March 29, 2024

The Power Hour

Knowledge is Power

Today’s News: April 21, 2023

WORLD NEWS

Bush, Obama, Clinton Team Up with American Express to Fly Migrants into American Communities

A non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama and backed by a litany of multinational corporations is teaming up with American Express to fly migrants into the United States.

The NGO, called Welcome.US, was initially launched to work with President Joe Biden’s administration in resettling some 85,000 Afghans across the U.S. in 2021 and 2022, as Breitbart News reported extensively at the time.

‘All NATO Allies’ Agree That Ukraine Will Join Alliance, Says Secretary-General

Ukraine’s future is in the “Euro-Atlantic family” says the head of NATO, revealing every member now agrees the country will join the alliance, an otherwise major stumbling block that is keeping Sweden from joining as well.

Speaking at Rammstein airbase in Germany after an unannounced visit to Ukraine the previous day, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told cameras that Ukraine’s membership of the alliance was coming. Regardless, and possibly to reassure those who fear the consequences of admitting a country already at war into the fold of the NATO nuclear mutual assurance club would mean, Stoltenberg made clear that the present conflict would have to be won first.

European Nations Send More Leopard 2 Tanks to Ukraine

Denmark and the Netherlands announced Thursday that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 14 refurbished German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks, to be supplied from early 2024.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called it “a significant donation” which came on top of a contribution by Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, announced in February, to supply at least 100 older Leopard 1 A5 tanks.

Yemen: Ramadan Charity Event Stampede Kills at Least 78

A crowd apparently panicked by gunfire and an electrical explosion stampeded at an event to distribute financial aid during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Yemen’s capital late Wednesday, killing at least 78 people and injuring at least 73 others, according to witnesses and Houthi rebel officials.

The tragedy was Yemen’s deadliest in years that was not related to the country’s long-running war, and came ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan later this week.

Armed Houthis fired into the air in an attempt at crowd control, apparently striking an electrical wire and causing it to explode, according to two witnesses, Abdel-Rahman Ahmed and Yahia Mohsen. That sparked a panic, and people, including many women and children, began stampeding, they said.

China Says It Has ‘No Time’ to Deal with Antony Blinken

China’s state-run Global Times propaganda newspaper published an editorial on Wednesday dismissing calls by American Secretary of State Antony Blinken for Beijing to return to communications with Washington, stating the Communist Party has “no time” for “insincere people” like Blinken.

The Times was apparently responding to remarks Blinken made during his visit to Japan this week, during which he attended a meeting of the top diplomats of G7 member countries. The foreign ministers published a joint communique condemning communist China for, among other provocative behavior, threatening to invade Taiwan and colonizing parts of the South China Sea that belong to other countries.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/04/21/clever-germany-rethinks-selling-large-stake-in-one-of-worlds-most-important-ports-to-china/

Food Prices Hit Highest Level in Nearly Half a Century Amid Double Digit Inflation

Food prices in Britain have hit their highest level in nearly a half-century amid continued double-digit inflation, while wages fell yet again in real terms.

According to research conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the consumer prices index (CPI) remained in double digits at 10.1 per cent in March. The inflation rate — the highest in Western Europe — was slightly down from 10.4 per cent from the previous month, however, food prices remained high, hitting levels not seen in 45 years.

UK Minister: Jail Social Media Bosses Who Fail to Censor ‘Harmful’ Content

Social media bosses who fail to censor “harmful” content on their sites should be jailed, plans announced by a UK minister have stipulated.

Technology and Science Secretary Michelle Donelan has announced plans to see social media executives thrown in jail should they fail to censor so-called “harmful” content on their websites.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Rejects Report he ‘Belittled’ Civil Servants, Quits Anyway

U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab resigned Friday after an independent investigation found he bullied civil servants.

Raab´s announcement the day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak received findings into eight formal complaints that Raab, who is also justice secretary, had been abusive toward staff members during a previous stint in that office and while serving as Britain’s foreign secretary and Brexit secretary.

IN-DEPTH: The Real Reason Behind China’s $10 Billion Offer to Taliban for Lithium

A Chinese company has offered the Taliban $10 billion and a proposal to build key strategic infrastructure connecting north-south Afghanistan in exchange for access to the country’s lithium reserves. Some experts raised concerns that the offer would allow the Chinese regime to expand its influence in the region.

The proposal was discussed between a representative of Gochin and the acting minister of the Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Sheikh Hadith Shahabuddin Delawar, in his office on April 13. The talks happened just a few months after the Taliban arrested two Chinese nationals trying to smuggle 1,000 metric tons of lithium-bearing rocks out of the country.

Experts said it needs to be seen if the deal is feasible, but once signed, it will have diplomatic and political ramifications, and the proposed infrastructure development will likely have a long-term strategic impact.

