World News
UK to make social media pay huge fines for failing to remove content ‘illegal on the street,’ says minister
RT – Oliver Dowden, the UK minister for culture, has promised to make speech that is “illegal on the street” illegal online and to fine social networks “up to 10%” of their revenue if they don’t cooperate with removing racist content.
Addressing complaints from several celebrity footballers about online racial abuse, Dowden told Times Radio on Sunday that racist comments are an “area of really big concern” and one of the reasons why the government will be bringing forward its “online harms legislation.”
“The most important provision of that is to make what’s illegal on the street, illegal online, and to make sure that social media companies have proper regimes in place to remove illegal content,” he continued, warning that the companies who fail to remove offending posts “could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.”
Muslim Leaders Demand UK Shows ‘Respect’ to Islam or Face Becoming ‘Like France’
Breitbart – Local Islamic leaders in West Yorkshire will send a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding that Britain show “respect” to Islam or face becoming “like France” following controversy over a teacher showing students a picture of Mohammed.
The imam of the Al-Hikam Institute in Bradford, Adil Shahzad warned that there may be consequences from the Muslim community if action is not taken against the teacher, who has already been suspended and forced into hiding after a local Islamic group shard his identity online.
Local campaigners have been protesting outside the Batley Grammar School, vowing to continue demonstrating until the teacher is fired.
“All we ask for is a bit of respect,” Shahzad told The Times, adding: “If one teacher can do it, another teacher can do it five years down the line, and we do not want this to be the case. Otherwise we are not responsible for the actions of some individuals.”
A Muslim refugee publicly beheaded a French teacher, Samuel Paty, who had shown images if the Islamic prophet during a lesson of freedom of expression.
Shahzad said that if Batley Grammar School doesn’t do the “right thing” then Britain will “likely that we will follow the route that France has taken, for example, or other European countries where firstly it’s ‘let’s insult the prophet’, then we’ll start banning the burqa.”
The imam claimed that local Islamic leaders tried to ease tensions during their Friday sermons in order to make “sure nobody does anything irresponsible, that we don’t spread hatred, that we don’t spread violence, that we do it in a peaceful way, within our democratic right”.
Situation Update, March 8th – Bill Gates aiding Communist China in harvesting DNA of Americans to build race-specific BIOWEAPONS
Dr. Leonard Coldwell – A stunning development covered by The National Pulse reveals that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helped fund a communist Chinese military front company that used “covid testing” as a ruse to surreptitiously harvest the DNA of Americans.
This CCP front company was also exposed by 60 Minutes. The name of the CCP front company is BGI Genomics. As The National Pulse explains, “The Gates Foundation has also funded BGI projects relating to genome sequencing alongside Chinese Communist Party bodies such as the Ministry of Science and Technology and Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Similarly, Dr. Tadataka Yamada, the former president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s global health program, serves as the Chairman of BGI’s Scientific Advisory Board.”
See the Chinese website for BGI at BGI.com, and the US (English) site is www.bgi.com/us/
This bombshell news story is covered in today’s Situation Podcast (below), along with other timely news about covid, “woke” grocery stores, the Texas fight for free speech and much more.
Here’s a picture of Bill Gates standing under a BGI corporate banner, alongside other key people (presumably mainland Chinese). The Chinese words say, essentially, “Genomics.” The words are written in Simplified Chinese, which is the written script of mainland (communist) China.
Under the guiding hand of Bill Gates, BGI targeted the State of Washington and offered to run covid testing labs in the state. “But officials ultimately turned down the offer at the request of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence over BGI’s ties to the Chinese government,” reports TNP. It turns out BGI was just a DNA harvesting front to covertly gather the DNA of Americans, claiming they were being “covid tested.”
U.S. News, Politics & Government
THEY’RE HERE: Biden Regime Is Developing ‘Vaccine Passport’ Americans Must Have To Engage In Commerce
Americans will soon need a “vaccine passport” to engage in commerce.
The National File – After months of speculation, today The Washington Post confirmed that the Biden regime is developing a “vaccine passport” that Americans may need to present to prove they have received their COVID-19 vaccine before they will be allowed to engage in commerce in a “return to normalcy” that looks nothing like the past.
According to The Washington Post, the Biden regime “and private companies are working to develop a standard way of handling credentials — often referred to as ‘vaccine passports’ — that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as businesses try to reopen.”
They note that many businesses, “from cruise lines to sports teams,” will require individuals to take the COVID-19 vaccine before they are offered business. The Biden regime, apparently, views this as a positive development.
“The passports are expected to be free and available through applications for smartphones,” the Post reported. “Which could display a scannable code similar to an airline boarding pass. Americans without smartphone access should be able to print out the passports, developers have said.”
