FEBRUARY 2017
Tuesday - February
28, 2017
Today In History:
1827 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad became the first railroad
incorporated for commercial transportation of people and freight.
1844 - Several people were killed aboard the USS Princeton when a
12-inch gun exploded.
1854 - The Republican Party was organized in Ripon, WI. About 50 slavery
opponents began the new political group.
1861 - The U.S. territory of Colorado was organized.
1883 - The first vaudeville theater opened.
1885 - AT&T was incorporated. The company was capitalized on only
$100,000 and provided long distance service for American Bell.
1951 - A Senate committee issued a report that stated that there were at
least two major crime syndicates in the U.S.
1953 - In a Cambridge University laboratory, scientists James D. Watson
and Francis H.C. Crick discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.
1974 - The U.S. and Egypt re-established diplomatic relations after a
break of seven years.
1983 - "M*A*S*H" became the most watched television program in history
when the final episode aired.
1993 - U.S. Federal agents raided the compound of an armed religious
cult in Waco, TX. The ATF had planned to arrest the leader of the Branch
Davidians, David Koresh, on federal firearms charges. Four agents and
six Davidians were killed and a 51-day standoff followed.
1994 - NATO made its first military strike when U.S. F-16 fighters shot
down four Bosnian Serb warplanes in violation of a no-fly zone over
central Bosnia.
2002 - In Ahmadabad, India, Hindus set fire to homes in a Muslim
neighborhood. At least 55 people were killed in the attack.
2007 - NASA's New Horizons spacecraft made a gravitational slingshot
against Jupiter to change the planned trajectory towards Pluto.
2013 - Benedict XVI resigned as pope. He was the first pope to resign
since Gregory XII in 1415 and the first to resign voluntarily since
Celestine V in 1294.
New Declassified CIA Memo Presents Blueprint for Syrian Regime
Collapse
Zero Hedge - The 24-page formerly classified memo entitled
Syria: Scenarios of Dramatic Political Change was produced in
July 1986, and had high level distribution within the Reagan
administration and to agency directors, including presidential
advisers, the National Security Council, and the US ambassador
to Syria. The memo appears in the CIA’s latest CREST release
(CIA Records Search Tool) of over 900,000 recently declassified
documents. The memo’s cover letter, drafted by the CIA’s
Director of Global Issues (the report itself was prepared by the
division’s Foreign Subversion and Instability Center),
introduces the purpose of presenting “a number of possible
scenarios that could lead to the ouster of President Assad or
other dramatic change in Syria.” It further curiously warns
that, “Because the analysis out of context is susceptible to
misunderstanding, external distribution has been severely
restricted.”…. While the 1986 CIA report makes a case in its
concluding paragraph for “a Sunni regime controlled by
business-oriented moderates” in Syria, the authors acknowledge
that the collapse of the Ba’ath state could actually usher in
the worst of all possible outcomes for Washington and the
region: “religious zealots” might seek to establish “an Islamic
Republic”. The words take on a new and special importance now,
after the rise of ISIS:
Pentagon Seeks to Expand US Involvement in Somalia Fight
Antiwar - … while it’s not as high profile as recommendations
expected later this week in places like Syria, that’s the case
for Somalia as well, where the Pentagon is seeking increased aid
for the Somali Army, moving US special forces closer to the
front lines, and loosening up restrictions on airstrikes.
AFRICOM chief Gen. Thomas Waldhauser described Somalia as “our
most perplexing challenge,” saying that the US needs to shift
its focus toward weakening al-Shabaab enough that the African
Union forces that have been in Somalia for a decade can finally
defeat them. Despite being presented as a “fresh perspective” on
the long fight in Somalia, the Pentagon recommendation is their
go-to plan in wars everywhere: more direct US involvement, more
embedding of forces, and more airstrikes with less restrictions.
Israeli Special Forces Enter Syrian Territory to 'Monitor'
Extremist Groups Fighting Assad
Global Research - …Israel is sending “elite intelligence units”
to “monitor” fighting between Syrian forces and “moderate”
rebels. Our friends at Al Masdar News report: A video published
by Channel 2 showed reporter Dani Kashmaru accompanying the
soldiers in a night mission. According to the reporter, similar
operations have been carried out several times in the past,
stating that he, along with the Israeli soldiers, ‘could hear
and see everything.’ The report disclosed that the elite unit
made use of advanced and sophisticated eavesdropping devices to
monitor the battles fought between the Syrian Army and hardline
groups in the area. Israel has been providing logistic support
and medical assistance to opposition forces – including Jabhet
al-Nusra terror organization – fighting President Bashar Assad.
Israeli warplanes have repeatedly targeted Syrian Army positions
under the pretext of preventing sophisticated weapons from
reaching the Lebanese Hezbollah group.
Former IMF Chief Sent to Jail As Spain Prosecutes 65 Elite
Bankers in Enormous Corruption Scandal
The Free Thought Project - The most recent example of a corrupt
banker being held accountable comes out of Spain, where the
former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Rodrigo
Rato, was sentenced to four years and six months behind bars.
According to the AFP, Spain’s National Court, which deals with
corruption and financial crime cases, said he had been found
guilty of embezzlement when he headed up Caja Madrid and Bankia,
at a time when both groups were having difficulties. Rato, who
is tied to a slew of other allegations, was convicted and
sentenced for misusing €12m between 2003 and 2012 — sometimes
splashing out at the height of Spain’s economic crisis,
according to the AFP…. Rato was brought down in a massive effort
by Spain to get rid of corruption within the banking system. The
problem had gotten so bad that Spain decided to clean house and
65 people, including Rato, were brought to task. According to
the AP, they were accused of having paid for personal expenses
with credit cards put at their disposal by both Caja Madrid and
Bankia, without ever justifying them or declaring them to tax
authorities. These expenses included petrol for their cars,
supermarket shopping, holidays, luxury bags and parties in
nightclubs.
Deep State War? Russian Officials Keep Dying Unexpectedly
Zero Hedge - Six Russian diplomats have died in the last 60
days. As Axios notes, all but one died on foreign soil. Some
were shot, while other causes of death are unknown. Note that a
few deaths have been labeled “heart attacks” or “brief
illnesses.”… It seems highly unlikely and improbable to write
off that six Russian officials would die in under 60 days in
such an influx in various different mysterious ways without a
catalyst. And let’s not forget RT founder and former Putin aide
Mikhail Lesin was found dead in 2015 from a blunt weapon that
was originally blamed on a heart attack so assassination can’t
be taken off the table and ruled out in any of these cases.
Turkey and Russia already accused NATO of a false flag attack
killing Karlov the Russian-Turkish Ambassador. NATO also had a
dead diplomat Yves Chandelon mysteriously die of a gunshot wound
to the head in his car a week before the death of Karlov.
Chandelon was the Chief Auditor in charge Of Counterterrorism
funding.
EU migrants could lose right to stay in Britain within weeks
RINF - [Prime Minister Theresa] May is apparently poised to
announce that EU citizens who travel to Britain after she
triggers Article 50 will no longer have the automatic right to
stay in the UK permanently, the Telegraph reports. She is
expected to say EU migrants who arrived in the UK before a
“cut-off date,” thought to be March 15 when the government’s
Article 50 bill has gone through parliament, will have their
rights protected as long as British citizens living elsewhere
are also granted the same assurance…. Iain Duncan Smith, a
Euroskeptic Tory MP, told the newspaper such an announcement
will show May is taking control of Britain’s borders and giving
clarity to the 3.6 million EU migrants already living in the
UK…. The EU has been pushing for May to make the cut-off date
for migrants 2019, but UK ministers have raised concerns that
waiting until the end of negotiations will lead to a huge surge
in the number of EU migrants coming to Britain before Brexit.
Vietnam Bans Paraquat and 2,4-D over Human and Environmental
Damage
Sustainable Pulse - Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Vietnam
welcomed the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture’s decision to
impose the ban after they reviewed the different scientific
evidence that showed the clear harm of the pesticides both on
humans and the environment. “We are pleased by the move of the
government of Vietnam that has prioritized the health of the
Vietnamese people, and we encourage and look forward to more
bans of highly hazardous pesticides in Vietnam,” said Nguyen Thi
Hoa, Deputy Director of Centre for Sustainable Rural
Development, one of the NGOs that forms the coalition of PAN
Vietnam. Nguyen Thi Hoa also added, “This is particularly a
significant victory as many rural farmers, women and children
are poisoned by herbicides like paraquat and 2,4-D in Vietnam.”…
Meanwhile, 2,4-D was one of the two different active herbicide
ingredients in Agent Orange, used extensively by the United
States in Vietnam during the war from 1961 to 1971. Although,
the 2,4,5-T herbicide and not 2,4-D was identified as the reason
for the vast amount of suffering associated with Agent Orange,
according to the WHO, 2,4-D is a possible carcinogen.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump looks to refocus his presidency in address to Congress
AP - President Donald Trump's first address to Congress gives
him a welcome opportunity to refocus his young administration on
the core economic issues that helped him get elected - and, his
allies hope, to move beyond the distractions and self-inflicted
wounds that have roiled his White House. Trump's advisers say he
will use his prime-time speech Tuesday to declare early progress
on his campaign promises, including withdrawing the U.S. from a
sweeping Pacific Rim trade pact, and to map a path ahead on
thorny legislative priorities, including health care and
infrastructure spending. "We spend billions in the Middle East,
but we have potholes all over the country," Trump said Monday as
he previewed the address during a meeting with the nation's
governors. "We're going to start spending on infrastructure
big."
White House Defends $54 Billion Increase In Defense Spending
The Daily Caller - The White House justified increasing
defense-related spending by $54 billion during the press
briefing Monday. The Daily Caller asked Sean Spicer how the new
budget proposal, which would boost Pentagon spending by 10
percent, was defensible after an internal review found there was
$125 billion in administrative waste at the Department of
Defense in 2015. The press secretary said that simply cutting
waste wouldn’t provide enough money to fund military
infrastructure. “Of course he’s concerned,” Spicer said when
asked if President Trump was worried about DOD wastefulness.
“He’s concerned with wasteful spending throughout the
government. There is also a big difference between rooting out
waste and fraud and various programs, and understanding that
when you’re talking about adding to the fleet, or increasing
airplane costs, that that can’t be driven just through those.”
“The commitment that you have to make to purchase some of those
very needed upgrades to our infrastructure, to our arsenal,
planes, ships, it doesn’t just come through that. So even if you
could start to really identify, you wouldn’t be able to make the
financial commitment that needs to be done to rebuild some of
the ships and planes in particular that need a substantial
investment on the front end.”… The proposal put forth Monday
would cut domestic programs and foreign aid while increasing
funds for national security. [Office of Management and Budget
head Mick] Mulvaney said the defense spending was one of the
“largest increases in history.”
* Related:
President Donald Trump's proposed budget is set to hike defense
spending but slash EPA funding
Obama Scheme to Sabotage Trump Admin With High Profile Moles
Exposed?
The GatewayPundit - Two Obama National Security staffers who
worked side-by-side in the White House office of Ben Rhodes,
former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser for
strategic communications, stayed behind at the White House to
work for Obama’s successor President Donald Trump only to quit
and then publish scathing op-eds just three days apart in the
Washington Post and Atlantic, respectively. Rhodes specialized
in manipulating the media for favorable reporting on the Obama
administration, most notably the Iran nuclear deal. Under the
rule of ‘there are no coincidences in politics’, that two Rhodes
operatives stayed behind and then staged high profile protest
resignations bespeaks of a scheme that would have to have been
blessed by Rhodes’ former boss Obama.
Leaked Audio Exposes Liberal Group Behind Town Hall Protests
Western Journalism - The leaked audio, obtained and
authenticated by Louisiana radio station KPEL, reveals members
of the anti-Trump group Indivisible Guide plotting to disrupt a
town hall with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and his constituents in
Breaux Bridge…. “Game plan number one is to fill as many seats
as we can, right?” said one organizer, identified as James
Proctor by KPEL. Proctor is the leader of Indivisible Acadiana,
a local branch of the national Indivisible Guide group. “If it’s
all of us in there and the poor people of Breaux Bridge are
sitting behind us, well then tough luck for them,” Proctor says,
indicating that the liberal activists were not a part of the
local constituency Cassidy intended to address at the town hall.
“If we can arrange it so [Cassidy] doesn’t hear one sympathetic
question–great. That only magnifies our impact,” Proctor said,
indicating that the protesters were attending the town hall
solely to disrupt, and had no intentions of engaging with the
senator. To help ensure that the activists “dominated the
question and answer” session of the town hall, the inside team
was told to avoid “any signifier that you’re a liberal” in an
effort to blend in with the conservative constituents of Breaux
Bridge.
NYC cops want to help with Trump's deportation orders, union
head says
RT - Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent
Association, took New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New
York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill to task on a Sunday
radio show, blasting the pair for announcing that the city,
including the New York Police Department, would not fully
cooperate with the Trump administration's recent immigration
policy directive…. In an internal NYPD memo, O'Neill said last
week that, "regardless of their immigration status," people
should be able to seek help from the NYPD without fear…. Mullins
ripped O'Neill's bulletin, insisting that the commissioner has
"a moral obligation" to "follow the direction of law." He added
that many NYPD cops are ready and willing to assist Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with deportation orders….
Mullins also said if an officer or a public citizen is killed by
an illegal immigrant, then "that public official that plays this
game or that members of law enforcement that play this game,
they better be prepared to answer for that."
Local Sheriff Releases Names of CCW Permit Holders to Media
Bearing Arms - Concealed carriers in Contra Costa County (CA)
received an unexpected letter in the mail recently. Earlier this
month, the county’s sheriff department sent a letter telling CCW
permit holders that their personal information had been released
to ABC7 as part of a public records request. Although the Contra
Costa County Sheriff’s Department complied with the public
records request, they did reject part of the request which
called for permit holders’ addresses. “We try and balance the
needs of the public and the people who want or need access to
the information to ensure everyone’s safety,” said Lt. Nate
McCormack told East County Today…. Currently, the county has 317
CCW permits, 290 of which are non-law enforcement applicants.
Their concealed carry application approval rate is a whopping 17
percent.
Lawyer: Justice to no longer contest Texas' voter ID law
CNS News - An attorney for a voting rights group said Monday
that President Donald Trump's administration said that the
federal government no longer plans to challenge Texas' strict
voter ID law…. The move marks a stark reversal under new
Attorney General Jeff Sessions from the Obama White House, which
joined a lawsuit against Texas in 2013. The Justice Department
didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A
federal appeals court last year ruled that the Texas law
discriminated against minorities and the poor, and it ordered
changes ahead of the November election…. The Texas law requires
voters to show one of seven approved forms of identification to
cast a ballot. It was softened in August to allow people without
a driver's license or other photo ID to sign an affidavit
declaring that they have an impediment to obtaining required
identification.
Half of US Students Think Their Loans Will be Forgiven
Sputnik News - When 500 students were asked by the pollsters if
they believe that they will be eligible for federal student loan
forgiveness programs following graduation, 49.80 percent
believed that they would be. Asked if it is possible to
refinance federal student loan debt, 64 percent of college
students also incorrectly agreed that they believed that it was.
Additionally, 33 percent of college students could not identify
the differences between subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and
79 percent of college students could not identify the current
repayment term of a federal student loan. Student loan
forgiveness is only open to certain professions and even with
appropriate criteria is not guaranteed. Guidelines set by the
Department of Education state that borrowers are only eligible
for forgiveness if they enter a public-service profession and
remain for at least ten years…. Currently, 44.2 million
Americans owe roughly $1.3 trillion in unpaid student-loan debt.
The average graduate in 2016 will have $37,172 in student loan
debt, up 6 percent from the 2015 average.
Judge Orders California To Release Papers On Risk Of Cell Phone Use
CBS San Francisco - On Friday, a Superior Court judge ordered the state
[California] to release papers discussing the possible risks of
long-term cellphone use…. The documents were written by the state’s
Environmental Health Investigations branch and are believed to contain
cellphone radiation warnings and recommendations for public use. But the
state refused to hand them over when requested by a director at
University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. So Joel
Moskowitz, Ph.D., sued the state under the California Public Records
Act…. When asked why he thinks the state is trying to suppress this
document, he said, “They claim that this would lead to chaos and
confusion among the public, I suspect that they were afraid of the
reaction from the telecommunications industry should they publish this
document. In fact, they even argued that in their brief.” In a tentative
ruling Friday, a judge found the documents are, in fact, public record
and the public should have a right to see it…. Moskowitz cites new
research that finds a significant relationship between cellphone use of
10 or more years and increased brain tumor risk.
Hidden Laws and Guidelines on Informed Consent Could Protect
Children Against Mandatory Vaccination
Green Med Info - In the UK, a recent ruling titled The
Montgomery Ruling states that a patient must have sufficient
information to make an informed choice about any medical
treatment that is being offered to them. In 2015, the website
Medical Protection, which outlined this ruling, stated that:
“The patient must have sufficient information to make a choice –
without adequate information, patients are unable to make
decisions about their treatment. The information provided
should, for example, include: an explanation of the
investigation, diagnosis or treatment; an explanation of the
probabilities of success, or the risk of failure; or harm
associated with options for treatment. The patient should be
given time to ask questions…. “The patient must be able to give
their consent freely – pressuring patients into consenting to
treatment invalidates the consent…. Whereas the information
detailed in the Montgomery judgement was straightforward and
relatively easy to find, the US equivalent, titled American
Medical Association – Informed Consent – Patient Physician
Relationship, mentioned on HG.org Legal Resources had been
removed. However, the paper can be found, referenced in
considerable detail, on the American Medical Association (AMA)
website…
Judge Rules Insurance Company Must Cover Medical Marijuana
REALfarmacy - Judge Ingrid L. French, a state administrative law
judge from New Jersey, has ruled that an Egg Harbor man’s
insurance company must cover the costs of medical marijuana.
This could theoretically establish a very much-needed precedent
for patients. Judge French says Andrew Watson’s insurance
company is obligated to cover the costs of his voter-approved
medical marijuana. Watson’s case sought financial reimbursement
for the medicinal cannabis he purchased at a local medical
marijuana collective, after enrolling in the state’s medical
cannabis program in 2014. Judge French ruled that Mr. Watson’s
medical condition was consistent with New Jersey’s list of
qualifying conditions. After listening to the testimony provided
by the Egg Harbor plaintiff and considering the testimony of a
local neurologist/psychiatrist, the judge agreed that medical
marijuana is indeed medicinal and should be covered by Watson’s
insurance company…. The Judge believed that Watson’s chosen
holistic approach to pain management was better than medicating
with opiates. The Judge also called the plaintiff’s decision
“cautious, mature, and… exceptionally conscientious.” This
ruling could potentially set a future precedent for others to
follow.
Volunteers rescue dogs, puppies seemingly abandoned at DAPL protest
camps (Video)
Fox6 Now - It was a hectic week as law enforcement officials worked to
clear the Oceti Sakowin protest camp in North Dakota. As officers moved
in, and protesters moved out, garbage wasn’t the only thing abandoned.
Two dogs and six puppies were found and rescued at the main Dakota
Access Pipeline camp by Furry Friends Rockin’ Rescue. Those with the
rescue have been working hard to catch all of the animals left behind at
the camp…. Those with Furry Friends Rockin’ Rescue plan on going back to
the protest camps, where they said they’re having a hard time catching
these animals because of the loud heavy machinery that’s being used to
clean up the area…. The two dogs that they’ve saved had symptoms of
being out in the weather — with frostbitten ears and patchy fur. If they
stay with us, we help them find their forever home. If somebody has left
the dog behind and they’re looking for that dog, we hope they’ll contact
us so we can help them find their dog,” said [Julie] Schirado. Those
with Furry Friends said their first priority is keeping the dogs warm
and fed, and making sure they’re healthy.
Using Turmeric Curcumin to Treat Canine Arthritis
Dogington Post - The important active component in curcumin that treats
arthritis is called turmeric. This is what you need for your dog. Here
are reasons why curcumin works to manage pain and heal your dogs. Though
most studies are directed to human arthritis, it doesn’t change its
pharmacological properties – which suggests that it can be used to dogs
and other animals too. It synthesizes and inhibits the production of
inflammatory chemicals. It also regulates the “nuclear factor – kappa
B”, an important protein in sparking inflammation, and it also inhibits
the migration of immune cells to the injury site. There are also studies
that prove that the effects of turmeric on inflammation is better than
the usual pain killer you give to your dogs. Curcumin is proven to
regulate cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes. These enzymes are
responsible for curbing and preventing inflammation and the spread of
the disease. Metalloproteinase Matrix is a protein that supports
cartilage degradation and inflammation. Turmeric can effectively inhibit
its activity to protect your dog’s bone cells. When inflammation happens
on the bones and joints, your cells are technically attacking
chondrocytes – cells responsible for developing bones. These cells are
needed to help regenerate the healthy statues of their joints. Curcumin
can also protect the chondrocytes from inflammation because it can
support the development of osteoblasts from stem cells….
Monday - February
27, 2017
Today In History:
1801 - The city of Washington, DC, was placed under congressional
jurisdiction.
1827 - New Orleans held its first Mardi Gras celebration.
1861 - In Warsaw, Russian troops fired on a crowd protesting Russian
rule over Poland. Five protesting marchers were killed in the incident.
1867 - Dr. William G. Bonwill invented the dental mallet.
1883 - Oscar Hammerstein patented the first cigar-rolling machine.
1922 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 19th Amendment that guaranteed
women the right to vote.
1933 - The Reichstag, Germany's parliament building in Berlin, was set
afire. The Nazis accused Communist for the fire.
1939 - The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed sit-down strikes.
1951 - The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified,
limiting U.S. Presidents to two terms.
1973 - The American Indian Movement occupied Wounded Knee in South
Dakota.
1981 - Chrysler Corporation was granted an additional $400 million in
federal loan guarantees. Chrysler had posted a loss of $1.7 billion in
1980.
1986 - The U.S. Senate approved the telecast of its debates on a trial
basis.
1990 - The Exxon Corporation and Exxon Shipping were indicted on five
criminal counts in reference to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
1991 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush announced live on television that
"Kuwait is liberated."
2002 - In Boston, twenty people working at Logan International Airport
were charged with lying to get their jobs or security badges.
Iran holds naval war games amid rising tensions with U.S.
(Reuters) - Iran launched naval drills at the mouth of the Gulf
and the Indian Ocean on Sunday, a naval commander said, as
tensions with the United States escalated after U.S. President
Donald Trump put Tehran "on notice". Since taking office last
month, Trump has pledged to get tough with Iran, warning the
Islamic Republic after its ballistic missile test on Jan. 29
that it was playing with fire and all U.S. options were on the
table. Iran's annual exercises will be held in the Strait of
Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, the Bab el-Mandab and northern parts
of the Indian Ocean, to train in the fight against terrorism and
piracy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said, according to state
media.
China Prepares For "Regime Collapse" In North Korea
Blacklisted News - … it appears that the likelihood of a regime
collapse in North Korea is being taken seriously by none other
than the country's formerly largest trading partner, China,
which as SCMP [South China Morning Post] reports, will take the
“necessary measures” to safeguard national security in the event
of the collapse of the neighboring North Korean regime, a
defence official said on Thursday. The recent assassination of
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam has
sparked renewed concerns over the stability of Pyongyang and the
possibility of a collapse of the reclusive regime…. Meanwhile,
in an inexplicable move, the WSJ reports that in a move that
will only antagonise China, North Korea appeared to lash out at
Beijing in a state-media commentary published on Thursday, in
unusually pointed rhetoric from Pyongyang toward a powerful
neighbor that it has long relied on for economic support. In
Thursday’s piece, North Korea even adopted a mocking tone,
saying that the country is “styling itself a big power, is
dancing to the tune of the U.S.” The KCNA statement also vowed
that cutting its exports wouldn’t deter North Korea from
developing its nuclear arsenal.
Marine Le Pen vows to REMOVE France from ‘MONSTER’ EU and start
NEW bloc of rebel nations
UK Express - The Front National leader has laid out her foreign
policy vision for France with plans to reverse EU bureaucracy
which has left France “enfeebled” and “cut off” from the world.
Speaking in Paris yesterday, she said: “It’s time for us to put
an end to this bureaucratic monster that is the European Union.
European countries are bound together in many ways, and this
mandatory coalition is destroying individual member states.” The
far-right chief also vowed not to allow her country be
“diminished, isolated, and wholly dependent on the EU”. She
warned: “The European Union is not the solution, it’s the
problem.” EU nationalists are paving the way for a “new” Europe,
she said. She added: “I am thrilled to see that Europeans are
speaking out against the Union, and calling for a Europe of
nations. We will build a better Europe, whether Mrs Merkel and
Mr Schulz like it or not.”
Yes we can? Petition launched for Obama 2017 French presidential
campaign
RT - A “radical” campaign is underway in France to make Barack
Obama the next French president – despite at least one glaring
obstacle to the move: he’s not a French citizen. The political
drive is aiming to collect one million voting pledges for the
former US president and Nobel prize winner by March 15, and is
being pushed with a series of ‘Obama 17’ posters across Paris. A
website dedicated to the cause states that “Barack Obama has the
best resume in the world for the job,” and urges radical
thinking from the electorate: “To launch this 6th Republic, we
wish to strike a blow by electing a foreign President at the
head of our beautiful country.”
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump's New National Security Advisor Warned
Against "Military Industrial Complex"
Living Resistance - Little is known about Army Lt. Gen. H.R.
McMaster, President Trump’s new pick for the National Security
Advisor. But some positive signs have recently emerged. The
first is that McMaster published his PhD dissertation on the
deception within the US government that led to the Vietnam war,
“Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam.”…. And now there is
even more positive news, thanks to an old report that has
recently re-surfaced to make the rounds online. According to the
report, published in 2015, McMaster openly criticized the
military-industrial complex and warned about a “narcissistic
approach to war.” Yes, McMaster conjured up Eisenhower and said
“the military-industrial complex may represent a greater threat
to us than at any time in history.” The military-industrial
complex, he added, “increasingly involves think tanks, and when
you see studies that are produced about the future of war or
studies that are produced about certain aspects of defense
strategy, you ought to look to see who is funding it.” McMaster
didn’t stop at vague generalities but undauntedly provided
details about how this corrupt war machine works via
manufactured studies in order to be awarded government
contracts.
White House Bars CNN, NYT, Others From Media Briefing
Zero Hedge - Just a few hours after Trump warned during his CPAC
speech that "we're gonna do something about the media", he did
just that after the White House barred a number of news outlets
from covering Sean Spicer’s Q&A session on Friday afternoon.
Spicer decided to hold an off-camera “gaggle” with reporters
inside his West Wing office instead of the traditional on-camera
briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room according to
press reports. Among the outlets not permitted to cover the
gaggle were various news organizations that Trump has singled
out in the past including CNN, The NYT, The Hill, Politico,
BuzzFeed, the Daily Mail, BBC, the Los Angeles Times and the New
York Daily News. Several non mainstream outlets were allowed
into Spicer’s office, including Breitbart, the Washington Times
and One America News Network. Several other major news
organizations were also let in to cover the gaggle. That group
included ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Reuters and Bloomberg, however AP
and Time have boycotted the event. The White House
Correspondents’ Association sharply criticized the decision.
Trump calls on supporters to hold ‘biggest ever rally’
Daily Mail - President Donald Trump wants his supporters to
counter the massive protests against his administration by
staging a rally of their own…. The president tweeted on Saturday
that a demonstration staged by his voters would be ‘the biggest
of them all.’ ‘Maybe the millions of people who voted to MAKE
AMERICA GREAT AGAIN should have their own rally,’ Trump tweeted
on Saturday. Since taking office and enacting controversial
measures, Trump has watched as thousands have taken to the
streets in the United States and abroad to denounce him. With
the Academy Awards scheduled for Sunday, Hollywood has also
waded into the political dispute. Jodie Foster, Michael J. Fox
and Keegan Michael Key headlined a protest over Trump’s recent
immigration orders.
Previously Deported Illegal Goes On Murderous Rampage Days After
CT Gov Refused To Work With ICE
Information Liberation - Just days after Connecticut Governor
Dannel Malloy ordered police not to co-operate with ICE in
enforcing immigration laws, a previously deported illegal alien
went on a murderous rampage killing a mother and stabbing her
friend. rom The Hartford Courant: A convicted felon, who was
previously deported, fatally stabbed a woman and abducted their
6-year-old daughter from a Bridgeport home, triggering an Amber
Alert and multi-state search that ended after a highway police
chase and crash in Pennsylvania, authorities said. Though the
child, Aylin Hernandez, did not suffer serious physical
injuries, police said her 26-year-old mother, Nidia Gonzalez,
was dead. Another woman, believed to be a friend, was stabbed
repeatedly in the home on Greenwood Street in Bridgeport, police
said…. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials
confirmed late Friday that Hernandez, a citizen of El Salvador,
was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on
Oct. 29, 2013…. Hernandez, as they note, is from El Salvador. El
Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The
country is filled with terrorist drug gangs like MS13.
What First Amendment? Arizona Wants Power To Seize The Assets Of
Protesters
Zero Hedge - If Republicans in Arizona’s senate have their way,
police in that state could soon have the power to seize assets
and property from protesters, the Arizona Capitol Times reports.
From a February 22 article: “Claiming people are being paid to
riot, Republican state senators voted Wednesday to give police
new power to arrest anyone who is involved in a peaceful
demonstration that may turn bad — even before anything actually
happened. “SB1142 expands the state’s racketeering laws, now
aimed at organized crime, to also include rioting. And it
redefines what constitutes rioting to include actions that
result in damage to the property of others. “But the real heart
of the legislation is what Democrats say is the guilt by
association — and giving the government the right to criminally
prosecute and seize the assets of everyone who planned a protest
and everyone who participated.”…. But it gets even worse than
that, as the Arizona Capitol Times pointed out Wednesday: “By
including rioting in racketeering laws, it actually permits
police to arrest those who are planning events.” Planning
events. Meaning cops will have the authority to investigate
activists before the demonstrations even take place.
Obamascare: 60% of online Obamacare defenders 'paid to post'
hits on critics
Washington Examiner - A majority of online and social media
defenders of Obamacare are professionals who are "paid to post,"
according to a digital expert. "Sixty percent of all the posts
were made from 100 profiles, posting between the hours of 9 and
5 Pacific Time," said Michael Brown. "They were paid to post."
His shocking analysis was revealed on this weekend's Full
Measure with Sharyl Attkisson, broadcast on Sinclair stations
and streamed live Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Her upcoming show focuses
on information wars and Brown was describing what happened when
he had a problem with Obamacare and complained online. Brown
said that social media is used to manipulate opinion, proven in
the last presidential election…. "Digital activists are paid
employees; their purpose is to attack anyone who's posting
something contrary to the view of the page owner wants
expressed," he told Attkisson. She reports that he evaluated
226,000 pro-Obamacare posts made by 40,000 Facebook profiles….
And Brown said that both sides play the posting game. "There's
no reason to believe that everybody's not doing it."
WikiLeaks: DNC Chair Tom Perez Colluded With Hillary To
'Destroy Bernie'
Your News Wire - WikiLeaks has released emails showing that
newly appointed DNC chairman, Tom Perez, colluded with Hillary
Clinton’s campaign in order to destroy and “take down” Bernie
Sanders during the primary race. During the 2016 campaign,
WikiLeaks released a series of incriminating emails from John
Podesta’s email account. One of the emails, written by Tom
Perez, shows the DNC leader colluding with the Hillary camp in
order to destroy Bernie’s chances at the primaries. The email is
in regards to Latino support for Hillary Clinton. Perez tells
John Podesta that he will be appearing on Telemundo to “trumpet”
Hillary’s strong support among Hispanics while sticking a “fork”
in Bernie…. This email is noteworthy because recently Perez
refused to comment on allegations as to whether the Democrat
primaries were rigged against Bernie.
Starbucks' 'Brand Perception' Takes A Massive Hit After
Announcing Plans To Hire 10,000 Refugees
Zero Hedge - About a month ago, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz
decided to 'take a stand' in defiance of Trump's immigration
executive order and penned a message to the world vowing, among
other things, to hire 10,000 refugees over the next 5 years ….
Unfortunately, Schultz quickly found out the hard way that while
most adult-aged Americans can agree that they like coffee,
roughly 50% disagree with his leftist political opinions…. The
coffee giant's consumer perception levels have fallen by
two-thirds since late January, according to YouGov BrandIndex….
In Starbucks' case, perception is still overall positive, but
significantly lower than it was prior to CEO Howard Schultz
published a public letter outlining the company's plans to give
refugees jobs. YouGov says that there's reason to believe
backlash will impact the chain's bottom line. Two days before
Starbucks' announcement, 30% of consumers said they'd consider
buying from Starbucks the next time they were craving coffee,
the highest proportion in nearly a year. Now, the percentage is
down to 24%, according to YouGov.
Related:
Starbucks Headquarters Contact Information and Comment
section
J.C. Penney Announces It Is Closing Over 100 Stores
Western Journalism - One of the biggest names in retail is
closing up to 140 stores in the coming year. J.C. Penney on
Friday announced the store closings — without specifying which
stores will close — along with an early retirement plan
targeting about 6,000 employees. Although the company reported a
profit of 64 cents a share, coming in better than estimates, it
also reported a 0.7 percent drop in sales for the final three
months of 2016, somewhat worse than expected…. The company will
save about $200 million in annual costs by closing the stores,
which account for about 13 to 14 percent of its store base but
generate less than 5 percent of annual sales.
A Cold War-era nuclear power plant could save us from ourselves
Business Insider - Called a molten-salt reactor, the technology was
conceived during the Cold War and forgoes solid nuclear fuel for a
liquid one, which it can "burn" with far greater efficiency than any
power technology in existence. It also generates a small fraction of the
radioactive waste that today's commercial reactors - which all rely on
solid fuel - do. And, in theory, molten-salt reactors can never melt
down…. What's more, feeding a molten-salt reactor a radioactive waste
from mining, called thorium (which is three to four times more abundant
than uranium), can "breed" as much nuclear fuel as it burns up…. "The
technology is viable, the science has been demonstrated," Hans Gougar, a
nuclear physicist at INL [Idaho National Laboratory], told Business
Insider. Demonstrated, because government scientists built two
complementary prototypes during the 1950s and '60s. They weren't good
for making nuclear weapons, though, so bureaucrats pulled funding for
the revolutionary energy technology. The last working molten-salt
reactor shut down in 1969…. China now spends more than $350 million a
year developing its variation of the Cold War-era design.
By blacklisting Natural News articles on
holistic health and cancer prevention, Google proves it is a DANGER to
all humanity
(Natural News) Google advertising is funded to a large extent by
direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising, making its recent
blacklisting of the entire Natural News website not all that surprising
to those who understand corruption. Over the last few years, Google has
intensified its bans on advertising of natural medicine, herbal remedies
and nutritional therapies, thereby blockading providers of such products
in a way that strengthens pharmaceutical monopolies. Now, with its
censorship of Natural News, Google has moved into a new phase of
blacklisting massive collections of human knowledge on holistic health
and disease prevention, giving the pharmaceutical drug cartels yet
another victory in their quest to suppress alternative medicine….
ACTION: SIGN THE WHITE HOUSE PETITION TO HALT GOOGLE CENSORSHIP.
(Already nearly 50K signatures, we need 100K total, so share
everywhere…) [Link in article]
* Related:
Google refuses to provide any evidence to justify
blacklisting of Natural News…
Video: Google may be part of a deep state conspiracy to silence Trump
defenders, new interview reveals
(Natural News) Google is part of a “criminal conspiracy” to shut down
any and all media defenders of the president, as Natural News
founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, has revealed in a recent
interview with Dave Hodges on “The Common Sense Show.”… Just recently,
Adams was threatened with complete destruction of his hard-earned
reputation as a liberty-minded straight shooter when it comes to all
aspects of natural health. Then, he was offered $50,000 to help destroy
Infowars’ founder/creator Alex Jones, or else, and when Adams refused,
the Google censorship began only days afterward. Not a coincidence. As
for Jones, one of his primary sources of ad revenue, through the company
AdRoll, a San Francisco-based, well-funded start-up with ties to Google,
dropped Infowars as a client, resulting in the loss of about $3 million
annually in revenue. Again, no coincidence. “It seems they’ve made good
on their threat,” Adams told Hodges. “It might be just the beginning.
I’m not even sure, but they’re now definitely trying to silence the
independent media with economic sabotage.”…
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Are Fake Organic Foods Flooding the U.S.?
Natural Blaze - According to a report by the Alliance for
Natural Health U.S. we have a situation where we are importing
food from countries like Turkey and our agencies aren’t
inspecting organic claims properly. The report says: Organic
corn exports from Turkey to the US have exploded. Compared to
the same six-month time period in 2015, the dollar value of
organic corn imports from Turkey during the first six months of
2016 increased by 500%. Organic soy imports from Turkey in the
same period increased by an astounding 3600%. Unfortunately,
there’s a very good chance that these millions of bushels of
corn and soy aren’t actually organic at all, and federal
regulators—unlike their counterparts in other countries—do not
seem concerned in the least. Turkey’s organic industry has major
problems. Between 2012 and 2015, several reports—from respected
bodies such as the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture,
Eurofins Scientific, and our friends at the Cornucopia
Institute—found widespread fraud and unapproved production
methods in organic products, either directly from Turkey, or
perhaps routed through Turkey after originating elsewhere….
There are reports that the measures taken by the EU and others
have simply led some exporters to ship to markets that are more
likely to accept their products—like the US.
Rochester set to remove 180-plus students over failure to
follow vaccination law
StarTribune - More than 180 public school students in Rochester
will be removed from school March 1 if they are not vaccinated
or officially exempted from the state law that requires them to
be immunized. School officials said this week that they have
worked “diligently” since January to inform families that
students must be vaccinated to attend school or provide
documentation for an exemption. We sent multiple letters, worked
with our bilinguals if necessary, and each school made
additional efforts to connect with the families impacted to
assist them with submitting the proper documentation,” school
officials said in an e-mailed response to questions. As a “last
resort,” school board officials unanimously voted Tuesday to
remove the affected students from school March 1 if they don’t
submit the necessary vaccination documents. They will be allowed
to return to school once they do.
First Peer-Reviewed Study of Vaccinated versus Unvaccinated
Children (Censored by an International Scientific Journal) Now
Public
Age Of Autism - A Survey of 6- to 12-year-old Vaccinated and
Unvaccinated Children based on Mothers’ Reports, was censored by
the journal Frontiers in Public Health. Key Study Finding…
Vaccinated children were significantly less likely than the
unvaccinated to have been diagnosed with chickenpox and
pertussis, but significantly more likely to have been diagnosed
with other infections, allergies and [neurodevelopmental
disorders] NDDs (defined as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and/or a learning disability).
Chronic Illness Detail: Vaccinated children were significantly
more likely than the unvaccinated to have been diagnosed with
the following chronic illnesses: 7-fold higher odds of any
neurodevelopmental disorder (i.e., learning disability, ADHD, or
ASD), 2-fold increase in Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”),
2-fold increase in ADHD, 2-fold increase in learning
disabilities, 1-fold increase in allergic rhinitis, 9-fold
increase in other allergies, 9-fold increase in eczema/atopic
dermatitis, 4-fold increase in any chronic illness. No
significant differences were observed with regard to cancer,
chronic fatigue, conduct disorder, Crohn’s disease, depression,
Types 1 or 2 diabetes, encephalopathy, epilepsy, hearing loss,
high blood pressure, inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, seizures, and Tourette’s
syndrome. However, larger samples would be needed to detect
group differences in these less common conditions.
Medical marijuana found tainted with dangerous pesticide residue
(NaturalHealth365) Steep Hill, considered one of the most
reliable agencies in the testing of cannabis, recently released
a report on the existence of pesticide contamination in medical
marijuana in California. A shocking 83.2 percent of the samples
tested positive for pesticide residue after being assessed by
mass spectrometer. The most predominant contaminant was the
fungicide myclobutanil, an endocrine disruptor and a primary
ingredient in the pesticide Eagle 20. Classified as a
reproductive toxicant by the California EPA, myclobutanil was
found in over 65 percent of the samples. Alarmingly,
myclobutanil – which has not been approved for use on marijuana
– is classified as a Schedule 3 substance under the Chemical
Weapons Convention. The chemical turns into poisonous hydrogen
cyanide when burned, and can be lethal in large doses…. The
presence of Eagle 20 in cannabis caused the Denver Department of
Environmental Health to quarantine tens of thousands of Colorado
marijuana plants in order to keep them off the market. In 2015,
two marijuana users in Colorado – one of whom has a brain tumor
and medical marijuana card – sued a marijuana company over the
use of Eagle 20.
The Underused Wonder Vegetable: 20 Amazing Health Benefits of
Okra
REALfarmacy - These are the medical advantages of Okra: Brings
Down Bad Cholesterol: Okra (soluble fiber pectin) helps lower
the serum (bad) cholesterol and avoids atherosclerosis. For
Pregnancy and Fetal advancement: Okra helps prevent unnatural
birth cycles, promotes development of the fetal neural tube, and
prevents imperfections in the tube. Skin Detoxifier: Okra
(Vitamin C, fiber aids toxic) is utilized to repair body
tissues, heal psoriasis, eliminate pimples, and other skin
conditions. Treats Genital Disorders: Okra treats genital issue
like syphilis, extreme menstrual bleeding, leucorrhoea, dysuria,
and gonorrhea. For Asthma: It can shorten the duration of asthma
manifestations and prevent deadly attacks. Okra is high in
vitamin C, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Reduces Colon cancer risk: Okra cleans out the intestinal tract
with its insoluble fiber, diminishing the danger of colon-rectal
tumor. The high cell reinforcements in Okra aid in securing the
immune system against unsafe free radicals and avoid
transformation of cells. Immunity Booster: Okra is a decent
immune booster food high in antioxidants and vitamin C. Other
vital minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, battle
against unsafe free radicals and support the immune system. Rich
Protein Source: The superb wellspring of top notch vegetable
protein and oils, cystine, advanced with amino acids like
tryptophan, and other sulfur amino acids content are contained
in the seeds of Okra. Diabetes: Okra regulates glucose levels.
The kind of fiber found in Okra i.e. Eugenol, aids in settling
glucose by controlling the rate at which sugar is ingested from
the intestinal tract. Learn how to make okra water in the video
below….
More Recalls Expected as Testing Reveals
Horse DNA in Evanger’s Dog Food
Dogington Post - Pet food company, Evanger’s, which recently recalled
its Hunk of Beef canned dog food and Against the Grain brand pulled beef
canned dog food due to contamination with pentobarbital, a barbiturate
used to euthanize animals, has now admitted that the recalled food
contained horse DNA. In a letter to customers dated February 21, 2017,
Evanger’s explained that after the discovery of pentobarbital, the FDA
tested the Hunk of Beef product and confirmed that the only ingredient
was beef. However, because pentobarbital is almost never used for cows,
Evanger’s said they moved forward with their own investigation and found
through genetic species identification that the Hunk of Beef product
contained equine, or horse, DNA along with bovine, or beef, DNA. On one
hand, the presence of horse DNA provides an explanation for why
pentobarbital was present as the drug is commonly used to euthanize
horses. It doesn’t explain why horse meat was found in a can meant to
only contain 100% beef.
Friday - February
24, 2017
Today In History:
1803 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled itself to be the final interpreter
of all constitutional issues.
1863 - Arizona was organized as a territory.
1866 - In Washington, DC, an American flag made entirely of American
bunting was displayed for the first time.
1868 - The U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Andrew
Johnson due to his attempt to dismiss Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
The U.S. Senate later acquitted Johnson.
1900 - New York City Mayor Van Wyck signed the contract to begin work on
New York's first rapid transit tunnel. The tunnel would link Manhattan
and Brooklyn. The ground breaking ceremony was on March 24, 1900.
1903 - In Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an area was leased to the U.S. for a
naval base.
1942 - The U.S. Government stopped shipments of all 12-gauge shotguns
for sporting use for the wartime effort.
1942 - The Voice of America (VOA) aired for the first time.
1945 - During World War II, the Philippine capital of Manila, was
liberated by U.S. soldiers.
1983 - A U.S. congressional commission released a report that condemned
the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
1989 - Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini sentenced Salman Rushdie to
death for his novel "The Satanic Verses". A bounty of one to
three-million-dollars was also put on Rushidie's head.
1997 - The U.S. The Food and Drug Administration named six brands of
birth control as safe and effective "morning-after" pills for preventing
pregnancy.
2007 - The Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution expressing
"profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.
2008 - Cuba's parliament named Raul Castro president. His brother Fidel
had ruled for nearly 50 years.
US troops 'in combat' in Mosul, some have been wounded -
Pentagon
RT - While nominally operating as military advisors to the Iraqi
forces, the US servicemen taking part in the assault on Mosul
have been involved in front-line fighting and an undisclosed
number have suffered battle injuries, according to military
officials. US soldiers “have come under fire at different times,
they have returned fire at different times in and around Mosul,”
said Air Force Colonel John Dorrian, the Baghdad-based
spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led
coalition fighting against the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
“When someone is shooting at you, that is combat. Yes. That has
happened,” Dorrian said during a press briefing via video link
on Tuesday, when asked by Washington-based journalists to
clarify if that meant that US troops were actually fighting.
President Barack Obama returned a small contingent of US troops
to Iraq in 2014, on the promise that they would avoid direct
combat. There are currently 450 conventional soldiers and a
classified number of special operators embedded with elite Iraqi
forces around Mosul, calling in airstrikes, training troops, and
helping with battle tactics. Despite an announcement by a senior
US Army official this week that US servicemen would be embedded
closer to the theater of operations, Dorrian said that US troops
were still staying out of danger. Nonetheless, a US official
told CNN that some American troops had been wounded in the
battles around Iraq’s second-biggest city, and had to be
evacuated. The unnamed Pentagon representative declined to give
specific numbers, to avoid giving the adversaries a tactical or
psychological advantage. The US Defense Department says that 31
US troops have been wounded in Iraq and Syria since the
anti-ISIS operation was authorized in the summer of 2014, though
the casualty list is unlikely to be completely up to date.
Report: Chinese PLA “Making Preparations” For War With U.S.
Paul Joseph Watson - Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece the
Global Times has warned the Trump administration that the
People’s Liberation Army is “making preparations” for war after
the deployment of the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson to patrol
the South China Sea. An op-ed for the Global Times, which is
widely regarded as the voice of the Chinese government,
references U.S. intelligence assessments that China has “nearly
finished building almost two dozen military structures on
artificial islands in the South China Sea” in order to deploy
long-range surface-to-air missiles. The article also highlights
comments by Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of US 7th
Fleet, that the United States is unequivocally “prepared to
fight if necessary,” questioning why the U.S. is making “direct
military threats” against China. However, those threats are
returned in kind, with Beijing insisting that it will accelerate
its military build-up if U.S. officials keep making
“condescending” comments. “If the US military insists on showing
that it is capable of taming the China Dragon, they are bound to
see all kinds of advanced Chinese weapons as well as other
military deployments on the islands,” states the piece…. Earlier
today Chinese officials also made it clear that they oppose the
deployment of the USS Vinson, asserting that the ship was in the
region to conduct surveillance.
Not Russian hackers: Brit arrested for cyberattack on Germany
blamed on Moscow
RT - A UK national has been detained in London on suspicion of
carrying out a cyber-attack last year that left 1 million
Deutsche Telekom customers without service. At the time, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel hinted that Russia might be behind the
attack. The 29-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday at Luton
airport in southern England by officers from the UK's National
Crime Agency (NCA) at the request of the German police, The
Local reported. “The Briton stands accused of attempted computer
sabotage in a particularly serious case,” German federal police
and prosecutors said in a statement, adding that they will now
seek the hacker’s extradition…. Shortly after the attack, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel hinted that it may well be masterminded
by Moscow…. The statement coincided with claims by the head of
Germany’s foreign intelligence service that the 2017 general
election could be targeted by Russian hackers to undermine the
democratic process. In 2015, the hacking attack against
Germany's lower house parliament was also blamed on Russia, with
no proof ever being provided.
US base buzz: Japan to pay Okinawa residents record $267mn in
damages over jet noise
RT - A Japanese court has ruled that Tokyo should pay about 30.2
billion yen ($267 million) in damages to residents suffering
from noise coming from the biggest US base on Okinawa, but
rejected a call to suspend night and early morning flights. On
Thursday, the Okinawa branch of the Naha District Court ordered
the Japanese government to pay the compensation to residents
near Kadena Air Base, which hosts the largest combat wing in the
US Air Force. The base hosts some 22,000 US soldiers, family
members, and Japanese employees in the towns of Kadena and
Chatan and the city of Okinawa in Okinawa Prefecture, according
to base data. According to presiding Judge Tetsuya Fujikura, the
noise burden on locals has continued despite a 2009 ruling that
called upon Japanese authorities to improve the situation. The
damage has “caused mental pain, disturbance to sleep, and an
increase in the risk of negative health effects from developing
high blood pressure,” he said, according to Jiji Press, as cited
by AFP.
Mexico Pledges 12% Foreign Exchange to Stabilize Peso
Breitbart - Mexico’s central bank was forced to pledge up to 12
percent of the nation’s total foreign exchange reserves to
prevent a disastrous run on the peso currency, which has already
fallen by 20 percent since the U.S. elections on November 8…. By
injecting foreign currency from its reserves into circulation,
the decision is a “clear and significant reaction to the
pressure from changing U.S. economic and social policies,”
according to the latest report on the growing crisis from
Stratfor Global Intelligence. Mexico’s socialist government has
been blamed for squandering the nation’s oil wealth, and is now
attempting to limit currency fluctuations in the value of the
peso to ensure social stability…. The Mexican government fears
the return of the 1994 Tequila currency crisis, when the U.S.
Federal Reserve raising interest rates, combined with ruling
party corruption, caused Mexico to suffer a 52 percent
hyper-inflation. Mexico’s foreign exchange fell by 85 percent
and the peso lost 62 percent of its value versus the dollar. The
crisis did not end until the United States made a $50 billion
bailout.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Report: U.S. Military Branches Preparing to Expand Under Trump
Breitbart - Fox News has learned: The Air Force wants to expand
its forces by 30,000 airmen over the next five-to-six years. The
Army wants to expand by roughly that amount by October,
according to a defense official who shared the plan with Fox
News but was not authorized to do so…. As part of a proposed
expansion, the Navy also wants 82 more ships and submarines, a
30 percent increase in the size of the fleet. Last month, Marine
Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller said he wants to increase
his force by 3,000 Marines…. Under former President Barack
Obama, the largest branch of the military, the U.S. Army,
pink-slipped tens of thousands of soldiers in the name of budget
constraints, a move that ultimately shrunk the Army to its
smallest level since to World War II. As it stands now, Army
soldiers can only do what the country requires of them while
assuming “high risk,” revealed Gen. Allyn. Other branches are
also facing readiness gaps. Adm. William Moran, vice chief of
naval operations, who, along with Gen. Allyn, testified this
month, told lawmakers that the “Navy is smaller today than it
has been in the last 99 years.” Adm. Moran confirmed that more
than half (53 percent) of all Navy aircraft cannot fly,
primarily due to a lack of funding. Gen. Stephen Wilson, vice
chief of staff of the Air Force, also testified, saying that his
branch is the “smallest, oldest equipped, and least ready in its
history.”
