Today’s Top 5:
1.‘Presumed Human Remains’ Recovered From Titanic Sub Implosion: Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced on Wednesday that debris and “presumed human remains” have been successfully retrieved from the seafloor at the location where officials say the OceanGate submersible imploded while en route to the Titanic wreckage last week.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the USCG confirmed, “United States medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis of presumed human remains that have been carefully recovered within the wreckage at the site of the incident.”
The submersible tourist vessel imploded about 13,000 feet below the surface of the ocean near the wreckage of the Titanic ship, USGC officials said last week. All five men aboard the OceanGate Titan submersible perished.
2.Top House Republicans Pledge Investigation Into IRS Whistleblower Allegations
Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Jason Smith (R-Mo.), who head up three important panels in the House of Representatives, on June 28 released a joint statement promising a full investigation into whistleblower allegations made against the Justice Department’s Hunter Biden probe.
Each of the three has led different investigations into President Joe Biden’s family and government through their respective panels.
Comer leads the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, which has been looking into the Biden family’s business dealings and alleged foreign influence peddling scheme.
3.Over 3,000 US flights disrupted due to weather as travel chaos worsens
Over 3,000 flights were already canceled or delayed by midday Wednesday, as the spate of severe weather battering the Northeast continued to impact major airlines.
As of noon Wednesday, 799 flights within, into, or out of the US had been axed in addition to 2,457 delays, according to FlightAware.
United Airlines was the worst hit, with 379 total cancellations and over 400 delays.
JetBlue was also struggling with over 200 delays before 8 a.m. ET, Fox News Business said.
A spokesperson for United told the outlet that the ongoing cancellations and delays were due to severe weather in the Northeast.
4.Trump Says Recording of Him Discussing Iran Attack Plan Exonerates Him
Former President Donald Trump is arguing that he is exonerated by a recently published audio recording that purports to show him describing military planning documents from his presidency with a writer and publisher.
CNN first aired an audio recording on Monday night in which it sounds as though Trump is describing military planning for an attack on Iran. Elements of the audio recording appear to match up with a segment of Jack Smith’s federal indictment (pdf) against Trump, which describes a July 2021 meeting between Trump, the writer, the publisher, and two members of his staff, where they discussed a plan of attack on another country.
In the audio recording shared with CNN, Trump identifies Iran as the country for which the attack plan was drafted and alleges Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley was the one who formulated the attack plan. CNN reported the recording took place in the context of the writer and publisher interviewing Trump while gathering details for a memoir of former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
5.Trump Aide Walt Nauta’s Arraignment Postponed
Former President Donald Trump valet Walt Nauta’s scheduled court appearance to enter a plea has been postponed due to unexpected travel disruptions.
Nauta’s lawyer, Stanley Woodward, told a judge on Tuesday during a brief hearing in Miami that his client was stuck in Newark, New Jersey, after his scheduled flight for the Florida arraignment was canceled due to storms.
Woodward also told Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres that his client was requesting an extension to retain a Florida lawyer for the case.
While expressing regret for Nauta’s inability to show up for his scheduled hearing, Woodward insisted that his client was taking the charges he’s facing “very seriously.”
Nauta is accused of conspiring with Trump to help the former president hide classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago that federal authorities wanted returned.
WORLD NEWS
CJ Hopkins is progressing in his understanding of the war against the world, but continues to miss the perpetrators, namely, Technocrats and Transhumanists driving toward full blown Technocracy. However, his recognition of the global assault demonstrates that it isn’t caused by Democrats, Republicans, or any other political party.⁃
No Backup Plan: UK to Shut Remaining Reserve Coal Power Plants Before Winter
Although called on several times to reconnect to the National Grid to provide backup power recently, and despite the real prospect of another winter energy crisis, the UK’s final reserve coal-fired power plants are to shortly go dark forever.
Drax and West Burton A coal-fired power plants are to be closed this year, despite the pair having been brought back online several times over the past year to meet potential shortfalls in supply as the country struggles with a government-pushed move to new energy sources at the time of a global natural gas-supply crisis.
