WORLD NEWS
IMF Releases Digital Currency Handbook for World’s Central Banks
Central bank digital currencies can push the world away from depending on the U.S. dollar, the organization said.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a handbook for global central banks regarding the development and implementation of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
The IMF’s “Central Bank Digital Currency Virtual Handbook” published last week pointed out that the increased use of CBDCs can “reduce dollarization” of the global economy—a situation where countries move away from relying on the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency. De-dollarization would push up borrowing costs in the United States, making loans expensive for businesses and individuals, thus affecting economic growth. Stock market values can also crash, reducing the savings and investments of Americans.
In addition to de-dollarization, a CBDC “could increase risks of flight to safety from retail bank deposits in periods of market stress.” During times of market volatility, customers withdraw their deposits and move it into safe assets to avoid losing money in scenarios like bank collapses.
Britons Told Their Taxes are up Because of ‘Putin’s war in Ukraine’
The British government’s ability to cut taxes is limited because of a series of recent events including government intervention for Coronavirus and the war in Ukraine, voters have been told as the Conservative party shifts to soften up its voters ahead of the looming general election.
British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak signalled a claimed change in his approach to the economy in a speech on Monday, saying he was satisfied inflation had fallen enough to begin talking about tax cuts, perhaps the most powerful weapon he has in his electoral toolkit with only around a year to go to seemingly unwinnable national elections.
Forum for Democracy (FvD) party leader Thierry Baudet was hospitalised on Monday evening after he was hit in the head with a glass beer bottle in a cafe in Groningen.
Baudet, who was holding an election meeting with members of his party, was attacked for the second time in a month, as a man approached him and smashed a glass bottle against the side of his head, public broadcaster NOS reports.
Six of Northern Ireland’s ancient Dark Hedges trees to be cut down\
Some of the 250-year-old beeches made famous by Game of Thrones to be removed over risk to public safety
Six trees from the Northern Ireland road known as the Dark Hedges are to be cut down because branches risk falling on Game of Thrones tourists and other visitors.
Contractors sealed off Bregagh Road in Armoy, County Antrim on Monday to prepare the felling of at least six ancient beeches deemed a risk to public safety.
“This decision has not been made lightly and whilst the amenity value afforded by the corridor of trees is acknowledged, the safety of road users is paramount,” the region’s department of infrastructure said in a statement.
The beeches were planted around 1775 to give a sweeping entrance to the Gracehill House estate, making them about 250 years old. The typical life expectancy of such trees is 150 to 200 years.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – a group that claims to seek equity around the world, and whose sponsored groups work to fulfil the “achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda” – has detailed a new action plan that lays out the blueprint to mitigate content on social media and online as a whole.
The plans were announced on November 6th, which UNESCO boasts “is the result of a consultation process on a scale unprecedented,” with contributions from 134 countries and other stakeholders over the course of 18 months in the works. The action plan “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,” UNESCO adds.
UNESCO noted: ‘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.’
UK Govt Compiled ‘Secret Files’ on Social Media Activity of Critics to Create Event Blacklist
More than a dozen British government departments have reportedly established systems to monitor the social media activities of those critical of the administration, producing “secret files” to prevent them from speaking at government-organised conferences or other events.
A report from The Observer, the sister paper of The Guardian, found that at least 15 government departments, including the ministries of culture, environment, food health, media, rural affairs and sport, have issued guidance to bureaucrats to monitor Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter (X) accounts of those believed to be critical of the government.
Netanyahu Opposes Biden: No Way Palestinian Authority Runs Gaza Again
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his opposition Saturday night to a proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden to restore control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA) once Hamas is removed from power and destroyed.
On Saturday, Biden published an op-ed in the Washington Post in which he supported Israel, though once again joining the Israeli cause to the Ukrainian one, putting Hamas and Russia in the same category as enemies of the United States.
Biden also reiterated his support for a “two-state solution” as the only answer to the conflict, and added: “As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution.”
However, Netanyahu emphatically rejected that idea.
“In Gaza, after the destruction of Hamas, and for a long time thereafter, there will not be a regime that encourages terror, that teaches terror, that funds terror — that also indoctrinates about the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews — this will not be,” Netanyahu vowed at a press conference on Saturday night.
He was alluding to the PA’s record of encouraging terror, including the practice of “pay-to-slay,” in which the PA provides stipends to terrorists in Israeli prisons, and pensions to the families of terrorists killed by Israel.
