March 28, 2024

The Power Hour

Knowledge is Power

Today’s News: April 20, 2023

WORLD NEWS

Former Defense Official: Afghans Evacuated to the U.S. Included Known Bomb Emplacers

The Biden administration evacuated planeloads of unvetted Afghans to the United States, including some who were known improvised explosive device (IED) emplacers, according to the recent testimony of a former defense official involved in the evacuation as a civilian volunteer.

War Without End: White House Approves Fresh $320M+ Military Aid Package for Ukraine

The White House approved a fresh Ukraine military aid package Wednesday with $325 million worth of battlefield supplies from U.S. stores placed at Kiev’s disposal.

The announcement came on the same day Ukraine´s defense minister said his country has just received U.S-made Patriot surface-to-air guided missile systems it has long craved.

First Patriot Missile Systems Arrive in Ukraine

Ukraine´s defense minister said Wednesday his country has received U.S-made Patriot surface-to-air guided missile systems it has long craved and which Kyiv hopes will help shield it from Russian strikes during the war.

“Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine,” Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a tweet.

Return To Peasant Lifestyle: Germany Closes Last Nuclear Power Plant

The Dark Ages represented the worst period in human history, with suffering, misery and poverty. Technocracy is a form of neo-Feudalism that is headed in the same direction, and Germany is leading the way. By the time they figure out what is happening, it will be too late to stop it.⁃ 

Mexico Became Largest User Of World’s Most Notorious Spy Tool

Pegasus Spyware: “It can infect your phone without any sign of intrusion and extract everything on it — every email, text message, photo, calendar appointment — while monitoring everything you do with it, in real time. It can record every keystroke, even when you’re using encrypted applications, and watch through your phone’s camera or listen through its microphone, even if your phone is turned off.

Psychologist’s death due to AstraZeneca Covid vaccine reaction – inquest

The death of a psychologist after his Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab was due to “unintended complications of the vaccine”, an inquest has ruled.

Stephen Wright, an NHS employee in south-east London, died 10 days after his first dose in January 2021, senior coroner Andrew Harris found.

Dr Wright, 32, suffered a blood clot to the brain after receiving the vaccine.

His wife Charlotte has been trying to get the “natural causes” wording on her husband’s death certificate changed.

She is pursuing legal action against the pharmaceutical company, along with dozens of other people.

At London Inner South Coroner’s Court, Mr Harris described it as a “very unusual and deeply tragic case”.

Vivek Ramaswamy Announces Lawsuit Against World Economic Forum

Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy announced he is suing Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum (WEF), accusing the organization of “creating a false perception of affiliation by listing [him] as one of its ‘Young Global Leaders.’”

His campaign announced the lawsuit in a press release, stating that when the WEF “invited” Ramaswamy to be on the “Young Global Leaders” list, he “categorically said no.” Once he learned that the WEF had included him on the list, he “repeatedly ask[ed] to be removed.”

US announces $325 mln in new arms aid for Ukraine, including HIMARS ammo

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

IN-DEPTH: Republicans Rally Behind Donald Trump—The List Is Growing

Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) on Tuesday joined the growing list of Republicans endorsing former President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election after a positive meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the House Republican from Texas emphasized his belief that Trump’s proven track record and commitment to putting America first make him the best candidate for the GOP nomination.

“I met with Governor DeSantis, and while he has done commendable work in Florida, there is no doubt in my mind that President Trump is the only leader who can save America from the leftist onslaught we are currently facing,” Gooden said.

Trump Breaks Instagram Silence With First Post Since Ban

Former President Donald Trump returned to Instagram on April 18, ending his more than two-year absence on the social media platform.

Trump, who is running for president in 2024, used his first post in 118 weeks to announce the release of a second series of his digital trading cards.

“I am pleased to inform you that, due to the great success of my previously launched DIGITAL TRADING CARDS, we are doing it again, SERIES 2, AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW,” Trump wrote on Instagram alongside an image of himself holding what appears to be the Liberty Bell.

In a short video explaining the release of a second batch, Trump said the new card series includes images of him as a rockstar and as a monster truck driver.

