WORLD NEWS
Brittney Griner Released in Prisoner Swap for Notorious Russian Arms Dealer Viktor Bout
Former WNBA star Brittney Griner was reportedly released by Russia in a prisoner swap for a notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a US official.
In February, Griner, a two-time Olympic basketball champion, was arrested by Russia and pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis vape cartridges at an airport near Moscow.
Possessing seven grams or more carries criminal penalties in Russia. Those can include up to two years of “corrective labor.” Yet Griner was charged with smuggling cannabis into Russia, which holds a prison sentence of five to 10 years. Griner was sentenced to nine years.
In order to obtain Griner’s release, President Joe Biden authorized Bout to be released from prison and returned him to Russia. Bout will escape 25 years of federal prison time. Bout has served just half the time in prison he received in 2011.
Rumored as a potential prisoner worth exchanging in August, critics of the deal said Bout should remain behind bars because he is one of the most dangerous criminals in the world.
—> Related: Who is Viktor Bout? Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death”
Biden prisoner exchange for Britney Griner leaves behind Marine veteran Paul Whelan — again
President Biden’s prisoner exchange with Russia secured the release of WNBA star Britney Griner on Thursday but left U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan in Russian custody.
Whelan has been in Russian custody since 2018 when he was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. Griner had been in Russian custody since February after authorities discovered cannabis in her luggage.
Biden’s administration had initially sought the release of both Griner and Whelan in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, a Russian citizen serving a prison sentence in America. Known colloquially as the “Merchant of Death,” he was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to kill Americans and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The Biden administration ultimately agreed to exchange Bout for Griner alone, leaving Whelan behind in Russia.
Nevertheless, Whelan’s brother, David Whelan, congratulated Griner on her release in a Thursday statement, but lamented the Biden administration’s failure to release his brother.
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home. The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen,” he wrote.
“She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage. But how many more times do I need to write that?” he continued. “Despite the possibility that there might be an exchange without Paul, our family is still devastated. I can’t even fathom how Paul will feel when he learns. Paul has worked so hard to survive nearly 4 years of this injustice.”
Britain And The Revenge Of The Technocrats
The point about these people is they’ve learned nothing. There’s no practical way of going back to before 2016. Already in 2016, the world hadn’t fully recovered from a near catastrophic financial crisis which these adults in the room, these extremely intelligent men and women, had given us. The halcyon period of technocratic competence included, going back to the start, long-term capital management melting down in 1998, after Russia defaulted on its debt. That was patched up but it also began what later was called quantitative easing … You then had the 2007-2008 crash. And you also had gruesome sideshows like 20 years in Afghanistan. This is what the adults in the room, this is what the technocrats, the people who are now coming back as safe hands, as competent administrators, this is what they did. So their record is not at all one of competence. It’s one of repeated near-disaster.
Despite War, Ukraine Is Diving Headlong Into Technocracy
“The Government needs to become as flexible and mobile as an IT company, to automate all functions and services,… reduce 60% of officials, introduce large-scale privatization and outsourcing of government functions”: Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation
Ukraine may be suffering a rising wave of rolling power blackouts and internet outages as the proxy war between Russia and NATO intensifies, but that doesn’t seem to have crimped the Zelensky government’s ambitions to transform the country into a digital wonderland. In the past week alone, Ukraine’s central bank unveiled plans for a digital E-hryvnia and Kyiv signed a digital trade agreement (yep, they do exist) with the United Kingdom.
The newly signed “DTA” is ostensibly aimed at helping the Ukrainian economy recover from its current malaise while also boosting both countries’ digital output. And guess what it includes? A provision for collaborating on digital identity. From a UK government press release:
“[T]there is a critical need for people to be able to use digital solutions to prove they are who they say they are, despite the loss of critical documentation or displacement across borders. The agreement provides a framework for the UK and Ukraine to cooperate to promote compatibility between their respective digital identity systems to help address this.”
While it is true that identifying citizens in the midst of war is both a challenging and vital task, digital identity is an area in which Ukraine already excels. In fact, as the digital rights group Reclaim the Net notes, it has a great deal to teach the UK on the matter:
Ukraine’s highly-sophisticated digital ID, Diia, is used to grant the public access to most government services online. It has nine digital credentials: the ID card, the identity provider (IDP) certificate for network access, birth certificate, passport, driving license, tax number, student card, and vehicle registration certificate.
