WORLD NEWS
Putin Endorses ‘Predictable’ Biden Over Trump in 2024 Presidential Race
Russian President Vladimir Putin picked President Joe Biden as the candidate he wants to see win the 2024 presidential election, calling the incumbent Democrat a “more predictable” person to work with.
During an interview with the state-owned television channel Russia-1 on Wednesday, President Putin was asked which presidential candidate, President Biden or former President Donald Trump, would be better for Moscow. “Biden,” President Putin replied. “He’s more experienced, more predictable. He’s an old-school politician. But we will work with any U.S. leader who the American people have confidence in.”
During a campaign rally in South Carolina on Wednesday, President Trump referenced President Putin’s endorsement for the upcoming elections.
“President Putin of Russia has just given me a great compliment actually. He’s just said that he would much rather have Joe Biden as president than Trump. Now that’s a compliment. A lot of people said, ‘Oh gee, that’s too bad.’ No, no, that’s a good thing.”
“I got along good with him [Putin], but he doesn’t want to have me. He wants to have Biden because he’s going to be given everything he wants, including Ukraine. That’s a gift, he’s got a gift, he’s going to have his dream of getting Ukraine because of Biden. The whole thing is just crazy … The only president in the last five that hasn’t given Russia anything is a president known as Donald J. Trump.”
The former president also pointed out that during his presidency he put a brake on the construction of Nord Stream 2, a controversial German-Russian pipeline that was supposed to carry natural gas from Russia to Europe.
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died in prison: State media
Prison service says the Putin critic collapsed and lost consciousness after a walk in a remote penal colony.
Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died, state media reported, citing the prison service of the region where he had been serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism.
There was no immediate confirmation of the 47-year-old’s death from his team. Navalny spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said his lawyer was travelling to the remote prison colony north of the Arctic Circle.
Greece first Orthodox Christian country to legalise same-sex marriage
Parliament votes 176-76 to pass the bill which also allows same-sex couples to legally adopt children.
Greece has become the first Orthodox Christian country to legalise same-sex marriage despite opposition from the church and some politicians.
The measure was passed by parliament late on Thursday with 176 lawmakers from across the political spectrum voting in favour, and 76 against. Two abstained and 46 were not present.
Hong Kong customs arrests 7 in a $1.8 billion money laundering case linked to transnational crime
Hong Kong customs officials have arrested seven people linked to the territory’s largest ever money laundering case, involving about 14 billion Hong Kong dollars ($1.8 billion) some of it linked to a scam case in India.
The seven local residents, aged between 23 and 74, were part of a large-scale transnational syndicate that used various shell companies and bank accounts to transfer large sums from overseas to the city under the guise of running international trading businesses, customs officials said Friday.
One account once received as much as 100 million Hong Kong dollars ($12.8 million) on a single day, they said.
Ip Tung-ching, the head of customs financial investigation bureau, said 2.9 billion Hong Kong dollars ($371 million) of the total was suspected to be linked to a scam case involving a mobile application in India. But she did not say which application it was.
Some of those arrested were non-Chinese residents of Hong Kong, she said without giving details.
Authorities believe the syndicate received remittances from India in name of exporting electronic devices, diamonds, gems and precious metals, Ip said. Proceeds were then transferred to bank accounts in Hong Kong for money laundering.
“These acts of money laundering provide protective umbrellas for the illegal profits of criminals,” she said.
Law enforcement in Hong Kong, India and elsewhere cooperated in carrying out the operation, enabling its success, Ip said.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Trump Judge Sets March Date for Historic Criminal Trial
Donald Trump returned to court in Manhattan on Thursday where his attempts to dismiss charges of covering up hush money payments were rejected, setting the stage for the first criminal trial of a former US president to begin on March 25.
At the same time, his representatives attended a separate hearing in Atlanta, pushing to have the lead prosecutor bringing charges of election fraud and racketeering against Trump disqualified from the case.
They are two of four criminal cases facing the Republican frontrunner as he campaigns to retake the White House, with his legal teams seeking to push the actual trials until after the November 5 vote.
Trump, who has seized on the media attention of his legal woes to fire up his supporters and denounce his Democratic opponent Joe Biden, reiterated his claim that the charges were “just a way of hurting me in the election.”
“How can you run for election if you are sitting in a courthouse in Manhattan all day long,” he said as he arrived at court.
Once the hearing got underway, Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s request for delay, ruling that jury selection would begin as scheduled in late March.
The former president faces 34 counts of accounting fraud linked to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Prosecutors say that Trump illegally covered up remittances to his longtime lawyer and aide, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for payments to bury stories about Trump’s alleged extramarital sexual relations with Daniels and a Playboy model.
Trump’s lawyers will also be representing him in Atlanta, Georgia, where he is accused of conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden.
That hearing seeks to have the District Attorney Fani Willis dismissed from the case over an alleged relationship with another prosecutor.
Trump’s legal rollercoaster could continue on Friday if, as US media have reported, a ruling is issued in his civil fraud trial, in which he is accused of grossly inflating his property’s values.