In a separate post, Trump posted another image of himself as a superhero wearing the U.S. flag as a cape, and with a “Trump Champion” belt. He wrote, “I hope everyone notices, & I’m sure the Fake News won’t, that I’m leaving the price of the Trading Cards the same as last time, even though they are selling for MANY TIMES MORE.

“I could have raised the price MUCH HIGHER, & I believe it still would have sold well, with a lot more money coming to me, but I didn’t choose to do so,” he added. “I WILL BE GIVEN NO ‘NICE GUY’ CREDIT?”

EXCLUSIVE: The 4-Point Game Plan for a Conservative President to Dismantle the Deep State That Undermined Trump

A coalition of conservative leaders and former political appointees has compiled a game plan for the next conservative president to restructure the federal government’s bureaucracy to make it more cost effective, high-performing, and accountable to the people. 

“The great challenge confronting a conservative president is the existential need for aggressive use of the vast powers of the executive branch to return power—including power currently held by the executive branch—to the American people,” Russ Vought, former director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Donald Trump, writes in the book “Mandate for Leadership,” compiled by the 2025 Presidential Transition Project. Copies of his report on the Executive Office of the President and the report on “Central Personnel Agencies” were provided exclusively to The Daily Signal for this article.

The Heritage Foundation helped launch the 2025 Presidential Transition Project (also known as Project 2025) to avoid the pitfalls Trump faced in 2017. The incoming president struggled to keep his promises to the American people, facing stiff headwinds from a hostile federal bureaucracy Trump often referred to as “the deep state.” The project aims to equip an incoming conservative president with policies to rein in this bureaucracy. (The Daily Signal is The Heritage Foundation’s news outlet.)

Judge Denies Bragg’s Attempt to Stop Subpoena, Dealing Win to Jordan

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) will get to question a former prosecutor of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office after a judge ruled Wednesday that a subpoena Jordan issued to the prosecutor was enforceable.

U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil wrote that the subpoena, which Jordan sent to Mark Pomerantz two weeks ago, had a “valid legislative purpose.”

Florida Bill Protecting Children from Businesses Hosting Drag Performances Heads to DeSantis’s Desk

A Florida bill designed to protect children from businesses hosting drag shows has passed both chambers and is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk.

Lawmakers filed SB 1438 in early March. The measure itself, introduced by Republican state Rep. Randy Fine and Republican state Sen. Clay Yarborough in their respective chambers, would effectively penalize businesses that allow children to attend these adult performances. 

IN-DEPTH: Experts Link Transgender Ideology to Elevated Risk of Violent Radicalization

Ideology currently permeating the political movement around gender and transgenderism drives its adherents into psychological corners and makes them susceptible to radicalization, according to several experts on radical movements and religious extremism.

The ideology imparts a simplistic, polarizing worldview that traps its victims in paranoia and rage, they said.

The issue has come to the forefront recently with several high-profile incidents.

On March 27, Audrey Elizabeth Hale shot dead six people, including three children, at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. Police said Hale identified as transgender.

About a week later, a 19-year-old was arrested in Colorado for attempted murder after police found in his home detailed plans for multiple school shootings. He identified as female, local news reported.

Also in Colorado, one of the two murderers in the 2019 STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting, 16-year-old Alec McKinney, was a woman who identified as male.

While the incidents don’t add up to a trend, they may reflect a deeper problem.

Surveys in recent years have revealed an elevated potential for radicalization among transgender people.

Surgery Clinic Allegedly Removed the Breasts of 14-Year-Old Girl

A North Carolina surgical clinic has allegedly removed the breasts of girls as young as 14 years old in double mastectomy procedures. 

Pictures of results from the operations recently began circulating on Twitter. The patients’ ages are also listed under the images, with some of the girls being as young as 14 and 16. The children appear to have visited the Cosmetic Concierge, a plastic surgery clinic located in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Top Biden Administration Official Violated Federal Law: Special Counsel

A member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet violated a federal law when he endorsed Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), according to a new watchdog report.

Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, formerly California’s attorney general, violated a law called the Hatch Act on Sept. 15, 2022, the Office of Special Counsel stated on April 18.

Becerra, appointed by Biden, was speaking in his official capacity at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Annual Awards Gala when he expressed support for Padilla’s reelection bid, according to the watchdog.

The Hatch Act bars individuals in executive agencies from using their official authority or influence “for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.”

