WORLD NEWS
On D-Day in World War II, in the largest amphibious landing in history, some 156,00 soldiers, sailors, marines, air corps and coast guard members of primarily America, Great Britain, Canada, and also some forces of free France, Poland, and other nations, participated in the allied invasion at Normandy, France, to defeat the totalitarian tyranny of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NAZI) of Adolf Hitler, who had conquered all of Europe.
Those who fought at Normandy on D-Day to preserve freedom from defeat by Hitler’s national socialist fascists paid a terrible sacrifice. The beaches at Normandy, with NAZI artillery and machine guns established in cross-fire patterns, were, indeed, “killing fields,” prepared for slaughter. The sea and sands ran red with blood.
The beaches designated Omaha, Utah, and Gold were covered by the wounded and dying. Over 4,000 of them, including 2,500 Americans, were killed in action that single day alone.
In the month-long Normandy invasion fighting which began on D-Day, more than 29,000 Americans were killed in action, and more than 100,000 were wounded. Altogether, more than 400,000 Americans would sacrifice their lives in WWII.
A story from a survivor:
On #DDay, 80 years ago today, my amazing father was in 1 of the 11,000 aircraft flying “sorties” in his crew’s “Widowmaker” low level B-26 Marauder bomber named the Goatee-Hell as the bombardier navigator for those combat missions. With allied dominance and the Luftwaffe virtually broken – he set his sight and dropped bombs on codenames Omaha Beach and then returned again to drop bombs on Utah Beach during the Normandy invasion. My dad received his 2nd Purple Heart on the last run while in the nose shooting the machine gun protecting his comrades – before dropping his final payload – which saved countless lives. He was badly injured by Flak in his face and hand delivered by the German Air Force defense cannon bombs during that battle charge and the aerial shot herein freezes in time that historic moment that must always be remembered. For papa’s selfless act of heroism continuing on while badly injured by flak… 1st Lt. Art “Buzz” Barton received the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor on that very day that forevermore changed the winds of war towards an allied victory. No one ever needed to explain or put patriotism on display for people like my dad and neither himself nor those like him would explain patriotism to others…for it was their job and just a part of who they were….it’s a type of honor and integrity that was etched into our “greatest generation’s” character. It was a deep belief and understanding that it is one’s duty to serve the fight against tyranny in all its forms in order to always help Freedom to Ring no matter the cost… No one should ever forget that…they certainly never did.
Ukraine not allowed to attack Kremlin with US-supplied missiles – Biden
The scope of strikes with American-made weapons must be limited to military positions in Russian border areas, the president has claimed
Washington has not authorized Ukraine to use US-supplied missiles to attack targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow, President Joe Biden has said. His comments came after the US permitted Kiev to carry out cross-border strikes on Russian soil using American-made weapons.
In an interview with ABC News on Thursday, Biden confirmed that Ukraine is allowed to use US-made weapons for strikes inside Russia, but claimed Kiev can launch them “only in proximity to the border when they [Russian weapons] are being used on the other side of the border to attack specific targets in Ukraine.”
“We’re not authorizing strikes 200 miles into Russia and we’re not authorizing strikes on Moscow, on the Kremlin,” Biden stressed.
Russia has already accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the Kremlin last May. At the time, Russian officials claimed that two Ukrainian drones had been neutralized in the heart of Moscow, adding that the unsuccessful attack was interpreted as an “assassination attempt” on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden confirmed in the interview that he is concerned about Putin’s response to the shift in US policy on cross-border strikes. The Russian president earlier called the decision a confirmation of Western nations’ “direct participation in the war”
U.S. State Department warns dual citizens might be stuck in Ukraine and cannot leave!
The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine warned that certain American–Ukrainian dual citizens might not be able to leave the country and advised them not to travel to the Eastern European country.
In a bulletin issued on June 5, the embassy in Kyiv said that Ukraine on June 1 removed an exception for dual citizens that “previously allowed certain Ukrainian males aged 18 to 60 to depart the country.” Previously, certain dual U.S.-Ukrainian nationals in that group could enter or depart Ukraine if they de-registered their registry in the Eastern European country and registered in the United States.
“After this change, U.S.-Ukrainian dual citizens, including those who live in the United States, may no longer be able to depart the country,” the statement said. “Ukrainian law does not recognize dual citizenship.”
But it warned: “If you are in Ukraine and cannot leave the country, shelter in place and obey all local orders.
“If you are not currently in Ukraine, we strongly recommend against all travel to Ukraine by U.S. citizen males aged 18 to 60 who also have Ukrainian citizenship or a claim to Ukrainian citizenship and who do not wish to stay in Ukraine indefinitely.
“There is an extremely high risk you will not be allowed to depart, even with a U.S. passport.”