China Is The Pied Piper Of Global Technocracy
Most of the Western world is no longer in lockdown, some vaccine mandates are being loosened, mask wearers are distinctly the minority everywhere you look.
For now at least, and for want of a better phrase, we have largely “gone back to normal”…except, you know, now with a totally broken economy, more centralised financial power, dozens of alarming precedents set up for future deployment and millions upon millions of people injected with poison under false pretences.
But on the lockdown front at least, we’re normal…mostly.
Lockdowns are quickly becoming one of those embarrassing things that were only ever supported by other people, like wearing flares or voting for Thatcher. Politicians are feverishly passing the buck back and forth, claiming to have never wanted lockdowns in the firstplace.
…but not in China.
As the rest of the world “lives with Covid”, people in Chinese cities are still subject to dystopian levels of control and surveillance. Up to and including being welded inside their own homes.
Why?
Well, we can certainly rule out a few mainstream “explanations”:
- We know it’s not because Covid is a real disease or uniquely dangerous in any way whatsoever. The data has spoken on that.
- We know it’s not because lockdowns work to protect the health of the public or prevent disease outbreaks. The data has spoken on that too.
- We know it’s not because the Chinese government holds the lives of their citizens as more precious than their Western counterparts.
- And we know it’s not because they were the victim of some bio-engineered viral attack by the West. That idea was always absurd.
…so what’s the real explanation?
U.N. Demands Israel Surrender Its Nuclear Arsenal
The U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday voted with an overwhelming majority on a resolution calling for Israel to get rid of all its nuclear weapons and place its nuclear sites under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The vote at the UNGA First Committee, which deals with disarmament, threats to peace and international security, passed with 149-6. The five nations that voted against the resolution apart from Israel are the United States, Canada, Liberia, Micronesia and Palau.
China’s Gestapo-Like Agency Under Scrutiny After Death of Its Founder
Nazi Germany’s infamous Gestapo secret police are long gone but its crimes have not been forgotten. But what’s less known is that the communist regime in China also has a Gestapo-like agency whose sole mission is to brutalize and persecute innocent civilians deemed enemies of the state.
The agency, called the “610 Office,” has been in existence since 1999.
Over the years, victims have recounted the merciless attitude of those working at the shadowy body.
“When no one is around, nobody will ever know if I beat you to death,” Wang Xin said. Wang, a staff member at a county-level 610 Office in China’s northeastern Shangdong Province, was known for brutally beating his victims and subjecting them to forced feeding.
“I could throw you into a brainwashing class,” Zheng Guolun, who worked at the regional 610 Office in central China’s Chongqing city, said in 2015. “Tomorrow is New Year’s Day and you wouldn’t be left in peace until the Lunar Chinese New Year.”
Xie Shinong, of a 610 Office in southwest China’s Chengdu city, said, “We don’t follow the law.”
“Here is $4,000 yuan [$560]. If you don’t want it, you won’t receive anything else. It is useless if you take it to any other authority,” Lei Yancheng, a regional deputy director, told the family of Liu Shufen, after the latter died from the persecution in 2003.
Hu Shaobin, a former director at the 610 office in central China’s Wuhan city, openly acknowledged the agency he worked for was the current-day Gestapo, with the power to mobilize officials working in the military, police department, judiciary, and public security.
Bill Gates — Most Dangerous Philanthropist in Modern History?
Bill Gates’ answers to the problems of the world are consistently focused on building corporate profits through toxic means, be it chemical agriculture and GMOs, or pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines
Gates has used “charity” as a way to gain tremendous political power
The true beneficiaries of Gates’ philanthropic endeavors tend to be those who are already rich beyond comprehension, including Gates’ own charitable foundation
Over 20 years prior to the pandemic, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave close to $250 million in charitable grants to companies in which the foundation holds corporate stocks and bonds, yet it gets tax breaks for the charitable donations it makes money from
Vaccines are one of Gates’ mainstay “solutions” to most diseases. Gates has gone on record saying the U.S. needs disease surveillance and a national tracking system that could involve vaccine records embedded in our bodies
2 More Secret CCP Police Stations Discovered in LA, New York: Report
A nonprofit group has discovered 48 new overseas police stations with ties to China’s communist regime, including two previously unknown facilities in Los Angeles and New York City.
The newly identified sites are among more than 100 police outposts that are spread out across 53 nations.
The facilities have been used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to carry out an illicit campaign of transnational repression, according to Safeguard Defenders, a nonprofit organization that published a Dec. 5 update to its findings from a previous investigation released in October.
