World News
NATO member will withdraw troops in event of war with Russia – president
RT – Croatian President Zoran Milanovic blamed the US for escalating the crisis and said his country would stay out of a conflict
With tensions growing on the border between Russia and Ukraine, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has announced that Zagreb will pull its troops out of NATO contingents stationed in the region should the situation spiral into a full-scale conflict.
Speaking on Tuesday in a televised address, the leader said he sees “reports that NATO – not a separate state, not the US – is increasing its presence and sending reconnaissance ships.”
He insisted that Zagreb’s authorities “have nothing to do with it and we won’t have anything to do with it, I guarantee you that.”
NATO Takes Control of US Aircraft Carrier for First Time Since Cold War
Epoch Times – NATO took control of a U.S. aircraft carrier group this week as part of a preplanned military exercise—for the first time since the Cold War.
“Allied ships from the NATO Naval Striking and Support Forces Command and the U.S. Sixth Fleet initiated a series of patrolling activities across the Mediterranean Sea, within the framework of ‘Neptune Strike 2022,’” NATO said in a statement on Jan. 24. “Neptune Strike is a long-planned effort. It will be carried out until 4 February, and features the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier aircraft carrier, along with its carrier strike group and air wing.”
The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group entered the Mediterranean Sea on Jan. 21 in the midst of growing tensions with Russia along the Ukrainian border, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby announced.
He said that the strike group “will participate in coordinated maritime maneuvers, anti-submarine warfare training, and long-range strike training,” describing the war games as something that had been “long-planned” and weren’t in response to Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine’s border.
The Harry Truman is accompanied by American cruiser San Jacinto and destroyers Bainbridge, Cole, Gravely, and Jason Dunham.
“We constantly look at exercises and training and ask ourselves … do we really need to do it now? Should we speed it up? Should we shorten it?” Kirby also said Friday. “There was due consideration given about tensions right now about our exercise posture and after all that consideration and discussion with our NATO allies, the decision was made to move ahead.”
On Monday, the Pentagon announced it would place about 8,500 troops on alert who will also be ready to deploy in case the crisis escalates. Western states have accused Russia of plotting a new attack on Ukraine, which the country invaded in 2014.
But the Kremlin has denied any such plan but said it will take unspecified military action unless NATO and Ukraine meet its demands, including a NATO promise to never admit Ukraine into the alliance.
Ukrainian leaders on Tuesday, meanwhile, sought to reassure the Eastern European nation that Russia does not plan to invade the country in the near future.
It came two days after the State Department ordered the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave the country, and it said that nonessential embassy staff could leave. Britain said it, too, was withdrawing some diplomats and dependents from its embassy.
Burkina Faso’s military seizes power in a coup, detains president and dissolves government
CNN – Burkina Faso’s army said it took control of the country on Monday, deposing President Roch Kabore, dissolving the government and parliament, suspending the constitution and shuttering its borders.
The coup was announced on state television by Captain Sidsore Kader Ouedraogo, who said the military had seized power in response to the “ongoing degradation of the security situation” in the country and the “incapacity of the government” to unite the population.
Sitting alongside him dressed in military fatigues and a red beret was Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, a senior military officer who was introduced to the people of Burkina Faso as their new leader.
Damiba was promoted in December by Kabore to commander of the country’s third military region, which is responsible for security in the capital Ouagadougou, according to Reuters. He studied at a military academy in Paris, and recently authored a book titled “West African Armies and Terrorism: Uncertain Responses?”
There was no mention made in the televised statement about Kabore’s whereabouts. The president has not been seen in public since fighting broke out on Sunday around the presidential palace in Ouagadougou.
One of the coup leaders told CNN that Kabore was detained early Monday by soldiers that had taken control of a military base before storming the palace grounds and firing shots near the president’s home. The same source said that Kabore signed his resignation and is being kept in a “safe place” in the West African country.
North Korea Hints at Return of Long‐Range Missile, Nuclear Weapon Testing
CATO Institute – This year is shaping up to be a very active one for North Korea’s missile program. Kim Jong Un’s regime has already conducted four ballistic missile tests so far this year, including two tests of a new, maneuverable warhead that North Korea called a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). All of the missiles tested in 2022 thus far, and most tests conducted since the breakdown of nuclear diplomacy in February 2019, were of relatively short‐range systems. This trend could change, however, due to recent guidance from North Korea’s politburo.
The politburo report instructs the country’s national defense sector to reconsider “confidence‐building measures that we have taken on our own initiative…and to promptly examine the issue of restarting all temporarily‐suspended activities.”
While the politburo report was not explicit, the measures it mentions reconsidering are most likely a moratorium on long‐range missile and nuclear weapon testing that Kim Jong Un announced in April 2018 when diplomacy with the United States was on the upswing. Kim officially lifted the moratorium in December 2019 and resumed missile testing, but thus far he has refrained from conducting tests of both nuclear weapons and intercontinental‐range ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the United States. Instead, North Korea’s missile tests have emphasized shorter‐range systems that could threaten South Korea, Japan, and potentially Guam.
Netherlands lifts toughest Covid curbs with Denmark and France set to follow
Guardian – The Netherlands has lifted its toughest Covid controls, Denmark is to remove all restrictions within days and France will begin easing curbs next week, as many – but not all – EU countries opt to reopen despite record infection numbers.
