WORLD NEWS
Euro Media Brands Trump ‘Unforgivable’ and America a ‘Banana Republic’ Amid Criminal Proceedings
European media outlets have labelled Trump as being “unforgivable” and America a “banana republic” as criminal proceedings against the former president begin.
Many of these news organisations wholeheartedly embraced their Trump derangement syndrome of old, with a pundit for one outlet branding the president as “unforgivable”.
Aussie Gunsmith Issues Stark Warning to US Firearm Owners on Gun Control
In a stark warning to U.S. gun owners, Australian weapons manufacturer Lance French says firearm control laws—once introduced—never stop expanding.
The owner of SGS Industries made the comments during the Western Australian Firearms Community Alliance meeting on April 1.
The meeting of gun owners and industry experts was held in reaction to impending state laws that will expand the gun control regime to ban high-powered firearms.
NATO’s Border With Russia Doubles as Finland Joins Military Bloc
Finland formally joined NATO on Tuesday and essentially doubled the military alliance’s border with Russia amid the year-long war in Ukraine—drawing a warning from the Kremlin.
The move by Finland, which shares an approximately 832-mile border with Russia, will bolster NATO’s eastern flank as Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto completed the accession process by handing over an official document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
“We welcome Finland to the alliance,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the end of a brief ceremony on Tuesday. “This will make Finland safer and NATO stronger,” he told reporters, adding that Russia has “a declared goal of the invasion of Ukraine to get less NATO along its borders and no more membership in Europe” and the Kremlin is “getting exactly the opposite.”
Both Finland and its neighbor Sweden had previously adopted a policy of non-alignment—namely during the Cold War. However, after the Ukraine-Russia conflict erupted, both countries sought to join the alliance amid fears of a wider conflict brewing in Europe.
As for Sweden, which only shares a maritime border with Russia, its NATO bid remains stuck as top officials in Turkey have accused the Swedish government of harboring left-wing Kurdish militant groups that it has accused of terrorist acts. Hungary has also signaled opposition to Sweden joining the alliance.
Nuclear-Capable Missiles Now Deployed to Europe in Belarus, Claims Russia
Russia is again attempting to threaten NATO, claiming to be making good on parts of Vladimir Putin’s statement that he would be — eventually –moving nuclear weapons into Belarus.
Shorter range but operationally flexible, “Iskander-M tactical missile systems” have been deployed to Belarus, and Belarussian crews have travelled to Russia to receive training in their operation, Moscow has said. The missile can be equipped with several different warheads using conventional explosives for different purposes, or it can carry a small nuclear warhead.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that a staggering one in six people around the globe experiences infertility at some point in their lives.
In the first report of its kind in over a decade, the WHO has revealed that the global average infertility rate, defined as a person not being able to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sex, has reached 17.5 per cent.
Eat the Bugs: EU has No Plan to Clearly Label Food Containing Insects, Official Confirms
The EU has no plans to force food manufacturers to clearly label when a product contains insects, an official from the bloc has confirmed.
Stella Kyriakides, the EU’s Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, has confirmed that the bloc has no intentions of forcing manufacturers to clearly label whether a food product contains insects.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
US Announces $2.6 Billion Weapons Package for Ukraine
The new package comes as the US is hoping Ukraine will carry out a counteroffensive to regain more territory, but comments from Ukrainian officials have cast doubt on Kyiv’s capability to launch an assault. It’s also unclear if US and other Western support is sustainable as Ukraine has been using massive amounts of artillery ammunition in its battle defending the Donbas city of Bakhmut.
Last month, a Pentagon official told The New York Times that upcoming ammunition shipments were part of a “last ditch effort” to help Ukraine on the battlefield as Ukrainian forces are using artillery rounds at an unsustainable rate. According to a Pentagon fact sheet released Tuesday, the US has pledged over 1.5 million 155mm artillery rounds for Kyiv.
TRUMP INDICTMENT, ARREST & RESPONSE:
Trump Pleads Not Guilty to 34-Count Indictment
Donald Trump, former president and frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, pleaded not guilty in New York on April 4 to an unprecedented indictment brought by the Manhattan district attorney.
News of the historic indictment on March 30 set off several days of media mania which culminated on April 4 in coverage of Trump’s motorcade ride through his beloved hometown en route to voluntarily surrender himself at the offices of New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg and hear the charges against him at the New York Supreme Court.
In a return to the saga that began shortly after he won the 2016 election, the district attorney charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to a payment for a non-disclosure agreement signed by adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels and Trump’s then-attorney, Michael Cohen.