Chiefs Shooting The Result of a Dispute; Two of the Three People in Custody are Juveniles
Wednesday’s shooting at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade was not an
act of terrorism, but the result of a dispute between a number of individuals, police say.
The New York Post quoted Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves saying that they had “recovered several firearms” and two of the three individuals in custody are juveniles.
Graves said the incident “appeared to be a dispute between several people that ended in gunfire.”
She added, “We are working to determine the involvement of others, and it should be noted … This incident is still a very active investigation.”
The Kansas City Police Department has a 24-hour window in which to charge the juveniles. Police have not detailed the types of guns used in the shooting or how the guns were acquired.
Radio station confirms host Lisa Lopez died in Union Station shooting
KKFI 90.1 FM, a Kansas City community FM radio station, has confirmed that DJ Lisa Lopez, host of Taste of Tejano, died in the shooting that took place after the Chiefs parade and rally at Union Station. The 44-year-old DJ was the mother of two children.
Lopez was one of at least 23 people who were shot moments after the rally ended. Nine of those wounded were children, but all were expected to survive.
Police said three people were detained but announced no arrests and are still investigating the incident which occurred Wednesday afternoon at the culmination of the rally.
The GoFundMe page set up on behalf of Lisa Lopez-Galvan’s family got a financial shot in the arm when Taylor Swift donated $100,000 to the fund. The two $50,000 donations by Swift were confirmed to Variety Magazine by one of her representatives.
Special counsel David Weiss has charged a former FBI informant who testified to Congress with “false information” regarding the role of President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in Ukrainian energy firm Burisma.
A federal grand jury charged Alexander Smirnov on Feb. 14 with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record.
Mr. Smirnov was arrested at Reid International Airport in Las Vegas after arriving from abroad. He appeared at a federal court in Las Vegas.
According to the Department of Justice, “despite repeated admonishments that he must provide truthful information to the FBI and that he must not fabricate evidence, Smirnov provided false derogatory information to the FBI” about President Biden and Mr. Biden, who are identified as “Public Official 1” and “Businessperson 1,” respectively.
Mr. Smirnov told the FBI in 2020 that the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings hired Mr. Biden to “protect” the company, “through his dad, from all kinds of problems,“ and that Burisma gave $5 million to each of the Bidens. This was all so that Mr. Biden would ”take care of all those issues through his dad,” Mr. Smirnov said.
These revelations turned out to be “fabrications,” according to the indictment.
Mr. Biden was on the board of Burisma while his father was the U.S. vice president between January 2009 and January 2017.
Mr. Smirnov, according to the 37-page indictment, “transformed his routine and unextraordinary business contacts with Burisma in 2017 and later into bribery allegations against” President Biden in 2020, when President Biden won the presidency.
Mr. Smirnov, meeting with the FBI in September 2023, “repeated some of his false claims, changed his story as to other of his claims, and promoted a new false narrative after he said he met with Russian officials,” according to the indictment.
Mr. Smirnov faces up to 25 years behind bars if convicted.
The House Oversight Committee has been investigating President Biden and his son’s business dealings. Its probe has turned up bank records revealing at least $20 million in payments from foreign entities that were channeled through 20 shell companies to members of the president’s family as well as their business associates.
The payments—sourced from such countries as Russia, China, Ukraine, and Romania—were also observed to have begun during the president’s time as vice president and, in some cases, coincided with his trips to those countries.
The committee had relied on the testimony of Mr. Smirnov, and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has called him credible.
One of only two illegal aliens held on bail following a migrant mob attack on New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers last month is now free to walk the streets again thanks to a so-called “sanctuary church”, namely, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bay RIdge, that posted his $15,000 bond. The bond appears to have been posted by Rev. Juan Ruiz.
On Jan. 27, a mob of illegal aliens from Venezuela were caught on surveillance and police body cam footage attacking a pair of NYPD officers outside of a taxpayer-funded migrant shelter in midtown Manhattan.
All but one of those arrested in the attack are now free on bail, awaiting arraignment, the most recent being Yohenry Brito, 24, who walked out of jail Tuesday.
Yarwuin Madris, an 18-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela, was arrested this week for the attack and is being held in jail on bail.
Another of the freed illegal aliens, Gomez-Izquiel, is now back in NYPD custody after he was arrested for allegedly robbing a Macy’s in Queens just weeks after being arrested for the attack. Two of the others in the group are in ICE custody but are due back in Manhattan court this week.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), financially linked to billionaire George Soros, has come under immense fire for releasing most of the illegal aliens accused of the attack on NYPD officers.
Republicans in the New York State Senate, for example, have called on Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to remove Bragg from his position as district attorney.
Hochul has yet to call out Bragg by name, instead telling the media that “you don’t let them out [of jail], you ask for bail, a judge grants it and then you hold people until you find out exactly what happened” in the case.
Bragg’s district attorney’s office, though, has not sought bail for most of the illegal aliens accused in the attack.
Five-Time Deported Illegal Alien Accused of Killing 10-Year-Old Boy Walking Home from School
A five-time deported illegal alien is now accused of killing a 10-year-old boy walking home from school in Midland, Texas, in a hit-and-run crash.
