Today’s Top 5:
1.Judge Dismisses Trump’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Magazine Columnist
Former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll was dismissed on Aug. 7.
A federal judge said Mr. Trump, 77, did not show that Ms. Carroll, 79, defamed him in comments on television after a jury convicted Mr. Trump of sexually assaulting the columnist.
Ms. Carroll said on CNN that Mr. Trump raped her, but the jury acquitted Mr. Trump of a rape charge. She also said that after the jury’s verdict was handed down, she told Mr. Trump’s lawyer Joseph Tacopina, “he did it, and you know it.”
That triggered the countersuit against Ms. Carroll.
“Counterclaim Defendant made these false statements with actual malice and ill will with an intent to significantly and spitefully harm and attack Counterclaimant’s reputation, as these false statements were clearly contrary to the jury verdict in Carroll II whereby Counterclaimant was found not liable for rape by the jury,” Mr. Trump’s lawyers said.
They said the statements harmed Mr. Trump’s reputation and should result in damages.
Ms. Carroll’s attorneys said that the claim was “substantially true” because she was “reciting her own undisputed internal thoughts.”
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing the case, ruled in favor of Ms. Carroll.
2.Warfare: Cyberattack Launched Against Hospitals Across U.S.
Cybercriminals continue to be blamed as the primary actors in cyberattacks, but any logical analysis reveals the massive scale of these attacks would absolutely require institutional support. The U.S. intel community could certainly identify the geographical and organizational source of these attacks, yet choose to cover up the tracks by feigning unknown cybercriminals.
The FBI lied about the extent of its communications with Facebook regarding the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020, newly disclosed communications from the tech company reveal. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) says that the FBI’s claim it only met with Facebook once about Biden’s “Laptop from Hell” are “completely false.”
This is the latest installment in Rep. Jim Jordan’s “Facebook Files,” a series of internal communications from the social networking platform obtained through a subpoena by the House Judiciary Committee, which Jordan chairs.
4.Labor Market Heating Up Again, Putting Pressure on Fed For Another Hike: Conference Board
A key gauge of the U.S. labor market indicates more jobs will be added in the months ahead, suggesting the Federal Reserve will hike again later this year, the Conference Board said Monday.
The Conference Board’s Employment Trends Index, which has retreated for the past two months, rose to 115.45 in July from 113.56 in June. When the index increases, this indicates that employment is likely to grow in the months ahead.
5.Exclusive — Dershowitz: Public Has First Amendment Right to See Evidence Against Trump
Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan M. Dershowitz said Sunday that former President Trump should have the right to see and reveal the evidence against him, despite Special Counsel Jack Smith’s effort to obtain a protective order against that disclosure.
WORLD NEWS
Ukraine Says it Has Foiled Russian Assassination Attempt Against President Zelensky
A woman allegedly aiding the Russians to take out President Zelensky in an airstrike was caught “red-handed” and faces 12 years in prison, Ukraine’s FBI equivalent has said.
An “informant of Russian intelligence” who was allegedly collecting information on President Zelensky’s planned visit to a region close to the Crimea frontline has been arrested, Ukraine’s intelligence and security agency announced Monday.
Green Madness: Leftist Scottish Govt Cut Down 16 Million Trees to Put up Wind Farms
The leftist government of Scotland has admitted to felling nearly 16 million trees on public land in order to make way for supposedly ‘green energy’ wind turbines.
The Rural Affairs Secretary for the leftist-separatist locally-devolved government of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP), Mairi Gougeon, has admitted that some 15.7 million trees were cut down since the year 2000, or around 1,700 per day, in order to clear room for the construction of wind turbines.
In a letter last month to Scottish Tory Member of the Scottish Parliament, Liam Kerr, reported on Sunday by the Telegraph, Gougeon said that approximately 7,858 hectares of trees have been felled over the past two decades. With an average of around 2,000 trees per hectare, “this gives an estimated total of 15.7 million trees which have been felled in order to facilitate windfarm development.”
Australian police arrest 19 for child sex abuse offences after FBI tip-off
Australian authorities have announced child sex abuse charges against 19 men after a tip-off from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uncovered a “sophisticated” international paedophile network.
Australian Federal Police Commander Helen Schneider said on Tuesday that 13 children had been rescued from the network, which allegedly used encryption and other means to share child exploitation material on the dark web.
Portugal battles wildfires amid third heatwave of the year
Firefighters in Portugal are battling to contain wildfires engulfing thousands of hectares amid soaring temperatures.
Around 800 personnel attended a fire near the southern town of Odemira overnight on Monday, with more than 1,400 people having to evacuate.
