May 12th, 2022 • 3h 9m
Shownotes
Every new episode of No Agenda is accompanied by a comprehensive list of shownotes curated by Adam while preparing for the show. Clips played by the hosts during the show can also be found here.
Big Pharma
Great Reset
Jobs are going to start drying up. Marketing first
Canadian Fertilizer Ransom
I’m a 29 year old dairy farmer in Ontario Canada. With talk of inflation and manufactured food shortages I wanted to pass along this information.
Our government has placed a 35% tariff on fertilizer imported from Russia. However we import about 55% of certain fertilizers from Russia. Most farms, as we do, pre order our fertilizer in the winter, so we pre pay, so the orders had been placed and the money had been sent to Russia and the fertilizer was on a barge.
When this fertilizer got to Canada the sanctions had been placed so for customs to allow the unload of this fertilizer the dealers had to pony up the 35% tariff to get the fertilizer off the ship. The money had already been sent to Russia so the tariff on this fertilizer only negatively affects our countries food supply. Those tariffs get passed onto the farmer.
Not only are we paying almost exactly double as what we paid last year, now we add an extra 10% on top of that.
I’ll attach the letters in case my explanation doesn’t cut it.
Thanks for what you and John do.
Jeremy
Why is Canada euthanising the poor? | The Spectator Australia
It only took five years for the proverbial slope to come into view, when the Canadian parliament enacted Bill C-7, a sweeping euthanasia law which repealed the ‘reasonably foreseeable’ requirement—and the requirement that the condition should be ‘terminal’. Now, as long as someone is suffering from an illness or disability which ‘cannot be relieved under conditions that you consider acceptable’, they can take advantage of what is now known euphemistically as ‘medical assistance in dying’ (MAID for short) for free.
Ukraine Russia
Putin does not look good in sky picture
Russian Yachts legality
Hi Adam,
I've been following the Russian yachts for some time now, and the story is deep.
Fiji has signed up to a global treaty re sanctions. However the yacht in question is not going anywhere for at least another 30 days while a legal appeal takes place
Many if the yachts being seized are for outstanding dept eg Jo Morgan not receiving payments. Other reasons include fraud from before the Ukraine war. It is just convenient timing.
The only path to arrest a yacht due to the war is if the owner financially benefited from the war (or the Crimea war), or they paid for costs relating to the yacht in us dollars. The yacht in Fiji paid their crew in USD.
I can't wait until Russia sanctions Americans and seizes their yachts in retaliation.
Good times.
Thanks for all you do.
Mandates & Boosters
Bill Gates gets covid
I’ve tested positive for COVID. I’m experiencing mild symptoms and am following the experts’ advice by isolating until I’m healthy again,” Gates tweeted on Tuesday, adding, “I’m fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care.”
Laurie Garrett responds to funky masks
Nothing "strange" about it. I was giving at speech at the Natl Acad of Scis on the 100th anniversary of the Great Influenza & in Q&A session was asked about masks. My comments referred to funky masks used in 1918 & in #SARS 2003 in China. #COVID19 is more contagious -- use N95s.
Roe v Wade
Amazon Service
I am pro choice, anti murder and solutions driven
ADOS specific
PP
Sanger
No man about the house
Baby Daddy culture
Fetus is weaponized
Kardashians aren't helping
Laurie Lightfoot Tweet
To my friends in the LGBTQ+ community—the Supreme Court is coming for us next. This moment has to be a call to arms.
Food Intelligence
Vegan kids B12
And I should add, vegans are already being programmed to believe that eating bugs doesn't count.
https://landish.co/blogs/crickstart-blog/vitamin-b12-and-the-vegan-conundrum
On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 01:25:14 PM CDT, Mj Fanta wrote:
Not a problem. Bugs are incredibly rich in B-12.
Not that having a healthy populace is in a tyrant's favor, anyway.
On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 12:41:11 PM CDT, Adam Curry wrote:
What is the plan globally if supply chains limit B12?
No Formula Shortage in Canada
Hi Adam,
I haven't listened to yesterday's NA episode yet, so maybe you covered it there, but I'm surprised you guys haven't talked about the baby formula shortage yet. Apparently it's due to a combination of "supply chain issues" and the Similac formula recall.
However, interestingly, there does not appear to be any issues with formula availability in Canada or Europe. I learned that info anecdotally through a new moms' forum I'm on- there were moms in both Canada and the UK reporting that they had zero issues obtaining formula and some even kindly offered to ship formula here. Moms throughout the U.S. were reporting visiting multiple stores and the shelves were empty. I have also experienced that here in southern Oregon.
-Amy Daley
China
China will make a move on Taiwan soon
Climate Change
The Purge
2000 Mules - Digital ID native ad
2000 mules non profits?
2000 mules - Reality show level production inside big brother house
1970's REDUX
STORIES
New York Times drops 'fetus' as an answer to Wordle '' but not for all players | New York Times | The Guardian
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:28
The New York Times has removed the word ''fetus'' from its Wordle answers to keep the game ''distinct from the news'', a move apparently related to last week's leaked Roe v Wade supreme court draft ruling.
The change caused confusion as it was only implemented for some of the game's players.
''Today, some users may see an outdated answer for Wordle that seems closely connected to a major recent news event. This is entirely unintentional and a coincidence '' today's original answer was loaded into Wordle last year,'' the New York Times said in a statement.
The game's answer-list is pre-written and assigned to a date.
''When we discovered last week that this particular word would be featured today, we switched it for as many solvers as possible,'' the newspaper said.
The Times acquired Wordle earlier this year after it became a viral hit.
The switch away from the word appears to be a move by the Times to avoid using a politically-charged term. Last week's leaked supreme court draft majority opinion supported overturning the landmark Roe v Wade decision, putting in jeopardy rights to abortion across the United States and sparking a bitter national debate.
''At New York Times Games, we take our role seriously as a place to entertain and escape, and we want Wordle to remain distinct from the news,'' the Times said.
It's not the first time Wordle has offered up different solutions.
In March, baffled users tweeted their confusion over two correct Wordle answers. In that instance, the solution could be either ''harry'' or ''stove''. In that case the Times confirmed the answer had been changed as it removed potentially obscure or insensitive words ''in an effort to make the puzzle more accessible''.
When the Times acquired Wordle it also removed words such as ''lynch,'' ''slave'' and ''wench''.
Tires Are Looking Like the Next Car Pollution Disaster | The Drive
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:21
It's been seven years since Dieselgate broke, the scandal that enveloped first the Volkswagen Group and then almost the whole automotive industry, revealing that particulate emissions from diesel engines had been disguised. It was such a big scandal because particulate pollution is a deadly air quality problem, but tailpipes aren't the only place that cars emit particulates from. Studies show particulates from tires might be hundreds of times worse and not just in the air but in the oceans.
Because it's Earth Day, it's important to start by saying this problem is being worked on and new tire designs that deal with it are emerging. Imperial College showcased the first device to capture tire particulates in early 2020, Audi brought one out last year, and tire maker Continental is working on a huge project to address the problem, among loads of other initiatives.
But the reason it's important to write about this is that it's under-reported and extremely serious: tires are set to be a huge pollution pain point, as the extent to which they create particulate pollution gets better understood. If you're a car person, you need to care about this because it's likely to be the next thing that gets regulated about driving in cities and near rivers and the coast.
Most of the ways that state or federal laws have tried to limit emissions from cars have been focused on what comes out of the exhaust. From introducing catalytic converters and stripping lead from gas, to the fraudulent devices of Dieselgate being uncovered and banned, the concern has been about the consequences of combustion, not propulsion.