Rogelio Ortiz-Olivas, a 50-year-old five-time deported illegal alien from Mexico, has been arrested and charged with drunk driving and causing a fatal hit-and-run crash that ultimately killed 10-year-old Alex “AJ” Wise, Jr.
Midland is less than four hours from the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to the Midland Police Department, on Feb. 8, Ortiz-Olivas was driving a truck when he hit Wise, who was walking home from school. Immediately, police said, Ortiz-Olivas fled the scene, leaving Wise in critical condition.
Wise was airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, but died from his injuries the following morning. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told CBS7 News that Ortiz-Olivas, who is now being held in jail on an ICE detainer, was first sent back to Mexico on a voluntary departure order after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Ortiz-Olivas, though, illegally returned repeatedly to the U.S. and has been deported five times by ICE agents since this first voluntary departure. Ortiz-Olivas remains in Midland Police Department custody on $110,000 bail.
Migrant Family Shows Up at Massachusetts Home as Soon as Couple Volunteered Free Shelter
A Massachusetts couple who volunteered their home as a shelter for illegal immigrants
was surprised to find a migrant family at their door within the hour.
Colin and Jessica Stokes of Brookline — a wealthy Boston suburb where the average household income is nearly $200,000 — signed up to house Chilean migrants after seeing photos of hundreds of illegal aliens camping out in Logan International Airport, reports CBS News.
A family of four was immediately placed with the Stokeses in “less than an hour,” the outlet stated.
“I was like, ‘I have to get sheets on the beds. How many people are coming? Where are they from? What ages?’ We really knew nothing,” Jessica said.
“The need is so clearly overwhelming,” her husband, Colin, added.
The new arrivals are a couple and two children, who traveled from Chile to Texas before heading to the sanctuary city of Boston, where they were amongst those sleeping in the airport.
Witness Contradicts Key ‘Relationship’ Claim Made by Fani Willis
A former friend of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis directly undercut claims about when her relationship with her top prosecutor started, according to her courtroom testimony on Thursday.
Robin Yeartie, the former friend, was called as a witness to testify on allegations that Ms. Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade were involved in a romantic and secretive relationship, a revelation that was brought forth in a court motion last month by a co-defendant in former President Donald Trump’s racketeering trial. The hearing was held to ascertain whether the Fulton district attorney should be disqualified from the Trump case.
Both Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis have said in court papers that their relationship started after he was hired in November 2021 to work on the Trump case. In a court filing earlier this month, the pair acknowledged a “personal relationship” but said it had not resulted in any direct or indirect financial benefit to the district attorney.
In a sworn statement attached to the filing, Mr. Wade said the relationship began in 2022 after he was hired as special prosecutor, and that he and Ms. Willis shared travel expenses and never lived together. “To be absolutely clear, the personal relationship between Special Prosecutor Wade and District Attorney Willis has never involved direct or indirect financial benefit to District Attorney Willis,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing earlier this month.
But Ms. Yeartie, who previously worked in the district attorney’s office, testified that she saw the pair “hugging” and “kissing” prior to November 2021. She said their relationship appeared to have started sometime in 2019.
“You have no doubt that their romantic relationship was in effect from 2019 until the last time you spoke with her?” defense lawyer Ashleigh Merchant, who is representing co-defendant Michael Roman, asked the witness. “No doubt,” Ms. Yeartie replied.
A former friend from college, Ms. Yeartie said she stopped speaking with Ms. Willis sometime in 2022 after she departed the Fulton County District Attorney’s office. Elaborating, she said there was a situation where she was told she would either be fired or resign, which ended her friendship with Ms. Willis.
If proven true, Ms. Yeartie’s claims about their relationship starting earlier than they claimed could boost the defense’s bid to disqualify Ms. Willis. The judge overseeing the case will make the final determination.
A separate court motion filed by Mr. Roman this week also accused Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade of lying about when their relationship started.
Watch: Judge Calls Recess After Fani Willis Throws Tantrum on Witness Stand
Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday called a recess after Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis
threw a tantrum on the witness stand.
The recess underscores Willis’s lack of decorum during her testimony, in which the judge was forced to admonish the prosecutor.
After about an hour of testimony, the defense questioning Willis asked the prosecutor if Nathan Wade, Willis’s lover and fellow Trump prosecutor, ever visited her “at the place you laid your head.”
“When?” Willis replied.
“Has he ever visited you at the place you laid your head,” the defense against asked.
Willis then raised her voice and claimed the defense lied in its defense of former President Donald Trump and co-defendants.
“Let’s be clear because you’ve lied in this,” Willis said holding up pages of papers. “This let me tell you which one you lied and right here,” she waved the pages around. “No, no, no, no, this is the truth. It is a lie.”
“We’re gonna take five minutes,” the judge interrupted. “We will be back in five.”
Poll: 61 Percent Believe Crime Is Intensifying in America as Presidential Election Looms
A recent survey found that a majority of U.S. citizens believe crime is intensifying in
President Joe Biden’s America as the November election looms.
In its report Wednesday, Newsmax cited a recent Rasmussen Reports survey conducted via telephone and online.
The outlet stated:
Nearly twice as many Republicans (81%) as Democrats (42%) say violent crime is worsening, with 62% of unaffiliated voters saying it is getting worse.