Putin says the West is wrong to assume Russia would never use nuclear weapons!
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with long-range Western weapons.
Putin, in his first face-to-face meeting with senior editors of international news agencies since the war in Ukraine began, said the West was wrong to assume Russia would never use nuclear weapons, and said the Kremlin’s nuclear doctrine should not be taken lightly.
When asked about NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg’s calls to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike Russian territory, Putin differentiated between different missiles but warned allowing Kyiv to strike Russia with ever more powerful weapons was a serious escalation that was drawing the West towards a war with Russia.
Russia’s response, the 71-year-old Kremlin chief said, would be to shoot down the Western missiles, and specifically mentioned U.S. ATACMS, and British and French missile systems.
Putin also said Moscow was considering deploying similar high-technology, long-range missiles close enough to strike the states that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with such missiles.
“If we see that these countries are being drawn into a war against the Russian Federation, then we reserve the right to act in the same way. In general, this is a path to very serious problems,” Putin said.
Putin did not give specifics of where he was considering delivering such missiles.
President Joe Biden authorized Kyiv to launch some U.S.-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia. Washington still prohibits Kyiv from striking Russia with ATACMS, which have a range of up to 186 miles (300 km), and other long-range U.S.-supplied weapons.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, during a visit to Kyiv on May 3, told Reuters Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.
Speaking to journalists for more than three hours at the newly built 81-floor Gazprom tower ahead of the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin touched on subjects from the war in Gaza to the upcoming U.S. election.
“No one in the United States is interested in Ukraine, they are interested in the greatness of the United States, which is fighting not for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, but for its own greatness.”
Putin said Russia did not care who the next U.S. president was but said the U.S. court system was clearly being used in a political battle against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“They are burning themselves from the inside, their state, their political system … It is obvious all over the world that the prosecution of Trump, especially in court on charges that were formed on the basis of events that happened years ago, without direct proof, is simply using the judicial system in an internal political struggle,” said Putin.
When asked about the risk of nuclear war, Putin said Russia’s nuclear doctrine allowed the use of such weapons.
“For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it,” Putin said when asked by Reuters about the risk of nuclear escalation over Ukraine during more than three hours of questioning.
“We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says. If someone’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal. This should not be taken lightly, superficially.”
Russia’s published 2020 nuclear doctrine sets out the conditions under which a Russian president would consider using a nuclear weapon: broadly as a response to an attack using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or to the use of conventional weapons against Russia “when the very existence of the state is put under threat.”
WEF report calls on governments to push fake meat products to meet Paris Climate goals
The World Economic Forum has urged governments to join in a coordinated effort with corporations to drive consumer behavior change toward lab-grown meats and ‘alternative protein’ sources to ‘decarbonize the global economy.’
The unelected globalists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) call on governments to promote fake meat and other alternative proteins in a coordinated effort to drive “consumer behavior change.”
In a white paper entitled “Creating a Vibrant Food Innovation Ecosystem: How Israel Is Advancing Alternative Proteins Across Sectors,” the authors claim that the push towards alternative proteins requires a global effort of governments and corporations working together to manipulate human behaviour:
Government leadership is needed to develop and promote alternative proteins and address one of the biggest global challenges of this era.
According to the report, achieving universally accessible protein will require multiple transition pathways:
- Accelerating protein diversification.
- Advancing sustainable production systems.
- Driving consumer behavior change.
What’s the reason behind the push to drive consumer behavior change towards fake meat and other alternative proteins?
The science is clear: it will be impossible for governments and others, including farmers, the private sector and consumers, to meet their obligations under the Paris Agreement and decarbonize the global economy without investing in sustainable protein diversification pathways and the overall food system.
“Nations around the world are becoming aware of the benefits of prioritizing alternative proteins to meet their climate, biodiversity, food security and public health goals,” the report claims.
However, due to the “high-tech nature” of alternative proteins and their “high capital expenditures (CAPEX) requirement and longer return on investment timelines,” the authors say they “may pose investment challenges for some parts of the private sector.”
This is where the unelected globalists want governments to step in to incentivize, coerce, modify, or otherwise manipulate human behavior, “within current frameworks,” like the ones that gave us COVID lockdowns and vaccine passports.
“Within current frameworks, governments can create clear, supportive, agile and efficient regulatory processes to ensure safe and transparent pathways that instill confidence in consumers and industry players alike, fostering a robust alternative protein market in a shift towards food systems that are more sustainable, secure and just,” the authors claim.
On the flipside, Italy has already banned lab-grown meat, and Wired reports that “States are lining up to outlaw lab-grown meat,” with legislation proposed in Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Governments need to consider investing in open-access research and creating private sector incentives to realize the full economic and societal benefits of plant-based and cultivated meat and make these options accessible to all.
