Today's News: March 31, 2022

WORLD NEWS

‘Nuclear Catastrophe’: Ukraine Calls on UN to Force Russia Away From Chernobyl

Ukrainian officials called on the United Nations to push Russian forces away from the Chernobyl nuclear site to prevent a catastrophe, coming more than a month after the start of the invasion.

“Is the world ready for a nuclear catastrophe because of Russia’s bungling?” asked Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Telegram. “The occupiers set up an ammunition depot near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant,” she continued while adding that the “occupiers’ stupidity is worse than their villainy.”

In 1986, the Chernobyl plant’s reactor blew up and sent radioactive material across Europe and the former Soviet Union as Soviet officials sought to cover it up. Since then, workers have been stationed at the Chernobyl site to manage spent nuclear fuel and monitor radiation levels.

Vereshchuk called on the U.N. to establish a mission in the region and prioritize demilitarizing the Chernobyl site. Russian troops have occupied the area since the first day of its invasion, which started on Feb. 24.

The Russian military said after capturing the plant that radiation was within normal levels and their actions prevented possible “nuclear provocations” by Ukrainian nationalists. Russia has previously denied that its forces have put nuclear facilities inside Ukraine at risk.

Pentagon official says US sending Ukraine 100 Switchblade drones

The United States is in the process of sending 100 Switchblade drones to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion, a Pentagon official told lawmakers on Wednesday.

The Switchblade 300 is a rapidly-deployable system that can be used against targets within over six miles while being difficult to detect or track. The Switchblade 600 is a larger system with a range of just below 25 miles.

Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, said in a House Armed Services Committee hearing that the drones were part of the $800 million in military assistance that President Biden announced earlier this month.

Afghanistan: World Bank freezes projects over girls’ school ban

The World Bank has suspended four projects in Afghanistan worth $600m (£458m), after the Taliban banned girls from returning to secondary schools. The projects’ aims included improving education, health and agriculture. They also had a “strong focus on ensuring that girls and women participate and benefit from the support,” the bank had said earlier.

Last week, the Taliban reversed a decision to allow the schools to open following months of restrictions. The Taliban said schools would only reopen after a decision over uniforms for female students had been made in accordance with “Sharia law and Afghan tradition”.

The move has drawn international condemnation, while on Saturday protesters gathered close to the Ministry of Education in the country’s capital Kabul to demand that the schools be reopened.

Why People Are Rushing for Iodine Amid Nuclear Concerns

Fear of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causing a nuclear incident has resulted in Europeans stockpiling iodine. In the case of a serious nuclear accident, radioactive iodine can be released into the air, increasing your risk of thyroid cancer and acute radiation sickness when inhaled

Non-radioactive iodine supplements help to prevent the radioactive iodine from concentrating in your thyroid gland, thereby reducing the risk of thyroid cancer

The conventional recommendation to ward off some of the health dangers of radiation exposure is to take supplemental potassium iodide. In addition to potassium iodide tablets, you could use Lugol’s solution, which includes both potassium iodide and iodine in water

The recommended daily dosage of potassium iodide for an adult in the case of acute nuclear radiation exposure from a nuclear reactor accident or a nuclear weapon detonation, is 130 milligrams (mg), which is relatively high and far in excess of the normal daily requirement of 1 mg or less per day

For optimal protection, the iodine would ideally be taken one hour before the radiation exposure, and no later than 12 hours’ post-exposure

Other supplements that can help reduce damage associated with radiation exposure are vitamin D3, spirulina and molecular hydrogen

Note: NukeProtect from North American Herb & Spice has been out of stock for the last week or so – we have a shipment coming that is due to be delivered Monday, April 4th

Afghans face food shortage ahead of Ramadan

Afghans are facing a devastating economic collapse and food shortages ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. Afghanistan has undergone a dramatic transformation since the Taliban took over last year. The country is struggling with the once aid-fueled economy, which is barreling toward collapse.