By nearly a 5-to-1 margin, more voters overall say violent crime in America is getting worse (61%) than getting better (13%), while 24% said the crime problem is staying about the same, Rasmussen found.
In addition, 66 percent of Republicans said the issue will be near the top of the list during the upcoming presidential election, and 41 percent of Democrats said the same.
“The latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 48% of likely U.S. voters say they trust Republicans more to handle crime and law enforcement issues, while 36% trust Democrats more, with 15% not sure,” the outlet added.
According to a poll released in November, it appears many voters are leaning toward gun ownership.
Breitbart News reported at the time that a Harvard/Harris poll found “six in ten voters believe owning a gun is a necessary part of protecting themselves from criminals.”
The outlet also noted that a majority of voters believe “woke politicians” are a driving force behind the crime plaguing the nation.
A Breitbart News article from December said, “A Newsweek report built upon an NBC News poll and various interviews suggests that liberal Americans are embracing guns as crime surges in 0ften Democrat-controlled cities throughout America.”
It is also important to highlight that so-called “sanctuary cities” and nearby suburbs are suffering under a crime wave from migrants freed into the country by the Biden administration after they illegally crossed the border, Breitbart News reported on January 31.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
FCC Adopts New Consumer Consent Robocall and Robotext Rules
The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to further protect consumers from unwanted robocalls and robotexts. The Commission is making it simpler for consumers to revoke consent, and requires that callers and texters implement requests in a timely manner.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) restricts robocalls and robotexts absent the prior express consent of the called party or a recognized exemption. Over many years, the Commission has made clear that consumers have a right to decide which robocalls and robotexts they wish to receive by exercising their ability to grant or revoke consent to receive such calls and texts.
The new rules require that robocallers and robotexters honor do-not-call and consent revocation requests within a reasonable time, not to exceed 10 business days from receipt. Today’s action also codifies the Commission’s 2015 ruling that consumers can revoke consent under the TCPA through any reasonable means. It also adds to the FCC rules the Commission’s 2012 ruling that clarified that a one-time text message confirming a consumer’s request that no further text messages be sent does not violate the TCPA as long as the confirmation text merely confirms the called party’s opt-out request and does not include any marketing information.
The Commission also seeks comment on whether the TCPA applies to robocalls and robotexts from wireless providers to their own subscribers and whether consumers should have the ability to revoke consent and stop such communications.
>> View Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts
U.S. Foreclosure Activity Sees Notable Increase in January 2024
ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property, and real estate data, today released its January 2024 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 33,270 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions – up 5 percent from a year ago, and up 10 percent from the prior month.
Lenders repossessed 3,954 U.S. properties through completed foreclosures (REOs) in January 2024, up 1 percent from a year ago and up 13 percent from last month – the first month over month increase in completed foreclosures since July 2023.
Lenders started the foreclosure process on 21,770 U.S. properties in January 2024, up 6 percent from last month and up 5 percent from a year ago.
Those states that saw the greatest number of foreclosure starts in January 2024 included: California (2,719 foreclosure starts); Texas (2,613 foreclosure starts); Florida (2,330 foreclosure starts); New York (1,341 foreclosure starts); and Illinois (913 foreclosure starts).
Among those major metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the greatest number of foreclosure starts in January 2024, included: New York, NY (1,470 foreclosure starts); Houston, TX (1,015 foreclosure starts); Los Angeles, CA (817 foreclosure starts); Miami, FL (804 foreclosure starts); and Chicago, IL (763 foreclosure starts).
Coles inks deal with major CIA-linked data intelligence tech firm
Supermarket giant Coles has quietly signed a ‘concerning’ deal with a data intelligence firm that provides services to the CIA and Pentagon.
Supermarket giant Coles has signed a major deal with an American data intelligence firm that provides high-level analytical technology to the CIA and the Pentagon.
Experts warn the arrangement with Palantir could lead to job losses and vast cost-cutting, as the company seeks to save $1 billion in operating expenses over the next four years.
More than 10 billion rows of data, including in-depth insights into Coles’ 840 supermarkets, 120,000 employees, 9000 suppliers and $41 billion in revenue, will be ingested into a system called Foundry.
Then, by intricately examining “each store, team member, shift and allocation across all intervals in a day, every day”, Coles can begin to “redefine” how it thinks about its vast workforce, a press release issued in the US last week reveals.
HEALTH
The Time-Honored Tradition of Bone Broth
Bone broth is made from bones with a little bit of meat on them, which you cook for longer than you would a meat stock. You can introduce bone broths into your diet once you’re through the Intro Diet and following Full GAPS. It’s a good idea to prepare a large quantity of broth at a time; use it to make healthy soups, stews, and casseroles or simply to drink throughout the day as a beverage, complete with probiotic juice, good fat, and mineral-rich salt. What a wonder drug! Occasionally, when I say to a person who is sick, “You need some homemade bone broth,” they look at me as if I’m crazy—like it’s some foreign, exotic food. Yet this humble staple is perhaps the most traditional, nourishing, and nutrient-dense food available. It’s also dirt-cheap to make. It does take a little time and effort, but once you get the hang of it, you will be movin’ and groovin’.