Notably absent from the latest WEF report is any mention of the use of insects as an alternative protein, which is something the unelected globalists have been pushing for years.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
GOP Wants Senate to Vote on ICC Sanctions Bill
Senate Republicans want Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to put a bill on the floor sanctioning the International Criminal Court for considering an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The bill recently passed the House, with 42 Democrats joining every Republicans voting in favor. Schumer is unlikely to put a vote on the floor as the White House has expressed opposition to sanctioning the ICC.
“Our members are very, very much wanting to go on offense on that,” Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters. “So, yes, we’d love to get that taken up over here.”
The bill has divided Democrats, many who oppose the recommendation that Israeli and Hamas leaders should be charged for their actions since the Oct. 7 attacks, while other Democrats oppose Netanyahu’s military response in Gaza.
If passed, the bill would implement travel and financial sanctions on ICC officials. The sanctions could be removed by the president if the ICC stops arrest warrants or investigations against U.S. officials or allies.
Schumer has been using floor time to schedule “show votes” to help boost embattled incumbents and divide Republicans on key issues.
FBI witness completely blows up Hunter Biden legal teams’ laptop narrative!
FBI agent Erika Jensen said on the stand during Hunter Biden’s trial Wednesday that she had not seen any evidence of tampering with the data on his infamous laptop.
Hunter Biden’s legal team has sought to cast doubt on the authenticity of data on the laptop, which their client abandoned at a Delaware repair shop in April 2019, while prosecutors have introduced the laptop’s contents as evidence in their case against Hunter Biden. In prior court filings, Special Counsel David Weiss called their criticism of the laptop’s authenticity a “conspiracy theory with no supporting evidence.”
When asked by prosecutor Derek Hines if she had seen evidence that Hunter Biden’s laptop had been tampered with, Jensen responded “no,” according to multiple reports.
Hunter Biden was indicted in September on felony gun charges for allegedly making false statements on a gun purchase form and knowingly possessing a gun while addicted to drugs. Prosecutors are using data from the laptop as evidence in the trial to demonstrate Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs at the time of purchase.
After the New York Post first reported on the laptop’s contents in 2020, former intelligence officials issued a public statement claiming it has “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” The outlet was censored on Twitter following its publication of the report.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys previously argued that the laptop “may have been tampered with by someone other than Mr. Biden,” noting “various media outlets” that received copies of the data “concluded it is not” authentic. Prosecutors fired back in court filings that the data used during the trial was extracted directly by an FBI forensic specialist in 2019 rather than the copy of the data obtained by the media.
Jensen also clarified on the witness stand that some data came directly from Hunter Biden’s iCloud account rather than the laptop itself, according to NBC News.
In 2020, the Daily Caller News Foundation authenticated an email from the laptop.
“The same ‘Russian disinformation’ once ‘certified’ by 51 former intelligence officials just days before an election is now being used by federal prosecutors as factual evidence against Hunter Biden,” Republican Georgia Rep. Mike Collins wrote Wednesday on X. “Sounds like election interference to me.”
The prosecution is expected to rest its case against Hunter Biden in his gun trial!
Prosecutors are expected to rest their case against President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden on Thursday, after presenting evidence aimed at showing that he lied about his drug use to illegally buy a gun in 2018.
The jury in the first criminal trial of a U.S. president’s child has heard testimony from witnesses including his ex-wife and a former girlfriend about 54-year-old Hunter Biden’s past prolific drug use, which he has publicly acknowledged.
On Wednesday, jurors heard that Hunter Biden would prepare crack at the ritzy Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles or spend days in hotel rooms getting high in the months before his 2018 gun purchase, according to his former girlfriend.
“He would want to smoke as soon as he woke up,” Zoe Kestan told jurors, as she described meetings with a “scary” drug dealer and hunting for instructions on the internet to cook powder cocaine into crack.
Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhele briefly testified about finding crack pipes and drugs in their home and in Hunter Biden’s cars before they split up in 2017.
Hallie Biden, the widow of the president’s late son Beau Biden, is also set to testify about Hunter Biden’s drug use.
Federal prosecutor Derek Hines said the government could call its last witness on Thursday. Hunter Biden and his attorneys have not said if he will testify in his own defense, a risky move that most criminal defendants avoid because they expose themselves to questions from prosecutors.
Judge Cannon expands hearing on validity of Trump special counsel Jack Smith!
The federal judge overseeing one of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump has made the unusual decision to open up an upcoming hearing to outside parties as she considers whether special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment was valid.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, an appointee of President Trump, said on June 4 that three outside experts will be able to make their cases for up to 30 minutes each during the hearing, which is slated to take place in federal court in Florida on June 21.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to help Judge Cannon understand more fully why Jack Smith has no authority to prosecute President Trump, and to answer any questions she may have about the legal analysis we have offered on behalf of (among others) two respected former U.S. attorneys general,” Gene Schaerr, one of the experts, told The Epoch Times in an email.
