WORLD NEWS
Shell Abandons Russian Oil and Gas: Shutters All Outlets in Country
Shell is abandoning its Russian oil and gas resources and will close all its service outlets there, the British energy giant announced Tuesday.
UN BANS staff from referring to Ukraine as a ‘war’ or ‘invasion’ in a bid to avoid angering Russia
The United Nations instead told its staff to refer to the attack, which has forced two million to flee in Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II, a ‘conflict’ or ‘military offensive’.
Russian soldiers accused of firing on civilian vehicles in Ukraine
Civilian deaths reported in incidents including on minibus carrying teachers to an orphanage in Mykolaiv
Russian soldiers have been accused of multiple instances of deadly fire on civilian vehicles across Ukraine.
In a series of incidents in recent days, civilian deaths have been reported from the town of Makariv outside Kyiv – also the location of the deadly bombing of a bakery on Monday in which 13 people died – and on a minibus carrying teachers to an orphanage in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
To “Punish” Putin, U.S. Firms Develop Social Credit System That Would Make Him Proud
Such actions move us one step closer to blurring the line between ourselves and the authoritarian tyrants we purport to denounce.
American institutions are taking anti-Russian sanctions into their own hands, further normalizing a financial social credit system that can ostracize users for holding unacceptable beliefs — a move purported to punish Russia but that actually evokes the authoritarian country’s own system of tracking its citizens’ political views.
Visa and Mastercard have suspended operations in Russia over the country’s invasion of Ukraine, blocking “cards issued by Russian banks from working in other countries and block[ing] people with cards issued elsewhere from purchasing goods and services from companies in Russia.” American Express has also dropped its Russian operations. Meanwhile, tech companies like Apple and Microsoft have ceased sales of their products in the country.
It could be tempting to cheer the move for targeting Russia’s authoritarian regime and condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked attacks on the people of Ukraine. But the actions by private companies against Russians are part of a larger swing by U.S. corporations to deny services to those whose opinions they deem unacceptable — and that’s exactly the kind of social credit system Russia is building to impose on its own people.
U.S. NEWS, POLITIC & GOVERNMENT
Biden to announce Russian energy import ban
President Biden is expected to announce Tuesday that the U.S. will ban Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports as part of his administration’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, slammed President Biden on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday for being “afraid” to stand up to Democrats on increasing U.S. energy production as gas prices skyrocket amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
GAS PRICES FUELING COMING DEMOCRATIC BLOODBATH IN MIDTERMS, REPUBLICANS SAY
Rep. Morgan Griffith tells Fox News Digital that ‘inflation works against the party in control of Washington’
President Biden and congressional Democrats who have championed green energy policies while calling to shift away from domestic oil drilling are facing an uphill battle ahead of the midterm elections, as gas prices continue to climb from near-record highs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
During his State of the Union address last week, Biden announced that the U.S. is releasing 30 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to protect consumers from the rising prices during the Russia-Ukraine war, but prices have kept rising. The national average has crested over $4 and set an all-time record on Monday.
Democrats ready for possible budget vote Friday
House Democratic leaders warned their troops Tuesday to prepare for a last-ditch effort later in the week to prevent a government shutdown — if needed.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told the Caucus at a closed-door meeting that the House may be forced to vote Friday on a budget bill to keep the government open into Saturday, when large parts of it are scheduled to shutter without congressional intervention.
House Democrats are set to leave Washington on Wednesday for their annual issues retreat, a three-day affair being staged this year in Philadelphia. With that in mind, Democratic leaders are planning to vote Wednesday morning on an omnibus spending bill, which will fund the government thorough the remainder of the fiscal year.
Biden to request $2.6B to promote gender equity worldwide
President Biden will request $2.6 billion for foreign assistance programs that promote general equality worldwide, he announced on International Women’s Day on Tuesday.
The funds will be part of his fiscal 2023 budget request to Congress and will double the amount requested for gender programs last year.
“On this day and every day, let us recognize that all of us have a better future when women and girls can reach their full potential — and together, let’s renew our efforts to advance dignity, equality, and limitless possibilities for all,” Biden said in a statement.
As Ukrainians valiantly fight to defend their nation against a Russian invasion, a Quinnipiac University national poll of U.S. adults asked people whether they would fight or flee if they faced that situation — the poll found that while a whopping 68% Republicans said they would remain and fight, just 40% of Democrats said they would stick around and fight. Among independents, 57% said they would stay and fight.
Just 25% of Republicans and 36% of independents indicated that they would leave the U.S., while 52% of Democrats said they would depart, according to the poll conducted March 4 to March 6.
