Today's News: January 26, 2023

WORLD NEWS

US Would Run Out of Munitions in War With China: Report

The United States would likely run out of critical munitions during a major conflict with China’s communist regime due to its inability to adequately mobilize the defense industrial base, according to a new report.

The report, titled “Empty Bins in a Wartime Environment,” examines how the United States has depleted key arms reserves by supplying Ukraine’s resistance against Russian invasion, and extrapolates how a similar situation could negatively impact the nation in a wartime scenario.

“The U.S. defense industrial base is not adequately prepared for the competitive security environment that now exists,” says the report published on Jan. 23 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a security-focused think tank.

“In a major regional conflict—such as a war with China in the Taiwan Strait—the U.S. use of munitions would likely exceed the current stockpiles of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), leading to a problem of ‘empty bins.’”

“Empty Bins” follows closely behind the release of results from CSIS wargames, which found that the United States would suffer from low levels of vital munitions in a war with China over the continued de facto independence of Taiwan.

Biden Announces US Will Send M1 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine

The United States will send M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine as Kyiv’s conflict with Russia nears its one-year anniversary, President Joe Biden confirmed on Jan. 25.

The president said during a White House announcement that the United States will send 31 tanks to Ukraine, adding that the “U.S. and Europe are fully united.” He reiterated that the tanks are “not an offensive threat to Russia.”

“That’s what we all want: an end to this war,” Biden said. “Our terms that preserve … Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and honor the U.N. Charter … they’re the terms we’re working on.”

Earlier this week, unconfirmed reports that cited anonymous sources said the United States was poised to send dozens of its top battle tank to Ukraine after saying for months that it wouldn’t be deployed in the country. Since the start of the conflict, Ukraine’s government has asked for battle tanks from Western powers amid protracted fighting in the eastern portion of the country.

Why Chairman Xi Promotes Technocrats To Top Positions

China is facing many challenges to get past the barriers to innovation, a problem that Zhongnanhai—CCP headquarters—may be trying to address by promoting party cadres with technical training or ‘technocrats’.

President Xi Jinping’s techno-utopia-driven national security State needs bureaucrats who can provide solutions to the domestic and foreign policy challenges he has outlined.

The 20th Party Congress now has 40 per cent ‘technocrats’ — occupying 81 seats — as full members of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to an analysis by Brookings Institution. Among the 24-member Politburo selected at the 20th Party Congress, at least six new members have formal training and experience in the science and technology fields. Four of them have studied outside of China.

There is some debate among Chinese scholars about what technocrat means.

“Chinese technical elites came to power only partially because of their technical credentials and partly because of their non-technocratic political or family connections. The emphasis on three objective elements – technical education, professional occupation, leadership position – avoids value judgements and thus is less subjective,” wrote Cheng Li in his 2001 classic text Chinese Leaders: The New Generation

COVID Advances New World Order — The Empire of Billionaires

In March, the United Nations New World Order (UNNWO) announced its annual International Day of Happiness global campaign, along with a call for solidarity and unity in the global fight against COVID-19

The UNNWO goals, such as ending poverty, hunger, gender inequality and polluted water, sound admirable, but are just pawns used to further a one-world government regime with power concentrated in the hands of a few billionaires

A one-world government tactic that New World Order relies on is media censorship, which the liberal “fact-checking” group Media Matters is now advocating for anyone who doesn’t align with the New World Order mission

The World Health Organization, whose biggest funders include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to vaccinate everyone across the globe by 2030 and to track who has and has not been vaccinated

Mass COVID-19 vaccination poses health dangers and even vaccine advocate Bill Gates predicts adverse reactions to the vaccine will claim 700,000 victims

> Video: COVID/CORONA TRUTH FROM JEREMY ELLIOTT

UK Government Ending COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for Healthy People Under 50

People under 50 without conditions that put them at risk from COVID-19 will soon not be able to get a COVID-19 booster, the United Kingdom government announced on Jan. 25.

Uptake in the under-50 population has been extremely low since early 2022 and the government is accepting a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to end the booster campaign for most of the age group.

The booster availability to the younger, healthy population will end in England on Feb. 12, the government said.

National Health Service (NHS) official Steve Russell said that people should get their booster before the availability ends.

“The NHS will continue to operate a smaller scale vaccine offer from mid-February onwards to ensure those eligible for first and second doses can still get their jabs,” Maria Caulfield, the health minister, said.

Health officials have also accepted the recommendation to end the availability of the initial vaccination, or a primary series, for the population not at clinical risk subject to further consideration, according to Caulfield.

No date has been given as of yet for the end of the primary series campaign. The JCVI recommended it be ended before the end of 2023, narrowing the targets to “those persons at higher risk of severe COVID-19,” including individuals aged 12 to 49 who are household contacts of immune-suppressed people.

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Jan. 6 Defendant Who Allegedly Yelled Threats Toward Pelosi Convicted of Felony, Misdemeanor Charges

A Pennsylvania woman who allegedly yelled threats toward former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been charged with felony and misdemeanor charges, officials said.

