WORLD NEWS
Sweden’s NATO accession ends era of go-it-alone security
Sweden’s final hurdle to joining NATO was swept away yesterday after hold-out Hungary’s ratification, ending 200 years during which Stockholm’s military self-reliance helped it build a global brand as neutral peacemaker and human rights champion. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 left Swedes with a pivotal choice: join NATO or run the risk of standing alone against an increasingly aggressive near neighbor. NATO membership might seem uncontroversial, but some Swedes worry it signals a fundamental shift in identity.
“Sweden’s historically strong voice on the issues of peace and disarmament seems to be going silent,” said Kerstin Bergea, chairperson of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, a prominent peace movement since 1883. “The cause of peace has been part of our DNA,” she added.
From U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold’s efforts to promote peace in 1960s Congo to Hans Blix’s role as chief U.N. weapons inspector in the lead up to the Iraq war, Sweden’s neutrality has allowed it to play an influential role in global conflicts, often punching above its weight.
While neighbor Norway, a founding member of NATO, has maintained its role as peace broker, NATO skeptics fear joining the alliance will limit Sweden’s options and force it to tow a common line with its allies.
Sweden’s neutrality began as a response to catastrophic wars – mainly against Russia – in the 18th and early 19th centuries and its policies have always been a mix of principle and pragmatism. It supplied Nazi Germany with vital iron ore during World War Two and during the Cold War secretly exchanged intelligence with the United States.
In recent decades, Sweden has leaned closer to NATO – in part because its own military was slashed after the collapse of the Soviet Union – and has contributed to missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Libya and Iraq. Close partnership, however, is now seen as insufficient. NATO’s Article 5 guarantees that an attack on any member is considered an attack on all.
“From a Swedish perspective, this is about buying insurance,” Barbara Kunz at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said.
Opinion polls have shifted in recent years and now show robust support for NATO membership in the nation of 10 million, especially as neighbor Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, has already joined.
British financier Lord Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, dies aged 87
Financier Lord Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, has died at the age of 87, his family has announced.
The British peer started his career in the family bank, NM Rothschild & Sons, in 1963, before going on to take control of Rothschild Investment Trust.
He later co-founded the then J Rothschild Assurance Group, now St James’s Place, with Sir Mark Weinberg in 1980.
Lord Rothschild’s family have an estimated fortune of around £825 million, according to last year’s Sunday Times Rich List, and give away a reported £66 million to Jewish causes, education and art.
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians flocked to the streets of São Paulo on Sunday to peacefully express their support for former President Jair Bolsonaro in an ongoing investigation into a purported “coup” plot after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.
The massive Sunday rally saw São Paulo’s roughly 1.7-mile-long Paulista Avenue full of Bolsonaro sympathizers, who predominantly wore the Brazilian flag’s green and yellow colors and the Brazil national soccer team jersey. While the Public Security Department estimated 750,000 people attended the rally, the Center of Operations of the San Paulo State Military Police said 1.8 million showedBolsonaro, prior to the event, had described it as “a peaceful demonstration in defense of the democratic rule of law.”
The former Brazilian president was accompanied by his wife, former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, and allies such as the governor of São Paulo Tarcísio de Freitas.
Bolsonaro, who was banned last year from running for public office until 2030, is at the center of an ongoing investigation known as Operação Tempus Veritatis (“Operation Time of Truth”). The investigation claims that Bolsonaro and some of his closest allies were allegedly preparing a “coup” and planned to call for new elections after he was narrowly defeated by radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 presidential election.
Bolsonaro had his passport seized as part of the investigation and is effectively banned from leaving Brazil.
During his roughly 20-minute speech to the crowds, Bolsonaro made calls for peace and said that he would defend himself against “all of the accusations” against him, including the purported plot conspiracy.
Without directly mentioning de Moraes, the Brazilian Federal Police, nor any government authorities during his speech, Bolsonaro lamented what he called “abuses by some” and claimed to be a victim of persecution, citing the events that occurred in 2018 when he was stabbed during a campaign rally.
