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JUNE 2016 

Thursday - June 30, 2016  -  Today in History:

1841 - The Erie Railroad rolled out its first passenger train.
1894 - Korea declared independence from China and asked for Japanese aid.
1915 - During World War I, the Second Battle Artois ended when the French failed to take Vimy Ridge.
1921 - U.S. President Warren G. Harding appointed former President William Howard Taft chief justice of the United States.
1934 - Adolf Hitler purged the Nazi Party by destroying the SA and bringing to power the SS in the "Night of the Long Knives."
1936 - Margaret Mitchell’s book, "Gone with the Wind," was published.
1950 - U.S. President Harry Truman ordered U.S. troops into Korea and authorizes the draft.
1953 - The first Corvette rolled off the Chevrolet assembly line in Flint, MI. It sold for $3,250.
1957 - The American occupation headquarters in Japan was dissolved.
1958 - The U.S. Congress passed a law authorizing the admission of Alaska as the 49th state in the Union.
1964 - The last of U.N. troops left Congo after a four-year effort to bring stability to the country.
1971 - The Supreme Court ruled that the government could not prevent the Washington Post or the New York Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers.
1977 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced his opposition to the B-1 bomber.
1994 - The U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of the 1994 national championship and banned her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan.
1998 - Officials confirmed that the remains of a Vietnam War serviceman buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery were identified as those of Air Force pilot Michael J. Blassie.
2000 - U.S. President Clinton signed the E-Signature bill to give the same legal validity to an electronic signature as a signature in pen and ink.
2004 - The international Cassini spacecraft entered Saturn's orbit. The craft had been on a nearly seven-year journey.

World News

NATO activity on Russian borders ‘doubled,’ provoking Moscow’s response – Russian Defense Ministry
RT - NATO activity on Russia’s doorstep has “more than doubled” recently, forcing Russia to take retaliatory measures, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said. “Now NATO and the US have deployed about 1,200 pieces of military equipment, including 30 combat jets, as well as more than 1,000 soldiers on the territories of the Eastern European countries on a rotational basis. The US navy ships as well as military vessels of other NATO members regularly enter the Baltic and Black Seas,” Shoigu said Wednesday at the session of the Russian Defense Ministry Board that comprises Russia’s top military command, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry. He added that NATO also continues to modernize and upgrade various military facilities in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic States to bring them up to NATO standards. The deployment of the US anti-missile defense systems (ABM) in Eastern Europe is a source of particular concern for the Russian military, the minister said at the meeting, which was dedicated to planning and development of Russia’s western military district.

EU Army on way? EU cannot rely on NATO and needs new defence policy says Brussels chief
Express - According to a new foreign policy document from the Brussels-based institution to be handed to EU leaders next week, a “credible European defence” is also essential to preserve good relations with the US. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini’s Global Strategy document states that “as Europeans we must take greater responsibility for our security”. The white paper, seen by Politico, adds: “While NATO exists to defend its members — most of which are European — from external attack, Europeans must be better equipped, trained and organized to contribute decisively to such collective efforts, as well as to act autonomously if and when necessary…. While it stresses that “NATO remains the primary framework for most member states”, it goes on to urge EU members to “channel a sufficient level of expenditure to defence”. The document will be seized on by Eurosceptics as proof of a plot to set up an EU army – a notion that has been widely dismissed by diplomats in Brussels and London. The warning of a European army was at the core of the Brexit campaign and became a hot topic with both sides trading blows over the truth of claims Brussels wanted to create a NATO-style organization. America subsidises European defence by vastly outspending all other NATO members and the EU believes a stronger continental force would take the pressure off the Pentagon.

Turkey to Replace UK in EU?
Kit Daniels - German chancellor Angel Merkel was pushing to allow Turkey into the EU, which was one of the primary reasons why the UK voted to leave the unelected bureaucracy; allowing Turkey in the EU would give nearly 75 million Muslims freedom of movement and jobs within member-states, and ISIS uses Turkey as a home base. King Abdullah of Jordan even said Turkey was already exporting ISIS-linked terrorists to Europe. “The fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy,” the monarch said. “Turkey keeps on getting a slap on the hand, but they are let off the hook.” And a Middle Eastern journalist, Dr. Nafeez Ahmed, revealed the extent of Turkey’s dealings with ISIS. “A senior Western official familiar with a large cache of intelligence obtained this summer from a major raid on an ISIS safehouse told the Guardian that “direct dealings between Turkish officials and ranking ISIS members was now ‘undeniable,’” he reported in 2015. “The same official confirmed that Turkey, a longstanding member of NATO, is not just supporting ISIS, but also other jihadist groups, including Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria.”

Black box data points to fire on board EgyptAir MS804 flight before crash
RT - Data retrieved from the crashed EgyptAir flight recorders has confirmed reports suggesting that the plane caught on fire before disappearing from radars and plunging into the Mediterranean, killing 66 passengers in May, investigators said. “Recorded data is showing consistency with ACARS [Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System] messages of lavatory and avionics smoke,” the aircraft investigation committee reported after it embarked on examining the contents of one of two black boxes retrieved from the Mediterranean. The heat damage incurred to the debris and the signs of soot on the wreckage is another evidence in support of the fire on board version, the committee added.

Russia prolongs Western food embargo until end of 2017
RT - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that prolongs economic sanctions on some Western products from August of this year until the end of 2017. A ban on importing certain agricultural produce, foods and raw materials from countries that have sanctioned Russia was first introduced in the summer of 2014. Moscow extended its counter measures in response to anti-Russia sanctions in June last year. The latest decree, aimed at "protecting Russia's national interests," followed suggestions put forward by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in late May. Medvedev tasked the government with preparing a package of measures that would potentially be in force until late 2017. The draft package was then introduced to the president…. Despite a number of Western officials opposing an economic stand-off with Russia and saying that it is their economies that suffer, the EU is likely to prolong its sanctions against Moscow through January 2017, Reuters reported last week, citing diplomatic sources. The decision has yet to be formally approved by the bloc's ministers in Brussels.

France wants sanctions on Russia lifted soon – foreign minister
RT - Sanctions against Russia should be lifted as soon as possible, France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday following a meeting with his Russian counterpart, while insisting that implementation of the Minsk agreements still remain key to the process…. The process of lifting the Western sanctions on Russia is still related to Minsk agreements that aim to put an end to the crisis in southeastern Ukraine, Ayrault added, saying that “Russia should play a positive role” in their implementation. Moscow and Paris have been closely working together “in the Normandy format,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the meeting. The countries’ foreign ministries have been “closely cooperating” and their aides have been involved too, Russia’s top diplomat said. The Normandy format includes Russia, France, Ukraine, and Germany. “The most important condition for the progress, as stated in the Minsk deal and in UN Security Council resolution, is establishment of direct dialogue between Kiev and Donbass,” Lavrov stressed.

European Commission Extends Glyphosate License without Real Restrictions
Sustainable Pulse - The unelected European Commission (EC) has unilaterally extended the license of glyphosate until the end of 2017, despite the democratic European member states creating the Great Glyphosate Rebellion by repeatedly not reaching an agreement to renew the approval of the World’s most used herbicide.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

America Provides Arms to Bahrain for Crackdowns on Pro-Democracy Protesters
Sputnik News - The Obama administration’s troubling arms trade and military relationship with the oppressive regime is being questioned by the US Senate, but a change in policy is unlikely. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of US Senators called on the State Department to reconsider military aid to Bahrain, citing the deteriorating state of human rights in the country following an escalation in crackdowns against pro-democracy demonstrations that have been ongoing for five years. The letter, from Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) comes in the wake of a June 21 State Department report to Congress that blasted the Bahraini monarchy for its wanton aggression against peaceful civilians. "The lack of due process and the criminalization of the exercise of free expression continue to undermine the progress Bahrain has made since 2011," said State Department spokesman John Kirby after fielding questions about the United States’ stance towards the Bahraini government.

Counterterrorism patrols are being installed at U.S. airports nationwide
Daily Mail - Independence Day travel chaos looms: Airports ramp up their security for holiday weekend after Istanbul attack as State Department issues advisory for Americans abroad…Millions of U.S. travelers flying during the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend will face heightened security due to the deadly attacks at Istanbul's main airport, officials said on Wednesday, adding to potential delays...A terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning while police, including a bomb squad, investigated a report of a suspicious package. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees operations at the three major airports in the New York City area, said in a statement that police had added 'high visibility patrols with tactical weapons and equipment.' The agency said it had already put in place counterterrorism patrols at various transportation hubs in the region following the mass shooting in Orlando earlier this month.

Texas Judge Uses Naturalization Ceremony to Bash Trump and Guns
Breitbart - Texas held the largest naturalization ceremony this week that the Lone Star State’s capital has ever seen. The ceremony was used to assault Donald Trump, the Second Amendment, and the death penalty before 1,210 new U.S. citizens and their families and friends. The Guest of Honor, Democrat Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt told the participants flanked by voter registration tables, “I encourage everyone to register to vote and hopefully, not for that guy who is against immigrants.”… Over 1,200 immigrants from 97 countries were sworn-in, according to Time Warner Cable News in Austin. Federal district court Judge Robert Pitman presided over the ceremony. The naturalization ceremony was held just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that kept President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty order from being implemented. The Court was tied and a 4-4 vote left a lower appellate court decision blocking the executive order, as reported by Breitbart Texas. The State of Texas sued the federal government after the issuance of the order and led a 26-state coalition against the Obama Administration.

Video: Exclusive Investigation: “Refugee” men now “students” in NB school, “hitting on 14-15 year old girls”
The Rebel - Now a parent in New Brunswick says there are migrant "children" at her child's school as old as 22. These adult males "with full beards" are "hitting on the 14-15 year old girls." TheRebel media filed an Access to Information request to get to the bottom of this -- and over 2000 documents came in, with more on the way. Emails between teachers reveal what’s going on in their classrooms. What they talk about will shock you: Bullying, anti-semitism, sexual harassment, jokes about homemade bombs -- and refugee girls telling teachers they live in fear of their brothers and fathers.

U.S. Abortion Rights Reaffirmed as Supreme Court Calls Texas Clinic Closings Illegal
AllGov - Monday’s 5-3 ruling, striking down strict regulations on Texas abortion clinic, is the court’s most significant abortion ruling in more than 20 years and likely to reverberate well beyond the state’s borders. Justice Breyer rejected arguments that the Texas law was needed to safeguard women, saying the state had “no significant health-related [abortion] problem for the new law to cure.” He added that states may not unduly burden the ability of women to exercise their rights under Roe.

Another California School District Allows Guns on Campus
Breitbart - On Monday night, Kern High School District (KHSD) board members voted unanimously to allow concealed carry permit holders to brings guns on campus for self-defense. That means concealed carry will be allowed on KHSD “campuses, district property and school-sponsored events.” According to Bakersfield.com, the campus carry policy is a “blanket” one, allowing any concealed permit holder to carry as long they first get permission from the KHSD superintendent. Concealed permit holders who wish to carry on campus must submit an application for permission to Superintendent Bryon Schaefer and, if approved, they will have to re-apply for permission every two years.

DARK Act Passes Senate Committee, A Coup For Big Ag Corporations
Brandon Turbeville - On Tuesday June 23rd, it was reported that the Senate’s Agriculture Committee had reached a deal on GMO food labeling and what is essentially a slightly modified version of what clean food proponents have labeled the DARK Act (Denying Americans the Right to Know Act). Senators, corporations and the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association are hailing the bill as the victory for the art of compromise…. The new bill, however, will reaffirm the alleged and disproven “scientific consensus” that GMOs are safe and allow food companies to avoid any mention of the process of genetic engineering on food packaging. GMO ingredients may be disclosed through digital codes and smart phone apps as well as phone numbers as opposed to on-package language. It would nullify the Vermont law and other laws similar to it and provide exemptions for food manufacturers that are considered very small, a designation exploited by major agricultural companies on a daily basis. The law also allows for the USDA to determine the amount of GMOs that might be present in food before it is considered a bioengineered food. Foods that have egg products, poultry and meat as main ingredients will be exempted. There are no federal penalties provided for violation of the labeling requirements.

FEMA Contractor: Unrest After 395% Food Price Spike Coming Soon
Activist Post - Preparations by various cogs of the national security complex, including FEMA, indicate a coming worldwide food shortage — and a resulting crisis marked by extreme civil unrest around the globe. As Motherboard noted of two reports published previously by CNA Corporation, but which largely escaped attention, the world’s food supply could be insufficient to maintain even current populations much further into the future. And the crisis — which several factors indicate may already be underway — may begin to worsen considerably as early as 2020. Employing a desktop game simulation of the conditions of a global food shortage, titled “Food Chain Reaction,” CNA’s Institute for Public Research brought together “65 officials from the US, Europe, Africa, India, Brazil, and key multilateral and intergovernmental institutions,” Motherboard explained. And the Institute, which oversaw the simulation, “primarily provides scientific research services for the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA].” According to the website for Food Chain Reaction: A Global Food Security Game — no commentary on Orwellian overtones needed — the “simulation and exercise intended to improve understanding of how governments, institutions, and private sector interests might interact to address a crisis in the global food system,” and took place in early November 2015.

Man faces eviction over flying American flag
American Mirror - Greeley resident Samuel Adams put an American flag up on his apartment complex balcony, then the apartment manager ordered him to take it down. The incident didn’t sit well with Adams, whose father and grandfather served in the Armed Forces, and he vented his frustrations in an online video that’s since gone viral, the Greeley Tribune reports. In the video, posted to Facebook and YouTube, Adams identified himself as a resident of Sterling Heights Apartment complex in Greeley, Colorado, and explained that he decorated his balcony in anticipation of the July 4 holiday. The letter states that “it has come to management’s attention that you have an American flag on the balcony/patio area” in violation of a signed “Community Policies” agreement. The letter quotes the policies, which specifically state that “the use of balconies and patios for the purpose of storage and/or laundry drying is prohibited. Breezeways are not to be used as a patio or storage. Please do not clutter with personal belongings. Balconies and patios must be maintained in a neat, clean and attractive condition. Outdoor and/or patio furniture is welcomed on your patio or balcony only. Gasoline and other hazardous materials are not to be stored in your apartment or storage area. Retain from having dead plants, boxes or garbage on balcony/patios at any time.” Apartment manager Pamela Buchanan told the Tribune in an email that “Sterling Heights seeks to be fair to residents by limiting displays as there could be signs, flags or decorations that may be offensive and disruptive to the community.”

Election News

Fox targeted by FEC Dems in first-ever vote to punish debate sponsorship
Washington Examiner - Finally making good on long-harbored anger at conservative media, Democrats on the Federal Election Commission voted in secret to punish Fox News' sponsorship of a Republican presidential debate, using an obscure law to charge the network with helping those on stage. It is the first time in history that members of the FEC voted to punish a media outlet's debate sponsorship, and it follows several years of Democratic threats against conservative media and websites like the Drudge Report. The punishment, however, was blocked by all three Republicans on the commission, resulting in a 3-3 tie vote and no action. A Republican FEC commissioner leading that fight, Lee E. Goodman, revealed the vote to Secrets Wednesday and said the official report of the May 26 executive vote will be released Thursday.

Hillary Ignores Istanbul ISIS Attack to Focus on “Revenge Porn,” “Islamophobia”
Kit Daniels - Despite every news station reporting on the bombings, which killed 41 and injured 239, Clinton never mentioned it in her speech which also centered on “revenge porn” and “cyber stalking” as well as the aforementioned “Islamophobia.”
“I’ll do everything I can as president to figure out how we can give victims like you tools and protect yourself and others,” Clinton told the town hall audience in LA, and she didn’t mean victims of terrorism. “I’ll look to all of you — bullying online, revenge porn, cyber stalking — all too common, ruins lives, leads people to lose confidence, depression, suicide.” And while Trump was responding to the jihadi attack, Clinton was denouncing him – not ISIS – by stating “I am not sympathetic to the xenophobia, the misogyny, the homophobia, the Islamophobia… or the sort of dog whistles that Trump uses to create that fervor among a lot of his supporters.” Clinton finally released a statement on Istanbul, albeit delayed by a few hours – much like her response to the EgyptAir crash that was initially blamed on terrorism.

Paul Nehlen Donates Rifles, Armor and Drone to Border Sheriffs, Slams Paul Ryan
Breitbart - Paul Nehlen, the primary challenger to House Speaker Paul Ryan, revealed exclusively to Breitbart Texas that he has personally donated over $40,000 in urgently needed rifles, body armor, and surveillance and night vision equipment to two Texas border sheriffs departments that were left in dire need by the Obama Administration and Congressional leaders. The donated items were given to Hudspeth and Colberson counties, both rural border counties that were forced to split $42,000 in governmental funding to combat an increasingly violent conflict between U.S. law enforcement agencies and Mexican transnational criminal groups (cartels). Breitbart Texas obtained an exclusive peak at Nehlen’s latest campaign ad for his fight with Paul Ryan over Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. Nehlen’s ad asserts that Paul Ryan has failed to champion border security and actually champions a borderless America.

Veteran News

US Marines denounce ‘crazy political correctness’ after order to remove the word ‘man’ from job titles
The Telegraph - US Marines have been told the word “man” will be removed from their job titles in an effort to make the service more gender-neutral. The move sparked a row with some Marines taking to social media to denounce “crazy and idiotic political correctness”. A total of 19 of the 33 titles used in the Marines Corps will be renamed, the majority of those having the word “man” replaced by “Marine”. So a “basic infantryman” will now become a “basic infantry Marine”, and an “amphibious assault vehicle crewman” will soon be called an “amphibious assault vehicle Marine”. It follows a six-month review ordered by Ray Mabus, the US Naval Secretary, and an official announcement is expected this week. One official told the Marine Corps Times: "Names that were not changed, like rifleman, are steeped in Marine Corps history and ethos. Things that were changed needed to be updated." On social media Marines and former Marines called the move "pointless" and "idiotic". One said: "We have reached peak crazy." Another called it a "direct reflection on society’s crybaby political correctness". When the review was launched Secretary Mabus said: "As we achieve full integration of the force this is an opportunity to update the position titles and descriptions themselves to demonstrate, through this language, that women are included."

Economy & Business

Toyota recalls 3.37 million cars over airbag, emissions control issues
Reuters - Japan's Toyota Motor Corp has recalled 3.37 million cars worldwide over possible defects involving airbags and emissions control units. The automaker on Wednesday said it was recalling 2.87 million cars over a possible fault in emissions control units. That followed an announcement late on Tuesday that 1.43 million cars needed repairs over a separate issue involving air bag inflators. About 930,000 cars are affected by both potential defects, Toyota said. Because of that overlap, it said the total number of vehicles recalled was 3.37 million. No injuries have been linked to either issue. Toyota on Wednesday said evaporative fuel emissions control units in models produced from 2006 to 2015 including the Prius, Auris compact hatchback and Corolla were prone to cracks, which could lead to fuel leaks over time. Of the 2.87 million vehicles recalled due to the emission control units, Toyota said 1.55 million are in Japan; 713,000 in Europe; 35,000 in China; and 568,000 in other areas. Late on Tuesday it recalled Prius models and Lexus CT200h cars made from 2010 to 2012 over air bag inflators that could have a small crack in a weld, which could lead to the separation of the inflator chambers. Of the 1.4 million vehicles recalled over the air bag inflators, 482,000 are in the U.S. market.

Energy & Environment

NY Residents Test Off The Charts For Dangerous Drinking Water Toxin
Brandon Turbeville - In early June at least two residents in the small upstate New York village, Hoosick Falls, were tested to have 50 times the national average of the toxic chemical PFOA (perflurooctanoic acid). Harold and Marion Stevens told News 10 ABC TV that their numbers were 159 and 104 mcg per liter respectively. The nationwide average readings for PFOA are 2.08. While this may seem like a problem more specific to Harold and Marion, the average reading for residents in Hoosick Falls is 23.5. “The average person up there is about 11 times the national average,” said Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, a village representative. The reasons why the tests were conducted in the first place is because residents of Hoosick Falls launched their own effort to determine whether or not something toxic was in the water after several of them died of rare cancers. These residents suspected a nearby plastics manufacturing site as being the most likely culprit. The chemical they found in their water supply and the residents themselves – PFOA – has been linked to both kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis as well as many other illnesses. But what is even more concerning than the presence of PFOA in the water supply is that both state and local officials knew about the situation a full year before the federal Environmental Protection Agency warned residents to stop drinking their water November 2015.

EPA pushing outdated, costly ethanol fuel
Kansas City Star - The Renewable Fuel Standard forces increasing volumes of ethanol into the national fuel supply each year, regardless of demand. Volume proposals recently announced by the Environmental Protection Agency would add 700 million gallons of ethanol and other biofuels into the nation’s fuel supply in 2017, potentially pushing higher ethanol blends like E15 into the marketplace. E15 gasoline contains 15 percent ethanol. It could be costly. About 90 percent of vehicles on the road today were not designed to use E15. Extensive testing shows that E15 can cause damage to engines and fuel systems not covered by warranty. Higher ethanol content can also damage boats, classic cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers and power equipment. Consumer groups advise lower ethanol blends for these engines, but access to the ethanol-free fuel many owners demand is jeopardized by ever-increasing ethanol volume requirements. The problem could be even worse in Missouri if Senate Bill 657 is implemented. This misguided policy would make Missouri the only state that would put 100 percent of the liability for damages from any legally approved petroleum product on consumers. Also, continuing to increase ethanol volumes could drive up prices at the pump — by 26 cents per gallon, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
* Related video: Warning Not to Use E15 Gas in Your Car: FOX Business

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

8 Organic Ways To Keep Your Garden Bug-Free (No. 4 Kills Them Quick — But Is Safe For Humans!)
Off the Grid News - Conventional pesticides kill both good and bad bugs, leaving no natural controls that keep pests in check. As a result, pests are replaced with even tougher, chemical-resistant super-pests, with no beneficial insects left behind to maintain control…. 1. Beneficial insects. Such as lacewings, ladybugs, ground beetles, pirate bugs, parasitic wasps, praying mantis and hover-flies. Beneficial insects have preferred targets, so a healthy diversity of helpful bugs will help control a variety of pests, such as aphids, thrips, scale, mites and whiteflies. 2. Beneficial plants. Many blooming plants attract beneficial insects. For example, try alyssum, cosmos, Shasta daisy, yarrow, calendula and coreopsis, as well as herbs like dill, fennel, lemon balm, parsley and coriander. On the other hand, some plants, most notably marigolds, may help deter harmful pests. 3. Handpicking. Although it isn’t anybody’s favorite job, picking pests by hand is a highly effective natural pest control technique made easier with a good pair of gardening gloves. Most pickable insects, including caterpillars, slugs and tomato hornworms, are most active at dusk. 4. Diatomaceous earth. This powdery substance is made of the skeletal remains of tiny marine creatures known as diatoms. The abrasive dust abrades the outer covering of soft-bodied pests like potato beetles, squash bugs, slugs, snails, aphids, whiteflies and others, causing the pest to dry out and die. Although diatomaceous earth is safe, wear a dust mask because the dust can irritate your lungs.

Health

Malaria Vaccine Can Cause Negative 'Rebound Effect,' Study Says
Motherboard - A vaccine for malaria has been a long-time dream for researchers, but it’s no easy feat. Now, a new study on our most advanced vaccine shows its efficacy not only wanes, but it can also make some kids get more bouts of malaria later in life. In a seven-year follow up of the Phase II trial of the RTS,S vaccine—the malaria vaccine that has been in development the longest—researchers found the vaccine significantly dropped in efficacy over time. In fact, for some areas with high rates of malaria, the vaccine actually had a negative effect, according to the paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine Wednesday. “We don’t know the extent of the problem. I think it raises a question that needs to be followed up on,” Dr. Philip Bejon, Director of the Wellcome-KEMRI-Oxford Collaborative Research Programme and co-author of the study, told me on the phone from Kenya. Early in the trial, the vaccine was fairly effective, with a 27 percent efficacy against a first episode of malaria after vaccination. But over time, the efficacy waned: By the end of seven years, the overall efficacy was 4.4 percent. What’s more worrisome is that, in areas where trial participants had high exposure to malaria, there was a negative effect: Those vaccinated actually got more cases of malaria than the control group by the end of the trial.

Every Cell in Your Bones Cries When You Neglect This Vital Nutrient
Dr. Mercola - Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that influences virtually every cell in your body, which is why maintaining a healthy level is so important. Low vitamin D levels are widely known to harm your bones, leading them to become thin, brittle, soft or misshapen. But vitamin D is equally important for your heart, brain, immune function and much more. For example, there's an important connection between insufficient vitamin D and insulin resistance and/or diabetes, both type 1 and type 2. According to recent research, vitamin D deficiency affects your glucose metabolism and may actually be more closely linked to diabetes than obesity. According to recent research, vitamin D deficiency affects your glucose metabolism and may actually be more closely linked to diabetes than obesity. In a study of 118 people, those with low vitamin D levels were more likely to have type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome, regardless of their weight…. Certain drugs can raise your risk of metabolic dysfunction. For example, statin drugs can trigger drug-induced diabetes. Atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine, a bipolar medication, have also been linked to an increased risk of hyperglycemia and diabetes. In the latter case, research suggests vitamin D3 may counteract these effects.

Alzheimer’s Association says mercury fillings, aluminum, flu shots and aspartame do not effect brain health
(NaturalHealth365) Many experts from the scientific and medical communities have identified factors such as toxic mercury fillings, daily exposure to aluminum, flu shots and aspartame as among the many environmental toxins known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. So, why does the Alzheimer’s Association appear to be clueless?… The organization’s policies and public statements relating to the dementia appear to be carefully shaped by some of its largest monetary supporters. The organization receives a substantial amount of donations from a list of companies that reads like a “Who’s Who” of the pharmaceutical industry. Rather than offering visitors the full spectrum of available research, the association is taking positions that favor wealthy pharmaceutical interests. As a result of their activities: the unsuspecting general public remains in the dark about the contributing factors for Alzheimer’s – which leads to a greater risk of developing the disease.
* Related: The Alzheimer's and Dementia Summit is online and FREE from July 25 - August 1, 2016.
 



Wednesday - June 29, 2016  -  Today in History:

1652 - Massachusetts declared itself an independent commonwealth.
1767 - The British Parliament approved the Townshend Revenue Acts. The acts imposed import duties on glass, lead, paint, paper and tea shipped to America.
1776 - The Virginia constitution was adopted and Patrick Henry was made governor.
1804 - Privates John Collins and Hugh Hall of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were found guilty by a court-martial consisting of members of the Corps of Discovery for getting drunk on duty. Collins received 100 lashes on his back and Hall received 50.
1946 - British authorities arrested more than 2,700 Jews in Palestine in an attempt to end alleged terrorism.
1950 - U.S. President Harry S. Truman authorized a sea blockade of Korea.
1951 - The United States invited the Soviet Union to the Korean peace talks on a ship in Wonson Harbor.
1953 - The Federal Highway Act authorized the construction of 42,500 miles of freeway from coast to coast.
1954 - The Atomic Energy Commission voted against reinstating Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer's access to classified information.
1955 - The Soviet Union sent tanks to Poznan, Poland, to put down anti-Communist demonstrations.
1966 - The U.S. bombed fuel storage facilities near the North Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and Haiphong.
1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty could constitute "cruel and unusual punishment." The ruling prompted states to revise their capital punishment laws.
2011 - The state of Nevada passed the first law that permitted the operation of autonomous cars on public roads. The law went into effect on March 1, 2012 and did not permit the use of the cars to the general public. Google received the first self-driving vehicle license in the U.S. on May 4, 2012 in Nevada.

World News

Over 30 killed, 100+ injured as blasts rock Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport
RT - At least 36 people have been killed and over 140 more injured in two blasts that rocked Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, according to Turkish officials. The explosions were reportedly suicide bomb attacks. The blasts occurred in the airport’s International Arrivals Terminal. A Turkish official confirmed to Reuters that two explosions have hit the airport. According to some Turkish media, the blasts were terrorist attacks targeting two separate locations in the airport…. Islamic State might have been behind the attack, a police source told Dogan news agency. However, the Turkish authorities have not yet confirmed the claim, saying it is too early to draw conclusions, a Turkish official told Reuters. The deadly blasts coincide with the second anniversary of the declaration of the so-called Caliphate by the terror group.
* Related: Blasts rock Istanbul’s largest airport Live updates

European Parliament Plans To Remove English As An Official Language
Zero Hedge - Danuta Hubner, the head of the European Parliament's Constitutional Afairs Committee (AFCO), warned Monday that English will not be one of the European Union's official languages after Britain leaves the EU. As Politico reports, English is one of the EU's 24 official languages because the UK identified it as its own official language, Hubner said. But as soon as Britain completes the process to leave the EU, English could lose its status…. As we reported, during a Tuesday speech to EU lawmakers European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker didn't speak any English, instead making the speech only in French and German. The games started much earlier than Tuesday however. According to the WSJ, last Friday and over the weekend, Juncker gave statements and interviews only to German media, a decision that officials said was deliberate. Then on Monday during the commission's daily media briefing, chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas made his opening statement at in French only, rather than the usual French and English…. We suspect that these childish games will continue from the elites who are lashing out in any way possible after being defeated.

UK stripped of top ‘AAA’ credit rating after voting to quit EU
RT - International rating agencies Fitch, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s have all downgraded Britain, following the country’s vote to leave the EU. S&P lowered the UK sovereign rating by two notches - to AA from AAA, and maintained a negative outlook which means further downgrades could follow in the coming months. The EU referendum result could lead to "a deterioration of the UK's economic performance, including its large financial services sector,” said S&P. It described the choice to leave the EU as a “seminal event” that would weaken the “predictability, stability, and effectiveness” of UK policymaking.

Wake-Up Call America: Iceland's New President Has Never Been A Politician
Zero Hedge - Following the resignation of Icleand’s former prime minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who quit after being implicated in fraud by the release of the Panama Papers in April of 2016, the public has again grown impatient with the political class. While another US presidential election enters the severe mud-slinging phase, this time between a career politician with an alleged lengthy criminal past, and an arrogant celebrity businessman, Iceland has just demonstrated that a true political outsider and common person can be elected to the office of president. Guðni Jóhannesson, a professor of history, has just been elected president of Iceland, ousting the 20 year incumbent, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, with 39% of the popular vote. The political newcomer also beat chief opponent, businesswoman Halla Tómasdóttir, meaning that the office of president will not be held by a career politician or businessperson. President elect Jóhannesson, a scholastic expert on political history, diplomacy and the Iceland constitution, has never been a member of a political party, is a husband and father, and reportedly chose to run for president after the release of the Panama Papers,

Italian senate refuses to back automatic renewal of anti-Russian sanctions
RT - The Upper House of the Italian Parliament has adopted a resolution opposing the automatic renewal of anti-Russian sanctions. The text of the resolution, proposed by the opposition Northern League, was approved by a majority vote. The resolution lists a set of recommendations to the Italian government on key issues that will be raised at the EU summit on June 28-29. Among other things it commits the government “to argue that the sanctions against Russia will not be renewed automatically,” according to the Italian Senate session records. Drafted by the deputy head of the senate and national coordinator of the Northern League, Roberto Calderoli, the resolution also mentions migrants and refugees issue as well as the situation around the UK leaving the EU following a referendum.

Rio police protest unpaid wages as Olympics security collapse looms
RT - Rio de Janeiro police rallied against the non-payment wages and even a lack of basic supplies such as toilet paper on Monday. The city, still awaiting a bailout by Brazil’s central government, is to host the Olympics in August, yet its governor says, “It could be a big failure.” Some 300 officers took to the streets of Brazil’s second-largest city on Monday to demand their salaries be paid by the government in full and to express anger over unbearable environment at work where they experience shortfall of such basics as water, ink or toilet paper. One police officer at the rally, which had gathered next to the city’s state assembly, told AFP that he had received only half his pay last month, adding that he hasn’t been paid his overtime “for five months either.” Apart from constant underpayment, police are plagued by the lack of necessary equipment, such as helicopters, fuel for cars as well as basic hygiene and office supplies.

Zika Virus

New doubts on Zika as cause of microcephaly
ScienceDaily - Brazil's microcephaly epidemic continues to pose a mystery -- if Zika is the culprit, why are there no similar epidemics in other countries also hit hard by the virus? In Brazil, the microcephaly rate soared with more than 1,500 confirmed cases. But in Colombia, a recent study of nearly 12,000 pregnant women infected with Zika found zero microcephaly cases. If Zika is to blame for microcephaly, where are the missing cases?... The NECSI [New England Complex Systems Institute] report analyzes the data and shows that the four cases of Zika and microcephaly that have been observed till April 28 are just what would be expected due to the background rate -- of the 60,000 pregnancies about 20,000 births would already be expected. The expected microcephaly rate for countries with no reported infections of 2-in-10,000 births gives exactly four cases.

Senate Democrats block Zika funding bill over GOP provisions
RT - A Republican bill that proposed $1.1 billion to counter the Zika virus failed in the US Senate, as Democrats who opposed the measure said the legislation was chocked full of unrelated measures and funding restrictions for reproductive health outlets. The bill failed on Tuesday in a nearly clean party-line vote of 52-48, falling short of the 60 votes necessary for passage. Democrats said they could not support the measure for several, unrelated provisions, including limits to funding for healthcare providers of birth control, as well as weakened standards for pesticide use near water sources.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Mexican President Demands U.S. Merge With Mexico, Canada
Kit Daniels - In response to Brexit, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is calling for a EU-style “North American Union.” Nieto is attending a North American leaders summit in Ottawa on Wednesday to push the years-long, globalist proposal that would combine the U.S., Mexico and Canada into a regional entity at the expense of U.S. national sovereignty, which starts with joint energy agreements. “The purpose of this visit is to renew our bilateral relationship, to give it new life, to find ways to advance the prosperity and competitiveness of North America,” Nieto said, with emphasis added on North America.

Clinton Slams Benghazi Report As "Discredited, Conspiracy Theories"
Zero Hedge - On Tuesday, after more than two years of work and $7 million in expense, the House Select Committee on Benghazi released a massive, 800-page report which according to The Hill, is filled with new criticism of Hillary Clinton. The full report can be found here, and the key highlights are as follows: What has also emerged is a picture of the State Department eating up valuable time by insisting that certain elements of the U.S. military respond to Libya in civilian clothes and that it not use vehicles with United States markings. Both restrictions appear to have been concessions to the Libyan government that did not want an identifiable U.S. military presence on the streets of Libya. We will never know exactly how long these conditions delayed the military response but that they were even a part of the discussion is troubling. And at the same time the State Department appeared to waste time on what our soldiers would wear, it also appeared to waste time and focus on the YouTube video that the administration would later blame, falsely, for the attack. It has emerged that during an emergency call at 7:30 p.m. on the night of the attack involving Secretary Clinton and other high-level officials from the Department of Defense, State Department, and CIA that a full five of the eleven action items from the meeting related to the video.
* Related: Judicial Watch Statement on House Benghazi Report

Seven Refugees With Active TB Sent to Idaho
Breitbart - This makes Idaho the seventh state to confirm to Breitbart News that recently arrived refugees have been diagnosed with active TB. The other states in which recently arrived refugees have been diagnosed with active TB include: Louisiana (twenty-one), Florida (eleven), Colorado, (ten), Indiana (four), Kentucky (where nine were diagnosed in one county), and North Dakota (where four refugees who resided in the United States for less than five years were diagnosed in one county). Idaho is one of fourteen states that have withdrawn from the federal refugee resettlement program where the federal government has hired a voluntary agency (VOLAG) to resettle refugees under the statutorily questionable Wilson Fish alternative program. In Idaho, the federal government has contracted the Idaho Office for Refugees (IOR), a division of the large non-profit known as Janus, to run the program. Janus is one of the largest organizations within the lucrative and politically connected refugee resettlement industry, which is paid more than $1 billion per year by the federal government. Jan Reeves, the man who runs IOR, was honored by the Obama administration at the White House in 2013 as a “champion of change.”

Border Agent: Vast Majority of Illegals Released into Country – Disease or No Disease
Adan Salazar - Border agent Chris Cabrera, also vice president of the National Border Patrol Council 3307, said the respiratory disease tuberculosis is encountered “pretty regularly,” and that little has been done to improve the quarantine areas where illegals who harbor communicable diseases are detained. “We see tuberculosis pretty regularly. Scabies – more often than not we have large amounts of infectious diseases as far as scabies go,” the border patrol council spokesperson stated. “And the interesting part with that is it’s not actually seen on the body during the infectious period. And so these people clear through our system and then they go into the rest of the country with that disease.” “We see a lot of measles, a lot of chickenpox a lot of unidentified illnesses, a lot of lung infections that we don’t even know what we have no idea what they are.” Cabrera had claimed in 2014 that detainment facilities were lacking in adequate medical resources, describing areas cordoning off sick illegal immigrants as little more than a yellow strip of caution tape.

Election News

Obama: “Trump Embodies Global Elites”
Steve Watson - Obama made the comments during an exchange with a npr reporter. When asked if there is a correlation between the rejection of globalism in Britain following the vote to leave the EU and the rejection of the political establishment in the US, a clearly frustrated Obama hit out at Trump. “Mr. Trump embodies global elites and has taken full advantage of it his entire life,” Obama said while sardonically chuckling to himself. “So, he’s hardly a spokesperson — a legitimate spokesperson — for a populist surge from working class people on either side of the Atlantic.” Obama went on to say that some of the concerns regarding a loss of national identity and control, particularly where immigration is concerned are shared by people in Britain and the US. However, he then blamed “xenophobia that’s flashing up not just in Great Britain but throughout Europe which has some parallels with what Mr Trump has been trying to stir up here.” “The ability to tap into a fear that people may have about losing control, and to offer some sort of vague nostalgic feelings about how we’ll ‘make Britain great again’ or ‘make America great again’, and the subtext for that is somehow that a bunch of foreigners and funny looking people are coming in and changing the basic character of the nation – I think that some of that is out there.” Obama said. Obama added that the declarations of globalism collapsing are premature.

Full transcript: Donald Trump's jobs plan speech
Politico - “ This wave of globalization has wiped out our middle class. It doesn't have to be this way. We can turn it all around - and we can turn it around fast. But if we're going to deliver real change, we're going to have to reject the campaign of fear and intimidation being pushed by powerful corporations, media elites, and political dynasties. The people who rigged the system for their benefit will do anything - and say anything - to keep things exactly as they are. The people who rigged the system are supporting Hillary Clinton because they know as long as she is in charge nothing will ever change….”
* Related Video: Full Speech: Donald Trump Delivers Economic Policy Speech in Monessen, PA

Hillary Clinton’s Vow To College Grads: I’ll Outsource Your Jobs To Foreign Graduates
Breitbart - Hillary Clinton today promised her donors to provide Green Cards to an unlimited number of foreign white-collar professionals, even though the predictable flood of university-trained labor would drown the lifetime wages and career prospects of her college-educated American supporters. The open-borders promise to foreign graduates is posted at her campaign, and is titled “Hillary Clinton’s Initiative on Technology & Innovation.”… The promise was slammed by Sen. Jeff Sessions, chairman of the Senate’s immigration panel. There are more college graduates in the U.S. today than at any point in our history, many have trouble finding meaningful work in their field of study. Many are underemployed, taking jobs well below their skill level simply to make ends meet … Yet, today, candidate Hillary Clinton announced that if elected president, she would ‘staple’ a green card to STEM master’s degrees and PhDs of every graduate – enabling foreign students to get green cards and thus be able to remain in the U.S. permanently and take any job,” he said in a press release…. “ In contrast, Donald Trump has promise to reform the main H-1B guest-worker program so that companies are forced to hire Americans instead of cheaper foreign college-graduates. Clinton’s foundation has hired many foreign guest-workers instead of Americans.

Energy & Environment

Danger of Living Near Fracking Sites: High Toxic Levels Found in Humans
Sputnik News - The study was conducted in Pavillion, Wyoming, using air-monitoring methods and biomonitoring techniques. "Many of those chemicals were present in the participants' bodies at concentrations far exceeding background averages in the US population," the authors of the study, entitled "When the Wind Blows: Tracking Toxic Chemicals in Gas Fields and Impacted Communities," reported. The study focused on BTEX chemicals found in fracking operations, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, which have been found to be harmful to humans at any level…. The small town of Pavillion has only 250 residents and sits in close proximity to roughly 180 drilling operations. In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned that the operations may have contaminated the town's water supply. Two years later, however, the EPA handed their investigation over to the state of Wyoming, after criticism from local energy industries and the state's fossil fuel regulators. Once the investigation was in their hands, state regulators stopped all research, despite an alert from the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry that residents not use tap water for drinking, cooking, or bathing.

Science & Technology

US Customs Wants to Screen Social Media for National Security
Sputnik News - The agency wants to add a line to the form tourists must submit, particularly for people who don’t have a visa and wish to stay in the US for ninety days. This is being put forth as a national security measure, and authorities proponents stress that while people won’t be forced to disclose the information, not doing so could raise red flags. Radio Sputnik speaks with Chief Victor Manjarrez Jr. of the international security and intelligence consulting firm Command Consulting Group about the implication of this proposed measure. Manjarrez says that social media has become a new frontier for "homeland security practitioners," noting that there are roughly 1.7 billion active Facebook users worldwide and that these profiles function as a kind of "digital footprint.”… When asked if he thought innocent people will be affected by the new proposal, Manjarrez said he thinks it’s inevitable. "I believe their applications may get delayed for a lengthy time if their name matches that of someone on a terrorist watch list."

What happens in an internet second: 54,907 Google searches, 7,252 tweets, 125,406 YouTube video views and 2,501,018 emails sent
Daily Mail | The internet is a hectic place and at any given moment millions of people are searching, tweeting and emailing all at once. Internet Live Stats created a live map that shows exactly how much activity is happening around the globe –down to the second. Every second more than 54,000 Google searchers are conducted, 7,000 some Tweets are shared and more than 2 million emails are sent -67 percent of which are deemed spam. Click here to see the latest stats Although one second doesn’t seem like much in the real world, it means quite a lot on the internet. About 46.1 percent of the world is online, which is about 3.4 billion people – although there are still 4 billion people without access to the internet.

Health

Scientists link Tylenol PM, Benadryl and other common allergy meds to dementia and permanent cognitive impairment
(NaturalNews) An antihistamine called diphenhydramine can boost a person's risk of dementia and cause irreparable harm. This drug causes drowsiness and can be found in popular sleep aids like ZZZQuil, Advil PM, and Tylenol PM. Diphenhydramine is an anticholinergic drug. Recently released research shows that older adults who take anticholinergic drugs on a regular basis performed worse on tests measuring important skills such as short-term memory, problem solving, planning and verbal reasoning. Even more disturbingly, MRI scans indicated that these people's brains had actually shrunk, while PET scans showed their brains were not as active. Moreover, people who took anticholinergic drugs also showed lower glucose metabolism levels in their brains overall and in the hippocampus in particular, which is strongly tied to memory and one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer’s…. A 2013 study out of the Indiana University Center for Aging Research revealed that strong anticholinergic drugs could lead to cognitive problems after just 60 days.

8 Natural Herbs To Treat Mental Disorders: Stress, Anxiety, Depression
Natural News Blogs - Approximately 14.8 million American adults are affected yearly with such disorders. And instead of resorting to sedative drugs that can reflect side effects such as addiction, weight gain and frenzy behavior. Alternative medicine offers you the same therapeutic properties using only natural elements. Herbs to treat depression, stress and anxiety: 1 – St. John’s wort herb… Herbal experts consider it one of the best anti-depressants and prescribed for the treatment of light and moderate depression. 2 – Rhodiola Rosea or the Golden Root… The roots are used in Scandinavia for the treatment of seasonal depression, which is associated with the absence of sunny skies as well as being an excellent stimulant and substitute for anti-anxiety medication as it helps to regulate the production of adrenaline and improving sleep in people who suffer from insomnia. 3 – Valerian… You can use this herb to reduce tension and anxiety by putting dried roots in boiling water and drink from it twice a day. And you can also add boiled valerian to your bath to release tension and stress. 4 – Ginseng… The advantage of this plant is that it helps to increase the body’s ability to cope with stress and fatigue of different situations you encounter every day. To take advantage of its unique properties, take ginseng on a daily basis, for example, in the form of capsules containing 3 or 7 percent of the “ginsenoside”.

Pet News

A Third of Cats Have This by Age 6, but You Likely Don't Know
Dr. Becker - Estimates are that about a third of adult cats have arthritis by age 6, and up to 90 percent of kitties over the age of 12 have some degree of arthritis. Two major contributors to feline arthritis are a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. To prevent or alleviate arthritis in your cat, it’s important to keep him at a healthy weight, feed a biologically appropriate diet, and insure he remains physically active throughout his life. It’s also important to team up with an integrative veterinarian who uses a multimodal approach to treat arthritic patients. An arthritic cat’s symptoms should be routinely monitored to insure the treatment protocol evolves according to the changing needs of the patient.

Bystanders Smash Window to Rescue Dog from Hot Car (Video)
Dogington Post - It was a sunny Sunday in Katy, Texas, with temperatures reaching into the low 90’s when concerned dog lovers gathered around a car parked in Lowe’s home improvement store parking lot, worried for the yellow Lab locked inside, panting heavily while the windows were rolled all the way up. Store managers paged the dog’s owner several times, hoping he’d come outside and end his dog’s suffering. But, after about 30 minutes with no response, the group outside collectively decided to take matters into their own hands…. After smashing a rear window with a tire iron, Lowe’s employees took the dog inside the store where he was given water and reunited with his owner who said he was only in the car for 20 minutes and was perfectly fine. Temperatures inside a car parked in full sun on a hot day can reach dangerous, life-threatening levels within only a few minutes…. Although in Texas dogs are considered property and those bystanders risked facing criminal charges for their part in rescuing the dog, the Harris County District Attorney’s office says no charges will be filed.
 



Tuesday - June 28, 2016  -  Today in History:

1776 - American Colonists repulsed a British sea attack on Charleston, SC.
1778 - Mary "Molly Pitcher" Hays McCauley, wife of an American artilleryman, carried water to the soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth and, supposedly, took her husband's place at his gun after he was overcome with heat.
1894 - The U.S. Congress made Labor Day a U.S. national holiday.
1902 - The U.S. Congress passed the Spooner bill, it authorized a canal to be built across the isthmus of Panama.
1919 - The Treaty of Versailles was signed ending World War I exactly five years after it began. The treaty also established the League of Nations.
1938 - The U.S. Congress created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to insure construction loans.
1945 - U.S. General Douglas MacArthur announced the end of Japanese resistance in the Philippines.
1949 - The last U.S. combat troops were called home from Korea, leaving only 500 advisers.
1950 - North Korean forces captured Seoul, South Korea.
1960 - In Cuba, Fidel Castro confiscated American-owned oil refineries without compensation.
1965 - The first commercial satellite began communications service. It was Early Bird (Intelsat I).
1967 - Israel formally declared Jerusalem reunified under its sovereignty following its capture of the Arab sector in the June 1967 war.
1971 - The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the draft evasion conviction of Muhammad Ali.
1972 - U.S. President Nixon announced that no new draftees would be sent to Vietnam.
1976 - The first women entered the U.S. Air Force Academy.
1978 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the medical school at the University of California at Davis to admit Allan Bakke. Bakke, a white man, argued he had been a victim of reverse racial discrimination.
1996 - The Citadel voted to admit women, ending a 153-year-old men-only policy at the South Carolina military school.
2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court declared that a Nebraska law that outlawed "partial birth abortions" was unconstitutional. About 30 U.S. states had similar laws at the time of the ruling.
2000 - Six-year-old Elián González returned to Cuba from the U.S. with his father. The child had been the center of an international custody dispute.
2004 - The U.S. resumed diplomatic ties with Libya after a 24-year break.
2004 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that enemy combatants could challenge their detention in U.S. Courts.
2005 - The final design for the "Freedom Tower" (One World Trade Center) was formally unveiled.
2007 - The American bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list.
2010 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Americans have the right to own a gun for self-defense anywhere they live.

World News

Erdogan apologizes to Putin over death of Russian pilot, calls Russia ‘friend & strategic partner’
RT - Russian President Vladimir Putin has received a letter in which his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for the death of the pilot who was killed when a Russian jet was downed over the Syrian-Turkish border last November, the Kremlin said.... Ankara claimed that it attacked the Russian bomber for violating its airspace, but was never able to provide proof that any wrongdoing took place.... Russia reacted strongly to the incident, imposing a wave of sanctions against Turkey, which affected trade, tourism, joint energy projects and other areas.... The news of Erdogan’s apology had a positive effect on Turkey’s currency. The Turkish lira rallied to 2.9330 from 2.9430 against the US dollar, Reuters reported.... [Former Turkish Ambassador to the US] Osman Faruk Logoglu, said he would not rule out the possibility that Erdogan had decided to mend relations with Russia after taking advice from Washington. “These decisions aren’t taken lightly… So, you listen to your friends, including of course, the US and others,” he told RT. Washington and NATO, in general, were “preoccupied with the state of relations between Turkey and Russia,” fearing the it may result in a military confrontation between the two states, Logoglu said.

EU referendum: German and French to unveil European superstate blueprint post-Brexit
Daily Express - The foreign ministers of France and Germany are due to reveal a blueprint to effectively do away with individual member states in what is being described as an “ultimatum”. Under the radical proposals EU countries will lose the right to have their own army, criminal law, taxation system or central bank, with all those powers being transferred to Brussels. Controversially member states would also lose what few controls they have left over their own borders, including the procedure for admitting and relocating refugees.... Meanwhile Lorenzo Condign, the former director general of Italy’s treasury, has said it is nearly impossible to see Europe opting for more integration at such a time of upheaval.... But others see the Brexit vote as an opportunity to push ahead with the European elite’s long-cherished dream of creating a United States of Europe. Spain’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo has called for “more Europe” whilst Italy’s finance minister, Carlo Padoan, is advocating a common budget for the eurozone states. And Emmanuel Macron, France’s economy minister, wants to go even further and set up a common eurozone treasury which would oversee the permanent transfer of funds from wealthier northern Europe to shore up Mediterranean economies.

Brexit loophole? MPs must still vote in order for Britain to leave the EU, top lawyers say
The Independent - Parliament must still vote on a bill to allow the UK to leave the European Union, leading lawyers have said. Geoffrey Robertson QC, who founded the Doughty Street Chambers, said the act which set up the referendum said “nothing” about its impact, meaning it was “purely advisory”. ,A new bill to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act that took Britain into the EU must now be passed by parliament, he said, adding that MPs might not be able to vote until November when the economic effects of Brexit will be clearer. “Under our constitution, speaking as a constitutional lawyer, sovereignty rests in what we call the Queen in parliament,” he told The Independent. “It’s the right of MPs alone to make or break laws, and the peers to block them. So there’s no force whatsoever in the referendum result. It’s entirely for MPs to decide.

Stocks, pound fall again due to U.K. vote uncertainty
Washington Times - U.S. stocks fell sharply in early trading Monday following another slide in European markets as investors grappled with the fallout of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. The British pound, which last week plunged to its lowest level since 1985, continued to fall as traders expected the British economy would take a hit.... European stock markets added to their painful losses from Friday, when concern over the vote outcome wiped out $2.1 trillion of stock value from Hong Kong to London to New York.... Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 2 percent, while Germany’s DAX was down 1.8 percent. France’s CAC 40 was down 2.1 percent. Traders were watching for more aftershocks as EU leaders press London to start the complex process of leaving the 28-nation trading bloc. Prime Minister David Cameron wants to wait several months.... In currency markets, the euro weakened to $1.1006 from $1.1121 in Friday’s trading, while the yen fell to 101.64 from 102.24. The British pound slid to $1.3218 from $1.3638, despite the British Treasury’s reassurances that the economy was strong enough to withstand the uncertainty.

Earthquakes Cause Giant Natural Gas Field To Cut Production By 44%
OilPrice.com - The development came at the Groningen natgas field in the Netherlands. The largest producing field in Western Europe — and one of the world’s top 10 gas fields by size. Groningen’s massive size has been an issue lately though, with drawdown from the field having caused seismic events in the areas above and surrounding the field.... The further cuts announced Friday come after high-level Dutch regulatory body the Council of State ordered the government to take more action in protecting the public. With Minister Kamp saying that the new production cap would “reduce safety risks to Groningen’s residents and damage to buildings.” The Minister did say that production could be increased above the quota in the event of exceptionally cold weather or other instances of strict necessity. But overall it appears that Groningen’s output is going to be 44 percent lower than it was less than two years ago — which could put upward pressure on prices in the European market.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Bill Requiring Women to Register for the Draft Passes Senate
Military.com - A provision that would require women to register for the military draft alongside men for the first time in American history was included as part of the massive 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that passed the Senate handily on Tuesday with an 85-13 vote.
The language requiring the draft for women was added in committee and received little debate on the Senate floor, but has created a firestorm of controversy on and off Capitol Hill. It comes as the military services welcome women into previously closed ground combat units in keeping with a mandate from Defense Secretary Ash Carter given late last year.

UN Tank Vehicles Spotted Moving Across U.S.: "Peace Keepers and Potential for Civil Unrest"
Mac Slavo - Why are these MRAP tank-like vehicles, bearing United Nations decals, being transported across the interior United States? An explanation is not immediately apparent, there have been many suggested explanations. As Brandon Turbeville writes: For the past day or so, military convoys have been witnessed traveling both North and South, with lines of equipment ranging from Humvees, troop transport trucks, and tankers to military personnel following the convoy in civilian vehicles. Interestingly enough, many of the soldiers traveling in the convoy were seen wearing helmets, an unusual procedure for a simple convoy... the controversy brewing in the United States elections and the potential for civil unrest, the dangers of economic collapse, and the potential conflict with Russia are all potentials for use of United Nations “peace keepers” inside the United States as many have posited in the past as well as for some type of “martial law” scenario..... One commenter on The American Mirror, where the sightings were discussed, seems certain that the explanation is nothing more than the shipment of UN vehicles produced by military defense contractor BAE for overseas shipment: They’re built at the BAE Systems plant in York, PA. From there they carried down I-81 to I-77, and then I-95 towards the port of Savannah to be shipped overseas.

Hundreds of police-issued weapons missing from Bay Area, California agencies
Blacklisted News - In all, since 2010, at least 944 guns have disappeared from police in the Bay Area and state and federal agents across California — an average of one almost every other day — and fewer than 20 percent have been recovered.... Stockton police list two Colt assault rifles as lost, although Lt. Rodney Rego said they were probably stolen when a police building being closed was burglarized.... San Jose lost track of 324 guns, with records showing the city’s lax controls failed to track whether officers took their weapons with them when they retired.... San Francisco, the region’s other large department, keeps documented track of rifles and shotguns, a spokesman said, but not pistols. Oakland police have historically “done a very poor job” of keeping track of weapons, working with “a system that is really lousy,” said Lt. Sekou Millington, commander of the department’s training office.... A 2011 report showed 305 missing weapons, and follow-ups have added to the total. Forty-seven have turned up, but most are gone.

Case of possible misconduct by FBI in LaVoy Finicum shooting now before grand jury
Oregon Live.- The federal investigation into an FBI agent's apparent firing of gunshots at Robert "LaVoy" Finicum and the alleged FBI tampering with evidence at the scene has gone to a grand jury. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Gorder Jr. revealed the grand jury hearing in court papers Thursday explaining the government's desire to keep its memorandum about the inspector general's investigation into the FBI's handling of the Jan. 26 shooting out of the hands of defense lawyers.... Late Wednesday, [U.S. District Judge] Brown said she'd allow prosecutors to file the memo under seal, but ruled it must be shared with defense lawyers.... Finicum, the occupation spokesman, evaded the police stop on U.S. 395 and swerved his truck into a snowbank to avoid an FBI and state police roadblock. As he emerged from the truck, two shots were fired from an FBI agent with the Hostage Rescue Team, though none of the team members admitted to discharging their firearms, the Deschutes County sheriff alleges. Oregon investigators concluded that one agent fired twice at the truck, hitting it in the roof and missing on the second shot. A state trooper later described to investigators seeing two rifle casings in the area where the agents were posted. Detectives investigating didn't find the casings, police reports indicated.

Gun Rights SCOTUS Ruling Has Far Reaching Implications
Western Journalism - The case, Stephen Voisine vs. The United States, “involves two plaintiffs who were convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes and were subsequently denied their rights to own a firearm, although no one was seriously injured during the commission of the crimes.... The SCOTUS concluded individuals convicted of “reckless domestic assault,” a misdemeanor, can now have their gun rights revoked and receive a lifetime ban on ownership of firearms.... The ruling passed with a 6-2 vote, with Justice Elena Kagan writing the opinion of the court. “In sum, Congress’s definition of a ‘misdemeanor crime of violence’ contains no exclusion for convictions based on reckless behavior.... Justice Thomas offered the dissenting opinion. Thomas said a crime as simple as texting while driving can now result in an assault conviction which may now give way to a lifetime ban on that individual’s right to own a gun. He wrote, “And while it may be true that such incidents are rarely prosecuted, this decision leaves the right to keep and bear arms up to the discretion of federal, state and local prosecutors.”

Supreme Court Strikes Down Modest Abortion Restrictions
Breitbart - Pro-life supporters suffered their worst defeat in many years on Monday at the U.S. Supreme Court in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, as Justice Anthony Kennedy sided with pro-abortion forces for the first time since 1992, striking down Texas’s HB2 for violating abortion rights. HB2 is a statute requiring abortion doctors in the Lone Star State to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their abortion clinic. The state law also requires every abortion facility to meet the equipment and sanitation standards of an ambulatory surgical center.

'Fear, American Style' preschoolers practicing lockdowns
MassPrivateI - A mother posted the above picture of her three-year-old daughter practicing a lockdown at home. Congratulations, DHS and police. You've done what no parent could have dreamed of twenty years ago, you given kids new nightmares. Instead of kids being afraid of the dark or monsters under the bed, they're now afraid of being killed in school…. Teaching preschool kids and K-12 students to run and hide from an active shooter (terrorist) has become a way of life and a business…. Business are being paid to conduct active shooter drills nationwide at schools, churches, hospitals, businesses, sports stadiums etc. The ALICE Training Institute gets paid to teach schools how to defend themselves against active shooters. Sage Dynamics, ACT Cert and the Center Mass Group are just some of the companies profiting from active shooter drills. Not to be outdone, DHS and the FBI created a “Run, Hide, Fight” program that teaches people how to defend themselves against active shooters.

Election News

Hillary's Lead Over Trump Is Either 1% Or 12% Depending On Which Poll You Believe
Zero Hedge - There have been two new polls released recently by major media outlets, each with vastly different results.... An ABC/Washington Post poll shows that Hillary Clinton has a dominating 12 percentage point lead over Donald Trump among registered voters. The poll was conducted June 20-23, and included 836 registered voters.... On the other hand, the WSJ ran a poll during the same time period, June 19-23, and after asking 1,000 registered voters the outcome was significantly different. The WSJ shows that Trump only trails Clinton by just 5 percentage points. The same polls shows, that if another third party candidate is introduced, Trump is essentially tied with Clinton.... Alas, how the candidates are faring thus far in the view of the public depends on which media outlet one chooses to believe, very much like the case of Brexit.

Video: Trump Chosen by God To Stop America's Destruction - Astounding 2011 Prophecy
Rick Wiles interviews retired firefighter Mark Taylor who was given this prophetic revelation in 2011. The Lord has chosen Mr. Trump to bring America back from the brink of destruction. Mr. Taylor wrote this amazing prophecy in 2011 giving us a glimpse of what's to come and why all who attack Mr. Trump will fall by the wayside. What's amazing is that this revelation has gone forth to thousands. The wrath of God has come not for the people of America but for the leaders of the establishment. The hour of judgment is upon them. The light has begun to shine and the darkness of evil will prevail no more.
* Related Article: God’s Man: Firefighter shares 2011 vision of President Trump

Economy & Business

East Coast states want to tax drivers’ travel, not their gas
The Washington Post - Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Hampshire are proposing pilots to figure out how they might charge motorists a fee for the miles they travel — rather than taxing their gas, as state and federal officials do today.... Officials would stitch together the policies and technologies needed to count the miles driven by 50 recruits from each of the four states, including state legislators, transportation officials or other willing guinea pigs. They would send out “faux invoices” monthly. And they would collect the data that legislatures — and the driving public — would require to decide if the change makes sense.... The Mineta Transportation Institute, which has polled the public on a variety of tax questions for the past seven years, found that the mileage tax was “unwaveringly unpopular.” In the latest survey, which covered 1,500 people and was released this month, the institute found that support ranged between 23 percent and 48 percent, depending on how the question was framed.... Privacy remains a key issue, including how the government can track miles traveled without raising fears of snooping on where people are going.

Another Red Flag: Growth In Fast Food Visits Has Hit A Wall
Zero Hedge - Earlier this month, Nomura came out with fresh downgrades to McDonald's, Domino's, Wendy's, and Papa John's.... Nomura downgraded those restaurants for precisely the same reasons that market research firm NPD Group points out, which is that the growth in visits to fast food restaurants has come to a complete standstill.... CEO's are confirming the slowdown, as Clifford Hudson, CEO of Sonic Corp. told investors that the consumer as become "more guarded", and is even more sensitive to prices than just a few months ago. Wendy's CEO reiterated Hudson's comments, saying "the consumer does continue to be cautious", adding that "it has been hard to really pinpoint what's driving that." Well, allow us to take a shot at that one: the economy has created low paying jobs during the "recovery", and those lower wage workers are as cost burdened as ever as they pay more and more of their income toward rent - that would be a good place to begin to look for answers.

A history lesson about your Social Security card
Bookworm Pro News - Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn’t know this. It’s easy to check out, if you don’t believe it. Be sure and show it to your family and friends. They need a little history lesson on what’s what and it doesn’t matter whether you are Democrat or Republican. Facts are Facts. Social Security Cards up until the 1980s expressly stated the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway and the NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION message was removed…. 1.) That participation in the Program would be Completely voluntary [No longer voluntary], 2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual Incomes into the Program [Now 7.65% on the first $90,000, and 15% on the first $90,000 if you’re self-employed], 3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year [No longer tax deductible]…

Energy & Environment

TransCanada seeks $15B for rejection of Keystone pipeline
Washington Times - TransCanada Inc. filed a request for arbitration Friday under the North American Free Trade Agreement, arguing that the State Department’s actions led the company to believe the project would win approval. Obama rejected a federal permit for the project in November, saying it would have undercut the nation’s reputation as a global leader on addressing climate change. The Calgary-based company argues that it moved forward with the project under the assumption that it would win approval, given numerous federal reviews and the government’s approval of the original Keystone pipeline. It also alleges that the administration rejected the project to bolster its environmental credentials.... Pipeline opponents said the claim highlights a problem with NAFTA as well as the proposed Tran-Pacific Partnership, which Congress has yet to ratify. Both allow foreign companies to challenge domestic laws in front of international arbitration panels, and could be used to circumvent federal environmental rules, said Michael Brune, the Sierra Club’s executive director.

