WORLD NEWS
Joe Biden Touches Down in Israel as Its War on Hamas Terror Goes On
President Joe Biden touched down in Israel early on Wednesday morning, arriving in the wake of a deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza the Palestinian Hamas terror group blamed on Israel, and that Israel said was caused by an errant rocket fired by terrorists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally welcomed Biden on the tarmac, embracing the U.S. president who then clasped his hands around Netanyahu in response.
The two were then whisked away under heavy security to a hotel in Tel Aviv to begin crisis talks.
Biden was originally scheduled to visit Jordan as well, but his meetings with Arab leaders were called off as he was leaving Washington in the wake of the hospital catastrophe, as Breitbart News reported.
IDF: Palestinian Islamic Jihad Rocket Misfire Caused Hospital Explosion
The Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror organization was responsible for an explosion at the Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, due to a misfired rocket intended to kill Israeli civilians, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The explosion, which reportedly killed hundreds of people, sparked outrage, with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas pulling out of a meeting Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden over the issue. Biden has backed Israel’s war of self-defense against the Hamas terror group, which rules Gaza and which killed over 1,400 Israelis in a massive terror attack on October 7.
Biden ‘Outraged and Deeply Saddened’ by Gaza Hospital Explosion; Will Investigate
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he was “outraged and deeply saddened” by an explosion at a hospital in Gaza that the Palestinian Hamas terror group blamed on Israel, and that Israel said was caused by an errant rocket fired by terrorists.
After initial reports, credited to Hamas-controlled government authorities in the Gaza Strip, claimed that an Israeli airstrike had killed hundreds of civilians at the hospital, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted its own investigation and concluded that the explosion was likely caused by a misfired rocket launched by Iranian-controlled Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
WATCH: Hundreds Surround U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, More Try to Enter Israeli Embassy in Amman
As we reported earlier, hundreds were killed at a hospital in Gaza Tuesday.
The likely cause at this point appears to be a misfire from a Hamas rocket, based on reports of video of the event. But Hamas still blamed Israel and many in the media ran with that claim without waiting to determine the facts. IDF is now claiming it was an Islamic Jihad rocket. They chastised the press for not doing their jobs.
Those aligned with the West condemning the atrocities, but many across continent are blaming Israel for the violence.
The reactions of different African countries to the escalating violence in Israel and Gaza depend on their histories, their current economic realties, and their alliances with global powers, said Professor Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, international relations expert at the University of South Africa.
“The statements coming from Africa in the aftermath of this horrific attack by Hamas, and Israel’s counteroffensive, are almost a mirror image of the patterns we saw immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine,” he told The Epoch Times.
“Countries led by parties that are traditionally anti-West are blaming Israel and the West for the situation—much like they blamed Ukraine and the West for [President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion.
US accuses China of pattern of ‘dangerous’ air force manoeuvres against military planes
Pentagon cites more than 180 incidents of aggression against US aircraft over the East and South China seas
The US has accused China of orchestrating a “concerted” campaign of dangerous and provocative air force manoeuvres against US military planes in international airspace, warning it could spark an inadvertent conflict between them.
The Pentagon said aggressive tactics by Chinese aircraft had threatened US planes flying over the East and South China Sea regions, tallying more than 180 such incidents since autumn 2021.
“That’s nearly 200 cases where (Chinese) operators have … discharged chaff or shot off flares or approached too rapidly or close to US aircraft,” said Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs.
“More in the past two years than in the decade before that,” he added.
US-China relations are at their lowest point in years, with tension over a range of issues including trade, human rights, Taiwan and the South China Sea.
“This type of operational behaviour can cause accidents, and dangerous accidents can lead to inadvertent conflict,” Ratner said, adding that the incident count, tallied since the autumn of 2021, increases to nearly 300 when US allies are included.
Report: Ukraine Is Using Autonomous AI ‘Killer Drones’
New Scientist on Friday claimed that Ukrainian attack drones guided by artificial intelligence (AI) “are now finding and attacking targets without human assistance.”
The report appears to be history’s first example of fully autonomous weapons, and, if those vehicles were occupied, the first Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) or “killer robots.”
The drone in question is allegedly a new quadcopter model called the Saker Scout, an indigenously produced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be folded up and lugged around in a suitcase-sized container.