Medical Staff Offers Assisted Suicide To Canadian Woman Paralyzed From COVID Shots
Kayla Pollock was one of millions coerced and deceived into getting the deadly COVID shots when they were mandated in 2021. A week after receiving the Moderna booster shot, she fell to the floor and was paralyzed for 30 minutes. Another episode happened a week later. And shortly after that she became paralyzed from the neck down. The first doctor told her that this was something that often happens to people when they’re upset. And that it was all in her head. A second doctor was honest with her, but had to keep it hidden.
They found a massive lesion on her spine and the doctor told her it was most likely caused by the vaccine and that he’s seen many cases like hers.
Kayla spent several months in the hospital’s rehabilitation center, where the staff offered her medical assisted suicide on two occasions. Which is the only assistance the medical system seems to offer.
If you are looking for ways to help, Veterans 4 Freedom have launched a Give-Send-Go for Kayla to raise funds for a service dog.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Trump Appeals $464 Million Ruling in New York Civil Fraud Case
Attorneys for former President Donald Trump have formally appealed a New York civil fraud ruling against him and executives of The Trump Organization, in which they were ordered to pay more than $450 million.
“This appeal is taken from each and every part of the judgment insofar as defendants are aggrieved,” reads the notice of appeal filed Monday, noting that the penalties in total add up to more than $464 million. The appeal will be filed in the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued President Trump and other executives from The Trump Organization for fraud. After a three-month trial, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron found all defendants liable on seven claims.
Defense attorneys argue there was no harm to any party and no victim in the case. Representatives from Deutsche Bank and the Zurich Insurance Group had testified that they had done their own analyses when doing business with The Trump Organization.
Trump’s Cash Pile Shrinks as Legal Fights Ramp Up: Filings
Last week, three of the organizations supporting President Trump’s third run for the White House issued their monthly financial statements with the Federal Election Commission.
Those groups, the principal campaign committee Donald J. Trump for President 2024 Inc., the unauthorized super political action committee (PAC) Make America Great Again Inc., and the qualified leadership PAC Save America said they collectively earned about $21.2 million in total receipts.
The groups spent far more than they earned, however. The trio reported spending about $52.2 million. However, they retained about $47.7 million in cash on hand.
That amount is far ahead of the about $14.9 million the groups backing former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley reported in their January filings. However, it is much lower than the more than $130 million the Biden campaign said it had on hand at the end of January.
The only part of President Joe Biden’s reelection effort to report in January—principal campaign committee Biden for President—reported it had nearly $56 million on hand.
Significant elements of both the 45th and 46th president’s financial networks were not disclosed in that release, however. The complete picture of their finances likely won’t come into focus until April 15, the FEC filing deadline for committees reporting on a quarterly basis.
Report: Donald Trump Jr. Receives Envelope with White Powder, Hazmat Team Dispatched
Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president, reportedly received an envelope with a mysterious white powder inside of it that a hazmat team has been investigating at his Florida home.
News of the incident broke on Monday evening after multiple trucks were spotted outside his home in Jupiter, Florida. The Daily Beast reported:
Multiple fire trucks and men in hazmat suits were spotted outside Donald Trump Jr.’s home in Jupiter, Florida, on Monday evening after he received a letter containing an unidentified white powder inside of it, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Around the same time the Daily Beast released the initial report, Donald Trump Jr. appeared to be active on social media to promote an interview on Rumble.
The former president’s son has been active alongside his father on the campaign trail in his bid to clinch the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential race.
Aside from the white powder, the envelope reportedly contained a death threat, according to the Daily Caller.
“It’s just become a little bit too commonplace that this sort of stuff happens,” Donald Trump Jr. told the Daily Caller. “Clearly, if this happened to a prominent Democrat, it wouldn’t be tolerated and would drive news coverage for weeks. The media would blame all Republicans and force them to answer for it.”