According to those developing the vaccine passports, they must be entirely unique, and not able to be hacked or tampered with, lest Americans engage in commerce without taking one of the controversial vaccines.
Biden’s team is apparently committed to the vaccine passports, though they refused to speak to the media on the subject, and apparently do not like branding them “passports” but would instead like to see them called “credentials or certificates.” The Washington Post explains:
Micky Tripathi, whom Biden tapped as the national coordinator for health IT, recently said federal officials are concerned with a variety of health-tech challenges, including protecting the credentials against fraud, ensuring data security and making certain that low-income populations aren’t squeezed out.
“How do we make sure that whatever is available is accessible to everyone so no one is left behind or feeling like they can’t participate in the return of their day-to-day activities?” Tripathi asked at a virtual meeting hosted by the Health IT Leadership Roundtable on March 11.
Tripathi told the group he didn’t like the term “vaccine passports,” adding that “passports are something that are issued by governments. … I think of them as vaccine credentials or certificates.” Tripathi did not respond to a request for comment.
The Washington Post explains that the initiative is happening globally, with the CDC participating in the controversial World Health Organization’s initiative to roll out the passports.
The left wing newspaper also believes that the vaccines can be used to bully skeptical Americans into taking the controversial vaccines.
“There is evidence vaccine passports could motivate skeptical Americans to get shots. Several vaccine-hesitant participants at a recent focus group of Trump voters led by pollster Frank Luntz suggested their desire to see family, go on vacation and resume other aspects of daily life outpaced fear of the shots, particularly if travel companies and others moved to require proof of vaccination,” they assert.
However, the Biden regime apparently wants this pressure to come entirely in the form of corporate interests requiring vaccines, and does not want to use the weight of the federal government to require the vaccine passports.
Government Minister Says People Should “Call Out” Others For Hugging Their Loved Ones
Infowars – A government minister appeared on morning television to urge Brits to “call out” others if they were seen engaging “in an odd way,” such as hugging their loved ones.
Yes, really.
Nigel Huddleston, the UK’s minister for tourism and sport, made the remarks during an interview spot on BBC Breakfast.
“Despite the temptation, please don’t risk the health of your loved ones by actually hugging them,” said Huddleston, before going on to suggest that people should intervene if they witness such dreadful behavior.
“If you see someone behaving in an odd way then call them out on it” Sports Minister, Nigel Huddleston MP says on #BBCBreakfast we should resist temptation to hug our loved ones
“We all know the rules…if you see somebody behaving in a slightly odd way, then maybe call them out on it in a respectful way, because sometimes some people just forget,” he added.
Huddleston said it was “a little bit awkward” to refuse close physical contact but “in these circumstances it’s the right thing to do.”
Twitter users reacted to the minister’s comments with a mixture of disbelief and scorn.
“Hugging someone is odd? Christ we’ve been taken over by the Borg. Can imagine the lunatics taking photos of busy play areas now walking round with megaphones ‘calling people out’ Smiling face with open mouth and tightly-closed eyes,” said one.
“Odd behaviour as defined by year – 2019: Someone looking shady, potentially holding or carrying a suspicious package, with likely terror related intentions 2021: someone who hugs a close friend/relative,” said another.
Others were defiant in saying they would hug their loves ones, with one remarking, “I’m seeing my kids next weekend for the first time since the end of December! Wild horses wouldn’t stop me hugging them!”
The minister made the remarks on the day that lockdown in England took a further step towards easing, with people being allowed to meet outside in groups of up to six people.
However, as we previously highlighted, other public health officials have asserted that social distancing and mask wearing will continue for years no matter when the pandemic is declared to be over.
‘The Biden-Harris Administration’: White House website puts VP in the limelight in peculiar break from tradition
RT – The White House has chosen to give Vice President Kamala Harris a prominent spot on its website, departing from norms set by the last two administrations and adding fodder to those who think she is calling the shots.
Instead of listing the ‘Biden Administration’ on its official page, the White House has gone with the “Biden-Harris Administration,” seemingly putting the VP on a near-equal level with the president himself.
The curious word choice can be viewed on WhiteHouse.gov’s ‘administration’ page. “Learn more about the people who carry out the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration,” the page reads.
Harris also enjoys elevated status on the White House’s main Twitter page, which proclaims in its bio: “Welcome to the Biden-Harris White House!”
The past two administrations did not refer to the respective vice presidents so prominently on their websites.
