BREAKING NEWS!
A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday upheld the conviction of Steve Bannon, a former top adviser to Donald Trump, for defying a subpoena from the congressional panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Bannon was convicted in 2022 of two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents or testify to the House of Representatives committee the investigated the Capitol riot.
He was sentenced to four months in prison, but has been allowed to remain free during his appeal.
Bannon, a key figure on the American right, argued on appeal that he was barred from making key arguments in his defense at trial, including that his lawyer advised him he did not have to comply with the subpoena.
Hunter Biden also lost his appeal on the gun charge and will now have to stand trial!
Hunter Biden failed to successfully appeal his gun charges on Thursday before the United
States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Hunter’s trial remains set for June 3 in Delaware.
The judge scheduled a pretrial conference for May 24 at 2:00 p.m. Hunter is required to attend.
“The defendant in this criminal case appealed three pretrial orders entered on April 12, 2024, denying his motions to dismiss the indictment,” the court wrote in a curiam order. “This appeal is DISMISSED because the defendant has not shown the District Court’s orders are appealable before final judgment.”
The three judges included Schwartz (appointed by Obama) and Chung (appointed by Biden).
“Orders that decline to dismiss charges are generally not collateral orders unless a defendant asserts a right not to be tried,” the order said. “Non-prosecution agreements do not implicate a right not to be tried or any other right that can be collaterally appealed.”
Hunter sought an “interlocutory appeal” for what is called an “immediately appealable collateral order.”
WORLD NEWS
UN General Assembly set to back Palestinian bid for membership; sends to Security Council!
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday is set to back a Palestinian bid to become a full U.N. member by recognizing it as qualified to join and sending the application back to the U.N. Security Council to “reconsider the matter favorably.”
The Palestinians are reviving their bid to become a full U.N. member – a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state – after the United States vetoed it in the 15-member U.N. Security Council last month.
The vote by the 193-member General Assembly on Friday will act as a global survey of support for the Palestinians. An application to become a full U.N. member first needs to be approved by the Security Council and then the General Assembly.
But while the General Assembly alone cannot grant full U.N. membership, the draft resolution being put to a vote on Friday will give the Palestinians some additional rights and privileges from September 2024 – like a seat among the U.N. members in the assembly hall – but it will not be granted a vote in the body.
Diplomats said the draft text is likely to get the support needed to be adopted.
The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes seven months into a war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the U.N. considers to be illegal.
The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012.
The United Nations has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab states.
The U.S. mission to the United Nations said earlier this week: “It remains the U.S. view that the path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations.”
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan on Monday denounced the draft text for attempting to give the Palestinians the de facto status and rights of a state. He said the adoption of the text would not change anything on the ground.
“If it is approved, I expect the United States to completely stop funding the U.N. and its institutions, in accordance with American law,” said Erdan.
Under U.S. law, Washington cannot fund any U.N. organization that grants full membership to any group that does not have the “internationally recognized attributes” of statehood. The United States cut funding in 2011 for the U.N. cultural agency, UNESCO, after the Palestinians joined as a full member.
On Thursday, 25 U.S. Republican senators – more than half of the party’s members in the chamber – introduced a bill to tighten those restrictions and cut off funding to any entity giving rights and privileges to the Palestinians. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, which is controlled by President Joe Biden’s Democrats.
Biden’s DHS will start issuing ID cards to migrants crossing the border this Summer!
President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly starting a pilot program to provide migrants, released into the United States and placed into deportation proceedings, with identification (ID) cards.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw reported that DHS officials have confirmed the agency will begin implementing the Secure Docket Card program this summer, offering photo IDs to about 10,000 migrants who cross the United States-Mexico border and are subsequently released into the U.S. interior.
“[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] confirmed to Fox News Digital this week the pilot program is expected to commence this summer with the distribution of approximately 10,000 cards,” Shaw reported. “While the agency stressed that plans are ‘pre-decisional’ and still subject to change, it is expected the cards will be issued in three or four locations in the U.S.”
A spokesperson with DHS told Shaw the “specifics” of the photo IDs “are under development” but stressed that they “will not be an official form of federal identification.”
[The Office of Immigration Program Evaluation] is leading the ICE Secure Docket Card project, which offers a uniform, durable card provided to noncitizens upon release, and facilitates reliable access to commonly lost or damaged immigration-related paperwork. [Emphasis added]
As far back as August 2022, when Biden’s DHS first began developing the pilot program, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee started sounding the alarm.