Pauline Bauer, 55, of Kane, Pennsylvania, was found guilty in the District of Columbia on Jan. 24 by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee.

“Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election,” prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Bauer was among the group of individuals who illegally entered the Capitol grounds and Capitol Building on Jan. 6 and was filmed via body-camera footage at approximately 2:57 p.m. saying words to the effect of, “This is where we find Nancy Pelosi.”

It is unclear if the body-camera footage was filmed by police or other attendees.

She was standing a few feet from the speaker’s office when she was recorded saying: “Bring that [expletive, expletive] out here now. Bring her out. Bring her out here. We’re coming in if you don’t bring her out here,” prosecutors said.

IRS Alerts Taxpayers They Must Answer a New Question on Tax Forms or Face Consequences

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued an alert to taxpayers on Tuesday, reminding them that they must report all digital asset-related income and answer a new digital asset question on their 2022 federal income tax return or face consequences such as delayed refunds or even penalties.

The IRS said in a Jan. 24 release that a key change on 1040 forms this year is that the agency has replaced the term “virtual currency” with “digital assets,” in addition to some other modifications to the wording.

The “Yes” or “No” question, which was expanded and revised this year to update terminology, reads as follows:

“At any time during 2022, did you: (a) receive (as a reward, award or payment for property or services); or (b) sell, exchange, gift or otherwise dispose of a digital asset (or a financial interest in a digital asset)?”

The question appears at the top of tax forms 1040, Individual Income Tax Return; 1040-SR, U.S. Tax Return for Seniors; and 1040-NR, U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.

“All taxpayers must answer the question regardless of whether they engaged in any transactions involving digital assets,” the agency cautioned.

Comer Wants to Know Why Fed Worker Health Program Pays $1 Billion for Ineligible Members

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is demanding to know why the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) is shelling out more than $1 billion annually in payments for people who aren’t eligible participants.

Comer told Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kiran Ahuja in a Jan. 23 letter that a recent report compiled by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) found “that FEHB is riddled with ineligible ‘participants’ who are receiving benefits under the program. GAO estimates that ‘the program may be spending up to $1 billion per year on payments for ineligible members.’

“This is a flagrant waste of funds and may be driving up premium costs for eligible participants.”

The FEHBP, which is managed by OPM, is the health insurance program offered solely to the 2.2 million federal civil service employees, their families, and retirees. More than 8 million people currently are counted as participants in FEHBP.

The FEHBP, the largest health benefits program in the country, cost the federal government more than $59 billion in 2021. The OPM manages the federal government’s 2.2 million active career civil servants, as well as the Federal Employee Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System programs, which together represent the federal government’s third-largest entitlement program. There are about 2.7 million federal employee retirees.

Joins Election Integrity Coalition Texas First

The Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) has joined Texas First, a civil action network dedicated to promoting secure elections in Texas.

Texas First is a volunteer network of grassroots organizations in support of protecting accurate, transparent, and accountable elections. TNM President Daniel Miller said his organization is proud to join the Texas First network.

“Our mission at TNM has always been to place the good of Texas above all else,” said Miller. “If we are to get and win a referendum on TEXIT, Texans need an election process they can trust. We currently have a system that continues to fail when it comes to transparency and accuracy. Texas First’s work promoting election accountability plays a crucial role in upholding Texas’ best interest, and we’re honored to join their efforts.”

Analysis: ‘Mind-Blowing’ Illegal Immigration Under Biden Approaching 1% of Total U.S. Population

President Joe Biden’s administration may bring a record 2.7 million illegal aliens to the United States-Mexico border this year, new analysis projects.

For 2021, Steven Kopits with Princeton Policy Advisors accurately projected that about two million border crossers and illegal aliens would be apprehended.

Likewise, Kopits correctly projected that more than 2.3 million border crossers and illegal aliens would be apprehended in 2022, for a total of about 4.2 million apprehensions since Biden took office.

HEALTH

Can Chronic Dehydration Age You More Quickly?

One of the simplest steps you can take to improve your health is to provide your body with optimal hydration, which reduces your risk of being biologically older than your chronological age, developing chronic diseases and dying prematurely

Data show participants with serum sodium levels outside the narrow range of 137 mEq/L to 142 mEq/L had a 10% to 15% higher risk of being biologically older than their chronological age. The current acceptable normal range of serum sodium is 135 mEq/L to 145 mEq/L

Signs you could be dehydrated include bad breath, headache, confusion, decreased alertness, sugar craving and constipation. Based on their higher body water content and smaller size, infants and children are more vulnerable to the effects of dehydration

Several factors affect how much water you need, including your health status, activity level, climate and your age. Don’t get bogged down in an exact amount but instead listen to your body’s signals — thirst and the color of your urine

Overhydration, also called water intoxication or water poisoning, leads to low sodium levels and electrolyte imbalances. This is a serious medical situation and can be life-threatening

Block cancer cell growth with a unique compound found in black tea

Cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of death in adults and children alike. It doesn’t care about age, race, or gender. It is an equal opportunity destroyer. Researchers are continually searching for ways to cure this disease as well as prevent it.

