Today's News: April 19, 2023

WORLD NEWS

The End of April: A Time of Human Sacrifice

Why do we often witness tragedy and senseless deaths during the second half of April? The list of violent events that occurred during this time period is simply staggering. Here are some of them:

April 19, 1993 – Waco Massacre: An FBI assault lead to the burning down of the compound of a sect named Branch Davidians, killing 76 men, women and children.
April 19, 1995 – Oklahoma City bombing – 168 people killed.
April 20, 1999 – Columbine High School Massacre – 13 people murdered, 21 injured.
April 16, 2007 – Virginia Tech Massacre – 32 killed; 17 injured.
April 16, 2013 – Boston Marathon Explosions – 3 killed; 107 injured.
April 18, 2013 – Fertilizer plant explosion, Texas – 5-15 killed (Notice that this event occurred almost exactly 20 years after the Waco Massacre, which is in the same area. Also, on April 16, 1947, a ship loaded with ammonium nitrate docked at the Port of Texas City and erupted in flames, causing a massive explosion that killed approximately 576 people).

There were many other violent occurrences that happened during that time period. In fact, CNN published an article in 2011 titled What is it about mid-April and violence in America?, discussing the events that occur in Mid-April. Sadly, the article only bashed “conspiracy theorists” and basically said “If you look for answers further than mass media, you are crazy and potentially dangerous”. However, two years later, the violent trend continues.

Is it all a coincidence? For those in the know, there are no such thing as coincidences. In 2011, I wrote an article about the death of Bin Laden, announced between April 30th and May 1st (see Why the Death of the Man Who Was Not Behind 9/11 Was Announced on May 1st). In that article, I briefly described the ritualistic significance of May 1st (May Day) and its relation to a god that is still important for to the occult elite: Baal.

The Cult of Baal Never Disappeared

Throughout many centuries and across many civilizations, the second half of April has always been a time of blood sacrifice. The worship of Baal took many names (Enlil, Molech, etc.) and spread across several civilizations. Being a sun god and a god of fertility, rituals celebrating Baal took place after the vernal equinox (a time of rebirth) and often involved human sacrifice.

“The cult of Baal celebrated annually his death and resurrection as a part of the Canaanite fertility rituals. These ceremonies often included human sacrifice and temple prostitution.”
– Baal, Encyclopedia Mythica

Although the observance of these rituals was sometimes condemned by religious movements, it never truly disappeared.

“The religion of the god Baal was widely accepted among the ancient Jews, and although it was put down at times, it was never permanently stamped out. Kings and other royalty of the ten Biblical tribes worshiped the god. The ordinary people ardently worshiped this sun god too because their prosperity depended on the productivity of their crops and livestock. The god’s images were erected on many buildings. Within the religion there appeared to be numerous priests and various classes of devotees. During the ceremonies they wore appropriate robes. The ceremonies included burning incense, and offering burnt sacrifices, occasionally consisting of human victims. The officiating priests danced around the altars, chanting frantically and cutting themselves with knives to inspire the attention and compassion of the god.”
– Ibid.

As a sun god, Baal’s worship involved human sacrifice and fire. Today, in the occult-elite ruled America, this time period often equals fire (or gun fire) and death. These rites were even mentioned in the Bible:

“They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal–something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.”
– Jeremiah 19:5

From the Babylonian, Assyrian and Phoenician civilizations of the Middle-East (their Mystery religions come from the same point origin), the cult of Baal spread to distant civilizations, such as the Celts, who observed Beltane rituals on May 1st (Beltane originates from the word “Baal”). While the observance of Baal rituals differed from one civilization to another, they were nevertheless grounded in the same occult concepts of numerology and sacrifice. In other words, they were all tapping into the same magickal knowledge.

Today’s occult elite still observes these rites, but with one major difference: They are now carried out on unsuspecting civilians and spread across the world through mass media. Fed and amplified by the fear and trauma of the masses, these mega-rituals are seen by all, but only celebrated by the occult elite. More than ever, we are dealing with Black Magick.

Other sites dedicated to occult numerology have published information emphasizing the importance of this time period.

“April 19 – May 1 – Blood Sacrifice To The Beast, a most critical 13-day period. Fire sacrifice is required on April 19.

April 19 is the first day of the 13-day Satanic ritual day relating to fire – the fire god, Baal, or Molech/Nimrod (the Sun God), also known as the Roman god, Saturn (Satan/Devil). This day is a major human sacrifice day, demanding fire sacrifice with an emphasis on children. This day is one of the most important human sacrifice days, and as such, has had some very important historic events occur on this day.”
– Occult Holidays and Sabbaths, Cutting Edge

Another article briefly describes the elements required to carry out the elite’s mega-rituals.

“The human sacrifice required during many of these occult dates needs to contain the following elements, each one of which is exaggerated to the highest possible degree:

Trauma, stress, and mental anguish, sheer terror
2. The final act in the drama should be destruction by a fire; preferably a conflagration.
3. People must die as human sacrifices, especially children, since The Darkness views younger human sacrifice as most desirable”
– Advent of Deception

Of course, not every event that occurs during that time period is related to Illuminati human sacrifice. However, most of the events mentioned above fit right in the mega-ritual “criteria” checklists. If you look carefully at the facts surrounding each one of these events, you might conclude that they were either carried out by government officials or blamed on mind-controlled patsies. Most of these events are absurdly gratuitous, generating even more trauma and causing people to wonder “what kind of evil people would do such a thing?” Unfortunately, these evil people rule us, and the same events are then used to further extremist political agendas.

The powers that be have become masters at combining pragmatic politics with occult rituals.

In Conclusion

Those who know about occult calendars enter the second half of April wondering if something horrific is about to happen. Sadly, every few years, it does, and the public is traumatized with a senseless and violent event. Almost every time, a closer look at the event leads to strange and suspicious facts, and, more often than not, hints towards an inside job. While many will ascribe the occurrence of these events during the end of April to coincidence, the fact remains: Mass violent events involving death and fire happen regularly during the same time period that is occultly dedicated to Baal, who is worshipped through fire and human sacrifice. Whether this is all done on purpose or just the result of some crazy universal synchronicity, the fact is still there and cannot be disputed. Incidentally, the compound that was burned down in the 1993 Waco Massacre was named Mount Carmel Center. In the Bible, Mount Carmel was where Elijah defied the prophets of Baal, challenging themto pray to Baal until he lit a fire in front of them. No fire was lit. Was the fire at Mount Carmel Center a symbolic revenge of Baal?

Chinese Lab Developed COVID-19 Virus, Senate Report Claims

The COVID-19 virus originated in a Chinese laboratory and was leaked unintentionally, a new U.S. Senate report concludes.