“… the issuance of ID cards raises the possibility that illegal aliens will use these identification cards to improperly access benefits such as housing, healthcare, and transportation,” the Republicans wrote at the time.
A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report from January found that in about three years, Biden’s DHS has welcomed some 6.2 million migrants to American communities through its expansive Catch and Release network at the southern border.
The CBO report suggested that Biden’s DHS is releasing nearly 200,000 migrants into the U.S. interior every month.
Illegal immigrants refuse to leave Denver encampment; send list of demands to Mayor! OMG!
A group of illegal immigrants staying at an encampment in Denver, Colorado, that is set to be removed are refusing to leave until city leaders meet their demands.
The group sent a document detailing 13 of their demands to Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, on Wednesday, according to the non-profit Housekeys Action Network Denver.
In a Facebook post, Housekeys Action Network Denver said the immigrants at the camp had requested that the “incredibly reasonable and doable changes take place” to ensure “long-term stability and opportunities for all.”
The non-profit also criticized what it said were the “poor conditions and lack of accountability that resulted in many of these same individuals finding themselves on the streets after having gone thru [sic] the system.”
According to Housekeys Action Network Denver, the group of immigrants has vowed to voluntarily leave the encampment and stay in indoor shelters funded by the city—as has been repeatedly requested by Denver Human Services—so long as their demands are met.
Their demands include that they are allowed to “cook their own food with fresh, culturally appropriate ingredients provided by the city instead of premade meals – rice, chicken, flour, oil, butter, tomatoes, onions, etc.” and that they “not be punished for bringing in and eating outside food.”
Shower access “will be available without time limits and can be accessed whenever,” the list states, with the group of immigrants adding: “We are not in the military, we are civilians.”
“Medical professional visits will happen regularly and referrals/connections for specialty care will be made as needed,” the list continues.
“All will receive the same housing support that has been offered to others,” it adds. “They cannot kick people out in 30 days without something stable established.”
Elsewhere, the group calls for a “clear, just process before exiting someone for any reason,” including verbal, written, and final warnings, and adds that all the immigrants should receive help with employment support, including work permit applications for those who qualify.
“Consultations for each person/family with a free immigration lawyer must be arranged to discuss/progress their cases, and then the City will provide on-going legal support in the form of immigration document clinics and including transportation to relevant court dates,” the group writes.
Meanwhile, the group of immigrants asked that city officials provide individuals and families with “privacy within the shelter” and transportation for all children to and from schools for the next three weeks.
The group is also calling for an end to alleged “verbal, physical and mental abuse” from staff and that no sheriff be allowed to sleep inside and monitor them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We are not criminals and won’t be treated as such,” the group writes. It is not clear if the group was referring to a sheriff sleeping inside the encampment or the city-funded indoor shelters.
Elsewhere, the group asked that families not be separated, regardless of whether or not they have children.
“The camp will stay together,” the group states.
Finally, the group demanded that the city schedule a meeting with Mr. Johnston and other individuals directly involved in running the Denver Newcomer program as soon as possible “to discuss further improvements and ways to support migrants.”
“The City must provide all residents with a document signed by a City official in English and Spanish with all of these demands that include a number to call to report mistreatment,” the group concluded.
The group’s refusal to leave the encampment comes as Denver is battling with a $180 million budget gap as the illegal immigrant crisis continues to weigh heavily on the city.
In February, Mr. Johnston told reporters the city needs to slash roughly $18 million per month from public services throughout 2024 in order to fund the costs of providing services to illegal immigrants arriving in the city.
At the time, the Democrat called the cuts a “plan for shared sacrifice” that would help both “newcomers” illegally crossing the border and taxpayers who expected certain services in the city.
“This is what good people do in hard situations as you try to manage your way to serve all of your values. Our values are: we want to continue to be a city that does not have women and children out on the street in intense and 20-degree weather,” he said.
In its post on Facebook, Housekeys Action Network Denver said it was not up to Mr. Johnston to “accept and support the very migrants he says he appreciates and defends in his speeches.”
“Now is the time to support these individuals with sustainable, stable plans that also provide them with the autonomy and self-determination they want!!!” the organization said.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Trump announces major motion filed in NY appeals court
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that his lawyers asked a New York state appellate court to issue a ruling on a judge’s gag order that prohibits him from speaking about certain individuals connected to his ongoing trial.
