WORLD NEWS
Japan Earthquake: Death Toll Climbs to 48 Amid Search for Survivors
Crews are racing against time to rescue people trapped under rubble following a series of devastating earthquakes that struck Japan on New Year’s Day, killing at least 48 people, knocking down structures, and leaving thousands without power.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported more than a dozen quakes in the Japan Sea off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures on New Year’s Day, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6. The quakes collapsed buildings and triggered fires on the west coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu. JMA says more major quakes could hit the area over the next week, especially in the next two or three days.
At least 48 people have been confirmed dead so far, according to Ishikawa prefecture officials. They are located in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa, near the epicenter of the quake, where the highest tsunami of over 1.2 meters (4 feet) was recorded in the city’s port. Japanese government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told the media that several houses have been destroyed, leaving people trapped and an unknown number injured.
Japan has been rocked by more than a few earthquakes over the years, with the worst by far coming on March 11, 2011. Nearly 20,000 people were killed, destruction was widespread, and a nuclear meltdown was even triggered in Fukushima.
After this latest incident, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority has reported no irregularities at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan, including five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui prefecture. Hokuriku’s Shika plant in Ishikawa had reportedly already halted its two reactors before the quake and has seen no impact.
Report: 500 to 600 Israelis Applying for Gun License Each Day
Five hundred to six hundred Israelis apply for a gun license every day in hopes of being prepared to defend themselves should Hamas attack again.
“Between October 7 and December 25,” according to The Times of Israel, “274,279 Israelis … filed for a handgun license.”
Contrast that period with the whole of 2022, when just “42,170 Israelis requested a handgun license.”
Breitbart News noted that private gun ownership was low in Israel at the time of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack. The BBC reported that Israeli gun ownership consisted of just “about 2% of the population.” In contrast, the findings of a study by Rutgers University’s New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center estimated that upwards of six in ten Americans own guns.
Israeli leaders began seeking ways to expedite gun licenses in January 2023 after Palestinian terrorist Alqam Khayri killed seven innocents as they walked out of a synagogue in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Neve Yaakov.
Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack, Israeli leaders pushed even harder to speed up the process by which Israelis could obtain guns. As a result, the number of gun license applications reached upwards of 3,000 a day in early December.
The Times of Israel quoted Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who said, “When the war started, we knew that we were right when we said that every place that has a weapon can save a life.”
Iran Warship Enters Increasingly Contested Red Sea Shipping Lanes
Tehran announced Monday it has sent a warship into the increasingly contested waters of the Red Sea as navies from other nations work to stem attacks from Iran-backed Houthi terrorists.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Iran’s frigate Alborz, launched in 1969 on completion by Vickers in the UK, will fly the country’s flag across the key shipping lanes.
In its report, Tasnim did not specify the details of the Alborz’s mission but highlighted what it claimed were the regional implications of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
“Following rising tensions in the Gaza war, there has been an acceleration in developments in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,” it said, repeating words of action long pronounced by Tehran in its war with the west.
Over the weekend, U.S. Navy helicopters sank three Houthi-operated vessels that had attacked a container ship in the Red Sea, the U.S. Central Command reported.
The UK defense minister warned on Monday that London is “willing to take direct action” against the Houthis, collaborating with the U.S. for potential military strikes against the Houthis, and that a joint statement giving the militants a final warning to cease their attacks is imminent.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea since November to show their support for the Palestinian Islamist terrorist group Hamas in its war with Israel.
In response, many major shipping companies have switched to longer and more costly routes which avoid the area altogether.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Congress Faces Four Rapidly Approaching Spending, FISA Deadlines After Winter Break
Congress faces a chaotic schedule when it returns in the new year. Here are four of the more pressing issues when Congress returns in two weeks. Not to be outdone, 2024 will start with four dramatic fights over government funding, reauthorizing a government agency, authorizing government surveillance, and resolving partisan issues over Ukraine aid and the border crisis unfolding under President Joe Biden.
- Multiple spending deadlines and government shutdown fights
Congress has two deadlines January 19 and February 2 for federal government funding. The transportation, housing, and food programs deadline will expire on January 19, while the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Commerce, Labor, and Defense will expire on February 2. Congress must pass either a long-term spending bill or a continuing resolution (CR) or stop-gap spending bill; otherwise, the government will shut down.
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization
Congress will have to pass a bill that reauthorizes the FAA by March 8.
House Republicans passed legislation that would reauthorize the agency in July, but the legislation has stalled in the Senate as Congress’s upper chamber has fought over provisions such as pilot training. The FAA has to be reauthorized every five years; it was last authorized in 2018. Congress hopes to address issues such as air traffic control, personnel shortages, the pilot retirement age, and even new aircraft such as electric air taxis into the national air space.
- Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reauthorization
Section 702 is a law that allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of targeted foreigners. It also may lead to targeted surveillance of Americans’ private communications, which privacy advocates consider a run-around of the Fourth Amendment’s requirement for a warrant to search Americans’ communications.The law was meant to expire at the end of 2023, but will now expire on April 19 after congressional leaders included a short-term extension in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). There are multiple pro-reform proposals that conservatives and progressives have championed, including the Government Surveillance Reform Act, which was sponsored by Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), and the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ). Biggs’s bill was advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee.
- A Ukraine aid and border reform package
President Joe Biden has asked for $111 billion, which would provide $50 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, and $14 billion in aid to Israel during its conflict with Hamas.