Becerra was clearly acting in his official capacity when he attended the gala, the special counsel said. Evidence includes his prepared remarks’ being reviewed by an attorney in the Department of Health and Human Services Ethics Division, his being introduced with his official title, and his discussing in his speech the work of the Biden administration.

“Because he was acting in his official capacity at the event, the Hatch Act prohibited Secretary Becerra from promoting or opposing candidates for partisan political office, like Senator Padilla,” the watchdog stated.

National divorce’ already happening across U.S.?

Is the recommendation by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., for a “national divorce” already happening?

A column by Washington Secrets author Paul Bedard is providing evidence of that possibility.

Greene recently suggested the split because of the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between the extremist positions of leftist Democrats in America – and the more traditional values of Republicans.

The GOP, for example, thinks parents should make decisions for their children, there’s no need for taxpayers to pay for surgeries to mutilate the bodies of small children, and uncontrolled spending is not the way for government to operate.

Democrats advocate those life-altering transgender surgeries, virtually unlimited spending and the exclusion of parents from major life decisions involving their children.

“We need a national divorce,” Greene, the Georgia Republican posted on social media a few weeks ago. “We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government. Everyone I talk to says this. From the sick and disgusting woke culture issues shoved down our throats to the Democrats’ traitorous America Last policies, we are done.”

Speak Your Truth: Don’t Let the Government Criminalize Free Speech

Commentary by John & Nisa Whitehead – 

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”—George Washington

What the police state wants is a silent, compliant, oblivious citizenry.

What the First Amendment affirms is an engaged citizenry that speaks truth to power using whatever peaceful means are available to us.

Speaking one’s truth doesn’t have to be the same for each person, and that truth doesn’t have to be palatable or pleasant or even factual.

We can be loud.

We can be obnoxious.

We can be politically incorrect.

We can be conspiratorial or mean or offensive.

We can be all these things because the First Amendment takes a broad, classically liberal approach to the free speech rights of the citizenry: in a nutshell, the government may not encroach or limit the citizenry’s right to freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and protest.

This is why the First Amendment is so critical.

It gives the citizenry the right to speak freely, protest peacefully, expose government wrongdoing, and criticize the government without fear of retaliation, arrest or incarceration.

Nowhere in the First Amendment does it permit the government to limit speech in order to avoid causing offense, hurting someone’s feelings, safeguarding government secrets, protecting government officials, discouraging bullying, penalizing hateful ideas and actions, eliminating terrorism, combating prejudice and intolerance, and the like.

Robert Kennedy Formally Announces Democratic 2024 Presidential Campaign

Just a few miles from the homestead where his family’s dynasty in U.S. politics began, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially announced his campaign for the presidency on April 19, becoming the first Kennedy since 1979 to make a bid for the White House and the third to challenge a sitting president.

“I come here to announce my candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the president of the United States,” Kennedy said, as cheers erupted from the crowd that gathered at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

With his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, by his side, flanked by a row of American flags, Kennedy spoke to an audience of more than 1,000 attendees.

The crowd chanted “Bobby” and “RFK,” stood to applaud several times, and listened intently as Kennedy spoke about the history of his family in U.S. politics after escaping British oppression and potato famine in their native country of Ireland.

Kennedy spoke fondly about his personal relationship with President Joe Biden, saying his challenge to the incumbent is a matter of differences about issues such as censorship and public health.

Unlike the political luminaries in his family, Kennedy isn’t known as much for his politics as he is for his advocacy for vaccine safety, which drew significant attention with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Supreme Court Temporarily Extends Access to Abortion Pill Mifepristone

The U.S. Supreme Court on April 19 temporarily extended an order that stays lower court rulings that would have restricted access to a popular abortion pill.

Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush appointee, extended the order until 11:59 p.m. Washington time on April 21. The order had been set to expire on April 19.

Alito didn’t provide a reason for the temporary extension, which keeps in place a stay on restrictions ordered by lower courts.

A district court judge ruled earlier this month that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appeared to violate its legal duty to evaluate a drug’s safety when it approved mifepristone, the abortion pill, in 2022. The judge ordered a pause on the FDA’s approval.

