WORLD NEWS
The Kremlin is accusing Ukraine of shooting down the Russian Il-76 military transport plane that crashed in a border region near Ukraine. All 74 people aboard have been reported killed, including the 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were allegedly on board being transported.
The Kharkiv and Belgorod regions in particular have for months witnessed a huge uptick in aggressive Ukrainian military cross-border action, which has included use of missiles, mortars, and drones.
New reporting in The Associated Press suggests that Kiev has made an indirect admission of guilt, but there was no mention of Ukrainian POWs dying. “Hours after the crash, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine made no mention of the crash in a statement,” writes AP. “But it added that Ukraine targets Russian military transport planes believed to be delivering missiles, especially near the border.”
This major incident not only points to more severe Russian escalation and retaliation on the horizon, but puts in peril any future Russia-Ukraine prisoner swaps, after a large recent one was successfully accomplished.
“Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed a swap was due to take place but said it had no information about who was on the crashed Russian plane,” the AP notes further. “Moscow did not ask for specific airspace to be kept safe for a certain length of time, as has happened in past exchanges, it said in a statement.”
Moments before the crash, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov issued an emergency notification on his Telegram channel saying a “missile alert” had been triggered in the region. According to more from Russia’s direct accusation against Kiev:
The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of shooting the plane down with air-defense missiles. “By committing this terrorist act, the Ukrainian leadership showed its true face, disregarding the lives of its citizens,” the ministry said.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry initially refused to comment on the incident. Ukrainskaya Pravda, a Ukrainian newspaper, initially reported that the plane was indeed shot down by the country’s military, but edited its article on the incident shortly afterwards to remove this information.
Ukrainian cities are bracing for more Russian drone and missile attacks, given this has typically followed any major event where Ukraine’s military strikes Russian territory or large military assets. The Russian Ministry of Defence claims Russian radar systems detected two Ukrainian missiles in the area before the Russian transport plane full of Ukrainian prisoners crashed. A Russian military plane transporting dozens of Ukrainian prisoners, as well as nine crew and guards, crashed in the Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine.
Destroying America: United Nations Budgets Millions For U.S.-Bound Migrants In 2024
Public docs show cash handouts to help feed, transport, and house people headed for the U.S. border.
Early on in America’s historic border crisis, now entering its fourth record-smashing year, some Republican lawmakers named a significant enabling culprit other than the usual Mexican cartel smugglers. They named the U.S. taxpayer-funded United Nations as essentially a co-smuggler after seeing my reports that the UN was handing out debit cards and cash vouchers to aspiring illegal border crossers on their way north.
One outraged group of 21 border-security-minded lawmakers even pitched a bill that would require the United States, the UN’s largest donor, to turn off the taxpayer money spigot. H.R. 6155 never caught fire, though, in no small part because “fact checks” claiming to debunk other reports like mine in the conservative press dissuaded broader media interest and left the American public in the dark.
But now the UN’s 2024 update to the “Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan” (RMRP for short), a planning and budget document for handing out nearly $1.6 billion in 17 Latin America countries, can cast a broad confirming light on the cash giveaways and much more aid for 2024 ahead — with the helping hands of 248 named non-governmental organizations. Despite the RMRP plan title naming Venezuelans as recipients of this aid operation, the document’s fine print (footnote on p. 14 and paragraph on p. 43, for instance) says the largesse goes to “all nationalities” and “multiple other nationalities”.
The documents clear up any mystery about what the UN and NGOs are doing on the migrant trails and leave no room for supposedly debunking “fact checks”.
In a nutshell, the UN and its advocacy partners are planning to spread $372 million in “Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA)”, and “Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MCA)” to some 624,000 immigrants in-transit to the United States during 2024. That money is most often handed out, other UN documents show, as pre-paid, rechargeable debit cards, but also hard “cash in envelopes”, bank transfers, and mobile transfers the U.S. border-bound travelers can use for whatever they want.
The $372 million in planned cash giveaways to the 624,000 immigrants moving north and illegally crossing national borders “represents a significantly greater share of the financial requirements” for 2024, the RMRP says, but it is still only one part of much broader UN hemisphere-wide vision that aims to spend $1.59 billion assisting about three million people in 17 countries who emigrated from their home nations. Most will be “in-destination” recipients already supposedly settled in third countries, albeit in declining numbers, but a rising share of cash will go to the spiking numbers of “in-transit” immigrants launching journeys from those accommodating countries north to the United States.
Without distinction, both populations get access to UN cash but also “humanitarian transportation”, shelter, food, legal advice, personal hygiene products, health care, and “protection” against threats like human smuggling, and much more besides cash in envelopes or debit cards.
The cash handouts will be in the mix during 2024 as the UN and its private partners incorporate an “increased use of CVA” in, for instance, the $184 million it plans to provide 1.2 million people, $122 million for rent support and also “temporary collective shelter” for 473,000 people, and $25.8 million for “humanitarian transportation” to 129,000 people crossing borders. There’ll also be “expanded use of multi-purpose cash” for those claiming “gender-based violence”.
The 130-page UN-spearheaded RMRP 2024 update went public in December and is readily accessible online, as is the original 2023-2024 plan it revises — sharply upward. It is the latest since the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN’s International Organization for Migration started the program in 2018, originally for Venezuelans but now open to anyone in 17 nations of Latin America and the Caribbean. (For the complete list of involved groups, see p. 268, here, and explore their activities further with this handy interactive tool).
Some 57 international organizations would manage the handouts of $273 million, while 132 “national NGOs” and “civil service organizations” would handle $70 million in aid. Fifteen UN agencies would get the lion’s share at $1.2 billion.
The NGOs actively participated in crafting the RMRP 2024 Update, which amends a 2023-2024 plan released back in 2022 that at the time foresaw a decline in illegal immigration after 2023. It increased, instead.
UK halts trade negotiations with Canada over hormones in beef ban
Negotiations between the UK and Canada on a post-Brexit trade deal have broken down after nearly two years, following a row over beef and cheese.
Canada has been pushing for the UK to relax a ban on hormone-treated beef, which its producers say in effect shuts them out of the British market.
Meanwhile, the UK has concerns about Canada putting import taxes of up to 245% on British cheese products.
The pause in talks mean British car firms could also face higher tariffs.
It will also mean the UK’s trading terms with Canada will now be worse than when it was part of the EU’s deal with the country.
Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales, said she was glad the UK government had not “given way” on hormone-treated beef.
Trade between the two countries currently takes place under the terms of a deal the UK rolled over from its time as an EU member.
A time-limited agreement allowed the UK to continue to sell cars and cheese without high import taxes.
But talks about extending these as part of a new deal have now broken down.
It marks the first time the UK has formally suspended talks with a trade partner since formally leaving the EU trading regime in 2021.
Talks between the two countries on reaching a bespoke agreement have been taking place since March 2022.
A spokeswoman for the UK government said it reserved the right to “pause negotiations with any country if progress is not being made”.
“We have always said we will only negotiate trade deals that deliver for the British people,” they added.
“We remain open to restarting talks with Canada in the future to build a stronger trading relationship.”
Saudi Arabia Opens First Liquor Store in 70 Years for Diplomats
The government of Saudi Arabia has reportedly opened its first liquor store since alcohol was banned in the early 1950s. The store, a modest establishment adjacent to a supermarket in the Diplomatic Quarter of the capital city Riyadh, exclusively serves non-Muslim foreign diplomats.