For a president who faced an unprecedented second impeachment, a yearslong aggressive inquiry into alleged collusion with Russia, and the raid of his private residence, the Manhattan indictment is the latest, most dramatic episode in what he and his supporters see as the weaponization of government against a political opponent.
Trump Attorney Announces Plans to File Motions to Dismiss, Alleging Prosecutorial Misconduct
Joseph Tacopina, a lawyer defending former president Donald Trump in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s hush money case, announced late Monday his plans to file “a host of” motions to dismiss, including one based on prosecutorial misconduct and selective prosecution.
“There will be a host of motions we’re going to make, including … a motion to dismiss based on selective prosecution and prosecutorial misconduct,” Tacopina told Fox News’s Hannity program late Monday, adding that the defense team will consider other motions after seeing the indictment, such as a venue change or statute of limitations considerations.
Trump’s arraignment hearing is set to begin at 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 4, Lucian Chalfen, director of Public Information for the New York Court System, told The Epoch Times in a statement. Charges are expected to be revealed during this indictment.
The announcement revealed the first move made by Trump’s defense attorney in a historic case where a former president faces criminal charges. Though the exact charges are under seal, Bragg’s criminal case appears to be centered on whether Trump made a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels and documented the payment as false business records—thereby committing a state offense—to cover up or commit violations of federal campaign finance laws.
A ‘New Phase’ Never Seen Before: Victor Davis Hanson on What Trump Indictment Means for America
With last week’s indictment of former President Donald Trump, the United States has entered an unsettling new era characterized by chronic dysfunction, according to prominent conservative historian Victor Davis Hanson.
The New York grand jury’s indictment of Trump, the first of a current or former president, is “going to open up a new phase we’ve never seen before in the country that political differences are going to be adjudicated out by warring prosecutors,” Hanson told The Epoch Times on April 3.
Hanson, a Hoover Institution fellow, shared his perspective on the left’s strategy to undermine the republic, the simmering anger of half of the country, and the best way that Trump can react to the criminal probes against him.
On March 30, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump in connection with the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 presidential election.
The former president was charged in a Manhattan grand jury indictment with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, to which Trump has pleaded not guilty. That charge would require Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to prove that Trump forged records to conceal a violation of federal campaign finance laws—a novel legal strategy that some experts think comes at a high risk.
The former president faces three other criminal probes. Special counsel Jack Smith is investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents and his alleged role in interfering with the 2020 election results and the lawful transfer of power on Jan. 6, 2021. A Fulton County grand jury is also probing whether Trump unlawfully interfered with the 2020 election in Georgia.
Watch: D.A. Alvin Bragg Holds Press Conference Following Arraignment of Donald Trump
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is holding a press conference Tuesday afternoon following the arraignment of former President Donald Trump.
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday after his arraignment called Democrat New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg a “criminal.”
“The criminal is the district attorney because he illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury information for which he should be prosecuted or, at a minimum, he should resign,” Trump told a cheering crowd gathered at his Mar-a-Lago home.
J-6 NEWS:
FBI Jan. 6 Informant Says He Could Break the Law in Certain Situations
An FBI informant who joined the Proud Boys and helped breach the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, says there was an understanding that he could commit crimes in certain situations.
The informant, named in court as Aaron, said that he spoke with his handling agent before traveling to Washington.
“Did your conversation with the agent contemplate what might happen if you encountered some people engaging in bad activity?” Aaron was asked.
“Yes. If there’s an emergency situation, and to protect myself from physical harm or worse, I have to do something minor, like if I’m surrounded by Antifa and I have to spray paint on a wall or break a window to try and get them to leave me alone, then that could be explained and would be much better than me being severely hurt,” Aaron testified on March 29, according to transcripts reviewed by The Epoch Times.
“So when you say that that could be explained, what is your understanding of what that meant?” Aaron was asked.
“That I wouldn’t get in trouble if I did something minor like that if it was in the act of self-preservation,” he responded.
The informant, whose last name was not provided, was questioned during the trial of Proud Boys members, including Ethan Nordean.
Nordean and other Proud Boys have been charged with seditious conspiracy, among other counts.
Another lawyer, questioning Aaron later, asked: “I believe you stated on direct that you understood from your handler that when you were in these situations, if you did something minor, you would not get in trouble?”
“If it kept me safe,” Aaron said.
Police Left Lower West Terrace Tunnel Doors Unsecured, Giving Protesters Easy Access
Just minutes after misfired tear gas canisters drove police back into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the retreating officers left unsecured the sets of double doors in the Lower West Terrace tunnel, giving protesters easy access to the entrance and sparking several hours of brutal violence, videos reveal.