Science & Technology

Microsoft Sued for $10,000 After Windows 10 Auto Update Renders Woman's PC Unusable
Breitbart - [Teri] Goldstein won $10,000 in court from Microsoft after attempts by customer support to fix the issue failed, and the debacle has most likely given those opposed to the aggressive upgrade campaign a satisfied grin. Since its debut to the public last year, everyone with a Windows 7 or 8 operating system will have noticed that Microsoft really wants you to upgrade to Windows 10. Though it’s a free update, Microsoft haven’t reached the number of users that they want to boast on the new system and have progressively made their upgrade notifications more aggressive.... “My worry with this is that they are fundamentally manipulating the trust Windows consumers will have in Windows Update from this point going forward,” said analyst Wes Miller, who claims that the aggressive update pushes are also a security hazard due to the amount of people turning off all of their updates to avoid Windows 10.

Two Women Diagnosed with “Smartphone Blindness”
Natural Society - In the first case, a 22-year-old woman told her eye doctor that she had trouble seeing out of her right eye at night while she was in bed. This occurred multiple times a week for about a year. Each time, she said she could only see the outlines of objects with her right eye, although she didn’t have any problems with her left eye, and both eyes worked just fine during the day. Her eye doctor examined her and found that the woman’s vision was normal, and she didn’t have a blood clot. The second case involves a 40-year-old woman who told doctors she couldn’t see out of one eye when she woke up early in the morning, before sunrise. The vision problem lasted about 15 minutes, and happened off and on for about 6 months. Both doctors later learned the women’s vision problems only occurred after they’d been using a smartphone in bed. They hypothesized that, without realizing it, the patients were looking at their phone with just 1 eye, with the other blocked by a pillow while they were lying down.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

7 Versatile ‘Survival Trees’ Every Homesteader Should Plant
Off the Grid News - The seven trees below will grow across most parts of North America, from the deep south to far north. It was tough to pick just seven: 1. Apples. I continue to feel that apples are one of the most versatile fruits we have. It’s not just because they’re good to eat, but they offer the ability to make apple cider and most significantly, apple cider vinegar. Vinegar is a natural antiseptic and an excellent resource for canning and food preservation…. 2. White willow. Willow bark has a chemical substance called salicin in the inner bark, or xylem. It’s the active ingredient in aspirin and has been infused in a tea for centuries by the Chinese and Native Americans as a pain reliever and fever reducer…. 3. Cherry. Cherry trees have both nutritional and medicinal value. The cherries, whether sweet or sour, can be used across a variety of recipes, from pies to juice. Cherry juice has been shown in clinical studies to be a powerful treatment for arthritic conditions, including gout…. 4. Oak. Oak is a slow-growing tree but it has numerous benefits. As firewood, it burns long and hot. Baby oak leaves are an excellent addition to a salad or soup. The biggest additional benefit may be the acorns. They are high in protein, calories from fat – which is important in cold weather – and can be used in a variety of ways, such as nutmeats in a meal or to make flour.

Health

North Carolina’s Whitewater Center Where Teen Contracted Deadly Amoeba Closes
Natural Society - On June 19, 18-year-old Ohioan Lauren Seitz went whitewater rafting with her church youth group. After her boat capsized, she found herself underwater, where a brain-eating amoeba made its way up her nose. This organism ultimately killed Seitz by inducing a form of meningitis. Originally, the facility where she contracted the amoeba did not plan to shut its doors until they had done further investigating, but now the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina has indefinitely suspended all water activities…. While it was previously thought to be a one in a million occurrence, the center took measures to shut down when, after taking 11 water samples, the amoeba Naegleria Fowleri was present in all of them. The park, however, states that they use ultraviolet radiation to disinfect the water before visitors are allowed in it, which they thought would kill at least 99.9 percent of the bacteria…. This bacteria is typically found in warm, freshwater lakes and is present during the summer. But it can also breed in pipes, hot springs and pools that haven’t been well maintained.

What Is This Petrochemical "Vitamin" Doing In Infant Brains?
Green Med Info - Concerning research reveals that the infant brain is capable of absorbing and accumulating synthetic vitamin E. This petrochemical derivative may have significant downstream adverse effects on gene expression, immune function, and even neurodevelopment. A provocative new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition titled, “The naturally occurring α-tocopherol stereoisomer RRR-α-tocopherol is predominant in the human infant brain,” has found that the infant brain preferentially absorbs and accumulates the natural form of vitamin E over the synthetic form, but it does so incompletely. The researchers obtained their findings analyzing both the total α-tocopherol (RRR-α-tocopherol/natural) and α-tocopherol stereoisomers (8 different synthetic molecules) in the frontal cortex (FC), hippocampus (HPC) and visual cortex (VC) of infants (n 36) who died of sudden infant death syndrome or other conditions.

Toxic dishwasher capsule loaded with chemicals that cause severe respiratory issues and cancer
Living Traditionally -The contents of automatic dishwasher detergents are highly toxic and if you read the label it is clearly stated that it is “harmful if swallowed” and “burns skin and throat.” These following ingredients have the potential to cause long term health issues. Ammonia – Ammonia is a very volatile chemical and can be to your health. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract and can result in blindness, lung damage or death. Coal Tar Dyes – Coal tar dyes are artificial coloring agents that are made from petroleum distillates. Dyes in cleaning products can be absorbed through the skin or ingested in the case of soap residue on dishes. Cocamide dea – This is a chemically-modified form of coconut oil used as a foaming agent. It’s also a possible carcinogen. Chlorine bleach – Concentrated amounts of chlorine is a leading ingredient of commercial dishwashing detergents. Due to the concentration of this cleaning agent, it has also become the #1 cause of household poisoning. Each time you wash your dishes, detergent residue is left on them, which accumulates with each washing and is picked up next time you use the dish. Further, when chlorine is released, it’s fumes are also released into the air thus causing bronchial issues and asthma….

Pet News

Italian City to Use Silent Fireworks Out of Respect for Animals
The Catington Post - Cats, dogs, and other animals living in the Italian town of Collecchio will rest a little easier during city-wide celebrations as the local government mandates that only silent fireworks be used out of respect for the animals. More pets are lost, frightened, and stressed during holidays and special events in which fireworks are used in celebration than any other time of the year. When spooked by a barrage of pops, bangs, and explosions, cats often bolt, running away to escape the blasts. Each year, hundreds of pets never make it back home again. That’s why the town of Collecchio in Italy’s Parma province have passed new legislation that forces citizens to use silent fireworks as a way to minimize the fear and trauma cats, dogs, and other animals experience during the celebratory displays.
* Related: Infographic: How to Keep Canines Safe For 4th of July Fireworks
 



Monday - June 27, 2016  -  Today in History:

1844 - Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Ill.
1893 - The New York stock market crashed.
1944 - American forces completed their capture of the French port of Cherbourg from the Germans three weeks after D-Day.
1957 - More than 500 people were killed when Hurricane Audrey slammed through coastal Louisiana and Texas.
1969 - Patrons at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, clashed with police in an incident considered to be the birth of the gay rights movement.
1972 The video game company Atari was founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in Santa Clara, Calif.
1977 - Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, was named a cardinal by Pope Paul VI.
1980 - President Jimmy Carter signed legislation reviving draft registration.
1985 - Route 66, which originally stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., passed into history as officials decertified the road.
2005 - BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to 10 murders that spread fear across Wichita, Kan., beginning in the 1970s. (He later received multiple life sentences.)
2005 - In Alaska's Denali National Park, a roughly 70-million year old dinosaur track was discovered. The track was form a three-toed Cretaceous period dinosaur.
2007 - Gordon Brown became British prime minister, succeeding Tony Blair.
2011 - Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted by a federal jury in Chicago of corruption. (He was later sentenced to 14 years in prison.)

World News

Russian State Duma Passes Total Ban on GMO Crops and Animals
Russia’s State Duma adopted Friday the third and final reading of a government bill that introduces a total ban on the cultivation and breeding in Russia of genetically modified (GM) plants and animals, except for scientific research purpose. The Sate Duma has also given the Russian Government the right to prevent the import of products containing GMOs in to Russia, if it is revealed that a specific GMO has a negative impact on human health and/or the environment…. The additions in the final bill included the introduction of fines that will be placed on people or companies that violate the ban: a fine of 10,000-50,000 ($150-$750) rubles for individuals and 100,000-500,000 rubles for legal entities ($1,500-$7,500).

Brexit is just the beginning of a popular revolt against elites
MarketWatch - [PM David] Cameron will step down, as political accountability in a parliamentary system demands. He miscalculated and lost big time, staking his political future on a Remain vote.... The nerve of the leader of one of the world’s oldest democracies to actually let the voting public decide the future of the nation.... he committed the unforgivable sin of allowing democracy to function, a debate to be held, and voters to choose. In doing so, Cameron has opened a Pandora’s box of insurgency against the political elite in Europe. The British vote in favor of leaving the EU will embolden euroskeptic forces in other European countries to demand their own referendums or to win sufficient support in their parliaments to break with Brussels if it cannot implement fundamental reforms.... Financial markets are throwing a colossal tantrum because investment banks and other big market players placed their Brexit bets wrong. But investors had better get used to a lot of volatility because Brexit is just the beginning. A restless, beaten-down public has drawn the first blood in a rebellion against a neoliberal economic orthodoxy committed to globalization that has sucked the life out of whole communities and blighted the future of a generation.

Brexit Panic-Monger Osborne To Make Statement "To Calm Markets"
Zero Hedge - Just days after spreading fear and panic over the outcome of a Brexit vote, propangandizing that The UK will sufffer "years of recession," UK Chancellor George Osborne will issue a statement early on Monday morning in a bid to calm markets after the surprise Brexit vote triggered turmoil on Friday. A week ago, IBTimes reports, up to 800,000 jobs across the UK could be axed if Britain broke away from the EU, George Osborne has warned. The chancellor, speaking at home improvement store B&Q, claimed a 'Leave' vote at the 23 June referendum would almost immediately trigger a year-long "DIY recession".... But now that it is done, Osborne is coming out to calm markets.... A Treasury spokesman said: "The Chancellor will make a statement to provide reassurance about financial and economic stability in light of the referendum result and the actions that he and the rest of the Government will be taking to protect the national interest over the coming period."

‘Safe & secure’ platform? Brexit re-vote petition signed 3.5mn times amid mass fraud probe
RT UK - Britain’s House of Commons Petition Committee announced on Sunday that it has removed around 77,000 signatures that authorities say were “added fraudulently,” and will continue to monitor the platform for “suspicious activity.”... The Committee emphasized that the website has not been “hacked,” and that it is “working and secure.” “The petitions website has not been hacked,” authorities said via Twitter. “Fraudulent signatures have been and will continue to be removed, to ensure the site’s integrity.” Authorities are urging the public to “properly” sign the petition, which got over 3.5 million signatures over the weekend, after 52 percent of Brits opted to leave the EU in a referendum held Thursday.... It seems that officials have indeed removed tens of thousands of fraudulent signatures from all across the globe, including such bizarre places as North Korea and the Vatican. But even without the overseas support, the petition has still been signed by over 3.3 million alleged Britons, according to the raw data. However, closer scrutiny of the petition platform outlines a number of shortcomings in the system, which lacks any filter of potentially-fraudulent signs. It relies solely on the goodwill and honesty of the individual filling out the form. No serious security checks were introduced to confirm identity of the signatory.

Colombia, FARC to make cease-fire, disarmament official after half-century civil war
Washington Times - While the agreement comes months after a self-imposed March deadline set by the two sides, U.S. officials hailed the development Wednesday as “an important step forward” in the elusive effort to formally end a guerrilla war that has killed more than 220,000 people, displaced millions of Colombians over the past half-century and proved a source of instability and drug trafficking across Latin America.... The majority of Colombians alive today have never known their country to be undivided and at peace.... In addition to announcing a framework for the cease-fire, both sides said they agreed on how the FARC’s estimated 7,000 fighters will demobilize and hand over their weapons, as well as on the security guarantees that will be provided to leftist activists after the conflict ends.... The government and the rebels must still settle on a mechanism for selecting judges who will preside over special peace tribunals evaluating the war crimes of guerrillas as well as the Colombian military.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

VIDEO: Judge Napolitano: “Nobody died until 05:13 in the morning”
TRUNEWS - According to the FBI the supposed Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen, entering the club around 02:00 AM and began his killing spree. However, as Judge Andrew Napolitano points out in this clip, that story — the story based off of the unredacted FBI transcript released Monday — doesn’t just directly contradict eye witness testimony, but the FBI’s official narrative itself!… On June 20th, speaking as a guest on Fox News’s talk show Outnumbered, Judge Napolitano says: “These are in two parts, theres an actual transcript, and then theres a summary of the rest. Here’s whats news in the summary, nobody died until 05:13 in the morning, when the SWAT team entered, prior to that no one had been killed. The 53 that were injured, and the 49 that were murdered all met their fates at the time of, and during, the police entry into the building.”

Texas, California secession movements boosted by Brexit
Washington Times - For pro-independence activists like California’s Louis Marinelli, what makes the Brexit vote so important is that it shows secession isn’t just a relic of the 19th century.... “And so now Californians who hear the word ‘secession,’ they don’t have to think of the Civil War any more,” he said. “Now they have a modern day example of how it can happen peacefully and legally and constitutionally, and that’s the path and process we intend to mimic here in California.”.... Within hours of the Brexit vote, Texas independence activist Daniel Miller was flooded with messages from people in other states with one question: How can we do this?.... Mr. Miller took advantage of the social-media blitz to call for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to “support a similar vote for Texans.” An online sign-up sheet on the Texas Nationalist Movement website asking voters to pledge to support a state independence referendum has grown by about 3,000 signatures for a total of more than 264,000 since the Brexit election.

Stabbings In Sacramento as Neo-Nazis, 'Anti-Fa' [Anti-Fascist] Clash at Capitol
Breitbart - Seven people were sent to the hospital with stab wounds, two with life-threatening injuries, on Sunday afternoon as Black Bloc anarchists attacked and fought with white supremacist groups outside the state Capitol in Sacramento.... The Black Bloc activists were part of a militant leftist “anti-fascist” group,”Antifa Sacramento.” The right-wing extremists were members of the Traditionalist Worker Party and the Golden State Skinheads, and were holding a permitted rally.... The Los Angeles Times also reported: Some protesters came dressed for battle, several seen carrying wooden batons and some wearing plastic shields. “They came ready to fight,” said Cooper.... Members of “anti-fascist” groups like the ones who attacked protestors have also been been responsible for a number of attacks around the country, including attacks on Donald Trump supporters at recent rallies. Some of these attacks follow hyperbolic allegations by some on the left (and even some on the right, such as Glenn Beck) that Donald Trump is “Hitler.”.... Although the fringe Traditionalist Workers Party group claims to be against leftism, its political agenda shares many similarities with the far left, including its avowed support for socialism and its hostility to Israel and “Zionists.”

Election News

Video: The Simpsons PREDICTED a Donald Trump presidency
The Simpsons PREDICTED a Donald Trump presidency... and it didn't end well: Time travel episode from 2000 featured 'broke' nation reliant on aid from CHINA. Donald Trump's bid for the White House and ascendancy in the polls has surprised many - but The Simpsons called it 15 years ago. The cartoon foretold a Trump presidency in a surreal episode where Bart is given a window into the future - and found a country brought to its knees by financial mismanagement and a crime wave ushered in by The Donald.

2016 Presidential Candidate Found Dead At Cleveland Motel
Western Journalism - A “fearless advocate for liberty” who sought the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president has been found dead. Dr. Marc A. Feldman, 56, of Cleveland, was found dead Wednesday at the Americas Best Value Inn near the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. No official cause of death has been released. Feldman lost the Libertarian nomination in May to former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson. “How do you make a miracle happen?” he said once. “Start by asking for what you want, and see what you get. Sometimes you’re not given what you ask for, you’re given what you need.” He called himself the “No fear” candidate. At the Libertarian convention, he rapped his concluding statement. “I’m that be what you want to be Libertarian,” he began. “That Muslim Libertarian, that Jew Libertarian, the Christian, Atheist, Hin-DU Libertarian.”

Veteran News

Harold Schultz identified as Iwo Jima flag-bearer after three-month investigation
Washington Times - For over 70 years, the image of six Marines raising the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi, high above the beaches and jungles of Iwo Jima, stood an icon to generations of Americans to the struggle, sacrifice and ultimate victory over Japan in World War II. It was likely no different for the family of Pfc. 1st Class Harold Schultz, a young Marine who decades earlier also fought on that Pacific island dot, the site of some of the war’s bloodiest fighting in which 26,000 Marines were wounded or killed over a month in the spring of 1945. But it wasn’t until Thursday that Schultz’s relatives were told officially that their family played a much bigger role than they, or the Marine Corps and Pentagon, had known in producing that Pulitzer Prize-winning image that came to define the American wartime experience in the Pacific. After a three-month investigation into the Iwo Jima photograph, ordered by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller, service officials determined that Schultz was the sixth of the original flag-bearers, not Navy Corpsman John Bradley, as The Associated Press initially reported and had become official history since.... But a team of researchers and historians working on a documentary about Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, the man who took the picture, ensured that Schultz would take his spot in American history and Marine Corps lore. Researchers working on the documentary began to notice several discrepancies in the pictures Rosenthal took of the flag-raising that day.

Economy & Business

750,000 Californians Past The Age Of 65 Are Still Working
Zero Hedge - ... more than 740,000 California residents between ages 65 and 74 are employed or looking for work, roughly double the number from 15 years ago, according to a Sacramento Bee review of the latest census data. The percent of Californians ages 65-69 who are still working or looking for work has increased dramatically since 1990, and still remains well over 30%. The percent of residents between 70-74 who are still working or looking for work has trended up since 1990 as well, although much more gradually, and remains just under 20%. Not surprisingly, seniors in the Bay Area (due to the tech bubble ...) and Los Angeles metro area are most likely to work past 65. Perhaps the most interesting thing from the Bee's report is that the jobs that seniors are holding are traditionally higher paying, which implies the cost of living is so horrendous in California that literally everyone is struggling to make ends meet, let alone get ahead in order to retire. However, older workers are still performing jobs that younger workers are more likely to perform, which again is a red flag that older workers are doing anything they can in order to continue to earn money in what is considered retirement age. It is notable that these types of jobs are lower paying jobs, which one can infer the severity of older workers needs to make ends meet.

Science & Technology

Missouri is installing solar power grabbing pavement on Route 66
TheNextWeb - Part of its ‘Road to Tomorrow Initiative,’ Missouri’s Department of Transportation is teaming with Solar Roadways, an Idaho-based startup... to cover an undetermined length of Historic Route 66 with road-ready solar panels. [initiative leader Tom] Blair also told The [Kansas City] Star that the bulk of its efforts will be crowdfunded. After receiving a $100,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration to build a prototype, and a pair of $750,000 research grants from the US Department of Transportation, the group has raised more than $2 million of its own to complete the project through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Solar Roadways’ panels are tempered safety glass that are as strong as they are efficient. In addition to harnessing energy from the sun, they also come with LED lighting to effectively replace road lines and signage. While obviously more expensive to install upfront, the panels do have the benefit of being completely modular, which would allow for quick and cheap repairs by just swapping out the broken panels rather than re-paving entire stretches of road.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

The Great Lakes Water Wars Have Begun After U.S. Officials Approve Drawing 30 Million Liters Per Day
Natural Blaze - A group of eight U.S. officials have voted to allow a Wisconsin-based region to begin drawing 30 million liters of water a day from lake Michigan for drinking water. A Canadian Mayor has spoken out on the recently-approved plan calling the recent decision “the end of the Great Lakes as we know them.” Last year, the city of Waukesha in Wisconsin had asked the Great Lake states for permission to divert water from Lake Michigan because its own aquifer is running low and the water is contaminated with high levels of naturally occurring cancer-causing radium. A panel representing governors of the eight states adjoining the Great Lakes unanimously approved a proposal from Waukesha, which is under a court order to find a solution to the radium contamination of its groundwater wells. The city says the project will cost over $200 million for engineering studies, pipelines and other infrastructure.

Health

Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism, Pediatricians Do
Health Impact News - I really wouldn’t have believed this if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Did you know that Pediatricians actually get cash bonuses from insurance companies for having fully vaccinated patients in their practice? Here’s a screenshot of a 2016 “Provider Incentive Practice” explaining to Doctors a simple incentive… Blue Cross will give your pediatrician $400 per child that has received 100% of the 25 vaccines they recommend by the age of 2. Incredible!!! Pediatric practices, according to this study, average 1,546 patients per doctor. This means that a 5-doctor pediatric practice, if they reach 100% compliance on vaccinations, will receive a bonus of just over $3,000,000 (that’s not a typo, my math is right, that’s $3 million bucks!!). Does your pediatrician have a conflict in considering the benefits and risks of vaccines?

Couple Sentenced to Prison for Seeking Natural Remedies for Son’s Illness
Natural Blaze - Should the parents of a child who sought out a homeopathic treatment instead of traditional medicine for their son’s illness be punished if that treatment fails? An Alberta court says, ‘yes.’ Judge Rodney Jerke sentenced David Stephan to four months in prison this week and his wife Collet Stephan to three months of house arrest. The couple was found ‘guilty’ earlier this year of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month-old son, Ezekiel, who contracted meningitis in 2012. According to court documents, when their son became ill, the Stephans tried to treat Ezekiel with natural remedies of hot peppers, garlic, onions, and horseradish. Not until Ezekiel stopped breathing did the Stephans seek out traditional medical help by dialing 9-1-1. Only because the treatment, however ill-advised, failed, did the parents receive any attention. The troublesome aspect about this ruling and subsequent sentencing is had Ezekiel died from meningitis while undergoing care from traditional medical doctors, he would have never received attention from law enforcement. Also, the couple would have been given sympathy and remorse from the community instead of hate and contempt.
 



Friday - June 24, 2016  -  Today in History:

1664 - New Jersey, named after the Isle of Jersey, was founded.
1675 - King Philip's War began when Indians massacre colonists at Swansee, Plymouth colony.
1717 - The Freemasons were founded in London.
1861 - Federal gunboats attacked Confederate batteries at Mathias Point, Virginia.
1862 - U.S. intervention saved the British and French at the Dagu forts in China.
1896 - Booker T. Washington became the first African American to receive an honorary MA degree from Howard University.
1908 - Former President Grover Cleveland died in Princeton, N.J., at age 71.
1910 - The Japanese army invaded Korea.
1940 - TV cameras were used for the first time in a political convention as the Republicans convened in Philadelphia, PA.
1941 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt pledged all possible support to the Soviet Union.
1948 - The Soviet Union began the Berlin Blockade.
1955 - Soviet MIG's down a U.S. Navy patrol plane over the Bering Strait.
1964 - The Federal Trade Commission announced that starting in 1965, cigarette manufactures would be required to include warnings on their packaging about the harmful effects of smoking.
1970 - The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
1982 - The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that no president could be sued for damages connected with actions taken while serving as President of the United States.
1986 - The Empire State Building was designated a National Historic Landmark.
1997 - The U.S. Air Force released a report titled "The Roswell Report, Case Closed" that dismissed the claims that an alien spacecraft had crashed in Roswell, NM, in 1947.
2002 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that juries, not judges, must make the decision to give a convicted killer the death penalty.

World News

Brexit: UK votes to leave EU in historic referendum
BBC - The UK has voted by 52% to 48% to leave the European Union after 43 years in an historic referendum. London and Scotland voted strongly to stay in the EU but the remain vote has been undermined by poor results in the north of England…. The referendum turnout was 71.8% - with more than 30 million people voting - the highest turnout at a UK election since 1992. Wales and the majority of England outside London voted in large numbers for Brexit…. Britain would be the first country to leave the EU since its formation - but a leave vote will not immediately mean Britain ceases to be a member of the 28-nation bloc. That process could take a minimum of two years, with Leave campaigners suggesting during the referendum campaign that it should not be completed until 2020 - the date of the next scheduled general election.

Brexit Infects Global Markets as Unprecedented Moves Accumulate
Bloomberg - Global markets buckled as Britain’s vote on European Union membership infected every asset class. The pound plunged by a record and the euro slid by the most since it was introduced in 1999 as the BBC projected a victory for the "Leave" campaign with most votes counted in Britain’s referendum on membership of the European Union. South Africa’s rand led slides among the currencies of commodity-exporting nations as oil sank to about $47 a barrel and industrial metals slumped. The yen surged and gold soared with U.S. Treasuries as investors piled into haven assets. Futures on the FTSE 100 Index plunged with S&P 500 Index contracts as Asian stocks dropped by the most in 10 months.

Auxit, Frexit, Nexit? EU countries may hold referendums following 'Brexit' vote
RT - A new survey has found that 40 percent of Austrians want their own referendum on EU membership. The survey, conducted by Peter Hajek Opinion Strategies, found that 38 percent of respondents were in favor of an ‘Auxit.’… Polls recently conducted in Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Hungary also showed that these countries could follow Britain if it succeeds in leaving the EU.

Vote Fraud? Brexit Supporters Fear Ballots Marked in Pencil Could be Changed
Paul Joseph Watson - Brexit supporters are worried that ballot papers could be compromised in today’s huge EU referendum vote because voting booths only provide pencils. Numerous Brits took to Twitter to express concerns that votes could be changed by corrupt electoral staff. Reports are already coming in that voters are being told they can’t use their own pens and must use a pencil to vote, although the Electoral Reform Society has said that voters can bring their own pen.

Proposed ‘EU Army’ Hidden From British Voters Until After Brexit
Clifford Cunningham - The Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, which envisions the formation of new European military and operational structures, was drafted by Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. While the plan clearly lays the framework for a European Union army, details will not be released publicly until the day after the Brexit vote so as not to inflame public opinion in the UK. Only a small group of EU political and security committee ambassadors, who are required to leave their electronic devices outside a sealed room, can read the proposal; however, they are allowed to take and remove handwritten notes. Despite being dismissed by many, including former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrat) who referred to the idea as “dangerous fantasy,” numerous high-level officials in the EU have suggested the idea in the past. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission and a former Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Luxembourg, is a long-time advocate for the creation of an EU army to combat the perceived threat to Europe from Russia.

Suicide belt, grenade found near German cinema complex attacker - Bild
RT - An armed man who was gunned down by the police at a cinema complex in Viernheim, western Germany, had a hand grenade and was wearing a suicide belt, German Bild newspaper reports. According to the paper, the grenade was discovered by the police after the incident. An eyewitness told Bild that the attacker was speaking in “broken German language.” The police said that they currently have no leads linking the man to radical Islam, and other motives are being looked into. A masked man entered the cinema at midday on Thursday. According to initial reports, he was carrying a rifle and had cartridge belt around his shoulder…. One of the hostages, Almir H., 16, told the paper that the gunman ordered them to lie down on the floor in the toilet, threatening to shoot if the hostages didn’t obey his command. When he ran out of the restroom “there were apparently four shots, but I do not know whether that is true,” he said. Initial reports claimed that 20 to 50 people were injured in the incident. But police later said that all hostages were released unharmed after the perpetrator was neutralized.
* Related: Attacker dead after hostage situation at German movie theater

Russia wants UNSC to pressure Turkey to respect Syria’s sovereignty & borders
RT - Russia expects members of the UN Security Council to investigate reports of Turkish fortifications on Syrian territory, undermining efforts to settle the conflict, and pressure Ankara to seal the border and respect the sovereignty of its neighbor. Addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) back on June 8, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin urged the body to check reports that Turkey is fortifying its positions on the territory of Syria with “reinforced concrete” structures. More than two weeks later, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Vladimir Safronkov, once again brought up the issue of “Turkish illegal wall construction on Syrian territory.”

U.N. Bows To Saudi Financial Threats, Removes KSA From Child Killers List
Brandon Turbeville - After numerous reports began surfacing regarding Saudi cruelty and the oppressive Saudi state, and after a massive torrent of coverage coming from the alternative press, the crimes of the Saudi monarchy could no longer be completely ignored; a fact which has highlighted not only the horrors of Saudi leadership but the hypocrisy of the West. Thus, after a significant exposé of Saudi war crimes and human rights violations at home and abroad, even the United Nations could no longer remain silent. As a result, the U.N.’s “Children And Armed Conflict” report for 2015 listed Saudi Arabia and its anti-Houthi coalition in Yemen as “parties that kill or maim children” and “parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.” The report’s findings were based on the work of U.N. researchers stationed in Yemen who attributed 60 percent of killed and injured children in that country to the bombs dropped by the Saudi coalition. Yet Saudi Arabia’s name was eventually struck off the list provided in the report less than a week after it was released, a decision that was made by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The reason for Ki-moon’s “revision” of the report was simple – he was threatened with the loss of funds being provided for U.N. relief efforts in Syria, Sudan, and Palestine if he did not remove Saudi Arabia from the list of child killers.

Chinese Bankruptcies Surge More Than 50% In Q1; Worse To Come
Zero Hedge - Chinese bankruptcies have surged this year "as the government uses the legal system to deal with “zombie” companies and reduce industrial overcapacity as part of a broader effort to restructure the economy." In just the first quarter of 2016, Chinese courts have accepted 1,028 bankruptcy cases, up a whopping 52.5% from a year earlier, according to the Supreme People’s Court.

Israel blames Palestinians for water shortages in West Bank
RT - Israeli authorities blame Palestinians’ unwillingness to upgrade aging infrastructure as the primary reason for increased water shortages in the West Bank. Palestinians accuse their neighbors of blackmailing and holding water supplies hostage. Since the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Palestinian villages east of Nablus have been suffering from a water shortage amid soaring summer heat. The Palestinian Water Authority’s inability to set up additional water infrastructure in the West Bank “has led to the old and limited pipes being unable to transfer all the water needed in the region,” said Israel Water Authority spokesman Uri Schor. A senior Palestinian Water Authority official rejected the claim, saying that Tel Aviv is “misleading the public.” Locals living in the West Bank blame the Israeli water company Mekorot for cutting water supplies, which the utility company has denied doing. Palestinians at the same time argue that quota for neighboring Jewish settlements located in the West Bank is much higher.

Europe's robots to become 'electronic persons' under draft plan
(Reuters) - Europe's growing army of robot workers could be classed as "electronic persons" and their owners liable to paying social security for them if the European Union adopts a draft plan to address the realities of a new industrial revolution. Robots are being deployed in ever-greater numbers in factories and also taking on tasks such as personal care or surgery, raising fears over unemployment, wealth inequality and alienation. Their growing intelligence, pervasiveness and autonomy requires rethinking everything from taxation to legal liability, a draft European Parliament motion, dated May 31, suggests…. The draft motion called on the European Commission to consider "that at least the most sophisticated autonomous robots could be established as having the status of electronic persons with specific rights and obligations". It also suggested the creation of a register for smart autonomous robots, which would link each one to funds established to cover its legal liabilities.… The draft motion, drawn up by the European parliament's committee on legal affairs also said organizations should have to declare savings they made in social security contributions by using robotics instead of people, for tax purposes…. The motion faces an uphill battle to win backing from the various political blocks in European Parliament. Even if it did get enough support to pass, it would be a non-binding resolution as the Parliament lacks the authority to propose legislation.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Obama immigration plan blocked by 4-4 tie at Supreme Court
(AP) - The Supreme Court deadlocked Thursday on President Barack Obama's immigration plan that sought to shield millions living in the U.S. illegally from deportation, effectively killing the plan for the rest of his presidency. The outcome underscores that the direction of U.S. immigration policy will be determined in large part by this fall's presidential election, a campaign in which immigration already has played an outsized role. People who would have benefited from Obama's plan face no imminent threat of deportation because Congress has provided money to deal with only a small percentage of people who live in the country illegally, and the president retains ample discretion to decide whom to deport. But Obama's effort to expand that protection to many others is effectively stymied.

New Evidence of Multiple Participants in Orlando Shooting
Kurt Nimmo - On Wednesday, Catherine Herridge told the “Kelly File” audio captured on cell phones during the attack reveals Mateen was conversing with one or more people about tactics and he “was not talking to 911.” On Wednesday, Catherine Herridge told the “Kelly File” audio captured on cell phones during the attack reveals Mateen was conversing with one or more people about tactics and he “was not talking to 911.” “The eyewitness said that the shooter made mention that he was the ‘fourth shooter’ and that there were ‘three others,’ ‘snipers,’ along with a ‘female suicide bomber’ that was playing dead.” This and other eyewitness reports were ignored as the government and the corporate media crafted the narrative of a “lone wolf” gunman who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The Obama administration subsequently attempted to omit any mention of radical Islam when it released a transcript of audio allegedly recorded during a 911 call made by Mateen. This backfired and the Justice Department eventually released an unedited version.

Orlando Shooter Spent Final Days Obsessing Over Psychotropic Drugs — Feds Suppressed This Info
Activist Post - The deranged psychopath responsible for the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history may have been on dangerous psychotropic drugs according to a report out of Reuters on Thursday. What’s more, government officials knew this information but told a witness to not to say anything about it…. Speaking with anonymity to Reuters, an acquaintance, who frequently ran into Mateen at work, said they watched him drastically change just prior to the shooting. According to the source, who saw Mateen the day of the shooting, he dramatically changed his appearance that fateful day. Mateen shaved his head and face and seemed agitated and surly just before he went on a killing spree. But that is not all; the acquaintance said that Mateen was infatuated with anti-psychosis medication in the days before the shooting. Mateen told the acquaintance that he was tired from staying up all night researching the drugs.

‘Radical Islam!’ shouts interrupt Dem. House sit-in over gun control
RT - A war of words erupted on the House floor in Washington on Wednesday as dozens of Democrats staged a sit-in to push for votes on gun-control bills. Tensions flared when Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas derailed the debate shouting “Radical Islam!” Democrats chanted “No bill, no break!” holding pieces of paper with the names of victims of gun violence across the US…. The confrontation between the Democrats and Republicans nearly turned physical when Gohmert began yelling, “radical Islam killed these people, ISIS killed these people,” CBSNews reported.

Journalist Tries to Buy AR-15, but It’s Not as Easy as He Thought
Neil Steinberg, a journalist with the Chicago-Sun Times, recently attempted to buy a Smith & Wesson M&P AR-15 for his anti-gun hit piece. Since this was in Illinois he had to attain a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card, then fill out paperwork for a background check, and then wait 24 hours to pick up the firearm. Unfortunately for Steinberg, this attempt to prove that firearms are just too easy to buy in America was a failure. During the background check it was discovered that he had a criminal record. According to the gun store, “It was uncovered that Mr. Steinberg has an admitted history of alcohol abuse, and a charge for domestic battery involving his wife.” For some reason Steinberg went with the story anyway, despite the fact that it proves current laws are already restrictive for violent and irresponsible people, like himself. He played it off as if the gun store was out to get him because they knew he was a journalist doing a piece, and they didn’t want the bad publicity. “Would-be terrorists can buy guns. Insane people can buy guns. But reporters . . . that’s a different story.”

The Latest Law Enforcement Trend: Porn Sniffing Dogs
Activist Post - Of course, these dogs don’t sniff out grubby magazines and old VHS tapes. They can sense hidden flash drives, because they’re taught to seek out an adhesive that is commonly found in SD cards and USB drives. The term “porn sniffing” dog was first coined after one of these animals aided in the arrest of former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle. While there’s no doubt that these dogs can help from time to time, as PINAC has pointed out, their costs likely outweigh their utility. More importantly, these dogs may open a whole new avenue for the police to violate your rights. As of now these dogs are being presented by the media as the latest and greatest tool for combating child predators who may have illicit pornography stashed away on a flash drive. That’s certainly noble, but that won’t be the end of it. It won’t be long before these dogs are used for everything. After all, just about any crime you can think of may potentially have evidence on a flash drive. In the future, being accused of any crime, no matter how trivial, could lead to a search for evidence on flash drives. The police could use a minor accusation as an excuse to find evidence of a more serious crime before sending out the dogs to sniff out your flash drives, and every private moment you have saved on them. In fact, that’s pretty much how drug dogs are used now.

Election News

Donald Trump to Visit UK after Brexit Vote; Republicans say ‘Strategic Mistake’
Breitbart - Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump will hold a press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony at Trump Turnberry in Scotland on Friday, the day after the Brexit vote where voters decided whether or not the United Kingdom should remain part of the European Union (EU). Voters who support Britain leaving the EU want to have full control over the borders and want to stop the free flow of immigration. They also argue that being a member of the EU is holding Britain back because of too many regulations on businesses. Trump has said that he would “be more inclined to leave [the EU], for a lot of reasons, like having a lot less bureaucracy.” He has repeatedly voiced opposition and concern for open-border policies, especially due to an increased risk of radical Islamic terrorism. The billionaire’s trip to Scotland to visit his golf course has come under scrutiny from some Republican strategists…. “After Trump’s speech going after Hillary Clinton, one could imagine him doing a series of rallies across the United States to pound that same speech home in battleground states,” stated Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist. “When Trump chooses to go to his golf resort in Scotland, it sends a message to the fundraising community as well as Republicans on the fence that he’s not making smart strategic decisions.”

Trump: SCOTUS ‘Kept us Safe from Exec Amnesty–for Now’
Breitbart - Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump reacted to the decision on Thursday by the Supreme Court to block President Obama’s executive amnesty…. “Today’s 4-4 Supreme Court ruling has blocked one of the most unconstitutional actions ever undertaken by a President. The executive amnesty from President Obama wiped away the immigration rules written by Congress, giving work permits and entitlement benefits to people illegally in the country. This split decision also makes clear what is at stake in November. The election, and the Supreme Court appointments that come with it will decide whether or not we have a border and, hence, a country. Clinton has pledged to expand Obama’s executive amnesty, hurting poor African-American and Hispanic workers by giving away their jobs and federal resources to illegal immigrant labor – while making us all less safe. It is time to protect our country and Make America Safe Again and Great Again for everyone,” Trump stated in a press release.

TRUMP’S Record-Setting Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski Lands Job at CNN
The Gateway Pundit - Corey Lewandowski, who led Donald Trump to a record-setting Republican primary victory, landed a job at CNN it was announced today. The Politico reported: Former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is joining CNN as a political commentator, according to a source familiar with the arrangement. It’s a salaried position and will make Lewandowski exclusive to CNN, effective immediately. The hiring comes just three days after Trump fired Lewandowski, ending the tenure of the fiery operative who faced a steady string of controversies while guiding Trump’s skeleton campaign operation to a shocking victory in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. That same afternoon, his first in-studio interview was with CNN’s Dana Bash (an NBC News reporter caught up with him outside of Lewandowski’s apartment as he headed down to the studio). Following his interview with Bash on Monday, Lewandowski went straight from the set and into a meeting with CNN executives according to a separate source who witnessed Lewandowski enter the meeting.

Economy & Business

Social Security trust fund projected to run dry by 2034
CNN - That doesn't mean retirees will get nothing by 2034. It means that at that point the program will only have enough revenue coming in to pay 79% of promised benefits. So if you're expecting to get $2,000 a month, the program will only be able to pay $1,580. Technically, Social Security is funded by two trust funds -- one for retiree benefits and one for disability benefits. The 2034 date is the exhaustion date for both funds when combined. But if considered separately, the old-age fund will be exhausted by 2035, after which it would be able to pay just 77% of benefits. And the disability fund will be tapped out by 2023, at which point it could only pay out 89% of promised benefits. To make all of Social Security solvent for the next 75 years would require the equivalent of any of the following: immediately raising the Social Security payroll tax rate to 14.98% from 12.4% on the first $118,500 of wages; cutting benefits by 16%; or some combination of the two…. In terms of Medicare, the trustees project that the trust fund for Part A, which covers hospital costs for seniors, will run dry by 2028. That's two years earlier than they projected last year, due to lower than expected payroll taxes and a slower-than-estimated rate of reduction in inpatient use of hospital services.

Energy & Environment

Pipeline Ruptures Spilling 29,000 Gallons of Oil, Just Hours After Obama Signs PIPES Act
EcoWatch - On Wednesday, President Obama signed the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016 into law. The bill, known as the PIPES Act, reauthorizes the federal government to move swiftly in the event of a pipeline leak or rupture. Specifically, the Secretary of Transportation is allowed to issue emergency orders if the unthinkable happens. The reauthorization was in response to the natural gas pipeline rupture in California where an estimated 97,000 tons of gas were released from the Aliso Canyon pipeline near Porter Ranch. The bill also includes new mandates on construction to insure the safety of future pipelines and to reduce the chances of another massive leak. Ironically and very disturbingly, less than 24 hours after the bill was signed into law, an oil pipeline in Ventura County, California ruptured and current estimates put the amount of oil leaked at more than 29,000 gallons, though that number continues to rise…. When the leak was discovered, the company shut the pipeline down, but the oil remaining in the pipeline continues to flow out.

2.6 Million Dead Bees Delivered to EPA Headquarters
EcoWatch - A truck full of dead bees made its final stop at a rally outside the headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wednesday, culminating a coast-to-coast tour to raise awareness about recent massive declines in pollinators. While the millions of dead bees stayed in the truck, advocates and beekeepers delivered more than 4 million signatures urging an immediate ban on bee-killing pesticides…. One culprit in the bee die-off is the widely-used class of pesticides called neonicotinoids or neonics…. “The science is clear and convincing. To be truly effective, we need a nationwide policy to protect our pollinators before the crisis gets completely out of control,” said Del. Anne Healey, sponsor of Maryland’s Pollinator Protection Act, the first bill passed in the U.S. to eliminate consumer use of neonics.

Health

Get Your Fix of Health Benefits With Ginger Oil
Dr. Mercola - The benefits of ginger for relieving pain are widely known today, and while I prefer using fresh ginger (eaten raw, grated into your vegetable juice, or steeped into tea), using ginger oil can provide these wholesome benefits as well. When used topically, ginger oil can help relieve aches and pain, as well as promote normal blood circulation. Aromatherapists also value ginger oil's soothing and warming qualities to help address digestive problems. In fact, this is one of ginger oil's most popular uses: relieving any kind of digestive upset, such as nausea, indigestion, diarrhea, gas, and even morning sickness. Here are some ways to use ginger oil for various health problems… Apply two to three drops in a diffuser, or place on a cotton ball or your handkerchief, and then inhale. This will help reenergize and revitalize your body, mind, and soul. Mix two to three drops in an ounce of carrier oil, and use as a massage oil. This helps relieve backache, arthritis, muscle pain, rheumatism, and fractures, as well as stimulate your circulatory system and revitalize your libido. Inhale via a diffuser or vaporizer to relieve sinusitis, sore throat, and runny nose. It can also work as a decongestant. Massage a drop into your abdomen to relieve gas and diarrhea.

The World’s Oldest BodyBuilder Just Turned 80! Here Are Her Secrets…
Natural Blaze - Born on June 16th, 1936, the octogenarian from Baltimore didn’t start exercising until she was 56 years old. As she explains in the video below, she got started with the help of her sister. After her sister passed away from a brain aneurysm, however, Shepherd gave up caring about her health. That was, until she developed high blood pressure and decided things needed to change. Today, she regularly wakes up at 3 am, runs about 80 miles (130km) per week, and lives off a calorie-controlled diet of boiled egg whites, chicken, vegetables, and lots of water. Ask her what her true secret of success is, and she’ll say it’s to ‘never give up.’ Keep that statement in mind next time you think about skipping the gym.

4 Disturbing Secrets Tom’s of Maine Doesn’t Want You to Know About Their Products!
David Wolfe - …unfortunately, many major companies muddy the waters with products that look, feel and taste healthy when they’re really anything but. Colgate’s Tom’s of Maine toothpaste brand is one of them. #1 The Biggest Problem With Tom’s of Maine: Triclosan: … [Their patented ‘gingivitis formula] contains triclosan, an antibacterial chemical classified by the European Union as irritating to the skin and eyes and extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. Triclosan also reacts with the chlorine in tap water to produce potentially toxic amounts of chloroform…. #2 Carrageenan: Their website insists the compound is totally natural – and they’re right. But even though carrageenan comes from seaweed, it still poses significant threats to the digestive system. The compound attacks the body similar to that produced by salmonella…. #3 Titanium Dioxide: Titanium dioxide, found in Tom’s of Maine toothpaste, is classified as very toxic due to its carcinogenicity. It’s associated with lung cancer risk and can cause sinus irritation…. #4 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: The American College of Toxicology classifies SLS, even at low concentrations, as potentially irritating. There have also been studies that point out residual levels of SLS is the brain, lungs, liver and heart as a direct result of toothpaste use. This is believed to cause a hormonal imbalance that can lead to lower fertility rate in men.

Naturally Fermented, Probiotic Honey Lemonade Soda
Nourished Kitchen - This homemade, naturally fermented lemonade soda’s fizz depends on the action of friendly bacteria. They gobble up the carbohydrates in the honey. In the end, those bacteria make your natural sodas less sweet, slightly more tart, rich in B vitamins and naturally fizzy. The natural fizz comes from the release carbon dioxide that happens during fermentation. When carbon dioxide is bottled up with no place to go in flip-top bottles, the lemonade becomes naturally fizzy. Depending on how long you allow the lemonade to ferment, that fizziness can range from an effervescent tickle to a frenzied foaming…. Ingredients: 6 cups water, 1 cup honey, 1 cup lemon juice, ½ cup fresh whey made by straining yogurt or kefir.
 



Thursday - June 23, 2016  -  Today in History:

1836 - The U.S. Congress approved the Deposit Act, which contained a provision for turning over surplus federal revenue to the states.
1865 - Confederate General Stand Watie, who was also a Cherokee chief, surrendered the last sizable Confederate army at Ft Towson, in the Oklahoma Territory.
1902 - Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy renewed the Triple Alliance for a 12 year duration.
1931 - Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on the first round-the-world flight in a single-engine plane.
1934 - Italy gained the right to colonize Albania after defeating the country.
1938 - The Civil Aeronautics Authority was established.
1947 - The U.S. Senate joined the House in overriding President Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act.
1951 - Soviet U.N. delegate Jacob Malik proposed cease-fire discussions in the Korean War.
1952 - The U.S. Air Force bombed power plants on Yalu River, Korea.
1964 - Henry Cabot Lodge resigned as the U.S. envoy to Vietnam and was succeeded by Maxwell Taylor.
1966 - Civil Rights marchers in Mississippi were dispersed by tear gas.
1972 - U.S. President Nixon and White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman discussed a plan to use the CIA to obstruct the FBI's Watergate investigation.
2004 - The U.S. proposed that North Korea agree to a series of nuclear disarmament measures over a 3-month period in exchange for economic benefits.
2015 - NASA's Mars Odyssey completed its 60,000th orbit around Mars. The spacecraft entered orbit on October 23, 2001.
2015 - Verizon announced it had completed its $4.4 billion purchase of AOL, Inc.

World News

NATO General Admits Russia Is Not A Threat To The Region
Zero Hedge - Over the course of the past few months, the United States has pushed NATO to build up troops on Russia's border, held war games in its backyard, and deployed aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean. The rationale for such actions has always been very vaguely communicated, but as NATO European Command General Philip Breedlove said, it has all been to send a signal of deterrence to Russia. However, the reality is that, according to General Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, there is no intelligence that suggests Russia is planning any broad-scale aggression whatsoever…. If Pavel is correct, and there is no actual intelligence that suggests any aggression is being planned by Russia, then either the US is trying to provoke the country into action on purpose, which is always a possibility, or another possibility is one that we pointed out last week, and that is the Saudi's are pressuring the US to get rid of Assad. If the US accommodates that request from its good friend Saudi Arabia, then a direct conflict with Russia would be imminent, as Russia has made it very clear that the US isn't to take Assad out militarily.

U.S. coalition says expects tough fight against IS near Turkish border
Reuters - The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq said on Wednesday it was tightening the noose around militants in the Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border but expected them to fight to the end to defend their stronghold. A U.S.-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters supported by coalition air strikes cut off the group’s supply lines to Manbij in a rapid advance this month against Islamic State in the area. The offensive aims to sever the group’s only major route to the outside world. But it has stopped short of an assault on the city itself out of concern for civilians inside, the U.S.-backed alliance says. An IS counter-attack on Monday inflicted heavy casualties, monitors reported.

Iconic pork sausages banned from Swiss school menus, MPs outraged
RT - The decision to serve only pork-free lunches in several schools in Basel Canton, Switzerland, has been blasted by the country’s conservatives, who accuse local authorities of giving in to religious minorities. Four schools in the Binningen district of Basel Canton won’t have pork on their menu in the next academic year, the local council ruled last week. But the decision was strongly condemned by the conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which argued that pork sausages were an integral part of Switzerland’s cuisine and culture…. During a Binningen Council meeting, Keller wondered: “could it be that we are adapting to certain cultures, rather than the other way around?” The SVP believes that pressure from religious minorities saw the Swiss “deprived of their beloved Klöpfer sausages.” It’s forbidden to eat pork in Muslim and Judaic religious traditions.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Reviving the Cold War? Senate intelligence bill ‘targets Russian spies, diplomats’
RT - The Senate Intelligence Committee is backing a bill to reinstate a Cold War-era committee aimed at cracking down on "covert influence" by Russia. The bill also restricts travel by Russian diplomats and considers a US exit from the Open Skies treaty. The 2017 Intelligence Authorization Bill, passed by the Senate Intelligence Committee in May, “requires the president to establish an interagency committee to counter Russian active measures,” according to the office of California Senator Dianne Feinstein. Further details of the bill were reported by BuzzFeed on Tuesday. Section 501 of the proposed legislation is asking the White House to revive a presidentially-appointed group to uncover Russian spies and Russian-sponsored assassinations. It would also investigate the funding of front groups for Russian operations, as well as “covert broadcasting, media manipulation,” and secret funding…. The new committee would be similar to the 'Active Measures Working Group,' which fulfilled a similar role in the Cold War, one intelligence official told BuzzFeed on condition of anonymity.

House Democrats stage sit-in protest in dispute over gun control
Fox News - More than 200 Democrats led by Georgia Rep. John Lewis demanded a vote on measures to expand background checks and block gun purchases by some suspected terrorists in the aftermath of last week's massacre in Orlando, Florida… "No bill, no break," shouted Democrats, who demanded that Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., keep the House in session through its planned break next week to vote on gun legislation…. Ryan dismissed the protest as "nothing more than a publicity stunt." In an interview with CNN, the Speaker said the House will not vote on a "bill that takes away a person's due process."

Emails: Key security features disabled on Clinton's server
(AP) - State Department staffers wrestled for weeks in December 2010 over a serious technical problem with then-Secretary Hillary Clinton's home email server, causing them to temporarily disable security features that left the server more vulnerable to hackers, according to emails released Wednesday. Just weeks later, according to previously disclosed emails, hackers attacked the server, forcing Clinton's staff to shut it down. The next day, one of Clinton's closest aides, Huma Abedin, wrote to other high ranking staff: "Don't email hrc (Clinton) anything sensitive. I can explain more in person." The emails were released under court order Wednesday to the conservative legal advocacy group Judicial Watch, which has sued the State Department over access to public records related to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's service as the nation's top diplomat between 2009 and 2013. The emails, reviewed by The Associated Press, show that State Department technical staff disabled software intended to block phishing emails that could deliver dangerous viruses. They were trying urgently to resolve an apparent conflict between the server's built-in email delivery features with a version of "ScanMail for Exchange" security software from Trend Micro Inc. that had been installed on her server. Clinton has not previously described any security protections on her server.

Hillary Clinton's IT Aide Pleads The Fifth Over 125 Times
Zero Hedge - Brian Pagliano, the man believed to have set up and maintained the private server in the basement of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s New York home invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination more than 125 times during a deposition as part of a civil court case on Wednesday. According to Fox, Pagliano’s sworn testimony with conservative organization Judicial Watch lasted for roughly 90 minutes, during which the IT expert repeatedly read a carefully worded statement off of an index card while refusing to answer questions. Pagliano’s deposition on Wednesday was originally scheduled to occur more than two weeks ago, but was postponed when his lawyers notified the court that the former State Department employee would be pleading the Fifth. Which he did. Repeatedly.

NJ Transit keeps recordings of your conversations for a month, it says
New Jersey On-Line - NJ Transit officials have broken their silence over what happens to surveillance recordings it makes of passenger conversations on light rail trains. In April, the state American Civil Liberties Union and commuter groups demanded that NJ Transit disclose information about the surveillance after an NJ Advance Media article revealed that the conversations of passengers on light rail trains were being recorded. NJ Transit had denied a public records request for the written policy that covers their surveillance program on June 10 under the grounds that no such policy existed.

Largest fraud against govt: 300+ healthcare workers charged over $900mn in Medicare scams
RT - More than 300 people have been charged in relation to healthcare fraud totaling $900 million in fake billing. Dozens of doctors and nurses from California to New York have been swept in the nation’s largest-ever Medicare scam dragnet…. The offenses range from a wide variety of treatments and services such as home healthcare, psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy, durable medical equipment (DME) and prescription drugs. All of the 301 defendants are accused of being involved in fraudulent schemes to bill the government for the services within Medicare and Medicaid programs for treatments that were medically unnecessary and often never provided, according to the federal investigation…. It has been established that “in many cases” the suspects paid “cash kickbacks” to their co-conspirators for providing patients’ data to Medicare providers so that they could submit a claim to the government, even though no services were actually rendered.

Television News Illusion: “Reporter in the Field on Location”
Jon Rappoport - All mainstream television news is built on transitions from one item to another. These transitions are called blends or segues. For example, the anchor in the studio goes to a “reporter on location” where “the news is happening” in real time. However, in many cases, the anchor in the studio already knows what the reporter on location is going to say. That field reporter could just as easily be sitting in a public bathroom a block away from the studio, for all the good he does. Or he could be sitting in the studio in front of a fake backdrop. It’s a con. But the sense of transition from one place and person to another imparts the sense of importance. The viewer thinks, “They’re going right to the spot where the shooting occurred an hour ago.”… Both the anchor and the reporter in the field earn their paychecks by making the viewing audience feel they’re “transitioning” from one important place (the studio) to another (the street corner)…. People have accused CNN of faking on-location footage during the 1991 Gulf War, and later in the coverage of Sandy Hook.

Judge Upholds Suspension Of 2nd Grader Who Chewed Pastry Into Shape Of Gun
Breitbart - Joshua Welch was suspended from Anne Arundel County’s Park Elementary in March 2013 after chewing his pastry into the shape of a gun and “[pretending] to fire it.” The student’s father, B.J. Welch, took the matter to court in hopes of having the suspension reversed and expunged from his son’s record. Joshua Welch was suspended from Anne Arundel County’s Park Elementary in March 2013 after chewing his pastry into the shape of a gun and “[pretending] to fire it.” The student’s father, B.J. Welch, took the matter to court in hopes of having the suspension reversed and expunged from his son’s record…. Welch family attorney Robin Ficker lamented the ruling and pointed out there was “no violence, no real weapon, no ammunition.” But the suspension will now “be on [Joshua’s] record in school… every time he goes into a new grade.”

Election News

Trump Speech Dominates News Cycle… Praise, Respect from Mainstream Outlets
Breitbart - Speaking from SoHo in New York City, the presumptive GOP nominee rebuked Clinton’s “I’m with her” slogan, saying instead, “I’m with you, the American people.” His fiery speech comes just days after the firing of controversial campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and a few rocky weeks of self-inflicted wounds as reflected in slumping poll numbers. Trump’s campaign has been aiming for a reboot, with the hope of uniting the Republican party – and, it looks like they may have just gotten one. Below is a list of coverage from both the left and right praising the presumptive GOP nominee’s speech. Fortune: “Donald Trump Promised Us A Speech On Hillary Clinton’s Past, And On Wednesday, He Didn’t Disappoint.” (Chris Matthews, “Trump Accuses Clinton Of Helping China In Return For Cash,” Fortune, 6/22/16), Fox News: “Donald Trump Delivered A Blistering Attack Wednesday On Hillary Clinton’s Record…” “Donald Trump delivered a blistering attack Wednesday on Hillary Clinton’s record as secretary of state, accusing the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of milking oppressive regimes of tens of millions of dollars to benefit the Clinton Foundation — while sleeping through her own ‘3 a.m. phone call’ as terrorists were murdering four Americans in Libya, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.” (“Trump Hammers Clinton Foreign Policy Record, Foundation Donations,” Fox News, 6/22/16)…
* Related Video: Full replay of Donald Trump’s anti-Hillary Clinton speech

TV Reporters Laugh At Hillary For Avoiding Questions
Steve Watson - Hillary Clinton continues to avoid holding press conferences or answering any questions from reporters, a fact that is well known by members of the media, and is literally becoming a joke. As Clinton visited House Democratic Caucus members Wednesday morning, she refused to answer questions as MSNBC reporter Kasie Hunt approached her. When Hunt asked Clinton if she had a short list for vice presidential picks, Clinton did what she usually does, plastered on a fake smile and waved inanely. Hunt, along with MSNBC anchor Jose Diaz-Balart began laughing at Clinton’s default position. “We tried, we tried,” Hunt said. “It’s not an uncommon thing.” Indeed, as reported by The Washington Post this week, Clinton has not actually held an official press conference for over 200 days.

Obama Administration Launches Probe Into Trump Hotel Workers' Wages
Zero Hedge - We are sure it is just a coincidence; but, as Politico reports, Hillary-endorsing President Obama's Labor Department has just unveiled a probe into workers' wages at GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump's DC Hotel... As Politico details, The Labor Department is investigating whether workers on Donald Trump’s renovation of Washington, D.C.’s Old Post Office are being paid less than federal law requires. The Labor Department confirmed to POLITICO that it’s looking into allegations of wage-rule violations by the Craftsmen Group, a Trump Organization subcontractor that restores windows. And workers on the site, including one Craftsmen Group employee, told POLITICO that they and others aren’t receiving pay rates mandated by law. Two of them produced pay stubs to support their claims. Since the allegations involve a subcontractor, neither the Trump Organization nor the general contractor is under investigation directly and may not be legally liable. But union activists say the complaints reflect badly on Trump. “It’s yet another example of Donald Trump’s relentless hypocrisy and gross mistreatment of workers,” said Josh Goldstein, a spokesman for the AFL-CIO. The labor federation endorsed Hillary Clinton last week for president, and for months has been highly critical of Trump's campaign.

Marco Rubio will seek Senate reelection, reversing pledge not to run
Miami Herald - Ending weeks of political speculation, Marco Rubio announced Wednesday he has changed his mind and will run for re-election to the U.S. Senate [with the worst attendance record in the Senate], reversing his pledge to return to private life after his presidential campaign collapsed three months ago. Rubio cited a sense of duty to try to remain in office under either President Donald Trump or President Hillary Clinton -- two candidates he considers sub-par. National Republicans fearful of losing Senate control to Democrats mounted a campaign to keep Rubio on the ballot for Florida's swing seat. He consented just two days before Friday's state candidate-qualifying deadline.

Energy & Environment

Cash-Strapped States Left to Clean Up Hazards and Leaks at Thousands of Abandoned Oil Drilling Sites
AllGov - With at least 60 oil producers declaring bankruptcy since 2014, orphaned wells have become potential environmental hazards below ground as well as rusted-out eyesores above. Texas officials predict the number of orphaned wells could soar to 12,000, which would be nearly 25 percent more than what regulators can't keep up with now. Landowners, meanwhile, are growing restless with abandoned pump jacks and damage while drillers warn that crackdowns would only put them out of business faster.

Science & Technology

How did Google become the internet’s censor and master manipulator, blocking access to millions of websites?
US News - Google, Inc., isn't just the world's biggest purveyor of information; it is also the world's biggest censor. The company maintains at least nine different blacklists that impact our lives, generally without input or authority from any outside advisory group, industry association or government agency. Google is not the only company suppressing content on the internet. Reddit has frequently been accused of banning postings on specific topics, and a recent report suggests that Facebook has been deleting conservative news stories from its newsfeed, a practice that might have a significant effect on public opinion – even on voting. Google, though, is currently the biggest bully on the block. When Google's employees or algorithms decide to block our access to information about a news item, political candidate or business, opinions and votes can shift, reputations can be ruined and businesses can crash and burn. Because online censorship is entirely unregulated at the moment, victims have little or no recourse when they have been harmed. Eventually, authorities will almost certainly have to step in, just as they did when credit bureaus were regulated in 1970. The alternative would be to allow a large corporation to wield an especially destructive kind of power that should be exercised with great restraint and should belong only to the public: the power to shame or exclude.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Police Called In to Stop Local Food Distribution
Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance - Health departments have stepped up their attacks on your right to purchase food directly from farmers, resorting to bringing the police to harass and intimidate local raw milk customers. That’s what happened to one group of raw milk customers in Austin recently. They went to a private home to meet the courier that they had hired to pick up their milk and were met by four inspectors from the City of Austin Health Department and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). An unmarked police car pulled into the driveway, blocking the raw milk van and a customer’s car—with her children in it—and two policemen emerged. The inspectors proceeded to tell the customers that they could not take possession of the milk, ignoring protests that they had already paid for that milk. The inspectors also ignored the statement from the courier that he had a signed agreement with the customers making him their agent—and instead falsely wrote on the inspection report that the courier worked for the farmer. The inspectors refused to speak to an attorney the courier called for assistance. Instead, one of the city’s inspectors confronted the woman who had organized the group drop-off and demanded that she provide her driver’s license. When she hesitated, the inspector called a policeman over and then started to take pictures of her car with her children in it. After the woman broke down in tears, the inspector continued to question her to try to find out the names and locations of other drop points.