The landmark liquor store opening was kept fairly quiet until sources within Saudi Arabia began leaking details to foreign media this week. On Wednesday, Reuters reported the operation was still in the planning stages, but on Thursday, an anonymous diplomat toldVoice of America News (VOA) the liquor store was already open for business.
VOA’s diplomat compared the store to an “upscale duty-free shop at a major international airport.” The inventory included liquor, wine, and two brands of beer.
“Workers at the store asked customers for their diplomatic identifications and for them to place their mobile phones inside of pouches while inside. A mobile phone app allows purchases on an allotment system,” the diplomat reported.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Saudi media reported on Wednesday that the Kingdom’s rules for alcohol sales to foreign diplomats have been revised to counter “improper exchange of special goods and alcoholic beverages received by the embassies of Non-Muslim countries inside Saudi Arabia.”
The new regulations are supposedly intended to “ensure that all diplomats of non-Muslim embassies have access to these special products and spirits within specified quotas and via a regulated process that prohibits illegal exchange activities.”
The implication was that foreign diplomats were bringing in too much bootleg liquor and, according to VOA, some of them even brewed their own booze within their residences, so the Saudis decided to open some small, tightly regulated liquor stores to service their needs.
Alcohol is forbidden under Islamic law and is especially frowned upon in Saudi Arabia. In 1951, a Saudi prince named Mishari got drunk and shot British Vice-Consul Cyril Ousman, prompting King Abdulaziz ibn Saud to ban the sale of alcohol.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Peter Navarro Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison for Defying Jan. 6 Subpoena
Peter Navarro, a former Trump White House adviser, has been sentenced to concurrent four-month terms in prisons and ordered to pay $9,500 in fines for his refusal to comply with Congressional subpoenas he said were covered by executive privilege.
“I haven’t heard a word of contrition from Dr. Navarro since this case began,” D.C. District Judge Amit Mehta said during Mr. Navarro’s sentencing hearing on Jan. 25. While issuing his sentence, Judge Mehta noted Mr. Navarro’s academic accomplishments and said that he didn’t “come from means” and “overcame financial challenges” in his life.
He added that the country “owes a debt of gratitude” to Mr. Navarro for his work on the coronavirus.
The sentencing hearing started with Judge Mehta reviewing the defense’s objections to statements made in legal filings alleging a lack of communication with the House select committee investigating Jan. 6 after his Feb. 9, 2022 subpoena.
Mr. Navarro had received subpoenas from the committee and, in September, a jury found him guilty of two counts related to contempt of Congress: willful failure to provide records and willful failure to appear for testimony. Each charge carried the possibility of a $100,000 fine and 30 days to a year in prison.
The defense and Judge Mehta discussed the need for Mr. Navarro to acknowledge wrongdoing. He said Dr. Navarro did not express a clear acceptance of responsibility and noted that his sentencing memo accused the DOJ of a politicized prosecution. That “seems to me the opposite of accepting responsibility,” Judge Mehta said.
On Jan. 16, Judge Mehta denied his motion for a new trial over concerns the jury pool had been prejudiced by protesters present when jurors took a lunch break.
“Just another quiet day of put Peter in prison and free the [Jan. 6] prisoner signs outside the courtroom as jurors in the middle of deliberations inexplicably roam free,” Mr. Navarro told The Epoch Times at the time. “Nothing apparently to see here.”
His sentencing memo requested no more than six months of probation and a fine of $100 for each count. It also requested the court grant Mr. Navarro release pending appeal.
Before the hearing, Mr. Navarro spoke outside of the courthouse where he said that his legal bills exceeded $1 million.
Mr. Navarro has vowed to appeal the case. His legal team argued that he didn’t willfully disobey the subpoenas because former President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege.
“Dr. Navarro’s actions do not stem from a disrespect for the law, nor do they stem from any belief that he is above the law,” his sentencing memo read. “Rather, Dr. Navarro acted because he reasonably believed he was duty-bound to assert executive privilege on former President Trump’s behalf.”
Federal Judge’s Order Signals Delay Likely in Trump’s Upcoming Trial
The federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s looming Jan. 6-related trial may have signaled that his case will be delayed after she scheduled a different case just a few weeks after the trial is slated to start, according to two former prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, based in Washington, on Wednesday scheduled an alleged Jan. 6, 2021, defendant, Anthony Mastanduno, to start on April 2. That’s only about three and a half weeks after she initially set the former president’s trial date for March 4.
All progress in the case against President Trump was halted by the judge on Dec. 13, 2023, as the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals hears whether the former president is immune from prosecution in the case. Earlier this month, Judge Chutkan hinted that his trial date might be pushed back, which served as a blow to special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges against the former president.
Prosecutors under the special counsel have previously indicated that it could take four to six weeks to complete a trial for President Trump, meaning that the Mastanduno trial would very likely push up against the former president’s trial.
In a separate order issued about a week ago, she clarified that the March 4 trial date, which was set in August of last year, was designed to give both President Trump’s team and the special counsel’s team more time to prepare. The court adopted President Trump’s lawyers’ recommendation to prevent the parties from filing “any further substantive pretrial motions without first seeking leave from the court,“ meaning the case cannot proceed, and that the defendant also ”forfeits no arguments or rights by choosing not to respond at this time.”
“Diligent defense counsel will need to conduct a preliminary review of each substantive motion the government files in order to know whether they need to take further action,” the district judge also wrote. “While that is not a major burden, it is a cognizable one.”
The judge has not indicated specifically whether she will postpone the trial date or when she might render her decision. But if the case returns to the D.C. district court, Judge Chutkan wrote that she will again consider whether to adjust any dates for future deadlines and other proceedings, including the “trial scheduled for March 4, 2024.”
Earlier this month, a panel of judges on the D.C. Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on whether the former president is immune but hasn’t yet issued a decision on the matter. Even if they reject President Trump’s claims, he can still appeal it to the entire circuit court and later, the U.S. Supreme Court.
At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed this term to hear a case of a Jan. 6 defendant who was charged with obstruction of an official proceeding in connection to the U.S. Capitol breach. In President Trump’s federal Jan. 6 case, he also faces two charges under that obstruction statute.
Government Suppressed, Censored Concerns Over Mail-In Voting in 2020: Documents
Newly released documents allege that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) knew it was wrong to censor concerns about the security of mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election, yet it proceeded to do so anyway.
On Jan. 22, a tranche of documents published by America First Legal (AFL) alleged the Department of Homeland Security’s CISA was aware that mail-in ballots were less secure than in-person voting ahead of the 2020 election.
Nevertheless, it undertook an “unprecedented censorship campaign to mislead the American people about the truth,” according to Gene Hamilton, AFL’s vice president and general counsel.
“Common sense dictates that ballots submitted via mail are inherently less secure than verified, in-person voting by a citizen who shows identification before casting his or her ballot,” Mr. Hamilton said in a press release.
“The American people were lied to, and there must be accountability.“
AFL lawyer Michael Ding told The Epoch Times that the new documents were produced after AFL sued the CISA in November 2022.
Mr. Ding said AFL’s suit called for CISA to disclose documents it did not provide under an April 2022 Freedom of Information Act request. Under a court-managed process, Mr. Ding said, documents are gradually materializing.
