Today's News: February 26, 2018

World News

Chinese paper says U.S. should learn from China, restrict guns, protect rights
Reuters – The United States should learn from China and “genuinely” protect human rights by restricting gun ownership, an editorial in a widely read state-run Chinese newspaper said on Friday.

33 Dead, 130 Injured in China Knife-Wielding Spree
NBC – A group of knife-wielding men attacked a train station in southwestern China on Saturday, killing at least 29 people and injuring more than 130 others in what Chinese officials called a terrorist strike, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

China knife attack: 18 injured in mass stabbing, suspect shot and arrested
Fox News – Police in northern China say 18 people were injured when a man attacked people on a city street with a knife.

China keeps lid on massacre in which more than 50 died
Seattle Times – Armed with only knives, the assailants struck at the coal mine in the dead of night, first killing the security guards and then setting upon the miners as they slept in their dormitory beds. Before the Sept. 18 rampage was over, more than 50 people were dead, at least five of them police officers, and dozens more had been wounded, according to victims’ relatives and residents.

Not Just Sandy Hook: China’s Terrifying Knife Attacks
The Daily Beast – In a grim coincidence, a 36-year-old man rampaged through a Chinese elementary school with a knife on Dec. 14, the very same day as the horrific attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which killed 20 students.

Indian State Offers Free Breast Implants for the Poor, Stokes Controversy
Sputnik – While the health minister’s argument that even the poor should have access to “beauty treatments” garnered an equal amount of support as well as flak, the government hospital has clarified that breast reconstruction is the cure for many other serious ailments other than cancer.
New Delhi (Sputnik) — A government hospital in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has offered free breast implants for the poor. The hospital that was already providing free of cost breast reconstruction surgeries for cancer patients, has now extended the free service to those seeking to alter their breast size. This decision by the Stanley Medical College has stirred huge debate in the country with the state’s health minister saying “Why should beauty treatment not be available to the poor?”

U.S. News, Politics & Government

US gun control advocates exaggerate benefits of Australia’s gun restrictions
Fox News – After each mass public shooting in the U.S. – such as the horrific attack at a Florida high school last week that killed 17 people – gun control advocates keep pointing to Australia as the role model America should follow to reduce gun deaths.
If only reducing crime and suicides was so easy. In reality, gun control efforts in Australia have not been as successful as we’ve been led to believe.
In fact, the only proven policy to stop gun attacks is deterrence – by allowing law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and others, as President Trump correctly pointed out Thursday on Twitter and in remarks at the White House.
Australia’s buyback resulted in almost 1 million guns being handed in and destroyed, but after that private gun ownership once again steadily increased and now exceeds what it was before the buyback.
In fact, since 1997 gun ownership in Australia grew over three times faster than the population (from 2.5 million to 5.8 million guns).
Gun control advocates should have predicted a sudden drop in firearm homicides and suicides after the buyback, and then an increase as the gun ownership rate increased again. But that clearly didn’t happen.
For other crimes, such as armed robbery, what happened is the exact opposite of what was predicted. The armed robbery rate soared right after the gun buyback, then gradually declined.
Gun control advocates like to note that there has been no mass public shooting in Australia since the buyback. But they are simply picking out a country that happens to “prove” what they want it to prove.
European countries such as Belgium, France and the Netherlands have even stricter gun control laws than Australia does, but their mass public shooting rates are at least as high as those in the United States.

RNC chair: Raising gun purchase age to 21 is ‘on the table’
Infowars – Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel believes that raising the age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21 is “on the table” as Republicans toss out potential legislative ideas in response to last week’s school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Florida Gun Show sees ‘record number’ of attendees despite gun control debate
Infowars – Organizers say they had a record number of people attend the event on Saturday, Feb. 24, almost 7,000, and expected more Sunday. The manager for the Florida Gun Show, George Fernandez, says they’ve never seen such a big crowd.

Trump says must improve early response system for violent people
Reuters – President Donald Trump, meeting with governors at the White House, said on Monday that authorities need to improve early-warning response systems for violent people after a Florida attack.

#BoycottNRA: Hertz and Avis are the latest companies to cut ties with gun lobby as movement gains steam
The Washington Post – Several major companies — Enterprise Holdings, First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec, Hertz and Avis — have ended co-branding partnerships with the National Rifle Association as a #BoycottNRA social media movement picks up steam.