Health

Turmeric Heals Spinal Cord Injuries Better Than Drugs/Surgery, Review Suggests
Green Med Info - A promising new study published in Neurology Research International titled, “The Potential of Curcumin In Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury,” suggests that the ancient Indian spice turmeric, and its primary polyphenol curcumin, may provide victims of spinal cord injury (SCI) a safer and more effective approach than conventional treatment which relies primarily on surgery and corticosteroids, a class of anti-inflammatory drugs notorious for adverse health effects…. The study quickly points out curcumin’s potential superiority vis-à-vis corticosteroids: Because all studies that compare the two show superior results for curcumin over corticosteroids, it could be true that curcumin better acts at the inflammatory source of SCI-mediated neurological injury, although this question remains unanswered in patients.”… The question of whether clinical research will eventually materialize on curcumin and SCI is addressed powerfully in the closing comments of the study: Lastly, can clinicians shed the “herbal medicine” stigma and be able to acknowledge that ignoring its beneficial effects is largely due to a lack of clinical data and not necessarily a result of inferior clinical efficacy? The study also addresses curcumin's role as an antioxidant and anti-fibrotic agent in mitigating SCI damage and stimulating accelerated healing.

Five spices and herbs that really work for treating depression
(NaturalNews) As noted by the MalayMail Online, a number of studies as well as many nutritional publications agree that certain foods have the ability to improve our moods. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, are well-known mood boosters. But other foods can have different mental benefits. Certain herbs and spices also tend to have naturally occurring antidepressant benefits, which will give mind and body a healthy boost with a variety of flavors. Below is a closer examination of five top ingredients right from your spice rack that will help improve your mood and keep you free from the clutches of Big Pharma: Saffron: In traditional Eastern medicine it is considered to be the spice of happiness and for good reason: A 2015 Iranian study found that saffron may even have the very same effects as a prescription anti-depressant…. Cinnamon: hether you are using cinnamon sticks or ground spice, it is an ingredient that definitely stimulates the brain. But researchers say it can also heighten concentration, memory and attention…. Turmeric: While it is known for its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, turmeric also stimulates release of serotonin, which is your body's natural mood enhancer….

Heal Your Digestion with the Benefits of L-Glutamine
Natural Blaze - Worldwide, stomach cancer is the #5 most commonly diagnosed cancer. In 2012, more than 950,000 cases of stomach cancers were diagnosed. Helicobacter pylori bacteria and the Epstein-Barr virus have been linked to many cases but have not been tested for in all patients. Men have twice the risk of stomach cancer than women but both genders have increased risk with age…. Published in the Journal of Nutrition, senior author of the study, Susan Hagen, PhD, stated, “Extra glutamine in the diet could protect against gastric damage caused by H. pylori. Gastric damage develops when the bacteria weakens the stomach’s protective mucous coating, damages cells, and elicits a robust immune response that is ineffective at ridding the infection.” She went on to explain that when gastric distress is ignored, bigger problems develop that include gastritis and damage that creates an ideal environment for cancer cells to grow. “The damaging effects of ammonia on gastric cells could be reversed completely by the administration of L-glutamine.

Pet News

Keeping Your Dog Healthy With Apple Cider Vinegar
Natural News Blogs - The list of proven ACV benefits for dogs covers dozens of topics including external applications and internal therapies. Because apple cider vinegar is natural, it’s safe to use as an external wash or spray. However, always be careful to keep it away from your dog’s eyes. Holistic vets often recommend ACV for: Discouraging fleas and ticks, Treating rashes and hot spots, Soothing irritated paw pads [and] Reducing ear yeast infections. ACV is considered a natural detoxifier and its long-term use can help your dog resist infections. Because it’s rich in potassium, it’s also beneficial to dogs with diuretic problems. The recommended dosage is 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for every 15 pounds of body weight. It’s best to start with a small amount in your dog’s drinking bowl and gradually build up to his proper dosage. The benefits of ACV therapy include: A stronger immune system, Less arthritis stiffness, Fewer urinary tract problems, Reduction in fecal odor [and] improved vital organ functions…. Organic apple cider vinegar is the preferred choice for maintaining dog wellness because it contains nutrients and essential acids that contribute to better digestion and overall good health.
 



Wednesday - June 22, 2016  -  Today in History:

1772 - Slavery was outlawed in England.
1807 - British seamen board the USS Chesapeake, a provocation leading to the War of 1812.
1868 - Arkansas was re-admitted to the Union.
1870 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Justice.
1933 - Germany became a one political party country when Hitler banned parties other than the Nazis.
1942 - A Japanese submarine shelled Fort Stevens at the mouth of the Columbia River.
1942 - V-Mail, or Victory-Mail, was sent for the first time.
1944 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the "GI Bill of Rights" to provide broad benefits for veterans of the war.
1945 - During World War II, the battle for Okinawa officially ended after 81 days.
1946 - Jet airplanes were used to transport mail for the first time.
1970 - U.S. President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It required that the voting age in the United States to be 18.
1973 - Skylab astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific after a record 28 days in space.
1974 - In Chicago, the Sears Tower Skydeck opened. (Willis Tower)
1980 - The Soviet Union announced a partial withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan.
1989 - The government of Angola and the anti-Communist rebels of the UNITA movement agreed to a formal truce in their 14-year-old civil war.
1992 - The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that hate-crime laws that ban cross-burning and similar expressions of racial bias violated free-speech rights.
1998 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that evidence illegally obtained by authorities could be used at revocation hearings for a convicted criminal's parole.
1998 - The 75th National Marbles Tournament began in Wildwood, NJ.
1999 - The Supreme Court ruled that persons with remediable handicaps cannot claim discrimination in employment under the Americans with Disability Act.
2009 - Eastman Kodak Company announced that it would discontinue sales of the Kodachrome Color Film.

World News

'Never mind the US, Russia’s the one losing patience over Syria ceasefire chaos' - Chief of Staff
RT - The Russian military says Washington still won’t provide a list of groups it considers terrorist, allowing jihadists to regroup and escape Russian-led air raids on their positions, the head of the Russian General Staff said. Valery Gerasimov’s statement comes in response to one from US Secretary of State John Kerry last week, in which he said Washington is running out of patience regarding truce violations in Syria. The ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States in February doesn’t include Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) positions, as well as other formations considered to be terrorists by the United Nations Security Council. "Russia needs to understand that our patience is not infinite. In fact, it is very limited with whether or not Assad is going to be held accountable," Kerry said last Wednesday. "It is very clear that the cessation of hostilities is frayed and at risk, and that it is critical for a genuine cessation to be put in place." In response to Kerry's statement, the head of the Russian General Staff warned it is, in fact, Russia that is growing impatient with the US over Washington's refusal to cooperate…. Russia has for months been urging Washington to produce a shared map of the positions of fighting forces to avoid incidents and prevent targeting those groups fighting IS and Jibhat Al Nusra in Syria. The US hasn’t shared those coordinates.

‘As fast as they want’: US commander says Russia outpaces NATO in deployment capabilities
RT - Russian capabilities to deploy troops at long distances are “scary” as they outweigh those of NATO, the commander of US Army Europe has said, calling for “a military Schengen zone” that would allow troops to move back and forth within the bloc’s territory. “The thing I worry about the most is freedom of movement. The Russians are able to move huge formations and lots of equipment a long distance very fast,” Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, commander of US Army Europe, told BBC’s Hardtalk show on Monday. "The Russians...can move anywhere inside of Russia, as fast as they want,” Gen. Hodges claimed, speaking during the Anakonda 2016 exercises in Poland, which are viewed as NATO’s largest Eastern European war games since the Cold War.

Panicked Brits Rush To Buy Gold Bars, Stuff Them In Home Safes
Zero Hedge - Worried British savers are scrambling to buy gold bars and "stuffing them in safes at home, data suggests, as fears mount that a Brexit-induced financial meltdown could be just around the corner." The paper cites Google search data for the term "home safe" which is running 61% higher than the level at which it peaked in November 2008, the point of the financial crisis, and is now higher than at any point since. In other words, whether intended or not, locals are more terrified of the outcome of Thursday's vote than the near-collapse of the financial system in the aftermath of Lehmans' failure. Royal Mint, Britain's official producer of gold and silver coins and bars, said sales have soared by 32% over the past month, with customers rushing to buy sovereign and Britannia bullion coins and signature gold bars in particular.

OPEC May Be Forcing Venezuela Into Regime Change
Zero Hedge - A key U.S. Congressman believes that the actions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) regarding oil production could lead to regime change in Venezuela, according to an interview published last week. “I think ten years from now, we’ll look back at this as a positive effect, possibly on regime change in Venezuela,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan, reacting to OPEC member states failing to agree earlier this month to establish oil output limits…. The Venezuelan economy has sagged heavily over oil prices that have nosedived from $115 per barrel in June 2014 to less than $30 per barrel by January this year. As a result, the government’s strategy to rely heavily on oil revenues that make up 95 percent of Venezuelan export earnings and roughly 25 percent of its gross domestic product has backfired.

TEPCO Admits Cover-Up Of Fukushima Meltdown
Zero Hedge - Today, over five years later, we got confirmation that yet another "conspiracy theory" was just another "fact", when the president of TEPCO, Naomi Hirose, admitted on NHK that his company concealed the reactor meltdowns at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant immediately after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Hirose also confirmed that TEPCO ordered not to use the word “core meltdown” when referring to what happened at the crippled plant. In fact, the utility did not officially admit the meltdowns until more than 2 months after the accident. The announcement came a week after a scandalous report claimed that Japanese government and TEPCO hushed up the tragedy.

Shock Report: Is Big Beef Hiring Hitmen to Murder Activists – 185 Murders Last Year Alone
Natural Blaze - Environmental activists, in particular, those attempting to halt illegal logging for Big Beef, are being killed in alarming numbers, with 185 killings in 2015 — averaging three per week — a 60 percent increase over the previous year…. As Global Witness notes, conflicts over logging, hydroelectric dams, mining, and agribusiness saw the highest number of killings — but Brazil was the most impacted, losing 50 activists to the fight against illegal logging in the Amazon. According to the report, “the Amazon states of Brazil saw unprecedented levels of violence in 2015, where communities are being encroached on by ranches and agricultural plantations or gangs of illegal loggers. The rainforest has given way to thousands of illegal logging camps whilst the agricultural frontier is pushing further into previously untouched indigenous reserves. It’s estimated that 80% of timber from Brazil is illegal, and accounts for 25% of illegal wood on global markets. Much of this is being sold on to buyers in the US, Europe and China.”

U.S. News, Politics & Government

AG Lynch Admits She Has No Idea Where Omar Mateen’s Wife Has Gone
The Gateway Pundit - Grabien reported: Attorney General Loretta Lynch admitted today that the FBI is unaware of the whereabouts of Omar Mateen’s wife, Noor Salman. Salman has indicated she suspected Mateen was about to commit a terrorist attack, and even accompanied him to buy the weaponry he used to carry out the massacre. She insists, however, that as he left she tried to hold onto his arm so he wouldn’t leave. If the FBI believes she was aware of the impending attack, she could be prosecuted. “Has the shooter’s wife left the state of Florida?” a reporter asked Lynch during her press conference Tuesday. “Right now, I don’t know exactly the answer to that,” Lynch candidly replied.< strong>“I believe she was going to travel but I do not know exactly her location now.”

Senate will vote on gun control compromise bill
Washington Examiner - Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday they'll soon bring a compromise gun control bill to the floor… GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has pledged to hold a vote on legislation sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, as early as this week. It would empower federal authorities to block gun purchases by people who appear on the "no-fly" list or who are on a "selectee" list that requires them to receive extra scrutiny before flying. "Essentially we believe if you are too dangerous to fly on an airplane, you are too dangerous to buy a gun," Collins said just after she presented her plan to GOP lawmakers in a closed-door meeting…. Most Republicans have so far been unwilling to back anything more than a bill authored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that would only temporarily ban gun purchases by those on the terror watch list until the government can prove the sale should not be allowed.

3 Heavily Armed People Arrested At Holland Tunnel On Way To New York City
Zero Hedge - Three people were arrested with multiple loaded guns, rifles and ballistic vests at the Holland Tunnel Tuesday when police stopped them for driving with a cracked windshield. The three individuals, two men in their 50s and a woman in her 20s who may be from Pennsylvania, were stopped on the New Jersey side of the tunnel around 8 a.m., authorities said. A search of their vehicle revealed the weapons cache. he guns seized included long-range weapons as well as handguns. A camouflage helmet with what appeared to be night goggles was also recovered. However, in an apparent bid to ease fears of an imminent terrorist attack on NYC, two senior law enforcement officials say the three suspects are so-called "gun enthusiasts" and have no nexus to terror. There is no known threat.

DHS's watch list plan is unconstitutional and dangerous
MassPrivateI - Here's a short list of how easy it is for anyone to land on DHS's watch list. 1. Displaying Bumper Stickers on Your Vehicle. 2. Shop at Costco or Sam’s Club. 3. Paying with Cash. 4. Vote for a Third Party. 5. Flying the American Flag (or any of several historic American flags). 6. Homeschool Your Children. 7. Plant a Garden. 8. Take Pictures or Videos. 9. Believe in Conspiracy Theories, The nine examples were taken from the 'secret' gov't rulebook titled 'March 2013 Watchlisting Guidance' which labels nearly every American a potential terrorist…. The DoD claims that the proposed Database may therefore include counseling statements; credit reports; user names and aliases; logs of printer, copier and facsimile machine use; information collected through “the technical capability to observe and record the actions and activities of all users, at any time, on a computer network controlled by DoD;” and “information related to investigative or analytical efforts by DoD insider threat program personnel to identify threats toDoD personnel, property, facilities, and information.”

Texas court halts execution of man in 'shaken baby' death case
Reuters - A Texas man scheduled to be put to death next week for murdering his 2-year-old daughter has been granted a stay of execution after his lawyers argued his conviction stemmed from "junk science" about shaken baby syndrome…. In a brief filed with the court this month, his lawyers said new scientific evidence showed that he should not have been convicted and the state relied on "false, misleading, and scientifically invalid testimony.”… For decades, pathologists, pediatricians and courts recognized a distinct set of internal head injuries - brain swelling, bleeding on the surface of the brain and behind the eyes – as proof of death by deliberate shaking, even in the absence of other overt signs of violence. But medical consensus has shifted in recent years and research now shows such injuries can be caused by accidental falls from a short height, or even medical conditions such as blood-clotting disorders and latent trauma from a difficult birth, which can manifest weeks later. Lawyers for Roberson also pointed out that it is impossible to shake a baby to death without causing serious neck injuries, which his child did not suffer.

CPS Seizes Newborn From Rape Victim At Hospital — ‘Treated Worse Than The Criminal’
Off the Grid News - Witnesses claim that police and social workers took a newborn baby away from his young mother while she was still in the hospital and breastfeeding, without giving a sufficient reason. The case is controversial because the mother was a 14-year-old rape victim who had rejected an abortion. Even worse, the child’s purported father — the alleged rapist — was allowed to see the baby, Health Impact News and MedicalKidnap.com reported. As is standard protocol, DHR – Alabama’s version of CPS — has refused to comment on the allegations. The case is unique because reporter Terri LaPoint of Health Impact News and Juda Myers of the pro-life group Choices4Life were at the hospital and watched the removal…. The case is still under investigation. The suspected rapist, Samuel Woods II, was charged with second-degree rape on June 17, according to records from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office…. LaPoint claims the baby was taken away without a court order, a warrant and no sign of danger or neglect. Three Alabaster police officers were allegedly accompanying the DHR employees who took the baby, Braelon, away.

Election News

Trump launches anti-Clinton site amid campaign changes
Washington Examiner - Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump announced late Tuesday that his campaign was launching an anti-Clinton website called "LyingCrookedHillary.com." In a press release, the campaign announced the site "will showcase some of Clinton's most disastrous lies to the American people." The new site comes amid a whirlwind day for the campaign, during which they started releasing rapid response emails, announced staff additions and rolled out an evangelical advisory board. The news also comes a day after Trump fired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who reportedly had pushed back against further changes as they move ahead to the general election.

Trump Responds To Press Mockery Of "Terrible" Fundraising Report
Zero Hedge - The political press is abuzz today following a report that in a month in which Hillary Clinton raised $26.4 million for her fundraising campaign, leaving her with $42.5 million in cash on hand, Donald Trump managed to raise only $3.1 million, and only had $1.3 million in the bank thanks to another $2.2 million personal loans he made to his campaign. The fundraising report, posted late Monday night, received a mocking reception from political press and set off alarms among Republicans, who worry he’s not interested in raising money for himself or the national party and will get swamped by Hillary Clinton in the general election…. Trump has beaten back criticism over his "terrible" May fundraising report, by saying that he has "unlimited" cash on hand to fund his campaign because he can put up as much of his own money as he wants. And the punchline: "If need be, there could be unlimited ‘cash on hand’ as I would put up my own money, as I have already done through the primaries, spending over $50 million dollars,” Trump said in a statement. “Our campaign is leaner and more efficient, like our government should be." In a statement released on Tuesday, Trump also argued that “June represents the first full month of fundraising activity for the campaign” and that next month’s FEC filing should be used as a benchmark.

DNC Researched Clinton Speeches, Travel Records
Smoking Gun - The latest document dump from “Guccifer 2.0,” the hacker who breached the Democratic National Committee’s servers, shows that party officials have researched Hillary Clinton’s prior travel on private jets, the Clinton Foundation’s investments, and the Democratic presidential candidate’s speech contractsm The hacker this morning began distributing more than 250 files--totaling thousands of pages of records--that appear to have been prepared by DNC research staff…. As for the DNC’s claim that the breach was the work of Russian intelligence agents, “Guccifer 2.0” dismissed the assertion as a “Total fail!!!” In recent correspondence, the hacker has used an AOL France e-mail account. The bulk of the material released today centers on Clinton’s position on scores of domestic and international issues and criticisms leveled against her by assorted opponents. The documents include Clinton’s counterarguments to those attacks from Republican officials and other foes.
* Related: View source of Document

CNN: Hillary Clinton Lead Drops Despite Clinching Nomination
Breitbart - A new poll from CNN/ORC finds Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump by five points. Two weeks after clinching the Democrat nomination, Clinton has 47 percent support against 42 percent for Trump. At the beginning of May, though, Clinton led Trump by 13 points in CNN’s polling. Her support has dropped from 54 percent then to 47 percent today.

Why isn’t the assassination attempt on Donald Trump bigger news?
Blacklisted News - A British man was arrested over the weekend for trying to steal a policewoman's gun at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's Las Vegas rally. Michael Steven Sandford told officials he drove from California to Nevada to kill Trump. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) The No. 1 trending question related to Donald Trump on Google right now is "Who tried to shoot Trump?" Which means a lot of people don't know the answer. Which is probably because the assassination attempt on the presumptive Republican presidential nominee hasn't been covered as a major news story. The answer, authorities say, is Michael Steven Sandford, a 20-year-old British citizen who was in the United States illegally after overstaying his visa. Sandford allegedly tried to pull a gun from the holster of a police officer at a Trump rally in Las Vegas on Saturday. He was arrested and later told the Secret Service that he had driven to the event from California and had been planning to kill the candidate for a year, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Nevada.

Economy & Business

More Banker Layoffs: RBS To Cut Another 900 Jobs
Zero Hedge - Bank layoffs are now coming at a rapid pace in what is a clear sign of desperation by the firms to cut costs enough to keep shareholders happy as NIRP continues to hammer bank profits. On the heels of Bank of America announcing that 8,000 employees would be fired last week, we now learn that RBS will be cutting 900 jobs as well, in areas such as IT and other back office positions that support the commercial, retail and private bank will be cut in Britain. The latest round of cuts takes the total number of layoffs in the last four months to roughly 5% of the bank's british workforce, as at least 2,700 staff across the country have been let go since the beginning of March according to Reuters. Sources tell Reuters that more layoffs are expected to be announced in the coming months as well.

Energy & Environment

California utility announces plan to shutter state’s last nuclear plant
Ars Technica - Now, after a decades-long battle, a plant in California that sits near several fault lines will not be relicensed when its current certifications expire in the middle of next decade. The decision will bring an end to nuclear power in the golden state, which has the most aggressive climate goals in the US. At the time Fukushima occurred, California had two licensed nuclear reactors. But a faulty refurbishment had put the San Onofre in limbo; due to the uncertainty, its owners eventually decided to permanently shutter the plant. That left Diablo Canyon as the only operational plant in the state. That site had been controversial since before the plant was operational, as it is situated near several fault lines and on the coast; Fukushima did little to allay those fears. Diablo Canyon's two reactors were scheduled to be relicensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2024 and 2025. Now, in a deal negotiated between the utility and environmental groups, that relicensing won't occur. The deal calls for the lost generating power to be replaced by a mix of renewable energy, grid-scale storage, and efficiency measures.

The Big One? Large-Scale Motion Detected at San Andreas Fault: “The Build-up Is Causing Movement”
Mac Slavo - The big one is believed to be due every century or so along major fault lines – and California is long overdue. Eventually, there is just too much built up pressure that must be released…. Now, researchers have been able to model that build up of pressure along the tectonic plates of the San Andreas using new GPS techniques that have allowed more information: Analysis of GPS data has revealed new areas of motion around the San Andreas Fault System. Using data collected by the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory’s GPS array, researchers identified 125-mile-wide “lobes” of uplift and subsidence. Over the last several years, the lobes, which straddle the fault line, have hosted a few millimeters of annual movement. […] Lead author Samuel Howell, a researcher at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, explained in a news release. “Using this technique, we were able to break down the noisy signals to isolate a simple vertical motion pattern that curiously straddled the San Andreas fault.”… According to the leading scientists in the study of tectonic plates and movements, earthquakes must periodically relieve plate pressure (about 16 feet worth of movement every century), but that has not happened on the San Andreas fault during that time period – in fact, the event is overdue.

Science & Technology

China creates world’s fastest computer without relying on US hardware for first time
RT - A Chinese supercomputer has been named the world's fastest computer for the seventh year in a row – but unlike previous winners, this year's champion uses only Chinese-designed processors, representing a decline of US dominance in the field…. It is capable of 93 petaflops, or quadrillion calculations per second, according to TOP500. It was designed for use in engineering and research, including in the fields of climate, weather, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and data analytics…. In addition to beating out US computers, China also surpassed the US for the first time as the country with the most supercomputers in the top 500. China had 167 systems and the US had 165. Japan took third place with 29 systems. China's developments serve as evidence of dwindling US dominance in the field, with TOP500 organizers saying: “Considering that just 10 years ago, China claimed a mere 28 systems on the list, with none ranked in the top 30, the nation has come further and faster than any other country in the history of supercomputing.”

New FAA commercial drone rules require “pilot certificate”
Ars Technica - On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration unveiled its long-anticipated rules for commercial use of small consumer drones. The rules call for a new "remote pilot certificate," a blanket ban on night flights, and a requirement that all flights remain below 400 feet or within 400 feet of a structure. Under the new operational rules, which take effect in August 2016, drone pilots must be at least 16 years old or be supervised by an adult with a remote pilot certificate. The pilot must also maintain "visual line of sight" with the drone at all times, among other requirements. (Personal, or hobbyist, use rules remain unchanged.)… Notably, the new rules also require that any drone-related incident that results in at least $500 worth of damage or causes serious injury be reported to the FAA within 10 days…. The FAA notably does not address questions of potential privacy violations or aerial trespass—an issue that remains unresolved under federal law.

Health

Green tea could help treat Down syndrome
STEPin2 - Green tea could help treat Down syndrome A compound found in green tea could help treat Down syndrome, according to a new study from researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, Spain…. According to study co-leader Dr. Mara Dierssen, cognitive impairments from Down syndrome are due to overexpression of a gene called DYRK1A. The new study suggests that EGCG, the compound found in green tea, could help reduce DYRK1A expression…. The study authors concluded: “EGCG and cognitive training for 12 months was significantly more effective than placebo and cognitive training at improving visual recognition memory, inhibitory control, and adaptive behaviour. Phase 3 trials with a larger population of individuals with Down’s syndrome will be needed to assess and confirm the long-term efficacy of EGCG and cognitive training.” The study showing that green tea could help treat Down syndrome was published in The Lancet Neurology.

Baking Soda: 23 Uses for Your Health and Home
The Alternative Daily - Like many other natural substances such as Epsom salt, and coconut oil, baking soda is highly esteemed in my home and gets front and center pantry real estate. #1 Ultimate pot and pan scrubber… #2 No-fume oven cleaner… #3 Old-time fridge deodorizer… #4 Ant and cockroach repellant…

What is Oral Thrush? 9 Natural Ways to Heal Oral Thrush!
Natural News Blogs - Oral thrush is a fungal infection that occurs due to the overgrowth of fungus named as Candida albicans. It is one type of yeast infection, which develops on your tongue as well as inside your mouth. And oral thrush happens when your immune system cannot maintain the natural defense against the Candida albicans fungus…. Coconut oil is a good remedy to fight an oral infection. It helps eliminate the yeast and reduce the discomforts associated with thrush…. You can apply the juice extracted from grapefruit seeds on the tongue to deal with the problem of thrush…. Baking soda is an effective and inexpensive remedy for oral thrush. It can kill the yeast that causes the infection…. You can consume aloe vera juice (1/4th glass) on a daily basis to cure thrush…. Drinking a cup of unsweetened cranberry juice creates an acidic environment that makes it difficult for candida to thrive….

8 Natural Remedies for Healing a Bruise Fast!
David Wolfe - We all bump into doors, tables and counters every once in a while, but if you find that you bruise more easily than others, there could be several explanations, including age, blood disorders, diabetes, excessive straining during exercise, certain medications, pale skin or sun damage. Luckily, there are plenty of natural remedies you can use to help heal your accidental bruises quicker!… Vinegar increases blood flow near the surface of the skin to aid in healing. Applying a homemade solution of vinegar and warm water to a bruise can help dissipate the blood under the skin and lessen the appearance of the bruise…. Parsley is known to decrease inflammation and reduce pain. Crush a handful of parsley leaves and spread them over the bruise, then wrap the parsley-covered bruise in a bandage and let the herb help the healing process…. Mix 1 part cayenne pepper with 5 parts coconut oil to help speed up the healing process of a bruise…. Cabbage is full of Vitamin C and Vitamin K to promote healing. Break the ridges of a few cabbage leaves then dip them in hot water. Apply the cabbage strips to the bruise. If you bruise regularly, try adding sauerkraut or fermented cabbage to your diet.

Pet News

Top 7 ways the establishment (Big Food and Western Medicine) will kill your cat or dog inside of seven years
(NaturalNews) Cats and dogs that die at age 5 or 7 of leukemia didn't inherit it. More than 95 percent of cancer cases are not inherited or "genetic" – as doctors and veterinarians would have us all believe. In fact, every health problem in the world has at least one natural solution, if not many, but people are brainwashed into believing otherwise…. Here are the top seven ways the establishment – Big Food and Western Medicine – will kill your cat or dog inside of seven years, if you let them: #1. Jerky treats (and other meats, including chicken, beef and fish) from China. #2. Toxic flea-killing medicines in the form of powders, ointments, aerosol "bombs," or injections (there are safe, natural flea-killing solutions!) #3. Toxic heart worm medications. #4. GMO ingredients in the food, like corn, soy and GM salmon. #5. The same toxins in vaccines that are given to humans are also in pet vaccines – including mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde and MSG. #6. Toxic herbicides (like Roundup) and insecticides (like Raid ant and roach killer) for home, yard and garden use, get absorbed through pets' paws and cause cancer. #7. Toxins in litter – including silica gel for deodorizing and aflatoxins that attack the liver.

Will New Jersey be the First State to Outlaw Declawing?
The Catington Post - Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) last week sponsored legislation that would add onychetomy — the medical term for declawing — to the list of criminal animal cruelty offenses. If the bill (A3899) passes, veterinarians that perform declaws and the people who try to have their cats declawed would face a fine of up to $1,000 or six months in jail. While declaw procedures are typically done to stop cats from scratching their owners’ furniture, sometimes there is a valid medical reason – and the bill allows for that: …“therapeutic purpose” means for purpose of necessity to address the medical condition of the animal, such as an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in a claw that compromises the animal’s health. “Therapeutic purpose” shall not mean cosmetic or aesthetic reasons or reasons of convenience in keeping or handling the animal.
* Related: Declawing: Why You Should Never Subject Your Cat to This Torturous Procedure
 



Tuesday - June 21, 2016  -  Today in History:

1788 - The U.S. Constitution went into effect when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
1893 - The Ferris Wheel was introduced at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, IL.
1938 - In Washington, U.S. President Roosevelt signed the $3.75 billion Emergency Relief Appropriation Act.
1939 - Lou Gehrig quit baseball due to illness.
1941 - German troops entered Russia on a front from the Arctic to Black Sea.
1958 - In Arkansas, a federal judge let Little Rock delay school integration.
1963 - France announced that they were withdrawing from the North Atlantic NATO fleet.
1973 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states may ban materials found to be obscene according to local standards.
1974 - The U.S. Supreme Court decided that pregnant teachers could no longer be forced to take long leaves of absence.
1985 - Scientists announced that skeletal remains exhumed in Brazil were those of Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele.
1989 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag as a form of political protest was protected by the First Amendment.
2001 - Former Haitian Army colonel Carl Dorelien taken into custody in Port St. Lucie. Dorelien had been in exile since 1994 when he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in a 1994 massacre.
2003 - The fifth Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," was published by J.K. Rowling. Amazon.com shipped out more than one million copies on this day making the day the largest distribution day of a single item in e-commerce history. The book set sales records around the world with an estimated 5 million copies were sold on the first day.
2004 - SpaceShipOne, designed by Burt Rutan and piloted by Mike Melvill, reached 328,491 feet above Earth in a 90 minute flight. The height is about 400 feet above the distance scientists consider to be the boundary of space.

World News

U.S. and Russian Jets Clash Over Syria
The Daily Beast - The incident began when at least two twin-engine Su-34 bombers, some of Moscow’s most advanced warplanes, struck what the Pentagon described as a “border garrison” housing around 200 U.S.-supported rebels in At Tanf on the Syrian side of the Syria-Jordan border.... The U.S. Navy scrambled F/A-18 fighters to intercept the Russians, the Los Angeles Times reported.... Arriving over At Tanf, the American pilots apparently spoke directly to the Russian aviators.... With the American jets flying close enough to visually identify the Su-34s, the Russians departed the air space over At Tanf. Some time shortly thereafter, the F/A-18s ran low on fuel and left the area in order to link up with an aerial tanker. That’s when the Su-34s reportedly returned to At Tanf—and bombed the rebels again.... According to the Los Angeles Times, the second strike killed first-responders assisting survivors of the first bombing run.

ISIS threat to U.S. air bases, South Korea intelligence agency warns
CNN - ISIS has collected information on 77 U.S. and NATO air force facilities around the world and is calling on supporters to attack them, according to South Korea’s intelligence agency. The terror group has also released information on individuals in 21 countries, including the personal details of one employee of a South Korean welfare organization, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a statement Sunday. That person is now under protection, the agency said. The NIS says ISIS’ hacking organization, the United Cyber Caliphate, collected details of U.S. air force units in South Korea including Osan Air Base, and addresses and Google satellite maps have been released through the Telegram messaging service.

Pentagon Finds 42% of Afghans Feel Less Secure Now than Before U.S. Invasion
AllGov - In a report Friday to Congress covering war developments since December, the Pentagon cited progress in developing more capable Afghan security forces 15 years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban government. But it also said public opinion surveys indicate Afghans don't feel better protected. "Perceptions of security remain near all-time lows," the report said. Only 20 percent of Afghans surveyed in March called security good. That is a drop from 39 percent a year earlier. In the latest polling, 42 percent of Afghans said security is worse now than during the time of the Taliban, which ruled the country from 1996 to late 2001 when U.S. troops invaded to eliminate an al-Qaida sanctuary. The report called the 42 percent figure a historic high.... Afghan civilian casualties in 2015, as counted by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, hit the highest level since the U.N. group began systematic documentation in 2009, the Pentagon said. It said the number continued to rise in the first half of this year. "As fighting and suicide attacks have increased in more populated areas, the number of women and children included among the civilian casualties has also increased," the report said.

Turkish police use rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protest against attack on Radiohead fans for ‘listening to music during Ramadan’
The Independent -Turkish police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd protesting an attack on Radiohead fans for listening to music and drinking beer during Ramadan, it has been reported. The attackers, who have not been identified and are said to have totalled several hundreds, were reportedly angry that people were consuming alcohol and listening to music during the holy month. They reportedly forcibly entered the Velvet Indieground music shop in Istanbul where a Radiohead listening party was being held, before beating people with pipes, Al Jazeera reports. The protest was organized in response to the attacks. Those taking part shouted “Shoulder to shoulder against facism” while marching. Skirmishes broke out between police and protesters, after which multiple arrests were reportedly made.

Armed Man Opens Fire Inside Venezuela's Central Bank
EPJ - An armed man opened fire inside Venezuela's central bank earlier today. He wounded two people and was shot dead, sources at the institution said, according to Reuters. "The attacker, a young guy, came in with a briefcase and fired shots and said he had a bomb," said one bank employee, who added two people had been injured. "He went up to the second floor where the macroeconomic accounts are and he was shot down there." The central bank said on Twitter an "irregular situation" in the institution's financial tower had been controlled. The socialist economic collapse that is destroying the country continues.

Rio Gets $900M Emergency Disbursement From Gov't for Olympics
The New American - A “special imbursement” of some $900 million is being provided to shore up security for the estimated 500,000 people expected to attend the two Games in August and September. It will also be enough to complete the metro system upgrade necessary to reduce traffic congestion just in time for the Games to begin. The total cost of the Olympics, at last count, is expected to exceed $30 billion, with a large portion to be laid on the backs of Brazilian taxpayers already suffering from high unemployment and inflation. This could be a vast understatement, however, as British taxpayers discovered when all the bills were in for London’s 2012 Summer Olympics. That event cost every man, woman, and child on the British Isle $315. Those games cost $14 billion — half of the upcoming Games in Rio, but twice original estimates.

Fukushima rice to be sold in Britain
RT - A total of 1.9 tons of Fukushima rice called Ten no Tsubu will be sold in London, making the UK the first EU nation to import the region’s produce after the nuclear disaster. The sale became possible after a long campaign from Fukushima natives in London to fend off rumors about the potential danger of the crops, the media said. “With the UK as a foothold, we hope to expand the sale of prefecture-produced rice to other EU member countries,” said Nobuo Ohashi from Japanese farmers group Zen-Noh. Brussels requires rice from Fukushima to undergo a radiation test in Japan or the importer country. “It’s bright news for Fukushima, which has been struggling with the import restrictions. We will make further efforts so the restrictions will be lifted entirely,” said a spokesperson for a prefectural office.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

The FBI, Not “ISIS,” Radicalized the Orlando Shooter
Tony Cartalucci - USA TODAY‘s TC Palm reports in an article titled, “Exclusive: PGA Village residents want answers from security firm,” that (emphasis added): The FBI launched an investigation into Mateen after Sheriff’s Office officials reported the incident to the agency. As part of its investigation, the FBI examined Mateen’s travel history, phone records, acquaintances and even planted a confidential informant in the courthouse to “lure Omar into some kind of act and Omar did not bite,” Mascara said. The FBI concluded Mateen was not a threat after that, Mascara said…. This is in line with the FBI’s practice of approaching and entrapping potential terror suspects by posing as terrorists themselves and aiding and abetting them in the planning and preparations for high-profile attacks. In addition to the FBI’s undercover operation, it is now also revealed that Mateen frequented the website of another FBI/CIA informant, Marcus Dwayne Robertson, a former US Marine, turned bank robber, turned US government informant…. According to Fox News, Omar Mateen… was a student of Marcus Robertson, an Orlando-based radical Muslim who once served as a bodyguard to Omar Abdel Rahman — the notorious “Blind Sheikh” whom I prosecuted for terrorism crimes in the early to mid 1990s.

FBI Still Concealing Almost All of What the Orlando Gunman Said
The Intercept - ... last week, the FBI on Monday refused to release the audio or a full transcript of the gunman’s phone conversations with the police during the attack. The FBI instead published a written timeline of the attack, which included a redacted transcript of one conversation between Mateen and a 911 operator, and a partial summary of what he said in three further calls with the Orlando Police Department crisis negotiators that lasted 28 minutes in total.... Later on Monday, after that redaction was widely criticized, the FBI reversed itself, issuing an unredacted transcript revealing what had been removed.... However, based on a previous description of Mateen’s 911 calls given by FBI Director James Comey last week, it appears that the federal investigators continued to withhold details of a second conversation Mateen had with the 911 operator, which was not referred to at all in the government’s timeline.... 'There were three total calls.”.... Whatever the reasoning, the decision to withhold the audio and a complete transcript only seemed to encourage speculation online, and in the political arena, that the investigators might be concealing something.

DOJ Replaces ‘Allah’ With ‘God’ in Edited Orlando Terrorist Transcript
Kit Daniels - The Justice Department replaced references to ‘Allah’ with ‘God’ in an edited transcript of the 911 call Orlando jihadi Omar Mateen made during the Pulse night club attack. During the call, Omar Mateen made an Islamic prayer in which he said: Praise be to Allah, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of Allah [in Arabic]. I let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings. In comparison, the edited DOJ transcript says: Praise be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God [in Arabic]. I let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings. It’s obvious the Obama administration is doing everything it can to downplay the Islamic connection to the attack, all while demonizing Christians and gun owners.

Report: Three Syrian “Refugees” Rape Little Girl at Knifepoint in Idaho
Paul Joseph Watson - Three Syrian refugees reportedly raped a little girl at knifepoint in Idaho before urinating on her body, an incident that prompted furious residents to accuse Twin Falls city council members of covering up the assault. The sexual assault allegedly took place on June 2, but has received virtually no media attention aside from one vague KMVT report. However, residents have been circulating what really happened on social media, with the Creeping Sharia blog reporting that the victim was a young girl who was born premature and is “less developed for her age”. The perpetrators were three Syrian youths aged 8, 10 and 13, with the oldest boy directing the assault. The little girl was playing outside Fawnbrook apartment buildings when the boys put a knife to her throat and forced her inside a laundry unit. She was then stripped naked, raped and urinated on. The 13-year-old reportedly told the younger boys to urinate on her because they were incapable of ejaculating. The victim’s grandmother found the victim and then called the girl’s mother, who called the police. The police took 2 and a half hours to arrive but were unable to take any action due to the “language barrier”. When she arrived, the mother of the alleged rapists was only able to say “no police,” while the father reportedly congratulated his 13-year-old son. Video of the entire assault was captured on the boy’s cellphone. A follow-up KMTV report revealed that, “the case has officially been sealed by a judge with no chance of it ever being unsealed since all parties involved are minors.”

Senate fails to pass new gun control restrictions in wake of Orlando shooting
The Guardian - Democrats and Republicans had put forth competing amendments to both strengthen background checks and prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms. But all four bills fell short of the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate, in a near replica of a vote held in December when a pair of shooters killed 14 people and wounded 22 more in San Bernardino, California.... The chamber first voted on dueling proposals related to the federal background checks systems. The Republican amendment, which aimed to pour more resources into prosecuting violations of the current background checks system but did not expand it in any way, fell short by a vote of 53-47. The Democratic alternative, which would have required background checks for all gun sales except for gifts and loans between immediate family members, failed by a vote of 44-56. A proposal by Democrats that would have barred the sale of firearms to all individuals on the terror watch list failed to advance in a 47-53 vote. The Republican amendment, which would have enabled the justice department to delay an individual on the FBI terror watch list from completing a gun purchase for a period of 72 hours, was voted down 53-47. The Republican plan, backed by the NRA, would have required the attorney general to prove to a judge that there was probable cause for the firearm sale to be denied.

Supreme Court upholds N.Y., Conn. bans on semi-automatic weapons by not hearing appeals
Breitbart - The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear appeals of state bans on semi-automatic weapons in New York and Connecticut amid resurgent debates on gun control following the Orlando massacre. The Court’s decision to not hear the two appeals — Shew v. Malloy and Kampfer v. Cuomo — upholds federal appeals court rulings in which judges found that the bans were constitutional. Connecticut’s semi-automatic weapon ban was signed into law on April 2013, four months after the Sandy Hook massacre in which 20 children and six school employees were killed by Adam Lanza. The law expanded an existing ban by outlawing dozens of rifle models able to hold high-capacity ammunition.... California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and New York have variations of assault weapons bans.

Tax Foundation: ‘It Takes America 8.9 Billion Hours to Comply with IRS Paperwork’
CNS News - According to the Tax Foundation, it will take Americans 8.9 billion hours to comply with IRS tax-filing rules in 2016, which equals a compliance cost of about $409 billion. In addition, the Tax Foundation reported that the U.S. tax code has grown from 409,000 words in 1955 to 2.4 million in 2015 – an increase of 486%. The 8.9 billion hours of tax-filing, added the Tax Foundation, “is equal to nearly 4.3 million full-time workers doing nothing but tax return paperwork.” Also, the $409 billion loss to the U.S. economy in IRS compliance is greater than the gross product of 36 states. The Tax Foundation further reported that estate and gift taxes generate $20 billion annually for the U.S. government, but the opportunity cost of compliance is $19.6 billion, which reduces the net value of those taxes to only $4 million.

SC Bill to Teach Founding Principles in Public Schools
The Daily Signal - The South Carolina Founding Principles Act requires the study of the United States Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and “the structure of the government and the role of separation of powers and the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights” to be added into statewide social studies programs. This bill, signed June 1, reinforces South Carolina’s Section 59-29-120 that required all public education students, both in high school and in college, to pass a test after a year-long class on the founding documents and principles.

Election News

Trump Fires Corey Lewandowski
Kit Daniels - “The Donald J. Trump Campaign for President, which has set a historic record in the Republican Primary having received almost 14 million votes, has today announced that Corey Lewandowski will no longer be working with the campaign,” staffer Hope Hicks said in a statement Monday…. In early April, Trump was reportedly angry at how campaign operatives led by Lewandowski were slow to protect his delegates from Cruz. Lewandowski also apparently burnt bridges with many of the reporters covering Trump’s campaign as well as Republican National Committee insiders, but what may have triggered his departure was conflict with Trump’s chief strategist Paul Manafort. Trump hired Manafort in March to take over many of the duties previously handled by Lewandowski, with Manafort reporting directly to Trump, not Lewandowski…. Manafort was also responsible for hiring veteran pollster Tony Fabrizio, a libertarian who worked for Rand Paul’s campaign, whereas Lewandowski wanted to hire Ted Cruz’s former pollster Kelly Ann Conway.

Paul Ryan to Hold Fundraiser With Apple’s Tim Cook After Cook Blocks Assistance to GOP Convention
The Gateway Pundit - If you were not yet convinced Paul Ryan is supporting Hillary Clinton this year, read this… Politico reported: Apple CEO Tim Cook will host a fundraiser with House Speaker Paul Ryan next week as the iPhone maker tries to strengthen its relationships with key Republicans — despite its decision to pull support for the GOP convention because of its distaste for Donald Trump. Cook will help generate cash for Ryan at a private breakfast on June 28 in Menlo Park, Calif., along with Gary Wipfler, the company’s treasurer, according to an invite obtained by POLITICO on Monday. The money benefits not only the speaker but a joint fundraising committee aimed at helping to elect other House Republicans.

"People Are Expecting A Brawl" - Trump/Clinton Debates Likely Most-Watched Ever
Zero Hedge - The back and forth between Clinton and The Donald have created an environment where people are genuinely excited to tune in and find out what a live televised debate will bring. "People are expecting a brawl. Nothing attracts viewers like a brawl" said Allen Adamson, a former branding executive. "No one's going to want to be at a dinner party and not have an opinion on who hit the knockout punch" Adamson concluded.... The most watched presidential debate thus far was the Reagan-Carter debate in 1980, which drew 81 million viewers Bloomberg reports, with no other debate coming close to that number since.... Even those outside of the US are looking forward to the debates. Joshua Castillo, an engineering student in Mexico City says Mexicans will be watching, fascinated as never before by the US presidential politics (said otherwise, fascinated by whether or not a US president will be elected that claims a wall will be built and illegal immigration rules enforced). In Moscow, Dmitriy Kosmodemiyanskiy, a money manager at Otkritie Asset Management says that "Russians are very interested", even though it will mean getting up at 4am. Tristan Averett, an American who runs a consulting firm in Lisbon is even planning on having slumber parties to watch the debates, which will air at 2am local time.

Veteran News

Air Force veteran dragged from flag-folding ceremony for speech referencing 'God'
Washington Times - Oscar Rodriguez, a 33-year Air Force veteran, was invited to speak at the April flag-folding ceremony by retiring Master Sgt. Charles Roberson, who heard Mr. Rodriguez deliver the speech one month prior and wanted it performed at his own retirement ceremony. But when Mr. Rodriguez stood up to deliver the remarks, which included references to God, he was approached by several uniformed attendees, who grabbed him and dragged him out of the room. He was later ordered off the base. Mr. Rodriguez retained the First Liberty Institute, the nation’s largest legal organization dedicated to upholding religious liberty, to represent him in potential legal action against the Air Force. First Liberty sent a letter Monday to the Air Force and to the commander at Travis Air Force Base, demanding an apology and threatening to take legal action on Mr. Rodriguez’s behalf.... Attorneys for First Liberty asked for a response by June 27, or they would “pursue all available legal options.” The standard flag-folding oration was updated by the Pentagon in 2006 to remove any references to the almighty, but many service members still prefer the traditional version and request it at their retirement ceremonies. The traditional version closes with, “God bless our flag. God bless our troops. God bless America.”

Energy & Environment

Blackout: California In Power Grid Emergency: “All Customers Should Expect 14 Days Without Power”
Mac Slavo - The entire Los Angeles metropolitan area and most of Southern California can expect blackouts this summer. The power grid is under direct threat as a result of the unprecedented, but little reported, massive natural gas leaks at Alisco Canyon that was ongoing for four months as an intense summer heat wave sets in. According to Reuters: California will have its first test of plans to keep the lights on this summer… With record-setting heat and air conditioning demand expected in Southern California, the state’s power grid operator issued a so-called “flex alert,” urging consumers to conserve energy to help prevent rotating power outages – which could occur regardless. Electricity demand is expected to rise during the unseasonable heatwave on Monday and Tuesday, with forecast system-wide use expected to top 45,000 megawatts, said the California Independent System Operator (ISO), which manages electricity flow through the state. That compares with a peak demand of 47,358 MW last year and the all-time high of 50,270 MW set in July 2006. That could put stress on the power grid, particularly with the shut-in of Aliso Canyon, following a massive leak at the underground storage facility in October [Editor’s Note: which was not stopped fully until mid-February 2016].

Hot Mess: States Struggle to Deal with Radioactive Fracking Waste
Common Dreams - ... the rise of hydraulic fracturing over the past decade has created another boom: tons of radioactive materials experts call an “orphan” waste stream. No federal agency fully regulates oil and gas drilling byproducts — which include brine, sludge, rock and soiled equipment — leaving tracking and handling to states that may be reluctant to alienate energy interests.... An analysis by the Center for Public Integrity shows that states are struggling to keep pace with this waste stream, relying largely on industry to self-report and self-regulate. States have also been slow to assess and curb risks from exposure to the waste, which can remain radioactive for millennia.... The four states in the Marcellus [Shale] are taking different approaches to the problem; none has it under control. Pennsylvania has increasingly restricted disposal of drilling waste, while West Virginia allows some landfills to take unlimited amounts. Ohio has yet to formalize waste rules, despite starting the process in 2013. New York, which banned fracking, accepts drilling waste with little oversight. Inconsistencies have raised concerns among regulators and activists that waste is being “shopped around” by companies seeking the path of least resistance, or unsafely reused.... While radiation emitted from fracking waste may pale in comparison to that from nuclear power plant waste, Nadia Steinzor [of the environmental group Earthworks] said regulators don’t know the cumulative impacts of landfilling the loads over time.

Greenpeace co-founder argues rising emissions are saving planet, not destroying it
Washington Times - Mr. Moore, a Greenpeace turncoat who now challenges the catastrophic climate-change narrative, said in a treatise that carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere dipped so low about 18,000 years ago that plant life was threatened. “All life is carbon based and the primary source of this carbon is the CO2 in the global atmosphere,” Mr. Moore said in his executive summary. “As recently as 18,000 years ago, at the height of the most recent major glaciation, CO2 dipped to its lowest level in recorded history at 180 ppm, low enough to stunt plant growth.” At about 150 ppm, plant life dies due to carbon dioxide starvation, he said in his paper, “The Positive Impact of Human CO2 Emissions on the Survival of Life on Earth,” released Monday by the Canada-based Frontier Centre for Public Policy. “It is calculated that if the decline in CO2 levels were to continue at the same rate as it has over the past 140 million years, life on Earth would begin to die as soon as two million years from now and would slowly perish almost entirely as carbon continued to be lost to the deep ocean sediments,” according to the summary. “The combustion of fossil fuels for energy to power human civilization has reversed the downward trend in CO2 and promises to bring it back to levels that are likely to foster a considerable increase in the growth rate and biomass of plants, including food crops and trees,” the study says.

Science & Technology

What Could Go Wrong? Crime Fighting Robots Now Equipped with Self-Defense
The Free Thought Project - Now, robots which, say, patrol for criminal or suspicious activity come with a blend of humanoid characteristics and self-defense programs which prevent them from being perceived as too cute — or too menacing.... After several failed design attempts to find the appropriate balance between relatable and threatening — and a number of incidents in which robots faced ‘abuse’ or ‘assault’ by humans — newer robots employ self-defense capabilities.... Experts on the interaction between humans and their new mechanical counterparts observed “robot abuse” in action in Okinawa, Japan, in 2014, when robots designed to assist the elderly in purchasing groceries came under attack by children, who kicked it, beat it with a bottle and bent its neck.... Those experiments led, in part, to robots with human-like facial features that can also employ defensive tactics if someone gets spooked or wishes to cause harm. Instead of reacting as if they’re being hurt, some newer robots have been designed to simply stop moving altogether — in theory, to cause attackers to lose interest.... While the world might not be quite ready for armed robots-on-patrol, it would be a question worth considering as designs improve and people become familiarized to their presence.

China Is Crushing The U.S. In The Supercomputer Race
Vocativ - China is now home to the world’s most powerful supercomputer for the fourth year in a row. Intended to be used for manufacturing and the modeling of earth systems, the new Sunway TaihuLight is capable of performing 93,000 trillion calculations per second—more than five times faster than the closest competitor owned and operated by the U.S.... At the end of 2008, all of the top ten supercomputers on the planet were American. But the country’s record has slid significantly, with its last number one slot occurring in 2012. Now, China is the nation to beat, with both the highest and second highest performing systems in existence, according to the TOP500 List.... Japan, which once accounted for almost half of the top ten, now barely keeps in touch. European players are near the top ten, with the likes of Switzerland’s Supercomputer Centre housing machines that do calculations for CERN. Saudi Arabia has made the top ten for the last two years thanks to new supercomputer which will crunch, along with other subjects, oil and gas data.... In addition to having the best of the bunch, China also has the most supercomputers in the top 500 list—a total of 167 compared to 165 in the U.S. It’s the first time China has edged out the U.S. in this regard.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

VIDEO: New MacDonald
Only Organic - Watch as these kids show what makes organic farming the choice for the future in a surprising twist on a classic children’s song. It's time to say goodbye to Old MacDonald. When you choose Organic you are choosing a future with less toxic chemicals in our food and environment. Share this video with a friend and help us build a healthier future for all of us, free of added hormones, antibiotics, GMOs and toxic pesticides.

Health

FDA Approves Stomach Pump Device for Weight Loss
Natural Society - On Tuesday, the FDA approved a stomach pump, described by some as a “reverse feeding tube,” to help people lose weight. The strange weight-loss device is basically an external pump that dumps part of the stomach contents into the toilet. The AspireAssist device is approved for use in morbidly-obese people, and helps them lose an average of 12% of body weight, which is significantly more than pills or most diet. AspireAssist is considered minimally-invasive and includes a tube that goes from the inside of the stomach to a port on the outside of the abdomen. Patients can attach the pump to the outside port as needed to remove about 1/3 of the stomach’s contents at a time. If you can’t handle the sight of vomit, this might not be the device for you…. Dumping the stomach’s contents before they can be absorbed by the body…wait, isn’t there already a “weight-loss method” like that? This sounds an awful lot like bulimia. I’m not alone in that assessment. In fact, some experts are very disturbed that the FDA agreed to approve a device that, they say, is the equivalent of “assisted bulimia.” Even the FDA sees the potential danger.

Clover: The ‘Annoying’ Little Weed That Is Edible, Tasty, And Nutritious, Too
Off the Grid News - Native Americans ate clover raw, or steamed large quantities of fresh, moist leaves between two hot stones. The roots, when dried, were dipped in meat drippings or oil. The dried seed pods and flowers were ground into powder and sprinkled on food or used to make bread. There are several dozen species of clover with charming names like sweet kitty clover, meadow honeysuckle clove, peavine clover and cowgrass clover. But white clover (Trifolium repens) and red clover (Trifolium pratense) are most familiar. Both are edible and packed with beta-carotene, protein and a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals…. Red clover, which is believed to be slightly more nutritious than white clover, is a robust plant that can reach a height of 24 inches. It has a taproot. White clover is a smaller plant that spreads by rhizomes. There are no particular tricks when it comes to integrating clover into your diet. The key is to keep it simple. For example, eat the blooms and leaves raw or dip them in a little salty water. You also can toss a few leaves or blooms into salads, soup or stir fries. Many people claim that clover (a member of the pea family) is more flavorful and easier to digest after it’s been boiled for five or 10 minutes, but you may have your own ideas.

Try This Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric-Coconut Bedtime Drink for Better Digestion
Natural News Blogs - Nearly everyone has experienced the unpleasant sensation of feeling overly full or having an upset stomach at bedtime. This is particularly a possibility if the evening meal has been heavy or rich in nature. This poor bedtime digestion can lead to a number of problems, including reflux, heartburn or interrupted sleep. Fortunately, there are ways to help treat this problem naturally…. Ingredients: 2 cups coconut milk, 1 teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1-inch piece of sliced ginger root [and] Honey to taste. Add all ingredients except the honey together in a bowl and whisk together. Pour into a saucepan and heat until it is at a low boiling and bubbling. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Strain out the ginger root, add the honey and enjoy while warm. This is not a difficult recipe to make. But it is delicious, the creaminess of the coconut blending well with the spice of turmeric and the sweetness of honey.
 



Monday - June 20, 2016  -  Today in History:

1782 - The U.S. Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States.
1793 - Eli Whitney applied for a cotton gin patent. He received the patent on March 14. The cotton gin initiated the American mass-production concept.
1863 - West Virginia became the 35th state to join the U.S.
1863 - The National Bank of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA, became the first bank to receive a charter from the U.S. Congress.
1898 - The U.S. Navy seized the island of Guam enroute to the Philippines to fight the Spanish.
1923 - France announced it would seize the Rhineland to assist Germany in paying its war debts.
1941 - The U.S. Army Air Forces was established, replacing the Army Air Corps. The Army Air Forces were abolished with the creation of the United States Air Force in 1947.
1943 - Race-related rioting erupted in Detroit. Federal troops were sent in two days later to end the violence that left more than 30 dead.
1947 - Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was murdered in Beverly Hills, CA, at the order of mob associates angered over the soaring costs of his project, the Flamingo resort in Las Vegas, NV.
1955 - The AFL and CIO agreed to combine names and a merge into a single group.
1963 - The United States and Soviet Union signed an agreement to set up a hot line communication link between the two countries.
1977 - The Trans-Alaska Pipeline began operation.
1979 - ABC News correspondent Bill Stewart was shot to death in Managua, Nicaragua, by a member of President Anastasio Somoza's national guard.
1983 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers must treat male and female workers equally in providing health benefits for their spouses.
1997 - The tobacco industry agreed to a massive settlement in exchange for major relief from mounting lawsuits and legal bills.
2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 38th home run of the season. The home run broke the major league baseball record for homers before the midseason All-Star break.
2002 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the execution of mentally retarded murderers was unconstitutionally cruel. The vote was 6 in favor and 3 against.

World News

First Brexit Poll After Jo Cox Death Reveals Stunning Result
Zero Hedge - Before the assassination of British MP Jo Cox, the "Leave" campaign had been surging in recent polls... as USA Today reports, the first post-Cox poll reveals a shocking swing in "Remain" voters... Qriously, a London-based technology start-up that gathers data and intelligence about consumers through mobile phone apps, found that backing among likely voters for Britain's EU membership has dropped to 32% from 40% before her death. The poll was based on 1,992 British adults surveyed on June 13-16, and then 1,002 on June 17 — the day after Cox was shot and killed in northern England. The start-up claims to have held the first such survey on the topic since the lawmaker's slaying. Most of Qriously’s surveys are done for corporate brands and it has not been previously conducted an EU referendum poll.

Switzerland Withdraws Application To Join EU: Only "Lunatics May Want To Join Now"
Zero Hedge - Resentment toward the EU hit a new high yesterday when the upper house of the Swiss parliament on Wednesday followed in the footsteps of Iceland, and voted to invalidate its 1992 application to join the European Union, backing an earlier decision by the lower house.... Thomas Minder, counsellor for the state of Schaffhausen and an active promoter of the concept of “Swissness,” said he was eager to “close the topic fast and painlessly” as only “a few lunatics” may want to join the EU now, he told the newspaper.... To be sure, Switzerland’s longstanding application to join the EU has not had a significant impact on the country’s politics for more than 20 years, as its accession negotiations have been suspended since 1992 in the wake of a referendum to join the European Economic Area, when the Swiss voted down the idea of closer ties with the EU. Coming one week before the Brexit referendum it will be seen as highly symbolic, however, and may give further impetus to the Leave campaign.

One of biggest protests in 2 decades: Over 50,000 Okinawans gather for anti-US military rally
RT - The rally, which organizers said numbered more than 65,000 – including Governor Takeshi Onaga and officials from opposition parties – has taken place in Okinawa’s capital Naha located in close proximity to US air bases Kadena and Futenma. Simultaneous solidarity protest took place outside the national parliament in Tokyo. The demonstrators were protesting against heavy US military presence and grave crimes repeatedly committed by servicemen against the residents. In the most recent case that resonated amongst the locals, a 20-year-old woman has been murdered by an ex-Marine employed as civil worker at the US military base.... Demonstrators have also protested plans by Washington and Tokyo to move a major US Marine base from the center of the island to pristine waters off Okinawa’s northern coast. Okinawa's Governor Takeshi Onaga, who has spoken at the Naha protest, argues against the plan and wants the base to be removed from Okinawa completely.

UN Demands Bigger, Stronger UN “Police” Force
New American - …the United Nations is launching a major push to expand and further empower its UN “police” force known as UNPOL. At the same time, the controversial global organization is working to usurp more influence over national police forces, with the UN bringing together more than 100 national police chiefs this month at what is its first-ever UN “Chiefs of Police Summit” (UN COPS). The scheming comes less than two years after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on local police forces in the United States to comply with what he cryptically referred to as “international standards. At the center of the UN’s efforts to empower its self-styled “Police” force is a new report commissioned by the UN … In reality, the [UN] Police Division’s current capacity and resourcing is insufficient and has not kept pace with the increased tasks and complexity of police mandates in peace operations,” the report claimed…. The report also called for upgrading the UN’s “Police Adviser” bureaucrat to “Assistant Secretary-General” status. Finally, the document called for the roll-out of a “strategic framework” that envisions UN police serving as a “substitute for local police,” “helping secure elections,” and even fighting “crime and violent extremism.” The UN has also proudly launched a global war on “ideologies,” including “anti-Muslim bigotry.”

Rio Declares State Of "Public Calamity", Warns Of Total Collapse In Security, Health And Transport
Zero Hedge - ... just 49 days before the start of the Olympics, the Rio state government declared a state of "public calamity" (yes, that's the technical term) warning of a risk of total collapse in public security, health, transport and virtually everything else, because as the local government explained, the financial crisis is preventing it from fulfilling its requirements for the Games. In other words, the money is gone... as a result of the ongoing economic and now political catastrophe in the country, the 2016 Oympics may never even happen in the country gripped by what may be the worst depression in its history. Oh, and then the whole Zika thing.... Finally, by declaring a state of public calamity, the state government of Rio de Janeiro aims to get access to federal cash. The question is whether there is any left.

No food, no teachers, violence in failing Venezuela schools
Washington Times - The soaring crime and economic chaos stalking Venezuela is also ripping apart a once up-and-coming school system.... Officially, Venezuela has canceled 16 school days since December, including Friday classes because of an energy crisis. In reality, Venezuelan children have missed an average of 40 percent of class time, a parent group estimates, as a third of teachers skip work on any given day to wait in food lines...so many students have fainted from hunger that administrators told parents to keep their children home if they have no food. And while the school locks its gate each morning, armed robbers, often teens themselves, still manage to break in and stick up kids... As many as 40 percent of teachers skip class on any given day to wait in food lines that snake through Caracas like spider veins, according to the Venezuela Teacher’s Federation. School director Helena Porras has asked nearby supermarkets to let teachers cut in line. And she’s disciplined staff for selling students passing grades in exchange for scarce goods like milk and flour.... As food grows scarce, schools have reported dozens of cafeteria robberies. This month, thieves beat a security guard to death at one school so they could make off with the cafeteria’s food. That leaves children with nothing to eat at home or in school. A quarter of Venezuelan children missed class this year because of hunger, according to the national research group Foundation Bengoa.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Obama effectively restarts Afghanistan combat operations a year after officially ending them
Washington Times - White House officials have given the administration’s tacit approval to allow U.S. commanders in Afghanistan to conduct offensive airstrikes against the Taliban and other insurgent groups and to let American troops restart joint ground operations with Afghan forces. The changes were based on the findings of a three-month review of the situation in Afghanistan, which was overseen by Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander there, and submitted to Pentagon and White House officials this month. Before the changes made at Gen. Nicholson’s behest, American air power was authorized only when U.S. forces were under direct threat and American combat missions in the country were limited to special operations teams.... The White House planned to reduce U.S. troop numbers from the current 9,800 to 5,500 by the end of this year, with the ultimate goal of a full troop withdrawal by the end of next year. That plan, however, relied heavily on Afghan forces’ ability to hold ground against the Taliban with little to no American military support. But since the official end of U.S. combat operations in the country, the Taliban have stepped up their battle tempo significantly. After two fighting seasons on their own, Afghan forces have ceded nearly 80 of Afghanistan’s 400-plus districts to Taliban control.

