WORLD NEWS
Zelensky demands $5 billion from NATO, cites security in Europe
Failing to help Ukraine would result in a “delayed” war between Russia and the West, he claimed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the US-led NATO bloc to ramp up support of his country amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, claiming that Kiev’s defeat would result in a “delayed” war between Moscow and the whole West. Zelensky made the remarks as he addressed the NATO summit in Madrid via a video link on Wednesday.
“It’s either urgent aid to Ukraine sufficient for victory, or a delayed war between Russia and you,” Zelensky told NATO leaders.
The country needs both direct military and financial aid, Zelensky stated, adding that some $5 billion a month was needed to cover its budget deficit. Top Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called upon the West to provide financial support.
“Financial aid for Ukraine has no less significance than arms deliveries,” Zelensky said. “We need some $5 billon every month, you know that. And this is a fundamental thing, needed for defense and protection.”
To help Ukraine now end this war with a victory on the battlefield, that is, to give a really strong response to Russia’s actions – this is what we, and the entire alliance, the whole Euro-Atlantic community need.
Did Rockefeller Foundation Predict the Future?
We’re told looming food shortages are primarily the result of climate change and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Yet in July 2020, The Rockefeller Foundation had already predicted it, and was calling for a revamp of the food system as a whole to address it
“Reset the Table: Meeting the Moment to Transform the U.S. Food System,” published by The Rockefeller Foundation July 28, 2020, describes how the COVID pandemic caused “a hunger and nutrition crisis” in the U.S. “unlike any this country has seen in generations”
According to The Rockefeller Foundation, the pandemic revealed deep problems in the U.S. food system that need to be “reset.” “Reset the Table” was published just one month after the World Economic Forum (WEF) officially announced its plans for a “Great Reset,” and many of the contributors to the Foundation’s paper are WEF members
While the report stresses the need for “healthy diets” and “sustainable” food production, the words “natural,” “organic” or “grass fed” are absent, so that’s not what they’re referring to
The WEF has, for years, promoted the idea that insects should be recognized as a healthy, sustainable protein alternative that can save the environment and solve world hunger
Chinese Regime Killed Falun Gong Adherent for His Liver, Witness Says
A former Japanese criminal gang member says he was a witness of China’s live organ trade, having seen an anesthetized Falun Gong adherent—with tendons cut to prevent his flight—shortly before the man was placed on an operating table to have his liver carved out.
That was in August 2007, when Ushio Sugawara, now 58, was still a member of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi—Japan’s largest crime syndicate. He left the gang in 2015 and is now an economic commentator in Japan.
His friend’s brother was desperate for a new liver to sustain his life. With strict regulations, high costs, and long waiting times in the United States and France—two of the few countries offering liver transplant surgeries at the time—the struggling patient turned to what appeared to be his only alternative: China.
At the time, Beijing’s General Hospital of the Armed Police Forces, a state-run military hospital, had risen to become a national leader in liver transplant surgery.
A Chinese broker who facilitated medical tourism with Japan put the brother in touch with the Beijing hospital. Within a month, they had a suitable donor, telling the patient to fly over for surgery “anytime.” The price was 30 million yen (roughly $255,000)—not even half the cost of what they’d been told in the United States and France.
Australia: Drunk Mayor Crashes Car an Hour After Drunk Driving Event
The mayor of Australia’s Redland City, Karen Williams, crashed her car into a tree last week while drunk on “several glasses of wine” one hour after meeting virtually with families of drunk driving victims, Australia’s 9News reported Monday.
“Williams was breath tested by police on June 23 after crashing into a tree around 9pm in Cleveland, Redlands, just north of Brisbane in south-east Queensland,” Australia’s 9News reported on June 27.
“She later apologised and admitted to drinking ‘several glasses of wine’ before getting behind the wheel,” according to the news outlet.
Williams had reportedly met with families of local drunk driving victims over Zoom as part of her official mayoral duties just one hour prior to her car accident.
