Security Clearance for Partisan, Political Reasons
Judicial Watch - It appears that a respected veteran national security analyst tapped by the White House to work on the National Security Council (NSC) was abruptly stripped of his top-secret clearance for partisan political purposes. His name is Adam Lovinger, a 12-year strategic affairs analyst at the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment (ONA) and in January then National Security Adviser Michael Flynn brought him over to the NSC, the influential chamber that advises and assists the president on national security and foreign policies. This month Lovinger was notified by the Pentagon that his Top-Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS-SCI) clearance was suspended for “unspecified outside activities.”

World News

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE Sever Ties With Qatar Over Terrorism
By Kurt Nimmo (Activist Post) - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirate have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar. The nations accuse Qatar of promoting terrorism, meddling in their internal affairs, and working with the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors in 2014 in response to Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood. The Saudis designated the Brotherhood a terrorist group in 2014. This is ironic considering Saudi Arabia played host to the Brotherhood in the late 1950s and early 1960s under Prince Faysal. He incorporated the organization into his propaganda machine to fight against Gamal Abdel Nasser in Egypt and Arab nationalism in general. The Brotherhood subsequently integrated itself within the ranks of university faculty, summer camps, extracurricular organizations, and the jama’at, writes Kevin Kelvington.
* Related: Qatar diplomatic crisis: All the latest updates - The latest news after Arab Gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and suspended Doha-bound flights.
* Related: US military: No plans to change our posture in Qatar - US Central Command says its flights out of Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar will be unaffected by the Gulf diplomatic crisis.
* Related: Qataris rush to stock up on food ahead of price hike as only land border shut -Residents of Qatar have rushed local supermarkets to stock up on food after Saudi Arabia closed the only land border with the emirate, Doha News reports.

Police name 2 London Bridge attackers as Khuram Shazad Butt & Rachid Redouane, release photos
RT - Metropolitan Police have named Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane as two of the three attackers shot dead by officers during the terrorist assault on London Bridge and Borough Market on Saturday. Both men were from Barking, east London, and are believed to have carried out the attacks, although “formal identification has yet to take place,” a police statement said.

In Wake of UK Terror Attacks, Government Ready To Seize Control Of Internet
By Jake Anderson (Activist Post) - In the wake of the second alleged terrorist attack in England in as many weeks, Prime Minister Theresa May is calling for new Internet regulations and the suppression of digital tools that facilitate online “safe spaces” where attacks can be coordinated. The proposal comes one day after a Saturday night attack in London that left seven dead and nearly 50 injured. It also comes on the heels of an increasingly draconian ‘Big Brother’ counter-terrorism strategy being implemented in the U.K.

A poised yet angry Britain heads toward election as police carry out new raids
By Griff Witte and Karla Adam (Washington Post ) - The police investigation of London’s latest terrorist attack intensified Monday as politicians officially resumed campaigning ahead of an unpredictable election that will be held in just three days. Police carried out early-morning raids at addresses in Newham and Barking — both in east London — that they said were connected to Saturday night’s London Bridge attack, which killed seven people and injured dozens more, including four police officers.

India launches 'monster' rocket
BBC News - India's space agency has successfully launched its heaviest rocket. The 640-tonne (580,598kg) rocket blasted off from a launching site off the Bay of Bengal in Sriharikota. As one website put it, "it's been a big day for India". The rocket will reduce the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro) reliance on European vehicles to launch heavy satellites. The coverage of the launch has been euphoric, and often colourful, with websites comparing the rocket to the weight of 200 elephants, or five jumbo jets.

“Literal Colonialism”: Blackwater Founder Calls For “American Viceroy” To Rule Afghanistan
By Jake Johnson (Activist Post) - Displaying what one commentator called “sheer 19th century bloodlust and thirst for empire,” Erik Prince, founder of the private mercenary firm Blackwater, argued in The Wall Street Journal this week that the United States should deploy an “East India Company approach” in Afghanistan. The country, he wrote, should be run by “an American viceroy who would lead all U.S. government and coalition efforts—including command, budget, policy, promotion, and contracting—and report directly to the president.”

Raw milk on trial in Ontario, court could permanently shut down sales
By Amy Goodrich (Natural News) - It’s shocking to think that in some parts of the world GMO food and alcohol are legal, yet raw milk – a natural, nutritious food consumed by humans around the globe for centuries – is illegal. In recent years, raw milk has received a bad reputation due to several cases of foodborne illnesses. Canadian farmer fights for raw milk. Since 1981, the sale of raw milk has been banned by the Canadian government out of fear of possible Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria contaminations. Ontario has taken it a step further by restricting people from giving away raw milk for free. Outlawing raw milk, however, hasn’t stopped one farmer from providing this age-old nutritious food to the people. According to Modern Farmer, raw milk outlaw Michael Schmidt has been in and out the Canadian Province Court of Ontario over the past couple of decades. His crime? The production and distribution of raw, unpasteurized milk. Given the fact that raw milk is illegal in Canada, Schmidt’s co-op has been operating without a license, thus violating the Canadian Milk Act. For nearly 25 years, Schmidt has been fighting to keep the raw milk flowing freely. Though Schmidt wants to see raw milk legalized, he’s not even fighting for the outright legalization of raw milk in Canada. He just wants to give the people the freedom to make their own informed decisions with their own cow. “It’s a total police state when it comes to raw milk here because there’s absolutely no leniency on any level,” he told Modern Farmer. “They are saying it’s the most dangerous substance you can think of and should never be allowed. There’s not even a proper scientific debate about it. It’s all on an emotional, fear-based level.”

Unsealed 75 years after the Battle of Midway: New details of an alarming WWII press leak
By Michael E. Ruane - Six months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the June 7, 1942, edition of the Chicago Sunday Tribune trumpeted news of a stunning American victory over a Japanese armada at the Battle of Midway. “Jap Fleet Smashed by U.S.; 2 Carriers Sunk at Midway: 13 to 15 Nippon Ships Hit; Pacific Battle Rages,” the front-page headlines read. And in the center of the page, an intriguing side story: “Navy Had Word of Jap Plan to Strike at Sea.” It was a fascinating, and detailed, description of much of what American intelligence knew beforehand of the enemy’s fleet and plans. Indeed, it was too detailed. The report — 14 paragraphs long — suggested a secret U.S. intelligence coup, and became one of the biggest and potentially damaging news leaks of World War II. The leak hinted that the United States had cracked a Japanese communications code, sparking fury in the Navy and the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It also led to a sensitive grand jury investigation whose testimony would be sealed for more than seven decades.

Veteran News

Oldest living World War II veteran in Colorado turns 104
By FOX 31 Denver - World War II Veteran, Nick Westendorf celebrated his 104th birthday with family and friends on Saturday. Westendorf was a mechanic for the U.S. Navy. During his service, he was stationed in the South Pacific and the Philippines. The veteran credits his long life to growing up on a farm.

Though veteran unemployment is declining, thousands remain out of work
By Jeff Malachowski (Daily News Staff) - While the national and state unemployment rates for veterans have declined recently, thousands of veterans like Plante remain out of work. The national veteran unemployment rate dropped from 4.7 percent in April 2015 to 3.7 percent this April. In Massachusetts, the rate dropped from 4.4 percent in March 2016 to 3.9 percent this March. Massachusetts has the 17th lowest veteran unemployment rate in the state. “A lot more companies are realizing the value of hiring veterans,” said Nicholas Charbonneau, Marlborough veterans agent. Charbonneau himself struggled with what career path to take when he was discharged in 2008 after four years in the Marine Corps that included two tours of duty overseas.

Son surprises officials with Battle of Midway hero's WWII war medals
By Lou Michel - The son of one of Buffalo's greatest war heroes had a surprise for those who turned out to pay tribute Sunday to C. Wade McClusky Jr. on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway.To welcome the son of the naval aviator who played an instrumental role in winning the pivotal World War II Pacific battle was exciting enough. But when Maryland resident Philip M. McClusky unexpectedly donated four of his father's most prestigious war medals to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park for permanent display, a sense of awe came over the crowd at the Canalside park. The moment was made even more special by Philip McClusky's words in presenting the medals to Donald A. Alessi, chairman of the park's board of directors. The words epitomized the humbleness of the Greatest Generation.

Economy & Business

The Real Unemployment Number: 102 Million Working Age Americans Do Not Have A Job
By Michael Snyder - If honest numbers were being used, the unemployment rate is currently 22 percent - Did you know that the number of working age Americans that do not have a job right now is far higher than it was during the worst moments of the last recession? For example, in January 2009 92.6 million working age Americans did not have a job, but we just found out that in May the number of working age Americans without a job increased to just a shade under 102 million. We’ll go over those numbers in more detail in a moment, but first I want to talk a bit about the difference between perception and reality. According to the bureaucrats in the federal government, the “unemployment rate” in May was the lowest that we have seen in 16 years. At just “4.3 percent”, we are essentially at “full employment”, and so according to them anyone that really wants a job should be able to find one pretty easily. Of course that is a load of nonsense. John Williams of shadowstats.com tracks what our economic numbers would look like if honest numbers were being used, and according to his calculations the unemployment rate is currently 22 percent.

Gold stays strong following London Attacks
By GoldCore - A summer evening on London Bridge and in Borough Market ended in terror on Saturday as attackers killed seven people and injured 48. This is the second terrorist attack on British soil in less than two weeks and the the third this year. The attack was immediately labelled as a terrorist attack. In the hours that followed police arrested a further 12 people who were suspected of having links to the horrendous incident. As was seen following the Manchester attack there has been a slight uptick in risk aversion over night. This morning the British pound slipped in Asian trading, both the Yen and gold have retained earlier gains. After dropping 0.7 percent last week the dollar index did edge higher earlier but remains close to 96.654, its lowest since the US election results.

Energy & Environment

Ten alarming, REAL threats to the environment that are widely ignored by “climate change” advocates
By Mike Adams (Natural News) - The art of climate fear mongering is rooted in the ability to terrorize the population over threats that hardly matter at all while completely ignoring the REAL threats to our global ecosystem. Isn’t it interesting how people who shudder in fear over President Trump pulling out of the Paris climate treaty say nothing about Fukushima radiation and the mass pollution of the Pacific Ocean with radionuclides? Here, I’ve created a short list of ten REAL threats to the environment that are largely ignored by climate change advocates, even when they pose an immediate and serious risk to life on our planet. The next time a climate change cultist berates you and claims you must stop driving you car because the oceans might rise a few inches by the year 2100, remind them that the things listed below are killing life across our planet right NOW. Where is the media alarm over all these threats to life? It’s practically non-existent.

Science & Technology

A devastating global cyber attack is imminent, warn experts: The hack, called 'ExplodingCan' could target computers running Microsoft Windows 2003
By Shivali Best For Mailonline - Experts have warned that a devastating global cyber attack is imminent. The hack, called 'ExplodingCan', targets computers running on Microsoft Windows 2003, which means that it could be used to attack 375,000 computers worldwide. This puts it in the same risk category as last month's WannaCry ransomware attack which caused mayhem around the world, crippling vital servers such as those used by the NHS.

CRISPR gene editing found to cause hundreds of “unintended mutations”, warn scientists
By Isabelle Z. (Natural News) - When you choose to interfere with nature, you should be prepared for results that are far from natural. That’s the message of a new study out of the Columbia University Medical Center, where researchers are warning scientists that the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology results in unintended mutations that could go undetected. As a relatively new technology, there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to gene editing. Known for being precise, efficient, and quick, the CRISPR-Cas9 method has shown some promise. For example, scientists have used it to edit HIV out of some living organisms and modify mosquitoes to get rid of malaria. However, this is far from a perfect science, and now a study published in the journal Nature Methods shows that it can cause unintended mutations in genomes. This is particularly concerning when you consider the fact that clinical trials of using CRISPR on humans are already underway in places like China.

The Next Thing To Upend EVERYTHING: Blockchain Technology
By Dawn Luger (Activist Post) - When it comes to blockchain technology, the core technology underpinning Bitcoin, the digital currency that operates on a decentralized swarm of computers, there are many other applications as well. A real revolution may be unfolding all thanks to the technology which underpins Bitcoin. Blockchain technology emerged with the advent of Bitcoin in 2009. It was created when a programmer, using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, came up with a novel solution using a network of computers to track transactions in a way that is secure, trustworthy, fast, and transparent. The technology is used in either public networks open to the world or private ones that could connect any type of groups. But it may also be the catalyst of a peaceful revolution which will upend society’s most sacred institutions – including government.

Health

Shocking New Low in Vaccine Debate — Boston Herald Calls for Violence Against Those Who Question Vaccine Safety
By Dr. Mercola - The vaccine industry, public health organizations and many media outlets parroting the pre-established talking points insist that the science on vaccines is settled: Vaccines are safe and the childhood vaccination schedule is scientifically sound. End of story. According to some, the matter is so settled that anyone questioning the data or pointing out inconsistencies and/or research showing harm should be executed as punishment for “lying.” This despicable call for violence came from editorial staff at the Boston Herald. The whole nasty mess started with a measles outbreak in Minnesota, the blame for which has been placed on a large Somali community where vaccination rates have declined in recent years due to parents’ concerns about vaccine safety.

Parasites in Pools Are on the Rise
By Dr. Mercola - Sometimes the evening news reveals something that causes you to worry about that which you never worried before. Such may have been the case when news emerged recently of a huge uptick in the number of diarrhea outbreaks after people went swimming in a public pool and inadvertently swallowed the water. But that was just the beginning of their problem. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)1 noted that when they sought medical attention, the diarrhea sufferers learned the pool water they ingested contained parasites and that the parasites, known as cryptosporidium, or crypto, now resided in them. Can it get worse? Well, yes: The diarrhea outbreaks have doubled in just a few years, as there were at least 32 known outbreaks due to crypto contamination in pools or water parks in 2016, while there were only 16 cases in 2014, the CDC reported. That’s not 32 people infected; that’s 32 outbreaks that affected multiple individuals. Reuters added: “Arizona last year reported that 352 people became sick with Cryptosporidiosis from July through October, compared with no more than 62 cases per year from 2011 to 2015. Ohio reported 1,940 infections in 2016, compared with no more than 571 in any one year from 2012 to 2015.

What’s good for sunburn? Check out the Best Home Remedies for Sunburn
By Laurie Neverman - These easy to use home remedies for sunburn will help bring relief from sunburn pain and speed healing from your face to your toes. Remember, sunburns are burns – so always be gentle to sunburned skin. If blisters appear, keep them clean and watch for any signs of infection. (See note at bottom of post for when to see a doctor for sunburn.) Most of the time home sunburn treatment will take care of your symptoms, but be careful out there.

Pharma Finding New Ways to Kill Us
By ANH – USA - It’s no longer just the side effects of their medicines. A new study found “excessively high” levels of antibiotic and antifungal drugs in water sources near a major drug production center in India where 50% of the country’s drug exports are produced and a fifth of the world’s generic drugs. Unsurprisingly, the researchers also found high levels of microbes that were resistant to those drugs. It should give us no comfort that this was found in India and not the US. Microbes travel long distances with ease. A drug-resistant pathogen first noticed in parts of China infected its first US patient last year. Of the twenty-three water samples the researchers took, all but one contained bacteria that were resistant to multiple drugs; all samples contained carbapenemase-producing bacteria, which are known as the “nightmare bacteria” because it is virtually untreatable and kills up to 50% of those who get infected. Some drugs were found in concentrations hundreds or thousands times higher than recommended safe limits. One water sample contained an antifungal drug in concentrations 950,000 times higher than the safe limit.

Cancer rates to explode as global herbicide market projected to reach $34 billion by 2022
By Earl Garcia (Natural News) - The global herbicide market is poised to grow exponentially in 2022, which in turn may further drive up the already high cancer rates around the world. Data from the recent Research and Markets report showed that global herbicide market was valued at $23.97 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow to $34.10 billion by 2022. According to the report, the industry is set to have a compound annual growth rate of 6.05 percent during the six-year period. The researchers also noted that the steady transition from selective herbicide to non-selective herbicide use will be a primary trend during these years. The report also revealed bio-herbicide use is expected to show the biggest gains during the forecast period at a CAGR of 23.5 percent, while the glyphosate segment is expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.69 percent. The report also showed that Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions were the leading herbicide consumers in 2016, accounting for more than 50 percent of the total market share in the previous year. According to the report, Asia Pacific is slated to be the fastest growing herbicide market. The report also noted that the increasing demand from end applications and the booming agriculture industry in both Latin America and Asia Pacific regions will spur greater demands for glyphosate-containing herbicides. According to the report, countries like China, Japan and the U.S. were among the top users of pesticides around the world.
 


Monday - June 5, 2017

On This Day In History

1752 - Benjamin Franklin flew a kite for the first time to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity.
1794 - The U.S. Congress prohibited citizens from serving in any foreign armed forces.
1851 - Harriet Beecher Stow published the first installment of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in "The National Era."
1865 - The first safe deposit vault was opened in New York. The charge was $1.50 a year for every $1,000 that was stored.
1917 - American men began registering for the World War I draft.
1924 - Ernst F. W. Alexanderson transmitted the first facsimile message across the Atlantic Ocean.
1933 - President Roosevelt signed the bill that took the U.S. off of the gold standard.
1940 - During World War II, the Battle of France began when Germany began an offensive in Southern France.
1944 - The first B-29 bombing raid hit the Japanese rail line in Bangkok, Thailand.
1947 - U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University in which he outlined the Marshall Plan.
1967 - The Six Day War between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan began.
1975 - Egypt reopened the Suez Canal to international shipping, eight years after it was closed because of the 1967 war with Israel.
1981 - In the U.S., the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that five men in Los Angeles were suffering from a rare pneumonia found in patients with weakened immune systems. They were the first recognized cases of what later became known as AIDS.
1986 - A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Ronald Pelton of selling secrets to the Soviet Union. He was sentenced to 3 life prison terms plus 10 years.
1998 - A strike began at a General Motors Corp. parts factory near Detroit, MI, that closed 5 assembly plants and idled workers across the U.S. for 7 weeks.
2004 - Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, died in Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
2007 - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation. (President George W. Bush later commuted the prison sentence.)

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Brain-eating CNN host calls Trump 'piece of sh--'
WND - It’s getting nasty out there in the “mainstream,” Russo-phobic, Islamophilic media world of CNN. After Donald Trump posted a tweet Saturday urging “smart, vigilant and tough” actions in response to the London Bridge attack, CNN host Reza Aslan, best known for his multicultural human brain-eating stunt, labeled the president “a piece of sh–” in a retaliatory post. Read More...

SHOCK VIDEO: CNN Creates #FakeNews in London Following Terror Attacks, Stages Anti-ISIS Muslim Protesters
TheGatewayPundit - A video released a day after the Islamic terror attacks in London show a CNN crew staging a scene with Muslims holding signs saying “ISIS Will Lose”. The same crowd was used for another AP post it appears – note note the photo at the above link. This is how fake news spreads.

Oil Leaks And Militarized Police: The Legacy Of The Dakota Access Pipeline
By Derrick Broze - As the Dakota Access Pipeline nears operational status the project is marred with new reports of oil leaks and the presence of a private military contractor. While protesters and water protectors battled against the Dakota Access Pipeline throughout the second half of 2016 the public was often left aghast at the brutal tactics employed by the Morton County Sheriff’s office and supporting police. LRAD sound cannons, tear gas, batons, tasers, and “less than lethal” ammunition rounds were fired at the opponents of Energy Transfer Partner’s DAPL. Now, new documents obtained by The Intercept reveal the presence of TigerSwan, a private contractor with origins as a U.S. military and State Department client in the global War on Terror. TigerSwan was hired for their experience dealing with “insurgent” movements in the Middle East.

Oath Keepers militia will attend Portland 'free speech' rally, says leader
Stewart Rhodes tells Guardian group will ‘protect’ an ‘alt-right’ event set to go ahead Sunday in aftermath of double murder despite mayor’s attempt to block Members of the Oath Keepers militia will attend an “alt-right”-hosted “free speech” rally in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, according to the group’s leader. The rally is due to take place little more than a week after the deaths of two men who came to the aid of women being subject to racial abuse on a train in the city.

Christian Farmer Barred from Michigan Market Because of Views on Gay Marriage
A Catholic apple grower in Michigan has been barred from a city farmers’ market over his views on same-sex marriage, after he refused to host a lesbian couple’s wedding at his orchard. Stephen Tennes, the owner of Country Mill Farms, has sold his fruit and vegetables at the East Lansing Farmer’s Market for the past seven years. After city officials learned of his Christian belief that marriage is the union between one man and one woman, they invoked a non-discrimination policy to exclude him from being able to sell at the farmers’ market.

Students Sue After Entire High School Illegally Groped And Molested By Cops
Worth County, GA — Violated children and furious parents have just filed a massive lawsuit after the Worth County Sheriff’s office conducted an illegal search of 900 students — in the name of the war on drugs. The rights-violating intrusive and aggressive pat downs and drug dog searches at the school yielded absolutely nothing.

What You’re Not Being Told About The Paris Climate Agreement
Op-Ed by Joey Clark - President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord has thrown the world into a blazing furnace full of weeping and gnashing of teeth—or the political world, at least, has been thrown into a fiery tizzy. The front page of the New York Daily News reads “TRUMP TO WORLD: DROP DEAD, Decides to hell with science, Earth’s future.” Former President Barack Obama broke his silence, saying, in part, that with this decision the Trump administration “joins a small handful of nations that reject the future.” Former Secretary of State John Kerry lambasted Trump’s decision as “an ignorant, cynical appeal to an anti-science, special-interest faction,” as well as saying, “This choice will rightly be remembered as one of the most shameful any president has made.” And the list goes on and on and on.

Court Sets Ominous Precedent: Informing Jurors of Their Rights Is Now ILLEGAL
By Justin Gardner - Big Rapids, MI — As constitutional rights are steadily eroded in the U.S. through the burgeoning police/surveillance state, one case in Michigan provides an example of just how dire the situation has gotten. Keith Woods, a resident of Mecosta County, was charged and recently convicted for the “crime” of standing on a public sidewalk and handing out fliers about juror rights. Woods was exercising his First Amendment rights and raising awareness about something the courts deliberately fail to tell jurors when beginning a trial – jury nullification, or the right to vote one’s conscience. For this, Woods – a father of eight and former pastor – was charged with jury tampering, after an initial felony charge of obstructing justice was dropped following public outcry. Even with the reduced charge, the case has very troubling implications for free speech rights. The county prosecutor, seemingly furious that a citizen would dare inform the public on jury nullification, said Woods’ pamphlet “is designed to benefit a criminal defendant.”

Alec Baldwin Defends Kathy Griffin after Photo Firestorm: ‘F*ck Them All’
Alec Baldwin has come to the defense of Kathy Griffin following the widespread backlash over a photograph in which the comedian was pictured posing with a bloodied, decapitated head meant to resemble that of President Donald Trump. Writing on his Twitter account Friday, the 59-year-old actor and Saturday Night Live Trump impersonator reminded Griffin of the backlash he experienced after he made fun of then-Republican lawmaker Henry Hyde during a 1998 appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show.

World News

Trump calls for ‘travel ban’ amid London terror attack
As authorities in Britain scrambled to respond to the knife and truck attacks in the heart of London Saturday night, President Trump’s immediate response was to publicly demand the courts reinstate his executive order restricting travel from six largely Muslim nations. “We need to be smart, vigilant and tough,” tweeted Trump at about 7 p.m. ET — before news outlets had been able to confirm any significant details about the incident. “We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!”

Turin bomb scare sparks stampede, leaving 1,500 injured
Turin (Italy) (AFP) - More than 1,500 people were injured, three seriously, after a bomb scare triggered a stampede among Juventus fans watching the Champions League final in Turin, local authorities said Sunday. In an update on Saturday's dramatic events in a square packed with supporters watching the Cardiff match on a giant screen, the local prefecture said 1,527 had been treated for mainly minor injuries.

ISIS claims responsibility for London Bridge attack
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed seven people in London on Saturday night. According to the SITE Intelligence Group, the Islamic State’s official Amaq News Agency posted a message on Telegram on Sunday claiming that Saturday’s vehicle and stabbing attack was carried out by ISIS fighters. “Security source to 'Amaq Agency: A detachment of Islamic State fighters carried out the London attacks yesterday,” the message reads. Counterterrorism sources tell ABC News there is evidence suggesting the three terrorists who carried out the attack might have been waiting to strike for several months. The trigger may have been ISIS message posted on Saturday that called on followers to use vehicles, guns and knives to “kill the civilians of the crusaders” during the holy month of Ramadan.

What You’re Not Being Told About The Paris Climate Agreement
Op-Ed by Joey Clark - President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord has thrown the world into a blazing furnace full of weeping and gnashing of teeth—or the political world, at least, has been thrown into a fiery tizzy. The front page of the New York Daily News reads “TRUMP TO WORLD: DROP DEAD, Decides to hell with science, Earth’s future.” Former President Barack Obama broke his silence, saying, in part, that with this decision the Trump administration “joins a small handful of nations that reject the future.” Former Secretary of State John Kerry lambasted Trump’s decision as “an ignorant, cynical appeal to an anti-science, special-interest faction,” as well as saying, “This choice will rightly be remembered as one of the most shameful any president has made.”

Fear penetrates Kabul after deadly cycle of violence
Streets in Afghan capital largely empty as residents say they feel unprotected after multiple attacks in recent days. Multiple assaults in the city highlighted the ability of fighters to strike even in the capital's most secure districts [AFP] "Today, Kabul looks like the city of the dead," Mohammed Asif Yousufi says solemnly from the photography studio he owns on the outskirts of the Afghan capital. "I have never seen this kind of sadness and fear spread across the city before," Yousufi adds. He is not alone in feeling like this. Kabul has just suffered one of the bloodiest weeks in years, leaving its streets devoid of life and its residents gripped by fear - and feeling unprotected. The cycle of violence began on Wednesday when a powerful truck bomb ripped through the city's diplomatic zone. At least 90 people, mostly civilians, were killed and hundreds were wounded. Officials described the attack as "one of the biggest" to have hit the capital.

London Bridge: World leaders condemn deadly attack
Prominent figures across the globe express solidarity, outrage after six people are killed in a car and stabbing attack. Forty-eight people were wounded before the attackers were shot dead by the police [Hannah McKay/Reuters] British and world leaders have condemned an attack in London that killed at least seven people and wounded 48, only days before the UK's general election. A van on Saturday night ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge before three men with knives went on a stabbing spree in the nearby Borough Market before being shot dead by the police.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Iraq's pro-government forces retake Al-Baaj from ISIL
Al-Baaj district west of Mosul captured from the armed group after weeks of fighting, government-allied forces say. The forces on May 23 announced they had retaken Qayrawan. Both areas are in Nineveh, the province of which Mosul is the capital, and lie between territory under ISIL control in Iraq and Syria. The armed group took over large swaths of territory of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but have since faced offensives on several fronts in both countries. Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition have since October been battling to oust the group from Mosul. They are advancing on the last areas of the city still held by ISIS, but the presence of large numbers of civilians is slowing their progress.

Megyn Kelly Drills Vladimir Putin on Presidential Election Hack, Russia’s Ties With Trump (Video)
Former Fox News Channel star Megyn Kelly launched her latest NBC News show with a bang on Sunday by securing a one-on-one interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin. In her introduction on “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly,” the host described the “testy exchanges” that occurred at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where Kelly moderated a panel that included Putin and other world leaders. Predictably, Kelly asked the president about the hacking accusations and Russia suspected interference in the presidential election, pointing out that “hundreds of factors point to Russia,” including IP addresses and fingerprints.

Science & Technology

Large Hadron Collider 2.0: CERN fast-tracks plan to develop three time bigger particle collider
A group of physicists have kick-started the decades-long process of developing the Large Hadron Collider's (LHC) successor. Although the LHC is currently functioning optimally, scientists have already begun working on its next-generation version, which some estimate may take years to build. Over 500 scientists from across the globe reportedly met in Germany between 29 May and 2 June to discuss the future of particle physics and come up with designs for the next LHC. The scientists are part of a collaborative group called the Future Circular Collider (FCC) Study and aim to create a new LHC that is seven times more powerful and three times larger than the current one.

Man Jailed For 180 Days For Refusing To Give Police His iPhone Password
Should Americans face jail time for refusing to surrender their passwords to police, or is the request alone a violation of their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination? According to one judge in Florida, the former is the correct answer. Christopher Wheeler, 41, was sentenced to 180 days in jail by Broward Circuit Court Judge Michael Rothschild for failing to reveal the correct passcode to his iPhone. Wheeler was initially arrested on charges of child abuse in March, after he was accused of hitting and scratching his young daughter. The catch is that police are claiming the evidence of this abuse—multiple photos of repeated injuries to the child—can only be found on Wheeler’s locked iPhone.

Health

Peach Jam Recipes – Peach Vanilla and Fuzzy Navel – Easy, Less Sugar
Each year we buy a couple of cases of peaches from the local Knight's of Columbus fundraiser. Some are eaten fresh, but quite a few are preserved for later. These low sugar peach jam recipes are an annual tradition. We make up at least one batch of each peach jam – usually two. Peach jam is also a great way to use up peaches that are too soft and ripe to be canned on their own. I adapted the peach vanilla jam recipe from Grow It, Cook It, Can It. It's on the right in the photo below. If you look closely, you can see the flecks of vanilla bean. This one is the boys' favorite – probably because it's a bit sweeter. It tastes good when it's fresh, but tastes phenomenal once it's had a chance to age. Note: These peach jam recipes use calcium water, which is made from calcium powder included in the box of Pomona's Pectin. A single box of Pomona's Pectin contains enough pectin and calcium water for several batches of jam.

The Right Sunscreen Brands for You
There’s nothing worse than slathering yourself with sunscreen on a hot day, only to find your face looking as white as a ghost, or that you’re leaving a greasy mark on everything you touch. If you’re in the “I hate sunscreen” camp, you can always cover up with sun-protective clothing and a hat. For instance, if you wear a long-sleeve shirt with a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of 50 or higher, you don't need sunscreen on your torso and arms. Don a densely woven hat and you can skip sunscreen on your scalp. For the best protection, choose one with a wide (3 inches or more) brim. But you'll still need sunscreen on all your uncovered skin, and finding one that you like increases the chances that you’ll actually use it. Fortunately, many sunscreens are now formulated to feel and smell good, and our sensory experts have identified some of the best. Use their advice to find the right sunscreen brand for you from among our high-rated picks.


Friday - June 2, 2017

On This Day In History

1774 - The Quartering Act, which required American colonists to allow British soldiers into their houses, was reenacted.
1793 - Maximillian Robespierre initiated the "Reign of Terror". It was an effort to purge those suspected of treason against the French Republic.
1818 - The British army defeated the Maratha alliance in Bombay, India.
1851 - Maine became the first U.S. state to enact a law prohibiting alcohol
1886 - Grover Cleveland became the second U.S. president to get married while in office. He was the first to have a wedding in the White House.
1910 - Charles Stewart Roll became the first person to fly non-stop and double cross the English Channel.
1924 - All American Indians were granted U.S. citizenship by the U.S. Congress.
1933 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the first swimming pool to be built inside the White House.
1953 - Elizabeth was crowned queen of England at Westminster Abbey.
1954 - U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that there were communists working in the CIA and atomic weapons plants.
1957 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was interviewed by CBS-TV.
1979 - Pope John Paul II arrived in his native Poland on the first visit by a pope to a Communist country.
1995 - Captain Scott F. O'Grady's U.S. Air Force F-16C was shot down by Bosnian Serbs. He was rescued six days later.
1998 - Royal Caribbean Cruises agreed to pay $9 million to settle charges of dumping waste at sea.
2003 - In Seville, Spain, a chest containing the supposed remains of Christopher Columbus were exhumed for DNA tests to determine whether the bones were really those of the explorer. The tests were aimed at determining if Columbus was currently buried in Spain's Seville Cathedral or in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
2003 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that companies could not be sued under a trademark law for using information in the public domain without giving credit to the originator. The case had originated with 20th Century Fox against suing Dastar Corp. over their use of World War II footage.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

PROMISE KEPT: Trump Withdraws From The Paris Climate Agreement
The Daily Caller - President Donald Trump has made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, undoing a crowning achievement of the Obama administration. Trump promised to “cancel” the Paris Agreement on the campaign trail, but his own White House was split on the issue. The president already issued executive orders to roll back Obama-era global warming regulations. The White House said that the Paris Agreement was poorly negotiated by the Obama administration and did not put American workers first. White House aides said the administration would withdraw from the Paris accord using the process laid out in the agreement. Under this process, the U.S. wouldn’t fully withdraw until November 2019 — more than two years from now…. Trump’s announcement came after European leaders pleaded with him to stay in the Paris Agreement at the G7 conference in late May. However Trump could not be swayed, as reports surfaced in the wake of the G7 meeting the president had decided to withdraw from the Paris accord. “He should be commended for recognizing it was a bad deal for American workers and would have caused continued harm to those around the world who suffer from energy poverty,” Pyle said. “Despite an intense lobbying effort from corporations, green lobbyists, U.N. bureaucrats, and the Al Gore’s of the world, Trump stood firm on his commitment to resetting our energy and environmental policies.”
 * Related: Video: President Trump Makes a Statement Regarding the Paris Accord — Full Speech
 * Related: The 10 Dumbest Reactions to Trump Quitting the Paris Climate Accord

House Intelligence Panel Issues Subpoenas, Including on Susan Rice’s Unmasking
Breitbart - The House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas on Wednesday in its ongoing investigation of Russian interference in the presidential elections, including one related to Susan Rice’s role in unmasking Trump campaign officials, according to a report. The committee issued four subpoenas related to the Russian interference and three related to questions about how and why the names of Trump associates had their identities revealed during surveillance of foreign targets and then distributed within classified reports by the Obama administration during the transition, the Wall Street Journal reported. Identities of U.S. citizens are supposed to be minimized, or hidden, during the surveillance, unless “unmasked” by senior intelligence or administration officials. Unnamed officials later would begin leaking to the media private conversations held by or about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Carter Page, and recently, Jared Kushner. Regarding the unmaskings, the subpoenas have gone to the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency. Those subpoenas seek information on requests made by Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power. The committee issued a statement saying subpoenas related to Russian interference were for Flynn and the Flynn Intel Group LLC, and Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen and Michael D. Cohen & Associates PC. “As part of our ongoing investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 campaign, today we approved subpoenas for several individuals for testimony, personal documents and business records,” said Reps. Mike Conaway (R-TX) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), who are leading the Russia investigation.

Nigel Farage is 'person of interest' in FBI investigation into Trump and Russia
The Guardian - Nigel Farage is a “person of interest” in the US counter-intelligence investigation that is looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, the Guardian has been told. Sources with knowledge of the investigation said the former Ukip leader had raised the interest of FBI investigators because of his relationships with individuals connected to both the Trump campaign and Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder whom Farage visited in March…. Farage has not been accused of wrongdoing and is not a suspect or a target of the US investigation. But being a person of interest means investigators believe he may have information about the acts that are under investigation and he may therefore be subject to their scrutiny. Sources who spoke to the Guardian said it was Farage’s proximity to people at the heart of the investigation that was being examined as an element in their broader inquiry into how Russia may have worked with Trump campaign officials to influence the US election…. The source mentioned Farage’s links with Roger Stone, Trump’s long-time political adviser who has admitted being in contact with Guccifer 2.0, a hacker whom US intelligence agencies believe to be a Kremlin agent. Farage’s spokesman said he had never worked with Russian officials, and described the Guardian’s questions about Farage’s activities as “verging on the hysterical”.

Bilderberg group gathers in Virginia to mull Trump era
Daily Mail - A secretive group of global power brokers including elder statesman Henry Kissinger and NATO secretary Jens Stoltenberg will gather to debate Donald Trump's presidency. The Bilderberg Group meeting in Chantilly, Virginia, will attract 131 elites on Thursday - from politicians and bankers to business titans and European royalty. They will discuss transatlantic relations, the future of the European Union and 'a progress report' on the Trump administration behind closed doors at the four-day meeting. This year's confab can be seen as a chance for Trump supporters like Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel to face his critics like Eric Schmidt. Schmidt, the executive director of Google's parent company, warned in January that Trump's administration will do 'evil things.' The group has met every year since 1954 and was created as a forum for fostering dialogue between Europe and North America. The meeting, which will also be attended by to civil rights activist Vernon Jordan. will gather less than 30 miles from the White House. Several journalists are participating in this year's forum, including London Evening Standard editor George Osborne and Cansu Camlibel, the Washington bureau chief for Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper. But per tradition, news outlets are not invited to cover the event…. The meeting is expected to address Russia, China, nuclear proliferation, globalization, and 'the war on information.' Guests scheduled to attend the meeting include Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who works part-time as a commercial pilot; David Rubenstein, co-founder of influential global investment firm The Carlyle Group; and John Brennan, CIA chief under Barack Obama. Ex-deputy secretary of state William Burns and former deputy assistant secretary of defense Elaine Bunn, both Obama-era officials, will also attend…. Anti-globalization protesters reportedly have descended on the location of the meeting.

Bloomberg: '55 percent chance' Trump will win reelection
The Hill - Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks there's a "55 percent chance" President Trump will be reelected in 2020. Bloomberg, who politically identifies as independent, told New York Times columnist Frank Bruni that he thought Democrats didn't have an effective message to win the 2016 election and could repeat that mistake in 2020. “Hillary said, ‘Vote for me because I’m a woman and the other guy’s bad,’ ” Bloomberg said about 2016. He said Democrats are still looking for issues and messages. And he worries that too many Democrats are eager to jump into the 2020 race. “They’ll step on each other and re-elect Donald Trump,” Bloomberg said. Bloomberg endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 and spoke at the Democratic National Convention, calling Trump a "dangerous demagogue."

Video: Even Hillary’s ‘PR Person’ Says She’s “Drawing a Conspiracy Theory” Over Russia/Trump
Steve Watson - In another bizarre appearance Wednesday, Hillary Clinton blamed everyone except herself for her election loss to Donald Trump, espousing unsubstantiated claims, and leading even her most ardent supporters in the media to admit she is ‘drawing conspiracy theories’. NBC anchor Andrea Mitchell, who Trump referred to as Hillary’s “PR person” during the campaign owing to such partisan reporting, had some sobering comments following the appearance. “She’s basically pointing to the Trump campaign, saying that the dots are now being connected in the investigation,” Mitchell said, appearing on Rachel Maddow’s show. “She mentioned Jared Kushner, she mentioned Bannon and Kellyanne Conway in the context of the fact that the Mercers, the big fundraisers who contribute to the campaign and owned Cambridge Analytics, had said to Trump, ‘Bring on Bannon from Breitbart, bring on Kellyanne Conway,’ who are already on their payroll, as part of the deal.” Mitchell continued. “And that they connected with the data bank and the RNC. So she’s drawing a conspiracy theory. She doesn’t have the evidence, but she is obviously hoping that this is what Robert Mueller and what the congressional committees can do.”

Government Accounting Office Report: Zika Fears Overblown
Health Impact News - The Washington Times recent article on the latest Government Account Office (GAO) report looking into the Zika virus confirms what many of us in the Alternative Media have been reporting for the past couple of years …. Excerpts: The Obama administration’s imprecise Zika maps may have unnecessarily “spread fear” last year about the danger areas for contracting the virus from mosquitos, Congress’s top watchdog said Tuesday. The Government Accountability Office said the Centers for Disease Control “painted with a broad brush” in maps that showed entire states as mosquito habitat when only certain areas of those states were infested. The National Institutes of Health, meanwhile said it cannot predict when a vaccine that taxpayers shelled out $400 million for last year will be ready, with NIH chief Anthony Fauci saying he didn’t want to give false hopes or set unrealistic goals. “I’m not gong to give you a figure for a time for when we’re going to have a Zika vaccine,” Dr. Fauci said. He was testifying to the House Energy and Commerce Committee as the federal government and states begin to prepare for another Zika season, trying to learn the lessons of last year’s first encounter with the disease on the U.S. mainland. Just 222 cases were reported contracted from mosquitos on the mainland U.S. last year — 216 in Florida and six in Texas. That’s far more localized than some public health warned last year, when the Obama administration demanded more than $2 billion in emergency funding.

Student Petitions for School’s Name Change: Slave Owner James Madison’s Name Means Black Students ‘Unsafe’
Breitbart - Mya Berry, a senior, says the fact that President James Madison inherited slaves, along with his Montpelier plantation, from his father means her school – which, like the city of Madison, Wisconsin, is named after the fourth U.S. president – is hostile to black students, reports the Capital Times. In a change.org petition, which currently has nearly 1,500 supporters, Berry states: The significance of this name in association with my school has a negative effect on memorials black students. The lack of representation I feel in this school makes me feel more than unsafe. I do not feel supported by the majority of staff at memorial, especially considering the fact that I’ve gotten called n word multiple times, along with having an individual threaten me by telling me they would lynch me. Berry continues in her petition that when race is discussed at school, she is “told my perspective is just an opinion, and not anything valid to take into consideration.”

He Was Fired Because He Was Homeschooled
Off the Grid News - An Alabama man lost his job simply because he was homeschooled. “Homeschool diplomas are not recognized as legitimate or accredited in the state of Alabama,” and homeschool students “must receive a GED to have a true graduation,” a statement from the unidentified employer obtained by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSDLA) read. The company fired the man, referred to as just “Jacob,” after a third-party background check revealed he was homeschooled. The employer stated that the man “must receive a GED to have a true graduation.” Fortunately, the man got his job back after HSDLA attorney Dan Beasley contacted the company and told them they had violated Section 16-11.4 of the Code of Alabama, which bans discrimination against homeschooled people and says homeschooling is a legitimate form of education…. Said HSLDA, “While this story has a happy ending, there are still many homeschool graduates in Alabama and across the country who are being discriminated against. For example, a statute mandating that candidates for jobs as peace officers hold diplomas from accredited or approved high schools means homeschool graduates who wish to serve as peace officers in Alabama must take the GED.”

World News

US Carrier Strike Groups Join Japanese Near North Korea’s Coast
Mikael Thalen- The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group joined the USS Carl Vinson strike group Thursday near the coast of North Korea. The pair accompanied Japanese forces in what has been described as “the largest display yet of naval power” against Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. “These carrier strike groups, as well as two Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships, were taking advantage of the opportunity to train and improve the way they operate together,” 7th Fleet officials said. “Operating two carrier strike groups provides a unique capability, one of the many ways the U.S. Navy promotes security, stability, and prosperity throughout the region.” The increased US presence in the Korean peninsula comes after North Korea carried out its latest ballistic missile test Monday. US President Donald Trump in a tweet following the launch condemned the regime of Kim Jong Un for yet again disrespecting its neighbors. “North Korea has shown great disrespect for their neighbor, China, by shooting off yet another ballistic missile…but China is trying hard!” Trump tweeted. KCNA, North Korea’s official news agency, warned Tuesday that the US should expect a “bigger gift package” of precision guidance missiles.

Waiver Signed: Donald Trump Delays Moving Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
Breitbart - President Donald Trump signed a six month waiver to delay moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, despite his campaign promise to do so. In a statement, the White House said Trump was still committed to to his promise, but made the decision to delay the move of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for the sake of peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. “As he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when,” the statement from the White House read. Trump’s decision follows the precedent set by former presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama who all signed a six month waiver of the 1995 law.

No trace of Russian hacking in Macron election campaign attack – French cyber defense chief
RT - French investigators have found no traces of a Russian hacking group in the attack on President Emmanuel Macron’s election campaign, in which thousands of emails were leaked, the head of the French government’s cyber security agency told AP. In an interview on Thursday, Guillaume Poupard, the head of the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI), said the hack was “so generic and simple that it could have been practically anyone.” According to Poupard, the simplicity of the attack “means that we can imagine that it was a person who did this alone. They could be in any country.” The leak of Macron campaign data contained 9 gigabytes of emails, images and attachments dating back several months. At the time, the French authorities called on the national media not to report the contents of the leak, saying that doing so would violate election rules to stop campaigning a day ahead of an election. Macron, who opposed National Front leader Marine Le Pen in the run-off for the office of president, made his opposition to alleged Russian meddling in the election a point of his campaign. While he and his team didn’t directly accuse Russia of being behind the May 5 hack, many media reports of the incident speculated that Moscow may have made a last-ditch attempt to undermine Macron’s position before the poll.

“Cultural Journalist”: Sweden Doesn’t Deserve to Celebrate its Own National Day
Paul Joseph Watson - “Cultural journalist” Kristina Lindquist says that Sweden is so xenophobic, it doesn’t even deserve to celebrate its own national day and that “nationalism should be wiped out.” “As if I would have a Swedish flag,” chided Lindquist during an appearance on SVT Gomorron Sweden. “We live in Europe. Look at the European 20th century and what nationalism has done and what went on in the path of nationalism. Nationalism is a dangerous purity ideology that we should destroy,” said Lindquist, presumably unaware that the Nazis were National Socialists. She then went on to make the bizarre claim that “All political party leaders” in Sweden are “supernationalist” because they “stand in front of Swedish flags.” Lindquist also said that country shouldn’t have pride in itself so long as it continues to deport illegal aliens…. Lindquist’s comments underscore how leftists will smear even the most supposedly “progressive” and open border country as xenophobic and lecture its citizens that they should be ashamed of themselves. In reality of course, Sweden’s rabid multiculturalism has led to entire areas of major cities becoming no-go zone Islamic ghettos where non-Muslims are attacked. A new study recently found that 90% of shootings in Sweden are committed by migrants.

Veteran News

Vets Mock McMaster’s ‘Unwinnable War in Afghanistan’
Breitbart - Duffel Blog, a satire blog run by military veterans, published a devastating critique of National Security Adviser Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster’s reported support for putting more troops in Afghanistan, amid an intense White House debate over future U.S. involvement there. The post, while serious in tone, was dripping with irony. It contrasted McMaster’s current support for escalating the war in Afghanistan with his famous study of the Vietnam War, “Dereliction of Duty,” in which he criticized policymakers for escalating an “unwinnable war.” The post is even more notable since the blog’s contributors consist of veterans and active military members who write under pseudonyms…. McMaster and allies on the National Security Council reportedly support sending 3,000 to 5,000 more U.S. troops in Afghanistan and hitting the Taliban harder in order to drive them to the negotiating table. Others in the White House want to scale back the U.S. role in Afghanistan’s war with the Taliban, with enough U.S. troops to advise Afghan forces and fight terrorists. The Duffel Blog post underscored the futility with which some veterans and members of the military view escalation in the Afghanistan War, which is now in its 16th year. There were 100,000 U.S. troops there during the height of the war.

Economy & Business

DOWS SETS NEW RECORD as President Trump Announces US Withdrawal from Paris Climate Accord
The GatewayPundit - The White House audience today broke out in applause when President Trump announced the United States was withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. What a wonderful day for the American worker! The Dow Jones Industrial closed at a record high on the news today.

Energy & Environment

Alarming Study: Pharmaceutical Factory Pollution Accelerating Spread of Superbugs
Natural Blaze - The study, published in the scientific journal Infection, focused on the environmental impact of drug production in Hyderabad, a city in India that produces 40% of Indian generic drugs and 50% of the country’s exported drugs…. Researchers collected water samples from various areas within and around Hyderabad’s industrial district where several drug manufacturing facilities are located. Sampling locations “were chosen to cover the direct vicinity of bulk drug manufacturing facilities, rivers, lakes, ground water, drinking water, water sources contaminated by sewage treatment plants, and surface water from populated urban as well as rural areas,”…. The study pointed out that India has “become a hot spot of drug resistance” with over 56,000 babies dying yearly “infections by bacteria that are resistant to first-line antibiotics.” Nearly all of the 28 water samples gathered by researchers were found to contain bacteria and fungi that are resistant to several drugs. These microorganisms, referred to as MDR pathogens, are also referred to as “superbugs.” Further testing on 16 of those samples showed that 13 samples contained antibiotic and antifungal drugs…. While this study examined the implications of drug manufacturing in one of India’s top producing cities, the study cautioned that “microbes’ ability to travel within human hosts and traded animals or goods means that multidrug resistance can move around the world within a flight time of only a few hours.”

NASA Releasing Artificial Clouds Over Maryland Coast
Natural Blaze - Associated Press is reporting that NASA is to release luminescent, artificial clouds above the mid-atlantic coast. The clouds will be accompanied by a sounding rocket launch from the Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s eastern shore between 4:25 a.m. and 4:42 a.m. NASA’s stated purpose of the release is to test a new system to support studies of the ionosphere. NASA is to launch a sounding rocket and deploy the 10 canisters into the air about 6-12 miles from the rocket. The canisters will “deploy blue-green and red vapor forming artificial clouds, which will allow scientists on the ground to track particle motions,” AP reports. The report came out on Tuesday, May 30 and stated that the test would take place on Tuesday – so it is unclear to this writer whether the clouds have already been released or if they are for the following Tuesday. That’s all we know for now. As we’ve said with the release of re-engineered mosquitoes and Zika spraying hysteria – isn’t it nice when we get told what is going to happen instead of being petitioned what experiments our public funds are used for?

Science & Technology

Oops, My Bad: US Defense Contractor Exposes ‘Top Secret’ Info on Open Server
Sputnik News - A cybersecurity firm has reported the discovery of 60,000 files from a US intelligence agency left on an unsecured public server with absolutely zero protection, not even a password. The files were related to a military project being undertaken by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), which uploaded the files to an Amazon cloud storage server that anyone could access. Chris Vickery, a risk analyst with cyber resilience firm UpGuard, did just that. Among the files were sensitive information and even the security credentials of a senior employee with defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH). There were also the login credentials needed to access code repositories that might contain classified information among the files. Vickery said that the information appeared to have been accidentally leaked by a BAH employee. "Information that would ordinarily require a Top Secret-level security clearance from the DOD was accessible to anyone looking in the right place," UpGuard's Dan O'Sullivan wrote in a blog post about the leak. "No hacking was required to gain credentials needed for potentially accessing materials of a high classification level." The files have since been secured, but anyone who found them before Vickery could have downloaded the files and used them to access NGA, Booz Allen Hamilton or Pentagon data.

Health

The Common Plant Extract That Kills Stomach Cancer, According To Research
David Wolfe - Researchers studied whole tomato extract from the San Marzano tomato and the Corbarino tomato. They found that the extracts were able to stop the growth of cancer cells. They also discovered that the tomato extracts had the ability to interfere with cancel cell migration from the primary tumor to surrounding parts, and even kill cancer cells…. Tomatoes are full of additional health benefits that make them an important part of any healthy diet. Not only do they have anti-cancer properties, tomatoes also: • Improve Your Vision – The Vitamin A in tomatoes help to improve your vision and prevent macular degeneration. • Protect Your Heart – The lycopene in tomatoes prevent lipid oxidation, which protects your heart from cardiovascular diseases. • Aid In Digestive Health – Tomatoes keep you digestive system healthy by preventing constipation and diarrhea, and removing toxins from the body. • Promote Healthy Skin – Tomatoes help maintain healthy teeth, bones, hair and skin. The antioxidants in tomatoes are anti-aging. • Lower Hypertension – Consuming tomatoes daily reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, thanks in part to the potassium content of tomatoes.

28 Amazing Benefits Of Dandelion For Skin, Hair, And Health
1. Treatment Of Acne - Dandelion sap can be applied topically on acne to inhibit microbial infection. The Vitamin C component speeds up the healing process, thus reducing the visibility of scars and red inflammation that often accompanies acne. Dandelion tea can also be consumed to prevent acne…. 2. Treatment Of Skin Diseases - Dandelion sap known as dandelion milk is effective in treating skin diseases caused by microbial and fungal infections. Dandelion sap is highly alkaline in nature and exhibits potent germicidal, fungicidal and insecticidal properties. So, it can be used to treat itchiness, eczema, warts, athlete’s foot, ringworm, and other similar conditions without any side effects… avoid contact with the eyes when using it. 3. Treatment Of Burns And Stings - The inside portion of dandelion flower stems can be used as a smoothening agent for the treatment of burns and stings such as nettle allergy or bug bites which are quite painful. 4. Anti-Aging Benefits - Being rich in antioxidants, dandelions prevents aging by reducing the appearance of fine lines, dark spots and wrinkles around the eyes and lips. Besides nourishing your skin, this herb helps tone and firm up sagging and unbalanced skin. 5. Stimulates Hair Growth - Dandelion root is a rich source of vitamin A, C, and E as well as B-complex vitamins. Besides, it contains choline, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, biotin and calcium all of which play a significant role in making your hair healthy as well as stimulate hair growth….
 


Thursday - June 1, 2017

On This Day In History

1774 - The British government ordered the Port of Boston closed.
1789 - The first U.S. congressional act on administering oaths became law.
1792 - Kentucky became the 15th state of the U.S.
1796 - Tennessee became the 16th state of the U.S.
1861 - The first skirmish of the U.S. Civil War took place at the Fairfax Court House, Virginia.
1877 - U.S. troops were authorized to pursue bandits into Mexico.
1892 - The General Electric Company (GE) began operations after the merging of the Edison General Electric and the Thomson-Houston Electric companies.
1915 - Germany conducted the first zeppelin air raid over England.
1916 - The National Defense Act increased the strength of the U.S. National Guard by 450,000 men.
1921 - A race riot erupted in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 85 people were killed.
1943 - During World War II, Germans shot down a civilian flight from Lisbon to London.
1944 - The French resistance was warned by a coded message from the British that the D-Day invasion was imminent.
1958 - Charles de Gaulle became the premier of France.
1958 - IBM ended its design of machines that contained electronic tubes.
1961 - Radio listeners in New York, California, and Illinois were introduced to FM multiplex stereo broadcasting. A year later the FCC made this a standard.
1963 - Governor George Wallace vowed to defy an injunction that ordered the integration of the University of Alabama.
1978 - The U.S. reported the finding of wiretaps in the American embassy in Moscow.
1979 - In the U.S., the government-controlled ceiling on oil prices ends. The control was phased out over 28 months.
1980 - Cable News Network (CNN) made its debut as the first all-news station.
1998 - In the U.S., the FDA approved a urine-only test for the AIDS virus.
1998 - A $124 million suit was brought against Goodyear Tire & Rubber that alleged discrimination towards black workers.
1999 - Merrill Lynch chairman David Komansky announced that the firm would soon allow its customers to buy and sell stocks over the Internet.
2009 - General Motors filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The filing made GM the largest U.S. industrial company to enter bankruptcy protection.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Hillary: I Lost the Election Because of Infowars and Wikileaks
Paul Joseph Watson - Hillary Clinton is still blaming everyone apart from herself for her election loss – almost seven months later. During an on stage interview at the Code Conference today, Clinton ran through the usual baseless conspiracy theory about Russia coordinating with Wikileaks to sabotage her campaign…. “Within one hour, the Russians, Wikileaks, same thing, dumped the John Podesta emails,” said Hillary, before claiming that the Podesta emails were “anodyne to boredom,” while simultaneously asserting that they swung the entire election… “Within one hour they dumped them and they began to weaponize them, and they began to have some of their allies within the Internet world like Infowars take out pieces and begin to say the most outlandish, outrageous, absurd lies you can imagine,” she added. “He dumps that on me on October 28th and I immediately start falling,” said Hillary in reference to the Comey memo (which she also claims was motivated by the Russians. Hillary also blamed “Trump people” screaming “lock her up, lock her up” as a reason for her defeat as well as Google searches being predominantly for Wikileaks in the final days of the campaign. She goes on to call the Wikileaks Podesta dump “false information” despite earlier claiming it was “anodyne” and boring. To witness Hillary still stuck in denial nearly seven months after the election would be tragic if it were not so hilarious.

Comey To Testify Publicly That "Trump Did Push Him To End" Flynn's Russia Probe
Zero Hedge - The showdown between Donald Trump and James Comey will be televised after all. According to CNN, the former FBI director plans to testify publicly in the Senate as early as next week to confirm bombshell accusations that President Donald Trump "did push Comey to end his investigation into a top Trump aide's ties to Russia.”… As CNN adds, "final details are still being worked out and no official date for his testimony has been set. Comey is expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia during last year's presidential election." Additionally, it emerged that Comey has spoken privately with Special Counsel Robert Mueller III to work out the parameters for his testimony to ensure there are no legal entanglements as a result of his public account, a source said. Comey will likely sit down with Mueller, a longtime colleague at the Justice Department, for a formal interview only after his public testimony. When he testifies, Comey is unlikely to be willing to discuss in any detail the FBI's investigation into the charges of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign -- the centerpiece of the probe, this source said. But he appears eager to discuss his tense interactions with Trump before his firing, which have now spurred allegations that the president may have tried to obstruct the investigation.

Trump Trashes Democrats' Russia Probe "Witch Hunt", Urges Carter Page To "Clear His Name"
Zero Hedge - President Trump's angry tweetstorm this morning blasted Democrats, saying they no longer want Carter Page to testify in the investigation into the Russian election meddling, because he would counter previous testimony by former FBI and intelligence officials.

Judge Hands Down Mind-Boggling Transgender Ruling
The Daily Caller - On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ordered a taxpayer-funded school district in Wisconsin to allow a female transgender student who dresses like a boy and otherwise identifies as male to use the boys’ bathrooms and locker rooms on school premises…. Williams’s appellate opinion notes that Whitaker’s birth certificate designates her as female. However, the court opinion ignores Whitaker’s biological status because Whitaker “does not identify as” female. The appeals court proclaims that “it is unclear that the sex marker on a birth certificate can even be used as a true proxy for an individual’s biological sex.”

TSA to travelers: Is that a cookie or a bomb?
Sacramento Bee - Federal airport security officials have begun asking travelers to take books and food out of their carry-on luggage, prompting some fliers to complain about a further invasion of the limited privacy they have left at checkpoints. Transportation Security Administration officials say they are taking the steps on a test basis, mainly because carry-on bags are getting so stuffed that screening agents at x-ray machines are have a hard time seeing what’s in the bags. University of California Davis professor Julie Sze is among those who ran into the new screening procedures Wednesday at Sacramento International Airport. Federal screeners were asking people to take reading materials and food out of their bags and to place those items into a separate bin before sending them along the conveyor belt into the screening machine.

CNN Terminates Kathy Griffin After Trump Rages At "Sick" Comedian's Stunt
Zero Hedge - “As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing,” the first lady said in a Wednesday statement, according to reports.“When you consider some of the atrocities in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it,” Melania Trump said…. Despite [Kathy Griffin’s] apology - after her ultimate act of virtue signaling by holding up the blood-soaked head of the president backfired - President Trump and his family failed to find the humor in this heinous act….”Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!”…. As Martin Armstrong writes... While Kathy Griffin apologizes for going tooooo far, that is obviously only because of the flack she got for even doing this photo. If it were Obama, she would be called a racist. The mere simple act of doing something like this is exposing just how dangerous the future truly is. We have the left who thinks it is their God given right to suppress if not kill anyone who disagrees with them. I for one am starting to lean for the break up of the United States and all the leftists please move to the left of the country and anyone else who wants freedom from these insane people, move to the right. They never heard of freedom and that means to enjoy your own life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without being told what to do by people who want to rule the world their way. I have always had a simple motto – live and let live. I ask for nothing but freedom from oppression. Tyranny is what these people preach. It is their way or no way. We need to separate or there will be blood in the streets.
* Related: US Secret Service Investigating Kathy Griffin Threat to President Trump

Jeopardy Contestant Ken Jennings Ruthlessly Mocks 11-Year-Old Barron Trump
The Daily Caller - Ken Jennings, the longest running Jeopardy contestant, made fun of Barron Trump Wednesday for reportedly thinking Kathy Griffin was actually holding his father’s severed head. According to a report by TMZ, 11-year-old Barron first saw the photo of Griffin holding Trump’s bloody severed head on television and thought it was actually his father’s head. Sources told TMZ that Barron cried out for his mother when he saw the image. Ken Jennings saw this as the perfect opportunity to mock the young boy, tweeting, “Barron Trump saw a very long necktie on a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster. He thought it was his dad & his little heart is breaking.”

USAA says it will reinstate ads on ‘Hannity’
Breitbart - The USAA financial services firm says it is reinstating its advertising on Sean Hannity’s Fox News Channel program after receiving heavy criticism from many of the military members and veterans that it serves…. USAA was one of 10 companies that had pulled ads from “Hannity,” who had been attacked for reporting a discredited story involving the death of a Democratic National Committee staff member. Hannity has said he will no longer talk about conspiracy theories on Seth Rich’s death last year.

World News

Russian Warship, Submarine Fire Four Cruise Missiles At ISIS Targets In Syria
Zero Hedge - A Russian warship and submarine fired four cruise missiles from the eastern Mediterranean at Islamic State targets near the Syrian city of Palmyra, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday, as reported by CNN and Reuters. The strikes targeted militant ISIS "shelters" east of the ancient city, which housed heavy equipment and militant troops…. Russia had warned the United States, Turkey and Israel before launching the missiles, the ministry said. It did not say when the strike took place, but Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had personally told President Vladimir Putin about the military action late on Tuesday.

Turkey blasts US for ‘extremely dangerous’ arming of Kurds in Syria
RT - The US’ decision to arm Kurdish fighters in Syria is an “extremely dangerous” mistake that should be reversed, Turkey’s foreign minister has said. Earlier on Tuesday, the US announced that it was starting to deliver weapons to the Syrian Kurdish militia. “Such steps are extremely dangerous for Syria’s unity and territorial integrity,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the media on Wednesday. “If we are looking for stability in Syria, we should row back from those mistakes,” he told a press conference, while speaking alongside his Slovenian counterpart, Karl Erjavec. Earlier on Tuesday, the Pentagon said deliveries of small arms, machine guns and other military equipment to Kurdish fighters in Syria began this week, saying the move is necessary to help the militias fight the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) near the city of Raqqa. This runs counter to earlier reports which said that as many as 100 trucks loaded with US weapons and ammunition had already been delivered to SDF over the past few weeks. The Pentagon said it considers the multiethnic Syrian Democratic Force (SDF), which is dominated by the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), to be the only military contingent on the ground capable of taking the IS stronghold Raqqa.

Kabul: at least 90 killed by massive car bomb in diplomatic quarter
The Guardian - A massive explosion in a highly secure diplomatic area of Kabul has killed at least 90 people and wounded more than 461, Afghan officials have said. The attack is the deadliest in the Afghan capital since an Isis suicide bomber killed nearly 100 people at a protest last summer, and one of the largest to hit Kabul since the 2001 intervention. Most of the casualties are expected to be civilians. The huge blast of a bomb hidden in a sewage tanker occurred close to the German embassy in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of the capital on Wednesday morning, sending clouds of black smoke spiralling into the sky near the presidential palace and foreign embassies. It took place at the peak of Kabul’s rush hour when the streets were packed with commuters and just days into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan…. On Wednesday evening, the country’s intelligence agency, the NDS, accused the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, with Pakistani support, of being behind the attack.

Economy & Business

Mauldin Warns The Next Recession May Be A Complete Reset Of All Asset Valuations
Zero Hedge - Sometime this year, world public and private plus unfunded pensions will surpass $300 trillion. That is not even counting the $100 trillion in US government unfunded liabilities. These obligations cannot be paid…. We are coming to a period I call “the Great Reset.” As it hits, we will have to deal, one way or another, with the largest twin bubbles in the history of the world. One of those bubbles is global debt, especially government debt. The other is the even larger bubble of government promises. The other is the even larger bubble of government promises. History shows it is more than likely that the US will have a recession in the next few years. When it does come, it will likely blow the US government deficit up to $2 trillion a year.

Science & Technology

Congress Fast-Tracks Bill That Would Give DHS Agencies Access To NSA Collections
Techdirt - As a parting gift to the incoming president, Barack Obama approved information-sharing rules which gave sixteen federal agencies access to unminimized NSA collections…. Yes, the collected communications can be masked to protect the identities of US persons, but that call is made on a case-by-case basis by the NSA and there are several government officials with the power to demand unminimized access. This just isn't enough sharing, apparently. Patrick G. Eddington of CATO reports a new bill is being quickly and quietly pushed through the House to expand this sharing to several more federal agencies…. The DHS is already on the list of agencies with access to NSA collections. This bill would allow it to give underling agencies access to the same info. Some notable three-letter agencies on that list include CBP, ICE, and TSA. While the NSA's collections are supposed to serve a national security purpose, the FBI uses its access for standard criminal investigations. There's no reason to believe these agencies won't do the same…. Worse, if the bill becomes law, the worst, most ineffective parts of the DHS will be given access to data and communications gathered by the NSA. Fusion centers -- which are already known for being mostly useless, when not actively doing damage to Constitutional rights -- will have even more information to misuse.

Left-Leaning Policy Group Appears To Have Flooded Net Neutrality Forum With 100,000+ Fake Comments
The Daily Caller - More than 100,000 comments supporting government regulation of the internet appear to have been automatically submitted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a left-leaning nonprofit, according to a forensic analysis published Wednesday.

Delta Tests Replacing Boarding Passes With Fingerprints For Lounge Access
The Consumerist - While it’s trying facial recognition automated baggage drops in Minneapolis, Delta Airlines has implemented another form of biometric identification at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Ultimately, the airline plans to let passengers use their fingerprints in place of boarding passes to check in, check bags, and board their flights. CLEAR is an existing service that speeds you past the security line for a fee. People in the pilot program have to be enrolled in CLEAR as well. Delta combines CLEAR’s data with your frequent flier information and boarding pass information, with the goal of letting passengers zip past checkpoints where they would normally need to show a boarding pass. For now, a fingerprint only gives people who are part of the program access to the Sky Club lounge. To be eligible, customers need to be part of the Sky Miles program and also be enrolled in CLEAR. The airline’s planned Phase 2 would let passengers use their fingerprints at any time that they would normally need to show a boarding pass, including when boarding the plane. JetBlue and British Airways are testing similar programs, but they use facial recognition, not fingerprints.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Beekeepers Continue to Experience Significant Losses as Pollinator Crisis Moves into 11th Year
Beyond Pesticides - U.S. beekeepers lost an unsustainable 33% of their hives over the past year, according to new data from the Bee Informed Partnership. While this year’s numbers are lower than those recorded last year, which found nearly half of U.S. honey bee colonies died off, there is no cause for celebration. Declines are still well above acceptable loss rates of 15% or less, and the data indicate a continuing trend of substantial losses during the summer months. Without real changes to U.S. policy that effectively eliminate pollinator exposure to highly toxic and persistent pesticides such as neonicotinoids, there is little likelihood that these unsustainable losses will subside…. There is already evidence that the pollinator crisis is affecting crop yields, as a study earlier this year revealed that wild bees are declining in 139 key agricultural communities in the country.

New Tumor Evidence Found in Confidential Glyphosate Data
Sustainable Pulse - Major news on the glyphosate front: the first ever independent analysis of the complete confidential data set sent by industry to the EU for the re-licensing of glyphosate shows EFSA and ECHA’s safety assessment would have failed to identify several cases of tumors and cancer following an exposure to the substance. …. This is the first ever analysis of this dataset by a scientist who has no financial links to the glyphosate industry and who has not participated in the official EU assessment. This data set was obtained by CEO and Green MEPs after an access to documents request, which took a year (and significant resources) for EFSA to process as industry opposed it and demanded many redactions.

Health

Ohio sues five drug companies over opioid crisis
Reuters - The state of Ohio on Wednesday sued five major drug manufacturers, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks of prescription opioid painkillers that have fueled a sky-rocketing drug addiction epidemic. The suit, filed by Attorney General Mike DeWine, comes as a growing number of state and local governments are suing drugmakers and distributors, seeking to hold them accountable for a deadly and costly opioid crisis. Opioid drugs, including prescription painkillers and heroin, killed more than 33,000 people in the United States in 2015, more than any year on record, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The five companies Ohio sued were Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc unit, a unit of Endo International Plc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's Cephalon unit and Allergan Plc. DeWine said the companies helped unleash the crisis by spending millions of dollars marketing and promoting such drugs as OxyContin and Percocet, overstating their benefits and trivializing their potential addictive qualities.

Ibuprofen linked to 30 percent increased risk of cardiac arrest
(NaturalHealth365) The most commonly used non-prescription medications in the world, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – or NSAIDs – are taken by up to 30 million people every day to reduce fever, pain, swelling and inflammation. But a new Danish study showing that the NSAID ibuprofen increases risk of cardiac arrest has researchers calling for sale restrictions on the popular drug…. The study, helmed by Dr. Gunnar Gislason, a professor of cardiology at the University of Copenhagen, examined the medical records of 28,947 patients who had experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between 2001 and 2010. Researchers then examined the use of various NSAID pain relievers by a subset of 3,376 patients in the group. The NSAIDs included ibuprofen – marketed as Advil or Motrin – diclofenac – or Cataflam – and naproxen, or Aleve. Researchers also examined two NSAIDs, rofecoxib and celecoxib, that work by inhibiting COX-2…. The team concluded that the use of NSAIDs, in general, caused a 31 percent increase in risk of cardiac arrest. Diclofenac, which raised risk by 50 percent, caused the highest increase, while ibuprofen also significantly raised risk by 31 percent.

Not just complementary, tai chi treats depression all by itself
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Tai chi, the slow-motion Chinese exercise, has often been used as a complement to drugs for treating depression—but a new study has discovered it can dramatically improve the problem without the drugs. Performing the exercises twice a week for 12 weeks can 'significantly reduce' the symptoms of even major depression, researchers have found. The researchers, from Massachusetts General Hospital, had experts teach tai chi movements and breathing to 25 people who had been diagnosed with major to moderate depression and who weren't taking any medication for the problem. Another group of 25 were on a 'wait list' and were used as a measure of the improvements in the exercise group. By the end of the 12 weeks, the tai chi group reported 'significant improvements' in their depression and anxiety compared to those who didn't use the exercise. It's a credible alternative to drugs and other therapies, say the researchers.

