Europe On Edge Of Energy Disaster As Power Prices Smash All Records
ZeroHedge – Europe’s energy crisis got even worse on Tuesday as a shortage of natural gas, nuclear outages, declining wind power output, and cold weather boosted prices.
The gas price at the Dutch TTF hub, the benchmark gas price for Europe, soared 10% to a new record high of 165 euros per megawatt-hour after gas entering Germany at the Mallnow compressor station plunged to zero. Flows were diverted eastward to Poland.
European gas prices hit a record high.
EU Sets 9-Month Expiration Date For Vaccine Passports
ZeroHedge – COVID case numbers are already starting to decline in southern Africa, seen as the epicenter of the omicron explosion, but that hasn’t stopped the EU from further tightening restrictions related to travel.
Because according to Reuters, the European Commission on Tuesday agreed to new rules that will make the EU’s COVID vaccine travel passport (what they call a “travel certificate”) will be valid for nine months after the completion of the “primary vaccination schedule” – which right now only includes the first two doses.
COVID case numbers are already starting to decline in southern Africa, seen as the epicenter of the omicron explosion, but that hasn’t stopped the EU from further tightening restrictions related to travel.
Because according to Reuters, the European Commission on Tuesday agreed to new rules that will make the EU’s COVID vaccine travel passport (what they call a “travel certificate”) will be valid for nine months after the completion of the “primary vaccination schedule” – which right now only includes the first two doses.
Summit News – New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced Tuesday that he is offering New Yorkers $100 per family member if people allow a ‘vaccination team’ to enter their homes and jab everyone inside.
“A vaccination team comes to you – they can provide vaccination for the whole family,” De Blasio announced during a press conference.
He further declared that “The teams that come to your home have the ability to provide whatever help you need – and the $100 incentive is available for every family member.”
Ars Technica – Boeing and Airbus have asked US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to delay the deployment of C-band spectrum for 5G wireless service. The companies claim the rollout will interfere with key aircraft instruments.
“5G interference could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate,” said the letter, which has been obtained by Reuters. Boeing CEO David Calhoun and Airbus Americas CEO Jeffery Knittel claim that the rollout, currently scheduled for January 5, could have “an enormous negative impact on the aviation industry.”
Both manufacturers and aviation regulators have expressed concerns over C-band 5G signals interfering with radio altimeters on commercial aircraft. The instruments work by beaming radio signals in the 4.2–4.4 GHz band toward the ground and listening for a reply. By measuring the time it takes for the signal to return to the sensor, the aircraft can calculate its height above the ground. Radio altimeters give pilots a more precise reading than barometric altimeters, which rely on air pressure.
The aviation industry is concerned about the possibility of rogue 5G signals interfering with those calculations. If the FCC authorizes the C-band’s use by mobile carriers, the aviation industry is claiming that tens or hundreds of thousands of flights could face delays, diversions, or cancellations.
Biogen cuts the price tag on its Alzheimer’s drug in half
Biogen is slashing the price of its Alzheimer’s treatment months after the drug debuted to widespread criticism for an initial cost that can reach $56,000 annually
ABC – Biogen is slashing the price of its Alzheimer’s treatment in half months after it debuted to widespread criticism for an initial cost that could reach $56,000 annually.
The drugmaker said Monday that it will cut the wholesale acquisition cost of the drug by about 50% next month. That means the annual cost for a person of average weight will amount to $28,200.
Judge Blocks Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Federal Contractors in 10 States
Epoch Times – A federal judge in Missouri has issued a temporary hold on the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors in 10 U.S. states while litigation plays out.
“We just beat the Biden Administration in court again,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced on Twitter late Monday. “This afternoon, we obtained a preliminary injunction against the vaccine mandate on federal contractors, halting enforcement of that mandate in Missouri and the other states in our coalition.”
The preliminary injunction, issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge David Noce, applies to Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Schmitt and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, both Republicans, on Oct. 29 co-led the 10 states in suing the Biden administration over the mandate, calling it “unconstitutional, unlawful, and unwise.”