‘Nonbinary’ Biden Administration Official Ordered to Undergo Mental Health Evaluation After Avoiding Jail Time

A former government official who claims he is nonbinary has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation after avoiding jail time for a series of luggage thefts.

Samuel Brinton, until recently a deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, was able to enter an adult diversion program for the theft he carried out at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 2022 while still being employed by the government.

Brinton must undergo a mental health evaluation as well as fulfill other requirements, including writing a letter of apology to the person who owned the luggage that was stolen.

“The case resolved with an opportunity for diversion, which is a standard disposition in a case like this when a defendant has no felony criminal record. It gives an opportunity for the defendant to be accountable and take responsibility for the conduct, and potentially have the case dismissed if they are successful,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office told The Epoch Times via email.

“Diversion in this case will include a mental health evaluation and following all recommendations, signing a release of information within 2 weeks of intake to allow providers to give updates of progress, performing 3 days of community work service, and writing an apology letter. And of course remain law abiding.”

House GOP Unveils Debt Limit Bill, Proposes $1.5 Trillion Debt Ceiling Increase

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on April 19 unveiled legislation to increase the nation’s debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first.

At the same time, the measure would return discretionary spending to 2022 levels, limit spending growth to 1 percent per year, take back unspent COVID-19 relief funds, repeal certain tax credits, reinstate work requirements for many people on public assistance, and remove barriers to increased production of domestic energy.

If enacted, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 would allay concerns about a possible default on U.S. obligations but push a more permanent resolution of the debt crisis into the election season.

HEALTH

Our Brains Need Animal Fat to Fully Function, Psychiatrist Says

There is no plant source of DHA, a fatty acid “necessary for higher intelligence, sustained attention, decision-making, and complex problem-solving,” says a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and several studies.

Our brains are two-thirds fat.

Of that, 20% is supposed to be comprised of an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA.

There are no plant sources of DHA, only animal sources.

There is a plant source of a precursor to DHA (docosahexanoic acid) called ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), but the body is only capable of converting less than 10% of it, at most, into the DHA.

Some studies find the conversion rate to be zero.

What happens when you don’t get enough DHA? Bad things.

DHA is required for the formation of myelin, the white matter that insulates our brain circuits, allowing electricity to flow through them and our nervous system to function properly.

It also helps maintain the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from pathogens.

“Perhaps most importantly, DHA is critical to the development of the human cortex—the part of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking,” writes Harvard-trained psychiatrist Georgia Ede in a Psychology Today article titled The Brain Needs Animal Fat.

“Without DHA, the highly sophisticated connections necessary for sustained attention, decision-making, and complex problem-solving do not form properly. It has been hypothesized that without DHA, consciousness and symbolic thinking—hallmarks of the human race—would be impossible.”

DHA plays a “unique and indispensable role” in the “neural signaling essential for higher intelligence.” — says Simon Dyall PhD, Lipid Research Scientist Bournemouth University, in his 2015 study on the matter.

Our first animal source of DHA is our mothers, in their wombs during the third trimester, and then from their mammary glands, ideally for at least 2 years.

“If enough DHA isn’t available to the baby during this critical 27-month window, it is unclear whether the consequences can be completely undone,” Ede says.

Those consequences include ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders, mood disorders and other psychiatric disorders, she says.

Around 80 percent of American adults are deficient in DHA.

Even many meat eaters are deficient, Ede says, because of the high concentration of the omega-6 fatty acid LA (linoleic acid) in their diets, especially from refined vegetable oils.

When too much LA is present in the body, it reduces the production and bioavailability of DHA, a 2014 study shows.

Even advocates of plant-based diets acknowledge it’s unclear how much ALA a person needs to consume (from nut oils and such) to generate an adequate amount of DHA in the body, Ede notes.

The best sources of DHA are wild-caught fatty fish like anchovies, salmon, herring, mackerel and tuna, and wild or pasture-raised meats, eggs and dairy.

It’s important to note, factory-farmed, grain-fed animal products are not nearly as high in DHA, and contain a harmful concentration of omega-6 fatty acids.

