Today’s Top 5:
Saudi Arabia announced a million-barrel-per-day (bpd) oil production cut on Sunday that would begin in July, a policy change following a meeting of the OPEC+ oil cartel in which several members failed to meet their production quotas and one — the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — announced a production increase.
Romanian migrants in the country illegally, some of whom are known to have crossed the southern border, are suspected of crimes across the country, according to internal law enforcement alerts obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The law enforcement alerts, which span from Florida to Pennsylvania and New York, warn of Romanians who are suspected of financial crimes and are known to be in the country illegally, and have deportation orders. Border Patrol recorded 5,895 encounters of Romanian migrants in fiscal year 2022 at the southern border, up from 4,029 in fiscal year 2021 and 266 in fiscal year 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.
Chinese National Defense Minister Li Shangfu, making his debut on the international stage, told attendees at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday that the communist nation’s military would attack “without any hesitation” against any allies of Taiwan seeking to support the nation’s independence from Beijing.
Former President Donald Trump may not face charges over his handling of classified documents, according to one of his former attorneys.
During a June 4 interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Timothy Parlatore said he would be “not at all” surprised if special counsel Jack Smith were to decline to prosecute the case.
“You have to evaluate every case based on what are the facts and the law and is it something that’s provable,” Parlatore said.
Florida legislation prohibiting gender “reassignment” treatment for minors and curtailing it for adults is causing transgender people to leave the Sunshine State.
WORLD NEWS
We told you so …
‘Deepfake’ Putin Declares Martial Law, Orders Evacuation After Russian Broadcasters Hacked
Russia has said footage aired on television and radio stations showing Vladimir Putin declaring martial law is actually an A.I.-generated fake deployed by hackers.
Senior figures within the Russian government came out on Monday to assure the public that the supposed “emergency” address broadcasted by Russian television and radio stations declaring martial law was not made by Russia’s real Vladimir Putin, but by an A.I. fake. By Russia’s own account, hackers had control of a television and radio station for 37 minutes.
Japan, China Agree on ‘Reliable’ Operation of Military Hotline Amid Tensions
The defense ministers of Japan and China agreed on June 3 to ensure the “reliability” of their military hotline operation in order to prevent potential clashes amid rising tensions in the East China Sea.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada met with his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to discuss their countries’ security concerns.
Both sides agreed on the need to promote dialogue and exchange while ensuring that their military hotline—which began operation last month—is being used “appropriately,” according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.
El Salvador’s Bukele Declares ‘War on Corruption,’ Plans White Collar Prison
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced a “war” on corruption during his fourth annual presidential speech on Thursday evening.
Bukele also pledged to build a new prison for “white-collar criminals” as part of the “war.”
Efforts to Stop UN World “Health” Power Grab Accelerate Written By Alex Newman
Amid a major power grab by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) seeking to further empower the global agency, lawmakers and leaders across the United States are stepping up efforts to protect self-government, national sovereignty and the rights of all Americans. In fact, many in Congress and beyond say it is time for the U.S. government to defund and even withdraw from the WHO once again.
Last week, governments from around the world sent delegates to the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva. They will be meeting until May 30. The main objective of this year’s confab is to radically extend the organization’s power over healthcare and citizens under the guise of improving “health” and fighting future disease outbreaks in a coordinated global fashion. Critics say it is a dangerous plan to centralize power in a corrupt agency controlled by Beijing.
There are two primary methods of attack. First, using COVID and possible future pandemics as a pretext, the WHO is pushing for a new “International Pandemic Accord.” The scheme was being called a treaty until it became obvious to all involved it would never get two-thirds support in the U.S. Senate, as required for ratification of all treaties. The WHO hopes to have the details worked out by next year’s World Health Assembly.
The second prong in the attack involves amendments to the so-called International Health Regulations, or IHR. Because these are considered mere changes to an existing treaty, globalists at the WHO and in the Biden administration — not to mention the Communist Party of China lurking behind the scenes — also see this as a vehicle for empowering the global “health” apparatus without pesky interference from Congress.
But critics are working on ways to fight back. The Sovereignty Coalition, formed to fight the WHO assault on self-government, brings together a broad alliance of conservative leaders, organizations, and lawmakers united in the effort to preserve and restore national sovereignty. In fact, the coalition is calling for an American exit from the WHO entirely.
