WORLD NEWS
Iran-Backed Houthi Terrorists Kill Three Civilians, First Deaths in Red Sea Attacks
Civilian mariners have been killed in a missile strike in the Red Sea for the first time in the present conflict, with a bulk carrier abandoned and burning in the critical waterway after a Houthi attack.
The U.S. and UK condemned the aggression of Iran-backed proxies the Houthis after a ballistic missile struck a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned merchant ship attempting to transit the Gulf of Aden, killing three and critically wounding several others.
The United States Central Command reported an anti-ship ballistic missile “launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen” struck the Bulk Tanker MV True Confidence yesterday morning. Ballistic missiles travel high into the outer atmosphere before plunging back down to earth at very high speeds, which can make them hard to intercept.
Three crewmen were killed and at least four people were injured, three of which were said to be in critical condition. The ship sustained “serious damage” and the missile’s detonation started a fire. Images published by the US Navy clearly show smoke, scorch marks, and mangled deck cargo from the blast. Lloyds of London reports there was a “series of loud explosions” onboard and that the crew was comprised of 20 people from India, Vietnam, and the Philippines, as well as three armed guards from Sri Lanka and Nepal. The True Confidence, which is burning, has been abandoned by its crew and Western warships were attending the scene.
Breaking Point: Majority of Germans Say Country Has Hit Limit of Alleged Asylum Seekers
A majority of Germans believe their country reached its limit of refugees, as the number of
asylum applications hit their highest level since 2016.
Last year, Germany saw 352,000 foreigners apply for asylum, including 329,000 first-time applications, an increase of 51 per cent over the previous year and the highest level since 2016, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
The sharp increase of alleged asylum seekers into the country has put heavy strain on government financial resources and stretched thin the ability of localities to accommodate and provide for migrants.
Amid this background, a study from the Bertelsmann Foundation found that 60 per cent of Germans believe that the country has hit its breaking point in terms of letting in massive waves of refugees. This is compared to just 36 per cent in 2021, and 54 per cent in 2017 during the Europe Migrant Crisis, broadcaster NTV reports.
Last month, the Antifa-linked Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser unveiled legislative proposals to allow the government to monitor the finances of those allegedly involved in “far-right” networks as well as increased cooperation between domestic intelligence services and local authorities to prevent far- right meetings. The proposed law would also ban alleged “far-right extremists” from owning firearms.
“We want to use all the instruments of the rule of law to protect our democracy,” Faeser said. “We want to break up extreme right networks and take away their income streams and their weapons.”
Although the government will reportedly make some measure to curb illegal migration, including increased deportation efforts and cuts to welfare benefits received by alleged asylum seekers, it is at the same time sticking to plans to make it easier for foreigners to obtain German citizenship.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
House Passes Spending Package to Stave Off Shutdown
Months of drawn-out negotiations over fiscal year 2024 appropriations may soon come to a close on Capitol Hill.
Up against two government shutdown deadlines on March 8 and March 22, the House voted 339–85 to pass a package of six spending bills on March 6 with bipartisan support.
The 1,050-page minibus—or small omnibus—authorizes funding for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Energy, Interior, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as military construction, the Food and Drug Administration, and other agencies.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) touted the package’s “conservative policy victories” following the text’s release, stating that it imposes “sharp cuts to agencies and programs critical to President Biden’s agenda.”
Specifically, the minibus slashes Environmental Protection Agency funding by 10 percent, FBI appropriations by 6 percent, and funds for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives by 7 percent. It also includes policy provisions aimed at reining in agencies that Republicans say have been weaponized against conservatives.
“This legislation forbids the Department of Justice from targeting parents exercising their right to free speech before school boards, while it blocks the Biden administration from stripping Second Amendment rights from veterans,” Mr. Johnson said.
The move to bundle the legislation marks a departure from the stated goal of many congressional Republicans—including the speaker himself—to do away with the recent practice of governance via massive omnibus bills.
Noting this, the House Freedom Caucus urged Republicans to oppose the package and “keep their promises to the American people.”
“The House Freedom Caucus opposes the $1.65 trillion omnibus spending bill, which will be decided in two halves, the first being brought to the floor this week under suspension of the rules. Even in the face of $34 trillion in national debt, the omnibus will bust the bipartisan spending caps signed into law less than a year ago and is loaded with hundreds of pages of earmarks worth billions,” the group said in a March 5 statement.
Bills considered under suspension of the rules require a two-thirds majority for passage, but they also sidestep the perils presented by procedural votes.