There are some completely fair arguments to be made that introducing a vehicle with zero tailpipe emissions but still gigantic power demands and huge overall size and weight does very little to mitigate carbon output. A relatively new one is that it doesn't matter what the vehicle is if it's running on contemporary tires: it's creating a vast amount of particulate pollution. Although, yes, the bigger the vehicle the worse, which is especially bad news for all those three-ton electric SUVs.
In 2020, research group Emissions Analytics published a report saying that regulation of tailpipe emissions had effectively reduced what vehicles were putting out, but the unregulated area of tire particulates had not been dealt with and might be 1,000 times worse. As tires break down'--under the rolling forces, weight, turning and braking of driving around'--they shed particles of rubber and plastic compounds.
I live in London and to a U.S. audience, that might conjure some sort of quaint idea of boujee streets and squat, black taxis. In reality, it's a very congested city with severe air quality problems. One month into 2018 the city hit the nitrous oxide pollution limit for the entire year. Measuring nitrous oxide, though, won't show up tire particulates which would need to be monitored via air filtering. Anecdotally, although London is not a Victorian industrial smog city anymore, if you blow your nose here there's a hefty chance the snot comes out black; nitrous oxide doesn't have a color and there aren't many open hearths here so that points horribly to tire particulates in the air you breathe.
The worst thing is, the more tire particulates are already around, the more vehicles driving over them stir them up. And they're not just in the air; they're creating a very serious problem in rivers and oceans. Marine microplastics are poisoning our seas and affecting the tiny creatures at the bottom of food chains that get eaten by larger fish and then, ultimately, maybe by us. Needless to say, eating a load of plastic isn't great and having a lot of it in the sea also means it acts as a surface for bacteria to grow on, risking contaminating the sea even worse.
When scientists in South Carolina started finding strange black, plastic cigar shapes among the particulates in water, they thought that it was from fishing equipment. Nothing matched, though, and it wasn't until professor John Weinstein was working nearby to a road that he realized what they were from'--tire rubber. Tires could account for up to 34 percent of the microplastics in the ocean, which is a colossal share from something only just being woken up to.
Like I said at the start of the article, research is being done to make tires that don't do this and for devices that can capture it on tires that do. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to expect particulate filters to be the next catalytic converters, in terms of becoming obligatory in the near future.
Those particulates are small, harmful, and don't break down. They're real bad in the air and they're maybe even worse in the sea. Get ready for what's to come because it's bound to be a lot different from how things are now.
Got a story tip? Mail it in on tips@thedrive.com
Major U.S. retailers limit infant formula purchases on shortage | Reuters
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:14
CVS Health logo and stock graph are seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMay 10 (Reuters) - U.S. retailers including Target Corp (TGT.N), CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) said on Tuesday they have limited purchases of infant formula due to a supply shortage.
The limits come after top supplier Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) in February recalled some baby formula including Similac made at its plant in Michigan over complaints of bacterial infections in infants who consumed the products. read more
CVS said it last month limited in-store and online purchases of the products to three per order, while Walgreens issued a similar cap in March. Kroger (KR.N) has a limit of four products per customer and Target has had restrictions on online sales for weeks.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAbbott said on Tuesday it was "doing everything" it can to address the shortage, including prioritizing production of the products and air shipping them from its U.S. drug regulator-approved facility in Ireland.
The company is also working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to restart operations at its Michigan facility, a spokesperson said. No formula that has been distributed has tested positive for bacteria, according to the company.
The Similac maker is the leading supplier of milk formula in the United States with a market share of about 42% in 2021, followed by British consumer goods firm Reckitt Benckiser (RKT.L) with a nearly 38% share, according to Euromonitor data.
The FDA said it is taking several steps including working with Abbott and other manufacturers to alleviate supply issues.
The agency said several infant formula manufacturers are meeting or exceeding capacity levels to meet current demand and that more infant formula was purchased in the month of April than in the month prior to the recall.
"We are doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.
About 40% of baby formula products were out of stock across the United States last month, said Ben Reich, the chief executive of data firm Datasembly.
Supply chain snags, product recalls and historic inflation have compounded the shortage, he added.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Deborah Sophia, Manas Mishra, Leroy Leo and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Richa Naidu in London; Editing by Aditya Soni and Shailesh Kuber
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Lockheed Martin hopes to double Javelin missile production | Washington Examiner
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:08
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin is looking to nearly double its annual production of anti-tank Javelin missiles, though it could take "a couple of years" due to the weapons' helpfulness in Ukraine.
Javelin missiles have become a key weapon for the Ukrainian military as it defends the country from Russia's invasion, and as such, the United States has provided Ukrainian forces with more than 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems and 5,500 Javelin anti-armor systems. U.S. and Ukrainian officials are counting on Lockheed Martin, which produces the weapon along with Raytheon, to replenish depleted stockpiles, though it won't be easy.
Jim Taiclet, Lockheed Martin's president and CEO, told CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday that the company currently produces roughly 2,100 Javelins per year but is hoping to ramp that up to approximately 4,000.
TRUMP BLAMES ESPER FOR BLOCKING USE OF INSURRECTION ACT TO STOP GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST: BOOK
"That could take a number of months, maybe even a couple of years, to get there because the supply chain needs to also crank up as we do," he explained. "We think we can double capacity in a reasonable amount of time."
Despite the prolonged timeline, the contractor has already begun ramping up its efforts "because we have an active production line right now," as opposed to Raytheon, which produces Stinger missiles, and its top executive recently revealed it would face difficulties replenishing stockpiles.
President Joe Biden visited a Lockheed Martin facility in Alabama last week. Also, he has recently urged Congress to pass a new $33 billion spending bill, which includes more than $20 billion for weapons, ammunition, and other military assistance. The U.S. had designated roughly $3.8 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the most recent of which was allocated on Friday.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
That aid from Friday will be valued at up to an additional $150 million and will provide 25,000 155 mm artillery rounds, three AN/TPQ-36 counterartillery radars, electronic jamming equipment, and field equipment and spare parts, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
The president will sign legislation allowing the administration to lend or lease weapons to Ukraine on Monday, which coincides with Russia's annual military celebration.
About those kill-switched Ukrainian tractors | by Cory Doctorow | May, 2022 | Medium
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:08
What John Deere did to Russian looters, anyone can do to farmers, anywhere.
Cryteria/CC BY 3.0, modifiedHere's a delicious story: CNN reports that Russian looters, collaborating with the Russian military, stole 27 pieces of John Deere farm equipment from a dealership in Melitopol, Ukraine, collectively valued at $5,000,000. The equipment was shipped to Chechnya'...
Buy now, pay later '' How does it work? | Klarna
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:01
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Bill Gates catches Covid '-- RT World News
Thu, 12 May 2022 16:58
Retired Microsoft co-founder and WHO mega-donor Bill Gates said on Tuesday that he tested positive for Covid-19, and will be isolating until he recovers. The announcement came as Gates was gearing up his foundation to advocate for more pandemic prevention measures, and published a book on the subject.
''I've tested positive for COVID. I'm experiencing mild symptoms and am following the experts' advice by isolating until I'm healthy again,'' Gates tweeted on Tuesday, adding, ''I'm fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care.''
He pointed out that the Gates Foundation was meeting today ''for the first time in two years,'' but that he will use a Microsoft-owned video chat platform to ''see everyone and thank them for their hard work.''
''We will continue working with partners and do all we can to ensure none of us have to deal with a pandemic again,'' Gates added.
I've tested positive for COVID. I'm experiencing mild symptoms and am following the experts' advice by isolating until I'm healthy again.