Supreme Court won’t hear Trump bid to end DACA
CNN – The Supreme Court said on Monday that it will stay out of the dispute concerning the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for now, meaning the Trump administration may not be able to end the program March 5 as planned.

Red Cross sacks 21 staff for sexual misconduct becoming the latest charity to be caught up in scandal
Daily Mail – More than 20 Red Cross workers have been sacked or have quit their roles since 2015 because of sexual misconduct. The charity revealed that 21 staff members were either dismissed for paying for sexual services or resigned after internal inquiries. A further two suspected of sexual misconduct did not have their contracts renewed.

US soldiers charged in S. Korea after $12mn worth of meth found in cereal boxes
Investment Watch Blog – A pair of American soldiers based in South Korea have been indicted for a drug smuggling scheme after customs officers discovered $12 million worth of meth sent through military mail in boxes of cereal, said US media citing prosecutors. According to the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the two 20-year-old privates, stationed at the Camp Humphreys base near Pyeongtaek, tried to send 9lbs worth of meth using the military’s mail service, hiding the drug inside boxes of cereal.

New Jersey governor pitches his multistate gun task force
The Washington Post – Last week, as a meeting of the National Governors Association got underway, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced a new compact between states — a gun task force with representatives from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Over the weekend, Massachusetts signed on, a link in a belt that moves hundreds of miles up Interstate 95. What would the gun task force do? In Murphy’s view, it could take up the work Congress has not done since the 1990s, when Republicans succeeded in restricting federal research on gun violence. Murphy spoke to The Washington Post over the weekend about his ambitions for the new liberal project.

Panicked United Passenger Pops Chute, Uses Emergency Exit Inflatable Slide to Get Off Plane at Newark Airport: Airline
North Jersey – A passenger on a flight at Newark Airport was arrested late Sunday night after he opened the emergency exit and activated the emergency chute.

Economy & Business

Iran developing national cryptocurrency to bypass US sanctions
RT – A state-backed virtual currency may be launched in Iran, according to the Ministry of Technology. It has revealed that one of the country’s banks is working on the project. Media reported the Central Bank of Iran was cooperating with other institutions to control digital currencies in Iran. A national digital currency could help Tehran evade potential sanctions from Washington as US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering their reinstatement.

Bitcoin plunges below $10,000 as major crypto exchange to share user details with US tax authorities
RT – The cryptocurrency market, led by bitcoin, plummeted after US-based exchange Coinbase said it would hand over the data of nearly 13,000 of its customers to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Russia becoming world’s bread basket with wheat exports feeding half the planet
RT – Food exports from Russia, dominated by wheat and fish, soared to a record $19 billion last year, according to the Russian Export Center.

Energy & Environment

6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes off of Indonesia
Daily Mail – A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia late on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, as neighbouring Papua New Guinea was rocked by two quakes in 24 hours. However, no tsunami warning was issued for Indonesia and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Science & Technology

Dolce & Gabbana used drones to carry handbags down the runway instead of models
The Verge – It’s 2018, and as further proof that we’re already living in the future, what’s more fashionable than drones? Drones with handbags, according to Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabanna, which sent a bunch of flying drones down its runway during the house’s fashion show in Milan on Sunday. Fashionista reports that audience members were asked to turn off Wi-Fi on their phones, as well as any personal hot spots.

Apple moves to store iCloud keys in China, raising human rights fears
Infowars – When Apple Inc begins hosting Chinese users’ iCloud accounts in a new Chinese data center at the end of this month to comply with new laws there, Chinese authorities will have far easier access to text messages, email and other data stored in the cloud.

Researchers have developed a “highly stretchable rechargeable lithium ion battery” for the next generation of wearable electronics
NaturalNews – The next generation of wearable electronic devices may carry one new innovation in tow: stretchable lithium-ion batteries. Currently, the typical wearable is powered by conventional types of batteries, meaning that devices usually have to be built around the battery itself. Batteries count as one of the major components of most electronic devices, so this really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

13-year-old builds $1,500 tiny house in family’s backyard
ABC – Luke Thill is an Iowa middle school student who spent the past year building his own home in his family’s backyard. Luke, 13, raised $1,500 of his own money by mowing lawns and helping neighbors and friends in order to build his 89-square-foot tiny home.

