WORLD NEWS
Netherlands: Police Attacked, Cars Torched as Rival Eritrean Migrant Factions Riot at The Hague
Riots between rival factions of Eritrean migrants broke out in the Dutch city of The Hague on Saturday evening as police officers were left injured and cars were set on fire outside a conference centre.
The home of the war criminal trying International Criminal Court saw war zone-like scenes brought to its doorstep as supporters of the leftist government of Eritrean dictator Isaias Afwerki gathered in the Opera Hall Centre in The Hague’s city centre on Saturday evening.
Over 400 Arrested for Attending Navalny Memorial Demonstrations in RussiaOver 400 people were detained in Russia while paying tribute to opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died at a remote Arctic penal colony, a prominent rights group reported.
The sudden death of Navalny, 47, was a crushing blow to many Russians, who had pinned their hopes for the future on President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe. Navalny remained vocal in his unrelenting criticism of the Kremlin even after surviving a nerve agent poisoning and receiving multiple prison terms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed his thoughts on Tucker Carlson and the widely watched interview that caused a stir across the globe.
Putin made a stinging criticism of Carlson and explained what surprised him about his first interview with an American journalist since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“To be honest, I thought that he would behave aggressively and ask so-called sharp questions,” Putin said during an interview with Russian state TV host Pavel Zarubin on Wednesday. “I was not just prepared for this, I wanted it, because it would give me the opportunity to respond in the same way.”
“He tried to interrupt me several times, but still, surprisingly for a Western journalist, he turned out to be patient and listened to my lengthy dialogues, especially those related to history, and didn’t give me reason to do what I was ready for.”
German Union Calls for Lufthansa Ground Staff Strike at Seven Airports
A labor union in Germany has called on ground staff for Lufthansa to walk off the job at seven airports on Tuesday following a similar strike earlier this month.
The Ver.di union said Sunday that the one-day strike will affect the airports in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa’s two main hubs, as well as Berlin, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart. It will run from 4 a.m. Tuesday to 7:10 a.m. Wednesday.
EU “Suicide Pact” Threatens to Flood Continent With 75 Million More Migrants
The EU has passed a migration pact dubbed “the suicide of Europe” which could lead to the continent being flooded with as many as 75 million new migrants.
The European Parliament’s LIBE committee passed the act on Wednesday, which formalizes the distribution of migrants to member states and punishes those that refuse to take them.
Because cultural enrichment and diversity is “our greatest strength,” countries that try to maintain their national identity without being subsumed by migrants will be hit with severe financial penalties.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of National Rally’s parliamentary wing, previously said the pact would lead to “the suicide of Europe,” adding that it was a deal with the devil and represents an “organized plan of submersion of Europe and the nations which compose it.”
CDC confirms spread of ‘unknown’ outbreak on cruise ship
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the spread of an “unknown” outbreak on a cruise ship.
The outbreak on the Queen Victoria cruise ship was first reported in early February when 15 people suffered from an undiagnosed illness.
Passengers on the cruise ship suffered from symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
However, the mystery illness quickly spread throughout the cruise ship.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Judge Orders Trump, Executives to Pay More Than $350 Million
The judge also barred Trump from running businesses in New York for 3 years. Trump attorney Alina Habba said they will appeal the ruling.
New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron issued a ruling on Feb. 16, ordering former President Donald Trump and Trump Organization executives to pay $355 million in damages, and barring the former president from doing business in the state for three years.
The ruling also vacated a previous order to cancel Trump Organization business certificates, which had been widely criticized as a “corporate death blow.”
“As detailed herein, this Court now finds defendants liable, continues the appointment of an Independent Monitor, orders the installation of an Independent Director of Compliance, and limits defendants’ right to conduct business in New York for a few years,” the judge wrote.
House Republicans Unveil Bill Providing Military Aid to Ukraine, Border Security Measures
The House bill comes days after the Senate passed a $95.3 billion bill that includes assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Indo-Pacific partners.
A group of House Republicans unveiled a bipartisan $66.32 billion bill on Feb. 16 that includes border security measures and military assistance to Ukraine and Israel.
