WORLD NEWS
The U.S. is not officially supporting a ceasefire in Gaza after abstaining at the U.N.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution yesterday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the remainder of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan after the U.S. abstained from the vote, declining to veto it. The resolution was backed by 14 nations except the U.S. and called for the release of all Israeli captives held in Gaza and “the urgent need to expand the flow” of aid into the besieged enclave. Algeria’s ambassador to the UN and a sponsor of the resolution, welcomed the breakthrough and said the Security Council was “finally shouldering its responsibility as the primary organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security”.
Yesterday’s vote came as Israeli leaders continued to reiterate their intent to press on with a full-scale ground offensive on Rafah, the southern border city where about 1.5 million Palestinians are currently sheltering.
Despite mounting warnings from aid agencies and the international community that an assault on Rafah would be a catastrophe, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel can’t achieve its goal of a”total victory” against Hamas without storming the border city.
Following the vote, Netanyahu canceled a planned high-level delegation visit to Washington in protest, and accused the US of “retreating” from what he said had been a “principled position.”
How NOT to win friends and influence people …
Bibi cancels meeting with Biden White House after UN Resolution fiasco!
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a meeting between his advisers and White House officials on Monday after the Biden administration let an anti-Israel resolution pass at the United Nations Security Council.
The U.S. abstained on UNSC Resolution 2728, which it could have vetoed by voting against it. The resolution calls for an “immediate ceasefire” in the war between Israel and Hamas for the last two weeks of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. However, it does not condemn Hamas for its October 7 terror attack — something the United Nations has yet to do — and does not condition a ceasefire on the release of the remaining 134 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
The U.S. had previously sought to make a ceasefire conditional on the release of hostages. Demanding a ceasefire before the release of hostages effectively allows Hamas to survive — and to win the war — while keeping its captives.
Last week, the White House demanded that Israel send representatives to Washington to consult about Israel’s plans to enter Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border, to attack Hamas’s last stronghold there. Netanyahu responded by naming his strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, and his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, to attend talks this week — though he stressed that Israel would still attack Hamas in Rafah, regardless.
However, after Monday’s decision by the Biden administration to allow the U.N. resolution, backed by Russia and China, to pass — after Russia and China had blocked a U.S. resolution Friday tying a ceasefire to a hostage release — Netanyahu called the meeting off.
Netanyahu said, in a statement released on Monday by his office:
The United States has abandoned its policy in the UN today. Just a few days ago, it supported a Security Council resolution that linked a call for a ceasefire to the release of hostages.
China and Russia vetoed that resolution partly because they opposed a ceasefire that was linked to the release of hostages. Yet today, Russia and China joined Algeria and others in supporting the new resolution precisely because it had no such linkage.
Regrettably, the United States did not veto the new resolution, which calls for a ceasefire that is not contingent on the release of hostages.
This constitutes a clear departure from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war.
Today’s resolution gives Hamas hope that international pressure will force Israel to accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages, thus harming both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages.
Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear last night that should the US depart from its principled policy and not veto this harmful resolution, he will cancel the Israeli delegation’s visit to the United States. In light of the change in the US position, PM Netanyahu decided that the delegation will remain in Israel.
British farmers protest outside Parliament over food imports
A convoy of tractors protested outside Britain’s parliament on Monday against post-Brexit trade deals and what they called substandard food
imports in the latest demonstrations by farmers globally.
At least 50 tractors, many with Union Jack flags and signs such as “no farmers, no food, no future”, took part in the protest outside the Houses of Parliament.
The farmers are demanding that the government enforce more accurate food labelling and take steps to improve the country’s food security.
They also want the government to end trade deals that they say are allowing imports of food produced to standards that would be illegal in Britain and undercut local farmers.
“Time and time again they have let us down,” Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, told the BBC. “They promised to uphold our high standards and promised not to allow Britain to be a dumping ground … what they are doing is making us a dumping ground.”
The rally follows protests by farmers across Europe who are angered by competition from cheaper imports and want stricter environmental regulations.