The moves come as data shows hospital and intensive care admissions are not surging in line with cases, and after the World Health Organization suggested the Omicron variant – which studies show is more contagious but usually less severe for vaccinated people – may signal a new, more manageable phase in the pandemic.
Dutch bars, restaurants and museums were allowed to reopen on Wednesday after the prime minister, Mark Rutte, said the government was “consciously looking for the limits of what is possible” as case numbers continued to hit new daily highs.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
Biden Administration Is Withdrawing OSHA COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Epoch Times – The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Tuesday it will formally withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private businesses with 100 or more employees on Wednesday.
The agency issued an announcement in the Federal Register that it will withdraw its rule, known as an emergency temporary standard (ETS), which required companies to make employees either get a COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing while wearing masks in the workplace.
It comes after the Supreme Court on Jan. 13 issued a 6–3 opinion blocking the rule, saying that challengers to the order, including large trucking companies, were likely to prevail in court.
Published Tuesday (pdf), OSHA said that “this agency action becomes effective immediately both because there is good cause and because the action removes a requirement on the regulated community.”
“Notwithstanding the withdrawal of the Vaccination and Testing ETS, OSHA continues to strongly encourage the vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 in the workplace,” OSHA continued.
At the same time, the agency said it is moving forward with a proposal to make the emergency temporary directive a permanent standard.
The agency added that more public comments on the mandate’s withdrawal would be “impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest because it would unnecessarily delay the resolution of ambiguity for employers and workers alike.”
According to the document, the rule that formally withdraws the vaccine-or-test mandate will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Nancy Pelosi Says She’s Running for Reelection in 2022
Epoch Times – After months of speculation on her future in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday announced she is running for reelection.
In a video posted online, Pelosi said, “I am running for reelection to Congress and respectfully seek your support,” explaining that she believes her reelection could bolster Democrats’ and President Joe Biden’s agenda.
“While we’ve made progress,” she added, “much more needs to be done to improve people’s lives.” She also invoked the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol breach as another reason why she’s running again.
The 81-year-old, who was first elected to the House in 1987, was the first woman to serve as House speaker and was expected to step down, particularly as her party braces for the potential loss of its majority in the 2022 midterms. In November 2020, Pelosi reiterated that her current term as House speaker would be her last.
Based on her Tuesday announcement, it’s not clear if Pelosi will again seek the House speaker position.
City votes to adopt first-in-the-nation gun ownership requirements
CNN – The San Jose, California, city council voted Tuesday night to adopt a first-in-the-nation ordinance requiring most gun owners to pay a fee and carry liability insurance, measures aimed at reducing the risk of gun harm by incentivizing safer behavior and easing taxpayers of the financial burden of gun violence.
The Silicon Valley city’s council split the vote into two parts: the first approving the bulk of the proposal, including the insurance provisions, and the second approving the fee provisions. The insurance vote passed 10-1, while the fees vote passed 8-3.
The ordinance must be approved next month at its final reading in order to take effect in August. Gun rights supporters have threatened to sue to block the measures if they become law.
Ahead of the vote, Democratic Mayor Sam Liccardo estimated that San Jose residents incur about $442 million in gun-related costs each year. “Certainly the Second Amendment protects every citizen’s right to own a gun. It does not req
Under San Jose’s measure, gun owners would be charged an annual $25 fee directed to a nonprofit set up to distribute funds to gun crime prevention and to victims of gun violence. The measure also would require gun owners to obtain liability insurance that would cover damage caused by their weapon.
People who fail to comply are subject to fines and could have firearms impounded “subject to a due process hearing,” the ordinance says.
Lower premiums for those with gun safes, trigger locks and completed gun safety classes are expected to incentivize safer behavior.
As to enforcement, police officers crossing paths with gun owners would ask for proof of insurance, much like they do with car insurance during traffic stops, Liccardo explained.
Update: FBI Raids COVID Testing Company Accused of Falsifyng Test Results in $124 Million Cover-Up
The Western Journal – On Saturday, the FBI searched the headquarters of a COVID-19 testing company accused of providing false or deceptive test results.
According to The Hill, the federal government has sent more than $124 million to reimburse the Center for COVID Control for conducting COVID-19 tests.
At its busiest, the Center for COVID Control gathered more than 80,000 tests per day from over 300 locations across 26 states, The Hill reported.
Newly proposed SC legislation would make it a crime to ask about vaccine status
Fox – A newly proposed legislation in South Carolina suggests making it a criminal offense for anyone to ask about a person’s vaccination status.
Under the proposed “don’t ask” bill, just asking if someone is vaccinated could be considered a misdemeanor crime.
“The government has no place in making you or telling you to take the vaccination or threatening your livelihood if you don’t,” Upstate representative William “Bill” Chumley, R-District 35, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, told WHNS.
House bill H.4848 now heads to committee after being filed just days ago. It states: “… any representative of a public, private, or nonprofit entity…who inquires about COVID-19 vaccination status … must be fined not more than $14,000 or imprisoned not more than one year.”
The legislation is something representative Chumley calls a “freedom and job protection issue.”