Saker is a young Ukrainian company founded in 2021 to produce commercial AI and drone solutions. The company decided to develop a military product after Russia invaded in February 2022.
“Your support will help us make a ‘bird’ and deliver it on your behalf to the defenders of Ukraine!” the company said in its pitch to investors, making a little pun on its corporate name and purpose, as the Saker falcon is a hunting bird found in the steppes of Ukraine.
U.S. NEWS, POLITICS & GOVERNMENT
Jordan Fails to Secure Speakership on First Ballot
Two weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) historic ouster as speaker, the House is set to vote today to find a replacement.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is looking to secure 217 votes from fellow Republicans needed for him to win the gavel. The Trump-endorsed candidate has picked up some endorsements from holdouts, but whether he has enough to take the speakership remains to be seen. In January, Mr. McCarthy won the gavel after 15 ballot rounds over four days.
Mr. Jordan became speaker-designate after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) dropped out when it became apparent he couldn’t win enough votes.
A random shooter shut down the I-95 highway in Rep. John Rutherford’s (R) Florida district while he was opposing Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) Speakership bid in Washington D.C.
The “brazen late-morning shooting” occurred on Interstate 95 near the World Golf Village in Florida’s 5th district on Tuesday, causing a shutdown. Per News4Jax:
According to the Sheriff’s Office, suspects who were riding in the red car opened fire on a victim’s vehicle on the interstate around 11:20 a.m. on Tuesday. The victim, who was driving, was struck by the gunfire and crashed into the center guard rail and a female passenger had glass-break injuries. Both were transported to local hospitals but their conditions are unknown. The red car sped off southbound and has not been found, the Sheriff’s Office said.A white Mercedes was seen at the scene of the shooting surrounded by law enforcement vehicles including a forensics van.
The highway’s southbound lanes in the vicinity of World Golf Village were shut down until it later reopened. Rescue vehicles and over a half a dozen police cars were seen amid the pileup around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday morning.
99 Senators Sign Israel–Hamas Resolution
Nearly all senators signed a resolution that backed Israel against Hamas—except for one.
Ninety-nine senators on Tuesday signed onto a resolution that backs Israel against Hamas in the ongoing conflict.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only lawmaker in the upper congressional chamber who did not sign onto the resolution. Mr. Paul has not issued a public comment on the matter.
The resolution states that the Senate “stands with Israel as it defends itself, including Israeli efforts to diminish the threat posed by Hamas” and “reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense, and is committed to helping Israel safeguard its people from future aggression.”
Report: Biden Admin to Ask Congress for $100 Billion in Ukraine, Israel Aid
The Biden administration plans to ask Congress for $100 billion in Ukraine and Israel aid, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
The outlet reported:
President Joe Biden is considering a supplemental request of approximately $100 billion that would include defense assistance for Israel and Ukraine alongside border security funding and aid to nations in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter.
Biden has pledged support for Israel in the wake of the deadly attack earlier this month by Hamas, a group designated by the US and EU as a terrorist organization. Aid for Israel enjoys broad bipartisan support in the US Congress.
There has been speculation since Hamas attacked Israel that the administration would try to tie funding for Ukraine and Israel together after House Republicans successfully stripped funding for Ukraine from a short-term government funding bill. That request was only $24 billion compared to the $100 billion it is now asking for to fund both contingencies and reportedly Taiwan.
Israel Set to Become Second Largest Receiver of US Aid – Statistics
Israel looks set to emerge as the second biggest net receiver of US financial assistance after requesting a record $10 billion in emergency aid this week, statistics showed.
An American newspaper cited officials familiar with the request as saying Monday that the Israel aid package enjoyed bipartisan support in the US Congress and was expected to go to a vote in the weeks following President Joe Biden’s solidarity trip to Israel on Wednesday.
If approved, the aid granted by the United States to Israel in the past two decades would by far outstrip financial support provided to Ukraine over the same period, placing Israel second only to Afghanistan in numerical terms.
Data published by the Department of State indicates that Israel received $63.1 billion in US aid from 2001-2023, averaging $3 billion per year, while Ukraine came fifth with $30.4 billion, most of which was granted in the past two years. As of late September, Afghanistan has been the top receiver with $111.7 billion in US funding.
