Today’s News: January 25, 2022

EXCLUSIVE: Why Are Non-COVID Deaths Spiking Among Prime-Age Americans?

Epoch Times – Americans have been dying at a significantly higher rate over the past two years or so, but the COVID-19 disease tells only part of the story. Among seniors, the pandemic could explain the increase in mortality more easily than among younger people, where there’s a gap requiring further explanation.

Overall, there appear to be three distinct patterns in the data based on age:

Among those of age 0 to 17, mortality remained virtually unchanged since 2019.

Among those who were 65 or older, mortality increased in 2020, dropped in the first half of 2021, coinciding with the proliferation of the COVID-19 vaccines, and then increased in the third quarter of 2021, coinciding with the emergence of the Delta variant, which appeared more resistant to the vaccines.

Among those aged 18 to 49, mortality rose dramatically in the first half of 2020, then somewhat plateaued before increasing again in the third quarter of 2021.

The 50 to 64 age group appears to be a mix of the latter two patterns.

 

FBI Searches Center for COVID Control Headquarters Following Complaints: Officials

Epoch Times – The FBI confirmed its agents searched the Illinois headquarters of the Center for COVID Control amid a federal investigation into the multimillion-dollar testing business.

“The FBI was conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity in Rolling Meadows [on Jan. 22],” FBI Chicago spokespeople told media in confirming the search of the business.

Yvonne Gamble, a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services (HHS) inspector general, said HHS agents and the FBI had searched the Rolling Meadows, Illinois, facility.

Annie Thompson, a spokesperson for the Illinois attorney general, told USA Today that the office is “working with the FBI and other law enforcement partners and will not comment on ongoing investigations as we work to hold accountable individuals who engage in unlawful conduct.”

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services stated on Jan. 21 that it’s investigating “numerous complaints” associated with laboratories and testing sites run by the Center for COVID Control.

“We take seriously any allegations of fraud or misbehavior by COVID-19 testing sites. CMS’s Center for Clinical Standards and Quality investigates these kinds of complaints and is aware of several alleged instances of misconduct by this company’s labs,” Dr. Lee Fleisher, chief medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for CMS, told CNN in a statement.

The agency “identified non-compliance” on behalf of the Center for COVID Control “and is waiting on an allegation of compliance from the laboratory to address the deficiencies cited,” Fleisher said, without elaborating.

Earlier in January, the Center for COVID Control’s founder and CEO, Aleya Siyaj, announced that the company would suspend operations between Jan. 14 and Jan. 22 due to “unusually high patient demand” that has caused staffing shortfalls.

“Center for COVID Control is committed to serving our patients in the safest, most accurate and most compliant manner,” Siyaj said. “Regrettably, due to our rapid growth and the unprecedented recent demand for testing, we haven’t been able to meet all our commitments.”

Later, the company stated that “it is extending its pause on operations” and “remains committed to providing the highest level of customer service and diagnostic quality and will not resume collection of patient samples until staffing resources permit CCC to operate at full capacity.”

 

Pfizer Board Member Suggests End to Mask, Vaccine Mandates

Epoch TImes – Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and current board member at Pfizer, said that declining COVID-19 cases should signal to policymakers that it is time to lift more pandemic-related restrictions.

“I think certainly on the east coast where you see cases declining dramatically we need to be willing to lean in and do that very soon I think as conditions improve we have to be willing to relax some of these measures with the same speed that we put them in place,” he told “The Squawk Box” in a Monday interview when asked about whether mask mandates should be dropped.

Gottlieb said that “a lot of the acrimony” in the United States stems from a lack of “clear goalposts” about when some of the measures will end.

The former FDA commissioner also cited the Connecticut government’s recent decision to rescind vaccine mandates for state workers as a policy that other policymakers should adopt in the near future as COVID-19 cases decline nationwide.

“The only way to get compliance from people and get accommodation [is] if we demonstrate the ability to withdraw these [mandates] in the same manner in which we put them in,” Gottlieb added.

