March 29, 2024

The Power Hour

Knowledge is Power

Today’s News: February 14, 2023

WORLD NEWS

US Embassy Advises Americans in Russia to ‘Depart Immediately’ Due to Risk of Arrest, Terror Threat

The U.S. State Department is urging any Americans remaining in Russia to leave immediately, citing an elevated risk of arbitrary arrest by Russian security officials amid a more general warning of “unpredictable consequences” stemming from the Ukraine war and the “possibility of terrorism.”

“U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately. Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions,” reads the latest advisory from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, which is overseen by the State Department.

The travel advisory, issued on Feb. 12, noted a series of security risks facing U.S. citizens in Russia, including arbitrary enforcement of local law and the possibility that they could be forced to fight in the war.

“Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, subject them to mobilization, prevent their departure from Russia, and/or conscript them,” the warning states.

Americans in Russia face “the potential for harassment” as well as the threat of being singled out for arrest, the embassy warned.

The State Department said that recent legislation has expanded the ability of Russian authorities to detain and question people suspected of acting against Moscow’s interests, noting that U.S. citizens in Russia “have been interrogated without cause and threatened by Russian officials, and may become victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion.”

China Raises Upper Age Limits for Military Reservists Amid Increased Tension Over Taiwan Strait

The Chinese communist regime’s military new Reserve Personnel Law will be implemented on March 1. It will raise the age limits for various ranks in the reserve forces, a move analysts say reflects the regime’s intention to invade Taiwan.

Under the regime’s decades-old Military Service Law, the service age of reserve soldiers was set at 18 to 35 years old.

The new law has raised the maximum service age for reserve command management and professional technical officers to 60 years old, replacing the tiered age limits of 60, 55, and 50 years old in the old reserve service law.

The maximum service age for professional technical lieutenants has been raised to 50, and for command management lieutenant officers, 45, instead of the current tiered limits of 45, 40, and 35.

Turkey Begins Digging Mass Graves as Earthquake Death Toll Passes 36,000

Authorities in Turkey are struggling to house the thousands of people left destitute after a series of massive earthquakes in the country last week, rushing to build tents and transfer earthquake victims to shelters a week later.

The devastating earthquake, hitting eastern Turkey and northwest Syria, registered a 7.7 magnitude and caused a 7.6 magnitude aftershock hours later. The first earthquake hit in the early morning hours of February 6 – as most people slept or remained indoors to avoid the frigid winter temperatures – while the second occurred as first responders flocked to collapsing buildings attempting to rescue survivors:.

England Ends COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Programme for Under 50s

From Monday, healthy people under 50 in England can no longer get seasonal booster shots as part of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

It comes after the UK government’s advisory body on vaccines, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), recommended that the offer for the age group should end with the autumn 2022 vaccination campaign.

According to NHS England, Everyone aged 5 or over by Aug. 31, 2022, will still be offered two primary doses of COVID-19 vaccines, while over-16s and vulnerable children aged 12 to 15 can still get a booster dose, but those who are under 50 and are not in a clinical risk group can no longer get further boosters.

The JCVI has said the uptake of the initial booster in the under-50 age group has been under 0.1 percent per week since April 2022.

In Wales and Northern Ireland, shots after the primary booster have not been available for under 50s who are not clinically at risk.

In Scotland, boosters for healthy people aged between 16 and 49 will end on March 31.

Sorry Aspiring Masters: You Don’t Own Us

At the recent WEF meeting in Davos, Red Date Technology, a company headquartered in Hong Kong, unveiled the Universal Digital Payment Network, a distributed ledger technology platform, that would be like the SWIFT network for banks, but for stablecoins and CBDCs  Meanwhile, at another DAVOS session titled, “Transforming Medicine, Redefining Life,” they went about their pet topic, redefining what it means to be human (which they have seemingly already redefined for themselves as they don’t act human at all)  Meanwhile, as Bourla claims that there has been “not a single” safety signal in relation to the Pfizer injections, the FDA is considering annual COVID shots   The great resetters keep making advancements but the people are waking up One of the most important things we can do right now — besides praying and being brave — is building relationships and networks

Wheat prices surge on Ukraine harvest concerns

March futures are near their highest level in over two months

Wheat prices have soared to two-month highs this week amid fears that Russia’s military operation may jeopardize this year’s planting and harvesting season in Ukraine, several 

media outlets have reported, citing traders.

March futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed at over $8.0075 a bushel on Monday, the highest since November 23. Quotes were slightly down on Tuesday but are still up for the year.

Wheat prices initially jumped on Friday, with analysts attributing the surge to Russia’s latest missile strikes in Ukraine. Traders warn that infrastructure damage from the missiles or a potential worsening of the conflict would jeopardize Black Sea shipments, which are already a third below the previous season.

“Wheat has been the leader linked to increased tension in Ukraine, which could slow the Ukrainian exports and the planting for the 2023 crop and it could also lead to increased sanctions against Russia,” Mark Polowy, a senior account executive at Archer Financial Services, told Reuters.

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Chinese Spy Balloon Program Connected to Military, Targeted US and Allies: White House

The White House is confirming that a spy balloon program linked to China’s military targeted the United States and its allies for espionage.

Speaking at a Feb. 13 press conference, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby acknowledged the program, which the United States disclosed for the first time last week.

“China has a high-altitude balloon program for intelligence collection that’s connected to the People’s Liberation Army,” Kirby said.

Kirby said that the Chinese spy balloon program targeted the United States’ “closest allies and partners,” but provided “limited additive” intelligence collection capabilities. Left unchecked, he said, such continued balloon incursions could present a severe national security threat to the United States.

Since shooting down the Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, the United States has shot down three more unidentified flying objects, two in U.S. airspace and one in Canadian airspace.

Kirby said that the three new objects were much smaller than the Chinese spy balloon and that the United States was still not sure what they might be.

“There is no question in our minds that that system was designed to surveil, that it was an intelligence asset,” Kirby said of the Chinese spy balloon.

What We Know About the Flying Objects Shot Down Over North America

The U.S. military has shot down four flying objects over North American airspace over the past eight days. Three of the objects remain unidentified as of late Sunday, and were separately shot down within three days. The latest unidentified object was shot down on Sunday over Michigan’s Lake Huron.

Here’s what we know so far about these four objects:

Feb. 4: Chinese Spy Balloon Shot Down

Feb. 10: Small Car-Sized Object Shot Down Off Alaska Coast

Feb. 11: ‘Cylindrical’ Object Shot Down Over Canada

Feb. 12: ‘Octagonal’ Object Shot Down Over Lake Huron

Nikki Haley announces 2024 White House bid

ormer South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley announced Tuesday in a video that she will run for president in 2024. Haley is expected to deliver remarks Wednesday in Charleston at a campaign launch event.

Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham Propose ‘DREAM Act’ Amnesty for Nearly 2M Illegal Aliens

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have proposed their “DREAM Act” amnesty that would provide green cards and, eventually, naturalized American citizenship to nearly two million illegal aliens.

Graham and Durbin, who hold powerful positions on the Senate Judiciary Committee, reintroduced the amnesty after repeatedly proposing the plan since 2017.

According to current estimates, the amnesty would allow almost two million illegal aliens enrolled and eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to secure green cards and, eventually, naturalized American citizenship.

U.S. rancher charged with murdering Mexican trespasser claims self-defense, fired ‘warning shots’

The lawyer for George Alan Kelly, the elderly Arizona rancher accused of first-degree murder for shooting a Mexican man trespassing on his property, says he saw armed men approaching him pointing an AK-47 rifle at him, and fired warning shots to scare them away.

Kelly is being held on $1 million bail and is charged with first-degree, premeditated murder for the Jan. 30 shooting of a man later reported to be a Mexican national named Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, on his Kino Springs, Arizona ranch, according to Fox News.

“The leader of the armed group of men saw Mr. Kelly and pointed an AK-47 right at him,” wrote Brenna Larkin, Kelly’s court-appointed attorney, in a court filing reported by Fox News.

“Mr. Kelly, fearing for his life and safety, fired several shots from his rifle, hoping to scare them away from him, his wife, his animals, and his home. As he shot, Mr. Kelly took care to aim well over the heads of the armed group of men. The group then began running into the desert surrounding his home. Once the group had fled, Mr. Kelly walked over to his barn to see if it was safe and secure.”

