The Power Hour Past News |
JANUARY 2016
Friday
- January 29, 2016 - Today in History:
1802 - John Beckley became the first Librarian of Congress.
1848 - Greenwich Mean Time was adopted by Scotland.
1850 - Henry Clay introduced in the Senate a compromise bill on slavery
that included the admission of California into the Union as a free
state.
1861 - In America, Kansas became the 34th state of the Union.
1886 - The first successful petrol-driven motorcar, built by Karl Benz,
was patented.
1916 - In World War I, Paris was bombed by German zeppelins for the
first time.
1963 - Britain was refused entry into the EEC.
1979 - President Carter formally welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Deng
Xiaoping to the White House. The visit followed the establishment of
diplomatic relations.
1985 - The Dow Jones industrial average peaked at 1,292.62.
1990 - Joseph Hazelwood, the former skipper of the Exxon Valdez, went on
trial in Anchorage, AK, on charges that stemmed from America's worst oil
spill. Hazelwood was later acquitted of all the major charges and was
convicted of a misdemeanor.
1996 - French President Jacques Chirac announced the "definitive end" to
nuclear testing.
1998 - A bomb exploded at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, AL, killing
an off-duty policeman and severely wounding a nurse. Eric Rudolph was
charged with this bombing and three other attacks in Atlanta.
1999 - Paris prosecutors announced the end of the investigation into the
accident that killed Britain's Princess Diana.
1999 - The U.S. Senate delivered subpoenas for Monica Lewinsky and two
presidential advisers for private, videotaped testimony in the
impeachment trial.
2014 - Archaeologists announced that they had uncovered what they
believed to be the oldest temple in Roman antiquity. The temple was
found at the Sant'Omobono site in central Rome.
Zika Outbreak Epicenter in Same Area Where GM Mosquitoes Were
Released in 2015
Activist Post - Oxitec first unveiled its large-scale,
genetically-modified mosquito farm in Brazil in July 2012, with
the goal of reducing “the incidence of dengue fever,” as The
Disease Daily reported. Dengue fever is spread by the same Aedes
mosquitoes which spread the Zika virus — and though they “cannot
fly more than 400 meters,” WHO stated, “it may inadvertently be
transported by humans from one place to another.” By July 2015,
shortly after the GM mosquitoes were first released into the
wild in Juazeiro, Brazil, Oxitec proudly announced they had
“successfully controlled the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads
dengue fever, chikungunya and zika virus, by reducing the target
population by more than 90%.” Though that might sound like an
astounding success — and, arguably, it was — there is an
alarming possibility to consider. Nature, as one Redditor keenly
pointed out, finds a way — and the effort to control dengue,
zika, and other viruses, appears to have backfired dramatically.
* Related:
Zika vaccine may be ready this year: developer
Saudi Arabia Conducted 119 Airstrikes Against Civilian Targets
In Yemen, UN Panel Finds
Zero Hedge - The report (which was obtained by The Guardian)
says the following: “The panel documented that the coalition had
conducted airstrikes targeting civilians and civilian objects,
in violation of international humanitarian law, including camps
for internally displaced persons and refugees; civilian
gatherings, including weddings; civilian vehicles, including
buses; civilian residential areas; medical facilities; schools;
mosques; markets, factories and food storage warehouses; and
other essential civilian infrastructure, such as the airport in
Sana’a, the port in Hudaydah and domestic transit routes.” "The
panel documented 119 coalition sorties relating to violations of
international humanitarian law.”
Iraq’s biggest dam on verge of ‘catastrophic collapse’ – US
commander
RT - A hydroelectric dam near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul
could rapidly collapse in the near future, resulting in
thousands of deaths, a top US general in Iraq warns. “The
likelihood of the dam collapsing is something we are trying to
determine right now ... all we know is when it goes, it’s going
to go fast and that’s bad,” US Army Lieutenant General Sean
MacFarland, the head of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic
State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, told reporters
in Baghdad. The foundation of the dam, which is the largest in
Iraq, requires constant grouting in order to maintain its
structural integrity. However, this is no longer possible due to
the activities of IS terrorists in the area.
BRICS gets greater say in IMF
RT - For the first time the four emerging market economies
Brazil, Russia, India and China have entered the International
Monetary Fund's top 10 biggest members. The IMF’s 2010 quota and
governance reforms have finally come into force. "The entry into
force of these reforms will reinforce the credibility,
effectiveness, and legitimacy of the IMF," read the IMF
statement. "The reforms represent a major step toward better
reflecting in the institution’s governance structure the
increasing role of dynamic emerging market and developing
countries," it added.
Danish police accused of manipulating rape statistics to hide
‘hundreds’ of cases
RT - Denmark`s Justice Ministry has found out that the real
number of rape cases processed by police was at least three
times higher than official statistics suggested, local media
report. Police deny any cover-up, blaming the difference on
statistical inaccuracies. Police didn’t properly classify crimes
involving rape up to 2014, with about 700 cases containing
allegations of sexual abuse remaining unattributed to this
category every year. The average number of rape cases annually
registered by police was nearly half that figure at 395,
according to the Justice Ministry’s investigation, Metroxpress
reports.
* Related:
Police in German town advised not to prosecute migrant offenders
over petty crimes
Parents Furious After School Changes The Word “God” To “Allah”
In Christian Hymn
Steve Watson - Parents of 10 year old children at a school in
Austria are reportedly fuming after teachers assigned homework
to learn the words to a Christian hymn.. except they substituted
the word ‘God’ for the word ‘Allah’. Austria’s largest newspaper
Kronen Zeitung reports that school officials claim to have made
the change the words to the song ‘Gottes liebe ist so wunderbar’
(God’s love is so wonderful) to ‘Allah’s liebe ist so wunderbar’
in order not to offend the Muslim children in the class. The
newspaper reports that an angry father registered a complaint
with the Austrian schools inspectorate, saying that it is
unacceptable to change the wording to Christian hymns.... The
teachers claim that Muslim and non Muslim children were supposed
to be given different segregated versions of the hymn.... The
incident dovetails with a professor from the University of
Vienna publishing a report warning of rapid Islamisation of
Austria’s schools.
Zika virus spreading explosively, says World Health Organisation
The Guardian - The World Health Organisation has convened an
emergency committee to discuss the “explosive” spread of the
Zika virus, which has been linked to thousands of birth defects
in Latin America. “Last year the disease was detected in the
Americas, where it is spreading explosively,” Margaret Chan, the
WHO director general, said at a special briefing in Geneva. It
was “deeply concerning” that the virus had now been detected in
23 countries in the Americas, she added. One WHO scientist
estimated there could be 3-4m Zika infections in the Americas
over the next year.... This year’s El Niño weather patterns
meant mosquito populations were expected to spread, Chan added.
“For all these reasons, I have decided to convene an emergency
committee under the international health regulations,” she said.
MEPs Call on EU Commissioner to Stop Re-Approval of Glyphosate
Herbicides over Health Concerns
Sustainable Pulse - Sixty-seven Members of the European
Parliament (MEPs) have written a letter Thursday to the European
Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis,
to request for the re-approval of glyphosate, the most widely
used herbicide in the World, to be stopped due to a lack of
transparency in the re-approval process as well as serious
health concerns.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
FBI Releases Video of LaVoy Finicum Shooting
Infowars - The FBI has released to the public today a video
recorded on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 of the FBI and OSP law
enforcement action to bring into custody the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge occupiers.... At 26 minutes and 20 seconds the
video shows Finicum shot to death. Although the footage was
taken from the air, it plainly show Finicum with his hands up.
He then appears to reach inside his jacket and is shot by two
OSP officers.
** Related:
Complete, Unedited Video of Joint FBI and OSP Operation
01/26/2016 (Thanks to Sam Bushman and Liberty Roundtable for
providing)
The Clintons: is the Oregon standoff really about uranium?
Jon Rappoport - I realize there are many other issues swirling
around this event. The Hammonds, the Bundys, militias, the feds,
cattle grazing on federal lands, federal land grabs, and so on.
This article isn’t meant to take apart those matters. It’s meant
to follow up on my previous article, in which I present a
circumstantial case for the Clintons’ heavy involvement in a
scheme that’s transferred 20% of US uranium production to Putin
and Russia. And the key company in that piece is Uranium One.
Remember the name. It’s apparently a major clue in what I’m
about to discuss.
Oregon occupation simmers
Reuters - A handful of armed protesters remained holed up in a
federal wildlife refuge in Oregon on Thursday, surrounded by
police and federal agents, despite impassioned pleas from their
jailed leader for them to stand down after the death of an
activist. One of the holdouts at the Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge, David Fry, said in a YouTube message on Thursday that
their number had dwindled to four following the departure of
another occupier on Wednesday night. Fry said that the small
group had been in contact with the FBI, who had pledged not to
arrest anyone not subject to a federal warrant. "(But) it turns
out that if you do leave they end up charging you later, they're
pressing charges on everybody who was here, it sounds like," he
said. "That's like 5 years of prison sentence, its a felony. So
of course if you get a felony you can't vote any more and they
take your guns away."
Hundreds of DHS badges, guns, cell phones lost or stolen since
2012
Fox News - Hundreds of badges, credentials, cell phones and guns
belonging to Department of Homeland Security employees have been
lost or stolen in recent years -- raising serious security
concerns about the potential damage these missing items could do
in the wrong hands. Inventory reports, obtained by the news site
Complete Colorado and shared with FoxNews.com, show that over
1,300 badges, 165 firearms and 589 cell phones were lost or
stolen over the span of 31 months between 2012 and 2015. The
majority of the credentials belonged to employees of Customs and
Border Protection (CBP), while others belonged to Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) employees. The lost or stolen guns
also mostly belonged to CBP employees, though others were cited
as belonging to TSA and ICE workers. The agencies all fall under
DHS.
NYPD hopes more potent pepper spray will lead to fewer police
shootings, some critics say upgrade is recipe for disaster
NY Post - The NYPD hopes a more potent pepper spray will lead to
fewer police shootings — but some critics say the upgraded
aerosol is a recipe for disaster. More than 19,000 cops so far
have been given canisters of Sabre 5.0, a spray with a .67%
concentration of major capsaicinoids, the chemicals that make
peppers hot. That’s more than three times the .21% concentration
in the spray the NYPD has used for years. Both sprays are
manufactured by Sabre Security Equipment Corp.... “The new
pepper spray will still be significantly weaker than what is
used by many other police departments around the country.”
Indeed, nearly 100 other law enforcement agencies use a stronger
spray, including the Suffolk County Police Department, the U.S.
Marshals Service and the Boston Police Department — all of which
use the strongest one on the market, a 1.33% concentration.
**DRUDGE POLL** Who is Your Republican Pick for President?
Live Updates: Donald Trump’s Veteran Fundraiser
Breitbart - Donald Trump, the frontrunner candidate in the
Republican presidential primary, is skipping tonight’s debate
hosted by Fox News and putting on a fundraiser for America’s
military veterans as counter-programming. Follow Breitbart News
for live updates on the event at Drake University in Des Moines,
Iowa.
Undisclosed–Trump Campaign: Fox News Debate Chief’s Daughter
Working for Rubio
Breitbart - Corey Lewandowski, the campaign manager for 2016 GOP
frontrunner Donald Trump, exposed a blatant conflict of interest
on Wednesday that the Fox News Channel has been hiding for
months. Lewandowski showed how Fox News has been hiding the fact
that Fox News Channel Vice President Bill Sammon has a daughter
working for the campaign of the Washington establishment-backed
Sen. Marco Rubio. Sammon’s daughter, Brooke Sammon, is Rubio’s
national press secretary, and obviously both have a vested
interest in the success of the Rubio campaign and the demise of
the other campaigns.
Cruz, Rubio tensions flare at Trump-less GOP debate
Fox News - While the Iowa debate assumed a somewhat more subdued
tone without Trump, Cruz and Rubio got into a barbed dispute
over “amnesty” in the second half of the debate. Rubio accused
Cruz of falsely describing himself as the most conservative
candidate, and changing his position on immigration. “This is
the lie that Ted’s campaign is built on,” the Florida senator
said. “Throughout this campaign, you’ve been willing to say and
do anything in order to get votes.”
* Related:
Rand: Cruz ‘Wants To Play Both Sides’ On Foreign Policy, NSA,
and Has Changed on Immigration
Rebellion: Candidates Rip Fox News In Undercard Debate
Breitbart - All four candidates, especially Rick Santorum and
Carly Fiorina, took every opportunity to rip into the network
itself, as well as moderators Martha MacCallum and Bill Hemmer.
MacCallum and Hemmer certainly seemed eager to give the
candidates an opportunity to tee off on the cable news giant.
The opening questions were interview questions, not debate
questions, and they all centered on process and the horse race.
Some of the questions were outright insulting.
Huckabee and Santorum to Attend Trump Event During Fox News
Debate
NY Times - Mike Huckabee, the winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses
who has been struggling to gain traction in this year’s race,
will appear with Donald J. Trump and an event for veterans that
the billionaire businessman has scheduled as counterprogramming
to tonight’s debate on Fox News, which he is skipping. Another
low-polling former caucuses winner, Rick Santorum, has also been
very aggressively criticizing Mr. Cruz, but not Mr. Trump....
John Brabender, the top strategist for Mr. Santorum, said his
candidate would be honored “to help support our veterans” and he
also plans to attend.
Sanders Campaign Worried Microsoft App Will Misrepresent Iowa
Caucus Vote
Kurt Nimmo - On Wednesday the Bernie Sanders campaign said it is
concerned software giant Microsoft will tamper with caucus
election vote tallies in Iowa next week. Microsoft has partnered
with both establishment parties and will provide a
“mobile-enabled, cloud-based platform that will facilitate
accuracy and efficiency of the reporting process,” according to
its website. Under the new system, each Iowa political party
will have their own app available on all mobile and PC
platforms, which will support the party’s unique caucus voting
process. The reporting apps may be used in every precinct in
Iowa by both parties. The results will be securely stored and
managed in Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform. “You’d
have to ask yourself why they’d want to give something like that
away for free,” said Pete D’Alessandro, who is heading up the
Sanders campaign in Iowa. Both the Sanders and Clinton campaigns
have built reporting systems based on the Microsoft app.
US Homeland Security’s $6B Firewall Has More Than a Few
Frightening Blind Spots
Defense One - A recent audit revealed the National Cybersecurity
Protection System—aka EINSTEIN—does not scan for 94 percent of
common computer vulnerabilities. But that's not all of its
shortcomings. A firewall run by the Department of Homeland
Security meant to detect and prevent nation-state hacks against
the government functions ineffectively, according to a sanitized
version of a secret federal audit. EINSTEIN relies on patterns
of attacks, called signatures, to spot suspicious traffic, but
it does not scan for 94 percent of commonly known
vulnerabilities or check web traffic for malicious content.
Berkeley’s cell phone radiation warning law can go into effect,
judge rules
Ars Technica - After complying with a federal judge’s order on
Wednesday, the city of Berkeley, California, will now be allowed
to go forward with its cell phone radiation warning law, as it
has cut out one controversial line. It is not clear when the new
notice will go into effect. Last year, the city passed a
municipal ordinance requiring that a retailer provide, either in
the form of a mounted poster or as a printed handout, this
message: The City of Berkeley requires that you be provided the
following notice: To assure safety, the Federal Government
requires that cell phones meet radio frequency (RF) exposure
guidelines. If you carry or use your phone in a pants or shirt
pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is ON and connected
to a wireless network, you may exceed the federal guidelines for
exposure to RF radiation. This potential risk is greater for
children. Refer to the instructions in your phone or user manual
for information about how to use your phone safely. Shortly
thereafter, the city was sued by CTIA, the wireless trade group,
in an attempt to halt the law on the grounds that it was in
violation of the First Amendment...
Many NYC students so tech-oriented they can’t even sign their
own names
NY Post - Many Big Apple students, including the children of
several state lawmakers, can’t even sign their own names, it was
revealed at an educational budget hearing in Albany today. “Not
only is it sad, but it’s a security issue,” said Assemblywoman
Nicole Malliotakis (R-SI/Brooklyn). She told Board of Education
Commissioner MaryEllen Elia that students have become so
tech-oriented that they never learn how to sign their John
Hancock, which renders them unable to properly ink contracts,
checks and credit cards. Malliotakis said the penmanship problem
was brought to her attention while helping one of her
constituents fill out a voter registration form. He printed his
name, and when she told him to actually sign it, he insisted
that was his signature.... Common Core state standards don’t
require students to learn cursive, and the city Department of
Education leaves that decision up to each school.
Self-filling bottle turns air into water (VIDEO)
RT - A new, portable invention which generates water from thin
air could benefit water-scarce areas worldwide. Currently in the
development phase and seeking crowdfunding, the Fontus water
bottle takes in moisture and turns it into water using a
condensation system and solar power. The present version is
geared towards sports enthusiasts looking to carry less weight.
The unit relies on the airstream of a moving bicycle to help
draw air into the system. Don’t get too thirsty though: the
current incarnation of the Fontus produces less than half a
liter of water per hour – and that’s only if it’s exposed to
extreme heat and high humidity. Austrian creator Kristof Retezár
told LiveScience he hopes to raise funding to improve his
invention and develop a model that will cost less than $100. The
bottle could potentially benefit 1.2 billion people who live in
water-scarce areas globally.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Oregon Proposes Legislation to Protect Farmers and Consumers
from GE Contamination
(Beyond Pesticides) Last week, Oregon Representative Paul Holyey
introduced legislation that would protect traditional crops
against contamination from their genetically engineered
counterparts. As it stands, local governments are preempted
(disallowed) from taking actions that protect traditional
farmers from contamination by genetically engineered (GE) crops.
With the help of advocates representing family farms and food
safety, The Transgenic Contamination Prevention Bill (HB 4122)
will repeal sections of Senate-passed Bill 863, which preempts
local governments, and restore the right of local jurisdictions
to regulate the planting of GE seed.
Bus Converted Into Mobile Food Market Provides Low-Income
Neighborhoods With Fresh Food
Natural Blaze - The Mobile Good Food Market travels across
Toronto selling affordable fresh food in neighborhoods, selected
through consultation with local communities and analysis of
access gaps. In the United States, about 23.5 million people
live in “food deserts,” geographic areas where access to
affordable healthy food options (aka fresh fruits and
vegetables) is limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are
too far away. Left to depend on the offerings sold at convenient
stores and gas stations, this crisis is partly to blame for the
increasing obesity epidemic.
The Rapture, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton And 50 Other Excuses
People Use For Not Prepping
Economic Collapse - Have you ever come away discouraged after
trying to talk about prepping with friends or family members
that just don’t seem to be interested? Over the years, I have
heard countless excuses from people for why they aren’t getting
prepared for what is about to happen to America. Some of the
excuses, like a lack of money, are definitely legitimate. But in
many other instances, the objections don’t seem to make a lot of
sense.... The following are 53 common excuses that people like
to use for not prepping…
10 Foods That Fight Allergies
Natural Blaze - Taking antihistamines is the most common way to
ward off seasonal allergies; however, there are certain foods
that can help you alleviate the symptoms of a runny nose,
sneezing, congestion and watery eyes. Some foods have
anti-allergic properties mainly due to their anti-inflammatory,
decongestant and bronchodilator effects.
Another Benefit of Flaxseed
Healing from Home Remedies - You probably know flaxseeds contain
high levels of dietary fiber as well as lignans, an abundance of
micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds may lower
cholesterol levels and studies suggest that flax seeds taken in
the diet may benefit individuals with certain types of breast
and prostate cancers. What you probably don't know is that
another benefit of flaxseed is it's power as a drawing poultice!
A flaxseed poultice is excellent for drawing out infections,
swelling, splinters, poisons and even pain. Flaxseed Poultice
Instructions...
* Related:
Make a poultice to treat many skin ailments!
Home Remedies for Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Organic Facts - Some of the most important home remedies for
human papillomavirus include the use of echinacea, goldenseal,
calendula, oregano oil, astragalus, garlic, tea tree oil, thuja
oil, mushroom, and curcumin. You have likely heard the phrase
HPV before, but the longer name is human papillomavirus. You’ve
likely heard of this because approximately 70% of everyone will
be infected by a papillomavirus at some point in their life, and
many people will be continually infected without ever showing
any symptoms or ill effects. The human papillomavirus is a DNA
virus that infects the keratinocytes of the skin or membranes in
the body, and can manifest in a number of ways. You may not show
any outward symptoms, or you could develop warts and
premalignant lesions. There are more than 170 different types of
human papillomavirus, and more than 40 are transmitted through
sexual contact.
Truth in Media: CDC, Vaccines and Autism
Ben Swann - The debate over whether vaccines cause autism has become one
of the most controversial disputes in this country. In this episode of
Truth In Media, the focus is not on whether vaccines are responsible for
autism. The issue at hand here is a study that was performed at the CDC
and the question of whether the agency was complicit in a cover-up over
a decade ago.
Thursday
- January 28, 2016 - Today in History:
1788 - The first British penal settlement was founded at Botany
Bay.
1807 - London's Pall Mall became the first street lit by
gaslight.
1878 - The first telephone switchboard was installed in New
Haven, CT.
1909 - The United States ended direct control over Cuba.
1915 - The Coast Guard was created by an act of the U.S.
Congress to fight contraband trade and aid distressed vessels at
sea.
1916 - Louis D. Brandeis was appointed by President Wilson to
the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming its first Jewish member.
1935 - Iceland became the first country to introduce legalized
abortion.
1945 - During World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China
over the newly reopened Burma Road.
1958 - Construction began on first private thorium-uranium
nuclear reactor.
1980 - Six Americans who had fled the U.S. embassy in Tehran,
Iran, on November 4, 1979, left Iran using false Canadian
diplomatic passports. The Americans had been hidden at the
Canadian embassy in Tehran.
1982 - Italian anti-terrorism forces rescued U.S. Brigadier
General James L. Dozier. 42 days before he had been kidnapped by
the Red Brigades.
1986 - The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded just after
takeoff. All seven of its crewmembers were killed.
2003 - President George W. Bush said in his State of the Union
address that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had sought uranium from
Africa. (The claim was later disputed by former ambassador
Joseph Wilson, who had been asked by the CIA to investigate.)
2009 - In a swift victory for President Barack Obama, the
Democratic-controlled House approved a $819 billion stimulus
bill.
2010 - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke won Senate
confirmation for a second term.
NATO to Strengthen Turkey’s Air Defense With More AWACS Aircraft
says Chief
Sputnik News - NATO will send additional AWACS early warning
planes to Turkey in order to strengthen the country’s defense
systems, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday. The
NATO chief added that NATO had tripled the size of its Response
Force and would set up eight headquarters to ease planning and
drills. According to the report, NATO leaders will discuss the
crisis in the southern borders and support of their partners
during the alliance’s summit in Warsaw in July.
Sweden to deport nearly 80,000 asylum seekers amid
migrant-linked violence
RT - Sweden is planning to expel nearly 80,000 refugees and
migrants who arrived in the country in 2015, Interior Minister
Anders Ygeman said, adding that their applications for asylum
had been rejected. “We are talking about 60,000 people, but the
number could climb to 80,000,” Swedish media quoted Ygeman as
saying. Police and local authorities have been tasked with
organizing the departures by charter flights. The countries of
origin of the rejected asylum seekers have not been disclosed.
Norway may ask refugees with savings to cover ‘some’ costs they
incur
RT - Norwegian officials have distanced themselves from
suggestions that Oslo may follow in Denmark’s footsteps and
start seizing valuables from refugees. However they hinted that
refugees ‘with savings’ might have to cover some of the costs.
Norway’s parliamentary leader and member of the Progress Party,
Harald T. Nesvik, rejected claims that the country is
considering legislation aimed at stripping refugees of their
valuables, as some of his own party members earlier suggested.
However, Nesvik conceded that it would be fair for refugees to
abandon a part of their assets in favor of the state if they
want to be entitled to welfare benefits.
US troops could remain in Afghanistan for decades says report
RT - Thousands of US troops could remain in Afghanistan for
decades to come, despite Washington's plan to pull the majority
of soldiers out by early 2017, US military commanders reportedly
suggest. The revelation comes amid concerns about the Afghan
government's vulnerability. “What we’ve learned is that you
can’t really leave,” a senior Pentagon official told the
Washington Post on condition of anonymity. “The local forces
need air support, intelligence and help with logistics. They are
not going to be ready in three years or five years. You have to
be there for a very long time.” Senior US commanders expressed
surprise at Al-Qaeda's resilience in Afghanistan, as well as the
Taliban's continued seizure of large areas of contested
territory.
New figures from Brazil's Health Ministry show that the Zika
virus outbreak has not caused as many confirmed cases of a rare
brain defect as first feared
US News - New figures released Wednesday by Brazil's Health
Ministry as part of a probe into the Zika virus have found fewer
cases of a rare birth defect than first feared. Researchers have
been looking at 4,180 suspected cases of microcephaly reported
since October. On Wednesday, officials said they had done a more
intense analysis of more than 700 of those cases, confirming 270
cases and ruling out 462 others. But what that means is hard to
say, according to some experts. It does not answer whether the
tropical Zika virus is causing the babies to have unusually
small heads. Nor does it really tell us how big the problem is.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Oregon Occupation: FBI Arrests Trio at Checkpoints Outside
Remote Refuge
NBC News - The FBI arrested three more people who occupied the
Oregon federal wildlife refuge. One of the trio arrested
Wednesday was 43-year-old Jason S. Patrick, who The Oregonian
newspaper reported had assumed the role of leader for the
remaining protesters after the original ringleaders were
detained on a highway the previous day. Patrick, of Bonaire,
Georgia, turned himself in at a checkpoint at around 7:40 p.m.
(10:40 p.m. ET), according to a statement from the FBI. About
four hours earlier, Duane Leo Ehmer, 45, of Irrigon, Oregon, and
Dylan Wade Anderson, 34, of Provo, Utah, also were arrested
after leaving the compound, the FBI said. "The arrests were
without incident," the agency said in a statement. The three men
were among eight people who left the refuge after the FBI and
Oregon State Police established a series of checkpoints on roads
surrounding the site. The other five people were released,
according to the FBI.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Has No Plan to Remove Poison Pipes in
Flint
NBC News - A day after NBC News reported that none of the
corroded lead pipes at the core of the Flint water crisis have
been removed, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R-Terrorist) admitted
he has no immediate plans to replace them. NBC News repeatedly
pressed the embattled governor Wednesday on how he expects to
win the trust of Flint's residents while the pipes that poisoned
the water supply are still being used...There are up to 25,000
service lines containing lead that run between water mains and
homes in Flint.
White House dropped $10 million claim in Iran prisoner deal
Reuters - Nader Modanlo was facing five more years in federal
prison when he got an extraordinary offer: U.S. President Barack
Obama was ready to commute his sentence as part of this month's
historic and then still-secret prisoner swap with Iran. He said
no. To sweeten the deal, the U.S. administration then dropped a
claim against the Iran-born aerospace engineer for $10 million
that a Maryland jury found he had taken as an illegal payment
from Iran, according to interviews with Modanlo, lawyers
involved and U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. The
surrender of the U.S. claim, which has not previously been
reported, could add to scrutiny of how the Obama administration
clinched a prisoner deal that has drawn criticism from
Republican presidential candidates and lawmakers.
There they go again: US mulls anti-ISIS operations in
‘liberated’ Libya
RT - Washington is exploring options for intervening in Libya,
citing reports of Islamic State extremists operating in the
country that was plunged into chaos in 2011 by a NATO
intervention. US troops have already visited the country, the
Pentagon admitted. The US is “closely monitoring” the situation
in Libya, and it is “too soon to say exactly where things will
evolve,” Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook told reporters
Wednesday, acknowledging for the first time that US military
personnel were recently present in the north African country.
“There have been some US forces in Libya, trying to establish
contact with forces on the ground” to get a clear idea of what
the situation, and evaluate who might be “worthy of US support”
in the impending struggle against Islamic State (IS, formerly
ISIS/ISIL) extremists, Cook said.
Zika Virus Reaches L.A.–As Predicted
Breitbart - The first case of Zika virus was confirmed in Los
Angles County on Tuesday within days of a warning from the Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO) that predicted the spread of
the virus throughout the Americas. A young Los Angeles County
girl traveled to El Salvador last November, where county health
officials suspect she contracted the disease, according to the
Los Angeles Times. Zika infections usually do not have
symptoms–but that is part of the worry say health experts.
Bundy Family Claims Protestor was Unarmed, had Hands Up When
Killed by FBI
Truth in Media - The Bundy family claimed Arizona rancher Robert
“LaVoy” Finicum was unarmed and had his hands up when he shot
and killed by FBI agents during a confrontation Tuesday near
Burns, Oregon. Finicum, 55, was part of the group of protestors
occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Burns. At
least eight others, including protest leaders Ammon and Ryan
Bundy, were arrested after the FBI and Oregon State police
confronted them while they were traveling along U.S. Highway
395. Cliven Bundy posted an audio message on the Bundy Ranch
Facebook page Tuesday night claiming that his son Ammon told two
family members that he was arrested, his brother Ryan was shot
in the arm, and Finicum was murdered in “cold-blood.”
FBI tells Bundy group to leave after fatal shooting
The Hill - The FBI is telling the remaining occupiers of an
Oregon federal wildlife to leave the area after its leaders were
arrested in a violent shootout with police. Federal and local
officials announced early Wednesday morning that Robert “LaVoy”
Finicum, who has served as a spokesman for the group, was killed
Tuesday night by police during a traffic stop that turned
violent about 50 miles from the refuge. Law enforcement had not
released Finicum’s name initially. He had stated previously that
he’d prefer to die than to be arrested, according to the
Oregonian. Six others, including self-styled militia leader
Ammon Bundy and his brother Ryan Bundy, both sons of famed
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, were arrested, and Ryan Bundy was
also shot. Two others were arrested elsewhere.
Declassified Memo Proves the Pentagon had ZERO Evidence of WMDs
in Iraq
Activist Post - Thirteen years after the invasion and occupation
of Iraq, it is common knowledge that this war of choice was
based on fabrications and slick propaganda. There were no
weapons of mass destruction, the country posed no real threat to
the U.S., and it was not a hotbed of terrorism until after
Saddam was deposed. Now, a bombshell has dropped in the form of
a leaked classified report—a “smoking gun” if you will—that
confirms the utter deception carried out on the American people
to support the invasion. It demonstrates just how far the cabal
under George W. Bush, making up a group known as the Project for
the New American Century (PNAC), would go to prey upon fear in
pursuit of global hegemony.
New Gov’t Task Force Calls for Screening Every Adult, Pregnant
Women for Depression
Brandon Turbeville - A new recommendation has been released by
the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government advisory
group that is now recommending all adults be routinely screened
for depression as part of their healthcare. The first part of
the recommendation suggests that all adults be screened, but
singles out pregnant women and new mothers as a target
population. The second part of the recommendation mentions the
need to ensure that systems are in place that will allow for the
proper diagnosis and treatment of people who are singled out
through this screening. The guidelines, which were published in
the Journal of the American Medical Association, did not specify
how often adults should be screened.... Parents may be visited
by a child services agent, who generally is more than eager to
confiscate their children. Some patients may be visited by a law
enforcement agent, demanding they turn over their guns. Others
may be forcibly hospitalized. All this because they made the
mistake of trusting their physician or answering a question
honestly.
Live Stream: Donald Trump Holds Special Event for Veterans in
Des Moines, IA
RSBN.TV - Thursday, January 28, 2016: GOP Presidential candidate
Donald Trump will hold a special event for Veterans and Wounded
Warriors in Des Moines, IA at Drake University. The event is
scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM CST.
Campaigning in style: Bush blew through his warchest
Reuters - There were stays at boutique hotels featuring rooftop
pools, private soirees at members-only, jacket-and-tie clubs and
fundraisers at the Four Seasons, the St. Regis and the Mandarin
Oriental. In the world of Jeb Bush, the campaign for the 2016
Republican presidential nomination has at times been a whirl of
private planes and high-end affairs, according to the federal
filings of Bush’s campaign and his Super PAC, Right to Rise,
which can raise unlimited funds for Bush as long as it does not
coordinate directly with him.
Obama Turns Against Hillary, Brings Sanders to White House
Kit Daniels - President Obama will privately meet with Bernie
Sanders at the White House, an unprecedented move which signals
Obama is likely breaking ties with Hillary Clinton. Obama’s
invitation to the underdog presidential candidate, who until
recently struggled to break free of Hillary’s dominance, comes
as sources reveal the FBI is ready to indict Clinton and are
even willing to blow the whistle and go public with their
findings if the Attorney General doesn’t press charges against
the Democratic frontrunner.
BREAKING: CNN Says They Will Host Trump’s Counter-Programming to
FOX GOP Debate
Gateway Pundit - Donald Trump told CNN that when FOX News put
out its snarky press release today, he said, “Bye,bye!” CNN
announced Wednesday they will host Trump’s counter-programming
to the FOX debate. Ouch.
* Related:
POLL: Without Trump 83% Say They WILL NOT Watch GOP Debate ...
FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Skipped Last Debate Before IA Caucus –
Went on to Win in Landslide
Gateway Pundit - Trump is not the first Republican candidate to
skip a debate. Ronald Reagan skipped the Republican debate ahead
of the 1980 Iowa caucus. Bloomberg reported: Trump isn’t the
first top-tier presidential candidate to skip a debate. Ronald
Reagan did not attend a Republican debate ahead of the 1980 Iowa
caucuses, which he lost to George H.W. Bush. Reagan went on to
the win the nomination and the presidency. Reagan went on to win
in a landslide.
* Related:
Video: The media narrative around the latest Trump controversy
Rand Paul Presidential Campaign Office Burglarized, Computers
Stolen
Truth in Media - Sen. Rand Paul’s presidential campaign office
in New Hampshire was broken into sometime in the past 24 hours,
robbed of computers with databases and campaign files, according
to social media posts from one of the candidate’s top advisers.
Michael Biundo, serving as a National Senior Adviser for Senator
Paul’s presidential campaign, posted to his Facebook and Twitter
accounts this morning with the following update: “Getting ready
to go to Iowa today for the final caucus push and now I am
dealing with our New Hampshire for Rand Paul office being broken
into. I needed more stress this morning. Thanks.”
The World's Favorite New Tax Haven Is the United States
Bloomberg - Last September, at a law firm overlooking San Francisco Bay,
Andrew Penney, a managing director at Rothschild & Co., gave a talk on
how the world’s wealthy elite can avoid paying taxes. His message was
clear: You can help your clients move their fortunes to the United
States, free of taxes and hidden from their governments. Some are
calling it the new Switzerland. After years of lambasting other
countries for helping rich Americans hide their money offshore, the U.S.
is emerging as a leading tax and secrecy haven for rich foreigners. By
resisting new global disclosure standards, the U.S. is creating a hot
new market, becoming the go-to place to stash foreign wealth. Everyone
from London lawyers to Swiss trust companies is getting in on the act,
helping the world’s rich move accounts from places like the Bahamas and
the British Virgin Islands to Nevada, Wyoming, and South Dakota.
The Federal Reserve Just Made Another Huge Mistake
Economic Collapse - As stocks continue to crash, you can blame the
Federal Reserve, because the Fed is more responsible for creating the
current financial bubble that we are living in than anyone else. When
the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates all the way to the floor and
injected lots of hot money into the financial markets during their
quantitative easing programs, this pushed stock prices to wildly
artificial levels. The only way that it would have been possible to keep
stock prices at those wildly artificial levels would have been to keep
interest rates ultra-low and to keep recklessly creating lots of new
money. But now the Federal Reserve has ended quantitative easing and has
embarked on a program of very slowly raising interest rates. This is
going to have very severe consequences for the markets, but Janet Yellen
doesn’t seem to care.
Railroad slowdown ahead as Norfolk cuts 2,000 jobs, profits down 30%
MarketWatch - Norfolk Southern Corp. said it would cut 2,000 jobs and
downsize its rail lines after reporting its profit dropped a
worse-than-expected 29% in the final quarter of the year as the railway
tries to fend off a takeover attempt and deals with weak demand for
coal.... The sweeping cost reduction plans come as the company tries to
rebuff a takeover attempt from Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. Last month,
the board shot down Canadian Pacific's latest offer--$30 billion in
cash-and-stock plus a financial incentive known as a contingent-value
right--calling it "grossly inadequate" in a sharply-worded letter that
challenged the rationale for a merger.
California air quality agency sues SoCalGas over Porter Ranch
gas leak
LA Daily News - Just days after the South Coast Air Quality
Management District ordered the Southern California Gas Go. to
control a colossal natural gas leak in the hills above Porter
Ranch, the air regulator sued the utility late Tuesday, seeking
what could be a record penalty that could run into the tens of
millions.... The latest lawsuit adds to the more than 25 that
have been filed against the company owned by Sempra Energy of
San Diego regarding its ongoing gas leak.... The offending gas
well may not be plugged until February, gas company officials
say. Nearly 3,000 households, containing an estimated 9,000
residents, have been relocated along with two elementary schools
at gas company expense, with nearly 2,000 households on a
waiting list.
License
Plate Readers Are Turning Texas Police into Mobile Debt
Collectors and Data Miners
Activist Post - Vigilant Solutions, one of the country’s largest
brokers of vehicle surveillance technology, is offering a hell
of a deal to law enforcement agencies in Texas: a whole suite of
automated license plate reader (ALPR) equipment and access to
the company’s massive databases and analytical tools—and it
won’t cost the agency a dime. Even though the technology is
marketed as budget neutral, that doesn’t mean no one has to pay.
Instead, Texas police fund it by gouging people who have
outstanding court fines and handing Vigilant all of the data
they gather on drivers for nearly unlimited commercial use....
EFF has long been concerned with this technology, because ALPRs
typically capture sensitive location information on all
drivers—not just criminal suspects—and, in aggregate, the
information can reveal personal information, such as where you
go to church, what doctors you visit, and where you sleep at
night.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Who’s Afraid of Hawkins Family Farm?
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund - Legislation prohibiting or
restricting market access for local food producers is not about
food safety but rather about eliminating competition for the
industrial food system, often before local producers can get any
traction in the market. There is no better example of this than
what is currently playing out in Indiana. Big Ag and government
agencies in alliance with it are supporting legislation that
would prohibit the sale of on-farm processed poultry to
restaurants and other food establishments. Under current Indiana
law, a farm receiving a “grant of exemption” from the Indiana
Board of Animal Health (BOAH) can sell on-farm processed poultry
to restaurants. There is only one farm that is currently
operating under the exemption, Hawkins Family Farm of North
Manchester, which is owned and operated by FTCLDF member Jeff
Hawkins and his son, Zach. For Big Ag and its allies, that is
one farm too many.
Printable List of Bottled Water Containing Fluoride
REALfarmacy.com - The world is slowly waking up to the fact that
fluoride, a by-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry,
wreaks havoc on the brain and body. Despite peer-reviewed
scientific evidence against it, fluoride is still added to 70
percent of U.S. public drinking water supplies. What’s more is
that processed beverages and food, tea, and even bottled water
contain fluoride. That’s right, many popular brands of bottled
water have a known neurotoxin added to them.... The list below
contains data provided by the International Bottled Water
Association that you can use to make sure you’re not feeding
fluoride to yourself and your family.
Ancient clay used by aboriginal Canadians could fight
antibiotic-resistant bacteria says study
RT - Ancient mineral clay used by aboriginal people in Canada
for centuries could be the key to fighting against
antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a new study. The
study, conducted by researchers at the University of British
Columbia (UBC) and published in the American Society for
Microbiology's mBio journal on Tuesday, found that the clay
killed 16 strains of ESKAPE bacteria samples from nearby
hospitals and waste treatment facilities. ESKAPE bacteria –
which includes Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus,
Klebsiella pneumoniae,Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species – causes the majority of
infections in US hospitals, and is resistant to antibacterial
drugs.
No Candy Bars Here: This Vending Machine Sells Only Fresh
Organic Salads And It's Seriously Delicious
The Huffington Post - When 27-year-old Luke Saunders told his
former boss he was turning down a substantial raise and
promotion to create a vending machine that would sell
exclusively organic, restaurant-quality salads and snacks, he
was met with looks of disbelief and confusion. "They still think
I'm nuts," Saunders, the founder of Farmer's Fridge, admitted.
...Saunders unveiled the first of what he expects to be many of
his unusual kiosks in an otherwise dreary food court in downtown
Chicago in late October. And it was an almost immediate hit. The
machine resembles something out of a "Portlandia" sketch. Made
from reclaimed wood and surrounded by real plants with a carpet
of artificial grass leading up, the kiosk is stocked at 10 a.m.
every day with an array of fresh salads and snacks consisting
mainly of organic, locally grown produce and assembled at a
nearby kitchen just hours before. Whatever is left at the end of
each day is donated to a local food pantry.
Largest Settlement for a Dog Killing in US History Paid After Cop
Murders Restrained Dog on Video
Activist Post - Commerce city taxpayers have just been hit with a
$262,000 bill for a settlement in an incident where someone’s dog was
needlessly shot and killed by police. According to the report, On
November 24, 2012, Commerce City police responded to reports of a
“loose, vicious dog.” When officers arrived on scene, a small woman was
able to get the catchpole around the dog’s neck. However, officer Robert
Price felt it necessary to taser the dog, whose name was Chloe, and then
shoot her five times. The graphic incident was captured on a neighbor’s
cellphone and was used as evidence in the case. Officer Price was
subsequently charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals. However,
as is typical in police officers charged with crimes caught on video, an
Adams County jury found him not guilty. Commerce City police documents
obtained by KDVR show an internal affairs investigation ruled Price was
“within policy” when he killed the dog.
Problems With Your Pet Food? You Must Report it! Here’s How...
Dogington Post - Do you suspect a problem with your pet’s food? Foreign
objects, mold, bugs, a strange odor or appearance? Is your dog suddenly
refusing to eat or showing signs of illness that you believe are a
result of his food? As pet parents, we expect our pet’s food
manufacturers to ensure the quality of each and every bag of food that
leaves the factory. As a second line of defense, we expect the Food &
Drug Administration to monitor pet food and initiate recalls when a
product doesn’t live up to standards. Unfortunately, we can’t always
rely on manufacturers and the FDA to make sure every bit of food we feed
our pets is safe. That’s why, as pet parents, we have a responsibility
to inspect food before feeding and monitor our dog’s health. If
something about your dog’s food is not right, it needs to be reported.
Wednesday
- January 27, 2016 - Today in History:
1870 - Kappa Alpha Theta, the first women’s sorority, was founded at
Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw University) in Greencastle, IN.
1880 - Thomas Edison patented the electric incandescent lamp.
1943 - During World War II, the first all American air raid against
Germany took place when about 50 bombers attacked Wilhlemshaven.
1944 - The Soviet Union announced that the two year German siege of
Leningrad had come to an end.
1945 - Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz
and Birkenau in Poland.
1951 - In the U.S., atomic testing in the Nevada desert began as an Air
Force plane dropped a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats.
1967 - Astronauts Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B.
Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo I
spacecraft at Cape Kennedy, FL.
1973 - The Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris.
1977 - The Vatican reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's ban on female
priests.
1981 - U.S. President Reagan greeted the 52 former American hostages
released by Iran at the White House.
1998 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared on NBC's "Today"
show. She charged that the allegations against her husband were the work
of a "vast right-wing conspiracy."
1999 - The U.S. Senate blocked dismissal of the impeachment case against
President Clinton and voted for new testimony from Monica Lewinsky and
two other witnesses.
2010 - Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple iPad.
London to Immediately Initiate Brexit if Supported at Referendum
Sputnik News - The United Kingdom will initiate a so-called
Brexit if Britons vote in favour of it at an in/out referendum,
although it is not legally binding, UK Foreign Secretary Philip
Hammond said. Britain, being one of the main contributors to the
EU budget, is currently rethinking its relationship with the
28-nation bloc ahead of a referendum on its membership in the
European Union, due to take place by the end of 2017… London
wants the right not to commit itself to the EU pledge of an
"ever closer union," curb social benefits for EU migrants,
secure greater protections for non-eurozone countries in the
bloc, and more powers for the national government.
France Declares Permanent Police State
Kurt Nimmo - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls declared on the
sidelines of the Davos globalist confab last week his country’s
state of emergency—in other words the imposition of a police
state—will last until the “total and global war” against the
Islamic State is completed. Additionally, French president,
François Hollande, has told senior figures that an extension of
the measures is probable. “In Africa, in the Middle East, in
Asia we must eradicate, eliminate Daesh, it is a total and
global war that we face with terrorism,” Valls said. “We will
have to live for decades or for many years with this menace or
this threat and that’s why it’s a war. There are many
generations that will have to live with this and the crisis will
have to be managed in north Africa and the Middle East.”
Russia, OPEC hint at oil production cuts
RT - Both Russia and OPEC have separately implied they are ready
to cut crude output amid collapsing prices. According to Russian
Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, Moscow has the
instruments to keep the oil output at the current level, but the
prices could take a toll. “If prices remain low for a long time,
a production cut is possible. This is what our partners - other
countries – know,” he said on Tuesday… This came as OPEC
Governor Nawal al-Fuzaia hinted on Tuesday that OPEC is ready to
cut production in an effort to slow down the plunge in oil
prices. The governor told an energy forum in Kuwait that OPEC is
ready to "cooperate" with others to stabilize the crude market.
TIDAL WAVE: 400,000 New Migrants to Invade Italy ‘in Weeks'
(Video)
Breitbart - As the Schengen treaty guaranteeing open internal
European borders continues to crumble, Italy is gearing up for a
tidal wave of as many as 400,000 immigrants “in the coming
weeks,” according to Italian sources, and worse still, they will
be coming to stay. Italian authorities fear that their worst
nightmare is materializing before their eyes: as droves of
immigrants arrive on Italy’s shores, they have no choice but to
remain in Italy. According to analysts, the worst is yet to
come. Until a few days ago the Italian peninsula was a transit
channel for tens of thousands of desperate migrants en route to
the countries of Northern Europe, yet now these same migrants
are finding themselves stranded in Italy because of closed
borders to the north. Overnight, Italy has moved from being a
passageway to a dead end.
McDonald's to 'fully localize' production in Russia
RT - McDonald's restaurants operating in Russia have announced
plans to source all food supplies locally. It is aimed at
softening the impact of currency swings and import restrictions,
TASS quotes McDonald's in Russia President Khamzat Khasbulatov.
The global fast-food chain intends to entirely replace poultry
and meat imports with locally grown production within two years.
Earlier the company announced plans to start growing potatoes
for its french fries in Russia by next year. The measures are
not connected to the sanctions and come as a part of a long-term
company project, according to a top-manager. However, a weak
ruble has forced McDonald's to increase its menu prices, though
the increase was below the inflation rate.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Rumsfeld: US Has to “Compete” with the Islamic State
Kurt Nimmo - Former Pentagon boss Donald Rumsfeld emerged from
the shadows on Tuesday to warn about the threat posed by the
Islamic State. “We’re going to have to find ways to reduce the
funding for radical Islamists, we’re going to have to find ways
to limit their recruiting successes, and that means we’re going
to have to compete worldwide with a very powerful, apparently
attractive strain of that faith,” Rumsfeld told Morning Joe.
Video: Senator Warns AUMF Bill is “Declaration Of International
Martial Law”
Adan Salazar - “This resolution is a total rewrite of the War
Powers clause of the Constitution. Let’s be clear about that,”
Democrat Senator Chris Murphy said on the Senate floor last week
in regards to S.J. Res. 29, a bill purporting to give the
sitting US president the power to declare war on ISIS. “It is
essentially a declaration of international martial law,” Murphy
said. Speaking out against the fast-track authorization for the
use of military force bill proposed by Republican Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell, Murphy explained the resolution would
permanently hand over war-making authority to the office of the
president. “A sweeping transfer of military power to the
president that will allow him or her to send US troops almost
anywhere in the world for any reason with absolutely no
limitations,” Senator Murphy described, adding that Article I,
Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution “vests in Congress the
responsibility to declare war.” “While the ink is still wet on
this resolution… it’s safe to say that this resolution is the
wrong way to authorize war against ISIS,” Murphy said. “The
language of this resolution is dangerous and it is
unprecedented.”