Recent research shows that black tea may have cancer-fighting effects. Specifically, the theaflavins found in black tea.

Unique compound in black tea may be responsible for the drink’s cancer-fighting effects

Theaflavins are compounds that are formed in the process of making black tea. There are no black tea leaves or black tea plants found anywhere in nature. It actually comes from the process of fermenting green tea leaves. The theaflavins, or black tea polyphenols, are beneficial for the whole body, supporting better health. One of the benefits appears to be the ability to fight cancer.

And the evidence supporting it is very strong.

Theaflavin itself is a vital antioxidant as well as a metal-chelating polyphenol. It is found in other teas like oolong, but black tea seems to be the best concentration. It is widely popular, the most popular tea in the world. In fact, 75% of all tea consumed globally is black tea. And because it is so widely available (and desired), it makes it much easier to get it into the hands of the people who truly need it.

Loneliness Is an Epidemic

Loneliness has been at “epidemic” levels for several years. In a 2018 survey of Americans aged 18 and older, 46% reported “sometimes” or “always” feeling lonely

A World Health Organization study published in 2021 found loneliness affected up to 34% of older adults in China, Europe, Latin America and the U.S.

Other recent research found loneliness among adolescents ranged from a low of 9.2% in Southeast Asia to a high of 14.4% in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The highest rate — 21% — was found among elderly Eastern Europeans

Scientists have linked loneliness with a greater risk for obesity, heart disease, anxiety, dementia, stress, inflammation, reduced immune function, poor sleep and premature death

Loneliness is also associated with a greater risk of addiction, and the rate of deaths directly attributed to alcohol rose by more than 25% in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, when many were self-isolating and working from home. The trend continued into 2021, by then up 34% from prepandemic levels

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

‘Splash Mountain’ Permanently Closed, Replaced at Disneyland Following Racism Allegations

After over 30 years of operation, Disneyland’s “Splash Mountain” ride permanently closed its doors Jan. 23 to be re-themed as “Princess Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” and will reopen as such in 2024, according to park officials.

While officials assert the ride’s water-fall-like structure and layout will not change, Disney “Imagineers” will remodel it after “The Princess and The Frog” characters and storyline.

Its previous theme, “Song of The South,” originated from Disney’s 1946 film featuring “Br’er Rabbit” and his adventures in the South, which came under fire in recent years by some for its allegedly racially insensitive undertones, according to multiple media reports.

Report: Street Prostitution Explodes in L.A. After Newsom Restricts Arrests for ‘Loitering’

Street prostitution — with pimps, sex traffickers, child exploitation, and violence — has exploded in L.A. in the wake of a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to ban arrests for loitering for solicitation purposes.

As Breitbart News noted this month, the law was one of several radical new pieces of legislation pushed by State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who is also responsible for a law making California a “sanctuary state” for minors seeking to become transgender through sexual reassignment surgery or drugs.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Breitbart Business Digest: Workers in Tech Are Losing Their Jobs. Is Everyone Else Next?

The layoffs in tech announced over the past month or so have many asking if this is a bellwether for the broader labor market. Will employment in the U.S. follow the path being blazed by Silicon Valley?

There are good reasons to believe it will not, especially if the economy avoids a deep recession. In the first place, employment in the non-tech economy has not followed the path of tech on the way up, so there’s no reason it has to follow it on the way down. Similarly, some non-tech parts of the economy are still rising toward pre-pandemic sales levels, while tech sales of all types—software, advertising, subscriptions, etc.—exploded higher during the pandemic and are now experiencing lower growth or even retreating to more normal levels.

SURVEILLANCE STATE

Trudeau Admits Millions Spent On Covid Travel App To Two-Man Firm ‘Illogical’

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has admitted it was “illogical” for his government to give millions of dollars to a two-person firm to develop a coronavirus travel app after it emerged the firm subcontracted out the work.

Prime Minister Trudeau was asked about the development of the ArriveCAN app, a mobile app developed during the coronavirus pandemic for travellers entering Canada and about a report noting that the government had given millions to the company GCstrategies that had subcontracted work.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

California’s Last Nuclear Plant Could be Forced to Close, Despite Newsom’s Extension

Diablo Canyon, the last operational nuclear power plant in California, could be forced to shut down by 2025 despite a five-year extension signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), leaving the state potentially short of power.

On Tuesday, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rejected an effort by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company to reinstate permit applications that it had withdrawn. Its current permits expire in 2024 and 2025 for each of the two reactors in the plant, and new applications could take months.

GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING

Single Family Housing Programs

Well built, affordable housing is essential to the vitality of communities in rural America. Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Programs give families and individuals the opportunity to buy, build, or repair affordable homes located in rural America. Eligibility for these loans, loan guarantees, and grants is based on income and varies according to the average median income for each area.

Through the program options below, USDA Rural Development offers qualifying individuals and families the opportunity to purchase or build a new single family home with no money down, to repair their existing home, or to refinance their current mortgage under certain qualifying circumstances. There are also programs to assist non-profit entities in their efforts to provide new homes or home repair to qualifying individuals and families.