President Trump alleges that Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of Mr. Smith is illegal because he was not working for the federal government when the appointment was made.
Government lawyers say those arguments are wrong, as does Matthew Seligman, a former clerk to U.S. Circuit Judge Douglas Ginsburg.
Mr. Seligman, one of the outside experts who is being allowed to present to Judge Cannon, said in a recent brief that the Appointments Clause does empower the attorney general to appoint a special counsel like Mr. Smith.
Georgia appeals court halts Trump case (potentially until next year)!
The Georgia Court of Appeal ordered on June 5 a stay on all proceedings in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s case against former President Donald Trump and eight codefendants, challenging the district attorney’s ability to prosecute the case.
This comes as the court has agreed to review whether Ms. Willis should be disqualified.
The appeals court on June 4 set a hearing in October for former President Donald Trump’s appeal of a Fulton County judge’s decision not to disqualify prosecutor Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The defendants were notified to file their brief by June 23, and the district attorney has 20 days after that to file a reply brief. Oral arguments will take place before a three-judge panel.
While the trial court judge had ruled that he could continue to hear motions and issue rulings in the interim, that will now come to a stop.
Whether Ms. Willis and her office remain on the case is likely the deciding factor in whether the case will be tried at all. With the Georgia Appeals Court decision, the remaining cases are not expected to head to trial anytime this year.
House Democrats are proposing an independent ethics office for the Supreme Court!
A group of House Democrats proposed legislation on June 4 that would install two independent offices within the Supreme Court designed to address unethical conduct.
An Office of Investigative Counsel would probe potential ethics violations while the Office of Ethics Counsel would provide training for justices and their spouses. The legislation, titled the Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act, comes amid Justice Samuel Alito claiming that his wife decided to fly an upside-down flag outside his Virginia home.
“We expect the justices of the Supreme Court to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct, but their conduct too often falls short,” House Judiciary ranking Democratic member Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said during a news conference with colleagues outside the Supreme Court.
The legislation is the latest of many similar actions by congressional Democrats, who have criticized both Justice Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas over alleged ethical problems.
So far, Fix the Court and Accountable.US—which are both left-leaning interest groups—have endorsed the legislation, although it’s unlikely to succeed in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
AG Garland warns that the terror threat on U.S. soil has gone up enormously since Oct. 7th!
Attorney General Merrick Garland told lawmakers that the threat level of a potential terrorist attack on U.S. soil has increased “enormously” since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
Mr. Garland sounded the alarm on June 4 while testifying before a House Judiciary Committee hearing dedicated to investigating claims the Biden administration has politicized and weaponized the Department of Justice under his leadership.
Responding to Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) asking if there was a raised terror threat stemming from the millions of immigrants crossing the U.S. border illegally, Mr. Garland admitted that he’s “worried” about the possibility of a terrorist attack daily.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Investors back upstart Texas challenge to the New York Stock Exchange!
BlackRock Inc., Citadel Securities and other investors are backing an upstart Texas stock market, laying down a challenge to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Inc. and signaling a potential boost for a state trying to grab more of the financial services industry.
The Texas Stock Exchange has raised $120 million and plans to file registration documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a LinkedIn post by James Lee, the exchange’s chief executive officer.
The Texas bourse will try to entice companies seeking relief from rising compliance costs at the NYSE and Nasdaq, Lee told the Wall Street Journal, which earlier reported the development. While entirely electronic, Lee said the TXSE will be headquartered in Dallas, bolstering a metro area that has been gaining financial jobs from the likes of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Charles Schwab Corp.
“The Texas Stock Exchange will focus on enabling US and global companies to access US equity capital markets and will provide a venue to trade and list public companies and the growing universe of exchange-traded products,” the TXSE said in a statement.
The exchange aims to handle its first trades in 2025 and host its first listing in 2026, Lee told the Journal. A spokesperson for Ken Griffin’s Citadel confirmed the company is an investor in the project. BlackRock said the project would “increase liquidity and improve market efficiency” for its clients and other investors.
The Texas venture is trying to muscle in on a business that consists of about 16 equities exchanges with widely varying trading volumes. NYSE exchanges accounted for more than 20% of the volume in US equities trading in May, with Nasdaq representing over 15%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
U.S. job openings lowest since February of 2021; falling 3% in the last two years!
Job openings in the United States declined in April to hit the lowest level in more than three years, with the decline likely to play a role in the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates.
Nonfarm job openings in April dropped by 296,000 month over month to 8.05 million, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show. Since April 2023, job openings have declined by more than 1.8 million.