West Virginia Bill Would Block Unconstitutional National Guard
Deployments
Tenth Amendment Center - A bill introduced in the West Virginia
House of Delegates this month would block unconstitutional
foreign deployments of the state’s national guard troops,
effectively restoring the Founders’ framework for state-federal
balance on the Guard. House Bill 2168 (HB2168), the Defend the
Guard Act, was introduced by Del. Pat McGeehan (R-Hancock), a
former Air Force intelligence officer who did tours in
Afghanistan and the Middle East. It was cosponsored by ten other
delegates. If passed, the bill would block the federal
government from deploying West Virginia Guard troops overseas
unless there is a declaration of war from Congress, as required
by the Constitution.
Move Over Flint: Ohio Town Falls Victim to Lead-Poisoned Water
Scandal
Sputnik News - Just like in Flint, state officials knew about
the contamination for months but did nothing to warn people…
"Correspondence from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
and the Village of Sebring show concerns with water testing,
beginning in late September. Elevated lead levels were noted by
the EPA in November, but customers didn’t learn of the issues
until Thursday, meaning that some people could have been
drinking water containing lead for months," local station WKBN
reported. While the contamination is being investigated, Sebring
water treatment plant superintendent Jim Bates has been placed
on paid administrative leave for "not properly performing his
duties to protect public health,” and allegations that he “may
have falsified reports," the Youngstown Vindicator reported.
City Demands Firearm Applicants Write Essay Explaining Need for
Gun
Adan Salazar - A new policy in a Massachusetts town imposes
burdensome steps on residents who want to obtain a license to
carry a firearm: an essay exam and a $1,100 training seminar.
Pro-firearm supporters in Lowell last Tuesday pleaded with
police and city administrators to ease new gun regulations,
which among other things now require an essay of anyone applying
for an unrestricted firearm license.... Additionally, those
applying for permits must submit documentation, such as a letter
of recommendation, a previous gun license or a military or law
enforcement ID, and are required to take a firearms training
course.... Gun rights supporters say the town’s essay
requirement infringes on the Second Amendment. “It is absurd
that people should have to write an essay to the town to explain
why they should be able to exercise their constitutional
rights,” Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts Executive
Director Jim Wallace said in a statement. “We already have a
very strict set of gun laws in the state, but this is way over
the top.”
NY Court: Farmers to Be Re-Educated, Pay Fines for Not Hosting
Homosexual Wedding
CNS News - A couple who hosts occasional wedding ceremonies on
their New York farm have lost an appeal to overturn the $13,000
in fines levied against them by the state’s human rights agency,
which ruled that their refusal to host a wedding for two women
was discriminatory.... “After the agency ruled that the
Gifford's were guilty of ‘sexual orientation discrimination,’ it
fined them $10,000, plus $3,000 in damages and ordered them to
implement re-education training classes designed to contradict
the couple’s religious beliefs about marriage,” a press release
issued following the court decision stated. In order to comply
with the order, the couple will have to attend those
“re-training” classes or have a “trainer” come to them,
according to ADF.
Jailed E.C. councilman sworn into office
NWI - Locks and bars didn't stop East Chicago Councilman Robert
Battle's inauguration. The newly sworn-in Battle can retain his
public title and annual salary of $42,356 a year despite being
held in Porter County Jail on federal drug and homicide charge.
Michelle Fajman, Lake County elections director, said Friday she
received a document stating Battle has been sworn into office
for his new term as representative as East Chicago's 3rd
District… Battle ran unopposed in the November election,
receiving 308 votes. State law requires elected officials to
take the oath of office no later than 30 days after the
beginning of their new term, which began Jan. 1 for Battle, or
vacate the office. He has been in federal detention since his
arrest Nov. 17.
Americans Really, Really Hate The Government
Economic Collapse - If there is one thing that Americans can
agree on these days, it is the fact that most of us don’t like
the government. CBS News has just released an article entitled
“Americans hate the U.S. government more than ever“, and an
average of recent surveys calculated by Real Clear Politics
found that 63 percent of all Americans believe the country is
heading in the wrong direction and only 28 percent of all
Americans believe that the country is heading in the right
direction. In just a few days the first real ballots of the 2016
election will be cast in Iowa, and up to this point the big
story of this cycle has been the rise of “outsider” candidates
that many of the pundits had assumed would never have a
legitimate chance. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders
have all been beneficiaries of the overwhelming disgust that the
American people feel regarding what has been going on in
Washington.
New Study Quantifies U.S. Fascism — Nearly Half of All Retired
Congress Members Become Lobbyists
Activist Post - As a member of the U.S. Congress, one can expect
to earn a substantial income of $174,000 per year – a very
comfortable sum to live on. But it doesn’t stop there, now
legislators are frequently using their political careers as a
stepping-stone to a much larger payday upon retirement, often
quintupling their income as an industry lobbyist. Three
political scientists have tracked data all the way back to 1976
to analyze the lobbying activity of former members of Congress
in an eye-opening new study.
Trump: ‘Most Likely’ Won’t Do the Fox News Debate… ‘Can’t Toy
With Me Like They Toy With Everybody Else' (Video)
Breitbart - Tuesday at press conference before a campaign event
in Marshalltown, IA, Republican presidential front-runner Donald
Trump indicated he “most likely” won’t be a participant in
Thursday’s Republican presidential debate to be host by the Fox
News Channel. “I told Fox you should give money to the Wounded
Warriors,” Trump said. “I’m not a fan of Megyn Kelly. I think
she’s a third-rate reporter. I think she is frankly, not good at
what she does. I think they could do a lot better than Megyn
Kelly. I’m going to make a decision with Fox but I probably
won’t bother doing the debate. They picked me as number one. Not
only number one, number one by far. But probably I won’t be
doing the debate. I’m going to have something else in Iowa, do
something where we raise money for the veterans and the Wounded
Warriors....
* Related:
Trump's campaign manager confirmed that Trump would "definitely
not" participate in Thursday's Fox News debate
Shock Poll: Cruz Plummets with White Evangelicals ; Trails Trump
by 17 Points
Breitbart - A new weekly tracking poll from NBC News finds
Donald Trump opening a big lead over Sen. Ted Cruz among
evangelical voters nationwide. The poll, conducted by NBC News
and Survey Monkey, shows a 14 point shift in favor of Trump over
the past week. According to the survey, Trump has 37 percent
support among evangelicals, while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has the
support of 20 percent of evangelicals. Last week, Trump led Cruz
by just 3 points in the tracking poll. Dr. Ben Carson is third
among evangelicals with 11 percent while Sen. Marco Rubio is
fourth with 10 percent. Both candidates saw slight up-ticks in
their support among evangelicals over the past week.
Rand Paul's Return to the Main Stage
Conservative Review - After failing to make the main debate
stage in Charleston, Rand Paul is on the verge of returning to
the debates. Fox News is using the same criteria as the Fox
Business debate, and with that criteria Paul Currently qualifies
for the main stage due to a slight surge in Iowa polling.
According to Fox News, GOP candidates who poll in either the top
six nationally or the top five in Iowa or New Hampshire will be
eligible for the prime-time debate, scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. The
network will look at an average of the five most recent
national, Iowa and New Hampshire polls when making its
determination.
Democratic mayor to challenge GOP's Rand Paul in Senate race
Fox News - As he continues his campaign for the Republican
presidential nomination, Rand Paul will begin facing pressure at
home as a viable Democratic challenger has filed to run for his
Senate seat. Lexington Mayor Jim Gray filed for the Democratic
nomination for the U.S. Senate before Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.
Gray, the wealthy former CEO of a construction company, made
history in 2010 when he was elected Kentucky's first openly gay
mayor. Since then, he has wrangled the city's pension funds and
signed an ordinance raising the local minimum wage to $10.10 an
hour.
Reporters Barred From Hillary's Wall Street Speeches
The Daily Caller - The list of Wall Street firms that barred
reporters from covering her speeches reads like Who’s Who of the
country’s largest and most prestigious wealth management
companies. Those confirmed by TheDCNF to have excluded reporters
include: the Goldman Sachs Group, UBS Wealth Management,
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts and Company, the Carlyle Group, Apollo
Management Holdings, Fidelity Investments, Morgan Stanley and
Golden Tree Asset Management... Clinton laughed off a request
Friday at a campaign stop in Manchester, N.H. to release
transcripts of speeches she delivered before the Goldman Sachs
Group, one of Wall Street’s best known investments firms.
Goldman Sachs paid $675,000 for three Clinton speeches in 2013,
yet journalists were barred from these speeches.
Internet Search Engine Snoops on Webcams Around the World
Sputnik News - Shodan randomly searches the Internet on the
lookout for Internet Service Providers (ISP) with open ports.
Once it discovers a vulnerable webcam, it files the ISP address,
camera details and takes screenshot. Users of the Shodan search
engine can type in specific terms to see images from insecure
webcams. Dan Tentler, a security researcher told Ars Technica UK
that the ability to see screenshots from webcams is "all over
the place, practically everything you can think of."… Shodan's
new webcam snooping service has opened up the world of
vulnerable webcams of pictures that probably should be private
for anyone who uses it and for just US$49, users can pay to view
images running in real time — as long as the IoT remains
insecure.
Video: This Vending Machine Is Watching You
Nextgov - As the battle for shoppers' attention and dollars
rages on, retailers are embracing new technology to gather data
on us. Previously innocuous objects like a candy vending machine
can now provide loads of information to companies about who you
are and what you want. These high-tech vending machines use THE
Microsoft Kinect sensor and a webcam to scan your face, compile
your demographic profile and the type of candy in the machine
that caught your attention.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Virginia House Passes Bill to Authorize Hemp Farming without
Federal Permission, 98-0
Tenth Amendment Center - House Bill 699 (HB699) would amend
current state law on hemp by removing a provision that
authorized the licensing of hemp farming only upon approval of
the federal government. ...the bill would also require the Board
of Agriculture and Consumer Services to “adopt regulations as
necessary to license persons to grow and process industrial hemp
for any purpose.” Under the Code of Virginia, § 3.2-4113 – as
passed into law in 2015 – authorizes the state to issue licenses
to farm and produce hemp for research purposes only under the
Federal Farm Bill of 2014. If passed into law, HB699 would
broaden the scope of hemp in the state to include the commercial
“manufacture of industrial hemp products.
* Related:
West Virginia Bill Would Allow Industrial Hemp Production
Without Federal Permission
10 Syngenta Employees Sent to Hospital in Kauai Following
Pesticide Use
Natural Society - After being exposed to an insecticide called
chlorpyrifos only 20 hours prior, 10 Syngenta (a biotech
company) field workers were rushed to the hospital after serious
adverse health conditions arose. The Kauai agricultural workers
were exposed to the insecticide chlorpyrifos, used on corn,
which is currently under consideration for a ban by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More than 3.5 tons of the
pesticide were used in Hawaii in 2014 despite concerns over its
environmental effects, as well as adverse health implications.
The insecticide was also recently found in what were once
considered protected water sources.... Uyehara said the company
doesn’t have any plans to discontinue its use of chlorpyrifos.
“As far as we’re concerned, it’s still registered as safe as
long as it’s used in accordance with the label,” he said.
Natural ginger is up to 10,000 times more effective than
chemotherapy drugs at treating cancer, study shows
(NaturalNews) Ginger naturally contains a compound that is up to
10,000 times more effective than chemotherapy drugs at killing
the cancer stem cells that make malignant tumors so dangerous,
according to a study published in the journal PLoS. The
chemical, known as 6-shogaol, is produced when ginger roots are
dried or cooked. The researchers found that 6-shogaol is active
against cancer stem cells at concentrations that are harmless to
healthy cells. This is dramatically different from conventional
chemotherapy, which has serious side effects largely because it
kills healthy as well as cancerous cells.
Morning lemon ginger detox
STEPin2 - Your first line of defense against toxins is your
liver. It works like a filter by preventing toxic substances
contained in foods from passing in our blood stream. It is
important to start your day with foods that will flush toxins
from your body. Not only will this morning lemon ginger detox
help cleanse your body, it will help you lose weight as well.
The seven most extreme childhood allergies coincide directly
with vaccine ingredients
(NaturalNews) During the first year of life children are
injected with known carcinogens and neurotoxins. Then, children
develop strange food allergies, some so severe they can't even
be in the room when someone takes out that food, like peanuts.
Let's take a hard look at vaccines like the MMR, DTaP and HPV,
and see just what these extreme allergies root themselves in,
sending the body into a panic when it senses that same allergen,
thinking it might be INJECTED into muscle tissue again. The
immune response is overwhelming. It's fight or flight, and
anytime you inject processed emulsifiers, genetically modified
bacteria, human albumin, MSG, egg protein, reduced animal hide
and cartilage (gelatin), and heavy metal toxins, into your
muscle tissue 50 times in less than seven years, you might stop
wondering why you or your child has EXTREME ALLERGIES to the
SAME EXACT ingredients used to manufacture the majority of
today's vaccines.
Tuesday
- January 26, 2016 - Today in History:
1784 - In a letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin expressed
unhappiness over the eagle as the symbol of America. He wanted the
symbol to be the turkey.
1802 - The U.S. Congress passed an act calling for a library to be
established within the U.S. Capitol.
1837 - Michigan became the 26th state to join the United States.
1861 - In the U.S., Louisiana seceded from the Union.
1870 - The state of Virginia rejoined the Union.
1934 - The Apollo Theatre opened in New York City.
1939 - In the Spanish Civil War, Franco's forces, with Italian aid, took
Barcelona.
1942 - The first American expeditionary force to go to Europe during
World War II went ashore in Northern Ireland.
1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy appointed Dr. Janet G. Travell as
the first woman to be the "personal physician to the President".
1992 - Russian president Boris Yeltsin announced that his country would
stop targeting U.S. cities with nuclear weapons.
1996 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton testified before a grand
jury concerning the Whitewater probe.
1998 - President Clinton denied having an affair with a former White
House intern, saying "I did not have sexual relations with that woman,
Ms Lewinsky."
1999 - Saddam Hussein vowed revenge against the U.S. in response to
air-strikes that reportedly killed civilians. The strikes were U.S.
planes defending themselves against anti-aircraft fire.
2014 - In the U.S., the First Class postage rate increased to 49 cents.
China warns George Soros: Don’t go to ‘war’ against our currency
RT - China’s official newspaper warned billionaire investor
George Soros not to bet against the Yuan in a front-page opinion
piece, as China tries to boost confidence in its home currency,
also known as the renminbi, which has dropped 5 percent since
August.
Zika virus spreading in Europe as 1st person tests positive in
Denmark
RT - One person has tested positive in Denmark for the
mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has caused severe birth defects
in Latin America, Danish media has reported. The new case comes
after Italy, Spain, the UK and Switzerland registered several
people infected with the disease. A Danish tourist contracted
the virus while traveling through South and Central America,
where Zika is spreading now, Danish media reported. The patient
is now being treated at the University hospital in Aarhus,
Denmark's second-largest city. Its symptoms are mild and include
a fever, rash, joint pain and red, itchy eyes. Pregnant women
are most at risk, as the virus has been linked to serious birth
defects. The disease has gained international attention in
recent weeks because of the increase in infected cases.
* Related:
Zika virus likely to spread to southern U.S., experts say
China sinks over 6 percent
Reuters - Chinese shares plunged more than 6 percent to 14-month
lows on Tuesday after oil prices dropped again, reviving
concerns about global growth and prompting a sell-off in the
world's equity markets. Battered by a late selling frenzy, the
benchmark Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC ended down 6.4 percent
at 2749.79 points, its lowest close since Dec. 1, 2014. The
CSI300 index .CSI300 of the largest listed companies in Shanghai
and Shenzhen dropped 6 percent to 2940.51, also its lowest since
the beginning of December 2014. After a rebound on Friday and
early Monday, crude prices fell back below $30 a barrel, not far
from last week's 12-year lows, ending a couple of days of gains
for Wall Street stocks.
* Related:
The race to get money out of China
Arab monarchies turn down Syrian refugees over security threat
Deutsche Welle - … while Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt
have taken in around 5 million refugees, and boatloads of the
destitute are making their way to Europe, the Gulf states have
taken only a few hundred refugees, according to data from the
UN's refugee agency (UNHCR). In part, the low numbers are due to
a technicality, as the Gulf states are non-signatories to the
1951 UN Refugee Convention, the governing international
convention defining refugees and their rights… The Saudis refer
them as "Arab brothers and sisters in distress."… "They prefer
to share their responsibility with financial donations," Metin
Corabatir, who served for 18 years as the spokesperson of the
UNHCR and is currently the president of the Research Center on
Asylum and Migration in Ankara, told DW… "The Saudis worry that
Syrians are a security threat," he [Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi
scholar at the Institute for Gulf Affairs] said. "They have
ideas of revolution."
Top Psychiatrist: Angela Merkel is Having a “Mental Breakdown”
Paul Joseph Watson - Top psychiatrist and best-selling author
Hans-Joachim Maaz says Angela Merkel’s refusal to reverse her
“completely irrational” policy on accepting migrants is evidence
that the German Chancellor is undergoing a “mental breakdown”.
Maaz, who was noted for his work studying the psychological
impact of government repression on the population of the former
East Germany, told Huffington Post Germany that Merkel’s
“emotional” decision to open the country’s borders to a flood of
refugees was an expression of her own rampant narcissism.
According to Maaz, Merkel being dubbed the “most powerful woman
in the world” has left her incapable of handling criticism and
prone to hubris, with the psychiatrist adding that the German
leader has, “lost touch with reality.”
Wives With Benefits: Immigrants With More Than One Spouse Win
EXTRA Payments Under New Reforms
Breitbart - Polygamous marriages, which form a common thread in
Islam, are recognized in Britain but only if they take place in
countries where they are legal. Now a House of Commons library
paper, published earlier this month, has highlighted a loophole
that will allow additional wives coming to the UK to claim a
full single person’s allowance while the husband and his first
wife still receive their respective benefits.
Ecuador To Sell A Third Of Its Amazon Rainforest To Chinese Oil
Companies
Business Insider - Ecuador is planning to auction off three
million of the country’s 8.1 million hectares of pristine
Amazonian rainforest to Chinese oil companies, Jonathan Kaiman
of The Guardian reports… In 2009 China began loaning Ecuador
billions of dollars in exchange for oil shipments. It also
helped fund two of the country’s biggest hydroelectric
infrastructure projects, and China National Petroleum Corp may
soon have a 30 per cent stake in a $10 billion oil refinery in
Ecuador. “My understanding is that this is more of a debt issue
– it’s because the Ecuadoreans are so dependent on the Chinese
to finance their development that they’re willing to compromise
in other areas such as social and environmental regulations,”
Adam Zuckerman, environmental and human rights campaigner at
California-based NGO Amazon Watch, told the Guardian.
Thank the Ban: Food Sanctions Make Moscow One of Europe's
Culinary Capitals
Sputnik News - The Kremlin's ban on the import of certain kinds
of food from Europe, the US and Turkey have surprisingly
transformed Moscow into one of the most interesting culinary
capitals of Europe, leading to the renaissance of true Russian
cuisine, according to an American weekly news magazine. Russian
cuisine is enjoying "the strange, delightful renaissance" due to
the Kremlin-imposed bans on the import of foodstuffs from
Europe, the United States and Turkey, according to Newsweek
magazine. Under the current circumstances, Moscow's
restaurateurs decided to turn to a movement, popular in many
parts of the world - locavore cooking - or consumption of only
locally grown foods.
Massive food inflation strikes Canada... consumers paying $8 for
a head of cauliflower, $3 for a single cucumber
(NaturalNews) Due to a "perfect storm" of inflationary factors –
not the least of which being the continuing drop in oil prices –
Canadians are seeing the effects of a weakening currency
reflected in food prices at the supermarket. $3 cucumbers, $8
for a head of cauliflower, grapes at $10 per bag – the spiraling
cost of foods, particularly those imported from Canada's
neighbor to the south, has consumers there reeling from sticker
shock.... From The New York Times: As prices for commodities
have dropped, the value of the Canadian dollar has fallen, a
direct link to an economy that is dependent on oil and other
resources. It makes imports, like fresh American vegetables
during the dark Canadian winter, look especially costly. Two
years ago, one Canadian dollar was worth 93 American cents. On
Wednesday, it stood at 69 American cents.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Oregon stand-off militiaman killed in shootout with the FBI:
Traffic stop turns into deadly gunfight, ending with militia's
spokesman dead and leader Ammon Bundy arrested along with seven
others
Daily Mail - Oregon militia spokesman LaVoy Finicum has been
shot dead after a traffic stop escalated into a shoot-out that
saw Ryan Bundy wounded and eight leaders of the occupation
movement arrested. The group's leader Ammon Bundy was among the
militiamen arrested during the encounter on Tuesday afternoon as
they drove to attend a community meeting in the neighboring
town. It is the climax of a tense stand-off between federal
agents and the activists more than three weeks after they took
over a government building in Burns, Oregon, to protest two
ranchers being jailed. According to local media, shots were
fired within minutes of the traffic stop, killing Finicum and
wounding Ryan Bundy. It is not clear who opened fire first.
Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, and three other leaders of the
occupation - Ryan Payne, Brian Cavalier, and Shawna Cox - were
charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers, Oregon Live
reports.
Israel, Saudi Arabia, Defense And Oil Spent Nearly One Trillion
Urging DC For More War In 2015
Mint Press News - The defense industry spent millions lobbying
the federal government last year, but they weren’t the only ones
urging the country toward more war. Countries like Israel and
Saudi Arabia, and even oil and computer industry
representatives, also got in on the act. According to
OpenSecrets, a project of the Center for Responsive Politics,
the defense and aerospace industries spent a combined total of
$56,272,948 on D.C. lobbying efforts last year. That’s down from
the all-time high in 2013, when the industry spent over $78
million on lobbying.
FBI Investigators Will Go Public If Obama’s Attorney General
Does Not Indict Hillary Clinton
Infowars - If Obama’s Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, does not
follow her oath of office and indict Hillary Clinton, FBI
investigators will go public with their findings, according to
former House Majority leader Tom DeLay. DeLay told The Steve
Malzberg Show on Monday the FBI is ready to indict the former
Secretary of State on criminal charges related to 1,300
classified documents stored on a private email server. “They’re
ready to recommend an indictment and they also say that if the
attorney general does not indict, they’re going public,” the
Texas Republican told the radio host. “One way or another either
she’s going to be indicted and that process begins, or we try
her in the public eye with her campaign. One way or another
she’s going to have to face these charges,” DeLay added.
Flint militia members call for justice in water crisis: 'It's a
human issue'
Washington Times - Militia members in Flint, Michigan, have
joined the likes of Michael Moore and Jesse Jackson in calling
for the government to take responsibility for the city’s water
crisis. About 30 members of the Genesee County Volunteer
Militia, some armed, gathered outside City Hall on Sunday
afternoon, the Detroit Free Press reported… Dave McKellar, a
militia liaison who helped organize the rally, said an
additional 50 militia members have spent the last week or so
delivering non-contaminated water door-to-door with the American
Red Cross… Mr. Moore, a liberal filmmaker and activist, has
called the situation in Flint a “racial crisis” and has accused
Gov. Rick Snyder of “knowingly” poisoning the water supply in
the predominantly black city. Mr. Krol [Matthew Krol, the
militia’s executive officer] echoed some of Mr. Moore’s comments
as onlookers shouted: “They knew!” and “Unacceptable!” the Free
Press reported.
Activists behind Planned Parenthood videos indicted
WLKY - A Texas grand jury investigating Planned Parenthood has
instead indicted two anti-abortion activists who made videos of
the group, The New York Times reported. David Daleiden, founder
of the Center for Medical Progress, was indicted on a felony
charge of tampering with a governmental record and a misdemeanor
count related to purchasing human organs, a prosecutor
announced. Sandra Merritt, who also worked for the center, was
indicted on a charge of tampering with a governmental record,
prosecutors said.... Grand jurors had cleared Planned Parenthood
of any wrongdoing.
JFK allowed passengers arriving on international flight to exit
without going through Customs
NY Daily News - Passengers arriving at Kennedy Airport on an
international flight were allowed to exit the busy hub without
going through Customs — for at least the second time in recent
months, the Daily News has learned. Bumbling airline and
security officials let travelers on American Airlines Flight
1223 from Cancun, Mexico, out of the airport on Monday morning
without having their passports or bags checked, sources told The
News. The security lapse mirrored a similar incident involving
another American Airlines flight in November.... Neither the TSA,
which screens passengers before they fly, nor the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland
Security, responded to a request for comment.
MU professor Melissa Click, who called for ‘muscle’ to remove
reporter, charged with assault
Kansas City Star - Melissa Click, the University of Missouri
communications professor who garnered widespread scorn for
trying to physically remove a student reporter from a campus
protest, was formally charged with assault Monday morning. A
spokeswoman for the Columbia prosecutor’s office said Click was
charged with third-degree assault, a class C misdemeanor that
carries a possible 15-day jail sentence.
Ex-Federal Prosecutor Issues a Warning to Hillary Backers in
Obama's Cabinet
The Blaze - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
has secured endorsements from several of President Barack
Obama’s Cabinet members, including Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro,
Labor Secretary Tom Perez and Transportation Secretary Anthony
Foxx. These officials and any others should proceed with
caution, warned former Iowa U.S. Attorney Matthew Whitaker in a
letter to each Cabinet secretary Monday… “As an employee of the
federal government, you are subject to the Hatch Act, under
which federal employees are prohibited from using their official
authority or influence to interfere with or affect the outcome
of an election,” the letter to cabinet officials said.
“Violations of the Hatch Act are a serious offense for
government officials, particularly at the cabinet level.”
Trump Proven Right: Ex Top Hillary Clinton Aide: ‘She’s Tired’;
Disdains Meeting Voters
Gateway Pundit - A campaign manager for Hillary Clinton’s 2008
presidential campaign, Patti Solis Doyle, confirmed in a recent
interview accusations by leading Republican presidential
candidate Donald Trump that Clinton is ‘low energy.’... reported
by The Washington Post on January 1: “She’ll do a couple of
minutes in Iowa, meaning a short period of time. And then she
goes home,” the GOP presidential front-runner said in Davenport,
Iowa, a few weeks ago, as his attention turned to those areas.
“You don’t see her for five or six days. She goes home, goes to
sleep. I’m telling you. She doesn’t have the strength. She
doesn’t have the stamina.”
* Related:
Hillary suffers massive coughing fit
Economic Activity Is Slowing Down Much Faster Than The Experts
Anticipated
Economic Collapse - We have not seen global economic activity
fall off this rapidly since the great recession of 2008.
Manufacturing activity is imploding all over the planet, global
trade is slowing down at a pace that is extremely alarming, and
the Baltic Dry Index just hit another brand new all-time record
low. If the “real economy” consists of people making, selling
and shipping stuff, then it is in incredibly bad shape. Here in
the United States, the dismal economic numbers continue to stun
all of the experts. For example, on Monday we learned that the
Texas general business activity index just hit a six year low.
Social Security Inching Its Way Toward Bankruptcy, Says CBO
The New American - The latest report from the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) on the financial condition of Social
Security merely confirms what the Social Security trustees have
been saying for years: The welfare-state program that spent
nearly a trillion dollars last year isn’t sustainable… Each year
since 2010, the program has spent more than it received, and
each year that gap has widened… Last year, according to the CBO,
outlays for Social Security in 2015 approached a trillion
dollars, accounting for one-quarter of all federal spending. Its
payments to its beneficiaries exceeded its income by nine
percent. The gap will widen to 30 percent in less than 10 years,
and will exceed 40 percent by the year 2040. That's called
unsustainable.
Sprint Fires 2500: 8% Of Its Entire Workforce
Zero Hedge - According to the Kansas City Star, "layoffs and
cutbacks at Sprint Corp. have claimed at least 2,500 jobs and
struck six customer care centers, company officials confirmed.
The job cuts are coming mostly in customer care but also include
574 other positions eliminated at the Overland Park headquarters
campus. The total does not include any jobs that may have been
eliminated at other Sprint employment centers… Sprint shed 1,700
jobs in the fall of 2014 and announced plans to cut 2,000 more.
The 2,500 come on top of those totals, bringing the announced
job cut total in that time to more than 6,000. An email notified
all employees last week of the six call center closings that
will idle about 2,000 employees.
San Francisco’s Biggest Taxi Biz Goes Bankrupt
Breitbart - San Francisco’s largest taxi company, Yellow Cab
Cooperative Inc., filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Friday, adding it to a growing list of traditional taxi
companies that have been feeling the burn from ride-sharing
startups Uber and Lyft. According to the Wall Street Journal,
part of the San Francisco’s Yellow Cab’s liabilities includes
$8.1 million in reparations paid to a woman who sued the company
after becoming paralyzed in a collision. The co-op is also
reportedly facing some 150 open claims valued as high as $10
million. An article in Market Watch suggests ride sharing
companies, like Uber and Lyft, that employ the independent
contractor model might not be shielded from the same plight as
San Francisco’s Yellow Cab co-op. Multimillion-dollar lawsuits
stemming from injuries during rides could wind up catching up
with the startups. Uber, which is currently valued at more than
$50 billion, is better able to afford such a scenario.
Carbon Capture Failure Might Mean Quadrupled Industry Fines
Breitbart - Now that attempts by the government to prop up
projects attempting “carbon capture and storage” have failed,
industries’ penalties for releasing carbon into the atmosphere
could be quadrupled in California. State law forces industries
to pay roughly $12 per ton of carbon release due to the
cap-and-trade program. But as Sally Benson, a professor of
energy at Stanford University and a vehement supporter of carbon
capture, told Bay Area public radio station KQED, “We have to
de-carbonize everything we can. If we have to wait to replace
every gas or coal plant with renewables, I think we’ve run out
of time…I think there really has to be a clear price on carbon.
$50 a ton plus – that will get people to really pay attention.”
Uber monitoring drivers in US in attempt to flag dangerous
driving
The Guardian - Uber has quietly begun monitoring the movements
of some of its drivers in an experimental Texas-based pilot that
is attempting to flag up dangerous driving. Abrupt movements in
a smartphone’s accelerometer, a movement sensor built into most
smartphones, can show when a driver accelerates and brakes too
quickly – consistent with driving too close to the car in front,
or ‘tailgating’. Uber did not explicitly tell drivers that their
movements are being tracked, but the company says it is
informing users only when it needs to access the data after a
company complaint. Selected drivers in Houston have been
monitored for the trial since it started in late 2015.
US government hands cyber-security to military
TechEye - The US government has handed over the its sensitive
cybersecurity role to the military. The move is seen as a snub
to the Office of Personnel Management, the agency at the center
of last year’s scandal over one of the worst government data
breaches known to the public… The Pentagon has been called in to
overhaul the federal security clearance system. A new government
office, called the National Background Investigations Bureau,
will take over the job of running background checks on all
federal employees, contractors and others. The Defense
Department will design, build and operate the computer system
that houses and processes people’s personal information,
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and other
officials said.
Have scientists found a CURE for Type 1 diabetes? Experts halt
the disease by implanting cells that help produce insulin
Daily Mail - A cure for Type 1 diabetes is a step closer after
scientists managed to halt the condition for at least six months
thanks to insulin-producing cells. Experts from US hospitals and
institutions including Harvard University managed to transplant
cells into mice, which immediately began producing insulin. The
team was also able to show they could prevent the cells being
rendered useless by the body's own immune system, which was
effectively 'switched off' thanks to scientific work. It means a
cure for Type 1 diabetes - which affects 400,000 people in the
UK - could be much closer.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
How To Grow Fruit Indoors During Winter … Successfully
Off the Grid News - It may surprise you to know that many types
of fruit, like peaches and nectarines, often grow extremely well
indoors. Indoor fruit tends to flower and fruit sooner than
usual. You can easily grow fruits organically indoors, and you
will be able to enjoy fresh fruit year-round, as well as the
fresh fragrances of nature. Saving money is also a bonus of
growing your own fruit. All you need is a sunny window or area,
some containers or pot and some healthy soil. Plants will need
to be transplanted into larger pots or containers as they grow
bigger, and fruit shrub and trees will need to be pruned.
Noni Leaf Extract Superior To Chemotherapy for Lung Cancer
(Preclinical Study)
Green Med Info - Tragically, 1.4 million die from lung cancer
each year, with 1.6 million newly diagnosed. Could this humble
leaf extract beat a drug that can cost over 100,000 dollars to
improve lung cancer survival only a few months? A promising new
study published in the journal Food & Function titled, "Morinda
citrifolia edible leaf extract enhanced immune response against
lung cancer," has found that an alcohol-based leaf extract of
the noni tree (Morinda Citrifolia) was more effective than a
commonly used chemotherapy drug in treating lung cancer in an
animal model.... Remarkably, the noni leaf extract was observed
to positively modulate a wide range of biological pathways,
without discernable adverse effects...
5 Herbs for lung cleansing and respiratory support
Natural News Blogs - The average human breathes in and out
between 12 and 20 times a minute – and the human body cannot go
more than just a few minutes without oxygen without suffering
brain damage or even death. And yet, until something grows
wrong, many people probably don’t think about their lungs at
all. Keeping the lungs healthy, however, is incredibly
important. Indoor and outdoor air pollution, cigarette smoke,
high pollen and mold counts and exposure to artificial scents
and perfumes can all irritate and take their toll upon the
lungs. These organs are also vulnerable to conditions like
pneumonia, asthma and COPD.
Here’s Why You Should Avoid Toxic Tide Laundry Detergent Like
The Plague
Human N Health - According to the New York Times a petrochemical
solvent known as 1,4-dioxane which is also found in paints and
varnishes is found in Tide laundry detergent. The group Women’s
voices for the earth made the discovery. They found that tide
detergent contained 63 PPM (parts per million) of this
petrochemical. The Tide Free & Clear also contained this
petrochemical at a slightly higher dosage of 89 PPM (parts per
million) as well.... This is just ONE of the ingredients in
Tide’s laundry detergent. Another ingredient known as sodium
hydroxide may be a possible carcinogen as well. Tide also
contains propylene glycol which is a known endocrine (hormone)
disruptor. It’s also a chemical used in anti-freeze!
Merrick, Purina, Fromm, Others Sued Over ‘Made in USA’ Claims
Dogington Post - A California man is suing popular pet food and treat
manufacturers, Merrick Pet Care, Castor & Pollux, Nestle Purina, Fromm,
and Wysong alleging the pet food makers knowingly mislabel certain dog
and cat food and treats as “Made in the USA” when they include
ingredients sourced outside the U.S. In three separate $5 million class
action lawsuits, Sean Randall of Ventura County, California, citing
violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and California’s
Consumer Legal Remedies Act, alleges that these companies have been
labeling dog and cat food and treats as made in the United States when
they contain ingredients sourced from foreign countries, including
tapioca as well as vitamin, mineral and amino acid packs. Although the
companies named above are specifically being called out in the lawsuit,
a vast majority of pet food manufacturers use a vitamin premix – and
most often, those premixes contain ingredients from outside the U.S.,
namely China and India.
5 Nutrients That Make Your Pet Move Like a Puppy Again
Dr. Becker - When arthritis kicks in, your pet hopes you'll provide an
end to the pain and suffering. These 5 proven inflammation fighters
provide improvements in pain, mobility, weight bearing, and more. But
arthritis is progressive... so administer these at the first hint of
pain.
Monday
- January 25, 2016 - Today in History:
1870 - G.D. Dows patented the ornamental soda fountain.
1881 - Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and others signed an
agreement to organize the Oriental Telephone Company.
1890 - The United Mine Workers of America was founded.
1915 - In New York, Alexander Graham Bell spoke to his assistant in San
Francisco, inaugurating the first transcontinental telephone service.
1924 - The 1st Winter Olympic Games were inaugurated in Chamonix in the
French Alps.
1937 - NBC radio presented the first broadcast of "The Guiding Light."
The show remained on radio until 1956 and began on CBS-TV in 1952.
1946 - The United Mine Workers rejoined the American Federation of
Labor.
1950 - A federal jury in New York City found former State Department
official Alger Hiss guilty of perjury.
1959 - In the U.S., American Airlines had the first scheduled
transcontinental flight of a Boeing 707.
1961 - John F. Kennedy presented the first live presidential news
conference from Washington, DC. The event was carried on radio and
television.
1981 - The 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived in the
United States and were reunited with their families.
1999 - In Louisville, KY, man received the first hand transplant in the
United States.
2011 - A revolution began in Egypt with the demonstrations that demanded
the end of President Hosni Mubarak's rule.
Conflict in Syria Escalates as Russia and US Establish Air Bases
Along Turkish Border
Kurt Nimmo - On Friday the London-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights quoted sources in Syria as saying 200 Russian
personnel will fortify the airfield in Qamishli and ready it for
military aircraft… Also on Friday The Australian reported the US
has established a secret airbase 30 miles outside of Qamishli.
Syrian activists reported several dozen US military personnel
are busy setting up a base at a former agricultural airfield a
few miles from the Iraqi and Turkish borders… Turkey has
declared it will not tolerate the presence of Russian troops
along the border.
Russia, US agree to have 2 rebel delegations at Syria peace
talks
RT News - Moscow and Washington are close to reaching a
compromise on the participants of the Syria peace talks set to
start next week. Two separate Syrian opposition delegations are
expected to be invited to the negotiations in Geneva, according
to media reports… Washington supports the participation of the
Saudi-backed Islamist militia Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) -
something Moscow has strongly objected to. Russia insists that
political figures it deems more moderate, such as Qadri Jamil, a
former Syrian deputy prime minister, and Saleh Muslim, co-head
of the Syrian Kurdish group PYD, should join the negotiations,
Kommersant daily reported Saturday.
* Related:
Turkey ‘threatens to withdraw’ from Syria talks over Syrian
Kurds
Shooting of Kurds waving white flag caught on camera (GRAPHIC
VIDEO)
RT - An incident in which several civilians with a white flag
came under fire has been caught on camera. The victims are
reported to be Kurds in the town of Cizre, where they were
allegedly shot at by Turkish troops. The series of short video
clips published on social media shows a procession of people
going along a street, pushing a cart with what appears to be two
covered bodies. The walls of the buildings are dotted with
holes, possibly from bullets. A tank is shown in the distance.
Norway’s largest bank calls for total end to cash
The Local - Citing the “dangers and disadvantages” of cash, DNB
Bank has called for it to be completely phased out. Norway’s
largest bank, DNB, has said that cash has fallen out of favour
with everyday Norwegians and is instead primarily used on the
black market and in laundering schemes. Today, there is
approximately 50 billion kroner in circulation and [central
bank] Norges Bank can only account for 40 percent of its use.
That means that 60 percent of money usage is outside of any
control. We believe that is due to under-the-table money and
laundering,” bank executive Trond Bentestuen told VG. "There are
so many dangers and disadvantages associated with cash, we have
concluded that it should be phased out," he added.
Ontario Rules Veganism A Human Right Legally Protected Against
Discrimination
Natural Blaze - Hospitals will now have to provide vegan meals
upon request, and students cannot be forced to dissect animals.
Vegetarianism and veganism are two trends rapidly increasing in
popularity. And now, thanks to a recent ruling, individuals in
the province of Ontario, Canada, will have an even easier time
sticking to their plant-based diet. The Vegan Herald reports
that the Human Rights Commission of Ontario recently ruled that
veganism is a human right that should be legally protected from
discrimination under law similar to how religious beliefs are
protected.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Mitch McConnell Moves To Grant The President Unlimited War
Powers With No Expiration Date
Zero Hedge - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is moving to
fast track an Authorization of Military Force (AUMF) for the
President that would allow for unrestricted warfare against
ISIS. There would be no time or geographic restrictions on this
authorization. Rather than being a favor to President Obama,
this is primarily a means to ensure that whoever takes control
in 2017 receives a blank check for unrestrained militarism with
no expiration date.
EPA head in charge of Flint resigns as Obama pledges $80 million
for poisoned water crisis
RT - President Barack Obama announced his administration is
giving $80 million to help repairs Flint’s water infrastructure
and make the drinking water safe, calling the situation
“inexcusable.” The head of Michigan’s Environmental Protection
Agency resigned.
* Related:
Tribe Donates $10,000 to Help Save Flint, Michigan Residents
from Toxic Water
Report Backs "Predictive Analytics" To Identify "Bad Kids" In
L.A. County
The Crime Report - A primary goal of Los Angeles County’s child
welfare system is keeping kids out of lock-up. In this pursuit,
the county took a surprising step: It used a predictive
analytics tool as part of a program to identify which specific
kids might end up behind bars, says Pacific Standard magazine.
The process wasn’t incredibly complicated: It involved analyzing
data about a child’s family, arrests, drug use, academic
success, and abuse history. The goal was abundantly clear:
separating out the good kids from the potentially bad.
Zero Tolerance: Another Texas Student Suspended for Helping
Asthmatic Classmate
Breitbart - Instead of praise, a Central Texas school district
suspended a 15-year-old boy when he rushed a classmate, who was
in the throes of an asthma attack, to the school nurse’s office
in yet another incident of zero tolerance policies overriding
common sense. This follows last week’s double suspensions for
two North Texas students, which also involved an asthma attack.
The Killeen Independent School District suspended eighth grade
student Anthony Ruelas on Jan. 19, for breaking the rules when
he left the class to help the asthmatic student. Ruelas attends
Gateway Middle School, a behavioral alternative school where he
is on a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP).
Florida Launches 3 Bills for Mandatory GMO Labeling!
Natural Society - Due to the efforts of thousands in a
grassroots campaign, as well as the actions of Senator Maria
Sachs and Representative Vasilinda who started a campaign 3
years ago, 3 GMO labeling bills are being put forth in Florida –
Senate bills SB 1700 and SB 1708, and House bill HB 1369.
The Palin Effect: Trump Takes Back Iowa with 11-Point Surge
Breitbart - A new Fox News poll of Iowa shows Donald Trump
surging to a strong 11-point lead in the caucuses taking place
next week. With just one week until the first votes of the 2016
primary are cast, Trump leads second-place Sen. Ted Cruz 34-23
percent. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio remains in a distant third
place with 12 percent, but he has lost 3 points since early
January. No other candidate has support in the double digits.
Bowe Bergdahl's Lawyers May Call Trump as Witness
Newsmax - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may be
called to testify at Bowe Bergdahl's court martial this summer
over statements that have "irreparably compromised" the Army
sergeant's "right to a fair trial," Bergdahl's attorney said
Friday. In an interview with Brooke Baldwin on CNN, Eugene
Fidell likened Trump's attacks on Bergdahl to those of a "lynch
mob" trying to "incite ill will and vilification" of his client.
Michael Bloomberg Mulling Presidential Campaign, Takes Hillary
Clinton Supporters
Breitbart - Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is
reportedly looking into a presidential run as an Independent. A
new Morning Consult Poll suggests Bloomberg entering the
presidential race would hurt Hillary Clinton more than GOP
frontrunner Donald Trump... Bloomberg would pull support from
independents and adults under 30 years old from Clinton if he
entered the race, according to the new poll that also found
Bloomberg receives 13 percent in a three-candidate matchup.
Georgia cop indicted for fatal shooting of an unarmed, naked Air
Force vet
RT - DeKalb County Police Officer Robert Olsen, who shot and
killed Anthony Hill last year, has been indicted on all six
charges against him, including murder. The family and their
supporters have expressed delight at the ‘historic’ grand jury
decision. The grand jury deliberated from 9:00am into early
evening on Thursday, before indicting Olsen on two felony murder
counts, one aggravated assault count, one making a false
statement count, and two violation of oath by a public officer
counts.
TPP Trade Deal Will Cost US 448,000 Jobs, Say Researchers
Anti Media - One of the major purported selling points for the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a supposed increase in new jobs as a
result of the controversial trade deal. The deal involves 12 nations,
including the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and
more. However, two recent economic reports have contradicted the claims
that jobs will increase. They have shown that, more than likely, the
deal will lead to a loss of jobs.
JPMorgan CEO gets 35% pay raise to $27M amid cutbacks
USA Today - Even as Wall Street braces for more cuts to jobs and
bonuses, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was paid $27 million in 2015, up
from $20 million the year before, the company said Thursday. The pay
raise comes after JPMorgan announced record annual profits last week,
thanks to cost-cutting that helped to offset stagnating revenue growth.
PMorgan’s board paid Dimon a $1.5 million salary, a $5 million cash
bonus and $20.5 million in performance-based stock grants, the company
said in a regulatory filing.
7.1 quake hits Alaska leaving thousands without power (PHOTOS,
VIDEOS)
RT - A 7.1 earthquake hit southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, on
Sunday early in the morning sending about 30 aftershocks,
according to seismologists. Power companies said that thousands
were left without power. The quake struck at about 1:30 am local
time about 280 kilometers (162 miles) southwest of Alaska’s
biggest city, Anchorage, according the US Geological Survey. The
epicenter of the quake was located 124.8 kilometers deep.
According to residents tremors were felt in Anchorage. The
Alaska Earthquake Center recorded some 30 aftershocks during the
night with the strongest measured at 4.3.
Contagious Airborne Diseases Appear in Schools Across Texas
Breitbart - Highly contagious airborne diseases–tuberculosis
(TB) and measles–surfaced in three Texas public school districts
located in different parts of the state, although officials have
not identified the origins of these cases. In Harris County,
Houston Independent School District officials confirmed one case
of tuberculosis at Sugar Grove Academy Middle School. The
student, according to ABC-TV affiliate KTRK, was diagnosed,
treated, and is recovering. The contagious airborne pulmonary
infection can spread rapidly once the bacteria becomes active
because an individual will manifest symptoms. Not everyone
infected exhibits tell-tale signs of the reputed lung illness if
the bacteria remains dormant.
Stevia Kills Lyme Disease Pathogen Better Than Antibiotics
(Preclinical Study)
Green Med Info - Lyme disease is exceedingly difficult to treat,
due to its well-known shape-shifting (pleomorphic) abilities,
with conventional antibiotics often failing to produce a
long-term cure. Could the commonly used natural plant Stevia
provide a safer, and more effective means to combat this
increasingly prevalent infection? A promising new preclinical
study has revealed that whole stevia leaf extract possesses
exceptional antibiotic activity against the exceedingly
difficult to treat pathogen Borrelia Burgdorferi known to cause
Lyme disease. The study found, Stevia whole leaf extract, as an
individual agent, was effective against all known morphological
forms of B. burgdorferi."
* Related:
Lyme Patients to Call on Congress for Decisive Action on
Epidemic
8 Things You’re Doing Wrong With Garlic
Natural Blaze - For all the amazing health benefits of garlic –
wouldn’t it be nice to know how to get the best benefits and
stop wasting this superfood? Whether it’s eating, storing or
cooking garlic – there are some things you need to know to get
the best benefits. Here are 8 amazing garlic hacks!
Friday
- January 22, 2016 - Today in History:
1771 - The Falkland Islands were ceded to Britain by Spain.
1879 - James Shields began a term as a Senator from Missouri. He
previously served Illinois & Minnesota. He was the 1st Senator to
serve 3 states.
1901 - Queen Victoria of England died after reigning for nearly 64
years. Edward VII, her son, succeeded her.
1905 - Insurgent workers were fired on in St Petersburg, Russia,
resulting in "Bloody Sunday." 500 people were killed.
