WORLD NEWS
Explosion Destroys Part of Crimea Bridge, Disrupts Russian Forces’ Supply Route
A massive explosion on Oct. 8 involving a truck on a bridge that links Russia and Crimea killed at least three people and caused a fire that destroyed a section of the bridge, Russian authorities said.
The span is regarded as a key supply route for Russian troops in southern Ukraine.
The Crimean Bridge—also called Kerch Strait Bridge or Kerch Bridge—is a 19-kilometer (12-mile) structure that traverses the Kerch Strait and links southern Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. The Kerch Strait links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that the explosion triggered a fire on the parallel rail section, where seven railway cars carrying fuel caught fire. The blast also caused a “partial collapse of two sections of the bridge.”
At least three people, “presumably the passengers of a car that was driving by the truck that exploded on the bridge,” were killed, the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement.
‘The bodies of a woman and a man were recovered from the water, their identities are being established,” the statement reads, according to Russian state-owned TASS news agency.
Fears of Staged ‘Provocation’ as Belarus Accuses Ukraine of Planning to Attack Them
There are fears Belarus may be looking for an excuse to formally join the war on Ukraine after it accused Kyiv of planning to attack them.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, their ambassador in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, Ihor Kyzym, was summoned by Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and presented with a diplomatic note accusing Ukraine of “planning an attack on the territory of Belarus.”
German Consulate Hit in Wave of Russian Strikes Across Ukraine: Reports
A building housing the visa office of the German consulate in Kyiv (Kiev) has been struck amid a wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, reports claim.
Germany’s BILD, the best-selling tabloid newspaper in Europe, cited former Heinrich Böll Foundation chairman Sergej Sumlenny that the “building where the visa office of the German embassy in Kyiv was located was hit by the Russians” in Monday’s missile strikes.
French President Fires Back at Biden for Warning of Nuclear ‘Armageddon’
French President Emmanuel Macron said that President Joe Biden’s statement that the world is inching closer to nuclear “armageddon” isn’t responsible.
“We must speak with prudence when commenting on such matters,” the French leader said, adding, “I have always refused to engage in political fiction, and especially … when speaking of nuclear weapons.”
“On this issue, we must be very careful,” Macron said at a conference in Prague over the weekend, according to reports.
Biden last week stated at a Democrat fundraiser that Kremlin leaders’ recent warnings about the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine had brought the world closer to “armageddon” than at any time since the Cold-War Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s.
‘Intolerant, Stuck-In-His-Ways Old Man’ – Major UK Newspaper Slams ‘Useless and Nasty’ Biden
President Joe Biden, whose inauguration was supposed to herald a return to international esteem for the U.S., has been slammed as “useless and nasty” by one of Britain’s leading newspapers.
The Telegraph, close to Britain’s governing Conservative (Tory) party and the country’s best-selling broadsheet, published an article by Associate Editor Camilla Tominey suggesting that “Biden’s qualities for the Oval Office are almost non-existent.”
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin had a shock to the system on Sunday when two people were shot outside his Long Island home while his teenage twin daughters were inside.
According to Zeldin, his two daughters, 16-year-olds Mikayla and Arianna, were on inside doing their homework when the shots broke out in front of their home. He and his wife, Diana, were in the car returning from the Bronx Columbus Day parade in Morris Park.
Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight Donates $1 Million to Republican Oregon Gov. Candidate Christine Drazan
Nike co-founder Phil Knight has donated $1 million to elect Republican Oregon gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan in an increasingly tight race against Democrat Tina Kotek.
Knight’s donation to Drazan’s campaign comes after he donated $3.75 million to Independent candidate Betsy Johnson, signaling his strong dislike for Tina Kotek.
Republican strategist Rebecca Tweed told KGW Knight’s donation said the two donations are not meant as an endorsement of either candidate but rather an attack against the Democrat candidate.
“It’s not really $1 million toward Drazan or $3.75 (million) towards Betsy. It’s $4.75 (million) against Tina Kotek,” Tweed told the outlet.
“Each candidate has brought in $13… 14… 16.5 million. We’re just getting started. I know people are tired of seeing ads, but sit down and get ready for it,” she added.
Trump-endorsed Kelly Tshibaka was projected this week to defeat by a narrow margin 21-year incumbent and pro-impeachment Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
According to FiveThirtyEight’s simulation of the race, Tshibaka is projected to defeat Murkowski 52 in 100 times. The model supports polling showing Tshibaka has a slight edge over the incumbent.
Pompeo: Biden’s Armageddon Comments ‘Reckless’
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on this week’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday” that President Joe Biden’s comments warning of armageddon in response to nuclear threats from Russia were “reckless.”
At a fundraiser last week, Biden said, “We have not faced the prospect of armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.”
Discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden added, “I know fairly well. He’s not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons.”
Republicans Warn DHS Secretary Mayorkas He Could Be Impeached
Two top Republicans have warned Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that he faces possible impeachment proceedings if his department doesn’t quickly implement new border controls.
“Your failure to faithfully enforce this nation’s immigration laws and willful blindness to the very real humanitarian crisis at our southern border amounts to a gross dereliction of duty and a violation of your oath of office,” Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stated in a letter to the secretary. “This is gross dereliction of duty and, if not corrected swiftly, could provide grounds for impeachment.”
They included figures showing that the number of people crossing into the United States from Mexico has dramatically increased since Mayorkas and President Joe Biden took office about 19 months ago.
“Despite the heroic efforts by the men and women of Border Patrol, who operate with very little support from Washington, D.C., you have failed to achieve any semblance of operational control of the southern border,” the letter, dated Oct. 4, says.
Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), shows there were more than “4.4 million illegal crossings, including over 3.5 million apprehensions by CBP and at least 900,000 gotaways, who evaded apprehension,” they wrote.
EXCLUSIVE: Virginia County Stops Using Konnech Election Software Following CEO’s Arrest
A county in northern Virginia has halted its use of Konnech Corp.’s election software after last week’s arrest of the company’s chief executive.
Since learning about the arrest, the Fairfax County Office of Elections has halted using Konnech’s PollChief election officer management software, Eric Spicer, the director and general registrar of the county’s Office of Elections, said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on Oct. 6.
The county also is terminating its contract with Konnech, Spicer added. Fairfax County election officials declined to comment on whether the county is securing a replacement product, given that Election Day is less than a month away.
PollChief, Konnech’s election worker management system product, is designed to assist with poll worker assignments, communications, and payroll, according to the statement.
“Furthermore, this software is not connected to the county’s voting systems or the state voter registration system. It cannot be used to tabulate votes or election results,” he said.
HHS Probed EcoHealth Over Alleged ‘Major Fraud’ Against US, Emails Show
The Department of Health and Human Services’s watchdog briefly probed EcoHealth Alliance, a New York nonprofit that has collaborated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, over alleged “major fraud against the United States,” newly released emails show.
The four-month-long probe, which opened in September 2020, centered around an allegation that “the COVID-19 virus was generated in … China with the assistance of an NIH [National Institutes of Health] Grant.”
The Office of Investigations of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed the investigation in an email with the subject line “Grant Information Review [Redacted]” and dated Dec. 3, 2020, according to redacted copies of the documents obtained by U.S. Right to Know, a public health advocacy group.
A tip from an outside source had prompted the office to open the case, a special agent wrote in an attached memorandum to Ashley Sanders, an investigative officer at the NIH. Another correspondence issued in January 2021 confirmed that EcoHealth Alliance, which worked with a high-level Wuhan lab for years to conduct risky bat coronavirus research, was one of the targets. The name of the other party was redacted.
Sen. Chuck Grassley: Hundreds of FBI Agents Resigned amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, reportedly received documents from a whistleblower showing hundreds of FBI agents resigned between 2004 to 2020 amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Grassley’s office shared information about a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) internal report titled “Retirements and Resignations During Unwelcome Sexual Conduct Adjudications.”
Hunter Biden’s Lawyer Responds to Reports He’ll Be Indicted Soon
An attorney for Hunter Biden responded to reports claiming the president’s son may be charged soon over alleged tax crimes.
“As is proper and legally required, we believe the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents, but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense,” Chris Clark, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, said in a statement to the Washington Times on Friday in response to the reports.
Reports suggested that U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss is nearing a decision on whether to charge Hunter Biden and is in discussions with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on how to proceed. Namely, the Washington Post, citing unnamed law enforcement officials, alleged that federal agents have found enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes and making a false statement relating to the purchase of a firearm.
Report: NYC Teachers Allegedly Sent Explicit Texts, Preyed on Students
Multiple female teachers in New York City have been accused of inappropriate behavior involving students, the New York Post reported Saturday.
Reports from the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI) for the city’s schools showed several instances of “shocking sexually-charged behavior” by the women and aides, the outlet said:
Natalie Black, 27, a teacher at Hillside Arts and Letters Academy in Queens, sent at least 15 raunchy snaps of herself “in lingerie or nude” to a 17-year-old male student beginning in late 2021, an SCI report said. The boy was interviewed by the NYPD, but no charges were filed.
By March 2022, the report found, Black’s bad behavior escalated: she showed male students photos of her vagina, pulled down her pants in a student’s home and told him to “eat my ass,” and sent kids videos of herself “deep throating” a liquor bottle and dancing naked from the waist down.
Black refused to cooperate with officials and was removed from service during the probe. The SCI recommended she be removed from the Department of Education workforce permanently due to unfitness as a teacher.
Chinese Police Overseas NY Outpost Can Be Tool for Sabotage in US: Expert
A report emerged in September that said Chinese authorities have opened 110 police service centers outside of mainland China—including one in New York City—that repatriate Chinese people using coercion, according to a security policy expert, but which also may be used for sabotage or espionage.
Frank Gaffney, the executive chairman at the Washington-based Center for Security Policy, said that as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) global transnational repression those service centers can be tools to conduct espionage and sabotage work.
“The Chinese are not simply forcing people to go back to China and stand trial, but they may be giving them directions to do other things,” such as espionage, recruitment, influence operations, sabotage, or subversion, Gaffney told the “China in Focus” program on NTD news.
He said those are the sorts of things we need to “ensure do not continue.”
Gaffney described the regime’s police operations as “instruments of reaching out and not just touching but garroting individuals that they seek to either extricate from wherever they may be and return [them] home to face prosecution there for some cause.”
Sheriff Urges Floridians to Shoot Looters in Wake of Hurricane Ian
The message that hurricane-ravaged Florida is an inhospitable place for looters was driven home by an outspoken Polk County sheriff, who in a media appearance on Friday urged Floridians to shoot looters breaking into their homes so they look “like grated cheese.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd issued the warning during an Oct. 7 appearance on “Fox & Friends,” while commenting on the problem of looters preying on vulnerable households in the wake of Hurricane Ian’s devastation.
“I would highly suggest that if a looter breaks into your home, comes into your home while you’re there to steal stuff, that you take your gun and you shoot him,” Judd said.
“You shoot him so he looks like grated cheese because you know what? That’s one looter that will not break into anyone else’s home and take advantage of them when they’re the most vulnerable and the most weak,” the sheriff added.