“South Carolina didn’t want to get in this fight,” Chumley said. “It was brought to us by the federal government.”
Chumley said he blames a large part of the current labor shortage on vaccine mandates. He and others who proposed the law did so to send a message that states have a right to impose certain laws if they want.
Labor law attorney Jeremy Summerlin, however, said he believes the whole idea is farfetched.
Drop Boxes Can Be Used in Upcoming Wisconsin Primaries: Appeals Court
Epoch Times – A Wisconsin appeals court ruled this week that drop boxes can be used in next month’s primary elections, blocking a lower court that concluded that election officials lacked the authority to allow the ballot containers.
The parties appealing the ruling have “more than the mere ‘possibility’ of success on the merits,” a three-judge panel on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled.
Factors weighing in favor of blocking the lower court order include the Feb. 15 primaries already being in progress, the panel said, siding with the Wisconsin Elections Commission and intervenors like Disability Rights Wisconsin.
Forcing the commission to withdraw its guidance to election clerks to put out drop boxes could easily lead to confusion, the panel said. Nearly 8,400 mail-in ballots have already been sent out, and there could be voters who have already deposited them in drop boxes or given them to a family member or friend to mail in.
“If the current guidance is withdrawn at this stage of the election process, there is significant uncertainty as to whether these votes would be counted. Given this situation, the risk of confusion—and possible disenfranchisement—is compelling,” the panel concluded.
Disability Rights Wisconsin cheered the decision, as did Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat who said the ruling “will stop new barriers to voting from being imposed, and almost certainly prevent some Wisconsinites from being disenfranchised, in the upcoming February elections.”
22 Ways to Stop Vaccine Passports
Mercola – The end-goal of vaccine passports is to surveil and collect not only medical information but also financial transactions, political affiliations, religious and philosophical beliefs and more
Disguised as a tool for convenience and safety, digitized IDs, such as mobile driver’s licenses, will be embedded into everyday life and used to control everything from food and sustainability to travel and mobility
There’s still time, however, to stop the imposition of totalitarian control worldwide, and a key way to do so is to fight back against vaccine passports
Investigative journalist Corey Lynn shared 22 ways to stop vaccine passports, from not complying and leaving your cellphone at home to using cash as much as possible and not supporting establishments that require vaccine passports
EXCLUSIVE: 3 Plead Out in California Election Fraud Case as Councilman’s Trial Proceeds
The Daily Signal – Three of six defendants have pleaded no contest to charges in an alleged voter fraud conspiracy in California that may have flipped an election hinging on one vote.
Los Angeles County Superior Court also will hold a hearing Wednesday in a separate civil case based on the same Compton city election to set a trial date.
In a June runoff election, Compton City Council member Isaac Galvan was reelected to the seat representing District 2, beating fellow Democrat Andre Spicer by 855 votes to 854 in the nonpartisan contest.
In August, prosecutors charged Galvan, 34, with election fraud and bribery.
Conservative Activist Brandon Straka Sentenced to Home Detention and $5,000 Fine
Epoch Times – A conservative activist has been sentenced to three months of home detention and a $5,000 fine.
Brandon Straka, 45, of Nebraska, was sentenced on Monday for his participation in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building.
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich accused Straka of abusing his online platform to encourage people to attack on Jan. 6 and defend the events that unfolded on that day.
“Election challenges are fought in the courts, not by storming the Capitol,” Friedrich said, calling Straka’s use of social media “deeply disturbing.”
Straka, a Democrat-turned-Republican, pleaded guilty in October to a disorderly conduct charge, a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment.
Straka founded the “WalkAway” movement, which encourages disenchanted Democrats and liberals to move right. The former hair stylist in 2018 posted a video titled “Why I left the Democrat Party,” which went viral.
Woman Who Came Into Contact With Escaped Monkeys Says She Developed Symptoms
Epoch TImes – A Pennsylvania woman who came into contact with laboratory monkeys last week after a truck carrying them crashed has said she developed unusual symptoms.
On her Facebook page and during media interviews, the woman, Michelle Fallon, said she developed symptoms after the accident. Fallon wrote that she sought emergency room treatment at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
Fallon told local media that after the crash, she believed the truck was carrying cats. However, when she approached the cages, a monkey appeared and hissed at her.
“What a day I try to help out at a[n] accident seen was told there were cats in the crates. So I [go] over to pet them [only] To find out it’s monkeys. Then I noticed that’s there 3 in each and [one] was completely broken the other was half broken,” Fallon wrote. “So I knew 4 got away. So come home go to bed. My aunt runs into New[s] crew [and] was ask[ed] to do [an] interview. Then find out not to get close to the monkey.”
She continued: “Well tried to pet one, I touch the [crates] and walk in poop. Then was told to [meet] police at the scene. To talk about exposure. News crew was the[re]. I thought they were [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] so I to them. End up doing interviews. Talk to police and a lady with CDC. I’m will getting a letter. I’m very low risk for I don’t know what yet.”