Verdict in for lawmaker accused of crime for sharing Bible verse

A court has affirmed free-speech rights for Christians, dismissing a case against a member of Finland’s parliament and a local bishop in which prosecutors claimed expressing basic Christian beliefs was “hate.”

Parliamentarian Paivi Maria Räsänen, as well as Bishop Juhana Pohjola, were on trial for that alleged “offense.”

Government officials had leveled the extremist complaint that it is “hate” to follow the Bible’s teachings on marriage and sexuality.

But now the ADF International has announced the court “upheld the right to free speech by dismissing all charges” against the two.

“In a unanimous ruling, the Helsinki District Court concluded that ‘it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts,'” the international organization reported.

Klaus Schwab Tells Global Leaders to Collaborate for World Governance

The time has come for world governments to unite as one and tackle global problems such as climate change, trade, and economic disruption without hinderance or delay, World Economic Forum (WEF) founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab announced Wednesday.

The unelected globalist issued his demand during a keynote speech on the opening day of the World Government Summit (WGS2022) in Dubai, saying the world can only be improved by more government cooperation at more levels.

Schwab, who called on policymakers for “a great reset” during the coronavirus pandemic, said the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” has arrived and enduring change is on the way. He outlined:

The impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution accelerates global change in a much more comprehensive and faster way than previous industrial revolutions. Despite all the challenges, we have to uphold the responsibility we have towards the next generation through collaborations on a national and a global level.

Our futures are intrinsically connected and that requires collaborative responses.

“The world has to overcome not only the damage done to our economies and our societies by COVID-19, it also has to confront the repercussions of a dangerous clash between major global powers,” Schwab went on to say during the session, Our World Today: Why Governments Need to Act Now.

Schwab is certain that systemic and structural changes are coming to food, energy and global supply chains.

U.S. NEWS, POLITIC & GOVERNMENT

CNN Admits Hunter Biden’s Laptop Is Authentic 532 Days After Initial Reporting

CNN finally admitted on Wednesday that Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell” is authentic 532 days after the initial story broke on October 24, 2020 — notably calling it “Russian disinformation” and “made up” at the time.

“There are a lot of issues that the Justice Department are looking into, including, of course, this laptop – on the right-wing – has featured a lot of stories about Hunter Biden,” CNN’s Evan Perez acknowledged. “We know the FBI has possession of it and that they believe it is his laptop.”

Matt Gaetz Enters Hunter Biden Laptop Data Into Congressional Record

“I seek unanimous consent to enter into the record on this committee the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop, which I am in possession of.”

This request from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) briefly brought the House Judiciary Committee to a standstill March 29, before chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) relented and allowed the laptop data to become congressional record—archiving the business deals, pornographic images, and illicit data said to be on the infamous hard drive.

Gaetz’s surprise move followed a heated exchange with Bryan Vorndran, the assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division. The Florida representative asked numerous questions about the Hunter Biden laptop, only to have Vorndran profess ignorance to each one.

“In December 2019, they turned over the laptop to the FBI. And now you’re telling me as FBI’s assistant director of cyber, you don’t know where this is after it was turned over to you three years ago?” Gaetz asked.

“Yes sir, that’s an accurate statement,” Vorndran responded.

Gaetz said he found Vorndran’s response shocking. The FBI official argued that investigations into the laptop are not his responsibility.

Gaetz then asked whether anyone within the FBI’s cyber division has assessed whether Hunter Biden’s laptop has created a security vulnerability for the country.

“We can do this back and forth for the next couple of minutes. I don’t have any information about the Hunter Biden laptop,” Vorndran said.

Gaetz pressed further: “But should you? You’re the assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division,”

Vorndran said that, according to FBI HR flowcharts, no he should not have any information. But he also declined to say who within the FBI would.

Gaetz asked if the FBI would brief Congress on the laptop. Vorndran said he’d relay the request, but was non-committal as to whether a briefing will happen.