Lawmakers had hoped to strike a deal that would provide for Ukraine while providing for border reforms. While lawmakers have worked to negotiate a potential border-Ukraine deal, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has called for Biden to take executive actions to “stem the record tide of illegal immigration. ”
And if you’re somewhat confused about your state’s primary election, we’ve got a link for you to click on to read what is applicable to your State:
https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/state-primary-election-types
RFK Jr.’s Request for Secret Service Protection Is Denied for a Third Time
After the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected his plea for Secret Service protection for a third time, 2024 independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the decision a political move and “weaponization of government” against candidates seeking to unseat President Joe Biden.
Mr. Kennedy is the son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was fatally shot in 1968 after giving a presidential primary campaign speech in Los Angeles, and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in Dallas in 1963 as he rode in a presidential motorcade.
Since he declared his candidacy in April, two armed men have been arrested in separate incidents attempting to gain access to Mr. Kennedy.
“Denied Secret Service again! It’s not just about me. It’s another example of weaponization of government against Biden’s political opponents. They know that 30¢ of every campaign dollar goes to keeping me safe,” Mr. Kennedy wrote on X.
“Homeland Security gave no explanation for rejecting our application. Law says all ‘major candidates’ get protection. I’m polling 22 percent (and 40 percent among young voters—beating both [President Joe] Biden and [former President Donald] Trump). My opinion may be biased, but that seems pretty “major” to me, Mr. Kennedy said.
Mr. Kennedy announced his candidacy as a Democrat, then changed his status to Independent in October.
Stating that he does not qualify for Secret Service protection. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has denied Mr. Kennedy’s requests.
According to federal law, the DHS secretary is authorized to decide who qualifies as a “major” candidate in consultation with the speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, and one additional member selected by the other members of the committee, which as a whole isn’t answerable to the incumbent president.
“I have consulted with an advisory committee composed of the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, and the Senate Sergeant at Arms. Based on the facts and the recommendation of the advisory committee, I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not warranted at this time,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a letter last week.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Catherine Austin Fitts (CAF), Publisher of The Solari Report, financial expert and former Assistant Secretary of Housing (Bush 41 Admin.), says the top story (out of 20 top stories) of 2023 was massive, documented pushback to tyranny and control by the evil Deep State globalists. CAF explains, “Our top story of 2023 is ‘The Year of Pushback.’ It was so long, and it was so big, we had to make a special page and move the other 19 top stories to a whole different section on another page.”
Just a few of the 2023 stories that documented this massive pushback, according to CAF, are, “Stories on Constitutional protections, different litigations on the First Amendment and the Second Amendment, and we have one on information sovereignty and infrastructure. We have stories on all the pushback against the media, including litigation to hold people accountable and stopping emergency powers. We have culture wars about saying no to international organizations. Woke capital controls and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance investing) is toast. The state AGs have gone after ESG and Larry Fink (BlackRock CEO), and he’s had to publicly backpedal. They are steamrolling him. We had another story about taking it to the streets and have a whole section on ‘Pushback Heros.’ . . . In 2023, people started to realize that it is kill or be killed. We have to push back because there is no going along with this. They are trying to kill us, number one. Then they are trying to take all of our stuff, and we can’t let them.
CAF also talks about what she calls “massive collateral fraud.” CAF goes on to say, “The collateral fraud is enormous, and we have talked about the money (trillions of dollars) that has gone ‘missing’ for years from the federal government. This is what’s been going on in the United States and around the world for years. You issue debt, you get a whole bunch of money, and then the money disappears. . . . So, there is an extraordinarily fraudulent system going on around the debt markets. The reality is if you are going to run a bubble like that, you need very strict control of the collateral. This is what “The Great Taking” is all about. 2024 is the year the pushback can put us over the top.”
CAF thinks gold is a “must have” investment for the coming years. The US dollar is being weakened, but it is still “dominant and dangerous.”
In closing, CAF says, “I think we are going to see collisions at a spiritual, legal, financial and physical level increasing all over the planet. This is a real war, and we are in World War III now. The US is going to defend the dollar. . .”
The Democrat mayors of a handful of sanctuary cities have appealed for $5 billion in federal tax dollars to help them bear the crushing costs associated with the influx of illegal immigrants into their communities.
In a recent letter to President Joe Biden, which was viewed by The Epoch Times, the mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City said that the financial impact of the border crisis on their communities has been immense and that their needs far exceed the $1.4 billion in additional funding proposed by the Biden administration to help them cope.
“Right now, Denver is spending almost $2 million a week on shelter, New York City has surpassed $1.7 billion in spending and Chicago has spent over $320 million,” the joint letter reads. It was signed by the five cities’ mayors: Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver, Sylvester Turner of Houston, Karen Bass of Los Angeles, and Eric Adams of New York City.
With record numbers of people flowing across the U.S.–Mexico border, shelter space has dwindled in communities hit hard by the influx. There have been reports of illegal immigrants sleeping in police station foyers in Chicago, a cruise ship terminal was turned into a shelter in New York City, and the number of asylum seekers arriving in Denver has increased tenfold, squeezing shelter capacity.
“Our cities need additional resources that far exceed the amount proposed in order to properly care for the asylum seekers entering our communities,” the mayors wrote, adding that relying on municipal budgets isn’t enough and that they’ve been forced to cut essential city services to provide for the needs of people who entered the country illegally.
