WORLD NEWS
Japan gets a new island after undersea volcano erupts
New landmass about 100 meters across pops up above the waves near Iwoto island after eruptions began last month
Australian Ports Impacted by ‘Significant Cyber Security Incident’
The Australian government said Saturday it was responding to a “significant cyber security incident” affecting several ports operated by DP World Australia that could last a number of days. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said on social media platform X the government was coordinating a response to the incident and that authorities were working with DP World Australia “to understand the impacts”.
Argentina Socialists Weaponize Taylor Swift Against Conservative Presidential Frontrunner
American pop star Taylor Swift has inadvertently become part of Argentina’s upcoming November 19 presidential runoff election as leftist fans of the superstar launched a campaign urging fellow “Swifties” not to vote for libertarian economist Javier Milei.
Argentina’s electorate will head to the polls on Sunday, November 19, to choose between outsider candidate Milei and socialist current Economy Minister Sergio Massa.
Swift is presently in Argentina as part of “The Eras Tour,” scheduled to perform three concerts in Buenos Aires between November 9 and 11 — the first time the superstar is performing in the South American nation. “Swifties,” members of the singer’s devoted fandom, have reportedly camped outside Buenos Aires’ River Plate Monumental stadium since June in preparation for Thursday’s concert, which reportedly attracted around 70,000 attendees.
Left-leaning “Swifties” have sought to weaponize their devotion to Swift to aid Massa in the presidential runoff.
South Africa to Break Paris Agreement Promises Because It Cannot Shut Down Coal
Three senior South African government officials told Reuters on Thursday that South Africa will miss its climate change targets under the Paris Agreement because shutting down the country’s eight coal-fired power plants would cause a massive energy crisis.
South Africa’s big miss is no small matter for the climate change movement because, as Reuters pointed out, it is “the world’s 11th biggest greenhouse gas emitter and has one of the world’s highest per capita emissions.”
And for those who insist on play-by-play of the IDF/Hamas conflict …
Iran Warns Of ‘Inevitable Expansion’ Of War After IDF Conducts Flag-Raising Ceremony In Gaza
On Friday Israeli media produced this headline hailing that “Israeli flags wave proudly along the shores of Gaza”. Starting on Thursday footage began widely circulating online showing IDF troops holding an Israeli flag raising ceremony, laying stake to conquered areas of the Strip. In a short speech during the ceremony on a Gaza beach, just prior to leading troops in the national anthem, an IDF soldier said “this is our land” and told his forces they are leading the way for Jews “to return to our lands.”
China Makes a Strategic Move in the Middle East Ahead of Biden-Xi Meeting
‘Oman is strategically placed to monitor and if need be, control access to the Persian Gulf,’ former military expert.
In the Middle East, the Chinese regime has positioned itself as a staunch ally of Iran and Syria given their hostility toward the United States. Meanwhile, the Chinese regime is also attempting to extend its influence to traditional U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf region. On Oct. 11, Chinese state media reported that a Chinese naval task force visited Oman to facilitate “friendship” and “cooperation” with the country. Oman is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and has traditionally been an ally of the United States. The White House revealed on Nov. 10 that President Joe Biden spoke to the Sultan of Oman to reaffirm the enduring ties between the two countries amid the Israel-Hamas war. This was only 5 days before the highly anticipated meeting between Mr. Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Everyone Hates Biden’s Much-Touted New Border Wall
Joe Biden is building a border wall, and no one wants it, not right, not left. It’s obvious why the open-border leftist Democrats don’t want it, but one must be surprised that the Right doesn’t. It’s all about the design. He’s planning a “movable” wall.
According to the Associated Press, the wall is a movable design that will go for nearly 20 miles. The administration waived 26 federal laws to protect the environment in certain species to speed up the construction.
5 Army Special Ops Soldiers Die in Helicopter ‘Mishap’ over Mediterranean Sea
Five members of the U.S. Army were killed in a training accident late Friday when their helicopter had a “mishap” causing it to crash into the Mediterranean Sea, officials said Sunday.
Army representatives confirmed to the New York Times that the victims were all special operations soldiers and that search and rescue efforts continued until Saturday before being called off.
Floods kill at least 31 in Somalia. UN warns of a flood event likely to happen once in 100 years
Floods caused by torrential rainfall have killed at least 31 people in various parts of Somalia, authorities said Sunday.
Since October, floods have displaced nearly half a million people and disrupted the lives of over 1.2 million people, Minister of Information Daud Aweis told reporters in the capital Mogadishu. They have also caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure notably in the Gedo region of southern Somalia, he said.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, which has given $25 million to help mitigate the impact of flooding, warned in a statement Thursday of “a flood event of a magnitude statistically likely only once in 100 years, with significant anticipated humanitarian impacts.”
“While all possible preparatory measures are being pursued, a flood of this magnitude can only be mitigated and not prevented,” OCHA said, recommending “early warning and early action” to save lives as “large-scale displacement, increased humanitarian needs and further destruction of property remain likely.”
The lives of some 1.6 million people in Somalia could be disrupted by floods during the rainy season that lasts until December, with 1.5 million hectares of farmland potentially being destroyed, it said.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
And this is why voters should vote in person!
Election offices are sent envelopes with fentanyl or other substances. Authorities are investigating
Authorities were hunting Thursday for whoever sent suspicious letters — including some containing fentanyl — to elections offices in at least five states this week, delaying the counting of ballots in some local races in the latest instance of threats faced by election workers around the country.
The letters were sent to elections offices in the presidential battlegrounds of Georgia and Nevada, as well as California, Oregon and Washington, with some being intercepted before they arrived. Four of the letters contained fentanyl, the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported in a statement to elections officials Thursday.
“Law enforcement is working diligently to intercept any additional letters before they are delivered,” the statement said.
Tim Scott drops out of GOP primary race after girlfriend reveal
“I love America more today than I did on May 22. But when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign,” Scott said during an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy.”
