Today's News: June 26, 2024

WORLD NEWS

Julian Assange is now a free man; his plane lands at Canberra, Australia airport …

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has landed back home in Australia, a free man for the first time in 12 years, after a US judge signed off on his unexpected plea deal on Wednesday morning.

Cheers erupted from supporters gathered at Canberra Airport in the Australian capital as Assange disembarked the aircraft. He waved to the crowds as he walked across the tarmac.

As he approached the terminal, his wife Stella emerged with a broad smile on her face. Assange pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the floor before the pair kissed.

Meanwhile, Evan Gershkovich went on trial for spying; closed-door session in Russia!

A shaven-headed Evan Gershkovich went on trial behind closed doors on Wednesday in a Russian court where the U.S. journalist is facing accusations of espionage.

Prosecutors say the Wall Street Journal reporter gathered secret information on the orders of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years.

Gershkovich, his newspaper and the U.S. government all reject the allegations and say that he was just doing his job as a reporter accredited by Russia’s Foreign Ministry to work there.

“His case is not about evidence, procedural norms, or the rule of law. It is about the Kremlin using American citizens to achieve its political objectives,” the U.S. embassy in Moscow said in a statement, calling for Gershkovich’s immediate release.

Finance Bill to be withdrawn after deadly riots – Kenyan president

William Ruto has addressed the nation following unrest over proposed tax increases

Kenyan President William Ruto has said he will not sign a finance bill providing for major tax increases, which had caused deadly riots in the country. Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Ruto said the people’s voices had been heard.

Anti-tax protesters clashed with police in Kenya on Tuesday after lawmakers voted 195-106 to pass the government’s 2024 Finance Bill. The legislation included tax increases intended to generate $2.7 billion in revenue in line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) demands.

Protesters claimed that the tax increases in the bill would raise the cost of living.

“Having reflected on the continuing conversation around the Finance Bill 2024 and listening keenly to the people of Kenya, who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with the Finance Bill 2024… I concede. I will not sign the Finance Bill 2024. It will be fully withdrawn,” Ruto said as he addressed the nation from State House.

The Kenyan government has mobilized all available resources to prevent a repeat of the violence. The protesters were demanding Ruto’s resignation and threatening a “total shutdown.”

“About 214 Kenyans were involved in various escalations and many of them went to hospital,” the president said in response to questions.

Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans as soon as next week!

Finland plans to offer avian influenza vaccinations as soon as the week of June 30 to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said on June 25, making it the first country in the world to do so.

The Nordic country has bought vaccines for 10,000 people, each consisting of two injections, as part of a joint European procurement of up to 40 million doses for 15 nations from manufacturer CSL Seqirus.

“The vaccine will be offered to those aged 18 or over who are at increased risk of contracting avian influenza due to their work or other circumstances,” the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare said in a statement.

Vaccinations are likely to start as early as next week, according to a spokesperson for the institute. People deemed at risk, including workers at the fur farms and lab technicians who handle bird flu samples, are eligible for the shots.

If any human infections are confirmed, people in close contact with the patients would also be offered the vaccine.

The U.S. government has ordered nearly 5 million doses of the influenza vaccine made by CSL, and manufacturing is slated to be completed by the end of the summer.

However, the U.S. government has no concrete plans yet to start vaccinating farm workers or others.

Israel’s Supreme Court rules religious seminary students must be drafted into the military!

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the state must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students into the military, a decree which creates new political strains for embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s Likud party said the Supreme Court’s ruling was “perplexing,” given ongoing efforts in parliament to agree on a new conscription law that would address the problem.

The prime minister’s coalition government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties that regard conscription exemptions as key to keeping their constituents in religious seminaries and out of a melting-pot army that might test their customs.

Leaders of those parties said they were disappointed with the ruling but issued no immediate threat to the government.

However, the prospect of the military, backed by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, starting to draft seminary students could widen cracks in Netanyahu’s increasingly brittle coalition.

The ultra-Orthodox conscription waiver has become increasingly charged in Israel as its armed forces are overstretched by a multi-front war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“At the height of a difficult war, the burden of inequality is more than ever acute,” the court’s unanimous ruling said.

Israelis are bound by law to serve in the military from the age of 18 for 24-32 months. Members of Israel’s 21 percent Arab minority are mostly exempt, though some do serve, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students have also been largely exempt for decades.

The law governing the exemption for seminary students expired last year, but the government continued to allow them not to serve. The Supreme Court ruled that in the absence of a new legal basis for the exemption, the state must draft them.

NATO allies select Netherlands Rutte as its next Secretary-General …

NATO on Wednesday selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO’s next boss, as the war in Ukraine rages on its doorstep and uncertainty hangs over the United States’ future attitude to the transatlantic alliance.

Rutte’s appointment became a formality after his only rival for the post, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, announced last week that he had quit the race, having failed to gain traction.

Rutte will take over on Oct. 1st from Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, who is stepping down after a decade in the post. Ambassadors from the alliance’s 32 members took the decision at a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Rutte said he looked forward to taking up the job “with great vigour”.

“The Alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security. Leading this organization is a responsibility I do not take lightly,” he posted on X.

After declaring his interest in the post last year, Rutte gained early support from key members of the alliance including the United States, Britain, France and Germany.

Others were more reticent, particularly Eastern European countries which argued the post should go to someone from their region for the first time.

But they ultimately rowed in behind Rutte, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a staunch ally of Ukraine.

Denmark becomes the first country to impose a tax on cow farts, the government says!

Denmark, a major pork and dairy exporter, will introduce a tax on livestock carbon dioxide emissions from 2030, making it the first country to do so and hoping to inspire others to follow, the government said on Tuesday.

A tax was first proposed in February by government-commissioned experts to help Denmark reach a legally binding 2030 target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 70% from 1990 levels.

The centrist government late on Monday reached a wide-ranging compromise with farmers, industry, labour unions and environmental groups on policy linked to farming, the country’s largest source of CO2 emissions.

“We will be the first country in the world to introduce a real CO2 tax on agriculture. Other countries will be inspired by this,” Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus of the center-left Social Democrats said in a statement on Tuesday.

While subject to approval by parliament, political experts expect a bill to pass following the broad-based consensus.

The deal proposed taxing farmers 300 Danish crowns ($43.16) per tonne of CO2 in 2030, increasing to 750 crowns by 2035.