His team filed a motion on Wednesday, which has been sealed and is inaccessible, according to the court docket. The Manhattan district attorney’s office filed a response to the motion, but it was also sealed.
While speaking with reporters outside the courthouse on Thursday morning, President Trump confirmed the move. Anonymously sourced reports published Wednesday said that it was a motion to expedite the ruling.
Secret Service must provide protection to Trump if he is jailed!
The U.S. Secret Service reiterated that it “must provide protection” to former presidents amid speculation that President Donald Trump could be jailed by a New York judge for violating his gag order.
On Monday, Judge Juan Merchan told the former president that if he continues to violate a gag order for speaking about witnesses and other individuals connected to the trial, he could face a jail term.
In response to questions about how the Secret Service would respond if President Trump were jailed, a spokesperson for the agency told The Epoch Times Tuesday that “under federal law, the United States Secret Service must provide protection for current government leaders, former Presidents and First Ladies, visiting heads of state and other individuals designated by the President of the United States.”
It appears another Trump criminal case has stalled; Fani Willis won’t testify at appeal!
One day after former President Donald Trump’s classified documents trial was postponed indefinitely after we learned that the DOJ mishandled evidence in the case (with Judge Aileen M. Cannon citing a mountain of ‘outstanding’ pre-trial matters that would make a May 20 trial ‘imprudent’), another Trump case appears to have no chance of going to trial before the 2024 election.
Atlanta Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court, who donated to Fani Willis when she was running for office, ruled in March that the Fani simply had to kick her lover, Nathan Wade, off the case after she paid him more than $600,000. The two notoriously took several lavish vacations together on Wade’s dime (which Fani swears she repaid in cash).
According to McAfee, while he found the “appearance of impropriety,” no “disqualification of a constitutional officer necessary when a less drastic and sufficiently remedial option is available,” adding “that the prosecution of this case cannot proceed until the State selects one of two options.”
And now, the Atlanta Court of Appeals has agreed to hear an appeal from the defendants over whether McAfee erred in his decision.
Willis indicted Trump and 18 other defendants last August, accusing them of a wide-ranging scheme to attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. All of the defendants were charged under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, law. Trump and most of the other defendants have pleaded not guilty.
In their appeal application, Trump and other defendants argued that McAfee was wrong not to remove both WIllis and Wade, writing that “providing DA Willis with the option to simply remove Wade confounds logic and is contrary to Georgia law.”
Most recently, Willis has defiantly refused to appear before a Georgia Senate Investigative Committee, telling reporters earlier this week (via RedState):
REPORTER: Would you appear before a Georgia Senate committee without a subpoena?
WILLIS: Well first of all I don’t even think they have the authority to subpoena me, but they didn’t learn the law.
REPORTER: Will you appear, yes or no?
WILLIS: I will not appear to anything that is unlawful. I have not broken the law in any way. I’ve said it, you know, I’ll say it amongst these leaders—I’m sorry folks get p***ed off that everybody gets treated even.
REPORT: Miss Israel threatened, harassed in NYC for identifying herself as an IDF soldier!
Miss Israel was called a “war criminal,” a “little Zionist,” and threatened with a knife after identifying herself as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in New York City on Monday, according to reports.
Miss Israel Noa Cochva was berated and threatened on the streets of the Big Apple while carrying a poster that read, “I am an IDF soldier. Ask me anything,” the Daily Mail reported.
As Cochva stood in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, next to New York University, one onlooker approached her, saying, “I heard there was a Zionist here,” with a knife brandished at the beauty queen.
“She pulled a knife on us, and we got so scared we actually ran away,” Cochva told the New York Post. “That woman, it looked like she was really aiming to hurt us. I will never forget the hate in her eyes.”
Cochva was doing advocacy work for the pro-Israel group “Facts for Peace.” According to the Post, she was engaged in a “social experiment” to engage with students in “meaningful conversations” about the war they have been so vocal in protesting.
“I’ve been to war, and I know what it looks like from within,” she told the Post. “But none of them wanted to talk or listen.”
“It’s an awful thing to see what’s going on at the universities,” she said. “It’s hard to see a generation of future leaders not even open to asking questions.”
“You’re getting your information from TikTok instead of real-life people who have been to war,” she continued. “To me, that’s ignorance.”
Another passerby barked, “You are a war criminal; how do you sleep at night?”