The call for COVID-19 restrictions to be dropped comes as the overall infection rate in the United States has sharply declined in recent days. Data from the Johns Hopkins-run Our World in Data shows that 4,110 out of every one million Americans recorded infections on Jan. 10, but that rate was 2,643 as late as Friday and dropped to 615 per one million as of Sunday.

Outside the United States, more and more European countries have moved to rescind certain COVID-19-related rules, including vaccine passports and mask mandates. For example, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that starting Jan. 27, people in England won’t have to wear masks in public or show proof that they’ve been vaccinated to enter some venues.

But on Monday, World Health Organization’s (WHO) director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that more COVID-19 variants may emerge and alleged that it’s dangerous to assume Omicron is the last one or that “we are in the endgame.”

“There are different scenarios for how the pandemic could play out and how the acute phase could end. But it’s dangerous to assume that omicron will be the last variant or that we are in the endgame,” Tedros told a WHO board meeting. “On the contrary, globally, the conditions are ideal for more variants to emerge.” He didn’t provide evidence or data to back up his claim.

 

‘Null, Void, and Unenforceable’: NY Judge Strikes Down Governor’s Mask Mandate

Epoch Times – A New York Supreme Court judge on Monday evening ruled that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s mask mandate for schools and public places is unconstitutional, declaring it “null, void, and unenforceable.”

In mid-December, the Democrat governor enacted the mandate in the midst of rising COVID-19 cases, in part, fueled by the Omicron variant.

New York Supreme Court Judge Thomas Rademaker wrote in his order (pdf) that Hochul doesn’t have the authority to impose such a mandate because the state Legislature would have to approve laws requiring masks in schools and in other public areas.

“Neither the governor nor the state health commissioner had the authority to enact the mandate without the state legislature because Governor Hochul no longer has emergency powers,” Rademaker wrote in his order.

According to the ruling, “There can be no question that every person in this state wishes, wants, and prays that this era of COVID ends soon and they will surely do their part to see that is accomplished.”

But it stipulated that “enacting any laws to this end is entrusted solely to the State Legislature. While the intentions of Commissioner Bassett and Governor Hochul appear to be well aimed squarely at doing what they believe is right to protect the citizens of New York State, they must take their case to the State Legislature.”

Following the ruling, Hochul issued a statement on Monday night saying that her “responsibility as Governor is to protect New Yorkers throughout this public health crisis, and these measures help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives,” even though her state saw a significant rise in COVID-19 cases in late December and early January after the mandate was handed down.

“We strongly disagree with this ruling, and we are pursuing every option to reverse this immediately,” she wrote.

Days after she announced the mandate for all public places, Hochul appeared to backtrack by saying that she won’t force counties to comply. Several county executives pushed back on the order.

“My health department has critical things to do that are more important than enforcing this, and I think small businesses have been through enough already,” Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, a Republican, said in December. “God forbid the governor directs the state police to go out and enforce it.”

And on Dec. 30, the governor’s office confirmed the state won’t send inspectors to businesses to see whether they are enforcing her mandate. Previously, Hochul said during two news conferences that her administration would help counties identify businesses that are out of compliance, including “some spot checks.”

On Jan. 21, Hochul announced that New York would keep the mask mandate intact for schools and other public places until Feb. 1. Like numerous other COVID-19-related rules, the governor did not commit to an expiration date on when the mandate would end.

 

Antifa Shuts Down College Event as Administrators Blame Republican Students

Epoch Times – Republican students at a New Hampshire Ivy League college say the school’s administration deserted them and made false and embarrassing allegations against them in order to avoid bad publicity by canceling an event under heavy protest by the far-left extremist group Antifa.

The live event scheduled at Dartmouth  College was called “Extremism in America” and was to feature conservative personality Andy Ngo, who has been violently attacked by Antifa in the past.