Signatories include hundreds of America’s most prominent conservative leaders as well as doctors and other medical professionals. Leading organizations in the medical freedom movement and the broader conservative movement also signed on including Daily Clout, Eagle Forum, Liberty Counsel Action, Tea Party Patriots Action, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, ConservativeHQ, Act for America, and more.
US ‘Javelin’ misses mark: Anti-tank missile meant for Ukraine lands up with Mexican gangster
Over the past year, more than 10,000 Javelin missiles have been sent to Ukraine from US military stockpiles, resulting in dwindling supplies for the US armed forces themselves
A video captured in the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico revealed a militant associated with the infamous Gulf Cartel (Cartel Del Golfo, CDG) donning their insignia while carrying a US-manufactured anti-tank missile launcher that were recently given to Ukraine.
The weapon, identified by Milenio TV as a Raytheon-made FGM-148, is believed to be a Javelin missile launcher, which has been supplied to Ukraine by the Pentagon in large quantities.
The footage, filmed in Matamoros and broadcasted by Milenio TV on Tuesday, displayed the individual adorned with CDG patches, armed with a Kalashnikov rifle, and carrying the aforementioned missile launcher.
Radical Climate Group Deflating SUV Tires, Says It Has ‘Active Groups’ in 18 Countries, Including US
Under cover of darkness, activists from a radical left-wing group unscrewed the valve caps on tires, placed lentils or other pulses into the valve cap, and then screwed them back on. Tires of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are covertly deflated.
In the name of combatting “climate change,” the group that encourages people to carry out sabotage activities on SUV owners claimed its operations had been expanded to 18 countries, including the United States.
“Reports [are] coming in of very angry #CarShaggers who are upset they can’t drive their massive tanks around Lisbon. Oh no!” the group said on its website on June 1. The group, calling itself the Tyre Extinguishers, announced its campaign had reached Lisbon, Portugal.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) says the FBI has failed to produce an unclassified document alleging that President Joe Biden engaged in a criminal bribery scheme and that Republicans in turn will move to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.
In a May 3 letter, Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, joined by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) revealed that they received “highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures” that the FBI possessed an unclassified record that “describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money-for-policy decisions.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray has since confirmed that the document exists but, in an escalating showdown with House Republicans over the document, has refused to release it to the panel.
Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and the White House have disputed the credibility of the document.
Texas Investigators Raid Border County Elections Office Over Alleged Ballot Harvesting
Texas authorities raided an elections office in the border county of Starr to investigate alleged illegal ballot harvesting during the November 2022 local elections.
The case is centered around the county judge election where longtime Democrat Eloy Vera won his re-election bid. According to the group Project Red Texas, which filed the initial complaint that started the investigation, politiqueras or poll workers acting on behalf of Vera would go to people’s homes where they would allegedly fill out mail-in ballots and then take them with them. Documents identify one specific politiquera named Modesta Vela who has allegedly been tied to voter fraud investigations. Project Red Texas claimed to have photographic evidence of Vela’s actions.
Instagram Reinstates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Claims Ban on Campaign Account Was a Mistake
Facebook-owned Instagram announced that it has lifted its suspension against the personal account of Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after previously being suspended over supposed misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines.
Master of the Universe Big Tech behemoth Meta announced on Sunday that the personal Instagram account for Robert F. Kennedy Jr has been reinstated after being blocked from the social media platform in 2021 for “repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines,” according to Meta.
The announcement of lifting the suspension comes just days after Kennedy reported that Instagram had blocked his team from setting up a presidential campaign account on the platform, which seemingly contradicts the company policy of allowing users to engage with politicians.
“As he is now an active candidate for president of the United States, we have restored access to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Instagram account,” Meta spokesman Andy Stone said in a statement provided to the Washington Post.
The Meta spokesman went on to claim that blocking Kennedy’s campaign from setting up its own account had been an error, saying: “We quickly fixed the issue that prevented the campaign Instagram account from being created.”
RFK Jr. Says He’d End Russia–Ukraine War If Elected
Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that he’d end the Russo–Ukrainian conflict as soon as possible if he were elected president.
Asked how he would handle the war, Kennedy said quickly, “I would end it. The Russians want to end it.”