“Job openings decreased in health care and social assistance (-204,000) and in state and local government education (-59,000) but increased in private educational services (+50,000),” the jobs report said.
The 8.05 million openings figure is the lowest since February 2021, when it was 7.81 million. Since hitting a peak of 12.18 million in March 2022, job openings have declined by more than 33 percent.
eBay to discontinue acceptance of American Express payments starting August 17, 2024!
“After careful consideration, eBay has decided to no longer accept American Express globally effective August 17 due to the unacceptably high fees American Express charges for processing credit card transactions. At a time when payment processing costs should be declining because of technological advancements, investments in fraud capabilities and customer protections by merchants like eBay, credit card transaction fees continue to rise unabated because of a lack of meaningful competition. As consumers and small businesses are worried about inflation and rising costs, there is a need for more robust regulations to drive greater competition to credit card networks and help reduce transaction processing costs for merchants and their customers.
eBay customers are being notified about this upcoming change to prepare them for a smooth transition starting August 17 to the variety of popular, relevant, and secure payment options available on our marketplace. Based on research, we know that the vast majority of eBay customers are willing to use alternative payment options to continue enjoying buying and selling on our marketplace. With 2 billion listings and 132 million active buyers worldwide, eBay connects buyers and sellers in 190 markets around the world, fueling small business growth and creating economic opportunity for communities. Our customers have a deep affinity for eBay due to our unique inventory, attractive prices, and the meaningful role eBay plays in powering re-commerce to contribute to a healthier planet.”
American Express responded to the news with the following statement:
We are disappointed that eBay made the decision to stop accepting American Express Cards as of August 17th, 2024. By doing so, they will limit customers’ payment choices and take away the service, security, and rewards that customers value when paying with American Express. Our research tells us that in the US the cost of acceptance for American Express is comparable to what eBay pays for similar cards on other networks. We find eBay’s decision to drop American Express as a payment choice for consumers to be inconsistent with their stated desire to increase competition at the point of sale. Additionally, eBay represents less than 0.2% of our total network volume. American Express Card Members can continue to use their Cards with millions of merchants around the world.”
HEALTH
Senate Republicans block national abortion and reproductive rights bill!
Senate Republicans have blocked legislation designed to protect women’s access to contraception, arguing that the bill was just a political stunt as Democrats mount an election-year effort to put GOP senators on the record on reproductive rights issues,
The test vote won a 51-39 majority, but that was well short of the 60 votes to move ahead on the legislation.
It came as the Senate has abandoned hopes of doing serious bipartisan legislation before the election. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democrats are trying to instead spotlight issues they believe can help them win the presidency and keep the Senate in November. A similar vote on ensuring nationwide access to in vitro fertilization is expected next week. That bill is expected to similarly stall in the Senate, where Democrats need 60 votes to move forward on legislation.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, one of two Republicans to vote with Democrats to move forward on the bill, said Monday that she would want the legislation to be amended to include more religious liberty protections. “It is clearly a messaging attempt and not a serious attempt in itself,” she said.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who along with Collins supports abortion rights, also voted to move forward on the legislation.
Many Republicans who voted against consideration of the bill said they support access to contraception but believe the legislation is unnecessary.
A group of doctors, nurses, and pediatricians have signed on to a declaration calling on prominent United States medical organizations to stop performing experimental and harmful transgender procedures on children.
Members of the American College of Pediatricians, also known as ACPeds, and other medical professionals will announce their signing of the “Doctors Protecting Children Declaration” on Thursday during a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, The Daily Signal has learned.
“As physicians, nurses, other health professionals, psychotherapists, and behavioral health clinicians, scientists, researchers, and public health and policy professionals, we have serious concerns about the physical and mental health effects of the current protocols promoted for the care of children and adolescents in the United States who express discomfort with their biological sex,” the declaration states.
It is co-signed by medical and health organizations including the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, Genspect, the American College of Family Medicine, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, the Catholic Medical Association, and many individual doctors, pediatricians, and nurses.
Artificial Sweetener Linked to Heart Attack, Stroke
Higher amounts of the artificial sweetener xylitol might raise the risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study warns.
Xylitol is a zero-calorie sugar alcohol commonly used in sugar-free candy, chewing gum, baked goods and toothpastes, researchers said.
But high blood levels of the sweetener is associated with an increased risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or other heart event within three years, according to analysis of more than 3,000 patients in the United States and Europe, researchers reported June 6 in the European Heart Journal.
Try a better sweetener option like our Orange Blossom Honey or Wild Raw Oregano Honey!
FDA RECALL: Class I recall on cranial surgery system due to software error!
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a Class I recall on Medtronic’s Stealthstation S8, a cranial surgery system, for a software error on Wednesday.