“Is Congress worthy of such a briefing?” Gaetz asked, referring to Vorndran as the Chris Webber of the FBI—a reference to a basketball player who made a mistake that cost his team the NCAA championship.

“So you don’t have it, you don’t know who has it, you don’t know where it is. Earlier this hearing, you were talking about whether you were the Grant Hill or Christian Laetner of the FBI,” Gaetz said. “It sounds like you’re the Chris Webber, trying to call time outs when you don’t have any.”

Vorndran appeared to be short of temper by the end of the interchange.

“I’m not going to answer that question!” the FBI official said in response to Gaetz’s repeated requests for a briefing. “The invitation says, ‘oversight of the FBI’s cyber division.’”

Gaetz then silenced the chamber when he asked to enter the laptop’s contents into the congressional record. Only murmurs could be heard as chairman Nadler consulted with a staffer.

“We will object, pending further investigation,” Nadler said.

“What’s the basis for objection?” Gaetz asked.

“It’s a unanimous consent request, and I object,” Nadler responded. “It may very well be entered into the record after we look into it further.”

About 10 minutes later, after another representative questioned Vorndran, Gaetz again motioned to enter the laptop contents into the record.

“After consultation with majority staff, I seek unanimous consent to enter into this committee content from, files from, and copies from Hunter Biden’s laptop,” he said.

This time, no one objected. Gaetz was also allowed to enter the receipt Hunter Biden allegedly signed at the Mac store.

Senators Release Bank Records Showing Payments to Hunter Biden From China

Newly released bank records show that payments were made to President Joe Biden’s son from a Chinese Communist Party-linked company.

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) presented the records on the Senate floor on March 28 and March 29.

One showed a wire payment of $100,000 to Owasco, one of Hunter Biden’s firms, from CEFC China Energy, a now-defunct company closely associated with the Chinese regime,

Another showed a wire transfer of $5 million to Hudson West, a company Hunter Biden invested in and managed, from Northern International Capital, a business that partnered with CEFC. A contract also made public by the senators showed $500,000 went to Hunter Biden as a “one-time retainer fee.”

Two others showed a $1 million payment made to Hudson West by CEFC and a transfer of $1 million from Hudson West to Owasco, with the money appearing to go to Hunter Biden for the purposes of representing Patrick Ho, a Chinese businessman who has helped CEFC gain advantages through bribery.

The receipts are just some of the records that “undeniably show strong links between the Biden family and communist China,” Grassley said.

The $100,000 transaction was dated Aug. 4, 2017; the $5 million transfer was dated Aug. 8, 2017; the two other payments were made on Nov. 30, 2017, and March 22, 2018, respectively.

Clinton Campaign, DNC Agree to Pay Fines for Payments of Steele Dossier

Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) likely violated federal law by not accurately describing payments made to a law firm that funneled the money to ex-British spy Christopher Steele, federal officials have ruled.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) determined that there was probable cause to believe that the Clinton campaign and its treasurer, Elizabeth Jones, and the DNC and its treasurer, Virginia McGregor, misreported the purpose of certain spending and violated federal law, according to documents made public on March 30.

The probable violations concern the $1 million payment that the law firm Perkins Coie, retained by the parties to provide legal services ahead of the 2016 election, made in 2016 to the company Fusion GPS.

The Clinton campaign paid $175,000 to Perkins Coie in mid-2016 for what it described in disclosure reports as “legal services.” The DNC paid $849,407 to the law firm at roughly the same time for what it described as “legal and compliance consulting.”

Federal law requires political campaigns to report the name and address of each person that they pay more than $200 per year and define the purpose of the payment.

Complaints lodged with the FEC stated that the Hillary for America campaign (HFA) and the DNC stated in 2018 that the parties made sure to hire operatives through Perkins Coie to shield their conduct from scrutiny.

“By intentionally obscuring their payments through Perkins Coie and failing to publicly disclose the true purpose of those payments, HFA and the DNC were able to avoid publicly reporting on their statutorily required FEC disclosure forms the fact that they were paying Fusion GPS to perform opposition research on Trump with the intent of influencing the outcome of the 2016 presidential election,” the Coolidge Reagan Foundation stated in one complaint.