Later, she wrote that she has “symptoms” that are like “Covid symptoms. Like seriously. A day from hell.” She was referring to COVID-19, the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
Fallon told PAHomepage that she had an open cut on her hand and also developed pink-eye-like symptoms. She went to the emergency room at Geisinger Danville
“Because the monkey did hiss at me and there were feces around, and I did have an open cut, they just want to be precautious,” said Fallon, adding that she will be on preventative medicine for two weeks.
Fallon told WNEP-TV that she was contacted Saturday by the CDC and was told to monitor herself for any unusual symptoms. A letter from the CDC she shared with the outlet said that “the surviving monkeys will be quarantined and will be monitored for infectious diseases for at least 31 days before their release.”
And, over the weekend, activist group PETA issued a press release—with a headline that blared, “The Monkey Crash Could Release Disease”—saying Fallon “got an eyeful of monkey saliva that has caused a reaction. She’s now on antiviral drugs and medication to protect against rabies.”
Economy & Business
Federal Debt and Unfunded Entitlement Promises
CATO Institute – Biden’s budget‐busting Build Back Better plan has been beaten back, but federal finances are still badly broken. Spending is running far ahead of revenues, and politicians are adding more than $1 trillion a year to the government’s debt load.
For years, both parties have increased spending and debt with little regard for the long‐term costs. Accumulated federal borrowing (“debt held by the public”) increased $3.0 trillion under eight years of George W. Bush, $8.1 trillion under eight years of Barack Obama, $7.2 trillion under four years of Donald Trump, and it will about $2.9 trillion under the first two years of Joe Biden. One reason the Republican Party should move beyond Trump is that he was a big spender and the country needs new leadership that takes the debt threat seriously.
Federal debt now stands at almost $24 trillion—the same size as gross domestic product (GDP)—and it amounts to about $187,000 for every household in the nation. Without budget reforms, rising debt will precipitate an economic crisis. Statistical studies show that government debt is likely already slowing our economic growth. Borrowing from the future to spend today also undermines democracy because it ties the hands of future generations and imposes costs on them without their consent.
Debt is only part of the damaging financial legacy politicians are bequeathing to America’s youth. The government has created massive unfunded promises for Social Security and Medicare. The actuaries of these programs estimate that unfunded benefits in present value terms are $60 trillion and $103 trillion, respectively. Those are the promised future benefits less projected program incomes.
The unfunded costs of these two entitlement programs dwarf the federal debt, as shown in the chart. The only good news is that unfunded entitlement costs can be, and should be, cut. By contrast, debt must be paid. Brian Riedl takes a detailed look at the drivers of spending and debt here.
Government debt is unfortunately not a top voter concern right now, and the current Democratic administration appears uninterested in tackling the problem. But the economy and inflation are top concerns of voters, so Republicans have an opportunity to craft a budget reduction plan aimed at boosting growth and taming prices. Republicans have been busy criticizing Biden’s failings, but they also need a fiscal plan of action should they win congressional majorities in November.
US Gov’t to Fix Supply Chain Problem by Banning Unvaxxed Truckers from Crossing the Border
Activist Post – In case you have been under a rock, you likely noticed that there is a bit of a problem with the American supply chain — and the rest of the world in general. The pandemic, coupled with the government’s response to it, has thrown the world into a whirlwind of uncertainties, inefficiencies, and complete stoppages.
As this article is being written, thousands of containers sit on ships off the California coast waiting to be unloaded. Prices of everything have gone through the ceiling and there are very few signs that anything is improving. Instead of providing meaningful solutions, the government is telling citizens to start rationing.
Thanks to misguided policies such as paying people not to work, regulatory hurdles to industry amid new covid restrictions, and government and Federal Reserve manipulation in the market, we have a historic labor shortage, record inflation, and widespread shortages.
Since the passage of the Jones Act in 1920, which was sold to the public as a means of bolstering the US maritime industry, but has been doing the exact opposite for a century, the perfect storm has been brewing for a long time.
Instead of seeing the writing on the wall and realizing that their burdensome regulatory measures have wreaked havoc on the American economy, bureaucrats have doubled-down.
Thanks to the Jones Act driving up the cost of using ships to move products, the US and our neighbors to the north and south have become more dependent on the trucking industry. And now — in what could be interpreted as a purposeful attack to make the supply chain problem worse — the US is going after truckers.
For some reason, the bureaucrats in Washington think that the solution to our supply chain problem is vaccinations. Seriously. In October the Biden administration announced travel restrictions for non-U.S. residents and over the weekend, they went into effect and it is hitting truckers particularly hard.
The hundreds of thousands of truckers who enter the United States from Canada or Mexico — carrying much needed supplies — are now required to show proof of vaccination, as of Jan. 22.
Energy & Environment
California forest returned to native tribal group
Fox – The descendants of Native American tribes on the Northern California coast are reclaiming a bit of their heritage that includes ancient redwoods that have stood since their ancestors walked the land.
Save the Redwoods League planned to announce Tuesday that it is transferring more than 500 acres on the Lost Coast in Mendocino County 225 miles north of San Francisco to the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council.
The group of 10 tribes that have inhabited the area for thousands of years will be responsible for protecting the land dubbed Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ, or “Fish Run Place,” in the Sinkyone language.
Priscilla Hunter, chairwoman of the Sinkyone Council, said it’s fitting they will be caretakers of the land where her people were removed or forced to flee before the forest was largely stripped for timber.