The virus, SARS-CoV-2, leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which tests bat coronaviruses, twice in 2019, researchers conducting the report say.

“The preponderance of information supports the plausibility of an unintentional research-related incident that likely resulted from failures of biosafety containment during SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-related research,” the 301-page report, released on April 17, states.

IMF Unveils UNICOIN As Legal Tender CBDC Settlement

During last week’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings 2023, the Digital Currency Monetary Authority (DCMA) announced the launch of an international central bank digital currency (CBDC) known as the Universal Monetary Unit (UMU), which is symbolized by the ANSI Character Ü.

According to a press release announcing the new currency, UMU, also known as Unicoin, is a legal money commodity that can transact in any legal tender settlement currency and functions like a CBDC to enforce banking regulations and “protect the financial integrity of the international banking system.”

UMU “adopts a central banking monetary policy framework to ensure it has continuous purchasing demand, minimal price volatility, and annual asset pricing targets,” the announcement said.

Banks will be able to utilize the new currency by attaching SWIFT Codes and bank accounts to a UMU digital currency wallet. This enables them to conduct SWIFT-like cross-border payments entirely over digital currency rails, accessing the best-priced wholesale FX rates and achieving instantaneous, real-time settlement while bypassing the correspondent banking system.

“Cross-border payments can be slow, expensive, and risky,” said Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor at the International Monetary Fund. “In today’s world of payments, counterparties in different jurisdictions rely on costly trusted relationships to offset the lack of a common settlement asset together with common rules and governance. But imagine if a multilateral platform existed that could improve cross-border payments—at the same time transforming foreign exchange transactions, risk sharing, and more generally, financial contracting.”

Through the adoption of a global localization public monetary system architecture, UMU can be configured to operate according to the central banking regulations of each participating jurisdiction, the release said.

“UMU is not attempting to disrupt the international monetary system,” said Darrell Hubbard, the Executive Director of the DCMA. “If fact, it strengthens it by helping the IMF achieve its stated mandate to provide economic and financial stability to its member states. UMU is a game-changer in how cross-border payments are transacted and mitigates against seasonal and systemic local currency depreciation.”

The US seeks to enlist an old communist foe against China

Will Vietnam, having suffered immensely at American hands decades ago, tilt towards Washington?

Shunned and shut out from China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Hanoi, Vietnam. Here, the US is courting a country which it once bombed with millions of tons of napalm, leading to a wholesale loss of innocent lives. Now, of course, its tune has changed in a bid to shore up its ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’ and contain the rise of Beijing.

The situation may seem favorable to the US, given that Vietnam is located right on China’s periphery, leading to struggles of independence against its much larger neighbor. Additionally, despite also being a communist country, it has a contentious relationship with Beijing owing to territorial disputes over the South China Sea.

India to have 2.9 million more people than China by mid-2023: UN

India is on its way to becoming the world’s most populous country, overtaking China with almost three million more people in the middle of this year, data released by the United Nations show.

The demographic data released on Wednesday by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates India’s population at 1.4286 billion against 1.4257 billion for China.

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Hundreds of Southwest Airlines flights are delayed after FAA lifts nationwide ground stop

Hundreds of Southwest Airlines flights were delayed after technical issues that prompted the airline to temporarily halt its operations on Tuesday morning.

Southwest said the flight delays were the result of “data connection issues resulting from a firewall failure,” a problem that led to a brief ground stop.

Video: BREAKING: SMOKING GUN PROOF OF BIDEN’S TREASON? — TODD CALLENDER

(NOTE: The hearing is scheduled for today!)

Rep. Jordan Files Response to Bragg’s Motion Amid Probe Into Trump Indictment

The House Judiciary Committee and its chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), on April 17 filed a response to a motion filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The filing comes amid a legal clash between Bragg and Jordan on whether Congress has the authority to investigate Bragg’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

It began when Bragg sued to halt a congressional subpoena from Jordan that sought the testimony of Mark Pomerantz, a former Manhattan prosecutor who led an investigation into Trump’s finances.

Texas Coordinates With ATF To Share Income Of Residents For Warrantless Monitoring

Texas secretly gives its citizens’ incomes to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Documents show this has led to at least one person being monitored by the feds without a warrant through the federal gun background check system. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) told The Epoch Times that it has written contracts with ATF for “sharing income information” for criminal investigations. The revelation may lead to oversight by the legislature.

Rep. Jordan Files Response to Bragg’s Motion Amid Probe Into Trump Indictment

The House Judiciary Committee and its chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), on April 17 filed a response to a motion filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The filing comes amid a legal clash between Bragg and Jordan on whether Congress has the authority to investigate Bragg’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

It began when Bragg sued to halt a congressional subpoena from Jordan that sought the testimony of Mark Pomerantz, a former Manhattan prosecutor who led an investigation into Trump’s finances.

In the 35-page filing (pdf), attorneys for the House Judiciary Committee and Jordan argued that Bragg’s lawsuit to quash Jordan’s subpoena violates the speech or debate clause in the U.S. Constitution.

The attorneys asserted that Jordan’s subpoena serves a valid legislative purpose and is therefore protected from any interference from the courts under the clause.

They also argued that Congress is within its authority to “examine whether former Presidents are being subject to politically motivated state investigations and prosecutions due to the policies they advanced as President, and, if so, what legislative remedies may be appropriate.”

West Virginia Lawmaker Leaves Democrat Party for GOP

A lawmaker in the West Virginia House of Delegates has switched allegiances from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, shrinking his former party’s presence in the state’s legislature.

Del. Elliott Pritt announced his party switch on Monday, bringing the balance of power in the House of Delegates to 89 Republicans and 11 Democrats. Pritt, who is in his first term, and won in a district previously held by a Republican, said he felt he needed to change parties “if I am to accurately represent my constituents and my people as well as my own conscience.”

“It has become more and more obvious that there is very little room in the party for traditional values or differences regarding political opinion-we are being pushed out,” Pritt wrote in a letter to Democratic House Minority Leader Doug Skaff and the dwindling Democratic Caucus in the House and posted on Facebook. “The values, beliefs, and way of life that the people of Southern West Virginia and Fayette County hold dear are no longer compatible with the trajectory of the Democratic Party.”

Graham Blocks Schumer’s Attempt to Temporarily Replace Feinstein on Judiciary Committee by Unanimous Consent

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) blocked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer trying to temporarily replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Schumer, on April 18, tried to pass a resolution by unanimous consent that would have put Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) on the committee pending Feinstein’s return from her weeks-long absence due to shingles. With Graham’s objection, the move would require 11 Republicans to join the remaining 50 available Democrats. Without Feinstein, the Democrats control the Senate, 51-49.