Be sure to source your bones carefully. The best bones are from 100 percent grass-fed and finished cows, pastured chickens, and wild-caught fish. Of course, you can make bone broth with lamb, turkey, bison, and venison bones, too. Just be sure that the livestock was raised to your standards. The best way to ensure excellent quality is to seek out a local, sustainable farmer, or to find a reputable resource online. And there’s even a recipe included in this post.
Lower Your Blood Pressure With This Simple Exercise
When it comes to recommendations to lower blood pressure, cardio aerobic-type exercises typically come to mind. But, according to recent research it’s outdated advice.
- Simple isometric exercises, including wall sits, offer a natural strategy to lower blood pressure
- Out of multiple forms of physical activity, isometric exercise came out on top as “the most effective mode in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure”
- Broken down to individual exercises, wall squats (isometric) were the most effective for reducing systolic blood pressure while running (aerobic) was most effective for reducing diastolic blood pressure
- About eight minutes of isometric training three times a week may be enough to significantly lower blood pressure
- Wall squats, planks, glute bridge and the overhead hold are examples of simple isometric exercises you can do virtually anywhere
For the 48.1% of U.S. adults with high blood pressure,1 learning how to do simple isometric exercises, including wall sits, may offer a natural strategy for relief. In fact, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 270 randomized controlled trials looked at the effects of multiple types of exercise, including aerobics, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), resistance training and combined training, on blood pressure.
While all were beneficial, isometric exercise came out on top as “the most effective mode in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.”2 It turns out that static contraction of muscle as you hold your body in one position, i.e., isometric exercise, may offer blood pressure benefits that some other types of more dynamic movement don’t.
This small dietary change may have big impact on blood pressure, scientists find
In a recent study in the American Heart Association’s scientific journal Hypertension, researchers shed light on a simple dietary adjustment that can significantly influence the fight against high blood pressure. The study delves into the intricate interplay between potassium, salt, and blood pressure.
While potassium is often advocated as a crucial element of a heart-healthy diet, public attention tends to focus on reducing sodium intake. Compounding this issue, mainstream media outlets often emphasize sodium’s harmful effects while neglecting the significance of adequate potassium consumption.
How salt and potassium affect blood pressure regulation
If you look closely at the hypertension guidelines, they rarely mention potassium-enriched salt substitutes. However, the study linked above, supported by an international group of experts, highlights how salt substitutes enriched with potassium can help control high blood pressure.
Simply put, potassium plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium and helping to relax blood vessel walls. Increasing potassium intake can help lower blood pressure levels, especially when combined with reduced sodium intake.
In other words, too much (processed, denatured) salt combined with not enough potassium in your diet is a recipe for high blood pressure. And it’s not just about blood pressure – this combination also increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even premature death.
Could potassium-enriched salt substitutes help support healthy blood pressure?
The findings above stem from a worldwide research collaboration involving researchers from the United States, South Africa, Japan, India, and Australia. The researchers analyzed 32 hypertension treatment recommendations from nations, regions, and global organizations. The assessed guidelines were published between January 2013 and the summer of 2023.
The researchers discovered that most guidelines emphasized the importance of reducing sodium while promoting higher potassium intake. However, what’s interesting is that only two guidelines – specifically from Europe and China – recommended using potassium-enriched salt. Considering the widespread recognition of potassium’s benefits in these guidelines, it’s quite a twist.
Maintain the right balance between sodium and potassium
In discussing salt intake, it’s crucial to acknowledge that not all salts are created equal. Natural sea salt and Himalayan salt, for instance, contain essential minerals beneficial for health. Therefore, it’s important not to demonize all types of salt.
While table salt, often heavily processed and stripped of its natural minerals, can be detrimental to health when consumed in excess, maintaining the right balance between sodium and potassium is key. Both sodium and potassium are essential electrolytes that play vital roles in bodily functions, including fluid balance and nerve transmission.
Thus, while reducing sodium intake is advisable, ensuring an adequate intake of potassium-rich foods is equally important to maintain this balance. Luckily, there are plenty of potassium-rich foods to choose from, such as organic bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, avocados, and beans.
Incorporating real sea salt or Himalayan salt in moderation and a diet rich in potassium from fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods can support healthy blood pressure levels.
Study: US Rated Worst Country for Mental Health
In its latest analysis, Mental Health First Aid Course has determined the best and worst countries when it comes to mental health. The U.S. rates in the bottom five countries for mental health wellness, due to high rates of substance use, among other factors. The Mental Health Index score is derived from analyzing a range of factors including mental disorder prevalence, suicide rates, and socio-economic indicators.
Turkey leads the list as the best country for mental health well-being, boasting the highest Mental Health Index score. Despite high unemployment (23.97%) and air pollution levels, Turkey had a relatively low rate of mental disorders such as schizophrenia and depressive disorders.
Canada claimed the second spot with a low suicide rate of 11.8 per 100,000 people and a low mental health disorder prevalence rate. Canada also has a healthy balance of work and mental well-being with 1,675 working hours annually and an unemployment rate of 10.75%.
