WORLD NEWS
Overloaded Crematoriums in Shanghai Points to Surging Death Toll
As tens of millions of Chinese carrying luggage and gifts traveled for long-awaited family reunions, grieving relatives struggled to get their loved ones to their final resting place ahead of the Lunar New Year.
Interviews with staff at five funeral homes in Shanghai on Jan. 18 showed the waiting times to get a cremation slot were extended as far as early February, even as furnace ovens have been operating until late at night and early dawn to cater to the surging demand amid the explosive outbreak.
Yishan Funeral Home, the city’s largest funeral home with 22 high-efficiency cremators, is one month behind in delivering cremated remains, while the second-largest Pudong Funeral Home has a two-week delay for cremation.
Hu Liren, a U.S.-based businessman originally from Shanghai, said his friend had to wait 19 days to cremate his late mother, who passed away in Dongqiao town in Shanghai on Jan. 11.
Still, local officials have been seeking to downplay the severity of the crisis. On Jan. 17, authorities in Shanghai said the COVID outbreak had been on “an obvious downward trend” since late December, with visits to fever clinics and emergency rooms declining. Health authorities also claimed that “the current outbreaks in Shanghai have now passed the peak.”
But China’s official infection and death tolls have been viewed as markedly undercounting the impact of the COVID crisis by health experts abroad, including those at the World Health Organization. As researchers turn to anecdotal evidence on the ground to gauge the impact on global health, more than a dozen of governments around the world have mandated COVID tests or imposed other precautionary measures on travelers from China.
Providing new tanks to Ukraine won’t change the reality on the ground of the current conflict with Russia, according to retired Army Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis, who claimed the United States has “no plan” or strategy and warned of the real-world danger of invoking NATO’s “mutual defense” clause, which would trigger a nuclear war.
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News on Thursday, Davis discussed the situation on the ground in Ukraine.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Update on 5 Ex-Memphis Police Officers Charged in Tyre Nichols’s Death
Five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols will be arraigned on Feb. 17, according to court records.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, and a slew of other charges stemming from a traffic stop on earlier this month that resulted in Nichols’s death. Video footage released on the night of Jan. 27 appeared to show the officers kicking and punching Nichols, who died at a hospital several days later.
Court records show that the officers—who are all black—will all be arraigned together at 10 a.m. at a court in Shelby County, Tennessee, according to multiple news reports. Judge James Jones will hear the case, the records show.
They face up to 60 years in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
Paul Pelosi Attacker Makes Chilling Call from Jail, Reveals Plans to ‘Get’ More People
David DePape, the suspect accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer, made a chilling jailhouse phone call to a news station, revealing disturbing plans to “get” people he believes were behind the suppression of individual liberties.
DePape called KTVU on Friday, the same day that police body camera footage was released to the public showing DePape confronted by officers while wielding a hammer and, moments later, appearing to swing it at Pelosi’s head.
At the top of the call, DePape said he had seen the newly released video and had an “important message for everyone in America.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, making clear he doesn’t regret his actions, which left Pelosi seriously injured with a skull fracture.
DePape then said that “freedom and liberty isn’t dying, it’s being killed systematically and deliberately,” and that the “people killing it have names and addresses,” which he obtained so that he could “pay them a little visit” in order to have a “heart to heart chat about their bad behavior.”
He then offered an apology—but not for the attack.
“I want to apologize to everyone. I messed up. What I did was really bad. I’m so sorry I didn’t get more of them. It’s my own fault. No one else is to blame. I should have come better prepared,” he said.
DePape said he spent all his time exposing what he described as government corruption but that he was silenced by Big Tech at the behest of the government, which he claimed “outsources” the repression of free speech to the private industry.
“It’s called fascism,” he said. While he didn’t go into specifics, he said he had a website with over 300 pages of materials that he claimed had been censored.
He added he has “a lot more to say” and that he’s trying to set up a new website that’s “out of the reach of tyrannical global fascists and their internet censors.”
DePape’s disturbing remarks came after a San Francisco judge ordered that evidence relating to the attack on Paul Pelosi must be released to the public, including police body camera footage.
The 42-year-old DePape faces state and federal charges including attempted murder for the Oct. 28 attack.
If convicted, he could face life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.
Massive fire sweeps U.S. egg farm, 16 fire departments needed to contain it
A three-alarm fire at a Bozrah, Connecticut-based egg farm required more than 100 firefighters from at least 16 nearby firehouses to extinguish.