Dozens of Democrats Turn on Biden, Say He Isn’t Doing Enough to Stop Rising Threat
Dozens of Democrats Turn on Biden, Say He Isn’t Doing Enough to Stop Rising Threat
More than 60 House Democrats joined several dozen Republicans to call on President Joe Biden’s administration to take a stronger stance on Iran amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
A letter from the lawmakers, dated Oct. 17, stated that “Iran must be held fully accountable for its continued role in funding Hamas and Islamic terror” and that the lawmakers “urge the administration to take all necessary steps to cut off Iranian funding sources.”
The issuance of the letter was led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), according to Mr. Gottheimer’s office. Sixty-three Democrats and 50 Republicans signed onto it.
Punishment “includes maximum enforcement of all U.S. sanctions, and taking any and all steps to end Iran’s oil trade to China, which currently brings in $150 million per day in revenue,” it said, adding that United Nations sanctions on Iran regarding its ballistic missile program are slated to end, which “cannot be allowed to happen.”
2016 Republican Rival Endorses Trump for President
2016 Republican Rival Endorses Trump for President
Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who ran for president during the 2016 race, endorsed former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, saying that Americans “are in danger of losing our country” otherwise.
“Trump may not be warm and cuddly, but he is a warrior, and that is what we need right now,” Mr. Jindal, a Republican who dropped out of the presidential race in 2015, wrote on social media.
Notably, the former governor was a critic of the former president during the 2016 campaign, although Mr. Jindal ultimately said he voted for him.
“I just had a great conversation with President Trump, and I told him that he has my full and complete endorsement to win back the White House and Make America Great Again!” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.
Tim Scott’s Super PAC Cuts TV Ad Buys as Campaign Struggles
A super PAC backing Tim Scott’s presidential campaign scales back TV ads, raising uncertainty about his campaign strategy.
The winds of change could be sweeping through the presidential campaign of Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), as a super PAC supporting the Republican candidate has chosen to cease a significant portion of its television ad purchases for the fall.
This decision by the Trust in the Mission PAC, outlined in a memo from co-chair Rob Collins to supporters, hints at a possible deceleration in Mr. Scott’s campaign momentum. While Mr. Scott recently filed his candidacy for South Carolina’s primary, the scaling back of ad buys raises questions about its strategy building up to November 2024.
In the memo from Mr. Collins, the former co-chair said the group would continue with door-knocking and other efforts, with an eye toward potentially reallocating resources as actual votes draw nearer.
‘Horrific’: 189 bodies found and removed from Colorado ‘green’ funeral home
Authorities find more bodies after initial report of 115 two weeks ago, when owners were evicted and police investigated foul odor
The remains of at least 189 decaying bodies were found and removed from a Colorado funeral home, up from about 115 reported when the bodies were discovered two weeks ago, officials said Tuesday.
The remains were found by authorities responding to a report of a foul odor at the Return to Nature funeral home inside a decrepit building in the small town of Penrose, Colorado.
Efforts to identify the remains began last week with help from an FBI team that gets deployed to mass casualty events like airline crashes. Fremont sheriff Allen Cooper described the scene as “horrific”.
The discovery came after the owners of the Return to Nature funeral home missed tax payments in recent months, got evicted from one of their properties and sued for unpaid bills by a crematory that quit doing business with them almost a year ago.
A day after the foul odor was reported, the director of the state office of Funeral Home and Crematory registration spoke on the phone with owner Jon Hallford. He acknowledged having a “problem” at the Penrose site and claimed he practiced taxidermy there, according to an order from state officials dated 5 October.
Authorities responding to an “abhorrent smell” entered the funeral home’s neglected building with a search warrant 4 October and found the decomposing bodies.
Attempts to reach Hallford, his wife Carie, and Return to Nature have been unsuccessful. Numerous text messages to the funeral home seeking comment have gone unanswered. No one answered the business phone or returned a voice message left Tuesday.
The company, which offered cremations and “green” burials without embalming fluids, kept doing business as its problems mounted.
Under Colorado law, green burials are legal, but state code requires that any body not buried within 24 hours must be properly refrigerated.