Ted Cruz Says Another SCOTUS Vacancy Is Just Months Away
The Daily Caller - “I think we’ll have another Supreme Court
vacancy this summer,” Cruz said at the Conservative Political
Action Conference Thursday. “If that happens, as much as the
left is crazy now, they will go full Armageddon meltdown because
the next vacancy is where we’ll have the ability to act and
restore basic constitution protections.” Though Cruz was not
more specific, as a former law clerk to Chief Justice William
Rehnquist, he enjoys access to a network of former clerks privy
to the plans of their former bosses. Though Cruz was not more
specific, as a former law clerk to Chief Justice William
Rehnquist, he enjoys access to a network of former clerks privy
to the plans of their former bosses. The Trump administration
has quietly encouraged Kennedy to retire in recent weeks,
sending signals meant to coax him into leaving the bench. Other
rumors have suggested Justice Clarence Thomas is preparing to
depart the bench. His wife, Ginni Thomas, has expressly
disavowed such suggestions.
California Defies Trump on Transgender Bathrooms for Kids
Breitbart - California’s State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, Tom Torlakson, issued a strident press release on
Wednesday vowing that the Golden State will protect the “rights
of transgender students.” “All students deserve a safe and
supportive school environment. California will continue to work
to provide that environment for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender students regardless of any misguided directives by
the federal government and the Trump administration,” Torlakson
said. “California students will continue to have their civil
rights protected,” he said. “In California we move forward, not
backward.” It is not clear which civil rights were violated by
Trump’s withdrawal of guidelines for transgender students, since
the directive leaves California’s power to regulate its own
schools intact. The highest estimate of the proportion of adults
in the United States who identify as “transgender” is 0.6%. The
percentage of children who have determined that they are of a
gender other than that defined by their biological sex is likely
even smaller.
California Creates TRAVEL BAN Keeping Students From Traveling To
‘Anti-LGBT’ States
The GatewayPundit - The State of California has created a travel
ban that prohibits public university students from traveling to
‘anti-LGBT’ states according to a report by the Los Angeles
Times. The report, released Tuesday, indicates that law went
into effect on January 1 and prohibits students from the
University of California and California State University from
traveling to four states: Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina and
Tennessee. From California Department of Justice.: The travel
prohibition applies to state agencies, departments, boards,
authorities, and commissions, including an agency, department,
board, authority, or commission of the University of California,
the Board of Regents of the University of California, and the
California State University. The Daily Caller reports that the
travel ban has already been felt by dozens of students who were
planning on traveling to other states for academic activities.
An Algorithm Is Replacing Bail Hearings in New Jersey
Motherboard - New Jersey is trying a new algorithm to fix its
broken bail system, a flashpoint for criminal justice advocates
who argue that court-assessed fines can discriminate against
low-income and highly policed communities—most often, people of
color…. On January 1, New Jersey replaced its bail system with
an algorithm designed to mathematically assess the risk of
defendants fleeing or committing a crime—particularly a violent
one—before their trial date. The algorithm, called the Public
Safety Assessment, was designed by the Texas-based Laura and
John Arnold Foundation, a nonprofit that tries to fund
innovative solutions to criminal justice reform…. But the
algorithms are not without flaws. Last year, investigative
reporting by ProPublica revealed that these programs had
in-built racial biases, too. The software assessed risk based on
data points gleaned from interviews with defendants, including
questions about ZIP codes, educational attainment, and family
history of incarceration—all of which can serve as proxies for
race.
DC Eviction Companies Abusing The Homeless To Evict People's
Belongings Onto The Street
The Daily Caller - Eviction companies in Washington, D.C., have
been recruiting hordes of homeless men and paying them illegal
wages to toss the belongings of evicted tenants out onto the
street. According to an extensive investigative report published
by Washington City Paper, eviction vans from various companies
sit outside the locations of non-profit organizations and
attempt to recruit the homeless for wages as low as $7 a day to
move out tenants belongings after landlords obtain eviction
orders. “Everybody here has gone [on the trucks] a couple
times,” “Antman” Kenny, a homeless man, told Washington City
Paper. “At first they were paying $20, then $10, now $7. Soon
they’ll be chopping people up for $7….” These companies, like
Crawford & Crawford and East Coast Express, know they won’t meet
any kind of serious resistance to the illegal wages they dole
out, as many of the homeless are addicts desperate for any money
at all. In fact, these companies go out of their way to hire
addicts for the job…. To make up for the low wages and poor
equipment, the homeless sometimes steal people’s belongings as
they move them out of the eviction location.
In Letter Sent Home To All Parents, Chicago Public Schools
Promise To Obstruct ‘The Enforcement Of Federal Civil
Immigration Law’
Michael Snyder - The Chicago public school system has decided to
openly defy the president of the United States. More than
392,000 students attend public schools in Chicago, and on
Tuesday a letter was sent home with each of those students
telling their parents that Chicago schools will not “assist in
the enforcement of federal civil immigration law”. In fact, the
letter actually says that federal officials will not even be
allowed “to access CPS facilities”. In essence, every Chicago
public school has now officially been declared to be a
“sanctuary” for illegal immigrants. If you would like to see the
original document, you can do so right here. This is just
another example of how deeply divided we are as a nation. The
entire public school system of one of our largest cities is now
in open rebellion against the president, and that is a very
dangerous sign.
New Hampshire eliminates concealed-carry gun licenses
RT - Gun owners in New Hampshire can now carry concealed loaded
weapons without a license. The state joins 10 others with
unrestricted concealed-carry policies, but there are critics of
the new ruling…. The Republican governor said that, under the
bill, “New Hampshire citizens are guaranteed the fundamental
right to carry a firearm in defense of themselves and their
families, as prescribed by Article 2a in our state
constitution.” Republicans in control of the state legislature
have sought to repeal the licensing requirement in recent years,
but former Governor Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, consistently
vetoed the change, saying it weakened public safety…. New
Hampshire is already an open-carry state, meaning anyone who
legally owns a gun can carry it exposed without any license or
permit. In the past, gun owners had to apply for a
concealed-carry license with their local police chiefs, who
determined whether applicants were “suitable.”
Pelosi breakdown? Repeats words, tells audience to clap, Kasich
‘gov of Illinois’(Video)
The American Mirror - During a Friday appearance before Families
USA — the activist group fighting the repeal of Obamacare —
Pelosi was seen repeating words, telling the audience when to
clap and mistakenly said John Kasich was the governor of
Illinois. Pelosi began by thanking the person who introduced her
for his “recanting of what happened at the time” Democrats and
activist groups rammed through Obamacare. She recalled telling
her fellow Democrats that the Affordable Care Act was going to
be a major achievement for government programs, and “stand there
with Social Security and Medicare and Medicare,” apparently
meaning to say “Medicaid.”… While Pelosi attempted to underscore
bi-partisan support for Medicaid, she said, “Don’t take it from
me. John Kasich, the governor of Illinois said, ‘Thank God for
Medicaid.’”… Kasich is governor of Ohio… Pelosi flubbed MLK’s
name, calling him “Martin Luther Sing.”
Trump Cuts US Debt by $12 Billion In His First Month
The GatewayPundit - On January 20th, the day of the Trump
Inauguration, the US Debt stood at $19,947 billion. On February
21st, a month later, the US Debt load stood at $19,935 billion.
Trump cut the US Debt burden by $12 billion and 0.1% in his
first month in office! By comparison, under President Obama, the
US Debt burden increased by more than $200 billion in his first
month in office. Obama increased the US Debt by 2% in his first
month and signed the trillion dollar ‘Stimulus’ bill which is
widely considered a colossal failure and waste of US tax dollars
as well. The failed ‘Stimulus’ did not kick in till later in
Obama’s first year leading to Obama’s first year deficit of $1.4
trillion. Overall Obama doubled the US Debt during his
Presidency and set records for highest deficits and the largest
debt increase by any President ever.
DOW Hits Another All-Time High! Best Record Since President Taft
in 1909
The GatewayPundit - Counting weekends and holidays, the DOW has
closed with new highs over the past 14 days. The only time in
the history of the DOW where the DOW closed with new highs over
a longer period was in 1987 under President Reagan. The DOW
closed with new highs over a 16 day period (counting weekends)
ending on January 20th 1987 for the highest number of
consecutive days with new highs – the best in DOW history.
San Jose’s Anti-Trump Mayor Forced to Admit ‘Failure’ in Flood
Breitbart - San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo failed to protect his city’s
residents from anti-Donald Trump riots last June. Now he has failed to
protect them from flooding. The city was forced to evacuate 14,000
residents earlier this week as the Coyote Creek overflowed its banks,
bringing a potentially toxic flood of water contaminated with fuel and
sewage. City officials, however, had underestimated the danger. The San
Jose Mercury News notes that they only expected flooding to happen if
flow rates in the creek exceeded 7,400 feet per second. They did exceed
that rate — but flooding had begun even before that. The city relied on
faulty assumptions and failed to warn residents, meaning that the first
time many people found out they had to leave was when they were told
they had to do so by emergency responders moving through flooded
streets…. Residents endured what the Times describes as “harrowing”
escapes, and expressed anger at not being warned…. The flooding marks
the second major controversy for Liccardo in less than a year. When mobs
of anti-Trump protesters attacked and bloodied Trump supporters leaving
a political rally as police stood by, Mayor Liccardo blamed Trump for
the violence: “At some point Donald Trump needs to take responsibility
for the irresponsible behavior of his campaign,” he said.
Montana Bill Would Allow Customers to Opt Out of Smart Meters, Undermine
Federal Program
Tenth Amendment Center - A bill introduced in the Montana legislature
would allow customers to opt out of installing “smart meter” technology
on their homes and businesses. Passage of this bill would allow
Montanans to protect their own privacy, and it would take a step toward
blocking a federal program in effect. dam Rosendale (R-Billings)
introduced HB530 (HB530) on Feb. 20. The legislation would allow utility
customers in Montana to opt out of any smart meter program with no
penalty.
20 Little Known Uses of Frankincense Essential Oil
Natural News Blogs - Frankincense is probably the most potent
essential oil. It has been proven to fight cancer, stress,
inflammation and much more. But this essential oil has more uses
than you can imagine. Here are top 20 uses of frankincense
essential oil. 1. Anti-aging: Applying frankincense oil on your
face can reduce line and wrinkles. Make sure you mix it with a
carrier. 2. Strengthen immune system: This oil has strong
antiseptic properties that will strengthen your immune system.
3. Reduce arthritis pain: This essential oil has strong
anti-inflammatory properties that reduce arthritis pain and
swelling. 4. Reduce gout symptoms: Applying frankincense on gout
can relieve pain and symptoms. 5. Treat indigestion: Adding a
one or two drops of frankincense oil to a glass of water can
treat indigestion and other digestive problems. 6. Relieve
stress and anxiety: Add this essential oil to bath water to
relieve stress and anxiety. 7. Fade scars: People with acne
scars and age spots can fade then using frankincense oil….
Avoid 7 Additives That Cause Leaky Gut
Natural News Blogs - A leaky gut weakens your immune system and
exposes you to different diseases. So it is vital to keep your
gut healthy. But you can’t do that if you’re still consuming the
7 additives below. 1. Sugars: Sugars have been proven to cause
leaky gut. Unfortunately most people consume sugar unknowingly
since it’s hidden in all sorts of foods. According to this
study, sugar worsens inflammation and leaky gut. Note that
manufacturers use different names to hide sugar. 2. Microbial
transglutaminase: Also known as meat glue, is commonly used to
improve meat texture. Evidence shows that this additive can
cause leaky gut. Check food labels for microbial
transglutaminase or TG enzyme. 3. Organic acids: According to
research, acetaldehyde, a by-product released when alcohol is
processed in the liver causes leaky gut. Using organic acids in
food and drinks may prevent healing of leaky gut. 4.
Nanoparticles: More and more companies are using nanoparticles
in their foods. Research has linked nanoparticles to oxidative
stress and DNA damage. Researchers also speculate that the long
term effects of nanoparticles could be worse. 5. Gluten: Gluten
doesn’t do your gut any good. In fact, it’s one of the worst
additives for your gut. Note that gluten can also be found in
non-wheat foods. Avoid foods which use wheat as a thickening
agent….
Video: Reason to Fire Your Vet: Limiting Beliefs
Will Falconer, DVM - A student of mine recently posted something on
Facebook that I thought deserved a blog post all it’s own. The video is
so revealing about how Dr. WhiteCoat thinks and why you are so often
shut down when you try to discuss raw food diets for your pets. Or any
“alternative” therapy, for that matter. I shouldn’t be surprised, I
suppose. But when I saw this video, I was. Shocked, even. This will
remind you that you’ll largely have to forge your own path of prevention
and even treatment if you want your animal to get and stay vitally
healthy. Especially as cancer is now the #1 cause of death in middle
aged and older dogs. (Cats can’t be far behind, so read on, cat people,
you’re likely to get a dose of the same bitter pill if you float the
idea to your vet that you’re feeding Fluff a diet of balanced raw
food.)… Here, for all the world to see, in nicely shot video with
pictures of a real dog with a real mast cell tumor, a time lapse study
showing what happened when a diet change made all the difference…. No
chemo, no surgery, no radiation (all recommended by Dr. WhiteCoat), and
not even a whole bunch of natural treatments. The shocking part comes
pretty quickly, when the vets from Tufts University Vet School who saw
the results said, “We can’t use this in our clinic… because we don’t
believe in feeding raw meat.”…
Thursday - February
23, 2017
Today In History:
1792 - The Humane Society of Massachusetts was
incorporated.
1813 - The first U.S. raw cotton-to-cloth mill was founded in
Waltham, MA.
1822 - Boston was incorporated as a city.
1836 - In San Antonio, TX, the siege of the Alamo began.
1847 - Santa Anna was defeated at the Battle of Buena Vista in
Mexico by U.S. troops under Gen. Zachary.
1861 - U.S. President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived secretly in
Washington to take his office after an assassination attempt in
Baltimore.
1861 - Texas became the 7th state to secede from the Union.
1870 - The state of Mississippi was readmitted to the Union.
1904 - The U.S. acquired control of the Panama Canal Zone for
$10 million.
1916 - The U.S. Congress authorizes the McKinley Memorial $1
gold coin.
1927 - The Federal Radio Commission began assigning frequencies,
hours of operation and power allocations for radio broadcasters.
On July 1, 1934 the name was changed to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC).
1932 - Robert Short became the first American to die in an
aerial
battle with the Japanese. (more info)
1945 - The 28th Regiment of the Fifth Marine Division of the
U.S. Marines reached the top of Mount Surabachi. A photograph of
these Marines raising the American flag was taken
1954 - The first mass vaccination of children against polio
began in Pittsburgh, PA.
1963 - The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
It prohibited poll taxes in federal elections.
1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demanded $4 million more
for the release of Patty Hearst. Hearst had been kidnapped on
February 4th.
1991 - During the Persian Gulf War, ground forces crossed the
border of Saudi Arabia into Iraq. Less than 4 days later the war
was over due to the surrender or withdraw of Iraqi forces.
1997 - Ali Hassan Abu Kamal, a Palestinian teacher, opened fire
on the 86th-floor observation deck of NYC Empire State Building.
He killed one person and wounded 6 more before killing himself.
1999 - White supremacist John William King was found guilty of
kidnapping and murdering James Byrd Jr. Byrd was dragged behind
a truck for two miles on a country road in Texas.
2005 - The New York, NY, city medical examiner's office
announced
that it had exhausted all efforts to identify the remains of the
people killed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001,
due to the limits of DNA technology. About 1,600 people had been
identified leaving more than 1,100 unidentified.
Lavrov: Russia waiting for US to provide ‘details’ on proposed
safe zones in Syria
RT - Moscow is waiting for Washington to lay out the details of
how it intends to establish safe zones in Syria, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that the proposal must also
be agreed upon by the Syrian government. Lavrov said the issue
was raised last week during his conversation with US Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in
Bonn, Germany. “The US side informed us that this concept (safe
zones) is currently in development,” the top diplomat said,
adding that Moscow “will wait for further details” from
Washington. The minister said that Russia is ready to consider
the proposal, as well as any others the US may have on
cooperation in Syria, expressing hope that Washington is now
really interested in working with Moscow to settle the conflict.
More American troops may be sent to Syria – US commander
RT - More US troops may be needed in Syria to speed up the
campaign against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), the top
commander for the Middle East has stated, specifically referring
to the push to liberate Raqqa. I am very concerned about
maintaining momentum,” General Joseph L. Votel, the head of the
United States Central Command, told reporters, as quoted by CBS
News. He said local forces being supported by the US “don't have
as good mobility, they don't have as much firepower, so we have
to be prepared to fill in some of those gaps for them,” noting
that such support may involve additional fire support capability
and “a variety of other things” to help “offset some of the
gaps.” “It could be that we take on a larger burden ourselves,”
he said. “That’s an option.” Votel stressed, however, that
Washington is not considering sending US troops to take over the
fighting, and that the strategy developed during the Obama
administration of keeping local forces at the forefront would
remain unchanged. His comments were in reference to the mission
to liberate Raqqa from IS militants, who have claimed it as
their de facto capital.
Le Pen’s headquarters raided by police in EU parliament jobs
probe
EurActiv - French police searched the headquarters of Marine Le
Pen’s National Front party west of Paris on Monday (20 February)
in relation to a probe into alleged misuse of European Union
funds to pay parliamentary assistants. France’s far-right party
accused authorities of staging a media stunt to influence the
presidential election after police searched its headquarters in
an investigation into “fake jobs”…. The European parliament has
said that, in her role as French National Front leader, Le Pen
had during the 2011-12 legislature paid party staff with EU
funds, which EU rules say should be used only to pay EU
lawmakers’ assistants. Le Pen has defied a deadline set by EU
authorities for her to repay funds, estimated at around
€300,000. Reportedly, the money went to Catherine Griset, a
close friend of Ms Le Pen, as well as to her cabinet director.
The funds were conditional on Griset spending most of her
working time doing parliamentary work in Brussels or Strasbourg
but the parliament says most of her time was instead spent
working in the National Front’s headquarters in Paris. French
judges opened a fraud investigation on 15 December after
prosecutors handed the dossier over to them following a
preliminary investigation of more than a year. “This is as void
as space,” the party’s vice-president Florian Philippot told BFM
television, adding that searches had taken place a year ago and
nothing had been found then.
Europe Says It Wants to Confiscate Money, Precious Metals,
Crypto Currency and Prepaid Cards to Fight Terrorism
Anon HQ - The proposal wants to monitor and tighten the control
over electronic crypto and electronic currencies such as Bitcoin,
Litecoin, Dogecoin, along with debit and credit cards in the EU,
and is applicable to all those who travel. The European
Commission wants to tighten its control over paper money, metals
such as gold and silver, and other precious elements that are
transferred into the European Union. Their reasoning is to
monitor the funding, as it will lessen the funding for
belligerent attacks in the European Union. The Commissions’
decision was based on the Marketplace attack that took place
last Christmas in Germany, where people were killed as a truck
drove into the crowded place. The new proposal will give power
to customs officials in the European Union nations, allowing
them to check cash amounts at random, and check credit and debit
statements that are sent using postal services. Customs in these
states will also have the right to take away cash, precious
metals or anything of value that is being carried by people who
fit the profile when entering the European Union…. However,
these proposals have to be approved by the member states and the
European Parliament in order to become effective.
Leftists in Germany Want to Give Refugees the Vote
Paul Joseph Watson - Supporters of Germany’s major political
parties were asked if electoral laws should be changed to allow
non-EU citizens living permanently in Germany to vote. Among
supporters of the Social Democrats (SPD), 63.7% supported the
proposal, along with 64.8% of Green Party voters. Among centrist
parties, there was moderate opposition to the proposal, whereas
supporters of the anti-immigration AfD party opposed the idea by
a 96.9% margin…. The obvious benefit to the left of giving
non-citizens the vote is that they will overwhelmingly vote for
left-wing parties who will reward them by maintaining and
expanding the welfare state. “Essentially, they want to give the
refugees a right to vote. They need not be an EU citizen nor do
they need to pay taxes. The mere right to vote is you happen to
be there at the time,” writes economist Martin Armstrong. “Can
you imagine letting everyone from Mexico come into the USA and
then vote if the United States should petition Mexico to join
them? It seems the left is just totally insane. They will do
absolutely anything to win and that means they will allow all of
the Middle East to enter Germany and then outnumber the Germans
in their own election?! Where is the logic here?” Armstrong
predicts that if the SPD tried to move ahead with allowing
refugees to vote, it would set off an “internal German civil
war”.
Paris Tourism in Free Fall over Terror Fears… €1.3B Loss to
Economy
Breitbart - According to the Comité Regional du Tourisme, the
Paris Ile-de-France region also lost 1.3 billion euros in
tourist income, while the number of nights spent by foreign
visitors in the region’s hotels also fell by 10.8 per cent. Some
sights in particular “have suffered deeply from the lack of
tourists and cancellations by school groups”, the committee
says, including the Arc de triomphe which saw a 24 per cent drop
in visitors. The Louvre museum, which earlier this month was
subject to an attack from a machete wielding man shouting
“Allahu Akbar”, also saw a 13.3 per cent drop last year. The
fears have even hit Disneyland Paris, which saw a 9.5 per cent
drop in foreign visitors.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump Overrides DeVos’ Support for Obama’s Pro-Transgender
Policy
Breitbart - Donald Trump’s education secretary opposed changing
President Barack Obama’s pro-transgender policy, according to a
report in the New York Times, even though Obama’s rules would
have exposed the nation’s single-sex institutions and civic
groups to crippling lawsuits by gay advocacy groups. But
Attorney General Jeff Sessions prevailed in the closed-door
dispute, and with aid from Trump, persuaded Education Secretary
Betsy DeVos to support a reform of the Obama’s pro-transgender
policy. The reform, which may be unveiled tomorrow, will junk
Obama’s May 2016 directive which effectively declares that
children can change their sex by simply declaring they have the
“gender identity” of the other sex. That rule, if imposed
nationwide by judges, would give federal police power to the
nation’s small population of “transgender” men and women, and
would prevent Americans from assembling in single-sex groups and
institutions — such as athletic leagues and shower rooms — or
from expressing their preference for single-sex institutions.
California City Passes Unanimous Resolution to Impeach Trump
Breitbart - The city council of Richmond, California — a
relatively poor, industrial community on the eastern side of the
San Francisco Bay — voted unanimously on Tuesday evening in
favor of a resolution calling for President Donald Trump to be
impeached. The text of the resolution was not immediately
available, but the city council agenda listed “a resolution in
support of a Congressional investigation regarding the
impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.” The basis for Trump’s
impeachment, according to local ABC News affiliate KGO, would be
the president’s alleged links to his private business holdings.
Critics have claimed that these create conflicts of interest,
and possibly violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.
However, there is no evidence that Trump has benefited from
conflicts of interest, or that he has done anything illegal to
justify the “high crimes and misdemeanors” standard for
impeachment. The Emoluments Clause argument is also thought by
many constitutional scholars and legal analysts to be very weak.
Donald Trump has been something of an obsession for Richmond
politicians. In 2015, the mayor blamed Trump for inciting a hate
crime against a local mosque, even though the suspect had
praised Hillary Clinton in social media.
Anti-Trump Groups Use Tax Loophole to Hide Finances
Infowars - The “Trump Transparency Project,” an advocacy arm of
the organization Allied Progress, is “dedicated to holding
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition and eventual
administration accountable for its economic appointments and
policies that betray hardworking Americans.” Allied Progress
took credit for forcing Andy Puzder to withdraw from
consideration as Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor. It has
also publicly attacked Wilbur Ross, Trump’s nominee to lead the
Department of Commerce, and now-Secretary of the Treasury Steven
Mnuchin…. The micro-site targeted Puzder, OpposePuzder, now
redirects to a page opposing his replacement, Alexander Acosta….
Allied Progress is organized under the auspices of the New
Venture Fund, a left-wing “fiscal sponsor” categorized as a
tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) that handles legal compliance and
logistics for Allied Progress and over 100 other organizations.
Allied Progress Action, the organization’s advocacy arm is part
of a similar organization, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, that
supports 501(c)(4) “social welfare” advocacy groups. Charitable
foundations and labor unions are normally required to disclose
grants and contributions to groups such as Allied Progress;
however, as Allied Progress is only a “project of the New
Venture Fund,” donors are only required to list the financial
sponsor on their disclosures – in this case, the New Venture
Fund or the Sixteen Thirty Fund…. Allied Progress is governed by
a Board of Directors chaired by Eric Kessler, who served in the
Clinton administration and as a senior manager for the National
Democratic Institute for International Affairs (currently
chaired by former Secretary of State Madeline Albright).
Is James O'Keefe About To Smoke CNN? Tells Hannity He's Set To
Release "Hundreds of Hours" Of Newsroom Footage "Wikileaks
Style"
Zero Hedge - James O'Keefe of Project Veritas is set to unleash
holy hell Thursday on #FakeNews network CNN. Well, he didn't
exactly say it was CNN, but it was heavily implied. Apparently
the network has a mole... O'Keefe is known for undercover sting
operations which have led to such bombshells as the DNC's paid
agitator network, the outing of "DisruptJ20" / Antifa organizers
which took place at comet ping pong - and netted three arrests
(including a suspected pedophile), and most recently New
Hampshire election fraud. Yesterday, O'Keefe was interviewed on
Sean Hannity's radio show where he revealed that a major network
has been "stung”. O'Keefe: In the next 48 hours, Project Veritas,
like Wikileaks, will be releasing hundreds of hours of tape from
within the establishment media. Our next target is in fact, the
media. Hannity: How long have you been working on this? O'Keefe:
We've had people on the inside come to us. Just like Julian
Assange has people come to him, we've had people, sources come
to us and give us information, and we're going to be releasing
it "Wikileaks Style" this week… In other words, a closeted Trump
supporter working deep inside hyper-liberal CNN just gave
O'Keefe a ton of behind the scenes footage of "The Most Trusted
Name In News." My guess is we're about to hear a bunch of
establishment media puppets revealing their extreme hatred for
the sitting President of the United States.
Video: Mika Brzezinski: “Our Job” Is To “Control Exactly What
People Think”
Grabien News - Controlling "exactly what people think" is the
job of the media, MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski boldly declared
Wednesday morning. While discussing President Trump's entreaties
to the American people to remain skeptical of the press,
Bzezinski worried that if the economy turns south, Americans may
end up trusting him over the media. "And it could be that while
unemployment and the economy worsens, he could have undermined
the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what
people think," Brzezinski said. "And that, that is our job."
Springfield leaders push Missouri legislature to comply with
REAL ID
News-Leader - City officials are putting pressure on Missouri
legislature to comply with a law passed by Congress more than a
decade ago. Springfield City Council voted 9-0 Monday night to
add compliance with the REAL ID Act of 2005 to its wish list for
Missouri lawmakers. Springfield's Director of Aviation Brian
Weiler said it's "critical" that state compliance is passed this
legislative session, citing a looming deadline in 2018. If no
progress is made at the state level, starting Jan. 22 of next
year, passengers will no longer be able to use a Missouri
driver's license as identification when they need to board a
plane. Mayor Bob Stephens said, "If Missouri doesn't pass the
REAL ID for us, to fly from Springfield to Dallas, Springfield
to Atlanta, we're going to have to have a passport or some other
(valid ID)." The resolution allows city representatives to
advocate on the city's behalf to support legislation that
requires Missouri to comply with the REAL ID Act.
Hundreds of campuses encourage students to turn in fellow
students for offensive speech
Washington Examiner - Universities are the cradle of free
speech, where ideologies and ideas clash, where academics and
activists can agree, disagree, or be disagreeable. This is
particularly true in the United States, where the First
Amendment zealously guards against government surveillance and
intrusion into free speech. Yet at hundreds of campuses across
the country, administrators encourage students to report one
another, or their professors, for speech protected by the First
Amendment, or even mere political disagreements. The so-called
"Bias Response Teams" reviewing these (often anonymous) reports
typically include police officers, student conduct
administrators and public relations staff who scrutinize the
speech of activists and academics. This sounds like the stuff of
Orwell, although even he might have found the name "Bias
Response Team" to be over-the-top.
Texas Lawmakers Fast-track Voter ID Expansion
Breitbart - Leading Texas Republican lawmakers and officials
publicly endorsed a bill that would make permanent a voter ID
“safety net” allowing those without proper documentation to cast
a regular ballot if they sign an affidavit. Senate Bill 5, filed
by Houston area Senator Joan Huffman, would allow voters without
driver’s licenses, passports, and other prescribed documents to
cast a regular ballot at the polling place if they sign a
declaration of impediment explaining their reason for
noncompliance and provide a pre-approved, alternative form of
identification. The bill would allow voters to claim lacking
transportation, work schedule conflicts, lost/stolen IDs,
disability, and other specified reasons on the form. In lieu of
a photo ID, citizens are expected to provide a birth
certificate, government document, or a bank statement.
Fast Food CEO on Anti-Trump Protesters: Don’t Show for Work, Get
Fired
Infowars - Former McDonald’s CEO Ed Rensi said that business
owners have every right to fire employees that chose to
participate in the “Day Without Immigrants” protests rather than
show up for work, following reports that dozens of protesters
lost their jobs. Business owners have a responsibility to make
sure that goods and services are delivered to customers, Rensi
said. “If you can’t make products, develop products and deliver
products, what good are you?” he said. “If these folks want to
make a protest, they want to make a statement – great, I’m all
for that, we have freedom of speech in this country, but if you
don’t go to work, you get fired.” “That’s the end of
discussion.”… Over 100 protesters across the country were fired
from their jobs after skipping work to participate in the “Day
Without Immigrants” protest last week, reports NBC News. The
boycott, pushed by leftist organizers and businesses, was
intended to send a message to President Trump that they oppose
his immigration policies, as well as to advocate amnesty and
cheap labor practices.
Wal-Mart in Trouble After Warren Buffet Pulls out $900 Million
Investment
The Anti-Media - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett recently
withdrew $900 million worth of shares from Wal-Mart, leading
market experts to believe the behemoth retailer is in serious
trouble. This is the fourth consecutive quarter that Buffett’s
investment group, Berkshire Hathaway, has reduced its holdings
in Wal-Mart, and their most recent downsize leaves them with
virtually no remaining shares…. Though Wal-Mart remains a major
retail player with huge profits, the loss of faith from Buffett
and the continued growth of Amazon are chipping away at its
previously untouchable business model. Add to that the
uncertainty of Trump’s trade policies with China and Mexico, and
Wal-Mart could be in serious trouble moving forward.
San Jose: Floods Force 14,000 to Evacuate
Breitbart - The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday: “Highly
contaminated floodwaters continued to pose a potential health risk to
about 14,000 residents forced to flee their homes as the Coyote Creek,
which runs through the heart of the city, overflowed and inundated
neighborhoods. “Floodwater likely contained fuel, oil and possible
sewage, [Mayor Sam] Liccardo said.” Officials with the National Weather
Service described the event as a 100-year flood…. Dams are swollen and
spilling out, or over, across the rural hinterland of the state. The San
Jose flooding is the first major impact of the rainy season on an urban
area. Area residents are being encouraged to stay away from their homes,
even though the creek’s rise appears to have crested, because of the
potentially contaminated nature of the floodwaters. Rains are expected
to return this weekend.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Action Alert: Amish Farmer in Jail for “Selling Drugs” #FreeSam
The Homestead Guru - Fifty-six year old Kentucky farmer, father
of twelve, and grandfather of 25–Samuel Girod is not who you’d
expect to find when you look at a hardened criminal. However,
he’s facing 68 years (essentially a life sentence) in federal
prison for charges related to his herbal products, including a
chickweed salve he’s been making in his kitchen for the past 20
years. Back in 2013, a local health department official saw
Girod’s products for sale in a convenience store, and reported
them for “false labeling claims”. He included testimonials from
longtime users of his chickweed salve on his labels, who said
that it “cured skin cancer”, among other things. The FDA seized
his products from the store, saying they were mislabeled drugs.
He changed the labels to say “Chickweed Healing Salve”, but the
FDA later said that use of the word “healing” on his products
was also illegal. FDA representatives and the deputy sheriff
came to his farm in late 2013 and agreed not to bring cameras,
but they broke their word. After that, Girod declined their
request to inspect his home, (correctly) citing that they did
not have a warrant and therefore had no right to be there. The
deputy sheriff agreed, and escorted the agents away–but the FDA
didn’t like that. Over three years later, the FDA finally
decided to formally press charges. In early January 2017,
56-year old Girod was handcuffed and arrested at his Kentucky
family farm, and is right now in jail without bond, awaiting a
federal grand jury trial at the end of February. He is facing
over a dozen criminal charges, to include distributing
misbranded drugs and conspiring against a government agency…. If
you think the FDA is wasting time and resources prosecuting a
“drug distributor” like Samuel Girod, here’s five things you can
do to make your voice heard:…
Genetically-modified cows without horns are created to make the
countryside safer
Daily Mail - Scientists have created the cows to protect
farmers, walkers and other animals. The new cows have soft hair
where their horns should be, which farmers often cut or burn to
dull down for safety. Thanks to gene editing, this calf pictured
with animal geneticist Dr Alison Van Eenennaam will not grow
horns and will not have to go through the de-horning process.
Scientists are proposing the new method as a way of making the
countryside safer 'De-horning' cows can be achieved genetically
because of a revolutionary gene editing technique that allows
the precise selection and insertion of DNA using CRISPR/Cas9
technology. CRISPR has transformed genetic engineering since it
was first demonstrated in 2012. The system allows the 'cut and
paste' manipulation of strands of DNA with a precision not seen
before. Using this technique, the California scientists cut and
pasted non-horned cow DNA into horned cow DNA to create hornless
cows.
10 chronic health problems caused by dental amalgam fillings
loaded with mercury
(NaturalHealth365) The following are the top 10 types of chronic
disease caused by the mercury in these toxic dental fillings: 1.
Autoimmune disease - Autoimmune issues linked with mercury
fillings include arthritis, MS, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease),
Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, muscle tremors, joint
and muscle pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn’s
disease, lupus, endometriosis and diabetes. 2. Neurological
problems - Neuropathy, paresthesia, memory loss, ADD, epilepsy,
autism, headaches, migraines, dizziness and vertigo are all
associated with mercury fillings. 3. Mood disorders - Amalgam
fillings have also been associated with anxiety, depression,
insomnia, schizophrenia, anger control issues, and mental
confusion. 4. Immune system dysfunction and cancer - Immune
system problems like asthma, chemical sensitivities, skin
conditions like eczema and psoriasis, sinus issues and
susceptibility to infections can also be caused by dental
fillings loaded with mercury. The risk of breast cancer,
leukemia, and other cancer types tend to go way up with these
fillings in the mouth….
Printable List of Bottled Water Containing Fluoride
REALfarmacy - The world is slowly waking up to the fact that
fluoride, a by-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry,
wreaks havoc on the brain and body. Despite peer-reviewed
scientific evidence against it, fluoride is still added to 70
percent of U.S. public drinking water supplies. What’s more is
that processed beverages and food, tea, and even bottled water
contain fluoride. That’s right, many popular brands of bottled
water have a known neurotoxin added to them. It’s no wonder that
dental fluorosis has skyrocketed in the U.S. over the past 60
years…. Additionally, the aforementioned peer-reviewed evidence
against fluoride includes a recent publication in the world
renowned, weekly peer-reviewed Medical Journal, the Lancet. This
report classifies fluoride as a neurotoxin and concludes that it
notably decreases the IQ of children…. The list below contains
data provided by the International Bottled Water Association
that you can use to make sure you’re not feeding fluoride to
yourself and your family….
Evanger’s blames supplier, FDA, for Pentobarbital in dog food
Food Safety News - Consumer complaints continue as the FDA digs deeper
into operations at Evanger’s pet food after discovering evidence that
none of the company’s meat suppliers are registered with USDA. Evanger’s
owners blamed their suppliers and the FDA in the wake of findings that
their dog food contains a barbiturate used to euthanize animals….
Evanger’s and Nutripack LLC, another pet food company owned by members
of the same family, have recalled certain lots of certain flavors of
their canned dog food. “The guilty party has turned out to be one of our
most trusted meat suppliers. A USDA-APHIS inspected supplier who we had
done business with for over 40 years, and whose plant we had visited
numerous times over the years,” said Evanger’s owners Holly and Joel
Sher in an online statement posted Sunday. “We have taken it upon
ourselves to lead the campaign to force the FDA to put an end to
allowing drugs like pentobarbital to enter the raw material stream and
contaminate our pets’ food and endanger their lives.” Officials with the
Food and Drug Administration do not agree with the company’s contention
that the agency is responsible for the pet food being contaminated. “The
detection of pentobarbital in pet food renders the product adulterated
in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Therefore, it
is not acceptable to use animals euthanized with a chemical substance in
pet or animal foods,” an FDA spokesperson said Tuesday.
Wednesday - February
22, 2017
Today In History:
1784 - "Empress of China", a U.S. merchant ship,
left New York City for the Far East.
1819 - Spain ceded Florida to the United States.
1855 - The U.S. Congress voted to appropriate $200,000 for
continuance of the work on the Washington Monument. The next
morning the resolution was tabled and it would be 21 years
before the Congress would vote on funds again. Work was
continued by the Know-Nothing Party in charge of the project.
1859 - U.S. President Buchanan approved the Act of February 22,
1859, which incorporated the Washington National Monument
Society "for the purpose of completing the erection now in
progress of a great National Monument to the memory of
Washington at the seat of the Federal Government."
1865 - In the U.S., Tennessee adopted a new constitution that
abolished slavery.
1879 - In Utica, NY, Frank W. Woolworth opened his first 5 and
10-cent store.
1885 - The Washington Monument was officially dedicated in
Washington, DC. It opened to the public in 1889.
1924 - U.S. President Calvin Coolidge delivered the first
presidential radio broadcast from the White House.
1994 - Justice Department charged Aldrich Ames and his wife with
selling national secrets to the Soviet Union. Ames was later
convicted to life in prison. Ames' wife received a 5-year prison
term.
1997 - Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut and colleagues announced
that an adult sheep had been successfully cloned. Dolly was
actually born on July 5, 1996. Dolly was the first mammal to
have been successfully cloned from an adult cell.
2010 - Wal-Mart announced it was acquiring the video streaming
company Vudu, Inc.
US Army Ground Troops Urgently Seek Protection From Drones
Sputnik News - Reports are coming in that US troops are
experiencing casualties against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and
Daesh in Iraq, who are using crude, custom-built drones with
jury-rigged explosives as a form of a "flying IED," while
implementing either kamikaze tactics, or simply dropping hand
grenades on the heads of the troops. These machines are cheap
and effective, given that US troops have so few means to ground
them. The US Army currently has only Stinger missiles as a
plausible counterweight to a drone threat. The missiles
displayed an arguable level of effectiveness against
Soviet-built helicopters, both in terms of power and cost, but
are too expensive to shoot against tiny drones. The cost of one
Stinger missile is reportedly somewhere about $40,000, while the
cost of a jury-rigged drone can be on the order of $100…. There
remains lot of work to do for the US Army to counter enemy
drones, but the branch needs it done fast, as clearly indicated
by a report that New-York-based company Syracuse Research
Corporation has just won a $65 million contract from the US Army
to develop an integrated counter-drone system. According to the
media reports, "the contract was issued on an urgent basis."
Trump: Ambassador Churkin played key role in working with US on
global security issues
RT - US President Donald Trump has issued condolences over the
death of Russia UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin, saying the
diplomat played a “crucial” role in working with the US to
tackle global security challenges. “President Donald J. Trump
was saddened to learn of the unexpected death of Russia’s
Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin,”
a statement released by the White House said, calling the
Russian official “an accomplished diplomat.” The announcement
noted that despite different approaches on a number of issues,
Churkin had played a “crucial” role in countering challenges to
international security…. Vitaly Churkin, who served as Russia's
permanent representative to the United Nations since 2006, died
suddenly while at work in New York, on Monday. He would have
turned 65 on Tuesday.
"It Looks Like A War Zone": Trump Vindicated After Violent Riot
Erupts In Swedish Suburb
Zero Hedge - … the media mocked Trump for his allegations of
major problems with Swedish migrant policies, the president was
vindicated after a violent riot broke out in the borough of
Rinkeby, also known as "little Mogadishu." Now that the incident
is over, in their "post-mortem" Swedish officials confirm that
riots erupted in the "heavily immigrant Stockholm suburb" Monday
night, as masked looters set cars ablaze and threw rocks at
cops, injuring one police officer, Swedish officials said.
* Related:
Dramatic footage shows cars ablaze in Swedish riot (Videos)
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Lawmakers Plan Probe of $418M Arms Sale to Kenya on Obama’s Last
Day
Breitbart - The sale, approved by the State Department and
privately notified to Congress on January 19, would allow Kenya
to buy 14 weaponized crop-duster-like planes — including two
trainer planes and services, for missions against terrorist
group al-Shabaab. The deal was publicly announced the Monday
after Trump’s inauguration. A handful of lawmakers, led by Rep.
Ted Budd (R-NC), are questioning why the contract to produce the
planes was awarded to major defense firm L3 Technologies — which
has never produced such a plane — while a smaller, disabled
veteran-owned company in North Carolina that already make those
planes at a lower cost was not considered. The Mooresville, N.C.
company, IOMAX USA Inc., costed out 14 planes at $237 million
dollars, according to a Budd aide…
IT’S HAPPENING! DHS Memo Orders IMMEDIATE Construction of Border
Wall
Adan Salazar - A memo from the Department of Homeland Security
calls for the immediate construction of a wall on the southern
US border with Mexico. Signed Monday, the DHS memo addresses
President Trump’s executive order regarding border security, and
includes new policies strengthening deportation efforts and
orders to hire more border agents. Section F of the 13-page
memo, entitled, “Border Wall Construction and Funding,” details
several orders to begin assembling the barrier, as well as how
the administration intends to deal with costs. The memo also
notably includes a clause which orders construction materials to
be acquired from US manufacturers “to the maximum extent
permitted by law.”… Consistent with the President’s Executive
Order, the will of Congress and the need to secure the border in
the national interest, CBP, in consultation with the appropriate
executive departments and agencies, and nongovernmental entities
having relevant expertise-and using materials originating in the
United States to the maximum extent permitted by law-shall
immediately begin planning, design, construction and maintenance
of a wall, including the attendant lighting, technology
(including sensors), as well as patrol and access roads, along
the land border with Mexico in accordance with existing law, in
the most appropriate locations and utilizing appropriate
materials and technology to most effectively achieve operational
control of the border.
Former CIA Agent Explains Why He Resigned Because Of Trump
Zero Hedge - Edward Price worked at the CIA from 2006 until this
month, most recently as the spokesman for the National Security
Council. But, as he details below in a letter published by The
Washington Post, he has officially resigned "to be clear, my
decision had nothing to do with politics," seemingly because the
Trump Administration is "tuning out the intelligence
professionals.”… But while Price vows that his resignation was
not politically motivated, we find it curious that Federal
Election Commission records indicate that he donated the legal
maximum of $2,700 to "Hillary for America" in August 2016 and
another $2,300 to the DNC's "Hillary Victory Fund" on the very
same day. But we're sure that doesn't mean anything.
Nevertheless, perhaps President Trump has created an environment
that cleanses itself...A self-'draining' swamp?
Video: Rand Paul defends Trump against John McCain
The Duran - Although they traded blows during the Republican
primary, Senator Rand Paul is fast becoming one of Donald
Trump’s most important allies on Capitol Hill. From Paul’s offer
to help Trump to replace the failed Obamacare initiative to
rumors that Paul and Trump shared similar views on auditing the
Federal Reserve, now the son of well-known former
Libertarian/Republican Congressman Dr. Ron Paul, is standing up
for President Trump against Senator McCain’s seemingly endless
line of attacks. Senator Paul told ABC news that McCain is the
kind of person who wants constant wars which would bankrupt the
United States. Senator Paul went on to state that the kinds of
wars McCain advocates for are counterproductive and
destabilizing. He cited McCain’s advocacy of the war in Iraq and
intervention in Syria as two such examples. When pressed on
McCain’s statement that Trump favors a dictatorial style shut
down of the free press, Paul pointed out the clear truth that
there is no evidence of that. Indeed, the continued mainstream
media attacks on Trump demonstrate that a biased free press is
having a rather easy time in getting their agenda across.
New Poll Finds That 80% Of Americans Oppose Sanctuary Cities
Zero Hedge - A stunning new poll conducted by Harvard-Harris,
exclusively for The Hill, found that the overwhelming majority
of Americans, 80% in fact, believe that illegal immigrants
arrested for crimes should be turned over to federal immigration
authorities rather than being harbored in so-called sanctuary
cities. Imagine that, Americans believe that local, state and
federal law enforcement officials should actually enforce the
law...shocking. Meanwhile, 52% of those surveyed said they
support Trump's executive order to build a border wall and
revoke funding for sanctuary cities while 53% said they support
his "immigration ban" that was recently overturned by the 9th
Circuit court. Of course, this is undoubtedly unwelcome news for
sanctuary cities across the country that are at risk of losing
their federal subsidies for harboring criminal illegal aliens.
As we recently pointed out, just the top 10 sanctuary cities
receive roughly $2.3 billion in federal subsidies every year….
The Hill notes that the online survey included 2,148 registered
voters with a partisan breakdown of 39% Democrat, 30%
Republican, 27% independent and 5% other.
Censorship: Online Advertisers Shutting Down Conservative Media
Kit Daniels - AdRoll, the online advertiser that accused
Breitbart of “hate speech,” is now abruptly cutting ties with
Infowars.com in an apparent, concentrated effort to shut down
political speech by conservatives and libertarians online. The
advertiser sent a vaguely-worded email to the Infowars legal
department saying it was ending its ad campaign in part because
“all political content should focus on the merits of the
candidate,” implying that corrupt, establishment candidates such
as Hillary Clinton should be showered with praise and her
scandals ignored. This seems to contradict another statement in
the same email in which AdRoll claims “all content on your
website should be relevant, accurate, informative, and up to
date;” if a news web site is to focus on only the “merits” of a
political candidate and not the controversies, how is that
accurate?… AdRoll even slandered Breitbart by accusing the site
of “hate speech,” which is not only an unprofessional
accusation, but it also points to a political – not business –
motivation behind the blacklisting.
No Evidence Of Active Shooter At Ben Taub Hospital In Houston,
Denying Earlier Reports
Zero Hedge - Police in Houston, Texas responded to reports of an
active shooter at Ben Taub Hospital. The hospital was placed on
lockdown, and some patients were evacuated. No suspect or
evidence of the shooting have been found, HPD Chief Art Acevedo
told reporters. Officers are searching the hospital, but have
not found any victims so far, the Houston Police Department
said. “We have not found the suspect, and we have not found
evidence of an active shooter,” Chief Art Acevedo told reporters
at 3:15pm local time. According to a tweet by the Houston Police
Department, officers are searching the hospital, but have not
found any victims so far.
'Church' police could arrest sexually abused kids
MassPrivate I - America already has public transit police,
hospital police, campus and high school police and now you can
add 'church' police to the list. According to an article in
Alabama.com the Briarwood Presbyterian Church and Briarwood
Christian School wants to have it's own police force. HB 45
would allow religious centers to hire their own police force, HB
45 would also make it a hate crime to criticize first
responders…. Church attorney Eric Johnston claims, police would
be patrolling their campuses and churches in 'church' police
vehicles and claims they won't have a jail.
Biggest gasoline glut in 27 years could crash oil markets
RT - Oil prices are stuck in a holding pattern, waiting for more
definitive data on what comes next. OPEC compliance is helping keep
prices afloat, but rising US oil production is acting as a
counterweight. A new problem that has suddenly emerged is the record
levels of gasoline sitting in storage. The market has already had to
digest the fact that US crude oil stocks were rising, and investors have
done their best to explain away the trend. But now gasoline inventories
are climbing to unexpected heights. It would be one thing if crude
stocks were rising, perhaps because refiners were going offline for
maintenance. But if that were the case, then gasoline stocks would draw
down on lower refining runs. But if both crude and refined product
inventories are going up at the same time, then there should be some
reasons for worry. In fact, the glut of gasoline is now the worst in 27
years. At 259 million barrels, US gasoline storage levels are now at
their highest level since the EIA began tracking the data back in 1990.
EPA severely underestimated spills at fracked oil wells says report
RT - More than 6,600 spills were reported at fracked oil and gas wells
over a 10-year period, according to a new report which casts doubt on
figures previously released by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)…. The new study, published in Environmental Science & Technology,
found that 6,648 hydraulically fractured oil and gas well spills in
Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota and Pennsylvania occurred between
2005 and 2014, with up to 16 percent of all fracked wells spilling each
year. Oil and hydraulic fracking fluids were included in the spills.
Figures previously released by the EPA were significantly lower, with
457 spills reportedly occurring between 2006 and 2012 in an eight-state
area…. North Dakota saw the highest number of spills with 4,453
incidents, something that may be credited to sterner laws which require
spills over 42 US gallons (159 liters) to be reported. Colorado and New
Mexico saw 476 and 426 spills reported respectively, but these stats
have a much lower reporting threshold of 210 US gallons (795 liters).
"This Is Not A Drill" Nevada Weather Service Warns Of Dam Failure Threat
Zero Hedge - It appears another damn dam is failing. After earlier
issuing a flash flood warning, Reno Weather Service warned residents
"This is not a drill" as County Emergency Managers noted a Dam Retention
Pond is full and overflowing into drainages…. But, the good news is that
there has been no dam failure...
Subprime auto lender facing FTC inquiry over GPS-tracking kill switches
Ars Technica - The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating an auto
lender that often requires subprime borrowers to have so-called GPS
starter-interrupter devices enabled on purchased vehicles. The so-called
kill switches, which can monitor a vehicle's constant whereabouts, also
have the remote ability to shut a car off and to prevent a car from
starting. This makes it easy for lenders to repossess the car for missed
payments. But this modern-day version of the repo-man raises both safety
and privacy concerns.
Another Alzheimer’s Drug a Huge Flop
Health Impact News - Two years ago we reported that Eli Lilly
had a potential blockbuster drug for Alzheimer’s in the third
and final phase of FDA trials. If it won approval, it was
expected to bring in $7.6 billion in sales by 2024. The results
are in, and it’s back to the drawing board for Eli Lilly. The
drug showed no statistically significant benefits in halting
cognitive decline. In the meantime—clearly intending to approve
this new Alzheimer’s drug—the FDA launched an attack against key
brain health supplements picamilon and vinpocetine. There was
precedent for such a move—the FDA did the same thing to
tryptophan before the first SSRI antidepressant drugs came out.
It’s a key move in the crony playbook.
Worldwide Studies Find Vitamin B “Significantly” Reduces
Symptoms Of Mental Disorders
Natural Blaze - Vitamin B is a dietary powerhouse, boosting
energy levels and enhancing performance of nearly every system
in the body. The connection between mental health and B12
deficiency is staggering and yet it appears screening is rarely
carried out within any division of modern healthcare. Depression
can be one of the first presenting symptoms of deficiency. Many
health care professionals would be shocked to learn that B12
deficiency can also cause psychosis. The Neuropsychiatric
symptoms of B12 deficiency can precede the development of
anaemia…. Vitamins B2, B6, B9, and B12 directly impact the
functioning of the methylation cycle. Deficiencies pertain to
brain function, as neurotransmitters, myelin, and active
glutathione are dependent on one-carbon metabolism.
Tuesday - February
21, 2017
Today In History:
1848 - The Communist Manifesto was published by Karl Marx and Friedrich
Engels.