Speaking with reporters ahead of the vote, Mr. Johnson acknowledged that Republicans wouldn’t get everything that they wanted out of the deal. But with only a two-vote majority in the House, he said that was a reality his conference was going to have to accept for now.
“We only control one-half of one-third of the federal government, so we have to be realistic about what we’re able to achieve. But in spite of that, we have an appropriations package that is going to cut non-defense, non-VA discretionary spending, and it is going to increase defense spending,” he said.
“We have a lot more priorities and things that we need to advance, but the reality, as we all recognize, is that we have to grow the House majority, take back the Senate for the Republican Party, and win the White House. And I’m here to tell you the reason we’re optimistic is we believe those things are going to happen in November.”
GOP Rep. Roy: You Will Not Hear Biden Talk About Laken Riley at SOTU
Yesterday on FNC’s “Your World,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) speculated on what not to expect from President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address tonight. According to the Texas Republican, we would not hear how illegal immigration can impact people, nor would we hear anything about Laken Riley.
“What you will not hear from the president of the United States tonight in the House chamber, where I’m just standing right outside of right now, you will not hear him talking about Laken Riley. You will not hear him talking about the 2-year-old who was killed in Montgomery County right outside of D.C. or the young lady who was raped in Louisiana by someone who was here illegally.”
“All of these individuals released into the United States under this president’s broken policies,” Roy continued. “He’s not going to want to talk about that human face. He’s going to want to try to hide behind legislation that, as you know, was being worked on in the Senate, yes, bipartisan, but with very few actual supporters who knew border security policy. Once you looked under the hood and you understand border security policy, and you realize that it’s attached to an $80 billion Ukraine bill, and you realize that, when you see the language, it’s going to codify the mass releases, right, the alternatives to detention, which is littered throughout the bill, that the catch-and-release, they all had exceptions. All of the asylum fixes had exceptions. You realize that the bill was actually going to make things worse.
Bragg Urges NY Court to Reject Trump’s Bid to Exclude Michael Cohen’s Testimony at Trial
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is pushing back against former President Donald Trump’s efforts to exclude the testimony of Michael Cohen in an upcoming criminal trial.
In a filing on March 5, the New York County District Attorney’s Office chided President Trump’s legal team for their attempt to prevent Mr. Cohen, a former attorney to the former president and a key witness, from testifying.
The trial, slated for March 25, marks the first instance of a sitting or former U.S. president facing criminal prosecution.
President Trump, indicted last April on 34 counts of falsifying business records, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The defense also attempted to prevent testimony from Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress whom President Trump allegedly paid off in the case, citing her intention to offer “false, salacious, and unduly prejudicial testimony.”
Criticizing the request, prosecutors called it a “sweeping” request, arguing that it relied on improper speculation.
“As with the defendant’s baseless attempt to preclude testimony from Michael Cohen, this argument relies on improper speculation that —even under this court’s supervision—Daniels will provide nothing more than irrelevant or prejudicial trial testimony,” the prosecutor’s filing reads.
President Trump has denied the alleged affair and charged that Mr. Bragg’s indictment is politically motivated.
Justice Juan Merchan, presiding over the trial, has yet to rule on President Trump’s requests.
Supreme Court Sets Date for Trump Immunity Appeal
The Supreme Court has set April 25 as the date that it will hear oral argument over former President Donald Trump’s claim that he enjoys immunity from prosecution in his D.C. trial.
Announced on March 6, it’s likely to be a historic hearing as the justices will tackle a momentous and relatively untested constitutional question that could impact the election cycle. More specifically, they agreed to consider the question: “Whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”
The April date is roughly five months after Special Counsel Jack Smith requested the court expedite President Trump’s appeal and bypass the usual course in which a lower court of appeals hears the case.
President Trump ultimately lost his appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which rejected his argument that presidents must be impeached and convicted by Congress before they can face criminal prosecution in Article III courts.
Mr. Smith and D.C. Judge Tanya Chutkan were aiming for a March 4 start date for President Trump’s trial but that ultimately got postponed by his appeal in the D.C. Circuit. The Supreme Court’s latest move gives President Trump more time and throws the trial as a whole into jeopardy as he is arguing that each of the activities alleged in Mr. Smith’s indictment are protected by presidential immunity.
Mr. Smith has emphasized what he described as public interest in a quick trial while President Trump and an amicus brief from 22 states have criticized the pace of the prosecution.
RNC Resolution to Block Paying Trump’s Legal Fees Is ‘Dead’
The Republican National Committee didn’t get enough votes to submit a resolution to bar the organization from paying former President Donald Trump’s legal bills amid multiple criminal cases.