Democrats Run Network of Fake Local News Sites in Battleground States: Report
Democrats are running a network of quasi-local news websites to spread pro-Democrat messages in swing states ahead of the midterm elections, according to reports.
The network, according to Axios, encompasses at least 51 local news outlets across 10 swing states, with each of them having a non-partisan sounding name such as the Milwaukee Metro Times, the Tri-City Record, and the Mecklenburg Herald. These sites share a common template, which mixes sports stories and other local news with political content that is heavily biased toward Democrat candidates and against their Republican competitors.
The sites are purportedly run by a one-year-old, Florida-based company called Local Report, according to the “About Us” pages for each outlet. They may also be partly run by the American Independent, a progressive media company owned by Hilary Clinton-affiliated investment firm True Blue Media, considering that the bulk of these sites’ content is produced by American Independent writers.
According to Axios, almost all of these sites’ content comes from just six American Independent writers. Many of the six authors’ articles appear nowhere else other than sites within the Local Report network.
Democrat campaigns in several states have been referencing Local Report stories. For example, the official Twitter account for the Democratic Party of Georgia last month shared a piece criticizing Gov. Brian Kemp, who is seeking reelection. Jocelyn Benson, who will face Republican challenger Kristina Karamo this November in Michigan’s secretary of state race, posted on Twitter a story that praises her effort in expanding voter access.
“It is very likely that this November Michigan voters will be choosing between Benson, who oversaw an election with the highest voter participation rate in 60 years, or Karamo, who tried to help another state overturn it,” read the Local Report article, written by an American Independent writer. It’s unclear whether the Democrats shared the content knowing that they aren’t independent news reports, but are part of the Democrat media campaign.
Wisconsin Judge Orders Officials to Stop Allowing Voters to ‘Spoil’ Ballots and Cast New Ones
Voters in Wisconsin can’t cancel their ballot and cast a new one once a vote has been cast, a state judge has ruled.
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel granted a request on Oct. 5 for a temporary injunction against the practice, which had been promulgated to officials across the state by the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC).
Wisconsin voter Nancy Kormanik sued the WEC over its guidance, which states that clerks can give completed and submitted absentee ballots back to a voter, arguing that doing so violates a Wisconsin law that states that the clerk “shall not return the ballot to the elector” once submitted.
The guidance was issued after several candidates dropped out of high-profile races, including Democrat candidates for the U.S. Senate, such as Alex Lasry.
Schimel, a Republican and a former Wisconsin attorney general, sided with Kormanik and ordered an injunction that took effect on Oct. 7.
Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections is representing Kormanik. The group was started by former Bush administration official Karl Rove and others.
“Today’s ruling is another major victory for Wisconsin voters. WEC’s unlawful guidance destroys voter confidence and taints the integrity of Wisconsin’s elections. Once a vote is cast, it is cast. Period,” Derek Lyons, president and CEO of the group, said in a statement.
Top Medical Center to Pause Transgender Surgeries on Minors After Backlash
A top medical center in Tennessee is pausing the removal of breasts and other procedures that it says were performed on transgender youth in recent years.
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) disclosed the pause in a letter to a state representative on Oct. 7.
VUMC doctors have performed breast removals and other surgeries for youth who think they’re a different gender, according to lectures given by VUMC doctors. Archived versions of the webpage for the VUMC “pediatric transgender clinic” says that puberty blockers and “gender-affirming therapy” are among the services offered.
The transgender clinic, which also services adults, has performed “gender-affirming surgical procedures” for an average of five minors per year since it started in 2018, Dr. C. Wright Pinson, deputy CEO, told state Republican Rep. Jason Zachary in the new letter.
All of the minors were 16 or older, none received “genital procedures,” and parental consent was obtained for all patients, according to Pinson.
Zachary and 61 other Tennessee House Republicans in September asked VUMC to pause what they described as “surgical mutilations of minor children” until they had a chance to craft and pass legislation that prohibits such procedures.
Pinson’s letter, a response to the request, said that VUMC would pause the surgeries for minors while the center reviews a new version of recommendations by the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) and consults with local and national experts on the updated recommendations.
Contract Suggests Florida to Continue Relocating Illegal Immigrants for Months
A Florida Department of Transportation purchase order shows that the Sunshine State will continue relocating illegal immigrants for at least eight more months.
The purchase order signed at the beginning of September by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) with Vertol Systems Co., a comprehensive transportation service provider, states that the contract will be executed “until June 30, 2023.”
However, it’s stated in the contract that FDOT could cancel the order if the department finds the company’s performance to be unsatisfactory.
Vertol was retained to provide “transportation-related and humanitarian relocation service to implement a program to facilitate the transport of unauthorized aliens,” according to FDOT.
“The proposed Services include, but are not limited to, Project management, aircraft, crew, maintenance logistics, fuel, coordination and planning, route preparation, route services, landing fees, ground handling and logistics, and other Project-related expenses,” the contract reads.
The document was first obtained by Sun Sentinel through a public records request.
It shows three tiers in the price schedule: $325,000 per flight for up to eight passengers, $485,000 per flight for up to 25 passengers, and $625,000 per flight for up to 65 passengers.
The total budget for the illegal immigrant relocation program is $12 million.
Special Counsel Durham Can Keep Witness List for Danchenko Trial Secret: Judge
Special counsel John Durham can keep a list of witnesses he plans to call in an upcoming trial secret, a judge ruled on Oct. 7.
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, approved a motion from Durham’s team.
The witness list will be sealed and remain under seal until further order from the court, Trenga said.