1878 - The first telephone directories issued in the U.S. were
distributed to residents in New Haven, CT. It was a single page of only
fifty names.
1916 - During World War I, the Battle of Verdun began in France. The
battle ended on December 18, 1916 with a French victory over Germany.
1925 - The first issue of "The New Yorker" was published.
1947 - Edwin Land demonstrated the Polaroid Land Camera to the Optical
Society of America in New York City. It was the first camera to take,
develop and print a picture on photo paper all in about 60 seconds. The
photos were black and white. The camera went on sale the following year.
1965 - Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City at the age of 39 by
assassins identified as Black Muslims.
1973 - Israeli fighter planes shot down a Libyan Airlines jet over the
Sinai Desert. More than 100 people were killed.
1975 - Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White
House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1/2
to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up.
1988 - In Baton Rouge, LA, TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart confessed to his
congregation that he was guilty of an unspecified sin. He announced that
he was leaving the pulpit temporarily. Swaggart had been linked to an
admitted prostitute.
1989 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush called Ayatollah Khomeini's death
warrant against "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie "deeply offensive
to the norms of civilized behavior."
2011 - Deep cracks opened in Moammar Gadhafi's regime, with Libyan
government officials at home and abroad resigning, air force pilots
defecting and a major government building ablaze after clashes in the
capital of Tripoli.
Mideast militaries dominate global arms market, new analysis
states
Washington Times - Mideast monarchies, spearheaded by Saudi
Arabia and Qatar, are flooding their arsenals with foreign
weapons at a staggering pace in the region now accounting for 23
percent of all global arms procurement. Large-scale arms and
equipment purchases by regional militaries in the Mideast shot
up by 86 percent during a four-year period beginning in 2012,
compared to a previous four-year period starting in 2007,
analysts at the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute, or SIPRI, said Monday. Only Asia came close,
in terms of regional powers, to keeping pace with the Mideast’s
weapons buying, analysts say. India led all major regional
powers, increasing its global weapons procurement by 43 percent
outpacing rivals China and Pakistan between the four-year
periods, beginning in 2007 and 2012 respectively, reviewed by
SIPR.... “Over the past five years, most states in the Middle
East have turned primarily to the USA and Europe in their
accelerated pursuit of advanced military capabilities”, said
Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms and
Military Expenditure Programme. “Despite low oil prices,
countries in the region continued to order more weapons in 2016,
perceiving them as crucial tools for dealing with conflicts and
regional tensions,” he added.
Spain Sets Massive Precedent — Charges Its Central Bankers in
Court
Activist Post - First, Iceland, and now Spain has taken on the
Big Bankers responsible for financial calamity, as the country’s
highest national court charged the former head of Spain’s
central bank, a market regulator, and five other banking
officials over a failed bank leading to the loss of millions of
euros for smaller investors.... Internal emails and documents
played a crucial role in ultimately bringing the central banking
officials to task for the failure of Bankia — inspectors
bringing issues to the attention of superiors were allegedly
ignored. One email cited by The Economist came from an inspector
who warned Bankia was “a money-losing machine,” for which an IPO
would not solve. Another report, deemed “devastating by the
court,” saw an inspector advise Bankia to seek a private buyer
rather than proceed with the listing.... Spanish judges are
generally reluctant to sentence first-time financial criminals
to prison; though five Novacaixagalicia executives had five-year
suspended sentences — levied for embezzlement in 2015 — abruptly
enforced in January.
Has There Been A “Nuclear Incident” In The Arctic?
The Drive - Multiple reports, some of them from official
monitoring organizations, have reported iodine 131 - a
radioactive isotope often associated with nuclear fission - has
been detected via air sampling stations throughout the region.
The first detection of the isotope came during the second week
of January, via an air sampling station located in Svanhovd, on
Norway’s border with Russia’s Kola Peninsula. Within days, air
sampling stations as far south as Spain also detected the
presence of small amounts of the isotope.... By comparison,
these recent measurements are roughly 1/1000th the size of what
was detected during the Fukushima incident.... After weeks
without answers, the story seemed to pass as a peculiarity, not
nearly an unprecedented one at that, until Friday when the US
dispatched its WC-135 Constant Phoenix atmospheric testing
aircraft to Europe without explanation. The highly unique
aircraft are specifically designed to respond to nuclear
incidents—especially those that include the detonation of
nuclear warheads.... A more likely possibility is that some sort
of limited nuclear material storage, research, or power
generation incident has occurred. Russia uses nuclear propulsion
for many of its active submarines... Russia also uses nuclear
power in the arctic region for multiple applications. Not just
that, but Russia’s northerly naval bases near the arctic are
nuclear graveyards of the Cold War.
Vaccine pusher Bill Gates urges for bio-terrorism preparation
WHNT 19 News - Bill Gates says it’s time to redirect some of the
money the world spends on weapons to prepare for a looming
threat: terrorists with pathogens. He’s warning that the threat
of bio-terrorism is “right up there with nuclear war and climate
change.” Gates spoke at the Munich Security Conference in
Germany on Saturday, and an abridged transcript of his speech
was published by Business Insider. The billionaire Microsoft
co-founder turned philanthropist has invested heavily in health
initiatives around the globe, and now he’s speaking out in the
hopes of spurring more investment in vaccines and medical
research. He says it’s now necessary for the world to prep for
what he considers to be one of its largest existential threats:
the next pandemic. “Whether it occurs by a quirk of nature or at
the hand of a terrorist, epidemiologists say a fast-moving
airborne pathogen could kill more than 30 million people in less
than a year,” he said. “And they say there is a reasonable
probability the world will experience such an outbreak in the
next 10 to 15 years.”
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump Chooses Army General H.R. McMaster for National Security
Adviser
Breitbart - On Monday, the White House announced Army Lt.
General H.R. McMaster as the replacement for Michael Flynn as
National Security Adviser.... McMaster is the author of a
highly-regarded book on Vietnam, Dereliction of Duty: Johnson,
McNamara, the Joint Chief of Staff, and the Lies That Led to
Vietnam. The book strongly argues that military leadership
should be willing to stand up to civilian political leaders when
war is not waged successfully, and also criticizes Vietnam-era
military leadership for becoming distracted by bureaucratic
infighting.... He is noted as an advocate of both strong
conventional military forces and cyber-warfare capability.
Concerned by cuts to both manpower and equipment modernization,
he warned the Senate last year that “we are outranged and
outgunned by many potential adversaries… our Army in the future
risks being too small to secure the nation.”... McMaster feared
American military planners have invested too much effort in
“winning long-range missile duels,” proclaiming such tactics of
limited use against the “dispersion, concealment, intermingling
with civilian populations… the ability to disrupt our network
strike capability, precision navigation and timing capabilities”
demonstrated by Russian forces in Ukraine. He was also concerned
about Russia’s advantages in battlefield artillery.
Rex Tillerson Purges Remnants Of “Shadow Govt” At State
Department
Blacklisted News - Though all previous administrations have left
the “7th-floor group” more or less untouched, the newly-minted
Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, abruptly chose to fire most
of the State Department employees working on this floor. Last
Friday, Tillerson’s top aides told the vast majority of the
Department’s seventh-floor staff that “their services were no
longer needed,” CBS News reports. This is the second round of
firings at the State Department since Trump took office as four
other top officials had been let go at the end of January. One
of the employees fired recently, Tom Countryman, told CBS News
he was worried that the White House was showing its intent to
cut out the State Department in order to prevent allegedly
“nonpartisan” officials from challenging the executive branch on
foreign policy matters.... The firings came soon after Trump’s
meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, a meeting which
drew criticism from the U.S. political establishment as not a
single State Department official was included in the
meetings.... Though this latest move by Tillerson and the Trump
administration may serve to lessen some of the Deep State’s
influence in U.S. politics, it is worth noting that such
entrenched elements will not go off quietly into the night.
Revised travel ban targets same seven countries, exempts green
card holders
Fox News - A senior White House official said the order will
target only those same seven Muslim-majority nations, Iran,
Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Libya. Trump was forced
to come up with a second order after federal courts held up his
original immigration and refugee ban. The official said the
order could come sometime this week. The official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity to discuss the order before it's made
public, said that green-card holders and dual citizens of the
U.S. and any of those countries are exempt. The new draft also
no longer directs authorities to single out -- and reject --
Syrian refugees when processing new visa applications.
Big U.S. banks to push for easing of money laundering rules
Reuters - America's largest banks are to propose a complete
overhaul of how financial institutions investigate and report
potential criminal activity, arguing that rules imposed in the
years after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and strengthened during
the Obama administration are onerous and ineffective, sources
said.... federal law mandates that bank employees file a
Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) with authorities if they
suspect transactions could be part of a crime. Faced with record
penalties in recent years over failures to alert authorities to
criminal activities, banks say they now over-report, filing
hundreds of thousands of SARs out of fear of later falling foul
of regulators.... Instead, banks would focus on investigating
and reporting transactions based on specific concerns relayed to
them by law enforcement. Under this approach, banks could shift
their focus, as law enforcement priorities change.... Critics
say banks have only themselves to blame for greater scrutiny of
the sector. In 2012, HSBC (HSBA.L) agreed to pay $1.9 billion in
U.S. fines for failing to prevent money laundering violations by
Mexican drug traffickers. In 2014, JPMorgan agreed to pay $2.6
billion over allegations it failed to tell authorities about its
suspicions of fraud at Bernie Madoff’s fund. The bank lobby
waited for Trump to take office in the hope that a new
administration will see the money laundering regulations through
“a new set of eyes,”.... Watchdog groups balk at the idea that
the regulations could be loosened in any way.
DHS Authorizes Hiring 10K Immigration Officers
Breitbart - Secretary Kelly ordered the director of ICE to
immediately begin the process of hiring 10,000 to effectively
enforce the immigration laws in the interior regions of the
U.S., according to a DHS memo obtained by Breitbart Texas. In
addition, Kelly authorized the agency to hire additional
operational and mission support staff, along with legal staff.
Kelly said the memo implements the Executive Order, “Enhancing
Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” issued by
President Trump on January 25.... The memorandum from Secretary
Kelly is effective immediately.
Trump Administration Toughens Asylum Rules, Speeds Deportation
Process
Zero Hedge - ... Reuters reports new guidelines, contained in a
draft memo dated February 17 but not yet sent to field offices,
directs agents to only pass applicants who have a good chance of
ultimately getting asylum, but does not give specific criteria
for establishing credible fear of persecution if sent home. The
guidance instructs asylum officers to "elicit all relevant
information" in determining whether an applicant has “credible
fear” of persecution if returned home, the first obstacle faced
by migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border requesting asylum. Three
sources familiar with the drafting of the guidance said the goal
of the new instructions is to raise the bar on initial
screening. The administration's plan is to leave wide discretion
to asylum officers by allowing them to determine which
applications have a "significant possibility" of being approved
by an immigration court, the sources said.... Furthermore, as
The Wall Street Journal reports, parents and others who help
children travel illegally to the U.S. would be subject to
deportation or prosecution under new Trump administration
policies being completed, according to a second leaked memo
prepared by the Department of Homeland Security. The draft memo
also indicates people from countries other than Mexico trying to
cross the southern U.S. border illegally could be returned to
Mexico to await legal proceedings, while others would be held in
detention centers.
Feds Establish Support Program for Victims of Criminal Aliens
Breitbart - Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John F. Kelly
ordered the director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) to create a program to assist the victims of crimes
committed by illegal aliens. The program creates a liaison and
authorizes the disclosure of suspect immigration statuses and
other pertinent data.
Democrats Invoke 25th Amendment, Question Trump’s Mental Health
Breitbart - Last week, Rep. Blumenauer used baseless allegations
about Trump’s mental health as a springboard to invoke the 25th
Amendment in a floor speech…. Blumenauer suggested there was a
“fatal flaw” in the 25th Amendment that allows the president to
fire his Cabinet — which is granted the right to determine the
president’s ability to serve — in order to “prevent the
application of the amendment.” He added, “The alternative
process spelled out by the amendment leaves the decision to the
vice president and a so-far-undefined body created by Congress.”
Blumenauer said he is working to introduce legislation that
would allow for living former presidents and vice presidents to
form that body that would determine whether the president is
mentally fit for office.
Sheriff Tries to Expose List of 300 Bad Cops, Courts & Union
Promptly Block Him
The Free Thought Project - To promote a more transparent and
fair system of justice, McDonnell wanted to turn over the names
and crimes of hundreds of problem cops to prosecutors, who can
then add them to a database that tracks problem cops. This
information can then be disclosed to defendants who may have
been unjustly targeted by these cops....However, according to
the LA Times, the union that represents rank-and-file deputies
strongly opposes providing the names to prosecutors and has
taken the department to court. The Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy
Sheriffs (ALADS) argues that the disclosure would violate state
laws protecting officer personnel files and draw unfair scrutiny
on deputies whose mistakes might have happened long ago. Shortly
after the Union noted their opposition, an appeals court sided
with them by blocking the sheriff from sending the list of
problem cops to the DA. To be clear here, this list would not be
a matter of public record.... It would only come up when the
officer is set to testify against someone they accused of a
crime.
State Officials to Trump: Revoke Obama’s Federal Takeover of
Elections
Clifford Cunningham - State election officials from across the
country have called on President Trump to revoke an order,
signed by former President Obama, declaring election systems
“critical infrastructure.” The National Association of
Secretaries of State (NASS), which includes election officials
from every state and territory, passed a resolution calling on
President Donald Trump to overturn the designation at the
organization’s winter meeting held over the weekend. The
resolution, passed by voice vote along party lines, stated the
organization “opposes the designation of elections as critical
infrastructure.” Most states grant authority over elections to
their respective Secretaries of State, while some cede that
authority to their lieutenant governors. Following allegations
of Russian hacking during the election, then-Secretary of
Homeland Security Jeh Johnson declared state and local elections
“critical infrastructure,” which “allows for information to be
withheld from the public when state, local and private partners
meet to discuss election infrastructure security – potentially
injecting secrecy into an election process that’s traditionally
and expressly a transparent process,” according to a letter from
Johnson obtained by the Associated Press.
AP Exclusive: Drugs vanish at some VA hospitals
Associated Press - Federal authorities are stepping up
investigations at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers
due to a sharp increase in opioid theft, missing prescriptions
or unauthorized drug use by VA employees since 2009, according
to government data obtained by The Associated Press. Doctors,
nurses or pharmacy staff at federal hospitals - the vast
majority within the VA system - siphoned away controlled
substances for their own use or street sales, or drugs intended
for patients simply disappeared. Aggravating the problem is that
some VA hospitals have been lax in tracking drug supplies.
Congressional auditors said spot checks found four VA hospitals
skipped monthly inspections of drug stocks or missed other
requirements. Investigators said that signals problems for VA's
entire network of more than 160 medical centers and 1,000
clinics, coming after auditor warnings about lax oversight
dating back to at least 2009.
Emotional Homecoming Of Fallen Soldier Goes Viral (Video)
Opposing Views - The emotional goodbye a military wife
experienced with her husband's coffin at the airport was
captured by a passenger on the plane that carried his body
(video at link). When plane personnel asked Lisa Williams and
all other passengers to stay in their seats so someone could get
off of the plane first, she recorded what came next from the
plane's window, WPVI reports.... Williams shared the video on
her Facebook on Feb. 14 with the caption: "It was an honor to
fly home with this PATRIOT! God bless his wife and family. There
was not a dry eye around me."
California Told To 'Brace For Evacuation' As Storm Approaches
Your News Wire - As the first outer rain bands from a Pacific storm
touched Northern California on Sunday, residents in the Central Valley
were told to be prepared to leave their homes amid fears that severe
flooding could hit the State on Monday and Tuesday as the severity of
the storm is expected to worsen. Sacbee.com [The Sacramento Bee]
reports: On Sunday, the weather service issued a flood warning in urban
areas and along small streams through Thursday for the counties that
make up the Sacramento and northern San Joaquin valleys, as well as for
most of the counties that sit along the Valley’s rim. “We may see
flooding in locations which haven’t been impacted in many years,” the
alert reads. In other words, those living anywhere near a river, a
slough, a levee, a creek or a canal need to be ready to flee floodwaters
at a moment’s notice.
Villagers win fight to get mobile phone mast removed after five cancer
deaths
What Doctors Don't Tell You - People living in a village in the UK have
won a 17-year fight to get a mobile phone mast removed after they
suspected it had caused the death of five residents from cancer.
Although the network supplier, EE (formerly Orange), has denied its
masts are a health risk, it decommissioned the one in Meir, near
Stoke-on-Trent, two years ago, and has now dismantled it. The villagers
set up the Shooters Hill Association in 2000 to get the 82-foot mast
removed after five died from cancer in the seven years following its
installation in 1993. They eventually took their fight to the House of
Commons. Group spokesperson jean Hopkins said: “It has been a very long,
difficult and frustrating task. It means a lot to the association to see
all our hard work has paid off.” Some villagers took matters into their
own hands, and put foil on their roofs and used special curtains to
block radio signals from the mast entering their homes.
Reddit Censors Pro-Trump Content in New Crackdown
Kit Daniels - Reddit is banning the vast majority of pro-Donald Trump
posts from appearing on its “most popular” page frequented by new users.
The online discussion site announced it was clamping down on what would
appear as “popular” by showing visitors only popular posts from
handpicked categories, which would apparently exclude anything from
pro-Trump subreddits…. Since Trump’s election, the largest social media
sites including Facebook and Twitter have suppressed Trump supporters –
and perhaps even the president himself. Twitter in particular is
apparently censoring positive responses to Trump’s tweets while
showcasing the negative ones…. Facebook has also long attempted to
control discussions on its site by blocking links to alternative media
and banning those critical of its censorship practices.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Wild Bee Decline Threatens US Crop Production – New Mapping
Study
Sustainable Pulse - The first-ever study to map U.S. wild bees
suggests they are disappearing in the country’s most important
farmlands – from California’s Central Valley to the Midwest’s
corn belt and the Mississippi River valley. If wild bee declines
continue, it could hurt U.S. crop production and farmers’ costs,
said Taylor Ricketts, a conservation ecologist at the University
of Vermont… The map identifies 139 counties in key agricultural
regions of California, the Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest
and Great Plains, west Texas, and Mississippi River valley,
which appear to have most worrisome mismatch between falling
wild bee supply and rising crop pollination demand. These
counties tend to be places that grow specialty crops — like
almonds, blueberries and apples — that are highly dependent on
pollinators. Or they are counties that grow less dependent crops
— like soybeans, canola and cotton — in very large quantities.
Of particular concern, some crops most dependent on pollinators
— including pumpkins, watermelons, pears, peaches, plums, apples
and blueberries — appeared to have the strongest pollination
mismatch, growing in areas with dropping wild bee supply and
increasing in pollination demand.
Parents Target Bayer Laxative for Causing Psychiatric Breakdowns
in Children
Natural Blaze - A study being conducted by the Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia is looking into claims made by parents
that their children developed “neuropsychiatric problems” after
consuming the over the counter laxative MiraLAX. Parents have
reported that their children became angry, aggressive and
paranoid after taking MiraLAX with some saying that their
children experienced “near psychiatric events” and mood swings….
PEG 3350 (polyethylene glycol) is an ingredient in MiraLAX and
is at the heart of the controversy…. MiraLAX is not approved for
use in anyone under 17 years old, but doctors routinely
prescribe it to infants and toddlers. Clearly, MiraLAX needs to
be examined, but the history of the FDA is such that we have to
question whether or not the study will be truly impartial.
Organic Canola Oil: A Food Fallacy
Natural Blaze - Recently Mike Adams, the Health Ranger and
editor of Natural News, featured a short exposé of canola oil…
Everything organic is not healthy. Let’s go there. Organic means
it doesn’t contain chemical-based insecticides, algaecides,
fertilizers and herbicides. What it doesn’t mean is that it’s
free of heavy metals or trace amounts of dangerous chemicals.
Canola is not a natural plant to this earth. Canola comes from
rapeseed, which is toxic to all animals. What the manufacturers
do is remove the stench of rapeseed using hexane, a constituent
vapor of gasoline, but there’s still some left in the final
product. Irrespective of whether canola is organic or not, it
strangles your mitochondria (cells) that need oxygen to
function. Organic canola also inhibits enzyme function. Plus,
the omega-3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed
during the deodorizing process into trans-fatty acids. The
reason why canola is particularly unsuited for consumption is
that it contains a very long-chain fatty acid called erucic
acid, which is associated with fibrotic heart lesions.
Additionally, canola oil is hard on, and disruptive to, the
entire digestive tract, especially those with irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS) and other allergic-type reactions. I contend it’s
inflammatory too!… Safer cooking oils to use include only
organically-grown oils: cold pressed olive oil; sunflower oil;
grass fed/raised butter; safflower oil.
The
Paw Project Documentary
The Paw Project documentary is an inspiring David and Goliath story of a
grassroots movement to protect felines, both large and small, from the
cruelty of declawing and how the movement has prevailed, despite the
efforts of well-funded professional veterinary associations. In the
United States today, approximately 25% of domesticated cats are
declawed. Declawing is the amputation of the last bone in a cat's toes.
Despite the physical and behavioral harm inflicted on cats who are
declawed, many veterinarians continue to recommend the procedure, which
costs upwards of $1,200. per hour – even for very young kittens. These
are animals we love, and with whom we share our homes. Why aren't we
being told the truth about what the declawing procedure involves? The
Paw Project documentary chronicles the happy and unexpected twist of
fate that led to the protection of many animals through the grassroots
advocacy efforts led by Dr. Conrad and The Paw Project.
* Related:
Support New Jersey Bill and New York State Bill to Ban Declawing
Monday - February
20, 2017
Today In History:
1792 - U.S. President George Washington signed the Postal Service Act
that created the U.S. Post Office.
1809 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the power of the federal government
was greater than that of any individual state.
1815 - The USS Constitution, under Captain Charles Stewart fought the
British ships Cyane and Levant. The Constitution captures both, but lost
the Levant after encountering a British squadron. The Constitution and
the Cyane returned to New York safely on May 15, 1815. The Cyane was
purchased and became the USS Cyane.
1873 - The University of California got its first Medical School.
1931 - The U.S. Congress allowed California to build the Oakland Bay
Bridge.
1933 - The U.S. House of Representatives completed congressional action
on the amendment to repeal Prohibition.
1944 - "Big Week" began as U.S. bombers began raiding German aircraft
manufacturing centers during World War II.
1962 - John Glenn made space history when he orbited the world three
times in 4 hours, 55 minutes. He was the first American to orbit the
Earth. He was aboard the Friendship 7 Mercury capsule. Glenn witnessed
the Devil's Cigarette Lighter while in flight.
1965 - Ranger 8 crashed on the moon after sending back thousands of
pictures of its surface.
1987 - A bomb exploded in a computer store in Salt Lake City, UT. The
blast was blamed on the Unabomber.
1998 - Tara Lipinski, at age 15, became the youngest gold medalist in
winter Olympics history when she won the ladies' figure skating title at
Nagano, Japan.
2001 - FBI Agent Robert Phillip Hanssen was arrested and charged with
spying for the Russians for 15 years.
2003 - In West Warwick, RI, 100 people were killed and more than 230
were injured when fire destroyed the nightclub The Station. The fire
started with sparks from a pyrotechnic display being used by Jack
Russel's Great White. Ty Longley, guitarist for the band, was one of the
victims in the fire.
2008 - The U.S. Navy destroyed an inoperable spy satellite with a
missile from the USS Lake Erie.
U.S. deploys carrier USS Carl Vinson to contentious South
China Sea despite Beijing’s warnings
USA Today - In a statement, the Navy described the launch as the
beginning of “routine operations” in the South China Sea. China
claims most of the sea as its own, despite overlapping
territorial and jurisdictional claims from the Philippines,
Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. On Wednesday, China’s
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denounced advance news of
the deployment at a news conference. China has indisputable
sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent
waters,” he said. “China respects and upholds the freedom of
navigation and overflight in the South China Sea which countries
enjoy under international law, but firmly opposes any country's
attempt to undermine China's sovereignty and security in the
name of the freedom of navigation and overflight.” He added that
China urged the U.S. to “refrain from challenging China’s
sovereignty and security” in the sea. About 30% of global
maritime trade passes through the South China Sea each year,
worth $5.3 trillion, according to the U.S. Defense Department in
a 2015 report…. [Defense Secretary Jim Mattis] stressed that the
U.S. would continue its policy of freedom of navigation
operations. “Freedom of navigation is absolute, and whether it
be commercial shipping or our U.S. Navy, we will practice in
international waters and transit international waters as
appropriate,” he said.
US urges China to keep pressure on N. Korea, as Beijing stops
coal imports from Pyongyang
RT - The US has called on Beijing to keep the pressure on North
Korea, as Chinese authorities announced they were suspending all
coal deliveries from Pyongyang. “All countries should fully and
transparently implement all relevant UN Security Council
Resolutions on the DPRK,” a US State Department spokesperson
said, referring to North Korea, as cited by Reuters. “We
continue to urge China to exert its unique leverage as North
Korea's largest trading partner to convince Pyongyang to return
to serious talks on denuclearization,” the official added.
Russian strategic bombers hit ISIS in Raqqa in coordination with
Pentagon via ‘deconfliction line’
RT - Russian Tu-95 bombers have struck Islamic State (IS, former
ISIS/ISIL) targets in Syria’s Raqqa region using X-101 cruise
missiles, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement,
adding that it informed the US about the operation. […] the
Russian bombers hit the terrorist’s bases and training camps as
well as a command center of one of Islamic State’s “large
detachments,” adding that all objects were successfully
destroyed.
Spain: 500+ African Migrants Celebrate After Breaking Through
Border Fence
Information Liberation - Early on Friday morning, Ruptly news
agency captured footage groups of ebullient males of apparent
sub-Saharan origin, hugging and dancing, and encouraging fellow
migrants stuck on the other side of the barrier…. Hours earlier,
the same men used shears and clubs in a mass raid on the
reinforced border fence…. As many as 300 were pushed back, but
border guards were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers… Eleven
officers were injured, and three had to be taken to the medical
emergency ward in serious condition. No one has been arrested….
The migrants will now be given regular meals, a bed, counseling,
and Spanish lessons, as they file their applications for asylum.
Many will be relocated to other similar centers on the mainland.
This is the equivalent of rewarding someone for breaking into
your home by letting them sleep in your bed, eat you food and
file for benefits in your name — all of which you will pay for.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump continues his assault on 'fake' news and
'corrupt' media with campaign-style rally in front of 9,000 in
Florida (Photos) (Video)
Daily Mail - Donald Trump once again doubled down on the media,
telling a cheering crowd in Florida: ‘I want to speak to you
without the filter of the fake news.’ The president was
introduced in front of a crowd of 9,000 in Melbourne by Melania
Trump, who led them in The Lord’s Prayer after she and her
husband stepped off Air Force One on Saturday afternoon. The
First Lady, after embracing the president, promised to ‘stay
true to myself and be truthful to you’ and told the audience,
‘my husband is creating a country of great safety and
prosperity’. The 'Make America Great Again Rally' was almost
identical in rhetoric to his 2016 campaign events that focused
on bringing back jobs and increasing national security.
Unsurprisingly, this rally had a heavier focus on bashing press
coverage than before…
* Related:
Full Speech President Donald Trump Rally in
Melbourne, Florida
The Washington Post Actually Takes Russian Government Money
(Unlike the Websites It Helped Slander)
Liberty Blitzkrieg - Earlier this week, Tucker Carlson
interviewed the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple and brought up the
fact that the paper regularly receives money from the Russian
government to publish propaganda known as “native advertising”
within the contents of the newspaper.... the paid Russian
propaganda sections are known as “Russia: Beyond the
Headlines.”.... I find all of this extremely interesting, as
well as disturbingly dishonest and hypocritical, considering
that The Washington Post itself played a major role in falsely
claiming that 200 websites (including this one), were somehow
doing the bidding of Vladimir Putin.... The fact that The
Washington Post would give credibility to a obviously ridiculous
organization with an entirely invented list of “Russian
propaganda websites,” knowing all the while that they themselves
were the ones taking Russian government money is the height of
hypocrisy, dishonesty and deceitful journalism. Once again
proving the obvious point: The mainstream media is the real fake
news.
Video: Jay Sekulow: Obama Should Be “Held Accountable” For The
“Soft Coup” Against Trump
Zero Hedge - According to civil right expert and prominent First
Amendment Supreme Court lawyer, Jay Sekulow, what the agencies
did by leaking the Trump Administration information was not only
illegal but “almost becomes a soft coup”, one which was spurred
by the last minute rule-change by Obama, who intentionally made
it far easier for leaks to propagate, and next to impossible to
catch those responsible for the leaks…. There was a sea-change
here at the NSA with an order that came from president Obama 17
days before he left office where he allowed the NSA who used to
control the data, it now goes to 16 other agencies and that just
festered this whole leaking situation, and that happened on the
way out, as the president was leaving the office. …this change
that the president put in place, signed off by the way by James
Clapper on December 15, 2016, signed off by Loretta Lynch the
Attorney General January 3, 2017, they decide that now 16
agencies can get the raw data and what that does is almost
creates a shadow government. You have all these people who are
not agreeing with President Trump’s position, so it just festers
more leaks.
Chaffetz Seeks Charges Against Former Hillary IT Aide Bryan
Pagliano
Zero Hedge - Back in September, at the height of the Hillary
emailgate investigation, Clinton's IT aid who helped setup her
private email server, Bryan Pagliano, apparently decided that
Congressional subpoenas, like federal record retention laws,
were merely optional suggestions that did not require
compliance.... As it turns out, after all these months, [House
Oversight Committee Chairman, Jason] Chaffetz is still not over
Pagliano's aloof response to his committee's subpoena and has
sent a letter to Trump's new Attorney General Jeff Sessions
asking him to convene a grand jury or bring charges against
Pagliano for his failure to appear before Congress. According to
Fox News, Chaffetz said in a statement that allowing Pagliano's
conduct "to go unaddressed would gravely harm Congress' ability
to conduct oversight.".... Pagliano, like Paul Combetta...and a
host of other Clinton aides, was granted an immunity deal by the
Department of Justice in return for his FBI testimony regarding
the Clinton private email servers. Unfortunately, that immunity
deal won't help him with these new charges..... we'll end with
the same warning that we offered Pagliano back in September: "We
would caution Pagliano that... he would probably be well served
to tread lightly...not many people share the Clintons'
particular talent for escaping scandal after scandal without
repercussions."
McCorvey, who was at center of Roe v. Wade, dead at 69
Fox News - Norma McCorvey, whose legal challenge under the
pseudonym "Jane Roe" led to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark
decision that legalized abortion but who later became an
outspoken opponent of the procedure, died Saturday. She was 69.
McCorvey died at an assisted living center in Katy, Texas, said
journalist Joshua Prager, who is working on a book about
McCorvey and was with her and her family when she died. He said
she died of heart failure. McCorvey was 22, unmarried,
unemployed and pregnant for the third time when in 1969 she
sought to have an abortion in Texas, where the procedure was
illegal except to save a woman's life. The subsequent lawsuit,
known as Roe v. Wade, led to Supreme Court's 1973 ruling that
established abortion rights, though by that time, McCorvey had
given birth and given her daughter up for adoption. Decades
later, McCorvey underwent a conversion, becoming an evangelical
Christian and joining the anti-abortion movement. A short time
later, she underwent another religious conversion and became a
Roman Catholic.
Hospital CEO Wins Major Court Victory After Accusing CNN of
False Reporting
LawNewz - While Judge Orinda Evans didn’t all out declare that
CNN was peddling in falsehoods, she did take aim at the network
in an initial judgment in favor of a former hospital CEO who
sued CNN accusing them of purposely skewing statistics to
reflect poorly on a West Palm Beach hospital. Judge Evans didn’t
mince words in her 18-page order allowing the case to move
forward, and dismissing CNN’s attempt to get it thrown out of
court. Davide Carbone, former CEO of St. Mary’s Medical Center
in West Palm Beach, filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN after
they aired what he claims were a “series of false and defamatory
news reports” regarding the infant mortality rate at the
hospital. CNN’s report said the mortality rate was three times
the national average. However, Mr. Carbone contends that CNN
“intentionally” manipulated statistics to bolster their report.
He also claims that CNN purposely ignored information that would
look favorable to the hospital in order to sensationalize the
story.
Up to 2 million non-citizens illegally registered to vote in
the US
The American Mirror - A survey of Hispanics in the U.S. revealed
as many as two million non-citizens are illegally registered to
vote, reinforcing claims by President Donald Trump that millions
of illegal votes were cast in the 2016 election. The National
Hispanic Survey was designed to measure the opinion of Hispanic
U.S. residents on a range of political issues. The survey was
conducted in June 2013 by survey research firm McLaughlin and
Associates. The poll used a random sample of 800 Hispanics, of
those selected, 56 percent said they were non-citizens, and 13
percent of those non-citizens said they were registered to vote.
Those categorized as non-citizens would likely be a mix of
illegal aliens, visa holders and permanent residents. The poll
did not ask whether they actually voted or not.
11 Deeply Alarming Facts About America's Crumbling
Infrastructure
Zero Hedge - Once upon a time nobody on the entire planet could
even come close to matching our infrastructure, but now our
crumbling infrastructure has become a joke to much of the rest
of the industrialized world. Sadly, this is just another symptom
of our long-term economic collapse.... The following are 11
deeply alarming facts about America’s crumbling infrastructure…
#1 According to the American Road and Transportation Builders
Association, nearly 56,000 bridges in the United States are
currently “structurally deficient”. #2 More than one out of
every four bridges in the United States is more than 50 years
old and “have never had major reconstruction work”. #3 America
does not have a single airport that is considered to be in the
top 25 in the world. #4 The average age of America’s dams is now
52 years. #5 Not too long ago, the American Society of Civil
Engineers gave the condition of America’s dams a “D” grade. #6
Overall, the American Society of Civil Engineers said that the
condition of America’s infrastructure as a whole only gets a
“D+” grade. [More]
Nestle Joins Thousands Of Companies Leaving California Over
Anti-Capitalist Lawmakers and Activists
The GatewayPundit - From IBD: Nestle USA is moving its
headquarters from Glendale, Calif., a pocket suburb just miles
from downtown Los Angeles, to Rosslyn, Va., near Washington,
D.C., and taking 1,200 California jobs with it. Why? As many
companies have found, California is an awful place to do
business. The $26-billion-a-year food conglomerate is discreet,
of course, about its reasons, citing a desire to be closer to
its core customers and other bland corporate pabulum. But the
fact is, Nestle and its corporate brethren in California that
actually make things are overtaxed and over-regulated, and
elected officials treat them not as honored members of the
community but as rapacious pirates… Well, apart from having
higher taxes, absurd housing costs and more regulations than
nearly any other state, California’s wacky laws have turned the
Golden State into a venue of choice for activist groups to file
costly class action lawsuits — or to launch anti-corporate PR
campaigns against big, wealthy targets like Nestle. Nestle is
far from the first major company to leave California over the
state’s increasingly liberal policies. According to a report
released last year by Spectrum Location Solutions, Nestle joins
a list of 1,680+ companies to leave the state since 2008.
Multi-billion dollar investors urge bankers to divest from #DAPL
RT - More than 120 investors with over $650 billion in assets in banks
financing the Dakota Access Pipeline have called on the financial
institutes to support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s call to have the
pipeline rerouted from Native American land. Citigroup, Wells Fargo,
SunTrust Bank and BNP Paribas are among the 17 banks targeted in a
letter signed by pension funds, asset management companies, and
organizations. The signatories have a total of $653 billion in assets
under their control…. The banks have already been pressured by
protesters that have urged people to divest from institutions that are
funding the $3.7 billion project headed by Energy Transfer Partners. To
date, bank accounts worth $53 million have been closed as a result of
the DAPL movement, the letter claims. Seattle City Council voted to end
ties with Wells Fargo over the pipeline, while New York mayor Bill de
Blasio suggested he would support a boycott.
New Photos Show Damage To Oroville Dam As Massive Storm Pounds
California (Photos & Video)
The GatewayPundit - A new report from Fox News on Sunday indicates that
if the Oroville dam fails, residents who live in harms way will most
likely will be advised in time which adds to the mounting stress as new
storms pound California. From Fox News: Communities immediately
downstream of California’s Lake Oroville dam would not receive adequate
warning or time for evacuations if the 770-foot-tall dam itself — rather
than its spillways — were to abruptly fail, the state water agency that
operates the nation’s tallest dam repeatedly advised federal regulators
a half-decade ago. Reuters is now reporting that large parts of Northern
California are being place on a flood advisory as new storms pound
Northern California. From Reuters: The storm is expected to drop as much
as 5 inches (13 cm) of rain in the San Francisco region through
Wednesday, bringing more water to already saturated land that has been
inundated with heavy precipitation since early January, the National
Weather Service said…. Fortunately there are no new warnings for the
areas near the Oroville dam which is roughly 150 miles northeast of San
Francisco.
Proposed federal law demands
probable-cause warrants for geolocation data
Ars Technica - "Outdated laws shouldn't be an excuse for open season on
tracking Americans, and owning a smartphone or fitness tracker shouldn’t
give the government a blank check to track your movements," Sen. Ron
Wyden, a democrat of Oregon, said of the legislation he's
co-sponsoring.... The proposed legislation is called the "Geolocational
Privacy and Surveillance Act." It would also apply to GPS-enabled
gadgets like fitness devices and onboard navigation systems.... The
Center for Democracy and Technology, Access Now, the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, and the American Civil Liberties said Wednesday they
supported the legislation. The proposal—similar versions of which date
to 2012—would also make it a crime for people to surreptitiously track
an adult's movements using an electronic device. Further, unless there
is a court warrant, the measure says companies may not share geolocation
information with third parties unless a customer consents.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
GMO Wheat Trials to Begin In Europe
Health Impact News - Due to the popularity of gluten-free food
items, and the rise of digestive disorders related to wheat
allergies, much of the public believes that our modern wheat
supplies are grown from genetically modified seeds. But this is
not the case. There are currently no approved genetically
modified varieties of wheat in the market place. That may soon
be changing in Europe, however, as the Rothamsted Research group
working in collaboration with researchers from the University of
Essex and Lancaster University has reportedly received approval
in the U.K. to begin trials of genetically modified wheat…. It
has been proven that there is gene drift from pollen even from
GMO test fields to existing non-GMO and organic field farms.
There are also seed mix-ups that can occur within seed storage
facilities. Organic and non-GMO farmers have shown evidence that
it is impossible to maintain coexistence without contamination
from GMO crops…. For example, Switzerland, international
corporate home of Monsanto’s chief GMO rival Syngenta, will not
allow open field GMO testing. So Syngenta uses the United States
and other areas for their open field trials with empty lots and
fields leased locally, and usually unknown to non-GMO farmers in
the same area.
“Vaccine Safety Under Question Mark” Symposium Held In
Belgium (Video)
Natural Blaze - It seems as if the entire global consciousness
is awakening at the same time regarding vaccine safety and
toxicology…. The EU’s Global Media reports a most auspicious
meeting of vaccine researchers, safety advocates and activists
was held in Brussels on February 9, 2017 with such luminaries as
Dr Andrew Wakefield; French virologist Luc Antoine Montagnier;
Italian research scientist Stefano Montanari of the recently
published paper on 43 vaccines tested containing toxic
micro-metals; Srecko Sladoljev of the Institute of
Immunology-Zagreb; German pediatrician Stefan Schmidt Troschke;
European Forum for Vaccine Vigilance’s Kris Gaublomme; Dr Lidija
Gajski; Helen Kimball Brooke of London- UK; and Michele Rivasi
of the French Green Party/European Free Alliance – all
questioning medicine’s unproven mantra ‘vaccines are safe’. Dr
Sladoljev made the point he made was that needle vaccines should
not be administered. The reason behind that is that unlike
natural short-term contact with causative agents, needle
vaccines administered through the skin into the interstice emit
aggravating matter many months after, leading to dysregulations
in the immune system and organ damage…. On February 14th, a
similar meeting was held in London, UK. Here is the Q&A panel
segment after the showing of the documentary VAXXED with Dr
Wakefield participating.
The opposition’s stand on vaccines: Everyone needs to ignore RFK
Jr.’s misinformed anti-vax claims
NY Post - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on his soapbox again. I
implore everyone to ignore him. His message could be hazardous
to your health. The lawyer, environmentalist and leading anti-vax
crackpot, 63, who has compared widespread inoculations to “a
holocaust,’’ threw a news conference Wednesday at The National
Press Club in Washington, DC, that one top infectious-disease
expert described to me as “depressing.’’…
9 Ways To Keep Your Immune System Strong Against The Cold Virus
Natural Blaze - 1) USE NATURE’S FLU SHOT: Recipe: 8 Fresh
Lemons, 2 Fresh Oranges, 2 Cups Pineapple Juice, 2 Tbsp. Ground
Ginger, 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 tsp. Ground Tumeric,
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper, 2 Tbsp. Raw Honey, 1 bulb Garlic (can
increase to 2 if tolerated). Blend all ingredients and store in
a glass jar. This recipe works exceptionally well if you start
taking it just as you start to feel symptoms. At that point,
take 1 cup 3 times per day until symptoms resolve. 2) LIVE IN A
WARMER CLIMATE… 3) TAKE THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN: Vitamin D is shown
to reduce the risk of flu to a third of what it would otherwise
be…. 4) TAKE PROBIOTICS…
How to Remove Mucus, Bacteria, and Toxins From Your Lungs Using
Himalayan Pink Salt
Natural News Blogs - Did you know that our great grandparents
used salt therapy to treat lung conditions and respiratory
problems? And now this method of treatment is being used in spas
and wellness centers. This salt has antimicrobial,
antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties…. You can put
Himalayan pink salt in an inhaler to absorb particles of this
disease-fighting salt into your lungs. Inhaling Himalayan pink
salt will help fight lung inflammation, and treat allergies,
asthma, congestion, sinus, and hay fever. In fact, modern salt
inhalers are totally safe, unlike traditional inhalers which
were usually contaminated.
Dementia: A Very Serious Problem for Our
Beloved Pets - And How to Prevent It
Dr. Becker - As in human Alzheimer's, millions of pets also suffer from
dementia, as early as ages 6 to 8. More and more dogs are dying of the
condition, and cats are living in confusion… Fortunately, there are many
things you can do to help your dog or cat maintain good mental function
for as long as possible, and delay the onset and progression of
cognitive decline. 1. Feed a nutritionally balanced, species-appropriate
[raw] diet that includes omega-3 essential fats, such as krill oil,
which are critical for cognitive health. The perfect fuel for aging pets
is a healthy variety of fresh, living food suitable for your carnivorous
cat or dog. 2. Eliminate all refined carbohydrates (grains, potatoes and
legumes) to allow more room for excellent-quality protein, full of
critical amino acids, to be fed…. 3. Stop vaccinating and start titering.
Vaccines don't "wear out" over time, and more vaccines means more
adjuvants and heavy metals that accumulate in your pet's brain. 4. Keep
your pet's body and mind active with regular exercise appropriate for
her age and physical condition, and mental stimulation… 5. Provide a
SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) supplement as a safe and effective way to
stall or improve mental decline…. 6. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)
have been shown to improve brain energy metabolism and decrease the
amyloid protein buildup that results in brain lesions in older pets.
Coconut oil is a rich source of MCTs. I recommend 1/4 teaspoon for every
10 pounds of body weight twice daily for basic MCT support….
Friday - February
17, 2017
Today In History:
1801 - The U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie
between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Jefferson was elected
president and Burr became vice president.
1817 - The first gas lite streetlights appeared on the streets
of Baltimore, MD.
1865 - Columbia, SC, burned. The Confederates were evacuating
and the Union Forces were moving in.
1876 - Julius Wolff was credited with being the first to can
sardines.
1878 - In San Francisco, CA, the first large city telephone
exchange opened. It had only 18 phones.
1934 - The first high school automobile driver’s education
course was introduced in State College, PA.
1944 - During World War II, the Battle of Eniwetok Atoll began.
U.S. forces won the battle on February 22, 1944.
1947 - The Voice of America began broadcasting to the Soviet
Union.
1964 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that congressional districts
within each state had to be approximately equal in population. (Westberry
v. Sanders)
1992 - In Milwaukee, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced
to life in prison. In November of 1994, he was beaten to death
in prison.
1995 - Colin Ferguson was convicted of six counts of murder in
the December 1993 Long Island Rail Road shootings. He was later
sentenced to a minimum of 200 years in prison.
1997 - Pepperdine University announced that Kenneth Starr was
leaving the Whitewater probe to take a full-time job at the
school. Starr reversed the announcement four days later.
2005 - U.S. President George W. Bush named John Negroponte as
the first national intelligence director.
Kremlin Tells Media to Cut Back on Fawning Trump Coverage,
Sources Say
Bloomberg - The Kremlin ordered state media to cut way back on
their fawning coverage of President Donald Trump, reflecting a
growing concern among senior Russian officials that the new U.S.
administration will be less friendly than first thought, three
people familiar with the matter said. The order comes amid a
growing chorus of anti-Russian sentiment in Washington, where
U.S. spy and law-enforcement agencies are conducting multiple
investigations to determine the full extent of contacts Trump’s
advisers had with Russia during and after the 2016 election
campaign. Vladimir Putin’s administration justified the decision
to curb coverage of Trump by saying that Russian viewers no
longer find details of his transition to power interesting,
according to one of the people. In reality, some of the most
popular TV segments on Trump touched on ideas the Kremlin would
rather not promote, such as his pledge to “drain the swamp,” the
person said.
WikiLeaks Releases Documents On Alleged CIA Spying On French
Presidential Candidates
The Daily Caller - Anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks released
a set of documents allegedly showing CIA espionage on candidates
in France’s 2012 presidential elections. The seven pages of
documents appear to be classified orders for intelligence
operatives to gather information regarding candidates’ political
strategies and internal communications. WikiLeaks’ release of
the documents comes amid growing tensions between Trump and the
intelligence community over leaks of classified information that
have portrayed people close to Trump in a negative light.
Le Pen On Course To Become French President, A.I. Data Analysis
Predicts
CNBC News - Arun Kant, chief executive and chief investment
officer at Singapore-based investing firm Leonie Hill Capital,
told CNBC he expected the right-wing populist to prevail thanks
to his firm's proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) system's
analysis of troves of data. His analysis — which he said
incorporates inputs such as social and traditional media
discussions, polling, economics and demographics — predicts that
Le Pen will "walk over" her opponents in the first electoral
test and then prove most forecasters wrong and steal the lead in
the second ballot, Kant said…. "If she wins the first round,
this dynamic will change," he said, noting the similarities
between the populist appeal of Le Pen and President Donald
Trump.
Greek Bank Run Re-accelerates: Massive Deposit Withdrawals
Despite Capital Controls
Zero Hedge - The grave disagreement between the International
Monetary Fund and the European lenders, Grexit bombshells flying
around and Greece’s reluctance to accept additional austerity
measures have increase uncertainty among citizens – for one more
time. And so, as KeepTalkingGreece.com notes, what do citizens
do when they feel political and economical insecurity? The run
to banks and withdraw deposits. 2.5 billion euros left Greek
banks in the last 45 days. And this despite the capital controls
that allow Greeks to withdraw a maximum of just 1,800 euro per
month.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Robert Harward Rejects Trump's Offer To Become Next National
Security Advisor
Zero Hedge - …according to both the FT and CBS, Trump's pick for
National Security Advisor, Robert Harward - Lockheed Martin's
CEO for the UAE - has turned down the President's offer, citing
"obvious dysfunctionality" in the administration. According to
the FT, it is not yet a complete rejection as "Trump is trying
to convince his preferred candidate to succeed Michael Flynn as
national security adviser to change his mind after the retired
admiral tapped for the role told the US president that he could
not accept the White House position.”… As the FT adds, "one of
the people familiar with Mr Harward’s decision said he was
concerned about whether the top advisers around Mr Trump would
allow him to install his own staff on the NSC — particularly
after suggestions that KT McFarland, Mr Flynn’s deputy, had been
asked to remain. When he was offered the position, Mr Harward
had told Mr Trump that he wanted some time to think over the
idea." A separate report by CBS gives the courting process more
closure, stating that "Robert Harward turns down Trump's offer
to be new national security adviser.”… While it remains to be
seen if Harward is indeed out, it is troubling if suddenly Trump
can not even find willing and qualified candidates to fill the
gaping holes among his top security advisors.
Obama Appointees Preventing Mattis From Rebuilding Military,
Says Armed Services Chair
The Daily Caller - Holdovers from the Obama administration in
the Pentagon are hampering efforts to fix the military’s major
readiness problem, leaving Secretary of Defense James Mattis
alone in his efforts to properly equip U.S. forces, according to
the chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services. “I am
concerned that … to fix these problems [it] is going to take a
lot more money, and yet a lot of the folks who are coming up
with the budget to fix them are the same people who have been
fighting every step of the way against our efforts to fix these
problems,” said Chairman Mac Thornberry during a Capitol Hill
press gaggle Thursday. Thornberry noted that Mattis is “alone”
in his attempts to alleviate the readiness problem at the
Pentagon. He added that there are some people, including
“political appointees and others from the Obama administration,”
who have been “trying to deny there was a problem.” The Vice
Joint Chiefs of Staff warned the armed services committee last
week that the lack of military readiness across all branches was
putting the military’s capabilities at risk. Their reports
revealed, among other substantial problems, only three of 58
Army brigade combat teams are ready for combat, while fewer than
half of the Air Force’s aging aircraft fleet is ready to fight.
The Spy Agency's 'Hit Job' On Mike Flynn
The Daily Caller - National Security Advisor Gen. Michael T.
Flynn (ret.) — who resigned Monday — was the victim of a “hit
job” launched by intelligence operatives, Obama government
holdovers and former Obama national security officials,
according to former intelligence officials who spoke with The
Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group. The talk
within the tight-knit community of retired intelligence officers
was that Flynn’s sacking was a result of intelligence insiders
at the CIA, NSA and National Security Council using a
sophisticated “disinformation campaign” to create a crisis
atmosphere. The former intel officers say the tactics hurled
against Flynn over the last few months were the type of high
profile hard-ball accusations previously reserved for top
figures in enemy states, not for White House officials…. Former
intelligence officials who understand spy craft say Flynn’s
resignation had everything to do with a “disinformation
campaign” and little to do with the December phone conversation
he had with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. They charge
officials from America’s top spy counsels leaked classified
government intercepts of Flynn and President Trump’s
conversations with world leaders and had “cutouts” — friendly
civilians not associated with the agency — to distribute them to
reporters in a coordinated fashion…. “I’ve never seen anything
like this before,” Retired Col. James Waurishuk, who spent three
decades in top military intelligence posts and served at the
National Security Council, said in an interview with TheDCNF.
“We’ve never seen to the extent that those in the intelligence
community are using intelligence apparatus and tools to be used
politically against an administration official,” he said….
Video: President Trump News Conference
C-Span - President Trump held a news conference to announce
Alexander Acosta as his new labor secretary nominee following
Andrew Puzder’s decision to withdraw from the process. Before
taking questions, the president spoke at length about topics
such as the first few weeks of his administration, jobs, his
Supreme Court nominee, military spending, the margin of his
Electoral College victory, and his proposal to build a wall
along the U.S.-Mexico border. He said he would introduce a new
executive order the following week that would “comprehensively
protect our country.” He also criticized the media, saying “the
level of dishonesty” in the press “is out of control.” Question
topics included Michael Flynn’s resignation as national security
adviser, leaks within his administration of classified
information, and reported contacts between his advisers and
Russia, which he called “fake news.” Several times, he brought
up his presidential contest with former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton.
