Today’s Top 5:
1.Trump, 18 Others Indicted in Georgia 2020 Election Case
Former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, on Monday evening in relation to the former president’s efforts to dispute the 2020 election results in the state.
The 98-page indictment (pdf) charges President Trump with 13 counts, including violation of the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, and conspiracy to commit filing of false documents.
2.Fulton County Court Publishes, Removes Trump Indictment; ‘Due Process Violation’
The official court website of Fulton County, Georgia, published what appeared to be an indictment against former President Donald Trump on Monday before deleting it — a bizarre, unexplained act that at least one critic says violated Trump’s constitutional rights to due process of law.
Reuters first reported that the document had been filed, then had to update its report when the document was removed from the court website and the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis denied that an indictment had yet been issued.
3.Federal Prosecutors ‘Reneged’ on Plea Deal, Hunter Biden’s Lawyers Say
U.S. prosecutors went back on a plea deal reached with President Joe Biden’s son, lawyers for Hunter Biden said in a new filing.
The prosecutors made the decision “to renege on the previously agreed-upon plea agreement,” lawyers for Mr. Biden, 53, said late on Aug. 13.
Prosecutors said in a recent filing that the case, previously headed to a resolution that would see Mr. Biden plead guilty, is now poised to go to trial because the plea deal fell through.
4.Biden’s ‘No Comment’ Response to Deadly Maui Wildfires Raises Eyebrows
President Joe Biden would not comment on the deadly wildfires in Maui that left at least 96 people dead and more unaccounted for.
While he was in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the president was seen near a vehicle. He was asked by a reporter about the rising death toll in Maui, to which his response was, “No, no comment,” according to footage of the event.
During a bike ride on Sunday, the president gave a similar answer when asked about the wildfires. “We’re looking at it,” he said, it was reported.
Last week, President Biden declared a major disaster in Maui, promising federal aid to the fire-hit island. The White House also said the disaster order would enable federal funding to become available to impacted people in Maui County.
5.Maui wildfires: Hawaii governor says at least 99 dead amid ‘incredible’ destruction
Hawaii’s governor warned that many more people could be found dead, nearly a week after a ferocious wildfire raged through parts of Maui.
The death toll from last Tuesday’s inferno has reached 99, making it the US’s deadliest wildfire in the past 100 years.
Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, gave a news conference on Monday evening where he confirmed the new death toll and said that the scale of destruction was “incredible”.
Hundreds of people remained missing, as firefighters continued battling flare-ups and rescue teams scoured the scorched remains of the historic town of Lahaina. The rapidly moving fire, which was propelled by hurricane winds, spread “one mile every minute”, said Green in an interview with CBS News.
WORLD NEWS
Thousands of troops and tanks patrol Warsaw streets in show of military strength
Poland is putting around 10,000 troops on the Polish border with Belarus to defend itself against the threat from Wagner mercenaries now based in the neighbour which is a Russian ally
Russia to Equip New Nuclear Submarines With Hypersonic Missiles
Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, the head of Russia’s largest shipbuilder told the RIA state news agency in an interview published on Monday.
“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will … be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told RIA.
“Work in this direction is already underway.”
Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of a programme to modernise the army and fleet.
US Ambassador to Australia Hints at Plea Deal for Julian Assange
US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy indicated in comments to the Sydney Morning Herald that Washington might be open to a plea deal for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that could keep him from being extradited and imprisoned in the United States for exposing US war crimes.
When asked if the US and Australia could reach a diplomatic solution on Assange, Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, told the paper that it was an “ongoing case” being handled by the US Justice Department. “So it’s not really a diplomatic issue, but I think that there absolutely could be a resolution,” she said.
The comments come as the Australian government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pressed the Biden administration on Assange. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected Australia’s concerns when he recently visited the country, claiming that Assange “was charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country.”