Henry Barbour, Mississippi’s national committeeman, told multiple news outlets that a resolution that he drafted for the RNC that would have blocked it from covering President Trump’s many legal fees won’t be passed.
“The only funds the RNC will have (above keeping the lights on and hopefully making payroll) will come from the amazing efforts of Trump to raise money,” said another RNC member, Paul Reynolds of Alabama, suggesting that the RNC pay his legal fees because any “new money coming into the RNC will be due to the efforts of Trump and the Trump organization.”
The RNC meets in Houston this Friday to elect a new chart after current Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel confirmed she would resign in an announcement last month. The former president has endorsed RNC general counsel Michael Whatley for chairman, and he suggested that his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, should be elected co-chair.
The RNC was paying some of President Trump’s legal bills for New York cases that started while he was president, but Ms. McDaniel said in November 2022 that the RNC would stop paying once the former became a candidate again and started running for the 2024 presidential election.
Nikki Haley Drops Out of Republican Primary Race
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley formally suspended her presidential campaign on
Wednesday following her string of losses on Super Tuesday.
Haley expressed gratitude that her mother, a first generation immigrant, had the opportunity to vote for her daughter for president but said it is now time to suspend her campaign.
“I am filled with gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from all across our great country. But the time is now come to suspend my campaign. I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that. I have no regrets,” she said, explaining that she will continue to use her voice for things she believes in.
Haley briefly reiterated her belief that the national debt will “eventually crush our economy” and said a “smaller federal government is not only necessary for our freedom; it is necessary for our survival.”
“The road to socialism is the road to ruin for America. Our Congress is dysfunctional and only getting worse. It is filled with followers, not leaders. Term limits for Washington politicians are needed now more than ever,” she said, emphasizing that she believes it is crucial for America to stand by allies in “Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan,” deeming it a “moral imperative.”
“We must bind together as Americans. we must turn away from the darkness of hatred and division. I will continue to promote all those values as is the right of every American,” she continued. “I sought the honor of being your president, but in our great country, being a private citizen is privileged enough in itself.”
Haley fell short of endorsing former President Donald Trump after spending weeks on the campaign trail attacking him, but she admitted that “in all likelihood Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee when our party convention meets in July.”
Gov. Hochul deploys 750 National Guardsmen to NYC subways amid underground crime surge
New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that her administration plans to deploy 750 National Guardsmen to New York City subway systems amid an uptick in underground violence.
During a press conference yesterday in Albany, Hochul unveiled a “five-point plan” to address the city’s crime-ridden subways. As part of the new strategy to curb violence, Hochul will deploy 1,000 New York State Police officers, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police officers, and New York National Guardsmen to assist the New York Police Department with conducting bag checks.
The governor introduced a bill that grants judges the authority to ban individuals who have been convicted of committing a violent crime within the city’s transit system from using the subway. Additional cameras will be installed throughout the subway system, including inside conductor cabins, to ensure the safety of transit workers. Hochul’s multi-pronged plan also includes “increasing coordination between District Attorneys and law enforcement,” as well as “increasing the number of Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams throughout the system.”
A U.S. Air Force employee and former Army officer is accused of sending classified information across a foreign online dating platform when prompted.
David Franklin Slater, a 63-year-old employee at the Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, allegedly sent national defense information to a person purporting to be a woman living in Ukraine through a dating platform in 2022.
Slater, who was also a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, had top secret clearance at the base and took the position soon after retiring from his previous military role, the Department of Justice said per Fox News.
Slater allegedly “willingly, improperly, and unlawfully” sent information that was classified as “SECRET,” with reason to believe it could be used against the United States or could aid a foreign country.
The messages, allegedly sent to Slater through the dating platform, are as follows:
- “American Intelligence says that already 100% of Russian troops are located on the territory of Ukraine. Do you think this information can be trusted?”
- “Dear, what is shown on the screens in the special room?? It is very interesting.”
- “By the way, you were the first to tell me that NATO members are traveling by train and only now (already evening) this was announced on our news. You are my secret informant love! How were your meetings? Successfully?”
- “Beloved Dave, do NATO and Biden have a secret plan to help us?”
- “Dave, it’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first. I hope you will tell me right away? You are my secret agent. With love.”
- “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!”
- “My sweet Dave, thanks for the valuable information, it’s great that two officials from the USA are going to Kyiv.”
- “Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very unpleasant ‘surprise’ for Putin! Will you tell me?”