“It will not harm the federal government to maintain the status quo while the courts decide the issues of the President’s authority and the implications for federalism. The Court concludes that, on balance, consideration of the harms and the public interest weigh in favor of a preliminary injunction,” reads the Monday preliminary injunction order from U.S. Magistrate Judge David Noce.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rite Aid follows CVS in announcing store closings
The Hill – Rite Aid is set to close dozens of stores across the country in an effort to save around $25 million yearly.
The company on Tuesday said it is closing 63 stores as part of a plan to “reduce costs, drive improved profitability and ensure that we have a healthy foundation to grow from,” according to CNN.
Rite Aid’s announcement follows CVS Pharmacy’s move to shut down nearly 900 stores over the next three years.
Last month, CVS CEO Karen S. Lynch said it is “evaluating changes in population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs to ensure it has the right kinds of stores in the right locations for consumers and for the business.”
Rite Aid, which is smaller than competitors CVS and Walgreens, has started the process of remodeling stores and downsizing on products like household appliances and stationary in favor of more beauty and wellness items, CNN noted.
Robogeddon: Autonomous ‘Slaughterbots’ Programmed To Kill
Technocracy News – A superpower arms race to build killer robots could wipe out humanity if left unchecked, experts fear.
The doomsday warning comes after a UN conference failed to agree a ban on Terminator-style “slaughterbots” – which are being developed by China, Russia and the US.
Major powers are investing billions to create advanced AI weapons that can hunt and strike targets with no input from controllers.
Last year a Turkish-made kamikaze drone made the world’s first autonomous kill on human targets in Libya, a UN report revealed.
But experts warn the technology is advancing so fast, governments and societies have not properly considered the dangers.
They say machines making their own decisions are prone to unpredictable and rapidly spreading errors.
These arise from codes called algorithms which even the programmers don’t always understand and cannot stop going awry.
If AI weapons in the future are armed with biological, chemical or even nuclear warheads, the results could be unintentional Armageddon.
“It is a world where the sort of unavoidable algorithmic errors that plague even tech giants like Amazon and Google can now lead to the elimination of whole cities,” warns Prof James Dawes of Macalester College.
“The world should not repeat the catastrophic mistakes of the nuclear arms race. It should not sleepwalk into dystopia.”
MIT professor Max Tegmark, co-founder of the Future of Life Institute, issued a similarly dire warning this week.
He told Wired: “The technology is developing much faster than the military-political discussion.
“And we’re heading, by default, to the worst possible outcome.”
A potential ban on so-called Lethal Automomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) was discussed last week at the UN’s five-yearly Convention On Certain Conventional Weapons.
RT-PCR Test Loses FDA Emergency Use Authorization On January 1, 2022
Technocracy News – The CDC originally applied for EUA status for the RT-PCR test for COVID-19 in February 2020. Since then, it has proved to be notoriously unreliable and has largely been discredited as a diagnostic tool to detect the COVID-19 virus. The test will be outlawed on January 1, 2022.
However, when reading the details on the CDC website, a strong smell of rotting fish fills the room.
First, the test was never granted full FDA approval. Instead, it was permitted for use under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). In other words, it was an experimental diagnostic tool.
And yet, it was used to drive the entire nation into the Great Panic that literally turned our society upside down.
Second, the Lab Alert directs clinicians to “Visit the FDA website for a list of authorized COVID-19 diagnostic methods.”
According to the FDA’s own rules, no EUA can be granted for an experimental drug/treatment if an approved solution already exists. Furthermore, if an EUA is in play for one drug and another drug is approved for the same application, then the EUA on the experimental drug is immediately removed.
So, the CDC is pulling the experimental RT-PCE test while telling clinicians to find “authorized COVID-19 diagnostic methods” instead.
You don’t need to be a PhD, MD or epidemiologist with a peer-reviewed study to figure this out. In fact, you don’t need any medical expertise whatsoever.
Biden Plans to Deploy Military, Distribute 500 Million Tests Amid COVID-19 Omicron Wave
Epoch Times – President Joe Biden’s administration is planning to mail out some 500 million COVID-19 tests, starting in January, according to the White House.