‘Where is AOC?’: Lara Trump calls out liberals’ hypocrisy on Biden border crisis
Fox News contributor says father-in-law oversaw most secure border in decades
Fox – Lara Trump slammed “total hypocrisy” from liberals Monday in her first appearance as a Fox News contributor, asking why the left isn’t outraged over the immigration chaos at the southern border amid a historic surge of migrants.
“We had the most secure border under my father-in-law, under President Donald Trump that we have had in decades and I think the best thing possible is to discourage people from making that really dangerous, awful journey north through our southern border. The problem is that the Biden administration has said, ‘Well if they come, we’ll take you in,’” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.”
The Biden administration is now asking for government volunteers to help manage the migrant surge as encounters at the border have averaged about 5,000 migrants per day in March — about a 50 percent increase from February. Democrats and members of the mainstream media regularly criticized the conditions of migrant facilities during the Trump administration and the Fox News contributor wondered where the outrage is now that President Biden is in office.
“It’s total hypocrisy,” she said. “The way they covered this under the Trump administration versus the Biden administration is total hypocrisy. Where is the outrage from the folks on the left? Where is AOC down there doing a photo op?”
Missouri announces first black bear hunting season this fall
Show-Me State will host its first-ever black bear hunt in October
Fox – Bear down, Missouri.
The Show-Me State will host its first-ever black bear hunt in a limited season this fall, officials have announced.
On Friday, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) revealed that the Missouri Conservation Commission gave the green light to a black bear hunt from October 18 – 27 this year. The 10-day hunt will be exclusive to residents of Missouri and take place in designated zones in the southern half of the state.
Missouri is home to about 800 black bears, most of which are found south of the Missouri River, the MDC said. The population’s range is growing each year by about 9%, with bear numbers expected to double in less than a decade.
“A bear-hunting season in our state will provide opportunities for Missourians to participate in the sustainable harvest of this valuable wildlife species,” MDC bear biologist Laura Conlee said in a news release. “As our black bear population continues to grow, a highly regulated hunting season will be an essential part of population management into the future. The timing and length of the season, allowed hunting methods, and a limited permit allocation coupled with a limited harvest quota will ensure a sustainable harvest of our growing bear population.”
During the month of May, hopeful hunters can apply for a bear-hunting permit online, with participants selected by July 1 through a random drawing.
US church membership falls below 50 percent for first time: poll
The Hill – The percentage of Americans who have membership in a house of worship has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in eight decades, according to a report released by Gallup on Monday.
U.S. church membership has steadily been declining for the past two decades. Before 2000, church membership had generally stayed around 70 percent from when Gallup began measuring it in the 1930s.
In 2020, membership reached an all-time low of 47 percent.
“The decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no religious preference,” Gallup notes in its report. “Over the past two decades, the percentage of Americans who do not identify with any religion has grown from 8% in 1998-2000 to 13% in 2008-2010 and 21% over the past three years.”
A small portion of the drop in membership is due to a decline in Americans who said they have formal church membership. From 1998 to 2000, 73 percent of religious Americans said they belonged to a church. That number has since dropped to an average of 60 percent of religious Americans.
Georgia voting law hit with second lawsuit alleging racial discrimination
The Hill – Voting rights groups on Sunday filed a lawsuit against a Georgia law that imposes a raft of new voting restrictions, the second legal challenge to allege race-based discrimination against the law signed last week.
Baltimore will no longer prosecute drug possession, prostitution and other low-level offenses
Wtopnews – Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby says the city will no longer prosecute for prostitution, drug possession and other low-level offenses.
Mosby made the announcement on Friday following her office’s one-year experiment in not prosecuting minor offenses to decrease the spread of Covid-19 behind bars.
“Today, America’s war on drug users is over in the city of Baltimore. We leave behind the era of tough-on-crime prosecution and zero tolerance policing and no longer default to the status quo to criminalize mostly people of color for addiction, said Mosby in an official press release.
The experiment, known as The Covid Criminal Justice Policies, is an approach to crime developed with public health authorities. Instead of prosecuting people arrested for minor crimes like prostitution and public urination, the program dealt with those crimes as public health issues and work with community partners to help find solutions.
Lil Nas X releases unofficial ‘Satan’ Nikes containing human blood
CNN – Rapper and singer Lil Nas X is launching a controversial pair of “Satan Shoes” featuring a bronze pentagram, an inverted cross and a drop of real human blood.
The black and red sneakers, part of a collaboration between Lil Nas X and New York-based art collective MSCHF, were made using Nike Air Max 97s, though the sportswear brand has distanced itself from the design.
In an emailed statement to CNN, Nike said it was not involved in creating the modified sneakers. “We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF,” the company said. “Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them.”