At least nine firefighters have been injured tackling the fires.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Trump Says Special Counsel’s Requested Gag Order Would Violate His Free Speech Rights
Former President Donald Trump said Monday that he should not be subjected to a gag order requested by special counsel Jack Smith as it would limit his free speech rights.
Mr. Trump made the remark in a post on social media on Monday morning as his legal team faces a judge-imposed 5 p.m. deadline later in the day to respond to a request by Mr. Smith for a protective order that would limit what information the former president can publicly share in the case.
The case relates to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, in which Mr. Trump is accused of multiple felonies in connection with his challenges to the 2020 presidential election.
“No, I shouldn’t have a protective order placed on me because it would impinge upon my right to free speech,” Mr. Trump wrote in the message.
Calling the special counsel “deranged,” Mr. Trump said that it’s Mr. Smith and the Department of Justice (DOJ) that should be subjected to a gag order “because they are illegally ‘leaking’ all over the place!”
While Mr. Trump did not specify what leaks he was referring to, there have been reports of this taking place, such as the leaking in March of a sealed opinion from a judge that alleged Mr. Trump intentionally lied to his own counsel about classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Gold Star Father of Marine Killed in Afghanistan Withdrawal Calls for Joe Biden’s Resignation
Gold Star family members of some of the 13 U.S. service members killed during the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan nearly two years ago spoke at a public forum in California on Monday, with one father calling on President Joe Biden and members of his cabinet to resign. Similarly, a mother accused a colonel of giving her false information after her son was killed.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) organized the public forum at the Escondido City Hall at 11:00 a.m. local time, where family members offered emotional testimony following the tragic deaths of their sons and daughters at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in what officials say was a suicide bombing.
Three dead after firefighting helicopters collide in California
Three members of a firefighting helicopter crew were killed after their helicopter collided with another in midair and crashed while battling wildfires in southern California on Sunday evening, officials said.
The cause of the deadly accident near Cabazon, about 90 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, was not immediately clear, the chief of Cal Fire’s southern region, David Fulcher, told a news conference early Monday.
McConnell Jeered With ‘Retire, Retire, Retire’ at Major Kentucky Political Event
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was heckled and jeered by a home state crowd as he gave a speech at the annual “Fancy Farm Picnic.” During comments criticizing Kentucky’s Democrat Governor Andy Beshear, McConnell was confronted with extended boos and the chants of “Retire, Retire, Retire,” and “lost the Senate.”
The “boo bird” arrived during McConnell’s opening sentence and increased in volume as he went on.
In the end, even the public address system couldn’t help.
2ND AMENDMENT
Bloomberg Gun Control Group Spending Six Figures to Pressure Tennessee GOP to Adopt Red Flag Law
Mike Bloomberg-affiliated Everytown for Gun Safety has launched a six-figure marketing campaign designed to pressure Tennessee state Republican legislators into supporting a red flag law during Gov. Bill Lee’s (R) special legislative session.
Ninth Circuit Panel: Knives Are ‘Arms’ Protected by Second Amendment
A three-judge panel from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a district court decision upholding Hawaii’s ban on butterfly knives on Monday, noting that “bladed weapons facially constitute ‘arms’ within the meaning of the Second Amendment.”
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
SEC chairman warns of risk to financial systems from AI
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler warned in a new interview that artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually lead to financial crises.
“This technology will be the center of future crises, future financial crises,” Gensler told The New York Times. “It has to do with this powerful set of economics around scale and networks.”
Americans Amass Record $1 Trillion in Credit Card Debt
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reported Friday that Americans now owe $1 trillion in credit card debt, a historic and troubling record.
The number comes as some credit card interest rates have hit their highest level in 40 years.
L.A. City Workers to ‘Shut Down’ City on Tuesday, Joining Hollywood, Hotel Strikes
Thousands of municipal workers in Los Angeles plan to down tools on Tuesday, joining a summer of labor actions that has involved Hollywood writers, Hollywood actors, and hotel employees across the city.
Trucking Giant Yellow Corp. Declares Bankruptcy After Years of Financial Struggles
Trucking company Yellow Corp. has declared bankruptcy after years of financial struggles and growing debt, marking a significant shift for the U.S. transportation industry and shippers nationwide.
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which was filed Sunday, comes just three years after Yellow received $700 million in pandemic-era loans from the federal government. But the company was in financial trouble long before that — with industry analysts pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back decades.
Former Yellow customers and shippers will face higher prices as they take their business to competitors, including FedEx or ABF Freight, experts say — noting Yellow historically offered the cheapest price points in the industry.