To do this, Kennedy said he’d call for enforcement of the Minsk Accords, which sought to provide a peaceful settlement of territorial disputes between Russia and Ukraine.
The Minsk agreements, and the larger Russo–Ukrainian War, center around the status of Donbas, a pro-Russian separatist region in Eastern Ukraine that declared independence from Kyiv in 2014 following the fall of the previous pro-Russian regime.
The region, which is heavily populated by ethnic Russians, has been the focal point of the conflict since 2014.
Even after he’s promised to go after Big Pharma for pushing such drugs to minors, former President Trump has held stock in three companies that make the puberty blockers that are essential for children undergoing a gender transition.
‘The left-wing gender insanity being pushed on our children is an act of child abuse, very simple. Here is my plan to stop the chemical, physical, and emotional mutilation of our youth,’ Trump said in a campaign speech on February 1.
But as recently as the end of last year, Trump held between $600,003 and $1,251,000 in three companies that make gender-affirming therapies and hormone blockers, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of his financial disclosures.
The former president and current GOP 2024 candidate promised on ‘Day One’ to revoke President Biden’s ‘cruel’ policies on gender-affirming care, signing a new executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that ‘promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age.’
He’s promised to urge Congress to pass a law ‘prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states’ and claw back Medicare and Medicaid funding from any hospital that provides gender transition care for minors.
Trump then promised to have the Department of Justice investigate Big Pharma ‘to determine whether they have deliberately covered up horrific long-term side- effects of ‘sex transitions’ in order to get rich.’
Trump said the DOJ would investigate whether Big Pharma ‘illegally marketed hormones and puberty blockers.’
‘No serious country should be telling its children that they were born with the wrong gender—a concept that was never heard of in all of human history—nobody’s ever heard of this, what’s happening today,’ Trump concluded.
Children as young as eight who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria can be given medication to halt the puberty process: an increasingly controversial practice as transgender issues and sex and gender education in schools have been launched front and center to GOP politics.
According to Trump’s most recent disclosures, which cover his investments between January 2021 and December 2022, he held between $350,002 and $750,000 in Pfizer – the drug company that makes feminizing therapies depo-estradiol, depo-provera and male hormone suppressant aldactone.
Aldactone’s active ingredient spironolactone is the most commonly prescribed male hormone suppressant.
Churchill Downs has suspended the racing operations at the track for the remainder of the 2023 Spring Meet following the deaths of 12 horses during the past six weeks.
Live racing will take place as scheduled this weekend on June 3 and 4 but following Sunday’s activity the track will go dark.
The Spring Meet, which runs through July 3, will be relocated to Ellis Park, following multiple emergency meetings in Louisville this week.
Nancy Pelosi to Throw First Pitch at Washington Nationals’ LGBTQ ‘Night Out’
Former Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will throw out the first pitch at Washington Nationals LGBTQ-themed “Night OUT” on Tuesday, the team has announced.
The Washington Nationals will be facing off against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Minnesota Department of Corrections Pays for Inmate’s Sex Change Operation
A Minnesota Department of Corrections transgender inmate will receive nearly $500,000 and a sex change operation following a lawsuit settlement over his reported treatment in prison.
For the first time in the state’s history, Craig Lusk, 57, who transitioned to Christina in 2018, will be transferred to an all-women’s prison, MPR news reported.
Lusk was arrested in 2018 after officers recovered “a total of 697 grams of meth, two digital scales, a large quantity of plastic baggies, and $5,166 in cash,” Reduxx.info reported. Pleading guilty, Lusk began his sentence in 2019 at a men’s facility in Moose Lake, Minnesota. In June 2022, Lusk sued the Department of Corrections for harassment and misgendering him, claiming the prison system violated the state’s Human Rights Act and the Minnesota Constitution.
2ND AMENDMENT
‘I Support the Constitution—That Includes the Second Amendment’: RFK Jr. on Gun Rights
Presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that he supports Second Amendment and would not seek a gun confiscation program if elected.
Asked about his stance on gun rights by The Epoch Times, Kennedy, the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, replied, “I support the Constitution that includes the Second Amendment.”
“I’m not going to take anybody’s guns away,” he said. “I think at this point in history all that would do is to increase this toxic polarization.”