The foundation released the FEC’s determination on March 30 ahead of the agency’s own release of the documents. An FEC spokesperson didn’t dispute the authenticity of the documents.

“The FEC has up to 30 days following notification of the parties to an enforcement matter to prepare and place the relevant documents on the public record,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. “Until then, we cannot provide comments

or disclose any information.”

Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Navy Members Seeking Religious Exemptions

The U.S. military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate has been blocked for all Navy members seeking religious exemptions.

A preliminary injunction that previously covered 35 Navy SEALs now covers some 4,000 others.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, a George W. Bush appointee who entered the original ruling in January, agreed to expand it in part because all members who have applied for religious exemptions “have all been harmed in essentially the same way.”

“Each is subject to the Navy’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Each has submitted her religious accommodation request, and none has received accommodation. Without relief, each servicemember faces the threat of discharge and the consequences that accompany it. Even though their personal circumstances may factually differ in small ways, the threat is the same—get the jab or lose your job,” he said in a 27-page order.

The Supreme Court recently sided with the Pentagon in the case, ruling that Navy commanders can consider a members’ vaccination status when deciding on deployment.

The new ruling means “anyone in the U.S. Navy whose religious accommodation from the vaccine mandate was denied is now protected from any sort of punishment or involuntary separation, things like that,” said Mike Berry, a lawyer with First Liberty Institute, which represents the plaintiffs in the case.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August 2021 ordered all U.S. troops to get a COVID-19 vaccine, asserting vaccination would help the force stay ready and prevent contraction of the virus that causes COVID-19 vaccine.

The mandate has remained in place even as the three vaccines available in the United States have proven increasingly ineffective against infection from the virus, SARS-CoV-2, and have also warned against severe disease.

Manchin Stakes Position Against Biden’s Proposed Billionaire Tax

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on March 29 says he doesn’t support President Joe Biden’s recently unveiled proposal to increase taxation on billionaires, saying the plan would tax assets billionaires don’t have.

Biden’s proposal, called the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax, would place a minimum tax rate of 20 percent on America’s wealthiest households. The plan would go a step further than many other plans, however, to tax unrealized gains from stocks, bonds, and similar assets.

In short, the plan would tax the total net worth of billionaires before assets are actually sold and converted into cash.

The plan, Manchin said, would put taxes on “things you don’t have.”

“You might have it on paper,” Manchin said. “There are other ways for people to pay their fair share, and I think everyone should pay.”

In the past, Manchin has staked out a middle position toward tax policy, opposing efforts that he thinks unfairly benefit the rich and also those he thinks unfairly target the rich.

Manchin was against President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reconciliation bill, which he said weighted the tax system too heavily in favor of the wealthy.

On the other hand, Manchin opposed his party’s efforts to radically change the tax code in the now-defunct Build Back Better Act (BBB), which would have greatly increased the size and enforcement capacity of the IRS.

One plan in that bill would have let the IRS seize information from banks on all Americans’ accounts with more than $600 in activity annually, potentially allowing the IRS to seize the bank information of almost all American adults. Manchin openly criticized that proposal in October, and indicated that he wouldn’t support it as part of the BBB.

Still, Manchin has indicated that he would be in favor of a scaled-back version of the BBB, with a few key climate and social policies and a reworking of the tax code to return it to its pre-2017 norms.

ABC’s Hostin: Biden Should Govern via Executive Order — ‘You Can’t Build Consensus with Crazy People’

ABC legal analyst Sunny Hostin said Wednesday on ABC’s “The View ” that President Joe Biden should govern via executive order because he can’t build consensus with “insurrectionists” and “crazy people.”

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg said, “In a recent New York Magazine interview, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned Democrats they could be in trouble going into the midterms. She thinks they’re still in the game, but the president and moderate Democrats need to stop thinking they can return to an era where a backroom deal with the GOP could be reached because that kind of thinking killed the Build Back Better Bill. Do you agree?