“As we get closer to election day this year. I do hope that the election meddling and censorship that this agency engaged in during 2020 does not happen again,” Mr. Ding said.
“But ultimately, I think Americans need to hold these government officials accountable for
trampling on their constitutional rights.”
Wall Street Opposition to Trump Dropping, Investors Say
Multiple Wall Street investors appear to be conceding that former President Donald Trump will likely win the GOP primary for the 2024 presidential race.
Charles Myers, a former vice chairman at investment bank Evercore and a Biden fundraiser, said that many investors “have resigned themselves to a Trump primary win and don’t want to throw good money after bad trying to stop him,” reported CNBC.
That claim was made just before the former president won the New Hampshire primary against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. He also secured the first win of the primary season earlier this month in Iowa.
Meanwhile, multiple outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported Wednesday that billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman paused funding to Ms. Haley after her loss in the state. Neither Mr. Hoffman nor Ms. Haley have publicly commented on the reports.
“I think unless there is some catastrophic crisis like the [Jan. 6, 2021] insurrection, they think of themselves as stewards of other people’s money and they don’t want to take a position that divides their workforce, their investors, and their customers. They are mindful of their different constituencies,” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a senior associate dean at the Yale School of Management, told the outlet.
“They are not out there to be political ward heelers. They are not out there doing door-to-door campaign solicitations. They are there to run their companies,” he added.
“There is not a conversation you have here, where I am not asked to handicap the election,” Atlantic Council CEO Fred Kempe told CNBC. “People are calling it the ‘Trump put.’ They’re hedging Trump.”
A longtime investor and multi-billionaire, Ken Langone, is slated to host a fundraiser for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the outlet reported.
But he told the Financial Times in an interview that he is willing to hand her “a nice sum of money” but it may only come after the New Hampshire primary, which she lost. “If she doesn’t get traction in New Hampshire, you don’t throw money down a rat hole,” Mr. Langone said.
Reid Hoffman Pulls Out Of Nikki Haley After New Hampshire Pounding
Following Tuesday’s massive loss to Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primary, Republican candidate Nikki Haley has lost a major Democrat source of support – billionaire (hoax funding) LinkedIn founder, Reid Hoffman.
According to CNBC, Hoffman gave $250,000 to a pro-Haley super PAC last year, but has no immediate plans to help her again.
Hoffman, suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), wrote in December that while he supports Joe Biden, he thought that Haley had the best chance of beating Trump in the Republican primary.
“If America is to avoid another Trump presidency, it will be because Trump loses an election next year. If he is to lose, it will either be to Nikki Haley in the primary, or Joe Biden in the general,” he wrote on LinkedIn, noting that he gave to Haley’s super PAC after listening to JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon speak at the DealBook conference in support of Haley.
That calculus for Hoffman appears to have changed as Haley lost the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary to Trump. Hoffman is one of Haley’s first wealthy donors to start heading for the exits as she tries to remain in the primary race against Trump.
A Republican fundraiser told CNBC on Wednesday that three clients who each helped Haley raise up to $100,000 for her campaign are now opting out of assisting the former U.N. ambassador.
Others explained that while they plan to speak out publicly in support of Haley, they aren’t convinced they’ll be able to raise much money for her campaign since she’s winless so far in the primary season. -CNBC
More recently, Hoffman bankrolled Trump ‘rape is sexy’ accuser E. Jean Carroll.
Trump dominates Haley by 30 points in her home state of South Carolina, according to RealClear Politics. (How many of you canceled your LinkedIn accounts?)
Speaker, Several Governors Side With Texas Against Feds in Border Standoff
The Lone Star State has a posse: Governors and state officials across the nation and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are among those who have sided with Texas in its standoff with the Biden administration over the southern border.
On Jan. 24, after the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. Border Patrol could remove razor wire placed by Texas authorities along the U.S.–Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott posted a statement on X accusing the federal government of having “broken the compact between the United States and the States.”
The governor argued that Texas must now exercise a right to self-defense against a record-breaking influx of illegal immigrants crossing its border under the Biden administration.
His letter cites Article 1, Sec. 10, Clause 3 of the Constitution, which references states being “invaded.” It draws on an opinion from the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in the 2012 case “Arizona v. United States.” Justice Scalia wrote that the relevant constitutional language “leaves intact [states’] inherent power to protect their territory” and acknowledges “states’ sovereign interest in protecting their borders.”
Citing those examples, Mr. Abbott said he had “already declared an invasion under Article 1, [Sec.] 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas’ constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.”
“That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary,” he said.
A show of support from Republican officials elsewhere in the nation flooded X overnight.
“I stand with Governor Abbott. The House will do everything in its power to back him up. The next step: holding Secretary Mayorkas accountable,” Speaker Johnson wrote on X on Jan. 24, referring to the possible impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which House Republicans are pursuing.
Vulnerable Democrat Jon Tester Calls for Border Security After Doing Nothing for Years
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) has called for the Biden administration to secure the southern border now that he faces a tough reelection battle after doing nothing for years.
In a recent op-ed published in the Billings Gazette, Tester said that Democrats should set aside political beliefs and accept that “allowing anyone to enter the country without being properly vetted or going through a legal process undermines our national security.”
“We know that drug cartels are taking advantage of these gaps in our border security to traffic drugs and people across the border. That needs to stop,” he wrote.
Tester even said that the strain of the open border has caused such great pain for his constituents that he told President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that the situation is “unacceptable.”
“That is why I urged Senate leaders from both parties to prioritize a solution to the border crisis, one that I believe we should have stayed in Washington and worked over the holidays to solve,” he wrote.
As noted by the Epoch Times, Tester remains the only Democrat to hold high office in Montana after surviving three close races, a luxury he may not have going into 2024. Though not yet conclusive, Tester will likely face off against Republican Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and entrepreneur, who has vowed to push an America First agenda in the U.S. Senate.
“Whether it was in war or business, I see problems and solve them,” Sheehy said when announcing his candidacy.
“America needs conservative leaders who love our country, and that’s why I’m running for the United States Senate. I want to create a better future for my kids and your children and grandchildren. Our campaign is about service, God, and country, not politics as usual,” he added.
Following Tester’s op-ed, Sheehy took to social media to blast him for the many occasions in which he refused to close the southern border.
“Montana is a northern border state with a southern border problem because, after 18 years in DC, Two-Faced [Tester] has refused to secure the border. We know what to do (President Trump already did it!) but we need strong leaders willing to put America First!” he said.
Tester has not expressed support for the comprehensive border bill pushed by the GOP-led house as Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate continue to compromise, potentially reducing the bill to nothing important.
Alabama executes Kenneth Smith using untested method of nitrogen gas
Alabama has carried out the first execution of a death row inmate in the US using nitrogen gas, an untested procedure which the prisoner’s lawyers had argued amounted to a form of cruel and unusual punishment banned under the US constitution.
Kenneth Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at 8.25pm on Thursday evening at an Alabama prison after breathing pure nitrogen gas through a face mask to cause oxygen deprivation. The execution took about 22 minutes.
Alabama claimed that the new nitrogen gas method was “perhaps the most humane method of execution ever devised”. But eyewitness statements from reporters present in the death chamber suggested that Smith’s death was anything but humane.
Marty Roney of the Montgomery Advertiser reported that between 7.57pm local time and 8.01pm “Smith writhed and convulsed on the gurney. He took deep breaths, his body shaking violently with his eyes rolling in the back of his head.”