Farmers will be entitled to an income tax deduction of 60%, meaning that the actual cost per tonne will start at 120 crowns and increase to 300 crowns by 2035, while subsidies will be made available to support adjustments in farm operations.

The tax could add an extra cost of 2 crowns per kilo (2.2 pounds) of minced beef in 2030, Minister for Economic Affairs Stephanie Lose told public broadcaster DR. Minced beef retails from around 70 crowns per kilo at Danish discount stores.

New Zealand this month scrapped plans to introduce a similar tax after facing criticism from farmers.

But while Danish farmers had expressed concerns that the country’s climate goals could force them to lower production and cut jobs, they said the compromise makes it possible to maintain their business.

Dangerous Jackpot: Man wins $3-million at Singapore casino, has an instant heart attack!

A man reportedly suffered a heart attack after winning S$4 million ($2.95 million) at a casino

in Singapore — but is expected to recover. A video showing a man lying on the floor of the Marina Bay Sands Casino in Singapore was posted to social media where it went viral, according to a report by International Business Times.

The unidentified man, believed to have been overly excited over his $3 million win, reportedly suffered cardiac arrest at the casino while staff and emergency responders attempted to revive him amid the screaming and shouting of other patrons.

While many on social media have claimed that the man died at the casino, the gambler was later taken to a hospital, where he “is recovering and is expected to enjoy his riches once back to full health,” according to a report by casino.org.

Others on social media asked if casinos are still obliged to pay out a jackpot if a gambler dies after winning but before collecting their cash prize.

“A casino game is a contract, and believe it or not, death does not change a contract,” according to one commenter, identified by casino.org as an attorney, explained in response to a 2019 Reddit post, adding that in the United States, the money would be paid to the deceased winner’s next of kin.

“You could die before the slot machine stops spinning, and you(r estate) are still owed the
winnings,” the attorney said. “As with any other contract, the benefits of that contract go to the estate, and the estate will be distributed according to the will of the deceased.”

Notably, the Marina Bay Sands Casino in Singapore is owned and operated by Las Vegas Sands.

Russia and Iran ink gas deal

The new agreement comes as the two countries have been expanding energy and trade cooperation

Russian energy giant Gazprom has signed a strategic memorandum with Iran for pipeline gas supplies to the Islamic Republic, according to a statement by the company on Wednesday.

The agreement with the National Iranian Gas Company was clinched during a visit to Iran by a Russian delegation headed by Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller, who met with Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji. The signing ceremony was reportedly attended by interim Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber. No details about the memorandum have been revealed.

Iran, a major oil-producing country with large deposits and its own refineries, announced in 2023 plans to create an international gas hub with the participation of Russia, Qatar, and Turkmenistan.

Owji said last year that Iran was seeking to partner with Russia to develop new oil deposits in the country in addition to existing joint projects. Later, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak confirmed there were discussions about producing gas within a hub in southern Iran with the participation of Russian companies. Novak, however, noted that “it will take time to give this a specific shape.”

U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Supreme Court rules for Biden administration in social media free speech case!

The Supreme Court threw out a challenge on June 26 to the federal government’s actions when it communicated with social media platforms about public health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The justices voted 6–3 to find that those challenging the government lacked legal standing to do so.

The states had argued that the federal government strong-armed social media companies into censoring disfavored views on important public issues, such as side effects related to COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic lockdowns. Applying this kind of pressure violates the First Amendment, the states said.

Conservatives and others have complained that social media censors information about transgender issues, COVID-19, and the 2020 election. They were particularly concerned about coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop computer that contained information they say might have harmed President Joe Biden’s 2020 election campaign had it been allowed to circulate freely.

Some on the left say removing posts on social media is necessary to prevent the spread of misinformation, and some have complained that social media platforms don’t do enough to combat falsehoods.

The case is Murthy v. Missouri. The majority opinion was written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Florida Supreme Court affirms DeSantis’ removal of radical Soros-backed states attorney!

In a decisive victory for justice, the Florida Supreme Court has affirmed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ courageous removal of George Soros-backed State Attorney Monique Worrel in 2023 for what he called “dereliction of duty.”

The landmark ruling is a clear warning to activist prosecutors across the nation.

DeSantis said of Worrel at the time, “The practices and policies of her office have allowed murderers, other violent offenders, and dangerous drug traffickers to receive extremely reduced sentences and escape the full consequences of their criminal conduct. In some cases, these offenders have evaded incarceration altogether.”

Although Worrel sued for reinstatement, the state Supreme Court ruled against her.

The majority opinion stated, “We have said that a suspension order does not infringe on a state attorney’s lawful exercise of prosecutorial discretion where it alleges that such discretion is, in fact, not being exercised in individual cases but, rather, that generalized policies have resulted in categorical enforcement practices.”

According to the Sentinel, during her 2020 campaign, Worrel received $1.5 million in support from the Soros-backed group Our Vote Our Voice.

Gov. DeSantis has prioritized protecting Florida’s residents from rogue prosecutors who pick and choose which laws to enforce, often through the biased lens of “social justice”.

DeSantis also suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren, who refused to enforce Florida’s abortion laws. That decision was also upheld by the courts.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert wins the GOP primary in Colorado’s 4th District …

The first phase of Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) district switch has paid off for her.

Ms. Boebert has won the June 25 Republican primary in Colorado’s Fourth District, in the eastern half of the state. She currently represents the Third District, on the Western Slope.

As of 8:22 p.m. Central, Ms. Boebert had 44.3 percent of the vote with 60 percent of votes counted. The race was called at that time.

The Fourth District Democratic primary has proved to be much tighter.

The field included retired Marine officer Isaac “Ike” McCorkle, addiction recovery activist John Padora, Jr., and Trisha Calvarese, who once led speechwriting and publications for the AFL-CIO union.

As of 9:26 p.m. Central, Ms. Calvarese led Mr. McCorkle by a little more than 5 points with 82 percent of the vote counted.

Ms. Boebert and the Democratic winner will now go on to the general election in November.

The victor in that contest will replace Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) in the next Congress.

New York “Squad member” Rep. Jamaal Bowman loses the primary race to moderate Latimer

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) has lost a primary battle to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, becoming the first member of the far-left “Squad” to be unseated by a centrist Democrat.

