March 28, 2024

The Power Hour

Knowledge is Power

Today’s News: April 25, 2023

WORLD NEWS

WHO: The Most Dangerous Global Treaty Ever Proposed

If the World Health Organization’s treaty is widely ratified, the evil twins of Technocracy and Transhumanism will have triumphed over global health, and hence, over humanity. The Transhuman goal of creating Humanity 2.0 will be within reach with an endless flow of mRNA gene therapy injections. The WHO’s biggest contributor and influencer? Bill Gates. ⁃ TN Editor

US prisons were ‘recruiting points’ for terrorists – ex-Abu Ghraib inmate to RT

The US promised democracy to Iraq but instead destroyed it through mass killings and religious strife, Nael Kamel has said

Kremlin issues grain deal warning

The Russia-Ukraine grain deal will end unless the West fulfills its end of the bargain

Russia does not see how the arrangement for the export of Ukrainian grain can be extended unless all of its provisions are met, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. 

“We believe it can’t be extended without meeting the requirements,” Peskov told RIA Novosti at 

the Kremlin.

The July 2022 agreement, brokered by the UN and Türkiye, established corridors in the Black Sea for safe export of grain from Ukraine, but also required the US and its allies to unblock the export of Russian grain and fertilizer – stalled due to Western sanctions against Russian shipping – which has not happened.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres gave Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a letter concerning the grain deal on Monday, offering a “detailed account of the progress already made” and the world body’s “commitment to continue working on the remaining issues,” the UN said in a statement.

Seymour Hersh: The West’s Weapons For Ukraine Are Ending Up on the Black Market

The infamous journalist who uncovered the news that the Biden administration was responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, says that the West knows that the weapons it’s sending to Ukraine are ending up on the black market. Poland, Romania, and other countries are being flooded with arms intended for Kiev, the veteran journalist says.

And the United States is well aware. Is all of this part of the master war plans going on? Considering the U.S. is well aware of these actions, it could very well be the intention.

Hersh claims that Western-supplied arms are being sold by Ukrainian commanders to smugglers in Poland, Romania, and other states. He made the claims while speaking to Afshin Rattansi on his program Going Underground, and said the West is aware of this black-market trade, as some reports about missing arms shipments have even appeared in the U.S. media.

Death toll in Kenyan starvation cult rises to 58, police say

Kenyan police have recovered 58 bodies, mostly from mass graves in a forest in eastern Kenya, thought to be followers of a Christian cult who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves, the country’s police chief said on Monday.

The death toll, which has repeatedly risen as exhumations have been carried out, could rise further. The Kenyan Red Cross said 112 people have been reported missing to a tracing and counselling desk it has set up at a local hospital.

US says Sudan factions agree to ceasefire as foreigners evacuated

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the truce deal followed two days of intense negotiations and would begin on Tuesday.

US-backed Venezuelan opposition figure expelled by neighbor

Colombia has expelled US-backed Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido, who had attempted to attend an international conference in Bogota. The critic of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had earlier crossed into Colombia from his home country in defiance of a court-imposed travel ban.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Guaido had arrived in an “irregular manner.” It added that immigration officials had taken the politician to El Dorado International Airport in Bogota so he could board a US-bound plane.

Guaido confirmed that he had been forced to leave for the US and condemned the way that Colombian authorities had treated him. “Because of the direct threats to my family and my daughters from the Maduro regime, which have spread to Colombia, I am taking this flight,” he wrote on Twitter, promising to “continue to fight.”

The former legislator had hoped to attend an international conference hosted by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday. The summit is part of ongoing negotiations between the Maduro government and its opposition, which are being mediated by Norway. Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva told reporters on Tuesday that Guaido had not been invited to the summit.

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
CANCEL CULTURE TO THE MAX:

Fox News parts ways with Tucker Carlson

Fox News said Monday it has “agreed to part ways” with its popular primetime anchor Tucker Carlson.

Carlson, who hosted “Tucker Carlson Tonight” at 8 p.m. weeknights, broadcast his final show on April 21, Fox News said.