Despite the loss of U.S. aid under the Taylor Force Act, which President Donald Trump signed in 2018 to prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding the PA as long as it continues “pay-to-slay,” the PA has not changed its policy.
The PA also continues naming public parks and monuments after terrorists, and Palestinian educational materials are frequently filled with anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Release of More Footage Spurs Calls for New Jan. 6 Inquiry
‘The J6 committee was a sham. I knew it then. Everyone knows it now. Let’s investigate the investigators,’ wrote Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas).
Several House Republicans called for establishing a new House investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach after new security footage was released.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Ga.) wrote that the release of the new tapes is “not enough” and that there needs to be a probe for the “lies, deceit, and lives ruined.”
The lawmaker then called on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to create a new select committee. She criticized the previous Congress’s Jan. 6 panel that was chaired by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
Court rules that only US government can sue to enforce Voting Rights Act
Shock ruling from Republican-appointed appeals court prevents outside groups or citizens seeking to enforce voting rights law
A federal appeals court shocked voting rights groups on Monday with a ruling that only the US government, not outside groups or citizens, could sue to enforce the Voting Rights Act’s provisions.
The civil rights law, which outlaws racial discrimination as it relates to voting, has typically been enforced by lawsuits from these groups, not by the government itself. Now that the Republican-appointed eighth circuit court of appeals has made the ruling by 2-1, this “private right of action” to enforce Section 2 of the law is called into question.
The ruling stemmed from a case brought by the Arkansas State Conference NAACP and Arkansas Public Policy Panel over new maps created during redistricting that the two groups allege diluted the voting power of Black voters in the state.
Former Troops Punished over Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Sue for Billions in Lost Wages
Former troops are suing the U.S. government for lost pay and benefits due to the Biden administration’s military vaccine mandate, one of the lawyers who successfully brought down the Anthrax vaccine told Breitbart News.
Attorney Dale Saran, a retired Marine, and fellow attorneys Andy Meyer and Brandon Johnson are representing the former troops in three separate lawsuits they plan to turn into a class action lawsuit on behalf of all service members who were either kicked out or illegally ordered to stop drilling, resulting in loss of pay.
Coming soon to a neighborhood near you …
Three illegal aliens from Columbia are accused of operating a scam to rob a 60-year-old woman of more than $20,000 in DuPage County in the sanctuary state of Illinois.
Illegal aliens Miguel Pena-Gomez, 43 years old, Liliana Nagles-Cuesta, 49 years old, and Angela Posada-Acosta, 45 years old — all from Columbia — were charged each with one count of felony theft by deception of $5,000 or more from a person over 60 years old.
You know something’s “rotten in Denmark” when the DoD starts complaining …
On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) reacted to a Washington Post report about frustration within the Pentagon over President Joe Biden’s response to Iranian proxy attacks on American soldiers, with one official saying that other options have been presented to the President, by stating that Biden’s failure to take alternative options is reminiscent of the Afghanistan withdrawal, where Biden was given advice that he chose to ignore.
Blackburn said, “[W]e have to have an effective kinetic response if we’re going to be able to deter this. And bear in mind, we have lost that deterrence and Biden has lost credibility on this issue, and when you start having people in the Pentagon going to [The] Washington Post, and other outlets, and talking about the dissatisfaction, you know that the President has been given those other options, but we have to remember, much of this dissatisfaction with this administration and much of the distrust that some in the Pentagon have with the Biden administration goes back to the Afghanistan withdrawal. And, after that debacle, we found out much, much later, through hearings, that the President had been given options and what did he say? No, we’re going to go forward. And then he goes out and he declares it a success when people in the military knew this was not a success. So, we have to reestablish that deterrence, and we have to have that effective kinetic response.”
U.S. Navy Plane Overshoots Hawaii Runway, Splashes into Sea: All Crew Safe
A U.S. Navy plane with nine crew aboard overshot a runway Monday at a military base in Hawaii and ended up in the shallow waters of Kaneohe Bay. No injuries have been reported, authorities said.
UPI reports the P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft came to grief around 1:57 p.m. The plane was seen sitting upright off Marine Corps Base Hawaii on the island of Oahu.
“All nine passengers aboard the aircraft at the time of the incident are accounted for, and no injuries are reported,” base spokesman Marine Maj. Jordan Fox said.
Images posted on Hawaii News Now show the white airplane surrounded by water some 50 yards offshore. The bay’s depth in that area ranges from 5 to 25 feet, according to nautical charts. Sand, mud and coral cover much of the bottom of the picturesque bay.