Mr. Latimer leads Mr. Bowman 54.5 percent to 45.5 percentage points, with 53 percent reporting. The Associated Press called the race at 9:38 p.m ET.

The two-term congressman is also the first Democratic incumbent to lose their primary this year, capping off a contest that laid bare divisions within the Democratic party that have ruptured over the Israel-Hamas war.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a major pro- Israel group, emerges as another winner from the race after it poured $14 million in ads to boost Mr. Latimer, helping to make this primary the most expensive House race ever, according to ad tracker AdImpact.

Rep. John Curtis wins the Utah GOP Senate primary race in bid for Romney’s seat …

Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) has won the June 25 Utah Republican Senate primary and is the overwhelming favorite to succeed the retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R- Utah) in fall’s general election.

Mr. Curtis, who served four terms in the House before announcing his bid for the Senate in early 2024, will square off against Democrat Caroline Gleich, an environmental-activist mountaineer who secured the Nov. 5 berth in her party’s April convention without a primary challenge.

In a state where registered Republican voters outnumber Democrats three-to-one, winners in Utah’s GOP primaries are near-locks to advance in general elections.

Utah hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1970.

Arkansas Supreme Court reinstates ban on gender-neutral IDs and driver’s licenses …

The Arkansas Supreme Court has reinstated an emergency rule barring residents from changing their listed sex at birth to an “X” designation on state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.

The court granted an emergency motion for a stay on injunction issued by a circuit judge that had previously blocked the state’s emergency rule. The court did not elaborate on its decision.

The decision followed a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arkansas in April on behalf of five transgender, nonbinary, and intersex residents against the state Department of Finance and Administration after it rescinded the policy that allowed license holders to change their listed gender without verifiable information.

Under the revised policy, information on a driver’s license or ID in Arkansas must show either “male” or “female” as indicated on the license holder’s birth certificate. The Department of Finance and Administration said that it aimed “to better safeguard the integrity of licenses and IDs in the state.”

The ACLU argued in its suit that the policy change was implemented “without any documented justification or compliance” with the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act, which requires a 30-day public comment period unless there is “imminent peril.”

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders has backed the policy change and said she doesn’t support the X designation.

“This policy is just common sense. Only women give birth, men shouldn’t play women’s sports, and there are only two genders,” she said. “As long as I’m governor, Arkansas state government will not endorse nonsense.”

Congressional Report: CIA interfered in the 202 elections; colluded with the Biden campaign!

The CIA interfered in the 2020 election by colluding with the Biden campaign to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story, a congressional report found Tuesday.

“It’s inappropriate for a currently serving staff officer or contractor to be involved in the political process,” former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell acknowledged to Congress during its investigation of the incident.

In 2020, 51 ex-spies signed an infamous letter that called reporting on Hunter’s laptop “Russian disinformation” ahead of the election. Current Secretary of State Antony Blinken allegedly coordinated the story for political purposes.

CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand wrote the infamous, and now discredited, Politico story that used “dozens of former intel officials” to push a false and misleading narrative about the origins of Hunter’s laptop.

President Joe Biden cited the story during a presidential debate with Trump to discredit the contents of the laptop.

Seventy-one percent of Americans believe accurate reporting of Hunter’s “Laptop from Hell” could have altered the 2020 presidential election, TIPP Insights polling revealed in 2022.

NY judge partially lifts Trump gag order; sets timeline for expiration …

New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan terminated parts of former President Donald Trump’s gag order on June 25, adding that the rest will expire once sentencing is complete.

The judge broke the original gag order down into three categories: statements about witnesses; statements about court staff and counsel, and later extended it to include family members of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Justice Merchan, but not the judge and district attorney themselves; and statements about jurors.

“Circumstances have now changed. The trial portion of these proceedings ended when the verdict was rendered, and the jury discharged,” Judge Merchan wrote. He terminated the order as it applies to witnesses and jurors.

Jurors were told, after they delivered the verdict on May 30th, that they were no longer under orders to not discuss the case, and were free to speak about it as they wished.

Hunter Biden’s law license suspended in the wake of his three gun convictions!

A court in Washington on June 25 suspended the law license of Hunter Biden after he was convicted of three federal felonies.

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals ordered Mr. Biden’s license suspended immediately, rendering him legally unable to represent clients in the nation’s capital, and directed the D.C. Bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility to launch an investigation into Mr. Biden. A lawyer for Mr. Biden, 54, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Office of the Disciplinary Counsel, which investigates cases against members of the D.C. Bar, recommended after the conviction the D.C. Court of Appeals suspend Mr. Biden.

The office pointed to bar rules that say felonies constitute “serious crimes” and that attorneys found guilty of a serious crime, or who enter a no contest to a charge of a serious crime, shall be immediately suspended by the court.

D.C. code states that when a final judgment of a conviction is certified to a court, “the name of the member of the bar so convicted shall be struck from the roll of the members of the bar and such person shall thereafter cease to be a member.”

The only exception is if a pardon is issued, according to the code.

U.S. Supreme Court rules for Big Pharma companies in terrorism funding case …

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 ruled in favor of AstraZeneca and other pharmaceutical companies that were sued over allegedly funding terrorism.

The nation’s top court granted the companies’ bid to throw out a lower court ruling that found plaintiffs who sued the companies supported “an inference that defendants aided and abetted acts of international terrorism.”

The lawsuit, filed in 2017, sought damages under the Anti-Terrorism Act. It was brought by U.S. troops and civilians injured in Iraq between 2005 and 2009, and family members of troops and civilians killed in the Middle Eastern country during that period of time.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in 2020 ruled against the plaintiffs. He said he sympathized with the plaintiffs but that the Anti- Terrorism Act, which enables suits against people who knowingly provide “substantial assistance” to attacks carried out or authorized by designated foreign terrorist organizations.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2022 reversed the ruling. A panel of three circuit judges said that the suit “plausibly alleges that Hezbollah … planned or authorized the relevant attacks. The judges also said that the allegations regarding payments to Jaysh al-Mahdi ”support an inference that defendants aided and abetted acts of international terrorism“ and that plaintiffs ”have adequately pleaded that defendants’ payments to Jaysh al- Mahdi proximately caused plaintiffs’ injuries.”