Cell phone video entered into evidence in a recent Jan. 6 criminal case shows that protesters walked right through the sets of double doors at the back of the tunnel and began fighting against the police for access to the rest of the Capitol.
For months, questions have been raised by defense attorneys and case observers whether the doors at the tunnel entrance were locked and secure. Prosecutors contended in court filings that the doors were locked when the last officers retreated into the Capitol at about 2:40 p.m.
However, two videos that were entered into evidence by the U.S. Department of Justice in Jan. 6 criminal cases show that neither set of doors was secured. All protesters had to do was pull on the outer handles to gain entry.
At the 2-minute, 25-second mark of the video, the undercover officer stopped to help a uniformed officer who had been hit with pepper spray. He poured a solution on the man’s eyes.
“What’s in it?” the uniformed officer asked.
“Baking soda and milk,” the undercover agent replied, then added, “When we go undercover as Antifa in the crowd.”
The man’s camera briefly captured his gold MPD badge, attached to a pull chain around his neck. The badge number was briefly visible as the badge swung back and forth.
A few minutes earlier, he asked someone off-camera about their duty assignment.
“Why are we here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t we be in the crowd?”
About a half hour later, after helping another incapacitated officer with the baking soda solution, he said: “Did that stuff help you? I used that up with Antifa. They actually gave it to me.”
For some 48 minutes of the video, the camera is trained on the massive crowd that gathered on the west front.
At about the 11-minute mark, a crowd-control munition was set off, the first of 19 explosions recorded over the next 6 minutes.
After a 7-minute hiatus, the munitions resumed. The camera recorded another 21 explosions over 27 minutes.
The officer was likely a member of the MPD Electronic Surveillance Unit, which had 28 officers on duty on Jan. 6.
Undercover Video Captured 40 Munition Blasts in Jan. 6 Crowds at US Capitol
A Metropolitan Police Department undercover officer’s camera captured at least 40 explosive munitions used on the crowd in less than an hour on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
In the second undercover video to surface on the internet in two weeks, the officer watched the west front crowd from the southwest steps, behind the long police line.
During the nearly 54-minute video, the officer made two references to Antifa that suggest he has worked undercover posing as an Antifa activist.
FAILED JUSTICE SYSTEM:
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Death Sentence Appeal Where Prosecution Allegedly Withheld Evidence
The Supreme Court refused—over the dissent of three liberal justices—on April 3 to take up an appeal by a death row prisoner in Louisiana who was seeking a new sentencing hearing.
The inmate, David Brown, argued the prosecution improperly withheld a confession from a co-defendant that could have affected the sentence Brown was given.
The case goes back to a 1999 attempt at escape from the Angola state prison. Brown and four co-defendants, called the Angola 5 in the media, were convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of prison guard David Knapps.
Brown said he was entitled to have his death sentence reconsidered because prosecutors failed to hand over potentially exculpatory evidence to defense lawyers.
Had the jury been allowed to hear the evidence they might have decided to spare his life, he argued. Prosecutors only produced the evidence after sentencing.
Brown acknowledged that he was involved in his co-defendants’ initial assault on Knapps but during the trial Brown insisted that he was not present when the victim was killed and that he did not want the victim to die.
One of Brown’s co-defendants, Barry Edge, had confessed to a fellow inmate, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in an opinion dissenting from the court’s denial of Brown’s petition.
The opinion was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
The prosecution obtained the confession before Brown’s trial but did not hand it over to the defense until after sentencing had been completed.
In the confession, Edge said that he and another co-defendant, Jeffrey Clark, were “the only ones that were thinking rationally during the highly charged situation,” and that Clark and he decided to kill Knapps in order to help themselves.
“At no point in the confession did Edge suggest Brown was involved in the fatal attack; his description of the events leading up to the murder did not mention Brown at all,” Jackson wrote.
FAILED MISCELLANEOUS:
Left-Wing Janet Protasiewicz Projected Winner of Wisconsin Supreme Court Race
Democrat Janet Protasiewicz has secured a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court over Republican Daniel Kelly, NBC News projected on Tuesday night.
The news outlet projected the Milwaukee County circuit court judge’s victory roughly an hour after polls closed, calling the race with 60 percent of the votes counted. By 1000 p.m. ET, Protasiewicz was leading former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Kelly 57 percent to 43 percent.
Radical Left-Winger Brandon Johnson Wins Race for Chicago Mayor
Brandon Johnson, the far-left, self-professed “progressive” candidate who ran on a plan to defund the Chicago Police and raise the city’s taxes, has won his runoff campaign for mayor of Chicago.