“It’s outrageous that the Communist Chinese government is exercising extraterritorial law enforcement on U.S. soil,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) told The Epoch Times in an email.
“It should be a top priority of Secretary Blinken and Attorney General Garland to shut down these stations to protect our Chinese-American constituents and our nation’s sovereignty from foreign encroachment.”
Malliotakis was among several Republican lawmakers who issued a letter in October demanding explanations from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland for the facilities’ continued existence.
Mohsen Shekari: Iran carries out first execution over protests
Iran has announced the first execution of a protester convicted over the recent anti-government unrest.
Mohsen Shekari was hanged on Thursday morning after being found guilty by a Revolutionary Court of “moharebeh” (enmity against God), state media said.
He was accused of being a “rioter” who blocked a main road in Tehran in September and wounded a member of a paramilitary force with a machete.
An activist said he was convicted after a “show trial without any due process”.
“The international community must immediately and strongly react to this execution,” Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, said in a statement.
“If Mohsen Shekari’s execution is not met with serious consequences for the government, we will face mass execution of protesters,” he added.
U.N. Demands Israel Surrender Its Nuclear Arsenal
The U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday voted with an overwhelming majority on a resolution calling for Israel to get rid of all its nuclear weapons and place its nuclear sites under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The vote at the UNGA First Committee, which deals with disarmament, threats to peace and international security, passed with 149-6. The five nations that voted against the resolution apart from Israel are the United States, Canada, Liberia, Micronesia and Palau.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
VIDEO: Supreme Court Weighs to Hear Brunson v. Alma Case That Seeks to Overturn 2020 Election
View: Brunson v Adams et al, Sup Ct US No 22-380 (Oct 20, 2022).pdf
Warnock Defeats Walker in Hard-Fought Georgia Senate Runoff Election
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) won reelection on Dec. 6 in Georgia’s Senate runoff—a victory that will give the Democrats a 51–49 margin in the chamber.
AP, Fox News, and CNN all called the race for Warnock around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, with 94 percent of the vote counted and Warnock showing a 41,000 lead, about 1.2 percent. Then, at 12:17 a.m. on Dec. 7, the state reported Warnock ahead by 90,000 votes, about 2.5 percent, with more than 99 percent of the vote counted.
Former Twitter CEO Urges Elon Musk to ‘Release Everything’ After Ex-FBI Official’s Exit
Former Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey called on new owner Elon Musk to release all of the company’s internal files after Musk apparently fired former deputy counsel James Baker on Tuesday for the alleged role he played in suppressing a Hunter Biden laptop report.
“If the goal is transparency to build trust, why not just release everything without filter and let people judge for themselves? Including all discussions around current and future actions?” Dorsey asked on Twitter, responding to a statement issued by Musk. “Make everything public now.”
Other than Dorsey, some users suggested to Musk that he release all the files via a database, similar to what WikiLeaks had provided for leaked federal government documents.
Last week, Musk handed alleged internal emails and messages to journalist Matt Taibbi, who published several threads revealing how previous Twitter manager’s moved to suppress a New York Post report on Hunter Biden’s laptop and overseas business dealings before the 2020 election. At the time, Twitter content moderators alleged that the Post’s report violated its policy around hacked materials, although it was later revealed that the laptop wasn’t hacked and was merely abandoned at a Delaware computer repair shop for more than a year.
The so-called “Twitter Files” reported by Taibbi and endorsed by Musk, showed that Baker, a former FBI general counsel and Brookings fellow, told Twitter executives to proceed with blocking the story because he suspected it broke Twitter’s rules. Baker was also implicated in court documents filed by special counsel John Durham in a case against former Clinton campaign and Democrat lawyer Michael Sussmann, who allegedly relayed false information about Trump’s campaign to Baker when he was working for the FBI.
“I support the conclusion that we need more facts to assess whether the materials were hacked,” Baker wrote to other Twitter officials in October 2020, according to a screenshot posted by Taibbi. “At this stage, however, it’s reasonable for us to assume that they may have been and that caution is warranted.”
Taibbi also reported that Baker was also headed Twitter’s process of reviewing the “Twitter files” before they were released to journalists. That revelation this week, Taibbi wrote, “surprised everyone involved.”
Supreme Court Hears Case That Could Empower State Legislatures, Not Judges, to Regulate Elections
North Carolina Republicans told the Supreme Court on Dec. 7 that the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures preeminent authority to make the rules for presidential and congressional elections without interference from the courts.