The Supreme Court later ruled in a case called Twitter Inc. v. Taamneh that Twitter and several other companies were not responsible for terrorism if the group responsible used their platforms. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, found that to violate the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), people must have “consciously and culpably participated in” the act of terrorism that injured the plaintiffs.

U.S. House passes bill to counter Beijing’s forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners!

The House has passed a bill with the goal of forcing an end to the Chinese regime’s long-running campaign of persecution against the spiritual group Falun Gong.

The bipartisan Falun Gong Protection Act (H.R. 4132), introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R- Pa.) with 18 co-sponsors, passed by a voice vote on June 25. It is the first U.S. legislative bill addressing Beijing’s brutal suppression of the faith to advance through the chamber.

For the past 25 years, adherents of the practice—numbering up to 100 million in 1999 according to estimates at the time—have faced lengthy imprisonment, torture, forced labor, and forced organ harvesting.

The Falun Gong Protection Act, which still needs Senate approval, calls for “an immediate end” to the persecution. If signed into law, it will require the United States to shun any cooperation with China in the organ transplantation field and to deploy targeted sanctions and visa restrictions to address the persecution of Falun Gong on the international stage.

Biden issues mass pardon for gay military members after voting to ban them …

President Joe Biden issued a mass pardon yesterday for veterans who were previously convicted or discharged under a now-repealed ban on consensual LGBT activity.

The White House expects that thousands of veterans will be eligible for the pardon who were convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice’s former Article 125, which was in place from May 1951 to December 2013, administration officials told reporters, though adding they could not provide an exact number. Biden said his pardon sought to right “an historic wrong” in a statement announcing his action.

Though the president made his pardon today, when Biden was a U.S. Senator in 1993, he voted for legislation that prohibited discrimination against LGBT members of the military but barred them from displaying their actions and relationships publicly. The policy was later revoked by former President Barack Obama in 2011 when Biden was vice president.

The now-president also voted for a proposal to ban same-sex marriage on a federal level in 1996.

Since then, the president and his administration have voiced their support for the LGBT community, hosting several “Pride” month events at the White House.

“Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves. Our Nation’s service members stand on the frontlines of freedom, and risk their lives in order to defend our country,” Biden said in a Tuesday statement.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Federal judge blocks massive swipe fee settlement between VISA and MasterCard …

A federal judge yesterday rejected a $30 billion antitrust settlement between Mastercard and Visa in which they had agreed to limit fees they charged for retailers who take their debit and credit cards.

U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie in New York wrote that she was “not likely to grant final approval” of the two corporations’ settlement, which was announced in March. As a result, she denied the companies’ request for preliminary approval. The judge has not yet issued a written ruling.

The judge then directed the credit card companies and other parties to submit proposed redactions before June 28 and explain why.

In March, the two companies said their agreement would lower fees, known as interchange fees, that a merchant must pay when a customer uses one of their cards.

A number of trade and merchant groups had opposed the Visa– Mastercard agreement, arguing that the card-use fees would still be too high and that the two corporations would retain too much control over the industry.

The fees range from 1.5 to 3.5 percent, and they totaled about $172 billion in 2023 according to the Nilson Report. The fees generate profits for banks and other card issuers, which often funnel the fees into rewards programs that encourage consumers to spend more.

Critics of the plan, including the National Retail Federation, argued that the settlement would have given only temporary relief for merchants and would make it hard to mount future challenges against the two companies.

“While the agreement would provide only temporary relief, it includes a ‘virtually limitless’ ban on future merchant litigation over swipe fees and has no opt-out provision for merchants who do not agree with its terms,” the organization contended in a news release issued in April. “Even businesses that do not yet exist would be barred from suing, a provision that could violate the Sherman Antitrust Act.”

Difficult Decision: Hooters shutters dozens of locations as inflation plagues consumers!

Hooters has closed dozens of locations as inflation continues choking people and businesses in President Joe Biden’s America.

A Hooters spokesperson told the New York Post on Monday, “Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision” to shut down some of its restaurants.

Approximately 40 of its 300 restaurants across the globe have been closed. However, the company has been opening locations for American consumers and others all over the world, while also offering its frozen foods on the shelves of grocery stores.

In May, analysis showed that inflation, the high cost of living, and the post-coronavirus lockdown landscape have made it difficult for restaurants in America to keep going.

Billionaire Ken Griffin gets an apology from the IRS over leak of tax records …

Citadel Securities founder Ken Griffin received a rare public apology from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service after his tax records were leaked.

Griffin in a statement was personally singled out over the disclosures made to the site ProPublica, which has subsequently found to have been made by a contractor named Charles Littlejohn, who was sentenced in January to a five-year prison term that he is appealing.

Griffin on Monday dropped a lawsuit against the IRS.

ProPublica in 2021 published details of tax records of Griffin and other billionaires, as well as those from former President Donald Trump.

“The Internal Revenue Service sincerely apologizes to Mr. Kenneth Griffin and the thousands of other Americans whose personal information was leaked to the press,” the agency said.

“The IRS takes its responsibilities seriously and acknowledges that it failed to prevent Mr. Littlejohn’s criminal conduct and unlawful disclosure of Mr. Griffin’s confidential data. Accordingly, the IRS assures Mr. Griffin and the other victims of Mr. Littlejohn’s actions that it has made substantial investments in its data security to strengthen its safeguarding of taxpayer information.”

Griffin said he was grateful for “securing an outcome that will better protect American taxpayers and that will ultimately benefit all Americans.” The Wall Street Journal reported that Griffin didn’t seek financial compensation.

Sony, Universal and Warner sue AI companies claiming copyright infringement …

Artificial intelligence (AI) companies Suno and Udio faced legal action Monday launched by major record labels Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Records. Allegations include committing mass copyright infringement by using the labels’ recordings to train music-generating AI systems.

The New York Post reports the companies allegedly copied music without permission to teach their systems to create music that will “directly compete with, cheapen, and ultimately drown out” human artists’ work, according to federal lawsuits filed against Udio in New York and Suno in Massachusetts.

“Our technology is transformative; it is designed to generate completely new outputs, not to memorize and regurgitate pre-existing content,” Suno CEO Mikey Shulman said in a statement.

The complaints said Suno and Udio users have been able to recreate elements of songs including The Temptations’ “My Girl,” Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good),” and could generate vocals that are “indistinguishable” from musicians such as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and ABBA.