Durham’s prosecution of Igor Danchenko, a key source for the anti-Donald Trump dossier compiled on behalf of Democrats ahead of the 2016 presidential election, is set to start on Oct. 11.
Michael Keilty, an assistant special counsel, asked the court on Oct. 7 to seal the list.
“Given that this case has garnered significant media attention, the government is concerned about the potential harassment of its witnesses should they be identified this far in advance of trial,” Keilty wrote.
Prosecutors plan to publicly file the list, which they provided to Danchenko’s lawyers, on Oct. 10, Keilty said.
Defense lawyers didn’t object to the proposal, he noted.
Democrat Former Mayor Faces Sentencing for Ballot Harvesting: ‘Issue of Public Integrity’
The Democrat former mayor of San Luis, Arizona, who pleaded guilty to ballot abuse, is hoping for leniency in sentencing.
Guillermina Fuentes pleaded guilty in June to a single count of ballot abuse and admitted collecting several early voting ballots during the 2020 election, Fox News reported Friday.
Delaware Republicans Celebrate Court Ruling: Vote-by-Mail Unconstitutional
“There will be no vote-by-mail on November 8! There will be no same-day voter registration!” said M. Jane Brady, the chair of the Delaware Republican Party on Friday. Brady was overjoyed on sharing the news about a ruling by the Delaware Supreme Court with some 100 people who had gathered at the Rusty Rudder restaurant for a Freedom Festival Banquet.
Earlier that day, the court had stated in its ruling that both Delaware’s vote-by-mail and same-day registration statutes violate the state’s Constitution.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Delaware Governor John Carney, Democratic Party, declared a public health emergency, and the General Assembly passed laws to allow people to vote by mail.
“We are working hard to protect the integrity of our elections in Delaware,” said Brady. “The way they’ve been for a very long time, that’s trying to be undermined and undone, and I won’t let it happen on my watch.”
Brady is a former Delaware attorney general and a former Delaware Superior Court judge.
“The Supreme Court ruled that vote-by-mail statutes that were passed in June and signed by the governor in July are unconstitutional under Delaware’s Constitution,” Brady told an Epoch Times reporter during the banquet.
Brady said that Delaware had not permitted universal vote-by-mail before June, but allows absentee ballots. If someone is unable to go to one’s designated polling station due to military service, illness, injury, or travel, the person can request an absentee ballot.
“But they can’t just for no reason not show up to vote and ask for a ballot to be sent to them,” said Brady.
Ted Cruz Says Midterms Will Be ‘Red Tsunami’, Democrats Can Only Focus on Abortion
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said the GOP would retake the U.S. Senate and House majority during the November midterm elections.
“I think we are going to see a wave election,” Cruz told Fox News on Oct. 6. “I think it’s going to be a tsunami.”
“Republicans are going to retake both the House and Senate,” he continued. “I think in the House, we could easily end up with a majority of 30, 40, 50 votes. In the Senate, I think we are going to retake the majority. I think we will end up with about 53 Republicans in the Senate.”
Cruz, who was in Arizona as part of a multi-state campaign bus tour, pointed to the Republican’s advantage with record-high inflation and gas prices.
“People are energized,” Cruz said. “They are [expletive] at the idiots in Washington at the direction of the country. They are mad at inflation. They are mad at gas prices. They are mad at crime and chaos at our southern border and furious at the cultural Marxists trying to destroy our country. That’s why I think it’s going to be a fundamental wave election this year.”
EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Life Activists Arrested on Federal Charges Speak Out
Some of the pro-life activists who were charged with violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act this week are speaking out.
Federal authorities announced charges on Oct. 6 against 11 activists who blocked a clinic in Tennessee in 2021. All of the activists were charged with violating the law. Known as the FACE Act, the law prohibits threatening or obstructing people who are trying to obtain or provide abortions. Some of the activists were also charged with civil rights conspiracy.
“As I face the unjust charges in D.C. and now Tennessee, my only desire is to walk through everything in God’s grace. I have no regret in standing for righteousness in defending the innocent unborn children. It is a privilege to be counted worthy to share in these ‘light and momentary troubles’ that can’t come near to what my Savior suffered for me,” Heather Idoni, of Michigan, told The Epoch Times in an email.
Idoni was previously charged with blocking an abortion clinic in Washington. She was hit with a FACE Act violation and civil rights conspiracy because she allegedly conspired to “injure, oppress, threaten, and intimidate” patients and employees at the carafem clinic in Mt. Juliet, according to charging documents. Idoni was among those who were seen in a livestream video titled “RESCUE” posted by a co-defendant blocking access to the clinic on March 5, 2021.
The group stated that its intention was to block women who were seeking abortions. They sat and stood in a hallway outside the clinic’s entrance, sang songs, and read Bible verses. Many were charged with trespassing due to refusing to leave the scene after several hours.
Eva Edl is another person present at the time who has been charged with a FACE Act violation. The 87-year-old survived a concentration camp after World War II, according to her biography.
“When I place my body at the entrance of Abortion Clinics, I am only doing what I wish people in my country had done for me when I was shipped in a cattle car to be exterminated in a concentration camp in Yugoslavia,” Edl told The Epoch Times via email. “Life begins at conception and deserves equal protection at all stages of development or decline.”
Edl referred to several Bible verses, including Acts 5:29, which states, “I cannot permit myself to be intimidated by what my present government might do to me, I am committed to obey God rather than men.”
GOP Lawmakers Question Blinken, Garland Over CCP Police Station in New York
A group of U.S. House Republicans on Oct. 7 sent a letter questioning Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the presence of a Chinese police service station in New York City.
“We are writing to express our grave concern over reports of the law enforcement presence of the People’s Republic of China in New York City,” the 21 lawmakers wrote, referring to China’s full name.