According to WTIC-TV, authorities said the fire, which plagued a 50′ x 600′ chicken coop at Hillandale Farms on Schwartz Road, took 4.5 hours to extinguish and resulted in the death of an estimated 100,000 chickens.
Fortunately, there were no injuries sustained by firefighters or farm workers.
HEALTH
How to Fast for Metabolic Fitness and Hormone Balance
The vast majority of people eat across 12 hours or more, which is a recipe for metabolic disaster. Health statistics bear this out, showing that 93.2% of Americans are metabolically unfit
Time-restricted eating (TRE) is one of the most foundational strategies to stay healthy, and when done appropriately can also help balance your sex hormones
Your body has two primary energy systems. One of them is activated when you eat. When your blood sugar goes up, your body uses that glucose for energy. When you don’t eat for a period of time, your blood sugar goes down, which switches when your body is metabolically flexible to a different energy system that uses ketones derived from fat instead of glucose
These energy systems are intimately tied to your circadian rhythm. Food is the most important regulator for the clocks inside your cells. If you don’t get your feeding times right, your circadian rhythms, which are responsible for turning cellular protein production on and off, will become seriously impaired.
Three key rules of TRE are: Your eating window should be shorter than 12 hours; avoid eating first thing in the morning — wait at least two or three hours; avoid eating right before bed. Have your last meal at least three hours or more before bedtime. With those rules in mind, your eating window could be anywhere from two to 10 hours, tailored to your unique circumstances
This Underrated Anti-Inflammatory Oil Supports Hormone Health
Pumpkin may be a favorite fall flavor, but in oil form, its uses and benefits go far beyond Thanksgiving pie. This versatile oil appears in everything from cooking to beauty products, and its health perks may include cardiovascular support, as well as skin hydration, hormone balancing, and more.
Here’s what to know about the top science-backed benefits of pumpkin seed oil, and how to get the most out of the ingredient.
What is pumpkin seed oil?
Extracted from the seeds of pumpkins via a cold press process1 that is highly intensive and manual, pumpkin seed oil is popular worldwide for its rich, nutty flavor.
Similar to olive oil, it has a relatively low smoke point—only 320 degrees Fahrenheit. When heated beyond this temperature, the oil begins to burn and release pro-inflammatory free radicals. This means it isn’t ideal for high-heat cooking. It is, however, excellent in marinades and drizzled over roasted vegetables.
Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., CDN, author of Eating From Our Roots, shares a myriad of options for using pumpkin seed oil in the kitchen on the mindbodygreen podcast: “One of my friends takes a full-fat yogurt and pours pumpkin seed oil over it as a dessert. It’s delicious.” It’s a wonderful finishing oil for salads, as well, she says. Lipid researcher Kevin C Maki, PhD, CLS. adds that pumpkin seed oil can be drizzled into smoothies or soups, used in slaws, or blended into dips.
The Benefits of Red Light and Near-Infrared Light Therapy
Red and near-infrared light are a subset of natural sunlight, which actually acts and has value as a nutrient
Red light and near-infrared light therapies are ways to get some of the benefits of natural sunlight. These therapies may be particularly beneficial for people who aren’t getting enough natural sunlight exposure
Cytochrome c oxidase, photo receptors on your mitochondria, capture photons of red and near-infrared light. The most effective wavelengths that activate this system are in the 600 to 700 nanometer and the 800 to 1,000 nanometer ranges. In response to light photons, your mitochondria will produce energy more efficiently
Another mechanism of action is related to the benefits of hormesis and the transient spike in reactive oxygen species. That burst of reactive oxygen species creates a cascade of signaling effects that stimulate the NRF2 pathway and heat shock proteins
A third mechanism of action involves retrograde signaling and the modulation of gene expression. Red and near-infrared light therapy activates genes involved in cell repair, cell regeneration and cellular growth, depending on the tissue
Asafoetida: Why This Stinky Herb Is so Beneficial
The Indian cooking spice asafoetida is a gum obtained from a type of giant fennel. It has an offensive smell akin to that of rotting garlic and sweaty feet, but an appetizing savory, umami taste
With its onion-garlic flavor, you can use it as a substitute for either of those ingredients. Many recommend using it in bean-based dishes, as it helps prevent gassiness
Asafoetida has antibacterial, antiparasitic and antiviral properties. In 2009, researchers discovered certain compounds in the herb were more effective at killing the H1N1 influenza virus than the commercial antiviral drug amantadine
Asafoetida also has antispasmodic, carminative, expectorant, laxative and sedative properties, just to name a few. Historical uses include the treatment of nervous conditions, bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough and more
This smelly herb can also be useful for the prevention and treatment of various gut ailments, and for feminine health issues such as sterility, premature labor, painful and excessive menstruation and leucorrhoea
Research Shows Kimchi Reduces Difficult Fat and Reduces Neuroinflammation Of The Brain.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented side dish made from a variety of vegetables and seasonings. It has been used in Korean cuisine for centuries and is now gaining popularity in the Western world. There are many potential health benefits associated with eating kimchi, such as improved digestion, reduced inflammation, and improved immunity. Recently, research has shown that kimchi can also reduce difficult fat in the body and reduce neuroinflammation of the brain.