The labels asked the courts to award statutory damages of up to $150,000 per song the defendants allegedly copied. They accused Suno of copying 662 songs and Udio of copying 1,670.

Musicians around the world have described AI as a threat to creativity however Cambridge, Mass.- based Suno and New York-based Udio have raised millions in funding this year for their bespoke systems, which create music in response to user text prompts.

The labels’ complaints said the companies have been “deliberately evasive” about the material they used to train their technology, and revealing it for public scrutiny would “admit willful copyright infringement on an almost unimaginable scale.”

“Unlicensed services like Suno and Udio that claim it’s ‘fair’ to copy an artist’s life’s work and exploit it for their own profit without consent or pay set back the promise of genuinely innovative AI for us all,” Mitch Glazier, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, said in a statement.

While the legal challenge and others moves forward , the CEO of one popular platform says he thinks critics are looking at it all wrong.

BandLab, a mostly free online music workstation and distribution platform based in Singapore, has more than 100 million registered users.

It recently incorporated an AI music creation tool dubbed SongStarter, which generates song ideas from genre, key, tempo and lyric prompts.

For BandLab founder and CEO Kuok Meng Ru, whose company bought music magazine NME in 2019, AI is no substitute for a real musician and he thinks critics misunderstand the process.

States failing to track abuse in foster care facilities: Report

Many states are failing to track how often children in foster care facilities are abused, the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General said in a report.

The report, published Wednesday, assessed how states monitor if children are being mistreated in residential facilities. Its findings suggest many had missing or incomplete information in areas that could provide oversight.

There are nearly 50,000 children in foster care facilities nationwide, and states are not doing enough to examine which facilities are problematic, The Associated Press noted.

Nearly one-third of states could not identify patterns of maltreatment in their residential facilities and had limited awareness of cross-state maltreatment at facilities that are chains.

Thirteen states did not report to the national database about if children who experienced maltreatment are living in a foster-care facility, the report said.

The office recommended that the Administration for Children and Families should provide guidance and technical assistance to build a monitoring capability both in state facilities and chains across the country.

The report also recommended the administration improves its reporting procedures for the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.

The findings come just two weeks after a Senate report was released that found children who are placed in residential treatment facilities are at risk for sexual and emotional abuse, physical restraint and overmedication.

HEALTH

CDC issues warning of increased dengue fever virus risk across the U.S. …

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a health alert on Tuesday that warned doctors to be on alert for dengue fever cases as the mosquito-borne disease continues to spread worldwide.

The virus has been on the rise worldwide and in the Americas in recent months, officials said. Some countries have broken calendar- year records for dengue cases, while the U.N. World Health Organization declared an emergency over dengue in December.

In its bulletin on Tuesday, the CDC told doctors to be aware of the symptoms of the viral infection and to ask patients questions about where they recently traveled. Doctors are also advised to order tests for dengue if need be.

There is no widely available medicine for treating dengue infections. Vaccines have been problematic because there are four types of dengue that can infect people.

U.S. officials in 2021 recommended one vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur. The three-dose vaccine is built to protect against all four dengue types and is recommended only for children ages 9 to 16 who have laboratory evidence of earlier dengue infection and who live in an area where dengue is common, such as Puerto Rico.

WHO ignites calls for urgent action on a dangerous mpox strain

The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that the spread of mpox in Africa needs to be addressed urgently, particularly as a dangerous strain has been detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“There is a critical need to address the recent surge in mpox cases in Africa,” Rosamund Lewis, WHO’s technical lead on mpox said, according to Reuters.

The doctor in charge of Congo’s mpox control program, Cris Kacita, told Reuters that there have been roughly 8,600 cases and 410 deaths this year due to the virus.

In a separate briefing, John Claude Udahemuka of the University of Rwanda said the strain spreading in Congo’s difficult-to-reach South Kivu province is a mutated version of the virus that’s been in the country for decades, and he said it was extremely dangerous.

Udahemuka said more research is necessary to determine how the virus is spreading in South Kivu, but it is in part spreading due to sexual intercourse.

Nationwide Ice Cream Recall Due to Listeria

Check your freezer for multiple brands of ice cream that are being recalled by the maker, Totally Cool Inc., due to worries over listeria contamination.

The full list of brands and recalled products can be found online, but include multiple products by Friendly’s, Abylin’s Frozen, some Hershey’s ice cream, Yelloh!, Jeni’s, Cumberland Farms, The Frozen Farmer, Marco, ChipWich, AMAFruits, Taharka, Dolcezza Gelato and Lasalle products.

All are made by Totally Cool, of Owings Mills, Md., which is “recalling multiple brands of ice cream products, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the company said in a post on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website.

Anxiety May Double the Risk of Developing Parkinson’s

Anxiety could be an early warning sign of Parkinson’s disease, a new study finds.

People with anxiety have at least double the risk of developing Parkinson’s compared to those without the mood disorder, results show.

Further, specific Parkinson’s symptoms serve as warning signs of the disorder in people with anxiety, researchers found.

“By understanding that anxiety and the mentioned [symptoms] are linked to a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease over the age of 50, we hope that we may be able to detect the condition earlier and help patients get the treatment they need,” said co-lead researcher Dr. Juan Bazo Avarez, a senior research fellow with University College London Epidemiology & Health.

Parkinson’s disease causes problems with movement, including shaking, stiffness and problems with balance and coordination, according to the National Institute on Aging.

The disease occurs due to the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a chemical that is important to motor control.

Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest growing neurodegenerative disorder, researchers said. It currently affects nearly 10 million people around the world.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

A Florida family filed a lawsuit against NASA over space debris landing on their home!

The growing problem of space debris isn’t just one that plagues Earth’s orbit. Several instances of space trash crashing back down to Earth have made recent headlines, and one family is requesting that NASA pay for the damages.

The space agency has a claim on its hands after a chunk of space junk crashed through Alejandro Otero’s seaside home in Naples, Florida. The incident occurred on March 8, as debris tore through the roof and two floors of his family home, nearly hitting his son, Otero said in a now-deleted post on X.