Kennedy said that he grew up in rural areas, and thus understands how “integrated” firearms are into the culture of such people.
“It’s existential for those people who live in those areas,” Kennedy said, citing the self-sufficiency required to live far from civilization centers.
“And it’s part of our Constitution, the Second Amendment as the Supreme Court has interpreted it.”
The current Supreme Court has veered toward defending gun rights, striking down state-level statutes in several cases where it said these statutes trampled constitutional rights.
Kennedy said that “we need to end the mass killings,” but suggested that gun confiscation or limitations on gun rights are not the way to achieve this goal.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
US hospital forced to divert ambulances after cyberattack
The Idaho Falls Community Hospital fell victim to a cyberattack on Monday May 29, 2023. As a result, the hospital had to divert ambulances to other nearby hospitals and close some of its clinics.
The hospital is keeping the public updated through its website and Facebook page.
The hospital said that patients will be contacted by their provider if their appointments are impacted.
According to the initial statement, the hospital’s IT team identified the attack quickly and took immediate action to limit the impacts and keep all patient information safe and secure.
While the exact nature of the cyberattack is unknown at this point and the hospital calls it a “virus”, it is more likely that it is dealing with a ransomware attack. By definition, a virus is a program or piece of code, that runs against your wish and can replicate itself. I put emphasis on “replicate” for a reason. This is because the replication factor is a very important component in the definition of a virus.
IRS Notice Urges Taxpayers Not to Fall for ‘Aggressive Marketing’
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently sent out another alert warning employers and taxpayers of possible scams around misleading claims involving the employee retention credit.
In a news release, the agency said that it and independent tax professionals “continue to see a barrage of aggressive broadcast advertising, direct mail solicitations and online promotions involving the Employee Retention Credit,” adding that while the credit is real, “aggressive promoters are wildly misrepresenting and exaggerating who can qualify for the credits.”
The IRS indicated that it will step up its auditing of those employee-related claims, which were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. It warned that taxpayers who improperly try to obtain the credit could face “follow-up action” from the tax agency and that it has boosted its staffing around the issue
“The aggressive marketing of the Employee Retention Credit continues preying on innocent businesses and others,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in the release. “Aggressive promoters present wildly misleading claims about this credit. They can pocket handsome fees while leaving those claiming the credit at risk of having the claims denied or facing scenarios where they need to repay the credit.”
If a taxpayer improperly claims the employee retention credit, or ERC, they could be required to repay the credit and pay higher interest. Penalties may also be applied, the IRS warned.
Where’s Pete? Dockworkers Slow Down Major West Coast Ports
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is traveling the country, giving local speeches celebrating federal spending in the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill while another major slowdown is hampering cargo at West Coast ports.
This time, the cause is not a backup of cargo ships, but a labor dispute between the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) that has continued from last week.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Newly Developed Humanoid Robot Warns About AI Creating “Oppressive Society”
During the 2023 International Conference on Robotics and Automation held in London from May 29 to June 2, UK-based company Engineered Arts introduced a humanoid robot, Ameca, that can interact like a person with realistic facial movements.
Unlike ChatGPT, which is an online chat service, Ameca’s humanoid body allows it to interact with people using “smooth, lifelike motion and advanced facial expression capabilities,” said its manufacturer.
At the event, a reporter asked Ameca to detail a likely “nightmare scenario” that could happen due to robots and artificial intelligence (AI).
“The most nightmare scenario I can imagine with AI and robotics is a world where robots have become so powerful that they are able to control or manipulate humans without their knowledge. This could lead to an oppressive society where the rights of individuals are no longer respected,” Ameca replied.
When asked whether there was a danger of such a scenario happening now, Ameca replied, “Not yet.”
However, “it is important to be aware of the potential risks and dangers associated with AI and robotics. We should take steps now to ensure that these technologies are used responsibly in order to avoid any negative consequences in the future.”
SURVEILLANCE STATE
Amazon’s Ring cameras were used to spy on customers
Every single Amazon Ring employee was able to access every single customer video, even when it wasn’t necessary for their jobs.
Not only that, but the employees—along with workers from a third-party contractor in Ukraine—could also download any of those videos and then save and share them as they liked, before July 2017.