The case is important because, if the high court finds for North Carolina, the rules governing how states regulate federal elections could change dramatically. The hearing comes at a time when tensions between Republicans and Democrats over voting procedures are growing in light of former President Donald Trump’s continuing claims that the 2020 presidential election was marred by massive electoral fraud.
At issue is the once-obscure independent state legislature doctrine, under which Republicans argue that the Constitution has always directly authorized state legislatures alone to make rules for the conduct of federal elections in their respective states.
Democrats say this doctrine is a fringe conservative legal theory that could endanger voting rights, enable extreme partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process, and cause upheaval in election administration.
Liberal law professor Richard Hasen has called the doctrine the “800-pound gorilla” of election law because of its potentially disruptive effect on election administration norms.
Conservatives, on the other hand, say the doctrine is derived from the plain text of the Constitution and would restore reasonable rules on the electoral playing field and allow elected state officials, instead of judges, to make election rules.
The Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on the doctrine directly, but some justices have said that it could have been argued in the Bush v. Gore case, which resolved the disputed 2000 presidential election.
Gay marriage bill wins enough votes for U.S. House passage
A bill ensuring federal recognition of same-sex marriages gathered enough votes on Thursday to pass the U.S. House of Representatives, as the measure – born out of concern that the Supreme Court could reverse its support for legal recognition of such relationships – headed toward final congressional approval.
Lee Zeldin Won’t Run for RNC Chair, but Calls on Ronna McDaniel to Step Aside
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), who nearly won his bid for governor in a deep blue state, announced Dec. 7 that he will not seek the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) top position.
Zeldin has been hearing from Republicans across the country who want him to challenge RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel but said that McDaniel’s bid for reelection appears to be successful even before votes are cast.
“Change is desperately needed, and there are many leaders, myself included, ready and willing to step up to ensure our party retools and transforms as critical elections fast approach, namely the 2024 Presidential and Congressional races,” Zeldin said in a statement. “However, the issue is Chairwoman McDaniel’s re-election appears to already be pre-baked, as if the disappointing results of every election during her tenure, including yesterday in Georgia, do not and should not even matter.”
McDaniel has released a list of endorsements for her re-election bid. It has endorsements from 101 members. That’s enough votes to secure another term.
23 House Seats Flipped During 2022 Midterm Elections
This was the first election to use the redrawn congressional maps based on the 2020 census
A total of 23 seats in Congress flipped political parties during the 2022 midterm elections, data shows.
Of the 23 seats that switched political parties, 16 seats flipped from Democrat to Republican and seven flipped from Republican to Democrat.
The House of Representatives is a 435-seat chamber. A party needs to hold 218 seats to claim a majority. Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Democrats held 220 seats and Republicans held 212 seats. Nine incumbents—six Democrats and three Republicans—lost their reelection bids on Nov. 8. Three seats were vacant.
The United States Will Address Australia’s Military Capability Gap, Says Secretary of Defense
The United States and Australia have committed to significantly increasing defence cooperation to plug Australia’s capability gap and counter the growing threat of Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington D.C. for the annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial (AUSMIN) meeting.
Following the talks, Austin declared that the United States “will not allow Australia to have a capability gap going forward.”
“Our goal is to design the optimal pathway for Australia to get a nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines as quickly as possible,” he told reporters, referring to the Australia’s acquisition of nuclear submarines under the AUKUS alliance.
“We recognise where Australia is and when its capability begins to diminish. And, of course, we will address all of that in that pathway that we create.”
Australia’s Navy is expected to experience a capability gap as the first nuclear submarines under the AUKUS agreement will not be ready until the 2030s at the earliest.
This means the life of existing aging diesel-powered Collins Class submarines will likely need to be extended.
‘It’s Our Position That Disney Will Pay Its Debts’: DeSantis Office
A spokesperson for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office is standing by his statement that “Disney will pay its debts.”
“My statement stands,” executive press secretary to DeSantis Bryan Griffin told The Epoch Times by email. “Yes, it is our position that Disney will pay its debts.” The reiteration was in response to an inquiry by The Epoch Times regarding his previous statement that “the governor was right to champion removing the extraordinary benefit given to one company through the Reedy Creek Improvement District.”