“Geopolitically, this deal could give China a significant advantage and influence in the region, as it secures a supply of critical resources and strengthens its presence in Afghanistan,” Maher Saadat, an exiled activist and Afghan affairs analyst, told The Epoch Times in an email.

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Ron DeSantis to Travel Overseas as He Nears 2024 Decision

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will travel to four countries overseas as part of an international trade mission as he prepares to make a decision on whether to enter the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

DeSantis will travel to Israel, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. The Florida governor will meet with business and government leaders such as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, a press release detailed.

No, Washington state isn’t forcing people into quarantine camps

A routine meeting of the Washington State Board of Health on Wednesday became the topic of a nationwide misinformation campaign this week as social media users, political hopefuls and conservative pundits spun bogus claims that the meeting would include a vote to force unvaccinated residents into COVID-19 quarantine camps.

A communication manager for the board said it had been inundated with more than 30,000 public comments, some threatening, related to the false theory, which misrepresented the board’s scheduled discussion on HIV as a proposed change to COVID-19 policy.

The claims erupted across social media, where widely-circulating posts spawned fears of COVID-19 “internment camps,” and activists rallied their followers to attend a protest at the Board of Health in Tumwater during the online meeting Wednesday.

Even after the board clarified the facts on its website on Friday, the false notion that the state was plotting to hunt down and detain the unvaccinated persisted across social media platforms, on conservative talk shows and throughout the public comment period of the meeting on Wednesday.

‘Sad Day’: Dan Bongino Leaves Fox News, Effective Immediately

Dan Bongino, the nationally syndicated radio and podcast host, confirmed Thursday that he is departing Fox News, effective immediately.

Bongino made the announcement during an episode of his podcast, saying that he has no issues with the network. However, recent negotiations over his contract had come up short, leading to the departure.

Before leaving, Bongino had hosted a weekly Saturday show on Fox News called “Unfiltered,” while he also had a show called “Canceled in the USA” on Fox Nation. The final episode of Bongino’s Saturday night show aired on April 15.

“The show ending last week was tough. It’s not some big conspiracy theory, I promise you. There’s no acrimony,” Bongino said Thursday. “We just couldn’t come to terms on an extension. That’s really it.” He added: “I really enjoyed myself there. They were good for me for ten years.”

“It’s a sad day. They did give me the opportunity to do one last show, I don’t want you to think they showed me the door,” he continued to say. “That’s on me, not on them, but I thought it was best to go this way for now.”

Testimony Reveals Blinken — As Adviser to Biden Campaign — Spurred Letter from 51 Intel Officials Discrediting Hunter Laptop Story

An author of the now-debunked public statement from 51 intelligence officials casting doubt on the bombshell Hunter Biden laptop story revealed this month to Congress that Antony Blinken, then a senior adviser to the Biden campaign, was the impetus for the statement.

Former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell testified to the House Judiciary Committee on April 4 that now-Secretary of State Blinken called him about the laptop story just days after the New York Post published it and that the call “triggered” Morell to draft the statement.

Appeals Court Grants Bragg’s Request to Temporarily Freeze House Subpeona

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on April 20 issued a temporary administrative hold on the return date of the House Judiciary Committee’s congressional subpoena to Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.

udge Rejects Arizona AG’s Attempt to Revoke Elections Agreement With County Recorder

An Arizona judge has rejected state Attorney General Kris Mayes’s attempt to terminate an agreement between Cochise County and the county recorder in a Thursday ruling.

The agreement, which was drafted in February 2023, permits the Cochise County’s recorder to be granted control over “almost all of the powers and duties of the election conferred by statute upon the Cochise County Board of Supervisors,” the document states.

After the initial agreement was written, Mayes filed a lawsuit in March on behalf of Arizona against the three Cochise County supervisors and the county recorder, citing that the agreement violates the Arizona Constitution and Arizona law, according to the documents filed.

IN-DEPTH: Looking at a Trump–Biden Rematch in 2024

‘One thing that is remarkable about this election cycle is the many events that under normal circumstances would be defining.’

As the list of potential candidates for the 2024 presidential election grows longer, the two who are getting the most attention are current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. With the 2024 primary scheduled to begin in less than a year, The Epoch Times reached out to voters and experts to get their thoughts on who might win, and why.

MyPillow CEO’s $5M ‘Prove Mike Wrong’ election-fraud challenge leads to arbitration win for claimant

MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell must make good on his offer to pay $5 million to anyone who could disprove his election-fraud data, an arbitration panel ruled Wednesday.

The panel directed Lindell’s company Lindell Management to pay $5 million to computer forensics expert Robert Zeidman, the Washington Post reports.