Overall, 55% of people in the poll said they would remain and fight, while 38% indicated they would depart the country.
A strong majority (71%) indicated that they would back a ban on Russian oil even if such a move would result in higher gas prices in America.
In Texas, the nation’s largest children’s hospital is halting gender-affirming care for trans youths
The hospital said the policy was decided “after assessing the Attorney General’s and Governor’s actions,” which include a recent order from Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directing Texas’s child welfare agency to investigate reports of children receiving gender-affirming care as “child abuse.”
Wisconsin School District: Parents Are Not ‘Entitled to Know’ if Their Kids Are “Trans”
Parents are “not entitled” to know their kids’ gender identity, according to a recent training session in Wisconsin’s Eau Claire Area School District.
Empower Wisconsin obtained a copy of a training slide from a late February staff development session. The 2021-22 Equity session on Safe Spaces reminds teachers that “parents are not entitled to know their kids’ identities. That knowledge must be earned.”
“Teachers are often straddling this complex situation. In ECASD, our priority is supporting the student,” the professional development facilitator guide states. Teachers were encouraged to “Talk amongst yourselves!”
The lesson — that teachers know better than parents about what is best for their kids — is not sitting well with some community members.
“We are appalled that ECASD would display such blatant disregard for the parents and guardians of our community’s children. We are equally dismayed that current school district leadership would pressure teachers into breaking a social contract that we all know and understand—that parents and guardians hold primary responsibility and decision making for the welfare and care of their children,” said parents and school board candidates Nicole Everson, Corey Cronrath, and Melissa Winter in a joint statement.
Florida Legislature passes ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, sends to Gov. DeSantis for signature
‘How much of this are genuine type of experiences and how many of them are just kids trying on different kinds of things?’ the bill sponsor asked
Florida lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill restricting speech in public school classrooms on sexual orientation and gender identity, sparked by one lawmaker’s concern that children were being “trendy” in coming out as gay.
The legislation — titled “Parental Rights in Education” (HB 1557) but dubbed by critics the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has suggested he will sign it into law.
The 22-17 vote came after weeks of national attention over the measure, which has grabbed the attention of international newspapers, Hollywood actors and the White House.
Minneapolis teachers set to walk off job Tuesday
Teachers in the Minneapolis School District were set to walk off the job on Tuesday in a dispute over wages, class sizes and mental health support for students, at least temporarily pausing classes for about 29,000 students in one of Minnesota’s largest school districts.
Union members said they could not reach agreement on wages, especially a “living wage” for education support professionals, as well as caps on class sizes and more mental health services for students.
“We are going on strike… for the safe and stable schools our students deserve,” said Greta Cunningham, president of the teachers’ chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teacher
According to a report from CNN’s Melanie Zanona, the 40-member House Republican Freedom Caucus expects to gain new adherents in the November midterm election and is making plans to flex their muscle by demanding the Republican Leadership place members on key committees.
With Republicans expected to take control of the chamber, new Freedom Caucus leader, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) was upfront about what he expects from current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) when he starts approving committee assignments.
“We’re going to be pushing for a fair process; we’re going to be pushing for more participation. Freedom Caucus members don’t seem to have much of a place in a lot of the larger decision-making,” he explained. “There’s no Freedom Caucus member on the Select Committee on Intelligence. Seems to be that there should be a Freedom Caucus member on that.”
The People’s Convoy Makes Its Mark Despite Media Blackout
More than a thousand big-rig trucks, pick-ups, SUVs, passenger cars, and motorcycles circled the 64-mile Capital Beltway on Monday to demonstrate their opposition to vaccine mandates and the government’s pandemic policies.There were no traffic jams. The convoy was orderly, almost precision-like in its discipline. The protesters gave the right of way to other vehicles using the highway, staying in the right-hand lane for the entire circuit. It was peaceful.
Despite the expectations of the media and many in government that the convoy would become violent, the protesters have, so far, shown no inclination to cause disruptions to Washington traffic or take part in violent demonstrations in the city itself.
Organizer Brian Brase said that there were some in the convoy who wanted to take the demonstration into the city. But why play into the hands of people itching to show that the protesters are violent, racist, right-wing extremists?
Organizer Brian Brase said that the group, which began its demonstration on Sunday with two loops around the Beltway, has no plans to take the protest beyond the highway but acknowledged that there’s a faction of the convoy that wants to head into the nation’s capital. Authorities said traffic disruptions Monday were minimal and there were no reports of convoy-related incidents during the group’s single loop of the 64-mile Beltway.