“We request an appropriation of $5 billion to cover the expenditures our cities have already incurred and to continue serving the growing number of people arriving in our communities,” they added.
The mayors make other demands in their letter, including “dramatically” accelerated work authorization for illegal immigrants so they can find legal jobs once they cross the border.
“Without any path to legal work, we know these new arrivals will have no hope but to end up homeless or reliant on long term public support,” they wrote.
The Democrat leaders also called for a “collaborated federal approach” that would distribute the new arrivals based on “shared available capacity,” which could force nonsanctuary cities—which don’t roll out a welcome mat for illegal immigrants by limiting or denying cooperation with federal immigration enforcement authorities on matters such as deportation—to take in a share.
Beer Sales Set to Plunge to Lowest Levels in More Than 20 Years After Bud Light Controversy
Beer sales across the United States declined in 2023 and are set to drop to their lowest level in more than 20 years in the wake of the Dylan Mulvaney controversy and its long-lasting impact on Bud Light, industry experts have said.
Beer shipments in the United States decreased by over 5 percent during the first nine months of 2023, according to data from Beer Marketer’s Insights cited by The Washington Examiner.
The drop in sales was due in part to a widespread boycott against Anheuser-Busch-owned Bud Light earlier this year after the company decided to partner with transgender activist Mulvaney for a campaign, according to experts.
Bud Light came under fire after it sent the influencer a pack of beers with Mulvaney’s face emblazoned across them to celebrate both the TikTok star’s 365 days of being a “woman” and to promote the company’s “March Madness” contest.
Influencer Mulvaney is a biological male who identifies as female.
The move sparked a backlash among Bud Light drinkers, and Anheuser-Busch, which also produces Budweiser, lost up to $6.5 billion in stock value within just days.
Bud Light, which was the No. 1 selling beer in the United States for decades, also lost its top spot to Modelo Especial as a result of the partnership with Mulvaney.
Despite the controversy happening near the start of this year, Bud Light sales have steadily declined each month since by 25 percent to 30 percent, according to industry data cited by the New York Post, suggesting the fallout from the controversy is still having last effects.
The beer’s sales in stores were down by 28 percent in the four weeks ending Dec. 9 compared to the same period last year, according to a Wall Street Journal report, citing data from NielsenIQ and Bump Williams Consulting.
As a result, experts now anticipate beer sales will continue to decline to their lowest point since 1999, although a change in consumer habits, particularly among younger drinkers, is also playing a role.
According to separate data published earlier this year by Berenberg Research, Generation Z is consuming less alcohol than younger people in past generations, while the number of college-age adults opting to ditch alcohol entirely has grown 8 percent, from 20 to 28, in the past two decades, a University of Michigan study found.
If a new freezer or commercial fan or blower is on your wishlist, you’d better get it soon!
Biden Admin Now Targeting Fans and Blowers in Latest Climate Crackdown
The Biden administration is now setting its sights on commercial fans and blowers in its latest crackdown on appliances in the name of fighting climate change while also finalizing tough new efficiency standards for residential fridges and freezers.
The Department of Energy (DOE) on Dec. 29 released finalized energy efficiency standards for residential refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers, which the administration promised would bring savings to households and environmental benefits.
Compliance with the new standards for fridges and freezers (required either in 2029 or 2030, depending on the configuration) will result in carbon dioxide emission reductions of nearly 101 million metric tons over 30 years, per DOE. That’s roughly the equivalent of the combined annual emissions of nearly 13 million homes.
In terms of energy savings, the new rules promise to save 5.6 quadrillion British thermal units over 30 years, representing a savings of 11 percent over products currently on the market. That translates to savings of roughly $36.4 billion over three decades.Besides finalizing stricter standards for fridges and freezers, the DOE also announced proposed new rules for commercial fans and blowers, promising various benefits.
The proposed rules are said to cut energy costs for businesses by $3.3 billion per year while cutting carbon emissions by nearly 318 million tons over 30 years.
If eventually adopted, the fan and blower rules will be the first federal energy efficiency standards ever for such products—and the agency is promising even more red tape.
“DOE will continue to move quickly in 2024—together with our industry partners and stakeholders—to update and strengthen outdated energy efficiency standards, which is critical to innovation, more consumer options, and healthier communities,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
As of Dec. 29, the Biden administration has issued 30 proposed or final energy efficiency standards this year alone, with the DOE saying in a statement that these actions underscore President Joe Biden’s “commitment to tackling the climate crisis.”
A consumer watchdog recently estimated that the Biden administration’s war on appliances, in the name of climate change, would cost the average American household more than $9,100—and that calculation doesn’t include the newest curbs on fridges and freezers.
HEALTH
Please note: The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional.
California has become the first state to offer universal health insurance to all illegal migrants regardless of whether they have any documentation.
On January 1, taxpayers will now be forced to fork out thousands for medical care for an additional 700,000 undocumented immigrants – between 26 and 49 – eligible for full coverage under Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program.
It comes as more than a staggering 1.5 million are pouring across the southern border every year many of them seeking shelter in California’s Democrat-run ‘sanctuary cities.’
Previously, undocumented immigrants were not qualified to receive health insurance under Medi-Cal unless there was an emergency or pregnancy related issue.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers agreed in 2022 to provide health care access to all low-income adults regardless of their immigration status through the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal.