The company noted that “Fox News Tonight” will replace Carlson’s show and air live on an interim basis.

Former Fox News host predicts Tucker Carlson departure will ‘kill’ network

Former Fox News host Glenn Beck predicted Monday that the departure of Tucker Carlson would “kill” the 24-hour news network.

“I think that’ll kill Fox, I really do,” Beck said. “I know so many people that still kinda like Fox, they watch other shows, but they’re like, Tucker is the only one I really trust. You lose Tucker Carlson, I think that really kills them.” “You’re getting rid of Tucker Carlson? Wow,” Beck added. “Letting him walk out the door even? Wow.”

Conservatives Rally Behind Tucker Carlson After Surprise Fox News Exit

Conservatives across America are uniting in solidarity behind Fox News’ top anchor Tucker Carlson after news emerged that he parted ways with the company on Monday.

Top figures in the conservative movement, including former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, reporter Megyn Kelly, and many more expressed support for Carlson over Fox News.

“I don’t know why anybody needs to watch anything in the Murdoch Empire because Tucker was the mainstay of the populist voice over at Fox,” Bannon said on War Room.

Defamation suit produced trove of Tucker Carlson messages

The $787.5 million settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems spared executives and on-air talent from taking the stand in a defamation lawsuit that centered on Fox airing false claims of a stolen election in the weeks after former President Donald Trump’s 2020 loss.

Megyn Kelly Responds to Tucker Carlson Leaving Fox News: ‘Terrible Move’

Other former Fox personalities question popular host’s sudden departure

ANALYSIS: Tucker Carlson’s Exit Shakes Up Cable News

One media expert says Carlson’s departure will have ‘a huge impact’ on Fox News

Shares of Fox Plunge After Company Announces Tucker Carlson Departure

 (Fox stock drops 4% in value!)

Shares were down by as much as 5.1 percent after the news broke. They have since recovered some of that ground.

Fox News Suddenly Parts with Tucker Carlson — Last Show Was Friday

The separation came as a surprise Monday morning. It is unknown why Fox News and Carlson parted ways.

Conservatives React to Tucker Carlson’s Fox Departure: ‘He Doesn’t Need Them’  (Note: Tucker’s Senior Executive Producer Justin Wells was also let go from Fox News at the same time!) 

The political world was shaken Monday after Fox News announced it had parted ways with prime time host Tucker Carlson, and some conservatives are now speculating on his future — whether that be a run for political office or a launch of his own network.

“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” an April 24 press release from Fox reads, thanking Carlson for his work at the network throughout the years.

“Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named,” the brief statement continued.

Read Tucker Carlson’s Speech Delivered After Last Fox News Show

The following is a lightly edited transcript of a speech delivered Friday night at The Heritage Foundation’s 50th anniversary gala celebration at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, by now-former Fox News talk-show host Tucker Carlson. It’s followed by a short dialogue between Carlson and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts.

… AND THAT AIN’T ALL! 

Don Lemon ‘Terminated by CNN’ After 17 Years

CNN host Don Lemon on Monday said he has been “terminated” by the network after 17 years.

“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly,” said the late-night evening news anchor turned morning show co-host, who recently received “formal training” in the aftermath of saying sexist comments on air.

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell ousted over ‘inappropriate relationship’ with CNBC anchor Hadley Gamble

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell was ousted after admitting “an inappropriate relationship” with a CNBC anchor at the media giant, parent company Comcast said Sunday.

The alleged affair was exposed during an investigation by an outside counsel after a complaint against him, according to sources.

“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal,” Shell said in a statement Sunday. “I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret.

“I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down,” the statement said. “They are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 10 years has been a privilege.”

The woman Shell had an affair with was identified by Deadline.com as anchor and senior international correspondent Hadley Gamble. The outlet said the pair started a relationship 11 years ago and continued sporadically for years.