—> Power Mall Products of Interest: 

ASTAXANTHIN WITH DHA (90 CT)

SUPER KRILL OIL 1000 MG (60 CT)

For healthier meat, check out the National Guide to Finding Local Food: https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/national-guide-to-finding-local-food/ 

5 Ways Earthing Can Help Fight Disease

Did you know that simply connecting the soles of your feet to the Earth can benefit your body and combat inflammation? It’s called earthing or grounding, and it’s the real deal.

Here is how this process can specifically benefit your health:

  1. Reduces Inflammation

The reason we want to eat plenty of high-antioxidant foods is the same reason we want to practice earthing. Antioxidant electrons in your body help ensure damage from free radicals doesn’t get out of control and lead to high levels of inflammation and faster aging, just like anti-inflammatory foods do. Basically, the free or mobile electrons from the earth can resolve chronic inflammation by serving as natural antioxidants!

  1. Helps Reduce Stress Hormones

Chronic stress can kill your quality of life, as you’ve probably experienced firsthand. But luckily, time spent in nature can really help reverse certain feelings of stress and anxiety.

One double-blind study that investigated the effects of earthing on 58 healthy adults used conductive adhesive patches placed on the sole of each participant’s foot to read their electrical signals. After earthing, about half the subjects showed “an abrupt, almost instantaneous change in root mean square (rms) values of electroencephalograms (EEGs) from the left hemisphere of the brain.” These changes are believed to signify positive changes and lower stress reactions.

  1. Can Help You Sleep Better

A 2007 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine demonstrated that connecting the human body to the earth during sleep (earthing) normalizes the daily cortisol rhythm and improves sleep patterns. This is because of the effects that stress hormones have on your natural circadian rhythm, energy and ability to sleep soundly.

It’s proposed that the earth’s “diurnal electrical rhythms” set the biological clocks for hormones that regulate sleep and activity. We’ve all had the experience of tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep due to racing thoughts.

When our bodies are not in line with the natural rhythms of the earth, including the patterns of light and darkness or “electrical” charges, our sleep and immunity suffer. The indoor lifestyle that many of us lead might be one reason for rising cases of chronic fatigue syndrome.

  1. Can Help Increase Energy

Many people have found that earthing or grounding can improve their energy or fight low-grade ongoing fatigue. This can be one side effect of getting better sleep but also be due to improvements in hormones and lower levels of inflammation.

For example, many studies point to the fact that higher cortisol levels rob the body of energy. Physiological stress and cortisol have a close relationship; stress impacts cortisol, and cortisol can further increase stress responses. This cycle can lead to fatigue and sleep problems, even cravings for low-nutrient foods, sugar and excess calories that further lead to low energy levels.

  1. Can Help Lower Pain

Inflammation is a major source of pain, since it increases swelling, stiffness, reduced mobility and malformation. Inflammation in the joints and tissues are the main cause of pain associated with chronic conditions like arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), for example, is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that usually involves pain in multiple joints as well as symptoms like fatigue, fever, weight loss, eye inflammation, anemia and lung inflammation. In someone with RA, the body releases enzymes that attack its own healthy tissue, therefore destroying the linings of joints.

By lowering inflammation, it’s very possible to help combat pain caused by chronic autoimmune disorders, injuries­­­­, headaches, menstrual problems and so on.

Some Americans Shouldn’t Get Another COVID-19 Vaccine Shot, FDA Says

Some Americans cannot receive another COVID-19 vaccine dose, U.S. regulators said on April 18, as they made sweeping changes to the vaccine system.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the changes, including replacing the old Pfizer and Moderna vaccines with updated bivalent shots that had previously only been available as boosters.

Regulators are also scaling back the number of recommended doses for most individuals, including people who haven’t received a shot.

Junk Food ‘Brainwashes’ You so You’re Wired to Eat More

If you’re like most people, you are consuming an unhealthy amount of sugar on a regular basis hidden in processed food, added by the teaspoon to coffee and tea, or used to sweeten candy, cakes and beverages

Researchers found participants who ate high-fat, high-sugar snacks experienced changes in neural encoded responses so they no longer preferred low-fat, low-sugar snacks and they subconsciously preferred a lot of fat and sugar

Data show bingeing on sugar for just six weeks can slow brain function, memory and learning. One study showed sugar affected the reward system in a “manner similar to that of drugs of abuse”

Eating junk food for one week can impair your appetite control; data also show the more sugar you eat, the lower your nutrient intake