Pet Ownership Linked to Lower Risk of Dementia: Study
If you’re over 50 and live alone, have you considered adopting a pet? A new study shows that pet ownership could slow cognitive decline, especially in older adults who live alone.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, shows that individuals who owned pets experienced slower rates of decline in verbal memory and verbal fluency.
The researchers’ findings came after studying data from nearly 8,000 participants 50 years and older. The data came from an English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) conducted in two different studies 7 years apart. The average age of the participants was 66.3 years, and more than half (56 percent) were women. Thirty-five percent of the participants owned pets, and 26.9 percent lived alone.
During the study, participants were asked to perform several tests assessing their verbal memory and fluency. One example of the tests included reciting 10 unrelated words right after hearing them and then again one minute later. Another test included naming as many animals as they could in one minute. After following the participants for nine years, the research team found that individuals who lived alone and did not own pets had faster rates of decline in both verbal cognition, or the ability to understand the meaning of words, and verbal fluency, the ability to produce words. However, individuals who lived alone with a pet did not have an advantage in maintaining their cognitive awareness over those who lived with others. Additionally, they found that pet owners who lived alone had better attention, reasoning, processing speed, and accuracy than non-pet owners.
The new research sheds light on an important subject, as more Americans are living longer. By 2030, the entire Baby Boomer population, roughly 73 million Americans, will be 65 or older. More and more individuals are choosing to age at home rather than in nursing homes; the research team pointed out that in 2021, single-person households comprised 29.4 percent and 28.5 percent of all homes in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively. A 2022 study in the Journals of Gerontology supports this, estimating that between 20 percent and 30 percent of European adults 60 and older live alone, while approximately 28 percent of American adults 60 and older live alone. Choosing to live at home, as the National Institute on Aging notes, can require careful planning. Not only do individuals need to make plans to ensure they have enough income and resources for care, but it is also vital that individuals who choose to age at home have social engagements. Authors of the 2022 study on aging noted that having social networks often isn’t enough; living alone leads to loneliness. Loneliness, according to the authors of the JAMA Network Open study, can lead to dementia.
Pet ownership requires an individual to stay active, both physically and mentally. UK dog owners, for example, spend close to 250 minutes each week walking their dogs, according to a 2019 survey. Some evidence points out that physical activity can be as vital as social engagement in preventing dementia. In fact, research suggests that walking around 10,000 steps a day can cut the risk of dementia in half.
Other benefits of owning a pet as a senior include the following:
- Gives you a purpose in life.
- Helps you stay organized. Animals require a consistent schedule.
- Helps you form connections with new people.
- Provides new outlets for volunteering in the community.
- Potentially reduces blood pressure.
- Provides a companion to help relieve stress and anxiety.
- Helps you cope with pain more easily. An AARP study found that 70 percent of seniors said their pet helps them deal with physical or emotional pain.
- Promotes mindfulness.
- Potentially boosts heart health and promotes general wellness.
Depression has become a medical crisis in the United States. Recent data from the National Institutes of Health indicates that more than 8 percent of all U.S. adults (an estimated twenty-one million people) have suffered at least one major depressive episode, with greater occurrence among females (10.3 percent) than males (6.2 percent). Most tragically, the rate is highest in young adults in the prime of life—ages eighteen to twenty-five (18.6 percent).
Not surprisingly, antidepressant use has skyrocketed in recent years—drugs like Prozac and Zoloft are taken by one in six Americans, more than a quarter of whom are long-term users, defined as taking the drug for a decade or more.
Plenty of advice can be found on the Internet about using foods to combat depression, and most acknowledge that vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate, and zinc are nutrients low in those suffering from depression. The good news is that these are all nutrients we can get from animal foods.
Sources of B12 include liver, kidney, clams, sardines, beef, tuna, eggs, cheese, and milk. All animal foods provide B12, but the richest source is liver, which we all should include in our diets at least once a week. Liver is also a great source of folate and vitamin B6, other vitamins that can ward off depression. Liver had ten times more B6 than red meat!
The best sources of zinc are red meat, shellfish, and—again—liver. Some plant foods contain zinc but the mineral is often blocked by phytic acid and other anti-nutrients that occur in plant foods. Recent research findings show the benefit of zinc for treating depression and even psychotic episodes.
As for vitamin D, getting adequate exposure to the sun is important, but we only make vitamin D when the sunlight is directly overhead—that is at midday during the summer months. The rest of the year we need to get vitamin D from foods—that’s where the animal fats come in! Egg yolks and butter from pastured animals are excellent sources, as well as lard, shellfish, salmon, oily fish, and cod liver oil. Vitamin D needs vitamins A and K2 as cofactors, again found mostly in animal fats. And by the way, low vitamin-A intake is also associated with depression.
Animal fats not only provide the critical fat-soluble vitamins that help us feel good, but they also help keep blood sugar stable. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is associated with depression, and a diet lacking in plenty of fat is the fast track to hypoglycemia. That’s because fats modulate the release of glucose into the bloodstream. If you eat something sweet on an empty stomach—without any fats—within an hour or two your blood sugar will drop very low and you will definitely feel depressed. (Please don’t try this experiment!) But when you eat a good breakfast with protein and plenty of fats, your blood sugar will remain stable until the next meal. You will stay alert and able to concentrate without wanting to visit a vending machine.