The White House on Tuesday said it will send the test kits to homes as part of an effort to deal with the Omicron COVID-19 variant, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday said accounts for about 73 percent of cases in the United States. It’s not clear yet whether the variant causes more severe disease than previous variants, although fewer than a dozen deaths have been reported worldwide.
“Today, the President is announcing his Administration will purchase a half-billion at-home, rapid tests this winter to be distributed for free to Americans who want them, with the initial delivery starting in January 2022,” the White House said in a press statement.
Additional federal test sites will also be set up across the United States in the coming days, starting in New York City, according to the White House, in a bid to help “states that need additional testing capacity.”
Tuesday’s announcement appears to reverse a previous White House position on COVID-19 testing. White House press secretary Jen Psaki earlier this month told reporters that the administration won’t be mailing test kits to every home.
In the press release, the White House confirmed it will send 1,000 members of the military such as military doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other medical personnel to hospitals in January and February.
Six emergency response teams with more than 100 staff members are also being sent to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire, and Vermont, said the White House. Meanwhile, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) response teams will be sent to add capacity to hospitals in some states, and the federal government is “paying for all of it,” the statement added.
“This is on top of the 300 federal medical personnel that we have deployed since we learned about Omicron,” the news release said.
The CDC Monday reported that Omicron is rapidly spreading and may be the dominant variant in the country, representing some 73 percent of sequenced U.S. cases. The Delta strain, which emerged earlier this year, makes up about 26.6 percent of infections, while just a week before that, Delta represented 87 percent of cases.
Authorities in South Africa, where Omicron is first believed to have emerged, reported late last week that the hospitalization rate for Omicron patients is about one-tenth of the hospitalization rate that was seen during the early phase of the Delta wave. New York City’s chief medical official, Dr. Dave Chokshi, made a similar statement.
“Right now, there are about a thousand people hospitalized with COVID-19 across New York City. That’s about a quarter of where we were at the peak of last winter’s wave and less than a tenth of where we were in the spring of 2020,” Chokshi said on Monday, blaming the rise in infections on the “Omicron wave.”
Members From Clinton’s 2016 Campaign May Be Called to Testify in Special Counsel Probe: Durham
Epoch Times – People who worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign could be called to testify in court cases stemming from a probe of the Russia-Trump counterintelligence investigation, according to a recent court filing.
The disclosure from Special Counsel John Durham’s team came as they tried to convince a judge to explore potential conflicts of interest involving attorneys Danny Onorato and Stuart Sears, who are representing Igor Danchenko.
Danchenko, a Russian analyst, was indicted by a grand jury last month on five false statement charges.
Danchenko allegedly lied to FBI agents when questioned about information he provided to ex-British spy Christopher Steele, best known for compiling the error-riddled dossier that U.S. officials used to investigate former President Donald Trump and his associates.
The problem, Durham’s team said, is that Onorato and Sears work at a law firm that also employs a lawyer who represents the 2016 Clinton campaign and former employees of that campaign in matters before the special counsel.
That could pose a conflict of interest.
‘I’m the Big Problem:’ COVID-19 Whistleblower on Why She Won’t Be Silent Despite Threats to Her Life
Epoch Times – Her scientific conclusions about the COVID-19 pandemic and the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus are controversial. The jury is still out on her views that the CCP virus is the result of a secret 20-year-old bioweapons research program by the Chinese regime that includes coronaviruses.
But despite pushback from fellow scientists, her former employer, and even her now-estranged husband—who she said tried to poison her—COVID-19 whistleblower Dr. Yan Li-meng says it was “very easy” for her to risk her life and career to speak up about her observations of the initial outbreak.
“I’m the big problem,” the virologist told EpochTV’s “Crossroads” program. Yan was a member of the well-connected WHO influenza H5 Reference Lab based at the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health—a key emergency disease lab for the Chinese government. “They [the CCP] need to disappear me,” she said.
On why she’s considered such a threat to a communist regime that governs more than 1.4 billion people, Yan claimed, “The reason is very clear, because the things I’m telling the world actually reveal the top confidential plans of the Chinese government. They’ve spent over 20 years working on the novel bioweapons, including using coronavirus.”
The CCP has already silenced other whistleblowers who might have had valuable knowledge and insight into the coronavirus outbreak.