“A lot of people want me to say certain things and put this convoy into a certain direction,” Brase said Monday during a meeting with drivers. “I’m not going to listen to all of them. I’m going to listen to the people.”
Judging by the shows of support on the Beltway, the convoy was a success despite the virtual media blackout.
The convoy was made up of about 130 big rigs and more than a thousand other vehicles.
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Pence does not rule out 2024 White House bid in new interview
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday declined to rule out a potential bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, saying that he and his family will “consider how we might participate in that process” when the time is right.
Asked in an interview by Fox Business’s Maria Bartiroma whether he wants former President Donald Trump to run again in 2024 and if he is interested in a future leadership role, Pence demurred, saying that his focus is on the 2022 midterm elections and helping Republicans reclaim their majorities in the House and Senate.
“You know, all of my focus right now is on 2022. I think we have a historic opportunity to reclaim majorities in the House and the Senate and to elect great Republican governors around America,” Pence said.
Pence does not rule out 2024 White House bid in new interview
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
US gasoline prices hit record high
US gasoline prices have surged to an all-time high amid the rally in the oil market, fuelled by supply concerns over Ukraine-related anti-Russia sanctions.
The average gasoline price on Tuesday morning exceeded $4.17 per gallon (3.8 liters), according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), which tracks prices on over 60,000 gas stations across the country.
This is the highest average fuel cost in US history. The previous anti-record was recorded in 2008, when the cost of gasoline at US gas stations climbed to $4.11 per gallon.
Biden Administration Bans Russian Oil, Tells Hurting Americans to Jump in a Lake
Are you ready to pay even more for gas than the extremely high prices you are currently paying? That’s what’s about to happen now that the Biden administration has finally made its move on Russian oil.
Per multiple sources, the White House has flip-flopped and now plans to ban Russian oil imports into the United States, driving the cost of the essential commodity even higher.
Buttigieg: Buy a $55,000 Electric Car, So You Don’t Have to Worry About Gas Prices Anymore
As every day Americans face record gas prices and surging inflation, United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg suggested they should simply shell out tens of thousands of dollars for a new car.
During a speech on Monday, Buttigieg said Americans should simply stop worrying about gas prices and buy an electric car.
“Clean transportation can bring significant cost savings for the American people, as well,” Buttigieg said. “Last month, we announced a $5 billion investment to build out a nationwide electric vehicle charging network, so that people from rural to suburban to urban communities can all benefit from the gas savings of driving an EV.”
Kamala Harris Tells Everyone To ‘Imagine A Future’ With Vehicles That Produce ‘Zero Emissions’
Vice President Kamala Harris told the public to “imagine” a future where vehicles produced no carbon emissions during the “Accelerating Clean Transportation” event Monday.
“Imagine a future — the freight trucks that deliver bread and milk to our grocery store shelves and the buses that take children to school and parents to work. Imagine all the heavy duty vehicles that keep our supply lines strong and allow our economy to grow. Imagine that they produced zero emissions. Well, you all imagined it,” Harris said.
The vice president said we all have the ability “to see what can be” and to make changes to “make the possible actually happen.”
Surge in wheat prices to seed more suffering
Russia’s invasion means bread prices will soar in some of the world’s poorest, most fragile countries, potentially igniting a cycle of instability.
Driving the news: Wheat prices shot to a record $12.94 per bushel, and are up an astonishing 70% over the last month, as measured by a type of futures contract on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Why it matters: Throughout history, surging bread costs — see the French and Russian Revolutions — have been a major source of instability and violence.
The big picture: Both Russia and Ukraine are superpowers of the wheat world.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Cybersecurity firm says Chinese hackers breached six US state agencies
A Chinese government-backed hacking group has breached local government agencies in at least six US states in the last 10 months as part of a persistent information-gathering operation, investigators at cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Tuesday.
US Reveals Plans for ‘Highway Patrol’ Into Space ‘Far Beyond’ Path Trodden by Satellites
Touting the importance of cislunar space, the Air Force Research Laboratory wrote in 2021 that taking into consideration new US public and private sector operations, the reach of the Space Force’s sphere of interest would now extend to “272,000 miles and beyond.”
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has offered a glimpse into America’s ambitious plans to monitor space beyond the area where satellites traditionally orbit planet Earth.
In a recently released YouTube video, which was first reported by Ars Technica, AFRL proudly touted its Cislunar Highway Patrol System (CHPS), hoping to target the space between geostationary orbit and the moon’s orbit.