“I sleep really well because I know that I’m on the right side of history,” Cochva replied.
Military service is mandatory in Israel for all citizens at 18 years old. Women are required to serve for two years, and men are required to serve for three years.
“Of the roughly 100 people she encountered, about 70 percent spewed anti-Israel comments, often shouting or rolling their eyes, she said. Only one person asked her an earnest question,” the Post reported.
“The amount of hate that people had for me today … I was just trying to have peaceful conversations with them,” the beauty queen said in a tearful Instagram post following the ordeal.
“I took an oath to save everyone’s life. I treated Palestinians. I treated terrorists. I treated everyone in Gaza,” she said.
An American military officer stopped Cochva to chat about “the sense of purpose she gained from serving her country,” the Post reported, and another passerby thanked her and told her, “I’m with your people.”
Illinois GOP accuses Democrats of election interference by banning candidate slating!
Last week, Democrats in the Illinois House added a last-minute amendment to Senate Bill 2412 that changes state election laws, including prohibiting political parties from appointing candidates to fill out general election ballots where the party did not field a primary candidate, known as slating.
The move outraged Republicans, a minority in the Illinois Legislature, who voted “present” and walked off the House floor without debating the measure, which quickly passed both chambers and was signed into law on May 3 by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The election changes went into effect immediately upon Mr. Pritzker’s signature, banning the slating appointment process that under previous law was allowed within 75 days of the primary.
The new law means candidates must run in the primary in order to appear on the November general election ballot. It effectively gives Democrats a win in races in which Republicans didn’t slate a candidate in the primary.
Democrats framed the bill as an ethics measure that prevents backroom dealing when choosing candidates, while Republicans said it unfairly changes the rules of a game that’s already in play—and amounts to a bid to steal the election.
Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran released a statement calling the measure an “abuse of power” and accusing Democrats of seeking to “politically suppress Illinoisans’ voting rights.”
Sheriff’s Deputy fired over J-6 secures almost $400,000 settlement!
A sheriff’s deputy fired for her actions in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, has secured a large settlement from Bexar County in Texas.
Roxanne Mathai, a lieutenant with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) at the time she traveled to Washington, will receive $395,000 in a settlement reached after she sued her former employer, the parties in the case told The Epoch Times.
Ms. Mathai posted images and videos on Jan. 6, 2021, from a rally for then-President Donald Trump in Washington, held just before people breached the U.S. Capitol. Ms. Mathai went over to the building after the rally. She included captions in her posts, such as “Today has been amazing!”
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said a day later that he was aware of the materials and that he intended to make sure Ms. Mathai never entered a sheriff’s office building again.
He said that Ms. Mathai was allowed to exercise her First Amendment rights but should have left once crimes began being committed.
There is no indication Ms. Mathai entered the Capitol, and she has not been charged. She has said she left at about 3 p.m., that she could not see any doors or windows from her position, and that she saw people climbing the walls at the Capitol but didn’t think that was illegal.
The sheriff’s office discharged Ms. Mathai in June 2021 after officials determined that she failed to report crimes and engaged in conduct unbecoming of an officer, according to documents reviewed by The Epoch Times.
An arbitrator upheld the termination, finding in part that while near the Capitol, she “knew or should have known she was observing illegal activity (trespass, barricades down, people climbing walls and scaffolding); that tear gas in the area and later a curfew were signs of trouble; that her social media would disseminate her pictures, video and comments to the public; and, that as an officer with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office the last place she should be or remain or come back to was the scene of this so-called ‘rally.’”
Ms. Mathai sued in 2022, alleging violations of her constitutional rights. She noted she had received permission from a superior to attend the pro-Trump rally and described herself as a “law-abiding citizen” who wanted to attend a peaceful event in support of the president.
Ms. Mathai said she recorded video footage and photographs because she believed she “was a witness to history” and wanted to “create a record for posterity,” according to the lawsuit.
“Ms. Mathai proudly and unapologetically voiced and displayed her lawful and constitutionally protected support of President Trump in person and through social media,” it stated.
The suit said Ms. Mathai was “shocked and appalled” when she returned to her hotel room on Jan. 6 and watched what was unfolding at the Capitol.
An attempt in 2023 by Bexar County officials to have the case thrown out was rejected by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, who was overseeing the case. He ruled that Ms. Mathai did not waive her rights to bring a federal claim.
