WORLD NEWS
“Explosions” heard in Iran; flights diverted south of Tehran!
Flights in western Iran began diverting amid reports of “loud noise” and “explosions” early this morning, according to Iranian media.
Soon after, the Australian government issued a warning for any of its citizens in Israel or “occupied Palestinian territories” to depart as soon as possible, citing a “high threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests across the region.”
The country’s foreign affairs department stated that due to “military attacks” that may close the airspace, Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport “may pause operations due to heightened security concerns at any time, and at short notice.”
At least one U.S. media outlet has quoted an anonymous U.S. official apparently confirming that Israel carried out a strike in Iran. When contacted by The Epoch Times for further information, the Pentagon said: “We do not have anything to offer at this time.”
Israel has not confirmed whether it launched an attack. The Epoch Times has contacted Israel’s military for comment.
Dubai-based airlines Emirates and FlyDubai diverted flights around western Iran around 4:30 a.m. local time without explanation. Flight Radar 24, a website monitoring live air traffic, shows flights avoiding western Iran at around 6 a.m. local time.
The semi-official Fars news agency, citing unnamed sources, reported the sound of explosions over Isfahan, near its international airport. However, it offered no immediate explanation. Isfahan is home to a significant airbase for the Iranian military, as well as sites linked to its nuclear program.
Iranian state television issued a scrolling on-screen alert acknowledging a “loud noise” near Isfahan but did not provide immediate elaboration.
The incident unfolds against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel on April 13th.
Prior to news of “explosions” heard in Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, on the night of April 18th, threatened Israel with an “immediate” and “maximum” response if it took any military action against Iran.
Israel meanwhile is reporting strikes near Iranian nuclear sites!
Reports emerged early this morning local time that Israel had attacked several Iranian sites — including targets near the suspected locations of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Israel’s Army Radio reported at 5:00 a.m. local time that ABC News had identified Israeli strikes near the town of Isfahan, Iran, as well as in locations in Syria and Iraq. The Times of Israel reported:
Iran’s Fars news agency says that explosions have been heard near the airport at the country’s
central Isfahan city, but the reason is unknown.
“The cause of these sounds is still unknown, and investigations continue until the exact details of the incident are determined,” the semi-official Fars news agency says.
Several Iranian nuclear sites are located in Isfahan province, including Natanz, centerpiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
Speculation mounted on social media that the Syrian and Iraqi targets were linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the external terrorist wing of the Iranian military.
The Israeli strikes apparently came in response to a massive Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend. Though the attack was largely intercepted by Israeli and allied air defenses, it marked the first such direct attack by Iran against Israel from Iranian territory.
Israel had promised that if any attack originated from within Iran, Israel would respond with attacks inside Iran.
Israel has also long considered a strike against Iran’s nuclear program, with or without the support of the United States.
The Iranian regime is not thought to have significant air defenses. Dr. Shay Har-Zvi of the Institute for Policy and Strategy (IPS) at Reichman University told Breitbart News on Thursday during a press briefing that Iran’s air defenses, which had been supplied from Russia, did not yet include the latest generation, the S-400.
He agreed that Russian-Iranian cooperation might lend urgency to an Israeli response to Iran, because Israel knew it would have a limited window in which to strike back before Russia supplied more advanced air defense systems to Iran. He added that Russia was unlikely to be willing to become involved directly in a confrontation between Iran and Israel.
Knesset member vows Israel will strike back with or without U.S. support!
Israeli Knesset Member Ohad Tal of Israel’s National Religious Party, an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, addressed President Joe Biden reportedly telling the Israeli premier — as the attack was ongoing — that the U.S. would not back any Israeli response to the unprecedented weekend attack that saw Iran launch over 300 missiles and drones at Israel.
He asked: Does President Biden not understand that we are fighting for our survival? Do he and his administration not understand that we were attacked by a regime whose whole purpose is to wipe us from the face of the earth, and that has for years now utilized all its proxies — Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Gaza and Judea and Samaria — to destroy Israel?
Tal, who was visiting Washington, DC, to attend the Keep God’s Land organization’s event on Tuesday, questioned how, following the Islamic Republic’s launching a direct attack against the Jewish state, is Israel expected to “just sit tight and do nothing — does that make any sense?”
“If somebody would tell America after 9/11, ‘do not fight back,’ would that make sense to anyone? Of course not,” he said. “So we, at the end of the day, will do what is good for Israel.”