Colorado has some of the weakest rules for funeral homes in the nation with no routine inspections or qualification requirements for funeral home operators.
As of last week, more than 120 families worried their relatives could be among the remains had contacted law enforcement about the case.
Alec Baldwin Facing Possible New Charges over ‘Rust’ Shooting as New Mexico Prosecutors Revive Case
Hollywood star Alec Baldwin could soon face fresh charges in connection to the fatal Rust shooting almost exactly two years ago as New Mexico prosecutors seek to present new evidence to a grand jury.
The announcement represents a dramatic reversal after prosecutors dropped their involuntary manslaughter case against Baldwin earlier this year. On Tuesday, they said “additional facts have come to light” following an “extensive” investigation they carried out in recent months.
Arkansas is the first state in the United States that is taking a strong stance against ‘hostile foreign entities,’ particularly China, by banning them from owning agricultural land in the state.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Sarah Sanders (R-AR) announced that the state has ordered the Chinese state-owned Agri Chemical Company, Syngenta, to divest itself of its land holdings in Arkansas due to national security concerns.
“Today, we are becoming the first state in the country to take an action like the one that we are announcing right now,” said Sanders. “At the beginning of my term, my administration worked with our partners in the legislature to get hostile foreign entities out of Arkansas.”
Highlighting her commitment to Arkansas’s security, she referenced Act 636, which she had proudly signed. Sponsored by Senator Johnson and Representative Vaught, this act prohibited foreign entities from nine countries deemed adversarial from owning agricultural land in Arkansas.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
New IRS Estimate of the Tax Gap
The federal “tax gap” is the amount of taxes owed but not paid, essentially the amount of cheating on federal taxes. All tax systems have tax gaps, and there are pros and cons of using tougher enforcement to reduce the gap. The size of the federal tax gap is not a major problem, as it has been stable over time relative to the size of the economy and is smaller than the average gap in Europe.
The IRS released a new estimate of the tax gap yesterday, which it billed as a “significant jump from previous estimates.” But when compared to the size of the economy, the new estimate is not a significant jump. Despite much political rhetoric to the contrary, tax cheating is not a growing problem for the economy.
The gross tax gap in 2021 was $688 billion, according to the IRS. After late payments and enforcement actions, the net tax gap was $625 billion. Of the net total, $475 billion stemmed from individual income taxes, $37 billion from corporate income taxes, $112 billion from payroll taxes, and $1 billion from estate taxes.
The new report includes gross tax gap estimates for prior years. The dollar values of the tax gap have increased over time, but the gap is similar to previous estimates when compared to U.S. gross domestic product, as shown in the chart. I’ve used the GDP of the middle year for the multiyear gap estimates.
California family members plead guilty to role in $600m catalytic converter ring
Three members of a California family pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy for their role in a ring that shipped $600m worth of stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey, federal prosecutors said.
Brothers Tou Sue Vang, 32, and Andrew Vang, 28, along with their mother, Monica Moua, 58, were part of “a national network of thieves, dealers, and processors” who provided the stolen auto anti-smog devices to a metal refinery for more than $600m, according to a statement from the US attorney’s office.
Twenty-one people from California and New Jersey have been charged in the case, prosecutors said. The three Sacramento family members pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport the devices in return for more than $38m.
Tou Sue Vang also pleaded guilty to 39 charges related to money laundering, prosecutors said.
Catalytic converters are easily stolen and contain precious metals including platinum.
“Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold, and their value has been increasing in recent years,” the US attorney’s office said. “The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each.”
California accounts for 37% of catalytic converter theft claims nationwide, with about 1,600 reported stolen each month, federal prosecutors said.
HEALTH
Craving A Bedtime Snack? Choose One With This Sleep-Promoting Ingredient
We’re often told it’s not good to eat right before we go to bed. But did you know if your body runs out of fuel, your brain will ramp up the cortisol production pathway? Should this happen in the middle of the night, it may just disrupt your sleep quality. As clinical psychologist and board-certified sleep specialist Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., made it clear on the mbg podcast, “You don’t want to go to bed full, but you also don’t want to go to bed hungry.”