“They made a terribly wrong decision! This will be going to court!” Lindell said in a text to the Washington Post.

N-DEPTH: ‘It Is Skynet’: Pentagon Envisions Robot Armies in a Decade

Robotic killing machines prowl the land, the skies, and the seas. They are fully automated, seeking out and engaging with adversarial robots across every domain of war. Their human handlers are relegated to the rearguard, overseeing the action at a distance while conflicts are fought and won by machines.

Far from science fiction, this is the vision of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley.

The United States, according to Milley, is in the throes of one of the myriad revolutions in military affairs that have spanned history.

Such revolutions have spanned from the invention of the stirrup to the adoption of the firearm to the deployment of mechanized maneuver warfare and, now, to the mass fielding of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

It is a shift in the character of war, Milley believes, greater than any to have come before.

“Today we are in … probably the biggest change in military history,” Milley said during a March 31 discussion with Defense One.

“We’re at a pivotal moment in history from a military standpoint. We’re at what amounts to a fundamental change in the very character of war.”

Crime report shows Colorado No. 1 for violent crime among 22 most populous states- many victims aren’t reporting

A newly released report by the Department of Justice finds Colorado has the highest rate of violent crime victimizations among the 22 most populous states – more than twice the national average. And the state is number two in property crime victimizations.

The data was collected between 2017 and 2019, before COVID, but crime has only gotten worse since then.

What makes the report different from other crime statistics is that, for the first time, it includes a survey of people who say they were victims of crime but didn’t report it to the police.

Compared to other states, Colorado has consistently ranked in the middle for violent crimes that are reported. But, when people who were victimized but didn’t report to the police are included, we’re number one.

Andrew Gillum on Trial for Fraud, Lying to FBI During Campaign Against Ron DeSantis

A former candidate for Florida governor, Andrew Gillum, faces 17 counts of fraud and lying to the FBI during his 2018 campaign against now-Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Gillum, who was Tallahassee’s mayor before he ran for governor and was considered a rising star within the Democrat Party, is now on trial in a federal court in Tallahassee. Prosecutors argued that during his run for governor, he committed fraud by using campaign funds to make various purchases.

“This case is not about politics,” assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Milligan said, according to reports from the trial. “This case is about deceiving donors [and] stealing from his own campaign.”

HEALTH

HPV Vaccine Mandate to Attend College

If passed, California bill AB 659 would require public college students under 26 to receive the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in order to attend college

The bill originally proposed mandating the shot for middle schoolers, as a requirement to enter eighth grade; this was amended to a requirement for schools to notify parents that their children “are expected” to get the HPV vaccine before entering eighth grade

Most people who are sexually active contract HPV during their lifetime; in more than 90% of cases, the HPV infection resolves on its own within two years

As of March 31, 2023, there were more than 73,302 adverse reactions from HPV vaccines listed in the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including 623 related deaths, 7,400 hospitalizations and 3,530 disabling conditions. Due to the low VAERS reporting rates, this may represent only 1% of the cases

In most cases, only long-term, untreated HPV infections will trigger cervical cancer, and these are typically easily caught and treated with regular Pap smears

The Spread of Vaccine-Derived Polio

Since 2017, vaccine-derived poliomyelitis has been responsible for infecting and paralyzing more people than the wild virus. Although the Americas were declared polio-free in 1994, a New York man contracted polio and was paralyzed in 2022

Vaccine-derived poliovirus infections result from viral shedding from the oral polio vaccine, which is known to spread beyond the immunized person. In the early years, public health officials felt this would benefit the public

In nature, the weakened virus can replicate in an immunodeficient person and change to a form that causes paralysis, which is what is happening across the globe

Some experts believe the vaccine program should be ramped up to protect the population from a vaccine-derived virus, while others believe doing the same thing and expecting different results is “a recipe for failure”

Just five years before vaccine-derived cases of poliovirus overtook wild cases in number, the first outbreaks of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) were reported in multiple global regions; some experts note this paralyzing condition may be triggered by skeletal muscle injury from a vaccine

Dealing With Tiredness & Low Energy? RDs Suggest You Get More Of These Nutrients

If you, like more than one-third of American adults, struggle to get enough sleep on a daily basis, you’ve likely experienced your fair share of sluggish days. You know the ones: Days when you feel downright exhausted and lethargic, as if your brain and body are moving glacially. But, here’s the thing, you don’t necessarily have to have sleep health concerns to deal with these types of days regularly. In fact, poor shut-eye is only one reason for tiredness and lack of energy. Another cause of suboptimal energy levels? Lacking certain vitamins and minerals. 