Decision on Trump Indictment to Be Annouced ‘In the Near Future’: Fulton County DA

A Georgia district attorney wrote in a letter dated April 24 that she intends to announce potential indictments resulting from a probe into former President Donald Trump and his associates for alleged interference in the 2020 election with his calls for investigations.

“In the near future, I will announce charging decisions resulting from the investigation my office has been conducting into possible criminal interference in the administration of Georgia’s 2020 General Election,” Fani Willis, District Attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, wrote in a letter addressed to Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat on Monday. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported the letter.

Willis wrote she would announce the charging decisions between July 11 and Sept. 1.

Top White House Policy Adviser Overseeing US Domestic Agenda Leaving
Susan Rice is stepping down as the White House’s domestic policy adviser, the Biden administration confirmed in a statement on Monday.

“I surprised a lot of people when I named Ambassador Susan Rice as my Domestic Policy Advisor,” President Joe Biden said in a statement about the departure of Rice, a former Obama administration official.

Biden added that “Susan was synonymous with foreign policy, having previously served as National Security Advisor and UN Ambassador. But what I knew then and what we all know now—after more than two years of her steady leadership of the Domestic Policy Council—it’s clear: there is no one more capable, and more determined to get important things done for the American people than Susan Rice.”

Eighty-Year-Old Joe Biden Officially Announces Re-Election Bid

Eighty-year-old Democrat Joe Biden officially confirmed on Tuesday morning that he will be seeking a second term as President of the United States despite the vast majority of Americans believing that he should not run again.

Two weeks after leaking his intentions to run in the 2024 elections to Al Roker on the Today Show during an Easter Egg hunt at the White House, President Joe Biden has made it official, with a video posted to his social media accounts

“Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours,” Biden wrote.

Officials Face Growing Pressure to Release Nashville School Shooter’s Manifesto

Law enforcement officials are facing increasing pressure to release the manifesto of Nashville, Tennessee, school shooter Audrey Hale, with a U.S. lawmaker accusing the federal government of delaying its release.

Local officials said that Hale, a female who used transgender pronouns, left behind a suicide note, journals, and other materials. However, none of that has been released to the public, and a motive hasn’t been publicly identified in the case.

“It’s been very perplexing to all of us involved,” Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) told Fox News on April 24. “It seems that certain information is flooded into the marketplace immediately if it fits the narrative, so to speak. If the information does not fit the narrative, it seems to get suppressed.”

The Tennessee Republican said that even he doesn’t “know what’s in the manifesto,” adding that “it’s certainly taking a long time to figure out whether and what information should be released.”

“I think people do deserve to know what took place, what was in the mind of this sick person that committed these heinous murders,” he said. Three adults and three 9-year-old children died in the attack at The Covenant School.

IN-DEPTH: School Choice Movement to Shape Presidential, Federal Races in 2024

In response to plunging test scores that have been made worse by the pandemic, states across the country have been implementing school choice reforms that are making public funding of schools portable.

In October 2022, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, informally known as the “nation’s report card,” revealed that test scores nationwide have plunged to the lowest levels in the last 30 years in reading, while recording the biggest drop ever in math since the assessments began in 1990.

Some states are implementing reforms by creating education scholarship accounts, or ESAs. Such funding allows students to take public dollars out of failing school systems and use them for tuition and other education expenses via private schools, homeschooling, and tutoring.

ESAs are primarily targeted at lower-income students in households that cannot afford tutors or that need tuition assistance in order to afford private schools.

But universal ESAs that are available to students regardless of household income are becoming an increasingly popular option for some states.

As of March, there are 11 states with some type of ESA program, EducationWeek reported.

Top Republican Subpoenas FBI Official Over Refusal to Answer Questions

U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) subpoenaed a top FBI official on April 24 after he said she refused to answer questions.

Jordan subpoenaed Jennifer Leigh Moore, the FBI’s executive assistant director of human resources, after Moore “refused to answer questions during her transcribed interview about the FBI’s retaliation against brave whistleblowers who have come forward to raise concerns about abuses they have seen at the bureau,” according to Russell Dye, a spokesman for Jordan.