Roney’s report continued: “Smith clenched his fists, his legs shook … He seemed to be gasping for air. The gurney shook several times.”
Rev. Jeff Hood, Smith’s spiritual adviser, was at Smith’s side for the execution, and said prison officials in the room “were visibly surprised at how bad this thing went.”
“What we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life,” Hood said.
“It appeared that Smith was holding his breath as long as he could,” Alabama corrections commissioner John Hamm later told a press conference.
The execution had been scheduled to begin at 6pm local time at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, but it was delayed as the US supreme court weighed his final appeal. Shortly before 8pm, the court denied that appeal, allowing the execution to proceed.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who along with two other liberal justices dissented, wrote: “Having failed to kill Smith on its first attempt, Alabama has selected him as its ‘guinea pig’ to test a method of execution never attempted before. The world is watching.”
Smith was convicted of the 1988 murder-for-hire of a pastor’s wife, Elizabeth Sennett. He and another man were each allegedly paid $1,000 to kill her by Charles Sennett, a minister in the Church of Christ who went on to take his own life after suspicion fell on him.
Smith’s pending death was also denounced by UN experts on arbitrary executions and torture who fiercely opposed the use of what they decried as a human experiment.
If that was a human experiment, what do you think the gene therapy jabs were?
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
US Supreme Court Refuses Challenge to Washington State Tax as Repeal Referendum Gathers Steam
The U.S. Supreme Court refused last week to hear a taxpayers’ challenge to the constitutionality of Washington state’s new capital gains tax after it was upheld by the state’s supreme court.
The decision came days before Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) certified on Jan. 23 that a petition for an initiative to repeal the tax contained enough voter signatures to qualify for the state ballot. The proposed initiative still has to go before the Washington State Legislature before it can appear on the ballot for the election on Nov. 5.
The ruling also came after Amazon’s billionaire founder, Jeff Bezos, announced on social media two months ago that he was moving from Washington to Florida. Mr. Bezos said he was moving to the Sunshine State for several reasons, including to be closer to his parents and operations for Blue Origin, his space exploration company.
By unloading about $15.7 billion worth of Amazon stock before the new capital gains tax took effect, Mr. Bezos saved more than $1 billion in taxes, according to Marcum LLP, a national accounting and advisory services firm.
“Relocating to Florida ensures that future stock sales won’t be subject to Washington’s capital gains tax, providing Bezos with significant tax savings.”
And he won’t be subject to a proposed law now being discussed in Washington that would impose a 1 percent wealth tax on tradeable net worth above $250 million, the firm said.
Unlike most states, Washington state has no income tax on individuals or corporations.
Limited-government advocates fear that the state’s capital gains tax, which has an extraterritorial effect, could open the door to a graduated income tax in the state.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied the petition for certiorari, or review, in Quinn v. Washington on Jan. 16. No justices dissented. The court did not explain its decision. For the case to be heard by the court, at least four of the nine justices must vote to grant the petition.
Democrats, including Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, justified the capital gains tax as a means of making the state tax system fairer.
State lawmakers argued Washington’s tax system was economically regressive, by which they meant the burden of paying for roads, schools, and other public programs fell disproportionately on low-income residents.
In 2021, the Democrat-controlled state legislature passed legislation imposing a 7 percent tax on capital gains above $250,000 on individuals for the sale or exchange of long-term capital assets such as stocks, bonds, and business interests, as well as other investments and tangible assets.
Home Selling Profits Drop in 2023 for First Time in Over a Decade Amid Modest Price Gains
ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property and real estate data, today released its Year-End 2023 U.S. Home Sales Report, which shows that home sellers made a $121,000 profit on the typical sale in 2023, generating a 56.5 percent return on investment.
But even as both gross profits and profit margins remained near record levels, they decreased from 2022, marking the first declines in either category since 2011.
The gross profit on median-priced single-family homes sales dipped down from $122,600 in 2022 while the profit margin dropped, year over year, from 59.8 percent. That happened as the median nationwide home price rose at the smallest annual pace in more than a decade.
The profit fallback came during a year of ups and downs for the U.S. housing market that featured flat prices early in 2023, followed by a spike in the Spring and a drop-off in the fourth quarter. Price patterns were mixed as the upward pressure of strong employment and investment markets, along with a historically tight supply of homes, competed with the downward force of home-mortgage rates that rose during most of 2023.
“Last year certainly stood out as another very good year for home sellers across most of the United States. Typical profits of over $120,000 and margins close to 60 percent were still more than double where they stood just five years earlier,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “But the market definitely softened amid modest price gains that weren’t enough to push profits up higher after a long run of improvements. In 2024, the stage seems set for more small changes in prices as well as seller gains given the competing forces of interest rates that have headed back down in recent months and home supplies that remain tight, but home ownership costs that remain a serious financial burden for many households.”
Among 129 metropolitan statistical areas with a population greater than 200,000 and sufficient sales data, sellers in western and southern states again reaped the highest returns on investment in 2023. The West and South regions had 12 of the 15 metro areas with the highest ROIs on typical home sales last year, led by San Jose, CA (99.4 percent return on investment); Knoxville, TN (98.1 percent); Seattle, WA (92.9 percent); Spokane, WA (90.6 percent) and Scranton, PA (89.6 percent).
The U.S. median home price increased 2.1 percent from 2022 to 2023, reaching another all-time annual high of $335,000. The typical 2023 price has more than double the nationwide median in 2011, a point in time right before the housing market began recovering from the aftereffects of the Great Recession that hit in the late 2000s.
The 2023 increase, however, represented the smallest annual bump during the extended boom period that began in 2012. The full-year median home-price appreciation slowed down as interest rates rose in 2023 close to 8 percent for a 30-year mortgage.
Profit margins on typical home sales decreased from 2022 to 2023 in 84 of the 129 metro areas with sufficient data to analyze (65 percent). That happened as the 2.3 percent jump in the median sale price nationwide in 2023 fell behind the typical 4.4 percent increase recent sellers had been paying when they originally bought their homes.
The 40 largest decreases in investment returns were all in the South or West, led by Port St. Lucie, FL (ROI down from 104.5 in 2022 to 82.7 percent in 2023); Austin, TX (down from 67.2 percent to 46.2 percent); Phoenix, AZ (down from 79.3 percent to 60.6 percent); Reno, NV (down from 80.6 percent to 64.5 percent) and Salt Lake City, UT (down from 68.3 percent of 52.2 percent).
Game Over: Microsoft Lays Off 1,900 from Xbox and Recently Acquired Gaming Giant Activision Blizzard
Microsoft acquired gaming giant Activision Blizzard for almost $69 billion in October, and isn’t wasting any time in finding ways to cut costs. The company has announced the layoff of 1,900 workers from Activision Blizzard and its own Xbox division, accounting for eight percent of its employees in gaming.
The Verge reports that Microsoft has laid off 1,900 employees from Activision Blizzard and its own longstanding Xbox gaming division. This layoff represents eight percent of the company’s 22,000 workers devoted to video games and gaming hardware.