“Nutritional deficiencies can cause low energy and occasional fatigue because your body’s trillions of cells rely on vitamins and minerals to generate energy,” explains Samantha Ferguson, M.S., R.D., L.D., a registered dietitian and dietitian nutrition coach. “Different factors such as stress, exercise, alcohol, environment, and under-eating can deplete your vitamin and mineral stores, so it’s important to ensure you are replenishing these stores to feel your best and most energized.” 

The first way to do just that is by eating a well-rounded, balanced diet that’s rich in whole foods, Ferguson says. “It’s important to try to get these vitamins and minerals from food first, as food’s a complex source of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that all work synergistically to provide the most bioavailable forms of those vitamins and minerals.”

But if your diet is up to snuff and you’re still struggling with tiredness, adding supplements to your routine might help resolve any shortages of nutrients and, in turn, boost your energy as needed. The only way to truly know whether or not your levels of certain nutrients are low, however, is to have them tested. So, before popping any capsules or mixing any powders, it’s a good idea to consult your general health care provider, who can administer a blood test to determine any deficiencies and recommend the ideal dosage and product based on your test results and overall health. 

In the meantime, this article’s got you covered with the best vitamins (and minerals) for tiredness and lack of energy—all of which are backed by science and recommended by nutrition pros. 

Vitamin B12 (VEGANSAFE VITAMIN B12 available @ The Power Mall)

Along with the seven other B vitamins, vitamin B12 (aka cobalamin, or methylcobalamin in its activated form) works to “break down the foods we eat and turn them into energy,”* says May Zhu, RDN, LDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nutrition Happens. This energy is in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is essentially the main energy currency that keeps your cells (and whole body) going.

Vitamin B12 also supports the formation of red blood cells, adds Zhu.* This is key for helping the body get enough oxygen-rich blood and maintain a sufficient amount of red blood cells. With suboptimal oxygenated blood or red blood cells, you may feel tired and in need of adequate energy.

Vitamin B6

Another member of the B vitamin complex, vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5-phosphate in its active form) can increase the production and release of a handful of energizing neurotransmitters—including dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, according to a 2008 Cells scientific review. “The nutrient also plays an important role in your metabolism and the release of energy from food by converting glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrates) into glucose (the main energy source),” Ferguson explains.  

Unlike B12, B6 is readily available in a variety of animal and plant sources—including poultry, seafood (e.g., tuna and salmon), chickpeas, dark leafy greens, bananas, and more. So, getting your fill of this vitamin through foods shouldn’t be that difficult, especially since the RDA for adults ages 19-50 is only 1.3 milligrams per day

Vitamin D (VITAMIN D3 (4000 IU) available @ The Power Mall)

Vitamin D not only boosts mood and supports a healthy immune system, but it can also help keep your energy levels stable, says Valerie Agyeman, R.D., dietitian and host of the Flourish Heights podcast. 

“In fact, low energy and occasional fatigue are common in people with vitamin D deficiency,” Agyeman explains. That might be because vitamin D helps mitochondria (the powerhouses of the cell that create energy) use oxygen, thus helping to provide energy to many body parts—including muscles, she adds. 

Unless you live near the equator and spend lots of time outdoors, you’re likely not getting enough daily vitamin D. Just take it from research, which has found that 29% of American adults are vitamin D deficient and 41% are vitamin D insufficient. 

Magnesium (CALCIUM & MAGNESIUM available @ The Power Mall & BLACK SEED-PLUS CAPSULES available @ The Power Mall – Black Seed plus capsules are a natural source for trace minerals including iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and chromium.)

Considering it’s involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body (per a 2017 Scientifica review), it might not come as a shock to learn that magnesium, in Agyeman’s words, is a key player in energy creation: “Magnesium helps convert food into energy and is needed for the production of ATP,” she explains. (Remember, ATP is the fundamental unit of energy within cells.)

So, it makes sense that without ample amounts of magnesium in your body, you’re more likely to feel drained. After all, your body doesn’t have enough of what it needs to make the compound that powers your cells.

The first way to do just that is by eating a well-rounded, balanced diet that’s rich in whole foods, Ferguson says. “It’s important to try to get these vitamins and minerals from food first, as food’s a complex source of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that all work synergistically to provide the most bioavailable forms of those vitamins and minerals.”

But if your diet is up to snuff and you’re still struggling with tiredness, adding supplements to your routine might help resolve any shortages of nutrients and, in turn, boost your energy as needed. The only way to truly know whether or not your levels of certain nutrients are low, however, is to have them tested. So, before popping any capsules or mixing any powders, it’s a good idea to consult your general health care provider, who can administer a blood test to determine any deficiencies and recommend the ideal dosage and product based on your test results and overall health. 

Iron (BLACK SEED-PLUS CAPSULES available @ The Power Mall – Black Seed plus capsules are a natural source for trace minerals including iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and chromium.)