“It’s a real blessing,” said Hunter, of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians. “It’s like a healing for our ancestors. I know our ancestors are happy. This was given to us to protect.”
Science & Technology
Gigantic Planet Found Hidden in Plain Sight
UC Riverside News – An astronomer and a group of eagle-eyed citizen scientists have discovered a giant gas planet hidden from view by typical stargazing tools.
The planet, TOI-2180 b, has the same diameter as Jupiter, but is nearly three times more massive. Researchers at UC Riverside also believe it contains 105 times the mass of Earth in elements heavier than helium and hydrogen. Nothing quite like it exists in our solar system.
“TOI-2180 b is such an exciting planet to have found,” said UCR astronomer Paul Dalba, who helped confirm the planet’s existence. “It hits the trifecta of 1) having a several-hundred-day orbit, 2) being relatively close to Earth (379 lightyears is considered close for an exoplanet), and 3) us being able to see it transit in front of its star. It is very rare for astronomers to discover a planet that checks all three of these boxes.”
Activist Post – Some parents are glad that schools are monitoring their kids’ computer activity and some are not. Some parents may not even know it’s happening until their kids’ activity gets “flagged”.
From NPR:
Remote Learning Ushered In A New Era Of Online Academic Surveillance. What’s Next?
January 18, 2022 4:02 PM ET
Academic surveillance software monitors students’ messages and assignments for clues that they might be contemplating suicide or violence.
According to a recent survey from the Center for Democracy and Technology, around 80 percent of K-12 schools are now using software that tracks students’ computer activity. Companies like Gaggle and GoGuardian offer teachers and administrators the ability to monitor students’ online activity while on school accounts or devices and will flag warning signs for suicide or violence.
That same survey found that the vast majority of teachers and parents believe the benefits of the software outweigh the risks and about half of students are comfortable being monitored.
The programs’ popularity grew substantially during the pandemic as education went virtual and students began dealing with severe mental health challenges. Gaggle reports that in the last year, police and schools intervened in 1,400 cases where the threat of suicide was imminent after the company flagged troubling messages or searches.
Even so, some privacy advocates are concerned about the growing surveillance and how the data is stored and used
EXCLUSIVE: Postal Inspectors Have Used iPhone
Epoch Times – The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) owns sophisticated hacking tools that can breach iPhones, and has used them hundreds of times over the last several years, according to USPIS records.
Law enforcement’s use of hacking tools such as Cellebrite and GrayKey has attracted considerable attention in recent years, particularly following reports that the FBI used the Israeli-based Cellebrite to help access the iPhone belonging to San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook—though there has since been reporting to the contrary. More recently, records obtained by Vice Motherboard last year revealed how police departments use GrayKey.
The use of such tools by the USPIS, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, is disclosed in its 2019 and 2020 annual reports, but has gone largely unpublicized until now. The Epoch Times has also reviewed an internal Postal Service letter, which shows that one technician in the USPIS digital evidence unit used GrayKey to crack more than 150 iOS devices—iOS being the mobile operating system for the iPhone.
Altogether, the records suggest that the USPIS has cracked hundreds of iPhones—generally thought to be one of the most secure commercial phones on the market—as well as other devices.
“The Cellebrite and GrayKey tools acquired in FY 2019 and 2018 allow the Digital Evidence Unit to extract previously unattainable information from seized mobile devices. During FY 2020, 331 devices were processed, and 242 were unlocked and/or extracted by these services,” the USPIS 2020 annual report says. “The success of the program and ever-increasing demand for services required the purchase this year of a second GrayKey device for use on the East Coast.”
The 2020 report reveals an uptick in phone cracking from 2019, when the USPIS accessed 177 devices—34 using Cellebrite and 143 with GrayKey, according to that year’s annual report.
The internal USPIS letter suggests that the increase continued last year, revealing that one technician alone cracked more than 150 iOS devices.
BMW powered flying car gets green light
Company that began as an aircraft engine maker powers car that transforms into a plane
RT – A car that can transform into a small aircraft has been awarded with an “official Certificate of Airworthiness” by the Slovak Transport Authority. According to Klein Vision, the company behind the AirCar, 70 hours of “rigorous flight testing,” including over 200 takeoffs and landings, have been completed. All of that was compatible with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.
“The challenging flight tests included the full range of flight and performance maneuvers and demonstrated an astonishing static and dynamic stability in the aircraft mode,” Klein Vision said in a press release on Monday.
The AirCar is powered by a 1.6-liter BMW engine, and runs on “fuel sold at any gas station,” Anton Zajac, co-founder of Klein Vision, told CNN. The vehicle can fly at a maximum operating altitude of 18,000 feet, he added. It takes two minutes and 15 seconds to transform from car into aircraft. The wings and tail fold away automatically for road driving.
A spokesperson for Klein Vision also said that a pilot’s license is required to fly the hybrid vehicle. He has expressed hopes of having the AirCar commercially available within 12 months.
Health
Man taken off heart transplant list over Covid-19 jab
RT – No vaccine, no heart, Harvard hospital tells seriously ill father of 2
A 31-year-old man has been taken off the waiting list for a heart transplant because he won’t take a Covid-19 jab, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts has confirmed.