In Fiery, "Surreal" Press Conference, Trump Launches War On The
Media
Zero Hedge - At the start of a nearly two-hour announcement,
which was meant to introduce the new pick for Secretary of
Labor, Alexander Acosta and promptly turned into a fiery, at
times rambling back and forth with members of the press more
reminiscent of his campaign speeches, which covered leaks to the
media, Russian relations, immigration policy, the final fate of
ObamaCare and a multitude of other subjects, President Trump
rejected portrayals of chaos in his administration and claimed
"incredible" progress in his first four weeks in office, lashing
out at media organizations he said "will not tell you the
truth.”… Trump opened the speech with what Bloomberg dubbed a
25-minute tirade in which he pointed to the stock market’s
performance as evidence of his early accomplishments and said
news organizations work "for the special interests and for those
profiting off a very, very broken system." He mentioned that a
Rasmussen poll found that he had 55 percent approval - Gallup’s
most recent tracking poll found he had 40 percent support -- and
said "the stock market has hit record numbers, as you know."
"I’m here today to update the American people on the incredible
progress that’s been made the last four weeks since my
inauguration," Trump said. "I see stories of chaos. It’s the
exact opposite. This administration is running like a fine-tuned
machine." "There’s zero chaos" he claimed, and pivoted to Obama:
"To be honest I inherited a mess," Trump said. "It’s a mess. At
home and abroad." The president then launched into a laundry
list of issues on which he has claimed victories and progress,
including border security, combating the Islamic State, job
creation and a reduction of government regulation….
* Related:
Video: President Trump News Conference
Trump Withdraws Appeal Of Travel Ban Suspension, To Unveil New
Immigration Order Next Week
Zero Hedge - During Trump's press conference, the president
announced, among numerous other things, that he will issue a new
executive action on immigration "next week sometime" which will
be "tailored to the decision" issued by the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals, and will rescind the initial travel ban which has been
challenged in legal battles across the nation.
Video: Trump Brings Coal Miners to Executive Order Rescuing Coal
Industry from Liberal Politicians
The GatewayPundit - President Trump signed legislation
[Thursday] rescuing coal miners and the coal industry from
hateful liberal politicians… Trump promised to rescue coal
miners during the campaign. Hillary promised to kill all coal
mining jobs and put thousands of families out of work. Today
President Trump made good on that promise…. During the event
President Trump asked a coal miner to say a few words. The miner
from West Virginia was very happy.
Soros Groups Behind Massive Anti-Trump Tax Day Protest Plot
Breitbart - The news media has been reporting on plans by a
coalition of activist groups to hold a massive anti-Trump Tax
March in Washington and at least 60 other locations on April 15.
Unreported by the news media is that most of the listed partners
and support organizers of the march are openly financed by
George Soros or have close links to Soros financing. The website
for the march, which is slated for the deadline for Americans to
file their tax returns, claims that its mission is to get Trump
to release his tax returns and more…. Leaders from January’s
Women’s March coalition are reportedly helping to organize the
Tax March, which USA Today described as a “sequel” to the
massive women’s march. Buzzfeed took note of the comparison to
the women’s march in a piece titled, “Progressives Want Tax Day
To Be The Next Women’s March Protest.” Soros reportedly has ties
to more than 50 “partners” of that march. Also, this journalist
first reported on the march leaders’ close associations with
Soros.
60% of Refugee Arrivals Since Judge Halted Trump’s Order Come
From 5 Terror-Prone Countries
CNS News - Of the total 2,576 refugees resettled in the U.S.
from around the world since U.S. District Judge James Robart’s
February 3 restraining order, 1,549 (60.1 percent) are from
Syria (532), Iraq (472), Somalia (363), Iran (117), and Sudan
(65). No refugees have arrived from the other two applicable
countries, Yemen and Libya. Of the 2,576 refugees to have
arrived since Feb. 3, 1,424 (55.3 percent) are Muslims – 817
Sunnis, 132 Shi’ites, and 475 refugees self-identified simply as
Muslims, according to State Department Refugee Processing Center
data. Of the refugees hailing from the specified countries of
terrorist concern, Muslims accounted for the overwhelming
majority of those admitted in all cases except for Iran.
Report: Stopping Only Nine Percent of Illegal Alien Border
Crossers Would Pay for Trump’s Border Wall
Breitbart - The non-partisan Center for Immigration Studies
(CIS), using the estimated education level of illegal alien
border crossers and immigrant education estimates from National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS), found
that each illegal alien entering the U.S. racks up at least
$74,722 in lifetime costs, funded by American taxpayers. “[I]f a
border wall stopped a small fraction of the illegal immigrants
who are expected to come in the next decade, the fiscal savings
from having fewer illegal immigrants in the country would be
sufficient to cover the costs of the wall,” writes CIS Director
of Research Steven Camarota…. And that’s excluding the cost of
children produced by illegal immigrants. The federal government
imposes a massive, unfunded mandate on school districts around
the country by forcing American parents to divert funding from
their own children to educate roughly 3.62 million foreign
students, many of whom are extremely low-performing students and
do not speak English.
“City Erects Prison Camp Around Homeless”: Controlling Desperate
People As Harsh Economic Times Hit
Mac Slavo - The City of Santa Ana has come up with an innovative
and despotic way of keeping their homeless population in check —
imprison them. The city is now party to a federal lawsuit over
unreasonable seizure, false imprisonment, and due process
violations. Heading up the lawsuit on behalf of Michael Diehl,
who has lived at the encampment for three years, is the ACLU of
Southern California. The lawsuit demands the immediate removal
of the 6-foot-tall chain-link fences penning in 75-100 people
and their belongings. “Defendants’ actions have not only
illegally restricted the liberty of the homeless people living
in the encampment, but it has also cut them off from access to
food, water, and medical care thus threatening their health and
well-being,” the lawsuit states…. Children, people with severe
disabilities, the elderly and others are deprived of food, water
and access to restrooms,” said ACLU homelessness policy analyst
Eve Garrow. “The county should take action to rectify this
egregious violation of basic human rights.” Naturally, the
county is claiming that they are not doing anything wrong and
that the fence, put in place after the homeless community began
growing there, is for ‘flood control.’ “The county is aware that
there are homeless encampments in the project area. Flood
control channels are not a safe place to live. Sign postings and
in-person notifications about the project have been provided to
those encamped along the county maintenance road,” the county
said in a statement.
US Household Debt Rose To $12.6 Trillion In 2016: Biggest Jump
In A Decade
Zero Hedge - Total US household debt jumped in Q4 driven by
increases in credit card debt, auto and student loans, and a Q4
surge in mortgage originations, and as of December 31, 2016,
stood at $12.58 trillion. For the full year, total household
debt rose by $460 billion, the biggest annual increase in a
decade.
Burlington Drops Ivanka Trump’s Fashion Line from Its Website
Breitbart - As of Friday, Burlington had removed from its
website all 13 of the Ivanka Trump items it had for sale,
Business Insider reports. Burlington, formerly known as the
Burlington Coat Factory, has not commented on the matter, and it
is unclear whether it is still selling the brand in its stores.
Shannon Coulter, co-founder of the Grab Your Wallet anti-Trump
boycott movement, posted on Twitter a screen grab of a search
for Ivanka Trump merchandise on the website, which yielded no
results. “Sorry, we are not getting any results for the brand
you searched,” the message on the website said…. Stores have
also dropped Donald Trump’s line of products. Retailers Sears
and Kmart dropped the Trump Home products from their websites
this week.
Obama Stimulus Funds: $22 Million Went to California Dam in ‘Good
Shape’, $0 for Failing Oroville Dam
The GatewayPundit - From The Free Beacon: Despite more than a decade of
warnings about Oroville, there is no public record of the country’s
tallest dam receiving any of the more than $34 billion from the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act sent to California for infrastructure
projects. Over $22 million in stimulus funds did go toward safety
improvements to the Folsom Dam, which was described as in “good shape”
at the time the grant was awarded in 2009… …Stimulus projects awarded to
the state included $2.2 million for “more attractive” sidewalks and $2.5
million for a 205-acre “zero net energy” community on the University of
California Davis campus to put a greater “emphasis on walking” and
bicycling…. Earlier this week the Gateway Pundit reported that officials
had warned that the dam was failing for 12 years yet the state of
California did nothing and that Democratic Governor Jerry Brown has been
spending $25 billion per yer on illegals aliens.
Governor orders evacuation of Dakota pipeline protest camp
Reuters - The governor of North Dakota ordered protesters on Wednesday
to evacuate a demonstration camp near the site of the Dakota Access
Pipeline in the latest move to clear the area that has served as a base
for opposition to the multibillion dollar project. Republican Doug
Burgum ordered demonstrators to leave the camp located on land owned by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by Feb. 22, citing safety concerns that
have arisen due to accelerated snowmelt and rising water levels of the
nearby Cannonball River. Burgum also said in his executive order that
the camp poses an environmental danger to the surrounding area. His
order reaffirms a Feb. 22 deadline set by the Army Corps for the
demonstrators to clean up and leave…. A federal judge on Monday denied a
request by Native American tribes seeking to halt construction of the
final link of the $3.8 billion pipeline after the Corps of Engineers
granted a final easement to Energy Transfer Partners LP last week.
AMI Smart Meters ILLEGALLY Forced on Pennsylvania Consumers; Act 129
States “Not Mandatory”
Natural Blaze - Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) utility Smart
Meters for electric, natural gas and water are being forced onto
Pennsylvania utility customers by utility companies backed up by the
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s (PA PUC) implementation rules
and regulations, i.e., AMI SMs are “mandatory,” which are in total
contradiction to the Legislative History, intent, enactment, and what
was published in official public state records declaring AMI Smart
Meters are not mandated! Basically, the bill SB2200, as passed by the PA
Legislature, is/was an “opt IN bill”!
Mark Zuckeberg Rejects "America First", Calls For Global Community
Zero Hedge - Hot on the heels of retailers who have halted sales of
Ivanka Trump's clothing line in protest against Trump (and free
marketing buzz), the tech "resistance" against Trump got its lead from
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckeberg who on Thursday posted a lengthy note
"rebuking isolationist “America First” sentiment, and touting the merits
of globalization and a “global community” working for innovation and
progress." In short, the CEO of the "social network", whose business
model is predicated upon uninhibited globalization allowing advertisers
to reach into every corner of the world with 3 second video clips, is
calling for a global government. Not all that surprising.
Retail store demands everyone submit to cop run facial recognition
before gaining entry
MassPrivate I - A retail store in St. Louis called Motomart is demanding
customers submit to having their faces scanned before they're allowed
entry! Think about what that means, police are identifying every single
customer using DHS's REAL ID's. According to a Fox2Now article, once it
gets dark, employees put up signs that say: “Facial Recognition Software
in Use - Please Look at Above Camera for Entry.”… Motomart uses 'Blue
Line Technology' facial recognition cameras, designed by the Army, DHS
and the police. "Blue Line Technology was launched by retired law
enforcement and military professionals..." … According to Blue Line
"Major Spiess is currently working as a trainer for the National
Sheriffs’ Association and the Department of Homeland Security.”… Blue
Line wants to install facial recognition cameras in every home, gas
station, store, school, hospital etc., across the country.
Medical Freedom at Risk in 2017 as Many States Seek Laws for
Mandatory Vaccines
Health Impact News - In 2015 and 2016, NVIC monitored over 200
vaccine-related bills introduced in more than 40 state
legislatures, including 31 bills in 21 states that tried to
restrict of eliminate vaccine exemptions. With tens of thousands
of Americans actively using the online NVIC Advocacy Portal,
NVIC led a grassroots effort of concerned citizens and
supportive parental rights and health freedom groups to educate
legislators with well-referenced information about diseases and
vaccines. Forced vaccination bills were defeated in 29 out of 31
states, including in Virginia, where NVIC is headquartered. By
February 2017, vaccine legislation had been introduced in 30
states that threaten vaccine freedom of choice, including bills
in eight states to restrict or eliminate vaccine exemptions in
Arkansas (withdrawn), Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, New York,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. Freedom. It is a human right
to exercise freedom of thought, speech, conscience and religious
belief. But, when it comes to vaccination, those basic human
freedoms are being taken away in America, one state at a time.
Air pollution—and not cholesterol—causing heart disease, say
researchers
What Doctors Don't Tell You - If high cholesterol doesn’t cause
heart disease (which it doesn’t), what does? The real culprit
could be air pollution—from cars and industrial processes—as a
major new study from China suggests. Deaths from chronic
diseases such as heart and respiratory conditions have been
steadily rising in China, which has severe air pollution
problems from industrialization and growing car ownership.
Cities that have the highest levels of fine particulate air
pollution, known as PM2.5, also have higher mortality rates from
heart and respiratory diseases, say researchers from Fudan
University in Shanghai. They looked at pollution levels and
mortality rates in 272 Chinese cities, which have a combined
population of 323 million people, so making it the largest ever
epidemiological study in the developing world. Between 2013 and
2015, the average PM2.5 levels in the cities were five times
higher than the WHO’s safety levels. At the levels being
recorded in China, heart disease is 1.35 times more likely, the
risk for hypertension nearly doubles, while for coronary heart
disease it increases 1.5 times. The link is harder to see in
Western countries, say the researchers, because air pollution
has been improving over the past 40 years or more, and, as a
result, heart disease has also been in decline.
Video: More Deadly Than War – A Lecture by G. Edward Griffin
“In 1969, I delivered a lecture on this subject, entitled More Deadly
than War. That was in the day when I was hanging out at the communist
book store in Los Angeles doing research on collectivism, so I was
loaded with communist publications to illustrate my message. The
presentation was recorded on black-and-white film, released in VHS
format, and then forgotten…. It has been almost fifty years since I gave
much thought to that lecture so, when I started to write this
commentary, I decided to watch it again to see what I said. Frankly, I
was blown away by how every point applies directly to what is happening
today.” — G. Edward Griffin
Thursday - February
16, 2017
Today In History:
1804 - A raid was led by Lt. Stephen Decatur to
burn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia. The ship had been taken
by pirates.
1857 - The National Deaf Mute College was incorporated in
Washington, DC. It was the first school in the world for
advanced education of the deaf. The school was later renamed
Gallaudet College.
1862 - During the U.S. Civil War, about 14,000 Confederate
soldiers surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Fort Donelson,
TN.
1923 - Archaeologist opens tomb of King Tut
1937 - Wallace H. Carothers received a patent for nylon.
1938 - The U.S. Federal Crop Insurance program was authorized.
1945 - During World War II, U.S. troops landed on the island of
Corregidor in the Philippines.
1946 - The first commercially designed helicopter was tested in
Connecticut.
1959 - Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba after the overthrow of
President Fulgencio Batista. He was inaugurated in Haleyville,
AL.
1989 - Investigators in Lockerbie, Scotland, announced that a
bomb hidden inside a radio-cassette player was the reason that
Pan Am Flight 103 was brought down the previous December. All
259 people aboard and 11 on the ground were killed.
1999 - Testimony began in the Jasper, TX, trial of John William
King. He was charged with murder in the gruesome dragging death
of James Byrd Jr. King was later convicted and sentenced to
death.
2005 - The Kyoto global warming pact went into effect in 140
nations.
2005 - The NHL announced the cancellation of the 2004-2005
season due to a labor dispute. It was the first time a major
sports league in North America lost an entire season to a labor
dispute.
Top US, Russian Military Generals To Meet Thursday
Zero Hedge - With a Russian ship sailing in very close proximity
to the primary east coast submarine base, and tensions between
the US - and perhaps the Trump administration - and Russia, once
again rising it seems like an odd moment to organize a meeting
between the top US military general and his Russian counterpart
on Thursday in Azerbaijan, the first such meeting between the
two since military cooperation between the two nations was
suspended in 2014 following the hostilities in Ukraine. U.S.
Marine Corps General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Joseph
Dunford will meet with the head of the Russian army's General
Staff Valery Gerasimov on Thursday in Azerbaijan, Dunford's
office said in a statement on Wednesday. "The military leaders
will discuss a variety of issues including the current state of
U.S.-Russian military relations and the importance of consistent
and clear military-to-military communication to prevent
miscalculation and potential crises," the Office of the Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Accompanying Dunfort will be
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who will also meet his Russian
counterpart on Thursday, as the Trump administration evaluates
the future direction of US-Russian relations.
Message to Trump: EU to Hold Free Trade Summit With China
Sputnik News - In response to the White House’s rising economic
nationalism, the European Union brings forward a summit with
China to promote free trade and international cooperation.
According to EU officials, the annual summit, usually held in
mid-summer, may take place as soon as April or May in Brussels
at the request of Beijing amid escalating economic conflicts
with the US. The EU believes China intends to use the summit as
a demonstration of Xi Jinping's rousing endorsement of
globalization and multilateralism in the wake of the new US
President Donald Trump's insistence on ‘America first' policies.
Europe itself is preparing for countermeasures if Trump follows
through on his ideas including a plan to overhaul the US
corporate tax system by taxing US companies' domestic sales and
imports, while exempting their exports.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Mattis to NATO: Pay More or U.S. Will ‘Moderate Its Commitment’
Breitbart - Defense Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday issued
an ultimatum to NATO while meeting with member nations for the
first time in Brussels: Pay more, or the U.S. will “moderate its
commitment” to the organization. “I owe it to you all to give
you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and
to state the fair demand from my country’s people in concrete
terms,” he said during a closed-door meeting, according to
remarks provided to reporters traveling with him. “America will
meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to
see America moderate its commitment to the alliance, each of
your capitals needs to show its support for our common
defense.”… “No longer can the American taxpayer carry a
disproportionate share of the defense of Western values,” he
added. “Americans cannot care more for your children’s security
than you do. Disregard for military readiness demonstrates a
lack of respect for ourselves, for the alliance and for the
freedoms we inherited, which are now clearly threatened.”
Trump Offers National Security Advisor Job To Lockheed Executive
Robert Harward
Zero Hedge - As previewed yesterday, of the three men mentioned
as Michael Flynn's national security advisor replacements, one
stood out: the former deputy commander of the US Central Command
and current CEO for Lockheed Martin in the UAE, Robard Harward.
Moments ago, Reuters confirmed that as expected, Trump has
offered the National Security Advisor job to Robert Harward.
Full text of Michael Flynn's resignation letter
USA Today - Flynn's resignation, first reported by CNN, came
late Monday night. The full transcript of the letter can be read
below…
Trump, Netanyahu Highlights: "Hold Back On Settlements", Both
One Or Two-State Deals Are Acceptable
Zero Hedge - The much anticipated meeting between President
Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu did not provide significant insight
into the new administration's policies vis-a-vis Israel and the
middle east. While Trump expressed optimism in a "great peace
deal", he urged his Israeli colleague to "hold back on the
settlements a little bit", and while reiterating his support for
a move of the US embassy to Jerusalem, he was non-committal:
"we'll see what happens." Trump called on the Israeli Prime
Minister to make compromises in order to reach a peace deal with
the Palestinians, including holding off on the construction of
new settlements. “The United States will encourage a peace and
really a great peace deal” between Israel and the Palestinians,
but they have to negotiate it themselves, Trump said. “Both
sides will have to make compromises.” Asked whether he preferred
a one-state or a two-state solution, Trump said, “I’m happy with
the one they like the best,” referring to Israelis and the
Palestinians. Israel had two prerequisites for any peace
settlement, Netanyahu said. “First, the Palestinians must
recognize the Jewish state, they must stop calling for Israel’s
destruction… Second, Israel must retain security control over
all of the area west of the Jordan River.” Unless those
conditions are met, Palestine will become “another failed state,
another Islamist dictatorship that will not work for peace, but
work to destroy us,” Netanyahu said.
* Related:
VIDEO: Full Joint Press Conference w/ Prime Minister Netanyahu
Trump’s labor secretary nominee withdraws
RT - Andrew Puzder, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the
secretary of labor, has dropped out of his confirmation hearings
amid scandals about his past. Puzder had lost support among
Senate Republicans, with four GOP senators saying they would not
vote for him, and up to eight more saying they were thinking of
not voting for him, CNN reported. As shown during the
confirmation vote for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,
Trump’s Cabinet picks cannot afford to lose more than two GOP
votes. Last Tuesday, Puzder admitted that he had previously
employed an undocumented immigrant for years. He only recently
paid back taxes on the employee, as well as filed all required
paperwork for her. He had a high-profile divorce 30 years ago
that included claims by ex-wife Lisa Fierstein that he abused
her. On Monday, the Oprah Winfrey Network distributed a copy of
Fierstein’s 1990 appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”
detailing her abuse to the Senate. Puzder, the CEO of a
fast-food holding company, was a controversial choice even
before his past resurfaced. The billionaire was a major Trump
campaign contributor and has been a harsh critic of raising the
federal minimum wage, arguing that it would increase costs for
consumers and lead to fewer jobs. He is supportive of Trump’s
plan to lower taxes for corporations and the wealthy, and
loosening regulations for business.
Measure to Overturn Obama Social Security Gun Ban Gets Sent to
Trump’s Desk
Gun Owners of America - In a stunning victory for the pro-gun
community, the first bill to repeal an Obama anti-gun measure is
now headed to President Trump’s desk. Earlier today, the Senate
voted to overturn Barack Obama’s Social Security Gun Ban. [The
vote in the Senate was 57-43, with all Republicans voting for
the repeal. They were joined by only four Democrats and one
Independent. The earlier House vote was 235-180.] The
resolution, House Joint Resolution 40, now goes to the
president’s desk, where Donald Trump is expected to eagerly sign
it. This action is expected to be the first of a series of
pro-gun actions to be taken by Congress and the Trump
administration. The Social Security Gun Ban was pushed by Barack
Obama beginning on January 4, 2016…. Under the
soon-to-be-repealed Social Security Gun Ban, garden-variety
bureaucrats could look through applications for benefits and
summarily impose gun bans on law-abiding Americans, even though
they had no training in medicine and no contact with the
applicant. Conditions as benign as “anxiety” could be used to
strip Americans of their constitutional rights with no due
process whatsoever. People receiving benefit payments through a
guardian would also lose their guns.
Gov’t Pressures Doctors To Ask: ‘Do You Own A Gun?’
Off the Grid News - Your doctor might ask if you own a gun and
lecture you on firearm safety if the state attorney general and
the Massachusetts Medical Society get their way…. Gessner and
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat,
unveiled an initiative designed to have doctors ask patients
about gun ownership. It is part of a partnership between
Healey’s office and the Massachusetts Medical Society…. The
program has the support of two groups representing the states’
police chiefs…. Under the proposed policy, doctors would not
report gun owners to cops. Instead, they would simply talk to
them about gun safety. “That’s why Boston Medical Center is so
pleased to participate in the development of this training to
help physicians talk to their patients about the safe handling
and storage of guns. As a health care community, we are fully
committed to ending gun violence in Massachusetts, starting in
every home, and in every doctor’s visit,” said Kate Walsh, the
president and CEO of Boston Medical Center.
Trump Slams Russia Connection "Non-Sense"; Accuses "Fake News
Media" Of Creating "Conspiracy Theories"
Zero Hedge - With the news cycle once again squarely focused on
Mike Flynn in particular, and the Trump Administration's ties to
Russia in general following a volley of news last night from
NYT, WaPo and CNN that Trump advisors allegedly communicated
with members of Russian intellgience in the year preceding the
election, it was expected that Trump's first comment of the day
would be focused on the story du jour, and sure enough in his
first tweet on Wednesday, President Trump blasted the “fake news
media,” saying it is “going crazy with conspiracy theories and
blind hatred.” Trump also slammed MSNBC and CNN, but said Fox
News’s “Fox & Friends” is “great!”… In a follow up tweet, Trump
also said "this Russian connection non-sense is merely an
attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's
losing campaign." As reported overnight, the president's tweets
follow reports in The New York Times and CNN that Trump campaign
aides were in "constant" contact with Russian officials.
* Related:
Dan Rather: "Trump's Russia Scandal Could Be Bigger Than
Watergate"
‘He Will Die in Jail’ – Intelligence Apparatus Admits ‘Going
Nuclear’ on Trump
Sputnik News - A former National Security Agency analyst and
counterintelligence officer tweeted on Wednesday that the
intelligence community will now be “going nuclear” against
Trump. John Schindler, a national security columnist for the
Observer and former NSA analyst, published an article on Sunday
titled “The Spy Revolt Against Trump Begins,” which asserts that
the Intelligence Community is rebelling against Trump over some
of his senior officials having alleged ties to the Kremlin. The
situation is so bad, according to Schindler, that they are now
beginning to withhold intelligence from the White House.
Confirmed: Donald Trump to rally in Melbourne, FL on Saturday
Florida Today - He will appear at a rally that begins at 5 p.m.
Saturday in the AeroMod International hangar at Orlando
Melbourne International Airport. Doors will open at 3 p.m.
Wife of Retired Couple Forbidden to See Her Husband in Nursing
Home After Publication of MedicalKidnap.com Article
Health Impact News - It appears that an elected official in
Morgan County, Missouri, has the power to keep Helen and Charlie
Taylor apart no matter how much they want to be together.
Shortly after our article was published, the day before
Valentine's Day, Helen was told that she is no longer permitted
to visit her husband in the nursing home, which is located in
Callaway County, Missouri. Helen is devastated. She told us: "He
is the love of my life. We just want to be together." During
Helen’s visit with Charley Monday at the nursing home, she said
2 nursing home employees told her that the administrator wanted
to meet with her in her office. In that meeting, Helen was told
that she was not allowed on the premises anymore. Further, if
she returned, they would call the sheriff’s department, and she
would be arrested, according to Helen. She was handed a letter
signed by Conservator Amanda Huffman stating that Helen was
interfering with Charley’s care and that the nursing home was to
stop all visits from her with her husband.
Warren Buffett dumps Walmart, bets on Apple & US airlines
RT - Investor Warren Buffett's holding company Berkshire
Hathaway significantly slashed its Walmart stock last quarter,
opting to invest billions in airlines and technology instead.
The billionaire sold off $900 million of Walmart stock cutting
his share by 89.26 percent, according to GuruFocas that tracks
the buying and selling of stocks. Buffett also sold all but 0.01
percent of the US telecom firm Verizon. The move reportedly
leaves America's biggest retailer playing catch-up with
e-commerce rivals such as Amazon, whose market value is now $356
billion against Walmart’s $298 billion. Walmart shares have
declined 21 percent, compared with an 119 percent surge in
Amazon since the end of 2014.
Yellen may have offered the clearest explanation for the stock
market’s record run
MarketWatch - “I think market participants likely are
anticipating shifts in fiscal policy that will stimulate growth
and perhaps raise earnings,” Yellen said, responding to a
question about what is behind the markets' meltup. That
description is what most on Wall Street refer to as the Trump
rally. That is a revival of so-called animal spirits inspired by
expectations that President Donald Trump will unfurl a host of
pro-business policies, including a loosening of bank
regulations, increasing fiscal spending, and cutting individual
and corporate taxes. Some make the case that recent pledges
around ‘massive’ tax reform have reignited the fire in
investors’ bellies, supporting a recent round of stock purchases
that have pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500
index and the Nasdaq Composite Index to finish at all-time highs
on successive days. The string of gains has the Nasdaq on the
verge of logging its longest win streak of records since 1999,
and all three major stock benchmarks notched the longest streak
of all-time high closes on the same day in a quarter-century.
IRS Deals Major Blow To Obamacare Mandate
Zero Hedge - The tax agency has stopped requiring individual
filers to indicate whether they maintained health coverage or
paid the mandate penalty as required under the law… Following
President Donald Trump's executive order instructing agencies to
provide relief from the health law, the Internal Revenue Service
appears to be taking a more lax approach to the coverage
requirement. The health law's individual mandate requires
everyone to either maintain qualifying health coverage or pay a
tax penalty, known as a "shared responsibility payment." The IRS
was set to require filers to indicate whether they had
maintained coverage in 2016 or paid the penalty by filling out
line 61 on their form 1040s. Alternatively, they could claim
exemption from the mandate by filing a form 8965. For most
filers, filling out line 61 would be mandatory. The IRS would
not accept 1040s unless the coverage box was checked, or the
shared responsibility payment noted, or the exemption form
included. Otherwise they would be labeled "silent returns" and
rejected. Instead, however, filling out that line will be
optional.
The Oroville Crisis Exposes The Vulnerability Of America's Entire
National Dam System (Video)
Zero Hedge - "Certainly someone in the 1960’s would never believe that
the United States would have these issues, but we’ve ignored them far
too long... When we look at this dam, which is a highly regulated dam, a
dam more highly regulated than almost any others. They had an emergency
spillway filled with trees. They had a principle spillway that was in
the process of failing and had been for years. So, if this can exist on
one of the most highly regulated dams then one can just interpolate and
imagine what the rest of the situation is like."
Yahoo Reveals More User Accounts Were Hacked, Hours After Renegotiating
Verizon Deal
Zero Hedge - Just hours after Bloomberg reported that Verizon is finally
close to a renegotiated deal for Yahoo! Inc.’s internet properties that
would reduce the price of the $4.8 billion agreement by about $250
million after the revelation of security breaches at the web company,
Yahoo issued another warning to users, advising them their accounts may
have been compromised by "potentially malicious" activity on their
accounts between 2015 and 2016. An email from Yahoo forwarded to ZDNet
said: "Our outside forensic experts have been investigating the creation
of forged cookies that could allow an intruder to access users' accounts
without a password. Based on the ongoing investigation, we believe a
forged cookie may have been used in 2015 or 2016 to access your
account." It was the latest development in the internet company's
investigation of a mega-breach that exposed 1 billion users' personal
data including email addresses, birthdates, and answers to security
questions, several years ago.
Kennedy, De Niro Hold Major Vaccine Safety Press Conference
(Video)
Adan Salazar - Activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and actor Robert
De Niro held a major press conference at the National Press Club
Wednesday to discuss the correlation between mercury-containing
vaccines and childhood autism. “The event will focus on the
announcement of a unique challenge with substantial cash award
to the American people and media,” a press release from
Kennedy’s World Mercury Project states. The conference will also
address President Donald Trump’s potential “Vaccine Safety
Commission,” which Kennedy claimed he’d been offered an
opportunity to chair last month. Sources tell Infowars the two
prominent figures are preparing to offer a cash reward of up to
$100,000 to anyone who can prove that mercury-containing
vaccines do not contribute to autism…. Read: Open Letter to
American Journalists from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Robert De
Niro…
* Related:
Video: Full Press Conference, Robert K. Kennedy, Jr. and Robert
De Niro National Press Club, Washington, DC
Safe salt levels are double those of current guidelines, say
experts
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Health warnings about salt have
been overdone, an influential expert panel has concluded. The
real safe upper limit is more than double the level that health
guardians are currently recommending. People can safely consume
around 5 g of salt a day without raising their risk of
hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart disease—even though
current guidelines warn that any amount above 2.3 g, which is
less than half a teaspoon, is dangerous. Experts from the World
Heart Federation, the European Society of Hypertension and the
European Public Health Association say they couldn’t find any
evidence that supports such a low level. In fact, they say it’s
not ‘feasible’ for people to consume such low doses, and it may
even be harmful to restrict salt to that extent. Instead, people
can safely consume between 3 g and 5 g a day without suffering
any health problems, they say. The current guidelines came about
after some studies noted that blood pressure levels had fallen
when people were consuming no more than 1.5 g of salt a day, but
the findings were ‘controversial’, the expert panel says.
* Related:
Pink Himalayan Salt Benefits that Make It Superior to Table Salt
Chlorine in drinking water linked to heart attacks and cancer
(NaturalHealth365) Numerous studies are showing a link between
chlorine intake and cancer, heart attacks and other negative
health effects. This occurs when chlorine byproducts trigger
harmful free radicals in the body and inhibit other cellular
processes. While drinking water with chlorination causes the
most damage, cooking and bathing with it can also expose you to
negative health effects. Keep in mind, the lungs and skin can be
just as sensitive as internal organs. The practice of
chlorination has been used since the 1800s, although it didn’t
become a standard until the early 1900s. It’s utilized primarily
because it is the cheapest way to disinfect large amounts of
water. However, it is far from the safest. In fact, using
chlorine in water is like pouring bleach in it…. The EPA and the
Environmental Defense Fund label chlorine a pesticide, since its
main purpose is to kill living organisms. However, it continues
to kill when it gets inside the human body, causing damage to
the cells and systems. It is also a catalyst for cancer. A
Hartford Connecticut area study found women with breast cancer
had at least 50 percent higher chlorination byproduct levels in
their breast tissue.
RECALL ALERT: Against The Grain Dog Food Recalled due to Presence of
Drug Pentobarbital
Dogington Post - Out of an abundance of caution, Against the Grain Pet
Food is voluntarily recalling one lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef
with Gravy Dinner for Dogs that was manufactured and distributed in
2015. The 12 oz. Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for
Dogs that is being voluntarily recalled, due to the potential presence
of pentobarbital, has an expiration date of December 2019, a lot number
of 2415E01ATB12, and the second half of the UPC code is 80001 (which can
be found on the back of the product label). Oral exposure to
pentobarbital can cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness,
excitement, loss of balance, nausea nystagmus (eyes moving back and
forth in a jerky manner), inability to stand and coma.
Wednesday - February
15, 2017
Today In History:
1764 - The city of St. Louis was established.
1799 - Printed ballots were authorized for use in elections in
the state of Pennsylvania.
1879 - U.S. President Hayes signed a bill that allowed female
attorneys to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
1898 - The USS Maine sank when it exploded in Havana Harbor for
unknown reasons. More than 260 crew members were killed.
1933 - U.S. President-elect Franklin Roosevelt escaped an
assignation attempt in Miami. Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak was
killed in the attack.
1942 - During World War II, Singapore surrendered to the
Japanese.
1962 - CBS-TV bought the exclusive rights to college football
games from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
for a figure of $10,200,000.
1965 - Canada displayed its new red and white maple leaf flag.
The flag was to replace the old Red Ensign standard.
1982 - During a storm, the Ocean Ranger, a drilling rig, sank
off the coast of Newfoundland. 84 men were killed.
1985 - The Center for Disease Control reported that more than
half of all nine-year-olds in the U.S. showed no sign of tooth
decay.
1989 - After nine years of intervention, the Soviet Union
announced that the remainder of its troops had left Afghanistan.
1991 - The leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland signed
the Visegard agreement, in which they pledged to cooperate in
transforming their countries to free-market economies.
1995 - The FBI arrested Kevin Mitnick and charged him with
cracking security in some of the nation's most protected
computers. He served five years in jail.
2002 - U.S. President George W. Bush approved Nevada's Yucca
Mountain as a site for long-term disposal of radioactive nuclear
waste.
US admits using toxic depleted uranium against ISIS in Syria
RT - More than 5,000 rounds of depleted uranium (DU) ammunition
were used in two attacks on Islamic State oil tankers in eastern
Syria, the US military has confirmed. The US-led coalition
previously pledged it would not use the controversial ordnance.
A spokesman for the US Central Command (CENTCOM) told Foreign
Policy that 5,265 armor-piercing DU rounds were used in November
2015, during two air raids against Islamic State (IS, formerly
ISIS/ISIL) oil tanker convoys in the Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah
provinces in eastern Syria…. In March 2015, spokesman for the
US-led coalition John Moore had explicitly ruled out the use of
the controversial ammunition, saying that “US and coalition
aircraft have not been and will not be using depleted uranium
munitions in Iraq or Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve.”
The Pentagon explained that armor-piercing DU rounds were not
necessary because IS did not have the tanks it was designed to
penetrate. Investigative reporter Samuel Oakford first brought
up the use of DU ammunition by the coalition in October 2016,
when a US Air Force congressional liaison told Representative
Martha McSally (R-Arizona) that A-10s flying missions over Syria
had fired 6,479 rounds of “combat mix” on two occasions. The
officer explained that a fifth of the “combat mix” consisted of
high-explosive incendiary (HEI) rounds, while the rest were DU
armor-piercers.
Trump Expects Putin To "Return" Crimea To Ukraine
Zero Hedge - … during today's Sean Spicer press conference, the
White House spokesman had that President Trump has been "tough"
on Russia and expects Moscow to “return” the Crimea peninsula to
Ukraine, the White House spokesman told reporters. Addressing
the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn –
hounded by the media over his contacts with Russian diplomats
prior to Trump’s inauguration – Spicer pointed out that Russia
“seized” Crimea under the Obama administration and that the
Trump-appointed ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has “strongly
denounced the Russian occupation.” "President Trump has made it
very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate
violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," Spicer said at a
daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and
wants to get along with Russia." That may be problematic if
indeed Trump plans to perpetuate the policies of his
predecessor. On February, the Nikki Haley said at the UN
Security Council that “Crimea is a part of Ukraine. Our
Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia
returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine." Russian envoy
Vitaly Churkin responded by citing the US Constitution and
pointing out that Crimeans overwhelmingly voted to join Russia,
after the US-backed coup in February 2014 overthrew the elected
government in Kiev.
'It's a THREAT' Russian fury as US deploys HUNDREDS of
helicopters in Germany
Express - A total of 24 Boeing AH-64D Apache and 94 Chinook and
Black Hawk helicopters arrived in the port city of Bremerhaven,
along with 350 vehicles and 1,800 personnel from the New York -
based 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. Most of the shipment will be
sent to an army base in the Bavarian town of Illesheim, with the
rest being sent to Poland, Lithuania and Romania. The enhanced
presence of American military might is part of Operation
Atlantic Resolve, the US' commitment to NATO in response to
Russia's intervention in Ukraine in 2014…. Major General Duane
A. Gamble, Commander of 21st Theater Sustainment Command, said
the purpose of the current visit was to train with NATO allies
and "strengthen our alliance together”…. He said that in the
next nine months, US troops would undertake at least 80
bilateral and multinational exercises…. Kremlin-funded news
website Russia Today reported deputy foreign minister Aleksey
Meshkov as saying: "This deployment is of course a threat for
us.
Russian Spy Ship Spotted Off US East Coast
Zero Hedge - US officials told Fox News that a Russian spy ship
has been spotted patrolling off the East Coast of the United
States on Tuesday morning, the first such patrol since President
Trump took office. According to Fox News, the Russian spy ship
was 70 miles off the coast of Delaware, heading north at 10
knots, according to one official. That location means the ship
is in international waters. The U.S. territory line is 12
nautical miles. It was not immediately clear where the Russian
spy ship was headed. The ship, the SSV-175 Viktor Leonov, last
sailed near the U.S. in April 2015, an official said. The ship
is capable of intercepting communications or signals, as well as
measuring U.S. Navy sonar capability. The Russian spy ship is
also armed with surface-to-air missiles. “It’s not a huge
concern, but we are keeping our eyes on it,” one official said.
Russian troops in amphibious vehicles practise invasion tactics
in tit-for-tat drills after NATO deployed troops to protect
Baltic states
Daily Mail - The Kremlin has demonstrated the ability of Russian
forces to carry out beach landings, at a time of heightened
tensions on Europe's borders. Video posted online by the Russian
Defence Ministry shows two tanks storm the beach, thought to be
in Ukraine, in a show of strength posted online as part of a
training exercise. It comes days after Russian President
Vladimir Putin launched a spot check on the country's aerospace
forces, in order to 'evaluate readiness' for combat.
Russian Insiders Fear Washington Establishment Will Assassinate
Trump
Paul Joseph Watson - Russian insiders are fearful that the
Washington establishment will attempt to assassinate Donald
Trump, according to a magazine with deep ties to the globalist
elite. The revelation is buried deep within a Foreign Policy
article about how the Kremlin is confused about how to respond
to Trump’s role as a “revolutionary insurgent with a mission to
dismantle America’s “old regime.” From “conversations with
Russian policymakers and experts,” the article makes it clear
that power players in Moscow are concerned about Trump even
being able to see out his first four years in office. “What the
Kremlin fears most today is that Trump may be ousted or even
killed. His ouster, Kremlin insiders argue, is bound to unleash
a virulent and bipartisan anti-Russian campaign in Washington,”
states the piece. “The Kremlin is perfectly aware that Democrats
want to use Russia to discredit and possibly impeach Trump while
Republican elites want to use Russia to deflate and discipline
Trump. The Russian government fears not only Trump’s downfall,
of course, but also the possibility that he could
opportunistically switch to a tough anti-Moscow line in order to
make peace with hawkish Republican leaders in Congress.”
Euro Humiliation: Germany ‘freaked out’ as Greece 'could ditch
EU currency for US Dollar'
Express - GREECE could be poised to humiliate Brussels by
ditching the euro and instead choosing to be tied to the US
dollar, Donald Trump’s reported pick as EU ambassador has
sensationally claimed. Professor Ted Malloch revealed that
senior Greek economists have enquired about the possibility of
adopting the greenback if the country crashes out of the single
currency. He asserted that Athens is so desperate it is prepared
to tie itself to the dollar on the same terms as the likes of
Puerto Rico if it means being able to quit the eurozone. And
Prof Malloch said German leaders including Angela Merkel were
“freaked out” at the humiliating possibility of losing Greece to
a rival currency, which would be a devastating blow to the EU
project. Tying Greece temporarily to the US dollar would be one
way for the authorities in Athens to ensure that its currency
does not completely tank if it leaves the eurozone, as would
likely occur with a reissued drachma. However critics may argue
the country would be jumping out of the frying pan and into the
fire, as it would simply be trading one currency it has no
control over for another.
Greece plans to hire Rothschild as debt adviser
RT - As concerns over Greece and its debt mount, Athens has
reportedly decided to call in Rothschild, one of the oldest
financial firms in the world, to navigate the country’s
long-running creditor stand-off and avert default. According to
the Financial Times, Greek authorities hope to finalize the
appointment before crunch debt talks with eurozone finance
ministers on February 20. The date has been described as the
last chance for a bailout review with the upcoming elections in
Europe likely to dominate the EU agenda. Sources told the FT
that Rothschild is expected to advise Athens on all areas
connected to its debt, including negotiations with creditors,
potential inclusion in the European Central Bank’s €80 billion
per month bond-buying program and the resumption of Greek
government bond sales. They added the bank will be paid a bonus
when Greece regains access to global debt markets…. The
appointment of Rothschild as sovereign debt adviser will require
ministerial approval. The bank will thus replace US investment
bank Lazard, which worked on Greece’s bailout talks in 2012, and
is currently acting as financial adviser to the Greek Ministry
of Energy.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Deep State Leak Campaign Brings Down National
Security Advisor Michael Flynn
Blacklisted News - After one of the most blatant leak campaigns
by national security officials in recent memory, former General
Michael Flynn resigned from office as national security advisor
Monday evening. The official reason for the resignation was
giving “incomplete information” to the vice president and others
about a call between himself and the Russian Ambassador to the
United States Sergey Kislyak in December. Today, White House
Press Secretary Sean Spicer said President Trump lost confidence
in Flynn related to his memory and honesty, particularly in
reference to what Flynn told the vice president. Spicer also
said a legal review was performed by the White House Counsel’s
Office which found no legal issues with Flynn’s conduct. Spicer
said the fundamental issue was trust. According to The New York
Times, the White House reviewed a transcript of the
call—retained from a longstanding wire tape of Kislyak—and found
it to be “ambiguous enough that Mr. Trump could have justified
either firing or retaining Mr. Flynn.” So what led President
Trump to go with firing? Probably the torrent of stories
smashing down on the White House that were part of a clearly
coordinated campaign that reached crescendo on Sunday when
stories from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall
Street Journal, and Politico hit within a 30-minute period. All
the stories claimed to be predicated on information from
national security officials and other insiders. The Washington
Post has been the biggest repository of leaks and started the
campaign when intelligence officials told David Ignatius (and
eventually other Washington Post reporters) that Flynn had
talked to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about sanctions in a
phone call after the election, but before taking office.
EXCLUSIVE: In Final Interview, Defiant Flynn Insists He Crossed
No Lines, Leakers Must Be Prosecuted
The Daily Caller - In the final hours before his resignation,
now-former White House National Security Adviser Michael T.
Flynn said he “crossed no lines” in his discussion with Russia’s
ambassador, but ultimately he was most concerned about the
steady stream of leaks to reporters based on classified
information. “In some of these cases, you’re talking about stuff
that’s taken off of a classified system and given to a reporter.
That’s a crime,” Flynn told The Daily Caller News Foundation
Investigative Group during a telephone interview from his White
House office on Monday. “You call them leaks. It’s a criminal
act. This is a crime. It’s not just a wink and a nod,” Flynn
said. “Over the weekend,” Bloomberg’s Eli Lake reports, Flynn
“was instructed not to speak to the press when he was in the
fight for his political life. His staff was not even allowed to
review the transcripts of his call to the Russian ambassador.”…
President Donald Trump tweeted early Tuesday on leaks from
officials within his administration, saying, “The real story
here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of
Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea
etc?”
Mike Flynn May Face Felony Charges For Lying To The FBI
Zero Hedge - The FBI had no problem letting Hillary Clinton off
the hook despite numerous attempts to hide the truth; Mike Flynn
may not be so lucky. Earlier today, media reports hit that FBI
agents interviewed Michael Flynn when he was national security
adviser in the first days of the Trump administration about his
conversations with the Russian ambassador. While it is not clear
what he said in his interview, the FBI now adds that
investigators "believed that Mr. Flynn was not entirely
forthcoming, the officials said." That avenue raises the stakes
of what so far has been a political scandal that cost Mr. Flynn
his job, and which Sean Spicer explained today was merely a
matter of Trump "losing trust" in his Security advisor, because
if authorities conclude that Mr. Flynn knowingly lied to the
F.B.I., "it could expose him to a felony charge", even though
some have questioned how an illegally obtained transcript of his
phone conversation could be admissable as evidence in a court of
law.
* Related:
Hillary Trolls Michael Flynn On Twitter With PizzaGate Reference
Russian lawmakers blame US ‘paranoia’ for Michael Flynn’s
resignation
RT - Several senior Russian MPs have denied that Russia played
any role in the recent resignation of US President Donald
Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, saying that
the scandal was a provocation targeting Russia-US relations.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Tuesday that he
saw no “Russian trace” in Flynn’s resignation…. Leonid Slutskiy,
the head of State Duma Committee for International Relations,
said he has reasons to believe that Trump’s former adviser
resigned due to external pressure…. “This situation is a
negative signal for arranging Russian-American dialogue. It is
obvious that Flynn had to submit his resignation under certain
pressure. But President Trump accepted it. The chosen pretext
was Flynn’s contact with the Russian ambassador, even though
this is normal diplomatic practice,” he noted.
Ethics Office Recommends "Disciplinary Action" Against Kellyanne
Conway
Zero Hedge - Under the present circumstances, there is strong
reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of
Conduct Act and that disciplinary action is warranted,” Walter
Schaub wrote in a Tuesday letter to White House legal counselor
Stefan Passantino. "I recommend the White House investigate Ms.
Conway’s actions and consider taking disciplinary action against
her."
Meet The Man Most Likely To Replace Mike Flynn
Zero Hedge - Meet Vice Admiral Robert Harward: former deputy
commander of the U.S. Central Command and Chief Executive
Officer for Lockheed Martin in the UAE, who has emerged as the
front-runner to replace Michael Flynn as the White House
national security adviser…. Harward served under Mattis while he
was at U.S. Central Command and remains an ally and friend of
the defense secretary. He is a Rhode Island native who went to
school in Tehran before the shah was toppled in 1979. He went on
to the U.S. Naval Academy and a long career in the Navy, where
he worked on SEAL teams and was a commander in Afghanistan and
Iraq. Harward did a tour on the National Security Council under
Republican President George W. Bush working on counterterrorism.
AZ investigates ‘unlicensed’ cosmetology student over free
haircuts for homeless
American Mirror - Montesdeoca, a Tucson cosmetology student,
received notification that he’s now under investigation by the
state board after he offered free haircuts to the homeless in
late January, a mission he took upon himself after his Regency
Beauty school closed in September, Tucson News Now reports….
Montesdeoca set up shop at Santa Rita Park and has given dozens
of free haircuts to the less fortunate over the past few months.
Montesdeoca also reached out to others on Facebook to solicit
their help for “free haircuts, nails, medical and love for our
homeless people in need, on the streets” for a special Jan. 28
event near the downtown library, according to a flyer for the
event highlighted by KVOA…. Montesdeoca’s charity work, however,
was cut short when he received a copy of an anonymous complaint
to the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology submitted through the
agency’s online system on Jan. 26…. Arizona State Board of
Cosmetology executive director Donna Aune refused to discuss
Montesdeoca’s situation, and instead pointed to a state statute
that states “A person shall not perform or attempt to perform
cosmetology without a license or practice in any place other
than a licensed salon,” Tucson News Now reports. Aune alleged
it’s a “real risk” to receive a free haircut from an unlicensed
cosmetologist because of safety and sanitation issues.
Oroville dam evacuation order lifted, warning remains — the dam “may”
hold up to upcoming storms
RT - California officials lifted the evacuation orders for residents
downstream of Oroville Dam, saying the dam may hold up to upcoming
storms. Almost 200,000 residents have already been evacuated after
erosion threatened the emergency spillway. The Butte County Sheriff’s
Department cited “lower lake levels, further inspections, ongoing work
to shore-up the Oroville Dam emergency spillway and updated weather
forecasts” to announce the change at 1pm local time on Tuesday. “Any
resident displaced by the evacuation may return home at 1:00 pm; however
all residents are advised to remain vigilant and prepared as conditions
can rapidly change. People who have special needs or require extended
time to evacuate should consider remaining evacuated,” said the
announcement, issued by Sheriff Kory Honea.
Outlawing microchipping humans not so far
fetched, Nevada senator says
Las Vegas Review-Journal - State Sen. Becky Harris said a bill to
prohibit forced microchipping of people is not as far-fetched as it
might seem because it happens in some places around the world. Senate
Bill 109 would make it a Class C felony to require someone to be
implanted with a radio frequency identifier, such as microchips placed
in pets. The idea for the bill came from a constituent, the Las Vegas
Republican said. As I began to look into the issue, I was surprised with
the merit that I believe the issue warrants,” Harris told the Senate
Judiciary Committee on Monday. She said sales of radio frequency
identifiers are escalating around the world, and a company in Australia
as of June 2016 sold more than 10,000 implantable chips with
do-it-yourself kits…. The Wall Street Journal has reported an estimated
30,000 to 50,000 chips have been sold globally, she said. Harris said
the technology is used by companies in Belgium and Sweden to identify
employees…. Besides privacy concerns, Harris said the concept raises
ethical questions, such as who owns the chip or the information
contained on it, and how does someone get “de-chipped” if they are no
longer employed by the company that required it. She also wondered if a
chip could be hacked to harass or stalk someone.