'-- Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 10, 2022Gates has been a vocal champion of coronavirus restrictions since the start of the pandemic '' from lockdowns and social distancing to masking and even vaccine mandates. Though not a doctor, his opinions have gained traction because the Gates Foundation is a major donor to the World Health Organization (WHO). It also invests billions in the development and distribution of vaccines.
The college dropout turned-software mogul also attracted scrutiny over his 2015 TED Talk in which he warned of an ''inevitable'' global pandemic, and the fact that his foundation sponsored the Event 201 exercise in 2019, which closely resembled what became the global response to Covid-19.
Gates has dismissed his critics as ''crazy'' conspiracy theorists. Earlier this month, he published a book titled 'How to Prevent the Next Pandemic', which was praised by WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He is also pushing for the creation of GERM (Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization), an outfit with an annual budget of at least $1 billion that would plan for future pandemics.
Biden releases $5.8T budget, claims deficit cut
Thu, 12 May 2022 16:39
President Biden boasted Monday that his annual budget request dramatically reduces the federal deficit '-- despite the fact that it is the second-largest in US history amid soaring inflation.
The approximately $5.8 trillion budget is slightly smaller than Biden's $6 trillion request last year, but it notably doesn't include much of his social spending plans after record-high outlays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
''After my predecessor's fiscal mismanagement, we were reducing the Trump deficits and returning our fiscal house to order,'' Biden insisted in remarks at the White House, drawing criticism on social media after sustained GOP attacks on his $1.9 trillion stimulus bill last year, which passed without Republican support.
''The previous administration, as you all know, ran up record budget deficits,'' Biden continued. ''In fact, the deficit went up every year under my predecessor.''
Biden didn't mention the fact that the federal deficit was lower during each of Donald Trump's first three years in office '-- before the pandemic in 2020 triggered about $4 trillion in bipartisan emergency spending '-- than during each of the first four years of the Obama-Biden administration, according to federal data.
The federal budget deficit was about $2.8 trillion in fiscal 2021, when Democrats passed Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act without Republican support. AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File Biden's $5.8 trillion budget proposal is unlikely to pass Congress as proposed and many of its ideas '-- such as new proposed taxes on billionaires '-- could face opposition from centrist Democrats. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster''Last year, we cut the deficit by more than $350 billion. This year, we're on track to cut the deficit by more than $1.3 trillion. That would be the largest one year reduction in deficit in US history,'' Biden said.
The federal budget deficit was about $2.8 trillion in fiscal 2021, when Democrats passed Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. The previous year, the deficit topped $3 trillion as a result of relief spending during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden's $5.8 trillion budget proposal is unlikely to pass Congress as proposed and many of its ideas '-- such as new proposed taxes on billionaires '-- could face opposition from centrist Democrats in the 50-50 Senate as well as in the narrowly Democrat-held House.
The budget also outlines smaller expenditures on projects than are actually contained in the Build Back Better Act. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid''The spending is not slowing down,'' Russ Vought, White House budget director under President Donald Trump, told Fox News on Monday. ''And so they've got to show the American people that's experiencing inflation that they're actually doing something about the problem.''
The budget includes a so-called ''billionaire tax'' that would apply a minimum tax rate of 20 percent to both the income and unrealized capital gains of households with a net worth over $100 million. The tax is projected to raise $360 billion over 10 years '-- more than half of it from billionaires.
But Vought said the proposed new tax on the super-wealthy ''could be unconstitutional'' and warned that it would not raise the projected sum because the targets would likely relocate their assets.
The White House budget forecast an inflation rate of just 2.3 percent. AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File''This is being done as a head fake at the American people to suggest that they're actually concerned about the deficit,'' Vought added.
In fiscal year 2019, the deficit was under $1 trillion, meaning that under Biden's plan unfunded spending would remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels despite four-decade-high inflation.
On a White House briefing call Monday morning, a Washington Post reporter questioned how Biden could credibly claim credit for reducing deficit spending.
''A lot of the budget experts are saying, look, the reason the deficit is falling is because of the expiration of inherently temporary economic programs, and it's kind of absurd for the administration to be taking credit for the decline from inherently temporary economic programs,'' the reporter said.
Protesters march down Broadway in New York on March 20, 2021. EPA/JASON SZENES''Three letters: ARP,'' replied White House budget director Shalanda Young, referring to the American Rescue Plan. ''This was not by accident. Had the president not had the wisdom and fortitude '-- as some people were saying it was time to retract and stop doing pandemic spending '-- I don't believe, and many experts don't believe, we'd be here.''
The new budget proposal appears to not fully account for some items in Biden's dormant Build Back Better Act, while including some of that legislation's original theoretical revenue streams '-- including a boost in the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent. Centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) effectively blocked from consideration last year a smaller bump to 25 percent.
The budget also outlines smaller expenditures on projects than are actually contained in the Build Back Better Act. For example, the bill pitches $555 billion in environmental spending, including $320 billion in tax credits for buying electric vehicles, installing solar panels and improving energy efficiency. A press release describing the new budget proposal describes a much more modest $3.3 billion expense ''to support clean energy projects.''
The White House budget director told reporters that Biden is, in addition to supporting the items in his budget request, ''also committed to working with Congress to pass legislation that reduces the deficit, cuts healthcare, energy, childcare, and other costs for families and reforms the tax system'' '-- alluding to his Build Back Better legislation.
A Washington Post reporter pointed out that ''a lot of the budget experts are saying we see the deficits falling'' because of ''temporary economic programs'' passed during the pandemic. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File ''Because those discussions with Congress are ongoing, the budget does not include specific line items for the investments associated with that future legislation,'' Young said.
The annual budget proposal also includes more than $32 billion in funding to put ''more police officers on the beat'' as well as supporting law enforcement, crime prevention and community violence intervention.
Between fiscal years 2015 and 2021, the Obama and Trump administrations proposed $27.4 billion to $31.7 billion in funds for the Department of Justice to ''support federal law enforcement and criminal justice priorities of our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners,'' making Biden's proposal one of the highest in the last seven years.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), another centrist, pulled the plug on the Build Back Better Act in December, citing high inflation, but the White House has continued to act as if the package remains under consideration '-- even as inflation soared in February to a fresh 40-year annual high of 7.9%.
The White House budget forecast an inflation rate of just 2.3%, but Biden economist Cecilia Rouse argued on the White House call that higher inflation doesn't significantly change the deficit projections because new income and revenue would be similar.
How many people cross the Channel and what is the Rwanda plan? - BBC News
Thu, 12 May 2022 16:11
Image source, PA Media
Image caption, A Border Force vessel brings a group of men into Dover
In the first few days of May, seven small boats carrying around 350 migrants were intercepted in the English Channel, the Ministry of Defence has said.
Some have claimed that the arrival shows migrants are undeterred by the government's Rwanda plan, which aims to reduce the number of migrants crossing the Channel and crack down on people smuggling gangs.
How many migrants cross the Channel?
More than 3,000 people arrived in in March, compared with 831 last March. More than 4,850 have made the crossing so far this year.
Last year, 28,526 people are known to have crossed in small boats - up from 8,404 in 2020. This year's figure is set to be much higher, according to Border Force union officials.
Who are the migrants and where are they from?
About 5% were men aged over 40, 7% were women over 18, and 12% were children under 18 (of whom three-quarters were male).
Recently, there has been a greater mix of nationalities making the crossing. Iranians made up 30% of small boat arrivals last year, while 21% were Iraqis, 11% Eritreans and 9% Syrians, says the Home Office.
Previously, Iranians made up the vast majority of arrivals - 80% in 2018, and 66% in 2019.