The million-dollar bail has outraged conservatives and those concerned about criminal activity at the border due to relaxed border enforcement under President Biden. After the left-leaning GoFundMe site booted all online fundraising for Kelly, saying it bans appeals on behalf of anyone accused of a violent crime, supporters moved to the Christian giving site GiveSendGo and quickly surpassed the organizer’s original goal of $25,000. The amount raised at press time was more than $281,000.

South Side Chicago Residents Outraged as City Spends Millions Housing Border Crossers in Abandoned School

Residents of Chicago’s South Side, home to the city’s poorest neighborhoods, are outraged as Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot spends millions housing newly arrived border crossers in an abandoned school.

Earlier this month, Lightfoot’s administration began housing border crossers in Wadsworth Elementary School — an abandoned school that sits in the city’s Woodlawn neighborhood. The school was closed a decade ago after the community tried to save it.

Loudoun County Parents Allege Sexual Assault by Teacher, Incompetence from Title IX Office

A teacher in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) has been accused of multiple sexual assaults of students, but parents allege the school district is protecting itself instead of students.

“The mandate, the driving philosophy seems to be to protect LCPS at all costs,” Jason Harding, parent of an alleged victim, told ABC 7 News. “It’s not about focusing on students, focusing on the victims.”

MSU Shooting Suspect Dead from Alleged Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

Michigan State University police are reportedly seeking a black male suspect after five people were shot on the school campus Monday night.

UPDATE: MSU police report that the suspect was found dead from an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound,

Manufactured Evidence Planted on Enrique Tarrio to Frame Him and Other Proud Boys Defendants, Defense Alleges

The most damning piece of evidence in the trial of five members of the Proud Boys was created by the U.S. intelligence community and planted on defendant Enrique Tarrio to frame him and others for alleged Jan. 6 crimes, an explosive defense motion alleges.

Filed on Feb. 10 by an attorney for Proud Boys defendant Dominic Pezzola, the motion asks U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly to declare a mistrial due to “outrageous government misconduct.”

The controversy surrounds a document titled “1776 Returns” that federal prosecutors contend is a blueprint for the Proud Boys to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That document was messaged to Tarrio, although defense attorneys say there is no evidence he opened, read, or forwarded it.

“It appears that the government itself is the author of the most incriminating and damning document in this case, which was mysteriously sent at government request to Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio immediately prior to January 6 in order to frame or implicate Tarrio in a government-created scheme to storm buildings around the Capitol,” defense attorney Roger Roots wrote in a seven-page document filed with the court.

Exclusive — Emails, Documents Reveal Tangled Web of Amazon, Pentagon Connections Surrounding Defense Cloud Contract

A top United States senator focused on government corruption is pushing the Pentagon inspector general to reopen an investigation into allegations that a former top defense official engaged in ethical misconduct related to a multi-billion dollar defense contract, citing new evidence.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, is requesting that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD OIG) reopen its investigation, claiming that a former DOD official, Sally Donnelly, failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest to the DOD OIG when it was investigating the allegations of ethical misconduct surrounding a contract which involved billions of American taxpayer dollars.

The DOD OIG published its final report on April 13, 2020, which said, “We determined that Ms. Donnelly did not violate any ethical agreements and obligations regarding Office of Government Ethics financial disclosures, [and] did not give preferential treatment to Amazon officials or restrict access to Secretary Mattis for other industry leaders.”

However, Grassley says Donnelly did not disclose to the DOD OIG exactly who purchased her consulting firm just prior to beginning her employment at the DOD, which he argues was relevant to the DOD OIG’s investigation and could have affected its findings.

Grassley wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the DOD Inspector General Sean O’Donnell on October 24, 2022, asking them to reopen the investigation:

The American people must have confidence that their government isn’t plagued by conflicts of interest and that the decisions made by government officials are done for the people and their best interests, not the financial interests of government officials.

HEALTH 

FDA warns some antibiotics can cause fatal heart damage

Drugs commonly used to treat upper respiratory infection, urinary tract infections should not be prescribed to patients already at risk.