Computer Crash Wipes Out Years of Air Force Investigation Records
Government Executive — A database that hosts files from the Air Force’s inspector general and legislative liaison divisions became corrupted last month, destroying data created between 2004 and now, service officials said. Neither the Air Force nor Lockheed Martin, the defense firm that runs the database, could say why it became corrupted or whether they’ll be able to recover the information. Lockheed tried to recover the information for two weeks before notifying the Air Force, according to a service statement. The Air Force has begun asking for assistance from cybersecurity professionals at the Pentagon as well as from private contractors.... [Air Force spokeswoman] Ann Stefanek said the ACTS system contains all sorts of personal information, such as complaints, the findings of an investigation, and any actions taken. The database also contains records of congressional and constituent inquiries. The data lost dates back to 2004. “[W]hen the system crashed, all those historical records were lost,” she said. Data about current investigations has also been lost, which is delaying them.

Lynch: "Partial Transcript" Of Orlando 911 Calls Will Have References To Islamic Terrorism Removed
RealClear News - In an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd, Attorney General Loretta Lynch says that on Monday, the FBI will release edited transcripts of the 911 calls made by the Orlando nightclub shooter to the police…. Transcript: LORETTA LYNCH: “What we're announcing tomorrow is that the FBI is releasing a partial transcript of the killer's calls with law enforcement, from inside the club. These are the calls with the Orlando PD negotiating team, who he was, where he was... that will be coming out tomorrow and I'll be headed to Orlando on Tuesday. CHUCK TODD: Including the hostage negotiation part of this? LYNCH: Yes, it will be primarily a partial transcript of his calls with the hostage negotiators. CHUCK TODD: You say partial, what's being left out? LYNCH: What we're not going to do is further proclaim this man's pledges of allegiance to terrorist groups, and further his propaganda. CHUCK TODD: We're not going to hear him talk about those things? LYNCH: We will hear him talk about some of those things, but we are not going to hear him make his assertions of allegiance and that. It will not be audio, it will be a printed transcript. But it will begin to capture the back and forth between him and the negotiators, we're trying to get as much information about this investigation out as possible. As you know, because the killer is dead, we have a bit more leeway there and we will be producing that information tomorrow.

Video: Media Casually Tours Orlando Shooter’s Apartment Only 24 Hrs After Shooting?
Melissa Dykes - Apparently the FBI accidentally left the doors unlocked and the windows open to the shooter’s apartment…allegedly a crime scene to the largest terror attack since 9/11. I uploaded this video under the category “entertainment” because it can’t possibly be news.

Florida Gun Store Owner Reveals He Called FBI on Orlando Killer One Month Prior to Massacre
Activist Post - In an explosive revelation, a Florida gun store owner revealed on Thursday that he had contacted the FBI about Omar Mateen about a month before the Orlando nightclub shooter’s bloody rampage — after the would-be killer attempted to purchase body armor and a large amount of ammunition, according to The Hill. Owner of Lotus Gunworks in Jensen Beach, Robert Abell, said Mateen was turned away when he tried to purchase two types of body armor the store did not carry, as well as 1,000 rounds of ammunition. According to the report in The Hill: The store contacted the FBI, which was also investigating a group of Middle Eastern men buying police gear at the store. The men turned out to be security guards. The FBI asked about Mateen’s visit, but the store couldn’t provide any identifying details or security camera footage. Store employees realized that the man was Mateen after his picture circulated in the media in the wake of the massacre that left 49 people dead. Mateen was killed by police when they raided the nightclub.

Wayne State Drops Math Requirement, May Add Diversity Requirement
Michigan Capitol Confidential - “We are proposing the creation of specific ‘Diversity’ courses, with students required to take one course in this designation,” said a document from the General Education Reform Committee, which is recalibrating what the university will expect from all students who earn a degree from the state university. It released the proposal in May. The committee report said, “These courses will provide opportunities for students to explore diversity at the domestic level and consider the ways in which it intersects with real world challenges at the local, national and/or global level.” In announcing the change in mathematics, the university said, "This decision was made largely because the current (math) requirement is at a level already required by most high school mathematics curriculum.".... “Colleges and universities use general education requirements to ensure that students learn the subjects it deems most important,” [Executive Director of the National Association of Scholars] Ashley Thorne said in an email. “Wayne State University’s decision to drop math and add diversity to its requirements reveals that its leaders do not have their priorities straight.” “Mathematical ability is an objective and practical skill that will serve students the rest of their lives, which is why it has traditionally been a core part of college curricula. ‘Diversity’ is not an academic subject. It is a concept invented to classify people by their social identities,” she said. “Focusing on individuals’ race, ethnicity, sex, and sexuality in this way has been demonstrated to lead to racial animus, segregation, stigmas, discrimination, and poor academic performance. It also politicizes education.”

Election News

New Texas GOP Platform Takes on Texas Secretary of State and Election Integrity
Raging Elephants Radio - The Texas GOP birthed a new and improved, two hundred 2016 Texas Republican Platform on May13, 2016. The Platform now consists of 266 planks and one of them, the Elections Integrity Plank No. 59, takes on the Texas Secretary of State’s (SoS) Election Division and directs their office to step up and better secure our Texas elections. The new election language passed with an overwhelming 90% approval of all convention delegates. The first major change to the election plank #59 sets the expectation for the SoS: “We support the Secretary of State strictly enforcing printing of Results Tapes for electronic voting for early voting and Election Day at polling locations after the polls close for all counties.” This directive came about because many counties are receiving waivers to election law related to computerized voting machines. Texans are not happy with electronic voting machines according to Dr. Laura Pressley, Ph.D. who has the first formal election contest in the state with evidence of electronic voting computer corruption in Texas—in Travis County.

Republican Operatives Launch All-Out Effort To Unbind The Delegates And Deny Trump The Nomination
Economic Collapse - Over the past couple of days, the Washington Post, CNN and a whole host of other mainstream news outlets have been reporting on a new “last-ditch effort” that has been launched by Republican operatives to get the Republican convention Rules Committee to unbind all of the delegates and allow them to vote however they want. As you will see below, they can do this, and if they get enough votes they will do it. This current effort is different from what we have seen so far during this campaign season, because it is actually being organized by the delegates themselves. This movement is being spearheaded by a delegate from Colorado named Kendal Unruh. She is actually a key member of the Republican convention Rules Committee.... For her, it is not about getting some other specific candidate nominated. Rather, the entire goal is simply to stop Donald Trump… So could the Republican convention Rules Committee actually do this?... As Time Magazine has explained, the Republican convention Rules Committee essentially has the power to make up any rules that they want. And thanks to political wrangling by the Cruz campaign, we do know that the rules committee is dominated by delegates that are loyal to Cruz… The rule change that would unbind all of the delegates and free them up to “vote their consciences” has already been drafted.

Anti-Trump Protester Arrested After Trying to Take Police Officer’s Gun at Vegas Rally
The Gateway Pundit - For some reason this didn’t make any headlines? FOX News reported: Authorities in Las Vegas arrested a 19-year-old man after he allegedly tried to disarm a police officer at the Donald Trump presidential rally. Las Vegas Metro police said Michael Sanford approached a uniformed officer and started a conversation looking to get an autograph. Minutes into the conversation, Sanford attempted to disarm the officer, police said. Authorities said officers assigned to the rally were able to take Sanford into custody with little disruption at the venue. No other incidents or injuries were reported.

Former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor Defeats Pro-Obamatrade RINO in Virginia Primary
The Gateway Pundit - Former US Navy SEAL and Virginia state Del. Scott Taylor won the 2nd Congressional District Republican primary Tuesday with a feisty grassroots campaign after being outspent almost 10-to-1 by U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, a eight-term legislator who was trying to move from his home district to a supposedly friendlier one nearby. His support for Obamatrade cost Rep. Forbes his seat in the US House.

Veteran News

VA Abandons Use of Law Allowing Expedited Firing of Its Executives
AllGov - The Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer use its authority to fire senior executives in an expedited manner — dropping a key portion of a law Congress passed two years ago in response to a nationwide scandal over long wait times for veterans seeking medical care. Deputy VA Secretary Sloan Gibson said the agency was forced to abandon the new authority after the Justice Department said it would no longer defend the provision in court. "Under these circumstances, I believe it would be irresponsible to continue using that authority when other methods for disciplining senior executives exist," Gibson said late Friday. Using the expedited authority against Justice Department advice "would only hinder VA's ability to hold senior officials accountable...and make those actions stick," Gibson said.... "Everyone knows VA isn't very good at disciplining employees, but this decision calls into question whether department leaders are even interested in doing so," said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House veterans panel.

Veterans Who Died from Agent Orange Exposure Honored at Vietnam War Memorial
Breitbart - The names of 312 Vietnam War veterans who died from exposure to Agent Orange were added to the rolls at the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial on Saturday. Family members of the deceased veterans were on hand to receive a recognition plaque and place photos of their loved ones at the base of the memorial wall of names. The ceremony took place on the grounds of the National Mall just outside The Wall of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial on Saturday.... “We are adding 312 names to the rolls and database of Vietnam Veterans who have died,” the volunteer said. “They won’t be added to the actual wall, but their names will be recorded for posterity.” “There are 58,315 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; names of men and women who died on the battlefield of the Vietnam War,” Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund President and CEO Jim Knotts said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “Those men and women are honored on a daily basis by everyone who sees The Wall.” “There are many thousands more who died as a result of the Vietnam War, but their deaths do not fit the Department of Defense criteria for inclusion on The Wall. VVMF’s In Memory program honors those veterans, many of whom came home to fight a whole new battle and never fully recovered either physically or emotionally. It is our duty to make sure their sacrifice is never forgotten,” he explained. The Department of Defense only allows names to be added to The Wall of veterans who have died from wounds sustained during the war. They are not allowing the addition of the nearly 3,000 Vietnam War veterans who died from exposure to Agent Orange related illnesses, The Duluth News Tribune reported.

Economy & Business

Wall Street rocked by $8 billion hedge fund implosion
Hang The Bankers - Visium Asset Management, a multibillion dollar hedge fund, has imploded in the biggest scandal to hit the industry in years. The fund told investors of its plan to close in a letter Friday. It’s the most high-profile shutdown since authorities forced Steve Cohen’s controversial SAC Capital to close in 2013. A slew of factors — from a brewing insider-trading scandal to a contentious investment by Visium’s founder that rankled investors and staffers alike — led to Visium’s demise. On top of all of that, Visium’s flagship fund had been reporting dismal performance. Visium is selling one of its better performing funds to AllianceBernstein, it said. Just days before Visium announced the shut down, one of its top portfolio managers — Sanjay Valvani — was charged with wire and securities fraud. He is accused of using insider information from a Food and Drug Administration Official to place trades on drug companies ahead of key FDA decisions from about 2005 through 2011. Two other former Visium portfolio managers, Christopher Plaford and Stefan Lumiere, were accused of purposefully miscalculating the price of securities so that they could charge investors inflated fees and mislead them about the fund’s liquidity.

Energy & Environment

State Bans Third Party Solar to Protect Corporate Masters — Effectively Killing Homegrown Renewable Energy
Natural Blaze - In January, we reported that Nevada’s public utility company and their cohorts at the Public Utilities Commission killed the sunny state’s solar industry with a 40% tax hike on solar customers. The move drove two major solar companies out of the state, cut up to a thousand jobs, sabotaged consumer investments in solar energy and discouraged the off-grid movement. It’s part of a calculated effort by investor-owned utilities and corporate front groups like the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). North Carolina is one of four states that actually ban third-party solar sales. Only “regulated utilities” can sell electricity there, such as Duke Energy which enjoyed $23.5 billion in revenue in 2015. The energy giant has campaigned against bills that would benefit rooftop solar, as it threatens their monopoly of producing and distributing energy in the state. Now, a dispute between the state and the nonprofit North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network (NC WARN) is exposing the dark underbelly of government-corporate collusion.

Western Wildfires Triple in Size; Evacuations In 3 States
Weather Channel - Major wildfires burning across the West have consumed tens of thousands of acres and forced evacuations in at least three states. In New Mexico, one particular wildfire exploded in size on Thursday. Dry conditions are hampering firefighting efforts in a region that's expected to see dangerous and potentially deadly heat over the weekend and into early next week…. The most extreme heat in the coming days will be in the Desert Southwest where highs could climb to near 120 degrees, including in Phoenix, where it hasn't been that hot in more than 20 years. A state of emergency has been declared as the Dog Head Fire more than tripled to around 17,000 acres by Saturday morning, forcing evacuations in the Manzano Mountains southeast of Albuquerque. The sudden growth was attributed to dry conditions, hot temperatures and afternoon winds…. The blaze has destroyed 24 single residences and 21 other minor structures as of Saturday, Inciweb reports.

Obama Falsely Links Fires to Climate Change at Yosemite
Breitbart - President Barack Obama used his visit to Yosemite National Park on Saturday to tout his administration’s environmental record and to warn Americans about the dangers of climate change — albeit with false information. “Fires are raging across the west right now … all while it’s still really early in the season,” he said in a speech at the park, according to the Los Angeles Times. Obama joins California Governor Jerry Brown in making a spurious connection between wildfires and climate change that scientists have long since rejected…. Obama also touted his administration’s record in expanding public lands and taking regulatory actions, including enforcing the Endangered Species Act (which many Californians blame for overzealous protection of the Delta smelt at the expense of water allocations to farmers).

Science & Technology

New Company Promises to Spy on Your Facebook Posts for Your Landlord
Activist Post - A new UK startup will “take a deep dive” into the intimate details of people’s private lives by essentially strip-mining data from their social media profiles — and then sell what’s unearthed to just about anybody willing to pay. Score Assured, as the umbrella company, will offer a suite of services to those desiring a more personal insight into applicants’ lives across a number of different sectors. Tenant Assured, for instance — marketed to landlords — is already up and running. The next program to go live, Recruit Assured, will target employers. “We’re trying to bring back a level of personal relationship to the digital world so the right judgement can be made for the right reason,” Score Assured co-founder Steve Thornhill told The Verge.

American Medical Association Warns of Health and Safety Problems from “White” LED Street Lights
Natural Blaze - Municipalities are replacing existing streetlights with efficient and long-lasting LEDs to save money on energy and maintenance. Although the streetlights are delivering these benefits, the AMA’s stance reflects how important proper design of new technologies is and the close connection between light and human health…. An incandescent bulb has a color temperature of 2400K, which means it contains far less blue and far more yellow and red wavelengths. Before electric light, we burned wood and candles at night; this artificial light has a CT of about 1800K, quite yellow/red and almost no blue. What we have now is very different. The new “white” LED street lighting which is rapidly being retrofitted in cities throughout the country has two problems, according to the AMA. The first is discomfort and glare. Because LED light is so concentrated and has high blue content, it can cause severe glare, resulting in pupillary constriction in the eyes. Blue light scatters more in the human eye than the longer wavelengths of yellow and red, and sufficient levels can damage the retina. This can cause problems seeing clearly for safe driving or walking at night…. In the case of white LED light, it is estimated to be five times more effective at suppressing melatonin at night than the high pressure sodium lamps (given the same light output) which have been the mainstay of street lighting for decades. Melatonin suppression is a marker of circadian disruption, which includes disrupted sleep. Bright electric lighting can also adversely affect wildlife by, for example, disturbing migratory patterns of birds and some aquatic animals which nest on shore.

Survival/Preparedness

White House Warns: Start Stockpiling For ‘Long-Term Loss Of Electric Power’
Off the Grid News - “For the first time since the demise of the civil defense program of the Cold War, the federal government has made one of the most significant modifications to its emergency preparedness message,” wrote Manto, CEO of Instant Access Networks LLC, a firm that produces solutions for EMP-protected microgrids. “A three-day emergency kit is no longer sufficient to prepare for emerging threats, whether coming from Earth or from space.” Manto added, “Instead of implying that U.S. communities can always count on being rescued from any disaster in four days – requiring three days of food and water to stay comfortable – the implication now is that local communities might not always receive assistance for a much longer period of time.” The new federal government strategy contains several changes that Manto said are significant: “Complete an all-hazards power outage response and recovery plan: for extreme space weather events and the long-term loss of electric power and cascading effects on other critical infrastructure sectors; “Other low-frequency, high-impact events are also capable of causing long-term power outages on a regional or national scale. “The plan must include the Whole Communityand enable the prioritization of core capabilities. “Develop and conduct exercisesto improve and test Federal, State, regional, local and industry-related space weather response and recovery plans: Exercising plans and capturing lessons learned enables ongoing improvement in event response and recovery capabilities.”

Health

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Used as a Stabilizer in Vaccines
Health Impact News - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Excipient and Media Summary lists five vaccines that contain monosodium glutamate: Adenovirus, Influenza (FluMist) Quadrivalent, MMRV (ProQuad), Varicella (Varivax), Zoster (Shingles–Zostavax). MSG is used as a stabilizer in vaccines. Stabilizers are added to vaccines to help the vaccine remain unchanged when it is exposed to heat, light, acidity or humidity…. Russell Blaylock, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon and author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills has extensively studied the effects of MSG on the brain. He identifies MSG an excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are food and taste-enhancing chemicals found in many food products. Aside from MSG, other excitotoxins include hydrolyzed vegetable protein, aspartame (a food sweetener sold on the market as NutraSweet) and cysteine. Excitotoxins overstimulate certain neurons in the brain causing them to continue firing until they tire themselves and die. This overexcitement of neurons can cause brain damage of varying degrees and can potentially trigger degenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease), Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, all of which develop gradually.

Simple way to slash your risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 48 percent
(NaturalHealth365) Pancreatic cancer is very often quite difficult to diagnose due to the fact that there aren’t any simple, affordable screening tests available at this time for finding it in the early, asymptomatic stages. It usually isn’t detected until it’s too late.,,, Now, there is now exciting news from a University of Pittsburgh study revealing far lower cancer rates in persons who take key supplements. University of Pittsburgh researchers have found a link between the vitamins B6 and choline and a lowered risk of pancreatic cancer. The findings can be found in the publication Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention…. Among those patients who took the most consistent and substantial amounts of vitamin B6, a 48 percent lowered risk of pancreatic cancer was demonstrated. Persons who took the highest amounts of choline had a 33 percent reduced risk of pancreatic cancer.

Drinking lemon ginger turmeric tea relieves pain while boosting your immune system
(NaturalNews) Starting your day with lemon ginger turmeric tea is an excellent way to give your body the daily love it needs. It kick-starts digestion, fights inflammation, boosts the immune system and helps to detoxify the liver and blood. It can be used to treat a broad range of ailments, such as the common cold, a sore throat, cough, seasonal allergies, fatigue, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive complaints.,,, Here is a delicious spin on the old lemon water favorite which adds a little bit more punch and healing nutrients to your daily life. Ingredients (serves 1) 1 teaspoon fresh grated turmeric root (or 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder), 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root (or 0.5 teaspoon ginger powder), 2–3 twists black pepper (to make the turmeric more bio-available), Juice of half a lemon, 1–2 teaspoons raw honey (optional) [and] 1.5 cups filtered water.

Woman Drinks 3 Liters of Water a Day and Looks Years Younger!
David Wolfe - Water lubricates your joints, protects your spinal cord and regulates your body temperature. It is the only fluid you could get away with drinking exclusively. It’s also one of the only fluids you can drink three liters of per day and thrive because of it. (Try that with Coke and you’ll die.)… #1 – Better Looking Skin: A lot of people spend money on expensive acne cleansers and anti-aging creams that either doesn’t work to begin with or becomes ineffective over time. But drinking a lot of water (y’know, like three liters) is the best way to flush out toxins and hydrate your skin from the inside out. And the best part? Its effectiveness is never going to wear off. You’ll stay looking young and refreshed, with clear skin, as long as you continue your water consumption habits. #2 – Weight Loss: One of the reasons is that drinking large amounts of water helps you feel fuller, increases your metabolic rate and helps turn your stored fat into energy. #3 – Heart Disease Prevention: When you get dehydrated, your blood gets thicker, which means that your heart has to work extra hard to get your blood flowing through your entire body. A study found that drinking plenty of water can cut your chance of having a heart attack by as much as 41%.

Pet News

Remember… As you drink that water our wildlife companions need it to
Random Collections - Weather has become increasingly dry since the late 1990’s… Please consider setting out water dishes.
* Related: Water-For-Wildlife No-Tip Cups

Here's an Odd Sign of Heart Disease You Don't Want to Ignore
Dr. Becker - Saddle thrombus is a very serious condition that occurs more often in cats than dogs and is alternately called feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE). The "saddle" is the point in the abdomen at which the aorta splits into two arteries to supply the back legs with blood flow; a saddle thrombus is a blood clot that typically lodges in the wedge at the top of the saddle. Symptoms of FATE involve one or both rear legs, which turn cold and hard as the muscles and nerves swell due to lack of oxygen and nutrients. An affected pet may drag one or both hind legs and cry out in pain. Saddle thrombus is a life-threatening medical emergency. Pets who survive typically require a great deal of nursing care until they are mobile again, and unfortunately, recurrence is common. A very encouraging alternative treatment for saddle thrombus is medicinal leeching. I also advise long-term ubiquinol supplementation for all heart patients, and nattokinase for FATE patients to help prevent future blood clots.
 



Friday - June 17, 2016  -  Today in History:

1775 - The British took Bunker Hill outside of Boston.
1837 - Charles Goodyear received his first patent. The patent was for a process that made rubber easier to work with.
1856 - The Republican Party opened its first national convention in Philadelphia.
1861 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln witnessed Dr. Thaddeus Lowe demonstrate the use of a hydrogen balloon.
1885 - The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship Isere.
1913 - U.S. Marines set sail from San Diego to protect American interests in Mexico.
1917 - The Russian Duma met in a secret session in Petrograd and voted for an immediate Russian offensive against the German Army. (World War I)
1924 - The Fascist militia marched into Rome.
1928 - Amelia Earhart began the flight that made her the first woman to successfully fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
1940 - France asked Germany for terms of surrender in World War II.
1941 - WNBT-TV in New York City, NY, was granted the first construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in the U.S.
1942 - Yank, a weekly magazine for the U.S. armed services, began publication. The term "G.I. Joe" was first used in a comic strip by Dave Breger.
1944 - French troops landed on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean.
1950 - Dr. Richard H. Lawler performed the first kidney transplant in a 45-minute operation in Chicago, IL.
1963 - The U.S. Supreme Court banned the required reading of the Lord's prayer and Bible in public schools.
1965 - Twenty-seven B-52’s hit Viet Cong outposts but lost two planes in South Vietnam.
1970 - North Vietnamese troops cut the last operating rail line in Cambodia.
1994 - After leading police on a chase through Southern California, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman.
2008 - Hundreds of same-sex couples got married across California on the first full day that gay marriage became legal by order of the state's highest court. (However, California voters banned gay marriage in November.)

World News

Hundreds Go Missing as Iraq Begins Rounding Up Civilians
Antiwar - While the Iraqi government made a big deal over the weekend of arresting some members of their allied Shi’ite militias for kidnapping, torturing, and killing refugees from ISIS-held Fallujah, the problem appears to just be growing, with the Iraqi military itself now reportedly rounding up people on the same pretext as the militias were, and shipping them to a detention center, just like the militias were. Civilians at a refugee camp in Amriyat al-Fallujah say there is growing despair over the fate of the hundreds of men, husbands, sons, etc., who were captured by security forces while trying to flee through the area the government ordered them to use, and are being held as suspected ISIS. Those people that have turned up were tortured, with many dying of their wounds. The government’s official stance was that this was a militia thing, but the military was already talking up the idea that a large chunk of the fleeing population was ISIS fighters with “fake IDs.”

France allows off-duty police to carry guns following murders by jihadist near Paris
RT - France has relaxed gun rules for its police force, allowing officers to carry firearms while off-duty. The policy change comes just days after a police couple was murdered by a jihadist in a Paris suburb. The decision was made at a Tuesday meeting between police unions and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve on…. France’s current state of emergency, put into place after the November terror attacks in Paris, already allows officers to carry guns while off-duty. However, Wednesday’s decision will allow them to continue doing so once the state of emergency is over. The announcement came just two days after a police officer and his girlfriend were stabbed to death in front of their three-year-old son at their home in Magnanville, France. The 25-year-old attacker, an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militant, was shot dead by a police.

Cheney, Rothschild, and Fox News’ Murdoch Begin Drilling for Oil in Syria — a Violation of Int’l Law
The Free Thought Project - After concluding the flow testing phase, Afek Oil and Gas will now begin analyzing samples drawn from the Ness-2 drilling site, euphemistically dubbed “Deborah’s Well,” in the Israeli-occupied region of Syria known as the Golan Heights. New Jersey-based Genie Energy, Ltd., Afek’s parent company, claims a dubious cadre of investors cum war profiteers, including Rupert Murdoch, Dick Cheney, Lord Jacob Rothschild, James Woolsey — as well as a number of current and former U.S. politicians. Prior testing at a separate Afek site did not meet expectations, so the company sought other “sweet spots” in the area. Analysis of samples from additional wells will be performed by Afek scientists in conjunction with “external international experts.”… Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights region violates international law — thus, Israeli permits granting Afek the ostensible right to perform exploratory tests of a possible “large reservoir” of natural gas and light oil is also illegal.

Brexit Campaigns Suspended After British Lawmaker Shot Dead By Mentally Ill Assailant
Zero Hedge - The West Yorkshire Police reports that Jo Cox has died as a result of her injuries. The police also adds that a full probe is under way to establish motive. It remains to be seen if the Brexit referendum vote will be delayed as a result of this death. 52-year-old man arrested after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot in street outside her constituency surgery has been named as Tommy Mair. A brief public data history search reveals that Mair had psychological problems: Thomas Mair, 46, started volunteering at the park after learning about the opportunity through the Mirfield-based Pathways Day Centre for adults with mental health problems. He said: "I can honestly say it has done me more good than all the psychotherapy and medication in the world. "Many people who suffer from mental illness are socially isolated and disconnected from society, feelings of worthlessness are also common mainly caused by long-term unemployment.

Sterling rises after pro-EU British lawmaker killed; yen up
Reuters - Sterling recovered from a two-month low against the euro on Thursday and rose versus the dollar, extending gains after British police said Jo Cox, a lawmaker for Britain's opposition Labour Party, had died after being attacked earlier in the day. The yen, meanwhile, jumped to its highest in more than three years against the euro and its strongest in nearly two years versus the dollar on Thursday after the Bank of Japan held off from further easing monetary policy and the Federal Reserve struck a cautious tone on the U.S. economy. The safe-haven yen also hit a three-year peak against sterling GBPJPY= and a four-year high versus the Australian dollar AUDJPY= as investors shunned higher-yielding but riskier currencies ahead of next week's referendum to determine whether Britain will stay in the European Union…. In the UK, the pound drew support in the wake of Cox's death. The 41-year-old British lawmaker was one of the members of parliament advocating for Britain to remain in the EU, an issue that will be decided in a referendum next week. Cox was attacked as she prepared to hold a meeting with constituents in Birstall near Leeds.

Lockheed Threatens Economic Harm to Canada for Refusing to Buy F-35
Sputnik News - The defense contractor attempted to extort one of the most powerful sovereign countries in the world, warning that as many as 10,000 jobs would be lost if the country did not commit to purchasing a fighter jet that 'does not work.' This weekend, American defense contractor Lockheed Martin threatened to exclude Canadian companies from production of the much maligned F-35 fighter jet if the Trudeau government decides to instead purchase a fleet of Boeing’s Super Hornet fighter jets. "The F-35 does not work and is far from working," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a June 7 parliamentary debate, blasting the fighter jet that has cost the Pentagon over $1.5 trillion. Despite this exorbitant price tag, the jet continues to spontaneously shut down mid-flight due to software glitches…. "I don’t want it perceived as a threat, but we will have no choice: If Canada walks away from F-35, expect to relocate work in Canada to other purchasing nations," Steve Over, Lockheed’s director of F-35 internal business told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Israel to build underground wall beneath Gaza border to thwart Hamas tunnels – report
RT - Israel is planning to build a massive concrete wall which will extend below ground along the Gaza Strip border, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper has revealed. The barrier is aimed at combating the threat posed by Hamas tunnels crossing into the country from Gaza. The wall, which will stretch along the 96km (60 mile) border around the Gaza Strip, will extend several dozen meters below the ground, and will also be present above the ground. It is estimated to cost US$568 million…. Israel's plan comes after two Hamas tunnels spanning from Gaza to Israel were discovered in April and May. Hamas has confirmed it is building tunnels, and residents in southern Israel communities bordering Gaza have reported hearing digging sounds under their homes, i24 reported. Hamas has previously used tunnels to avoid or carry out attacks, store weapons, and enter Israel. It says, however, that the tunnels are needed to defend against Israeli fire.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

NDAA 2017 Includes Draft for Women, Indefinite Detention of American Citizens
Activist Post - On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate approved a $602 billion annual defense budget that President Obama has promised to veto because the bill does not allow for the closing of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Senate Bill 2943, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, passed with a vote of 85 Senators in favor and 13 against. One issue the entire Congress seemed to agree on was voting against closing military bases around the world. While the Pentagon called for budget cuts stating that the military has more space than they need, Congress refused to go along with the cuts…. Another contentious area of debate was the mandate to force women who turn 18 on or after Jan. 1, 2018 to register for Selective Service. Males are already required register within 30 days of their 18th birthday…. The most horrendous part of the NDAA 2017 is that that the annual military budget continues to include a provision which allows for indefinite detention of American citizens without a right to trial. On Thursday June 9, Senators Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Dianne Feinstein of California spoke on the floor of the Senate in support of an amendment bill which would have removed the indefinite detention clause from NDAA 2017 and offered protections to American citizens weary of a federal government with too much power.

Say What? NATO Could Use Conventional Weapons to Respond to Cyberattacks
Sputnik News - The North Atlantic Alliance apparently views conventional weapons as a viable means to deal with cyberthreats to its networks and communications systems. NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said as much when he mentioned that the bloc could deploy conventional arms to respond to cyberattacks in the future. NATO’s networks are targeted on a daily basis, but this measure will likely only apply to the most serious security breaches that could trigger the collective defense clause under Article 5…. Stoltenberg appeared not to mention how the alliance plans to determine the assault’s origin, which is a major challenge when it comes to sophisticated operations since hackers are capable of launching and routing attacks worldwide.

Senate inches toward possible gun control action
Reuters - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and fellow Democrats set the U.S. Capitol abuzz by talking on the Senate floor for nearly 15 straight hours to demand that Congress act on gun control. They ended their speeches before dawn, citing a Republican pledge to hold votes soon on measures to expand background checks on gun buyers and to prevent people on U.S. terrorism watch lists from buying guns. The Senate is expected to vote on Monday on four proposals. One from Democrat Dianne Feinstein would let the government prevent terrorist suspects from buying guns. A second from Republican John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, would require court approval within three days for a government ban on an individual's attempt to buy a gun. Democrats have said Cornyn's plan is unworkable; Republicans say Feinstein's might harm the rights of people wrongly on terror suspect lists. A third proposal, from Democrat Murphy, would expand background check procedures to the sales of all firearms, including those online and at gun shows. A fourth proposal, from Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, would provide for law enforcement to be notified if a person investigated for terrorism in the last five years tries to buy a gun.

FBI: US Homicide Rate At 51-Year Low
Zero Hedge - The US homicide rate in 2014, the most recent year available, was 4.5 per 100,000 - the lowest since 1963. So, do more guns equal more crime? The data would seem to indicate the answer is "obviously not." Nevertheless, President Obama called on The Senate this afternoon to "rise to the moment" and pass gun control... As Pew has reported in recent years, in fact, the American public is "unaware" that the homicide rate in the United States has fallen by 49 percent over the past twenty years. And while Pew doesn't report on it, it's also a safe bet that the public is also unaware that homicide rates have collapsed as total gun ownership in the United States has increased significantly. Over a recent 20 year period, the number of new guns in the US that were either manufactured in the US or imported into the US increased 141 percent from 6.6 million new guns in 1994 to 16 million in 2013. That means a gross total of 132 million new guns were added into the US population over that time period.

Mainstream Media Finally Admits Mass Banker ‘Suicides’ Were Likely a Vast Criminal Conspiracy
The Free Thought Project – Over forty international bankers allegedly killed themselves over a two-year period in the wake of a major international scandal that implicated financial firms across the globe. However, three of these seemingly unrelated suicides seem to share common threads related to their connections to Deutsche Bank. These three banker suicides, in New York, London, and Siena, Italy, took place within 17 months of each other in 2013/14 in what investigators labeled as a series of unrelated suicides. “In each case, the victim had a connection to a burgeoning global banking scandal, leaving more questions than answers as to the circumstances surrounding their deaths,” according to the New York Post. “But all three men worked for, or did business with, Deutsche Bank.”

Liberty & drug tests for all: Lawmaker seeks to drug screen the rich
RT - While some lawmakers want to require drug screening and testing for welfare and other assistance program applicants, this idea has inspired one US congresswoman to call for the rich to be drug tested if they wish to take advantage of tax deductions. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker put a lot of time and energy into passing legislation that has given Wisconsin the right to drug test participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). He is not alone either. At least 15 states now require drug testing for public assistance applicants. Representative Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin) describes these stipulations as “the criminalization of poverty,” the Guardian reported. In response, she has announced her intention to introduce a bill called the Top 1% Accountability Act that would force taxpayers with itemized deductions exceeding $150,000 to submit a clear drug test to the IRS. Based on the IRS’ 2011 tax data, the only homes that would qualify would be those with a yearly federal adjusted gross income of over $1 million, the Guardian reported.

Election News

Video: Mexican flags fly at Trump protest in Dallas
The American Mirror - A vocal band of agitators gathered outside Donald Trump’s Dallas rally tonight and as has been the case in many other cities, they flew Mexican flags. “We are united! We are united!” agitators shouted. Developing…

The Leaked List Of Hillary Clinton's Mega Donors
Zero Hedge - While the media's focus following the leaked DNC documents by lone (and hardly a group of Russian operatives hacker "Guccifer2" has been understandably on the Democrats' documents in which they reveal they strategy how target Trump and his republican peers, what we found more interesting was the list of the candidate's mega donors, those who have provided $100,000 and above, as per the leaked confidential documents. For those interested in whose "generous" pocket Hillary Clinton will be found, if she is elected president, here is the answer.

Hillary-Endorsed Soda Tax Passed By Philly City Council
Americans for Tax Reform - The Hillary Clinton-endorsed soda tax was imposed by the Philadelphia City Council today on a 13- 4 vote. Philadelphians will now face a soda tax of 1.5 cents per ounce. The tax will increase the price of a 12-pack of soda pop by $2.16, directly affecting low and middle-income families. Clinton said she was “very supportive” of the tax. Clinton endorsed the tax despite making a pledge to the American people that she will not raise taxes on anyone earning less than $250,000.
* Related: Philadelphia Becomes First Major City To Pass A Soda Tax

Economy & Business

The Minimum Wage Pain Continues: Hundreds More To Be Fired At Walmart
Zero Hedge - Walmart has been overly eager to boost everyone's wage in order to appease the living wage crowd, and as a result the company has had to move forward with massive layoffs and store closings to try and mitigate the impact on profits. Earlier this month we also noted that Walmart is testing out drones that when operational, will be able to carry out what once were human tasks in its large distribution centers. This effort will further position the company to be able to shed more labor and benefit expense in the future. That said, Walmart isn't waiting for the drone initiative to come online. The company recently announced that the accounting function at roughly 500 stores, mostly on the West Coast, will be eliminated and the job responsibilities will be handled by a shared service center at Walmart's Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters the WSJ reports.

Energy & Environment

Expert Groups Call for Transparency on US Genetically Modified Moth Experiments
Sustainable Pulse - Environmental, food safety and organic farming organizations are demanding clear public information about a controversial plan to conduct an open air field trial of genetically modified (GM) diamondback moths at Cornell’s agricultural experiment station in Geneva, New York. The GM moths are intended to control population levels with an engineered trait that causes female offspring to die in the larval stage. The diamondback moth is a pest for producers of crops like broccoli and cabbage. The plan for the trial includes the release of over a million GM moths every year on a 60-acre site at the experiment station…. In its environmental assessment, the USDA failed to recognize the risk posed to the reputations of nearby organic farms since genetic engineering, even for pest control, is prohibited under the organic standards. Accidental escapes and contamination could be a significant issue for farmers near the experiment station.

Science & Technology

FBI built a massive facial recognition database without proper oversight
TechCrunch - The bombshell report reveals that the FBI dipped into driver’s license photo databases from 16 states, as well as passport and visa photo databases from the State Department, feeding its facial recognition with millions of photos of Americans and foreigners who have never been accused of a crime. The FBI has access to a whopping 411.9 million images for use in facial recognition, roughly 30 million of which are mug shots. The sheer number of photos described in the GAO report is staggering, but what’s worse is that the FBI didn’t make public disclosures about the program required by law, the report says…. The report instructs that the U.S. Attorney General should determine why the FBI didn’t publish legally mandated privacy assessments as it expanded its facial recognition program. The Privacy Act requires government agencies to disclose how they harvest and use personal information like ID photos, but the GAO found that the FBI didn’t make the mandatory disclosures.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

37 Million Bees Instantly Dropped Dead After Farms Started Spraying Neonicotinoids On GMO Crops
Natural Blaze - Neonics, which are chemically similar to nicotine, are used to deter and kill insects that may ruin crop yields and they are very effective in killing local bee populations. Dave Schuit, a honey-producer in Elmwood, Canada, said that his farm lost 37 million bees almost immediately after a nearby farm began planting GMO corn and spraying neonics on their crops. Nathan Carey, another local farmer in Ontario, Canada, also noticed that there weren’t nearly enough bees to help his crops grow as there had been in previous years. He believes that this is likely related to the new use of insecticides in a neighboring farm. Though neonics have been banned in Europe and has been consistently linked to large-scale bee “die-offs” in recent years, the USDA continues to allow the insecticide to kill our bees and hope for their survival.

Health

Press Release: ANOTHER Vaccine Safety Documentary Censored
Green Med Info - First Vaxxed, now Man Made Epidemic; Yet another documentary on vaccine safety gets pulled from international film festival… “Man Made Epidemic” by German filmmaker Natalie Beer has been pulled from London’s East End Festival. The film had originally been chosen to premiere at the festival on the 25th of June. The festival director decided to withdraw the film last Friday after a hefty discussion on their Twitter account had arisen. This is the second film dealing with vaccine safety being pulled from a film festival within a few months. Earlier this year Robert de Niro bowed to outside pressure and pulled the documentary Vaxxed from the Tribeca Film Festival…. The film describes her own journey as a mother of a young child who embarks on the prescribed vaccination schedule but then starts asking questions about the safety of some of the vaccines particularly the MMR vaccine and it’s potential link to autism. Man Made Epidemic talks to all sides: From pharma, to doctors, to scientists, to mothers…. Please go to the official website to watch the trailer and get further information: Man Made Epidemic

Combining Multiple Childhood Vaccines Not Safe Says Article in Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons
Natural Blaze - Multiple childhood vaccines are often given at one visit, but contrary to the claims of public health officials there is evidence that this practice is unsafe, writes medical research journalist Neil Z. Miller in the summer issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons…. Miller writes, Although CDC recommends polio, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, rotavirus, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and pneumococcal vaccines for two-, four-, and six-month-old infants, this combination of eight vaccines administered during a single physician visit was never tested for safety in clinical trials. This is at odds with a CDC report which found that mixed exposures to chemical substances and other stress factors, including prescribed pharmaceuticals, may produce ‘increased or unexpected deleterious health effects.’… “Our study showed that infants who receive several vaccines concurrently…are significantly more likely to be hospitalized or die when compared with infants who receive fewer vaccines simultaneously,” he writes. “It also showed that reported adverse effects were more likely to lead to hospitalization or death in younger infants.”

Lion’s Mane Mushroom – Unparalleled Benefits for Your Brain and Nervous System
Green Med Info - Lion’s mane mushroom has been used medicinally in Asia for centuries, but for some reason it’s one of the best-kept secrets in the West. Besides being called "lion’s mane," Hericium erinaceus, is known by several other names including bearded tooth mushroom, bearded hedgehog, bearded tooth fungus and others. In Japan, it’s known as yamabushitake, which means “mountain priest mushroom.” It has a variety of other names, depending on the country…. Thus far, evidence exists that lion’s mane mushroom confers the following health benefits: Improved cognitive function, Nerve regeneration, remyelination, and increased Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), Improved digestive function and relief from gastritis, Immunosupportive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, Anticoagulant; mild ACE inhibitor; improved lipid profile… Conditions That May Benefit from Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Dementia and mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, Peripheral neuropathy, Multiple sclerosis, Stroke recovery, Anxiety and Depression…

How to Use Lemon Peels to Get Rid of Dry Cracked Feet and Calluses
Living Traditionally - The high acidity of the lemon juice works to soften the hardened skin that makes up your callus/corn. It’s a way to soften it other than simply soaking it. Applying lemon peel to your heels will speed up the process of getting rid of the thick dead layers of your skin quicker, uncovering the softer new skin underneath. The acidic nature of lemon weakens the bonds between skin cells, allowing new cells to emerge quickly and replace the dead ones…. An incredibly simple way of using lemon peel to get rid of dry cracked feet is cutting a fresh lemon before you go to bed, squeezing the juice into a glass for future use and placing one-half of the lemon on the heel of each foot, then covering them with clean, old socks and going to sleep.

Pet News

Video: Forget Cat Cafés – Now There’s a Cat Massage Parlor!
The Catington Post - Cat cafés started in Japan and are now springing up all over the world. Here’s another trend that’s started in Japan we’re really hoping makes it’s way across the pond – cat massage parlors! At a spa in Japan, cat lovers can opt for a feline add-on to their massages. Kitties are on staff, and on the table, to take over during massages. Check it out:

Dog Swallows Gorilla Glue, Vets Remove Perfect Mold of Stomach
Dogington Post - Any parent to a young puppy can agree – if your dog can fit something in his mouth, there’s a good chance he’ll try to eat it. Such was the case for Lake, a 6-month-old Weimaraner, that sniffed out a bottle of Gorilla Glue that hadn’t been properly stowed out of reach. Lake helped herself to a small taste of the sweet smelling, industrial strength glue and within 24 hours, things began to go terribly wrong. Krystal Wilson of Oklahoma noticed her puppy began vomiting and wasn’t acting like her usual self and took her to the vet. By the time Lake was seen by a doctor, the bit of glue had expanded into a mass about the size of a turkey leg, requiring immediate surgical intervention. A rock hard mass that had molded to the shape of the dog’s stomach was extracted, and just in time. Lake is said to be recovering well. Lake’s family and her veterinarians hope that by sharing her story, other pet parents will be more careful, remembering to keep anything inedible well out of their dog’s reach.
 



Thursday - June 16, 2016  -  Today in History:

1812 - The City Bank of New York (later Citibank) opened for business.
1858 - In a speech in Springfield, IL, U.S. Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln said the slavery issue had to be resolved. He declared, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
1884 - At Coney Island, in Brooklyn, NY, the first roller coaster in America opened.
1883 - The New York Giants baseball team admitted all ladies for free to the ballpark. It was the first Ladies Day.
1897 - The U.S. government signed a treaty of annexation with Hawaii.
1903 - Ford Motor Company was incorporated.
1941 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the closure of all German consulates in the United States. The deadline was set as July 10.
1955 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend Selective Service until 1959.
1978 - U.S. President Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos ratified the Panama Canal treaties.
1992 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush welcomed Russian President Boris Yeltsin to a meeting in Washington, DC. The two agreed in principle to reduce strategic weapon arsenals by about two-thirds by the year 2003.
1993 - The U.S. Postal Service released a set of seven stamps that featured Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Clyde McPhatter, Otis Redding, Ritchie Valens, Dinah Washington and Elvis Presley.
1996 - Russian voters had their first independent presidential election. Boris Yeltsin was the winner after a run-off.
1999 - The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that a 1992 federal music piracy law does not prohibit a palm-sized device that can download high-quality digital music files from the Internet and play them at home.
2000 - U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson reported that an employee at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico had discovered that two computer hard drives were missing.
2008 - California began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
2011 - Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., announced his resignation from Congress, bowing to the furor caused by his sexually charged online dalliances with a former porn actress and other women..

World News

Police receive terror alert that ISIS fighters have left Syria and are heading to France and Belgium to stage attacks
Daily Mail - Police and anti-terrorism investigators have been alerted to the possibility that small groups of ISIS extremists have left Syria for France and Belgium with plans to stage attacks. Belgian intelligence services sent a note to French counterparts about the warning and it was sent to police across France on Tuesday, a French security official said today. Belgium's Derniere Heure tabloid reported that Belgium's anti-terror office warned police that fighters with access to weapons may have left Syria about 10 days ago for Belgium and France. A Brussels shopping mall, an American fast-food chain and police could be among their targets.

Iran files complaint with ICJ to recover $2 billion frozen in U.S.
Reuters - Iran has filed a formal complaint with the International Court of Justice to recover nearly $2 billion in assets frozen in the United States, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in April that the assets must be turned over to American families of people killed in the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut and other attacks blamed on Iran. The Iranian complaint was filed on Tuesday, Rouhani said at an "iftar" evening gathering in Tehran to break the Islamic Ramadan fast, according to the website of Iranian state television. “The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran officially complained about America to the International Court of Justice for the confiscation and theft of two billion dollars of the property of the central bank,” Rouhani said. "And demanded the condemnation of Washington's anti-Iranian action and compensation for damages." More than 1,000 plaintiffs in the case have accused Iran of providing material support to Hezbollah, the Shi'ite Islamist political and military group responsible for the 1983 truck bomb attack that killed 241 U.S. service personnel in Beirut.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians left without water as Israeli firm cuts supplies – report
RT - An Israeli supply firm has cut off water for a West Bank area, according to media. Tens of thousands of Palestinians now reportedly have no access to safe drinking water and are forced to buy water tanks as they fast for Ramadan amid the June heat. Mekorot, the main supplier of several Palestinian towns and cities, stopped providing water to the municipality of Jenin, a number of Nablus villages and the city of Salfit and its surrounding villages, Gulf News and Al Jazeera reported. In several locations, people haven’t had water for over 40 days, according to Ayman Rabi, the executive director of the Palestinian Hydrology Group.

June 23, 2016: The Brexit Vote Could Change EVERYTHING And Plunge Europe Into Financial Chaos
Economic Collapse - On June 23rd, a vote will be held in the United Kingdom to determine if Britain will stay in the European Union or not. This is most commonly known as the “Brexit” vote, and that term was created by combining the words “Britain” and “exit”. If the UK votes to stay in the European Union, things over in Europe will continue on pretty much as they have been. But if the UK votes to leave, it will likely throw the entire continent into a state of economic and financial chaos. And considering how bad the European economy is already, this could be the trigger that plunges Europe into a full-blown depression.

Global market may face oil shortage in 3-5yrs – Rosneft CEO
RT - The oil market is reaching a balance faster than analysts predicted and a period of sustained oil price rises is not far off, according to Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. He added that low investment may cause oil shortages in three to five years. "According to analysts, the average oil price is expected at $40-45 per barrel in 2016. Oil demand in the world continues to grow, while production, primarily in the US, decreases,” Sechin said in an interview with Italian business newspaper Il Sole 24. Oil prices have almost doubled since the January lows, without any agreement between world producers, said Sechin. “It indicates the fundamental stability of the oil market. Moreover, the oil market is reaching its balance quicker than analysts had predicted.” The head of Rosneft said the global market may face an oil shortage in three to five years and producers might need a deal to share output increases and release strategic reserves.

Wreckage of crashed EgyprAir jet found at ‘several locations’ – investigation
RT - Wreckage from the EgyptAir jet that crashed in the eastern Mediterranean with 66 people on board in May has been located, the Egyptian-led investigation committee said. The search is now focusing on its black boxes, as their signals are to cease on June 24. The John Lethbridge, a search boat contracted by the Egyptian government, spotted the wreckage at “several main locations.” The searchers managed to snap the first pictures of the debris and provide them to the investigation committee.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

You Can't Make This Up: Kerry and Saudi Prince Pledge to Fight Extremism After Orlando Shooting
The Ron Paul Institute - Here is further proof that US foreign policy fact is stranger than fiction: one day after the Orlando shooting where some 50 patrons of a homosexual bar were gunned down, US Secretary of State John Kerry sat down to dinner with with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington, D.C. and, according to the State Department, "discussed this weekend's shooting in Orlando and expressed their shared commitment to continue their cooperation in combatting the spread of violent extremism, both regionally and internationally." Yes, the same country that follows as a matter of official policy the exact treatment of homosexuals as was meted out by the Orlando shooter has expressed concern over extremism! Saudi Arabia's own "violent extremism" doesn't end at its treatment of homosexuals. As the defense minister of the Saudi kingdom, Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman is responsible for the brutal and genocidal war on Yemen and for Saudi Arabia's strong backing of radical jihadists -- including al-Qaeda -- who for the past five years have killed tens of thousands in attempt to overthrow secular Syrian president Assad. Also, if reports about the contents of the still-classified "28 Pages" of the 9/11 report are accurate, the Saudi government played a role in the al-Qaeda attacks on the United States.

Media jointly demand release of Orlando shooting 911 calls
Sun Sentinel - Two dozen news agencies, including the Sun Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel, have joined forces to demand the release of recordings of 911 callers frantically reporting a gunman on a deadly rampage early Sunday at a gay nightclub just south of downtown Orlando…. Citing an "ongoing investigation," Orlando police have refused to release the tapes. "Even in critical and challenging times, transparency is important," said a four-page letter sent Tuesday to Orlando's city attorney from media lawyer Rachel Fugate, of Thomas & LoCicero in Tampa. "It helps the citizens…have a better understanding of what transpired and try to come to grips with the horrific and unimaginable tragedy.”… Fugate wrote the demand — citing numerous reasons that the recordings should be treated as public records and not be withheld — on behalf of the Sun Sentinel, Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, the Associated Press and others. Included in the request were dispatch and scanner recordings.

ISIS hacker pleads guilty to giving terrorists US military kill list
Ars Technica - A hacker the US authorities have labeled as the leader of an overseas Internet hacking group—the Kosova Hacker's Security—pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to charges of providing material support to the US enemy. It was the first known prosecution of a hacker joining forces with a terror group in a bid to carry out terrorism, the government said. The defendant, a Kosovo citizen named Ardit Ferizi, was arrested in Malaysia last year and was accused of stealing data on US military personnel by hacking US corporate computers and then providing that data to the Islamic State terror group. "Ferizi admitted to stealing the personally identifiable information of over 1,000 U.S. service members and federal employees, and providing it to ISIL with the understanding that they would incite terrorist attacks against those individuals," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin. "The case against Ferizi is the first of its kind, representing the nexus of the terror and cyber threats."

Report: Academy Sports Creating Database For Ammo Purchases, Pulls Rifles From Shelves
Kit Daniels - Academy Sports and Outdoors is gathering personal data on customers who buy more than 10 boxes of so-called “assault rifle caliber” ammunition and is pulling rifles from store shelves in support of the Obama administration agenda. An anonymous employee said the new policies were outlined in a recent conference call in which corporate HQ told employees they will soon require buyers to furnish personal information the company will keep on file, likely for the federal government if requested. Additionally, Academy is pulling anything resembling sporting rifles, including rifle-shaped BBQ lighters and airsoft rifles, from store displays although another employee revealed semi-automatic rifles will still be sold upon request. “We got the call from corporate just before close to take the rifles off of display, only after all customers have left for the night,” reddit user Potato_Muncher revealed. “MSRs are still for sale, but will not be displayed ‘for about a week or two.’” “Same thing happened during Sandy Hook, so take this with a grain of salt.”

Missouri Sheriff Waives Concealed Carry Fees After #OrlandoShooting (Video)
The Gateway Pundit - A Missouri sheriff says he’s waiving fees for the rest of June for residents seeking concealed carry permits after last weekend’s nightclub massacre in Florida. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson announced the move Monday on the department’s official Facebook page. The county has charged residents $100 for their first five-year permit and $50 to renew one. The department also will hold a free concealed carry class for new applicants July 9. Anderson says in the Facebook posting that while he continues praying for peace in the U.S. and worldwide, “I will continue to pray for peace for our country and the world. But I will not put blinders on and act like this can not happen here or to people we know and love. I want to say a Big Thank You to the Law Enforcement and First Responders Community for what you are willing to sacrifice for our nation at home. While this will be debated on so many different levels please remember that your local first responders are the ones that will be there ready at a moments notice to handle any of these threats.”

Orlando Pride “Famous Throughout The Land”
Daily Crow - Did you know the UN declared 2016 The International Year of Pulses? Just one of the many ridiculous convergences we will be covering. As you read through this keep in mind “pulse” and “heart”. This is about the heart of America and the heart of the Father.

Is Something BIG Coming? Report: FEMA Just Quietly Activated Civilian Corps
The Daily Sheeple - While this group is unarmed, they are generally drafted from the fighting branches of the US Military, medical and communications. John forwarded that email to us on Friday afternoon, saying “That was the very odd message about FEMA that came into my spam box at work.” The message is titled, “FEMA activates it’s hush hush Civilian Corps, why now?” It reads: We received reports last week of various employees, citizens and etc. heading down to Atlanta Georgia to either the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the Center for Community Preparedness (FEMA). As far as we can tell it is true. One girl we spoke with actually gave a cover story for her absence and flight into ATL. We believe Federal Emergency Management Agency is actually activating its Civilian Corps. This is primarily a group of current and former government and military people, many with various training backgrounds to broad to cover here. [SIC] While this group is unarmed, they are generally drafted from the fighting branches of the US Military, medical and communications. We were informed that several companies in Minnesota responded large numbers of their own veterans heading south. Only the families we asked confirmed where they were going and why. Few spoke to us without agreeing to anonymity.

‘Where’s your badge?’ Off-duty cop pulls gun on cyclists in road rage incident (Video)
RT - An incident of road rage and possible police misconduct has gone viral after a white off-duty cop pulled his gun on bike couriers, at least two of whom are black. One of the unarmed cyclists, but not the cop brandishing his weapon, was arrested. As word of a "gunman" spread through Greenwich Village, an elementary school was even put on lockdown. Friends of one of the cyclists told WABC-TV that the incident began when the driver drove into the cycle lane while police claim the cyclists hit the side of his car. The man then got out of his vehicle, whipped out his gun, without immediately identifying himself as a police officer. “My friend kind of screamed at him as he’s riding off... he stops his car, and he’s getting out of the car. As soon as he gets out of the car, I see a gun in his hand,” Lawrence told NY Daily News. As the cyclists grew more angry, the cop retreated into a restaurant, where he called for back-up. When on-duty officers arrived at the scene, they arrested one of the cyclists, Dejaune Jones, charging him with possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, menacing, and harassment. The alleged weapon was an ice pick, but the group of cyclists deny this, and no weapon was found. The police officer has not yet been named, but he is said to be a sergeant.

Election News

Trump Says US Iraq War Soldiers Stole $50 Million – He’s Probably Right
Sputnik News - The Republican front-runner, who has characterized himself as a champion of US soldiers, made the allegation during an off-the-cuff segment of a speech on Tuesday night and has since been pilloried by mainstream media outlets.
Donald Trump’s Tuesday night speech in Greensboro, North Carolina, took a controversial detour when the Republican presidential candidate commented on corruption in the military… "Iraq, crooked as hell. How about bring baskets of money – millions and millions of dollars – and handing it out?" Trump said at the evening rally. "I want to know who were the soldiers that had that job because I think they’re living very well right now, whoever they may be.”… Retired military officials also claim that graft is pervasive throughout the US Army, especially among contracting officers and those tasked with managing funds.

Politifact Says Trump Is Right: Hillary Clinton Supports ‘500% Increase in Syrian Refugees’
Breitbart - Donald Trump was right when he said Hillary Clinton wants “a 500 percent increase in Syrians refugees” in his Manchester, New Hampshire speech on Monday: Each year, the United States permanently admits more than 100,000 immigrants from the Middle East, and many more from Muslim countries outside the Middle East. Our government has been admitting ever-growing numbers, year after year, without any effective plan for our security. In fact, Clinton’s State Department was in charge of the admissions process for people applying to enter from overseas. Having learned nothing from these attacks, she now plans to massively increase admissions without a screening plan, including a 500% increase in Syrian refugees. (emphasis added) This could be a better, bigger version of the legendary Trojan Horse…. Politifact searched through some of Clinton’s previous statements on the issue and found this gem: During a Sept. 20 appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation, Clinton was asked if President Barack Obama’s plan to increase the number allowed into the United States to 10,000 was enough…. “Look, we’re facing the worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II, and I think the United States has to do more, and I would like to see us move from what is a good start with 10,000 to 65,000 and begin immediately to put into place the mechanisms for vetting the people that we would take in,” Clinton said.

Judicial Watch Sues McAuliffe For Granting Felons Vote
Breitbart - Judicial Watch plans to sue Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who issued a sweeping order that granted 206,000 felons the right to vote just months before the 2016 presidential election. Plaintiffs are registered voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a result of Defendants’ unlawful actions, 206,000 felons who, by law, should be ineligible to vote, are being, and will be, registered and permitted to vote. Unless an injunction is granted, Plaintiffs lawful votes will be cancelled out, and their voting power will be diluted, by votes cast by individuals who are not eligible to vote under Virginia’s laws and Constitution,” the lawsuit states.

Science & Technology

Infamous spam king could get prison time for Facebook spamming, phishing
Ars Technica - With nearly a billion dollars in civil judgments against him looming in his …Prosecutors wrote that by his own admission, Wallace executed "a scheme from approximately November 2008 through March 2009 to send spam messages to Facebook users that compromised approximately 500,000 legitimate Facebook accounts, and resulted in over 27 million spam messages being sent through Facebook’s servers." Wallace lost civil suits from MySpace and Facebook, among others, and was hit with nearly a total of $1 billion in outstanding default judgments, for which they have been unable to collect. In 2011, he was finally hit with criminal charges.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

12 Plants that Create Positive Energy in Your Home!
David Wolfe - While plants are commonly used to decorate a home or office, or to brighten up a yard or garden, many plants can actually improve the flow of positive energy into a space. Certain plants are able to purify the air, while others can provide a sense of well-being, peace and even stress relief. Getting rid of the negative energy around you is an important step to regaining your health and happiness. Use these plants to promote positive vibes that will benefit you and the people around you: 1. Peace Lily - The peace lily is believed to provide prospering spiritually, mentally and physically. It improves the flow of energy in the home by purifying the air and neutralizing harmful indoor gases…. 2. Jasmine - Jasmine attracts positive energy and helps to strengthen relationships and build romance. Its sweet and pleasant smell can help soothe a stressed mind and provide energy…. 3. Rosemary - Rosemary promotes physical and mental well-being while purifying the air to keep your home free of harmful toxins…. 4. Lucky Bamboo - According to feng shui, the vertical shape of lucky bamboo represents the element wood, which influences our life energy, vitality and physical activity….

Health

15 Benefits of Wheatgrass You Never Knew
Natural News Blogs - Wheatgrass is an effective healer because it contains chlorophyll, all minerals known to man, and vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, and K. Wheatgrass is extremely rich in protein, and contains 17 amino acids, the building blocks of protein. 15 benefits of wheatgrass you never knew… Keeps Your Bones Strong: Wheatgrass’ alkalizing effect may, indeed, help you maintain strong bones. The idea that a highly acidic environment in the body can cause bone loss. High blood pressure: The proteinous compounds in the high quality chlorophyll from wheatgrass has been found to be beneficial in lowering high blood pressure. Prevents And Cures Cancer: Cereal grasses are thought to have regenerative effects on our cells. In simpler words, they can help repair our DNA. So could fixing the damaged DNA in our bodies help ward off diseases such as cancer? Anti-inflammatory: The cocktail of nutrients and antioxidants in wheat-grass juice work together to combat inflammation, thus benefiting people with arthritis, hypertension and cancer. Anemia: The high grade content of iron in wheatgrass juice makes it a great blood builder, increasing red blood cells count. It regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body. Rich source of oxygen: Being the richest source of chlorophyll, wheat-grass juice is consequently high in oxygen which is need for the optimum function of the two most important organs of the human body – the heart and the brain….

Reverse Cavities and Heal Tooth Decay with THESE 5 Steps!
David Wolfe - While we’ve been led to believe that tooth decay occurs when foods containing sugars and starches are left on the teeth, this study shows there are more factors at work. According to Dr. Edward Mellanby, Dr. Weston Price and Dr. Ramiel Nagel, there are four main things that contribute to tooth decay: Lack of minerals in the diet (deficiencies of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus), Lack of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), Too much consumption of phytic acid-rich foods, Too much consumption of processed sugar. Natural Ways to Reverse Cavities: 1. Remove Sugar - Not only does it feed oral bacteria that prevents a healthy flow of dental fluids, it’s also highly acidic, allowing it to decalcify and demineralize the structural content of teeth! 2. Consume Nutrient-Rich Foods - A diet full of vegetables – especially leafy green vegetables, foods high in healthy fats such as coconut oil and avocado, along with nuts and seeds can help create the ideal diet for battling tooth decay. 3. Try Oil Pulling - Oil pulling has been used for centuries as an oral detoxification procedure. Simple swish a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, then spit the oil into the trash. If 20 minutes is too long, start with 3-5 minutes. Oil pulling has been praised with curing numerous health issues, from gingivitis to headaches….

Forget coffee if you’ve slept badly three nights in a row
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Scientists have discovered that caffeine loses its powers to give us that necessary jolt if we sleep for less than five hours a night on three consecutive nights. In other words, don’t bother drinking coffee after the third night of poor sleeping: it won’t make any difference. Coffee “significantly improves” our performance levels if we haven’t slept well for two nights in a row, say scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. But the benefits of consuming two 200 mg shots of caffeine a day don’t have any effect come the third day.

Pet News

Video: Too Many People Still Do This During The Summer And It HAS To Stop!
ViralNova - Picture this...after you take your pup to the dog park, you remember you have to run a quick errand. Going home seems like such a hassle, so you bring them along. When you get to the store, knowing that it's not too hot out, you just crack your windows and run inside. That's your first mistake. Many people believe that that little amount of air circulation will be enough...but it's not. The inside temperature of a car, even on a mild 70-degree day, can quickly climb well above 100…. Cracking the windows might make you feel better, but it doesn't do anything to ensure your pet stays cool. Many people see helpless pets trapped in hot cars and don't do anything about it. Others act -- but too many people don't understand just how dangerous leaving pets can really be.