HEALTH
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RECALL WARNING:
Robitussin Cough Syrup Sold Nationwide Recalled
Certain bottles of Robitussin cough syrup have been recalled due to a microbial contamination that may be deadly for people with weakened immune systems, a statement posted by the FDA this week.The recalled products pose a risk of “severe or life-threatening events” for individuals with weakened immune systems, including fungemia (presence of fungi or yeast in the blood) or disseminated fungal infection (spread of fungus through the body), the announcement says.Although life-threatening infections are uncommon for other consumers, there is still a chance of infections that may require medical attention, it says. Even though there have not been reports of illness related to this recall, the manufacturer, Haleon, recalled eight lots of day and nighttime cough syrups used to temporarily relieve cold and flu symptoms, hay fever or other respiratory allergies.
Several varieties of Robitussin Honey CF Max Day and Nighttime were recalled:
- Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult sold in 4-ounce bottles, with lot number T10810 and expiring Oct. 31, 2025.
- Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult sold in 8-ounce bottles, with lot numbers T08730, T08731, T08732, T08733 and T10808. The affected bottles expire May 31 and Sept 30, 2025.
- Robitussin Honey CF Max NT Adult sold in 8-ounce bottles, with lot numbers T08740 and T08742, expiring June 30, 2026.
Anyone with these products should stop using them and reach out to a health care provider in the event of any negative reactions.
Haleon is notifying distributors and consumers with instructions on how to return the affected products.
Study: The Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Ginger
Ginger has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that data show may be related to how it influences neutrophils. Research also shows ginger may protect against this common condition.
The bioactive compounds in ginger help counteract neutrophil hyperactivity in certain autoimmune diseases by increasing cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which in turn inhibits neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation
Researchers were encouraged to find a natural supplement that could help fight overactive neutrophils and may complement treatment programs to relieve symptoms of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome
Ginger positively influences your gut by accelerating gastric emptying, and thus reduces the potential for heartburn. Alongside other spices, it can increase your gut microbiome diversity and, in turn, help to suppress long-term weight gain
Ginger can modulate pain associated with menstruation, osteoarthritis, migraines and delayed onset muscle soreness. Research also finds cardioprotective properties, which may be attributed to antihypertensive and antiplatelet activity
Power Mall Product of Recommendation: Collagen Power-Plus by North American Herb & Spice
* Contains ginger for supporting a healthy inflammatory response
How Sun Exposure Improves Your Immune Function
You’ve been told to avoid it like the plague, yet lab test research shows it boosts the activity of T lymphocytes in as little as 5 to 10 minutes.
Sensible sun exposure has many health benefits. Many are the result of vitamin D production, which occurs when your skin is exposed to UV light, but many others are unrelated to vitamin D
Research shows both blue light and UVA light boosts the activity of T lymphocytes. As little as five to 10 minutes of sun exposure was needed to boost immune cell activity
The healthiest blue light is from the sun, as it is balanced by near-infrared radiation, which activates cytochrome C oxidase in your mitochondria and helps optimize ATP production
New York City mayor classifying social media as ‘public health hazard’
New York City has become the first major city to designate social media as an environmental toxin, or “public health hazard,” Mayor Eric Adams (D) announced Wednesday.
Adams, during his State of the City address, called out a series of social media companies and claimed they are “fueling a mental health crisis,” especially for young people.
“Companies like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook are fueling a mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features,” he said. “We cannot stand by and let Big Tech monetize our children’s privacy and jeopardize their mental health.”
Adams confirmed New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan issued an advisory to classify “unfettered access to and use of social media” as a public health hazard.
In the advisory, the department laid out a series of steps that adults, especially parents and caregivers, can take to promote healthy social media use. It recommended parents and caregivers delay giving kids access to a smartphone or social media until at least the age of 14 and create a “family media plan” the designates media habits in a household.
The advisory also urged federal and state policymakers to build upon legislative proposals that protect young people “from predatory practices by social media companies.”
Adams said more information will be coming out about the advisory “soon.”
Social media companies have recently faced increased scrutiny over the role their platforms play in young people’s mental health.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
When AI becomes abusive … and Taylor Swift is the target!
Fans Outraged Over AI-Generated Sexually Graphic Taylor Swift Images
Fans are outraged after sexually graphic, AI-generated photos of pop star Taylor Swift went viral on social media. One image depicts the singer nude with Kansas City Chiefs-themed red and white body paint all over her, and vulgar terminology scrawled over her chest.
A series of sexually graphic Kansas City Chiefs-themed AI images featuring Swift — who has been a regular at Chiefs games over the last six months due to her relationship with the team’s star player Travis Kelce — have been circulating on social media, sparking outrage among fans.
“I unfortunately saw a few of those Taylor Swift AI porn photos, and whoever is making this garbage needs to be arrested,” one X/Twitter user reacted. “What I saw is just absolutely repulsive, and this kind of stuff should be illegal.”
“Whoever is making those Taylor Swift Ai pictures is going to Hell (not her fan, but still),” another wrote.
The AI photos have garnered 22 million views.
“Men are posting AI-generated images of Taylor Swift being sexually assaulted, and are asking for other more graphic images to be shared for their own enjoyment. They’re posting public comments about wanting to violate her. What the hell is wrong with this world?” a third lamented.
“Those Taylor AI pics are straight up sexual harassment and it’s disgusting that man can do those things without repercussions,” another echoed. “They see women as objects made for their sick fantasies and I’m so sick of it.”
“The situation with AI images of Taylor Swift is insane. It’s disgusting,” another said. “Grown men are simping over artificially generated pixels of a celebrity. These grown mf’s are deprived of SEX. Please PROTECT TAYLOR SWIFT.”
Many social media users simply commented in all-caps, “PROTECT TAYLOR SWIFT.”
The images are reportedly being hosted on the deep fake porn website Celeb Jihad, which was sued by celebrities in 2017 for posting explicit images that had been hacked from their personal smartphones and iCloud accounts.
The graphic AI images of Swift are just the latest example of the rise in deep fake porn.
There is an ever-increasing rise of deep fake porn, which now makes up 98 percent of all deepfake images. Meanwhile, authorities say there is nothing they can do about deep fakes, the vast majority of AI-generated pornography targets women.
Moreover, so-called “nudify” apps, used to make deep fake porn, are soaring in popularity.
Thus, be careful of what you post on social media. You could end up involuntarily becoming a deep fake porn star.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Off-Grid Living: Architectural and Environmental Considerations
The world is a pretty crazy place at the moment. Although the focus this year has mainly been on the coronavirus pandemic, some of the other big stories are around climate change and the need to change how our societies function for more equality and greater consciousness in the world. This has led to more and more people considering the idea of going off-grid – using their own energy sources, disposing of their waste in a conscientious manner, and becoming as self-sufficient as possible, for example.
The problem with going off-grid, however, is that it can be a rather daunting prospect, and for many, it requires a large amount of research and learning before getting started. Here, we have broken down the basics for you, so that you can begin to take the first steps towards off-grid living…
Unless you plan on living as they did in the Middle Ages, the main consideration that you will need to make is how you are going to supply your home with energy. This means heating your house as well as having electricity to cook, use appliances, and power your fridge, for example.
Solar and wind energy are good options for renewable energy. However, they require solar panels and wind turbines, depending on where you are located.
You will probably also need to have a back-up power option. The winter might not give you adequate sunlight for your needs, so some people choose to have an oil back-up option. This would require having a storage tank where you can keep your oil – and a plastic one is the preferred option.