NASA has since confirmed the debris came from a 2.9-ton pallet of used batteries jettisoned from the International Space Station in March of 2021; the structure was expected to burn up completely in Earth’s atmosphere. Otero speculated as much in posts online following the incident, and voiced his expectation that the responsible parties be held accountable. “[The Otero family is] grateful that no one sustained physical injuries from this incident, but a ‘near miss’ situation such as this could have been catastrophic,” said Mica Nguyen Worthy in a statement from the law firm representing the family.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

NTSB finally reveals results from its investigation into the toxic Ohio train derailment!

More than a year after a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and exploded in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) returned to the village to discuss its investigation into the disaster and offer recommendations to prevent future calamities.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy opened the June 25 hearing by stating, “On behalf of the entire agency, I want to recognize the significant impact this derailment has had.”

Some people have downplayed the effects of the derailment and the decision to vent and burn because there were no deaths, but “the absence of fatality or injury doesn’t mean the presence of safety,” Ms. Homendy said.

At the hearing, the NTSB confirmed that a trackside sensor in Salem, Ohio–located 20 miles west of East Palestine–didn’t detect a burning rail bearing suspected of causing the derailment.

The NTSB also announced that firefighters didn’t receive details of what the train was carrying for more than an hour after the derailment.

There are currently no standards for directing railroads as to how to respond to bearing failure alarms, the NTSB stated at the hearing.

NTSB staff members said they will recommend that the Federal Railroad Administration create rules that detail how railroads should respond to the alarms.

Tesla’s Cybertruck has been recalled for a fourth time due to parts issues!

Tesla is recalling its futuristic new Cybertruck pickup for the fourth time in the U.S. to Jx problems with trim pieces that can come loose and front windshield wipers that can fail.

The new recalls, announced in documents posted Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each affect more than 11,000 trucks.

The company says in the documents that the front windshield wiper motor controller can stop working because it’s getting too much electrical current. A wiper that fails can cut visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. The Austin, Texas, company says it knows of no crashes or injuries caused by the problem.

Tesla will replace the wiper motor at no cost to owners, who will be notified by letter on Aug. 18th.

In the other recall, a trim piece along the truck bed can come loose and fly off, creating a hazard for other motorists. Tesla says in documents that the trim piece is installed with adhesive, and that may not have been done properly at the factory. The company will replace or rework the trim piece so it stays on. Owners will be notified by letter also on Aug. 18th.

Tesla has recalled the stainless steel-clad Cybertruck four times since it went on sale Nov. 30.

SURVEILLANCE – POLICE STATE

Rutherford: Electing the next dictator, the ugly truths you won’t hear from Trump or Biden

No matter what carefully crafted sound bites and political spin get trotted out by Joe Biden and Donald Trump in advance of the 2024 presidential election, you can rest assured that none of the problems that continue to undermine our freedoms will be addressed in any credible, helpful way by either candidate, despite the dire state of our nation.

Certainly not if doing so might jeopardize their standing with the unions, corporations or the moneyed elite bankrolling their campaigns.

Indeed, the 2024 elections will not do much to alter our present course towards a police state.

Nor will the popularity contest for the new occupant of the White House significantly alter the day-to-day life of the average American greatly at all. Those life-changing decisions are made elsewhere, by nameless, unelected government officials who have turned bureaucracy into a full-time and profitable business.

In the interest of liberty and truth, here are a few uncomfortable truths about life in the American police state that we will not be hearing from either of the two leading presidential candidates.

The government is not our friend. Nor does it work for “we the people.” Our so-called government representatives do not actually represent us, the citizenry. We are now ruled by an oligarchic elite of governmental and corporate interests whose main interest is in perpetuating power and control.
By gradually whittling away at our freedoms—free speech, assembly, due process, privacy, etc.—the government has, in effect, liberated itself from its contractual agreement to respect our constitutional rights while resetting the calendar back to a time when we had no Bill of Rights to protect us from the long arm of the government.
Republicans and Democrats like to act as if there’s a huge difference between them and their policies. However, they are not sworn enemies so much as they are partners in crime, united in a common goal, which is to maintain the status quo.
Presidential elections merely serve to maintain the status quo. Once elected president, that person becomes part of the dictatorial continuum that is the American imperial presidency today.
The U.S. government is spending money it doesn’t have on foreign aid programs it can’t afford, all the while the national debt continues to grow, our domestic infrastructure continues to deteriorate, and our borders continue to be breached. What is going on? It’s obvious that a corporatized, militarized, entrenched global bureaucracy is running the country.
Forty years past the time that George Orwell envisioned the stomping boot of Big Brother, the police state is about to pass off the baton to the surveillance state. 1984 has become an operation manual for the omnipresent, modern-day surveillance state. For all intents and purposes, we now have a fourth branch of government. This fourth branch came into being without any electoral mandate or constitutional

referendum, and yet it possesses superpowers, above and beyond those of any other government agency save the military. It is all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful. It operates beyond the reach of the president, Congress and the courts, and it marches in lockstep with the corporate elite who really call the shots in Washington, DC. The government’s “technotyranny” surveillance apparatus has become so entrenched and entangled with its police state apparatus that it’s hard to know anymore where law enforcement ends and surveillance begins. They have become one and the same entity.