Guest-host Tara Setmayer said, “No. This is the absolute wrong lesson that Democrats have learned from what happened in the last year. The country is not left-of-center. We are a moderate country, independents dominate the electorate, and it is swing districts that make a difference. It is a five-seat margin in the House of Representatives right now, and historically it looks like it’s going to be a blood bath for the Democrats if they don’t turn things around.”

She added, “She also wants President Biden to rule by executive order, which is not how our system works.”

Hostin said, “But he has to.”

Setmayer said, “No, he does not.”

Hostin said, “You can’t build consensus with crazy people. You can’t build consensus with insurrectionists. You can’t do it.”

Susan Collins will vote to confirm Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine will vote to confirm President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, she said in a statement Wednesday morning, the first GOP senator to do so.

“After reviewing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s extensive record, watching much of her hearing testimony, and meeting with her twice in person, I have concluded that she possesses the experience, qualifications, and integrity to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court,” Collins said in her statement. “I will, therefore, vote to confirm her to this position.”

Wisconsin Judge Orders Vos Held in Contempt Over Election Records

Dane County Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ordered Speaker Robin Vos to turn over emails he kept on the 2020 election investigation. Retired Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman released his findings last week. During his opening testimony, Justice Gableman listed a series of unlawful acts that took place during the 2020 presidential election. Justice Gableman then called for the decertification of the 2020 presidential election results in the state.

Democrats are trying desperately to deflect attention away from the results on the audit and focus instead on attacking the integrity of Retired Justice Gableman and Speaker Robin Vos. Democrats can’t defend the illegal acts discovered during the investigation.

American Oversight is a far left group founded in 2017 to harass President Trump and Republican officials. They like to lie about being bipartisan.

On Wednesday Judge Bailey-Rihn ordered that Speaker Vos be held in contempt for not turning over his emails and text messages to the court.

WISN.com reported:

A judge on Wednesday has ordered that Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos be held in contempt for failing to produce emails and text messages related to the investigation he ordered into the 2020 presidential election.

Dane County Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn, who last week told the Rochester Republican that her patience was wearing thin, found that Vos had violated the open records law by failing to turn over documents sought by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight.

Bailey-Rihn wrote that Vos and the state Assembly, “after hearing and notice, have chosen to willfully violate a court order and are held in contempt.”

She told Vos and the Assembly to turn over records within 14 days and to pay $1,000 per day if they fail to do that. They will also have to pay some of American Oversight’s legal bills, the judge said.

VP Mike Pence Lays Out Three-Pillared ‘Freedom Agenda’ Ahead of Midterms

Former Vice President and founder of Advancing American Freedom Mike Pence announced his three-pillared “freedom agenda” for conservative leaders ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Pence’s plan has three pillars: American Opportunity, American Leadership, and American Culture. These pillars focus on America’s economic opportunity, strength abroad, and traditional values.

Under the American Opportunity pillar, Pence calls for, among other things, reestablishing America’s energy independence and dominance, fostering a thriving free-market economy, simplifying the tax code, and reigning in massive government spending by empowering federalism.

The opportunity pillar also calls for reforming big tech and providing them the same legal liability framework as traditional print and broadcast media companies. The plan reads:

The American free enterprise system is the most powerful economic engine in the history of mankind. No other system has created more wealth, lifted more people out of poverty, or improved mankindʼs quality of life to a greater degree. To restore American freedom and greatness, the free market must be unleashed from the shackles of high taxes, overregulation, and big-government socialism.

Under American Leadership, Pence calls on America to confront the Chinese Communist Party, forge a new Middle East by standing with Israel, and stand strong against Russian and Iranian aggression.

“American Freedom means peace at home and stability abroad. While America must never go ‘abroad, in search of monsters to destroy,’ in the words of John Quincy Adams, we must promote freedom through the power of our example and stand faithfully with our allies in defense of our common values and interests,” the freedom agenda says.