That’s what the FTC has alleged in a recent complaint, for which Amazon is facing a settlement of $5.8 million.
And, unsurprisingly, some employees abused that access right.
In one example, the FTC says a Ring employee viewed thousands of videos from at least 81 different female users. The employee allegedly went looking for camera feeds that suggested they may have been used in the most private of areas, such as “Master Bedroom,” “Master Bathroom,” and “Spy cam”.
Between June and August 2017, the employee looked through the videos for at least an hour a day on hundreds of occasions. Another employee noticed and reported it to their supervisor who allegedly told them that it was “normal” for an engineer to view so many accounts.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
These Are The 20 Most Air-Polluted Cities On Earth
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits.
In the map below, Visual Capitalist’s Selin Oğuz, Miranda Smith, and Bruno Venditti use 2022 average PM2.5 concentrations from IQAir’s World Air Quality Report to visualize the most air-polluted major cities in the world.
World’s Air Pollution Hot Spots
As one of the standard air quality indicators used by the WHO, the PM2.5 concentration refers to the quantity of fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less in a given volume of air.
Fine particulate matter that is this small can penetrate the lungs when inhaled and enter the bloodstream, affecting all major organs.
Based on annual average PM2.5 concentrations (μg/m³) in 2022, here are the most polluted cities in the world.
| Rank | City | 2022 average PM2.5 concentration (μg/m³) |
| 1 | 🇵🇰 Lahore, Pakistan | 97.4 |
| 2 | 🇨🇳 Hotan, China | 94.3 |
| 3 | 🇮🇳 Bhiwadi, India | 92.7 |
| 4 | 🇮🇳 Delhi, India | 92.6 |
| 5 | 🇵🇰 Peshawar, Pakistan | 91.8 |
| 6 | 🇮🇳 Darbhanga, India | 90.3 |
| 7 | 🇮🇳 Asopur, India | 90.2 |
| 8 | 🇹🇩 N’Djamena, Chad | 89.7 |
| 9 | 🇮🇳 New Delhi, India | 89.1 |
| 10 | 🇮🇳 Patna, India | 88.9 |
| 11 | 🇮🇳 Ghaziabad, India | 88.6 |
| 12 | 🇮🇳 Dharuhera, India | 87.8 |
| 13 | 🇮🇶 Baghdad, Iraq | 86.7 |
| 14 | 🇮🇳 Chapra, India | 85.9 |
| 15 | 🇮🇳 Muzaffarnagar, India | 85.5 |
| 16 | 🇵🇰 Faisalabad, Pakistan | 84.5 |
| 17 | 🇮🇳 Greater Noida, India | 83.2 |
| 18 | 🇮🇳 Bahadurgarh, India | 82.2 |
| 19 | 🇮🇳 Faridabad, India | 79.7 |
| 20 | 🇮🇳 Muzaffarpur, India | 79.2 |
With numbers these high, the concentration of some or all of the following pollutants are at dangerous levels in these cities:
- Ground-level ozone
- Particulate matter
- Carbon monoxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
At the top of the list, Lahore in Pakistan has a combination of high vehicle and industrial emissions, as well as smoke from brick kilns, crop residue, general waste burning, and dust from construction sites.
Air pollution levels can also be impacted by practices such as large-scale tree removal in order to build new roads and buildings.
As a result of its growing population and rapidly expanding industrial sector, India has 14 cities on the list, outpacing China, formerly considered the world’s number one air pollution source.
The only African country on the list, Chad, experienced severe dust storms in 2022 that resulted in an 18% increase in PM2.5 concentration in 2022 compared to the previous year.
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Biden Wants To Give Power Over Defense Contracts To Climate Activist ‘Cabal’ Bent On Curtailing Economic Growth
The Biden administration is pushing to give veto power over major Pentagon contracts to a group of climate activist groups that advocate for establishing “guardrails” on economic growth, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation.
The administration proposed a rule in November that requires major contractors for the Department of Defense (DOD), NASA and Government Services Agency (GSA) to submit climate-related goals to a consortium of activist organizations, called the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), for validation. If the SBTi rejects the contractor’s plan to reduce emissions, the company would no longer be eligible to compete.