What is the Rwanda plan?
The five-year trial would see some asylum seekers sent to the central African country.
It is thought to be aimed mostly at single young migrants who arrive through "illegal, dangerous or unnecessary methods", such as on small boats or lorries.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "anyone entering the UK illegally" since 1 January would fall under the scheme, with no limit on numbers.
Rwanda would take responsibility for those sent there and has said migrants would be "entitled to full protection under Rwandan law" with equal access to employment and services.
What are the current rules for asylum?
Many migrants claim asylum once they reach the UK. Asylum seekers hope to receive refugee status, meaning they can stay.
They must prove they cannot return home because of fears of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Their asylum application can include their partner and any children under 18, if they are also in the UK.
Decisions are made by a caseworker. They consider things such as an asylum seeker's country of origin, or evidence of discrimination. This is supposed to be done within six months, although most wait longer.
Anyone granted refugee status can remain in the UK with their dependants for five years. After that, they can apply to settle in the UK.
People who do not qualify for refugee status may still be allowed to stay -if they are a victim of trafficking or at risk of the death penalty, for instance. How long depends on their situation.
Is it legal to send migrants to Rwanda?
New powers - under the Nationality and Borders Bill - would make it easier for the UK to send refugees abroad for asylum claims to be processed. The bill is expected to become law shortly.
But the country must be "safe", and the UK is a signatory to two key international treaties guaranteeing refugees' rights:
The UN Refugee Convention - this protects people from being sent to a country where they face serious threats to life or freedomSo if there was a risk a person would be mistreated in Rwanda then they could not be sent there.
Mr Johnson described Rwanda as being one of world's safest countries - though last year the UK expressed concern at "continued restrictions to civil and political rights and media freedom".
Furthermore, human rights groups have criticised Rwanda for its treatment of government critics. They point to the ill-treatment in detention of opposition figures, and allegations of disappearances and suspicious deaths.
Are migrants already sent to Rwanda?
The voluntary scheme is meant to allow those taking part to resettle in third countries, return to their home countries or to stay in Rwanda.
How much will it cost?
The UK is investing £120m into the "economic development and growth of Rwanda" as part of the deal.
The government said it would also fund costs, which would be similar to those incurred in the UK.
The Times has reported a cost of £20,000-30,000 for each migrant sent to Rwanda.
Home Secretary Priti Patel took personal responsibility to push through the policy after being warned there was not enough evidence to show it gave value for money.
The Home Office said the UK asylum system currently costs £1.5bn a year, with more than £4.7m a day spent on hotels to accommodate homeless migrants.
What have critics said?
Gillian Triggs, the assistant secretary general at the United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR, said the scheme might work as a deterrent, but there were "much more legally effective ways of achieving the same outcome".
The Refugee Council said it was "appalled by the government's cruel and nasty decision".
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, said "the principle must stand the judgment of God, and it cannot."
However, the UK's government promised to take back control of Britain's borders after Brexit, and Home Secretary Priti Patel has argued no one else is offering solutions to the refugee problem.
What other asylum changes are planned?
The Royal Navy will take charge of responding to small boats in the Channel - alongside Border Force.
There will be an extra £50m funding for this.
Migrants arriving in the UK will be sent to processing centres across the country, and there will also be a new asylum reception centre in Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire.
Image source, PA Media
Image caption, People thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, aboard a Border Force vessel
The Home Office has confirmed that turnaround tactics are not currently in use - those were the plans proposed last year for pushing small boats back into French waters. The policy was withdrawn before legal challenges came to court.
The UK has also been paying French authorities to stop boats leaving in the first place, including £54m promised in 2021-22.
How many arrests for people smuggling are there?
In England and Wales, government statistics show there were 41 convictions for helping asylum seekers to enter the UK between 2017-2020, compared to 137 prosecutions in the same period.
Last September, over 50 suspected criminal gang members were arrested in relation to small boat crossings, according to Home Office figures.
25% Of San Francisco's EV Charging Stations Don't Work | ZeroHedge
Thu, 12 May 2022 16:03
California's bold move toward an EV revolution and eliminating the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035 have hit a snag in the liberal utopian city of San Francisco.
A recent report by David Rempel of the University of California at Berkeley found a quarter of all EV charging stations in the Bay Area were out of order, suggesting current infrastructure isn't ready for the giant leap toward an electrified world.
Here's a section of the study describing the poor infrastructure for EVs across the Bay Area:
In order to achieve a rapid transition to electric vehicle driving, a highly reliable and easy to use charging infrastructure is critical to building confidence as consumers shift from using familiar gas vehicles to unfamiliar electric vehicles ... This study evaluated the functionality of the charging system for 657 EVSE (electric vehicle service equipment) CCS connectors (combined charging system) on all 181 open, public DCFC (direct current fast chargers) charging stations in the Greater Bay Area. An EVSE was evaluated as functional if it charged an EV for 2 minutes or was charging an EV at the time the station was evaluated. Overall, 72.5% of the 657 EVSEs were functional. The cable was too short to reach the EV inlet for 4.9% of the EVSEs. Causes of 22.7% of EVSEs that were non-functioning were unresponsive or unavailable screens, payment system failures, charge initiation failures, network failures, or broken connectors.
The study notes that the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area region (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma) were included. It excluded private EV charging stations in paid parking lots, private workplaces, or business sites with restricted access hours. Also, all Tesla Superchargers were excluded since those stations weren't accessible to all EVs.
California is the largest auto market in the US and the 10th largest globally. Its aggressive transition to EVs, all in the name of climate change, is hitting road bumps as infrastructure support cracks in at leader one major metro area, and the state's power grid is unreliable as fossil fuel power plants have been retired too quickly in the transition to unsustainable solar and wind power generations. This has caused a jump in electricity rates for customers who use Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co., and San Diego Gas & Electric. Rates are so expensive that charging some EVs in certain parts of the state is almost as much as filling up a vehicle at the gas station.
The incentives for owning an EV in California are diminishing, from faulty infrastructure in San Francisco to extremely high electricity rates in some parts of the state. Not exactly what is needed to instill confidence in increasing EV ownership.
EU commission proposes plan to fight child pornography
Thu, 12 May 2022 15:54
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Updated 5/11/2022 10:50 AM
BRUSSELS -- The European Union's executive arm on Wednesday unveiled a plan to require online platforms to detect and report the sharing of child sex abuse images on the internet, which quickly triggered privacy concerns.
The regulation, which needs to be endorsed by member countries and the EU Parliament, would force companies operating in the EU to detect, report and remove the material.
Voluntary detection is currently the norm and the Commission believes that the system does not adequately protect children since many companies don't do the identification work.
Reports of online child sexual abuse in the 27-nation bloc have increased from 23,000 in 2010 to more than 1 million in 2020. International police agency Interpol has also reported a surge in the online distribution of sexually explicit images of children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A similar increase has been noticed globally, with reports of child abuse on the internet rising from 1 million to almost 22 million during 2014-2020 and over 65 million images and videos of children being sexually abused identified.
'Å'Not only is the number of reports growing, but these reports today concern younger children," said Ylva Johansson, the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs.
'Å'These reports are instrumental to starting investigations and rescuing children from ongoing abuse in real time," she added. 'Å'Detection, reporting and removal of child sexual abuse online is also urgently needed to prevent the sharing of images and videos of the sexual abuse of children, which retraumatizes the victims often years after the sexual abuse has ended."
In practice, providers will have to assess the risk that their services are misused to spread child pornography material or for grooming, and should propose risk mitigation measures. If the competent authorities in EU countries find there is a risk of abuse after reviewing the risk assessment, they will be able to ask a court to issue a detection order.