NOTE: Inside video footage of the Moscow concert hall terrorist attack incident is now surfacing and it’s starting to look as if the entire attack was staged; maybe a false flag event! Read the story and watch the video by clicking HERE!
Greg Reese also reports that the attack on the Crocus Music Hall has the USA’s fingerprints all over it! HERE!
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
The Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore has partially collapsed after being struck by a ship!
A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore at 1:30 a.m. Eastern time this morning, causing 1.6 miles of it to snap in a few places and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers were initially searching for at least seven people.
Two people were pulled from the waters, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace. He said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but he said that number could change. It was not clear if the two rescued were included in the seven.
The vessel appears to have crashed into one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The ship caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.
“This is a dire emergency,” Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press. Though he said it was too early to know how many people were affected, he called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
The temperature in the river was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Cartwright added that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge, which spans the Patapsco River at the entrance to a busy harbor. The river leads to the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for shipping on the East Coast. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he was working to get federal resources deployed. The FBI was also on the scene.
Synergy Marine Group — which owns and manages the ship called the “Dali” — confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while it was in control of two pilots. It said all crew members, including the pilots, were accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.
“All lanes closed in both directions for the incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” the Maryland Transportation Authority posted on X.
The New York Supreme Court lowered the appeal bond on the Trump fraud case!
The Appellate Division, First Judicial Department of the New York State Supreme Court has granted a stay of enforcement on the $464 million judgment on former President Donald Trump with conditions, allowing the Trump Organization to avert having assets imminently seized by the New York Attorney General.
The order came after defense attorneys argued a $464 million bond was impossible after having contracted four brokers to negotiate with more than 30 companies. Sureties don’t issue bonds that big for private individuals, and even if the Trump Organization was a public conglomerate they could issue such a bond to, it would require some $570 million in cash to cover additional premiums.
The court’s conditions for lowering the bond include President Trump posting $175 million within 10 days and the other orders on the judgment going into effect.
The judgment permanently bars former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and comptroller Jeffrey McConney from serving in financial control of any New York business entity; permanently bars President Trump, Mr. Wesselberg, and Mr. McConney from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation for three years; bars President Trump from applying for loans for New York financial institutions for three years; and bars Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from serving as an officer or director in New York for two years.
There was no stay requested for the continuance of an independent monitor overseeing financial matters in the Trump Organization or the installation of a compliance officer, and that will continue. The stay is conditioned on the appeals being done by September 2024.
President Trump was attending a hearing regarding the trial date in a separate case at the time, and during break told reporters he would be posting the $175 million “quickly.”
He also released a statement shortly after the appellate ruling, criticizing Justice Engoron and saying that the new order showed how “ridiculous” his original order was.
A Manhattan judge has set April 15th as the trial date in the Trump “hush money” case
President Trump said he doesn’t think the case can go to trial in three weeks.
“I don’t know that you’re going to have the trial,” he said the press conference.
“I don’t know how you can have a trial like this in the middle of an election, a presidential election, and this is a Biden trial, these are all Biden trials,” he said referring to a former Biden administration Department of Justice attorney now working in the Manhattan DA’s office. “I don’t know that you’re going to have a trial, I think we’re going to get some court rulings.”
Asked if he would testify, he said yes.
“I would have no problem testifying, I did nothing wrong,” he said.
A reporter asked if he would be concerned that a conviction could “cost you the election.”
“Well it could also make me more popular, because the people know it’s a scam, it’s a Biden trial,” he said.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed a law exempting Smithfield from owning-leasing land
Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed legislation earlier this month banning companies based in six adversarial countries, including China, from owning or leasing agricultural land that contains a carveout for a major Chinese- owned employer in her state.
The law included a provision that allows Smithfield Foods to continue leasing land in South Dakota, despite its Chinese ownership. Smithfield Foods is a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based WH Group Limited, a corporation led by members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the DCNF previously reported, and is one of the largest employers in South Dakota.