Scott recently came under fire regarding the secrecy surrounding his relationship with Mindy Noce, an interior designer he has been dating for “about a year or so,” Axios reported.
Details of Scott’s relationship with Noce surfaced after he faced criticism over being unmarried — with some insinuating he is gay.
“It’s like a different form of discrimination or bias,” the 2024 GOP presidential candidate told The Washington Post. “You can’t say I’m Black, because that would be terrible, so find something else that you can attack.”
He added that he kept her identity secret because he couldn’t imagine “dragging her onto the campaign trail unless I have the intention of marrying her.”
This is what you get from a government that’s writing checks its body can’t cash:
Speaker Mike Johnson Unveils Plan to Avert Government Shutdown
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has unveiled a “laddered” stopgap funding plan that seeks to avert the looming government shutdown.
Mr. Johnson’s proposed measure is in the form of a two-step continuing resolution that would fund some parts of the federal government until Jan. 19 and then continue funding others until Feb. 2.
The plan is unusual in that lawmakers usually extend funding for all programs until a certain date.
Raided Pro-Life Activist Sues DOJ for ‘Malicious Prosecution,’ Emotional Distress
The entire Houck family continues to suffer from ‘severe emotional distress’ after the early morning armed FBI raid on their home, two lawsuits say.
Pro-life activist Mark Houck and his wife are suing the Department of Justice (DOJ) over its treatment of their family during his harrowing arrest at gunpoint.
The Houcks filed their lawsuits on Nov. 6, seeking damages for assault, false arrest, abuse of process, malicious and retaliatory prosecution, and “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
Mr. Houck, a Catholic and a father of seven, was arrested at his home in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, early on Sept. 23, 2022, when his family awoke to find a group of heavily armed FBI agents at their front door.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ phones, iPad seized by FBI in campaign fundraising investigation
FBI agents seized New York City Mayor Eric Adams‘ iPhones and iPad in what appears to be part of a corruption investigation into campaign fundraising.
The seizure happened Monday night. The FBI approached the mayor on the street, asked his security to step aside and confiscated two iPhones and an iPad. They were returned a few days later.
Adams’ campaign attorney Boyd Johnson issued the following statement, which appears to raise questions about someone else close to him being involved in some kind of impropriety:
“After learning of the federal investigation, it was discovered that an individual had recently acted improperly. In the spirit of transparency and cooperation, this behavior was immediately and proactively reported to investigators. The Mayor has been and remains committed to cooperating in this matter. On Monday night, the FBI approached the mayor after an event. The Mayor immediately complied with the FBI’s request and provided them with electronic devices. The mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing and continues to cooperate with the investigation.”
On Wednesday, at his weekly meeting with reporters, Adams faced questions mostly about the stunning FBI raid on the home of his chief campaign fundraiser Briana Suggs. The mayor did not reveal that he had been approached by FBI agents who confiscated his electronic devices two days earlier.
Sources told CBS New York political reporter Marcia Kramer the information Adams’ lawyers turned over to investigators did not involve Suggs, but someone else in the mayor’s circle.
Sources refused to characterize the person, but information about them was believed to be on one of the mayor’s devices, which were apparently returned to him after a few days.
You poke at the RNC, the RNC pokes back!
Ramaswamy Denies Claim by RNC Chair McDaniel That He Voted for Obama
‘I’ve never voted for Obama in my life,’ Mr. Ramaswamy said.
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has denied claims made by Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel that he voted for former Democratic President Barack Obama.
The Ohio entrepreneur took to social media to accuse Ms. McDaniel of “flat-out lying” and reiterated his call for her resignation.
He repeated online anonymous claims that the RNC chair had allegedly vowed not to give “one cent” to his campaign after he criticized her during the third GOP debate held on Wednesday.
And in “All Things Trump” …
Veterans Flock to See Trump in NH, Agree GOP Leadership Failing Party
Former U.S. president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump earned new key endorsements at a packed New Hampshire rally on Nov. 11, as his supporters spoke about feeling abandoned by the national Republican Party leadership.
Among them was Rayla Campbell, the first black woman to win a Republican primary in Massachusetts for Secretary of State. She ultimately lost her bid to a Democrat incumbent and said she got “zero” support from national Republican leaders for her campaign.
“One hundred percent I feel ignored,” Mrs. Campbell, who was at the rally to represent Black Voices for Trump, told The Epoch Times. “They aren’t interested in grassroots candidates or rising candidates.”
Trump Gets Major Endorsement for 2024: ‘Stakes Are Just Too High’
Bernie Marcus, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot, said he is endorsing former President Donald Trump for president in 2024, arguing that he’s concerned about what’s “happening to America.”
In an op-ed posted by RealClearPolitics, Mr. Marcus said he wants younger people to take the lead in politics, he can’t walk away because “the stakes are just too high.”
“For Democrats, the choice is simple. If you feel that you are better off now than you were three years ago, you should vote for Joe Biden or whoever is the Democrat candidate,” he wrote. “For Republicans, the choice is also simple. Let’s face it: Donald Trump is going to win the nomination. You should be doing all you can to ensure his winning the general election.”
Trump Lawyers To Mount Counterattack After Weeks Of Bruising Cross-Examination In NY Civil Case
The media and public should brace themselves for the most heated phase of the civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump when courtroom proceedings resume on Monday—if past interactions between the defense and the judge and government lawyers are any indication.
On Nov. 13, the defense will begin to make its case on behalf of the 45th president and 2024 candidate, as well as his two sons and daughter, who are no longer defendants in the case yet faced relentless and acrimonious cross-examination on the witness stand over the last two weeks.
President Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. is expected to be the first to testify for the defense.