Iron is responsible for making hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen throughout the body. “When the body is low on oxygen, the tissues, muscles, and cells will lack oxygenation and blood flow, causing you to feel more tired,” Ferguson explains. 

Packing your plate with iron-rich foods—such as lean meats, seafood, poultry, fortified products (e.g., cereals and breads), beans, and nuts—can help you maintain healthy iron levels and steer clear of any iron-related lulls in energy. To boost absorption of this critical mineral, consume iron-rich foods alongside vitamin-C-rich foods (like citrus fruits, red peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes), Ferguson recommends. 

And for all those folks who don’t eat meat, poultry, and seafood, keep in mind that you’ll need almost twice the recommended daily intake for meat-eaters (i.e., 18 milligrams per day for menstruating adult women and 8 milligrams for adult men and postmenopausal women, according to the National Academies). That’s because the body doesn’t absorb the non-heme iron found in plant foods as well as heme iron found in animal foods. 

5 Surprising Things Happen After You Stop Drinking Coffee

While coffee (and the caffeine it contains) gives pleasure and health benefits to countless people, many see nothing wrong with several cups per day, which could increase health risks for some. Drinking less coffee, or just eliminating caffeine from your diet, may help improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety, and even reduce headaches, among other benefits.

Caffeine Is a Psychoactive Substance

Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed “psychoactive substance.” It’s considered psychoactive due to its effects on alertness and our mental state, and it’s used daily by at least 85 percent of Americans.

  1. Improved Sleep Quality

One of the most significant benefits of quitting caffeine is improved sleep.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, caffeine has a half-life of up to five hours. A chemical’s half-life is how long it takes a dose of it to be reduced by half in your body.

  1. Reduced Anxiety

Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause an increase in anxiety and jitteriness. Reducing intake or quitting caffeine entirely could reduce your likelihood of experiencing these symptoms to help you feel calmer and more relaxed.

A research study conducted with college-age participants found caffeine intake was associated with depressive symptoms and higher levels of anxiety in these students.

  1. Easier to Stay Hydrated

Caffeine is a diuretic, which means that it can increase the frequency of urination and lead to dehydration.

Eliminating caffeine from your diet can help you stay better hydrated, which can have a positive impact on your overall health and well-being.

  1. Improved Digestion

Coffee can affect stomach acid secretions and may cause gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), commonly called heartburn.

This effect is also associated with a possible increase in digestive problems that include poor digestion, discomfort, nausea, and ulcers.

People Who Shouldn’t Use Caffeine

While caffeine and coffee consumption are generally safe for most people, there are some groups of people for whom it is contraindicated or who should limit their intake.

These groups include:

  1. Pregnant Women

High doses of caffeine during pregnancy have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children when they reach 4 to 11 years old.

  1. People With Anxiety Disorders

Caffeine can increase anxiety and jitteriness in some individuals, which can exacerbate symptoms in people with anxiety disorders.

  1. People With Heart Conditions

Caffeine can cause blood pressure to spike, which may be dangerous for those living with an underlying heart condition. Research also shows that caffeine can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (Afib).

  1. People With Caffeine Sensitivity

Some people have a genetic predisposition to be more sensitive to caffeine, making them much more likely to experience adverse reactions like anxiety or insomnia when they drink even moderate amounts.

  1. Children

Children are smaller and so are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than adults.

“Caffeine-containing foods and beverages can have effects on the body and mind that interfere with every aspect of what children need to thrive,” Columbia pediatrician Dr. David Buchholz said in a statement.

He added that “there is no known safe amount” of caffeine for any child age 11 and younger.

Cutting Caffeine and Withdrawal Symptoms

Strange explained that the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal can be different for every person.

“Common symptoms include headache, fatigue, low energy, irritability, anxiety, poor concentration, depressed mood, tremors, and sleeping issues,” he said, cautioning that the symptoms of quitting caffeine abruptly can last from a few days to a few weeks.

Strange emphasized that the benefits of living without caffeine include better sleep, better focus and concentration, and improved blood pressure, “just to name a few.”

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

IRS Pays $23 Billion Less in Tax Refunds for 2023 Filing Season, Worrying Americans

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is paying $23 billion less in tax refunds for the 2023 filing season—with the average refund amount found to be lower by nearly $300.

The IRS has issued over 69 million refunds collectively worth $198.868 billion for the week ending April 7, 2023, according to the agency’s filing statistics. Compared to the $222.344 billion in refunds handed out in the 2022 season, the 2023 filing season’s refund is $23.476 billion smaller or about 10.6 percent lower.

The average refund amount between the filing seasons has dropped from $3,175 to $2,878, a decline of 9.3 percent or $297. In fiscal 2022, the IRS collected $2.9 trillion in individual income taxes.