Is chocolate good for your heart? Finally the FDA has an answer – kind of

There’s plenty of mystique tied to chocolate. Over the centuries, cocoa has been touted as an aphrodisiac and a health elixir. The Mayans even used cocoa as a form of cash and buried their aristocrats with it. It appears they believed that “it helped people get into the afterlife and survive in the afterlife,” says Nat Bletter, an ethnobotanist and chocolate-maker.

As myths have evolved over cocoa’s several thousand year history as a food, so too has the scientific pursuit to understand how it may influence our health. Cocoa contains lots of bioactive compounds called flavanols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In recent years, studies have shown the flavanols in cocoa can help improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.

Back in 2018, a company that manufactures chocolate and cocoa products, Barry Callebaut AG Switzerland, petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow the use of a health claim on labels, pointing to the link between the consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, after an exhaustive review of studies, the FDA has responded.

In early February, the agency gave a green light to use certain, limited health claims on products made with high-flavanol cocoa powder. But, the agency says there’s not enough evidence to support claims on regular chocolate, the kind most of us consume. Perhaps that’s because some of the more convincing research comes from studies of cocoa flavanol supplements, not candy.

Scientists have honed in on a particular mechanism that helps explain how chocolate can influence our cardiovascular systems. The bio-active flavanols in cocoa can prompt the production of more nitric oxide, a gas which causes our blood vessels to open up — or dilate. “Vasodilation seems to be the mechanism for lowering of blood pressure and what appears to be signals for reduction in cardiovascular events,” Manson says.

But – bad news for chocoholics – she says these findings should not be interpreted as an invitation to eat more chocolate given candy bars contain sugar, fat and calories. “We found in the Women’s Health Initiative that eating chocolate several times a week, just regular chocolate candy, did lead to weight gain,” Manson says. And excess weight is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

So, where does that leave us, the chocolate-loving public?

Despite dozens of published studies evaluating the links between chocolate and health, the FDA’s assessment is that, as of now, the science is still inconclusive. It’s pretty clear that the compounds in cocoa are good for us, but we may not get enough of them when we consume highly-processed, sweetened chocolate candy bars.

Superfood Brownies: The Perfect Valentine

Searching for a self-indulgent gluten-free dessert? Search no more! This chunky, moist, black bean brownie will satisfy your sweet cravings without ruining any special diets!

Black beans are quite small and are a commonly used ingredient in Latin American dishes. It’s rich in different nutrients such as folate, potassium, fibers, and vitamin B6. This bean brownie is a great variation to a lot of other recipes out there. It’s also very easy to make as it’ll only take 15 minutes more or less of prep time including the cooking.

To make this brownie flourless, I used an amazing superfood — the fiber-rich black beans. Pour all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth then add some chocolate chips and walnuts into the batter.

North Americans Bombarded by Lead, According to Research Scientists

Like most adults who have been lead poisoned, I didn’t notice any symptoms. I was flagged by my naturopath eight years ago because a blood sample indicated I had mild to moderately decreased kidney function, a sign of heavy metal toxicity. After taking a urine heavy metal challenge test in 2014, I tested negative for toxic metals—except lead. My lead levels were off the charts.

After some research, I concluded the lead came from breathing air emissions from the pulp and paper plant two blocks from where I lived for the first 18 years of my life in northern Ontario. I had no idea, until I encountered Tamara Rubin’s (Lead Safe Mama) research, that most North American residents are constantly being bombarded by lead in their everyday lives, not only from air particulates but from paint chips, contaminated soil, water pipes, and lead-glazed pottery and China. Even some foods are known to contain high quantities of this known carcinogen.

New Investigation Finds Spikes of Mercury in Canned Tuna

Canned tuna is known to contain low levels of mercury, but a new Consumer Reports investigation has found spikes of the neurotoxin in some cans.

The organization tested five popular tuna brands, CBS News reported.

While the mercury levels were all within U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards, Consumer Reports urged pregnant women to “avoid canned tuna altogether.”

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

OSHA Fines Mars Wrigley After Workers ‘Became Stuck’ in Vat of Chocolate

Mars Wrigley was hit with a $14,502 fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after two contract workers from another company fell into a vat of chocolate at the company’s Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, facility.