- “You have a job in the Operations Center today, I remember, I’m sure there is a lot of interesting news there?”
Slater “knowingly transmitted classified national defense information to another person in blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said. “The Department of Justice will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully put their country at risk by disclosing classified information.”
The indictment also reportedly included that Slater had attended U.S. Strategic Command briefings on the Russia-Ukraine war and was privy to information that was highly classified.
The Air Force employee also allegedly sent information that included military targets and Russian military capabilities.
Slater faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count he is accused of.
Exclusive — Kari Lake: My Opponent Is ‘on the Verge of Being a Full-Blown Marxist’
Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake said her Democrat opponent is “on the verge of being a full-blown Marxist,” making the remarks during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily following the news of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) not seeking reelection.
Sinema made the announcement on Tuesday, stating, “Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together to get stuff done, I will leave the Senate at the end of this year.” This announcement officially takes her off the table in the Arizona Senate race, which has Lake on the Republican side and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on the Democrat side.
“I just think there’s no path to victory for her. I mean, we’ve done the polling. I’m sure she’s done the polling. Everyone’s done the polling and she can’t win,” Lake said of the news of Sinema not seeking reelection.
“I’m about working together as well, but some of the things that she was working toward … especially with that last piece of legislation, which was just disastrous when it came to securing our border because it didn’t secure the border. And I think there’s times for compromise, and there’s times where you have to stand up and say no, we can’t compromise when it comes to the safety and security of the American people,” the Trump-endorsed candidate said.
Lake added that the American people want to send “fighters” to Washington, DC,who are “going to stand up for We the People and put America first.”
Further, Lake said her opponent, Gallego, “does not represent” the spirit of Arizona. He “makes Mark Kelly looks conservative,” she said.
“He’s responsible along with Biden for the wide open border and the crime wave we’re seeing, yet he wants to take away our Second Amendment rights,” Lake said, adding that he has “threatened ICE agents for doing their jobs, enforcing immigration laws.”
“He’s attended defund the police rallies,” she said, adding, “This guy is right there on the verge of being a full-blown Marxist.”
Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Bill Authorizing Arizona Police to Arrest Illegal Aliens
Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would allow Arizona law
enforcement to arrest illegal aliens. This week, Hobbs made her first veto of the year when she refused to sign the “Arizona Border Invasion Act” into law, which authorizes law enforcement officers across the state to arrest illegal aliens who have crossed the United States-Mexico border.
Arizona police would be permitted to charge illegal aliens with a misdemeanor when they are first arrested and a felony if they are arrested a second time for crossing into the state.
In a letter, Hobbs claimed the bill “does not secure the border” and would be “harmful for … businesses” that hire illegal aliens to fill Arizona jobs.
Republican State Sen. Janae Shamp told AZ Central that “the legislature did its job to protect our citizens, but Governor Hobbs failed to do hers” with her veto of the bill:
“Vetoing the Arizona Border Invasion Act is a prime example of the chaos Hobbs is unleashing in our state while perpetuating this open border crisis as Biden’s accomplice. Arizonans want and deserve safe communities.”
From October 2023 through January 2024, more than a quarter of a million illegal aliens have been encountered at Arizona’s Tucson border sector.
Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd says that he found evidence that illegal aliens were using federal flight vouchers in order to aid human trafficking across the U.S. border during a law enforcement operation and applauded his deputies for arresting 228 people during a massive, multi-agency operation named “Operation March Sadness 2024.”
Among those arrested in the operation were teachers, coaches, medical professionals, active military service members, and 21 illegal aliens. In a media briefing this week, Judd blamed Congress members for their inaction to address the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Judd said one suspect had brought three female illegal aliens to Florida from New York.
“They said when they came into the country illegally, the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) gave them a form, an ID, paperwork, that allows them to fly for free,” Judd said.
“You know how Southwest (Airlines) will let your bags fly free? The federal government will let your illegal immigrants fly free,” he added.
The victims said they were forced to pay back $3,000 to the female human trafficker under threat of violence.
“They tell us that they fly to major metro centers for free, on the federal government, where they set up their appointments for sex all around the country,” he continued.
He went on to address Congress directly about its failure to address the migrant crisis.
“They sit up there in their gated communities and in Congress, and they play politics back and forth between the two parties while illegals are victimized. Citizens are victimized. Children are victimized,” he said. “It’s a mess. And it doesn’t have to be. If we can deal with it and catch it on a local level, they can stop it on the federal level. Shame on all of them.”
The sheriff’s office said those people illegally in the country were from Venezuela, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Cuba.