Back in January, the IRS had suggested that refund amounts could be smaller this time around. “Due to tax law changes such as the elimination of the Advance Child Tax Credit and no Recovery Rebate Credit this year to claim pandemic-related stimulus payments, many taxpayers may find their refunds somewhat lower this year,” the IRS had said in a Jan. 23 news release.

The U.S. government handed out three rounds of stimulus checks to Americans during the pandemic period. People could claim the missed first and second rounds of stimulus checks on the 2020 tax return. Any missed third-round stimulus checks were claimed in the 2021 return which was filed in the 2022 season.

Housing Agency Rules Will Force Homeowners With Good Credit to Subsidize High-Risk Borrowers

The Biden administration will soon punish Americans with high credit ratings to pay more for their mortgages to subsidize loans for homebuyers with lower scores.

Starting May 1, Americans purchasing a new home or are refinancing their existing mortgages will have to pay higher mortgage rates and monthly fees if they have a higher credit score, The Washington Times reported on April 18.

Consumers with lower credit scores and less money for a down payment will be given better mortgage rates than they otherwise would have in a form of wealth redistribution by adjusting the fees on loan-level price adjustments.

Experts said that borrowers with a credit score of about 680 would pay more than $40 per month on a $400,000 mortgage, due to new rules issued by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Homebuyers who make down payments of 15–20 percent will get hit with the largest fees to support those who would normally be unqualified for a mortgage, to buy a home.

FHFA director Sandra Thompson explained that the new rules were designed to “increase pricing support for purchase borrowers limited by income or by wealth” and comes with “minimal” fee changes.

The changes will immediately affect mortgages originating at private banks nationwide, from Wells Fargo to JPMorgan Chase, and will effectively tweak interest rates paid by the vast majority of homebuyers.

“In the wake of a three percentage-point increase in mortgage rates, now is not the time to raise fees on homebuyers,” Kenny Parcell, president of the National Association of Realtors, told the FHFA earlier this year.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

400-Foot SpaceX Rocket Explodes Over Gulf of Mexico

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its first Starship rocket on the morning of April 20 in an uncrewed test flight that ended minutes later with the craft exploding in the sky over the Gulf of Mexico near Texas.

“As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation,” the private space exploration company wrote on Twitter. “Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.”

The company wrote that with the failed test, the firm will “learn” from its mistakes. “Today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary,” it said.

“Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting first integrated flight test of Starship!” SpaceX wrote.

Live video footage of the test showed the rocket traveling for several minutes before it appeared to fail. The unmanned rocket later exploded in midair.

Corbett: Your Guide To 5th Generation Warfare

We are in the middle of a world-changing war right now.

Oh, I don’t mean the war in Ukraine, the one that all the media are asking you to focus your attention on. Yes, that conflict continues to escalate, and every day there are new stories about provocations and threats that could lead to a nuclear exchange . . . but that’s not the war I’m referring to.

No, the war I’m talking about is an even broader war. A war that is taking place everywhere on the globe, even as I speak, and that involves virtually everyone on the planet, young and old, male and female, military and civilian. It is the war of every government against its own population and every international institution against free humanity.

This is no ordinary war, however. Most of the victims of this warfare aren’t even able to identify it as war, nor do they understand that they are combatants in it.

It’s called fifth-generation warfare, and I’m here to tell you all about it.

I am James Corbett of The Corbett Report and this is Your Guide to Fifth-Generation Warfare

Device Pulls Dozens of Liters of Water from the Air–Already Being Installed in Jordanian Desert Homes

Entrepreneurs in Jordan have created a sophisticated machine that pulls water from the desert air at a rate that could cure the country’s water woes.

1,000 units of their flagship device have already been pre-ordered by the Jordanian government, and the success of the invention has allowed the innovators to attract dozens of promising scientists who can hopefully expand on their success and bring water resources up to speed in the relatively-stable Near Eastern nation.

Jordan has an interesting contradiction of celebrating the highest academic involvement in the Arab world, but also suffering in one of its least-successful entrepreneurial landscapes and from a problem with water insecurity that ranks among the highest in the world.

Stepping up to address this problem is Aquaporo, a relatively straightforward, air conditioning-sized machine that can harvest 35 liters of water every day in a desert climate of 20% humidity.

Much of Jordan’s population may only have access to 200 cubic meters of water per year, and only 36 hours of tap water per week provisioned by the authorities. The WHO warns these levels can create harm to human health and economic development.

A Lightning Strike Produced a Brand-New Phosphorus Mineral Never Before Seen on Earth

A lightning strike has produced a brand new phosphorus mineral, similar to that found on meteorites and in space.

The bolt created a chemical reaction in a rock, leading to what could be a member of a new mineral group, somewhere between space minerals and minerals found on Earth.