The EU Commission is adamant that the new rule would offer strong safeguards for the respect of privacy and personal data, although critics have said the proposal could allow companies to spy on users.
Digital rights group EDRi warned that the proposal appears to call for widespread scanning of private communications and would discourage companies from providing end-to-end encryption services, which scramble messages so they're unreadable by anyone else and are used by chat apps Signal and WhatsApp. The group fears that tech companies would take the most intrusive measures to avoid legal troubles.
'Å'The European Commission is opening the door for a vast range of authoritarian surveillance tactics,'¯½ policy advisor Ella Jakubowska said.
Today, she said, online platforms will scan private messages for child sex abuse content. 'Å'But once these methods are out there, what's stopping governments forcing companies to scan for evidence of dissidence or political opposition tomorrow?'¯½
The Commission said any review would take place anonymously and that steps to identify users would only be taken in the event that potential child abuse has been identified. In addition, the technology used would not allow the extraction of any information other than that necessary to detect the abuse.
'Å'Encryption is an important tool for the protection of cybersecurity and confidentiality of communications,'¯½ the Commission added. 'Å'At the same time, its use as a secure channel could be abused by criminals to hide their actions, thereby impeding efforts to bring perpetrators of child sexual abuse to justice.'¯½
To help providers better identify abuse, the Commission proposed the creation of an EU Center on Child Sexual Abuse acting as a 'Å'hub of expertise." It would be similar to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a U.S. nonprofit reference center which helps families and exploited victims.
Under the European Commission's plans, the center would help coordinate actions among the EU's 27 nations in the areas of law enforcement, deterrence and assistance for victims of child sex abuse.
During the pandemic, lockdowns imposed to slow down the spread of the coronavirus exacerbated the problem for children, who spent more time online and were more vulnerable to predators. According to the Internet Watch charity, there was a 64% increase in reports of confirmed child sexual abuse in 2021 compared with the previous year.
Germany's top security official, Nancy Faeser, welcomed Johansson's proposal but said Germany would now 'Å'closely examine the Commission draft and contribute intensively to negotiations in the (European) Council.'¯½
Her spokesman, Maximilian Kall, told reporters in Berlin that 'Å'of course we will pay attention to balancing the better and more effective fight against sexualized violence toward children on the one hand and on the other hand civil liberties online.'¯½
___
Associated Press Business Writer Kelvin Chan in London, and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this story.
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Chat Control is like the Post Office opening and scanning all Letters '' Ineffective and Illegal, says MEP '' The Expose
Thu, 12 May 2022 14:15
Breaking News The European Commission (''EC'') published a draft law yesterday that gives lawmakers the ability to monitor and scan EU citizens' text messages and images to ''combat child sex abuse'' '' the so-called ''chat control'' regulation. But instead of going after actual sex offenders, the EU will now treat all its citizens as possible sex offenders and scan all their chats and emails to confirm they're not.
The stated aim: prosecute child pornography.
The result: mass surveillance using fully automated real-time messaging and chat control and the end of confidential and private digital correspondence.
A majority of the Members of the European Parliament (''MEPs'') adopted an earlier version of the ''chat control'' regulation on 6 July 2021 allowing providers to scan communications voluntarily. But only some unencrypted US services such as Gmail, Facebook/Meta Messenger and Xbox applied voluntary chat control.
Yesterday, the EC announced that it will propose follow-up legislation that will make the use of chat control mandatory for all email and messenger providers.
In other words, what was a voluntary practice by a few corporations will now become a mandated measure that will encompass all internet companies and corporations.
Read more: EU publishes Orwellian 'chat control' law allowing AI to spy on ALL online interactions, Dispropaganda, 11 May 2022
Patrick Breyer is a digital freedom fighter and MEP. When he was first elected in 2019, he represented the German Pirate Party and was the only MEP of the Pirates. He is now one of four Pirates in the European Parliament. The European Pirates are members of the Greens/European Free Alliance group.
Breyer filed a lawsuit on Monday, 9 May 2022, against the chat control already voluntarily practised by Facebook/Meta.
EU chat control bill: fundamental rights terrorism against trust, self-determination and security on the InternetRepublished from Patrick Breyer, 11 May 2022
(German to English translation using Google)
Today, the European Commission presented publicly for the first time an EU draft law on mandatory chat control. With the stated intention of fighting against ''child pornography'', the Commission plans to oblige all providers of e-mail, chat and messaging services to search for suspicious messages in a fully automated way and disclose them to the police. This requires them to monitor and scan the communications of all citizens. End-to-end encryption would have to be undermined by ''client-side'' scanning on all mobile phones.
MEP and civil rights activist Dr Patrick Breyer (Pirate Party), who filed a lawsuit on Monday against the chat control already voluntarily practised by Facebook/Meta, comments:
''Apart from ineffective web blocking, the proposed chat control threatens to destroy digital privacy of correspondence and secure encryption. Scanning personal cloud storage would result in the mass surveillance of private photos. Mandatory age verification would end anonymous communication. Appstore censorship would be the end of secure messenger apps and patronise young people. The proposal does not include the overdue obligation on law enforcement agencies to report and remove known abusive material on the net, nor does it provide for Europe-wide standards for effective prevention measures, victim support and counselling and effective criminal investigations. Von der Leyen continues to chart the territory of censorship, mass surveillance, anonymity bans and paternalism, while leaving the activities of child porn rings completely untouched. The proposed measures deprive the entire population of trust, self-determination and security on the net. This plan is nothing other than terrorism against our digital fundamental rights, which I will not relent to fight.
This Big Brother attack on our mobile phones, private messages and photos with the help of error-prone algorithms is a giant step toward a Chinese-style surveillance state. Chat control is like the post office opening and scanning all letters '' ineffective and illegal. Even the most intimate nude photos and sex chats can suddenly end up with company personnel or the police. Those who destroy the digital secrecy of letters destroy trust. We all depend on the security and confidentiality of private communication: People in need, victims of abuse, children, the economy and also state authorities.''