Judd said that 44 of the suspects arrested were married and 11 said they were receiving assistance from the government.
“The politicians are politicking while the victims are being victimized,” said Judd.
One of the organizations that helped with the operation was Heartland for Children. A spokesperson for the group warned that most human trafficking victims know their abusers well.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Airlines Are Coming for Your Carry-Ons
Fanny packs. Cross-body bags. Shopping bags. Pillows and blankets.
Southwest quietly began cracking down on carry-on bags on Feb. 22, ahead of the spring and summer travel rush, advising gate agents of the changes in a memo. This crackdown isn’t about bag size. It is about how many bags you have.
Southwest isn’t alone in putting passengers’ personal items in its crosshairs as a way to save precious bin space and speed up boarding. Delta and United agents have also recently asked passengers to start packing smaller items into their carry-on luggage. Carting all your stuff to the gate can save you time and often saves money, especially with some airlines’ new, higher checked-baggage fees. Delta joined the club on Tuesday, announcing prices of $35 for your first bag and $45 for your second.
Curfews, checkpoints, mounted patrols: Miami, Florida cities brace for spring break 2024
Florida’s “cold” weather is heating up just as schools let out on vacation, and spring breakers will soon be flocking to the Sunshine State.
Popular destinations see people head to the beaches in droves, prompting seasonal restrictions for crowd control, many of which went into effect last Friday.
But while Fort Lauderdale is welcoming “organized fun,” Miami Beach wants to “break up” with spring break. Last year, back-to-back shootings left two dead and brought unruly crowds to the streets prompting a state of emergency. Miami Beach has put out a new video ad warning spring breakers about any bad behavior, stating, “It’s not us, it’s you.” The city is imposing additional security every Thursday through Sunday in March, limiting beach access and closing liquor stores early and will intermittently close parking garages in South Beach.
The Miami Beach website states, “Expect curfews, security searches and bag checks at beach access points, early beach entrance closures, DUI checkpoints, bumper-to-bumper traffic, road closures and arrests for drug possession and violence.”
Many other beaches in the State are imposing zero tolerance policies to keep irresponsible behavior out.
HEALTH
11 Incredible Health Benefits Of Lemon
Summer is coming and a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day is the most refreshing drink one can have in summer. Lemonade calms your body and refreshes you instantly.
Lemon is a flavored fruit. A small quantity of lemon juice can make its remarkable presence in foods and beverages. When we add a few drops of lemon juice to the curries, soup or drinks, it elevates the taste.
Nutritional facts about lemon
Lemon is a storehouse of vitamin C also enriched with Vitamin B6, copper, potassium, magnesium, zinc, flavonoids, antioxidants and phosphorus. It is low in calories and fat. Vitamin C present in the lemon also helps in the process of iron absorption in the body.
Health benefits of lemon
Lemon is a versatile fruit that is responsible for several health benefits. Lemons help to control various diseases and prevent them.
1: Supports heart health
Lemons are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants. Research suggests that these two nutrients are beneficial for heart health and help prevent heart diseases and stroke. However, some amount of fibres present in lemon can also significantly lower some risk factors for heart diseases.
2: Help to boost immunity
We all know that lemon is an immunity-boosting fruit as it contains a high amount of vitamin C and antioxidants. It helps strengthen the immune system against germs that cause the common cold and the flu. A glass of hot water with lemon juice and a large spoonful of honey can help aid cough and cold.
3: May improve digestion
Lemon contains a high amount of soluble fibers that help maintain regular bowel movements and also improves digestion. The main fiber present in lemon named pectin helps improve gut health by increasing the digestion rate of starch and sugar.
4: Help to control weight
Fully squeezed lemon in a glass of lukewarm water with a tablespoon of honey can be a magic drink for many as this drink may aid in weight loss. Lemon contains a compound called pectin. It is a fiber that expands after ingestion, making you feel full sooner and longer. It will prevent you from snacking on unhealthy foods that will lead to weight gain. Pectin is present in the lemon pulp, so consuming lemon as a whole is essential.
5: Help to reduce cancer risk:
Lemon and lemon juice are a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants that help fight against deadly diseases like cancer. Animal studies suggest that compounds present in the lemon- limonene and naringenin have anti-cancer properties. However, human studies are required to observe these effects.
6: May help in oral disorders
We all know that vitamin C is an essential vitamin for teeth and gums. So, being a rich source of vitamin C, lemon is beneficial for oral disorders. Scurvy is an oral disorder where lemon helps so efficiently. Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C leading to swollen gums, bleeding gums, etc. Lemon juice may have pain killing effects when applied locally to areas where there is a toothache. It may also help in reducing inflammation.