According to tank specialists, “Plastic heating tanks are a good choice as they are less prone to corrosion than some metal tanks. This is because they consist of an inner tank where the oil is stored and an outer tank, which exists to provide protection to the inner tank. Slimline bunded oil tanks are a sensible option if you are in an environmentally sensitive environment, or for storing a large quantity of oil.”
Ensuring that your home is well insulated is a great way of reducing the amount of energy that you will need to heat or cool your home. You could consider cavity wall insulation, loft, or floor insulation.
Although we now have many more options for getting rid of household waste in a green and sustainable way, there is much that you can do yourself in a self-sufficient, off-grid home. For instance, turn vegetable peelings and tea bags into compost and use it to feed your garden. Also, you can consider doing the same with your human waste.
Compost toilets have changed over time and now offer a more viable option to anyone conscientious about their waste.
When it comes to grey water, you will probably need to have a septic tank if you are truly off-grid and not connected to the sewage network. The septic tank will need to be emptied every now and then, but this is a simple process. You can also set up water systems that can help you to reuse wastewater that is not dirty or contaminated to be used to flush toilets or water the garden.
You must think about how to get clean and usable water when going off the grid. For drinking water, if you don’t have a spring nearby, you should consider digging a well or borehole to obtain clean water directly from under the ground.
Additionally, you can consider rainwater harvesting where you collect rainwater for use in various functions at home. We’ve argued for rain barrels in the past as a great option. Depending on your intended use, getting a water purification system helps in cleaning out the water and ensuring it’s uncontaminated.
It is not always possible to go completely food self-sufficient, but the more you can do, the closer you are to real off-grid living. You could do some research into the best fruit and vegetables to grow in your area, and consider getting some chickens, bees, or maybe even a cow. This not only helps to keep you healthy, but it also gives you something to feel proud about.
In a world that is becoming progressively concerned about climate change and sustainability, living off-grid is becoming an increasingly appealing idea for many people. Although there is some work required to set up your home, off-grid living gives you complete control over the impact that your house is having on the world around you and allows you to live in a green, sustainable way.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Top 10 Best Egg Producing Chicken Breeds
- Ancona – Anconas lay about 220 large white eggs a year. Anconas are in the Mediterranean class of chicken breeds. Originating in Italy, they are named after the city of Ancona, capital of the Marches. These birds are primarily kept for their egg laying abilities. They are a smaller breed, with males weighing in at about 5.5 pounds and females about 4. Like other Mediterranean breeds, they are on the flightier side and tend to be more skittish than some other breeds. They are very active and hardy birds, good for free ranging. Broodiness is rare in this breed.
- Rhode Island White – RIWs lay 240 large brown eggs a year. Rhode Island Whites, as the name would imply, originated in Rhode Island. They are a very distinct breed from the Rhode Island Red, despite the similarity in name. This is a dual purpose breed, kept both for their eggs and also to be used for meat. They are a medium to large bird, with males weighing 8.5 pounds and females 6.5. They have pleasant, agreeable temperaments, tending to be calm and docile. Historically, they were fantastic layers, with one hen documented as laying 306 eggs per year. Nowadays they lay around 240 to 250 eggs a year. Unfortunately, this breed is on the decline, making it harder to find them for your flock.
- Sussex – The Sussex breed lays up to 250 large brown eggs a year. The Sussex originated in the historic county of Sussex in England, for which it was named. This fun breed comes in many colors, such as Speckled, Light, and Coronation. This is a dual purpose breed, kept for both eggs and meat. Males weigh 9 pounds, and females weigh 7 pounds. This is another docile breed that also tends to be alert and confident, making them a good candidate for free ranging. Some strains are better layers than others – while the best laying strains produce up to 250 eggs a year, some strains may only lay up to 200.
- Australorp – The Australorp, which lays 250 large brown eggs a year. Australorps are an Australian chicken breed. As their name implies, they were originally bred from Black Orpingtons. This is another dual purpose breed. Males weigh 8.5 pounds and females weigh in at 6.5 pounds. They were developed as a utility breed with a focus on egg laying. In the 1920s, the breed broke world records for egg production and thus gained worldwide popularity. This is a very hardy breed, with docile, gentle, friendly temperaments.
- Rhode Island Red – This breed lays 260 large brown eggs a year. This is another breed on our list that originates in Rhode Island. A dual purpose breed, some modern strains have been bred more for their egg production than meat. Males weigh 8.6 pounds and females weigh 6.6 pounds. Originally created by crossing brown leghorns with birds of Oriental origins, the deep red plumage is said to come from their Malay ancestry. From this ancestry they also derive some of their temperament; this breed can be outgoing and even pushy at times.
- Delaware – The Delaware can lay up to 280 large brown eggs a year. The Delaware was first bred in Delaware in the 1940s. Using Plymouth Rocks crossed to New Hampshire hens was common at the time to create broilers. Sometimes a lighter bird was produced from such a mating, and the breed’s creator focused on these birds to create the Delaware. Originally used as a broiler, their Plymouth Rock heritage makes them decent layers as well. This is a large bird, originally kept primarily for meat only. Males weigh in at 8.5 pounds and females at 6.5 pounds. Once upon a time this bird was relatively important to the broiler industry and was fairly common, but nowadays with the advent of the fast-growing cornish cross birds, this breed has been tossed to the wayside and is critically endangered. They are generally docile in temperament, though they may not be overly friendly with their human keepers.
- Plymouth Rock – Plymouth Rocks are another American breed that can lay up to 280 large brown eggs a year. First bred in Massachusetts in the early 19th century, this breed comes in many colors, the most famous of which of course being Barred, but they are also found in Partridge, Silver Penciled, White, Blue, Black, Splash, Buff, and Columbian. This dual purpose breed is kept for both eggs and meat. Males weigh 9.5 pounds and females weigh 7.5 pounds on average. The best laying strains of Plymouth Rock will produce up to 280 eggs a year. Some strains lay a little more modestly at about 200 eggs a year. This is another calm bird. They tend to be mellow and curious, and are friendly, docile birds.
- Easter Egger – This interesting bird isn’t a true breed, but more of a hybrid. They lay 280 large to extra large eggs per year, often in shades of blue or green.
The Easter Egger is a fun bird. They aren’t a true breed like the other birds that have been on this list. Rather, they are mixes that usually share the same traits, such as pea combs, muffs – and a propensity to lay blue or green eggs. If you want a colorful egg basket and a colorful flock, this is the bird for you. Since they aren’t a standardized breed, they can be found in all kinds of plumage colors, making for a varied flock. The blue and green eggs will also add some color to your egg basket. In general they are also excellent layers, producing lots of large to extra large eggs. Generally these birds are very friendly and personable.
- Red / Black Sex Link – These highly productive birds can lay up to 300 extra large brown eggs a year. This high production hybrid was designed with egg laying in mind. This is not a true breed, but rather a fist generation cross of two other breeds, chosen for egg production and crossed in such a way so that the chicks hatch different colors based on their gender – making it easy to pick out the pullets on day one. Many hatcheries will have names for their particular hybrid, such as Red Star, Black Star, ISA Brown, etc. These are all sex-linked hybrids. However, their super egg production comes at a cost – they are very prone to reproductive issues such as cancer. Generally these birds are not broody, but never say never. They tend to have docile, friendly dispositions.
- Leghorn – The white Leghorn is the queen and undisputed champion of white egg production. Some strains of these birds will lay up to 320 large to extra large eggs per year.