Dog treat recipes for lifelong wellness: Top ingredients from 5 food groups for a healthy and vibrant dog
(NaturalNews) Maintaining your pet's nutrition is the key to health, happiness and longevity. In order to do this, feeding your pet a variety of whole foods is extremely important…. Below is a list of raw foods in the top five food groups best for your dog: 1. Meats: raw eggs, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, venison, turkey, rabbit, fish, buffalo, ostrich (60 - 80 percent of their raw diet should consist of meat) 2. Vegetables and Grains: broccoli, carrots, romaine lettuce, cabbage, celery, spinach, summer squash, asparagus, rice, oatmeal, kale (promote overall nutrition) 3. Dairy: cottage cheese, plain yogurt (help improve digestion) 4. Fruit: bananas, mango, apples (promote overall nutrition) 5. Oils: olive oil, flaxseed oil, safflower oil, hemp oil (help improve your pet's coat)… Follow these easy steps from The Bark, to make the Bow Wow Brunch. You will need: 3 cups cooked oatmeal, 2 cups active-culture plain yogurt, 2 cups cottage cheese, 2 Tbsp. safflower oil, 1 banana, peeled and coarsely mashed, 1 apple or pear, cored and chopped, 1 cup ripe mashed mango…
 



Wednesday - June 15, 2016  -  Today in History:

1752 - Benjamin Franklin experimented by flying a kite during a thunderstorm. The result was a little spark that showed the relationship between lightning and electricity.
1775 - George Washington was appointed head of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress.
1836 - Arkansas became the 25th U.S. state.
1846 - The United States and Britain settled a boundary dispute concerning the boundary between the U.S. and Canada, by signing a treaty.
1864 - An order to establish a military burial ground was signed by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. The location later became known as Arlington National Cemetery.
1877 - Henry O. Flipper became the first African American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
1898 - The U.S. House of representatives approved the annexation of Hawaii.
1916 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America.
1944 - American forces began their successful invasion of Saipan during World War II.
1947 - The All-Indian Congress accepted a British plan for the partition of India.
1983 - The U.S. Supreme Court reinforced its position on abortion by striking down state and local restriction on abortions.
1986 - Pravda, the Communist Party newspaper, reported that the chief engineer of the Chernobyl nuclear plant was dismissed for mishandling the incident at the plant.
1992 - It was ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court that the government could kidnap criminal suspects from foreign countries for prosecution.
2003 - A jury in Houston convicted accounting firm Arthur Andersen of obstruction of justice.
2006 - A divided Supreme Court made it easier for police to barge into homes and seize evidence without knocking or waiting.
2006 - Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said he would transition from day-to-day responsibilities at the company to concentrate on the charitable work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
2007 - Bob Barker ended his 35-year run as host of the CBS game show "The Price Is Right."

World News

NATO boosts build-up in E. Europe, confirms deployment of four multinational battalions
RT - After a NATO meeting in Brussels, the alliance’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, confirmed that it plans to deploy four multinational battalions in the Baltic States and Poland, while President Putin has ordered snap inspections for Russia’s military. On Tuesday, NATO agreed to deploy a new 4,000-strong force in the Baltic States and Poland, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after a meeting of the block’s ministers in Brussels. The move is seen as part of an effort aimed at protecting its Eastern European allies from Russia, which NATO apparently perceives as a threat. The four battalions will reportedly be provided by Britain, the US, Germany, and possibly Canada, and is to be deployed in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland on a six-to-nine month rotating basis, becoming NATO’s biggest military buildup since the Cold War, diplomats told Reuters earlier…. The US is pushing for the installation of a sophisticated anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe to deter the “Russian threat,” which would involve increasing the number of NATO fighter jets and surface-to-air missile interceptors in the region. In addition, Bulgaria and Romania are demanding that the block expand its maritime presence in the Black Sea to counter Russia’s fleet stationed in Crimea, which reunited with Russia in 2014.

Europeans shun militarization & see terrorism, not Russia as biggest threat – Pew poll
RT - Europeans are weary of hard power and are reluctant to boost defense spending despite the commitment to do so by their governments, a Pew poll has shown. Tensions with Russia are seen as a minor threat compared to international terrorism and economic instability. Deterring an “aggressive Russia” with an increased military presence in Europe is the stated goal of NATO since 2014, but public opinion in Europe doesn’t seem to buy the plan. According to the Pew Research Center’s Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey, people in Europe don’t see Russia as a major threat and don’t see hard power as a viable solution not only for tensions with Moscow, but even for international terrorism, a threat they consider the biggest for Europe. Poland is the only one of the 10 countries surveyed that sees tensions with Russia as a major problem. There, 71 percent of people agreed with the statement, a far greater percentage compared to other nations surveyed. Throughout Europe, 34 percent see Russia as a major threat, the poll has shown.

SIS digs trenches, plants mines on Syrian border as Turkish military looks away (EXCLUSIVE)
RT - The Turkish military has been ordered to ignore Islamic State’s activities on Turkey’s border with Syria, allowing the jihadists to dig trenches and plant mines unimpeded, locals in the frontier town of Karkamis told RT. The government of Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has recently been keen to demonstrate its tough stance on Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), with reports of Turkish military operations against the terror group filling the national headlines. However, RT learned that the situation on the ground is very different from that presented by Ankara when its correspondent, Lizzie Phelan, visited the Turkish town of Karkamis near the border area in Syria controlled by IS. IS militants and their fortifications in the Syrian town of Jarablus are “strikingly visible” from the other side of the frontier, RT’s Phelan reported.

French police chief and partner killed in stabbing claimed by Isis
The Guardian - President François Hollande has convened crisis talks after a man convicted for terrorist offences and claiming allegiance to the Islamic State stabbed a French police commander to death in front of his house outside Paris, then killed his partner who also worked for the police. The 42-year-old police commander was in plain clothes when he was stabbed to death as he arrived home at around 8.30pm on Monday night in a quiet residential area of Magnanville, north-west of Paris. The attacker then entered the house and held hostage the commander’s partner – who also worked in the local police administration – and the couple’s three-year-old son. Hollande called it “incontestably a terrorist act” and said France was facing a terror threat “of a very large scale”.
* Related: Killer of 2 French police officers was previously sentenced on terrorism-related charges – report

German 10-year sovereign bond yields turn negative for first time
CNBC NEWS - At around 8.30 a.m. London time [Tuesday], the yield hit zero and briefly fell into negative territory as investors continued to flock to safe-haven assets. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions and a negative yield implies that investors are effectively paying the German government for the privilege of parking their cash. By the end of the European trading day, the yield was still just in negative territory at -0.0020 percent.

Asian shares slip, safe assets shine on Brexit anxiety
Reuters - Asian shares dipped to near three-week lows while safe haven assets such as U.S. bonds and the yen were in demand on Wednesday on growing anxiety Britain will choose to leave the European Union next week. Mainland Chinese shares, among Asia's worst performers this year, could also come under pressure after U.S. index provider MSCI did not add domestic Chinese equities to its global emerging markets benchmark index, despite expectations it would.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Meet Noor Zahi Salman: The Orlando Shooter's Mysterious Second Wife Knew Of His Plans, May Be Charged
Zero Hedge - While over the past few days, the media has been ignoring Noor Zahi Salman, the now widow of Muslim terrorist Omar Mateen and instead focusing on his first wife who has accused him of beating her, being bipolar, and generally acting deranged and sociopathic. Like in the San Bernardino terrorist case, Noor Zahi Salman and Mateen had a young child together…. According to NBC news, Orlando gunman Omar Mateen's current wife, Noor Salman, has told the FBI that she drove Mateen to the Pulse nightclub on a prior occasion and that she tried to talk him out of conducting any kind of attack, officials told NBC News. As NBC adds, law enforcement officials said authorities are considering filing criminal charges against her for failing to tell them what she knew before the attack, but no decision has been made yet. Several officials familiar with what she has told the FBI said she was with him when he bought ammunition and a holster. She also once drove him to the nightclub because he wanted to see it in advance, but that she tried to dissuade him from doing anything, the officials said.

Nightclub Witness: Orlando Terrorist Spared Black Clubgoers
Daily Caller -The witness, who played dead for three hours during the attack, told ABC News that Mateen spared black club patrons. “Are you guys black?” the man said Mateen, an American-born Muslim of Afghan descent, asked as he made his way through Pulse, Orlando’s largest gay club. “I don’t have an issue with the blacks,” the 29-year-old killer said, according to the witness. He also said that Mateen made several calls while he was killing. “America needs to stop bombing ISIS,” he said during one call to either the police or to a news station, the witness said. Mateen reportedly placed a 911 call pledging his allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.

Afghanistan Veteran, Pulse Bouncer Saved Dozens in Orlando Massacre
Breitbart - Imran Yousuf, a U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan, is being praised as a hero for opening a door in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, allowing dozens to flee as jihadist terrorist Omar Mateen opened fire on the LGBT club’s dance floor. Yousuf, who was working as a bouncer at Pulse on Saturday night, told CBS News that he knew the bullets were “high-caliber” the second he heard the first shots. And he knew to run to a staff door that had been blockaded by club patrons looking to flee. Running to the back of the room, Yousuf never saw Mateen…. Yousuf estimates that “over 60, 70” people ran out through the door he opened. “I wish I could have saved more to be honest,” he adds. “There are a lot of people that are dead… there are a lot of people that are dead.”… The Marine Corps Times identifies Yousuf as a former engineer equipment electrical systems technician for the Marines who returned to civilian life in May. He served in Afghanistan in 2011 and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Korean Defense Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

Former SEAL Blasts Orlando SWAT: Three Hours to Respond?
Clifford Cunningham - Special Forces veteran Matthew Bracken expressed frustration over the apparent lack of an adequate response by the off-duty Orlando Police Officer hired by Pulse Nightclub for security in a recent appearance on the Alex Jones Show…. “What about this security guard that nightclub had? The Pulse Nightclub needs to get its money back for the off-duty police officer,” Bracken suggested, questioning why there have been very few reports detailing how many rounds the off-duty Orlando Police Officer, hired for security by Pulse Nightclub, fired at Mateen when he began opening fire at 2:02 AM…. Bracken also made mention of an attempted mass shooting at a school in Oregon that ended when injured students restrained the shooter while he was reloading, calling on those who find themselves in a mass-shooting situation to resist the shooter in any way possible…. Florida law prohibits those with a concealed carry permit from bringing their firearm into any institution that serves alcohol, turning every club like Pulse Nightclub into gun-free zones (a.k.a. victim disarmament zones).

Orlando Shooting: Still No Evidence
Paul Craig Roberts - …readers report that they have found no evidence of bodies or blood. One person reports that a TV station posted names of some victims, which is the way the absence of Sandy Hook bodies was handled. One person who said he is a veteran said the AR-15 can have a 30-round clip. That would mean four reloadings in order to shoot 103 people. The veteran said that the rifle can be reloaded in 5 seconds: one clip is dropped out, another put in, and the bolt released. But 5 seconds is not fast enough to prevent being rushed. Remember, sprinters can cover 100 yards—300 feet—in less than 10 seconds. Ordinary people who are not couch potatoes can cover 300 feet in 20 seconds. That means they can cover 150 feet in 10 seconds or 75 feet in 5 seconds or 15 feet in 1 second.. In the crowded club, people were likely no more than 10 feet from the shooter, 20 feet at the most. Moreover, if there is only one shooter, he can be rushed in an arc that he cannot possibly cover. It is difficult to imagine that there were no veterans in the club, no people aware that guns run out of bullets and have to be reloaded and that so many people would miss four opportunities to disarm the shooter. It is hard to imagine that none of the hundreds of people present were capable of presence of mind. Bottles could be thrown at him, glasses, chairs. And no one did anything? Mainly what readers have reported is evidence that the Orlando shooting is a hoax.
* Related Video: 100% PROOF Orlando Shooting Was a STAGED HOAX...This Is All You Need To See

Video: Orlando Shooting Dropping wounded when they think they are not being filmed any longer
Watch left side as they set down the alleged victim.

Orlando shooter was employee of global security firm G4S
Reuters - Before Sunday morning, few Americans had heard of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen's British headquartered employer, G4S, the world's largest global security firm, which employs more than 610,000 people in 110 countries. In the United States alone, G4S security guards stand watch over airports, water and power plants, nuclear facilities, immigration transportation and even, as in the case of Mateen, gated communities. Since 2008, G4S Secure Solutions - the company's American subsidiary ' has received nearly $830 million worth of federal, state and local government contracts, including for the Department of Homeland Security, according to the SmartProcure database.

White House Refuses To Rule Out MORE Executive Action Gun Control
Steve Watson - n the wake of the Orlando massacre, the White House has said that Obama may use his ‘phone and pen’ once more to pass gun control measures while bypassing Congress altogether. “Can you say that the White House has never reached legal determination that has exhausted all of its efforts when it comes to unilaterally acting through executive orders and such on gun control? Has it ever reached that determination or is it still looking?” a reporter asked Press Secretary Josh Earnest Monday. “I’m not going to rule out that the president may at some point in the future take steps,” Earnest replied.

Orlando Shooter DID NOT USE AR-15 Rifle – Despite False Media Reports
Adan Salazar - What is with the mainstream media’s obsession with the AR-15 rifle? In the aftermath of Sunday’s shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Florida, Orlando Police Chief John Mina described the weapon suspect Omar Mateen used to kill 50 as an “AR-15 style rifle.” Specifically, BearingArms.com reports: The rifle used by the Islamist terrorist in Orlando was instead a Sig Sauer MCX carbine, a modular, multi-caliber (able to swap to different calibers, including 5.56 NATO, 300 BLK, and 7.62×39) rifle system that sometimes utilizes STANAG magazines common to more than 60 different firearms, but otherwise has no major parts that interface with AR-15s in any way, shape or form. But leave it to the leftist media to misconstrue the facts, then run with their distorted versions of reality.

US gunmaker shares soar after Pulse nightclub massacre
Government Slaves - Shares in the two biggest listed US gun manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger & Co rose by 11% and 10% in early trading and ended the day up 6.8% and 8.5% respectively. Gun companies shares have risen strongly after every recent mass shooting incident as investors speculate that the atrocities might lead to tougher gun control measures. Fear that stricter gun laws might be enacted cause more people to buy guns, especially semi-automatic assault rifles like the AR-15 used by Orlando killer. Smith & Wesson, which sold a record $627m worth of guns and accessories last year, is expected to report even higher sales this year when it releases its full-year results on Thursday. In its most recent quarterly earnings, in March, the company said sales were up 61.5%, which its British chief executive James Debney credited to the “long-term trend toward personal protection”. Sales in the quarter came in at $211m, and the company doubled its gross profit to $87m. S&W’s share price has already rise 39% in the last 12 years, making it one of the best performing investments on the US stock markets. Sturm Ruger’s shares have risen about 6%.

Signed by the Governor: Louisiana Approves Medical Marijuana Bill to Shield Patients and Caregivers from Prosecution
Tenth Amendment Center - Sen. Fred Mills Jr. (R-St. Martinville) introduced Senate Bill 180 (SB180) on Mar. 14. It contains simple and straight-forward language making it clear that medical marijuana patients and providers will not be subject to criminal penalties under Louisiana state law as long as they abide by the existing rules and regulations set forth by the legislature…. “It simply is unacceptable to tell parents of kids especially that if they want to make available to their kids the medicine that is being recommended by their doctors in order to achieve some better quality of life, some reduction in pain or other symptoms, that they have to move,” Edwards said when he signed SB271.

Prominent NY Holistic Doctor Found Dead of Alleged Suicide
Health Nut News - Dr Alex Shvartsman, was a well known holistic dentist AND an ND (a Naturopathic Doctor). He was found dead this past weekend at his home and allegedly took his own life. It’s not unusual for many in this sad, unintended series to have multiple degrees as a doctor. This well loved doctor was a dentist and an ND, while others were MDs and PhDs or DCs with PhDs, and so on…. Besides being an ND, Dr Schvartsman practiced mercury and drill free dentistry.

Election News

Video: Obama Fumes at Trump in Presser on #Pulse Club Massacre: “That’s Not the America We Want”
The Gateway Pundit - Obama went off on a grab-baggery of anti-Republican statements and went directly after GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump…. NBC News reported: The president also directly singled out Trump, who on Monday doubled down on his proposed ban of Muslim immigration and expanded his proposal to “suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or allies.” “Where does this stop?” Obama asked on Tuesday in an emotional appeal. “Are we going to start treating all Muslim Americans differently? Place them under special surveillance? Discriminate against them because of their faith? Do Republican officials actually agree with this? Because that’s not the America we want. It doesn’t reflect our ideals.”
* Related: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Copy Each Other In Anti-Donald Trump Post-Orlando Terror Speeches

Reuters: Half of Likely Voters Back Temporary Ban on All Muslim Entry to United States
Breitbart - In the wake of the terrorist attack in Orlando, 50 percent of likely voters now support a temporary halt on Muslim entry into the United States. Just 42 percent of likely voters oppose a temporary ban. That suggested policy is a much harder line than the temporary ban on Muslim immigration, or the long-term ban on immigration from countries with a history of radical Islam, that have been proposed by GOP candidate Donald Trump. The finding represents a 22-point swing since the beginning of the month. At the end of May, just 40 percent of likely voters supported a halt, while 54 percent opposed one. The Reuters survey, it should be noted, is based on a rolling average over the last 5 days. Even though Tuesday’s average shows a surge in support for a ban, most of the interviews on the question were conducted before the Orlando terrorist attacks. This suggests that support for the ban will rising over the coming days as more interviews conducted after news of the attack are included in the rolling average.

Hillary Clinton Took Millions from Anti-LGBT Countries That Jail and Execute Gays
Breitbart - In her response to the Islamic terror attack in Orlando, Hillary Clinton called on the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait to stop allowing their citizens to fund terrorists and to “stop supporting radical schools and mosques.” However, she failed to mention that the Clinton Foundation has spent years accepting millions in donations from countries that throw homosexuals in prison, fine them, sentence them to hard labor, and even execute them for the “crime” of being gay…. Below is a list of eight nations that Hillary Clinton’s foundation took contributions from while those counties’ leaders were enforcing harsh punishments on lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transsexual people. Algeria. The Nation of Brunei, Jamaica, Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates [and] Morocco-owned OCP, a phosphate exportation company…

Hackers invade Dems’ servers, steal entire Trump opposition file
Ars Technica - A hack on the Democratic National Committee has given attackers access to a massive trove of data, including all opposition research into presidential candidate Donald Trump and almost a year's worth of private e-mail and chat messages, according to a published report. n an article published Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that researchers with CrowdStrike, the security firm DNC officials hired to investigate and contain the breach, determined the intrusions were carried out by two separate hacker groups that both worked for the Russian government. One, dubbed Cozy Bear, gained access last summer and has been monitoring committee members' e-mail and chat communications. The other is known as Fancy Bear and is believed to have broken into the network in late April. It was the latter intrusion that obtained the entire database of Trump opposition and later tipped off IT team members the network may have been breached…. Details about those campaigns weren't available. The hackers who penetrated the DNC network were expelled last weekend. No financial and donor information appears to have been taken, leaving analysts to suspect the attack was a case of traditional espionage and not the work of criminal hackers.

Economy & Business

Banks are secretly 'red flagging' our everday transactions for DHS
MassPrivateI -The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is issuing this advisory to provide financial institutions with information on identifying and reporting transactions possibly associated with Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) who support the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al-Qa’ida, and their affiliates in Iraq and the Lev ant region. Financial institutions may use this information to enhance their Anti-Money Laundering (AML) risk-based strategies and monitoring systems…. "Financial institutions may find available social media information helpful in evaluating potential suspicious activity and in identifying risks connected to the red flags provided in this and other advisories. Similarly, the location from which a customer logs into a financial institution’s online services platform may also be considered when determining whether a transaction is suspicious.”… According to the FinCEN [Financial Crimes Enforcement Network] document Americans can be 'red flagged' for the following reasons.... 1.) "Purchasing goods at camping or survival stores" 2.) "Purchasing first-person shooter games or engaging in combat training-type activities" 3.) "Establishing lines of credit and taking out personal loans where no loan repayments are made" [and] 4.) "Liquidating personal assets, including retirement accounts/plans, and obtaining life insurance policies"

Energy & Environment

New Machine Turns Food Waste into Energy
Natural Society - An Israeli company, HomeBioGas, has created a portable machine that turns food waste into renewable energy for cooking or electricity, and its byproduct can even be used as plant fertilizer. The machine, which is temporarily available for $995, is part of an initiative to help create more sustainable energy as well as provide electricity and gas for cooking in parts of the world where it is spotty or lacking. The machine is also portable, and can be easily packed up and moved, which makes it a fantastic invention for those without a permanent home looking to provide electricity and gas to temporary shelters. It differs from other compost in that it not only accepts plants, but also meat, dairy, fats, oils, and even used kitty litter. The machine will compost it and release biogas to the tune of about 6 kilowatt hours of energy. This gives individuals using the HomeBioGas enough gas for about three hours of cooking.

Science & Technology

Net Neutrality Rules Upheld
Electronic Frontier Foundation - In a crucial win for Internet users, today a federal appeals court upheld clear net neutrality rules that will let us all use and enjoy the Internet without unfair interference from Internet service providers. The rules will keep providers from blocking or slowing traffic, or speeding up traffic for those who pay. Last year, EFF and other advocacy groups, along with millions of Americans, called on the FCC to do its part to defend Internet expression and innovation. We urged them to adopt focused rules based on a legal framework that would finally stand up to the inevitable legal challenge, but also limit their own authority in order to help prevent a future FCC from abusing its regulatory power. The FCC responded with an Open Internet Order that largely did just that. The court today affirmed that Order.
* Related: After net neutrality loss, ISPs get ready to take case to Supreme Court

Start-Up Company Develops Solar-Powered Television and Radio, Connecting Rural East Africa to the World
Natural Blaze - In Africa, the sun is available almost all year round. This encouraged Jesse Moore, a former aid worker from Canada, to establish a start-up company called M-KOPA Solar. The company specializes in using solar energy to power gadgets such as televisions, radios, bulbs and mobile phones. In 2011, Moore started to work in rural areas in Kenya, selling his solar technology for residents to use, to power their radios, bulbs and charge their phones. Today, M-KOPA Solar is fast growing, becoming a viable business venture. The company has invented its latest gadget, a 16-inch television that runs completely on solar energy. The flat screen television has brought joy to rural residents in East Africa. Apart from Kenya, the company has expanded to four other countries in East Africa. Since it launched the solar TV in February, it has sold over 5,000 sets in Kenya alone. According to Mr Moore, the company is even struggling to keep up with demand…. The TV and solar panel cost $500 in total. However, due to extreme poverty in rural Africa, most people cannot afford the technology. However, Mr Moore has put in place a perfect payment system that ensures that the rural residents are able to buy the solar gadgets. … 50 cents and $1.25 a day over 1 to 2 years, depending on their payment plan.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

North Dakota Considers Whether to Allow Corporate Farming
AllGov -Starting in 1932, North Dakota law barred nonfamily corporations from owning farmland or operating farms. But that changed in March of last year when the state legislature passed a bill that would relax the corporate farming ban and Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed it into law. Citizens protested the new law, with the state’s farmers union at the forefront, which led to the referendum that voters will face on Tuesday. The law was set to take effect last August, but its fate rests on the outcome of the referendum. A vote for the measure would uphold the new law, which allows domestic corporations and limited liability companies to own and to operate dairy farms and swine production facilities on land that is no larger than 640 acres, or 1 square mile. A vote against the measure would repeal the new legislation and restore the law that had governed farm and dairy operations in the state for more than eight decades. While the debate is very much focused on maintaining the character of North Dakota, it also taps into widespread fears about the disappearance of family farms throughout the United States and the spread of big corporations and their farming methods into rural America.

Health

Common painkillers found to cause increased long term pain
(NaturalHealth365) Evidence is mounting that taking opioid painkillers like morphine and oxycodone can in some cases actually make pain worse over time. This is, in part, because the more an opioid painkiller is used, the higher the dose that will be required to have the same effect in the future. However, new findings show that using painkillers over time also makes the body more sensitive to the sensations pain – which in turn fuels the need for even higher doses. This insidious effect, called hyperalgesia, renders pain medications less and less effective for relief from chronic pain. Because of this, people reach for increasing amounts of these drugs, raising their risk of side effects and dependence…. The list of dangerous side effects of opioid painkillers is formidable, making the need for finding safe alternatives an urgent matter. Some of the top natural remedies for pain include: vitamin C, willow bark, turmeric, cloves and holistic treatments like acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology and massage.

She Paid Her Medical Bills In Cash. You Won’t Believe What She Saved
Off the Grid News - A woman identified only as Caroline was billed $269.42 for five blood tests; her insurance company, Blue Shield, was charged another $408, for a total of $677.42. Surprised by the bill from Torrance Memorial Medical Center in California – the tests were for common things such as vitamins – she called the hospital, according to Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus. “I was completely surprised,” Caroline told the Times. “The woman I spoke with in billing said that if I’d paid cash, the prices would have been much lower.” If she had paid in cash, each test would have cost $15. Instead, the hospital charged her insurance company about $80 for each test – meaning the original bill was more than five times the cash amount…. Cash prices for many medical tests and procedures are often – but not always — lower than the prices charged to insurance companies, the Times reported. The prices are lower because they are designed for uninsured patients, but often, anyone can take advantage of them…. Healthcare providers jack up costs as high as possible when they negotiate for reimbursement rates from health insurers, the newspaper reported. The prices they quote are often several times the actual cost, to give them plenty of room to make money.

Lavender Oil: The Off-Grid Way To Fight Anxiety, Heal Wounds And Sleep Better, Too
Off the Grid News - Lavender essential oil is one of the more commonly used essential oils and is perhaps the most versatile of all oils. It is a non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing essential oil, so it is safe for all skin types. It has both stimulating and relaxing properties, and is known as a powerful healer and an antiseptic. Lavender essential oil refreshes, calms, invigorates and lifts the spirits. I use lavender essential oil to help with my insomnia, as well as to reduce periodic bouts of tension, anxiety and depression. I find it exceptional for calming itching due to eczema and minor skin irritations such as rashes or insect bites. Lavender essential oil also aids in soothing my sore muscles, backaches and headaches. It is an excellent first-aid treatment when used to help with the healing of minor wounds and the prevention of infection. The best ways to use lavender essential oil is through massage therapy and aromatherapy.

Fresh Rose Clay Facial Mask
Mother Earth Living - There’s not much that’s more healing or detoxifying than a good clay mask. It’s super-easy to create your own, and you can use pretty much any flower if you like. This recipe is definitely not set in stone — you have to experiment and do a little trial and error. But once you have adjusted the recipe to your satisfaction, make sure you write down your ingredients and ratios. Make a huge batch and fill a bunch of jars — this stuff has a really long shelf life. You can give some away as gifts as well! Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons powdered French green clay (for oily/troubled skin), bentonite clay (for serious healing), or white cosmetic clay (for sensitive, dry, or mature skin) • 1 teaspoon powdered rose petals (could also include powdered lavender and powdered chamomile) • 1 tablespoon glycerin • 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar • 1 teaspoon jojoba or almond oil (optional, but include for dry skin conditions; use water if you’re omitting the oil) • 5 drops rose essential oil or 3 drops rose oil, 1 drop lavender oil, and 1 drop chamomile oil.

Why Coconut Oil is Good for Your Teeth
Authority Nutrition - Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid that makes up almost 50% of coconut oil. In fact, this oil is the richest source of lauric acid known to man. Your body breaks lauric acid down into a compound called monolaurin. Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses in the body. According to research, lauric acid is more effective at killing these pathogens than any other saturated fatty acid.What’s more, studies suggest that many of the health benefits associated with coconut oil are directly caused by lauric acid. The most popular ways to use coconut oil for your teeth are using it in a process called “oil pulling,” or making toothpaste with it.

Pet News

Two Innocent Mistakes That Could Set the Stage for Kidney Disease
Dr. Becker - Research has established a link between feline distemper vaccines and immune-mediated inflammation of the kidneys, which is a cause of chronic kidney disease….Many indoor-only cats are never at risk and can healthfully go their whole lives without being immunized. Your integrative veterinarian can help you assess your cat’s risk of disease…. Feeding cats an exclusively dry-food diet is also associated with development of CKD. Kitties are designed to meet most or all of their body’s water requirements through their diet, not at the water bowl, so they don’t have the thirst drive of other species. The quality of protein in most dry cat foods is terrible; there’s a HUGE difference between “feed grade” and “food grade” (human grade). I believe rendered protein is harder to digest and process. Fed consistently, it can cause organ stress to the liver and kidneys. Additionally, kibble provides a very small percentage of the water a canned or raw diet offers. Cats fed only kibble suffer chronic mild dehydration that causes significant stress to the kidneys over time.
 



Tuesday - June 14, 2016  -  Today in History:

1775 - The Continental Army was founded by the Second Continental Congress for purposes of common defense. This event is considered to be the birth of the United States Army. On June 15, George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief.
1777 - The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the "Stars and Stripes" as the national flag of the United States. The Flag Resolution stated "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." On May 20, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed June 14 "Flag Day" as a commemoration of the "Stars and Stripes."
1846 - A group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California.
1893 - Philadelphia observed the first Flag Day.
1900 - Hawaii became a U.S. territory.
1922 - Warren G. Harding became the first U.S. President to be heard on radio. It was for the dedication of the Francis Scott Key memorial at Fort McHenry.
1927 - Nicaraguan President Adolfo Diaz signed a treaty with the U.S. allowing American intervention in his country.
1940 - The Nazis opened their concentration camp at Auschwitz in German-occupied Poland.
1940 - German troops entered Paris. As Paris became occupied loud speakers announced the implementation of a curfew being imposed for 8 p.m.
1943 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that schoolchildren could not be made to salute the U.S. flag if doing so conflicted with their religious beliefs.
1944 - Sixty U.S. B-29 Superfortress' attacked an iron and steel works factory on Honshu Island.
1945 - Burma was liberated by Britain.
1949 - The state of Vietnam was formed.
1954 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an order adding the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.
1954 - Americans took part in the first nation-wide civil defense test against atomic attack.
1965 - A military triumvirate took control in Saigon, South Vietnam.
1989 - Former U.S. President Reagan received an honorary knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
1990 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld police checkpoints that are used to examine drivers for signs of intoxication.
1994 - The New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Vancouver Canucks. It was the first time the Rangers had won the cup in 54 years.
2002 - Actor Kirk Douglas received the UCLA Medal. The award is presented to people for cultural, political and humanitarian achievements.
2007 - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared an emergency after the Hamas militant group effectively took control of the Gaza Strip.

World News

U.S. plans billions in Afghan funding until 2020, seeks allies' help
Reuters - The United States is asking its allies helping with security in Afghanistan to maintain funding for Afghan forces at a cost of nearly $5 billion a year until at least 2020, a top U.S. military commander said on Monday. The plan extends the international financial commitment for the foreseeable future at a time when Western leaders have been hoping to reduce Afghanistan's reliance on foreign military aid.... Under the current funding structure, the United States provides a little more than $3.5 billion a year. Other countries contribute another $900 million to $1 billion, while the Afghan government pays more than $400 million, a share [Major General Skip] Davis said was expected to grow.... Among the factors that coalition commanders are considering as they recommend funding and troop levels are the high rates of Afghan casualties, their struggles in training new troops and replacing damaged equipment, and the continuing "fragility" of the national government, Davis said. "Last year was a big signal that the Afghan army and police need some more time," he said.

NATO Chief: 4 Battalions Going to Baltic States, Poland
The Epoch Times - Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general, said alliance defense ministers will formally approve the deployment plan drafted by NATO military planners at a meeting that begins Tuesday in Brussels. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, four of NATO’s members that feel most threatened by Russia, will each be reinforced by “a robust multinational battalion,” Stoltenberg told a news conference. “This will send a clear signal that NATO stands ready to defend any ally,” the alliance chief said.There was no immediate reaction from Moscow. The Kremlin has accused NATO of moving more and more military forces close to its borders, and vowed to do what it takes to protect Russia’s national security and interests.... The United States, Britain and Germany have already committed to acting as so-called framework nations to furnish core forces for three of the battalions.

Russia: We will respond to entry of U.S. naval vessel into Black Sea
Reuters - Russian state media reported that the USS Porter, a U.S. naval destroyer, entered the Black Sea a few days ago on a routine deployment, a move it said raised hackles in Moscow because it had recently been fitted with a new missile system. U.S. Navy officials told reporters on Wednesday the U.S. military would also have two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean this month ahead of a July NATO summit in Warsaw as Washington sought to balance Russian military activities. "Of course, this does not meet with our approval and will undoubtedly lead to response measures," RIA [a state-operated domestic Russian-language news agency] cited Andrei Kelin, a senior Foreign Ministry official, as saying about the USS Porter's movements. He also said the deployment of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean was a show of force which in his view deepened a chill in ties between Moscow and Washington caused by Russia's actions in Ukraine and Syria.

Beijing to build 10,000ft deep underwater lab in South China Sea
RT - If successful, this will be the first project for long-term human habitation at such depths. "Having this kind of long-term inhabited station has not been attempted this deep, but it is certainly possible. Manned submersibles have gone to those depths for almost 50 years. The challenge is operating it for months at a time,” Bryan Clark from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments told Bloomberg.... "The deep sea contains treasures that remain undiscovered and undeveloped, and in order to obtain these treasures we have to control key technologies in getting into the deep sea, discovering the deep sea, and developing the deep sea," Chinese President Xi Jinping told reporters last month at a national science conference.

Canadian economy faces sharpest quarterly contraction since financial crisis
Government Slaves - Announcing late last month that it would maintain its base interest rate at a record low 0.5 percent, the Bank of Canada projected Canada’s economy would contract between April and June. While much of the projected downturn can be put down to the estimated 1.25 percent knocked off economic growth by the Alberta wildfires and resultant halt to oil production, a number of key economic sectors continue to deteriorate. Researchers at BMO Capital Markets have predicted that this will result in a second-quarter contraction of more than 1 percent.... Canada has been hard hit by falling commodity prices, especially the collapse in oil prices from over $100 per barrel in 2014. Tens of thousands of oil workers have lost their jobs, and Canada’s oil-producing provinces, particularly Alberta and Newfoundland, are in deep recessions.... To the surprise of many analysts, May’s job figures, which were released yesterday, showed a slight decrease in unemployment to 6.9 percent.... When discouraged workers are included, the jobless rate is closer to 10 percent.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Co-Worker Reported Nightclub Killer; Ignored Because of Political Correctness
Paul Joseph Watson - Florida Today reports that former Fort Pierce police officer Daniel Gilroy worked the same job as Mateen for G4S Security at the south gate at PGA Village for several months from 2014-2015. Gilroy frequently complained that Mateen “frequently made homophobic and racial comments” and that his behavior was “unhinged and unstable,” but bosses ignored him “because (Mateen) was Muslim.” After Gilroy quit, he was stalked by Mateen, with the killer sending him dozens of text messages every day. “I quit because everything he said was toxic,” Gilroy said Sunday, “and the company wouldn’t do anything. This guy was unhinged and unstable. He talked of killing people.” The circumstances are similar in nature to how the San Bernardino jihadists were not reported to police because neighbors feared they would be labeled racist.

FBI searching Orlando gunman's computer for digital evidence he scouted Disney World
Fox News - Investigators from the FBI are searching the electronic devices of the Muslim terrorist who killed at least 49 people in an Orlando nightclub for any direct indications that he planned to target Disney World or nearby Downtown Disney, a law enforcement source close to the investigation told Fox News on Monday. The search for evidence of any plan to target Disney is in addition to scrubbing those devices for communications with any FBI-flagged individuals, domestic or international, the source said. As of Monday, investigators are currently scrubbing the Pulse nightclub gunman’s computer for any pictures or videos of Disney World that would suggest Mateen cased the park or its surrounding areas as a potential target, according to the source.

Video: Pulse Attack Survivor: There Were Multiple Gunmen
Joe Biggs - Witness claims the single shooter narrative is false. A man who survived the terror attack early Sunday morning at a gay nightclub, said he believed there were 2 gunmen and not just one. Now we know Omar Mateen had radical Islamic views, no thanks to his father those views only grew stronger. The friend of a bartender who was shot three times at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida relays what his friend told him happened Sunday, step by step. “People need to start carrying concealed, because this is only going to get worse.”

5 Reasons to Question the Official Story of the Orlando Shooting
Brandon Turbeville - Already, a number of points lend credence to those who might suggest that intelligence agencies more so than desert-dwelling terrorist organizations are responsible for organizing and directing the attacks. A number of questionable aspects regarding this shooting include: 1.The FBI knew about the shooter and investigated him prior to the attack. 2.The shooter had a connection to a known ISIS recruiter. 3.The shooter’s father was a former “Afghan presidential candidate” who supported the Taliban. 4.The FBI’s history in creating terrorism…. While the right-wing media blames Muslims and the left-wing media blame guns, perhaps it would be more effective if thinking individuals would examine the possibilities that this attack was a false flag incident designed to push an agenda that would benefit those in power in some way or other. Out of this attack we will no doubt see another push for the evisceration of the Second Amendment and other civil liberties as well as increased hype regarding ISIS as a threat to the American way of life and a greater attempt at justification for foreign adventures…. If this attack is indeed placed in the lap of ISIS, however, all fingers should immediately point to NATO and the Atlanticist Intelligence apparatus. It is they who control ISIS and they who bear the responsibility for its actions. If the attack is attributed to a lone jihadist nut the FBI has some serious explaining to do since it appears that the agency itself is the greatest initiator of terrorist activity inside American borders and is either the most incompetent anti-terror fighter in the U.S. or it is complicit in the attacks that take place.

Scammers have already started trying to exploit Orlando shooting for bitcoins
Ars Technica - The vultures have already begun to descend on the tragedy in Orlando, Florida. A fake Twitter account claiming to represent the nightclub where the largest mass shooting in modern US history took place in the early hours of June 12 was calling for donations to assist victims—by sending bitcoins to buy bottled water and Oreo cookies. The account was suspended on Monday afternoon. The scammers used a common tactic—they hijacked the name of the Pulse nightclub, attached the account to the various "hashtags" associated with the shooting, and built the account's apparent profile by attaching an army of fake followers so they could draw the attention of people following conversations about the shooting. The Twitter account directed followers to a shortened Web address to make donations. That Web address linked to the six-month-old domain desifreemovies.net—a domain with a fake registration address in California and a contact e-mail account associated with the Hushmail anonymous e-mail service....

Louisiana Re-brands Common Core in Attempt to Dupe Citizens
The New American - Basically, policymakers re-branded the scheme as “Louisiana Standards,” while pretending that there had been some “revisions” to the widely loathed education-nationalization effort. However, according to experts and activists involved in the process, the politically toxic national education standards imposed on state governments with federal funding and pressure remain almost entirely intact in Louisiana, despite the new name.... Amid the uprising among parents, teachers, taxpayers, and others, Louisiana officials created a “review committee” dominated by Common Core apparatchiks to supposedly “review” the standards and revise them. Officially, the panel changed some 20 percent of the Common Core standards in English and Math as part of its revisions. However, according to experts, activists, and an analysis of the changes, less than three percent was actually changed, said educator Ganey Arceneaux, an education activist from Lake Charles who runs the Educate Louisiana service and testified against the re-branded Common Core standards.... The veteran Louisiana educator also noted that each and every person who spoke in favor of the standards has at one point been compensated to support, promote, or implement Common Core.

Walgreens dumps Theranos’ questionable blood tests from its stores
The Verge - Walgreens has announced that it's terminating its partnership with blood-testing startup Theranos.... Walgreens halted expansion of Theranos operations in its store last October after a Wall Street Journal article raised questions about the startup's technology. Since then, a number of claims from Theranos about its partnerships and scientific methods have come under scrutiny (it lied about working with GlaxoSmithKline, and comparison studies have shown its blood tests were subpar). In May, the company even voided two years of tests made using its proprietary Edison machine.... Theranos has also been hit with two class action lawsuits in recent weeks for misleading consumers about the accuracy of its blood tests. In one of these, Walgreens was named as a co-defendant. The drugstore chain reportedly failed to test Theranos' technology before it brought the company into its stores in 2013. The initial deal gave Theranos its first shot of publicity, and legitimized the company's operations and its central promise — conducting tests using just a drop, rather than vial, of blood.

Election News

Video: Trump Speech Addresses Radical Islamic Terror
Infowars - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had planned an epic takedown of Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton for Monday, but following yesterday’s massacre in Orlando, the businessman will instead address the issue of radical Islamic terror.

Hillary Clinton: Reinstate Assault Weapons Ban…
During an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Clinton called for a reinstatement of the assault weapons ban. “We did have an assault weapons ban for ten years,” she said. “I think it should be reinstated.” During an interview with the Today Show, she added, “Let’s keep weapons of war off our streets like the one that was used in Orlando.” Clinton criticized Florida’s gun laws, blaming legislatures for not regulating assault weapons, 50 caliber rifles, or large capacity ammunition magazines. She also blamed Florida for not requiring a permit to purchase a gun, not requiring gun registration, and not requiring gun owners to be licensed to carry a shotgun or a rifle.

Trump Revokes Press Credentials from Washington Post after Latest Dishonest Hit Piece
The Gateway Pundit - The Wall Street Journal reported: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday said his campaign is revoking the press credentials of the Washington Post, citing its coverage of the candidate’s comments on the Orlando shooting. “Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post,” Mr. Trump said in a post on Facebook. Press credentials typically give reporters access to campaign events and press conferences. “We no longer feel compelled to work with a publication which has put its need for ‘clicks’ above journalistic integrity,” the campaign said in statement released following the Facebook post. “They have no journalistic integrity and write falsely about Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump does not mind a bad story, but it has to be honest.” The Trump campaign pointed to the initial Post headline “Donald Trump Suggests President Obama Was Involved With Orlando Shooting” as the reason for revoking credentials. The story centered on Mr. Trump’s comment on Fox News on Monday morning that President Barack Obama doesn’t understand Islamic terrorism, or “he gets it better than anybody understands.” In his Fox comments, Mr. Trump also said: “Look guys, we’re led by a man that either is not tough, not smart or has something else in mind.”

Saudi Crown Prince: We Fund 20% Of Clinton's Presidential Campaign
Mint Press News - Saudi Arabia has paid more than 20 percent of the cost of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for presidential elections, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying Sunday in a news report by the Jordanian Petra News Agency. According to the Middle East Eye news website, the report was later deleted from the agency’s website. However, a snapshot of the original Arabic version was later republished by the Washington-based Institute for Gulf Affairs. “Saudi Arabia has always sponsored both Republican and Democratic Parties of America and… the kingdom also provides with full enthusiasm 20 percent of the cost of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in the U.S. presidential elections despite the fact that some influential forces within the country don’t have a positive look toward supporting the candidate because she is a woman,” the agency’s report quoted Prince Mohammed as saying.... It is illegal in the U.S. for presidential candidates to accept funding from foreign governments, but Saudi Arabia and Clinton are no strangers to exchanging favors. The Clinton Foundation, which is chaired by both Hillary and her husband Bill Clinton, disclosed in 2008 that it had accepted up to US$25 million from the Saudi Kingdom in the same year. Other foreign governments who have donated money to the Clintons include Norway, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Italy and Jamaica, which together donated around US$20 million.
* Related: Trump Calls on Clinton Foundation to Return $25M+ in Saudi Arabia Money

WikiLeaks to publish more Hillary Clinton emails - Julian Assange
The Guardian - Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has said his organisation is preparing to publish more emails Hillary Clinton sent and received while US secretary of state. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is under FBI investigation to determine whether she broke federal law by using her private email in sending classified information. A new WikiLeaks release of Clinton emails is likely to fan a controversy that has bedevilled her campaign and provide further ammunition for Donald Trump, her Republican presidential rival, who has used the issue to attack her. Assange’s comments came in an interview on ITV’s Peston on Sunday. “We have upcoming leaks in relation to Hillary Clinton … We have emails pending publication, that is correct,” Assange said. He did not specify when or how many emails would be published.

Veteran News

Landmark Study Shows Nature Kills PTSD in Combat Veterans
Natural Blaze - Researchers gathered “two dozen UC Berkeley student veterans whose psychological and physiological response to the awesomeness of big nature is being studied,” Berkeley News reported, during and after participating in whitewater rafting. Combat veteran of two tours in Afghanistan, Jet Garner, took part in a rafting trip down the North Fork American River with fellow vets last summer, and noted remarkably positive results: It felt like we were really living in the moment. It really felt like we were moving on beyond our hang-ups. But researchers found the benefits didn’t end with the trip, as just one week after rafting, veterans “reported a 30 percent decrease in PTSD symptoms,” as well as better relations with friends and family….Another rather obvious gift provided by nature to those experiencing PTSD has benefits known even by the federal government — despite ongoing national prohibition. Cannabis treats PTSD so effectively — as both clinical and anecdotal evidence has shown — the Drug Enforcement Agency recently approved the first-ever study of its whole-plant medicinal use for vets in April. By allowing the use of the whole cannabis plant, the DEA opened the door for even the smoked variety to be studied for potential alleviation of PTSD symptoms.

Science & Technology

NSA Looking to Exploit Internet of Things, Including Biomedical Devices
The Intercept - “We’re looking at it sort of theoretically from a research point of view right now,” Richard Ledgett, the NSA’s deputy director, said at a conference on military technology at Washington’s Newseum on Friday. Biomedical devices could be a new source of information for the NSA’s data hoards — “maybe a niche kind of thing … a tool in the toolbox,” he said, though he added that there are easier ways to keep track of overseas terrorists and foreign intelligence agents. When the agency is looking to exploit different new devices, the NSA has to prioritize its resources, which are usually focused on the “bad guys’” tech of choice rather than popular gadgets in the U.S., Ledgett explained.... Ledgett isn’t the only intelligence official to identify the growing Internet of Things as a possibility for global spying. The Director of National Intelligence himself said during a Senate hearing on worldwide threats in February that interconnected devices could be useful “for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials.”

Lawsuit charges BMW's i3 electric car slows dangerously when battery ebbs
ConsumerAffairs - A class action lawsuit charges that the BMW i3 electric city car turns range anxiety into sheer panic when its optional range extender kicks in, causing the car to go into "limp mode," slowing suddenly to 15 miles per hour. The range extender -- called "REx" -- is a small two-cylinder engine that acts as a generator, helping to keep the battery charged when it falls below 6.5 percent. But lead plaintiff Dean Rollolazo says that instead of extending the little car's range, REx turns it into something more like a golf cart than a car capable of running safely in freeway traffic, Courthouse News Service reported. BMW sells the optional range extender to relieve drivers' fear that their battery will give up the ghost when they're miles from home. But Rollolazo's suit says the range extender instear produces a "sudden, severe and dangerous loss in power because the range extender does not produce enough power for the vehicle to maintain normal performance."

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Farmer Who Sold Millions in Fake Organic Seeds Is Now Headed to Prison
Atlas Obscura - The inspector for the Idaho State Department of Agriculture was confused. A manager at the Caldwell, Idaho, plant he was inspecting in March 2015 had just stated that a farmer named Bernard Saul had delivered around 300,000 pounds of alfalfa seeds in an eight-month period to be coated.... But to Jason Laney, the inspector, 300,000 pounds seemed impossible. Saul’s farm in Bliss, Idaho, was just 48 acres, and should only be producing 15 percent of that total.... What was going on here? Fraud, among other things, and a criminal scheme that Saul, 58, had been running for years. Fake organic foods can be massively lucrative, since foods labeled as organic can command such high prices. In Saul's case, that meant he could sell his seeds at $1.25 a pound more than what he might get if they were conventional seeds. That may sound small, but it added up: to over $1.9 million in profits over the course of around five years, prosecutors have said.... On Tuesday, he received his sentence—three years in prison, and restitution of $1.9 million.

FL Attorney Says Growing Vegetables Not a Fundamental Right
Brandon Turbeville - A new local controversy is brewing in South Florida surrounding yet another instance of local governments imposing fines on residents and persecuting them over maintaining gardens on their property. After living in Miami Shores for 17 years, and growing vegetables in their front yard for the same amount of time, Tom Carroll and Hermine Ricketts were forced to dig up the garden in front of their home in 2014 when they were threatened by town officials with $50 a day fines if they did not. The threat of fines came only a few months after the Miami Shores Village Council passed a new zoning plan meaning that low-level bureaucrats wasted no time in fanning out amongst residential areas to uproot violators. The couple is now suing on grounds that the ban on front yard gardens violates the Florida Constitution by imposing improper limits on private property rights as well as violating the equal protection clause. The couple is being represented by lawyers with Institute for Justice, a Libertarian non-profit organization that focuses on free speech and property rights among other issues.

Health

Turmeric for Cancer? Study Says the Spice Shows Promise
Natural Society - Scientists from the UK have demonstrated for the first time in patient-derived colorectal cell lines that a turmeric extract (curcumin) is an effective aid for enhancing conventional chemotherapy and that it may be even more effective all by itself. Curcumin is highly available in elevated concentrations in turmeric. Published in August 2015 in Cancer Letters, “Curcumin inhibits cancer stem cell phenotypes in ex vivo models of colorectal liver metastases, and is clinically safe and tolerable in combination with FOLFOX chemotherapy” finds that a diet high in diet-derived curcumin not only aids chemotherapy patients, but might be able to circumvent the need for chemo entirely.

Careful with those statins—‘bad’ cholesterol helps us live longer
What Doctors Don't Tell You - The over-60s who have the highest levels of LDL cholesterol are less likely to develop fatal diseases, such as cancer, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems—and heart disease, the very thing it’s supposed to cause. This is because medicine completely misunderstands the function of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Far from being an artery-clogging fat, it seems to counter micro-organisms that can cause these fatal diseases, says a group of 17 scientists from a range of medical and academic institutions, including Harvard Medical School. They assessed the mortality and LDL cholesterol levels of 68,096 people aged over 60, and discovered that 80 per cent of those living the longest also had the highest levels of LDL cholesterol. Conversely, those with the lowest levels were far more likely to die prematurely. There is an association between total cholesterol levels and heart disease among younger people, the researchers concede, but the balance tilts the other way once someone reaches the age of 60, the very time when public health policy dictates that statins should be taken as a routine ‘just-in-case’ protection against heart disease.

Man Lives 555 Days Without a Heart
Natural Society - A 25-year-old man lived 555 days without a heart by carrying around a machine to keep his body going in a backpack. The young man has since received a heart transplant and has been able to ditch his 13.5-pound portable device. Stan Larkin has had heart problems ever since the age of 16 when he collapsed during a basketball game. The then teenager was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), which causes the heart to beat abnormally and carries a risk of patients’ hearts suddenly stopping. […] Larkin was put on the list for a heart transplant. Being behind hundreds of others, doctors knew Larkin couldn’t survive without the machine, which left him bedridden, until his name came up. In order to allow Larkin to live a somewhat normal life, Dr. Jonathan Haft, his cardiac surgeon, gave him a 13.5 SynCardia Freedom Portable Driver in December of 2014, a portable machine that pumped Larkin’s blood for him.

NEWS Death toll from vitamins and herbs: zero
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Zero deaths from any dietary supplement—including calcium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, colloidal silver, selenium, iron or a multi-vitamin—were recorded by the US National Poison Data System in 2014, the latest data that is available. There were also no deaths from any amino acid or herbal supplement, including blue cohosh, Echinacea, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, kava kava, St John’s wort and valerian, yohimbe, and any Asian or Ayurvedic medicines. The data system also recorded no deaths from glucosamine or chondroitin, or from any homeopathic remedy. Prescription medicine isn’t quite so safe, however. Around 150,000 Americans die each year from an adverse reaction to a drug properly prescribed and taken, and a further 350,000 die from a drug incorrectly administered, either because of error or from a deliberate overdose.
 



Monday - June 13, 2016  -  Today in History:

1777 - The Marquis de Lafayette arrived in the American colonies to help with their rebellion against the British.
1866 - The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the U.S. Congress. It was ratified on July 9, 1868. The amendment was designed to grant citizenship to and protect the civil liberties of recently freed slaves. It did this by prohibiting states from denying or abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, depriving any person of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
1888 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Labor.
1898 - The Canadian Yukon Territory was organized.
1927 - For the first time, an American Flag was displayed from the right hand of the Statue of Liberty.
1940 - Paris was evacuated before the German advance on the city.
1943 - German spies landed on Long Island, New York. They were soon captured.
1949 - Bao Dai entered Saigon to rule Vietnam. He had been installed by the French.
1951 - U.N. troops seized Pyongyang, North Korea.
1966 - The landmark "Miranda v. Arizona" decision was issued by the U.S. Supreme Court. It ruled that criminal suspects had to be informed of their rights before being questioned by police.
1967 - Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
1971 - The New York Times began publishing the "Pentagon Papers". The articles were a secret study of America's involvement in Vietnam.
1979 - Sioux Indians were awarded $105 million in compensation for the U.S. seizure in 1877 of their Black Hills in South Dakota.
1989 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush exercised his first Presidential veto on a bill dealing with minimum wage.
1994 - A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, found Exxon Corp. and Captain Joseph Hazelwood to be reckless in the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
1995 - France announced that they would conduct eight more nuclear tests in the South Pacific.
2004 - Former President George H.W. Bush celebrated his 80th birthday with a 13,000-foot parachute jump over his presidential library in College Station, Texas.

World News

Russia Is Developing Gliders That "Guarantee Penetration" Of Any Missile Defense System
Zero Hedge - While Russia has already indicated that the deployment of of Iskander missile systems would be one certain response to neutralize the the anti-ballistic missile defense system [European missile defense system (Aegis) by the United States], Russia has wasted no time in developing future responses. Russia's new Yu-74 ultra-maneuverable hypersonic glide vehicles may be the next response that will be unveiled.... those weapons would have a speed between 3,840 mph (Mach 5), and 7,680 mph (Mach 10).... reports say that the gliders are developed to be loaded onto onto Russia's RS-28 Sarmat, the state of the art heavy liquid propelled ICBM which is currently being developed for the Russian Army.... Designed to carry up to 24 nuclear-loaded Yu-74 gliders, each Sarmat ballistic missile will be able to hit any target located within a 6.2 thousand mile radius in one hour. Each glider can be equipped with a nuclear warhead, electronic warfare (EW) applications (disruption of communication systems), or false target simulators. "These features guarantee penetration of any existing and prospective missile defense system of a potential adversary. By adopting such systems, Russia's Strategic Missile Forces will significantly increase their efficiency" said one analyst.

Poll reveals a massive 10-point swing towards Brexit
The Independent - The campaign to take Britain out of the EU has opened up a remarkable 10-point lead over the Remain camp, according to an exclusive poll for The Independent. The survey of 2,000 people by ORB found that 55 per cent believe the UK should leave the EU (up four points since our last poll in April), while 45 per cent want it to remain (down four points). These figures are weighted to take account of people’s likelihood to vote. It is by far the biggest lead the Leave camp has enjoyed since ORB began polling the EU issue for The Independent a year ago, when it was Remain who enjoyed a 10-point lead. Now the tables have turned.... Support for EU membership is highest in Scotland, with 60 per cent backing Remain. But a majority of people in every other region of Great Britain favour withdrawal when turnout is taken into account. In London, seen as a strong area for the Remain campaign, only 44 per cent back staying in the EU and 56 per cent favour voting to leave. This is due to the turnout factor. Only 66 per cent of people in London say they will definitely vote, the lowest of any region.

Police Prepare Water Cannons For Anti-Bilderberg Protesters
Paul Joseph Watson - Water cannons are being prepared by Dresden police in case anti-Bilderberg protests get out of control during demonstrations planned for tomorrow near the site where the secretive group is currently meeting. Infowars reporters were able to get footage of the vehicles, along with another militarized ‘scoop’ tank, which were situated in a parking lot about half a mile way from the Kempinski hotel. Within minutes of the cameras rolling, the reporters were told to leave by a security guard. The water cannons are certain to prompt accusations of overkill given that there have only been a handful of protesters who have showed up so far to protest against Bilderberg, including a British couple who were ordered by police to not display cardboard signs. The pair were later reportedly arrested for possessing a tent and a loaf of bread, which police incredulously claimed could be used as a weapon.

US fugitives say Cuba has reassured them they are safe
Washington Times - Charles Hill, a black militant wanted in the 1971 slaying of a New Mexico state policeman, told The Associated Press that Cuban government contacts had recently reassured him he was at no risk of extradition. Nehanda Abiodun, another black militant wanted in a 1981 armored car robbery that left two police offers and a security guard dead, told the AP she had recently received a similar promise. Cuba is home to dozens of people wanted in the United States on charges ranging from Medicare fraud to killings committed in the name of black and Puerto Rican revolution movements in the 1970s and ‘80s. Cuba has asked the United States to return a smaller number of people, including Luis Posada Carriles, the alleged mastermind of a series of terror attacks against Cuba, including the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed all 73 people on board. Cuba’s head of U.S. affairs told the AP shortly after the declaration of detente that Cuba was entitled to grant asylum to U.S. fugitives, a sign that people the country once saw as fellow revolutionary fighters will remain safe. The most prominent is Assata Shakur, who is on the FBI’s list of most-wanted terrorists. She broke out of a prison where she was serving a conviction for murdering a New Jersey state trooper. She was regularly spotted in Havana after fleeing to Cuba but has not been seen here in public in recent years.

'We want food!' Looting and riots rock Venezuela daily
Reuters - Food riots and violent looting have become a daily occurrence across scarcity-struck Venezuela and a major problem for the struggling leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro. Despite hours in lines, Venezuelans increasingly find that coveted supplies of subsidized flour and rice run out before they can buy them. Many are skipping meals, getting by on mangoes stripped from trees - or taking matters into their own hands.... More than 10 lootings occur every day now, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, and are increasing in the usually more insulated capital. More than a quarter of the 641 protests last month were for food, according to a tally by the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, a figure that has risen every month this year. Venezuela's angry streets are arguably a bigger threat for Maduro than the political opposition, which is pushing to remove him via a recall referendum this year. One recent food protest came within blocks of the Miraflores presidential palace.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Gunman in Orlando pledged allegiance to ISIS; at least 50 killed in shooting rampage at gay club
The Washington Post - The gunman who opened fire inside a crowded nightclub here early Sunday morning, launching a rampage that killed 50 people and injured 53 others in the deadliest shooting spree in the country’s history, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, according to U.S. law enforcement officials.... After the first round of gunshots, police said the shooter held hostages for about three hours until officers stormed inside to rescue people and killed him in a shootout, though many details remained unclear about the standoff and the final confrontation.... The gunman, identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, made a 911 call on Sunday identifying himself and declared allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, according to U.S. law enforcement officials who asked not to be identified to discuss the ongoing investigation. Mateen, whose family is from Afghanistan, also cited the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon during that call. Officials said the call was made during the attack.... Ron Hopper of the FBI said that Mateen had twice been investigated by the bureau and that in both cases, he was interviewed before the probes were concluded. In 2013, Hopper said agents investigated Mateen after he made “inflammatory comments to coworkers alleging possible ties to terrorists.”.... Mateen was investigated again in 2014 by the FBI. This time, they looked into potential ties connecting Mateen to Moner Mohammad Abusalha, the first American to carry out a suicide attack in Syria. Like Mateen, Abusalha lived in Fort Pierce, Fla. “We determined that contact was minimal and did not constitute a substantive relationship or a threat at that time,” Hopper said.

Grandson of Muslim Brotherhood Terror Suspect Elevated in Obama Administration
Dennis Michael Lynch - The Obama Administration has chosen the grandson of a Muslim Brotherhood terror suspect as its new liaison to the Muslim-American community. The new official also led the youth section of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), an identified Muslim Brotherhood entity that was labeled an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas-financing trial. The official, Zaki Barzinji, previously served as the deputy director of intergovernmental affairs for Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (more on that further down in this article), who is now under investigation for possible political corruption. Before that, Barzinji was the president of the Muslim Youth of North America, which describes itself as the youth wing of ISNA. ISNA was labeled an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism-financing trial in U.S. history, with the Justice Department specifically listing it as an entity of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood’s own documents list ISNA at the top of its list of “our organizations and the organizations of our friends.” ISNA’s links to the Brotherhood and Hamas are laid out in bipartisan legislation titled the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act. The bill now has over 75 supporters in the House and Senate.

Obama Administration Surge Agenda Threatening U.S. With 100 Syrian Refugees Per Day
Breitbart - Over 100 Syrian refugees have been admitted every day in June according to the federal government’s own database from the Refugee Processing Center. More than 1,000 were admitted in May. The rate of those admitted has sky-rocketed when compared to the 3,755 accepted in fiscal year 2016. The Conservative Review reported these numbers, and that approximately 100-250 were admitted during the first six months of fiscal year 2016. It noted that the Associated Press reported in April that the federal government set up a “resettlement surge center” in Amman, Jordan in February. The center is now interviewing approximately 600 people a day. The “vetting” process, already questioned by leaders in the country, has been fast-tracked from 18-24 months to just three months. The “refugee mill” can now go through thousands of applications every month…. Senator Jeff Sessions for one, has chastised U.S. representatives for their response to President Obama’s refugee plan. As reported by Breitbart News, admitting 10,000 refugees into the United States “presents a net lifetime cost to taxpayers of $6.5 billion, meaning that under the current plan to admit 85,000 refugees this fiscal year, taxpayers will be on the hook for $55 billion,” he said.

US Military Wants Arms Makers to Produce Kalashnikovs
Sputnik News - Churning out legendary Russian-designed AK-47 assault rifles may soon be an option for American gun manufacturers.... SOCOM [US Special Operations Command] posted orders for non-standard weapons and ammunition on a federal contracting site early last month.... The Washington Post quoted SOCOM spokesman Matt Allen as saying that in the long run, the US-made AK-47s may help taxpayers save money. "A US-based source would be a good use of taxpayer funds, while also delivering the weapons our partners not only need to fight extremists, but also the ones they know how to use, know how to fix and have the supplies in their regions to maintain," he said. The Washington Post in turn added that although making the AK-47-like weapons in the US "would allow the government to enforce greater control over their manufacture and distribution, it still might be cheaper to buy them elsewhere." Meanwhile, Russian military expert Nikolay Kireyev argued that after the creation of the AK-47 clone, Americans will most likely want to bring down prices for Kalashnikovs on the world market and start supplying its copies to other countries on their own, according to the website news-front.info.... In July 2014, Washington prohibited imports of Kalashnikov products to the US, citing Russia's alleged interference in the Ukrainian internal conflict. In September of that year, the company faced a limited access to the EU financial markets.