The move came after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) rejected a $95 billion package to fund Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan passed by the Senate earlier this year. House Republicans rejected the bill for not having measures to secure the southern border.
The new bill includes $47.69 billion for Ukraine, $10.4 billion for Israel, $4.91 billion for the deterrence of the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific, $2.44 billion for U.S. Central Command such as addressing the Houthi threat in the Middle East, and $542 million for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
2 juveniles charged in mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade
Two juveniles were charged with crimes connected to the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally, authorities said Friday, as the city tries to recover in the aftermath of the violence.
A news release from the Jackson County Family Court said the juveniles are being detained in the county’s Juvenile Detention Center on gun-related and resisting arrest charges. Additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.
No further information was released. Defendants age 17 and under in Missouri are typically adjudicated through the juvenile system, which is far more private than the system for adults. Names of the accused are not released, nor are police documents such as probable cause statements.
California police released photographs of a 18-year-old student who allegedly plotted a mass shooting attack at a Christian high school but was thwarted by a tip from another student.
The photographs showed Sebastian Bailey Villaseñor posing with several weapons in a bathroom.
Police said they were tipped off about his possible plot to attack other students at the Ontario Christian High School on Thursday. By Saturday, they arrested him and found 1,000 rounds of ammunition as well as seven rifles, two revolvers, one handgun, and one shotgun at his home.
Villaseñor was charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted criminal threats.
FBI Warns of ‘Widespread’ QR Code Scams by Cybercriminals to Steal Your Money
The FBI has issued a new warning to Americans that they should exercise caution when scanning QR codes with their smartphones because cybercriminals tamper with the codes to steal login and financial information.
A QR code—the square barcode that people can scan with their smartphone cameras—can provide quick and convenient access to a website or to a direct payment to an intended recipient.
Businesses use QR codes to provide contactless access to services, for instance, enabling access to restaurant menu items on a smartphone that can then be conveniently ordered.
Judge Plans to Rule Next Week on Bid to Block Trump From Illinois Ballot
A Cook County judge said Friday that she hopes to issue a ruling next week on whether former President Donald Trump should be disqualified from the presidential ballot in Illinois on 14th Amendment grounds, per reports.
Judge Tracie Porter, a Democrat, on Friday heard arguments for over three hours between President Trump’s attorneys and those representing five Illinois voters who appealed a Jan. 31 decision by the Illinois Board of Elections to keep the former president on the ballot, according to the Courthouse News Service.
The Illinois Board of Elections voted unanimously to include President Trump on the ballot following a recommendation from the board’s general counsel to dismiss a legal challenge brought on Jan. 4 by the five voters, who were joined in their petition by an activist group.
Texas earthquake of 4.7 magnitude largest of 30 in area in past three weeks
An earthquake of 4.7 magnitude that struck early Saturday morning near a small Texas city – one of several earthquakes that have occurred in the area in recent days – could be felt dozens of miles away, including in San Antonio.
There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries from the earthquake, which struck at 12.32am and was centered about 2 miles (3km) south-east of Falls City, according to the United States Geological Survey. Falls City, which has a population of about 500 people, is about 45 miles (72km) south-east of San Antonio.
About 10 minutes earlier, the area had a 4.4 magnitude earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
There have been about 30 earthquakes in the area over the past three weeks. All the others have been lower in magnitude.
San Francisco Appoints 1st Noncitizen to Election Commission
The San Francisco Elections Commission has, for what is believed to be the first time in history, appointed someone who isn’t a U.S. citizen—who isn’t legally allowed to vote—to serve as an official.
The officer, Kelly Wong, was sworn in on Feb. 14, local news outlet KQED reported. It said that Ms. Wong, an immigrant rights advocate, is a native of Hong Kong who arrived in the United States in 2019 for graduate studies.
She was sworn in by Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin during a ceremony at San Francisco City Hall after winning unanimous support from the board.
Judge denies Trump bid to delay classified documents trial
A federal judge in Florida, for now, declined to delay the start of former President Trump’s criminal case over his handling of classified documents, though she did push back several pretrial deadlines in the case.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Friday that she would dismiss the motion from Trump’s legal team “without prejudice” against taking it up again in the future. The trial’s start date could be reconsidered at a scheduling conference March 1, she wrote.