The Bexar County Commissioners Court in April approved a $100,000 payment to an outside insurance carrier to allow the carrier to take over the defense in the case. That was the deductible required under the insurance policy, so the insurer is covering the remainder of the settlement, according to the county. The insurance company settled for the rest of the balance.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
ATTOM Data Report: Home equity dips; underwater mortgages up!
ATTOM Data released its first-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, which shows that 45.8 percent of mortgaged residential properties in the United States were considered equity-rich in the first quarter, meaning that the combined estimated amount of loan balances secured by those properties was no more than half of their estimated market values. The portion of mortgaged homes that were equity-rich in the first quarter of 2024 is down from 46.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, marking the third straight quarterly decline. The latest figure also was down from 47.2 percent in the first quarter of 2023, hitting the lowest point in two years.
The portion of mortgaged homes considered seriously underwater rose slightly nationwide from one in 38 during the fourth quarter of last year to one in 37 during the first quarter of this year. The ratio went up in 37 states, mostly by less than one percentage point.
The biggest increases were clustered in the South, which already had some of the nation’s highest levels of seriously underwater mortgages. The largest quarterly increases were in Kentucky (share of mortgaged homes that were seriously underwater up from 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 8.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024), West Virginia (up from 4.4 percent to 5.4 percent), Oklahoma (up from 5.5 percent to 6.1 percent), Arkansas (up from 5.2 percent to 5.7 percent) and Delaware (up from 2.3 percent to 2.7 percent).
On the flip side, states where the percentage of seriously underwater homes decreased most from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024 were Missouri (down from 5.6 percent to 4.5 percent), Mississippi (down from 8 percent to 7.1 percent), Arizona (down from 1.9 percent to 1.6 percent), Hawaii (down from 1.7 percent to 1.6 percent) and Tennessee (down from 2.9 percent to 2.8 percent).
Bud Light sales continue to tank in America in the wake of the Dylan Mulvaney controversy!
Beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Bud Light brand appears to still be reeling from the backlash over its controversial decision to partner with influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who identifies as transgender, last year.
In its first-quarter earnings results, published on May 8, the beverage maker—which also produces Stella Artois and Corona beer—reported a 2.6 percent increase in global revenues, largely because of sales of Corona, which grew by 15.5 percent outside of its home market of Mexico.
Revenue rose to $14.5 billion, beating Wall Street’s forecast of $14.3 billion, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Yet although Anheuser-Busch’s earnings were better than expected, the Belgium-based company also reported a 9.1 percent decrease in revenues in the United States.
Sales to retailers in the United States were down by 13.7 percent, primarily driven by a drop in Bud Light volume, according to the company.
That’s less of a hit than the 17 percent decline in revenues in the United States that it reported in the final quarter of last year, which it also said was “primarily due to the volume decline of Bud Light.”
Martin Armstrong interview: You will need 2 years worth of food (to survive)!
Legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong has new data on how well the Biden economy is doing. Spoiler alert: It’s not doing well, and the financial system is about to tank. As to whether the U.S. government could default on its debt if countries around the world continue to stop buying it, Armstrong explained, “I think the US could default on its debt as early as 2025, but probably in 2027. We have kicked the can down the road as far as we can go. It’s not just in the United States. Europe is in the same boat. So is Japan. This is why they need war. They think by going into war, that’s the excuse to default on the debt. They simply will not pay China. If they try to sell their debt–good luck. We are not redeeming it. The same thing is happening in Europe. So, once that happens, you go into war, and that is their excuse on this whole debt thing to collapse, which wipes out pensions etc. Then they can blame Putin. This is the same thing Biden was doing before saying this was Putin’s inflation. Then, with the whole CBDC thing (central bank digital currency) . . . . the IMF has already completed its digital coin, and they want that to replace the dollar as the reserve currency for the world. . . . These people are desperately just trying to hang on to power. Nobody wants to give it up, and nobody wants to reform.”
Armstrong flatly stated what the common person should be doing now:
“I think you need, safely, two years’ worth of food supply. . . .This is what I have. It’s not just prices will go up, but mainly because there will be shortages. Then, you do not know what they are going to do with the currency. . . . They will do whatever they have to do to survive. That’s what governments always do.”
Armstrong says his most recent data suggests that government approval ratings in the USA are worse than Biden’s 8% approval rating. Congress, according to Armstrong, is dragging the bottom with a 7% approval rating. Armstrong has long said that people will buy gold and silver when faith in government crashes. That is exactly what Armstrong is seeing around the world today. Gold is bouncing around the $2,300 level, and Armstrong sees “a new gold and silver rally coming soon.”