Moderate Democrat Paul Vallas led Johnson for most of the night until around 8 p.m. when Johnson began overtaking the former Chicago Public Schools chief.
Veteran actor James Woods sounded off on the indictment of former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling it a cheap distraction from America’s real enemies.
Sharing an article from Fox News about China’s new nuclear submarines, Woods said that the White House is “ghost hosting a dog and pony show in New York” instead of dealing with real problems.
Commentary By Kat Stansell
His Globalist/RINO mentors don’t want him to run in ’24
I was just finishing up another installment of proof that DeSantis is not the man he pretends, when the news broke that his donors believe he should not run for POTUS in 2024! I guess the truth has become apparent to too many, too fast of late. How can someone help to divide and conquer Conservatives (his main mission) if he is losing followers like a dog sheds his coat in summer? People have been watching, learning and turning against him in droves. The more they hear, the less they like, and, on the heels of the massive Trump rally in Waco, TX, the DeSantis team led by Karl Rove is taking their foot off the gas. For now.
Put in normal speak, Ron DeSantis has stepped in it one too many times and the odor clings. Like so many, I detest a fraud, especially one that lies to take down the country I love while enriching himself. America has had their fill of liars.
Instead of a whole piece analyzing his latest “faux paws”, I’ll give you a laundry list of the last 4+ years of Gov. Ron, and be done, unless and until things change.
Election Crimes
Immediately after his inauguration in 2019, DeSantis signed the state up for ERIC, the now proven warehouse for phantom voters. His predecessor, Rick Scott, refused to join, because he saw ERIC to be nothing but a dangerous data base containing personal information for everyone in the state. It contained no program for voter roll maintenance, then or now. Scott saw that. Why didn’t DeSantis? Or did he?
That narrow margin of victory – .4% – may have really scared Mr. D. Did he sign onto ERIC knowing full well what it was and what it did? Or did his Globalist backers suggest it to make sure that their boy never just “squeaked by” again? No one will ever be sure.
I do believe more now than ever, that his “big red wave” in the Midterms was manufactured to catapult him firmly onto the national scene. Many in the position to know, agree. The hundreds of thousands of ballots mailed to and voted from a cache of KNOWN phantom addresses and uncovered before the Midterm, were NOT for his opponent. Conservatives – who had discovered and proven the fraud – had feared they were ready for use by Crist. DeSantis and his Secretary of State, Cord Byrd, told them that Tallahassee“loved” the ERIC system, and said outright that “they used it a little differently”. Hmmm.
Citizens were demanding the state resign from ERIC, but Cord Byrd told them to “back off”, that Florida “would never leave ERIC”. Just two weeks later, it did! When asked why Florida had resigned, Byrd feigned ignorance of the whole system, pretending that he was unaware of how ERIC worked. Bovine feces, I say. It just plain stinks.
The widely touted Election Crimes division be damned.
Those who tried to show proof of fraud were labeled as the criminals, called “purveyors of misinformation”. That word makes my blood run cold, and the fact that Tallahassee used it makes it even worse.
Here We Go Again: U.S. Intelligence Watching for Russia, China ‘Interference’ After Trump Indictment
U.S. intelligence officials are watching for possible political “interference” from Russia and China in the wake of the indictment of Donald Trump, a report by CNBC on Wednesday claims.
The suggestion that either power could be looking to influence proceedings in the U.S. mirrors previous allegations Russia somehow influenced American voters into putting Donald Trump into office, a conspiracy theory often referred to as RussiaGate.
HEALTH
The Deadliest Chemical in US Agriculture Goes on Trial
Glyphosate — the active ingredient in the broad-spectrum herbicide RoundUp — is commonly used off-label as a desiccant and/or preharvest treatment to speed ripening. This is why even non-GMO foods often contain glyphosate
Paraquat and diquat are registered desiccants that have been used in U.S. agriculture since 1962, and as bad as glyphosate is, these “quats” may be even worse
More than 3,000 farmers with Parkinson’s disease are suing Syngenta, the lead manufacturer of paraquat, and Chevron, a key distributor, arguing the chemical caused their disease. The first federal trial is set for October 2023. More than 100 lawsuits have also been filed in California state courts, where trials are set to begin in June 2023
In 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reapproved paraquat for another 15 years. Earth Justice sued the EPA claiming the agency has “understated the extent of paraquat’s adverse effects.” The EPA is now re-reviewing its paraquat data and has until December 2023 to draft its reanalysis
Research suggests plant lectins are the key link between paraquat and the damage resulting in Parkinson’s disease. Lectins are proteins found in many grains, legumes, and beans — the very crops most-often treated with paraquat. Paraquat can trigger Parkinson’s disease when combined with plant lectins as the lectins transport the toxin straight into the brain
Will These ‘Foods’ Be Banned for Toxic Chemicals?