Two Minnesota police officers and a paramedic were shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence incident on Sunday morning.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said officers and first responders responded to “a call of a family in danger” early Sunday morning in Burnsville, Minnesota.
The Dakota County dispatch said authorities were responding to an “incident with weapons.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said its agents also responded to the “domestic-related shooting” in Burnsville – roughly 15 miles south of Minneapolis.
“Jason Skog, who lives in the neighborhood, said around 5 a.m., he heard what sounded like a firecracker or a flash-bang, then gunfire. He said police asked residents to shelter in place,” according to WCCO-TV.
The outlet reported that two police officers and a paramedic were killed by gunfire.
WCCO noted that there were fire trucks, ambulances, police, and SWAT vehicles at the tragic scene. One of the SWAT vehicles reportedly had multiple bullet holes on its windshield.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar wrote on the X social media platform that three officers in total were shot while they “were doing their jobs” of “protecting our community.”
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
FedEx Founder Issues Dire Warning About ‘Unsustainable’ Government Debt
Fred Smith, the founder of executive chairman of shipping giant FedEx, is the latest business leader to sound the alarm that if America’s ballooning public debt is left unchecked, it will threaten to spiral into a catastrophic crisis.
Mr. Smith was asked during an interview on Fox News for his opinion on projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that U.S. federal debt held by the public will go from 99 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 to a record 116 percent in 2034, before pushing above 170 percent by midcentury.
He replied by saying that warnings about the level of government spending adding to America’s public debt are both serious and growing and, “hopefully, I’m adding to the chorus and saying this is unsustainable.”
Wawa’s Ambitious Expansion: Bringing Local Tastes and National Ambitions Together
In a bold move that signals a new chapter in the convenience store saga, Wawa, the beloved mid-Atlantic chain, is set to dramatically increase its footprint across the United States. With plans to open 280 new stores in a mix of familiar territories and uncharted ones, including Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and other states across the South and Midwest, Wawa is embarking on its most ambitious expansion yet. Announced on February 17, 2024, this venture is not just about spreading the Wawa brand; it’s a testament to the vision of the Wood family, the billionaire dynamos behind the chain. Their strategy? To blend Wawa’s cherished offering with a dash of local flavor, aiming to win hearts in every state.
IRS Chief Warns Less Funding Will Fuel Budget Deficits
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel warned lawmakers that reducing the tax-collecting agency’s budget will add to the growing federal deficit and undo many of its service improvements.
At a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Feb. 15, Mr. Werfel defended the IRS’s budget increase, cautioning that clawing back these funds would undermine efforts to generate revenue for the U.S. government and bolster customer service support for taxpayers.
“For every $100 million taken from the IRS, the deficit grows by $600 million over 10 years,” he stated.
Tech Giant Cisco Lays Off 4,000+ Employees to Concentrate on AI
Networking giant Cisco is laying off more than 4,000 employees to shift focus and resources towards developing its AI capabilities.
The New York Post reports that Cisco, the multinational technology conglomerate, announced plans to cut more than 4,000 jobs across its global workforce in order to redirect resources into AI initiatives. The layoffs account for approximately five percent of Cisco’s 85,000 employees and are expected to cost the company $800 million in severance packages.
Big Banks Charge Higher Credit Card Interest Rates Than Small Banks, Credit Unions: CFPB Report
Larger banks and financial companies charged higher interest rates last year for credit cards while also engaging in “anti-competitive behavior” detrimental to customers, according to a recent report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
“During the first half of 2023, small banks and credit unions tended to offer cheaper interest rates than the largest 25 credit card companies across all credit score tiers,” said the Feb. 16 report. The firms were found charging eight to 10 percentage points higher annual percentage rates (APR) or interest rates compared to their smaller counterparts. For a credit card consumer with an average balance of $5,000, using a small bank or credit union’s card rather than cards from big firms results in an average savings of $400 to $500 a year in interest rates.
“Nearly half of the largest credit card issuers reported offering cards with a maximum purchase APR over 30 percent.”