Finally, the American Culture pillar calls for policies that would promote patriotic education, secure our southern border, end illegal immigration, defend the second amendment, and protect women’s sports.

On culture, the plan says:

Americans are proud of our culture and believe that it is worth protecting for future generations. As Americans, we believe that every human being is created in the image of God, and we are endowed by our Creator with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To secure life, the sanctity of human life must be restored to the center of American law. To secure liberty, patriotic education must replace political indoctrination in our public schools. To secure happiness, every American, in every city, should feel safe in his or her home, at work, and on the street.

During a conference call with reporters, Pence told Breitbart News that providing a plan for American voters ahead of the midterms is as important as being “loyal opposition” to President Joe Biden’s administration.

Pence said:

In 2022, I believe that it will be important for us not merely to be the loyal opposition, but in a very real sense, I think it’s imperative that the conservative movement rally around a bold, optimistic agenda that’s informed by everything that we have learned in this movement, from the days of the Reagan-Bush administration, all the way through the Trump-Pence administration. And that was the genesis of the Freedom Agenda.

Pence developed his plan over the last six months with input from some of America’s most well-known conservatives, including former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, former National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow, and former Heritage Foundation president Kay Coles James. Pence said:

What we did over the last six months was really challenge the members of our advisory board to come to us and help us lay out that clear and compelling vision informed by the experience of the conservative movement over the last five decades. And I believe as you as you peruse the freedom agenda today, you’ll see it really is an effort to put [it] in one place.

ENTERTAINMENT

Bruce Willis ‘Stepping Away’ From Acting After Diagnosis: Family

Bruce Willis is taking a break from acting after a medical diagnosis, said his family on Wednesday.

They said the 67-year-old actor was diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that impacts an individual’s ability to understand or express speech.

“Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” the family said in a statement Wednesday.

The statement was written on behalf of his wife Emma, ex-wife Demi Moore, and daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn.

Without elaborating, the Willis family continued to say: “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.”

“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” their statement concluded.

The Mayo Clinic’s website says aphasia can impact a person’s capacity to speak, understand language, or write.

“It typically occurs suddenly after a stroke or a head injury but can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative),” the clinic says.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Opinion: Russia just made a case for owning gold — and nobody noticed

It makes sense to have at least some gold in a long-term investment portfolio

And it comes courtesy of Pavel Zavalny, the head of the Russian parliament.

Zavalny spoke last week on the subject of all the economic and financial sanctions being levied against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Most of the coverage of his remarks implied that Russia might respond to the sanctions by switching from U.S. dollars to “bitcoin” BTCUSD, -0.16% BTCUSD, -0.16% for international trade.

But a look at the transcript being reported shows something quite different. Zavalny added bitcoin only at the end of a long list of other currency and trading options, almost as an afterthought.

(As you might expect. Not only is bitcoin new, ridiculously volatile, widely open to manipulation, and a massive drain on energy in a world facing an energy crisis, but it also offers no guarantee of privacy. Western authorities can track all transactions on the blockchain, with the result, for example, that they can even get back bitcoin ransoms.)

Much more interesting was Zavalny’s main point, even though it has been mostly overlooked. If other countries want to buy oil, gas, other resources or anything else from Russia, he said, “let them pay either in hard currency, and this is gold for us, or pay as it is convenient for us, this is the national currency.”

In other words, Russia is happy to accept your national currency — yuan, lira, ringgits or whatever — or rubles, or “hard currency,” and for them that no longer means U.S. dollars, it means gold.

“The dollar ceases to be a means of payment for us, it has lost all interest for us,” Zavalny added, calling the greenback no better than “candy wrappers.”

What will this mean? Maybe nothing. Or maybe a lot. Especially if Russia’s lead is followed by countries such as China, India and others — countries that may not welcome Washington’s ability to control the global financial system through its monopoly power over the global reserve currency.