Launching as a limited-edition “drop” of 666 pairs, each shoe’s air bubble sole contains 60 cubic centimeters (2.03 fluid ounces) of red ink and “one drop” of human blood, according to MSCHF. They are priced at $1,018 a pair, a reference to the Bible passage Luke 10:18 that reads: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
A MSCHF spokesperson said the blood had been provided by members of the art collective, adding: “We love to sacrifice for our art.” The group also confirmed to CNN that Nike was “not involved in this in any capacity.”
The shoes sparked outrage online over the weekend, and attracted criticism from a number of high-profile political and religious figures, including South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and the evangelical pastor Mark Burns. The latter described the sneakers in a tweet as “evil” and “heresy.” Some fans of the “Old Town Road” rapper, meanwhile, tweeted their support and desire to own a pair.
In response, Lil Nas X (whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill), posted a video to his official YouTube account titled “Lil Nas X Apologizes for Satan Shoe,” which has now been viewed over 1.8 million times. But after a few seconds, the apparent apology cuts to a scene from his new music video, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” showing him dancing provocatively with a devil character. The rapper is then pictured snapping the devil’s neck, before removing his horned crown and assuming it himself.
MSCHF is known for its irreverent “drops,” a series of tongue-in-cheek art projects unveiled once every two weeks. In 2019, the collective released limited edition “Jesus Shoes” — also made from Nike Air Max 97 sneakers — which featured a steel crucifix and “holy water” sourced from the Jordan River.
Other drops have seen the collective sell a laptop installed with some of the world’s most dangerous computer viruses for over $1.3 million. In February, meanwhile, the group ripped apart four Hermès Birkin bags in order to create a collection of sandals priced between $34,000 and $76,000.
Donald Trump Wedding Speech: Border Crisis ‘The Worst Anybody’s Ever Seen’
Breitbart – A video of former President Donald Trump speaking at a wedding emerged Sunday, featuring the former president ripping President Joe Biden’s handling of the border crisis.
“The border’s not good; the border is the worst anybody’s ever seen,” Trump said.
Conditions at Biden admin’s Texas immigration facility documented by Sen. Cruz [Video]
SHOCKING conditions at Biden admin’s immigration facility documented by senator
An official tried to block Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) from recording after he turned up at a Customs and Border Protection detention center to film the inhumane conditions of migrants under the Biden administration.
(RT-USA News) Senator Cruz published a video on Sunday showing the facility in Donna, Texas packed with migrants wrapped in foil blankets with no social distancing, despite the dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic, as an unnamed woman frantically attempted to get Cruz to stop recording.
“Please give dignity to the people… Please respect the people,” complained the woman, who stood in front of the camera, prompting Cruz to question, “Is this dignity and respect? Look at these people, there’s a pandemic.”
“You were instructed to ask us to not have any pictures taken here because the political leadership at DHS does not want the American people to know it,” he claimed, adding, “This is a dangerous place and your policies are unfortunately trying to hide them.”
Cruz concluded, “I want to fix this situation and the administration you’re working for is responsible for these conditions. This is not respect.”
In his caption to the video, Cruz accused the woman of being “a political operative from DC” sent by President Joe Biden to stop Americans from seeing the conditions of the facility.
Americans on social media called the conditions documented in the footage “unacceptable,”“disturbing,” and “very inhumane.”
“This is truly outrageous,”protested one user, calling the attempt to stop Cruz recording a total “lack of respect for the people they have placed in these conditions and for the American People’s right to know.”
“Americans must be informed on these conditions in order to immediately make changes and improvements to our processes & systems,”tweeted another user.
Some people attempted to turn the criticism on Cruz, however.
Russell Foster, a Texas congressional candidate for Biden’s Democratic Party, accused the senator of hypocrisy for not scrutinizing immigration facilities in the same manner during former President Donald Trump’s administration, and blamed current immigration problems on previous “RACIST GOP administrations.”
***
The Biden administration has struggled to deal with a surge in illegal immigrants crossing the border, placing them in packed temporary overflow facilities and banning members of the press from documenting conditions.
‘Captain Underpants’ Publisher Pulls Graphic Children’s Book Because It ‘Perpetuates Passive Racism’
Breitbart – A graphic novel for children from the wildly popular “Captain Underpants” series is being pulled from library and book store shelves after its publisher said it “perpetuates passive racism.”
The book under scrutiny is 2010’s “The Adventures of Ook and Gluk” by Dav Pilkey, who has apologized, saying it “contains harmful racial stereotypes” and is “wrong and harmful to my Asian readers.”
The book follows about a pair of friends who travel from 500,001 B.C. to 2222, where they meet a martial arts instructor who teaches them kung fu and they learn principles found in Chinese philosophy.