Fly the friendly skies … of what? Allahu Akbar?
Shocking: United Airlines Pilot Removed After Supporting Oct 7 Terrorist Massacre, Kidnappings
A United Airlines pilot was “removed from service” after being caught expressing support for the Hamas terror group’s October 7 massacre in Israel — the deadliest against Jewish people since the Nazi Holocaust — which saw the torture, rape, execution, immolation, and abduction of hundreds of Israelis, mostly civilians.
On the day of the massacre, which left over 1,200 dead and more than 240 taken hostage, United Airlines pilot Ibrahim R Mossallam published a post on Facebook describing the attacks — which included the burning of babies alive — as “resistance by brave people.”
Exactly WHO put it there?
Grenade Found Near New Jersey Synagogue, Bomb Squad Called
The bomb squad was called in to investigate a grenade taped to a pole near a synagogue in Lakewood, New Jersey, on Sunday morning.
“According to police, at about 7:45 a.m., the grenade was found strapped to utility pole at the intersection of Forest Avenue and 4th Street in Lakewood, near the Satmar Shul synagogue,” NBC Philadelphia reported.
Ocean County prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement on Sunday that the device was “inert and non-explosive.”
JFK Assassination Doctors Break Silence, Dispute Key Government Claim
Multiple doctors who were in the emergency room with President John F. Kennedy raised doubts about official narratives.
Several doctors who were in the emergency room when former President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 raised serious doubts about the official narrative that says a lone gunman was responsible, according to a new documentary featuring interviews conducted in 2013.
The federal Warren Commission established that two shots fired by lone gunman Lee Harvey Oswald, who was located in the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, struck President Kennedy from behind as he was traveling in a motorcade in Dallas. One of the bullets entered his upper back and exited near his larynx, while the second bullet entered the right side of his head and exited via his forehead.
The former president was breathing when he entered Parkland Hospital before he was pronounced dead about a half an hour later. However, what seven doctors said in the recent footage disputes the commission’s claims about the event.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Hundreds of OpenAI Staff Threaten to Quit Unless Entire Board Resigns After Sam Altman Ouster
More than 500 employees of the company that created the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT have threatened to quit unless all of its board members resign, the latest shakeup at OpenAI after co-founder and CEO Sam Altman was fired.
A list of 505 names undersigns a letter to the leadership of OpenAI, whose board of directors fired Mr. Altman on Nov. 17, citing the board’s loss of confidence in his ability to lead.
Shortly after Mr. Altman’s ouster, OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman announced his resignation, with the two getting immediately snapped up by Microsoft to form a new AI research team.
Over 500 employees of OpenAI are threatening to quit and join the recently fired former CEO Sam Altman in his new role heading an AI research team at Microsoft.
Report: Majority of U.S. Adults Living Paycheck to Paycheck
The majority of U.S. adults are living paycheck to paycheck heading into this holiday season, a report shows.
LendingClub’s latest report shows that as of October, 60 percent of adults said they are living paycheck to paycheck. Around 40 percent of consumers consider themselves to be worse off now than in 2022.
Even higher earners are struggling to get by, with 42 percent of those making six figures also living check-to-check under President Joe Biden.
According to a separate CNBC survey, the number of adults struggling to save between checks is up from 58 percent in March.
Leading Economic Indicators Signal Recession—Again!
A key measure of the direction of the U.S. economy fell for the 19th straight month and once again indicated that a recession is looming.
The leading economic index fell 0.8 percent in October, the Conference Board said Monday. The LEI is based on 10 indicators that tend to forecast the direction of the economy.
Economists had expected a milder decline of 0.8 percent.
Amazon Slashing Hundreds of Jobs in Alexa Unit to Focus on Artificial Intelligence
Amazon is throwing out hundreds of jobs, including American ones, from its Alexa unit to focus more on artificial intelligence (AI), a company leader told workers on Friday.
Amazon’s Vice President of Alexa and Fire TV Daniel Rausch said the job cuts are because the company is not moving forward with certain initiatives, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
“As we continue to invent, we’re shifting some of our efforts to better align with our business priorities, and what we know matters most to customers — which includes maximizing our resources and efforts focused on generative AI,” he said.
‘Things Have Gotten Worse Since Trump:’ Voters Say ‘Bidenomics’ Not Working
The president has made ‘Bidenomics’ a central message in his re-election campaign, despite mounting evidence that it has not resulted in relief for Americans.