Denmark has an exemplary quality of life and a robust mental health support system, securing the third position on the chart. The country’s low prevalence of mental health disorders, coupled with societal happiness and a suicide rate of 10.7 per 100,000 reflects the country’s success in monitoring and supporting mental health.
Bulgaria and Finland complete the top five, demonstrating strong mental health systems despite many challenges. Bulgaria’s battle with economic issues and high poverty rates contrasts with Finland’s higher suicide rate of 15.3 per 100,000. Both countries have made significant improvements to their mental health awareness and support services, contributing to their high rankings.
The Index finds Lithuania, Italy, Greece, the U.S., and Portugal as countries where mental health well-being requires urgent attention.
The U.S. stands out for its high number of deaths due to substance abuse disorders and a considerable portion of the population engaging in inadequate physical activity. These lifestyle factors along with a mental health disorder rate that includes a 0.43% rate of schizophrenia, and a 4.38% rate of depressive disorders, highlight a pressing need for better public health strategies. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the suicide rate in the U.S. is 14.04 per 100,000 individuals.
Mental health expert, Sarah Jeffries, says the findings reveal how we can emulate the countries who are addressing mental health in a comprehensive manner.
“The 2024 Mental Health Index shows us how different things like where we live, our jobs, and the air we breathe can affect our mental health. For example, even though Turkey has high unemployment and pollution, it still leads in mental health due to the low rates of disorders.
“On the other hand, the U.S. faces big challenges with a lot of people not exercising enough and too many deaths from using substances,” she said. “It’s clear from our study that mental health is connected to all sorts of things in our lives, from our economy to how we treat our environment. By understanding these connections, we can work towards better mental health for everyone, no matter where they live.”
Google, META to blame for mental health crisis, NYC mayor says
New York City is suing Silicon Valley tech giants like Meta and Google for fueling a youth mental health crisis via social media apps, citing the financial burden of counseling affected teens.
New York City, its schools and public hospital system announced a lawsuit Feb. 14 against the tech giants that run Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, blaming their “addictive and dangerous” social media platforms for fueling a childhood mental health crisis that is disrupting learning and draining resources.
Children and adolescents are especially susceptible to harm because their brains are not fully developed, the lawsuit said.
“Youth are now addicted to defendants’ platforms in droves,” according to the 311-page filing in Superior Court in California, where the companies are headquartered.
The country’s largest school district, with about 1 million students, has had to respond to disruptions in and out of the classroom, provide counseling for anxiety and depression, and develop curricula about the effects of social media and how to stay safe online, according to the filing. The city spends more than $100 million on youth mental health programs and services each year, Mayor Eric Adams’ office said.
“Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis,” Mr. Adams said.
The legal action is the latest of numerous lawsuits filed by states, school districts, and others claiming social media companies exploit children and adolescents by deliberating designing features that keep them endlessly scrolling and checking their accounts.
Beach Boys star Brian Wilson has dementia
New conservatorship is being proposed for the musician, following the death of his wife Melinda in January, according to court documents
It has been announced that the Beach Boys co-founder and musical mastermind Brian Wilson has dementia, as his family move to appoint new conservators to help him following the death of his wife.
A statement on Wilson’s website reads: “Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, [housekeeper] Gloria Ramos and Brian’s doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators”.
According to court documents for the conservatorship filing, obtained by US site the Blast, Wilson “does not have the capacity to give informed consent to the administration of medications appropriate to the care and treatment of major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia)”.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft, OpenAI Claim State-Sponsored Hackers Are Using AI to Boost Cyberattacks
State-affiliated hacking groups are increasingly using AI to expand and improve their cyberattack capabilities, a new report from Microsoft and OpenAI claims.
Yahoo News reports that a joint study released on Wednesday by Microsoft and ChatGPT developer OpenAI reveals how hacking groups from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia are probing the use of AI large language models (LLMs) to enhance their cyber warfare efforts.
The report identifies efforts by four known state-sponsored groups – Russia’s Forest Blizzard, North Korea’s Emerald Sheet, Iran’s Crimson Sandstorm, and two Chinese groups called Charcoal Typhoon and Salmon Typhoon.
Cyberattacks on hospitals are likely to increase, putting lives at risk, experts warn
Cybersecurity experts are warning that hospitals around the country are at risk for attacks like the one that is crippling operations at a premier Midwestern children’s hospital, and that the U.S. government is doing too little to prevent such breaches.
Hospitals in recent years have shifted their use of online technology to support everything from telehealth to medical devices to patient records. Today, they are a favorite target for internet thieves who hold systems’ data and networks hostage for hefty ransoms, said John Riggi, the American Hospital Association’s cybersecurity adviser.
“Unfortunately, the unintended consequence of the use of all this network and internet-connected technology is it expanded our digital attack surface,” Riggi said. “So, many more opportunities for bad guys to penetrate our networks.”
The assailants often operate from American adversaries such as Russia, North Korea and Iran, where they enjoy big payouts from their victims and face little prospect of ever being punished.