“I am very sorry for my actions. I don’t actually know how many drinks I had, I had several drinks over a number of hours,” Williams said in a public statement last week.
“One rash decision shouldn’t follow another. I will learn from my mistakes and I will continue to serve my community,” she added.
Redland City Police officers told reporters on June 27 that they were “waiting on Williams’ blood test results” before pursuing criminal charges against her in connection with the June 23 incident, during which she drove off the road before crashing her vehicle into a nearby tree. A photo of the car accident site published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Sunday appeared to show tire marks from William’s automobile on a concrete sidewalk separating the road from a wooded area. Neither Williams nor any other people were injured in the car accident.
Williams has served as the mayor of Redland City since 2012. The community is a part of the Brisbane metropolitan area in Australia’s South East Queensland region. Williams faced increased calls by the public and opposition politicians to step down on Monday over her intoxicated driving incident. Defying the consensus, Williams “confirmed she would not be stepping down from her position,” according to 9News.
“The mayor recently led a parliamentary petition urging a longer sentence for an 18-year-old man convicted of manslaughter over the 2021 deaths of Matthew Field and Kate Leadbetter,” ABC noted on June 26 of Williams.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison
Ghislaine Maxwell, who was once an international, jet-setting socialite, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 28 for trafficking young women to be used for the sexual exploits of her employer and one-time romantic partner, Jeffrey Epstein.
The 60-year-old was convicted on Dec. 29 in federal court on five of six counts of sex trafficking, including one count of trafficking a minor.
During the trial, an expert witness testified about the “grooming” techniques Maxwell and Epstein used to lure their victims.
One such victim known to the court as “Kate,” referenced those techniques in a written statement submitted to the court prior to the sentencing hearing, saying in part, “It was the very skilled grooming perpetrated on me intentionally and consistently, that instilled in me the belief that I could not say no to Ghislaine Maxwell or Epstein.
“I witnessed on many occasions, over many years, Ghislaine Maxwell trying to recruit other girls making consistent and insistent demands on me and others to do the same.
“I witnessed her relentless and insatiable drive to meet the sexual needs of Epstein, at any cost to the vulnerable girls and women upon whom she preyed and fed to Epstein and other powerful men to whom she wished to ingratiate herself.”
She ended with, “In becoming a mother I have learned that forgiveness is important, but so are consequences.”
Victim Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Maxwell victim, said in her written victim statement, “Ghislaine, 22 years ago, in the summer of 2000, you spotted me at the Mar-a-Lago Hotel in Florida and you made a choice. You chose to follow me and procure me for Jeffrey Epstein.
Law firm forces out own lawyers who won Supreme gun case!
Two lawyers who successfully argued the landmark Supreme Court case affirming a constitutional right to be armed outside the home have been forced out of their Washington, D.C., law firm.
Amid pressure from clients and other attorneys at the firm, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, no longer will handle Second Amendment cases, Politico reported.
A South Carolina state lawmaker who was on the June 28 ballot in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary runoff has been heard in leaked audio strategizing on how to utilize Democratic “sleepers” to run as Republicans in local elections, as well as requesting drug money from a state prison inmate.
Project Veritas, the watchdog organization that obtained the recording, confirmed to The Epoch Times that it verified state Rep. Krystle Matthews was the person speaking with Perry Correctional Institution inmate David Solomon Ballard.
“When we get enough of us in there, we can wreak havoc for real from the inside out,” Matthews is heard saying in the recording, dated Feb. 15.
Inmate phone calls are recorded, and those making the call are notified by an operator that calls are recorded.
It’s unclear what the relationship is between Matthews and Ballard, who in 2018 began a four-year sentence for threatening the life and family of a public official, and a 10-year sentence for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer, with multiple disciplinary actions taken against him since his incarceration. He also has an extensive arrest record.
Ballard had been jailed for threatening the life of Aiken County Sheriff Mike Hunt and his family, according to The State.
While in custody at the Aiken County Department of Public Safety, Ballard then assaulted a State Law Enforcement Division agent.