OSHA began an investigation into the June 9 incident, where two workers “became stuck in waist-high chocolate” while doing “maintenance work” for the candy company, which makes Snickers and M&M’s and more, the Philly Voice reported.

Emergency crews responded to the factory for the report that two employees couldn’t get out of a tank. The individuals were not floating around in the chocolate, but they were unable to extricate themselves without assistance.

To free the workers, a hole had to be cut in the side of the tank after rescue crews ruled out being able to remove them from the top.

Both workers had to be taken to hospitals, one via helicopter,” Lancaster Online reported.

WGAL noted that medical personnel described the incident had the potential to be even worse.

Americans’ Tax Refunds Are Nearly 11 Percent Smaller This Year, Early IRS Data Show

Early IRS data show that Americans’ tax refunds so far this year are smaller than they were last year, a phenomenon that was predicted by the agency and tax experts.

As of Feb. 3, the average refund amount stood at $1,963, or down about 10.8 percent from the year-ago period, when it was $2,201 on average, the IRS data show.

The agency’s data also show that more refunds have been given out. As of Feb. 3, 6.9 million direct deposit refunds have been reported, compared with 4.46 million for the same time period last year—a 38.7 percent increase year over year.

However, more tax returns have been processed so far in 2023. About 19 million have been processed as of Feb. 3, compared with the 13 million that were processed for the year-ago period, representing a 29 percent increase year over year, according to the agency.

“I would argue that people’s tax refunds are going to be less because of the fact that they are not going to get these special pandemic provisions anymore,” Eric Bronnenkant, chief of tax at Betterment, told Yahoo Finance in a recent interview. “Obviously, everyone’s situation is unique, but on average refunds are going to be smaller due to less stimulus.”

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

Google Search Chief: AI Chatbots Can Give ‘Convincing But Completely Fictitious’ Answers

Since its release in November of last year, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been used to write cover letters, create a children’s book, and even help students cheat on their essays.

The chatbot may be more powerful than we ever imagined. Google found that, in theory, the search engine would hire the bot as an entry-level coder if it interviewed at the company.

Amazon employees who tested ChatGPT said it does a “very good job” of answering customer support questions, is “great” at making training documents, and is “very strong” at answering queries around corporate strategy.

However, users of ChatGPT also found that the bot can generate misinformation, incorrectly answer coding problems, and produce errors in basic math.

While a 2013 University of Oxford study found that 47% of US jobs could be eliminated by AI over the next 20 years, that prediction appears to have been off-base.

Anu Madgavkar, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, said that’s because human judgement still needs to be applied to these technologies to avoid error and bias, she told Insider.

“We have to think about these things as productivity enhancing tools, as opposed to complete replacements,” Madgavkar said.

Joe Allen: Countdown to Gigadeath – From AI Arms Race to Artilect War

ChatGPT has not reached the level of  expected Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), but it is close and is expected by 2024. Certainly by 2025. With the exponential explosion of machine-created “intelligence”, human intelligence is at risk of being completely overwhelmed and disrupted on a planetary scale. The domination of man’s mental processes could be final key to full-blown global technocracy.

Insulating oneself from mind-altering AGI will have to be steadfastly intentional. Maintain and exercise your own critical thinking skills. View anything sourced from AI with intense skepticism. Avoid constant bombardment in the same way that many simply turn off mainstream media to avoid propaganda. ⁃ TN Editor

SURVEILLANCE STATE 

The Federal Government Is Tracking the Unvaccinated

The U.S. government has secretly been tracking those who didn’t get the COVID jab, or are only partially jabbed, through a previously unknown surveillance program designed by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  The program was implemented April 1, 2022, and adopted by most medical clinics and hospitals across the U.S. until January 2023  Under this program, doctors at clinics and hospitals have been instructed to ask patients about their vaccination status, which is then added to their electronic medical records as a diagnostic code, known as ICD-10 code, so that they can be tracked inside and outside of the medical system  These new ICD-10 codes are part of the government’s plan to implement medical tyranny using vaccine passports and digital IDs  They’re also tracking noncompliance with all other recommended vaccines using new ICD-10 codes, and have implemented codes to describe WHY you didn’t get a recommended vaccine. They’ve also added a billable ICD code for “vaccine safety counseling”

Will Google’s Social Credit System Determine Your Future?