Trump lawyer Christopher Kise and Judge Arthur Engoron feuded throughout the cross-examination of President Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump. The defense attorney has objected constantly that questions posed were irrelevant to the legal issues at hand or that no one could reasonably expect the people on the stand to recall the details of documents, records, meetings, and conversations from as far back as 2012.
As if to add further contentiousness to the proceedings, New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office on Friday sent a letter to Judge Engoron seeking to block testimony from four expert witnesses set to take the stand during the defense phase next week. Their testimony would address the accuracy of valuations contained in statements of financial condition submitted to Deutsche Bank and other firms for the purpose of securing favorable terms for loans and insurance. In the view of the attorney general’s office, such testimony is beside the point given that the judge has already ruled that Trump is guilty of fraud.
Nor has the pro-Trump side been inactive during the run-up to the next phase of the trial. On Friday, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) sent a lengthy letter to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, spelling out a litany of complaints about how Judge Engoron has conducted himself and his alleged bias against the respondents in the lawsuit.
Co-Defendant in Georgia Trump Case Says He Won’t Take Plea Deal
A lesser-known co-defendant in the Fulton County, Georgia, election case that has ensnared former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen others has said that he won’t cooperate in the case.
Rev. Stephen Cliffgard Lee, a pastor at Living Word Lutheran Church in Orland Park, was indicted in August along with 18 others, including President Trump, in Georgia. The Illinois-based pastor faces charges of racketeering, influencing a witness, and conspiracy to solicit false statements and writings. He has pleaded not guilty.
Several of the defendants in the case, including former Trump campaign attorney Jena Ellis and attorney Sidney Powell, have entered guilty pleas in deals with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Trump Asks Court to Televise Federal Trial
Former President Donald Trump wants his upcoming federal trial televised, siding with media outlets.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opposes the effort.
Lawyers for President Trump said the unprecedented nature of the proceedings warrants their being televised.
House Republican Files Ethics Complaint Against Judge in Trump Fraud Case
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) sent a letter to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct expressing “serious concerns” about the judge overseeing a civil fraud trial against former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization.
“This judge’s bizarre behavior has no place in our judicial system,” she wrote, describing “inappropriate bias” and “judicial intemperance” in her Nov. 10 letter.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing President Trump for defrauding the state by artificially inflating his net worth in a trial that began on Oct. 2. A week before the trial, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron had granted the attorney general’s office a summary judgment in their favor, finding President Trump liable for fraud.
New York Attorney General Seeks to Exclude Trump’s Expert Witnesses in Fraud Trial
New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office is seeking to exclude four expert witnesses former President Donald Trump plans to call on to testify in next week’s trial, arguing the judge has already ruled President Trump liable for fraud.
The state attorneys argue in a letter to New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron that their testimonies “are no longer relevant.”
At the center of the case are the Trump Organization statements of financial condition (SFC) prepared every year to give a summary of President Trump’s net worth and asset values. The attorney general’s office is arguing that these figures were inflated up to $2.2 billion a year total, and the judge has ruled in their favor in a pretrial summary judgment.
Experts Say, Trump Fraud Trial Heralds ‘Selective Prosecution,’ Not Anti-Business Crackdown
Legal and political analysts argue that New York Attorney General Letitia James’s $250 million lawsuit against former President Donald J. Trump will likely energize his base for the 2024 election but may not address broader issues.
As Trump’s civil fraud trial resumes, his legal team, despite losing a bid for an early verdict, plans to vigorously defend him and challenge the legality of his business dealings.
Trump asserts that James has unfairly targeted him, branding the case as a disgraceful attempt to hinder his political aspirations.
Judge Resets Trump Classified Documents Case Schedule, May Change Trial Date
The judge also noted that she could not ‘ignore the realities’ of the several other trial schedules the defendant, President Trump, faces.
In a new order, U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon reset the pretrial deadlines in one of two cases special counsel Jack Smith is prosecuting against former President Donald Trump.
In the case concerning classified documents kept by the former president at Mar-a-Lago, Judge Cannon granted in part and denied in part the defense’s request to postpone deadlines including the trial.
While she denied the motion to change the trial date, she said a delay would “be considered at a scheduling conference on March 1, 2024″—just three days before the trial in the other case Mr. Smith is prosecuting will begin in Washington.
Trump Judge’s Wife Denies Posting Anti-Trump Messages
The wife of Judge Arthur Engoron has denied making anti-Trump posts on X, after conservative activist Laura Loomer said Dawn Engoron was behind an account that frequently posts anti-Trump content against the former president.
According to Loomer, Dawn Marie Engoron ran a Twitter account @dm_sminxs, where she has allegedly been posting “FUCK TRUMP” tweets, photos of Trump in an orange jump suit, and retweeting attacks on Trump while the trial was ongoing.
Dawn Engoron denied the claims, telling Newsweek: “I do not have a Twitter account. This is not me. I have not posted any anti Trump messages.”
But does she have an X account?
Engoron is overseeing Trump’s New York civil case, in which AG Letitia James has accused the former President and his organization of inflating their net worth by billions of dollars to obtain premium financing between 2011 and 2021. In September, Engoron ruled – sans jury, that Trump’s financial statements committed fraud.
Loomer doubled down, noting that the suspected X account has been locked, that Newsweek “admit(s) they can’t definitively say this account doesn’t belong to Arthur Engoron’s wife,” and that Engoron’s son has deleted his LinkedIn account yesterday “after I exposed him getting preferential seating from his father in the trial of President Trump.”
Pentagon Is Starting To Restrict Flow Of Military Aid To Ukraine As Money Runs Out
With war funding for both Ukraine and Israel now seemingly snarled up beyond repair in Congress, on Thursday the Pentagon said that funding delays have forced the US to begin restricting the flow of military assistance to Ukraine, and the Pentagon has only $1 billion left to replenish stocks of weapons that were sent to the country, according to a spokeswoman.
“We have had to meter out our support for Ukraine,” Deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. “We’re going to continue to roll out packages but they are getting smaller.”