10 Health Benefits Of Cinnamon That Surprised Even Us
Off the Grid News - Ancient civilizations considered cinnamon to be a gift fit for a king. Today, it is one of the healthiest spices you can find in your grocery store. Here are 10 health benefits cinnamon can offer. 1. Antioxidants. Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants known as polyphenols, phenolic acid and flavonoids. These compounds, which are also found in dark berries, red wine and dark chocolate, work to reduce free radical damage in the body and can slow the aging process. In terms of its antioxidant content, cinnamon outranks many superfoods including garlic, oregano, rosemary and thyme. 2. Anti-inflammatory effects. These antioxidants in cinnamon work to reduce inflammation in the human body. Scientists believe that the consumption of cinnamon can help the body reduce swelling, repair tissue damage, relieve muscle soreness and lower allergic reactions. 3. Heart health. Consuming cinnamon can help reduce your LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, while keeping your HDL (“good”) cholesterol stable…. 4. Diabetes. Another benefit of cinnamon is its ability to help lower blood sugar levels and improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which is needed to balance the body’s blood sugar levels… 5. Brain function. Cinnamon’s antioxidant properties also may benefit cognitive function and overall brain health, offering protection form neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. 6. Cancer protection. The compound cinnamaldehyde found in cinnamon may help the body fight tumor growth, DNA damage and cell mutation…. [When buying cinnamon, look for Ceylon, or “true cinnamon,” preferably organic.]
* Related: The Difference Between Ceylon Cinnamon VS Cassia Cinnamon

Pet News

Canine Influenza A H3N2 Confirmed in Florida
Dogington Post - Although the dog flu quickly spread to 30 different states during the 2015 outbreak, this is the first time it has been confirmed in Florida. With many dog-friendly areas of Florida heavily populated with people and pets, dog parks, dog day cares, and dog beaches, officials are concerned the virus could spread far and wide very quickly. The flu is spread from dog to dog (and now, to cats) much in the same way the human flu is spread – through direct contact, through coughing and sneezing, through contact with contaminated objects and surfaces, etc. The flu is not contagious to humans. The most common symptoms of H3N2 virus in dogs are runny nose, cough, and fever, but not all dogs will show symptoms. In other words, your dog could appear to be perfectly healthy while carrying and infecting other dogs with the virus. Likewise, your dog could be infected by a dog that appears healthy. If you’re living in an area where the dog flu has been confirmed, keep your dogs on leash and away from other dogs. Avoid dog parks, kennels, and doggie day care centers where dogs are in close proximity to one another or sharing toys and play surfaces…. Most dogs recover at home without any complications. Some require hospitalization.
 


MAY 2017

Wednesday - May 31, 2017

On This Day In History


1854 - The Kansas-Nebraska Act passed by the U.S. Congress.
1859 - In London, Big Ben went into operation.
1879 - New York's Madison Square Garden opened.
1889 - In Johnstown, PA, more than 2,200 people died after the South Fork Dam collapsed.
1907 - The first taxis arrived in New York City. They were the first in the United States.
1913 - The 17th Amendment went into effect. It provided for popular election of U.S. senators.
1915 - A German zeppelin made an air raid on London.
1927 - Ford Motor Company produced the last "Tin Lizzie" in order to begin production of the Model A.
1929 - In Beverly, MA, the first U.S. born reindeer were born.
1941 - The first issue of "Parade: The Weekly Picture Newspaper" went on sale.
1955 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered that all states must end racial segregation "with all deliberate speed."
1977 - The trans-Alaska oil pipeline was finished after 3 years of construction.
1994 - The U.S. announced it was no longer aiming long-range nuclear missiles at targets in the former Soviet Union.
2003 - In North Carolina, Eric Robert Rudolph was captured. He had been on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list for five years for several bombings including the 1996 Olympic bombing.
2005 - Former FBI official W. Mark Felt stepped forward as "Deep Throat," the secret Washington Post source that helped bring down President Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
2009 - Dr. George Tiller, a provider of late-term abortions, was shot and killed in a Wichita, Kan., church. (Gunman Scott Roeder was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.)

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Pentagon Tests ICBM Defense Grid for First Time in Three Years (VIDEO)
Sputnik News - The Pentagon claimed a victory in its test of the US' spotty ICBM interceptor system on Tuesday, in the wake of a new spate of North Korean missile tests, some of which have demonstrated surprising technological advancement that’s set Washington on edge. In the case of an intercontinental ballistic missile attack, the US has two Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) systems. One is located in California, the other in Alaska, but neither has been tested since 2014. The former system is the subject of the test, when a dummy ICBM was launched from the Marshall Islands and the interceptor system at Vandenberg Air Base in California attempted to detect it and shoot it down. Reportedly, the test was a success.

White House Shakeup: Communications Director Resigns
Breitbart - Dubke resigned on May 18, according to Axios’s Mike Allen, after taking the job in March. He was viewed as a professional close to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, both familiar with the workings of Washington, D.C. Mainstream media reporters also respected Dubke’s background as a behind-the-scenes operative who worked in Karl Rove’s orbit. But Trump loyalists never trusted Dubke, seeing him as an establishment figure who didn’t understand the president’s strengths. Communications professionals in Washington view Dubke’s job as impossible as President Donald Trump sets most of his communications strategy himself on Twitter while leaving staffers to fill in the gaps.

Economist: Plot to Overthrow Trump Risks “Civil War” in America
Paul Joseph Watson - Economist Martin Armstrong warns that the political class are risking “civil war” in America if they push forward with an effort to overthrow President Donald Trump. Armstrong is known for successfully predicting the 1987 Black Monday crash as well as the 1998 Russian financial collapse. Writing of a “very REAL plot to overthrow Trump led by the political establishment and aided by the mainstream press,” Armstrong says the elite has miscalculated in thinking the rise of populism is over because of Emmanuel Macron’s victory “so it’s time to get rid of Trump and it will all be OK again.” Armstrong points the finger firmly at Republican insiders like John Bohner, Lindsey Graham and John McCain as being the leading forces behind the effort to de-legitimize Trump, cautioning “the Republicans have lost it.” The mirrors the statement from a that we reported on from an unnamed ranking Republican who told a private gathering earlier this month that, “The object of the coup was not impeachment, but the recruitment of a critical mass of Republican senators and congressmen to the claim that Trump was “unfit” for office and to force his resignation.”

Trump: ‘Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S.’
TheHill - President Trump early Tuesday said Russian officials are likely “laughing” at the U.S. amid continuing reports related to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race. “Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. & how a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. The president has claimed in the past that possible Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election is an excuse created by Democrats to explain his win over Hillary Clinton. He has referred to the related investigation as a “witch hunt” and criticized the recent naming of a special counsel to lead it.Trump’s latest comments come after reports last week that son in law and senior aide Jared Kushner in December sought to establish a backchannel line of communication between the Trump transition team and Moscow.

Anthropologist Says “White Genocide” is a “Good Plan”
Paul Joseph Watson - According to anthropologist Michael P. Oman-Reagan, “white genocide” is a “good plan” because it will entrench leftist power by preventing right-wingers from having babies. Oman-Reagan is a Vanier Scholar and Ph.D. candidate in the department of anthropology at Memorial University of Newfoundland…. “Instead of politics, the Liberal Media Elite should orchestrate deep social ad campaigns to convince people to never reproduce with….” he added, before an emoticon of a frog to symbolize the alt-right. Oman-Reagan said preventing alt-right “Frog-Milk boys” from reproducing was a good thing because, “They won’t be able to teach any children to be full of hate or terrible attempts at owning people online.” “They can leave the politics to the leftists, who will ensure everyone has healthcare, free education, right to food and housing, etc,” remarked Oman-Reagan, before later tweeting that America was a “racist nation” with a constitution that primarily benefited “white supremacists”.

CNN Contributor Kathy Griffin Beheads Trump in ISIS-Inspired Photoshoot
Adan Salazar - Comedian Kathy Griffin posed for photos holding a bloody decapitated head made in the likeness of Donald Trump. Celebrity website TMZ got a hold of the photo Tuesday along with behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot with photographer Tyler Shields. “During the photo shoot, Kathy joked that she and Tyler would need to move to Mexico once the pics got released, for fear they’d be thrown in prison,” reports TMZ…. Twitter erupted with users claiming the photo promoted violence against the sitting US president, with others questioning whether CNN would denounce Griffin’s actions. Others also inquired whether advertisers would continue supporting the network…

Police 'firewood' checkpoints coming to a state near you
MassPrivate I - Since at least 2004, police in states across the country have been using 'firewood' checkpoints to search motorists vehicles. According to an article in the Daily Jefferson, Ohio police have been setting up 'firewood' checkpoints to search motorists vehicles since 2004. The article went on to say, motorists could be fined could be as much as $10,000 if they're caught with illegal firewood. In Michigan, police have been using 'firewood' checkpoints since at least 2005 and the list is growing. A 2006 article in the Toledo Blade, warns motorists, that Ohio police use 'firewood' checkpoints and search vehicles stopped at rest areas. For more than six hours, two U.S. Department of Agriculture officers combed the parking lot of the Findlay-area rest stop searching for people transporting firewood. State and federal officials are enforcing the ban on firewood movement by checking vehicles at several northwest Ohio locations this week and periodically throughout the summer. Yesterday's blitz was the fourth since the start of spring, with three held over Memorial Day weekend. Last year, I warned everyone that police were using ELEVEN different types of checkpoints. Sadly, the list just keeps getting bigger, now you can add 'firewood' and boater sobriety checkpoints to the list. 1. DUI 2. Super Bowl 3. DUI/Pedestria 4. License/Registration 5. Safety Belt 6. Bus Checkpoints 7. DNA 8. Escaped Fugitive 9. Pot Breathalyzer 10. Heroin 11. Drug Testing 12. Firewood Checkpoints 13. Boater Sobriety Checkpoints

World News

Stop inventing fictional threats from Russia – Putin to Le Figaro
RT - With bombings in Paris and elsewhere across Europe and war in the Middle East, it’s strange to hear speculation about a fictional Russian threat, Vladimir Putin said in an exclusive interview with Le Figaro. The Russian president, who visited Paris to meet with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday, expressed the belief that Moscow and Western capitals “all want security, peace, safety and cooperation.” “Therefore, we should not build up tensions or invent fictional threats from Russia, some hybrid warfare etc.,” the Russian leader in the interview to be published in full on Wednesday. “What is the major security problem today? Terrorism. There are bombings in Europe, in Paris, in Russia, in Belgium. There is a war in the Middle East. This is the main concern. But no, let us keep speculating on the threat from Russia." “You made these things up yourselves and now scare yourselves with them and even use them to plan your prospective policies. These policies have no prospects. The only possible future is in cooperation in all areas, including security issues,” he added. Fighting international terrorism is among the issues on which Russia and the West must work together, Putin said.

ISIS attacks an ICE CREAM parlour packed with women and children celebrating Ramadan: At least 27 dead and 100 injured in Baghdad car bombings
Daily Mail - At least 27 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded after two car bombs ripped through Baghdad, including one that targeted an ice cream parlour. Sixteen people died in the first blast as ISIS militants detonated a car bomb outside an ice cream shop as it was packed with women and children breaking their Ramadan fast shortly after midnight on Tuesday. A few hours later a second bomb the exploded by a government-run pension officer near the city’s Al-Shuhada Bridge, killing a further 11 people. More than 100 people are thought to have been wounded in the two attacks in total. No group has claimed responsibility for the second attacks, but ISIS regularly bombs the city and had called for ‘all-out war’ during the holy month of Ramadan, which started on May 26…. The bomb was placed inside a parked car and remotely detonated, according to Iraqi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity…. Ramadan is often marked by an uptick in violence in Iraq. Last year, Baghdad was rocked by a huge truck bomb that targeted a popular retail district in the city center.

Philippines crisis: Military launches air assault on ISIS-linked fighters (PHOTOS)
RT - Philippine Armed Forces are carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State-linked militants as fighting intensifies in the city of Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao. The military unleashed a barrage of attacks Tuesday in an effort to regain control of the area after it was was overrun by insurgents from the Maute group last week…. Despite the military effort, Philippine news agency ABS-CBN reports that IS flags are still on display around key bridges into the city. Areas in neighboring Iligan city are also on lockdown, according to a statement posted on the city's official Facebook page. Padilla claimed that 65 terrorists have been killed during the eight days of fighting, while tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes.

Sweden: Three Out of Four ‘Child Refugees’ Are Actually Adults
Paul Joseph Watson - A new study by the Swedish National Board of Medicines has found that three out of four so-called child “refugees” are actually adults, another illustration of how European people are being massively deceived about the true nature of the migrant crisis. The organization was given 4,200 orders from the Swedish Migration Board to conduct medical assessments of asylum seekers who claim to be under the age of 18. Of these, just 4 per cent were female, illustrating again how the clear majority of migrants entering Europe are men…. The results are important because of controversy over European countries accepting so-called “child refugees” who are clearly not children.

Election News

Watchdog Claims 5K Noncitizens Registered to Vote in Virginia
Breitbart - A new report released shortly after the forming of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity finds that more than 5,000 individuals were determined to be non-U.S. citizens registered to vote in Virginia. Dubbed a “sequel” to a similar 2016 effort, the latest study found 5,556 voters were “quietly removed” from the records for reasons related to non-citizenship “between 2011 and May 2017,” according to an advanced look at the findings provided by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF). Of the total registered, one-third of unlawful voters managed to cast ballots—leading to a total of more than 7,400 illegal votes cast, according to the report. The organization points out that it was unable to find any evidence that illegal registrations or votes were ever prosecuted…. In order to obtain the information necessary to perform the study, the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed a total of three lawsuits across the commonwealth in 2016. The group claims that political interference from officials loyal to Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) initially stalled the research effort…. The “alien voting” report arrives at an interesting time. In addition the presidential commission announced that plans to study similar problems around the country, Virginia is also due to hold statewide elections in November 2017.

Veteran News

Leftist Media Attacks Marines on Memorial Day over ‘Toxic Masculinity’
Breitbart - Left-wing news outlet Vox attacked Marines on Memorial Day, claiming in an article that the Marine Corps has a “toxic masculinity problem.” The article, which was simply titled “The Marine Corps has a ‘toxic masculinity’ problem,” continued to claim that the Marine Corps often “marginalizes or mistreats female troops.” Citing the Marines United nude photo sharing scandal, Vox staff writer and defense correspondent Alex Ward attempted to link the Marines with systemic sexism and listed ways how the Corps could get rid of their “toxic masculinity.” “And to be fair, it’s not just the Marines. Sexual assault has increased in other services, and even in military academies,” concluded Ward in the article. “According to one Pentagon review, there were 6,172 reports of sexual assault last year.” “So as the service tries to win battles around the world, the most important fight may be the one closest to home,” he continued. “The battle for the soul of the Marine Corps.” The article was criticized by numerous other journalists on Twitter…

Restaurant Sign Stating ‘We Have 619,300 Reasons to Be Closed’ for Memorial Day Goes Viral
Breitbart - Mayberry’s, a restaurant in Washington, Kansas, posted a sign that read, “We have 619,300 reasons to be closed Monday!” in reference to those who died fighting in World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars, KSDK reported. Brandon Lee, a customer at the northern Kansas establishment, posted a picture of the sign on Facebook Thursday that went viral. As of Monday evening, the post has been shared over 157,000 times…. Ray said he got his inspiration for the sign while working for a restaurant in Missouri. “I mentioned to the owner that we should be closed for Memorial Day, and he said, ‘I can’t think of one good reason why we would do that, because people are going to be out and they’ll want to eat,’” Ray said. “I saw a post on Facebook with the number of people who have died in our wars, so I basically just put that on a sign and showed it to him.” The restaurant’s owners decided to close on Memorial Day as a result.

Video: 98-Year-Old Grandmother Writes 7,000 Letters to U.S. Troops Abroad
WGN9 - Alleen Cooper started sending letters to American troops back during World War II. They’ve gone to injured soldiers and to those who still sacrifice their lives every day. Cooper started counting her letters six years ago. Since then, she’s sent nearly 7,000, many of which are up to four pages long. Her hands are getting tired, but this grandma to the troops tells us her mission is far from over. She also video chats with soldiers to express gratitude for their bravery. “I decided I’m going to write as long as I can. And I just respect everything that you do,” Cooper said.

Energy & Environment

Why Is The Media Ignoring America’s Drinking Water Crisis?
Natural Blaze - The report, “Threats on Tap: Widespread Violations Highlight Need for Investment in Water Infrastructure and Protections,” found close to 80,000 violations of drinking water standards in every state in the U.S. “Very small systems found in rural or sparsely populated areas account for more than half of all health-based violations, and nearly 70 percent of all violations,” the NRDC writes. Rural towns with smaller water systems are often unable to cover the financial and technological burden required to upgrade infrastructure which could reduce the amount of contaminants in the water. The report concludes that nearly one in four Americans receive their drinking water from systems which fail to meet federal health standards. This failure is exacerbated by a lack of reporting these violations, as well as a lack of enforcement when violations are reported. The council’s report indicates that water contamination is not exclusive to Flint, but rather, Flint is representative of a national water crisis…. Of all the states with health-based violations, Texas comes in at number one, followed by Puerto Rico, Ohio, Maryland, and Kentucky.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Sweden to Ban Roundup Herbicide and Vinegar?
Natural Blaze - Sweden may be going after the home use of weedkillers containing glyphosate due to fears of its toxicity levels. Strangely, some of the country’s authorities are taking this opportunity to ban the use of a less toxic weedkiller – vinegar. Claire Robinson of GM Watch writes that in a new report to the Swedish Government, it will only be possible for private users to use products containing low-risk substances. According to the preliminary assessment, glyphosate is “not expected to be included among the low-risk substances” which means it could be banned for home use in a few years’ time. [Note: these bans are for the home use of chemicals, and probably don’t apply to commercial ag use.] However, acetic acid, the main ingredient in vinegar also made the list. When Robinson asked Mr. Peter Bergkvist, principal policy advisor at the Swedish Chemicals Agency (known as Kemi) why vinegar was also slated for a ban, he replied this was: …due to the hazard properties of the substance and the fact that it has been classified as a skin corrosive in category 1A in its pure form.

Health

High cortisol increases the risk of disease and premature death
(NaturalHealth365) In a stress response, the body prepares to meet a sudden crisis by releasing a burst of cortisol and other adrenal hormones. This “fight or flight” physical reaction is helpful when it comes to surviving an emergency – but when the stress is chronic and unrelenting, the response itself becomes a threat to your health. The devastating effects of chronically heightened cortisol include a higher risk of disease – and a shorter life. Fortunately, natural techniques can help to lower excessive amounts of cortisol. Since cortisol is a steroid hormone, it’s not surprising that exposure to excess cortisol mirrors the physical and mental effects of chronic steroid overmedication. Unhealthy levels of cortisol appear to actually speed the aging process. In fact, researchers say having chronically high cortisol can make you look older – as assessed by facial photographs. Excess cortisol has been found to shorten the telomeres – the “caps” at the ends of chromosomes that prevent them from tangling with each other…. In one study, women with high cortisol levels were found to be 82 more percent likely to die than those with normal levels. For men, the heightened risk was 63 percent…. Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogenic herb that interacts with the brain-adrenal gland system to reduce cortisol production. In addition, it is believed to boost immune system function, improve mood, and help to alleviate anxiety and depression. Studies have also proven the potential of a lychee fruit-green tea combination to reduce cortisol levels.

The chronic effects of low-dose mercury exposure
(NaturalHealth365) Although mercury can make its way into the body through contaminated seafood, vaccines, and emissions from factories and coal power plants, the main source of exposure is from mercury-based dental amalgams. The World Health Organization notes that the typical absorbed dose from amalgams is 100 micrograms a day…. Mercury, which can destroy the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves, is highly damaging to the neurological system…. In addition, mercury exposure can cause deficiencies and imbalances of essential minerals such as zinc and copper, a condition associated with ADHD. Mercury exposure also interferes with the production and function of various neurotransmitters, including the “calming” body chemical GABA – thereby promoting the development of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders…. Mercury’s ability to bind to sulfur and selenium causes it to severely limit the beneficial oxidation-fighting and cancer-fighting effects of these antioxidant minerals. This interferes with the immune system’s ability to identify cancerous cells, and causes it to attack normal, healthy cells – triggering the development of autoimmune disease and cancer…. Mercury exposure contributes to heart disease by causing the oxidation of blood vessels and creating endothelial dysfunction…. Mercury alters intestinal flora, increasing the presence of undesirable bacteria and pathogens such as Candida…. As if this weren’t damaging enough, chronic exposure to mercury is linked with insulin resistance, hypoglycemic symptoms and metabolic syndrome – a constellation of unhealthy conditions that include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and high levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol.

Pet News

If Your Kitty Sends You This Message, See Your Veterinarian Right Away
Dr. Becker - Feline hepatic lipidosis, also called fatty liver syndrome, is a very serious condition and the most frequently diagnosed liver disease in cats in the U.S. Interestingly, the disease doesn't occur in any other animal — just kitties. Hepatic lipidosis is most often seen in middle-aged, overweight cats who experience sudden weight loss. The condition can be secondary to another disease, but is most often a primary idiopathic (no identified cause) condition. A sudden loss of appetite or significant cutback in caloric intake is the most frequent predisposing factor for feline hepatic lipidosis. Environmental stressors can cause appetite loss in cats, as can more serious problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, chronic feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), upper respiratory disease, cancer and pancreatitis. But believe it or not, I most often see this condition after a pet parent decides to change their cat's diet and the kitty simply refuses to eat the new food. Many people mistakenly believe, "If my cat gets hungry enough, he'll eat." This isn't necessarily true, and it's a dangerous assumption…. If your kitty refuses to eat, she should be seen by a veterinarian right away. After a few days without adequate daily calories, your cat's body will begin sending fat cells to the liver to convert to energy. That's where the problem begins, because sedentary cats don't metabolize fat very efficiently.
 


Tuesday - May 30, 2017

On This Day In History

1783 - The first daily newspaper was published in the U.S. by Benjamin Towner called "The Pennsylvania Evening Post"
1854 - The U.S. territories of Nebraska and Kansas were established.
1868 - Memorial Day was observed widely for the first time in the U.S.
1879 - William Vanderbilt renamed New York City's Gilmore’s Garden to Madison Square Garden.
1911 - Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500. At the time, it was known as International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race. Harroun's average speed was 74.59 miles per hour.
1912 - The U.S. Marines were sent to Nicaragua to protect American interests.
1913 - The First Balkan War ended.
1921 - The U.S. Navy transferred the Teapot Dome oil reserves to the Department of the Interior.
1922 - The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC.
1943 - American forces secured the Aleutian island of Attu from the Japanese during World War II.
1958 - Unidentified soldiers killed in World War II and the Korean conflicts were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
1989 - The "Goddess of Democracy" statue (33 feet height) was erected in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators.
1997 - Jesse K. Timmendequas was convicted in Trenton, NJ, of raping and strangling a 7-year-old neighbor, Megan Kanka. The 1994 murder inspired "Megan's Law," requiring that communities be notified when sex offenders move in.
2002 - In New York, a ceremony were held to officially mark the end of the clean up from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
2011 - Germany announced plans to abandon nuclear power over the next 11 years, outlining an ambitious strategy in the wake of Japan's Fukushima disaster to replace atomic power with renewable energy sources.
2012 - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the Portion Cap Rule. The proposed amendment to the city health code would have required that food service establishments limit the size of sugary beverages to 16 ounces. On June 26, 2014, the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the New York City Board of Health had exceeded the scope of its regulatory authority.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Declassified memos show FBI illegally shared spy data on Americans with private parties
Circa News - In his final congressional testimony before he was fired by President Trump this month, then-FBI Director James Comey unequivocally told lawmakers his agency used sensitive espionage data gathered about Americans without a warrant only when it was “lawfully collected, carefully overseen and checked.” Once-top secret U.S. intelligence community memos reviewed by Circa tell a different story, citing instances of “disregard” for rules, inadequate training and “deficient” oversight and even one case of deliberately sharing spy data with a forbidden party. For instance, a ruling declassified this month by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) chronicles nearly 10 pages listing hundreds of violations of the FBI’s privacy-protecting minimization rules that occurred on Comey’s watch….. The court isn’t the only oversight body to disclose recent concerns that the FBI’s voluntary system for policing its behavior and self-disclosing mistakes hasn’t been working. The Justice Department inspector general’s office declassified a report in 2015 that reveals the internal watchdog had concerns as early as 2012 that the FBI was submitting ‘deficient” reports indicating it had a clean record complying with spy data gathered on Americans without a warrant.

White House Petition to Investigate Seth Rich Murder Goes Viral as Reward Tops $345K
The Free Thought Project - The petition was created by someone only known as “J.F.” on May 19, 2017. Already, over 25,000 signatures have been obtained of the needed 100,000, requesting the White House to open an official investigation into his killing…. While the mainstream media appears to consider the matter of Seth Rich a murder driven by motives of armed robbery, the alternative media is camping out on the issue, refusing to let his name, and his possible contribution to transparency disappear. If the rumors were true Rich was the DNC mole, who leaked the database of emails to Wikileaks, he would likely have been targeted for discreditation, but, instead, he was found with gunshot wounds to his back, clinging to life, and later died from his injuries…. OAN’s [One America News] Pearson Sharp concluded, “Solving this case could reveal important clues into the 2016 election and how high up corruption at the DNC really went. DNC officials have long pushed the views that Russia was behind their email leak, but this latest information casts doubt on those claims.”

Largest Sex Trafficking Bust in US History, Dozens of High-Level ‘Slave Traders’ Indicted
Daily Sheeple - In what is begin hailed as one of the largest prosecutions of its kind in US history, dozens of high-level modern-day slave traders were indicted this week in the US for enslaving hundreds of young women. Spreading from coast to coast, authorities are calling it a sophisticated sex trafficking ring that forced hundreds of women to be “modern day sex slaves.” Naturally, the root cause of the state finding the organization wasn’t the sex slaves — it was was the concealment of millions of dollars. This latest indictment goes after the money as outside of the conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, are the charges of conspiracy to engage in money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business…. The women were taken from Thailand and brought to the United States. They were forced to work as sex slaves and told they could buy their freedom if they paid off their nearly insurmountable bondage debts. Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory Brooker explained the women were rotated through trafficking centers across the United States and “forced to have sex with strangers, even if the men were abusive.”… While many high-level arrests were made, the indictment noted that those at the top of the trafficking ring remain at large. Although, one of the bosses of the organization was arrested in the first phase of the investigation and is in custody in Belgium. Authorities are working to extradite her to the U.S., Khu said, according to the AP. While the indictment notes that this ring forced hundreds of women into the US to be sex slaves, it mentions very few who were actually rescued.

Looks Like The Media Spread Another False Story About Trump
The Daily Caller - A BBC reporter kicked off an international firestorm Saturday morning when he claimed that Trump chose not to listen to a translation as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was speaking at the G7 summit. BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale tweeted a “short clip that sums up” the summit, attaching a video he claimed showed Trump had “chosen not to hear a translation of his Italian host’s speech.” From the clip Landale tweeted, Trump appeared to be the only world leader not listening to a translation through headphones. Journalists around the world quickly ran with the story … There’s just one problem: Trump was listening to the speech through an earpiece in his right ear, according to press secretary Sean Spicer…. In other photos from the summit, Trump can indeed be seen wearing an earpiece in his right ear. Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs noted the White House’s displeasure with the “false reporting.”

Flashing Red Lights Inside White House Trigger Anti-Trump Crazies
Steve Watson - Morse code to the Russians! Last week the internet was sent into a spiraling craze over President Trump touching a glowing orb, this week anti-trumpers have been triggered by some red flashing lights appearing to come from inside the White House. Tom Johnson, a reporter for Orlando-based Fox 35 brought attention to a video from Sunday evening that appears to show some sort of red strobing light coming from inside a room in the White House… Some at first suggested the lights were reflections from outside, or an alarm system being tested, or some kind of Secret Service test to look for cameras or spy devices. However, the conversation soon devolved into nonsense…

Matt Rinaldi, a Texas lawmaker, called ICE on 'sanctuary city' protesters
Circa News - Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Texas Capitol on Monday to show their opposition toward the state's tough new anti-"sanctuary cities" law. Meanwhile, a tussle broke out on the state House floor when Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving) told a group of Hispanic lawmakers that he had called Immigration and Customs Enforcement to report the protesters…. Rinaldi, however, defended his decision to call ICE. "We didn’t know what to do,” he told the Texas Tribune. “A lot of people had signs that said ‘We are illegal and here to stay.’” He said calling immigration authorities was meant to give protesters an incentive to leave the building. House rules explicitly forbid spectators from cheering or jeering, according to The Statesman. That, however, didn't stop protesters from chanting… loud enough to force the Texas House leadership to stop their session and clear the gallery earlier on Monday.
* Related: Video: Chaos At Texas State House! Democrat Threatens to Shoot Republican After He Calls ICE on Illegals in Building

Work requirements drop thousands in Georgia from food stamps
wistv - More than half of food stamp recipients in 21 Georgia counties have been dropped from the program after the state instituted work requirements. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports state figures released this week reveal that 11,779 people considered able-bodied without children were required to find work by April 1 to continue receiving food stamps. Sixty-two percent were dropped after the deadline, whittling the number of recipients to 4,528. State officials began enforcing the work mandate in 2016, and plan to expand work requirements to all 159 counties by 2019. Around 1.6 million Georgia residents use food stamps, which are funded with federal dollars managed by the state Department of Family and Child Services. A DCFS spokeswoman says the department has offered help with job search and training to affected recipients.

Pennsylvania Republican Pushing Ban on Private Gun Sales
Breitbart - Pennsylvania State Rep. Jamie Santora (R-163) is pushing a ban on private gun sales nearly identical to the ones Michael Bloomberg-funded Moms Demand Action pushed in Washington state, Maine, and Nevada. Santora’s bill would bar the private sales that Americans have enjoyed since the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791 and would require that every sale be processed in front of an agent of the government via a background check. This means that law-abiding Pennsylvanians selling a gun to a fellow hunter, lifelong co-worker, or childhood friend would have to seek out a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder and the would-be buyer would have to pass a background check just as the Orlando Pulse attacker (June 12, 2016), the Aurora movie theater attacker (July 20, 2012), Gabby Giffords’ attacker (January 8, 2011), the Fort Hood attacker (November 5, 2009), and the Virginia Tech attacker (April 16, 2007) did. According to the Delaware County News Network, Santora says his attempt to expand the frequency of background checks is “common sense.” He said, “We’re not trying to take away Second Amendment rights. Anyone who has a gun should have a background check.” It should be noted that the following individuals all submitted to background checks in order to acquire their guns: • the NY bombing suspect (September 19, 2016) • the UCLA gunman (June 1, 2016) • the San Bernardino attackers (December 2, 2015) • the Colorado Springs attacker (October 31, 2015)….

Evergreen State College students SEIZE campus, begin forced searches of vehicles for white professor who refused to kow-tow to liberal insanity
The National Sentinel - On Friday the Washington Times reported that in the preceding 72 hours, students had taken over — yes, taken over — Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. The college is known for its uber-Left-wing politics and its policy of appraising student performance not with grades but with “narrative evaluations.”… As the Times noted: Students…who filmed their exploits and posted the videos on social media, have occupied and barricaded the library, shouting down anyone who disagrees with them or shows insufficient passion for racial justice. Biology professor Bret Weinstein was berated by dozens of students outside of his classroom Tuesday morning for refusing to participate in an event in which white people were invited to leave campus for a day. Now, he says police have told him to hold his classes off campus due to safety concerns. Weinstein’s ‘crime’ was writing a ‘racist’ email opposing the “Day of Absence & Day of Presence” demonstration, in which he said, “On a college campus, one’s right to speak — or to be — should never be based on skin color.”

Boy's Graduation Speech Pulled over Christian Content in Illinois
Todd Starnes - [In the] small town of Akin, the salutatorian at Akin Grade School was told he could not deliver his graduation speech because it was too religious. Seth Clark, 13, was mighty proud of that speech. He referenced God and quoted from the Bible and even mentioned his Christian faith. But just hours before graduation, Seth was told that he would not be permitted to deliver his remarks. “As a public school, it is our duty to educate students, regardless of how different they or their beliefs may be,” Supt. Kelly Clark wrote in a prepared statement to the Benton Evening News. “While students are welcome to pray or pursue their faith without disrupting school or infringing upon the rights of others, the United States Constitution prohibits the school district from incorporating such activities as part of school-sponsored events, and when the context causes a captive audience to listen or compels other students to participate,” her statement read.

Conservatives Spot Something On Heineken Bottles, And It’s Going To Lose Them TONS Of Customers…
SourcesNews - This is Memorial weekend which means many of us are barbecuing with family and friends. … Many do not think of all that was sacrificed to give us that freedom to enjoy that. Our founding fathers and those after fought those who would seek to overthrow our way of life. Our borders and American culture are what sets us apart from others and it deserves to be defended. After all, America is the last bastion of freedom around the globe…. Here is what the Heineken bottle reads: Here’s To An Open World – To a world without borders or barriers. To the belief that there is more that unites us than divides us. To find common ground to raise a bottle with the person next to you. Because a stranger is just a friend that you haven’t had a cold Heineken with yet. Open Your World. Ok, you may be thinking it is just a stupid blurb on the back of a bottle, but it isn’t. In fact, this whole “Open World” thing is an entire campaign.

Veteran News

Trump honors fallen in visit to Arlington Cemetery
Breitbart - During a visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, President Donald Trump honored U.S. military members who died while serving their country. For the first time as commander in chief, Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington, Va., on Monday. “Thank you for joining us as we honor the brave warriors who gave their lives for ours — spending their last moments on this earth in defense of this great country and its people,” Trump said. “We only hope that every day we can prove worthy, not only of their sacrifice and service, but of the sacrifice made by their families and loved ones they left behind — special, special people.”
* Related: WATCH: President Donald Trump Speaks at wreath laying ceremony Arlington National Cemetery Memorial

WATCH: Tillerson Rides with Rolling Thunder to Honor U.S. Military on Memorial Day
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson joined almost one million bikers on Sunday as a rider in a massive caravan of motorcycles that rode from the Pentagon to the National Mall and the Vietnam Memorial on Sunday. A video posted on YouTube shows Tillerson posing for pictures with other bikers and preparing to mount his own bike for the trip, an annual tradition that began in the late 1980s as a way to honor the U.S. military and to support the continuing search for U.S. soldiers who remained prisoners of war or were missing in action following the Vietnam War.
* Related: 30th Rolling Thunder ride - in pictures
* Related: Almost 1 Million Rolling Thunder Bikers in D.C. to Honor POW, MIA

Mike Pence Sends Project Hero Riders Off on 10th Memorial Day Ride for Veterans
Breitbart - Vice President Mike Pence honored veterans this Memorial Day from his residence at the Naval Observatory, where about 200 vets attended and Project Hero launched its 10th Annual Memorial Day bike ride to Virginia Beach. Pence stepped out and greeted the close to 100 riders to cheers from the crowd. He was joined by Karen Pence and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin. Project Hero President John Wordin addressed the crowd, noting it was the fourth year in a row the ride began at the Vice President’s residence. He pointed out the problem of suicide among veterans and Shulkin’s work in partnership with Project Hero to address it.
Related: ’Project Hero' -- Pence's Memorial Day Speech To Veterans Will Run A Chill Up Your Spine

World News

UK Launches Internal Probe Into Manchester Bomber Data Shared by FBI
Sputnik News - According to reports, the FBI detailed to MI5 last January that Abedi was a member of a Daesh-affiliated group and was plotting a terrorist attack in the UK…. Additional information has revealed that, prior to the bombing, two people familiar with Abedi separately contacted the police warning of his extremist views, the BBC reports. While a teenager, Abedi was reportedly associated with an armed insurgency against former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, and worked with extremist militants in the northern African country during school holidays…. [British Home Secretary Amber] Rudd, when asked about how many people were thought to be at risk of terror activity in the UK, answered that, in the "top list," some 500 potential plots involving 3,000 people were currently being tracked, as well as an additional 20,000 people with possible connections to terrorism.

Manchester, Berlin, Paris, Nice, London, New York: Passports and IDs Mysteriously Discovered in the Wake of Terror Attacks
Global Research - Is there a pattern? The ID papers of the suspect are often left behind, discovered by police in the wake of a terrorist attack. According to government and media reports, the suspects are without exception linked to an Al Qaeda affiliated entity. None of these terror suspects survived. Dead men do not talk…. In reverse chronological order: The Manchester Terror Attack, May 2017. “... The 22-year-old British man … in a suicide-bomb attack, had ties to al Qaeda and had received terrorist training … was identified by a bank card found in his pocket at the scene of the ..”; Berlin Truck Terror Attack, December 2016. “The suspect’s identity papers were found inside the truck used in Monday’s attack on a Christmas market, which left 12 people dead, German security officials said.”; The Nice Terror Attack July 2016. “As in previous cases, ‘coincidence’ has it that his identity papers were found in the truck.”; Paris Charlie Hebdo Terror Attack, January 2015. “According to news reports, police found the ID of Said Kouachi at the scene of the Charlie Hebdo shooting.; Paris Bataclan Terror Attack, November 2015. “Syrian and Egyptian passports from two of the suicide bombers were found at the scene of the stadium attack…”; This brings us back to the September 11th terror attacks where U.S. officials recovered a passport intact a few blocks from the World Trade Center which did belong to one of the hijackers.

Egypt launches retaliatory strikes after Coptic Christians killed
UK Express - The move comes after gunmen in three four-wheel-drive vehicles earlier today [Friday] attacked a bus carrying worshippers in central Egypt, killing as many as 35 people and wounding a further 24. Eyewitnesses said masked men stopped the two buses and a truck and opened fire on a road leading to the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Minya province, which is home to a sizeable Christian minority. The Health Ministry said that a large number of those killed were children…. In a televised speech, President al-Sisi said: "We will not hesitate to protect our people from the evil." Egypt carried out six air strikes on Derna in Libya, military sources are indicating. The sources said the strikes took place at around sundown. Mr al-Sisi said: "The terrorist incident that took place today will not pass unnoticed. We are currently targeting the camps where the terrorists are trained." He said Egypt would not hesitate to carry out further strikes against camps where people were trained to carry out operations against Egypt, whether those camps were inside or outside the country.

North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile off western Japan
Washington Times - North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile that landed in Japan’s maritime economic zone Monday, officials said…. This launch of a suspected Scud-type missile, which the South Korean military said flew about 450 kilometers (280 miles), may also be an attempt to demonstrate North Korea’s ability to strike U.S. and South Korean troops in the region…. Because Monday’s test — the North’s ninth ballistic missile launch this year — was apparently of a short-range variety of which Pyongyang has a surplus of reliable missiles, it may have been meant more as a political and military message to outsiders than as a crucial test of not-yet-perfected technology.

Report: Trump Tells Allies He Plans to Remove U.S. From Paris Climate Agreement
Breitbart - Breitbart News has independently confirmed this reporting and that Trump has told others the same thing: that he plans to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. Earlier on Saturday, the President tweeted from Italy that he would make his final decision next week as to whether the U.S. will remain in the Paris Accord. He was in Italy for the G7 summit at the end of his first overseas trip, which was preceded by visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, and Brussels. While at the G7 summit, Trump was heavily lobbied to endorse the Paris Climate Agreement, but he declined to do so. The agreement was entered into under the Obama Administration. German Chancellor Angela Merkel characterized climate change talks with Trump as “very unsatisfying.”

Economy & Business

Silicon Valley Elites Continue to Push for Universal Basic Income
Breitbart - Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Y Combinator President Sam Altman are just two of the tech elites pushing for universal basic income in America. “We should make it so no one is worried about how they’re going to pay for a place to live, no one has to worry about how they’re going to have enough to eat,” said Altman in a speech at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. “Just give people enough money to have a reasonable quality of life.” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, also floated the idea in a Harvard commencement speech.“Every generation expands its definition of equality. Now it’s time for our generation to define a new social contract,” said Zuckerberg during his speech. “We should have a society that measures progress not by economic metrics like GDP but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful. We should explore ideas like universal basic income to make sure everyone has a cushion to try new ideas.” Now Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) is getting onboard with the idea, pushing to introduce a $1 trillion expansion to the earned income tax credit that is currently available to low-income families.

Dollar General Accounts For 80% Of All New Store Openings In The US
Zero Hedge - First the good news: according to a recent analysts by Bank of America's REIT team, in which the bank analyzes both store openings and closings for the same sample of 33 retailers that [it has] analyzed since 2007, it finds that the projected net new store count for 2017 is 1,041, which is lower than last year’s actual 1,109. While the net number of 1,041 openings this year is lower than the 10-year average of 1,386, "nevertheless the numbers are still positive" is how BofA spins the silver lining…. Now the bad news: … of the 1,041 stores expected set to open in 2017, 80%, or 810, belong to the one retail chain that focuses exclusively on America's poorest, i.e., Dollar General. Putting BofA's findings in context, US retail is still at least somewhat alive, but only thanks to America's poorest, seemingly a market of still largely untapped growth potential. In fact, of the nearly 7,800 net new stores opened since 2008 per BofA's sampled data, a whopping 76%, or 5,936, were Dollar General Stores. It seems that in the otherwise gloomy US bricks and mortar industry, a source of tremendous growth continues to shine: catering to America's growing poor.

70% Of Millennials Have Less Than $1,000 Saved For Buying A House
Zero Hedge - … a new study from Apartment List confirms the underlying problem: nearly 70% of young American adults, those aged 18 to 34 years old, said they have saved less than $1,000 for a down payment. This is similar to what a recent GoBanking Survey found last year, according to which 72% of "young millennials"- those between 18 and 24 years old - had $1,000 in their savings accounts and 31% have $0; a sliver (8%) have over $10,000 saved. Of the "older millennials", those between 25 and 34, 67% had less than $1,000 in their savings accounts, 33% have nothing at all, and 15% have over $10,000. As the WSJ frames it, with most millennials having saved virtually nothing for a down payment on a home "many will face steep obstacles to homeownership in the years ahead."…. Of course, there is a loophole…. Speaking to CNBC, BofA [Bank of America] CEO Brian Moynihan, the proud owner of Countrywide Financial, said that his mission is to reduce mortgage down payment requirements to 10% for traditional loans…. Why not? Gradually destroying lending standards worked out really well last time around.

Prison Labor Boosts Wal-Mart’s Profits Despite Pledge
Prison Legal News - The supplier pledge for America’s largest retailer states: “Forced or prison labor will not be tolerated by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart will not accept products from Vendor Partners who utilize in any manner forced labor or prison labor in the manufacture or in their contracting, subcontracting or other relationships for the manufacture of their products.” However… Recent developments, which include reports concerning the use of prison labor and alleged abuses in labor practices by its suppliers, have called into question whether Wal-Mart is the good corporate citizen it claims to be. One area in which Wal-Mart has profited through the use of prison labor is in “demanufacturing.” That term refers to the disposal of millions of dollars’ worth of “customer returns, buy-backs, over-stocks, shelf-pulls, scratch-and-dent, and excess inventories” that all large retailers must contend with, according to Al Norman, the founder of Sprawl Busters. What separates Wal-Mart from other retailers is its use of what amounts to taxpayer-subsidized prison labor in the demanufacturing process…. [one of Wal-Mart’s demanufacturing partners, Jacobs Trading Company] has made a great deal of money by selling customer returns, overstock and close-out merchandise from nine distribution centers, including in Taft, Oklahoma. There, around 25 female prisoners at the Eddie Warrior Correctional Center process semi-loads of merchandise from JTC, remove any identifying marks, bar codes and labels, and palletize and reship the goods nationwide for resale, according to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

Science & Technology

'Windows 10 China Government Edition' Grants China Back Door To Everything
Technocracy News & Trends - Pandora’s Box has been opened as Microsoft caves to China’s demands for full control over encryption and telemetry [Telemetry is an automated communications process by which measurements and other data are collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to receiving equipment for monitoring.]. This allows China a ‘back door’ to spy on everyone and every thing in its society. China is an autocratic Technocracy that is consumed with the micro-managed engineering of its entire society. Now, other nations will demand that Microsoft build ‘back door’ versions for them as well, and you can bet that the U.S. will be at the head of that line…. The new version… is called Windows 10 China Government Edition and it makes a number of concessions to keep Chinese officials happy. It’s a release that raises a lot of questions. The Windows 10 China Government Edition allows the country to not only use its own encryption, but also to control updates, remove unwanted apps, and manage telemetry. Users around the world will almost certainly be asking why control over telemetry is not an option for them, and what the implications of making changes for the Chinese government could be.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

7 Edible Perennials You Should Grow For ‘Survival Insurance’
Off the Grid News - Imagine being able to store fresh food and medicines in the ground indefinitely for emergency purposes, not only maintaining their nutrients, potency and freshness, but actually increasing their quantities and quality from year to year with little or no work…. 1. Perennial brassicas (Brassica species) — Perennial brassicas like kale, broccoli and collards are super-nutritious and packed with health-promoting compounds. On top of this, their deeper root systems make them more drought-tolerant and possibly more nutritious, considering they have more potential to suck up nutrients. Brassica species, also known as the cruciferous family, require full sun and a rich soil fairly high in nitrogen. Some species to look out for include Tree Collards, Sea Kale, Pentland Brig, and Perennial Five Star Broccoli. 2. Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) — This perennial green was once grown as a popular addition to salads, and is nutritious and easy to grow. It requires moist soil, preferring part shade, but tolerating full sun, and grows in most soil types. 3. Chinese toon (Toona sinensis) — Although Chinese toons are technically trees, they are also an excellent salad green right away, since their leaves are edible and have a unique onion flavor, so they can be counted as a perennial green. heir seeds also can be sprouted, as is done in China, for a high nutrition sprout similar to alfalfa or bean sprouts. The leaves are high in vitamin A and protein, and they require full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. 4. Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) — Also called sunchokes, Jerusalem artichokes are a prolific and aggressively spreading root/tuber crop related to sunflowers. They require full sun and plenty of space, ideally separate from the rest of your garden since they can take over….

Health

Italy Facing Unprecedented Mandatory Vaccine Push
Green Med Info -A 2015 government plan in Italy aimed to boost vaccination rates and introduce a series of new vaccines triggering protests among Italian citizens. The National Vaccination Plan for 2016–18 would instantly make Italy a European frontrunner in vaccination. At the time, many questioned the sudden vaccine push. Some suspected the hand of Big Pharma behind the government's new plan which was confirmed when the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) suspended Sergio Pecorelli, the president of its board and one of the authors of the new plan, because of his conflicts of interest with Big Pharma. In addition, GlaxoSmithKline made headlines in 2015 with their announcement to invest more than €1 billion in Italy over the next four years. Now recently, The Council of Ministers, on the proposal of President Paolo Gentiloni and the Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin, approved an emergency decree containing what they deemed “urgent measures in disease prevention.” According to the decree, vaccinations may only be omitted or deferred in the event of an established health condition in relation to specific, documented proof by a general practitioner or pediatrician.

Chondroitin as effective as a prescription painkiller for osteoarthritis
What Doctors Don't Tell You - If you're suffering from osteoarthritis, your best option is chondroitin, a new study has discovered. The supplements are as effective at reducing pain and improving movement as the prescription drug celecoxib—and without the dangerous side effects. To get the best results, high-quality chondroitin needs to be used, say researchers, and taking 800 mg every day for six months will be just as effective as the NSAID (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug) painkiller celecoxib, which is routinely prescribed for the condition. The supplement matched the drug when it was given to 604 people suffering from osteoarthritis in the knee. The group was given the supplement, or 200 mg celecoxib, or a placebo or dummy drug for six months. Pain reduction was 'significantly greater' in those taking the supplement over those given the placebo, and it had the same benefits as the drug, say researchers from Liege State University in Belgium. Chondroitin also doesn't come with celecoxib's side effects, which include stomach pains, swelling, dizziness and rash.

Diet Soda: Warning Label Needed?
Alliance for Natural Health - Stroke and dementia too? Yes, you can add those to the health risks of diet soda consumption. Natural health advocates have known for quite some time that artificial sweeteners like aspartame are dangerous and to be avoided. They’ve been associated with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia in men. These health effects aren’t all that surprising when we consider that ten percent of aspartame is methanol, which is converted to formaldehyde which, in turn, is converted to formic acid—which is used to strip epoxy! According to a new study, we can, in fact, add increased risk of stroke and dementia to the list of dangers.
 


Monday - May 29, 2017 - Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day, there will be no news in our news section today. Please take time out of your day to honor and remember the men and women who died while serving our country. Thank You!!!


Friday - May 26, 2017

On This Day In History

1805 - Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy in Milan Cathedral.
1835 - A resolution was passed in the U.S. Congress stating that Congress has no authority over state slavery laws.
1836 - The U.S. House of Representatives adopted what has been called the Gag Rule.
1864 - The Territory of Montana was organized.
1865 - Arrangements were made in New Orleans for the surrender of Confederate forces west of the Mississippi.
1868 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted, by one vote, of all charges in his impeachment trial.
1896 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average appeared for the first time in the "Wall Street Journal."
1946 - A patent was filed in the United States for an H-bomb.
1946 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed a military pact with Russian leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin promised a "close collaboration after the war."
1948 - The U.S. Congress passed Public Law 557 which permanently established the Civil Air Patrol as the Auxiliary of the new U.S. Air Force.
1961 - A U.S. Air Force bomber flew across the Atlantic in a record time of just over three hours.
1969 - The Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth after a successful eight-day dress rehearsal for the first manned moon landing.
1972 - The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) was signed by the U.S. and USSR. The short-term agreement put a freeze on the testing and deployment of intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles for a 5-year period.
1978 - The first legal casino in the Eastern U.S. opened in Atlantic City, NJ.
1998 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police officers in high-speed chases are liable for bystander injuries only if their "actions shock the conscience."
1998 - The Grand Princess cruise ship made its inaugural cruise. The ship measured 109,000 tons and cost approximately $450 million, making it the largest and most expensive cruise ship ever built.
1998 - The United States Senate approved legislation that allowed the U.S. Mint flexibility on how the mandatory inscriptions on the Washington quarter could be placed. H.R. 3301 allowed the mandatory inscriptions to be moved to the front of the quarter for the 50 States Circulating Commemorative Coin Program.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

FBI Withholds Russia Probe Docs Requested By House Intel Committee
Zero Hedge - House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said today that the FBI had decided to withhold documents, including memos, notes, summaries, and recordings, requested by his committee in regards to the ongoing Russia probe. This was revealed in a letter sent by Chaffetz to the FBI responding to the agency’s decision to withhold documents requested by the Committee on May 16, 2017…. The documents are due June 8, 2017, but that may not happen as it appears the FBI is suddenly unwilling to cooperate…. The FBI is withholding those documents, citing to the appointment of Robert Mueller as Special Prosecutor. According to a letter from your staff: "In light of this development and other considerations [the Bureau] is undertaking appropriate consultation to ensure all relevant interest implicated by your request are properly evaluated”…. The American public is certainly looking forward to the FBI's release of the full content of the Comey's memos, not only those relating to his meetings with Trump, but just as importantly, with Loretta Lynch, as well as Barack Obama and/or Hillary Clinton

Trump travel ban blocked by Va.-based federal appeals court
Fox News - A Virginia-based federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration's controversial travel ban, becoming the second circuit court to uphold lower court rulings against the policy. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond issued the ruling Thursday, following arguments May 8. The ruling means the Trump administration still cannot enforce its travel ban which affects six Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Sudan…. The ruling was issued by the full, or en banc, court, in a 10-3 ruling with two abstentions. "Congress granted the president broad power to deny entry to aliens, but that power is not absolute. It cannot go unchecked when, as here, the president wields it through an executive edict that stands to cause irreparable harm to individuals across this nation," the chief judge of the circuit, Roger L. Gregory wrote. Judge Paul Niemeyer sharply dissented from the decision, saying it will make the U.S. more dangerous. “Regrettably, at the end of the day, the real losers in this case are the millions of individual Americans whose security is threatened on a daily basis by those who seek to do us harm," Judge Dennis Shedd wrote in a separate dissent.

Trump Will Appeal Travel Ban To Supreme Court
Zero Hedge - …Jeff Sessions responded that the court's ruling blocks Trump's "efforts to strengthen this country's national security" adding that Trump is not required to admit people from "countries that sponsor or shelter terrorism until he determines that they can be properly vetted" and don't pose a security threat…. As for SCOTUS, according to AP, the Supreme Court would likely step into the case if asked as the justices almost always have the final say when a lower court strikes down a federal law or presidential action. Trump could try to persuade the Supreme Court to allow the policy to take effect, even while the justices weigh whether to hear the case, by arguing that the court orders blocking the ban make the country less safe. If the administration does ask the court to step in, the justices' first vote could signal the court's ultimate decision…. Travel ban aside, the upcoming case will be a litmus test of just what (and how strong) the ideological leanings of the revised SCOTUS bench are, now that Gorsuch is in town.

Twitter Suspends WND For Linking Donna Brazile to Seth Rich Case
Kit Daniels - Twitter suspended WND News for 12 hours for revealing that DNC insider Donna Brazile reportedly panicked over the private investigation into the death of staffer Seth Rich. The social media giant even admitted WND’s tweet “Bombshell: Donna Brazile warned off private eye on Seth Rich murder” was the reason for the suspension. “A WND company official confirmed the tweet was deleted per the company’s instructions,” reported WND’s Bob Unruh. “The news story was about a private detective’s revelation that former Democratic National Committee interim chairwoman Donna Brazile was the high-ranking DNC representative who allegedly called police and the Rich family and demanded to know why a private investigator was ‘snooping’ into the case.”… Interestingly, the tweet apparently didn’t violate any of Twitter’s policies…the news that Brazile allegedly freaked out over the private investigation into Rich’s murder – was the sole reason for the suspension…. “Brazile is the high-ranking DNC representative who allegedly called police and the family of murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich and demanded to know why a private investigator was ‘snooping’ into Rich’s death, the private eye revealed to WND on Monday,” the article in question stated.

The Final Nail in the Mainstream TV News Coffin: Fox News Ratings Plummet to 17 Year Low
Daniel Lang - For the first time in 17 years, Fox’s ratings among a key demographic, fell behind both CNN and MSNBC. For the week of May 15-19, Fox News averaged just 497,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted key demo of adults 25-54 during primetime hours, compared to CNN’s 589,00 and MSNBC’s 611,000, according to the Hollywood Reporter, which cited data from ratings tracker Nielsen… If a juggernaut like Fox News is struggling, then you know the mainstream media is near death. It may not look like it, since CNN and MSNBC are making up for it with stronger ratings. However, those ratings are only being fueled by people who hate Trump…. Liberals are tuning in when they think Trump is going to be impeached, and then dropping out when nothing comes of his controversies…. Fox is now reaching the same popularity levels as CNN and MSNBC, which have been a ratings joke for years.

Sean Hannity Takes "Abrupt Vacation" Amid Advertiser Boycott
Zero Hedge - Is Fox News about to lose its last remaining "old school" anchor holdout? According to Philly.com, Hannity is taking "a couple days off amid a growing advertiser boycott" over Hannity's pursuit of the Seth Rich story - an parallel to Bill O'Reilly's final days - and so far, seven advertisers are said to have pulled out of Hannity’s show…. Meanwhile, the Five host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who has confirmed speaking to the White House about potentially replacing press secretary Sean Spicer, will be filling in on Hannity on Thursday and Friday. Preempting speculation about a possible permanent departure, Hannity announced on Twitter the vacation was his annual Memorial Day getaway, and said "Uh oh My ANNUAL Memorial Day long weekend starts NOW. Destroy Trump/Conservative media breathless coverage starts! Did Hannity do last show?"

Concealed Carry Up 215%, Murder Rate Down 14%
Breitbart - Concealed carry permits rose 215 percent between 2007 and 2015, and the murder rate dropped 14 percent during that same time period. In other words, more guns being carried for self-defense correlated with fewer murders. On May 22, Breitbart News reported that the demand for concealed carry permits witnessed its greatest surge ever between May 2016 and May 2017. Fox News referenced Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) data showing there were 14.5 million permit holders in May 2016 and approximately 15.7 million in May 2017. Now the NRA is tweeting data which shows that the bigger picture is not just the one-year surge but a 215 percent jump in concealed carry permits between 2007 and 2015.

Students berate professor who refused to participate in no-whites 'Day of Absence'
Washington Times - A mob of students at a Washington state liberal-arts college confronted a professor and demanded his resignation for writing an email questioning the propriety of a race demonstration in which white people were invited to leave campus for a day…. A video of the confrontation at Evergreen State College, recorded by one of the protesters and posted to Facebook on Tuesday, shows biology professor Bret Weinstein attempting to reason with dozens of students who routinely shout him down, curse at him and demand his resignation.

World News

US Army lost track of $1 billion worth of arms and equipment in Iraq, Kuwait
RT - A newly released declassified audit from the US Department of Defense shows that negligent accounting by the military has resulted in the Pentagon not knowing what happened to more than $1 billion in arms and equipment meant for the Iraqi Army. The Office of Inspector General for the Pentagon's findings from September 2016 was made public Wednesday as a result of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from human rights group Amnesty International. Over $1 billion worth of arms and military equipment designated under the Iraq Train and Equip Fund (ITEF) and meant to assist the Iraqi government in combatting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), was not accounted for, the DOD audit found. The Army’s 1st Theater Sustainment Command “did not have effective controls to maintain complete visibility and accountability of ITEF equipment in Kuwait and Iraq prior to transfer to the Government of Iraq,” the audit said. “This audit provides a worrying insight into the US Army’s flawed – and potentially dangerous – system for controlling millions of dollars worth of arms transfers to a hugely volatile region,” Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty International’s Arms Control and Human Rights Researcher, said in the announcement on the group’s website. It makes for especially sobering reading given the long history of leakage of US arms to multiple armed groups committing atrocities in Iraq, including the armed group calling itself the Islamic State.”

NATO allies must pay more to tackle terrorism, immigration & Russia – Trump
RT - Terrorism, migration and threats allegedly coming from Russia were named by US President Donald Trump as the main issues demanding NATO's focus and funds, as he spoke at his first meeting with the military alliance as America’s leader. "The NATO of the future must include a great focus on terrorism and immigration, as well as threats from Russia, and on NATO's eastern and southern borders," Trump said on Thursday, speaking in Brussels at a ceremonial unveiling of a memorial to the victims of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Trump is on a two-day visit to the Belgian capital, Brussels, as part of his first foreign tour this week. As he meets NATO leaders and other EU officials in Brussels for what's being described as informal talks, there was an apparent disagreement on the alleged "Russian threat.”… After listing what he deems the major threats to NATO, Trump switched to the topic of defense spending, saying he had been "very, very direct with [NATO] Secretary [Jens] Stoltenberg and members of the alliance in saying that NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations." Accusing 23 NATO member states of "still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defense," Trump reiterated his stance on financial contributions.

Terror Expert: “Political Correctness” to Blame for Manchester Bomber Not Being Reported
Paul Joseph Watson - Terror expert Erick Stakelbeck says that fears over “political correctness” prevented associates and neighbors of Manchester bomber Salman Abedi from reporting him to authorities despite clear signs that Abedi was a dangerous jihadist. Amazingly, Abedi hanged an ISIS flag from the roof of his house that was visible to his neighbors but none of them reported him to the police. He was also heard loudly chanting Islamic prayers in the street but this did not raise alarms either, nor did the innumerable people visiting his house at all hours of the day and night. Fox News host Shannon Bream asked Stakelbeck if neighbors’ fear of appearing “racist” or “bigoted” might have prevented them from raising the alarm. “Political correctness is going to be the death of us, it’s been the death of far too many people,” he responded, adding that moderate Muslims were also not identifying extremists in their communities for fear of retribution.

Broadcaster Censors Video of Muslim Woman in Full Burka Warning of ‘Retaliation’ Against Islamophobia
Paul Joseph Watson - [UK broadcaster Channel 4] visited a Muslim community in south Manchester to get their take on the Islamic terror attack that killed 23 people and injured 120 others. Viewers were immediately drawn to a woman wearing a full black veil with only her eyes visible. The woman’s clothing had the word “love” emblazoned on it, but on closer inspection, the letters are made up of a machine gun and a hand grenade. Asked by host Krishnan Guru-Murthy about her “reactions and feelings” in the aftermath of the horrific attack, the woman said she didn’t “need to prove anything”. Asked if she thought there would be a backlash against Muslims, the woman responded that the backlash had “already started” and that “Islamophobia will probably rise now”. Guru-Murthy then quizzed the woman on whether such “Islamophobia” will cause young Muslim men to feel more “isolated”. “What do you think? I mean, obviously hate with hate, people will retaliate obviously,” she responded. Other Muslims interviewed for the segment denied that they needed to do any more to rout out radicalization within their community, with one man claiming Muslims, “are the ones who are collateral damage of this kind of attack.” Channel 4 removed the entire segment from their website without explanation, prompting accusations that the broadcaster was attempting to cover-up the true attitudes of Muslims towards the Manchester attack.

In Germany, Obama Lectures Trump on Immigration; ‘We Can’t Hide Behind a Wall’
Grabian News - Sitting alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former President Obama lectured the current administration about its immigration policy Thursday. While not mentioning President Trump by name, Obama made clear to whom he was leveling his criticism. “In this new world that we live in we can’t isolate ourselves,” Obama said. “We can’t hide behind a wall.” Obama is in Berlin to attend an anniversary celebration of the German evangelical protestant church. His comments took on a religious tone, intoning on the importance of religious diversity and non-judgment….

Economy & Business

World stocks hit record after Fed minutes, oil up as OPEC meets
Reuters - World stocks hit record highs on Thursday and the dollar dipped after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled caution in raising interest rates, while oil prices rose in anticipation of top producers agreeing to extend output cuts for up to a year. European shares opened higher, but quickly dipped into negative territory. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was last down 0.3 percent, led lower by resources companies .SXPP after a 4 percent drop in iron ore on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange.

Free Money: Potential Presidential Candidate Mark Zuckerberg Suggests That All Americans Should Get A ‘Universal Basic Income’
Economic Collapse - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested that this was something that we should “explore” during the commencement speech that he just delivered at Harvard. For quite a while it has been obvious that Zuckerberg is very strongly considering a run for the presidency in 2020, but up until just recently we haven’t had many clues about where he would stand on particular issues. If he is serious about proposing a universal basic income for all Americans, that would make Zuckerberg very appealing to the far left voters that flocked to the Bernie Sanders campaign…. But who is going to pay for this? Of course the truth is that the money for the people that are not working would come from taxing the people that are working…. Are young people going to have an incentive to work if they can just stay home and watch movies and play video games all day while collecting their “universal basic incomes” from the government? And why would anyone want to bust their rear ends working for a living when their incomes are just going to be taxed extremely heavily to pay for all the people that aren’t working? We are already 20 trillion dollars in debt, but politicians on the left just want to keep giving even more free stuff to people. During his presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders suggested that everyone in America “deserves a minimum standard of living” and that every citizen is “entitled” to universal health care, free college education and basic housing…

Science & Technology

Transit police are secretly spying on commuters travel plans, texts and emails.
MassPrivate I - A class action lawsuit in California, reveals that Transit Police are using a free 'Bart Watch' app and Stingray surveillance to secretly spy on commuters texts and emails. Transit Police take their cues from other police departments, claiming they're only interested in the public's safety and security, Safety and security is our top priority.. BART Watch allows you to quickly and discreetly report criminal or suspicious activity directly to BART Police. Unfortunately, these 'See Something, Say Something' apps allow police to spy on everyone. According to ABC7 News at least 10,000-50,000 people have downloaded the Elerts spying app. While BART and ELERTS "represent that the app is a 'discreet' way of reporting issues...the defendants actually programmed the app to secretly collect transit users' unique cellular identifiers, periodically monitor users' locations, and track the identities of anonymous reporters," the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit warns, that Transit Police also use Stingray surveillance to identify individuals and spy on their texts and emails.

How Snoopers Can Photograph The Inside Of Your Home … With Your Own Wi-Fi
Off the Grid News - It is now possible to take 3D pictures of the inside of a room or building — from the outside — with Wi-Fi. The technology, described in the journal Physical Review Letters, is still in the development stage, although its impact on privacy is frightening. “You could probably use a drone to map out the inside of an entire building in 20 to 30 seconds,” Philipp Holl, an undergraduate at the Technical University of Munich, told Business Insider. Holl is one of the inventors of the new kind of holography that can turn Wi-Fi into a surveillance tool…. Wi-Fi devices that can take pictures through walls have been around for years but the image quality was terrible, Business Insider noted. Holl and his academic supervisor, Friedemann Reinhard, discovered how to take higher-resolution pictures through walls using Wi-Fi. “Our method gives you much better images, since we record much more signal,” Holl said. “We scan the whole plane of a room.” They use two antennas. One antenna stays in a fixed position to capture the background while the other is moved to get a complete picture. The data captured is simultaneously fed into a computer, where software sorts out the differences and creates a real-time picture. The software can create many two-dimensional (2D) images that are combined to create a three-dimensional (3D) picture or hologram. “These antennas don’t need to be big,” Holl said. “They can be very small, like the ones in a smartphone.” Some uses of the technology could be beneficial, such as finding people in an earthquake rubble. But other uses – such as by spy agencies or police – will be more controversial.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

California farmer fights $2.8 million federal fine for plowing own field
RT - The US Army Corps of Engineers and state authorities are seeking almost $3 million in fines from a California farmer because residue from plowing polluted creeks on his property, under environmental rules the Trump administration wants to abolish. Federal authorities are charging John Duarte of Modesto for not obtaining permits to discharge dredged or fill material into seasonal wetlands that are considered waters of the United States, the Redding Record Searchlight reported this week. “The case is the first time that we’re aware of that says you need to get a [US Army Corps of Engineers] permit to plow to grow crops,” said Anthony Francois, a lawyer for the Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian nonprofit working on Duarte’s behalf. “We’re not going to produce much food under those kinds of regulations.” Duarte, whose nursery business in Modesto bills itself as the “largest permanent crops nursery in the United States,” bought 450 acres of land in Tehama County in 2012. He hired consultants to map out areas that drained into Coyote and Oat creeks, which were subject to federal regulations, the Record Searchlight reported. He plowed around those and planted a wheat crop. In February 2013, however, the Army Corps and California’s Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board accused him of not obtaining a permit to deposit drainage into the waters. When Duarte sued the Army Corps and the state for not granting him a hearing, they counter-sued him for violating the Clean Water Act. In June last year, US District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sided with the government.

South Carolina Just Legalized Growing Hemp
Natural Blaze - Very quietly, South Carolina has just legalized the growth of industrial hemp. House Bill 3559, mixed in among a pile of legislation before the General Assembly, was signed into law in mid-May. Lawmakers approved the pilot program to determine what kind of value farmers will get from their crops. After passing a State Law Enforcement Division background check, growers will be issued licenses that will allow them to cultivate the plant in-state. Hemp growers must have a contracted buyer before they can proceed, and they also must work with a research university to help develop the South Carolina hemp market. This initial phase of the program — 20 licenses at 20 acres apiece — will expand to 50 at 50 after a year. At that point, the program’s fate will be determined by the state’s agricultural department and the research universities working with the growers.

5 Beneficial Garden Bugs You Should NEVER Kill
Off the Grid News - Following is a short list of some of the more common uninvited garden visitors and why they are your friend — rather than your enemy. Many of these insects are so helpful that it is actually advantageous to encourage them to make a home in your garden by providing additional habitat so that they can breed and reproduce. 1. Syrphid flies — These are also known as sweat bees or hover flies. Many people assume that these little flies are equipped with a stinger, since they share some of the same colors and markings as yellow jackets and hornets. However, these harmless little flies are actually nectar- and pollen-feeders during their adult stage. During their larval stage, they are voracious feeders and prefer to eat aphids, scale insects and thrips…. 2. Praying mantis — Sure, mantis can look intimidating, but they are excellent hunters and harmless to humans. Mantis are ambush predators and prefer to eat soft-bodied pests such as caterpillars and grubs. They also will eat cabbage moths if given the chance. 3. Spiders — Be kind to your eight-legged neighbors while out in your garden. There are many different species of garden-friendly spiders, and all of them are doing their part to defend your plants from harm. Spiders tend to feed on caterpillars, leaf hoppers, aphids, cucumber beetles, thrips and flies. An abundance of spiders in the garden means there’s a lot of prey around….

Health

Government Still Pushing HPV Vaccine on Kids a Decade after Judicial Watch Exposed Deadly Side Effects
Health Impact News - A decade after Judicial Watch exposed the dangers of a government-backed cervical cancer vaccine, a federal lawsuit highlights its perilous side effects including paralysis, seizures, nausea and death. Litigation was initiated by disgruntled parents because the government is still pushing the hazardous vaccine, manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Merck, on children as young as nine years old to treat a sexually transmitted disease. The vaccine is called Gardasil and in the last ten years Judicial Watch has uncovered troves of government records documenting its harmful side effects…. Regardless, the government has continued promoting the vaccine… The Obama administration gave dozens of state and municipal health agencies tens of millions of dollars to boost the number of adolescents that get Gardasil…. U.S. law forbids lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers, but Judicial Watch has obtained records from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealing that its National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has awarded nearly $6 million to dozens of victims in claims made against the very HPV vaccine it is pushing on children.

Senator Passes Forced-Vaccination Law While Taking $420k From Giant Lobby Group
David Wolfe - Who should our elected representatives represent? The people who elected them, or shadowy corporations behind the scenes? On paper, the answer should be obvious, but in practice, corruption is festering for New York State Senator Kemp Hannon who passed a law forcing vaccinations on 7th and 12th graders while simultaneously taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Big Pharma…. The law would mandate children in 7th and 12th grade to receive a vaccination for meningitis. But the corrupt revelations suggest the possibility that Kemp may have passed the regulation in order to benefit his own personal financial interests. According to the New York Daily News: Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Nassau County) in 2014 invested in 14 companies that would fall under his committee’s purview. By comparison, Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) did not report owning any stock in health-related companies. n addition to his investments, Hannon over the past four years also received more than $420,000 from pharmaceutical and other medical interests, records show. Hannon’s office had no comment. On the part of his 2014 state financial disclosure form dealing with investments, he wrote that sales and purchases were ‘at sole discretion of the broker.’ By pinning the blame on his broker, Kemp is attempting to absolve himself of the damning allegations against him.