Texas Gov. Abbott: Biden Responsible for Deaths of 50 Illegal Immigrants Found in Truck
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that the Biden administration’s illegal immigration policies are to blame, in part, after dozens of people were found dead inside a truck near San Antonio.
Hours after the bodies were found inside the back of an 18-wheeler truck on Monday, the Republican governor issued a Twitter post, saying, “These deaths are on [President Joe] Biden.”
“They are a result of his deadly open border policies,” Abbott wrote on the social media platform. “They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law.”
On Monday evening, local officials said that 46 people were found dead inside the tractor-trailer. On Tuesday, that number rose to 48 as two people died at a nearby hospital, a spokesperson with Baptist Health System confirmed to KSAT-TV.
“It’s tragic,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told the station. “We hope that those responsible for putting these people through such inhumane conditions are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The illegal immigrants most likely died due to heat stroke or heat exhaustion as they were trapped inside a tractor-trailer in 100-degree F weather, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told KSAT. Officials said the victims were mostly teens and young adults, and it’s not clear if any children were being transported illegally across the border.
3 in Custody After 50 Illegal Immigrants Found Dead in Trailer in San Antonio, Texas
Authorities announced Tuesday that three people are in custody after 50 illegal immigrants were found dead inside a tractor-trailer near San Antonio, Texas, on Monday night.
On Tuesday morning, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard confirmed the death toll had risen to 50, saying that 22 of those who died were Mexican citizens, seven were from Guatemala, and two were from Honduras. It’s not yet clear where the other 19 were from.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus told local media that three people who weren’t identified were in custody over the incident. It’s now being treated as a federal investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security is leading it, he said.
McManus said he’s not exactly sure how the three people are connected to the case. They are now in federal custody, he added in a news conference.
The initial discovery was made when a worker heard cries for help and saw the doors of the tractor-trailer partially open. When the worker entered, he found “deceased individuals inside,” said the police chief.
The illegal immigrants most likely died due to heat stroke and heat exhaustion because they were trapped inside a tractor-trailer in 100-degree Fahrenheit weather, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told local media. Officials said the victims were mostly teens and young adults.
“The patients that we saw were hot to the touch. They were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion,” Hood told reporters. There were no signs of water inside the trailer, and there was also no air-conditioning unit in the vehicle, he added.
Data from the National Weather Service shows that the high on Monday in San Antonio reached 103 degrees.
Former Trump Advisor John Eastman Claims He Was ‘Frisked’ by FBI Agents Who Seized His Phone
John Eastman, the lawyer who was hired by former President Donald Trump to look into alleged election issues, has claimed that he was “frisked” by federal agents and had his cellphone seized while he was leaving a restaurant last week.
Eastman filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in New Mexico on Monday asking for the seized belongings to be returned to him, arguing that the search warrant officers had used was “unlawful” and violated his Fourth Amendment rights.
According to the motion, federal agents served a search warrant on Eastman on June 22 while he was leaving a restaurant which allowed them to seize any electronic or digital device of his, including cell phones, iPads, USBs, and computers.
The motion does not state exactly where the alleged frisking incident occurred but CNN reported that it took place in New Mexico,
Eastman asked the federal agent to show him the warrant but the officer declined, according to the motion. He was then “forced” to unlock his phone for officers.
“Federal agents served a search warrant (Exhibit 1) on movant while movant was exiting a restaurant. Movant asked to see the warrant, but the executing officer refused. Movant was frisked. Movant’s phone—an iPhone Pro 12—was seized. Movant was forced to provide biometric data to open said phone,” reads the filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. “He was only given a copy of the search warrant but not the supporting affidavit referenced in it.”
Over 100 Georgia Sheriffs Condemn Democratic Gubernatorial Challenger Over ‘Defund the Police’
A total of 102 sheriffs in Georgia have joined Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who is seeking a second term, in a statement condemning Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams over her support of “soft-on-crime policies.”