Is this taking political advantage of those who put their trust in government?
Report: Blue States Automatically Registering Welfare Recipients to Vote
Several blue states across the United States are automatically registering hundreds of thousands of residents to vote each year whenever they interact with state agencies, including welfare offices, a report from journalist John Fund details.
The report, issued by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, documents the Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) policy now imposed by 23 states and the District of Columbia. All but three of these states are blue states controlled by Democrats.
Fund authored the 2021 book Our Broken Elections: How the Left Changed the Way You Vote with The Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky.
Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators Smash Grand Central, Vandalize New York Times
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators smashed a door at New York City’s Grand Central Station on Friday night and briefly forced the closure of the transportation hub as they marched through the streets of Manhattan for the second night in a row.
Bill Gates Business Associates Reach Combined $365 Million Settlement with Jeffrey Epstein’s Victims
My new book, Controligarchs: Exposing the Billionaire Class, Their Secret Deals, and the Globalist Plot to Dominate Your Life, reveals Bill Gates’s vast network of influence over key technologies, industries, and people. The book also explores Gates’s complicated relationship with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and sheds new light on the mutual associations and interests these two men shared.
On Thursday, a federal judge approved the $290 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought by the sex abuse victims of Epstein against JPMorgan Chase—a close mutual business associate of both Gates and Epstein.
Over this past year, JPMorgan has agreed to pay an additional $75 million—for a combined total of $365 million—to settle another lawsuit relating to its established banking relationship with Epstein. The suits revealed that JPMorgan facilitated approximately $1 billion in transfers for Epstein which the bank admitted were “human trafficking” related.
Gates’s relationship with Epstein has been widely known and was even cited by Gates’s ex-wife, Melinda, in the couple’s 2021 divorce proceedings. Bill Gates has denied having any involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Gates and Epstein’s mutual associates, James E. “Jes” Staley and JPMorgan Chase, were central to Gates’s relationship with Epstein. Gates’s close contacts with Epstein began around 2011, when he and JPMorgan were teaming up to create a global health investment fund, the activities of which are documented extensively in Controligarchs.
Police: Florida Man Arrested in Chicago with $1.2 Million Worth of Meth
A Florida man traveling in Chicago was arrested after Amtrak authorities found $1.2 million worth of methamphetamine in his luggage, police said.
Urani Hector, 32, was stopped by police in Chicago’s Union Station when a law enforcement canine detected a “narcotic odor,” an arrest report obtained by CWBChicago said.
The Tampa-area man’s luggage was subsequently searched, and cops discovered 3.7 kilograms of what they suspected to be meth, the report stated.
US military aircraft crashes over eastern Mediterranean Sea
U.S. European Command says a U.S. military aircraft has gone down over the eastern Mediterranean Sea
US military aircraft crashes over eastern Mediterranean SeaBy LOLITA C. BALDORAssociated PressThe Associated PressWASHINGTON
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military aircraft has gone down over the eastern Mediterranean Sea, U.S. European Command said Saturday.
Appeals Court Orders Louisiana to Draw New Congressional Map
A federal appeals court has set a mid-January deadline for the Louisiana state Legislature to draw up a new congressional map, the latest in a long-running legal dispute that included a lower court ruling that the current map likely unfairly diluted the power of black voters.
A three-judge panel for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its order on Nov. 10, requiring the state Legislature to approve a new map by Jan. 15, 2024.
The appeals court’s order notes that if the state Legislature fails to adopt a new map by the deadline, then the lower court should move ahead to a trial to finalize the redrawn boundaries in time for the 2024 election.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Moody’s Slashes US Outlook to ‘Negative’ Due to Too Much Government Spending
The rating agency also cited political brinkmanship in Washington as a factor behind its decision to slash the outlook for U.S. government debt.
Credit rating agency Moody’s has cut its outlook for the U.S. government from “stable” to “negative” due in large part to out-of-control spending.
Moody’s said in a Nov. 10 announcement that it has lowered its ratings outlook on the U.S. government to “negative,” citing a lack of restraint on spending while predicting that deficits will remain “very large” for the foreseeable future.
“In the context of higher interest rates, without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government spending or increase revenues, Moody’s expects that the US’ fiscal deficits will remain very large, significantly weakening debt affordability,” the agency said.
IRS Unveils New Tax Bracket Income Limits for 2024
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has disclosed the annual inflation adjustments affecting over 60 tax provisions for the upcoming 2024 tax year, including an increase in the standard deduction and new income limits for seven tax brackets.
The federal agency said in a Nov. 9 announcement that a string of new annual inflation adjustments will impact the 2024 tax year, potentially bringing a boost to your paycheck.
The IRS adjusts tax rates each year to take into account the higher cost of living and with price pressures remaining abnormally elevated, many inflation-weary Americans are hoping for some relief at tax time.
A new BMJ investigation reveals a “revolving door” between FDA officials tasked with regulating COVID-19 vaccines and the companies who manufacture them.
Two high-level regulatory officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) involved in vaccine oversight accepted jobs at Moderna just months after signing off on the licensure of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, according to a British Medical Journal (BMJ) investigation.
The report by Peter Doshi, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and senior editor at The BMJ, reveals a long-standing revolving door between the FDA and pharmaceutical companies whose products it regulates and raises questions about the impartiality and independence of top FDA regulators.
Want to know why the sovereign national debt can never be paid off? Download and read this! (This is why business analysts are starting to worry about the economy!)
Modern Money Mechanics – A Workbook on Bank Reserves and Deposit Expansion
HEALTH
Here we go with the “Point-Counterpoint” campaigns … What do you believe?
READ BEFORE YOU EAT ANYTHING WITH THE APEEL LABEL ON IT!