When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, you are being ruled by criminals. In the current governmental climate, obeying one’s conscience and speaking truth to the power of the police state can easily render you an “enemy of the state.” The government’s list of so-called “enemies of the state” is growing by the day. What we are dealing with is a government so power-hungry, paranoid and afraid of losing its stranglehold on power that it is conspiring to wage war on anyone who dares to challenge its authority.
If voting made any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it. Americans only think they’re choosing the next president. In truth, however, they’re engaging in the illusion of participation culminating in the reassurance ritual of voting. It’s just another manufactured illusion conjured up in order to keep the populace compliant and convinced that their vote counts and that they still have some influence over the political process.
More than terrorism, more than domestic extremism, more than gun violence and organized crime, the U.S. government has become a greater menace to the life, liberty and property of its citizens than any of the so-called dangers from which the government claims to protect us.
The government knows exactly which buttons to push in order to manipulate the populace and gain the public’s cooperation and compliance. This draconian exercise in how to divide, conquer and subdue a nation is succeeding. This is how you use the politics of fear to persuade a freedom-endowed people to shackle themselves to a dictatorship.
The government long ago sold us out to the highest bidder. The highest bidder, by the way, has always been the Deep State. America’s shadow government—which is comprised of unelected government bureaucrats, corporations, contractors, paper-pushers, and button-pushers who are actually calling the shots behind the scenes right now and operates beyond the reach of the Constitution with no real accountability to the citizenry—is the real reason why “we the people” have no control over our government.
Every U.S. citizen is now guilty until proven innocent.
“We the people” are no longer shielded by the rule of law. While the First Amendment—which gives us a voice—is being muzzled, the Fourth Amendment—which protects us from being bullied, badgered, beaten, broken and spied on by government agents—is being disemboweled.
Privacy, as we have known it, is dead. Every second of every day, the American people are being spied on by the U.S. government’s vast network of digital Peeping Toms, electronic eavesdroppers and robotic snoops. Government eyes are watching you. They see your every move: what you read, how much you spend, where you go, with whom you interact, when you wake up in the morning, what you’re watching on television and reading on the internet. Every move you make is being monitored, mined for data, crunched, and tabulated in order to form a picture of who you are, what makes you tick, and how best to control you when and if it becomes necessary to bring you in line. Beware of what you say, what you read, what you write, where you go, and with whom you communicate, because it will all be recorded, stored and used against you eventually, at a time and place of the government’s choosing.
Private property means nothing if the government can take your home, car or money under the flimsiest of pretexts, whether it be asset forfeiture schemes, eminent domain or overdue property taxes. Likewise, private property means little at a time when SWAT teams and other government agents can invade your home, break down your doors, kill your dog, wound or kill you, damage your furnishings and terrorize your family.
If there is an absolute maxim by which the federal government seems to operate, it is that the American taxpayer always gets ripped off. The government’s schemes to swindle, cheat, scam, and generally defraud taxpayers of their hard-earned dollars have run the gamut from wasteful pork barrel legislation, cronyism and graft to asset forfeiture, costly stimulus packages, and a national security complex that continues to

undermine our freedoms while failing to making us any safer. Americans have also been made to pay through the nose for the government’s endless wars, subsidization of foreign nations, military empire, welfare state, roads to nowhere, bloated workforce, secret agencies, fusion centers, private prisons, biometric databases, invasive technologies, arsenal of weapons, and every other budgetary line item that is contributing to the fast-growing wealth of the corporate elite at the expense of those who are barely making ends meet—that is, we the taxpayers.

From the moment they are born to the time they legally come of age, young people are now wards of the state. Parents no longer have the final say over what their kids are taught, how they are disciplined, or what kinds of medical care they need.
All you need to do in order to be flagged as a suspicious character, labeled an enemy of the state and locked up like a dangerous criminal is use certain trigger words, surf the internet, communicate using a cell phone, drive a car, stay at a hotel, purchase materials at a hardware store, take flying or boating lessons, appear suspicious, question government authority, or generally live in the United States.
The government is pushing us ever closer to a constitutional crisis.
Our freedoms—especially the Fourth Amendment—continue to be choked out by a prevailing view among government bureaucrats that they have the right to search, seize, strip, scan, spy on, probe, pat down, taser, and arrest any individual at any time and for the slightest provocation. Forced cavity searches, forced colonoscopies, forced blood draws, forced breath-alcohol tests, forced DNA extractions, forced eye scans, and forced inclusion in biometric databases are just a few ways in which Americans continue to be reminded that we have no control over what happens to our bodies during an encounter with government officials.

These are not problems that can be glibly dismissed with a few well-chosen words, as most politicians are inclined to do.

No matter which candidate wins this election, the citizenry and those who represent us need to own up to the fact that there can be no police state—no tyranny—no routine violations of our rights without our complicity and collusion—without our turning a blind eye, shrugging our shoulders, allowing ourselves to be distracted and our civic awareness diluted.

Likewise, as I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, these problems will continue to plague our nation unless and until Americans wake up to the fact that we’re the only ones who can change things for the better and then do something about it. After all, the Constitution opens with those three vital words, “We the people.”

There is no government without us—our sheer numbers, our muscle, our economy, our physical presence in this land. We are the government.

GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING

The true benefits of having a hand-operated well pump, fully explained …

The manual water hand pump is a device that works thanks to a piston or plunger, a lever attached to a moving point, a connecting rod, and a washer.

The process that makes the water move through a Water Pump is as follows:

As the lever increases, the piston goes down and the water enters through the holes or tubes and the pressure of the water lifts the washer. A suction effect then starts.
When the lever decreases, the washer does the same, cutting off the flow of water and causing it to accumulate inside the pump.
The amount of water that accumulates increases and eventually flows out of the outlet valve with the repetition of this process.

The manual hand water pump works both in the home, to move small amounts of liquid from a drum or a shallow well, as well as in the industrial field, since its basic but safe operation allows the adequate extraction of chemical substances. Top 4 advantages of hand pumps:

Water pumps are easy to install
They offer great efficiency and versatility
Manual water pumps are very resistant
They are an economical and durable option

There are several models and variations of manual water pumps, which vary in costs, uses, performance, operation and maintenance; It is therefore important to consider the conditions and customs of each locality.

As their operation does not require a motor or too complex parts, they are one of the most economical pumps that exist.

To get all the benefits of water pumps, contact Emergency Water Well specialists, where we have the best equipment and materials for commercial, industrial, and domestic hydraulic systems.

If you are looking for help, then you are in the right place. Our team has the necessary experience to guide you; In other words, we want to help you make the right decisions. Don’t waste any more time, take your phone, and dial our number to buy the best hand pumps.

What is the criteria for choosing a Water Hand Pump?

For many experts, the fundamental criterion for choosing pumping equipment is reasonable cost. But you may be wrong. When you go to choose a water well hand pump then you should consider the following criteria:

Depth – Conventionally, mechanical pumping stations are divided into two large groups: devices designed to lift liquids from a depth of 30 meters, and mechanisms that operate at a depth of 6 meters.
Well diameter – Experts strongly recommend drilling a well with a diameter of more than 4 inches. This will allow any pump to be installed in the future.
The degree of contamination and the nature of the liquid – There are modifications designed to work with contaminated and clean water, this can be found in the accompanying documentation.
Needs – Due to technical limitations, not all mechanical pumps will meet all the owner’s needs.
Usage time – this time is important because there are units that are designed only to work in the warm period. If you need water supply throughout the year, you should buy a more expensive model.