Antifa and its sympathizers made several threats against the event including offering money to anyone who assaulted Ngo. A local group called Dartmouth Anarchists also posted violent insinuation about the event on social media, with one member tweeting: “So long as we stand, Dartmouth will never be a safe space for [right-wingers] to spew their misinformation. Wear black to show your solidarity and hide your identity!”

The event was hosted by Dartmouth College Republicans. The club’s president, Griffin Mackey, told The Epoch Times that local and state police were well prepared for the advent of any violence from the group and had a  SWAT team in place before the event began.

“Moore Hall may have been the safest place in all of New Hampshire,” said Mackey.

Just hours before Ngo was about to take stage, school administrators ordered the live event to be transitioned to a virtual event only. The schools later issued a statement blaming the move on failures of the College Republicans.

“In light of concerning information from Hanover police regarding safety issues, similar concerns expressed by the College Republican leadership, and challenges with the student organization’s ability to staff a large public event and communicate effectively (including dissemination of the visitor policy and a prohibition of bags in the building), the College has requested that the Extremism in America panel be moved online,” the college wrote in a statement it released after moving the event online.

However, emails exchanged between Anna Hall, senior assistant dean for student life at Dartmouth and the College Republicans show the student group had sent out emails to registered attendees days before emphasizing that backpacks would not be allowed at the event and that student ID would be strictly required. The group also posted notices on the college’s online bulletin and around campus, the emails show.

Mackey told The Epoch Times he believes the real reason the college canceled the event was to avoid “bad publicity” and any potential fall out from it.

Chloe Ezzo, Vice President of Dartmouth College Republicans,  added that Hall made an arbitrary last-minute request for the group to provide additional staffing as if she was trying to create “reasons” to cancel the event.

After the cancellation of the live event, members of Dartmouth Anarchists took to social media and declared “victory.”

“By going virtual on such a short notice, they seriously disrupted our event, embarrassed our organization, and created a roadmap for derailing these kinds of activities,” Mackey told the Epoch Times.

Hanover,  NH State Police, Hall, and other college administrators did not respond to requests for comments by The Epoch Times.

In a 2021 evaluation of free speech on college campuses,  The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), gave Dartmouth College a “C” in Free Speech.

Despite protests, the school did not cancel the scheduled live appearance last year by Madison Cawthorn, who would later become the youngest Congressman to be elected. During his speech, The Democratic Socialist Club at Dartmouth College chanted obscenities at the police.

However, Antifa and its sympathizers made it clear that it was prepared to wage an aggressive protest against Ngo.

A couple of days before the event, The Green Mountain John Brown Gun Club posted on social media that it had  “called up reserves” of “Antifa super soldiers” to be on hand for the event.

And in a tweet just a few days earlier, Antifa member Jonathan Dylan Chase offered money to anyone “who managed to assault Ngo” during his Dartmouth appearance.

Chase is a member of the Portland Oregon-based Rose City Antifa charged with violently attacking Ngo in 2019.

In a video captured by a local reporter, a group of demonstrators can be seen dousing Ngo with a milkshake, punching him, and yelling at him in an unprovoked attack.

 

US Coal Stockpiles Near Historic Lows

Epoch Times – The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says in its latest short-term energy outlook (pdf) that coal inventories in the electric power industry reached 93.7 million tons as of December 2021—an increase since September, when stockpiles hit a historic low not seen since the Carter administration.

Isaac Orr, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, told The Epoch Times he thinks the increase is a result of warmer-than-expected winter temperatures, greater wind generation, and electric companies’ decisions to conserve coal as a safeguard against potentially extreme winter weather.

“Companies are saying, ‘Look, we know we’re going to need this coal when the cold snap hits. So, let’s preserve it to kind of keep our powder dry,’” Orr said.

In September 2021, coal stockpiles at U.S. power plants fell to just over 80 million tons. This marked the smallest quantity in more than four decades, when in March 1978 power sector coal stocks hit 77 million tons.