Posts misrepresent safety of produce-protecting solution from Apeel
Facebook posts confuse ‘Apeel’ fruit and vegetable preservative with hard surface cleaner
Posts claiming this are confusing the safety information for Edipeel—a protective coating designed to keep fruits and vegetables fresh—with the safety information for a hard surface cleaner also called Apeel.
Think Twice: 7 Tests Doctors Recommend That You Might Not Need
Unnecessary screenings may lead to unwarranted stress, false positives, and harmful exposure—here’s why you might want to reconsider them.
Are routine medical screenings always beneficial? Each year, millions of Americans willingly participate in these tests with the intent of safeguarding their health. Yet, emerging evidence indicates that certain screenings may be unnecessary and potentially jeopardize one’s well-being.
The High Price of Excessive Medical Screening
The United States spends twice as much on health care per person compared to other industrialized nations, yet the returns in terms of life expectancy are dishearteningly meager. Despite the high expenditures, the United States lags behind twelve high-income countries in numerous health indicators.
While America tops the charts in screening rates for breast and colorectal cancer, second only to Sweden and the Netherlands respectively, the efficacy of such frequent screenings is debatable.
“Over-testing is at the root of many of our problems,” report Dr. Jerome Greenberg and Dr. Jonas B. Green in an American Journal of Medicine commentary (pdf), highlighting that there are opportunity costs in ordering, reviewing, and explaining tests.
“When a test isn’t unnecessary, time can be more appropriately spent counseling patients, listening to them, and redoubling efforts to follow well-supported preventive guidelines.”
A recent JAMA review reveals that up to $935 billion in annual health care spending is wasted, a substantial portion resulting from unnecessary tests or procedures.
Drs. Greenberg and Green highlight five key reasons clinicians over-test:
- A belief that tests may detect subclinical disease
- An effort to practice defensive medicine
- Because they lack of knowledge or confidence
- Because the patient expects it
- Simple profit
Over-screening carries a significant economic burden, but its human cost is even more profound. Unwarranted tests can result in anxiety, false alarms, and harmful exposures. Drs. Greenberg and Green emphasize that the drawbacks—low diagnostic yield, high costs, and the emotional strain of false positives—are often overlooked when prescribing screenings for asymptomatic individuals.
7 Tests You May Not Need, and That May Even Cause Harm
- Cardiac Stress Test
- Coronary Calcium Scan
- CT Scan or MRI
- Bone Density Scans
- Colonoscopies
- Prostate Screening Test (PSA)
- Pap Smears
Medicaid Disenrollments Skyrocket, Data Show
As pandemic-era Medicaid policy expires, millions are removed from the program.
A health care crisis is silently brewing across America.
Over 10 million people, including many children, have been abruptly cut off from critical health services in recent weeks, according to KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization focusing on health care and health policy research and analysis.
This mass exodus of Medicaid participants constitutes nearly 10 percent of the over 90 million Americans who rely on the public health insurance program. And the numbers keep rising.
One-Third of Participants Cut as Pandemic Protections Expire
KFF data show that 35 percent of Medicaid participants with completed renewals were disenrolled by states. Texas, California, and Florida saw the most disenrollments at 1.2 million, 731,700, and 730,700, respectively. New York followed with nearly 650,000 cuts.
Cell phone use = Less chance of making babies!
Cellphone Could Harm Male Fertility: Study
Learn about the association between cellphone use and reduced fertility and the decline in radiation effects from 2G to 4G.
The phones in our pockets may be cutting into one of the most intimate parts of our lives.
New research suggests the radiation from mobile devices could be harming male fertility, adding yet another potential risk to the list of health concerns associated with cellphone use.
Over 20 Percent Reduction in Sperm Concentration
The new study, published in Fertility and Sterility, is the largest cross-sectional study examining the association between cellphone use and male fertility. Researchers analyzed data from 2,886 Swiss men between 18 and 22 years old recruited at six military conscription centers between 2005 and 2018.
The participants completed a detailed questionnaire about their lifestyle habits, overall health status, frequency of cellphone use, and where they kept their phone when not using it.
Blood clot risk also rapidly drops when you don’t take “the jab”!
Blood Clot Risk From Contraceptive Pills Ends Soon After Women Stop Taking Them
Women and their doctors have long known that taking birth control pills can elevate the risk for a blood clot.
Now, some good news: That added risk will disappear within a few weeks of stopping an oral contraceptive, a new study shows.
“It’s reassuring to know that that possible harm of the pill goes away rapidly when one stops taking it,” said study corresponding author Dr. Marc Blondon, an expert in vascular medicine at the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland.
His team published its findings Nov. 8 in Blood, a journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blood clots are slightly more likely among women taking oral contraceptives. The risk is small: About 10 in every 10,000 women taking an estrogen-containing birth control pill will experience a blood clot.
Some women may want to at least temporarily discontinue use of the pills to lower their odds for a clot ahead of an elective surgery, or if they’re already recovering from a clot (such as a DVT), the Swiss team noted.
So, exactly how long does it take for the elevated clot risk to go away?
Blondon’s group focused on common hormonal contraceptives such as birth control pills, vaginal rings and skin patches.
The study involved blood samples taken from 66 women tracked at six different timepoints before and after they quit using one of these contraceptives. These results were compared to those from blood samples taken from 28 women who were not using hormonal contraception.
Blood samples were analyzed for levels of certain clotting (coagulation) factors that can influence a person’s risk for a clot.
“These coagulation markers dropped precipitously within one to two weeks after [women] stopped taking birth control, and by week 12, all markers were similar to the control group,” the researchers said.
A full 80% of the decline in clotting-linked blood biomarkers occurred within the first two weeks of stopping hormonal birth control, Blondon’s team noted.
And if you’re dependent on health care and you live in a rural area, you’ll probably want to check to see whether your rural hospital is on the verge of closure (see this link with an interactive map): https://ruralhospitals.chqpr.org
Coffee Compound Found to Boost Memory
Thinking of cutting coffee from your diet? Given new information about the effect of one of its compounds on cognitive function—you might reconsider.