For some homeowners, the attractiveness of the unit plays a key role. Most of the cases are made of cast iron and have good external data.

Switchel – An Old Fashioned Thirst Quencher

Switchel is a sweeet-tart old fashioned thirst quencher that’s easy to make, good for you, and budget friendly. We’ll share a little history, a basic recipe, and variations to customize your drink.

We’ve tried a lot of different electrolyte drinks and mixes over the years. Most of them are expensive, and they often have ingredients we prefer to avoid. This mix keeps you hydrated without leaving you feeling bloated from drinking too much.

What is switchel?

Switchel is a beverage made from a mixture of water, vinegar, and sweetener, such as honey or molasses. It is sometimes called “haymaker’s punch” or “ginger water.” Some people add ginger, fruit juice, or other spices to give the drink a more complex flavor.

The drink originated in the Caribbean and was popular among farmers and laborers as a refreshing and hydrating beverage. You can serve it cold or at room temperature. (Some people find room temperature water hydrates them faster.)

Molasses, maple syrup, and vinegar provide electrolytes, minerals that are essential to key body functions. The addition of ginger warms the stomach, making it easier

Switchel made its way to the United States, where it became popular in rural areas in the 17th century. Laura Ingalls described drinking the beverage during haying season in The Long Winter:

The drink remained popular throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, but eventually fell out of favor. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in switchel and other old-fashioned drinks. Everything old is new again, and that’s alright by me.

Basic Switchel Recipe

Sweet, tart, with a hint of soothing ginger, this recipe is sure to be refreshing.

Ingredients

4 cups Water
1/4 cup maple syrup or molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon grated ginger, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
A pinch of salt

Directions

Combine the water, vinegar, ginger, and sweetener in a large jar or pitcher.
Stir well to dissolve the sweetener. Taste and adjust the sweetness as desired.
Chill before serving, or serve over ice, if desired.
Store unused portion in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Make sure to stir the switchel well to dissolve the sweetener and combine all of the ingredients. If you don’t stir well, you may end up with a drink that is unevenly sweet. You can strain out the grated ginger before serving, or sip around it.

You can make the recipe a day ahead to mellow and blend the flavors. Serve warm for a version of apple cider vinegar tea to help clear congestion.

2ND AMENDMENT

Oh hell no! U.S. Surgeon General declares firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis!

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued the first-ever surgeon general’s advisory on firearm violence on June 25, saying that it poses an urgent threat to the nation’s health and well-being.

The unprecedented advisory calls for a public health approach to address what Dr. Murthy describes as a “moral crisis” that demands immediate and decisive action.

A surgeon general’s advisory is a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to urgent public health issues and is reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.

The announcement on firearms comes a little over a week after the surgeon general called for a warning label to be placed on social media platforms, stating the potential mental health harms for children using them.

Opponents of the action argue that the surgeon general’s advisory could potentially infringe on Second Amendment rights if enforced improperly, while proponents say it could have a similar impact on public policy and perception as similar advisories, such as those on the dangers of smoking.

Second Amendment advocates with The Heller Foundation have voiced strong criticisms of the approach by America’s chief public health figure.

Kristie Tertel, national director of Legislative Policy for The Heller Foundation warns that the advisory could unlawfully infringe on Second Amendment rights.

“The U.S. Surgeon General is using the guise of a ‘public health emergency’ as an unlawful and unconstitutional means of circumventing the Heller decision.”

CANCEL CULTURE

They want your kids: Google extends access to ultra-woke Gemini AI to teens via schools …

Google has announced the expansion of its woke Gemini AI technology to teen students using school accounts, alongside the introduction of new tools for educators. The leftist tech giant is extending its AI plans to reach teens and children whose education often includes a Google account.

TechCrunch reports that Google’s decision to bring Gemini to teen students through their school accounts marks a major step in the tech giant’s efforts to prepare the next generation for an AI-driven future. This expansion follows the earlier rollout of Gemini to teens using personal accounts, signaling Google’s attempts to make AI technology more accessible to younger users in educational settings.

The company’s rationale behind this move is clear: to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate a world where generative AI is increasingly prevalent. Google believes that exposure to Gemini will enable students to learn more confidently, benefiting from real-time feedback and enhanced learning experiences.

The company has emphasized its commitment to responsible AI implementation in educational environments. One of the key assurances provided is that data from student interactions with Gemini will not be used to train or improve Google’s AI models. This commitment addresses potential privacy concerns that often arise when introducing new technologies in educational settings.

Google has also implemented several safeguards to ensure the appropriate use of Gemini by teen students. These include built-in guardrails to prevent inappropriate responses, particularly those related to illegal or age-restricted content. In an effort to promote critical thinking and information literacy, Google is actively encouraging teens to utilize the double-check feature within Gemini.

The rollout of Gemini to school accounts will be available in English across more than 100 countries. It’s important to note that the feature will be turned off by default for teen users, giving educational administrators the control to activate it as they see fit. This approach allows for a measured and controlled introduction of the technology in school environments.

Hillary Clinton is pressuring Hollywood to target young children with climate change psyops!

Twice failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has her sights set on your children — for more climate change messaging.

Hillary Clinton is putting pressure on Hollywood studios to develop movies and TV shows that dramatize how climate change is putting kids in danger.

“There’s now research on this topic, but most people are not aware at all,” Clinton said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Our hope is that we can help people make the connections between children’s mental and physical health and the impact of climate change.”

Hillary Clinton’s initiative is being spearheaded through the Clinton Foundation’s Too Small to Fail program, which targets children for political messaging.

The Clintons’ Too Small to Fail has reportedly already made in-roads in Hollywood by insinuating itself in the writers rooms of popular series like Orange Is the New Black and This Is Us.

Hillary Clinton told the Reporter why she wants to target children.

“Little kids aren’t just small adults, they have a much more vulnerable reaction to extreme heat or pollution from wildfires, whatever it might be,” she said.

In the interview, Hillary Clinton revealed her Hollywood production company HiddenLights also has In the interview, Hillary Clinton revealed her Hollywood production company HiddenLights also has movies about abortion and racism in the works.

She also appeared to chastise the growing number of young progressives who are planning not to vote in November in protest of President Joe Biden’s stance on Israel.

“We can’t have a democracy if people sit on the sidelines,” she said.