Chinese Buyers Back Making US Home Purchases After Beijing Ends Lockdowns
Chinese homebuyers are making a comeback in the United States now that Beijing has lifted its “zero COVID” policy, and they’re showing more interest in homes and vacation residences than investment properties as they did a decade ago, a recent report found.
“Home purchases from Chinese buyers increased after China relaxed the world’s strictest pandemic lockdown policy,” said National Association of Realtors (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.
The NAR’s yearly report on foreign purchases of U.S. residential real estate pointed to an overall dip that it attributed largely to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current lack of U.S. housing inventory. NAR is the country’s largest trade association, representing both residential and commercial real estate industries.
Purchases from China dominated foreign buying of U.S. homes in recent months, totaling $13.6 billion.
The average purchase price of these homes was $1.23 million, far higher than the average international purchase ($639,900), the international median ($386,400), and the median sales price of all U.S. home purchases ($384,000)
Tesla Replaces CFO as Kirkhorn Ends 13 Years at the EV Maker
Tesla Inc. Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn stepped down after 13 years at the electric-vehicle maker, a surprise shakeup that raises new questions about succession in the top ranks of Elon Musk’s company.
FBI Special Agent Charles McGonigal is expected to plead guilty next week to conspiring with a Russian oligarch.
Earlier this year former Special Agent in charge of counter-intelligence in the New York field office, Charles McGonigal, was arrested for conspiring with Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian Oligarch.
Charles McGonigal was hit with a five-count indictment and charged with “violating and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and with conspiring to commit money laundering and money laundering.”
Mr. McGonigal retired in 2018, according to the DOJ’s press release.
Pence qualifies for GOP presidential debate after hitting donor threshold
Former vice president Mike Pence has qualified for the first GOP presidential debate this month but still trails far behind Donald Trump in the polls.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
EPA Auto Emissions Rule Decried as Unachievable, Not Going Far Enough
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to curb automobile emissions has been decried by environmentalists as not doing enough to curb pollution and being unachievable by the automobile industry.
The EPA proposed automobile emissions standards so strict that 67 percent of new vehicles sold in 2032 would have to be electric to comply.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HEALTH
“More Inclusive”: Red Cross Starts Implementing New FDA Screening Guidelines for Blood Donations
The American Red Cross on Aug. 7 started implementing new screening guidelines offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prospective blood donors.
While all people who have tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are still barred from donating blood, other people will be allowed to donate even if they’ve engaged in anal sex in the past three months, provided they did not do so with a new partner, according to the screening questions.
All prospective donors will be asked the same questions in the screenings, instead of only men who have sex with other men or women who have sex with bisexual men.
“On August 7, the American Red Cross implemented the updated FDA blood donation guidelines which eliminate questions based on sexual orientation,” the Red Cross said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming those who may be newly eligible to give through a more inclusive blood donation process.”
The Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the blood in the United States.
The group and others are hoping the changes lead to more blood donations. The Red Cross in 2022 declared a blood crisis for the first time, calling the shortages a risk to patients. Some hospitals were receiving much less blood than requested.
Experts warn antibiotics could increase risk of developing kidney stones among children
Kidney stones are on the rise, especially among children, and experts are warning that the use of antibiotics could be increasing their risk.
These hard deposits of salts and minerals that can become lodged in the urinary tract were once thought of as a problem that largely affects older individuals. However, kidney stones have increasingly been affecting younger people, especially teenage girls.
Much of the research on kidney stones has traditionally focused on adults, but one study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology provides some insight into the growing prevalence of this problem.
This research revealed that the annual incidence of kidney stone disease climbed by 16 percent from 1997 to 2012. The sharpest increase was noted among 15- to 19-year-olds. In addition, girls had a 52 percent higher incidence of kidney stones than boys up until the age of 25, at which point it became more prevalent in men. The risk of kidney stone disease overall doubled in the time period studied during childhood for boys and girls alike.
Some of the factors that may be behind this rise include diets that are heavy in ultra-processed foods as well as the increased use of antibiotics.
For example, antibiotics can change the gut microbiome in a manner that fosters the development of kidney stones. One study found that individuals who took any of a group of five common oral antibiotics noted an increase in their chances of developing kidney stones of 1.3 to 2.3-fold, and this risk remained high for as many as five years after stopping the antibiotics. Moreover, the risk was greater for children who received antibiotics at younger ages.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Off-Grid Housing Gaining in Popularity in Quest for More Affordable Living
Tiny houses, sustainable communities appeal to people’s desire for self-reliance
Bigger isn’t always better for those seeking a life of sustainable self-reliance.