“Folks, Bidenomics is just another way of saying ‘the American Dream,'” President Biden said at a rally in Minnesota earlier this month. “It’s rooted in—it’s rooted in what’s always worked best for the country: Investing in America … I can honestly say I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future than I am today.”
There is indeed record low unemployment and data that indicates the United States has made the strongest recovery from the pandemic than any other country, but there remains a disconnect between what President Biden says he has accomplished and what everyday Americans are experiencing.
Regulators Launch Probe into Hyundai and Kia Recalls of 6.4 Million Vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a probe Monday into the recalls of 6.4 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles due to brake fluid leaks that could cause fires.
The investigation will look into eight recalls made by each company over issues with their antilock braking systems (ABS) and Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU), both of which were manufactured by the South Korean parts supplier Mando, Automotive News reported.
‘New Years’ Nightmare’: IRS Targets Gig Workers, Sends 30 Million New Tax Forms
The agency is charging new taxes on Americans who make a side income of more than $600 from activities like online selling or freelance work.
A new IRS tax on gig workers would result in additional documentation that will create confusion among individual taxpayers as the agency does not have “centralized leadership” to deal with the expansion, according to a watchdog.
Starting this year, a new IRS rule required that third-party payment networks like PayPal, Venmo, Amazon, and Square issue Form 1099-K when a user receives more than $600 in gross sales from goods and services transactions in a single year. Earlier, the threshold of gross sales was over $20,000.
As a result, many taxpayers who never received Form 1099-Ks in the past will receive them this year, according to a Nov. 15 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). This could “exacerbate confusion among some taxpayers, such as gig workers, who may not understand the taxability of their payments and taxes owed.”
HEALTH
iDNA Vaccines to Generate Internal Virus Production
With human trials to begin as early as 2024, this new class of gene therapy is clearly over the top.
- “Immunization DNA” or iDNA is a novel class of gene therapy “vaccines” that encodes for the whole virus
- iDNA “vaccines” transcribe the full-length genomic RNA of the live-attenuated vaccine virus. The full-length viral RNA then initiates replication of live attenuated virus in the tissues of the vaccine recipient, resulting in an immune response
- The iDNA platform can be used to create vaccines in two different ways. You can either grow the iDNA in a culture to produce the vaccine in the conventional way, or you can inject the iDNA directly into the recipient and allow the body to produce the live attenuated virus internally
- The first human trials for an iDNA shot that codes for a live virus could begin as early as 2024
- In early April 2023, microbiologist Kevin McKernan reported he’d discovered DNA fragments in the mRNA shots made by Pfizer and Moderna, raising concerns about the possibility of genomic integration, autoimmune diseases and cancer. McKernan now reports having found a dose relationship between the load of DNA contamination and serious adverse events
Is Toxic Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup STILL a Problem in 2023?
(Spoiler: I could not find any indication that anything has changed since 2008.)
During the autumn of 2008, an examination was conducted on 55 food and beverage products from well-known brands, specifically targeting those with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a primary or secondary ingredient. An external laboratory detected levels of total mercury that surpassed the minimum detectable amount in approximately one out of every three of these products.
The presence of mercury was not limited to a single category; it was found in a variety of items including dairy-based drinks, carbonated beverages, dressings for salads, condiments such as barbecue sauce, as well as sweetened syrups and fruit spreads.
This indicates that mercury contamination is a widespread issue in numerous food and drink products that commonly contain HFCS.
How did Mercury Get There?
The origin of mercury in HFCS can be traced back to large-scale chlorine production facilities that utilize mercury cell technology. These plants produce a “mercury-grade” version of caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, among other chemicals, which are then used in the manufacture of a myriad of products, including food additives like citric acid, sodium benzoate, and HFCS itself.
Mercury from these facilities has the potential to taint not only the chemicals they produce but also the surrounding environment.
During the production of HFCS, caustic soda and hydrochloric acid are essential for extracting corn starch from the corn kernel and for pH adjustments in the process. The HFCS industry is a significant consumer of these “mercury-grade” chemicals.
Does the Mercury Consumption Stack Along with Mercury Found in Seafood?
The mercury commonly associated with fish and seafood is methylmercury. The HFCS examination focused on the total mercury content in various supermarket products, which may encompass methylmercury, other mercury compounds, or a combination.