Supreme Court Struggles With Regulation of Social Media
Florida and Texas should be allowed to regulate how social media platforms moderate content, lawyers for the two states told the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday. During oral arguments, the justices seemed to be grasping for a new rule they could use to apply free speech principles to online discussions.
This is the first time that the nation’s highest court has reviewed state laws that deem social media companies “common carriers,” a status that might allow states to impose utility-style regulations on platforms and forbid them from discriminating against users based on their political viewpoints.
Justice Clarence Thomas previously advanced the common carrier theory. He has also criticized Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.
The provision generally protects internet service providers and companies from being held liable for what users say on their platforms. Supporters say the provision, sometimes called “the 26 words that created the internet,” has fostered a climate online in which free speech has flourished.
At stake is the right of individual Americans to freely express themselves online and the right of social media platforms to make editorial decisions about the content they host. Both rights are protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Republicans and conservatives were outraged when platforms acted in concert to ban President Donald Trump in January 2021, blocked a potentially election-altering New York Post article about Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020, and silenced dissenting opinions about the origins of the COVID-19 virus, the treatments for the disease it causes, and the vaccines. They say that social media platforms have become the new town square and that users’ speech therefore enjoys constitutional protection.
Democrats and liberals, on the other hand, claim that the platforms don’t do enough to weed out so-called hate speech and alleged misinformation, which they consider to be pressing social problems.
Active-duty airman set himself on fire in front of Israeli embassy
An active-duty airman, Aaron Bushnell, set himself on fire, in uniform, outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. just before 1 p.m. yesterday according to a spokesperson from the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. The fire was extinguished by three law enforcement members using fire extinguishers. EMS took Bushnell to an area hospital, saying he was suffering from “critical life-threatening injuries.” Bushnell later died of those injuries.
The incident appears to be in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza. Independent journalist Talia Jane obtained a video of the self-immolation, although it has not been posted online beyond accounts that are quickly taken down. On X, Jane posted that the man in Air Force uniform said he was “an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.” Filming himself walking, he said that what he was going to do would be minimal compared to what is happening to Palestinians. He then set himself on fire and repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine.”
Pentagon Clears Lloyd Austin of Wrongdoing After Secret Hospital Stay
A U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) review released on Feb. 26 found that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had no “ill intent” when staff kept his hospitalization several weeks ago a secret.
After he was hospitalized, some in Congress asked why they weren’t immediately notified of the defense secretary’s condition. Mr. Austin is now scheduled to testify in the House this week. The Pentagon report said that the decision-making process to transfer the defense secretary’s authority to his deputy should be improved in the future. However, it stated that “nothing examined during this review demonstrated any indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate.”
Explosive Device Detonated Outside Alabama AG’s Office, No Injuries Reported
An explosive device was detonated outside of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s
office early Saturday morning, he said in a statement on Monday. Marshall said that “no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion.”
“In the early hours of Saturday, February 24, an explosive device was detonated outside of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office building in Montgomery,” Marshall said. “Thankfully, no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will be leading the investigation, and we are urging anyone with information to contact them immediately.”
The announcement did not say if the detonation caused any damage or if there were any suspects or a known motive.
When asked if the incident could be related to Marshall’s stance on in vitro fertilization (IVF), Amanda Priest, spokesperson for Marshall’s office, told CNN that media should “not jump to conclusions about a specific issue.”
One day before the incident, Marshall announced that his office had no intention of using a recent Alabama Supreme Court decision to prosecute families pursuing IVF or IVF providers.
Manhattan DA Seeks Trump Gag Order
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is seeking a gag order that would prevent former President Donald Trump from making “certain extrajudicial statements” as a case alleging that the 45th president falsified business documents is heading to trial.
Last week, the district attorney filed a notice for the upcoming gag order motion, arguing that President Trump “has a long history of making public and inflammatory remarks about the participants in various judicial proceedings against him.”
The argument echoes those used in other jurisdictions to successfully gag President Trump during legal proceedings. A New York civil court and a federal judge in Washington both imposed gag orders on the former president with the reasoning that named parties may suffer undue harassment, and appeals courts in both cases upheld the gag orders in part for the same reasons.