“We will defend our citizens because that is our obligation,” he added. “While we would be happy to have the current administration with us; if they choose not to, we will still do what we need to because that’s our obligation.”
U.S. veto stops U.N. Security Council from vote to give Palestine full membership!
Yesterday, The United States effectively stopped the United Nations from recognizing a Palestinian state by casting a veto in the Security Council to deny Palestinians full membership of the world body.
It vetoed a draft resolution that recommended to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership” of the U.N.
Britain and Switzerland abstained, while the remaining 12 council members voted yes.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the U.S. veto in a statement as “unfair, unethical, and unjustified.”
Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, at times emotional, told the council after the vote: “The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination. We will not stop in our effort.”
The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership came six months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the U.N. considers to be illegal.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz commended the United States for casting a veto.
Addressing the 12 council members who voted in favor of the draft resolution, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said: “It’s very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible.”
Biden administration announces new sanctions against Iran’s drone industry!
The Biden administration announced a new round of sanctions yesterday, intended to punish key figures in Iran’s drone programs after those weapons systems were used to strike Israel on April 13th.
“The sanctions target leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone program that enabled this brazen assault,” Biden said in reference to the Iranian missile and drone barrage.
India prepares for the world’s largest democratic election …
Voting begins today in India’s massive election for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the national Parliament.
Billed as the world’s largest democratic election, the process is broken into seven phases that will six weeks to complete. The result will determine if Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) serves a third term in office.
Most analysts believe Modi is a shoo-in for a third term, as his BJP surfs on high approval ratings from the fastest-growing economy in the world and a booming stock market that surpassed Hong Kong’s exchange at the end of 2023. The economy has stumbled a bit in 2024 but not by nearly enough to make a critical mass of voters seek alternative leadership.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made history Thursday night just before midnight
by essentially surrendering Republican majority control to Democrats.
For the first time in recorded history — since the House began keeping records — the House Rules Committee relied on minority party votes to overcome objections from the majority and advance a rule bill to the House floor.
The committee voted nine to three, with all four Democrats on the committee voting with five Republicans to move a rule to the House floor, which, if passed with Democrat support as expected, would allow votes on Johnson’s foreign aid package, including a bill that includes tens of billions to fund Ukraine.
Conservative Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Ralph Norman (R-SC) voted no.
The powerful House Rules Committee, known for generations as “the Speaker’s committee” for the control the Speaker of the House possesses over the committee and its reputation as a rubber stamp for the Speaker’s agenda, sets the floor agenda for the House through what are known as rules.
Rules do not simply allow votes on bills. The complicated, convoluted language of the eight- page rule, as with many rules, intentionally deflects from what the rule does.
For example, after questioning from Massie, Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX) acknowledged the rule contains language that merges the four bills together, sending the different components together as one package to the Senate as part of Johnson’s complicated scheme to exploit the urgency to pass aid to Israel to ensure Ukraine funding can pass Congress.
“The four bills that we’ve heard testimony on today will be transmitted to the senate as an amendment to the underlying bill,” Burgess said, acknowledging the underlying bill itself was an unrelated “veterans bill.”
Matt Gaetz files amendment that Ukraine aid be repaid; funds used for southern border wall!
Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz filed an amendment to the Ukraine aid bill yesterday that would make money, allocated for Ukraine in the form of a loan, be repaid and used by the DHS secretary for the construction of a physical barrier at the U.S. southern border.
“Funds repaid by Ukraine pursuant to an agreement under this section shall be made available to the Secretary of Homeland Security, without limitation as to fiscal year, for the construction of a physical barrier along the southern border of the United States,” reads the amendment, first obtained by the Daily Caller.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced that the House will vote Saturday on three separate bills regarding $26.4 billion of funding to Israel, $8.1 billion of funding for Taiwan and $61 billion of more aid to Ukraine.
“My amendment to the $60.8 billion dollar, America Last Ukraine aid package should be a no-brainer. If Ukraine pays back any part of the money we are gifting them in this bill, that money should be spent on our nation’s largest domestic problem: the construction of a border wall with Mexico,” Gaetz told the Caller before introducing the amendment.
“Time and again, Republicans have shown that they have no appetite to vote for what the American people demand, but if we have random billions laying around for a war halfway across the world, we should be able to get some table scraps for our own country,” Gaetz added.
Johnson said Wednesday he would give members 72 hours to review the pieces of legislation and plan on voting on the bills tomorrow.