In a recent study, researchers investigated the effects of kimchi on body fat. They found that kimchi reduced levels of difficult fat in the body, such as visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and total cholesterol. The study also found that kimchi reduced the levels of inflammatory markers in the body, such as C-reactive protein. The researchers concluded that kimchi may be beneficial for reducing difficult fat in individuals with obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Kimchi is also believed to be beneficial for reducing neuroinflammation of the brain. Neuroinflammation is the inflammation of the nervous system and is associated with a number of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. In a recent study, researchers found that kimchi had a positive effect on reducing neuroinflammation in mice. The study showed that kimchi reduced levels of inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 in the brain.
Research has shown that kimchi can help reduce neuroinflammation and may be beneficial for individuals with the following conditions:
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Huntington’s Disease
- Stroke
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Autism
- Multiple System Atrophy
- Tourette’s Syndrome
In addition to its potential health benefits, kimchi is a great source of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is also high in probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that help to promote a healthy gut microbiome. Probiotics can help to improve digestion and nutrient absorption, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity.
>> Recipe: How To Make Easy Kimchi at Home
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Power Hour Host Dave Krieger Drops Truth Bombs on Infowars: WATCH HERE
These States Are Still Sending Out Payments in 2023
While there are likely no federal stimulus checks being handed out in the near future, some states are still issuing payments or rebates in 2023.
Colorado
Idaho
New Jersey
New Mexico
South Carolina
Delaware
Pennsylvania
California
Millions to See SNAP Payment Decrease After February, Federal Agency Says
Millions of Americans who are in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will see decreases in payments after February, a federal agency said.
The decreases in payments are driven by two main factors, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) said in an update in early January.
FNS is an agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Firstly, the temporary increase to SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic—also known as emergency allotments—will end after the February 2023 payment.
The emergency allotments gave most SNAP households approximately $95 in extra payment, the agency said.
“All SNAP households have or will see a decrease to the SNAP benefits they receive when emergency allotments end. Some SNAP households already experienced that change; others will in February or March 2023,” FNS said in the announcement.
The extra payments have ended in 17 states including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
SNAP households in South Carolina will see emergency allotments end after the January payment.
IRS Says Millions of Americans Don’t Realize They’re Eligible for Tax Credit
The IRS has issued a reminder that millions of Americans are eligible for a tax credit that last year averaged more than $2,000, but 20 percent of those entitled to the money don’t claim it.
“This is an extremely important tax credit that helps millions of hard-working people every year,” IRS Acting Commissioner Doug O’Donnell said in a Jan. 27 statement. “But each year, many people miss out on the credit because they don’t know about it or don’t realize they’re eligible.”
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) was first approved by Congress in 1975, in part to offset the burden of Social Security taxes and to provide an employment incentive.
The tax credit is administered by the IRS, which stated that in 2022, roughly 31 million eligible Americans received about $64 billion in EITC payments. The tax credit amounted to more than $2,000 per eligible person on average.
The IRS estimates that about 20 percent of eligible taxpayers don’t claim the EITC. People particularly prone to overlooking the tax credit include those living in nontraditional homes (such as a grandparent raising a grandchild), those whose earnings declined or whose marital or parental status changed, people living in rural areas, veterans, the self-employed, and those with earnings below the tax return filing requirement.
“In particular, people who have experienced a major life change in the past year—in their job, marital status, a new child or other factors—may qualify for the first time,” O’Donnell said. “The IRS urges people to carefully … review this important credit; we don’t want people to miss out.”
White House Targets Cryptocurrencies, Calls for Stronger Enforcement by Regulators
North Korea, fraud, and financial losses are some of the dangers emanating from the cryptocurrency industry, according to a White House blog published on Jan. 27. It argued for enhanced oversight of cryptocurrencies more broadly, requesting help from financial regulatory bodies and Congressional lawmakers.