The term “cislunar” is typically used to refer to the area more than 22,000 miles above Earth, but not much farther than the Moon ( from 225,000 to 252,000 miles away).
Newly discovered brain cells may be a memory filing system, study suggests
Over three years, the work — a collaboration between researchers at Cedars-Sinai in L.A., Boston Children’s, and the University of Toronto — led to the discovery of two new groups of brain cells: boundary and event cells. The researchers theorized that these neurons are involved in cleaving experiences into distinct events that humans can better remember. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, may pave the way for new treatments for memory disorders, the authors said.
“This is a truly impressive study that is unprecedented, connecting a high-level cognitive concept with recordings from neurons in humans,” said Christopher Baldassano, principal investigator of the Columbia Dynamic Perception and Memory Lab, who was not involved in the study. “These kinds of recordings in humans are very rare and challenging to collect.”
While the everyday experience of life can feel like a continuous movie, memories are thought to be broken into segments, like photos in an album. Human brains may be primed to create new memories, with the aid of what researchers call “boundaries.” In the study, boundaries were the cuts between two movie clips, and they could be soft or hard. A soft boundary could be a shift in a camera angle, or a transition from a close-up shot to a broader view, as long as everything happening was part of the same story. A hard boundary juxtaposed two clips from unconnected stories with different characters and settings. A scene from “The Goonies” could be followed by one from “Ghostbusters.”
HEALTH
The Powerful Heart Benefits of Flaxseed
One of the most effective ways to promote better overall health is by adding heart-healthy omega-3-rich flax to your meals— flaxseeds, flax meal, or flaxseed oil. The benefits of flaxseed are nothing short of extraordinary. Flaxseeds are a rich source of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. Besides having an extremely high omega-3 content, flaxseed is also rich in dietary fiber and lignans. The soluble fiber aids in reducing carbohydrate absorption, stabilizing blood sugar levels, inhibiting cholesterol absorption, and lowering blood cholesterol levels. Lignans—which are concentrated 800 times more in whole flaxseed than in other plants—are recognized for their cancer-fighting benefits, for their antiviral properties, and for helping to alleviate menopause symptoms. Also, a mounting number of scientific studies show that the omega-3 power found in flaxseed may even help improve symptoms of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, liver disorders, mental function and depression, eczema, psoriasis, acne, and dry skin
How to Protect Your Heart When Clocks ‘Spring Forward’
The lost hour of sleep when clocks spring forward for daylight saving time on Sunday, March 13 can pose risks to your heart — but there are ways to protect yourself.
A number of studies have found an increase in heart problems and stroke after the spring time change, according to the American Heart Association.
One study from New York found that hospital admissions for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (a-fib) rise Monday to Thursday after the springtime switch, but it doesn’t occur when daylight saving time ends in the fall.
“If you are already at risk for cardiovascular disease, the time change could be even more risky,” Lloyd-Jones warned in an AHA news release. “It’s important to work on improving your health risk factors all year long, and there are some specific steps you can take to prepare for the impact of ‘springing forward’ each spring.”
Here’s his advice:
- Prepare now by getting as much light as possible each day to help your body rhythm adjust to the upcoming time change.
- Start going to bed a bit earlier in the evenings ahead so you’re well-rested going into the time change.
- Don’t consume extra caffeine to help combat daytime tiredness. Too much caffeine is bad for your heart.
- Don’t nap. Doing so can make it harder to sleep at night.
The best way to prepare for the time change is to make gradual lifestyle improvements year-round, Lloyd-Jones said. Boost your physical activity. Have your cholesterol and blood pressure checked. Adopt good sleep habits and eat smart.
“These healthy lifestyle behaviors won’t only soften the annual biological clock shock, they are proven ways to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, helping you live a longer, healthier life,” Lloyd-Jones said.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Florida wildfires force evacuation of 1,100 homes as firefighters battle blazes
Florida firefighters were battling raging wildfires that have scorched nearly 30,000 acres and forced evacuations of 1,100 homes since Friday.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, torched the Biden administration for their “war on energy,” saying they would “rather fund terrorism” over American energy independence.
Cruz told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that President Biden and his administration have “created the energy crisis that we’re facing with their war on energy.”
“They could solve it themselves, and I have recently introduced legislation that would restore American energy independence,” Cruz said. “Instead of taking those options, they want to purchase oil from places like Iran and Venezuela.”
Jorō spiders, or Trichonephila clavata, can grow up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) in length — about the size of the palm of your hand or larger — and they could spread into the northeastern United States, he said.