EIA statistics provided exclusively to The Epoch Times indicated that December’s electric power sector coal stocks were still among the lowest since the 1970s, with the exceptions of multiple months earlier in 2021.

In early 1978, the United States’ population was 217 million, according to the Census Bureau (pdf), less than two-thirds of the Census-estimated population of 332 million in January 2022.

Power sources on the U.S. grid have also shifted during that time. With innovations in the extraction of natural gas from shale formations, natural gas has risen to 43 percent of domestic generating capacity in 2020 from 17 percent in 1990, per the EIA. Coal, meanwhile, fell to 20 percent of generating capacity from 53 percent during that same period.

While coal stockpiles have shrunk, Orr pointed out that days of burn, a statistic based on both inventories and historical consumption levels, have remained relatively steady in recent years.

“That’s showing how many days you can provide electricity with the coal power plants that are in operation now,” he said.

 

Sarah Palin Defamation Trial Against New York Times Postponed

Epoch Times –  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose defamation trial against The New York Times was supposed to start in federal court this week, has tested positive for COVID-19, causing the trial to be postponed until Feb. 3.

Palin is unvaccinated and publicly stated in Arizona in December 2021 that “it will be over my dead body that I’ll have to get a shot.”

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff set a Feb. 3 start date for the trial if Palin has adequately recovered by then. Palin, 57, may return to court even if she tests positive, but has no symptoms. If she has symptoms, she may be examined by a court-retained doctor on Feb. 2.

In 2018, Palin brought a lawsuit against the NY Times after its editorial board published an editorial about her that she deemed defamatory. According to court papers, the genesis of the editorial dates back to Jan. 8, 2011, when Jared Loughner opened fire at a political rally for then-Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, killing six people and injuring 13. Giffords was seriously wounded during the shooting.

Prior to the attack, Palin’s political action committee (SarahPAC) had circulated a map that superimposed the image of a crosshairs target over certain Democratic congressional districts, including Giffords’s district. In the wake of the Loughner shooting, some speculated that the shooting was connected to the crosshairs map.

No evidence ever emerged to establish that link. The criminal investigation of Loughner indicated that his animosity toward Giffords had begun before SarahPAC published the map.

On June 14, 2017, another political shooting occurred when James Hodgkinson opened fire in Alexandria, Virginia, at a practice for a congressional baseball game. He seriously injured four people, including Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.).

That same evening, the NY Times, under the editorial board’s byline, published the editorial “America’s Lethal Politics” in response to the shooting. The editorial essentially argued that the two shootings were Palin’s fault.

Due to immediate backlash, within a day, the newspaper had changed the content and issued a correction. Twelve days after the editorial was published, Palin sued the NY Times in federal court. She alleged one count of defamation under New York law.

The district judge ordered the NY Times to identify the author of the editorial, and it produced James Bennet, the editorial page editor. The case was dismissed but was revived with an appeal.

Palin was governor of Alaska from 2006 through 2009 and ran for vice president on the Republican ticket with then-Sen. John McCain in 2008. They lost to then-Democrat Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

 

UK Court Lets Julian Assange Appeal Extradition to US

Epoch TImes – A court in the United Kingdom on Monday ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal his ordered extradition to the United States.

Assange, 50, is accused by American authorities of helping a former intelligence analyst obtain classified information before publishing the information on WikiLeaks for anybody to access, a series of actions U.S. prosecutors say endangered national security and the lives of sources who were named in the documents.

The High Court in London ruled last year that the assurances given by U.S. authorities were sufficient to guarantee that Assange would be treated humanely, overturning a lower court ruling that concluded sending Assange to the United States would be “oppressive.” Assange appealed the latest ruling several days later.

In a decision released Monday, the high court said Assange can appeal to the UK Supreme Court, but only if the court agrees.

“The respondent’s application to certify a point of law is granted,” the judges said in their pronouncement.