Some strains may only do 280 eggs a year, but others will lay up to 320. The world record for most eggs laid in a year is held by a white leghorn hen, who laid 371 eggs in 364 days – which means some days she laid more than one egg! This breed originated in Tuscany. While they come in colors other than white, it is the white that has been bred most fervently for egg production, so the whites will outlay every other color. They are a smaller breed, with males weighing 6 pounds and females about 4.5 pounds. They tend to be very active, even flighty, and have a reputation as being nervous.
COVID RELATED NEWS
EXCLUSIVE: Email Reveals Why CDC Didn’t Issue Alert on COVID Vaccines and Myocarditis
The nation’s top public health authorities identified myocarditis and a related condition, pericarditis, before the vaccines were cleared as events that could be caused by the vaccines. People who received the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines began reporting myocarditis and pericarditis to health authorities and the vaccine manufacturers shortly after the vaccines were rolled out in December 2020.
A signal in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which the CDC helps manage, triggered in February 2021, the same month Israel warned the CDC and U.S. drug regulators of a “large number” of cases, primarily among young males.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director at the time, first addressed the issue publicly in April 2021. She falsely said the agency had seen no reports and that no signal had triggered, while disclosing the CDC was in touch with U.S. military officials on cases among service members.
In reality, hundreds of cases had been reported to the CDC, including some that resulted in death; the CDC either missed or ignored the signal in VAERS; and the CDC helped hide a signal that emerged from a Department of Veterans Affairs system, internal documents and other data reviewed by The Epoch Times show.
The CDC did communicate to certain state officials about myocarditis issues starting in April 2021 and told some doctors in a May 14, 2021, email that the agency was monitoring reports of the inflammation following Pfizer and Moderna vaccination.
Shortly after that missive was sent, the CDC began considering next steps, according to the newly obtained documents.
Dr. Oliver on May 21, 2021, emailed representatives of Moderna and Pfizer to warn them that the CDC was planning to go public with information on the myocarditis cases.
ency did not send an alert on COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation because officials were concerned they would cause panic, according to an email obtained by The Epoch Times.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2021 drafted an alert for heart inflammation, or myocarditis, and the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Officials prepared to release it to the public, taking steps including having the agency’s director review the language, internal documents show.
The alert would have been sent through the CDC’s Health Alert System (HAN) network, which goes to state and local officials, as well as doctors, across the country.
The alert was never sent.
In the May 25, 2021, email, exclusively obtained by The Epoch Times, a CDC official revealed why some officials were against sending the alert.
“The pros and cons of an official HAN are what the main discussion are right now,” Dr. Sara Oliver, the official, wrote in the missive. “I think it’s likely to be a HAN since that is CDC’s primary method of communications to clinicians and public health departments, but people don’t want to appear alarmist either.”
Dr. Oliver was corresponding with an employee of either Pfizer or Moderna. The employee’s name and email were redacted in the copy obtained by The Epoch Times.
Dr. Oliver did not respond to a request for comment. Asked about the email, the CDC did not address Dr. Oliver’s statement.
The “CDC’s apparent decision to not immediately issue a formal alert to clinicians warning them about the increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in vaccinated individuals is not only inexcusable, it’s malpractice,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, told The Epoch Times in an email.
mRNA Vaccines Contain Prion Region, May Be Linked to Prion-Like Diseases
The COVID-19 virus and its vaccine sequences have a prion region on their surface spike proteins. Earlier in the pandemic and vaccine rollout, some researchers were concerned that these prion regions may promote incurable prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
In December 2023, researchers from Oxford showed that 8 percent of the time, the body does not make spike protein from Pfizer mRNA vaccines but may form aberrant proteins instead. This has led researchers to investigate the potential risks of such unintentional formations.
Subsequently, on Jan. 12, retired French biomathematician Jean-Claude Perez published a preprint study discussing whether such mistakes could lead to the formation of prion-like proteins. He concluded that prion-like protein formation is possible.
A previous peer-reviewed paper by Mr. Perez and his co-authors in January 2023 recorded 26 cases of CJD. Those afflicted reported that their first symptoms manifested within one to 31 days of their last COVID-19 vaccination or infection.
All patients experienced a rapid worsening of their condition over the ensuing months and died.
Prions are proteins that exist naturally in the brain. They perform crucial tasks and are necessary for human health.
However, on rare occasions, a healthy prion may misfold into a pathogenic prion. This misfold is irreversible, and from then on, the pathogenic prion converts all healthy prions it encounters into pathogenic prions.
As pathogenic prions accumulate, people may start to develop prion diseases such as CJD and mad cow disease.
Other researchers have also proposed that Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, both of which exhibit an accumulation of misfolded proteins, may also be prion diseases.
Prions are defined by their amino acid sequences. Prion-like sequences are rich in glutamine and asparagine amino acids, and human or foreign proteins that contain such regions are at risk of initiating prion diseases.
“Amino acid sequence can tell us if a protein can potentially act as a prion and show prion-like functions,” said Vladimir Uversky, PhD, a professor at the University of South Florida specializing in molecular medicine. “Not all proteins with prion-like sequences will undoubtedly act as prions. Even prion protein itself will cause prion disease in very few cases.
“If, however, one got such proteins, then there is a chance that [the proteins] can trigger some pathology. It is not clear when, how, and with what probability this would happen, but the overall chances of getting something bad are definitely increased,” Mr. Uversky told The Epoch Times, comparing the prion protein to “a time bomb with a dysfunctional or stochastic timer.”
Repeated mRNA Vaccination May Hamper Recovery From COVID-19: Study
Taking multiple mRNA vaccines can end up raising the levels of a specific antibody that is linked to a reduced capacity of the immune system and “poor clinical outcomes of COVID-19,” according to recent research.
The preprint study, published in MedRxiv on Jan. 18, looked at the effects of Moderna and Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccines as well as Novavax COVID-19 shots on IgG4 antibody levels in the human body.
IgG4 is a subclass of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, which are proteins released by the immune system to fight against foreign substances. There are four subclasses of IgG antibodies—IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4. Out of these, IgG4 is the least prevalent, accounting for around 0 to 5 percent of total IgG.
The study said that repeated mRNA COVID-19 vaccination “has been associated with increases in the proportion of IgG4” that could restrict the body’s ability to counter the infection.
“Following repeated mRNA vaccination, IgG4 was observed to increase from 0.04 percent of total SARS-CoV-2 spike–specific IgG after two doses to 19.27 percent after three doses.”
“Increased concentrations of IgG4 have been associated with immunosuppression and poor clinical outcomes of COVID-19, and while generally regarded as anti-inflammatory, may contribute to some autoimmune disorders and inflammatory IgG4-related diseases,” researchers said.
CANCEL CULTURE
BLM protesters who participated in 2020 riots will receive $10 million from Seattle
The city of Seattle, Washington, agreed Wednesday to pay $10 million to settle a lawsuit from a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who participated in the violent and destructive 2020 riots following the death of George Floyd.
A Wednesday press release from the city revealed that Seattle is settling a complaint filed by a group of 50 protesters in September 2020 who claimed they were injured by police while participating in the demonstrations. Seattle admitted to no wrongdoing.