The legislation was “narrowly tailored to exempt Smithfield” due to the company’s economic importance to South Dakotan farmers, Republican State Rep. James Wangsness, a main sponsor of the law, told the DCNF.
“While this was not our favored position, it was necessary to avoid adverse financial hardship on local producers that contract with Smithfield,” he continued. “This exemption clearly highlights the problem posed by foreign ownership.”
Noem told the DCNF in January that former Smithfield CEO Kenneth Sullivan, “was getting his instructions from China” and that “he didn’t care enough about the lives of South Dakotans to work with me to see how we could best serve them.”
“In South Dakota, we have the added pressure of having Ellsworth Airforce Base in our state,” she continued. “We cannot allow China to buy up ag land surrounding this critical piece of national security.”
Smithfield leases hog production from South Dakota farms, according to local media.
The new South Dakota law bans companies based in China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela from buying or leasing agricultural land in the state. But the law allows prohibited entities to lease agricultural land when it is “exclusively for contract feeding of livestock, at an animal feeding operation, by a family farm unit, a family farm corporation, or an authorized farm corporation.”
RFK, Jr. issues dire warning over CBDC adoption
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) pave the way for an authoritarian government in America similar to the Chinese communist regime.
“I’m against central bank digital currencies because that is part of the path to getting us where China is today. That’s where they started, that’s where all these other countries started with central bank digital currency, and it’s the end of freedom. We will be slaves if we allow that to happen,” Mr. Kennedy said during a March 22 event. He pointed to the Canadian trucker’s protests to explain why CBDCs were dangerous for freedoms. The Canadian government portrayed the truckers “as right-wing, fascist, and racist” when they were not, he said.
In addition to Mr. Kennedy, several other prominent individuals have raised concerns about central bank digital currencies, including former President Donald Trump. During a campaign stop in New Hampshire in January, President Trump vowed to “never allow” the U.S. Federal Reserve to issue a CBDC.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
CEO Dave Calhoun and other executives are stepping down from their positions at Boeing
Three senior Boeing executives, including CEO Dave Calhoun, are stepping down as the commercial airliner maker is embroiled in a deepening scandal over the quality of its products.
In a company wide message on March 25, Mr. Calhoun called it a “watershed moment” for Boeing when a door panel blew out on a 737-9 Max plane flown by Alaska Airlines in January.
“We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency. We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company,” he told Boeing employees.
While Mr. Calhoun expressed hope that Boeing will come through this particularly difficult period as a better company, he emphasized that both he and the board of directors believe that this is the “right time for a CEO transition.” As a result, 2024 will be the last year that he will act as the chief executive of the company.
The announcement of his departure, which will happen at the end of this year, was accompanied by some immediate leadership changes.
For one, Larry Kellner, Boeing’s board chairman, will not seek reelection for his position at the upcoming annual general meeting scheduled for April. According to Mr. Calhoun, after being the chairman for more than four years and 13 years on the company’s board, Mr. Kellner decided that it was an “appropriate moment” for him to turn over the reins.
The board has elected Steve Mollenkopf as the new chair. He is tasked with leading the process of finding a new chief executive for Boeing.
Trump’s New Truth Social isn’t going on the NYSE … imagine that! Wonder Why?
President Trump said New York state was going downhill, and cited these recent cases as reasons he would not take Truth Social public on the New York Stock Exchange.
“Truth Social is doing very well, it’s hot as a pistol and doing great and going public. And the New York Stock Exchange wants us badly,” he said. “And I told them, we can’t do the New York Stock Exchange, we’re treated too badly in New York.”
“People are the stock exchange are very, very upset about it,” he claimed. “The top person is mortified. They can’t believe it. He said I’m losing business because of New York, because people don’t want to be in New York and go on the New York Stock Exchange.”
“I‘d love to go on the New York Stock Exchange,” he added. “It’d be a big thing … but people aren’t going on the New York Stock Exchange now because of what’s happening in New York, they don’t want to be attacked by a thug, like this horrible attorney general that we have in New York.”