California lawmakers are hoping to ban five toxic chemicals used in the manufacture of many processed foods, including titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, red dye No. 3 and propylparaben
Combined, these chemicals are estrogen disrupters, lower sperm count, are known to cause cancer in animals and humans, disrupt the gut microbiome, damage the central nervous system, cause loss of memory and muscle coordination, and are linked to hyperactivity in children
If enacted, the bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale and distribution of products containing these chemicals, such as Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, jellybeans, Pez candy, Campbell’s Soup and Trident sugar-free gum to name a few
Foods that most people overlook are condiments that are far from benign and can have a cumulative biological effect. Making mayonnaise, sour cream, salad dressing and ketchup at home takes just a few minutes, helps reduce excess sugar in your diet and eliminates artificial preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers
Cancer spreads while you sleep, new study reveals
A recent paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature points to some surprising findings about the relationship between sleep, cancer, and hormones. But, be careful, don’t misunderstand the results of this review.
To be clear: These findings do not negate the importance of a good night’s sleep. Sleeping well helps with detoxification and regeneration of your body. So, if you struggle to fall or stay asleep, it’s still worthwhile to utilize sleep-boosting tips to improve your nighttime rest.
“When the affected person is asleep, the tumour awakens:” Researchers discover surprising link between sleep and spread of breast cancer
Last June, a team of researchers based out of a university in Zurich published the results of their research on the impact of breast cancer and sleep. Using animal and human models, the researchers discovered that cancerous tumors release more cancerous cells into the circulation when individuals are asleep. And compared to cells that leave the tumors during the day, these nighttime circulating cells appear to divide more quickly.
The implication of these findings is that of the cancers that end up metastasizing (spreading to other parts of the body), most of this spreading appears to happen while individuals are sleeping.
Quoted in an article by Science Daily, lead author Zoi Diamantopoulou says that their research “shows that the escape of circulating cancer cells from the original tumour is controlled by hormones such as melatonin, which determine our rhythms of day and night.” In other words, the researchers hypothesize that cancer cells are impacted by our body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) and that the hormonal changes associated with this “clock” may actually contribute to whether and how tumor cells grow and spread in the body.
Another important finding from the study was that when tumor or blood samples are taken from a person may actually influence the ability of oncologists to provide an accurate diagnosis. The authors say this lays important groundwork for future research and may point to a future change in the way doctors perform and record biopsies. Although, one should keep in mind that biopsies can increase the risk of cancer cell growth.
If sleep primes cancer cells to spread around the body, does this mean sleep isn’t beneficial for people with cancer?
The importance of getting a good night’s sleep has had somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, and today we’ve seen our cultural milieu shift from “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” to endless conversations about sleep hygiene tips and tricks to help us all get our recommended 7 to 9 hours of nightly Zzz’s.
And while you might wonder if you should really prioritize sleep even if you or a loved one has cancer – given what we know about how cancers can spread as we sleep – the truth is, all humans truly require sufficient quantity and quality of sleep in order to move toward optimal wellness.
Of course, people diagnosed with cancer often struggle with sleep for a variety of reasons, notes the Sleep Foundation. These reasons include pain from treatment or from a cancerous tumor directly, treatment-induced gastrointestinal problems, breathing problems, medication side effects, and the understandable stress, anxiety, and depression that can accompany a cancer diagnosis.
Importantly, researchers have spent plenty of time investigating whether poor sleep quality or quantity (e.g., chronic sleep deprivation due to things like insomnia and nighttime shift work) can actually raise a person’s cancer risk. The data are inconclusive at this point, although research in both humans and animals suggests there could be a positive correlation.
Even so, there’s little question among the scientific and medical communities about how sleep has a net positive impact on human health overall. Sleep can strengthen your immune system, support your mood and mental health, and enhance your metabolic and cardiovascular health, among other things.
A 2021 position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine doesn’t leave anything in doubt when it says: “Sleep is a biological necessity, and insufficient sleep and untreated sleep disorders are detrimental for health, well-being, and public safety.”