Jordan contacted Moore in 2022 as he investigated allegations of misconduct within the bureau, including allegations from whistleblowers that the FBI was working to purge employees with conservative views. The purge allegedly was taking place through security clearance revocations and indefinite suspensions.

“Many of the formal notices for these adverse personnel actions have been signed by you,” Jordan said at the time, adding that information suggested that Moore had also retaliated against at least one whistleblower who made disclosures to Congress.

Jordan requested a transcribed interview and the preservation of materials relating to the allegations.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg says he’s against Prop A

Mayor Ron Nirenberg is urging residents to vote against a proposed City Charter amendment aimed at police reform.

The charter amendment, known as Prop A or the Justice Charter, seeks to decriminalize marijuana and abortion, further restrict police officers’ use of no-knock warrants, ban chokeholds, expand the city’s cite-and-release policy for some low-level, nonviolent crimes and establish a justice director position within the city’s administration.  

Manchin torches Dems on energy: ‘Broke their word to the public’

Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin, D-W.V., called out his party leadership for backing out of a key aspect of the Inflation Reduction Act he notably forged with them last year.

On “Hannity,” host Sean Hannity noted how Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Biden essentially promised further energy projects and incentives affecting Manchin’s state, which helped garner his key vote.

Hannity said Biden more recently “went along with the climate alarmist cult” and broke his promises to Manchin regarding batteries and green energy issues.

Manchin warned that in the time since, Russian President Vladimir Putin has “weaponized” energy resources and that America is at a disadvantage as it is no longer energy independent, as it was for a short time under President Trump.

Report: Joe Manchin Lobbied Biden Administration to Grant Funding to Organization with Ties to His Campaign

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) lobbied President Joe Biden’s administration to secure a multimillion-dollar grant on behalf of a coalition of groups that included an organization with ties to his campaign, according to Fox News.

Appalachian Climate Technology (ACT) Now is a coalition led by the Coalfield Development Corporation, which is composed of several West Virginia municipalities, schools, and organizations. One of those organizations is the Charleston Area Alliance, an economic development group led by Jack Rossi, Manchin’s campaign treasurer.

Coalfield Development’s ACT Now Coalition was one of several organizations competent for $100 million in federal funding from Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

2ND AMENDMENT

CNN: Gun Sales Surging Among Women in Wake of Mass Shootings

Gun sales are surging among women in the wake of the Nashville Christian school shooting and the attack on the Louisville bank, CNN reported on April 22.

Reporters spoke to two women, who met at a Long Island gun range, shooting “lever action rifles and pistols” at silhouette targets.

HEALTH

FOOD SUPPLY: Three States to Recall 61K Pounds of Ready to Eat Sausage, Poultry; Company Recalls Over 11K Pounds of Frozen Turkey Patties

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reported Friday that Alef Sausage Inc., a Mundelein, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 61,574 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) halal meat and poultry sausage products due to misbranding and possible temperature abuse.

FSIS officials said the products were not labeled with a handling statement indicating that they should be kept refrigerated, which could lead to temperature abuse of the products.

Now be prepared for DOG FLU! Mutated form of avian influenza is ‘creeping’ towards infecting humans

Humans could one day be struck down by ‘dog flu’ – a mutated form of avian influenza which is slowly evolving.

H3N2 seeded itself in dogs almost two decades ago. It can cause pooches to suffer from a runny nose and cough and be deadly in extreme cases.

Since then, it has become established within canines and evolved to become a dog-specific virus.

Can Broccoli Help Your Gut?