Power Mall Recommended Products to Help with Depression:
- B12: Global Healing Center Vegan Safe Liquid B12
- Vitamin D: Optivida Vitamin D (Plant based Vitamin D with magnesium for better digestion)
- Lithium Orotate: Good Health Naturally Lithium Balance (Safe potential mood stabilizer and possible healthy alternative to antidepressants)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Google to Settle $5 Billion Lawsuit for Allegedly Tracking Users in ‘Incognito’ Mode
Google agreed to settle a potentially $5 billion lawsuit alleging that the tech giant collected data of internet users when they browsed in “private” mode on Google’s Chrome or other browsers.
The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2020 by five plaintiffs, covering millions of Google users. It accused the company of tracking user activity even after they set Google’s Chrome browser to “Incognito” mode. The complaint alleged that this tracking was also done when using the “private” browsing mode in other browsers. As such, when a user visits a website containing Google’s Analytics or other codes via any browser, the tech company collects private information like IP address and location data despite being on “private” browsing, the lawsuit alleged.
The complaint insisted that Google violated California’s privacy laws as well as federal wire-tapping regulations. It demanded a minimum of $5,000 in damages per affected user, with the total amount of the lawsuit amounting to at least $5 billion.
Last week, Google and the lawsuit plaintiffs submitted a notice in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California, agreeing to a deal that would “resolve the claims in this litigation” provided the court approves it. The parties asked the court to stay the litigation “in its entirety” and vacate the trial date so they could “focus their efforts entirely on finalizing the settlement.”
A trial date on the case was scheduled for Feb. 5, 2024. But the U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers put the trial date on hold on Thursday. The settlement terms were not revealed.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Neom: Is Saudi Arabia Constructing Future Babylon?
When Technocracy News’s Patrick Wood first wrote about Neom in October 2017, it was a crazy, whacked-out idea for a pop-up city in the desert of Saudi Arabia: 170 kilometers long (105.6 miles), 200 meters wide, and 500 meters high. When completed, it will be 33 times the size of New York City. Today, Saudi officials say it is 20% completed, and this video proves it. It will exist as a Techate, being the “smartest” city on earth. No cars allowed!
The speed of Dubai’s construction in the UAE pales in comparison to Neom. The Saudis are pouring all of their oil wealth into Neom, plus additional finance from global corporations, making it a global project.
The age-old discussion among students of Bible prophecy centers around the identity of Babylon (Revelation 14:18, 16:19, 17:5, 18:1-2). Some say it is symbolic of the new global order. Others point to existing global cities like New York, London, or Rome. However, watching the speed of construction in Neom, Babylon may emerge as a physical city in the near future.
VIDEO OF CONSTRUCTION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLaLajpMb6M&t=1s
Geoengineering Watch Global Alert News, December 30, 2023, #438
The latest installment of Global Alert News – “Scientists Warn ‘Doing Your Own Research’ Is ‘Dangerous’ and Turns People Into ‘Conspiracy Theorists’”, according to a new report published by Journal Nature. The climate science community is sounding the alarm about the grave dangers of climate engineering operations “if” they were to be implemented while still denying the fact that such operations have already been fully deployed for over 75 years. The weather-makers are increasingly desperate to engineer winter weather whenever and wherever they can, patented processes of chemical ice nucleation cloud seeding are core to the equation. What is the true extent of damage already done to the planet? Is an abrupt climate collapse scenario already unfolding?
California’s Fecal Fiasco Deepens With ‘Toilet-To-Tap’ Sewage Approval
California – known for its poo-lined streets, is one step closer to Soylent Green, after state officials approved new “toilet-to-tap” regulations which would allow water agencies to take wastewater from homes, recycle it, and then deliver it back to households in an effort to maximize the state’s water supply.
“It will truly be the highest quality water delivered in the state when it’s done,” according to Darrin Polhemus, director of the Division of Drinking Water and the State Water Resources Control Board, the NY Post reports.
Officials swear it’s safe (until it’s not, we assume), due to three rigorous stages of treatment. The poo water is treated for pathogens and viruses that is allegedly so effective that minerals have to be added back into the water to give it taste.
“If one fails, there’s still two remaining in its place as backups to make sure nothing goes untreated,” said Polhemus.
California is notoriously drought-prone and depends on water from other states via the Colorado River.
However, 2023 brought an exceptional amount of rain, and by October, the state was over 99% drought-free, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Although the water will be more expensive than imported water, the supply is more renewable and reliable, according to CalMatters.
California is the second state to allow the process, following Colorado. -NY Post
The Golden State has been using recycled water in farming and watering lawns for several decades, however this would be the first time it’s been used for potable water.
“I would have no hesitation drinking this water my whole life,” according to USC assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, Daniel McCurry.
The first areas of the state to turn poo into water will be San Diego and the Bay Area. In San Diego, half of the city’s water supply would be poo water by 2035, according to officials.
“Drought happens all the time and with climate change, it will only get worse,” Santa Clara Valley Water District official Kirsten Struve told ABC. “This is a drought-resistant supply that we will need in the future to meet the demands of our communities.”
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalcy_bias
2ND AMENDMENT
Minnesota’s red flag law took effect Monday, January 1, 2024, and allows police or family members to petition a judge for an order to have guns taken from certain individuals.
CBS News reported Minnesota’s red flag law is built on varying degrees of extreme risk orders, enabling guns to be confiscated for a period of time lasting anywhere from two weeks to one year.
Minnesota Police Chief Association president, Renville County Sheriff Scott Hable, was asked how officers and deputies will approach the task of seizing firearms and he indicated his hope that people will surrender their guns peacefully.