Your morning cup of coffee may be giving you more than just an energy boost. According to new research, trigonelline, a compound found in coffee and certain vegetables, can improve cognitive decline, spatial learning, and memory.
The study, conducted by the University of Tsukuba in Japan and published in GeroScience, sought to discover natural compounds that could improve age-related cognitive decline.
Researchers found that trigonelline significantly improved spatial learning and memory in aged mice. It was also found to support multiple pathways within the nervous system, decrease inflammation within the brain, and increase neurotransmitter levels.
500 children, staffers possibly exposed to tuberculosis at Omaha-area child care center
case of active tuberculosis has been confirmed at a drop-in child care center at the Westview YMCA in the northwest Omaha area, triggering an investigation that has identified more than 500 children and staff members who may have been exposed, Douglas County health officials said Thursday.
The Douglas County Health Department was notified of the case Monday by the patient’s health care provider and learned of the childcare center’s involvement Tuesday, said Justin Frederick, the department’s deputy director. The patient tested positive for the bacterial infection over the weekend.
The number of possible exposures and the fact that young children are involved — the center cares for children from 3 months to 12 years of age — has triggered a complex multi-agency response that came together over 48 hours, Frederick said.
“Young children are at increased risk of severe disease,” he said. “So our goal and our mission is to prevent any additional cases of tuberculosis and to catch them quickly, and to be able to get them treated.”
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
This can’t be good, given what we now know about the origins of COVID-19!
A new taxpayer-funded lab is being built in Colorado that will import bats from around the world and experiment on dangerous diseases, DailyMail.com can reveal.
The multi-million-dollar project is a collaboration between Dr Anthony Fauci‘s old department at the National Institutes of Health, Colorado State University (CSU) and EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), a controversial research group at the center of the Covid lab leak theory.
Proposals seen by this website show how the 14,000sq-ft facility could store and study some of the most transmissible pathogens on the planet – including Ebola, Nipah virus and Covid-19.
HERE! Have a Tide Pod!
Thousands Line Up for the Chance to Get Elon Musk’s Neuralink Chip Installed in Their Brain
Thousands of people have reportedly shown interest in participating in the FDA-approved human trials of the brain-computer interface developed by Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Test participants will have a computer chip installed in their brain, and can only hope for better results than Musk’s test monkeys, many of which suffered a gruesome fate.
Business Insider reports that Neuralink, the brain-computer interface startup co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, has seen a surge in public interest for its upcoming human trials. A recent report indicates that thousands have lined up to be part of the trials, which involve the implantation of a brain chip, referred to by Musk as a “Fitbit in your skull.” This development follows the FDA’s approval for Neuralink to commence human trials, after initially rejecting its bid over safety concerns.
We told you that AI was bad news … and here’s evidence of it!
‘Horrifying’: NC Child Psychiatrist Gets 40 Years for Using AI to Make Child Porn
A child psychiatrist in Charlotte, North Carolina, used artificial intelligence (AI) to make child porn, and he is now facing the consequences.
In a press release Wednesday, the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of North Carolina announced 41-year-old David Tatum will spend the next 40 years behind bars, then 30 years of supervised release for the sexual exploitation of a minor and the AI-generated child porn.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
UNESCO Seeks To Regulate All Internet Content
Digital technology has enabled immense progress on freedom of speech. But social media platforms have also accelerated and amplified the spread of false information and hate speech, posing major risks to societal cohesion, peace and stability. To protect access to information, we must regulate these platforms without delay, while at the same time protecting freedom of expression and human rights.
UNESCO’s action plan is the result of a consultation process on a scale unprecedented within the United Nations system, with over 10,000 contributions from 134 countries collected over the last eighteen months. Over forty pages, it outlines the principles which must be respected as well as the concrete measures which must be implemented by all stakeholders: governments, regulatory authorities, civil society and the platforms themselves.
Representatives from independent regulators have already welcomed UNESCO’s initiative, and several of them – notably in Africa and Latin America – have indicated that they are ready to begin implementing these measures. To this end, UNESCO will organize the first World Conference of Regulators in mid-2024.
The Organization will also support its Member States in transposing this action plan into their own laws and regulations. To this end, UNESCO is mobilising dedicated funding, including 1 million Euros already pledged by the European Commission.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Geoengineering Watch Global Alert News, November 11, 2023
The latest installment of Global Alert News
“We need geoengineering”, so says a Time Magazine report as they push for climate engineering operations that have already been deployed for over 75 years with catastrophic consequences. “Thunderstorm asthma” is sending thousands to emergency rooms, what is being seeded into these storms? Extreme droughts are hammering all the Middle Eastern countries that are not cooperating with US “foreign policy”. Just a freak coincidence of nature that just happens to completely benefit the western power structure? Bloomberg news has just reported that as many as half of US and Canadian citizens may lose power this winter due to grid shutdowns. Is this just a prediction? Or what is scheduled? Temperature and weather whiplash scenarios are worsening by the day, climate intervention operations are inseparable from all of it. How long till cascading collapse goes exponential?
Another Elon Inferno: Texas Tesla Erupts in Fire Days After Fresh Battery Installed
A Tesla vehicle caught fire in Plano, Texas, early Friday morning, leading to concerns about electric vehicle battery safety. The owner claims he just had a new battery installed by Elon Musk’s company, only to discover a hissing noise coming from it followed by flames shooting out from the battery compartment.
WFAA reports that in the early hours of Friday morning in Plano, Texas, a Tesla vehicle unexpectedly caught fire, raising fresh concerns about the safety of electric vehicle batteries. According to the car’s owner, the incident occurred shortly after midnight in the residential area of the 2700 block of Sacred Path Road. The owner reported hearing a hissing noise from the vehicle’s battery, which had been installed just the day before. Upon checking the car, they discovered flames shooting out from the battery.