Evidence reveals that compounds in broccoli help protect the integrity of your intestinal lining and therefore may help prevent leaky gut, which increases inflammation and may be the basis for many chronic diseases

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable with dozens of nutrients that support optimal health, including fiber, the anticancer compounds sulforaphane and glucoraphanin, anti-inflammatory and free radical quenching phenolic compounds and immune-boosting DIM

3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) is converted from indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables. Researchers believe it may be a potent weapon against antibiotic-resistant pathogens

You can maximize the benefits of broccoli by lightly cooking it to augment the sulforaphane content. You can raise levels further by pairing it with a myrosinase-containing food such as mustard seed, arugula or radishes

Broccoli sprouts pack a greater nutritional punch and contain from 10 to 100 times the concentration of glucoraphanin and may have up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables

Chronic Hiccups Could Be a Sign of Something Serious

Hiccups can happen to anyone at any age. Even unborn babies get hiccups, which some believe may help prepare them to begin breathing air. Although there is no consensus on the role that hiccups play in adults, researchers from University College London1 announced in 2019 that hiccups in newborns trigger brain signals, which may help the infant learn how to regulate their breathing.

Hiccups describe the sound that is triggered by spasms in the diaphragm. The diaphragm separates your abdomen and your chest, resting under your rib cage. It plays an important role in breathing. As the diaphragm moves downward it creates negative pressure in the chest and you inhale. When you exhale, the diaphragm moves back into place.

An involuntary spasm of the diaphragm causes you to suck in air and at the same time the glottis closes to prevent more air coming in. This causes the classic ‘hic’ sound of the hiccup. For most people, hiccups are self-limited and last for several minutes. They are usually nothing more than annoying. However, for others, hiccups can be persistent, lasting over two days, or intractable when they last over one month.

If you have multiple episodes of hiccups over a prolonged time, this is also considered chronic hiccups. Intractable or chronic hiccups can become a medical issue in and of itself. However, what is also known is that chronic or intractable hiccups in adults are associated with several medical conditions, including cancer.

Psychotherapy May Lower Risk for Heart Disease

Treating depression with talk therapy may provide protection against heart disease, new research suggests.

As depression lifts, people may begin to engage more in healthy eating and exercise, investigators believe.

In a study of nearly 637,000 people who took part in talk therapy offered by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) between 2012 and 2020, those whose depression symptoms improved were 12% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, stroke and death, researchers found.

Study Finds Pain Returns a Year After Sciatic Surgery

Sciatica can send searing, unrelenting pain down your legs, and surgery is often recommended if other less invasive measures fail to bring relief.

Unfortunately, a new study review suggests that such operations likely only provide temporary results, with pain typically returning within a year.

Sciatica is “characterized by pain going down the back of the leg, most often due to pressure on a spinal nerve root caused by a ruptured spinal disc in the lower back,” said study author Christine Lin, a professor with Sydney Musculoskeletal Health at the University of Sydney in Australia. “The condition can also manifest as back pain, muscle weakness, and a pins-and-needles sensation in the lower leg.

“We set out to investigate if surgery was effective in relieving pain and disability in people with sciatica caused by a ruptured [spinal] disc,” said Lin.

But after reviewing 24 prior studies, she and her colleagues concluded that while partial removal of a ruptured disc (discectomy) did result in short-term pain and disability relief, “the benefits reduced with time, and at one year there were no treatment benefits compared to people who did not have surgery.”

Lin noted that while surgery is not the only intervention for sciatica patients, “we don’t have a lot of treatment options that are backed by scientific evidence.”

FDA Says Misinformation Is a Top Killer

In the U.S., life expectancy is three to five years lower than that in other high-income countries

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf stated it’s the spread of misinformation that’s killing Americans, as access to information online is causing people to make choices that are harming their health

Califf is calling for increased regulation, in the form of “specific authorities at FDA, FTC and other areas” to find misinformation and counter it

More than 250,000 patients die each year from medical errors, making it the third leading cause of death, but Califf didn’t mention this

More Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 die from fentanyl overdose than any other cause, including suicide, motor vehicle accidents, COVID-19 and cancer — but Califf didn’t mention this either

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

McCarthy makes plea for Republicans to back debt ceiling plan

Speaker Kevin McCarthy made a plea to House Republicans during a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning to back his debt ceiling plan, telling them that although it doesn’t have to include everything they want, it will help get him to the negotiating table with President Joe Biden.