“The Chinese overseas police service station established in New York City earlier this year appears to be a further step of China’s illicit long arm policing on U.S. soil that violates our sovereignty,” Republican Study Committee chairman Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Reps. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), and 18 other GOP House members wrote in the letter.
The letter came after a September report from NGO Safeguard Defenders revealed the Chinese authorities have set up at least 54 police service stations across five continents, including the United States, as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) global transnational repression.
An outpost in New York City was among the “first batch” of 30 overseas police service stations in 21 countries set up by the Public Security Bureau in Fuzhou city, the capital of the southern coastal province of Fujian.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Inflation Is Eroding American Workers’ Wages: Federal Reserve
Most workers in the United States have seen their wages fall behind inflation in the past year, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
The Fed calculates that 53.4 percent of the American workforce saw their real wages decline between the second quarter of 2021 and second quarter of 2022, the Oct. 4 research report said. Real wages refer to inflation-adjusted wages.
“For the 53.4 percent of such workers in second quarter 2022, the median decline (that is, half of the declines were larger and half smaller) in real wage growth was 8.6 percent,” the report said.
“The average median decline over the last 25 years is 6.5 percent, with real wage declines typically falling in the range of 5.7 to 6.8 percent,” the Fed said.
The only other periods during the past 25 years when the decline in real wages was more severe than in the second quarter of 2022 were during the Great Recession around 2008, and in 2015, which were also the result of inflation turning negative.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Flooded Tesla EVs From Hurricane Ian Exploding All Over Florida
In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Ian in Florida, things are going from bad to worse. The destruction is massive, and also ongoing. That’s because even though the hurricane occurred over a week ago, its after-effects are mounting. These include the instances of Tesla EVs exploding into flames around the state. The mixture of electricity and salt water leads to these latent fires.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
New Rule Requires Firearms Dealers to Disclose Buyer Information to Government
A new policy was implemented last week by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which seeks to collect the addresses of gun purchasers in a bid to comply with new federal law.
Federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) will now be required to provide the FBI with the personal addresses of individuals who attempt to make a purchase but are denied or have a delayed transaction. The FBI will also provide local law enforcement with details of failed transactions, which include delayed transactions, as well as the personal information of rejected individuals. Earlier, firearms dealers only had to provide a purchaser’s state of residence rather than their full address in case of denial or delay.
The change in policy follows President Joe Biden signing the appropriations package for fiscal 2022 in March. The package contained the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act (VAWA) which includes the NICS Denial Notification Act.
In an FBI email obtained by Gun Owners of America (GOA), the agency details how the new policy will be implemented.
“The NICS Denial Notification Act of 2022 requires the FBI’s NICS Section to notify state, local, or tribal law enforcement of all FBI NICS denied transactions within 24 hours. The FBI must provide notification to law enforcement based upon the location of the FFL and if different, the purchaser’s address,” the email states.
The FFLs must provide a buyer’s complete address to the NICS as recorded on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 when transactions get “denied or delayed.”
Five signs your phone may be spying on you
If your phone is acting a little sluggish, it may be because spyware has wormed its way into your phone’s system — tracking every click you make, every step you take, and anything and everything you do. And the situation could get worse before it gets better, too.
Like the rest of the world, malware took 2020 off, but now it’s back with a vengeance. In 2021, Malwarebytes detected 77% more malicious software than in 2020. The study said that malware threats made on consumers last year eclipsed 150 million.
Consumers have their work cut out for them
Before you go pointing fingers at Google or Apple or your carrier, they’re doing all they can. For its part, Apple unleashed Lockdown Mode to protect iPhone owners.
Google’s been busy protecting its Play Store from Potentially Harmful Applications (PHAs), too. It’s gotten the number of PHAs down to less than 1% of the total apps installed, but spyware accounts for 48% of those.
Still, when you look at how many apps installed from Google Play, that sub-1% still adds up to the possibility that hundreds of millions of spyware-laden apps are winding up on people’s phones.
How do you know if spyware is on your phone? Cybersecurity experts from VPNOverview have collected the top five warning signs that could indicate that hackers are using your phone to spy on you. The study also details how you can prevent and remove spyware that hackers may have installed onto your phone.
HEALTH
Gender Dysphoria Diagnoses for Children Soared 70% in 2021
Childhood gender dysphoria diagnoses soared 70% from 2020 to 2021, according to medical records of 330 million Americans analyzed by Komodo Health Inc, Reuters reported Thursday.
The findings reveal a massive uptick in gender dysphoria diagnoses for children aged 6 to 17, with at least 121,882 children receiving that diagnosis in the five years leading up to 2021, according to Reuters. While most children who are diagnosed with the disorder do not medically transition, the rate of children on puberty blockers more than doubled from 2017 to 2021 to just over 5,000.
The data aligns with other findings outlining the rapid rise in transgender identities among adolescents, but it’s less clear why the trend accelerated so rapidly in 2020. Some have attributed the youth transgender trend to social contagion, citing the popularity of trans videos on TikTok and other social media platforms, while others have pointed to school programming on gender identity issues for young children.
Those numbers rely on insurance claims and other health records and likely leave out children whose records do not indicate dysphoria and those who get treatments outside of their insurance, meaning that the numbers are likely undercounted.
The soaring rates of medicalization and transgender affiliation coincided with the Obama administration pushing insurance providers to cover transgender-related medical procedures, which prompted a massive expansion in public and private insurance coverage for gender transitions, including for children, according to Reuters. More than half of states cover the procedures through Medicaid, and only nine states explicitly ban Medicaid coverage for transgender procedures.