As such, the Manhattan district attorney is arguing that “legal authority for such an order is well-established.”
They argue that the former president’s statements and the “inevitable reactions they incite from defendant’s followers and allies” will disorder the legal process and are likely to cause “material prejudice.”
The court has already issued a protective order regarding the “use of materials obtained through discovery and by subpoena,” and prosecutors now want an additional order prohibiting President Trump from making or directing others to make statements about “reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding.”
Mirroring the language used by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the prosecutors ask that the gag order extend to statements about counsel other than Mr. Bragg, family and staff members of the district attorney or other counsel, and court staff if the statements are “made with the intent to materially interfere” with the case or cause others to and that it extend to statements about jurors or prospective jurors. Jury selection is expected to take place March 25th.
Majority of Americans Now Back Trump-Style Border Wall: Poll
Illegal immigration has become a key concern of voters this election year, with a new poll showing that, for the first time in the survey’s history, a majority of Americans support building a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border.
With record numbers of illegal immigrants pouring into the country, public concern about the border crisis is higher during President Joe Biden’s term than under the prior two administrations, according to a Monmouth University poll released on Feb. 26.
More than six in 10 Americans think illegal immigration is a “very serious” problem, a sharp increase from 2015 and 2019, when prior Monmouth polls found that 43 percent and 49 percent, respectively, held that view.
When adding people who think illegal immigration is a somewhat serious problem (23 percent), the percentage of Americans who are concerned about the border crisis stands at 84 percent.
“Illegal immigration has taken center stage as a defining issue this presidential election year,” Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement.
It’s estimated that more than 10 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since President Biden took office.
Amish Farmer Raided by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Amish farmer Amos Miller, owner of Miller’s Organic Farm in Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania, offers traditional, nutrient-dense food to his community via a private membership association
- In January 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture raided Miller’s farm, searching for raw dairy products and placing wholesome foods ranging from pickled beets and maple syrup “under detention”
- According to local food activist Max Kane, the officials detained about $100,000 worth of food
- Miller’s traditional farming practices have been under scrutiny by regulators for close to a decade
- On February 29, 2024, Kane is calling for people to take action in support of Miller by traveling to his court rally and hearing
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
US FTC suing to block $25 bln Kroger-Albertsons supermarket deal
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and eight states said on Monday they are suing to block supermarket chain Kroger’s $24.6 billion deal to buy smaller rival Albertsons, saying it would boost grocery prices for millions of Americans.
The deal, which would create a grocery empire with more than 4,000 stores, has drawn tough scrutiny from lawmakers and consumer groups worried about higher grocery prices, job losses, store closures and diminishing choice for consumers.
U.S. food prices have risen by 25% over the last four years, and while food inflation is showing signs of cooling off in 2024, grocery bills have become a growing concern for shoppers.
The deal would strengthen Kroger’s position as the second largest player in the US grocery market behind Walmart.
The FTC’s lawsuit comes at a time when the Biden administration has pressed for lower grocery prices and pushed back against big-ticket mergers that risk price hikes, affecting consumers in areas ranging from medicines to airline tickets.
Shares of Kroger fell 2%. Albertsons stock rose 0.6%. The deal spread, a measure of investor confidence in the merger, implies less than 40% chance of the deal being completed.
While the FTC charged the deal will eliminate “fierce competition between Kroger and Albertsons,” Kroger defended their business model, saying it has reduced prices every year since 2003 and would be applied to the merged company.
Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming are joining the commission’s federal lawsuit.
Microsoft Brags About Paying Minorities More than Whites for the Same Work
Microsoft is facing backlash after bragging in a recent diversity report that it pays white employees less than racial minority employees in similar roles. The report boasts that asian employees make more than both black and white employees with matching job titles, levels, and tenure.