With spindly legs and a striking black, yellow and gray-striped abdomen, the spiders are native to southeastern Asia, but already spread nearly a decade ago to the southeastern United States with its warm climate, said Frick, an undergraduate ecology student at the University of Georgia in Athens.
n his research, Frick determined that the Jorō spider can exist in colder climates, too, which is why a spread to the Northeast is possible.
Jorō spiders are not a threat, and there is no data to prove they are harmful to the environments where they’ve moved, according to Frick.
“In light of this, people should not embark on spider genocide — all this would achieve is the needless killing of a beautiful animal,” he said.
No one knows exactly how the spiders originally traveled halfway around the world, but Frick suggested they likely came from a shipping container.
These arachnids have two modes of transportation: ballooning and hitching a ride from people.
COVID RELATED NEWS
Americans significantly less worried about contracting COVID-19: Gallup
A new Gallup poll shows that concerns about the pandemic have fallen, with just over a third of respondents saying they are now worried about contracting COVID-19.
Americans questioned in the survey released Monday are more optimistic about the state of the pandemic than they have been since June, before the pandemic’s delta and omicron variants contributed to a significant uptick in infections, according to the survey giant.
For example, just 34 percent of people said they are worried about contracting COVID-19, compared to 50 percent in January.
Ivermectin Linked to Fewer Deaths in COVID-19 Patients Compared to Remdesivir: Study
In the treatment of COVID-19, ivermectin use is associated with decreased mortality compared to remdesivir use, according to a study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Researchers at the University of Miami retrospectively analyzed a national federated database of adults 18 years old and above with a recorded COVID-19 infection between January 2020 and July 2021. They compared those who used ivermectin but not remdesivir with those who used remdesivir but not ivermectin. Variables that may have effected COVID-19 survival outcomes were controlled, including “age, gender, race, ethnicity, nicotine use, diabetes mellitus, obesity, chronic lower respiratory disease, ischemic heart diseases, tocilizumab, glucocorticoids, or ventilator use.” “After using propensity score matching and adjusting for potential confounders, ivermectin was associated with reduced mortality vs remdesivir,” researchers reported. “To our knowledge, this is the largest association study of patients with COVID-19, mortality and ivermectin.”
Caught! Cable News Networks Paid To Promote Then Cover-Up Deadly COVID
We knew there were massive paid propaganda campaigns to push the covid vaccines and cover up the deadly side effects, but it was even worse than we thought, with money making its way through the internet and almost every cable news channel. The CDC director admits that they weren’t sure the vaccines would even work, and the mandates were based on hope. Meanwhile, more people are dying from the vaccines as the information is being covered up. The War In Ukraine rages on, as Russia has made it’s demands to stop the invasion, it is once again on Zelensky to either stop the fighting, or keep it going to protect NATO. Jen Psaki continues to set the standard for lying when it comes to Press Secretaries. Evelyn Rae joins to discuss the latest out of Australia and New Zealand.
ochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, should be eating crow these days but is instead deflecting from her agency’s litany of Covid failures. In keeping with her track record of getting things wrong, she got them woefully wrong again — this time, not with regard to Covid but with regard to the people who disagree with her expert guidance.
During a visit to the Washington University School of Medicine on Thursday, Walensky threw a one-two punch at her critics, but it didn’t quite land. It instead only broadcast more elitist hubris and reinforced why federal health bureaucrats haven’t retained a shred of credibility.
Talking about the vaccine, she said the following:
So many of us wanted to be hopeful. So many of us wanted to say, ‘OK, this is our ticket out, right? Now we’re done.’ So I think we had perhaps too little caution and too much optimism for some good things that came our way. I really do. I think all of us wanted this to be done. Nobody said ‘waning.’ … You know, ‘Oh, this vaccine’s going to work.’ [Nobody said,] ‘Oh, maybe it’ll wear off.’ Nobody said … ‘What if it’s not as potent against the next variant?’”
In response to a different question about risk-benefit assessments a few moments later, she said, chuckling snidely (or as she characterized it, “a little bit tongue in cheek”), “I know I’m going to be wrong for half the country, so now that I’ve accepted that.”
The obvious implication of her remark, of course, is that no matter what she says, “half the country” will disagree with her expert opinion. Throughout the pandemic, this half has included those who have resisted mask mandates for schoolchildren (which Walensky admitted have not been dictated by science but by teachers union demands), those who have hesitated to get the Covid shot, those who have gathered with friends and family, and those unvaccinated with natural immunity who declined to wear a mask, just to name a few.
But the irony is that this “half the country” also included the people who said precisely the same things Walensky now insists “nobody said.”
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