6 Dangerous Sunscreen Ingredients You Need To Watch Out For!
David Wolfe - 1. Oxybenzone - Oxybenzone is a chemical that helps other chemicals penetrate the skin. It undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to UV rays, and it can cause a eczema-like reaction to your skin. Research also suggests that oxybenzone is a hormone disruptor that can have negative effects on your endocrine system. 2. Octinoxate - Octinoxate is one of the most common ingredients found in SPF sunscreens. It’s designed to protect the skin from sun-induced aging, but experts believe it may actually cause premature aging. Octinoxate produces free radicals that damage the skin and cells. It’s also an endocrine disruptor. 3. Retinyl Palmitate - Retinyl palmitate is an antioxidant designed to improve sunscreen’s performance against UV exposure. Unfortunately, retinol compounds break down when exposed to the sun’s UV rays. This reaction can produce free radicals that damage DNA. Studies have shown that retinyl palmitate may even speed up the development of malignant cells and skin tumors when applied to the skin. 4. Homosalate - Homosalate helps sunscreen better penetrate the skin. Once the skin absorbs it, homosalate accumulates quickly in the body. It builds up at a rapid pace and the body isn’t able to get rid of it. The build up of homosalate becomes toxic and disrupts hormones in the body….

Heart flutter risk reduced by eating chocolate
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Eating some chocolate at least once a week reduces the risk of heart flutter (atrial fibrillation), a common problem that affects one in four people at some time. The amount that needs to be eaten seems to vary between the sexes: women can eat just one ounce, or 30g, of chocolate to have the protective effect, while men need to eat between two and six servings a week. A 30g serving is around a third of the standard 100g chocolate bar. Overall, chocolate reduces the risk by around 23 per cent, researchers from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study have found. It's a breakthrough discovery because there's not been an effective way to prevent or treat atrial fibrillation up to now. The problem causes heart flutter and irregular heart rhythm, and affects around 25 per cent of adults at some point in their lives. Most of the 55,502 participants were eating milk chocolate, which has just 30 per cent cocoa solids, but the researchers recommend eating the healthier dark chocolate, with 70 per cent cocoa, and which has lower levels of fats and sugars. Other factors could also be at play, including lifestyle choices and diet, but if you've ever needed an excuse to eat chocolate, well, here it is.

Pet News

Dog Noise Anxiety and Big Pharma’s Newest Treatment – Not Recommended
Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer - Big Pharma’s newest ‘treatment’ for dog noise anxiety – ‘SILEO’ (dexmoedetomidine oromucosal gel), is made by Zoetis, a large pharmaceutical company that supplies many drugs to the veterinarian industry. SILEO is the latest in a series of conventional anti-anxiety drugs Big Pharma has migrated from human use, to use for dog noise anxiety. These drugs include Alprazolam (Xanax), Clomicalm (Clomipramine), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Diazepam (Vallium), and Reconcile (Prozac). Despite the dangers posed by the drug, Reconcile received FDA approval. And now SILEO…. SILEO contains multiple toxic, inflammatory ingredients that adversely affect the immune system, can damage gut health, and cause inflammation throughout the body. If a dog is exposed to these problematic ingredients once or twice in his/her lifetime, the negative impact on health is minimal. However SILEO is not designed or marketed as a ‘one time treatment’. It is marketed as a treatment to be used on a repeated basis – whenever the ‘need’ arises. [Read More…]
Related: FDA Issues Warning to Dog Owners Using Medication to Treat Noise Anxiety
 


Thursday - May 25, 2017

On This Day In History

1787 - The Constitutional convention opened in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding.
1925 - John Scopes was indicted for teaching the Darwinian theory in school.
1927 - Ford Motor Company announced that the Model A would replace the Model T.
1953 - In Nevada, the first atomic cannon was fired.
1961 - America was asked by U.S. President Kennedy to work toward putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
1968 - The Gateway Arch, part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, MO, was dedicated.
1977 - An opinion piece by Vietnam verteran Jan Scruggs appeared in "The Washington Post." The article called for a national memorial to "remind an ungrateful nation of what it has done to its sons" that had served in the Vietnam War.
1979 - An American Airlines DC-10 crashed during takeoff at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. 275 people were killed.
1981 - Daredevil Daniel Goodwin scaled Chicago's Sears Tower, while wearing a "Spiderman" costume, in 7 1/2 hours.s. The gross was $6,219,629.
1985 - Bangladesh was hit with a hurricane and tidal wave that killed more than 11,000 people.
1986 - Approximately 7 million Americans participated in "Hands Across America."
1997 - U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond became the longest-serving senator in U.S. history (41 years and 10 months).
1999 - A report by the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China concluded that China had "stolen design information on the U.S. most-advanced thermonuclear weapons" and that China's penetration of U.S. weapons laboratories "spans at least the past several decades and almost certainly continues today."
2006 - In Houston, former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skillinng were convicted of conspiracy and fraud for the downfall of Enron.
2008 - NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander landed in the arctic plains of Mars.
2009 - North Korea announced that it had conducted a second successful nuclear test in the province of North Hamgyong. The United Nations Security Council condemned the reported test.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Netflix Series Exposes Gov’t Connected Child Sex Ring In Baltimore, Police Forced To Respond (Video)
Government Slaves - Baltimore police have found themselves in an awkward position as of late after a horrifying documentary from Netflix exposed a dark underground child sex ring involving the church, politicians, and cops. The series, titled, The Keepers, has forced the Baltimore police to set up an online submission form as people began to come forward after watching it. While the series is on Netflix for the world’s entertainment, the harsh truth is that it really happened. After the church attempted to keep it quiet by paying off the victims under the table, the documentary has exposed these monsters to the world. The seven-part documentary series, which premiered on Friday, also covers the unsolved murder of one of the teachers, Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik. On Tuesday, enough former victims had seen the documentary that they began calling the Baltimore police department to report their abuse. Baltimore Police have since made an online submission form available for those who would want to report any instances of sexual abuse related to the series. “We have been contacted by victims from the past who want to report the sex offenses that occurred to them. The murder investigation related to this Netflix series was handled by the Baltimore County Police Department,” the website reads. Dozens of victims had been suppressing the memories of their abuses and when this documentary came out, it brought the nightmares right back. Originally, many people thought the first woman to come forward was ‘faking’ it, until dozens more followed suit….

University Sued After Arresting Students For Distributing Constitutions
The Daily Caller - An organization oriented around free speech filed suit against a university Wednesday after the university arrested students for handing out pocket-sized Constitutions. Nonprofit organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed for a temporary injunction against Kellogg Community College after the university arrested two members of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) for distributing small Constitutions on campus… In the complaint, YAL and ADF allege that Kellogg’s Solicitation Policy “grants KCC officials unbridled discretion to restrict the content and viewpoint of student speech if it does not ‘support the mission of Kellogg Community College (KCC) or the mission of a recognized college entity or activity.'” “It is shocking and upsetting to see officials from public colleges refer to our country’s founding document as a threatening solicitation,” said Cliff Maloney Jr., president of YAL. “The blatant disregard for free speech on public campuses is precisely why the words and rights of the U.S. Constitution should be spread far and wide.”

FISA Court Finds "Serious Fourth Amendment Issue" In Obama's "Widespread" Illegal Searches Of American Citizens
Zero Hedge - A newly released court order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) found that the National Security Agency, under former President Obama, routinely violated American privacy protections while scouring through overseas intercepts and failed to disclose the extent of the problems until the final days before Donald Trump was elected president last fall. In describing the violations, the FISA court said the illegal searches conducted by the NSA under Obama were "widespread" and created a "very serious Fourth Amendment issue." These new discoveries come from a recently unsealed FISA court document dated April 26, 2017 and center around a hearing dated October 26, 2017, just days before the 2016 election, in which the FISA court apparently learned for the first time of "widespread" and illegal spying on American citizens by the NSA under the Obama administration…. The court order goes on to reveal that NSA analysts had been conducting illegal queries targeting American citizens "with much greater frequency than had previously been disclosed to the Court"...an issue which the court described as a "very serious Fourth Amendment issue."

House Democrats Ask Deutsche Bank If Trump Accounts Have Russia Ties
Zero Hedge - In the aftermath of prior media reports that in the past Deutsche Bank provided hundreds of millions in loans to Trump, today Democratic lawmakers - looking for a smoking gun- asked Germany's largest bank to hand over its findings on "two politically charged matters", demand details whether Trump accounts have Russia ties, and if Deutsche Bank loans to Trump were backed by Russia…. Along with the internal review of the Russian stock-trading scheme, Democrats are seeking any internal correspondence and communications related to loans extended to Trump and his immediate family members. The bank has made more than $300 million in loans to Trump, for the Doral golf resort in Florida, a Washington, D.C., hotel and a Chicago tower…. The letter, which asks Deutsche Bank to respond by June 2, also asks whether the bank’s loans to Trump, made years before the New York developer ran for president, “were guaranteed by the Russian government, or were in any way connected to Russia.” It was not clear just how Russia would "guarantee" a loan that is by definition secured (as a recourse loan at that) by an asset, although the confusion is understandable, as the initiative is being spreadheaded by Maxine Waters, who together with four other Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee, has asked the Frankfurt-based lender for the various documents. Other details: the lawmakers asked whether the bank’s loans to Trump, made years before the New York developer ran for president, “were guaranteed by the Russian government, or were in any way connected to Russia.” A copy of the letter sent to the bank was reviewed by Bloomberg News. That said, it is unlikely that either Trump or DB will lose much sleep over this initial disclosure request: as the minority party, Democrats don’t have the power to force Deutsche Bank to make any disclosures.

Media Matters Targets Sean Hannity’s Advertisers In Attempt To Stop Seth Rich Investigation
The GatewayPundit - …a full-scale media cover-up in the works complete with progressive propaganda outlets like George Soros’ funded Media Matters attempting to target the advertisers of any media figure that dares to look into Rich’s murder. Sean Hannity, one of the few commercial media hosts to discuss the case has been hit with over a dozen Media Matters attack pieces within the past 24 hours. Despite that, Sean Hannity continues to investigate Rich’s murder – a murder that would be under significantly more scrutiny if Rich was not involved with the immensely corrupt DNC. Targeting conservative media commentators and outlets is nothing new, but the force that Media Matters is coming after Hannity is cause for investigation. If these were truly baseless allegations, as they claim, then why would they invest so much effort and money into shutting down the investigation? Despite the push to silence and platform Hannity, he has committed to continue investigating the circumstances behind the unsolved murder case.
* Related: Sean Hannity Blasts Far Left Media Matters after Group’s Latest Attempts to Silence Him
* Related Video: Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson: Pressure from Sponsors to Drop News Stories Like Seth Rich Is “Dangerous New Development”

Obama Let in Admitted MS-13 Members, Whistleblower Says
Breitbart - Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said that a whistleblower turned over documents that showed more than a dozen apprehended illegal alien teenagers–who admitted to being MS-13 members–were released by the Obama Administration to homes throughout the United States…. Citing internal documents, Johnson said that the teens were moved to juvenile homes after being released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “CBP apprehended them, knew they were MS-13 gang members, and they processed and disbursed them into our communities,” Johnson said…. The devastation caused by MS-13, an El Salvadorian street gang, can be seen throughout the United States where they have left a trail of dead bodies in their wake. Recent murders across the U.S. in cities such as Houston, New York, and Lynchburg led Sessions to focus his attention and the resources of the federal government to combat MS-13.

Cartel Smugglers, Migrants Growing More Violent Against Border Patrol Agents
Breitbart - Border Patrol Agent Art Del Cueto, speaking to Breitbart Texas in his role as National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) spokesman, stated, “The smugglers are definitely becoming more violent with our agents. They now try to evade arrest and even use force to get away from us where during the Obama years they would joke with us and not mind being caught. They knew, back then, that they would get away with violating our laws.” Agent Del Cueto continued, “We are talking about significant force and violence being used against our agents. Very recently, one smuggler slammed a large rock into the side of an agent’s head.”… “Even the illegal aliens who aren’t smuggling dope are growing more violent as they now face consequences for illegally entering. Before they would be let go the next day or so, now they face incarceration for illegally entering. They are willing to do anything possible to evade us.”

World News

Cold Welcome for Donald Trump in Brussels Ahead of NATO Summit
Sputnik News - As leaders of the 28 NATO member states arrived in the Belgian capital for their annual meeting, thousands marched through Brussels in protest. While some activists held broadly anti-NATO signs, the majority of them seem to hold just one NATO leader in particular contempt – and that person is Donald Trump. The US president arrived in Brussels following his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Besides addressing the leaders of NATO, Trump will also spend time with Belgium's royal family and the country's top government officials. But unlike those authorities, many in the city are unhappy with the visit. Some recall Trump's harsh words about Brussels, while others dislike his domestic or foreign policy more generally…. As for Trump, it will be his first face-to-face talks with all the NATO leaders, a good chance to discuss the alliance's most pressing issues, like members' defense spending, as well as the US' commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which ensures the safety of all member states.

President Of Philippines Declares Martial Law After ISIS Group Captures City: “If You Fight Us, You Will Die”
Mac Slavo - Yesterday, as the drama surrounding the Manchester bombing was still unfolding, the media largely neglected a bombshell story going on in the Philippines. An ISIS affiliated terror organization called the “Maute Group,” attacked the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi. Government forces had been fighting these militants in the countryside for months before they occupied the city…. At least 21 people have died in the fighting between the militants and government forces, and a number of civilians have been abducted. Thousands of residents have fled the city, creating severe gridlock. President Duterte has since declared martial law in the region, and has warned that he may expand it to the rest of the country.

Operation Temperer: Theresa May becomes first PM to deploy up to 5,000 soldiers on streets
The Telegraph - Theresa May’s unprecedented decision to deploy up to 5,000 armed troops at key strategic sites makes her the first Prime Minister to use a new plan for a show of force in the face of major terrorist threats. It puts her at odds with her predecessor David Cameron who was reluctant to use the controversial power. Operation Temperer - the government plan to put thousands of soldiers on the streets in response to a major terrorist threat, was devised in 2015 and had been a secret until it was accidentally leaked to a newspaper. Whitehall officials had been keen to keep it under wraps because it was considered so sensitive. David Cameron was fearful that implementing the plan would provoke comparisons to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, when British soldiers patrolled the streets for decades.

Manchester Bomber Traveled to Syria With ‘Proven’ Links to Islamic State
Breitbart - Gerard Collomb said on BFM television Wednesday that British and French intelligence have information that British-born attacker Salman Abedi had been to Syria. He did not provide details, and said it is unclear whether Abedi was part of a larger network of attackers.

UK police make 7th arrest, seize ‘suspicious package’ in widening Manchester bombing probe
RT - British police are continuing their searches and raids in connection with the Manchester Arena suicide bomber attack, bringing the number of suspects arrested in the fast moving investigation to seven people. As it stands, six men and one woman have been arrested in conjunction with the investigation and remain in custody for questioning,” police said in a statement Wednesday evening, following searches at an address in Nuneaton, central England where a man was arrested. Earlier in the day, police detained a suspect in Wigan, Greater Manchester. According to photos and videos shared online, five plain clothed police officers wrestled down a man who was wearing a white polo shirt and jeans. Police said the suspect had a “package” on him while witnesses reported a bomb squad arriving at the cordoned off area. Authorities, however, did not reveal much information about the incident.

Father of Manchester Suicide Bomber Arrested in Libya
(Reuters) The father of the attacker who killed 22 people in a suicide bombing in Manchester has been arrested in the Libyan capital Tripoli, according to a counter-terrorism force spokesman and a witness. The counter-terrorism force detained Ramadan Abedi outside his home in the Tripoli suburb of Ayn Zara on Wednesday afternoon. An eyewitness said he was handcuffed by armed men who drove him away in two unmarked vehicles.

Survey: Vast Majority Of People All Over The World Want Global Government To Save Them
Steve Watson - A major new survey has found that the vast majority of people all over the planet are ready to embrace a global government in the hope that it will save humanity from catastrophe and major threat. The survey, carried out by ComRes on behalf of the Stockholm based group Global Challenges Foundation found that on average, close to three quarters (71%) of the general public wish to see the creation of a new “supranational organisation to make enforceable global decisions” about major threats to humanity. In every single country, over 60% of respondents said they wished to see a global government to tackle such issues as climate change, disease pandemics, artificial intelligence turning against humanity, weapons of mass destruction, natural disaster, and asteroids.

Veteran News

Senate Committee Passes Major VA Accountability Bill Allowing VA Sec To Fire Bad Employees
The Daily Caller - The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs cleared a bill Wednesday that would make it much easier for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin to fire bad employees, moving the legislation one step closer to law. Now that the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 has passed the committee hurdle, it will move to the floor of the Senate for further consideration. It’s not clear exactly when the bill will reach the full chamber, but if the Senate passes the bill, it will be sent to the House for a vote. The purpose of the bill is to decrease the amount of time it takes to fire bad employees. The legislation also grants Shulkin the authority to take back ill-gotten bonuses provided to employees. He can also reduce the pensions of VA employees who engaged in felonies related to their work. Employees who are kicked out, moreover, would not receive payment while appealing their terminations.

Economy & Business

Expert: Mandatory E-Verify ‘Is Coming’
Breitbart - Nationwide mandatory E-Verify, which would weed out the vast majority of American businesses hiring illegal aliens, may be coming sooner than expected. President of the E-Verify Employer Agent Alliance David Fowler told GCN that E-Verify “is coming” because of expansion efforts by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and President Donald Trump…. E-Verify is a hiring tool where employers must fill out I-9 forms for each employee they hire in order to ensure that the employee is legally allowed to work in the U.S. Illegal immigrants are not permitted to work in the country. In states which mandate E-Verify already, a study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) found that there were fewer jobless Americans, as they did not have to compete for work against cheaper, illegal immigrant job-seekers…. Every year, about four million young Americans enter the U.S. job market. At the same time, the U.S. admits more than one million legal immigrants, not including the estimated 11 to 30 million illegal immigrants already living in the country. Additionally, the U.S. admits almost one million temporary foreign guest workers a year through various visa programs. The combination of a need for jobs for native-born Americans and mass immigration has led to often times high unemployment and stagnant industry wages.

“Soros Is Stepping Up His Game” – Unmarked Deluxe Busses Arrive In Chicago Full Of “Protestors” (Photos)
The GatewayPundit - Thousands of people have recently taken to the streets of Chicago to protest the current minimum wage and demand an increase to $15/hr. One of the initial problems with this wage increase is that a cashier at McDonald’s should not be a job one aspires to retain for the rest of their lives; fast food jobs have classically been reserved as a first job for teenagers, and some college students, who are trying to make a buck between classes. Increasingly, however, due to poor government intervention in business and expansions in welfare, these jobs have been increasingly filled by middle-aged people who have become victims of the left’s system of governance. So what is the solution? Well, apparently it is to increase McDonald’s service people’s jobs to that of entry-level accountants, which then prompts major fast food chains like McDonalds to do away with those jobs altogether and replace them with self-serving kiosks and machines. So why would this fight continue if it is not only both bad for the company but also bad for the actual future of those fast food jobs? Well, because it is being *highly* funded by far-left organizations. 4Chan first noticed that dozens of expensive, unmarked, buses took to Chicago filled with “protestors” holding uniform and expensively printed signs…

Existing Home Sales Slump As Prices Soar To Record Highs
Zero Hedge - Following yesterday's collapse in new home sales, NAR reports that existing home sales in April also disappointed - dropping 2.3% (and March revised lower). This drop happens as median home prices spiked 6.0% YoY to record highs as sales declines are blamed once again on a lack of supply (forget affordability?).

Energy & Environment

Warning: 15,498 ‘High-Hazard’ Dams in America
Breitbart - The new American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 Infrastructure Report Card (ASCE) has identified 15,498 high-hazard dams, whose failure could risk loss of life…. The average age of America’s 90,580 dams is 56 years, the same age as the Oroville Dam, which the California Department of Water Resources began constructing in 1961. As America’s tallest dam, Oroville was built with what was considered at the time to be the best engineering and construction safety standards to withstand floods and earthquakes…. The ASCE annual report notes that the Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that the cost to rehabilitate the nation’s federal and non-federal dams would now exceed $64 billion. The number of high-hazard dams — those whose failure would be anticipated to cause loss of life — climbed by 52 percent in the last 12 years, from 10,213 to 15,498 dams. Another 11,882 dams are currently labeled as significant hazard potential, meaning that they are expected to soon join the watch list for high-hazard dams. The cost to rehabilitate just the most critical dams is estimated to cost $22 billion.

Science & Technology

Ancestry.com takes DNA ownership rights from customers and their relatives
ThinkProgress - Don’t use the AncestryDNA testing service without actually reading the Ancestry.com Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. According to these legal contracts, you still own your DNA, but so does Ancestry.com. The family history website Ancestry.com is selling a new DNA testing service called AncestryDNA. But the DNA and genetic data that Ancestry.com collects may be used against “you or a genetic relative.” According to its privacy policies, Ancestry.com takes ownership of your DNA forever. Your ownership of your DNA, on the other hand, is limited in years. It seems obvious that customers agree to this arrangement, since all of them must “click here to agree” to these terms. But, how many people really read those contacts before clicking to agree? And how many relatives of Ancestry.com customers are also reading? There are three significant provisions in the AncestryDNA Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to consider on behalf of yourself and your genetic relatives: (1) the perpetual, royalty-free, world-wide license to use your DNA; (2) the warning that DNA information may be used against “you or a genetic relative”; (3) your waiver of legal rights.

Hacker Uses Printed Photo, Contact Lens To Trick Samsung S8 Iris Scanner
The Consumerist - Weeks after a security researcher demonstrated how he could fool the facial recognition software in Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 smartphone with a digital photo, someone else has managed to hoodwink the phone, this time by tricking the phone’s iris scanner with a printed picture and a contact lens. In a video by the Chaos Computer Club in Berlin, researchers snap a photo of a man at a medium distance away in night mode, because the S8’s sensor uses infrared light to better detect patterns in the iris. Back in the lab, he prints out an enlarged infrared photo of his eyeball, and gently lays a contact lens over the iris. After registering his real irises with the phone, he holds up the photo to the sensor and boom — he’s in. While it is unlikely that a hacker will go to such lengths to mimic your iris, Gizmodo notes that Samsung probably shouldn’t go around touting iris authentication as a secure method for locking your phone, or claiming that irises are “virtually impossible to replicate.”

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Orange Petunias Are GMO Per Finnish Food Safety Authority Report
Natural Blaze - One of the staple flowering annuals of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, petunias, has been confirmed to be genetically modified (GMO) in Europe. The ORANGE-color petunia, according to Finnish reports, is GMO. Petunias came in various naturally-occurring colors, but never ORANGE! According to Greenhouse Management news, the USDA has launched an investigation into orange-color petunias. Interestingly, Greenhouse Management states that petunia breeders, who have been in contact with the USDA, advise everyone to destroy ALL orange-color petunia plants and SEEDS! The Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira issued a statement April 24, 2017 wherein part it stated: [Evira] “decided to remove from sale seeds and planting stock of the ornamental plant petunia characterised by the orange colour of the flowers which has been produced by means of genetic engineering. Genetically modified varieties of petunia are not authorised for cultivation in the EU.” No matter how novel, attractive or even tempting-to-purchase orange-color petunias may be, if consumers refrain from purchasing them and also complain to retailers about selling unapproved GMO-plants that can have an impact upon the GMO-takeover of contaminating our food supply and more species of the plant kingdom.

Treating Plant Diseases Naturally
Off the Grid News - Many of these treatments involve making and using a spray. It is best to use the spray in the early morning or in the evening. Do not spray when it is too hot, or it may burn your plant’s leaves. Before trying any spray, you would be wise to test it on one leaf first…. • Apple cider vinegar. Dilute one tablespoon of vinegar in one gallon of water and use to treat fungal infection on any type of plant. It can also help treat black spot on aspen trees and on roses. • Baking soda. Another fungicidal spray is made with baking soda. Mix one tablespoon of soda with two and a half tablespoons of vegetable oil and add to a gallon of water. Shake the mixture well and add to it one half teaspoon of castile soap…. • Elder leaf spray. Elder leaves are known to be fungicidal. If you have a shrub on your property, collect several of the leaves and simmer in water for about thirty minutes. Use about two times as much water as leaves. Strain out the leaves and add a tablespoon of castile soap per sixteen ounces of solution. Spray on your affected plants…. • Milk spray. A milk spray has several uses. It can treat common mildews that occur on tomato, squash, asters, and cucumbers, as well as mosaic disease in cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce. The milk changes the pH on leaves, making it a poor environment for the growth of the disease. To make it, mix one part milk to nine parts water. Spray plants thoroughly every three to four days when mildew has already formed, or just once a week as a preventative measure….

Survival/Preparedness

10 super affordable survival items you can stock up on NOW without breaking your wallet
(Natural News) These 10 items are not only affordable and easy to find, but incredibly useful in many ways, so you will definitely get your money’s worth…. • Lighter cubes – Fire can be useful in most survival situations, because they allow you to keep warm, cook food, and boil water for drinking. However, it’s not always easy to build a fire, but that’s where lighter cubes come in. • Emergency blanket – While its main function is to keep you extra warm and toasty, it’s really a multipurpose tool that also works as a makeshift tent. According to SeattleBackpackersMagazine.com, using it as a hammock, a funnel, or to create an air pocket in a forest fire are just some of the 50 ways to make use of this simple but lifesaving item. • 550 Paracord – Yet another multi-functional item on the list, you can use parachute cords to secure tents, create a pulley system, mark a trail, or hang food above ground to save it from animals. • Batteries – It’s best to make sure you have a good supply of different kinds of batteries so your important electronics stay powered. Batteries could also be a useful commodity to barter with if the situation calls for it….

Health

Depression overdiagnosed by questionnaire developed by drug company
What Doctors Don't Tell You - People are being diagnosed with depression with a simplistic point-scoring questionnaire that was developed by the drug company that has some of the leading antidepressant brands, and so is most likely to benefit from a diagnosis and prescription. There's a danger that depression is being overdiagnosed by busy family doctors, who are not trained in psychiatric problems and instead rely on the PHQ-9 questionnaire, which was developed by Pfizer, the drug company that makes the top-selling antidepressants Zoloft (sertraline) and Effexor (venlafaxine). Although an antidepressant prescription can be determined by responses to the PHQ-9, a major study has found that it is inadequate, and shouldn't be relied on for a clinical diagnosis…. The PHQ-9—or Patient Health Questionnaire—asks nine questions that have four possible answers, from 'not at all' to 'nearly every day'. The patient is asked whether he or she has little interest or pleasure in doing things, feels down or depressed, has trouble sleeping, feels tired, has poor appetite, feels bad about themselves, has trouble concentrating, moves or speaks slowly, and has thoughts of self-harm or wanting to be dead. The answers notch up scores that range from 0 to 27, and an antidepressant prescription can be triggered by the doctor's judgement and any score that is above 10.

Nightshades: Why Eating the Wrong Fruits and Vegetables Can Make Pain Worse
REALfarmacy - Nightshades are a specific group of plants belonging to the Solanaceae family which includes over 2,000 species. They are also some of the most popular foods consumed today; they include tomatoes, potatoes, all types of peppers, and eggplant. Not truly a nightshade member but containing the same inflammation-inducing alkaloids are blueberries, huckleberries, goji berries and ashwaganda (Indian Ginseng). Nightshades induce inflammation through a specific chemical known as solanine. Researchers now believe this chemical may actually irritate the gastrointestinal tract. When it’s absorbed into the bloodstream, it can cause destruction of the oxygen-carrying red blood cells…. Solanines are not water soluble, are not destroyed by cooking, and are not broken down inside the body but must be excreted as alpha-solanine. Alpha-solanine is classified as a neuro-toxin. Interestingly most “foods” that contain alpha-solanine also contain at least 5 other neurotoxins including atropine and nicotine. One of the major problems attributed to nightshades is arthritis. In fact, one in three arthritics will react badly to nightshades. [Read more on ingredients to avoid…]
 


Wednesday - May 24, 2017

On This Day In History


1738 - The Methodist Church was established.
1764 - Bostonian lawyer James Otis denounced "taxation without representation" and called for the colonies to unite in demonstrating their opposition to Britain’s new tax measures.
1798 - Believing that a French invasion of Ireland was imminent, Irish nationalists rose up against the British occupation.
1830 - The first passenger railroad service in the U.S. began service.
1844 - Samuel F.B. Morse formally opened America's first telegraph line. The first message was sent from Washington, DC, to Baltimore, MD. The message was "What hath God wrought?"
1883 - After 14 years of construction the Brooklyn Bridge was opened to traffic.
1913 - The U.S. Department of Labor entered into its first strike mediation. The dispute was between the Railroad Clerks of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
1931 - B&O Railroad began service with the 1st passenger train to have air conditioning throughout. It ran between New York City and Washington, DC.
1954 - The first moving sidewalk in a railroad station was opened in Jersey City, NJ.
1958 - United Press International was formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service.
1961 - The Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi.
1976 - Britain and France opened trans-Atlantic Concorde service to Washington.
1980 - The International Court of Justice issued a final decision calling for the release of the hostages taken at the U.S. embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979.
1994 - The four men convicted of bombing the New York's World Trade Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison.
2000 - The U.S. House of Representatives approved permanent normal trade relations with China. China was not happy about some of the human rights conditions that had been attached by the U.S. lawmakers.
2011 - NASA announced the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) spacecraft. It is intended to facilitate exploration of the Moon, asteroids and Mars.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

ObamaCare on federal exchanges increased by average 105% since '13: report
Fox News - The cost of an individual ObamaCare policy has increased by an average 105 percent from 2013 to 2017 in all 39 states that have used the federal exchange, the Trump administration said Tuesday…. The average monthly premiums increased from $224 in 2013 to $476 in 2017, according to the report. The HHS official said the cost doubled in 20 of the states and tripled in three of them. Alabama had the biggest four-year increase, 223 percent, from $178 to $397, the report showed…. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is scheduled to release its financial audit Wednesday of the ObamaCare overhaul bill that the GOP-led House passed earlier this month and on which the GOP-led Senate is working.

JUDICIAL WATCH Files FOIA Requests to DC Police and DC Mayor For Seth Rich Murder Investigation Docs (Video)
The GatewayPundit - President of watchdog group Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton discussed the controversy surrounding the murder of DNC staffer, Seth Rich. Fitton said that Judicial Watch has filed Freedom of Information Act requests to the D.C. Police Department and D.C. Mayor for documents pertaining to the Seth Rich murder investigation. Tom Fitton: “We (Judicial Watch) have filed Freedom of Information requests to the D.C. Police Department and the D.C. Mayor’s office last week. We have an FBI request pending from last year and of course separately we are asking questions of the Federal Freedom of Information Act about the DNC hack itself.”

Russia Hoax Fail: Trey Gowdy Makes a Fool of Ex-CIA Chief John Brennan (Video)
TGP reported earlier that former CIA Director, John Brennan testified before the House today about the 2016 election interference. When Dem. Rep. Adam Schiff asked Brennan if Trump or his aides pressured the Intelligence Community to drop the Flynn investigation, he said a clear and concise, ‘No, sir”. Then, Trey Gowdy asked Brennan specifically, “Did you have evidence of a connection between the Trump campaign and Russian state actors?” Brennan responded saying, “As I said, Mr. Gowdy, I don’t do evidence.” Brennan insisted that the Russians did interfere with the 2016 election, however; he says it’s something that the Russians have done dating back to the 1960’s and doesn’t think it was worse this time around or if the CIA just has better tools now to pick up on election interference. Zero evidence of Trump-Russia collusion…. The Trump-Russia hoax is blowing up so they will be forced to move onto the next ‘scandal’ and shift the blame to a new conspiracy theory.

Ron Paul Issues Dire Warning: If Trump Disobeys The Deep State He Will End Up Like JFK
The Free Thought Project - Former Congressman Ron Paul opined about President Trump’s alleged involvement with Russia. Paul equated Trump’s relationship with Russia to assassinated President John F. Kennedy’s attempts to extend the olive branch to the USSR, a move which got him killed, according to some…. Paul linked his comments to an article written by Jacob G. Hornberger, entitled, “The Russian Obsession Goes Back Decades.”…. Paul’s writer described how Kennedy angered the Deep State, National Security establishment when he negotiated with Russia to end above-ground nuclear testing, promised to remove American troops from South Vietnam, and began secret talks to end the Cold War with Russia and Cuba. With Trump being accused this week of passing classified information to Russian diplomats, Hornberger says the president crossed the same lines in the sand which Kennedy crossed…. Trump claimed to have joined hands with Russia to fight against ISIS. But as The Free Thought Project has reported on numerous occasions - and as has been verified by members of Congress, such as Hawaii’s Tulsi Gabbard -the U.S. has been directly or indirectly funding ISIS since its inception. If history repeats itself, Trump is apparently treading on thin ice from members within his own government.

Charlie Daniels: We Need 1000 Paul Reveres, Because We Aren’t Going To Allow The Radical Left To Steal Our Country From Us
Michael Snyder - Edmund Burke once said that “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”, and if we sit back and do nothing now the radical left is going to win in America. n a new documentary entitled “Revelation: Dawn Of Global Government”, country music legend Charlie Daniels is calling for “1000 Paul Reveres” to rise up and sound the alarm in this country. Our constitutional republic is under serious attack from forces that are intent on transforming the United States into a fundamentally different nation than our forefathers intended. Today we know them as “progressives”, “liberals” and “Democrats”, but in the old days they were known as “socialists”, “communists” and “Marxists”. In the film, Charlie simply refers to them as “scumbags”. So many brave Americans before us have bled and died for the cause of freedom and liberty, and there is no way that we are going to allow the radical left to take it away from us now. And make no mistake – the leftists clearly view this struggle for our country as a war. Their street protests have become increasingly violent in recent years, and it has gotten to the point where Republican members of Congress are actually fearing for their physical safety when they go back to their districts…
* Related: Listen: “Revelation: Dawn Of Global Government” Trailer

Alabama Passes Bill Protecting Confederate Monuments
Opposing Views - The Alabama Legislature has passed a bill that would protect any historical monuments, including those honoring members of the Confederacy, from removal. State lawmakers had bitterly debated the merits of the legislation, with supporters asserting that it would help preserve Alabama history while critics contended that blocking any attempts to remove Confederate monuments would help enshrine the legacy of slaveholders and white supremacists…. Republican state. Sen Gerald Allen of Alabama, who sponsored the legislation, described the measure as a safeguard against a "wave of political correctness."

As Heroin Takes Hold, Some Librarians Learn How To Treat Overdoses
Consumerist - Librarians at the McPherson Square Branch library in the Kensington neighborhood of Philly,… have been learning how to administer overdose antidote Narcan, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer. Though the branch’s manager has worked for almost 30 years at the library, she says she remembers only one overdose there until this year, when they’ve had to save people from overdosing four times in the building. McPherson Square - the Philly public park of which the library is the centerpiece - is known as “Needle Park” to some of the locals. When the Inquirer reporter visited McPherson for this story, he encountered a young woman who had just overdosed outside the library. A librarian who has administered Narcan in the past rushed to help while the reporter called 9-1-1. Things have gotten so bad, management has taken steps like instituting overdose drills for staff, and posting a bathroom monitor and rules designed to keep drug tourists from using the facilities to get high: Adults have to leave a library card at the front desk, and bathroom use is limited to three to five minutes, before a guard will knock. Of particular concern are the many children who use the library’s resources and computers. One volunteer who searches the grass for needles tells the Inquirer he finds twice the amount of needles he used to a few years ago — even some on the jungle gym in the park nearby.

World News

Theresa May warns a fresh terror attack is feared to be IMMINENT as she raises threat level to critical and orders 5,000 troops onto the streets after attack by British-born Libyan Salman Abedi
Daily Mail - Theresa May announced the move this evening, less than 24 hours after the bomb attack at a teen concert in Manchester, which left 22 dead and 59 injured. But intelligence agencies fear he may not have acted alone - leaving open the possibility of an active Islamist terror cell on the loose. The Prime Minister confirmed the identity of the Manchester suicide bomber as 22-year-old British Libyan Salman Abedi. Britain's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre last night raised the terror threat level to 'critical', its highest level…. The suicide bomber Abedi, a Mancunian of Libyan descent, was the son of an airport security worker, MailOnline can reveal…. The suicide bomber Abedi, a Mancunian of Libyan descent, was the son of an airport security worker… Police today carried out a controlled explosion at the doorstep of his home during raids around the city. Police also raided a house where Abedi's brother, Ismail, lived and arrested a 23-year-old man, prompting speculation that Ismail had been detained.
* Related: Trump condemns 'evil losers' behind Manchester attack - video

Manchester terror WAS planned: ISIS cheerleaders tweeted on arena attack hours BEFORE bomb
UK Express - ISLAMIC STATE supporting accounts tweeted about an attack on Manchester arena - four hours before a suicide bomber killed at least 22 people and injured 59 others at an Ariana Grande concert…. An unverified Twitter account posted two messages and an image of an ISIS flag. The messages appeared to predict the atrocity at the arena filled with 21,000 fans. One message said: “Are you forget our threat?” Followed by: “This is just the beginning.”

London Police Launch Free Speech Crackdown Amid Manchester Attack
Kit Daniels - Metropolitan Police are investigating Twitter users who spoke out against the Manchester attack. Police have already opened one investigating into Mail Online columnist Katie Hopkins after she said Western men need to “demand action” in response to the terrorist nail bomb attack which targeted children leaving an Ariana Grande concert. One Twitter user, Dbev007, complained about her tweet to police, claiming it “incited racial hatred” despite her never mentioning anything about race or even Islam, which isn’t even a race to begin with. In response, police confirmed that the “allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers.”… It’s mindblowing that London police will spend manpower censoring free speech on Twitter while children are being targeted in terrorist attacks, but this isn’t accidental. By preventing people from speaking out against the government policies that fuel terrorism, the establishment can condition the public into believing they are helpless in stopping the flood of military-age migrants into the country. And people who have learned to be helpless are easier to abuse and control. […] even more revealing was the loudspeaker announcement telling Ariana Grande concert-goers “there’s no problems here” and “everything is fine” after the nail bomb blast. “There’s no need to bunch up and run. Take your time, there’s no problems here,” the announcement stated. “Thank you for coming and having a good time tonight.

Greek Authorities To Launch Mass Confiscation Of Safe Deposit Boxes, Securities, Homes In Tax-Evasion Crackdown
Zero Hedge - Greek Finance Ministry inspectors are about to start seeking out the owners of all local undeclared properties, while the law will be amended to allow for financial products and the content of safe deposit boxes to be confiscated electronically. The plan for the identification of taxpayers who have “forgotten” to declare their properties to the tax authorities is expected to be ready by year-end, according to the timetable of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue.

Greece fails to reach bailout deal with eurozone finance ministers
RT - The International Monetary Fund, European finance ministers, and Greek authorities have fallen short of securing more debt relief for Greece, according to EU officials. The parties postponed a final decision on a release of further bailout funds for Athens until their next meeting, scheduled for June 15…. Greece needs more emergency cash to avoid a default in July when the country faces debt repayments of nearly €7.3 billion. To get a new installment of bailout funds, Athens has already approved tax rises and additional pension cuts. However, the EU ministers concluded that the country has not made enough progress on that front and still needs to take further measures. Last Thursday, Greek lawmakers passed new legislation with over four billion euros ($4.48 billion) in new austerity measures.

Economy & Business

Mnuchin Comments On Trump's "Historic" Budget Proposal: "It Will Prevent Taxpayer Bailouts"
Zero Hedge - In a statement issued moments ago discussing Trump's proposed, if completely impossible, budget proposal, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that Trump's "budget will achieve savings through reforms that prevent taxpayer bailouts and reverse burdensome regulations that have been harmful to small businesses and American workers." Translation: taxpayer bailouts are imminent, especially now that the current economic cycle is the 3rd longest of all time and a recession grows likelier with every passing day. Mnuchin also said that Trump's proposed initiatives "coupled with comprehensive tax reform and other key priorities, will move America one step closer to sustained economic growth of 3 percent or higher."
Related: Watch: White House Releases Details Of Trump's 2018 Budget Proposal

Illinois Democrats In Senate Pass 33% Hike Of Personal And Corporate Income Taxes
Zero Hedge - Senate Democrats in Illinois, with a final vote of 32-26, have just passed a new budget proposal that includes a massive personal and corporate income tax hike and an expansion of the state's sales tax, after saying they are no longer willing to wait for a broader deal with Republicans. As the Chicago Tribune noted earlier this morning, the Democrats' budget proposal includes a ~33% hike in both the the personal and corporate income tax rates and an expansion of the state's share of sales tax revenue. In all, the package would cost Illinois taxpayers an incremental $5 billion…. Of course, the Senate bill passed by Democrats is unlikely to become law as Illinois' Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, presumably along with a fairly substantial percentage of Illinois residents, oppose such massive tax hikes…. Meanwhile, as we've noted multiple times in the recent past, with Illinois pension systems roughly $130 billion underfunded, state politicians pretty much have to raise taxes because anything less would entail finally admitting what most of us have known for some time, namely that the state of Illinois is insolvent and undoubtedly headed for bankruptcy and/or a federal taxpayer bailout.

Rotten Beef on Your Plate?
Alliance for Natural Health - Without country of origin labeling, the meat you buy may be from a nation where meat packers are under indictment. Recently, federal authorities in Brazil revealed an investigation into widespread corruption in the country’s meat packing industry involving payments to government officials to forego safety inspections and cover up health violations. The scandal involves some of the country’s largest meat-packers—including the world’s largest red meat producer—that have allegedly been selling rotten meat and poultry for years. Acid and carcinogenic chemicals were reportedly used to make the meat look fresh, while cardboard, potato, and water was mixed in with poultry products to increase profits. The investigation has already resulted in the suspension of thirty-three government officials and the indictment of sixty-three individuals. The scandal has prompted some lawmakers to call for blocking shipments of Brazilian meat into the US. However, many are worried that banning Brazilian meat would open the US up to trade retaliation. With potentially rotten Brazilian beef still flowing into our grocery stores, the only hope consumers have is information. Sadly, we now cannot know whether we are purchasing beef that is unsafe to feed to our family. Before it was repealed, country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef let consumers know where the meat they were buying came from—information that would be especially useful right now. Despite its usefulness, Congress repealed COOL for beef in December 2015 after the World Trade Organization ruled that labeling requirements unfairly discriminated against Canadian and Mexican meat, entitling those countries to hit US goods with $1 billion in tariffs.

Energy & Environment

Rhode Island’s “Surprising” Geoengineering Act of 2017
Activist Post - One well-informed Rhode Island state legislator, Representative Justin Price, introduced “The Geoengineering Act of 2017” [H6011] to be amended on to Title 23 of the General Laws titled “Health and Safety.” The legislative intent of the bill is (a) “Geoengineering” is defined herein as the intentional manipulation of the environment, involving nuclear, biological, chemical, electromagnetic and/or other physical-agent activities that effect changes to earth’s atmosphere and/or surface. (b) The Rhode Island general assembly finds that geoengineering encompasses many technologies and methods involving hazardous activities that can harm human health and safety, the environment, and the economy of the state of Rhode Island, (c) It is therefore the intention of the Rhode Island general assembly to regulate all geoengineering activities as further set forth by the terms and provisions of this chapter…. Proposed Section 23-23.8-3. of the Geoengineering Act of 2017 defines the scope of geoengineering to include a ‘laundry list’ of technologies, which may not be familiar to the public; or that those “technological advances” are considered as “intentional manipulation of the environment”! OMG, is that a wakeup call for everyone? [Read More…]

Science & Technology

Google starts tracking offline shopping — what you buy at stores in person
LA Times - The Internet giant said Tuesday that a new tool will track how much money people spend in merchants’ bricks-and-mortar stores after clicking on their digital ads. The analysis will be done by matching the combined ad clicks of people who are logged into Google services with their collective purchases on credit and debit cards. Google says it won’t be able to examine the specific items bought or how much a specific individual spent. But even aggregated data can sometimes be converted back to data that can identify individuals, said Larry Ponemon, chairman of the Ponemon Institute privacy research firm. Google says it has access to roughly 70% of U.S. credit and debit card transactions through partnerships with companies that track that data. By matching ad clicks with this data, Google says it can automatically inform merchants when their digital ads translate into sales at a physical store…. The kinds of data that Google is collecting also could become an inviting target for hackers, said Miro Copic, a marketing professor at San Diego State University. The kinds of data that Google is collecting also could become an inviting target for hackers, said Miro Copic, a marketing professor at San Diego State University.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

The World’s ‘Apocalypse Seed Vault’ Is Flooding; Permafrost Thawing; 1 Million Seeds Stored There
The world’s backup supply of seeds for essential food crops such as wheat, beans and rice might be in danger. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault on Norway’s Spitsbergen Island is – for the first time – being threatened by flooding. Water from melting ice and permafrost is gushing into the vault’s entrance tunnel, The Guardian reported. The vault was placed in an abandoned coal mine on an island north of Norway and expected to survive for centuries without human assistance. It was not designed to survive soaring temperatures in the Arctic…. The vault was constructed to ensure the world’s food supply in case of global catastrophes such as nuclear wars or a worldwide famine. It was placed on Spitsbergen, one of the remotest places on Earth, for that reason. Nearly a million packets of seeds for major food crops are stored in the vault.

Health

Dr Peter Gøtzsche exposes Big Pharma as organized crime
Natural Blaze - The drug industry buys the professors first, then chiefs of department, then the other chief physicians and so on. They don’t buy junior doctors. –Dr Peter Gøtzsche Big Pharma drugs kill around 200,000 Americans every year – half of them die while doing what their doctors told them. Sadly, the side effects and medical errors combine to cause the 3rd leading cause of death in America. Peter C. Gøtzsche, MD is a Danish medical researcher and the author of Deadly Medicines and Organized Crime: How Big Pharma has Corrupted Healthcare. In this video interview courtesy of Dr. John McDougall, he exposes how the pharmaceutical companies stealthily act as an organized crime ring unbeknownst to the consumer.

10 Nutritional Deficiencies That Cause Depression and Mood Disorders
REALfarmacy - Depression and mood disorders are devastating health problems today. When you go to your doctor, their answer is often a prescription for one of the various popular anti-depressant drugs. Many doctors do not investigate for metabolic or nutritional deficiencies that may be the ‘real problem’ for your depression…. If you suffer from depression or mood disorders you may be deficient in one of the nutrients below. Researchers have found that many people who suffer from depression and mood disorders are deficient in not just one nutrient but several, all contributing to the symptoms. #1: Healthy Food Deficiency? Junk Food Diet Is your diet filled with sugar, junk foods, sodas, or processed foods? Do you often skip meals. If you suffer from depression or mood disorders, start a food diary of the foods you eat every day…. #2: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Deficiency: These are found in foods such as fish and Flax Seed Oil. A deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids or an imbalance between Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids may be one of the contributing factors to your depression. Omega 3 Fatty acids are important to brain function and your mental outlook on life. They also help people who suffer from inflammation and pain problems…. #3: Vitamin D Deficiency: Important to immune function, bones, and brain health. Sunlight is the richest source for natural Vitamin D. The Journal Clinical Nutrition in Jan 21st, 2013 published the result of research that analyzed over 18000 British citizens for Vitamin D deficiencies and associated mental disorders links. They found that a deficiency of Vitamin D was present in patients with depression and panic disorders. The study results stated that people who are deficient in Vitamin D are at higher risk for developing depression later in life….

Meta-Analysis Study: Whole Fat Dairy Healthy, Saturated Fats Myth Exposed
Health Impact News - A 2017 meta-analysis of 29 studies has concluded that consuming dietary dairy fat has no negative effects on all cause mortality or mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD). This includes dairy fats of all types. One of the researchers, Ian Givens of England’s Reading University, commented on the record: “There’s been a lot of publicity over the last 5 to 10 years about how saturated fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and a belief has grown up that they must increase the risk, but they don’t.” Actually, dairy and other animal sourced saturated fats have been wrongly condemned as a contributor to obesity and higher cardiovascular risk since Ancel Keys' notorious seven countries study over 50 years ago, which spawned the “lipid theory” of heart disease and obesity.

Pet News

Anti-Declawing Handbook for Cat Lovers
Little Big Cat - Good news! We are getting closer every day to stopping declawing! Despite the opposition of veterinary associations, New Jersey and New York are both considering legislation to ban the practice in their states. The NJ Assembly passed the ban 43-10 on January 23; now on to the Senate! To help cat lovers and animal advocates understand the truth about declawing that so many veterinarians lie about, Dr. Jean has written a detailed, fully-referenced e-book called the Anti-Declawing Handbook for Cat Lovers. It is available for free download here… Please download freely, and send to anyone who needs it.
 


Tuesday - May 23, 2017

On This Day In History

1701 - In London, Captain William Kidd was hanged after being convicted of murder and piracy.
1785 - Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter that he had invented bifocals.
1788 - South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify U.S. Constitution.
1873 - Canada's North West Mounted Police force was established. The name was changed to Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920.
1879 - The first U.S. veterinary school was established by Iowa State University.
1895 - The New York Public Library was created with an agreement that combined the city's existing Astor and Lenox libraries.
1900 - Civil War hero Sgt. William Carney became the 1st African American to receive the Medal of Honor, 37 years after the Battle of Fort Wagner.
1901 - American forces captured Filipino rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo.
1908 - Part of the Great White Fleet arrived in Puget Sound, WA.
1922 - "Daylight Saving Time" was debated in the first debate ever to be heard on radio in Washington, DC.
1934 - In Bienville Parish, LA, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed by Texas Rangers.
1949 - The Republic of West Germany was established.
1960 - Israel announced the capture of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina.
1992 - In Lisbon, Portugal , the U.S. and four former Soviet republics signed an agreement to implement the START missile reduction treaty that had been agreed to by the Soviet Union before it was dissolved.
1995 - The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was demolished.
2013 - Google acquired Makani Power for use for its Project Wing.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Flynn Refuses To Turn Over Docs To Senate 'Fishing Expedition'
The Daily Caller - General Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s former national security advisor, on Monday forcefully refused to turn over subpoenaed documents demanded by the Senate Intelligence committee, blasting it for its “sweeping” subpoena for documents. A source close to Flynn told The Daily Caller News Foundation its Russia investigation request appeared to be a “fishing expedition.” Flynn’s lawyer, Robert K. Kelner, charged the committee displayed “foregone conclusions” that the decorated three-star general was guilty as part of an “escalating public frenzy.” The committee’s original May 10 letter to Flynn demanded the general turn over information about all meetings and communications between himself and unnamed Russian officials and all records of communications between himself and all of President Trump’s campaign staff over an 18 month period, from June 16, 2015 to Jan. 20, 2017.

House IT Workers Fear Members Are Being Blackmailed
The Daily Caller - Five Capitol Hill technology aides told The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group that members of Congress have displayed an inexplicable and intense loyalty towards the suspects who police say victimized them. The baffled aides wonder if the suspects are blackmailing representatives based on the contents of their emails and files, to which they had full access. “I don’t know what they have, but they have something on someone. It’s been months at this point” with no arrests, said Pat Sowers, who has managed IT for several House offices for 12 years. “Something is rotten in Denmark.” A manager at a tech-services company that works with Democratic House offices said he approached congressional offices, offering their services at one-fourth the price of Awan and his Pakistani brothers, but the members declined. At the time, he couldn’t understand why his offers were rejected but now he suspects the Awans exerted some type of leverage over members…. Awan began working for Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida in 2005, and his wife, his brother’s wife, and two of his brothers all appeared on the payrolls of various House Democrats soon after, payroll records show. They have collected $4 million since 2010.

BREAKING: Three White House Leakers of Classified Info Identified; Trump to Fire ‘Multiple People’
The GatewayPundit - Trey Yingst, the White House Correspondent for One America News Network, reported via Twitter Monday afternoon that President Donald Trump will fire ‘multiple people’ after three White House staffers were identified as leaking classified information…. SCOOP INFO: I’m told the names of the leakers are being run by the Office of Government Ethics, which is why they aren’t immediately fired.… I asked one source why the leakers names would be presented to the Office of Government Ethics. “This is criminal,” they said… [The] Office of Government Ethics is not able to prosecute anyone. They will advise the White House on how to proceed with leakers, I’m told.”

The Hill' Promotes Victim-Blaming in Anthony Weiner Sexting Case
Observer - In the wake of former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner pleading “guilty” to “[engaging] in obscene communications with [a] teenager,” the narrative seems to be shifting with regard to who the real victim is and who is to blame…. Among the horrifying regurgitations published by The Hill: “the girl was just shy of 17 when she approached Weiner, not 15 as The Daily Mail cited when it initially broke the story…[putting] her above the age of consent.”…. Why didn’t they simply say 16? Because by saying “just shy of 17” enhances the illusion of a greater lie and conspiracy…. The Hill also cited the “report,” describing the victim as being from a “Republican-friendly family,” and went further to note that she “celebrated Trump’s victory,” that her “father is a registered Republican,” and her mother posted negative tweets about the Black Lives Matter movement. It is nothing short of galling that The Hill put their masthead above attempts to undermine the victim of a sex crime based on claims about the political beliefs of her family. [Explicit Content in Article]

Planned Parenthood Set to Close Six Clinics in Three States
Washington Free Beacon - Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM) announced that it would close five clinics in Colorado and New Mexico, as well as the only Planned Parenthood clinic in Wyoming. The organization said in a release that closing the clinics would provide "long-term sustainability in the communities we serve."…. Planned Parenthood performs about 30 percent of the nation's abortions each year. It derives a significant portion of its revenue from taxpayer dollars through Medicaid and Title X payments, collecting $550 million from taxpayers in 2015. That money is in jeopardy, as Congressional Republicans attempt to pass legislation that would send such funding to women's health clinics that do not perform abortions. Pro-life activists said that the announced closures signify Planned Parenthood's reliance on taxpayer dollars to sustain its operations. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement that the abortion provider could not survive "in a market where there are so many better options."

CNN Sites Wrong Data From Harvard Study Concerning Fox News' Coverage Of Trump
Western Journalism - … the Harvard study found that Trump has received far and away more negative coverage from the media than any other recent president. In contrast to former President Barack Obama, whose coverage in the first 100 days was 59 percent positive, Trump’s total positive coverage sat at just 20 percent. Furthermore, there was “not a single major topic where Trump’s coverage was more positive than negative,” the study noted…. On Sunday, CNN’s John Berman during a Reliable Sources segment cited the Harvard study to try to argue that Fox News was shilling for the president. Berman stated that the network’s coverage was positive 67 percent of the time. The only problem was the statistic CNN’s used was in relation to just one aspect of FNC’s coverage: Trump’s fitness to serve. The Harvard study found that aspect of coverage only accounted for 3 percent of reporting about the president by media outlets…. What CNN did not report is that Fox lived up to its motto –“fair and balanced” — with 52 percent of stories overall being deemed by Harvard researchers to have a negative tone and 48 percent positive.

World News

Art of the Deal: Trump to test waters for ‘Middle East peace’
Breitbart - President Donald Trump opened his first visit to Israel Monday, an early visit by a president to a longtime Middle East ally and one aimed at testing the waters for jumpstarting the region’s dormant peace process…. Trump received a warm welcome in Tel Aviv after becoming the first U.S. president to include Israel on his maiden overseas trip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump “a true friend” to Israel and sounded hopeful notes about the president’s role in the Middle East peace process…. On Tuesday, Trump will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. After hosting Abbas at the White House in March, Trump boldly stated that achieving peace is “something that I think is, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years.” “But we need two willing parties,” he said. “We believe Israel is willing. We believe you’re willing. And if you both are willing, we’re going to make a deal.”… Meanwhile, Palestinian activists are calling for a “Day of Rage” when Trump visits the West Bank on Tuesday. The demonstrations are meant to draw attention to a month-long hunger strike by hundreds of prisoners being held by Israel and to protest what many Palestinians say is unfair U.S. support for Israel.

Israel to Make Rare Overture to Palestinians ‘at Trump Request’
Breitbart - Jerusalem (AFP) – Israeli ministers have approved measures aimed at improving the Palestinian economy and facilitating crossings, rare moves said to be at Donald Trump’s request hours ahead of the US president’s arrival. An Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity that ministers were responding to a Trump request to present him with “confidence-building measures” ahead of his talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday. In a statement, Trump’s administration welcomed the moves, saying he “has been encouraging both sides to take steps that improve the environment for peace making.” “He has expressed particular interest in taking steps to improve the Palestinian economy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” In what the Israeli official described as a “gesture for Trump’s visit, which does not harm Israel’s interests”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Sunday approved the enlargement of a Palestinian industrial zone on the edge of the southern West Bank…. In an apparent attempt to calm opposition from within Netanyahu’s coalition government, seen as the most right-wing in the country’s history, the security cabinet also approved setting up a committee to work for retroactive legalization of wildcat Israeli construction in the West Bank, the official said.

Trump visits Jerusalem's Western Wall to pray
Daily Mail - Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall – the holiest site where Jews can pray – and left a prayer note there in accordance with Jewish custom. He made the highly symbolic visit to a site which symbolizes the Middle East's tinderbox nature before saying he believed in the possibility of a peace deal and saying that the danger of Iran meant there was 'a lot of love out there' for Israel from unlikely Muslim countries. Located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Western Wall is a section of one of four original retaining walls King Herod built in the first century B.C. to support the Temple Mount. It is also the only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple, which stood in Jerusalem until the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. as they put down a Jewish revolt. It has been U.S. policy for the last 50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel, making a visit to the wall a political minefield. But Trump, clad in a navy suit, red striped tie and black kippah, strode into the Western Wall Prayer Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday before placing his hand on the stone wall and praying for 30 seconds, slipping a note inside a crack between the stones.

Trump & 55 Muslim-majority states sign pact pledging 34,000 troops to fight ISIS in Iraq & Syria
RT - The US and Middle Eastern countries have backed a new pact that promises to provide extra troops for defeating Islamic State, singles out Iran for destabilizing the region, and says that Riyadh is to become the heart of the region’s counter-terrorism operations. Described as the Riyadh Declaration, the document was signed following US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Saudi capital for a summit that brought in Islamic representatives from 55 countries, and vowed “to combat terrorism in all its forms, address its intellectual roots, dry up its sources of funding and to take all necessary measures to prevent and combat terrorist crimes in close cooperation among their states.”… The exact membership of what the communique called the Middle East Strategic Alliance will be decided next year, but putative members have committed to assembling “a reserve force of 34,000 troops to support operations against terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria when needed.” Currently the burden of anti-IS combat in both states is being shouldered mostly by local troops and Kurdish forces, with the international coalition providing air support, equipment and funding.

Economy & Business

Trump's Budget Will Slash $1.7 Trillion In Entitlements, Cut Food Stamps By 25%
Zero Hedge - More details from President Donald Trump’s first budget proposal are trickling out via a flurry of overnight reports from The Washington Post, Associated Press and Bloomberg News. Here are some of the highlights from the latest batch of trial balloons: ° Trump’s budget will include a massive nearly $200 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the modern version of food stamps, over the next 10 years – what amounts to a 25% reduction, according to The Washington Post. ° The food stamp cuts are part of a broader $274 billion welfare-reform effort, according to a report by The Associated Press. ° The budget calls for about $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid for fiscal year 2018, WaPo reported. ° The budget also calls for $2.6 billion in border security spending, $1.6 billion of which will be earmarked for Trump’s proposed wall along the U.S.’s southern border. ° The budget is also expected to propose major domestic discretionary spending cuts - an earlier version of the budget called for $54 billion in such cuts next year alone. Predictably, Democrats are already up in arms over the proposal, even though a formal draft isn’t expected until Tuesday.

Bitcoin Blows Through $2100
Zero Hedge - Bitcoin is now up over 135% year-to-date, having screamed above $2000 and $2100 overnight as the dollar limped to 6-month lows... Having shrugged off China crackdowns and worries over 'hard forks', it appears the legalization of the virtual currency in Japan (with Peach Aviation now accepting bitcoin for flight ticket purchases) and broader adoption in Russia have fueled demand in recent weeks...

Health

Studies Prove This Herb Could Kill Cancer
REALfarmacy - There has been a rising interest in the identification of natural plant foods that can help develop effective agents against cancer. The anti-tumor effects of oregano in the vivo and in vitro breast cancer model were evaluated. Lyophilized oregano was administered at two concentrations of 0.3 and 3% through diet. The experiment was terminated 14 weeks after carcinogen administration. Low doses of oregano suppressed tumor frequency by 55.5%, tumor incidence by 44%, and tumor volume by 44.5%. High-dose oregano treatment lengthened tumor latency by 12.5 days. The study shows that oregano decreased survival and proliferation of MCF-7 cells. The results demonstrate that oregano has a distinct tumor-suppressive effect on breast cancer and tumors. This is a huge step towards a potential breakthrough in what natural plant foods can do in curing cancer.

Start eating nuts to stop cancer recurring, survivors told
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Eating a handful of nuts every week should form part of every cancer survivor's diet. Nuts—and especially tree nuts such as hazelnuts, chestnuts and walnuts—reduce the chances of the cancer coming back. People eating two ounces or more of nuts every week reduce the risk of cancer recurring by 42 per cent, and lower their chances of dying from the cancer by 57 per cent. It's effective even for people who have been treated for stage III cancer, say researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, who looked at the survival rates and diets of 826 patients who had completed treatment for colon cancer. The average three-year survival rate for the cancer is around 70 per cent, but this improved dramatically in patients who were regularly eating nuts. But the benefits weren't seen in those eating peanuts, the most widely-consumed nut in the US, or peanut butter. Only tree nuts had the protective effect, possibly because the peanut is actually a legume, the researchers surmise. Beyond that, they admit they don't understand what it is about tree nuts that helps the cancer survivor. Nuts help overcome or control a range of health issues, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance. They also reduce the chances of developing cancer in the first place—and now they seem to reduce the odds of cancer coming back.

25 powerful breast cancer fighting foods
(NaturalHealth365) Epidemiologist Dr. Hannah Weir of the CDC predicts that by 2020 breast cancer will be second only to prostate cancer in leading the increase in new cases. Fortunately, nature has provided a protective arsenal of superfoods that may help to prevent the development of breast cancer. 1. The value of arugula - Sometimes known as “rocket,” this amazing cancer-fighting salad green is a cousin to Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Chewing arugula releases isothiocyanates – compounds that neutralize carcinogens in the body…. 2. Favor your diet with flaxseeds - Tiny, nutty-flavored flaxseeds are packed with fiber, which reduces cancer risk. They also inhibit the ability of excess estrogen in the body to trigger breast cancer…. 3. Give green tea the green light - Green tea is packed with flavonoids known as catechins, which protect against DNA damage caused by free radicals. Catechins also suppress urokinase, an enzyme that is often overactive in breast cancer patients…. 4. Reap the rewards of raspberries - Raspberries are rich in fiber and high in ellagic acid, a potent anti-carcinogen and anti-mutagen that can prevent dangerous changes in cell DNA. Studies have shown that raspberry extracts have caused apoptosis – programmed cell death – in cancer cells…. 5. Get a boost from asparagus - Asparagus is a good source of glutathione, a natural antioxidant that is essential for detoxification from toxins and carcinogens. Glutathione also boosts the immune system and enhances the activities of cancer-fighting macrophages….

Resveratrol Improves Arteries
Dr. Mercola - A new study shows resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in dark-colored berries, the skin of red grapes, red wine and dark chocolate, may improve blood vessels in people with type 2 diabetes. Resveratrol activates the gene SIRT1, a protein that appears to delay aging and the development of several diseases. Scientists dosed 57 patients with type 2 diabetes with either resveratrol or a placebo, resulting in improved aortal stiffness in the first group, but an increase in aortic stiffness in the placebo group at the end of the study. Resveratrol has neuroprotective effects that can lower your Alzheimer’s and dementia risks and may also protect against obesity, optimize cholesterol and decrease inflammation.
 


Monday - May 22, 2017

On This Day In History


1761 - In Philadelphia, the first life insurance policy was issued in the U.S.
1819 - The steamship Savannah became the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
1868 - Near Marshfield, IN, The "Great Train Robbery" took place. The robbery was worth $96,000 in cash, gold and bonds to the seven members of the Reno gang.
1872 - The Amnesty Act restored civil rights to Southerners.
1900 - The Associated Press was incorporated as a non-profit news cooperative in New York.
1906 - The Wright brothers received a patent their flying machine.
1939 - Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini signed a military alliance between Germany and Italy known as the "Pact of Steel."
1947 - The Truman Doctrine was enacted by the U.S. Congress to appropriate military and economic aid Turkey and Greece.
1972 - U.S. President Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit Russia. He met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
1998 - New information came to light about the June 1996 bombing that killed 19 American airmen. The information indicated that Saudi citizens had been responsible and not Iranians as once believed.
1998 - A federal judge said that Secret Service agents could be compelled to testify before a grand jury in Monica Lewinsky investigation concerning U.S. President Clinton.
2002 - Chandra Levy's remains were found in Washington, DC's Rock Creek Park. She was last seen on April 30, 2001. California Congressman Gary Condit was questioned in the case due to his relationship with Levy.
2011 - A tornado devastated Joplin, Mo., claiming at least 159 lives and destroying about 8,000 homes and businesses.
2002 - In Birmingham, AL, a jury convicted former Ku Klux Klansman Bobby Frank Cherry of murder in the 1963 church bombing that killed four girls.
2012 - In Japan, the Tokyo Skytree tower opened.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

CIA Incompetence Allowed China To Murder A Dozen CIA Assets While Hillary Clinton Was Secretary Of State
Zero Hedge - The NYT just dropped its latest deep-state scoop, and boy is it a doozy. But instead of using the information as more leverage to attack President Trump, the leaks reveal allegedly extreme incompetence at the highest levels of the CIA, what NYT’s "current and former government sources" characterized as the worst intelligence breach in decades. These officials revealed that "the Chinese government systematically dismantled CIA spying operations in the country starting in 2010, killing or imprisoning more than a dozen sources over two years and crippling intelligence gathering there for years afterward."…. Beginning in 2010, CIA operatives meant to collect information on the inner workings of the Communist Party started disappearing. The NYT reports that between the final weeks of 2010 through the end of 2012, the Chinese killed at least a dozen of the CIA’s sources. According to three sources, one was shot in front of his colleagues in the courtyard of a government building – a grisly killing meant to send a message to any others who might have been working for U.S. intelligence. Still others were imprisoned. All told, the Communist Party killed or imprisoned 18 to 20 of the CIA’s sources. But perhaps even more disturbing than the killings themselves is the fact that, nearly seven years after they started, the agency still isn’t 100% about the source of the leaks, though the NYT mentioned a few theories.

Kim Dotcom Just Admitted He Worked With Seth Rich to Get Info to WikiLeaks
The Free Thought Project - Kim Dotcom, born Kim Schmitz, is a wanted man by the FBI, the Justice Department, and especially Hollywood. For the last decade or so, Dotcom has spent millions fighting extradition to the United States for copyright infringement laws involving Mega Upload, the file-sharing site he founded…. On Friday, Kim Dotcom has weighed in on the [Russians hacking the DNC] scandal and unsolved murder all in one tweet. He tweeted, “If Congress includes #SethRich case into their Russia probe I’ll give written testimony with evidence that Seth Rich was @Wikileaks source.” After this tweet went viral, Saturday afternoon, Dotcom de facto admitted to being involved in the information exchange between Rich and WikiLeaks. After this bombshell admission, Dotcom promised to clarify just how involved he was by releasing a statement on Tuesday.

BREAKING: Mass Nationwide Anti-Trump Riots Planned For July 2nd (Video)
D.C. Clothesline - Summer of rage set to boil over as militant leftists plan to OVERTHROW Trump. Militant anti-Trump Antifa leftists are planning huge RIOTS on July 2nd. The establishment media is fanning the flames by portraying Trump as illegitimate. This could be the flashpoint that brings about a violent coup in America.

REPORT: Illegal Immigrant and Far Left Protester Arrested for 103 Counts of Anti-Trump Vandalism
The GatewayPundit - An illegal immigrant and former student at the University of Connecticut is under arrest after vandalizing numerous buildings around the campus with anti-Trump messages. Illegal Eric Cruz López was a student protester and even protested outside the Obama White House in Washington DC in February 2016. Lopez was spotted in February leaving the areas where the vandalism occurred on various occasions. The damage in total added up to about $4,200…. One of the arguments we tend to hear frequently about illegal immigrants is that the crimes they commit would have been committed by someone else who was a citizen, or they point to a citizen who committed a specific crime that is similar to a crime committed by an illegal and says, “Look at that! We do it, too!” This type of logic is fallacious and misrepresents the argument and point that we are trying to make.

Teachers' Union Contract Guarantees Jail-Time Pay
Washington Free Beacon - Staff members at the nation's largest teachers' union are guaranteed pay for the time they spend in jail if it is related to union work. Staffers at the National Education Association … are entitled to their standard wage rate during their incarceration, according to a copy of their contract first reported by The 74 Million…. "Some union staffers can receive incarceration pay ‘for reasons stemming from actions taken by him/her in the scope of his/her Association employment.' The NEA contract specifies that this will be at the regular hourly rate for all time spent in jail," the website reports. The staff members have a history of including compensation during imprisonment in their union contracts. The group's previous contract, which took effect in 2012 and expired in 2015, also included a section that protected worker pay in the event that they were arrested during the course of union activities. The contract mandates that the union cover not only the employee's wages, but the legal defense costs associated with criminal or civil trials. Only in cases of "gross negligence or gross irresponsibility" is the union relieved of its duty to cover such expenses.

Your Child 'Belongs to the State': Lawmakers Claim the State Owns Your Children
The Free Thought Project - HB 39, introduced by Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston), would mandate that the state’s Department of Family Protective Services schedule a medical examination for children who have been in temporary state custody for longer than three business days…. While the bill was originally centered around hastening medical exams for new foster children, questions arose regarding whether vaccines would be included as part of these medical exams…. The bill saw a turbulent debate upon [Rep. Bill] Zedler’s amendment as the discussion turned to childhood vaccines and who should be responsible for crucial medical decisions when custody is obscured. “You get that child back five, eight, 10 days later, and they’ve now had that surgery or they’ve had these vaccinations,” Zedler said according to Dallas Morning News. “That’s an issue of liberty.” Wu was vocal about his belief that the law allows the state to assume authority in such situations. “Let me make very clear: the moment a child is removed from their home- the moment the child is removed- by law, the child is now a child of the state of Texas,” said Wu…. In the video [link in article], Wu makes the ominous claim that parents - who’ve not been found guilty of any wrongdoing - no longer have care over their children and that those children now belong to the state. When the state begins to claim they own our children, something is very wrong.