France Erupts in Violence for Second Night as Anger Builds over Police Shooting
France erupted in violence for a second night Wednesday as security forces moved to prevent more protests over the fatal shooting of a teenager by police.
Around 2,000 riot police were deployed in suburbs around Paris after a 17-year-old was shot in the chest at point-blank range during a traffic stop on Tuesday morning.
China Sells Dollars in Desperate Bid to Keep Yuan Afloat
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), central bank for the Chinese Communist regime, on Tuesday pushed a massive sale of dollars by state banks in a desperate bid to prop up the cratering yuan.
China’s currency lost four percent of its value against the dollar over the past two months, a serious problem for a Chinese economy that appears to be fizzling out after early signs of post-pandemic recovery. Nervous investors have been underwhelmed by the stimulus measures Beijing has announced thus far.
Experts warn artificial intelligence (AI) may destroy mankind and civilization as we know it unless we rein in the development and deployment of AI and start putting in some safeguards
The public also needs to temper expectations and realize that AI chatbots are still massively flawed and cannot be relied upon. An attorney recently discovered this the hard way, when he had ChatGPT do his legal research. None of the case law ChatGPT cited was real
In 2022, Facebook pulled its science-focused chatbot Galactica after a mere three days, as it generated wholly fabricated results
The unregulated deployment of autonomous AI weapons systems is perhaps among the most alarming developments. Foreign policy experts warn that autonomous weapons technologies will destabilize current nuclear strategies and increase the risk of preemptive attacks. They could also be combined with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, thereby posing an existential threat
AI may also pose a significant threat to biosecurity. MIT students have demonstrated that large language model chatbots can allow anyone to design bioweapons in as little as an hour
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Oldest President in American History Placed on Respiratory Device
President Joe Biden has begun using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine at night to treat his sleep apnea, the White House announced on Wednesday.
“Since 2008, the president has disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said. “He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history.”
Putin is losing Iraq War – Biden
The US president seemed to get his conflicts mixed up
US President Joe Biden claimed on Wednesday that Russia is losing the war in Iraq and that President Vladimir Putin is a “pariah around the world,” defining this as 40 countries allied with Washington.
Biden was peppered with questions from reporters as he walked from the White House to the presidential helicopter, before flying to Chicago to deliver a speech about his economic agenda, ‘Bidenomics’.
One of the questions was about whether Putin was weakened by the recent mutiny of the Wagner private military company.
“It’s hard to tell, but he is clearly losing the war in Iraq, he’s losing the war at home, and he has become a bit of a pariah around the world. And it’s not just NATO. It’s not just the European Union. It’s Japan. It’s, you know, 40 nations,” Biden said.
During an interview with the Fox News Channel aired on Wednesday’s broadcast of “Special Report,” IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley said that Hunter Biden got around $8.3 million from China, Ukraine, and Romania and that there is “no way to recoup” taxes owed on $400,000 of unreported income he made from Burisma in 2014 and unreported 2018 income.
Shapley said, “Concerning Hunter Biden, I feel like we have a very good grasp on the income flows, yes. … It was around 8.3 million from 2014 to 2019.”
Supreme Court Rules for Convicted Cyberstalker in First Amendment Case
The Supreme Court threw out on June 27 by a 7–2 vote a Colorado man’s conviction for making threats online against an entertainer because his intent in trying to communicate with her was never considered.
The case raised an important First Amendment issue in an age when so much communication takes place online using text, a medium that lacks the nonverbal cues present in in-person communication and that sometimes makes it difficult to ascertain the intent of the speaker.
Colorado’s stalking law forbids “knowingly … [r]epeatedly … mak[ing] any form of communication with another person … in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to suffer serious emotional distress and [that] does cause that person … to suffer serious emotional distress.”
Arizona County Elections Director Quits, Accusing Officials of Politicization
An Arizona county elections director resigned from her position on Tuesday after accusing officials of politicizing elections and creating a harmful work environment.
The Pinal County government announced the resignation of Elections Director Geraldine Roll, who stepped into the position to oversee the recount process after the 2022 midterm election.