Now sites can fingerprint you online even when you use multiple browsers
Ars Technica - Until now, however, the tracking has been limited to a
single browser. This constraint made it infeasible to tie, say, the
fingerprint left behind by a Firefox browser to the fingerprint from a
Chrome or Edge installation running on the same machine. The new
technique—outlined in a research paper titled (Cross-)Browser
Fingerprinting via OS and Hardware Level Features—not only works across
multiple browsers, it's also more accurate than previous single-browser
fingerprinting. Fingerprinting isn't automatically bad and, in some
cases, offers potential benefits to end users. Banks, for instance, can
use it to know that a person logging into an online account isn't using
the computer that has been used on every previous visit. Based on that
observation, the bank could check with the account holder by phone to
make sure the login was legitimate. But fingerprinting also carries
sobering privacy concerns. "From the negative perspective, people can
use our cross-browser tracking to violate users' privacy by providing
customized ads,”…
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
325 Food and Farm Groups Urge Jeff Sessions to Oppose Big Ag
Mega-Mergers, Incentives
Natural Blaze - In a letter sent to Sessions and copied to
members of Congress and state attorneys general, the massive
coalition of organizations pointed to the “adverse and
wide-ranging consequences” of three pending mergers between
agrichemical and seed companies: Dow Chemical with DuPont,
Monsanto with Bayer AG, and Syngenta with ChemChina. “When taken
together,” the groups wrote of the deals that will be considered
by the Sessions-helmed U.S. Department of Justice, “they pose
the threat of major oligopolistic outcomes in the industries of
farming inputs, research, development, and technology.” And that
could hurt some of the very people who Sessions’ boss, President
Donald Trump, promised to help on the 2016 campaign trail.
“Farmers across the country know that these mergers will result
in fewer options and higher prices for the inputs we rely on,”
said Mike Weaver, president of the Organization for Competitive
Markets, among the letter’s signatories. “Already, a third of
what a farmer makes for a corn harvest goes to pay for the seed
alone; in the end there is nothing left for the farm family.
We’ve seen what happens when too few companies control too much
of the market, and these mergers would only make a bad situation
worse.”
Rising Demand for Organic and Non-GMO Grains Outpaces US
Production
Sustainable Pulse - Increasing consumer demand for organic and
non-GMO foods led to a sharp rise in organic grain imports in
2016—prompting food manufacturers to explore new incentives for
U.S. growers transitioning to organic production, according to a
new report from CoBank. While U.S. production of non-GMO crops
has risen, domestic production of organic corn and soybeans
remains well short of demand…. Imports of organic grains,
particularly corn, from countries such as India, Ukraine,
Romania, and Turkey surged in 2016 to meet the burgeoning U.S.
demand for organic food products. Organic corn imports more than
doubled from 2015 to 2016 and accounted for nearly one-half of
the U.S. organic corn supply. The domestic shortfall for organic
soybeans was even greater, with roughly 80 percent of soybeans
supplying the U.S. organic market imported in 2016…. For U.S.
farmers to satisfy this growing appetite for organic foods,
analysts estimate between one and five million U.S. acres would
have to be transitioned to organic production.
Shocking: Infant Twins Die Simultaneously After Vaccines,
Medical Board Rules ‘Just A Coincidence’
Blacklisted News - Given that the sudden and simultaneous deaths
of twins rarely occur, you would think, especially given the
fact that they had been recently vaccinated, that it would
receive quite a bit of attention. However, this story went
largely unreported. (In order for twins to meet the criteria for
simultaneous SIDS both babies must have died independently and
within the same 24 hour time period.) PubMed reports that
identical twin girls, aged 3.5-months and delivered via
c-section, were found dead (by their poor momma) in their crib,
both laying face up. Not surprisingly, both babies were healthy
will no serious medical history. Two days before their death,
both of the girls had received their second dose of oral polio,
DPT, and their first dose of hepatitis B vaccines. They had a
fever the day after the vaccines and were given a teaspoon of
acetaminophen. All that and yet, “the death scene investigation,
judicial investigation, parental assessment, macroscopic and
microscopic autopsy findings and the toxicological analysis
didn’t yield any specific cause of death.” Because the case was
so rare it was referred to a board of multidisciplinary medical
professionals at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, in the
Ministry of Justice, in Istanbul. And yet, the Board still
decided that the data they had was consistent with SIDS. (Let
this sink in: a medical journal is reporting that twins, who
were recently vaccinated both died, but it's nothing more than
the luck of the draw. Unexplainable. That makes about as much
sense as pediatricians who claim some kids “just get fevers all
the time.”)
Natural Products Championed in Congress
Alliance for Natural Health - Tell your legislators that we need
legislation that will increase consumer access to natural
products. Action Alert! In the last Congress, Sen. Orrin Hatch
(R-UT) and Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) introduced a bill that would
allow Health Savings Account (HSA) funds to go toward dietary
supplements without having to get a doctor’s prescription; the
same would apply to health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
The legislation, called the Health Savings Act of 2016, did this
by expanding the term “medical care” to include vitamins,
minerals, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and other natural health
products, and would allow spending up to $1,000 each year.
Similar legislation was introduced in 2011 and 2013. As of right
now, no bills have been introduced in the new Congress to expand
HSAs and FSAs to include dietary supplements. Now is the time to
encourage your members of Congress to do so. The more support we
can provide, the greater the chances that this legislation will
either pass or be included in the next round of healthcare
legislation. Patience and persistence will be rewarded. Please
let Congress know how much this matters to you!
Chia Seeds: REVERSE Depression, Reduce Blood Sugar Spikes, Fight
Cancer & Boost Energy
Living Traditionally - Chia seeds are becoming increasingly
common as a source of fiber, omega-3’s, and various other health
benefits…. Gram for gram, chia seeds have more calcium than most
dairy products providing 18% of the Recommended Dietary
Allowance for adults in a single ounce! As well as being high in
several nutrients important for bone health, including calcium,
phosphorus, magnesium and protein. Study found that person who
consumed more ALA than those who did not had fewer symptoms of
depression. Surprisingly, the person who consumed omega-3 from
fish did have symptoms of depression. This means that it’s ALA,
not other kinds of omega-3s, that aid in reducing depressive
symptoms…. Chia seeds are rich in alpha lineic acid (or ALA)
which is an Omega-3 fatty acid. It is found that ALA limited the
growth of cancer cells in both breast and cervical cancers….
Every 100 gram will give you close to 40g of dietary fiber.
Fiber is an excellent agent for digestion and helps keep
bowel-related ailments (like constipation) away.
Former Hill’s Science Diet Veterinarian new AVMA CEO
Susan Thixton - Janet Dolin DVM is the new American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA) Chief Executive Officer. She’s gone from working at
AVMA, to chief veterinary officer of Hill’s Science Diet, and now back
to AVMA as their new CEO. Does AVMA work too closely with Hill’s? Pet
owners depend on their veterinarians to be unbiased, to recommend the
best treatment options based on science and experience. In turn,
veterinarians depend on their association to be unbiased, to provide
unbiased on-going education of treatment options including the use of
prescription pet foods. Can the on-going education of practicing
veterinarians be unbiased if it comes from a revolving door between AVMA
and Hill’s Science Diet?
Tuesday - February
14, 2017 -
HAPPY VALENTINE'S
DAY
Today In History:
1778 - The Stars and Stripes was carried to a foreign port, in
France, for the first time. It was aboard the American ship
Ranger.
1849 - The 1st photograph of a U.S. President, while in
office, was taken by Matthew Brady in NYC. President
James Polk was the subject of the picture.
1859 - Oregon became the 33rd member of the Union.
1876 - Alexander Graham Bell filed an application for a patent
for the telephone. It was officially issued on March 7, 1876.
1899 - The U.S. Congress approved voting machines for use in
federal elections.
1912 - The first diesel engine submarine was commissioned in
Groton, CT.
1912 - Arizona was admitted as the 48th U.S. state.
1929 - The "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in Chicago,
IL. Seven gangsters who were rivals of Al Capone were killed.
1962 - U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy gave a tour of the
White House on television.
1983 - A 6-year-old boy became the first person to receive a
heart and liver transplants in the same operation.
1985 - Cable News Network (CNN) reporter Jeremy Levin was freed.
He had been being held in Lebanon by extremists.
1989 - Union Carbide agreed to pay $470 million to the
government of India. The court-ordered settlement was a result
of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster.
1997 - Astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery began a series
of spacewalks that were required to overhaul the Hubble Space
Telescope.
1998 - U.S. authorities officially announced that Eric Rudolph
was a suspect in a bombing of an abortion clinic in Alabama.
2002 - The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Shays-Meehan
bill. The bill, if passed by the U.S. Senate, would ban millions
of unregulated money that goes to the national political
parties.
2005 - The video-sharing website YouTube was activated.
Global Effort Launched to “Repeal and Replace” United Nations
The New American - A global effort dubbed “Covenant of
Democratic Nations” is working to abolish the United Nations,
widely ridiculed as the “dictators club,” and replace it with an
international forum open exclusively to free and democratic
nations. Basically, it is a “repeal and replace” campaign to
protect the world from the UN and its increasingly vicious
attacks on freedom and self-government. A number of lawmakers
around the world have expressed interest in the campaign as the
movement travels from city to city hosting events to expose the
UN and promote an alternative. The figurative straw that broke
the camel’s back for organizers appears to have been UN Security
Council resolution 2334 declaring the presence of Jews in parts
of Jerusalem to be a violation of supposed “international law.”
The move sparked outrage across the political spectrum. Even
stalwart neo-conservatives and globalists jumped on the
bandwagon to defund the UN. On Capitol Hill, interest in
protecting America and liberty from the UN has surged since that
vote. The “Covenant of Democratic Nations” agenda also has
strong support among certain Jewish and Zionist groups seeking
to defend Israel against the constant UN demonization.
Canada's Problem? US Refugee Crossings "Epidemic" Amid Fear,
Distrust Of Trump
Zero Hedge - In what some might call a 'win' for President
Trump, Canadian immigration officials warn they are experiencing
a "big surge [of refugees] coming across the border" with many
of them proclaiming their distrust and fear of President Trump.
... according to CBC News: "Kris Grogan, a public affairs
officer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said border
officials on the U.S. side are becoming increasingly worried
about asylum seekers trying to get into Canada.... As CBC News
first reported in January, hundreds of asylum seekers have
walked into Canada through fields near the Emerson border."....
An agreement with the US prevents asylum seekers from lodging
claims in Canada if they first landed stateside, but it only
applies to arrivals at border checkpoints, airports and train
stations.... As a reminder, Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau responded to Donald Trump’s immigration ban by saying
Canada welcomes refugees who have been rejected from the US.
TSA employees arrested for cocaine smuggling operation in Puerto
Rico
TheHill - The defendants are accused of helping smuggle
approximately 20 tons of cocaine through Luis Muñoz Marín
International Airport over the course of 18 years, from 1998 to
2016. The investigation was initiated by the TSA as part of an
ongoing effort to target employee misconduct and reduce insider
threats. The operation allegedly involved employees smuggling
suitcases through TSA checkpoints at the airport and onto
flights, with as many as five mules on some flights and with
each mule checking two suitcases in some cases. Six current and
former TSA screening officers have been indicted in the case for
their alleged role in smuggling cocaine through X-ray machines
and onto airplanes without detection. An Airport Aviation
Services worker, who was a baggage handler and ramp employee, is
charged with paying TSA employees to clear the suitcases stuffed
with cocaine; taking the suitcases to their designated flights;
and giving a drug trafficking organization member the “all
clear” for mules to board the plane.... The TSA has dealt with a
number of high-profile security lapses at airports in recent
years, including a gun-smuggling operation uncovered at
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in 2015.
Maduro Kicks CNN Out Of Venezuela, Accuses It Of Spreading Fake
News
Zero Hedge - ... a new scandal has erupted for the cable news
network after Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said on
Sunday he wanted CNN out of the country, accusing it of
spreading fake news, misrepresenting the truth and meddling in
issues that are not of its concern.... Last week PanAmPost
reported that a student demanded on national television that the
president improve the conditions of his school, asking for
security, infrastructure and food so his classmates wouldn’t
faint from hunger anymore. CNN en Español visited the high
school and talked with the staff about the student, and whether
Maduro had made any improvements since that incident only to
discover he had not.... The demand for CNN to leave the country
also came a few days after CNN en Espanol broadcast and posted
online an in-depth investigation into how officials of the
Venezuelan Embassy in Iraq allegedly sold Venezuelan passports
and visas to suspected terrorists.... Earlier on Sunday,
Venezuelan police arrested and expelled two Brazilian reporters
after they toured a structure built in 2012 by Odebrecht, the
Brazilian company being investigated for a vast corruption
scheme that allegedly touches several Latin American governments
and heads of state.
Valentine's Day gets chilly reception in parts of Asia
Daily Mail - A Pakistani court has banned public celebrations of
Valentine's Day in the capital Islamabad while Indonesian
students plan to spurn the event, as the festival of love gets a
chilly reception in parts of Asia. Lonely hearts looking for
romance in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore were warned to
beware of the growth in online love scams, while grumpy
protesters in Japan rallied in recent days for an end to public
smooching…. in Japan, a group of marxist protesters known as "Kakuhido",
or the Revolutionary Alliance of Men that Women find
Unattractive, also called for an end to public displays of love,
claiming it hurts their feelings.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Sabotage: Obama Is Commanding An Army Of 30,000 Anti-Trump
Activists From His Home 2 Miles From The White House
Michael Snyder - On Saturday, the New York Post ran an excellent
article by author Paul Sperry that was entitled “How Obama is
scheming to sabotage Trump’s presidency”. In that piece, Sperry
actually accuses Obama of setting up “a shadow government” to
oppose Trump… When former President Barack Obama said he was
“heartened” by anti-Trump protests, he was sending a message of
approval to his troops. Troops? Yes, Obama has an army of
agitators — numbering more than 30,000 — who will fight his
Republican successor at every turn of his historic presidency.
And Obama will command them from a bunker less than two miles
from the White House. In what’s shaping up to be a highly
unusual post-presidency, Obama isn’t just staying behind in
Washington. He’s working behind the scenes to set up what will
effectively be a shadow government to not only protect his
threatened legacy, but to sabotage the incoming administration
and its popular “America First” agenda. The “army of agitators”
that Sperry is talking about is actually a nationwide network of
“community organizers” known as “Organizing for Action”. If you
go to the official website of Organizing for Action, you will
see that there is a big picture of Obama right in the background
of the homepage. Organizing for Action “grew out of Barack
Obama’s first presidential campaign”, and it claims to have 250
local chapters around the nation.
Senate Passes Mnuchin As Treasury Secretary
The Daily Caller - The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s
nominee to head the Department of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin,
Monday. Prior to being tapped for the position, he served as
Trump’s finance chairman during the campaign. He has a long
history in banking, having served as chairman of Dune Capital
Management, a hedge fund he founded in 2002. Mnuchin also spent
17 years working at Goldman Sachs, worked at Soros Fund
Management and co-founded OneWest Bank Group.
Ben Stein: Courts Launching Coup Against Constitution (Video)
Jamie White - The federal courts are overreaching on their power
to launch a “coup d’état against the executive branch and the
Constitution,” says political commentator and actor Ben Stein.
Appearing on Fox’s Justice with Judge Jeanine on Sunday, Stein
said that the leftist federal judges are blocking Trump’s travel
restrictions because it would “make them big shots and big
wheels in Seattle.”.… The mainstream media is also using the
courts as a tool to delegitimize Trump, Stein added. “The media
is the supreme power in America right now, and they’re trying to
cut President Trump down to size, and they’re using the
judiciary as one of their pawns,” he said. “The media is the
unaccountable fourth branch of government. And they can just
make up sources and have them go down in the history books as
great journalists – they make things up.”
BLM Agent in Bundy Case Accused of Misconduct
The New American - Federal Judge Gloria Navarro has denied
motions to dismiss charges against 17 defendants in the Bundy
Ranch standoff trials, but she has ordered prosecutors to turn
over an investigative report that could severely damage the
government’s case. “The OIG (Office of the Inspector General in
the Department of the Interior) Report details several
violations of federal ethics regulations, misuse of government
property, misuse of a government position, and ‘a lack of candor
when interviewed,” Navarro wrote in a ruling this past week. “At
a minimum, [defendants] may use this alleged misconduct on
cross-examination to impeach [the agent].” Las Vegas attorney
Bret Whipple represents cattle rancher Clive Bundy in the case.
He charged that Daniel Love... , an agent prominent in the Bundy
case, is the same agent mentioned in the report. “I’m sure it is
him,” Whipple said late last week. “If it is Dan Love.... He is
the primary figure in the government’s case. He put together the
plan.”... Sarah Gordon, an associate professor of law at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, opined that Love’s behavior
will certainly impact the outcome of the case. “This stuff," she
said, "suggests that he’s willing to cheat and lie for his job.”
While she does not think it “kills” the case for the federal
government, it certainly makes it much more difficult.
Chris Christie Says Asset Forfeiture Transparency Is Bad For Law
Enforcement, Vetoes Unanimously-Supported Bill
Tech Dirt - Part of the reason asset forfeiture is such a
problem is the lack of transparency. The funds obtained through
this process are frequently hidden from the public and used to
purchase everything from margarita makers to Stingray devices.
The procedure through which the government takes control of
citizens' assets is also shrouded in secrecy. Cases are filed
against property, not the persons formerly in possession of
them. The process for retrieval is purposely impenetrable,
designed to make it almost impossible for petitioners to reclaim
their assets. aw enforcement officials claim that all parts of
this opaque process are there to prevent drug dealing and/or
terrorism, hence their reluctance to divulge the inner details
of this particular mean/method. Legislators in New Jersey were
hoping to end this unofficial tradition with a bill that would
have demanded far more transparency from agencies involved in
asset forfeiture. S2267 passed with unanimous support in both
houses of the State legislature and would have instituted the
following information be submitted to the state Attorney
General's office every year…. This information would have
provided the public with valuable insight into state law
enforcement's use of asset forfeiture.
West Virginia Bill Would End Common Core Within the State
Tenth Amendment Center - A West Virginia bill would withdraw the
state from Common Core standards, an important step toward
nullifying the nationalized education program in the state. Del.
Pat McGeehan (R-Hancock, 1) introduced House Bill 2214 (HB2214)
to void Common Core standards and create a framework to
establish state standards to replace them. It reads, in part:
Effective July 1, 2017, the State Board of Education is
prohibited from implementing Common Core academic content
standards. In addition, HB2214 contains language that would
protect the personally identifiable information of West Virginia
students from federal partnerships and other data-sharing
agreements that put student privacy at risk.
Sheriff Must Pay $100K of Own His Money for Brutality Case or
Head to Debtors Court
The AntiMedia - As the Free Thought Project has reported
extensively, police officers, even when found at fault for their
abusive actions, are almost never held personally liable. It is
the taxpayers who foot the bill. However, a new trend in
accountability seems to be on the rise.... The most recent case
of a police officer being held personally liable comes out of
Los Angeles, where former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca
must decide within a week whether to pay $100,000 in damages —
stemming from a civil lawsuit involving an inmate abuse case —
or face liens on his assets, an attorney for the inmate said
Friday, according to the LA Times.... After a brief trial, the
jury returned a verdict in [inmate Tyler] Willis’ favor and held
Baca personally liable. However, Baca, with the power of the
police union, fought the ruling for the last 4 years, calling
the idea of a police officer being held personally liable a
“huge mistake.”.... In spite of never winning an appeal, Baca
has refused to pay and now Willis’ attorney is going one step
further.... It seems that Baca, who is currently drawing a
$328,000 annual pension for the rest of his life — in spite of
being a terrible cop — is holding out for the county to use
taxpayer money.
Musicians ask Trump for money help after Grammys bashing
Washington Examiner - President Trump's political opponents in
the music industry would like his help in at least one regard:
The laws that govern who makes money off of music. "The
Recording Academy, together with America's music makers, call on
the president and Congress to help keep the music playing by
updating music laws, protecting music education, and renewing
America's commitment to the arts," Neil Portnow, the president
of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, said
during the 2017 Grammy Awards Sunday night. The appeal
demonstrated how the business side of the music industry will
have to grapple with the reality of Trump's victory, following
an evening dotted with political attacks on Trump from the
artists themselves.
School District Bans Forks in Cafeterias Because...
The Federalist Papers - …an inter-city Pittsburgh high school
has been forced to temporarily ban forks because students
reportedly kept attacking each other with them.... “They are
taking the kids’ utensils from them for lunch, tell them to eat
with their fingers and they are not allowed to use bathrooms,”
complained one parent. “It’s just ridiculous.” The parent
neglected to mention that local authorities have been called to
Sto-Rox High School almost daily due to student fights and drug
use in the bathrooms. The situation at this school is clearly
out of control, and while the rules implemented by officials are
admittedly a bit draconian, it should be noted that there is a
precedent. According to The Daily Caller, after a gunman shot a
student outside the school last April, teachers “criticized the
administrative response to the shooting, observing that there
was no district-wide lockdown and that children at a nearby
elementary school were released to traipse into school buses
while police actively cased the area for the shooter.”
US Scrambled to Fill Empty Vaults After Germany Requested Return
of 300 Tons of Gold
Russia Insider - According to reports, the transfer was
uneventful and even ahead of schedule.... But experts say that
Germany's decision to repatriate its gold revealed a
not-so-secret secret: U.S. gold reserves are not nearly as large
as they are reported to be: "Valentin Katasonov, a professor at
the International Finance Department at the Moscow State
Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), suggested that the
US disposed of Germany’s gold bars at its own discretion....
According to the economist, the gold bars that Bundesbank
repatriated have different labels. He suggested that the US
might have replaced the German bullion with different gold bars
bought from the market.".... This is interesting in its own
right. But another important aspect of this story is: Why is
Germany so eager to get its gold back?... We reported last week
that Russia and China were dumping U.S. treasuries and buying up
gold. It seems that Germany is positioning itself accordingly.
Macy’s Stock Price Plummets More Than 50% Since They Announced
Cutting Ties With Trump In 2015!
The GatewayPundit - In July of 2015, Macy’s announced they would
be cutting ties with then Presidential candidate, Donald Trump
over his comments about Mexican immigration. At the time their
stock price was trading at apprx $72.00 per share. Today, Macy’s
stock is worth $32.58 per share…. As a few big name brands have
dropped President Donald J. Trump and Ivanka Trump’s brands last
week, it brought to mind one of the first to throw down the
gauntlet with The Donald, Macy’s department stores. Within a
month of Trump’s announcement promising to stem the tide of
illegal immigrants from Mexico, Macy’s cut off its 10+ year long
relationship with Trump. Macy’s is also under pressure from
liberal fascists to remove Ivanka Trump’s products… The left
always claims to be ‘pro-woman’ yet they continue to bash Ivanka
Trump who is a wife, mother and entrepreneur. She’s a wonderful
role model for the modern woman, yet she is demonized because of
who her father is.
Joy Villa's Album Sales Rise 54,350,100%
Daily Wire - When Joy Villa woke up Sunday morning, she was a
rather obscure musician most well-known for her revealing
outfits. How obscure? Her 2014 album "I Make the Static" was
ranked 543,502 on Amazon. But when she woke up Monday morning,
after attending the Grammys, all that had changed. Her "Static"
album had soared to No. 1 -- an increase of 54,350,100 percent!
In fact, the top six entries on Amazon's "movers and shakers"
were all works by Villa. So what did she do to blow up
overnight?.... She wore a dress -- this time one that covered
all of her bathing suit areas but garnered a different kind of
attention. Villa wore a full-length red, white and blue dress
that said "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" from the top to the flared
bottom, where the word "TRUMP" was emblazoned. The heads of the
liberals gathered to praise each other for their artistic
creativity collectively exploded. The dress was created by
Filipino-born designer Andre Soriano, who described the outfit
as “a tribute to OUR President of the United States."
Live updates: Evacuations below Oroville Dam remain in effect as
officials try to make repairs before new storms
LA Times - More than 100,000 people were told to evacuate from
areas near Oroville Dam in Northern California on Sunday because
officials feared that an emergency spillway could fail, sending
huge amounts of water into the Feather River, which runs through
downtown Oroville, and other waterways…. A new storm system
forecast for later this week put water officials on a race
against time. Bill Croyle, the acting director of the state
Department of Water Resources, said they planned to continue
discharging flows at a rate of 100,000 cubic feet per second,
with the hope of lowering the reservoir level by 50 feet. The
biggest concern was that a hillside that keeps water in Lake
Oroville — California’s second largest reservoir — would
suddenly crumble Sunday afternoon, threatening the lives of
thousands of people by flooding communities downstream. With
Lake Oroville filled to the brim, such a collapse could have
caused a “30-foot wall of water coming out of the lake,”
Cal-Fire incident commander Kevin Lawson said at a Sunday night
press conference.
* Related:
Video: Lake Oroville Dam Spillway Failure Full Coverage
(February 12-13)
Oroville Dam: Feds and state officials ignored warnings 12 years
ago
Mercury News - Three environmental groups — the Friends of the
River, the Sierra Club and the South Yuba Citizens League —
filed a motion with the federal government on Oct. 17, 2005, as
part of Oroville Dam’s relicensing process, urging federal
officials to require that the dam’s emergency spillway be
armored with concrete, rather than remain as an earthen
hillside. The groups filed the motion with FERC, the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission. They said that the dam, built and
owned by the state of California, and finished in 1968, did not
meet modern safety standards because in the event of extreme
rain and flooding, fast-rising water would overwhelm the main
concrete spillway, then flow down the emergency spillway, and
that could cause heavy erosion that would create flooding for
communities downstream, but also could cause a failure, known as
“loss of crest control.”… FERC rejected that request, however,
after the state Department of Water Resources, and the water
agencies that would likely have had to pay the bill for the
upgrades, said they were unnecessary.
President Donald Trump has never had the flu shot… and never got
the flu, either – coincidence? (Video)
(Natural News) President Donald Trump says, “I don’t like the
idea of injecting bad stuff into your body, which is basically
what they do.” If you don’t know it by now, most people who get
the flu are those injected with the flu vaccine, year after year
after year…. In October of 2015, on Opie Radio, Trump was
interviewed and stated the truth about the influenza vaccine.
Listen for yourself here.
To Stem Mumps Outbreak, Doctors Recommend a Third Vaccination
Despite Ineffectiveness of MMR Vaccine and Lawsuit Claiming
Fraud
Dr. Mercola November 13, 2012 - Dr. Kenneth Bromberg, chairman
of pediatrics and director of the Vaccine Study Center at the
Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City told US News: "These
outbreaks are similar to what we saw on college campuses where
you have crowding. Vaccines are safe and effective, but the
protective effect of a vaccine can be overcome in the right
situation." Their answer to the problem? Just add another
booster shot! As a test, a third dose of MMR vaccine was
administered to children in three schools in an effort to stem
the outbreak. According to follow-up results, recently published
in the journal Vaccine, the third dose appeared to be well
tolerated, with just over seven percent of the students
reporting at least one local or systemic adverse event in the
two weeks following vaccination. The long-term effects of a
third MMR shot is, naturally, completely unknown. Essentially,
the thinking is that if two shots are useless, maybe a third
equally useless shot will fix the equation and amount to some
kind of protection. Surely I cannot be the only one who
questions the intelligence of this?
Nature Comes To The Rescue Again - Peppertree Disarms Most
Dangerous Bacteria
Karen Foster - The red berries of the Brazilian peppertree -- a
weedy, invasive species common in Florida -- contain an extract
with the power to disarm dangerous antibiotic-resistant staph
bacteria, scientists at Emory University have discovered. … The
researchers showed that a refined, flavone-rich composition
extracted from the berries inhibits formation of skin lesions in
mice infected with MRSA. The compound works not by killing the
MRSA bacteria, but by repressing a gene that allows the bacteria
cells to communicate with one another. Blocking that
communication prevents the cells from taking collective action,
a mechanism known as quorum quenching. "It essentially disarms
the MRSA bacteria, preventing it from excreting the toxins it
uses as weapons to damage tissues," Quave says. "The body's
normal immune system then stands a better chance of healing a
wound."
Can These Supplements Reverse or Prevent Gray Hair?
Natural News Blogs - There are actually a few supplements out
there now that some people have reported are helping them to
delay or even reverse the graying of their hair…. Fo-Ti Root
(Also known as He Shou Wu) - This inexpensive Chinese medicinal
herb is probably at the forefront of the anti-graying supplement
buzz. There are numerous success stories out there of men and
women who have experienced a reduction in their grays after
taking this supplement regularly…. Fo-Ti also mimics the female
hormone estrogen in the body, hence its use by women to help
replenish estrogen lost during and after menopause…. Wheatgrass
- According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, wheatgrass
may help slow down the rate of graying or help reverse gray hair
due to its effect on our blood…. Wheatgrass is very rich in
chlorophyll, which closely mimics human hemoglobin…. Regular
consumption of wheatgrass really helps oxygenate your blood,
which is a huge benefit for many reasons.
Monday - February
13, 2017
Today In History:
1741 - "The American Magazine," the first magazine in the U.S., was
published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1920 - The National Negro Baseball League was organized.
1935 - In Flemington, New Jersey, a jury found Bruno Richard Hauptmann
guilty of the kidnapping and death of the infant son of Charles and Anne
Lindbergh. Hauptmann was later executed for the crimes.
1945 - During World War II, the Soviets captured Budapest, Hungary, from
the German army.
1945 - During World War II, Allied aircraft began bombing the German
city of Dresden.
1960 - France detonated its first atomic bomb.
1971 - South Vietnamese troops invaded Laos. They were backed by U.S.
air and artillery support.
1991 - Hundreds of Iraqis were killed by two laser-guided bombs that
destroyed an underground facility in Baghdad. U.S. officials identified
the facility as a military installation, but Iraqi officials said it was
a bomb shelter.
1999 - A bomb exploded just outside a government-owned bank in southern
Kosovo. Nine people were killed.
2002 - In Alexandria, VA, John Walker Lindh pled innocent to a 10-count
federal indictment. He was charged with conspiring to kill Americans and
aiding Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
2002 - Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani received an honorary
knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
2008 - Roger Clemens denied having taken performance-enhancing drugs in
testimony before Congress.
2008 - Hollywood writers ended a 100-day strike.
Assad says US troops welcome in Syria to fight 'terrorism'
CNS News - Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview
released on Friday that the United States is welcome to join the
battle against "terrorists" in Syria — as long as it is in
cooperation with his government and respects the country's
sovereignty. Speaking with Yahoo News, Assad said he has not had
any communication — direct or indirect — with President Donald
Trump or any official form the new U.S. administration....
However, Assad's government has labeled all armed opposition to
his rule — including the U.S.-backed rebels — as
"terrorists.".... But when asked if he wants American troops to
come to Syria to help with the fight against the Islamic State
group, Assad said that sending troops is not enough — a genuine
political position on respecting Syria's sovereignty and unity
is also needed. "All these factors would lead to trust, where
you can send your troops. That's what happened with the
Russians; they didn't only send their troops," Assad added.
Video: Assad tells Belgian reporter Belgium & EU merely obey 'US
master' on Syria – English Subtitles
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency 7 February, 2017. Transcript to
full interview…
Video: Defiant Assad tells Yahoo News torture report is 'fake
news'
Yahoo News - The Syrian president was also confronted for the
first time with chilling photographs taken by a former regime
photographer, code named Caesar, depicting rows of emaciated,
brutally beaten bodies of detainees — many of them believed to
be political protesters — at his military prisons. The
photographs — which U.S. officials have likened to images from
Nazi concentration camps — were the basis for a landmark lawsuit
filed in Spain’s National Court last week accusing nine senior
Syrian intelligence and security officials of international
human rights crimes. Assad at first suggested the photos may
have been edited and “Photoshopped.” Shown an FBI report
concluding that the photos were not manipulated and appeared to
depict “real people and events,” Assad dismissed it. “If the FBI
say something, it’s not evidence for anyone, especially for us,”
he said. “The most important thing: If you take these photos to
any court in our country, could they convict any criminal
regarding this? Could they tell you what this crime is, who
committed it? If you don’t have this full picture, you cannot
make judgment. It’s just propaganda.”
Video: Exclusive: Syria’s Assad tells Yahoo News some refugees
are ‘definitely’ terrorists
Yahoo News - In an exclusive interview with Yahoo News at a
presidential office in Damascus, Assad said President Trump’s
freeze on admitting refugees from his country — part of an
executive order that has drawn widespread protests and is being
challenged in federal court — “is an American issue” on which he
would not take sides. But asked if some of those who fled are
“aligned with terrorists,” Assad quickly replied, “Definitely.”
“You can find it on the Net,” Assad went on: “Those terrorists
in Syria, holding the machine gun or killing people, they
[appear as] peaceful refugees in Europe or in the West.” He said
he couldn’t estimate how many there might be, but he added that
“you don’t need a significant number to commit atrocities.” He
noted that the 9/11 attacks were pulled off by fewer than 20
terrorists “out of maybe millions of immigrants in the United
States. So it’s not about the number, it’s about the quality,
it’s about the intentions.”
Mexico Preparing for Uptick in Deportations
KRGV - Towns south of the Rio Grande Valley in Mexico are
bracing to see an uptick in deportations. Tamaulipas President
of the Chamber of Commerce, Julio Cesar Almanza Armas, said they
aren’t fully equipped to take in a large number of nationals who
are deported from the U.S. “We aren’t ready for it, but it has
to be done. I know that they are already working on it, the
local, state and federal government and the cities along the
border,” he said. Cesar Almanza Armas said the economy in both
Mexico and the Valley will take a hit if mass deportations take
place.
Germany repatriating gold faster than planned as confidence in
euro plunges
RT - Berlin is bringing home its gold reserves stored in New
York, London and Paris faster than scheduled, Germany’s central
bank said Thursday. The move is linked to surging euroskepticism,
as new governments in France and Italy may ditch the single
currency. The German Bundesbank has already moved 583 tons of
gold out of New York and Paris, planning to have a half of its
gold back in Germany by the end of 2017, which is ahead of the
2020 plan. The rest will be split between the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York and the Bank of England. "We have a lot of
discussions about Trump, regarding implications on monetary
policy, macroeconomics, etc., but we trust the central bank of
the US," Bundesbank board member Carl-Ludwig Thiele told a news
conference. "Trump has not triggered a discussion about the
storage facility in New York," he said. As French presidential
candidate Marine Le Pen and Italy's 5-Star Movement are openly
calling to pull out of the euro, some economists in Germany say
the repatriated gold may be needed to back a new deutschmark
should the eurozone collapse.
‘Evidence I never worked for Russia’: Snowden on NBC report
claiming he’s to be ‘gifted’ to Trump
RT - While there may be little credibility to the latest US
media report claiming Moscow will present President Donald Trump
with former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the whistleblower
pointed to it as “irrefutable evidence” of his lack of any ties
with Russian intelligence. “Finally: irrefutable evidence that I
never cooperated with Russian intel. No country trades away
spies, as the rest would fear they're next,” Snowden wrote on
his Twitter. While it was not immediately clear if he was being
sarcastic or seriously concerned, the CIA
employee-turned-whistleblower accompanied his tweet with several
pre-inauguration retweets from January, when the topic of
Snowden becoming Vladimir Putin’s gift to Trump was all the rage
in US media.
Extremely high radiation breaks down Fukushima clean-up robot at
damaged nuclear reactor
RT - The robot equipped with a high-pressure water pump and a
camera designed to withstand up to 1,000 Sieverts of cumulative
exposure had been pulled off the inactive Reactor 2 at the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex earlier this week.... The
device reportedly broke down just two hours into the probe. The
failure led experts to rethink estimated levels of radiation
inside the damaged reactor. While last week TEPCO said it might
stand at 530 Sieverts per hour – a dose that can almost
instantly kill a human being, following the latest aborted
mission a company official has said a reading of up to 600
Sieverts should be “basically correct.”.... While extreme
radiation levels have been registered within the reactor,
officials insist that no leaks or increases outside have been
detected.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Trump says he’s considering ‘brand new order’ on
immigration
The Hill - President Trump told reporters on Friday he is
considering signing a “brand new order” on immigration as his
original executive order faces legal trouble. The comments, made
aboard Air Force One, come after the administration signaled it
would not ask the Supreme Court to review an appeals court
decision that keeps the travel ban frozen. "We also have a lot
of other options, including just filing a brand new order,"
Trump said, according to pool reports. sked if his intention is
to issue a new executive order, Trump said, "It very well could
be. We need speed for reasons of security, so it very well could
be." Trump dropped a similar hint earlier in the day. "We'll be
doing something very rapidly having to do with additional
security for our country," Trump said during a joint press
conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "You’ll be
seeing that sometime next week.”
* Related:
Video: Judge Napolitano to Trump: Rescind the
executive order, issue a new one
Judges Declare Judges Can Grant Immigration Visas, Even When
Elected President Disagrees
Breitbart - Judges in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in
California are opening a new immigration route for foreigners,
which would bypass the federal agencies’ sole authority to
approve or decline foreigners’ immigration or entry into the
U.S. The new route is created by the Feb. 9 decision which
blocks the White House’s very popular reform of immigration
rules. If upheld by the Supreme Court later this year, the new
declaration would allow overseas foreigners — including those
hostile to the United States — to hire lawyers to persuade
judges to grant them visas, residency permits and eventually
citizenship. That courtroom route would bypass denials or
approvals from the elected President’s administration and its
subordinate agencies, including the intelligence,
law-enforcement and national security agencies. In practice, the
decision would give foreigners the right to sue the federal
government when they’re denied entry by the federal government.
[This] would also give the nation’s corps of immigration lawyers
more opportunities to trade U.S. citizenship to foreigners in
exchange for lawyers’ fees.
There Are Still 117 Court Vacancies To Be Filled By Trump
The Daily Caller - The U.S. Court of Appeals currently has 18
vacancies, the District courts have 91, the Court of
International Trade has 2 vacant seats, and the Court of Federal
Claims has 6. Many of these picks would have the potential to
change the balance of several U.S. courts. The Senate has not
yet held a vote to confirm Gorsuch. Right now, less than half of
the judges on the Circuit Courts of Appeals and only about 35
percent of judges on District courts were appointed by a
Republican president. While a judge’s ideology usually does not
impact decisions in most District court cases, Circuit Court
judges have a lot more room to apply their own opinions in their
rulings — as seen with the recent 9th district ruling against
Trump’s temporary immigration ban…. The president has a rare
opportunity to fill a number of vacant seats not seen since
President Bill Clinton, who had 111 to fill, greatly impacting
the judicial landscape for years to come.
Trump Is Suddenly Recognized As The President In CALIFORNIA As
Liberal State BEGS For His Help
Gateway Pundit - After repeatedly attacking and criticizing
President Trump, the State of California is officially asking
for his help as they have run short of resources in wake of
severe weather that has caused significant damage in the state.
From Fox40: "Gov. Jerry Brown has asked President Trump to
declare a major disaster for California because of damage from
January storms. The letter sent Friday says the relentless
series of storms caused flooding, mudslides, evacuations,
erosion, power outages and at least eight deaths. Northern
California was hardest hit. Brown says the storm system was so
severe and widespread that state and local governments need
federal assistance to continue dealing with the problems it
created." Governor Brown has made his disgust for President
Trump known in the past as Breitbart reports that back in March
of 2016 Governor Brown said “If Trump were ever elected, we’d
have to build a wall around California to defend ourselves from
the rest of this country,” which Brown later said was “a joke.”
Video: Ice Begins Raids In Southern California, 160 Arrested…
More To Come!
The GatewayPundit - ABC7 reports “U.S. Immigrations and Customs
Enforcement said the “targeted enforcement operation” resulted
in arrests of about 150 who had criminal histories. Of the other
10, five had been ordered deported or had been deported in the
past.” ICE has said that these raids are apart of their normal
operations and aren’t a byproduct of any of President Trump’s
executive orders. Arresting 160 illegal immigrants isn’t even
making a dent in the problem in Southern California. The Los
Angeles Times reports that in Los Angeles County alone there are
1,000,000+ illegal immigrants.
Mexican Migrants Said To Prefer Arrest Over Deportation
Zero Hedge - ... following yesterday's report that Mexicans are
planning on "jamming US courts" as deportations are set to
surge, today the WSJ writes that all but one of about 50
undocumented Mexican migrants at a meeting Saturday indicated
they would rather risk detention and long court battles in the
U.S. than return to Mexico voluntarily. The majority of migrants
at the meeting in Phoenix, which included Mexican officials,
signaled in a show of hands that they were ready to fight
deportation in U.S. courts.... Continuing the story from
yesterday according to which immigrants are willing to drown the
US court system with thousands of deportation cases, [former
Mexican foreign minister Jorge] Castaneda and others have said
they want Mexico’s government to endorse a strategy to battle an
expected increase in deportations of their undocumented
compatriots in the U.S. by underwriting the migrants’ legal
struggle in the U.S. court system. By overwhelming already
heavily burdened immigration courts, Mr. Castaneda hopes the
legal system would break down, bringing deportations to a
halt.... For now, Mexico’s government hasn’t endorsed the
strategy, but President Enrique Peña Nieto recently budgeted
about $50 million to the country’s 50 consulates to help pay the
costs of defending migrants who are in the U.S. illegally and
facing deportation.
#PROTESTPP: Nationwide Protests Against Government Funding Of
Planned Parenthood Underway
Government Slaves - Activists in 45 states and the nation’s
capital are rallying Saturday to urge Congress and President
Donald Trump to eliminate taxpayer funding for Planned
Parenthood – the nation’s largest abortion business. #ProtestPP
– a coalition of state and national pro-life groups – is
organizing the event and is primarily sponsored by Citizens for
a Pro-Life Society, Created Equal, and the Pro-Life Action
League. The event will feature protests outside over 200 Planned
Parenthood facilities across the United States. Demonstrations
are also taking place at the London headquarters of the
International Planned Parenthood Federation, which was recently
defunded by Trump’s executive order. “The federal government has
been subsidizing Planned Parenthood to the tune of more than
$430 million annually,” explains Eric Scheidler, national
organizer of #ProtestPP. “This, at the same time that the
nation’s largest abortion provider holds $500 ticket fundraisers
and charges a woman about $500 to abort her baby. On top of
that, Planned Parenthood is trafficking baby body parts.
Taxpayers are sickened to see their money spent in support of
these atrocities.”
6th-Graders Taught Islam; Told It ‘Is A Religion Of Peace’;
Parents Upset At School Officials
Off the Grid News - Some parents of middle school students in a
South Carolina school are upset with a social studies curriculum
that requires sixth-graders to learn the Five Pillars of Islam
and affirm that Islam “is a religion of peace.” “Allah: There is
no god but Him, the Living, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor
sleep overtakes him,” was one of the passages listed on a
fill-in-the-blanks worksheet, EAGnews.org reported. The local TV
station, WCSC, also covered the controversy at Alston Middle
School in Summerville. The lessons are part of a class called
the Survey of Civilization…. The Five Pillars of Islam are a
basic expression of the Islamic faith. They include reciting the
Muslim profession of faith, daily prayers (Salat), alms giving (Zakat),
fasting during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to Mecca. A group of
parents want the lessons stopped. “Our concern is that if they
need permission to teach sexual education, they should be
getting permission to teach religious values,” an unidentified
mother told WCSC.
Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Lawyer Goes to Work for
Soros-Funded Super PAC
Breitbart - The lawyer who represented Hillary Clinton’s
campaign and her doomed presidential election recount efforts
has reportedly joined the board of a progressive super PAC
financed by billionaire George Soros and focused in part on
issues of voting rights. CNN reported: The super PAC Priorities
USA has brought Democratic superlawyer Marc Elias onto its board
and plans to focus on fighting state-level GOP efforts to
restrict voting access in courts and legislatures. During the
most recent presidential election, Priorities USA served as a
pro-Clinton super PAC. Soros provided at least $8.5 million to
the group, including $6 million in December 2015 and another
$2.5 million in August 2016, public records show.
Amazon takes victory lap for its role in halting Trump’s
travel ban
A top lawyer for internet retailer Amazon is taking a victory
lap for the company’s role in the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision
to retain the temporary restraining order halting President
Trump’s travel ban. “Proud of @AGOWA, the Amazon legal team that
helped on the case, and amici — who all made today’s 9th Circuit
ruling possible,” David Zapolsky, Amazon general counsel, wrote
Thursday night on Twitter. It’s unknown what precise role, if
any, Zapolsky’s team played in the appeals court decision. But
there has been bad blood between Trump and Amazon owner Jeff
Bezos, for over a year. On the campaign trail, Trump said the
internet entrepreneur and newspaper owner would have “problems”
if he were elected. “I have respect for Jeff Bezos, but he
bought The Washington Post to have political influence, and I
got to tell you, we have a different country than we used to
have,” said Trump at a campaign stop in Feb. 2016. “He owns
Amazon. He wants political influence so that Amazon will benefit
from it. That’s not right. And believe me, if I become
president, oh, do they have problems. They’re going to have such
problems,” Trump said of Bezos. Bezos replied by offering to
send the then-Republican presidential candidate to outer space.
* Related:
Amazon
headquarters' contact Information
Nearly Half Of Early-20s Millennials Still Get A Monthly Housing
Allowance From Mom And Dad
Zero Hedge - According to a study by Patrick Wightman of the
University of Michigan, roughly 40% of millennials between the
ages of 22-24 receive an average of $3,000 from their parents
every year. Per the New York Times: "According to surveys that
track young people through their first decade of adulthood,
about 40 percent of 22-, 23- and 24-year-olds receive some
financial assistance from their parents for living expenses.
Among those who get help, the average amount is about $3,000 a
year. ".... Unsurprisingly, the frequency and amount of
financial assistance varies greatly depending on each young
millennial's chosen field of study. To our complete shock, "Art
and Design" students are the most likely to require help from
mommy and daddy and get $3,600, on average, each year. The
amount of help that parents provide varies by career and
geography. Among young people who aspire to have a career in art
and design, 53 percent get rent money from their parents. Young
people who live in urban centers are more likely to have their
parents help pay the rent. The choice of career path matters.
Those in the art and design fields get the most help, an average
of $3,600 a year. People who work in farming, construction,
retail and personal services get the least.
Lead Levels in Bronx School's Water 16 Times Higher Than in Flint,
Michigan
DNAinfo New York - P.S. 41 at 3352 Olinville Ave. and I.S. 158 in
Morrisania were both found to have levels of lead higher than the EPA's
"action level" threshold of 15 parts per billion (ppb), according to
letters the Department of Education sent out to families and staff at
the schools. Lead levels in the water at P.S. 41 were particularly high,
with five faucets testing above 100 ppb. A cold water faucet in a fifth
floor bathroom for adults tested 442 ppb, the most toxic level in the
school.... During the Flint, Michigan water crisis, 90 percent of 271
homes tested were at about 27 ppb, according to a January 2016
Washington Post report. However, the lead crisis in Flint stemmed from a
chemical problem, while the lead found in New York schools likely comes
from pipes.... The DOE sent out a letter to families and staff on Jan.
27 about P.S. 41 saying all outlets that had tested above the "action
level" of 15 ppb had been taken out of service and will be replaced....
Other schools that have seen high levels of lead in their water include
P.S./I.S. 217 on Roosevelt Island and the NEST+m school on the Lower
East Side.
Thousands of dead bees wash up on Florida beach
(Natural News) A strange new phenomenon has been taking place on the
beaches of Naples, Florida, where since February 7, beach goers have
been astounded to find thousands of dead or dying bees along the
shoreline. A bee expert told NBC affiliate, WBBH-TV, that it is
incredibly unusual to have bees washing up on the beach. He offered two
possible reasons for the strange occurrence: 1) that the bees could have
been affected by the nearby spraying of chemical pesticides, or 2) that
an overhead swarm simply became exhausted and flew into the water.
Though the latter explanation is certainly possible, the former is far
more likely, since the death of these bees is by no means an isolated
occurrence, and the blame can be laid squarely at the door of chemical
pesticides.
Republicans are destroying their emails
TechEye - US Republicans are trying to avoid their embarrassing emails
being found by hackers or foreign powers by using an app that destroys
them after they have been read. The messaging app is an encrypted,
self-destructing messaging app called Confide and apparently it has been
downloaded by “numerous senior GOP operatives and several members of the
Trump administration”. One operative told Axios that the app “provides
some cover” for people in the party. He ties it to last year’s hack of
the Democratic National Committee, which led to huge and damaging
information dumps of DNC emails leading up to the 2016 election. Confide
makes it difficult to screenshot messages, because only a few words are
shown at a time. That suggests that it’s useful not just for reducing
paper trails, but for stopping insiders from leaking individual
messages. But the difficulty here is that it is probably illegal. As the
Hillary Clinton scandal showed, messages have to be stored and monitored
by government officials.
Not Just Autism, Major Yale Study Shows Vaccines Tied to
Multiple Brain Disorders
Natural Blaze - Researchers at Pennsylvania State and Yale
University sought to examine, “whether antecedent vaccinations
are associated with increased incidence of obsessive–compulsive
disorder (OCD), anorexia nervosa (AN), anxiety disorder, chronic
tic disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, major
depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder in a national sample
of privately insured children.” …the researchers concluded that
someone who’d received the flu vaccine within the last year
“were also associated with incident diagnoses of AN, OCD, and an
anxiety disorder.” These findings greatly expand the common
understandings that vaccines are related to Autism and now
include the other three brain-based illnesses. The study used
private insurance claims information as their means of
collecting the data. “Using claims data, we compared the prior
year’s occurrence of vaccinations in children and adolescents
aged 6–15 years with the above neuropsychiatric disorders that
were newly diagnosed between January 2002 and December 2007,”
the study writes. Moreover, the correlations were not limited to
the Flu vaccine either. According to the published study found
in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, “Several other
associations were also significant with HRs greater than 1.40
(hepatitis A with OCD and AN; hepatitis B with AN,” meaning the
hepatitis vaccines are also implicated in causing brain
disorders.
30 States Move to Enact Vaccine Bills Including Tracking and
Mandatory Vaccines
Health Impact News - We have only finished the first full month
of the 2017 legislative session, and already we are tracking 103
vaccine related bills across 30 states on the NVIC Advocacy
Portal. To put the sheer volume of bills in perspective, we
tracked a total of 106 bills in the entire legislative session
last year. If you live in one of the following states, there are
already vaccine bills filed that can affect your rights (states
listed in red are new since our last update): AR, AZ, CT, GA,
HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, ME, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NH, NJ,
NY, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA, and WA. The following states
are priority opposition alert state as they now have bills to
restrict or eliminate vaccine exemptions: AR (withdrawn), CT,
IA, MN, NY, OK, PA, and TX. The following states are priority
support alert states as they now have bills to add or expand
vaccine exemptions: HI, IA, MS (died), NJ, NY, OK, RI, and TX.
If you are in any of the following states, beware that there are
bills filed to expand vaccine tracking or eliminate OPT-IN
Consent for vaccine tracking and that these need to be opposed:
CT, ID, KS, MA, MT, NY, and TX.
FDA Helps Drug Company Increase Price of Live Saving Medicine
7,000 Percent
Natural Blaze - In a Thursday press release, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) granted approval for a drug by Marathon
Pharmaceuticals, a US company focused solely on the development
of new treatments for rare diseases. They may now begin selling
the corticosteroid drug, Deflazacort, under the brand name
Emflaza. Thanks to the FDA, Marathon now has a monopoly on the
drug and, without competition, they are now able to sell this
beneficial treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy for $89,000
a year — a sharp increase from the international market price of
$1,200 a year. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare
genetic disease that causes heart and respiratory conditions,
usually in younger men. As DMD progresses, patients lose muscle
strength and usually end up confined to a wheelchair by the time
they reach their early teens. According to the FDA, patients
with DMD typically do not live past their 20s or 30s.
Friday - February
10, 2017
Today In History:
1846 - Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints began their exodus to the west from Illinois.
1863 - In New York City, two of the world’s most famous midgets,
General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren were married.
1870 - The YWCA was founded in New York City.
1879 - The electric arc light was used for the first time.
1897 - "The New York Times" began printing "All the news that's
fit to print" on their front page.
1933 - The singing telegram was introduced by the Postal
Telegraph Company of New York City.