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Outrage as Illegal Immigrants Get Housing Priority Over Boston’s Longstanding Homeless Camp
Just a few miles from the ivory halls of Harvard College and blocks from some of the most expensive real estate in the country is a deplorable out-in-the-open encampment of wandering drug users, a plethora of homeless Americans including U.S. veterans and people with mental illness, suspected human trafficking, and heaps of scattered trash that looks more like a staged scene in a movie on the ghetto district of downtown LA than upscale Boston.
The South End/Roxbury neighborhood, known as “Mass and Cass” for its location at the corner of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue, has for a long time been in this condition. “Ever since I can remember,” retired Massachusetts State Trooper Daralyn Heywood, who served as the first female commander of the state police of the South End barracks, told The Epoch Times.
Maui Wildfires and the Theft of Sacred Hawaiian Land
Commentary – Aside from the federal government’s bureaucratic failure, Hawaiians have good reason to be suspicious of the recent fires.
Survivors of the Maui fire say that they received no warning and that the flames appeared so quickly that escape was difficult. Everything was suddenly in flames and many found refuge in the ocean for hours while their homes burned to the ground and into the same powdery ash footprint we’ve seen in recent years. So far, it is estimated that nearly a thousand people have died. Locals are worried this includes hundreds of children who were home due to school being canceled that day.
Several people are reporting that the government is not only doing little to help but they are blocking local efforts to do so and not allowing local donations through. And blocking life-saving medicine because it isn’t federally approved.
The people of Maui are on their own for now. And aside from the federal government’s bureaucratic failure, they have good reason to be suspicious. Just like what we saw five years ago in Paradise California, there was nothing normal about these fires. Within a day of burning, it was like a bomb went off.
Supreme Court May Intervene in Pronoun Issue, Says Expert
As some institutions impose mandatory use of preferred pronouns and punish offenders who do not comply, there will be many cases filed regarding the issue, eventually leading to the U.S. Supreme Court intervening on the matter, according to a legal expert.
At present, there are a growing number of lawsuits on pronoun usage—with many of these related to K-12 public schools where teachers have been expelled for refusing to use such pronouns, Tyson Langhofer, a senior counsel at advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), said in an Aug. 13 interview with Washington Examiner. Several of the expelled teachers refused to use pronouns due to their religious beliefs which prohibit using non-binary identities for trans individuals.
Supporters of pronouns insist that using the suggested words is critical for the well-being of students who do not identify with their birth sex. However, Mr. Langhofer pointed out that forcing people to use non-binary pronouns can amount to compelled speech, violating the freedom of religious exercise and free speech guaranteed under the American Constitution.
GOP Consultants Predict 2024 Turnout Disaster Without Trump on the Ballot
Republican consultants say that if former President Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot in 2024, it could spell a turnout catastrophe for the GOP next year.
While President Trump is the leading Republican presidential candidate by a long shot according to opinion polls, mounting legal issues could potentially keep him off the ballot. The former president has been indicted multiple times on state and federal charges for a range of issues.
“The conventional wisdom is there’s concern that if Trump’s not the nominee, his coalition will take their ball and go home,” Matt Dole, a Republican strategist in Ohio, told The Hill. “Folks are interested in how that plays out, and so I think right now, they would be happy if Trump’s the nominee—in Ohio, it’s not true across the country—because then his coalition will turn out in November,” he added.
Brian Darling, a Republican strategist and a former aide in the U.S. Senate, said that the GOP would suffer if President Trump is derailed by federal and state criminal prosecutions.
RFK Jr. backs 15-week federal ban on abortion, then reverses himself
“Today, Mr. Kennedy misunderstood a question,” his campaign said.
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday said he would support a federal ban on abortion after the first three months of pregnancy, but his campaign later said he “misunderstood” the question.
Speaking to NBC from the Iowa State Fair, Kennedy said, “I believe a decision to abort a child should be up to the women during the first three months of life,” but added: “Once a child is viable, outside the womb, I think then the state has an interest in protecting the child.”
The U.S. Navy is now the third military service without a Senate-confirmed chief of staff as an impasse over the military’s abortion policies continues to delay the confirmation process.
On Monday, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday retired from the service, stepping down from his role as the top officer for the service. With Adm. Gilday’s retirement, the Navy has one more opening to be filled.