A group of business owners on Ballard Avenue in Seattle is speaking out, begging for help to anyone who will listen after their businesses have been ravaged by repeated unpunished retail thefts.
Business owner Matt Humphrey told KOMO-TV that his store has been broken into four times in the last two years, and nothing has been done to stop the thefts.
“It’s just happened to me too much. It’s like post traumatic stress. Every time the phone rings in the middle of the night, this is what I worry about doing business in Seattle. I’m hoping some judge, some politician watching your news show will hear it and say: this has got to stop!” Humphrey said.
Humphrey continued, “I can’t keep taking the hits like this. I’ve been waiting out failed policy for three years.”
Down the street, business owner MK Byrne, who owns a jewelry store, echoed Humphrey’s sentiments. Byrne stated that she actually began sleeping in her store in an effort to improve police response time to the repeated burglaries. “I learned that you get a faster response time if you’re inside or there’s an active threat. At that time, I was so passionate about building this business. I knew I couldn’t take any hit, any loss to my inventory, any interruption to my business because things were so tight.
“I’m not saying that was the best thing to do. But this is my heart and soul, this is my art, and I feel strongly about defending it!”
The city of Seattle claims that property crime has gone down in recent years, but Seattle police chief Adrian Diaz conceded that those numbers were likely erroneous and were probably the result of people reporting fewer crimes due to a sense of futility.
Byrne agreed, noting, “From what I understand, it takes a long time to prosecute anyone who’s been caught breaking. Rarely, they are even caught. What’s kind of left in the gap is that it’s a viable career option to be a thief.”
Early Tesla Cybertruck Buyers Report Rusty EVs After Rain Exposure
Some early Tesla Cybertruck owners are finding rust spots developing on the body of their new electric pickup trucks after getting caught in the rain.
Business Insider reports that within days of receiving their new Cybertrucks, some owners have noticed rust spots forming on the stainless steel body panels of the much-hyped electric pickup. Posts on online Tesla forums describe finding the rust marks after washing the Cybertruck exterior, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously boasting the exterior is “literally bulletproof” due to its ultrahard stainless steel construction.
Nike to Lay Off 1,600 Employees After Stock Dip and Woke Drama
Nike has begun mass layoffs of about 1,600 employees, President and CEO John Donahoe said in a Thursday company-wide email obtained by WFAA.
“This is a painful reality and not one that I take lightly,” Donahoe, who is also the chairman of PayPal, announced. “We are not currently performing at our best, and I ultimately hold myself and my leadership team accountable.”
The first round of firings took place on Friday and will continue through the end of May. Ultimately, two percent of Nike employees are set to be laid off.
As one of the largest employers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Nike has more than 15,500 workers in the Portland, Oregon, and Southwest Washington State area — as well as 83,000 worldwide.
“F**k Around & Find Out”: Truckers Warn Loads To NYC Will Be Rejected Starting Monday
Some American truckers appear to be adopting strategies similar to those used by European farmers in their fight against progressive elites aiming to shut down their farms.
Truck drivers transport between 70% to 73% of all freight in the United States. Therefore, when truckers begin discussing plans on social media to boycott loads to progressive hellhole New York City, it’s important to pay attention.
X user Chicago1Ray, who appears to be a Midwest truck driver, shared a video late Friday night detailing that a number of truck drivers will begin denying loads to NYC on Monday.
“I don’t know how far across the country this is – or how many truckers are going start denying loads to NYC – but I’ll tell you – you f**k around and find out,” Chicago1Ray said.
He continued: “We’re tired of motherf**king leftist f**king with Trump. Okay … Motherfu**ers start to get tired of this shit. Our bosses aren’t going to care if we deny loads. We’ll go somewhere else.”
“You know how hard it is to get in and out of NYC?” the trucker emphasized.
Trump Makes Surprise Appearance to Launch Sneaker Line
Former President Donald Trump announced during a surprise appearance at Philadelphia’s “Sneaker Con” on Feb. 17 that he has launched a Trump-branded sneaker line.
The appearance at the nonpolitical event seemed to come out of left field from the Trump campaign. But it quickly became obvious why President Trump was making the abnormal appearance: It was to unveil the merchandise called Trump Sneakers, which are available for preorder online.