In November, a ransomware attack on a health care chain that operates 30 hospitals and 200 health facilities in the United States forced doctors to divert patients from emergency rooms and postpone elective surgeries. Meanwhile, a rural Illinois hospital announced it was permanently closing last year because it couldn’t recover financially from a cyberattack. And hackers went as far as posting photos and patient information of breast cancer patients who were receiving treatment at a Pennsylvania health network after the system was hacked last year.
Now, one of the top children’s hospitals in the country, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, has been forced to put its phone, email and medical record systems offline as it battles a cyberattack. The FBI has said it is investigating.
White House confirms monitoring of ‘troubling’ Russian anti-satellite weapon
National Security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the U.S. government is monitoring a new Russian anti-satellite weapon which it said is being developed but not yet deployed, calling it “troubling” but not an immediate threat to anyone’s safety.
Kirby, who was briefing reporters at the White House amid a wave of speculation following cryptic about the new threat by the Republican chair of the House intelligence committee, Mike Turner. White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, was due to meet the “gang of eight” security-cleared congressional leaders from both parties on Thursday afternoon to discuss the threat, after Sullivan and other US officials expressed surprise at Turner’s decision to publicize a classified briefing.
The existence of the new national security threat was made public on Wednesday by Turner in an apparent breach of the secrecy terms under which the “gang of eight” are briefed by members of the administration. Sullivan expressed surprise on Thursday at Turner’s decision to issue a public call for the matter to be declassified.
The Kremlin dismissed the US warning as a “malicious fabrication” by the White House aimed at pressuring Congress to approve more money for Ukraine.
Before the Outer Space Treaty was signed in 1967, the US carried out a series of high-altitude nuclear tests, the biggest of which was Starfish Prime in July 1962, which lit up much of the sky over the Pacific, triggered an electromagnetic pulse that was much larger than expected, and caused the formation of radiation belts around the Earth, which caused satellites in their path to malfunction.
Starfish Prime showed that a nuclear detonation in space could have indiscriminate impact on all satellites in orbit, opening the way for the nuclear powers to sign the Outer Space Treaty five years later.
Chinese-Born Ex-Apple Engineer Sentenced to 4 Months for Stealing Trade Secrets
A former Apple Inc. engineer has been sentenced by a California federal judge to 120 days in prison for stealing self-driving car technology before attempting to flee to China.
On Feb. 13, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California handed down the final decision, recommending that Zhang Xiaolang serve his jail term in a “minimum-security camp-type facility as close as possible to San Jose, California,” where his family lives. Further, “the Court finds that family visitation enhances rehabilitation.”
The judge also proposed allowing Mr. Zhang to teach mathematics in prison.
Mr. Zhang pleaded guilty in August 2022 in federal court in San Jose to one count of trade secret theft.
The Chinese-born permanent U.S. resident, who worked as a hardware engineer for Apple between 2015 and 2018, was accused by U.S. prosecutors of downloading a 25-page blueprint that included schematic drawings of a circuit board for the self-driving car, despite knowing such schematics are typically deemed top trade secrets in the electronics industry, according to a 2018 criminal complaint filed in federal court.
Before boarding a flight to China with a last-minute-purchased ticket, Mr. Zhang was arrested at the San Jose International Airport on July 7, 2018. At the time, Mr. Zhang also worked for a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company focused on developing autonomous driving systems. He was released on bail after pleading not guilty at the time.
Cybercriminals Use Malware to Obtain Face Biometrics, Break into Banking Apps
Chinese cybercrime group GoldFactory is creating malware to attack Android and iOS that steals face biometrics and uses them to break into bank accounts of the victim, according to The Register.
The group started releasing trojanized smartphone apps in June 2023. The first version, GoldDigger, focused on getting banking credentials. The latest version, GoldPickaxe or GoldPickaxe.iOS for Android and iOS, first appeared in October of that same year. It captures data used for identity verification, including face biometrics.
Bleeping Computer says that Group-IB, a team of researchers investigating the attacks, believes cybercriminals harvest biometric data that users provide for verification in the apps, then use it to log into accounts on legitimate banking apps in Vietnam and Thailand.
The iOS version is currently only known to be posing as the official digital pensions app for Thailand, though some believe it has also entered Vietnam. The Android version presented itself in the form of over 20 different government and finance related apps in Thailand.Android malware is more common due to sideloading capabilities. But the iOS app is more surprising, as Apple’s platform is recognized as more secure.
The iOS version leveraged Apple’s TestFlight platform, meant to distribute beta apps. Once Apple removed TestFlight, cybercriminals instead convinced iOS users to enroll their phones into a mobile device management program.
Initial contact was made with the victims by fraudsters posing as government authorities through the LINE messaging app, claiming to offer things such as pension benefits.
Victims were directed to download GoldPickaxe, where they shared face scans, which were then used to generate deepfake versions of their biometrics. Using a combination of deepfakes, stolen identity documents, and intercepted SMS messages, attackers gained access to victims’ bank accounts.
Thai banking apps have been required to replace one-time passcodes with face biometrics for transactions exceeding 50,000 BAT (roughly US$1,400) since the summer of 2023.