Is your internet bill about to go up? A telecom subsidy program is about to end!
Telecom companies are notifying customers about the end of a subsidy program that provided cheap internet to Americans, which could push up internet bills for millions. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) federal initiative offered households up to $30 per month in discounts toward their internet service. For households from qualifying tribal lands, the discount went up to $75. More than 23 million households are enrolled currently.However, the $14.2 billion in funding that Congress made available for the program is running out. April will be the last month that ACP households will receive the full discount. In May, it will be reduced to a partial discount. After May, no more discounts will be offered if Congress does not replenish the program’s funding. It appears that Spectrum, Verizon and AT&T are affected by the removal of these subsidies.
Trader Joe’s customers may experience sticker shock the next time they buy a banana —after more than 20 years, the retailer has hiked the price for the first time.
The price of a single banana has gone up roughly 20%, rising from 19 cents each to 23 cents. A company spokesperson said that Trader Joe’s only changes its prices when costs change.
“We’ve now reached a point where this change is necessary,” the spokesperson said.
HEALTH
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today on the use of abortion pill Mifepristone
The Supreme Court will again wade into the fractious issue of abortion this week when it hears arguments over a medication used in the most common way to end a pregnancy, a case with profound implications for millions of women no matter where they live in America and, perhaps, for the race for the White House.
Two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and cleared the way for bans or severe restrictions on abortion in many Republican-led states, abortion opponents on Tuesday will ask the high court to ratify a ruling from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to the medication mifepristone, which was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year.
That decision to reverse Roe had immediate political consequences, with Democrats making the case that the court had taken away a right that women held for half a century and winning elections as a result. Even conservative-leaning states like Kansas and Ohio voted against abortion restrictions. If the court were to uphold restrictions on medication abortions it could roil the election landscape in races for Congress and the presidency.
By rolling back Food and Drug Administration changes to the use of mifepristone, the ruling would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions would shorten the time when mifepristone can be used in pregnancy, to seven weeks from 10 currently.
Most adults in the U.S., 55%, believe medication abortion pills are very or somewhat safe when taken as directed by a doctor, according to a KFF poll from May 2023, and 65% have “a lot” or “some” confidence in the FDA to ensure that medications sold in the U.S. are safe and effective. A decision should come by late June.
You may want to take Chick-Fil-A off of your fast food buying list … here’s why:
The fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A backtracked from its decade-old “no antibiotics ever” pledge intended to help prevent human antibiotic resistance linked to the rampant use of the drugs in livestock production.
Instead, the company said in a statement that it will embrace a standard known as “no antibiotics important to human medicine,” often abbreviated as NAIHM, which entails the avoidance of medications commonly used to treat people and limits the use of animal antibiotics to cases of actual animal illness.
Livestock producers have long used antibiotics to boost rapid weight gain in animals such as chickens, pigs, cows and sheep, improving the profitability of their businesses. Over the past decade, however, many nations, including the United States, have begun to restrict the practice as evidence mounted that it was contributing to drug resistance and reducing the effectiveness of antibiotics against disease in humans.
Chick-Fil-A said it will begin shifting to the new policy in the spring of 2024. A company spokesman added that the move reflects company concerns about its ability to acquire sufficient supplies of antibiotic-free chicken. One of the poultry industry’s largest companies, Tyson Foods, said last year that it was reintroducing some antibiotics to its chicken production and removing its “No Antibiotics Ever” package labeling. It began to eliminate antibiotics from some of its poultry production in 2015.
In a May 2023 video featured on the Tyson Foods YouTube channel, Tyson’s senior director of animal welfare, Karen Christensen, described the shift as “based on scientific research and industry learnings.” She noted that Tyson planned to begin using antibiotics known as ionophores, which don’t play a role in human medicine, to “improve the overall health and welfare of the birds in our care.” Ionophores have long been used to promote growth in livestock.
Bad news for cheese lovers: Pfizer’s fake rennet sneaks into cheese without approval
Indulging in cheese is one of life’s simple pleasures, provided you don’t grapple with lactose intolerance. Its delectable taste, rich in healthy fats and protein, spans diverse varieties and flavors.