The statement, released on June 27, also criticized Abrams for “advancing the Defund the Police movement” with her position as a board member at the Marguerite Casey Foundation, a Seattle-based grant-making group, which the sheriffs called an “anti-police organization.”
“Stacey Abrams has repeatedly shown complete disdain for law enforcement and the risk we take every day putting our lives on the line to serve our communities,” the sheriffs wrote.
“Ms. Abrams actively serves on the governing board of—and has profited from—an anti-police organization which openly advocates for abolishing prisons and stripping local police departments of their funding,” they added.
Georgia’s governor race is a rematch between Kemp and Abrams. In 2018, Kemp edged Abrams by 54,723 votes with over 3.9 million voters casting a vote. This year, Kemp defeated former Sen. David Perdue to win the GOP nomination.
So far it has been a tight race between the two candidates. According to a recent poll from Easter Carolina University’s Center for Survey Research, Kemp led Abrams 50 percent to 45 percent. The poll surveyed 868 registered voters in Georgia from June 6 to June 9.
Runaway Royal Meghan Demands Reprisal for Roe v. Wade Ruling that Upset ‘Feminist’ Prince Harry
Wayward British royal Meghan has demanded political reprisal for the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, saying the abortion ruling left her “feminist” husband Harry upset.
Meghan, the spouse of runaway British royal Prince Harry, has vowed to fight for abortion in the United States after the country’s Supreme Court reversed the 1970s Roe v. Wade ruling that the right to abortion was enshrined in the constitution.
Swearing to campaign to restore broad access to services allowing women to terminate the unborn, the former actress also praised the actions of her “feminist” husband, who she claimed was upset by the decision.
“…his reaction last week was guttural, like mine,” Meghan said during an interview with Vogue magazine regarding Prince Harry’s reaction to the ruling, who she also described as being a “feminist”.
Meghan went on to demand that people in the United States respond to the ruling politically, including by voting in the upcoming midterms.
“This is a blueprint for reversing rights. The ruling is a signal about the future of same-sex marriage, contraception access, and many fundamental rights to privacy. It feels like the tip of the iceberg and is part of why people feel so scared,” she said.
“We have to channel that fear into action. We can start this November in the midterms. I know hearing that feels so repetitive, but we have to vote, every time, from local elections to state and national elections.”
Some of the highest-profile Britons to come out against the Roe v. Wade ruling, Meghan and Harry join other political figures from the United Kingdom to condemn the decision which has left abortion an issue for state legislatures to decide.
Despite being the leader of the so-called ‘Conservative’ Party, the country’s current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, reaffirmed his commitment to abortion availability in the UK after the ruling.
Abortions Resume in Texas Ahead of Total Ban
A Texas district court judge in Houston issued a verbal order allowing abortions to resume in some clinics across the state. The judge will issue a written order later on Tuesday.
281st District Court Judge Christine Weems handed down a verbal order from the bench stating that abortion clinics that are listed in the lawsuit may once again perform abortions, the Austin American Statesman reported. The news outlet reported the hearing was scheduled to be live-streamed but a staffer said the judge decided not to have it broadcast. The court advised that a written order would follow later on Tuesday.
The attorney for Texas Alliance for Life, Paul Linton, told the Texas Tribune he expects Weems’ decision to be overturned by a higher court. He argued that the laws that are still on the books pre-dating the Roe v. Wade SCOTUS ruling in 1973 should still be in force.
“I don’t think it has any merit,” Linton told the Tribune. “I don’t think there’s any plausible argument that the laws have been expressly repealed, and the repeal-by-implication argument, I think, is very weak.”
If Weem’s order stands, it will only provide relief to those abortion providers that filed the lawsuit on Monday. These include the Center for Reproductive Rights, Whole Woman’s Health, Alamo City Surgery Center, Brookside Women’s Medical Center, Houston Women’s Clinic, Houston Women’s Reproductive Services, and the Southwestern Women’s Surgery Center, according to the Statesman.