Sen. Rand Paul warns Trump he will lose his voters if he continues to support Johnson!
Senator Rand Paul has issued a stern warning to former President Donald Trump regarding his continued support for Speaker Mike Johnson.
The Gateway Pundit reported earlier that Joe Biden, Democrats, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and the RINOs are colluding on an aid package for Ukraine.
“If Trump supports this monstrous, unpaid for foreign aid debt buster, he will lose the very supporters who comprise his vanguard. Mark my words,” Sen. Rand Paul warned.
Full jury seated for Trump New York trial!
A full jury of 12 has been seated, and attorneys will question another panel of nearly 100 prospective jurors to seat five more alternates today.
The court will start with opening statements April 22nd, and adjourn by 2 p.m. to accommodate for Passover. April 23rd will involve a hearing over gag order violation allegations and possible sanctions.
Juror 8 is a man who has lived on the Upper East Side since the 1980s and is a retired wealth manager who still consults with some clients.
Juror 9 is a woman who grew up in New Jersey and now lives on the Upper East Side. She said she doesn’t watch the news or follow it too closely, but gets the New York Times and CNN morning newsletters. The two jurors who were dismissed earlier today have been replaced by two others. The replacement Juror 2 is a man who works in investment banking and follows a lot of news events on social media.
“Except for following Michael Cohen on Twitter, I don’t follow any anti-Trump organizations,” he said. “While I do not have any firmly held opinions or strong beliefs, I do follow the news.”
The juror who had discussed the case at length with her boss, a federal judge, and law clerk colleagues, was dismissed.
Juror 4, who was flagged by prosecutors for his wife’s prior arrest for tearing down right-wing political advertisements, has been brought in and will be questioned. President Trump was looking on. The juror said something that made the attorneys laugh. A court officer told reporters in the room not to try and listen.
About half of the panel was excused for saying they could not be fair and impartial. A handful more had scheduling conflicts.
Here’s what we know about the 12 jurors selected for Trump’s trial …
The five jurors on the panel who were chosen Tuesday include a corporate lawyer, an education professional, a software engineer and a civil litigation lawyer, according to Politico.
The jury’s foreperson, also chosen Tuesday, works in sales and is originally from Ireland. He’s married, likes “anything outdoorsy,” lives in West Harlem and reads The New York Times, Fox News and MSNBC, according to NBC News.
Seven jurors were initially selected on Tuesday, though two were released earlier Thursday, according to reports. One said she did not believe she could be impartial after friends and colleagues asked her if she was a juror. Another was dismissed after prosecutors questioned the truthfulness of his answer on the jury selection questions.
Hush Money trial takes a step back after juror dismissed because her identity went public!
A juror who was seated on the jury for former President Donald Trump in the Manhattan “Hush- Money” Trial earlier this week was excused on Thursday, saying she had concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial and had concerns about her identity being made public.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan called attorneys up to confer shortly after taking the bench on Thursday, April 18, saying that the woman also known as “Juror 2” had slept on the decision overnight and informed the court she wished to be dismissed.
She was sworn in earlier in the week with six others, including one alternate, on the second day of the trial.
She was brought into the room and said after thinking about it, she has friends, colleagues, and family that “push things” and outside influences that would likely affect her impartiality. She added that she had been identified as a juror from news reports.
The juror, an oncology nurse, said her family and friends had questioned her about whether or not she was a juror based on media reports. The judge in turn ordered journalists to refrain from publishing information about the juror’s current and prior jobs.
Justice Merchan said, “as evidenced by what’s happened already, it’s become a problem,” according to the AP. The answers also will be redacted from court transcripts.
Prosecutors additionally asked for the employer question to be removed from the questionnaire asked to jurors, while the judge disagreed with the argument and said it was necessary information.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Commercial foreclosures increase in March of 2024! (The other shoe is dropping!)
The “other shoe” continues to drop, according to an updated monthly report released by ATTOM Data, revealing that there is a continued increase in the number of commercial foreclosures, from a low of 141 in May of 2020 to the current figure of 625 through March of 2024, representing a steady increase throughout the period.
In March 2024, California had the highest number of commercial foreclosures for the month, at 187. This was an 8 percent decrease from last month but a 405 percent increase from last year. California began experiencing a notable rise in commercial foreclosures in November 2023, surpassing 100 cases and continuing to escalate thereafter.
New York, Florida, Texas and New Jersey also showed significant variance over the decade, with each state continually increasing.