Scholastic said it had removed the book from its websites, stopped processing orders for it and sought a return of all inventory. “We will take steps to inform schools and libraries who may still have this title in circulation of our decision to withdraw it from publication,” the publisher said in a statement.
Pilkey in a YouTube statement said he planned to donate his advance and all royalties from the book’s sales to groups dedicated to stopping violence against Asians and to promoting diversity in children’s books and publishing.
“I hope that you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my mistake that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and racism are harmful to everyone,” he wrote. “I apologize, and I pledge to do better.”
The decision comes amid a wave of high-profile and sometimes deadly violence against Asian Americans since the pandemic began.
Earlier this month, the estate of Dr. Seuss said six of his books would no longer be published because they contained depictions of groups that were “hurtful and wrong,” including Asian Americans. The move drew immediate reaction on social media from those who called it another example of “cancel culture.”
9th US Court of Appeals Says You Have NO RIGHT to Carry a Firearm!
Off Grid Survival – The 9th US Court of Appeals just ruled today that Americans have no 2nd amendment right to bear arms. The court, which previously ruled that citizens had no right to conceal carry, today ruled that there is no right to open carry, essentially ruling that the 2nd amendment is null and void.
In the ruling, the court wrote:
After careful review of the history of early English and American regulation of carrying arms openly in the public square, the en banc court concluded that Hawai‘i’s restrictions on the open carrying of firearms reflect longstanding prohibitions, and therefore, the conduct they regulate is outside the historical scope of the Second Amendment.
“The en banc court held that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an unfettered, general right to openly carry arms in public for individual self-defense. Accordingly, Hawai‘i’s firearms-carry scheme is lawful.”
Dissenting, Judge O’Scannlain, joined by Judges Callahan, Ikuta, and R. Nelson, would hold that both HRS § 134-9 and the 1997 County regulation destroy the core right to carry a gun for self-defense outside the home and are unconstitutional under any level of scrutiny. Judge O’Scannlain stated that the majority holds that while the Second Amendment may guarantee the right to keep a firearm for self-defense within one’s home, it provides no right whatsoever to bear—i.e., to carry—that same firearm for self-defense in any other place. In his view, the majority’s decision undermines not only the Constitution’s text, but also half a millennium of Anglo-American legal history, the Supreme Court’s decisions in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), and McDonald v. City of Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 (2010), and the foundational principles of American popular sovereignty itself.
Dissenting, Judge R. Nelson, joined by Judges Callahan and Ikuta, concurred with Judge O’Scannlain’s dissent concluding that Hawaii Revised Statute 134-9 violates the Second Amendment. Judge R. Nelson wrote that the majority erred not only in holding the statute facially constitutional, but also in rejecting Young’s as-applied challenge. He also wrote separately to highlight the brazenly unconstitutional County of Hawaii Regulations applying HRS § 134-9, stating that there should be no dispute that any law or regulation that restricts gun ownership only to security guards violates the Second Amendment.
While the ruling is sure to head to the Supreme Court, it is a troubling ruling in light of this current administration attack on the second amendment.
Biden calls for a ban on ‘assault weapons’ and ‘high-capacity magazines’
Yesterday, President Biden, while trying to use the Boulder mass-shooting as propaganda in his war on guns, announced that he is calling for a complete ban on so-called “assault weapons” and “high-capacity magazines”.
Economy & Business
Brace Yourselves For The Most Dramatic Shift In The Standard Of Living In All Of U.S. History
Economic Collapse – They are assuring us that we don’t have to be concerned about “inflation” because they have everything under control. Do you believe them? The value of the U.S. dollar has been steadily declining for a long time, and most Americans have grown accustomed to having the cost of living rise at a faster pace than their paychecks do. But over the past 12 months an enormous paradigm shift has begun. Instead of devaluing our currency a little bit at a time, now our leaders are going “full Weimar”. Our money supply is growing at an exponential rate, and this is becoming a major national crisis. As I pointed out yesterday, it took from the founding of our county all the way to 2020 for M1 to reach 4 trillion dollars. But then from the start of the pandemic to today, M1 has gone from 4 trillion dollars to 18 trillion dollars. To call that “economic malpractice” would be way too kind. The truth is that it is complete and utter lunacy, and we are all going to literally pay the price for such madness.
Sadly, inflation is already starting to show up in a major way all throughout our economy.
For example, most Americans have noticed that the price of gasoline has really started to shoot up over the last several weeks…
Gas prices have been increasing at the pump for the past few weeks, reaching a national average of $2.77 a gallon as of Monday, which is 39 cents higher than the same time in 2020, according to AAA.
A lot of people are alarmed by this, but the Federal Reserve insists that this is completely normal.