1917 - U.S. President Wilson pleaded for an end to war in Europe,
calling for "peace without victory." America entered the war the
following April.
1930 - In New York, excavation began for the Empire State Building.
1944 - Allied forces began landing at Anzio, Italy, during World War II.
1973 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws that had been
restricting abortions during the first six months of pregnancy. The case
(Roe vs. Wade) legalized abortion.
1997 - The U.S. Senate confirmed Madeleine Albright as the first female
secretary of state.
1998 - Theodore Kaczynski pled guilty to federal charges for his role as
the Unabomber. He agreed to life in prison without parole.
2000 - Elian Gonzalez's grandmothers met privately with U.S. Attorney
General Janet Reno as they appealed for help in removing the boy from
his Florida relatives and reuniting him with his father in Cuba.
2002 - Lawyers suing Enron Corp. asked a court to prevent further
shredding of documents due to the pending federal investigation.
2002 - Kmart Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy making it the largest
retailer in history to seek legal protection from its creditors.
2008 -Jose Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaida to blow up a
radioactive "dirty bomb," was sentenced by a U.S. federal judge in Miami
to more than 17 years in prison on terrorism conspiracy charges.
2009 - President Barack Obama ordered the terrorist detention center at
Guantanamo Bay closed within a year and banned harsh interrogation of
terror suspects. (The prison remains open.)
Protesters Break Police Line and Enter Parliament of Bankster
Ransacked Moldova
Kurt Nimmo - Hundreds of protesters in the Moldovan capital of
Chisinau forced their way through a police line and entered the
parliament on Wednesday. The protesters called lawmakers
traitors for appointing Pavel Filip, a member of the main
pro-European coalition, as prime minister. Moldova has not had a
government since a no-confidence vote in October overturned the
administration of Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet. The vote
occurred following a scandal that siphoned more than $1
billion—amounting to 15% of Moldova’s GDP—from three banks in
the small country of 3.5 million people. Moldova is the poorest
country in Europe with a per capita income of $300 per month.
Banca Sociala, Banca de Economii (BEM) and Unibank had taken
control of 30 percent of Moldova’s banking sector assets. The
banks issued loans that allowed them to move around $1 billion
to Latvia and then into a bewildering array of shell companies.
Diphtheria, Tuberculosis, And Malaria: European Hospitals
Prepare for Influx of Migrant Diseases
Breitbart - The Danish State Serum Institute (SSI) has warned
hospitals to be on the lookout for signs of diphtheria, an
illness that has not been seen in Denmark for 20 years, after
two Libyan migrants tested position for the disease.... Danish
newspaper Metroxpress also reported that other asylum seekers
had also been found to be carrying tuberculosis and malaria,
prompting the SSI to comment that Denmark may start introducing
mandatory health checks for migrants. The Local reports that
Health Minister Sophie Lunde has confirmed immigration officials
will discuss a change in policy with the country’s Health and
Medicines Authority. As well as screening, Denmark could also
introduce mandatory vaccinations for migrants.
A New U.K. Law Tells Migrants to Earn $50,000 or Go Home
City Lab - U.S. citizens who work in the United Kingdom for an
annual income of less than $50,000 may soon find themselves
buying a ticket home. If so, they’ll be doing so thanks to a new
law coming this April, one that will see any non-European Union
citizens in the U.K. earning less than £35,000 ($49,960) a year
deported after five years in the country. The law comes as part
of a new package intended to slash migration levels in the U.K.,
and will also see the country become a lot harder to get into
professionally in the first place. After April, U.K. companies
won’t be able to bring anyone in unless they pay them more than
£30,000 ($42,800) per year and pay a levy of £1,000 a year
($1,427) for every new non-E.U. hire.
* Related:
IMF recommends paying refugees below the minimum wage
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Pentagon to increase number of US troops in Iraq; Carter
discusses 'accelerating' ISIS campaign
RT - The US plans to increase the number of troops in Iraq as it
seeks to “accelerate” its campaign to “crush” Islamic State in
the region, the Pentagon chief said. Ash Carter met with his
French partner seeking ways to bring Arab states “in the game,”
too. Aside from his bilateral meeting with his counterpart and
“good friend,” French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the
US Defense Secretary Carter sat down for the first with seven
major members of the anti-Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL)
coalition. The “face-to-face meeting” included Britain, Germany,
Italy, Australia and the Netherlands, all trying to figure out
in what ways they could boost their fight against Islamic
militants.
Obama authorizes US troops to target new ISIS affiliate in
Afghanistan
RT - Known as ISIL-K, the Afghanistan group claiming to be a
branch of Islamic State can now legally be targeted by US
troops, thanks to White House authorization. Military officials
welcomed the move as a “significant step.” The new authorization
came Wednesday after Defense Secretary Ash Carter asked for it
last month. A military official referred to President Barack
Obama’s fulfillment of the request a "significant step,"
reported The Military Times.
‘Fast & Furious’ rifle capable of taking down helicopter found
in 'El Chapo' cache
Fox News - A .50-caliber rifle found at Joaquin "El Chapo"
Guzman’s hideout in Mexico was funneled through the
gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious, sources
confirmed Tuesday to Fox News. A .50-caliber is a massive rifle
that can stop a car or, as it was intended, take down a
helicopter. After the raid on Jan. 8 in the city of Los Mochis
that killed five of his men and wounded one Mexican marine,
officials found a number of weapons inside the house where
Guzman was staying, including the rifle, officials said. When
agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives checked serial numbers of the eight weapons found in
his possession, they found one of the two .50-caliber weapons
traced back to the ATF program, sources said.
#Snowmaggedon2016: Empty Store Shelves As Panicked Shoppers
Ransack Grocery Stores (Photos)
Adan Salazar - Concerned shoppers worried about spending days
snowed indoors have hit grocery stores hard leaving empty
shelves in their wake, hours before a massive snowstorm is due
for the northeastern United States. A few inches of snow have
already piled up in places like Washington DC causing havoc, but
forecasters predict Winter Storm Jonas could be a “historic
storm” that will bring 50 to 60mph winds and more than two feet
of snow.
Ron Paul: Realistically, Trump Will Be The Nominee
Breitbart - Former presidential candidate Ron Paul, and father
of presidential contender Sen. Rand Paul (R-TX), said Wednesday
that that Trump will likely be the Republican presidential
nominee.,,, When asked about his son’s chance, Paul said that he
may do better than people expect. “I think he may well surprise
everybody because he has good organization and caucus states are
different. That’s where we always did well.” Paul also discussed
his 2012 presidential bid and how difficult it was for his
campaign to get coverage in the media. “Remember, the coverage
was tough to get,” Paul said. “The system isn’t really that
fair. Actually when we got to the convention, they changed the
rules. And the rules they changed, now looks like it can help
Trump. They’re in a tizzy now, the Republican Party, because
they got to change the rules again because ‘We certainly don’t
want to help Trump.'” Paul also dumped on polling, says it can
be rigged.
Hume Explains How Sarah Palin's Trump Endorsement 'Blows Up'
Cruz's Game Plan
Fox News - Hume explained that Cruz has a reputation as a
"consistent conservative," while Trump's conservative
credentials have often been questioned on the campaign trail.
"And now comes Sarah Palin, who, I think, retains the affections
and loyalties of a certain number of American conservatives to
vouch for him," Hume said. "That hurts Cruz. It hurts him
particularly in Iowa." "The whole effect of all of this is to
blow up the Cruz game plan," Hume said. Hume explained that
Cruz's strategy was to coast in Trump's wake, wait for him to
drop out and be in an excellent position to inherit Trump's
supporters. "His game plan for how to win this is wounded," Hume
stated. "If he doesn't win Iowa - he's really not strong in New
Hampshire - he's got a problem."
Conservatives pen anti-Trump manifesto
The Hill - Conservative authors are banding together to publish
a manifesto Friday denouncing the ideas of Republican
presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Leading conservatives
including Erick Erickson, William Kristol and Yuval Levin have
written essays for a special issue of National Review to be
published Friday, The New York Times reports. “Donald Trump is a
menace to American conservatism who would take the work of
generations and trample it underfoot on behalf of a populism as
heedless and crude as The Donald himself,” reads an editorial
accompanying the essays in the issue, according to the
newspaper. The issue will include essays from 22 prominent
conservative voices, according to CNN.
Palin takes heat from veterans for using son's arrest, PTSD to
criticize Obama
Fox News - Sarah Palin is taking heat from veterans for seeming
to point the finger at President Obama over mental issues her
son may be dealing with following his Iraq war service. Her son
Track was arrested earlier this week on domestic violence
charges, and Palin publicly addressed the case Wednesday during
a post-endorsement appearance on the campaign trail for Donald
Trump. She appeared to link his alleged behavior to
post-traumatic stress disorder – and used it to criticize
Obama’s veteran policies. But Paul Rieckhoff, the head of Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), criticized the
former Alaska governor’s comments Wednesday night. He tweeted:
“We need more programs and less politics to battle PTSD.”
Crashing oil prices hit former Texas boomtowns
USA Today - Crude’s free fall has rattled world markets, erased billions
of dollars in stocks worldwide and led to thousands of layoffs in the
oil and gas sector. But the steady march of declining prices – with no
end in sight – and recent news that lifting of sanctions on Iran could
deliver even more oil to the market has nudged the outlook in South
Texas from depressed to near desperate. The number of active oil and gas
drilling rigs in the Eagle Ford Shale has shrunk from 259 at the boom's
peak in 2012 to 68 today, according to oil field services firm Baker
Hughes.
Thousands Of Angry Students "Flood" Government With Demands For Debt
Relief
Zero Hedge - Last summer, Corinthian Colleges closed its doors amid
government scrutiny of for-profit colleges… Sure enough, the government
quickly found itself scrambling to respond after Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan received a group request from 78,000 former Corinthian
students requesting loan forgiveness in late May. Essentially, the law
says students can have their debt expunged in the event they’ve been
defrauded. In cases like Corinthian, where the government itself has
effectively accused the school of fraud, it’s difficult to deny
students’ claims… Fast forward nine months and sure enough, “thousands”
of students are “flooding the government” with appeals to have their
student loans discharged on the grounds they were the victims of fraud.
"In the past six months, more than 7,500 borrowers owing $164 million
have applied to have their student debt expunged under an obscure
federal law that had been applied only in three instances before last
year," WSJ wrote on Wednesday. "The law forgives debt for borrowers who
prove their schools used illegal tactics to recruit them, such as by
lying about their graduates’ earnings."
US Awards $1Bln to States to Prepare for Climate Change
Disasters
Sputnik News - The White House release characterized the grants
as a historic commitment to "building climate resilient
communities." "Out of 40 finalists, the winners include states
and local communities that will invest in innovative coastal
protection and storm water management, relocation assistance for
the most distressed communities, and economic development and
job creation through adaptation," the release said on Thursday…
The Obama administration and some scientists believe extreme
weather events, including the looming snowstorm, are symptoms of
climate change caused by a global increase in emissions of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Despite environmental concerns, North Dakota approves largest
capacity crude oil pipeline
RT - North Dakota regulators have approved a proposal to build
the largest capacity pipeline to date. The 1,130-mile long
pipeline seeks to transport nearly 600,000 barrels of crude oil
from the Bakken oil fields through 50 counties across four
states. On Tuesday, the North Dakota Public Service Commission
approved permits for a pipeline that would transport crude oil
through the Dakotas, Illinois, and Iowa. The all-Republican
panel voted 2-0 in favor of the pipeline, with one member
abstaining due to a conflict of interest. owa is the only state
yet to approve permits, however, The News and Observer reports
that Energy Transfer Parts, the company behind the project,
expects Iowa to approve by next month. According to The News &
Observer, the project is estimated to cost roughly $3.8 billion,
with the North Dakota leg alone costing $1.4 billion.
Black Seed Extract 'Cures' HIV Patient Naturally
Green Med Info - There are words you don't use in medicine
today, such as "cure." But a remarkable case study in an HIV
positive patient treated with black seed extract resulted in a
sustained remission, indicating a safe, accessible and
affordable alternative to highly toxic antiretroviral HIV drugs
may already exist. Nigella Sativa, also known as 'black seed,'
has been studied for a wide rage of health benefits, but not
until recently was it discovered to hold promise as a curative
agent against potentially lethal viral infections, including
Hepatitis C[i] and now HIV.
6 Reasons to Go Nuts Over Pistachios – How to Make Your Own
Pistachio Milk
Natural News Blogs - If you have never considered pistachios to
be a healthy snack, maybe you need to reconsider. Here are a few
ways that pistachios can benefit your health and lifestyle.
Ultimate Cat Lady: Woman Shares Her Home With 1,100 Rescue Felines
Barcroft TV - A CARING cat lady has given up her 4,200 square foot home
to more than a THOUSAND felines. Sixty-seven-year-old Lynea Lattanzio
now lives in a trailer on her six acre property and allows the cats to
run freely through the five bedroom house. She started fostering cats in
1992 and acquired 96 by the end of the year - successfully rehoming all
of them. In 1993 she became a veterinary technician to help keep the
animals’ medical costs down and the number of cats continued to grow.
Today she runs Cat House On The Kings which is California’s largest
no-cage, no kill sanctuary for feral and abandoned cats.
Thursday
- January 21, 2016 - Today in History:
1793 - During the French Revolution, King Louis XVI was executed on the
guillotine. He had been condemned for treason.
1812 - The Y-bridge in Zanesville, OH, was approved for construction.
1846 - The first issue of the "Daily News," edited by Charles Dickens,
was published.
1861 - The future president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis of
Mississippi, resigned from the U.S. Senate. Four other Southerners also
resigned.
1865 - An oil well was drilled by torpedoes for the first time.
1915 - The first Kiwanis club was formed in Detroit, MI.
1924 - Soviet leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin died. Joseph Stalin began a
purge of his rivals for the leadership of the Soviet Union.
1954 - The Nautilus was launched in Groton, CT. It was the first
atomic-powered submarine. U.S. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower broke the
traditional bottle of champagne across the bow.
1954 - The gas turbine automobile was introduced in New York City.
1970 - The Boeing 747 made its first commercial flight from New York to
London for Pan American.
1977 - U.S. President Carter pardoned almost all Vietnam War draft
evaders.
1994 - A jury in Manassas, VA, acquitted Lorena Bobbitt by reason of
temporary insanity of maliciously wounding (severing his penis) her
husband John. She accused him of sexually assaulting her.
1997 - Newt Gingrich was fined as the U.S. House of Representatives
voted for first time in history to discipline its leader for ethical
misconduct.
1998 - A former White House intern said on tape that she had an affair
with U.S. President Clinton.
1999 - The Coast Guard intercepted a ship headed for Houston, TX, that
had over 9,500 pounds of cocaine aboard. Was largest drug busts in U.S.
history.
2004 - The recording industry sued 532 computer users it said were
illegally distributing songs over the Internet.
2010 - Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards finally
admitted fathering a child during an affair before his second White
House bid.
‘We’ll fight ISIS until its complete annihilation’ – Russian FM
Lavrov after Kerry talks
RT - Islamic State and the Nusra Front won’t be part of the
proposed Syrian ceasefire as the fight against the jihadists
will go on until their complete annihilation, Russian FM Sergey
Lavrov and his US counterpart, John Kerry, agreed during talks
in Zurich. During the negotiations, the two diplomats “discussed
practical steps to ensure the conditions for a ceasefire” in
Syria in accordance with the UN resolution, the Russian foreign
minister added. During the negotiations, the two diplomats
“discussed practical steps to ensure the conditions for a
ceasefire” in Syria in accordance with the UN resolution, the
Russian foreign minister added. The truce “wouldn’t apply to
terrorist organizations Islamic State and the Nusra Front (Jabhat
al-Nusra),” he stressed. "They can’t be subject to an agreement
on a ceasefire as they remain our enemies. And we’ll continue to
fight them until their complete annihilation,” Lavrov stressed.
Turkish Troops Entered Syria - Kurdish Media
Sputnik News - On Tuesday evening, the Turkish army reportedly
entered Syrian territory near Jarablus. While ostensibly aimed
at liberating the city from Daesh, the operation may have more
to do with keeping Kurdish People’s Protection Units away from
the Turkish border. According to information received by Sputnik
Brazil, Turkey has been amassing military units along the Syrian
border. The number of troops is estimated to be around 1,000.
World facing ‘wave of epic debt defaults,’ says economist who
predicted Lehman crash
RT - The financial situation in the world has become so unstable
that a new wave of defaults and bankruptcies will soon emerge,
says William White, the chairman of the OECD's review committee
and former chief economist of the Bank for International
Settlements (BIS). "The situation is worse than it was in 2007.
Our macroeconomic ammunition to fight downturns is essentially
all used up," the economist told the Telegraph newspaper before
the World Economic Forum in Davos. White is one of a few bankers
who warned about the rising crisis in the Western financial
system before the financial crash eight years ago.
Putin slams Big Pharma and GMO foods
Hang The Bankers - Russian President Vladimir Putin believes the
pharmaceutical industry and big food corporations are
threatening the lives of Russia’s citizens. Vladimir Putin
stated in a report prepared by the Security Council that
Russians should be protected from GMO foods and pharmaceutical
companies “at all costs.” The Russian leader judged that human
evolution is at “grave risk” and that Western powers are
“intentionally decelerating the process for personal gain,”
YourNewsWire reported. According to the report, Putin believes
that “we as a species have the choice to continue to develop our
bodies and brains in a healthy upward trajectory, or we can
follow the Western example of recent decades and intentionally
poison our population with genetically altered food,
pharmaceuticals, vaccinations, and fast food that should be
classified as a dangerous, addictive drug. We must fight this. A
physically and intellectually disabled population is not in our
interests,” the report revealed.
Libya destroyed by the west, $7 billion in gold and silver
missing
Hang The Bankers - A declassified email sent on April 2, 2011 to
then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reveals the invasion of
Libya was launched to prevent Muammar Gaddafi from establishing
a pan-African currency based on Libya’s gold Dinar. According to
the document posted on the US State Department website advisors
to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi,
told sources the Libyan government held 143 tons of gold and a
similar amount in silver valued at more than $7 billion. The
gold and silver was to be used to establish an alternative
currency to the French franc for African Francophone countries.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Senate Democrats block bill to restrict Syrian refugees from
entering U.S.
USA Today - Senate Democrats blocked a vote Wednesday on a bill
that would have halted the admission of Syrian and Iraqi
refugees into the U.S. until they underwent the strictest
vetting process ever required for people fleeing their war-torn
homelands. Senators voted 55-43 to advance the bill, falling
five votes short of the 60 needed. President Obama had vowed to
veto the legislation if it passed. At one point, Senate Minority
Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., offered to allow the bill to advance
— but only if Republican leaders agreed to permit a vote to
denounce GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's proposal
to bar all Muslims from entering the U.S.
Obama’s gun control order runs into first legal challenge
RT - Conservative advocacy group Freedom Watch on Monday
challenged Obama’s executive order on guns, which instructed the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and other agencies
to reinterpret legislation passed by Congress.... The lawsuit,
filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of
Florida, alleges that President Obama doesn’t have the legal
authority to redefine laws that Congress passed. The new
interpretation allows the ATF to extend its enforcement
activities to people who do not make their livelihood selling
firearms and require them to perform background checks. This
previous limitation on jurisdiction was known by its detractors
as the “gun show loophole. This is only the first lawsuit
challenging the January 4 executive order that many experts
predicted to be controversial both politically and legally.
Video: Fed Employees Brag About Federal Land Grabs
Adan Salazar - Employee brags they “stole the money from
Washington” to push World War II vets off land. “We went out to
the mine and the owners were two little guys that had been in
the Second World War,” a California park service employee
recalls at a retirement celebration for Mojave National Preserve
Superintendent Mary Martin in 2005. The employee brags about how
the veterans’ mine was appraised by the federal government at
$40 million, and acquired for a paltry $2.5 million. “We did get
it appraised and we did acquire it for $2.5 million which I
stole the money from Washington to acquire it,” the employee in
the video admits, adding that it’s sometimes hard to bamboozle
property owners due to the agency’s reputation. “’Lands’ isn’t
always supported because we’re the ‘bad guys.’ We come in, and
we take this land. And we always take it for less than it’s
worth.”
Oregon standoff: Militia member loses foster kids, blames
‘pressure from the feds’
RT 19 Jan, 2016 - One of the most visible members of the armed
militia that took over a wildlife refuge in Oregon says his four
foster sons were taken away due to his involvement in the
standoff, and he blames the federal government who “must have
gotten to the governor.” Robert “LaVoy” Finicum and his wife
Jeanette have fostered more than 50 boys over the last decade at
their ranch near Chino Valley, Arizona. The couple is licensed
and has a care contract with the Catholic Charities Community
Services. Many of the children came from mental hospitals, drug
rehabs and group homes for emotionally distressed youth, he told
Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB).... A social worker began
removing the last four of the family’s foster kids on January 4,
the fourth day of the Oregon standoff. The last left five days
later, he said.
Bill of Rights Birthplace Partially Demolished by Developer
Kit Daniels - Serving as a microcosm of the Obama
administration, a real estate developer partially demolished the
reputed birthplace of the Bill of Rights. The developer, Triple
Crown Corp., secured a permit to demolish a two-story stone
building, formerly known as James Bell Tavern, in Silver Spring
Township, Penn., but by the time a third of the building was
destroyed, the city stopped the demolition because officials
realized the Bill of Rights was conceived at the tavern during a
1788 meeting. “How appropriate that part of the building has
been torn down while other parts remain,” commenter W.C. Handy
wrote to the local Sentinel Newspaper. “We have a Congress that
is so intent on destroying the Bill of Rights… the building as
it stands now is rather indicative of the current state of our
Bill of Rights.” “Why not leave the building as it is to serve
as a reminder to us all?” Another commenter pointed out that,
just like the Obama administration, the developer stopped the
demolition for now, but may continue in the near future.
Does Your Presidential Candidate Support Big Pharma Agendas Like
Mandatory Vaccines?
Health Impact News - How do the individual presidential
candidates stack up in relations to pharmaceutical allegiance,
their stance on mandatory vaccination laws and drug company
donations they have accepted for their campaign? The Center for
Responsive Politics is the nation’s premier research group
tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and
public policy. The group tracked all donations that took place
during the 2015-2016 election cycle. The table below is what
they found...
Trump Nears 50 Percent in Florida Poll
The Hill - Donald Trump is leading in Florida with 48 percent of
the GOP vote, according to a poll released Wednesday. Sen. Ted
Cruz (Texas) follows in second with 16 percent, with Sen. Marco
Rubio (Fla.) at 11 percent support and former Gov. Jeb Bush
(Fla.) at 9.5 percent, the survey from Florida Atlantic
University Business and Economics Polling Initiative found....
In a general election matchup, Trump has 47 percent of the vote,
leading Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton who takes 44
percent. The FAU poll was conducted from Jan. 15 to 18.
Bakers Green Acres Farm to Stay Open as Place for Veterans to
Rebuild Their Lives after War
Health Impact News - In a turn of events, Bakers Green Acres
farm owner Mark Baker announced last week that he and his family
have decided not to sell their farm as previously announced but
instead they will transition from production to education. They
plan to focus on veteran rehabilitation, using the farm as a
place for veterans to come and live, build skills and heal.
Mark, a veteran who served for 20 years, says of the recent
decision to keep their farm... Mark explains his heart for
making the farm a place for veterans, I see the real need out
there of veterans that would like to get their lives back
together, transition out of military service, and I think the
farm is a good place to make that happen. The stories that I’m
hearing now are not good and I think we can make a dent in a lot
of that tragedy.
* Related:
Michigan DNR Forces Closure of Family-run Heritage Hog Farm
US Oil Settles at $26.55 Barrel Reaching Lowest Price Since 2003
Sputnik News - The oil prices have reached their lowest point
since May 2003, settling several cents higher than their
intraday low of $26.19. In addition, the global benchmark Brent
settled at $27.94 a barrel, falling 2.9 percent and collapsing
the US stock market. Earlier in the day, the Fitch rating agency
lowered the 2016 price forecast for oil to $45 a barrel,
suggesting that the long-term oil price will stand at $65 a
barrel.
Global Stocks Enter Bear Market: One-Fifth Of All Worldwide
Stock Market Wealth Is Already Gone
Economic Collapse - It’s official – global stocks have entered a
bear market. On Wednesday, we learned that the MSCI All-Country
World Index has fallen a total of more than 20 percent from the
peak of the market. So that means that roughly one-fifth of all
the stock market wealth in the entire world has already been
wiped out. How much more is it going to take before everyone
will finally admit that we have a major financial crisis on our
hands?
ATM and overdraft fees top $6 billion at the big 3 banks
WGN - America’s three biggest banks — JPMorgan Chase, Bank of
America and Wells Fargo — earned more than $6 billion just from
ATM and overdraft fees last year, according to an analysis by
SNL Financial and CNNMoney. That equates to $25 for every adult
in the United States.
Flint Sends Overdue Notices to Residents Who Aren’t Paying for
Their Water, Which Is Poison
Slate - Flint, Michigan, is sending out notices to residents
who haven’t been paying for their city water services. The
notices say that services could be cut off if payment isn’t
received. This is a normal civic administrative practice except
for one thing: Flint’s water is so badly poisoned that the
National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency have been
called in to manage the situation, which has left residents
drinking bottled water that’s being given out as an emergency
measure.... As MLive notes in dry fashion: Some residents have
expressed outrage over the fact they are being billed for water
they cannot drink without filtration due to elevated lead levels
found in water in some Flint homes.
Dow Fails to Appear in Court for the Third Time over Toxic
Disaster
Natural Society - Leaders of 5 organizations representing
survivors of the Dow Chemical (Union Carbide) disaster in
Bhopal, India condemned the US government for protecting Dow
from ongoing criminal proceedings in the Bhopal District court.
Dow Chemical failed to appear in court for the third time
recently to account for exposing half a million people to the
deadly gas, methyl isocyanate. The December 2nd, 1984 incident
involved a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, a subsidiary of
Dow, which began leaking 27 tons of the deadly gas. None of the
6 safety systems designed to contain such a leak were
operational, allowing the gas to spread throughout the city of
Bhopal. More than 120,000 people still suffer from ailments
caused by the accident and the subsequent pollution at the plant
site.
Revealed: You Won’t Believe How Many Times Squirrels Have Caused
Blackouts
Off the Grid News - America’s electrical power grid is so
fragile that even squirrels can knock it. Believe it or not,
squirrels have caused 623 electrical outages in recent decades.
That’s according to a new website, CyberSquirrel1.com, that
traces the number of times squirrels, birds, raccoons, rats,
beavers and even snakes cause power outages. Although the map
covers the entire world, the overwhelming majority of outages on
the map took place in the United States.
Pentagon’s DARPA Wants Implanted Brain Chips to Directly
Communicate with Computers
Sputnik News - The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),
the Pentagon's secretive research arm, announced that it is
working to develop an implantable neural interface intended to
transfer data between computers and the brain. ... DARPA said
the program has the potential to create tiny devices – about the
size of two stacked nickels – that could improve sight or
hearing by feeding digital auditory or visual information from
powerful sensors directly into the brain. For that to happen,
DARPA said that first there will have to be "breakthroughs
across numerous disciplines, including neuroscience, synthetic
biology, low-power electronics, photonics, medical device
packaging and manufacturing, systems engineering, and clinical
testing."
New cars to record your iris, fingerprints, voice and blood
pressure
MassPrivateI - Auto manufacturers are working with a company
called Eyelock to put 'Myris' iris scanners in new cars.
According to Biometricupdate.com, Eyelock's iris authentication
process takes less than five seconds to complete.... Eyelock
only allows authenticated drivers behind the wheel, which means
insurance companies will be drooling at the mouths to profit
from this invasive technology... Allstate Insurance wants
cameras to spy on other drivers and identify any distractions:
"Allstate's Traffic-Based Driving Analysis patent uses sensors
and cameras to record potential sources of driver distractions
inside your car like a cell phone, pets or unsecured objects in
vehicle." "Allstate's Traffic-Based Driving Analysis patent uses
sensors and cameras to record potential sources of driver
distractions inside your car like a cell phone, pets or
unsecured objects in vehicle." "It'll also spy on the number and
types of passengers inside the car."
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Grass-Fed Label For Meat – Gone!
Natural Blaze - The US Department of Agriculture is nixing its
grass-fed standard, but they’re doing it for the most absurd
reason imaginable. Last week, the USDA announced it would be
withdrawing its standard for the grass-fed meat label. The
agency is giving producers who used the grass-fed label thirty
days to (1) convert the current “grass-fed” standard, in which
99% of the animal’s feed must be from grass or forage, into
their own private standard; (2) use some other “recognized
grass-fed standard,” or else (3) develop a new, voluntary,
grass-fed standard—whatever the company decides is fine with the
USDA. All of this is being implemented through the USDA’s
Process Verified Program (PVP).... So if producers can create
their own standard and call their product “grass-fed,” and if
there are no labeling regulations, it could contain 80%, or even
50%, and the rest grain-fed. There is just no way to know.
Fig Trees: The Easy Indoor Plant That Fruits Fast
Off the Grid News - Are you looking for something new for your
gardening tastes? Why not try figs? Figs are well-known as being
easy to grow indoors. They only take one or two years to mature
and fruit, which is great for those gardeners who don’t feel
like tending a plant for years before they get to taste their
hard work. You will not only get fruit, but also have a lovely,
decorative plant to enhance your home. It’s perfect for a little
exotic or tropical touch during the long months of winter.
Electromagnetic fields from mobile phones accelerate mercury
release from dental fillings
(NaturalNews) A fascinating scientific study has found that
using mobile phones can accelerate the release of toxic mercury
from dental fillings..... The authors of the mobile phone study
concluded that "MRI and microwave radiation emitted from mobile
phones significantly release mercury from dental amalgam
restoration." This means when you hold a mobile phone next to
your jaw, you are driving electromagnetic energy into the
mercury fillings in your mouth, heating them up just enough to
accelerate their release of mercury. You then inhale the mercury
which enters the bloodstream, poisoning your brain and kidneys.
11 Foods That Increase Magnesium Levels, Prevent High Blood
Pressure, Blood Clots & Muscle Fatigue
Natural News Blogs - According to population studies of average
magnesium intake, there’s a good chance that you’re not. Less
than 30% of U.S. adults consume the Recommended Daily Allowance
(RDA) of magnesium. And nearly 20% get only half of the
magnesium they need daily to remain healthy.... Magnesium is
probably the most important nutrient for that energy powerhouse,
the human heart; it helps the heart muscle itself function
better. Magnesium also helps protect blood vessels, which is
where most of what we call heart disease actually happens.
Sports stadium food moldy, expired, infested with vermin feces
(NaturalNews) Expired pizza dough. Moldy hot dogs. Rat droppings
near food. These and other disgusting health violations are
surprisingly more prevalent than you might think at some
professional sports stadiums, alleges one district safety
manager for a major food distributor. And little is being done,
he says, to address the problem and keep sports fans safe.
Outraged by the level of filth he observed at sports stadiums
after being hired on with Aramark's Sports and Entertainment
division, Jonathan Costa began to collect photo documentation of
what he says are major and ongoing health code violations taking
place at the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium and the Royals' Kauffman
Stadium, both in Kansas City, Missouri.
Wednesday
- January 20, 2016 - Today in History:
1801 - John Marshall was appointed chief justice of the United States.
1841 - The island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain. It returned
to Chinese control in July 1997.
1887 - The U.S. Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in
Hawaii as a naval base.
1937 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to be
inaugurated on January 20th. The 20th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
officially set the date for the swearing in of the President and Vice
President.
1942 - Nazi officials held the Wannsee conference, during which they
arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Europe's
Jews.
1944 - The British RAF dropped 2,300 tons of bombs on Berlin.
1954 - The National Negro Network was formed on this date. Forty radio
stations were charter members of the network.
1981 - Iran released 52 Americans that had been held hostage for 444
days. The hostages were flown to Algeria and then to a U.S. base in
Wiesbaden, West Germany. The release occurred minutes after the U.S.
presidency had passed from Jimmy Carter to Ronald Reagan.
1986 - The U.S. observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain
civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
1987 - Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite was kidnapped in Beirut,
Lebanon. He was there attempting to negotiate the release of Western
hostages. He was not freed until November 1991.
1997 - Bill Clinton was inaugurated for his second term as president of
the United States.
1998 - American researchers announced that they had cloned calves that
may produce medicinal milk.
2000 - Greece and Turkey signed five accords aimed to build confidence
between the two nations.
At least 21 dead in Pakistan university attack
AFP - At least 21 people died in an armed assault on a
university in Pakistan Wednesday, where witnesses reported two
large explosions as security forces moved in under dense fog to
halt the bloodshed.
Turkey: The Islamic State’s Second Home
Global Research - A recent bombing in the Turkish city of
Istanbul has left at least 10 dead and 15 injured. The
government in Ankara was quick to blame the so-called “Islamic
State” (ISIS/ISIL/Daesh), claiming the bomber was “Syrian” and
had crossed over from Syria into Turkey before carrying out the
terrorist attack. The Guardian would report in its article,
“Deadly Istanbul blast ’caused by Isis suicide bomber’,” that:
“We have determined that the perpetrator of the attack is a
foreigner who is a member of Daesh,” prime minister Ahmet
Davutoğlu said, using an Arabic acronym for Isis. “Turkey won’t
backtrack in its struggle against Daesh by even one step … This
terror organisation, the assailants and all of their connections
will be found and they will receive the punishments they
deserve.” However, an overabundance of evidence during the past
several years indicates that ISIS is in fact both an intentional
creation and continuous perpetuation of foreign state-sponsors
of terrorism, including Turkey itself.
ISIS Not the Only Bad Actors in Iraq, U.N. Report Shows
USN - Iraqi forces and militia members battling the Islamic
State group are allegedly responsible for abuses against
civilians that have contributed to the chaos in the war-torn
nation over a nearly two-year period, according to a new U.N.
report. Officials working on the report, which is based on
interviews with Iraqi civilians, were unable to clearly tally
all of the abuses according to which were perpetrated by
pro-government forces and which by the Islamic State group
because the security situation in the country is so precarious.
But the report notes allegations of "arbitrary arrests" and
civilian abductions by Iraqi security forces and associated
troops, as well as "unlawful killings" of suspected Islamic
State group sympathizers.
Kurds use bulldozers to ‘de-Arabize’ lands captured from ISIS –
Amnesty
RT - Iraqi Kurdish forces are involved in a campaign aimed at
preventing the Arab population displaced by violence from
returning to their homes in Kurd-controlled northern areas,
Amnesty International said in a damning report. The Kurdish
Regional Government (KRG) and Peshmerga militias were one of the
leading forces fighting against the onslaught of the terrorist
group Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL) in northern Iraq. While
the Iraqi army fled the initial IS offensive, Kurds held their
ground and became a principal ally for the US-led coalition
fighting against the terrorists. As fighting on the ground
continued and territories in Iraq changed hands, some 3 million
people were displaced. Lately the Kurds fended off IS fighters
and asserted control over areas, where mixed Arab-Kurdish
population lived before the violence escalated.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
EXCLUSIVE: Anonymous phone calls, fears of stalking and veiled
threats: How power-hungry Hillary torpedoed the torrid affair
between Bill Clinton and 21-year-old campaign worker that
threatened to destroy her master plan to become president
Daily Mail - New York Times bestselling author Jerry
Oppenheimer, who recently published RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy,
Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream, investigated the Clintons in
his book State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill
and Hillary Clinton.
Inspector General: Clinton emails had intel from most secretive,
classified programs
Fox News - EXCLUSIVE: Hillary Clinton's emails on her unsecured,
homebrew server contained intelligence from the U.S.
government's most secretive and highly classified programs,
according to an unclassified letter from a top inspector general
to senior lawmakers. Fox News exclusively obtained the
unclassified letter, sent Jan. 14 from Intelligence Community
Inspector General I. Charles McCullough III. It laid out the
findings of a recent comprehensive review by intelligence
agencies that identified "several dozen" additional classified
emails -- including specific intelligence known as "special
access programs" (SAP).
Americans missing in Baghdad kidnapped by Iran-backed militia
Reuters - Three U.S. citizens who disappeared last week in
Baghdad were kidnapped and are being held by an Iranian-backed
Shi'ite militia, two Iraqi intelligence and two U.S. government
sources said on Tuesday. Unknown gunmen seized the three on
Friday from a private residence in the southeastern Dora
district of Baghdad, Iraqi officials say. They are the first
Americans to be abducted in Iraq since the withdrawal of U.S.
troops in 2011. The U.S. sources said Washington had no reason
to believe Tehran was involved in the kidnapping and did not
believe the trio were being held in Iran, which borders Iraq.
"They were abducted because they are Americans, not for personal
or financial reasons," one of the Iraqi sources in Baghdad said.
Italian town shuts down Wi-Fi over health fears
The Local - The mayor of Borgofranco d'Ivrea, a town in
Piedmont, has ordered Wi-Fi to be turned off in two schools over
health fears. Mayor Livio Tola told the town's high school and
elementary school to return to using cables to connect to the
internet after reading that the electromagnetic waves given off
by wireless routers were especially harmful to young children.
“It's not that we're against technology, our choice is merely a
precautionary measure,” La Stampa reported the mayor as saying.
50 Million Americans Prepare For "Potentially Historic" Winter
Storm
Zero Hedge - All that mild winter weather is about to change,
and all those warm weather-slammed retailers are about to get
just the top line-boosting gift they have been waiting for
because according to AccuWeather, the Northeast - from
Charleston all the way to Boston - is about to be hit with a
major winter storm, with the potential for heavy snow to impact
more than 50 million people at the end of the week.
Kent State professor being investigated for ISIS ties
fox8News - A Kent State University associate professor is
allegedly being investigated for reported ties to ISIS.
Julio Pino, an associate history professor, is under
investigation by the FBI and the Department of Homeland
Security. According to KentWired.com, he has been under
investigation for a year and a half, specifically by a joint
terrorism task force. Faculty members as well as students have
been interviewed. The published report also states that Pino has
allegedly tried to recruit students to join ISIS.
North Korea hasn’t increased ‘technical capability’ after
nuclear test – US
RT - Washington believes North Korea has not increased its
technical capability as a result of its January 6 nuclear test,
the head of the US Missile Defense Agency said. However, he said
that the US continues to “watch it closely.” "I would assess
that their technical capability has not increased," Vice Admiral
James Syring said after speaking at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) on his agency’s plans for the
future. "That said, everything they're doing continues to be
alarming and provoking," Syring continued, according to South
Korean Yonhap news agency. "And every step that we've taken with
the program I briefed and our actions every day are vitally
important to stay ahead of that threat. We continue to watch it
closely and continue to watch its actions with scrutiny."
Vaccines alliance signs $5 million advance deal for Merck's
Ebola shot
Reuters - The Gavi global alliance for vaccines and immunization
group signed a $5 million advance purchase commitment on
Wednesday to buy a vaccine being developed by Merck to protect
against future outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus. Gavi said
the agreement would help the U.S. drugmaker take the
experimental Ebola vaccine through late-stage clinical trials to
licensing and then through pre-qualification by the World Health
Organization (WHO). If approved, Merck's so-called VSV-ZEBOV
live attenuated Ebola Zaire vaccine would become one of the
world's first licensed Ebola shots and Gavi would be able to
start buying it to create a stockpile for future outbreaks, it
said in a statement issued at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Sarah Palin endorses Trump for president: 5 dramatic quotes from
both politicians
RT - Donald Trump has been endorsed for the GOP presidential
nomination by Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and
John McCain’s running mate in 2008, giving him a big boost right
before primary season.
* VIDEO:
Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump
Veteran News/Military News |
Veteran Blood Bank May Play Key Role in Cancer 'Moon Shot'
Military.com - Veterans are likely to play a significant part in
what has been called "the Moon shot" in cancer research -- the
plan announced by President Barack Obama last week for a cancer
fight effort to equal the country's determination to put a man
on the moon during the 1960s. Fittingly, the veterans' role in
the cancer Moon shot, as well as in scores of other research
projects into illnesses that impact vets and non-vets alike,
will be doing something they were prepared to do back in their
active duty days: shed some blood. "When they realize that this
could help other veterans most of them volunteer right away"
when asked, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said during a visit to the
VA Medical Center in Boston on Friday, when he toured the lab
and growing biorepository.
The VA project, called the Million Veterans Program, predates
the cancer Moon shot by six years. Its goal is to collect blood
samples -- and with it the DNA -- of at least a million
veterans, and use it to research illnesses, including at the
genetic level.
Search Called Off for Marines Missing in Helicopter Crash
Military.com - The Coast Guard and Marine Corps are calling off
the search for 12 missing Marines after five days of 24-hour
effort, officials announced Tuesday evening in a Hawaii press
conference. Capt. Jim Jenkins, chief of staff and acting
commander for the Coast Guard's 14th District, said the service
would formally suspend its search at sunset Hawaii time, or
about 11 p.m. Eastern time. It's still not clear what may have
caused the tragic crash.
Officials have said the two aircraft were on a routine night
training flight and were due to return to their unit at Kaneohe
Bay before they went down sometime before 11 p.m. Thursday.
Coast Guard officials were first notified of a possible
emergency when civilians reported seeing a "flare" and a
"fireball" over the water off the shore of Oahu.
The Federal Reserve’s Insidious Role in the Stock Market Slide
Global Research - The Dow Jones has more than doubled since it touched
bottom on March 9, 2009 while the S&P soared to a new-high (2,130
points) on May 21, 2015, tripling its value at the fastest pace on
record. These extraordinary gains are the direct result of the Fed’s
not-so-invisible hand in the financial markets. Betting on the Fed’s
ability to move markets higher has clearly been a winning strategy.
So why are stocks crashing now? Read More...
Two-thirds of Norwegian oil wealth could disappear
If crude prices remain at current low levels, Norway could lose
two-thirds of its estimated oil wealth, according to an analysis done by
the country's largest business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv. Norway's
Finance Ministry estimates the value of oil not yet extracted at 4.2
trillion kroner ($475 billion), 89 percent of which belongs to the
state. This means that the value of Norway’s oil wealth will fall from
4.2 trillion kroner to 2.5 trillion. The country could presumably lose
1.7 trillion kroner ($192.5 billion) of its oil riches.
Ruble sets new low against US dollar
RT - The Russian ruble hit a historic low against the US dollar during
Wednesday's trading on the Moscow exchange. The currency fell below
80.10 rubles to the dollar, the previous low of 16 December 2014, dubbed
Black Tuesday.
Crude Oil Slides Below $28, Lowest Since 2003, Dragging US Equity
Futures Lower
Zero hedge - Traders had some hope that they could take at least a brief
nap ahead of the China open before all risk hell broke loose in the
latest evening session, however either some liquidating algo or the
Iranian oil trading desk had different plans, and moments ago WTI dipped
below $28 per barrel, sliding as low as $27.92, doing so only for the
first time since 2003, a new 12 year low.
5 Imported Vegetables From China You Should Avoid
Epoch Times - Chinese farmers often use dangerous amounts of chemical
pesticides, fertilizers, and preservatives to give vegetables a
deceivingly healthy appearance. And even if a product has the “organic”
label on the package, in reality, no one verifies this claim. Read the 5
vegetables produced in China you may consider staying away from, given
the sometimes alarming stories about how they are produced in China.
Tuesday
- January 19, 2016 - Today in History:
1764 - John Wilkes was expelled from the British House of Commons for
seditious libel.
1793 - King Louis XVI was tried by the French Convention, found guilty
of treason and sentenced to the guillotine.
1861 - Georgia seceded from the Union.
1883 - Thomas Edison's first village electric lighting system using
overhead wires began operation in Roselle, NJ.
1937 - Howard Hughes set a transcontinental air record. He flew from Los
Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.
1942 - The Japanese invaded Burma (later Myanmar).
1944 - The U.S. federal government relinquished control of the nation's
railroads after the settlement of a wage dispute.
1949 - The salary of the President of the U.S. was increased from
$75,000 to $100,000 with an additional $50,000 expense allowance for
each year in office.
1955 - U.S. President Eisenhower allowed a filmed news conference to be
used on television (and in movie newsreels) for the first time.
1971 - At the Charles Manson murder trial, the Beatles' "Helter Skelter"
was played. At the scene of one of his gruesome murders, the words
"helter skelter" were written on a mirror.
1977 - U.S. President Ford pardoned Iva Toguri D'Aquino (the "Tokyo
Rose").
1981 - The U.S. and Iran signed an agreement paving the way for the
release of 52 Americans held hostage for more than 14 months and for
arrangements to unfreeze Iranian assets and to resolve all claims
against Iran.
1983 - China announced that it was banning 1983 purchases of cotton,
soybeans and chemical fibers from the United States.
1996 - U.S. first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was subpoenaed to appear
before a federal grand jury. The investigation was concerning the
discovery of billing records related to the Whitewater real estate
investment venture.
2013 - In Scottsdale, AZ, the original Batmobile for the TV series
"Batman" sold at auction for $4.6 million. It was the first of six
Batmobiles produced for the show.
ISIS may ‘turn guns’ against Israel, Jordan amid failures in
Syria – IDF chief
RT - slamic State’s inability to sustain its territorial gains
in Syria in light of the Russian Air Force’s offensive “raises
the probability” that jihadists will shift their tactics to
attack Israel and Jordan, the chief of the Israeli armed forces
has warned. After the intervention of the Russian Air Force in
Syria to help government forces recapture vast stretches of land
from the terrorists, Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL)
advances in the country have ceased, forcing the jihadists to
look for new ways to terrorize the southern Syrian border with
Israel and Jordan, Lieutenant-General Gadi Eizenkot said during
a conference at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for
International Security Studies (INSS).... While IS presence
along the Syria’s southern border is limited, the general
believes that the group might align itself with other extremist
cells operating in the region.
Morocco arrests Belgian national 'linked directly' to Paris
attackers
RT - Morocco has announced the arrest of a Belgian national of
Moroccan origin linked directly to the November 13 Paris
attacks. The Interior Ministry said the man had a "direct
relationship" with the attackers, who killed 130 people and
injured 352 others.
Oil falls below $28 per barrel as Iran sanctions lifted
RT - Brent crude slipped to as low as $27.67 per barrel on
Monday - its lowest since 2003 - before paring back to $28.16 at
8am GMT. US WTI crude was down 64 cents at $28.78 per barrel,
not far from a 2003-low of $28.36 earlier in the session.
“Iran’s additional crude shipments have the potential to further
depress prices, perhaps to as low as $25 a barrel,” Gordon Kwan,
a Hong Kong-based analyst at Nomura, told Bloomberg on Sunday…
"Major producers are currently delivering 2-2.5 million barrels
per day more than demand, so the question is how long they can
continue to overproduce for at that level," said Stuart
Gulliver, CEO of HSBC on Monday, speaking at the Asia Financial
Forum in Hong Kong. The Saudi stock market Tadawul was down 5.44
percent on Monday. The largest Arab exchange is down 20.79
percent this year,
Sports events, concerts & flight tickets: UN panel calls for
global tax to raise humanitarian funds
RT - A UN-appointed panel said that traditional ways of raising
money for humanitarian relief are failing. Experts suggest the
problems could be addressed by looking at new sources of
finance, such as taxing entertainment purchases or seeking Arab
donors… Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commission vice
president, who was also the co-chair of the panel said that
among the ideas to increase funds were introducing micro
payments on large volume transactions, such as airline tickets.
Other options included taxing entertainment purchases such as
cinema tickets or taxi rides, ordered for example, via the Uber
smartphone app… In 2014, humanitarian aid overtook peacekeeping
for the first time as the UN’s biggest expense, with an extra $2
billion required to help those in need… it has questioned
whether it would be better to provide those caught out in
humanitarian crises with cash, as this would allow them to make
their own choices about their priorities.