The order from Weems would also only be in effect until Texas “trigger” laws come into effect. The law bans most abortions in Texas and takes effect 30-days after the Supreme Court’s ruling is formally issued. The Tribune reports the court’s formal judgment is usually handed down about 25 days after the announcement. The Texas ban on abortions would kick in after that, Breitbart Texas reported.
The Tribune reports:
The lawsuit filed Monday notes that the pre-Roe abortion ban “was expressly declared unconstitutional in Roe and has been absent from Texas’s civil statutes for decades.” The Texas Legislature website also notes that the ban was “held to have been impliedly repealed” in a 2004 case.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an advisory on Friday authorizing prosecutors to “pursue criminal prosecutions based on violations of Texas abortion prohibitions predating Roe that were never repealed by the Texas Legislature. Although these statutes were unenforceable while Roe was on the books, they are still Texas law. Under these pre-Roe statutes, abortion providers could be criminally liable for providing abortions starting today.”
Planned Parenthood Texas and Whole Woman’s Health announced that legal uncertainty in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling eliminated the constitutional protection for abortions, the Texas Tribune reported.
‘How to Move to Canada from U.S.’ Trends on Google Search After the Overturning of Roe v. Wade
A massive uptick of Americans asking Google “how to move to Canada” followed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday.
“The search ‘how to move to Canada from U.S.’ spiked 850% in the hour after the Supreme Court decision was announced in the United States, according to Simon Rogers’ Google Trends newsletter sent Friday evening,” Axios reported on Saturday.
There was also a surge of Americans asking “How to become a Canadian citizen,” an increase of 550 percent, Axios noted.
Inquiring about moving to the Great White North is a common trend, particularly among Hollywood liberals, after any notable American conservative victory and preceding an expected one.
Lena Dunham famously proclaimed in 2016 that she would “100 percent” move to Canada if then-candidate Donald Trump were to become president. However, after Trump was elected president, Dunham copped out on her vow and remained in the United States.
Former Meadows Aide’s Jan. 6 Testimony Denied by Trump, Secret Service
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, is facing criticism from President Donald Trump and members of the Secret Service for alleged false statements to the Jan. 6 Committee on June 28 while under oath.
For some observers, Hutchinson’s testimony as a top former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was much anticipated, as Meadows himself has refused to cooperate with the controversial commission.
In December, the House of Representatives voted to hold Meadows in contempt of Congress for refusing two subpoenas by the commission, kicking the charge over to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for adjudication.
Even though Merrick Garland’s DOJ had already decided on a separate instance to pursue criminal proceedings against Steve Bannon, a conservative commentator and former adviser to Trump, in June the DOJ announced that Meadows would not face charges.
During the Tuesday hearing, Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Ranking Member Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) referenced this decision, calling it “puzzling” that the DOJ should “reward” Meadows “for [his] continued attack on the rule of law.”
This latest hearing of the committee was called at the last minute, with Thompson explaining that new information about what was going on in the White House on and around Jan. 6, 2021, should be heard by the American people “immediately.”
Cheney explained further near the start of the hearing.
“Today you will hear Ms. Hutchinson relate certain firsthand observations of President Trump’s conduct on January 6,” Cheney said. “You will also hear new information regarding the actions and statements of Mr. Trump’s senior advisors that day, including his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and his White House counsel.”
In a statement on her behalf after the hearing, Hutchinson’s counsel said: “Ms. Hutchinson is justifiably proud of her service to the country as a Special Assistant to the President. While she did not seek out the attention accompanying her testimony today, she believes that it was her duty and responsibility to provide the Committee with her truthful and candid observations of the events surrounding January 6. Ms. Hutchinson believes that January 6 was a horrific day for the country, and it is vital to the future of our democracy that it not be repeated.”
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Fed Will Soon Return to Money Printing to Avert Government Default, Says Analyst
For all the talk about combating inflation, the Federal Reserve is likely to reverse course and continue to print substantial amounts of money because doing otherwise would threaten the federal government with insolvency, according to macroeconomic analyst Luke Gromen.