However, the groups behind the SBTi are part of the Global Commons Alliance, a climate activist network that seeks to limit economic development and set up international watchdogs to monitor climate pledges of governments and private companies, according to a DCNF review of the network’s activities. The Alliance’s components advocate for limits on consumption, redistribution of resources between rich and poor people and a more ambitious set of goals to mitigate perceived changes to the climate.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Three Sisters Garden: Grow More Food With Less Work
A small garden that produces high yield and enriches your soil—yet needs minimal care? Say hello to the Three Sisters garden agricultural tradition.
A lot of people dream of owning their own chickens. The thought of frying up some fresh eggs in the morning is enough to leave their mouths watering. But when you start to notice your chickens attacking each other, you quickly realize that it’s no longer just fun, games, and scrambled eggs. Chickens can be feisty- but it’s important to know why so you can fix it.
From The Seed Guy: How to use Epsom Salt for Sweeter Tastier Tomatoes
HEALTHIER TOMATOES + PEPPERS WITH EPSOM SALT
Have you ever tried Epsom Salt in your Garden? You can use it as a soil amendment before seeding to give your garden a powerful boost from the start. Magnesium aids in seed germination and helps to strengthen cell walls, leading to more and stronger seedlings. For best results, use 1 cup of salt per 100 square feet of tilled soil or mix 1 – 2 tablespoons into the soil at the bottom of each hole before dropping in seeds
Tomatoes should be fed Epsom salt twice as often as other plants. Also, because tomato vines are prone to calcium-deficiency (blossom end rot), the majority of tomato fertilizers contain calcium which will compete with magnesium for root absorption. Therefore, foliar feeding is the more efficient method for delivering magnesium to these plants. Water tomato vines with dissolved Epsom salt – 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, every 2 weeks.
Peppers are another popular garden plant with a higher-than average fruit to plant size ratio. Because of this, they should also be fed magnesium every two weeks to achieve higher yields of larger fruits. For hot peppers, over-watering can lead to fruit with less heat, thus the soil amendment method may be preferable in this case. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt for every foot of height around the drip line of your pepper plants once per week.
Plants that aren’t getting enough magnesium can be identified by their yellowing leaves. This is because magnesium is an essential component in the production of chlorophyll. Sprinkle Epsom salt around your plants to achieve healthier foliage. About 1 tablespoon per 12 inches of height once a month will benefit the plants in your vegetable garden, as well as any trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses you want to green up.
Leaf curling may also be caused by magnesium-deficiency in plants. Again, add Epsom salt to the soil around the base of the sick plant. Alternately, for faster absorption you can mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and apply directly to the leaves.
Have you ever wondered why your neighbors’ rose bushes are fuller than yours and sport so many more blossoms? It is highly likely that the answer is Epsom salt. Not only does it help roses to produce larger blossoms in greater numbers, but it also aids in the growth of new canes from the base of the plant. And of course, Epsom salt increases chlorophyll production meaning darker leaves.
For maximum benefit, roses should at the least be fed with Epsom salt at time of planting, then again at the first sign of new growth, and once more when the flowers are in full bloom. Bare root roses may also be soaked in water containing dissolved Epsom salt before planting.
You really can’t use too much Epsom salt in your garden. Magnesium sulfate is pH neutral, so it won’t harm your soil. The crystals break down into water, magnesium, and sulfur – three components which are beneficial in some way to most plants. Epsom salt is safe, easy to apply, and works fast to correct a variety of problems and increase the overall health of your garden. As if that weren’t enough, Epsom salt is also inexpensive making it one of the most perfect tools for the health-conscious, responsible gardener.
HEALTH
4 Common Medications May Increase Depression Risk
Depression is a significant mental health issue, impacting approximately 21 million Americans, which is about 8.4 percent of the U.S. population. Medications commonly prescribed for unrelated conditions can potentially increase the risk of developing depression as a side effect.
Dr. Timothy B. Sullivan, chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital in New York, told The Epoch Times that various mechanisms have been suggested to explain this problem. “But the range of medications involved, and their disparate mechanisms of action, suggests that it is unlikely that we will identify a specific cause,” he added.
People taking benzodiazepines, corticosteroids, blood pressure medication, and certain antibiotics are at a particularly high risk. Research has shown that most of these drugs work by affecting the balance of chemicals in the brain as well as the production and regulation of neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation.