Eliminating sugar is a quick and clear route to better health. Metabolic flexibility is a key to better health; it is also important to avoid industrial vegetable oils or seed oils, margarine, shortening and any fake butter and spreads. Instead, choose from a list of healthy fat foods that include olives, avocados and coconut oil

Judge: Mississippi must allow religious exemption from school vaccine requirements

Mississippi must join most other states in allowing religious exemptions from vaccinations that children are required to receive so they can attend school, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden handed down the decision Monday in a lawsuit filed last year by several parents who say their religious beliefs have led them to keep their children unvaccinated and out of Mississippi schools. According to the lawsuit, some of the plaintiffs are homeschooling their children, while others have family or work connections in Mississippi but live in other states that allow religious exemptions for childhood vaccinations.

Ozerden set a July 15 deadline for the Mississippi State Department of Health to allow religious exemptions. The state already allows people to apply for medical exemptions for a series of five vaccinations that are required for children to enroll in public or private school. The immunizations are against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; polio; hepatitis; measles, mumps and rubella; and chickenpox.

Ontario doctors give up licenses after complaints over COVID vaccine exemptions, misinformation

A doctor issued 168 COVID-19 vaccine exemptions in six weeks. Not one met criteria for an exemption, regulators said

Two Ontario doctors accused of spreading COVID misinformation, including one who provided groundless vaccine exemptions to 168 people, attesting that the shots would expose them to “unacceptable medical risk,” have agreed to give up their licences to practise, and to never seek one again.

Christopher Hilton Hassell and Zoltan Peter Rona are among the latest succession of doctors to face disciplinary hearings over their professional conduct during COVID-19.

Hassell, a family doctor who practised in Richmond Hill, entered a plea of no contest at a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario disciplinary hearing in November. The regulator found Hassell committed professional misconduct for his prescribing of the controversial anti-parasitic ivermectin for COVID-19, and for providing mask and vaccine exemptions without adequate medical justification.

Rona, a general practitioner who had a solo practice in Thornhill focused on complementary medicine, made “inflammatory” statements about vaccinations, suggested in his Twitter posts that the public was being conned by medical experts and called Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases official who became the face of America’s COVID response, a “murderer,” according to agreed facts at his disciplinary hearing.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

How to Check if You Qualify for a Payment from Facebook’s $725 Million Privacy Settlement

Tens of millions of users that have visited Facebook in the U.S. over the past 16 years may be eligible to submit a claim for payment from the social media giant over Cambridge Analytica data privacy violation.

The Washington Post reports that as part of a $725 million class-action settlement struck in a lawsuit alleging that social media giant Facebook shared users’ data without their knowledge, tens of millions of current and past users in the United States are now qualified to lodge a claim for compensation.

Report: Disney to Lay Off Thousands of Employees Starting Next Week

The Walt Disney Co. will reportedly swing the ax again next week in what is expected to be the company’s largest massacre so far this year. Thousands of jobs are on the chopping block as part of the woke company’s ongoing round of layoffs that will see a total of 7,000 workers lose their jobs.

The cuts will include Disney’s TV, movie, theme parks and corporate teams, affecting every region where Disney operates, unnamed sources told Bloomberg News. Some workers will be notified of their layoffs as early as Monday. In all, Disney will eliminate about 15 percent of the staff in its entertainment division, which includes movie and TV production as well as streaming.

U.S. Economic Growth Stalls Amid Lending Decline, Fed Report Says

The growth of the U.S. economy stalled in recent weeks as businesses took out fewer loans and banks tightened credit standards, the Federal Reserve said in its latest Beige Book report.

“Overall economic activity was little changed in recent weeks. Nine Districts reported either no change or only a slight change in activity this period while three indicated modest growth,” the Fed said.

Rasmussen Poll: One-in-Three Americans ‘Strongly’ Back Transgender Beer Boycott

Transgenderism is so toxic to many Americans that 50 percent of middle-income earners are less likely to buy Bud Light beer because the brewer hired a pro-transgender man to change the beer’s public image.