“War is also coming sooner than later with the announcement that Ukraine will be joining NATO as early as July. When the next war starts, Armstrong warns, “You are going to have to watch the bank because long term interest rates are going to go up. Nobody wants to buy government debt, and you are going to have to hunker down at that stage in the game.”
Armstrong is also predicting a big turn on or about May 7th of next week. Armstrong predicts a recession will start then and go on until 2028. GDP will continue to fall, and inflation will continue to rise. Armstrong says it is the perfect storm for a dreaded “stagflation economy.”
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Blaze Media interjects the term “Stone Age”, when it’s really the “Dark Ages”
The effects of an electromagnetic pulse are far worse than most Americans can imagine, a leading space policy expert has warned.
With foreign adversaries like Russia and China officially classifying the EMPs outside of the purview of nuclear arms treaties, the infrastructure-shattering weapons could be used against Western nations with little to no direct casualties.
Space policy expert and former Trump administration advisor Greg Autry told Blaze News that EMP technology and its effects have been known for over 50 years.
The real worry for a modern society is our vast reliance on electronics, Autry warned.
“If somebody did one of these today, your phone would be a brick. Anybody with a pacemaker would drop dead, instantly. Every piece of your electronics… your laptop computer, your internet router, would be gone, and most of the relays in our power grid would be gone so there would be no power.”
What makes the threat even more dire is the likely inability to replace some of the serviceable parts that would be destroyed during such an attack.
“We are instantly transported into the Stone Age,” Autry described before laughing that in his book “Red Moon Rising,” he joked that “Gen Z is gonna learn how to make a fire and sharpen spears” without the help of a YouTuber.
Cyberattack Cripples Major US Health Care Network
Ascension, a major U.S. health care system with 140 hospitals in 19 states, announced late Thursday that a cyberattack has caused disruptions at some of its hospitals.
“Systems that are currently unavailable include our electronic health records system, MyChart (which enables patients to view their medical records and communicate with their providers), some phone systems, and various systems utilized to order certain tests, procedures and medications,” Ascension said in the statement.
In some cases, emergency care is affected as well, with ambulances being diverted from certain medical centers, the St. Louis-based chain said.
“Several hospitals are currently on diversion for emergency medical services in order to ensure emergency cases are triaged immediately,” Ascension said. ” If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 911 and your local emergency services will bring you to the nearest hospital emergency room.”
Some non-emergency procedures, tests and appointments are also being postponed as Ascension deals with the cyber hack, which first came to light Wednesday as “Ascension detected unusual activity in our network systems.”
“Our investigation and restoration work will take time to complete, and we do not have a timeline for completion,” the nonprofit health are system said.
Ascension also runs more than 40 senior living facilities.
The cyberattack on Ascension is just one in a series that have hit U.S. health care organizations.
Uber Wants to Partner with AV Companies and Says Tesla FSD Looks Like a Great Product
Uber stated they want to partner with autonomous vehicle companies. Uber says they will provide demand for autonomous vehicles.
In the Q1 earnings call, Uber says Tesla FSD looks like a a great product and they also said startup Wayve looks good.
Wayve is a startup that just received over $1 billion in funding from Nvidia, Softbank, Microsoft and others.
Wayve is developing technology intended to power future self-driving vehicles by using what it calls embodied AI.
Unlike AI models carrying out cognitive or generative tasks such as answering questions or creating pictures, this new technology interacts with and learns from real-world surroundings and environments.
DARPA’a New Manta Ray is a Unmanned Drone Submarine
Northrop Grumman Corporation completed assembly of a full-size uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) prototype known as Manta Ray. A new class of UUV, it is an extra-large glider that will operate long-duration, long-range and payload-capable undersea missions without need for on-site human logistics. The Manta Ray can wait on the seabed to intercept nuclear submarines. DARPA’s Manta Ray is an autonomous, uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) that can operate at depths that traditional submersibles can’t reach. The Manta Ray program was launched in 2020 to improve underwater vehicle design and develop techniques to increase payload capacity and conserve energy.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
New speakers lined up for this year’s Ozarks Homesteading Expo!
September 6th & 7th (2024) in Marshfield, Missouri! Click on the link for tickets!