They said the issue of whether the High Court could rely on U.S. assurances about Assange‘s treatment, which had not been given in the initial proceedings, was a subject on which his legal team could seek clarification.

“Whether or not the issue needs ventilation in that court is a matter appropriately for its decision. We would respectfully invite the Registrar of the Supreme Court to take steps to expedite consideration of any application for leave to appeal which follows.”

Assange has 14 days to submit an application to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court decides not to hear his appeal, the extradition can be approved by the home secretary, whose decision can also be subject to legal challenge.

 

The Spectacular Failure of COVID Shots

Mercola – British data show the COVID shots are an abysmal failure, as COVID infection rates in the U.K. are higher among the “fully vaccinated” in all adult cohorts

Infection rates are also rising faster among the fully vaxxed than in unvaccinated cohorts of all ages. All in all, these data prove that vaccine passports and mandates are completely pointless

Data from Scotland show more of the same. Double-jabbed Scots are more likely to be admitted to the hospital for COVID than unvaccinated. Since Omicron became dominant, COVID case rates are also lower among the unvaccinated than among the single-, double- and even triple-jabbed

Internationally, journalists are now starting to try to switch the narrative away from cases, hospitalizations and deaths by pointing out how unreliable these data are. What they don’t admit is that “dangerous misinformants” have highlighted these problems for two years already

Omicron is blowing huge holes in the pandemic narrative, as it predominantly affects the vaxxed, thus proving mandates and vaccine passports are irrational and useless

 

NIH Study Shows COVID Shot Affects Menstrual Cycle

Mercola – A study in Obstetrics & Gynecology found that those who received COVID-19 shots had longer menstrual cycles, typically by less than one day, when they received the shots

The longer cycles were noted for both doses of the injection, with a 0.71-day increase after the first dose and 0.91-day increase after the second dose

Some women experienced even greater menstrual changes, particularly those who received two shots in the same menstrual cycle

These changes included a two-day increase in cycle length and, in some cases, changes in cycle length of eight days or more

The study only evaluated menstrual cycle length, which means more research is needed to determine how the shots affect other aspects of menstruation, such as symptoms like pain and mood changes and characteristics of bleeding, such as heaviness of flow

 

Biden ‘clears the air’ after insulting reporter

A Fox News reporter said President Biden spoke to him shortly after insulting him during a press conference

RT – Appearing on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News, Doocy said the president called his cell phone “within about an hour of that exchange.”

“He said, ‘It’s nothing personal, pal,’” Doocy continued. “And we went back and forth, and we were talking about just kind of moving forward, and I made sure to tell him that I’m always going to try to ask something different than what everybody else is asking. And he said, ‘You got to.’ And that’s a quote from the president, so I’ll keep doing it.”

“Did he apologize?” Hannity asked.

Doocy replied: “He cleared the air and I appreciate it. We had a nice call.”

“Hey Sean, the world is on the brink of, like, World War III right now with all of this stuff going on,” the reporter said, apparently referring to the ongoing tensions between NATO and Russia around Ukraine. “I appreciate that the president took a couple of minutes out this evening while he was still at this desk to give me a call and clear the air.”

Doocy clarified to Hannity that he did not hear the insult when Biden uttered it, but heard about it moments later from fellow reporters.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Biden appeared to be irritated by Doocy’s question about inflation. “That’s a great asset, more inflation. What a stupid son of a b***h,” the president muttered while the microphone was still on. The phrase was caught on video and later made its way into the official transcript of the press conference published by the White House.

 

FNC’s Jesse Watters Jokes to Peter Doocy: ‘I Think the President’s Right — You Are a Stupid SOB’

Breitbart – Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy said Monday on FNC’s “The Five” that he did not hear President Joe Biden calling him a “stupid son of a bitch,” which was caught on a hot microphone.

After the press conference, Doocy asked Biden, “Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?”

Biden responded, “It’s a great asset, more inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch.”

Former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. asked, “Have you been called by the White House and asked to come to the Oval Office tomorrow for an interview?”