The Harvard University teaching hospital said it was following recommendations by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to require the jab alongside “lifestyle behaviors” for transplant candidates, “to create both the best chance for a successful operation and to optimize the patient’s survival after transplantation, given that their immune system is drastically suppressed.”
“Patients are not active on the waitlist without this,” a hospital spokesperson told the New York Post.
DJ Ferguson was hospitalized in November, after his lungs filled up with blood and fluid due to a hereditary heart issue, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up for his family. He then needed surgery due to three blood clots in his legs, which almost didn’t happen due to the state’s moratorium on “elective” procedures on account of Covid-19 restrictions.
His father David Ferguson told Boston’s WBZ-TV that DJ “doesn’t believe” in the Covid-19 jab and considers it “against his basic principles.”
“I think my boy is fighting pretty damn courageously and he has integrity and principles he really believes in and that makes me respect him all the more,” David said. “It’s his body. It’s his choice.”
According to Tuesday’s update to the fundraiser, Ferguson’s refusal is based on the fact that he simply can’t afford potential heart complications due to the jab’s known side effects, as he is at “extremely high risk of sudden death” if his heart swells any further. The family has had “many conversations” with doctors, who confirmed that this could happen and could not guarantee anything, saying taking the jab was a choice he would have to make if he wants to be listed for a transplant.
Gateway Pundit – Libs of TikTok is dropping bombs once again.
On Monday night, the independent journalist exposed yet another issue within US Public School system – this time, posting a damning thread that includes two undercover videos taken by a pair of brave high school students that show employees of a Colorado High School’s mobile vaccine clinic allowing underage children to receive the experimental jab without their parent’s consent.
The inexcusable incident occurred this past Friday during a Tri-County Health Department-sponsored Covid vaccine clinic that was held at Heritage High School in Denver, Colorado.
In two separate videos that were taken a short time apart by the teenagers – one who’s 15 and the other who’s 16 – employees of the mobile clinic can be seen signing them in and clearing them to get the jab – even though they showed up alone, which is something the school had assured parents would not happen under any circumstances.
Just one day before the clinic was held, Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Brian Ewert responded to parental concerns by claiming that “students under the age of 18 cannot get a vaccination without parental permission and they must have a parent or legal guardian present with them to sign consent.”
He also clarified that the policy “is required for all doses” in his email response to a parent who demanded the planned clinic at the school be immediately canceled.
Well, so much for that bogus promise…
The employees of the clinic were so willing to jab these children full of experimental drugs that one of the underage students was able to slide past the staff’s initial pushback about not having a parent simply by claiming he was 18. The other underage student was able to secure his vaccine by providing a fake consent form that the employees happily accepted.
Both did not have their IDs checked, and both used fake names. It was that easy.
Thankfully, The students had a job to do, and it wasn’t sticking a needle in their arm – it was to expose these medical workers for what they truly are. Both of the teenagers bailed on the operation once they sat down with the nurse, claiming to have changed their minds about taking the jab.
Watch (first video – lying about age with no ID check):https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1485790936281989120%7Ctwgr%5Ehb_2_8%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2022%2F01%2Fundercover-students-expose-colorado-high-school-vaccine-clinic-administering-vaccinations-without-parental-consent-even-school-superintendent-assured-not-happen%2F
Watch (Second video – fake consent form with no ID check):https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1485797753850523648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1485798706020425728%7Ctwgr%5Ehb_2_8%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2022%2F01%2Fundercover-students-expose-colorado-high-school-vaccine-clinic-administering-vaccinations-without-parental-consent-even-school-superintendent-assured-not-happen%2F
InfoWars – Alex Jones breaks down shocking data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) revealing that “highly toxic” lots of the experimental COVID mRNA injection have been disproportionately deployed in conservative-led states, resulting in nearly twice as many deaths from the shot than in blue states.
Watch here: https://banned.video/watch?id=61ee150fd0aa1a1238c47dfa
Read this powerful Infowars report confirming red states are targeted by the elite with deadly tainted COVID injections:
Breaking: Red States Targeted With Tainted COVID Vaccines, Warns Former Science Adviser
Researchers sourcing VAERS data on Covid jabs found what appears to be a deadly political war being waged on red states.
When viewing adverse reactions tied to specific batches of Covid vaccines, the analysts found highly toxic vaccine lots being channeled towards conservative areas.
This exclusive Reese Report breaks down how the globalists are deploying deadly vaccine batches in red states to punish their political opposition and pave the way for the Great Reset.
Former Pfizer Vice Presidentand Chief Science Officer Dr. Michael Yeadon discovered through reverse-engineering VAERs data that some batches of the COVID vaccine are far deadlier than others.
More specifically, about 0.5% of the vaccines were found to be “highly toxic”, and result in hospitalization, disabilities, and even death within days or weeks of the injection.
Watch: https://banned.video/watch?id=61eabc33d572c30c3e3b629c
New COVID-19 Sub-Variant Being Investigated, Detected in US
Epoch Times – A new COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant known as BA.2 has been detected in the United States, officials said, coming after officials in the United Kindom and Denmark published reports on the strain in recent days.