Swine flu grips Russia: Hundreds hospitalized, first deaths
recorded
RT - Although doctors say that the outbreak of AH1N1 flu in
Russia is “seasonal”, many are finding little solitude in this:
In St. Petersburg alone, more than 100 people have been taken to
hospital and several deaths have been reported.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Pentagon May Demote David Petraeus
Daily Beast - The Defense Secretary is looking to put the clamp
down on misbehaving generals. Pentagon insiders say Petraeus
could be the next general to face the consequences. The Pentagon
is considering retroactively demoting retired Gen. David
Petraeus after he admitted to giving classified information to
his biographer and mistress while he was still in uniform, three
people with knowledge of the matter told The Daily Beast. The
decision now rests with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, who is
said to be willing to consider overruling an earlier
recommendation by the Army that Petraeus not have his rank
reduced. Such a demotion could cost the storied general hundreds
of thousands of dollars—and deal an additional blow to his
once-pristine reputation.
The Citadel Is Breached: Congress Taps the Fed for
Infrastructure Funding
Web of Debt blog - On December 4, the last day the Department of
Transportation was authorized to cut checks for highway and
transit projects, President Obama signed a 1,300-page
$305-billion transportation infrastructure bill that renewed
existing highway and transit programs. But the bill was
nevertheless considered a landmark achievement... Less
publicized was where Congress would get the money: largely from
the Federal Reserve and Wall Street megabanks. [From Bloomberg]
"The highway measure would be financed in part by a one-time use
of Federal Reserve surplus funds and by a reduction in the 6
percent dividend that national banks receive from the Fed. . . .
Banks with $10 billion or less in assets would be exempt from
the cut. The Fed’s surplus capital comes from the 12 reserve
banks. The highway bill would allow for a one-time draw of $19
billion from the surplus, which totaled $29.3 billion as of Nov.
25. . . ."
This man is responsible for Flint's water crisis, and is now
managing Detroit Public Schools
Blavity - … February of 2014, DWSD director Sue McCormick
offered Flint an opportunity to continue using their water
supply until their pipeline was complete; enter newly appointed
Emergency Manager Darnell Earley and this letter he sent to
McCormick that inflamed the crisis. Earley declined McCormick’s
offer, choosing, what should have been the city’s temporary
solution, to source the Flint River for their city’s tap water;
a decision that led to residents being exposed to toxic waste.
Now, Earley who is no longer mismanaging Flint, has taken his
cut-corners approach to Detroit’s public schools where a series
of protests have called attention to the underfunding of the
school system. Plagued by molding, rat infestations,
deteriorating infrastructure, and inadequate staffing, teachers
have been calling out sick so much that last week, schools were
closed for three days straight. But how has Earley been able to
cause such damage in Michigan?
* Related: *
Obama declares emergency in Michigan over lead-contaminated
water
*
As Detroit Schools Close For 'Sick Out' Protest, Teacher's
Facebook Post Goes Viral
RNC Officially Severs Ties With NBC News For Upcoming GOP Debate
Breitbart - The Republican National Committee (RNC) officially
voted on Monday afternoon to sever its business relationship
with NBC News for the previously-scheduled Feb. 26, 2016, GOP
presidential primary debate, Breitbart News has learned....
After the October debate hosted by NBC partner CNBC—in which
co-moderator John Harwood was roundly criticized for a poor
performance—the RNC suspended its relationship with NBC News
over that upcoming Houston debate.... The move by the RNC to
formally extricate NBC News from the process is sure to
seriously harm the media organization’s reputation, and its
financial bottom line. Typically, networks make millions of
dollars in ad revenue with debate moderation due to the
extraordinarily high viewership.
Five Questions Hillary Hasn’t Been Asked at Debates
Breitbart - Lots of questions got tossed around during the
Democratic Presidential Debate last night.... But Hillary
Clinton avoided any serious questions about the ethical problems
she faces. Here are five simple, straightforward questions that
Hillary Clinton needs to be asked...
Negative Oil Prices Arrive: Koch Brothers' Refinery "Pays"
-$0.50 For North Dakota Crude
Zero Hedge - … the crude glut is now so acute that the Koch
brothers are actually charging $0.50/bbl to take low grade oil
at their Flint Hills Resources refining arm. North Dakota Sour
is a high-sulfur grade of crude and “is a small portion of the
state’s production, with less than 15,000 barrels a day coming
out of the ground,” Bloomberg notes, citing John Auers,
executive vice president at Turner Mason & Co. in Dallas…
High-sulfur grades are more expensive to refine and thus fetch
lower prices at market… The global deflationary supply glut has
now reached the point that the market is effectively forcing
producers to pay to give their oil away or else see it sit in
bloated storage facilities until Riyadh decides enough is enough
and until the world comes to terms with the return of Iranian
supply.
Gas wars: A gallon is just 46 cents here
CNBC News - While gas prices are low nationwide, some stations
are slashing the fuel's price to rock-bottom levels to the tune
of less than 50 cents a gallon. The drastic price cuts are part
of a gas price war at three Houghton Lake, Mich., stations.
During the last three days, the prices dropped below a buck per
gallon, falling as low as 46 cents at Sunrise Marathon.
Meanwhile, the Beacon & Bridge gas station was as low as 47
cents, said employees of each station in interviews with CNBC. A
nearby Citgo says its prices slumped to 95 cents a gallon. There
have been long lines at the stations for most of the weekend,
according to the three stations, with police officers directing
traffic in the area due to the congestion.
California officials delay plans to mitigate massive gas leak
Reuters - Southern California air quality officials on Saturday
delayed plans to capture and burn off natural gas leaking from
an underground well near an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood,
citing the possible risk of a fire… The South Coast Air Quality
Management District was expected at Saturday's hearing to sign
off on an order instructing Southern California Gas to come up
with a plan to capture and treat the escaped gas in the interim…
The South Coast Air Quality Management District was expected at
Saturday's hearing to sign off on an order instructing Southern
California Gas to come up with a plan to capture and treat the
escaped gas in the interim.
Obama declares emergency in Michigan over lead-contaminated
water
CBC News - U.S. President Barack Obama signed an emergency
declaration Saturday that clears the way for federal aid for
Flint, Michigan, which is undergoing a drinking water crisis due
to lead-contaminated water… FEMA has been authorized to provide
water, filters, cartridges and other items for 90 days. Flint
can get up to $5 million US in direct funding, though the state
must match 25 per cent and more money can come through an act of
Congress… The tap water in Flint, population 99,000, became
contaminated after the city switched from the Detroit water
system to the Flint River while a pipeline to Lake Huron is
under construction. The decision to use the river was made while
a Snyder-appointed emergency manager was running the city
government due to its financial problems. The corrosive water
from the Flint River lacked adequate treatment and caused lead
to leach from old pipes in homes and schools.
Apple asked widow for court order when she sought late husband's
password
Ars Technica - Apple initially told the woman that she would
have to provide a will and death certificate, but once she
provided those documents the company reportedly asked for
something else—a court order. There are good privacy and
security reasons for Apple to impose strict controls on account
access, but in this case, the company seems to have acknowledged
it went too far by demanding a court order. After CBC got
involved, Apple relented and will apparently allow the widow,
72-year-old Peggy Bush of Victoria, BC, to get access to her
late husband's Apple ID… Bush realized that she didn't have her
late husband's Apple ID password after a card game on the iPad
they shared stopped working. "The family tried to reload it and
realized it couldn't be done without the password," CBC wrote.
Creating a new Apple ID would have required Bush to re-purchase
any digital goods she and her husband had bought with his
account.
Gene change could stop GM bacteria surviving outside the lab
New Scientist - Now GM bacteria have been designed that can
survive for hundreds of generations as long as they are fed
nutrients that don’t occur naturally. This, the researchers
hope, will allow us to make use of GMOs while ensuring they can
never survive on their own in the wild. But making sure
engineered genes stay where you put them has been a challenge.
“We need to have biosafety features that allow you to ensure
that when you’ve made something it’s not going to escape from
the lab, or if it does it won’t be able to prosper,” says Andrew
Ellington at the University of Texas at Austin… Ellington’s
solution should be more effective. His team has engineered E.
coli bacteria to make proteins using an unnatural amino acid… As
a result, the bacteria will die if they don’t have the unnatural
amino acid. They were grown in the lab for hundreds of
generations without evolving out of their reliance on it.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
10 Beautiful Under-Used Edible Trees and Shrubs to Transform
Yards into a Raw Food Paradise
The Free Thought Project - Edible landscaping simply means
planting things around the home that provide both food and
ornamental value, and can even function as windbreaks or shade.
Popular fruit trees like citrus and figs and peaches are all the
rage, but there are several lesser-known trees and shrubs that
provide fruit and blend well in the landscape. Here are 10
fruiting trees and shrubs that should be used more in edible
landscape designs. Many of them are tougher than the popular
fruit trees like peaches and do not require as much maintenance.
10 Useful Medicinal Plants To Cultivate From Seeds
Natural Blaze - Medicinal herbs have been used for thousands of
years as a natural way to fight off disease and infection. Here
are 10 medicinal herbs that are easily cultivated from seeds.
Reishi mushroom combats cancer and deadly microorganisms
(NaturalHealth365) Research shows that Reishi’s cellular and
molecular activities also provide protection against a long list
of deadly microorganisms – including those causing human
immunodeficiency (HIV) and hepatitis B (HBV), among others. The
secret to Reishi’s powerful punch is its broad array of
bioactive molecules, including alkaloids, sterols,
polysaccharides and triterpenoids. Each has a different mode of
action when interacting with the varied components of the immune
system and spurring them to action.... Research has shown Reishi
mushroom extracts could be instrumental in preventing cancer
through their interaction with cells that are able to attack
abnormal cancerous tissue before it can grow into a full-blown
tumor. The spleen and the thymus, both of which are sources of
aggressive cancer-killing cells, are likely the primary location
of interaction. In laboratory tests, the advantages of Reishi in
fighting cancer occurred even in subjects where cancerous tumors
had already been discovered.
How to Craft a Natural Home Medicine Kit
Green Med Info - Not only is it common sense to have a natural
medicine kit at home, but it is inexpensive to put together and
quite empowering to realize that you have the ability to heal
yourself and your family of just about any acute illness or
injury that you may encounter. Following is a brief summary of
some of the items you may want to include in your natural home
medicine kit. They can be purchased ready made, but most of them
you can make yourself very easily and inexpensively. A
combination of any or all of the herbal items listed below would
make a great addition to any home.
Raw Olive Oil Boosts Brain Function
Karen Foster - Phenolic compounds in olive oil are of the
highest grade when they come from sources which use minimal
refining and heating. Many of these compounds beneficially
affect gene expression linked to brain function says new
research. Scientists from the Department of Neuroscience, Area
Drug and Child Health [...] reports that extra virgin olive oil
rich in polyphenols was associated with "strong" improvements in
coordination, memory, and anxiety-related behavior in older lab
mice. Sources with the highest polyphenols such as Ice-Pressed
Olive Oil, are manufactured by simply pressing (milling) the
fruit without refining, heating, extracting, use of chemicals or
other process; just cold (no heat applied) pressing of the
olives. Every other oil involves a refining process using high
heat and chemicals to extract the oil.
Deadly Dog Flu Has Now Reached 18 States
Dogington Post - The sometimes deadly dog flu, canine influenza A H3N2,
a type of bird flu that adapted with the ability to infect dogs first
appeared in parts of Asia in 2007. In April of 2015, the first case of
Canine H3N2 was found in the United States. Although it’s unknown how
the virus made its way here, the outbreak first began in Illinois where
an estimated 2,000 dogs have been infected.... The deadly flu has now
been confirmed in 18 different states: Illinois, Alabama, California,
Texas, Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Jersey, Iowa,
Indiana, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Carolina, and now
Montana and Washington. 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.
* Related:
Your Dog Can - and Should - Do Without a Flu Vaccine
Five Immune-Boosting Uses of Colloidal Silver
Dogs Naturally - Colloidal silver is a liquid antibiotic, anti-viral and
anti-fungal that has been touted as treating and preventing an
assortment of conditions in both humans and animals. Colloidal silver,
as opposed to just plain silver, means that submicroscopic silver
particles are suspended in a liquid base. Because the silver particles
are so tiny, they are thought to penetrate cells and kill pathogens.
Monday
- January 18, 2016 - Today in History:
1803 - Thomas Jefferson, in secret communication with Congress, sought
authorization for the first official exploration by the U.S. government.
1778 - English navigator Captain James Cook discovered the Hawaiian
Islands, which he called the "Sandwich Islands."
1788 - The 1st English settlers arrived in Australia's Botany Bay to
establish a penal colony. The group moved north 8 days later and settled
at Port Jackson.
1911 - For the first time an aircraft landed on a ship. Pilot Eugene B.
Ely flew onto the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco harbor.
1943 - During World War II, the Soviets announced that they had broken
the Nazi siege of Leningrad, which had began in September of 1941.
1943 - U.S. commercial bakers stopped selling sliced bread. Only whole
loaves were sold during the ban until the end of World War II.
1964 - The plans for the original World Trade Center in New York were
unveiled to the public.
1967 - Albert DeSalvo, who claimed to be the "Boston Strangler," was
convicted in Cambridge, MA, of armed robbery, assault and sex offenses.
He was sentenced to life in prison. Desalvo was killed in 1973 by a
fellow inmate.
1987 - For the first time in history the Public Broadcasting System
(PBS) was seen by over 100 million viewers. The audience was measured
during the week of January 12-18.
1990 - In an FBI sting, Washington, DC, Mayor Marion Barry was arrested
for drug possession. He was later convicted of a misdemeanor.
1991 - Eastern Airlines shut down after 62 years in business due to
financial problems.
1993 - The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed in all 50 U.S.
states for the first time.
1995 - The "yahoo.com" domain was created.
1995 - A network of caves were discovered near the town of
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in southern France. The caves contained paintings and
engravings that were 17,000 to 20,000 years old.
1997 - Hutu militiamen killed three Spanish aid workers and three
soldiers and seriously wounded an American in a night attack in NW
Rwanda.
2002 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the
approval of a saliva-based ovulation test.
2012 - Wikipedia began a 24-hour "blackout" in protest against proposed
anti-piracy legislation (S. 968 and H.R. 3261) known as the Protect
Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online
Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House. Many websites, including Reddit, Google,
Facebook, Amazon and others, contended would make it challenging if not
impossible for them to operate.
US and Iraq search for Americans kidnapped in Baghdad
(AFP) - US and Iraqi authorities were searching Monday for three
missing Americans said to have been kidnapped in Baghdad, the
latest group of foreign nationals abducted in recent months.
Kidnappers have recently seized Qataris and Turks, but it has
been years since Americans were abducted, and it is Iraqis who
have suffered the most from kidnappers seeking ransoms or to
settle scores.... "We are aware of reports that American
citizens are missing in Iraq," US State Department spokesman
John Kirby said. "We are working with the full cooperation of
the Iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individuals,"
Kirby added, without providing details about their number or the
circumstances of their disappearance. An Iraqi police colonel
said on condition of anonymity that three Americans and an Iraqi
translator were kidnapped in southern Baghdad.
US sanctions illegal as American arms used against Palestinians,
Yemenis - Iranian FM
RT - Iran has accused the US of hypocrisy and said that new
sanctions imposed by the US are illegal, as arms sold by
Washington are being used against people in Palestine and Yemen,
the Iranian Foreign Ministry has stated. A spokesman for the
Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, says that
Tehran will continue to enhance its missile capabilities,
despite Washington introducing fresh sanctions, following a
missile test by Iran in October, Press TV reports. "The US
sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program ... have no
legal or moral legitimacy," Reuters cited Ansari as saying in a
televised news conference. "America sells tens of billions of
dollars of weaponry each year to countries in the region,”
Ansari said. “These weapons are used in war crimes against
Palestinian, Lebanese and most recently Yemeni citizens.”
Iran releases 5 American hostages in exchange for 7 Iranian
criminals
The American Thinker - Five Americans imprisoned on trumped up
charges in Iran have been released in exchange for 7 Iranian
criminals convicted of violating the sanctions regime. The
exchange was announced on the same day that the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certified that Iran had complied
with several key steps to dismantle parts of their nuclear
program, triggering a lifting of sanctions that will bring the
Islamic regime more than $100 billion. Negotiations for the
nuclear deal and for the release of the hostages were not
related, according to sources. They took place on separate
tracks. If so, this partially explains the administration's
reluctance to sanction Iran for its missile tests.
U.S. Imposes New Ballistic Sanctions On Iran, Day After Many
Penalties Lifted
NPR - A day after many sanctions on Iran were lifted under the
international nuclear pact, the U.S. Treasury department has
imposed new sanctions — over Iran's ballistic, not nuclear,
weapons. The sanctions target 11 companies and individuals who
have been involved in procuring goods for Iran's weapons
program, the Treasury Department says.... The announcement of
new sanctions comes a day after the U.S. and Iran conducted a
carefully negotiated prisoner exchange. The released Americans
who wished to leave Iran have now departed the country,
according to a senior administration official. It also comes one
day after "Implementation Day," when the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog
verified that Iran has worked to shrink its nuclear program and
opened it up for inspection. That meant that, under the terms of
the international nuclear pact, many sanctions against Iran were
lifted.
US to pay Iran $1.7 bn in debt and interest: Kerry
(AFP) - The United States is to repay Iran a $400 million debt
and $1.3 billion in interest dating to the Islamic revolution,
Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday. The repayment, which
settles a suit brought under an international legal tribunal, is
separate from the tens of billions of dollars in frozen foreign
accounts that Iran can now access after the end of nuclear
sanctions. But the timing of the announcement, one day after the
implementation of the Iran nuclear accord, will be seen as
pointing to a broader clearing of the decks between the old
foes. US President Barack Obama defended the settlement in a
televised statement from the White House, saying it was for
"much less than the amount Iran sought."
Iran Unleashes Oil Flood, Will Quintuple Crude Revenue In 2016
Zero Hedge - With sanctions lifted, Iran will now have access to
some $100 billion in frozen funds and will be able to increase
its oil revenue exponentially even as prices remain suppressed.
It’s easy to see why the Saudis and other Gulf Sunni monarchies
are nervous. Iran plans to immediately boost output by 500,000
b/d with an additional 500,000 b/d coming online by year end.
“.... Even if oil hovers between $30 and $35 a barrel, Iran will
be pulling in some $3 billion a month by summer and nearly $4
billion a month by December.
* Related:
Oil Plunges To $28 Cycle Lows As Iran Supply Looms, Stocks Slide
The Financial Apocalypse Accelerates As Middle East Stocks Crash
To Begin The Week
Economic Collapse - It looks like it is going to be another
chaotic week for global financial markets. On Sunday, news that
Iran plans to dramatically ramp up oil production sent stocks
plunging all across the Middle East. Stocks in Kuwait were down
3.1 percent, stocks in Saudi Arabia plummeted 5.4 percent, and
stocks in Qatar experienced a mammoth 7 percent decline. And of
course all of this comes in the context of a much larger
long-term decline for Middle Eastern stocks. At this point,
Saudi Arabian stocks are down more than 50 percent from their
2014 highs. Needless to say, a lot of very wealthy people in
Saudi Arabia are getting very nervous.
Austria deploys army to halt migrants intending to transit
through Germany
RT - Austria is set to use its army to stop refugees intending
to transit through Germany and not apply for asylum there, as
hundreds are being rejected at the German border. More than
1,000 migrants with forged IDs are being turned around at the
Austrian border each week. The new regulations issued by the
Austrian Defense Ministry came into effect Saturday. Now
migrants coming to Austria to travel through Germany and beyond
will be denied access and sent back home, Austrian authorities
said on Friday. Slovenia is expected to resort to similar
measures in order to avoid becoming a refugee bottleneck.
Forget $20 - Oil Prices At $8 Per Barrel In Canada
OilPrice.com - The price for a barrel of bitumen, the tar-like
oil sands that comes from Alberta, fell to just over $8 per
barrel this week. That is not a typo. Bitumen traded at $8.35
per barrel on Tuesday.... Single-digit oil prices for oil sands
is not just a problem, it is an existential crisis. That is
because heavy oil is some of the costliest stuff around. Bitumen
production is way more expensive than oil from shale.
Canada: Get Rid Of Your Wood Stove Or Face Thousands Of Dollars
In Fines, Residents Told
Off the Grid News - Montreal residents that burn wood for heat
must register their stoves and by October 2018, must replace
them with newer models or face thousands of dollars in fines.
The registration is part of an effort to ban most wood-burnings
heaters in Canada’s second largest city. The burning of wood,
coal, pellets and other solid fuels is already banned during
smog alerts in Montreal. Starting October 18, 2018, the city
will extend the ban to all devices that emit more than 2.5 grams
of fine particles an hour. Any fireplace, furnace or stove that
does not meet that standard will be banned, and there is no
grandfather clause.
Sierra Leone puts more than 100 people in quarantine after new Ebola
death
The Guardian - A woman who died of Ebola this week in Sierra Leone may
have exposed at least 27 others to the disease, an aid agency report
claims, raising the risk of more cases just as the epidemic appeared to
be ending. Sierra Leone’s government on Saturday urged the public not to
panic as it announced that more than 100 people had been quarantined,
just as the country seemed to have overcome the epidemic.... The WHO
warned of potential flare-ups as survivors can carry the virus for
months. The latest case is particularly worrying because authorities
failed to follow basic health protocols, according to the report
compiled by a humanitarian agency and released on Friday.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
U.S. Radically Changes Its Story of the Boats in Iranian Waters:
to an Even More Suspicious Version
The Intercept - Provided their government script, U.S. media
outlets repeatedly cited these phrases — “mechanical failure”
and “inadvertently drifted” and “boat in distress” — like some
sort of hypnotic mantra… The U.S. government itself now says
this story was false. There was no engine failure, and the boats
were never “in distress.”… Instead, said Defense Secretary
Ashton Carter at a press conference this morning, the sailors
“made a navigational error that mistakenly took them into
Iranian territorial waters.” He added that they “obviously had
misnavigated” when, in the words of the New York Times, “they
came within a few miles of Farsi Island, where Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards Corps has a naval base.” … It is, of
course, theoretically possible that this newest rendition of
events is what happened. But there are multiple reasons to
suspect otherwise.
‘I’m Here to Investigate Unsocialized Homeschoolers’
Off the Grid News - Simply homeschooling or having a large
number of children can now apparently get a family investigated
by a social worker in some states. In fact, one homeschool mom
says that a social worker visited her home because her children
allegedly were “unsocialized.” The unidentified mom, called
“Amy,” gave the account to the Home School Legal Defense
Association (HSLDA). “When the social worker stopped by this
afternoon I asked her what the accusations are, and she said:
‘Well, it looks like we’ve got a report here of unsocialized
homeschoolers,’” the woman told Mike Donnelly, an HSLDA staff
attorney.... “Unsocialized” apparently means that someone thinks
the kids are not spending enough time with other children or in
the community.
The FBI’s Two-Pronged Investigation of Hillary Clinton
Paul Craig Roberts - As Judge Napolitano explains, this crime
does not require intent and can result from negligence or simply
from a lack of awareness that a secret is being revealed, as in
the case that Judge Napolitano provides of the US Navy sailor
who was prosecuted for espionage because a “selfie” he sent to
his girlfriend revealed a sonar screen in the background. An
even more egregious case is that of the US Marine who was
prosecuted for using email to alert superiors to the presence of
an al-Quada operative inside a US military compound. The email
is considered unsecure and thus the Marine was prosecuted for
revealing a secret known only to himself. In view of these
unjustified prosecutions of US military personnel, the FBI has
no alternative to recommending that Hillary be indicted. Whether
Hillary will be indicted ostensibly depends on the Justice (sic)
Department and the White House. In fact, it is unlikely that
either Wall Street or the military/security complex wants
Hillary indicted as both have invested too many millions of
dollars in her presidential candidacy, and both interest groups
are more powerful than the Justice (sic) Department and the
White House.
NBC News Democratic Debate Gets Low YouTube Viewership
Breitbart - Sunday night’s Democratic presidential debate was
live-streamed on YouTube, but only a small fraction of the U.S.
population actually tuned in. The debate in South Carolina was a
joint production of NBC News and YouTube. Though NBC News
overnight ratings have not yet come in, the YouTube viewership
numbers—available on the bottom of the screen during the
broadcast—were paltry. When the debate started at 9 PM Eastern
Time, less than 300,000 people were tuned in.... Immediately
after the debate ended at 11 PM and the post-game analysis
started, only 214,713 people were still tuned in.
* Related:
Top Google search during the debate: 'Will Hillary Clinton get
prosecuted?'
Clinton Says “The Details Really Mattle”
Breitbart - Hillary Clinton tripped over her own words in a
telling gaffe in Sunday night’s Democratic debate in Charleston,
South Carolina hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus
Institute. “The details really mattle,” Clinton said, flubbing
the details of her sentence at approximately 9:30 PM Eastern.
Clinton got off to a slow start in the South Carolina debate,
allowing Martin O’Malley to bludgeon her on her gun control
record and for Sanders to hit her on health care.... Clinton is
still taking a blood thinner medication and daily thyroid pills
following her concussion in 2012. She has a medical condition
called hypothyroidism, commonly caused by an underactive
thyroid, which could diminish her energy levels. Additionally,
journalist and author Ed Klein wrote about some details of her
health for Breitbart News. “To this day, Hillary still suffers
from many of the troubling symptoms that I wrote about in
Unlikeable: blinding headaches, exhaustion, insomnia, and a
tremor in her hands. As a precaution against the spectacle of
fainting in public, which could easily doom her candidacy,
Hillary now travels with a personal physician on all her major
campaign trips,” Klein wrote.
Hillary: FBI Has Not Interviewed Me Yet
Weekly Standard - Hillary Clinton claimed on CNN this morning
that she has not yet been interviewed by the FBI in regards to
its investigation into her email server. Clinton made the claim
in response to a question from CNN State of the Union host Jake
Tapper. "In terms of the status of the FBI investigation into
your private e-mail server, have you been interviewed by the FBI
yet?" "No," Clinton replied. The interviewed then ended.
Many 'lost' voters say they have found their candidate in Trump
Reuters - About one in 10 Americans who plan to cast a vote this
election will do so for the first time in years, if ever, and
Trump holds a decided edge with them, according to polling by
Reuters/Ipsos. These voters offer Trump a pool of voters who
could be decisive either in the Republican primaries or a
general election. They could be crucial for Trump in
early-voting states such as Iowa and South Carolina, where his
nearest rival, Senator Ted Cruz, is putting pressure on Trump
and enjoys a strong base of support with more traditionally
conservative voters. n Reuters/Ipsos polling from June to
December 2015, 27.3 percent of these “new” voters said they
would vote for Trump, higher than his poll numbers among
independents and Republicans who regularly vote.... When
analyzing “lost” or “new” voters, Reuters compiled poll results
from people who haven’t voted in the previous two presidential
campaigns and midterm congressional elections.
Network Newscasts Were All-Trump, All the Time In 2015
AllGov - Between ABC's World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News
and NBC Nightly News, Trump's campaign captured 327 minutes of
airtime, according to television news analyst Andrew Tyndall
(ABC: 121, CBS: 84, NBC: 122 minutes, respectively). That figure
doesn't include the network newscasts' coverage of the
Republican debates, which garnered an additional 123 minutes of
airtime. Context: ABC's evening news broadcast produced almost
as much Trump coverage last year as it did for the Ebola panic
in 2014. How does Trump's 327 minutes compare to other
candidates this year and to coverage for previous campaign
cycles? Trump's figure is off the charts. Over the last decade,
the networks' evening newscasts have never showered a
presidential campaign with the kind of attention they gave Trump
one year before the White House vote even takes place.
Welcome To The New Normal: The Dow Crashes Another 390 Points
And Wal-Mart Closes 269 Stores
Economic Collapse - Did you know that 15 trillion dollars of
global stock market wealth has been wiped out since last June?
The worldwide financial crisis that began in the middle of last
year is starting to spin wildly out of control. On Friday, the
Dow plunged another 390 points, and it is now down a total of
1,437 points since the beginning of this calendar year. Never
before in U.S. history have stocks ever started a year this
badly. The same thing can be said in Europe, where stocks have
now officially entered bear market territory [...] Shanghai
Composite declined another 3.6 percent, and overall it is now
down more than 20 percent from its December high. Much of this
chaos has been driven by the continuing crash of the price of
oil. As I write this article, it has dipped below 30 dollars a
barrel, and many of the big banks are projecting that it still
has much farther to fall.
*Related:
Is your neighborhood Wal-Mart closing? Check this interactive
map
Sunny Nevada Just Killed the Solar Industry with 40% Tax Hike,
Derailing the Off-Grid Movement
The Free Thought Project - While Nevadans were celebrating the
holidays under solar-powered lights, the Nevada Public Utilities
Commission (PUC) voted unanimously to increase a monthly fee on
solar customers by 40% while reducing the amount they get paid
for excess power sold to the grid. Adding insult to injury, they
made the rate changes retroactive, sabotaging consumer
investments in solar energy. This single move by government
regulators will effectively kill the solar industry in Nevada
and put an end to the surge of people seeking to detach from the
grid by harnessing their own energy from the sun. Just as
importantly, it serves to protect the profits of Nevada’s public
utility company, NV Energy.
US Halts Issuing Leases of Federal Land for Coal Mining
Bloomberg - The Obama administration will stop leasing federal
land to coal developers for three years while it studies the
fossil fuel’s environmental impact and considers bigger changes
such as raising royalty rates paid by mining companies. The
decision brings more bad news to a battered coal industry that’s
reeling from dropping demand as environmental regulations and
lower-priced natural gas lure power utilities away from the
fossil fuel.
Obama Wants $4 Billion to Subsidize Silicon Valley Driverless
Cars
Breitbart - US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx… announced
at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that
the U.S. Department of Transportation Agency intends to remove
“potential roadblocks to the integration of innovative,
transformational automotive technology that can significantly
improve safety, mobility, and sustainability.” These code words
mean driverless regulatory design is being turned over to
Silicon Valley. Fox also released a statement that details
President Obama’s request for the 2017 budget to steer about
$400 million in each of the next 10 years to “test pilot
programs to test connected vehicle systems in designated
corridors throughout the country, and work with industry leaders
to ensure a common multi-state framework for connected and
autonomous vehicles.” These code words mean big subsidies
flowing to Silicon Valley.
Twitter Sued by Victim’s Family for Allowing ISIS Accounts
Breitbart - The family of Lloyd Carl Fields Jr., alleges in the
lawsuit that Twitter, by allowing 70,000 ISIS accounts that were
sending 90 tweets a minute, played a role in the November 9,
2014 attack: “For years, Twitter has knowingly permitted the
terrorist group ISIS to use its social network as a tool for
spreading extremist propaganda, raising funds and attracting new
recruits.” The family’s lawsuit further alleges, “Without
Twitter, the explosive growth of ISIS over the last few years
into the most feared terrorist group in the world would not have
been possible.” The plaintiffs also claim that Twitter’s
“willful blindness” to ISIS activities on the social network
amount to “material support to the preparation and carrying out
of acts of international terrorism, including the attack in
which Lloyd Fields Jr. was killed.”
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Turkeys test positive for bird flu at nine Indiana farms
Fox News - Turkeys tested positive for bird flu at nine more
Indiana farms near the location where authorities first
confirmed a strain different from the one that ravaged the U.S.
poultry industry last summer, Indiana authorities said on
Saturday. Farmers began euthanizing turkeys at the new farms
even before final results of whether the birds were infected
with the H7N8 strain, said Denise Derrer, spokeswoman for the
Indiana State Board of Animal Health...The nine farms are
located in Dubois County, about 70 miles from Louisville,
Kentucky.
Saudi Arabia is Buying Up American Farmland to Export
Agricultural Products Back Home
Liberty Blitzkrieg - Just what we need, cornfield crucifixions.
Seriously though, this is very troubling. The Saudis are
explicitly conserving their own resources at home, while
exploiting land and water supplies here in America. CNBC
reports: Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries are
scooping up farmland in drought-afflicted regions of the U.S.
Southwest, and that has some people in California and Arizona
seeing red. Saudi Arabia grows alfalfa hay in both states for
shipment back to its domestic dairy herds. In another real-life
example of the world’s interconnected economy, the Saudis
increasingly look to produce animal feed overseas in order to
save water in their own territory, most of which is desert.
USDA reports first bird flu case since June, different strain
than last year
CNBC News - This marks the first highly pathogenic avian
influenza (HPAI) case since June. In the past year, the U.S.
poultry industry has been hit hard by avian flu. Before this
latest sighting, HPAI had affected 211 commercial and 21
backyard poultry premises since December 2014. The USDA said
state officials had quarantined the facility in Dubois County,
Indiana. Depopulation of the flock has begun to prevent spread
of the disease.... To help contain bird flu, the USDA has been
planning for a worst-case scenario in which 500 or more
commercial flocks across a wide swath of the U.S. could be
affected. Its plan includes promoting improved biosecurity
practices on farms, improving surveillance of wild birds (which
have spread the virus in the past) and promoting rapid detection
of the illness in domestic poultry before depopulating affected
flocks within 24 hours.
How To Grow Edible Purslane In The Garden
Gardening Know How - Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is an herb
that is native to Asia, but has spread all across the world. It
is commonly found in cleared areas. The purslane herb has red
stems and fleshy, green leaves. The flowers are a bright yellow.
Purslane is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and contains vitamin A,
vitamin C, vitamin B, magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.
All in all, edible purslane is a very healthy plant to add to
your diet.
Feds try to suppress herbal molecule that makes your liver
nearly 'bulletproof' against alcohol damage
(NaturalNews) I've recently learned that the U.S. federal
government is actively blocking the public from learning about
an herbal molecule from licorice root that can be added to
alcoholic beverages to dramatically reduce the liver toxicity
caused by alcohol consumption. The liver protective effects of
this plant-based molecule are astonishing, yet the TTB (which
regulates alcohol) is demanding this molecule be censored from
public knowledge and not mentioned on alcohol labels. The trade
name for the molecule is "NTX" and it's a combination of a
licorice root extract plus a functional sugar molecule, both
derived from nature. It has already been awarded a patent as a
liver protective substance (U.S. Patent Office patent
#9,149,491), and it has the potential to help prevent tens of
thousands of acute liver toxicity cases each year that are
derived from alcohol consumption. Yet the federal government is
going out of its way to make sure the U.S. public never hears
about this.
New Study Shows Cannabis to be an Effective Treatment for the
6th Leading Cause of Death in US
Natural Blaze - Scientific research continues to uncover an
astonishing number of ways in which medical cannabis can treat
human ailments. The latest is a clinical study conducted by
Israeli researchers which found that cannabis is “a promising
treatment option” for those suffering from Alzheimer’s
Disease.... Results of the month-long trial showed that
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the main active ingredient in
cannabis—caused a “significant reduction” in mental illness
severity, particularly with regard to irritability,
aggression/agitation, delusions and insomnia.
Early Exercise Changes Your Gut, Health and Future
Dr. Mercola - Science is only just beginning to recognize the
importance of the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut.
They have a rather unique symbiotic relationship with your body
and your health. The bacteria depend upon the food you eat for
nutrition, and the cells in your intestinal tract depend upon
the chemicals released by the bacteria during metabolism. These
chemicals are used to strengthen the cell walls of your
intestines. This is only one way that the bacteria in your gut
interact with your body and your health. Although the benefits
of exercise are well documented for both adults and children,
new research has demonstrated that exercise in the early years
of development has a significant impact on the diversity of your
gut microbiome.
Are These Dirty Little Secrets Lurking in Your Toxic Laundry
Products?
Natural Blaze - For a space that’s completely dedicated to
getting things clean, the laundry room can be a landmine of
dirty substances. Toxic laundry products can contain ingredients
that are irritating to the skin and damaging to the lungs. Some
products disrupt hormones and have been linked to cancer.... The
substances contained within laundry products aren’t that bad if
you are just exposed to them once, but when you use them in your
laundry, you have constant exposure. The artificial fragrances
are chemically designed to linger in your clothing, meaning that
your skin and lungs are constantly exposed.... Manufacturers
aren’t required to list the specific ingredients of their
products, because their trade secrets are protected before our
health is.... In no particular order of awfulness, these are the
8 worst ingredients you are likely to find in the laundry
aisle...
Documentary: Pet Food A Dog's Breakfast CBC Doc Zone
What's really going on in the pet food industry!
Video: SuperSoul Original Short: The Rooster Who Nearly Died and Rose
Again Stronger Than Ever
Poodle Roo wouldn't return to his coop at night, and his keepers at
Apricot Lane Farms couldn't figure out why. After all, the coop is a
safe haven for roosters like him, a way to avoid the dangers lurking in
the night.
Friday
- January 15, 2016 - Today in History:
1777 - The people of New Connecticut (now the state of Vermont) declared
their independence.
1844 - The University of Notre Dame received its charter from the state
of Indiana.
1863 - "The Boston Morning Journal" became the first paper in the U.S.
to be published on wood pulp paper.
1870 - A cartoon by Thomas Nast titled "A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead
Lion" appeared in "Harper's Weekly." The cartoon used the donkey to
symbolize the Democratic Party for the first time.
1913 - The first telephone line between Berlin and New York was
inaugurated.
1943 - The Pentagon was dedicated as the world's largest office building
just outside Washington, DC, in Arlington, VA. The structure covers 34
acres of land and has 17 miles of corridors.
1953 - Harry S Truman became the first U.S. President to use radio and
television to give his farewell as he left office.
1955 - The first solar-heated, radiation-cooled house was built by
Raymond Bliss in Tucson, AZ.
1973 - President Nixon announced the suspension of all U.S.
offensive action in North Vietnam. He cited progress in peace
negotiations as the reason.
1986 - President Reagan signed legislation making Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s birthday a national holiday to be celebrated on the third Monday
of January.
2001 - Wikipedia was launched.
2003 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Congress had
permission to repeatedly extend copyright protection.
2006 - NASA's Stardust space probe mission was completed when it's
sample return capsule returned to Earth with comet dust from comet Wild
2.
2009 - US Airways Capt Chelsey Sullenberger guided a jetliner disabled
by a bird strike just after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport to
a safe landing in the Hudson River. All 155 people aboard survived.
Russian Warplanes Launch 97 Cruise Missiles on Daesh Targets in
Syria
Sputnik News - The Russian Aerospace Forces have launched 97
cruise missiles hitting Daesh targets in Syria, the Russian
General Staff said on Friday. Since the beginning of the Russian
aerial campaign in Syria, Russian warplanes have carried out
5,662 sorties, the Russian General Staff said.... Due to Russian
airstrikes destroying terrorist command centers and supply
channels in Syria, jihadists started to lack fuel, weapons and
supplies, Sergei Rudskoi said. Russian warplanes hit only
verified terrorist targets in Syria after checking the
information via various channels, the Russian Defense Ministry
spokesman emphasized on Friday. According to Konashenkov, this
is one of the main differences of the Russian anti-terrorist
campaign in Syria from that of the US-led coalition as Pentagon
may approve a decision to carry out airstrikes in an area if the
number of civilian casualties does not exceed 50 people.
The U.S. Spent a Half Billion on Mining in Afghanistan With
‘Limited Progress’
Pro Publica - The United States has spent nearly half a billion
dollars and five years developing Afghanistan’s oil, gas and
minerals industries — and has little to show for it, a
government watchdog reported today. The project’s failings are
the result of poorly planned programs, inadequate infrastructure
and a challenging partnership with the Afghan government, the
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction wrote
in its newest damning assessment of U.S. efforts in the war-torn
country. The finding comes after some 200 SIGAR reports have
detailed inefficient, unsuccessful or downright wasteful
reconstruction projects. A recent ProPublica analysis of the
reports found that there has been at least $17 billion in
questionable spending.
Israel Primary Canceled, Netanyahu to Lead Likud Through 2023
Sputnik News - An internal court of Israel’s ruling Likud Party
has canceled a planned primary election for party leadership.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was announced the winner by
default and will remain at the post through 2023. The court,
explaining its findings, stated that it would be unreasonable to
spend $1 million of its party money to hold a vote, especially
taking into account that Netanyahu would have been the only
candidate. "In these conditions, the election is no longer
necessary and Likud leadership has declared the winner as
Benjamin Netanyahu," a Likud spokesman told AFP.
Lowest Ever: The Baltic Dry Index Plunges To 394 As Global Trade
Grinds To A Standstill
Economic Collapse - For the first time ever, the Baltic Dry
Index has fallen under 400. As I write this article, it is
sitting at 394. To be honest, I never even imagined that it
could go this low. Back in early August, the Baltic Dry Index
was sitting at 1,222, and since then it has been on a steady
decline. Of course the Baltic Dry Index crashed hard just before
the great stock market crash of 2008 too, but at this point it
is already lower than it was during that entire crisis. This is
just more evidence that global trade is grinding to a halt and
that 2016 is going to be a “cataclysmic year” for the global
economy.
The 'Real' Price Of Oil Is Below $17
Zero Hedge - "You see a big destruction in the income of the oil
and commodity producers," exclaims on analyst but, as Bloomberg
notes, while oil prices flashing across traders' terminals are
at the lowest in a decade, in real terms the collapse is
considerably deeper. Adjusted for inflation, WTI is its lowest
since 2002 and worse still Saudi Light Crude is trading at below
$17 (in 1998 dollar terms) - the lowest since the 1980s...
Slumping prices are a critical signal that the boom in lending
in China is “unwinding,” according to Adair Turner, chairman of
the Institute for New Economic Thinking. In fact, while sub-$30
per barrel oil sounds very scary, Saudi prices would be less
than $17 a barrel when converted into dollar levels for 1998,
the year oil sank to its lowest since the 1980s.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Oregon Fire Chief Catches FBI Agents Posing as Militia – Quits
His Job in Protest
John Vibes - This week, Harney County Fire Marshall Chris Briels
resigned after discovering undercover FBI agents posing as
militia members near the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which
has been the site of a standoff for weeks now. According to
Briels, he found FBI agents who were impersonating militia
members lurking around the town’s armory. When he inquired about
the undercover operation with county Judge Steve Grasty he was
told to back off. Just before this discovery was made, there
were reports of people who looked like militia harassing locals,
which is uncharacteristic of the protesters who initially
assembled at the refuge. It turns out that these militia members
suspected of harassing locals were actually undercover FBI
agents.
CMP Founder Responds to Planned Parenthood Lawsuit: 'Game On'
Townhall - Planned Parenthood hosted a conference call Thursday
afternoon to announce some breaking news on how it plans to
respond to the Center for Medical Progress’ undercover
investigation that exposed them negotiating the sale of fetal
body parts. They are going to sue.... CMP Founder David Daleiden
reacted to the news with no sign of the fear Planned Parenthood
was likely hoping for: "Game on,” Daleiden said. “I look forward
to deposing all the CEOs, Medical Directors, and their
co-conspirators who participated in Planned Parenthood's illegal
baby body parts racket."
FBI investigating Philadelphia cop shooting as terrorism
CBS News - FBI Director James Comey said on Wednesday that last
week's shooting of a Philadelphia police officer was being
investigated as "a terrorist attack." FBI officials told CBS
News while investigators have not concluded the Jan. 7 shooting
was an act of terrorism, the shooting is being handled as a
terrorism investigation. Late last Thursday, police said Edward
Archer approached Officer Jesse Hartnett's patrol car and fired
a hail of bullets at close range.... Hartnett, 33, was shot
three times in the arm and will require multiple surgeries.
According to police, Archer confessed to the shooting and told
investigators he was following Allah, and had pledged his
allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
Archer said he believed the police department defends laws that
are contrary to Islam, police said.
Undercover Common Core Video: Executive Says "I hate kids, it's
all about the money
Veritas - In this new video, Project Veritas journalists visit
with America’s top textbook publishing companies, the
moneymakers of Common Core, in an effort to expose how crony
capitalism is taking over America’s educational system.
Shockingly, our journalists caught a publishing executive
mocking her own immoral behavior and then laughing about it on
hidden camera.
FULL 6th Fox Business GOP Debate
DRUDGE POLL: Who Won The Debate?
Trump More Than Doubles National Lead in NBC/WSJ Poll
NBC News - Donald Trump has more than doubled his national lead
in the Republican presidential race ahead of Thursday night's
GOP debate here, according to the results from a new NBC
News/Wall Street Journal poll. Trump is the first choice of 33
percent of national Republican primary voters - his highest
percentage in the poll. He's followed by Ted Cruz at 20 percent,
Marco Rubio at 13 percent and Ben Carson at 12 percent. Chris
Christie and Jeb Bush are tied at five percent. No other
Republican presidential candidate gets more than 3 percent.
Trump: Open Borders Encourage “Trojan Horse” Attacks Gun Control
Won’t Stop
Kit Daniels - Opening the borders for thousands of unvetted
Muslim migrants could lead to “great Trojan Horse” jihadist
attacks which won’t be stopped by gun control, GOP frontrunner
Donald Trump pointed out during the sixth GOP debate on
Thursday. Trump’s full statement...
Bloomberg: Trump’s Birther Attack on Cruz Is Landing in Iowa
Breitbart - Why has Cruz switched from lavishly praising Trump
to attacking him? It may be because the birther charge is having
an effect on the ground in Iowa. In the latest Bloomberg
Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll of likely Republican
caucus-goers, which shows Cruz narrowly leading Trump, 15
percent of respondents say they are “bothered” that Cruz was
born in Canada.
Cruz To Trump: ‘Not a Lot of Conservatives Come Out of
Manhattan’
Breitbart - Republican presidential candidates Texas Senator
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told fellow candidate Donald Trump “not a
lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan” during Thursday’s
GOP primetime debate on the Fox Business Network.
'Hillary is a LIAR!' Mother of State Department official killed
in Benghazi lashes out at Clinton after watching new movie about
the terrorist attack 13 Hours
Daily Mail - The mother of a U.S. State Department official who
was killed in a terrorist attack on the US Consulate in
Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012 has called Hillary Clinton
a liar during an interview on Fox News. Pat Smith, whose son
Sean was murdered in the attack along with three other
Americans, believes the former Secretary of State blamed the
killings on a controversial movie, 'Innocence of Muslims' at a
memorial service for the victims. Mrs Smith claims the
Democratic presidential front runner made the comments during a
private meeting with family members of the victims following a
memorial service on September 14, just days after the attack.
Would a Brokered Convention Stop Donald Trump?
Breitbart - I am a veteran of nine national Republican
presidential campaigns, including the floor of the 1976
Republican National Convention for Ronald Reagan. My sources
inside the Republican party are warning me: The insiders have a
stunning plan to stop Trump even if he wins the primaries. The
plan involves stalling Trump short of a majority on the first
ballot, since many of the delegates pledged to him would no
longer be legally bound to support him on subsequent ballots.
There are many, many Trojan Horse delegates inserted by the GOP
establishment who could bolt from Trump after that first
ballot.... There are 278 Super Delegates who are GOP
establishment insiders, likely opposed to Trump. They constitute
4 percent of the convention. Thus, Trump must win 54 percent of
delegates elected in caucuses and primaries to guarantee he
could block a plot to stop him. To make it worse, Convention
Rule 40 B says the Candidate must have a majority of delegates
in at least eight states.
Scarborough on Trump Pensacola Rally: ‘I Never Saw Anything Like
That in My Hometown Before’ — ‘I Don’t Get It’
Breitbart - Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” host Joe
Scarborough, weighed in on Republican presidential front-runner
Donald Trump’s rally in Pensacola, FL, a city of which was in
the district that he represented in the U.S. House of
Representatives. Scarborough indicated that it was unprecedented
for Pensacola to draw such attendance for a presidential
campaign event.... Later in the segment, Scarborough said he
doubted any of Trump’s opponents could draw a crowd close to
that of Trump’s crowd.