With the nature of Yan’s claims being difficult to verify, she knows she is putting her reputation on the line by sharing her views on the record so that the public can judge for themselves regarding what really happened in Wuhan.
Her bioweapon claims have received no support in publications by the international scientific community and have been dismissed by the U.S. intelligence community, which said in its August report, “We judge the virus was not developed as a biological weapon.”
Chinese officials had no “foreknowledge of the virus” before the initial outbreak of COVID-19 emerged, the report said, which remains inconclusive regarding the origins of the CCP virus, while pointing to either a natural origin or a laboratory accident as the most likely scenarios for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.
However, the rigors of the report met with some challenges, including that a lab leak does not rule out that the CCP was doing bioweapon research that inadvertently led to a leak, as argued by David Asher, former lead COVID-19 investigator at the U.S. State Department.
There is no evidence to date suggesting that the virus was intentionally released, contrary to Yan’s claims.
‘We’re Not Going to Socialism’: Army Veteran Arrested for 3rd Time While Protesting NYC Mandate
Epoch Times – An outspoken and spirited U.S. Army veteran was arrested for the third time in a week while protesting against the city’s vaccine passport mandate, this time at the Panera Bread in Gateway Center mall in Brooklyn.
On Aug. 17, New York City started requiring restaurants, gyms, and many other businesses to check guests and workers for proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as well as photo ID.
Michael Bosch, 42, who previously served in Iraq twice and once in Afghanistan, went into the shop on the afternoon of Dec. 19 holding an American flag, after having ordered food online. He was joined by about eight other people who supported his cause, including gubernatorial candidate Derrick Gibson.
He held a copy of the Constitution and said “this is my vaccine passport!” when the Panera employees asked him for proof of vaccination.
Police were then summoned by the manager.
Police told Bosch that he was trespassing and needed to leave.
“Back down, join my ranks,” Bosch told the police officer. “You are a communist, we’re going to take you out.”
“Non-violently,” Bosch added, upon the officer’s questioning of his last statement.
After an intense argument with two officers for about five minutes, another six officers arrived and Bosch was arrested.
After his release about 3 hours later, he went back to Gateway Center and entered Smash Burger.
Police came again, and this time they argued outside. Bosch later left without being arrested.
“This is a capitalistic country, plain and simple. We’re not going to socialism. If we do, then I’m here to die for this country,” he said.
Rutherford Institute – The Rutherford Institute is warning that Americans are being swept up into a massive digital data dragnet that does not distinguish between those who are innocent of wrongdoing, suspects, or criminals. Weighing in before the U.S. Supreme Court in Hammond v. U.S., The Rutherford Institute is challenging the government’s unconstitutional practice of warrantlessly tracking people’s location and movements through their personal cell phones in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Institute attorneys argue that technological advancements in cell phone providers’ ability to obtain data on their users’ whereabouts, especially as a result of cell site proliferation due to 5G networks, means that law enforcement can use “triangulation methods” to pinpoint a person’s location with much greater precision than ever before, whether that person is at home, at the library, a political event, a doctor’s office, etc.
Paul J. Sampson, Bradley Masters, and Stephen A. Tensmeyer of Kirkland & Ellis LLP advanced the Fourth Amendment arguments in The Rutherford Institute’s amicus brief in Hammond v. U.S., which was filed in cooperation with the Cato Institute.
“Cell phones have become de facto snitches, offering up a steady stream of digital location data on users’ movements and travels,” said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. “Added to that, police are tracking people’s movements by way of license plate toll readers; scouring social media posts; triangulating data from cellphone towers and WiFi signals; layering facial recognition software on top of that; and then cross-referencing footage with public social media posts, all in an effort to identify, track and eventually round us up. This is what it means to live in a suspect society.”