“Few have left their mark on this country like our dear friend, Sen. Dianne Feinstein,” said Schumer ahead of asking for the unanimous consent.

In objecting to Schumer’s request, Graham said that while he wishes Feinstein a “speedy recovery and return back to the Senate,” he decried Schumer’s attempt being “about a handful of judges that you can’t get the votes for.”

Usually, committee assignments, which are finalized via resolution, get green-lit by the Senate by unanimous consent and very little fanfare.

Biden Says He Will Veto Bill Protecting Female Sports

The Biden administration has announced that the president will veto the H.R. 734 bill that seeks to protect female sports from transgender athletes.

H.R. 734, also known as “The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” was introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and is expected to come to vote in the House this week. The bill seeks to prevent biological males from participating in women’s sports. H.R. 734 will amend Title IX to recognize sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”

The House Education and Workforce Committee already approved the bill 24–17, with Democrats voting against it and every Republican voting for it.

“The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 734,” according to an April 17 statement (pdf) made by the office of the Biden administration. “If the President were presented with H.R. 734, he would veto it.”

Fox News, Dominion Reach $787 Million Settlement in Defamation Lawsuit

Fox News has agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems a $787 million settlement, avoiding a trial in the $1.6 billion defamation case the electronic voting company brought against the cable news company.

Dominion brought a $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News and parent company Fox Corporation in March 2021 for defamation, accusing the news outlet of harming its reputation by airing former President Donald Trump and his attorneys’ claims that Dominion’s voting machines were used to rig the 2020 election.

Abort God’: Ohio Pro-Life Pregnancy Center Attacked by ‘Jane’s Revenge’

A pro-life pregnancy center in Bowling Green, Ohio, was spray-painted with messages saying, “fund abortion,” and “abort God,” in another attack claimed by a radical group called “Jane’s Revenge,” Fox News reported on Monday.

Other phrases painted on the walls of the HerChoice pregnancy center, included “liars,” and “fake clinic,” a label that far-left, pro-abortion politicians often give to pregnancy resource centers that actually work to help women prepare for motherhood. Rochelle Sikora, the executive director of HerChoice, told Fox News Digital the attack happened on the morning of April 15.

“This vile attack is part of a nationwide movement to intimidate, threaten, and terrorize pregnancy centers,” Sikora said. “These tactics are not only anti-American, they are based on misconceptions, misinformation, and outright lies.”

Pictures: New York City Parking Garage Collapse, One Killed, Several Injured

A Lower Manhattan multi-storey parking garage collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, with decks of cars crashing down killing one and injuring four others.

WATCH: Students act out lesbian ‘wedding’ in class

The lesbian-identified girls sealed their fake “marriage” with ring-pops, Ziegler told WND. He led the way in alerting other parents and the community to the scandal.

The video surfaced as a tip given to Protect Ohio Children, a statewide pro-family coalition that fights leftist social agendas in Ohio schools. Brunswick, in Medina County, is 20 miles southwest of Cleveland. The group received the student video April 10 and published it April 14 (watch the video here)

Here is the video description by Protect Ohio Children:

“This recording taken by an eighth-grade student at Brunswick Middle School, in which a mock lesbian wedding was acted out in the eighth grade Pride time on March 22, 2023. Pride time is done on Fridays and is used for the SEL lessons and teaching (SEL = Social Emotional Learning).

“During this Pride time event, the mother of an eighth grade female student who identifies as a lesbian, walked her daughter, whom I shall call “Bride 1”, to be given away in marriage to Bride #2. In the video, Bride #1 is holding a bouquet and is wearing an all white outfit, reminiscent of a tennis outfit. Just prior to Bride #1 being “walked down the aisle,” a male teacher is strewing rose petals along the path. The mother of Bride #1 is a school employee at the middle school. In addition to the male teacher, there were another three or four teachers in this classroom. There will be a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 18th, in the theater of the high school.”

In the video, the classic wedding song, “Here Comes the Bride” (Bridal Chorus, by Wagner) can be heard playing faintly in the background, perhaps played on a student’s phone, as the girl in white is led, allegedly by her mother, to her faux lesbian “wife.”

The Brunswick Middle School female teacher who “gave away” and escorted the female student at the mock homosexual “wedding” ceremony in the video is alleged to be Cheryl Porter, an eighth-grade science teacher, said Ziegler. He and a few other concerned parents were informed about the event by students in the classroom.

The man in the video who tosses petals on the floor, like a flower girl at a real wedding, is alleged to be Chad Thompson, an eighth-grade math teacher at Brunswick Middle, according to Ziegler and his parental allies, again relying on students who were in the classroom.

The ad hoc parents group told WND there were at least two other Brunswick MS teachers present at the “ceremony,” effectively celebrating it along with many of the students.

Superintendent: Students intended as ‘light-hearted fun’

As word spread of the students’ mock-homosexual “wedding,” complaints began to come in to the school. Ziegler said after he called into conservative Cleveland talk-radio host Bob Frantz of WHK Radio, and then informed Brunswick School Board member Glenn Gilley about the incident. Gilley told the school’s superintendent, Jason Niedermeyer, of the incident, and the next day Niedermeyer called Ziegler and told him he had no prior knowledge of the lesbian pretend ceremony.

Ohio Teen Dies from Benadryl Overdose After Attempting TikTok Challenge

A 13-year-old Ohio boy has died from an overdose on the allergy medication Benadryl after attempting a deadly challenge popularized on the Chinese social media app TikTok.

The TikTok challenge involved taking 12 to 14 Benadryl pills, which killed 13-year-old Jacob Stevens, according to a report by ABC 6.

Justin Stevens, Jacob’s father, said his son was at home with friends when the overdose occurred. He explained that Jacobs’ friends filmed him attempting the TikTok challenge when suddenly his body started seizing.

The teen was then taken to a local hospital, where doctors told Justin that his son would never wake up again.

“No brain scan. There was nothing there,” the boy’s family told the outlet. “He said we could keep him on the ventilator, we could, you know. He could lay there like that but he will never open his eyes. He will never breathe on his own, do anything like that.”

Now, Jacob’s family is urging other parents to pay attention to what their children are doing on the phone, and to tell them about what happened to their son.

“Keep an eye at what they’re doing on that phone,” they said. “Talk to them about the situation — I want everyone to know about my son.”

The boy’s family are also trying to get lawmakers to put an age restriction on purchasing medicine like Benadryl. Justin told ABC 6 that he has contacted Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R).

“It’s my life goal now to make that happen. I’ll go at it until the day I die,” he said.

HEALTH

Stomach Growl: What is the belly trying to say??