McCarthy also told members that once he is at the table, he can push for other policy provisions down the road, according to multiple sources in the room, underscoring the idea that leadership sees the GOP-only plan as purely a way to strengthen their hand at the negotiating table.

Top House Republicans are projecting confidence that they will be able to unite the conference behind a plan and move quickly to pass it. But that is far from certain. Key details of the plan are still yet to be finalized and some members are expressing frustration over the proposal as it stands – and elements that have not been included.

House Rules Chairman Tom Cole told CNN the GOP debt limit bill will be on the House floor next week, but other House Republicans have signaled skepticism over whether specifics of the proposal can be ironed out in time for a vote to happen that soon and the timeframe may slip.

Silicon Valley Stumble: Google Puts Massive Campus Construction Project on Indefinite Hold

Google’s ambitious 80-acre “Downtown West” campus project has been put on hold indefinitely as the tech giant faces its most severe cost cuts in its history, leaving San Jose’s downtown area in limbo.

CNBC reports that as Google with its most severe cost cuts in history, the internet giant’s ambitious 80-acre “Downtown West” campus project has been put on indefinite hold, leaving San Jose’s downtown area in limbo.

Texas Manufacturing Activity Stalled In April, Dallas Fed Survey Shows

A key gauge of factory activity in Texas unexpectedly tumbled in April, a survey released Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas showed.

The Dallas Fed’s Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey indicated that factory activity was flat in April after modestly growing in March. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, slipped down from 2.5 to 0.9, with the near-zero reading suggestive of no change in output from last month.

Rather Than Restoring Soundness to the Dollar, Senators Seek to Debase the Nickel

Fiat currencies that are undergoing inflation eventually reach the point where the smallest unit of account becomes practically worthless – more trouble to handle and account for than it’s worth. That is the current state of the cent.

Few people today would bother to pick up a penny laying on the ground. Back in 2018, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) likened pennies to “litter” in a speech on the House floor:

I’m going to suggest that you simply abolish the penny. It isn’t currency, it’s litter. If a police officer saw me throw pennies on the ground, I’d get a ticket for littering, and if I tried to pay that ticket in pennies, the judge would be very upset.

The penny has been our lowest unit of currency since 1857, since Lincoln. Now he wouldn’t throw pennies on the ground, and call it litter, because back then a penny was worth more than a dollar is today…

Of course, Sherman doesn’t take responsibility for his own role in trashing the value of the currency through his support of massive deficit spending and the inflationary monetary system that enables it.

It currently costs the government more than 2.5 cents to produce a penny.

The cent simply makes no economic sense.

The nickel is also now in the red. It costs more than 10 cents to mint and distribute.

Last week, Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced legislation to formally debase the nickel. It would direct the U.S. Mint to produce nickels (which currently contain actual nickel, along with copper) out of cheaper materials.

Disney’s latest and biggest round of layoffs has begun – The Verge

After early reports that Disney’s second round of layoffs this year would be a ‘bloodbath,’ the studio began this week by firing thousands more employees.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

China to explore 3D printing on moon to build habitats

China wants to start building a lunar base using soil from the moon in five years.

Is AI being used for virtual kidnapping scams?

You may have seen a worrying report of Artificial Intelligence (AI) being used in a virtual kidnapping scam. The AI was supposedly used to imitate the voice of an Arizona resident’s daughter, who claimed to have been kidnapped. The daughter was safe and well elsewhere on a school trip. Unfortunately, with the daughter out of sight this just made the scam seem more believable. Was she actually on the trip, or kidnapped? With no way to know right away, all the parent could do was listen to a demand for $1m and the threat of terrible things happening to their daughter.

The scammers dropped the ransom down to $50k after being told that the money simply wasn’t available, and while all of this was going on, a friend of the family, and law enforcement, were able to confirm that the supposedly kidnapped daughter was in fact safe and well.

Virtual kidnapping scams have been around for many years, but this is a new spin on a well-worn technique.