As previously reported by The Epoch Times in April, DeSantis floated the possibility that state lawmakers might repeal the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act in response to Disney’s opposition to his “Parental Rights in Education” law, dubbed by liberal opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The Committee’s statement said Acting Chairwoman Susan Wild (D-PA) and Acting Ranking Member Michael Guest (R-MI) “jointly decided to extend the matter regarding Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which was transmitted to the Committee by the Office of Congressional Ethics on June 23, 2022.”
“The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” the statement continued.
The Committee said it will “announce its course of action in this matter following its organizational meeting and adoption of Committee Rules in the 118th Congress.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Under Investigation
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, according to a statement the Committee released on Wednesday.
The House Ethics Committee announced that the Office of Congressional Ethics forwarded an inquiry to the Ethics Committee on June 23, 2022, which suggests the Office believes Ocasio-Cortez violated the House Ethics rules.
The popular doll maker American Girl is facing backlash for its new girls’ guidebook that reportedly advises children struggling with body image issues to ask their doctors for puberty blocking medications and to seek transgender support without parental consent “if you don’t have an adult you trust.”
“A Smart Girl’s Guide: Body Image Book” retails on the American Girl website for $12.99.
The cover of the 96-page paperback penned by Mel Hammond shows four girls of varying body weights and skin colors. One’s in a wheelchair, while another has blue dyed hair. The subtitle reads, “how to love yourself, live life to the fullest, and celebrate all kinds of bodies.”
The details section for the book on the American Girl website reads, “Every girl needs to learn to live comfortably in her own skin, and this book will show the way! In these pages, a girl will find everything she needs to know about loving her unique self, staying confident through her body’s many changes, and appreciating her body for the life it lets her live. Full of activities, tips, crafts, and real-girl stories, this book is a feel-good reminder that all bodies are worthy of love and respect.”
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
If you’re the Chairman and CEO of a trucking company or air conditioner installer or a computer manufacturer (or thousands of other companies that don’t handle cash and have access to personal and financial data on millions of Americans) announcing to the world that 10 percent of your company’s new hires last year had criminal backgrounds might make you look like a social justice advocate.
If you’re Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of the largest bank in the U.S. with 5,023 bank branches across the country taking in cash each day that represents the life savings of moms and pops and pension funds, announcing that 10 percent of last year’s new hires had criminal backgrounds is not exactly a confidence builder – especially since Dimon’s bank has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with an unprecedented five criminal felony counts since 2014. All of the felony counts occurred during Dimon’s tenure as Chairman and CEO, and while his Board of Directors made him a billionaire with stock grants and bonuses. In addition, the bank has a broader rap sheet that likely draws the envy of the Gambino crime family.
On May 4, Dimon penned a guest opinion piece for The Columbus Dispatch. (The bank has a large operating center in Columbus.) The article includes this:
“JPMorgan Chase has a meaningful portion of colleagues who have a criminal background — in 2021, 10% of our new hires in our company had a criminal record — and retention rates for this population are very high.”
JPMorgan Chase was so proud of that article that it placed it on its corporate website.
Diamond and Dybvig and the Panic of 1907
My last post argued that, despite what Diamond and Dybvig’s famous theory suggests, bank runs have seldom proven fatal to otherwise sound banks. Instead, when people run on a bank, it’s usually because it’s already in hot water.
In response to that post, a Twitter correspondent wondered whether the Panic of 1907—the proximate cause of the reform efforts culminating in the Fed’s establishment—was an exception to my claim, and therefore evidence of the inherent vulnerability of fractional reserve banking. The gist of my two‐tweet reply was that it wasn’t. But since 560 characters hardly allowed me to elaborate, I do so here.
We Are Being Warned That Meat Prices Could Go Up Another 40 Or 50 Percent
If you have been to the grocery store lately, you have probably noticed that meat prices have gone up dramatically. Unfortunately, we are being warned that things could get much worse in 2023. All over the northern hemisphere, cattle ranchers are dramatically reducing the size of their herds due to relentless drought conditions. Meanwhile, the bird flu has already resulted in the deaths of nearly 100 million chickens and turkeys in the United States and Europe. On top of everything else, progressive politicians throughout the western world continue to be absolutely determined to get us all to start eating less meat.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
San Francisco lawmakers on Dec. 6 voted to ban police from using remote-controlled robots that can be equipped with explosive charges, reversing an earlier decision on the matter.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8–3 on Tuesday to explicitly ban the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) from using the robots in extreme circumstances.