5 Signs You’re Eating Too Much Sugar
As a dietitian, one of the biggest problems people come to me with is the never-ending craving to eat sugar. For too many, feeling an immense “need” to eat sugar is really common. Having some candy here and there to satisfy the sweet tooth is one thing, but eating donuts and soda every single day is another.
Eating high amounts of added sugar on a regular basis can be harmful to your health, increasing your risk of various diseases. Your body is also smart and can tell when you’re overdoing it, so listening to it might help you prevent problems down the road. Here are some signs that you may be eating too much added sugar:
1.You crave sugar often
A diet high in added sugar has been shown to increase appetite and cravings for foods that typically aren’t nutritious. It is processed very quickly by the body, basically running right through you. As such, consuming too much added sugar can throw your blood sugar out of whack and make it rise and fall more quickly. This leaves you in a continuous cycle of cravings and overconsumption to “satisfy” those cravings.
2.Your energy levels are all over the place
Since added sugar goes through the body so quickly, you may experience swings in your energy levels. After eating a muffin for breakfast, you probably feel energized. Maybe after 30 minutes or an hour, however, you start feeling fatigued. This is because your energy levels have likely plummeted, and your body is looking for you to eat something else with sugar to give it that burst again.
3.You never feel full
Eating a fiber and protein-filled meal is one of the best things you do to feel full and satisfied until your next meal throughout the day. Eating a lot of added sugar without these two things can lead to feeling unsatiated after your meals. You might only feel full for a moment after you eat a high-sugar meal or snack, but soon enough, you’re back to opening the fridge because of how rapidly the sugar was processed and the lack of whole nutrients it provided your body. This is why breakfast cereals and bagels are not the best ways to start your day and keep you energized.
4.You might’ve gained weight
If you eat too much sugar, you might notice some weight gain. Added sugar can greatly increase levels of ghrelin, which is known as the “hunger hormone.” Further, an excess of sugar can impair insulin’s role in the body. Insulin is what helps sugar leave your blood and enter your cells to be used for energy. Insulin resistance occurs when your body’s ability to do that is compromised, leading to high blood glucose levels and weight gain.
5.You might have high blood pressure
When you think of high blood pressure, you probably assume salt is to blame. However, research continues to show that sugar holds just as much blame. In fact, some studies have shown that added sugar may cause more harm than salt. The proposed mechanism to explain this is that added sugar affects nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide helps relax the blood vessels, and impaired function can lead to tension in the vessels, which leads to high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, it may be helpful to take a look at not only your fast-food intake but the extra cookies at night too.
Bottom Line
It’s more than okay to eat a sweet treat here and there. In fact, it’s a good thing to not deprive yourself all the time. However, eating excessive amounts of sugar is one of the easiest ways to increase your risk of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. If you feel like no food satisfies you, you’ve gained weight, your energy levels are wonky, you’re really tired, or you’re having blood pressure problems, it might be time to look at your diet to see if overeating sugar is the reason.
Power Mall Product of Interest: SugR-2-Fibr -(60 CT) – Converts 50-90% of the sugars in a meal to fiber.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The Emptiness Of The Transhumanist Ideal
Transhumanism and Technocracy present a mechanistic worldview that is devoid of humanness. Life is nothing other than the meaningless arrangement of atoms and chemical reactions. C.S. Lewis concluded in The Abolition of Man that the more man looks into nature with an eye to master and control it, the more man himself is taken captive by nature, resulting in his own demise.
Thus, you are presented with two diametrically opposite worldviews: One is devoid of meaning altogether, and the other is what it means to be human. The former leads only to death. The latter leads to life. ⁃ TN Editor
TikTok, YouTube Videos Push Websites that Turn Photos into AI Deepfake Pornography
AI tools that can be used to create pornographic images are easy to find online and are even pushed by accounts on Google’s YouTube and China’s TikTok.
TikTok posts are promoting “AI clothing removal” websites, saying users can “remove clothes from any picture,” including those of their “crush,” while YouTube videos are also showing users how to make “not safe for work AI images,” according to a report by NewsNation.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
Credit card skimming on the rise for the holiday shopping season
As we head into the shopping season, customers aren’t the only ones getting excited. More online shopping means more opportunities for cybercriminals to grab their share using scams and data theft.
One particular threat we’re following closely and expect to increase over the next several weeks is credit card skimming. Online stores are not always as secure as you might think they are, and yet you need to hand over your valuable credit card information in order to buy anything.