Doocy said, “No, and I don’t think that’s coming, either.”

He continued, “I couldn’t even hear him because people were shouting at us to get out.”

Co-host Jesse Watters joked, “I think the president’s right — you are a stupid SOB.”

Doocy quipped, “Yea, nobody has fact-checked him yet and said it’s not true.”

Watters added, “Everyone is talking about you. You are going to be known as the stupid SOB guy.”

Co-host Greg Gutfeld said, “It is something great that you were called a name by a president. It is something that will be in the history books.”

Co-host Dana Perino said, “You might already have a book title.”

 

Doctors Diagnose Problems With Nation’s COVID-19 Response

The Daily SIgnal – Dr. Robert Malone became widely known recently for being banned on Twitter and for an interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast diverging from the prevailing view on COVID-19.

“I’m speaking to you not only as a physician and scientist, but also as a father and grandfather. I’m also a COVID survivor. In my opinion, we should never have politicized the public health response to COVID-19,” Malone said Monday on Capitol Hill. 

“This is a bipartisan issue. I know I’ve been characterized as a right-wing Proud Boy,” the medical doctor said, “[but] I’ve previously supported both President [Barack] Obama’s and President [Joe] Biden’s campaigns.”

Malone, a virologist and immunologist who specializes in mRNA technology used in the vaccines, spoke during “COVID-19: A Second Opinion,” an event featuring doctors and scientists sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., to focus on alternative treatments beyond vaccinations.

Malone noted a high rate of infection caused by the omicron variant of COVID-19 among the vaccinated population. So, he said, “mandating these vaccines makes no sense.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines mRNA as a type of vaccine that causes cells to make proteins that will trigger an immune response inside the body. 

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 are both mRNA types, but the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not. 

“Even if every man, woman, and child were vaccinated, they cannot achieve herd immunity,” Malone said. “Furthermore, they are not completely safe. The full nature of the risks remain uncharacterized. Usually it takes us many years to fully understand the risk of vaccines. If there is risk, there must be choice.”

Johnson’s forum at the Russell Senate Office Building featured doctors from across the country who favor alternative treatments such as the drugs ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

 

FDA Restricts Use of 2 Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

Epoch Times – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Jan. 24 it is restricting the use of two monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19, saying data show such treatments are “highly unlikely” to be active against the Omicron variant, currently the dominant strain in the country.

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-created proteins that mimic natural antibodies the body produces to fight off harmful pathogens, such as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus.

The agency revised its emergency authorization for the two COVID-19 treatments that come from Regeneron and Eli Lilly. Their use is now limited to when the COVID-19 patient is “likely to have been infected with or exposed to a variant that is susceptible to these treatments.”

“Because data show these treatments are highly unlikely to be active against the omicron variant, which is circulating at a very high frequency throughout the United States, these treatments are not authorized for use in any U.S. states, territories, and jurisdictions at this time,” the FDA stated. “In the future, if patients in certain geographic regions are likely to be infected or exposed to a variant that is susceptible to these treatments, then use of these treatments may be authorized in these regions.”

The Omicron variant, which started spreading in the United States in late November 2021, is estimated to account for more than 99 percent of cases in the country as of Jan. 15, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

AMC Entertainment Continues to Crash With the Market: What’s Next?

Epoch Times – AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. shares are trading lower Monday as the market continues to dip. Many other popular WallStreetBets stocks are pushing lower as well.

AMC has fallen out of a pattern and is now on a strong downward trend.

AMC was down 9.74 percent at $16.22 at time of publication Monday.

The stock is now trading in a downward trend after falling below a pennant pattern. This shows bearish traders have taken control of the stock. The bearish trend may continue to hold until the price can cross above the channel resistance.