Meanwhile, the price of agricultural commodities has risen by 50 percent over the past year…
The price of agricultural commodities traded on the global stage has shot up by 50 percent since the middle of 2020, according to economists at Rabobank.
In a new report, the bank pins the lift in the price of wheat, corn, soy, sugar, and a range of other commodities on the northern La Niña, a weakening US currency, market speculators, and rising demand from importing nations.
As those prices are passed along to the consumer, you will be paying more for groceries at your local supermarket, but authorities assure us that prices will stabilize once the economy returns to “normal”.
The good news is that at least the price of food is not rising as fast as the price of lumber is…
Lumber prices have increased more than 180 percent since last spring, and this price spike has caused the price of an average new single-family home to increase by $24,386 since April 17, 2020, according to the NAHB standard estimates of lumber used to build the average home.
Now that is some serious inflation!
There are so many people that have had to put their plans to build a home on hold in recent months because the price of lumber has gotten so ridiculously high.
But the experts at the Fed insist that those that are warning of hyperinflation just have wild imaginations.
Over the course of the past year, our leaders have pumped trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars into the system, and all of that money has to go somewhere.
In such a highly inflationary environment, this sort of a thing can happen…
A digital collage by American artist Beeple which exists only as a JPG file sold Thursday for a record $69.3 million at Christie’s, fetching more money than physical works by many better-known artists.
‘Everydays: The First 5,000 Days’ became the most expensive ever ‘non-fungible token’ (NFT) – a collectible digital asset that uses blockchain technology to turn virtual work into a unique item – after being listed at the start of the two-week auction for only $100.
The U.S. dollar is being transformed into “toilet paper money”, and we are rapidly approaching the point of no return.
At least if our paychecks were rising as fast as the cost of living was, American families would be able to keep up with the escalating prices.
But of course that is not happening, and more Americans are falling out of the middle class with each passing day.
CDC Extends Eviction Ban Through June 30
Newsmax – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday extended a sweeping nationwide order through June 30 to extend a temporary halt to prevent millions of U.S. renters from being evicted, in a bid to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The order had been set to expire this week.
Science & Technology
Google, Facebook Plan Two Direct Undersea Cables To Link Singapore, Indonesia Amid US-China Tech War
Sputnik – The massive infrastructure project will work jointly with regional telecoms to boost internet speeds from North America to Indonesia and Singapore, reports found on Monday.
US tech giants Google and Facebook have launched plans to build two trans-Pacific internet cables to boost traffic to Southeast Asia, it was reported.
“Named Echo and Bifrost, those will be the first two cables to go through a new diverse route crossing the Java Sea, and they will increase overall subsea capacity in the trans-Pacific by about 70%,” Facebook vice-president of network investments Kevin Salvadori told Reuters.
According to Facebook, the cables will be the first infrastructure to offer direct connectivity from North America to locations in Indonesia. The cables require regulatory approval from the national governments involved.
Echo is set to be completed by 2023 and will see Google work jointly with Indonesian telecom XL Axiata, with Bitfrost expected to be completed the following year.
Figures from the Indonesia Internet Providers Association show the majority of over 73 percent of internet users in Indonesia rely on mobile data connections, but under 10 percent use fixed-line broadband, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, Facebook announced plans last year to build 3,000 km (1,8641mi) of fibre optic cables in Indonesia in 20 cities along with further deals to develop public WiFi access points.
The news comes after the US Department of Justice recommended the tech giants to bypass Hong Kong along the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) route, citing allegations of possible spying on infrastructure traffic.
Strange, Distant Space Object Sending Out Ultra-Low Frequency
Futurism – The USS Jellyfish
Researchers have detected ultra-low radio frequencies being emitted from a jellyfish-shaped object in a distant galaxy cluster.
The mysterious object is located 340 million lightyears from Earth in the galaxy cluster Abell 2877, according to ScienceNews. The researchers behind a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal say they used the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope in western Australia to discover the ultra-low radio frequencies — and its distinct shape.
“We looked at the data, and as we turned down the frequency, we saw a ghostly jelly-fish like structure begin to emerge,” said Torrance Hodgson, lead author and PhD candidate from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Perth, in a press release.
Researchers dubbed the object “USS Jellyfish”— but don’t be quick to assume that it’s a nod to Star Trek. “USS” actually indicates its “ultra-steep-spectrum” radio frequency.
Cosmic Archeology
As you can imagine, studying radio frequencies from 340 million lightyears away presents its own special set of challenges.
“We’ve had to undertake some cosmic archeology to understand the ancient background story of the jellyfish,” said Hodgson in the press release.