The blog—co-written by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar, and Council of Economic Advisors Chair Cecilia Rouse—outlined the administration’s strategy for mitigating the risks associated with cryptocurrencies.
The White House officials described digital assets as a nascent industry with promise but one that must be reined in for the sake of consumers. Sullivan has long been sounding the alarm with respect to cryptocurrencies, which he placed on the administration’s radar back in June of 2021, following the highly publicized ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline.
The White House pointed to North Korea to justify the need for further legislation, highlighting that a lack of security protocols allowed North Korea to “steal over a billion dollars to fund its aggressive missile program.” This refers to allegations by South Korea’s main spy agency that their northern neighbor employed state-sponsored hackers to extract $1.2 billion from various digital asset projects.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft Invests $10 Billion In ChatGPT-Maker OpenAI
Microsoft on Monday announced a new multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
Microsoft declined to provide a specific dollar amount, but Semafor reported earlier this month that Microsoft was in talks to invest as much as $10 billion.
The deal marks the third phase of the partnership between the two companies, following Microsoft’s previous investments in 2019 and 2021. Microsoft said the renewed partnership will accelerate breakthroughs in AI and help both companies commercialize advanced technologies in the future.
“We formed our partnership with OpenAI around a shared ambition to responsibly advance cutting-edge AI research and democratize AI as a new technology platform,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a blog post.
OpenAI works closely with Microsoft’s cloud service Azure. In July 2019, Microsoft backed OpenAI with $1 billion, and the investment made Microsoft the “exclusive” provider of cloud computing services to OpenAI. Microsoft said Monday that Azure will continue to serve as OpenAI’s exclusive provider.
Microsoft’s investment will also help the two companies engage in supercomputing at scale and create new AI-powered experiences, the release said.
OpenAI is ranked by AI researchers as one of the top three AI labs worldwide, and the company has developed game-playing AI software that can beat humans at video games such as Dota 2. However, it’s arguably received more attention for its AI text generator GPT-3 and its quirky AI image generator Dall-E.
ChatGPT automatically generates text based on written prompts in a fashion that’s much more advanced and creative than the chatbots of Silicon Valley’s past. The software debuted in late November and quickly turned into a viral sensation as tech executives and venture capitalists gushed about it on Twitter, even comparing it to Apple’s debut of the iPhone in 2007.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
25 States Sue Biden Admin Over Rule Allowing 401(k) Managers to Put Savings Into ESG Funds
A coalition of 25 states is suing the Biden administration over a Department of Labor (DOL) rule that affects millions of retirement accounts, the attorneys general of multiple states involved in the lawsuit announced on Wednesday.
The new rule set to take effect on Jan. 30 allows 401(k) managers to invest clients’ money in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) funds, a move that 25 states argue violates the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
According to the lawsuit, the rule puts at risk the retirement savings accounts of 152 million workers, or two-thirds of the U.S. population, totaling $12 trillion in assets, in the name of promoting the Biden administration’s climate agenda.
It does this, the states argue, by making changes to the rule that authorizes fund managers (fiduciaries) to consider and promote “nonpecuniary benefits” (benefits not related to money or financial gain) when making investment decisions.
“Contrary to Congress’s clear intent, these changes make it easier for fiduciaries to act with mixed motives. They also make it harder for beneficiaries to police such conduct,” the lawsuit states (pdf).
The 25 states argue in the lawsuit that the Supreme Court concluded that ERISA requires fund managers to put the financial benefits of investments first and not any nonpecuniary benefits. The lawsuit also contends that the high court directly tied the term “benefits” to “income” and doesn’t cover nonpecuniary benefits.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Garden Planning: How to Make This Year’s Crop Your Biggest Ever, Part 1
Gardening season typically starts in April, but many gardeners swear by sowing their seeds early for a harvest several months earlier—and much longer.
Outdoor conditions in most of the United States are too harsh to sow seeds directly in the ground or in raised planter beds in February and March, but you can easily start them indoors, transitioning them outside when the weather warms up. Seed starting trays, available online, at your local home improvement store, or most nurseries, allow you to sprout a small army of plants in a compact space. But keep it to just a few types to start, or like a mom with 20 children of different personalities, you’ll find some getting neglected to their detriment.
Can You Start Too Early?