Google fires 28 employees for protest sit-in’s at its headquarters; police made arrests!
Google has terminated the employment of 28 staff following a prolonged sit-in protest at the company’s Sunnyvale and New York offices.
The employees were protesting against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract inked by Google and Amazon with the Israeli government and its military three years ago. The controversial project, which reportedly also provides Israel with the full suite of Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence and machine learning technology, allegedly has strict contractual stipulations that prevent Google and Amazon from bowing to boycott pressure. This effectively means that they must continue providing services to Israel no matter what.
Employees at Google have protested and publicly chastised the contract since 2021, but as the Israel-Palestine conflict continues to escalate in the wake of last October’s attacks by Hamas, this unrest is spilling further into the workforces of corporations deemed not only to be helping Israel, but also actively profiteering from the conflict.
Nine Google workers were also arrested and forcibly removed from the company’s offices — four in New York and five in Sunnyvale. A separate statement issued by Justice Speaks on behalf of the “Nimbus nine” protestors, said that they had demanded to speak with Google’s CEO, but their request was denied.
HEALTH
RECALL WARNING: Trader Joe’s recalls basil after salmonella outbreak in 29 states!
If you bought basil from Trader Joe’s recently, you may want to go and check the label. Trader Joe’s just announced that the store is recalling their Infinite Herbs Organic Basil for a potential salmonella outbreak. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the salmonella outbreak on herbs sold at Trader Joe’s, and health officials said to pull basil from the shelves.
Trader Joe’s announced that any 2.5-ounce clamshells of basil purchased between February 1, 2024 and April 6, 2024 could potentially be contaminated and should be discarded. This outbreak is multi-state, affecting basil sold in the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C.
Puberty blocker use in boys may cause permanent, irreversible testicular atrophy!
A new study suggests puberty blockers may cause permanent damage to boys’ reproductive organs and irreversibly impair their fertility, undercutting the claim that their use is a harmless way to “explore gender identity.”
The Mayo Clinic study, published at the end of March and not yet peer reviewed, analyzed the largest clinically annotated pediatric testicular biorepository from teenage boys who suffered from gender dysphoria and were put on chronic puberty blockers.
The researchers concluded from a combination of gland atrophy and microscopic cell-level abnormalities that the use of puberty blockers risks permanent damage to reproductive fitness.
After examining microscopic changes to testicular cells and subjecting them to novel computational analyses involving single cell RNA sequencing technology, the researchers flagged their concern that puberty blockers may impair fertility irreversibly.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
9-1-1 outages reported across multiple U.S. states yesterday …
Emergency services on the 911 telephone call line were restored late on Wednesday in parts of the United States, officials said, following a widespread outage across all of South Dakota and in parts of Nebraska, Nevada and Texas.
Officials in South Dakota, Nevada and Las Vegas said 911 services had been restored, but without identifying the cause of the failure.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said in a post on X on Thursday that it was aware of reports of outages and that it was investigating.
The Department of Homeland Security has warned of increased risks of cyber attacks on 911 services as they have migrated to digital systems based on Internet Protocol standards. Several cyberattacks targeting 911 systems have taken down the services in recent years, one of which, in 2017, paralyzed 911 centers in more than a dozen states.
The department of public safety in South Dakota, police in Las Vegas, the Nebraska county of Douglas and the Texas city of Del Rio had all reported 911 outages on Wednesday evening.
Del Rio police said the outage stemmed from an issue with a major cellular carrier, rather than civic systems.
Later, the Las Vegas police said their 911 service had been restored, with everyone who called during the outage having been called back and given assistance. Nevada police also said services were back up in the southern part of the state.
Authorities had also asked people not to call 911 as a test.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
Skynet has arrived! Google follows Apple; activates worldwide bluetooth mesh network!
Wearables — Smartphones, fitness trackers, Smartwatches, hearing aids, Apple Air Tags, Ring products, etc. — all use Bluetooth LE (low energy) to form an independent “mesh network” that is not based on the Internet. All these devices can receive, send, and forward data packets and instructions to other devices. Almost all IoT devices will be equipped with BLE. Thus, the INFRASTRUCTURE is complete, just waiting to sink its teeth into humanity everywhere.