The imitated child’s parent is convinced that some form of AI was used in this instance. To do this, scammers would have had to obtain some samples of the daughter’s voice. The samples would then have been fed into a machine learning algorithm which learned how she speaks, giving the scammers a computer program that can speak like the victim.

This technique certainly works, and can produce strartling results. To hear for yourself, take a listen to podcast.ai, a podcast entirely generated by AI, that features guests like the late Steve Jobs.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Supreme Court Rejects Oil Companies’ Attempt to Move Climate Change Lawsuits to Federal Court

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid by major oil companies to move a series of climate change-related lawsuits against them out of state courts and into federal courts, where they hoped to have better odds.

The justices denied (pdf) a total of five petitions from BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Shell, Suncor Energy, and Sunoco LP over lower court rulings that keep their cases in the state court where they were originally filed.

These companies are accused of causing climate change damages to properties owned or operated by the state of Rhode Island; the counties of Boulder, Colorado and San Mateo, California; and the cities of Baltimore, Maryland, Boulder, Colorado, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

IN-DEPTH: EPA Faces Backlash, Court Battles Over Its New Emissions Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will likely face more legal challenges over its latest emissions standards, which are projected to lead to two-thirds of new car sales being all-electric vehicles by 2032.

“Once it’s published as a final rule, it will undoubtedly be challenged again, just like the last set of rules was challenged,” Steven Bradbury, a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and a former general counsel at the Department of Transportation (DOT), told The Epoch Times.

“At that point, there may be a ruling by the D.C. Circuit [Court of Appeals] on the earlier challenges that would help inform how the court would handle a new challenge,” he added.

Climate Change Skepticism Is Growing Despite Nonstop Propaganda

Despite continued efforts to flood the world with global warming propaganda, more and more people are responding “meh” while turning away. Technocrats who created the global warming scam in the first place appear compelled to continue in the same direction, regardless of resistance. Only total rejection will dethrone Technocracy.⁃ TN Editor

GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING

How to Grow Chicken Feed (The Easy Way)

High-quality chicken feed ain’t “cheep”! Grow chicken feed that improves flock health and fits your budget using these smart, simple tips.

COVID RELATED NEWS

Biden administration organizes first Nationwide Vaccination Day targeting Black communities

The Biden administration on Saturday held its first “Nationwide Vaccination Day,” running vaccine pop-ups across 21 cities to boost vaccination rates in Black communities.

The event was part of the White House’s broader “We Can Do This” COVID-19 Vaccine Public Education Campaign. Community organizations like the Black Nurse Collaborative, Top Ladies of Distinction, and 100 Black Men of America partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide free vaccinations to community members.

How Are the COVID Shots Affecting Mothers-To-Be?

Compared to the flu vaccine, COVID-19 shots are associated with a significant increase in adverse events among women of reproductive age

Data revealed a 27-fold higher risk of miscarriage and a more than twofold increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes across six different categories following COVID-19 shots

COVID-19 shot contents are biodistributed into the bloodstream within hours and cross “all physiologic barriers including the maternal-placental-fetal barrier and the blood brain barriers in both the mother and the fetus”

Birth rates in multiple European countries fell significantly in the end of 2021, months after COVID-19 shots became widely utilized

Researchers have called for the immediate suspension of COVID-19 vaccination for all persons of childbearing and reproductive age

Face Mask Risk: Stillbirths, Testicular Dysfunction, Cognitive Decline

Face masks may raise the risk of stillbirths, testicular dysfunction and cognitive decline in children, ‘explosive’ new research suggests.

A review of dozens of studies on face coverings suggested they can cause mild carbon dioxide poisoning when worn over long periods.

The German academics who carried out the research believe masks create a pocket of dead space between the mouth and mask, which traps the toxic gas.

They say the build-up of CO2 in pregnant women’s bodies could cause complications for the unborn fetus. They point out that CO2 also contributes to oxidative stress, which can affect cognition and cause testicular issues in men.