While GoldPickaxe can steal biometrics through social engineering, it is not hijacking Face ID or Android biometric data or exploiting any operating system vulnerabilities. Biometric data stored on devices remains secure and isolated from running apps.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Great Pyrenees as a Livestock Guardian
In general, Pyrenees are considered to be one of the best livestock guardian breeds available. They are large and fearless. Their instinct to guard livestock usually kicks into full gear at around 18 months, with most at a much earlier age, especially if they are exposed to livestock as puppies. Pyrenees will bark at a perceived threat first. If that doesn’t work to deter the threat, they will confront them, barking and “puffing up” their coats. You may have heard stories of a single Pyrenees driving off wolves, coyotes, mountain lions and even bears.
Typically, it is best to have at least two working together. These dogs will not stop, if a predator does get into your herd, they are fearless and will fight until the predator runs off, or is dispatched.
How To Build A Geodesic Dome Greenhouse (DIY GeoDome)
When it comes to gardening in colder climates, a greenhouse is almost a must-have. Because a greenhouse extends the growing season and gives the plants a lot more heat, we can actually pick ripe tomatoes here and grow some plants that we would not be able to without one. A greenhouse can also be a great place to hang out on those cool spring days and summer nights.
When we started to look for one to build, our expectations were very high. In a northern garden, we have to deal with frost, nasty winds and, hail, and loads of snow. Our days in spring and fall don’t have much direct sunlight, so we need to catch every sunbeam we can. Plus, we live in town, and the greenhouse in our small backyard needed to be somehow catchy. In our research on regular greenhouses for home gardeners, we came across the GeoDome greenhouse. Dome greenhouses are:
- Very unique, lightweight structure
- Stable in the wind and under heavy snow loads
- Optimal light absorption
- Has the most growing ground space
- A unique hang-out place
- An eye catcher
COVID RELATED NEWS
A former state health commissioner got a clot, pimped the shot anyway
What did they know and when did they know it? That continues to be the vexing question surrounding the public health bureaucrats and politicians who forced the COVID poison on an unsuspecting world in 2021. It turns out that while so many people were quietly suffering injury and death, some of the very people boosting and even mandating the shots were experiencing the same troubles. Yet they still had no compunction in promoting the shot and have shown no remorse to this day.
Alpha News reported last week that former Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm was diagnosed with a blood clot following injection with the COVID vaccine and that her case was reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
“I personally had a, you know, my doc reported I had a blood clot,” Malcolm said in response to a question about adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine during an online forum in October. “I’m not saying it was the vaccine, but it fit the criteria for what should be reported. My doc reported it.”
After several years of state and national health officials dismissing VAERS as irrelevant, Malcolm went a step farther in criticizing how slow the VAERS reports are updated.
“I just got a call about a month ago from somebody following up on it,” she said. “I was both glad someone was following up and appalled that it [took] so long.”
For those of us who have lived through the past three years of ridicule over using VAERS to raise alarms about the shot, this is simply astounding. All my columns analyzing VAERS were zapped by social media censors.
Now we know a prominent pro-vaccine state health director had her own VAERS report submitted even as she was dismissing concerns about the vaccine and shaming Minnesotans into getting it. Malcolm consistently put out misinformation about 99% of people dying of COVID being “unvaccinated.”
“The difference between the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations remains very, very stark,” she said in December 2021. “The danger for unvaccinated people has probably never been as high as it is right now with this degree of viral transmission around the state.”
And yet even after Malcolm’s physician filed her VAERS report, she was still pimping the vaccines.
“The arrival of vaccines truly was like a ray of sunshine,” she said in a video celebrating 8.3 million doses handed out in Minnesota. As Malcolm was making that video, did she ponder the sheer number of others with blood clots who didn’t know to file a VAERS report because she refused to divulge her own experience to the public?
CANCEL CULTURE
The Walt Disney Company has been hit with a federal civil rights complaint alleging the company’s DEI policies are unlawful and discriminate against white American men, Christians, and Jews.
America First Legal filed the complaint against Disney on Wednesday. The group cited publicly available documents published on Disney’s official sites as well as leaked internal documents showing how executives have made diversity, equity, and inclusion a central part of Disney’s hiring practices.
At the heart of America First Legal’s argument is that Disney has implemented de-facto quotas in its hiring, which violates employment law.
These quotas are often disguised as “diversity and inclusion policies” but in some cases, Disney has publicly listed actual percentages when it comes to hiring for its productions.
Among the published quotas is the goal that 50 percent of Disney’s TV series directors must come from “underrepresented groups.”
“It is patently unlawful to consider racial, ethnic, and sex-based characteristics in hiring, training, compensation, and promotion,” America First Legal said in its complaint. “Decades of case law have held that policies that impose racial balancing or quotas in employment, training, or recruitment, such as those presented on Disney’s websites, are prohibited.”
The complaint also cites a leaked internal Disney document that was published by Elon Musk on X.
The document is a Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ”) on Disney’s “Inclusion Standards,” which describes the company’s intention “to increase training and development opportunities for members of underrepresented groups.”
“Based on its own public admissions, it appears that Disney is knowingly and intentionally violating federal civil rights laws,” the complaint states.
More Stories
Today’s News: April 26, 2024
Today’s News: April 25, 2024
Today’s News: April 24, 2024