The good news for ordinary Americans — the bad news for the beer company’s accountants — was spotlighted by a Rasmussen poll of 1,041 adults, released on April 18.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

Elon Musk Questions NPR’s Government Funding While His Companies Receive Billions in Subsidies

Following Elon Musk’s labeling of NPR as “government funded” media, critics have pointed out that SpaceX and Tesla have benefited from billions in government contracts and subsidies over the years.

Quartz reports that Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and the recent buyer of Twitter, sparked a debate this week on his platform by referring to National Public Radio (NPR) as “government-funded media,” which he then changed to “government-influenced media.” NPR made the decision to quit the platform rather than accept the new labeling because it maintains that its editorial content is independent and frequently critical of the U.S. government.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Alfredo Ortiz: Job Creators Network Will File Suit to Block Biden’s EPA Electric Vehicle Mandate

Alfredo Ortiz, the president and CEO of Job Creators Network, announced in an op-ed for Fox News that his organization is mounting a legal challenge against the Biden administration’s latest regulatory push for electric vehicles (EVs).

Last week, the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the strictest tailpipe emissions regulation in the agency’s history. The proposal would require that up to two-thirds of all vehicles sold in the United States be electric by 2032.

GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING

Victory Gardens Benefit Your Health, Wallet and the Environment

Growing “victory gardens” was a way to prevent starvation and gain self-sufficiency during World War I, and it’s still a valuable practice today. There are several benefits, including the production of fresh, organic produce and the ability to help the environment.

Make Homemade Vanilla Extract … for Pennies on the Dollar

Real gourmet vanilla is awesome … but it’s ridiculously expensive. Here’s how to skip the store and make your own homemade vanilla extract!

YOU CAN GROW NATURALLY WITHOUT PESTICIDES

The way to stay away from harmful synthetic chemicals and pesticides, and grow Naturally, is to select plants for your garden that will help control and repel your insect pests. This method is called Companion Planting, and will help cut down on your workload in the Garden, It works best when you plant your Companion Herb varieties at same time you plant your Veggies, but you can also plant afterwards. When you are planning your Spring Garden, you can work a few of these in to help with pests.

It is always important that you experiment to find out what works best for your situation. Here are some of the best Companion Plants:

ARTEMISIA – This plant produces a strong antiseptic aroma that repels most insects. Planted as a border, it can also deter small animals like Rabbits and moles.

BASIL -The oils in Basil are said to repel thrips, flies and mosquitoes. Planted alongside Tomatoes, will help you to grow larger, tastier tomatoes.

BEE BALM- I love this plant because it attracts bees to my garden. It is another plant that you can grow with your Tomatoes.

BORAGE – Borage repels Tomato horn worms and cabbage worms, and also attracts beneficial bees and wasps. Borage also adds trace elements to the soil. Borage flowers are edible

CATNIP – This plant repels just about everything, including flea beetles, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants, and weevils.

CHIVES – Chives are great plants to repel Japanese beetles and carrot rust flies. It has also been said that Chives will help prevent scab when planted among apple trees.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS – When I do use an insecticide I use one made from chrysanthemums called Pyrethrum. This all-natural pesticide can help control things like roaches, ticks, silverfish, lice, fleas, bedbugs, and to control ants in certain parts of the garden. In the garden white flowering chrysanthemums are said to drive away Japanese beetles, and Painted Daisy kills root nematodes.

DAHLIAS – Dahlias repel nematodes and the blooms are great for adding some color to flower borders and fresh arrangements

DILL – Dill is best planted with Cucumbers and Onion varieties. During the cool season It can also be planted with Lettuce. Dill attracts Hoverflies and predatory wasps, and its foliage is used as food by swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. Tomato horn worms are also attracted to Dill, so if you plant it at a distance, you can help draw these destructive insects away from your Tomatoes. Dill repels aphids and spider mites. Sprinkling Dill leaves on squash plants will also repel squash bugs,

FENNEL- Repels aphids, slugs and snails.

GARLIC – In addition to its great taste and health benefits, Garlic planted near roses repels aphids. It also deters coddling moths, Japanese beetles, root maggots, snails, and carrot root fly. When planted alongside Onions, they also deter moles and mice.

HYSSOP – Hyssop is great for attracting honeybees to the garden, and you will need them for pollination of some of your Veggies.

LAVENDER – Lavender is a favorite among many beneficial insects, including bees, and also repels fleas and moths.