* Related:
Full Speech: Donald Trump Holds Rally in Pensacola, FL (1-13-16)
* Watch:
Pro-Trump ‘USA Freedom Kids’ — ‘Enemies of Freedom Face the
Music’
State Confiscates Veteran’s Kids Over Medical Marijuana-PTSD
Treatment
Adan Salazar - A Gulf War veteran who moved to Colorado last
year has had his children confiscated by the State of Kansas
over his use of marijuana as a treatment for PTSD symptoms.
Raymond Schwab, 40, relied on medical marijuana to treat PTSD
after he suffered severe side effects from medicines prescribed
by the VA. “They were making me crazy, they made me worse,”
Schwab told The Denver Post. Unfortunately before they left,
Amelia’s mother reported them to Kansas Child Protective
Services as “unfit parents.” After child welfare officials
seized the children, her mother said she regreted making the
call. Nine months later, and after a judge found the mother’s
allegations unsubstantiated, the state is still requiring Schwab
to curb medicinal marijuana use and submit to urine analysis for
four months, which the veteran says will be difficult.
World Rushes to De-Dollarize Oil Trade Before US Economy Crashes and
Burns
Sputnik News - Russia, China, India and other emerging powers are
pushing for a multipolar world; meanwhile the United States, a former
hegemon, is unable to stop them as it is losing its political power and
is “de-facto bankrupt,” William Engdahl, a political observer for New
Eastern Outlook, told Radio Sputnik. Slowly, but surely Russia, China
and other emerging economies are beginning to reduce their dependency on
the US dollar. Russia plans to trade oil using rubles by undermining the
current US oil price monopoly. This move would be a dramatic blow to the
economy of the United States and break the US political hegemony,
Engdahl explained.
So You Didn't Win the Lottery: Why That's Probably a Good Thing
Sputnik News - At least three people in the US won the largest lottery
jackpot in history Wednesday night, and chances are you weren’t one of
them. But look on the bright side: winners of huge payouts often find
their lives changing significantly for the worse, rather than the
better. The $1.5 billion pot will be divided amongst winners in
California, Florida, and Tennessee — and more may come forward. They
beat the one in 292 million odds, and are about to become millionaires.
Unfortunately, however, the National Endowment for Financial Education
has estimated that as many as 70% of people who come into massive
amounts of money out of nowhere, typically run out of cash within just a
few years, Think Progress reports.... Several other studies, including
one conducted in 2008 by the University of California, found that
lottery winners are no happier than their losing counterparts, only six
months after their big wins.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Monsanto Scraps $90 Million GM Corn Facility Plans Due to
Declining Profits
Natural Society - Monsanto’s plans to construct a $90 million GM
corn processing plant in Independence, Iowa have reportedly been
scrapped due to a ‘struggling farm economy.’ Monsanto notified
the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) that it will not
build a long-delayed seed corn production facility in
Independence which would have created 47 full-time jobs and 800
seasonal positions. These jobs would have created $7.5 million
in job creation tax credits for the company.... Another biotech
company expecting to receive tax credits for creating new jobs
associated with the Monsanto plant will have to forgo them as
well. DuPont Pioneer had to cancel contracts for $13 million in
tax benefits linked to creating 300 jobs for three projects.
Fewer jobs will be available at three DuPont area plants in
Iowa.
TB Outbreak in Alabama Town Surpasses that of Third-World
Countries
Natural Society - Alabama health officials are offering some
residents $160 to be screened and treated for tuberculosis after
an outbreak of the disease killed 3 people and sickened 26. The
Alabama Department of Public Health said it will dispatch extra
nurses and TB investigators to Marion, a town 80 miles west of
the capital of Montgomery, where the outbreak has been
centralized. In fact, the infection rate in Marion is higher
than those in many third-world countries. “This is a case rate
of 253 per 100,000 population in the town of Marion. This far
exceeds the TB case rate of 2.5 per 100,000 in the whole state
of Alabama in 2015,” the department stated in a media release.
Curcumin Helps Menopausal Women Mitigate Metabolic Alterations
And Lose Fat
Arny Bustamante - Curcumin is a compound found in the spice
turmeric which gives it a natural pigment. It has been linked to
a range of health benefits, and now researchers have found it
helps mitigate metabolic and oxidative alterations caused by
hormone deprivation in events such as menopause.... Researchers
from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul published a
report in the Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity journal
that outlines how curcumin may reverse aging symptoms, such as
bone loss and weight gain, associated with post-menopausal
animals and humans. The fat-vanquishing nature of curcumin has
even generated significant interest within the mainstream
medical establishment.
Health Benefits of Ginkgo Biloba
Organic Facts - Some of the most important and unique health
benefits of ginkgo include its ability to improve memory, boost
vision, treat depression, alleviate pain, boost circulation,
reduce blood pressure, protects the nervous system, boost heart
health, prevent cancer, and slow the signs of aging.
* Related:
Study Confirms Gingko Biloba Aids Stroke Recovery
Combat Iron Deficiency with These 16 Iron Rich Foods
Dr. Group - Like zinc, magnesium, and potassium, iron is a
nutrient your body absolutely requires. Iron helps the body grow
normally and stay healthy and is used to make hemoglobin, a
critical protein found in red blood cells. When you have enough
iron, your blood cells are strong and carry life-giving oxygen
throughout your body. Your metabolism, which relies on oxygen,
stays active and you feel stronger and more clear-headed. If you
are experiencing an iron deficiency, you may feel weak and
experience other chronic symptoms.
Thursday
- January 14, 2016 - Today in History:
1784 - The United States ratified a peace treaty with England ending the
Revolutionary War.
1858 - French emperor Napoleon III escaped an attempt on his life.
1878 - Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone for Britain's
Queen Victoria.
1943 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S.
President to fly in an airplane while in office. He flew from Miami, FL,
to French Morocco where he met with British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill to discuss World War II.
1952 - NBC's "Today" show premiered.
1963 - George C. Wallace was sworn in as governor of Alabama.
1969 - An explosion aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Enterprise off
Hawaii killed 25 crew members.
1994 - U.S. President Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed
Kremlin accords to stop aiming missiles at any nation and to dismantle
the nuclear arsenal of Ukraine.
1998 - Whitewater prosecutors questioned Hillary Rodham Clinton at the
White House for 10 minutes about the gathering of FBI background files
on past Republican political appointees.
1999 - The impeachment trial of U.S. President Clinton began in
Washington, DC.
1999 - The U.S. proposed the lifting of the U.N. ceilings on the sale of
oil in Iraq. The restriction being that the money be used to buy
medicine and food for the Iraqi people.
2000 - A U.N. tribunal sentenced five Bosnian Croats to up to 25 years
for the 1993 massacre of over 100 Muslims in a Bosnian village.
2004 - In St. Louis, a Lewis and Clark Exhibition opened at the Missouri
History Museum. The exhibit featured 500 rare and priceless objects used
by the Corps of Discovery.
2005 - Army Specialist Charles Graner Jr., the reputed ringleader of a
band of rogue guards at the Abu Ghraib prison, was convicted at Fort
Hood, Texas, of abusing Iraqi detainees. (He was later sentenced to 10
years in prison.)
2008 - Republican Bobby Jindal, the first elected Indian-American
governor in the United States, took office in Louisiana.
At least 7 dead as Jakarta rocked by multiple explosions,
gunfire in ISIS-related attacks
RT - Several blasts went off in the center of the Indonesian
capital, Jakarta, in a terrorist attack involving suicide
bombers. Eyewitnesses describe casualties, chaotic scenes and
exchanges of gunfire with police.... There were 10 to 14
attackers involved in the Jakarta attacks, the channel reported,
citing local media. Following the blasts, police said that
Islamic State militants might have been behind them. "We have
previously received a threat from Islamic State that Indonesia
will be in the spotlight," police spokesman Anton Charliyan
said. Later, however, Sutiyoso, the head of the Indonesian
national intelligence agency, told Reuters that while the
Jakarta attacks were acts of terrorism, there wasn’t any
indication that Islamic State was behind them.
Asian Stocks Plunge After Terrorists Attack Indonesia
Kit Daniels - Asian stocks fell sharply after suspected Islamic
suicide bombers and gunmen attacked Indonesia’s capital on
Thursday... The Jakarta Stock Index plunged as a result,
impacting other Asian stock markets that were already in free
fall following a massive sell-off on Wall Street yesterday
fueled by concerns over China’s economy, overvalued stocks and
low oil prices. China’s Hang Seng index stayed in negative
territory most of the day and Japan’s Nikkei 225 was also down
2.68%, or around 474 points, near the end of trading, while
Indonesia’s Rupiah currency crashed in response to the terrorist
attack likely to be blamed on ISIS.
Iran removes Arak reactor core - Tehran's senior nuclear
official
RT - Iran’s top nuclear official has said the core of the Arak
heavy water reactor has been removed - a step that brings the
country closer to the lifting of international sanctions. The
announcement by Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization spokesman
Behrouz Kamalvandi, reported by state TV, comes days after he
said the reactor would be disabled this week. The reactor core
was capable of producing plutonium and its fate was a major
point of disagreement during the negotiations between six
leading world powers and Iran, which resulted in a deal last
year. According to the agreement signed in July, the reactor is
to be retrofitted with the help of foreign specialists to be
used for research projects and the production of medical
radioactive isotopes.
Final MH17 crash report ‘unsubstantiated, inaccurate,’ new
Russian probe says
RT -Some of the key conclusions of the Dutch Safety Board’s
final report on the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash were
‘unsubstantiated and inaccurate,’ Russia’s aviation agency said
in a letter to its counterpart in the Netherlands, citing new
research. Since the final report, released on October 13, 2015,
did not reflect many important facts mentioned by the Russian
side, the country’s experts continued their investigation into
the reasons for the crash, Oleg Storchevoy, deputy head of
Rosaviatsiya, wrote in a letter addressed to leadership of the
Dutch Safety Board (DSB).... According to the DSB’s findings,
the Boeing 777 was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile with
a 9N314M warhead. However, the Dutch experts were unable to
determine which side in the conflict – the Ukrainian government
forces or the rebels – was responsible for firing the missile.
Renault Plunges 20% After French Authorities Raid Offices In
Apparent Emissions Probe
Zero Hedge - Don’t look now, but Renault may be pulling a
Volkswagen. The French company’s shares fell by as much as 23%
on Thursday after an apparent raid on what a union official
described as “sites that have to do with standards testing and
engine certification.”
Syrians Have No Food, NATO/MSM Have No Shame: Madaya Starvation
Photos Faked For Propaganda
Brandon Turbeville - It seems the propaganda machine of the West
just won’t quit when it comes to Syria.... The latest attempt at
portraying Assad as the new Hitler without a shred of real
evidence? Claims that he is starving the residents of Madaya for
some undefined purpose that would allegedly benefit his “grip”
on power. Actually, according to the Western media, no motives
are necessary. For the West and its populations totally lacking
in discernment, Assad is starving the people of Madaya and that
is enough. But the truth is that Assad is not starving the
people of Madaya. The people of Madaya are suffering because
their village is overrun with the savages supported by NATO, the
GCC, and Israel. Unfortunately, the Western media that insists
upon calling them “rebels” and “activists” instead of what they
are.
Oil could crash to $10 a barrel, warn investment bank bears
Telegraph UK - Oil prices have crashed to below $30-a-barrel
amid warnings the rout could reach as low as $10 and bring down
petrol prices to levels last seen in 2009. Standard Chartered
became the latest major bank to downgrade its oil outlook to
$10, joining the likes of Goldman Sachs, RBS and Morgan Stanley
in making ultra-bearish calls as prices have collapsed by 15pc
[per cent] this year… Christine Lagarde, chief of the
International Monetary Fund, said supply and demand factors
meant commodity prices were "likely to stay low for a sustained
period"… The warnings came as Opec - the cartel that controls a
third of the world's supply - said it would not cede to requests
from some of its members to hold an emergency meeting.
Attack on Pakistan Polio Clinic Recalls CIA Vaccination Ruse
Sputnik News - The bomb reportedly hit a police van accompanying
health workers participating in a drive aimed at immunizing
young children. According to Reuters, two groups claimed
responsibility: the Pakistani Taliban and Jundullah, which has
ties to the Taliban. In 2011, the CIA orchestrated a fake
vaccination drive at a polio facility in Abbottabad as part of
the hunt for Osama Bin Ladin. Since then, facilities in the
region and their workers have fallen under distrust… Pakistan
and Afghanistan are the only two remaining countries in the
world where polio continues to be transmitted.
Russian Health Minister: Guinea Asks Moscow for Russian
Anti-Ebola Vaccine
Sputnik News - Russia has received a request from Guinea to
start using the vaccine recently developed by Russian against
Ebola, and Moscow is ready to respond, Russian Health Minister
Veronika Skvortsova said on Wednesday… "We have received a
request from the Pasteur Institute of Guinea to start
introduction of our two medicines in a comparative study, which
involves the US vaccine produced by the Merck company," the
minister said during a meeting with Putin, adding that Russia
was fully ready to start "implementing the task."
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
How many is too many? State Dept says calculus for civilian
casualties exists, but won’t disclose it
RT - Civilian casualties are weighed against the value of the
targets in a “calculus” used by the US military, but what that
ratio might be, the State Department refused to say. On Sunday,
US warplanes bombed a bank in Mosul that was considered a hub of
Islamic State’s (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) financial operations,
housing the cash used to fund operations and pay the group’s
fighters. US military officials said they were willing to
tolerate up to 50 civilian deaths for such a high-value target,
according to a CNN report.
Fear-mongering DHS chairman claims terrorists could target
malls, Disney World etc.
MassPrivateI - Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee
Michael McCaul's new novel claims, terrorists could easily
target Disney World, the Academy Awards and shopping centers
like the Mall of America with biological attacks. DHS's latest
fear-mongering book is titled Failures of Imagination: The
Deadliest Threats to Our Homeland--and How to Thwart Them.
McCaul's book describes a woman using a fan to spread smallpox
at Disneyworld or possibly in a mall.
University of Missouri Student Enrollment Down After Last Year's
Protests
The New American - In an e-mail, Admissions Director Chuck May
stated, “While we don’t have any clear data, we know that the
events this past fall have had an impact, and we are answering
any questions that parents and students have about those
events.” Applications for admission to the university have
decreased nearly five percent from the previous year. The drop
in graduate student applications — 19 percent — is even more
dramatic. After last year's season, some recruits who were
considering playing football for Missouri opted to de-commit
from playing for the Southeastern Conference program. The
Missouri Legislature has also expressed outrage at what happened
at the University of Missouri, demanding the termination of
Melissa Click, an assistant professor in communications at the
school… What the legislators found so particularly outrageous
about Dr. Click was that she called for a student
photo-journalist on freelance assignment with ESPN to be removed
by physical force from covering a student protest at Carnahan
Quad on the campus.
Teachers in Detroit on 'sickout' strike against crumbling,
pest-ridden schools
RT - Five schools were closed on Wednesday, down from 24 on
Tuesday and 64 on Monday, due to teacher absences. Michigan law
prohibits teacher strikes, with fines up to $5,000 a day for
teachers involved, but a “sickout” is technically not a strike.
According to examples provided by the Detroit Federation of
Teachers (DFT), one high school “is literally falling apart.” A
special education school has “infestations of rats, other
rodents, roaches and bed bugs.” At a preparatory academy,
“pieces of the ceiling are falling on kids’ heads,” while one
elementary school has “a classroom without power due to black
mold in the wiring.” Duggan blamed the Michigan governor for the
crisis, pointing out that the Detroit school district has been
under state emergency management since 2009. “One third of the
money in the district is being dedicated to the debt and not to
fixing leaky roofs,” the mayor said. “We’re heading toward seven
years of state takeover and test scores are low, and there’s a
bigger deficit than before. After seven years of running the
schools, the state needs to do something.”
Who's Funding the 2016 Election? Mostly, We'll Never Know
disinformation - Dark money groups have spent $143 million on
the 2016 U.S. presidential election since last July—nearly four
times as much as the candidates’ own campaigns, Politico
reported in a new analysis on Tuesday. The origins of most of
that funding will never be revealed, while some of it will be
made public at midnight on January 31, just hours before the
Iowa caucuses, writes Politico‘s chief investigative reporter
Kenneth P. Vogel… All of the major candidates—with the exception
of Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side and Donald Trump for
the Republicans—has the support of at least one outside spending
group dedicated to their election, Vogel said.
Ted Cruz Didn't Disclose Loan From Goldman Sachs for His First
Senate Campaign
NY Times - As Ted Cruz tells it, the story of how he financed
his upstart campaign for the United States Senate four years ago
is an endearing example of loyalty and shared sacrifice between
a married couple. "Sweetheart, I'd like us to liquidate our
entire net worth, liquid net worth, and put it into the
campaign," he says he told his wife, Heidi, who readily agreed.
But the couple's decision to pump more than $1 million into Mr.
Cruz's successful Tea Party-darling Senate bid in Texas was made
easier by a large loan from Goldman Sachs, where Mrs. Cruz
works. That loan was not disclosed in campaign finance reports.
Trump: Germans Will Riot, Overthrow Merkel
Kurt Nimmo - On Tuesday presidential frontrunner Donald Trump
said the German people will stage a violent overthrow of the
Merkel government. “We have a little situation that could be a
trojan horse. You look at what is happening in Germany. Cologne
never had a problem. Cologne, Germany. Okay? Everything’s fine.
Everything’s nice. Clean. Beautiful. No problem. Now they are
having riots, they’re having rapes,” Trump said during a
campaign stop in Cedar Falls, Iowa. “Have you heard about the
New Year’s Eve [attack]? It was like a disaster. And the German
people are going to riot. The German people are going to end up
overthrowing [Angela Merkel]. I don’t know what the hell she is
thinking. But they have millions of people pouring into Germany,
now they’re not stopping them. Now I guess they are going to
have to stop them because the German people aren’t going to put
up [with it].”
VA’s New Paperless Claim System Has Nearly Doubled in Costs
Defense One - The Department of Veterans Affairs may finally
have good news to share, but lawmakers are balking at the price
tag. Total costs for a digital system used to process veterans’
disability claims that officials say has been key to slashing a
massive VA backlog are nearly double the initial estimates. And
VA, which has continued to make upgrades to the system under an
“agile” software development methodology, still can’t say how
much the system will end up costing, according to auditors. VA
has spent more than $1 billion developing and maintaining the
Veterans Benefits Management System, or VBMS, since 2009. The
agency has requested an additional $290 million this year for
continued tweaks to the system, which was initially projected to
cost $579 million.
Breaking: Dow Jones Loses Over 1500 Points in Only 10 Days
Kit Daniels - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 16,151
on Wednesday, down over 1500 points in the past 10 trading days.
The index declined consistently throughout the day with a rapid
drop occurring mid-afternoon. On Dec. 29, the Dow Jones hit a
peak at 17,720 but has since been on a downward trend, with the
first five days of 2016 marking the index’s worst yearly start
since 1897. The chart contradicts President Obama’s claim that
“anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is
peddling fiction,” which he stated during Tuesday’s State of the
Union address. Numerous experts suggest that not only will the
U.S. economy enter a bear market, but market losses could
potentially hit 40%.
93% Of American Counties Haven't Recovered From The Recession
Zero Hedge - But even as the macro picture is hopelessly
obscured by the mischievous tinkering of bureaucrats, the
county-level data reveals the dismal truth: according to a new
study by the National Association of Counties, 93% of America's
counties have not yet recovered from the recession. "Overall,
the county economies recovered on all four indicators by 2015
still represent only 7 percent of all county economies," the
organization writes. "In contrast, almost 16 percent of county
economies had not recovered on any indicator by 2015, mostly in
the South and Midwest. States such as Florida, Georgia, Illinois
and Mississippi have more than a third of their county economies
still reeling from the latest downturn across all economic
indicators." … the counties that have recovered on 3-4 of the
indicators NAC measured are predominantly in the Midwest and
Texas. How long, one might fairly ask, will that last in the
face of a prolonged slump in crude prices?
Norfolk Shipyard To Lay Off 50% Of Workforce
Government Slaves - AE Systems notified 530 workers at its
Norfolk shipyard Tuesday that they will likely lose their jobs
in March, a company spokesman said. Citing a continued drop in
workload, BAE spokesman Karl Johnson said the layoffs would be
effective March 18. About 1,075 people work at the shipyard, so
this would slash the workforce in half. The furloughs target
both management and the skilled trades. Johnson said the layoffs
will probably happen, although the company continues to work
with the Navy in hopes of securing new business, and that could
make a difference.... BAE does repair work on Navy amphibious
warships, cruisers and destroyers.
‘No Groceries This Week’: Woman Goes Without Food to Buy
Powerball Tickets
Adan Salazar - With the Powerball lottery jackpot at an all time
high, the “proles” are out in full force spending their
hard-earned money despite beyond-miniscule chances of winning.
The odds, 1 in 292,000,000, are abysmal. They decreased from one
in 175 million when the Multi-State Lottery Association raised
the number of white balls from 59 to 69. According to the Wall
Street Journal, it’s more likely you’ll die in an automobile
accident, 1 in 112. Golf Digest says the chances are better of
“two average players in the same foursome acing the same hole,”
17 million to 1. And CNN Money shows that you have better odds
of all of the following happening, than matching five numbers
and the Powerball correctly...
Michigan National Guard, FEMA Help Flint Amid Water Crisis
ABC News - Members of the Michigan National Guard are headed to
Flint to help dole out bottled water, filters and other supplies
to residents dealing with a drinking water crisis that began
months ago. Gov. Rick Snyder activated the National Guard late
Tuesday, and some members were expected to arrive as soon as
Wednesday to assist state authorities and volunteers in the
distribution effort.... More than 30 Guardsmen will be in place
by Friday, enabling American Red Cross volunteers to join the
door-to-door efforts that began Tuesday instead of staffing
sites where residents can pick up free bottled water, filters,
replacement cartridges and home water testing kits.... Flint
has since returned to Detroit's system for its water, but
officials remain concerned that damage to the pipes caused by
the Flint River means that lead could continue to impair supply.
Alaskan Earthquake Could Unleash Huge California Tsunami
Breitbart - An area from San Francisco to Los Angeles lies in a
perpendicular direction from a section of the trench where the
Pacific Plate is digging under the edge of the North American
Plate. That section, called the Semidi, has lain unstressed for
too long, according to geophysicist John Miller and a team at
the U.S. Geological Survey, and so they postulate that the area
is due for a rupture.... Miller stated that the area around the
Aleutian Islands has produced other tsunamis. Because the trench
is shaped in an arc, the tsunamis caused by various earthquakes
have targeted different areas, largely missing population
centers. But the Semidi section, which last ruptured in 1788, is
due for another rupture, as it typically ruptures every 180 to
270 years. Miller argued that a tsunami triggered by a rupture
in the Semidi section could match the size of Japan’s giant
tsunami in 2011.
The US Government Has an Internet Killswitch - and It's None of
Your Business
Activist Post - On Monday the Supreme Court declined to hear a
petition from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
that sought to force the Department of Homeland Security to
release details of a secret “killswitch” protocol to shut down
cellphone and Internet service during emergencies. EPIC has been
fighting since 2011 to release the details of the program, which
is known as Standard Operating Procedure 303… This secret
document codifies a ‘shutdown and restoration process for use by
commercial and private wireless networks during national
crisis.’”… Despite EPIC’s defeat at the hands of the Supreme
Court, the four-year court battle yielded a heavily redacted
copy of Standard Operating Procedure 303.
First genetically-modified human embryos 'could be created in
Britain within weeks'
The Independent - The first genetically-modified human embryos
could be created in Britain within weeks according to the
scientists who are about to learn whether their research
proposal has been approved by the fertility watchdog. Although
it will be illegal to allow the embryos to live beyond 14 days,
and be implanted into the womb, the researchers accepted that
the research could one day lead to the birth of the first GM
babies should the existing ban be lifted for medical reasons.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
How America’s Embrace of GMOs and Pesticides Could Trigger
“Downfall” of EU Farmers
disinformation - Europe’s farmers should be forewarned.
According to a new study, if the pending Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP) become a reality, the United
States’ distinctly low food standards, coupled with the
dominance of industrial agriculture, could trigger a complete
“downfall” of the entire European farming sector. Pointing to
the significant differences between Europe and the United
States’ agriculture industries, the study examines how the
pending trade pact would try to “harmonize” standards pertaining
to such things as genetically modified (GMO) crops, growth
hormones in meat, and pesticides.... U.S. farms, the study
finds, are in a superior position due to their larger size as
well as “the lower consumer and production standards under which
they are obligated to operate.” No one can produce products like
cereal as cheaply as the USA,” the report states.
How Fasting Can Help In Cancer Treatment?
Natural News Blogs - Renowned medical journal Cell Stem Cell of
June 5 issue indicates that state of fasting activates stem
cells and prompts them for self-renewal. These stem cells are
directed to replenish the depleted immune cells when someone is
on prolonged fasting. Laboratory monitoring of cancer patients
who fast regularly due to poor appetite indicates a dramatic
fall in WBC count. It is thus postulated that prolong fasting
stimulates clearing of damaged and unwanted immune cells. The
fall in white blood cell count is the result of this process in
persons who are on regular fasting, and naturally food intake
causes a rise of those cells.
Cooking from Scratch Is so Important for Health, Some Medical
Schools Are Now Teaching Doctors Cooking Skills
Dr. Mercola - Tulane University School of Medicine in New
Orleans has implemented a radically different curriculum,
teaching their medical students not only about nutrition in
general, but also the practical aspects of cooking with real
ingredients. As noted by Dr. Timothy Harlan, executive director
at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane: "We know
from the literature that when people go home and start cooking
from real ingredients for themselves that their health improves.
We also know that they don't really know how to do that." The
goal is for Tulane-educated doctors to have the necessary skills
to actually teach their patients what to cook, how to cook it,
and why. Other medical schools are also following suit. The
curriculum, which was developed with the College of Culinary
Arts at Johnson & Wales University, has also been bought by 16
other medical schools across the country.
Junk Food Eating Generations Can Pass Metabolic Disorders To
Their Children
Mae Chan - "You are what your parent's eat," is becoming more
relevant by the day. According to a study published in journal
Science, just one junk food-eating generation can pass on the
metabolic disorders it gains from an unhealthy diet to the next.
Less than two years ago, scientists officially linked processed
foods to autoimmune disease and the consequences may ripple to
future generations. Medical researchers have before shown a link
between a father's weight and diet at the time of conception and
an increased risk of diabetes in his offspring. In research
conducted on mice, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences
found that unhealthy eating behaviours were recorded in a tiny
molecule that could then be transmitted through sperm to the
embryo.
Heartwarming Story Of A Nurse Cat Who Looks After Sick & Injured Animals
In A Shelter
Collective Evolution - This is just a simple heartwarming story to
hopefully make your day! Rademenes is a little black cat that has
miraculously escaped death after a very close call caused by an
upper-respiratory infection. He was originally brought to an animal
shelter in Bydgoszcz, a city in Poland, to be euthanized, but against
all odds, this little black kitty survived. Now with a second chance at
life, Rademenes has decided to give back, and spends his days taking
care of other animals in the shelter that he was originally admitted to.
Workers at this shelter jokingly call this friendly kitty one of their
“full-time nurses,” as he provides love and comfort to sick and injured
animals. Read on for more of this heartwarming story!
Wednesday
- January 13, 2016 - Today in History:
1794 - President Washington approved a measure adding 2 stars and
2 stripes to the flag, following the admission of Vermont and
Kentucky to the union.
1854 - Anthony Faas of Philadelphia was granted the 1st U.S.
patent for the accordion. He made improvements to the keyboard and
enhanced the sound.
1893 - Britain's Independent Labor Party, a precursor to the current
Labor Party, met for the first time.
1906 - Hugh Gernsback, of the Electro Importing Company, advertised
radio receivers for sale for the price of just $7.50 in "Scientific
American" magazine.
1942 - Henry Ford patented the plastic automobile referred to as the
"Soybean Car." The car was 30% lighter than the average car.
1966 - Robert Weaver became the 1st black Cabinet member when appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by U.S.
President Johnson.
1986 - "The Wall Street Journal" printed a real picture on its front
page. The first time in 10 years. The story was
about artist, O. Winston Link and featured one of his works.
1992 - Japan apologized for forcing tens of thousands of Korean women to
serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II.
1998 - NBC agreed to pay almost $13 million for each episode of the TV
show E.R. It was the highest amount ever paid for a TV show.
2002 - The exhibit "In the Spirit of Martin: The Living Legacy of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr." opened at the Charles H. Wright Museum of
African American History. More than 100 artists supplied the collection
of 120 works of art.
2002 - Japan and Singapore signed a free trade pact that would remove
tariffs on almost all goods traded between the two countries.
2002 - U.S. President George W. Bush fainted after choking on a pretzel.
2009 - Ethiopian military forces began pulling out of Somalia, where
they had tried to maintain order for nearly two years.
Iran 'releases US sailors held in Gulf'
Al Jazeera - All 10 US Navy sailors have been released hours
after they were detained by Iran, state media reported on
Wednesday. The sailors aboard two small patrol boats were taken
into custody after they "inadvertently" strayed into Iranian
waters. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said the sailors were
released on Wednesday after it was determined that their entry
was not intentional.
Oil rises for first time in eight days on China, U.S. stock draw
Reuters - Oil prices rose for the first time in eight days on
Wednesday as positive Chinese trade data and an unexpected draw
in weekly U.S. crude oil inventories gave investors reasons to
buy crude futures. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up 87
cents at $31.73 a barrel at 0954 GMT, but remained near lows
last seen nearly 12 years ago.
* Related:
War Between Saudi Arabia And Iran Could Send Oil Prices To $250
Global Stocks Rebound As Fears Of Chinese Hard-Landing Pushed
Back On Strong Trade Data
Zero Hedge - After two months of sharp currency devaluation, the
market was carefully watching last night's China trade data to
see if the Yuan debasement had led to a positive trade outcome
to the world's second largest economy, and as reported last
night, it was not disappointed when China reported a December
trade surplus of $60.09 billion from $54.1 billion in November,
as a result of exports beating expectations and rising 2.3%, the
first increase since June, while imports declined by just 4%,
the smallest drop since 2014 despite China importing a record
amount of oil, or 33.2 million tons, in December.
Iran Seizes 2 US Navy Boats, Crewmen For "Illegally Entering
Iranian Waters"
Zero Hedge - Tensions were already running high between Tehran
and Washington in the wake of Iran's move to test-fire a next
generation surface-to-surface ballistic missile with the range
to hit Israel. And then the IRGC conducted a live-fire rocket
test within 1,500 yards of a US aircraft carrier in the Strait
of Hormuz. Now, in a further escalation, Iran has reportedly
seized two US Navy ships. But nobody panic, because Iran has
promised to return the crew "promptly" and as CNN adds,
according to Iran the sailors are safe: That appears to
contradict a statement from Fars which says the US has
"repeated" calls for the crew's release.
China on Track to Build Its Very First Military Base in Africa
Daily Sheeple - China has just signed a 10 year contract with
the government of Djibouti to create a military base near the
Red Sea. The base will be a logistics hub and airfield, which
will give the Chinese military an extensive reach into the
continent. Both the US and China have been competing for
economic and political influence in the resource rich continent
for some time now, but this is the first time that China has
challenged America’s military presence in Africa. The base is
clearly an effort to stymie America’s influence, since it’s
located not far from a US military hub in Djibouti, known as
Camp Lemonnier.
BP to cut 4,000 jobs as oil price plummets
Irish Times - Jobs to be culled in UK giant’s crude-oil
production division. BP will cut 4,000 jobs in its crude-oil
production division this year as prices continue to tumble. The
company will reduce its worldwide upstream workforce to less
than 20,000, London-based spokesman David Nicholas said by
phone. The cuts include 600 people working at North Sea
projects: they’ll lose their positions over the next two years
“with the majority in the first year,” he said.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Fact Check: Top 10 Lies in Obama’s State of the Union
Breitbart - President Barack Obama promised his final State of
the Union address would be short. Dana Bash of CNN called it
“low-energy.” One thing it was not was accurate–or honest. Here
are Obama’s top ten lies, in chronological order.
* Related:
President Obama's 2016 State of the Union Address (Transcript)
Obama pledges US will cure cancer ‘once and for all’ — with Joe
Biden leading the way
Raw Story - Obama, in the last State of the Union address of his
presidency, said America must use its spirit of innovation to
help tackle the challenge of cancer.... In a blog post released
during the State of the Union address, Biden said the White
House would focus on increasing public and private resources to
fight the disease and to improve information sharing among
researchers and medical professionals. He will travel on Friday
to the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine
to speak with physicians and next week he will meet with experts
at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to discuss the
initiative. The cancer initiative will build upon the $2 billion
increase in funding approved for the National Institutes of
Health last year, White House chief economist Jason Furman told
reporters ahead of Obama speech.
'We may be breaking codes, but not supreme law of the land' -
Bundy (EXCLUSIVE)
RT - On the 10th day of an armed standoff on federal property
near Burns, Oregon, the leader of a rancher militia, Ammon
Bundy, said he and his supporters “are breaking codes and
regulations, but we are not breaking the supreme law of the
land.” RT’s Simone Del Rosario took a tour around the Malheur
National Wildlife Preserve with Bundy, who led militia members
and anti-government activists in a takeover on January 2. They
believe that the federal ownership of the land is
unconstitutional and that it should belong to the local
community. The laws on the books that are not constitutional,
they are so tremendous, there are so many of them that every day
you and I are breaking them and that’s part of the problem,”
Bundy said. “Government has got to the point when they think
they can make laws on anything.” Bundy says that people are left
with the choice of either obeying the government-imposed codes
or making the government follow the US Constitution.
Chicago Cops Frantically Fight to Destroy Misconduct Records
Before Homan Square Investigation
The Free Thought Project - As the Cook County Commissioner and a
state representative both call for a federal investigation into
the CIA-style black site known as Homan Square, Chicago police
union officials are fighting to incinerate decades of police
misconduct records. Although the city, an investigative
journalist, and a University of Chicago law school professor
have battled in court to preserve the misconduct records, police
unions argue that red-flagged officers should not be judged by
their marred past. While Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin
and the Board of Commissioners prepare to address a resolution
on Wednesday calling on the DOJ to expand its investigation into
Homan Square, leaders of the Chicago NAACP and state Rep. La
Shawn Ford are working to prevent the Chicago Police Department
from destroying any police misconduct files older than five
years.
Report: White House Is Blocking Investigation Into Over 100
Terrorists INSIDE U.S.
Steve Watson - While President Obama claimed before his State of
The Union Speech that there are no terror threats to the US, it
has become apparent that his administration is actively
stonewalling an investigation into hundreds of suspected
terrorists ALREADY within the country. The Washington Free
Beacon reports: “Leading senators on Monday petitioned multiple
Obama administration agencies to stop stonewalling a
congressional investigation into the immigration histories of at
least 113 foreign-born individuals implicated in terrorist
operations after legally entering the United States, according
to a copy of the letters.” The Beacon also reported that 41
foreign-born individuals who legally entered the United States
have been arrested for planning multiple terror attacks.
Meanwhile In Chicago, 120 People Shot In First 10 Days Of 2016
Zero Hedge - Even as Obama takes his anti-gun crusade to new
highs with every passing week, having recently started
dispensing executive orders, the president conveniently
continues to ignore the state of affairs in his native Chicago -
a city in which guns are banned - yet where the shooting
epidemic has never been worse, and is truly emblematic of the
"gun problem" America has. Judging by the most recent
developments, Obama will have nothing to say about Chicago gun
violence either during tonight's state of the union address, or
ever for that matter, because recent developments are downright
disastrous.
NEW EMAIL Shows Hillary Willing to Foment Palestinian Uprising
for Political Gain
Gateway Pundit - Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton
considered a secret plan created by her then-advisers to foment
unrest among Palestinian citizens and spark protests in order to
push the Israeli government back to the negotiating table,
according to emails released as part of the investigation into
the Democratic presidential frontrunner’s private email server.
{n a Dec, 18, 2011, email, former U.S. ambassador to Israel
Thomas Pickering suggested that Clinton consider a plan to
restart then-stalled peace negotiations by kickstarting
Palestinian demonstrations against Israel. Pickering described
the effort as a potential “game changer in the region,”
recommending that the United States undertake a clandestine
campaign to generate unrest. Clinton requested that his email be
printed. “What will change the situation is a major effort to
use non-violent protests and demonstrations to put peace back in
the center of people’s aspirations as well as their thoughts,
and use that to influence the political leadership,” Pickering
wrote.
‘Send Mr. Bundy the bill’: Judge wants Oregon militia to pay
$70k a day for security costs
RT - An Oregon judge says that he will send the ranchers and
anti-government activists the bill for security costs that have
been piled up because of their standoff with the federal
government. Harney County Judge Steve Grasty said the cost of
setting up security measures for Ammon Bundy and his militia is
between $60,000 and $70,000 a day.... In addition to the costly
increase in security that Bundy and company brought, Grasty said
that the “bill” would be for the salaries of teachers and other
public employees who didn't go into work when schools and
government buildings were closed due to the standoff. Grasty
also urged the community not to provide supplies for the
protesters, who have asked for items such as cigarettes, tampons
and coffee creamer. “No matter how you feel, do not bring food
and supplies up to the refuge,” Grasty said.
Obama knocks Trump, voices optimism in speech to set 2016 tone
President
Reuters - Obama took aim on Tuesday at Republican presidential
front-runner Donald Trump and accused critics of playing into
the hands of Islamic State in a speech meant to cement his
legacy and set a positive tone for his final year in office.
Obama, delivering his last annual State of the Union speech to
Congress as president, called for leaders to "fix" U.S. politics
and criticized candidates such as Trump for using anti-Muslim
rhetoric that betrayed American values. "When politicians insult
Muslims ... that doesn’t make us safer," he said, drawing
applause from the crowd in the House of Representatives chamber.
"It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. It
makes it harder to achieve our goals." Trump, whom Obama did not
mention by name in his speech, is leading the Republican field
ahead of the Nov. 8 election to pick the next president.
Ted Cruz Skips Vote On Federal Reserve Audit
Gateway Pundit - After co sponsoring Sen. Rand Paul’s Federal
Reserve Transparency Act, Senator Ted Cruz was a no show to
Tuesday’s vote on the bill. According to Cruz’s facebook page,
he’s hunkered down in Hew Hampshire, on the Presidential
campaign trail and preparing his response to the State Of The
Union address. The bill, S. 2232, failed in a 53-44 vote, with a
near party line vote.
Poll: Bernie Sanders widens lead over Hillary Clinton in New
Hampshire
(CNN) - Sen. Bernie Sanders has widened his lead over Hillary
Clinton in the New Hampshire Democratic primary to 14 points,
according to a new poll out Tuesday. A Monmouth University
survey finds the Vermont senator leading Clinton 53% to 39% in
the early voting state. That's a reversal from Monmouth's last
poll, taken in November, that had Clinton up 48% to 45%, though
Sanders led in September by 7 points.
* Related:
Quinnipiac poll: Sanders surges to retake lead in Iowa
$1 Trillion Erased from Stocks So Far in 2016
CNN - Wall Street’s disastrous start to 2016 has caused roughly $1
trillion to vanish from the stock market. The eye-popping losses
highlight the deep fears that has gripped financial markets over China’s
economic slowdown and crashing oil prices. That one-two punch caused the
Dow and S&P 500 to suffer their worst start to a trading year on record
last week. The S&P 500's market valuation has plunged by $1.04 trillion
since the end of 2015, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. To put that
stunning figure in context, it's like wiping out the combined value of
the following tech giants: Google (GOOGL, Tech30) ($508 billion),
Facebook (FB, Tech30) ($281 billion), Intel (INTC, Tech30) ($154
billion), Netflix (NFLX, Tech30) ($50 billion) and Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30)
($29 billion)
Sales surge after U.S. Mint quadruples silver coin allocation
Reuters - American Eagle silver coin sales jumped on Monday after the
U.S. Mint said it set the first weekly allocation of 2016 at 4 million
ounces, roughly four times the amount rationed in the last five months
of 2015, after a surge in demand. More than half of the week's
allocation sold on Monday, the first day of 2016 sales, the mint said, a
sign that demand remains strong as spot silver prices hovered above a
6-1/2-year low of $13.60 per ounce hit in December. The mint said nearly
2.76 million ounces of American Eagle silver bullion coins sold, about
half of the 5.53 million ounces that sold in all of January 2015.
The Company Behind LA's Methane Disaster Knew Its Well Was
Leaking 24 Years Ago
Zero Hedge - Last fall, a 7-inch injection well pipe ruptured
500 feet below the surface of Aliso Conayon in Los Angeles,
after ferrying natural gas for six decades. The resulting
methane leak is now being called one of the largest
environmental disasters since the BP oil spill, has pushed
thousands of people out of their homes, and has quickly become
the single biggest contributor to climate change-causing
greenhouse gas emissions in California. But it's not the first
time this well sprang a leak - and Southern California Gas
Company (SoCalGas), which owns and operates the well, knew
it.... Aging natural gas equipment may have contributed.
According to documents filed with the California Division of
Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources, this particular well, referred
to as Standard Sesnon 25, was originally drilled in 1953, and
showed signs of leakage 24 years ago, in 1992. Inspectors
reported that they could hear the leak through borehole
microphones.
“After Armageddon”: Marine Shows How to Survive An Urban
Disaster
Mac Slavo - Society could be unraveled by any number of
scenarios, and it could leave you stranded, without loved ones
and desperate to secure food, water and shelter. Escape to the
countryside or a remote location may not be feasible.... Rudy
Reyes, a veteran Recon Marine, lends his expertise and shows how
to survive an urban environment, find resources inside a broken
city, all while avoiding other survivors whose interests can’t
be assumed to align with yours.
Major Drug Distributors Flooded West Virginia with Millions of
Pain Pills
Natural Society - On Friday, Morrisey announced a lawsuit
against San Francisco-based McKesson Corporation alleging the
company violated state consumer protection laws and the Uniform
Controlled Substances Act by flooding West Virginia with tens of
millions of prescription pills. McKesson allegedly failed to
detect, report, and stop the flood of suspicious prescription
drug orders into the state, contributing to widespread drug
abuse. The state says the company pushed narcotics to anyone who
wanted them in a state that has more problems with prescription
drug abuse than any other in the nation. U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show West
Virginia’s rate of fatal drug overdoses was 28.9 overdose deaths
per 100,000 people in 2010, most of those involving prescription
drugs.
Rosemary helps heal estrogen-dominant breast cancer
(NaturalHealth365) According to the University of Maryland
Medical Center, rosemary’s many health benefits include: memory
improvement, the relief of muscle pain and spasm, the
stimulation of hair growth, support for the nervous and
circulatory systems and the prevention of thrombosis. It also
has antimicrobial properties and is a known antioxidant. Its
most impressive attribute, however, is the effect it has on
cancer cells, including skin cancer, colon cancer, prostate
cancer, leukemia and breast cancer. In large part, rosemary’s
anticancer properties are due to high levels of carnosic acid,
rosmarinic acid and alpha tocopherol (vitamin E), all strong
antioxidants. In particular, carnosol, also found in rosemary,
has been proven to detoxify certain substances that initiate the
growth of breast cancer tumors.
High temperature cooking increases risk of prostate and breast
cancer by 50%
(NaturalHealth365) Research has shown the incidence of certain
cancers is notably increased in people who eat meat cooked at
high temperatures. When raw foods are heated beyond 300 degrees
F, chemical changes take place. Those changes damage cells and
alter proteins in the body after the food is ingested. Mutagens
are agents that damage human DNA, increasing the risk of serious
diseases, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. Glycation
end products are toxins that damage your body’s proteins,
leading to loss of functionality and tissue damage – which can
foster serious health conditions due to chronic inflammation and
oxidative stress. Glycation products are also known to cause
weight gain and bring about premature aging.
How Fleas are Becoming Chemical-Resistant Mutants
Natural Society - Veterinarians are telling pet owners that flea
treatments like Advantage and Frontline are a waste of money because
they’re no longer effective at getting rid of fleas and keeping them
away. The bugs have mutated in order to survive, it seems. ... Vets are
recommending ingestible flea treatments like Nextguard, which is also
made by Frontline, but both dogs and cats are regularly sickened by
over-the-counter flea treatments, especially if they ingest them. Some
of the chemicals in these products are neurotoxins!... There are natural
ways of ridding your pets and home of fleas. It’s a better choice,
whether you have “normal” fleas or the mutant kind....
Tuesday
- January 12, 2016 - Today in History:
1773 - The first public museum in America was established in Charleston,
SC.
1915 - The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a proposal to give
women the right to vote.
1915 - The U.S. Congress established the Rocky Mountain National Park.
1940 - Soviet bombers raided cities in Finland.
1942 - U.S. President Roosevelt created the National War Labor Board.
1945 - During World War II, Soviet forces began a huge offensive against
the Germans in Eastern Europe.
1948 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not discriminate
against law-school applicants because of race.
1966 - President Johnson said in his State of the Union address that the
U.S. should stay in South Vietnam until Communist
aggression there was ended.
1970 - Nigeria's civil war ended.
1991 - The U.S. Congress passed a resolution authorizing President Bush
to use military power to force Iraq out of Kuwait.
1995 - Northern Ireland Secretary Patrick Mayhew announced that as of
January 16 British troops would no longer carry out daylight street
patrols in Belfast.
1998 - Tyson Foods Inc. pled guilty to giving $12,000 to former
Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. Tyson was fined $6 million.
1998 - 19 European nations agreed to prohibit human cloning.
1998 - Linda Tripp provided Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's office
with taped conversations between herself and former White House intern
Monica Lewinsky.
2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, gave police broad
authority to stop and question people who run at the sight of an
officer.
2005 - NASA launched "Deep Impact". The spacecraft was planned to impact
on Comet Tempel 1 after a six-month, 268 million-mile journey.
2006 - The U.S. Mint began shipping new 5-cent coins to the 12 regional
Federal Reserve Banks. The coin has an image of Thomas Jefferson taken
from a 1800 Rembrandt Peale portrait in which the president is looking
forward. Since 1909, when presidents were first depicted on circulating
coins, all presidents had been shown in profile.
At least 10 killed, 15 wounded in suicide bombing near tourists
on central Istanbul square - media
RT - At least 10 people have been killed and 15 injured on a
historic central square in Istanbul, Turkish authorities said.
Local media reported that a suicide bomber blew himself up near
a group of tourists. At least six German citizens, one Norwegian
and one Peruvian were injured in the blast, Dogan reported.
Norway’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that one Norwegian
citizen was injured in the blast and is receiving treatment at a
local hospital.... Istanbul authorities are investigating the
incident and the type of the explosives used in the blast, the
governor’s office said. Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS)
militants are probably behind the Istanbul blast, two Turkish
senior officials said, as cited by Reuters.... After the
explosion, the German Foreign Office issued a statement, urging
its citizens to avoid public places and tourist attractions in
Istanbul. The office added that it fears there is a risk of
terrorist attacks across Turkey, and called on its citizens to
“avoid staying near government and military institutions.”
US Prepares for War with North Korea
Kurt Nimmo - The United States placed troops stationed in South
Korea on high alert Monday following an alleged hydrogen bomb
test by North Korea. he US responded to the claim by flying a
B-52 bomber from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam over Osan,
South Korea on Sunday and South Korea resumed its theatrical
anti-North Korea propaganda broadcasts on the border. The alert
was ordered by Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of the UN
Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea.
Scaparrotti issued the order during a visit to the US and South
Korea jointly operated Osan Air Base. The US is considering the
deployment of B-2 bombers, F-22 stealth fighter jets, and
nuclear submarines.