No … and yes. For most plants, you’ll simply pot it up to a larger pot size in the interim. Yes, it’s extra work, but you’ll reap the reward of putting a larger plant in the ground, planter box, or outdoor container. This is what local nurseries do in order to have a large stock ready for things such as Memorial Day sales. The exceptions to this rule are beans, cucumbers, squash, and zucchini, which can grow too big and too fast for growing indoors. These seeds are usually labeled “direct seed sow.”
If in doubt, check the Farmer’s Almanac online planting calendar at Almanac.com; it gives you planting dates based on your last frost date, down to your specific ZIP code.
The Right Way to Use Wood Ash in the Garden
Using wood ash in the garden can be a good source of free fertilizer, but there are a few things you should know before you start spreading. We’ll share the benefits of wood ash, the right and wrong ways to apply it, and how to use it for pest control.
Wood ash nutrients very depending on the wood and growing conditions of the wood. In general, wood ashes include significant amounts of Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Iron and Sodium, as well as other trace minerals.
Hardwoods such as oak and maple tend to have a higher potassium content, while softwoods like pine have a lower potassium content.
The calcium in wood ash (calcium carbonate) may be 20% or more of the ash. This calcium can help tomatoes avoid blossom end rot.
COVID RELATED NEWS
A senior employee at Pfizer said in a conversation captured by the nonprofit journalism group Project Veritas that the pharmaceutical company is looking into mutating COVID-19 in order to facilitate the development of new vaccines.
“One of the things we’re exploring is like, why don’t we just mutate it ourselves so we could create—preemptively develop new vaccines, right?” Dr. Jordon Walker, a director of research and development at Pfizer, told an undercover reporter for Project Veritas.
“If we’re going to do that though, there’s a risk of like, as you could imagine—no one wants to be having a pharma company mutating [expletive] viruses,” Walker added.
Video footage of the comments was released on Jan. 25.
CDC Issues New COVID-19 Guidance After FDA Makes Change
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance to people with weak immune systems, saying they should take extra precautions after a key COVID-19 antibody treatment’s emergency use authorization was pulled by another federal agency.
The guidance again calls for immunocompromised individuals to wear masks and engage in social distancing, the CDC’s revised guidance says, despite CDC-cited studies and data suggesting that masks provide little effectiveness in blocking the transmission of COVID-19. Some former federal officials have said that the six-foot social distancing rule adopted around the United States in early 2020 was arbitrary.
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pulled its authorization of Evusheld, a combination antibody treatment that is given to people with weak immune systems. The agency said that it is not effective against most of the COVID-19 Omicron subvariants that are currently circulating around the United States, including the XBB subvariants and the BQ strain.
“Among persons with immunocompromise and their household members and close contacts, prevention measures including wearing a high-quality and well-fitting mask, maintaining physical distance from others (at least six feet), improving indoor ventilation, practicing frequent handwashing, and developing a care plan, should be considered in addition to receipt of a bivalent booster dose,” said the CDC on Jan. 27.
The agency added that “it is important to wear a mask and maintain physical distance from others if it is not possible to avoid crowded indoor spaces … simple interventions should be used to improve ventilation in buildings and decrease SARS-CoV-2 transmission by improving air flow.” The agency also again recommended that immunocompromised people should get up-to-date COVID-19 vaccines.
The CDC advises that people who have a weak immune system and develop COVID-19-like symptoms to get tested for the virus. They should then receive an antiviral drug within five to seven days.
“Early outpatient treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 with a recommended first-line therapy, ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), or remdesivir (Veklury), or the second-line therapy, molnupiravir (Lagevrio), have been shown to reduce the risk for severe COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” it says. Some doctors have expressed concerns about remdesivir, claiming the drug has potentially fatal side-effects like kidney failure.
About 7 million people in the United States have a condition that greatly compromises their immune system, such as cancer, according to CDC figures.
Federal Appeal Filed in Case of Health Care Workers Fired Over Vaccine Mandate
The State of Maine is accused of “having its cake and eating it too” in a federal appeal filed in Boston this week that could have national implications for health care workers fired after being denied religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The appeal, filed on Jan. 24, sits with the First Circuit of Appeals. It is founded on the argument that federal and constitutional law trumps state law and policies.
It is also born out of a state where Maine’s now former CDC director Nirav Shah was just catapulted to second in command of the national CDC, serving as its deputy director.
Shah, who pushed for the elimination of religious exemptions in Maine, was named to the post on Jan. 12, just a day after the U.S. Health Department extended COVID-19’s status as a public health emergency.