World News

President Donald Trump and President Barack Obama delivered addresses to the Muslim world at roughly the same point in their respective presidencies.
Breitbart - But unlike Obama, who attempted to appease Islamic resentment of the West by admitting America’s faults, Trump’s speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday emphasized terrorism and challenged the Arab and Muslim world to foster peace by “honestly confronting the problem of Islamic extremism, and the Islamists, and Islamic terror of all kinds.” The first difference between the two speeches was the setting. Trump addressed a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders at a conference to deal with terrorism. Obama, by contrast, invited members of the Muslim Brotherhood to his address at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Trump rallied the nations of the region to deal with a problem in their midst; Obama gave legitimacy to a banned group associated with terror and extremist ideology. Obama began his address by focusing on western guilt: More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam. In contrast, Trump began by declaring that “Muslim countries must take the lead in combating radicalization. He said that he was not there to lecture to others about how to worship, but to call for unity “in pursuing the one goal: … to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces that terrorism brings with it every single time,” singling out “young Muslim men and women.” Trump went further, taking on “terrorism and the ideology that drives it.” He listed recent terror attacks in the U.S. and around the world, and noted that “the deadliest toll has been extracted from the innocent people of Arab and Muslim nations.” The optimism of the region, he said, was “held at bay by bloodshed and terror.” And he added: “There can be no co-existence with this violence.” [Read More…]
* Related: Video: Trump to 50 Muslim Leaders: "Drive Out the Terrorists!... Drive Them Out! Drive Them Out!"

Trump: First Saudi Meetings Will Bring Americans ‘Jobs, Jobs, Jobs’
Breitbart - President Donald Trump described the first day of his overseas trip in Saudi Arabia as “a tremendous day” — referring to billions in investments — in his first remarks at the top of one of several bilateral meetings. Trump’s first remarks to reporters on Saturday included: That was a tremendous day. I just want to thank everybody. But tremendous investments in to the United States, and our military community is very happy, and we want to thank you and Saudi Arabia. But hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs. During a signing ceremony, the U.S. President signed a joint vision statement, private sector agreements, and defense cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia. The defense agreements are worth $110 billion effective immediately and worth an additional $350 billion over ten years, according to a White House official. At one point during the day, the President’s Chief Economic Advisor Gary Cohn answered reporters’ questions as to what was being signed. He said that the signing was “to invest a lot of money in the U.S. and have a lot of U.S. companies invest and build things over here.” He continued, “They’re going to hire U.S. companies … a bunch of infrastructure related things … A lot of money. Big dollars. Big dollars.” Cohn told reporters that things were going “really well.”

GREAT AGAIN: Unlike Obama, Trump doesn't bow to Saudi king (Video)
The American Mirror - What a difference an election can make for the respect American leaders have for our country. There were two very different outcomes when two American presidents greeted the king of Saudi Arabia. All eyes were on President Trump today as he arrived in the country for his first foreign trip. Video shows the president stepping off the plane and greeting King Salman: Trump stood up straight as Salman appeared to bow slightly. Trump’s posture stands in stark difference to President Obama’s in the early days of his presidency. Cameras captured Obama bowing to King Abdullah, contorting nearly to a 90-degree angle in what many called a moment of American weakness: Trump’s behavior was refreshingly noticeable…

Wave of 'more dangerous, skilled' ISIS jihadists bound to hit Europe
RT - Scores of foreign Islamic State… fighters, determined to come back to Europe, are “more dangerous” than previous waves of returnees, Jean-Paul Laborde [head of the UN Security Council's counterterrorism agency] told reporters on Thursday. Some may be eager to seek revenge after defeats on the battlefield, including in recent confrontations in Mosul. The first wave of the returnees was mainly made up of young people who went to Syria and Iraq “for T-shirts and photos,” Laborde said…. They came back “disillusioned and dismayed.” The second wave may contain much more extreme individuals, who had more time to build contacts with criminal organizations that can assist them in committing attacks. Between 40 to 50 percent of foreign fighters, who left for Syria and Iraq, have already left territories controlled by IS, Laborde added. “On average, these people are much more committed, more experienced and more skilled,” he told reporters, as cited by Reuters. “In spite of the travel restrictions ... still you will have a number of foreign terrorist fighters which will probably slip through the borders and go back, come back to these countries, especially with smuggling networks,” he added.

North Korea in 'significant' missile breakthrough confirmed by US and the South
Express UK - Pyongyang has launched a ballistic missile which successfully re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, according to analysts. North Korea claimed the liquid- fuel Hwasong-12 travelled a distance of 489 miles before breaching Japan's Air Defence Identification Zone and reached an altitude of 2,111.5 km (1,312 miles) before crashing in to the Sea of Japan. The missile was fired on May 14. After confirmation from defence officials the success of the missile has been labelled a "significant breakthrough" for Kim Jong-Un's hermit state. North Korean state media said the missile was capable of carrying a "large-size, heavy nuclear warhead. South Korean government sources told the JoongAng Daily the warhead survived the 5,000 degrees Celsius (9,032 Fahrenheit) and extreme vibration it experienced on re-entry. The South confirmed it after analysis of data communication from North Korea's missile control centre. The Hwasong-12 according to experts, will take around three years to become an intercontinental missile capable of striking the mainland US. To have the technology applied will be another story - but Pyongyang took a huge step toward that goal.

The worst guy on the planet
Sovereign Man - Jose Rafael Torrealba wins the award for biggest scumbag on the planet today. Torrealba is a Venezuelan army general who was featured in a leaked audio recording that was just published yesterday. The recording is of a meeting that took place a few weeks ago in Venezuela in which he and his fellow generals discuss how to keep the civilian population under control. Torrealba’s solution? Use snipers against his own people. “There will come a time when we will have to employ them [the snipers] and I want us to be ready for the moment that we have to employ them because the president will not remain at a green [preparation] phase, gentlemen.” One general at the meeting who could not be identified voiced opposition to the plan, saying that “if we keep going with the issue of the snipers, all of us here will end up in jail.” Apparently the obvious moral reasons for not using lethal force against your own people didn’t factor into their logic. Torrealba indicated that he didn’t care for public perception. And even after admitting it was unconstitutional, he ordered everyone at the meeting to make preparations to use snipers. That was back in April. Since then dozens of people have died, including a 17-year old kid who was shot in the head earlier this week.

What’s Next For Julian Assange?
Daily Sheeple - WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, will not quit releasing pertinent information, even after Sweden announced it’s dropping the rape allegations against him. Assange, the biggest enemy of the state, issued a defiant statement after Sweden dropped the charges. He won’t be kowtowing to the political elites, though; in fact, just the opposite…. “Today is an important victory for me and the UN human rights system, but by no means erases seven years of detention without charge…while my children grew up. That is not something I can forgive or forget,” Assange told journalists from a balcony at the Ecuadorian embassy where he has lived for the last five years. Marianne Ny, Sweden’s director of public prosecutions, earlier said the investigation was dropped because Sweden had “exhausted the possibilities” for investigating the allegations against Assange. –Newsweek

Ebola Spreading: Infections Up 800% In Last Week, Officials Race To Track Down 400 Possible Contacts
Mac Slavo - Last week three suspected Ebola infections were detected in a remote region of the Congo. Since then, World Health Organization officials have been scrambling to contain the virus. Their efforts appear to have failed. The contagion continues to spread, and though it’s nowhere near the 11,000 people who were infected during the outbreak in 2014, the infection rate has spiked over 800% in just the last seven days, with at least nine new cases reported in the last 24 hours: The number of suspected cases of Ebola has risen to 29 from nine in less than a week in an isolated part of Democratic Republic of Congo, where three people have died from the disease since April 22, the World Health Organization said on Thursday…. The 2014 outbreak likewise started in a remote region of Africa, but containment efforts were ineffective and the virus eventually spread to the United States and Europe. According to W.H.O., about 400 people have come into contact with the 29 people infected and officials are attempting to track them down for monitoring.

Italy makes 12 vaccines mandatory for school children in an attempt to combat 'anti-scientific theories'
The Independent - The new measures followed an intense public debate over vaccines after a measles outbreak and political sniping over accusations that the populist 5-Star movement had emboldened anti-vaccine advocates. Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian Premier, told a news conference that the new rules aimed to combat “anti-scientific theories” that have lowered Italy’s vaccination rates in recent years…. The government approved making 12 vaccines, including measles, rubella and chickenpox, mandatory starting this September for children attending Italian pre-schools through the second year of high school. Other required vaccines include tetanus, diphtheria, polio and hepatitis B. The health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, said children will not be accepted into nursery or pre-schools without proof of vaccinations, while parents of children legally obliged to attend school will face hefty fines for noncompliance. The certification will be required every year, she said.

Economy & Business

A Quarter Of American Adults Can't Pay All Their Monthly Bills; 44% Have Less Than $400 In Cash
Zero Hedge - There was some good news and some not so good news in the Fed's latest annual Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households. First the good news. The report, …conducted in October 2016, presents a "picture of improving financial well-being among Americans", at least according to the report.... Overall, 70% of the more than 6,600 respondents said they were either "living comfortably" or "doing okay," up 1% from 2015 and up 8% from the first survey results in 2013…. Now, the not so good news. Nearly eight years into an economic recovery, nearly half of Americans didn’t have enough cash available to cover a $400 emergency. Specifically, the survey found that, in line with what the Fed had disclosed in previous years, 44% of respondents said they wouldn’t be able to cover an unexpected $400 expense like a car repair or medical bill, or would have to borrow money or sell something to meet it. Troubling as this statistic remains, the overall share of adults who would struggle to come up with $400 in a pinch has declined by 2% from the last survey conducted in 2015, and down 6% since 2013.

We Now Know "Who Hit The Brakes" As Loan Creation Crashes To Six Year Low
Zero Hedge - According to the latest Fed data, the all-important C&I [Commercial & Industrial] loan growth contraction has not only continued, but over the past two months, another 50% has been chopped off, and what in early March was a 4.0% annual growth is now barely positive, down to just 2.0%, and set to turn negative in just a few weeks. This was the lowest growth rate since May 2011, right around the time the Fed was about to launch QE2. At the same time, total loan growth has likewise continued to decline, and as of the second week of May was down to 3.8%, the weakest overall loan creation in three years. …we can now close the book on the WSJ's previously unanswered question of "who hit the brakes?" The answer: the US consumer, the driver behind 70% of US GDP, officially tapped out. In fact, it was almost as if US consumers were hit by a perfect storm of adverse events in late 2016 and early 2017, just as GDP was on the verge of its first pre-recessionary contraction in years, and just as the S&P rose to new all-time highs to distract from what is emerging as an imminent US recession. Here's the bottom line: unless there is a sharp rebound in loan growth in the next 3-6 months - whether due to greater demand or easier supply - this most accurate of leading economic indicators guarantees that a recession is now inevitable. How accurate: every single time C&I loan peaked, a US recession follow[ed]. We doubt this time will be different.

Energy & Environment

Another Hanford emergency: Signs of another leaking tank (Video)
King5 News - Hanford’s owner, The U.S. Department of Energy, is scrambling to deal with the second emergency at the nuclear site in 10 days’ time. Signs have emerged that a massive underground double shell nuclear waste holding tank may be leaking. The tank is known as AZ 101 and was put into service in 1976. The tank’s life was expected to be 20 years. Now it has been holding hot, boiling radioactive and chemically contaminated waste for 41 years. A seven-person crew was undertaking a routine job around 7 p.m. Thursday night. They had deployed a remote controlled devise into the safety space of what is known as a double shell tank…. A radiation specialist on the crew detected higher than expected readings…. Detection equipment was then used to check for contamination that might have become airborne and adhered to the workers. They found radioactive material on one worker in three spots…. The AZ 101 contamination event comes just 10 days after a tunnel collapse at Hanford that caused a site wide emergency. On May 9, workers found a 20 by 20 foot cave in of a tunnel used to store highly radioactive and chemically contaminated equipment from the Cold War-era.

Science & Technology

In Urgent Request, US Special Ops Adds 350 Kamikaze Drones to Fight ISIS
Defense One - Earlier this year, the military put out an urgent request for inexpensive kamikaze drones that special operations troops could fire from handheld bazooka-like launchers against ISIS, according to documents obtained by Defense One. It’s another sign that drone warfare is changing far faster than traditional military equipping can keep up…. That delivery has already been completed. AeroVironment officials confirmed to Defense One that they recently delivered about 350 Switchblades, a tube-launched drones outfitted with cameras and cursor-on-target GPS navigation. The company bills the device as a “miniature flying lethal missile can be operated manually or autonomously.” It can fly for about 15 minutes, at up to 100 miles per hour…. The U.S. military isn’t alone in rapidly experimenting with new types of drones. During a recent visit to Mosul, Iraq, SOCOM commander Gen. Ray Thomas said he ran into a pair of operators who had found an off-the-shelf rotary-wing quadcopter adapted by ISIS weaponeers to carry a 40 mm weapon.

Facebook Internal Rulebook Leaked, Most Threats Of Violence, Child And Animal Abuse "Acceptable" [Breaking]
Inquisitr - Facebook’s internal rulebooks on sex, terrorism, hate speech, violence, and more have been leaked, and according to a report from the Guardian, many will find Facebook’s internal policies to be questionable…. Among the more interesting excerpts, Facebook will allow users to live-stream self-harm, on the basis that it “doesn’t want to censor or punish people in distress.” Photos of non-sexual physical abuse and bullying of children are allowable so long as there is no sadistic or celebratory element. Videos of violent death, while marked as disturbing, are also generally allowed, on the basis that they create “awareness” of issues such as mental illness. Animal cruelty is treated similarly; “celebrating” is not allowed, but it is otherwise acceptable to raise “awareness” of the issue. Perhaps most interesting is Facebook’s extremely variable policy on threats of death and violence. According to the documents, most threats of violence are to be considered either generic, or not credible. According to Facebook, “people use violent language to express frustration online” and they should feel “safe to do so” on Facebook. Specific examples of allowable, and forbidden, threats are included.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Mayor: Anything Not Permitted Under Law Is Now Banned (And That Includes Gardens)
Off the Grid News - Columbiana, Ohio, is the latest city to debate the legality of gardens, even if the two sides can’t agree on what is up for discussion. Resident Tony Dolan claims that the right to garden on a homeowner’s property is at stake. The Columbiana city council at one point considered a proposal that would have restricted gardens to back yards, although that language was struck. “It has been frighteningly apparent that we in this city have given our freedoms up in ways that we never really saw coming,” Dolan wrote at the Columbiana for/against Chickens Facebook page.Mayor Bryan Blakeman claims the gardening ordinance is being considered because, technically, gardening currently is banned. “Right now, if there is not something expressly in this code that says that you can have one, you technically can’t,” Blakeman told the Salem News. The newspaper likewise reported that “if something is not permitted it is prohibited.”

City Forces Homeowner To Rip Up His Own Yard And Pay For $8,500 Sidewalk
Off the Grid News - Homeowners apparently will be forced to pay the city to rip up their front yards and install sidewalks under a proposal in Grand Forks, N.D. “Sidewalks aren’t protestable,” City Council President Dana Sande told The Grand Forks Herald. “So once the city determines that the sidewalks should go into your neighborhood, you have one of three options: you can either put the sidewalk in yourself, you can hire a contractor to put it in, or you can have the city hire a contractor to put them in and be special assessed the fee. There are no other options.”… The sidewalk requirement has been on the books for many years but a previous council granted some homeowners a 10-year exemption. The present council has decided not to honor that provision. …homeowner Jared Johnson estimates the sidewalk he does not want would cost $8,500. That would add about $100 a month to his property tax bill.

Health

Video: AMI Smart Meters Interfere With Human Heart Rhythms, EKG Proves
Natural Blaze - One of the most intrepid independent lay EMF/RF and AMI Smart Meter investigators Warren Woodward of Sedona, Arizona, has taken upon himself to put AMI Smart Meters to the heart test. [On] May 16, 2017 Warren emailed a most compelling video “introducing ground-breaking new evidence that proves everyone’s health is being affected by ‘smart’ meters.” After the electrocardiogram test, Dr. Gilberto Leon, NMD, explained on camera what happened when the graph registered a sizable glitch in Warren’s heart rhythm when the AMI Smart Meter was turned on after a perfect normal heart rhythm registered before the EMF/RF exposure…. Consumers now have legal proof AMI Smart Meters positively interfere with heart activity. Can you imagine what happens to your heart when those meters operate 24/7/365 on your home’s utilities? And many homes can have three AMI Smart Meters: electric, natural gas and municipal water! AMI Smart Meters obviously induce myocardial [relating to the muscular tissue of the heart, the myocardium] stresses upon heart muscle and its rhythms, as RFs definitely are heart stressors with negative physiological consequences. That statement is not to be confused with the stress test for myocardial infarction—heart attack.

Negative Thoughts Harm Your Health By Damaging DNA
April McCarthy - Lose your temper on the road? Frustrated with colleagues at work? You may be cutting your life short, warns molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn--who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009--and health psychologist Elissa Epel, who studies stress and aging. The authors claim in their new book, The Telomere Effect, that negative thoughts harm your health at the DNA level. Research has shown that a person's "social relationships, environments and lifestyles" affect their genes. "Even though you are born with a particular set of genes, the way you live can influence how they express themselves." Blackburn and Epel say components of DNA called telomeres determine how fast your cells age. Short telomeres are one of the major reasons human cells grow old, but lab tests have shown that they can also grow longer. In other words, aging "could possibly be accelerated or slowed -and, in some aspects, even reversed.”… Trying to suppress thoughts and feelings makes matters worse. "The more forcefully you push your thoughts away, the louder they call out for your attention... In a small study, greater avoidance of negative feelings and thoughts was associated with shorter telomeres." Even lack of focus is bad for telomeres because "when people are not thinking about what they're doing, they're not as happy as when they're engaged." To reverse the harm to telomeres, try meditation and long-distance running.
* Related: 4 Simple Ways To Stop Negative Thinking Before It Takes Over

When is a Banana Best to Eat?
REALfarmacy - Japanese researchers recently discovered something fascinating about bananas; as a banana ripens, it produces more antioxidants than its fresher brethren contain. When the banana has dark spots on the peel, it produces what’s called TNF, or Tumor Necrosis Factor, a substance that combats cancer and abnormal cells. The darker the spots, the more powerful the banana is at killing cancer cells. A ripe banana is eight times more effective in boosting the body’s immune system than a fresh banana is. So the best time to eat a banana? When it’s as ripe as possible… Additionally, it’s worth noting, if you suffer from type 2 diabetes, you may want to eat a ripe banana with nut butter. The fats in the nut butter will slow down sugar absorption in your blood stream so it doesn’t hit you all at once, making it easier for your body to break down.
 


Friday - May 19, 2017

On This Day In History


1643 - Delegates from four New England colonies met in Boston to form a confederation.
1847 - The first English-style railroad coach was placed in service on the Fall River Line in Massachusetts.
1864 - The Union and Confederate armies launched their last attacks against each other at Spotsylvania in Virginia.
1906 - The Federated Boys' Clubs, forerunner of the Boys' Clubs of America, were organized.
1911 - The first American criminal conviction that was based on fingerprint evidence occurred in New York City.
1921 - The U.S. Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act, which established national quotas for immigrants.
1943 - Winston Churchill told the U.S. Congress that his country was pledging their full support in the war against Japan.
1958 - Canada and the U.S. formally established the North American Air Defense Command.
1962 - Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" for U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The event was a fund-raiser at New York's Madison Square Garden.
1964 - The U.S. State Department reported that diplomats had found about 40 microphones planted in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
1967 - The Soviet Union ratified a treaty with the United States and Britain that banned nuclear weapons from outer space.
1967 - U.S. planes bombed Hanoi for the first time.
1981 - The Empire State Building was designated a New York City Landmark.
1992 - In Massapequa, NY, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot and seriously wounded by Amy Fisher. Fisher was her husband Joey's teen-age lover.
1992 - The 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect. The amendment prohibits Congress from giving itself midterm pay raises.
2003 - Hundreds of Albert Einstein's scientific papers, personal letters and humanist essays were make available on the Internet. Einstein had given the papers to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in his will.
2013 - The Yahoo board approved the $1.1 billion purchase of the blogging site Tumblr.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Breaking: Comey Caught Committing Perjury to Congress?
Kit Daniels - Former FBI Director James Comey said he was never told to stop an investigation due to political reasons during testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 3, 2017, which contradicts his new claim that Trump pressured him to stop the Flynn investigation in February. Comey now claims President Trump asked him to to shut down the federal investigation into former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, in an Oval Office meeting in February, according to a reported memo Mr. Comey says he wrote after the meeting. The New York Times claims this February memo is the “smoking gun,” but in fact it contradicts Comey’s sworn testimony on May 3. During the Senate testimony, Comey confirmed to Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) that in theory, the Attorney General or senior officials at the Department of Justice could stop a FBI investigation. The former FBI director added it would “be a big deal to tell the FBI to stop doing something that – without an appropriate purpose.” “But I’m talking about a situation where we were told to stop something for a political reason, that would be a very big deal. It’s not happened in my experience.” Remember, he said this on May 3, months after the reported memo he claimed to have written after meeting with Trump.

Reuters Admits: “No Evidence of Collusion” Between Trump and Russia (Video)
Paul Joseph Watson - A Reuters report detailing how Trump campaign advisers were in contact with Russia during the last 7 months of the campaign admits that there was no evidence of collusion between the two parties to influence the election, dismantling the left’s entire Russian narrative. Although presented as another major scoop designed to damage Trump, the article, which is based on intelligence sources, completely vindicates him. “Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race, current and former U.S. officials familiar with the exchanges told Reuters.” However, the true substance of the story is buried down in paragraph six. “The people who described the contacts to Reuters said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed so far,” states the report. No collusion between Trump and Russia. Let that sink in. The article also highlights how the back channel communications were made with Russia in an attempt to “bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both sides considered hostile to improved relations.” In other words, Trump wanted peace with the world’s other nuclear superpower while forging ahead with a joint plan to destroy ISIS. How terrible of him.

Trump Under Siege: More than 60 Percent of NSC Employees Placed by Obama
Breitbart - Calls are growing for President Trump to “clean house” at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, after a series of leaks aimed at embarrassing and undermining the president sprung from the White House this week. A White House source estimates more than 60 percent of employees at the National Security Council are not Trump administration appointees, but career officials who were appointed to the White House from other agencies under the Obama administration. The source said there are “whole departments” at the NSC with only one Trump appointee. […] a major problem for the Trump administration is that there is no budget to bring in new people at the NSC until September, when the new fiscal year starts, the White House source said. But compounding the problem is that there are also hundreds of political positions currently unfilled at departments that interface with the NSC, such as State and Defense.
* Related: Democrat Dennis Kucinich: “Deep State Is Trying to Take Down a President – It Is a Threat to Our Republic” (Video)

Joe Lieberman Emerges As "Frontrunner" For FBI Director Post
Zero Hedge - With Joe Lieberman emerging as a potential candidate for the FBI Director post only over the past 48 hours, Trump delivered another surprise today when he told reporters that he is "very close" to making his choice, with multiple officials telling NBC News and CNN that the former Democratic senator is now the current "frontrunner" for the job. The president later confirmed that Lieberman has emerged as his pick to replace Comey, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “he is.” Trump also told reporters he could pick a new FBI director as early as tomorrow…. According to NBC, on Wednesday, Trump met with Lieberman, acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, and former top FBI official Richard McFeely.

BUSTED: Trump NatSec Adviser Dina Habib Powell Leaks to NY Times Democrat Operative Maggie Haberman
GotNews - Presidential Adviser Dina Habib Powell can’t stop betraying President Donald J. Trump by leaking to New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman, according to sources close to GotNews and patriot pundit Mike Cernovich. Dina Habib Powell is only the latest national security threat in the White House…. In February, we revealed Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Walsh as a White House leaker to the Times’s Haberman, resulting in Walsh’s firing. On Tuesday, GotNews revealed Powell to be a leaker, and can now report Haberman received classified information from her.

Police Departments Stocking Up on Riot Gear in Preparation For Summer of Rage
Paul Joseph Watson - Purchases of riot gear by police departments are surging across the country as civil unrest grows, with fears that major American cities could see more violence this summer. According to an investigation by Muckrock which is based on Freedom of Information Act requests, numerous different police departments have spent six figure sums on things like “bean bag launchers, smoke grenades, pepper spray launchers, to plated body armor, helmets with protective visors and throat guards, and aluminum batons,” in the last five years, and the total outlay is increasing…. Rubber bullets, gas masks, tear gas and flash bang grenades are also in demand. […] the establishment’s effort to portray Trump as illegitimate by pushing the idea of impeachment will embolden violent demonstrators who have already caused mayhem on numerous occasions, including immediately after Trump won the election and on the day he was inaugurated. Explosive clashes between far-left agitators and Trump supporters could also intensify if Trump’s base feels that he is being sabotaged by deep state entities that are attempting to bring about a coup de’tat. Leftist demonstrators are also set to attend summer “resistance camps” generously funded by the DNC where they will learn tactics to prolong the “resistance” to Trump that began on November 9. It’s set to be a long, hot summer of simmering tensions and police departments across America are getting ready for all eventualities.

Mike Pence Creates ‘Great America’ Leadership PAC
Breitbart - Vice President Mike Pence has created a new leadership political action committee to help raise funds for Republicans in 2018 and 2020. This is the first time a sitting Vice President has formed this kind of leadership group, according to NBC News. The group will accept funds to help pay for Pence’s travel costs for various fundraisers for Republican House and Senate candidates. But it could also help Pence build a network of political donors if he decides to run for president himself one day. Presidential hopefuls use PACs to dole out funds to future congressmen in the hopes that they might return the favor with an endorsement or political support in the future.

Judge Says He May Have To Reject $142 Million Wells Fargo Fake Account Settlement
Consumerist - Judge Vince Chhabria issued an order last night asking lawyers for both parties to address a number of issues, like an apparent sudden jump in the possible number of bogus accounts. …total number of fraudulent accounts could be as high as 3.5 million — a huge increase over the 2.1 million figure that has been used since Wells reached its $185 million settlement deal with federal and state regulators in 2016. How did the estimated number of false accounts rise from 2.1 million in the opening brief to 3.5 million in the reply brief?” asks Chhabria, who also questioned both parties’ ability to provide an accurate headcount of the various types of fake accounts that were opened…. How can the Court be sure that all class members who suffered actual damages will be fully compensated for actual damages?” asks Chhabria, noting that customers whose credit scores were dinged by the fraudulent accounts are a particular concern. “What will the plaintiffs’ counsel request if one of the settlement pools runs out of money for compensatory damages?”

World News

U.S. Airstrikes Hit Syrian Military Vehicles for Violating ‘De-Confliction Zone’
Breitbart - American airstrikes targeted a group of Syrian militia vehicles after they ignored U.S. warnings and violated a “de-confliction zone” on Thursday. CNN reports that the strike occurred near a base American forces use to train allied Syrian opposition fighters. A convoy of twenty vehicles approached the town of An Tanf on Wednesday night, evidently searching for opposition fighters and raising concerns among the U.S. coalition. A total of thirteen vehicles penetrated the de-confliction zone, but the U.S. did not take action until five of them came with 29 kilometers of the base. When five Syrian military vehicles persisted in approaching the base, the U.S. conducted a “show of force” with two warplanes to persuade them to halt. When the Syrians insisted on proceeding into the area, the U.S. planes were cleared to fire. Although one of CNN’s sources said it remained unknown whether the American planes only fired warning shots, a second U.S. defense official said an airstrike “did hit the convoy after the vehicles continued toward the base.” According to ABC News, U.S. officials said several of the Syrian vehicles were destroyed in the strike. Voice of America News reports the decision to launch the airstrike was made by a commander on the ground, and does not reflect a broader change in U.S. policy.

US conducts drill aimed at destroying N. Korean weapons of mass destruction – media
RT - American soldiers stationed in South Korea have completed the ‘Warrior Strike 7’ exercise, which includes a ship-to-shore air assault from a South Korean warship, according to the US Army. The exercise took place at Camp Stanley in Euijeongbu, South Korea, and the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex near the border with North Korea, according to a Tuesday Facebook post by the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The post also stated that the drill involved ship-to-shore air assault from the South Korean naval vessel Dokdo. According to Yonhap, US soldiers aboard a helicopter practiced an infiltration into a mock facility of the enemy, in order to strengthen their capability to destroy a mock WMD in a timely manner. South Korean servicemen also reportedly took part in the drill. The joint drills come amid increased tensions between the US and North Korea, with Pyongyang launching a medium-range ballistic missile on Sunday. North Korea said the launch confirmed the “tactical specifications and technical characteristics” of the rocket, which it claims is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

US to sign major oil deals with Saudi Arabia during Trump visit
RT - Oil major Saudi Aramco is expected to sign contracts with a dozen US firms during President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Reuters reports, quoting sources familiar with the matter. According to the news agency, US companies Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and Weatherford will help Saudi Arabia to develop local production. The Saudis will also sign deals with General Electric and drilling companies National Oilwell Varco, Nabors Industries and Rowan Companies and others, Reuters’ sources said.

Le Pen French election victory would have triggered 'emergency crisis plan' – report
RT - France was ready to deploy a secret crisis plan to "protect the republic" if far-right politician Marine Le Pen had won the election, a French magazine has reported, citing sources. The plan included flooding the streets with police to maintain order. Citing three senior sources close to the French government and state organizations, France's L'Obs magazine has revealed that a plan was devised because the country was fearing "extreme violence" and chaos if Le Pen won the election against Emmanuel Macron.

Economy & Business

California Governor Jerry Brown Slams Taxpayers As “Freeloaders” For Opposing Higher Taxes
Activist Post - Millions of Californians are outraged by a recent bill that would increase the state’s gas tax by 12 cents per gallon, and increase vehicle license fees by $50 per year. All told, the plan amounts to a $52 billion tax hike. The proposal has since been passed in the state’s legislature, despite the fact that a majority of Californians opposed the bill. The tax is so controversial that state senator Josh Newman, who helped it pass, may face a recall election in the near future. Amid this outrage, California Governor Jerry Brown defended the senator and the gas tax in a recent speech, during which he revealed how much disdain he has for middle class voters who are tired of being taxed to death…. “The freeloaders — I’ve had enough of them,” Brown said, adding that the approved tax and fee hikes bring those charges to the level they were 30 years ago if adjusted for inflation. “They have a president that doesn’t tell the truth and they’re following suit.”

Science & Technology

Apple Is Lobbying Against Your Right to Repair iPhones, New York State Records Confirm
Motherboard - Lobbying records in New York state show that Apple, Verizon, and the tech industry's largest trade organizations are opposing a bill that would make it easier for consumers and independent companies to repair your electronics. The bill, called the "Fair Repair Act," would require electronics companies to sell replacement parts and tools to the general public, would prohibit "software locks" that restrict repairs, and in many cases would require companies to make repair guides available to the public. Apple and other tech giants have been suspected of opposing the legislation in many of the 11 states where similar bills have been introduced, but New York's robust lobbying disclosure laws have made information about which companies are hiring lobbyists and what bills they're spending money on public record. According to New York State's Joint Commission on Public Ethics, Apple, Verizon, Toyota, the printer company Lexmark, heavy machinery company Caterpillar, phone insurance company Asurion, and medical device company Medtronic have spent money lobbying against the Fair Repair Act this year. The Consumer Technology Association, which represents thousands of electronics manufacturers, is also lobbying against the bill.

Health

Australian parents who don’t vaccinate their children will be fined $14 per week by the authoritarian regime
(Natural News) If you live in Australia and want to exercise your right not to vaccinate your kids, you’d better be prepared to pay for that privilege. The new federal budget will see parents who don’t vaccinate losing AUD$14 per week, which equates to around USD$10.49 at today’s rate, from their family tax benefit payments. The measure will be set in motion starting July 2018, and it is expected to raise millions of dollars while punishing those who don’t want to vaccinate their kids. Health Minister Greg Hunt and Social Services Minister Christian Porter have said that taking this approach rather than withholding a supplement at the end of the year would be a good way to constantly remind parents that they need to vaccinate their kids. It will also apply to families who do not get their four-year-olds a health check, which presumably is yet another way to try to push vaccines on kids.

Diabetes Drug Invokana Must Warn Patients About Increased Risk Of Foot, Leg Amputation
Consumerist - People with diabetes are already at risk of having lower limbs amputated because of circulatory and nerve damage that the disease does over time. However, in two clinical trials of the drug canagliflozin, marketed as Invokana, Invokamet, and Invokamet XR, patients taking the drug were twice as likely to need amputations. Most of the amputations were of toes or the middle of the foot, but some patients needed their entire foot or leg removed, sometimes even above the knee. The two studies lasted a year. In one, which had 4,330 patients enrolled, 5.9 out of 1,000 patients treated with the drug needed amputations, compared to 2.8 out of 1,000 patients receiving a placebo. In the other, which enrolled 5,814 patients, 7.5 out of 1,000 patients receiving canagliflozin had a foot or leg amputation that year, compared to 4.2 out of 1,000 of the patients receiving a placebo…. Discovering serious risks from taking a drug after it’s been on the market isn’t unusual: A recent study shows that one-third of medications have new risks discovered after they’ve already been on the market.

Psychiatric Association Wants FDA to Expand Electroshock Used on Children and Elderly
Health Impact News - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the electroshock therapy (ECT) device to remain on the market without requiring clinical studies proving safety and efficacy, and is considering the American Psychiatric Association’s written proposal to expand ECT’s use on the general public, including on children. According to the FDA’s mission statement, the FDA “is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety” and “efficacy” of medical products, including “medical devices” (the ECT device included). Due to the documented risks attributed to ECT, we are calling on the FDA to prohibit its use…. Psychiatrists claim that modern ECT is nowhere near as barbaric as the electroshock treatment depicted in the Academy-Award-winning film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. But the voltage and electrical current of modern ECT is higher than it was during the era of electroshock portrayed in the film, when patients used to break bones due to the violent convulsions produced by the “treatment.” The reason patients no longer break bones isn’t because there is less electrical current (modern ECT uses a stronger current), but because muscle relaxants are first administered, making ECT appear less brutal. The muscle relaxant itself can be highly dangerous, with the most commonly used ECT muscle relaxant documented to cause cardiac arrest, prolonged respiratory muscle paralysis and potentially life-threatening and/or fatal allergic reactions. [Read More]

Pet News

Sacramento Law Bans the Sale of Non-Rescue Cats & Dogs From Pet Stores
The Catington Post - In an effort to put an end to inhumane “puppy mill” breeding operations, Sacramento lawmakers passed an ordinance that permanently bans the sale of non-rescue dogs, cats, and rabbits by pet stores in the city. Under the new law, individuals can still buy animals from licensed breeders, but retails shops cannot sell them – they are only permitted to adopt out animals that come from shelters, Humane Societies and registered rescue groups. Sacramento is joining more than 200 other cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Austin by passing the new legislation which was designed to target puppy mills and backyard breeders, and also to cut down on the vast number of animals that are euthanized in area shelters every year. You can see a full list of cities with active bans right here. All but one retail pet store under jurisdiction of the new law already currently source animals from local rescue organizations. “In many cities, animals are brought in from other states, from ‘puppy mills,’ where they live a horrific life — especially the breeder mothers, in cages their entire lives,” Front Street Animal Shelter Director Gina Knepp said.
* Related: People Are Shocked To Discover Where Pet Store's Puppies Come From
 


Thursday - May 18, 2017

On This Day In History


1792 - Russian troops invaded Poland.
1798 - The first Secretary of the U.S. Navy was appointed. He was Benjamin Stoddert.
1802 - Great Britain declared war on Napoleon's France.
1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte was proclaimed emperor by the French Senate.
1917 - The U.S. Congress passed the Selective Service act, which called up soldiers to fight in World War I.
1931 - Japanese pilot Seiji Yoshihara crashed his plane in the Pacific Ocean while trying to be the first to cross the ocean nonstop. He was picked up seven hours later by a passing ship.
1934 - The U.S. Congress approved an act, known as the "Lindberg Act," that called for the death penalty in interstate kidnapping cases.
1942 - New York ended night baseball games for the duration of World War II.
1951 - The United Nations moved its headquarters to New York City.
1974 - India became the sixth nation to explode an atomic bomb.
1980 - Mt. Saint Helens erupted in Washington state. 57 people were killed and 3 billion in damage was done.
1983 - The U.S. Senate revised immigration laws and gave millions of illegal aliens legal status under an amnesty program.
1994 - Israel's 3 decades of occupation in the Gaza Strip ended as Israeli troops completed their withdrawal and Palestinian authorities took over.
1998 - The U.S. federal government and 20 states filed a sweeping antitrust case against Microsoft Corp., saying the computer software company had a "choke hold" on competitors which denied consumer choices by controlling 90% of the software market.
1998 - U.S. federal officials arrested more than 130 people and seized $35 million. This was the end to an investigation of money laundering being done by a dozen Mexican banks and two drug-smuggling cartels.
2012 - Facebook Inc. held its initial public offering and began trading on the NASDAQ. The company was valued at $104 billion making it the largest valuation to date for a newly listed public company

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Putin Ready To Give Congress Transcript Of Trump-Lavrov Conversation To Prove No Secrets Were Revealed
Zero Hedge - As the quest to unearth just what Trump told Russian foreign minister Lavrov continued, an unexpected development emerged on Wednesday morning, when none other than Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Trump did not share any classified information or state secrets to foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, and to prove it he was ready to hand over a transcript of the talks between Putin and Lavrov to Congress if the White House requests it…. As for the reason behind Putin's generous offer: the Russian president said that the latest reports about Trump revealing security secrets to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have become "political schizophrenia", and Russia is willing to help resolve these, adding Russia highly appreciates results of Trump-Lavrov talks. "We are seeing in the US a developing political schizophrenia," Putin said quoted by RT. "There is no other way I can explain the accusations against the acting US president that he gave away some secrets to Lavrov" and added that "it's hard to imagine what else can these people who generate such nonsense and rubbish can dream up next," said Putin. "What surprises me is that they are shaking up the domestic political situation using anti-Russian slogans. Either they don't understand the damage they're doing to their own country, in which case they are simply stupid, or they understand everything, in which case they are dangerous and corrupt." "Anyway, this is a US matter, and we don't want and don't plan to interfere," the Russian president said.

Chaffetz invites Comey to testify next Wednesday
Politico - House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz is inviting former FBI director James Comey to testify next Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Chaffetz (R-Utah) told POLITICO he has officially scheduled the hearing and is in the process of trying to connect with Comey. The hearing will be the day the FBI is due to send documents to the oversight panel. Comey hasn't officially accepted the invite, "but wants to testify publicly as soon as he can," one person who has spoken to Comey said. "They are trying to connect," this person said.

DOJ Appoints Special Counsel for Russia Probe, Former FBI Director Mueller
The GatewayPundit - Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate the allegations of Russian interference in the presidential election and rumors of collusion with the Trump campaign. Mueller was appointed FBI Director by President George W. Bush in 2001 and served an extra two years past his ten year term at the request of President Barack Obama and with the approval of Congress. Mueller served from September 4, 2001 to September 4, 2013 according to Wikipedia. Mueller is good friends with his successor, now-fired FBI Director James Comey, according to a profile by Washingtonian published in 2013 with the headline, Forged Under Fire—Bob Mueller and Jim Comey’s Unusual Friendship.

If Comey Memo Is Real and He Held It and Did Not Turn It Over - He May Be Prosecuted
Gateway Pundit - FOX News legal expert Gregg Jarrett argued Tuesday that if James Comey obstructed justice and held onto a memo of the president asking him to end an investigation then Comey could be prosecuted. FOX News reported: Three months ago, the then-FBI Director met with President Trump. Following their private conversation, Comey did what he always does –he wrote a memorandum to himself memorializing the conversation. Good lawyers do that routinely. Now, only after Comey was fired, the memo magically surfaces in an inflammatory New York Times report which alleges that Mr. Trump asked Comey to end the Michael Flynn investigation. Those who don’t know the first thing about the law immediately began hurling words like “obstruction of justice”, “high crimes and misdemeanors” and “impeachment“. Typically, these people don’t know what they don’t know. Here is what we do know. Under the law, Comey is required to immediately inform the Department of Justice of any attempt to obstruct justice by any person, even the President of the United States. Failure to do so would result in criminal charges against Comey. (18 USC 4 and 28 USC 1361) He would also, upon sufficient proof, lose his license to practice law. So, if Comey believed Trump attempted to obstruct justice, did he comply with the law by reporting it to the DOJ? If not, it calls into question whether the events occurred as the Times reported it.

CNN’s Bash Admits Comey Memo is “Deep State” Revenge Against Trump
Paul Joseph Watson - In yet another anonymously sourced news story, the New York Times reported yesterday that they were told about a memo (without having seen it) where Trump told former FBI Director James Comey, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go, he is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” The anti-Trump media immediately ran with hysterical headlines accusing Trump of obstructing justice, with several news anchors and columnists calling for his impeachment. Amidst all the frenzy however, CNN’s Dana Bash let slip the truth – that the memo is just the latest volley in the Hillary-aligned deep state’s revenge campaign against President Trump…. Former CIA analyst and retired U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer echoed Bash’s sentiments during an appearance on Fox Business with Lou Dobbs. “This is truly deep state,” said Shaffer. “This is something being done by those in the deep state to upset everything that’s going on and try to undermine the president in every breath.”

Trump Administration Taps Sheriff David Clarke for DHS Role
Washington Free Beacon - The Trump administration tapped Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke to serve as assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for partnership and engagement. Clarke, a tough-talking, conservative firebrand recognized by his penchant for cowboy hats, announced the appointment during an interview with a local Wisconsin radio station Wednesday afternoon. "I'm both honored and humbled to be a appointed to this position by [DHS Sec. John Kelly], working for the Trump administration in this position," Clarke told WISN Milwaukee. Clarke will begin in the position in June. The position does not require Senate confirmation. Clarke, a Trump loyalist who served as a surrogate during the campaign, was one of three black speakers who endorsed President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention. He is a vocal proponent of gun rights with close ties to the National Rifle Association…. Clarke's brazenness and tendency to fire-off provocative, off-hand comments have contributed to his rise as one of Wisconsin's most controversial political figures. The law-and-order sheriff has frequently told Black Lives Matters protesters to "stop trying to fix the police, fix the ghetto" and referred to Ferguson demonstrators as "vultures on a roadside carcass."

You Won't Believe Why Washington State Isn't Allowed to Prepare for Nuclear War
Joshua Krause - With all the hype surrounding North Korea’s missile tests, many states are reexamining their nuclear preparedness plans, except in Washington, where apparently it’s illegal for state authorities to even make those plan. According to King5 news out of Seattle:… “State law does not allow any advanced planning,” said Karina Shagren with the Washington State Emergency Management Division. RCW 38.52.030, passed in 1983, says “The comprehensive, all-hazard emergency plan authorized under this subsection may not include preparation for emergency evacuation or relocation of residents in anticipation of nuclear attack.”…. The author of the state law preventing a nuclear attack plan, former Democratic state lawmaker Dick Nelson, says at the time, Washington state was inundated with nuclear threats, and the idea was to create an example of peace. “It was about finding a middle ground we could all agree on,” he said. Nelson also felt that if Seattle were to be attacked, the chances of survival would be so low that a preparation plan would have been moot anyway. Today, Nelson still says he has no regrets. So in other words, the state decided that refusing to prepare for a nuclear war would send the message that nuclear war is bad and peace is good…or something.

Can Concealed Carry Be Banned? Supreme Court May Decide
Off the Grid News - The U.S. Supreme Court may decide in its next term if citizens have a constitutional right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home. Earlier this month, the court “relisted” the case, Peruta v. California, meaning the justices are still considering it. “I suspect they’re going to grant it,” John Eastman, director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence and the former law dean at Chapman University, told Fox News. The lawsuit was filed by a California man, Edward Peruta, who challenged San Diego County Sheriff William D. Gore’s denial of concealed carry permits to applicants who did not show “good cause.” Gore does not consider self-defense to be good cause for a concealed carry permit.

Autistic 7-Year-Old Cuffed at School, Held for 6 Days in Mental Facility
Daily Sheeple - A 7-year-old special needs student was handcuffed for misbehaving at school on May 9 and held in a mental health facility for six days without the consent of his parents, a Texas Fox affiliate reports. District officials claim the boy was restrained for his own safety, but his arrest was captured on camera and the photos don’t appear to show what the officials claim. Contrary to what one would expect to see in a picture of an out-of-control 7-year-old, the boy appears to be standing calmly beside two uniformed officers. Finally released on Monday, the boy’s family is outraged and looking for answers. The family and their attorney said the school violated district protocol by failing to seek consent before detaining their son in a facility for nearly a week. It is unclear why he was held for so long, but the family’s attorney said they were informed that the boy was released once it was determined that he no longer posed a danger to himself or others…. The child is finally back in the custody of his family, but they have requested a detailed account of what occurred on May 9, and they have questions about whether the school’s staff members are adequately trained to handle children with autism or other special needs.

World News

S Korea to Convince US to Turn THAAD Radars Away From Chinese Territory
Sputnik News - The special envoy of the newly elected South Korean president, during his upcoming visit to China will try once again to convince the Chinese leadership of the need to deploy the US THAAD missile defense complex on South Korean soil and will propose a plan to reduce China's concerns. The plan is to turn away the radars from China and direct them only toward North Korea instead…. According to Yonhap news agency, it was the US who noticed the launch of the North Korean Hwasong-12 missile and the South Korean military learned about it after receiving a phone call from its American counterpart. However, the fact that the data was actually received from the THAAD radar became known later on after receiving clarification from the South Korean side. No other details were provided by the US military.

Victims of Communism Memorial Group Tells Networks to Stop Whitewashing Crimes of Socialist Venezuela
Washington Free Beacon - Media attention on Venezuela has been sparse, as the country is on the brink, with a food shortage, an inflation rate as high as 800 percent, and violent crackdowns and the detention of thousands of protesters who oppose President Nicolas Maduro. Four more people were killed yesterday, adding to the more than 40 dead and 750 injured since protests began in March. Marion Smith, the executive director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, sent letters to the heads of CBS, NBC, and ABC on Tuesday asking the networks to adequately cover the violence and failures of the socialist country, which he says is closer than ever to becoming a communist regime…. The major networks' nightly newscasts have made only brief mention of Venezuela this year. ABC World News Tonight with David Muir has mentioned Venezuela in two segments.… World News Tonight also mentioned the food crisis in schools on Feb. 14…. NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt did one segment this year on April 20…. CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley also has only mentioned Venezuela once this year, on May 4.

Hackers Offer 'Data Dump of the Month' With Nuclear Secrets, Attack Tools
Sputnik News - On Wednesday the Shadow Brokers announced that in June they would begin charging "monthly dues" for new hacking tools that are potentially more dangerous than those used in the ransomware attack that affected computers in 150 countries. "TheShadowBrokers Data Dump of the Month" will offer members top secret "compromised network data" from the ballistic missile and nuclear programs of Iran, North Korea, Russia and China, along with hacking implements for routers, operating systems like Windows 10 and web browsers…. Though it isn’t clear how the hackers acquired the NSA tools, the Washington Post reported that former agency officials say the exploits are "identical" to data seized from former NSA contractor Harold T. Martin III, who was arrested last August for possessing 50 terabytes of confidential information from US intelligence agencies. In a Tuesday blog post the hackers said that if some entity purchased "all lost data before it is being sold to the peoples," they would "go dark permanently," as they would no longer have incentive to operate…. Jerusalem Online quoted Roni Bachar of the US-based Cybersecurity firm Avnet saying, "… But I believe that the security companies, Microsoft and the others, will purchase the tools in order to research them and develop suitable protection."

UK gave Google's DeepMind access to patient data without legal basis
Ars Technica - Google's DeepMind AI wing was given access to the personal medical records of 1.6 million NHS patients on an "inappropriate legal basis," the UK's top data protection adviser to the health service has said. The London-based Royal Free Hospital (RFH) inked a controversial deal with Google last year, allowing its Streams AI app to be tested on the medical records of sufferers of acute kidney damage. It apparently helps clinicians to quickly administer potentially life-saving treatment. However, [National Data Guardian Dame Fiona] Caldicott challenged the hospital's claim that the transfer of 1.6 million identifiable patient records to DeepMind had been processed as "implied consent for direct care."…. Caldicott had written to the RFH in December explaining that she was advising the Information Commissioner's Office on the common law duty of confidentiality around the sharing of identifiable medical records where consent is implied for the purpose of direct care.

Veteran News

Brain Injury or Mental Health Behind Most Military Misconduct Discharges – Govt Watchdog
Daily Sheeple - More than six in 10 service members who were discharged for misconduct had a brain injury or mental health condition, and many of them are potentially ineligible to receive health benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, a new report has found. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent government watchdog agency, reported that 57,141 of the 91,764 service members who were separated or discharged for misconduct from fiscal years 2011 through 2015 had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or another mental health condition at least two years before their separation.

Economy & Business

The Comey Effect: Dow Drops 370 Points
Breitbart - Stocks closed sharply down on Wednesday as political chaos in Washington, D.C. dominated headlines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 373 points, or 1.78 percent. The S&P 500 fell 43.6 points, a decline of 1.82 percent. The Nasdaq Composite index fell 2.57 percent. It was the worst day for U.S. stocks since September of 2016. The financial sector led the way down, suffering its worst day since last June. Big banks were some of the worst performing stocks of the day. Stocks have rallied this year on hopes of tax cuts and regulatory reform. Many investors now worry that the Trump administration’s latest political troubles could delay or prevent the implementation of its agenda. Wednesday’s declines reversed all the gains the market had made in May.

What This City Did With An Abandoned Walmart Is Absolutely Brilliant. You’ll Love It
REALfarmacy - Officials in McAllen, Texas, were faced with this problem when their local Walmart shut down. Instead of letting the giant store sit vacant, they did something amazing. They transformed it into the largest single-floor public library in America…. The library now boasts 16 public meeting spaces, 14 public study rooms, 64 computer labs, 10 children’s computer labs, and 2 genealogy computer labs. Of course there is also a cafe, a used book store, an auditorium, and self check-out stations. This next part makes it perfect… What’s more is that they host an incredible Farmers’ Market. Where you can get everything you need. They even set up shop indoors in the winter. And Nino’s RioPizza Gulino dishes out fresh handmade pizza made with ingredients from the market! Even the grounds look amazing. This has to be the coolest public library ever.

Science & Technology

The WannaCry Ransomware Hackers Made Some Major Mistakes
WIRED - Despite the giant footprint of the attack, which leveraged a leaked NSA-created Windows hacking technique to infect more than 200,000 systems across 150 countries, malware analysts say poor choices on the part of WannaCry’s creators have limited both its scope and profit. Those errors include building in a web-based “kill-switch” that cut short its spread, unsavvy handling of bitcoin payments that makes it far easier to track the hacker group’s profits, and even a shoddy ransom function in the malware itself. Some analysts say the system makes it impossible for the criminals to know who’s paid the ransom and who hasn’t. An attack of this magnitude involving so many missteps raises plenty of questions while delivering a sobering reminder: If actual cybercriminal professionals improved on the group’s methods, the results could be even graver…. “From a ransom perspective, it’s a catastrophic failure,” says Craig Williams, a cybersecurity researcher with Cisco’s Talos team. “High damage, very high publicity, very high law-enforcement visibility, and it has probably the lowest profit margin we’ve seen from any moderate or even small ransomware campaign.”

11-Year-Old Activist Warns About The Internet Of Things By Weaponizing A Teddy Bear
Activist Post - 11-year-old Reuben Paul took the stage at the World Forum cyber security conference in The Hague. “From airplanes to automobiles, from smart phones to smart homes, anything or any toy can be part of the” Internet of Things (IOT),” he said, a small figure pacing the huge stage at the World Forum in The Hague. “From terminators to teddy bears, anything or any toy can be weaponised.” “IOT home appliances, things that can be used in our everyday lives, our cars, lights refrigerators, everything like this that is connected can be used and weaponised to spy on us or harm us.” Reuben demonstrated this fact by first obtaining the numbers of audience members via their Bluetooth connection, then taking one of the numbers to hack into his toy teddy bear. The bear now became a surveillance and recording device…. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that young Reuben is on his way to work for the dark side. Instead he is shouting from the rooftop that we are entering a very dangerous new world where the things around us become “timebombs” as he calls them.

7-11 Korea Goes Full Big Brother With Smart Stores That Allow You To Pay With Body Part Linked To A Card
Government Slaves - In conjunction with Lotte Card and Lotte Data Communication, 7-Eleven has launched its first smart convenience store equipped with a BioPay system at Lotte World Tower on Tuesday. BioPay is a payment method that allows consumers to make transactions by identifying themselves with a part of their body linked to a preassigned credit card. It is the first such store to be opened by 7-Eleven in the world, the company said. The HandPay system, in which individuals are recognized by their veins, was chosen over other types of BioPay — such as iris or fingerprint recognition — to maximize convenience, added the company.

Health

Health food stores raided for CBDs, police ridiculously claim they’re narcotics
(Natural News) It seems that cops are now cracking down on the sale of CBD oil, even if it’s made from hemp. Two health food stores in Bismarck, North Dakota were subjected to police raids this past week — for selling CBD oil. Officers from the police force’s Narcotics division “visited” the Bisman Food Co-op and Terry’s Health Products on May 11, both of which sell the hemp-based product. According to a spokesperson from Terry’s, they demanded that the owners remove the CBD oil products from their stores’ shelves, but did not confiscate the items — and in fact, the narcotics officers actually purchased some of the oil for testing. The shop owners were reportedly told to stop selling CBD products until the police were able to wrap up their investigation. As it turns out, officials in North Dakota declared that CBD would become a Schedule I drug under the state’s own laws in December. Though the spokesperson from Terry’s Health Products says that they were unaware of the change, they and the owners of Bisman Food Co-op will face stiff penalties if their products test positive for either cannabinoid. They could be charged with Distributing a Schedule I drug, which is a Class B felony and carries up to 20 years in prison.

7 Benefits of Eating Hemp Seeds You Won’t Believe
Dr. Axe - Hemp seed oil, or hemp oil, is made by pressing hemp seeds. Unlike cannabis oil, which, where it’s legal, is often used to treat pain and other health conditions, hemp seed oil contains only trace amounts of THC and is used for many commercially manufactured products…. 1. Rich in GLA - Gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA) is a necessary building block for some prostaglandins — hormone-like chemicals in the body that help smooth muscles, control inflammation and body temperature, and are vital to other body functions…. 2. Arthritis and Joint Pain - Research has shown that hemp seeds and hemp seed oil can be helpful in relieving rheumatoid arthritis symptoms…. For treatment, take one tablespoon of hemp seed oil daily along with a quality fish oil. 3. Weight Loss - Hemp is a natural appetite suppressant and can help you feel full longer and reduce sugar cravings. Some experts recommend that adding four tablespoons of the seeds to your breakfast will help curb excess hunger the entire day…. 4. Digestive Health - High in insoluble and soluble fiber, hemp seeds provide more than enough bulk to keep your gastrointestinal system regular…. 5. Hair, Skin and Nails - The oil in hemp seeds penetrates the inner layers of the skin and promotes healthy cell growth… 6. Cancer - The British Journal of Cancer reports that the THC in hemp seeds can stop and possibly reverse glioblastoma multiforme (a deadly form of brain cancer). The journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment confirmed the THC in hemp seeds improved advanced stage breast cancer. Researchers from the University of Rostock, Germany, discovered similar evidence that cannabinoids derived from hemp seeds can inhibit cancer growth and metastasis, particularly in lung cancer.

Alzheimer’s Patient Reverses Symptoms by Applying Coconut Oil On A Daily Basis
Natural News Blogs - On February 14, 2016, Carolyn made the hardest and probably the most important decision for her mother and removed her from the toxic nursing home environment and took her home to care for her. While in the care of the nursing home, Carolyn’s mother was diagnosed with stage 6 Alzheimer’s. Stage 6 is also known as the “severe decline” stage…. Carolyn had read about and was familiar with the benefits of coconut oil. Immediately after her mother’s liberation from the nursing home, Carolyn started liberally applying coconut oil. She would do this twice a day, after bathing in the morning and again at night before bedtime. Within 5 days she started noticing an immediate and drastic improvement in her mother’s condition. Her mother started remembering people and names she hadn’t in years. She was able to communicate again…. These results may have been shocking, but they are no surprise given the results of a recent Spanish clinical trial…. The study concluded that there was a statistically significant increase in test scores demonstrating improved cognitive status in the control group that received the coconut oil. The study clearly demonstrated the potentially powerful positive effects of coconut oil on patients struggling with Alzheimer’s.
* Related: Coconut Oil Improves Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms

Pet News

Protect Your Pet From The Dangerous Amphibians
Dogington Post - …Not native to Florida, Bufo toads were originally brought to the area to control insect population in sugarcane fields, but have quickly become a nuisance and a danger to pets. The grayish-brown Bufo marinus toads secrete a toxin that is highly poisonous to dogs, cats and other animals. They are most active in the evening and after rain. Small dogs and cats are most at risk, but larger dogs that encounter these toads can suffer severe medical problems. Symptoms typically begin with mouth pain – foaming around the dogs lips, swollen gums, or redness are usually evident. Other symptoms include stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy. More seriously, dogs can begin to exhibit neurological and cardiovascular distress including seizures and irregular heartbeat, and death… To best protect your pet from the dangerous amphibians, feed your dog indoors, don’t leave bowls of water sitting outside, keep grass mowed and clear of hiding spots, and always monitor your dog outside, especially if you’re in an area where Bufo Toads are known to live.
 


Wednesday - May 17, 2017

On This Day In History


1756 - Britain declared war on France, beginning the French and Indian War.
1792 - The New York Stock Exchange was founded at 70 Wall Street by 24 brokers.
1814 - Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. Norway's constitution, which provided a limited monarchy, was signed.
1875 - The first Kentucky Derby was run at Louisville, KY.
1940 - Germany occupied Brussels, Belgium and began the invasion of France.
1946 - U.S. President Truman seized control of the nation's railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.
1954 - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled for school integration in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. The ruling declared that racially segregated schools were inherently unequal.
1973 - The U.S. Senate Watergate Committee began its hearings.
1987 - An Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 American sailors. Iraq and the U.S. called the attack a mistake.
1996 - President Clinton signed a measure requiring neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in. Megan's Law was named for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed in 1994.
2000 - Thomas E. Blanton Jr. and David Luker surrendered to police in Birmingham, AL. The two former Ku Klux Klan members were arrested on charges from the bombing of a church in 1963 that killed four young black girls.
2006 - The U.S. aircraft carrier Oriskany was sunk about 24 miles off Pensacola Beach. It was the first vessel sunk under a Navy program to dispose of old warships by turning them into diving attractions. It was the largest man-made reef at the time of the sinking.
2007 - Trains crossed the border dividing North and South Korea for the first time since 1953.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Murdered DNC Staffer Seth Rich Shared 44,053 Democrat Emails With WikiLeaks
Zero Hedge - According to Fox News, though admittedly via yet another anonymous FBI source, [Seth] Rich made contact with WikiLeaks through Gavin MacFadyen, an American investigative reporter and director of WikiLeaks who was living in London at the time. According to Fox News sources, federal law enforcement investigators found 44,053 emails and 17,761 attachments sent between DNC leaders from January 2015 to May 2016 that Rich shared with WikiLeaks before he was gunned down on July 10, 2016. … Then, on July 22, just 12 days after Rich was killed, WikiLeaks published internal DNC emails that appeared to show top party officials conspiring to stop Bernie Sanders from becoming the party’s presidential nominee. As we've noted before, the DNC's efforts to block Sanders resulted in Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigning as DNC chairperson. These new revelations seem to be consistent with the findings of Rod Wheeler, a former DC homicide detective and Fox News contributor, whose private investigation firm was hired by Rich’s family to probe the case…. As you'll recall, Rich's death […] was reportedly shot from behind in the wee hours of the morning but was not robbed of the nearly $2,000 worth of cash and jewelry on his body at the time. … Shortly thereafter, Julian Assange implied that Seth Rich was, in fact, a source for WikiLeaks and offered a $130,000 reward for information leading to his killer….
* Related: Wikileaks: Seth Rich's new "family spokesman" is a professional Democrat crisis PR consultant with the Pastorum Group.
* Related: Video: DC Police Ordered To Stand Down On Seth Rich Murder
* Related: Video: Bodies Have Been Stacking Up: The Video Hillary Clinton Does Not Want You To See…

Globalist Mag Claims American Revolution “Was a Mistake”
Kit Daniels - The New Yorker, a globalist-oriented magazine that advocates the overthrow of President Trump, suggests the American Revolution “was a mistake.” An article by long-time staff writer Adam Gopnik says America might have been better off as a “social-democratic commonwealth” much like Canada, which is still technically a constitutional monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II. “And what if [the American Revolution] was a mistake from the start?” He asks. “The Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, the creation of the United States of America—what if all this was a terrible idea, and what if the injustices and madness of American life since then have occurred not in spite of the virtues of the Founding Fathers but because of them?” “The Revolution, this argument might run, was a needless and brutal bit of slaveholders’ panic mixed with Enlightenment argle-bargle, producing a country that was always marked for violence and disruption and demagogy.” In other words, Gopnik suggests we ignore all the good aspects of American history, including individual drive and innovation, to instead focus entirely on the bad because “muh globalism.”

One Day, Three Serious News Stories That Turn Out To Be False
Blacklisted News - Three stories are making the rounds through the media that are each based on false or widely exaggerated interpretation of claims. North Korea, Syria and the U.S. President are the targets. 2. Back in February Amnesty International (which promotes NATO interventions) issued a sensational report about alleged killings in Syrian prisons. As we wrote at that time: A new Amnesty International report claims that the Syrian government hanged between 5,000 and 13,000 prisoners in a military prison in Syria. The evidence for that claim is flimsy, based on hearsay of anonymous people outside of Syria. The numbers themselves are extrapolations that no scientist or court would ever accept. It is tabloid reporting and fiction style writing from its title "Human Slaughterhouse" down to the last paragraph…. The U.S. State Department now reused that fake report and adds wrongly interpreted satellite pics to further slander the Syrian government: In its latest accusations of Syrian abuses, the State Department said it believed about 50 detainees each day are being hanged at Saydnaya military prison, about 45 minutes north of Damascus…. 3. The deep state is out to get U.S. President Trump impeached. Yesterday a new, well prepared and coordinated campaign against Trump was launched. Anonymous claims to the Washington Post were "confirmed" by similar claims from (likely) the same sources to Buzzfeed. The claims may have some grounds in reality but the actual facts, even as described in shrill words, are harmless. WaPo: Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador…
* Related: McMaster Responds To Wapo: “I Was In The Room, It Didn’t Happen. The Story Is False”

Height Securities Begins Contemplating "Impeachment": Here's What To Look For
Zero Hedge - Height writes that ending Trump’s viability as president "depends on Republicans turning against him", as impeachment proceedings can only begin with the majority party. What the firm will be closely watching to see if the Trump drama enters a potentially terminal phase: the main catalyst is Sen. John McCain…. Sen. John McCain said that allegations Trump shared highly classified information with top Russian officials are "deeply disturbing," and added that "regrettably, the time President Trump spent sharing sensitive information with the Russians was time he did not spend focusing on Russia’s aggressive behavior, including its interference in American and European elections, its illegal invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, its other destabilizing activities across Europe, and the slaughter of innocent civilians and targeting of hospitals in Syria," he said. He was not alone, joining other Republicans who voiced similar criticism about Trump's actions in the Oval Office…. Senator Bob Corker was even more blunt, saying the White House is "in a downward spiral right now and have got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that's happening…. It was the harsh Republican response that prompted Height Securities’ Peter Cohn to write a note to clients on Tuesday that Trump's recent conduct "raises questions for investors about whether senior Republicans will abandon ship."

A Random Walk Down Baltimore's Triangle Of Death (Map, Video)
Zero Hedge - As of Tuesday, 129 citizens in Baltimore City, Maryland have been murdered, including nine in the recent week. Baltimore City’s homicide rate is now ranked number one in the United States surpassing cities, such as New Orleans, St. Louis, and Detroit. The city has deteriorated so quickly this year that the Mayor of Baltimore has called on Federal Government agencies to restore order. According to WaPo, Baltimore’s homicide rate “is more than triple Washington’s rate and higher than the homicide rates in New Orleans and Chicago, two places that have become national symbols of gun violence”. Michael Snyder from ‘The Economic Collapse’ blog has summed up Baltimore in his latest article titled “Baltimore Has Become A Rotting, Decaying War Zone As A Raging Opioid Epidemic Eats Away At The City Like Cancer”. Referred to as the ‘Triangle of Death’, West Baltimore City is a stark reminder if America doesn’t get her industry back, this is coming to a town near you.

U.S. Supreme Court Won't Revive North Carolina Voter-ID Law
Bloomberg - The U.S. Supreme Court dealt an unexpected setback to the voter-identification movement, refusing to reinstate North Carolina ballot restrictions that a lower court said target blacks “with almost surgical precision.” Turning away the appeal pressed by state Republican leaders, the justices left intact a ruling that said the provisions were racially discriminatory in violation of federal voting-rights law. In addition to requiring people to show a photo ID, the North Carolina law reduced the number of early voting days and eliminated same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting.

Cockpit access codes for United Airlines spill online
Ars Technica - If a 69-year-old United passenger being manhandled wasn't bad enough for United, there's word that the carrier's security codes enabling access to the cockpit spilled online over the weekend. It wasn't some nefarious hackers that disclosed the codes. Instead, an airline attendant inadvertently exposed the access codes to the cockpits that were secured in the wake of 9/11…. The Air Line Pilots Association said the problem has been fixed. CBS said the codes needed to be manually programmed for each plane in United's fleet, which has some 4,400 departures daily across the globe. All the while, pilots were being told to continue with the practice of visually determining who somebody is before allowing them into the cockpit. Pilots can also override efforts by people trying to enter the cockpit, even if the correct code was entered on a keypad affixed on the outside of the cockpit door…. United e-mailed employees, saying that "the risk of a breach of the flight deck door is strongly mitigated by carefully following the flight deck security procedures." The Chicago-based airline also instructed employees that access code information "is sensitive security information and sharing this with anyone not authorized or who does not have a need to know is strictly prohibited."

World News

Russia Reacts To Trumpleaks: "We Want Nothing To Do With This Nonsense"
Zero Hedge - With both the White House and Trump himself denying that they had done anything wrong in response to the WaPo story that Trump improperly shared confidential information with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, next it was Russia's turn. And sure enough, on Tuesday morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "we don’t want anything to do with this nonsense,” in response to reporter questions prompted by the WaPo articles. "It’s complete nonsense" He did however cryptically note that "Russia doesn’t forget about the principle of reciprocity in relation to sanctions against its companies by Ukraine and “unfriendly” actions that “violate rights of people in Ukraine." Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova interjected her traditionally cynical retort on Tuesday when she advised that people don't read American newspapers, in response to U.S. media reports that Trump had disclosed classified intel. Zakharova said she had received dozens of messages asking about the reports, which have been denied by the White House. "Are you guys American newspaper reading again? Don't need to read them. They can be used in different ways, but there is no need to read lately it is not only unhealthy, but dangerous." she said on Facebook.

Israel Minister: "The Time Has Come To Assassinate Bashar Assad"
Zero Hedge - Israel's Housing and Construction Minister Yoav Galant called for the assassination of Syrian President Bashar Assad following yesterday's US State Department report that the Syrian regime was using a prison crematorium to hide mass killings outside Damascus, the Jerusalem Post reported. Speaking at a conference outside Jerusalem, Galant, a retired Israeli Defence Forces general, said that in light of recent allegations that Assad’s regime carried out mass executions and burned the bodies of the victims, he had to be killed…. Galant also likened the assassination of Assad to cutting off the “tail of the snake.” After that, he said, “we can focus on the head, which is in Tehran.” In a conversation with The Times of Israel after his speech, Galant stood by his comments and acknowledged that targeted political assassinations are considered illegal under international law, but clarified that he “wasn’t speaking about practicalities.” However, he added, “Anyone who murders people and burns their corpses does not have a place in this world.” As reported on Monday, the United States State Department accused the Assad regime of carrying out mass killings of thousands of prisoners and burning the bodies in a large crematorium outside the capital.

US Nears Record $100 Billion Arms Deal For Saudi Arabia
Zero Hedge - Earlier this month, US officials said the US was seeking to reach “billions” of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia as part of Trump’s visit to Riyadh. With a week left before the visit, officials now say the White House is very close to the deal, and that it will amount to over $100 billion in sales. Details are still emerging, but the plan is for this to set out a series of growing deals over the next decade that will involve more than $300 billion going to arms dealers, not just to arm the Saudis, but in extra aid to Israel to ensure their “qualitative military edge” over the Saudis. White House officials said the move would be good for the economy, and insisted that building Saudi Arabia’s already substantial military was “essential” because of regional problems. Saudi Arabia, of course, spends much of its military budget invading Yemen and trying to reinstall former President Hadi in power. Given Saudi Arabia’s Yemen-centric foreign policy, US sales are likely to be heavily on warplanes and bombs to drop on northern Yemen, as the conflict has lasted far longer than the Saudis anticipated, and there is little sign they are interested in extricating themselves from the conflict anytime soon.