That rumble in your belly is a normal occurrence, but certainly a little embarrassing in a quiet room of people. We instantly assume, “Gosh, they must be hungry”. This growl is also referred to as “peristaltic” or “bowel” noise. The food in the gastro-intestinal tract is moving through the small intestine and likes to make its presence known when these muscle contractions occur. Sort of like that loud person in the gym who grunts. On an empty stomach, this noise becomes louder. Sometimes our stomach roars right before a meal because we are hungry and sometimes the belly shouts when we are totally satiated. This is confusing when it comes to our hunger cues.

The growling isn’t really coming from your stomach. This noise is termed, “borborygmic”, which means rumbling in Greek. Sometimes if you haven’t eaten in a while, your stomach growls possibly because your blood sugar has dropped, and the body is signaling that it needs nutrients to recover. When we finally eat, the food makes that noise go away because the space has been filled. The air isn’t free to move around anymore. We have a lot of air in the stomach mainly due to swallowing. When we eat too fast we also take in more air. The reason mama told us to chew with our mouth closed was to not let so much air in. Our stomach also doesn’t like bad food, so that is why a meal of junk can make a person gassy. The mixture of air, food, and gas propels the growling sound.

The smooth muscle cells of the gut contract rhythmically which is called basal electric rhythm (BER). This contraction typically occurs at a rate of 3 to 12 times per minute. However, hormones and the autonomic nervous system can affect this timing. Contraction usually occurs with the presence of food but can also occur when the stomach has been empty for about 2 hours. The receptors of the smooth muscle wall sense the lack of food and generate migrating myoelectric complexes (MMCs). These are the hunger contractions which can last for 10 to 20 minutes and up to 2 hours until the next meal is eaten. Low blood sugar heightens the MMCs.

Your stomach growling doesn’t mean that you are necessarily hungry. You could just have too much air, gas, or are getting ready to have a bowel movement because the small intestine is digesting. The key is understanding that you are typically hungry when you blood sugar is low. Signs of this would be feeling tired, dizzy or lightheaded, or maybe feeling a little anxious. Check in with these feelings before automatically assuming you must be hungry if your stomach is growling. Have a glass or two of water to help see if merely digestion is occurring. Your gut has a mind of its own and if often referred to as our second brain. When you are anxious or nervous, it talks to you which may link to emotional eating. True hunger means your body needs to be refueled. Try eating every 3 hours to stabilize your blood sugar and home in on eating to fuel your body.

IN-DEPTH: Survivors Alleging Satanic Ritual Abuse Raise Awareness Amid Media Claims of ‘Panic’

Survivors alleging satanic ritual abuse (SRA) and their advocates are continuing a decades-long fight to advance their cases as media companies push a narrative that the type of abuse they allege is largely the creation of a social panic.

Last month, the South by Southwest film festival screened “Satan Wants You,” which “tells the untold story of how the Satanic Panic of the 1980s was ignited,” according to the festival’s website. Echoing years of skeptical news coverage, the description adds that “satanic rumors spread through panic-stricken communities across the world, leaving a wave of destruction and wrongful convictions in their wake.” Other “satanic panic” warnings can be found in recent coverage of cases in Scotland and Utah while the backlash against Sam Smith’s Grammys performance has prompted similar caution.

But for advocates like Cindy Metcalf, the “Satanic Panic” narrative is false and degrades the stories she encounters on a regular basis. In March, Metcalf’s newly formed group Relentless Hope held a meeting in the Salt Lake area for survivors to discuss potential legal options for pursuing allegations involving the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

Eat Your Vaccines: mRNA Gene Therapy Foods?

The idea of eating vaccine technology through plants and animals is not new. Transhumans and Technocrats have been intent on taking over all genetic material on earth since at least 1992 with the advent of Sustainable Development and Agenda 21, where the term Biodiversity was redefined as “genetic manipulation.” ⁃ TN Editor

“I’ve got documents from the NIH – from 2002 – talking about integrating vaccines into foods,” announced attorney Tom Renz in an eye-opening interview with Dr. Naomi Wolf. “They’ve been working on integrating these [vaccines] into our food supply. They’ve been working on it for at least two decades.”

Skin Cancer is Deadlier for Men: Prevention Tips

With sunny days around the corner, it is time to think about protecting yourself against skin cancer, especially if you are male. Research shows that men are more likely to get potentially deadly melanoma, the most dangerous kind of skin cancer, than women. They are also more likely to die from it. Experts say a combination of physiology and behavior are to blame for this disparity.

According to The Washington Post, in 2023 the Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that there will be 97,610 cases of invasive melanoma diagnosed in the U.S. Of those, 58,120 will be men, and 39,490 will be women. Of the 7,990 people who will die of melanoma, 5,420 will be men.

Melanoma is a quick growing cancer that can spread into blood vessels and lymph nodes and attack other organs, says the Post. Some studies suggest that men’s skin does not retain disease-fighting antioxidants as well as women’s. Others suggest that women’s elevated level of estrogen is protective against skin cancer. But dermatologists also believe that men have a more cavalier attitude about sun protection than women.

“About half of women say they regularly use sunscreen when they’re spending time outdoors on a sunny day whereas only a quarter of men say they do,” says Dawn M. Holman, a behavioral scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who has studied sunscreen use in America. “And more than 40% of men say they never use sunscreen when they are out in the sun.” She added that some men view wearing sunscreen as a feminine behavior.

Since men tend to work and play more outdoors, they get more sun exposure over time than women. But they are woefully out of touch with the risks involved. A survey by the American Academy of Dermatology found that only half of men knew that there is no such thing as a healthy tan, compared to 76% of women. And while 70% of women knew that a base tan cannot protect you from the sun’s harmful rays, only 54% of men knew this is true. Finally, 65% of women recognized that skin cancer can develop on skin that gets intermittent or little sun, while only 56% men did.

Of course, one of the best ways to avoid getting skin cancer is to stay out of the sun. But if you are going to spend time outdoors, make sure to protect your skin with sunscreen. It’s important to choose the right product, say researchers frome the Environmental Working Group (EWG), who advise that consumers should avoid all spray and powder sunscreen products.

The organization releases its annual Guide to Sunscreens each year. The best-scoring recreational sunscreens on EWG’s list contain the mineral-based active ingredients zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both, since they have fewer health concerns and offer good sun protection. Zinc oxide, especially, provides good broad-spectrum protection and protection from both UVA and UVB rays, and it is stable in the sun.

Here are some more tips to remember when selecting a sunscreen:

Choose a lotion instead of a spray – sunscreen sprays pose inhalation risks and may provide inadequate protection.
If you must use a pump or spray, apply it to your hands first and then wipe it on your skin.

Holman adds that wearing sunscreen is not enough to protect your skin against cancer. She suggests staying in the shade as much as possible, and wearing a hat and sunglasses. Also, check your phone’s UV index to avoid the sun’s harshest rays, which normally occur at midday. If the index is 11 or higher, stay indoors.