Traditional cheese making has existed for thousands of years and uses dairy and rennet – a series of enzymes from the stomachs of ruminant animals like sheep – to create the end product we all love. Recently, however, several types of synthetic rennet have become extremely common in cheese making, to the point that most commercial cheese, at least in the U.S., is made with these non-animal rennets. Aside from the fact that these non-animal rennets are not as well tested as one might like, American food packaging standards do not require cheese makers to warn consumers about the presence of these chemicals.
Let’s look at synthetic rennet, how it’s made, how likely it is to be found in every type of cheese you eat, and, further, what you can do about it.
Dairy Cattle in Texas, Kansas Test Positive for Bird Flu
Milk from dairy cows in Texas and Kansas has tested positive for bird flu, U.S. officials said Monday.
The illness has been reported in older dairy cows in those states and in New Mexico. The symptoms included decreased lactation and low appetite.
It comes a week after officials in Minnesota announced that goats on a farm where there had been an outbreak of bird flu among poultry were diagnosed with the virus. It’s believed to be the first time bird flu — also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza — was found in U.S. livestock.
How blue and purple plant pigments battle cancer, heart disease, and stroke
The ketogenic diet, the “Paleo” diet, the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet – it seems there is no end to the head-spinning variety of diets, all touted to support well-being and longevity. However, regardless of which diet they favor, scientists, nutritionists, conventionally trained physicians, and holistic doctors generally acknowledge that multiple studies link higher intakes of “colorful” foods (mainly fruits and vegetables) with lower rates of life-threatening cancers and heart disease.
It turns out that the natural plant pigments in fruits and vegetables contribute more than an attractive “pop” of color. Multiple studies and reviews attest that plant pigments have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities that can help sustain health and even prevent cancer. In addition, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Nutrition, a group of pigments known as anthocyanins is linked with lower rates of ischemic stroke. Read on to discover what’s behind their new place in the scientific spotlight.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Better be careful how you surf on the internet!
Google’s recently introduced AI search feature called “Search Generative Experience” (SGE) has been found to recommend malicious websites that redirect users to scams, fake giveaways, and unwanted browser extensions.
BleepingComputer reports that earlier this month, Google began rolling out its new AI-powered search feature, SGE, which provides quick summaries and site recommendations related to users’ search queries. However, the new system appears to have some significant flaws that cybersecurity experts are now bringing to light.
SEO consultant Lily Ray was among the first to notice that Google’s SGE was recommending spammy and malicious sites within its AI-generated responses. Upon further investigation by BleepingComputer, it was found that the suspicious sites shared similarities in their TLD usage (.online), HTML templates, and redirect practices, suggesting they are part of a coordinated SEO poisoning campaign.
When users click on these Google AI-recommended sites, they are taken through a series of redirects leading to various scams. Common destinations include fake captchas, YouTube-mimicking pages that trick visitors into subscribing to browser notifications, tech support scams, and fake giveaways. Browser notification scams are particularly problematic, as they allow the scammers to send a barrage of unwanted ads directly to the user’s desktop.
Some of the malicious redirects even attempt to push unwanted browser extensions that perform search hijacking and other potentially harmful actions. Meanwhile, the fake giveaway sites, such as those claiming to offer free iPhone 15 Pros, are designed to harvest personal information that can be sold to other scammers and marketers.
The conversational nature of Google’s AI-generated answers can make these malicious site recommendations seem more trustworthy to unsuspecting users. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our online search experiences, it is clear that the information provided by these algorithms cannot be trusted blindly, and users must exercise caution before visiting any recommended sites.
Google has acknowledged the issue and stated that they are continuously updating their systems and ranking algorithms to combat spam. However, as scammers evolve their techniques to evade detection, it remains an ongoing challenge. Users are advised to be vigilant when clicking on AI-recommended sites and to unsubscribe from any unwanted browser notifications by managing their settings.