1935 - The Pennsylvania Railroad began passenger service with
its electric locomotive. The engine was 79-1/2 feet long and
weighed 230 tons.
1942 - The Normandie, the former French liner, capsized in New
York Harbor. The day before it had caught fire while it
was being fitted for the U.S. Navy.
1962 - The Soviet Union exchanged capture American U2 pilot
Francis Gary Powers for the Soviet spy Rudolph Ivanovich Abel
being held by the U.S.
1967 - The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
The amendment required the appointment of a vice-president when
that office became vacant and instituted new measures in the
event of presidential disability.
1997 - The U.S. Army suspended its top-ranking enlisted soldier,
Army Sgt. Major Gene McKinney following allegations of sexual
misconduct. McKinney was convicted of obstruction of justice and
acquitted of 18 counts alleging sexual harassment of six
military women.
1998 - Voters in Maine repealed a 1997 gay rights law. Maine was
the first state to abandon such legislation.
2005 - North Korea publicly announced for the first time that it
had nuclear arms. The country also rejected attempts to restart
disarmament talks in the near future saying that it needed the
weapons as protection against an increasingly hostile United
States.
2009 - A Russian and an American satellite collide over Siberia.
US General Calls For More Troops in Afghanistan
Sputnik News - In a recent Senate Armed Services Committee
hearing, Army General John Nicholson told Senator John McCain
that the US is in a stalemate in the Middle East.... “In my
train, advise, and assist mission, however, we have a shortfall
of a few thousand,” and those replacement troops could come from
US forces or NATO allies, he said.... Nicholson’s counter-terror
efforts will be reported to Defense Secretary James Mattis, who
will then likely issue a recommendation to Trump. A recent Brown
University paper estimated the cost of US wars in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria at $3.6 trillion, from 2001 to
2016. Future payments to veterans for medical and disability
costs, as well as interest on loans taken out to finance combat
initiatives will add an additional $1 trillion, Politifact
reported. A working paper from the Harvard Kennedy School of
Government notes that the Iraq and Afghanistan armed conflicts,
“taken together, will be the most expensive wars in US
history—totaling somewhere between $4 and $6 trillion.”
Iran Fires Another Missile: US Officials
Epoch Times - In apparent defiance of White House warnings, Iran
fired another missile on Wednesday from a launch pad in
Tehran—the same place it had conducted another missile test last
month, officials said. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said that the missile used in Wednesday’s launch was
a short-range Mersad surface-to-air missile, which landed some
35 miles out from the launch, Fox News reported. Iran used the
same Semnan launch pad that it had used to conduct a ballistic
missile test in late January, triggering a response from the
Trump administration.... The United States last week slapped new
sanctions on the Islamic Republic after several White House
officials said that the Shia Muslim-majority country is now “on
notice.” President Donald Trump issued a similar statement soon
after that.
McCain And Graham Caught Inciting Ukraine To Attack Russia
Your News Wire - A video has surfaced online in which warmongers
John McCain and Lindsey Graham are caught meeting with the
Ukraine military, encouraging them to launch an offensive
against Russia and restart hostilities, all the while describing
Russia as the “aggressor” that must “pay a heavier price.”
Lindsey Graham delivers an incendiary speech in the video,
egging on the Ukranian troops to re-start hostilities with
Russia. “Your fight is our fight, 2017 will be the year of
offense. All of us will go back to Washington and we will push
the case against Russia. Enough of a Russian aggression. It is
time for them to pay a heavier price.“ John McCain was no less
provocative: “I believe you will win. I am convinced you will
win and we will do everything we can to provide you with what
you need to win.” Seems like President Trump was right when he
singled these two Senators out as “warmongers looking for ways
to start WW3.”
$8.5 Billion U.S. Counter Narcotics Effort in Afghanistan Boosts
Opium Production
State of Globe 0 Despite the free-flow of American tax dollars
to combat the crisis, opium production rose 43% in the Islamic
nation, to an estimated 4,800 tons, and approximately 201,000
hectares of land are under poppy cultivation, representing a 10%
increase in one year alone.... As of December 31, 2016, the
United States has spent an astounding $8.5 billion for counter
narcotics efforts in Afghanistan since 2002, the report reveals,
making it clear that the cash will continue flowing.
“Nonetheless, Afghanistan remains the world’s leading producer
of opium, providing 80% of the global output over the past
decade, according to the United Nations,” SIGAR [Special
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction] writes.
India Ends Ties With Gates Foundation on Vaccines Over Worries
of Big Pharma Influence
The Free Thought Project - On February 28, 2017, the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation’s (BMGF) support of India’s
immunization program will cease to exist after the government
has moved to sever ties with the billionaire’s organization.
This move by the Indian state was largely prompted by fears that
Big Pharma foreign donors associated with the BMGF could
influence policy making. Having been the proving ground for
outside foreign-funded health experts, this move is also part of
a larger push to dismiss dozens of other schemes controlling and
attempting to control decision making in key policy areas,
according to Reuters.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
US appeals court maintains suspension of Trump travel ban
Breitbart - A federal appeals court on Thursday refused to
restore Donald Trump’s controversial executive order closing US
borders to refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority
countries, dealing the new president a major defeat. “We hold
that the government has not shown a likelihood of success on the
merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a
stay would cause irreparable injury,” the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals in San Francisco ruled. The three-judge panel
unanimously denied the government’s request to reinstate the
measure on an emergency basis, meaning a lower court suspension
of the travel ban put in place by a lower federal court stands
for now. Trump quickly reacted, defiantly vowing to pursue the
battle, tweeting: “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION
IS AT STAKE!” The court held a contentious hearing in the matter
on Tuesday, with the Justice Department lawyer representing the
Trump administration insisting the controversial ban was
justified for national security reasons.
77% of refugees allowed into U.S. since travel reprieve hail
from seven suspect countries
Washington Times - A staggering 77 percent of the 1,100 refugees
let in since Judge James L. Robart’s Feb. 3 order have been from
the seven suspect countries. Nearly a third are from Syria alone
— a country that Mr. Trump has ordered be banned altogether from
the refugee program. Another 21 percent are from Iraq. By
contrast, in the two weeks before Judge Robart’s order, just 9
percent of refugees were from Syria and 6 percent were from
Iraq.
Trump Promises ‘Big League’ Tax Reform ‘Way Ahead of Schedule’
Breitbart - President Donald Trump met with airline executives
on Thursday, providing them with an update on his overall tax
reform plan. “Lowering the overall tax burden on American
business is big league,” he said. “That’s coming along very
well. We’re way ahead of schedule, I believe, and we’re going to
be announcing something I would say over the next two or three
weeks that will be phenomenal in terms of tax and developing our
aviation infrastructure.” Trump praised the airline industry for
supporting 10 million jobs in the United States, promising to
help them modernize the FAA…. Trump pointed out that the United
States had spent $6 trillion in the Middle East, but had an
“obsolete” system to control air traffic and airports.
Bill to Shut U.S. Education Department Introduced in Congress
The New American - Legislation to shut down the controversial
and unconstitutional U.S. Department of Education was introduced
in Congress this week by Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a
leading constitutional conservative. The bill, H.R. 899, would
help President Donald Trump follow through on his campaign
statements suggesting a desire to abolish the department as well
as the Obama-backed “Common Core” school standards.... The bill
is literally only one sentence long, at least for now. “The
Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018,”
reads the text of the legislation. The bill was introduced with
a good number of co-sponsors, all of them among the more
liberty-minded wing of the Republican Party who take their oath
to the U.S. Constitution seriously. Among the original
co-sponsors are congressmen Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Andy Biggs
(R-Ariz.), Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Jody
Hice (R-Ga.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), and Raul Labrador
(R-Idaho). It was referred to the House Committee on Education
and the Workforce.
Federal Judge Just Struck Major Blow Against Two-Party System:
Media Silent
Zero Hedge - Last week, a federal judge provided a long overdue
victory for alternative political parties in the United States.
The ruling found the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the
institution that oversees the Commission on Presidential
Debates, failed to sufficiently examine evidence challenging
two-party dominance in national debates.... Ultimately, she
ruled that the FEC “failed to show that it properly considered
all of the evidence and arguments presented by the challengers”
when it was supposed to review its rules in 2014. She called
that rejection “arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law,”
asserting that “the evidence unaddressed – or outright ignored –
by the FEC is quite substantial.” She also pointed out the FEC’s
“refusal to engage in thoughtful, reasoned decision-making in
either enforcement or rulemaking in this case.” [Judge Tanya]
Chutkan ordered the commission to review its previous decision
and gave them 30 days to do so. According to Peter Ackerman,
Level the Playing Field’s founder, the decision “lays the
groundwork for removing the primary obstacle to providing
Americans with the independent alternative to the two parties
that polls clearly indicate they want.“
Exclusive — The Spirit of America: Conservative Grassroots
Leaders Plan Massive Pro-Trump Demonstrations Nationwide
Breitbart - On Feb. 27 and March 4, the rallies—dubbed the
Spirit of America Rallies—will spring up nationwide in cities
and towns across America. “These rallies are inclusive,
non-partisan, and open to anyone supporting President Trump in
his efforts to bring back manufacturing jobs to America, put the
security of our nation ahead of political correctness, improve
our infrastructure, revitalize the inner cities and secure our
nation’s borders,” Debbie Dooley, a national co-founder of the
Tea Party movement and a key organizer of the Spirit of America
rallies, says in a press release obtained by Breitbart News
ahead of its public release. Since President Trump’s election,
during his time as president-elect and since his inauguration on
Jan. 20, hardcore progressive leftists have been repeatedly
protesting him in a sometimes violent manner. These rallies,
organizers say, are meant to be a peaceful show of force from
the “silent majority” that delivered Trump a landslide electoral
college victory over failed Democratic president Hillary Rodham
Clinton…. Rallies are in the works in states as far-flung as
Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, New
Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, and Washington state—as well as
other states, organizers say. More information is available on
the
Spirit of America rallies website.
Cliven Bundy standoff: Trial begins for first defendants in
armed Nevada clash
Oregon Live - Trial opened Thursday in Las Vegas for six people
accused of illegally wielding weapons to block a federal roundup
of cattle near states' rights advocate Cliven Bundy's ranch
nearly three years ago. Prosecutors told the U.S. District Court
jury that the six men deserve prison for what could amount to
the rest of their lives for conspiring with Bundy in what their
indictment characterizes as "a massive armed assault against
federal law enforcement officers.".... Defense attorneys,
though, said their clients are law-abiding citizens who
protested government heavy-handedness and are now jailed for
exercising their constitutional free speech and weapon rights.
"This case, folks, is about standing up for what you believe.
Nothing more and nothing less," lawyer Richard Tanasi told the
jury.... The current trial is expected to take up to 10 weeks
and serve as a preview for trial in May for Cliven Bundy, sons
Ammon and Ryan Bundy and two other accused leaders of the
conspiracy. Trial for the other six co-defendants is expected in
August.
Connecticut Moving To Make Gun Permits So Expensive Only The
Wealthy Can Afford Them…
NH Register - Gun owners will see huge increases in permit fees
that would raise millions of dollars to help the state combat
its two-year, $3.6 billion deficit. As part of his budget,
Malloy is proposing to increase the state portion of the pistol
permit fee from $70 to $300. He also is proposing the cost of
the initial 5-year pistol permit fee from $140 to $370. The
increase in fees for gun owners will bring in another $9 million
to the state annually, according to the governor’s budget
estimates. Additionally, Malloy is proposing to increase
background check fees from its current $50 to $75. That
increase, the governor’s budget estimates, would bring in
another $2.6 million annually to the state’s coffers. The Malloy
budget also assumes $1.56B in labor savings, increases taxes and
makes a case for aid redistribution…. “We feel that the increase
of Pistol Permit fees 400 percent is astronomical,” Scott
Wilson, CCDL president said. “This will have a deep impact on
those who only wish to protect their own lives, and the lives of
their families. Many Connecticut gun owners are struggling with
the current economic conditions in our state.”
Exclusive: Women Nationwide Cut Up Nordstrom’s Cards, Plan
Boycotts After Political Decision to Drop Ivanka
Breitbart - Nordstrom’s claimed that the Ivanka Trump brand
wasn’t performing well, but industry insiders tell Breitbart
News that’s just not accurate. Nordstrom’s decision to mislead
the public on why they are stopping carrying the Ivanka Trump
brand is part of the fury out there among its longtime
customers, who tell Breitbart News they’re cutting up their
Nordstrom’s cards and won’t shop at the store anymore. Some even
say they plan to return all their recent purchases.
Retailer Target Abruptly Shuts Expansion Projects amid Boycott
over Transgender Policy
Breitbart - Retail giant Target has abruptly shuttered two high
priority projects which were intended to guarantee the company’s
future, amid the public boycott provoked by the company’s
insistence on transgender-friendly, mixed-sex, dressing rooms.
Target announced the end of two projects as the stock price hit
$64.77 at market close on Feb. 8. That’s down from $83 when the
boycott began once the company made its transgender policy
change on April 19. The stock price drop has slashed roughly $10
billion from the company’s value on Wall Street. Target
announced it was shutting down a project billed as the “Store of
the Future.” The project was aimed at developing a new outlet
design that would consist of a smaller upfront retail store
fronting a warehouse with robots picking items for the customers
up front, recode.com reported.... The second project was
codenamed “Goldfish,”and it was intended to create an online
marketplace upon which other retailers and manufacturers could
sell products to customers through Target.
Kellogg’s to Shutter 39 Distribution Centers as Layoffs Loom
Breitbart - The Michigan-based company did not specify how many
jobs would be lost during its year-long layoff plan, part of an
initiative to shift toward a “highly efficient warehouse model.”
Though as many as 1,100 full-time workers could be impacted,
given Kellogg’s estimation that an average distribution center
employs 30 full-time workers. Kellogg’s stock saw a decline and
its brand perception online took a deep negative nosedive last
year following the cereal maker’s politically-driven attack on
Breitbart News and its 45 million monthly readers. The company
complied with demands from obscure left-wing advocacy groups,
who pushed a social media campaign to coerce companies away from
advertising on Breitbart. Charles said Breitbart News and its
tens of millions of readers “aren’t aligned with” the cereal
maker’s “values as a company.” Breitbart News launched its #DumpKelloggs
petition, which has been signed by more than 430,000 people.
Kellogg’s beef with Breitbart News came amid widespread
allegations of racism toward factory workers and profiting from
the use of child labor. It was also reported that Kellogg’s
politically-motivated nonprofit has close ties to radical
anti-American billionaire George Soros, hate group Black Lives
Matter, and deceased Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Dakota Access activists call for return to camps even as tribe cleans up
Washington Times - The Standing Rock Sioux tribe doesn’t want activists
returning to protest the Trump administration’s decision to proceed with
the Dakota Access pipeline. The activists, however, have other ideas.
Several protest leaders called Wednesday for the pipeline demonstrators
to come back to the campsite near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, even as the
tribe undertakes a massive cleanup to remove the mounds of trash and
debris left by the thousands of activists who occupied the region last
year. Chase Iron Eyes, a protest leader and North Dakota’s 2016
Democratic candidate for Congress, called on foes of the 1,172-mile,
four-state pipeline to join the several hundred activists still camped
out in southern North Dakota.... Another wave of protesters could
disrupt efforts by the Standing Rock Sioux to remove the acres of trash
left over from the last protest, which Morton County emergency manager
Tom Doering has estimated at about 250 truckloads.... Standing Rock
Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault has asked pipeline foes to steer clear
and instead attend a March 10 march on Washington, D.C., but Mr. Iron
Eyes said that the tribe and protesters disagree on strategy.
Most Government Workers Could Be Replaced By Robots, New Study Finds
Zero Hedge - A study by a British think tank, Reform, says that 90% of
British civil service workers have jobs so pointless, they could easily
be replaced by robots, saving the government around $8 billion per year.
The study, published this week, says that robots are “more efficient” at
collecting data, processing paperwork, and doing the routine tasks that
now fall to low-level government employees. Even nurses and doctors, who
are government employees in the UK, could be relieved of some duties by
mechanical assistants. There are “few complex roles” in civil service,
it seems, that require a human being to handle.... Unfortunately for
civil service workers, it seems the study is just the latest in a series
of research that won’t save their jobs. Oxford University and financial
services provider Deloitte, both of whom commissioned their own studies
concur with Reform‘s conclusions. The Oxford University study said that
more than 850,000 public sector jobs could fall to robots over the
course of the next decade. Reform suggests that government employees
should probably look into opportunities presented by the “sharing
economy,” like driving for Uber – at least until robots replace those,
too.
Sony Has Patented a Contact Lens That is Blink Powered and Records Video
Alternative World News Network - Unlike other forms of contacts and
glasses that created an augmented reality or hook you up to the
internet, Sony's new patent is on a simple set of contacts that can
record video. The recording is turned on and off with the user's blink
and sensors can detect if it was an intentional or unintentional one.
The image capture technology and data storage would be held within the
lens. Simple, piezoelectric sensors would allow the movements of the eye
to charge the battery of the device. The task, now, is to fit all of
this technology, comfortably, into the lens.
Diarrhea-causing Salmonella can be weaponized to flush out cancer
Ars Technica - With some genetic tweaking, Salmonella typhimurium
transformed from a germ that causes mayhem in people’s intestines to one
that can infiltrate deep into the bowels of tumors and spark immune
system warfare. In a study published Wednesday in Science Translational
Medicine, South Korean researchers reported that the weaponized gut
bacteria could prevent human cancers from growing and spreading in
mice—all with no evidence of harmful side-effects. The study is just in
mice and far more work is needed to test efficacy and safety in humans.
But the researchers are encouraged by the data so far. Overall, it seems
the trained germs have “excellent anticancer effects in diverse mouse
tumor models, suggesting that this strategy could be applied to a wide
spectrum of malignancies,” the authors conclude.
400 Reasons to Consume Green Tea
Green Med Info - Did you know that green tea is capable of
reducing the formation of the fat cells known as adipocytes
(anti-adipogenic), which is one reason why it has been studied
for its possible ameliorative role in weight gain and obesity.
Green tea has also been found to modulate AMP-activated protein
kinase which reduces fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis, as
well as gluconeogensis (the production of sugar from protein in
the liver). Or, did you know that green tea has been studied for
its ability to slow the aging process? Daily consumption of
green tea catechin delays memory regression and brain
dysfunction in aged mice. Green tea has also been found to
prevent photoaging of the skin, and potentially have a
rejuvenating effect. Green tea has also been found to induce
programmed cell death (apoptosis) in a variety of cancer cell
lines, including colorectal, breast, endometrial, skin, brain,
gastrointestinal, prostate, and leukemic…. We have spent a
considerable amount of time organizing a key fraction of this
research, in connection with green tea's beneficial role in 400
health conditions. You can view the research on our page
dedicated to this remarkable plant here:
Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Green Tea.
One of the Best Ways to Flush Alzheimer's-Causing Toxic Waste
From Your Brain
Dr. Mercola - Sweating in a sauna, for example, has many great
health benefits, including expelling of toxins, improving blood
circulation, killing disease-causing microbes and improving
mitochondrial function. Research has even shown that regular
sauna use correlates with a reduced risk of death from any
cause, including lethal cardiovascular events, and may help
stave off Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Most recently,
researchers in Finland — a country where most homes come
equipped with a sauna — found that men who used a sauna four to
seven times a week for an average length of 15 minutes had a 66
percent lower risk of developing dementia, and 65 percent lower
risk of Alzheimer’s, compared to men who used the sauna only
once a week…. Other research has shown sauna use increases
levels of norepinephrine, a stress hormone that increases focus
and attention, as well as prolactin, which may promote myelin
growth, helping your brain to function faster and repair nerve
cell damage…. Previous findings by the same Finnish research
team revealed that men who used the Finnish-style, dry heat
sauna seven times per week also cut their risk of death from
fatal heart problems in half, compared to those who used it only
once a week.
Ground Beef Contains ‘Unlimited Quantities’ of Beef Hearts and
Tongues
Organic Authority - Producers can now add an unlimited amount of
beef hearts to ground beef. This policy has been in place since
July 2016 when USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
modified an existing policy, writing that beef heart “can be
used in unlimited quantities and declared as ‘beef’ on the
label.” While news of this change has only just surfaced, the
modification was announced via Federal Register notice in
August. Officials say that heart and tongue have always been
allowed to be part of the mix of cuts added to ground beef
blends, but a 1982 policy known as Policy Memo 27 noted that
“heart meat and tongue meat, as organ meats, are not acceptable
ingredients in chopped beef, ground beef, or hamburger.” The
information published on the USDA website in July notes that
this policy was “not consistent with FSIS regulations” and could
be “revised or rescinded as necessary.”… The original rationale
for the 1982 policy was that these cuts were “not expected
ingredients in chopped beef, ground beef, or hamburger.”
World's first five-star cat hotel
The Telegraph - Spa and grooming services, temperature controlled rooms
and a “dating service” for female cats are among the luxury offerings at
Malaysia’s Catzonia – the “world’s first” five-star hotel for cats.
Manned by feline-loving staff, the 35-bedroom cattery in the Malaysian
capital of Kuala Lumpur promises to pamper pets while their owners are
away. Cats can stay in one of four room categories, including a VVIC
(Very Very Important Cat) room – the hotel’s most luxurious offering.
The VVIC room can fit up to 10 adult cats (or one mother cat and her
kittens) and comes with three “king”-sized beds, a mini-playground, and
a separate toilet. The other rooms, which can accommodate between three
and seven cats, come with either a “queen”, “double” or “single” bed and
up to three feeding and cleaning sessions per day. Some have a shower
facility and, weirdly, Wi-Fi, while all rooms come with
air-conditioning….
Thursday - February
9, 2017
Today In History:
1825 - The U.S. House of Representatives elected John Quincy
Adams president. No candidate had received a majority of
electoral votes.
1861 - The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of
America elected Jefferson Davis as its president.
1870 - The United States Weather Bureau was authorized by
Congress. The bureau is officially known as the National Weather
Service (NWS).
1884 - Thomas Edison and Patrick Kenny executed a patent
application for a chemical recording stock quotation telegraph
(U.S. Pat. 314,115).
1885 - The first Japanese arrived in Hawaii.
1942 - The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal
meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War II.
1942 - Daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the U.S.
1943 - During World War II, the battle of Guadalcanal ended with
an American victory over Japanese forces.
1950 - U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that the State
Department was riddled with Communists. This was the beginning
of "McCarthyism."
1969 - The Boeing 747 flew its inaugural flight.
1971 - The San Fernando Valley experienced the Sylmar earthquake
that registered 6.4 on the Richter Scale.
1971 - The Apollo 14 spacecraft returned to Earth after
mankind's third landing on the moon.
2001 - "Hannibal," the sequel to "Silence of the Lambs," opened
in theaters.
Yemen keeps counter-terrorism operations with U.S. despite raid
Reuters - Yemen said on Wednesday it had not suspended
counter-terrorism operations with the U.S. government, despite
controversy over a U.S. commando raid on al Qaeda militants in
which several civilians were also killed. The raid in al-Bayda
province, approved by new U.S. President Donald Trump, resulted
in a gun battle that left one Navy SEAL dead and an American
aircraft a charred wreck. Local medics said several women and
children were killed. Yemeni officials told Reuters that Sanaa
had not withdrawn its permission for the United States to carry
out special operations ground missions but had made clear their
"reservations" about the last operation.
U.S. commander expects recapture soon of Islamic State
strongholds
Reuters - The top American commander in Iraq believes
U.S.-backed forces will recapture Islamic State's two major
strongholds - the cities of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq -
within the next six months, his spokesman said on Wednesday….
The latest word on the fight against Islamic State came as the
U.S. military was developing a plan at President Donald Trump's
request to accelerate the campaign to defeat the militant group.
The plan is due late this month. While it has lost some
territory in Mosul, Islamic State still holds swaths of Syrian
territory and is putting up fierce resistance in Raqqa, the
militant group's de facto capital in eastern Syria, where U.S.
officials believe is the hub for its plots for attacks against
Western targets. Experts said the Pentagon could still request
some additional forces. Less than 6,000 American troops are
currently deployed to both Iraq and Syria. But they also said
the Pentagon may focus on other options, like increasing the
number of attack helicopters and air strikes and bringing in
more artillery.
Facebook Launches Fake News Filter in France Ahead of
Presidential Elections
iBankCoin - Starting today, Facebook, in conjunction with
Google, will be blocking unsavory news from their platforms in
France — thanks to the very generous and progressive assistance
of 8 liberal news agencies — including the far left Le Monde.
Having learned his lesson during the US elections, CEO Mark
Zuckerberg wants to ensure the people of France only get to see
the right news and information — generously shielding them from
fake news and right wing disinformation campaigns — like global
warming is a hoax. Effective immediately, users will get to mark
news articles they deem to be fake. Partners will pass judgment
upon them and also get to tag them with an icon — all for the
benefit of the 24 million idiot users in France who are,
seemingly, unable to decipher the news themselves. Similar
projects are being launched in Germany and the United States —
fettering out hoaxes and fake news — with the help of ultra left
wing Snopes, ABC News and Associated Press.
Ireland challenges Facebook over personal data transfer
RT - The transfer of user's personal information by Facebook
from the European Union to the US faces another legal hurdle.
The Irish Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC) has started the
referral process to Europe's top court…. European regulations
state the transfer of data can only be made to a country outside
the EU if that country ensures a sufficient level of protection.
The step is reportedly the latest challenge to the various
methods by which big technology companies such as Google and
Apple transmit personal data of EU citizens back to America. The
matter of data privacy came to the front following the political
outrage evoked by the Snowden revelations of mass US
surveillance in 2013. The revelations added to mistrust of large
technology companies with some calling for an overhaul of the
way businesses move personal data.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Was Buffalo mom jailed over homeschooling decision?
wkbw.com - According to the mom, they told her they had a court
order to take her children and when she told them no, she was
arrested for obstruction. She says she hasn't seen her kids in
three weeks, and they've been in a foster institution. The
Buffalo Public School District says it cannot comment on this
case due to Federal Laws but says in order for a parent to file
for homeschooling, they must have full custody of the children.
U.S. Army: 95% of Brigade Combat Teams Unprepared to Fight
Immediately
Breitbart - Only three of the 58 U.S. Army Brigade Combat Teams
(BCTs) are capable of immediately joining the fight in the event
of a major conflict, Gen. Daniel Allyn, vice chief of staff of
the Army, told lawmakers…. The rest would require about 30 days
to prepare. That means only about five percent of brigade combat
teams are ready to engage in immediate combat in the event of a
major conflict. Gen. Allyn also warned that only one-fourth of
the Army’s Combat Aviation Brigades and half our the branch’s
Division Headquarters are ready to carry out their duties,
noting that due to budget cuts and constraints the soldiers can
only do what the country requires of them while assuming “high
risk.”
Senate Confirms Jeff Sessions as Next US Attorney General
The GatewayPundit - The Senate voted [Wednesday night] to
confirm Jeff Sessions as the next Attorney General of the United
States.
Video: Trump Destroys Leftist Judges by Reading Law
Word-For-Word
Dan Lyman - President Trump addressed a law enforcement
conference in Washington D.C. where he expressed his shock and
dismay at leftist judges blocking the border security policies
set forth in his recent executive order. Trump read language
from the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 which clearly
grants the President express powers to control the entry of
non-citizens into the United States on virtually any basis, but
specifically as a duty to protect the citizens from potentially
dangerous groups of foreigners…. He proceeded to read from the
U.S. Code on “Inadmissible Aliens” – (f) Suspension of entry or
imposition of restrictions by President – Whenever the President
finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens
into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of
the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period
as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or
any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on
the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be
appropriate.
Old-Guard Republicans to Push Carbon Tax at White House Meeting
Bloomberg - A group of prominent Republicans and business
leaders backing a tax on carbon dioxide were taking their case
Wednesday to top White House aides, including chief economic
adviser Gary Cohn. The group, including former Treasury
Secretaries Hank Paulson and James Baker, is pressing President
Donald Trump to tax carbon dioxide in exchange for abolishing a
slew of environmental regulations. They unveiled their plan with
a press conference in Washington and an op-ed in the Wall Street
Journal…. The blueprint involves a $40 tax on every metric ton
of carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels, with the
price climbing over time. To avoid an undue burden on the poor
from the higher energy bills that would result, the projected
$200 billion to $300 billion in annual revenue would be
redistributed to households in the form of quarterly checks from
the Social Security Administration. Families of four would see
an average annual payout of $2,000 under the plan. The proposal
also calls for border adjustments that would act to hike the
costs of products imported from countries that do not put a
price on carbon.
Planned Parenthood Workers That Reached Abortion Sales Quota
Goals Were Rewarded With Pizza Parties (Video)
Economic Collapse - Could you imagine having a job where you had
to meet an “abortion sales quota” every month? According to a
shocking new investigation, this was actually happening at
Planned Parenthood clinics all over the nation, and workers that
reached abortion sales quota goals were rewarded with pizza
parties and other incentives…. “I felt like I was more of a
salesman sometimes, to sell abortions,” former Planned
Parenthood nurse Marianne Anderson says in the video. “And we
were told on a regular basis that, ‘You have a quota to meet to
keep this clinic open.’… She continued: “We would try to get the
appointment scheduled for the abortion before they left our
clinic. We would say things like, ‘your pregnancy test, you
visit today is X number of dollars. How much are you gonna be
able to pay towards that.’ … If they’d say, ‘I’m not able to pay
today,’ then we would say something like, ‘Well, if you can’t
pay 10 dollars today, how are you gonna take care of a baby?’
* Related:
U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Redirect Planned Parenthood
Funding to Women’s Health Care Providers
Oklahoma abortion law wants women to get the father's written
consent
The Independent - Republican representative Justin Humphrey
introduced a bill that would require a pregnant woman to provide
the identify of the father “in writing to her abortion provider
before undergoing the procedure. If the identified man argues
that he is not the father, he can legally demand a paternity
test, which could delay the abortion procedure by at least three
days. The only exceptions in the bill apply to cases where the
father is dead and the woman proves this by signing a
legally-binding statement, or if the pregnancy is the result of
rape or incest. Women whose lives are endangered by the
pregnancy are also excluded from obtaining consent…. The
Oklahoma bill has been introduced just one month after Arkansas
Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a law that allows a woman’s
spouse or family member to sue an abortion provider.
Missouri Bill Would Ban State Support and Enforcement of Federal
Gun Control “Past, Present, or Future”
Tenth Amendment Center - A bill introduced in the Missouri House
would ban the state from enforcement of all federal gun control.
Passage into law would represent a major step towards ending
federal acts that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms
within the state in practice and effect. Rep. Jeff Pogue
(R-Salem) introduced House Bill 859 (HB859) on Feb. 7. Titled
the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” the legislation would
ban any person, including any “public officer or employee of
state state and its political subdivisions, from enforcing any
present of future federal acts, laws, executive orders,
administrative orders, court orders, rules, regulations,
statutes, or ordinances that infringe on the right to keep and
bear arms.” HB859 includes a detailed definition of actions that
qualify as infringement, including taxes and fees that would
have a chilling effect on firearms ownership, registration and
tracking schemes that would have a chilling effect, gun bans and
gun confiscation. The legislation includes a provision that
would allow anybody who violates the law and knowingly deprives
somebody of their right to keep and bear arms as defined by the
law to be sued for damages in civil court. HB859 also includes
provisions that would apply to federal agents who who knowingly
enforce or attempt to enforce any of the infringing acts
identified in the law, or who give material aid and support to
such enforcement efforts. Under the proposed law, they would “be
permanently ineligible to serve as a law enforcement officer or
to supervise law enforcement officers for the state or any
political subdivision of the state.”
San Francisco Becomes First City To Offer Free College For All -
"Even Facebook Founder's Kids"
Zero Hedge - As SFGate.com reports, City College of San
Francisco will be free of charge to all city residents under a
deal announced Monday by Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisor Jane Kim
that college trustees hope will lead to an enrollment jolt and
more state funding for the school. Under the agreement, which is
expected to take effect in the fall, the city will pay $5.4
million a year to buy out the $46-a-credit fee usually paid by
students. The city’s contribution will also provide $250 a
semester to full-time, low-income students who already receive a
state-funded fee waiver. They will be able to use the money to
pay for books, transportation, school supplies and health fees.
Part-time students with fee waivers will get $100 a semester for
the same purpose. [Supervisor Jane Kim] said all San Franciscans
who have lived in the city for at least a year will be eligible.
“Even the children of the founders of Facebook,” she said,
noting that kindergarten through grade 12 is free to all. The
money will come from a measure that San Francisco voters
approved in November, Proposition W, enacting a transfer tax on
properties selling for at least $5 million.
New Video Game “Punch-A-Nazi” Glorifies Assaulting Milo, Trump
Supporters
Breitbart - TBS-owned media company Super Deluxe has created a
game called Punch-A-Nazi featuring a digital avatar of Breitbart
Senior editor MILO and promoted the game with a livestream on
Facebook showing him punched in the face repeatedly. The game
features three characters for players to beat up: Adolf Hitler,
white nationalist Richard Spencer, and MILO. Lumping in Milo — a
gay Jew who just weeks ago told students at the University of
Colorado Colorado Springs “White Nationalism Is Not the Answer”
— reveals how little the developers know about people that they
think deserve maiming. A video stream of the game being played
had 616,521 views at the time of this writing, with over 62,000
“Likes,” “Love,” and “Haha” reactions to watching a gay
conservative being beaten until his face was an unrecognizable
bloody wreck.
Video: Dumbest Democrat Ever?
Infowars - These are the people 'in charge' of our country.
Maxine Waters (D-Calif) has an Aleppo moment and says Russia is
invading Korea.
Intel CEO Announces $7 Billion Factory Investment, Creation Of
3,000 New Jobs During Trump Meeting
Zero Hedge - During a meeting between Intel CEO Bryan Krzanich
and President Trump at the White House, the chief executive of
the world's largest semiconductor maker told the president that
his company would invest $7 billion in a new factory in Arizona.
Krzanich said the investment is an expansion of Intel’s presence
in Chandler that will enable a plant capable of advanced
7-nanometer chip production. The partially built Fab 42 facility
will be completed in 3 to 4 years and is expected to add 3,000
company jobs. Krzanich added that Trump's "advantageous" tax and
regulatory policies are partly responsible for their decision to
announce the new factory at the White House. Trump called the
investment "a great thing for Arizona," and said the products
will be "amazing."
Nordstrom Shares Drop After President Tweets They Treated Ivanka
‘Unfairly’
Adan Salazar - “My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly
by @Nordstrom,” the president wrote. “She is a great person —
always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!” The company
last Thursday announced it would remove Ivanka’s brand following
threats of boycotts from activists, however they claimed their
decision was motivated by sales and not protests. “In this case,
based on the brand’s performance, we’ve decided not to buy it
for this season,” the company wrote in a statement that was
re-iterated on Twitter Wednesday…. “With Wednesday’s drop, the
company’s shares are down more than 10 percent year to date,”
according to CNBC…. This isn’t the first time the president’s
words have affected a stock price.
TJ Maxx Joins "Anti-Trump" Resistance: Orders Workers To
"Discard" Ivanka Trump Signs, Keep Merchandise Separate
Zero Hedge - Having lashed out at Nordstrom's earlier for
dropping his daughter's products earlier in the day, Trump will
hardly be pleased to learn that another major retailer, TJ Maxx
parent, TJX Companies, has ordered its employees to throw away
Ivanka Trump signs and to display her merchandise separately
according to a note to employees on Wednesday, a copy of which
was obtained by The New York Times…. Many have called for
shoppers to boycott Ms. Trump’s handbags, jewelry, clothes and
other accessories. “I think they all have probably been looking
closely at Ivanka’s sales numbers and weighing whether they’re
worth all the problems she’s brought them,” said Shannon
Coulter, who helped found #GrabYourWallet, an online campaign to
boycott Trump products. The #GrabYourWallet campaign has even
put together a spreadsheet keeping track of all the retailers
currently carrying Trump products.
YODA, the Bill That Would Let You Own (and Sell) Your Devices, Is
Re-Introduced in Congress
Electronic Frontier Foundation - Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) and
Jared Polis (D-Colo.) just re-introduced their You Own Devices Act
(YODA), a bill that aims to help you reclaim some of your ownership
rights in the software-enabled devices you buy. The bill would go a ways
toward curbing abusive End User License Agreements (EULAs) by making
sure companies can’t use restrictions on the software within your device
to keep you from selling, leasing, or giving away the device when you’re
done with it by. The bill would override EULAs that purport to limit
your ability to transfer ownership of the device (and its software) and
would make sure that whoever ends up with your device has the same
access to security and bug fixes that you would have had. Making sure
that you can sell and transfer your old devices isn’t just good for you
– it’s good for everyone else as well. Resale markets for consumer
products help improve access to affordable technology and provide a
valuable resource for innovators.
Painkillers triple risk of heart attack when you have a cold
What Doctors Don't Tell You - The risk rises more than three
times—and it’s seven times more likely if you’re given the
medication intravenously. Your risk of suffering a heart attack
is higher when you have a cold or flu anyway—but taking an NSAID
(non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug) to relieve symptoms
raises the risk again. The painkillers are some of the most
commonly used on the market, and include aspirin and ibuprofen,
which can be purchased without a prescription. Researchers
reckon the drugs increase the chances of a heart attack 3.4
times, and the risk is even higher—at 7.2 times—if the drug is
given intravenously. On its own, having a cold raises the risk
of a heart attack 2.7 times.
Why Apple Cider Vinegar is One of the Best Things You Can Use
for Your Hair
Living Traditionally - Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has long been
used as a natural hair care product to promote healthy hair in
both men and woman. Did you know its acidity is close to that of
natural hair? It’s a powerful cleaning agent and a conditioner.
Raw apple cider vinegar (ACV) is loaded with nutrients. It
brings back body and shine, decreases residue and clarify, can
help with tangles and frizzy hair, stimulates the scalp, helps
get rid of dandruff, and unclogs hair follicles.
Wednesday - February
8, 2017
Today In History:
1861 - The Confederate States of America was formed.
1896 - The Western Conference was formed by representatives of
Midwestern universities. The group changed its name to the Big
10 Conference.
1900 - In South Africa, British troops under Gen. Buller were
beaten at Ladysmith. The British fled over the Tugela River.
1904 - The Russo-Japanese War began with Japan attacking Russian
forces in Manchuria.
1910 - William D. Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America.
1918 - During World War I, "The Stars and Stripes" was published
under orders from General John J. Pershing for the United States
Army forces in France. It was published from February 8, 1918 to
June 13, 1919.
1922 - The White House began using radio after U.S. President
Harding had it installed.
1963 - The Kennedy administration prohibited travel to Cuba and
made financial and commercial transactions with Cuba illegal for
U.S. citizens.
1969 - The last issue of the "Saturday Evening Post" was
published. It was revived in 1971 as a quarterly publication and
later a 6 times a year.
1973 - U.S. Senate leaders named seven members of a select
committee to investigate the Watergate scandal.
1978 - The U.S. Senate deliberations were broadcast on radio for
the first time. The subject was the Panama Canal treaties.
1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced a plan to
re-introduce draft registration.
1993 - General Motors sued NBC, alleging that "Dateline NBC" had
rigged two car-truck crashes to show that some GM pickups were
prone to fires after certain types of crashes. The suit was
settled the following day by NBC.
2007 - Model and tabloid sensation Anna Nicole
Smith died at age 39 of an accidental drug overdose.
2010 - Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, pleaded
not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop superstar
in Los Angeles Superior Court. (Murray was convicted and sentenced to
four years in jail.)
NATO troops from Germany arrive in Lithuania as Trump pledges
support for alliance
RT - The first wave of four new NATO battalions has arrived at a
military base in Eastern Europe close to Russia's border, with
the alliance claiming it's driven to deter alleged 'Russian
aggression' in the region. Several hundred soldiers from Germany
arrived at the Rukla military base in Lithuania on Tuesday.
Expected to be deployed just some 100 kilometers (62 miles) from
the Russian border, the German troops are reported to be heading
up the NATO force in the country, with Belgian, Dutch and French
soldiers scheduled to join them later. Later this year, three
other battalions led by Britain, Canada, and the US will also be
deployed to Estonia, Latvia, and Poland respectively to beef up
smaller rotating contingents of American troops in the region.
There are no end dates for their stay, with the contingents said
to be rotating every six months, according to Reuters. Speaking
at the Rukla base, Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite
talked about "aggressive actions in our region," AFP reported.
The move to expand NATO's presence in Eastern Europe – the
highest levels since the Cold War – was agreed last year under
the former Obama administration, who had accused Moscow of
aggressive behavior. Russia has repeatedly denied the
allegations, saying it's NATO's significant buildup in the
region which undermines the security balance.
US-Russia cooperation could benefit Syria & wider world – Assad
RT - Cooperation between Moscow and the new administration in
Washington could be positive not just for Syria but also the
wider world, Syrian President Bashar Assad said, adding that the
EU has merely supported terrorists since the start of the
country’s civil war. When asked by Belgian media about the Trump
administration and the possibility of working with it, Assad
said that statements by the Republican both during his election
campaign and after are “promising regarding the priority of
fighting terrorists, and mainly ISIS [IS, Islamic State],” SANA
news agency reported…. Assad blasted the European Union for
supporting extremists in Syria “since the very beginning,”
saying that it can’t “destroy and build at the same time” in the
war-torn country. “The EU is supporting the terrorists in Syria
from the very beginning under different titles: humanitarians,
moderate, and so on.”
Did Trump Scare Iran: Tehran Reportedly Pulls Missile From
Launchpad Following Launch Prep
Zero Hedge - In what - if confirmed - may be the clearest
indication that Trump's Iranian escalation gambit has worked,
Iran has allegedly removed a powerful missile from a launchpad
east of Tehran within the past few days, Fox News reported,
around the time the US imposed new sanctions on 25 Iranian
individuals and entities, as U.S. and Iran continued trading
public barbs about the Islamic Republic's missile tests and
nuclear ambitions. Citing a satellite image taken on February 3
from ImageSat International and verified by U.S. officials, Iran
was preparing a Safir missile for launch, the same type that
Iran has previously used to put a satellite into space. The last
time Iran launched a Safir missile was two years ago. But in a
surprising about face, Fox News learned Tuesday morning that
Iran’s missile had been removed from the launchpad amid a flurry
of activity on the launchpad which U.S. officials have been
watching closely. It was not immediately clear why.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Navy successfully tests new missile-defense system in Hawaii
Stars and Stripes - A new missile-defense system developed by
the United States and Japan destroyed a target missile during a
test off the coast of Hawaii on Friday, a Missile Defense Agency
statement said. The intercept of a medium-range ballistic
missile, launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in
Hawaii, was a first for the system, which had conducted two
previous flight tests, the statement said…. Ship-based missile
interceptors are part of U.S. defense plans in the event of an
attack on the U.S. or its allies by North Korea, which has
continued to develop its ballistic-missile program despite
United Nations sanctions.
Trump: We're Going To Take It To The Supreme Court (Video)
Zero Hedge - "We're going to take it through the system," Trump
told reporters at the White House. "It's very important, it's
very important for the country regardless of me or whoever
succeeds at a later date. We have to have security in our
country." When asked if he thinks the case will go to the
Supreme Court, Trump said "we will see." He added that
"hopefully, it doesn't have to."
White House Lists 78 Terrorist Attacks, Says Many Were
'Under-reported' By 'Dishonest Press'
CNS News - Several hours after President Donald Trump spoke to
CENTCOM at MacDill Air Force Base and noted a "very, very
dishonest press doesn't want to report" on radical Islamic
terrorism, or prefers to downplay it, the White House released a
list of 78 terrorist attacks. White House Press Secretary Sean
Spicer said Trump believes many of these incidents were
"under-reported." "Radical Islamic terrorists are determined to
strike our homeland as they did on 9/11, as they did from Boston
to Orlando, to San Bernardino," said President Trump on Monday.
"And all across Europe, you've seen what happened in Paris and
Nice. All over Europe it's happening. It's gotten to a point
where it's not even being reported and, in many cases, the very,
very dishonest press doesn't want to report it. They have their
reasons and you understand that.”… Later on Monday, the White
House released a list of 78 terrorist attacks -- from September
2014 through December 2016 -- that it said included many
incidents which were under-reported. Presented below is that
list….
AP Fact-Checks Trump-Immigration-Blocking Judge, Finds
'Alternative Facts'
Zero Hedge - The federal judge who halted President Donald
Trump's travel ban was wrong in stating that no one from the
seven countries targeted in Trump's order has been arrested for
extremism in the United States since the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Just last October, an Iraqi refugee living in Texas pleaded
guilty to attempting to provide support to the Islamic State
group, accused of taking tactical training and wanting to blow
himself up in an act of martyrdom. In November, a Somali refugee
injured 11 in a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University,
and he surely would have been arrested had he not been killed by
an officer….
State Of Washington v. Trump: Live Audio From The Appeals Court
Hearing
The Justice Department has asked the Court U.S. of Appeals for
the Ninth Circuit to reverse a lower-court order barring
travel-ban enforcement. The proceeding and oral arguments will
be heard at 6 p.m. EST, The hearing will be conducted
telephonically, meaning that the judges and attorneys will be
participating from their chambers and offices in different parts
of the country. The proceeding does not take place in a
courtroom, nor will there be any subsequent press conferences at
a courthouse. Here are some of the key highlights from the
hearing,
courtesy of The Hill…
Pence Casts Historic Tie-Breaking Vote to Confirm Betsy DeVos
Breitbart - Pence’s vote was in accordance with his post as
president of the Senate. The Senate vote was 50-50, with two
Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK),
voting against DeVos. As Fox News notes, Pence’s vote “marked
the first time in American history a vice president has broken a
tie on a Cabinet nominee’s Senate confirmation – and the first
tie-breaking vote by a VP since 2008.” “The Senate being equally
divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the
nomination is confirmed,” Pence said in the Senate. DeVos has
been one of the most controversial picks for President Donald
Trump’s cabinet. Objections to her nomination have come from
both the left, including teachers’ unions, and the grassroots
base of the GOP who want to see the federal education department
dismantled and oversight of education turned back to parents and
local school districts.
What Melania Trump’s Lawsuit Against Webster Tarpley Means for
Alternative Media
Kurt Nimmo - A $75,000 defamation suit was filed after Tarpley
and the Mail posted a story claiming Melania Trump worked for an
escort service prior to marrying the billionaire presidential
candidate. Trump claims the story references “unfounded rumors
and innuendo.” Webster Tarpley responded to the lawsuit by
claiming his “editors, writers and contributors did not generate
said rumors” and admitted the story “was not diligent in
fact-checking or maintaining a healthy distance between innuendo
and fact.” Tarpley retracted the story and formally apologized.
However, this did not stop Trump from going ahead with a
lawsuit.
Passengers to be arrested for not showing their ID's
MassPrivate I - Welcome to 'nightmare 2017' where police in
Arizona can arrest and fine passengers $750.00 for not showing
their photo ID's. Arizona's House Bill 2305 would make it a
crime for passengers to decline to provide a photo ID to police.
Passengers who fail to provide an ID could be sentenced to four
months in jail and a $750.00 fine. Six days ago, the House Panel
ok'd the bill allowing cops to demand passengers show their ID….
The Bill goes on to explain, that meter maids (parking
enforcement officers) and traffic cops can DEMAND to see a
passengers ID…. Rep. Richard Andrade warned, a bicyclist who
rolls through a crosswalk could be arrested if they don't have
an ID. Rep. Noel Campbell warned, the way the Bill is worded,
children and teens could be fined for not carrying their ID's.
Wouldn't this also mean, passengers in buses, trains, taxis and
UBER's are required to show their ID's? "This proposal [Bill]
takes us one step closer to a society in which we're required to
carry identification whenever we leave our homes" said Steve
Kilar, spokesperson with the American Civil Liberties Union of
Arizona.
Charlottesville, VA moves to tear down Robert E. Lee statue,
rename park
American Mirror - The Charlottesville City Council is expected
to vote to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee and rename the park
after a vote last month ended in a tie. Councilman Bob Fenwick,
who abstained from voting on the measure during a Jan. 17
meeting, told The Caviler Daily he now plans to vote to remove
the statue and rename Lee Park at the Virginia council’s meeting
today. Fenwick said he initially abstained from voting because
he was unsure about the consequences for the move, slated to
cost $300,000, and wanted time to consider input from a Blue
Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces. “I was
very concerned a vote to remove (on Jan. 17) would take the
energy out of a better city budget for citizens and
neighborhoods which would mean community centers, the Jefferson
School Heritage Center, diversion and mentoring programs (and)
funding for 501c3 social programs like Legal Aid, Ready Kids,
etc.,” Fenwick wrote in an email to The Daily.
Nuclear waste ready to move through Erie County
GoErie.com - A federal judge has approved the Department of Energy plan
to move the material on trucks. Department of Energy plan to move the
material on trucks. Liquid nuclear waste soon will make its way through
Erie County. Tractor-trailers carrying shipments of the radioactive
material will start traveling on Interstates 90 and 79 as early as Feb.
17…. The judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, of U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia, found that the federal Department of Energy met
all the requirements to allow subcontracted flatbed tractor-trailers to
haul a total of 6,000 gallons of "target material" - called uranyl
nitrate - from a laboratory in Ontario, Canada, to a federal processing
plant in South Carolina. The semis, traveling in convoys, are to make
100 to 150 trips over four years. Under the 1,100-mile route, according
to court records and a government map, the 6,000 gallons of spent
nuclear waste - the byproduct of medical testing at the Chalk River
Laboratories in Ontario - will be stored in stainless-steel casks placed
inside large shipping containers. The semis hauling the containers will
travel from Canada, across the Peace Bridge, in Buffalo, New York, and
on interstates in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North
Carolina and South Carolina.
Nuclear officials killed study on whether reactors posed cancer risk to
nearby residents
LA Daily News - Federal regulators killed a rigorous examination of
cancer in millions of Americans living near nuclear plants because they
were convinced the study couldn't link reactors to disease and would be
too costly, newly released records show. Doubts over the study’s
usefulness ran deep at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the agency
overseeing America’s aging fleet of nuclear plants.
Army Grants Easement To Complete Construction Of Dakota Access Pipeline
Zero Hedge - The US Army Corps said in a court filing it has notified
Congress that it has granted the final easement needed to finish the
controversial Dakota Access pipeline. The easement was needed for Energy
Transfer Partners to complete work on the last portion located under
Lake Oahe on the 1,172-mile long pipeline…. The 1,172-mile line will
bring crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken shale region to Patoka,
Illinois, and from there connect to the Gulf of Mexico, where many U.S.
refineries are located. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, whose reservation
is adjacent to the line's route, has said they will fight the decision.
The Army Corps had previously stated that they would undertake further
environmental review of the project….. Last Friday, Bloomberg reported
that the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline may start operating
June 1, assuming no new obstacles prevent it, according to a person
familiar with the matter. It added that Energy Transfer Partners, the
developer of the pipeline, will begin filling it with oil around Feb.
15, barring complaints or legal action to stop it, said the person.
Flipped trucks & destroyed homes: State of emergency in Louisiana as
tornadoes hit (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
RT - Southern Louisiana, including New Orleans, has suffered severe
damage after seven tornadoes battered the area, causing dozens of
injuries and leaving a wake of destruction. Governor John Bel Edwards
declared a state of emergency Tuesday morning following the onslaught
that left about 10,000 homes without power and severely damaged NASA's
Michaud Facility…. By declaring a state of emergency, the governor
empowers himself and other officials to act faster action to help ensure
safety. This can include mobilizing law enforcement officers and the
Louisiana National Guard in some cases.