You should also consider wearing UV protective clothing that provides a 50 SPF or higher. And check yourself regularly for signs of melanoma on your body. Have your partner assist in checking hard-to-see places such as your back and top of the head. Visit the dermatologist yearly for a skin cancer check. The American Cancer Society offers guidance on how to perform a monthly skin self-exam.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Commercial Real Estate Faces Perfect Storm: The Demise of Downtown Office Buildings

Commentary

In the mid-1970s I was a struggling business and economics student. I paid for my tuition and personal expenses with physically demanding summer and part-time jobs and some student debt.

I dreamed of one day working on Canada’s version of Wall Street, which was located in Toronto at the corner of King and Bay streets. That dream came true in the spring of 1980 when the Dominion Bond Rating Service hired me as a junior analyst. Four of the five big Canadian banks occupied the corners of King and Bay in their impressive skyscrapers. A block away were the golden towers of Canada’s largest financial institution, the Royal Bank of Canada. A book published in 1982 was named “Towers of Gold, Feet of Clay,” a reference to the fact the two RBC towers literally have a thin layer of gold coating their windows.

Locating the banks and brokers so closely together made sense at the time. There was no internet, no email, no cellphones, and no video conferencing. There weren’t even spreadsheets available at the beginning of the 1980s. When bankers and brokers met to discuss a new equity or bond issue, relevant executives would meet in one of their boardrooms. In those days, there were almost no food courts. Plebes like myself would pack a sandwich and some fruit and work through lunch. Every other Friday my boss would take us to a deliciously tacky restaurant named Ed’s Warehouse and we would order the only item on the menu: roast beef with frozen peas and watery mashed potatoes. The big shots would eat lunch at pretentious restaurants and private men’s clubs.

At 6 p.m. the entire area shut down, except for a few investment bankers burning the midnight oil to write up deals. As Bay Street and Toronto grew, more people flocked to the Financial District. Food courts, bars, and pubs opened. People began staying in the area after work to have dinner and drinks. Eventually, grotesque condominiums were built nearby to house those who didn’t want to commute, had no children, or didn’t make enough to afford a single-family home.

Fast forward to 2023. Three years after the onset of the lockdowns, many offices remain half empty. The pre-2020 crowds who ate and shopped in the underground area beneath the towers are far smaller. In fact, before the lockdowns the underground was overcrowded to the point of being an introvert’s worst nightmare. The changes in the Toronto Financial District mirror the story of most downtown cores of major cities across North America, if not the industrialized world.

The trend of people working from home is here to stay. Office space is expensive, and in the case of many workers, any drop in productivity is offset by the savings in rent. Unlike those of us who worked in the 1980s, we now have video conferencing, email, and all sorts of tools to help us work. In my case, I spent most of my time alone analyzing investments, portfolios, and the economy. Coming into the office wasted my time. I was ahead of my time. The one-way commuting time in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto average one hour. Working from home literally gives workers significantly more time to actually live. They can now avoid being stuck in traffic or being crushed by other people taking public transportation, some of whom seem to have not showered since the last financial crisis.

If these were not reasons enough to eschew large office buildings, the downtown areas have become dirty and dangerous. One block away from Scotiabank’s head office in Toronto earlier this year, an 89-year-old woman was violently shoved to the ground by a thug and killed right outside Starbucks. I have bought my morning coffee over a thousand times at that location. It was in broad daylight, right before the lunch hour. Wild-eyed junkies come out at night, and a few blocks away you can buy drugs near restaurants where the upper classes feast on $200 meals.

IN-DEPTH: Can Budweiser’s New Pro-America Ad Fix Transgender Controversy? Beer Drinkers Doubt It

The idyllic setting is the American heartland as the morning sun peeks above a misty golden wheat field when suddenly, a lone Clydesdale comes galloping in—bold, majestic, exuding strength and determination.

The narrator for the new Budweiser beer commercial is a middle-aged male, his voice gritty and self-assured. “Let me tell you a story about a beer rooted in the heart of America,” the new ad begins.

“Found in a community where a handshake is a sure contract. Brewed for those who found opportunity in challenge and hope for tomorrow.”

REI to Close Its Only Portland Store over Break-Ins, Theft

The outdoor retail giant REI announced on Monday that it plans to close its only store in Portland, Oregon, citing an increase in theft.

REI said its store in Portland “had its highest number of break-ins and thefts in two decades, despite actions to provide extra security,” according to an email the company sent to customers, obtained by Oregon Live.

This State Has Gone Gun-Control Crazy

(NOTE: This article mentions Power Hour guest, Dr. John Lott!)
When considering states with lots of unjust, unconstitutional anti-gun laws, California, New Jersey and New York nearly always come to mind. But if some anti-gun Oregon politicians get their way, the Beaver State will rank right up there with those historical gun-ban locales.

Last fall, Oregon voters passed Measure 114, one of the most-restrictive gun-control packages ever considered in nearly any state. Fortunately, an NRA-backed lawsuit was quickly filed, and the state then determined implementation of that initiative should be delayed.

Not to be dissuaded, anti-gun members of the Oregon legislature decided to fold the same restrictions from Measure 114 into a bill and put it before state lawmakers. Now under consideration, S.B. 348 is not just as bad as the initiative, but goes even further.

In a nutshell, the measure bans magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, requires citizens to take mandatory training and pay a substantial fee (higher than what was in Measure 114) to get a required permit to purchase a firearm; plus, it creates a state registry of gun owners. It also discriminates against adults aged 18-20 by denying them Second Amendment rights, and increases arbitrary delays before citizens can exercise their rights. Implementation would be a disaster for Oregon gun owners, now and in the future.

For a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing set for March 27, two Republican members of the committee—Sens. Dennis Linthicum and Kim Thatcher—asked Dr. John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, to serve as their expert witness for the committee hearing.

Surprisingly, after making most of the 10-hour drive from his home in Missoula, Mont., to Salem, Ore., Lott was informed after midnight on the morning of the hearing, while he was still on his way, that Committee Chairman Floyd Prozanski (D) would not allow him to be the Republicans’ expert witness. Instead, Lott would have just two minutes to address the 64-page measure.

Undaunted, Lott drove on to the state capital and made very good use of his two minutes.

“There’s no serious cost-benefit analysis that I’ve seen of this law,” he told the committee members. “My concern is that the net effect is going to actually be harmful to people. If my research convinces me of anything, the people who benefit the most from owning guns are the most vulnerable people in our society. They tend to be the people who are most likely victims of violent crime, and overwhelmingly tend to be poor blacks who live in high-crime areas and people who are relatively weak physically, like women and the elderly.”