And researchers believe strikes like this one might have produced chemicals that kick-started life on Earth.

The find was made following the strike on a tree in New Port Richey, Florida, when a fulgurite was sold by the landowners to a geoscientist who then had it analyzed.

Fulgurites are formed by the high-energy electrical discharge of lightning through rock, soil, and sand, melting them all together in a small tube—effectively making a fossil out of a lightning strike.

Fulgurites have been studied in the desert landscapes of the Sahara to try and map out the weather patterns of a pre-desertified North Africa.

“When lightning strikes a tree, the ground typically explodes out and the surrounding grass dies, forming a scar and sending electric discharge through nearby rock, soil, and sand, forming fulgurites,” said Professor Matthew Pasek, from the University of South Florida.

“Minerals similar to it can be found in meteorites and space, but we’ve never seen this exact material anywhere.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

ANALYSIS: What You’re Not Being Told About the Electric Vehicle Revolution

News analysis

While the Biden administration cannot force you to buy an electric car, it can, by capping tailpipe emissions and other coercive measures, compel producers to severely curtail the manufacturing of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and drive up the cost of gasoline-powered cars. This will likely result in a fundamental restructuring of America’s automotive industry, which accounts for about 3 percent of U.S. GDP and employs more than 1.7 million Americans.

GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING

IN-DEPTH: Controversial mRNA Technology Now Targeting Livestock

Five states have introduced bills either prohibiting gene therapy or mRNA technology in meat products or requiring full disclosure on packaging

At least five states have introduced bills restricting the use of controversial mRNA technology or gene therapies in livestock or demand full disclosure to consumers on product packaging.

The states considering legislation include North Dakota, Tennessee, Arizona, Idaho, and Missouri.

Idaho House Bill 154 would make it a misdemeanor offense for anyone who provides or administers a vaccine using mRNA technology “for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state.”

Arizona House Bill 2762 requires conspicuous labeling of all aquatic, livestock, or poultry products that received mRNA vaccines, and prohibits these products from being labeled as organic.

Tennessee House Bill 0099 amends an existing law to prohibit the manufacture or sale of livestock or meat that contains mRNA “vaccine of vaccines materials” without a conspicuous label that there are such ingredients in the product.

In North Dakota, state lawmakers filed SB2384, which seeks to ban the use of mRNA vaccines in humans and to introduce a penalty for anyone breaking the prohibition.

Missouri State Rep. Holly Jones, a Republican, is the lead sponsor of a bill requiring product labeling of all livestock meat containing “potential gene therapy products.

“We label everything around the world. We label non-GMO. We label GMO. We label grass-fed. We label no antibiotics used. We label manufactured in a plant that has nuts,” Jones said.

“We should label anything that has not been proven safe and effective. As we’ve seen with the COVID vaccines, they’re neither safe nor effective. Even the CDC has come out with that.”

While HB1169 does not mention mRNA by name, the proposed ban would include all “potential gene therapy products.”

The House Emerging Issues subcommittee will review an amended bill on April 19. Jones is a member of that committee.

The bill would require labeling of any product created to act as a potential gene therapy, or that could “otherwise possibly impact, alter, or introduce genetic material or a genetic change into the user of the product.”

National Guide to Finding Local Food: https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/national-guide-to-finding-local-food/ 

Non-GMO Shopping Guide: https://nongmoshoppingguide.com/ 

COVID RELATED NEWS

CDC Director Admits Vaccinated Individuals Can Transmit COVID-19 to Others

A top U.S. health official acknowledged on April 19 that people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can transmit the disease to others.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), made the unsupported claim in 2021 that people who had received a COVID-19 vaccine “do not carry the virus” and “do not get sick.”

“We’ve had an evolution of science and an evolution of the virus,” Walensky told a congressional committee in Washington, adding that the statement “is no longer correct with the Omicron subvariants that we have right now.”

The Biden appointee also doubled down on her initial claim.

“Was that statement correct?” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) asked.

“At the time it was,” Walensky responded. “It was a wildtype virus that we had, it was even before the Alpha variant, it was the initial wildtype variant, and all the data at the time suggested that people who were vaccinated, even if they got sick, couldn’t transmit the virus to anyone else.”

CANCEL CULTURE

Nolte: Far-Left Buzzfeed Cuts 15% of Staff, Closes BuzzFeed News

After more than a decade of failure, far-left BuzzFeed News is finally shutting down.

BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti’s memo announcing the mercy killing Thursday morning and the memo was tweeted out by a media reporter* for the far-left New York Times.

Insider to Cut 10% of Staff After Poor Subscription Gains

News outlet Insider has announced that it will be laying off ten percent of its workforce due to a decline in subscriptions.