Hackers Unleash Second NSA-Developed Cyber-Weapon On Dark Web
Zero Hedge - While a second variant of the WannaCry(pt) ransomware (based on NSA's EternalBlue exploit) was spreading across the globe yesterday, The FT reports criminal hacking groups have repurposed a second classified cyber weapon stolen from US spies and have made it available on the so-called dark web. On Monday, the WannaCry attack, which hit 370,000 computers across 150 countries, appeared to slow. Europol, the European police agency, said the spread of the virus had stalled in Europe. But while infection rates have slowed, a Europol spokeswoman warned, "we do not think this is the end of the crisis. The hackers have already evolved the malware, and will probably continue to do so." Notably as Europe woke up (and US opened), the infection rate started to rise once again... But as The FT reports, intelligence and law-enforcement officials said they fear WannaCry may foreshadow a wave of similarly damaging attacks, as criminals and others race to make use of digital weapons that for years were only available to the most technologically sophisticated nation states. At least a dozen other NSA tools are currently being discussed and worked on as the basis of potential new cyber weapons on hacking forums on the dark web, parts of the internet not accessible via normal search engines.

Economy & Business

Louisiana Committee Passes Bill to Encourage Use of Gold and Silver as Money
Tenth Amendment Center - Yesterday, a Louisiana House committee unanimously passed a bill that would exempt the sale and purchase of gold and silver from state sales and use taxes, encouraging their use and taking the first step toward breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money. Rep. Stephen Dwight (R) and Rep. Mark Abraham (R) introduced House Bill 396 (HB396) on March 31. The legislation would exempt the sale of platinum, gold, or silver bullion, ingots, or coins from the state sales tax. It would also exempt certain numismatic (collectable) coins.

Energy & Environment

Video: AMI Smart Meters Defined In Four Minute Cartoon
Natural Blaze - To most utility customers, AMI Smart Meters may be an unknown entity, even though they have one on their electric service, and probably on their natural gas and water utilities too! The goal is to have at least 90 million AMI Smart Meters installed in the USA by 2020. Larger cities already are AMI SM-retrofitted. Electric power prices may rise! How interesting, since an ‘objective’ of AMI SMs supposedly is to save consumers money. Well, in order to do that, think about making dinner at 10 PM, running the dishwasher at midnight, or doing laundry at 2 AM in order to save on your utility bills. Otherwise, consumers, who use power during peak hours, will be making mucho profits for utilities bottom lines. What’s the meaning of the 2020 date mentioned in the not-so-funny, but-fact-serious-cartoon? It apparently is a pre-set date for AMI SM installation ‘completion’ so as to be in compliance with the New World Order Agenda 21, which incorporates the AMI Smart Meter agenda as part of the global surveillance schema being rolled out using technology and all ‘smart’ appliances, including that beloved smart phone.

GE moths to be released in New York State?
Natural Blaze - Cornell University has applied for a permit to execute the world’s first open-air trial of a genetically engineered diamondback moth (GDM). The purpose of this new GM insect is to reduce pest populations of diamondback moths through engineering a new female lethality trait (female larvae die, and males go on to reproduce until the population is destroyed) into male GDM. Those pushing this new technology have not completed any worldwide assessments of health and environmental safety, and only the most cursory of environmental reviews has been conducted by the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Unless and until all environmental and health impacts have been reviewed, it is reckless to release hundreds of thousands of novel organisms around the citizens and farms of New York State…. Concerns include the contamination of crops with female GM larvae, which die while feeding on the crop, and impacts of this single-species approach on other pests which could cause increases in their numbers.

Scientists Fearful of ‘Ecological Risks’ Sparked by GMO Microalgae
Natural Society - Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Sapphire Energy have successfully grown genetically modified algae outdoors for the first time. They claim that the GM algae don’t harm native algae populations and, moreover, can fend off deadly bacteria. Genetically modifying algae makes them grow more quickly. Scientists believe the technology could allow the creation of algae that produce more oil, which can then be used to make biofuels or biodegradable plastics. The genetically engineered algae also have the potential to be made more nutritious, to feed livestock or people…. But this supposedly glorious research is occurring outside of adequate regulatory oversight and the EPA’s process of establishing and updating regulations for GE algae to protect human health and the environment (although the EPA did monitor the experiment). “This study confirmed that genetically engineered microalgae grown in open ponds will escape and spread into the environment. Once this genie is out of the bottle, there is no way to put it back. Not only is it impossible to contain GE algae in open air production, but there are currently no adequate regulations which fully address its risks to our environment, from lab to final product. Without this essential oversight, there should be no environmental release or commercial uses of GE algae and other synthetic biology organisms.”

Hawaii Seeks a Ban on Chemical Sunscreens in Effort to Save Coral Reefs
Waking Times - Around the world ocean’s coral reefs are dying as a result of bleaching, water temperature increases, poor stewardship, vandalism, tourism, and pollution, and worldwide attention is needed to protect them. Now, in an effort to save coral reefs, Hawaii is making an effort to ban certain chemical sunscreens for the impact they are having on the breathtaking coral reefs surrounding the islands. Hawaiian Senator Will Espero has presented a state congressional bill which would outlaw the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, two UV-blocking chemicals which are disrupting coral reefs as beachgoers are washing tons of this stuff into the oceans…. Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources has already urged the public to use reef-friendly sunscreens, also noting that these chemicals are bad for human health: “Besides damaging coral, oxybenzone may have negative effects on human health. Oxybenzone and two other sunscreen chemicals, octinoxate and homosalate, have all been shown to cause disruptive reproductive system effects, due to their hormone-like activity. Oxybenzone and octinoxate have also been associated with moderate to high rates of skin allergy.” As Espero’s bill works its way through the halls of government, however, resistance to his proposal is already being assembled by the sunscreen industry.

Science & Technology

UK gave Google’s DeepMind access to patient data without legal basis
Ars Technica - Google's DeepMind AI wing was given access to the personal medical records of 1.6 million NHS patients on an "inappropriate legal basis," the UK's top data protection adviser to the health service has said. In a letter sent to the Royal Free Hospital's medical director professor Stephen Powis, and seen by Sky News, the National Data Guardian Dame Fiona Caldicott—whose job it is to scrutinise the government when it hands over NHS patient records to private companies—concluded that the decision to share the data under implied consent was wrong. The London-based Royal Free Hospital (RFH) inked a controversial deal with Google last year, allowing its Streams AI app to be tested on the medical records of sufferers of acute kidney damage. It apparently helps clinicians to quickly administer potentially life-saving treatment. However, Caldicott challenged the hospital's claim that the transfer of 1.6 million identifiable patient records to DeepMind had been processed as "implied consent for direct care."

Delta Wants To Expedite Self-Service Bag Drops With Facial Recognition Tech
Consumerist - The airline spent $600,000 on four new self-service bag drop machines at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport designed to allow customers to quickly check their own bags. One of those machines will be equipped with facial recognition technology that can match customers with their passport photos to verify their identity when checking bags without the help of airline workers, which Delta says is a first for U.S. carriers. Though some travelers might find it creepy to have a machine scanning their faces, Delta says the tech will save them time and free up airline employees to “seek out travelers and deliver more proactive and thoughtful customer service.”

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Stay Away From This Brand of Organic Dairy
Dr. Mercola - In the U.S., organic dairy brings in about $6 billion in sales annually.1 Consumers pay a premium for the milk expecting they are getting a superior product. Organic milk (and meat) from cows raised primarily on pasture have been repeatedly shown to be higher in many nutrients, including vitamin E, beta-carotene and beneficial conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Organic milk also contains about 25 percent less omega-6 fats and 62 percent more omega-3 fats than conventional milk… Unfortunately, not all organic dairy is created equal… An investigation by The Washington Post revealed that some organic dairies are nothing more than CAFOs in disguise, selling higher-priced milk that is scarcely different from conventional CAFO dairy. When the Post visited Aurora Organic Dairy in Colorado, the company that provides organic store brands to corporations like Wal-Mart, Target and Costco, a few problems were evident right off the bat. For starters, the farm is massive, housing 15,000 cows, "making it more than 100 times the size of a typical organic herd," the Post noted. Further, organic standards require that cows have free access to certified organic pasture for the entire grazing season, but there are large loopholes in the requirement.
Related: Cornucopia’s Dairy Report and Scorecard

Health

Mushroom Powders Linked To Heart Health Benefits
Natural Blaze - Consuming Portobello or Shiitake powder may protect your arteries from the detrimental effects of a high fat diet, according to findings presented at Experimental Biology 2017. Mushrooms are known for their immune system boosting properties as well as treatments for anxiety and anti-cancer capabilities. For centuries, mushrooms have been used as medicinal plants, and, more recently, have been a growing component of a healthy diet. Mushrooms are low in sodium and are good sources of fiber, bioactive compounds, selenium, potassium and vitamin D, all which may contribute to a healthy heart through anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic activities…. Consumer interest in mushrooms and their potential health benefits has been growing in recent years, with demand for Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, Maitake, and the rest has never been higher and the global market was pegged at $18 billion in 2014 (up from $6 billion in 1999).

Never Use Body Products Containing This Toxic Ingredient
REALfarmacy - It might be a good idea to take a look at the ingredient list on your facial cleanser, body wash, toner, or moisturizer, and see if polysorbate-20 is on the list. Polysorbate is a harmless sorbitol in its original form as a sugar alcohol. Yet when it is used in personal care products, it is treated with ethylene oxide…. The issue with any ingredient that is treated with ethylene oxide is that it can then become contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a potentially dangerous by-product. 1,4-dioxane is a known animal carcinogen that can penetrate into the skin. This ingredient has also been linked to skin allergies. A class-action lawsuit has been filed in New Jersey against manufacturers of children’s bath and personal care products because defendants manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold products containing formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. The Organic Consumers Organization […] report shows that the levels of 1,4-dioxane found in many personal care products are 1,000 times higher than those found to cause cancer in animal studies. They also add that according to the FDA, “Skin absorption studies demonstrated that dioxane readily penetrates animal and human skin from various types of vehicles.”… In animal studies, high doses of polysorbate-20 resulted in developmental and reproductive toxicity. Moderate doses are also linked with skin irritation.

5 Unique ways to use almonds
(Natural News) Aside from being a staple heart healthy snack, almonds can be used in a variety of ways to make consumption a bit more exciting. An article published in MindBodyGreen.com listed five unique ways in using almonds. 1. Coffee creamer – Unlike heavy coffee creamers, almond creamers are dairy- and gluten-free, making it an ideal healthier substitute. 2. Protein-packed snacks – According to the article, almond pulp or almond meal can be used in making fiber-rich crackers. These crackers could use some flaxseeds and additional flavors such as nutritional yeast and rosemary. The article suggested making almond-based energy balls in different combinations such as almonds, dates and maca. Almonds, cherries, and cacao also make for an ideal combination. 3. Almond meal and butter – The article suggested adding almond meal or almond butter into a variety of foods including morning oats, soups and stews. Almond meals and butter can also be incorporated in smoothies and gluten-free bread to increase fiber and protein intake. 4. Exfoliating agent – Both ground almonds and almond meal are excellent exfoliants that help eliminate dead skin, according to the article. In addition, the almond’s high vitamin E content could greatly benefit the skin. The article suggested combining almond meal with honey and jojoba oil in making the exfoliant. 5. Skin treatment – Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which helps revitalize the skin. According to the article, almond oil can be used as a regular body oil, an eye-makeup remover and a facial moisturizer.

Pet News

New Study Confirms This Is the Worst Food to Feed Your Cat
Dr. Becker - The article at the U.K. diabetes site reports on a Swedish study of a little over 6,700 cats, 1,369 of which had diabetes. The cats’ guardians completed an online survey involving dozens of questions about their pet’s breed, age, sex, spay/neuter status, general health, body size, exercise habits, behavior, medications and diet. Based on the owners’ answers regarding diet, the cats were divided into three groups: cats who were fed dry food, cats fed wet food and cats fed a combination of dry and wet. The kitties’ body types were also categorized as underweight, normal weight or overweight. According to lead researcher and veterinarian Dr. Malin Ohlund: "Through our research we found that while obesity is a very important and prominent risk factor for diabetes mellitus in cats, there is also an increased risk of diabetes among normal-weight cats consuming a dry food diet…. Grain-free dry foods also contribute to obesity and diabetes, because they are calorie-dense and contain high glycemic potatoes, chickpeas, peas or tapioca, which require a substantial insulin release from the body. All the carbs (starches) in your cat's food break down into sugar. Excess sugar can trigger diabetes…. The ideal nutrition for cats is whole, fresh and unprocessed animal meat, organs and bones, with a small amount of vegetables.
 


Tuesday - May 16, 2017

On This Day In History


1866 - The U.S. Congress authorized the first 5-cent piece to be minted.
1868 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted during the Senate impeachment, by one vote.
1881 - In Germany, the first electric tram for the public started service.
1888 - The capitol of Texas was dedicated in Austin.
1910 - The U.S. Bureau of Mines was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1914 - The American Horseshoe Pitchers Association (AHPA) was formed in Kansas City, Kansas.
1920 - Joan of Arc was canonized in Rome.
1960 - A Big Four summit in Paris collapsed due to the American U-2 spy plane incident.
1977 - Five people were killed when a New York Airways helicopter, idling on top of the Pan Am Building in Manhattan, toppled over, sending a huge rotor blade flying.
1987 - The Bobro 400 set sail from New York Harbor with 3,200 tons of garbage. The barge travelled 6,000 miles in search of a place to dump its load. It returned to New York Harbor after 8 weeks with the same load.
1988 - A report released by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop declared that nicotine was addictive in similar was as heroin and cocaine.
1988 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police do not have to have a search warrant to search discarded garbage.
1991 - Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.
2000 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was nominated to run for U.S. Senator in New York. She was the first U.S. first lady to run for public office.
2002 - The remains of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl were unearthed in Pakistan.
2003 - Five simultaneous suicide attacks claimed the lives of 33 victims and a dozen suicide bombers in Casablanca, Morocco.
2005 - Newsweek magazine retracted a story that claimed investigators had found evidence the Quran was desecrated by interrogators at the U.S. naval prison at Guantanamo Bay. The story had sparked deadly protests in Afghanistan.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Push for Convention of the States to rein in government gains steam
Fox News - When Democrats launched into a spontaneous chorus of "Na na na na, hey hey, goodbye" on the House floor after the passage of the American Health Care Act last month, it may have marked a modern-day low mark in open hostility on the House floor. It and numerous other cultural barometers – from cable news contributors losing their cool, to contentious town halls, to street fights – are signaling tectonic rumblings in America's political health.

State Department: Renamed Al-Qaeda Not A Terrorist Organization - Can Receive CIA Supplies
Blacklisted News - Max Abrams, a professor who works about terrorism, came up with this new definition of "terrorism": Nonstate actors who use violence against civilians for a political goal and haven't been supported by the US…. Prof. Adams remark came after a report by the Canadian CBC which found that the U.S. has not designated al-Qaeda's recently renamed organization in Syria as a "foreign terrorist entity". The U.S. just offered a $10,000,000 reward… for Abu Muhammad al-Joulani the founder al Al-Qaeda in Syria (aka Jabhat al-Nusra aka Jabhat Fatah al-Sham). But newly again renamed organization which he leads as the official military commander, the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is not on any U.S. (and Canadian) terrorist entity list… The non-designation will make it more difficult to prosecute members and supporters of the organization. Donations and other support to HTS are now legal…. As long as HTS is not designated as terrorist group the CIA, and anyone else, can supply it with weapons and money without using any "Free Syrian Army" cut-outs in-between…. As long as HTS is not officially designated it will likely continue to have access to CIA delivered TOW anti-tank missiles and other heavy supplies like artillery munition. It will continue to prepare for new attacks on Syrian government forces and Syrian civilians.

Report: Justice Scalia Believed Supreme Court was Being Surveilled by Obama (Video)
The GatewayPundit - Judge Andrew Napolitano, Fox News senior judicial analyst, went on FOX Business Network on Monday to discuss allegations Senator Rand Paul and another senator were under surveillance by the Obama administration. Napolitano also dropped a bomb on the Obama administration spying on the US Supreme Court. Judge Napolitano: Justice Scalia told me that he often thought the court was being surveilled. And he told me that probably four or five years ago…If they had to unmask Senator Paul’s name to reveal a conversation he was having with a foreign agent and the foreign agent was hostile to the United States they can do that. That’s not what he’s talking about. They’re talking about unmasking him when he’s having a conversation with his campaign manager when he’s running in the Republican primary. During the discussion Judge Napolitano also said Barack Obama could be subpoenaed to testify if he viewed the unmasked intelligence.

Supreme Court Throws Out State Rule Protecting Nursing Home Residents From Having Rights Signed Away
Consumerist - In 2015, the Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled… against multiple nursing home operators, concluding that while power of attorney might give someone the authority to sign contracts on your behalf, it doesn’t explicitly allow them to preemptively waive your rights to a jury trial…. The Kentucky court held that the country’s founding fathers “deemed the right to a jury trial to be inviolate, a right that cannot be taken away; and, indeed, a right that is sacred, thus denoting that right and that right alone as a divine God-given right.” The nursing home operators petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court… last year, arguing that the Kentucky court’s ruling violates the Federal Arbitration Act. That 1926 law states that arbitration agreements “shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, save upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract.” And today, in a 7-1 ruling, SCOTUS agreed that their counterparts in Kentucky had indeed violated the FAA by “singl[ing] out arbitration agreements for disfavored treatment.”

DNC Faces Class Action Lawsuit After $1 million in Bonuses Given Out
Observer - On May 12, CBS reported another class action lawsuit was filed against the DNC for stiffing dozens of field organizers all over the country for overtime work during the 2016 election while the DNC gave out $1 million in bonuses, including more than $300,000 to Democratic National Convention Host Committee Executive Director Kevin Washo. The lawsuit was filed by Justin Swidler of Cherry Hill, N.J. on behalf of 40 to 50 field organizers against the DNC, Pennsylvania state Democrats, and five other state Democratic Parties. “These workers were out there in a campaign that was promising $15 an hour minimum wage and expanding the overtime rights of workers,” Swidler told CBS. He added the lawsuit seeks “fair pay for fair work” and to hold the Democratic Party accountable to the ideals it markets itself with…. Many of the plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit worked 80 to 90 hours a week for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and were compensated only $3,000 a month.

Hillary Emerges from Woods, Launches ‘Resist’ Trump ‘Dark Money’ Organization
Infowars - Failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announced the formation of a nonprofit organization Monday, which aims to encourage citizens to “Resist, insist, persist, enlist.” The former secretary of state unveiled her Onward Together 501(c)(4) non-profit via Twitter, claiming she’s spent the last few months reflecting on her defeat, and “yes, taking walks in the woods.” On the Onward website, the group claims its mission is to advance “the vision that earned nearly 66 million votes in the last election.” “By encouraging people to organize, get involved, and run for office, Onward Together will advance progressive values and work to build a brighter future for generations to come,” the site states.

Trump Will Light White House Blue in Honor of Fallen Law Enforcement — Something Obama Refused to After Police Massacre
The GatewayPundit - Trump released a statement on Monday morning: “In humble appreciation of our hard-working law enforcement officers, Melania and I will light the White House in blue on May 15.” This is something the Obama White House refused to do after five police officers were gunned down by a #BlackLivesMatter sympathizer last July. At a press briefing in July 2016, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest blew off a request made to President Barack Obama by a federal government police union to honor the five Dallas police officers massacred last week by a Black Lives Matter supporter by illuminating the White House in blue.

1,746 American Adults Were Asked To Point Out North Korea On A Map: This Was The Result
Zero Hedge - In April 2014… some 2,066 Americans were asked to show where the Ukraine was on a map. The result, while leaving something to be desired, was not terrible. Fast forward to this weekend, when the NYT repeated the same exercise with the latest geopolitical hotspot: North Korea. In an experiment led by Kyle Dropp of Morning Consult, he asked 1,746 American adults to point to where North Korea is on the world map…. The bottom line: just 36% got it right…. the NYT provided the following details explaining why the study was conducted: respondents who could correctly identify North Korea tended to view diplomatic and nonmilitary strategies more favorably than those who could not…. They also viewed direct military engagement – in particular, sending ground troops – much less favorably than those who failed to locate North Korea…. However what was far more surprising according to the Morning Consult survey, is that on average, Republicans – and Republican men in particular – were more likely to correctly locate North Korea than Democratic men. And Republicans were more likely to be in favor of almost all the diplomatic solutions posed by the researchers.

World News

Report: U.S., British Forces Enter Southern Syria Alongside Terrorists; Is A Bigger Battle Shaping Up?
Activist Post - Days after reports that Damascus was on high alert due to increased U.S. troop levels on the Jordanian border and an apparent preparation for an invasion from the south and southeast, the United States and Britain have indeed pushed into Syria from the very location earlier reports suggested would be used…. SMART News Agency has provided video evidence of their claims. This video reportedly shows several military personnel in armed Humvees engaging in a firefight alongside terrorist forces, who were operating the cameras. Indeed, the familiar “Allahu Akbar” chant can be heard throughout the video…. This movement of troops is significant because their goal could be to cut off the Syrian military’s progress toward Deir ez-Zour. Essentially, it is a way to prevent the Syrian military from lifting the siege of the city and prevent its progress in the east without violating the Russian No Fly Zone over other parts of the country…. A U.S. / British / Military presence in the area, however, could also lead to a direct confrontation between Western and Syrian forces. Syria has repeatedly warned against Jordanian and Western aggression and the Syrian government does not appear willing to allow the United States to cut off its progress toward Deir ez-Zour. Some reports coming out of the Middle East have reported that the Syrian military is in the process of dispatching troops to the area. These reports, however, are unconfirmed.

ISIS Commanders Join "Moderate" Syrian Rebels
Zero Hedge - Once again confirming that there is no such thing as a "moderate" Syrian rebel (although there certainly is for State Department funding and arming purposes), on Friday, two prominent ISIS commanders have left the ranks of the caliphate to join forces with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters, i.e., "moderate rebels" on the provincial border between Homs and Deir Ezzor, al Masdar news reported. After communicating with FSA contingents, Ghassan Al-Sankeh and Mahmoud Al-Faraj arrived in Badia in central Syria and defected quietly, leaving behind ISIS fighters under their command in rural Deir Ezzor. Meanwhile, with ISIS' oil funding almost entirely gone, and its fighters on the defensive in both Syria and Iraq, it is now quietly melding back into other opposition groups that have been cheered, supported and armed by the west. In other words, ISIS is returning back to where it started.

New Variant Of "WannaCry" Virus Emerges Infecting 3,600 Computers Per Hour
Zero Hedge - The initial attack was stifled when a security researcher disabled a key mechanism used by the worm to spread, but experts warned the hackers were likely to mount a second attack because so many users of personal computers with Microsoft operating systems couldn’t or didn’t download a security patch released in March that Microsoft had labeled “critical.”… However, new variants of the rapidly replicating malware were discovered Sunday. One did not include the so-called kill switch that allowed researchers to interrupt the malware's spread Friday by diverting it to a dead end on the internet. As Bloomberg reports that Matt Suiche, founder of United Arab Emirates-based cyber security firm Comae Technologies warns a new version of the ransomware may have also been spreading over the weekend. About 50% of machines that would have spread the infection by the second variation of the malware have Russian I.P. addresses, according to Suiche. Over 40,000 machines appear to have been infected by the second variation of the malware already. Update: according to the latest data from Check Point Software, cited by Reuters, a new variant of the WannaCry ransomware is now infecting on average 3,600 computers per hour.

Putin: Malware created by intelligence services can backfire on its creators
RT - The ransomware that hit computers across the world could backfire on its creators, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Beijing, adding that the implications of the global hack attack need to be discussed on a political level. The ransomware was apparently developed in the US, Putin said. “Microsoft’s management has made it clear that the virus originated from US intelligence services,” the Russian president stressed. Putin added that launching cyber-viruses is “lifting a lid” that “could backfire on those who developed and created them,” including intelligence agencies.

Sweden in hot water for giving Christian asylum seekers Bible quizzes
RT - A few questions on the quiz cited by Swedish SVT broadcaster included: “How many parts are there in the New Testament?” “Can you tell us about the Trinity? “What is the difference between the Orthodox and the Protestant church?” “Can you tell us about the Letter to the Romans?” Some of the asylum seekers became Christians in their home country and fled because of persecution, while others just wanted to leave Islam, SVT reports. Religious persecution can be a reason for applying for asylum in Sweden…. Some representatives of the Church of Sweden were hesitant to support the idea of administering detailed ‘Christianity quizzes.’ “Migration Board tests the knowledge of Christianity, not faith,” a deacon of a Swedish church that has been working with Christian asylum seekers for years told SVT on condition of anonymity. The deacon’s church has already begun writing a handbook of facts on Christianity to prepare asylum seekers for their interviews with the Migration Agency, SVT said. Hans-Erik Nordin, Bishop of the Diocese of Strängnäs in southeastern Sweden, was curious about how much the Migration Agency itself actually knows about religion.

Germany Confiscating Homes to Use for Migrants
The Gatestone Institute - Authorities in Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany, have begun confiscating private dwellings to ease a housing shortage — one that has been acutely exacerbated by Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to allow more than two million migrants into the country in recent years. City officials have been seizing commercial properties and converting them into migrant shelters since late 2015, when Merkel opened German borders to hundreds of thousands of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Now, however, the city is expropriating residential property units owned by private citizens. In an unprecedented move, Hamburg authorities recently confiscated six residential units in the Hamm district near the city center. The units, which are owned by a private landlord, are in need of repair and have been vacant since 2012. A trustee appointed by the city is now renovating the properties and will rent them — against the will of the owner — to tenants chosen by the city. District spokeswoman Sorina Weiland said that all renovation costs will be billed to the owner of the properties.

Economy & Business

Financial Weapons Of Mass Destruction: The Top 25 U.S. Banks Have 222 Trillion Dollars Of Exposure To Derivatives
The Financial Collapse Blog - The recklessness of the “too big to fail” banks almost doomed them the last time around, but apparently they still haven’t learned from their past mistakes. Today, the top 25 U.S. banks have 222 trillion dollars of exposure to derivatives. In other words, the exposure that these banks have to derivatives contracts is approximately equivalent to the gross domestic product of the United States times twelve. As long as stock prices continue to rise and the U.S. economy stays fairly stable, these extremely risky financial weapons of mass destruction will probably not take down our entire financial system. But someday another major crisis will inevitably happen, and when that day arrives the devastation that these financial instruments will cause will be absolutely unprecedented…. According to financial expert Jim Rickards, [Warren] Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is hoarding 86 billion dollars in cash because he is likely anticipating a major stock market downturn… Warren Buffett didn’t become one of the wealthiest men in the entire world by being stupid. He knows that stocks are ridiculously overvalued at this point, and he is poised to make his move after the pendulum swings in the other direction. And he might not have too long to wait.

Energy & Environment

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK! $697,177 for a 'Climate-Change Musical'
InvestmentWatch - [The ] WSJ reports: The [National Science Foundation], whose mission is to ensure U.S. leadership in areas of science and technology that are essential to economic growth and national security, frequently funds politically correct but low-value research projects. A few doozies include the veiling-fashion industry in Turkey, Viking textiles in Iceland, the “social impacts” of tourism in the northern tip of Norway, and whether hunger causes couples to fight (using the number of pins stuck in voodoo dolls as a measure of aggressive feelings). Research funding in the geosciences, including climate change, is certainly legitimate, but not when it goes to ludicrous boondoggles such as a climate-change musical that cost $697,177 to produce. The primary culprit is the NSF’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, known as SBE. Underlying its ability to dispense grants is the wrongheaded notion that social-science projects such as a study of animal depictions in National Geographic and a climate change musical are as important as research to identify early markers for Alzheimer’s disease or pancreatic cancer.

Science & Technology

The Pentagon's New Algorithmic Warfare Cell Gets Its First Mission: Hunt ISIS
Defense One - By year’s end, the Pentagon wants computers to be leading the hunt for Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, through turning countless hours of aerial surveillance video into actionable intelligence. It’s part of Project Maven, a fast-moving effort launched last month by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work to accelerate, improve, and put to wider use the military’s use of machine learning…. The Pentagon has raced to buy and deploy drones that carry high-resolution cameras over the past decade and a half of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. But on the back end, stateside analysts are overwhelmed. Pentagon leaders hope technology can ease the burden on the workforce while producing better results on the battlefield…. Officials see the effort to automate intelligence processing as the starting point for using new technology in other military functions. “There are a thousand things we want to do with artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, but everybody has cautioned us, don’t take on too much the first time you do this,” [Air Force Lt. Gen. John N.T.“Jack”] Shanahan said. “You have to go after a manageable problem, solve it, show early wins and then start to open Pandora’s box and go after all of these other challenges across the department.”

Experts Warn of Second Round of Cyberattacks Following Friday's Massive Hack
Sputnik News - Friday’s massive global cyberattack affected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries. Though some facilities were able to combat the first wave, British cybersecurity officials said Monday that new malware attacks are possible, “at a significant scale.”…. On Friday, Dr. Binoy Kampmark, Senior Lecturer at RMIT University in Melbourne told Radio Sputnik that although the tactics used in this latest hack aren’t new, it hasn’t been seen on this scale before, and noted that future attacks are likely. He said, "The reality is that these particular systems are going to be used, more will be coming out because this is after all a new frontier … we are set to deal with matters of security in this way, which connect intelligence agencies but also those in the private sector. So, we are concerned essentially about security of data both in a private and a public sense, so we can expect more of that, I'm afraid."

TV Networks Watch You Back With The Help Of Big Data
Consumerist - … according to the L.A. Times, networks are trying to reassure advertisers of two things: They know a lot about their viewers and they know how to reach those viewers who fast-forward through commercials. One of the criteria that networks have used in choosing their programming for the 2017-2018 TV year is whether a show lends itself to product placement. If you watched American Idol in its original incarnation on Fox, Coca-Cola and Ford are probably burned onto your brain, and that’s one of the reasons why ABC decided to revive the singing contest…. Networks also want to harness Big Data to find the right people to advertise to. This is a specialty of NBC Universal, which is of course owned by cable giant Comcast. Quietly gathering viewing data about its customers from their DVRs and cable boxes and matching it up with information from the U.S. Census and consumer databases, TV networks will be able to tell advertisers a lot about you. NBC is able to use the data it has to sell ads it may not otherwise have sold.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

County may press for quarantine of an organic farm
Capital Press - Sherman County may order owners of a 2,000-acre organic farm to spray noxious weeds or face a possible quarantine….. The issue has blown up on social media. The manager of Azure Farms, Nathan Stelzer, urged supporters to “Overwhelm the Sherman County representatives with your voice.” A video posted on the farm website called for people to express their outrage reportedly has resulted in hundreds of phone calls and thousands of emails to county officials. The issue may come to a head Wednesday when the county’s Board of Commissioners takes up the issue. The county is expecting such a crowd that it moved the session from the courthouse to the Sherman County School gym… Oregon Tilth, which certifies organic operations, is calling for calm and urging the county to pause its enforcement timeline. Executive Director Chris Schreiner said Oregon Tilth hopes mediation can result in a weed management plan that allows Azure Farms to retain its certification while addressing concerns of neighboring farmers. Wheat farmer Bryan Cranston, who grows certified seed next to Azure Farms, said its weed problems have gotten progressively worse over the years. Cranston said he spoke to Selzer and told him, “I don’t drift chemicals on you, I’d appreciate it if weeds don’t drift on me.” Cranston said he told Selzer, “I grow seed wheat to garner more out of the market, you grow organic to garner more out of the market — we have a lot in common here.” But he added, “You’re messing me up.”

5 ‘Survival Insurance’ Trees Every Homesteader Should Plant
Off the Grid News - 1. Hazelnut - Nuts are one of the most nutrient-dense, long-term storage crops you can grow, and hazelnuts top the list of best nuts to plant. This is because of their exceptional nutritional value as well as their ability to produce quickly, within 4-5 years. Keep the nut shell on and store in a cool, dry place, and it should store for at least 12 months. An edible oil can be extracted from the seed…. 2. Walnut - The nuts are high in calories and nutrients, with a sweet, rich flavor. They can be stored like other nuts (dried, kept cool and dark) and will keep for up to 6 months, though roasting extends storage times…. 3. Shagbark Hickory - Much the same as walnut, particularly the edible nut. Hickory nuts store better than walnuts, however, keep for up to 2 years. The seed also can be ground into a meal and used as a thickener, while it is also sweet and delicious on its own…. 4. Mulberry - Mulberry has a sweet and delicious edible berry that is usually produced in abundance, and can be eaten fresh (although it doesn’t keep well), made into preserves, or dried…. 5. Honey Locust - Seeds are edible raw or cooked, with a taste similar to peas, and they are high in carbs and protein. Seed pulp is sweet and can be eaten or used as a sugar substitute. Pods also are great livestock fodder, and the tender young seedpods are edible cooked. The tree fixes nitrogen so is a good companion plant for many other plants, and can be used to make a “living fence” by planting them densely in rows and then keeping them trimmed. Wood is very rot-resistant and can be useful for making tools or fence posts (although living fences are much smarter since they never rot)….

Health

One in three new drugs have serious—and sometimes deadly—safety issues
What Doctors Don't Tell You - There's something seriously wrong with our drug approval processes. One in three drugs that pass all the usual checks before being given a license are unsafe, and are causing serious—and sometimes deadly—health reactions in patients. The safety concerns are so serious that the drug either is pulled from the market, or the drug regulator is forced to issue special warnings that the drug can have fatal effects. The dangers of the new drugs often don't come to light until four years after they have been licensed, which means that many thousands of patients may have been affected…. Researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston uncovered the failures in safety testing when they looked at the track record of 222 new drugs that had been passed as safe by America's drug regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), between 2001 and 2010. One in three of these had a 'safety event', the researchers discovered, which included three drugs which were withdrawn because they were so dangerous, 61 had 'boxed warnings'—the FDA's most serious alert before a drug is taken off the market, and means the drug may be a killer—and 59 had their safety questioned…. The drugs with potentially fatal effects included SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants, antipsychotics and a new class of drugs that treats auto-immune problems.

Antidepressants in Pregnancy Tied to Autism
Alliance for Natural Health - After extensive reports showing the negative effects of antidepressants, this new study, which looked at nearly 150,000 babies, has found a link between antidepressants taken during pregnancy and autism in young children. Children of women who took antidepressants during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were 87% more likely to develop autism than kids born to women who didn’t take the drugs. This is just the latest reason to be wary of these drugs. We’ve reported previously that there is good evidence to suggest that these mind-altering drugs have played a part in a large percentage of the mass shootings that have occurred in the last few decades. Important research has shown major drugs like Paxil and Prozac to be linked with violence at a substantially higher rate than other drugs—users of Paxil are 10.3 times more likely to do violence to themselves or others, while users of Prozac are 10.9 times more likely to commit those acts. There is not merely an increased risk of suicide, which is now on the label; there is also a dramatically increased risk of violence toward others.

11 Surprising Benefits of Coconut Oil
Organic Facts - People are discovering the wonders this oil can create and it is again gaining popularity throughout the world. Let us look at some of the known benefits of coconut oil…. 1. Skin care: Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil that acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skin, including dry skin. Unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin from the application of coconut oil. 2. Hair care: Coconut oil helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shiny quality. It is also highly effective in reducing protein loss, which can lead to various unattractive or unhealthy qualities in your hair…. By regularly massaging your head with coconut oil, you can ensure that your scalp is free of dandruff, even if your scalp is chronically dry. It also helps in keeping your hair and scalp free from lice and lice eggs. 3. Heart diseases: There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for heart health. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. In reality, it is quite beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in actively preventing various heart problems like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Coconut oil does not lead to increase in LDL levels, and it reduces the incidence of injury and damage to arteries, and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis. 4. Weight loss: Coconut oil is very useful for weight loss. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. 5. Immunity: It strengthens the immune system because it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which research has supported as an effective way to deal with viruses and bacteria…

Pet News

3 Simple Ways Apple Cider Vinegar Can Help Your Dog
Dogs Naturally - While apple cider vinegar has been touted to help with everything from boosting the immune system and detoxifying kidneys to helping lower cholesterol, here are three popular ways it can help your dog…. Itchy Skin: ACV can help relieve itchy skin and rashes caused by yeast and poison ivy. The best way to apply is by making a 50/50 solution of apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle and applying directly onto itchy spots, but NOT open wounds – the vinegar will sting if the wound is raw. If you can’t apply topically and yeast is the main concern, you can feed ACV in your pet’s food or water…. Ear Cleaner: Itchy skin is often accompanied by itchy ears – and nobody wants that. Holistic veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker recommends a proactive cleaning regimen using half ACV and half purified water to prevent ear infection…. Flea and Tick Repellant: Before your dog goes out, spray him with that 50/50 solution of ACV and water…. NOTE: When using apple cider vinegar internally or topically, remember to monitor your dog for any adverse reactions. Some dogs may need a lesser dose and some dogs may be too acidic already…. Apple Cider Vinegar Tea Body Rinse: This body rinse can be useful to restore skin pH, soothe itchy skin, calm rashes and welts, and has some added benefits for keeping biting flies, fleas and gnats at bay. Mix the following ingredients together… Apple Cider Vinegar: 1/2 cup, Brewed Green Tea (cooled): 1/2 cup and Distilled Water: 1 cup. After bathing, apply this warm water/apple cider vinegar rinse to your animal friend’s coat/skin and massage in. Rinse well and pat dry, or allow the apple cider vinegar mix to air dry for the added benefit of bug relief…..

Video: Hummingbird Pool Party
Healthy Pets - Hummingbirds love water, and a shallow fountain provides them the perfect retreat! Buzzing like needle-beaked bumblebees, this horde of hummingbirds demonstrates noisily how attracted they are to water, splashing and dashing to their hearts’ content!
 


Monday - May 15, 2017

On This Day In History

1702 - The War of Spanish Succession began.
1862 - The U.S. Congress created the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
1911 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil Company, ruling it was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
1916 - U.S. Marines landed in Santo Domingo to quell civil disorder.
1918 - Regular airmail service between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, began under the direction of the Post Office Department, which later became the U.S. Postal Service.
1930 - Ellen Church became the first female flight attendant.
1940 - Nylon stockings went on sale for the first time in the U.S.
1942 - Gasoline rationing began in the U.S. The limit was 3 gallons a week for nonessential vehicles.
1957 - Britain dropped its first hydrogen bomb on Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean.
1970 - U.S. President Nixon appointed America's first two female generals.
1970 - Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green, two black students at Jackson State University in Mississippi, were killed when police opened fire during student protests.
1972 - Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot and paralyzed by Arthur Bremer in Laurel, MD while campaigning for the U.S. presidency.
1975 - The merchant ship U.S. Mayaguez was recaptured from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge.
1988 - The Soviet Union began their withdrawal of its 115,000 troops from Afghanistan. Soviet forces had been there for more than eight years.
1990 - Vincent Van Gogh's "Portrait of Doctor Gachet" was sold for $82.5 million. The sale set a new world record.
1999 - The Russian parliament was unable a attain enough votes to impeach President Boris Yeltsin.
2014 - The National September 11 Memorial Museum was dedicated in New York City.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Trump’s First Commencement Speech: ‘In America We Don’t Worship Government, We Worship God’
Breitbart - President Donald Trump gave his first commencement speech at Liberty University on Saturday, encouraging “dreamers” to ignore critics, take risks, never quit, and remember that “in America we don’t worship government, we worship God…. “You are about to begin the greatest adventure of your life,” said Trump who remarked how blessed the graduates are. Ask yourself, with all of those blessings and all of the blessings that you have been given, what will you give back to this country and indeed to the world, what imprint will you leave in the sands of history? What will future Americans say we did in our brief time right here on earth. Did we take risks? Did we dare to defy expectations? Did we challenge accepted wisdom and take on established systems? I think I did, but we all did and we’re all doing it. Or did we just go along with convention, swim downstream, so easily with the current and just give in because it was the easy way, it was the traditional way or it was the accepted way? Remember this: nothing worth doing ever, ever, ever came easy. Following your convictions means you must be willing to face criticism from those that lack the same courage to do what is right and they know what is right but they don’t have the same courage or guts or stamina to take it and to do it. It’s called the road less traveled. Trump said that he knows each graduate will be “a warrior for the truth”, “a warrior for our country and for your family.” He encouraged them that they will do what is right even when it isn’t easy, “You will be true to yourself, your family, your beliefs.”. [Read More…]
* Related Video: President Trump Makes Remarks at the Liberty University Commencement Ceremony – Full Speech

Rand Paul: Another Senator Surveilled by Obama Admin
Fox News Insider - On "America's News HQ" this afternoon, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) revealed that another senator confided in him that he was surveilled by the Obama administration. Earlier this week, Paul said reporters have told him they have evidence he was a target of Obama administration spying. This is the first time that Paul mentioned another senator is also concerned about the Obama administration's surveillance. He said if this proves to be true, it's a much bigger story than any allegations about collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the presidential election. "It's about your own government spying on the opposition party," Paul said. "That would be enormous if it's true." Paul told Fox Business Network’s Charles Payne on Wednesday that he's asked the White House and the House and Senate intelligence committees to investigate. He said if the intelligence community is indeed being used for politics, it's a "very, very serious crime." Paul added that the possible illegal use of intelligence community resources for political purposes raises chilling questions.

Video: Thanks to President Trump US Government Will Finally Cross Check Voter Rolls with DHS Alien Lists
The GatewayPundit - Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach joined Maria Bartiromo this morning on Sunday Morning Futures. Kobach was picked this week to lead President Trump’s voter fraud panel. Kobach discussed Obama’s failures as president to assure voter integrity. Kris Kobach: You pretty much need an ID to function in American society… One thing that’s never been done that I alluded to earlier is the Department of Homeland Security has a database of all known aliens, green card holders, temporary visa card holders in the United States. And that has never been bounced against a state’s voter rolls, to say, “Hey, how many of these people with this name and this date of birth… how many of them are registered to vote in state A or state B. It’s stunning that this was never performed before now. And watch Democrats fight this with court case after court case.

Police Dept Wanted a Cop to Kill a Suicidal Dad, He Chose Not To, So They Fired Him
The Free Thought Project - … on May 6, 2016, [Weirton WV police officer Stephen] Mader responded to a domestic call about a suicidal person. When he arrived on the scene, Mader confronted 23-year-old Ronald D. Williams who was armed and mentally distraught. Made said that he began talking to the young man in his “calm voice.” Mader showed incredible restraint in the situation, even though Williams was attempting to provoke a suicide by cop. Sadly, as Mader began to reason with Williams and de-escalate the situation, backup arrived, and another officer immediately shot and killed Williams without a second of consideration. To add insult to injury, Mader was fired for his restraint, and the officer who murdered Williams was cleared of all wrongdoing… Now, Mader is understandably reconsidering his career choices and has filed a lawsuit against the city that employed him…. Mader has no regrets and still believes he did the right thing.

Mormon Church Cuts Ties With Boy Scouts - Sort of ...
The New American - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — the Mormons — has announced that it will pull over 180,000 older teens from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), as it transitions to its own internal scouting-style program…. Although the loss represents a small percentage of the 2.3 million young people enrolled in Boy Scout programs, the BSA has been losing members steadily over the past several years as it has made policy changes at odds with the traditional values embraced by longtime faith-based partner organizations. Among the major conservative Christian denominations that have experienced a mass-exodus of its members and congregations from scouting programs are the Southern Baptist Convention and the Assemblies of God, which have turned instead to such wholesome, faith-based organizations as the Royal Rangers (sponsored by the Assemblies of God) and Trail Life USA, organized in part by individuals and groups who had previously been involved in traditional Scouting programs…. While the present decision only impacts teens fourteen years old and older, observers say it is only a matter of time before LDS leadership pulls children ages eight to thirteen from BSA programs as well.

New Private Terminal At LAX Allows Oligarchs To Mock Debt-Serfs Hauling Luggage Via Tele-screen
Zero Hedge - If there was ever an article that perfectly summed up the times we live in, it’d have to be the one published yesterday at The Guardian titled, At LA Airport’s New Private Terminal, the Rich Can Watch Normal People Suffer. Here are a few excerpts: ” The guiltiest pleasure at Los Angeles international airport’s (LAX) new private terminal for the mega-rich is not the plush, hushed privacy, or the beds with comforters, or the massages, or the coriander-scented soap, or the Willie Wonka-style array of chocolates and jelly beans, or the Napa Valley cabernet. It is the iPad that sits on a counter at the entrance, with a typed little note: “Here is a glimpse of what you’re missing over at the main terminal right now.” The screen shows travelers hauling bags through packed terminals, queuing in long lines, looking harassed and being swallowed into pushing, shoving paparazzi scrums – routine hazards for the 80 million people who pass through LAX each year. “There they process thousands of people at a time, they’re barking. It’s loud. Here it’s very, very lovely,” said Gavin de Becker, who runs the new terminal, called Private Suite.”…. The fact that the super rich and powerful have it so much better than everyone else is nothing new. It’s been that way in pretty much every society you can think of, whether capitalist or communist. The real sickening thing is that the geniuses behind this terminal thought it’d be a nice touch to add a screen from which oligarchs can watch and jeer at the unwashed masses. The idea clearly being that this would add to the experience and provide additional entertainment for the mega-rich. This speaks to a special type of demented self-satisfaction that is not representative of a healthy society.

World News

North Korea: Test To Deliver "Large Scale Heavy Nuclear Warhead" Was Successful
Zero Hedge - After North Korea provoked both its neighbors and the US when on Sunday morning it fired off yet another ballistic missile from Kusong near the border with China - one which this time did not explode upon launch - just days after the election of a new South Korean president who ironically advocates more engagement with Pyongyang, experts said the missile appeared to be a new type of ballistic missile, and had a far greater range than any other weapon North Korea has successfully launched…. Cited by the WSJ, independent experts said the missile, if fired at a conventional angle, could have flown 2,800 miles—far enough to reach the U.S. military base in Guam. That is a “considerably longer range than its current missiles,” said David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, in an analysis of the launch. As the Journal adds, while North Korea’s Taepodong-2 rocket has flown farther than Sunday’s missile, North Korea classifies it as a satellite launcher that isn’t designed to deliver a warhead back to earth. It is, however, banned by United Nations sanctions because similar technology could be used to make an intercontinental ballistic missile.

BBC Has Evidence of Syrian Chemical Weapons, but There's One Major Problem
The AnitMedia - According to a document provided to the BBC by a “Western intelligence agency,” chemical and biological munitions are being produced at three main sites near Damascus and Hama. The document also alleges that Iran and Russia are well aware of these activities…. In its report, the BBC then tied the information from the document into the wider issue at hand — that the Syrian government is deemed by Western powers to be the number one culprit behind the most recent chemical weapons attack at the beginning of April. Most disturbing, however, is the fact that the BBC advanced this information with the following provisos buried in the final paragraphs of its report: “The intelligence information about the suspected weapons manufacturing sites was shared with the BBC on condition the agency providing it would not be named. “It does not give detail about how the alleged evidence was gathered.”…. Real journalism requires a much higher standard than that, assuming our job is to publish the truth. The stakes are high in Syria, and we can’t afford to let the U.S. government and allies employ a shoot-first-ask-questions-later mentality — the same kind we have seen cause such widespread catastrophe in countries such as Iraq and Libya…. This time, let’s question the propaganda before the invasion — not after it.

Leaked NSA Malware Is Helping Hijack Computers Around the World
The Intercept - The malware worm taking over the computers goes by the names “WannaCry” or “Wanna Decryptor.” It… remains invisible to users until it unveils itself as so-called ransomware, telling users that all their files have been encrypted with a key known only to the attacker and that they will be locked out until they pay $300 to an anonymous party using the cryptocurrency Bitcoin….The price rises to $600 after a few days; after seven days, if no ransom is paid, the hacker (or hackers) will make the data permanently inaccessible…. Reuters said that “hospitals across England reported the cyberattack was causing huge problems to their services…. The worm has also reportedly reached universities, a major Spanish telecom, FedEx, and the Russian Interior Ministry. In total, researchers have detected WannaCry infections in over 57,000 computers across over 70 countries. ... today’s ongoing WannaCry attack appears to be based on an attack developed by the NSA, code-named ETERNALBLUE…. Today shows exactly what’s at stake when government hackers can’t keep their virtual weapons locked up.

'Accidental hero' halts ransomware attack and warns: this is not over
The Guardian - The “accidental hero” who halted the global spread of an unprecedented ransomware attack by registering a garbled domain name hidden in the malware has warned the attack could be rebooted…. But the spread of the attack was brought to a sudden halt when one UK cybersecurity researcher tweeting as @malwaretechblog, with the help of Darien Huss from security firm Proofpoint, found and inadvertently activated a “kill switch” in the malicious software. The researcher, who identified himself only as MalwareTech, is a 22-year-old from south-west England who works for Kryptos logic, an LA-based threat intelligence company. “I was out having lunch with a friend and got back about 3pm and saw an influx of news articles about the NHS and various UK organizations being hit,” he told the Guardian. “I had a bit of a look into that and then I found a sample of the malware behind it, and saw that it was connecting out to a specific domain, which was not registered. So I picked it up not knowing what it did at the time.” The kill switch was hardcoded into the malware in case the creator wanted to stop it spreading. This involved a very long nonsensical domain name that the malware makes a request to – just as if it was looking up any website – and if the request comes back and shows that the domain is live, the kill switch takes effect and the malware stops spreading. The domain cost $10.69 and was immediately registering thousands of connections every second.

EBOLA IS BACK: World Health Organization Declares Epidemic: “Taking It Very Seriously”
Mac Slavo - The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola epidemic in the North East region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least three deaths have thus far been linked to the virus… The virus originated in a remote region of the Congo, but WHO is tracking down any possible contact the victims had with others. The virus, when detected, often originates in remote regions, but because of international air travel and other modes of transportation, could spread quickly to neighboring villages, then regions, then countries…. Though Ebola doesn’t move as quickly as a cold or flu, it is significantly more deadly, and according to the following model it could potentially spread fairly rapidly should it escape containment. It would take only one individual to make it through an airport checkpoint and all bets are off… Microsoft founder Bill Gates warned earlier this year that the world is not prepared to deal with a widespread contagion and that viruses like Ebola or modified biological weapons could kill hundreds of millions of people in a truly global outbreak.

Mexican Supreme Court Refuses to Review Monsanto Appeal on GMO Maize Permits
Sustainable Pulse - The first chamber of the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has refused to review or analyze an appeal by Monsanto regarding the issuance of commercial permits for the sowing of GMO maize in the country. In this way, the decision to resolve the GMO trials involving the companies Monsanto, Dow, Pioneer and Dupont, as well as the Mexican Government Departments of the Environment and Agriculture, and on the other side, civil society and academic organizations that are opposed to the sowing of GMO maize, will have to be resolved by the First Collegiate Court on Civil Matters…. The lawyer of the civil society Corn Collective, René Sánchez Galindo, explained that last Wednesday in a private meeting, the Supreme Court judges evaluated the appeal that Monsanto filed. None of the judges endorsed the company’s request, which was a requirement for the Court to place the appeal on its docket.

An elementary school in British Columbia banned celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day in the classroom
12NEWS - An elementary school is canceling Mother’s and Father’s Day events in an effort to celebrate diversity and inclusivity after a traumatic incident involving one of its students. Staff from Albert McMahon Elementary School in Mission, British Columbia, Canada sent a letter to its students’ parents, indicating the cancellation of events related to the holidays. In it, the letter reads: As Mother’s Day and Father’s Day approach we have met as a Primary (Grade 1 and 2) team to discuss our core values. In an effort to celebrate diversity, inclusivity and also nurture our students who are part of non-traditional families, we have decided to encourage those celebrations to take place at home. Due to this, the children will not be making gifts at school to give on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We feel each family knows the best way to celebrate with their own family.

Veteran News

Veterans Denied Medical Benefits for Smallpox Vaccine Injuries
Health Impact News - A local veteran was denied benefits for an illness he says was caused by a vaccine he was ordered to take. An Action News Jax investigation uncovered the federal government is refusing to compensate some veterans who suffered debilitating side effects from the smallpox vaccine they said they were forced to get. Smallpox was eradicated in 1977 and routine vaccinations ended a few years later. After the Sept. 11 attacks, the federal government began inoculating some volunteer first responders and active duty military. The Department of Veterans Affairs says between 2002 and 2008, 1.7 million service members were vaccinated, including Jacksonville’s Sean Kelly…. Kelly was diagnosed with Pericarditis, or inflammation of the heart, a documented side effect of the smallpox vaccine. He couldn’t work and spent weeks in the hospital. He said he filed for VA benefits for a vaccine-related injury and was denied. “It can be quite difficult, especially if you don’t have the records that reflect it,” Dr. Bradley Bender, chief of staff for the North Florida South Georgia Veterans Health Systems, said. When asked how many vaccine-related cases of Myocarditis or Pericarditis he’s seen, Bender said none. “There is no blood test that you can do to say this is Myocarditis related to smallpox vaccine,” Bender said.

Economy & Business

Jerry Brown: California to Suffer $20 Billion Tax Crash in Next Recession
Breitbart - Governor Jerry Brown warned in his May Revised Budget last week that California is expected to suffer a $20 billion tax crash in it next recession. Brown and the Democrat-controlled majority in the state legislature have been crowing about the governor’s 2017-2018 May Budget Revision update, which predicts the State of California will collect another $2.5 billion in tax revenue over the three fiscal years from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018. Brown’s budget update states that the extra tax revenue will help fund more social justice programs, including: 1) raising the minimum wage to $11 per hour in 2018; 2) expanding health care coverage for Obamacare and undocumented children; 3) increasing Medi‑Cal primary care; 4) providing an increase to Supplemental Security Income; 5) repealing the welfare maximum family grant rule; 6) creating the state’s first Earned Income Tax Credit; and 7) reserving $575 million in a “rainy day fund.”
* Related: Jerry Brown’s New Budget Includes Millions to Defend Illegal Aliens from Deportation

Arizona Passes Bill To End Income Taxation On Gold And Silver
Zero Hedge - Sound money advocates scored a major victory on Wednesday, when the Arizona state senate voted 16-13 to remove all income taxation of precious metals at the state level. The measure heads to Governor Doug Ducey, who is expected to sign it into law…. If taxpayers own gold to protect themselves against the devaluation of America’s paper currency, they frequently end up with a “gain” when exchanging those metals back into dollars…. This “gain” is often a nominal gain because of the slow but steady devaluation of the dollar. Yet the government nevertheless assesses a tax…. Ron Paul noted, “HB 2014 is a very important and timely piece of legislation. The Federal Reserve’s failure to reignite the economy with record-low interest rates since the last crash is a sign that we may soon see the dollar’s collapse. It is therefore imperative that the law protect people’s right to use alternatives to what may soon be virtually worthless Federal Reserve Notes.”

Great News For College Grads: Starting Salaries Are Finally Back To Where They Were 10 Years Ago!
Zero Hedge - The Wall Street Journal and others are cheering today as a new study from executive search firm Korn Ferry International found that the "average base pay for college grads this year ticked to the highest level in at least a decade." We guess in the new millennial world that getting back to your original starting point is actually celebrated as an 'accomplishment'. “This has been the best year for students that I’ve seen since coming here,” said Thomas Ward, executive director of the career-services center at Adelphi University, in Garden City, N.Y… Some students at the school are fielding multiple job offers, allowing students to be choosier about where they ultimately land, he said. “It’s very rewarding.” So where are new college graduates earning the most bank? Well, average starting salaries for 2017 grads are just under $50,000 but software developers, engineers and actuaries, particularly those moving to San Francisco, can be expected to outperform that average by quite a bit. Of course, while this may all seem like a lot of money, with median rents in San Francisco still hovering around $3,200 per month that means that the average college graduate will be about $5,000 short of covering their annual rent payments.

Science & Technology

Keylogging Spyware Found On Dozens Of HP Laptop Models
Consumerist - A security research firm based in Switzerland announced its discovery of the keylogger this week. The problem software is part of the audio driver — the little bit of code that make your laptop able to play sound through your headphones. In several laptop models, the Conexant driver was found to include a keylogger that captured every single keystroke on your machine. That includes login names and passwords, every comment you put on the internet, every email you send, every document you write, every keyboard command you issue. And yes, that is a giant security problem. Those keystrokes weren’t sent anywhere, as far as anyone knows, but they were all stored in an unencrypted text log — meaning anyone who has access to your computer, including malware on your computer, could access and read it. The security firm also notes that the driver’s API (code that allows software to talk to other software, basically) can also allow malware to “silently capture sensitive data by capturing the user’s keystrokes.” In short, this flaw in the audio driver would pretty easily let anyone “listen” in on everything you type, without accessing the log. That’s the bad news. Here’s the better: HP’s already pushed a fix. Owners of 2016 and 2017 models can already download a patch from Windows Update or HP.com. A patch for 2015 models is supposed to become available sometime today [May 12].

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

We're All Tenant Farmers: Oregon Plans to Douse Azure Standard Organic Farm in Pesticide
DC Clothesline - If you buy organic products, chances are you have heard of Azure Standard, which is sort of like a mobile co-op that delivers well-priced organic food and products in bulk to drop-off points around the country [in 37 states]…. Just in case you were under the misconception that we actually own our land and can decide what happens to it in this country, it appears that we’re tenant farmers with no options if the local government decides to wipe us out: “Sherman County may be issuing a Court Order on May 22, 2017, to quarantine Azure Farms and possibly to spray the whole farm with poisonous herbicides, contaminating them with Milestone, Escort and Roundup herbicides. This will destroy all the efforts Azure Farms has made for years to produce the very cleanest and healthiest food humanly possible. About 2,000 organic acres would be impacted; that is about 1.5 times the size of the city center of Philadelphia that is about to be sprayed with noxious, toxic, polluting herbicides. The county would then put a lien on the farm to pay for the expense of the labor and chemicals used.” …. So not only will they poison the crops and kill off Azure’s livelihood, they’ll charge them for it. That’s a brazen insult on top of the injury.
* Related: Take action: email or call Sherman County Court today and stop them from spraying Stelzer’s 2,000-acre Organic farm

Health

“Hang The Anti-Vaxxers” Is Called For By The Boston Herald Newspaper
Natural Blaze - The American media truly has lost its scruples, including its corporate mindset, and ethically should be denounced for inciting domestic terrorism and vigilantism regarding persons in the USA who oppose the use of mercury, aluminum, and other toxic chemicals being injected into their bodies and/or children’s bodies because they want to exercise their God- and Nature-given rights to self-determination. Such individuals pejoratively are referred to as “anti-vaxxers”! If anyone should be disciplined, it should be: CDC/FDA bureaucrats and scientists, who promote fraudulent science, commit conspiracies to withhold scientifically-valid adverse information about vaccines, especially the MMR and HPV vaccines: Big Pharma corporate officers and scientists, who do not submit all the data (positive and negative studies) for new vaccine licensures… the U.S. media which does not report the facts about vaccine science… Those are the people The Boston Herald should be calling up for jurisprudence to be dealt upon swiftly and accurately before Autism afflicts every child in the USA, not folks who exercise their Constitutional rights within what is supposed to be a FREE United States of America, not a Big Pharma-run Corporatocracy, a socialist, or autocratically-run third world country!

Air Pollution Linked To Measles Incidence, Proving Immune Status Is Vital In Disease Risk
Green Med Info - A new study published in the journal Environmental Research reveals that exposure to air pollution is significantly associated with measles incidence in China. This is consistent with the view that infection is not solely determined by exposure to a virus particle but also involves the immune status of the subject which depends on various nutritional and environmental factors, including the immunosuppressive function of air pollution. In other words, it’s not just the “germ” alone but the terrain that determines disease…. This study is important for a number of reasons. …it undermines the narrative maintained by the medical orthodoxy that measles virus alone is capable of inducing disease. By attributing this power to an invisible particle barely detectable by an electron microscope, instead of taking into account the multitude of preventable or mitigable factors linked to nutrition, lifestyle, and environmental exposures, the corollary myth that vaccines alone confer bona fide protection against infection, the agenda of universal vaccination and global eradication programs can continue unabated…. when one considers that the measles vaccine is responsible for at least 100 deaths a year versus the less than 10 deaths caused by measles in the U.S. since 2003, the risk/benefit ratio, therefore, is clearly biased towards not vaccinating.

10 Raw Foods That Improve Immunity and are Beautifying
Natural Blaze - Without enough minerals, our immunity, mood, and skin all suffer greatly. They help to keep our bodies functioning on a deeper, cellular level. The antioxidants found in many raw foods also help improve our beauty and defense mechanisms against different types of disease…. 1. Pineapple - The sweet delicious fruit contains over 100 percent of our daily Vitamin C needs together with high levels of the bromelain enzyme which helps break down proteins in the body. These properties not only improve immunity and digestion, but they also increase our body’s alkalinity to prevent inflammation by reducing acidity in the body…. Avoid the dried or canned varieties which have been heavily processed and often have added sugars. 2. Raw Cacao - Raw cacao is high in a beauty-boosting and liver detoxifying mineral sulfur. It is also a high potent source of flavonoids, antioxidants, and other minerals like magnesium and iron. Cacao is even high in zinc and copper which improve the strength of your blood and your immunity. Choose dark chocolate with at least 90 percent cacao or eat it raw and unsweetened. 3. Camu Camu - Camu camu is a superfood that’s very beneficial for women that in some cultures it’s even considered to be a medicinal herb. The fruit is the highest source of Vitamin C per serving on the planet and it comes from the Amazon. It also contains amino acids and several trace minerals. Camu berry is amazing for your skin, because of its high Vitamin C and amino acid content, it can help aid in digestion and is improving anxiety. It also has antiviral properties which can help fight off candida and other infections that are fungal-related harm your health….
 


Friday - May 12, 2017

On This Day In History


1780 - Charleston, South Carolina fell to British forces.
1926 - The airship Norge became the first vessel to fly over the North Pole.
1940 - The Nazi conquest of France began with the German army crossing Muese River.
1942 - The Soviet Army launched its first major offensive of World War II and took Kharkov in the eastern Ukraine from the German army.
1943 - The Axis forces in North Africa surrendered during World War II.
1949 - The Soviet Union announced an end to the Berlin Blockade.
1965 - West Germany and Israel exchanged letters establishing diplomatic relations.
1975 - U.S. merchant ship Mayaguez was seized by Cambodian forces in international waters.
1978 - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that they would no longer exclusively name hurricanes after women.
1982 - South Africa unveiled a plan that would give voting rights to citizens of Asian and mixed-race descent, but not to blacks.
1984 - South African prisoner Nelson Mandela saw his wife for the first time in 22 years.
2002 - Jimmy Carter became the first present or former U.S. president to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro seized power in 1959.
2003 - Suicide bombers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed 26 people, including nine U.S. citizens.
2003 - In Texas, fifty-nine Democratic lawmakers went into hiding over a dispute with Republican's over a congressional redistricting plan.
2009 - Five Miami men were convicted in a plot to blow up FBI buildings and Chicago's Sears Tower.
2011 - A German court convicted retired U.S. autoworker John Demjanjuk of being an accessory to the murder of tens of thousands of Jews as a Nazi death camp guard. (Demjanjuk, who maintained his innocence, died in 2012.)
2015 - It was announced that Verizon would be acquiring AOL.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

CIA Creates Mission Center to Address North Korean Threat
Mikael Thalen - Located in CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the unit, according to an agency press release, will focus on “the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea.”… The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has established a Korea Mission Center to harness the full resources, capabilities, and authorities of the Agency in addressing the nuclear and ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea,” the statement says. “The new Mission Center draws on experienced officers from across the Agency and integrates them in one entity to bring their expertise and creativity to bear against the North Korea target.” An unnamed veteran CIA operations officer, who recently became Assistant Director for Korea, has been chosen to head up the center. According to CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the unit will analyze and direct CIA efforts toward the “serious threats” posed by the regime.

White House Sources: Trump Looks to Replace Spicer as Purge of Establishment Advisers Begins
Paul Joseph Watson - White House sources tell Infowars that Sean Spicer could be fired within the next week as President Trump begins a purge of establishment advisers who he feels have failed to properly investigate leaks coming from within the administration. Speculation is already swirling as to whether or not Spicer will return after he was “benched” and temporarily replaced with Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Spicer has behaved like a “deer in the headlights” in recent weeks and is not able to handle the pressure of the job, according to one source. They add that Spicer will be gone by next week and that former prosecutor and current Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was previously considered for the role, is currently the favorite to replace him. However, these assertions are being disputed by other insiders who insist that Spicer will return to his current role within the next week.

Acting FBI head disputes Trump's turmoil claims
Reuters - President Donald Trump on Thursday called ousted FBI chief James Comey a "showboat" and "grandstander," but its acting leader contradicted the president and promised the agency's probe into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia would proceed with vigor. Trump, facing Democratic accusations that he fired Comey on Tuesday to hinder the FBI investigation into alleged meddling by Russia in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, said he would have taken the action even without a recommendation to do so by the two top Justice Department officials…. Trump told NBC News he never pressured Comey into dropping the FBI probe, adding: "If Russia did anything, I want to know that." Trump said there was no "collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians," but added that "the Russians did not affect the vote.”… The Trump administration has said Comey's firing was unrelated to the Russia investigation. It said on Tuesday that Comey's firing arose from his handling of an election-year FBI probe into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.

VIDEO: Condoleezza Rice Crushes Ladies Of ‘The View’: No, Russia Didn’t Delegitimize The Election
The GatewayPundit - Condoleezza Rice appeared on The View this week and the ladies wanted her to say that Russia made Trump’s election illegitimate. They were sorely disappointed by Rice’s completely rational answer.

Dems Say Trump Must Meet Demands Or Face Senate Slowdown
The Daily Caller - Democrats continued their efforts to slow down business in the Senate Thursday in order to pressure the Trump Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor for the Russia investigation and to give into other demands. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went to the floor and demanded that Attorney General Jeff Sessions not be involved in the search for former FBI Director James Comey’s replacement.

Aetna fully exits Obamacare exchanges with pull-out in two states
Reuters - Health insurer Aetna Inc said on Wednesday it will exit the 2018 Obamacare individual insurance market in Delaware and Nebraska - the two remaining states where it offered the plans. Aetna had already said it would exit the individual commercial market in Virginia and Iowa, after pulling out of several other states last year. Aetna has now "completely exited the exchanges," the company said in an emailed statement. Insurers Humana Inc and UnitedHealth Group Inc have also pulled out of most of the government subsidized individual health insurance market. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives last week voted to undo the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, the signature domestic achievement of former President Barack Obama. But even if the Republicans' bill - known as the American Health Care Act - is passed by the Senate it would not solve a critical outstanding issue for insurers looking at 2018: Will the government continue to fund the cost-sharing subsidies that help individuals pay for care?

Boeing Pays Tab on $4M Damage to POTUS’ Air Force One After Dangerous Mistake
Sputnik News - A new government report has found that Boeing mechanics accidentally left the president’s personal ride in the sky vulnerable to fire. The issue wound up causing $4 million in damage to oxygen systems on one of the two jets comprising Air Force One. A mishap involving the use of a contaminated regulator and other tools during jet maintenance in April 2016 led to the potential fire hazard. Contractors’ failure to abide by explicit warnings for work on oxygen systems, inadequate oversight of the mistake and insufficient mechanic training were also cited in the Accident Investigation Board report created by Air Force Material Command.

Jeff Davis monument comes down after 106 years
WWL - A large police presence as well as large cranes and heavy equipment were all part of the removal of the monument to former Confederate President Jefferson Davis early Thursday, May 11. Workers who showed up to work on the removal were again shrouded with masks and dark clothing as the city has said there have been threats made against those participating in the removal. The monument to Jefferson Davis was erected in 1911 and had stood in its location at the corner of Jefferson Davis Parkway and Canal Street for 106 years…."This morning we continue our march to reconciliation by removing the Jefferson Davis Confederate statue from its pedestal of reverence," said Mayor Mitch Landrieu in a statement.

World News

The Map the Media Doesn’t Want You to See: Nations With the Most Refugees Have the Most Terror Attacks
Mac Slavo - The nations that have become the hottest destinations for refugees, are also the nations with the most terrorist attacks. France, Germany, Sweden, and the UK are brimming with terror incidents. Meanwhile, countries that didn’t take in so many refugees, like Poland, Slovakia, and the Baltic states, have very few terrorist attacks or none at all…. Obviously there’s a link between admitting countless refugees from the Middle East, and domestic terrorist attacks. Our government knows this as well. For instance, a few days before FBI director James Comey was ousted by Trump, he stood before a Senate committee and admitted that 15% of his agency’s terror related investigations involved refugees. That’s a shocking number when you consider that the US admitted 85,000 refugees last year, and the percentage of the population that would consider themselves to be refugees is probably less than 1%.

Austria on the edge: Government set to COLLAPSE – and it could cause an EU nightmare
Daily Express - And the crisis could a huge headache for Brussels as the anti-EU Freedom Party is currently leading in the polls. Yesterday the future of the coalition government was thrown into doubt after Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner resigned, prompting calls for an election. Many within his People’s Party believe an election should be called rather than simply replacing him as party leader and continuing the shaky coalition with the Social Democrats. The two parties had clashed regularly since taking power together in 2013 and Mr. Mitterlehner’s resignation looks set to be the uneasy alliance’s death knoll. Officials also fear the resignation could provide a huge chance for the far-right Freedom Party, who were founded in 1956 by a former Nazi and are vehemently opposed to migration and the European Union. The party came incredibly close to securing the country’s presidency last year when candidate Norbert Hofer stormed to victory in the first round of victory before being defeated in the second. Now the party are setting their heights higher and hope to secure control of the government during the next election - which could come sooner than previously expected. The Freedom Party are leading in the polls and would be expected to win around a third of the national vote if an election were to be held.

Venezuelans are flooding into Colombia - and it’s starting to feel like a refugee crisis
Blacklisted News - In January, 47,095 Venezuelans entered Colombia, more than double the number from January of last year. Some 21,000 of them crossed into Norte de Santander, the state of which Cúcuta is the capital. Here and at other points along the nearly 1,400-mile border, the situation is beginning to feel like a refugee crisis. As Venezuela’s economic and social crisis has reached a boiling point in recent weeks, with enormous and increasingly violent protests and President Nicolás Maduro descending further into authoritarianism, migration into Colombia has too begun to reach crisis levels. (In the past two years Maduro has intermittently closed the border with Colombia to prevent people from exchanging currency, importing groceries, or smuggling gasoline and other contraband. The border remains closed to vehicle traffic but has been open to foot traffic since August.)