As part of a federal and state law enforcement investigation into a series of armed robberies that took place in October 2017in Michigan and Indiana, an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (“ATF”) agent traced a firearm recovered from one of the robberies to a previous owner, who said he had sold it to Rex Hammond and gave them Hammond’s cell phone number. Without obtaining a search warrant, a local police detective then requested cell site location information (“CSLI”) from AT&T to geolocate Hammond’s cell phone using real-time pings to nearby cell towers about every fifteen minutes. The detective also obtained historical CSLI records indicating where Hammond had been over the course of three weeks. One night, around 11:30 p.m., detectives located Hammond’s car using a cell phone ping and began following him when he left a Quality Inn parking lot after midnight. Police stopped Hammond for speeding and failing to signal, and then placed him under arrest. A grand jury indicted Hammond on eight charges related to the robberies, and Hammond was found guilty of all counts and sentenced to a total of forty-seven years in prison. A district court denied Hammond’s motion to suppress the evidence against him, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. On appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Hammond’s attorneys warned that “real-time cell phone pinging thus allows the state to surreptitiously track the movements of any individual with a cell phone (essentially all Americans) with a voyeuristic level of precision, and without ever leaving the precinct.”
US Population Growth Falls to Record Low, Census Figures Show
Epoch Times – The United States’ population grew 0.1 percent in the year ending in July, the lowest rate on record, according to figures released by the Census Bureau on Dec. 21.
The population grew by 392,665 people between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021, according to the Census estimate. U.S. growth was caused by a natural increase of 148,043 and a net international migration of 244,622, which is the first time that migration surpassed the natural increase, the agency noted.
The bureau stated that the “slow rate of growth can be attributed to decreased net international migration, decreased fertility, and increased mortality due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Between 2020 and 2021, 33 states saw population increases and 17 states and the District of Columbia lost population, 11 of which had losses of over 10,000 people. This is a historically large number of states to lose population in a year,” the Census Bureau added.
Texas experienced the largest increase in total population, the bureau said, while Idaho’s population grew at the fastest rate in the United States. Texas, California, and Florida still have populations above 20 million people; New York state dropped below that number last year.
New York lost 1.6 percent of its population, Illinois saw 0.9 percent of its population drop, Hawaii lost 0.7 percent of its population, and California saw a decrease of 0.7 percent, according to Census figures. The District of Columbia’s population saw a 2.9 percent population decrease.
Among states that gained people, Idaho led the way with 2.9 percent, Utah had a 1.7 percent increase, and Montana’s population increased by 1.7 percent, the figures revealed.
The agency noted that even before the pandemic, U.S. population growth had been slowing. Birth rates have been steadily declining since the 2007 to 2009 recession.
“Population growth has been slowing for years because of lower birth rates and decreasing net international migration, all while mortality rates are rising due to the aging of the nation’s population,” Kristie Wilder, who works as a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau, said in a statement.
“Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in a historically slow pace of growth,” Wilder added.
In August, data released by the Census Bureau showed that the U.S. white population shrank for the first time in history.
Democrats’ Dismal Outlook for 2022 Midterm Elections Continues to Worsen
Epoch Times – When New Jersey Democratic Rep. Albio Sires announced that he wouldn’t seek reelection, he became the 23rd sitting Democrat in the House of Representatives to opt out of seeking another term in Congress.
For a party with a majority that depends upon a mere handful of votes, losing 23 House veterans is a crushing blow, but more such announcements are expected as filing deadlines approach for the 2022 midterm congressional elections.
Among other Democrats who aren’t running again are House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth of Kentucky, Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, Rep. David Price of North Carolina, Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas, and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona.
And no wonder, considering the latest survey results of likely voters by noted Democratic pollster and campaign strategist Doug Schoen and partner Carly Cooperman, which show majorities disapproving of President Joe Biden’s performance and holding congressional Democrats responsible for the nation’s growing list of serious problems.
Schoen’s survey is especially telling because of the intensity of voter determination reflected in the responses. Fully 72 percent said they are “absolutely certain” to vote in November 2022 and another 28 percent said they are “very likely.”
Numbers like those suggest 2022 could see a record midterm turnout if the present trends continue. That has to be especially worrisome for Democratic leaders because there’s virtually no good news for them in the Schoen results.
Two-thirds, or 66 percent, of respondents agreed when asked if they believe “Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress are out of touch with hardworking Americans. They have been so focused on passing their own agenda that they’ve been ignoring Americans’ day-to-day concerns, such as the rising prices for goods and gasoline.” Only 30 percent disagreed.