7: Beneficial for skin
Lemons contain high concentrations of vitamin C, which is required to generate collagen. Collagen gives our skin a plump and youthful look. It helps to reduce the fine lines on the face and make your skin clear.
Lemon is a small yet power-packed fruit with all nutrients. Consuming lemon juice as part of a varied diet can make a person’s diet more nutritious and healthful.
- Can Keep Hypertension in Check
As per a study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, daily intake of lemon along with 30-60 minutes of brisk walking can keep your high blood pressure in check. Those who consumed lemons, showed reduced signs of hypertension as opposed to those who did not.
- Kidney Stone Prevention
High levels of citric acid present in the fresh fruit as well as the lemon juice concentrate can improve urinary citrate levels two-fold without altering the total urinary volume. Studies have revealed that lemonade or lemon juice concentrate can prevent kidney stones by forming urinary citrate which acts as a preventive method for crystal development.
- Beneficial for Throat Infection
Patients are often advised to consume lemon cough drops when they are suffering from a throat infection. This is because lemons are naturally endowed with antibacterial properties which will lessen the bacterial effects and bring about relief.
- Good for Hair
Leon is high in vitamin c which boosts collagen and improves hair growth by stimulating hair follicles. If you have been suffering from hair loss you can mix two tablespoons of lemon juice with aloe vera gel and apply this to your scalp 30 minutes before your bath and then wash it off with a gentle hair cleanser.
“Just Eggs” Isn’t eggs at all….It’s mung beans, canola oil and more….not an egg in sight!
How do they get away with it? How can they be selling a product labeled “Just Eggs” and now, “Just Eggs-Folded,” that doesn’t contain a single egg. In fact, the first two products of “Just Eggs” are mung beans and canola oil.
There are companies selling cricket flour for cooking and baking—perhaps one can make bread or biscuits of the cricket flour? then we can be served bread, without a smidge of grain, and just eggs, that could never come from a chicken. If we are lucky, we could also get some ‘vegan bacon’ that doesn’t have a bit of pork in it and is manufactured with soybeans.
These are food choices now, but the United Nations climate agenda includes making these food choices into food staples, ultimately eliminating the real meat-based products.
“Coming food shortages” are always the proffered reason for incorporating crickets and other insects as well as soy, mung and other beans into our diets. But the real reason is to seize control of the food supply and farming industry. As farmers all over Europe are learning, there are many ways to create food shortages and the local globalist bureaucrats in the European Union are dedicated to making and enforcing anti-farming rules and laws designed to put farmers out of business. Citizens are being told new industrial “vertical farms” will replace the farmers, but they aren’t buying it. We reported on the European situation in 2022, and since then farmers and ranchers have only become more pressured.
“Just Eggs” is an important reminder that we need to support our farmers and ranchers now, to protect them and their continuing ability to deliver safe, natural, traditional foods to American citizens. Find a local source for eggs from grass fed chickens. Shop at farmers’ markets. Seek out local, non-vaccinated meat sources. And of course, start your own Victory garden. Our grandparents and great grandparents did it—so can we!
Cancerous Chemical Found in Clinique, Clearasil Acne Products
High levels of cancer-causing chemical benzene were detected in some acne treatments from brands including Estee Lauder’s Clinique, Target’s Up & Up and Reckitt Benckiser-owned Clearasil, said independent U.S. laboratory Valisure.
Valisure has also filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, calling on the regulator to recall the products, conduct an investigation and revise industry guidance, the New Haven, Connecticut-based lab said on Wednesday.
Estee Lauder shares fell 2%. Benzene was also detected in Proactiv, PanOxyl, Walgreens’ acne soap bar and Walmart’s Equate Beauty acne cream among others, according to Valisure.
Benzene could form at “unacceptably high levels” in both prescription and over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products, Valisure said.
For chemical free cleansing, we recommend a natural soap like Miracle II Moisturizing Soap (22 oz)
For natural acne solutions try Silver Gel 24ppm (4 oz)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Pentagon Explores Commercial AI Chatbots for Battle Planning in Wargames
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is reportedly testing the potential of commercial AI chatbots like OpenAI’s GPT-4 to assist in military strategy and battle planning, claiming to keep AI within the confines of a simplified wargame simulation.
NewScientist reports that in a recent experiment, researchers from the U.S. Army examined how well advanced AI language models could perform as virtual advisors in a simulated battlefield scenario. The study was conducted using the popular science fiction video game StarCraft II as a controlled testing environment.