Breyer summarises the content and effects of the bill in the following overview:
EU chat control proposalConsequencesEnvisaged are chat control, network blocking, mandatory age verification for communication and storage apps, age verification by app stores and exclusion of minors from installing many apps The communication services affected include telephony, e-mail, messenger, chats (also as part of games, on part of games, on dating portals, etc.), videoconferencingTexts, images, videos and speech could be scannedEnd-to-end encrypted messenger services are not excluded from the scopeProviders will of end-to-end encrypted communications services have to scan messages on every smartphone (client-side scanning) and, in case of a hit, report the message to the policeHosting services affected include web hosting, social media, video streaming services, file hosting and cloud servicesEven personal storage that is not being shared, such as Apple's iCloud, will be subject to chat controlServices that are likely to be used for illegal material or for child grooming are obliged to search the content of personal communication and stored data (chat control) without suspicion and across the boardSince presumably every service is also used for illegal purposes, all services will be obliged to deploy chat controlThe authority in the provider's country of establishment is obliged to order the deployment of chat controlThere is no discretion in when and in what extent chat control is orderedChat control involves automated searches for known CSEM images and videos, suspicious messages/files will be reported to the policeAccording to the Swiss Federal Police, 87% of the reports they receive (usually based on the method of hashing) are criminally irrelevantChat control also involves automated searches for unknown CSEM pictures and videos, suspicious messages/files will be reported to the policeMachine searching for unknown abuse representations is an experimental procedure using machine learning (''artificial intelligence''). The algorithms are not accessible to the public and the scientific community, nor does the draft contain any disclosure requirement. The error rate is unknown and is not limited by the draft regulation. Presumably, these technologies result in massive amounts of false reports. The draft legislation allows providers to pass on automated hit reports to the police without humans checking them.Chat control involves machine searches for possible child grooming, suspicious messages will be reported to the policeMachine searching for potential child grooming is an experimental procedure using machine learning (''artificial intelligence''). The algorithms are not available to the public and the scientific community, nor does the draft contain a disclosure requirement. The error rate is unknown and is not limited by the draft regulation, presumably these technologies result in massive amounts of false reports.Communication services that can be misused for child grooming (thus all) must verify the age of their usersIn practice, age verification involves full user identification, meaning that anonymous communication via email, messenger, etc. will effectively be banned. Whistleblowers, human rights defenders and marginalised groups rely on the protection of anonymity.App stores must verify the age of their users and block children/young people from installing apps that can be misused for solicitation purposesAll communication services such as messenger apps, dating apps or games can be misused for child grooming and would be blocked for children/young people to use.App stores must delete apps that refuse chat controlIf, for instance, Signal or Whatsapp refuse to undermine end-to-end encryption and implement chat controls, they would no longer be available for installation via app storesInternet access providers can be obliged to block access to prohibited and non-removable images and videos hosted outside the EU by means of network blocking (URL blocking)Network blocking is technically ineffective and easy to circumvent, and it results in the construction of a technical censorship infrastructureVoices against the proposed law are coming from across the board: EDRi has criticised the proposal would ''allow the widespread scanning of people's private communications'' and ''inevitably require the use of notoriously inaccurate AI-based scanning tools of our most intimate conversations''. The German Child Protection Association has also described the EU Commission's planned warrantless scanning of private communication via messenger or email as disproportionate and not effective. Instead, they stress the majority of child pornography material is shared via platforms and forums. What was needed is ''above all the expansion of human and technical resources at the law enforcement agencies, more visible police presence on the net, more state reporting offices and the decriminalisation of the dissemination of self-generated material among young people.''
In Berlin people today protested against the proposal.
Further reading:EU Commission wants to screen all chat messages, Chaos Computer Club, 9 May 2022EU plans to publish 'chat control' draft law that would enforce AI checks of all message content, images, Rebel News, 10 May 2022European Commission: Regulation Of The European Parliament And Of The Council, Proposal for a Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, 11 May 2022Categories: Breaking News, Latest News, World News
Pfizer is Acquiring a Migraine Fixer for $11.6 Billion - The Daily Upside
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:56
With the pandemic giving way to a wave of stressful economic news, Covid vaccine maker Pfizer is turning to the business of eliminating headaches.
The biotech giant announced plans on Tuesday to buy migraine drugmaker Biohaven in an $11.6 billion all-cash deal. It's the kind of mammoth transaction investors have been waiting for as Pfizer piled up mountains of cash on the back of sales of its highly lucrative jabs.
Fortune Favors the SoldPfizer's pandemic fortunes are still rolling in. Driven by the global uptake of vaccines for children over five, as well as booster campaigns, the company bested Wall Street's expectations and sold $13.2 billion in Covid vaccines and $1.5 billion worth of antiviral treatment Paxlovid in the first quarter.
But Pfizer still has to contend with the two banes of every pharma firm's existence: R&D costs and patent expirations. Last week, the company lowered its earnings guidance for 2022, citing high research and development costs. Several key patents are due to expire in the next few years. Luckily, the pandemic windfall left Pfizer with $32 billion in cash on hand, and buying Biohaven could ease the pain:
Biohaven's Nurtec was the top prescribed migraine medicine in its class in America last year, earning $462 million in revenue. A glitzy ad campaign fronted by Khlo(C) Kardashian helped, but the reality star also earned the FDA's ire, in the form of a reprimand, for being a tad too effusive about the drug during an appearance on The View.Biohaven has a second migraine drug at the pre-approval stage with the FDA, as well as five preclinical drugs in the pipeline. That could help Pfizer replace the $20 billion in annual sales it could lose beginning in 2026 due to patent expirations on treatments, including anti-blood-clot medicine Eliquis and prostate-cancer drug Xtandi.Cash to Burn: ''Investors we have spoken with have said that they want Pfizer to be more aggressive on the M&A front and to use the cash they have made from COVID vaccine and oral antiviral sales to grow the company,'' wrote Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Louise Chen in a note Tuesday. Biohaven would be Pfizer's biggest deal since the summer of 2019.
Do-Over: Biohaven represents a rerun of sorts for Pfizer. Nurtec, as well as the drugs Pfizer has in development, are known as anti-CGRPs. Pfizer developed one, but sold the rights to it in 2012; in the meantime, rival Eli Lilly became a big player in the space. Now they get to butt heads over treating migraines.
Why is Canada euthanising the poor? | The Spectator Australia
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:46
There is an endlessly repeated witticism by the poet Anatole France that, 'the law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.' What France certainly did not foresee is that an entire country'--and an ostentatiously progressive one at that'--has decided to take his sarcasm at face value and to its natural conclusion.
Since last year, Canadian law, in all its majesty, has allowed both the rich as well as the poor to kill themselves if they are too poor to continue living with dignity. In fact, the ever-generous Canadian state will even pay for their deaths. What it will not do is spend money to allow them to live instead of killing themselves.
As with most slippery slopes, it all began with a strongly worded denial that they exist. In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada reversed 22 years of its own jurisprudence by striking down the country's ban on assisted suicide as unconstitutional, blithely dismissingfears that the ruling would 'initiate a descent down a slippery slope into homicide' against the vulnerable as founded on 'anecdotal examples'. The next year, Parliament duly enacted legislation allowing euthanasia, but only for those who suffer from a terminal illness whose natural death was 'reasonably foreseeable'.
It only took five years for the proverbial slope to come into view, when the Canadian parliament enacted Bill C-7, a sweeping euthanasia law which repealed the 'reasonably foreseeable' requirement'--and the requirement that the condition should be 'terminal'. Now, as long as someone is suffering from an illness or disability which 'cannot be relieved under conditions that you consider acceptable', they can take advantage of what is now known euphemistically as 'medical assistance in dying' (MAID for short) for free.
Soon enough, Canadians from across the country discovered that although they would otherwise prefer to live, they were too poor to improve their conditions to a degree which was acceptable.
Not coincidentally, Canada has some of the lowest social care spending of any industrialised country, palliative care is only accessible to a minority, and waiting times in the public healthcare sector can be unbearable, to the point where the same Supreme Court which legalised euthanasia declared those waiting times to be a violation of the right to life back in 2005.
Many in the healthcare sector came to the same conclusion. Even before Bill C-7 was enacted, reports of abuse were rife. A man with a neurodegenerative disease testified to Parliament that nurses and a medical ethicist at a hospital tried to coerce him into killing himself by threatening to bankrupt him with extra costs or by kicking him out of the hospital, and by withholding water from him for 20 days. Virtually every disability rights group in the country opposed the new law. To no effect: for once, the government found it convenient to ignore these otherwise impeccably progressive groups.
Since then, things have only gotten worse. A woman in Ontario was forced into euthanasia because her housing benefits did not allow her to get better housing which didn't aggravate her crippling allergies. Another disabled woman applied to die because she 'simply cannot afford to keep on living'. Another sought euthanasia because Covid-related debt left her unable to pay for the treatment which kept her chronic pain bearable'--under the present government, disabled Canadians got $600 in additional financial assistance during Covid; university students got $5,000.