2ND AMENDMENT
Ninth Circuit rules Hawaii butterfly knife ban violates Second Amendment
Butterfly knives are protected under the Second Amendment right to bear arms, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled Monday, overturning Hawaii’s 30-year ban on the weapon.
The conservative panel cited precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which found the carrying of concealed firearms in public a constitutional right. In Bruen, Justice Clarence Thomas held that gun restrictions must comply with what he called the “historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
Rioter Who Shot at Kyle Rittenhouse Faces 3-Year Prison Sentence for Robbery
A Racine, Wisconsin, couple previously charged in connection to the Antifa-linked Kenosha, Wisconsin, riots in 2020, have been sentenced for a 2022 robbery.
A local court sentenced Joshua Ziminski to three years in prison, and his spouse, Kelly Ziminski, faces a 20-month sentence.
Both pleaded guilty to burglary and robbery in Kenosha, with threat of force charges, in May and will face extended supervision and probation following their release.
Additional charges were dropped in exchange for a plea deal, while Mr. Ziminski will see all earlier charges related to the 2020 riots dismissed, according to Fox 6 Milwaukee.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Yellen on Poor Polls on Economy: ‘Most Americans Feel Good About Their Own Economic Situation’
On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen responded to poor polling numbers on the economy and President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy by stating that people tell pollsters they’re happy about their own financial situation and “So, they seem to perceive the economy as a whole as doing less well than they are personally. But most Americans feel good about their own economic situation.”
Host Erin Burnett asked, “The latest CNN poll, Secretary Yellen, shows that 75% of Americans believe the economy is in poor condition, and maybe that’s because, again, even though inflation rates have come down, they are still paying more. 63% of people in this poll disapprove of how President Biden is handling the economy. What do you say, Secretary Yellen, to the clear majority of Americans who simply do not believe that the administration is helping them?”
Yellen responded, “Well, Americans know best, I think, about their own personal finances. And it is important to recognize that when they’re asked how are they personally doing, over 70% of Americans say that they’re very comfortable with their financial situation. So, they seem to perceive the economy as a whole as doing less well than they are personally. But most Americans feel good about their own economic situation. And, of course, I’m here in Nevada today to talk to people about President Biden’s economic plan over the last year, real wages have been rising in almost all sectors of the economy and the biggest gains have gone to low-income workers who have seen a significant reduction in inequality.”
The bipartisan debt‐ceiling deal passed in June reflected a new congressional focus on spending restraint. Congress should extend the restraint when it considers a major farm bill this fall. Cutting farm subsidies is a good way to tackle wasteful spending and reduce budget deficits.
Which farm programs should Congress cut?
The chart shows U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlays on farm programs based on fiscal‐year data from President Biden’s budget. Figures for 2023 are estimates. The spending includes direct cash handouts to farmers and indirect support from programs such as agricultural research.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Playing Catch Up: Amazon Enters AI Race with Custom Chips
Tech giant Amazon was one of the last big tech companies to join the generative AI gold rush, announcing its own Titan large language model in April, after Google announced Bard and Facebook launched LLaMA, following the massive success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT last year.
Now Amazon is aiming to catch up by creating custom microchips, the expensive and much sought-after hardware that powers generative AI models.
Stanford Study: AI Detection Tools Falsely Accuse International Students of Cheating
Artificial intelligence (AI) detection tools are biased against non-native English speakers and falsely accuse them of cheating, according to a Stanford study.
Johns Hopkins University professor Taylor Hahn first noticed the issue when he got an alert while grading an international student’s paper, according to a report by the Markup.
Professor Hahn has uploaded the student’s paper to the software tool, Turnitin, which is reportedly used by over 16,000 academic institutions across the world to find plagiarism — and more recently, to spot AI-generated text.