The researchers provided the AI chatbots, including OpenAI’s GPT-4 Turbo and GPT-4 Vision models, with details about the simulated terrain, friendly and enemy forces, and military doctrines for offensive and defensive operations. The AI assistants were then tasked with proposing courses of action to accomplish a specific mission objective – destroying all enemy units and capturing a designated point on the map. Within seconds, the AI chatbots responded with multiple strategic proposals. A human operator, acting as the military commander, could then query the AI for clarifications or modifications to the proposed plans before finalizing and executing the orders.
The results showed that OpenAI’s latest GPT models outperformed older AI agents in this simplified wargame context. However, they were not perfect, suffering higher casualty rates while still managing to achieve the overall mission goals.
While OpenAI has updated its policies to permit some military applications aligned with its AI ethics principles, the company still prohibits uses involving weapons development or potential harm to people and property. The Army Research Laboratory declined to comment on the specifics of the study.
Experts warn that deploying such AI chatbots for real-world operational planning would be premature and unwise given the current limitations of the technology. “This idea that you’re going to use [an AI] that’s going to say ‘here’s your really big strategic plan’, technically that is not feasible right now,” said Josh Wallin, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for a New American Security. “And it certainly is not feasible from an ethical or legal perspective.”
Concerns have been raised about automation bias, where human operators may place excessive trust in AI-generated advice even when contradictory evidence exists. “I would not recommend using any large language model or generative AI system for any high-stakes situation,” cautioned Carol Smith from the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, which is sponsored by the Department of Defense.
While the U.S. military continues exploring potential applications of advanced AI, many experts argue that deploying the technology for mission-critical operations remains highly risky and potentially unethical given the current state of AI development.
The world’s largest robots are setting sail
It sounds like science fiction. Ocean-going ships with no-one on board. But this vision of the future is coming – and sooner than you might think.
You can glimpse it in a Norwegian fjord where a huge, lime-green vessel is being put through its paces. At first glance, it seems like any other ship. Look closer, though, and you suddenly see all the hi-tech kit. Cameras, microphones, radars, GPS and all manner of satellite communications.
“We’ve added a lot of additional equipment and designed her especially to be what we call ‘robotic’,” says Colin Field, the head of remote systems at US-UK company Ocean Infinity (OI).
The ship is part of OI’s new “Armada” – a fleet eventually of 23 vessels – that will survey the seabed for offshore wind farm operators and check underwater infrastructure for the oil and gas industry.
Strikingly for a ship that’s 78m (255ft) in length there are only 16 people on board. A traditional ship carrying out the same kind of work would need a crew of 40 or 50. OI believes it can reduce the numbers still further.
That’s because many of the roles can be done hundreds of miles away on land.
Entering the company’s remote operations centre in Southampton is like walking on to a futuristic film set. The dimly lit room is vast, and it’s filled with 20 “bridge stations”, each fitted with gaming-like controls and touch screens.
Operators sitting in their high-backed chairs watch a bank of monitors displaying a live stream coming from the ship’s cameras and a multitude of sensors.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
US SEC adopts climate rule that may face challenges despite dilution
Wall Street’s top regulatory body voted on Wednesday to adopt a rule that would require public companies to disclose certain climate-related risks, a first-of-its-kind regulation that was watered down from an earlier draft.
It drew a mixed response, with 10 Republican-led U.S. states vowing to sue the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission while the top U.S. business group also threatened to sue the agency. Several environmental groups applauded the rule but said they had hoped for stricter requirements.
First proposed in draft form in March 2022, the SEC rule aims to set a standard for how companies communicate with investors about greenhouse gas emissions, weather-related risks, and how they are preparing for the transition to a low-carbon economy.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler, whose legacy will partly be defined by this effort, said standardizing this information and turning guidance into firm rules would benefit companies and investors alike.
Gensler emphasized the SEC’s role as a financial regulator, using a stock market analogy for trading decisions.
“You could use this disclosure to go short green or long green… it’s just disclosure, we are completely neutral,” he told reporters after the vote.
The rule drops an earlier proposal to ask larger companies to gather and report data on planet-warming emissions from suppliers and end-users of their products, known as Scope 3 emissions, in some circumstances.
The American revolt against green energy has begun
After setting the stage by parroting the Biden administration goals of “100 percent clean energy by 2035, a goal that depends on the building of large-scale solar and wind,” USA Today points to the reality that such big, intrusive, ugly, and destructive industrial sites have been rejected by twice as many county governments as approved them. The writers complain that the rejections come about by some combination of “outright bans, moratoriums, construction impediments and other conditions that make green energy difficult to build,” but don’t go on to describe why the rejections are taking place.