White House Criticizes China for Not Being ‘Fully Transparent’ About COVID Numbers
During a White House press briefing on Jan. 25, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said that China hasn’t been “fully transparent” about COVID numbers. “And we cannot speak to the veracity of those numbers. We urge China to be fully transparent about what’s going on.”
Under increasing international pressure to share COVID data, the Chinese regime reported nearly 60,000 COVID-related deaths in hospitals between Dec. 8 and Jan. 12, a massive jump over previous reports. However, the new number casts doubts about the actual COVID death toll in China, as it excludes deaths that occur at home, and some doctors have said authorities don’t want them to put COVID as the cause of death on death certificates if there was a concurrent disease present.
The number is also in stark contrast to the images and videos flooding social media that show hospitals and funeral homes being deluged across the country.
The Epoch Times obtained internal documents of the Chinese regime showing that during the peak of the epidemic from Dec. 18 to early January 2023 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, the daily cremation number was 6 to 7 times higher than the previously reported monthly average. The Nanjing funeral industry is keeping the actual numbers confidential.
FDA Sued for Withholding COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Analyses
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been sued for withholding the results of key COVID-19 vaccine safety analyses.
The FDA’s actions violate federal law, the new lawsuit, filed on Jan. 26 in federal court in Washington by the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense (CHD), alleges.
The suit is seeking the raw results from the FDA’s analyses of reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
The system, which the FDA runs with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accepts reports of post-vaccination adverse events.
As part of its vaccine safety monitoring, the FDA pledged to run an analysis called Empirical Bayesian (EB) data mining on the reports to see if any safety signals were triggered. These signals give agencies an idea of which problems may be caused by vaccines. Agencies are supposed to research signals to verify them or rule them unrelated to vaccination.
“A report to VAERS does not mean that a vaccine caused an adverse event. But VAERS can give CDC and FDA important information. If it looks as though a vaccine might be causing a problem, FDA and CDC will investigate further and take action if needed,” the CDC states on its website.
The FDA denied CHD’s request for the results of the data mining, claiming that the records are “intra-agency memoranda consisting of opinions, recommendations, and policy discussions within the deliberative process of FDA, from which factual information is not reasonably segregable.”
The FDA also claimed that the sought-after information “contains a discussion of legal and policy matters and fall within the attorney work product and attorney-client privileges as enunciated by the Supreme Court.”
The FDA also refused to provide the results of the EB data mining to The Epoch Times, using the same rationale.
In a set of operating procedures, the federal government said that the FDA would carry out EB data mining and that the CDC would conduct a separate type of analysis using a method called Proportional reporting ratio, or another way to analyze the VAERS data.
California to Change How It Counts COVID-19 Deaths, Reducing Overcount
California is poised to change the way it counts COVID-19 deaths based on a new algorithm that is being developed in conjunction with federal health authorities, according to a senior Los Angeles County official, who estimated that the county’s current framework is overcounting COVID-19 fatalities by as much as 20 percent.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACPH), stated at a recent press conference that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is “looking at making some revisions to how deaths are counted” and that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will review the guidance before potentially adopting it.
“If the state adopts a change in the definition, I will of course align with those changes,” Ferrer said.
Ferrer said that questions have been raised around the degree to which there’s a possible overcount when patients test positive for COVID-19 but die of another cause but are still being logged as fatalities because of the disease.
“I think that’s what they’ve been looking at the most,” she said. “I know that when we looked at our data we’re estimating that maybe 15–20 percent of the deaths that we’re counting right now … those designations might change if there is a reclassification.”
“But we won’t know until we see the exact language,” Ferrer continued, adding that the LACPH will “align fully” with any state-level changes.
Ferrer added, however, that the reclassification would only go back as far as Jan. 1.
“It’s very hard to go back in time and apply this algorithm back in time because we didn’t have the same tools we have now,” she said. “We might see a shift. Maybe it’s 10–20 percent. It’s going to be hard to tell until we see the new definition.”
It’s unclear when that new definition will be finalized, though Fox LA reporter Marla Tellez wrote in a Jan. 27 post on Twitter that CDPH sources have confirmed they’re implementing new state death guidance for COVID-19.
The move to limit the use of Evusheld also has to do with the medication’s side effects, such as allergic reactions, which can be potentially serious, according to the FDA.
AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant that developed the drug, declared that it has started trials of another antibody, called LAAB, which so far has been able to neutralize all variants in lab settings.