When the family of a 35-year-old disabled man who resorted to euthanasia arrived at the care home where he lived, they encountered 'urine on the floor'... spots where there was feces on the floor'... spots where your feet were just sticking. Like, if you stood at his bedside and when you went to walk away, your foot was literally stuck.' According to the Canadian government, the assisted suicide law is about 'prioritis[ing] the individual autonomy of Canadians'; one may wonder how much autonomy a disabled man lying in his own filth had in weighing death over life.
Despite the Canadian government's insistence that assisted suicide is all about individual autonomy, it has also kept an eye on its fiscal advantages. Even before Bill C-7 entered into force, the country's Parliamentary Budget Officer published a report about the cost savings it would create: whereas the old MAID regime saved $86.9 million per year '--a 'net cost reduction', in the sterile words of the report'--Bill C-7 would create additional net savings of $62 million per year. Healthcare, particular for those suffering from chronic conditions, is expensive; but assisted suicide only costs the taxpayer $2,327 per 'case'. And, of course, those who have to rely wholly on government-provided Medicare pose a far greater burden on the exchequer than those who have savings or private insurance.
And yet Canada's lavishly subsidised media, with some honourable exceptions, has expressed remarkably little curiosity about the open social murder of citizens in one of the world's wealthiest countries. Perhaps, like many doctors, journalists are afraid of being accused of being 'unprogressive' for questioning the new culture of death, a fatal accusation in polite circles. Canada's public broadcaster, which in 2020 reassured Canadians that there was 'no link between poverty, choosing medically assisted death', has had little to say about any of the subsequent developments.
Next year, the floodgates will open even further when those suffering from mental illness'--another disproportionately poor group'--become eligible for assisted suicide, although enthusiastic doctors and nurses have already pre-empted the law. There is already talk of allowing 'mature minors' access to euthanasia too'--just think of the lifetime savings. But remember, slippery slopes are always a fallacy.
On May 22: WHO will have authority to lock down all of America
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:18
Officials from the Biden Administration are working to give the World Health Organization the power to unilaterally declare a health emergency in any country, thereby giving them emergency powers. The message from the administration and the vote are going unreported by the heritage media, but former Congressman Michele Bachmann is working hard at sounding the alarm.
Bachmann: ''Biggest global power grab in our lifetimes'' Bachmann has stated that the upcoming vote in Geneva over the Biden Administration's amendments would cede U.S. sovereignty to the WHO over national healthcare decisions in what she described as ''the biggest global power grab that we have seen in our lifetimes.''
''This is the biggest global power grab that we have seen in our lifetimes.''
Former Rep. @MicheleBachmann tells #SteveBannon about the upcoming vote in Geneva over the Biden administration's amendments that would cede US sovereignty to the WHO over national healthcare decisions. pic.twitter.com/1Q5ScsOvp5
'-- Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) May 9, 2022
Bachmann's concern is over the vote that will take place on May 22 in the World Health Organization's (WHO) governing legislative body, the World Health Assembly (WHA). The vote is to ratify the amendments proposed by the Biden administration and are scheduled as ''Provisional agenda item 16.2''.
Bachmann spoke about the dilemma on Steve Bannon's War Room .
''This authority that they will be given will impact 99.4% of all the people in the world,'' Bachmann said. ''There are 193 nations belonging to the UN. The Biden administration is bringing amendments that were proposed that all nations of the earth cede their sovereignty over their national health care decisions to the WHO.''
''This means that the WHO would have decision-making authority to intervene in the United States government policy and any nation of the world without our permission. For instance, the lockdown where you see 26 million people today locked down in Shangai, China. They can't leave their apartments or homes. The WHO would have the authority to be able to enforce that here in the United States, on whatever pretext they want. They don't have to show data. They could do this.''
''What this does, bottom line is that it creates a platform for global governance through the WHO,'' she said.
She emphasized that action had to be taken immediately.
''This is what people need to know,'' Bachmann said. ''It's time-sensitive. No one knew about this. The Biden administration gave these proposed amendments to the WHO on January 18. No one knew this until April 12, less than a month ago. But in less than two weeks, the delegates will vote on this in Geneva, Switzerland. The Biden administration has already released a list of countries, forty of the most powerful countries in the world, including Canada, the EU, and the UK, and Australia. These countries are going along with the Biden administration's insane push to give sovereignty over to the untrustworthy WHO.''
''It's extremely important the vote is going to take place in less than two weeks, and no one effectively knows about this happening, but people are starting to know. So it's important now that we get to Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the House, Mitch McConnel, the leader of the Senate, and demand that they drop everything and .have a joint press conference and that nothing is going to happen in the United States government until Joe Biden drops these amendments, and agrees that we will not give away United States sovereignty to the UN. This is a global power grab that we have never seen in our lifetimes, and if this goes through, nothing else matters.''
''The vote takes place May 22 through 28 in Geneva, Switzerland, and goes into effect in November,'' Bachmann said. ''Which means it won't matter which party wins the elections in November because the global authority will already have transferred to the WHO. That's why this is so important. It's why we have to get the US Senate involved, the US House involved, so they stop this dead in its tracks right now, or we lose authority here in the United States.''
''I lived in that world,'' Bachmann replied to Bannon. ''They live in a bubble. The bubble is called money. It's the mother's milk of politics. What they're focused on is boosting the money that they're bringing in for their elections. That's what it's all about.''
''So they have to forget about that and realize that there's a country to save, and we have very little time. This vote is in less than two weeks. This is the world. [The Republican leaders] need to have a joint press conference and say we're not going pass a bill. We're not gonna do anything. We're not gonna vote for these $33 billion for Ukraine. You're getting zero, zip, nada. In fact, we're not even going to give you a quorum. We're not even going to show up until you make sure these amendments don't get offered at the World Health Assembly, Bachmann said. ''It's that serious. This is real.
Bachmann cited her experience as Dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, as a former member of Congress, and as a former Presidential Candidate.
''This should set your hair on fire,'' she emphasized. ''This is real. This is the greatest attack we have ever had on United States Sovereignty. ''And I believe they already have the votes. The clock is striking at 11:59. We've got to get the Republican leadership involved to stop this. The Democrat leadership won't. The Republican leadership has to sound the alarm and get involved.''
''[The Republican leaders] don't know. They're clueless. They're busy focusing on the here and now, which is raising money so they can win re-election this fall,'' Bachmann said. ''But this is the here and now. We cannot allow Joe Biden to give away American sovereignty and really for all of the 193 nations of the world's sovereignty to the hapless WHO. which is a subsidiary of the Communist Chinese government, and they will then have authority over the United States, over us, and we will effectively be vulnerable to losing our freedom to the WHO.''
Brussels, Belgium. 12th Sep. 2019. Press conference by Commissioner Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS and the Director-General of the WHO Tedros ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, on occasion of the Global Vaccination Summit (Shutterstock)
WCH: ''Threat to sovereignty and inalienable rights.'' In an open letter on the WHO's pandemic treaty, the World Council for Health wrote, in part:
''The proposed WHO agreement is unnecessary and threatens sovereignty and inalienable rights. It increases the WHO's suffocating power to declare unjustified pandemics, impose dehumanizing lockdowns, and enforce expensive, unsafe, and ineffective treatments against the will of the people.''
''Historically, the WHO leadership has failed the people. Among many examples, it approved the injurious H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine for a controversially declared pandemic. Equally, the WHO failed during the Covid-19 chapter as it encouraged lockdowns, suppressed early preventive treatments and recommended product interventions that have proven to be neither safe nor effective.
''The WHO cannot be allowed to control the world's health agenda, nor enforce biosurveillance. While it receives funding from public sources belonging to the people, it is caught in a perpetual conflict of interest because it also receives substantial funding from private interests that use their contributions to influence and profit from WHO decisions and mandates. For example, the Gates Foundation and the Gates-funded GAVI vaccine promotion alliance contribute over $1 billion a year.''