Class I recall is the most serious type of recall, use of these devices may cause serious injuries or death, according to the FDA.
Stealthstation S8 is a cranial surgery system that aids in locating anatomical structures during neurosurgery. The recall is made on Stealthstation S8 versions 1.2.0, 1.1.0, 1.0.3, 1.0.2, and 1.0.1, affecting 876 systems, which were distributed between March 21, 2017 and March 22, 2024.
Medtronic, the Minnesota-based medical device company, issued the recall on April 10 after customers complained that it was causing incorrect measurements and placements of a biopsy tip stop during surgical navigation.
Such a move could lead to serious and permanent injuries, including brain, nerve, or cerebrovascular damage, abnormal functions to the brain, spine, or muscles, paralysis, or death.
The FDA’s recall came nearly two months after the company’s urgent medical device correction letter was issued, which stated the company was working to coordinate a software update at no charge to customers to resolve the error.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket into space on fourth test flight! SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket launched into space from south Texas on Thursday for its fourth test flight, with a tricky primary objective: survive a blazingly hot re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, the violent phase where it broke apart during its last attempt.
The two-stage spacecraft, consisting of the Starship cruise vessel mounted atop its towering Super Heavy rocket booster, blasted off from the company’s Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Village in south Texas, sending powerful shockwaves rippling through the dense Gulf Coast fog.
The rocket system’s first stage, called Super Heavy, detached from the Starship upper stage three minutes into flight dozens of miles (km) above ground, sending the Starship on its way toward space.
Super Heavy headed back toward land and appeared to achieve a soft landing in the Gulf of Mexico. Starship, meanwhile, blasted its own engines to begin its trek around the globe toward the Indian Ocean, a roughly 90-minute trip.
Thursday’s mission is the latest trial in the test-to-failure rocket development campaign of Elon Musk’s company.
Designed to be cheaper and more powerful than SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, Starship – standing nearly 400 feet (122 meters) tall – represents the future of the company’s dominant satellite launch and astronaut business. It is due to be used by NASA in the next few years to land the first astronauts on the moon since 1972.
VIDEO: Boeing Starliner launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida! STORY!
NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams became the first people to launch to orbit inside a Boeing [NYSE: BA] Starliner, lifting off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:52 am ET and embarking on a 25-hour flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch marks the beginning of the NASA-Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT).
“This crew flight test represents the beginning of a new era of space exploration as we watch astronauts Wilmore and Williams put Boeing’s Starliner through its paces on the way to the International Space Station,” said Boeing Defense, Space & Security President and CEO Ted Colbert. “This is a great start. We look forward to getting the astronauts safely to the space station and back home.”
Wilmore and Williams are also the first to launch on an Atlas V rocket and are currently experiencing microgravity on their way to the space station. They will conduct a series of flight test objectives, including manually flying Starliner.
Along with the two crew members, Starliner is carrying about 760 pounds (345 kilograms) of cargo. Once docked to the ISS, Wilmore and Williams will spend about a week on station before returning to Earth. Following a successful CFT, Boeing and NASA will continue working to certify Starliner for long-duration operational missions to the ISS.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
Transhumanist futures in humanity in the crosshairs, Part 2 …
The Transhumanist campaign against humanity is part and parcel of a sophisticated long-game strategy waged against bodies and psyches. With the manipulation of our primal fears and altruistic impulses, the prosecution of this technological onslaught against humanity is camouflaged by linguistic shell games based on sanitizing, eulogizing and euphemistic language; justification through appeal to valued collective activities such as space exploration; and by claimed threats that humanity is itself the scourge, including through its propensity for “unwanted” love, which is recast as an affliction needing treatment with biochips and neuroceuticals. In this perverse “New Normal ”, technocratic regimes of dispossession headed by transnational economic interests and the military-intelligence complex, are presented as self- evident and morally justified. Social order, civil rights, and human sovereignty are reconceptualised, repackaged, and reframed in public discourse as “surveillance under the skin”.
This scenario goes beyond NASA and its purportedly space-oriented transhumanist agenda by offering analysis of transhumanist forecasting and planning in an array of military-
intelligence strategic vision or ‘futures’ documents, which are focussed both on military personnel and civilian populations. We reveal that this evidence not only casts military personnel as fodder for transhumanist experimentation, but foresees societies and leadership agendas stratified along transhumanist lines. The trail of documentation ultimately leads to an intersection with military-intelligence scenario planning for a pandemic-ravaged dystopian global landscape in the year 2020, with real and present implications for impending global governance under the World Health Organisation, with ratification of amendments to International Health Regulations and a new Pandemic Preparedness treaty pending in May 2024.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Solar farm will wipe out thousands of Joshua Trees; how green is that?