Ticking Time Bombs: Nikola Initiates Major Recall of Electric Semi-Trucks After Battery Fire
Nikola, the leading electric semi-truck manufacturer, has announced a massive recall of its battery-powered commercial trucks due to concerns over a defective battery component that can cause fire. The recall is the result of an investigation into a fire at Nikola’s own facility. Ominously, the company advises truck owners to park their vehicles outside.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Nikola’s recall comes in the wake of a fire incident that occurred on June 23, when a truck parked at the company’s Phoenix headquarters caught fire. An external investigation into the incident revealed that a “defective battery part likely caused a fire in one of the trucks.”
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Alarming Levels of Lead in Water and Soil From Buried Cables
A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) investigation revealed a network of lead-covered cables across the U.S. leaching the heavy metal into the soil and water and raising lead levels well above EPA standards; roughly 330 are in a “source water protection area” designated for drinking water
Originally installed by Bell Systems, the company was divided in 1984 as part of an antitrust lawsuit. The ensuing companies have denied ownership of the problem, denied the problem exists, denied it’s a public health problem, abandoned the cables, or insisted that are integral to providing service nationwide
After a 2021 lawsuit, AT&T agreed to clean up over 6 miles of lead cables from Lake Tahoe, which the company claims it no longer uses and is estimated to cost $1.5 million. However, cleanup has been repeatedly delayed for logistical issues
Health risks from lead exposure are multigenerational as lead changes DNA and may affect several generations; exposure is linked to 18% of all deaths and 28.7% of all heart deaths, but doctors do not routinely draw lead levels
Common sources of lead include drinking water, cigarette smoke, cheap household products and children’s toys. Consider getting yourself and family tested for lead, test your water supply and use filtered cold water for drinking and cooking
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
If (like most of us) you have soil that’s heavy on the sand or clay—and hard to grow in as a result—don’t miss this tutorial on how to improve garden soil!
HEALTH
The Essential Guide to Depression: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Approaches
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by ongoing sadness and loss of interest in activities you previously enjoyed.
Approximately 8.3 percent of U.S. adults experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2021. Remarkably, that rate more than tripled during the COVID-19 pandemic among participants of one study; the prevalence of depression increased to approximately 27.8 percent of U.S. adults by mid-April 2020.
** If you or someone you know are suffering from depression, please consider the benefits of Lithium Orotate. Lithium Balance can support healthy mood balance and may be a possible healthy alternative to antidepressants.
Statins: The Lesser-Known Dangers, and A Good Alternative
For decades, statins—the most common cholesterol-lowering medications—have been recognized as a lifesaver for those with heart disease. While statins have revolutionized heart health in a positive way, some studies highlight the lesser-known concerns of the medication: energy-sapping, increased diabetes risk, and, for many people, muscle pain.
Is Vitamin B3 an Alternative to Statins?
Statins are commonly used alongside niacin (vitamin B3), recommended for over 40 years to prevent heart disease due to the vitamin’s positive impact on lipid levels.
Niacin is the most common and effective treatment that replaces statins, according to Dr. Smith. “Of all the pharmaceutical medications I’ve helped people get off of, statins are the easiest, least concerning, and patients typically have the best results with—because it is not uncommon for them to feel almost instantly better.”
Niacin decreases LDL cholesterol, which can build up plaque in arteries when levels are too high. It also increases HDL cholesterol, which absorbs other forms of cholesterol in the bloodstream and carries it back to the liver for removal, according to a clinical trial of over 300 people. Additionally, niacin lowers triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.