“AstraZeneca is aiming to make the new LAAB available in the second half of 2023, subject to trial readouts and regulatory reviews,” the company said in a statement after the FDA pulled Evusheld authorization.
Evusheld currently remains authorized in many other countries, including Japan and those of the European Union, the company noted.
With Evusheld knocked out, there is no FDA-authorized monoclonal antibody left for immune-compromised patients who wanted a pre-exposure treatment. The last of its kind, Bebtelovimab developed by AbCellera and Eli Lilly, lost its emergency use authorization in November 2022.
FDA Pulls Authorization for Evusheld, Says It’s Ineffective Against New COVID Mutations
Evusheld has become the latest COVID-19 antibody drug to lose federal authorization after it was deemed ineffective against the dominant versions of the virus.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday withdrew its emergency use authorization for Evusheld, a two-dose cocktail of monoclonal antibodies meant to provide protection to those who have a compromised immune system that makes them more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection than others.
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses, the FDA explained in the announcement of the changes. This means that as viruses mutate over time, antibody treatments may be rendered useless by the mutations the virus has picked up.
The decision is not surprising, as the FDA warned health care professionals and patients in October 2022 about the “increased risk” of Evusheld not being able to neutralize emerging new COVID variants. Earlier this month, the agency made it clear that it wasn’t expecting Evusheld to be effective against the XBB.1.5 subvariant, which at that time was estimated to account for nearly 30 percent of circulating variants across the nation.
With that said, the FDA nonetheless has decided to wait for additional data to verify their concerns. Citing the data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA indicated that Evusheld is indeed not active against XBB.1.5, which is now responsible for about half of all new COVID cases nationwide.
Specifically, the FDA reported (pdf) that Evusheld doesn’t neutralize Omicron subvariants BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BF.7, BF.11, BA.5.2.6, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, XBB and XBB.1.5.1. These variants collectively account for 90 percent of all U.S. infections.
CANCEL CULTURE
The Censorship of Mercola — A Timeline
While the drug and chemical industries have attacked and tried to discredit me for years, blatant censorship didn’t begin until 2020, after the outbreak of the COVID pandemic
The timeline of censorship and free-speech right violations against me began in the summer of 2020, when the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against me for recommending vitamin D
The attacks against me really heated up though after I published a peer-reviewed scientific paper on the benefits of vitamin D at the end of October 2020. Christmas Eve 2020, attorney general Letitia James sent a cease and desist notice, demanding we stop sharing information about how immune-boosting nutritional supplements might lower your risk of COVID. The FDA also issued us a warning letter about the same
Fabrications by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) have been the primary “evidence” cited by government officials intent on censoring me. The CCDH is linked to a number of technocratic centers within the globalist network through its board members
In August 2021, after conducting an internal investigation, Facebook’s content policy director called out the falsehoods in the CCDH “Disinformation Dozen” report. CCDH preselected the 12 individuals listed in the report, and the narrative was based on nothing more than “a narrow set of 483 pieces of content over six weeks from only 30 groups, some of which are as small as 2,500 users”
‘It’s All in Your Head’: Military Veterans and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Commentary
Anyone who has battled with brain injury knows the frustration of having their injury downplayed because they “look fine” from the outside. There have been times when I wished I was missing a limb so medical providers would take me seriously. Unless you have been stuck in the shell of a person you once knew, you will never understand what it is like to have an injured brain. Regardless of what side of the political aisle you find yourself on, recent missile attacks in Iraq highlighted a significant problem with the misconception about the seriousness of “mild” Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). As of 2020, there have been approximately 414,000 cases of mTBI diagnosed within the Department of Defense, according to data released by the Pentagon, the majority are from the United States Army.
From the perspective of someone who has been exposed to thousands of blasts, had multiple loss of consciousness concussions, inhaled countless toxins, and been on the verge of calling it quits, there is nothing “mild” about any type of brain injury. In fact, I’d say having “mild” brain injury can be more dangerous because the people who have it often don’t know they have it and suffer years without a diagnosis and end up being medicated for all of the symptoms associated with mTBI. Mild traumatic brain injury often goes undiagnosed and undetected unless you get on a medevac bird and get hospitalized for it in combat.