A California-based company is planning to develop a solar farm in the Mojave Desert, which will involve clearing thousands of protected Joshua trees from parts of the 2,300-acre project site.
The company, Avantus, will develop the solar project in the Boron and Desert Lake area of eastern Kern County—which is home to 20 sensitive wildlife species, including the Mojave desert tortoise and ground squirrel, as well as an estimated 80,000 acres of western Joshua tree habitat—according to a statement from the company.
The project will ultimately have a solar generation capacity of up to 530 megawatts, which can power approximately 420,000 households simultaneously, and a battery energy storage system of up to 600 megawatts, enough to power 480,000 homes, according to its website.
The project, known as “Aratina,” was approved by the Kern County Board of Supervisors in 2021. Since then, it has angered some residents, who argue that it could increase dust during construction and negatively impact local wildlife, particularly endangered desert tortoises.
County Supervisors and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife also approved the removal of the trees the same year.
The company said the project would offset approximately 860,000 metric tons of carbon emissions each year, which is comparable to planting 14 million trees.
According to an environmental impact report for the project, the company located nearly 4,700 Joshua trees on the site, with some nearly a century old.
Heat dome has settled over the Western U.S.!
Temperatures on the West Coast are expected to peak into triple figures for the first time this year due to a large “heat dome” that may bring further wildfires and potentially life-threatening conditions.
More than 10 million people in California, Nevada and Arizona are expected to be affected by the phenomenon, which will bring “dangerous heat” through the week.
The National Weather Service said by Thursday, the level of risk of heat-related impacts will be “extreme” in parts of all three states.
“This level of rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration. Impacts likely in most health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure,” according to the forecaster.
Such conditions are caused by a “heat dome,” a large area of high pressure that stops over an area, traps air and heats it with abundant sunshine for days or weeks. The resulting heat becomes more intense the longer a heat dome lasts.
Spending extended periods outside in high temperatures can lead to severe health risks, including heat stroke, dizziness and sun burns. Those older than 65, are at a higher risk of illness from the heat.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Collecting rainwater for livestock …
Before installing a rainwater collection system on your barn or other outbuildings, there are a few important things to consider:
Local regulations: Check with your local government to see if any regulations or permits are required for installing a rainwater collection system. Some areas may have restrictions on the collection and use of rainwater. And believe it or not, it is illegal in some areas.
Roof material: The material of your barn roof can affect the quality of the collected rainwater. Metal roofs are a good choice, while roofs made of asbestos or cedar should be avoided.
Water quality: Rainwater is generally safe for livestock use, but it may contain contaminants such as bird droppings, pollen, and other debris.
Maintenance: Regular maintenance is required to maintain your rainwater collection system properly. This includes cleaning the gutters and downspouts and checking for leaks.
Cost: The cost of a rainwater collection system can vary depending on the size and complexity of the system. If gutters are already in place, your only cost may be troughs or storage barrels.
How much water can you collect from a roof?
To calculate the amount of water you can collect from a roof, you will need to consider the following factors:
Roof size: Measure the length and width of your roof to determine the square footage.
Average rainfall: Check the average rainfall in your area. You can find this information from your local weather station or online. If you only have rain for part of the year (and snow part of the year), you can do the calculations for each month individually.
Collection efficiency: The efficiency of your collection system will depend on a number of factors, including the material of your roof, the slope of your roof, and the type of collection system you use. A typical collection efficiency for a well-designed system is around 85%.
Once you have this information, you can use the following formula to calculate the amount of water you can collect from your roof:
Water collected = roof size x average rainfall x collection efficiency
For example, if your roof is 1,000 square feet, the average rainfall in your area is 30 inches per year, and your collection efficiency is 85%, you can calculate the amount of water you can collect as follows:
Water collected = 1,000 sq ft x 30 inches x 0.85 = 25,500 gallons per year
This calculation is an estimate and can vary based on the factors mentioned above. To choose an appropriate storage tank size, you can divide the annual amount of water by 12 months, assuming you need that much water.
If you don’t get rainfall 12 months a year, you can do the calculations for the month with the heaviest rainfall to determine what size storage tank(s) you need.
Of course, you can have multiple tanks. If you want to collect as much water as possible, I’d suggest putting a tank on each corner of the barn.
COVID RELATED NEWS
FDA COVID WARNING: New COVID JN.1 strain; updated jabs to roll out in the fall!
Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 5 advised the regulatory agency to direct vaccine manufacturers to produce new COVID-19 shots targeting the JN.1 virus variant.
Advisers voted 16–0 to recommend monovalent updated shots, after being barred from considering bivalent formulations. They then made clear that the updated shots should target JN.1, versus one of the dominant or soon-to-be dominant strains.
According to federal surveillance, JN.1 was dominant as of April 27 but was estimated to have been displaced soon after by KP.2, a JN.1. sublineage.