Citigroup trademarks “THANKYOU” and sues AT&T for thanking clients
Ars Technica - For many years, Citigroup has used trademarks consisting of and/or containing the term THANKYOU, including THANKYOU, CITI THANKYOU, CITIBUSINESS THANKYOU. THANKYOU FROM CITI, and THANKYOU YOUR WAY, in connection with a variety of customer loyalty, reward, incentive, and redemption programs (collectively, the “THANKYOU Marks”). In its lawsuit, the financial institution says AT&T is infringing Citigroup's intellectual property because of AT&T's brand new marketing campaign connected to AT&T's co-branded, Citigroup credit card called "the AT&T Universal Card." AT&T is illegally marketing the phrases "thanks" and "AT&T THANKS," Citigroup claims. This "is likely to cause consumer confusion and constitutes trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition in violation of Citigroup's rights," the suit says.... Not to be outdone by Citigroup, AT&T in April applied to trademark "AT&T THANKS." Citigroup wants that trademark to be rejected because it thinks that proposed trademark is "confusingly similar to Citigroup's "THANKYOU Marks," according to its lawsuit.

Election News

Donald Trump Renews Muslim Ban, Responds to Orlando Terrorist Attack
Breitbart - Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump responded to the terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida on Sunday and renewed his call to ban Muslims from entering the United States until a proper vetting system is put into place. “Last night, our nation was attacked by a radical Islamic terrorist,” Trump stated in a press release after previously calling for President Obama to resign for not using the words “radical Islamic terrorism.” “It was the worst terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11, and the second of its kind in 6 months. My deepest sympathy and support goes out to the victims, the wounded, and their families.”… Trump included in his press release that Omar Mateen, the terrorist, is a son of an Afghan immigrant “who openly published his support for the Afghanistani Taliban and even tried to run for President of Afghanistan. According to Pew, 99% of people in Afghanistan support oppressive Sharia Law.” Trump’s press release continued: We admit more than 100,000 lifetime migrants from the Middle East each year. Since 9/11, hundreds of migrants and their children have been implicated in terrorism in the United States.
* Related: Afghanistan Migration Surging into America; 99% Support Sharia Law

Cleveland to Ban Trump Supporters Outside RNC
Kit Daniels - Democratic city officials are giving pro-Trump groups only 24 hours to complete applications for ‘Free Speech permits’ which severely restrict the First Amendment rights of applicants. “There is only 18 hours of permit time under these regulations, parade time, over the three or four days of the convention,” ACLU General Counsel Susan Becker said. “We just found out about that recently.” “So we are hoping we can really negotiate these points but it is really up to the city to come back with more reasonable time, place and manner of regulations that we can live with.” Insiders have described both the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga Co. as Democratic machines in Hillary Clinton’s pocket, and if they’re able to suppress Trump supporters, anti-Trump protestors will dominate the city – and international media coverage. And to further fuel violence, the city is forcing groups who support and oppose Trump to share a single parade route, demonstration areas and a “speaker’s platform” that individuals can “reserve” for 30-minute increments, all of which will trigger chaos given the anti-Trump protestors in California who chased down and physically attacked Trump voters.

DNC to Build a Wall for Security During National Convention in Philadelphia
Breitbart - The Secret Service special agent in charge of security during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia next month said there will be a security perimeter around the Wells Fargo Complex that will extend higher than five feet…. This year’s Democratic National Convention will take place July 25-28 in Philadelphia, marking the second time in less than a year that the City of Brotherly Love has hosted a high profile event necessitating a National Special Security Event (NSSE) designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security…. However, disenchanted Bernie Sanders supporters have spent months publicly planning events with the expressed purpose of clashing with law enforcement and staging a violent disruption at the Democratic National Convention. As Breitbart News has reported, more the 1,500 people have accepted invitations to the “9.9 million person march” to “occupy the convention, it would mean a shutdown of the city for 2 days and the most massive protest since the revolutionary war.”

Video: Judge Jeanine: ‘The Fix Is In’ With Hillary’s Email Scandal
Breitbart - On this week’s broadcast of “Justice” with Judge Jeanine on Fox News Channel, host Judge Jeanine Pirro delivered a rant on Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, who recently endorsed Clinton for president, saying that “the fix is in” regarding Clinton’s email scandal. “The president of the United States is complicit. He was aware of her private email server and actually communicated with her on it,” Pirro said. “Hillary threatens the president. According to reports, there were 18 emails sent by Hillary from her unsecure server to the president of the United States, and the president replied to at least two of them,” She continued. “Translation — ‘Barack, you knew the one way that I communicated. And if I’m indicted, you’ll be my first witness because you knew in real time as secretary of state that I was communicating on a private server. You knew, as did everyone. I dare you, Barack.’ Now, if any of you are still skeptics, try this on. She was not emailing the president about her yoga classes or her wedding dress. The sad news is, the fix is in, folks, and I just told you why.”

Warren Declares Herself Ready To Be Hillary’s Running Mate
Breitbart - The Massachusetts senator – popular among the progressive wing of the Democratic party – made the declaration shortly after endorsing Clinton, calling her “a fighter with guts” who would keep Donald Trump out the White House. In an interview on MSNBC, Warren was asked by Rachel Maddow: “If you were asked to be Secretary Clinton’s running mate, do you believe you could do it?” Her response was concise: “Yes, I do.”… Warren’s endorsement came within hours of President Barack Obama formally giving his endorsement to Clinton’s candidacy. “I’m with her,” Obama said, in a video recorded on Tuesday. “I don’t think there has ever been someone so qualified to hold this office.” Vice-President Joe Biden also appeared to give his endorsement on Thursday, referring in a speech to “… whoever the next president is – and God willing it will be Hillary Clinton”.

Economy & Business

Gold Company To Withhold Sales: “Storing It And Holding For The Long-term… It Makes More Sense At These Prices”
Mac Slavo - MX Gold Corp CEO Akash Patel and CFO Kenneth Phillippe say that they are positioning their company to stockpile between 20% to 30% of their physical gold production in coming months, noting that prices are nowhere near where they should be at current supply and demand levels. In an interview with SGT Report, Phillipe appears to be taking the stance of many precious metals investors, which is to stockpile the physical asset in anticipation of any number of potentially cataclysmic economic and monetary events like the hyperinflation we are witnessing in Venezuela…. MX Gold is the first mining company to announce such a revolutionary strategy and it completely makes sense considering that some of the world’s largest investors are gobbling up everything they can get their hands on.

A Sign of Trouble? What is Behind Soros’s Jump Into Gold
Sputnik News - According to Bloomberg, Soros bought bullish options contracts on 1.05 million shares in the SPDR Gold Trust, which tracks the price of bullion. What’s more, the agency says, the fund took a stake in the world’s biggest producer of the metal, Barrick Gold Corp., worth $264 million at the end of March, the filing showed.... Among the explanations offered by the billionaire to the WSJ, are the gloomy forecasts for the economic and political issues in China and Europe. “China continues to suffer from capital flight and has been depleting its foreign currency reserves while other Asian countries have been accumulating foreign currency,” Soros said in an e-mail to the newspaper.... Soros also argues that “there remains a good chance the European Union will collapse under the weight of the migration crisis, continuing challenges in Greece and a potential exit by the United Kingdom from the EU.” And when such men are starting to worry about their investments and wealth, one could only wonder, what could possibly be going on in the markets?

Science & Technology

Report Accuses Google Of Skewing Searches To Favor Hillary Clinton
Western Journalism - According to the study conducted by SourceFed editor Spencer Reed, when you type “Hillary Clinton cri” into Google, the site’s auto-complete function lists three suggested searches: “Hillary Clinton crime reform,” “Hillary Clinton crisis” and “Hillary Clinton crime bill 1994.” However, when the same search combination is typed into the sites of Google’s competitors, Bing and Yahoo, the results are starkly different, including “Hillary Clinton criminal charges,” “Hillary Clinton crimes” and “Hillary Clinton criminal.”.... SourceFed proceeded to experiment with another search combination with Google versus other search engine sites. This time the SourceFed techs wanted to see if the highly discussed possible indictment of Clinton by the FBI would pop up on Google as it did other search engines. The search combination that they used was “Hillary Clinton ind.” On both Bing and Yahoo, a plethora of “indictment”-related suggestions pop up. However, on Google, the top suggestions are: “Hillary Clinton Indiana,” “Hillary Clinton India” and “Hillary Clinton independent voters,” without one suggestion for “indictment.”

Health

New Research Discovers That Depression Is An Allergic Reaction To Inflammation
FEELguide - New research is revealing that many cases of depression are caused by an allergic reaction to inflammation. Tim de Chant of NOVA writes: “Inflammation is our immune system’s natural response to injuries, infections, or foreign compounds. When triggered, the body pumps various cells and proteins to the site through the blood stream, including cytokines, a class of proteins that facilitate intercellular communication. It also happens that people suffering from depression are loaded with cytokines.” Inflammation is caused by obesity, high sugar diets, high quantities of trans fats, unhealthy diets in general, and other causes. By treating the inflammatory symptoms of depression — rather than the neurological ones — researchers and doctors are opening up an exciting new dimension in the fight against what has become a global epidemic. Caroline Williams of The Guardian writes: “The good news is that the few clinical trials done so far have found that adding anti-inflammatory medicines to antidepressants not only improves symptoms, it also increases the proportion of people who respond to treatment, although more trials will be needed to confirm this. There is also some evidence that omega 3 and curcumin, an extract of the spice turmeric, might have similar effects.

Dental fillings with mercury can cause over 30 chronic health conditions
(NaturalHealth365) Some of the most common chronic diseases and conditions facing the U.S. population today involve autoimmune problems and immune system failures. Diabetes, cancer, autism and Alzheimer’s disease continue to affect the population in record numbers. All have been associated with use of mercury fillings. Amalgam fillings have also been linked to such conditions as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and muscle tremors, fibromyalgia and muscle or joint pain, lupus and Crohn’s disease. Symptoms of many of these diseases are easily mistaken for other conditions. In addition, conventional medical treatment focuses almost exclusively on treating symptoms, rather than looking at the root cause, which could be amalgam fillings. Mercury fillings have also been linked to scleroderma, endometriosis and chronic fatigue syndrome, among other autoimmune disorders. In addition, the use of amalgam fillings has been linked to a higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistant infections, multiple chemical sensitivities, sinus problems and an overall greater susceptibility to infections.

19 Prebiotic Foods That Should Be a Part of a Healthy Diet
EcoWatch - Prebiotics are types of dietary fiber that feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. This helps the gut bacteria produce nutrients for your colon cells and leads to a healthier digestive system. Some of these nutrients include short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, acetate and propionate . Here are 19 healthy prebiotic foods: 1. Chicory Root - The inulin in chicory root nourishes the gut bacteria, improves digestion and helps relieve constipation. It can also help increase bile production, which improves fat digestion…. 2. Dandelion Greens - Dandelion greens are a great fiber-rich substitute for greens in your salad. They increase the friendly bacteria in your gut, reduce constipation and boost your immune system…. 3. Jerusalem Artichoke - Jerusalem artichoke can be eaten cooked or raw. It helps boost your immune system and prevent metabolic disease….

E-Cigarette Lawsuit
schmidtlaw.com - E-cigarettes, also known as “vapes,” are a booming industry. Advocates say they are safer than traditional cigarettes and help people quit smoking. However, researchers at Harvard warn that most e-juices contain toxic flavor chemicals linked to lung diseases like “Popcorn Lung.” The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting e-cigarette induced injury cases in all 50 states.

Inside E-Cigarette Liquids and Vapor
The liquid inside an e-cigarette, often referred to as ‘e-liquid’ or ‘smoke juice,’ is the key to delivering nicotine to users (if they so desire). Once heated, it creates a vaporized mist that’s inhaled just like real cigarette smoke. Before we get to the vapor, let’s discuss the main ingredients used in virtually all e-liquid: Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Nicotine, Water [and] Added Flavoring

Sunburn Treatment: A DIY Soothing Sunburn Lotion
DIY Natural - Once I found a good quality aloe product to use, I wanted to choose oils that would nourish and repair my skin without irritating it more. I went with red palm oil, coconut oil, and shea butter…. Sunburn treatment recipe ingredients… 1 ounce coconut oil, 2 ounces shea butter, 2 ounces aloe vera gel, 20 drops helichrysum essential oil [and]10 drops lavender essential oil.

How Walnuts Alter Your Gut Microbiome For The Best
Natural Blaze - Eating walnuts may change gut bacteria in a way that suppresses colon cancer, researchers led by UConn Health report in the journal Cancer Prevention Research…. A team of researchers from UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine found that mice that ate 7-10.5 percent of their total calories as walnuts developed fewer colon cancers. The effect was most pronounced in male mice, which had 2.3 times fewer tumors when fed walnuts as part of a diet similar to the typical American’s. That’s equivalent to a human eating about an ounce of walnuts a day…. This study shows that walnuts may also act as a probiotic to make the colon healthy, which in turn offers protection against colon tumors.”… Walnuts are packed with compounds known to be important nutritionally. They have the most polyunsaturated fatty acids of all the commonly eaten tree nuts, as well as the highest ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, and high levels of a form of Vitamin E with anti-cancer properties.

Pet News

Animals Now Listed As “Sentient Beings” Rather Than Property In Quebec
Natural Blaze - According to CBC News, Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis was responsible for proposing the bill. He – along with many other animal rights activists – is inspired to quell the injustices being done against all kinds of species around the world. Those who abuse animals and their needs may be fined unto $250,000. And, up to 18 months in prison is a possibility for repeat offenders. Paradis told the press that Quebec’s new legislation would put it in line with the other provinces in Canada, such as British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. He also said he wants to see animals “treated with dignity as much as possible” it doesn’t matter what animal.” It is important to note that the legislation applies to ALL domesticated and farm animals and certain wild animals. That’s right, even abusing a goldfish will warrant a reprimand. Inspectors now have increased power to demand to see if an animal is being cared for properly as long as they invoke a “reasonable cause.” In order to enter a home and seize animals, however, they must provide a warrant.
 



Friday - June 10, 2016  -  Today in History:

1776 - The Continental Congress appointed a committee to write a Declaration of Independence.
1801 - The North African State of Tripoli declared war on the U.S. The dispute was over merchant vessels being able to travel safely through the Mediterranean.
1854 - The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, held its first graduation.
1898 - U.S. Marines landed in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
1909 - The SOS distress signal was used for the first time. The Cunard liner SS Slavonia used the signal when it wrecked off the Azores.
1924 - The Republican National Convention was broadcast by NBC radio. It was the first political convention to be on radio.
1933 - Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were in a car accident on a rural road in north Texas. The third-degree burns suffered by Parker resulted in a pronounced limp for the rest of her life.
1940 - Italy declared war on France and Britain. In addition, Canada declared war on Italy.
1943 - The Allies began bombing Germany around the clock.
1970 - A fifteen-man group of special forces troops began training for Operation Kingpin. The operation was a POW rescue mission in North Vietnam.
1971 - The U.S. ended a 21-year trade embargo of China.
1984 - The U.S. Army successfully tested an antiballistic missile.
1984 - The United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in 117 years.
1985 - The Israeli army pulled out of Lebanon after 1,099 days of occupation.
1990 - Bulgaria's former Communist Party won the country's first free elections in more than four decades.
1994 - U.S. President Clinton intensified sanctions against Haiti's military leaders. U.S. commercial air travel was suspended along with most financial transactions between Haiti and the U.S.
1998 - The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that poor children in Milwaukee could attend religious schools at taxpayer expense.
1999 - NATO suspended air strikes in Yugoslavia after Slobodan Milosevic agreed to withdraw his forces from Kosovo.

World News

US Official: Russia Could Overrun Reinforced NATO Forces Within 60 Hours
Sputnik News - The ongoing military buildup along Russia’s borders has been criticized as an unnecessary provocation that threatens to destabilize the region. "There has never been such an amassing of hostile military force on Russia’s Western frontiers since June 1941 when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union and that’s the way the Russians see it," Professor Stephen F. Cohen said in a recent interview with The John Batchelor Show. But despite this strong military presence, the US Deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, Michael Carpenter, suggests that it’s still not enough. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing earlier this week, Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) asked Carpenter about a report from the RAND Corporation think tank declaring concerns that Russian forces could overtake NATO in just 60 hours. "By the end of 2017, when we implement all of the ERI [European Reassurance Initiative] funding that is coming online, that we will be much better poised to address the challenges and much better poised to deter Russian aggression in that region than we are now," he said.

New Tensions Erupt In The East China Sea, This Time With A Russian Twist
Zero Hedge - While China regularly sends nonmilitary patrol vessels to the area, this was the first time a Chinese warship was spotted. Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki summoned the Chinese ambassador in Tokyo around 2 a.m. to express serious concern over the matter - "China's actions unilaterally escalate tensions in the area, and we are seriously concerned." The warship, a frigate, was spotted less than 24 nautical miles from the uninhabited island chain. In an interesting twist, Japan said two Russian vessels were also spotted in the islands contiguous zone around the same time.

US Encouraged by Reports Daesh is Losing Ground in Libya - Pentagon
Sputnik News - Earlier on Thursday, Libyan media reported that an Daesh leader, Hamid Malouqa Al-Zliteni, was killed in the coastal city of Sirte in a clash between the group and Libyan forces…. On Saturday, the Ghardabiya airbase, just 12 miles south of Sirte, was retaken by the Libyan militia. Libya has been in a political and security vacuum since 2011 when Western-backed Islamic extremists ousted the country’s long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. Years of instability created a political and security vacuum in the country that was filled by Islamist militants. Daesh forces gained a foothold on the Libyan coast by capturing the cities of Sirte and Derna.

US airstrikes in Afghanistan to expand as Taliban attacks grow — report
RT - Facing a rebounding Taliban insurgency, the US will expand airstrikes in Afghanistan, according to a “senior US defense official,” the Associated Press reported. The new plan may affect the timeline of withdrawal for the 9,800 US troops stationed there. The anonymous US official was not permitted to speak openly on the matter of airstrikes, according to AP, but the US Department of Defense did address US troop levels in Afghanistan…. “The bottom line is too much has been wasted in Afghanistan. Too much money was spent in too small a country with too little oversight,” the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, John Sopko, told Reuters earlier Thursday. “And if the security situation continues to deteriorate, even areas where money was spent wisely and gains were made, could be jeopardized,” Sopko added. Unless the new plan changes the Obama administration’s troop withdrawal schedule, over 40 percent of the 9,800 US troops in Afghanistan before a new president is sworn in next January.

After deadly Tel Aviv attack, Israel suspends Palestinian permits
Reuters - The Israeli military on Thursday revoked permits for 83,000 Palestinians to visit Israel and said it would send hundreds more troops to the occupied West Bank after a Palestinian gun attack that killed four Israelis in Tel Aviv. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault by two gunmen on Wednesday in a trendy shopping and dining market near Israel's Defence Ministry, but Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups were quick to praise it. The assailants came from near Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. They dressed in suits and ties and posed as customers at a restaurant, ordering a drink and a chocolate brownie before pulling out automatic weapons and opening fire, sending diners fleeing in panic.

Israeli occupation to blame for fatal Palestinian attack on cafe - Tel Aviv mayor
RT - The mayor of Tel Aviv has blamed Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories for an attack on a cafe that left four Israelis dead. The country's deputy defense minister labeled the remarks “bizarre” and “delusional.” "We might be the only country in the world where another nation is under occupation without civil rights,” Mayor Ron Huldai told Israeli Army Radio, referring to the Wednesday attack by two Palestinian gunmen. “You can’t hold people in a situation of occupation and hope they’ll reach the conclusion everything is alright,” he added. The mayor went on to state that “no one has the courage” to find peace with the Palestinians, and called for attempts to strike an agreement. There has been an occupation for 49 years, which I was part of and I know the reality, and I know leaders need courage to not just talk...we have to show our neighbours that we have true intentions to return to a reality of a smaller Jewish state with a clear Jewish majority,” Huldai said. However, not all Israeli politicians agree with Huldai's statements. In fact, his remarks were labeled “bizarre” and “delusional” by Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan.

Scientists lobby for partial lifting of GMO production ban in Russia – paper
RT - Russian Academy of Sciences has reportedly addressed the parliament with a request to partially lift the ban on production of genetically-modified organisms on condition that the GMO materials would be registered and thoroughly regulated. Popular daily Izvestia quoted the head of the State Duma Committee for Science, MP Valery Chereshnev (Fair Russia) as saying that the lower house has resumed debates over the government bill that bans almost all GMO production in Russia, allowing it only for research purposes. Chereshnev also said that lobbyists were trying to change the bill before it gets the final parliamentary approval, in particular, the Academy of Sciences is seeking to partially allow GMO production in Russia.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

FBI found over 300 classified docs on computer of Petraeus’ mistress
RT - Newly released documents reveal that during the search of former CIA director David Petraeus’ home, the FBI discovered more than 300 classified documents on the personal computer of his biographer and mistress, Paula Broadwell. Documents related to the home search-related FBI affidavit were unsealed Tuesday by the US District Court in Eastern Virginia. The search warrant was requested as part of a sweeping federal investigation into the relationship between Broadwell and Petraeus, a highly decorated military commander. The probe uncovered the affair, revealed their mishandling of classified documents, and led to Petraeus’ resignation as the head of the CIA. Petraeus pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling government documents and was fined $100,000. The documents were partially redacted and were sealed for more than three years. What they showed is that both Broadwell and Petraeus misled investigators about their extensive exchange of classified material, mostly involving military and diplomatic operations during Petraeus’s years as commander of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

FBI Runs ‘Hundreds’ of Sting Operations to Create Homegrown Terrorists
Sputnik News - The controversial FBI practice looks to radicalize those who have no previous interest in, or connection to, terror organizations like Daesh, in order to keep arrest statistics high. The FBI has announced that they are ramping up Daesh-recruiting sting operations that legal experts criticize as entrapment and which national security experts see as US law enforcement radicalizing their own citizens to send them to prison. Recent arrests resulted after the FBI shipped fake guns to people who had no prior ties to Daesh and then arrested them for plotting terror actions. The agency also made plane tickets to Syria easily available and then arrested recipients of those tickets at the airport. Most recently, an FBI agent gave a panhandler some money and a knife and told him to stab people "for ISIS." Analysts wonder if rounding up those foolish enough to engage in Facebook conversations with undercover FBI agents and then accepting packages from unidentified sources is the best way to apprehend would-be terrorists. Based on flimsy statements by FBI informants and the barest minimum of evidence, the FBI has expanded arrests and are calling for the speedy detention of terror suspects even when cases lack sufficient merit to prosecute.

IRS Steals $68,382, Returns It After 3 Years, And Now Wants The Owners In Jail
Off the Grid News - Larry and David Vocatura could go to federal prison for depositing cash the wrong way – even though the IRS seized the money and already gave it back. The owners of a Connecticut bakery/sandwich shop won a major victory on May 24, when the IRS returned all of the $68,382.22 it seized from their bank account in 2013, but shortly after getting their money, the brothers learned that Peter S. Jongbloed, an assistant US attorney, was continuing with a criminal probe of their sandwich shop. The Institute for Justice had filed a federal civil right lawsuit on the brothers’ behalf. The IRS alleges the Vocaturas were involved in drugs or prostitution, although it never found any evidence. Jongbloed already offered the brothers a “plea deal” with a three- to four-year prison sentence if they turned over the $68,382.22 and an additional $160,000.

Baltimore cop caused fatal Freddie Gray injury: prosecutor
Reuters - A Baltimore police officer fatally injured black detainee Freddie Gray by giving him a "rough ride" in a transport van, a prosecutor said on Thursday in opening statements of the murder trial of a third officer in Gray's death. A lawyer for Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., 46, said in Baltimore City Circuit Court that Gray's death in April 2015 was accidental and that Gray caused his own injuries…. Goodson is accused of second-degree depraved heart murder, the most serious charge against the six officers accused in Gray's death. He also faces manslaughter and other charges.

No constitutional right to concealed guns: U.S. appeals court
Reuters - Firearm owners have no constitutional right to carry a concealed gun in public, a divided U.S. appeals court in California ruled on Thursday, upholding the right of officials to only grant permits to those facing a specific danger. The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a victory for gun control advocates which sets a legal precedent in western states, was seen as unlikely to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court in the near future. The San Francisco-based court, in a 7-4 decision, found California's San Diego and Yolo counties did not violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to bear arms, when they denied some applicants a concealed firearm license. "We hold that the Second Amendment does not protect, in any degree, the carrying of concealed firearms by members of the general public," Judge William Fletcher wrote in a 52-page opinion. Sheriffs in the two California counties had limited their permits to applicants showing "good cause" to be armed, such as documented threats or working in a wide range of risky occupations.

Election News

White House calls FBI probe into Clinton's classified emails a 'criminal investigation' – to glee of Republicans – on the same day Obama endorses her
Daily Mail - Barack Obama's spokesman described the FBI's probe into Hillary Clinton's classified email scandal as a 'criminal investigation' on Thursday, less than an hour after the president endorsed his embattled former secretary of state to succeed him. Josh Earnest told reporters during a White House press briefing that Obama was committed to keeping his hands off the investigation, trusting career investigators and prosecutors to follow evidence wherever it leads. 'That's what their responsibility is,' Earnest said. 'And that's why the president, when discussing this issue in each stage, has reiterated his commitment to this principle that any criminal investigation should be conducted independent of any sort of political interference.'

Clinton Doesn’t Remember Signing NDA About Handling of Classified Material
Free Beacon - Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that she couldn’t remember signing a non-disclosure agreement as secretary of state that laid out criminal penalties for mishandling classified information. In an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier the day after she declared victory in the Democratic primary race, Clinton insisted yet again she never sent nor received any material over her private, unsecured email server that was marked classified. “Secretary Clinton, you said you sent or received nothing that was marked classified, but you did sign a non-disclosure agreement, an NDA, in 2009 that said markings don’t matter, whether it’s marked or unmarked. You remember signing that?” Baier asked. “No, I do not, but the fact is nothing that I sent or received was marked classified and nothing has been demonstrated to contradict that,” Clinton said. “What you are seeing acted out is the desire of different parts of the government to retroactively classify material so that it is not made public, since I did ask that all my emails be made public, and this is not an uncommon process.”

Bernie Sanders Meets President Obama and Pledges to Work to Defeat Donald Trump
NY Times - Senator Bernie Sanders met with President Obama on Thursday and said afterward that he would do everything within his power to stop Donald J. Trump from becoming president -- and would work closely with Hillary Clinton to make that happen. After the meeting with Mr. Obama, which lasted more than an hour, Mr. Sanders gave no indication that he was ready to leave the race just yet, insisting that he would compete in next week’s primary contest here in Washington. However, he made clear that party unity was on his mind.

Video: Source: Sanders Rejects Obama Recommendation for Clinton VP Position
Government Slaves - Bernie Sanders rejected recommendations from President Barack Obama that he accept a vice president position with Hillary Clinton during the pair’s meeting Thursday, a source close to the Sander’s campaign told Infowars.

Elizabeth Warren Ready to Join Hillary Clinton and the Bankers
Kurt Nimmo - Sources told Reuters last night Warren will endorse Hillary Clinton and has not ruled out serving as her running mate. Her advisers are in close contact with Clinton’s campaign team. According to Reuters, if Warren joins the Clinton ticket she will energize progressives and win over Bernie Sanders supporters…. It is not clear how Warren will square her decision with the fact Hillary Clinton is the preferred choice of Wall Street and the bankers. The betrayal of her progressive base will be sidelined and ignored by the establishment media as Warren, Clinton, and the Democrats concentrate on defeating Republican Donald Trump.

White House: Obama Taped Clinton Endorsement Before Hillary Claimed Win
Breitbart - White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed that Obama filmed the video on Tuesday, before Hillary Clinton’s historic speech claiming the Democratic nomination and before the results of the Democratic voters in six states were reported. The campaign video was filmed at the White House, but was not filmed at government expense, according to Earnest.

Economy & Business

EBT Card Outage? 8 Days Into June And Many Americans Are Still Waiting For Food Stamp Money
Economic Collapse - Widespread reports continue to pour in from all over the nation of “glitches” with the food stamp system. It is eight days into the month and large numbers of people still have not received their benefits, and in other instances it is being reported that EBT cards are simply not working correctly…. On downdetector.com there are scores of reports of problems with the EBT system from people all over the nation… Hopefully this current EBT outage is just a temporary technical glitch, and hopefully the government will get it fixed in short order.
* Related Video: Woman Destroys Store Because They Didn't Acccept Her EBT Card

Science & Technology

New Social Network Based on Blockchain Technology Wants to End Censorship
Activist Post - The AKASHA Project, which aims to be a decentralized publishing platform akin to Medium or Reddit, is the result of various forms of technology intersecting to promote freedom of information and a free-flowing Internet — traits AKASHA’s founder, Mihai Alisie, believes are central to the digital age. “We believe that freedom of expression, access to information, and privacy are fundamental human rights that should be respected on the Internet as well as in real life,” explains the AKASHA Project. AKASHA stands for Advanced Knowledge Architecture for Social Human Advocacy. Moreover, we are a civilization transitioning to an information-based society, and as such we feel that the permanent storage of information for future generations is a critical issue we should be striving to solve as soon as possible.

Big-Brother Pizza: Domino’s to Track Customers on Way to Stores
Bloomberg - Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd., Australia’s largest pizza company, will on Monday start using satellites to follow customers as they approach stores to pick up orders. By tracking pizza-lovers on the street, Domino’s can wait until the last moment to start cooking and ensure orders stay fresh, the company said Thursday. The fast-food surveillance measure comes a decade after Domino’s started to let customers track their own orders. The stock has soared more than 17-fold in 10 years, giving Domino’s a market value of A$6 billion ($4.48 billion). The company is also testing delivery robots and high-speed ovens.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

7 Plants that Repel Mosquitoes Naturally
Natural Society - Mosquitoes can be quite the bother this time of year, especially for those of us who like to spend some time outside and in the garden. The good news is, it’s possible to deter the insects in a way that actually improves your garden – by incorporating plants that repel insects. I’ll outline 7 plants that repel mosquitoes naturally… 1. Citronella- You can buy citronella candles, oil, and even bracelets and necklaces doused in citronella oil. But citronella plants make for an attractive addition to the garden, and they smell just as good as any product you could buy in the store. 2. Lemon Balm - A member of the mint family, lemon balm is a great choice for new gardeners. It’s a hardy plant that does well in the shade, and can even withstand drought. It can take over gardens, though, so you might do well to grow it in a container. As an added bonus, lemon balm can be used to make herbal tea. 3. Basil - Plant basil in containers by your house doors, or indoors wherever you spend the most time. It not only repels mosquitoes, but also houseflies. 4. Catnip - Catnip has been shown to be 10 times more effective than DEET at keeping mosquitoes away.…

Health

Ticks Now Carry This Deadly Virus that is Worse than Lyme Disease!
David Wolfe - A potentially fatal virus has been found in the United States, in the Northeast and Great Lakes region. Known as the Powassan (POW) virus, the disease is transmitted to humans by infected ticks. Anyone bitten by a tick in an area where this virus is commonly found can get infected with POW virus. It can cause severe problems, with symptoms including fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties and seizures. Symptoms can begin to occur within hours of being bitten by an infected tick. Patients are also likely to become susceptible to neurological damage due to inflammation in the brain, which can also lead to meningitis…. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately half of those who have survived the POW virus have permanent neurological symptoms, such as recurrent headaches, muscle wasting and memory problems. Ultimately, around 10% of POW virus causes are fatal. There are no vaccines or medications to treat or prevent a POW virus infection. While it’s believed that the Lyme disease bacterium infects a person only if the tick has been feeding on them for at least 24 hours, the Powassan virus is believed to need only 15 minutes.

Daily Ginger Reduces Risk of Both Hypertension and Heart Disease
Natural Blaze - Ginger is known to beat drugs in defeating cancer and many inflammatory processes. The University of Maryland Medical Center cites several preliminary studies that suggest ginger may also lower cholesterol and prevent blood from clotting. Stopping your blood from clotting can help people with heart disease, where blood vessels become clogged and lead to heart attack or stroke. Now, data published in Nutrition indicated that daily ginger consumption was associated with an 8% lower risk of developing hypertension and a 13% lower risk of coronary heart disease in adults. “The data indicated that ginger had a potential preventive property against some chronic diseases, especially hypertension and coronary heart disease as well as its ability to reduce the probability of illness by increasing 1g/d ginger intake on the basis of prior diet,” wrote the researchers.

9 Natural Remedies for Treating Plantar Fasciitis Pain
Natural News Blogs - Plantar fasciitis is related to the painful condition of the heel, and affects more than 2 million people in the United States. Plantar fascia is the dense cord on the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes. This tissue can become injured due to overuse or being overweight and out of shape. It is estimated that 10-16% of people will experience this painful condition during their lifetime. Here are several natural remedies for plantar fasciitis… Curcumin, a component in turmeric, works as a potent painkiller and anti-inflammatory agent. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder to a cup of milk. Heat it over a low flame. Add a little honey and drink it daily before going to bed…. Ginger is a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent. It has properties that can help relieve the heel pain and reduce the inflammation and swelling…. Apple cider vinegar is another effective home remedy for plantar fasciitis. Its medicinal properties help reduce pain and inflammation. Add 1 tablespoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of raw honey to a glass of warm water. Drink it a couple of times daily….

Lose Weight with Coconut Oil
Natural News Blogs - …one study published in the journal, Lipids, found that women who consumed coconut oil supplements (compared to those taking soy bean oil supplements) not only had a reduction in their body mass index (BMI), but lost inches around their waist. The soy bean oil group did not lose any circumference around their waist in this particular finding. So, how exactly does coconut oil help people lose weight? Its unique properties, which include Medium Chain Fatty Acids (most contain long-chain fatty acids), are metabolized in a manner that helps to remove pancreatic stress. This in turn boosts the body’s metabolic rate, which makes it possible to burn more energy. Of course energy expenditure is known to be a significant aspect of losing weight. Those who have had successful weight loss or weight loss maintenance experiences, as well as many health experts, have noted that using coconut oil in regular cooking and eating routines is beneficial.
 



Thursday - June 9, 2016  -  Today in History:

1790 - John Barry copyrighted "Philadelphia Spelling Book." It was the first American book to be copyrighted.
1790 - Civil war broke out in Martinique.
1861 - Mary Ann "Mother" Bickerdyke began working in Union hospitals.
1940 - Norway surrendered to the Nazis during World War II.
1943 - The withholding tax on payrolls was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1945 - Japanese Premier Kantaro Suzuki declared that Japan would fight to the last rather than accept unconditional surrender.
1959 - The first ballistic missile carrying submarine, the USS George Washington, was launched.
1978 - Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints struck down a 148-year-old policy of excluding black men from the Mormon priesthood.
1985 - Thomas Sutherland, an American educator, was kidnapped in Lebanon. He was not released until November 1991.
1986 - The Rogers Commission released a report on the Challenger disaster. The report explained that the spacecraft blew up as a result of a failure in a solid rocket booster joint.
1999 - NATO and Yugoslavia signed a peace agreement over Kosovo.
2000 - Canada and the United States signed a border security agreement. The agreement called for the establishment of a border-enforcement team.
2000 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal gift and estate taxes. The bill called for the taxes to be phased out over 10 years.
2011 - The world's first artificial organ transplant was performed. It was an artificial windpipe coated with stem cells.

World News

Four Israelis Dead in Tel Aviv Shopping Mall Attack
NBC News - Four Israelis were reported killed and several others were wounded Wednesday night in a gun attack in an Israeli shopping mall, police said. Two attackers, whom police described as relatives in their 20s from the Hebron area, were captured. The attack took place at the Sarona Market, a popular indoor/outdoor culinary market in central Tel Aviv that draws crowds of shoppers and diners, officials said. The mall is near national military headquarters. "Two terrorists opened fire at civilians," Tel Aviv district police commander Moshe Edri said, adding that one of the detained attackers was being treated for a gunfire wound. Among the developments: Police said the gunmen were Palestinians from village of Yatta, near the city of Hebron in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his defense minister and security leaders and then traveled to the scene. He called the attack a "cold blooded murder by despicable terrorists." Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, welcomed the attack but did not claim responsibility for it. The U.S. condemned the "horrific terrorist attack" and said it is in contact with Israeli authorities.

US-Japan Sign Historic Defense Cooperation Deal to Counter China’s Reach
Sputnik News - One week after US President Obama visited Japan to become the first US President to come close to apologizing for the horrific Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings at the end of World War II, Tokyo has agreed to the Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) pact, a wide-ranging arms sale agreement between the two allies, long-resisted by many Japanese government officials. The agreement makes Japan the first Asian nation to join 23 existing RDP signatories – including Israel, Egypt, Sweden, and America’s NATO allies – whose defense products are exempted from ‘Buy America’ laws, tariffs, and protectionist measures. The agreement also represents a major achievement for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has called for Tokyo to be more involved with the US and other countries in global military affairs, despite the clamoring of the Japanese electorate to limit ties to America and to force out foreign troops.

Beijing demands end to surveillance after US slams 'unsafe' spy plane intercept
RT - A US spy plane has been intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet over the East China Sea during Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Beijing. It is the second incident involving US surveillance aircraft over the Chinese-claimed space in less than a month. A Chinese J-10 fighter plane intercepted a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft during a “routine mission” over the East China Sea in an “unsafe” manner, two American defense officials told Reuters on Tuesday. The officials claimed that Washington was alarmed by the Chinese fighter's “excessive rate of closure” on the US aircraft – meaning it approached too fast. According to CNN sources, the Chinese jet did not fly closer than 100ft to the US spy plane while it was on the mission. Beijing insisted its fighter jet kept a safe distance and avoided making dangerous maneuvers, and demanded that Washington stop reconnaissance flights next to Chinese airspace.

UK media hail Navy's 'intercept' of Russian sub… which was not hiding
RT - Headlines in the British media have hailed a Royal Navy operation to 'track and intercept' a Russian submarine off the UK coast – but Moscow says it's surprised it took so much effort to find what was actually a surfaced sub traveling with a tug boat. “An up-top sub can’t be missed,” the Russian Defense Ministry noted. The news created a stir in the UK with some British media giving the impression that the sub was there on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal orders…. Russia’s Defense Ministry issued a statement Wednesday in a somewhat mocking tone, confirming the Stary Oskol (Project 636.3) submarine was making its way from the Northern Fleet in the Arctic to the Black Sea and its new home base in Sevastopol, on the Crimean peninsula.

Scotland Just Banned Fracking Forever
Activist Post - In one fell swoop, Scotland banned fracking — permanently — when parliament narrowly voted in favor of cementing the country’s temporary moratorium on the controversial practice. With the original intention of conducting full health and environmental impact assessments before continuing with all unconventional oil and gas extraction — including fracking — Scotland implemented a temporary halt to all such procedures in January 2015. Members of the ruling Scottish National Party abstained from the vote, which passed 32 to 29, though SNP Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse claimed the government remains “deeply sceptical” of fracking and none would be allowed to proceed unless distinct evidence proved the practice ‘causes no harm,’ the Guardian reported.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Susan Rice Promises Israel ‘Largest Military Aid Package In U.S. History’
MintPress - U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice promised Israel on Monday that the new military aid agreement between the two nations that is currently being negotiated will constitute “the single largest military assistance package — with any country — in American history.” Addressing the American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Washington, Rice said the new decade-long aid package, which is expected to provide Israel somewhere between $37.5 billion and $40 billion over the life of the pact, will “constitute a significant increase in support,” providing funding to update Israel’s aircraft fleet and strengthen missile defenses…. At the same time, Rice lashed out at Israel’s settlement activity, saying that the only road to “sustainable security for Israel and to dignity and self-determination for the Palestinians is two states for two peoples.”

AP: Hillary Clinton Emails ‘Could Have Compromised CIA Names’
Breitbart - The names of CIA personnel could have been compromised not only by hackers who may have penetrated Hillary Clinton’s private computer server or the State Department system, but also by the release itself of tens of thousands of her emails, security experts say.,,, At least 47 of the emails contain the notation “B3 CIA PERS/ORG,” which indicates the material referred to CIA personnel or matters related to the agency.

Feds spend nearly $20,000 to settle every refugee
Washington Examiner - Federal taxpayers are on the hook for nearly $20,000 just to settle each refugee and asylum seeker, who are then immediately eligible for cash welfare, food stamps, housing and medical aid, according to a new report on the "refugee industry." The report provided federal budget figures showing that the government spends $19,884 on each refugee the U.S. takes in. And that number is set to jump if President Obama gets his way and brings in an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees in this year. The report from the Negative Population Growth Inc. said that the U.S. is currently accepting about 95,000 refugees and asylees. That is in addition to the over 500,000 legal and illegal immigrants coming to the U.S.

Judge Sentences California Man to 12 Years in Terrorism Case
ABC News - A federal judge in Sacramento sentenced a man on Tuesday to 12 years in prison for attempting to join Islamic extremists in Syria. U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez said that terrorism had become a zero-tolerance crime, as he issued the sentence against 22-year-old Nicholas Teausant, which also includes 25 years of supervision after his release. Teausant pleaded guilty in December to one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization...Teausant's lawyers said he had a mental illness that made him vulnerable to the informant and had no real plans of joining the group.

Rand Paul Honors Muhammad Ali By Introducing Bill To End Selective Service
Activist Post - On Monday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced that he will be filing legislation designed to end the requirement for registration for Selective Service. Senator Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, said he would introduce a bill titled “The Muhammad Ali Voluntary Service Act” in honor of the recently deceased boxer who famously refused to be drafted into military service for the Vietnam War…. “One thing I liked about Muhammad Ali is that he would stand on principle even when it was unpopular,” Paul said. “You know, the criminal justice system now has a racial justice disparity, selective service had a racial disparity, because a lot of rich white kids either got a deferment or went to college or got out of the draft. I’m opposed to Selective Service.” Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War, stating that his religious beliefs prevented him from going to fight in the military. Ali recognized that the Vietnam War was an unjust battle, that the U.S. government would not recognize people of color as equals yet expected them to go fight and die in foreign lands.
* Related: In 1971, Ali Helped Expose the FBI’s Secret Murder Plots of Activists and Antiwar Disinformation

Oklahoma Cops Now Using a New Device Allowing them to Steal Cash From Innocent Citizens Like an ATM
Activist Post - The Electronic Recovery and Access to Data Machine, known by the acronym ERAD, can scan your bank account and prepaid cards, giving OHP [Oklahoma Highway Patrol] instant access to the balance — and the funds — if a trooper believes the money is tied to a crime. OHP rolled out 16 ERAD devices in May, and unsurprisingly, has already employed the technology. “We’re gonna look for different factors in the way that you’re acting,” Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. John Vincent told local News 9. “We’re gonna look for if there’s a difference in your story. If there’s some way that we can prove that you’re falsifying information to us about your business.”… “If you can prove that you have a legitimate reason to have that money it will be given back to you. And we’ve done that in the past,” Vincent added…. News 9 obtained a copy of the contract between the state and ERAD Group, Inc., which shows Oklahoma paying “$5,000 for the software and scanners, then 7.7 percent of all the cash the highway patrol seizes.” But law enforcement obstinately claims this isn’t about the money.

Denver Police Destroy House in 19-Hour Military-Style Assault to Catch Wal-Mart Shoplifter
AllGov - After a Wal-Mart shoplifter fled into stranger's home to avoid arrest, police in suburban Denver destroyed the house in a 19-hour attack… Leo Lech and his family sued Greenwood Village, its Police Chief John Jackson and his entire force, particularly the SWAT team, on June 3 in Arapahoe County Court. All the allegations and quotations in the bizarre story come from the family's 10-page complaint. On June 3, 2015, Jonathan Seacat shoplifted from a Wal-Mart and fled, pursued by police. Seacat is not a party to the lawsuit. The Lechs say he ran into their home at random, to hide. They didn't know him and he didn't know them. The only one home was a minor boy, D.Z., who fled. Police then besieged the house for 19 hours. "Defendants used explosives, chemical agents (tear gas), flash-bang grenades, and other devices on and around the Lech home in an attempt to flush out Seacat. At one point during the use of the flash-bang grenades, a badly thrown grenade bounced back and fell upon law enforcement, forcing them to scatter. "Sixty-eight cold chemical munitions and four hot gas munitions were launched into the Lech home. ... The defendants blasted holes in all windows and doors of the Lech home. Rubble from the blasts was strewn about the property. The interior of the Lech home was a mass of debris and destroyed belongings from the projectiles launched into the home by the defendants. Chemical munitions or other projectiles were stuck in the walls. The Lech home was completely uninhabitable and its condition posed a danger to anyone entering the home."
* Related: Crowdfunding started for Greenwood Village home “totaled” in SWAT standoff

Election News

Donald Trump Beats Own Campaign Prediction, Reaching 1,536 Delegates
Breitbart - Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump sailed past his own campaign's prediction on the final delegate count, and now heads into next month's Republican National Convention. After the final five state Republican primaries on Tuesday night, Trump stands at 1,536 delegates. In April, Trump's campaign predicted it would reach 1,400 delegates ahead of the convention to meet the threshold delegate requirement of 1,237 in order to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. Trump broke the Republican primary record by 1.4 million votes, according to the conservative blog site, The Gateway Pundit.

'It was just chaos': Broken machines, incomplete voter rolls leave some wondering whether their ballots will count
LA Times - California voters faced a tough time at the polls Tuesday, with many voters saying they have encountered broken machines, polling sites that opened late and incomplete voter rolls, particularly in Los Angeles County. The result? Instead of a quick in-and-out vote, many California voters were handed the dreaded pink provisional ballot -- which takes longer to fill out, longer for election officials to verify and which tends to leave voters wondering whether their votes will be counted.

Former Cruz campaign officials push for delegate coup at GOP convention
Washington Examiner - Officials from Ted Cruz's defunct presidential campaign are talking up the possibility of a coup at next month's Republican convention in Cleveland. Bob Vander Plaats, a former national co-chair of Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, told NBC that "everything's got to be on the table" when it comes to exempting delegates from supporting Donald Trump at the convention. On Tuesday, Cruz's New Jersey state director Steve Lonegan called for a "delegate revolt." "I would love to see a revolt," he told CNN. "It's time for the Republican Party to get some backbone and stand up against this guy."

Trump U Is Nothing Compared To Clinton’s Laureate Education
Roger Stone - The Clinton Global Initiative joint venture with Laureate Education, a shaky for-elated: profit chain of schools, to create CGI-University is the final step in an incredible predatory stock deal. Laureate Education deal used high-pressure boiler room tactics to rack up $750 million of debt on students while running a $457 Million debt at the same time Bill Clinton was taking lavish – but hidden – compensation from Laureate while Hillary’s State Department was lavishing $150 million from the chain of for-profit schools that has a more than 50% graduation rate and a high drop-out rate. Forbes Magazine reported that Laureate “induces students to incur massive tuition debt to attend a school with no academic reputation and virtually no standards for admission other than the ability to pay.” But, it’s worse than that. Laureate is a highly leveraged failing investment whose principal beneficiaries are Wall Street fat cats and billionaire friends of William Jefferson Clinton.

Trump to Hold Summit with 900 Religious Leaders
Breitbart - Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to hold an event with hundreds of religious leaders on June 21st in New York City. Concerned Women for America CEO and President Penny Nance is a co-sponsor for the event with Trump, where close to 900 religious leaders will meet. “We wanted to bring together hundreds of the nation’s top evangelical and social conservative leaders so he could make his pitch for their support,” Nance stated. “There is still a question about whether or not evangelicals can unify behind his candidacy.” The event titled, “A Conversation about America’s Future” will feature both Trump and Dr. Ben Carson. The invitation lists several groups hosting the event, including United in Purpose, My Faith Votes, Global Fund Group, FCCI, Charles W. Herbster, Vision America Action, AFA Action, and Family Research Council.

Economy & Business

US crude rises above $51 for first time since July
RT - The American crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate reached a ten-month high on Wednesday, at over $51 per barrel. Analysts attribute the price spike to outages in Nigeria, higher demand in China and a larger-than-expected drop in US crude stockpiles. The North Sea benchmark Brent was also on the up, trading above $52 per barrel, the highest level since last October…. The American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday that US crude inventories decreased by 3.6 million barrels last week, more than analysts had estimated. Since reaching 12-year lows of $27 per barrel in January, oil prices have nearly doubled. However they are still well below the 2014 peak of over $100 per barrel.

Goldman Sachs: Obamacare forcing hundreds of thousands into part-time work
Washington Examiner - In a research note sent out Wednesday, bank economist Alec Phillips concluded that “the evidence suggests that the [Affordable Care Act] has at least modestly elevated involuntary part-time employment.” He wrote that a “few hundred thousand” workers may have had their hours cut or been forced to take part-time jobs because of the law. Goldman Sachs’ analysis is the latest conduct on the contentious topic of the healthcare law and part-time work, and its findings largely back up what other studies have revealed, Phillips wrote. The bank weighed in on the question after involuntary part-time work rose sharply in recent months. Obamacare is thought to incentivize part-time work through several means. One is that employers with more than 50 full-time workers face penalties if they do not provide health insurance coverage, giving them a reason to cut hours or avoid hiring new workers if they are near the 50 employee level.

Retail Armageddon Hits U.S. Economy With 930 Stores Closing This Year
Daniel B. Kline - With some retailers, including Sports Authority (450 stores) and Sports Chalet, closing all of their stores, and others, like Aeropostale, teetering on the edge of heading into the great strip mall in the sky, this has been a difficult year for brick-and-mortar retailers. The damage, however, is not limited to the chains that are closing up shop entirely. A number of others — including some iconic names — are getting smaller, closing stores as a way to shrink into, if not profitability, at least lower losses…. Here’s a look at some of the retailers that have either already begun closing locations or plan to do so this year. Ralph Lauren - plans to cut 8% of its workforce while closing more than 50 stores. Macy’s - plans to close 40 stores and eliminate as many as 4,500 jobs, a process that has already started and will continue through the summer. Barnes & Noble - The chain will shutter only eight locations, down from the 13 it had originally planned to lose this year, Sears and its low-price Kmart locations - The company has already begun the process of closing 68 Kmart and 10 Sears stores. Office Depot - Part of its ongoing strategy involves closing stores and it had already shut down nine as of its fiscal first quarter and plans to close a total of 50 locations in 2016. Staples - closed 73 stores in 2015 with plans to shut down another 50 this year…

Health

Over 80 percent of popular bread brands contain cancer-causing chemicals
(NaturalNews) A food additive used in bread called potassium bromate has been in the international news lately. Indian health officials have recently called for a ban on the use of the additive, which has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. A testing of products in India found potassium bromate in 84 percent of 38 popular brands of bread, buns, pizza crusts and other baked goods. Potassium bromate has already been banned in numerous countries, including the entire EU, the UK, Canada, China and Brazil. However, the use of potassium bromate has not been banned in the United States, and although all states require the listing of ingredients, only California requires a warning label for the additive to be included. Potassium bromate is added to dough to make it stronger and more elastic. It also speeds up the bread-making process and gives baked products a white color.

Top 8 Veggie Foods Rich In Copper Can Help You Mobilize Fat
Natural Blaze - Copper is intimately connected to fat metabolism and frequently consuming foods rich in copper regulates the breakdown of fat. Copper is a key mineral in many different body systems. It is central to building strong tissue, maintaining blood volume, and producing energy in your cells…. A deficiency in copper can lead to osteoporosis, joint pain, lowered immunity, and since copper is essential for the absorption of iron, anemia…. “Copper is not something the body can make, so we need to get it through our diet,” said Chang [a scientist at Berkeley Lab’s Chemical Sciences Division]. “The typical American diet, however, doesn’t include many green leafy vegetables. Asian diets, for example, have more foods rich in copper.” But Chang cautions against ingesting copper supplements as a result of these study results. Too much copper can lead to imbalances with other essential minerals, including zinc. [Here are the] 8 foods rich in Copper: Sesame Seeds, Cashews, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sunflower Seeds, Tempeh, Garbanzo Beans, Lentils, Walnuts.

Pet News

The 'Unlucky 7' Actions That Can Shorten a Dog's Life: How Many Are You Doing?
Dr. Becker - 1. Letting Rover Get Overweight (or Even Obese)… Being too heavy can shave up to 10 months off a dog's life, and this is particularly apparent in five breeds: the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel, Beagle and the Shih Tzu. … it's common for veterinarians to see animals suffering from health conditions secondary to their obesity, including arthritis, hip dysplasia, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory problems, and kidney disease. 2. Dodging Doggy Dental Care… A Purdue University study points to a strong correlation in canines between gum degeneration and endocarditis, which is an inflammatory condition (infection) of the valves or inner lining of the heart. 3. Skipping Wellness Checkups… I recommend regular at-home wellness exams. In addition, for healthy dogs I suggest preferably two (especially important if your pet is over 8), but at least one wellness checkup with your veterinarian per year…. 4. Ignoring the Athlete Inside Your Dog… In order to stay lean, fit, well-conditioned, emotionally balanced, and fully mobile as she ages, your dog needs a good workout every day….

History

Ahh... The 'good' old days!
imgur.com - They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. Once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive, you were “piss poor.” But worse than that were the really poor folks who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot. They “didn’t have a pot to piss in” and were considered the lowest of the low…. Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married. They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. Once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive, you were “piss poor.” But worse than that were the really poor folks who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot. They “didn’t have a pot to piss in” and were considered the lowest of the low….
 



Wednesday - June 8, 2016  -  Today in History:

1786 - In New York City, commercially manufactured ice cream was advertised for the first time.
1790 - The first loan for the U.S. was repaid. The Temporary Loan of 1789 was negotiated and secured on September 18, 1789 by Alexander Hamilton.
1861 - Tennessee voted to secede from the Union and joined the Confederacy.
1872 - The penny postcard was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1904 - U.S. Marines landed in Tangiers, Morocco, to protect U.S. citizens.
1915 - U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned in a disagreement over U.S. handling of the sinking of the Lusitania.
1953 - The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregated restaurants in Washington, DC.
1965 - U.S. troops in South Vietnam were given orders to begin fighting offensively.
1967 - Israeli airplanes attacked the USS Liberty in the Mediterranean during the 6-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors. 34 U.S. Navy crewmen were killed. Israel later called the incident a tragic mistake due to the mis-identification of the ship. The U.S. has never publicly investigated the incident.
1969 - U.S. President Richard Nixon met with President Thieu of South Vietnam to tell him 25,000 U.S. troops would pull out by August.
1982 - U.S. President Reagan became the first American chief executive to address a joint session of the British Parliament.
1987 - Fawn Hill began testifying in the Iran-Contra hearings. She said that she had helped to shred some documents.
1988 - The judge in the Iran-Contra conspiracy case ruled that Oliver North, John Poindexter, Richard Secord and Albert Hakim had to be tried separately.
1991 - A victory parade was held in Washington, DC, to honor veterans of the Persian Gulf War.
1994 - The warring factions in Bosnia agreed to a one-month cease-fire.
1995 - U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady was rescued by U.S. Marines after surviving alone in Bosnia after his F-16 fighter was shot down on June 2.
1996 - China set off an underground nuclear test blast.
1998 - In the U.S., the FTC brought an antitrust complaint against Intel Corp., alleging its policies punished other developers of microprocessor chips.
1998 - Honda agreed to pay $17.1 million for disconnecting anti-pollution devices in 1.6 million cars.
1998 - The space shuttle Discovery pulled away from Mir, ending America's three-year partnership with Russia.
2001 - British Prime Minister Tony Blair was elected to a second term in a landslide

World News

US effectively siding with Al-Qaeda in desire to get rid of Assad – former UK ambassador to Syria
RT - The US is “ready to de facto ally” with its archenemies from Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria as part of its “obsession” by using “so-called moderate” groups to overthrow the Syrian government, former UK ambassador to Syria, Peter Ford, told RT in an exclusive interview. The US “is effectively siding with a branch of Al-Qaeda” in Syria, Peter Ford told RT, speaking of Washington’s recent request to Moscow not to target Al-Nusra positions with air strikes for the sake of moderate opposition groups located in the same area. The former ambassador denounced the move as “not reasonable at all” and “grotesque.” He also sharply criticized the US for their “obsession with getting rid of Assad and the secular government in Syria” that leads them right to the alliance with “their arch-enemies” and to the loss of “all moral and practical competence.”

Absurd’: Russian envoy to NATO ridicules allegations of plans to invade Poland
RT - Russia has no plans whatsoever to attack Poland and any talk about such a scheme is both absurd and dangerous, Russian envoy to NATO Aleksandr Grushko has said. “During the NATO secretary general’s recent visit to Poland, officials in this country [Poland] made statements suggesting that from now on Russia would know that any attack on Poland would mean an attack on NATO as a whole. This is completely absurd because they are discussing a non-existent problem. There are no plans for any attacks on Poland,” the diplomat said in an interview with TV channel Russia-24, adding that certain statements about NATO military exercises in the Baltics were “shockingly blatant.” In the same interview, Grushko emphasized that it was very dangerous for NATO to start carrying out plans based on these false presumptions. “Their policies dwell in surreal reality and the most dangerous thing is that now they start to implement these policies in the form of military planning and preparations on the territories adjacent to our borders.”

Netanyahu arrives in Moscow for talks with Putin (Video)
RT - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin. The leaders reportedly plan to discuss the conflict in Syria and the prospects for settling the Israeli–Palestinian conflict…. t is Netanyahu’s second visit to Moscow this year, which marks the 25th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Israel and Russia. The previous Israeli visit to the Russian capital took place in April. Meeting with Putin on Tuesday, Netanyahu plans to discuss the implementation of positions agreed on during Netanyahu’s last visit to Moscow, placing a particular focus on coordination between the Israeli military and Russian forces. Both sides are eager to abide by a so-called deconflicting mechanism put in place to assure that Russian jets can freely operate in Syrian airspace near Israel’s borders.

'Explosive' Papers Seized From Private Detective Investigating MH17 Crash
Sputnik News - German and Swiss authorities have confiscated documents from private detective Josef Resch, who has been conducting his own investigation of the 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, Dutch officials and media said Tuesday. Investigators believe that some of the documents seized after last week's raid on the detective's home in Bad Schwartau, northern Germany, may shed light on the circumstances of the tragedy. Some of the papers are said to be "explosive" and could help determine the culprits. According to De Telegraaf daily, the German detective began his own probe two months after the catastrophe, and has received some $19 million for his investigations. His generous clients remain unknown. The contents of Resch's safe-deposit box in a bank in Zurich, Switzerland, were also inspected.

Bilderberg 2016 to Talk Trump, Riots, Migrants & Brexit (Full Participant List)
Paul Joseph Watson - The attendance of anti-Trump Senator Lindsey Graham is an obvious sign that Bilderberg will be scheming on how to prevent Trump from defeating Bilderberg’s chosen candidate – Hillary Clinton…. Bilderberg will obviously be discussing Brexit – Britain referendum vote to leave the EU…. The inclusion of “precariat and middle class” on the list also means that the powerful lobby group will be ruminating on how they can exploit and manage the inevitability of more riots and civil unrest in the west, a topic that elitists were also concerned about at the 2015 Davos Economic Summit…. “Precariat” describes those who are struggling to survive in today’s economy and who have no long term wage security…. The flooding of Europe with third world migrants… will also be a key topic of discussion.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

US military tests massive GPS jamming weapon over California
The Register - The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is warning aircraft to stay a few hundred miles away from the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, California, because the military is testing a new gizmo that disrupts GPS - and may also mess with flight control systems. The FAA has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) warning that on June 7, GPS readouts will be unreliable or nonexistent for 253 nautical miles (291 miles) at 50 feet above sea level, for 340NM (391 miles) at 4,000 feet, and for 375NM (431 miles) at 10,000 feet, covering a huge area of very busy airspace. In addition, the FAA is warning pilots flying the Embraer Phenom 300, one of the world's most popular executive jet aircraft, that the testing could interfere with flight stability controls and has said extra care should be taken in the area.

Try, Try Again! TSA to Undergo Secret Security Tests This Summer
Sputnik News - For the first time since the release of an incriminating 2015 report that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) failed to detect fake bombs and weapons in an eye-opening 95% of covert audits, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is gearing up for new security tests…. TSA administrator Peter Neffenger, who took over leadership of the agency in July 2015, one month after auditors successfully smuggled hundreds of fake weapons and explosives past screeners, has claimed that he has retrained the agency, ending the practice of punishing whistleblowers. Despite the long lines, so bad that dogs are brought to play with travelers, to keep them calm, he maintains that what many Americans describe as the TSA’s ‘security theatre’ keeps passengers safe.

Missouri Teen Dead for 8 Minutes After Cop Tased Him for 23 Seconds (Video)
Sputnik News - In September 2014, Bryce Masters, 17, the son of a Kansas City police officer, was placed in a medically-induced coma and suffered brain damage after a taser was used on him repeatedly in the chest, for four times the duration police are trained to use. In the footage, whose release was ordered by a federal judge, Independence police officer Timothy Runnels, 32, is seen approaching the vehicle and telling Masters to exit. The teen repeatedly asks if he is under arrest, as he has not been given a reason for the officers aggressive behavior…. Police claimed at the time that the car smelled of marijuana and that there was an arrest warrant connected to the license plate. It was later confirmed that there was no warrant on the vehicle, and that ‘probable cause’ had changed in the report, claiming only that the officer “observed the vehicle to have darkly tinted windows.” Runnels was sentenced to four years in prison last week, though he had been facing up to ten. The damage to the victim’s brain will affect him for the rest of his life.

Straight A Students Being Held Back a Grade for Refusing to Take Common Core Standardized Tests
Melissa Dykes - Via The Orlando Sentinel: The parents, part of the “opt out” movement opposed to high-stakes testing, are furious. They are convinced school districts are not following state law and are instead retaliating against families who refused to take part in the Florida Standards Assessments. They did so as an act of civil disobedience to protest what they view as the state’s over-reliance on an unproven standardized test. “There’s no reason for a third grader with straight As to be retained,” said parent Rhonda Nickerson, whose 9-year-old daughter may be barred from fourth grade at a Seminole County elementary school. “What are they going to do with her in third grade again?”… Florida is not the only state penalizing kids for not taking unproven standardized government tests. WND reports that at least a dozen students in Greenville, South Carolina were officially disciplined for “refusal to obey” because they would not take the new standardized ACT test.