Microsoft touts in its 2023 Diversity and Inclusion Report its “pay equity agenda,” admitting that racial minorities who are eligible for rewards earn $1.007 in total pay for every $1 white employees earn. Specifically, the report states that Black and African American employees earn $1.004 and Asian employees earn a higher $1.012 for every $1 earned by white employees with matching job titles, levels, and tenure.
The report clarifies that this data represents total pay, including base salary, annual bonuses, and stock awards. Microsoft also boasted about instilling far-left ideology in employees, with 96.4 percent reporting some awareness of “allyship.”
This discriminatory policy follows a trend of major corporations prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) over equality. Disney was recently hit with a federal civil rights complaint for using diversity metrics to determine employee bonuses. The complaint alleges Disney intentionally discriminates against white American men, Christians, and Jews based solely on their race, sex, and religion.
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.
“It is sad and tragic that a company whose name was once synonymous with wholesome and charming childhood fantasies is now dedicated to spreading divisive bigotry. We urge Disney to cease and desist its unlawful and destructive conduct at once,” said Stephen Miller, president of America First Legal and former Trump administration official.
Malvertising: This cyberthreat isn’t on the dark web, it’s on Google
On the internet, people need to worry about more than just opening suspicious email attachments or entering their sensitive information into harmful websites—they also need to worry about their Google searches.
That’s because last year, as revealed in our 2024 ThreatDown State of Malware report, cybercriminals flocked to a malware delivery method that doesn’t require they know a victim’s email address, login credentials, personal information, or, anything, really.
Instead, cybercriminals just need to fool someone into clicking on a search result that looks remarkably legitimate.
This is the work of “malicious advertising,” or “malvertising,” for short. Malvertising is not malware itself. Instead, it’s a sneaky process of placing malware, viruses, or other cyber infections on a person’s computer, tablet, or smart phone. The malware that eventually slips onto a person’s device comes in many varieties, but cybercriminals tend to favor malware that can steal a person’s login credentials and information. With this newly stolen information, cybercriminals can then pry into sensitive online accounts that belong to the victim.
But before any of that digital theft can occur, cybercriminals must first ensnare a victim, and they do this by abusing the digital ad infrastructure underpinning Google search results.
Think about searching on Google for “running shoes”—you’ll likely see ads for Nike and Adidas. A Google search for “best carry-on luggage” will invariably produce ads for the consumer brands Monos and Away. And a Google search for a brand like Amazon will show, as expected, ads for Amazon.
But cybercriminals know this, and in response, they’ve created ads that look legitimate, but instead direct victims to malicious websites that carry malware. The websites themselves, too, bear a striking resemblance to whatever product or brand they’re imitating, so as to maintain a charade of legitimacy. From these websites, users download what they think is a valid piece of software, instead downloading malware that leaves them open to further attacks.
HEALTH
Microplastics found in every human placenta tested in study
Scientists express concern over health impacts, with another study finding particles in arteries
Microplastics have been found in every human placenta tested in a study, leaving the researchers worried about the potential health impacts on developing foetuses.
The scientists analysed 62 placental tissue samples and found the most common plastic detected was polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and bottles. A second study revealed microplastics in all 17 human arteries tested and suggested the particles may be linked to clogging of the blood vessels.
Microplastics have also recently been discovered in human blood and breast milk, indicating widespread contamination of people’s bodies. The impact on health is as yet unknown but microplastics have been shown to cause damage to human cells in the laboratory. The particles could lodge in tissue and cause inflammation, as air pollution particles do, or chemicals in the plastics could cause harm.
Huge amounts of plastic waste are dumped in the environment and microplastics have polluted the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People are known to consume the tiny particles via food and water as well as breathing them in, and they have been found in the faeces of babies and adults.
Prof Matthew Campen, at the University of New Mexico, US, who led the research, said: “If we are seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this planet could be impacted. That’s not good.”
Excess TV Linked to More Nighttime Bathroom Trips
Do you wake up excessively during the middle of the night to go to the bathroom? The reason could be the amount of television you watch during the day.