In a scathing email sent on Tuesday, Roll announced her resignation, expressing her dissatisfaction with County Manager Leo Lew and the toxic work environment she claimed to experience.
“With no regrets, I quit,” Roll wrote, highlighting her decision as a result of losing respect for her superiors and their failure to support her during times of attack and criticism.
“When you no longer respect those you work for, it is time to leave. I have watched as you idly stood by when I was attacked,” Roll wrote in the email obtained by AZCentral. “I cannot work for an individual who does not support me. The environment fostered by your team and the Board of Supervisors is toxic.”
Assistant Principal Appeared To Know She Was Fundraising For Violent Human Traffickers, Emails Show
A Providence, Rhode Island, assistant principal who attempted to solicit donations from staff appeared to know she was raising money to fund human traffickers, and that a student’s family was in danger, according to emails obtained through a public records request by Parents Defending Education (PDE), a parental rights organization.
On Jan. 26, Mount Pleasant High School Assistant Principal Stefani Harvey sent an email to other staff members asking for $2,000 of donations for a student who needed to pay back a “‘Coyote,’ which is a group that helps people.” However, in an earlier Jan. 6 email from another coworker to Harvey, obtained by PDE, the assistant principal was told that the student was brought to the country by human traffickers and that the student’s family could be killed if the smugglers were not paid $2,000.
Former Arkansas Quarterback Ryan Mallett Dies at 35 in an Apparent Drowning
Former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, who also played for New England, Houston, and Baltimore during five seasons in the NFL, has died. He was 35.
Google Backs Biden: YouTube Censors Another Video of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has already been censored by Instagram and YouTube, says the latter platform has taken down another one of his videos.
“YouTube just pulled another of my videos, with former NY Post political reporter Al Guart,” reported RFK Jr. in a tweet.
The Golden State is set to take away parental rights and create a police state where a court and judge must (not may) affirm a child’s chosen made-up gender “identity.” But that same California requires permission for a minor to get a tattoo. Make sense of it. I can’t. Soon in California, if the Democrat super-majority gets its way, confused children can be taken from a parent(s) and chemically castrated and mutilated at the minor’s request. Think that sounds far-fetched? It isn’t.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
During an interview with MSNBC aired on Wednesday’s broadcast of “The 11th Hour,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen responded to a question on commercial real estate issues endangering banks in a way that impacts consumers by stating that the issue is “not likely to be a systemic” one, but “there are some banks that are likely to be exposed.” And “Some of the greatest exposure among banks is among community banks with very high concentrations in commercial real estate.”
Host Stephanie Ruhle asked, “One crack in our economy right now is in commercial real estate, specifically office buildings around the country are sitting empty. The owners are turning the keys in, walking away from the buildings. And this is a problem. Banks could see huge losses, and that could impact consumers. How worried are you about this?”
Anheuser-Busch Executive Says the ‘Feedback Is Very Clear’ Amid Bud Light Boycott
The chief executive of Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. division said that financial assistance will be delivered to wholesalers and distributors impacted by the Bud Light boycott.
Brendan Whitworth, the CEO, noted that he has responsibility for the financial repercussions faced by consumers, distributors, and employees in connection to the boycott. In April, transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney posted a video of a Bud Light can with the influencer’s likeness on it, leading a number of conservative celebrities to criticize the move.
“I think it’s the impact, honestly on the employees, that weighs most on me. Again, as I mentioned, seeing the pride and the commitment that they have, working on behalf of [a] 165-plus-year-old American institution is what gives us energy as we look to move forward and focus on what we do best,” Whitworth told CBS News on Wednesday morning.
Costco Clamps Down on Membership Card Sharing at Self-Checkout
Costco has begun clamping down on non-member shoppers using other people’s membership cards, the company confirmed in a statement on June 27.
As part of the crackdown, the retailer has started requesting that shoppers now show their membership cards with a photo when they head to self-checkout registers.
Those who do not have a photo with their membership cards will be asked to show a photo ID, according to the company, which did not specify exactly which type of identification will be accepted.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
If AI can be used to build child-aged sexbots and you viewed it or used it, does that make you criminally liable for possession of child porn? Time to dump Facebook!