Poll: Most Americans Oppose China-Owned Electric Vehicle Plants in U.S.
The majority of Americans oppose states allowing Chinese-owned corporations to build Electric Vehicle (EV) plants, using taxpayer dollars, in the United States, a new poll reveals.
A poll from McLaughlin & Associates of 1,000 likely voters, conducted Oct. 19 through Oct. 24, finds that the majority of Americans across a number of demographic groups oppose plans like those in Michigan where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is using taxpayer money to fund China-owned EV plants in the state.
In total, 56 percent said states “should not invest taxpayer dollars to help with the transition to EVs, because working with countries like China is not worth jeopardizing national security and other American auto manufacturing jobs,” while fewer than 3-in-10 voters said states should invest in China-owned EV plants.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Buying BLM or other government-owned land to homestead on may have strings attached (and not worth the effort):
Does the Federal Government ever sell public lands?
Lands identified as excess to the Federal Government’s needs or as more suited to private ownership are sometimes offered for sale. The BLM does not offer much land for sale because its congressional mandate, enacted in 1976, is to generally retain public lands in public ownership. However, the BLM does occasionally sell parcels of public land where our land-use planning finds it to be appropriate and in the public interest.
Public land is undeveloped land with no improvements, usually part of the original Public Domain established during the western expansion of the United States. Most of this land is in the 11 western states and Alaska, although some scattered parcels are in the East. (Because of land entitlements to the State of Alaska and to Alaska Natives, no public land sales will be conducted in Alaska for the foreseeable future.)
Real property is primarily developed land with buildings, usually acquired by the Federal Government for a specific purpose. If you are interested in real property, contact the General Services Administration (GSA).
And here’s some past-known tips for acquiring homestead property:
How to Buy Land for a Homestead or Small Farm
If you’re starting a small farm or homestead, chances are that you’re looking to buy land and/or a farm that already exists. Many people choose to buy raw land and build their own house on it, especially those whose goals are homesteading versus starting a small farm business.
There are many factors that go into the decision to buy land, but here are some of the main ones to consider as you begin the process. Start a new word processing document or take out a piece of paper and start answering some of these questions as you go along.
2ND AMENDMENT
NYC Subway Passenger John Rote Arrested for Firing Pistol to Defend Woman
Forty-three-year-old John Rote is under arrest after he allegedly fired two rounds at a man who was reportedly trying to rob a woman on a Manhattan subway platform.
The New York Post reported that the incident occurred Tuesday after Rote saw 49-year-old Matthew Roesch allegedly hold “the emergency gate open” only to demand money before allowing a woman on the subway.
The Post noted that police indicated that the woman tried to sidestep Roesch, who allegedly responded by getting directly in front of her and saying, “If you don’t give me a dollar, I’m going to take your purse.”
Orthodontist Gives Glock 19 to New Invisalign Customers
New Invisalign patients now have the option of receiving a membership at the Youngsville Gun Club and Range or a new Glock 19 through a promotion launched by Wake Forest, North Carolina’s Dr. Jason Gladwell.
WSB-TV indicated the promotion is titled, “Grins & Glocks.”
COVID RELATED NEWS
Study Reveals Most Common Chronic Symptoms After COVID-19 Vaccination
Yale University study focused on people with self-reported symptoms.
A new study shows some of the most common chronic symptoms among people who began experiencing the problems after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
The most common symptoms were exercise intolerance, excessive fatigue, numbness, brain fog, and neuropathy, researchers reported in the paper.
Insomnia, palpitations, myalgia, tinnitus, headache, burning sensations, and dizziness were also experienced by at least half of the participants in the study, which was funded in part by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Certain COVID-19 Vaccines Linked to Elevated Risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome
As the rate of vaccination increases so has the incidence of GBS—particularly after viral vector-based vaccines such as AstraZeneca.
As the vaccination rate continues to rise, an increasing number of side effects are being reported. Research indicates that COVID-19 viral vector-based vaccines increase the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) by three to four times compared to mRNA-based vaccines.
The Link Between Vaccines and Guillain-Barré Syndrome Risk
Increasing evidence suggests an association between COVID-19 vaccines and Guillain-Barré Syndrome. One study revealed an increase in GBS cases within 42 days of receiving the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The researchers suggest a potential link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the increased risk of GBS.
In March, a prospective surveillance study published in Scientific Reports indicated that out of 38,828,691 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, between February 2021 and March 2022, 105,409 adverse events were reported, including 55 cases of GBS.
After assessing the risk factors for GBS following COVID-19 vaccination, it was found that viral vector-based vaccines were linked to a three-to-fourfold higher risk of GBS compared to mRNA-based vaccines.
CANCEL CULTURE
Why Big Ten suspended Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and what’s next
The Big Ten suspended Michigan‘s Jim Harbaugh from coaching in his football team’s final three regular-season games, starting with Saturday’s showdown at No. 10 Penn State.
Friday’s announcement from Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti came 23 days after the NCAA first notified conference and Michigan officials that it had received credible information that the No. 3 Wolverines had been involved in a sign-stealing scheme, in which analyst Connor Stalions and others scouted future opponents off campus, which has been prohibited by NCAA rules since 1994.
Petitti’s decision was both stunning and swift. Will it hold up? Michigan president Santa Ono said in a statement Friday that the university is seeking a court order to overturn Harbaugh’s suspension.
PET NEWS
Couple Who Lives With 11 Irish Wolfhounds in a 3-Bedroom House Spends $19,300 a Year to Feed Them
A couple from England who lives with 11 Irish wolfhounds in a three-bedroom house has revealed they spend more than £15,000 (approx. $18,600) a year on dog food.
47-year-old Claire Moorhouse and her husband, Jason Mather, 50, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, have pets aged between 6 months and 8 years old.
In 2011, the couple got their first wolfhound, Cilla, and immediately fell in love.