Specifically, police would have been able to use the robots “to contact, incapacitate, or disorient violent, armed, or dangerous suspects” when there is an imminent risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers.
According to reports, SFPD has 17 robots in its arsenal, 12 of which it describes as fully functional. The force acquired the robots between 2010 and 2017 and they are remotely controlled and operated by SFPD officers who have undergone specialized training, according to police.
A law enforcement equipment policy form pegs the initial cost of the robots, which are already in use in other parts of the country, at just under $1 million (pdf).
The board previously voted 8–3 on Nov. 29 to allow police to use the robots in a lethal manner, although the vote only allowed senior officers in the force to be granted permission to authorize their deployment.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
Isolation Camps in New York State: Tyrants Plan to Appeal
New York State isolation camp regulation, 10 NYCRR 2.13 “Isolation and Quarantine Procedures,” allows the authorities to force-isolate free citizens without age restriction, time limit, due process, or having to prove that the person is infected
Brave attorney Bobbie Anne Cox defeated the New York state draconian isolation camp regulation in July 2022
The New York State Governor and Attorney General have been fighting with tooth and nail to keep this regulation in place — and after the Judge struck it down, they promised to appeal
Currently, the tyrants are likely sitting in ambush, trying not to stir the waters before the elections but ready to attack after the elections
The media is silent, which is why it’s on us to spread the word, unite, and do our best to throw them out of office and set a good example for future aspiring tyrants
West Texas School Superintendent Accused of Trying to Record Girls in Locker room
A West Texas school district superintendent is under arrest after he allegedly placed an electronic recording device in the locker room of visiting girls’ basketball team. The now-suspended superintendent of the Seagraves Independent School District remains in custody on a $75,000 bond.
Police in Gaines County, Texas, arrested Seagraves Independent School District Superintendent Joshua Neil Goen on Tuesday on charges related to alleged invasive visual recording. Seagraves Police Department investigators worked with the Gaines County Sheriff’s Office and federal investigators to develop evidence after a video recording device was found in a girls’ locker room.
HEALTH
Why Flavonoids Are the Key to a Sharp Mind
Recent research found elderly individuals who ate the most flavonoids had the slowest rate of cognitive decline
Kaempferol and quercetin were both associated with slower global cognitive decline
Quercetin is found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including onions and shallots, apples, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, black currants and green tea
Good sources of kaempferol include spinach, kale and other green leafy vegetables, chives, dill, tarragon, onions, wild leeks, asparagus and berries
Kaempferol is also one of the most important constituents in ginkgo biloba, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. A 2008 study found kaempferol-rich ginkgo biloba extract significantly inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. Ginkgo biloba’s ability to improve memory and cognition has also been studied for decades
Focus on Whole Foods
A key detail to keep in mind here is that they were not looking at supplementation. Only food. Nutritional researchers who spoke with CNN5 about the findings stressed that foods contain many other bioactive compounds, and we cannot be absolutely certain that it was these specific compounds that warded off dementia.
It’s a worthwhile warning. Oftentimes, it’s the synergistic effect between compounds in whole foods that create the “magic.” So, the take-home message here is that fruits and veggies are good for you, especially your brain. So, if you want to preserve your cognition, focus on eating whole foods.
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Optivida COMPLETE Essentials 30pk
Giving Up the Belief in Flu Shots
Influenza vaccines have been in use for more than 60 years. One of the earliest clinical trials of influenza vaccine efficacy was conducted in United States Army personnel in 1943. Approximately 11,000 unvaccinated young men received a flu shot that had one strain of both influenza type A and type B. The study’s endpoint – the development of a febrile illness – showed that 7.1% of unvaccianted recruits developed a fever vs. only 2.2% of the vaccinated became sick. This early study assumed the fever was caused by influenza viruses and if they didn’t get sick, the success could be attributed to a flu shot.
The problem with this ‘end point’ is that many different viruses and bacteria can cause febrile illness, often referred to as influenza-like illness (ILI). For example, there are at least 52 immunologically distinct adenoviruses (different types) that can cause human illness. According to the Centers for Disease (CDC), there are about 30 strains of coronaviruses. Seven strains are known to infect humans and most commonly cause upper respiratory tract illness (a cold) or flu-like illness.