And one of the best ways to get your healthy bedtime snack in, while also setting yourself up for a good night’s sleep, is with magnesium-rich foods. Magnesium is a mineral that’s important for lots of functions in the body, including sleep1,* so next time a bedtime craving hits, here are five options to grab for:
- Bananas
Bananas are first on the list because they contain high amounts of not only magnesium but potassium as well. Both can encourage relaxation, which is just what you’re looking for in a bedtime snack.
- Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate also has its fair share of magnesium, with just 1 ounce containing 64 milligrams (about 15% of the RDA22). As if you needed another excuse for a little chocolate before bed! Keep in mind that dark chocolate does contain caffeine, so those who are sensitive will want to skip this one.
- A magnesium supplement
While not a snack, per se, magnesium can also be enjoyed daily as part of your wind-down routine. Products to try: TRANSDERMA MINERALS MAGNESIUM OIL (run on the bottoms of your feet each night for a more restful sleep.)
- Nuts and seeds
From pumpkin seeds to cashews, your favorite nuts and seeds likely have a good amount of magnesium too, and grabbing a handful can be a quick way to go to bed satisfied.
- Chickpeas
The mighty chickpea makes this list, too, with half a cup offering around 115 milligrams of magnesium per serving. Blend them up into a yummy hummus, roast them with your favorite seasoning for a crunchy snack, or eat them as is, and you’ll be ready for bed in no time.
The Essential Guide to Skin Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Approaches
Numerous epidemiological investigations have revealed a rising occurrence of both nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and melanoma in the last few decades.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with over 5 million cases (pdf) diagnosed each year and at least 20 percent of Americans developing this type of cancer by age 70.
Numerous epidemiological investigations have revealed a rising occurrence of both nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and melanoma in the past few decades.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Restaurants embrace AI and robots — warily
Wendy’s, IHOP, Chipotle, Sweetgreen and other quick-serve restaurant chains are rapidly adding AI to their front- and back-of-house operations — while monitoring for embarrassing boo-boos and Big-Brotherish intrusions.
Robot servers and bartenders interact with customers, while kitchen robots shoot kale into salads, fry tortilla chips and cook burgers.
Newer still are voice bots that take your order at the drive-thru and menu recommendation engines that suggest dishes based on your past orders.
Simulacrum: Are We Heading Into The Matrix?
Few people really truly experienced the passage from modernity into post-modernity (1970- 2023). Incremental changes in how we view reality obscured the journey and left many with empty-headed thoughts of “Wherever you go, there you are.”
However, there were those who carefully watched the parade go by and left behind plenty of history and analysis for us to examine, like evangelical Christian philosopher Francis Shaffer (How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, 1976), futurist Alvin Toffler (Future Shock, 1971), and French philosopher Jean Baudrillard (Simulacra and Simulation, 1981).
In my previous essay, Reality Is Escaping Out The Back Door, I introduced Baudrillard’s concept of simulation and simulacra and posed the statement, “The Total Collapse Of Reality Could Be At Hand.”
Why? Among other things, AI development is advancing at a geometric rate, potentially doubling every 12 to 18 months, threatening to displace what is left of reality with a simulacrum. Baudrillard demonstrated this progression from reality to anti-reality:
Whereas representation attempts to absorb simulation by interpreting it as a false representation, simulation envelops the whole edifice of representation itself as a simulacrum. Such would be the successive phases of the image:
— it is the reflection of a profound reality;
— it masks and denatures a profound reality;
— it masks the absence of a profound reality;
— it has no relation to any reality whatsoever;
— it is its own pure simulacrum.
Exclusive: Media Research Center’s Censortrack Database Documents 6,000+ Online Censorship Cases
The Media Research Center (MRC)’s Censortrack database, which tracks online censorship, has surpassed 6,000 cases. Examples include over 700 cases of criticism of incumbent President Joe Biden, as well as a variety of posts on political debates such as transgenderism and the coronavirus response.
Cases of censorship range across platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Google, and YouTube.
In one recent example, an Instagram video from the Atlas Society, a libertarian nonprofit, was censored as “false information” for criticizing the Biden administration’s border policies. In another case, Instagram fact-checkers censored a comedian and political commentator for a post linking Biden policies to soaring inflation.