US Navy seeks 'long-term' presence in the Mediterranean, warns
of Russia's increased capabilities
RT - US Navy weighs permanent deployment in the Mediterranean to
respond to Russia’s increased naval capabilities, a senior Navy
official said. As part of global rivalry, not countering Moscow
at sea entails the "risk of falling behind," another Navy chief
warned. The US Navy is considering "long-term" deployments in
the Mediterranean in addition to the ongoing use of four guided
missile destroyers stationed in Rota, Spain, the senior Navy
official told Sputnik on Tuesday.
RBS tells investors: 'sell everything' as crisis nears
RT - The Royal Bank of Scotland has recommended its clients
prepare for a “cataclysmic year,” as major stock markets could
drop by a fifth and Brent oil could hit $16 a barrel....
According to RBS analysts, the markets are showing the same
stress alerts as seem before the 2008 crisis. Andrew Roberts,
the bank’s credit chief, says that “China has set off a major
correction and it is going to snowball.” China “has very high
debt levels (as a percentage of GDP) given they are still
emerging” and crucially they have accumulated this debt
incredibly fast, he said. He predicts European and Wall Street
markets to drop from 10 to 20 percent this year. London’s
FTSE100 was predicted to plummet even lower.
US Pumps Billions of Dollars Into Afghan 'Ghost Soldiers'
That Don't Exist
Sputnik News - "At checkpoints where 20 soldiers should be
present, there are only eight or 10," Atal [Karim Atal is the
head of the provincial council in Helmand ] told the Associated
Press. "It's because some people are getting paid a salary but
not doing the job because they are related to someone important,
like a local warlord." In other cases, dead soldiers and police
remain listed among active participants, while senior police or
army officials pocket the salaries of the deceased, said Attal,
who estimates that some 40% of the registered forces do not
exist, the AP reported… Afghanistan's government is ignoring the
problem, Afghan lawmaker Ghulam Hussain Nasir told the AP. "When
we say we have 100 soldiers on the battlefield, in reality it is
just 30 or 40. And this creates the potential for huge
catastrophes when the enemy attacks," he said.
Sweden Covered-Up Systematic Rape During Festival Because
Migrants "Awkward to Write About"
Mac Slavo - After the events in Cologne raised questions about
the highly coordinated and repeated sexual crimes by migrant
groups, the Swedish media was forced to admit that it looked the
other way after a source exposed – more than six months ago – at
least 90 cases of unsolicited groping by males from Afghanistan
or Syria during a summer music festival. Apparently a
psychologist working with the police contacted the media, who
despite initial interest, passed on the verifiable story over
concerns that it was only fueling an anti-migrant narrative
favored by the Social Democratic party in Sweden.
German Biker Gangs Attack Foreigners In Migrant "Manhunts"
Zero Hedge - … reports now indicate a rogue band of “bikers,
hooligans and bouncers” organized a migrant “manhunt” on
Facebook before attacking a group of Pakistanis in Cologne. “Two
young Pakistani men needed hospital treatment after being
attacked by vigilante gangs hunting foreigners in Cologne in
apparent revenge attacks for the mass sexual assaults on women
on New Year’s Eve,” The Evening Standard reports, adding that
“police said the first incident took place early yesterday
evening when a group of about 20 men attacked six Pakistanis
near the main station near the railway station where the New
Year’s Eve attacks took place.” “Shortly after the first attack,
a similar incident unfolded when a 39-year-old Syrian national
was assaulted by a group of five people,” Deutsche Welle adds.
Austrian police chief warns women not to leave home alone in
wake of Cologne sex attacks
London Independent - Vienna’s chief of police has warned women
against venturing into the streets alone, in the wake of highly-publicized
sexual assaults in Austria and Germany. However, police boss
Gerhard Pürstl is now being accused of putting the onus on women
to protect themselves from assault, rather than targeting men
who commit sexual crimes. Mr Pürstl said: “Women should in
general not go out on the streets at night alone, they should
avoid suspicious looking areas and also when in pubs and clubs
should only accept drinks from people they know.” The
controversial comments came in a statement made to Die Krone,
Austria’s largest newspaper. The newspaper has been censured by
the Austrian press council for inflaming anti-immigrant
sentiment with inaccurate reporting, and forced to apologize
after being caught forging photos of Syrian refugees.
"Nothing Is Moving," Baltic Dry Crashes As Insiders Warn
"Commerce Has Come To A Halt"
The continued collapse of The Baltic Dry Index remains ignored
by most… But, as Dollar Vigilante's Jeff Berwick details, it
appears the worldwide 'real' economy has ground to a halt!!...
This weekend, reports are circulating saying much the same
thing… The North Atlantic has little or no cargo ships traveling
in its waters. Instead, they are anchored. Unmoving. Empty. If
true, this would be catastrophic for world trade. Even if it’s
not true, shipping is still nearly dead in the water according
to other indices. The Baltic Dry Index, an assessment of the
price of moving major raw materials by sea, was already at
record all-time lows a month ago... and in the last month it has
dropped even more, especially in the last week.
Taiwan Bans GMOs from School Lunches. Mandates GMO Labeling.
Throws down Gauntlet on Toxic Foods from USA and Monsanto
Global Research - Nearly a full year ago, Taiwan passed ‘Food
Act Amendments’ that achieve remarkable food safety milestones
the U.S. government refuses to implement, placing Taiwan far
ahead of the United States on food safety. These milestones
include: 1) Requiring the mandatory labeling of GMOs on all food
products that contain 3 percent or more GMOs... 2) Limiting the
use of food additives to just 799 compounds approved by the
Taiwan FDA… 3) All GMO ingredients are required to be registered
with the Taiwan government, and food manufacturers that use GMOs
are required to establish an origins tracking system… 4) All the
soy milk, tofu, miso and other soy-derived products sold
everywhere across the country... must be clearly labeled as GMOs
if they use genetically modified soy. 5) Food products made
using genetically modified soy as a processing agent or blended
ingredient must also label their final food products as GMO… 6)
Fines for violating these food safety provisions have been set
at NT$50 million.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Oregon militia tears down gov’t fence, wants ranchers released
RT - Armed men occupying Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in
Oregon are tearing down part of a fence erected by the
government to keep ranchers out of federally owned property. The
escalation comes 10 days into the standoff at the fowl sanctuary
south of Burns, Oregon. Ammon and Ryan Bundy, who head the group
occupying the refuge, announced they would be tearing down the
portion of the fence and replacing it with a gate, to allow
local ranchers access to pastures… On Saturday, the brothers’
mother Carol Bundy sent out a call for more supplies, including
sleeping bags, toiletries, food, coffee and cigarettes,
suggesting that the group was preparing to stay for the long
haul. Later that day, a convoy of almost 20 vehicles brought in
rifle-armed volunteers from the Pacific Patriot Network, but the
Bundys turned them away. Fellow rancher LaVoy Finicum said that
while the PPN’s help was appreciated, “we want the long guns put
away.”
Toxic “Reform” Law Will Gut State Rules on Dangerous Chemicals
The Intercept - The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the
21st Century Act — named, ironically, for the New Jersey senator
who supported strong environmental protections — would make it
much harder for states to regulate chemicals after the EPA has
evaluated them, and would even prohibit states from acting while
the federal agency is in the process of investigating certain
chemicals. he Senate’s version has some significant differences
from the House bill — the TSCA Modernization Act, which passed
in June — and the reconciliation process is now underway. If the
worst provisions from both bills wind up in the final law, which
could reach the president’s desk as soon as February, the new
legislation will gut laws that have put Oregon, California,
Maine, Vermont, Minnesota, and Washington state at the forefront
of chemical regulation.
FBI's Clinton probe expands to public corruption
track
Fox News - The FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of
private email as secretary of state has expanded to look at
whether the possible “intersection” of Clinton Foundation work
and State Department business may have violated public
corruption laws, three intelligence sources not authorized to
speak on the record told Fox News. This new investigative track
is in addition to the focus on classified material found on
Clinton’s personal server… Inside the FBI, pressure is growing
to pursue the case. One intelligence source told Fox News that
FBI agents would be “screaming” if a prosecution is not pursued
because “many previous public corruption cases have been made
and successfully prosecuted with much less evidence than what is
emerging in this investigation.”
Pacific Patriot Network Articles of Resolution Given To
Leadership And Officials In Harney County
Oath Keepers - Pacific Patriots Network and affiliates (Idaho
and Oregon III%, Josephine county Oath Keepers, and others),
made a showing of presence today at the Malheur wildlife refuge.
Due to threats to members of our network and local residents,
and as a deterrent to fringe groups that may have malicious
intent, we arrived at the refuge in numbers, with our security
teams openly armed and in full kit for everyone’s safety. Our
presence is strictly to ensure peaceful resolution to the
situation, and serve as a neutral mediator between parties. We
offered the Proposed Articles of Resolution to the occupiers of
refuge and encouraged them to seek open dialog with all
pertinent agencies to begin the process of bringing this
situation to a peaceful conclusion. After delivering the
proposal, our teams withdrew from the location, and will remain
off site. We are not part of the Malheur occupation.... Proposal
for Resolution is as follows...
Arizona Readies Bill to Outlaw Citizens Recording Cops on
Private Property
Kurt Nimmo - The Arizona Senate is poised to pass a bill that
will outlaw citizens from taking videos of police, even on their
own private property. “It is unlawful for a person to knowingly
make a video recording of law enforcement activity,” SB 1054
reads, “if the person making the video recording does not have
the permission of a law enforcement officer and is within twenty
feet of where the law enforcement activity is occurring.” The
bill also states that an individual may not record police on
their private property or in their homes unless they are twenty
feet away from police or “from an adjacent room.” If a police
officer determines the individual is “interfering in the law
enforcement activity or that it is not safe to be in the area,”
the officer may order “the person to step recording or to leave
the area.”... The legislation represents another encroachment on
private property by the state. If police can tell you want to do
on your own property, you no longer have property rights.
Hypocrite Hillary Clinton Says Throw the Book at Bundy and the
Oregon Occupiers
Kurt Nimmo - Hillary Clinton told the Las Vegas Sun last week
Ammond Bundy and the occupiers in Oregon should be arrested and
prosecuted. “They should leave—leave peacefully—but they should
be charged for the illegal action they have undertaken,
trespassing, breaking and entering and the like,” Clinton said.
She also said the occupiers are “potentially posing a threat to
law enforcement and civilians” despite the fact they have not
used violence and have stated repeatedly they do not plan on
using violence unless attacked by the government. The newspaper
should have asked Clinton how Bundy and crew might be prosecuted
for trespassing when the federal government has no legal right
to own land beyond what is specified in Article 1, Section 8,
Clause 17 of the Constitution.
Fox Business Announces Debate Line-Up
The Daily Caller - During his show Monday evening, host Lou
Dobbs said those who will have podiums on the main stage are
Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Chris Christie,
Jeb Bush and John Kasich. The primetime debate at the North
Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center in North
Charleston is set for 9 p.m. EST on Thursday. The four other
candidates who didn’t qualify for the main stage — Paul, Fiorina,
Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum — are being invited to
participate in an undercard debate, set for earlier that evening
at 6 p.m. EST. Paul is suggesting he will not participate in an
undercard debate, saying he deserves to be on the main stage.
Democratic, Republican Identification Near Historical Lows
Gallup - In 2015, for the fifth consecutive year, at least four
in 10 U.S. adults identified as political independents. The 42%
identifying as independents in 2015 was down slightly from the
record 43% in 2014. This elevated percentage of political
independents leaves Democratic (29%) and Republican (26%)
identification at or near recent low points, with the modest
Democratic advantage roughly where it has been over the past
five years… Also, Americans' favorable ratings of each party are
on the lower end of what Gallup has measured over the past few
decades.
Three New Polls Show Trump Leading in Iowa and New Hampshire
Gateway Pundit - Two new Iowa polls shot Donald Trump leading in
the Hawkeye State. Another poll shows Trump with three times the
support as the runner-up in New Hampshire. The latest Iowa
Quinnipiac poll shows Donald Trump leading Ted Cruz by 2 points
in Iowa. The American Research Group has Trump up four points
over Ted Cruz in Iowa. In NBC’s broader sample of potential Iowa
caucus-goers Trump leads Cruz 26 to 24. If Trump wins both Iowa
and New Hampshire this primary could be over pretty quick.
Assyrian Army Chief Honors U.S. Fallen in Iraq at Arlington
National Cemetery
Breitbart - Tears welled in the eyes of the Assyrian Army
commander fighting to protect Christian communities from the
Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in Iraq and Syria when he reached the
section of the Arlington National Cemetery where American
service members who died in the name of Iraqi freedom have been
laid to rest. Emmanuel Khoshaba Youkhana, commander of the
Christian Assyrian Army, primarily based in Iraq, visited the
national cemetery Friday during the last day of his visit to the
United States. Cmdr. Youkhana become very emotional as he
expressed appreciation for the American service members who paid
the ultimate sacrifice to improve the lives of the Iraqi people.
Arch Coal Files for Bankruptcy in Latest Blow to U.S. Miners
Bloomberg - The holder of the second-largest reserve of coal in
the U.S. filed for creditor protection Monday. The company said
it has an agreement with a majority of its senior lenders to
erase $4.5 billion in debt from its balance sheet and allow it
to keep operating without interruption. Arch has been losing
money since 2012. “Over the past several years, a confluence of
economic challenges and regulatory hurdles has hobbled the coal
industry,” Arch Chief Financial Officer John T. Drexler said in
a filing accompanying the Chapter 11 petition in St. Louis.
Industry wide troubles including slower demand from China,
competition from Australian exports and cheap gas pushed
competitors Patriot Coal Corp., Walter Energy Inc. and Alpha
Natural Resources Inc. into bankruptcy last year.
Half of US shale drillers may go bankrupt: Oppenheimer's Gheit
CNS News - Half of U.S. shale oil producers could go bankrupt
before the crude market reaches equilibrium, Fadel Gheit, said
Monday. The senior oil and gas analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. said
the "new normal oil price" could be 50 to 100 percent above
current levels. He ultimately sees crude prices stabilizing near
$60, but it could be more than two years before that happens. By
then it will be too late for many marginal U.S. drillers, who
must drill into and break up shale rock to release oil and gas
through a process called hydraulic fracturing. Fracking is
significantly more expensive than extracting oil from
conventional wells.
The Financial Crisis Of 2016 Rolls On – China, Oil, Copper And
Junk Bonds All Continue To Crash
Economic Collapse - Never before have we seen a year start like
this. On Monday, Chinese stocks crashed once again. The Shanghai
Composite Index plummeted another 5.29 percent, and this comes
on the heels of two historic single day crashes last week. All
of this chaos over in China is one of the factors that continues
to push commodity prices even lower. Today the price of copper
fell another 2.40 percent to $1.97, and the price of oil
continued to implode. At one point the price of U.S. oil plunged
all the way down to $30.99 a barrel before rebounding just a
little bit.
GM Ignition Nightmare Won't Go Away, for Victims or Company
Bloomberg - Engineers at America’s biggest automaker, which got
a $50 billion government bailout in the financial crisis, knew
of a flawed ignition switch but rejected a fix that would have
cost 90 cents apiece, according to evidence provided to
lawmakers… General Motors spent 2014 under a harsh congressional
spotlight, recalling millions of Ions, Cobalts and other
vehicles. It spent 2015 scrambling for deals with prosecutors
and plaintiffs. It’s already paid more than $2 billion to
resolve investigations and a securities lawsuit, as well as
injury claims. This year, the Detroit company will begin to see
how big the total bill will be. The car maker, which faces at
least 16 trials on death and injury claims in state and federal
courts in the U.S. in 2016, has said in regulatory filings that
it couldn’t estimate its potential liability.
Project 'Gridstrike' Finds Substations To Hit For A US Power
Grid Blackout
InformationWeek - Remember that million-dollar Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) study in 2013 that found that
attacks on just nine electric substations in the US could cause
a blackout across the entire grid? Well, a group of researchers
decided to see just what it would take for a small group of
domestic terrorists to identify the US's most critical
substations -- using only free and public sources of
information. While FERC relied on confidential and private
information in its shocking report and spent a whopping $1
million in research, researchers at iSIGHT Partners used only
so-called open-source intelligence, at a cost of just $15,000
total for 250 man-hours by their estimates.
EPA’s Own Scientists Admit to Misleading Public on Fracking
Impacts to Drinking Water
Natural Blaze - Despite these findings, and EPA’s own admissions
of “data limitations and uncertainties” as well as “the paucity
of long-term systemic studies,” the agency stated in its
conclusion that “there is no evidence fracking has led to
widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources.”
Industry hacks and their MSM cheerleaders took this line and ran
with it, proclaiming that “the science is settled” on fracking
and any further concerns are just crazed environmental activists
pursuing an agenda. However, it turns out that the EPA’s own
science advisers have repudiated the study’s major conclusion,
saying that it is “inconsistent with the observations, data and
levels of uncertainty.” “Major findings are ambiguous or are
inconsistent with the observations/data presented in the body of
the report,” the 31-member scientific review board said on
Thursday. The panel will have a public teleconference on Feb. 1
before sending its final recommendations to EPA.
Fracking-Related Earthquakes Lead Oklahoma to Increase
Regulation of Wastewater Wells
AllGov - The state commission that regulates Oklahoma's oil and
natural gas industry ordered some injection well operators to
reduce wastewater disposal volumes on Monday after at least a
dozen earthquakes hit an area north of Oklahoma City in less
than a week… "We are working with researchers on the entire area
of the state involved in the latest seismic activity to plot out
where we should go from here," Oil and Gas Conservation Division
Director Tim Baker said, adding that responding to the swarm of
earthquakes in the region was an ongoing process. Oklahoma has
become one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world, with
the number of quakes magnitude 3.0 or greater skyrocketing from
a few dozen in 2012 to more than 800 in 2015. Many of the
earthquakes are occurring in swarms in areas where injection
wells pump salty wastewater — a byproduct of oil and gas
production — deep into the earth.
The new way police are surveilling you: Calculating your threat
'score'
The Washington Post - … perhaps the most controversial and
revealing technology is the threat-scoring software Beware.
Fresno is one of the first departments in the nation to test the
program. As officers respond to calls, Beware automatically runs
the address. The searches return the names of residents and
scans them against a range of publicly available data to
generate a color-coded threat level for each person or address:
green, yellow or red. Exactly how Beware calculates threat
scores is something that its maker, Intrado, considers a trade
secret, so it is unclear how much weight is given to a
misdemeanor, felony or threatening comment on Facebook. However,
the program flags issues and provides a report to the user.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
The Incredible Healing Power Of Essential Oils — For Livestock
Off the Grid News - In the past several years, a good deal of
scientific research has been conducted to explore the use of
various essential oils in livestock management. One such study
was published in the October 2014 edition of the journal Poultry
Science, and it found that chickens that consumed feed with
added oregano oil had a 59 percent lower mortality rate due to
ascites, than birds that were not treated. You can find many
other similar studies on the Internet with a simple Google
search. To help keep layer flocks and broiler chickens healthy,
try a mixture of oregano and cinnamon oil in their water. A good
rule of thumb is it takes about seven drops of oil in a gallon
of water to equal 100 ppm. Oil doesn’t mix with water, so you’ll
need to shake it up as you think about it through the day, or at
least each time you refill the water.
Government Continues to Pay Damages for Injuries and Deaths Due
to the Flu Vaccine in Vaccine Court
Health Impact News - The report for December 3, 2015 which
covered the period from 8/16/15 to 11/15/15 had 150 cases
adjudicated. 83 of them were listed in the report, specifying
the vaccine, the injury or death, and the amount of time the
case was pending before settlement. There were three deaths: two
related to the flu vaccine, and one related to the Hepatitis B
vaccine, which is a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease
routinely given to newborns in hospitals the same day they are
born. 64 of the 83 cases settled were for injuries and deaths
due to the flu vaccine, making the flu vaccine the most
dangerous vaccine in the U.S., harming and killing more people
than all the other vaccines put together.
Prevent Brain Disorders With Fermented Foods – Tips for a
Healthy Brain
Natural Blaze - Your gut is home to an incomprehensible number
of microbial life forms. In fact, there are more bacteria living
in your gut right now than there are humans living on planet
earth.... These bacteria are important for a number of reasons.
They help synthesize different chemicals and compounds that
affect just about every system in the body, and they are
intimately linked with our brains. A little-known side effect of
an unhealthy gut is a leaky gut. When the gut’s permeability is
compromised, chemicals can leak into the bloodstream and cause
inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can even
take place in the brain. Many different neurological and brain
disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, have strong
correlations with a leaky gut and are the result of excess
inflammation in the brain. The best way to prevent a leaky,
permeable gut is to do whatever you can to improve the gut flora
(or gut bacteria).
Black Seed Confirmed Through Biomedical Literature To Have Over
20 Pharmacological Actions
Natural Blaze - Commonly referred to as black cumin or caraway,
black seed is actually more of a description than a proper name,
yet is preferred because it helps to distinguish it. Many health
experts claim that it is, indeed, a true healer in many forms;
able to help cure almost every illness known. People have used
the seed to make medicine for over 2000 years and more than 600
peer-reviewed studies have validated most empirical evidence.
Besides black cumin and caraway, black seeds are also referred
to as black sesame, onion seed and roman coriander. Black Seed (Nigella
Sativa) is capable of producing over 20 distinct pharmacological
actions it expresses, such as...
Turmeric Cooler: The Juice that Can Save You from Buying Advil
Natural News Blogs - Chronic pain is a problem for millions of
Americans across the country, forcing many to resort to
over-the-counter or even prescription pain pills just so they
can function from day to day. Unfortunately, all of these pain
pills come with a price: aspirin, for instance, can cause
ringing in the ears and even damage the hearing, while NSAIDs
like Advil can lead to serious stomach problems if used for too
long. Stronger pain pills based on morphine can not only cause
dependence but problems like constipation and respiratory
distress. Fortunately, there are natural alternatives: read on
to find out more about turmeric, one of nature’s best
anti-inflammatory analgesics.
Antifreeze-like Ingredient Found in Pet Treats' Latest Recall
Dr. Becker - Recently a brand of commercially available cat treats found
to contain low levels of propylene glycol was recalled by the
manufacturer....Cats, with their unique physiology, are extremely
sensitive to many substances other animals are not. In the case of
propylene glycol, just a small amount can cause Heinz body hemolytic
anemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed. Heinz body
hemolytic anemia can also be caused by ingestion of other substances
toxic to cats, including onions, garlic, kale, turnips, zinc,
acetaminophen, vitamin K, and benzocaine. The condition can also be the
result of an inherited disorder, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism. When it
comes to your dog, according to the FDA, propylene glycol is presumably
safe in small doses. However, if you're feeding a processed diet
containing propylene glycol day in and day out over an extended period
of time, your canine companion is receiving continuous, long-term
exposure to the stuff. According to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS),
the effects on humans of propylene glycol include potential damage to
the central nervous system, genetic material, and reproduction
(including birth defects).
Monday
- January 11, 2016 - Today in History:
1805 - The Michigan Territory was created.
1861 - Alabama seceded from the United States.
1913 - The first sedan-type car was unveiled at the National Automobile
Show in New York City. The car was manufactured by the Hudson Motor
Company.
1922 - At Toronto General Hospital, Leonard Thompson became the first
person to be successfully treated with insulin.
1935 - Amelia Earhart Putnam became the first woman to fly solo from
Hawaii to California.
1942 - Japan declared war against the Netherlands. The same day,
Japanese forces invaded the Dutch East Indies.
1943 - The United States and Britain signed treaties relinquishing
extraterritorial rights in China.
1964 - U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released a report that said
that smoking cigarettes was a definite health hazard.
1988 - Vice President George Bush met with representatives of
independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh to answer questions about the
Iran-Contra affair.
2000 - The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the second Vietnam Veterans
Memorial commemorative stamp in a ceremony at The Wall.
2001 - The Texas Board of Criminal Justice released a review of the
escape of the "Texas 7." It stated that prison staff missed critical
opportunities to prevent the escape by ignoring a fire alarm, not
reporting unsupervised inmates and not demanding proper identification
from inmates.
2001 - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved the merger of America
Online and Time Warner to form AOL Time Warner.
2002 - The first planeload of al-Qaida prisoners from Afghanistan
arrived at a U.S. military detention camp in Guantanamo, Cuba.
2003 - Calling the death penalty process "arbitrary and capricious, and
therefore immoral," Illinois Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of
167 condemned inmates, clearing his state's death row two days before
leaving office.
2010 - Mark McGwire admitted to the AP that he'd used
steroids and human growth hormone when he broke baseball's home run
record in 1998.
5 killed in missile strike on Medicins Sans Frontieres clinic
in Yemen
RT - At least five people have been killed in a missile strike
on a Medecins Sans Frontieres medical facility in Yemen. The
organization “strongly condemns this,” while adding that 10
people have been injured in the attack… According to MSF staff
on the ground, one missile hit the Shiara Hospital, where the
humanitarian organization has been operating since November,
2015. MSF say they are unable to say who was responsible for the
attack, but mentioned planes were seen flying over the facility
at the time the attack took place. The organization adds that
the death toll could rise as there is the possibility that
people are still trapped in the rubble… MSF pointed out on their
Twitter feed that this is the third severe incident the
organization has had to deal with in the last three months.
German Official: Migrant Invasion Will Reach OVER 10 MILLION
Breitbart - Europe has barely even seen the start of the migrant
influx, Germany’s Development Minister has warned. Gerd Müller
said only 10 per cent of Syrian and Iraqi migrants have reached
Europe so far and “eight to ten million are still on the way”,
with even more to come from Africa. “The biggest movements are
ahead: Africa’s population will double in the coming decades,”
he told Bild am Sonntag, adding: “In the Sahara up to one
million people have died trying to escape.” The European
Commission, he added, has lost a significant amount of authority
thanks to the crisis. “The protection of external borders is not
working. Schengen has collapsed. A fair distribution of refugees
has not taken place,” he said.
‘Merkel Out!’: German Far-right Vents Fury After Cologne Attacks
Agence France-Presse - Chanting “Merkel out” and waving German
flags, supporters of the xenophobic PEGIDA movement vented their
anger Saturday against migrants after a rash of sexual assaults
in the western city of Cologne. Carrying banners and signs
bearing slogans like “Rapefugees not welcome,” the far-right
protesters took aim at Merkel, accusing her of allowing migrants
to running amok in Germany through her liberal stance towards
those fleeing war. “Merkel has become a danger to our country.
Merkel must go,” a member of PEGIDA told the crowd, which echoed
the call. Witnesses have described the perpetrators of the
assaults in Cologne on the night of Dec. 31 as people with
“North African or Arab” appearance.
Amid Stock Market Panic, Dozens of Chinese Billionaires Are
Mysteriously Disappearing
Activist Post - According to Bloomberg, as many as 36 companies
reported executives missing from January to September. Just a
few weeks ago, Chang Xiaobing, the CEO of the state-owned
telecoms giant China Telecom, resigned and then went missing.
There were rumors that Xiaobing was taken by police or
government agents in a widening corruption investigation that is
touching every corner of the Chinese economy. Back in November,
Yim Fung, chairman and CEO of Guotai Junan International
Holdings went missing, sending the company’s stock down 12%.
Also in November, Chen Jun and Yan Jianlin, two senior
executives of Citic Securities vanished without a trace....
Brazil Justice Ministry Fines Nestle over Failing to Label GMOs
Sustainable Pulse - The Brazilian Ministry of Justice has issued
fines against six food manufacturers for failing to include
labels indicating the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
The list of companies charged with financial penalties includes
Nestle, Pepsico and Bimbo, with fines ranging from US$277,400 to
just over US$1 million. In total, the fines amount to an
estimated US$3 million. The decision was reached as a result of
an inspection carried out by Brazil’s Consumer Protection Agency
Senacon in 2010, which found that GMOs had been used in cake
mixes, snacks and various other products being sold in the
country’s supermarkets. Senacon accuse the companies of
violating Brazilian consumer rights including the right to
information, freedom of choice and the right for protection
against abusive corporate practices.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Drug test kits used by police are total science fraud: They
produce positive results 70% of the time, no matter what is
being tested
Natural News - An unknown number of completely innocent citizens
have been the victims of false positive results of drug-testing
kits routinely used by law enforcement authorities. These kits
have been shown to produce up to 70 percent false positive
results for marijuana and other drugs
Whoa: Hillary e-mail instructs aide to transmit
classified data without markings
Hot Air - Has the State Department released a smoking gun in the
Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal? In a thread from June 2011,
Hillary exchanges e-mails with Jake Sullivan, then her deputy
chief of staff and now her campaign foreign-policy adviser, in
which she impatiently waits for a set of talking points. When
Sullivan tells her that the source is having trouble with the
secure fax, Hillary then orders Sullivan to have the data
stripped of its markings and sent through a non-secure
channel.... Regardless of whether or not Sullivan complied, this
demolishes Hillary’s claim to be ignorant of marking issues, as
well as strongly suggests that the other thousand-plus instances
where this did occur likely came under her direction.
* Related:
Hillary: I Did Not Break the Law Handling Classified
Material — ‘Headings Are Not Classification Notices’
Hillary Emails Reveal True Motive for Libya Intervention
Foreign Policy Journal - Newly disclosed emails show that
Libya’s plan to create a gold-backed currency to compete with
the euro and dollar was a motive for NATO’s intervention.... The
email identifies French President Nicholas Sarkozy as leading
the attack on Libya with five specific purposes in mind: to
obtain Libyan oil, ensure French influence in the region,
increase Sarkozy’s reputation domestically, assert French
military power, and to prevent Gaddafi’s influence in what is
considered “Francophone Africa.” Most astounding is the lengthy
section delineating the huge threat that Gaddafi’s gold and
silver reserves, estimated at “143 tons of gold, and a similar
amount in silver,” posed to the French franc (CFA) circulating
as a prime African currency.
Idaho Militia Group Arrive To ‘Secure Perimeter, Prevent
Waco-style Situation’ At Oregon Refuge
Washington Times - Members of an Idaho militia group arrived at
an Oregon refuge on Friday as armed occupiers refused to leave
the federal building outside Burns. The “3% of Idaho” group’s
members will “secure a perimeter” around the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge, which has been occupied by an armed militia led
by Ammon Bundy for seven days. “They just keep an eye on
everything that is going on” to make sure “nothing stupid
happens,” Mr. Bundy said Friday, The Oregonian reported. Mr.
Bundy said if the Idaho group hadn’t showed up, “I’d worry”
about a Waco-style siege by federal officers. Brandon Curtiss,
the president of the 3% of Idaho, would not reveal how many
people his group was sending to Oregon. Some of the members who
had already arrived at the bird sanctuary where carrying what
appeared to be handguns on their hips, according to The
Oregonian. Mr. Curtiss said he was also on his way to the
refuge.
TX Governor Proposes Nine New Amendments to fix "Broken
Constitution"
Sputnik News - In order to fix what he calls the “cracks in our
broken Constitution,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for
a convention of states to pass nine new amendments to the
monumental document. During a Friday address, Gov. Abbott
expressed the convention would be a response to the attacks on
the Constitution by President Barack Obama’s executive branch,
Congress and the Supreme Court… Abbott stressed his plan would
strengthen the 10th Amendment which states, "the powers not
delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people." Throughout his address, Abbott
also warned that the federal government was straying from the
path laid out by the founding fathers.
Police to ask about your sexual orientation and English language
proficiency
MassPrivateI - Under a proposed new law, Missouri cops will
record a person's race, their perceived sexual orientation,
religion, disability and their English language proficiency!
Reams of data now show that “driving while black” is a real
offense in the eyes of some Missouri officers and departments
and it's about to get worse! Below are a some excerpts taken
from the new law...
Campbell’s is the First Big Food Company to Disclose GMO
Ingredients on Label
Natural Blaze - You spoke and Campbell’s food company listened.
Previously, Campbell’s unveiled plans to run toward the
health-conscious organic and non-GMO market dollar. Now, they
have dropped one of the biggest publicity bombs ever by
announcing their intention to voluntarily label their GMO
ingredients. Part of their previous plans for change included
launching several lines of organic kids soups, and removing MSG
from all their kids soups, creating organic wheat versions of
cracker products, increasing organics across other food lines,
removing artificial colors and flavors from nearly all North
American products in the next three years, removing high
fructose corn syrup from Pepperidge Farm fresh breads, and
increasing the transparency of their ingredients, including the
launch of a new website; What’s in My Food.
Jackson County Oregon Farmers Win Battle for GMO-free Zone
Health Impact News - Jackson County, Oregon, has just joined the
small but growing ranks of “GE-free zones” in the U.S., which
prohibit the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) crops.
It’s at least the eighth county in the country to create such an
ordinance, and efforts are springing up to pass similar measures
in other places.
Cruz Campaign Reveals Ted’s Mother’s Birth Certificate
Breitbart - Eleanor Darragh, mother of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), was
born in Delaware on Nov. 23, 1934, establishing her citizenship
by birth–and, according to U.S. law, that of her son, even
though he was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on Dec. 22,
1970. Later, Ted Cruz’s own birth certificate listed his mother
as “Eleanor Elizabeth Wilson.” “Elizabeth” was her mother’s
first name, and “Wilson” is a surname from a previous marriage.
The Cruz campaign was responding to inquiries from Breitbart
News about a document showing that both of Cruz’s parents had
been named on a list of voters in Calgary for the 1974 Canadian
federal election. Only Canadian citizens were (and are) able to
vote in federal elections. The lists were compiled through a
door-to-door process of “enumeration” by registrars, and were
publicized partly so that mistakes could be corrected.
Parents Outraged After Students Are Offered Credit to Serve as
Volunteers for Hillary Clinton Campaign
Breitbart - The superintendent of the Maine School
Administrative District 35 is scrambling to calm parents who
were outraged that their high school students were offered
community service credit for volunteering 50 hours of service in
Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
New Poll Shows Donald Trump Is a Real Threat to Hillary Clinton
US News - The survey by Washington-based Mercury Analytics...
took place primarily Wednesday and Thursday and has a margin of
error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. Nearly 20 percent of likely
Democratic voters say they'd cross sides and vote for Trump,
while a small number, or 14 percent, of Republicans claim they'd
vote for Clinton. When those groups were further broken down, a
far higher percentage of the crossover Democrats contend they
are "100 percent sure" of switching than the Republicans. When
the firmed showed respondents the Trump ad, and assessed their
responses to each moment of it, it found "the primary messages
of Trump's ad resonated more than Democratic elites would hope."
Defense Industry Revenue Forecast Gushes Over Global Turmoil
The Intercept - The global aerospace and defense industry is out
of its doldrums. According to a new report by the accounting
firm Deloitte, “the resurgence of global security threats”
promises a lucrative “rebound” in defense spending. The report
alerts investors that “revenue growth” is “expected to take a
positive turn” due to the terrorism and war in the Middle East
and the tensions in Eastern Europe and the South China Sea. Many
analysts predicted declining revenue for the weapons industry as
the U.S. scaled down military involvement in Iraq and
Afghanistan… But now governments around the world have moved
swiftly to hike defense budgets to “combat terrorism and address
sovereign security matters.”
U.S. Coal Production Falls to Lowest Level in 30 Years
AllGov - U.S. coal production has fallen to its lowest level in
nearly 30 years as cheaper sources of power and stricter
environmental regulations reduce demand, according to
preliminary government figures. A report released Friday by the
U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates 900 million
short tons of coal were produced last year, a drop from about 1
billion short tons in 2014. That's the lowest volume since 1986…
Last year's drop in demand hit hardest in the central
Appalachian basin, where production plunged 40 percent below its
annual average from 2010 through 2014, according to the report.
The U.S. coal industry didn't get any help overseas last year
either, as exports to the United Kingdom, Italy and China
plummeted by more than 50 percent. Overall, U.S. exports of coal
dropped by about 21 percent last year, the report estimated.
Gas prices could drop toward $1 a gallon
USA Today - In some gas stations around the country, the price
of a gallon of regular has dropped below $1.42. AAA and GasBuddy,
two organizations that follow gasoline prices, say that gasoline
prices below $2 will not be unusual in most of the United
States. As oil prices fall, and refinery capacity stays strong,
the price of gas could reach $1 a gallon in some areas, a level
last reached in 1999. As a matter of fact, the entire states of
Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Caroline have
gas prices that average at or below $1.75.
Backyard ‘Granny Pods’ Are The Perfect Solution For Aging
Elders And Their Families
Natural Blaze - Will nursing homes soon become a thing of the
past? When a beloved member of the family reaches an age they
can no longer thrive living on their own, it becomes a family’s
worst nightmare to decide their fate. Should they send them to a
nursing home where they are guaranteed to have assistance ‘round
the clock, or should the family free up space in their busy
house and hope everyone gets along underneath one roof? Both
options have their pros and cons, but perhaps there’s an even
better solution than might benefit all involved. Introducing
MedCottages, or “Granny Pods”.
Human-Animal Chimeras Are Gestating on U.S. Research Farms
MIT Technology Review - Braving a funding ban put in place by
America’s top health agency, some U.S. research centers are
moving ahead with attempts to grow human tissue inside pigs and
sheep with the goal of creating hearts, livers, or other organs
needed for transplants. The effort to incubate organs in farm
animals is ethically charged because it involves adding human
cells to animal embryos in ways that could blur the line between
species. Last September, in a reversal of earlier policy, the
National Institutes of Health announced it would not support
studies involving such “human-animal chimeras” until it had
reviewed the scientific and social implications more closely.
The agency, in a statement, said it was worried about the chance
that animals’ “cognitive state” could be altered if they ended
up with human brain cells.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
How Grow to Pineapples Indoors
NutriUnify Solutions - Have you ever considered growing tropical
fruits, such as pineapple, at home? It’s much simpler than you
think. Check it out to learn how.
40 Million Pounds of Hemp Will be Produced In North Carolina
Natural Blaze - One of the only hemp decortication plants in the
United States resides in Spring Hope, North Carolina. This plant
has been inactive for many years due to legal issues, but with
the passing of a recent law legalizing hemp for
industrialization, the plant will begin to process 40 million
pounds of hemp each year. This will pave the way for many
employment opportunities and the opportunity to set an example
of the various benefits industrial hemp can provide our states
and our nation as a whole. Decortication is the process of
stripping back plant material from stalks, allowing the crop to
be used for production. This will allow hemp to be turned into
clothing, rope, fuel, jewelry, and much more.
EPA Releases Study on Pesticides Killing Bees, Gets Sued
Immediately by Beekeepers
Natural Blaze - Wednesday against the EPA. “Center for Food
Safety, on behalf of several beekeepers, farmers and sustainable
agriculture and conservation groups, filed a lawsuit [on January
challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)
inadequate regulation of the neonicotinoid insecticide seed
coatings used on dozens of crops,” the Center for Food Safety
stated in a press release. “EPA has allowed millions of pounds
of coated seeds to be planted annually on more than 150 million
acres nationwide. The lawsuit alleges the agency has illegally
allowed this to occur, without requiring the coated seeds to be
registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), without enforceable labels on the seed
bags, and without adequate assessment of the serious ongoing
environmental harm.”
Factory Farm "Cannibalism" and Rising Antibiotic Use Pose
Serious Threats to Human Health
Dr. Mercola - In 2014, nearly 10 percent of the entire swine
population in the U.S. was wiped out by the Porcine Epidemic
Diarrhea virus (PEDv) — a highly lethal virus traced back to
pig's blood used in piglet feed. To thwart reemergence of PEDv,
some farmers are now feeding the intestines from baby pigs that
died from the disease to their breeding hogs — yet another
"cannibal" strategy that may produce adverse results.
Researchers recently discovered a mutated gene in Chinese meat
and human patients that makes bacteria resistant to our
last-resort class of antibiotics. The identical gene has also
been found in Denmark, suggesting global spread has begun.
How to Make Your Own Healing Salve with Plantain-infused Olive
and Coconut Oils
Health Impact News - Whether you are looking for a safe salve
for diaper rashes, or something to rub into working hands that
could use a little TLC from all those winter-weather cracks, or
an active playful child who has knees and elbows, this salve is
for you. It's good for use on insect bites, scratches, rashes,
nicks, cuts, dry skin, you name it – and even works as an earthy
lip-balm. The first step in making your own Healing Salve with
Plantain-infused Olive and Coconut Oils is to prepare a batch of
plantain-infused olive oil which will later serve as the base
for the salve.
This Tea Has 137 Times More Antioxidants Than Green Tea
Natural News Blogs - Matcha is a very powerful type of green tea
that is grown under special conditions. During the last month
prior to harvest, the tea leaves are covered in shade to protect
them from sunlight. This increases the antioxidants,
chlorophyll, and polyphenol content. In addition, beneficial
amino acids are also increased. The tea leaves then go through a
unique processing that involves drying, aging, and stone
grinding. This is an extremely time-consuming and labor
intensive process.
How drinking one can of Coke seriously harms the body in just
one hour
(NaturalHealth365) Just what happens when you consume a can of
Coke? A British pharmacist used what is already known about
cola’s effect on the body to illustrate just what damage a 330
ml can of Coca-Cola can do within the first hour of consumption.
Here’s what happens to your system as the minutes tick away...
Five Gifts Our Pets Give Us — Not just during the holidays
Dr. Becker - I’d like to reflect on the gifts our animal companions
bring to our lives not just during the holidays, but every day of the
year. [Kleenex warning if you watch the video!]
The man is Jeff Carson on Facebook
Friday
- January 8, 2016 - Today in History:
1790 - In the United States, George Washington delivered the first State
of the Union address.
1815 - The Battle of New Orleans began. The War of 1812 had officially
ended on December 24, 1814, with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. The
news of the signing had not reached British troops in time to prevent
their attack on New Orleans.
1838 - Alfred Vail demonstrated a telegraph code he had devised using
dots and dashes as letters. The code was the predecessor to Samuel
Morse's code.
1853 - A bronze statue of Andrew Jackson on a horse was unveiled in
Lafayette Park in Washington, DC. The statue was the work of Clark
Mills.
1877 - Crazy Horse (Tashunca-uitco) and his warriors fought their final
battle against the U.S. Cavalry in Montana.
1900 - U.S. President McKinley placed Alaska under military rule.
1918 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announced his Fourteen Points as
the basis for peace upon the end of World War I.
1964 - U.S. President Lyndon Johnson declared a "War on Poverty."
1973 - Secret peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam
resumed near Paris, France.
1973 - The trial opened in Washington, of 7 men accused of bugging
Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in
Washington, DC.
1992 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush collapsed during a state dinner
in Tokyo. White House officials said Bush was suffering from stomach
flu.
1994 - Tonya Harding won the ladies' U.S. Figure Skating Championship in
Detroit, MI, a day after Nancy Kerrigan dropped out because of a
clubbing attack that injured her right knee. The U.S. Figure Skating
Association later took the title from Harding because of her involvement
in the attack.
1998 - Ramzi Yousef was sentenced to life in prison for his role of
mastermind behind the World Trade Center bombing in New York.
2011 - Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot and critically wounded
when a gunman opened fire as the congresswoman met with constituents in
Tucson; six people were killed and 12 others were injured. (Jared Lee
Loughner has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges in connection with the
shooting.)
S. Korea restarts propaganda warfare, North responds in kind,
artillery deployed at border
RT - Seoul has responded to Pyongyang’s nuclear test by
restarting propaganda broadcasts across the border. North Korea
has answered by starting up loudspeakers of its own, Yonhap
reports, as well as deploying artillery near the border....
South Korea raised military readiness to its highest level at
locations near the loudspeakers and turned the broadcast on
Friday morning. To protect their propaganda asset, K-9
self-propelled artillery and short-range missiles have been
placed near speakers units. The broadcast can be heard 10
kilometers into North Korea during the daytime and some 24
kilometers at night, according to a Yonhap News defense source.
Missing U.S. Missile Shows Up in Cuba
WSJ - An inert U.S. Hellfire missile sent to Europe for training
purposes was wrongly shipped from there to Cuba in 2014, said
people familiar with the matter, a loss of sensitive military
technology that ranks among the worst-known incidents of its
kind. The unintended delivery of the missile to Cuba has
confounded investigators and experts who work in a regulatory
system designed to prevent precisely such equipment from falling
into the wrong hands, said those familiar with the matter. For
more than a year, amid a historic thawing of relations between
the U.S. and Cuba, American authorities have tried to get the
Cuban government to return the missile, said people familiar
with the matter. At the same time, federal investigators have
been tracing the paper trail of the wayward Hellfire to
determine if its arrival in Cuba was the work of criminals or
spies, or the result of a series of blunders, these people said.
Saudi warplanes attack Iranian embassy in Yemen – Iran
RT - Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of using warplanes to attack
the Iranian embassy in the Yemeni capital Sana'a. Some guards
were reportedly wounded in the attack, according to state news
channel IRIB. The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen says it
will investigate the accusation, according to coalition
spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri, as cited by Reuters.
Asseri acknowledged that coalition jets carried out heavy
airstrikes in Sana'a on Wednesday night, targeting missile
launchers used by the Houthi militia. He added that the group
has used civilian facilities, including abandoned embassies.
Just Don't Call it Combat: Pentagon Avoids 'C-Word' When
Discussing Afghanistan
Sputnik News - The Pentagon has been careful not to use the term
"combat" when discussing the role of US forces in Afghanistan,
even after an American soldier died in a gunfight with Taliban
insurgents. On Tuesday, US special forces accompanying Afghan
troops engaged in a protracted firefight with Taliban forces in
the Helmand Province. One of the US soldiers was killed and two
others were wounded. When asked if the fatal skirmish meant the
US combat mission continues in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press
Secretary Peter Cook was evasive. He labeled the mission only a
"train, advise and assist" operation.
Gaddafi's Grim Prophecy Fulfills as Terrorism Spreads Across
Europe
Sputnik News - Gaddafi tried to explain Tony Blair in two phone
conversations in February 2011 that if foreign powers helped
Libyan rebels to overthrow his government then next thing
Europeans would know jihadists would carry out terrorist attacks
across the European continent… Gaddafi also welcomed foreign
journalists to come over to Libya and see the situation for
themselves, so the world would know the truth about those
so-called "rebels" who eventually toppled his government… In the
end, Gaddafi's words were ignored and three weeks later NATO
began bombing the Libyan Armed Forces, which soon led to the
overthrow of the Libyan government. After Gaddafi's government
was overthrown and Colonel himself killed, the country failed to
form a stable government and Libya descended into chaos.
FIGHTBACK: German Vigilante Groups Pledge To Protect Women In
Migrant Sex Assault Cities
Breitbart - Declaring “one for all, and all for one”, the motto
of Sweden and a saying commonly associated with the Three
Musketeers the new ‘Dusseldorf is Watching’ group already had
2,300 members after it was launched on Facebook last night. The
group intends to provide protection at major events and in city
centres at weekends to ensure the safety of their fellow
Germans, reports the Rheinische Post. While the desire to
“protect our ladies future” appears sincere the group has
already come under attack not only by police who maintain law
enforcement should remain firmly their own responsibility, but
also by the press who have labeled the group “absurd” and
criticized it for including members of biker gangs.