Because of that, Lott said, the cost to citizens to become licensed to own and carry a gun would be substantial and prohibitive.

“The cost of the permits here is $150, but that is only going to be part of the cost,” he said. “Looking at other states that have concealed-carry permit training requirements, my guess is the cost will be $200 or more for the training. So, you’re talking about $350 or more to get the permit to own a gun. If you add it with the recent increases in concealed-carry permits that you had last year, you’re talking about nearly $500 for somebody to be able to go and get a gun and carry it.

“Who do you think you’re stopping? You’re not stopping wealthy whites who may live in the suburbs. You’re going to be stopping the very people who need guns the most for protection—poor blacks who live in high-crime urban areas.”

Lott was promptly cut off after two minutes by Prozanski, who then chose to not allow any questioning by committee members. When another person set to testify before the committee asked if he could give Lott his two minutes, the committee chairman curtly refused.

“It’s kind of strange that the Democrats wouldn’t let the Republicans pick who they wanted to have as their ‘expert,’” Lott, who has testified many times before legislative committees, said later in an exclusive interview with America’s 1st Freedom. “They wouldn’t let anybody ask any questions of me, which is something very unusual. I haven’t seen that happen before.”

The shenanigans at the hearing made it quite obvious that the anti-gun lawmakers pushing the anti-gun measure only want one side of the issue to be heard—their side. While the NRA continues to fight the legislation, opponents face an uphill battle. Both the House and Senate are controlled by gun-control proponents, and Gov. Tina Kotek (D) is also a supporter of the measure.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

From Alex Newman: Finally launched a Substack today to do our weekly newsletter. Please subscribe for free to keep up without Big Tech censorship: https://libertysentinel.substack.com/

Artificial Intelligence Could Automate Two-Thirds of All American Occupations: Goldman Sachs

Two-thirds of occupations across America could be partially automated by artificial intelligence (AI), Goldman Sachs economists have warned.

In a report published on April 5, economists Joseph Briggs and Devesh Kodnani said that a new wave of AI systems, such as ChatGPT, could have a “major impact” on employment markets across the globe, while advances in such technology could trigger shifts in workflows that could “expose the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs to automation.”

As part of their report, the two economists analyzed databases detailing the type of tasks performed in over 900 different occupations and estimated that about two-thirds of U.S. occupations are exposed to “some degree” of automation by AI.

In addition, they forecast that roughly a quarter to as much as half of the workload in the exposed occupations could be replaced by AI.

“Despite significant uncertainty around the potential for generative AI, its ability to generate content that is indistinguishable from human-created output and to break down communication barriers between humans and machines reflects a major advance with potentially large macroeconomic effect,” the economists wrote.

While they acknowledge concerns regarding advanced AI and possible job losses, Briggs and Kodnani note that not all automated work will definitely translate into layoffs.

“Although the impact of AI on the labor market is likely to be significant, most jobs and industries are only partially exposed to automation and are thus more likely to be complemented rather than substituted by AI,” the economists wrote.

Rectenwald On Transhumanism: Hacking Humanity

POSTED BY: MICHAEL RECTENWALD VIA MISES INSTITUTE

[This piece is an excerpt from The Great Reset and the Struggle for Liberty.]

The notion that the world can be replicated and replaced by a simulated reality says a great deal about the beliefs of those who promote the metaverse [treated in the previous chapter]. The conception is materialist and mechanistic at base, the hallmarks of social engineering. It represents the world as consisting of nothing but manipulable matter, or rather, of digital media mimicking matter. It suggests that human beings can be reduced to a material substratum and can be induced to accept a technological reproduction in lieu of reality. Further, it assumes that those who inhabit this simulacrum can be controlled by technocratic means. Such a materialist, mechanistic, techno-determinist, and reductionist worldview is consistent with the transhumanist belief that humans themselves will soon be succeeded by a new transhuman species, or humanity-plus (h+)—perhaps a genetically and AI-enhanced cyborg that will outstrip ordinary humans and make the latter virtually obsolete.

The term transhumanism was coined by Julian Huxley, the brother of the novelist Aldous Huxley and the first director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In an essay entitled “Transhumanism,” published in the book New Bottles for New Wine (1957), Huxley defined transhumanism as the self-transcendence of humanity:

The human species can, if it wishes, transcend itself—not just sporadically, an individual here in one way, an individual there in another way, but in its entirety, as humanity. We need a name for this new belief. Perhaps transhumanism will serve: man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature.1

Who Really Benefits from CBDCs? It’s Not the Public

Government officials and their cronies may stand to benefit from the rise of CBDCs, but the potential for abuse is likely to leave everyone else paying for it.

It’s hard to imagine why anyone would be in favor of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. The benefits are few and far between but the risks of abuse are severe.

While CBDC boosters may profit from advocacy or working to secure CBDC design contracts with governments, it is governments that are likely to see the lion’s share of potential CBDC benefits.

Even longtime supporters of central banking recognize that CBDCs would offer no unique benefits to the general public. “I keep asking anybody … to explain to me what problem [CBDCs are] solving,” said Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. “And all I get is a bunch of hand‐waving.”

As we have explained at length in a new policy paper for the Cato Institute, a libertarian think‐tank, CBDC proponents have been quick to list many potential benefits – but these benefits largely fail under any amount of scrutiny.

Consider just one of the arguments: that a CBDC will improve financial inclusion. According to surveys by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), people most commonly lack bank accounts because they either do not have enough money to meet minimum requirements, want to preserve their privacy or do not trust banks. A CBDC is unlikely to help with any of these issues.

SURVEILLANCE STATE

ChatGPT Introduces Next Level of Satellite Surveillance

ChatGPT has been taking over the news feed with its revolutionary and frightening ability to bring text production, video, audio and much more to a beyond-human level. But it’s not only invading the internet and business — it is poised to rewrite the rules of satellite surveillance as well.

I’ve been covering advancements in satellite surveillance capabilities since 2017 when it became apparent that low-cost micro satellites were resulting in an arms race to attain the most powerful global imaging systems.

Google Earth, Google Maps and Google Streetview systems already have removed the inherent right to privacy and transferred it to the whim of corporate terms and conditions. However, this pales in comparison to what has been launched by the world’s largest defense contractors, as well as newer providers of commercial space imagery.

Now, as you’ll see below, ChatGPT has coupled with Google Earth Engine for advanced image processing. I wouldn’t exactly call this “a match made in Heaven,” as we are clearly heading toward real-time satellite tracking of anyone and any place on Earth.

As Defense One reports, these new capabilities are being harnessed by the U.S. military in response to the Chinese weather balloon incident, and hold the potential to detect other objects and launches across the globe.

Now that we are heading toward a future of AI-driven detection capabilities, the only question remaining is how AI will be integrated into the response matrix.