Two years later, they decided to start breeding the animals and welcomed their first litter in 2013.
The decision to breed the animals came from their mutual love for wolfhounds and also because they had a desire to show dogs that they’d “bred themselves.”
“We felt a connection to this breed, ” Ms. Moorehouse said. “They perfectly suit our lifestyle, active when required and calm when in our home.”
Over time, the couple learned more about wolfhounds and discovered they are deeply loyal creatures, but it’s essential to earn their respect.
“They are independent thinkers, and we love living with them and sharing our life with them,” Mr. Mather said.
As the pack got bigger so did their house.
Five years ago, they sold their house to buy a bigger one, in order to could give the dogs more space.
“Everything gets bigger. Your house gets bigger. Your food bill gets bigger. Your car gets bigger,” Mr. Mather, a maintenance engineer, said.
Although the couple didn’t reveal the price of the house, Ms. Moorehouse said their new dwelling, which includes 3 acres of land to walk the dogs on, was double the price of their previous home.
“We needed a bigger property, so the dogs could have some space,” Ms. Moorhouse said.
Additionally, the couple spends an average of £300 (approx. $370) a week on food for the dogs, bringing the yearly total to £15,600 (approx. $19,305).
Feline Faces: Unraveling the Social Function of Domestic Cat Facial Signals
Lately, there has been a growing interest in studying domestic cat facial signals, but most of this research has centered on signals produced during human-cat interactions or pain. The available research on intraspecific facial signaling with domesticated cats has largely focused on non-affiliative social interactions. However, the transition to intraspecific sociality through domestication could have resulted in a greater reliance on affiliative facial signals that aid with social bonding. Our study aimed to document the various facial signals that cats produce during affiliative and non-affiliative intraspecific interactions. Given the close relationship between the physical form and social function of mammalian facial signals, we predicted that affiliative and non-affiliative facial signals would have noticeable differences in their physical morphology. We observed the behavior of 53 adult domestic shorthair cats at CatCafé Lounge in Los Angeles, CA. Using Facial Action Coding Systems designed for cats, we compared the complexity and compositionality of facial signals produced in affiliative and non-affiliative contexts. To measure complexity and compositionality, we examined the number and types of facial muscle movements (AUs) observed in each signal. We found that compositionality, rather than complexity, was significantly associated with the social function of intraspecific facial signals. Our findings indicate that domestication likely had a significant impact on the development of intraspecific facial signaling repertoires in cats.
GOOD NEWS
A group of residents is set to buy an abandoned Victorian graveyard to stop it from being sold off to housing developers.
The Chapel Street Cemetery in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, opened in 1823 and contains the graves of around 891 of the city’s former inhabitants. Those interred in the grounds include the former Victorian mill owners and civic dignitaries who helped found the modern-day city.
The cemetery was put up for sale by estate agents after the church on its grounds closed in June 2021. The church building was listed with a guide price of 350,000 pounds (approx. $420,000) and the graveyard for a nominal 5,000 pounds ($6,000).
Female Veterans Bring Pin-Up Model Cheer to Los Angeles VA Hospital
A troupe of female veterans dressed from head-to-toe in World War II-era pin-up costumes brightened Veteran’s Day for patients at the West Los Angeles Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center.
The center, one of the largest VA hospitals in the U.S., is part of the government-funded network of housing, utilities, food, and health facilities provided to veterans who need help by the West Los Angeles VA Soldiers Home.
The volunteers, who are all military veterans themselves, were aiming to bring joy to the older retired service members with some nostalgia. They worked with Pin-Ups for Vets, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and active duty military personnel, KTLA5 reported.
ICYMI
Guilty: Former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby Convicted of Perjury
Left-wing former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was convicted Thursday regarding perjury charges.
Responding to reporters’ questions as she left the courthouse, all Mosby said was, “I’m blessed. I have nothing else to say,” according to WBAL-TV.
Census: Mass Immigration Set to Drive U.S. Population to 400 Million by 2060
The nation’s policy of admitting more than a million legal immigrants, in addition to annual illegal immigration levels, is set to drive the United States population to nearly 400 million by the year 2060, the U.S. Census Bureau projects.
The Census Bureau projection, analyzed by Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, suggests that current levels of illegal and legal immigration will force the U.S. population to about 397 million in less than four decades.
We always question whether or not she got the jab …
Brooke Shields Had a Grand Mal Seizure
Actress and model Brooke Shields revealed she suffered a grand mal seizure in September. In an interview, Ms. Shields revealed that the seizure caused her to lose control of her movements, froth at the mouth, and eventually lose consciousness. The actress doesn’t have a history of seizures—and many people reading her story may be wondering if they’re also at risk.
“Grand mal,” which means “great sickness” in French, is actually the old term for what’s now called a tonic-clonic seizure. These seizures involve both stiffening (tonic) and twitching (clonic) muscle movements. It’s just one type of seizure a person can experience.
Seizures happen when the electrical activity in our brain becomes disrupted.
Updated Tucker Carlson interview (How close are we to WW3?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fO8omM_sgo
Lara Logan has an updated report on Ray Epps … VIDEO LINK ON “X”:
Video: Was Ray Epps the victim of right wing conspiracies and speculation?
Or was he being used, like everyone else on January 6th, but for a different purpose?
Texas A&M fires coach Jimbo Fisher, a move that will cost the school $75M
Landing Jimbo Fisher, a coach with a national title on his resume, seemed like just what Texas A&M needed to finally become a championship contender.
But Fisher failed to replicate his success at Florida State in six years with the Aggies and athletic director Ross Bjork fired the coach Sunday despite owing him more than $75 million.
“That’s the hard part in all of this,” Bjork said. “How many sitting head coaches won national championships? So, everyone had tons of optimism. But it just goes back to the last couple of years. Do we have momentum? Do we have hope? How do we see things trending? And we just didn’t see the trend lines improving.”
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