So, whether you’re in normal health or currently fighting cancer or some other chronic disease, continue to use whatever sleep hygiene habits and tricks help you get more quality rest at night – whether that’s sleep-supporting supplements and herbs, tools like blue-light blocking technology, avoiding late-night snacks, making your room cool and dark, or any number of other sleep hygiene techniques that have been shown to be beneficial.
As a final note: To help you sleep better, try grounding yourself (outside) – at night – for a 30 – 45 minutes before going to sleep or sit inside a far infrared sauna for 5 to 10 minutes to help shift your body from sympathetic to a parasympathetic state, which will calm your nervous system.
I have no idea what told me to look at the ingredients in my makeup this morning, but I pulled out my tube of Clinique Even Better makeup broad spectrum SPF 15 for evening and correcting and low and behold… Its active ingredient is an endocrine disruptor.
OCTINOXATE 5.9% – Octinoxate is a UV filter that can be rapidly absorbed through the skin. It is sometimes also listed as Octyl Metoxycinnamate. Octinoxate is an endocrine disruptor that mimics estrogen and can disrupt thyroid function. I have Thyroid disease, Hashimoto’s to be specific.
It filters UV-B rays only, not A. It dissolves in oil which makes it a fat-seeking substance that will hide and store in the fat cells as a toxin.
Health Dangers of Octinoxate
Endocrine disruption:
1. This chemical can throw off your estrogen levels and can contribute to the development of breast cancer.
2. It also reduces thyroid hormone in the bloodstream. They are critical for metabolic function.
3. It has been found to reduce the reproductive ability and to alter offspring with lower estradiol and progesterone in female babies.
- It is associated with infertility and miscarriages.
- Reduction in sperm level in men.
Why isn’t this regulated?
The allowable levels are set at 7.5% of any product produced. The FDA is the overseer. We all know just how much they care about the health of humanity at large. Once again, profit over health. The only requirement is that it is listed on the label as an active ingredient.
The secondary Ingredient in this makeup is Titanium Dioxide – a nanoparticle carcinogen. That means not only does it hold the potential to cause cancer, but it can also pass the blood-brain barrier lodging itself in your brain matter. Titanium is a heavy metal that is toxic after a certain level in the body. Studies say that it “most likely” cannot penetrate the outer layers of the skin. The question becomes, why rub carcinogenic material on your face at all?
The Verdict?
Bye Clinique! I am sad that I have been rubbing this junk on my face for quite some time now… It just went in the trash.
Now the Important Question – What’s in YOUR makeup drawer?
NJ gov signs executive order protecting transgender youth health care
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Tuesday signed an executive order establishing the state as a safe haven for transgender young Americans and their families.
Murphy’s executive order, which is effective immediately, prevents individuals in New Jersey from being extradited to another state for providing, receiving or “otherwise facilitating” gender-affirming health care services that are legal in the state.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Three Congressmen Introduce Gold Standard Bill to Stabilize the Dollar’s Value
As America faces the twin threats of inflation and bank failures, three U.S. congressmen introduced a pivotal sound money bill that would enable the Federal Reserve note “dollar” to regain stable footing for the first time in more than half a century.
Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) – joined by Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) – introduced H.R. 2435, the “Gold Standard Restoration Act,” to facilitate the repegging of the volatile Federal Reserve note to a fixed weight of gold bullion.
Upon passage of H.R. 2435, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve are given 24 months to publicly disclose all gold holdings and gold transactions, after which time the Federal Reserve note “dollar” would be formally repegged to a fixed weight of gold at its then-market price.
JPMorgan CEO Says Bank Crisis Not Over, America Shifting Into a ‘Vicious Cycle’
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in a letter to shareholders that the U.S. banking crisis is not over, and that even when it does end, its impact will linger for years, while warning that America seems to moving into a “vicious cycle.”
“As I write this letter, the current crisis is not yet over, and even when it is behind us, there will be repercussions from it for years to come,” Dimon wrote in the wide-ranging 43-page missive that included the ominous warning that storm clouds threaten the U.S. economy.
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) triggered a crisis of confidence in the U.S. banking sector, prompting financial authorities to rush through a rescue package to stem a potential run on bank deposits that threatened broader financial instability.
“Any crisis that damages Americans’ trust in their banks damages all banks—a fact that was known even before this crisis,” Dimon wrote.
In the two weeks since the failure of SVB, roughly $213 billion in deposits have been pulled from America’s domestically chartered commercial banks as skittish savers rushed to withdraw their money, according to the latest seasonally adjusted Federal Reserve figures on deposit outflows.
While some argue that’s a relative drop in the bucket compared to the roughly $16 trillion in total deposits held in U.S. domestic banks, experts have warned that the deposit flight is a factor contributing to tighter lending standards, with small businesses especially vulnerable to what some believe is a looming credit crunch.