Recipe: Cucumber Soup For When The Garden Is Abundant
It seems to rain down produce in abundance sometimes. When that something is cucumbers, you need more options than just making pickles to use them all! This cucumber soup is easy to make and is just as good cold for hot summer days.
HEALTH
Pfizer pauses experimental gene therapy trial after boy’s sudden death!
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. has halted a study of an experimental gene therapy for muscular dystrophy after a child who received the treatment died due to cardiac arrest.
The New York City-headquartered drugmaker revealed the boy’s sudden death in a community letter shared by the nonprofit advocacy group Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD).
The child—who was not identified by the company—received the investigational recombinant adeno-associated virus gene therapy known as fordadistrogene movaparvovec as part of Pfizer’s phase 2 “DAYLIGHT” study for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in early 2023, the company said.
According to Pfizer, the “DAYLIGHT” study enrolled children between the ages of two and four. The study has since concluded, Pfizer said.
FDA Commissioner: Agency says it’s preparing for possible “Bird Flu” spread among humans!
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing for a scenario in which the highly pathogenic avian influenza starts spreading among humans, the agency’s commissioner said on May 8.
“This virus, like all viruses, is mutating. We need to continue to prepare for the possibility that it might jump to humans,” Dr. Robert Califf, the commissioner, told senators during a hearing in Washington.
The influenza, also known as the bird flu or H5N1, has recently started spreading among cattle and other species. One person in Texas has had a confirmed case this year.
So far, genetic sequencing and other data indicate that influenza poses little risk to people, and there are no signs that the flu is transmitting from person-to-person, according to U.S. officials. But they are working on getting treatments, tests, and vaccines ready in case that changes.
“We’ve been busy getting prepared for if the virus does mutate in a way that jumps into humans on a larger level,” Dr. Califf told the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.
The patient in Texas primarily experienced one symptom: inflamed eyes. Neither the patient nor many of the cows that have been infected have suffered respiratory symptoms. H5N1 commonly infects the respiratory tracts of birds.
“The real worry is that it will jump to the human lungs, where, when that has happened in other parts of the world for brief outbreaks, the mortality rates have been 25 percent,” Dr. Califf said. The worry is based in part on how viruses typically mutate, such as in the case of COVID-19.
From 2003 to April 1, 2024, 889 cases of H5N1 have been confirmed across the globe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of the patients, 52 percent have died.
WHO chief scientist Jeremy Farrar said recently that H5N1 has developed into a “global zoonotic animal pandemic” and that scientists are concerned that the virus could evolve to spread among humans.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the organization, said Wednesday that “the virus does not show signs of having adapted to spread among humans, but more surveillance is needed.”
Many experts consulted by the U.S. government are concerned about the jump of the influenza to cattle and other species and how cattle intermingle with pigs, chickens, and humans on farms, according to Dr. Califf. A May 3 study from U.S. and Danish researchers said testing of tissues from cattle indicated the animals could serve as a “mixing vessel” for avian influenza because receptors from chickens, ducks, and humans were expressed in the cows.
While the risk is still low, “if we institute the countermeasures now and reduce the spread of the virus now, then we’re much less likely to see a mutation that jumps to humans for which we’re ill-prepared,” Dr. Califf added.
Why You Should Always Use Organic Red Onions
Research reveals that comparing the nutrition in five different onions, red or purple onions offer far more protection in terms for disease prevention, as several properties they contain kill three to four times more cancer cells.
Flavonols, anthocyanins and allicin are three of the most powerful compounds in onions, but while they’re naturally high in all allium veggies, including shallots, garlic and leeks, red onions contain the most.
Studies dispute earlier findings of there being no nutritional difference between organic and conventionally grown onions — Antioxidant activity was greater in organic red onion varieties, and the flavonols were as much as 20% higher.
CANCEL CULTURE
Catholic school boys expelled over blackface acne mask selfie win $1-million in court!
A massive payout of over $1 million has been awarded to two teens who sued their elite California Catholic school after being kicked out over a “blackface” selfie — when they were actually using skincare masks.
When they were just 14 years old in 2017, the boys attended a sleepover and applied a face mask purchased by one of their mothers, which turned from light to dark green once dry.
The students, referred to as A.H. and H.H. in their lawsuit viewed by the Los Angeles Times, said they took a selfie with the skin treatment on in solidarity with a friend who was suffering from severe acne.