Fed chairman Jerome Powell has been talking about the central bank’s aggressively raising interest rates in order to tighten the money supply, curb demand, and thus relieve inflationary pressure in the economy. Inflation hit a four-decade high of 8.6 percent in May. The Fed raised rates two weeks ago by 0.75 percent, the most in over 20 years.
It will only take a few more months, however, for the Fed to reverse course, Gromen predicted.
“I think they have to. I don’t think they have a choice,” he recently told Wealthion’s Adam Taggart.
The problem is that higher interest rates mean that government will have to pay more interest on its debt, which now stands at over $30 trillion. Moreover, higher rates mean less credit and less economic activity. What is already becoming apparent is that higher mortgage rates mean fewer home sales and less construction. That means the government will start collecting substantially less in taxes, according to Gromen. Meanwhile, a contracting economy translates to higher welfare expenses as more people go to the government for relief.
“The U.S government is not going to be able to cover its interest and interest-like expenses, which I call the true interest expenses—entitlement, pay-gos, Treasury spending—they’re not going to be able to cover that with tax receipts, which means they will have to default or the Fed prints the difference,” Gromen said.
He believes the Fed won’t allow a government default.
“At the end of the day, if push comes to shove, they’re going to print the money,” he said.
Bidenflation: Analysts Say Bed Bath & Beyond Dialing Back A/C, Closing Early to Cut Costs
First inflation heated up. Now Bed Bath & Beyond stores may be hotter too.
Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY) is cutting hours and scaling back on air conditioning as inflation persists, according to a note from analysts covering the company for Bank of America.
“From our channel checks and store visits, we believe that BBBY is trying to quickly trim expenses to align costs with comp declines,” the analysts said in a note to clients:
Labor hours have been meaningfully cut, utilities (e.g. air conditioning) have been scaled back and store opening hours will be reduced starting in July (e.g. open at 11am instead of 10am). Remodels are being cancelled or delayed. We expect mgmt. to announce more store closures and halt its buybuy BABY store openings (vs. consensus est. 21 this year per Visible Alpha). BBBY‘s Beyond+ rewards program is being replaced with “Welcome Rewards.“
In April, the company was unable to resolve supply problems in its final quarter, saying the issues would continue into the upcoming year, according to the Associated Press (AP).
“It also reported a surprise loss in a quarter when many other retailers booked surging profits,” the outlet said. “The retailer has been unable to secure popular merchandise and it’s dragging down sales. For the three months ended Feb. 26, sales fell 22% to $2.05 billion.”
In May, Best Buy shared its first-quarter results, revealing shoppers decided to hold onto their money “while higher costs ate into profits,” according to the AP.
The company did well during the coronavirus pandemic as consumers bought tech equipment for home offices or for their children’s virtual classes.
“But like many retailers, Best Buy is struggling with rising costs for everything from labor to shipping,” the report continued. “And soaring fuel costs and the return of promotions are hurting its bottom line.”
Meanwhile, pro-Joe Biden Hollywood was also suffering as the price of movie and television production rose, and industry leaders reportedly said inflation was affecting nearly every aspect of the business.
“Inflation is so bad in Hollywood that NBCUniversal is trying to economize by clustering filming locations and taking advantage of ‘volume discounts with key vendors,’ according to Mark Binke, executive vice president of production at the Comcast-owned studio,” Breitbart News reported.
Hundreds of U.S. Flights Canceled Ahead of Busy Fourth of July Weekend
Hundreds of airline flights were cancelled over the weekend and on Monday, causing some alarm ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend when a growing number of Americans are traveling to celebrate.
The New York Post reported:
More than 830 flights were scrapped across the country as of Monday evening — as wind and rain blanketed parts of the northeast — though cancellations en masse were reported early in the morning, according to tracking site FlightAware.