In a staff email shared on Thursday morning, Insider said that multiple positions, including staff writers, will be cut from the workforce. The announcement comes one week after Insider Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Carlson said the company would be experimenting with an AI chatbot; an Insider spokesperson told Gizmodo that the layoffs do not stem from the AI chatbot experiment.

GOOD NEWS

Larry Elder Announces 2024 Presidential Run

Republican conservative radio host Larry Elder announced he will run for President of the United States.

“I’m announcing that I’m running for the presidency of the United States,” he broke the news on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox News on April 20. “I have a moral, religious, and patriotic duty to get back to a country that’s been so good to my family and to me. That is why I’m doing this.”

He told The Epoch Times he has been asked by supporters and fans to run for president, and so after careful consideration and more than four decades of political commentary, he has decided to do just that.

Photographer Captures Jaw-Dropping Mysterious Spiral Over the Aurora with a Simple Explanation–(LOOK)

For Todd Slatt, a.k.a the “Aurora Hunter” photographing the northern lights is nothing out of the ordinary, but last Saturday, he witnessed something emerging from the darkness of the night sky that shocked and inspired him.

A spiral of pale blue light began to form in the distance, growing ever larger and coming ever closer to the man holding his camera and his breath.

Eventually, it completely passed over his viewing spot in Delta Junction, Alaska, leaving the expert photographer mystified.

She texted a bible verse to a wrong number. He replied. 14 years later …

“I love us so much. Sometimes I’ll just look at my children and my husband and I wonder what I did to deserve all of this.”

Brenda Rivera Stearns and Isaiah Stearns are sharing new details about their movie-worthy meet-cute with TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager.

The story begins in 2009, when Brenda was trying to text a new friend an uplifting Bible verse, but accidentally typed in a number belonging to Isaiah.

The message read, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit…”

“I get a reply back saying “Amen to that. Who is this?” Brenda, 36, told Jenna on March 16. “And I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s Brenda.”

Brenda explained that they had been introduced through her sister.

Isaiah wrote back, “We’ve never met, but by the looks of your text, I can see that you love God, that’s awesome.”

“I viewed it as, this is another person who can help me in my walk with God,” Isaiah told Jenna.

Brenda apologized to the stranger for bothering him. But Isaiah wanted to keep the conversation going and asked if he could call her sometime.

“I thought it was a little weird,” Brenda told TODAY.com earlier this month. At this point, he didn’t know her age or what she looked like. 

The next day, her phone rang. It was Isaiah.

“Obviously, I didn’t answer. I was a little creeped out. But I was also sort of hoping he’d leave a voicemail so I could hear what he sounded like,” Brenda recalls.

Isaiah came through and left a voicemail. In the message, he said that the Bible verse Brenda sent had lifted his day and made him smile. 

“I could just tell he was very genuine. So I decided OK — I’m gonna call him back,’” Brenda says. He answered right away.

During that first chat, Brenda revealed that she lived in Georgia, but her mom and sister resided in Ohio, about 50 minutes from Dayton, where Isaiah was based.

“I said maybe we could meet up when I visited my family,” she says. “We had an immediate connection.”

After the call, the two added each other on Facebook. At the time, Isaiah had a shaved head.

Brenda says she “quickly fell in love” with Isaiah, despite them being physically apart. They would talk on the phone for hours.

“My mom volunteered to go spy on him. She was like, ‘What gym does he go to?’ ‘Where does he work?’ Brenda says. 

Instead, she arranged a proper lunch date for her mom and Isaiah.

“Isaiah was all for it,” Brenda says. 

When the meal was over, Brenda asked her mom to rate Isaiah on a scale of 1 to 10. She gave him an 11, which Brenda says was “so out of character.”

“She was like, ‘You’re going to marry this guy,’” Brenda says.

Brenda Rivera Stearns and Isaiah Stearns, 41, will celebrate their 13-year wedding anniversary in June. 

The couple are parents of six children: Victoria, 11, Veronica, 10, Samuel, 9, Vanessa, 7, Benjamin, 4, and Ezra, 1. Brenda regularly shares videos and photos of her family on TikTok and Instagram. 

“I’m either pregnant or breastfeeding,” she says. But she adds that there will not be a seventh baby. Their brood is complete.

“I love us so much. Sometimes I’ll just look at my children and my husband and I wonder what I did to deserve all of this,” Brenda says. 

“I wouldn’t have this many kids if my husband wasn’t so involved. He makes dinner. He does the laundry. He doesn’t ask, ‘Hey, do you need help?’ He doesn’t see it as helping me, because it’s his house, too,” she says. “I feel so lucky.”

Calling Isaiah the “perfect partner,” Brenda adds that while he now has a full head of hair, he still can’t dance.

ICYMI

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