Pulling the plug on the system can sometimes be a good thing—healthy and even therapeutic.
That’s the idea behind the “off-grid” community—a market predicted to surpass $68 billion by 2028—where self-reliance comes not from owning more but from owning less. The key is downsizing and getting rid of unnecessary “stuff.”
In other words, an excessive life is not necessarily the best way of living.
COVID RELATED NEWS
Another young athlete dies … betcha know what caused it … media is in denial!
‘No Words Can Take this Pain Away!’: Liberty University Football Player Dead at 19
Tajh Boyd, a 19-year-old freshman offensive lineman at Liberty University, has died, the university announced Sunday afternoon.
No cause of death has been given.
Biden Admin Concedes No Evidence Behind Recommendation for 6 COVID Booster Shots a Year
President Joe Biden’s administration concedes that there is no scientific evidence to support an apparent recommendation to receive as many as six COVID-19 booster shots in a year.
After Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Biden appointee, wrote in a social media post on Nov. 29, 2022, that people should get vaccinated “if it’s been over 2 months since your last dose,” the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents supporting the statements.
The watchdog organization then sued after the administration didn’t comply with timelines laid out in the law.
FGI asked for, among other documents: “Any scientific support relied on by Secretary Becerra when approving or issuing the tweet recommending that all Americans receive a booster shot every two months” and “any study, synopsis, or similar statement or document of scientific, academic, or government research on whether a bi-monthly booster shot will effectively prevent the transmission or susceptibility to COVID-19 and known active variants as of November 2022.”
It also asked for internal communications regarding Mr. Becerra’s statements.
In a new response, the government said it had no evidence to support Mr. Becerra’s recommendation.
Decreased Breast Milk Production, Milk Discoloration, Bleeding. Study of 16 cases
CANCEL CULTURE
Report: More Layoffs Hit Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO’s PR Team ‘Decimated’
Executives at Warner Bros. Discovery are reportedly swinging the ax again, with HBO personnel hit hardest as the left-wing media giant continues to grapple with a perfect storm of plummeting advertising revenue, two Hollywood labor strikes, and merger-related cost cutting.
Insider sources told The Wrap that the latest round of layoffs has “decimated” HBO’s corporate PR team, which recently saw several high-level departures — including industry veteran Chris Willard, who left the company this week after 14 years.
Layoffs among HBO’s legal and production division also took place earlier this week, an insider told TheWrap.
A Woke Worldview Splinters Churches and Accommodates Sin: Rev. Franklin Graham
From a distance, many Christian churches look alike. They may have a steeple and stained glass windows and sing familiar songs, but the theology is increasingly different as independent churches and some denominations adopt a woke worldview, splintering denominations and splintering what it means to be a Christian.
Today, some churches are among those that fly the rainbow flag to welcome the LGBT community. Some in the LGBT community have become preachers. Some dress in drag in the pulpit. Many of the same churches are telling their congregations when to support abortion. They speak of racism, climate change, and politics.
The term “woke” is used by both liberals and conservatives to describe a number of radical progressive ideologies, including critical race theory, social justice, and gender theory.
“If you want to boil down what wokeism is, it’s all based about sex. And that is homosexuality, it is transgender sex, same-sex marriages. It is couples living together outside of marriage, and of course, don’t want to be condemned. Wokeism is trying to accommodate sin and make people feel good about their sin,” the President of Samaritan’s Purse, Rev. Franklin Graham, told The Epoch Times.
Now elites want to completely censor U.S. military members
News Analysis – Demanding ‘prohibition’ on social-media statements
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, an effort to censor young military members on social media is gaining support from a small, misguided and elitist group. Reference the recent War on the Rocks article titled: “It’s Time to Revise Guidance on Political Activities for Members of the U.S. Military.” The writers are validated and approved to communicate their opinion because they achieved the 0-6 military rank. At least two have PhDs. One teaches at the U.S. Naval Academy and another at Georgetown. Together, they write:
“The [defense] department should consider a prohibition on active-duty servicemembers liking, sharing, retweeting, or posting partisan content on their personal social media accounts… Posting on social media is not akin to writing an op-ed, which is an allowable form of non-social media expression under the current [military] guidelines. An op-ed must meet certain publication and editorial standards… Tweets or posts face no such scrutiny or review and can be unlimited in their volume.”
Beyond asking for a total “prohibition” on speech from personal social media accounts, the authors also propose that military members of all ranks and education levels restrict their dissenting political opinions to published editorials. This logic is dangerous for a few reasons.
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