“Regarding the current disruption in the U.S. banking system, most of the risks were hiding in plain sight,” Dimon wrote, including exposure to rising interest rates, which materialized when the Federal Reserve set out on an aggressive rate-hiking cycle in a bid to tame soaring inflation.
Social Security Cuts May Be Coming Soon: Here’s Who Will Be Affected
A new report indicates that the Social Security program is expected to run out of money by 2033 due to slower-than-predicted economic growth.
A Social Security and Medicare Trustees report released March 31 found the entitlement program could face insolvency a year earlier than previously reported, in part, due to a revision of gross domestic product and labor productivity over the coming years. Those benefits, which go to retired workers by in large, impact about 50 million people per month, with recipients getting an average payment of about $1,800, according to the Social Security Administration.
It added that if no significant changes are made before 2034 to shore up its funds, around 66 million Americans could see a benefit reduction between 23 percent and 25 percent.
“The combined trust funds will be insolvent by 2034, when today’s 56-year-olds reach the full retirement age and today’s youngest retirees turn 73,” the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) said in an analysis. “Upon insolvency, all beneficiaries will face a 20 percent across-the-board benefit cut.”
The group added that the “Social Security program is only 11 years from insolvency, with insolvency of the old-age program only a decade away” and warned that “action must be taken soon to prevent an across-the-board benefit cut for many current and future beneficiaries.”
And if no action is taken, “all retirees regardless of age, income, or need will face a 20 percent across-the-board benefit cut, which will grow to 26 percent by the end of the 75-year projection window” upon insolvency of the program, the group added.
Walmart Cutting 2,000 Jobs amid ‘Trepidation and Uncertainty’
Walmart has begun laying of 2,000 workers at a number of fulfillment centers to help the retail giant contend with an uncertain economic climate.
Citing Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) filings, CNN reported eliminating more than 2,000 positions – 1,000 in Texas, 600 in Pennsylvania, 400 in Florida, and 200 in New Jersey.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
AI chatbot allegedly encouraged married dad to commit suicide amid ‘eco-anxiety’: widow
‘Without Eliza [the chatbot], he would still be here,’ widow says
A man in Belgium reportedly died by suicide after messaging with an AI chatbot about climate change, according to the man’s widow.
“Without Eliza [the chatbot], he would still be here,” the widow, whose real name was not used in the story, told Belgian outlet La Libre.
The man, identified by the outlet under the fake name of Pierre, reportedly became obsessed and pessimistic about climate change and began messaging with a chatbot on an app called Chai. Pierre, reportedly in his 30s at the time of his suicide, worked as a health researcher and shared two children with his wife.
Pierre’s widow showed La Libre messages between the man and the bot, known as “Eliza,” which allegedly showed that the husband appeared to treat the bot as a human and that their messages became more alarming over the course of six weeks before his death.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
People Injured In Early Morning Missouri Tornado
An overnight tornado has left injuries and damage this morning in Bollinger County, Missouri.
Homes are damaged and roads are blocked in the Glen Allen and Grassy areas in southeast Missouri, Bollinger County Sheriff Casey Graham told KFVS.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Clark Parrott said people were injured in the twister, which struck between 3:30 and 4 a.m. CDT. Parrott didn’t know how many had been hurt.
Video from the scene showed a wall ripped off one side of a two-story home, with a large tree uprooted beside it. The roof was torn from another house.
China Cheers On OPEC+ Production Cut as a ‘Gut Punch’ to U.S.
China’s state-run Global Times propaganda outlet celebrated on Tuesday the oil cartel OPEC+ announcing a significant cut in its production the day before, claiming it as a victory against “U.S. hegemony” and a “stern warning” to America that it had lost global influence.
OPEC+ – a coalition of both OPEC members and non-members such as Russia, Mexico, and Kazakhstan – surprised global markets on Monday by announcing that it would reduce its collective oil output by 1.16 million barrels per day (bpd).
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
How to Control Two-Spotted Spider Mites Without Harmful Pesticides
Two-spotted spider mites or red spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) are tiny sap-sucking pests belonging to the Tetranychidae family that are barely visible to the naked eye, being only 0.3-0.5mm long, that live on the underside of leaves. Their body color varies, it can be pale green, greenish-amber or yellowish-green, and they have two characteristic dark spots on each side of their body, hence their name.
Mature spider mite males are much smaller in size than the females, usually around a fifth of the weight, and tend to remain straw-coloured.