“There is still uncertainty around the significance of the changes to the viral genome, and further analyses will now be undertaken,” the UK Health Security Agency said in a news release.
UK researchers said an early analysis suggests BA.2 is more transmissible than the first Omicron strain, which was named as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization in November. However, the team said that they have not been able to find a meaningful difference between the original strain and BA.2.
There have been about 400 confirmed BA.2 cases in 40 countries. The first was confirmed in December, the UK agency said.
“So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1, but data is limited and UKHSA continues to investigate,” Dr. Meera Chand, COVID-19 incident director at the UK Health Security Agency, said in a statement.
“It is the nature of viruses to evolve and mutate, so it’s to be expected that we will continue to see new variants emerge as the pandemic goes on,” Chand continued. “Our continued genomic surveillance allows us to detect them and assess whether they are significant.”
Officials in Denmark said that nearly half of the COVID-19 test samples they sequenced are BA.2. By the second week of January, its share had risen to about 45 percent of total cases.
“During the same period, the relative frequency of BA.1 has dropped,” said a statement from the Statens Serum Institut, a Danish health agency, referring to BA.1—the name of the initial Omicron COVID-19 variant. “BA.1 and BA.2 have many differences in their mutations in the most important areas. In fact, the difference between BA.1 and BA.2 is greater than the difference between the original variant and the Alpha variant.”
An initial analysis of BA.2 cases suggests there is no difference in hospitalizations, compared with the BA. 1 sub-variant, the health agency said. It’s not clear if current vaccines are effective against it, either.
Other than the UK and Denmark, Norway, France, India, and Sweden have also reported cases of the Omicron offshoot, according to media reports. The subvariant has also been detected in the United States in Washington state, officials said.
The Washington State Health Department confirmed two BA.2 cases earlier this month, reported KOMO News.
“It’s too early to tell if we are going to see more cases of this variant,” Washington health department spokesperson Shelby Anderson told the local channel. “So far, fewer than 100 confirmed BA.2 cases in the U.S. have been reported.”
And at least three cases have been detected at Houston’s Methodist Hospital, officials told the Washington Post.
The Scientific Misconduct Story Behind Ivermectin
Mercola – In mid-February 2021, Dr. Andrew Hill at Liverpool University published a scientific meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials involving the use of ivermectin. The review, funded by the World Health Organization and UNITAID, found the drug increased viral clearance and reduced COVID-19 deaths by 75%, yet the conclusion of the paper was dismissive
In early April 2021, Hill was accused of scientific misconduct by the French civic group, Association BonSens. BonSens claims Hill manipulated data to downplay the usefulness of ivermectin. Hill admitted that the study sponsor had crafted the conclusion
In early August 2021, Hill published a public notice stating one of the six studies included in his analysis had been withdrawn due to fraudulent data. A revised analysis excluding that study was published in November 2021
In the November revision, Hill included 23 randomized clinical trials, concluding ivermectin had no statistically significant effect on survival or hospitalizations
Other meta-analyses of 13 to 24 studies have found reductions in death ranging from 62% to 91%. Recent research has also found a five-day course of ivermectin at a dose of 12 mg per day sped up viral clearance, reducing the duration of symptomatic illness by three days compared to placebo (9.7 days versus 12.7 days)
Prone Position in Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Mercola – Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a lung condition that causes low blood oxygen and fluid buildup in the lungs; it’s a common complication of severe COVID-19 cases
Lying in the prone (face down) position, in which your chest is down and your back is up, could be a simple way to improve outcomes in ARDS
Early application of prone positioning lowered mortality rates in people with severe ARDS
Oxygenation is significantly better among patients in the prone position compared to the supine (face up) position, and prone positioning may also prevent ventilator-induced lung injury
Increasing research suggests that prone positioning should be used “systematically” in the early management of severe ARDS, and not reserved as a “rescue maneuver or a last-ditch effort”
You can also try prone positioning at home if you’re experiencing cough or mild shortness of breath
COVID-19 Can Be Stopped Without Massive Vaccination: Dr. Peter McCullough
Epoch Times – COVID-19 can be stopped without massive vaccination, renowned cardiologist and epidemiologist Dr. Peter McCullough told NTD’s “Capitol Report” program during the “Defeat the Mandates” march in Washington D.C., on Jan. 23.
According to McCullough, early treatment and natural immunity are safe and effective against COVID-19, but federal health agencies have ignored these in a push for vaccines, the broad use of which is not needed.
“The government has certainly been in an oblivion in terms of early treatment,” he said.
Thousands of people turned out to march in protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates—one of the largest U.S. events against the mandates since the start of the pandemic.
“Our CDC, FDA, and NIH have had no effective messaging on early treatment, even the emergency use authorized monoclonal antibodies, which are safe and effective,” McCullough said. “And even on the new Merck and Pfizer drugs, which they’re basically absent in terms of the media, despite being recently distributed across the United States.”
Early effective treatment of any disease can help avert progression to more serious illness, with an additional benefit of reducing the burden on health care systems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on its website that according to the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “current clinical management of COVID-19 consists of infection prevention and control measures and supportive care, including supplemental oxygen and mechanical ventilatory support when indicated.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved one drug, remdesivir (Veklury), to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized patients, the CDC continued.