5 Uses For Wood Ash You’ve Probably Never Considered
Some common uses you’ve probably heard of for wood ash are:

Garden pest deterrent
Dust bath for chickens
Ice and snow melter
As part of compost

The Not So Common
One cord of wood can produce an amazing amount of ash, roughly 20 pounds! This is a great resource that is readily available for FREE! If you are living off-grid or in the wilderness, you can harvest it anywhere that you can build a fire.
No. 5 Uncommon Use for Wood Ash: Pottery
Used for pottery glaze since 1500 B.C., wood ash provides a beautiful dark brown to green color.
No. 4 Uncommon Use For Wood Ash: Teeth Whitening
Much like using activated charcoal to whiten teeth, wood ash contains potassium hydroxide (KOH) that aids in teeth whitening. Simply mix it with water to form a paste.
Please use caution: It is not advised to use wood ash too often, as it is abrasive and can damage the enamel on your teeth.
No. 3 Uncommon Use For Wood Ash: Cleaning Dishes
Since wood ash has the chemical properties to aid as a cleaning agent, it can be used to clean other things, like windows and dishes. I have used it to clean the glass on my wood stove — and it worked amazingly well. Just a little water, ash, newspaper and elbow grease does the trick.
No. 2 Uncommon Use For Wood Ash: Construction
While watching an off-grid YouTube video, I saw a man mix wood ash with clay and moss to add chinking to his log home. Of course, I had to research this technique further. In my research I found a website that specialized in log homes and mentioned that “for a historic restoration with chinking, keep a supply of ashes, silt and clay.”
No. 1 Uncommon Use For Wood Ash: Wounds

Health

Childhood obesity continues to climb, study says
CNN – While obesity rates among young children in the United States appeared to be on the decline a few years ago, a new analysis suggests that it’s not time to celebrate just yet.
Despite some previous reports that obesity in children and teens has remained stable or decreased, the study found no evidence of a falloff between 1999 and 2016. Rather, there was a significant rise in severe obesity among children ages 2 to 5, since around 2013, according to the study published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday.

Quercetin — A Far Better Flu Remedy Than Tamiflu
Mercola – Your immune system is your first-line defense against all types of infections, be they bacterial or viral, so the most effective way to prevent infectious illness — including influenza — is a robust immune system. Your diet and other lifestyle factors are foundational for good immune function, but certain supplements can also be quite helpful.
One such supplement is quercetin,1 an antioxidant flavonol found naturally in apples, plums, red grapes, green tea, elder flower and onions, just to name a few. For a more exhaustive list, see Superfoodly’s ranking of the top 100 quercetin-packed foods.2 Quercetin has been shown to combat inflammation and acts as a natural antihistamine. Elder flower extract, which is rich in quercetin, has been traditionally used as a tonic to boost immunity. It is also widely known to promote lung and bronchial tract health.
Quercetin is also available in supplement form and has been used to ameliorate obesity, Type 2 diabetes,3 circulatory dysfunction, chronic inflammation, hay fever and mood disorders.4 A number of studies have also highlighted quercetin’s ability to prevent and treat both the common cold and influenza.5

Pet News

Dog Dies After Owner Fed It Popular Dog Food. FDA Finds Euthanasia Drug In These Dog Food Brands
Animal Channel – Several lines of popular dog food brands have been blamed for the recent death of dogs and were found to have traces of euthanasia drugs.
So you’ll want to make sure you go through your pantry and get rid of any if you have them in your house!
Nikki Mael said she went through a traumatizing experience after feeding her five dogs a can of Evanger’s pet food. Each of them fell ill within 15 minutes after she fed them.
The poison found in the dog food was pentobarbital a drug commonly used to euthanize dogs, cats, and horses.
Tests run by CBS 12 confirmed that there was pentobarbital in both Evanger’s and Gravy Train, which is produced by Big Heart Pet Foods and owned by J.M. Smucker’s. The company makes more than $40 million annually selling the food.
They also make Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Kibbles’nBits, 9 Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature’s Recipe, Canine Carry Outs, Milo’s Kitchen, Alley Cat, Jerky Treats, Meaty Bone, Pounce, and Snausages.