The stock trades below both the 50-day moving average (green) and the 200-day moving average (blue). This indicates bearish sentiment, and each of these moving averages may hold as an area of resistance in the future.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) continues to fade lower and now sits at 21. The RSI is in the oversold region and the stock continues to see strong selling pressure. The price may continue to fall lower if the RSI holds below the oversold region.

 

State Issues Warning to NYC Restaurant After It Starts Selling 25-Cent Cocktails to Customers

Epoch Times – New York’s State Liquor Authority has issued a warning to a restaurant after it began selling 25-cent martinis and Manhattans to customers in an effort to lure them in.

Anton’s Cafe and Wine Bar in the West Village announced earlier this month that it was reintroducing 25-cent martinis and Manhattans for customers every weekday lunch during January.

“Not a typo. Actually $0.25 for a full cocktail. And stay tuned for the imminent return of bottled cocktails…delivery and take away. Cheers!” the wine bar said on Instagram.

However, the discounted drinks offer was apparently in violation of a State Liquor Authority (SLA) law that prohibits businesses from serving free alcohol or discounted drinks priced at under half of their original price.

On Saturday, Anton’s chef and co-owner Nick Anderer said that the discounted drinks offer had come to an abrupt end after he was made aware of the violation.

“Due to an obscure NY State liquor law, of which we were completely unaware, and for which we received no warning or notice, we can no longer offer 25 cent Martinis and Manhattans,” Anderer wrote on Instagram.

“Starting next week, and for the remainder of the month, as per mandate from a State Liquor Authority official, we will be offering $9 Martinis and Manhattans for lunch,” the chef said.

“Apparently, ‘special’ prices on liquor/wine cannot be offered any lower than 50 percent of an establishment’s regular pricing. Wish us luck as we battle through a pending SLA case…just when we thought all the bureaucratic hurdles were behind us…And pls don’t cancel your lunch reservations…laissez les bons temps rouler!” Anderer said.

 

6 Mighty Mushrooms For Immune Health

By Nick Polizzi – We humans have been foraging for medicinal mushrooms for thousands of years. They could be found in the apothecaries of Ancient Greece and Rome, the Taoist healing temples of early China and are now back in high demand here in the Western World.

This innate love of mushrooms is shared by just about every culture on earth – why? Because these mysterious organisms contain powerful medicines that can keep you free of illness.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of mushrooms is that they are considered to be modulators. This means that they are able to go into your body and detect where things are out of balance – and then correct the issue by boosting certain organ systems while calming others.

Fascinating, right?

Fun fact – There are well over a million species of mushrooms in the world, but less than 2% of them have been studied for their medicinal value. Thankfully, the 400 or so mushrooms that are deemed “medicinal” have had a huge impact on human health – not only from an herbalist’s perspective but in modern medicine as well.

The most shining example is the penicillium fungi, which is the core ingredient of the life-saving antibiotic penicillin, a medical breakthrough that arguably changed the course of human history.

Ok, without further ado… Today I want to share 6 fantastic fungi that we keep in our pantry at all times – for both their immune-boosting effects and also their overall therapeutic value.

Are you ready?

• Shiitake “The elixir of life”

(Lentinula edodes)

Shiitake mushrooms are not only delicious when sautéed in garlic (along with your dark leafy vegetable of choice), they are now proven to possess serious antiviral and antibacterial properties. Shiitakes are rich in polysaccharides that contain a compound known as lentinan, which helps to fortify your immune system. They also contain a number of beta-glucans that are shown to boost the production of white blood cells, strengthening your body’s resistance to harmful germs and toxins in your environment.

These beta-glucans also have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects, particularly on the digestive system – which is where much of your immune system lives.  One of these beta-glucans known as eritadenine is also shown to reduce cholesterol and promote heart health.

Stack on the number of B-vitamins, amino acids and fiber that shiitake contains and you’ve got yourself quite a mushroom!

• Reishi “The mushroom of immortality”

(Ganoderma lucidum)

Among all the mushrooms in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Reishi is perhaps the most cherished. Thought of as the “king of herbs” (even though it’s not a plant), Reishi belongs to a special class of herbs and fungi known as adaptogens. The dictionary definition of an adaptogen is – a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes. A well-known example is ginseng.