And this adds to the argument for having at least some gold in a long-term investment portfolio. No, not because it is guaranteed to rise, or maybe even likely to. But because it might — and might do so while everything else went nowhere, or went down. Like in a geopolitical or financial crisis where the non-western bloc decides to challenge America’s financial hegemony and ”king dollar.”

Shocking Credit Card Facts 90 Percent of Americans Don’t Know

During a much-needed break from work, I struck up a conversation with a colleague. It started out as your typical workplace conversation, but I could sense that something was weighing on her mind. So, I asked her what was going on.

It turns out that while she was reviewing her bills, she spotted a rather distressing fact about her credit card.

Like so many of us, she assumed that whenever you use your credit card to make a purchase, interest doesn’t kick in until 30 days later. Nope. The credit card determines when the interest starts. So, for her and using a Chase credit card, it was 21 days. Some are 7 days, others are 21 and a few are 30 days.

Why did this bug her so much? Well, she’s been carrying a $2,000 balance on her card. And, because of the terms of her credit card company, she’d been 9 days of 21 percent interest each and every month. As a result, she’d been wasting $100s every year just on interest.

Yeah. I’m sure that’s something that a credit card company definitely wouldn’t want to disclose.

Why should this anecdote concern you? Well, there were 365 million open credit card accounts in the U.S. as of the end of 2020. Or, to put that another way, 79 percent of consumers own at least one credit card or charge card, which is the highest percentage in the Survey of Consumer Payment Choice since the Fed first began conducting it in 2008.

So, if you’re reading this, then you probably have at least one credit card. And, if you do, then you should be aware of these 30 shocking credit card facts you don’t know if you want to save time and money.

Credit Reports vs. Credit Scores
Your Credit Score Is Based on 5 Core Factors
Interest Rates on Credit Cards Can Fluctuate
There’s a Card You’ve Never Heard Of
Before You Even Apply for a Credit Card, Everything Is
Be a Deadbeat
There Is No Expiration Date on Your Credit Card
Think Twice Before Canceling Your Credit Card
A Higher Number of Credit Cards Can Negatively Affect Your Credit Score
Negative Credit Items Will Eventually Come Off Your Credit Report
A Change in Interest Rates Can Be Refused
You Don’t Have to Show Your ID
The 45-day Notice You Receive When Your APR Rises Are Misleading
You Were Acquired by Credit Card Companies for Around $80
Almost One-Quarter of Americans Believe It Will Take 2 16. Majority of Lenders Use FICO Scores When Making
Purchases Made With Your Credit Card Are Protected
According to the Credit CARD Act of 2009, Grace Periods Are Not Required
More Than Half of Americans Carry a Balance on Their Credit Cards Every Month
Credit Scores Come in Many Forms
The Bogus Chargeback Restriction
Insuring Credit Cards Against Payment Fraud Is a Waste of Money
Most States Prohibit Standard Credit Card Interest Rates
Credit Card Companies Place Their Headquarters in States With Lax Usury Laws
Credit Card Balances Aren’t Always Black and White
The Cost of Cash Advances Is High
Your Credit Score Can Cost You Money
Late Payments Have an Impact
Many Credit Reports Contain Inaccurate Credit Information
Credit Card Issuers Might Pay to Keep You

Only Six People Used the Postal Banking Pilot Program

Lately it has seemed like the bad news has just been piling up. From the bank account freezes in Canada to sweeping legislation on cryptocurrency here in the United States and then the war in Ukraine, 2022 has been off to a rocky start. However, one spot of good news came when the final version of the omnibus spending bill that President Biden signed into law revealed that the funding planned for another postal banking pilot program had been removed.

Originally, $6,000,000 was allocated for a new postal banking pilot program despite last year’s test of the program only reaching 6 people. The spending was spelled out in an appropriations bill that called for a new pilot program that would feature surcharge‐free ATMs, wire transfers, check cashing, and bill payment services at five rural and five non‐rural United States Postal Service (USPS) locations. In other words, it would have doubled the footprint of last year’s failed attempt to introduce postal banking.