Simply put, these huge industrial sites – we simply must stop using the friendly-sounding term “farms” to describe them – create all manner of negative consequences for local communities. Consequences like loud noise from wind turbines, hundreds of dead birds and bats sprinkled across the countryside, thousands of acres of productive farm or ranchlands taken out of production for many years if not permanently, spoiled views, enormous “graveyards” filled with 150-foot blades and solar panels popping up all over the place, and impacts to local wind and weather patterns that are only now beginning to be understood.
Those consequences and more have become increasingly clear as time has progressed, and that is making it harder for developers to gain acceptance from the communities that would serve as hosts. Such pushback is likely to grow more strident in the coming years as it becomes clear to citizens that their state governments have failed to enact effective regulatory structures requiring timely and full retirement and remediation of these industrial sites when their useful life has expired. By that time, these sites will most likely have been sold off by the big developers who built them to smaller companies that will be unlikely to be able to bear the enormous costs involved in full removal and remediation.
But by then, it will be too late for the communities to protect their rights. The only real way to protect a city or county from these myriad impacts is to refuse to allow them to be built.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Natural Pest Control Cheat Sheet (Essential Oils for Pest Control)
Growing Evidence That Pesticides Are Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
Agricultural pesticides and herbicides have been tied to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains region of the United States, according to a study that will be presented at the 76th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in April.
Fourteen pesticides identified to have strong associations with Parkinson’s disease are most used in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
Simazine, lindane, and atrazine were the most closely linked with Parkinson’s disease. The herbicide atrazine and insecticide lindane were associated with a 31 percent and 25 percent increased risk of developing the condition, respectively. Use of the herbicide simazine was linked to a 36 percent increased risk.
Researchers came to these conclusions by looking at nationwide data from 21.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who were at least 67 years old in 2009 and 465 pesticides included in the U.S. Geological Survey. They then zeroed in on 65 pesticides and determined their average annual application between 1992 and 2008 by county.
The more pesticides like simazine, lindane, and atrazine were used, the higher the rates of Parkinson’s disease among people living in those areas, the research team found.
2ND AMENDMENT
South Carolina to Become 29th Constitutional Carry State
The South Carolina Senate passed the constitutional carry conference report on
Wednesday and on Thursday Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) will sign it into law. The legislation will take effect immediately.
On March 5, Breitbart News noted that constitutional carry passed the House after being taken up by a legislative committee comprised of three House and three Senate members, who cleaned the bill up then released it via a conference report.
The conference report passed the state House on Tuesday and passed the state Senate on Wednesday.
Constitutional carry will be signed into law by McMaster during a private signing ceremony on Thursday and a ceremonial, non-private signing will occur at a future date.
The other 28 constitutional carry states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming (Note: Louisiana’s constitutional carry law takes effect on July 4, 2024.)
ICYMI
Armorer on Alec Baldwin Movie ‘Rust’ Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer in the Alec Baldwin movie “Rust,” has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The decision on Wednesday came after less than three hours of deliberation.
Following the verdict, Ms. Gutierrez-Reed, 26, was immediately remanded into custody. The Arizona native now faces a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.
However, in a surprising split verdict, a 12-member jury in Santa Fe declined to convict her on evidence-tampering charges, leaving some aspects of the case unresolved.
Ms. Gutierrez Reed was charged with evidence tampering in 2023, after investigators accused her of passing off a bag of cocaine on the day of the shooting.
The tragic incident unfolded on Oct. 21, 2021, during the filming of the movie “Rust,” when actor Mr. Baldwin was handling a reproduction Colt. 45 revolver during rehearsals inside a movie-set church outside Santa Fe.
First assistant director David Halls had reportedly handed the weapon to Mr. Baldwin, assuring him it did not contain live ammunition. The firearm discharged, leading to the death of cinematographer Ms. Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
The manslaughter charges against Mr. Baldwin for his role in the incident have already been dropped twice. However, he is expected to face trial in July after the charges were reinstated.
Lawyers for Ms. Gutierres-Reed claimed she was being scapegoated for Mr. Baldwin’s alleged failure to follow firearms safety rules, and for a chaotic, low-budget production where industry safety guidelines were ignored to save time.
The trial began on Feb. 21. It included testimony from weapons experts, FBI agents, Santa Fe County authorities, and crew members who witnessed the fatal shooting.
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