Root That Kills 98 Percent of Cancer Cells in 48 Hours
Natural News Blogs - Did you know that dandelion root was used
by the Chinese for many years to treat digestive problems,
anorexia, and constipation? Now researchers have proven that
this root is more potent than previously thought. In the study,
researchers found that dandelion root extract can kill cancer
(leukemia) cells in 48 hours. It slows the growth of cancerous
cells and eventually kills them. The best part is that this root
only kills cancer cells – it didn’t damage healthy ones like
chemo.
Better Than Botox – Study Backs Up Benefits of Niacin for Better
Skin
Natural Blaze - Though niacin is found in food, research has
shown that to achieve increased benefits for the skin, it takes
more than what we typically receive in our diets…. For skincare,
niacin is best used topically. When used in creams, lotions, or
sprays directly on the skin, it leads to increased cell
turnover, wrinkle reduction, boosts moisture, protects against
certain forms of skin cancer, and treats a wide variety of other
skin issues… Instead of spending a lot of money on
pre-formulated products, niacin can be purchased in bulk online
or from your local vitamin shop. There are several DIY products
you can make on your own to save quite a lot of money. See the
video below for information about how to make a naicinamide face
spray for incorporation into your beauty routine.
This Ingredient Increases Vision by Up to 97%
Natural Blaze - In Italy, Italian researchers have found that
saffron can cure the loss of vision from macular degeneration,
which comes related to age…. In the center of our eyes, we have
a macula that is imperative for our visual field. With macular
degeneration, the macula becomes damaged resulting in blindness.
In elderly, young and healthy individuals, the vision field is
mainly damaged. Saffron is commonly used in Indian food, and
helps avoid vision issues and at the same time, curing existing
vision issues. Researchers have tested people that were given
20mg of saffron a day for 3 months.
This Can Turn Your Cat From Healthy to Helpless in a Shockingly Short
Time
Dr. Becker - A previously healthy 10-year-old cat developed breathing
difficulties and was subsequently diagnosed with a heart disease
associated with taurine deficiency. Felines have a greater need for
taurine in the diet than other animals. Deficiencies take awhile to
appear and cause significant damage to a cat’s health. Taurine
concentrations in meat vary widely depending on how the food animals are
raised and the way in which the meat is stored and prepared. Most cats
fed a nutritionally balanced, fresh meat-based diet won’t need
supplemental taurine. Cooked homemade pet diets should be supplemented
with taurine, and all commercial cat foods should contain supplemental
taurine.
Tuesday - February
7, 2017
Today In History:
1795 - The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
1913 - The Turks lost 5,000 men in a battle with the Bulgarian
army in Gallipoli.
1936 - The U.S. Vice President’s flag was established by
executive order.
1943 - The U.S. government announced that shoe rationing would
go into effect in two days.
1944 - During World War II, the Germans launched a
counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy.
1962 - The U.S. government banned all Cuban imports and
re-export of U.S. products to Cuba from other countries.
1974 - The nation of Grenada gained independence from Britain.
1977 - Russia launched Soyuz 24.
1984 - Space shuttle astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert
L. Stewart made the first untethered space walk.
1985 - "New York, New York" became the official anthem of New
York City.
1986 - Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his
country ending 28 years of family rule.
1991 - The Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti's
first democratically elected president.
1999 - NASA's Stardust space probe was launched. The mission was
to return comet dust samples from comet Wild 2. The mission was
completed on January 15, 2006 when the sample return capsule
returned to Earth.
2000 - California's legislature declared that February 13 would
be "Charels M. Schulz Day."
2008 - The Space Shuttle Atlantis launched with the mission of
delivering the Columbus science laboratory to the International
Space Station.
China Unveils New Ballistic Missile Capable Of Hitting Taiwan,
US Bases In Asia
Zero Hedge - Two weeks after China allegedly unveiled a new ICBM
system "in response to Trump's provocative remarks", a report
which however was subsequently denied by Chinese officials,
China had no qualms about revealing another highly accurate
ballistic missile in recent drills, which is capable of
threatening not only Taiwan and the contested South China Sea
islands, but also U.S. and Japanese bases in Asia.
"When Trade Stops, War Starts" Jack Ma Warns As China Protests
US Sanctions On Iran
Zero Hedge - Having recently accused the US of 'wasting $14
trillion on war instead of its people', China's second richest
man, Jack Ma, continued to voice his concerns to President Trump
on a recent trip to Australia, warning retreat from
globalization will only result in trouble. This followed China
"lodging representations" with the United States over
Washington's new sanctions list targeting Iran, which includes
Chinese companies and individuals.
Trump Blocked From Addressing UK Parliament For "Racism And
Sexism"
Zero Hedge - In a striking announcement by John Bercow, the
speaker of the British House of Commons, Donald Trump is to be
barred from giving a historic address in Westminster Hall, the
British Parliament's grandest and most prestigious hall. Bercow
announced he would not give the US President permission to speak
in the 11th Century Westminster Hall when he makes a state
visit. John Bercow slammed Trump for "racism and sexism", his
undermining of judges and his migrant ban. Bercow's intervention
is unusual because Speakers are expected to remain above
Parliament's partisan fray…. Trump is due to visit Britain later
this year
Worried about Trump, asylum seekers walk cold road to Canada
Yahoo News - Manitoba’s Welcome Place refugee agency helped 91
claimants between Nov. 1 and Jan. 25 - more than the agency
normally sees in a year. Most braved the freezing prairie winter
to walk into Canada. "We haven't had something before like
this," said Maggie Yeboah, president of the Ghanaian Union of
Manitoba, which has helped refugees get medical attention and
housing. "We don't know what to do.”… Canadian advocacy
organizations are bracing for a greater influx of
asylum-seekers, driven in part by the contrast between the
ruling Liberal government's acceptance of Syrian refugees in
Canada with Trump's anti-foreigner rhetoric.…. More than 7,000
refugee applicants entered Canada in 2016 through land ports of
entry from the United States, up 63 percent from the previous
year, according to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Over
2,000 more entered "irregularly" during a similar time period,
without official authorization, such as across unmonitored
fields. Four hundred and thirty asylum seekers crossed
Manitoba's border irregularly in the first nine months of
2016-17, up from 340 the entire previous year, CBSA said…. More
of these people would enter at border crossings, advocates say,
if Canada didn't have a policy of turning many of them away when
they do.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Video: Trump Says Journalists ‘Have Their Reasons’ to Play Down
Terror Threat
NY Times - President Trump on Monday asserted that the news
media was playing down the terrorist threat posed by the Islamic
State, telling American military personnel that journalists were
reluctant to report on the militant group’s attacks in Europe
and “have their reasons” for failing to cover them. Mr. Trump
did not provide any examples of a news media conspiracy to
underplay terrorist attacks, and his comments appeared to ignore
the vast amount of reporting on violence committed by the
Islamic State and its supporters in the Middle East, Europe and
the United States. His spokesman later promised to release a
list of such instances, and on Monday evening the White House
produced 78 examples of attacks and said most of them had not
“received the media attention they deserved.”
The U.S. military's stats on deadly airstrikes are wrong.
Thousands have gone unreported
Military Times - The American military has failed to publicly
disclose potentially thousands of lethal airstrikes conducted
over several years in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, a Military
Times investigation has revealed. The enormous data gap raises
serious doubts about transparency in reported progress against
the Islamic State, al-Qaida and the Taliban, and calls into
question the accuracy of other Defense Department disclosures
documenting everything from costs to casualty counts. In 2016
alone, U.S. combat aircraft conducted at least 456 airstrikes in
Afghanistan that were not recorded as part of an open-source
database maintained by the U.S. Air Force, information relied on
by Congress, American allies, military analysts, academic
researchers, the media and independent watchdog groups to assess
each war's expense, manpower requirements and human toll. Those
airstrikes were carried out by attack helicopters and armed
drones operated by the U.S. Army, metrics quietly excluded from
otherwise comprehensive monthly summaries, published online for
years, detailing American military activity in all three
theaters. Most alarming is the prospect this data has been
incomplete since the war on terrorism began in October 2001.
Good News: Nevada's Strong Anti-SLAPP Law Is Constitutional
Techdirt - ... SLAPP [Strategic Lawsuit Against Public
Participation] suits are lawsuits where it is fairly obvious
that the intent of the lawsuits is to stifle free speech, rather
than for a legitimate purpose under the law. The intention of
anti-SLAPP laws are to allow for such lawsuits to be tossed out
of court quickly -- and, frequently, to force those who bring
those suits to pay legal fees. While actually getting a federal
anti-SLAPP law is really important, for now, we're left with a
patchwork of state laws. While many (though not all) states have
anti-SLAPP laws, they vary widely in terms of what they cover
and just how strong or effective they are.... Nevada's anti-SLAPP
law has been found to be Constitutional, meaning that it will
survive largely intact (a few changes had been made a few years
ago to bolster the law's likelihood of surviving). Perhaps even
more important was that the ruling basically recognized that
Nevada's anti-SLAPP statute was similar to California's (much
older and much more broadly litigated anti-SLAPP) law, and that
Nevada courts can use California case law for its own anti-SLAPP
cases. That's also a good thing.
Trump Threatens To De-Fund "Out Of Control" California
McClatchy - President Donald Trump is threatening to withhold
federal funds from “out of control” California if the state
declares itself a sanctuary state. “If we have to, we’ll
defund,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Bill
O’Reilly before the Super Bowl. “We give tremendous amounts of
money to California, California in many ways is out of control,
as you know.” Trump was responding to a question from O’Reilly
about efforts by Democratic state legislators to make California
a de-facto “sanctuary state” that would restrict state and local
law enforcement, including school police and security
departments, from using their resources to aid federal
authorities in immigration enforcement…. Sacramento, Los Angeles
and San Francisco are sanctuary cities and have said they will
will challenge in court any attempt by Trump to withhold federal
funds from them. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he doubted
the 10th amendment to the Constitution, which reserves power to
the states, would allow Trump to defund. Sacramento Mayor
Darrell Steinberg has said he would "join, if not lead, any
effort to fight (the sanctuary city threat) with litigation."
Trump Haters Now Want to Assassinate Tom Brady
Paul Joseph Watson - After spearheading the Patriots’ amazing
comeback victory in last night’s Super Bowl, Tom Brady became
the target of Donald Trump haters on Twitter who flooded the
social network to call for his assassination. Leftists associate
Trump with Tom Brady because Trump said he considered Brady to
be a personal friend and has sided with the Patriots against NFL
commissioner Roger Goodell…. Having made the game political
before it even began, as soon as the turnaround began to happen
after half time, leftists began tweeting violent threats leveled
at Brady…. The Secret Service has been overwhelmed with violent
threats targeting Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, but for
Trump haters to call for Tom Brady to be killed represents a new
level of hysteria.
Leftists Meltdown, Blame “White Supremacy” For Patriots’ Super
Bowl Win
Paul Joseph Watson - The Patriots’ amazing comeback victory in
last night’s Super Bowl spawned another leftist meltdown in
which the result was somehow blamed on “white supremacy”.
Despite the fact that a black player, James White, scored the
winning touchdown, Twitter was awash with race-obsessed liberals
who thought the unprecedented comeback was some kind of
conspiracy.
Anti-Trump Protesters Block Ambulance Rushing to Hospital
Lifezette - Protesters decrying President Donald Trump’s
two-week-old administration prevented an ambulance carrying a
“critically ill” patient from getting to Yale-New Haven hospital
during a protest Saturday in New Haven, Connecticut. Roughly 200
demonstrators marched to Route 34 around 5 p.m. carrying a
banner emblazoned with the words “No Ban No Wall New Haven,”
they blocked traffic on the highway the ambulance was taking.
The protesters “obstructed an ambulance carrying a critically
ill patient,” the state police report read, according to the New
Haven Independent. “Due to this delay, ambulance personnel were
required to perform an emergency medical procedure in the
ambulance instead of at the hospital.” One protester in
particular who stood in the ambulance’s path refused to move
when asked by police to do so. “The officers tried to guide him
out of the way. He pushed an officer trying to get back,” Shift
Commander Lt. Sam Brown told the Independent, noting that the
man was brought to the ground and arrested.
Video: California Senate Leader Admits His Family Is In Us
Illegally With Fake Social Security Cards!
The GatewayPundit - California Democrat, Kevin de León, recently
admitted that half of his family was in the United States
illegally and is using false forms of government identification,
which can be a felony depending on the state and circumstance.
Transcript: I can tell you half of my family would be eligible
for deportation under executive order, because if they got a
false Social Security card, if they got a false identification,
if they got a false driver’s license prior to us passing AB60,
if they got a false green card, and anyone who has family
members, you know, who are undocumented knows that almost
entirely everybody has secured some sort of false
identification. That’s what you need to survive, to work. They
are eligible for massive deportation.
The Leftwing Has Placed Itself In The Trash Can Of History
Paul Craig Roberts - At a time when the Western world
desperately needs alternative voices to the neoliberals, the
neoconservatives, the presstitutes and the Trump de-regulationists,
there are none. The Western leftwing has gone insane. The voices
being raised against Trump, who does need voices raised against
him, are so hypocritical as to reflect less on Trump than on
those with raised voices. Sharon Kelly McBride, speaking for
Human Rights First, sent me an email saying that Trump stands on
the wrong side of “America’s ideals” by his prohibition of
Muslim immigrants into the US. My question to McBride is: Where
were you and Human Rights First when the Bush/Cheney/Obama
regime was murdering, maiming, orphaning, widowing, and
displacing millions of Muslims in seven countries over the
course of 4 presidential terms?…
Governor Greitens Signs ‘Right to Work’ Bill Making Missouri
28th Right to Work State
The GatewayPundit - The Kansas City Star reported: In an
abandoned warehouse in Springfield Monday morning, Gov. Eric
Greitens signed legislation making Missouri the country’s 28th
right-to-work state. Before the day is done, he’ll sign the
measure two more times. Greitens’ signature puts the finishing
touches on decades of work by Republicans and business groups to
enact a right-to-work law in Missouri, which allows employees in
unionized workplaces to opt out of paying unions for the cost of
being represented. In Missouri you are no longer required to pay
union dues.
400,000 Fewer Americans Enrolled In Obamacare For 2017
Zero Hedge - As Axios reports, Obamacare enrollment for this
year appears to have ended slightly down from last year,
according to enrollment numbers released this afternoon by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…. It's the first
indication that the Trump administration's opposition to the
law, and its decision to pull TV advertising, may have had an
impact, since the pace of enrollment had been ahead of last
year's until mid-January.... Democrats pointed to a drop-off in
signups at the end of the enrollment period as evidence that the
Trump administration's cancelation of ads hurt sign-ups.... So
what the Democrats are saying is that without spending millions
to advertise the benefits of Obamacare - after years of
discussion and explanation - notably fewer people are interested
in it, or believe they need it (or are willing to spend money on
it).
NOAA Scientists Manipulated Temperature Data To Make Global Warming Seem
Worse
Daily Caller - A whistleblower says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) rushed a landmark study claiming the planet was
warming much faster than expected in order to influence international
climate negotiations. Dr. John Bates, the former principal scientist at
the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., told the Daily
Mail NOAA’s 2015 study was meant “to discredit the notion of a global
warming hiatus and rush to time the publication of the paper to
influence national and international deliberations on climate policy.”
Bates said NOAA scientists made a “blatant attempt to intensify the
impact” of global warming to eliminate the “pause” in temperature rise
since 1998. The Daily Mail claims Bates showed it “irrefutable” evidence
NOAA’s study relied on “unverified” data. Bates’ objections to the paper
were ignored by his superiors, who let scientists make “decisions and
scientific choices that maximized warming and minimized documentation”
in advance of a major United Nations climate summit in Paris, France.
97 Tech Companies Condemning Trump's Immigration Order
Zero Hedge - The onslaught targeting President Trump's
immigration executive order continued overnight, when virtually
all US tech corporations, from Apple to Zynga, including
Twitter, Netflix, Google, and Microsoft, banded together late on
Sunday to file an "impassioned" brief condemning Trump's
temporary immigration ban, arguing that it "inflicts significant
harm on American business.”… U.S. tech firms have been among the
more vocal sectors speaking out against the policy, with many of
its staff made up of foreign-born nationals. In addition to the
amicus brief, several large tech companies, including Microsoft
Corp. and Alphabet Inc., are planning to sign an open letter to
President Trump expressing concern about the immigration order
and offering help fixing it and other policies.
* Related:
Here’s the Full List of the 97 Companies Suing POTUS Trump Over
Temporary Refugee Ban
Vizio smart TVs tracked viewers around the clock without consent
Ars Technica - Vizio, one of the world's biggest makers of Smart
TVs, is paying $2.2 million to settle charges that it collected
viewing habits from 11 million devices without the knowledge or
consent of the people watching them. According to a complaint
filed Monday by the US Federal Trade Commission,
Internet-connected TVs from Vizio contained ACR—short for
automated content recognition—software. Without asking for
permission, the ACR code captured second-by-second information
about the video the TVs displayed. The software collected other
personal information and transmitted it, along with the viewing
data, to servers controlled by the manufacturer. Vizio then sold
the data to unnamed third-parties for purposes of audience
measurement, analysis, and tracking.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
GMO Apples Hit American Stores This Month: How and Why to Avoid
Them
The Organic Prepper - … why is it that Okanagan Speciality
Fruits is allowed to market a new variety of GMO apples without
telling people the reason they’re so “special” is that they are
genetically modified? While the fruit won’t be explicitly
labeled as a GMO product, that information will be available by
scanning a QR code on the packaging. “We are selling it under
the Arctic brand and we’ve had a lot of press and attention, so
I assume most people will know what it is,” company founder Neal
Carter said…. Are we actually supposed to carry around a QR
scanner at the store to figure out what the heck we’re buying?…
By next year, there could be four different apple varieties to
dodge in stores if you want to keep your diet free of
genetically modified ingredients. Golden Delicious, Granny Smith
and Fuji varieties have been approved by the USDA and Canada. An
Arctic Gala could be approved in 2018. Only Goldens and Granny
Smiths have been planted long enough to produce fruit in
commercial quantities by next fall.
This is how a 1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan salt fights muscle pain,
toxins and belly fat
Natural Blaze - In the early past (over100 million years ago+),
deep in the Himalayans there was these crystallized sea salt
beds that were covered by lava. Being covered in snow and ice
all year, the lava had protected the pristine salt from
pollution. It is believed, that this salt is mostly the purest
on earth. It is hand-mined from the Himalayas and shipped to
world culinary markets…. Due to its rich mineral content, this
salt can: Due to its rich mineral content, this salt can: •
Create an electrolyte balance • Increases hydration • Regulate
water content both inside and outside of cells • Balance pH
(alkaline/acidity) and help to reduce acid reflux • Prevent
muscle cramping • Aid in proper metabolism functioning •
Strengthen bones • Lowers blood pressure • Help the intestines
absorb nutrients • Prevent goiters • Improve circulation •
Dissolve and eliminate sediment to remove toxins.
Sweet wormwood: 1,000 times more effective than chemotherapy for
breast cancer
(NaturalHealth365) A recent study found that sweet wormwood can
kill up to 12,000 cancer cells for every one healthy cell it may
affect…. Chinese medicine practitioners and others have used it
for thousands of years to treat everything from inhibiting
parasite growth to immune boosting. Sweet wormwood is also
chock-full of powerful, cancer-killing terpenes such as limonene
and B-pinene and the flavonoid quercetin, all of which contain
anti-inflammatory, immune-supporting, and anti-cancer
properties. In addition, sweet wormwood contains the flavonoids
luteolin and patuletin, sesquiterpenes such as camphor and
myrcene and palmitic acid, a good source of saturated fat and
promoter of enzyme health. …the University of Washington have
discovered that a special super-concentrated compound of sweet
wormwood and iron can be over a thousand times more effective
than chemo at targeting cancer cells while leaving healthy cells
alone. The compound appears to especially be effective in
combating breast cancer. Developed by bioengineering professor
Henry Lai, PhD, wormwood and iron together is said to act as a
“trojan horse,” creating a literal “time bomb” for cancer cells.
The compound is founded on the fact that cancer cells are not as
successful as healthy cells in disposing of free-floating iron
molecules. This weakness causes the presence of iron in general
to create a stressful environment for them.
Evanger's Pet Food Recall
Susan Thixton - Out of an abundance of caution, Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food
of Wheeling, IL is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its Hunk of
Beef product because of a potential contaminant Pentobarbital.
* Related:
No Enforcement of Law is Why the Evangers Recall Occured
Monday - February
6, 2017
Today In History:
1778 - The U.S. gained official recognition from France as the
two nations signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of
Alliance in Paris.
1788 - Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S.
Constitution.
1815 - The state of New Jersey issued the first American
railroad charter to John Stevens.
1899 - The U.S. Senate ratified a peace treaty between the U.S.
and Spain.
1900 - U.S. President McKinley appointed W.H. Taft as
commissioner to report on the Philippines.
1933 - The 20th Amendment to the Constitution was declared in
effect. The amendment moved the start of presidential, vice-presidential
and congressional terms from March to January.
1971 - NASA Astronaut Alan B. Shepard used a six-iron that he
had brought inside his spacecraft and swung at three golf balls on the
surface of the moon.
1987 - President Ronald Reagan turned 76 years old this day and
became the oldest U.S. President in history.
1998 - Washington National Airport was renamed for U.S.
President Ronald Reagan with the signing of a bill by U.S. President
Clinton.
1999 - Excerpts of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky's
videotaped testimony were shown at President Clinton's impeachment
trial.
1999 - Heavy fighting resumed along the common border between
Ethiopia and Eritrea.
2000 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton formally declared
that she was a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat from the state of New
York.
2002 - A federal judge ordered John Walker Lindh to be held
without bail pending trial. Lindh was known as the "American Taliban."
UN refugee chief opposes 'safe zones' in Syria
CNS News - The U.N.'s top official on refugees pushed back
against a proposed initiative that has gained recent traction to
create "safe zones" in Syria for refugees, saying the country
was "not the right place" for the initiative. "Let's not waste
time planning safe zones that will not be set up because they
will not be safe for people to go back," said Filippo Grandi,
the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees.... U.S. President Donald
Trump has floated safe zones as a substitute for resettling
refugees in the United States and elsewhere around the globe.
The president explored schemes with Jordanian King Abdullah II
in a face-to-face meeting in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
Jordan is host to some 650,000 Syrian refugees. Turkey and
Lebanon, which both border Syria, are also pushing for safe
zones across their borders. The two countries host 3.75 million
refugees between them.
France's Le Pen launches election bid with vow to fight
globalization
Reuters - France's far-right party leader Marine Le Pen on
Sunday told thousands of flag-waving supporters chanting "This
is our country!" that she alone could protect them against
Islamic fundamentalism and globalization if elected president in
May. Buoyed by the election of President Donald Trump in the
United States and by Britons' vote to leave the European Union,
Le Pen's anti-immigration, anti-EU National Front (FN) hopes for
similar populist momentum in France…. "What is at stake in this
election ... is whether France can still be a free nation," Le
Pen told supporters at her campaign launch rally. "The divide is
not between the left and right any more but between patriots and
globalists." …Le Pen says she would drastically curb migration,
expel all illegal migrants and restrict certain rights now
available to all residents, including free education, to French
citizens.
Village Magazine Sparks Furor Asking "Why Not" Assassinate
Donald Trump
Zero Hedge - Ireland's Village Magazine cover shows crosshairs
on President Trump's head with the question "why not?".... This
outrageous image was tweeted with the caption, "Why taking
#Trump out would be unethical." As Mediaite reports, after
making the case for why Trump is a threat to the world, the
piece dives into the morality of whether assassinating the
president is justified.... However, the piece ultimately
concludes that assassinating the President of the United States
is not a good idea. Part of their argument is that he may end up
resigning or get impeached anyway.
Severe Vegetable Shortage Deprives Europeans of Spinach,
Broccoli
HeatStreet - Murcia, a region of Spain, usually does roaring
trade throughout winter. But heavy rain means only a third of
its fields can be used for agriculture, forcing yields down and
sending prices through the roof. According to the BBC, the UK
imports 50% of all its vegetables and 90% of its fruit, leaving
the supply chain particularly vulnerable to unexpected events
overseas. Importers have said that they are facing the prospect
of paying more than triple the usual price for now-rare
commodities, while some stores have started rationing sales to
stop customers bulk-buying.
As Media Labels Fukushima A "Conspiracy Theory," Radiation Soars
To Record Level
The Free Thought Project - Radiation levels inside Fukushima
Number 2 have reached astronomical levels - experts describe the
530 sieverts per hour as “unimaginable” - yet the political
establishment and its corporate media mouthpiece insist on
deeming those concerned about the catastrophe ‘conspiracy
theorists.’.... Officials at the nuclear plant had been
preparing to dismantle the paralyzed facility when they found
levels of radioactivity inside the reactor’s containment vessel
- where fuel rods originally generated power - to be more than
seven times a previous high of 73 sieverts per hour, recorded by
Tepco shortly after the fateful day. Gizmodo explains, Tepco
made the readings by analyzing electronic noise caused by the
radiation in video images. The company says this technique has a
margin of error of plus or minus 30 percent (so even at the
extreme low ball, the levels are no lower than 370 sieverts per
minute — but possibly as high as 690!) Needless to say, this
plant is not fit for human life. Just one dose of a single
sievert is enough to cause radiation sickness and nausea.
Exposure to four to five sieverts would kill about half of those
exposed to it within a month, while a single dose of 10 sieverts
is enough to kill a person within weeks.... Alarmingly,
officials can’t pinpoint a reason for the colossal spike — they
don’t know if previous readings were incorrect, inadequate, or
if something altogether unforeseen is taking place inside the
eviscerated reactor.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Federal Judge Puts The Brakes To Donald Trump's
Immigration Pause
The Daily Caller - U.S. District Judge James Robart issued the
injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by Washington Attorney
General Bob Ferguson earlier this week. Trump’s controversial
executive order, announced last Friday, banned travel from
Libya, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and Yemen for 90 days.
It also halted the flow of refugees from Syria and Iraq for 120
days while the Department of Homeland Security develops better
vetting methods. As The Seattle Times notes, Ferguson argued in
a legal filing that Trump’s travel ban violates the
constitutional rights of Muslim immigrants. The Democrat cited
Trump’s comments during the campaign about banning Muslims from
entering the U.S…. Robart is a George W. Bush appointee. He made
national headlines last year when he declared during a hearing
in a case involving policing practices in Seattle that “Black
lives matter.” He is believed to be the first federal judge to
cite the activist phrase during from the federal bench.
U.S. appeals court denies immediate restoration of Donald
Trump’s ban
Breitbart - The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit, located in San Francisco, ordered the plaintiffs in the
case — the states of Washington and Minnesota — to file their
briefs before midnight California time, while a reply from the
Trump administration is due Monday. Two judges — William Canby
Jr. and Michelle Friedland — made the initial order that upheld
the stay of U.S. District Court Judge James Robart’s ruling
Friday night. Richard Clifton, a George W. Bush appointee, was
not listed on the order but a 9th Circuit spokesman said he also
would decide on the issue. Friedland is a Barack Obama appointee
and Canby was chosen by Jimmy Carter. For now, Robart’s ruling
remains in place…. Before the appeals decision, the Department
of Homeland Security announced it had suspended “any and all”
actions to implement the immigration order and would resume
standard inspections of travelers. The State Department said
about 60,000 visas were revoked since the order.
Trump blasts courts for blocking travel ban, warns of ‘peril’
Breitbart - “Just cannot believe a judge would put our country
in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system.
People pouring in. Bad!” the president tweeted, after
uncharacteristically taking a nearly day-long break from
Twitter. “I have instructed Homeland Security to check people
coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making
the job very difficult!”
‘Refuse Fascism’ Group Behind Berkeley Riot Received $50k from
George Soros
Breitbart - The Alliance for Global Justice, which is funded by
the George Soros-backed Tides Foundation, reportedly donated
$50,000 to fund Refuse Fascism, which openly brags about using
violence to shut down conservative and libertarian speech.
“While it is unclear whether those who carried out the violence
were paid to do so, the benefactors of the Alliance for Global
Justice — and Refuse Fascism — are listed online,” reported the
Daily Caller. “According to its most recent 990 tax form,
Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ) received $2.2 million in
funding for the fiscal year ending in March 2016. One of the
group’s biggest donors is the Tides Foundation, a non-profit
funded by billionaire progressive philanthropist George Soros.
Tides gave AfGJ $50,000.” “Other notable donors include the city
of Tucson and the United Steel Workers labor union. The former
gave $10,000 to AfGJ while the latter contributed $5,000,” they
continued. “Charities associated with several major corporations
also donated. Patagonia.org, the outdoor apparel and equipment
company, gave $40,000. The Ben & Jerry Foundation, the charity
associated with the ice cream maker, gave $20,000. And Lush
Cosmetic gave $43,950. Another bit of irony is seen in the
$5,000 contribution from the Peace Development Fund, a group
that claims to support organizations that fight for human rights
and social justice.” The group defended the violent riot at
Berkeley on Facebook, which left numerous Trump supporters and
fans of MILO injured and bloody, before deleting their post.
Video: MILO on Judge Jeanine: Trump Should Withdraw Funding from
Berkeley
Breitbart - MILO appeared on Judge Jeannine Pirro’s show on the
Fox News channel on Sunday night to discuss the protests that
occurred this week at UC Berkeley. MILO called on President
Trump to follow through on a tweet he put out in which he
mentioned pulling funds from UC Berkeley for failing to protect
MILO’s First Amendment protection to free speech.
Travis County, Texas Sheriff Releases 39 Criminal Aliens in
First Two Days of Sanctuary Policy
Breitbart - Despite the loss of state law enforcement grants,
Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez followed through and
released 39 criminal aliens during the first two days of her
sanctuary policy…. The sheriff’s office stated that Sheriff
Hernandez declined 191 immigration detainers that were received
by her office before February 1. Eight more immigration
detainers received after February 1 were also declined. The
sheriff also declined four requests from immigration officials
to be notified of the pending release of the criminal aliens in
her custody…. Travis County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson
Kristen Dark confirmed the move by the sheriff to protect
criminal aliens from federal officials will cost the taxpayers
of Travis County $1.5 million this year. She also confirmed the
sheriff is aware her department could also lose federal law
enforcement grants if the Department of Justice certifies the
county is not cooperating 100 percent with immigration officials
under existing federal law. Breitbart Texas requested
information on what crimes the released aliens were charged
with. Dark replied that information could only be obtained via
an open records act request.
Tarrant County, Texas Sheriff Vows To Help Trump Deport Criminal
Aliens
Breitbart - Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn announced his
department is applying for a federal government-locality
agreement known as the 287(g) program. The agreement would
enable his deputies to be trained to handle illegal immigrants
and detain them until Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
officers can take over the cases. “When they commit crimes
against our people, it becomes our business,” Sheriff Waybourn
told CBS DFW News.
ATF Permanently Relocating More Agents to Violence-Plagued
Chicago
Breitbart - The new agents will be part of the “Chicago Crime
Guns Strike Force.” According to CNN, “ATF headquarters in
Washington sent out a bulletin to field offices around the
country Wednesday looking for agents to volunteer for permanent
transfer to the Chicago area.” An unidentified official said
“it’s unusual to ask for permanent relocation in reaction to a
specific problem.” Normal practice is for the agency to request
a surge of agents “for 30 to 60 days.” January 2017 saw a surge
in shootings and violence that easily surpassed the violence
witnessed in January 2016.... President Trump reacted to this
surge in violence by tweeting: "If Chicago doesn't fix the
horrible "carnage" going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42
killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!" CNN spoke
to two ATF officials about the additional federal agents heading
to Chicago. One said the new surge “is not in response” to
Trump’s tweet and the second official “could not say for sure
that Trump’s comment had nothing to do with decision.”
West Point's Modern War Institute Calls For "Megacities Combat
Unit"
Activist Post - The most recent call for more attention to be
paid to a future of megacities comes from West Point scholar and
former Ranger Instructor, John Spencer.... "Army Chief of Staff
Gen. Mark Milley recently remarked that the Army 'has been
designed, manned, trained and equipped for the last 241 years to
operate primarily in rural areas. But that is about to change.
Milley continued: In the future, I can say with very high
degrees of confidence, the American Army is probably going to be
fighting in urban areas…. A 2016 United Nations report estimated
54.5 percent of the world’s population lived in urban areas. By
2030, that percentage is projected to rise to 60 percent.... We
know we will be fighting in megacities and that it will pose
major new challenges. Successfully meeting these challenges
requires bold action—and requires it now.... Both recent studies
and global trends forecast the unavoidable deployment of
military forces to achieve national objectives in megacities."
IRS Plans to Revoke Americans’ Passports for Unpaid Taxes
Pontiac Tribune - The “Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case
of Certain Tax Delinquencies” code does not focus on flight
risks or criminal tax cases, but is aimed instead at enforcing
collections by threatening a US citizen’s freedom of
international movement. Congress passed the measure in 2015, and
it was signed by then-President Barack Obama, after first being
proposed, and then rejected, in 2012. According to the IRS
website, “If you have seriously delinquent tax debt, IRC § 7345
authorizes the IRS to certify that to the State Department. The
department generally will not issue or renew a passport to you
after receiving certification from the IRS.” It continues, “Upon
receiving certification, the State Department may revoke your
passport. If the department decides to revoke it, prior to
revocation, the department may limit your passport to return
travel to the US.” The IRS considers a tax debt “seriously
delinquent” if the total comes to over $50,000, including
interest and penalties.
Arizona Committee Passes Bill To Support Sound Money
Activist Post - An Arizona bill that would eliminate state
capital gains taxes on gold and silver specie, and encourage its
use as currency, passed an important House committee today.
Final approval of the legislation would help undermine the
Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.... The legislation would
eliminate state capital gains taxes on income “derived from the
exchange of one kind of legal tender for another kind of legal
tender.” The bill defines legal tender as “a medium of exchange,
including specie, that is authorized by the United States
Constitution or Congress for the payment of debts, public
charges, taxes and dues.” “Specie” means coins having precious
metal content. In effect, passage of the bill would “legalize
the Constitution” by treating gold and silver specie as
money.... Passage into law would mark an important step towards
currency competition. If sound money gains a foothold in the
marketplace against Federal Reserve notes, the people would be
able to choose the time-tested stability of gold and silver over
the central bank’s rapidly-depreciating paper currency.
Massive cleanup underway after Dakota Access protesters leave behind
environmental mess
Washington Times - “Without proper remediation, debris, trash, and
untreated waste will wash into the Cannonball River and Lake Oahe,” the
Corps [US Army Corps of Engineers] said in its statement. Those involved
in the clean-up effort, led by the Standing Rock Sioux, say it could
take weeks for private sanitation companies and volunteers to clear the
expanse of abandoned tents, teepees, sleeping bags, blankets, canned
food, supplies and just plain garbage littering the Oceti Sakowin
camp.... Many of the several hundred protesters who remained after the
early December snowstorm are helping with the effort, some of them
attempting to salvage reusable goods. Other activists have been less
helpful. The operation was delayed Wednesday, when activists tried to
set up a camp on private property owned by the Dakota Access pipeline
company and blocked Highway 1806, resulting in 76 arrests.... Standing
Rock Sioux tribal chairman Dave Archambault II has urged protesters for
months to vacate the area, citing the environmental damage to the
prairie as well as the risk to people and property from the flooding.
“Please, once again, we ask that people do not return to camp,” Mr.
Archambault said after the arrests. “The fight is no longer here, but in
the halls and courts of the federal government. Here at the camp, those
who remain should be working together to help clean and restore the
land.”
More than 12,000 tweets have called for Trump’s assassination
since the inauguration
Daily Mail - Former Secret Service special agent Tim Franklin
told Mashable that the agency was likely to look for repeated
threats, specific details of any possible attacks, and other
trends before launching an investigation…. While Facebook and
Twitter have policies to suspend accounts or take down violent
or threatening, thousands of posts against Trump remain on both
platforms.
The FBI Is Building A National Watchlist That Gives Companies
Real Time Updates on Employees
The Intercept - ... employers enrolled in federal and state Rap
Back programs receive ongoing, real-time notifications and
updates about their employees’ run-ins with law enforcement,
including arrests at protests and charges that do not end up in
convictions. (“Rap” is an acronym for Record of Arrest and
Prosecution; ”Back” is short for background).... A majority of
states already have their own databases that they use for
background checks and have accessed in-state Rap Back programs
since at least 2007; states and agencies now partnering with the
federal government will be entering their data into the FBI’s
Next Generation Identification (NGI) database. The NGI database,
widely considered to be the world’s largest biometric database,
allows federal and state agencies to search more than 70 million
civil fingerprints submitted for background checks alongside
over 50 million prints submitted for criminal purposes.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
US Farmers Lose Superweeds Fight as Glyphosate Resistance Tops
75%
Sustainable Pulse - 2,000 waterhemp or palmer amaranth weed
samples were received by the University of Illinois Plant Clinic
from 10 states across the Midwest, amazingly 456 of the whole
field sites showed Glyphosate Resistance – a total of 76.8% of
the 593 sites. Meanwhile, 62.5% of the weed samples on the whole
field sites showed resistance to PPO inhibitor herbicides. Also,
49% of weeds on the whole field sites showed resistance to both
PPO inhibitor herbicides and glyphosate herbicides. In Illinois,
where the majority of samples were from, samples from 52
counties had at least one sampled field that had waterhemp or
palmer amaranth plants that tested resistant to both glyphosate
and PPO inhibitors…. Bill Giles, a farmer from Illinois, who has
been growing GM crops since 2009, told Sustainable Pulse that
many farmers in his local region are thinking of turning back to
non-GMO crops to survive the superweed crisis. Giles stated; “GM
crops are on the edge of failure in the U.S. as farmers are
asked to fork out more and more money on herbicides to try to
control the superweeds. We simply can’t afford it! It is near
the end of the road for these crops and many of my friends in
the Midwest are on the edge of turning back to conventional
farming methods.”
Tech billionaires are building boltholes in New Zealand
Daily Mail - Attracted by a remote First World country that has
the potential to be self-sufficient and is on no one’s list of
nuclear targets, the super-rich kings of Silicon Valley and Wall
Street are buying up vast tracts of its land — in anticipation
of the day when they may need to live there.... What the
catastrophe will precisely be remains unclear, but possibilities
include a devastating asteroid impact, giant earthquake, nuclear
war, civil war, pandemic, zombie invasion and the Second Coming.
Tellingly, the geeks of Silicon Valley appear to be most worried
that it will be a struggle between rich and poor in a world
economy turned upside down by new technology — with them as the
main targets....
Robert F Kennedy's devastating quotes on vaccines and the CDC
Jon Rappoport's Blog - From Kennedy’s video presentation, “7
Minutes on the CDC,” Anne Dachel (Age of Autism) has transcribed
excerpts. This is explosive material, particularly because there
is a chance Kennedy will head up an investigation of vaccine
safety under Trump. Kennedy understands the inherent conflict of
interest at the CDC, which operates as a vaccine sales and
marketing company, while at the same time posing as a neutral
scientific body that assesses vaccine safety…
Celery Compound May Halt HRT Breast Cancers
Green Med Info - Postmenopausal women who have taken synthetic
hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at increased risk of
developing breast cancer. More than 100 women die every day from
breast cancer in the U.S. alone. Researchers from the University
of Missouri now believe that luteolin, a natural compound found
in celery and other foods could reduce that risk. Their study
published in the journal Springer Plus found that luteolin was
protective against breast tumors that are accelerated by
progestin, a synthetic form of the natural hormone progesterone.
Progestin is typically given to women taking HRT to prevent
endometrial cancer. But the famous Women's Health Initiative
study established that women on synthetic HRT had significantly
higher rates of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood
clots in their veins and lungs…. One of the authors explained
that most older women normally have benign lesions in their
breast tissue. But these lesions don't form tumors until they
receive a trigger – e.g. progestin – that attracts blood vessels
to feed the lesions. Their study showed "evidence that luteolin
has the potential to disrupt angiogenesis and thereby prevent
the growth development of progestin-driven tumors." Luteolin
also inhibited breast cancer cells from developing into cancer
stem cells that make cancer more deadly…. The researchers are
now looking at whether luteolin injections might be used to
treat progestin-dependent breast cancer…. Besides breast cancer,
luteolin has been found effective against leukemia, thyroid,
lung, and prostate cancer cells. It has been cited as a
potential drug to treat colorectal cancer.
20 canned cat food products from popular brands recalled due to
dangerously low levels of nutrients
(Natural News) Three separate brands of cat food manufactured by the J.M.
Smucker Company have been recalled after tests discovered that they were
dangerously low in an essential nutrient, the company announced in
conjunction with the FDA. Cat food has been recalled from specific
varieties and lots of the brands 9Lives, EverPet and Special Kitty. The
cat food was sold between December 20 and January 3, and should not be
fed to animals. Cats eating the defective food could start to develop
gastrointestinal and neurological abnormalities within a few weeks. The
FDA said it has not received any reports of animals made ill from the
nutrient-deficient food. The company declined to reveal how much of the
defective cat food has been sold.
Friday - February
3, 2017
Today In History:
1690 - The first paper money in America was issued by the Massachusetts
colony. The currency was used to pay soldiers that were fighting in the
war against Quebec.
1783 - Spain recognized the independence of the United States.
1809 - The territory of Illinois was created.
1900 - In Frankfort, KY, gubernatorial candidate William Goebels died
from an assasin's bullet wounds. On August 18, 1900, Ex-Sec. of State
Caleb Powers was found guilt of conspiracy to murder Gov. Goebels.
1913 - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It
authorized the power to impose and collect income tax.
1916 - In Ottawa, Canada's original parliament buildings burned down.
1917 - The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had
announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
1918 - The Twin Peaks Tunnel began service. It is the longest streetcar
tunnel in the world at 11,920 feet.
1927 - The Federal Radio Commission was created when U.S. President
Calvin Coolidge signed a bill.
1945 - Russia agreed to enter World War II against Japan.
1966 - The first rocket-assisted controlled landing on the Moon was made
by the Soviet space vehicle Luna IX.
1969 - At the Palestinian National Congress in Cairo, Yasser Arafat was
appointed leader of the PLO.
1984 - Challenger 4 was launched as the tenth space shuttle mission.
1998 - Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker. She was the first woman
executed in the U.S. since 1984.
1998 - In Italy, a U.S. Military plane hit a cable causing the death of
20 skiers on a lift.
2009 - Eric Holder was sworn in as attorney general. He was the first
African-American to hold the post.
2015 - The British House of Commons voted to approve letting scientist
create babies from the DNA of three people.
Video: Putin Accuses Ukraine Of Violence Flare Up, Extorting
Cash From US; Trump Response Awaited
Zero Hedge - One of the more troubling geopolitical stories in
the past week has been the renewed flaring of fighting in
Eastern Ukraine, which culminated yesterday with Kiev accusing
Moscow of shooting at its military transport airplane while
flying over the Black Sea, an allegation Moscow denied. To some,
this has been a test by Putin to gauge US resolve in condemning
what the western media is quick to dub Russian provocations; to
others this is merely the sad continuation of events unleashed
with the violent presidential coup in Ukraine two years ago.
Whatever the ultimate strategy, on Thursday Russian President
Vladimir Putin preempted the first argument, and accused Kiev of
provoking this week's flare up in fighting in eastern Ukraine,
saying it was a ploy to win the support of the administration of
U.S. President Donald Trump. Putin said that the Kiev government
provoked the latest escalation of violence in east Ukraine as it
needs money from its Western partners, which is easier to
achieve when a nation pretends to be a victim and facing
aggression.
US Eases Sanctions Against Russia
Zero Hedge - …the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets
Control, under Rex Tillerson, posted a Russia-related general
license notice on its website, according to which US authorities
eased sanctions against Russia’s Federal Security Service - the
successor agency to the USSR's KGB - pertaining to licenses and
permits for information technology products in Russia. According
to the license, "all transactions and activities" with
participation of the Russian Federal Security Service,
prohibited earlier by executive orders of the US President, are
authorized with certain exceptions. Also related to
“transactions necessary and ordinarily incident to comply with
rules and regulations administered by, and certain actions or
investigations involving, the FSB,” according to Treasury
website…. While this initial de-escalation of sanctions against
Russia may or may not give John McCain an aneurysm, it will
certainly lead to a vocal outcries by Democrats and the media
against Rex Tillerson - whose proximity to Putin is well-known -
and of course, president Trump, accusing them of immediately
going soft on Russia, and leading to even further sanctions
elimination between the US and Russia, thus alienating Europe,
whose relations with Moscow remain as icy as anything observed
under the Obama administration.
* Related:
Russian Stocks Spike After Treasury Eases Sanctions
Defiant Iran Slams Trump: We Won't Yield To "Useless" Threats,
Will Conduct More Ballistic Missile Tests
Zero Hedge - With the US officially warning Iran twice over the
past 24 hours in the harshest possible terms yet, when first
national security advisor Michael Flynn, and then this morning
Trump himself, said Iran has been "put on notice" for
"destabilizing activity" after it fired a ballistic missile in
defiance of UN resolutions, on Thursday a top adviser to Iran's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by Reuters as
saying the country would not yield to "useless" U.S. threats
from "an inexperienced person" over its ballistic missile
program.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Report: Democrats Plot Protest For Trump's Speech To Congress
The Hill - House Democrats are rallying behind a plan to make
President Trump’s first speech to Congress as uncomfortable as
possible by inviting guests they say will suffer under new White
House policies. The strategy means Trump will likely face a
crowd including ethnic minorities, LGBT people, undocumented
immigrants, the disabled and others when he addresses a joint
session on Feb. 28. It’s a shift in tactics for Democrats, some
of whom skipped Trump’s inauguration last month in protest.
Democrats say there are no plans to stage a similar boycott of
Trump’s speech, but they want to put him face-to-face with
people who feel alienated and targeted by his controversial
executive orders…. Some liberals are also eyeing another form of
protest during the speech: When Trump walks down the center
aisle of the House chamber on the way to the dais, they’re
hoping no Democrats scramble to get in the picture for the
traditional handshake.
Left Goes to War: Obama Official Suggests ‘Military Coup’
Against Trump
Breitbart - In a blog post for Foreign Policy magazine, Rosa
Brooks, a former Obama administration official, outlined four
ways to “get rid” of President Trump, including declaring him
mentally unfit for command or carrying out a military coup.
Brooks is a Schwartz senior fellow at the New America
Foundation, which is funded by billionaire George Soros’s Open
Society Foundations. She served from 2009-2011 as Counselor to
the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and served as a senior
adviser at Obama’s State Department. Her posting is titled “3
Ways to Get Rid of President Trump Before 2020,” although the
piece actually outlines four ways…. • Elect him out of office
after his four-year term. “But after such a catastrophic first
week, four years seems like a long time to wait,” she wrote. •
Impeachment. However, she lamented, “impeachments take time:
months, if not longer — even with an enthusiastic Congress. And
when you have a lunatic controlling the nuclear codes, even a
few months seems like a perilously long time to wait.” •
Utilizing a claim of mental instability to invoke the 25th
Amendment of the Constitution, which sets the path for the
commander-in-chief’s removal if the “president is unable to
discharge the powers and duties of his office.” • A military
coup. She writes: “The fourth possibility is one that until
recently I would have said was unthinkable in the United States
of America: a military coup, or at least a refusal by military
leaders to obey certain orders.”…
Firestorm Coming: Draft Of Trump Executive Order May Deny
Services To Gay, Transgender People
Zero Hedge - The draft is titled “Establishing a Government-Wide
Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom.” While it hasn't been
signed and may never make it to President Donald Trump’s desk,
advocacy groups see the draft order as a broad statement of
intent from a president who courted conservative Christian
voters during the campaign by promising to expand the role of
religion in public life. As the WSJ adds, the draft order lays
out many of the proposals that conservative Christians have been
requesting for years, including legal protections for
organizations that claim religious objections to providing a
wide range of services. It also directs federal agencies to
“avoid potential violations of Religious Freedom”, instructing
officials not to “coerce” religious entities or individuals into
“participating in activities that violate their conscience.” If
this order or a similar one were signed, it would immediately
plunge Mr. Trump into a debate over religious freedom, gay
rights and reproductive rights, which has churned through states
and courts for years—most recently with the disputes over
transgender people’s use of bathrooms. Some religious groups
have argued that they should not have to violate their beliefs
in business, education or as civil servants. Corporations and
sports leagues have largely sided with civil-rights groups and
threatened to cancel events over legislation viewed as
discriminatory.
Berkeley Mayor Blasts “Ultra-Nationalist Far Right” in Response
to Anti-Milo Riot
Kit Daniels - In response to the anti-Milo riot at UC Berkeley,
the city’s mayor blasted the “ultra-nationalist far right”
despite the exhaustive news coverage showing socialists
attacking Trump supporters. “Last night, a small minority of the
protestors who had assembled in opposition to a speaking
engagement featuring a prominent white nationalist engaged in
violence and property damage,” Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín
said in a press release. “They also provided the
ultra-nationalist far right exactly the images they want to use
to try to discredit the vast majority of peaceful protestors in
Berkeley…” But 1) Milo Yiannopoulos is not a “white
nationalist,” he constantly brags about sleeping with
African-American men, and 2) all the videos and photos of the
riot – and there’s thousands – show it was Trump voters who were
violently attacked by leftist mobs flying anarcho-communist
flags and street thugs from nearby Oakland, so why not point
that out instead? Arreguín’s response may trigger a federal
investigation into his city’s handling of the riot, especially
after some suggested the police didn’t do enough to stop the
violence.
Trump Tweets: Threatens to Take Away Federal Funds from UC
Berkeley for Preventing Free Speech with Violence
The GatewayPundit - [Donald Trump’s] comments were released
t[Thursday] morning in a tweet: “If U.C. Berkeley does not allow
free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a
different point of view – NO FEDERAL FUNDS? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
February 2, 2017
Obama DHS Awards $400,000 to Crazed Trump-Bashing Organizer 3
Days Before Leaving Office
The GatewayPundit - On January 13, 2017, Homeland Security
announced grants made by the outgoing Homeland administration in
an effort to focus its efforts on countering Radical Islam. One
of the grantee groups, Life After Hate was awarded $400,000 from
the outgoing Obama administration. The chairman of Life After
Hate, Christian Picciolini, has published tweets for months
calling for the Trump administration to be overthrown. In light
of his group receiving $400,000 this year from Homeland and the
current Homeland administration reevaluating such grants, these
treasonous tweets by Mr. Picciolini are significant. OK,
America. Time to put an end to this nonsense once and for all.
The Nazis fooled us once and this time we BECAME the Nazis.
#Revolt — Christian Picciolini (@cpicciolini) January 29, 2017
Prominent Leftists Defend, Justify Violent Riot at UC Berkeley
Paul Joseph Watson - Prominent left-wing journalists and
celebrities responded to the violent riot and beatings of Trump
supporters outside a Milo Yiannopoulos event at UC Berkeley by
encouraging, defending or justifying the attacks. Trump
supporters were beaten with flag poles, punched and stomped
during the chaos, with another woman being pepper sprayed during
a TV interview. Others were chased and stomped… Rioters shot
fireworks at the building in an effort to shut down the event.