The database includes a number of cases from Twitter prior to the acquisition of the company by Elon Musk, documenting the apogee of censorship under the tenure of CEOs Jack Dorsey and Parag Agrawal, including the ban on the use of the term “groomer” and the censorship of conservative satire accounts.
Examples from Google and Google-owned YouTube include the censorship of Jordan Peterson videos, and Google’s decision to ban ads from Live Action, a pro-life organization.
SURVEILLANCE STATE
Recent research has uncovered a worrying issue — AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, have the capability to discern sensitive personal information about individuals through casual conversations, like an evil cybernetic version of Sherlock Holmes.
Wired reports that AI chatbots have emerged as intelligent conversationalists, capable of engaging users in seemingly meaningful and humanlike interactions. However, beneath the surface of casual conversation lurks a concerning capability. New research spearheaded by computer science experts has revealed that chatbots, armed with sophisticated language models, can subtly extract a wealth of personal information from users, even in the midst of the most mundane conversations. In other words, AI can determine all sorts of sensitive facts about you based on simple conversations, which could then be used for intrusive advertising or even worse purposes if the information falls into the wrong hands.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Californians establish ‘climate cafes’ amid ‘eco-anxiety’ crisis
A trend among Californians has young people attending “climate cafes,” regular meetups where participants share their distress over “climate change.”
Approximately 80% of California’s youth ages 14–24 suffer from “eco-anxiety,” according to a 2022 study by the Blue Shield of California. Global surveys show 60% of children and young people worldwide suffer from the mental health condition, defined by the American Psychological Association as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.”
The number jumps to 70% among university students, who are taught that humanity is facing certain Armageddon and they are powerless to stop it. This leads to feeling of despair, depression, anxiety, hopelessness and even suicide ideation. But far from helping young people overcome their anxiety, these courses and similar initiatives aggravate it. Rather than showing, for instance, how climate science is deliberately doctored to create a crisis, university faculty members validate and encourage the fear fanned by faulty studies. Students are then told that the only way to solve their anxiety is to solve “climate change,” which can only be done through activism.
GARDENING, FARMING & HOMESTEADING
These Storage Hacks Can Help Your Produce Stay Fresh Weeks Longer
In the U.S., over one-third of our food is wasted1. This stat makes it clear that many of us need to be better about keeping what we buy out of the trash. Properly storing your food can give you extra days (if not weeks) before it spoils, allowing you to use more of your grocery haul.
The most perishable thing we buy is fresh produce. We’ve all had good intentions of eating that cucumber that ended up disintegrating on the bottom of the crisper or that avocado that we waited forever to ripen only to bitterly disappoint us when we cut it open.
Let’s unpack the do’s and don’ts of how to keep produce fresh for longer to preserve its nutrients and cut down on food waste one meal at a time:
DO: Make bouquets of your herbs and asparagus
DO: Bag your greens
DO: Trim the greens off your root vegetables
DO: Give your carrot and celery a bath
DO: Cool bananas
DO: Keep apples cold
DON’T: Put certain foods near each other
Some foods produce a significant amount of ethylene gas, so they are best kept away from other produce. These include bananas (as mentioned above), kiwi fruit, apples, tomatoes, cantaloupe, avocado, pears, potatoes, and peppers. Try to store these in their own area when you can. And never store them in sealed bags; it will accelerate their ripening, and they will spoil faster.
The takeaway
With a little love and preparation, you can get much more out of the produce you buy. When all else fails and your produce starts to go off, utilize your freezer! Most fruits and vegetables freeze really well—simply chop them up and put them in an airtight container or freezer bag and get excited to enjoy them in a soup, stew, or bake later on. Every bit of food waste saved counts.
Pepper X marks the spot as South Carolina pepper expert scorches his own Guinness Book heat record
Ed Currie, the South Carolina hot pepper expert who crossbred and grew the Carolina Reaper that’s hotter than most pepper sprays police use to subdue unruly criminals, has broken his own world record with a pepper that’s three times hotter.
Pepper X was publicly named the hottest pepper in the world on Oct. 9 by the Guinness Book of World Records, beating out the Reaper in Currie’s decadelong hunt to perfect a pepper that he says provides “immediate, brutal heat.”