MARIGOLDS – The Marigold is probably the most well known plant for repelling insects. French marigolds repel Whiteflies and kill bad nematodes. Mexican marigolds are said to keep away a host of destructive insects and wild rabbits as well. If you choose marigolds for your garden they must be scented to work as a good repellant. And while this plant drives away many bad bugs, it also attracts spider mites and snails–which are good.

NASTURTIUMS- You can plant Nasturtiums with my Tomatoes and Cucumbers as a way to fight off wooly aphids, white flies, Squash bugs, and Cucumber beetles. The flowers, especially the yellow blooming varieties, act as a trap for aphids.

PETUNIAS – They are great to have for color in your garden, and you get the added benefit that they repel Asparagus beetles, leaf hoppers, and a range of aphids, Tomato worms, and a good many other pests.

ROSEMARY-Deters Cabbage moth, Bean beetles and the Carrot fly

SUMMER SAVORY: Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavor. Include it with sweet potatoes. Discourages cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles, sweet potato weevil and black aphids. Honey bees love it when it is in bloom.

SUNFLOWERS – I use Sunflowers as a way to draw aphids away from my other plants. Ants move their colonies onto Sunflowers. The Sunflowers are tough enough that they suffer no damage.

THYME-Deters Cabbage worm

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CANCEL CULTURE

Democrat Pushes Legislation to Invite Walt Disney World to Move to North Carolina

North Carolina State Senator Michael Garrett (D-Guilford County) has filed Senate Bill 594, the “Mickey’s Freedom Restoration Act,” which would invite Disney World to move its entities to the Tar Heel State, according to a report by WGHP.

This comes after Disney declared war on Florida last year when it caved to a small group of radical-left employees who demanded the company publicly condemn the Sunshine State’s anti-grooming legislation, the Parental Rights in Education law.

Police: Chicago Good Samaritan Steps in to Save Couple from Violent Teen Mob

A resident of Chicago stepped in to save a couple from the ravenous mobs of teens that have been rampaging through the city’s downtown areas, and she told the media that a member of the Chicago Police Department said that this will keep happening now that voters have elected a soft-on-crime, defund the police, union activist to the mayor’s office.

Chicagoan Lenora Dennis told Chicago’s Fox 32 that on Saturday evening she saw a mob beating and robbing a young couple, a black man and a white woman, and she got between the attackers and the victims to stop the attack. She then helped the couple get into her car to escape.

As Soros-Backed Prosecutor Fights Attempt to Oust Her, Judge Sets Separate Contempt Hearing

Accusations of mismanagement and chaos are piling up against St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner.

Gardner appeared in court on April 18, the first hearing in Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s attempt to remove her from office. Gardner’s lawyers are seeking dismissal of that case.

Bailey asserts she neglected her duties by failing to properly staff her office and allowing thousands of criminal cases to languish. Gardner’s lawyers counter that Bailey never even alleges she committed any “intentional” acts that would justify her ouster.

Lawyers from Bailey’s office argued that Gardner should be disqualified from holding office because of her alleged pattern of “inaction” and “willful neglect” of her duties.

A day before the hearing, a judge ordered Gardner to “show cause” why she shouldn’t be held in contempt of court for failing to ensure that prosecutors from her office show up for a murder trial on April 17. A hearing in that matter is set for April 24, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The contempt action comes after a judge sanctioned Gardner for failing to turn over evidence in a double murder case earlier this month.

Netflix Turns Off Comments on Cleopatra Trailer amid Backlash over Depicting Queen as Black

Netflix is being accused of “blackwashing” the history of Egypt’s famed queen Cleopatra in its new docuseries that stars a black women in the title role. The attacks became so persistent that the streamer turned off comments on social media posts debuting the trailer for the series.

The four-part series Queen Cleopatra, from Executive Producer Jada Pinkett Smith, stars Adele James as Queen Cleopatra, and features the 37-year-old actress sporting a full afro hairstyle in the role, even though it is being sold as a documentary-style, historically-based treatment of the ruler’s tumultuous life.

ICYMI

Jamie Foxx remains hospitalized nearly a week after ‘medical complication’

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State Rep. Jeff Leach Sued for Defamation for Calling Texas Secessionists ‘Treasonous’

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