Saudi Devaluation Odds Highest In 20 Years, Kingdom Now More
Likely To Default Than Portugal
Zero Hedge - … the market is getting worried that Riyadh is
about to careen into crisis… As Bloomberg notes, “twelve-month
forward contracts for the riyal climbed 260 points to 950 as of
3:49 p.m. in Riyadh, set for the steepest close since December
1996 [reflecting] growing speculation the world’s biggest oil
exporter may allow its currency to slide against the dollar for
the first time since 1986.”.. Saudi Arabia, which entered 2015
with virtually no debt and an FX reserve war chest that amounted
to around three quarters of a trillion dollars, is now viewed as
less creditworthy than a country where a coalition of
socialists, left-wingers, and communists just overthrew the
government.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Obama blasts ‘imaginary fiction’ of taking away guns
Fox News - President Barack Obama rejected the "imaginary
fiction" that he wanted to take away the guns of law-abiding
Americans during a town hall meeting on his gun policies aired
on CNN Thursday night. "The way it is described, is that we are
trying to take away everybody's guns," Obama said, charging that
his opponents had twisted his plans on gun safety measures. "Our
position is consistently mischaracterized," Obama said. "If you
listen to the rhetoric, it is so over-the-top, it is so
overheated."
Rape Survivor Asks Obama: Why Can’t You See Gun Restrictions
Make My Kids and I Less Safe? (VIDEO)
Gateway Pundit - Rape survivor Kimberly Weeks Corban attended
President Obama’s Gun Control Town Hall tonight on CNN. Kimberly
was raped by a man who broke into her apartment. Tonight
Kimberly asked the president why he wanted to make her children
less safe. “As a survivor of rape and now a mother of two small
children it seems like being able to purchase a firearm of my
choosing and being able to carry that wherever me and my family
are. My basic responsibility is as of a parent at this point. I
have been unspeakably victimized once already. I refuse to let
that happen again to myself or my kids. So why can’t your
administration see that these restrictions you’re putting to
make it harder for me to own a gun or make it harder for me to
take that where I need to be is actually making my kids and I
less safe.” Kimberly Weeks Corban wrote a chilling essay about
her rape on Revealing Politics in 2013, arguing against a ban on
concealed carry on college campuses that would disarm victims
like her.
75 Times Obama Broke Law During Presidency
Kit Daniels - Here’s a list of at least 75 times President Obama
violated the Constitution and/or broke federal law during his
presidency, which also doubles as a list of at least 75 reasons
why Congress must impeach the president now...
Marine Corps Ordered to Make Job Titles Gender Neutral
Adan Salazar - The US Marine Corps is under orders to integrate
both male and female recruits at boot camp training and must
alter job titles to adopt a more gender-neutral tone by April.
The mandate, announced in a January 1st memo from Navy Secretary
Ray Mabus to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, asks the
department to submit a “detailed implementation plan that
addresses the gender integration of officer and enlisted basic
training.”... Additionally, Marine Corps officials have been
asked to review job titles and eliminate the word “man” wherever
possible.
DEA Hired TSA Informant to Confiscate Travelers’ Cash
Mikael Thalen - An investigative summary released by the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Thursday reveals that Drug
Enforcement Agnecy (DEA) paid a Security Screener with the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to alert them to
travelers carrying large sums of cash. The report, released by
the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), summarizes
whether the DEA acted accordingly in registering a TSA employee
as a paid Confidential Source (CS).... The DEA is reported to
have offered the TSA agent a cut of any confiscated cash in
exchange for his assistance, raising serious ethical questions
about the agency’s practice.
House Republicans want refugee bill fast-tracked in Senate
McClatchy - Republicans in the House of Representatives who
quickly pushed through a bill late last year to temporarily halt
Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States want
the Senate majority leader to bring up the measure for a vote
soon after the upper body reconvenes Monday. The bill – written
by Reps. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas –
would put pressure on federal security and intelligence
officials to change the vetting process for all refugees
entering the country. It would require additional reporting of
such security measures and would mandate that senior-level
security officials personally sign off on each refugee’s
admittance.
Clinton email-investigation results forwarded to judges
WND - 'Judicial Watch wants to know the facts behind [the]
purposeful thwarting of FOIA'. The results of an inspector
general’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private
email server already are being forwarded to judges handling
several court fights over the content of the communications
because it concluded the front-runner for the Democratic nod for
president “exploited a loophole” in the Freedom of Information
Act processes. The announcement comes from officials with
Judicial Watch, the Washington watchdog group that has been
fighting in and out of court for access to those formal
government communications.
Oregon occupation leader rejects sheriff's bid to end standoff
Reuters - The leader of a group of armed protesters occupying
the headquarters of a federal wildlife refuge in southeastern
Oregon met briefly with a local sheriff on Thursday but rejected
the lawman's offer of safe passage out of the state to end the
standoff. Ammon Bundy and other occupiers left the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge in two vehicles and traveled to a
neutral location along a remote Oregon roadside to meet for
about five minutes with Harney County Sheriff David Ward. During
that meeting, which was attended by two Reuters reporters, Ward
told Bundy that he was seeking a peaceful resolution to the
nearly week-long standoff and offered to escort the occupiers
out of Oregon. But Bundy, saying that the sheriff had not
addressed the occupiers' grievances, declined.
Cop Arrested Twice for Assaulting Women, Stayed a Cop and Was
Just Arrested a Third Time
The Free Thought Project - Philadelphia Police Officer Deric
Lewis was recently arrested for the third time, after being
arrested on two other occasions and losing his job as a result.
In his two previous arrests, Lewis was charged with assault and
reckless endangerment, and was reported as being violent in both
situations. As a result of the first two arrests, he lost his
job. However, shortly after, he was rehired, only to be arrested
again.
Common Core Creator: Don't Help With Math
The Daily Caller - One of the chief creators of the Common Core
math standards is warning America’s parents to stop teaching
their own children basic math because, he says, public school
teachers are well-trained experts who understand rudimentary
arithmetic far better. The directive to leave children submerged
in confusion as they try to do homework comes from Jason Zimba,
who was part of a trio that originally wrote the Common Core
math standards. “The math instruction on the part of parents
should be low. The teacher is there to explain the curriculum,”
Zimba told The Hechinger Report, an education journalism website
published by Columbia University’s Teachers College.
Stock Market Crash 2016: This Is The Worst Start To A Year For
Stocks Ever
Economic Collapse - We have never had a year start the way that
2016 has started. In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average
and the S&P 500 have both posted their worst four-day starts to
a year ever. Canadian stocks are now down 21 percent since
September, and it has been an absolute bloodbath in Europe over
the past four days. Of course the primary catalyst for all of
this is what has been going on in China. There has been an
emergency suspension of trading in China two times within the
past four days, and nobody is quite certain what is going to
happen next. Eventually this wave of panic selling will settle
down, but that won’t mean that this crisis will be over. In
fact, what is coming is going to be much worse than what we have
already seen.
Trump Accused Of “Blackmailing” UK By Vowing To Pull Investments
If Government Bans Him
Steve Watson - GOP frontrunner Donald Trump has said he will
pull £700 million in investment from Scotland if he is
officially barred from the UK by the government. Trump has £200
million unvested in a resort in South Ayrshire and £500 million
more in a golf course in Aberdeen. A statement from Trump’s camp
notes that “Any action to restrict travel would force the Trump
Organization to immediately end these and all future investments
we are currently contemplating in the United Kingdom.”
“Westminster would create a dangerous precedent and send a
terrible message to the world that the United Kingdom opposes
free speech and has no interest in attracting inward
investment.” the statement continues. “Many people now agree
with Mr Trump that there is a serious problem that must be
resolved. This can only be achieved if we are willing discuss
these tough issues openly and honestly.” the Trump statement
concludes. The British Parliament will debate the issue of Trump
being barred from the country on January 18th, following a
petition signed by around half a million people, which called
for banning Trump over comments he made about stemming Muslim
immigration in the US.
Geoengineering Watch Legal Team Moves Forward With Washington
D.C. Public Relations Firm
Dane Wigington - Over the last six months the tireless effort to
organize solid legal action for the purpose of exposing and
halting global geoengineering programs has progressed behind the
scenes. Many dedicated attorneys and environmental experts have
donated their time and energies to this all important effort.
The current legal team includes 8 attorneys from the US, 3
attorneys from Canada. After countless conference calls, emails,
and other extensive evidence and information organizing efforts,
the team is moving solidly forward in preparation for legal
action as we enter 2016.
Multiple 4.0+ magnitude earthquakes hit Northwest Oklahoma
RT - The US Geological Survey reported three earthquakes
striking Northwest Oklahoma overnight. Fracking is blamed for
the ever more common series of temblors in the state, which has
already experienced 27 tremors in 2016. A magnitude-4.7 quake
hit an area 20 miles northwest of Fairview, Oklahoma around
10:27 p.m. About thirty seconds later, a magnitude-4.8
earthquake struck half a mile away. A magnitude-4.0 earthquake
hit the area around 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning.... Oklahoma’s
recent trend of earthquake clusters has been linked to the oil
and gas exploration that uses hydraulic fracturing, or
“fracking.”
Here is the test scientists use to see if you might be a
conspiracy theorist
Tech Insider - Take the test - 15 questions to determine whether
or not people are likely to subscribe to conspiracy theories.
Confirmed: How to stop Windows 10 forcing itself onto your PC
The Register - If you're using a PC running Windows 7 or 8 you
may be getting a little sick of endless popup screens telling
you to upgrade to version 10, and worried about inadvertently
installing the upgrade as part of a security update. Microsoft
will start pushing out the upgrade as a recommended, virtually
mandatory, update very soon (it's right now only an optional
download). Some people are tempted to turn off Windows Update
completely to avoid getting the new operating system – don't.
It'll leave your computer vulnerable to attack as you'll no
longer get security patches. It's actually rather easy to turn
off the Windows 10 upgrade function without losing vital regular
software updates. Microsoft even has an official document
explaining how to do it.
“The Creepy Study” – Surveillance Cameras Analyze Emotions
Activist Post -Tucked into the white ceiling tiles, the ceiling
camera he (Bill Hedgcock, Associate Professor of Marketing) had
installed at the Pappajohn Business Building at the University
of Iowa scans the faces of all who pass under it and instantly
calculates their moods — collecting readings for joy,
frustration, confusion, fear, anger and sadness. Hedgcock
believes the University of Iowa is the world’s only business
school with this kind of real-time software that converts images
of people’s faces into readings for different moods. If it
works, experts see huge potential for facial encoding in the
worlds of marketing, advertising and political campaigns.
(emphasis added)
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
A Tree Fell In This Woman’s Yard. What They Transform It Into?
Amazing!
Sun Gazing - If you live in your own home, and are lucky enough
to have beautiful trees on your property, you have lived through
the heartbreak of losing them in large storms. Some may be
hundreds of years old, or you may have lovingly planted them and
watched them grow, year after year. Sometimes it isn’t a storm
that’s the culprit, rather precarious distance to your home may
require removal, for safety’s sake. Tree removal people
eliminate the problem, but more often than not leave an
unsightly stump. In the case of the homeowner in the following
video that you are about to watch, they were lucky enough to
call Lueb Popoff. Who, may you ask, is Lueb Popoff? He is a man
who could cut down her tree, but rather than leaving the dreaded
ugly stump in front of her house, watch what he does!!
FDA will ban three chemicals linked to cancer from food
packaging
Digital Journal - The FDA announced on Monday it was publishing
its final rule banning three grease-resistant chemical
substances used in many pizza boxes and other kinds of food
packaging. The three specific perfluoroalkyl ethyl types have
been linked to birth defects and cancer... EWG [Environmental
Working Group] President Ken Cook was quoted by EcoWatch:
“Industrial chemicals that pollute people’s blood clearly have
no place in food packaging. But it’s taken the FDA more than 10
years to figure that out and it’s banning only three chemicals
that aren’t even made anymore.".... Now it should act on our
petition to ban the seven other chemicals we believe — and
government agencies such as the toxicology program at the
National Institutes of Health have found — cause cancer," [The
director of the National Resources Defense Council] Erik Olson
said
6 “One-Spoonful” Hacks to Lose Weight Effectively
Natural News Blogs - If you want to lose weight fast, forget
these diet pills, the secret is just in your kitchen. Many
common ingredients will help you lose extra pounds and provide
your body with essential nutrients as well. Here are some highly
recommended one spoonful hacks to lose weight and keep it off
for good...
Herbal Oil: 12 Remarkable Peppermint Oil Fixes
Natural News Blogs - Extracted from the herb by steam
distillation, the oil of peppermint is clear with a slight tinge
of yellow. Its main constituent is menthol, which imparts the
famous heady, minty aroma and the remarkable “cooling
sensation,” when tasted or touched. Peppermint oil comprises
vitamins A and C, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals including
potassium, manganese, iron, magnesium, calcium, and copper. The
numerous health benefits of peppermint oil include its ability
to treat several health problems.
Oldschool Lavender Lemonade: The Secret Recipe for Anxiety and
Headaches
Natural Blaze - It is estimated that nearly half the U.S.
population is afflicted with headaches yearly, while anxiety
affects nearly 20% of the population. Anxiety and headaches lead
to lost productivity, stressed relationships and, of course, the
horrendous physical pain that leads people to try dangerous
over-the-counter medications and prescriptions to “just make it
go away.” Well, here is a gift from the heavens that I stumbled
across many years ago and has got me through some very trying
moments.
Are our pets in the crosshairs of Big Pharma?
Health Nut News - Our poor pets are in the midst of an epidemic similar
to the one we find ourselves in; chronic ill health has become the norm-
from itchy, scabby skin, regular bouts of vomit and diarrhea, allergies,
epilepsy, and even arthritis. What’s the cause? Well, Dr. Jean W. Dodds,
an eminent vet and researcher, believes that allergic and autoimmune
diseases (where the body attacks itself) are on the rise because of
modified live virus vaccines. We the People Report reports in the
article that the uptick in behavioral problems in dogs, is due, largely,
to over-vaccination and the terrible processed pet food that people are
feeding their pets. We’ve got to start saying no. Another option is to
demand your vet use a cheap test called Vacci Check to measure your
pet’s titers.
Thursday
- January 7, 2016 - Today in History:
1782 - The Bank of North America opened in Philadelphia. It was the
first commercial bank in the United States.
1789 - Americans voted for the electors that would choose George
Washington to be the first U.S. president.
1904 - The distress signal "CQD" was established. Two years later "SOS"
became the radio distress signal because it was quicker to send by
wireless radio.
1927 - Transatlantic telephone service began between New York and
London. 31 calls were made on this first day.
1927 - In Hinckley IL, the Harlem Globetrotters played their first game.
1942 - The World War II siege of Bataan began.
1949 - The announcement of the first photograph of genes was shown at
the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
1953 - U.S. President Harry Truman announced the development of the
hydrogen bomb.
1959 - The United States recognized Fidel Castro's new government in
Cuba.
1979 - Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh,
overthrowing the Khmer Rouge government.
1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed legislation that authorized
$1.5 billion in loans for the bail out of Chrysler Corp.
1996 - One of the biggest blizzards in U.S. history hit the eastern
states. More than 100 deaths were later blamed on the severe weather.
1998 - Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky signed an affidavit
denying that she had an affair with U.S. President Clinton.
1999 - U.S. President Clinton went on trial before the Senate. It was
only the second time in U.S. history that an impeached president had
gone to trial. Clinton was later acquitted of perjury and obstruction of
justice charges.
2009 - Russia shut off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin publicly endorsed the move and urged greater
international involvement in the energy dispute.
China turmoil sends oil, stocks sliding
Reuters - Global shares tumbled for a sixth day on Thursday and
oil prices slid to levels not seen since the early 2000s, after
China guided the yuan lower and Shanghai shares tumbled by 7
percent, igniting fears of competitive devaluations across Asia.
Less than half an hour after the market opened, Chinese stock
trading was suspended for a second time this week. Brent crude
prices skidded over 5 percent to an almost-12-year-low of $32.16
LCOc1, with worries over weaker demand from China adding to a
persistent drag on prices caused by oversupply and near-record
output levels.
Nuclear Armed States Throw Tizzy Over Kim’s Dubious Hydro Nuke
Kurt Nimmo - The United States, Russia, China, Germany, Italy,
Japan and South Korea have condemned North Korea’s announcement
it has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. “We absolutely
cannot allow this,” said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“The North Korean nuclear program and the repeated nuclear tests
are (a) serious threats to peace and stability on the Korean
peninsula and an attack on the worldwide nonproliferation
regime,” said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Hua Chunying, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said
his country remains “steadfast in its position that the Korean
Peninsula should be denuclearized.” “We have consistently made
it clear that we will not accept (North Korea) as a nuclear
state,” said U.S. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.
“We will continue to protect and defend our allies in the
region.” Despite the round condemnation there is no solid
evidence North Korea has developed a hydrogen bomb.
Obama Calls on Turkey to Withdraw Unauthorized Forces in Iraq -
White House
Sputnik News - US President Barack Obama called on Turkey to
withdraw any military forces not authorized by the Iraqi
government during his call with Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi
of Iraq, the White House announced in a statement. The US
president’s remarks come after Turkey, in early December,
deployed some 150 troops and 25 tanks to a base in the Iraqi
Nineveh province, without Baghdad’s approval. Iraq regards the
deployment as illegal. Turkish authorities however, said that
their troops had entered Iraq to ensure the security of Turkish
instructors deployed to the base to train local militias,
fighting against the Islamic State terrorist group (known as
Daesh in Arabic and prohibited in a range of countries,
including Russia).
Britain and Italy Occupy Libya. . . Again
Brandon Turbeville - As time passes over the foreign policy of
Western nations, the façade of promoting “freedom” and
“democracy” passes with it. Even with well-established
propaganda mechanisms in place to convince the Western public
that NATO involvement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
serves a noble purpose, there are breaks in the wall of nonsense
that passes for official explanations and mainstream media
reporting that document the NATO march of terror across the
world that is currently underway. In this case, the lie is that
a direct Western presence in Libya is anything other than a
return to open colonialism by the very powers who perpetrated it
in years past on the very same territory.
Mayor of Cologne Slammed For Telling Women To Keep Rapists at
“Arms Length”
Paul Joseph Watson - The Mayor of Cologne is coming under
increasing pressure after she said that women should follow a
“code of conduct” to avoid sexual attacks by Muslim migrants by
keeping potential rapists at “arms length”. The comments were
made after a crisis meeting was called in response to a mass
molestation of women near Cologne train station on New Years
Eve. The perpetrators were Arab and North African migrants,
setting off a firestorm of debate about Germany’s open door
refugee program. Mayor Henriette Reker reacted to the incident
by asserting that it had nothing to do with Germany’s refugee
program despite the fact that a wave of sexual assaults have
been reported in and around migrant camps in the country for the
past six months.... Reker also asked Germans to follow this
“code of conduct” at Cologne’s upcoming festival so as to avoid
confusing migrants “from other cultures”. There was no
discussion of the fact that Germany is importing potentially
millions of people from a culture and a religion that treats
women little better than animals.
* Related:
Police: Most of Cologne Sex Attackers Were Newly Arrived Syrian
Refugees
‘Israeli war criminals must be put on UK govt watch-list’ –
Labour MP
RT - Israeli war criminals, who detain and mistreat Palestinian
children, must be kept on a “watch-list” in case they attempt to
enter Britain, a Labour MP has said. While addressing MPs in
Westminster Hall on Wednesday during a 90-minute debate, Labour
MP Sarah Champion urged the government to create a list for “all
known war crime suspects” who enter or attempt to enter Britain.
She said the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is guilty of the
“collective punishment” of Palestinians in order to protect
Israeli settlers in the West Bank. She then criticized Israel’s
treatment of Palestinian child detainees.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Oregon occupiers: Not quite time to go home yet
Reuters - "There is a time to go home, we recognize that. We
don't feel it's quite time yet," protest leader Ammon Bundy told
a news conference at the refuge on Wednesday. "We feel like we
need to make sure the Hammonds are out of prison, or well on
their way. We need to make sure there is some teeth in these
land transfers. And also that those who have committed crimes,
those are exposed as well." Bundy said the group was compiling
evidence to clear the Hammonds, who began longer prison terms
this week for setting fires that spread to federal land. Bundy
said witnesses told them the blazes were started by federal
agents. "We believe we have enough of this to exonerate the
Hammonds," he said. "If that is the only thing that is
accomplished, then it will be well worth our effort."
Paul Craig Roberts: The Rule Of Law No Longer Exists In Western
Civilization
Zero Hedge - American justice is a joke. It does not exist. The
USA is a lawless country. By that we do not mean what
conservative Republicans mean, which is, if we understand them,
that racial minorities violate law with something close to
impunity. What we mean is that only the mega-banks and the One
Percent have legal protection, and that is because these people
control the government. For everyone else law is a weapon in the
hands of the government to be used against the American people.
Americans Skeptical of “Global Warming” Can Lose Gun Rights Due
to Executive Order
Kit Daniels - Americans skeptical of so-called “man-made climate
change” could lose their Second Amendment rights under Obama’s
latest executive order considering that psychologists have said
“global warming” skeptics were “mentally ill.” Over the past
several years, various psychologists and media personalities
have suggested “climate denial” is a “dangerous” mental disorder
which threatens the lives of billions of people. For example, in
2009 the the University of West England hosted a major
conference on “climate change denial” but shockingly, the
conference was organized by psychotherapists and psychologists.
And the University of Oregon’s Kari Norgaard suggested skeptics
“must be recognized and treated” for their aberrant sociological
behavior.
Guns Don't Cause Suicide
Zero Hedge - Homicide rates in the United States have been
declining for 20 years as the number of privately-held guns in
the US has increased substantially. In some states, such as New
Hampshire and Oregon, which have very weak gun laws, homicide
rates are remarkably low, and these states are among the safest
places on earth. As homicide rates have declined, however, and
gun-related homicides with them, gun-control advocates have
attempted to create a new category of "gun violence" by blaming
suicides on access to guns.... The Washington Post which casts
suicide as indistinguishable from homicide, and goes on to point
out that there were as many firearm related deaths in 2014 as
there were deaths that resulted from automobile accidents. The
article rightly notes that thanks to medical science and safety
features on automobiles, deaths from car accidents have gone
into steep decline in recent years. The article then notes that
suicides have been increasing over the same period, but then
attempts to connect this rise with access to firearms.
Chipotle faces criminal probe over norovirus outbreak
CBS News - The restaurant chain said Wednesday it has been
served with a federal grand jury subpoena as part of a criminal
investigation tied to a norovirus outbreak this summer at one of
its restaurants in California. The investigation is being
conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District
of California in conjunction with the Food and Drug
Administration, the company said in a filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission Wednesday.... Chipotle sales have
plunged following reports of customers getting ill. The company,
which says in the filing that the contaminated food outbreaks
will affect its financial results, expects sales for the fourth
quarter to be down 14.6 percent, which would mark the first
decline since the company went public in 2006. Shares of the
company, which have fallen sharply since October, were down 1.7
percent to $440.88 in early trading.
Law Enforcement Officials, Medical Professionals: There’s
Something Seriously Wrong With Hillary Clinton’s Health
Breitbart - Democrat frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s disappearance
from the debate stage last month left people speculating that
the former First Lady took a long bathroom break, but now a
law-enforcement source with inside connections is alleging that
Clinton was missing from the stage due to health issues stemming
from a previous brain injury. These long-lasting symptoms
stemming from a concussion and blood clot, according to a
neurologist, suggest Clinton is suffering from post-concussion
syndrome, which can severely impact her cognitive abilities....
Cardillo, who previously worked as an officer who provided VIP
security details for the New York Police Department (NYPD), told
Breitbart News that he knows of two additional sources who have
commented about Clinton’s health problems, which have even
impacted her ability to walk to her car after delivering a
speech.
Gary Johnson announces 2016 presidential bid for Libertarian
Party nomination
RT - The 2012 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary
Johnson has formally entered the 2016 campaign trail, hoping to
be “the voice of reason” against the two major parties. The
former governor of New Mexico bills himself as a “classic
liberal.” ... Last election cycle, Johnson appeared on the
presidential ballot in 48 states, garnering 1,275,971 votes,
just shy of one percent. It had been three election cycles since
a third party candidate, Ralph Nader with the Green Party, had
that strong of a showing.
Gallup Explains Trump: "A Staggering 75% Of Americans Believe In
Widespread Government Corruption"
Zero Hedge - What explains America's revulsion with the existing
system? The answer comes from the latest Gallup article:
"Explaining Trump: Widespread Government Corruption" in which it
finds that once the silent majority of the population can
identify the object of their distrust and anger - in this case
Congress and the political status quo - and once they can
subsequently identify an object that represents its opposite,
the latter object's distance to the Oval Office becomes
considerably shorter.
Top 10 States That Rely Most on Federal Aid
CNS News - A new report by the Tax Foundation shows what percentage of
each state’s revenue comes from the federal government through federal
grants-in-aid, a sum that in total has reached $600 billion a year.
Federal grants-in-aid to state and local governments include payments
for Medicaid, education funding assistance, infrastructure project
support, housing grants, and other payments, according to the Tax
Foundation. For fiscal year 2013, which is the latest year for complete
data, the Tax Foundation found that Mississippi got 42.9% of its general
revenue from the federal government, and Louisiana came in second with
41.9% of its revenue from the U.S. Treasury.
Monsanto announces 1,000 job cuts after first-quarter losses
RT - Agrotech giant Monsanto said that it will eliminate 1,000 jobs as
part of a bid to cut costs in the wake of lower profits. The cuts are
the latest in a longer series of downsizing measures. Monsanto said that
its income has been been hurt by a drop in major crop prices that has
curbed farmers’ incomes and subsequent spending, as well as its
continued trouble with countries’ monetary policies internationally....
The company, which sells agricultural chemicals and genetically
engineered seeds, says that the most recent planned cuts will generate
between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, up from previous estimates of
$850 million to $900 million.
Macy’s Plans to Slash Jobs After Sales Tumble More Than Forecast
Bloomberg - Macy’s Inc. will fire or relocate about 3,000 workers and
explore options for its real estate after the largest U.S.
department-store company suffered a worse holiday period than it
expected. The company is cutting staffing levels and shrinking its store
count to match the lower sales volume, part of a plan to shave $400
million in annual expenses, according to a statement on Wednesday. The
changes will affect three to four workers at each of about 770 Macy’s
and Bloomingdale’s stores — about 2 percent of its total workforce —
though half of those employees are expected to be offered other jobs.
It’s also shutting 40 Macy’s locations, following through on an
announcement in September. The moves pleased investors, sending the
shares up as much as 5.8 percent to $38.25 in late trading. Macy’s stock
tumbled 47 percent last year.
California governor declares gas leak a state of emergency
Las Vegas Sun - California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of
emergency Wednesday over a massive natural-gas leak that has
been spewing fumes into a Los Angeles neighborhood for months.
In a statement, Brown said he acted based on the requests of
local residents in the community of Porter Ranch and the
"prolonged and continuing" nature of the gas blowout at the
underground storage facility. The well, owned by Southern
California Gas Co., has been gushing up to 1,200 tons of methane
daily, along with other gases. The utility is paying to relocate
thousands of households after residents complained that the
gases were making them sick. They say they have suffered
nosebleeds, nausea, headaches and other ailments.
Keystone XL company takes legal action after Obama 'overstepped
authority'
The Guardian - The company behind the rejected Keystone XL
pipeline fired off two legal challenges on Wednesday, accusing
Barack Obama of overstepping his authority and violating the
North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). TransCanada
Corporation said it was looking to recover an estimated $15bn it
spent over many years trying to win approval for the pipeline
before Obama rejected the project last November.... The twin
legal challenges – a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Texas
on Wednesday and notice of intent to sue under provisions of the
Nafta treaty – threaten to revive the longest-running
environmental and political dispute of Obama’s administration.
New iPhone Feature Unknowingly Driving Phone Bill Into Thousands
For Some
(CBSMiami) - Data overages can lead to big phone bills. One
family, however, was shocked when they got a bill for more than
two thousand dollars. The big bill was because of a new feature
on Apple iPhones that you may not be aware of. Like many teens,
Ashton Feingold didn’t think much about the text message from
AT&T which warned that he was nearing his data limit. “It just
said maybe 65 percent of your data has been used,” said
Feingold. Then the bill came.... “It’s usually $250 a month and
this was $2,000!” said Ashton’s father Jeff. The difference? A
new feature on Ashton’s iPhone called “WiFi Assist” which is
standard with the new iOS 9.1 operating system.... “It comes by
default, it is switched on,” said Campbell. “That’s why there’s
an uproar.” Apple had no comment. To turn off WiFi Assist, go to
settings, then cellular, then down at the bottom users can
switch off the feature.
Intel Launches X-ray-like Glasses that Allow Wearers to ‘see
inside’ Objects
The Guardian - Intel has launched a set of glasses built into a
helmet that give x-ray-like vision using its RealSense 3D
camera. The glasses-cum-hardhat was unveiled at CES in Las Vegas
and has been co-developed with augmented reality company Daqri
using Intel’s latest processor and camera technology. It has
taken concepts – like those of Microsoft’s Hololens – and
produced a real product. Unlike devices such as HoloLens or
Google Glass, which have been marketed as consumer devices, the
Daqri Smart Helmet is designed with industrial use in mind. It
will allow the wearer to effectively peer into the workings of
objects using real-time overlay of information, such as wiring
diagrams, schematics and problem areas that need fixing.
FDA To Approve Cannabis-Based Pharmaceutical For Multiple Health
Conditions
Natural Society - GW Pharmaceuticals is expected to be given a
green light for a cannabidiol drug (marijuana-based medicine)
which has shown promise in the treatment of epileptic children,
cutting epileptic attacks down by as much as 100% (45% average).
When will the Feds admit cannabis is a medical miracle? In one
breath the mainstream medical system has been telling us that
‘cannabis has no medicinal value,’ while the U.S. government has
stealthily patented cannabinoid-based medicine which obviously
shows that our government officials are well aware that cannabis
can be extremely valuable from a medicinal standpoint. The FDA
will soon grant a license to GW Pharmaceuticals for treating
patients with multiple sclerosis with a drug called Epidiolex.
That’s odd, since the FDA has repeatedly said that marijuana is
not ‘safe and effective’ for treating anything.
Yeast Is A Cause of Cancer And Turmeric Can Kill Both, Research
Confirms
Green Med Info - Titled, "Curcumin and its promise as an
anticancer drug: An analysis of its anticancer and antifungal
effects in cancer and associated complications from invasive
fungal infections," the new study addressed the concerning
problem of invasive fungal infections, as a major cause of both
morbidity and mortality, in cancer patients. According to the
study, "Effective anti-infection therapy is necessary to inhibit
significant deterioration from these infections. However, they
are difficult to treat, and increasing antifungal drug
resistance often leads to a relapse." The authors suggest
curcumin might offer an ideal natural alternative.... The study
went on to explain that conventional therapies often result in
collateral damage to the patient's immune system, which
contributes to fungal overgrowth.... Moreover, conventional
cancer treatments only target one aspect of cancer, focusing on
a single pathway or molecule on a cancer cell.
Home Detox: How to Rid Your Environment of the Sources of
Chronic Illness
Natural Blaze - Did you ever wonder why our country seems to be
getting sicker by the year? Given the huge leaps in medical
technology and the scientific discoveries made over the past
decades, doesn’t it seem as though people in civilized countries
would be leading longer, healthier lives?... What’s causing all
of this illness? It’s possible that the overwhelming amount of
sickness in the country is due to nearly constant exposure to
unhealthy chemicals in our water, our food, our personal care
products, our cleaning products, and our environments. Our homes
are full of things that make us sick, and all of it is approved
for sale in our country. Following is a brief synopsis of just a
few of the possible culprits you may be unwittingly exposed
to....
How To Make Home-made Vaseline? Natural & Non-Petroleum Jelly!
Natural News Blogs - As you are probably aware, Vaseline has a
petroleum base and petroleum is the same substance that gasoline
is made from.... The European country has banned many petroleum
jelly products because they could be linked to cancer. Women
with breast cancer have twice the levels of hydrocarbons
(substances found in petroleum jelly) in their breasts than
women who haven’t had breast cancer. Home-made Vaseline is
perfect for dry and sensitive skin. Perhaps skin ointments and
creams are a good way out. But for those who want the perfect
remedy for skin that is losing its moisture and natural oils,
this recipe for home-made Vaseline is the best option.
Diet Related Hyperthyroidism
Susan Thixton - Hyperthyroidism has been linked to pet foods that
include the thyroid glands of slaughtered animals. Because pet food
consumers are not informed of what portions of slaughtered animals are
used in pet food, knowing the symptoms of hyperthyroidism could be
important to protect your pet’s health.... It is significant to note
that the thyroid gland is banned from human consumption (ground in
hamburger meat) – thus we know it ends up in pet food. But again,
consumers are not told which pet foods include the thyroid gland that
could put our pets at risk. The few pieces of science published on this
issue all discuss raw pet foods as the risk of diet related
hyperthyroidism. It is assumed this is because raw pet foods contain
more meat than typical kibble or canned pet foods (thus could contain
more thyroid tissue). But…it is my guess that raw pet foods are not the
only risk. Any pet food that contains large levels of thyroid glands of
slaughtered animals could pose a risk to the pets consuming them.
The Scary Truth About “Free to a Good Home” Dog Classifieds
Dogington Post - Every responsible dog owner or pet parent knows that
getting a dog is a life-long commitment. From the moment you open your
heart and home to a loyal dog, you’re in it for the long haul, through
sickness and health, ups and downs, good and bad, through snuggles on
the couch to picking up the pieces of yet another pair of shredded
shoes.... Still, even responsible dog owners can sometimes find
themselves searching for a good home for their beloved pet.... Because
our rescues and shelters are packed full, responsible pet owners have an
increasingly tough time finding a good home for their pets and are
turning to direct-to-consumer classified ads, like Craigslist or the
local newspaper... If, for some reason (and it better be a good one),
you must re-home your pet, there are some steps you can take to ensure
he goes to a good home. Pet-Abuse.com offers up some wonderful tips for
pet owners facing this challenging dilemma.
Wednesday
- January 6, 2016 - Today in History:
1720 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble published its
findings.
1759 - George Washington and Martha Dandridge Custis were married.
1838 - Samuel Morse publicly demonstrated the telegraph for the first
time.
1912 - New Mexico became the 47th U.S. state.
1930 - The first diesel-engine automobile trip was completed after a run
of 792 miles from Indianapolis, IN, to New York City, NY.
1942 - The first commercial around-the-world airline flight took place.
Pan American Airlines was the company that made history with the feat.
1945 - The Battle of the Bulge ended with 130,000 German and 77,000
Allied casualties.
1967 - U.S. and South Vietnamese forces launched a major offensive,
known as Operation "Deckhouse V", in the Mekong River delta.
1982 - William G. Bonin was convicted in Los Angeles, CA, of being the
"freeway killer" who had murdered 14 young men and boys.
1987 - After a 29-year lapse, the Ford Thunderbird was presented with
the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. It was the first occurrence of a
repeat winner of the award.
1994 - Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the right leg by an
assailant at Cobo Arena in Detroit, MI. Four men were later sentenced to
prison for the attack, including Tonya Harding's ex-husband.
1998 - The spacecraft Lunar Prospect was launched into orbit around the
moon. The craft was crashed into the moon, in an effort to find water
under the lunar surface, on July 31, 1999.
1999 - The 106th U.S. Congress opened. The first item on the agenda was
the impeachment proceedings of U.S. President Bill Clinton. The trial
was set to begin January 7, 1999.
2001 - With the vanquished Vice President Al Gore presiding, Congress
certified Republican George W. Bush the winner of the close and bitterly
contested 2000 presidential election.
2005 - Former Ku Klux Klan leader Edgar Ray Killen was arrested 41 years
after three civil rights workers were slain in Mississippi. (Killen was
later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 60 years in prison.)
Footing the Bill: Poland Wants ‘to Leave Dirty Work’ of Defense
Spending to Washington
Sputnik News - By creating and fueling the idea of the Russian
threat, the new Polish government is trying to make NATO
members, particularly the United States, station their troops in
Poland at their own expense, said Doug Bandow, a senior research
fellow at the Cato Institute, according to the National
Interest. Currently, the chances of Russia invading Central and
Eastern Europe are virtually non-existent.... The problem is
that Washington also wants to be in charge in Europe, so
Europeans use it to slash their own military spending, knowing
that if push comes to shove and there is a real possibility a
military confrontation, the United States would always be there
to provide their security. In other words, both European nations
and US leaders in Washington like the current system. Everyone
is happy, except US citizens, whose tax dollars are spent to
provide security to Eastern and Central European nations against
a non-existent threat, Bandow explained.
North Korea claims fully successful ‘miniaturized hydrogen bomb’
test
RT - North Korea has announced it has successfully tested a
miniaturized hydrogen bomb following an “artificial seismic
event” that has likely become the country’s fourth known nuclear
test. In a “special and important” announcement at noon, North
Korean TV claimed that the country has successfully conducted a
hydrogen bomb test at 10:00am local time.... The announcement
followed the USGS detection of a 5.1 magnitude earthquake in the
vicinity of a known Pyongyang nuclear site.... The “unusual”
seismic activity near a “known” North Korean nuclear site seems
to be of artificial origin and was a clear sign of a nuclear
test, South Korean News agency Yonhap reported.
Swiss General Urges Citizens to Arm Themselves in Response to
Social Unrest and Economic Decline
Kurt Nimmo - Prior to the mass rape by Arab and North African
migrants on New Year’s Eve, a Swiss Army general warned
unchecked immigration, social dislocation and a crumbling
economy will ultimately pitch Europe into civil war. “The threat
of terror is rising, hybrid wars are being fought around the
globe; the economic outlook is gloomy and the resulting
migration flows of displaced persons and refugees have assumed
unforeseen dimensions,” Lieutenant-General André Blattmann told
Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten last week. Blattmann said
public discourse is “dangerously aggressive” and “social unrest
can not be ruled out.” The general also said Swiss prosperity
will be “called into question” as the European Union’s economy
continues to disintegrate. Analysts believe migration from the
Middle East and Africa will destroy the borderless Schengen
Agreement and lead to the disintegration of the European Union.
Oil falls to 11-year low, Saudi-Iran row seen making output
restraint unlikely
Reuters - Oil fell to its lowest in more than 11 years on
Wednesday, down around 2 percent, as the row between Saudi
Arabia and Iran was seen extinguishing any chance of major
producers cooperating to cut production in the face of mounting
global over supply. The furor over Saudi Arabia's execution of a
Shi'ite cleric has depressed the market as it put an end to
speculation that OPEC members could agree on production cuts to
lift prices.... Global Brent crude benchmarks LCOc1 were at
$35.75 a barrel at 0856 GMT (3.56 a.m. ET), down 67 cents or 1.9
percent from their previous settlement, their lowest since 2004.
Leaked Memo Proves Saudis Knew Executions Would Spark Unrest
Sputnik News - Saudi Arabia’s mass execution of 47 people on
Saturday sparked an international outcry. According to a leaked
memo obtained by The Independent, Riyadh was fully aware of this
possibility, ordering security services to cancel holiday plans
to be on full alert.... According to leaked letter obtained by
The Independent, the Saudi government was fully aware of the
repercussions of its actions, but followed through with the
executions anyway. The letter, issued by the head of the
government’s security forces, was sent to regional chiefs in the
areas where the executions took place, and was marked "very
urgent." It orders employees to cancel holiday plans and
exercise "maximum precaution." The document was obtained by
human rights group Reprieve, who says that the letter proves the
political nature behind the deaths.
Yemen center for blind hit by Saudi-led coalition airstrike –
locals
RT - A center for the blind in Yemen’s capital of Sanaa was hit
in an airstrike that was presumably carried out by a Saudi-led
coalition targeting Houthi forces, locals told media. Residents
said the air-strikes targeting Houthi forces intensified on
Tuesday before a care center for the blind was hit, Reuters
reports. The third floor of the Noor Center for the Blind in the
Safiah district was damaged in the 1 a.m. incident, according to
the Middle East Eye. No casualties in the bombing were reported.
Noor Center is one-of-a-kind in Yemen, receiving funding from
one of the World Bank’s projects in the country. After the
airstrike, the center’s deputy manager, Mohammed Daylami, blamed
Saudi Arabia and its allies for “having no clue about the rules
and ethics of war."
Germany In Shock After "Monstrous" Attacks, Rape By 1,000 Men
"Of Arab Or North African Origin"
Zero Hedge - According to BBC, "the scale of the attacks on
women at the city's central railway station has shocked
Germany." About 1,000 drunk and aggressive young men were
involved. The initial shock will quickly transform to furious
anger, because more important in this specific case was the
origin of the 1,000 drunk assailants, who split into groups, and
attacked women in the square. Citing the police chief Wolfgang
Albers, BBC notes that the men were of "Arab or North African
region", adding that they were mostly between 18 and 35 years
old. He added that the attack was a "completely new dimension of
crime". BBC adds that what is particularly disturbing is that
the attacks appear to have been organised. Around 1,000 young
men arrived in large groups, seemingly with the specific
intention of carrying out attacks on women. Fearing a public
backlash, Cologne mayor Henriette Reker said there was no reason
to believe that people involved in the attacks were refugees.
* Related:
Locals voice fears, minister vows punishment
after 'Arab' crowd blamed for sex assaults in Cologne
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Congress Could Quickly End Obama’s Gun Grab
Breitbart - Left out of any Republican statements, however, was
any promise to cut funding for Obama’s actions. No matter what
the White House may propose, Congress still exercises the power
of the purse.... While the House Budget Committee doesn’t
actually appropriate tax dollars, it does set overall parameters
for how the government spends money.... Rep. Tom Price noted
that President Obama’s actions went beyond his executive
constitutional authority. He did not, however, promise to block
the federal government from spending money to pursue Obama’s
directives.
URGENT Warning on OR Standoff: Military Special OP Assets Have
Been Assigned for Standoff. Get All Children Out of There
Immediately
Stewart Rhodes - Oath Keepers has received very credible
information from an active duty source within the special
operations community that at least one SOD-X (Reserve/National
Guard Special Operations Detachment) unit under the command of
Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) has been tasked for this
standoff at the Malheur Wildlife Reserve and moved to the area.
Given this, we should expect that other special operations
assets, such as Delta Force, will also be involved if the Obama
Administration decides to give the green light on a military
raid/strike. And we should expect the presence of the infamous
FBI HRT (which were present at both Ruby Ridge and Waco).
* Related:
Bundy Militia Barricades Oregon Federal Building As Potential
FBI Raid Looms
Breaking: Terrorists Occupy a Federal Building (Pic)
By Anthony Freda
Report: RNC Will Consider Obama Impeachment
Proceedings
Steve Watson - Reports circling online are suggesting that the
Republican National Committee is to consider a resolution
drafted for the impeachment of President Barack Obama. The
resolution, which seems to have been drafted by the North
American Law Center, is to be weighed up at a January 13th
meeting of the RNC, reports Brandon Hall of West Michigan
Politics blog. The document is titled, “Articles of Impeachment
of Barack Hussein Obama,” it begins, “Resolved, That Barack
Hussein Obama, acting President of the United States, is
impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the
following articles of impeachment to be exhibited to the
Senate.” “Please contact your RNC members and ask them to
support Michigan’s RNC National Committeeman – Dave Agema’s
resolution as currently suba Facebook statement concerning the
resolution reads.... Agema told The Daily Wire in an
interviemitted for discussion at their January 13 – 15, 2016
meetings,” w that he will introduce the resolution, which
consists of 48 criminal charges in total.
Obama wipes away tears as he calls for new gun measures
Politico - President Barack Obama wept openly Tuesday as he
delivered a forceful defense of new executive actions on gun
violence, a set of modest proposals to tighten loopholes that
likely face quick legal challenges and could be vulnerable to
reversal by a Republican White House. The president ran through
a list of mass shootings that have happened during his time in
office, and teared up as he recalled the schoolchildren gunned
down in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.
Americans With “Alternative Views” Could be Labeled Crazy, Have
Guns Taken
Paul Joseph Watson - Second Amendment advocates are warning that
Americans who hold “alternative views” could be declared
mentally ill and have their firearms seized as President Obama
announced a raft of new gun control measures. Columnist Jeff
Edwards notes that, “American citizens, through mere suspicion
by the government, could be denied a constitutional right.”
Highlighting California’s already stringent gun laws, under
which a judge can order cops to seize someone’s firearms on mere
suspicion alone, Edwards fears that Obama’s new control push
could lead to Americans with divergent political beliefs being
disarmed.
Notoriously Corrupt Democrat Harry Reid Wants to Use Slush Fund
Money for Retirement
Kurt Nimmo - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid wants the Federal
Election Commission to make an exception and allow him to pocket
over $600,000 for retirement from a slush fund. FEC guidelines
prohibit personal use of unspent PAC and campaign money.
Punishment for violating the prohibition on personal use ranges
from hefty fines to possible imprisonment. The money can be used
as a contribution to charity or donated to the national party
committee. Democrat FEC Chairwoman Ann Ravel believes Reid has a
right to the money due to his status as a “historic” and
“important figure and public official.”
Govt Pays Millions in Reparations to 57 Victims of Worst Cop in
History – Who Still Receives a Pension
The Free Thought Project - Responsible for torturing more than
200 people to obtain false confessions, former Chicago Police
Commander Jon Burge has cost the city and Cook County over $100
million in legal fees and settlements. On Monday, the city of
Chicago paid out $5.5 million in reparations to 57 of Burge’s
victims, while the corrupt former police commander continues to
receive his $4,000 monthly pension from the city.
The Top 7 Reasons Why You Need a Second Passport
Activist Post - Before World War I, you didn’t need a passport
for international travel. People simply went wherever they
wanted. In many cases, they didn’t need any kind of permission
from a government agency. Obviously, that’s not how it works
today. Today, governments use passports to document and control
their citizens. In my view, the world would be better off
without them. Of course, passports are not going away. You will
continue to need one to travel. This is why you’re better having
more than one. A second passport keeps the government from
locking you in. Without it, the government in your home country
can effectively place you under house arrest by taking back your
passport. Among other things, having a second passport allows
you to invest, bank, travel, live, and do business in places you
wouldn’t otherwise be able to.
Some Chipotle Fans Suspect Bioterrorism Behind 2015 Outbreaks
Natural Society - No one can argue that 2015 was a rough year
for Chipotle. Five outbreaks of foodborne illness have struck
the Mexican restaurant franchise since October, giving a bad
reputation to a food chain that is going the route of healthy
and GMO-free (at least on the surface). Here’s a timeline of
Chipotle’s nightmare...
Donald Trump: Ted Cruz’s Birthplace ‘Very Precarious’ Issue
Breitbart - GOP frontrunner Donald Trump said that fellow GOP
presidential candidate Sen. Sen. Ted Cruz’s birthplace would be
a “very precarious” problem if Cruz were chosen as the
Republican nominee, as he was born in Canada, according to the
Washington Post. “Republicans are going to have to ask
themselves the question: ‘Do we want a candidate who could be
tied up in court for two years?’ That’d be a big problem,” the
frontrunner questioned. “It’d be a very precarious one for
Republicans, because he’d be running and the courts may take a
long time to make a decision. You don’t want to be running and
have that kind of thing over your head.”
Clinton takes credit for Obama gun plans
Patriot Rising - Hillary Clinton praised Obama’s proposed
executive action on gun control, claiming that his plans were
influenced by her own proposals. “I am very proud of President
Obama’s announcement today,” Clinton said of the president’s
series of executive actions. ” In fact I feel really good
because I called for some of those measures a few months ago.”
Shares of Gun Stock Companies Rocket on Obama's Gun Regulation
Executive Order
Economic Policy Journal - Gun stocks rallied for a second day on
Tuesday, as investors again bet that new restrictions rolled out
by President Barack Obama not only wouldn’t deter sales but
would propel them, reports MarketWatch. Smith & Wesson shares
surged as much as 14% and Sturm, Ruger & Co. climbed as much as
9%. The moves also comes as Smith & Wesson raised its profit
guidance for the April-ending fiscal year. Smith & Wesson shares
have surged 180% in the last 12 months, and Sturm, Ruger is up
89%.