Currie said when he first tried Pepper X, it did more than warm his heart.
2ND AMENDMENT
FYI … what Americans might be facing from the U.S. military …
6.5 Creedmoor [Ultimate Guide]: Military’s New Caliber
Newly adopted by the US military, find out why the 6.5 Creedmoor rocks. We cover ballistics vs the .308, recommended rifles, AR-10 uppers, ammo, and more.
Alleged Intruder in Critical Condition After Female Homeowner Opens Fire
An alleged intruder in Hollywood Hills, California, is in critical condition after a female homeowner opened fire on him Sunday around 9:30 p.m.
The woman saw the alleged intruder in her backyard and saw him allegedly make his way to a back door and try to enter the home, FOX 11 reported.
The woman asked the alleged intruder stop but he refused to comply. The woman said he kept reaching into his pocket, leading her to believe he had a weapon, so she opened fire on him.
COVID RELATED NEWS
Canadian nurse could lose her license for speaking out against COVID-19 vaccine mandates
A Canadian nurse is currently facing a disciplinary hearing in front of her provincial medical college after bravely speaking out against dangerous COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS) is claiming that nurse Leah McInnes was guilty of “professional misconduct” for joining peaceful protests against expected and existing vaccine mandates and passports during the pandemic.
She is being represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), who says that she is being accused of making posts on social media and statements to the media about her opposition to vaccine policies. In the posts, she gave her opinion about vaccine mandates as well as privacy in healthcare, and the CRNS objects to them.
The CRNS also noted that the comments were related strictly to Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 vaccine policies but that there were no mandates there. As a result, they feel her statements were “misinformation” and “disinformation” and that she abused her power as a nurse.
The JCCF said that she should be free “to express her opinions regarding vaccine mandates and vaccine passports and other related issues such as freedom of choice and medical privacy.” They added that government officials and medical authorities alike have often “referred to vaccine policies by government and other entities as “mandates,” in Saskatchewan and across the country.”
Although health officials in Saskatchewan did not implement express COVID-19 vaccine mandates for the province’s healthcare workers, they did strongly recommend getting them.
How the COVID Vaccine Could Harm Your Gut, Leading to Brain Fog and Autoimmune Disease
While gut problems are often written off as caused by poor diet and lifestyle habits, they may also be a sign of damage from infections and vaccination.
Diarrhea, constipation, and bloating are common problems that plague two-thirds of Americans.
While gut problems are often written off as caused by poor diet and lifestyle habits, they may also be a sign of damage from infections such as COVID-19 and from COVID vaccination.
Internal medicine physician Dr. Keith Berkowitz, who has treated 200 COVID-vaccine-injured patients, told The Epoch Times that he found gut problems widespread among long-COVID and post-vaccine patients. However, patients often fail to bring up these issues.
CANCEL CULTURE
Harvard Gets More Bad News as Another Billionaire Cuts Ties Over Pro-Hamas Remarks
Following Harvard’s initial failure to condemn a statement from student groups blaming Israel for the Hamas terror attacks, another billionaire has cut ties.
The Wexner Foundation, a nonprofit founded by billionaire Leslie Wexner and his wife Abigail, has broken ties with Harvard University over the school’s response to the Hamas terror attacks against Israelis and to an anti-Israel statement issued by student groups.
“We are stunned and sickened at the dismal failure of Harvard’s leadership to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians by terrorists last Saturday,” the Wexner Foundation’s leadership wrote to the Harvard board of overseers, in an Oct. 16 letter obtained by The Epoch Times.
Abigail and Leslie Wexner, whose fortune Forbes estimates at $6 billion, were among the signatories of the letter. The couple expressed their disappointment with Harvard’s failure to condemn a shocking statement issued by 34 student groups that says Israel is entirely responsible for the violent attack carried out on Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists.
Major Donor Stops Donations to UPenn Over Its Response to Hamas Attacks on Israel
Ex-diplomat and governor Jon Huntsman rebukes his alma mater for ‘silence in the face of reprehensible and historic Hamas evil against the people of Israel.’
Former U.S. Ambassador and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a longtime donor to the University of Pennsylvania, notified his alma mater on Oct. 13 that he will cease donations to the school over its response to the Israel-Hamas war.