When a merchant website is hacked, any purchase made has the potential of being intercepted by bad actors. Often, the malicious code is right underneath the surface and yet completely invisible to shoppers.
One particular skimming campaign we have been following picked up the pace drastically in October after a lull during the summer. With hundreds of stores compromised, you may come across it if you shop online on a regular basis.
Note: The Power Mall website is very safe, we’ve never had a hacking or phishing issue as we pay for dedicated SSL certificates which encrypt communication for secure websites
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Rain, snow and severe storms may disrupt Thanksgiving travel plans in US
TSA predicts ‘busiest ever’ holiday season as inclement weather likely to hit central, north-east and mid-Atlantic region
Storms and inclement weather this Thanksgiving holiday week are likely to disrupt travel plans for much of the US.
The forecasts come as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it expects “this holiday travel season to be the busiest ever”.
“[This week] TSA is projecting to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday … 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday … and 2.9 million passengers on Sunday … which will likely be the busiest travel day,” it said in a press release.
Beginning on Monday, a storm with rain, snow and possible thunderstorms will sweep through the south, beginning in the southern plains and spread across Louisiana, Arkansas and the Mississippi Valley. Central US will experience heavy showers as a result.
Tornadoes are also a possibility, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Still using RoundUp®
Trending: Bayer Shares Tank After Key Clinical Trial Halted Early, Roundup Verdict
1513 GMT – Bayer is among the most mentioned companies across news items over the past 12 hours, according to Factiva data. Shares in the German pharmaceutical-and-agricultural group suffered their worst one-day percentage loss on news that a clinical trial for a cardiovascular drug candidate that Bayer saw as a key potential growth driver was halted early after showing poor efficacy, and that the company faces a payout of $1.56 billion in a case related to its Roundup weedkiller. Bayer said the efficacy of experimental drug asundexian was found to be inferior to the drug against which it was being compared in a late-stage trial in patients with atrial fibrillation, a cardiac rhythm disorder. A separate trial continues investigating potential prevention of ischemic stroke for the same drug, for which the company in January projected peak sales exceeding 5 billion euros ($5.46 billion). This came after a Missouri jury delivered on Friday the fourth decision in a row to go against Bayer in its legal battle over Roundup. Analysts at Citi called the news a double whammy for the Bayer investment case. However, Bernstein analysts Gunther Zechmann and James Hooper said the share reaction is overdone. Shares at 1456 GMT fell 19% to EUR33.53, trading at levels last seen in 2009. Dow Jones & Co. owns Factiva.
Woman, 23, Preps Christmas Dinner Months in Advance, Says ‘It Doesn’t Cost Me a Penny’
“It’s so easy. It’s a Christmas dinner for free—apart from my time.”
Meet the prepper and homesteader who already has her Christmas dinner ready and preserved four months early, and she says it doesn’t cost her a penny.
Gubba, 23, who lives just outside of Seattle, Washington, starts planning and preparing for the festive season in August to make sure it all goes smoothly on the day. The content creator lives on a 30-acre farm and harvests vegetables such as potatoes and carrots in late summer and preserves them by canning.
She picks the apples in August and September and cooks up her apple pie filling complete with spices, ready to bake in pastry come Christmas day.
2ND AMENDMENT
At Least 4 Injured After Shots Fired in Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart
At least four people were injured when shots were fired inside a Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart Monday night.
WCPO reported that Beavercreek is the second-largest suburb of Dayton. WHIO-TV indicated officers were called to the Walmart “around 8:30 p.m.”
Supreme Court to Decide Reach of 3-Strikes Law
An Indiana man says multiple convictions from a weeklong burglary spree when he was 18 shouldn’t enhance a gun possession sentence.
The Supreme Court will consider whether a judge or a jury gets to decide if criminal defendants’ prior convictions justify enhanced sentencing under a federal three-strikes law.
The case, Erlinger v. United States (court file 23-370), is the second Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) case the court has agreed to hear in its current term, which began in October.
The court is expected to decide if the Constitution requires juries to go through fact-based inquiries to figure out if a defendant has committed multiple prior offenses on separate occasions and therefore qualifies for an enhanced sentence under the ACCA.
COVID RELATED NEWS
US to Offer More Free COVID Tests Nationwide
The U.S. government on Monday will start taking orders for another round of free COVID-19 tests for delivery across the country, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson said.
Households that had ordered four free tests through COVIDTests.gov when they were offered again in September are eligible to order four more, while those that did not can submit two orders for a total of eight free tests.