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- In my interview on the “Good Morning CHD” daily news show, I discuss simple ways to radically improve your health if you fall into that metabolically unfit category
- The basics to restoring metabolic health are to use time-restricted eating, avoid processed foods and linoleic acid, and get daily sun exposure
- Time-restricted eating involves limiting your eating window to a set number of hours during the day; I recommend getting down to a six- to eight-hour eating window with stopping all eating at least three hours before bed
- I also share three essential compounds that should be in your emergency medicine kit — methylene blue, melatonin and nebulized hydrogen peroxide
New Study Links Many Popular OTC Meds With Alzheimer’s
Think twice before popping these pills that shrink your brain, kill your memory and put you in the path of a deadly disease with no cure. One person made an astonishing recovery from severe dementia after quitting multiple meds – including over-the-counter products. Be very careful.
Story at-a-glance
- Anticholinergic drugs block acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that performs important functions in your brain and peripheral and central nervous systems
- In your brain, acetylcholine plays a key role in attention, concentration, memory formation and consolidation, which is why anticholinergic drugs can cause symptoms identical to dementia
- Research assessing effects of anticholinergics found statistically significant associations between dementia and anticholinergic antidepressants, antiparkinson’s drugs, antipsychotics, bladder antimuscarinics and antiepileptic drugs
- Many common over-the-counter drugs contain anticholinergic ingredients, including antihistamine medications sold under the brand names Benadryl and Chlor-Trimeton, sleep aids such as Tylenol PM, Aleve PM and Unisom, the motion sickness medication Dramamine and various cold medicines
- In the case of Benadryl and many sleep aids, the anticholinergic ingredient in question is diphenhydramine. In Chlor-Trimeton it’s chlorpheniramine; in many cold medicines, it’s pyrilamine
Manuka Honey Helps Combat Antibiotic Resistant Lung Infection
Even serious lung infections are no match for the antibacterial properties of manuka honey, which is effective against antibiotic-resistant pathogens and more.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- The nectar from manuka flowers contains dihydroxyacetone, a precursor to methylglyoxal (MGO), an antimicrobial compound not found in most other honey
- The presence of MGO is credited for much of manuka honey’s medicinal prowess, which includes the ability to combat complex antibiotic-resistant respiratory infections
- All four varieties of manuka honey tested showed antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium abscessus, a type of mycobacteria that often cause aggressive lung infections
- When manuka honey was combined with antibiotics to treat Mycobacterium abscessus, the drug dosage was able to be cut by eightfold
- Manuka honey is used for a variety of medical-grade applications, including honey gel, honey for wound dressings and nebulized honey used to treat asthma
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Big Wind, Big Fail In Hawaii’s Lanai Paradise
Kirstin Downey’s recent article (“The Struggle Over Towering Wind Farms Is At The Center Of A Honolulu City Council Debate,” Sept. 21) rightly highlights the Kahuku community’s critical role in helping to inform public opinion regarding the negative community impacts of industrial wind power plants.
She writes: “When they first arrived in Hawaii about a decade ago, the turbines were initially welcomed but North Shore residents were shocked by their huge size and disturbed to learn they posed deadly hazards for endangered wildlife, particularly the opeapea bat on the North Shore. But opposition hardened when the big towers came to Kahuku three years ago.”
While that’s accurate (although the first wind turbines arrived on the Big Island’s South Point in 1987), it overlooks the role of the Lanai community’s opposition to the now defunct Big Wind proposals for Lanai and Molokai in Hawaii’s love/hate affair with industrial wind power plants.
First proposed in 2007 — 15 years ago — Big Wind on Lanai was David Murdock’s and then-Gov. Linda Lingle’s scheme to install 170 wind turbines that would irretrievably alter — and environmentally destroy — almost 25% of Lanai’s land. The giant turbines would generate electricity to be delivered via an undersea cable to power Oahu’s ever-increasing demand for electricity.
The project divided this small island of 3,000 people in ways that are still being felt today. It was touted as a panacea for those hungry to achieve the state’s goal of 100% renewable energy. But to many Lanaians, it was seen as an environmentally destructive scheme designed primarily to enrich the landowner.
Biden Claims Hurricane Ian Proves Climate Change, Despite Hurricane Expert’s Dismissal
President Joe Biden attributed deadly Hurricane Ian to climate change and suggested people “should do something about it,” despite such a conclusion going against the nation’s top hurricane expert.
Biden traveled on Oct. 5 to Florida to survey the devastation of hurricane-ravaged Florida and meet those who had lost homes and businesses. While the president put up a rare united front with Gov. Ron DeSantis in the wake of the Category 4 storm, as the two toured the damage and praised each other for collaboration, Biden opened his remarks by underscoring climate change.
“We’re in a situation where the Colorado River looks more like a stream,” Biden said during his Wednesday speech in Fort Myers Beach, a hard-hit town in southwest Florida during the Ian landfall, as DeSantis stood behind him.
“There’s a lot going on, and I think the one thing this has finally ended is a discussion about whether or not there’s climate change and we should do something about it,” the president continued.
When Hurricane Ian, described by DeSantis as a “500-year flood event,” slammed into the state last week and caused widespread destruction, flooding, and power outages to coastal communities, it spurred a bevy of Liberals and left-wing media outlets to push hard the climate agenda, asserting that carbon emissions and global warming have intensified hurricanes.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
Amish Farmer Threatened for Not Giving Up Traditional Farming
Armed federal agents were used to threaten a traditional Amish farmer just 150 miles outside Washington, D.C. who does not use pesticides, fertilizer or gas to run his farm.