However, they’ve been able to develop a working theory of where it came from: supermassive blackholes that created “powerful jets of plasma” about two billion years ago.
“This plasma faded, went quiet, and lay dormant,” Hodgson said. “Then quite recently, two things happened — the plasma started mixing at the same time as very gentle shock waves passed through the system. This has briefly reignited the plasma, lighting up the jellyfish and its tentacles for us to see.”
Health
Suez Canal traffic resumes after cargo ship Ever Given is moving again
NBC – The massive ship that was wedged in the Suez Canal has been freed.
The Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, became stuck in the waterway last Tuesday, blocking all traffic in one of the world’s busiest waterways.
Around 50 ships, carrying everything from consumer products to cars to oil to animals, pass through the Suez Canal each day.
Histamine Intolerance: 6 Remedies Plus Foods to Eat & Avoid
Global Healing Center – Itchy, scratchy skin. Unexplained sneezing and red, watery eyes. Constant headaches? Is this an allergy — or something else? You may be experiencing histamine intolerance — when too many of these compounds have built up in your blood, causing an allergy-like reaction. Histamines themselves are immune fighters that respond to foreign invaders, like pollen or food you’re sensitive to. But when you get too much, then pow! — histamine intolerance hits.
Histamine intolerance is not the same as histamine sensitivity. If you’re histamine-sensitive, any amount will cause a reaction. With intolerance, your body has accumulated too many, and you are dealing with a temporary overload. While the body naturally breaks down histamines, if you get too many at once, your body’s natural processes may not be able to keep up.
What Is A Histamine?
Most of us know about antihistamines. When you have seasonal allergies, for example, antihistamine medications relieve your symptoms like watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, and congestion. Antihistamines are designed to counteract histamines.
Your white blood cells (immune fighters) produce histamines in response to an allergic reaction or injury. Histamines help rid your body of something the body does not want, such as pollen or dust.
Histamines can make you sneeze or itch, but do so for a useful purpose: to protect the body. Histamines make your blood vessels dilate so that your white blood cells can race faster to the site of an infection or injury.
Sometimes your cells release too many histamines. This causes something similar to an allergic response.[1] Some people experience unexplained headaches or migraines, while others have digestive issues, break out in hives or rashes, or feel nauseous or tired. Others get an itchy or swollen tongue when they eat foods, like bananas, avocados, or eggplants, or become flushed when they drink red wine. If you experience symptoms like these, histamine intolerance could be the culprit.
Histamine Intolerance vs. Histamine Reaction
A histamine reaction is part of the body’s natural immune response mechanism.
Histamine intolerance occurs when that natural reaction goes overboard, your body can’t break enough down, and a stronger reaction occurs.
Intolerance is a disequilibrium in the body between having too many histamines and not being able to break them down fast enough.
How Common is Histamine Intolerance?
Histamine intolerance affects at least one percent of the population, though the actual percentage of people affected is thought to be higher.[1] Eighty percent of people affected are middle-aged or older — although it’s not clear why.[1]
Many people don’t realize they have histamine intolerance because they don’t make a mental connection between their symptoms and the condition — if you’ve even heard of it.
What Causes High Histamine Levels?
Your body produces the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) that breaks down histamines. When there’s not enough DAO to regulate the amount of histamine in the body, you can end up with high levels.
Beyond that, several other factors can lead to elevated levels of histamine, including:
- Medications with side effects that block DAO
- Allergies
- Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- A gastrointestinal disorder such as leaky gut syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease
- Histamine-rich foods
- Foods that impair DAO’s function, block the enzyme, or trigger the release of histamines
- Stress[2]
Remedies for Histamine Intolerances
If you know that you have histamine intolerance, you can take action to relieve your symptoms. The following seven strategies can form the cornerstone of your histamine intolerance plan.
- Follow a Low-Histamine Diet
If you experience histamine intolerance on a regular basis, you may want to modify your diet.[3] That means avoiding intake of histamine-rich food, foods that trigger histamine release in the body, and foods that block DAO production.
A truly histamine-free diet does not exist, but focusing on the right foods can help improve your symptoms.
Interestingly, exercise can increase histamine production in the short term.[4] Done in moderation and combined with a low-histamine diet, exercise can help relieve histamine intolerance in the long run. Aim to reduce stress, as well, which can affect histamine release and breakdown.
- Load Up on Quercetin
The antioxidant plant compound quercetin — found in such foods as onions, broccoli, apples, berries, and grapes — may help to relieve the symptoms of histamine intolerance. Quercetin stimulates the immune system and inhibits histamine release.[5] You can get quercetin from your diet, or you can try a high-quality, organic quercetin supplement. Just make sure if you do look for quercetin in your diet, you avoid any high-histamine quercetin-rich foods, like strawberries or wine.