Mites are not insects, but arachnids, as they have eight legs (insects have six) and belong to the class Arachnida which also includes spiders, scorpions and ticks.
These pests occur worldwide and attack a wide range of plants, and they’ve been found on over 300 species of plants!
Two-spotted spider mites are serious pests on a range of vegetable crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and beans; berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries; farm crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton; trees such as apples, peaches, and almonds; and ornamental plants, such roses, chrysanthemums, and petunias, just to name a few.
When two‐spotted spider mites reach high population densities, they can cause severe crop damage and seriously weaken plants, causing defoliation and reductions in crop quality and yields.
These pests thrive in hot, dry weather with less than 50% humidity, especially when nights are also warm. When such weather persists for prolonged periods, spider mite populations multiply rapidly.
Spider mite damage to plants is common in summer and more prevalent during drought conditions. Water-stressed plants tend to be more susceptible to attack and are more easily damaged by spider mites. In crops that encounter both drought stress and spider mite attack, crop losses of 50% or more are possible.
As spider mites dislike damp conditions, rainy weather helps to keep spider mite population levels in check.
We can complement nature’s controls to prevent two-spotted spider mite outbreaks using the following prevention methods:
- Keeping plants healthy by feeding, mulching, and watering them. Plants have their own natural defenses and the ability to resists pests if they’re strong, healthy, and vigorous. Weak, unhealthy and drought-stressed plants are more susceptible to spider mite attack.
- Maintaining a diverse garden habitat filled with companion plants whose flowers serve as a nectar source for beneficial insects and predatory mites, such those from the Asteraceae (daisy) family, Apiaceae (parsley) family and other plants with small, shallow, nectar-rich flowers like Sweet Alyssum. Encouraging predatory mites and beneficial insects helps control two-spotted spider mites.
- Mulching the soil, making compost and adding it to the garden, to create a habitat which encourages predatory mites that feed on two-spotted mites. Some predatory mites live in soil, or amongst the leaf litter and other mulch materials on the soil surface.
- Avoiding the use of chemical insecticides which can kill beneficial predatory mites, and cause explosions of pest spider mite populations.
- Misting the underside of plant leaves regularly during hot, dry weather to increase moisture levels and make the less hospitable to spider mites. Best done earlier in the day so leaves dry by nightfall, as leaves that remain wet overnight can encourage fungal diseases.
Physical Controls for Spider Mites
If plants have been attacked by two-spotted spider mites, some simple controls can reduce their numbers before resorting to spraying miticides.
- Prune off affected parts of the plant and destroy them, don’t put them in the compost! After pruning, increase humidity in the area around the plant, especially around new growth, by watering overhead or misting the plants. Don’t wet leaves late in the evening to avoid fungal plant diseases.
- Blast the affected plants by hosing with a jet of water under pressure to dislodge the mites from the undersides of the leaves. This can significantly reduce buildup of spider mite populations. Use only moderate pressure so as not to damage the plants. This method is not suitable for young plants, seedlings, or delicate plants.
- In cases of heavy infestation, where plants can’t be saved, remove and destroy the whole affected plants when practical to prevent spread to other healthy plants.
It’s important to check plants for signs of two-spotted spider mites often during persistent hot, dry conditions. Pest problems are easier to deal with when they’re detected early, and it may be possible to manage the beginnings of a mite problem simply by removing parts of a plant, or a single plant amongst many.
Biological Controls for Spider Mites
Many pests are effectively controlled by their natural enemies, which eat them and reduce their numbers significantly, serving as biological control agents.
Two-spotted spider mites are controlled by several biological control agents including:
- Lacewings
- Tiny mite feeding ladybirds (Stethorus spp.)
- Predatory gall-midges (Feltiella spp.)
- Various predatory mites, including the Persimilis predatory mite (Phytoseiulus persimilis) which controls spider mites, and the Californicus predatory mite (Neoseiulus californicus) which controls spider mites, broad mites and cyclamen mites.
Using cultural practices (cultural controls) such as increasing humidity around plants during extremely hot or dry periods can create conditions that favour these predators and disadvantage the pests, leading to much better pest control outcomes.
Commercial growers can purchase these predatory mites and introduce them into their crops to help control spider mite populations without chemicals.
CANCEL CULTURE
Kid Rock has posted of video of himself shooting up cases of Bud Light in an apparent response to the beer brand’s hiring of transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney as its newest spokesperson.
“Fuck Bud Light. And fuck Anheuser-Busch. Have a terrific day,” Kid Rock said in the video, flashing his middle finger.
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