Welcome to Your Agenda 21 Apartment: Thousands of Hong Kong Residents Forced to Live in Subdivided “Coffin Homes”
Mac Slavo - The explosion of housing costs is one of the greatest economic crises in the developed world. From San Francisco and New York to London and Vancouver, the average worker’s paycheck is being devoured by the cost of rent. This daunting financial barrier is putting people on the streets, and preventing the next generation from raising families and entering the middle class. For people who live in these cities, there’s really only one thing they can do. Their only option is to look for a smaller apartment, even if it’s tragically tiny. That’s what’s happening in Hong Kong, a city that now has the most unaffordable housing market in the world. Over 200,000 of the city’s poorest residents are forced to live in subdivided apartments, many of which are so small they’ve been dubbed “coffin homes” according to the Daily Mail. A coffin apartment like that can cost over $300. But in many cases, subdivided apartments that are only a little bigger than that, are home to entire families. Homes like that are so common in Hong Kong, that the UN has called the situation “an insult to human dignity.” And that’s exactly what it is, because this didn’t have to happen. Only 7% of Hong Kong’s land is designated for housing. However, Hong Kong isn’t the only city where we’re beginning to see these ridiculously tiny apartments.

Election News

Video: Trump Signs Executive Order To Investigate Voter Fraud
The GatewayPundit - President Trump’s executive order titled “Presidential Commission on Election Integrity” is aimed at forming a bipartisan commission to review potential voter fraud and “suppression”. The commission would be chaired by Vice President, Mike Pence. Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders spoke on the executive order in today’s press briefing: The commission will also include individuals with knowledge and experience in election management and voter integrity . . . The commission will review policies and practices that enhance or undermine confidence in elections and identify system vulnerabilities. Fox News reports: The commission will also include individuals with knowledge and experience in election management and voter integrity,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders said on Thursday at the White House daily press briefing. “The commission will review policies and practices that enhance or undermine confidence in elections and identify system vulnerabilities.

Veteran News

Frustrated Veteran Threatens to Operate on Himself After VA Refuses to Pay His Medical Bill
Daniel Lang - A veteran from New Hampshire by the name of John Irish has come face to face with that unfortunate reality many times. During a recent interview with Boston25 News, the former National Guard medic revealed that he had suffered a cut on his hand from a power tool that was so severe, he had to go to the hospital. When he approached the VA however, they refused to pay his bill as they had done many times before. His dramatic response convinced them to finally cover his procedure. “They handed me a slip of paper saying, ‘we are going to have to have you sign this, because the VA says they’re not going to pay the bill,” he said. Irish receives benefits through the Veterans Affairs Choice program, which allows vets to access private care amidst lengthy wait times at VA medical facilities. Irish says Veterans’ Choice has refused to pay for other bills and this was the final straw. “I thought it was about time the VA of New England got exposed for what it’s doing on this Choice program,” he said. rish threatened to remove his own sutures, in his home, live on social media. Within hours, the VA agreed to pay for the procedure. “It’s totally disgusting that they have to threaten, beg or borrow to get medical treatment,” he said.

Economy & Business

Man Declared Dead By Government For 29 Years, Kept Paying Taxes Anyway
Consumerist - Nearly 30 years ago, the Social Security Administration decided that a 4-year-old Minnesota boy was dead. He was not. SSA employees chalked it up to a “glitch” and promised to correct the error. They did not. And even as that boy grew up and began paying taxes, the federal government still considered him deceased, at least until his local TV station and a U.S. Senator got involved. The SSA zombified the preschooler back in 1987. That’s when, according to KMSP-TV, his recently remarried mom received a letter from the government saying she could no longer receive child support, not because she had a new spouse but because her living, breathing son was dead as far as the government was concerned. At the time, the SSA assured her that it had fixed the situation, but wouldn’t send her a copy of the documentation. That undead boy went on to stay alive, go to school, be gainfully employed, have three children, and get engaged. He also paid taxes, and everything was fine until 2009, when he only received half of the tax refund that he was supposed to. The IRS’s reason? He was dead. Yes, dead people are supposed to file tax returns for income they earned and taxes they paid in the last year that they were alive, but what’s with the half refund? He was unable to figure it out, and the IRS remained convinced that he was dead for the next eight years. [Read More…]

Energy & Environment

Dakota Access pipeline has first leak before it's fully operational
The Guardian - The $3.8bn oil pipeline, which sparked international protests last year and is not yet fully operational, spilled 84 gallons of crude oil at a South Dakota pump station, according to government regulators. Although state officials said the 6 April leak was contained and quickly cleaned, critics of the project said the spill, which occurred as the pipeline is in the final stages of preparing to transport oil, raises fresh concerns about the potential hazards to waterways and Native American sites.

Science & Technology

Trump signs order aimed at upgrading government cyber defenses
Reuters - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to bolster the government's cyber security and protect critical infrastructure from cyber attacks, marking his first significant action to address what he has called a top priority. The order seeks to improve the often-maligned network security of U.S. government agencies, from which foreign governments and other hackers have pilfered millions of personal records and other forms of sensitive data in recent years. The White House said the order also aimed to enhance protection of infrastructure such as the energy grid and financial sector from sophisticated attacks that officials have warned could pose a national security threat or cripple parts of the economy. The directive, which drew largely favorable reviews from cyber experts and industry groups, also lays out goals to develop a more robust cyber deterrence strategy, in part by forging strong cooperation with U.S. allies in cyberspace.

Police given access to DHS's massive biometric database
MassPrivate I - According to an article in Texas Public Radio, law enforcement will now have access to DHS's massive biometric database. "Texas law enforcement are now getting a big assist from the federal government. Texas is the first and only state to get access to a massive Department of Homeland Security biometric database..." Letting police have access to everyone's biometrics is asinine and the potential for abuse is astronomical. Just imagine what will happen, when a politician wants police to give them information about a political opponent. Just imagine what will happen, when a cop wants to get information about a pretty woman or handsome man? Just imagine what will happen when police want information on activists. This has all the earmarks of a police state. DHS's massive database is called the 'Automated Biometric Identification System' (IDENT). "IDENT has evolved over the years into the central DHS -wide system for the storage and processing of biometric data. IDENT stores and processes biometric data—digital fingerprints, photographs, iris scans, and facial images—and links biometrics with biographic information to establish and verify identities. IDENT serves as a biographic and biometric repository for the Department." DHS Secretary Patrick Nemeth, admits that they're spying on millions of people, "we have a database of 212 million people."

Health

Forced Vaccinations Violate Constitutional Rights, Sweden’s Parliament Declares
Natural Blaze - May 10, 2017 is a day that ought to live in infamy! Why? The Parliament of progressive Sweden adopted a decision, which contained several motions, one being “it would violate our [Swedish Constitution] if it introduced compulsory vaccination, or mandatory vaccination.” … Personally, I cannot offer enough kudos, standing ovations, and applause to the Swedish Parliament for members’ level-headedness in assessing vaccines as the bargain basement technology of the 20th century, and not mandating them. However, that seems to be the emerging meme, especially in foreign countries where Big Pharma and vaccine manufacturers are being sued left and right for vaccine damages!

Orange Essential Oil Could Help PTSD
Dr. Mercola - Antidepressants such as Effexor, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft are the most commonly prescribed drugs for PTSD, but their effectiveness varies widely. As with all pharmaceutical drugs, these medications carry with them the potential for harmful side effects. Due to their dangers, as well as the reality that research has shown placebos to be as effective as some prescription drugs, I would like to draw your attention to research suggesting a potential natural treatment for PTSD. Specifically, scientists at George Washington University have suggested orange essential oil may offer a non-drug option for PTSD sufferers. Research performed on lab mice has demonstrated the value of orange essential oil in the reduction of fear and stress associated with the disorder. Of course, similar studies involving humans would be needed to fully validate this body of work. That said, this research marks a promising step forward in identifying potential natural remedies for PTSD that could be used alongside other non-drug interventions such as cognitive therapy, exposure therapy and EMDR eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

Pet News

Jury Awards $1.26 Million to Family of Dog Shot, Killed by Police
Dogington Post - Anne Arundel County police officer Officer Rodney Price claimed that he was attacked by Vern at the home of Vern’s owner, Michael Reeves, while he was canvassing the neighborhood following a burglary. Around 4pm, Officer Price approached the Reeves’ home where he was confronted by 4-and-a-half year old Vern in the front yard. Following the shooting, an Anne Arundel County Police investigation cleared Price of any wrongdoing, stating that the dog was aggressive. But, the Reeves family – who was not involved in the burglary that brought police to their neighborhood contested that Vern was not aggressive and did not attack or endanger the officer’s life but simply barked at the stranger entering his property. A necropsy performed after the shooting disproved the officer’s account of what happened when he shot the dog. The 3-day trial took place in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County where it was revealed that the the dog did not bite or otherwise injure Officer Price before the shooting. Price also admitted that no other steps were taken to deal with the dog before he pulled his gun and fired it twice.
 


Thursday - May 11, 2017

On This Day In History


1792 - The Columbia River was discovered by Captain Robert Gray.
1812 - British prime Minster Spencer Perceval was shot by a bankrupt banker in the lobby of the House of Commons.
1858 - Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. State.
1889 - Major Joseph Washington Wham takes charge of $28,000 in gold and silver to pay troops at various points in the Arizona Territory. The money was stolen in a train robbery.
1910 - Glacier National Park in Montana was established.
1927 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded.
1944 - A major offensive was launched by the allied forces in central Italy.
1947 - The creation of the tubeless tire was announced by the B.F. Goodrich Company.
1949 - Siam changed its name to Thailand.
1985 - More than 50 people died when a flash fire swept a soccer stadium in Bradford, England.
1995 - The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was extended indefinitely. The treaty limited the spread of nuclear material for military purposes.
1996 - An Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Miami & crashed into the Florida Everglades. All 110 people on board were killed.
1998 - India conducted its first underground nuclear tests, three of them, in 24 years. The tests were in violation of a global ban on nuclear testing.
2001 - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced his decision to approve a 30-day delay of the execution of convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh had been scheduled to be executed on May 16, 2001. The delay was because the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had failed to disclose thousands of documents to McVeigh's defense team. (Oklahoma)

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Trump Meets Russia Foreign Minister at White House
The Epoch Times - The talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were the highest-level public contact between Trump and the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin since the Republican took office on Jan. 20…. Trump described his talks with Lavrov as “very, very good.”… He and Lavrov said they discussed the civil war in Syria, where Russia backs President Bashar al-Assad. “We want to see the killing, the horrible killing, stopped in Syria as soon as possible and everyone is working toward that end,” Trump told reporters. Lavrov, who earlier met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said his discussions with members of the Trump administration had convinced him they were people who wanted to cut deals and solve problems. “Now our dialogue is free of the ideologisation that was characteristic of the Obama administration,” Lavrov said. “The Trump administration, and the president himself, and the secretary of state, I was persuaded of this once again today, are people of action.” U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a January report that Putin had ordered an effort to disrupt the 2016 election that included hacking into Democratic Party emails and leaking them, with the aim of helping Trump. Russia denies the allegations. Blaming “fake information,” Lavrov said: “I believe that politicians are damaging the political system of the U.S., trying to pretend that someone is controlling America from the outside.”

Study: Majority of Americans Believe U.S. Losing its Culture and Identity
Paul Joseph Watson - A new study has found that 55% of the U.S. public believe America is in danger of losing its culture and identity. Non-partisan research group PRRI has published a raft of statistics that underscore how insecure Americans, particularly white working class Americans, feel about their future. Asked if the United States was “losing its culture and identity,” 55% of respondents said yes, with 68% of white working class Americans feeling that way. Almost half (48%) of white working class Americans also feel that “things have changed so much that I often feel like a stranger in my own country,” while 62% believe that immigrants arriving from other countries threaten American culture. 65% of white working class respondents feel that “American culture and way of life has deteriorated since the 1950s,” while 52% believe discrimination against whites is now as big a problem as discrimination against blacks and other minorities. 70% of white college educated Americans disagreed. Asked if the American dream of working hard and getting ahead still holds true, 46% of white working class Americans agreed, while 48% said the American dream was once a reality but isn’t any longer.

Calls to Investigate ‘Crooked Hillary’ Gain Steam Amid Comey Firing
Adan Salazar - Following FBI Director James Comey’s termination Tuesday, many called on President Trump to hire a new agency head that will seek to prosecute former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Political adviser and longtime confidante Roger Stone voiced his support for the administration to move offensively against the former secretary of state. “Essential the next FBI Director work closely with DOJ to send @HillaryClinton to prison-"no person is above the law" Fox News anchor Sean Hannity made it a point Tuesday night to ask his panel what they thought might happen to Hillary, which he framed as “the most important question of the night.” “If you’re Hillary Clinton tonight, what are you thinking?” Hannity asked Circa News’ Sarah Carter. “Why do we have to obey the laws and she gets off scot-free?” Kenneth Timmerman at The Hill asked in a headline, “Comey got fired – will Clinton get indicted?” “The real question raised by Comey’s firing is whether Justice Department prosecutors are finally getting ready to pick up the Clinton email investigation where the FBI left off last year and make a determination on whether to prosecute Hillary Clinton and her associates, based on the evidence FBI investigators so ably gathered.”

Sources Claim That Comey Firing Could Result In Release Of Documents, Potential New Clinton Probe
Disobedient Media - In the wake of Donald Trump’s dismissal of FBI Director James Comey citing “serious mistakes” and mishandling of the Hillary Clinton investigation, emerging information appears to indicate that in the aftermath of Comey’s firing the FBI intends to begin releasing documents on the Clinton investigation and the Department of Justice may request a second look at the investigation…. Upon news of Comey’s removal, Julian Assange tweeted that a source within the FBI had informed him that the Bureau would begin leaking documents from the investigation…. If confirmed, the reports indicate that Comey’s firing represents a renewed focus on information pertaining to the investigation into Hillary Clinton, after the previous one was criticized by both supporters and detractors of the Former Secretary of State and Senator, both of whom painted the investigation as being either politically motivated or hampered by alleged attempts to cover up evidence of wrongdoing.

10 Major FBI Scandals on Comey’s Watch
Grabien News - Comey will inevitably be remembered for the controversial role he played in the 2016 presidential election, where his agency conducted surveillance of the Trump campaign as well as investigated the Clinton camp for mishandling classified materials, giving both sides arguments for how the FBI ultimately swayed the vote. But even before the 2016 campaign, the FBI endured a number of humiliations under Comey’s tenure…. 1. Before he bombed the Boston Marathon, the FBI interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev but let him go. Russia sent the Obama Administration a second warning, but the FBI opted against investigating him again. 2. Shortly after the NSA scandal exploded in 2013, the FBI was exposed conducting its own data mining on innocent Americans; the agency, Bloomberg reported, retains that material for decades (even if no wrongdoing is found). 3. The FBI had possession of emails sent by Nidal Hasan saying he wanted to kill his fellow soldiers to protect the Taliban — but didn’t intervene, leading many critics to argue the tragedy that resulted in the death of 31 Americans at Fort Hood could have been prevented. 4. During the Obama Administration, the FBI claimed that two private jets were being used primarily for counterterrorism, when in fact they were mostly being used for Eric Holder and Robert Mueller’s business and personal travel. 5. When the FBI demanded Apple create a “backdoor” that would allow law enforcement agencies to unlock the cell phones of various suspects, the company refused, sparking a battle between the feds and America’s biggest tech company. What makes this incident indicative of Comey’s questionable management of the agency is that a) The FBI jumped the gun, as they were indeed ultimately able to crack the San Bernardino terrorist’s phone, and b) Almost every other major national security figure sided with Apple (from former CIA Director General Petraeus to former CIA Director James Woolsey to former director of the NSA, General Michael Hayden), warning that such a “crack” would inevitably wind up in the wrong hands. [Read More…]

Aetna Is Latest Health Insurer to Quit Obamacare Markets
Bloomberg - “We will not offer on- or off-exchange individual plans in Delaware or Nebraska for 2018, and at this time have completely exited the exchanges,” Aetna said in a statement Wednesday. Aetna had indicated it might pull out earlier this month, when Chief Financial Officer Shawn Guertin said the company would take steps to limit its financial losses in the program. Aetna has said it expects to lose more than $200 million on individual health plans this year in the four states where it’s still selling Affordable Care Act plans. Obamacare’s markets are becoming increasingly vulnerable as major health insurers exit, citing financial losses. Some insurers have stayed in, but raised the premiums they charge customers by double-digit percentages…. Some of the instability has been going on for years, as fewer people than expected have signed up for plans and many have been sicker than insurers accounted for…. Aetna’s decision could leave Nebraska with just one insurer, Medica. Medica has pulled back from Obamacare as well, saying it may exit the program in Iowa, leaving much of the state without insurance options under Obamacare. In Delaware, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield company Highmark would be the lone Obamacare insurer in the state, assuming no other insurers enter.

Los Angeles School District Declares all Campuses 'Sanctuary Schools'
Breitbart - The Los Angeles Unified School Board (LAUSD) passed a resolution Tuesday declaring all schools “sanctuaries” for any illegal alien students and their families — even criminal aliens — who might be facing deportation. Not only does the resolution designate every LAUSD campus as a “safe place” for illegal aliens and their families, but it goes further, as quoted by the Daily News: - schools can’t ask about a student’s or family member’s immigration status; - the district will partner with legal services organizations to create “Know Your Rights” presentations for students and their families to educate them about their rights when interacting with law enforcement and immigration agents; - district employees can refuse, to the fullest extent possible under the law, to share information with immigration agents; - the district will help with legal support for immigrant students and their families by offering referrals to reputable legal organizations; [and] - the district will create a “rapid response network” to help st udents or family who have been detained by immigration officials.

US Sees Massive Drop in Illegal Border Crossings in Trump Era
Sputnik News - There has been a 76 percent drop in illegal border crossings into the US since President Donald Trump took office – and this before plans for “the wall” have been finalized. Analysts say that the decline is even more marked for children and families, and have attributed the difference to the Trump administration’s strict enforcement of his immigration policy. In April, apprehensions by border patrol personnel dropped to 11,129, with the number of children apprehended coming in below 1,000. This marks the lowest total for any month in decades, the Washington Times reported. In December, 43,253 were apprehended while trying to cross the southern border. The number of apprehensions is generally seen as an indicator of overall flow: the more people who are apprehended, the more people likely also made it across undetected. In contrast to the policies of the Obama administration, Trump has called for speedy deportations and additional detention centers to house apprehended undocumented immigrants so they are not released into United States prior to their hearings.

Gun Groups React Positively to New Trump Judicial Nominations
Washington Free Beacon - Gun rights activists praised President Trump's new judicial nominees on Wednesday. "As he did in nominating Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, once again President Trump is keeping his promise to the American people by nominating constitutional originalists across the federal courts," Chris Cox, head of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, told the Washington Free Beacon…. The Second Amendment Foundation, which has a number of gun-rights cases pending in the federal courts, said the nominations look "very promising."… At this point, there are over 120 federal court vacancies waiting to be filled. With federal judges serving life terms, President Trump has an opportunity to shape the federal court system in a significant fashion…. Liberals and Democrats have reacted to the news of the nominations with a great deal of alarm…. [Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan] Gottlieb said the scorn from liberal groups only served to make him more confident in the president's nominees.

Cedarville University Embraces Ohio's Campus Carry Law, Arms Faculty
Breitbart - Beginning August 1, full-time faculty and staff possessing concealed carry permits will be able to carry guns for defense of themselves and their students at Cedarville University…. According to Cleveland.com, Cedarville is a Baptist affiliated school that enrolls nearly 4,000 students for undergraduate, graduate, and online studies. “University President Thomas White said school officials consulted with law enforcement and attorneys and got input from employees through a town hall meeting and surveys” before voting to allow concealed carry on campus. The surveys revealed that “only 8 percent of [Cedarville] faculty and staff…did not want anyone to carry a concealed firearm a concealed firearm on campus.”…. Breitbart News reported that Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) signed campus carry legislation into law on December 19, 2016; less than a month after an Islamist armed with a butcher knife and a car attacked unarmed innocents on the Ohio State University campus. Since that time, Arkansas and Georgia both adopted campus carry as well, bringing the total number of campus carry states to 11. The other eight are Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Texas, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Kansas.

The 2017 “March Against Monsanto” May 20, 2017
Natural Blaze - The Organic Consumers Organization is providing a listing of 184 MAM-march organizer contacts on its website. There are 95 contacts listed for marches taking place in the USA; 14 for Canada; Japan 5; 14 France; 5 Mexico; 6 Argentina; 4 Bolivia and numerous others for countries across the globe. Organic Consumers Organization is offering free materials to reproduce for the marches at its website where you can click on links and print any of the various materials to reproduce for marchers to display. According to OCO, “More than 300 cities on 6 continents are participating.” Please consider joining the world-wide “March Against Monsanto” to show government officials, the media and all GMO developers your dissatisfaction with being force-fed ersatz ‘phood’—something really not found in Nature, but synthesized in Monsanto’s and other GMO producers’ laboratories.

World News

Turkey Warns US Decision To Arm Kurd "Terrorists" Is A "Crisis", Gives Trump Chance To "Reconsider"
Zero Hedge - Following yesterday's news that the White House had radically changed its strategy involving Syrian military intervention, and that it had decided to provide weapons to Kurdish militants in the region, we were curious to see just how livid Turkey would be when it inevitably responded to Trump's announcement. One day later we got the answer when the Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik was quoted by Reuters that the U.S. decision to provide weapons for Kurdish militants in the fight against ISIS "is a crisis" and warned it would not benefit the United States or the region…. The decision to supply arms to Kurds would have “consequences” and a potentially “negative result” for Washington, warned Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim warned on Wednesday…. A third warning came from Turkish Deputy PM Nurettin Canikli who told local TV station A Haber that “we cannot accept the presence of terrorist organizations that would threaten the future of the Turkish state…. Responding to the Turkish laments, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he was confident the United States would be able to resolve tensions with Turkey the decision. “We will work very closely with Turkey in support of their security on their southern border. It's Europe's southern border, and we’ll stay closely connected,” Reuters quoted Mattis on Wednesday.

Migrants Rampage Through Streets After Storming Spanish Border
Breitbart - Hundreds of African migrants have stormed the Spanish-Moroccan border, injuring guards and pouring into the streets of Melilla. The city, which has belonged to Spain since 1497, is one of two centuries-old settlements on the North African coast which belong to the European country. Their frontiers with Morocco represent the European Union’s only land borders with an African nation…. Around a hundred migrants broke through the city’s defences successfully, rampaging through the streets and turning cartwheels in celebration. They could not be immediately ejected due to EU rules which require the authorities to let them lodge asylum applications on reaching Spanish soil…. Border violations at the two exclaves had already tripled on 2016 by February, with Moroccan agriculture minister and billionaire oil and gas tycoon Aziz Akhannouch indicating that the North African dictatorship would relax its efforts to stem the flow of migrants if the EU refused to give way to on issues related to farming, fishing, and the long-standing illegal occupation of Western Sahara…. In fact, the EU does pay Morocco an unspecified sum, reported to be in the tens of millions of euros, to police its borders.

Paris's Largest Migrant Camp Evacuated by Police
Breitbart - The Porte de la Chapelle migrant camp used to be the largest in Paris, but after Tuesday morning the camp no longer exists. Police arrived at the camp at 5:30 am and began the process of relocating some 1,600 migrants, the vast majority of whom were men, away from the area, L’Express reports. According to police, there were 1,609 people, of which 75 were considered “vulnerable” including underage migrants and women, who were relocated to official accommodation facilities. The camp was mostly populated by men from Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Sudan…. Aside from the health hazards in the squalid camp, many authorities worried about rivalries between the different nationalities of migrants that led to a particularly violent incident last month. Last week, Breitbart London travelled to the camp to talk to migrants who had come to Europe. One migrant said that he blamed Europe for “ruining” his country and almost all agreed that European governments owed them access to welfare and housing. According to one of the residents at the camp, originally from Sudan, the most violent people at the camp were the Eritrean men.

Millions of Pakistanis sent govt blasphemy warning by text
RT - Pakistan’s government has sent millions of text messages warning citizens against the sharing of blasphemous content online. The move comes as authorities bid to combat a major uptick in religious violence as mob rule decides if ‘blasphemers’ live or die. Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) asked members of the public to report any objectionable content to authorities. The telecom regulator told AFP that it was acting on a court order. It’s feared, however, that the government message will embolden the actions of violent mobs.

Mexico's 2016 Murder Tally Exceeds Those of Many Countries at War
The Epoch TImes - Mexico had the second-highest number of murders last year among countries considered in “armed conflict,” more than Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a report published on Tuesday that dealt a blow to President Enrique Peña Nieto’s efforts to end a deadly drug war. With nearly 23,000 intentional homicides in 2016, Mexico’s murder tally was second only to war-torn Syria’s 60,000, said Antonio Sampaio, one of the authors of the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ “Armed Conflict Survey 2017.” Iraq had roughly 17,000 murders, while Afghanistan had 16,000 last year, he added, noting that Mexico’s militarized drug battle increasingly resembles an armed conflict…. While homicides are generally reported at a rate per 100,000 people, Sampaio said many countries in armed conflict lack reliable population data. “We think absolute numbers are a good way of measuring intensity,” he said. “Plus 23,000 is a huge number; no doubt about that.”… The 2016 murder tally rose to its highest level since Pena Nieto became president, and the first few months of 2017 have shown no signs that the violence has stopped. In January, Reuters reported that Mexico’s declining security budget could help drive the 2017 murder tally to its highest level ever.

Energy & Environment

Obama Uses Private Jet, 14 Car Convoy to Get to European Climate Change Speech
Independent Journal Review - Former President Barack Obama traveled to Italy this week to make a speech on climate change at the “Seed & Chips: The Global Food Innovation Summit” in the city of Milan. It seems like Obama has taken a page out of Leonardo DiCaprio's book of “do as I say, not as I do” and took a private jet to Milan. Not only that, he had a 14 car convoy to get into the city, which also included protection from above with a helicopter. It doesn't end there. According to The Daily Mail, 300 police officers were used to protect the former president. The fleet of 14 included multiple SUVs, police cars, and sedans — not to mention a few motorcycles. While in Milan, Obama also met with former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who was a close partner during their respective times in office. During his post-presidency vacation, Obama spent many weeks in French Polynesia on music mogul David Geffen's 450ft superyacht, which surely does not frugally sip fossil fuels like he wants the rest of the country to do. Seems like President Obama’s retirement is going well.
* Related: Obama Pockets $3.2 Million For Speaking At A Conference In Milan

Science & Technology

An AI Will Decide Which Criminals in the UK Get Bail
Motherboard - Get arrested in Durham, England, and artificial intelligence could help decide whether you're held in custody or sent home—but it's not yet clear if the algorithm is more accurate than police officers when it comes to assessing whether someone is likely to reoffend. Durham Constabulary has worked with academics from the University of Cambridge to develop the Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART), an algorithm that analyses crime data and predicts whether an arrested suspect is likely to pose a risk if released from custody. The tool is similar to those recently rolled out in the United States…. Alongside that, Durham is running a "wilful blindfulness exercise", where officers aren't shown HART's prediction, but instead make their own guess as to whether the suspect will reoffend within two years and whether it will be serious, so researchers can see if humans and machines make the same choice. So far, HART and officers agree only 56 percent of the time. Durham will have to wait two years to see which is correct more often.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Victory: Seed sharing platform disrupting dangerous companies who control more than 60% of the global seed supply
(Natural News) A new peer-to-peer seed sharing program could turn the agricultural world upside-down. In order to help preserve biodiversity and increase food security, some gardeners and small farmers are focusing on growing and saving seeds from heirloom plants and crops. Heirloom crops and plants that can be open-pollinated and that have adapted to specific climates and environments are integral to maintaining genetic diversity among plants and helps to ensure food security. Modern farming practices, however, have taken their toll on biodiversity. In fact, in less than a century, the United States alone has seen fruit and vegetable seed diversity decrease by 1200 percent. In total, about 93 percent of once-diverse crop and plant species have vanished. Worldwide, plant diversity has decreased by a staggering 75 percent.

Do your part and save the bees with these 10 easy-to-grow flowers
(Natural News) Bee populations have dwindled in recent years. Pesticides, parasites, and the disappearance of wildflowers have all been cited as reasons for the declines of domesticated and wild bees. Without these important little pollinators, the amount of agricultural crops would shrink considerably. Less bees means less food for us. Fortunately, the simple act of planting annual flowers can help bring bee numbers back up. 1. Garden Nasturtium – Beloved as both an ornamental and medicinal plant. 2. French Marigold – Commonly used as a companion plant, French Marigolds protect vegetable crops from harmful insects like white flies. 3. Common Marigold – These are fast-growing plants blessed with aromatic leaves and vibrant flowers. They also serve as excellent substitutes for saffron in rice dishes. Californian Bluebell – These are hardy flowers that do well in dry soil, require little attention, and attract pollinators. Common Sunflower – Whether you plant giant Sunflowers or the shorter varieties, be sure to plant them where they can get the most amount of sun. There are pollen-free cultivars on the market which aren’t good at attracting bees, so avoid these at all costs. Baby’s Breath – These delicate white flowers are known for being easy to grow from seeds. More than just bouquet fillers, Baby’s Breath lure in honeybees with ease….

Health

About a third of FDA-approved drugs go on to have major safety issues
Ars Technica - Among 222 novel therapeutics approved by the agency between 2001 and 2010, 71 (or 32 percent) had safety events arise a median of 4.2 years later. Safety events assessed in the study were marked by any of three FDA actions: withdrawing a drug entirely from the market; adding a boxed warning to a drug’s label, which is often added for life-threatening health risks; or issuing a safety communication, which is for serious, but non-life-threatening, health risks. In all, the agency withdrew three drugs*, added boxed warnings to 61, and issued safety communications for 59. The authors of the study, led by Joseph Ross, a Yale professor of general medicine and public health policy, hope the analysis helps regulators identify features of drugs that may have hidden health risks at the time of their review…. “The majority of pivotal trials that form the basis for FDA approval enroll fewer than 1,000 patients with follow-up of six months or less, which may make it challenging to identify uncommon or long-term serious safety risks,” Ross and his colleagues note. “The high frequency of post-market safety events highlights the need for continuous monitoring of the safety of novel therapeutics throughout their life cycle.” But the study also may offer a glimpse of what could come from policies designed to quicken the FDA’s already swift reviews.

Baltimore group pushes FDA to issue cancer warning labels on acid reflux drugs
(Natural News) Acid reflux affects most people at one time or another. Rethink Health reports that 60 million adults in the U.S. experience it at least once a month, while 25 million suffer with it on a daily basis…. For many, the solution seems simple: Just use an over-the-counter medication to deal with the acid and resolve the problem. What most people don’t realize is that though they may no longer feel the symptoms after taking an OTC medication, the problem is still there, and left untreated, can lead to a serious condition called Barrett’s Esophagus, in which all that stomach acid eventually damages the lining of the esophagus. In turn, this condition can eventually result in esophageal cancer. As reported by The Baltimore Sun, a group called the Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN), which is based in Baltimore, is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to add warning labels to OTC medications like Nexium, Prilosec, Omeprazole, Prevacid, Dexilant, Aciphex and Protonix.

The More Muscle, The Less Diabetes
Natural Blaze - If you have more lean muscle tissue, you have less risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Findings outlined by US and Chinese scientists provide further insights into how muscles use glucose in a feedback loop as well as its role in whole-body glucose balance…. “The majority of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented by the adoption of a healthier lifestyle,” reported researchers led by Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts….One study looked at 13,600 people and followed them for 6 years. Researchers found that people who had just 10% greater amount of muscle tissue in their body, according to a special bioelectrical impedance measurement, had 12% less chance of developing pre-diabetes or diabetes type II. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a trial published in 2002, found intensive lifestyle interventions such as diet or exercise were more effective than the diabetes drug metformin in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Lettuce Has … No Nutrition? Perhaps, If You Eat The Wrong Kind
Off the Grid News - Nature gives us a great hint for choosing healthy fruits and vegetables – color. The darker the berry, the higher the antioxidant value. Similarly, the darker the shade of lettuce is, the higher its nutritional content. Take iceberg lettuce, for example. The longtime and popular American salad staple has a pale color and, accordingly, offers little in the way of vitamins and minerals. In fact, it ranks last on our list of healthy lettuce…. Romaine – With its dark red and green color and its elongated leaves, romaine (also called “cos”) is rich in folate and vitamins A and C. It also contains a healthy dose of Vitamin K, zinc and potassium. Each romaine leaf has a sturdy rib that helps it stand up well in salads and on sandwiches, but its flavor is surprisingly sweet. Even better: Romaine will last for 10 days or more in your fridge…. Loose leaf lettuce —Second only to romaine in Vitamin A content… Loose leaf contains the most fiber of any lettuce and also is rich in potassium. Butterhead – Butterhead has double the magnesium content of any other lettuce and is a good source of vitamin A. It also has small amounts of calcium and iron. Leaf lettuce — It is a good choice for sneaking some Vitamins A and K into the diet of the picky eaters in your family. The greener or redder the leaf, the more nutrients this lettuce provides, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
 


Wednesday - May 10, 2017

On This Day In History


1768 - The imprisonment of the journalist John Wilkes as an outlaw provoked violence in London. Wilkes was returned to parliament as a member for Middlesex.
1773 - The English Parliament passed the Tea Act, which taxed all tea in the U.S. colonies.
1775 - Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold led an attack on the British Fort Ticonderoga and captured it from the British.
1840 - Mormon leader Joseph Smith moved his band of followers to Illinois to escape the hostilities they had experienced in Missouri.
1865 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union troops near Irvinville, GA.
1872 - Victoria Woodhull became the first woman nominated for the U.S. presidency.
1876 - Richard Wagner’s "Centennial Inaugural March" was heard for the first time at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, PA.
1898 - A vending machine law was enacted in Omaha, NE. It cost $5,000 for a permit.
1908 - The first Mother's Day observance took place during a church service in Grafton, West Virginia.
1924 - J. Edgar Hoover was appointed head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
1933 - The Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany.
1940 - Germany invaded Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
1941 - England's House of Commons was destroyed by a German air raid.
1941 - Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler's deputy, parachuted into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission.
1942 - U.S. forces in the Philippines began to surrender to the Japanese.
1943 - U.S. troops invaded Attu in the Aleutian Islands to expel the Japanese.
1968 - Preliminary Vietnam peace talks began in Paris.
1986 - Navy Lt. Commander Donnie Cochran became the first black pilot to fly with the Blue Angels team.
1994 - Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first black president.
2000 - 11,000 residents were evacuated in Los Alamos, NM, due to a fire that was blown into a canyon. The fire had been deliberately set to clear brush.
2002 - Robert Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole. Hanssen, an FBI agent, had sold U.S. secrets to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
2002 - Taiwan test fired a locally made Sky Bow II surface-to-air missile for the first time. They also fired three U.S.-made Hawk missiles.
2011 - It was announced that Microsoft had closed a deal to purchase the internet phone service Skype for $8.5 billion.
2013 - In New York, NY, crane operators hoisted the final pieces of the spire atop One World Trade Center (formerly called the Freedom Tower).

U.S. News, Politics & Government

F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump
New York Times - President Trump has fired the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, over his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, the White House said on Tuesday. Mr. Comey was leading an investigation into whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. “While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau,” Mr. Trump said in a letter to Mr. Comey dated Tuesday. “It is essential that we find new leadership for the F.B.I. that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Clinton Campaign Manager ‘Terrified’ Over Comey Firing
The GatewayPundit - Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election campaign quickly expressed their disapproval of Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey. Hillary’s campaign manager, Robby Mook tweeted about the news of Comey’s firing claiming it terrified him. That makes us even happier here at TGP! Mook tweeted out ‘Twilight zone. I was disappointed and frustrated as anyone at how the email investigation was handled. But this terrifies me.’ Comey’s firing was of course welcomed by conservatives and patriots alike. Comey was involved in one scandal after covering for Hillary Clinton. Comey’s firing came at the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
* Related: Flashback: Comey and FBI Never Asked for DNC Hacked Computer Servers During Investigation

Trump Nominates Ten Conservatives to be Federal Judges
Breitbart - Trump has already made one other judicial nomination: Judge Amul Thapar to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Thapar is currently a federal district judge (the trial court in the federal system) in Kentucky. But at this moment, there are 122 judicial vacancies in addition to the one Thapar will fill when he is confirmed. On Monday, Trump nominated ten additional picks to fill many of those seats, five for the federal appeals courts and four for the federal district courts (in addition to one for a specialized court, the Court of Federal Claims). Most of the public attention will go to the appellate nominees, because more than 99 percent of the time a decision from a federal appeals court is a final decision because the Supreme Court does not select it for review.

California may end ban on communists in government jobs that has been on the books since the Red Scare of the 1940s and '50s
Daily Mail - Being a communist would no longer be a fireable offense for California government employees under a bill passed Monday by the state Assembly. Lawmakers narrowly approved the bill to repeal part of a law enacted during the Red Scare of the 1940s and '50s when fear that communists were trying to infiltrate and overthrow the US government was rampant. The bill, which was authored by Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta, now goes to the Senate. If passed there, it would eliminate part of the law that allows public employees to be fired for being a member of the Communist Party…. Assemblyman Randy Voepel, a Southern California Republican who fought in the Vietnam War, said communists in North Korea and China are 'still a threat.' This bill is blatantly offensive to all Californians,' said Assemblyman Travis Allen, a Republican who represents a coastal district in Southern California. 'Communism stands for everything that the United States stands against.'

College Destroys Books After Digitization, Sparking Fears of 1984-Style Censorship
Kit Daniels - California universities were caught removing and even destroying library books after digitizing them, a process critics warn leads to 1984-style censorship in which only “corrected” copies of books remain. UC Berkeley in particular recently removed 135,000 books from its school library, claiming that by digitizing the books, library space can be reused for meeting rooms and “nap pods.”… “The removal of 60% of the physical collection at the science library of the University of California, Santa Cruz, for instance, caused an uproar after it was reported that many of the books removed had been destroyed,” reported the Christian Science Monitor. “A campus spokesman said that nothing had been lost from the scholarly record, since duplicates were retained in other libraries or available online.” “Given the short timeframe and seeming lack of consultation of the faculty, however, many critics expressed doubts that this was actually the case.” This, of course, draws parallels to the novel 1984, in which the protagonist, Winston, works at the Ministry of Truth altering books and important texts while sequentially destroying the original sources to hide the evidence of tampering. In reality, it’s certainly plausible that SJW student-workers digitizing books at a university could “correct for history” by altering or downright removing passages from books that don’t conform to their world view.

Fed Tech Slowed ICE Agents Tracking Visa Overstays, Report Finds
Breitbart - A recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows just how much the federal government has done to handicap ICE agents who are working to find those who are illegally in the country because of visa overstays. Estimates reveal there are 1.2 million of these individuals in the country. Two of the 9/11 terrorists overstayed their visas. Visa overstays are one of the primary causes for illegal immigrants to be in the United States. Moreover, as discussed on Breitbart News Radio in an interview with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in late January, “about 40 percent of people who come to visit our country on a visa overstay their visa, and we have no idea where they are.” The senator from Kentucky added, “On 9/11, at least two of the hijackers were here on visa. They were traveling back and forth to the Middle East, and we really had no idea where they were or what they were doing, and they were overstaying their visa. So, there are problems I think in the immigration system that need to be fixed for our safety.” The report issued by DHS last week shows that ICE investigators are given a sluggishly encumbering system, causing delays in determining whether a visa holder poses a national security threat.

15 Illegal Immigrants Arrested for Alleged Identity Theft
Breitbart - The 15 illegal immigrants were indicted by a federal grand jury for identity theft, accusing the men of “using social security numbers of actual citizens, and making false claims of United States citizenship in order to obtain jobs at the facility over the past three years,” the statement read. According to prosecutors, the illegal immigrants were working under names of actual U.S. citizens. The stolen identities primarily came from citizens living in Puerto Rico. Prosecutors said that after the illegal immigrants stole the Social Security numbers, they received state-issued identification cards from Louisiana, Missouri, Texas and Arkansas in order to work in those states. The stolen Social Security numbers allowed the illegal immigrants to get past the E-Verify systems.

"Chicago Is A War Zone": Police Suicide Rate Surges To 60% Above The National Average
Zero Hedge - “Chicago is a war zone,” said Alexa James, the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Chicago. “They (officers) are seeing the worst day of everybody’s life every day.” “Suicide is killing officers, alcohol is killing officers, at a far greater rate than ambushes, but there is not the same sense of urgency around this issue,” said Christy Lopez, a former Justice Department official who led the Chicago federal probe. Chicago police’s suicide rate was 29.4 per 100,000 department members between 2013 and 2015, the report said, citing police union figures. The department disagreed in the report, putting the rate at 22.7 suicides per 100,000 members. Both estimates were higher than the national average of 18.1 law enforcement suicides per 100,000…. To add insult to injury, because of Chicago’s onerous gun laws that permanently prohibit anyone who has been involuntarily committed for in-patient mental health treatment from carrying a gun, a requirement for cops, the folks working for the Chicago PD generally refuse mental health services out of fear of losing their job.
* Related: Chicago Gangs Turn To "Armor-Piercing Rifles" In Police Ambush

A Tour Down Homicide Lane, As Baltimore Descends Into Chaos
Zero Hedge - According to The Baltimore Sun Newspaper, the city has logged in 118 homicides today with the projection of >400 murders for year’s end. It’s so bad here that Baltimore’s Mayor has asked the Federal Government for help in attempt to regain control. Even the police union sounds the alarm of an officer shortage leading to decrease in patrols. All of this is occurring as the Baltimore population declines, nearing a 100-year low, U.S. Census says…. The mainstream media dares not to share this with you, because it destroys the gentrification narrative to lure in the millennial generation for city life. Millennials’ are frantically buying real estate <2 miles from this high homicide area. For the sake of the millennials’, let’s hope a spillover in crime does not occur in their neighborhoods. It would be detrimental to home prices.

Govt to Grab $3M from Taxpayers to Propagandize Us Into Eating GMOs
Natural Blaze - Washington Post reports: The Food and Drug Administration will fund a campaign to promote genetically modified organisms in food under a bipartisan agreement to keep the government funded through the end of September. The deal to avert a government shutdown allocates $3 million to “consumer outreach and education regarding agricultural biotechnology,” which includes genetic engineering of food and commodity crops. The money is to be used to tout “the environmental, nutritional, food safety, economic, and humanitarian impacts” of biotech crops and their derivative food products. More than 50 agriculture and food industry groups had signed on to an April 18 letter urging the funding to counter “a tremendous amount of misinformation about agricultural biotechnology in the public domain.” But some environmental groups and House Democrats have derided the provision as a government-sponsored public relations tour for the GMO industry…. Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.) tried to get the measure struck from the bill last month. During a hearing she had said: It is not the responsibility of the FDA to mount a government-controlled propaganda campaign to convince the American public that genetically modified foods are safe. The FDA has to regulate the safety of our food supply and medical devices. They are not, nor should they be, in the pro-industry advertising business.

World News

US to send heavier weapons to Syrian Kurds and reassures NATO ally, Turkey – Pentagon
RT - The Department of Defense has confirmed delivery of heavier weapons to US-allied Kurdish fighters, for the upcoming ‘long and difficult’ battle to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from ISIS. The Pentagon has also offered protection to its NATO ally, Turkey…. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis is meeting with Turkish officials in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday to work out differences over the US’s continued support for Syrian Kurds against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters and efforts to retake Raqqa. Turkey considers them an extension of a banned terrorist group on its territory. The weapons shipment was also confirmed by the White House on Tuesday…. Spicer said the US "reassures the people and the government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally."

EXCLUSIVE: ‘It Was An Invasion’: How Hungary Managed To Erase Illegal Immigration In Just A Few Months
The Daily Caller - When other countries welcomed refugees with open arms, Hungary decided it was time to eradicate illegal immigration at any cost. The country succeeded, but that success damaged relations with the European Union in the process. Hungary’s second border fence has just been completed in the southern town of Asotthalom. The 96-mile long, 14 ft. tall double-line of defense doesn’t look too intimidating from a distance. Go a little closer and you’ll notice several layers of razor-wire capable of delivering electric shocks, cameras, heat sensors and loudspeakers ready to tell migrants they’re about to break Hungarian law if they as much as touch the fence. Add a few hundred military officers and “border hunters” and it’s virtually impossible to break. Close to every police officer in the country is part of a rotation to make sure the grounds are covered at all times. Temporary military bases have been set up by the border to house them while they do their rotation. More than 1,000 volunteers will receive generous salary and benefit packages when they deploy as “border hunters” after extensive training…. If a migrant is lucky enough to make it across, local guards patrol the surrounding area around the clock. The ones who are caught are arrested and dropped off on the Serbian side. They don’t even get a chance to apply for asylum unless they do so at a “transit zone” where they are held in housing containers while their cases get processed.

Economy & Business

For The First Time, You Can Track Every Dollar The Government Spends
Zero Hedge - Despite paying trillions in Federal taxes every year, Americans' requests for a clear, detailed breakdown of where their money goes every year, have gone unanswered and been ignored by both Republican and Democrat administrations for one simple reason: transparency has an unpleasant way of mutating into accountability, which is the scariest thing imaginable for any career politician. Not any more. On Tuesday, the US Treasury launched a new website designed to track virtually every dollar - out of roughly $4 trillion - in federal spending. The new website, Beta. USAspending.gov, was created to put data into the hands of taxpayers by empowering them to track how their tax dollars are spent. The site is designed to follow federal agency spending and, for the first time, links spending data to awards distributed by the government…. More than just pretty charts, however, the site will likely serve as a tool for investors following along with Trump Administration proposal debates, and tracking who, where and when is set to receive several billion in excess government generosity.

Bitcoin Soars Over $1700 - 2017's Best-Performing Currency
Zero Hedge - Bitcoin is now up for 16 of the last 18 days, soaring over 50% in the last month and up almost 90% in 2017 - making its the year's best performing currency. There appears to be no specific catalyst for today's move as the surge in Japanese interest and news that Russia is considering, like Japan just did, to allow cryptocurrencies as a legal payment method are outweighing fears over 'hard forks', SEC rejections, and Chinese crackdowns. One wonders whether this 'spurious' correlation has anything to do with Bitcoin's rise - as Venezuela's black market Bolivar plunges into hyper-inflationary collapse, non-fiat currencies are bid... We summarized the ongoing bitcoin frenzy as follows last week: "just as the Chinese bubble frenzy in bitcoin is fading, it may be replaced with a new one, in which thousands of Mrs. Watanabe traders shift their attention away from the FX market and toward digital currencies" and added that "If the transition is seamless, there is no telling just how far this particular bubble can grow."

Purple Mattress Company Allegedly Sues Man For Questioning Product’s Safety
David Wolfe - A new viral video is alleging that the company Purple, Inc.—creators of a product that’s the “perfected science of sound sleep”—is suing a review site for questioning the mattress’ safety. “Do you want to know why Purple Mattress is suing me over four simple safety questions,” begins the video… According to the man in the video, who runs a YouTube channel called “Honest Mattress Reviews,” the Purple Mattress contains a white powdery substance that could potentially be dangerous, he says. Claiming to contacted Purple, Inc. by phone to inquire about the powdery substance, he says they originally told him it was “talcum powder”… it was “a hypoallergenic, nontoxic, powder.”… According to one of his videos, upon opening up the Purple Mattress and pressing a black shirt against it, a visible stain of powder appears on the shirt, at which point he asks, “if you slept on it, and this much powder was on it, would you be concerned?” After he was sued, the man in the video claims he hired a First Amendment attorney and that “he reviewed my case and realized that my rights had been completely steamrolled.” According to the mattress reviewer, the Harvard scientist’s preliminary findings, he said, “Polyethylene is a common plastic formed into many structures. As inhalable microspheres, these have the potential to cause respiratory irritation especially when inhaled in large numbers as shown in my laboratory.”

Energy & Environment

Hanford Tunnel Breach Confirmed In Emergency At Nuclear Reservation
Tai-City Herald - An emergency has been declared in central Hanford after a tunnel used to store highly radioactively contaminated waste collapsed. An aerial survey midmorning Tuesday showed an opening about 20 feet by 20 feet into one of two tunnel, which had been covered with about eight feet of soil. The breach at the defunct Purex processing plant could expose the highly radioactive material disposed of in the tunnel to the atmosphere. No airborne radiation had been detected as of about 10:30 a.m. Radiological surveys were continuing. The tunnels are about 25 miles northwest of the center of Richland in the Hanford nuclear reservation’s 200 East Area. Instructions for people to shelter in place were expanded from central Hanford to most of Hanford, including LIGO and the reactor areas along the Columbia River, after the aerial survey. No one is being allowed to enter the site beyond the security barricades. Earlier in the morning workers near Purex had noticed a 4-foot-by-4-foot depression that was 2 to 4 feet deep over the tunnel. Workers in Purex were evacuated when the depression was noticed. About 3,000 workers in central Hanford initially were told to take shelter indoors, including about 1,000 workers at the vitrification plant construction site. Ventilation systems at the vit plant were turned off as part of the emergency procedure and equipment that could generate heat were powered down…. Private pilots in the area have been told to avoid flying over Hanford. The Hanford Patrol is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to put a formal air restriction in place until the FAA can confirm there is no danger. Railcars full of highly contaminated materials and equipment from the plant were backed into waste disposal tunnels at the plant and left there as a disposal method. The material was so radioactive that several empty cars were placed between the railcar holding waste and the locomotive to protect the driver from radiation…. Last year a new legal deadline was set requiring the DOE to start some work toward assessing the the waste disposal tunnels by September of this year.
* Related Video: Hanford nuclear site is America's most toxic place

Health

Bombshell Studies: Vaccinated Kids Sicker than Unvaccinated
Alliance for Natural Health - The first study, comparing unvaccinated and vaccinated children, looked at the link between preterm (i.e., premature) infants, vaccination, and the development of neurological development disorders (NDD) such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and learning disabilities. Preterm babies are already at increased risk for NDD, but the study found that vaccinating preterm babies—which is standard medical practice—significantly increases that risk. Preterm birth combined with vaccination was associated with nearly seven-fold increased odds of NDD…. The second study, which surveyed more than 400 homeschooling mothers with 666 children (39% of whom were unvaccinated), found even more causes for concern. It found that vaccinated kids were, on the whole, sicker than unvaccinated kids. Vaccinated children were more than three times as likely to have allergies, six times as likely to have pneumonia, about three times as likely to have NDD, and almost twice as likely to have any chronic illness. Additionally, the study also found that vaccinated kids were far more likely to use medications and other health services. They were more likely to have been prescribed antibiotics, allergy drugs, and fever medications; fitted with ventilation ear tubes; visited a doctor in the previous year for a health issue; and been hospitalized…. It is shocking that such studies have never been done, considering that the childhood vaccination program now includes forty-eight doses of vaccines for fourteen diseases—all administered between birth and age six—compared to three vaccinations for seven diseases in the 1970s. If those who wish to force vaccinations on the US population are so confident that vaccines are safe, why not do the studies? The likely answer: Big Pharma makes Big Money from pumping the most vulnerable among us full of vaccines.

Eating 'too much' salt doesn't raise blood pressure—it lowers it
What Doctors Don't Tell You - We're told to eat less salt to keep our blood pressure in check. But a major new study is the latest to suggest the guidelines are just plain wrong. Blood pressure was higher in people who kept to the 2.3 g of sodium (around 6 g of salt) recommended daily amount, and lower in those who consumed more. "We saw no evidence that a diet lower in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure. Our findings add to growing evidence that current recommendations for sodium intake may be misguided," said Lynn Moore from Boston University school of medicine, and the lead researcher. Instead, eating plenty of potassium, calcium and magnesium every day did more to keep blood pressure in check, the researchers found when they looked at the diets and salt intake of 2,632 men and women aged between 30 and 64. Those who ate the highest amounts of potassium and sodium also recorded the lowest blood pressure levels. Of these, Dr Moore thinks that potassium—derived from foods such as avocado, spinach, sweet potato, bananas and coconut water—has the most important role to play in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Spinach, chard, almonds and black beans are rich in magnesium, while calcium is found in milk and cheese, soya beans and nuts.

Pet News

The Unexpected Life-or-Death Disease That's Probably Not Even on Your Radar
Dr. Becker - Cats with asthma can't draw a deep breath, but it’s not always obvious. Instead, kitty develops a dry hack that often sounds like gagging or retching. In fact, some cats with asthma are initially diagnosed with hairballs. Wheezing, which can sound like a high-pitched sigh or a whistle, is another classic symptom. Labored breathing and exercise intolerance are also signs. Even if your cat has a dry cough as her only symptom, it's not necessarily a measure of the severity of the condition. Kitties can have quite serious asthma but very few symptoms. Some cats have no symptoms at all until suddenly they can’t breathe. An acute asthma attack can be life-threatening…. Symptoms of feline asthma are seen in other diseases as well, so it's extremely important to get an accurate diagnosis. Cats are often misdiagnosed with asthma when they actually have a heart condition; so again, getting a correct diagnosis is crucial…. I recommend you talk to a holistic or integrative veterinarian about natural remedies to control lung inflammation and promote respiratory health in your kitty. I find naturally extracted plant sterols and sterolins to be beneficial for these patients, as well as homeopathics and Chinese herbs. I also encourage you to consider acupuncture. Acupuncture helps reduce systemic inflammation in a cat's body, and it can also help reduce the frequency and intensity of asthmatic episodes.
 


Tuesday - May 9, 2017

On This Day In History


1754 - The first newspaper cartoon in America showed a divided snake "Join or die" in "The Pennsylvania Gazette."
1825 - The Chatham Theatre opened in New York City. It was the first gas-lit theater in America.
1901 - In Australia, the Duke of Cornwall and York declared the First Commonwealth Parliament open.
1904 - The Great Western Railway Number 3440 City of Truro became the first railway locomotive to exceed 100 miles per hour.
1926 - Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett became the first men to fly an airplane over the North Pole.
1941 - The German submarine U-110 was captured at sea by Britain's Royal navy.
1960 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for sale an oral birth-control pill for the first time.
1962 - A laser beam was successfully bounced off Moon for the first time.
1974 - The House Judiciary Committee began formal hearings on the Nixon impeachment.
1994 - Nelson Mandela was chosen to be South Africa's first black president.
1996 - In video testimony to a courtroom in Little Rock, AR, U.S. President Clinton insisted that he had nothing to do with a $300,000 loan in the criminal case against his former Whitewater partners.
2002 - In Bethlehem, West Bank, a deal was reached that would end the 38-day standoff at the Church of the Nativity. Thirteen suspected militants were to be deported to several different countries. The standoff had begun on April 2, 2002.
2002 - In Kaspiisk, Russia, 39 people were killed and at least 130 were injured when a remote-controlled bomb exploded during a holiday parade.
2002 - In Bahrain, people were allowed to vote for representatives for the 1st time in nearly 30 years. Women were allowed to vote for the 1st time in the country's history.
2012 - President Barack Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Sally Yates Admits Defying Executive Order Partly 'as a Policy Matter'
Breitbart - Yates told the Senate Judiciary Committee that her decision was made “not purely as a policy matter,” but suggested that she had been guided by “statements” that were made “contemporaneously or prior” to the order. She did not specify which statements she meant, but several of the judges who have blocked the executive order — and its less ambitious successor — have referred to statements made by Trump on the campaign trail about a “Muslim ban.” Under questioning, Yates admitted that “people of goodwill can make different decisions about this” — having just argued, moments before, that the conclusion of the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel was so wrong that it had to be overruled.

FBI Email Exposes Attorney General Promise To Protect Hillary Clinton From Criminal Charges
Activist Post - A report from the New York Times last month first discussed the ostensible contents of this mystery document and its implications, stating it appeared Comey and his associates harbored misgivings about the oversight of their bosses at the Justice Department — and whether or not their biases would allow for a neutral probe…. Even the very existence of this damning document has never been proven — perhaps due to its incendiary contents. At Wednesday’s hearing, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley referenced the New York Times’ article in questioning Comey, stating it “reportedly provided assurances that Attorney General Lynch would protect Secretary Clinton by making sure the FBI investigation ‘didn’t go too far.’” “How, and when, did you first learn of this document? Also, who sent it and who received it?” Grassley queried the FBI chief. “That’s not a question I can answer in this forum, Mr. Chairman, because it would call for a classified response,” Comey stymied…. Grassley, not content at the stonewall tactic, pressed further in a similar vein,…. Comey balked, however, refusing on the same grounds his answer would be considered classified — and maintained that position…. With the FBI still looking into the campaigns and communications of Clinton, the document in question - and its likely damning contents pegging the U.S. Attorney General responsible for abating efforts to levy charges as needed against the former secretary of state -could prove combustible, if not detrimental, to assumed neutrality of high-level investigators in preeminent law enforcement agencies.

And So It Begins, Trump's Great Climate Purge
Breitbart - EPA administrator Scott Pruitt – perhaps stung by criticisms that he was turning into a squish – today reaffirmed, in an interview with CNBC, that he is not a believer in catastrophic man-made global warming. This new boldness coincides with a purge of warmist scientific advisers at both the EPA and the Interior Department. From the Washington Post: “EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has chosen to replace half of the members on one of its key scientific review boards, while Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is “reviewing the charter and charge” of more than 200 advisory boards, committees, and other entities both within and outside of his department. EPA and Interior officials began informing outside advisers of the move on Friday, and notifications continued over the weekend. Pruitt’s move could significantly change the makeup of the 18-member Board of Scientific Counselors, which advises EPA’s key scientific arm on whether the research it does has sufficient rigor and integrity. All of the members being dismissed were at the end of serving at least one three-year term, although these terms are often renewed instead of terminated.”

Obama Urges Members Of Congress To Have The ‘Courage’ To Save Obamacare
Daily Caller - The former president made his first public remarks about the proposed health care legislation just days after House Republicans voted to pass the measure 217 to 213. If it passes the Senate, it would repeal and replace major parts of Obamacare. “As everyone here now knows, this great debate is not settled, but continues,” Obama said at the John F. Kennedy Library while accepting the annual Profile in Courage Award. “It is my fervent hope, and the hope of millions, that regardless of party, such courage is still possible. That today’s members of Congress, regardless of party, are willing to look at the facts and speak the truth, even when it contradicts party positions.” “I hope that current members of Congress recall that it actually doesn’t take a lot of courage to aid those that are already powerful, already comfortable, already influential, but it does require some courage to champion the vulnerable, and the sick, and the infirmed,” he continued.

Colossal Pedophile Ring Busted, 900 Arrests, 300 Kids Saved - Corporate Media Ignores
The Free Thought Project - After a nearly two-year investigation, 870 suspected pedophiles have been arrested across the world, and least 259 sexually abused children have been identified in the wake of major underground online global pedophilia network being taken down, according to the FBI and European authorities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Europol announced the arrests on Friday…. Unsurprisingly, this massive pedophile bust has failed to crack the pervasive US media censorship regime, as not a single mainstream corporate media source in the United States has reported on this story. Perhaps, within those 900 sickos, there are some folks who have enough power not to let their names out…. Make no mistake that this is just the latest case to emerge in what is now being dubbed #PedoGate. #PedoGate refers to the increasingly common recognition of international pedophile rings, which has previously been steadfastly covered up by the western fourth estate. Speaking to the scope of the problem, after President Trump held a press conference in February, in which he detailed his plans to go after the victims of the “human trafficking epidemic,” former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney weighed in on the subject, noting that going after child predators will lead to the downfall of both Republicans and Democrats in the United States — as this problem goes all the way to the top.

Condoleezza Rice: 'Sanitizing History' By Removing Slave Owner Monuments Is a 'Bad Thing'
Breitbart - Monday on Fox News Channel’s “FOX & Friends” President George W Bush former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said tearing down monuments and statues to historical figures who owned slaves is “sanitizing history.” Partial transcript as follows: KILMEADE: As an African-American woman, do you see yourself in this constitution? Do you think that, when we look at nine of our first twelve presidents as slave owners, should we start taking their statues down and say, we’re embarrassed by you?” RICE: I’m a firm believer keep your history before you. So I don’t actually want to rename things that were named for slave owners. I want us to look at the names and recognize what they did and be able to tell our kids what they did and for them to have a sense of their own history. When you start wiping out history, sanitizing history to make you feel better, it’s a bad thing. But let me say one thing about our constitution, that constitution originally counted my answers as 3/5 of a man. In 1952 my father had trouble registering to vote in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2005, I stood in the Ben Franklin room, one of our founders, I took an oath of office to the same constitution, and it was administered by Jewish woman Supreme Court justice. That is the story of America. The long road to freedom has indeed been long. It has sometimes been violent. It had many martyrs but ultimately has been Americans claiming those institutions for themselves and expanding the definition of ‘We the People.’

Texas Governor Signs Bill To Fight Sanctuary Cities; Threatens Cops With Prison
Zero Hedge - Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has officially signed into law a measure to punish so-called "sanctuary cities," despite pleas from some of the police departments of cities like Austin to halt the bill they said would hinder their ability to fight crime…. Per Reuters, the Republican-dominated legislature passed the bill on party-line votes and sent the measure to Abbott earlier this month. The bill is designed to punish local authorities who do not abide by requests to cooperate with federal immigration agents. Police officials found to be in violation of the law could face removal from office, fines and up to a year in prison if convicted. The measure also allows police to ask people about their immigration status during a lawful detention, even for minor infractions like jaywalking. Of course, Texas, which has an estimated 1.5 million illegal immigrants and the longest border with Mexico of any U.S. state, has been at the forefront of the immigration debate. “As governor, my top priority is public safety, and this bill furthers that objective by keeping dangerous criminals off our streets,” Abbott said in a statement. The law will take effect on Sept. 1.

Student Issued 10-Day Suspension For “Liking” Instagram Photo Of An Airsoft Gun
Activist Post - Zachary Bowlin, a seventh grader at Edgewood Middle School, was slapped with a 10-day suspension after the school somehow found out the boy liked this photo of an airsoft gun on the social media platform: “I liked it, scrolling down Instagram at night about 7, 8 o’clock I liked it,” Zachary said. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. [The] next morning, they called me down and, like, patted me down and checked me for weapons. Then, they told me I was getting expelled or suspended or whatever,” he told NBC4…. Mr. Bowlin said his son’s decision to like the photo of the gun, which included the caption “Ready,” was harmless. “The young man that posted it and my son, and probably four or five other kids, play airsoft in our field,” he explained. “So I pretty much knew what it was about. So I really wasn’t concerned.” “I mean, I figured he’d cleaned his gun and was ready, wanting to play and stuff,” Zachary added. On Friday, the school sent an email to parents that said: Yesterday evening school officials were made aware to an alleged threat of a student bringing a gun to school. We act on any potential threat to student safety swiftly and with the utmost importance. This morning, the alleged threat was addressed and we can assure you that all students at Edgewood Middle School are safe and school will continue as normal. Thank you. An…alleged threat?

Therapy dogs, chocolate, Play-Doh: Universities offer ways to cope with finals
The College Fix - At the University of Pennsylvania, for example, several different student groups offered various study breaks, including a Zumba class, a video game stress reliever, and a “Chocolate and Chocolate Labs” event, the Daily Pennsylvanian reports…. Penn State’s “De-Stress Fest” included origami folding, Wii gaming, “brain massage music” and more, according to the university’s website. The University of Michigan offered Play-Doh and more in an event billed as a way to de-stress before final exams, according to its Facebook page. Other relaxers at the event included glitter bottles, Legos and dominoes…. Meanwhile, students at Montana State University were invited to the library to de-stress by playing with furry friends provided by Intermountain Therapy Animals, including a group of dogs and a 900-pound donkey named Oliver, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported, added that a survey taken from participating students shows it did relieve stress.

World News

North Korea says China is 'stomping on a red line' in relations after Beijing asked Kim Jong-un to give up his nukes
Daily Mail - North Korea has blasted China for 'stomping on a red line' in relations and said Kim Jong-un has no plans to give up his nuclear weapons. The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper accused Beijing of 'dancing to the tune of the US' in the second rebuke to be published in as many days. North Korean officials have been venting their fury after China called for more sanctions on Kim's regime if he does not curtail the country's nuclear programme…. Earlier in the day, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang insisted the country wanted to remain 'good neighbours' with North Korea. The USA has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein its nuclear programmes, with President Trump warning the 'era of strategic patience' is over…. China has repeatedly said that while it is happy to help arrange talks, it is ultimately up to the United States and North Korea to sort out their differences.

Russia puts Europe on alert as Putin’s warships enter waters after US destroyer swoops
Daily Express - THREE Russian warships have challenged Nato by entering Latvia’s exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea, according to armed forces officials in Riga. The corvettes - Liven 551, Serpukhov 603 and Morshansk 824 - were detected only four nautical miles from Latvian territorial waters. It was the latest in a series of moves by Vladimir Putin's naval forces seen as testing the response of the small Baltic state, a NATO and EU member. The move on Sunday was linked today to the arrival in the Baltic Sea of US warship, USS Carney, with cruise missiles on board. The three Russian vessels had been deployed to St Petersburg ahead of the country's annual war commemoration on 9 May, known as Victory Day. But they suddenly left again for deployment in the Baltic, according to news agency Fontanko.ru

Syria rejects UN monitors for safe zones
Deutsche Welle - Syria's government has dismissed the idea of UN peacekeepers patrolling four safe zones as part of a recently brokered deal. Damascus also said it is "premature" to talk about whether the deal will succeed. Walid al-Moallem, Syria's foreign minister, explained the decision regarding the recently-brokered deal involving four "de-escalation" zones during a press conference in Damascus on Monday. "The Russian side stressed that military police will be deployed and not peacekeepers under the supervision of the United Nations," to oversee the implementation of the deal, al-Moallem told reporters…. The Syrian official noted that it was "premature" to talk about whether the agreement would be successful, but noted that the government would "harshly" retaliate against any violation by rebels while the deal was in force. Neither the Syrian government nor the opposition have signed the agreement.

Facebook Deletes Tens Of Thousands Of Accounts Ahead Of UK General Election
Zero Hedge - Ahead of the British general election on June 8, Facebook has deleted tens of thousands of accounts in Britain in its ongoing battle with "fake news" the AP reports. The campaign is part of Facebook’s evolving response to accusations the group was responsible for influencing the US presidential election, through the spread of fake news stories and “filter bubbles”…. Additionally, on Monday, the social [network] announced a national print advertising campaign in the UK to "educate the British public" about fake news, as part of a concerted global effort to crack down on the false information epidemic it has seen on its platform. The ads suggest that readers should be "skeptical of headlines," and to "look closely at the URL." The company says it has made improvements to help them detect fake news accounts more effectively…. This "spring cleaning" would “reduce the spread of material generated through inauthentic activity, including spam, misinformation, or other deceptive content that is often shared by creators of fake accounts”. The new activities reflect an effort by Facebook to head off a potential reaction from lawmakers, similar to those in Germany pursuing fines for fake news.

Rape Legalization Gains Ground Amid Migrant Influx in Europe
Kit Daniels - France, Sweden, Germany and other European nations are on a path to legalize rape committed by migrants because it’s “their culture.” As shocking as this might seem, a recent number of rapists who avoided severe punishment suggests there’s a precedent already in place to decriminalize rapes by migrants because they don’t “culturally understand” Western rape laws or even the word “no.” In short, rapes by migrants are downplayed as “cultural misunderstandings” and thus the victims never receive justice, meaning that “de facto” rape legalization is, for the most part, already in place. For example, a German judge recently acquitted a Turkish drug dealer of rape despite believing “every word” of the 23-year-old victim’s accusation because, according to the judge, what the victim “had experienced as rape… “The leftist narrative has indoctrinated German natives so strongly that their inclusive multicultural respect and bureaucratic conformism is even able to warp what is beyond doubt rape into an offensive cultural question, a question both a legal authority and the sexually assaulted woman answered yes to,” remarked Damian Black with Return of Kings. “Nothing was hidden, nothing concealed; all evidence was confirmed and understood, only to be disregarded as an ethnic misunderstanding.”

Economy & Business

Adult Millennials Returning Home Is Crushing Baby Boomer Budgets
Zero Hedge - …confirmed by a recent study conducted by Fidelity and the Stanford Center on Longevity, the added stress of caring for all those 'adult' children is putting a severe emotional and financial strain on Baby Boomers with over 75% saying their adult children are cutting into their budgets and over 50% saying they're generally less happy about life…. That said, these Boomer parents shouldn't expected their basement-dwelling snowflakes to leave the nest, for the second time, anytime in the near future because, as we pointed out a few weeks ago, roughly one-third of all millennials live at home with their parents and one-fourth of them can't be bothered with enrolling in school or finding a job. According to… Bloomberg, there are 2.2 million millennials who live at home with mom but neither attend classes nor have a job. Of those, 40% of them are already in their 30's, they're predominantly white and have a high school diploma or less…. Meanwhile, for the first time in history, more young adults today are living at home with mom and dad than with a spouse.

Science & Technology

Video: Terrifying speed-demon robot looks like a dinosaur – and can run faster than a human
The Sun - Now scientists have designed a super-speedy robot which proves there will be no escape if machines really do decide to rise up against us. The ‘bot is called the Planar Elliptical Runner and can motor along at 10 miles per hour, which is faster than the average marathon runner. However, if it was scaled up to human size the tiny terror could reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour – quicker than the 27.8 mph achieved by Usain Bolt during the 100 metres sprint at the World Championships in 2009. Boffins at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Florida designed the speedy droid to show how robots could walk and run on two legs – just like humans…. Let’s hope one of these applications doesn’t involve chasing human victims.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

5 Forgotten Things Grandma Did With Dandelions
Off the Grid News - Here’s how our grandmothers used them: 1. Dandelions as food - Think of dandelions as you would other leafy greens, like lettuce or spinach. This means you can use them in: Salads, Soups or casseroles, Green juices, Stir fry. 2. Dandelion tea - My grandmother used both the greens and the root. Simply boil a little more than a cup of water, add about a tablespoon of dried leaves and/or root, and cover and allow to simmer for three or so minutes. Strain and add some honey. 3. Dandelion honey - Start off by gathering a bunch (perhaps four cups) of dandelions, roots and all. Wash and place in a pot of boiling water. Allow to boil for about 3 minutes; cover, and turn off the fire. Allow to soak overnight. Strain out the dandelions, and put back on the stove under a very low flame. Add about a cup of sugar and the juice of one lemon. Leave the pot uncovered and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. This tastes so good, you won’t believe it! 4. Dandelion wine - For this recipe, you will only need fresh flowers, no roots or leaves. Be sure to pull the green little stem at the bottom of the flower. All you want are the yellow petals (nothing green or the wine is very bitter)! There are dozens of recipes online…
Related: Organic Dandelion Root Raw Powder and Dandelion Leaf is available at the Power Hour Mall!