Election News

Video: Trump Announces Major Speech on Clinton Corruption and Scandal Next Week
The Gateway Pundit - Businessman Donald Trump announced on Tuesday at his New Jersey victory speech that he will deliver a major speech on the Clinton history of corruption and scandal. “The Clinton’s have turned the politics of personal enrichment into an art form for themselves. They’ve made hundreds of millions of dollars selling access, selling favors, selling government contracts. And I mean hundreds of millions of dollars… I am going to give a major speech probably Monday of next week. And we are going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons. I think you’re going to find it very informative and very, very interesting. I wonder if the press will want to attend?
* Related Video: Donald Trump’s Inspiring Election Night Remarks

Democratic primaries: Clinton claims nomination victory
Washington Post - Hillary Clinton celebrated her status as the first woman to win a major party’s presidential nomination on Tuesday evening in Brooklyn – and then turned quickly from history to politics, attacking GOP rival Donald Trump as a bully who wanted to “take America backwards.”… Clinton’s speech came on a night when she primaries in New Jersey and New Mexico, and lost the caucuses in North Dakota to rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.). Races in two other states – South Dakota and Montana – remain too close to call, with Clinton narrowly in the lead in both. Polls in California, the biggest prize of the night, closed at 11 p.m. Eastern time.
* Related: June 7, 2016 Presidential Primaries Results

Donald Trump wins Republican presidential primary in New Jersey
The Hill - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is projected to win the primary in New Jersey. Trump was declared the victor shortly after the polls closed. New Jersey offers 51 delegates and is a winner-take-all state. He had already secured more than the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination prior to Tuesday’s elections.

Report: Trump Refused $200 Million to Pick Gingrich as VP
Kit Daniels - The mainstream media reported that casino magnate Sheldon Adelson was willing to contribute $100 million to Trump’s campaign, but what wasn’t reported was the additional $200 million the establishment offered Trump in exchange for picking Gingrich, one of the first D.C. insiders to try and cozy up to the mogul. When Trump declined the offer, however, Gingrich started lashing out at him publicly, including his recent claim that Trump made “one of his worst mistakes” for pointing out the federal judge handling the Trump University lawsuit has ties to the controversial La Raza Hispanic nationalist organization. “I don’t know what Trump’s reasoning was, and I don’t care,” Gingrich told the Washington Post. It’d be unlikely for Gingrich to take such a weird stance in the matter unless he was already bitter at Trump – and trying to pressure him to change his mind. But it’s in Trump’s best interests to pick someone close to him ideologically as VP, such as Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), to avoid a potential assassination attempt.

Bizarre: McConnell Claims Trump Unpopular Candidate, Lesser of Two Evils
Kit Daniels - Yet Trump polling at over 50%, Congress at 6%… Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) claimed Donald Trump is a “very, very unpopular candidate,” despite the fact Trump’s poll numbers are nearly 10 times higher than Congress’s approval rating. The Kentucky senator also described a potential matchup between Trump and Hillary Clinton as a choice between a “lesser of two evils,” even though Trump represents nationalism and Clinton globalism. "We know for sure we have two very, very unpopular candidates, but we have a two-party system in this country,” he asserted Monday evening on the Texas-based Wells Report radio program. “This is a choice. Regardless of who any of us supported earlier, this is the choice.” And strangely enough, McConnell also said Trump has to “change to win,” but reality contradicts the senator’s claim: the reason Trump won the nomination is because he ran an anti-establishment campaign.

Libertarian Candidate: Trump Is “Clearly” A Racist
Steve Watson - Speaking during a Facebook live interview, Johnson hammered Trump’s comments on U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, whom the GOP nominee declared has a conflict of interest in overseeing lawsuits against Trump University owing to his “Mexican heritage.” “The latest comments on the Hispanic judge — nothing short of racist,” Johnson told a reporter…. Johnson, who has not made any significant dent on popularity polls thus far, also slammed Trump’s immigration policy as “absolute craziness” and said that deporting illegal immigrants already living in the US would be “unfair and inhumane.” “Building a fence across the border — absolute craziness. Just crazy,” Johnson said. “How’s that fence going to work? The border between Mexico and Texas is the Rio Grande river. Are we going to build it on our side or their side? Maybe right down the middle? This is just insanity. It’s insanity.”

Veteran News

Pentagon: At Least 11 U.S. Troops Infected with Zika
Breitbart - Four of the infected people are women, although none of them are pregnant, according to USA Today’s citation of Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch deputy chief Dr. Jose Sanchez. Among Zika’s most alarming results is the chance of children developing microcephaly when pregnant women contract the disease. “Troops suffering from the Zika were four soldiers, three Airmen, a Marine and three members of the Coast Guard, according to Sanchez. The first confirmed case was diagnosed in late January,” according to USA Today’s summary of the report. 15 of the infected individuals had traveled to South America or the Caribbean, including one who visited Brazil, where the Summer Olympics have been threatened by a Zika outbreak. It is noted that military personnel run an exceptionally high risk of mosquito bites, since they are often outdoors for long periods of time…. Stars and Stripes reported a few weeks ago on a Pentagon memo that said mosquitoes capable of carrying the virus can be found at 190 U.S. military installations spread across 27 states and three territories.

Energy & Environment

Seattle-Caught Salmon Found To Contain Cocaine, Antidepressants, And Pain Relievers
True Activist - According to a recent study, up to 81 drugs and personal-care products were detected in the flesh of salmon caught in the Puget Sound. Some of the drugs include Prozac, Advil, Benadryl, Lipitor, and even cocaine. The Seattle Times reports that the levels are believed to be so high because either people in the area use more of the drugs detected, or because waste water plants are unable to fully remove the chemicals during treatment. Another theory is that leaky septic tanks are contributing to the problem, as high fecal coliform counts were detected…. ntriguingly, the researchers are not concerned about the effect the cocktail of drugs will have on the humans who eat the fish, but they are concerned about how the chemicals are affecting wildlife. Reportedly, Meador’s other recent work has shown that juvenile chinook salmon migrate through contaminated estuaries in Puget Sound and die at twice the rate of fish elsewhere. That seems like cause for concern. Unfortunately, it not likely the contamination will let up. According to one study, 97,000 pounds of drugs and chemicals could be entering the Puget Sound each year.

Science & Technology

Facial Recognition Software: Technology to Make Big Brother Drool
Tenth Amendment Center - With simple snap of a photo from a police officer using an iPhone app can search through driver’s license to identify you. Now, facial recognition technology has gone mobile, and it is cross-referenced with other databases. In Sacramento County, the Sheriff’s Department is using an iPhone app built by the same company that makes the department’s license plate reader technology. In a recently released video, an officer was able to find a suspects real identity within seconds with a simple still picture from a phone camera. The facial recognition program has expanded from four to 500 officers. While there are legitimate reasons for an officer to have access to biometric data to identify suspects, there are serious privacy implications, along with the potential for abuse…. Access to a multitude of databases can lead to abuse and unwarranted surveillance. We currently do not know what databases they have access to, but a recent report suggests it is more than just mug shots and driver’s license photos.

Video: The FBI “Next Generation” Biometric Database Must be Stopped
Tenth Amendment Center - The FBI Biometric database being developed right now will not only contain fingerprints – it will also store millions of facial recognition photographs, voice recognition data, iris scans and even DNA profiles.

Health

Taiwan Recalls Quaker Oats Due To Glyphosate Contamination While U.S. Does Nothing
Natural Blaze - After a random inspection from Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), glyphosate … was detected in 10 out of 36 oatmeal products, exceeding the country’s legal limit. As a result, the country recalled nearly 62,000 kilograms of oatmeal…. According to the China Post, most of the tainted oatmeal was imported from the U.S.’ Quakers’ Old Fashioned Quaker Oats and Quaker Quick 1-minute Oats that are sold at the country’s supermarkets. Other brands were also flagged, including Coah’s Oats, Bob’s Red Mill Instant Rolled Oats, Fifty50 Hearty Cut Oatmeal and McCann’s Imported Irish Oatmeal, Australia Fine Oat Flakes and oatmeal by Fengyuan Food. Companies that exceeded the regulated standard may face fines between NT$60,000-$200 million, or approximately USD$1,800-$6million. Taiwan may be cracking down on excessive levels of glyphosate, but that’s because it has a zero tolerance policy on the carcinogenic compound in oatmeal products. In contrast, the United States allows a maximum level of 30 ppm. Compare that to 20 ppm in Japan and the European Union, 15 ppm in Canada and 01. ppm in Australia.

Fructose causes genetic changes in the brain that increases risk of disease
(NaturalHealth365) The pervasiveness of high fructose corn syrup in the Americans diet has even been blamed for the epidemic of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related diseases. But now, scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have started to uncover the exact reasons why fructose is linked to so many ills. Researchers there have discovered that fructose actually alters hundreds of genes in the brain. Those changes are linked to development of many diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, among others. But the scientists also discovered a nutrition-based, natural solution: the omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA can reverse these harmful effects…. Americans consumed an average of about 27 pounds of high fructose corn syrup in 2014, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. While fructose is also found in most fruit, the fiber present significantly slows the body’s absorption of the sugar and the other healthy components of fruit help to offset drawbacks of the fructose.

Think Twice Before Using a Wire Bristle Brush to Clean Your Grill…
Natural Society - A new study conducted at the University of Missouri School of Medicine identified more than 1,600 injuries from wire-bristle grill brushes reported in ERs since 2002…. You can be scrubbing all that grease and black burnt-on stuff off the grill and accidentally leave one of the little bristles behind. If you’ve ever been poked in the finger by one of the bristles, you know how much it hurts. You wouldn’t want to eat one. David Chang, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology at the MU School of Medicine, says that most doctors probably don’t even think about this possibility when someone comes into the ER in pain, so this study is important. He explained in a press release: “If doctors are unaware that this problem exists, they may not order the appropriate tests or capture the correct patient history to reach the right diagnosis.”… Chang said: “If the bristle passes through those regions without lodging itself, it could get stuck further downstream in places like the esophagus, stomach, or the intestine. The biggest worry is that it will lodge into those areas and get stuck in the wall of the intestine. The bristles could migrate out of the intestine and cause further internal damage.”

Pet News

US Navy accused of ‘disappearing’ cats in Spain
RT - The Rota base in Spain’s Cadiz province has been luring feral cats into “cage traps,” according to a local animal shelter Siempre Contigo. According to images shared online by the organization, the traps have signs which read, “US government property. Tampering or destruction is unlawful, under both Spanish and American law.” Siempre Contigo’s Carmen de los Santos told the Local, “People who tried to open the cages to let the cats out were told there would be consequences… and the workers are outraged." Siempre Contigo has been waiting to meet with the leaders of the base since March. In their communications they asked the base to suspend its captures until the meeting. They also provided information about the TNR method (capture-neuter-return), as an alternative to the possibility that the Navy is culling the cats…. Rota, a naval base fully funded by the the US, has hosted four American destroyers as part of NATO’s defensive ‘shield.’

Last Known 9/11 Rescue Dog Dies in Texas
Breitbart - The last known search and rescue dog who helped find victims of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks has died near Houston. A sixteen-year-old Golden Retriever, Bretagne (pronounced Brittany) Corliss was greeted and saluted by approximately twenty-five firefighters when she arrived at a Cypress, Texas…. The beloved canine was also a FEMA disaster search dog. Besides responding to the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, Bretagne also helped in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…. The heroic canine visited New York last September to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. She visited the 9/11 memorial and received a special key to the city.

Meet the Creepy Synthetic Dog That Will Revolutionize Veterinary Training
Breitbart - A life-like synthetic dog is currently being developed by scientists for the use of medical training and practice for veterinary workers. The creepy looking dog, which looks as if it has been skinned, will be used as a replacement to the old days of terminal surgery, where actual animals would be anesthetized, used for surgery practice for everything from “neutering to brain surgery,” and then euthanized when finished. “I do feel I carry that sin. I still feel guilty about it,” said veterinarian and Vice President of SynDaver Lab, David Danielson. The lab has produced a variety of different synthetic tissues, including human, and is now working hard on an array of training varieties for their synthetic dog, which includes features such as a real-time heartbeat and a circulatory system which allows the dog to bleed. “SynDaver Canine is our revolutionary canine surgical simulator. Based on 20+ years of SynDaver research and made from water, fibers and salts, this model includes individual bones, muscles, organs, veins and arteries” explains their website. “The model supports 30+ common procedures and is basically like a large 3D jigsaw puzzle and may be refurbished indefinitely”.
 



Tuesday - June 7, 2016  -  Today in History:

1712 - The Pennsylvania Assembly banned the importation of slaves.
1775 - The United Colonies changed their name to the United States.
1776 - Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.
1929 - The sovereign state of Vatican City came into existence as copies of the Lateran Treaty were exchanged in Rome.
1932 - Over 7,000 war veterans marched on Washington, DC, demanding their bonuses.
1939 - King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, arrived in the U.S. It was the first visit to the U.S. by a reigning British monarch.
1942 - The Battle of Midway ended. The sea and air battle lasted 4 days. Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292 aircraft, and suffered 2,500 casualties. The U.S. lost the Yorktown, the destroyer USS Hammann, 145 aircraft, and suffered 307 casualties.
1942 - Japan landed troops on the islands of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians. The U.S. invaded and recaptured the Alutians one year later.
1944 - Off of the coast of Normandy, France, the Susan B. Anthony sank. All 2,689 people aboard survived.
1948 - The Communists completed their takeover of Czechoslovakia.
1965 - In the U.S., the Gemini 4 mission was completed. The mission featured the first spacewalk by an American.
1968 - In Operation Swift Saber, U.S. Marines swept an area 10 miles northwest of Danang in South Vietnam.
1976 - "The NBC Nightly News", with John Chancellor and David Brinkley, aired for the first time.
1981 - Israeli F-16 fighter-bombers destroyed Iraq’s only nuclear reactor.
1983 - The U.S. ordered Nicaragua to close all 6 of its consulates and informed 21 Nicaraguan consular officials that they could not longer remain in the U.S.
1998 - James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old African-American man, was chained to a pickup truck and dragged to his death in Jasper, Texas.
2000 - U.S. Federal Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ordered the breakup of Microsoft Corporation.
2003 - In a national first, New Hampshire Episcopalians elected an openly gay man, the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, to be bishop.

World News

UK special forces 'active on Syrian frontline'
BT - Elite UK soldiers crossed from bases in Jordan to help a unit of the New Syrian Army (NSA) rebel group being attacked by Islamic State, according to the Times.... MPs voted against British military action in Syria in 2013, but the use of special forces does not require the approval of Parliament.... Crispin Blunt, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs select committee, said he would be "not particularly concerned and not at all surprised".... Asked about Parliamentary approval, he said: "We are in this Alice in Wonderland world where Parliament has approved a motion saying it 'notes the Government will not deploy UK troops in ground combat operations'. "It doesn't say in brackets 'not special forces', but the convention is that it is .. because we don't comment on special forces operations.

Everyone’s Paying For America’s War on Russia, Including America
Activist Post - US sanctions aren’t just hurting everyone including the US, they are accomplishing nothing. The US State Department’s Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) notified readers of a diplomacy campaign by the United States aimed at “urging” Europe to maintain sanctions against Russia. While the US claims the necessity of these sanctions are self-evident and beneficial to the US and Europe, such campaigns would not be needed if that were truly the case…. The sanctions, RFE/RL claims, are a result of Russia’s involvement in neighboring Ukraine’s downward spiral, which ironically enough, began not with Russian involvement but with that of America. Between 2013-2014 the United States, with its own senators traveling to Ukraine and taking the stage at US-backed protests in Kiev, quite literally propelled a violent Neo-Nazi putsch into power. Since then, Ukraine has unraveled. Rather than taking responsibility for yet another failed US intervention, US policymakers have instead decided to shift the blame on Moscow. The ability to hold up US-EU sanctions against Russia as a means of legitimizing this shift of responsibility is key to the continued underpinning of Western support for the current regime in Kiev, and Washington’s continued belligerence toward Moscow.

US Navy Bans Drinking For 18,600 Sailors Stationed In Japan
Zero Hedge - Petty Officer 2nd Class Aimee Mejia, 21, crossed the center line on a highway and crashed head-on into two cars shortly before midnight Saturday, according to a police spokesman. She was not injured, but a 35-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man in the other cars were injured, one suffering a chest injury, the other an arm injury.... In response to the incident, as well as due to rising anger against US marines in Okinawa, the U.S. Naval Forces Japan immediately banned its sailors from drinking alcohol, on and off base, and said they would be allowed off base only to “engage in official actions” such as taking their children to child care or going to the grocery store or gas station.... The measures would remain in place until commanders were “comfortable that all personnel understand the impact of responsible behavior on the U.S.-Japan alliance.”.... ”The latest incident came as the U.S. military observes a 30-day mourning period at bases on Okinawa after an American civilian working for the U.S. military there was arrested on suspicion of dumping the body of a 20-year-old Japanese woman.

Bilderberg 2016: We can expect desperate lobbying against Brexit from Big Business
International Business Times - The annual three-day Bilderberg conference kicks off on Thursday, and you can be sure the mood in Dresden will be a grim one. The heads of Google, Shell, BP and Deutsche Bank will be there, and Brexit will be top of the agenda. The Bilderberg Group has been nurturing the EU to life since the 1950s, and now they see their creation under dire threat."A disaster for everyone" is how Henri de Castries, the boss of AXA [a French multinational insurance firm] and a director of HSBC, describes Brexit. But in particular, it is a disaster for his banking and big business colleagues at Bilderberg. Thomas Enders, the CEO of Airbus, who sits on Bilderberg's steering committee – the group's governing body – said, in a recent interview with CNBC, that his industry would be "lobbying" against Brexit. Enders said: "Long-term it would not be positive certainly for the industry. This why the aerospace industry – I think amongst others – will lobby... for a [Remain] vote of the British electorate on the EU.".... We know from Charity Commission accounts that Goldman Sachs, along with BP, is one of the key funders of the group, and we also know that they've been pumping "a substantial six-figure sum" into the Remain campaign. And Goldman Sachs doesn't spend money lightly. The Remain campaign is clearly close to whatever they have instead of a heart.

Massive Increase In Arrests For ‘Offensive’ Social Media Posts
Breitbart - Six hundred and twenty-five arrests were made for online speech crimes in 2010, rising to 857 in 2015 — a 37 per cent increase in just five years.... Offenders were targeted with Section 127 of the Communications Act of 2003.... The law criminalizes “using [a] public electronic communications network in order to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety,” and can result in a six-month prison term or fine of up to £5,000.... And the number is likely to keep on rising as this week the EU announced that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft had “committed” to working more closely with them and national governments and “their law enforcement agencies” to help “criminalise” perceived “illegal hate speech” online.

EU fails to agree on license extension for weed-killer glyphosate
Deutsche Welle - An expert panel comprised of European Union state representatives failed on Monday to achieve a majority for or against renewing the glyphosate license - which is currently set to expire at the end of June. The European Commission previously suggested a limited extension of 12 to 18 months on the controversial pesticide to buy more time for the European Chemicals Agency to deliver its answer on glyphosate's carcinogenic properties. The issue now moves on to an EU appeal committee. Should they also fail to find a majority, the decision on whether or not to renew glyphosate will be left up to the European Commission. If no decision is taken on the license's renewal by June 30, products containing glyphosate like Monsanto's Roundup and other weed killers will have to be pulled from European shelves.... Contradictory findings on the cancer-causing risks of the chemical have caused a dispute among EU and US politicians, as well as regulators and scientific researchers.... Should the license be renewed, each EU capital may still individually decide whether or not to allow products containing glyphosate.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

State Department Blocks Release Of Hillary Clinton-Era TPP Emails Until After The Election
International Business Times - The decision came in response to International Business Times' open records request for correspondence between Clinton’s State Department office and the United States Trade Representative. The request, which was submitted in July 2015, specifically asked for all such correspondence that made reference to the TPP. The State Department originally said it estimated the request would be completed by April 2016. Last week the agency said it had completed the search process for the correspondence but also said it was delaying the completion of the request until late November 2016 — weeks after the presidential election. The delay was issued in the same week the Obama administration filed a court motion to try to kill a lawsuit aimed at forcing the federal government to more quickly comply with open records requests for Clinton-era State Department documents.

FBI Whistleblowers Have No Legal Protection For Reporting Wrongdoing
Shadowproof - In 2014, the Justice Department refused to adopt key reforms that would benefit FBI whistleblowers....The proposed Federal Bureau of Investigation Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2016 seeks to correct a system the Justice Department will not change, by offering FBI employees opportunities for judicial review outside the Justice Department. It expands the list of individuals an FBI employee may make “protected disclosures” to when blowing the whistle. Currently, the FBI takes advantage of a carve-out in the Whistleblower Protection Act. It sets its own regulations for whistleblowers. Employees may only pursue redress for retaliation by going to “nine persons and entities” on a “designated list.” They may not report wrongdoing to an immediate supervisor in their chain of command and reporting to the wrong individual can lead to the “disqualification” of entirely legitimate complaints.

Utah Sheriffs Threaten To Arrest Rangers If They Try To Close Public Lands
npr - Clashes between ranchers and federal land managers over grazing rights are continuing. In southern Utah, things have gotten so bad lately that some local sheriffs have threatened to arrest federal rangers who try to close forest roads and cut off access to ranchers and other users…. It's clear that Sheriff Perkins, who's also a rancher, wants to push some boundaries. He talks openly about detaining, or as he says "Mirandizing," federal rangers. He recalls one case recently. "I told the Forest Service ranger that if he went out and closed a road that Garfield County has jurisdiction on, I would arrest him," he says…. "I said it at the time, and I'll stand by it, that is nothing but domestic terrorism," he says. "Yes, there's been a story, a lot of these guys have been bullied around by the BLM, but you don't handle it that way." So despite all his tough talk, Perkins is being careful, still working within the system. He and other sheriffs have been going to Washington, D.C., a lot lately, lobbying. And in the past few weeks, he says, after Utah Republicans introduced a bill to strip law enforcement powers from the BLM, relations out here are getting better.

Bill in Congress Could Give America Its Own Ministry Of Truth
The AntiMedia - Introduced by Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Ted Lieu, H.R. 5181 seeks a “whole-government approach without the bureaucratic restrictions” to counter “foreign disinformation and manipulation,” which they believe threaten the world’s “security and stability.”.... H.R. 5181 tasks the Secretary of State with coordinating the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors to “establish a Center for Information Analysis and Response,” which will pinpoint sources of disinformation, analyze data, and — in true dystopic manner — ‘develop and disseminate’ “fact-based narratives” to counter effrontery propaganda.... Though putatively aimed to counter purported disinformation abroad, text of the bill hints the effort would operate on some level within the U.S., as well — or at least cracks the door to widening that scope and focus in the future. “Whether it’s counter-propaganda, whether it’s counter-extremism, we just really have to come to terms with the fact the United States government is not always the most credible voice in these debates,” said Kristin Lord, CEO of IREX, a non-profit organization promoting ‘global change,’ at a meeting of the Atlantic Council in March. “So we have to invest in the people who are making the credible arguments.”

Election News

Roger Stone Addresses ‘Reports That Donald Trump Is Gay’ [Video]
Daily Caller - …Stone claimed that he had recently been approached by a Washington Post reporter to address several rumors about Trump. According to Stone, a longtime political confidante of Trump’s and famed “dirty trickster” political operative, the unnamed Washington Post reporter first asked him about Trump’s alleged use of cocaine. “Completely bogus,” Stone said. “Did I ever attend parties where Donald Trump used cocaine? Folks, Donald Trump has never used drugs in his life. The man doesn’t even take aspirin.” Stone said the reporter then asked him about two different potential Trump sex scandals. “Did he have girlfriends on the side, today or previously?” Stone claimed he was asked. “The answer is no. Yes, during the time he was unmarried, he was a ladies man. He did date many beautiful models, but the answer is no.”… “Lastly, she wanted to know what about the reports that Donald Trump is gay,” he said. “Folks, there is no report Donald Trump is gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but he is a red-blooded American male and he is most definitely heterosexual.”

Hillary Campaign Rocked By Secret Service Agent Book Exposing Clintons’ Dirty Laundry
Zero Hedge - The book titled Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate is set to hit shelves on June 28. The Democratic convention, where Hillary could be confirmed as the nominee, will take place a month later…. Many of the most shocking revelations are being withheld but below are some of the key excerpts released so far: I witnessed firsthand the Clintons' personal and professional dysfunction: So consumed were they by scandal, so intent on destroying their real or imagined enemies, that governing became an afterthought…. I saw how the Clinton Machine's appalling leadership style endangered law enforcement officers, the military, and the American people in general. And with Hillary Clinton's latest rise, I realize that her own leadership style—volcanic, impulsive, enabled by sycophants, and disdainful of the rules set for everyone else hasn't changed a bit.

Hillary Clinton: Government Has ‘A Right’ To Regulate 2nd Amendment
Breitbart - Government has a right to regulate the Second Amendment, Hillary Clinton said in an interview on the June 5 airing of This Week With George Stephanopoulos…. I think that for most of our history there was a nuanced reading of the Second Amendment, until the decision by the late Justice [Antonin] Scalia. And there was no argument until then that localities, and states, and the federal government had a right–as we do with every amendment–to impose reasonable regulations. While arguing for the government’s “right” to regulate the Second Amendment, Clinton twice refused to say the people have “a constitutional right” to keep and bear arms.

Veteran News

Documentary: “Direct Order” The U.S. Military Personnel’s Smoking Gun Documentation Regarding the Anthrax Vaccine
Natural Blaze - We hear dramatic story after story of service personnel, who became dramatically ill after receiving a series of Anthrax vaccines prior being deployed to the Middle East starting in 1998. Private Kamila Iwanowska refused to take the Anthrax vaccine and she was discharged. There are over 600,000 men and women in the U.S. military with thousands ill, including many have died. The military says it’s an “emotional ailment” even though the Anthrax vaccine was not approved by the FDA! It’s been called a “misguided experiment.” Len Schroeter, an attorney who prosecuted many Vietnam era Agent Orange cases, offers that the horrors of human experimentation are done to this day and are done largely by governments, including the United States.

All Who Serve Are a Part of the Greatest Generation
The Daily Signal - Stop your average American on the street and ask them, “What happened on June 6?” Surprisingly, a few might recall that on a dreary morning while the low tide lapped lazily on the rocky coast of Normandy, France, brave men in battle armor no thicker than a khaki shirt grimly headed toward Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. There is nothing special to mark the 72nd anniversary of the D-Day invasion during World War II. Nothing special—other than the men themselves. That 18-year-old struggling up the steep bluffs of Omaha Beach while tracer rounds flashed overhead would be 90 years old now, eyes flickering, still alive with the memories of that unforgettable day. About 73,000 Americans landed on the beaches on June 6, 1944. Almost 2,500 of our boys were killed.... We have Memorial Day to remember the honored dead. We have Veterans Day to remember the living. But every day, on the anniversary of great moments of history like D-Day, and unremarkable days not recorded on stone monuments anywhere, Americans wear their nation’s uniform in defense of us. We should remember them every day.

Half Million Veterans Waiting Over 30 Days for VA Care
Free Beacon - The most recent data on pending appointments released by the VA last week shows that nearly 506,000 veterans currently seeking care at agency medical centers have waited more than a month for appointments, an increase of more than 10,000 in just two weeks and 23,000 in one month.... The VA aimed to schedule veterans’ appointments in 14 days or less before it was revealed in 2014 that staffers were keeping secret lists to conceal long waits for care. Since then, the agency has relaxed its target to 30 days. While a majority of veterans are being seen by VA doctors within 30 days of their “preferred date” for an appointment, average wait times for primary and specialty care appointments nationwide have spiked in recent weeks.... Among those waiting more than 30 days for appointments, nearly 300,000 will not see a doctor for between one and two months, over 130,000 between two and three months, and nearly 50,000 between three and four months. Over 30,000 veterans currently have waited more than four months—a third of a year—for appointments. All of these statistics have increased over the last two weeks.

Energy & Environment

More than 100,000 People Can't Drink the Contaminated Tap Water in Alabama...Until September!
The Organic Prepper - The issue is synthetic chemicals that have the potential to cause cancer, birth defects, and developmental delays in children. Traces of PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) were found in the blood of nearly every single person tested, according to the EPA…. The water authority blames 3M for the contaminated tap water in Alabama. Last year, the water authority filed a suit against “3M and other companies” over the contamination in the river. If I’m understanding that correctly (and I’m pretty sure I am) that means they were aware of this issue long before the advisory was issued on May 19. So, much like the Flint scandal, those in the know were aware that customers (who pay for water) were drinking cancer-water. 3M, however, says not to worry. You’ll be fine.

Flint water bills set to double, residents will pick up check
RT - Replacing and updating Flint’s water infrastructure will cost more than $214 million, Flint-based engineering firm Rowe Professional Services said in a 63-page report obtained by the Detroit Free Press. The city will need to replace 13 miles of water mains ever year for the next 50 years, repair or replace five dams, and switch out at least 2,000 lead service lines annually for the next five years, the company wrote. The cost of replacing the roughly 10,000 lead pipes carrying water to homes and businesses will be $80 million and could take as long as eight years, according to the report, as cited by the Free Press…. Unfortunately, though, no one knows exactly how many lead pipes there are in the city.

Science & Technology

Google is Quietly Recording Everything You Say — Here’s How to Hear It, Delete It, and Stop It
DC Clothesline - Thanks to a function of their search software, Google could have years worth of your conversations recorded, and you can hear it for yourself. Your cringe-worthy history can be heard and viewed along with a list of all your searches, at your personal Google history page. The feature was built into Google’s search function as a means of delivering accurate search results. However, the sheer accuracy and amount of data Google stores is chilling. The good news is that you can turn it off and delete it.... When visiting your personal history page that the web giant keeps on you, it will show you everywhere Google has a record of you being on the internet. Of course, Google claims that this information is never personally used against you and is done solely for the purpose of enlightening your experience on the web. However, imagine the ominous implications if this information was being used against you. Google now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average, which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide. The data from these searches is then stored on each individual who conducts them.

The Science of Smudging: What Actually Happens When We Burn Sage
Spirit Science - The scientific paper entitled “Medicinal Smokes” and published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology focuses a scientific lens on the practice, which is becoming more and more widely practiced, despite skepticism. It serves to play against the role that this activity has played in a culturally diverse range of religions and tribal beliefs. he research study looked into herbal and non-herbal remedies that were administered by the burning of various matter. The research included information from 50 countries over 5 continents and found that, predominantly, smoke administered medicinally is mostly used to aid lung, brain and skin function. In addition, it was revealed that passive fumes doubled as a sort of air purifier. A follow up paper published in the same periodical, “Medicinal smoke reduces airborne bacteria,” found that the research concluded that, in addition to health benefits, smudging was a powerful antiseptic…. In short, burning medicinal herbs cleared airborne bacterial populations by 94%, and the space was still found to be disinfected a day later. What’s more, a month after smudging, much of the pathogens originally found were still undetectable.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Public housing residents in South Pittsburg forced to remove gardens from yards
Times Free Press - Public housing residents in South Pittsburg [Tennessee] have been told to remove flower and vegetables gardens from their yards. Several residents and even the town’s mayor oppose the policy. “I can’t help from thinking about how devastating this is on those who have put years of time, love and expense in their flower gardens,” Mayor Jane Dawkins wrote on Facebook. The housing authority’s board voted in April to give residents until June 1 to remove their gardens. Executive Director Lisa Bradford said in a written statement that it has always been the housing authority’s policy to prohibit residents from planting flowers and vegetable gardens in the yard, but the previous administration did not enforce it. “This new landscaping policy is needed to ensure the safety of the maintenance employees, residents and guests of the housing authority,” she wrote. “Each resident that violated the landscaping policy by placing unauthorized alteration on the residential property created greater obstacles and safety issues for maintenance employees.”… An 80-year-old public housing resident in South Pittsburg said she's been sick and stressed since she got the letter saying she was no longer allowed to have a garden. Yellow daffodils and deep pink roses are among the plants and flowers extending from her porch to the curb.

These 5 Flowers Can Save Monarch Butterflies
Natural Blaze - The monarch population is beginning to show its first signs of recovery after plummeting over 90% in the past decade because of pesticides, extreme weather, disease, and habitat loss…. These 5 spring butterfly plants will help returning monarchs to get off to a great start: Spider Milkweed… The American Monarch Conservation Plan recommends planting native milkweed species to restore habitat within the monarch butterfly’s breeding range. Chives are a low maintenance plant with fragrant purple flowers that can also be used in the kitchen. Luckily, monarch butterflies also love the blossoms of chives. Siberian Wallflowers are a beautiful orange and have a wonderful aroma that attracts monarchs, bees, and hummingbirds. May Night Salvia is a striking blue and purple that will look great in any garden. This hybrid is a great attractor of monarchs. [and] Common Milkweed is one of the earliest sprouting milkweed varieties. It is a preferred spring milkweed because of it has large thick leaves that are able to sustain monarch caterpillars.

4 Common Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Turn Into Flour
Off the Grid News - If you’re looking for gluten-free alternatives, you’re in luck. These types of natural, wild flour sources are either gluten free or, in the case of rye grass, very low in gluten…. The Sources: 1. Amaranth – Amaranth is a weed, but I prefer to think of it as an indigenous plant common across North and South America that produces a seed stalk. The seed stalks of the amaranth range in size from 4 to 8 inches in length and are packed with thousands of seeds. The plants grow prolifically and reseed easily as annuals. 2. Acorns – Acorns are best harvested in the fall after they’ve fallen to the ground. They need to be dried, and the best way is to roast them. 3. Rye grass – Rye grass is a tall grass 3 to 4 feet in height. The seeds are long and narrow and distinct from some of the small seed heads on other grasses. Annual rye grass provides larger seed heads than perennial rye grasses, because annuals are so dependent on reseeding for proliferation. 4. Cattails – Peel the wet roots and chop them into small pieces and then pound them with a little water to make a mash. There will be some fibers, so strain the mash through a screen. The resulting flour mash should then be left to dry and can be crushed into flour using any of the techniques we’ve identified.

Health

How Melatonin Could Help Those with Autism
Natural Society - It is reported that more than half of the people diagnosed with autism have insufficient melatonin levels…. Melatonin is an important neurotransmitter produced by the pineal gland. It is responsible for making sure we sleep, and that our circadian rhythms stay balanced. While melatonin supplementation won’t cure autism, it can certainly help greatly with the sleep disorders that accompany it, often making other symptoms such as a negative mood, or difficulty concentrating much better since these are also influenced by the amount of sleep people with autism get (and people without it too!)

Too much calcium isn’t so good for our bones
What Doctors Don't Tell You - If calcium is good for our bones, consuming large amounts should give us special protection against osteoporosis and fractures, right? Well, no. Consuming moderate amounts of calcium every day—and from vegetables rather than dairy products—is more effective, new research has found. The optimum amount is within the range of 275 to 780 mg a day for men, and 250 to 650 mg for women, and these give the best protection. Strangely, people who ate more than that seemed to have a higher risk of a fracture or developing osteoporosis, researchers from the China Health and Nutrition survey have discovered. The source of the calcium also seemed to matter: rather than getting it from milk and dairy products, as we’re often encouraged to do, the 6,210 participants in the survey who had the most protection were those who got their calcium from plants and vegetables.

Celery Boosts Your White Blood Cells and Starves Cancer
Natural Blaze - James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 anti-inflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds, including a substance called apigenin, which is powerful in its anti-inflammatory action. Adding celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substitute in many recipes can boost the flavonoid content of these preparations. The antioxidant support we get from celery is largely due to its phenolic nutrients that have been shown to help protect us against unwanted oxidative damage to our cells, blood vessels, and organ systems. As a cancer-fighting bioflavonoid, apigenin has also been studied in relation to breast and ovarian cancers. A University of Missouri study found that apigenin shrank a type of breast cancer that’s stimulated by progestin, a synthetic hormone often given to menopausal women.

Pet News

The Behavior You Don't Want to Discourage, No Matter How Bad It Gets
Dr. Becker - When your dog growls, your first reaction may be to try and stop it. You may even yell at your dog or punish him for growling at you. This may stop the growl, but unfortunately may lead to greater problems in the future. Why? Because when your dog growls, he's trying to tell you something — usually that he's uncomfortable or afraid. Growling is not only acceptable; it's a desirable form of communication. Your dog is giving you a warning to back off or to tell you that he needs to be removed from the situation. If punished enough times for growling, your dog will learn not to growl and then may not give any indication when situations are stressing him out. The end result may be that he suddenly bites someone without warning because, after all, he's been taught not to give one.
 



Monday - June 6, 2016  -  Today in History:  Remembering D-Day - 1944

1813 - The U.S. invasion of Canada was halted at Stony Creek, Ontario.
1833 - Andrew Jackson became the first U.S. president to ride in a train. It was a B&O passenger train.
1904 - The National Tuberculosis Association was formed in Atlantic City, NJ.
1924 - The German Reichtag accepted the Dawes Plan. It was an American plan to help Germany pay off its war debts.
1932 - In the U.S., the first federal tax on gasoline went into effect. It was a penny per gallon.
1933 - In Camden, NJ, the first drive-in movie theater opened.
1934 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Securities Exchange Act, which established the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
1936 - The first helicopter was tested in a building in Berlin, Germany.
1941 - The U.S. government authorized the seizure of foreign ships in U.S. ports.
1942 - The first nylon parachute jump was made by Adeline Gray in Hartford, CT.
1942 - Japanese forces retreated in the World War II Battle of Midway. The battle had begun on June 4.
1944 - The D-Day invasion of Europe took place on the beaches of Normandy, France. 400,000 Allied American, British and Canadian troops were involved.
1968 - U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at 1:44am in Los Angeles after being shot by Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy was was shot the evening before while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.
1982 - Israel invaded southern Lebanon in an effort to drive PLO guerrillas out of Beirut.
1985 - The body of Nazi war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele was located and exhumed near Sao Paolo, Brazil. Mengele was known as the "Angel of Death."
1985 - The U.S. Senate authorized nonmilitary aid to the Contras. The vote authorized $38 million over two years.
2005 - The United States Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities could prosecute sick people who smoke marijuana on doctor's orders. The ruling concluded that state medical marijuana laws did not protect uses from the federal ban on the drug.

World News

Credibility of Brazil’s Interim President Collapses as He Receives 8-Year Ban on Running for Office
The Intercept - A mere 20 days into the seizure of power by the corruption-implicated “interim” President Michel Temer, overwhelming evidence has emerged proving that to be true: Already, two of the interim ministers in Temer’s all-white-male cabinet, including his anti-corruption minister, have been forced to resign after the emergence of secret recordings showing them plotting to obstruct that investigation (an investigation in which they, along with one-third of his cabinet, are personally implicated).... He, too, is implicated in several corruption investigations. And now, he has been formally convicted of violating election laws and, as punishment, is banned from running for any political office for eight years.... Temer was found guilty of spending his own funds on his campaign in excess of what the law permits.

European Union Declares War On Internet Free Speech
Zero Hedge - The European Union (EU), in partnership with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft, has unveiled a "code of conduct" to combat the spread of "illegal hate speech" online in Europe. However, as many have warned, the European Union's definition of "hate speech" and "incitement to violence" is so vague that it could include virtually anything deemed politically incorrect by European authorities, including criticism of mass migration, Islam or even the EU itself.... The "code of conduct" was announced on May 31 in a statement by the European Commission, the unelected administrative arm of the European Union.... The agreement also requires Internet companies to establish a network of "trusted reporters" in all 28 EU member states to flag online content that "promotes incitement to violence and hateful conduct."

Switzerland's voters rejects basic income plan
BBC News - Final results from Sunday's referendum showed that nearly 77% opposed the plan, with only 23% backing it. The proposal had called for adults to be paid an unconditional monthly income, whether they worked or not.... There was little support among Swiss politicians for the idea and not a single parliamentary party came out in favour, but the proposal gathered more than 100,000 signatures and was therefore put to the vote under the Swiss popular initiative system. Critics of the measure said that disconnecting the link between work done and money earned would have been bad for society. But Che Wagner from the campaign group Basic Income Switzerland, argued before the vote that it would not be money for nothing. "In Switzerland over 50% of total work that is done is unpaid. It's care work, it's at home, it's in different communities, so that work would be more valued with a basic income."

Major U.S. Retailers Accused of Failing to Improve Conditions for Overseas Factory Workers
AllGov - After more than 1,100 deaths exposed dangerous labor conditions in Bangladesh in 2013, brands like [fashion retailer] H&M, Wal-Mart and Gap were among the most powerful companies that pledged to improve the safety of some of the country’s poorest workers.... On Tuesday, the Wage Alliance released its latest report, which accuses Wal-Mart of benefiting from forced labor and other abusive practices in a number of Asian countries. In Cambodia, for instance, workers at factories who make products sold at the company are required to work 10 to 14 hours a day in sweltering heat, without access to clean drinking water or breaks — conditions that have contributed to “mass fainting episodes,” the report said. Workers who refuse or who try to speak up for themselves risk being fired, according to the report. In a statement, Wal-Mart said that its standards for suppliers “specifically address working hours, breaks, the cultivation of a safe and healthy work environment, and freedom of association.” The retailer said that it does not own or operate facilities in Cambodia or Bangladesh, but that it expects suppliers to “uphold these standards in the factories from which they manufacture products.”

Families Of Death Squad Victims Allowed To Sue Chiquita Executives
Common Dreams - ... a U.S. judge ruled in favor of allowing Colombians to sue former Chiquita Brand International executives for the company’s funding of a paramilitary group that murdered plaintiffs’ family members. Chiquita poured $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 into the outlawed far-right paramilitary group AUC,” observed TeleSur, “which operated as a death squad in Colombia.”.... The lawsuit alleges that Chiquita executives at the time, including the former CEO and COO, were fully aware that they were funding a terrorist group that was engaging in “a systematic campaign of terror—death threats, extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, kidnappings, forced disappearances and looting—against vast swathes of the Colombian civilian population,” as Judge Marra wrote in his ruling. The former executives have “moved to dismiss the lawsuit on numerous grounds,” ERI noted, “including that the plaintiffs had not shown that they were personally involved in wrongful conduct, and because the abuses had occurred abroad.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Global Gun Control Advocates to Meet in NYC to Set UN Disarmament Agenda
The New American - From June 6-10 delegates from around the world will attend the Sixth Biennial Meeting of States (BMS6) of the PoA.... Serving as an agenda for the deliberations will be the Chair's Summary published after the last meeting in 2015.... Paragraph 33 of the Chair’s Summary of the meeting calls for urgent tracking of civilian-owned firearms, recommending that manufacturers be forced by the UN to install “RFID and biometric technologies in limiting the access to the weapon to authorized users only,” with authorized users defined as state actors (UN member nations)....That’s right. As part of the Programme of Action (the foundation upon which the Arms Trade Treaty is built — a treaty nearly half of the U.S. Senate supports), the United States has committed to passing legislation that will require domestic firearms and ammunition manufacturers to equip their products with RFID chips and biometric technologies that will help the government slowly but surely disarm civilians. That’s not all. At the end of that paragraph, the UN suggests governments look into combining RFID chips, biometrics, with GPS tracking technologies to be sure to prevent regular people from getting their hands on guns.

IRS finally reveals list of tea party groups targeted for extra scrutiny
Washington Times - The government released names of 426 organizations. Another 40 were not released as part of the list because they had already opted out of being part of the class-action suit. That total is much higher than the 298 groups the IRS‘ inspector general identified back in May 2013, when investigators first revealed the agency had been subjecting applications to long — potentially illegal — delays, and forcing them to answer intrusive questions about their activities. Sixty of the groups on the list released last month have the word “tea” in their name, 33 have “patriot,” eight refer to the Constitution, and 13 have “912” in their name — which is the monicker of a movement started by conservatives. Another 26 group names refer to “liberty,” though that list does include some groups that are not discernibly conservative in orientation. Among the groups that appear to trend liberal are three with the word “occupy” in their name. And then there are some surprising names, including three state or local chapters of the League of Women Voters — a group with a long history of nonprofit work.

Hillary Clinton Posted Names of Hidden Intelligence Officials On Her Email
Breitbart - Numerous names cited in Clinton’s emails have been redacted in State Department email releases with the classification code “B3 CIA PERS/ORG,” a highly specialized classification that means the information, if released, would violate the Central Intelligence Act of 1949. The State Department produced a document [Click here to see document] to Judicial Watch in April 2014 that identifies different types of “(b)(3)” redactions, including “CIA PERS/ORG,” which it defines as information “Specifically exempted from disclosure by statute … Central Intelligence Act of 1949.” “That’s what it suggests,” Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton told Breitbart News, referring to the indication that Clinton disclosed the names of CIA-protected intelligence sources, based on the B3 redactions.... The State Department declined to comment.

Snowden Tried to Raise Concerns Over Mass Surveillance, Documents Reveal
Sputnik News - Whistleblower Edward Snowden raised concerns about mass surveillance to his superiors at the NSA before publicly releasing thousands of classified documents, Vice News revealed. But he did not get a response. After leaking the documents, the agency repeatedly tried to find evidence, or lack thereof, of Snowden's claims. However, each time there were reasons to return a negative — and false — response to reporters from various outlets. The methods the NSA used to cover up Snowden's accusations varied, the story says. On one occasion, high-ranking NSA officials did not inform the Media Leaks Task Force (an internal NSA group tasked with Snowden's case investigation) about interactions Snowden had with agency employees.... In another case, the agency claimed that Snowden never raised concerns about NSA programs. If taken literally, this is true, as Snowden did not mention any specific NSA programs in his inquiries.

Oregon standoff: Judge declines to dismiss conspiracy, firearms in federal facility charges
Oregon Live - The judge's decisions follow legal arguments last month in which defense lawyers had urged the court to dismiss the allegations, contending they were unconstitutionally vague or broad, or that the federal government did not have jurisdiction over the wildlife sanctuary in eastern Oregon. In written orders filed Friday, the judge dismissed those defense motions. Brown, though, has yet to rule on the third count of the federal indictments – using and carrying a firearm in the course of a crime of violence - considered the most tenuous of the charges filed.

Elite Military Planes Crashing - Is Russia Using Their Secretive EMP Weapon To Send America A Message?
All News Pipeline - Back in May of 2015, Susan Duclos wrote a story on ANP called "Has Russia Just Changed The Future Of Warfare Completely, And Rendered US High-Tech Weapons System Obsolete?" in which she told us about an April 2014 story that happened to the USS Donald Cook that allegedly 'so demoralized the crew' of the US warship that they sunk into depression. Using an electronic warfare device called a 'Khibiny', the Russian plane disabled all radars, control circuits, systems, information transmission and weapons systems aboard the USS Donald Cook, leaving it deaf, dumb and blind in the middle of the Black Sea. The Russian SU-24 then simulated a missile attack against the USS Donald Cook, and as if carrying out a training exercise, repeated the same maneuver 12 times before flying away. Why didn't the USS Donald Cook respond to the aggressions of the Russian plane? While there is no way that we here at ANP can confirm that this 'Khibiny' was used against the elite military planes that were crashed on Thursday, many other recent events that have been happening around the world show us that the Russians have no fear whatsoever of the US military. Flying very close to US Navy ships in the water once again back in April of 2016, while doing barrel rolls over the top of it, we have to ask, what is going on here?

Important Read: FM 3-24 MC W P 3-33.5 INSURGENCIES AND COUNTERING INSURGENCIES
This field manual provides doctrine that frames counterinsurgency within the context of the range of military operations and provides a framework for the different ways land forces could counter an insurgency. Understanding insurgencies and the operational environment in which they exist, the ways in which the U.S. will attempt to counter insurgencies, and how commanders synchronize their efforts to achieve end states is at the core of what this manual provides to both the Army and the Marine Corps.

Teen Male Dominates Girls Track And Field
The Daily Caller - Haines [Hign School] senior Nattaphon Wangyot–who self-identifies as a girl–advanced to the state finals in the 100-meter and 200-meter events. He won fifth place in the 100-meter dash and third place in the 200-meter. In both events, he competed against girls as young as ninth grade.... Alaska allows each school to decide whether to let boys compete in individual girls’ events. According to the Alaska Dispatch News, Wangyot’s district doesn’t even require boys to undergo hormone therapy before competing in girls’ events. “For the purposes of gender identification for interscholastic activities, the district will consider the gender identity based on the student’s consistent declaration of gender identity, their actions, attitude, dress and mannerisms,” the policy states.

Election News

TRUMP: Hillary Clinton Should Be in Jail For What She Did With Her Emails (Video)
Infowars - “What a mess she’s in. Who would be so stupid to do what she did with her emails?” But I get why she did it — because she’s a thief. That’s why she did it,” “Hillary Clinton should be in jail for what she did to our national security. She could have used a government server.” “They are protecting her from going to jail, and she doesn’t want to anger the president by saying, ‘I disagree with you on this.’”

San Jose Police Chief Who Admits ALLOWING ATTACKS on Trump Supporters is Affiliated With La Raza
The Gateway Pundit - The Mercury News reported: San Jose police chief defends officers accused of failing to protect Trump supporters from violence. A day after a melee erupted outside a Donald Trump rally, the San Jose police chief and mayor on Friday defended themselves from a national backlash over their handling of the dramatic and at times violent protest. On radio talk shows and across social media, some called for Mayor Sam Liccardo’s resignation because of his comments suggesting that Trump was to blame for igniting violence, while police were criticized for failing to protect Trump supporters from angry protesters throwing punches, water bottles and traffic cones…. While it appeared to many onlookers that police allowed the violence to proceed unchecked, San Jose police Chief Eddie Garcia insisted that it was more important for police to hold their “skirmish line” formations than to stop individual attacks. Four arrests were made…. What has gone largely unreported, is that police chief Eddie Garcia is affiliated with the far left group La Raza.
* Related: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell Blames Trump for Woman Assaulted With Eggs in San Jose (Video)

Use it or lose it: Occasional Ohio voters may be shut out in November
Reuters - As the Nov. 8 elections loom, officials in Ohio have removed tens of thousands of voters from registration lists because they have not cast a ballot since 2008. All U.S. states periodically cleanse their voter rolls, but only a handful remove voters simply because they don't vote on a regular basis. And nowhere could the practice have a greater potential impact in the state-by-state battle for the White House than Ohio, a swing state that has backed the winner in every presidential election since 1960. Voters of all stripes in Ohio are affected, but the policy appears to be helping Republicans in the state's largest metropolitan areas, according to a Reuters survey of voter lists.

Sanders: 'The Democratic National Convention will be a contested convention'
CNN - Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday vowed to continue his fight for the Democratic nomination beyond the primary season, telling reporters at a news conference in Los Angeles that he plans to go after Hillary Clinton's superdelegates. Clinton currently has 2,313 total delegates -- 1,769 of which are pledged and 544 of which are superdelegates -- and she is expected to cross the 2,383-delgate threshold in the next few days to clinch the nomination. But Sanders, who has 1,501 pledged delegates and only 46 superdelegates, says he can still woo enough of her superdelegates between now and the Democratic convention in July to swing the nomination his way. "The media is in error when they lump superdelegates with pledged delegates. Pledged delegates are real," Sanders said. "Hillary Clinton will not have the requisite number of pledged delegates to win the Democratic nomination at the end of the nominating process on June 14. Won't happen. She will be dependent on superdelegates." He vowed, "The Democratic National Convention will be a contested convention."

The 'anointment' of Hillary Clinton: Bernie begs the press not to call the race on Tuesday for his opponent before California polls close
Daily Mail - Bernie Sanders made an impassioned plea on Saturday to superdeledates and the media not to write him off on Tuesday before the polls close in California. Blasting what he called an 'anointment process,' Sanders said he has a chance to win California, possibly by a large margin, but turnout could be depressed if the media calls the race for Clinton when the polls close on the East Coast. With superdelegate support, she'll cross the threshold to become the Democratic nominee after New Jersey is called, three hours before the deadline for Californians to cast their ballots. 'It is extremely unlikely,' as Sanders argued today, that Clinton will have enough pledged delegate support to win the nomination at that time. Yet, she's likely to declare victory, and the national media can be counted on to follow suit.

Video: Hillary’s coughing fit returns
American Mirror - Hillary Clinton had another coughing fit today — when she wasn’t even talking. Clinton was attending an event on immigration reform in Sylmar, California when it broke out. A video of the incident shows Clinton began coughing as a guest was speaking, then took a very large drink of water before coughing repeatedly.

Veteran News

Remembering Harriet, the famous bald eagle that helped heal veterans wounded like her
Washington Post - Harriet’s life’s work began after she lost use of her wings....when she was struck by a passing vehicle and left injured on the side of the road, unable to move.... But the injury that almost killed Harriet is also what made her special: She became an ambassador at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn., making monthly visits to the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis to greet veterans who had also suffered life-changing injuries.... She fulfilled this role for more than 15 years, until ailing health forced her into retirement last year. In recent weeks, Harriet stopped eating, an indication that she was at the natural end of her life, the National Eagle Center said. This Wednesday, Harriet was euthanized.... Harriet developed a particularly close relationship with Sgt. Shane Parsons, a combat veteran who lost his legs in Iraq.... [Parson's Mother] Cindy Parsons, who described meeting Harriet and Vallieres [a disabled Vietnam veteran and bird handler] as her son’s “saving grace,” wrote: All I can say is this: that eagle healed Shane in ways no human possibly could…One time Bob [Vallieres] let Shane stroke the feathers on Harriet’s back. Shane and the bird locked eyes and Shane said, ‘See, Mom, when I stare into Harriet’s eyes, she understands me, understands my pain, I can see it in her eyes.’ Others have concurred that Harriet’s piercing eyes, round and eternal, inspired strength.

Economy & Business

Worst Jobs Report In Nearly 6 Years – 102 Million Working Age Americans Do Not Have Jobs
Economic Collapse - On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the U.S. economy only added 38,000 jobs in May. This was way below the 158,000 jobs that analysts were projecting, and it is also way below what is needed just to keep up with population growth. In addition, the number of jobs created in April was revised down by 37,000 and the number of jobs created in March was revised down by 22,000. This was the worst jobs report in almost six years, and the consensus on Wall Street is that it was an unmitigated disaster.
*Related: 312K Full-Time Jobs Were Lost In Last Two Months, Offset By 118K Part-Time Hires

Thirteen of 23 Co-Ops Created Under Obamacare Have Failed
Free Beacon - Ohio’s InHealth Mutual co-op announced last week that it is going out of business, making it the 13th co-op to fail out of the 23 that were created under Obamacare.... The co-op served nearly 22,000 consumers who now have 60 days to find another policy offered by another company on the federal exchange.... The company recorded an underwriting loss of $80 million in 2015 despite the $129 million in taxpayer-backed loans granted to the co-op by the federal government....Ohio’s failed co-op is added to the list of 12 co-ops that have already failed in Arizona, Michigan, Utah, Kentucky, New York, Nevada, Louisiana, Oregon, Colorado, Tennessee, South Carolina, and a co-op that served both Iowa and Nebraska. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief operating officer Mandy Cohen told lawmakers in February that eight of the 11 remaining Obamacare co-ops in operation were selected for “corrective action plans” and “enhanced oversight.” She did not disclose which co-ops were placed on these plans.

Triple-digit silver prices coming
Hang The Bankers - Keith Neumeyer serves as CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp. The company ranks as the second largest silver producer in Mexico – the world’s leading country in silver production. Neumeyer told Bloomberg a major Japanese electronics maker approached the company last month seeking to lock in future silver stock. This is a sign that supply concerns could significantly boost the price of the white metal – perhaps as much as nine-fold: “For an electronics manufacturer to come directly to us — that tells me something is changing in the market I think we’ll see three-digit silver.” Neumeyer said he believes the price of silver could surge to $140 per ounce as early as 2019.

Energy & Environment

Court upholds storage of nuclear waste at power plants, rebuffing states
The Hill - A federal appeals court Friday rejected a plea from four liberal [?] states to overturn a regulation allowing long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel at power plants. The District of Columbia Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) followed all relevant laws and standards when it wrote its 2014 regulation and an associated environmental impact statement...The attorneys general of New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut filed the lawsuit shortly after the NRC voted to make its regulation and environmental impact statement final.

Science & Technology

Even in remotest Africa, Windows 10 nagware ruins your day
The Register - When you're stuck in the middle of the Central African Republic (CAR) trying to protect the wildlife from armed poachers and the Lord's Resistance Army, then life's pretty tough.... The Chinko Project manages roughly 17,600 square kilometres (6,795 square miles) of rainforest and savannah in the east of the CAR, near the border with South Sudan. Money is tight, and so is internet bandwidth. So the staff was more than a little displeased when one of the donated laptops the team uses began upgrading to Windows 10 automatically, pulling in gigabytes of data over a radio link.... A team member told us the Chinko Project uses satellite communications for internet access and gets charged quite a lot for data, so the multi-gigabyte automatic upgrade was even more frustrating than for the rest of us.... To add insult to injury, the team had only just got their satellite system up and running again after a storm tore open the roof of the building housing the setup. After taking a battering, the hardware is operational again, but is needed for far more serious things than pumping up Windows 10 usage figures.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

New EPA Report Will Lead to Virtual US Ban on Atrazine Herbicide
Sustainable Pulse - The EPA assessment of atrazine will lead to tighter regulatory limits on the product, manufactured by Swiss-based Syngenta AG, which will ultimately prevent farmers from being able to use it to control weeds in the U.S.. Atrazine is also well known as a hormone disruptor that has been linked to birth defects and cancer in humans, and contamination of ground-, surface- and drinking-water supplies. About 70 million pounds of atrazine are used in the United States each year. The second-most widely used pesticide in the United States and already banned in Europe, atrazine was found to cause reproductive harm to mammals and birds in real-world scenarios, with EPA “levels of concern” surpassed nearly 200-fold, according to the new EPA assessment…. The latest findings come as the EPA is in the process of “registration review” of atrazine, a process designed to determine whether the chemical can safely be used in light of new scientific study. The assessment will inform EPA’s decision on whether to allow atrazine to be used for the next 15 years.

Genetically modified Golden Rice falls short on lifesaving promises
Washington University in St. Louis - “Golden Rice is still not ready for the market, but we find little support for the common claim that environmental activists are responsible for stalling its introduction. GMO opponents have not been the problem,” said lead author Glenn Stone, professor of anthropology and environmental studies in Arts & Sciences. First conceived in the 1980s and a focus of research since 1992, Golden Rice has been a lightning rod in the battle over genetically modified crops. GMO advocates have long touted the innovation as a practical way to provide poor farmers in remote areas with a subsistence crop capable of adding much-needed Vitamin A to local diets.... Some anti-GMO groups view Golden Rice as an over-hyped Trojan Horse that biotechnology corporations and their allies hope will pave the way for the global approval of other more profitable GMO crops.

Health

10 shocking reasons why Zika virus fear is another fraudulent medical hoax and vaccine industry funding scam
(NaturalNews) Think the Zika virus is responsible for all the cases of microcephaly in South America? Think again: There is no reliable scientific evidence linking the two. Here are the top 10 reasons why the Zika virus fear mongering is a total scam… #1) The microcephaly cases (shrunken heads) in Brazil were caused by larvicide chemicals, not by zika. #2) Even according to the CDC, which is aggressively pushing false Zika fear, nearly all Zika infections are harmless, symptomless and require no hospitalization whatsoever. #3) The CDC fabricated the science linking Zika to microcephaly. #4) Zika virus fear was just used by Congress to remove bans on other toxic pesticide chemicals that cause cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to loosen already weak pesticide regulations in a purported effort to combat the spread of the Zika virus. The latest version of the bill is called the Zika Control Act. #5) Zika virus hype was also invoked by Obama to funnel another $1.8 billion to the vaccine industry, claiming anyone who opposed the funding "opposed pregnant women”….

Flu Pandemic Drills for Mass Flu Vaccinations Begin in the U.S. Targeting Children in Schools
Health Impact News - According to The Daily Reporter out of Coldwater, Michigan, the local health agency simulated a flu pandemic using 300 students at Bronson Junior/Senior High School. Community Health Agency (CHA) Health Officer Rebecca Burns stated that this drill was the first actual live exercise [minus the injecting of students] in the past five or six years according to the article. “I wanted to reach giving 1,000 shots an hour” explained CHA Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Jim Cook. CHA Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Jim Cook explained that the program is part of the requirements the health department must complete to comply with and test federal emergency preparedness response requirements, and to qualify for grants. The drill saw the students herded into the gym, processed and treated to a simulated administration of a flu vaccine. Meanwhile, two months earlier, Valley View Medical Center in Cedar City, Utah was also busy executing one of the largest full-scale flu pandemic disaster drill scenarios ever performed in Southern Utah. According to the local St. George News outlet, the drill included amateur radio operators, all dispatch centers, law enforcement, Community Emergency Response Teams, ambulance partners and medical staff from all six hospitals throughout the five-county region.

Nanoparticles in Infant Formula: Untested and Unlabeled
Cornucopia - A recent Friends of the Earth report has found nanoparticles in common powdered infant formulas sold in the U.S. The FDA does not require manufacturers to denote ingredients as nano-sized, and little research has been done on the effects of ingesting these tiny and incredibly mobile particles. Organic formulas, to date, do not contain nano-particles, but may contain a host of other troubling ingredients, including carrageenan, palm oil, and DHA. Cornucopia cannot recommend any specific formula at this time. Please contact formula companies to demand transparency on nanoparticles and better ingredients in all infant formula.

Don’t Have a Sauna? Try a Ginger Bath
Healthy Home Economist - Ginger is so very powerful when used in a cleansing bath because it opens up the pores, increases the speed of blood circulation, and encourages sweating. Sweating is one of the most important ways the body eliminates toxins and other impurities via the skin, the body’s largest organ…. To prepare a basic ginger bath, fill a standard sized bathtub with hot or lukewarm water…. Once the tub is filled, add 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of freshly grated ginger, preferably organic. If using ginger powder, measure out 1-2 rounded teaspoons and add to the bath stirring in with your hand…. Soak in your ginger bath for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with cool water and towel dry. You may wish to stay in your robe for a few minutes afterward until the sweating effect ceases. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration…. If you are currently taking any anti-coagulant or blood thinner medications such as coumadin, consult your doctor before using ginger as an herbal remedy either internally or externally. Ginger is contraindicated for people with gallstones because it increases bile flow. Other contraindications include diabetes, blood clotting disorders or bleeding disorders.