- Bump Up Your Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine. One to three grams of the vitamin can reduce histamine levels in the blood.[6, 7] Experts believe vitamin C helps DAO enzymes do their work of breaking down histamines.
The DAO enzyme relies on several nutrients to do its job, including copper, vitamin B-6, zinc, and magnesium, in addition to vitamin C.
- Get Enough Magnesium
Magnesium is also necessary for DAO to do its work. If you are deficient in magnesium, taking a supplement or eating a magnesium-rich diet may help drop your histamine levels.[8]
Although many types of magnesium exist, magnesium orotate is most readily absorbed by your cells. Orotates allow the mineral to cross through your cell membranes, making it available quickly. IntraCal™ provides an ideal ratio of magnesium orotate to calcium orotate for maximum absorption.
- Try Stinging Nettles
Stinging nettles are another excellent choice if you suffer from histamine intolerance. Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) can help to block the body’s histamine receptors.[9]
Freeze-dried nettles may be particularly helpful in relieving histamine symptoms.[10]
- Take the Right Probiotics
Gut health is essential in dealing with histamine intolerance. The bacteria in your gut play an important role in both the production and degradation of histamine.
If you have histamine intolerance, take a probiotic that breaks down this compound. These include Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Bifidobacterium lactis.[11, 12, 13]
Top 10 Low Histamine Foods
Certain foods are lower in histamine than others. These are the best dietary choices for people experiencing histamine intolerance. Include these foods on the “yes” list for your histamine intolerance diet:
- Gluten-free grains such as rice, quinoa, millet, and oats
- Dairy substitutes such as almond milk and rice milk
- Fresh fruit (see exceptions below)
- Fresh vegetables (see exceptions below)
- Most healthy cooking oils including olive oil and coconut oil
- Leafy herbs
- Herbal teas (see exceptions below)
Foods to Avoid
There are three types of food that you will want to avoid if you think you are experiencing histamine intolerance. These include histamine-rich foods, histamine-releasing foods, and DAO-blocking foods. Avoid these foods until you can identify your specific triggers. Not everyone with histamine tolerance must avoid them permanently, take some time to identify which foods or food types cause a reaction for you.
Histamine-Rich Foods to Avoid
Histamine-rich foods naturally contain a significant amount of histamine.
- Fermented alcohol including wine, beer, and champagne
- Fermented foods, including yogurt, sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, miso
- Foods containing vinegar including pickles, olives, mayonnaise
- Cured, smoked, or processed meat and fish, such as bacon, hot dogs, salami, and pepperoni
- Shellfish
- Soured foods including buttermilk, sour cream, and sourdough bread
- Aged cheeses
- Dried fruits
- Yeast
- Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce
- Tomatoes, spinach, avocados, and eggplant
Histamine-Releasing Foods
Histamine-releasing foods may only contain a little histamine, yet they cause your body’s mast cells to release the compound.[1]
- Citrus fruits (lemon, oranges, lime, grapefruit)
- Bananas, strawberries, papayas, pineapple
- Tomatoes
- Cow’s milk
- Chocolate
- Nuts
- Shellfish
- Wheat germ
- Artificial preservatives and dyes
DAO-Blocking Foods
DAO-blocking foods block DAO, thus impairing the body’s ability to break down histamine.
- Alcohol
- Black tea
- Green tea
- Yerba mate tea
- Energy drinks
Recognizing a Histamine Intolerance
The best way to test for histamine intolerance is to try an elimination diet.[14] This involves removing all histamine-rich, histamine-releasing, and DAO-blocking foods from your diet and reintroducing them one at a time to see if they provoke symptoms.
It’s a good idea to keep a food diary where you can keep track of what you eat and how you feel that day.
Many people follow this same process to detect a food allergy, which is usually more severe than histamine intolerance. While testing can confirm a food allergy, there is no standard, widely accepted test for histamine intolerance. That’s why an elimination diet is the most reliable method to detect histamine intolerance.
Points to Remember
Histamine intolerance can cause different symptoms in different people, from digestive issues to headaches, and from hives to anxiety. The body produces histamines naturally as part of its immune response against unwanted invaders such as pollen or dust.
When the body produces too much, or when enzymes do not properly break it down, we can end up with histamine intolerance. Histamines are also present in certain foods, and a low-histamine diet is often the first line of defense to relieve symptoms.
DAO enzymes break down histamine, but most supplements are derived from animals, so we don’t recommend them. Natural remedies for histamine intolerance include vitamin C, magnesium, stinging nettle, quercetin, and specific probiotic strains. These can help the body remove histamine and prevent its overproduction.
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