A website launched concurrently with his appearance shows that President Trump’s new sneaker line comes in three variants.
HEALTH
RECALL WARNING:
Raw Cheese Linked to E. Coli Outbreak in 4 States, 10 Infected: FDA
The outbreak has been identified in California, Colorado, Utah, and Texas.
An outbreak of E. coli bacteria has been confirmed in several states by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with the source of the outbreak identified to be cheese products.
“As of February 16, 2024, a total of 10 confirmed infections have been reported from four states,” the FDA said on Friday. This includes four cases in California, three in Colorado, two in Utah, and one in Texas. The multistate outbreak is linked to “Raw Cheddar” cheese made by RAW FARM, LLC, of Fresno, CA. All block sizes and shredded packages of the cheese’s “original flavor” and “cheddar with added jalapeno flavor” are associated with the outbreak. The FDA asked people not to eat, sell, or serve these products.
Out of the 10 infected individuals, four have been hospitalized. No deaths were reported. One person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)—a serious condition that can result in kidney failure
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Higher Risk of Early-Onset Dementia
New research identifies 15 factors tied to increased risk of early-onset dementia.
Forgetfulness and confusion, once considered normal signs of aging, are affecting more adults at the peak of their careers. Rates of early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease among Americans younger than 65 have inexplicably doubled between 2013 and 2017, according to data from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), a health insurance provider.
Now, new research identifies vitamin D deficiency as one of the 15 adjustable lifestyle factors that appear to drive up a person’s early dementia risk. While the findings also highlight alcohol abuse and isolation, the surprising link between low vitamin D levels and early cognitive decline suggests a simple daily supplement may help the fight against this baffling rise. Approximately 35 percent of adults in the United States are vitamin D deficient.
Largest Study of Its Kind
The average age of someone between 30 and 64 years old living with either young-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s is 49, with women being disproportionately affected compared to men, according to the BCBS data.
The large-scale study, published in JAMA Neurology, identified 15 lifestyle and health risk factors associated with early-onset dementia. The study analyzed information from more than 356,000 people younger than 65 whose data were in the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research initiative in the UK, between 2006 and 2010.
“This is the largest and most robust study of its kind ever conducted,” David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter said in a statement.
Risk Factors for Young-Onset Dementia
“Young-onset dementia has a very serious impact, because the people affected usually still have a job, children, and a busy life,” Stevie Hendriks from the department of psychiatry and neuropsychology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, who was the lead author of the study, said in the statement. “The cause is often assumed to be genetic, but for many people we don’t actually know exactly what the cause is.”
Major contributing risk factors included alcohol abuse, stroke, and hearing impairment—all previously identified as risks for cognitive decline.
However, the study also identified some additional risk factors associated with early-onset dementia that have not been previously explored in depth, including vitamin D deficiency, high levels of inflammatory C-reactive proteins, specifically in women, orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure that happens when standing after sitting), and social isolation.
Vitamin D Reduced Dementia Risk by 40 Percent
Previous epidemiological studies have also linked vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of dementia, Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association, told The Epoch Times.
Power Mall Product of Interest: Optivida Vitamin D – 800IU (60 CT)
round 80% of Americans have been exposed to the plant pesticide chlormequat, which causes fertility and growth issues in animals, according to a new study published Thursday, though other studies found it caused no affect on fertility and the Environmental Protection Agency said there were no adverse risks in humans.
Around four out of five Americans are being exposed to chlormequat chloride, a “highly toxic agricultural chemical” linked to fertility problems and birth issues in animals, according to an Environmental Working Group study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology on Thursday, with the EWG saying the issues in animals suggests “the potential for similar harm to humans.”
Chlormequat exposure in rats also resulted in reduced sperm motility, decreased male testosterone levels, delayed onset of puberty and decreased weights of male reproductive organs, according to the study.
The study of Americans examined urine samples between 2017 and 2023, and found the number of participants with concentrations of chlormequat in their urine increased by more than 20% during that time frame from 69% in 2017 to 90% in 2023, suggesting consumer exposure is on the rise.