People could be battling depression, anger, anxiety, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, obesity, ADD, migraines, balance problems, vision problems, and be told: “it’s all in their head.” When they finally do decide to go get help for all the things mentioned above you, they end up with a box full of prescriptions that mask all those individual symptoms associated with TBI. Or worse, they get told to go to behavioral health to get their head examined, except nobody ever examines their actual head. A provider asks you a list of questions and without any physical examination, laboratory assessments, functional brain mapping, or imaging, they will prescribe you a list of prescriptions (Xanax, Zoloft, Effexor, Paxil, Seroquel, Ambien, Adderall, Lipitor, Viagra). I have never heard one success story about anyone recovering from a brain injury on the zombie cocktail. In fact, I have lost a lot of friends to suicide who were on the Dr. prescribed zombie cocktail.
As a person who doesn’t want to be ripped off of a team, miss a deployment, lose a security clearance, or a promotion, you battle through all of your health issues in silence, in fear of being stuck in a staff job or being sent to the schoolhouse. What do service members do to survive another promotion, assignment, or rotation? They self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to get by but end up putting themselves, their families, their teammates, and careers at further risk. You cannot solve old problems by adding new ones, it will catch up to you in the end.
ICYMI
Paul Pelosi Bodycam Video Shows Moment Suspect David DePape Hit Him
Authorities on Friday released police body camera footage showing Paul Pelosi being attacked in his home last October.
The clip shows Pelosi and alleged assailant David DePape holding onto a hammer. “Everything’s good,” DePape is heard telling the officers as both men appear to have possession of the hammer.
A police officer then tells DePape to “drop the hammer.” DePape then replies: “Umm, nope.”
A brief struggle ensued before DePape gained control of the hammer and appeared to hit Pelosi. Several officers then immediately rush to grab DePape and placed handcuffs on him as Pelosi remained on the ground.
The San Francisco Superior Court on Friday released the video and audio recorded during the incident after a court ruled the San Francisco District Attorney’s office must make the materials public.
Trump Begins 2024 Campaign in New Hampshire, South Carolina
Former President Donald Trump visited two early-voting states—New Hampshire and South Carolina—on Jan. 28, hitting the campaign trail for the first time since announcing his 2024 bid for the White House in November 2022.
“The 2024 election is our one shot to save our country, and we need a leader who is ready to do that on day one,” Trump said in a speech in Columbia, South Carolina. “We need a fighter who can stand up to the left, who can stand up to the swamp, stand up to the media, stand up to the deep state.”
“Am I allowed to say stand up to the RINOs?” Trump said, referring to an acronym for “Republican in Name Only.”
“To stand up to the globalists and China, and stand up for America. And that’s what we do, we stand up for America. You need a president who can take on the whole system and a president that can win.
“Together we will complete the unfinished business of making America great again.”
Reporter for Epoch Times’ Sister Media Outlet Robbed at Gunpoint in Washington
A reporter with The Epoch Times’ sister media outlet was robbed at gunpoint on Jan. 28 right outside her apartment complex in Washington, raising concerns about the area’s rising crime rate as well as questions about whether the robbery was more than a random act.
“Give me your phone,” was the first thing that Iris Tao, a White House reporter for NTD, heard right as she stepped outside the apartment complex.
Tao was confronted by a slim black man about 6 feet tall, wearing black from head to toe, including a black ski mask, black hat, black coat, and black pants with white stripes, the reporter recalled. He pointed a handgun at her, from about two feet away.
It was about 8:30 a.m., with no one else around. Before she could react, the man reached directly into the pocket of her puffer jacket where the phone was and snatched it from her, she said.
“Give me your wallet,” the man then demanded. “Otherwise, I’m going to hit you and smack you,” Tao recalled to The Epoch Times. The man also asked for Tao’s laptop, but pressed for her wallet when she maintained that she had only books with her.
With no other choice, she removed a pencil case that contained only a metro card from her backpack. The man, apparently uninterested, demanded her phone password. When Tao refused, he hit her in the face with the gun, leaving a red mark on her cheek before he dashed off into a nearby apartment building.
“Once he started running away from me, I started yelling: ‘Help, help, help,’” Tao said. Two neighbors came out and helped Tao call the police.
DACA Illegal Alien, Freed by Sanctuary County, Sentenced to Life in Prison for Triple Murder
An illegal alien, once enrolled in former President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and previously freed by a sanctuary county, has been sentenced to life in prison after murdering three Americans.
Luis Perez, a 27-year-old DACA illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced this month to five consecutive life sentences after having been found guilty last year of murdering 38-year-old Steven Marler, 23-year-old Josh Hampton, and a woman accused of being an accomplice to Marler and Hampton’s murders.
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