Pet News

Watch Out for This Obscure Seasonal Freeloader
Dr. Becker - Lungworms are parasites that have the ability to infect the respiratory tracts — the lungs and windpipes (tracheas) of dogs and cats…. Pets who roam freely outdoors in certain geographic locations in North America and elsewhere are at highest risk of acquiring lungworm disease…. Infection typically happens when a dog or cat is exposed to a host animal that carries the parasite, so pets who hunt and eat prey outdoors are at risk, as well as those who drink from ponds or free standing water that may contain the larval stage of the worm. Once ingested, the worm larvae travel out of the intestines via the bloodstream and then to the lungs, where they grow into adult worms and lay eggs…. Symptoms of a lungworm infection depend on the specific type of parasite your pet has been exposed to, how long he or she has been infected, the severity of the infection, and your pet’s immune system response to the presence of the parasites. Pets with mild infections often have no symptoms, or they may experience some mild coughing, lethargy, exercise intolerance, or weight loss.
 



Friday - June 3, 2016  -  Today in History:

1784 - The U.S. Congress formally created the United States Army to replace the disbanded Continental Army. On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress had created the Continental Army for purposes of common defense and this event is considered to be the birth of the United States Army.
1800 - John Adams moved to Washington, DC. He was the first President to live in what later became the capital of the United States.
1805 - A peace treaty between the U.S. and Tripoli was completed in the captain's cabin on board the USS Constitution.
1918 - The Finnish Parliament ratified its treaty with Germany.
1923 - In Italy, Benito Mussolini granted women the right to vote.
1932 - Lou Gehrig set a major league baseball record when he hit four consecutive home runs.
1952 - A rebellion by North Korean prisoners in the Koje prison camp in South Korea was put down by American troops.
1959 - The first class graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.
1965 - Edward White became the first American astronaut to do a "space walk" when he left the Gemini 4 capsule.
1989 - Chinese army troops positioned themselves to began a sweep of Beijing to crush student-led pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.
2008 - Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.
2009 - New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage.
2011 - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded when rebel rockets barraged his palace; he later went to Saudi Arabia for treatment.
2011 - Physician-assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian died at a Michigan hospital at age 83.

World News

Russia Points to Rise in Trucks Heading From Turkish Border to Syria
Sputnik - "In the past 72 hours, the flow of trucks from the Turkish-Syrian border to the A’zaz settlement in the Aleppo province, as well as to… the Dar-Taaza settlement in Idlib province, where, according to locals’ statements, militants have been arriving in the last few days, has significantly increased," the Thursday statement says…. Both Moscow and Damascus have accused Turkey of sponsoring terrorism inside of Syria. In December 2015, Russia presented evidence of Islamic State (IS, also known as Daesh) smuggling oil across the Turkish border. Overall, the cessation of hostilities regime in Syria has been violated three times in the past 24 hours, according to the Russian military. The violations were registered in Syria’s Damascus province.

3 US B-52 heavy bombers fly to Europe for joint NATO Baltic military drills
RT - Three B-52 Stratofortress long-range bombers will take part in NATO’s maritime exercises that are set to take place across the Baltic from June 3 to June 19. The B-52s will be sent to the UK’s RAF Fainford station to “train and integrate” with US allies. US Strategic Command announced on Wednesday that the aircraft would depart from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota on Thursday for the third year in a row to participate in BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) annual exercises. The US-led drills, which were first held in 1971, will see about 6,100 maritime, air force and ground troops from 15 NATO member states, as well as Sweden and Finland, engaging in various types of maritime operations focused on defending the Baltic region from potential threats. “Integrating strategic bombers with multi-national operations in a variety of scenarios enhances the readiness and capability of US and NATO military forces, which is vital to global security,” Adm. Cecil D. Haney, U.S. Strategic Command commander, said a statement Thursday.

Syrian ‘Refugees’ Caught Plotting Massive Terror Attack in Germany
Paul Joseph Watson - “German federal prosecutors confirmed that three Syrian nationals had been arrested and their homes searched: 25-year-old Mahood B., 27-year-old Hamza C. and 31-year-old Abd Arahman A.K. A further warrant was issued for a 25-year-old Syrian, Saleh A., currently under arrest in France,” reports the Local. The four men planned to besiege the historic city center of Düsseldorf by launching a Paris-style massacre involving suicide bombs targeting Heinrich-Heine-Allee, “a broad street with a number of public transport links including U-Bahn and tram stations,” followed by machine gun attacks on citizens. Two of the men, Saleh A. and Hamza C., received their orders from ISIS to carry out the plot shortly before arriving in Turkey from Syria in 2014. They then waited to take advantage of the migrant wave pouring into Europe, entering Germany via the Balkans in 2015, where they met explosives expert Arahman, who was sent to Germany in 2014 by ISIS after building explosives for the Syrian terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra. The plot was discovered when Saleh A. gave himself up to French security authorities, who then informed Germany of the attack plan.

Greece spends all money received from EU to handle migrant crisis – official
RT - Finances received by Athens from the EU as part of a bailout program are of hardly any help to Greece, the country’s deputy foreign minister told RT. The official claimed that all of the money goes to tackle what he described as “humanitarian disaster.”… Despite more than a million people arriving in Greece over past year, its government has managed to handle the migrant situation and “put it under control.” The Mediterranean country is now relying on “long term cooperation” with the EU that will help the continent overcome its “humanitarian disaster,” the official said in an exclusive interview. To ensure geopolitical balance in the region, Greece needs money – which it sometimes does not receive as promised, the diplomat said. “We have been promised money which we are currently waiting for. The help didn’t come on time,” Xydakis said, adding that when Athens does receive the funds, they will be used to deal with the migrant crisis “in the first place.”

France hit by power cuts, strikes & clashes with police as labor law protests deepen (Photos, Video)
RT - Households and businesses throughout France have been left without power as part of a strike by union workers against the country's controversial labor reform. It comes as demonstrators hit the streets to voice their opposition to the legislation. Power cuts in Saint-Nazaire led to some 120,000 households being left without electricity just after 11am local time on Thursday, BFM TV cited Loire-Atlantique prefecture as saying…. It comes after members of the CGT union at 16 of France's 19 nuclear plants – which provide the majority of the country's electricity – voted for a one-day strike Wednesday. Almost half the country's rail services were also brought to a halt on Thursday. The CGT said its workers briefly halted departures from the Gare de Lyon station in Paris by occupying the rail traffic control office.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

The new leader of the Army, never served in the military
CNN - President Barack Obama on Friday nominated Eric K. Fanning to be secretary of the Army, which could make him the first openly gay secretary of a U.S. military branch. The U.S. Senate must confirm Fanning before he can lead the Army. … This historic move is one of many steps the Obama administration has taken to advance the rights of the LGBT community in the armed forces. In 2010, the President signed a law ending the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, and earlier this year, the President moved to allow those who identify as transgender to openly serve as well. Fanning has served as acting under secretary of the Army since June, and before that, served as chief of staff to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. Fanning also served as under secretary of the Air Force and deputy undersecretary of the Navy.

Two jets from elite U.S. military squadrons crash, one pilot dead
Reuters - Two fighter jets from elite U.S. military demonstration squadrons crashed in separate incidents on Thursday, including one that had just done a flyover of the Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado where President Barack Obama had spoken. In Tennessee, a pilot from the Navy's Blue Angels squadron was killed when his F/A-18 jet crashed in Smyrna, about 24 miles (39 km) southeast of Nashville, a Navy spokeswoman said. The crash occurred about 2 miles (3 km) from an airport runway while the Blue Angels were practicing for a weekend air show, the Navy said, adding that the cause of the crash was being investigated. The pilot's name was not made public. In Colorado, a pilot with the Air Force's Thunderbirds squadron was unhurt when his F-16 jet crashed in a field 5 miles (8 km) south of Peterson Air Force Base, the Air Force said.

Barack Obama Warns Americans ‘To Be Prepared For A Disaster’
Economic Collapse - When Barack Obama speaks to the public, it is very rare that he does so without a specific purpose in mind. So why is he urging Americans “to be prepared for a disaster” all of a sudden? On May 31, Obama took time out of his extremely busy schedule to deliver an address at the FEMA National Response Coordination Center in Washington. During his speech, he stressed that every American is responsible for preparing for disasters, and that includes “having an evacuation plan” and “having a fully stocked disaster supply kit”.… This speech was timed to coincide with the beginning of the hurricane season, although hurricanes have not posed much of a threat lately…. It is interesting to note that during his speech Barack Obama also noted that the American people seem to have become very complacent about getting prepared… One more thing that I found particularly noteworthy about Obama’s speech was that he said that there is now “a FEMA app” that can direct you to the nearest “FEMA shelter” in the event of a major emergency.

Smuggling network guided illegals from Middle East terror hotbeds to U.S. border
Washington Times - A smuggling network has managed to sneak illegal immigrants from Middle East terrorism hotbeds straight to the doorstep of the U.S., including helping one Afghan man authorities say was part of an attack plot in North America. Immigration officials have identified at least a dozen Middle Eastern men smuggled into the Western Hemisphere by a Brazilian-based network that connected them with Mexicans who guided them up to the U.S. border, according to internal government documents reviewed by The Washington Times. Those smuggled included Palestinians, Pakistanis and the Afghan man who Homeland Security officials said had family ties to the Taliban and was “involved in a plot to conduct an attack in the U.S. and/or Canada.” He is in custody but the Times is withholding his name at the request of law enforcement to protect ongoing investigations.

Connecticut Law Will Allow Guns to Be Confiscated After Temporary Restraining Order
Free Beacon - Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy signed the bill into law this week. The legislation was brought forward after an Oxford, Connecticut resident, Lori Jackson Gellatly, was shot and killed by her estranged husband. Gellatly had filed a temporary restraining order but was killed while awaiting a court hearing for a permanent restraining order. Her family went to the Connecticut capital over Memorial Day weekend to push for the gun law. Advocates for domestic violence victims say the law is needed to protect those in vulnerable and possibly life-threatening situations. “This is really good policy,” said Karen Jarmoc, president and CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Jarmoc, an adviser on the legislation, said it has been proven that a “mixture between domestic policy and firearms could be dangerous and lethal sometimes.”… Gun rights advocates stated the law will deny gun owners due process and may actually leave victims without the ability to defend themselves.

Catholic Church spent $2M on major N.Y. lobbying firms to block child-sex law reform
NY Daily news - Not leaving it to divine chance, the state Catholic Conference has turned in recent years to some of Albany’s most well-connected and influential lobby firms to help block a bill that would make it easier for child sex abuse victims to seek justice. The Catholic Conference, headed by Timothy Cardinal Dolan, has used Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, Patricia Lynch & Associates, Hank Sheinkopf, and Mark Behan Communications to lobby against the Child Victims Act as well as for or against other measures. All told, the conference spent more than $2.1 million on lobbying from 2007 through the end of 2015, state records show. That does not include the conference’s own internal lobbying team. Filings show the lobbyists were retained, in part, to work on issues associated with “statute of limitations” and “timelines for commencing certain civil actions related to sex offenses.” … The Catholic Conference has argued that opening a one-year window to revive old cases could ultimately bankrupt the Church.

Election News

John Kerry Slams Trump, Says Foreign Policy is not a “Business Deal”
Kurt Nimmo - Obama’s secretary of state John Kerry criticized Donald Trump during an interview with MSNBC. Asked about Trump’s belief shaking up world leaders is a good thing, Kerry said “we’re not doing a Trump hotel business deal, these are dealings between nations, based upon precedent, based on understanding, based on trust from one administration to another.” In other words, according to Kerry, the disastrous foreign policy of the United States must stay its present course…. Kerry’s “Plan B” called for a proposed “safe zone” in Syria that he said would require between 15,000 and 30,000 US troops. “Our Pentagon estimates that to have a true safe zone in the north of the country you may have upwards of fifteen to thirty thousand troops. Now are we ready to authorize that? Are we ready to put them on the ground?” Kerry said during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Trump may be in favor of this as well. “What I like is build a safe zone in Syria. Build a big, beautiful safe zone, and you have whatever it is so people can live, and they’ll be happier,” Trump said during a rally held in Knoxville, Tennessee in November.

Paul Ryan endorses, will vote for Trump
USA Today - After a month of meetings and phone conversations, House Speaker Paul Ryan went to his hometown newspaper to declare what many saw was inevitable. Ryan endorsed presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on Thursday, saying he would vote for the New York mogul in the fall. "It's no secret that he and I have our differences," Ryan wrote in an opinion piece submitted to the Janesville Gazette. "I won't pretend otherwise. And when I feel the need to, I'll continue to speak my mind. But the reality is, on the issues that make up our agenda, we have more common ground than disagreement."

California Shock Poll: Sanders Takes Lead Over Hillary...
LA Times - Hillary Clinton’s popularity has slumped in California under an unrelenting challenge from Bernie Sanders, who has succeeded in breaching the demographic wall Clinton had counted on to protect her in the state’s presidential primary, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll has found…. The Vermont senator has battled Clinton to a draw among all voters eligible for the Democratic primary, with 44% siding with him to 43% for Clinton. That represented a nine-point swing from a USC/Los Angeles Times poll in March, in which Clinton led handily.

No tennis balls! Cleveland’s pre-convention ban doesn’t include guns (Video)
RT - Republicans will gather at the Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio between July 18 and July 21 to officially select their ticket for the presidential election in November. With billionaire businessman Donald Trump securing the necessary 1,237 delegates to win the nomination on the first ballot, it does not look like the convention will be contested. City authorities have moved to ensure that things remain quiet outside the arena. Any “instrumentality used to cause property or personal damage” will be off-limits during the convention, according to regulations published by Cleveland on May 25. The 15-page document also bans swords, daggers, axes, shovels, drones, pepper spray, metal-tip umbrellas, glass bottles and “any other frangible container,” water guns and paintball guns, to name just a few. Also banned are “grappling hooks, sledgehammers, hammers, and crowbars,” as well as coolers and camping equipment, locks and gas masks – and tennis balls, for some reason. Firearms are not included in the ban [due to Ohio’s open-carry laws], however.

Veteran News

Texas floodwaters claims 5 soldiers' lives at Fort Hood
Reuters - A U.S. Army truck overturned in a rain-swollen creek at Fort Hood on Thursday, killing three soldiers and leaving six missing as storms dumped more rain on flood-hit parts of Texas on Thursday…. The U.S. Army said the truck overturned at Fort Hood's Owl Creek low-water crossing, and three bodies were recovered downstream. A search was being conducted for six soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division, it said in a statement. Fort Hood is about 70 miles (110 km) north of Austin. Three soldiers were rescued from the water and were in stable condition at a hospital, the statement said. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of east Texas and Louisiana…. Thousands of people have evacuated their homes in low-lying areas, rivers have swelled to levels not seen in more than 100 years and emergency workers have completed hundreds of high-water rescues.

Energy & Environment

These 33 Cities Cheated on Lead Contamination Tests, Similar to Flint, Michigan
EcoWatch - The cities span 17 states east of the Mississippi River. Eastern states were targeted in the investigation because they are most at risk for lead contamination due to aging infrastructure. A total of 43 cities supplied The Guardian with water testing samples and data. The three “cheats” used by cities include: running the faucet for a while before collecting a sample to flush out the system; removing aerators from faucets before collecting a sample; and running the water slowly. Most of the 33 cities only used one or two of the cheats, but six used all three: Springfield, Massachusetts; Lewiston, Maine; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Buffalo, New York; Chicago, Illinois; and Sebring, Ohio…. Not only does this raise concern for those cities, but surrounding towns as well… Several big cities sell water to almost “400 adjacent cities and towns.”

Science & Technology

Doctors Respond To Patients’ Negative Yelp Reviews by Posting Rebuttals that Violate Patient Privacy
AllGov -Burned by negative reviews, some health providers are casting their patients’ privacy aside and sharing intimate details online as they try to rebut criticism. In the course of these arguments — which have spilled out publicly on ratings sites like Yelp — doctors, dentists, chiropractors and massage therapists, among others, have divulged details of patients’ diagnoses, treatments and idiosyncrasies…. Health professionals are adapting to a harsh reality in which consumers rate them on sites like Yelp, Vitals and RateMDs much as they do restaurants, hotels and spas. The vast majority of reviews are positive. But in trying to respond to negative ones, some providers appear to be violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal patient privacy law known as HIPAA. The law forbids them from disclosing any patient health information without permission…. The patients affected say they’ve been doubly injured — first by poor service or care and then by the disclosure of information they considered private.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Homemade Mosquito Trap- Catch 100’s of Mosquitoes Every Night
Natural News Blogs - You can easily reduce the number of mosquitoes on your property with a plastic bottle trap that will attract and kill the mosquitoes…. All natural mosquito repellent are dependable as long as they are free from any chemical ingredient. One such way is by using general household tools and ingredients. Items needed: -1 cup of water -1/4 cup of brown sugar -1 gram of yeast -1 2-liter bottle… Mosquitos are highly attracted to carbon dioxide (CO2). Mosquitoes follow vapor trails of CO2, knowing that a fresh meal of warm blood is at the other end. The key to this method is the mixture of the sugar, water, and yeast. When you mix these three ingredients together, CO2 is created. As a dense volume of CO2 is created within the 2-liter bottle, this attracts the mosquitoes. Once inside the trap and unable to find a tasty meal, the mosquitoes look for the exit and fly up along the insides of the bottle. With their escape route blocked, the bugs eventually tire out and fall to the bottom of the trap to die. Another thing that attracts the mosquitoes is the color black.

Health

Former FDA Commissioner Exposed, Don't Trust This Antibiotic
Dr. Mercola - The recent federal lawsuit filed against former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg again highlights industry influence at the highest government levels. Hamburg, her husband, Peter Brown, and Johnson & Johnson are charged with conspiracy, racketeering and colluding to conceal the dangers of the antibiotic Levaquin, made by Johnson & Johnson. The suit was filed by Larry Klayman, a former federal prosecutor, who claims the parties concealed the drug's dangers for financial gain. Peter Brown is an executive in the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, which held hundreds of millions of dollars of Johnson & Johnson stock. Many safety questions arose after Levaquin's 1996 approval, including the drug's role in tendon ruptures (like its fluoroquinoline cousin Cipro), possible cell damage, links to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's, and permanent peripheral nerve damage. Only after Hamburg left the FDA did the agency put clearer warnings on Levaquin's label says the complaint.

Chronic Stress Causes these 4 SERIOUS Health Issues!
David Wolfe - Chronic stress causes excess stress hormones to be released, including cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. With these excess hormones flowing through the body, your stress response becomes imbalanced, unable to shut off…. Stress triggers inflammation in the body, leading to high blood pressure and a lower resistance to illness…. Your body begins to heal more slowly, your sleeping pattern is disturbed, your skin begins reacting negatively and you start to feel completely overwhelmed emotionally and physically…. 1. Stress Increases Heart Attack Risk… Researchers believe these hormones can cause the dispersal of bacterial biofilms from the walls of the arteries, allowing plaque deposits to suddenly break loose, triggering a heart attack. 2. Stress is Linked to Diabetes… 3. Stress Can Lead to Memory Disorders… Prolonged stress can cause damage to brain cells, causing your memory to suffer. 4. Stress Can Cause Stomach Disorders… Stress has been shown to cause a number of detrimental problems in the gut, including decreased nutrient absorption, decreased oxygenation to your gut, and as much as four times less blood flow to the digestive system, which leads to decreased metabolism. Stress can trigger full-blown gut disease.

10 Disturbing Reasons Why You Should NEVER Drink Soy Milk!
David Wolfe - Soy milk has been a topic of controversy for years, but there is a significant amount of evidence that proves it can have harmful affects on the body. 1. Soybeans contain large quantities of natural toxins that affect estrogen levels. Drinking just two glasses of soy milk a day can significantly alter the hormones in a woman’s body, disrupting the menstrual cycle. 2. Soybeans contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. 3. About 99% of soy is genetically modified. It contains one of the highest pesticide contamination levels. 4. Soybeans and soy products contain high levels of phytic acid, which inhibits the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. 5. Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to the body. It negatively affects the nervous system and the kidneys, and it’s been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, 6. Fragile soy proteins are exposed to high temperatures during processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein. This makes them dangerous for human digestion. 7. Soy contains toxic isoflavones – genistein and daidzein. They can stimulate the growth of existing breast cancer….

Inspirational

30 Things You’ll Regret When You’re Older
David Wolfe - We’d all like to live life with no regrets, and some have truly mastered that mantra. But for most, certain people and experiences slip through our fingers from time to time, and we’re left wondering “what if?” If you often find yourself in situations where you’re wondering if you should go for it or hold back, these 30 things you’re bound to regret might help you decide. 1. Being afraid of change - Change can be scary, but don’t let that stop you. Moving, traveling, ending a bad relationship, taking a new job… putting your fear aside to take these big steps in life can lead you to greater opportunities. 2. Not learning another language - There are so many different cultures, countries, customs and languages to explore. Learning another language won’t just be fun, it’ll expand your knowledge and give your resume a boost! 3. Staying in a bad relationship - Spending months or years in a bad relationship is a complete waste of time. Once you get out, you’ll only wish you had made the break sooner. 5. Not traveling when you had the chance - You might think, “I’ll travel in a few years when I have the time/money,” but the truth is, the older you get the harder it is to drop everything and travel. There’s no time like the present….

Pet News

The Surprising Truth About Levaquin for Dogs
Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Research - If you have a furbaby who is sick and your doctor is telling you that he needs antibiotics, you should rightly be concerned about Levaquin for Dogs. But all of the Fluoroquinolone antibiotics should concern you, as they can all hurt your loved ones, whether they are human or animal…. In humans as well as in dogs, connective tissue damage, termed Quinolone Arthropathy as it’s technical name, is a serious problem…. In dog studies, these drugs cause serious damage to the joints, making dogs lame after as few as two doses, severely damaging the cartilage, almost certainly irreversibly. Even cats are not left unscathed, they are just effected differently and can end up with retinal deterioration, often causing blindness…. It just so happens that the Fluoroquinolones actually can bind with and remove magnesium from the body, and one way in which they cause damage in cells is by removing magnesium, weakening connective tissue cells…. Levaquin for Dogs is not something that one should take lightly, and everyone should always consider all of the other options.
* Related: List of Quinolones and Fluoroquinolone Drugs

Video: Animals scramble to escape Texas flooding
AccuWeather - This footage from Simonton, Texas, shows animals scrambling to get to higher ground as the Brazos River continues to overflow.

 



Thursday - June 2, 2016  -  Today in History:

1774 - The Quartering Act, which required American colonists to allow British soldiers into their houses, was reenacted.
1835 - P.T. Barnum launched his 1st traveling show. The main attraction was Joice Heth. He was reputed to be the 161-year-old nurse of George Washington.
1851 - Maine became the first U.S. state to enact a law prohibiting alcohol.
1883 - The first baseball game under electric lights was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
1886 - Grover Cleveland became the second U.S. president to get married while in office. He was the first to have a wedding in the White House.
1924 - All American Indians were granted U.S. citizenship by the U.S. Congress.
1933 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the first swimming pool to be built inside the White House.
1954 - U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that there were communists working in the CIA and atomic weapons plants.
1957 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was interviewed by CBS-TV.
1966 - Surveyor 1, the U.S. space probe, landed on the moon and started sending photographs back to Earth of the Moon's surface. It was the first soft landing on the Moon.
1969 - Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne sliced the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in half off the shore of South Vietnam.
1979 - Pope John Paul II arrived in his native Poland on the first visit by a pope to a Communist country.
1995 - Captain Scott F. O'Grady's U.S. Air Force F-16C was shot down by Bosnian Serbs. He was rescued six days later.
1998 - Royal Caribbean Cruises agreed to pay $9 million to settle charges of dumping waste at sea.
2003 - William Baily was reunited with two paintings he had left on a subway platform. One of the works was an original Picasso rendering of two male figures and a recreation of Picasso's "Guernica" by Sophie Matisse. Sophie Matisse was the great-granddaughter of Henri Matisse.

World News

US ‘provocations’ may force China to declare air defense zone in S. China Sea – report
RT - Beijing is reportedly planning to launch an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea, the timing of which will depend on US “provocations.” Billions of dollars of trade passes annually through the area, which is subject to rival claims. A source close to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) told the South China Morning Post daily that security conditions in the region, namely the US military presence, would define the timing of the ADIZ declaration…. The country's Defense Ministry told the South China Morning Post in a written statement that it was “the right of a sovereign state” to designate an ADIZ…. Beijing has called the US involvement in the dispute the “greatest” threat to the region.

Russia and Saudi Arabia dump $50bn in US assets
RT - Investors from Russia and Saudi Arabia have cut their combined holdings of US securities by more than $50 billion between mid 2014 and 2015, reports the Financial Times. Over the period, Saudi Arabia reduced its holdings by $26 billion, according to an annual US Treasury survey published earlier this week. The Treasury recently unveiled the scale of Saudi buying of US government debt that had dropped by $3 billion to about $116 billion from February to March. Russian investment in US holdings has more than halved since the 2008 financial crisis to roughly $73 billion by the end of last June.. After crude prices plunged in January to $28 per barrel from $110 in June 2014, the governments of both countries had to search for alternative funding sources to balance their budgets. Although prices have stabilized close to $50 per barrel, Moscow and Riyadh are still facing deficits.

Half of Germans Open to EU Exit, 2/3 for Ousting Merkel
Sputnik News - German voters believe Chancellor Angela Merkel overcommitted national resources for the refugee crisis and are increasingly frustrated with bailing out the continued economic struggles of other EU member-states. Just under a third of Germans answering a questionnaire call for their country to abandon the European Union, according to a YouGov poll released Wednesday, signaling a growing discontent within the bloc’s largest member-state. A majority of Germans have traditionally been fervent supporters of the EU, compared to other countries in the economic alliance.

Paris bans pre-1997 cars from its streets during the week
Ars Technica - Parisians with cars built before 1997 are going to need to head to the nearest car dealership if they want to keep driving in the city after July 1. The French capital has experienced quite horrific air pollution in the last few years, and there was a massive spike in March 2015 that saw the city's air quality drop lower than that of Beijing, China. After trying out temporary restrictions to vehicle traffic, Les Echos reports that the city has decided to implement new rules that will ban older and more polluting vehicles from its streets on weekdays. Those restrictions will also tighten over time; in 2020, only cars built since 2011 will be allowed…. Pre-2000 motorbikes and other two-wheeled vehicles are also on the hit list. Parisian drivers will need to register and get a window sticker. If you're caught in the city during the week with one of the banned cars, expect a fine of between $39 and $504… It’s estimated that about 30,000 diesel and gasoline cars will be affected by the new rules.

European Commission Seeks Temporary Approval for Glyphosate
Sustainable Pulse - The European Commission is seeking political backing to allow unrestricted use of controversial weedkiller glyphosate by labeling the decision as temporary, warned Greenpeace. The Commission has scheduled a vote on an “extension” of the glyphosate licence for Monday 6 June. The Commission’s plan ignores scientific evidence that glyphosate is a probable cause of cancer and fails to limit human exposure to the herbicide, said Greenpeace.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Clinton's IT aide to plead the Fifth in email lawsuit
Reuters - The man believed to have set up and maintained Hillary Clinton's private email server will assert his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and refuse to answer questions as part of an open records lawsuit against the State Department, the Hill newspaper reported on Wednesday. Bryan Pagliano will decline to answer questions from Judicial Watch, the conservative legal watchdog group, during a deposition scheduled for Monday, his lawyers wrote in a court filing on Wednesday afternoon, according to The Hill.

Pentagon: Special Ops Killing Of Pregnant Afghan Women Was “Appropriate” Use Of Force
The Intercept - An internal Defense Department investigation into one of the most notorious night raids conducted by special operations forces in Afghanistan — in which seven civilians were killed, including two pregnant women — determined that all the U.S. soldiers involved had followed the rules of engagement. As a result, the soldiers faced no disciplinary measures, according to hundreds of pages of Defense Department documents obtained by The Intercept through the Freedom of Information Act. In the aftermath of the raid, Adm. William McRaven, at the time the commander of the elite Joint Special Operations Command, took responsibility for the operation.

9/11 Trial Defense Team Accuses Government of Scrambling and Redacting Documents to Impede Its Work
AllGov - Kicking off pretrial proceedings Monday, Ammar al Baluchi's attorney Col. James Connell accused the government of scrambling discovery productions to make it harder on his team to match up documents. Al Baluchi, who is also known as Ali abd al Aziz Ali, is accused of helping to finance the 9/11 attacks and arranging travel to the United States for some of the hijackers. He, along with alleged plot mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad and three other alleged co-conspirators, faces the death penalty if convicted…. Al Baluchi's defense team says the government has improperly redacted hundreds of documents, depriving it of hundreds of thousands of pieces of information that could potentially be valuable to his defense…. Since the government has blacked out serial numbers of documents in al Baluchi's case, as well as names and numbers of potential witnesses, the defense claims it has been prevented from compiling information that could help their case…. In at least five cases, an entire page was totally covered in black ink to hide its contents, Connell said.

UCLA Shooting: Another Gun Free Zone
Paul Joseph Watson - At least two people were killed during a shooting on UCLA campus today in yet another victim disarmament gun free zone. “A UCLA police spokesperson said officers responded to an engineering lab and asked students to go to a secure location after the campus-wide alert system issued a notification,” reports NBC News. At time of press, the gunman is still on the loose and has not been apprehended. According to California state law, gun ownership is strictly regulated on the campus of UCLA. Under Penal Code 626.9 PC, known as California’s Gun-Free School Zone Act, which was enacted in 1995, students are prohibited from carrying a gun within 1,000 feet of school grounds. UCLA’s own campus policy also, “Prohibits the transportation and possession of firearms and other dangerous weapons on the grounds of UCLA campus, off-campus buildings owned or operated by the University, areas adjacent to University Property or to activities of or programs conducted by the University, whether on or off University Property.”

Texas Students Not Allowed to Wear Honor Society Ribbon to Avoid Hurt Feelings
Breitbart - A high school in Plano, Texas, is denying National Honor Society (NHS) members the right to wear the NHS emblem on white stoles for graduation.The reason given says one mother – graduates may not wear any club or organizational regalia, and they cannot “single out” students. Kelly Ann Frederick says she was told by a National Honor Society sponsor that school officials wanted everyone to feel included on graduation day. She was told that school administrators did not want to single out any students, reported KVUE ABC. Her son has worked for many years for the right to be recognized for that honor, but Garrett Frederick will not be able to wear the NHS stole.

Election News

Video: Obama Tries to Trash Donald Trump and Turns into a Stuttering Mess
The Gateway Pundit - The lame duck president went to Indiana today to hold a rally and trash-talk Donald Trump. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned…. Barack Obama: If we turn against each other based on division of race or religion. If-if-if-if-if-if-if-if-if-if-if we fall for, you know, a bunch of okie-doke, just because, you know it-it-it. You know, it-it-it-it-it-it sounds funny or the tweets are provocative…. Someone really needs to check that Teleprompter.

Records: Hillary Clinton Has Only Donated $70,000 To Veterans
Breitbart - The list of donations from the Clintons is not comprehensive, but is dwarfed by Donald Trump’s release of a list of 41 groups that identified donations of $5.6 million to veterans groups. “Find out how much Hillary Clinton’s given to the veterans,” Trump dared reporters gathered at Trump Tower yesterday. “Nothing.” According to recent public records of the Clinton Family Foundation, the family donated $25,000 in 2009, $20,000 in 2010, $5,000 in 2011, $15,000 in 2012, and in 2014, they donated $5,000.

Dem Race Tightens in California as Clinton Barely Leads Sanders 49% to 47%: Poll
NBC News - Hillary Clinton is clinging to a narrow two-point lead over Bernie Sanders in California ahead of the state's June 7 primary, according to results from a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll. Clinton gets support from 49 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the state, while Sanders gets 47 percent, which is within the survey's statistical margin of error. And among a wider electorate of all potential Democratic voters in California, Sanders is actually ahead by one point, 48 percent to 47 percent. Clinton and Sanders running even in California wouldn't affect the overall delegate math in the Democratic race, where Clinton leads Sanders by some 270 pledged delegates and 770 overall delegates. (A tied race would essentially split the state's 475 pledged delegates right down the middle under the Democrats' proportional allocation system.)

Economy & Business

Promote Work Ethic? Government Tickets Children for Selling Lemonade
CNS News - Some Louisianan children recently opened a lemonade stand and were ticketed for operating a business without an occupational license or paying taxes on their earnings. This not only highlights the absurdity of criminalizing children who were too young to obtain an occupational license or to even pay taxes—but also illustrates how unpredictable enforcement of arcane criminal laws and regulations are just part of doing business for many long-time business owners. State legislators rushed a responsive bill to the governor’s desk to exempt minors “earning less than $500” a year from the regulatory hurdles. Because, Sen. Gary Smith asked, “Why would you ticket a child for an activity that promotes entrepreneurship and a work ethic?”

Energy & Environment

Supreme Court Rules 8-0 for Landowners Fighting Clean Water Act Regulations
Reason.com - In an important victory for property rights nationwide, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-0 on Monday that landowners have the right to seek judicial review of federal determinations which say that their properties contain “waters of the United States” subject to stringent regulations under the Clean Water Act. The case of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes Co., Inc. centered on a peat-mining business that has been prevented from using some of its property because the Army Corps of Engineers determined that the land in question contained federally protected wetlands. The Hawkes Co. disagreed with that determination and set out to challenge it in federal court. But the federal government maintained that judicial review was not an option for landowners at this stage under the Clean Water Act. In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts rejected the federal government’s position. All eight justices concurred in Roberts’ judgment.

Oregon School District Waited 2 Months to Alert Students and Teachers to Lead-Tainted Drinking Water
AllGov - Portland Public Schools has shut down drinking fountains at all of its schools and will use bottled water for the remaining school year after tests at two schools found high levels of lead in water from sinks and fountains. Oregon's largest school district said in a statement late Friday that it is working with Multnomah County to provide on-site blood lead level screening next month for students at Creston and Rose City Park. Officials plan to test every fountain and faucet in all the schools this summer…. Earlier Friday, Smith apologized for letting students and teachers at two schools continue using the drinking sources after tests showed unsafe levels of lead. When tests came back positive for lead, officials took steps to repair or replace plumbing, but they didn't warn people not to drink the water, The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported.

Are you chucking used batteries in the trash? Are you aware that they take two million years to decompose?
(NaturalNews) Apple cores, for example, will decompose within a few weeks. Newspapers, paper bags and paper napkins may be gone after a month or so, depending on conditions. Cereal boxes, cardboard, banana peels and milk cartons may take up to several months to decompose. Cotton clothing can take anywhere from one or two weeks to six months or more to break down, while light wool can take six months…. Many nylon items, such as carpeting, clothing and disposable diapers, take around 30 to 40 years to break down – although in certain conditions they may be around for an estimated 500 years. Tires, tin cans, leather and styrofoam typically last for 50 years or so, but metallised plastic bags such as those used for potato chips can last as long as 75 or 80 years…. Those plastic bottles so many of us thoughtlessly use and toss on a daily basis may last 500 years… Glass bottles and jars will last for more than one million years… Last on the list – but certainly not least – are batteries, which contain toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, zinc oxide and cadmium that remain in the environment virtually forever.

Science & Technology

Cluster of “megabreaches” compromises a whopping 642 million passwords
Ars Technica - Less than two weeks after more than 177 million LinkedIn user passwords surfaced, security researchers have discovered three more breaches involving MySpace, Tumblr, and dating website Fling that all told bring the total number of compromised accounts to more than 642 million…. The cluster involves breaches known to have happened to Fling in 2011, to LinkedIn in 2012, and to Tumblr 2013…. All four of the password dumps are being sold on a darkweb forum by peace_of_mind, a user with 24 positive feedback ratings, two neutral ratings, and zero negative ratings. That's an indication the unknown person isn't exaggerating the quality of the data. The megabreach trend is troubling for at least a couple of reasons. First, it demonstrates that service providers are either unable to detect breaches or are willing to keep them secret years after they're discovered.… Of the four recently discovered breaches, the one affecting the most number of people is the MySpace hack, which compromised 360 million accounts.

'Universal cancer vaccine’ breakthrough claimed by scientists
The Independent - Scientists have taken a “very positive step” towards creating a universal vaccine against cancer that makes the body’s immune system attack tumours as if they were a virus, experts have said. Writing in Nature, an international team of researchers described how they had taken pieces of cancer’s genetic RNA code, put them into tiny nanoparticles of fat and then injected the mixture into the bloodstreams of three patients in the advanced stages of the disease. The patients' immune systems responded by producing "killer" T-cells designed to attack cancer. The vaccine was also found to be effective in fighting “aggressively growing” tumours in mice, according to researchers, who were led by Professor Ugur Sahin from Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany. “[Such] vaccines are fast and inexpensive to produce, and virtually any tumour antigen [a protein attacked by the immune system] can be encoded by RNA," they wrote

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

5 All-Natural Weed Killers, Straight From Your Kitchen (No. 2 Will Kill ANYTHING)
Off the Grid News - Homemade weed killers offer the best possible alternative to manufactured herbicides. Inexpensive and made from common household materials, these natural weed killers can help keep unwanted plants at bay without unnecessary exposure to harmful chemicals. Let’s look at several: 1. Boiling water… The hot temperature will scald virtually any plant it comes in contact with, generally dealing a mortal blow. Although plants with long taproots may require more than one treatment, this is an easy and completely natural way to combat pesky plants…. 2. Salt… While not an ideal solution for gardens and lawns since it can cause permanent damage to the soil, salt can be useful for treating pathways, sidewalks and other areas that are meant to be plant-free. For easy application, dissolve one part salt in eight parts water and apply to the desired locations. 3. Vinegar and lemon juice… Vinegar and lemon juice both contain strong acids and can be combined for a pH-targeting weed treatment. Simply combine four ounces of lemon juice with one quart of vinegar and apply directly on the offending plants.… 4. Pickle juice… Don’t throw away the bottle without putting the leftover liquid to good use first! Pickle brine is full of vinegar and salt, making it a natural combination of these two weed-tackling substances….

Health

North Carolina Files Bill to Place Kratom on Controlled Substances List
Brandon Turbeville - For those who may be unaware, mitragyna speciosa (aka Kratom) is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family which is native to Southeast Asia. Although not an opiate itself, Kratom can be used to manage pain and anxiety as well as alcohol dependence. It is possible to use Kratom recreationally, but the effects are generally too mild to classify it as anything resembling a drug. But that’s not stopping Senator Tom Mcinnis and other members of the North Carolina senate from attempting to make sure that no one is able to alleviate pain, addiction or stress or even (gasp!!!!!) entertain themselves through natural means without permission from government agencies, drug persecutors and drug pushers (with degrees, of course). Senator McInnis’ bill SB 830 was filed in the Senate by McInnis on May 10, 2016. The bill will add Kratom to the list of controlled substances and appropriate funds for the State Bureau of Investigation so that the SBI will be able to open another front in the costly, tragic and counter-productive War on Drugs.

Aspartame is a hidden schedule II narcotic
(NaturalNews) Artificial sweetener aspartame is indeed a Schedule II narcotic, because the methanol in aspartame affects dopamine levels in the brain, which can lead to addiction. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is classified as a severe metabolic poison…. According to independent researchers and experts, aspartame can cause a variety of symptoms including, but not limited to, headaches, memory loss, vision loss, depression, seizures, coma, cancer and other conditions. It can also mimic symptoms of diseases like MS, lupus, attention deficit disorder, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. This man-made compound can also be dangerous if you consume it while taking certain medications, or if you eat processed foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG). It also induces cravings for carbohydrates which summarily leads to weight gain.

Pain drug triples risk of major birth defects
What Doctors Don't Tell You - The blockbuster drug Lyrica (pregabalin)—which treats pain, epilepsy and anxiety—trebles the risk of birth defects if a pregnant woman takes the drug during her first trimester. Tragically, around 23 per cent of women are prescribed the drug for the first time only after they become pregnant, say researchers from the Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland. Heart defects and problems with the central nervous system (CNS) are some of the more common birth defects that are caused by the drug…. Lyrica has been approved as a treatment for epilepsy, fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain, although it is also prescribed ‘off-label’—which means for conditions for which its efficacy and safety haven’t been tested—for anxiety and other mental health problems.

E. coli triggers massive recall of General Mills flour; Listeria fears prompt separate Kashi recall
RT - General Mills, the US food giant, is recalling some 10 million pounds of flour due to possible contamination by a deadly type of E. coli. In recent months, the bacteria has sickened nearly 40 people in 20 states, half of whom reported cooking with flour. The company said it is working with the health officials that investigated the six-month-long, multistate foodborne outbreak of Escherichia coli O121, or E. coli O121. While most strains of E. coli are harmless, this strain can lead to bloody diarrhea and dehydration, potentially deadly conditions…. General Mills acknowledged that in some cases people reported using its flour, but also stressed that, to date, E. coli O121 has neither been found in its products nor its flour manufacturing facility. A list of recalled flour products include Gold Medal, Gold Medal Wondra, and Signature Kitchens flour, which are sold at Safeway, Albertsons, Jewel, Shaws, Vons, United, Randalls, and Acme. Meanwhile, the Kashi Company announced a voluntary recall of some of its snacks on Tuesday due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, which can cause illness and death.

The 21 Best Low-Carb Vegetables
Authority Nutrition - Vegetables are low in calories but rich in vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients. In addition, many are low in carbs and high in fiber, making them ideal for low-carb diets. The definition of a low-carb diet varies widely, but most are under 150 grams of carbs per day, and some go as low as 20 grams per day. Whether or not you’re on a low-carb diet, eating more vegetables is always a great idea. Here is a list of the 21 best low-carb vegetables to include in your diet…. 1. Bell peppers are anti-inflammatory and high in vitamins A and C. They contain 6 grams of digestible (“net”) carbs per serving.… 2. Broccoli contains 4 grams of digestible carbs per serving. It’s high in vitamins C and K, may reduce insulin resistance and help prevent cancer… 3. Asparagus contains 4 grams of digestible carbs per serving. It’s a good source of several vitamins and may help protect against certain types of cancer…. 4. Mushrooms contain 1 gram of digestible carbs per serving. They can reduce inflammation in people with metabolic syndrome….
 



Wednesday - June 1, 2016  -  Today in History:

1774 - The British government ordered the Port of Boston closed.
1789 - The first U.S. congressional act on administering oaths became law.
1792 - Kentucky became the 15th state of the U.S.
1796 - Tennessee became the 16th state of the U.S.
1861 - The first skirmish of the U.S. Civil War took place at the Fairfax Court House, Virginia.
1869 - Thomas Edison received a patent for his electric voting machine.
1877 - U.S. troops were authorized to pursue bandits into Mexico.
1915 - Germany conducted the first zeppelin air raid over England.
1916 - The National Defense Act increased the strength of the U.S. National Guard by 450,000 men.
1942 - The U.S. began sending Lend-Lease materials to the Soviet Union.
1943 - During World War II, Germans shot down a civilian flight from Lisbon to London.
1944 - The French resistance was warned by a coded message from the British that the D-Day invasion was imminent.
1963 - Governor George Wallace vowed to defy an injunction that ordered the integration of the University of Alabama.
1978 - The U.S. reported the finding of wiretaps in the American embassy in Moscow.
1979 - In the U.S., the government-controlled ceiling on oil prices ends. The control was phased out over 28 months.
1980 - Cable News Network (CNN) made its debut as the first all-news station.
1998 - In the U.S., the FDA approved a urine-only test for the AIDS virus.
1998 - A $124 million suit was brought against Goodyear Tire & Rubber that alleged discrimination towards black workers.
2009 - General Motors filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The filing made GM the largest U.S. industrial company to enter bankruptcy protection.

World News

Lavrov: Russia demands that Turkey withdraw its troops from Iraqi territory
RT - The presence of Turkish armed forces in Iraq without invitation is unacceptable, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a Tuesday interview, in which he also questioned why the West has turned a blind eye to Ankara’s violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Russia’s Western partners and Turkey’s allies from NATO should pay much greater public attention to Ankara’s activities in the region, Lavrov noted, adding that currently NATO’s stance is that Turkey is a member, so they will sort things out among themselves. “What about Cyprus, which is not a NATO member and whose airspace is violated by the Turkish Air Force on a regular basis? And secondly, what kind of a position is that – if you are a NATO member, you can do whatever you like? ” the Russian FM asked. In Iraq, Ankara is realizing Turkey’s “neo-Ottoman aspirations” and pursuing certain economic goals, Lavrov said. “[The Turks] reckon on getting a foothold there somehow and waiting for a battle for Mosul to lay claim to the [oil] fields and wait for a reaction from the international community,” he added.

US 'working closely' with Russia to find those responsible for Idlib airstrike
RT - The Department of State did not back the accusations that Russian jets were responsible for airstrikes that killed at least 23 people in Syria’s Idlib province, and said the US was working with Russia to figure out what happened…. Up to 28 people, including seven children, were killed in overnight airstrikes in Idlib on Monday, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The SOHR blamed Russia for the “heaviest bombardment there since a cessation of hostilities was agreed in February,” according to Reuters, claiming that one of the bombing sites was next to a hospital. The Russian Defense Ministry rejected the allegations.

It Is Being Reported That Turkish Military Forces Have Entered Syria
Economic Collapse - There are international news reports that claim that Turkish military forces have entered Syrian territory and have established positions near the towns of Azaz and Afrin. If these international news reports are true, then Turkey has essentially declared war on the Assad regime…. So far, it is the Russian media that it taking the lead in reporting about this movement of Syrian forces. For example, the Sputnik news agency was one of the first to report Turkish military activity around the town of Azaz… In addition, Sputnik claims that Turkish military forces entered a small village called Hamam near the town of Afrin on Saturday […] the Azaz corridor is considered to be extremely important because that is the primary route that Turkey has been using to resupply jihadist rebels in Aleppo. So Turkey wants to keep that road open at all costs. Meanwhile, an Iranian news source is also reporting on this Turkish incursion into Syria… So far, there has been no confirmation of this invasion from the mainstream media in the western world.

Swedish Government Kicks Local Family Out of Home, Gives it to Muslim Migrants
Paul Joseph Watson - A local family in the Swedish city of Lidingö has been ordered by the government to leave their home so that it can be given to migrants arriving from a foreign country. Father of two teenage boys Uffe Rustan received a voicemail from his local municipality telling him he would need to vacate the property by August in order to make way for asylum seekers from the Middle East. “I was evicted from my home over the phone. When I asked for the reason, he said that people come from other countries. He left the news and basically just said have a nice weekend,” Rustan told a newspaper…. Despite suffering from a housing shortage, Sweden is handing over property to economic migrants, with some politicians even encouraging citizens to give up their garages to asylum seekers.

It costs $150 to buy a dozen eggs in Venezuela right now
LA Times - The International Monetary Fund has predicted that inflation in Venezuela will hit 720% this year. That might be an optimistic assessment, according to some local economic analysts, who expect the rate to reach as high as 1,200%. A sharp drop in global prices for oil -- on which Venezuela depends for most of its foreign currency -- is a big part of the problem…. To understand what that kind of inflation means, we spoke to Maria Linares, a 42-year-old single mother who works as an accounting assistant at a government ministry and lives in an impoverished neighborhood of the capital, Caracas. Her monthly pay, including a food allowance, is 27,000 bolivars. That’s $2,700 a month at the official exchange rate of 10 bolivars to the dollar. But Venezuelans have so little faith in their currency -- or the government's ability to fix the country's deepening economic crisis -- that a dollar can fetch upward of 1,000 bolivars on the black market. At that rate, Linares earns just $27 a month. Here is what she spends on some staples: Eggs: At the Mercal, a dozen eggs cost 450 bolivars in December. The official price is now 1,020 bolivars. But Linares said she never finds eggs at the Mercal. So she buys them from street vendors for around 1,500 bolivars -- a staggering $150 at the official exchange rate, or about $1.50 at the black market rate.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Lawyers for Clinton aide block questioning on IT specialist who set up server
Fox News - Lawyers for senior Hillary Clinton aide Cheryl Mills, during a nearly five-hour deposition last week in Washington, repeatedly objected to questions about IT specialist Bryan Pagliano’s role in setting up the former secretary of state’s private server. According to a transcript of the deposition with watchdog group Judicial Watch released on Tuesday, Mills attorney Beth Wilkinson – as well as Obama administration lawyers – objected to the line of questioning about Pagliano, who has emerged as a central figure in the FBI's ongoing criminal probe of Clinton's email practices. I'm going to instruct her not to answer. It's a legal question,” Wilkinson responded, when asked by Judicial Watch whether Pagliano was an “agent of the Clintons” when the server was set up. This was a pattern repeated throughout the deposition by the seven lawyers for Mills -- including four attorneys representing the State and Justice departments, as well as her personal representatives. Asked direct questions about when Mills spoke with Pagliano, Mills' lawyer also objected.

Arizona Measles Outbreak Linked To Immigrant Shelter: Patients Exposed Church Assemblies, Graduation, Denny’s, Safeway And Casino
The Gateway Pundit - Health officials say more measles cases have been reported in Pinal County stemming from an outbreak last week at a private detention center in Eloy. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 11. Officials say Eloy Detention Center, which houses undocumented immigrants, has taken steps to prevent further spread of the highly contagious disease. Cases of the disease were reported last week in an inmate and employee at the facility. Health officials have issued a community-wide health alert for Pinal County as one of the new cases visited multiple locations in and around Casa Grande from May 15 through May 22. “It’s extremely important that people who have a rash and fever call their health care provider or emergency department ahead of time to let them know they may have measles,” said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “This will help stop the spread of measles, especially to those who are more at risk of developing complications.”

Election News

Stunning Hidden Agendas Exposed – Trump University Lawsuit Brought By Firm Who Paid $675,000 To Bill and Hillary Clinton…
The Last Refuge - Research by Lawnewz has discovered the legal firm behind the Trump civil action lawsuit paid Bill and Hillary Clinton massive amounts of money for speeches and advocacy during and after Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State: LawNewz.com discovered that when it comes to politics, Robbins Gellar Rudman & Dowd, the law firm behind the class action lawsuit, is not exactly neutral either. Our analysis, using data compiled by The Washington Post, found that Robbins Gellar Rudman & Dowd paid the Clintons a total of $675,000 in fees for speeches since 2009. Hillary Clinton gave a speech for the law firm as recently as September 4, 2014.

Sessions to GOP: Adapt to Trump or die
Politico - Sessions, a 69-year-old former state attorney general who famously donned the “Make America Great Again” trucker’s cap at a massive rally in Mobile last August, thinks Trump is more a movement than a man. And this sprightly son of country preachers and teachers is on a mission to evangelize maybe-Trumpers like House Speaker Paul Ryan on the Gospel According to Donald — with a sermon on self-preservation. “I think [Ryan] needs to recognize, on some of these issues, Trump is where the Republicans are and if you’re going to be a Republican leader you should be supportive of that,” Sessions told me during a taping of POLITICO’s “Off Message” podcast in his Senate office last week. “My advice is to listen and accept the will of the American people, the Republican voters — the Republican Party is the Republican voters,” he added — a pointed reference to Ryan’s suggestion that he, and not the presumptive party nominee, represents authentic conservative values. “Give me a break! A lot of our drift within our party has gotten away from [the will of the voters]. … I think the leaders in all parties tend to adjust to reality. They just have to or they won’t remain in office. … Already many are sensing it.”

Trump on Jeff Sessions: ‘Certainly Somebody I Would Consider’ for VP
Breitbart - When asked if Sessions is being considered as Trump’s vice presidential candidate, Trump responded, “Certainly, somebody that I would consider.” Trump touted that Sessions “has never endorsed a presidential candidate before,” until now, in all the years he has served in the United States Senate.

Trump Whips Press Over Charitable Donations to Vets (Video)
Adan Salazar - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump unloaded on the press at a news conference Monday where he listed the veterans charity groups receiving millions in donations. Responding to inquiries about where the nearly $6 million he raised in January went, Trump railed against the negative press he received for his noble deed before outlining 22 veterans groups that have already received money or are currently being vetted. “The money’s all been sent. I wanted to keep it private. If we could, I wanted to keep it private. Because I don’t think it’s anybody’s business if I want to send money to the vets,” he said from Trump Tower in New York. “But I have to say this: I raised close to $6 million – it’ll probably be over that amount, but as of this moment it’s $5.6 million… – I will say that the press should be ashamed of themselves, and on behalf of the vets the press should be ashamed of themselves,” Trump stated. “They are calling me and they are furious.” “I sent people checks of a lot of money, and instead of being, ‘Thank you very much Mr Trump…’ I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job.” “…Instead of being — like, ‘Thank you very much, Mr. Trump,’ or ‘Trump did a good job,’ everyone is saying, ‘Who got it? Who got it? Who got it? And you (the press) make me look very bad,” Trump said, adding that “Zero dollars have been taken out for administration.” At one point, Trump also referred to an ABC News reporter as a “sleaze,” accusing him of biased journalism.

Video: Mexican Parents Train 3-Year-Old Girl to Say “We Have to Kill Donald Trump”
Mark Dice - Shocking video footage shows Mexican immigrant parents encouraging their 3-year-old daughter to repeatedly say, “We have to kill Donald Trump.”… Minors mouthing profanities aimed at Donald Trump are nothing new – many of them have attended anti-Trump rallies across the country, but to hear the parents of a 3-year-old girl encouraging violent rhetoric is a new level of absurdity.

Economy & Business

“There Is Something Changing In The Market” – CEO Hints Of Massive Shortages As Tech Manufacturers Are Now Going Direct To Mining Companies In Search of Silver
Mac Slavo - Keither Neuemyer, who has been an outspoken critic of rampant price manipulation on commodity exchanges is the CEO of First Majestic Silver and the Chairman of precious metals mineral bank First Mining Finance. His latest revelation suggests that despite billions of dollars being traded daily on paper exchanges, physical silver supplies around the world have tightened to such an extent that manufacturers have been left with no choice but to come directly to mining companies to acquire the precious metal for their high-tech products. With this in mind, and the fact that silver demand today is greater than when it was trading at nearly $50 in April of 2011, one can’t help but think that based strictly on the fundamentals we should see a much higher price in coming months and years…. Despite the supply demand fundamentals clearly indicating prices should be significantly higher, Neumeyer understands that this isn’t always the driving force behind market moves. And fundamentally, Neumeyer doesn’t even consider silver a precious metal, but rather, a strategic metal that is absolutely necessary for the modern age and one that is a lot more rare than most people understand.

A Worrisome Pileup of 100 Million Dollars Homes (The Ultimate Bubble Is About to Pop)
NY Times - “When you have a record number of homes for sale at a price point of $100 million or more, that tells you these homes aren’t selling,” said Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel Inc., a real estate appraisal and research firm. “It’s not as deep a market as some might hope.” The last time a sudden pop in $100 million-plus listings occurred was in 2007 and 2008, just before the housing crash.

Energy & Environment

Monsanto Loses Major PCBs Poisoning Lawsuit, Forced to Pay $46 Million to Victims
Natural Blaze - A jury voting 10-2 in St. Louis found Monsanto, Pfizer, Solutia, and Pharmacia must pay the plaintiffs and assessed an additional $29 million in punitive damages against Monsanto for its continued selling of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, after the compound had been banned, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Plaintiffs in this case — three of nearly 100 involved in litigation, some of whom died — said they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from exposure to PCBs…. According to the lawsuit, Monsanto knew about the dangers of PCBs but continued to sell the product even after the government ban — while maintaining they were safe to the public.

House Passes Zika Bill That Won’t Fight The Virus But May Put More Pesticides In Your Water
ThinkProgress - Despite the fact that Congress has yet to pass a fully-funded Zika emergency bill, the House of Representatives passed the Zika Vector Control Act Tuesday evening [May 24th], a bill ostensibly aimed at helping to fight the potential spread of the Zika virus throughout the United States. But House Democrats and environmental organizations are crying foul, arguing that the bill uses the threat of Zika as a cover for rolling back crucial EPA regulations that protect bodies of water from pesticides…. Opponents of the bill noted that it would do nothing to help emergency responders have more flexibility with regard to pesticides and Zika, arguing that vector control agencies already have the authority to apply pesticides in emergency situations to prevent the spread of infectious diseases without the need to apply for a permit.

Amid deadly floods, Texas' Brazos River crests at record 54 feet
CBS News - Residents of some rural southeastern Texas counties were bracing for more flooding Tuesday along a river that had reached a record-high crest just two years after it had run dry in places because of drought. The National Weather Service said the Brazos River crested at nearly 54 feet Tuesday in Fort Bend County, which is just southwest of Houston and home to many suburbs. That eclipsed the previous record by three feet and exceeded levels reached in 1994, when extensive flooding caused major damage. The Brazos River Authority said every single one of the 11 reservoirs fed by the swollen river are already 95 to 100 percent full. The only way around some communities near the river is by boat […] an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain expected later this week could keep the Brazos in major flood stage into the weekend.

Science & Technology

Shock Report: Secret Law Will Give FBI Full Access To Your Email Without A Warrant: “Massive Expansion of Government Surveillance Authority”
Mac Slavo - You probably haven’t heard too much about a new law making its way through the U.S. Senate. The reason, of course, is because all discussions on this new provision are being debated in secrecy. Once passed, however, it will open a massive doorway for the FBI and other domestic law enforcement organizations to read every single email sent across internet lines in the continental United States without a warrant or probable cause. The new “law” is a gross violation of the fourth Amendment which provides for Americans the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizure…. Senator Ron Wyden warns, outside of just standard emails and encompasses all electronic communication or activity, then you can be assured that the government is now legalizing a full surveillance society, meaning that not just your text messages and emails will be monitored, but even the conversations you have in the privacy of your own home. If your phone, computer or smart TV has a microphone and/or camera, they will give themselves the legal authority to capture this information, too.

 Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

Massachusetts Committee Passes Bill to Expand Raw Milk Sales; Set Foundation to Nullify Federal Prohibition Scheme
Tenth Amendment Center - The Senate Ways and Means Committee created Senate Bill 2286 (S.2286) to incorporate several measures relating to agriculture. It replaced S.2171, which was created by a joint committee on Environment Natural Resources and Agriculture. The bill number has changed several times. The legislation would allow farmers to deliver raw milk to consumers through contractual arrangements…. S.2286 would also allow farmers to sell raw milk from a farm stand even if it is not directly attached to the raw milk dairy. This would open the door to raw milk sales at farmer’s markets. On May 23, the Joint Committee on Rules passed the legislation with a favorable report. It now moves to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration…. Under current Massachusetts law, raw milk sales are only allowed on the farm. While limited, the measures in S.2286 would expand the sale and consumption of unpasteurized milk in the state.

'Food Frontiers' Documentary Reveals the Changing Landscape of the American Food System
Dr. Mercola - Did you know that 1 in 7 American households experience food insecurity, not knowing whether they'll be able to eat on any given day? It's a massive problem, but one that communities across the country are beginning to tackle in earnest. "Food Frontiers," co-produced by Leo Horrigan and Mike Milli, features several community-driven projects aimed at improving access to healthy foods in a number of innovative ways. The film is part of Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future Foodscape's online curriculum — an interactive site scheduled for release in August, which will teach high school students and teachers about the American food system and what can be done to improve it.

Pickled Okra, A Southern Standard (Recipe)
Mother Earth News - Pickling okra is as easy as it comes, once you know what you are doing… First, use small okra. Try to keep them smaller than three inches. If they are any longer than that, they get very fibrous and even woody, and they may be too long for your jars. Discard soft or brown pods. Carefully trim the stem just where the cap and stem meet - but leave the cap in place. You will not usually eat the cap, but it holds everything together and prevents the sliminess. You should also blanch them briefly, about 30-60 seconds, to tenderize them slightly and it helps them soak up the brine. On to the recipe…Quantities are all approximate and will vary according to the amount of okra you have on hand. Keep the ratios roughly the same as your okra quantity varies. Ingredients: Approximately 3-1/2 pounds of okra. Trimmed and blanched… 8 cloves garlic. Will vary according to number of pints being packed. [and] 8 peppers. Sweet or hot to your taste.

Health

How Industry Money Keeps Unsafe Products in Wide Use — and the Public in the Dark
Dr. Mercola - A recent lawsuit against former FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, her husband, and Johnson & Johnson highlights the industry friendly climate of the FDA. t is not surprising that both the FDA and mainstream media have become industry captives failing to perform their sworn duties of protecting and informing the public because of their lucrative partnerships with industry. Unless there is a major system of reinvigoration, the spiral of compromised ethics will only continue.

Gluten in Your Thyroid Drug?
Alliance for Natural Health - Hypothyroid patients, take note: your medicine might now include gluten as an ingredient. A representative from Pfizer has said that the source of the starch in Cytomel cannot be verified and could come from corn, potato, or wheat. Pfizer does not seem to know or care that this is not just a problem for those with general gluten sensitivity or, worse, Chrohn’s Disease. It may also make thyroid conditions worse, even much worse, totally defeating the purpose of the drug in the first place.

Starves Cancer Cells Into Oblivion by Taking Advantage of Their Metabolic Inflexibility
Dr. Mercola - Normal, healthy cells have the metabolic flexibility to adapt from using glucose to using ketone bodies. Cancer cells lack this ability so when you reduce net carbs (total carbs minus fiber), you effectively starve the cancer.… Ideally you should have more monounsaturated fats than saturated fats. Limit polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) to less than 10 percent. At higher levels, you will increase the PUFA concentration in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which makes it far more susceptible to oxidative damage from the reactive oxygen species generated there. Lastly, do not exceed 5 percent of your calories as omega-6 fats. Combined, your omega 6/omega 3 fats should not exceed 10 percent, and the omega 6:3 ratio should be below 2. Sources of healthy fats include: olive oil, coconut oil, Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk, and cacao butter, Raw nuts, Organic pastured egg yolks, Avocados, Grass-fed meats, Lard, tallow and ghee [and Animal-based omega-3 fat.

Watch Out: Thousands of Pools Close Due to Health Violations
Natural Society - Out of more than 84,000 inspections of more than 48,000 places where people gather for a dip in chemically treated water in Texas, New York, Florida, Arizona, and California, 80% had at least 1 violation. One in 8 resulted in immediate closure of the venue because the violation was so severe. Kiddie pools and wading pools top the list of most-gross places, with 1 in 5 having been closed at some point for at least 1 violation. Improper pH levels, safety equipment issues, and problems with the disinfectant concentration were the most common problems found at these venues…. Most pools, hot tubs, and water parks aren’t regulated, and nearly 1/3 of local health departments don’t bother to inspect them. So if you do decide to visit one of these public puddles of filth this summer, follow the advice of experts given above. And to be extra safe, you can purchase pH test strips at the supermarket and test the water yourself before jumping in. As a general rule of thumb, if the water is so cloudy you can’t see the bottom of the pool, march your bottom to a cleaner venue.
 


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