Without AI running on massive computers, BLE would be a waste of time. Let me give you a simple example: CONTACT TRACING. With BLE, all other devices that you get close to can recognize and disclose frequency, length of contact, and other subsequent contacts that you make. Most BLE devices cannot be turned off, as in Apple Air-Tags. But Apple and Android Smartphones can transmit and receive BLE data even if they are turned OFF. (Only a Faraday bag can stop transmission.)
So, the simple concept of Contact Tracing can be implemented during a future pandemic, documenting every person you have exposed and everyone you have been exposed to.
Mesh networks form spontaneously and dynamically, depending on how many devices are nearby. With the latest update, called Bluetooth “long-range mode,” distances over 1 kilometer is possible. Eventually, collectors on the Internet will forward packets to whoever requested them in the first place. Returning instructions can be dropped back into the BLE mesh network for execution and control of devices.
Worse, BLE transmissions can blasted from space thanks to systems like Elon Musk’s SpaceX mesh network of satellites. To reiterate, BLE does not depend on the Internet or Internet addressing addresses.
Bottom line: The minimal infrastructure for Skynet is now in place. This a dark day for humanity.
Sen. Josh Hawley moves to end the FBI power grab in the Spy Powers Bill!
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Thursday said he introduced an amendment to end an FBI
“power grab” in a spy powers bill that is meant to rein in government surveillance abuse.
Hawley wrote, “Everyone should know about the Turner Amendment. This part of the House bill gives the FBI the power to press even MORE individuals into helping facilitate government surveillance. Could your landlord or your handyman be sharing your info with the FBI? Maybe.”
The Missouri senator sent out a dire warning about the amendment sponsored by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) and committee ranking member Jim Himes (D-CT).
Certain news outlets have reported on this amendment and how it could dramatically expand the number of businesses and Americans that would have to comply with the government and provide warrantless access to their communications systems.
Essentially, the measure updates the definition of electronic service provider to also include “any other service provider who has access to equipment that is being or may be used to transmit or store wire or electronic communications.”
This provision has been referred to by privacy advocates as a “trojan horse” for “PATRIOT Act 2.0.”
Hawley contended that this expanded access would benefit the FBI, an agency that does not “deserve” more power, given their abuse.
He continued, “And the FBI’s record on Section 702 is just as bad. In 2022, a judge identified around 278,000 improper searches on Americans in the FISA database. This is the same FBI the House decided to give even MORE power too. It’s insane. And it must be stopped.”
Hawley concluded, “Bottom line: the government doesn’t deserve more open-ended surveillance authority. I’ve introduced an amendment to stop this new power grab before it’s too late.”
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Federal phase-out of gasoline cars has begun …
The Biden administration recently rolled out new emissions regulations that the New York Times (NYT) said will “transform the American automobile market.”
In what the paper called “one of the most significant climate regulations in the nation’s history,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandating that a majority of new passenger vehicles sold in America be hybrids or EVs by 2032.
The Biden administration and defenders of the policy argue that the EPA’s regulation is “not a ban” on gas-powered cars, since carmakers are not prohibited from producing gas-powered vehicles. Instead, automakers are required to meet a government-mandated “average emissions limit” across their entire vehicle line, to force them to produce more EVs and fewer gas-powered cars.
It’s a clever ruse in that it allows the Biden administration to use regulatory power to force automobile manufactures off of gas-powered vehicles while denying that they are banning them. Whatever one chooses to call the regulation, its purpose is clear.
“Make no mistake,” the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted. “This is a coerced phase-out of gas-powered cars.”
This might be music to the ears of those who see fossil fuels as evil, but economics and history suggest the White House’s plan to force Americans off of gas-powered cars could be a disaster.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
8 reasons to grow your own food!
Although most people seem excited to learn about our self-reliant lifestyle, every now and then, someone doesn’t get it. Or they may think that we do this simply to save money. But the reality is that there are a lot of benefits to growing your own food.
CANCEL CULTURE
North Carolina high school student suspended for uttering the words, “Illegal alien” …
A North Carolina high school student was suspended last week because he dared utter the phrase “illegal alien” in class.
Last week, Central Davidson High School student Christian McGhee asked his English teacher an otherwise innocuous question about a vocabulary assignment that included the word “alien.”
“Like space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards?” McGhee asked.
The question allegedly prompted a fellow classmate to threaten McGhee because he felt offended by the question, according to the Carolina Journal, which caused the teacher to phone the assistant principal. School administration then decided to suspend McGhee for three days.
The violation? McGhee made a “racially insensitive comment” that allegedly violated school policies, according to a school document.