On Monday, the FDA announced that 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.
DeSantis Blasts ‘Medical Authoritarianism’ After FDA Revokes Emergency Use of Monoclonal Antibodies
Epoch Times – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is “hopping mad” over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to effectively pull emergency use authorization of monoclonal antibody treatments and has vowed to “fight back.”
On Jan. 25, more than 2,000 Floridians woke up to emails and text messages telling them their appointments to receive monoclonal therapies were canceled due to the FDA’s decision, the governor’s office reported.
This brought ire from the governor and prompted him to speak out.
“Without a shred of clinical data to support this action [President Joe] Biden has forced trained medical professionals to choose between treating their patients or breaking the law,” DeSantis said in a press statement.
“There are real world implications to Biden’s medical authoritarianism—American’s access to treatments is now subject to the whims of a failing president.”
He said in a press conference on Jan. 25 that “this is not how you help people.”
“The government is going above and beyond to deny access to people,” DeSantis continued. “Now [patients] are being told that it would be illegal for a provider to give it to them—all based off one observational non-peer reviewed study.”
In his statement he demanded that the Biden administration reverse its “reckless decision” to revoke EUA for Regeneron and Eli Lilly monoclonal antibody treatments.
7 Natural Sore Throat Remedies
Common Sense Home – Sore throat remedies don’t have to come from the drugstore – relief may be right in your pantry. We’ll share some of our best home remedies for sore throat, plus tips on what to eat and drink.
#1 – Our Top Home Remedy for Sore Throat – Cayenne
Believe it or not, cayenne is our top recommendation for sore throat relief. Cayenne is loaded with capsaicin, a natural anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. This is why you often see it used in pain relief salves.
To use cayenne as a natural sore throat remedy, add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder to a glass of warm water. Gargle with this water several times per day, or as needed. You may also add 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.
If you don’t have cayenne powder, you can check the pantry or refrigerator for hot pepper sauce. Put several drops of peppery goodness in warm water, and gargle as above.
Cayenne may interact with some prescription medications, so make sure to check for interactions before using it.
#2 – Honey
Combining honey with cayenne provides a “one two punch” as a sore throat remedy. First, the capsaicin desensitizes the throat, then the honey coats and soothes. It’s also great for soothing coughs.
Honey is naturally antimicrobial, and studies show that it helps relieve symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
You can use a spoonful of honey straight, make these homemade cough drops, add it to warm drinks, or mix a little honey and cayenne together. Take as needed to soothe your throat.
Honey is safe for children, but if you are concerned about botulism, try elderberry syrup instead. (Botulism spores cannot grow in real raw honey, which has a pH of around 3.9. If you honey has additives like corn syrup, it might be possible for the spores to grow, but unlikely. You can read more about botulism risks here.)
#3 – Warm Salt Water
If you’re battling bacteria or a virus, it can throw your throat pH out of whack. A warm salt water gargle helps to restore the proper pH levels.
The warmth also acts to relax tight, aching throat muscles, making it an effective natural sore throat remedy. Use 1/4 teaspoon salt per 4 ounces of warm water, and gargle several times per day.
#4 – Zinc Lozenges
Zinc interferes with the ability of rhinoviruses, which are responsible for most colds, to reproduce and lock on to cells. These taste a little funny, so you may want to rotate them with other sore throat remedies.
In a study of zinc cold lozenges, the sore throats of the zinc group lasted only one day, compared to three days for the control group. Patients took one zinc lozenge every two hours while awake.
#5 – Pickle Juice
Combine vinegar and salt in a more tasty package, and you have pickle juice sore throat relief. Some folks swig it right out of the jar (stick to your own jar, please); others gargle from a glass.
Warming your pickle juice up a bit gives the muscle relaxation mentioned earlier, but it may taste a bit less palatable. If you have a nice fermented pickle like raw sauerkraut juice, which also contains vitamin C and probiotics, all the better.
#6 – Sore Throat Teas
Sipping any warm liquid will help, but some of the best teas for sore throat include:
Pair your favorite herbal tea with honey and lemon to help coat your throat and break up mucus. Sipping warm broth is also good.
#7 – Garlic
Garlic has antiviral and antibacterial properties, so it fights against many types of sore throat causes. The pungent smell of garlic comes from the sulfur rich compounds that it contains, including allicin and alliin. Cooking makes these compounds less effective, so raw is the way to go.
Crushing or chopping the garlic and letting it sit before use will help to produce more of the helpful sulfur compounds. Let sit at least fifteen minutes, but consume within an hour of crushing/chopping.
To make your raw garlic a little easier to swallow, you can mix it with some honey and lemon, add it to your herbal tea of choice, or steep it in hot water to make a simple garlic tea.
Foods that Help Sore Throat
To help soothe your sore throat, look for foods that have a smooth texture and are nutrient dense. If you can include immune boosting herbs, so much the better. Garlic, honey, cayenne, and the herbs in the tea section are welcome ingredients.
Hot or warm foods relax the throat, cool or cold foods may help numb it. Many guides recommend dairy products, but these may increase congestion, so keep that in mind at meal time.
—> Power Mall Product of Interest: Optivid Silver Lozenges – made with Honey, Nano Silver, and Mint
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