5 All-Natural, Inexpensive Ant Repellents You Already Own
Off the Grid News - If you’ve removed their food and water sources, and have sealed any noticeable entrances, but you still have ants indoors, there are a number of cheap natural repellents that you can use. 1. White vinegar or lemon juice - Vinegar and lemon juice both disrupt the pheromone trails, making it difficult for ants to know where to go. Mix one part white vinegar (or one part lemon juice) with one part water. The solution can be sprayed around the area the ants congregate and/or their suspected entrance, or it can be applied to a cloth so that those surfaces can be wiped down. 2. Essential oils - A number of different essential oils may deter ants from coming in, including eucalyptus, cinnamon, clove, tea tree, peppermint, neem and citrus oils. Like vinegar and lemon juice, essential oils disrupt the ants’ pheromone trails. Citrus oils have an added benefit: because they contain d-limonene, they’re toxic to ants…. 3. Spices - If you don’t have essential oils on hand, you can use similar spices, such as ground cinnamon, ground cloves, dried mint, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, bay leaves, or garlic powder. Just sprinkle where needed. 4. Food grade diatomaceous earth [sometimes called Fossil Shell Flour] - While DE has health benefits for mammals and plants, it is toxic to insects that have exoskeletons, including ants. The sharp edges of DE particles damage the waxy coating on ants, and once that happens, DE dehydrates the insect.
* Related: The Power Hour Mall has 100% Pure Food Grade Fossil Shell Flour 10lbs

Health

We’ve Updated Dollars for Docs. Here’s What’s New
ProPublica - ProPublica has been publishing data on conflicts of interest in medicine since 2010. We’ve updated our Dollars for Docs database with billions of dollars in payments made last year…. Dollars for Docs now includes payments made from August 2013 through December 2015…. Companies made about $2 billion in general payments to 618,000 physicians each year, in addition to another $600 million a year to teaching hospitals. General payments cover promotional speaking, consulting, meals, travel, gifts and royalties, but not research…. Dollars for Docs dataset now contains nearly $6.25 billion in medical industry payments made to more than 800,000 physicians in the U.S…. Has Your Doctor Received Drug or Device Company Money? Search here.

Victims of Vaccine Damage Can Sue Manufacturers in the US
Jon Rappoport - Right now, lawyers and their clients are suing Merck, the manufacturer, for injuries incurred from Merck’s shingles vaccine, Zostavax. Among the claimed injuries: contracting shingles; blindness in one eye; partial paralysis; brain damage; death. One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys told me he has already filed two cases in California. Each case has 50 plaintiffs. He states he has 5000 clients waiting in the wings. There are other attorneys with other plaintiffs. But wait. Isn’t there a federal law that bars people from suing vaccine manufacturers? Isn’t that law the 1986 Childhood Vaccine Injury Act? Doesn’t it demand that people go to a special federal “vaccine tribunal/court” and plead for compensation from the government?… Well, it turns out there are exceptions to the rule. Adult vaccines are not part of the 1986 federal law. The law shielding vaccine companies only applies to childhood vaccines. The Merck shingles vaccine is only for adults…. Here, from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is the list of adult vaccines: Influenza; Td/Tdap; MMR; VAR; HZV (shingles); HPV Female; HPV male; PCV13; PPSV23; HepA; HepB; MENACWY/MPSV4; MenB; Hib. However, some of the vaccines on this list are recommended for both adults and children. When a vaccine is recommended by the CDC for both adults and children, adults seeking compensation for vaccine-injury would not be permitted to argue their cases in ordinary courts and sue the manufacturer. Instead, they would have to go to the special federal vaccine “court” and try to obtain compensation from the government.

Cancer detection breakthrough uses chewing gum to trap and analyze biomarkers for cancer already growing in your body
(Natural News) According to the company’s scientists, each type of cancer produces a unique set of chemicals known as volatile organic compound. These chemicals differ in composition per cancer type, in the same way a healthy lung produces compounds that are different from a diseased lung, the scientists explained. Researchers said the gum absorbs these volatile compounds from a person’s saliva. The chewing gum is then analyzed after 15 minutes of chewing. The chewing gum detects cancer by identifying cancer-related compounds that are present in the mouth. Analyzing the gum sample may help clinicians identify the type of cancer that a patient has, said Volatile Analysis president and CEO Katherine Bazemore. The biotech company has now developed different chewing gums for detecting pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. The chewing gum is only in its testing phase, but the company hopes to make the product available to physicians next year.

Low-protein diet starves cancer cells
What Doctors Don't Tell You - The idea of starving cancer is getting traction. A strict low-protein diet—which means cutting out meats, eggs, oats and dairy—starves cancer cells and slows, and even stops, their growth. Proteins contain two non-essential amino acids—serine and glycine—that cancer cells need. In tests on laboratory mice, removing the amino acids also slowed the growth of the cells, researchers from the University of Glasgow found. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy boost levels of the amino acids in the cancer cells, suggesting that the conventional treatments are helping cancers to grow. The restricted diet may not work for all cancers. In the current study, it was effective against lymphoma and intestinal cancer, but the researchers fear it may not help in cancers that have a special genetic expression, known as the Kras gene, that is found in pancreatic cancer, for instance. They also say that the diet is very restricted and specialised, and people shouldn't just adopt it without being supervised by a medical professional.

Pet News

Mycotoxins Are Raging - Avoid These 8 Common Ingredients Now
Dr. Becker - If you’re still feeding your furry family member commercially available pet food containing corn or other grains, now might be a good time to think seriously about upgrading your pet's diet. That’s because according to recent survey results, corn and distiller’s dried grain crops (cereal byproducts of the distillation process) produced during 2016 are testing positive for high levels of mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxins (derived from the Greek words for “fungus” and “poison”) are noxious chemical substances produced by certain types of fungi that infect crops, and U.S. pet food manufacturers are being advised to monitor the quality of these ingredients going into their products. A total of 387 corn samples and 79 distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) samples from across the U.S. were tested. Results revealed that 90 percent of corn samples and 100 percent of DDGS samples were contaminated by at least one mycotoxin, and 96 percent of the DDGS samples contained more than one…. Mycotoxin poisoning is a true medical emergency, and your pet will need immediate treatment and hospitalization. Your veterinarian must take early and aggressive action to remove the toxic substances from your pet’s body.
 


Monday - May 8, 2017

On This Day In History


1794 - The United States Post Office was established.
1846 - The first major battle of the Mexican War was fought. The battle occurred in Palo Alto, TX.
1886 - Pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pemberton invented what would later be called "Coca-Cola."
1904 - U.S. Marines landed in Tangier to protect the Belgian legation.
1914 - The U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution that designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
1933 - Gandhi began a hunger strike to protest British oppression in India.
1945 - U.S. President Harry Truman announced that World War II had ended in Europe.
1958 - President Eisenhower ordered the National Guard out of Little Rock as Ernest Green became the 1st black to graduate from an Arkansas public school.
1973 - Militant American Indians who had held the South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for 10 weeks surrendered.
1984 - The Soviet Union announced that they would not participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics Games in Los Angeles.
1985 - "New Coke" was released to the public on the 99th anniversary of Coca-Cola.
1986 - Reporters were told that 84,000 people had been evacuated from areas near the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Soviet Ukraine.
1998 - A pipe burst leaving a million residents without water in Malaysia's capital area. This added to four days of shortages that 2 million already faced.
1999 - The first female cadet graduated from The Citadel military college.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Trump's Refugee Order Back In Federal Court This Week
The Daily Caller - The 4th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals will hear arguments from government lawyers and civil rights advocates Monday, as they vigorously contest a lower court decision temporarily halting the implementation of a key provision of the revised order. District Judge Theodore Chuang issued a decision in March barring enforcement of a provision of the order that temporarily banned citizens from six countries with significant terrorist presence from entering the United States. The 4th Circuit will review Chuang’s order during Monday’s hearing…. Fourteen of the 4th Circuit’s judges, nine of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents, will participate in Monday’s arguments. For the first time since 1998, the court preemptively decided to hear the case “en banc,” a procedure in which all active judges in a circuit court participate in a case…. Professor Carl Tobias of the University of Richmond School of Law says the case will likely turn on how the court chooses to frame the controversy. “I think a lot depends on how the judges view the case,” Tobias told the Associated Press. “Is this a national security case or is this an immigration case? Or is this a religious freedom case?” Should the court evaluate the case within a national security framework, the government is more likely to prevail…. The court is likely to issue a decision in a matter of weeks, given the urgency and controversy surrounding the order.

Trump Signs Spending Law That Funds Planned Parenthood and Sanctuary Cities But Not Border Wall
CNS - …on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump signed a law to keep the government funded through the end of September…. The bill won more Democratic votes than Republican votes in both the House and Senate. In the House, it prevailed 309 to 118—with Republicans voting for it 131 to 103 and Democrats voting for it 178 to 15…. In the Senate, it passed 79 to 18 with 3 members not voting. All 18 Senate votes against it were cast by Republicans and 2 of the 3 members not voting were Republicans. Thus, 20 of the Senate’s 52 Republicans did not vote for the bill…. On the Trey Ware radio show in Texas on Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R.-Texas) explained why he opposed the bill. “On the spending side, it’s just unfortunate, they have cut a deal that largely gave the Democrats everything they wanted,” Cruz said…. Sen. Jim Risch (R.-Idaho), explaining his opposition to the spending bill, pointed to the fact that it increases spending in a country that already has a massive debt…. The Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee put out a summary of the spending law that included a list of things it did “not include” that made it more acceptable to House Democrats. “The Omnibus does not include,” the Democrat summary said, “President Trump’s request to cut FY2017 non-defense budget authority by $18 billion; President Trump’s request for funding to construct a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border; supplemental funding to hire additional ICE agents or to expedite hiring; poison pill riders restricting so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ from receiving federal grants, defunding Planned Parenthood, or undermining the Affordable Care Act.”

Federal Court Demands Release Of Hillary's State Dept Emails On Benghazi Attack
Zero Hedge - A Washington DC federal court judge has ordered the State Department to turn over Hillary Clinton’s emails that immediately followed the terrorist attack in Benghazi to the conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch. As RT reports, US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson reviewed the documents and rejected the government’s contention that the records had been properly withheld under FOIA exemption…. Judicial Watch hopes the emails will reveal what Obama and Clinton knew following the attack. “Does President Trump know his State and Justice Departments are still trying to provide cover for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama?” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. “An extraordinary court ruling that could result in key answers about the Benghazi outrage is being opposed by the Trump administration. This may well be an example of the ‘deep state’ trying to get away with a cover up – if so then the Trump administration must put a stop to it.”

Trump Signs Executive Order Giving Churches THIS Power
David Wolfe - Fulfilling one of his oldest and most popular campaign promises, President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order allowing churches/religious organizations to more easily engage in political activism without compromising tax exemption…. The initiative centers around the Johnson Amendment which has long served as a means of limiting churches from engaging in political activity. Essentially, the amendment instructs the IRS to “exercise maximum enforcement discretion”, effectively silencing churches’ political voice…. In addition to limiting the power of the Johnson Amendment, Trump’s directive will ease the regulatory burden imposed on organizations that “object to ObamaCare’s preventive service mandate on religious grounds.” Some Republicans have proclaimed their support for Trump’s executive order, including Rep. Jody Hice who said the Johnson Amendment created a “chilling effect through fear and intimidation from IRS threats.” Others have come out in opposition, including Democrats who believe the Johnson Amendment prevents the politicization of nonprofits and emboldens “dark money” in politics.

Sec. Kelly Fires Back After Dem Senator's Immigration Tweetstorm
The Washington Free Beacon - Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly on Thursday responded harshly to Sen. Bob Casey's (D., Pa.) public Twitter attempts to stop the deportation of a 25-year-old mother and her 5-year-old son to Honduras…. Over the course of Wednesday morning, the Pennsylvania Democrat tweeted dozens of times documenting his attempt to stop the deportation of the pair, whom Casey claimed were "targeted for death" after the woman witnessed her cousin's murder. Casey tweeted at President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security's account multiple times, calling on Trump, Kelly, and DHS to "do the right thing."…. But the woman had exhausted her legal means of relief, insisted Kelly, who said it was his duty as head of DHS to enforce the law's conclusion. "Over the period of almost two years, I think there were five or six denials. Not by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], not by DHS, not by Kelly, but by the court system that ultimately led to [her] deportation yesterday," he added. "I say it over and over again: If the laws are not good laws, then change them," Kelly told the audience. "Don't call me, or Twitter or tweet, or go to the press with outrageous stories about how we do business or why we're deporting somebody."

Leaked drone footage reveals fishing boats and vacationers on jet-skiers in Florida are being used as ‘dummy targets’ by the US military
Daily Mail - The video appears to be recording thousands of feet above northwest Florida, over the coast, with the camera aimed at random civilian boaters. Experts have deduced that the footage came from Predator drones, which are primarily used by the Air Force and CIA to record an area right before a missile is dropped. The servers were discovered on Wednesday by The Daily Beast journalist Kenneth Lipp, who found them while randomly searching Shodan, a search engine for Internet-connected devices. Both servers were accessible just by typing their IP addresses inside the browser. The webpage then loaded with a ‘Welcome to FMV!’ title. It also included logos for three US government agencies: the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the Aerospace Data Facility-East, and the Washington Innovation Center of the Combat Information Center. The footage that appeared showed civilian boats and people on other water vehicles.

A New Street Drug Can Kill You by Touching Your Skin: What You Need to Know
The AntiMedia - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu spoke at a press conference this week, warning that a drug that’s 10,000 times stronger than morphine has made its way into the state. As a result, many first responders have been left scrambling to find a way to handle this new threat. Carfentanil, a powerful new opioid, has already claimed three lives. Engineered to be used as an elephant tranquilizer, the drug’s lethal dosage is 20 micrograms. Since the product can cause deadly effects just by being sprinkled on someone’s skin, authorities are highly concerned…. “There is nothing out there other than going in in hazmat suits on every single overdose that is going to completely protect us. We just have to be super, super careful with it,” [Manchester Fire’s EMS Director Chris] Hickey told his own crew. The drug is so powerful that first responders are even having a hard time reversing overdoses when they arrive at emergency locations. On one occasion, Hickey said, one of his men had to use six to eight doses of Narcan, an overdose reversal drug, to revive a victim — twice the dose used in most cases. As doctors and first responders notice a pattern, they are also warning the public that Narcan isn’t going to be enough from now on.

California Wants To Tax Space Flights... By Miles Traveled
Zero Hedge - California wants to collect taxes from space transportation companies based upon, get this, a formula of how frequently a company launches spacecrafts out of the state, and most absurdly, how far a commercial spacecraft travels from California soil. They want to tax space travel per mile and claim 62 miles above California belongs to the State.… The space launches are taking place from Vandenberg Air Force Base, in Santa Barbara….They have claimed that taxing space travel from California “will lead to increased activity in the industry and will foster an atmosphere of growth and prosperity once present during the golden age of California’s aviation industry, thereby creating jobs as the industry thrives in this state.”

ISIS’ Next Plan Involves U.S. Gun Shows
Off the Grid News - The terror masterminds at ISIS are urging their followers to adopt a horrific new tactic: Buy weapons at U.S. gun shows and use them to take innocent people hostage. A gun show purchase would allow them to get around background checks. “Ideal target locations for hostage-taking scenarios include night clubs, movie theaters, busy shopping malls and large stores, popular restaurants, concert halls, university campuses, public swimming pools, indoor ice skating rinks, and generally any busy en­closed area,” an article in the May 4 edition of the ISIS online magazine Rumiyah recommends…. Another frightening recommendation is to place a fake job ad to lure a person to a remote location so they can be killed or taken hostage. Non-Muslim men in countries such as the United States seem to be ISIS’ target of choice…. Other methods of luring innocent people to their deaths include advertising rooms for rent on eBay Listings and Craigslist ads. The Middle East Media Research Institute’s Jihad & Terrorism Threat Monitor speculated that ISIS wants to recruit Muslims in the West to commit such atrocities.

World News

Syrian Kurds are now armed with sensitive US weaponry, and the Pentagon denies supplying it
Military Times - The gear includes U.S.-manufactured night-vision goggles, rifles and advanced optics among other items, the same as that used by American special operations forces and the foreign commando units they train. In northern Syria, where about 900 American advisers are supporting separate coalitions comprising thousands of Kurdish and Arab conscripts, it’s been fielded by the People’s Protection Unit. The militia, widely known as the YPG, has emerged as the U.S. military’s most trustworthy and capable proxy on the ground. The development is likely to infuriate Turkey, which considers the YPG a terrorist group, and could prove problematic for President Donald Trump and his national security team…. While the Pentagon acknowledges arming some allies inside Syria, typically with AK-47 assault rifles and other basic Russian-made weapons, U.S. military officials denied providing anything to the YPG and offered only ambiguous responses when asked by Military Times how such sensitive equipment was obtained by the group’s commando force, called Yekineyen Anti-terror, or YAT. It was likely funneled to them through “other means by other sources,” a defense official said, insisting on anonymity because the matter remains fraught with diplomatic implications.

North Korea Detains Another American Citizen
Epoch Times - North Korea said on Sunday it has detained another U.S. citizen on suspicion of “hostile acts” against the state, which would make him the fourth American to be held by the isolated country amid heightened diplomatic tensions with Washington. Kim Hak Song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday, the North’s KCNA news agency said…. A third U.S. citizen, Kim Sang Dok, who was associated with the same school, was detained in late April for hostile acts, according to the North’s official media…. A message by Kim Hak Song dated February 2015 on the website of a Korean-Brazilian church in Sao Paulo said he was a Christian missionary planning to start an experimental farm at PUST and was trying to help the North Korean people learn to become self-sufficient. No further details were available about the circumstances related to the arrests of the two men associated with the college.

Macron elected French president: estimates
Paris (AFP) - Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron resoundingly won France's landmark presidential election, first estimates showed Sunday, heading off a fierce challenge from the far-right in a pivotal vote for the future of the divided country and Europe…. Initial estimates showed Macron winning between 65.5 percent and 66.1 percent of ballots ahead of Le Pen on between 33.9 percent and 34.5 percent. Unknown three years ago, Macron is now poised to become one of Europe's most powerful leaders, bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and economic reform for France and the European Union…. After Britain's vote last year to leave the EU and Donald Trump's victory in the US, the French election had been widely watched as a test of how high a tide of right-wing nationalism would rise. Le Pen, 48, had portrayed the ballot as a contest between Macron and the "globalists" -- in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty -- and her "patriotic" vision of strong borders and national identities…. Macron will now face huge challenges as he attempts to enact his domestic agenda of cutting state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education in deprived areas and extending new protections to the self-employed. The philosophy and literature lover is inexperienced, has no political party and must try to fashion a working parliamentary majority after legislative elections next month.

Total of 4.2Mln of French Voters Cast Empty Ballots
Sputnik News - According to the pollsters, 8.9 percent of the total of 47.6 million voters cast empty ballots, refusing to give their support to either of the candidates. Preliminary results released by the country’s Interior Ministry show that leader of the En Marche! movement Emmanuel Macron is winning with 62.34 percent of votes, while right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen received 37.66 percent, after some 60 percent of the ballots counted.

French Universities Email Students – Tell Them to Vote Against Marine Le Pen
The GatewayPundit - Westmonster reported: “According to a report released by polling organization Odoxa on Dec. 16, the National Front is the political party with the most support among French people aged 18-34. Universities across France have begun emailing all of their students as well as University staff, telling them not to vote for Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s decisive second round, which will decide who becomes the country’s next President. Christian Roblédo, President of the University of Angers in Western France, said in an email to students: “If as a citizen I can not bring myself to live in a society where the extreme right is in power, as university president it is my duty to denounce the harmful ideology that it conveys (withdrawal into oneself, Intolerance, fear of the other, refusal of differences) and which reason as so many threats on what constitutes the very essence of higher education and research in France, namely values of humanism, openness, Pluralism and freedom of expression. Already in 2002, we were placed before such a choice. At the time, a Republican front had come together to make the National Front score as low as possible. In 2017, it is to beat him, and will not be beaten by abstaining or voting white. So we have to vote massively so that his candidate does not win the presidential election.”

Study: Migrants Are Less Integrated The Longer They Stay in Europe
The Washington Standard - A study out of Norway, which was released in January of this year indicates that third world migrants see a dramatic drop in labor participation compared to native-born citizens of Norway the longer they remain in the country. The 36-page report by the Institute of Labor Economics titled Immigrant Labor Market Integration across Admission Classes examined patterns of labor market integration across immigrant groups. According to the study, it “draws on Norwegian longitudinal administrative data covering labor earnings and social insurance claims over a 25‐year period and presents a comprehensive picture of immigrant‐native employment and social insurance differentials by admission class and by years since entry.” According to the researchers at the Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research, they discovered “encouraging signs of labour market integration during an initial period upon migrants’ admission.” However, “the integration process goes into reverse with widening immigrant-native employment differentials and rising rates of immigrant social insurance dependency”.in a short period of five to ten years, the report indicates that things seems to go backwards. “The integration process goes into reverse with widening immigrant-native employment differentials and rising rates of immigrant social insurance dependency,” the report reads…. This is not rocket science. You have people from a certain ideology, largely influenced by Muhammad, and they have a very hard time moving past that. It much more than the labor and welfare issue you have to worry about. It’s your entire culture imploding on itself.
Related Video: Daily Mail’s columnist Katie Hopkins gives Tucker Carlson her take on the study.

Rwanda plans to move towards a cashless society
BizNis Africa - The Government of Rwanda and MasterCard have reaffirmed their shared commitment to the development of strong digital platforms to meet the needs of the country’s citizens and work towards Rwanda’s goal of promoting a cashless society. According to FinScope 2016, about 68% of adults in Rwanda have r use formal financial services. The partnership agreement signed between MasterCard and the Rwanda Development Board at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Kigali in 2016 will have a significant impact on this number. “Named SIKASHI, the project is focused on digitising numerous state services to improve the efficiency and transparency of public services and ultimately promote the move to a cashless society – a critical pillar of Rwanda’s broader Vision 2020 to create a knowledge-based economy in a world beyond cash,” says Clare Akamanzi, Rwanda Development Board Chief Executive Officer and Cabinet Member.

Indian police claim rats drank 900,000 liters of confiscated alcohol - Not Satire!
RT - Police in the Indian state of Bihar, where alcohol was outlawed last April, have accused rats of decimating the majority of the stash of booze confiscated over the past year – over 40,000 cases, or about 900,000 liters. According to the Hindu newspaper, senior superintendent of police of state capital Patna, Manu Maharaj, was informed of the disappearance of contraband from storage in a meeting this week, and was initially skeptical about how rats could have gained access to sealed glass bottles. His subordinates told him that the rodents chewed through the bottle caps, before glugging the drink. Maharaj immediately instructed police stations across the state – some of which had been forced to rent additional space to accommodate the confiscated stock – to rid police stations of rats, and sprinkle contraband with rat poison. Nonetheless, suggesting that he wasn’t entirely convinced by the explanation, the senior superintendent also ordered regular breathalyzer tests for officers.

Economy & Business

Manufacturing CEO Says He’s Investing $2 Billion in US Because of ‘Confidence in Trump’
The Washington Free Beacon - Australian billionaire and manufacturing CEO Anthony Pratt said Friday on Fox Business that he is investing $2 billion in the United States because he has “confidence” in President Trump. “We have enormous confidence in President Trump. He’s doing a wonderful job, and we think he will continue to do a great job,” Pratt said. “He’s reducing unemployment. As we saw today, the job figures show unemployment is the lowest it’s been for a decade, and he’s supporting manufacturing.” “And that’s why we are doubling down on our investment in the United States, creating 7,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs, mainly in the Midwest,” Pratt added. The latest jobs report was released Friday and showed the U.S. created 211,000 jobs in April, leading the unemployment rate to fall to its lowest level in a decade, 4.4 percent. The report also showed 12,000 more Americans joined the labor force in April.

Obamacare "Death Spiral": Maryland Insurer Seeks 50% Premium Increase For 2018
Zero Hedge - The latest evidence of Obamacare's "death spiral" comes from the state of Maryland where insurers have just submitted their rate increase requests to Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer. Unfortunately for Maryland residents the numbers are fairly staggering, in a bad way, with the largest insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, requesting a 50% YoY premium increase…. CareFirst said the rate increases are necessary because the company has lost $600 million serving ObamaCare exchanges since the company first started selling plans in the marketplace 4 years ago…. The rate filings are a starting point for negotiations, but [chief executive of CareFirst, Chet] Burrell noted that the numbers could rise. He said his company had made its filings assuming that the cost-sharing reductions, billions of dollars in federal payments that lower out-of-pocket expenses for about 7 million Americans, would be made. Politicians have not committed to making those payments in 2018, and if those go away, premiums could rise another 10 to 15 percent, Burrell said. Meanwhile, the proposed 2018 rate hike of 50% comes on top of a 25% hike in 2017 meaning that Maryland residents will be paying 87.5% more for individual health insurance plans in 2018 than they were in 2016.

The System To Collect Defaulted Student Loans Is No Longer Functioning
Consumerist - Consumers who expected their student loan payments to be deducted from their bank accounts this month have reportedly found the funds untouched, and their calls to the companies unanswered thanks to a Department of Education’s order prohibiting the debt collection companies from working on default accounts in response to two lawsuits against the agency. The system used by the Dept. of Education to collect on defaulted student loans came to a standstill last month, leaving an estimated 91,000 accounts in limbo, when the agency ordered debt collectors under contract to stop making collections on accounts…. Suzanne Martingale, policy staff attorney for our colleagues at Consumers Union, tells Consumerist that the stop in collections and payments could do “untold damage to borrowers.” “Meanwhile, they’re going to rack up a ton of charges as more interest accrues on their loans,” she adds.

Energy & Environment

Offshore Wind Power Will ‘Absolutely Cost Jobs’ Of US Fishermen
The Daily Caller - An offshore wind turbine three miles off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island, will kill large numbers of fish and potentially drive hundreds of small coastal enterprises out of business, according to a fishing industry representative. Fishermen fear offshore wind turbines will continue to pop up along Atlantic Coast, eventually make it impossible to be a commercial fisherman. “This will absolutely cost jobs in the U.S.,” Bonnie Brady, director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “If New York Governor [Andrew] Cuomo’s administration gets what it wants from offshore wind that’s thousands of fishing jobs. It’ll rip the coastal communities apart.”… Brady says New York’s government is willfully ignoring fishing jobs in favor of the wind industry and thinks the consequences of Cuomo’s policy could spread economic devastation to fishermen well beyond the state. […] proponents allege offshore wind farms are good for the environment, wind farms can be deadly for fish and other marine life and will ruin the fishing industry, Brady said. DW plans to use loud pile driving to anchor the windmill to the seabed. Water magnifies sounds, and so underwater the pile driving noise can reach levels up to 220 decibels, according to Brady. To put that in perspective, 150 decibels of sound can burst human eardrums, and 185 to 200 decibels is the range usually considered to be the threshold for causing human death. “Biologically these things are a nightmare,” Brady said. “The only green about this project is that which lines investors pockets.

Science & Technology

More Android phones than ever are covertly listening for inaudible sounds in ads
Ars Technica - Almost a year after app developer SilverPush vowed to kill its privacy-threatening software that used inaudible sound embedded into TV commercials to covertly track phone users, the technology is more popular than ever, with more than 200 Android apps that have been downloaded millions of times from the official Google Play market, according to a recently published research paper…. The apps silently listen for ultrasonic sounds that marketers use as high-tech beacons to indicate when a phone user is viewing a TV commercial or other type of targeted audio…. "The example of SilverPush highlights how easily this technology can be used to spy on users," Erwin Quiring, one of the researchers, wrote in an e-mail. "In this way, they can track the TV viewing habits of users precisely even with traditional broadcasting technologies.

Cord-cutting spikes fivefold in cable TV's worst quarter ever
FastCoNews - Cable's day of reckoning has come. With all the major cable and satellite companies having reported their quarterly numbers, analyst firm Moffett Nathanson put together a new cord-cutting report, and things are bad. Pay-TV providers lost an estimated 762,000 pay-TV subscribers over the first three months of this year — five times more than they lost during the same period last year. To make matters worse, Q1 has historically been a strong season for pay TV. "For the better part of 15 years, pundits have predicted that cord-cutting was the future," an apocalyptic Craig Moffett wrote. "Well, the future has arrived." … Comcast was the only major provider to buck the trend, but judging by the way things look, that winning streak won't last.

Health

An Open Letter to Legislators Currently Considering Vaccine Legislation from Tetyana Obukhanych, PhD in Immunology
Health Nut News - … It is often stated that those who choose not to vaccinate their children for reasons of conscience endanger the rest of the public, and this is the rationale behind most of the legislation to end vaccine exemptions currently being considered by federal and state legislators country-wide. You should be aware that the nature of protection afforded by many modern vaccines – and that includes most of the vaccines recommended by the CDC for children – is not consistent with such a statement. I have outlined below the recommended vaccines that cannot prevent transmission of disease either because they are not designed to prevent the transmission of infection (rather, they are intended to prevent disease symptoms), or because they are for non-communicable diseases. People who have not received the vaccines mentioned below pose no higher threat to the general public than those who have, implying that discrimination against non-immunized children in a public school setting may not be warranted. 1. IPV (inactivated poliovirus vaccine) cannot prevent transmission of poliovirus. Wild poliovirus has been non-existent in the USA for at least two decades. Even if wild poliovirus were to be re-imported by travel, vaccinating for polio with IPV cannot affect the safety of public spaces…. 2. Tetanus is not a contagious disease, but rather acquired from deep-puncture wounds contaminated with C. tetani spores. Vaccinating for tetanus (via the DTaP combination vaccine) cannot alter the safety of public spaces; it is intended to render personal protection only. 3. While intended to prevent the disease-causing effects of the diphtheria toxin, the diphtheria toxoid vaccine (also contained in the DTaP vaccine) is not designed to prevent colonization and transmission of C. diphtheriae. Vaccinating for diphtheria cannot alter the safety of public spaces; it is likewise intended for personal protection only. 4. …the 2013 meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors at the CDC revealed additional alarming data that pertussis variants (PRN-negative strains) currently circulating in the USA acquired a selective advantage to infect those who are up-to-date for their DTaP boosters, meaning that people who are up-to-date are more likely to be infected, and thus contagious, than people who are not vaccinated…..

10 Solid Reasons to Avoid Soy Milk
REALfarmacy - Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, mainstream nutritional guidelines have instructed Americans to eat soy and drink soy milk. BUT soy milk is not a healthy choice…. 1. Soybeans contain large quantities of natural toxins or “anti-nutrients”. Drinking just two glasses of soy milk daily can significantly alter a woman’s menstrual cycle. 2. Soy has been found to increase the body’s need for vitamin B12 and vitamin D. 3. Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes your red blood cells to clump. 4. 99% of soy is genetically modified. It contains one of the highest contamination by pesticides of any of our foods. 5. Soybeans and soy products contain high levels of phytic acid, which inhibits assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc. 6. Soy foods contain high levels of toxic aluminum, which negatively effects the nervous system the kidneys and has been linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s. 7. Soy contains a compound resembling vitamin B12 that cannot be processed by your body. Thus, soy foods can contribute to B12 deficiency. 8. Fragile soy proteins are exposed to high temperatures during processing in order to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein, making them dangerous for human digestion. 9. Soy contains toxic isoflavones.The soy isoflavones genistein and daidzein can stimulate existing breast cancer growth showing risk in consuming soy products if a woman has breast cancer. 10. Soy contains plant estrogens, called phytoestrogens, which disrupt endocrine function and lead to infertility and breast cancer in women.
 


Friday - May 5, 2017

On This Day In History


1798 - U.S. Secretary of War William McHenry ordered that the USS Constitution be made ready for sea. The frigate was launched on October 21, 1797, but had never been put to sea.
1814 - The British attacked the American forces at Ft. Ontario, Oswego, NY.
1862 - The Battle of Puebla took place. It is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo Day.
1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S.
1891 - Music Hall was dedicated in New York City. It was later renamed Carnegie Hall.
1892 - The U.S. Congress extended the Geary Chinese Exclusion Act for 10 more years. The act required Chinese in the U.S. to be registered or face deportation.
1901 - The first Catholic mass for night workers was held at the Church of St. Andrew in New York City.
1904 - The third perfect game of the major leagues was thrown by Cy Young (Boston Red Sox) against the Philadelphia Athletics. It was the first perfect game under modern rules.
1912 - Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda began publishing.
1916 - U.S. Marines invaded the Dominican Republic.
1955 - The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) became a sovereign state.
1961 - Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he made a 15 minute suborbital flight.
1966 - Willie Mays broke the National League record for home runs when he hit his 512th.
1978 - Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds registered his 3,000th major league hit.
1987 - The U.S. congressional Iran-Contra hearings opened.
1991 - In New York, Carnegie Hall marked its 100th anniversary.
2010 - Preliminary plans for a mosque and cultural center near ground zero in New York were unveiled, setting off a national debate over whether the project was disrespectful to 9/11 victims and whether opposition to it exposed anti-Muslim biases.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Two GOP Legislators Propose American Replacement Bill, Plus Amnesty
Breitbart - Two GOP legislators are introducing legislation to let states annually import 500,000 foreign blue-collar workers and white-collar professionals to replace Americans who have fallen out of the workforce and into drug addiction. The American replacement bill is needed because companies can’t hire the employees they want amid the massive decline in the number of Americans who are seeking work, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson told an event hosted Wednesday by the CATO Institute…. The bill would allow states to each get 5,000 visas for additional foreign workers per year, plus a population-based share of another 245,000 visas, plus a share of any visas not used by other states. The inflow of foreign workers would start at 495,000 in the first year, not counting the additional family members of each imported worker. The bill would also create an amnesty, because the visas could be given to 11 million plus illegals living in the United States, including those who returned to the United States after being deported. The Senator said he has 50 co-sponsors, but acknowledged the likely unpopularity of his American replacement bill, which is formally titled the “State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program of 2017.”

Republicans Pass Obamacare Replacement Bill; Let The Senate Bickering Begin
Zero Hedge - After a stunning defeat on March 24th, followed by over a month of back and forth bickering, Paul Ryan & Co. has finally passed an Obamacare replacement bill after just securing the required 216 votes…. Per the Washington Post, here is what happens next: [The] Bill must pass Senate: Because Republicans hope to pass this legislation under the less-onerous budget reconciliation process, which would allow it to pass the Senate with only 51 votes, House leaders must make the bill comply with the Senate’s “Byrd Rule.” Generally, the rule says a reconciliation bill must relate to the budget, which means some of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions cannot be addressed via this process because they do not deal with taxes or spending. It also stipulates that the law cannot add to the deficit in the long term (10 years after it is implemented). It will be up to the Senate parliamentarian to decide whether the legislation meets the Byrd Rule standards. Democrats have said that the bill does not meet the standard, something Republicans sacrificed in favor of a more complete repeal. It’s likely that the Senate will do a significant rewrite of the legislation, modifying it but also setting up a showdown with House Republicans aiming for a more conservative approach.

Victory! Supreme Court Rules States Cannot Steal Money From The Innocent
The Free Thought Project - Colorado, like most states, forces convicted criminals to pay court costs, fees, and restitution after they’ve been found guilty. But the question arises, “What happens when someone who’s been found guilty, has paid their dues, and then has their convictions overturned on appeal? Do they get their money back?” Not in many states, like Colorado. But all of that has changed after a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). The state not stealing money from innocent people sounds like common sense, right? Well, unfortunately, in the land of the free, it was necessary for SCOTUS to step in and tell the greedy state that they do not have a right to steal people’s money. According to Forbes, “defendants, Shannon Nelson and Louis Madden, were convicted for sexual offenses and ordered to pay thousands of dollars in court costs, fees and restitution. Between her conviction and later acquittal, the state withheld $702 from Nelson’s inmate account, while Madden paid Colorado $1,977 after his conviction. When their convictions were overturned, Nelson and Madden demanded their money back.” Colorado refused, even after the plaintiffs won in a state-level appellate court…. The Inspector General of the Justice Department concluded their practices constituted a threat to everyone’s civil liberties, and now, apparently, the SCOTUS agrees. Everyone is entitled to due process under the law and are likewise entitled to keeping their assets once they’re found not guilty in criminal court. It’s a good day to be an American. Maybe now law enforcement at all levels will stop such controversial practices.

Pentagon Pulls Security Clearance of Trump White House Aide
Washington Free Beacon - The Pentagon this week suspended the security clearance of a White House National Security Council analyst that U.S. officials say was the target of political retribution by government bureaucrats opposed to President Trump’s appointees. Adam S. Lovinger, a 12-year strategic affairs analyst with the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment (ONA), has been on loan to the NSC since January when he was picked for the position by then-National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn. Lovinger was notified in a letter from the Pentagon on Monday that his Top-Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS-SCI) clearance had been suspended and that he had to return to the Pentagon. The letter cited unspecified outside activities by Lovinger. The notice said the suspension was approved by Kevin Sweeney, chief of staff for Defense Secretary James Mattis. One official said Lovinger was targeted by Trump opponents because of his conservative views and ties to Flynn, specifically his past association with the Flynn Intel Group, Inc., a consulting business….

TSA Report Warns Against Truck Ramming Attacks By Terrorists
NBC News - Truck owners and truck rental agencies in the U.S. must be “vigilant” about the increasing frequency of “ramming attacks” by terrorists using vehicles as killing machines, according to a new Transportation Security Administration report obtained exclusively by NBC News. The unclassified report warns owners, operators and rental agencies to protect their vehicles from theft. Entitled “Vehicle ramming attacks: Threat landscape, indicators and counter measures,” the report was sent Tuesday to local law enforcement agencies and private companies working with the Department of Homeland Security. The report notes that in the past three years, at least 173 people have been killed and more than 700 wounded in 17 ramming attacks around the world. Of the 17 attacks, 13 resulted in fatalities. Five were carried out in France both before and after the Nice attack and four took place in Israel. Nine of the 17 attackers were carried out in the past 10 months. One involved an Ohio State University student who drove his car into a crowd last November, then began slashing fellow students before campus police killed him. Eleven people were wounded.

Congress just blocked Jeff Sessions from messing with medical marijuana
Ars Technica - The recent 1,665-page spending bill maintains a provision that prevents the Department of Justice from using any of its funds to hamper state laws related to medical marijuana. The department cannot “prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana,” Section 537 of the bill reads…. With Section 537, Sessions can still go after recreational use of marijuana in the eight states that have passed such laws. But without funding, Sessions’ has little ability to fight the medical marijuana laws in 29 states and the District of Columbia.

6 Months In Jail For Selling … Cookies?
Off the Grid News - A ruling from a judge may be needed to sell homemade baked goods in Wisconsin. Three home bakers in the state are challenging a state law that can punish people who sell homemade cookies, brownies and other treats with up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Lafayette County Judge Duane Jorgensen will rule on May 31 if Wisconsin’s ban on the sale of homemade baked goods is unconstitutional, the Associated Press reported. The challenge to the home-baking ban was brought by the Institute for Justice. The Institute filed a lawsuit challenging the ban on behalf of Lisa Kivirist, Kriss Marion and Dela Ends. The three women try to augment their family incomes by selling baked goods…. Ends used to make extra cash with her homemade cinnamon rolls until she found she might face fines or jail time. Her alternative would be to spend tens of thousands of dollars to open a commercial bakery. Ironically, Ends is allowed to sell a wide variety of other homemade food, including jams and pickles — but not baked goods. Wisconsin is one of the two states that ban the sale of homemade baked goods. The other is New Jersey.

World News

Russia, Iran, Turkey sign agreement on creation of Syria safe zones
RT - Ceasefire guarantor states Russia, Iran and Turkey have adopted a memorandum on the creation of four security zones in Syria, during peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The de-escalation zones were earlier proposed by Russia. They are aimed at separating extremist groups, including Islamic State terrorists (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front), from the moderate opposition. Idlib, Latakia and Homs are included in the safe zones, as well as parts of Aleppo, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Under the memorandum, any fighting between government forces and armed opposition will cease within the safe zones. Checkpoints and observation posts are to be positioned along the de-escalation lines within the safe zones, according to the document. They will provide free movement of unarmed civilians and humanitarian access to the areas, under guarantor states’ control. Russian chief negotiator Aleksandr Lavrentyev stated that Russia is ready to send its observers to the established zones and work more closely with the US and Saudi Arabia on Syria. He also said that a working group on an exchange of captives could be settled by the evening. However, he lamented the US poor participation in establishing better cooperation. "Unfortunately, the Americans are still ignoring our attempts to establish closer military cooperation, but we will keep trying," the Russian chief negotiator said.

Russian bombers, fighter jets fly near Alaska, prompting Air Force escort
Fox News - Two Russian Bear bombers — escorted for the first time by a pair of Su-35 “Flanker” fighter jets — entered Alaska’s Air Defense Zone early Thursday morning, U.S. officials told Fox News. The Russian formation was intercepted by a pair of U.S. Air Force F-22 stealth fighter jets that were already flying a patrol about 50 miles southwest of Chariot, Alaska. It was the first time the U.S. Air Force has seen advanced Russian Su-35 fighter jets escort Russian Cold War-era bombers near Alaska. The Russian fighter jets were unarmed and remained in international airspace, officials said. Late last month, Russian bombers flew near Alaska over four consecutive days for the first time since 2014.

Farage Officially Endorses Le Pen: ‘If She Fails, She Will Win in 2022’
Dan Lyman - Brexit architect Nigel Farage has officially thrown his support behind French presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, as Sunday’s final round of voting approaches. “I’m supporting Marine Le Pen, and if she fails this year, she will win in 2022,” wrote Farage in an editorial penned for the Daily Telegraph, assuming that if the French are not quite ready to embrace nationalism in the interest of self-preservation, they will be after five more years of globalist strip-mining and open borders…. Farage went on to refute the smears of the mainstream media, who never fail to tag Le Pen with the ‘far-right extremist’ slur – one they often slap on the likes of Farage and Donald Trump, for simply being opposed to globalism and tidal waves of Third World migrants pouring into the West.

Video: Obama Endorses Emmanuel Macron for French President
Steve Watson - After months of accusing Vladimir Putin of interfering in the US election, former US president Barack Obama has openly endorsed Emmanuel Macron for French president, saying that “he is committed to a better future for the French people.” Obama posted a video Thursday morning giving his support to Macron, the centrist liberal candidate who is running against the nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen. “I know that you face many challenges and I want all of my friends in France to know how much I am rooting for your success,” Obama said, adding “Because of how important this election is, I also want you to know I am supporting Emmanuel Macron to lead you forward. En march. Vive la France.” Obama added that Macron “appeals to people’s hopes and not their fears.” “He has stood up for liberal values. He put forward a vision for the important role that France plays in Europe and around the world.”… Obama noted that “I’m not planning to get involved in many elections anymore, now I don’t have to run for office again.”

Economy & Business

This Has Never Happened Before...
Zero Hedge - With debt ceilings, spending plans, and tax reforms focusing all eyes on Washington, we thought it notable that for the first time in US history, the cost of interest on US government debt has risen above half a trillion dollars... One wonders, given the grandiose spending plans, if we will ever get back below half a trillion dollars?

Why the Retail Crisis Could Be Coming to American Groceries
Bloomberg - The American grocery store has so far been mostly immune to the ravages of online shopping and the all around apocalyptic outlook facing the nation's retailers. But a war is coming to the staid supermarket, and that could mean more consolidation, bankruptcies, and falling prices. An invasion is getting under way. Lidl, a German retailer known for low prices and efficient operations, is expected to start an aggressive U.S. expansion in the coming weeks that could open as many as 100 new stores across the East Coast by the summer of 2018. The company, which runs about 10,000 stores in Europe, has also set its sights on Texas, one of the most competitive grocery markets in the U.S. Analysts expect Lidl to expand to nearly $9 billion in sales by 2023. The last thing U.S. grocers need is more cutthroat competition. As the ranks of U.S. grocery stores have swelled, food has become a way for struggling brick-and-mortar retailers such as dollar stores and pharmacies to compete for customers. Even though groceries have been somewhat insulated from online pressure, Amazon.com remains dedicated to cracking the code, finally, on fresh food.

Science & Technology

Untold Numbers of Canadians Are Streaming Live Online Without Their Knowledge
Motherboard - If there's an internet-connected security camera in your home, office, or at your children's daycare—or hell, even if you're just at the mall—you may be streaming live over the internet and not even know it. On Thursday, that students at an elementary school in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, were being broadcast on a site that streams cameras that haven't been properly secured. But it's not just one school. Unsecured cameras are an old-as-time blight on the internet, so much so that art projects have been made using them. And right now, churches, daycares, and places of business across Canada are live and online. One notorious site is called Insecam, which the CBC focused on, but there are others. A quick dive into the selection of Canadian cameras on these sites quickly turned unsettling. In a few short hours on Thursday morning, I found two publicly viewable streams that appeared to be coming from daycares or kindergartens in Canada. In one, children were clearly visible eating and napping. (Many daycares offer a webcam service to parents who want to check in on their kids, usually available for a sign-up fee.)… A stream on another site allowed me to watch people amble around a shopping mall. I'm not even going to talk about the many bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens streaming live.

California DOJ purchases facial recognition cameras to spy on everyone
MassPrivate I - An article in Muckrock reveals that the California Department of Justice (CDOJ) is using facial recognition cameras to spy on everyone. The CDOJ spent close to one million dollars ($850K) to install NEC's NeoFace system everywhere. According to the article, the CDOJ has been spying on everyone since April 26th., 2016. What's even worse is the CDOJ is paying NEC $650,000 every year in 'support fees'. Which means Calif. taxpayers are paying $650K a year for the privilege of being spied on. Is it a coincidence that NEC opened up a Biometric Center for Excellence in California and another one in Washington, DC? California and the NEC call their new system the Integrated Criminal Justice Image System (ICJIS) which is actually run by DHS Fusion Centers! According to page 8 of NEC's, ICJIS document, when the contractors were finished with the installation they had to destroy all evidence (documents) of their collaboration with the CDOJ. In other words, the DOJ is covering their tracks and doesn't want the public to know how widespread their facial recognition surveillance system really is…. "Law enforcement, public safety, courts, corrections, probations, parole, DAs and public defenders, and even agencies like the DMV, Labor, Business Licensing and, Human and Social Services, are involved in criminal justice integration systems (CJIS) projects and are leveraging our tools to share data in real time.”… Court visitors are asked to pause at the gates and take off their hats, glasses or other obstructions, so facial recognition cameras can identify them. Soon every government agency will have facial recognition cameras, unless we do something now.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Nourishing Food Requires Soil
Alliance for Natural Health - Help us protect real, organic food!… You may be buying produce that was not even grown in soil. In other words, when you think you’re purchasing a nutrient-rich meal, you may be paying for produce from a process that actually denies them those very nutrients. Recently, an ANH-USA staff member ordered a salad at a restaurant. It was touted as “locally-sourced, no pesticides”—all the things natural health advocates look for in produce. On further questioning, however, the staff member found out that the produce was grown hydroponically. Hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in water with dissolved fertilizers rather than actual soil. Produce grown hydroponically is often produced in massive warehouses under artificial lighting. The liquid fertilizers used to feed the plants can come from a variety of sources, including highly processed GMO soybeans. No matter where one stands on hydroponic versus conventional agriculture, there is definitely a problem with calling hydroponic fruits and vegetables “organic”—an issue that the National Organic Standards Board is currently considering…. As we’ve reported before, plants interact with the microorganisms in the soil in complex and fascinating ways that obviously cannot be reproduced without soil. It is these interactions that account for the high nutrient content in the organic fruits and vegetables we eat. Microbes in the soil are also hugely important in converting organic matter into a form that plants can use.

Health

As health care costs explode, hospitals are now trying to force patients to PRE-PAY for treatment
(Natural News) The rise of high-deductible health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nicknamed Obamacare, has led to a rise in unpaid hospital bills among the insured population. This has prompted more hospitals in America to require patients to pay before they are wheeled into the operating room. Thanks to Obamacare, millions of Americans now have a health insurance plan. Attracted by the lower monthly cost, many people are choosing for the bronze and silver plans, which can carry deductibles of up to $15,000. According to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly half of Americans already have difficulty paying for an unexpected $500 bill. The most widely used Obamacare health plan, however, has a deductible of $6,000 for an individual and double the amount for a family, which is an 18 percent spike compared to 2014, reported Reuters.

10 Impressive Echinacea Benefits to Support Your Health
Dr.Edward Group - Echinacea is a powerful and beneficial herb used by people around the world to maintain good health. Every part of the plant, from the roots to the flower petals, is bursting with vital nutrients. With a reputation as a natural cold remedy, many people enjoy echinacea in one form or another, whether as a tea, a supplement, or even the raw plant. Here, we’ll look at ten impressive ways echinacea can support your health…. 1. Echinacea can have a powerful impact on the immune system; over 14 clinical trials have confirmed its ability to encourage good health all year long. 2. Reduces Redness and Swelling - Systemic swelling, redness, and discomfort in the body can have multiple sources, including an unhealthy diet or strenuous exercise. Consuming echinacea or applying skin care products that contain echinacea essential oil can help reduce and alleviate tissue irritation. 3. Promotes the Health of Cells - Many of the compounds in echinacea support immune cells and encourage healthy cell growth. 4. Facilitates Oxygen Transport - Echinacea increases erythropoietin production in the bone marrow, this, in turn, promotes red blood cell production and increases the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen. 5. Supports Oral Health - Echinacea has been evaluated in combination with other herbs like sage and lavender and found to reduce bad breath. It’s believed this effect is partly due to echinacea’s ability to neutralized the harmful organisms that cause bad breath….

Inspirational

6 Gut Instincts You Should Never Ignore
David Wolfe - If you’re especially in touch with your inner self, you might be a pro at something that many people struggle with: listening to your gut feelings. That little voice in the back of your head, that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach, those things are there for a reason. If you have a strange feeling that something isn’t quite right, it’s important to pay attention to that feeling. Most of the time, your instincts are right. Ignoring them can lead you down a path of danger, hurt and regret. Here are six gut instincts you should never ignore: 1. “This Situation Seems Dangerous” - You might notice a stranger staring at you on the subway. When you get off the subway, you turn to see that the same person is walking behind you down the street. You might shake it off as paranoia, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry…. 2. “I Don’t Feel Good” - If you ignore problems with your body, they can end up turning into serious health issues. Your body sends you subtle signs to let you know when something is wrong. If you’re experiencing odd symptoms and you feel like something isn’t right, don’t wait to get it checked out. Visit a health care professional as soon as possible. If there is something wrong, catching it early can be vital. 3. “I Should Help That Person” - A gut feeling doesn’t have to be a negative one. Sometimes, your instincts tell you to take action. If you see someone being bullied, or someone struggling to open a door with their hands full, do something to help. It might be a small act, but any act of kindness can help make someone’s day. Don’t stand by and watch as others struggle. Listen to your gut feeling and offer a helping hand….

Pet News

Bunny Breeder Says United Airlines Cremated Rabbit Without Consent
WBIW - Remember that giant rabbit that was found dead at Chicago O'Hare International Airport last month after arriving on a United Airlines from London? Regina Holmes, of Talk Media News reports, in yet another PR nightmare for United, the carrier has been accused of cremating Simon the rabbit without the consent of the breeder or the new owner after the animal died in a freezer at O'Hare. Simon's breeder, Annette Edwards, told the British tabloid The Sun that "the whole thing stinks of a cover-up." The black rabbit was nearly three feet long and was expected to grow into the world's largest bunny. But Simon died en route to its new home in the U.S. on April 19. Simon apparently arrived safe and sound in Chicago for a connecting flight. But shortly thereafter, the rabbit was found dead. The ground crew at O'Hare had accidentally put Simon in a freezer, Edwards was told. She demanded a necropsy to determine the cause of death. She said she asked United "over and over again" for the body but the airline never got back to her. She later found out the rabbit had been cremated on Friday without her knowledge.
* Related: United Airlines pay five-figure compensation to rabbit breeder whose giant bunny froze to death on its way to America

Fake Service Dogs are Becoming a Real Problem
Dogington Post - The Americans With Disabilities Act protects the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service dogs in public places not normally considered dog-friendly…. But a new trend among dog owners is quickly becoming a big problem for legitimate service dog teams. People are disguising untrained family pets as service dogs, complete with vests and identification cards, in order to take them anywhere and everywhere they wouldn’t normally be welcomed. CBS Chicago reported, A search of eBay for “service dog patches” and “service dog vests” produced more than 22,000 results. Several websites sell similar items for as much as $150 after requiring answers to just a few easy questions…. A service dog is not legally required to wear a vest, patch, or carry any type of ID card, though many service dog teams do these things because it’s easier to just show a meaningless ID card when asked for one than it is to explain the laws to business owners, managers, and employees, and even law enforcement officers that haven’t been educated. Additionally, because ADA laws prohibit questioning a person about their disability and from asking for evidence of a service dog’s certification, business owners and authorities are left with their hands tied. Legitimate service dogs are well trained and a necessity to their handlers. They are trained to not be disruptive or cause a scene while in public. You will never see a service dog jumping up at people, barking or growling (unless alerting their handler to a problem), or even using the bathroom inappropriately. Fake service dogs are both a safety issue for the public and for legitimate service dogs. They negatively impact the acceptance and public opinion of service dogs and their disabled handlers.

 


Thursday - May 4, 2017

On This Day In History


1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom from England two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
1814 - Napoleon Bonaparte disembarked at Portoferraio on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean.
1863 - The Battle of Chancellorsville ended when the Union Army retreated.
1886 - A bomb exploded on the fourth day of a workers' strike in Chicago, IL. Eight people died in the violence during violence that day.
1904 - The U.S. formally took control of the property for construction of the Panama Canal.
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea commenced as American and Japanese carriers launched their attacks at each other.
1942 - The United States began food rationing.
1961 - Thirteen civil rights activists, dubbed "Freedom Riders," began a bus trip through the South.
1970 - The Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on students during an anti-Vietnam war protest at Kent State University. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded.
1979 - Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman prime minister.
1981 - The Federal Reserve Board raised its discount rate to 14%.
1987 - The First Bank of the United States was listed as a National Historic Landmark.
1994 - Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed a historic accord on Palestinian autonomy that granted self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
2000 - The citizens of London elected their mayor for the first time.
2012 - In Las Vegas, NV, Google received the first self-driving vehicle testing license.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

U.S. Test Fires Missile Off Calif. Coast; Can Carry Nuclear Weapons, Travel 8,000 Miles
Off the Grid News - The U.S. Air Force Wednesday morning successfully test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The test – the second one in the past week — came as the crisis with North Korea continued to escalate. Both missiles were fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and flew more than 4,000 miles across the Pacific before splashing down in the ocean. The tests came days after North Korea tested its own missile. Each U.S. missile is capable of traveling more than 8,000 miles…. The missiles, which carried no payload, splashed down in the Pacific near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, about 2,500 miles south of Hawaii.

Sean Spicer Promotes ‘Bollard Wall’ Fencing to Satisfy Budget Critics (Video)
Breitbart - … White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer claimed that Republicans did get funding for a “wall,” pointing to existing photos of fences with bollard style steel construction and “levee walls.”… Spicer refused to describe his fence photos as Trump’s promised wall, but assured them that it would be effective in protecting the border. He told reporters that the fencing was endorsed by DHS Secretary John Kelly. Kelly has proposed large bollard fencing to help secure the border, although he has also supported the idea of “a concrete wall” on the border…. The House budget agreement specifically cites funding for “border fencing” and “steel bollard designs,” not a wall, after Democrats insisted that money for border security would not be used to fund Trump’s wall.
* Related: Video: Full White House Press Briefing

California Mulls Blacklist for Border Wall Contractors
Breitbart - State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D) said that California is not interested in doing business with any company that works on President Trump’s proposed border walls… Lara introduced a bill in December 2016 that initially would have required voter approval for any federally-funded infrastructure project built along the California-Mexico Border. In April 2017, he amended the bill to prohibit the State from awarding contracts to any person who works on a federally-funded “wall, fence, or other barrier along California’s southern border,”… Former California Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D), who’s now a lobbyist for California contractors, noted that California is on a dangerous path with this type of legislation. “What we’re doing here is very dangerous in that we’re creating a slippery slope and hand-picking projects that are not politically favorable to the California Legislature,” Fuentes said.

Obamacare Repeal Suddenly Looks Possible After Two Key GOP Holdouts Flip
Zero Hedge - …Republican reps. Fred Upton and Billy Long both said Wednesday they will support the GOP’s ObamaCare repeal-and-replace bill with the addition of a new amendment Upton drafted. Until this morning, both had opposed the bill, and prompted us to write on Monday that Republicans are just one vote away from failure again. The two Republicans told reporters at the White House after a meeting with President Trump that they are ready to vote for the bill once a new amendment Upton helped devise - which would boost funding for people with pre-existing conditions - is added. The amendment would provide $8 billion over the next 5 years to reduce premiums and other costs for those with pre-existing conditions who have a gap in coverage and reside in states that received waivers from some of Obamacare’s requirements.

COMEY: Huma Abedin’s Classified Emails Were Regularly Forwarded to Her Husband Anthony Weiner’s Computer (Video)
The GatewayPundit - In a new update on the Hillary Clinton email scandal, FBI Director James Comey spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing on FBI oversight wherein he states that emails containing classified information were forwarded to Huma Abedin’s then-spouse, former congressman Anthony Weiner. Weiner was being investigated separately because of his (possible) inappropriate communications with a minor. Speaking on the topic, Comey remarked: “Somehow, her emails were being forwarded to Anthony Weiner, including classified information . . . His then-spouse Huma Abedin appears to have had a regular practice of forwarding emails to him for him to print out for her so she could deliver them to the secretary of state.” When asked if former Congressman Weiner read any of the classified emails, Comey took a long pause and then stuttered his way to the phrase: “I don’t think so,” He then went on to say, “I don’t think we’ve been able to interview him because he has pending-eh, criminal problems of other sorts…”

Report: Hillary to Start PAC to Fight Trump, Will Resume Giving Paid Speeches
The GatewayPundit - Mike Allen of Axios reports: “Hillary Clinton soon will launch a PAC as a way of “acting as a quiet catalyst” for organizations she cares about, and eventually will help 2018 congressional candidates — but with no intention of making it a vehicle to run for anything herself. According to a source familiar with the planning, the initial focus will be on lifting up organizations that are the product of the energy and activism she has seen since the election, and existing groups that have been reignited and reinvigorated by that energy. She has met with some of these groups, and it’s something she’s become increasingly passionate about with each meeting, the source said.” Clinton also plans to return to paid speaking. The Harry Walker Agency, her speakers’ bureau, has a page up inviting clients to “Book Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

Obama Unveils The $500 Million Obama Presidential Center In Chicago
Zero Hedge - Signing $60 million for a book contract, and rolling out on the speech circuit at $400k a pop is enough to inspire former US presidents with creative ways how to be remembered by future generations. Take former President Obama for example, who together with Michelle, are in their hometown Chicago this week and offered the city its first peek of the future Obama Presidential Center, which will be built on a 200,000-square-foot campus in Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side. A memorial that would make pharaohs jealous, the center will sit near a lagoon that runs into Lake Michigan in the Jackson Park neighborhood and will feature three buildings: a museum, a library, and “forum,” which will house an auditorium, restaurant, and public garden. It will also have a sledding hill. The Obama Foundation said that the center, located near Chicago's historically African-American Woodlawn neighborhood, will revitalize the Jackson Park neighborhood by attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and creating new jobs on the South Side…. Obama is expected to use the center as a platform to work on issues such as criminal justice reform and education for underprivileged children. The entire project is expected to cost $500 million.

World News

China Reportedly Issues Final Warning To North Korea
Zero Hedge - With President Trump placing his faith in China’s ability to keep its neighbor under control – through threats, promises, or oil embargoes – it appears, according to unconfirmed rumors spreading widely on Chinese social media Tuesday, that North Korea just got its final warning…. The rumor cited the May issue of Hong Kong monthly news outlet Dong Xiang. It said a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs junior minister invited Park Myung-ho, an official of North Korea, for a meeting. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting and asked his junior to read aloud the warning to the North over the nuclear test. The memorandum mentioned that China will condemn strongly, pull back on all economic cooperation and even blockade North Korea if it conducted the test.

North Korean media issues rare criticism of China over nuclear warnings
Reuters - A commentary carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) referred to recent commentaries in China's People's Daily and Global Times newspapers, which it said were "widely known as media speaking for the official stand of the Chinese party and government." "A string of absurd and reckless remarks are now heard from China every day only to render the present bad situation tenser," it said. "China had better ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations," the commentary said, referring to North Korea by the acronym for its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

‘War will see Japan under radioactive clouds before any country’ – N. Korean state media
RT - If the Korean Peninsula standoff evolved into an armed conflict, Japan would be the first to suffer from the fallout – both political and nuclear – North Korean state media said, warning Tokyo against any hostile actions. “In case of a nuclear war on the peninsula, Japan that houses logistic bases, launching bases and sortie bases of the U.S. forces will be put under radioactive clouds before any country,” state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Wednesday. The newspaper reminded Tokyo of its previous experience involving nuclear weapons, stating that the country would become the number one target for a North Korean strike as it housed US forces and would be “put under radioactive clouds before any country.” “If Japan is truly concerned about its interests, it has to make due efforts for the peaceful settlement of the Korean peninsula issue,” the commentary reads.

France's Macron, Le Pen face off in final TV showdown
Deutsche Welle - The two rivals for the second round of France's presidential election launched personal insults and attacked each other's manifestos on Wednesday evening as they faced off in the final TV debate ahead of Sunday's vote. During the high-stakes duel, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen hit out at her centrist opponent Emmanuel Macron's record as a former economy minister, accusing him of playing a key role in selling off several of France's state-led companies. During the high-stakes duel, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen hit out at her centrist opponent Emmanuel Macron's record as a former economy minister, accusing him of playing a key role in selling off several of France's state-led companies. Instead, Le Pen promised to create a sovereign wealth fund to prevent what she said were foreign "vultures" from taking over French companies. In response, Macron accused the National Front candidate of misleading voters about his record, of having no experience in economic issues and no workable ideas…. Macron repeated his vow to lower taxes for workers, and allow self-employed people - who are currently excluded from France's generous unemployment scheme - to benefit, if they go bankrupt. Le Pen stuck to her main campaign message, telling an estimated 20 million viewers: "I'm the candidate of the people, who protects our jobs, our security, from external competition and from the rise of Islamic fundamentalism." She insisted Macron was the "candidate of the elite.”… [Read More…]

More Than Half of Young Europeans Say They Would Join an “Uprising” Against the Elite
Paul Joseph Watson - A whopping 580,000 respondents in 35 different countries were asked; “Would you actively participate in large-scale uprising against the generation in power if it happened in the next days or months?” More than half of 18- to 34-year-olds said that they would. The sentiment is likely to be driven by a number of factors, including Europe’s chronic rates of youth unemployment, which have spiked as high as over 50% in Greece and Spain. Greece, Spain and Italy top the poll, with over 60% in all three countries saying they would join a large scale uprising against the establishment. Even in sleepy Belgium and prosperous Switzerland, the figure is higher than 40%. Respondents in France, where 61% said they would rebel, blamed corruption, high taxes and “too many rich people” for their discontent. The Quartz study also pinpoints “voter apathy” and being “sick of the status quo” as reasons for why so many young people are ready to engage in civil unrest.

Economy & Business

"They Know Something That We Don't" – Corporate Insiders Are Dumping Their Stocks "At Levels Rarely Seen"
Zero Hedge - There aren’t any surefire ways to tell if the stock market, and perhaps the rest of the economy, is about to take a nosedive. That’s because millions of people with millions of ideas are involved, so it’s an inherently unpredictable system. However, there are certain players in our economy that have a lot more influence and insider knowledge than the rest of us. So when they make a move in unison, you know there’s a good chance that something is about to go down. And that’s exactly what’s going on with the stock market right now. The people who would stand to lose the most if the markets crashed; the corporate executives and insiders, are all jumping ship and selling their stocks…. “As the investing public has continued to devour stocks, corporate insiders have been offloading shares to an extent not seen in seven years... If the people with the deepest knowledge of a company are cashing out, why should investors keep buying at current prices?"

Science & Technology

Facebook Adding 3,000 Workers To Monitor Videos Of Crime And Suicides
Zero Hedge - "Facebook's latest response to the public outcry that resulted from the recent live-streaming of a murder on the social network, was announced moments ago when on his personal blog, Mark Zuckerberg announced that over the next year, Facebook "will be adding 3,000 people -- on top of the 4,500 we have today -- to review the millions of reports we get every week, and improve the process for doing it quickly." In addition to violence, the crackdown also targets "hate speech and child exploitation." Zuckerberg also notes that "we'll keep working with local community groups and law enforcement who are in the best position to help someone if they need it -- either because they're about to harm themselves, or because they're in danger from someone else.”… “In addition to investing in more people, we're also building better tools to keep our community safe. We’re going to make it simpler to report problems to us, faster for our reviewers to determine which posts violate our standards and easier for them to contact law enforcement if someone needs help.”

Cell phones definitely cause brain tumors, Italian court rules
(Natural News) The link between brain tumors and cellphones is now more real than ever. As reported in Hosted.AP.org, an Italian court recently ruled in favor of a telecom company employee after it concluded that his brain tumor was caused by excessive use of the company cellphone. According to the report, Telecom Italia employee Roberto Romeo was obliged to use the company cellphone for three hours a day for 15 years for work-related matters. As Romeo pointed out in the report, cellphone use of just one hour a day is already considered “intense use”. The court ruled that his excessive use has resulted in a brain tumor which, while benign, has caused hearing loss in his right ear.

Health

Hemp food products surged 44% to $129 million in sales despite insane regulations
(Natural News) Hemp is an incredibly versatile plant that is also extremely nutritious. It’s used to create building materials, automobiles, paper, clothing, jewelry and furniture, but it can also be found in a variety of heath-focused foods. Hemp-based foods are a budding market, with a wide array of offerings: Hemp protein powder, hemp seeds and hemp milk are just a few of the plant-based items you can find available today…. When it comes to money, hemp sales reached an impressive $688 million during 2016, a $100 million increase from just 2015. Hemp-based food sales, however, boasted a particularly dramatic boost in sales; a 44 percent increase to $129 million has got more people putting their sights on hemp foods than ever before…. Hemp seeds are extremely nutritious and are a great source of healthy fat and protein. They are loaded with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, for example…. Hemp seeds also contain a wide variety of micronutrients, including magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. Not only is hemp a great source of protein, it is one of the few complete plant-based proteins. This means it contains all of the essential amino acids. The protein from hemp seeds is also easily absorbed due to its highly digestible nature. Whole hemp seeds are also a great source of fiber, both insoluble and soluble.

Gingko Biloba Protects Against Cognitive Effects of Heavy Metals
Prevent Disease - Ginkgo biloba, one of the oldest living tree species and best selling herbs, also protects the brain from the toxic effects of aluminium chloride exposure, which has been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's and other cognitive impairments. Solid research has been performed on extracts of ginkgo biloba, which contain antioxidant compounds that protect cells from free radical damage within the nervous and circulatory systems. The protective effects of Ginkgo biloba was clearly observed, said researchers. Ancient Chinese medical manuscripts indicate that at least 5000 years ago, extracts of the leaves of the ginkgo tree were being used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including asthma, Raynaud's syndrome (a circulatory disorder affecting the hands and feet), and age-related memory loss. Even though the well-designed German studies showed that ginkgo had significant positive effects on the mental functioning of Alzheimer's patients, many physicians in the United States were still skeptical of ginkgo's usefulness, perhaps because of the long tradition in Europe of being more open to alternative therapies…. With the abundance of information on ginkgo now available, it should be clear to the most skeptical of mainstream doctors that the use of Ginkgo biloba should be part of the treatment regimen for every Alzheimer's patient.

9 Amazing Bread-less Sandwich Ideas That Will Make You Drool
Healthy Holistic Living - A growing number of people have sworn off bread and for good reason. If you’re not able to access healthy ingredients and or unable to bake it yourself your options can be very limited let alone excessively expensive. Well the good news is that there are ways to enjoy and even enhance some of your favorite dishes without having to worry about finding a bread that doesn’t make you feel awful or pollute your body. You’re going to want to save the ideas below because once you try them, you’re going to forget all about your retired packaged bread obsession. After tasting these, they just might occupy your plate more than you planned. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Pet News

The Truth About The Type of Meat Evanger’s Really Used
Truth about Pet Food - It was more than inedible, the meat supplier Evanger’s Pet Food purchased from [Bailey Farms] was a dead animal carcass processor [in Wisconsin]…. [Bailey Farms is] a company that picks up dead animals (cattle and horses) from area farms and processes meat from these animal carcasses into pet food meat – no matter why the animal died and no matter if the animal was euthanized for sale to pet food…. Are more stock removal companies selling dead animal carcass meats – including euthanized horse meat – to pet food companies? Absolutely there are. In every state – multiple in areas of the US that have large livestock populations – there are companies that remove dead animal carcasses and process the meat into pet food/animal feed. These companies are just like Bailey Farms – selling raw meat processed from the dead/non-slaughtered or euthanized animal carcass. And as well, rendering companies (some) pick up and process dead animal carcasses into pet food ingredients (though these would be rendered ingredients – not raw meat). Is this legal?… Per federal law, it is ILLEGAL for animal food to contain any part of an animal that is non-slaughtered. The Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act defines an adulterated (illegal) food as (in part) “if it is, in whole or in part, the product of a diseased animal or of an animal which has died otherwise than by slaughter”. Repeat: it is a direct violation of federal law for a pet food (any food) to contain even the smallest amount of meat sourced from a dead/non-slaughtered animal. But…FDA openly allows anyone in the animal food business the opportunity to violate that law without prosecution. The exception is…unless the pet food company or meat supplier gets caught harming an animal…. [Read more]
* Related: As Evanger’s Scandal Unfolds, a Look Back at Their Troubled History

Will New York Become the First State to Ban Declawing Cats? (We Hope So!)
The Catington Post - Efforts to ban the inhumane practice of declawing cats has been before lawmakers in New York state in the past and didn’t get passed. However, an effort to ban the practice is back in front of lawmakers. Legislation to prohibit the procedure for aesthetic purposes has been introduced in the Senate and Assembly. [Declawing is] a painful amputation of a cat’s knuckles – not simply removing claws, as many people still believe. It’s a procedure that’s extremely painful, and can have lasting, even lifelong, emotional and physical effects on a cat, whose very nature is to use his claws. New York’s largest veterinary association come out against the ban, saying the procedure should remain legal as a last resort for cats that won’t stop scratching furniture or people. However, the Humane Society, as well as many veterinarians and politicians are on board with this ban including Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, who sponsored the bill. If the bill passes, New York would become the first state in the union to enact a statewide ban of the practice of declawing, though a similar bill has been introduced for consideration by lawmakers in New Jersey, and it is already banned in many cities in California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. The practice is also considered cruel and illegal in several countries in Europe and the United Kingdom.
 