However, McGhee told the Carolina Journal that he was not directing his comment toward anyone in particular.
“I didn’t make a statement directed towards anyone; I asked a question,” the student said. “I wasn’t speaking of Hispanics because everyone from other countries needs green cards, and the term ‘illegal alien’ is an actual term that I hear on the news and can find in the dictionary.”
McGhee’s mother, Leah, told “The Pete Kaliner Show” the matter was initially resolved when the assistant principal pulled Christian and his classmate into the hallway. The classmate told the administrator he was “just joking” about fighting Christian, according to Leah, and the students were dismissed. But after lunch, the assistant principal allegedly approached the student who threatened Christian to ask him if he truly believed the question wasn’t a racial remark.
After that rendezvous, Christian was called to the office and suspended.
Christian’s parents later met with the assistant principal to appeal the suspension. They explained the phrase “illegal alien” appears in the dictionary, federal code, and numerous media outlets. But their efforts were unsuccessful.
“If this was handled properly in the classroom, it could have easily been used as a teachable moment for everyone,” Leah McGhee said.
The family has since retained a lawyer to help them tackle what they believe is an excessive reaction to something miniscule.
“The label of racism in today’s world is so strong that I feel like we do not need to tackle this giant on our own,” the mother explained.
PET NEWS
How to tell if your pet has seasonal allergies …
Scratching: Every dog does it, some more than others. We know this. But here’s something you may not know: Itchiness can be seasonal, and if you notice that your dog is itchier in the warmer months, there may be a legit reason for that. Unlike us, it’s much harder to pinpoint what exactly is ailing your dog when they start to scratch.
The Wildest asked veterinarian Dr. Aletha Carson how to tell if your itchy dog has seasonal allergies, what treatment options are available, and which breeds are more allergic than others.
Can dogs have seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies are a common problem for dogs. The causes of seasonal allergies in dogs can run the gamut from dry skin to a mosquito bite to a new detergent. Unfortunately, our dogs can’t tell us what’s up (how cool would that be?), but with allergy season upon us, it’s a good time to consider allergens as the culprits.
What are seasonal allergies in dogs?
Just like humans, dogs can have seasonal allergies that cause them to scratch incessantly, sneeze, lick their paws, or shed. Often the common culprits are the same as ours: pollen, ragweed, and mold.
What are the signs of seasonal allergies in dogs?
Dogs often exhibit similar allergy symptoms as humans, though they show up on their skin. Here are few of the most common seasonal allergy symptoms in dogs:
- Scratching and biting their coat or skin
- Red, inflamed, or infected skin
- Excessive shedding
- Nonstop paw licking
- Licking anal glands
- Chronic ear infections or red, waxy ears
- Respiratory issues, such as difficulty breathing, coughing, or wheezing
What months are allergy season for dogs?
Itching can be seasonal, and part of that is because there are different amounts of allergens in the air. You’ve got pollen, you’ve got mold. Depending on where you live in the country, the seasonality can vary significantly. Pets can be allergic to fleas, which like to come out when it’s warm. Mosquitos (which, as a side note, carry heartworm and are particularly nasty little buggers) can cause our pets to be pretty itchy as well.
Bathing is probably the easiest way to remove allergens from the dog’s skin! Shampoos and wipes are recommended. If it gets too bad, allergy shots and medications are available, but can come with a host of side effects.
ICYMI
Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80 (co-founder of the band)!
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote
their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” has died. He was 80.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer died at his home in Osprey, Florida, David Spero, Betts’ manager of 20 years, confirmed. Betts had been battling cancer for more than a year and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Spero said.
“He was surrounded by his whole family and he passed peacefully. They didn’t think he was in any pain,” Spero said by phone.
Betts shared lead guitar duties with Duane Allman in the original Allman Brothers Band to help give the group its distinctive sound and create a new genre — Southern rock. Acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Kid Rock were influenced by the Allmans’ music, which combined the blues, country, R&B and jazz with ‘60s rock.
Founded in 1969, the Allmans were a pioneering jam band, trampling the traditional notion of three- minute pop songs by performing lengthy compositions in concert and on record. The band was also notable as a biracial group from the Deep South.
Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971, and founding member Berry Oakley was killed in a motorcycle crash a year later. That left Betts and Allman’s younger brother Gregg as the band’s leaders, but they frequently clashed, and substance abuse caused further dysfunction. The band broke up at least twice before reforming, and has had more than a dozen lineups
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