A new study indicates that people who spend too much time watching videos may be more likely to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. The findings, published in Neurology and Urodynamics, indicated that people who spent more time watching movies, TV, or online videos were almost 50 percent more likely to experience nocturia, or the need to urinate multiple times during the night.
Symptoms of nocturia include waking up at least twice to pee at night. Typically, people affected by it are tired and experience sleepiness during the day because their sleep cycles have been interrupted.
The research team looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2011 and 2016, which included information on 13,294 Americans aged 20 and older. About 32 percent of people experienced nocturia, while 68 percent did not. Individuals who spent five or more hours watching TV, movies, or videos were 48 percent more likely to experience nocturia than those who watched less than one hour per day.
Nocturia might seem innocent enough, but over time, it can lead to loss of sleep, putting a person at risk of several health issues.
“Nocturia not only elevates the likelihood of diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and mortality but also contributes to a significant economic burden on society,” the research team wrote. “Consequently, nocturia has emerged as a critical public health concern, necessitating comprehensive attention and interventions.”
Even without television as a factor, nocturia becomes more common for people as they age. According to the Cleveland Clinic, nocturia becomes a common condition affecting at least half of adults after the age of 50 and at least one in three people over 30. Additionally, according to studies, black and Hispanic people are more likely to have nocturia than white people, with the condition occurring 28 percent more often in people of color.
The condition affects more men than women. Anatomical differences between the sexes can affect the likelihood of developing nocturia. For example, men with prostate issues could have a higher risk of developing the condition, while women with prolapsed uteruses or other conditions related to pregnancy may also run a higher risk of experiencing it.
New Zealand to Repeal World-first Tobacco Ban
New Zealand will repeal on Tuesday a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said, even while researchers and campaigners warned of the risk that people could die as a result.
Set to take effect from July, the toughest anti-tobacco rules in the world would have banned sales to those born after Jan. 1, 2009, cut nicotine content in smoked tobacco products and reduced the number of tobacco retailers by more than 90%.
The new coalition government elected in October confirmed the repeal will happen on Tuesday as a matter of urgency, enabling it to scrap the law without seeking public comment, in line with previously announced plans.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said the coalition government was committed to reducing smoking, but was taking a different regulatory approach to discourage the habit and reduce the harm it caused.
“I will soon be taking a package of measures to cabinet to increase the tools available to help people quit smoking,” Costello said, adding that regulations on vaping would also be tightened to deter young people.
The decision, heavily criticized over its likely impact on health outcomes in New Zealand, has also drawn flak because of fears it could have a greater impact on Maori and Pasifika populations, groups with higher smoking rates.
More than half of Americans don’t know drinking increases risk of colon, rectal cancer
- A new survey from The Ohio State University found that more than half of Americans don’t know alcohol consumption can contribute to colorectal cancer.
- The survey also found that many Americans don’t know that diet, obesity and lack of exercise are also risk factors for this type of cancer.
- While the overall rate of colorectal cancer is declining, rates of the disease are rising among Americans 50 and younger.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Tyson Foods Scales Up Investment In Insect Protein Maker For Global Food Chain
Tyson Foods, Inc., one of the world’s largest food companies, has reached an agreement for a two-fold investment with Protix, the leading global insect ingredients company. The strategic investment will support the growth of the emerging insect ingredient industry and expand the use of insect ingredient solutions to create more efficient sustainable proteins and lipids for use in the global food system. The agreement combines Tyson Foods’ global scale, experience and network with Protix’s technology and market leadership to meet current market demand and scale production of insect ingredients.
Through a direct equity investment, Tyson Foods will acquire a minority stake in Protix to help fund its global expansion. In addition, Tyson Foods and Protix have entered a joint venture for the operation and construction of an insect ingredient facility in the continental United States. Upon completion, it will be the first at-scale facility of its kind to upcycle food manufacturing byproducts into high-quality insect proteins and lipids which will primarily be used in the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock industries.