Wednesday - May 3, 2017

On This Day In History


1802 - Washington, DC, was incorporated as a city.
1888 - Thomas Edison organized the Edison Phonograph Works.
1921 - West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax.
1926 - U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua and stayed until 1933.
1933 - The U.S. Mint was under the direction of a woman for the first time when Nellie Ross took the position.
1937 - Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for "Gone With The Wind."
1944 - Wartime rationing of most grades of meats ended in the U.S.
1968 - After three days of battle, the U.S. Marines retook Dai Do complex in Vietnam. They found that the North Vietnamese had evacuated the area.
1971 - Anti-war protesters began four days of demonstrations in Washington, DC.
1971 - National Public Radio broadcast for the first time.
1971 - James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King's assassin, was caught in a jailbreak attempt.
1988 - The White House acknowledged that first lady Nancy Reagan had used astrological advice to help schedule her husband's activities.
1992 - Five days of rioting and looting ended in Los Angeles, CA. The riots, that killed 53 people, began after the acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King.
1997 - The "Republic of Texas" surrendered to authorities ending an armed standoff where two people were held hostage. The group asserts the independence of Texas from the U.S.
2000 - The trial of two Libyans accused of killing 270 people in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 (over Lockerbie) opened.
2006 - In Alexandria, VA, Al-Quaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui was given a sentence of life in prison for his role in the terrorist attack on the U.S. on September 11, 2001.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Senate Quietly Drops Russian Sanctions Bill, Focuses On Iran Crackdown
Zero Hedge - Much to the likely chagrin of the mainstream media, and Democratic Party blame narratives everywhere, Politico reports that the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have reached a decision that’s sure to disappoint Russia hawks: They’re not taking up a Russia sanctions bill anytime soon. Instead, Committee Chairman Bob Corker of Tennessee and ranking Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland have agreed to move forward on a measure to counter Russian influence in Eastern Europe without using sanctions as well as an Iran sanctions bill…. The measure to counter Russian influence is expected to draw from a bill put forward by Cardin in January but will strip the measure of its sanctions. The Iran sanctions bill was introduced in March by Corker and has bipartisan support. It’s in retaliation for Iran’s ballistic missile development, support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups and human rights violations. Cardin’s sanctions bill is co-sponsored by 10 Republican defense hawks, including Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of Florida. Cardin spokesman Sean Bartlett confirmed the agreement in an email…. Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations panel, indicated Monday he was unhappy with the decision to table the Russia sanctions measure for now.

1,665 Pages: GOP Spending Bill Longer Than Obama’s Stimulus
CNS News - The new federal spending bill proposed in the Republican-controlled Congress to fund the government through the end of September–which is now posted on the House Rules Committee website–is 1,665 pages long and includes an average of approximately 210 words per page. That makes this bill approximately 350,000 words long—or about twice as long as the stimulus law (the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”) that President Barack Obama signed less than a month after his inauguration in 2009.
Related: Federal Spending Bill Text

Trump: The US government needs a good 'shutdown' if Senate rules don't change
CNBC News - President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to call for a government shutdown later this year in response to a bipartisan spending deal that looks set to pass Congress this week. In tweets, the president contended that the bipartisan agreement — which funds the government through Sept. 30 — shows that Republicans should get more senators elected or change the Senate's rules so they can push spending through with only a majority vote, rather than 60 votes. He then wrote that the country "needs a good 'shutdown' in September" to fix what he called a "mess.”… Just last week, Trump blamed Democrats for what he called a desire to shut down the government, a charge that Democratic leaders denied. He called the possibility of national parks getting closed "terrible."

Massachusetts Senior Citizen and Attorney Medically Kidnapped – Estate Plundered – Represents National Epidemic
Health Impact News - Retired lawyer Marvin Siegel of Boxford, Massachusetts, has lived an isolated and heavily-medicated existence, against his will and wishes, after court proceedings in August in 2011 resulted in his being placed under a court-appointed guardianship and conservatorship that his family considers to be unlawful. His meticulous estate planning has been eviscerated, and millions of dollars continue to be plundered from the 88-year-old’s estate. He is being held prisoner in his own home, under medical providers that his daughter has termed "24/7 guards." Meanwhile, his daughters Attorney Lisa Siegel Belanger and Devora Kaiser tirelessly advocate for him in the court system, despite those who are working vigorously to shut them out of their father’s life. At this point, those in charge of Mr. Siegel’s estate have drained half of the retired attorney’s approximate nine-million-dollar estate deceptively and fraudulently, according to Lisa. Further, as Lisa began to research her father’s case, she uncovered a network of corruption within the family and probate court system of Essex County, where the case is, as well as in other Massachusetts counties. The daughters’ court documents allege fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering, involving 40 litigants in the Siegel case alone. Lisa states that the medical kidnapping and plundering of senior citizens' estates is common, as they target poor and rich alike: "The scary part of it is that this is not an isolated incident. This is business as usual. It is a pattern of isolate. Medicate. Liquidate. It doesn’t matter the amount of a person’s estate, even if a person has virtually nothing to their name. The fact that an elder is receiving some sort of government benefit that automatically brings you into their clutches. People don’t realize that it affects basically everyone."

Drugged driving eclipses drunken driving in tests of motorists killed in crashes
Washington Post - For the first time, statistics show that drivers killed in crashes are more likely to be on drugs than drunk. Forty-three percent of drivers tested in fatal crashes in 2015 had used a legal or illegal drug, eclipsing the 37 percent who tested above the legal limit for alcohol, according to a report released Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. Of the drivers who tested positive for drugs, more than a third had used marijuana and more than 9 percent had taken amphetamines…. The opioid epidemic — heroin use and the abuse of prescription drugs — is well established. In 2015, more than 33,000 people fatally overdosed on opioids, almost equal to the 35,095 people killed that year in all traffic crashes. The number of drivers who tested positive for drugs after dying in a crash rose from almost 28 percent in 2005 to 43 percent in 2015, the latest year for which data is available…. Although the liberalization of marijuana laws and increase in drug-use fatalities might lead to an easy conclusion, the report cites European studies that found marijuana use slightly increased the risk of a crash, while opioids, amphetamines and mixing alcohol with drugs greatly increased the risk of a crash.

Officer recorded shooting unarmed man in back pleads guilty
Ars Technica - A white South Carolina police officer accused of the video-taped shooting of a fleeing, unarmed suspect pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single federal civil rights violation. A video of Officer Michael Slager shooting and killing 50-year-old Walter Scott was secretly taken in 2015 by a passerby. The video has been viewed millions of times online and on television. It was a key factor in the North Charleston Police Department's decision to abandon its initial backing of the shooting. The deal with federal and state prosecutors includes Slager's guilty plea to one count of a three-count federal civil rights indictment. In exchange, federal prosecutors will drop two lesser charges. South Carolina prosecutors, under the deal, will not retry the 35-year-old Slager…. Attorney General Jeff Sessions praised the outcome. "The Department of Justice will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who violates the civil rights of our citizens by using excessive force," Sessions said. "Such failures of duty not only harm the individual victims of these crimes; they harm our country, by eroding trust in law enforcement and undermining the good work of the vast majority of honorable and honest police officers."

World News

Putin, Trump speak by phone, discuss Syria, N.Korea – Kremlin
RT - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, held a phone call in which they have agreed to cooperate on promoting diplomatic progress in dealing with tensions on the Korean peninsula and in Syria, according to the Kremlin. “Vladimir Putin has called for restraint and decreasing of the level of tensions” on the Korean peninsula, the statement said. “It has been agreed to work jointly on a diplomatic solution that will settle the crisis.” Putin and Trump have spoken about coordinating Russia’s and US efforts aimed against terrorism in Syria, the statement adds. Putin and Trump have decided to “activate the dialogue between the heads of the foreign ministries of both countries who will seek variants to secure the ceasefire regime, stabilize it and control it,” the statement says. “The goal is to create the background that would help launch a real peace process in Syria. This means that Russia’s foreign minister and the US secretary of state would inform their leaders about progress in this regard." The call between the two presidents came a day before a new round of talks on Syria in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. This is the first time that Trump and Putin have talked to each other since the US missile strike on a Syrian airfield that set back US-Russia diplomatic relations.

North Korea says U.S. bomber flights push peninsula to brink of nuclear war
Reuters - North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of pushing the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war after a pair of strategic U.S. bombers flew training drills with the South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of strength. The two supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers were deployed amid rising tensions over North Korea's pursuit of its nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. sanctions and pressure from the United States…. South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a briefing in Seoul that Monday's joint drill was conducted to deter provocations by the North. North Korea said the bombers conducted "a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects" in its territory at a time when Trump and "other U.S. warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike" on the North. "The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war," the North's official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been high for weeks, driven by concerns that the North might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of pressure from the United States and Pyongyang's sole major ally, China.

China Relations with U.S. Declining Fast
France24 - China demanded on Tuesday an immediate halt to a controversial US missile shield hours after Washington announced that the defence system was now operational in South Korea. Washington and Seoul agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployment in July in the wake of a string of North Korean missile tests. But its deployment has infuriated China, which fears it will weaken its own ballistic missile capabilities and says it upsets the regional security balance…. While Beijing lashed out at the shield's deployment, the foreign ministry expressed support for US President Donald Trump's surprise comments that he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him I would, absolutely. I would be honored to do it," Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg. Asked about Trump's remarks, Geng said that China "has always believed that dialogue and consultation... is the only realistic and viable way to achieve denuclearisation." "We also said many times that the US and DPRK... should make political decisions at an early date, take action and show good faith so that we can create a better atmosphere for resuming the peace talks and settling the issue," he added…. Earlier, US Forces Korea said THAAD is "operational and has the ability to intercept North Korean missiles and defend the Republic." A US defence official told AFP, however, that the system has only "reached initial intercept capability". This initial capability will be augmented later this year as additional hardware and components arrive to complete the system, officials said…. Beijing has imposed a host of measures seen as economic retaliation against the South for the THAAD deployment, including a ban on tour groups…. Further complicating matters, Trump stunned Seoul last week when he suggested South Korea should pay for the $1 billion THAAD system.

U.S. issues travel alert for Europe, citing threat of terrorist attacks
Reuters - The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Europe on Monday, saying U.S. citizens should be aware of a continued threat of terrorist attacks throughout the continent. In the alert, the State Department cited recent incidents in France, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom and said Islamic State and al Qaeda "have the ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe." The State Department's previous travel alert for Europe, issued ahead of the winter holiday season, expired in February. A State Department official said Monday's alert was not prompted by a specific threat, but rather recognition of the continuing risk of attacks especially ahead of the summer holidays. The alert expires on Sept. 1. Malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, airports and other locations are all possible targets for attacks, the State Department's alert said.

Belgium Bans Monsanto’s Weedkiller for Non-Professionals
Natural Blaze - Fresh on the heels of France’s glyphosate ban in public spaces, Belgium turned heads with the announcement by federal minister of agriculture, Willy Borsus, that he wishes to ban the use of herbicides by non-professionals – especially glyphosate. Borsus said there were safer alternatives, such as heat treatment, mechanical weeding, or bio-pesticides. “Considering the risk-benefit balance, there is no justification for the use of herbicides for individuals,” he said. EU member states are “forging ahead” with their own wave of glyphosate bans and restrictions even though the EU Commission is stalwartly defending the safety of glyphosate. This time period is an absolute showdown because glyphosate’s potential reauthorization at the EU level is ongoing.

Crushing Blow to Soy Processors as Chinese Grow Wary on GMO
Sustainable Pulse - A Chinese consumer backlash against genetically modified (GMO) crops is beginning to dent demand for soy oil, the nation’s main cooking oil, and could spell crisis for the multi-billion-dollar crushing industry, which depends on GMO soybeans from the United States and elsewhere. Soyoil sales account for about 36 percent of cooking oils used in Chinese kitchens, more than three times the next highest, and most of it is made from imported soybeans, which are nearly all genetically modified. The Chinese government says GM foods are as safe as conventional foods, but wealthier urban consumers are replacing soyoil with sunflower, peanut or sesame, all free of biotech raw materials.

Election News

Hillary Clinton: "I Was On The Way To Winning Until Comey And 'Russian' WikiLeaks" (Video)
Zero Hedge - Speaking during an interview on CNN, losing presidential candidate Hillary Clinton explained why she thinks she lost the election... "I was on the way to winning before Jim Comey's letter and 'Russian' Wikileaks... scared off late voters.”… All of this is ironic given Democratic Party strategists recent comments: After crunching numbers for months, a group of Democratic strategists have finally figured out why Hillary lost the 2016 election: "her base didn't turn out." Sure, it probably had absolutely nothing to do with all those criminal FBI investigations or the fact that Trump was able to flip some Midwest states that haven't gone Red since Ronald Reagan…. Ironically, while offering up the most ridiculous explanation possible for the outcome of the 2016 election, undoubtedly in an effort to erase all blame from Hillary herself (it wasn't Hillary's fault, her team just didn't turn out the voters...they failed her), one strategist noted it's important to "learn the right lesson from 2016" and not just the one "that makes us feel good at night." And as The Washington Post's most recent poll shows, two-thirds of Americans think the Democrats are out of touch - including nearly half of Democrats themselves.

Economy & Business

45% Of Americans Spend Up To Half Their Income Repaying Credit Card Debts
Zero Hedge - On several occasions we've pointed out that the baby boomer generation is, to put it mildly, ill-prepared for retirement. In fact, over 50% of baby boomers have basically no savings set aside for retirement at all. Now, a new survey from Northwestern Mutual helps to shed some light on why Americans are completely incapable of saving money. First, roughly 50% of Americans have debt balances, excluding mortgages mind you, of over $25,000, with the average person owing over $37,000, versus a median personal income of just over $30,000. Therefore, it's not difficult to believe, as Northwestern Mutual points out, that 45% of Americans spend up to half of their monthly take home pay on debt service alone....which, again, excludes mortgage debt.

Auto Bloodbath: Every OEM Misses April Sales Estimates As Inventories Continue To Soar
Zero Hedge - After an abysmal March print and growing speculation on wall street that auto sales are looking less like a "plateau" (Ford's label not ours) and more like a debt-fueled bubble on the verge of an epic collapse, auto investors were looking toward April auto sales for signs of hope. Unfortunately, the "hope" trade failed to materialize as every single, major auto OEM missed their April sales estimates in fairly spectacular fashion.

Science & Technology

NSA gained phone records despite law change: report
Reuters - The U.S. National Security Agency collected more than 151 million records of Americans' phone calls last year, even after Congress limited its ability to collect bulk phone records, according to an annual report by the top U.S. intelligence officer. The report from the office of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats was the first measure of the effects of the 2015 USA Freedom Act, which limited the NSA to collecting phone records and contacts of people U.S. and allied intelligence agencies suspect may have ties to terrorism. It found that the NSA collected the 151 million records even though it had warrants from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court to spy on only 42 terrorism suspects in 2016, in addition to a handful identified the previous year. The NSA has been gathering a vast quantity of telephone "metadata," records of callers' and recipients' phone numbers and the times and durations of the calls - but not their content - since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The report came as Congress faced a decision on whether to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which permits the NSA to collect foreign intelligence information on non-U.S. persons outside the United States, and is scheduled to expire at the end of this year.

GOP’s “Internet Freedom Act” permanently guts net neutrality authority
Ars Technica - Nine Republican US senators yesterday submitted legislation that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from ever again using the regulatory authority that allowed the commission to impose net neutrality rules. The "Restoring Internet Freedom Act" would prohibit the FCC from classifying ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act and "from imposing certain regulations on providers of such service." The Internet "is threatened by the Federal Communications Commission’s 2015 Open Internet Order, which would put federal bureaucrats in charge of engineering the Internet’s infrastructure," Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). said in an announcement yesterday. "That is why I am introducing the Restoring Internet Freedom Act, which would nullify [the] Open Internet Order and prohibit the FCC from issuing a similar rule in the future.”… In the announcement, [co-sponsor Ted Cruz] repeated his charge that net neutrality is "Obamacare for the Internet."

Video: Kid Genius Max Laughlin Explains Why He Thinks CERN Destroyed Our Universe…
True Activist - Science just barely starts to scratch the surface to the nature of reality and still, its discoveries are more shocking than we were able to imagine. It proves of quantum entanglement, unified field of consciousness, free energy, superhuman abilities, singularity, parallel universes and alternate realities. All of this is so mind boggling that you would never think a kid can understand. But maybe we need a kid, someone who is brave enough to think about crazy ideas and theories because most of the world we live in today was built upon such. Max Laughlin is not just any kid. He is probably the smartest kid in the world. When he had only 13 years he invented a Free Energy Device, something that could potentially power the whole world for free. He became famous across the world for his brilliant ideas and points of view on interesting topics like the nature of The Universe and Alternate Realities. But now he has a theory that CERN destroyed our Universe and we live in another Universe that was parallel and closest to it. He thinks the famous Mandela Effect is a result of that. Max explains it all beautifully in this video…

Health

9 Reasons to add Chlorella superfood to your diet
(Natural News) Like spirulina, chlorella is a green alga with a host of health benefits. Though it has been around forever, this single-celled alga remained well hidden in freshwater ponds in the Far East until the end of the 19th century… Recently, chlorella has been receiving a lot of buzz and has earned “superfood” status because of its extraordinary nutrient density…. Here are nine of them you should know about to improve your family’s health. 1. Packed with essential nutrients - About 60 percent of it is complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. It has an excellent omega-3 to omega-6 ratio and offers a broad range of essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, iron, vitamin B12, and beta-carotene 2. Binds heavy metals - Another reason chlorella has gotten some buzz is because of its ability to bind and help eliminate heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, and other toxic compounds, such as dioxin, from the body. Its amazing detoxing properties come from chlorophyll and vitamin B12, which produce glutathione, a potent antioxidant to safeguard the body against toxicity and disease. 3. Boosts the immune system - Though the evidence is limited, research has shown that chlorella may boost the immune system to ward off unwanted intruders that can make you sick. 4. Improves cholesterol - Several studies have found that daily supplementation of five to ten grams of chlorella can reduce triglycerides and total cholesterol in people with high blood pressure and/or elevated cholesterol levels. It is believed that niacin, fiber, and catenoids, among other antioxidants present in chlorella, are responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effect. 5. Acts as a powerful antioxidant - Though more studies are needed to confirm the results, chlorella’s antioxidants — including chlorophyll, vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein — have shown to lower oxidative damage to prevent chronic diseases.
* We have Chlorella at the Power Hour Mall!

Ginger and chili pepper combination block cancer cell growth
(NaturalHealth365) Ginger has been used for centuries to bring relief to digestive issues and nausea, while the chili pepper is known to boost mood, metabolism and immune system health. Both spices can bring positive effects to circulation and blood flow in the body…. A study published in the online Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that the 6-gingerol in ginger and a chili pepper compound called capsaicin seem to work together cooperatively to help fight off cancer. This is because 6-gingergol binds to capsaicin to create a new, extremely strong compound that effectively works to inhibit tumor-growing cell receptors in the body.

Strawberries slow growth of breast cancer—in the laboratory, at least
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Strawberries could slow the spread of breast cancer. It's already known that eating between 10 and 15 of them has powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and now researchers are hoping the fruit could also be a treatment for the cancer. So far, an extract from the fruit has worked in the laboratory on cancer cells and in laboratory mice, but the researchers don't yet know if the same effects will be seen in cancer patients. Researchers from the Marche Polytechnic University in Italy used an extract from the Alba variety of strawberry, which is rich in phenolic compounds, on the most aggressive and invasive breast cancer cells. It stopped the growth of the cells for up to 72 hours, the researchers say, and it also stimulated a gene that suppresses the spread to the lymphatic system, which can lead to the cancer developing in other parts of the body. Not only was the spread of the cancer halted, the weight and volume of tumors was also "significantly reduced", the researchers said. But they sound a note of warning: they can't be sure it would work in cancer patients. People are complex, as are cancers, and the concentration of the phenolic compounds—thought to be the active part in the fruit—varies from variety to variety. Nonetheless, eating a healthy diet, that includes plenty of strawberries, is something every cancer patient should do, they say.
 


Tuesday - May 2, 2017

On This Day In History


1776 - France and Spain agreed to donate arms to American rebels fighting the British.
1863 - Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was wounded by his own men in the battle of Chancellorsville, VA. He died 8 days later.
1865 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson offered $100,000 reward for the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
1890 - The Oklahoma Territory was organized.
1926 - U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua to put down a revolt and to protect U.S. interests. They did not depart until 1933.
1941 - The FCC agreed to let regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television.
1946 - Prisoners revolted at California's Alcatraz prison.
1965 - The "Early Bird" satellite was used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.
1969 - The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) made its maiden voyage.
1970 - Student anti-war protesters at Ohio's Kent State University burn down the campus ROTC building. The National Guard took control of the campus.
1974 - Former U.S. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
1993 - Authorities said that they had recovered the remains of David Koresh from the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, TX.
1994 - Nelson Mandela claimed victory after South Africa's first democratic elections.
1997 - Tony Blair became, at age 44, Britain's youngest prime minister in 185 years.
2012 - Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sworn in to Myanmar's military-backed parliament.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Paul Ryan Unleashed — New Budget Restricts Any And All Funding Of Trump Border Wall
The GatewayPundit - Paul Ryan and House Republicans included strict language in their trillion dollar budget that prevents any and all funding of President Trump’s border wall. Paul Ryan’s new budget bill will fund: ** Planned Parenthood ** Central American illegal immigrant centers ** Domestic spending will increase ** No cuts in funding to EPA despite Trump’s promises ** Continue payment on Obamacare subsidies ** No funding cuts to sanctuary cities But the House budget includes language that FORBIDS the President of the United States of building a border wall with Mexico. The Washington Post reported: There are explicit restrictions to block the border wall. We knew last week there would be no money to start construction on a project that the president says is more important to his base than anything else. But the final agreement goes further, putting strict limitations on how Trump can use new money for border security (e.g. to invest in new technology and repair existing fencing). Administration officials have insisted they already have the statutory authority to start building the wall under a 2006 law. This prevents such an end run. The $1.5 billion for border security is also half as much as the White House requested. Additionally, there are no cuts in funding to sanctuary cities, something a federal judge said last week would be required for the Justice Department to follow through on its threats. And there is also no money for a deportation force.

Republicans Just One Vote Away From Failing To Repeal Obamacare, Again
Zero Hedge - While one can debate if last week's failed attempt by Trump to pass the GOP healthcare vote before the expiration of his 100 days in office counts as attempt #2 by the administration to repeal Obamacare, the Republicans are now back to square one, because based on the latest whip count by The Hill, the GOP again appears to lack sufficient votes to pass its Healthcare bill in the House, despite earlier reports from GOP leaders and the White House that it might be approved by the lower chamber this week. The Hill's most recent whip list reveals 22 Republicans - mostly moderates - who oppose the bill, the maximum number of GOP defections that can be afforded, meaning the GOP is just one vote away from another failure. The latest Republican to announce his opposition is Rep. Billy Long (Mo.), a staunch conservative who often says he was “Tea Party before Tea Party was cool.” He told The Hill he wouldn't support the bill because of the impact it could have on people with preexisting conditions.

Daniel Defense: Second Amendment Rights Come From God, Not Government
Breitbart - During the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta, Daniel Defense president and CEO Marty Daniel affirmed his conviction that Second Amendment rights come from God, not from government. This is the same position our Founding Fathers held; the same position they all supported with their signatures when signing the Declaration of Independence, which says: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. It is crucial to note two things in this portion of the Declaration: 1. Thomas Jefferson sourced our rights in our “Creator,” not in government or in a majority vote of the population. 2. Jefferson sourced government’s power in the people. In other words, governments possess powers, not rights, and the U.S. government only has power because the people lend it a portion of the authority that they possess by birth. And the authority which the people lend government never communicates permission to infringe on the rights with which the people were endowed. (This is why James Madison used Federalist 46 to stress that “ultimate authority…resides in the people alone.”)… It is interesting to note that President Donald Trump struck a similar tone when speaking to the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on April 28. Trump said, “Freedom is not a gift from government, freedom is a gift from God.”

New York Democrats Sign Legislation to Uncover President Trump’s Tax Returns
The GatewayPundit - Evidently Democrats were not satisfied after Rachel Maddow released President Trump’s 2005 tax return that showed Trump paid a higher rate than Socialist Bernie Sanders. The AP reported: New York Democrats have hatched a plan to get a look at Donald Trump’s tax records by crafting a piece of legislation designed to get at his state returns that does everything but mention the Republican president by name. The bill introduced this month in New York’s Senate and Assembly would require the state to release five years of state tax information for any president or vice president who files a New York state return…. Democrats in New York and more than two dozen states have crafted bills that would require presidential candidates to release their federal returns in order to appear on that state’s ballot. None of those, however, would require Trump to release old returns.

Student penalized for using word ‘man’ on his essay
The College Fix - At the University of Florida, a student was recently penalized for writing “man” instead of “humankind” in a class paper. History major Martin Poirier wrote “Water is a thing prior to man” on a paper for a history class called “History of Water.” “Thoughtful paper, although the writing-mechanics errors are killing you,” Professor Jack Davis wrote at the bottom of the paper. He gave the student a B minus, according to a copy of the essay published in the student news outlet the Daily Nerv. Davis circled “man” and referenced his Writing Mechanics Exercise #20, which draws a distinction between “mankind” and “humankind.” Davis defended the penalization in an email to The College Fix. He explained that the “exercise and inclusion of ‘humankind’ are consistent with the Chicago Manual of Style, the style and the usage guide followed in the discipline of history.”… This incident in question of a lower grade was not the first time Poirier has faced what he considers a troubling trend on campus. “Political correctness on college campuses goes far deeper than this one excess by this one teacher. By and large, the radical liberationist ideas go unchallenged because no truly oppositional content is presented,” he said.

Bill Shine, co-president of Fox News, will part ways with the cable news network
Breitbart - Fox News has confirmed Shine’s resignation, with a press release reading in part: Bill Shine, Co-President of FOX News Channel (FNC) since August 2016, has resigned and will leave the company after helping the transition over the next few weeks, announced Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman of 21st Century Fox. Shine has been with FOX News since its inception over 20 years ago…. Last week, primetime host Sean Hannity tweeted that if Shine were to leave the network, “that’s the total end of the FNC as we know it. Done.” Several inside accounts have framed Fox News’s current woes as an identity crisis; Murdoch’s sons James and Lachlan are reportedly hoping to shake up their aging father’s creation into something more palatable to their worldview and less friendly to American conservatives.

Sean Hannity Meets With “Army of Attorneys” Warns ‘IP Addresses Are Traceable” so “Get Ready”
The GatewayPundit - Sean Hannity hit back hard after he was accused of sexual harassment by blogger and attorney, Debbie Schlussel. He vowed to take legal action causing Schlussel to walk back her claims. … Hannity took to his Twitter account and fired a few warning shots saying, “A lot of time with an army of attorneys. Topics include: libel, slander, defamation, tortious interference. Stay tuned.” Hannity also tweeted saying ‘FYI, whoever you are IP addresses are traceable. Get ready.” His series of tweets sounded like he may be going after more than just one person who has been spreading lies about him. In any event, it’s about time conservatives hit back. Leftists constantly slander us conservatives, accusing us of being racists and anti-Semites with no evidence to back it up.

Video: ”That's Enough" - Angry Trump Kicks CBS Reporter Out Of Oval Office
Zero Hedge - Having been pestered by CBS reporter John Dickerson over what great advice President Obama had given him (and his wiretapping accusations); President Trump's frustration briefly boiled over as he turned his back and remarked "ok, that's enough, thank you, goodbye," gesturing for the reporter to leave The Oval Office... As Washington Free Beacon reports, the exchange, which aired Monday, began when Dickerson asked Trump if his predecessor had given him any advice since taking office. Trump said Obama had been "very nice" initially but since then there had been "difficulties." "Words are less important to me than deeds, and you saw what happened with surveillance," he said, calling it "inappropriate." Trump was referring to a claim he made on March 4 that Obama tapped his phones during the presidential campaign. There is no evidence to substantiate the claim, but Trump has never retracted it. When Dickerson pressed for details about the surveillance, Trump responded, "You can figure that out yourself."

Hundreds Suffer as City Shuts Down Church for Helping the Homeless
The Free Thought Project - A church in Davenport, Iowa, facing zoning restrictions related to its outreach program to feed the homeless, is appealing its local council and questioning the legality of the city’s regulations. This all stems from a cease and desist order they received — because feeding the homeless is not allowed when you’re zoned as a church…. One of the primary missions of the church is focused on outreach to poor and homeless individuals, offering addiction resources, haircuts, a food pantry, clothing, and meals at no charge, according to the ministry’s website. Timothy’s House of Hope center has estimated thousands of meals served each month…. Bruce Berger, Davenport’s economic development and planning director, said that the property must first be classified as a “Planned Institutional District” specified for “Housing and Supporting Services.”… Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch told WQAD News 8 that “We can’t let this be interpreted in any way that we do not support the great work that timothy house of hope is doing,” and has said that the city is reaching out to the city attorney to check the possibility of re-opening as the zoning issues are addressed.

It’s Disturbingly Easy To Reroute Someone Else’s Mail
Consumerist - The U.S. Postal Service has made the process of changing your address when you move super easy and convenient, by just filling out a form online and paying $1. Maybe that’s not so good, though: The process is so easy that an identity thief can redirect your mall to their address by just filling out a form online and paying $1. A couple who were victims of this scheme contacted Kurtis Ming of CBS Sacramento to share their story. Yes, they received a letter at their home address that told them their mail was being redirected, but by the time that showed up, important mail like a Medicare card and a package containing prescription medication was redirected to the identity thief. The identity thief also opened a credit card in the husband’s name. As an experiment, reporter Ming tried the USPS change of address form and tried to have a co-worker’s mail re-directed to him. She didn’t have to give permission, and her mail began to appear in his mailbox just over a week later. The chief postal inspector issued only a statement about how important security is, while still making no changes to the process of changing one’s address.

World News

Report: China Preparing For “Huge Exodus” of North Koreans Fleeing War
Paul Joseph Watson - China has ordered the “urgent” recruitment of Korean-Chinese interpreters in a town near the North Korean border as Beijing prepares for an onslaught of refugees in the event of a U.S. military strike against Pyongyang. A Chinese government document obtained by the Korea Times orders “the town of Dandong to recruit an unspecified number of Korean-Chinese interpreters to work at 10 departments in the town, including border security, public security, trade, customs and quarantine.” The document suggests Beijing is “bracing for an emergency situation” arising out of a “possible military clash between the United States and North Korea” which would trigger a “huge exodus” of North Koreans fleeing to China, according to the report. Officials in Dandong have also been put on rotating night shifts since April 25th in preparation for the emergency. China is already home to some 100,000 North Korean defectors and Beijing is unlikely to welcome a large wave of new refugees.

Macron PLUMMETS in the polls as Marine Le Pen enjoys boost a WEEK AWAY from election vote
Daily Express - Recent moves by Ms Le Pen to appeal to a wider audience seem to be working as she has removed herself as the leader of the Front National party, and rebranded her campaign with the new motto “Choose France”. Pollster Harris Interactive, who correctly predicted the result of the first round, revealed a six points slip by Mr Macron since last Sunday. Ms Le Pen said: “The country Mr Macron wants is no longer France; it’s a space, a wasteland, a trading room where there are only consumers and producers.” The latest polls were conducted prior to the announcement that defeated first round presidential candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, would be Ms Le Pen’s prime minister if she wins the presidency.

Venezuela's Maduro hikes minimum wage amid rising protests
ABC News - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro hiked wages and handed out hundreds of free homes Sunday amid his efforts to counter a strengthening protest movement seeking his removal. On his regular television show, "Sundays with Maduro," the president ordered a 60 percent increase in the country's minimum wage starting Monday. It was the third pay increase the socialist leader has ordered this year and the 15th since he became president in 2013…. With the latest wage increase and mandatory food subsidies, the minimum take home pay for millions of Venezuelans now stands at 200,000 bolivars a month — or less than $50 at the widely used black market rate.

Sparking Fears of Airborne Radiation, Wildfire Burns in Fukushima 'No-Go Zone'
Common Dreams - Local officials were forced to call in the Japanese military, the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF), to help battle the blaze, which continued to burn on Monday. At least 10 hectares of forest have burned so far…. In a blog post last year, Anton Beneslavsky, a member of Greenpeace Russia's firefighting group who has been deployed to fight blazes in nuclear Chernobyl, outlined the specific dangers of wildfires in contaminated areas. "During a fire, radionuclides like caesium-137, strontium-90 and plutonium rise into the air and travel with the wind," Beneslavsky wrote. "This is a health concern because when these unstable atoms are inhaled, people become internally exposed to radiation." Contaminated forests such as those outside fallout sites like Fukushima and Chernobyl "are ticking time bombs," scientist and former regional government official Ludmila Komogortseva told Beneslavsky. "Woods and peat accumulate radiation," she explained "and every moment, every grass burning, every dropped cigarette or camp fire can spark a new disaster."

Energy & Environment

EPA purges climate change information as part of “Website Updates”
Ars Technica - On Friday, the Trump administration removed all of the EPA's climate information from the agency's website. In its place was this announcement: "We are currently updating our website to reflect EPA's priorities under the leadership of President Trump and Administrator Pruitt." The official EPA announcement of the changes says they're needed to "reflect the agency’s new direction under President Donald Trump and Administrator Scott Pruitt." Removing them, according to the EPA spokesman, was needed to "prevent confusion." hat confusion would be caused by the promotion of outdated policies that were put in place by the previous administration. Chief among those policies is the Clean Power Plan, the Obama Administration's response to climate change (the EPA announcement refers to it as "the so-called Clean Power Plan").

Worm Eats Plastic – Is This Really Good for The Earth?
Natural Blaze - Daily Mail reports: Researchers from the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria in Spain found that wax worms can do serious damage to a plastic bag in less than an hour. […] The researchers showed that the wax worms were not only ingesting the plastic, they were also chemically transforming the polyethylene into ethylene glycol – a translucent alcohol. From RT: The team exposed about 100 wax worms to a typical plastic bag from a UK supermarket and found that holes started to appear after just 40 minutes. 12 hours later there was a reduction in mass of 92mg, which scientists say is extremely fast compared to other recent discoveries…. I know I might get boo-ed for splashing cold water here, but let’s think about this… The byproduct of the caterpillars will become ethylene glycol which is used for anti-freeze. I ask you – at what point will the earth then be overrun by ethylene glycol, a solvent known to cause miscarriages? Are we now to breed countless numbers of these caterpillars who only get a steady diet of polyethylene – and then…what about them? (On the other hand, the worms are currently bred commercially for fish bait before they can become wax moths – they might like a change of employment.) But how do we obtain the clear alcohol they produce? Will it leak into the earth? Will wax worms become a scourge?

Science & Technology

FB Under Fire for Selling Emotionally Vulnerable Kids’ Data to Advertisers
The Anti-Media - Less than two months after announcing it would begin using artificial intelligence tools in its marketing arm, Facebook is now being accused of letting advertisers target emotionally vulnerable children. According to The Australian, a 23-page leaked document obtained by the outlet — marked “Confidential: Internal Only” and dated 2017 — reveals that the social media giant used algorithms to sift through the posts, pictures, and reactions of 6.4 million “high schoolers,” “tertiary students,” and “young Australians and New Zealanders…in the workforce” with the aim of learning about their emotional state. The news outlet says the algorithms essentially looked for “moments when young people need a confidence boost” — moments when kids feel “worthless” or “insecure” and are perhaps more open to an advertiser’s message. Facebook says the data amassed by the algorithms was never used for targeted ads, but merely “to help marketers understand how people express themselves on Facebook.” Still, the company acknowledges a “process failure” and says an investigation has been opened to correct the mistake. That’s a good thing because Facebook’s real-time monitoring of kids might actually be violating the Australian government’s ethical standards. The Australian points out that the Australian Code for Advertising and Marketing Communications to Children defines children as age 14 and under and says any information that could potentially reveal a child’s identity must be obtained through a parent or legal guardian.

Health

9 Health Benefits Of Walking Barefoot and Connecting With The Earth
Natural Blaze - At first, it might sound strange (throwing away your shoes and walking barefoot in the grass or sand) but there is evidence that this can be very beneficial for your health…. The more time we spend in shoes and indoors, the more important it becomes to get outside and get grounded…. Just go outside, find a patch of grass or dirt, take off your shoes and socks, and start walking barefoot. This growing health practice is called Earthing, and it is literally grounding out your body to the electrical field of The Earth. The focus of Earthing is “reconnection” with the earth and our body…. Ideally is to spend at least 15 minutes a day walking barefoot or grounded but you can also receive the benefits just by spending even a few minutes a day barefoot on the ground. Here are 9 other reasons, in addition to Earthing, to go barefoot each day. … Emerging evidence shows that contact with the Earth—whether being indoors connected to grounded conductive systems or outside barefoot —may be a natural, simple, and yet profoundly effective environmental strategy against inflammation, chronic stress, poor sleep, pain, ANS dysfunction, disturbed HRV, cardiovascular disease, hypercoagulable blood, and many common health disorders.”… Walking barefoot strengthens our ankles and feet because it allows them to move in a natural way and unrestricted…. When you’re grounded you receive free electrons from the earth that can reduce free radicals. Free radicals cause accelerated aging and are damaging to healthy cells in your body. Earthing can drastically reduce inflammation in our bodies….
Related Book: Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? (Find it at The Power Hour Mall)

Beets Boost Brain Health and Much More
Dr. Mercola - Beets can improve athletic performance, help fight inflammation, lower blood pressure, help you detoxify, lower your risk for heart failure and stroke, help combat cancer and improve brain neuroplasticity. Many of the benefits of beets are due to their high nitrate content. Your body transforms nitrates into nitic oxide, which enhances oxygenation and has a beneficial impact on your circulatory system. Beets are very high in sugars, so if you’re insulin resistant, diabetic, or are in the initial stages of nutritional ketosis, fermented beets and beet juice may be preferable, as virtually all sugar is eliminated during fermentation.

The Appendix Could Be More Important Than Expected
REALfarmacy - For the past few decades, conventional medicine believed the appendix was an unimportant organ that served little to no function. Yet evidence shows that the appendix may play a vital function in the development of the immune system. According to research, lymphoid tissue accumulates in the appendix after birth. In turn, the appendix helps in the maturation of B lymphocytes and the production of antibodies. The appendix produces specific molecules that aid in the movement of lymphocytes to various locations within the body. Based on current evidence it seems that the appendix serves as a “reservoir” for beneficial gut flora. When illness reduces good bacteria from the intestines, the appendix may store some of that good bacteria for back up. It has also been shown that individuals without an appendix could be four times more likely to suffer from recurrent Clostidium difficile colitis, an irritation of the large intestine by spore-forming bacteria. This condition is often present when the body is running low on gut flora, potentially explaining the connection between the appendix and its role in maintaining probiotic levels. While the research is ongoing, it seems that the appendix is important for maintaining optimal health.

Inspirational

The Power of Thought in Our Lives
Healthy Beginnings - Three things happen when you think a thought: The first is that the vibrational frequency of that thought, like a radio signal, goes out into this energy soup we live in and attracts back to the people, conditions and situations that match the thought. That thought also brings up an emotion, which drives your words and actions, and your words and actions make up your life. The second thing that happens when you think a thought is the vibrational frequency of that thought, like a cell phone signal, goes from your conscious mind into your subconscious. The subconscious can’t tell the difference between real and pretend, so it thinks that thought you’re thinking has actually happened to you today. Even though it happened years ago. Or maybe it’s just a fear of what might happen in the future. It still gives you the emotions to match, just like it happened today. Your emotions then drive your words and actions and of course your words and actions make up your life. The third thing that happens when you think a thought is the vibrational frequency of that thought floods all 50 trillion of your cells and causes that pharmaceutical company inside your body to manufacture chemicals and hormones to match the thought. So if your thoughts are happy and cheerful, your body manufactures endorphins or serotonin. But if your thoughts are negative or worried, your body manufactures cortisol, a major stress hormone…. Whenever you think a negative or worried thought, take action if necessary, then pivot your mind to something juicy and delicious that you’d really love to do. […] as you consciously control your thoughts, you begin to attract the opportunities, people, situations and conditions that you do want. Imagine what our world would be like if we had learned this as kids, if we had understood how powerful our thoughts were, how they create our reality.

Pet News

Why Your Cat Needs a Cat Patio, or Catio
Dr. Becker - Providing your cat the opportunity to experience the outdoors safely while also living indoors provides the stimulation your cat needs mentally without the risks of free roaming. It also gives your cat an opportunity for beneficial grounding. One option is to walk your cat using a cat harness and leash. Most cats, especially kittens, can be trained to walk on a leash, but not every cat will enjoy the experience. You’ll know best whether your cat has the personality to enjoy taking a walk around the neighborhood or whether it would simply stress her out. Another alternative is to create a safe outdoor enclosure or cat patio — catio — which allows feline family members secure access to the outdoors. The enclosure should be open air, allowing your cat to feel fresh air and sunlight, but shielded enough to prevent escape or a predator from gaining access.
Related: DIY Catios & Cat Enclosures
 


Monday - May 1, 2017

On This Day In History


1707 - England, Wales and Scotland were united to form Great Britain.
1805 - The state of Virginia passed a law requiring all freed slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or deportation.
1863 - In Virginia, the Battle of Chancellorsville began. General Robert E. Lee's forces began fighting with Union troops under General Joseph Hooker. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by his own soldiers in this battle. (May 1-4)
1867 - Reconstruction in the South began with black voter registration.
1877 - U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew all Federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
1898 - The U.S. Navy under Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in the Philippines.
1927 - Adolf Hitler held his first Nazi meeting in Berlin.
1931 - The Empire State Building in New York was dedicated and opened. It was 102 stories tall and was the tallest building in the world at the time.
1937 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act of neutrality, keeping the United States out of World War II.
1945 - Admiral Karl Doenitz succeeded Hitler as leader of the Third Reich. This was one day after Hitler committed suicide.
1948 - The People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was proclaimed.
1960 - Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Powers was taken prisoner.
1961 - Fidel Castro announced there would be no more elections in Cuba.
1968 - In the second day of battle, U.S. Marines, with the support of naval fire, continue their attack on a North Vietnamese Division at Dai Do.
1986 - The Tass News Agency reported the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.
1992 - On the third day of the Los Angeles riots resulting from the Rodney King beating trial. King appeared in public to appeal for calm, he asked, "Can we all get along?"
2001 - Chandra Levy was last seen in Washington, DC. Her remains were found in Rock Creek Park on May 22, 2002. California Congressman Gary Condit was questioned in the case due to his relationship with Levy.
2011 - U.S. President Barack Obama announced that U.S. soldiers had killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

President Trump: In my first 100 days, I kept my promise to Americans
By Donald J. Trump - One hundred days ago, I took the oath of office and made a pledge: We are not merely going to transfer political power from one party to another, but instead are going to transfer that power from Washington, D.C., and give it back to the people. In the past 100 days, I have kept that promise — and more…. We have opened the White House doors to listen, engage and act. We’ve invited in labor leaders, factory owners, police officers, farmers, veterans and Democrats, Republicans and independents. The change began with the termination of the Trans-Pacific Partnership…. We have also launched an investigation into foreign trading abuses and taken steps to protect the production of American steel and aluminum. After years of federal contracts going to foreign bidders, we are ensuring that government agencies enforce “Buy American” rules and give preference to American companies — and that American companies hire American workers. Crucially, to bring back our jobs, we are going to pursue a complete renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement…. At the center of our economic agenda, we’ve undertaken the most far-reaching effort in history to remove job-killing regulations. I’ve ordered that for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated. We’ve signed a record 13 Congressional Review Act resolutions to scrap job-crushing regulations, and I’ve signed 29 pieces of legislation in total — a mark not surpassed in the first 100 days since Harry S. Truman. Those newly enacted laws include Veterans’ Choice legislation — which became law while at the same time we’ve increased by 42 percent the number of veterans approved to see the doctor of their choosing. And we’ve provided transparency by publishing all wait times at the Veterans Affairs health system online, backed up by a new Veterans Affairs Office of Accountability…. [Read more]

Trump Touts Achievements, Blames Dems For Disappointments, Blasts Media In 100-Day Rally
Zero Hedge - Donald Trump celebrated his 100th day in office on Saturday by holding a "freewheeling campaign-style rally", touting the accomplishments of his first three plus months in office, ignoring the disappointments, and once again slamming the media. Trump held the rally with supporters as a contrast to the annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner, an annual star-studded gala in Washington that presidents typically attend…. While Trump told the Pennsylvania crowd he was just getting started on meeting his campaign promises, he repeatedly attacked an "incompetent, dishonest" media, saying they were not telling the truth about his administration's accomplishments…. Focusing on his tenure in the White House, Trump listed what he said were some of his key early accomplishments, including the successful confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court of Justice Neil Gorsuch and clearing away many regulations on the environment and business according to Reuters. He also listed his approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, killing a pending Asian trade pact, and enhanced security measures that have led to a sharp decline in illegal border crossings at the southern border…. At the same time, he shrugged off his more prominent failures on his core campaign promises, such as repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act and construction of a Mexican border wall. Trump's ban on visitors from some Muslim nations was blocked in court. He blamed Democrats for the legislative failures so far and said all of his promises would be kept eventually. "We'll build the wall, people, don't even worry about it," he said.

Donald Trump in Harrisburg marks his 100th day in office, takes dig at 'boring' WHCD
Washington Times - The president arrived in the Keystone State Saturday afternoon and made an unexpected trip to a local wheelbarrow factory with Vice President Mike Pence. Mr. Trump said he was glad not to be at the dinner and instead be with his supporters…. When Mr. Trump asked the audience to rate the media’s 100-day performance, the crowd erupted with boos. “If the media’s job is to be honest and tell the truth, then I think we would all agree that the media deserves a very very big fat failing grade,” he said…. In addition to his media criticisms, Mr. Trump took the opportunity to tout the accomplishments of his first 100 days, including the addition of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, decreasing illegal border crossings, rebuilding the military and creating an economic plan “even bigger than that of Ronald Reagan.” The president also doubled-down on his campaign promise of building the border wall, slamming Democrats and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer for their lack of support…. On Obamacare, the president said it would be repealed and replaced as promised, making that known to Reps. Mike Kelly and Tom Marino, who were both present.“I’ll be so angry at Congressmen Kelly and Congressman Marino, and all the congressmen in this room, if we don’t pass this damn thing quickly,” Mr. Trump said, before laughing and pointing them out. The president also said he’d make a decision on whether to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement sometime in the next two weeks. Mr. Trump also addressed China, saying his position had not flipped, but that the media was falsely accusing him of doing so. He has been criticized for appearing to take a softer stance on China, which he pushed back on saying their help with containing North Korea’s nuclear program is taking a priority over economic issues.

Video: ”The CIA Has Been Deeply Humiliated" - Ron Paul Interviews Julian Assange
Zero Hedge - Having blasted the Trump administration for their hypocritical flip-flop from "loving WikiLeaks" to "arrest Assange," Ron Paul made his feelings very clear on what this signals: "If we allow this president to declare war on those who tell the truth, we have only ourselves to blame." Today he sits down with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for a live interview... "The CIA has been deeply humiliated as a result of our ongoing publications so this is a preemptive move by the CIA to try and discredit our publications and create a new category for Wikileaks and other national security reporters to strip them of First Amendment protections," Assange said in a preview clip from the interview below...:

NYT's 'Impossible to Verify' North Korea Nuke Claim Spreads Unchecked by Media
FAIR - Buoyed by a total of 18 speculative verb forms—five “mays,” eight “woulds” and five “coulds”- New York Times reporters David E. Sanger and William J. Broad… painted a dire picture of a Trump administration forced to react to the growing and impending doom of North Korea nuclear weapons…. From the beginning, the Times frames any potential bombing by Trump as the product of a “stark calculus” coldly and objectively arrived at by a “growing body of expert[s].” The idea that elements within the US intelligence community may actually desire a war—or at least limited airstrikes—and thus may have an interest in presenting conflict as inevitable, is never addressed, much less accounted for. The most spectacular claim—that North Korea is, at present, “capable of producing a nuclear bomb every six or seven weeks” - is backed up entirely by an anonymous blob of “expert studies and classified intelligence reports.”…. Once again, the essential antecedents of war are being established based on anonymous “experts” and “officials,” and hardly anyone notices, much less pushes back.

Donald Trump insists South Korea should pay for missile system
Washington Times - President Trump pushed back Friday against South Korea’s objections to paying for a U.S.-deployed missile defense system, insisting that it’s “appropriate” for Seoul to shoulder the $1 billion cost. “Why should we pay for it?” Mr. Trump said in an exclusive interview with The Washington Times. “It’s a phenomenal protective system, best in the world by far, and that’s meant to protect South Korea. So I respectfully say that I think it would be appropriate if they paid for it.” The U.S. military is deploying the missile shield as a defense against North Korea. The South Korean defense ministry said it has no plans to pay for the system, and South Korea’s leading presidential candidate Friday called Mr. Trump’s demand an “impossible option.”

The F-35 Just Got $1.7 Billion More Expensive
The National Interest Blog - The GAO [Government Accountability Office]echoed much of the information released by the Pentagon’s top weapon testing office earlier this year, but painted an even bleaker picture of the future of the most expensive weapon program in history. The F-35 Joint Program Office recently admitted it would cost $532 million beyond current budget levels to complete the development process. The Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office estimated it would cost about twice that amount—$1.125 billion. The GAO now says the task will take $1.7 billion…. The challenge now is the flight tests of the final, and most complicated, version of the F-35’s mission software…. The contractor released what is supposed to be the final version of the software in November 2016.... The program office claims it will be able to complete these flight tests by October 2017. The history of the program’s testing calls this claim into question, though: the most recent publicly available testing report showed the program was only able to accomplish 82 percent of the planned mission system test points in 2016, 975 of 1,189 planned, or about 83 per month. According to the GAO, the program would have to complete an average of 384 mission system test points a month to meet the October 2017 completion date, quintuple the current, demonstrated rate.

Will Trump Release the Missing JFK Files?
Politico - The answer must come within months. And, according to a new timeline offered by the National Archives, it could come within weeks. Under the deadline set by a 1992 law, Trump has six months left to decide whether he will block the release of an estimated 3,600 files related to the assassination that are still under seal at the Archives. From what is known of the JFK documents, most come from the CIA and FBI, and a number may help resolve lingering questions about whether those agencies missed evidence of a conspiracy in Kennedy’s death…. Under the 1992 JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, the library of documents about Kennedy’s death must be made public in full by the deadline of this October 26, the law’s 25th anniversary, unless Trump decides otherwise. It is his decision alone. The prospect of the release of the last of the government’s long-secret JFK assassination files has long tantalized historians and other scholars, to say nothing of the nation’s armies of conspiracy theorists, since no one can claim to know exactly what is in there…. Martha W. Murphy, the Archives official who oversees the records, said in an interview last month that a team of researchers with high-level security clearances is at work to prepare the JFK files for release and hopes to begin unsealing them in batches much earlier than October – possibly as early as summer.

AG Sessions to MS-13 gang: 'We are coming after you'
Fox News - Years of open borders and lax immigration laws have allowed one of the country’s most brutal gangs to thrive nationally, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Friday. Sessions gave a speech in Long Island close to where police found four bodies bearing the gang’s hallmarks: repeated hacking – apparently from a machete – that left the victims unrecognizable. “I have a message for the gangs that target our young people,” Sessions said. “We are targeting you. We are coming after you.”…. The attorney general's appearance on Friday comes amid a spate of violence in two communities near the federal courthouse where he spoke in Central Islip. The bodies of 11 people have been found in parks and vacant lots since last September. Police believe the killings are the work of MS-13. The gang, which was formed in the 1980s in Los Angeles by Salvadoran immigrants, has expanded to 42 states and is feared for its brutality. Teens say any perceived slight to a gang member can mean death…. But not everyone was welcoming the move. Dozens of protesters showed up at his speech accusing him of using gang violence to enforce what they called draconian immigration laws. But some parents said stepped up enforcement is needed to bring a sense of tranquility. Things have gotten so bad, some parents said, they are afraid of letting their children go to school.

Portland Rose Parade Cancelled Amid THREATS OF VIOLENCE From Anti-Fascists
Mac Slavo - The latest example of a society on the brink of civil war comes to us from Portland, Oregon, where every year the 82nd Avenue of Roses Business Association kicks off the city’s annual Rose Festival with a family-friendly parade. Except this year, there will be no parade. Organizers have cancelled the event amid threats of violence from groups referring to themselves as “Anti-Fascist.” According to The Washington Post, the reasoning behind the threats is reportedly outrage over the fact that the county’s Republican Party was given one of the nearly 100 spots in the parade…. “You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision wisely,” the anonymous email said, referring to the violent riots that hit Portland after the 2016 presidential election, reported the Oregonian. “This is nonnegotiable.” The email said that 200 people would “rush into the parade” and “drag and push” those marching with the Republican Party. “We will not give one inch to groups who espouse hatred toward LGBT, immigrants, people of color or others,” it said…. While these folks may think silencing the free speech of political ideologies contrary to theirs through violence is a means to a worthy end, it was the Bolshevik ideology, similar to what we’re seeing from “comrades” in the anti-fascist movement, that eventually gave way to one of the world’s most brutal dictators and was responsible for the deaths of, quite literally, over 100 million people in the 20th century. On another and perhaps equally interesting note, we’ll mention the fact that for years the Department of Homeland Security and domestic law enforcement agencies had warned Americans that it was lone wolves with conservative values who stockpiled guns, food, bibles and peacefully protested government overreach who were, by officials and congressional members, deemed terrorists.

World News

US Deploys Troops Along Syrian-Turkish Border After Erdogan Bombs Anti-ISIS Ally
Western Journalism - The Turkish provocation started Tuesday when Erdogan’s warplanes launched a massive assault on Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq and on positions of the Kurdish dominated Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria…. The Russian army and the central command of the U.S.-led coalition in the Middle East received an advance warning less than one hour before the strikes began, but American pleas to call off the assault were ignored by the Turks…. The Turkish dictator’s aggressive behavior apparently caused Trump to rethink his policy of cooperation with Erdogan, as was apparent Friday when U.S. Special Forces began to deploy along the Syrian northern border…. The Pentagon did not deny the deployment of the U.S. forces but refused to elaborate on the new military action in Syria by the Trump administration. The measure came a day after Trump decided to delegate the “authority for Force Management Levels for Iraq and Syria to Defense Secretary James Mattis,” according to Pentagon spokesman Cpt. Jeff Davis…. The U.S. forces now try to avoid further Turkish cross border attacks on the Syrian Kurds, but Erdogan seems not be deterred. On Saturday, he again provoked the United States by allowing his air force to carry out new strikes on the Kurds in Syria and Iraq.

U.S. Signals Possible Airstrikes in Somalia by Asking Aid Groups for Their Locations
The Intercept - The document, dated April 24, provides instructions for how groups should share coordinates of offices, hospitals, refugee camps, and other facilities. “Please be aware that all information submitted … will be used to inform U.S. military planners about the location of humanitarian and development personnel,” it says. It also includes a bold-type warning that providing the information does not “guarantee the safety of personnel, vehicles, facilities, or sites. Entities operating in this environment continue to do so at their own risk.” Such deconfliction efforts are not uncommon in the context of intense or prolonged U.S. military operations, such as Afghanistan. This week’s letter is similar in wording to one received by NGOs in 2014, at the outset of the anti-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria. In Yemen, the United States briefly shepherded NGO coordinates from nonprofits to the Saudi-led coalition at the start of its military campaign there in early 2015…. But for Somalia, such an encompassing request is novel. Taken with Trump’s declaration of active hostilities, the note suggests that it’s a question not of if, but when, more airstrikes will take place.

ISIS Apologized To Israel For Attacking IDF Soldiers
Zero Hedge - Discussing the wider Israeli policy of “neutrality” in Syria, former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon accidentally admitted that Israel has an open communications channel with an Islamic State cell which operates in Golan Heights. “There was one case recently where Daesh opened fire and apologized,” Ya’alon said on Saturday, quoted by the Times of Israel. Asked to expand on his controversial statement, Ya’alon’s office refused to elaborate. The IDF also declined to comment. Under Israeli law, any communication with terrorists is considered illegal, unless of course the Israel state covertly does not consider ISIS terrorists…. While the official Israeli position is pursuing neutrality in the Syrian conflict, Tel Aviv has on several occasions engaged Syrian military targets in Syria - most recently on Wednesday - usually under the pretext of preventing the alleged transfer of weapons to Hezbollah, considered a terrorist group by Israel…. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the repeated incursions, explaining that IDF planes targeted a Hezbollah weapons convoy, Damascus has said that the Israeli strikes only benefit the Islamic State and other terrorist groups. Earlier this month the Syrian President Bashar Assad once again blamed Israel of helping militants terrorizing his country. "You can assume that these terrorists are fighting for Israel. If they aren't part of the regular Israeli army, they're fighting for Israel. Israel has common goals with Turkey, the United States, France, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries,” Ynet quoted Assad as saying.

Erdogan Blocks Wikipedia, Bans TV Dating Shows, Purges Another 4,000 Public Officials
Zero Hedge - … [Turkey’s President] Erdogan decided to take his newly decreed powers for a spin and overnight in rapid succession surprised foreign observers when Turkey decreed that it would ban TV dating shows, fire an additional 4,000 public officials and also ban Wikipedia. The country's Official Gazette published the decrees on Saturday evening. The first named thousands of civil servants to be dismissed, including nearly 500 academics and more than 1,000 Turkish military personnel…. The second decree, among other things, bans radio and television programs for "finding friends and spouses" according to AP…. Some see in this decree the first traces of Turkey sliding back away from the secular state, established less than a century ago by the creator of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and toward conservative Islam under Erdogan. However, AKP [Justice and Development Party] supporters have responded that dating shows receive thousands of complaints every year and the ban is in the public interest. Separately, Turkey also said it had blocked all access to Wikipedia; the country's Information and Communication Technologies Authority implemented the ban against the online encyclopedia because Wikipedia "had failed to remove content promoting terror and accusing Turkey of cooperation with various terror groups" according to AFP. "

Leaked Memo: Airport Border Guards Ordered to Turn Blind Eye to Illegal Immigrants
Breitbart - Border guards at Heathrow Airport have been privately told not to ‘waste time’ interrogating potential illegal immigrants, and instead focus on jihadis with European travel papers. Terrorists must be the Border Force’s “number one” priority, according to a leaked memo seen by the Mail on Sunday, because extremists entering Britain with European Union (EU) documents don’t require visas. The memo comes as thousands of EU citizens who fought with ISIS are fleeing Iraq and Syria, attempting to return to Europe as the Islamist terror group loses ground…. Deputy director of Heathrow Airport’s Border Security Command, Nick Jariwalla, spelled out the threat in a recent message to Border Force guards entitled “Protecting the Public”. In it, he insisted staff change the way they work so as to “really focus” on the threat of terrorists arriving from Europe, writing: “We are not sufficiently focused on the threat from passengers seeking to enter on EU documents. “This is the number one thing that colleagues from the security services talk to me about.” Interrogating potential illegal immigrants is “a poor use of our time”, Jariwalla told staff in the memo, stating that visa holders already have permission to enter Britain.

Economy & Business

Latest GDP Report: The Good News and the Bad News
The New American - Friday’s report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) was so filled with disclaimers that one will have to wait another month to get a true picture of how the economy is performing under President Trump. In the meantime, said the BEA, real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 0.7 percent in the first quarter of 2017. However, last-minute retail sales data (which showed slowing) wasn’t incorporated into Friday’s report, causing the BEA to say that its estimate “is based on source data that are incomplete or subject to further revision.” The “second” estimate on the first quarter’s economic performance will be released on May 26. Economists polled expected a 1.0 percent gain. The report from May is likely to be closer to 0.5 percent. That would make it 11 straight years when the economy has failed to produce 3.0 percent growth in its economic output. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the bad news will likely be revised higher in May…. The consumer is in pretty good shape, and getting better. Strong stock market gains, an improving labor market, gradually rising real wages, and Trump optimism all will likely show up in improved economic activity in the second and third quarters…. There’s more good news. The last time there was an extended period of 3.0 percent growth was the seven years under President Ronald Reagan (1983 through 1989), who implemented “Reaganomics” that looked very much like Donald Trump’s “Trumponomics”: tax cuts, cuts in government red tape, and increased employment, resulting a rising stock market.

IRS Tax Fraud Prevention Program Costs Taxpayers $18.2 Million, But Doesn't Work
Washington Free Beacon - In 1994, in an attempt to catch fraudulent tax returns, the IRS created the Electronic Fraud Detection System. In 2009, the IRS began to modernize this system by working on the Return Review Program to replace it." Despite the recognized need to get the [Return Review Program] in place in a timely manner, the program is still in development, and is now estimated to be completed in 2022," the watchdog group [Citizens Against Government Waste] explains. "The program is also ineffective." In 2015, the inspector general found that the program missed 54,175 fraudulent returns that totaled $313 million. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office found that the program incurred cost overruns and surpassed its initial budget by $86.5 million…. "On far too many occasions, the federal government tries to build IT systems, particularly software, that is available in the private sector at a lower cost," the group [CAGW] says…. According to the inspector general, the program could cost taxpayers $18.2 million per year if it does not set a termination date for the program due to additional operation and maintenance costs.

"It's Just Crazy" (Again): 2-Bedroom LA House Sells 40% Above Asking
Zero Hedge - … in US home price trends: a new bubble appears to be emerging in all the "usual suspect" places…. like Las Vegas and San Francisco…. Meanwhile, markets like Denver and Dallas that didn't participate as much in the 2007 mania are now surging to all-time highs, with Dallas prices up 55% over the past 5 years."…. The Wall Street Journal added that some of the home buying behaviors of consumers, like paying prices well above appraisal values and waiving home inspections, are starting to be eerily reminiscent of 2006: In some markets, bidding wars are breaking out. Agents said some buyers are kicking in extra cash when properties don’t appraise for the asking price, and some are waiving their right to home inspections. “It can’t be sustained,” said David Berson, chief economist at Nationwide Insurance and a former chief economist at mortgage giant Fannie Mae, referring to the frenzied buying. “It can’t go on forever.” Other signs of over-exuberance have emerged, including surging levels of licensed Realtors all chasing a quick buck…. So what do you get for just under a million in LA these days? Not much: two bedrooms, less than two bathrooms, a 2 car garage, a decorative fireplace, a rec room, and a 7,195 sq. foot lot.

Energy & Environment

Damaging storms strike southern US after tornadoes kill at least 5
Accuweather - Severe weather, including tornadoes, is threatening lives and property across the Deep South after deadly tornadoes killed at least five people in northeastern Texas on Saturday. Three confirmed tornadoes touched down in northeastern Texas during the late afternoon and evening of Saturday. The five deaths occurred in Van Zandt County. One person was killed along Interstate 20 in Canton, according to local NBC affiliate. More than 50 people sustained injuries as homes were destroyed or damaged. More lives and property will be threatened as the severe weather focuses on communities from Alabama to the Tennessee and Ohio valleys. The severe weather and soaking rain to the north will also put residents and motorists at risk for new or worsening incidents of major flooding. Drier weather will return to these areas to start May, but rivers will continue to rise through this week.

Brewery Develops Edible 6-Pack Rings to Save Marine Life, Reduce Plastic Waste
Natural Blaze - A Florida microbrewery has adopted a novel way to not only reduce plastic waste but also give a little something back to the environment. Saltwater Brewery, located on the Atlantic coast, uses barley and wheat leftover from the brewing process to produce biodegradable six-pack rings that serve as food for wildlife. Plastic six-pack rings and other forms of plastic waste kill millions of seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles every year. At the current rate, scientists predict that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans. Problems like this one, demand creative solutions, and Saltwater Brewery has delivered. Instead of posing a massive threat to marine life, the compostable beer packaging either biodegrades or becomes a safe snack for fish and other sea creatures.

Science & Technology

NSA Backs Down on Major Surveillance Program That Captured Americans' Communications Without a Warrant
The Intercept - Under pressure from the secret court that oversees its practices, the NSA said its “upstream” program would no longer grab communications directly from the U.S. internet backbone “about” specific foreign targets — only communication to and from those targets. This is a major change, essentially abandoning a bulk surveillance program that captured vast amounts of communications of innocent Americans – and turning instead to a still extensive but more targeted approach…. Until now, upstream was examining every Internet communication that traveled on the huge telecommunication cables going in and out of the U.S., searching through every word, grabbing sometimes very big chunks of data that included even a single mention of a specific target, and then putting everything into a database for NSA analysts to look through. Communications between people, including Americans, was being captured and examined not because they were suspected of anything, but because of what they were saying. And the program wasn’t even efficient at limiting it to that. The NSA statement on Friday said the move came “after a comprehensive review of mission needs, current technological constraints, United States person privacy interests, and certain difficulties in implementation.” But reading between the lines, it wasn’t voluntary.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

GMO Citrus Coming to a Store Near You?
Natural Blaze - The Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) is getting ready to do an environmental impact statement on a genetically modified citrus tree. If past experience is any guide, the government will most likely approve this latest GMO experiment. Here’s the rub: the trees are treated with a genetically modified virus that makes them resistant to citrus greening disease, which has caused major problems for citrus growers in Florida. But according to the government’s definition, neither the trees nor the fruit will be considered genetically modified (an assertion that is patently absurd), so once again consumers will be in the dark about what kind of food they’ll be eating.

This Is Why You Should Never Kill House Centipedes
David Wolfe - As creepy as they are with their long bodies and too many legs to count, there’s a pretty good reason why you should let them live. When you find one crawling around your bathroom, just remember that they might be the only thing standing between you and a bathroom full of other creepy creatures. The house centipede is a little shorter than his family friends, and he has about 30 legs. He isn’t exactly attractive to look at, but he’s one of nature’s best defenses against other unwanted house guests. The house centipede has an interesting diet. It’s full of spiders, ants, bedbugs, cockroaches and silverfish. Silverfish tend to share the same environment with centipedes. They both enjoy cool, humid areas, which often makes your bathroom the perfect home. If you spot a centipede crawling around your home but you haven’t noticed any other bugs, particularly silverfish, you probably have your own personal creepy-crawly exterminator to thank. Now, this doesn’t mean you should let your home become a free-for-all for house centipedes. But instead of killing them, consider scooping them into a jar and putting them outside in an area around your home with lots of damp leaves and rocks. He can continue his lunch in peace and help stop a few creatures from finding their way into your home.

Health

SSRI Antidepressants Increase Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage
Natural Blaze - Psychiatric News reports (4/7/17): “A study published in February in JAMA Neurology has found that patients taking antidepressants that are strong inhibitors of serotonin reuptake (SSRIs) may be at an increased risk for intracranial hemorrhage, particularly during the first month of use…” “The results showed that compared with patients taking [the older] tricyclic antidepressants, patients being treated with SSRIs had a 17 percent increased risk of experiencing an intracranial hemorrhage. The risk was highest during the first 30 days the patients were taking the medications.” SSRIs include: Celexa; Prozac; Paxil; Zoloft; Lexapro; Luvox…. Suddenly withdrawing from these drugs can be very dangerous. Psychiatrist Peter Breggin publishes this warning: “Most psychiatric drugs can cause withdrawal reactions, sometimes including life-threatening emotional and physical withdrawal problems. In short, it is not only dangerous to start taking psychiatric drugs, it can also be dangerous to stop them. Withdrawal from psychiatric drugs should be done carefully under experienced clinical supervision.

Magnesium deficiency increases your risk of dying from any cause
(NaturalHealth365) Recent research has shown that higher magnesium is not only linked with decreased risk of death from all causes, but also with lower odds of a stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure. In a meta-analysis published in 2016 in BMC Medicine, researchers evaluated the results of studies published in 40 different medical journals, with particular attention to the relationship between dosage and effects. The various studies – some of which were conducted for up to 30 years — involved over a million participants. And what they showed were the dramatic effects of higher dietary magnesium intake on health. Participants with the highest intake of magnesium enjoyed the most protection against disease and premature death – with higher amounts of magnesium boosting protection proportionately. For example, an increase of 100 mgs of magnesium per day was associated with a 22 percent reduction in heart failure risk, a 7 percent decrease in stroke risk, and a 19 percent decrease in risk of developing type 2 diabetes – not to mention a 10 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. In another recent systematic review, which analyzed 25 studies and 637,922 subjects, researchers studied the effects of dietary magnesium on participants who reported daily intakes ranging from 115 to 478 mgs a day. Again, they found a strong association between increasing magnesium levels and a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes.
 



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