Similarly, 65 percent agreed when asked if they agree that “I thought things in the country were going to change for the better with Joe Biden’s election, but it’s just been more of the same. The country is still divided, the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing—and now, on top of that, inflation is at a 30-year high and gasoline prices are soaring.” Thirty-one percent disagreed.
New York Lawmaker Pulls Public Health Detainment Bill, Blames ‘Conspiracy Theorists’
Epoch Times – A New York lawmaker has taken down a 6-year-old bill that would authorize the state to detain infected individuals and their contacts deemed a threat to public health during a pandemic, blaming “conspiracy theorists” of spreading misinformation about his proposal.
The bill in question, known as A416, was first introduced by Assemblyman Nick Perry in 2015, nearly a year after the nationwide panic over a potential outbreak of Ebola in the United States. The Brooklyn Democrat said the measure was prompted by an incident in which a nurse refused to be placed in quarantine after returning from West Africa, where she’d helped treat Ebola patients.
Like many other bills, A416 had been reintroduced year after year and died in committee. The latest version of the bill would allow the state governor, by “issuing a single order,” to “order the removal or detention” of any person or group of people deemed to be a suspected case, contact, or carrier of a contagious disease and poses “an imminent and significant threat to the public health in severe morbidity or high mortality.”
“Such person or group of persons shall be detained in a medical facility or other appropriate facility or premises designated by the governor or his or her delegate,” it reads.
The bill, which received little public attention over the past years, became a center of controversy when Perry once again put it up for the 2021-2022 legislative session amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. Opponents of the measure argued that it would allow then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo to build internment camps for New Yorkers who refuse to comply with his public health policies.
“This is straight up detention camp stuff in NY! A bill giving [Gov. Andrew Cuomo], Health Commissioner or any designated official full power to remove any person/group of people from their home if deemed contagious,” Elizabeth Joy, a Republican candidate running against Rep. Paul Tonko, wrote in January. “It’s horrifying.”
Facing mounting opposition, Perry on Monday announced he no longer seeks to advance the bill, which he said was misinterpreted by “conspiracy theorists” and internet trolls.
“Conspiracy theorists, and those who spread misinformation online are once again trolling on social media, posting concocted stories about A416,” he wrote in a statement on Dec. 20. “To deprive these individuals the ability to use this issue for fuel to spread their fire of lies and mistruths, I will take the appropriate legislative action to strike the bill, remove it from the calendar, thus ending all consideration and actions that could lead to passage into law,” he said. “Get vaccinated and stay safe.”
Republican Assemb. Joe Angelino was among the opposing lawmakers who celebrated the withdrawal. He dismissed Perry’s claim, saying that there was no “misinformation” around the bill since everyone could read online what the bill was actually about.
“The sponsor of A416 is saying we were spreading ‘misinformation,’ calling us ‘conspiracy theorists’ who were ‘concocting stories’ causing him to pull his Bill. I’m pretty sure we all can read and his intent was to haul people away for the good of all,” Angelino wrote on Facebook.
Federal Involvement in Health Care Drives Treatment Choices
‘Doctors cannot question the federal government. That’s how health care works in the United States right now.’
Epoch Times – Around the United States, in numerous cases, hospitalized COVID-19 patients have asked for Ivermectin but were denied the drug, and then sought a court order forcing the hospital to provide the requested medication. Ivermectin, which has been used safely in humans since 1985, has shown promise in treating the virus, especially when taken early. Although it is an off-label use and not guaranteed to work every time, it is legal for doctors to prescribe Ivermectin for COVID-19, and many patients, some desperate and dying, want to give it a try.
Why are so many hospitals opposed to trying safe, inexpensive Ivermectin? The answer is tied to the complicated financial house of cards covering the entire health care system.
This isn’t a story about Ivermectin; it’s about what COVID-19 exposed in America’s health care system. The federal government, pharmaceutical, and insurance companies hold the reins on what care hospital administrators can offer. They never looked at your chart, but have a say in your treatment, and doctors who stray from administrative protocol can kiss their careers goodbye.