What Did Zuck Expect?: Facebook’s Tool to Create AI Chatbots Is Being Used to Build Sexbots
Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook (now known as Meta) has created open-source artificial intelligence technology that is sparking a debate about its potential for innovation and the risks that come with it due to misuse after users have begun creating AI sexbots to chat with.
The Washington Post reports that after users started making sexbots to chat with using Facebook’s open-source AI tools, the new technology has sparked a discussion about both its potential for innovation and the risks it poses due to misuse.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Truth or Fiction?
Scientists Are Dig A Hole Through One Of Alaska’s Remote Areas And Find Something Unexpected
Catastrophe In The Making
As humans, we always feel the need to investigate things to find out their origins. Sometimes, we make a groundbreaking discovery and end up helping the entire world. However, sometimes it is an entirely different story. Our curiosity to find out more about the planet we live in can lead to some very dangerous aftereffects.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
What States Have The Best Soil For Gardening? – A Comprehensive Guide Of Soil Types in The U.S.
When it comes to planting, What States Have the Best Soil for Gardening in the U.S.? I was curious about this myself, so I dug around and found some interesting stats. This is great information if you are planning on growing a thriving garden.
Soil is one of the most important elements for plant growth and development. If you are new to gardening, this article has all the information you need. You will learn about the soil in different states, what are the different types of soil for gardening, and much more.
In our gardening blog, we post tips, articles, and reviews about gardening, gardening equipment, and gardening tools. We also discuss landscaping tips and offer advice on how to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. Let’s take a look at what states have the best soil for gardening and why this is so.
HEALTH
Strawberries Are the Dirtiest of the ‘Dirty Dozen’
In 2018 EWG analyzed tests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which revealed close to 70% of conventionally grown produce samples contained pesticide residues
In all, 230 different pesticides and pesticide breakdown products were identified in more than 38,800 nonorganic samples
Strawberries ranked No. 1 in terms of pesticide residues, with up to 22 different pesticides found on a single berry; nearly all of the strawberry samples (99%) contained at least one detectable pesticide residue, while 20% contained 10 or more. In 2023 strawberries still top the list
More than 98% of samples of the top six “dirtiest” produce items (strawberries, spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples) contained at least one pesticide, while spinach contained 1.8 times more pesticide residue by weight than any other crop
The best way to avoid pesticide residues in your food is to choose those that haven’t been exposed to them to begin with, i.e., go organic
COVID RELATED NEWS
The Amish Died of COVID at a Rate 90 Times LOWER Than the Rest of America
“I did the calculation,” testified
Steve Kirsch in front of the Pennsylvania State Senate.
Given five Amish people died in Lancaster County, PA, “the Amish died at a rate 90 times lower than the infection fatality rate of the United States of America.”
“Now, how is that possible?”
Steve Kirsch asked. “It’s possible because the Amish aren’t vaccinated. And because the Amish didn’t follow a single guideline of the CDC,” he answered.
“They did not lock down. They did not mask. They did not social distance, They did not vaccinate, and there were no mandates in the Amish community to get vaccinated. They basically ignored every single guideline that the CDC gave us. Ignoring those guidelines meant a death rate 90 times lower than the rest of America.”
Pandemic Leaders: Military-Intelligence-Biodefense Puppets
The US portion of the Great Panic of 2020 was driven by the military-intelligence-biodefense cartel. It was “an international counterterrorism effort focused myopically on lockdowns and vaccines, to the exclusion of all traditional and time-tested public health protocols.”
CANCEL CULTURE
Chad Jones, a venture capitalist who lives and works in the Boston area, has deeply admired history and the U.S. Constitution since high school.
Jones recalls that it was sometime in early April of 2022, and as he scrolled through the archives of the online edition of The Epoch Times, he saw a submission to the letters-to-the-editor section of the newspaper that caught—and held—his attention.
The letter, published on December 5, 2021, was titled “Opinion From a Former Judge,” and authored by Keith M. Alber, who identified himself as 85 years old and a “student of law.”