The government is making tests available ahead of the U.S. holiday season, which starts with Thanksgiving on Nov. 23 and ends with New Year’s celebrations, as travel on public transportation and indoor gatherings tend to spread infections.
Did Pfizer Pay NFL Star $20M to Push Covid and Flu Double-Jab?
In a desperate plea to persuade more Americans to get a COVID-19 shot, Pfizer enlisted the help of trending Kansas City Chiefs’ star Travis Kelce, but his endorsement didn’t come cheap.
- Pfizer reportedly paid Kansas City Chiefs’ star Travis Kelce $20 million to promote “two shots in one go” — a double jab of COVID-19 and a flu shot
- The advertisement aired during a “Sunday Night Football” match, showing Kelce engaging in two activities, like grilling hamburgers and mowing the lawn, at once, before flashing two Super Bowl rings and saying, “Two things at once”
- A smiling Kelce is then pictured with two Band-Aids on his arm, a blue one representing Pfizer’s COVID-19 jab and another for the flu shot
- On Instagram, Kelce continues to play the part of Pfizer spokesperson, using the hashtag #PfizerPartner and promoting “this season’s updated COVID-19 shot”
- In addition to Kelce, Pfizer also partnered with other celebrities to promote COVID shots and other treatments, like its COVID drug Paxlovid. Among them are singers Pink, John Legend and Questlove; actor Jean Smart; celebrity chef Martha Stewart and Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps
CANCEL CULTURE
One Million Moms calls Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade a ‘transgender extravaganza’
More than 36,000 people have signed an online petition pledging to boycott the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year, joining a Christian conservative group’s campaign against what it calls a “non-binary and transgender extravaganza.”
One Million Moms, an activist organization made up of Christian mothers, launched the petition on Nov. 8, warning that the “holiday parade will potentially expose tens of millions of viewers at home to the liberal LGBTQ agenda.” As of Friday evening, the petition has accumulated 36,235 signatures.
The petition notes that the parade is slated to feature performances from the Broadway musicals “& Juliet” and “Shucked,” both of which star trans-identified or nonbinary actors.
Justin David Sullivan, who identifies as nonbinary and uses all pronouns, will perform portions from “& Juliet,” which reimagines the Shakespeare play Romeo & Juliet if Juliet had not committed suicide over Romeo and “[ditched] her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love — her way,” according to the musical’s website.
Hasbro’s Virtual Ouija Board Contacts Spirits With (What Else?) AI
From a 19th-century parlor game to a divining tool used by spiritualists to a horror movie staple, the Ouija Board is often associated with dusty antique shops, eerie attics, and other spaces that specialize in occult oddities.
This Halloween, Hasbro is bringing the classic game to your computer screen, but like a ghost, it’s disappearing by Nov. 1. And since this is a 2023 update, the virtual board is enhanced by AI. Navigate to ouija.com to pose questions to spirit; no candles or chants needed.
Taylor Swift’s Rio Tour Marred by Deaths, Muggings and a Dangerous Heat Wave
The deaths of two people, muggings and a dangerous heat wave left legions of Taylor Swift’s Brazilian fans angry and disappointed in the three-day Rio de Janeiro leg of the pop superstar’s Eras Tour, which concludes Monday night.
Gabriel Mongenot Santana Milhomem Santos, 25, a fan who had traveled from the country’s center-west region to see Swift, was stabbed to death on a Copacabana beach about 3 a.m. Monday, Rio’s police said in a statement.
PET NEWS
Don’t poison your pet: These Thanksgiving foods are toxic to feed dogs
Traditional Thanksgiving food may be tasty for you, but many dishes and ingredients are toxic for your four-legged friends who may be joining you under the table.
To avoid unintentionally harming your pet (and an expensive trip to the vet), make sure you and anyone who you are spending the holiday with are aware of what Thanksgiving table staples are toxic for dogs.