Officials with Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax presented data to the advisers from animal testing that suggested shots targeting JN.1 worked against the variant and its sublineages. While Pfizer and Moderna can more quickly switch to different formulations, Novavax is already producing a protein-based JN.1 shot with an eye toward a fall release, helping convince advisers to stick with a recommendation for a JN.1 formulation across the board.
Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax say that their shots will be ready in or by August, in time to launch a fresh fall vaccination campaign.
The World Health Organization and European Medicines Agency previously recommended updating the COVID-19 vaccines to target JN.1. or one of its sublineages.
CANCEL CULTURE
Three-year-old stabbed to death in Ohio grocery store parking lot; mother wounded!
A three-year-old boy has died and his mother injured after they were stabbed in a “random
act of violence” in a grocery store parking lot in Cleveland, Ohio, according to officials.
The stabbing occurred at around 3:00 p.m. in the grocery story parking lot on Lorain Road in North Olmsted. Court officials allege that Bionca Ellis, 32, stole two knives from the North Olmsted Volunteers of America Thrift Store before walking to the Giant Eagle grocery store next door, following 37-year-old Margot Wood and her son, Julian, and stabbing both of them in the parking lot, 19 News reported.
“Ellis followed them and immediately stabbed the 3-year-old, located in the shopping cart, multiple times. His mother attempted to pull him out and was also stabbed,” according to the report.
North Olmsted police arrived on scene and gave first aid to both the mother and son before they were transported to St. John Medical Center, according to the report. Julian died in the hospital from his injuries. His mother was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover. Captain Eric Morgan said officers located Ellis walking toward Dover Center Road, still holding the kitchen knife allegedly used in the attack, the outlet reported.
Ellis was arrested and taken to the North Olmsted Jail, where she is being held on a $1 million bond. She has since been indicted on one count of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of felonious assault, one count of endangering children, one count of tampering with evidence, and one count of misdemeanor theft, according to court officials.
Det. Sgt. Matthew Beck said during a Tuesday press conference that the motive is under investigation, but he called the attack an “entirely random act of violence.” Beck added that Ellis and the mother and son had no previous interactions and no interaction inside the store.
The suspect had been arrested on May 30 related to a probation violation, but she was ultimately released, Beck said. She had also visited the North Olmsted Police Department on Monday to discuss her arrest, police said, noting that she had no “known violent criminal history.”
Cuyahoga County prosecutor Michael O’Malley announced Wednesday that Ellis has been indicted by a grand jury.
GOOD NEWS
“He’s not the same person!” Biden allies freak after WSJ blasts Biden’s slipping brain!
The Biden administration is scrambling for damage control over the president’s mental condition. Over the past month, the White House claimed executive privilege over an audio tape of Biden’s classified documents interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur, the transcripts of which were altered to make Biden seem more competent.
Now, the White House and Biden allies are slamming a Tuesday report from the Wall Street Journal in which 45 people from both sides of the aisle told the outlet that Biden is, to put it mildly, two sandwiches short of a picnic.
The Journal cites a January meeting behind closed doors during a critical discussion about Ukraine funding, Biden’s soft-spoken nursing home demeanor led some participants to question his engagement, as he occasionally read from notes and paused. “You couldn’t be there and not feel uncomfortable,” one attendee noted about the meeting’s dynamics, adding “I’ll just say that.”
In another example, Biden completely forgot the details of ‘his’ own policy on big energy projects during a one-on-one meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Others who attended said Biden’s demeanor and level of engagement fluctuated and he seemed lively and engaged at some points. When the topic moved to an immigration overhaul, Johnson, the House speaker, offered Biden a list of dozens of executive actions he could undo to improve border security. Biden, rather than responding to Johnson’s suggestions, chided him, according to people at the meeting, “I’ve forgotten more about immigration than you’ll ever know.” -WSJ
Then, during debt ceiling negotiations with House Republicans, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and others noted that Biden’s demeanor and command of the details varied significantly from day to day. On some days, Biden was described as relying heavily on notes and mumbling, which could suggest inconsistency in cognitive performance.
“I used to meet with him when he was vice president. I’d go to his house,” McCarthy said in an interview. “He’s not the same person.” -WSJ
The article also lays out public speaking errors, such as mixing up names of his Hispanic cabinet secretaries, mistakenly speaking about conversations with long-deceased leaders, and other factual errors. These instances contribute to the narrative of cognitive decline.
In another section, the Journal reports that “The president moved so slowly around the Cabinet Room to greet the nearly two dozen congressional leaders that it took about 10 minutes for the meeting to begin, some people who attended recalled.”
More Stories
Today’s News:
Today’s News: June 26, 2024
Today’s News: June 27, 2024