Power Mall products of interest for a healthy reduction of Cholesterol:
VITAMIN B COMPLEX PLUS VITAMIN C RE-NATURED®
HAPPY BODIES HB-PC PHOSPHATIDYL CHOLINE
BLOCKBUSTER ALLCLEAR® REFILL POUCH
COVID RELATED NEWS
Pfizer Is Hiding How COVID Jab Damages the Heart
August 3, 2023, the Australian Senate held a COVID hearing. Sen. Gerard Rennick asked Dr. Krishan Thiru, Pfizer’s Australian medical director, to explain the mechanism of how the mRNA COVID shot causes myocarditis. Thiru, however, kept talking in circles rather than answering the question
Either Pfizer has no idea how the shot damages the heart, which raises serious questions about the company’s scientific qualifications, or they do know but refuse to admit it, for fear of liability
Pfizer appears to have sponsored campaigns to push for the jab to be mandated, at least in the U.S., thereby maximizing the potential damage along with profits
According to Marc Girardot, the bolus theory can explain how and why the mRNA COVID shots damage the heart and other organs
Several other theories and hypotheses have also been proposed, including molecular mimicry, immune response to mRNA, dysregulated cytokine expression, ACE2 suppression, endothelial damage, lipid nanoparticles triggering syncytia formation and impeding the electrical conduction of the heart, and more
CANCEL CULTURE
Activists Spread Radical Gender Ideology to Small-Town America
Powerful groups have been working to have drag queens dance for children in every town in America
Girl, 13, gives birth after she was raped and denied abortion in Mississippi
A 13-year-old girl in Mississippi gave birth to a boy after she was raped as well as impregnated by a stranger – and then was unable to get an abortion, according to a Time magazine report published on Monday.
The mother of the girl, who uses the pseudonym Ashley in the report, was looking to get an abortion for her daughter but was told the closest abortion provider was in Chicago – a drive of more than nine hours from their home in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Ashley’s mother, referred to as Regina in the report, told Time that the cost of getting an abortion in Chicago was too expensive when considering the price of travel, taking time off work and getting the abortion for her daughter.
“I don’t have the funds for all this,” Regina told Time.
Will Budweiser have a savior? Millionaire heir wants to ‘Make Bud Light Great Again’
The heir of the Anheuser-Busch family fortune won’t rule out restoring the former King of Beer after its downfall amid a disastrous marketing partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Billy Busch addressed the topic of revitalizing Bud Light in a Friday interview with conservative influencer Benny Johnson.
Busch’s family was bought out of Anheuser-Busch by a Belgian brewing company in a 2008 transaction, according to Newsweek.
PET NEWS
“How Can I Stop My Dog From Being Overly Protective of Me?”
Dog trainer Robert Haussmann’s tips for dealing with a protective dog that’s taken their duties too far.
ICYAC
(New acronym for, “In Case You Actually Care” … )
‘Time to Move On’: Zuckerberg Says Musk ‘Isn’t Serious’ About Cage Fight
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Aug. 14 that a brewing cage match between him and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is unlikely to happen because the latter doesn’t appear to be taking it seriously.
The two tech moguls accepted a cage fight challenge in late June. Mr. Musk posted that he was “up for a cage fight,” and Mr. Zuckerberg quickly responded by requesting a location for the match.
The actual date of their cage match has yet to be announced, although Mr. Musk has said that a live-stream of the event would be hosted on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Meta.
Meanwhile, Mr. Zuckerberg said that he had offered “a real date” for the fight and that UFC President Dana White had also agreed to make the fight official and use its proceeds for charity.
However, he said via his social media site, Threads, on Aug. 14, “Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead.”
Medical Board Suspends License of Doctor Critical of COVID-19 Vaccines
The State Medical Board of Ohio has suspended the license of a doctor who has offered criticism of COVID-19 vaccines.
The board suspended Dr. Sherri Tenpenny’s license and fined her $3,000 because she allegedly refused to respond properly to complaints that poured in after she testified to state lawmakers.
The suspension is for an indefinite period.
“In short, Dr. Tenpenny did not simply fail to cooperate with a Board investigation, she refused to cooperate. And that refusal was based on her unsupported and subjective belief regarding the Board’s motive for the investigation,” Kimberly Lee, a state official, said in the suspension order.
“Licensees of the Board cannot simply refuse to cooperate in investigations because they decide they do not like what they assume is the reason for the investigation,” Ms. Lee said.
State law enables the board to discipline medical professionals for “failure to cooperate in an investigation conducted by the board.”
Dr. Tenpenny said in a video after the suspension that she had cooperated with the board.
“We cooperated at every level. We looked at the letters; we responded appropriately and legally,” Dr. Tenpenny said.
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