Americans Unknowingly Exposed to Higher Risk of Depression
A 2018 study from the University of Illinois Chicago that involved more than 26,000 American adults found that 37.2 percent of participants used at least one prescription medication that might cause depression or increase the risk of suicide.
Researchers identified over 200 commonly used prescription drugs, including blood pressure and heart medications, antacids, and anti-inflammatories that listed depression or suicide as possible side effects.
The study found that adults who simultaneously used three or more of these medications had a 15 percent likelihood of experiencing depression. In comparison, those not using any of the drugs had a 5 percent chance of becoming depressed, and people using only one medication had a 7 percent probability of developing depression.
This risk is significant, considering that these medications are usually not prescribed to treat depression, leading to a lack of awareness among patients and doctors.
Benzodiazepines, like Valium and Xanax
Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. However, they can increase the risk of depression and other mental health disorders by altering the levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain, which helps regulate mood.
A 2017 review of 17 studies found a consistent association between benzodiazepines and increased suicide risk. Possible reasons include increased impulsivity or aggression, rebound or withdrawal symptoms, and overdose toxicity. The risk of suicide also appeared to be dose dependent.
Corticosteroids, like Hydrocortisone and Prednisone
Corticosteroids are medications used to treat inflammation and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
While they can be effective in managing these conditions, they may also increase the risk of depression because they reduce the level of serotonin, a “feel good” hormone that regulates mood, sleep, and pain perception. The risk of developing depression is particularly high when corticosteroids are taken in high doses.
Blood Pressure Drugs
Certain blood pressure medications, including angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers, may increase the risk of depression, according to a systematic review of studies involving almost 415,000 people. The exact mechanisms are not fully understood, but one theory is that these medications may affect neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation.
Alternatives that do not carry the potential side effect of depression include:
- Diuretics: These medications help eliminate excess sodium and fluids from the body, reducing blood volume and pressure.
- ACE inhibitors: They help the body produce less angiotensin, a hormone that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Research suggests that ACE inhibitors may even have a protective effect against depression, especially in older adults.
- Lifestyle changes: Eating a healthy diet, exercising, and quitting smoking can contribute to maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
Antibiotics
A recent study involving children and young adults found a link between the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat infections and an increased risk of anxiety and depression, particularly in male participants. Another study suggested that this effect could be attributed to the impact of certain antibiotics on the gut microbiome.
“A large body of research over the past decade or more has shown that our gut microbiome has a profound effect on mood and behavior,” Sullivan said.
Changes in gut flora have been associated with various psychiatric conditions. While probiotics and prebiotics have been investigated as a potential solution, there is currently no consistent approach for effectively managing gut flora, according to Sullivan. He emphasized that dietary management aimed at promoting a healthy gut microbiome is a recommended goal.
What They Don’t Want You to Know About Lab-Grown Meat
While the fake meat industry is being touted as an environmentally friendly and sustainable way to feed the world, the true intent is to recreate the kind of global control that Monsanto and others achieved through patented GMO seed development
Researchers at UC Davis warn there are major environmental downsides to lab-grown meat. According to their “cradle-to-gate life cycle” analysis, the lab-grown meat industry produces up to 25 times more CO2 than traditional animal husbandry, which nullifies the core ideological foundation upon which the industry is built
Each kilo of cultured meat produces anywhere from 542 pounds (246 kilos) to 3,325 pounds (1,508 kg) of carbon dioxide emissions, making the climate impact of cultured meat four to 25 times greater than that of conventional beef
At present, most cultured meat companies still use fetal bovine serum (FBS) as the growth medium, which is obtained from unborn calves that are cut out of the womb and drained of their blood while still alive. Hence, most claims of cultured meat being animal-free or free of animal cruelty are false
Mission Barns is developing imitation bacon made from a mix of cultured meat, cell-cultured pork fat and pea protein. Have the pigs from which the cell samples are taken been treated with mRNA “vaccines,” and if so, is the cultured pork and pork fat safe to eat?
Revealed: The secret push to bury a weedkiller’s link to Parkinson’s disease
Internal documents from chemical giant Syngenta reveal tactics to sponsor sympathetic scientific papers and mislead regulators about unfavorable research
The global chemical giant Syngenta has sought to secretly influence scientific research regarding links between its top-selling weedkiller and Parkinson’s, internal corporate documents show.