Close to 1 in 5 flights (17 percent) out of Newark Liberty International Airport were axed before dinnertime, while LaGuardia Airport was reporting 37 percent of scheduled flights delayed. A total of 32 flights — or 4 percent — had been canceled at JFK Airport, with 181 (26 percent) delayed.
Of the hundreds of flights canceled and thousands delayed across the country, more than 200 were operated by Delta and 120 by United, the flight tracking data showed. American Airlines had canceled 60 flights as of 9:30 a.m.
The massive cancelation numbers come as the American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts that 3.5 million Americans will be traveling over the holiday weekend.
That figure represents the lowest number of travelers to fly over the Fourth of July since 2011, AAA said.
HEALTH
Statins Increase Diabetes Risk by 38%
Data from one study showed people taking statin medications have a 38% increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Scientists have identified several factors that may play a part in elevating risk, including impaired insulin sensitivity and the impact on epigenetics that influence insulin traits
Data released in early 2021 have also shown that people taking statin medications have an increased risk of cardiovascular events in all but the highest risk group
In a presentation at the University of Sydney and in a peer-reviewed narrative review, Maryanne Demasi looked at the evidence that has divided medical professionals over statins and shows how by simply revising definitions and hiding data, the industry has misled consumers and pocketed billions
Instead of relying on cholesterol numbers that have little benefit unless the total is over 300, consider evaluating your cholesterol-to-HDL and triglyceride-to-HDL ratios, as well as your ferritin and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels
These 3 Toxins Have the Largest Impact on Your Life Span
Environmental exposures have a lot to do with biological or cellular aging and, according to a December 2019 study, lead, mercury and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are the three toxins shown to have the greatest impact on your life span
Biological aging is modifiable. Avoiding toxic exposures is one important aspect, but your diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors also play a role. One key for longevity is maintaining healthy insulin sensitivity, as insulin resistance is a hallmark of most chronic diseases
Lead and calcium are chemically very similar, making lead a competitor at the cellular level and disrupting many different bodily systems
Two of the most prevalent sources of mercury are dental amalgam and seafood. Europe paved the way for global change by banning the use of amalgam fillings in pregnant or nursing women and children under the age of 15 as of July 1, 2018
PFOS are associated with a wide array of health problems, including cancer, immune and thyroid dysfunction, low birth weight and more
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
US Emergency Oil Reserves Fall to 25 Days as Biden Releases More Crude Into Market
President Joe Biden’s efforts to lower energy prices have reduced the nation’s emergency oil reserves, new data shows.
According to the Department of Energy, inventories in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) declined 6.9 million barrels in the week ending June 24.
In total, the world’s largest emergency supply of crude oil stood at 497.9 million barrels, the lowest level since April 1986.
Federal government data show that 6 million barrels of sour crude and nearly 1 million barrels of sweet crude were injected into the energy market during this span.
With the U.S. consuming close to 20 million barrels per day, based on the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2021 estimate, the country maintains 25 days’ worth of supply.
At this rate, the SPR will shrink to its lowest level in 40 years by the fall as supply is depleting faster than the output of some medium-sized countries a part of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), including Algeria and Angola.
Supreme Court’s next major ruling could severely limit the power of the EPA
The shock waves from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last Friday are spreading across the country, but at least one more major opinion is still looming. And while it may not affect personal liberties as much as earlier rulings this term, it still could have a dramatic impact on people’s lives.
West Virginia v. the Environmental Protection Agency has the potential to sharply curtail the power of the EPA.
The case is an unusual one for the court. Instead of looking at a rule that has already been established, this one will set a precedent for future actions, specifically those tied to the EPA’s authority to regulate power plant emissions. Should the court rule against the EPA, that could hamper the Biden administration’s plans to combat climate change, as regulating authority could shift to Congress.
A survey by think-tank Data for Progress found 60% of voters believe the EPA should be allowed to regulate air pollution. But this court has not paid a lot of attention to popular opinion this term.