According to the city, the complaint involved hundreds of interactions between the protesters and local law enforcement officials, over a million pages of records, over 10,000 videos, hundreds of witness interviews, and extensive court filings.
“This decision was the best financial decision for the City considering risk, cost, and insurance,” Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison said. “The case has been a significant drain on the time and resources of the City and would have continued to be so through an estimated 3-month trial that was scheduled to begin in May.”
“This settlement resolves the majority of the remaining claims arising out of the 2020 demonstration period and is a big step toward allowing the City to focus on the important work of today, while moving forward from events four years ago,” Davison added.
The riots, which were ignited as a result of the death of George Floyd in May 2020, led to the destruction of many local businesses, significant property damage, and even injury and death.
A six-block area in Seattle was taken over by BLM activists who declared it an autonomous zone, called the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone, which was also referred to as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. The rioters forced police out of the area, where multiple people were shot and two were murdered.
According to the plaintiffs’ attorneys, one of the protesters suffered a heart attack after she was hit by a blast ball fired by the Seattle Police Department, the Seattle Times reported. Another plaintiff, a veteran who uses a cane, was allegedly “gassed and tackled because he didn’t retreat fast enough.” The lawyers claimed that “dozens of others who suffered permanent hearing loss, broken bones, concussion, wounds, bruising and emotional damage” as a result of the SPD’s response.
Judge Sandra Widlan rejected Seattle’s argument that the protesters “assumed the risk” of being injured by law enforcement when they chose to participate in the riots. Even with the exorbitant, objective evidence that a significant number of the protesters who attended the demonstrations were highly destructive and violent, the corporate media continues to claim that the activists participated in a peaceful protest where they were exercising their right to free speech.
The plaintiffs’ lead attorney, Karen Koehler, claimed her clients “were engaged in a First Amendment speech and activity against the very police brutality which they were met with.” She slammed the city for not admitting to wrongdoing.
“They should have said, ‘We’re sorry that we were punks and brutalized peaceful protesters,’” Koehler said.
Despite leftists’ claims that the 2020 riots were not destructive, Seattle previously agreed to pay $3.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen business owners and residents whose properties incurred significant damages at the hands of the so-called “peaceful protesters,” Blaze News previously reported.
GOOD NEWS
Decades of research have already determined that exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) from cell phones, cell towers and other sources of wireless “Wi-Fi” radiation – including 5G – is biologically harmful. In regard to 5G, in 2019, telecom experts gave congressional testimony that they had NO scientific evidence that 5G is safe!
Additionally in 2021, a federal court ruled in favor of petitioners who sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for NOT updating wireless radiation guidelines since 1996 despite scientific evidence of harm submitted to the agency. The FCC has refused to do anything about this though that hasn’t stopped Americans from demanding that their lawmakers to take action to protect them from exposure. Kudos to New Hampshire residents for enlisting help from theirs.
From Environmental Health Trust:
New Hampshire Bipartisan Bill on Health Effects of 5G Technology
The New Hampshire House introduced Bill 1487 “An ACT relative to the health effects of 5G technology” which calls for educating the public on the health risks of wireless radiation, ensuring cell towers and 500 meters from homes and schools and replacing Wi-Fi with wireless in schools.
Hunter Moore is just like any other teen athlete. He loves to play sports, made the varsity team, and doesn’t mind throwing up a few gym selfies on his Instagram.
“It’s all genetics, bro,” he says laughingly while pumping his nearly 20-inch bicep. The genetics, in Moore’s case, is Dystonic Cerebral Palsy from a stroke he suffered as an infant that left him partially paralyzed on his left side.
In this case, the genetics are the obstacle to overcome, not the immutable advantage some athletes enjoy. Yet Moore was born into a military family, and so received an upbringing full of dictates to never give up, to prove them all wrong, and it drove Hunter to spend most of his childhood building a body that was capable of the rigors of athletics.
For 7 years he always made his schools’ soccer teams, and now plays as the long snapper for his junior varsity football team, while regularly posting pretty impressive weightlifting numbers that even a non-paralyzed person could feel safe bragging about.
Even though he can’t use his left arm for isolated lifts, he still tries to incorporate it as often as possible for the sake of symmetry—one of bodybuilding’s most important judging criteria. He’ll lock his left arm around a bar, and pry it away from where it usually sits tucked up into his armpit. Like this, he can do a squat or a deadlift.
By the time he competed last summer in the Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association, he was pressing 120 lbs. with one arm, and deadlifting 405. He took first place in his category in Dallas, Texas, and competed again in November in Las Vegas to win first place in the professional class for Men’s Disabled Standing.
In an interview, Moore described posing on stage as “one of the scariest things that I have ever attempted,” but the whistles and cheers he received were a tangible reward for an amount of hard work that the majority of people, disabled or not, cannot manage.
“I will define myself and not let cerebral palsy or anyone else define me,” he told Joker Magazine, adding that he plans to go to university to study marine biology and hopes to also pursue motivational speaking.
No one alive today will see it again—the convergence of two cicada broods that will practically shake the Midwest with their chirping.
The appearance of cicadas en mass is one of the most amazing natural phenomena of the insect world, and we Americans are uniquely positioned to witness it. But this spring, the synchronized emergence of Brood 13 and Brood 19 will fill the air from Iowa to Virginia with over a trillion bugs, an event not seen since Thomas Jefferson’s day.
1803 was the last time that this convergence occurred, and it involves the periodic cicadas of the 13-year brood and the 17-year brood,
It’s not true that the cicadas are born this way. They actually live their whole lives underground and then burrow up to the surface as part of a mass breeding and egg-laying frenzy.
Entomologists estimate that the two broods together will number more than 1 trillion bugs, enough to go to the moon and back, head-to-tail, 33 times.
The two broods will overlap in Iowa and Illinois, and the 17-year cicadas, confusingly called Brood 19 (XIX), will extend into Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, with a few also popping up in Louisiana.
The next time that these two will emerge together will be 2245.
“It’s pretty much this big spectacular macabre Mardi Gras,” Jonathan Larson, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, told NPR. “It’s a lot of singing, lots of paramours pairing up and then lots of dying.”
Smithsonian Magazine provides this interesting tidbit that the decibel level of so many cicadas mating can reach the same as a motorcycle or chainsaw passing by your house.
They will emerge this spring, and shuffle off their mortal coils in July, during which time they will not sting, bite, envenom, or pass disease onto any human. Their emergence will aerate the soils of woodland, and their bodies will provide such a smorgasbord for wildlife, that even herbivorous animals like deer will begin to eagerly throw back the tasty morsels.
PET NEWS
Antifreeze-Like Ingredient Found in Pet Treats’ Latest Recall
It’s considered one of the least toxic of its kind, and is used in ‘pet safe’ antifreezes. Cats are particularly sensitive, so it’s banned in cat foods, but it can also poison dogs. Destroys red blood cells and causes many nervous system problems including seizures and coma.
Recently, a brand of commercial cat treats was recalled due to the presence of low levels of propylene glycol, a chemical the FDA has banned for use in cat food and treats
Even a small amount of propylene glycol can cause a condition called Heinz body hemolytic anemia in cats
Toxic levels for propylene glycol in dogs have not been established, and unfortunately, many processed pet foods and treats contain this chemical
The only foolproof way to protect your pet from propylene glycol is to prepare fresh, whole, species-appropriate meals for your dog or cat, or purchase a fresh food diet from a company you trust
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