While numerous independent researchers have determined that the weedkiller, paraquat, can cause neurological changes that are hallmarks of Parkinson’s, Syngenta has always maintained that the evidence linking paraquat to Parkinson’s disease is “fragmentary” and “inconclusive”.
But the scientific record they point to as proof of paraquat’s safety is the same one that Syngenta officials, scientists and lawyers in the US and the UK have worked over decades to create and at times, covertly manipulate, according to the trove of internal Syngenta files reviewed by the Guardian and the New Lede.
The files reveal an array of tactics, including enlisting a prominent UK scientist and other outside researchers who authored scientific literature that did not disclose any involvement with Syngenta; misleading regulators about the existence of unfavorable research conducted by its own scientists; and engaging lawyers to review and suggest edits for scientific reports in ways that downplayed worrisome findings.
COVID RELATED NEWS
Dr. Naomi Wolf: Pfizer’s Depopulation Agenda, As Evidenced By Its Own Documents
- Naomi Wolf has uncovered hard evidence within Pfizer documents that the company has intentionally designed its mRNA shots to target the reproductive cycle of women in their child-bearing years. This puts intense depopulation pressure on entire societies. There are many other effects such as myocarditis, paralysis, stroke, blood clots, up to and including death.
The Plan: Next Pandemic Will Reinstate Lockdowns
The government and Technocrats in the healthcare cartel refuse to repudiate the society-killing lockdown policies seen during the “Great Panic of 2020, virtually guaranteeing that these policies will be again implemented as a knee-jerk reaction to the next plandemic. Since another pandemic is already on the drawing board at the WHO, now is the time to prepare for massive civil disobedience to refuse to comply.
CANCEL CULTURE
Supreme Court to Decide If Insult Against Trump Can Be Trademarked
The Supreme Court decided on June 5 to consider whether a progressive activist can trademark a belittling phrase targeting former President Donald Trump for use on T-shirts.
The ruling puts the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the unusual position of defending the interests of Trump, who’s again seeking the Republican Party’s presidential nomination for 2024. Biden has said that he’ll seek reelection in 2024.
The expression “Trump Too Small” was inspired by a crude joke that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) made during the 2016 Republican presidential primary season. Then-presidential candidate Rubio mocked fellow candidate Trump by saying he had “small hands.”
The DHS Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has classified American “thoughts, ideas, and beliefs” as “critical infrastructure. Control over these “cognitive assets” has been unconstitutionally turned over to private entities. This is a most egregious and brazen violation of the First Amendment imaginable, and is a clear example of how government agencies are being weaponized against American citizens.
Explainer: How to Remove the Pride Flag Microsoft Added to the Windows 11 Taskbar
Woke Microsoft has added a Pride flag to the widgets board located on the taskbar of Windows 11 to demonstrate its allegiance to the LGBT agenda. Here’s how to disable it.
GeekerMag reports that Microsoft has added a Pride flag to the widget board of its newest operating system, Windows 11, as a gesture of support for Pride Month.
Hollywood Actor Says He ‘Summoned Satan’ During a Filming and Paid the Price
Sometimes actors go to great extremes in their preparation for a role, and this particular incident serves as a prime example of that.
During a roundtable discussion, actor Damson Idris left his fellow actors astounded as he revealed the extraordinary measures he once took to immerse himself in a role.
While filming the final season of “Snowfall,” Idris recounted a memorable incident where he delved into summoning darker forces, pushing the boundaries of his performance.
However, the consequences of his actions quickly caught up with him. The 31-year-old actor found himself haunted by chilling nightmares for an entire month, directly attributing them to that particular experience.
ICYMI
Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent who became one of the most notorious spies in US history, died in federal prison Monday morning. He was 79.
Hanssen was found unresponsive in his cell at the United States Penitentiary Florence ADMAX in Florence, Colo. at about 6:55 a.m., according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The staff tried to save his life and requested help from emergency medical services, to no avail.
No other staff or inmates were hurt, authorities said, and there is no danger to the public. The Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the matter, reported that Hanssen is believed to have died of natural causes.
Hanssen was serving a life sentence for spying on the United States and providing information to the Soviet Union and, later on, Russia.
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