This is just the latest in a long-running trend of AI screwups by Google, once considered the mightiest AI company on earth before it was eclipsed by rivals including startup OpenAI, which launched ChatGPT well in advance of Google’s own generative AI products. Most recently, Google’s Gemini AI was launched, promptly attempting to erase white people from history.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Once you open that door, your life becomes more complicated!
A Georgia man has been desperately fighting for years to remove dozens of squatters off his property in Atlanta. The property owner has faced major hurdles in trying to reclaim his land from the squatters, including spending thousands to clean up the estate and being sued for $190,000.
David Morris owns a nine-acre property in southeast Atlanta. He said that about 10 years ago, he started allowing four individuals to live on the property rent-free.
However, uninvited trespassers began living on his land at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The people who were living on the land started having other people live on the land, their friends,” Morris recently told WAGA-TV.
Morris looked to the city of Atlanta for assistance in removing the squatters from his property. Unfortunately for the property owner, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed a halt to residential evictions starting in September 2020. The pandemic-mandated eviction moratorium in Georgia didn’t end until October 2021.
At one point, as many as 30 trespassers were living on his property. He noted that there are now eight squatters on his land.
One of the squatters filed a $190,000 counter-claim against him. However, the case was dismissed because they did not show up in court.
About a year ago, Morris said the “entire medical staff” of the Stop Cop City activist movement was camped on his property.
Morris, who was living in California at the time, said Atlanta police officers detained more than 20 activists fighting against the construction of a $90 million police training center in Dekalb County’s South River Forest.
This year, he was contacted by code enforcement demanding that he clean up his property. It has cost Morris thousands of dollars to clean up the mess left by squatters on his property.
“It’s frustrating that I’m having to spend so much money. I spent $10,000 on cleaning up garbage from vagrants,” Morris said.
He said he has gone through five dumpsters to haul away trash just in the past month. Morris noted that he obtained a writ of possession on Friday.
“A writ of possession is a court order a landlord must obtain when they seek to terminate a tenant’s right to possession and the tenant will not vacate the premises voluntarily,” explained Sharon Lewonski – partner and real estate practice chair at the Culhane Meadows Law Firm in Atlanta.
Morris said, “So, it will take, I am predicting, another thirty days before the marshals will call me to schedule a time for me to have five people here to move everything from there to the street.”
Despite all the issues with the trespassers, Morris said he intends to build affordable housing on his property for people in need, but in the meantime, a big fence and No Trespassing signs are going to be put up on his property.
However, Morris said he won’t begin the affordable housing project until all of the squatters are off the property.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
50 Free Organic Fertilizers (Download the PDF from this link from The Grow Network):
Click here to download our free guide; no e-mail required!
15 Dual-Purpose Duck Breeds for Both Meat and Eggs
If you’ve been paying attention to homesteader circles and publications lately, you might have noticed a trend: ducks are quickly rising in popularity, particularly among people who have kept chickens for a while.
Chickens are great, but in comparison, ducks tend to be healthier, more self-sufficient, and even more resilient in bad weather, and just like chickens, they can still provide you with plenty of food.
Domestic duck breeds tend to be optimized for producing ample amounts of meat, lots of eggs, or both. But then again, you also have dual-purpose breeds which can ably give you plenty of each!
These versatile quackers are some of the best dual-purpose breed choices for homesteaders.
2ND AMENDMENT
We now have the search warrant from the ATF’s Bryan Malinowski incident a week ago!
It appears that
Shoot me! Then bandage me up?
Man fleeing police shot be woman trying to protect her grandchild
An Albuquerque, New Mexico, woman acted to protect her grandson by shooting a man
who was allegedly trying to break into her house to elude police.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that police pulled over 32-year-old Joseph Rivera, who was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle and refused to stop for police. They deployed a spike strip, leaving Rivera to drive the truck “on its rims” and eventually to crash.
Rivera then allegedly fled into a neighborhood on foot and entered the home in which the woman and her grandchild sat.