Here is the list of what may be on your table this Thanksgiving that is and is not safe for dogs to eat, according to the American Kennel Club:
THANKSGIVING FOODS TOXIC FOR DOGS:
- Turkey bones, skin, and gravy
- Ham
- Stuffing
- Casseroles
- Creamed peas
- Alcoholic beverages
- Foods with spices
- Fatty foods
- Yeast dough
- Grapes and raisins
- Chocolate
- Cookies
- Pies
- Desserts
- Onions
- Chives
- Scallions
- Garlic
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Salt and pepper
OTHER FOODS THAT ARE TOXIC TO DOGS:
- Almond
- Apricot
- Balsam pear
- Bones
- Caffeine
- Coffee
- Citrus
- Coconut
- Coconut oil
- Japanese plum
- Macadamia nuts
- Milk and diary
- Mushrooms that are also toxic for humans
- Nuts
- Peach and pear kernels
- Raw, undercooked meat and eggs
- Rhubarb
- Spinach
- Wild cherry
- Xylitol (which is used as a sweetener in products like baked goods, candy, gum, and toothpaste)
GOOD NEWS
Welcome to the “potty” pal! (Take off on Bruce Willis’s quote from “Die Hard”)
Suspected car thief caught in portable toilet after bystanders push it over
Golfers spot suspect being pursued by Wisconsin police hide in portable toilet and push it over to incapacitate him
A suspected car thief was caught in a portable toilet after bystanders saw the man hide in it and then pushed it over with him still inside.
Police in Wisconsin had been pursuing a stolen car when it crashed into two other vehicles and four suspects fled on foot. But one of the suspects hid in a portable toilet, though unknowingly he had been spotted by a group of golfers on a nearby course.
One of the golfers, Adam Westermayer, told WTMJ-TV 4 Milwaukee: “When we realized they were being chased and that kid was in the porta-potty, we tried to tell the police officer. [The police officer] went off to chase the other [suspect], and I just made a rash decision to go push the porta-potty down.”
The experience was not pleasant for the person inside.
Another golfer, Ilissa Boland, told WBAY.com: “Adam said that once he pushed it over, it was really smelly, and he could hear the sloshing, so I can just imagine the stench.”
Police eventually arrested the man in the portable toilet who climbed out to face officers with drawn guns surrounding him. They also arrested one of the other suspects and their investigation is ongoing.
ICYMI
WATCH: Joe Biden Admires Little Girl’s Ears, Asks If She’s 17
President Joe Biden told a six-year-old girl “I love your ears” during a Thanksgiving celebration at a naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday.
The octogenarian approached the child, named Catherine, and gushed her ears were “really cool” at the public event, apparently drawn by what appeared to be her Mickey Mouse headwear.
He bent down and almost touched the youngster as he hovered near her during the ‘”Friendsgiving’” ahead of the holiday later this week.
The public exchange included Biden speculating the girl’s age at 17 – she corrected him to say she is six.
Jets Legend Joe Namath Accused of Covering Up Sexual Abuse
Joe Namath, the legendary quarterback for the New York Jets, has been accused of covering up sexual abuse at his football facility over 50 years ago.
The lawsuit filed by 64-year-old Philip Lyle Smith in Brooklyn claims that his former coach, Philip Foglietta of the Brooklyn Poly Prep Country Club, sexually abused him at a Joe Namath Instructional Football Camp 51 years ago. Per the Daily Mail:
Foglietta, who died in 1998, sexually abused boys at the top New York private school over a 20-year period. The Brooklyn prep school was accused of covering up the abuse and settled a landmark lawsuit brought by former pupils in 2012.
It has now been alleged that the former football coach was allowed to repeatedly abuse Smith in a series of attacks starting when he was just 12 at the camp, Smith claimed in court papers.
Smith initially detailed his claims in the lawsuit under ‘John Doe’ but has now spoken publicly. Now a married Florida real-estate broker, he claimed to The New York Post that Namath and other defendants listed in the lawsuit were ‘enablers and the pedophile protectors.’
Smith’s lawsuit even goes so far as to claim that he received special treatment, including meals with Joe Namath, as he was being groomed for sexual abuse. Speaking to the New York Post, Smith said that they made him feel as if his dreams had come true. Some people even occasionally believed he was Namath’s nephew, given the amount of special treatment he received.
“It was a dream come true for a 12-year-old,’ Smith said. “[Foglietta] always made sure Joe Namath threw me at least one pass almost every single day and said hello to me almost every single day. I was feeling very special.”
Lawsuit: Democrat New York State Sen. Kevin Parker Accused of Raping Woman
New York State Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn) stands accused of rape in a lawsuit filed against him Friday by a woman who claims the incident happened in 2004.
The woman, Olga Jean-Baptiste, claims Parker raped her inside her apartment once the pair talked about relief efforts for Haiti after it suffered horrific flooding at the time, AMNY reported Sunday.
The lawsuit’s text noted, “This action is brought pursuant to New York’s Adult Survivor’s Act.”
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