In an email obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, the school’s student newspaper, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate rebuked UPenn President Liz Magill for what he deemed to be an insufficient condemnation of terrorist group Hamas’s unprovoked Oct. 7 assault on Israel.
“The University’s silence in the face of reprehensible and historic Hamas evil against the people of Israel (when the only response should be outright condemnation) is a new low. Silence is antisemitism, and antisemitism is hate, the very thing higher ed was built to obviate,” Mr. Huntsman wrote.
“To the outsider, it appears that Penn has become deeply adrift in ways that make it almost unrecognizable,” he continued. “Moral relativism has fueled the university’s race to the bottom and sadly now has reached a point where remaining impartial is no longer an option.”
As a result, Mr. Huntsman, a 1987 graduate and former UPenn trustee, said his foundation would “close its checkbook on all future giving” to the school.
“My siblings join me in this rebuke,” he added.
Kevin Spacey Gets Standing Ovation During Oxford Lecture on Cancel Culture
Actor Kevin Spacey made his first public performance in the U.K. at the Oxford Lecture Monday delivering a Shakespearean monologue to a standing ovation during a discussion of “cancel culture.”
The associate editor of The Spectator, Douglas Murray, opened the segment talking about how history has dealt with “cancel culture” in the past by reminding the audience that conservative philosopher Roger Scruton faced a similar situation in 2019 when he was summarily dismissed from a government commission after he made comments some found offensive, Variety reported.
PET NEWS
Tips for training an aggressive dog
Even with the most amiable of pooches, training is a challenge. Dogs don’t scamper into the world knowing how to sit or come at a human’s command. Still, if you’re working with a well-adjusted dog, training isn’t exactly a heart-stopping affair. You may deal with the occasional stained carpet or battered shoe, but the stakes aren’t all that high.
That changes if your dog is displaying signs of aggression. Behaviors like growling, lunges, loud barks, or nips should send devoted pet parents into high-alert mode. Without the right training, an aggressive dog may be beyond help — and a dog in the early stages of aggression can become even more aggressive or even violent. And nobody wants to bear the inevitable results of unchecked canine aggression — least of all the canine.
Training an aggressive dog the right way is not only urgent, it’s especially difficult, especially as the dog gets older. The good news is, there are things you can do to reduce or manage your pup’s aggressive tendencies. The trick is identifying signs of aggression, figuring out what might be causing that aggression, then coming up with a well-thought-out action plan.
But just keep this in mind: If you observe canine aggression or even its earliest warning signs, you’ll need a professional trainer to help you formulate that action plan. Seriously — this isn’t a task you should take on by your lonesome. The stakes are just too high.
Why is my cat meowing nonstop?
Ah, the joys of cat parenthood: the cuddles, the purrs, the kneading, and the constant meowing at all hours of the day and night.
Wait…what?
Some meowing is par for the course. Even as kids, we’re told that cats meow, dogs bark, and, if we want to delve deeper into the animal kingdom, there’s some poor farmer out there with an incredibly noisy farm. It’s normal for animals to make noise!
But when do your cat’s meowing habits exceed the norm? Could they be telling you something important? Let’s take a look at some of the factors that could be contributing to your cat’s chattiness.
GOOD NEWS
A language teacher who has never had a smartphone says he considers them a “plague” and “a terrible deterioration of life,” but believes that he’ll soon have to succumb to the digital age and buy one.
For years, 70-year-old Yves Lombardo has been afraid of leaving information about himself online and doesn’t want to be freely contactable. However, his choice to not get a smartphone was made long ago when he predicted the negative effects they have on our lives.
Mr. Lombardot from Godalming in Surrey, England, prefers to use more traditional modes of communication such as landline phones and email to keep in touch with his relatives. He is particularly concerned about the impact of phones on children, as they are being “robbed” of their lives by the “excessive intrusion” of technology.
“Smartphones turn employees into slaves, children into prey, and teenagers into idiots,” he said. “I consider this a plague and a terrible deterioration of life.”
Mr. Lombardot said that sometimes he doesn’t want to be available.
“I don’t want to have a list of calls and messages to make when I come home in the evening,” he said. “I don’t want to be rude to the people I am with if am called.”
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