The woman indicated that Rivera “appeared to be angry” and said he “just needed her keys.”
KRQE noted that the woman handed over the keys, and Rivera left but then returned to “demand more keys.” Unbeknownst to Rivera, the woman had retrieved a gun between his first entrance into the home and the second, and she shot him.
The woman then “tended to Rivera’s wounds” until officers were on scene.
Rivera has “a lengthy criminal history.”
COVID RELATED NEWS
Yellowstone actor kicked off of airline flight for refusing to sit next to masked passenger
Actor from the hit drama series “Yellowstone” Forrie J. Smith claimed that he was kicked off a flight after telling crew members that he didn’t want to sit next to a person who was a wearing a mask.
“You know my social media people tell me that you like me face to face. But you know what, I can’t say face to face what I want,” Smith said on his Instagram page.
While Smith admitted that he had been drinking, the 65-year-old stated it wasn’t the reason he was removed from the flight. Instead, Smith claimed that the flight crew took issue with his statement that he wasn’t comfortable sitting next to a masked passenger.
“I just got kicked off the plane in, where the hell am I at? Houston, Texas, because I told them I didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to someone with a mask on,” he continued.
“Yeah, I’ve been drinking, I’ve been sitting in the airport for three hours, I’m drinking, I ain’t drunk,” Smith explained. “They throw me off the plane because I’m drunk, because you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bulls**t this is.”
“I just told them I didn’t feel comfortable about sitting next to somebody that had to wear a mask, and I’m off the plane.”
Smith’s video was cut off mid-sentence and concluded without the actor revealing what airline he was flying on or where he was headed.
The TV star has showcased similar firm beliefs that have caused him to miss events in recent history.
In 2022, Smith stated that he would miss the Screen Actors Guild Awards because he wasn’t able to get on a flight due to being unvaccinated for COVID-19.
“I want to apologize to y’all for not being at the Screen Actors Guild Awards,” Smith said in a video that was posted to his Instagram account but later taken down. “I mean no offense to anyone. I’m not vaccinated, and it’s a requirement to be vaccinated” to be at the ceremony.
“You have to be vaccinated with a booster shot and a negative COVID test within 48 hours, gotta wear a K-95624350 whatever kind of mask, and I’m not vaccinated. I will not get vaccinated. I haven’t been vaccinated since I was a little kid. I don’t vaccinate my dogs, I don’t vaccinate my horses. I’ve never had a flu shot. I never will. I believe they compromise your immunities,” Smith added.
The actor apologized for not being able to appear on the red carpet wearing a “big, black American hat and Justin Boots and representing my culture and heritage.”
“I just don’t believe in that stuff. … Whatever,” he concluded.
CANCEL CULTURE
Are people tired of lame-o bible bangers?
The past several years have reflected an overall decline in religious service attendance
among Americans, according to data from Gallup.
Between 2021 and 2023, 30 percent of Americans said they attended religious services every week (21 percent) or almost every week (nine percent). At the same time, only 11 percent reported attending once a month, and 56 percent said they seldom (25 percent) or never (31 percent) attended.
“Two decades ago, an average of 42 percent of U.S. adults attended religious services every week or nearly every week. A decade ago, the figure fell to 38 percent, and it is currently at 30 percent,” Gallup Senior Editor Jeffrey Jones wrote. “This decline is largely driven by the increase in the percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation — 9 percent in 2000-2003 versus 21 percent in 2021-2023 — almost all of whom do not attend services regularly.”
Among major religious groups in the United States, members of the Mormon Church reported being the most observant, with 67 percent saying they attended church weekly or nearly weekly.
“Protestants (including nondenominational Christians) rank second, with 44 percent attending services regularly, followed by Muslims (38 percent) and Catholics (33 percent),” according to the survey.
“Majorities of Jewish, Orthodox, Buddhist and Hindu Americans say they seldom or never attend religious services,” the report continues. “Twenty-six percent of Orthodox adults, 22 percent of Jewish adults, 14 percent of Buddhist adults and 13 percent of Hindu adults attend services regularly.”