This attempted expansion was all despite the fact that it had already been revealed that people are not interested in banking with the post office. In November of last year, employees at the postal banking pilot location in the Bronx, New York said they had not seen any customers since the September 13th start of the program.

The reality turned out to be much worse, though: the USPS reported that, across all locations, just 6 checks had been cashed for a total value of $548.46.

To put the postal banking pilot’s performance in perspective, the Financial Services Centers of America (FISCA) reported that more than 30 million customers cashed $58 billion with check cashers in 2020. And this should be no surprise considering the private sector offers a far better service. Last year’s postal banking pilot charged $5.95 to load business and payroll checks up to $500 onto single‐use gift cards. In contrast, Walmart cashes checks up to $1,000 for just $4.00. Even smaller chains like Check Cash Depot, which is just around the corner from the Baltimore Post Office, only charge a fee of 1% ($5.00 to cash a $500 check).

GARDENING, FARMIN, & HOMESTEADING

18 Fastest Growing Vegetables (Indoors, Garden, Containers)

With prices at the grocery store continuing to climb, this list of fastest growing vegetables will help you get a harvest sooner while waiting for later crops to mature.

Fastest Growing Vegetables

5 Tips for a Quicker Harvest

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COVID RELATED NEWS

“Surprised and Concerned”: Poison Control Issues Nationwide “Toxic” Warning About Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Tests – Kit Includes Poisonous “Liquid Substance” Used Commonly in “Pest Control” – (VIDEO)

For months, there have been many people sounding the alarm over the at-home Covid-19 rapid test, saying that the kits include toxic substances that pose health risks – something that has been widely condemned by the establishment as a wild conspiracy theory.

Well, just like with most everything else these days, the difference between wild right wing conspiracy and fact simply comes down to a matter of time.

Now, even public health officials can’t ignore the dangers posed by these tests.

Last month, the Gateway Pundit reported that Ohio and Texas issued a warning after seeing an increase in reports related to sodium azide poisoning, a chemical found in test kits after Biden promised to give 500 million Covid test kits to Americans.

The poisonous substance in these test kits is called Sodium Azide, which has a “high” acute toxicity and can be fatal to humans in cases of overexposure, according to Stanford Medical. The presence of this toxic substance was apparently only found by Poison Control researchers after the winter wave of Omicron, which saw many Americans testing at home with the kits.

Following this uptick in at-home testing, according to WHIO TV7, drug and poison centers across the country experienced a large increase in cases involving Sodium Azide, which prompted the Ohio Poison Control to issue their warning.

The liquid Sodium Azide is located within the extraction tube inside the kits and the substance is colorless tasteless and odorless.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital toxicologist Dr. Sheila Goertemoeller, who is a member of the Ohio Poison Control Center, spoke with WHIO7 about the agency’s decision to issue the nationwide warning. She explained that the other 54 Poison Centers in America have seen a similar upswing in Sodium Azide poisonings, amounting to “more than a couple hundred” across the country as of late.

Goertemoeller also admitted that her colleagues were “surprised” and “concerned” that such a highly toxic substance is being used in the test kits.

Nearly 60 million people have already received a free at-home Covid test from the Biden administration, most of which were passed out this winter, according to WHIO7 News.

From WHO7:

“Ohio poison control centers are sounding the alarm surrounding a liquid substance called Sodium Azide found in some at home testing covid testing kits that could be toxic to children as well as adults if used incorrectly.

‘Our toxicology community has been both surprised that this was the ingredient in some of the kits, and also concerned. We have seen exposure in all age groups,’ [Goertemoeller said.]

‘We are one of 55 poison control centers and nationwide other poison centers have been reporting a similar finding and there have been more than a couple of hundred exposures nationwide to Sodium Azide in test kits,’ [Goertemoeller explained.]

As WHIO7 points out, there have even been some adults who end up using the toxic liquid to swab the inside of their nose because they did not follow the instructions on the package, so if you have these kits at home, use caution – or better yet, throw them away.