The behavior perfectly fits the definition of domestic
terrorism, and Antifa should now be officially designated as a
domestic terrorist group…. This is the violence that the
mainstream media and the left has legitimized for the last 18
months. This process intensified after news outlets like the
Nation and Newsweek celebrated alt-right leader Richard Spencer
being punched in the face during the inauguration last month….
It is also important to note that Antifa radicals do not care if
they are loathed and hated by the vast majority of Americans.
They don’t care how bad the optics look of masked thugs
violently shutting down free speech. They will always resort to
violence because they can safely rely on the media to report
[it] as a “protest” and not what it actually was – a violent
riot laced with instances of domestic terrorism.
NYT Columnist Pleads With Globalist Billionaires to Save Nation
from Trump
Breitbart - [Thomas] Friedman is a regular columnist for the New
York Times, but offers only one politically corporatist message
— that high-IQ progressives, autocrats and corporatists should
rule a globalist, borderless world, while throwing the
occasional scrap to diversified, divided and leaderless American
communities…. In his most recent book, titled “Thank You For
Being Late,” Friedman called for an unlimited inflow of foreign
white-collar workers to compete against America’s university
educated middle-class. “We need … removing all limits on H-1B
visas for foreign high-skilled knowledge workers,” he says, even
though his immigration-and-diversity plan would destroy the
prosperity, confidence and political power of the American
middle-class and professional class.
DHS Secretary: Border Wall Begins In Few Months, Will Be
Complete In Two Years
Fox News - In his first television interview as Homeland
Security secretary, retired four-star Marine Gen. John F. Kelly
told Fox News he wants the U.S.-Mexico border wall finished in
two years – setting an ambitious schedule for the project
ordered last week by President Trump…. Fox News traveled with
Kelly in McAllen, Texas, on Wednesday where he saw first-hand
the challenges for Border Patrol agents. The Rio Grande Valley,
known as the “RGV sector,” is among the busiest. On any given
day, Border Patrol agents pick up at least 600 people who have
crossed the Mexican border, entering the U.S. illegally. Those
personnel, he explained, are all part of the broader plan for
securing the border.
Texas Legislators Commit to Targeting ‘Sanctuary’ Havens
Breitbart - Senator Perry and Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) held a
press conference with supporting fellow senators on Wednesday to
layout Senate Bill 4 that they say will end sanctuary cities. If
passed, the law would put an end to cities and campuses
declaring themselves sanctuary jurisdictions. Under the law, law
enforcement departments must comply with Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) officials. It also makes the jurisdictions
liable for releasing illegal aliens from custody when there is a
detainer hold. … Moreover under the bill, a “local entity shall
not prohibit or discourage a person who is a commissioned peace
officer … a booking clerk, a magistrate, or a district attorney,
criminal district attorney, or other prosecuting attorney … from
inquiring into the immigration status of a person under a lawful
detention or under arrest.”
A Caseworker For Every Single Homeschool Family?
Off the Grid News - The bill by Democratic state Sen. Matt McCoy
was introduced in response to the death of 16-year-old Natalie
Finn, who died of cardiac arrest in October after starving to
death. Her parents were charged in her death and remain in jail.
Neighbors had reported their concerns about the girl to police
five months prior to her death. She was not enrolled in school.
McCoy’s bill, S.F. 138, would require the board of directors of
each school district to “conduct quarterly home visits to check
on the health and safety of children located within the district
who are receiving competent private instruction or private
instruction.”… If parents refuse permission, then the school
district can get a court order to enter the home. Attorney Scott
Woodruff of the Home School Legal Defense Association called the
bill “a well-intended but misguided response.” Woodruff sent a
letter to Iowa state senators urging them to reject the bill and
instead to focus on the findings of the federal Commission to
Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF).
Trump has already raised $16m for his bid for RE-ELECTION in
2020
Daily Mail - The President revealed last month that he had
already chosen ‘Keep America Great!’ as his re-election slogan.
Trump’s campaign and two fundraising committees raised
$11million in December alone, according to campaign finance
reports. His campaign headquarters will remain open in Trump
Tower in Manhattan during his presidency, Politico reported. The
operation, which will run with a pared back staff, will work to
fundraise and maintain their databases ahead of the 2020
campaign. Trump had already submitted an application to
trademark ‘Keep America Great!’ before he was even sworn in as
President.
"This Is Unacceptable" - Congressman Slams Yellen For
Prioritizing Foreign Banks Over "America's Interests"
Zero Hedge - Republican representative Patrick McHenry, Vice
Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, has lashed out at
Janet Yellen, telling the Fed chair in no uncertain terms that
"despite the clear message delivered by President Donald Trump
in prioritizing America's interest in international
negotiations, it appears that the Federal Reserve continues
negotiating international regulatory standards for financial
institutions among global bureaucrats in foreign lands without
transparency, accountability, or the authority to do so." His
assessment of this ongoing activity by the Fed: "This is
unacceptable." McHenry's emphasis is on "international forums"
such as the Financial Stability Board, the Basel Committee on
Banking and Supervision, and the International Association of
Insurance Supervisors, and he notes that "continued
participation" in these forums must be "predicated on achieving
objectives set by the new Administration", something which will
"likely require a comprehensive review of past agreements that
unfairly penalized the American financial system in areas as
varied as bank capital, insurance, derivatives, systemic risk,
and asset management."
‘It Looked Ugly’: Firm Tied to Clintons Lands First Day On Open
Market, Tanks Immediately
Daily Caller - Laureate Education, Inc., which has close ties to
Bill and Hillary Clinton, tanked on its first day in the stock
market. The for-profit firm’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) of
stock to potential investors was put on the market Wednesday by
KKR and other leveraged buyout owners in the hope of reducing a
crushing $4 billion debt…. Late Tuesday before Wednesday’s
opening, the market priced the Laureate IPO at $14, about 15%
below Laureate’s estimates.
WikiLeaks Documents Reveal Apollo Program Was A Fraud, Moon Landings
Never Happened
World News Daily - New documents scheduled to be released this week by
Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, could reveal damaging information
about NASA’s Apollo program, believe experts. The documents are said to
have been handed to the WikiLeaks founder by a “retired high ranking
official of NASA that has worked within the government for over 45
years”, Assange told reporters. The documents to be released this week
could cause up a stir weeks after NASA has announced it is preparing for
another moon landing mission in 2030. These documents that have been
entrusted to me come from a highly known and respected high ranking
official of the U.S. government who desires to leave this as a testament
to the world before he dies. His desire is to stay anonymous as to not
embroil his family and friends into a major polemic that could possibly
destroy their lives» he told reporters. Top officials of the Chinese
space program last year accused the government of the United States of
“faking” the moon landings after the Chinese lunar rover found no
evidence of the Apollo program moon landings after investigating the
same area where the Apollo 11 mission allegedly landed on 20 July 1969.
Scientists Announce Human-Pig Chimera – Is This Hybrid Human?
Natural Blaze - Chimera is a fancy name for hybrid – the embryo
concerned has both human and pig DNA. Why you might ask, what’s the
point? Well, scientists are hoping to create animals that can shed light
on the potential of stem cells in early human development, that drugs
aimed at humans can be tested on and that ultimately can grow human
organs for transplantation to deal with the world-wide shortage of human
donors. The justification for this type of experimentation comes down to
personal views… There will be many objections coming from many sectors
of society and possibly from some religions that would see pigs being
used to grow replacement organs as excluding them from the possibility
of such a transplant. My prime concern would be that human cells, which
grew and proved viable in the embryo would migrate into the brain tissue
of the pig…. Having one of these hybrid creatures with any human
consciousness at all would be entirely unacceptable in my view.
Dirty Vaccines: Every Human Vaccine Tested Was Contaminated With
Metals and Debris in New Study
Green Med Info - Researchers examining 44 samples of 30
different vaccines found dangerous contaminants, including red
blood cells in one vaccine and metal toxicants in every single
sample tested – except in one animal vaccine. Using extremely
sensitive new technologies not used in vaccine manufacturing,
Italian scientists reported they were “baffled” by their
discoveries which included single particles and aggregates of
organic debris including red cells of human or possibly animal
origin and metals including lead, tungsten, gold, and chromium,
that have been linked to autoimmune disease and leukemia. In the
study, published this week… results “show the presence of micro-
and nano-sized particulate matter composed of inorganic elements
in vaccine samples” not declared in the products’ ingredients
lists. Lead particles were found in the cervical cancer
vaccines, Gardasil and Cevarix, for example, and in the seasonal
flu vaccine Aggripal manufactured by Novartis as well as in the
Meningetec vaccine meant to protect against meningitis C.
Samples of an infant vaccine called Infarix Hexa (against
diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis and
haemophilus influenzae type B) manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline
was found to contain stainless steel, tungsten and a gold-zinc
aggregate. Other metal contaminants included platinum, silver,
bismuth, iron, and chromium. Chromium (alone or in alloy with
iron and nickel) was identified in 25 of the human vaccines from
Italy and France that were tested. GSK’s Fluarix vaccine for
children three years and older contained 11 metals and
aggregates of metals. Similar aggregates to those identified in
the vaccines have been shown to be prevalent in cases of
leukemia, the researchers noted.
Pollutants in fish could be causing irregular heart beat
What Doctors Don't Tell You - Eating healthily but suffering
from irregular heart beat (arrhythmia)? The answer could be the
fish in your diet—they are getting contaminated from oil spills,
and the oil has a pollutant that can affect heart health. The
oil contains phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH).
Most scientists had linked PAHs to cancer, but a team from
Stanford University has discovered that they also damage the
human heart. The PAH causes irregular heartbeat and weaker
contractions of heart cells. It’s been discovered in bluefin and
yellowfin tuna and mackerel they tested, which came from crude
oil spills. Phenanthrene is also found in soil, storm water
run-offs, derelict industrial sites and in the air. It’s an
unrecognized threat to global health, say the researchers,
brought about by the widespread use of petroleum.
Fast Food Packaging Now Found to Have Fluorinated Chemicals
Natural Blaze - A comprehensive analysis on the prevalence of
highly fluorinated chemicals detected this chemical in more
places than originally known. These damaging chemicals were
found in the waxy cups, wrappers, paperboard (boxes for fries,
pizza, etc.), and cupholders of the most typical American
eateries…. Furthermore, these chemicals do not break down and
they are found in the blood of most – if not all – Americans.
They are highly resistant to degradation. The researchers who
huddled on this analysis sound like they want PFASs banned, but
seemed more concerned with the idea of leaching landfills than
with the stark reality that every American who eats take-out has
the chemicals leaching into them from their food.
The One Product You Should Never Use In The Kitchen. It Causes
Lung Failure and Cancer
Living Traditionally - As we know in many households Chlorine
Bleach is one of the most commonly used and relied upon
cleaners. It is known for its ability to keep clothes white, to
assist in removing mold and mildew; its largely used in the
kitchen because of its disinfectant properties. But it’s one of
the most dangerous products you can ever use. The most obvious
danger of Chlorine Bleach is, believe it or not, printed on its
label. It is a heavily corrosive material capable of irritating
the eyes, skin and respiratory tract often by simply inhaling
the gases its use emits. It deteriorates the lungs and esophagus
lining in addition to the scarring of the respiratory tract….
Bleach is a known contributor to water pollution, when bleach
makes its way into our water systems, it reacts with other
minerals and elements to create a host of dangerous toxins that
can take many years to dissipate. Dioxin is just one of the most
dangerous by-product of bleach and chlorine-based cleaning
supplies we use daily in our kitchens and bathrooms. And it is
the most frightening of all since dioxins do not break down and
remain in our environment for many years…. Did you know that
Occupational Safety and Health Administration has banned the use
of Bleach in restaurants, schools and hospitals because of all
the hazards?
How Cold is too Cold for Your Dog?
PetMD - We all know that exercise and the mental stimulation being
outdoors play are key to keeping our dogs healthy and happy, but what
should we do when it’s cold outside? When do the risks of spending time
in the cold outweigh the benefits of being outdoors? Let’s take a look
at the dangers associated with winter weather and how we can still
safely enjoy the great outdoors with our dogs.
Thursday - February
2, 2017
Today In History: -
Groundhog Day
1653 - New Amsterdam, now known as New York City, was incorporated.
1848 - The Mexican War was ended with the signing of the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty turned over portions of land to the U.S.,
including Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California and parts
of Colorado and Wyoming. The U.S. gave Mexico $15,000,000 and assumed
responsibility of all claims against Mexico by American citizens. Texas
had already entered the U.S. on December 29, 1845.
1848 - The first shipload of Chinese emigrants arrived in San Francisco,
CA.
1887 - The beginning of Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA.
1897 - The Pennsylvania state capitol in Harrisburg was destroyed by
fire. The new statehouse was dedicated nine years later on the same
site.
1943 - During WW II, the remainder of Nazi forces from the Battle of
Stalingrad surrendered to the Soviets. Stalingrad has since been renamed
Volgograd.
1945 - U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill left for a summit in Yalta with Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
1980 - The situation known as "Abscam" began when reports surfaced that
the FBI had conducted a sting operation that targeted members of the
U.S. Congress. A phony Arab businessmen were used in the operation.
1989 - The final Russian armored column left Kabul, Afghanistan, after
nine years of military occupation.
1998 - U.S. President Clinton introduced the first balanced budget in 30
years.
2004 - It was reported that a white powder had been found in an office
of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The CDC (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention) later confirmed that the powder was the poison
ricin.
Report: al-Qaeda Militants Tipped Off Ahead Of Trump’s First
SEAL Raid
Kelen McBreen - On Sunday a Navy SEAL raid in Yemen resulted in
the death of U.S. commando William “Ryan” Owens, as well as the
injury of three others during a firefight with al-Qaeda
militants. The raid was Trump’s first authorized
counterterrorism operation, but was planned for months by the
Obama administration. The New York Times reported, “Obama
administration aides had deliberated extensively over the
proposed operation, weighing the value of any information that
might be recovered against the risk to the Special Operations
forces plunging into hostile territory.” However, a source later
told ABC News that “Al-Qaeda fighters seemed ready for Sunday’s
deadly Navy SEAL raid in Yemen.” The source also claimed, “it
was clear that the AQAP fighters in the compound knew the
Americans were coming and engaged them with heavy weapons.”
Given the Obama administration’s extensive knowledge of the
operation and the source’s claim, could they be responsible for
tipping off the militants in order to botch Trump’s first
military raid?
* Related:
Trump makes unannounced trip to honor fallen Navy SEAL
Trump adopts aggressive posture toward Iran after missile launch
Reuters - U.S. President Donald Trump took an aggressive posture
toward Iran on Wednesday for test-firing a ballistic missile,
with his national security adviser declaring "we are officially
putting Iran on notice" for what he called a provocation. The
warning from Michael Flynn marked an abrupt change in policy and
tone toward Iran from that of Trump's predecessor, Democrat
Barack Obama, who had negotiated a 2015 nuclear deal with
Tehran. It was Trump's sharpest threat against a U.S adversary
since taking office on Jan. 20, a warning that could foreshadow
more aggressive economic and diplomatic measures against Iran.
Flynn told reporters that, instead of being thankful to the
United States for the nuclear deal, "Iran is now feeling
emboldened. As of today, we are officially putting Iran on
notice.” Iran confirmed on Wednesday it had tested a new missile
but said it did not breach a nuclear accord reached with world
powers or a U.N. Security Council resolution that endorsed the
pact. The Islamic Republic carried out the test of a
medium-range missile on Sunday, a U.S. official said on Monday,
speaking on condition of anonymity. Flynn said on Wednesday that
the missile launch was in defiance of the 2015 Security Council
resolution.
Trump to Mexico: Take care of 'bad hombres' or US might
(AP) - President Donald Trump threatened in a phone call with
his Mexican counterpart to send U.S. troops to stop "bad hombres
down there" unless the Mexican military does more to control
them, according to an excerpt of a transcript of the
conversation obtained by The Associated Press. The excerpt of
the call did not detail who exactly Trump considered "bad
hombres," nor did it make clear the tone and context of the
remark, made in a Friday morning phone call between the leaders.
It also did not contain Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's
response. Still, the excerpt offers a rare and striking look at
how the new president is conducting diplomacy behind closed
doors. Trump's remarks suggest he is using the same tough and
blunt talk with world leaders that he used to rally crowds on
the campaign trail. A White House spokesman did not respond to
requests for comment. The Mexican government said the account
was not accurate…. Trump told Pena Nieto, according to the
excerpt given to AP. "You aren't doing enough to stop them. I
think your military is scared. Our military isn't, so I just
might send them down to take care of it." A person with access
to the official transcript of the phone call provided only that
portion of the conversation to The Associated Press.
Hundreds of Britons bet Trump presidency won't last the year
(Reuters) - Less than two weeks after Donald Trump's
inauguration and amid anger over his immigration policy,
hundreds of Britons are betting that the U.S. president will not
last a year in office. Bookmaker Ladbrokes is offering odds of
4/1, or 4 pounds for every one pound wagered, on the real-estate
tycoon being replaced as president of the United States in 2017.
"It's incredible how many people are betting, taking the 4/1
about him being replaced this year, and even the 11/10 on him
being impeached or even resigning in the first term," said
Matthew Shaddick, head of political odds at Ladbrokes. He said
several hundred punters had laid bets, typically worth about 25
pounds ($31) each. Among a blackboard of "Trump Specials" on
offer at a Ladbrokes shop on London's Strand were a 4/1 wager on
the former reality TV star serving a full two terms in office,
as well as 5/2 odds on Trump's planned state visit to Britain
being cancelled. British lawmakers will hold a debate on Feb. 20
on a petition signed by more than 1.6 million people calling for
the state visit to be called off to avoid embarrassing Queen
Elizabeth.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Senate Voted to Confirm Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State 56
to 43
Breitbart - The confirmation came after long and contentious
hearings, with Senators questioning him about Big Oil, ties to
Russia, and Iran. Tillerson also compared the Iraq War to the
disastrous Libya invasion, saying on Jan. 11 that as Secretary
of State, he will fight to keep the U.S. out of war. According
to The Hill, three Democratic Senators cast votes for Tillerson:
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp,
and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner. Maine Independent Sen. Angus King
also voted for Tillerson. New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer
tried to stall the nomination after Trump issued executive
orders freezing refugee resettlement, but were blocked by
Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton.
Pelosi: Gorsuch ‘Against Employees’ Rights, Clean Air, Clean
Water, Food Safety’—Even Autistic Children
CNS News - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the
star of a CNN town hall on Tuesday night, signaled her
opposition to President Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to
the Supreme Court, calling the nomination “a very hostile
appointment.” “Elections have ramifications,” Pelosi told CNN’s
Jake Tapper. “And here is a living, breathing example of it --
the president and his first appointment to the court, and
hopefully his only appointment to the court, has appointed
someone who has come down on the side of corporate America
versus class action suits, on securities fraud, he's come down
against employees' rights, clean air, clean water, food safety,
safety in medicine and the rest. Pelosi quoted former Rep. Gabby
Gifford – now a gun control activist – as saying that Gorsuch
“comes down on the side of felons over gun safety.” Pelosi also
described Gorsuch as “hostile to women's reproductive rights,”
pointing to the Hobby Lobby case, in which Gorsuch wrote that
the government's contraception mandate infringes religious
liberties. “The list goes on and on,” Pelosi said.
Reporter: Trump “Trying To Cull CNN From The Herd”
Steve Watson - The Trump administration has frozen out CNN and
is refusing to have anyone associated with the President
appearing on the network. According to Politico, the White House
has acknowledged that this is the case, noting that “We’re
sending surrogates to places where we think it makes sense to
promote our agenda,” and admitting that CNN is not one of those
places. An administration spokesperson said that the ban is not
permanent. However, it is clear that no administration officials
have appeared on CNN since early January. The last to appear was
Kellyanne Conway, the day that Trump refused to answer a
question from a CNN reporter, owing to the network’s involvement
in the ‘dodgy dossier’ fake news story. Speaking anonymously, a
CNN reporter claimed that the White House is attempting to force
down the network’s ratings as a punishment. “They’re trying to
cull CNN from the herd,” the reporter told Politico. At a press
gathering Monday at the George Washington University, Press
Secretary Sean Spicer denied the allegations that CNN is being
black balled, noting that he still answers questions from CNN
reporters at the daily press gatherings. However, Spicer noted
“I’m not going to sit around and engage with people who have no
desire to actually get something right.”
U.S. Media Ignore Mexican President’s Ties to Drug Cartels
Breitbart - U.S. news outlets appear to have forgotten that the
Juarez Cartel and multiple acts of corruption have been linked
to the election of the current Mexican President, Enrique Peña
Nieto. The Mexican president’s ties to cartels, the mysterious
release from prison of major cartel figures during his
presidency, and the fact that regions of Mexico are under
operational control of these paramilitary transnational criminal
organizations during his presidency are rarely, if ever,
reported in the U.S. The outrageous number of journalists who
have been murdered or who have simply disappeared in Peña
Nieto’s Mexico is also rarely reported.
Texas Governor Cuts Cash for Sanctuary County
Breitbart - Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office confirmed to
Breitbart Texas he has cut state law enforcement grants to
Travis County after the sheriff’s new sanctuary policies went
into effect on February 1. The move comes one day after Governor
Abbott declared the issue of sanctuary cities to be an emergency
item for the Texas Legislature to address this session…. The
governor followed through on his promises and announced the
stripping of Travis County from state law enforcement grants.
“Today I cut funding to Travis County because of its Sanctuary
City policy,” Abbott Tweeted. “Stiffer penalties coming soon.”
Missouri Bill Would Ban Mercury Vaccines; First Step to Nullify
Federal Policy in Practice
Natural Blaze - A Missouri House bill would ban public health
clinics from administering vaccines that contain mercury or any
other metal put into the vaccine for preservation purposes,
contradicting approved federal policy. House Bill 331 (HB331)
was introduced by Rep. Lynn Morris (R-Nixa) to mitigate concerns
regarding vaccine safety. With the exception of health
emergencies determined by the Department of Health & Senior
Services with concurrence from the governor, the following
provision would apply: Beginning August 28, 2018, no vaccine
containing mercury or other metal for preservation or other
purpose shall be administrated to a child or adult in a public
health clinic in Missouri. HB331 begins the process of
nullifying potential vaccine mandates, which generally have
their basis in federal recommendations or guidelines from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although these
federal rules are not technically binding, they often influence
policy-makers and individuals at the local and state levels to
adopt coercive mandates regarding mercury-laced vaccines and
other toxic substances. By taking the rule-making power back
into their own hands, the state of Missouri can disconnect from
federal control and restore its sovereignty on this key issue.
Montana Senate Votes 35-14 to Pass Bill Expanding Health Freedom
Natural Blaze - Sen. Cary Smith (R-Billings) introduced Senate
Bill 100 (SB100) on Jan. 9. The legislation specifies that
direct primary care agreements (sometimes called medical
retainer agreements) do not constitute insurance, thereby
freeing doctors and patients from the onerous requirements and
regulations under the state insurance code. The bill also
creates a structure to regulate direct primary care provider
agreements. SB100 passed the Montana Senate by a 35-14 vote.
According to Michigan Capitol Confidential, by removing a third
party payer from the equation, medical retainer agreements help
both physicians and patients minimize costs…. This represents
the kind of cost control Obamacare promised, but failed to
deliver.
Abbott: Reform CPS So ‘No More Children Die’
Breitbart - “Last year, more than 100 children died in our Child
Protective System. You can vote to end that,” said Texas
Governor Greg Abbott during his State of the State Address on
Tuesday…. Reforming Child Protective Services (CPS) was the
first of four emergency items that Texas Governor Greg Abbott
declared during his address before the State Senate and House.
Abbott challenged the legislators gathered, “The primary goal of
government is to keep its citizens safe and secure. That goal is
even more important when it comes to our children.” “You will
cast thousands of votes this session. Few will involve life or
death decisions. Your vote on CPS is one of them,” he said….
Abbott [also] said, “We must remember that the best place for a
child, if at all possible, is with their parents.” He also
encouraged others to become foster and adoptive parents.
Biorisk: Doomsday Bug, Resistant to Every Drug, Found in L.A.
Breitbart - Los Angeles County Health authorities issued a
national biorisk warning on Tuesday after identifying a patient
infected with the 100 percent drug-resistant “mcr-1” bacterial
pathogen, apparently acquired through international travel.
Scientists first reported the emergence of the plasmid-encoded
mcr-1 gene, which is completely resistant to all known drugs in
a Pennsylvania female patient with a urinary tract infection in
November 2015. The discovery set off a worldwide biorisk warning
from the World Health Organization, causing bacteriologists to
scour their international “collections” of thousands of frozen
bacterial isolates in search of any similar gene DNA…. The L.A.
County biorisk warning is the first public disclosure that the
mcr-1 gene “has been reported in human specimens from five
additional states and in animal specimens from two states.”
Delaware Maximum Security Prison On Lockdown After Inmates Take
Officers Hostage, Live Feed
Zero Hedge - Developing: Department of Correction Response Teams
and the Delaware State Police are currently responding to a
hostage situation at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC)
in Smyrna, Delaware. According to initial reports from Delaware
Online, inmates of the correctional facility have taken over a
building and are thought to be holding multiple officers
hostage…. Geoffrey Klopp, president of the Correctional Officers
Association of Delaware, also confirmed to Delaware State News
that "3-5" prison guards have been taken hostage and that
inmates have secured control of a building. JTVCC houses about
2,500 prisoners and, as a Level 5 facility, includes some of the
state's most violent criminals. The incident was first reported
at 10:55 a.m. when Citizens’ Hose Company received a call and
proceeded to the facility at 1181 Paddock Road. Clayton and
Cheswold run logs also showed their companies responded. Shortly
after, observers reported a helicopter circling the prison and
around 1 p.m., six ambulances from various companies arrived
within 10 minutes. The prison was placed on lockdown along with
all other Level V DOC facilities statewide.
Shootings in Democrat-Run New Orleans Over 100 Percent Higher
Than 2016
Breitbart - This spike in violence is also being witnessed in
Democrat-run Baltimore and Chicago. According to The
Times-Picayune, the “55 people were wounded by gunfire this
January – more than double the total for non-fatal shooting
victims in January 2016.”… There were also 22 murders, “the
highest since January 2012, when 25 were killed.” It is worth
noting that all but three of the 22 murders for January 2017
have been ruled “definitive shootings.”… In Chicago, city
leaders and state lawmakers are responding to gun control’s
failure by pressing for more gun control, including a bill that
will require serial numbers to be added to all bullets and
bullet casings sold at retail in the state. Although this will
do nothing to lessen crime, it will succeed in driving the price
of ammunition higher, making self-defense even more cost
prohibitive for poorer families on Chicago’s South Side.
Suspecting arson, cops subpoena homeowner's pacemaker logs, then
charge him with multiple felonies
BlackListed News - Ross Compton, a 59-year-old homeowner in
Middletown, Ohio called 911 in September 2016 to say that his
house was on fire; there were many irregularities to the blaze
that investigators found suspicious, such as contradictory
statements from Compton and the way that the fire had started.
In the ensuing investigation, the police secured a warrant for
the logs from his pacemaker, specifically, "Compton’s heart
rate, pacer demand and cardiac rhythms before, during and after
the fire." They subsequently filed charges of felony aggravated
arson and insurance fraud. Middletown Police said this was the
first time it had used data from a heart device to make an
arrest, but the pacemaker data proved to be an “excellent
investigative tool;” the data from the pacemaker didn’t
correspond with Compton’s version of what happened. The
retrieved data help to indict Compton. Lt. Jimmy Cunningham told
WLWT5, “It was one of the key pieces of evidence that allowed us
to charge him.”
U.S. House axes regulations on oil and mining company payments, stream
pollution
Reuters - Required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, the
Securities and Exchange Commission's "extraction rule" was approved this
summer to require oil, gas, mining and other companies to publicly state
the taxes and other fees they pay to governments. Republicans say the
requirement is burdensome and costly for energy companies, and also that
it duplicates other long-standing regulations. The stream buffer rule is
intended to lessen the amount of waste from mountain-top removal coal
mining deposited in local waterways. Republican lawmakers, though, say
it is hurting coal jobs by placing unworkable limits on the industry.
The Republican-dominated Senate is expected to quickly take up killing
both regulations and then send the resolutions to President Donald Trump
to sign.
Apple’s Cook Considering Legal Challenge to Trump’s Immigration Exec
Order
Breitbart - Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that the company is
considering taking legal action against President Donald Trump’s
executive order temporarily halting immigration from seven terror-prone
countries amid the tide of left-wing hysteria in reaction to the order.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cook said that Apple was
“considering legal options” to challenge the order and would seek to do
so in a “constructive and productive” way. Cook added that he had been
affected by a range of “heart-wrenching stories” of Apple employees who
have been affected by the order, which was signed by Trump last Friday.
The order halts immigration from terror-prone countries for 90 days
until “proper vetting measures are put in place.”… “These are people
that have friends and family. They’re co-workers. They’re taxpayers.
They’re key parts of the community,” Cook said…. In considering legal
action against the order, Apple follows the lead of Amazon CEO Jeff
Bezos, who also confirmed his company was exploring legal options
against the order. A range of other technology companies have opposed
the executive order in recent days. Firms such as Facebook, Google,
Microsoft, Uber, and Netflix have all publicly condemned the order,
whilst promoting the impact of mass immigration on their businesses….
Trump criticised Apple heavily during the election campaign for their
failure to cooperate with the FBI in the San Bernardino terror case,
even calling for a boycott of the company. He also criticised the
company for moving many of their manufacturing operations to China.
Missouri: New bill to ban giving mercury containing vaccines at
public health clinics
sott.net - A Missouri House bill (HB331) would ban public health
clinics from administering vaccines that contain mercury or any
other metal put into the vaccine for preservation purposes,
contradicting approved federal policy. House Bill 331 (HB331)
was introduced by Rep. Lynn Morris (R-Nixa) to mitigate concerns
regarding vaccine safety. With the exception of health
emergencies determined by the Department of Health & Senior
Services with concurrence from the governor, the following
provision would apply: Beginning August 28, 2018, no vaccine
containing mercury or other metal for preservation or other
purpose shall be administrated to a child or adult in a public
health clinic in Missouri.
New Lyme Vaccine Pushed, Same Vaccine Corruption Revealed
Health Impact News - Despite a long absence of any official
acknowledgement from the CDC, the general public has long-echoed
the sentiments of Richard Horowitz, MD, author of Why Can’t I
Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme & Chronic Disease when
he recently told Fox5 New York: “There is not even a doubt that
we are in the middle of a full-blown epidemic in the United
States.” The FDA has given the green light to test another Lyme
disease vaccine on humans after two decades of failed attempts
to develop an oxymoronic ‘safe vaccine’ to counter the disease.
For now the question appears, as Lyme vaccine testing continues
in the background, how hard and loud will government agencies,
pharmaceutical-funded corporate media organs, and
industry-captured medical journals bang the drums to manufacture
a consensus for a predictably unsafe and ineffective vaccine?
Study: Antipsychotic Drugs Are Killing Our Elderly
Health Impact News - A new study has found that taking powerful
antipsychotic drugs significantly increases the likelihood of
premature death for Alzheimer’s patients. The study looked at
58,000 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s between 2005 and 2011.
Those who were prescribed antipsychotics (usually to control the
unruly behavior some Alzheimer’s patients display) had a 60%
higher risk of dying than those who didn’t take the drugs. The
study confirms current recommendations that antipsychotics be
used only for the most difficult cases for a short period of
time. As we’ve reported previously, this advice has not been
heeded. A 2015 report from the Government Accountability Office
found that nearly one third of seniors with dementia who spend
more than 100 days in a nursing home were given antipsychotic
drugs—despite the fact that the FDA has never approved such
drugs to be used for behavioral problems from dementia. That’s
just the beginning. We’ve also reported that antipsychotics are
routinely given to kids in foster care and even toddlers as
young as two years old. Brain-damaged veterans are also commonly
given these drugs. Other than increasing risk of death,
antipsychotics have many other side effects, including
hypotension, movement disorders, and metabolic syndrome issues.
In pain or depressed? Acupuncture super-charges conventional
treatments
What Doctors Don't Tell You - People who use acupuncture
alongside their medication are seeing a significant lowering of
pain and enhanced movement if they have osteoarthritis, so much
so, in fact, that many have reduced or stopped the
anti-inflammatory drugs they were taking, say researchers from
the UK’s University of York. It also works for people with
depression. Combining acupuncture with counseling lowered the
severity of depressive episodes, a benefit that continued for a
year after treatment stopped. It’s a new way to treat a
condition that is only partially helped by antidepressants,
which are effective in only half of cases, says the study’s head
researcher Hugh MacPherson. The researchers looked at 29
high-quality clinical trials that had featured acupuncture as
part of the treatment, and compared the results with those where
conventional therapies were exclusively used. Acupuncture has
been dismissed as a placebo treatment, but its benefits are far
beyond anything that has been achieved by ‘sham acupuncture’,
where the needles are put in the wrong places around the body,
the researchers say. Not only are its benefits real, it’s a
cost-effective option that can relieve a range of chronic
conditions for which conventional medicine has only limited
answers.
Dog Rescued from Korean Dog Meat Farm Learns to Lay Down to Sleep
(Video)
Dogington Post - After spending her life in a cage, packed alongside
other dogs destined to be slaughtered and sold for their meat, one
special survivor has a new lease on life and is learning, for the first
time, that she can finally lay down to sleep. Harriet was recently
rescued from a South Korean dog meat farm and brought to Tampa Bay to
learn what life as a dog is supposed to be like. After spending much of
her 3-years of life packed inside a cage without room to lay down,
Harriet had no choice but to sleep standing up. But although she’s now
free and has plenty of room to spread out and lay down, Harriet had to
learn that she doesn’t have to sleep standing up. A volunteer with the
Humane Society of Tampa Bay spent an entire day with Harriet, showing
her how to lay down to rest, relax, and sleep. Today, she finally knows
how to lay down in her bed to sleep. Harriet was one of 200 dogs rescued
by Humane Society International from the Korean dog meat trade. Fourteen
of those dogs were brought to Tampa Bay for care and eventual adoption
to forever homes.
Wednesday - February 1, 2017
Today In History:
1790 - The U.S. Supreme Court convened for the first time in New York
City.
1793 - France declared war on Britain and Holland.
1861 - Texas voted to secede from the Union.
1862 - "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," by Julia Ward Howe was first
published in the "Atlantic Monthly."
1865 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed a Joint Resolution
submitting the proposed 13th Amendment to the states.
1884 - The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published.
1893 - Thomas A. Edison completed work on the world's first motion
picture studio in West Orange, NJ.
1898 - The Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford, CT, issued the first
automobile insurance policy. Dr. Truman Martin of Buffalo, NY, paid
$11.25 for the policy, which gave him $5,000 in liability coverage.
1900 - Eastman Kodak Co. introduced the $1 Brownie box camera.
1913 - Grand Central Terminal (also known as Grand Central Station)
opened in New York City, NY. It was the largest train station in the
world.
1919 - The first Miss America was crowned in New York City.
1920 - The first armored car was introduced.
1920 - Canada's Royal North West Mounted Police changed their name to
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The organization was commissioned in
1873.
1930 - The Times published its first crossword puzzle.
1960 - Four black college students began a sit-in protest at a lunch
counter in Greensboro, NC. They had been refused service.
1968 - During the Vietnam War, South Vietnamese National Police Chief
Brig. Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol
shot to the head. The scene was captured in a news photograph.
1979 - Patty Hearst was released from prison after serving 22 months of
a seven-year sentence for bank robbery. Her sentence had been commuted
by U.S. President Carter.
1999 - Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky gave a deposition that
was videotaped for senators weighing impeachment charges against U.S.
President Clinton.
2003 - NASA's space shuttle Columbia exploded while re-entering the
Earth's atmosphere. All seven astronauts on board were killed.
Trump administration sends armored vehicles to Syrian rebels
RT - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Arab and
Kurdish forces in northern Syria, has received armored vehicles
from the US, indicating increased support from Washington under
the administration of President Donald Trump. A small number of
vehicles arrived four or five days ago, SDF spokesman Talal Silo
told Reuters. “Previously we didn't get support in this form, we
would get light weapons and ammunition,” he added. “There are
signs of full support from the new American leadership – more
than before – for our forces.” The shipment was confirmed by
Pentagon spokesman John Dorrian, who said it was made "using
existing authorities, in the interest of helping protect our
partnered force from the (IS) improvised-explosive device
threat." The Pentagon also said that plans to deliver the
vehicles pre-dated the Trump administration, but were a sign of
its renewed commitment to defeating IS, which the new US
President promised as part of his campaign.
US troops hold joint drills in Poland to ensure ‘unlikely attack
from East even more unlikely’
RT - US and Polish soldiers, alongside newly delivered American
military hardware, have conducted joint drills as part of the
biggest US deployment in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Servicemen of the 3,500-strong 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division, from Fort Carson, Colorado showcased some
of their skills in front of Commander of the US Army Europe,
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, US Ambassador Paul Jones and
Polish President Andrzej Duda said in Zagan on Monday. The
drills, which started at around 1:30 pm local time and lasted
for about an hour, demonstrated US troops’ resolve to deter the
“unlikely” potential aggression from Russia…. “The best way to
make sure that there is never an attack [from Russia] and I
believe it's unlikely, and the best way to keep it unlikely is
to show a strong, deterrent capability,” Lieutenant General
Hodges, told reporters…. Moscow has repeatedly voiced concerns
over such buildup. “These actions threaten our interests, our
security,” President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov
said earlier this month. “Especially as it concerns a third
party building up its military presence near our borders.” After
the military exercises, the soldiers are to be distributed
across Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Baltic countries. The
headquarters unit will be stationed in Germany. Poland will
become the center of gravity for US operations in Europe,”
Hodges told reporters. “We believe an attack from the east is
unlikely, but it’s having troops on the ground here that makes
it even more unlikely.”
U.S. Commando Killed in Yemen in Trump's First Counterterrorism
Operation
NY Times - One American commando was killed and three others
were wounded in a fierce firefight early Sunday with Qaeda
militants in central Yemen, the military said on Sunday. It was
the first counterterrorism operation authorized by President
Trump since he took office, and the commando was the first
United States service member to die in the yearslong shadow war
against Al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate. Members of the Navy's SEAL
Team 6 carried out the surprise dawn attack...After initially
denying that there were any civilian casualties, American
officials said they were assessing reports that women and
children had died in the attack. The military’s Joint Special
Operations Command had been planning the mission for months,
according to three senior American officials. Obama
administration aides had deliberated extensively over the
proposed operation, weighing the value of any information that
might be recovered against the risk to the Special Operations
forces plunging into hostile territory. But administration
officials ultimately opted to hand the decision on the mission
to their successors.
Iran to dump the US dollar in response to Trump's travel ban
RT - According to the local news agency PressTV, the Central
Bank of Iran is seeking to replace the dollar with a new common
foreign currency or use a basket of currencies in all official
financial and foreign exchange reports. The governor Valiollah
Seif said it would come into force in the new financial year
starting March 21, 2017…. The decision comes after President
Trump temporarily banned citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the US.
The Other 'Ban' That Was Quietly Announced Last Week
Zero Hedge - Most of the world is in an uproar right now over
the travel ban that Donald Trump hastily imposed late last week
on citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries. But there
was another ban that was quietly proposed last week, and this
one has far wider implications: a ban on cash. The European
Union’s primary executive authority, known as the European
Commission, issued a “Road Map” last week to initiate
continent-wide legislation against cash…. According to the
Commission, the presence of cash controls in some EU countries,
coupled with the lack of cash controls in other EU countries,
creates loopholes for criminals and terrorists.
U.S. News, Politics & Government |
Donald Trump nominates Colorado’s Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme
Court
The Denver Post - President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated
Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court… Trump made the
announcement during a prime-time address at the White House with
the Colorado judge present. Gorsuch, a judge on the 10th Circuit
Court of Appeals in Denver, beat out a slate of 20 other
nominees… “I’ve always felt that after the defense of our
nation, the most important decision a president can make is the
selection of a Supreme Court justice,” Trump said in announcing
his choice Tuesday night. “I’ve selected an individual whole
qualities define, really and closely define, what we’re looking
for. Outstanding legal skill, a brilliant legal mind and
discipline.”… Gorsuch then took the podium and spoke for about
five minutes, with his wife Louise at his side. “It is for
Congress, not the courts, to write new laws. A judge who likes
every outcome he reaches is likely a very bad judge,” Gorsuch
said. Turning to Trump, he added, “You’ve trusted me with the
most solemn assignment. I am acutely aware of my own
imperfections.” He referred to the U.S. Constitution as “the
greatest charter the world has ever known” and the U.S. Senate
“the greatest deliberative body in the world.”… Though Gorsuch
is well-regarded within Colorado’s legal community and
nationally, he likely faces a tough confirmation battle in the
U.S. Senate. Democrats remain angry that congressional
Republicans stalled for months — and ultimately stopped — the
nomination of Merrick Garland, the pick that President Barack
Obama put forward to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died
nearly a year ago.
* Related Video:
President Donald Trump announces his Supreme Court nominee (Begins
at the17:30 minute mark)
Trump Regulatory Freeze Halts $180 Billion Of Proposed Obama
Rules, New Study Shows
Zero Hedge - On his first day in office, President Trump
instructed Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, to send a memo to all
executive agencies imposing a regulatory moratorium that
effectively froze all pending rules and regulations proposed by
the Obama administration on their way out of Washington D.C….
According to American Action Forum (AAF) research, this memo put
a hold on $181 billion in total regulatory costs, including $17
billion in annual costs, and 5.5 million hours of paperwork.
This moratorium freezes 22 rulemakings with annual costs above
$100 million and 16 measures with more than $1 billion in
long-term costs. The largest rules subject to the moratorium are
a mix of those still in the proposed stage, recently finalized,
and concluded but not yet published. Below are the top five
rules likely subject to the regulatory freeze: •
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications: $108 billion in total costs •
Efficiency Standards for Air Conditioners: $12.3 billion in
total costs • Efficiency Standards for Furnaces: $9.2 billion in
total costs • Hospital and Critical Access Reform: $5.7 billion
in total costs • Efficiency Standards for Uninterruptible Power
Supplies: $4.6 billion in total costs
Trump fires top government lawyer who defied immigration order
(Video)
Reuters - U.S. President Donald Trump fired the federal
government's top lawyer Sally Yates on Monday after she took the
extraordinarily rare step of defying the White House and refused
to defend new travel restrictions targeting seven
Muslim-majority nations. Yates said late on Monday that the
Justice Department would not defend in court Trump's directive
that put a 120-day hold on allowing refugees into the country,
an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and a 90-day bar on
citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and
Yemen. Yates said she did not believe defending the order would
be "consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to
always seek justice and stand for what is right." Hours later,
she was fired.
Ted Cruz Defends Trump’s Firing of Acting Attorney General
Ted Cruz weighed in on President Donald Trump’s firing of acting
Attorney General Sally Yates… “President Trump was exactly right
to fire an acting Attorney General who refused to carry out her
constitutional duty to enforce and defend the law. Yates’
lawless partisanship highlights why the Senate needs to act
now–and Senate Democrats should end their extreme political
obstruction and delay–and confirm Jeff Sessions immediately.
America needs and deserves an Attorney General who will be
faithful to the Constitution and uphold the law.”
Dems delay committee vote on Sessions AG nomination
(CNN) - The Senate Judiciary Committee delayed voting Tuesday
morning on the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney
general, a politically charged pick that's receiving even more
scrutiny in the wake of President Donald Trump's executive
orders on immigration. The panel was expected to approve and
advance Sessions for a vote in the full Senate, but Democrats
used a procedural move to delay the committee vote until
Wednesday, a move to further prevent Trump from getting his full
Cabinet in place in a timely manner.
Despite Majority Of Americans In Favor Of Trump Immigration
Policy, 900 State Department Staff Dissent
Zero Hedge - Per Reuters: The Jan. 30-31 poll found that 49
percent of American adults said they either "strongly" or
"somewhat" agreed with Trump's order, while 41 percent
"strongly" or "somewhat" disagreed and another 10 percent said
they don't know. But the responses were split almost entirely
along party lines. Some 53 percent of Democrats said they
"strongly disagree" with Trump's action while 51 percent of
Republicans said they "strongly agree.”… Of course, popular
opinion of the American people didn't stop 900 Clinton loyalists
in the State Department from signing a "dissent memo" in
defiance of their new boss…. White House spokesman Sean Spicer
said on Monday he was aware of the memo but warned career
diplomats that they should either "get with the program or they
can go." Seems these 900 folks may soon suffer the same fate as
the acting Attorney General who decided to publicly announce her
defiance of Trump's immigration order just yesterday.
Prosecutors Weigh Child-Pornography Charges Against Anthony
Weiner
WSJ - Federal prosecutors are weighing bringing
child-pornography charges against former Rep. Anthony Weiner
over sexually explicit exchanges he allegedly had with a
15-year-old girl, according to people familiar with the matter.
Mr. Weiner, a New York Democrat, is being investigated by the
U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, which seized his electronic devices, including a
laptop and a cellphone, as part of the probe…. Prosecutors also
are weighing other charges, including receipt of child
pornography, for which conviction carries a five-year mandatory
minimum, and possession of child pornography, which has no
mandatory minimum.
The 'Global Elites' are installing next-generation spying smart meters
in homes worldwide (Video)
Mass Private I - Iltron's 'OpenWay CENTRON', and their EM420i modular
smart meters, are a privacy nightmare.… Itron is a Swedish company of
epic proportions. Itron boasts that smart meters allow companies to
track everyone's energy usage. Their smart meters store seven categories
of 'events logs' about everyone's usage…. Itron is a Swedish company of
epic proportions. Itron's smart meters are being used by 8,000 utilities
around the world… in 130 countries…. Recently, Itron acquired SmartSynch
a smart grid cellular network communications company. According to Itron,
they now control the smart grid data of nine of the top ten utilities in
North America. … Itron is North America's biggest smart meter maker.
Think about what that means, a Swedish company controls most of
America's utility data!… Itron wants customers to use their OpenWay Riva
app to monitor their energy usage .Itron's OpenWay Riva allows customers
and utilities to monitor energy usage in real-time, what could go
wrong?… It won't belong before every business and home with a smart
meter is susceptible to being hacked.
1,700 residents of Flint, Michigan sue EPA over water crisis
Reuters - More than 1,700 residents of Flint, Michigan who say the
Environmental Protection Agency mismanaged the water crisis that exposed
thousands of children to lead poisoning have sued the U.S. government,
seeking class action status for their claims. The lawsuit, filed in U.S.
District Court in Michigan on Monday, asserted that the EPA failed to
warn them of the dangers of the toxic water or take steps to ensure that
state and local authorities were addressing the crisis. The plaintiffs
seek $722 million in damages.
Twitter reveals details of 2 FBI national security letters after gag
order lifted
RT - Twitter has revealed it received two national security orders from
the FBI, accompanied by gag orders, prohibiting the company from
notifying the affected account holders or the general public about the
process.... Twitter says it has now provided each of the two account
holders affected by the National Security Letters (NSL’s) with copies of
the relevant NSL’s and details of the information they were ordered to
produce. The NSL’s were served in September 2015 and June 2016 and
requested a large amount of data. However, the company only released a
limited set of data “consistent with federal law and interpretive
guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice,” according to Banker. The
requests which have now been published by Twitter with some minor
redactions sought the “name, address, length of service, and electronic
communications transactional records for all services, as well as all
accounts,” and also directed Twitter not to “disable, suspend, lock,
cancel or interrupt” service in case it would alert the user to the
surveillance. NSL’s are administrative subpoenas that do not require
approval from a judge and compel a company to disclose customer records
in the name of national security. Tech firms Cloudflare, Google, the
Internet Archive, and Yahoo also revealed in recent months that were
subject to NSL’s.
Fruit-Picking Robot Latest Blow to Illegal Immigration
Kit Daniels - A robot that can pick fruit off an assembly line could
signal the end of low-skill jobs routinely staffed by illegal aliens.
The prototype robot, developed by online grocer Ocado, uses a robotic
hand in combination with computer scanning and can successfully pick
fruits and vegetables according to ripeness, something that even human
shoppers fail to do at times…. Employers are already transitioning some
tasks from human laborers to automation. For example, after President
Trump took office, California farmers fearful of the coming slowdown in
illegal immigration decided to start investing in technology that could
replace unskilled workers.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading |
Scotts-Monsanto GMO Grass Threatens National Forests, Rivers,
Ranchers, and Farmers
Health Impact News - Now biotech companies want local residents
to pay the costs of clean-up! Over a decade ago, Scotts
partnered with Monsanto to market a GM bentgrass resistant to
glyphosate (Roundup). It was planted next to the Malheur
National Forest in test plots ostensibly controlled by Oregon
State University. Unbeknownst to most people, it was also
planted all over the US—in California, Iowa, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, and seventeen other states. It was supposed to be
confined and controlled, but it very quickly escaped and spread
out of the test plots in Oregon into Idaho, and crossbred with
natural grasses to create new breeds that were also resistant to
glyphosate. It clogged up irrigation ditches, threatening food
crops and contaminating pasture-raised cattle with GMOs. In
addition to the immediate threats to farmers and ranchers, grass
seed—which is among Oregon’s top five commodities—is now under
threat. Initially, Scotts-Monsanto tried to stop the spread and
clean up the contamination. Now, according to The Oregonian,
Scotts-Monsanto is walking away from the monster it created,
leaving farmers, ranchers, wildlife, and eventually the fishing
industry (if it spreads to the Columbia River) to deal with it.
Starve a fever? You could be helping it spread
What Doctors Don't Tell You - We’re always told to feed a cold
and starve a fever—but that old chestnut may not always be the
best advice. An infection can spread if we don’t eat, for
example, researchers have discovered this week. Although eating
less when we’re ill can sometimes help achieve a faster
recovery, a loss of appetite when we have an infection is a
biological ‘trick’ that allows bacteria to spread. Instead,
eating some nutritious foods when we have an infection can
reduce its severity and recovery time, say researchers from the
Salk Institute. They tracked the health of laboratory mice that
had been infected with Salmonella bacteria, and discovered that
the natural loss of appetite helped the bacteria spread from the
intestines to other tissues. By comparison, mice fed extra
calories lived longer. The discovery could lead to new ways of
tackling bacterial infections that don’t rely on antibiotics.
The timing couldn’t be better: around 2 million Americans are
each year infected with bacteria that are resistant to
antibiotics, and around 23,000 of these die as a result.
Permanent hearing loss caused by commonly used drugs
(NaturalHealth365) The American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association estimates that at this time, over 200 medications
known to be ototoxic are on the market today. Many common
over-the-counter medications are on this list. Acetaminophen
(Tylenol) and ibuprofen are among this group. One study found
that women who took either acetaminophen or ibuprofen regularly
– two days a week or more – showed an increased risk of hearing
loss. Taking them less than once per week did not impact
hearing. Magnitude of risk and impact upon hearing was found to
be higher the more often these drugs were taken. Another study
found taking aspirin two or more days per week could cause
hearing loss. Moderate use did not seem to have this effect, and
when the subjects stopped taking aspirin, the effects were found
to be reversible. However, all too many drugs have been found to
cause permanent hearing loss. These medications damage sensory
hair cells in the inner ear used for hearing. The loss of these
hair cells in the cochlea impedes it from effectively
translating sound into the nerve impulses that can be read by
the brain…. A number of chemotherapy drugs are also linked with
hearing loss, including carboplatin and cisplatin. Doctors say
hearing loss is “inevitable” when these drugs are used, and many
people faced with the risk of dying from cancer are willing to
accept this side effect.
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