COVID RELATED NEWS
CDC Announces Major Shift, Will Stop Reporting Daily COVID Cases
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it will publish COVID-19 cases and deaths on a weekly basis, marking a major shift in its reporting since the start of the pandemic.
“To allow for additional reporting flexibility, reduce the reporting burden on states and jurisdictions, and maximize surveillance resources, CDC is moving to a weekly reporting cadence,” the federal agency said in a statement last week.
Local and state health departments, under the new guidance, will have to report new COVID-19 deaths and cases to the CDC every week on Wednesdays. The new change will go into effect starting Oct. 20, according to the agency.
“Data processing cutoffs for jurisdictions will be every Wednesday at 10 A.M. ET for line level case and death data, and Wednesday at 5 P.M. ET for aggregate case and death data,” the CDC said.
Daily data on COVID-19 hospitalizations will still be provided, according to the CDC, and it will use information from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Twitter Censors Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s Coronavirus Vaccine Guidance
Twitter temporarily removed a post from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo recommending against mRNA coronavirus vaccinations for men under 40.
Ladapo, who has frequently criticized the safety and effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines, cited data showing an increase in cardiac conditions for men under 40 who have received mRNA coronavirus shots.
Marvel Teams with Pfizer, Promotes COVID Vaccines in Avengers ‘Everyday Heroes’ Sponsored Comic
Marvel Comics has teamed up with Big Pharma giant Pfizer for a digital comic book featuring Captain America and the Avengers promoting the company’s coronavirus vaccines.
The theme of the comic defines people who take the vaccine as “everyday heroes,” according to a Pfizer Instagram post from Thursday.
The Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine next week will hold a hearing related to the board’s Jan. 12 suspension of Dr. Meryl Nass’s medical license.
CHD.TV will livestream Nass’s hearing on Oct. 11, 1 p.m. Eastern. You can watch here.
Nass’s original suspension order included accusations of spreading “misinformation.” However, the board on Sept. 26 withdrew six of those accusations and, on Sept. 30, withdrew more of its factual allegations related to “misinformation.”
Next week’s hearing will focus on Nass’s prescribing of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19 and on record-keeping issues.
There are no patient complaints for the board to review.
According to her opening statement, Nass will introduce 286 pages of e-mails and letters from her patients and others, attesting to her competency, care and responsiveness to patient needs.
You can read two of the board’s recent notices withdrawing various complaints (second and third notices), Nass’s opening statement to the board and defense counsel’s timeline of events that led to her suspension.
- In his book, “The War on Ivermectin: The Medicine That Saved Millions and Could Have Ended the COVID Pandemic,” Dr. Pierre Kory details the history of ivermectin and the how and why behind Big Pharma’s suppression of this drug when it was found to work against COVID-19
- After spending his career as an internist and critical care physician, Kory has now turned his attention to long-haul COVID and post-jab injury syndromes
- Daily ivermectin use is a mainstay of the treatment plans for long-haulers and those with COVID jab injuries, as the drug very effectively binds to the toxic spike protein that is causing most of the damage in both of these conditions
- Methylene blue can be helpful for those struggling with crippling fatigue, as it boosts mitochondrial respiration and improves energy metabolism. It’s actually the parent molecule for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, off-patent drugs used to treat COVID-19 along with zinc
- “The War on Ivermectin” reveals the disinformation playbook used by Big Pharma and its many allies to suppress highly useful and inexpensive medicines in order to protect and increase corporate profits
See Attached PDF: For those using Rife Machines … Here’s the new list of frequencies for the various types of COVID-19 infections.
Though every attempt to petition for their mother’s COVID-19 treatment was met with “strange behaviors and attitudes” by hospital staff, Clover and Jodi Carroll recalled what their mother often affirmed when they were growing up: “Carrolls never quit.”
On July 5, 2021, Carolyn Carroll was admitted to a Texas hospital where she died on Aug. 1, 2021, at the hands of what Clover and Jodi allege to be the hospital’s protocols used to treat COVID-19.
For siblings, Carolyn’s story is representative of what they called “medical tyranny” that has been forced on “thousands of people across the country.”
However, Clover and Jodi maintain they aren’t victims.
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Turns Negative Within Months: Study
The effectiveness of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine against infection turns negative over time, according to a new study that was funded by the vaccine maker.
The effectiveness of three doses—a primary series and a booster—against infection remained above 50 percent after 150 days against BA.1, a subvariant of the Omicron virus variant, researchers estimated.
But against more recent strains, including the currently-dominant BA.5, the effectiveness turned negative.
Against BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5, the effectiveness went negative after 150 days.
Against BA.1.12.1, the effectiveness turned negative after 91 days.
Negative effectiveness means a vaccinated person is more likely to contract COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, than an unvaccinated person.
CANCEL CULTURE
Federal Judge Declares Federal Guidelines on Pronouns, Unisex Bathrooms Unlawful
A federal judge in Texas issued a ruling on Oct. 1 declaring unlawful two Biden administration guidelines related to gender pronouns, unisex bathrooms, and transgender pronouns.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled declared guidelines issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be unlawful but stopped short of granting the state’s request for injunctive relief.
PayPal Reverses Course, Says Company Will Not Seize Money From People for Promoting ‘Misinformation’
A federal judge in Texas issued a ruling on Oct. 1 declaring unlawful two Biden administration guidelines related to gender pronouns, unisex bathrooms, and transgender pronouns.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled declared guidelines issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be unlawful but stopped short of granting the state’s request for injunctive relief.