World Council for Health Reveals Spike Protein Detox
Mercola – If you had COVID-19 or received a COVID-19 injection, you may have dangerous spike proteins circulating in your body
Spike proteins can circulate in your body after infection or injection, causing damage to cells, tissues and organs
The World Council for Health has released a spike protein detox guide, which provides straightforward steps you can take to potentially lessen the effects of toxic spike protein in your body
Spike protein inhibitors and neutralizers include pine needles, ivermectin, neem, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and glutathione
The top 10 spike protein detox essentials include vitamin D, vitamin C, nigella seed, quercetin, zinc, curcumin, milk thistle extract, NAC, ivermectin and magnesium
Biden Jabs ‘Misinformation’ on Cable, Social Media About COVID-19 Vaccines
Daily Signal – President Joe Biden cautioned Tuesday against panic over the omicron variant of COVID-19, but said Americans have an obligation to get vaccinated and called for parents to make sure their children get shots.
“Some Americans are wondering if you can safely celebrate the holidays with your family and friends,” Biden said during remarks in the State Dining Room of the White House. “The answer is yes, you can—if you and those you celebrate with are vaccinated, particularly if you’ve gotten your booster shot.”
The president also announced a large expansion of COVID-19 testing, including 500 million at-home tests for the coronavirus that the government could send to Americans at no charge starting next year.
“The federal government will purchase one-half billion–that’s not a million, [but] billion with a B–additional at-home rapid tests with delivery starting in January,” Biden said. “We’ll give these tests to Americans for free. We’ll have websites where you can get them delivered to your home.”
Biden’s announcement that the government would mail out 500 million “free” test kits comes after White House press secretary Jen Psaki mocked a reporter Dec. 8 for asking a question about making COVID-19 testing more available.
“Should we just send one to every American?” Psaki asked the reporter, who responded, “Maybe.”
Psaki replied: “Then what happens if every American has one test? How much does that cost and then what happens after that?”
With about 331 million Americans, 500 million tests would be more than enough for one test for each.
Psaki’s briefing Tuesday wrapped up moments before Biden’s speech, and she fielded questions about Biden’s coming into contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for COVID-19.
Psaki said Biden tested negative Tuesday and would be tested again Wednesday. But he has not had any symptoms, she said.
During his speech, the president coughed and cleared his throat multiple times.
“It’s a lot better than it was,” Biden said at one point, referring to March 2020 when the country largely shut down to try to stop the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19 deaths under the Biden administration recently surpassed such deaths under the Trump administration.
“I’ll be deploying hundreds more vaccinators and more sites to help get the booster shots in people’s arms,” Biden said.
The White House, in a press release, specified federal vaccinators “across 12 states, tribes and territories” and said that 73% of adult Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Unfortunately, we still have tens of millions of people who are eligible for the booster shot who have not yet gotten it,” Biden said.
“They’ve gotten the first two shots. They have not gotten the booster,” he said, noting that about 60 million Americans have had a booster. “I got my booster shot as soon as they were available. Just the other day, former President Trump announced he had gotten his booster shot. It may be one of the few things he and I agree on.”
Without naming names, Biden also criticized what he called “dangerous misinformation on cable TV and social media,” saying:
These companies and personalities are making money by peddling lies and allowing misinformation that can kill their own customers and their own supporters. It’s wrong. It’s immoral. I call on the purveyors of these lies and misinformation to stop it. Stop it now.
University of California Fires Director of Ethics Program for Defying COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Professor sued the university in August, arguing natural immunity should be an allowed exception
Epoch Times – Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, the longtime professor of psychiatry at the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine who sued the university over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate because it made no exceptions for natural immunity, has been fired by the institution for refusing the vaccine.
In a blog post titled “Farewell, University of California,” Dr. Kheriaty said he received notice of what he called his “arbitrary and capricious” firing on Dec. 16. It was effective the same day. The termination ends his UCI medical teaching career and his longtime role as director of the Medical Ethics Program at UCI Health.
Kheriaty said he worked unpaid nights helping the UCI president’s office draft triage guidelines for scarce resources and vaccines during the pandemic. When N-95 masks were so scarce that hospitals kept them under lock and key, Kheriaty said he found a supply at a local construction company and provided them to doctors and nurses.