Those with no religious affiliation, including those who identify as agnostic or atheist, are unlikely to attend religious services, although three percent say they attend weekly or nearly weekly.
Among various religious groups, Catholics have shown one of the largest drops in attendance between 2000 and 2023, 45 percent to 33 percent. The survey found slightly smaller decreases among Orthodox (nine percentage points) and Hindus (eight percentage points).
The group with the largest drop in that time frame are those who identify with “other” religious groups, “generally those not large enough to report separately as their own group or those that are difficult to categorize based on respondents’ answers,” Jones wrote. This group saw a 24-point decline in two decades.
In contrast, Muslim and Jewish Americans “have shown slight increases in religious service attendance over the past two decades,” according to the survey report.
Muslim adults who regularly attend mosque was up to 34 percent between 2021 and 2023 compared to 34 percent between 2000 and 2003. However, the most recent percentage is lower than 46 percent between 2011 and 2013.
PET NEWS
10 Longevity Tips from Pet Lovers whose pets lived long lives
According to the American Psychiatric Association, 87 percent of dog parents and 86 percent of cat parents say their pet has a positive impact on their mental wellbeing. This includes providing comfort and unconditional love, mitigating stress, and relieving loneliness.
By the same token, a vast majority of those pet parents (71 percent to be specific) were also concerned about their furry loved ones getting older and passing away. Aging is, of course, inevitable, and one of the most challenging realities of being a pet parent is knowing you’ll most likely outlive your cat or dog.
- Always consider nutrition (feed organic … chicken, green peas, carrots)
- Keep them hydrated with wet food (maintaining a healthy weight is easier)
- Get your vegetables (kibble with veggies (frozen mixed will even work)
- Don’t forget about their teeth (dental disease can shorten their lifespan)
- Figure out the right indoor-outdoor situation (freedom and exercise)
- Treat your pet how you would like to be treated (Golden Rule applies for pets too)
- Keep up an exercise routine (even if confined to small spaces)
- Consider supplements (fish oils support skin, immune, kidney and heart health)
- Spend quality time with your pet (a little TLC goes a long way)
- Give them what they love (sniff walks and social time, ear rubs, massages, etc.)
ICYMI
Sean “P Diddy” Comb’s homes raided by homeland security amid sexual assault allegations!
Federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement officials raided rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs’s Los Angeles and Miami homes on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation.
“Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available,” HSI shared with The Epoch Times in a statement.
Federal agents were reportedly authorized to carry out their search of the 54-year-old’s properties via warrants issued by a Manhattan federal court.
Mr. Combs has been the subject of several sexual assault allegations in recent months.
In February, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a $30 million lawsuit in New York federal court claiming the embattled hip-hop mogul “forcibly touched and attempted and/or threatened to touch” the music producer’s “intimate areas,” among other shocking allegations, according to the complaint.
In November 2023, Mr. Combs and Casandra Ventura settled a lawsuit filed by the R&B singer, who goes by the name Cassie, which included allegations of exploitation, abuse, and mistreatment.
According to a statement, an agreement was reached “to their mutual satisfaction.” However, the terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support,” Ms. Ventura said in a statement, per NPR.
“We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love,” said Mr. Combs.
Following Ms. Ventura’s lawsuit filing, two other women, Liza Gardner and Joie Dickerson-Neal, filed lawsuits against Mr. Combs, alleging he sexually assaulted them. A woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, also claimed that Mr. Combs and two other men sexually assaulted her when she was just 17 years old. Ms. Doe asserted the rapper was 34 at the time of the alleged assault.
In the wake of the allegations, Mr. Combs issued a statement saying: “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
A spokesperson for Mr. Combs told NBC News: “The claims involving alleged misconduct against Mr. Combs from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute are all completely denied and rejected by him. He recognizes this as a money grab. Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for accusers who will falsify the truth, without conscience or consequence, for financial benefit.”
“The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited for improper purposes,” the statement continued. “The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these unsubstantiated allegations.”
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