After a few more military trials, the assumption for the success of influenza vaccines lead to widespread influenza vaccine use in civilian populations in 1960. The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) recommended annual vaccination of adults aged ≥65 yr, pregnant women (no safety studies then either!!), and those with chronic illness.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Report: Biden Energy Department Touts $200M Grant to Battery Company Primarily Operating in China
The Department of Energy under President Joe Biden is touting a $200 million grant it gave to a lithium battery company that would help the United States grow its domestic sources of green energy, even though it “primarily” operates in China, according to a report.
Microvast, a Texas-based company that “primarily” operates in China, according to the Washington Free Beacon, received $200 million in grant money provided by the U.S. government from the so-called “Bipartisan” Infrastructure Law to help shift the county to green energy.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Vertical Farming Will be $30.2 Billion Market by 2030, Says P&S Intelligence
According to the recent market research study published by P&S Intelligence, in 2021, the vertical farming market had a total size of $3.98 billion, and it is predicted to hit $30.2 billion by 2030, progressing at a rate of 25.2% from 2021 to 2030. This would be a result of the benefits offered by this method of agriculture, including less requirement for water and land and a decreased washing and processing time for the produced crops.
Furthermore, the lack of agricultural land in certain countries and the snowballing demand for organic food are contributing to the market growth. Moreover, such enhanced agriculture methods support farmers in producing over 230 times larger yields than conventional techniques.
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Emergency Underwear and Socks – More Important Than You May Realize
What does this have to do with preparedness? Underwear is one of those things that most people take for granted – until you don’t have clean dry ones available. The same goes for socks.
In case of emergency, spare pairs of each will go a long way towards keeping you healthy and comfortable. In this post we’re going to do a quick overview of health risks associated with wet and dirty underwear and socks, and recommendations for the best underwear and socks for health, durability and comfort.
10 Easy Herbal Gifts to Share and Enjoy
Those who know me are familiar with my habit of running just a bit late. (I blame it on the boys. Before I had kids I used to be on time or early – honest!) As we hit the middle of December, I’m still working on presents for friends and neighbors. Homemade jams and jellies, hard lotion bars, homemade perfume, fresh baked bread and homemade fudge and truffles have all been well received.
COVID RELATED NEWS
Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Military Defeated, New Bill Restores Basic Rights for Soldiers
This week, the US Congress has unveiled an $858 billion defense bill which would terminate President Biden’s mandate that all members of the military submit to the experimental mRNA Covid injection. The move comes as a massive blow to Democrats and the pharmaceutical lobby who were relying on Biden to lock in profits for the coming financial year.
The decision is being hailed as the first major victory for the new Republican House. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader who is campaigning for speaker, has made the issue a priority and has gathered substantial support for the move which is being seen as a fatal blow to the White House’s plans to extend the ‘pandemic emergency’ for a further two years until the 2024 election.
The new bill authorises a pay raise for American troops, and according to McCarthy it’s “a victory for our military and for common sense.”
Republicans are also pushing the Biden administration to re-enlist all service members who were unlawfully discharged for refusing to take the experimental ‘vaccine’ gene therapy injection…
PET NEWS
VIDEO: Man Saving a Stranded Kitten Gets Ambushed by a Group of Them
GOOD NEWS
Father and Twin Sons Chop and Deliver Firewood to Vulnerable People for 5th Year in a Row
A Washington father of eight and his twin sons are helping heat homes for the holidays by chopping and delivering firewood to veterans, the sick, and people who are down on their luck. The father’s winter mission started five years ago, and this season it’s stronger than ever.
Shane McDaniel, 51, owns a beer store in his hometown of Lake Stevens. He learned to split wood with his late father as a child and now has eight children of his own: Jack, 9, Mario, 12, Ellis, 13, Natalie, 14, Wyatt, 18, twins Henry and Harrison, 25, and Maddie, 26.
ICYMI
Philadelphia Gas Station Owner Forced to Hire Guards With AR-15s Due to Rise in Crime
A gas station owner in Philadelphia who was tired of the crime wave sweeping the city, which impacted his employees and customers, decided to take matters into his own hands and hired a group of guards with semi-automatic guns to protect his business.
Neil Patel, the owner of Karco gas station located in North Philadelphia hired Pennsylvania S.I.T.E agents armed with AR-15s and kevlar vests. The group is reportedly made up of former Philadelphia police and state officers.
Patel tells a local media outlet he finally broke down and hired personal security after his ATM was stolen and his car was broken into.
“They are forcing us to hire the security, high-level security, state level,” Patel told FOX 29. “We are tired of this nonsense; robbery, drug trafficking, hanging around, gangs.”
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