In instances where gun owners do not willingly hand over firearms, Hable indicated that law enforcement will execute search warrants.
California adopted the nation’s first red flag law in 2014 and it went into effect in 2016. California’s law, like the one in Minnesota, is built upon extreme risk orders.
Five years after the red flag law took effect, California led the nation in “active shooter incidents.”
COVID RELATED NEWS
‘Experts’ Say New COVID Strain Will Cause Global ‘Heart Failure Pandemic’
Scientists are warning that a new COVID strain will cause a global “heart failure pandemic,” prompting much skepticism. A new strain known as JN.1 will cause many people to suffer from “reduced cardiac function,” according to the report.
“Japan’s top research institute Riken has now issued a warning in the new report, which states that the ACE2 receptors, which the coronavirus clings to within human cells, are ‘very common’ in the heart,” reports GB News.
“Even though conclusive clinical evidence that persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with declined cardiac function has not been reported so far, the proof-of-concept study of the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 persistent infection of the heart and the potential risk of opportunistic progression of heart failure should be validated by a three-dimensional human cardiac tissue model which would serve as the alarm bell for a global healthcare risk,” states the report.
Health officials suggested people should be wary of gathering for New Year’s Eve celebrations, warning, yet again, that hospitals would be at risk of being stretched to breaking point. Despite everything we’ve learned about the association between COVID vaccines and serious heart problems, it appears they’re now trying to re-brand the heart problems as being caused by COVID itself.
Oh well, guess we better take another round of the “100 percent safe and effective” then!
Once the new booster is rolled out, expect another spate of healthy, professional sports stars suddenly collapsing in the middle of the field as a result of the JN.1 COVID strain. Judging from the posts on social media, especially “X”, a lot of people aren’t buying it.
COVID-19 Vaccines Linked to Increased Risk of Swollen Lymph Nodes in Children: Study
Children who received a COVID-19 vaccine faced an increased risk of several adverse events, including swollen lymph nodes, researchers in Norway reported in a new study.
The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in children aged 12 and up were linked to increased risks of severe allergic shock, lymphadenopathy, and heart inflammation, according to the paper. Researchers included people as old as 19.
In subanalyses, increased risks of acute appendicitis, epilepsy, and convulsions were also detected. The researchers looked at adolescents born from 2002 to 2009 who received a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 or 2022. They excluded children who received an early vaccine, indicating they were at high risk of COVID-19. Other exclusions included children who suffered one of the health problems within the four years prior to vaccination.
The study population ended up being nearly 500,000 children.
Vaccinated children were also about 2.5 times more likely to suffer lymphadenopathy within 14 days of a second dose and seven times more likely to suffer myocarditis and/or pericarditis, or heart inflammation, within 28 days of a second dose, according to the results of the main analysis.
FDA Can Withhold Key COVID Vaccine Safety Records for Now: Judge
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is being allowed to withhold COVID-19 vaccine safety data for at least six months, under a recent order from U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton. Lawyers representing the FDA said that the agency is overburdened by court orders forcing it to produce a certain amount of records pertaining to the authorization of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
The FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research is “dealing with an unprecedented workload” and “specific and unprecedented hardships,” the lawyers said in a motion for a stay. They asked for an 18-month pause in processing a Freedom of Information Act request that seeks the results of COVID-19 vaccine safety data mining.
The ruling means the FDA can continue withholding materials on its analyses of reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which have spiked since the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines. The nonprofit Informed Consent Action Network sued after the FDA declined to provide any of the materials. The agency also refused to provide them to The Epoch Times.
The case is Informed Consent Action Network v. Food and Drug Administration, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Washington.
FDA Identified Problems at Moderna Plant Making Substance for COVID Vaccine: Document
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors uncovered problems at a Moderna plant used to manufacture a substance that is part of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, according to a newly released document.
Moderna failed to meet multiple requirements, including rules aimed at minimizing the potential for contamination, according to the document.
They found that equipment used to manufacture the substance was not cleaned properly before usage, that a mock cleaning done for manufacturing did not adequately simulate the actual process, that written alarm procedures were not followed, and that neither the equipment nor the plant were designed in a way that would make contamination less likely.
Inspectors also learned that Moderna used materials beyond their expiration date.
“There are more than two thousand expired items stored in your … warehouse and cold storage at time of inspection,” Unnee Ranjan, the FDA’s lead investigator, wrote in a summary of the inspections.
The 6-page report was obtained via a Freedom of Information Act Request.
Research: COVID-19 Vaccines May Trigger Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
Various vaccines have been rapidly developed and administered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, accompanying the widespread vaccination efforts, there has been a notable increase in the occurrence of side effects and adverse events related to COVID-19 vaccines. Research has unveiled a potential association between COVID-19 vaccines and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, with two fatalities among 16 patients.
The clinical presentation of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy resembles that of acute myocardial infarction, with common symptoms including acute chest pain and breathlessness. Its hallmark is impaired left ventricular function, typically occurring after intense emotional or physical stressors such as the death of a loved one, traumatic events, or severe illness. This condition, first identified by Japanese physician Dr. Hikaru Sato in 1990, is named “Takotsubo” due to the balloon-like bulging of the left ventricle, resembling the octopus-catching pot used in Japan.
Outside of Japan, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is also referred to as stress cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome, or broken heart syndrome.