The to-be-built facility in the U.S. will house an enclosed system to support all aspects of insect protein production including the breeding, incubating, and hatching of insect larvae. In addition to ingredients for the aquaculture and pet food industries, processed larvae may also be used as ingredients within livestock and plant feed.
Protix is a fully integrated insect ingredients company, producing and processing 14,000 metric tons LLE annually in its Netherlands facility which has been in operation since 2019. It serves major global companies in the pet food, aquaculture feed, livestock feed and organic fertilizer industries as the demand for insect ingredients continues to grow.
Pervert’s Paradise: Porn Industry Races to Capitalize on AI Video Generation
As AI image generators trained on pornographic content promise to revolutionize adult entertainment with custom “dream girls,” they also raise concerns around consent, likeness rights, income loss for performers, and preventing abusive depictions. As one industry insider explains, “This technology will catch on, and it will get abusive before it gets helpful.”
A recent report from the Washington Post stated that the annual Adult Video News (AVN) conference in Las Vegas draws performers and companies eager to capitalize on new technology, but this year, AI took center stage. Many adult content site owners are reportedly racing to develop custom image and video generators trained on vast troves of pornographic content.
AI models allow users like to develop their ultimate fantasy “dream girl” by describing her appearance, pose, and setting. Steven Jones, owner of a once-popular network of free porn sites, calls his new AI image generator a safe “artists’ community” for sexual exploration. But Jones admits he struggles to block offensive terms, saying “I hope [users] don’t actually want to see the things they’re typing in.”
Meanwhile Peter Acworth, owner of fetish site Kink.com, is training a model to understand nuances like the difference between consensual bondage and torture. Their technology hints at fully customized, interactive porn experiences. “Within two years, there will be fully AI cam girls,” predicts Jones. However, Kink.com may require human moderators to prevent abuse, an unlikely solution to scale.
Major questions loom around consent, likeness rights, and preventing harm. OpenAI and Stable Diffusion utilize boundaries to block sexual images, but dedicated users distribute edits that remove these guards. “This technology will catch on, and it will get abusive before it gets helpful,” warns Heather Knox of software company Elevated X.
Lawsuits also threaten the free image data that AI models require. Copyright holders have filed a slew of complaints against AI companies, arguing they trained tools on copyrighted public content. If plaintiffs win, the proprietary systems underpinning AI porn stand to crumble.
CANCEL CULTURE
Parents Catch School Secretly Calling Daughter a Boy’s Name, Male Pronouns—Now They’re Suing
Michigan parents Dan and Jennifer Mead say their then 11-year-old daughter’s first semester at East Rockford Middle in 2020 was bumpy, as she fell behind in class and saw the school’s counselor regularly for her slumping grades and severe anxiety.
But at least she was in good hands, the Meads trusted.
That was then. Now they point out how that trust was broken in autumn 2022. They allege that a teacher inadvertently let them know that the school was socially transitioning their daughter by treating her like a boy—referring to her by a masculine name and male pronouns.
In December 2023, the couple filed a federal lawsuit against East Rockford Public School District for violating their parental rights. They contacted Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to represent them in court.
“Parents, not the government, have the right to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of their children,” ADF attorney Kate Anderson said in a statement. “Schools should never deliberately hide vital information from parents, yet that’s exactly what the Rockford Public School District did.”
Court documents, however, point to school staff who claimed to have been, and apparently were, just following the district’s policy when they began calling the child by her preferred name and pronouns behind the parents’ backs.
Allegations also point to efforts made by staff members to alter official handouts for the Meads, obfuscating the social transitioning treatment, yet staff claimed it “wasn’t to hide anything from parents.”
To hear the family’s side of the story, though, they were betrayed. Significant trust had been built after their daughter’s initial meetings with the school counselor. She opened up about her concerns for sick family members and frustrations with teachers. As the discussions delved more into her mental health, the counselor stayed in close contact with the parents, often sharing what had been discussed. But the close partnership that had been established between the parents and school over many months was dashed by revelations of the school transitioning their child in secret—so they allege.
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