The chemical is found in many oat-based foods: the EWG tested 13 oat-based foods like Cheerios and Quaker Old Fashioned Oats and detected higher levels than deemed safe by the group in 11 foods, according to a 2023 report—Forbes has reached out to General Mills, which makes Cheerios, and PepsiCo, which makes Quaker Oats, for comment.
Chlormequat is only approved for use in the U.S. in ornamental plants like flowers, but the EPA began allowing a certain amount of chlormequat on imported oats and other foods in 2018 and increased the amount in 2020, which is how Americans end up consuming it, according to the EWG’s 2023 report.
Health officials in Hawaii have confirmed five cases of whooping cough among members of a family, including a case that has led to the hospitalization of a child.
The Hawaii Department of Health says each case of pertussis affected an unvaccinated individual and that it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other states to “notify travelers who were exposed.”
“The family had traveled from the United States mainland and stayed at a hotel accommodation on Oahu,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that an investigation has “identified no close contacts after the family’s arrival in Hawaii.”
Hawaii health officials say these are the first whooping cough cases in the state since March of last year, and there have been 89 confirmed and probable cases reported there dating back to 2019.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
20 Big Tech Companies Unveil Pact to Combat and Track Origins of Deepfakes in 2024 Elections
A group of 20 Big Tech companies pledged to “prevent deceptive” use of artificial intelligence (AI) and track down its creators as the United States and other countries head into elections in 2024.
Deepfakes of political candidates, election officials, and “other key stakeholders” in elections this year will be under the microscopes of Adobe, Amazon, Anthropic, ARM, ElevenLabs, Google, IBM, Inflection AI, LinkedIn, McAfee, Meta, Microsoft, Nota, OpenAI, Snap, Stability AI, TikTok, TrendMicro, TruePic, and X (formerly Twitter).
The technology giants, some of which have been embroiled in controversy over censoring disfavored political views during elections, have signed a pact to combat the deceptive use of AI in the 2024 elections, which was unveiled at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), attended by global leaders and security officials on Friday.
Air Canada must honor refund policy invented by airline’s chatbot
After months of resisting, Air Canada was forced to give a partial refund to a grieving passenger who was misled by an airline chatbot inaccurately explaining the airline’s bereavement travel policy.
On the day Jake Moffatt’s grandmother died, Moffat immediately visited Air Canada’s website to book a flight from Vancouver to Toronto. Unsure of how Air Canada’s bereavement rates worked, Moffatt asked Air Canada’s chatbot to explain.
The chatbot provided inaccurate information, encouraging Moffatt to book a flight immediately and then request a refund within 90 days. In reality, Air Canada’s policy explicitly stated that the airline will not provide refunds for bereavement travel after the flight is booked. Moffatt dutifully attempted to follow the chatbot’s advice and request a refund but was shocked that the request was rejected.
Moffatt tried for months to convince Air Canada that a refund was owed, sharing a screenshot from the chatbot that clearly claimed:
If you need to travel immediately or have already traveled and would like to submit your ticket for a reduced bereavement rate, kindly do so within 90 days of the date your ticket was issued by completing our Ticket Refund Application form.
Air Canada argued that because the chatbot response elsewhere linked to a page with the actual bereavement travel policy, Moffatt should have known bereavement rates could not be requested retroactively. Instead of a refund, the best Air Canada would do was to promise to update the chatbot and offer Moffatt a $200 coupon to use on a future flight.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Geoengineering Watch Global Alert News, February 17, 2024, #445
The latest installment of Global Alert News – “UN chief warns climate chaos and food crises threaten global peace: ‘Empty bellies fuel unrest’ “, that new headline is from AP news. Now let’s add this, from the Wall Street Journal, “Scientists Resort to Once-Unthinkable Solutions to Cool the Planet”. The WSJ report is, of course, referring to spraying Earth’s skies with sun blocking particles. We must deal with the biggest hole in the bottom of the boat, climate intervention operations, or the boat goes down, game over.
All are needed in the critical battle to wake populations to what is coming, we must make every day count. Share credible data from a credible source, make your voice heard.