The association between COVID-19 vaccines and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is not widely known, with only a few reported cases. On Dec. 11, a peer-reviewed study published in the journal Cureus consolidated and analyzed the evidence concerning COVID-19 vaccine-induced Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
The researchers conducted a literature search and included 15 case reports involving a total of 16 patients. Among them, 14 individuals received mRNA vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna), while two received viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca). Seven patients developed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy after the first dose and seven after the second dose.
All patients exhibited elevated cardiac troponin levels, abnormal electrocardiogram findings, and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction on echocardiograms. The most predominant symptom among patients was chest pain, followed by dyspnea and nausea. Eventually, 14 patients recovered and were discharged, while two of the patients died.
The researchers noted that 87.5 percent of patients recovered and were discharged, indicating that Takotsubo cardiomyopathy occurring after vaccination is mostly “transient and reversible.” However, the death of 2 of the patients highlights the “potentially life-threatening nature of this vaccine-related adverse event.”
The paper’s authors urge clinicians to consider the possibility of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, especially among recipients of mRNA vaccines when presented with patients experiencing chest pain or dyspnea symptoms after vaccination.
The study also mentioned that vaccines developed for COVID-19 have various side effects, including pain and swelling at the injection site, fever, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), fatigue, and nausea.
GOOD NEWS
Traditional Blacksmith Forges in the Olden Ways to Glorify God—Passes on Skills to Homeschooled Sons
Far from the throngs of the big city, the Goodwin family look almost lost in time. While fewer than 2 in 10 Americans call the countryside home, Jordan Goodwin, 30, raised rurally and homeschooled, is of an even slimmer minority, alongside his wife, Atlanta, 33, who was also homeschooled.
Leading secluded, Biblically-inspired lives is all they’ve ever really known.
Together, they now carry forward their homeschooling, Christian tradition with their seven children on a small plot in Middle Tennessee. More remarkable still is Mr. Goodwin’s antiquated old-school trade as a fully traditional blacksmith in the modern age.
Since 2015, he has taken up his hammer—in a line of work now almost entirely phased out of existence, replaced by modern industrial methods—and gone on to launch a revival in the form of a business. He fully dresses the part, sporting tan leather apron, suspenders, and Civil War era-esque goatee.
“I use a coal forge and traditional techniques pretty much exclusively,” Mr. Goodwin told The Epoch Times, adding that classically produced metalworks have “a very different feel and look from those forged or stamped out by machine in big factories.”
His traditional forge combines forced air and coal to produce an extremely hot fire to superheat his primary working material, wrought iron, into soft, workable condition. Most of the shaping is done on an anvil with various hammers, sledgehammers, tongs, and forming tools.
Factors in the pre-industrial revolution economy, such as specialization, competition, and lack of automation, once drove smiths to develop incredible levels of speed and quality of handwork, Mr. Goodwin said.
Not entirely self-taught, he took a few week-long smithing classes; learned from books, tutorials, and forums online; and had the occasional mentorship. Today, inside his shop (which seems so lost in time), located a comfortable 30 feet from his homestead, Mr. Goodwin can forge an old-fashioned drawing knife in 6 or 7 manhours.
Reproducing tools and hardware from the late 18th to early 19th centuries is what he enjoys most, he said.
Their cottage industry took off, and he became a full-time blacksmith five years ago—and thus Axe & Anvil Hand Works was born.
Now he sells wall-mounted frontier gun hooks for $75 and fancier ones for $100, also forged nails, of Colonial and other various styles, chest handles, and steak flippers. These and other assorted, handcrafted tools—like Colonial tasting spoons and drawing knives—are sold on a cleanly designed website. He obliges custom orders large or small.
The endeavor was launched with a dual purpose, Mr. Goodwin said:
One, he wanted to make hardware for their log house.
Two, he and Mrs. Goodwin decided before getting married that they “would try to both work from home and build a family economy,” he told the newspaper.
ICYMI
Minn. woman sues dentist after 4 root canals, 8 crowns, and 20 fillings done in a single visit
A woman in Minnesota has reportedly sued her dentist after she received four root canals, eight dental crowns and 20 fillings during a single visit and has apparently been left disfigured because of it.
Kathleen Wilson filed a lawsuit last week against Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, according to the Associated Press. The negligent treatment apparently happened in July 2020. Molldrem has been accused of giving Wilson an unsafe amount of anesthesia and falsifying medical records in order to hide what he had done.
The Star Tribune reported that Wilson’s team retained Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a Florida dentist, to provide an expert opinion on the treatment Wilson received under Molldrem. Goldstein apparently found a number of duty-of-care breaches during the review.
Goldstein noted that Wilson had decay on “virtually every tooth in her mouth, something that is quite rare,” adding that Molldrem did not appear to do anything to address Wilson’s risk of disease or the potential of losing teeth.
“Katie required a slow, thoughtful, careful and measured response to her disease. Trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit is not only the antithesis of what was indicated, it is not humanely possible to achieve in an effective or constructive manner,” Goldstein said.
Goldstein concluded that Molldrem had made the correct diagnosis, but provided poor treatment in response.
One of the key elements to the case is that Molldrem apparently administered 960 mg of anesthesia to Wilson — but the maximum dosage is 490 mg, according to Goldstein.
According to Wilson’s records, Molldrem said he administered eight tubes of anesthetic used in dentistry, known as carpules. However, Goldstein discovered that the first dose alone contained eight carpules, and Molldrem administered a total of 15 carpules throughout Wilson’s visit.