But independent doctors have questioned the conclusions of the study — which never directly looked at health complications and mask use, describing the link as ‘unlikely’.

One study the German researchers looked at found that just 0.3 percent prolonged CO2 exposure to both pregnant rats and young mice led to brain damage, heightened anxiety and poorer memory. Another found that male mice exposed to 2.5 percent CO2 for four hours — equal to 0.5 percent for humans — resulted in the destruction of testicular cells and sperm. A third study found that three percent CO2 (equivalent of 0.8 percent for humans) in pregnant rats caused stillbirth and birth defects

Alluding to the surge in stillbirths during the pandemic, the German researchers said: ‘Circumstantial evidence exists that popular mask use may be related to current observations of a significant rise of 28 percent to 33 percent in stillbirths worldwide.’

‘[And] reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance of two full standard deviations in scores in children born during the pandemic,’ the researchers wrote in the paper, published in the journal Heliyon.

But the study could not conclusively prove that the masks were directly responsible for any of these complications.

Georgia Mother of 7 Denied Kidney Transplant for Refusing COVID-19 Shot

A 41-year-old Georgia mother of seven young children has been rejected as a candidate for a kidney transplant by Emory Healthcare Inc., even though she’s on dialysis and potentially facing death.

The reason? The woman, who has already had COVID-19, refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on religious and medical grounds.

The woman, who will be referred to as Jane Doe to protect her privacy, was referred to Atlanta-based Emory by her nephrologist after suddenly developing end-stage kidney disease, according to Liberty Counsel (LC), a national nonprofit legal organization that’s representing Doe.

The seriousness of Doe’s condition necessitates her undergoing dialysis three times per week to keep her alive.

Following an evaluation by one of the transplant center’s nurse practitioners, Doe was initially found to be an acceptable candidate for a new kidney, even though she reported that she hadn’t been vaccinated against COVID-19.

CANCEL CULTURE

Montana Transgender Lawmaker Censured for ‘Hateful’ Comments

A transgender lawmaker from Montana has been censured in the House after the individual made “hateful rhetoric” while debating a bill ending transgender procedures for minors.

The SB 99 bill, also known as the “Youth Health Protection Act,” bans minors in the state from receiving surgical procedures, puberty blockers, and hormones.

“The only thing I will say is if you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat, said during the House debate on Tuesday, referring to the chamber’s opening prayer. Zephyr is the first transgender lawmaker in the history of the Montana Legislature.

House Majority Leader Sue Vinton called Zephyr’s comments disrespectful. In the evening, the Montana Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers, demanded that Zephyr be censured for “attempting to shame the Montana legislative body and by using inappropriate and uncalled-for language during a floor debate.”

“This kind of hateful rhetoric from an elected official is exactly why tragedies such as the Covenant Christian School shooting in Nashville occurred,” the caucus said in an April 18 press release.

Bud Light Marketing Exec Daniel Blake ‘on Leave’ After Dylan Mulvaney Ad Campaign

Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands, has taken a leave of absence following the backlash from the Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light advertising campaign.

As Breitbart News reported, Bud Light Vice President of Marketing Alissa Heinerscheid had already taken a leave of absence for her role in pushing the ad featuring transgender Dylan Mulvaney.

Ex-Budweiser Executive Says Conservatives Won’t Forget Pro-Trans Controversy

A former Anheuser-Busch executive warned his former colleagues that American conservatives, who make up its base, would likely not forget the recent transgender controversy.

The commotion was instigated by the company’s decision to partner with transgender personality Dylan Mulvaney to act as one of its spokespersons.

Anheuser-Busch released special edition cans of Bud Light with Mulvaney’s face on it for its March Madness ad campaign and in celebration of his one-year anniversary after declaring himself to be a woman.

ICYMI

Australian Horse Jockey Dean Holland Dead at 34 After Fall During Race

Rapper Desiigner charged with indecent exposure for allegedly masturbating on flight

Social Share Buttons and Icons powered by Ultimatelysocial