The seemingly innocent picture didn’t cause any trouble until three years later — during the height of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd.
The photo went viral on social media, prompting Saint Francis High School in Mountain View to expel A.H. and H.H. According to the lawsuit, school officials did not offer the boys a hearing and did not consider any evidence.
A Santa Clara County jury agreed with the teens this week that the school was in breach of an oral contract and did not afford them due process before kicking them out, the Times reported. The students’ other claims, including defamation and violation of free speech, were rejected by the court Monday.
Each teen was awarded $500,000, and an additional tuition reimbursement of about $70,000.
“This case is significant not only for our clients but for its groundbreaking effect on all private high schools in California, which are now legally required to provide fair procedure to students before punishing or expelling them,” said Krista Baughman, a member of the students’ legal team.
“The jury rightly confirmed that Saint Francis High School’s procedures were unfair to our clients and that the school is not above the law.”
While the boys and their parents initially sought $20 million, A.H.’s family celebrated that the teens’ names will be “cleared” in a statement to the outlet.
“We want to sincerely thank the jury and the court system for helping our boys and our families find justice, which now paves the way for their names to be cleared for things they never did.”
Representatives for Saint Francis said they “respectfully disagree with the jury’s conclusion as to the lesser claim regarding the fairness of our disciplinary review process,” and that they are “exploring legal options” such as appealing the verdict.
POSITIVE NEWS
The ‘surreal’ art of worm charming – and why we’re all being urged to try it
Worm charming might sound like an eccentric pastime, but scientists want everyone to have a go in the name of soil health
Spotted your neighbours dancing a jig on their front lawn recently? Fear not – their antics were all in the name of science, and in celebration of the humble earthworm.
The Soil Association’s Worm Hunt is running throughout May, encouraging citizen scientists to record the results of ‘worm charming’ – dancing in their gardens, soaking the earth with water or using the vibrations to attract the wrigglers to the surface.
The bizarre sport is enjoyed as far away as Texas, but for the Soil Association it has its serious side: the charity will use the findings to create a worm map of the UK, taking an abundance of worms as an indicator of soil health and thriving biodiversity.
“It might sound wacky but dancing on the bare earth can help with science,” explained the organisation’s head of worms, Alex Burton. “Worm charming is fun and a little surreal, but scientists and farmers use worm counts to understand soil health.”
Worms improve soil structure, help clean up contamination and boost availability of nutrients, but studies suggest that populations have declined by a third over the past 25 years.
Said Burton: “The data we get for the worm map will help us build a better understanding of the health of soils in gardens, allotments and green spaces across the UK. This will show where they need help to restore their numbers.”
Neuroscientists say this is the most relaxing song in the world
Neuroscientists in the United Kingdom think they have found the one song that relieves stress and soothes our souls more than any other.
Mindlab International, a market research firm, conducted a study a few years ago in which participants completed difficult (and possibly stressful) puzzles while their brain activity was monitored. To study its effect, music was played while they completed the puzzles.
One song stood out above the rest. “Weightless” by Marconi Union (listen below), an English ambient music band, induced a 65% reduction in stress among participants, according to Inc. And DailyMail.com reported that the song was 11% more effective than most other songs — by such musicians as Adele and Coldplay — in reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing speed.
The 2011 song was created by the band, along with the British Academy of Sound Therapy, to do just that — relax listeners.
If you prefer something with lyrics, try Enya’s “Watermark” or “Pure Shores” by All Saints, which were also proven to be relaxing,
Music therapy is considered to be a natural therapy important in alleviating stress. Because stress is an important cause of other deadly illness, fighting it is key to maintaining good health. Numerous studies have shown how damaging stress can be to our bodies and our brain. So don’t let it get out of control. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the music.
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcAVejslrU&t=63s
How Hugs Heal — Have You Had a Hug Today?
From the day you’re born until the day you die, touch is an important part of your emotional and physical health.
From birth to death, touch is an important part of your emotional and physical health, as it triggers the release of hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin, and reduces the amount of cortisol in your body.
Health benefits that result from hugs include a reduction in feelings of sadness, lower blood pressure, slowed heart rate, reduced anxiety and increased compassion.
You may be able to increase the number of hugs and touch you get each day by staying tuned in to others who want hugs, giving hugs and engaging in therapeutic touch activities.
More Stories
Today’s News: May 20, 2024
Today’s News: May 15, 2024
Today’s News: May 14, 2024