Car Dealers Slash Prices Of EVs As Demand Craters
Psssst. Wanna’ buy a new electric vehicle (EV)? No, me neither, but some people do and they’re being greeted by desperate car dealers willing to slash prices by anything up to a quarter in an effort to shift stock.
This Is Money reports the average discount on a new EV in the UK has increased by 204 percent since last January, citing market analysis by What Car? as dealerships are going to extraordinary lengths to stimulate sluggish sales.
The revelation comes just days after a Lords Committee warned the Government that UK drivers are turning their back on the electric transition.
Ford ‘Careful’ About Manufacturing in United States Post UAW Strike
The six-week strike forced the automaker to raise wages by 33 percent, adding $900 in cost per new vehicle
Ford CEO Jim Farley suggested the company may have to rethink its “manufacturing footprint” in the United States after last year’s conflict with a worker’s union.
Speaking at the Wolfe Research Global Auto Conference in New York on Thursday, Mr. Farley said that Ford always took pride in its relationship with United Auto Workers (UAW), according to the Associated Press. Since the 1970s, the company has not experienced any strikes involving the union. However, this relationship changed last year when Ford’s Louisville factory in Kentucky was shut down by the UAW. As the company seeks to transition to electric vehicles from internal combustion engine ones, “we have to think carefully about our (manufacturing) footprint.”
UAW’s six-week strike last year forced Ford to negotiate higher wages for workers. Higher-level employees were able to secure a 33 percent wage hike running through 2028 that pushes their hourly wages to around $42. Ford also agreed to eliminate “divisive” wage tiers and reinstate cost-of-living adjustments.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Growing Peas – From Planting to Harvest, What You Need to Know
Planting and growing peas may not be the most efficient use of space in your garden, but the flavor of home grown garden peas knocks the socks off most commercial peas.
If you want more yield per square foot, grow snap peas so you can eat the pod and the peas inside. Pea plants are also great to include in your garden rotation because they can help add nitrogen to the soil.
In this post we’ll cover pea growing from planting to harvest, including garden pea companion plants, pea trellis and troubleshooting tips.
How to Store Asparagus in the Refrigerator & Long Term
Spring asparagus is a wonderful blessing after a long winter. Those first tender stalks are absolutely delicious raw, straight out of the garden. We share how to store asparagus so it stays fresh in the refrigerator, plus long term storage options.
Asparagus season doesn’t last long, so use these options to take advantage of the seasonal abundance in stores and farm markets. If you want to raise your own, see, “Growing Asparagus in the Home Garden“.
COVID RELATED NEWS
And what reason would the FDA have for telling us this now? To keep us separated so we can’t communicate with each other and figure out the truth!
COVID Vaccine Shedding Is ‘Real,’ FDA and Pfizer Documents Are Proof: Clinicians
The topic of COVID-19 vaccine shedding has long been controversial, but now, some doctors say it is real.
“Shedding is unfortunately real,” said Dr. Pierre Kory at the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in early February. “The FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) knows that.”
Dr. Kory is a co-founder of the FLCCC, a non-profit advocacy group founded by physicians for the treatment of COVID-19, long COVID, and post-vaccine syndromes. He is also the co-founder of the Leading Edge Clinic and has treated over a thousand long-COVID and post-vaccine patients.
Japanese Man Dies From Myocarditis After Second Dose of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccination
An incidence of fatal myocarditis has been reported from Japan in an individual who took a COVID-19 shot, with the person dying nine days after hospitalization.
The case report, published in the National Library of Medicine on Feb. 2, investigated a healthy 40-year-old Japanese man who suddenly experienced tachycardia and lost consciousness two days following his second Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Tachycardia refers to a high heart rate of more than 100 beats a minute. The autopsy revealed he died from “lethal arrhythmia with myocarditis that developed after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.” Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat, and myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle called myocardium.
Researchers suggested that “myocarditis may occur after vaccination, and caution should be exercised if people complain of symptoms, such as fever, cough, chest pain, dyspnea, or syncope after vaccination, especially in young men.”
CANCEL CULTURE
Sen. Rick Scott Condemns Met Gala for Inviting TikTok CEO as Honorary Chair
‘This guy leads the CCP’s effort to spy on your kids and feed them information. Every Met attendee and co-chair should be asked if they’re okay with that.’