The case started last year, when a federal court ruling left open the possibility that policies putting caps on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants could be allowed. While there have been no moves to do that, a collection of Republican attorneys general and coal companies banded together to appeal the ruling.
The White House argues the Clean Air Act gives the EPA broad powers. That act, though, was written long before climate change was identified as a threat. Some court watchers, therefore, suspect the justices will rule the agency is overstepping its power and rule against the EPA. The big question is how drastically those powers might be curtailed.
The Biden administration has been expected to unveil power plant regulation rules this summer, a part of the president’s goal for the entire U.S. power grid to run on clean energy by 2035. This ruling could delay those, however—especially if decision-making authority is shifted to Congress.
That could happen. In lifting the eviction moratorium enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year, the court wrote, “We expect Congress to speak clearly when authorizing an agency to exercise powers of vast economic and political significance.”
Should the court rule against the EPA, it wouldn’t be the first time justices have said the agency is overstepping its authority on the issue of greenhouse gases. In 2014, the court ruled the EPA had overstepped its authority by rewriting the emissions threshold in the Clean Air Act, but at the time said the agency would still be allowed to regulate most stationary sources of greenhouse gases, including (ironically) power plants.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Use a free DIY greenhouse plan to build a backyard greenhouse that allows you to grow your favorite flowers, vegetables, and herbs all year long. Greenhouses provide seedlings and plants with warmth in the winter and cool in the summer, letting you participate in your favorite hobby every day of the year.
The free greenhouse plans listed include diagrams, illustrations, photos, written building instructions, materials, tools, and everything else you need to build your chosen greenhouse. DIYers can also find free plans online to build a potting bench, shed, or pergola to go with your greenhouse.
PET NEWS
Bloomberg Column: To Solve Inflation, Let Your Dog Die
If she wanted to continue with her patronizing ‘advice,’ she could have discussed how having pets increases households’ carbon footprints.
Last week, I wrote in an article that leftist elites “like [President Joe] Biden remain firmly ensconced in their palatial estates.” Another article published last week proved it.
The Bloomberg article, which gained viral status last weekend, came from Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor and board member of the leftist think-tank the Economic Policy Institute. Her biography advertises a book that she claims provides “a commonsense blueprint to save for retirement.” However, given the Bloomberg article’s contents, whether one would consider it “a commonsense blueprint” represents a very open question.
ICYMI
Former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger, in Charge of Security on Jan. 6, Dies at 71
Michael Stenger, the former U.S. Senate sergeant-at-arms who was in charge of Senate security during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, died on June 27.
The circumstances and cause of his death weren’t immediately clear.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted on Twitter that Stenger “was found dead today.”
Stenger, 71, of Falls Church, Virginia, resigned the day after the Capitol breach at the request of then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who hired him for the post in April 2018. He served as the 41st sergeant-at-arms of the U.S. Senate.
The sergeant-at-arms is the chief law enforcement, protocol, and executive officer for the U.S. Senate. The sergeant-at-arms is responsible for security in the Capitol and in all Senate buildings and serves as Senate doorkeeper.
In remarks (pdf) before a congressional hearing on Feb. 23, 2021, Stenger called the events of Jan. 6, 2021, “a violent, coordinated attack where the loss of life could have been much worse.” He called for an investigation of “professional agitators” at the Jan. 6, 2021, protests.
“There is an opportunity to learn lessons from the events of Jan. 6,” he said. “Investigations should be considered as to funding and travel of what appears to be professional agitators.”
Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said Stenger and then-House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving balked at his initial request to put the National Guard on alert after it was apparent that huge crowds were gathering on Jan. 6, 2021. National Guard forces didn’t arrive at the Capitol until after 5:30 p.m.
Stenger, Sund, and Irving resigned on Jan. 7, 2021, in the wake of protests and rioting across the Capitol grounds.
Stenger and Irving also served on the Capitol Police Board, which oversees the 2,200-member U.S. Capitol Police force. The other member of the board is Capitol Architect J. Brett Blanton.
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