“Everyone at the university seemed to be a fan of my work, until suddenly they were not,” Kheriaty wrote. “Once I challenged one of their policies, I immediately became a ‘threat to the health and safety of the community.’ No amount of empirical evidence about natural immunity or vaccine safety and efficacy mattered at all.
“The University’s leadership was not interested in scientific debate or ethical deliberation,” Kheriaty wrote. “When I was placed on unpaid suspension, I was not permitted to use my paid time off—that is to say, I was ordered to stay off campus because I was not vaccinated, but I also could not take vacation at home because… I was not vaccinated.”
Kheriaty said the university tried to prevent him from doing any professional work while he was on unpaid suspension, in an effort to pressure him to resign from a job he held for 15 years. He said he was not allowed on campus except to move out of his office. Kheriaty was also restricted from making money off-campus. “It was dizzying and, at times, surreal,” he wrote.
The firing decision, he said, was not made by the psychiatry department but by the UCI president’s office. Asked by The Epoch Times for more information about Dr. Kheriaty’s firing, UCI spokesman Tom Vasich wrote, “UCI does not comment on personnel issues.” Kheriaty was on unpaid suspension after initially being placed on “investigatory leave.”
“Now it’s officially over,” Kheriaty wrote on his blog. “I do not regret my time at the university. Indeed, I will miss my colleagues, the residents, and the medical students. I will miss teaching and supervising and doing ethics consults on some of the most challenging cases in the hospital.”
If You’ve Had COVID You’re Likely Protected for Life
Mercola – If you’ve had COVID-19, even a mild case, major congratulations to you as you’ve more than likely got long-term immunity, according to a team of researchers from Washington University School of Medicine. In fact, you’re likely to be immune for life, as is the case with recovery from many infectious agents — once you’ve had the disease and recovered, you’re immune, most likely for life.
The evidence is strong and promising, and should be welcome and comforting news to a public that has spent the last year, 2020, in a panic over SARS-CoV-2.
Increasing evidence is showing that long-lasting immunity exists.
Saffron Protects Against Macular Degeneration
Natural Blaze – Age-related macular degeneration is on the rise. This ancient spice may save your sight.
As Baby Boomers mature en masse, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is on the rise.
AMD is the leading cause of vision loss among people 50 and older. It affects more than 1.75 million people in the U.S. and is expected to strike as many as 3 million in the next five years. Fortunately, an ancient spice may provide just the protection you need.
The macula is the small spot near the center of the retina. The eye needs it for central vision to see objects straight ahead. When the macula becomes damaged, it severely limits your ability to see things in your central line of vision.
As age-related macular degeneration progresses, a blurred area develops near the center of your vision. In addition, objects may not appear as sharp or bright as they used to. Colors seem faded. That loss of central vision can interfere with daily activities like recognizing faces, reading, driving, working, cooking, or watching TV.
Besides age, the biggest risk factor for AMD is smoking. Other risk factors include sun exposure, high blood pressure and obesity.
But we also know that people who exercise and eat green leafy vegetables and fish have a lower risk of developing the disease.
Recent studies have found certain nutrients protect against the progression of AMD. Researchers at the National Eye Institute conducted two Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2).[i]
The first AREDS study showed that a combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper reduce the risk of late-stage AMD by 25%.
AREDS2 found that a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin with vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and copper further reduced the risk of late-stage AMD.
Other studies show that rosemary may protect against macular degeneration.
And a study from Australian and Italian researchers shows the Mediterranean spice saffron helps slow progression of AMD and improve vision.
The researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of people with early stage AMD. One group in the study supplemented with 20 mg per day of saffron. After just 90 days the researchers saw significant improvement in the saffron group.[ii]
Then the researchers tested a group of 29 patients aged 55 to 85 with early-stage AMD. The patients received 20 mg per day of saffron as a supplement for about 14 months.[iii]
The researchers observed improvements in their clinical measurements of the disease after saffron supplementation.
In addition, all of the patients reported an improvement in their quality of vision. They experienced improvements in contrast and color perception, reading ability, and vision in low lighting. All of that added up to a substantial improvement in the patients’ quality of life.
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