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has condemned fashion magazine Vogue’s decision to name TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to serve as an honorary chair at this year’s Met Gala event in New York City in May.
“Disturbing the Met Gala would allow TikTok’s CEO to be an ‘honorary’ chair,” Mr. Scott said on X on Feb. 15.
Vogue Magazine announced on Feb. 15 that Anna Wintour, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth will be hosts of the 2024 Met Gala. Mr. Chew and Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson will be honorary chairs of the fashion event.
The ‘Liberal Gap’ Opening Up Between American Men & Women
According to conventional wisdom, how conservative or liberal someone is would largely be determined by their age.
However, as Statista’s Katharina Buchholz details below, while this used to be the case, a major shift has taken place in the United States and elsewhere.
As of 2023, gender is a better indicator of U.S. political leanings – as seen in data collected by Gallup.
PET NEWS
Three’s a Crowd: When One Partner Doesn’t Want the Dog in the Bed
Heavy Petting is a new column full of relationship advice for pet parents—so you and your boo don’t end up fighting like cats and dogs over the cat and dog.
The objections to dogs in the bed are manifold: dirty paws, stinky butts, hair everywhere, no room, paws sleep-kicking your legs, grizzled snoring. The presence of a pet, a 50-pound dog stretched out between two human bodies could also compromise the sex life of these two human bodies. Meanwhile, the supporting arguments for having a dog sleeping in the bed are, namely, one: snuggles!
I’d originally considered this pros/cons list and determined: Absolutely, a dog will never sleep on my bed. Dogs might be my very favorite creatures on earth, but their paws would never grace my duvet cover. I write all this after a morning of snuggles with my pup, Finn, whose doggie face was directly drooling on my only medium-pricy silk pillowcase, which I will now have to wash immediately. Life is a series of compromises to our most deeply held beliefs.
Backyard bloodbath: California pit bull breeder savagely mauled to death by his own dogs
California pit bull breeder was brutally mauled to death by the very dogs he cared for in his own backyard.
The slain man’s girlfriend made a gruesome discovery on Friday morning when she found her boyfriend’s mutilated body lying in a kennel area. The Compton Fire Department, along with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, responded to the backyard bloodbath around 8 a.m. after the woman called 911.
Aerial footage shows a woman carefully scaling a fence in an attempt to exit the backyard of the Compton home teeming with pit bulls.
Investigators say a surveillance camera caught the fatal mauling on video, which occurred between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday.
ICYMI
Joe Manchin Not Running for President
‘I will not be seeking a third-party run,’ he said in West Virginia. ‘I will not be involved in a presidential run.’
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced on Feb. 16 he will not run for the White House.
“I will not be seeking a third-party run,” he said in West Virginia. “I will not be involved in a presidential run.”
He continued, “I will be involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together.”
Liz Cheney Won’t Rule Out 2024 Presidential Run
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that she was not ruling out a presidential run to keep former President Donald Trump out of the White House.
Anchor Jake Tapper said, “You still haven’t ruled out a presidential run of your own in 2024, as far as I know. Are you still considering it, or what do you rule it out?”
Cheney said, “I haven’t made any decisions about it yet. I’m going to do whatever is necessary to defeat Donald Trump.”
Early voting opened in South Carolina …
‘Trump Country’ or ‘Haley Country’? Early Voting Underway in South Carolina
Tactical voting for Haley by non-Republicans evident in Mount Pleasant, but Trump enthusiasm clear elsewhere in state.
The earliest early voting totals reveal that South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary has already attracted many more participants than the Democratic primary earlier this month and not by a small margin.
As of day three of the early voting period, which lasts from Feb. 12 to Feb. 22, the South Carolina Election Commission recorded 50,855 votes, more than the 48,213 recorded over the entirety of the Democratic presidential primary’s early voting period of Jan. 22 to Feb. 2.
It’s a sign, albeit an unsurprising one, that even as former President Donald J. Trump’s lead mounts, his race against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is still of greater interest than incumbent President Joe Biden’s mostly unchallenged attempt at being renominated.
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