Twitter, Instagram Suspend Kanye West After Antisemitic Posts: ‘Death Con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE’
Billionaire musician and entrepreneur Kanye West was suspended from Twitter and Instagram this weekend after he made several antisemitic posts, including a warning that he intended to go to “death con [sic] 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” in subsequent posts.
The trouble appeared to begin with West’s interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, during which he claimed that Jared Kushner brokered the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states solely because he appeared to be interested in making money.
Kanye West Says His Concert in L.A. was Canceled After Wearing ‘White Lives Matter’ Shirt
Grammy-winning recording artist and billionaire fashion mogul Kanye West claims that his upcoming concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has been canceled, and that he is wondering “if it has something to do with my White Lives Matter” t-shirt.
“MY SOFI STADIUM SHOW ON NOVEMBER 4TH JUST GOT CANCELED I WONDER IF IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY WHITE LIVES MATTER TEE WHAT YA’LL THINK,” West wrote in an Instagram post, which featured a purported screenshot of someone informing him via text that his event was canceled.
Sharon Osbourne agrees with Kanye West that Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a “scam” and would like her six-figure donation back. Please.
The former The Talk co-host revealed her lack of faith in BLM when TMZ asked her about the rap icon’s recent public displays from his White Lives Matter t-shirt to his social media tirades questioning the work and intentions of the social movement.
FBI Team Involved in Censorship of Hunter Biden Laptop Story Identified
Sharon Osbourne agrees with Kanye West that Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a “scam” and would like her six-figure donation back. Please.
The former The Talk co-host revealed her lack of faith in BLM when TMZ asked her about the rap icon’s recent public displays from his White Lives Matter t-shirt to his social media tirades questioning the work and intentions of the social movement.
47 New Biden Administration Defendants Named in Government–Big Tech Censorship Lawsuit
Sharon Osbourne agrees with Kanye West that Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a “scam” and would like her six-figure donation back. Please.
The former The Talk co-host revealed her lack of faith in BLM when TMZ asked her about the rap icon’s recent public displays from his White Lives Matter t-shirt to his social media tirades questioning the work and intentions of the social movement.
Federal Judge Declares Federal Guidelines on Pronouns, Unisex Bathrooms Unlawful
A federal judge in Texas issued a ruling on Oct. 1 declaring unlawful two Biden administration guidelines related to gender pronouns, unisex bathrooms, and transgender pronouns.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled declared guidelines issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be unlawful but stopped short of granting the state’s request for injunctive relief.
PET NEWS
How to Read Your Cat’s Poker Face
Cats have an air of mystery about them, but — as hard as they guard their feelings — there is a way to decipher what’s going on in their complex brains: body language. The variety of emotions they express can be decoded with careful attention to the messages their bodies are sending.
Here are some easy ways to suss out your cat’s little tells so that they might not always be the ones who win the constant game of poker that is cat parenthood.
Dog Breeds and Life Expectancy
Anyone who has had the joy of loving a furry friend has likely felt a pang of hope wishing dogs would live longer. Learning about dog longevity can help pet owners help their dogs live long, happy lives. When you have a dog, the decisions you make – from selecting dog food to scheduling vet visits – can make a big difference in their life expectancy.
GOOD NEWS
Early Homeschooling: ‘Go Home and Play With That Baby!’
Playing, exploring, and social interaction all help prepare your baby for a healthy learning environment
Wife’s Instinct Saves Husband’s Life After Doctor Dismisses Fatal Disease as ‘Ear Infection’
A loving wife’s gut instinct saved her husband’s life after she insisted on a second opinion for his sudden illness. The man, who was suffering from bacterial meningitis but was initially misdiagnosed with an ear infection, might not have survived had they waited any longer.
High school sweethearts Jason and Aleck Lang, from Ogden, Utah, have been married nine years. They have made their home in Phoenix, Arizona, and are raising three young children together.
ICMYI
WATCH: Florida Student Slams Police Officer to Ground Amid High School Fight
A 15-year-old high school student in central Florida was arrested after he allegedly picked up a police officer and body-slammed him to the ground during a fight.
According to the St. Cloud Police Department, a fight between two 14-year-old boys had broken out Thursday at St. Cloud High School, prompting a school resource officer — identified as Officer Ball — to respond.
Actor Tells Jury Kevin Spacey Abused Him When He Was 14
An actor who’s accused Kevin Spacey of making a sexual advance on him as a 14-year-old recounted the episode for a New York City jury on Friday, testifying he felt helpless when Spacey climbed on top of him in bed.
“I was frozen,” Anthony Rapp said on the second day of a civil trial in Manhattan. “I was pinned underneath him. I didn’t know what to do.”
Microplastics Detected in Human Breast Milk, Raising Concerns Over Health Impact on Babies
A new study has detected microplastics in human breast milk for the first time, sparking concerns over the potential toxic effects and health impact they may have on infants.
Researchers in the study found microplastics composed of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene with sizes ranging from 2 to 12 micrometers in the breast milk of women.
Microplastics (MPs) are extremely small plastic particles composed of mixtures of polymers and functional additives.
The majority of MPs are unintentionally released into the environment during the disposal and breakdown of larger plastic products or industrial waste, although they are also deliberately manufactured and added to products like exfoliating facial scrubs.
Researchers in the study took breast milk samples from 34 healthy new mothers who were lactating a week after giving birth in Rome, Italy. Their milk was then analyzed by Raman microspectroscopy, which found MPs in 26 of the 34 women.
The researchers recorded the women’s consumption of food and drink in plastic packaging and of seafood, as well as their use of personal care products containing plastic compounds.
However, they did not find any significant relationship between the two, which they said suggested “that the ubiquitous MP presence makes human exposure inevitable.”
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