China started rolling out a social credit system in 2018, which awards and subtracts points for certain types of behavior

Google is the largest monopoly the world has ever seen, and its data-siphoning tentacles reach deep into our everyday lives, collecting data on every move you make and conversation you have, whether online or in the real world

By the end of 2021, approximately 1 billion cameras will be watching public movements across the globe. Cities are also inviting residents and businesses to plug their private surveillance cameras into their police network, which expands the surveillance system even further

To make sense of all this footage, video analytic software and artificial intelligence are used. Video analytic capabilities include fight and fall detection, loitering and motion recognition, dog walking, jaywalking, toll fare evasion and lie detection

There are now proposals suggesting all of this data, in combination with AI-enabled analytics systems, could be used for “predictive policing” as illustrated in the 2002 movie “Minority Report,” where suspected perpetrators are arrested before actually committing the crime

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Animals Falling Sick, Dying Near Hellish Ohio Train Derailment Site, Locals Claim

Animals are falling sick or dying near the train derailment and chemical fire in East Palestine, Ohio, according to reports, which has sparked fears of more widespread impacts.

Taylor Holzer, owner of a farm just outside the evacuation zone near the fire, told WKBN that several animals that he keeps on his property became ill. Some developed a range of symptoms, including liquid diarrhea and puffy faces.

“Out of nowhere, he just started coughing really hard, just shut down, and he had liquid diarrhea and just went very fast,” Holzer told the outlet of one of his animals. “Smoke and chemicals from the train, that’s the only thing that can cause it, because it doesn’t just happen out of nowhere,” he added. “The chemicals that we’re being told are safe in the air, that’s definitely not safe for the animals … or people.”

Authorities have said the train was carrying highly toxic vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, and other hazardous materials before it derailed. The Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailed while it was heading to Pennsylvania on Feb. 3.

Professor Kevin Crist, the director of Ohio University’s Air Quality Center, said that vinyl chloride is carcinogenic, causing cancer of the liver and order organs.

Buttigieg Makes No Mention of Cancer-Causing Chemical Release From Fiery Ohio Train Derailment

As reports of strange objects in the sky dominate the headlines, another potential danger in the air—vinyl chloride and other chemicals released following a Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border—has received comparatively little publicity, including from some relevant federal authorities.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg didn’t comment on the incident during a Feb. 13 morning appearance at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference in Washington, though he did mention the safety risks of “balloons,” to laughter from the audience.

The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) website doesn’t have any press releases focused on the derailment yet. Neither does the website for the DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

“While the FRA is also concurrently investigating the accident under our own authority, questions about the accident should be addressed to the NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board],” a spokesperson for the railroad administration told The Epoch Times in a Feb. 13 email.

Why Is The Mainstream Media Being So Quiet About One Of The Greatest Environmental Catastrophes In U.S. History?

The mainstream media spends an enormous amount of time lecturing us about fake environmental issues, but now that one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in U.S. history has occurred they are being strangely quiet about it.  What we are witnessing in East Palestine, Ohio is so horrifying that it is truly difficult to put it into words.  One hazardous materials specialist is claiming that authorities “basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open”.  Unfortunately, that is not an exaggeration at all.  When they decided to conduct a “controlled burn” of vinyl chloride from some of the wrecked rail cars, they knew that it would “send phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air”

Eugene, Oregon, Bans Natural Gas Hookups in New Residences

City Council says it aims to be free of fossil fuels despite strong public opposition

After more than two years of debate, the City Council of Eugene, Oregon, voted on Feb. 6 to ban natural gas hookups in new residential construction, becoming the state’s first city to prohibit new homes from using gas furnaces, water heaters, or appliances.

During a closed meeting, the council first decided to deny a request by opponents to put the issue on the May ballot. According to DHM Research, 70 percent of those surveyed oppose the ban.

The council then voted 5–3 in favor, citing concerns about climate change and public health, and saying the ban would reduce carbon emissions and eliminate the air quality hazards of gas stoves.

Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis applauded the move.