“My first year of college was 68 years ago,” wrote the judge. “One class I took was political science. A half-page of my textbook essentially outlined a few steps to overturn a democracy.”
NY Times: 92% of Illegal Aliens Flown to Martha’s Vineyard Driven Out of ‘Liberal Enclave’
Despite Martha’s Vineyard’s deeply liberal sensibilities, only four of 49 illegal aliens remain on the island after having been flown there by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) last year, the New York Times reveals.
In September 2022, DeSantis garnered worldwide attention when he sent two flights of 49 illegal aliens to the ultra-liberal elite island of Martha’s Vineyard where the likes of former President Obama has a $12 million estate.
IN-DEPTH: BlackRock CEO Says He’ll No Longer Use ‘ESG’ Term
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, one of the most powerful figures on Wall Street and an outspoken champion of progressive causes, appeared to be backpedaling this week on his support for the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) movement, saying he would no longer use the term.
“I’m not going to use the word ESG because it’s been misused by the far left and the far right,” Fink told attendees of the Aspen Ideas Festival on June 25, adding that he was “ashamed of being part of this conversation.” He also decried “personal attacks” that have come in response to some of the positions he has taken.
Woke tech giant Google has pulled its sponsorship from a San Francisco drag show after hundreds of its Christian employees signed a petition alleging that the performance was a “direct affront to the religious beliefs and sensitivities of Christians.” The drag show features a performer named “Peaches Christ.”
The New York Post reports that woke tech giant Google has withdrawn its backing from a drag show in San Francisco, a decision that came in the wake of a petition signed by hundreds of its employees who claimed the event was a “direct affront to the religious beliefs and sensitivities of Christians.”
White House Restores Feed of Karine Jean-Pierre’s Hostile Exchange with Reporter
President Joe Biden’s White House restored the previously missing feed of press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s hostile exchange with a reporter on Monday.
The White House allegedly deleted an exchange between Jean-Pierre and Today News Africa correspondent Simon Ateba from its official live stream. During the exchange, Ateba accused the White House of discriminating against him.
PET NEWS
‘All grief is valid’: the people who taxidermy their pets
Shortly after my cat Mr Bell died, I contacted Angela Kirkpatrick. I needed Mr Bell – a delightful cat famous for his cropped ears and his ongoing feud with the refrigerator – to live on in some way, and I knew Kirkpatrick, a jeweler, could help me do that.
Together, we designed a reliquary ring with Mr Bell’s ashes and hair to commemorate him. The end product was a thin silver band decorated with nasturtium leaves – a nod to the flower-covered house we lived in when I first brought him home – and a yellow stone, through which the hair and ashes are visible. I wear it often, and when it’s not on my hand, it sits in a ring tray next to his urn.
The process helped me grieve, but it also sent me down a rabbit hole of pet memorials and rituals that I haven’t been able to emerge from, not least because my cats keep dying. Along the way I discovered a network of people – including taxidermists, jewelers, tattooers, fiber artists and good old-fashioned pet cemetery operators – who are providing pet owners with a myriad of aftercare choices.
GOOD NEWS
Elon Musk to Train with UFC Legend Georges St-Pierre for Potential Cage Match with Mark Zuckerberg
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is preparing for a potential fight against fellow tech CEO Mark Zuckerberg, with training sessions involving podcaster Lex Fridman and a promise to train with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre.
Business Insider reports that SpaceX and Tesla’s Elon Musk is preparing for a potential cage match with Facebook kingpin Mark Zuckerberg, reporting attending training sessions with podcaster Lex Fridman and accepting an offer from UFC legend Georges St-Pierre to train him for the bout.
ICYMI
Madonna Hospitalized for ‘Serious Bacterial Infection,’ Several Day Stay in ICU, Delays World Tour
Madonna has been hospitalized for what her manager described as a “serious bacterial infection” that required the mega pop star to spend several days in intensive care.
The 64-year-old Material Girl is still “under medical care” but is improving and is expected to make a full recovery, her manager Guy Oseary said in an Instagram post Wednesday.
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