Industry, Universities Hide Workforce of Extra100,000 Foreign
White-Collar H-1B Employees
Breitbart - The journalists–and Americans—have been kept in the
dark while universities and many allied name-brand companies
have quietly imported an extra workforce of at least 100,000
lower-wage foreign professionals in place of higher-wage
American graduates, above the supposed annual cap of 85,000 new
H-1Bs. Less than one-sixth of these extra 100,000 outsourced
hires are the so-called “high-tech” computer experts that
dominate media coverage of the contentious H-1B private-sector
outsourcing debate. Instead, the universities’ off-the-books
H-1B hires include 21,754 professors, lecturers and instructors,
20,566 doctors, clinicians and therapists, 25,175 researchers,
post-docs and biologists, plus 30,000 financial planners, p.r.
experts, writers, editors, sports coaches, designers,
accountants, economists, statisticians, lawyers, architects,
computer experts and much else. The universities have zero legal
obligation to recruit Americans for these jobs.
The Shale Defaults Begin Here: Banks Quietly Shrink These 25
Companies' Credit Facilities
Zero Hedge - Here are 25 deeply distressed companies, whose
banks we found have quietly shrunk the borrowing base of their
credit facilities anywhere from 6% in the case of Black Ridge
Oil and Gas to a whopping 51% for soon to be insolvent New
Source Energy Partners.
Alabama Uses BP Oil Spill Money to Repair a Governor’s Mansion
AllGov - An Alabama governor’s mansion that has sat abandoned
and boarded up for nearly 20 years is getting renovated thanks
to money from the BP oil spill. The mansion, built in the 1960s
near the Gulf coast, was damaged in 1997 by Hurricane Danny.
From that point it sat unused and vacant because succeeding
gubernatorial administrations were reluctant to spend taxpayer
money on repairing the two-story, 7,500-square-foot home. But
the administration of Governor Robert Bentley figured it could
fix the mansion with money from the settlement BP paid after the
2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The state expects to spend
upwards of $1.8 million of the BP funds on the construction.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Bananas as We Know Them May Be Disappearing
ANH-USA - When most people speak of bananas, they’re thinking of
a single variety—the yellow Cavendish banana found in almost all
grocery stores. But the popularity of this banana has made it
susceptible to a fungal disease known as Tropical Race 4 (TR4),
which is quickly spreading across the globe and is likely to hit
South America, where 80% of Cavendish bananas are grown....
Fortunately, other banana varieties still exist and are often
much more flavorful than the Cavendish. Keep in mind also that
in nature, flavor is often closely associated with nutritional
value. It is no coincidence that the Cavendish, selected for
ease of transport and sale, not taste, is often both tasteless
and low in nutrition. But rather than re-introducing some of the
older, more flavorful bananas that fortunately survived
monoculture mania, fruit companies are planning to make the
Cavendish even more artificial and tasteless by genetically
engineering it to be resistant to TR4.
Off-Grid, Salt-Free Alternatives To Chemical Deicers
Off the Grid News - The most common way to deice driveways and
sidewalks is to use rock salt. Although cheap and easy to use,
rock salt is concentrated and very corrosive. It affects plants,
pets, water and even paint. Rock salt can be found in nature,
but it is spread out, unlike how we use it in our neighborhoods.
Because the salt dissolves in water, it can flow and absorb into
all sorts of ground and water areas. The effect of this salt on
your grass and other surrounding plants is simple: rock salt =
dead plants. It will ruin your lawn because it limits the growth
of plants. And it can drain into the ground water. nimals that
drink the salty water or eat the salty grass often develop
health problems. The most dangerous issue is salt poisoning. If
you have to walk your dog on the salty city sidewalks, you have
probably noticed how raw or inflamed the dog’s (or any animal’s)
foot pads get from the salt.
How to Store Carrots Under Straw for Winter
Mother Earth News - Not being a fan of frozen or canned carrots,
I began to wonder if there was a way to enjoy organic carrots
throughout the winter.... After the markets were done for the
year and winter was threatening, I gathered garden straw from a
local farmer. It is important that you know that straw for the
garden has not come from crops treated with herbicides to
control broad-leafed weeds. The herbicides can leech into the
soil making difficult growing conditions for the future.
Oven Canning for Long Term Storage
The Prepper Project - Dried goods make great emergency food if
stored properly. But it’s no fun opening a box of pancake mix to
find meal worms making a meal of your precious food (unless you
like the extra protein). You can stock up on survival foods
specially prepared to last for years, but it can get pretty
pricey. If you want to save some dough and do it yourself, oven
canning is the way to go. So let’s get started on this simple
and easy method of prepping your dried goods for long term
storage.
25 possible adverse reactions to vaccines according to CDC
and big pharma
(NaturalHealth365) As we witness the ever growing agenda for
maintaining and increasing immunizations, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to create what it
calls “lasting, effective immunization delivery systems.” Yet,
the CDC also admits – on the same area of its website – that
there is a long list of adverse, sometimes deadly, reactions to
vaccines.
12 Flowers You Didn't Know Heal The Body
April McCarthy - Flowers are not only beautiful, but they can be
used as essential ingredients in a food and medicine. Many
edible flowers are rich in phenolics and have excellent
antioxidant capacity. They can be added to your food or in teas
to prevent chronic disease.
Tuesday
- January 5, 2016 - Today in History:
1781 - Richmond, VA, was burned by a British naval expedition led by
Benedict Arnold.
1885 - The Long Island Railroad Company became the first to offer
piggy-back rail service which was the transportation of farm wagons on
trains.
1896 - It was reported by The Austrian newspaper that Wilhelm Roentgen
had discovered the type of radiation that became known as X-rays.
1914 - Ford Motor Company announced that there would be a new daily
minimum wage of $5 and an eight-hour workday.
1925 - Mrs. Nellie Taylor Ross was sworn in as the governor of Wyoming
She was the first female governor in the U.S.
1933 - In California, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began.
1940 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) got its very first
demonstration of FM radio.
1972 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon ordered the development of the
space shuttle.
1993 - The state of Washington executed Westley Allan Dodd. It was
America's first legal hanging since 1965. Dodd was an admitted child sex
killer.
1998 - U.S. Representative Sonny Bono died in skiing accident.
2002 - A 15 year-old student pilot, Charles Bishop, crashed a small
plane into a building in Tampa, FL. Bishop was about to begin a flying
lesson when he took off without permission and without an instructor.
2004 - After 14 years of denials, Pete Rose publicly admitted that he'd
bet on baseball while manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
2011 - Rep. John Boehner of Ohio was elected speaker as Republicans
regained control of the House of Representatives on the 1st day of the
new Congress.
On the Brink of Catastrophe: These 10 Conflicts Could Escalate
Into a Major War
Sputnik News - Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, as well as
tensions in the South China Sea and violence in the Lake Chad
basin could escalate into major wars, which – if unresolved –
would spell catastrophe for the region, if not the world, former
French diplomat Jean-Marie Guéhenno asserted.
Norway: Oslo Police — “We Have Lost the City”
Pamela Geller - “Grønland is more Muslim than Morocco.” And
Europe is bringing in millions more.... It’s not Norway or
Europe anymore, except when there is welfare money to be
collected. The police have largely given up. Early in 2010
Aftenposten stated that there are sharia patrols in this area,
and gay couples are assaulted and chased away. “Immigrant Fatima
Tetouani says that ‘Grønland is more Muslim than Morocco.’”
Stocks Resume Rout After Massive Chinese Intervention Fails To
Lift Shanghai, Calm Traders
Zero Hedge - After yesterday's historic first-day rout in the
Shanghai Composite, which saw the first marketwide circuit
breaker trading halt applied to Chinese stocks, many were
wondering if the Chinese government would intervene in both the
once again imploding stock market, as well as China's plunging
and rapidly devaluing currency. And, after the SHCOMP opened
down -3%, the government did not disappoint and promptly
intervened in both the Yuan as well as the stock market, however
with very mixed results which global stocks took a bad sign and
have resumed selling for a second consecutive day.
US Rules Out Mediation Role in Easing Saudi-Iran Tensions -
State Dep't
Sputnik news - The United States does not plan to mediate in the
latest diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and Iran over
Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr and 46 other
Shiite Muslims, US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby
said during a press briefing on Monday… Kirby noted that the
United States would like to see "tensions decreased" and
"engagement continue," but that those would be issues that
"these countries have got to work out for themselves."
After Saudi Arabia's Execution, Russia Steps In To 'Mediate'
The Daily Caller - While the U.S. Department of State has sat on
the sidelines and urged “diplomatic engagement and direct
conversations,” Russia has offered to step in and mediate the
dispute between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which resulted from the
latter’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, The Daily Star
reports. U.S. inaction has infuriated the Saudis. One Saudi
source told The Washington Post, “Enough is enough. Tehran has
thumbed its nose at the West again and again, continuing to
sponsor terrorism and launch ballistic missiles and no one is
doing anything about it.”
1,000 crack British troops deployed to Libyan oil fields to
'halt the advance of ISIS'
RT - Approximately 6,000 European and US soldiers, including
1,000 British troops, will be involved in a number of offensives
set up to halt the advance of the jihadist terror group. The
operation will be led by Italian forces and supported mainly by
Britain and France… IS has seized several revenue-boosting oil
fields in Libya and is eager to win more control over the
country, as the land could provide them with millions of dollars
to fund terror attacks. The terrorist network is now targeting
the Marsa al Brega oil refinery, the biggest in North Africa. If
jihadists successfully capture the oil refinery, located between
Sirte and Benghazi, they would gain full control of the
country’s oil.
German Anger Boils Over: Shots Fired At German Refugee Home; One
Asylum Seeker Hit
Zero Hedge - According to AP early on Monday, gun shots were
fired at a home for asylum seekers in western Germany and one
resident was lightly injured, police said. The shots were fired
at a window of the building in the town of Dreieich at around
2.30 a.m (0130 GMT), and one hit a 23-year-old asylum seeker who
was sleeping, according to police in Offenbach, near Frankfurt.
He was taken to a hospital, but was able to leave shortly
afterward. AP adds that it wasn't immediately clear who was
responsible for the incident or what the motive was. However,
Darmstadt prosecutors' spokeswoman Nina Reininger told news
agency dpa: "If someone shoots at housing which has people
inside, I assume that it is a targeted attack."
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Doctors Can Report Some Mentally Ill Patients To FBI Under New
Gun Control Rule
Politico - Delivering on its promise to deliver “common sense”
gun control, the Obama administration on Monday finalized a rule
that enables health care providers to report the names of
mentally ill patients to an FBI firearms background check
system. The action was one of a series of steps that President
Barack Obama had called for in January 2013 in the wake of the
Newtown, Conn., shootings to curb gun violence, but the rule was
not published until today. While the 1993 Brady law prohibits
gun ownership by individuals who have been involuntarily
committed, found incompetent to stand trial or otherwise deemed
by a court to be a danger to themselves or others, federal
health care privacy rules prohibited doctors and other providers
from sharing information without the consent of their patients.
Under the rule, which takes effect next month, for the first
time health providers can disclose the information to the
background check system without legal repercussions.
Obama’s Executive Gun Control: No Minimum Threshold Before
Private Gun Sales Require Background Checks
Breitbart - On January 4, the White House released a fact sheet
which previews the executive gun control Obama will announce
Tuesday, and it reveals there is no numerical threshold of sales
that a private seller has to cross before being considered
“engaged in the business of dealing in firearms.” In other
words, previous hints that there would be a “trigger”—a certain
number of guns that a private seller had to sell before being
considered “engaged in the business”—are now out the window.
Figures like those reported by NBC News, wherein they quoted
sources saying, “the administration has considered 50 or 100
guns a year as the threshold to trigger these requirements,”
have been discarded. A more fluid system—whereby any private
seller can be considered “engaged in the business of dealing in
firearms” regardless of the number of guns he sells or the
frequency by which he sells them—seems to be what Obama has in
mind.
CNN Declares Oregon Occupiers Domestic Terrorists
Kurt Nimmo - Juliette Kayyem, billed as a CNN National Security
Analyst, has defined Ammon Bundy and the other people occupying
the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as domestic terrorists.
“Let’s begin with what to call the Oregon anti-government
protesters who have taken over a federal building. The men,
heavily armed, urging others to come support their cause, and
claiming somehow that, while peaceful, they will ‘defend’
themselves whatever it takes, are—by any definition—domestic
terrorists.” By any definition? Here is the dictionary
definition of terrorism: The use of violence and threats to
intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes. Bundy
and his compatriots have so far not threatened violence against
the government. They have said, however, if the government uses
violence they will respond in kind. Is trespassing terrorism? Is
self-defense terrorism? Is trespassing intimidation and
coercion? It seems CNN thinks so.
Oregon Sheriff Pleads with Armed Protesters to ‘Leave Our
Community’’
Infowars - The sheriff of the county at the heart of a militia
dispute in Oregon is asking armed protesters who came to the aid
of two ranchers to turn back and go home. “The Hammonds have
turned themselves in today at 1:37PM ET in accordance with the
law, and are currently in custody in a federal correctional
institution in California,” Harney County Sheriff David Ward
said at a press conference earlier today.
The Absurdly Harsh Penalties That Sparked the Oregon Rancher
Protest
Reason - … the armed men who are occupying an office building at
the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon broke off from a
demonstration protesting the sentences received by two ranchers,
73-year-old Dwight Hammond and his 46-year-old son Steven, who
in 2001 and 2006 set fires on their own property that spread to
public land… In 2012 they were… convicted under 18 USC
844(f)(1), which prescribes a five-year mandatory minimum
sentence… U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan instead imposed a
three-month sentence on Dwight Hammond, who was convicted of one
count, and two concurrent one-year sentences on Steven Hammond,
who was convicted of two counts… Last year the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the 9th Circuit, responding to a government appeal,
disagreed with Hogan, saying he had no choice but to impose
five-year sentences on both men… In other words, since even
worse miscarriages of justice have passed constitutional muster,
this one must be OK too.
Sheriff: If you break into a home in my county, expect to be
shot
Adan Salazar - A sheriff in Florida recently upheld the right of
homeowners to shoot burglars, in yet another pro-gun story you
will not see covered by the mainstream media. During the early
morning hours of Saturday, an armed intruder made the mistake of
breaking into an armed residence in Lakewood. 24-year-old Chevez
Antwann Faison “fired shots at two people inside,” according to
My News 13.com. “He was then shot and killed by the homeowner.”
Following the incident, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd expressed
strong support for the right of homeowners to defend their
property, and discouraged future home invaders by warning they
will be shot. “Forcing your way into an occupied residence is a
bold and foolish decision,” Judd reportedly said in a press
release. “If you are foolish enough to break into someone’s
home, you can expect to be shot in Polk County.”
IRS Identity Fraud Prevention Specialist Arrested For Identity
Fraud, Filing Fraudulent Tax Returns
Techdirt - A federal grand jury earlier this month indicted
Nakeisha Hall, Jimmie Goodman and Abdulla Coleman for their
involvement in a 2008 to 2011 scheme operated out of Birmingham
that involved stealing personal identity information from the
Internal Revenue Service to create fraudulent tax returns and
collecting the stolen refunds… Hall, having access to taxpayer
information as an IRS employee, apparently orchestrated the
scheme. Fraudulent tax refunds were routed to prepaid debit
cards. These cards were then sent to a variety of fake home
addresses set up by the three conspirators -- one of which is
already doing time on an unrelated charge.
Government Named Top U.S. Problem for Second Straight Year
Gallup - For the second consecutive year, dissatisfaction with
government edged out the economy as the problem more Americans
identified as the nation's top problem in 2015. According to
Gallup's monthly measure of the most important problem facing
the U.S., an average of 16% of Americans in 2015 mentioned some
aspect of government, including President Barack Obama, Congress
or political conflict, as the country's chief problem. The
economy came in second with 13% mentioning it, while
unemployment and immigration tied for third at 8%... 2015 marks
only the second time since 2001 that no single issue averaged
20% or more for the year. However, 34% of Americans named at
least one of several specific economic issues -- including the
economy, unemployment, the budget deficit, inflation and others.
Trump: Hillary Clinton Should Disarm Her Bodyguards If She
Really Believes 'Guns Don't Keep You Safe'
Breitbart - On December 19 Breitbart News reported that Clinton
reacted to the surge in gun sales that followed the San
Bernardino terror attack by saying, “Guns, in and of
themselves…will not make Americans safer.” She then listed the
number of gun-related deaths each year in a way that appeared to
suggest guns actually make America less safe. On January 3 Trump
responded with: “Hillary said that guns don’t keep you safe. If
she really believes that she should demand that her heavily
armed bodyguards quickly disarm!”
Paul Warns ‘Hillary Will Take Us Back To War’
Steve Watson - Appearing on NBC’s ‘Meet The Press’, Paul urged
viewers to realise that Hillary Clinton has historically
supported forced regime change and arming extremists. “The
difference is President Obama and Hillary Clinton both supported
arming the Syrian rebels, the Islamic rebels against [Syrian
President Bashar] Assad. I wouldn’t have done that,” Paul said.
“They also supported toppling [Muammar] Gaddafi in Libya.” “The
interesting thing is while Obama gets blamed for not intervening
enough, he’s actually intervened quite a bit in the Middle East
and not to our benefit,” Paul added.
"It's Coming To A Head In 2016" - Why Bank of America Thinks The
Probability Of A Chinese Crisis Is 100%
Zero Hedge - "It seems to us that the government’s policy
options are rapidly narrowing – one only needs to look at how
difficult it has been for the government to hold up GDP growth
since mid-2014. A slow-down in economic growth is typically a
prelude to financial sector instability. Putting it all
together, it seems to us that many of these conflicts may come
to a head in 2016."
US Government Discovers 10 Years Of "Processing Errors" In
Construction Spending Data Slamming GDP
Zero Hedge - … one sector that was seen as immune from the
malaise gripping US manufacturing and was outperforming the
overall growth rate of the US economy, was housing, and
specifically spending on private and public construction: a
direct input into the GDP model. That all changed today when the
US Census released its latest, November, construction spending
data, which not only missed expectations of a 0.6% increase, but
tumbled -0.4%, the most since June of 2014, while all the recent
changes were mysteriously revised lower… And then the source of
the mystery was revealed: in the fine print of the release, the
government made a rare admission: all the construction spending
data for the past 10 years had been "erroneous."… The result is
that the October Y/Y% change of 10.5%, and declining, is not
only the lowest increase since April, but matches the level
first reported in December 2013. In other words, contrary to the
previous narrative suggesting construction spending was solid
and supporting a growing economy, it has in fact been declining
since June!
Attorneys: SoCalGas could have prevented Porter Ranch gas leak
with right safety measures
LA Times - About 1,200 tons of methane are estimated to be
spewing into the air each day, according to the California Air
Resources Board... A class-action lawsuit, amended Dec. 29,
alleges that SoCal Gas did not follow laws protecting the
community when it decided to inject the well. It also alleges
that a safety valve was either removed or failed, resulting in
the massive leak of natural gas mixed with other chemicals such
as benzene and gases such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide
and methane. At a Dec. 29 meeting with the Porter Ranch
Community Advisory Committee, SoCal Gas admitted that new and
replacement wells do not have safety valves, said
environmentalist lawyer Robert Kennedy Jr., in a statement. The
admission came about five years after the gas company requested
regulatory permission to increase rates to replace the leaking
valves at one of the largest storage facilities in the nation,
he said.
Fracking Wastewater Is Cancer-Causing, New Study Confirms
Green Med Info - A new study published in Toxicology and Applied
Pharmacology titled, "Malignant human cell transformation of
Marcellus Shale gas drilling flow back water," is the first
study of its kind to confirm widely held suspicions concerning
the carcinogenicity of fracking pollution The new collaborative
study was conducted by scientists at esteemed institutions in
both the U.S. and China and found that so-called "flow back"
fracking wastewater induced malignant changes in human bronchial
epithelial cells consistent with the cancerous phenotype.... The
implications of the data presented above are truly harrowing.
Pennsylvania, alone, has over 7,700 active wells in use at
present. Over 4,000 violations have been reported, and over 6
million in fines paid out thus far. The operation of these
Pennsylvania wells require about 42 billion gallons of water,
and according to the figures above, would together produce
between 1.4 and 6 billion gallons of flow back wastewater.
Video: Long-Time Cancer Nurse Quits After Discovering Nutrition
and Natural Therapy Heals Cancer
Joe Battaglia - After 17 years, Valerie Warwick took a huge risk
and walked away from a lucrative income as an oncology nurse
because she could not be a part of the conventional cancer
industry anymore. Today she is a health coach and advocate for
healing with nutrition and natural non-toxic therapies. n the
interview Valerie shares her story and insider information about
the industry, as well as vital resources that every cancer
patient should consider.
Conquer Chronic Inflammation with These 18 Foods and Beverages
Dr. Mercola - The running thread linking obesity, diabetes,
cancer, and heart disease is chronic inflammation. Control that
and you're on your way to reversing and preventing disease and
living a long, healthy life. Include these 18 superfoods and
drinks that can help...
Onion Power!
Dr. Mercola - Rich in vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids,
and other phytochemicals, an onion a day may help keep the
doctor away. Onions are surprisingly high in beneficial
polyphenols, which play an important role in preventing and
reducing the progression of diabetes, cancer, and
neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Polyphenols also
play an important role as a prebiotic, increasing the ratio of
beneficial bacteria in your gut, which is important for health,
weight management, and disease prevention. Onions contain more
polyphenols than even garlic or leeks, and are one of the best
sources of a type of polyphenol called flavonoids, especially
the flavonoid quercetin.
10 Behaviors That Stress Your Cat Like Crazy... Some May
Surprise You
Dr. Becker - You have the best intentions driven by love. But
certain actions send a completely different message to your cat.
Even when you lovingly pick up your cat, her stress levels may
shoot for the moon.
Monday
- January 4, 2016 - Today in History:
1850 - The first American ice-skating club
was organized in Philadelphia, PA.
1885 - Dr. William Grant performed the first successful appendectomy.
The patient was Mary Gartside.
1896 - Utah became the 45th U.S. state.
1935 - Bob Hope was heard for the first time on network radio as part of
"The Intimate Revue."
1936 - The first pop music chart based on national sales was published
by "Billboard" magazine.
1951 - During the Korean conflict, North Korean and Communist Chinese
forces captured the city of Seoul.
1958 - The Soviet satellite Sputknik I fell to the earth from its orbit.
The craft had been launched on October 4, 1957.
1962 - New York City introduced a train that operated without conductors
and motormen.
1965 - The Fender Guitar Company was sold to CBS for $13 million.
1965 - In his State of the Union address, U.S. President Johnson
proclaimed the building of the "Great Society."
1974 - U.S. President Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and
documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
1991 - The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Israel's
treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories.
1997 - The Greek Cypriot government signed an agreement to buy S-300
surface-to-air missiles from Russia.
1999 - Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as
Minnesota's 37th governor.
2006 - Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
She was the first woman to hold the position.
2010 - In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Burj Dubai (Dubai
Tower) opened as the world's tallest tower at 2,625 feet.
Bahrain Cuts Diplomatic Relations With Iran
Sputnik News - Bahrain calls for Iranian diplomats to leave the
country within 48 hours. Bahrain has severed diplomatic
relations with Tehran following storming of Saudi diplomatic
missions in Iran, state news agency BNA reported.... On
Saturday, demonstrators protesting in Iran against the execution
of Sheikh al-Nimr by Riyadh attacked the Saudi embassy in
capital Tehran and the consulate in the city of Mashhad. The
protests continued on Sunday. Iranian diplomats were ordered to
leave the country within 48 hours, while 47 of Saudi diplomatic
mission staff have safely returned to their homeland with the
help of the United Arab Emirates.
China Halts Stock Trading For Day After Entire Market Crashes
Zero Hedge - Following the initial halt in CSI-300 Futures at
the 5% limit down level, the afternoon session opened to more
carnage and amid the worst 'first day of the year' in at least
15 years, Chinese stocks collapsed further to a 7% crash. At
1334 local time, stock trading was halted for the rest of the
day across all exchanges (at least two hours early). Dow futures
are now down over 150 points from NYE close, Gold and Treasuries
are bid, and offshore Yuan has plunged most since the August
devaluation.
Saudi Arabia Breaks Off Diplomatic Relations With Iran
Sputnik News - According to the Al Arabiya news channel, Riyadh
announced cutting ties with Tehran and decided to evict Iranian
diplomatic mission from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Foreign Minister
Adel al-Jubeir said at a news conference that Iran's diplomatic
mission in Saudi Arabia had been given 48 hours to leave…
Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia soured following the
execution Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia, an
outspoken critic of the Saudi monarchy, along with 46 other
people convicted of terrorism. On Saturday, demonstrators
protesting in Iran against the execution of Sheikh al-Nimr by
Riyadh attacked the Saudi embassy in capital Tehran and the
consulate in the city of Mashhad. The protests continued on
Sunday.
* Related:
Saudi-Iranian Conflict Threatens to Explode Into Region-Wide
Sectarian War
Egypt Sends Ambassador to Israel After 3-Year Break in Relations
Sputnik News - Israel has received its first ambassador from
Egypt in over three years, local media reported on Sunday. The
previous ambassador was removed in 2012 by Egypt's
then-President Muhammad Morsi, who took power after protests
which brought down long-time leader Hosni Mubarak. Morsi removed
the Egyptian ambassador in protest of an Israeli military
offensive in the Gaza Strip… Since Morsi's ousting, Egypt has
maintained tense relations with the Gaza Strip, which is
controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, which had been
politically allied with Morsi. The smuggling of weapons across
the border between Egypt and Gaza is seen as a security issue by
both Egypt and Israel. Egypt has been conducting a military
campaign against Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula,
adjacent to Israel, since 2013.
Israel Indicts Jewish Extremists in Deadly Arson Attack
The Epoch Times - Israel on Sunday indicted two Jewish
extremists suspected in a July arson attack on a Palestinian
home that killed a toddler and his parents—a case that has been
unsolved for months and helped fuel the current wave of
Israeli-Palestinian violence. The long-awaited indictment
follows months of investigations into a web of Jewish extremists
operating in the West Bank. The indictment named Amiram Ben-Uliel,
a 21-year-old West Bank settler, as the main suspect in the
attack. A minor was charged as an accessory. Yinon Reuveni, 20,
and another minor were charged for other violence against
Palestinians. All four were charged with belonging to a
terrorist organization. The arson attack in the West Bank
village of Duma killed 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh, while his
mother, Riham, and father, Saad, later died of their wounds.
Ali’s 4-year-old brother Ahmad survived.
Putin names United States among threats in new Russian security
strategy
Yahoo News - A new appraisal names the United States as one of
the threats to Russia's national security for the first time, a
sign of how relations with the west have deteriorated in recent
years. The document, "About the Strategy of National Security of
Russian Federation", was signed by President Vladimir Putin on
New Year's Eve… It says Russia has managed to heighten its role
in solving global problems and international conflicts. That
heightened role has caused a reaction by the West, it says…
Relations between Russia and the West reached a low after
Russian forces annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in
March 2014, after protests in Ukraine forced its pro-Moscow
president to flee to Russia.
European Court Stops Ireland Deporting Islamic State-Linked Man,
Even If He Threatens National Security
Breitbart - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has
overruled the decision of an Irish court, preventing the nation
from deporting a man alleged to be a prolific recruiter for the
Islamic State terror group. The Dublin court had ruled that an
unnamed 52-year-old man was the “foremost organizer and
facilitator of travel by extremists prepared to undertake
violent action on behalf of Daesh [IS]” and subsequently decided
that he should be removed from Ireland… The lawyers used Article
3 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which guarantees
absolute protection from torture or inhumane or degrading
treatment. The man did not show up for court this Wednesday,
claiming health reasons.
Migrant Crisis Sees Europe Reinstate Borders
he Epoch Times - “It’s basically every country for itself now,”
said Mark Rhinard, an expert on the European Union at the
Swedish Institute of International Affairs. Citing exceptional
national circumstances related to security, terrorism, and
public order, several European countries have suspended EU rules
that required them to keep their borders open to each other.
It’s a significant development that strikes at the very heart of
the EU project—the free movement of goods and people across
borders… The crisis underlines structural flaws in the EU,
showing how it has implemented common rules that it just can’t
enforce once the external pressures become too great, said Karl
Lallerstedt, co-founder of Black Market Watch, a
Switzerland-based nonprofit group focusing on cross-border
smuggling.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Police State America has invaded churches and places of worship
in America
MassPrivateI - Churches now join private companies, schools,
colleges, sports stadiums, malls and hospitals that are
conducting active shooter drills. For more information, read my
December article titled: 'Hospitals and private companies are
conducting mass shooter drills with police.' In Alabama, a
Presbyterian church wanted to hire its own police for
protection. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
has been holding specialized training for congregations for
active shooter incidents. Police across the country are speaking
at places of worship, drumming up fear and telling churches to
have greeters (security) welcome worshippers and look for
anything that might be out of the ordinary. On a FEMA webinar
last Wednesday on protecting houses of worship, the chief
security executive at The Potter’s House, the Rev. TD Jakes’
megachurch in Dallas, gave tips about behavior that should raise
concern, such as a congregant arriving in a long coat in hot
weather. If needed, church greeters could give a hug and feel
for weapons, said the executive, Sean Smith. “I call it the Holy
Ghost pat-down,” Smith said.
US Repeals Country-of-Origin Meat Labeling Law After Trade
Rulings Against It
CNS News - It's now harder to find out where your beef or pork
was born, raised and slaughtered. After more than a decade of
wrangling, Congress repealed a labeling law last month that
required retailers to include the animal's country of origin on
packages of red meat. It's a major victory for the meat
industry, which had fought the law in Congress and the courts
since the early 2000s. Lawmakers said they had no choice but to
get rid of the labels after the World Trade Organization
repeatedly ruled against them. The WTO recently authorized
Canada and Mexico, which had challenged the law, to begin more
than $1 billion in economic retaliation against the United
States.
FBI Frames Mentally Ill Ex-Con in New Year's Eve ISIS Attack
Kurt Nimmo - NBC News reported on Thursday Emanuel Lutchman was
in contact with a member of the Islamic State in Syria who urged
him to attack diners at a restaurant in Rochester, New York,
with a machete. It turns out Lutchman was instead in contact
with an FBI informant who received thousands of dollars from the
agency. He didn’t have money to buy masks, zip-ties, knives,
duct tape, ammonia and latex gloves that were allegedly supposed
to be used in the attack, so the FBI picked up the tab,
according to NBC... “New years [sic] is here soon. Do operations
and kill some kuffar,” the informant told Lutchman, an ex-con
with mental problems who had recently attempted suicide.
Beverley Carridice, Lutchman’s grandmother, said he had suffered
from psychiatric problems since childhood and was not taking his
psychiatric medications when she saw him in August.
Obama To Unveil “Multiple Gun Control” Executive Actions Next
Week
Zero Hedge - Without a Democratic majority in Congress, and
faced with a GOP that is firmly against any form of gun control
measures, Obama has repeatedly warned that he would act on his
own. Next week he will do just that, and his “gun confiscation”
mandate will get a substantial boost on Monday, when according
to the WSJ Obama will meet with US Attorney General Loretta
Lynch “to consider measures aimed at reducing gun violence, a
conversation that comes as he prepares to announce new executive
actions in the coming days.” The president has directed
administration officials to explore any steps he could take on
guns without lawmakers’ help, and he said in his weekly address
that he would sit down with Ms. Lynch on Monday “to discuss our
options.” Once he has Lynch’s “blessing”, the WSJ adds that
Obama “could lay out multiple executive actions as soon as next
week, and administration officials have confirmed that
recommendations for the president are nearing completion.”
Texas Governor Challenges Obama on Gun Control: ‘Come and Take
It’
Adan Salazar - On New Year’s Day, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had
a strong message for President Obama regarding his upcoming plan
to unilaterally enact gun control legislation: “Come and take
it.” “Obama wants to impose more gun control,” Abbott tweeted
Friday. “My response? COME & TAKE IT.”... Meanwhile, Governor
Abbott has made a strong show of support for Texans’ Second
Amendment rights. On Friday a new law came into effect allowing
licensed citizens of the Lone Star State to openly carry
holstered pistols.
Armed militia, incl. Bundy bros, occupy forest reserve HQ in
Oregon, call ‘US patriots’ to arms
RT - Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy’s three sons and “about 150”
militiamen have occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge HQ
to protest the pending imprisonment of two Oregon ranchers
accused of arson, arguing the federal government has no
authority in local cases. “We’re going to be freeing these lands
up, and getting ranchers back to ranching, getting the loggers
back to logging, getting the miners back to mining where they
could do it under the protection of the people and not be afraid
of this tyranny that’s been set upon them,” Ammon Bundy, who
appears to be the leader of the group, said in a Facebook video
posted by Sarah Dee Spurlock on Saturday.
* Related:
Full Story on What's Going on In Oregon - Militia Take Over
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge In Protest to Hammond Family
Persecution
'It's the only reason I'm here now': Son awakens from
'brain-dead' state after gun-toting dad engages in three-hour
armed standoff with police to block doctors from pulling the
plug life-support
Daily Mail - A father took a gun into hospital to stop doctors
taking his son off life support - and during the three-hour
stand-off the young man squeezed his hand.The sign that he
wasn't brain dead meant he was kept alive - and he is now
recovering and doing well. His father, 59-year-old George
Pickering II, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon after marching into Tomball Regional
Medical Center in Texas with a gun. His 27-year-old son, George
III, had been declared brain dead after suffering a massive
stroke in January. After doctors declared there was no more hope
for him, they ordered a 'terminal wean' - whereby life support
is slowly withdrawn to end a life.... But Pickering Sr told KPRC:
'They were moving too fast. The hospital, the nurses, the
doctors. I knew if I had three or four hours that night that I
would know whether George was brain-dead.... ' The charges
against Pickering were eventually reduced and he was released
earlier this month.
Hillary Clinton LASHES OUT at Rape Survivor at NH Town Hall –
After Questions About Husband Bill (Video)
Gateway Pundit - During the event State Rep. Katherine Prudhomme-O’Brien
(R) repeatedly asked three times about her husband’s past sexual
misconduct. After the third attempt Hillary LASHED OUT at the
questioner. Rep. Katherine Prudhomme-O’Brien (R) told reporters
she is concerned about the issue because she is a rape survivor.
News Orgs Report SOLELY On Trump Mention In Terror Recruitment
Video, But CENSORS That Hillary Is In It TOO
Pamela Geller - The media’s latest stunt in their desperate and
unhinged campaign to save their Muslim victimhood narrative and
blame-America-for-jihad is their headlines blaring that Trump is
featured in a newly released Islamic savage video. But the fact
is that Hillary is in this video as well.
Trump: I Will Veto Obama Actions On Guns
The Hill - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump
told supporters Saturday that he will veto President Obama’s
actions on guns if elected to the White House. “The Second
Amendment, it’s so great to me,” Trump said at a campaign rally
in Biloxi, Miss. “We’re not changing the Second Amendment.”
Seven Gun Controls Hillary Clinton Proposed At NH Town Hall
Breitbart - On December 29, Democrat presidential hopeful
Hillary Clinton responded to a question on guns by outlining
seven specific new gun control laws she wants to institute if
elected.... “I’m going to do everything I can do, and I’m never
going to stop trying.” She talked of how many people she
believes are killed annually because of guns, then said, “I
think we need to pass some laws that I have been advocating
for.” She then listed those laws...
Trump Pummels Media, Opponents Before Record Crowd in
Mississippi
Breitbart - On a chilly January evening, Republican presidential
front-runner Donald Trump addressed an overflowing crowd at the
Mississippi Coast Coliseum – at a rally billed as the largest
presidential campaign event in Mississippi history. Trump’s
wide-ranging speech touched on topics from “Trojan horse” Syrian
refugees and trade deals to Common Core, the Iran nuclear deal,
illegal immigration and ISIS.... Detractors have suggested the
real estate billionaire would fare poorly in a head-to-head
match-up with Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary
Clinton, but Trump insisted her campaign doesn’t want that
match-up. “Just in case you have any question, the last person
Hillary Clinton wants to run against is me,” he said.
Shakeup in Ben Carson campaign as campaign manager, other top
aides quit
CNN - Ben Carson's presidential campaign manager Barry Bennett,
deputy campaign manager Lisa Coen and communications director
Doug Watts all resigned Thursday, as the retired neurosurgeon
continues to struggle in the polls. Carson was rivaling Donald
Trump for the lead in the Republican presidential race in
mid-October, but he has since fallen to 10% in the latest CNN/ORC
poll, which ties him for a distant third place with Marco Rubio,
behind Trump and Ted Cruz.
What Really Happened In 2015, And What Is Coming In 2016…
Economic Collapse - A lot of people were expecting some really
big things to happen in 2015, and most of them did not happen.
But what did happen? It is my contention that a global financial
crisis began during the second half of 2015, and it threatens to
greatly accelerate as we enter 2016. During the last six months
of the year that just ended, financial markets all over the
planet crashed, trillions of dollars of global wealth was wiped
out, and some of the largest economies in the world plunged into
recession. Here in the United States, 2015 was the worst year
for stocks since 2008, nearly 70 percent of all investors lost
money last year, and it is being projected that the final
numbers will show that close to 1,000 hedge funds permanently
shut down within the last 12 months. This is what the early
stages of a financial crisis look like, and the worst is yet to
come.
America's Largest Utility Hikes Rates Most In 9 Years Despite
NatGas Price Crash
Zero Hedge - America’s largest electric utility and the second
largest gas utility by number of customers… has announced a very
special New Year’s resolution. It will hike natural gas rates
for the average residential customer by 4.0% and electricity
rates by a stunning 8.5%, for a combined rate increase of 7%,
the steepest since 2006. The average small business is going to
get whacked by a combined rate increase of 5.1%. That’s on top
of the 6% rate increase it had successfully inflicted on its
customers a year ago… Much of the power PG&E distributes is
generated by natural gas. And all of the natural gas it
distributes is, well, the same natural gas whose price has
plunged to historic lows… In fact, in its third quarter
financial statement, PG&E admits as much: its cost of
electricity over the first nine months of 2015 dropped 8.8%
year-over-year, and its cost of natural gas plunged 36%! The
thing is, despite the juicy rate increases imposed at the
beginning of 2015, operating revenues have fallen about 1% so
far in 2015, as Californians use less energy from their beloved
utilities.
Portions of Land at San Onofre Nuclear Plant 'May Be
Contaminated' - Navy
NBC 7 - Letters from the United States Navy to Southern
California Edison show portions of the land around the San
Onofre Nuclear Generating Station "may be contaminated
[radioactive] from activities conducted during SCE's occupancy
and use." NBC 7 Investigates previously reported about secret
negotiations happening between the Navy, SCE and San Diego Gas
and Electric to discuss the condition of the land where the San
Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) sits...Nuclear
Regulatory Commission Inspection Reports from the 1980s,
obtained by NBC 7 Investigates through the FOIA, show what
former NRC employee and longtime nuclear expert Joe Hopenfeld
calls "sloppy" handling of radioactive materials at SONGS.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the
meetings have been going on for almost two years and involve all
the players with a stake in the prime coastal property.
EPA orders barrier installed to protect nuclear waste from
underground fire near St. Louis
LA Times - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered
the installation of an isolation barrier to make sure that an
underground fire does not reach buried nuclear waste at a
suburban St. Louis landfill. Mark Hague, EPA regional
administrator, who announced the move Thursday, said the plan
for West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton also calls for additional
engineering steps, such as cooling loops. The barrier will
consist of an underground wall. Nuclear waste dating to the
Manhattan Project was dumped at West Lake in 1973. An
underground fire has been smoldering for years and is now within
1,200 feet.
Mississippi River flooding to threaten more levees, homes after
leaving St. Louis area submerged
AccuWeather - Deadly flooding is expected to surge farther south
along the Mississippi River over the coming days, putting many
more levees at risk for failing and more homes and highways
under water. Communities along the Mississippi River in
Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana should be
prepared for flood issues over the coming weeks as the copious
amount of water travels farther south. Water levels will
continue to rise in Memphis, Tennessee, and Greenville,
Mississippi, as well as Baton Rouge, Louisiana, through the
second week of January. Levees will be forced to hold back the
rising water, but in some cases may fail, as has been seen in
the past week. Residents in these areas will want to be prepared
for potentially historic flooding.
* Related:
Missouri assesses flood damage, at least 31 people killed
Senate Votes to Phase out Plastic, Environmentally-Destructive
Microbeads in 2017
Natural Blaze - The U.S. Senate unanimously voted recently to
phase out the use of plastic microbeads in soaps, body washes,
and other personal care products starting in 2017. The Microbead-Free
Waters Act of 2015 was approved following House approval last
week and is now headed to President Barack Obama’s desk. The
bill was created to protect fish and wildlife that are ingesting
the microbeads after they are rinsed down the drain and are
eventually dumped into lakes and rivers.... Microbeads have the
potential to absorb pesticides and chemicals once they’re washed
down the drain, worries Marcus Eriksen, a science educator and
research director of the environmental group 5 Gyres. “By the
time the plastic gets downstream towards the ocean, they become
these toxic pills,” he said, adding that he believes that many
water treatment plants lack the ability to filter out microbeads,
allowing them to flow into waterways where they are mistakenly
eaten by fish.
NYC Plans to Turn 7,500 Payphones Into WiFi Hot Spots Despite
Health and Privacy Risks
Activist Post - The city already has erected one 9-foot-tall
structure that is an indication of the rollout of 7,500 WiFi hot
spots, which are slated to go online early in 2016. It is part
of the LinkNYC program which proclaims to become “the fastest
and largest municipal WiFi network in the world.” Even if you
don’t believe having a permanent WiFi signal radiating across
the city is a danger to your health, another aspect of pervasive
WiFi may be of concern: privacy and surveillance. For example,
it was a major news story when Seattle was discovered to have
put in a secret WiFi mesh network funded by Homeland Security.
The discovery led the ACLU to document the ways that residents
and visitors could be spied upon while having their movements
fully tracked. s a side note, there is also new WiFi tracking
technology being developed that does not even need a connected
device to home in on individuals or groups of people.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Californian Native American Tribe Bans GM Crops and GM Animals
Sustainable Pulse - The Yurok Tribe, which is currently the
largest group of Native Americans in California, has announced
that they are putting a full ban on the cultivation of GM crops
and the release of GM animals in the Tribe’s territory.... The
Tribal GEO Ordinance prohibits the propagation, raising,
growing, spawning, incubating, or releasing genetically
engineered organisms (such as growing GMO crops or releasing
genetically engineered salmon) within the Tribe’s territory and
declares the Yurok Reservation to be a GMO-free zone. While
other Tribes, such as the Dine’ (Navajo) Nation, have declared
GMO-free zones by resolution, this ordinance appears to be the
first of its kind in the nation.
Michigan DNR Forces Closure of Family-run Heritage Hog Farm
Health Impact News - Mark and Jill Baker of Bakers Green Acres
have announced they are closing and selling their 80 acre family
farm in Northern Michigan. Their markets for their Mangalitsa
Hogs have been "roadblocked at every corner," according to Mark.
Mark says, There are entities that are working behind the scene
that are destroying our market and really running very negative
campaigns against us. We’re just a family farm. They’re spending
far more money to do it than we would ever make. Now Mark, a
retired U.S. veteran, must seek other means of income and way of
life for his family of eleven.
Hemp Seed Could Have Anti-Alzheimer's Benefits, New Study
Reveals
Green Med Info - Hemp seeds are gaining increased recognition as
a delicious and nutritious food, but few still know they have
significant medicinal value as well. ... A recent study
published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
summarized its nutritional properties as follows: Hemp seed has
high levels of fatty acids, protein, insoluble fiber, and a rich
set of minerals and vitamins. It is considered to be perfectly
balanced with regard to the ratio (3:1) of two essential
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for human nutrition,
linoleic (ω-6) and α-linolenic acids (ALA) (ω-3)."/// In
addition to its nutritional value, hemp seed demonstrated
positive health benefits, including alleviating constipation,
lowering cholesterol, cardiovascular health benefits,
immunomodulatory effects, and dermatological disease
amelioration effects.Hemp seed extracts showed also strong
antioxidant and antiaging effects and the potential to improve
the impaired learning and memory induced by chemical drugs in
mice."
Keep Orange Peels Out Of The Trash
Karen Foster - Citrus fruit peels hold some amazing nutrient
properties and they don't belong anywhere near a garbage can.
Whenever trying to use the peels of any citrus fruit such as
oranges, try to buy organically-grown, especially if you plan to
eat the peels or use them on your body. Here are 8 incredible
health benefits of orange peels.
How and Why You Should Freeze Your Lemons
Natural News Blogs - Out of ALL the citruses you can eat, lemons
are one of the best to choose from. First off, they can help
prevent kidney stones, by raising citrus levels in the urine.
This helps to prevent calcium from building up in the kidneys.
Secondly, they help in weight loss.... Unfortunately, not
everyone has the ability to do this, since lemons are usually in
season 2 times a year. Once in late winter to early summer from
the coastal region of California, and again in fall and early
winter, but this doesn’t mean that everyone can enjoy them
fresh! Lemons are a really nice fruit to freeze because they
stand up to the freezing process. When frozen, you can still use
all the parts of the lemon, such as the rind, and the fruit
itself.
The Best Fruits You Can Eat to Combat Cancer
Natural News Blogs - Despite many medical advances in this past
century, cancer remains a leading killer not only in the United
States but around the globe. Treatment still revolves largely
around conventional therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy and
radiation therapy – all of which come with risks and/or unwanted
side effects. No wonder it is such a worry for people who are
concerned about their health! However, there are ways to help
lower the risk for cancer naturally – and one of these ways
appears to be eating certain fruits. Below, some of the
best-performing fruits for this are discussed, along with
recommendations as to how to add more of them to the daily diet.
Humane Society Aids Missouri Pets in Distress, Opens Emergency
Trailers
Dogington Post - The Humane Society of Missouri has opened
emergency trailers to house pets in distress at two St.
Louis-area locations affected by historic flooding that has
forced many to flee their homes. “We want those animals to be
safe so everyone can be brought back together once the danger
has passed,” Debbie Hill told KSDK News. Hill is vice president
of operations for the Humane Society. “We don’t want any member
of your family left behind,” said Hill. “That includes your cat,
your dog, your turtle and your bird.”
* Related:
Cat Floating In Litter Box Saved by HSMO Rescuers
An Almost Sure Way to Be Rejected by Your Dog
Dr. Becker - Many experts and organizations in a position to
know (for example, animal behaviorists, dog trainers, and rescue
professionals), discourage dog guardians from acquiring puppy
litter-mates. In fact, many shelters and breeders simply refuse
to place siblings together. The reason, according to certified
professional dog trainer Jeff Stallings, writing for The Bark:
“Anecdotal evidence suggests that behavioral issues may arise
during key development periods because the two puppies’ deep
bond impedes their individual ability to absorb and grasp the
nuances of human and canine communication.” In other words,
canine siblings can be so closely bonded on a primal level, that
if they go on to share the same home and family, that deep
connection can inhibit their ability to learn how to communicate
with their humans and interact with other dogs.
Video: Happy New Year! Charlie Daniels Does My Beautiful America
Oath Keepers - Let’s spread around a little bit of old-fashioned
Americanism to wrap up the waning year. Oath Keepers wants to
say “Thank You!” to all our patriotic members and supporters who
have stood with us across 2015 and stoked the fires of liberty
and freedom as protected by the written word and will of the
American people — the Constitution for the united States of
America. Enjoy this presentation by Charlie Daniels, a true
country music patriot. Blessings to ye all, and Happy New Year!
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR LOYAL LISTENERS...WISHING
YOU THE VERY BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR
!!!
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