“We have a governor who has pledged to build 36,000 new houses a year,” Vinis said in a public statement after the meeting. “We do not want those houses with natural gas hookups. And we can lead the way in the city of Eugene to say ‘This is how it’s done.’”

GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING

What to Do with Fireplace Ashes

From poultry dust baths to toothpaste, learn what to do with fireplace ashes by reading through our list of 30 uses for wood ash.

We process tons of firewood each year on our homestead. Nothing is better than a warm fire on a cold snowy day, especially when that fire was made possible from firewood you cut, split and stoked yourself! But what about all the leftover ash? There are so many uses for firewood ash and in today’s post we are going to share 30 uses for firewood ash.

Fireplace Glass Cleaner

Glass-Top Stove Cleaner

Boost Your Hen’s Laying Power

Use wood ash to supplement your chicken feed

Freshen Up Your Fridge/Freezer

Wood Ash Toothpaste

Adjust Acidic Soil

Improve Your Compost

Prevent Snails and Slugs by your plants

Save Crops from Frost Damage

Dust-Bathing Chicks

Dust Powder Protection for Your Animals

Deodorize Your Chicken Coop

Control Litter Box Odor

Undo a Skunk Encounter

Make DIY Soap

Prevent Pond Algae

Stop Mice and Other Household Pests

Protect  Fine Fabrics

Dry Shampoo

Wound Care

Deodorant

Free Fire Extinguisher

Grill Cleaner

Save Seeds for Next Year (Keep them Dry)

Soak Up Oil Spills in the Garage

Hide Stains in Concrete

Make Ants to Relocate

Pet Paw Safe Ice Melt

In conclusion, don’t waste your firewood ash. There are many uses for it.

COVID RELATED NEWS
CANCEL CULTURE

Um, ChatGPT? Bill Gates Turns Attention To Eliminating ‘Misinformation’ With AI

First climate change, then world health, then food and water, and now misinformation. Bill Gates wants to dominate everything in the universe. With the advent and use of GPT-4 and ChatGPT at Microsoft, is Gates thinking that its AI can stifle dissent against the Technocrat takeover of the world? This could be the existential end of Free Speech if it is not rejected. ⁃ TN Editor

Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates said AI should be considered as a tool to combat “digital misinformation” and “political polarization” in an interview published on Thursday with Handelsblatt, a German news media outlet.

In response to a question about the spreading of “misinformation” via AI, Gates referred to the events of January 6, 2021, as an “attack on the Capitol. He said:

I’m certainly concerned about political polarization, and I know the U.S. situation best of all. I wouldn’t have expected people to attack the Capitol, or people to deny the validity of election results. I‘m in a state of shock about that.

We can’t blame AI for that. That happened. It may have been magnified by digital channels that allow various conspiracy theories like QAnon or whatever to be blasted out by people who wanted to believe those things. So, the digital tools may have played an auxiliary role. 

Gates added, “You’ll have to take AI into consideration” to “solve the digital misinformation [problem].” He described “political polarization” as another social ill that could be partially remedied via the use of AI to reduce “confirmation bias.”

Gates framed “climate change” as an existential threat to humanity while calling for government measures to force reductions and eventual elimination of fossil fuel consumption and associated carbon dioxide emissions.

“It’s not optional to have a solution for climate,” he held, adding that carbon dioxide emissions must be brought “to zero” via “clean energy” and “green energy” substitutes.

Development of reliable and affordable energy is in harmony with governmental pursuits of eliminating fossil fuels and development of “green infrastructure,” Gates claimed.

Microsoft Allows “Blacklisted” Conservative Sites Back Into Advertising Program

Microsoft has reversed a decision to add negative ad revenue flags for conservative media outlets which were contained on a “disinformation” tracking group’s blacklist which was used to demonetize speech that does not comport with “acceptable” narratives, according to information obtained by the Washington Examiner.

Xandr, a major advertising company owned by Microsoft, was secretly adhering to a blacklist compiled by the Global Disinformation Index – a UK organization which has two affiliated nonprofit groups.

Now, as Microsoft appears to be taking steps to distance itself from GDI , the company has, for the time being, deleted flags such as “false/misleading” and “reprehensible/offensive” for right-leaning websites, data show. -Washington Examiner

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