Over the course of several months in 2022, Wilson was treated at the University of Minnesota Dental School “for repair and replacement of many of her restorations in an attempt to stabilize her mouth,” according to Goldstein.
It is still possible that Wilson will have to have all of her teeth removed, despite the procedures done on them. If this happens, Goldstein stated that all the work Wilson received on her teeth would “have been for nothing,” per AP.
Aside from medical costs, Wilson is seeking at least $50,000 in damages. She claims she suffered disfigurement, embarrassment, and pain as a result of the treatment.
“I’ll trade you the costs of extra protein for a bologna sandwich on a prison plate!”
Suspects Wanted For Assaulting A Chipotle Employee In Lancaster County
The Lancaster County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Department is still looking for a black couple who allegedly assaulted a 20-year-old female employee of a Chipotle restaurant after they learned they were being up-charged on their order for extra chicken by the employee. When the couple, who appear from the video taken by a restaurant patron to be already up-sized themselves, became enraged when they were told the extra chicken would cost more and started a heated argument with the employee. This happened on December 10th.
The worker — who remains unidentified — was so upset over the altercation that she decided to leave her shift early, around 9:00 p.m. It is not clear what was said between the two parties that resulted in the employee wanting to leave the establishment. As the employee headed for the door on one side of the dining area, Williams entered from the other side and approached the victim, according to the authorities.
Williams apparently “pushed her to the floor and began hitting her, pulling her hair, and jerking her around,” the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“I don’t know what was said between Pyle and the victim, but the victim was leaving for home and was chased down from behind by Williams and attacked in the dining room of the restaurant,” Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said.
“The assault was completely unjustified. I hope the victim has recovered from her injuries. I appreciate the help we got from Charlotte Mecklenburg PD to identify Williams and Pyle, and I encourage them to turn themselves in and let the judicial system run its course in this case.”
After Williams attacked the victim, Pyle joined in and struck the victim in the head, according to the police. Williams and Pyle got away in a Dodge Charger before the authorities arrived on the scene, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, but not before a witness got the make, model and license plate number. The New York Post reported that the victim had suffered injuries, but she sought treatment on her own. The seriousness of her injuries is currently unknown.
It is unclear what the nature of the relationship is between the victim and Williams and Pyle.
Arrest warrants have been issued for Williams and Pyle. Williams has been charged with Assault and Battery in the first degree, and Pyle faces a charge of Assault and Battery in the second degree.
‘Full Monty’ Actor Tom Wilkinson Dies at 75-Years-Old
LONDON (AP) – Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated British actor known for his roles in “The Full Monty,” “Michael Clayton” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” has died, his family said. He was 75. A statement shared by his agent on behalf of the family said Wilkinson died suddenly at home on Saturday. It didn’t provide further details.
Wilkinson was nominated for a best actor Academy Award for his work in 2001’s family drama “In The Bedroom” in 2001 and in the best supporting actor category for his role in “Michael Clayton,” a 2007 film that starred George Clooney.
He is remembered by many in Britain and beyond for playing former steel mill foreman Gerald Cooper in the 1997 comedy “The Full Monty,” about a group of unemployed steel workers who formed an unlikely male stripping act.
Wilkinson appeared in dozens of other movies, including “Batman Begins,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Valkyrie.”
The actor was recognized for his services to drama in 2005 when he was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire.
You Might Be A Democrat or Liberal If…
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has become famous by doing a routine that begins with “You might be a redneck if….” Below is a similar routine regarding Democrats or Liberals.
You might be a Democrat or Liberal if…
- You believe President Franklin Roosevelt did not know about the Pearl Harbor attack in advance.
- You believe Communists can be trusted.
- The term “spending limits” is not in your vocabulary.
- You believe in voting early and often on election days.
- You believe in homosexual marriages.
- You support illegal immigration.
- You support illegal drug use (cocaine, etc.).
- You don’t have the right to say a prayer in public school.
- You believe public schools should not teach biblical values but rather situation ethics.
- You believe bias in news reporting is acceptable as long as it is against Trump.
- You believe pro-Trump insurrection at the nation’s capitol is wrong, but 100,000 rioters taking over the capitol of Wisconsin is “a meaningful display of democracy in action” (Nancy Pelosi’s statement).
- You believe a pro-Trump insurrection at the nation’s capitol is wrong, but an insurrection against Trump at the White House (August 2020) is acceptable.
- You believe insurrections across the nation against Trump’s policies at the southern border are acceptable (Nancy Pelosi’s view).
- You believe rigging an election is acceptable if it is against Trump (https://steelonsteel.com/2021/04/14/dr-robert-epstein-searching-for-bias/
- You believe committing fraud in an election is acceptable if it’s against Trump (“Meet the Technology That’s Uncovering 2020’s Voter Fraud,” by Jay Valentine in AMERICAN THINKER, November 29, 2021).
- You believe the Second Amendment does not mean one has the right to defend oneself with a gun.
- You will give women the right to violently kill their own babies in the womb.
- You believe President Clinton’s illicit sex and lying should be overlooked.
- You believe in racial-balanced bussing even though it massively discriminates against blacks.
- You would prohibit the Ten Commandments on public property, but allow pagan deities (e.g., Vulcan in Birmingham, Demeter in Maryland at a cost of $75,000 in taxpayer money, Quetzecotl in San Jose at a cost of $500,00 in taxpayer money, etc.).
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