>> Watch: ChatGPT and Google Earth Engine: A Match Made in Heaven for Satellite Image Processing

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Pentagon: Offshore Wind Farms May Threaten ‘Military Readiness,’ National Security

A Department of Defense assessment of locations proposed to build offshore wind farms on the Atlantic coast found several areas to be “highly problematic” due to their proximity to U.S. military training sites, Bloomberg reported on Monday, publishing a Pentagon map of the areas in question.

A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to Fox News on the same day that the warnings published by Bloomberg were an authentic assessment of proposed areas for offshore wind development, stating that the Defense Department would “continue to work” with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), responsible for greenlighting the offshore wind deals, to find the “best locations for development.”

Federal Court Overturns Nation’s First Natural Gas Ban

A Ninth Circuit court on Monday went against a Berkeley ordinance that banned natural gas piping in new buildings inside the city.

A district court had dismissed an action from the California Restaurant Association, a dismissal that is now reversed by the Ninth Circuit court, according to its published opinion on the case (pdf).

The California Restaurant Association alleged that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act preempts the city of Berkeley’s regulation, which banned natural gas piping in new buildings.

The Act expressly preempts State and local regulations on the energy use of natural gas appliances used in household and restaurant kitchens, according to the Ninth Circuit judges’ opinion on Monday.

“Instead of directly banning those appliances in new buildings, Berkeley took a more circuitous route to the same result and enacted a building code that prohibits natural gas piping into those buildings, rendering the gas appliances useless,” according to Judge Patrick Bumatay.

“States and localities can’t skirt the text of broad preemption provisions by doing indirectly what Congress says they can’t do directly. Berkeley can’t evade preemption by merely moving up one step in the energy chain and banning natural gas piping within those buildings.”

Medical Staff in Alaska Shocked by Moose Feasting on Lobby Plants in Hospital—And the Photos Go Viral

So this moose walks into a medical building …

While that could be a setup for a bad joke, it actually happened in Anchorage on Thursday, Apr. 6.

A young moose trudging through the snow looking for a meal spotted green plants in the lobby of a medical building in the Providence Alaska Health Park and decided to drop in for a dose of greenery.

The ingenious—or lucky—moose triggered the sensors on the automatic doors to the building that houses the hospital’s cancer center and other medical offices, said Randy Hughes, the hospital’s director of security.

“We received a call from one of our tenants advising that a moose had just walked into the building,” Hughes said.

Hughes believes it’s the same moose that has been hanging around campus. And even though moose are commonplace in Alaska, they made an announcement over the intercom of the moose’s presence out of safety concerns.

“But it seemed like it was a magnet for people to come and see it,” he said. “It’s not every day you get a moose walking into a building, so everybody was excited to take pictures and stuff like that.”

In one video posted on social media, a woman wearing a mask and dressed in scrubs can be heard saying, “That’s crazy,” as she walked by the moose, snapping a photo with her phone.

The moose was too preoccupied with eating the office plants to notice the stir he was causing.

Security officers formed a semicircle to corral the moose and shoo it out the door. One officer even grabbed a piece of the plant the moose had been eating and tried to lure it out.

“Finally, I think it had enough of everybody watching him, watching him eat,” Hughes said.

The moose vacated the building but hung around in the semicircular drive for a bit before heading to the other side of the building to bed down for an afternoon nap.

This wasn’t the first time a moose went inside one of the hospital complex’s buildings, and bears have also tried to get into the emergency room in the past.

Hughes said there’s “never a dull moment here at the hospital.”

GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING

Now Rice Farming Is Being Targeted For Carbon Reductions

Now it is firmly ensconced among the climate change cult that eating meat is killing the planet and you must ‘eat ze bugs’, the same people have a new target, rice.

VIDEO: Rice is to blame for around 10 percent of global emissions of methane, a gas that over two decades, traps about 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. Scientists say that if the world wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, rice cannot be ignored. pic.twitter.com/46GgkaGPgK

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 16, 2023

“Rice cannot be ignored.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization notes that “Rice is one of the most important staple foods in the world. Over 50 percent of the world population depends on rice for about 80 percent of its food requirements. About 95 percent of the global output of rice is produced and consumed in developing countries.”

What is this really about?

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 16, 2023

Create Your Own Large Curd Cottage Cheese: A Homemade Delight for Every Kitchen

Are you a big fan of cottage cheese but tired of buying the same old packaged variety from the grocery store? Why not try making your own fresh cottage cheese at home? Not only is it easy and satisfying, but it’s also a great way to ensure that your cheese is always fresh and sustainable. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of making large curd cottage cheese at home, perfect for use in lasagna, as a side dish with pineapple tidbits, or even with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.

PLANT DEFICIENCIES AND WAYS TO FIX THEM

It’s Officially Spring, and families are working and planting in the Gardens now. Some of you up North not so much yet, but I know many of you have seedlings growing indoors now. If you have had issues with your vegetables in the past, you might want to check on how to spot mineral deficiencies your plants might get. Fruit and vegetables and plants grown in containers are all vulnerable. Yellow or reddish colored leaves, stunted growth and poor flowering are all common symptoms of nitrogen, magnesium or potassium deficiency. This information might be good to think about now during off season.

NITROGEN DEFICIENCY

You will notice spindly yellow plants or yellow leaves, sometimes with pink tints. Nitrogen promotes green, leafy growth and deficiency results in yellowing and stunted growth. Nitrogen is very soluble, and is easily washed out of the soil in winter rains. leaving the soil deficient in spring. Nitrogen deficiency is a common cause of yellow leaves in spring.

TO FIX: In the long term, mulching with organic matter (such as well rotted garden compost or manure) provides a steady trickle of nitrogen to stabilize levels. In the short term, applying high nitrogen fertilizers such as sulfate of ammonia or poultry manure pellets will fix the problem.

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY

You will notice yellow or purple leaf-tints with browning at the leaf edge and poor flowering or fruiting. Potassium is needed for controlling both water uptake and the process allowing plants to harness energy from the sun (photosynthesis). Potassium promotes flowering, fruiting and general hardiness. Shortages are more likely on light, sandy or chalky soils where potassium is easily washed away.

TO FIX: Apply high potassium fertilizers such as sulfate of potash, tomato feed or an organic potassium source derived from sugar beet processing.

PHOSPHORUS DEFICIENCY

You will notice slow growth and dull yellow foliage. Phosphorus is needed for healthy roots and shoot growth. Soil shortages of phosphorus are rare, but may occur in areas with high rainfall and heavy clay soil.

TO FIX: Apply fertilizers such as super phosphate or bone meal.

MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

You will notice yellowing between the leaf veins, sometimes with reddish brown tints and early leaf fall. Magnesium deficiency is common in tomatoes, apples, grape vines, raspberries, roses and rhododendrons. Magnesium is needed for healthy leaves and for plants to harness energy from the sun (photosynthesis). Soil shortages of magnesium are more common on light, sandy soils. Over-use of high-potassium fertilizers (such as tomato feed) can cause magnesium deficiency, as plants take up potassium in preference to magnesium.

TO FIX: In the short term, apply Epsom salts as a foliar feed in summer. Dilute the salts at a rate of 20g of Epsom salts per liter of water (1/3 oz per pint) plus a few drops of liquid detergent. Apply once a week, spraying in dull weather to avoid leaf scorch. In the long term, apply to the soil around the roots either Dolomite limestone (calcium-magnesium carbonate) at 4 oz per sq yd or Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) at 1 oz per sq yd.

MANGANESE + IRON DEFICIENCIES

You will notice yellowing between the leaf veins with browning of leaf edges on acid-loving plants. Manganese and iron are important for allowing plants to harness the energy of the sun (photosynthesis). Soil shortages are rare, but manganese and iron can be unavailable to plant roots in alkaline conditions.

TO FIX: Apply chelated iron and manganese treatments, such as Sequestrene, to the soil around the plant roots.

BORON DEFICIENCY

You will notice stunted growth and tip die back on lettuce, brown cracks in celery; rotten swedes, turnips and celeriac. Boron is required for healthy plant cell formation. Soil shortages are rare, but this nutrient can be less available to plant roots in alkaline conditions.

TO FIX: Treat by applying borax (disodium tetraborate) to the soil before sowing vegetables. Soil application rates for borax are: 1 oz per 20 sq yd. Mix well with a large quantity of light sand before spreading so that the chemical is evenly distributed.

COVID RELATED NEWS

US Compensates People Injured by COVID-19 Vaccines for First Time

The United States has for the first time paid people who were injured by COVID-19 vaccines.

Three people received compensation for their injuries through the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), run by an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, officials said in a new update.

One person who suffered severe allergic shock received $2,019, according to the agency, the Health Resources and Services Administration. One person who suffered heart inflammation, or myocarditis, received $1,582. Another who suffered myocarditis received $1,032.

The manufacturer of the vaccines was not made public. Information about the people who received the payments has also not been made public.

The payouts mark the first time the U.S. government has paid people who were injured by the COVID-19 vaccines, which can cause serious problems as well as death and were first introduced in late 2020.

Under the CICP, people who survive their vaccine-induced injury can receive money for unreimbursed medical expenses and lost employment income.

The newly granted compensation appears to only be for medical expenses, Wayne Rohde, author of The Vaccine Court, told The Epoch Times.

“These amounts are so low that you can credibly assume that this was just only for unreimbursed medical expenses, and that’s it,” Rohde said. “It’s unconscionable what they’re doing, but that’s this program.”

Tinnitus: A Common Incurable COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Event, Doctors Share Ways to Help

Unexplored COVID-19 Vaccines Adverse Events (Part 3)

In this series, we evaluate some of the lesser-known yet common adverse events that are appearing in the research literature as well as in doctors’ clinics and, more importantly, how to deal with them and reduce the risks.

“I can’t be stuck with this forever. I’m gonna lose my mind,” Mary thought, distressed.

CANCEL CULTURE

DeSantis Joins Bud Light Boycott

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday urged people to continue boycotting Bud Light amid the company’s controversial promotion of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

DeSantis told political commentator Benny Johnson that he would not be drinking Bud Light because he didn’t want to enable “woke companies” and their aims of “trying to change our country, trying to change policy, trying to change culture.”

“I’d rather be governed by ‘We The People’ than woke companies and so I think pushback is in order across the board including with Bud Light,” DeSantis said.

Twitter unveils ‘hate speech’ shadow ban policy

The company will hide some “hateful” tweets behind a warning screen rather than removing them

Twitter will conceal so-called “hate speech” that violates its rules behind a warning screen that requires a click-through, the platform announced on Monday in a blog post.

The new policy is supposed to give moderators more choices than simply the binary ‘leave up versus take down’ approach typical to most content moderation, Twitter said.

In addition to being hidden behind a warning screen reading “Visibility limited: this Tweet may violate Twitter’s rules against Hateful Conduct,” offending tweets will be excluded from search results, trends, and “recommended” screens, with other down-ranking options possible. Advertising will not appear near them.

Antidefamation League Defames Substack Authors

The Antidefamation League (ADL) was founded in 1913, with the mission of stopping “the defamation of Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all”

According to the ADL, it was founded “with the clear understanding that the fight against one form of prejudice cannot succeed without battling prejudice in all forms,” and to this day, the ADL “continues to fight all forms of bias”

The ADL has turned coattails and is now defaming and persecuting people with hate speech. It’s even attacking high-profile Jews, simply because they oppose official narratives on politics, religion, COVID, censorship and more

April 4, 2023, the ADL published an article condemning and badmouthing 19 Substack authors, and called on Twitter to ban all Substack outlinks (external links to Substack) to prevent “hate speech”

April 7, 2023, Twitter started blocking Substack outlinks. It’s unclear whether ADL had anything to do with it. Twitter may have retaliated against Substack for launching Substack Notes, which could become a primary competitor

NPR Labeled as State-Affiliated Media

Twitter had labeled NPR “state-affiliated media,” categorizing it similarly to Russia’s state-run RT and China’s Xinhua News Agency

Backlash ensued, prompting Twitter to downgrade the label to the slightly less jarring “government-funded media,” alongside BBC, PBS and Voice of America

Multiple NPR executives have a revolving door with the propaganda network in Washington

In addition to receiving funding from the U.S. government, NPR receives significant funding from Bill Gates and other oligarchs

NPR also appears to have a vendetta against yours truly and other vaccine safety advocates, and regularly favors propaganda over ethics and journalistic standards in its reporting

PET NEWS

Is Your Dog at Risk for Bloat? These Mistakes Can Be Deadly

Bloat is a condition in dogs in which the stomach expands as a result of trapped gas, air, and/or fluid; bloat often progresses to a life-threatening disorder called gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) in which the stomach twists around on itself

Potential risk factors for bloat and GDV include a dog’s breed, age, size, diet, eating habits, digestive health, and exercise

Without immediate veterinary care GDV ruptures the stomach, resulting in peritonitis, a fatal abdominal infection; the time lapse between presentation of symptoms and emergency surgery is the most important factor in saving the lives of dogs with GDV

There are several preventive steps you can take if your dog is at high risk of GDV involving, among other things, what, how fast, and how often he eats; high risk breeds with a near relative with GDV may benefit from preventive gastropexy surgery