Not only is Reishi able to modulate (or rebalance) your immune system for optimal health, it is also used to bring your emotions and overall psyche into balance as well. Don’t take my word for it – try drinking reishi tea each morning for two weeks and report back to us… You’ll see what I mean ?

From an immunity perspective, the triterpenes found in Reishi boost the production of your immune system’s natural killer cells, which are able to detect and destroy cancer cells and viruses. Reishi is also a great source of biologically active polysaccharides, which possess a host of health benefits, including lowering blood sugar, reducing inflammation and regulating the immune system.

• Lion’s Mane “The brain booster”

(Hericium erinaceus)

If you come across a Lion’s Mane mushroom in the woods, its otherworldly appearance is enough to stop you in your tracks. This mushroom looks like a cross between an albino sea anemone and a wild pom-pom. Often growing on the remains of fallen logs, Lion’s Mane is not only extremely good for you – it’s also a prized edible with a flavor and a texture that will blow you away.

This mushroom has most recently been hailed as a remarkable brain booster, because it contains a plethora of compounds that are highly beneficial for cognitive function and the health of your nervous system. The hericenones and erinacines found in Lion’s Mane are shown to stimulate the growth of new brain cells. Kind of a big deal…

But yet another accolade that Lion’s Mane has sitting on the mantle is its immune-enhancing effect. Lion’s Mane has been shown to stimulate the beneficial bacteria in our mouth and gut, which make up a large portion of your immune defense. These bacteria help to neutralize the harmful germs and chemicals that often enter our body through the mouth or nose, as we breathe in.

• Maitake “Dancing mushroom”

(Grifola frondose)

A favorite Chinese edible, the Maitake has a peppery flavor that is a wonderful addition to any stir fry. This mushroom also goes by the nickname “hen of the woods” because some feel it resembles a hen sitting on her nest.

The Japanese also call it the “dancing mushroom,” because legend has it that the ancient Samurai warriors – as stoic and serious as they were – would behave like giddy children and start dancing when they came across a patch of Maitakes in the forest!

Maitake’s special power is helping to ease physical and mental stress, while also fortifying your immune system with its host of vitamins, nutrients, beta-glucans, and polysaccharides. Maitake is also being studied in Asia for its anticancer effects – particularly its ability to stimulate the production of your immune system’s natural killer cells (which go after cancer cells), as well as T cells.

• Chaga “The diamond of the forest”

(Inonotus obliquus)

From the untamed wilderness of Northern Siberia all the way to the Birch forests of North America, the Chaga mushroom has been used for millennia for its powerful immune-boosting properties. Indigenous cultures across the northern hemisphere consider this mushroom to be one of the most powerful medicines in the forest… and the science now agrees.

Known scientifically as Inonotus obliquus, Chaga is one of the most promising mushrooms yet discovered. It contains the highest levels of antioxidants of any mushroom (more that most plants as well). This alone makes it extremely special, as antioxidants are vital for fighting off free radicals – which attack our healthy cells and make us sick.

When you add Chaga’s antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties to the mix, your immune system gets the solid protective barrier it needs to stay healthy year round.

• Turkey Tail “The cloud mushroom”

(Trametes versicolor, Coriolus versicolor)

Another tree mushroom like Reishi and Chaga, this organism’s scientific name Trametes versicolor translates to “of several colors.”

TurkeyTail contains a variety of natural compounds that improve energy levels and promote a healthy microbiome – which is the heart of your immune system.

The array of triterpenes, organic acids and alkaloids that it contains pack a germ-fighting wallup. Turkey Tail also contains a compound called polysaccharide-K (PSK) that stimulates your body’s natural defense against foreign pathogens. PSK is so effective that it’s now an approved anticancer prescription drug in Japan.

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