America Out Loud explained the amendments:
''These amendments will empower WHO's Director-General to declare health emergencies or crises in any nation and to do so unilaterally and against the opposition of the target nation. The Director-General will be able to declare these health crises based merely on his personal opinion or consideration that there is a potential or possible threat to other nations.
''These regulations are a ''binding instrument of international law entered into force on 15 June 2007.'' U.N. members states can be required by law to obey or acquiesce to them.
These new amendments will allow the WHO director to declare health emergencies at will. Under the new regulations, WHO will not be required to consult with the identified nation beforehand to ''verify'' the event before taking action.
Biden and WHO: New World Order agenda Biden has a long history of advocating for a New World Order. Most recently, in March, Biden stated in an address to the Business Roundtable's CEO Quarterly Meeting that his administration would be a leader in the ''new world order.''
In 1992, then-Senator Biden wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal entitled '' How I Learned to Love the New World Order. '' In the article, Biden '' who was also the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's European Affairs Subcommittee '' said: ''Having contained Soviet communism until it dissolved, we need a new strategy of ''containment'' '' based, like NATO, on collective action''but directed against weapons proliferation.''
In the article, Biden called for increasing the powers of NATO and the UN.
Again, at an Export-Import Bank Conference in 2013, Biden made an explicit call to establish a New World Order.
In this regard, Biden is in lock-step with the UN. At their meeting in Nairobi in March 2019, The Environment Assembly presented a set of resolutions that included an explicit call for a new world order by the UN Environment's Acting Executive Director Joyce Msuya as part of the UN's ecological program:
''If countries deliver on all that was agreed here and implement the resolutions, we could take a big step towards a new world order where we no longer grow at the expense of nature but instead see people and planet thrive together.''
New World Order: Tower of Babel Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific end-of-days author, explained that the Biblical archetype for the New World Order is the Tower of Babel.
''Nimrod wanted a New World Order that didn't have a God in it,'' Rabbi Winston explained, ''A godless world allows people to do what they want without consequences or moral responsibility. Man ordering society as he wants.''
The rabbi noted that Biden now represents the extreme left, creating an interesting dichotomy.
''This is what the anti-religious left-wing wants. To the liberals, a godless reality looks like freedom, but it is the opposite. Socialism always leads to fascism. Ironically, godlessness is also the goal of the Russia-China alliance. Putin is anti-God but condemns Western liberalism as a humanitarian crime.''
Michele Bachman: Lover of Israel Bachmann has relied on her faith to guide her personal and professional life. Bachmann formally entered politics in 2000, when she was elected to the Minnesota Senate and served as the representative for Minnesota's 6th congressional district from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party, she was a candidate for President in the 2012 election.
She has always had a strong personal connection to Israel and, after graduating high school, spent one summer working at kibbutz Be'eri in Israel.
The DiscOasis, a '70s-themed roller disco experience, will do the hustle in Central Park this summer - Gothamist
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:13
A rendering of The DiscOasis at Wollman Rink
arrow A rendering of The DiscOasis at Wollman Rink
Constellation Immersive & David Korins There are some combinations that just belong together: Macaroni & cheese. Subway rats & pizza. Mario & Luigi. The F train & delays. And most definitely worthy of this list: Disco & roller-skating.
So if you're going to launch a new immersive musical and theatrical roller disco experience, it behooves you go to one of the architects of disco for their insights into the genre. And there's no one better than Nile Rodgers, the legendary songwriter, producer and co-founder of Chic who is behind some of the biggest hits of the last 50 years (from "Le Freak" to "Get Lucky").
Rodgers also happens to be an avid lifelong roller-skater himself, a hobby he has kept up even into his sixties.
"I try and explain it to people, like even when I skate now'--and most of the time now I skate alone'--but you feel so free. It's almost like people who parachute jump or something, you feel like you're flying," Rodgers told Gothamist. "I guess somebody had said, 'Nile is a roller-skater.' And the producers called me up right away. I said, 'Oh, man, I'd love to program the music.'"
That's how Rodgers ended up serving as the "Groovemaster" for The DiscOasis, a roller disco extravaganza that first popped up at Los Angeles' South Coast Botanic Garden last summer.
This summer, The DiscOasis will set up shop at Wollman Rink in Central Park, so New Yorkers can get back in touch with the city's famed disco roots.
Running from June 16th until October 1st, The DiscOasis will bring a mix of open skate sessions and theatrical performances'--some with playlists crafted by Rodgers'--along with an array of live DJs, artists and special guests amidst a glitzy, neon-tinged botanical backdrop. The colorful roller rink centerpiece is designed by Tony Award-nominated David Korins, lighting design by award-winning David Weiner, plus there will be interactive installations inspired by Rodgers' iconic catalog.
General admission prices range from $16-$65. There are daytime options of one or three hour skate sessions, and two hour skate sessions at nighttime. VIP tickets will also be available. You can get all ticket info here.
This is just the latest example of the roller-skating revival that has swept through the country during the pandemic, from quad meet-ups in parks to Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace, which is located at Rockefeller Center all summer as well.
The project was initially conceived by Constellation Immersive in partnership with Live Nation and Los Angeles Media Fund. Thao Nguyen, Constellation's CEO and producer of DiscoOasis, said they were thinking about ways to help people bridge the isolation of the pandemic.
"We've been in this pandemic for over two years and we felt like people needed to gather again, so we wanted to create an experience that brought people together, that brought joy, that celebrated movement," Nguyen said. "When we thought about immersive music, and we thought about wellness, we thought about the history of disco and inclusivity, and that's how DiscOasis came to being."
It's going to be the people's party this summer at the DiscOasis
Thao Nguyen, DiscOasis producer
The fact that roller-skating has become such a popular outlet for people'--that it provides exercise and socialization with the ability to socially distance if desired'--was appealing to Stefanie Tomlin, the vice president and general manager of Wollman Park Partners, which signed a five-year contract to operate the rink in July 2021. (It was previously operated by the Trump Organization.)
"We just were thinking, what can we do to bring magic and joy and fun back to New York City? New York is a place where you move here because you want to feel the energy," said Tomlin. "And I think that energy has waned a little bit in the last couple of years. So we really just wanted to do something that was going to be special and a unifier and culturally relevant and cool."
There will be other activities at the rink'--that includes "disco dark" days on Mondays and Tuesdays where there'll be family programming, health and wellness events, and more'--but DiscOasis is shaping up to be their signature event of this summer, and possibly into the future as well.
"It's truly an immersive experience, so [people] should come ready to dance," said Tomlin. "They should come ready to skate. They should come ready to meet people from all different walks of life, they should come curious and ready to explore. And I think that what we're doing here is something that lasts not just for this summer, but I think this is something that New Yorkers can come to expect and anticipate every summer."
Nile Rodgers at DiscOasis in L.A. in 2021
arrow Nile Rodgers at DiscOasis in L.A. in 2021
Getty Images And this isn't just for people who know the difference between rexing and dipping. The skating-curious and the skating-averse are welcome as well, with plenty of other activities including games, installations, photo booths, a special Pride series, and more.
"It's going to be the people's party this summer at the DiscOasis," said Nguyen, the DiscOasis producer. "We have something for everyone, for skaters and non-skaters alike. Everyone's welcome. We are a destination'--it's a place where people can really come and enjoy and have a good time."
As for what kind of music you can expect to hear, Rodgers said the DJs will get to respond to the crowds with their musical picks in the moment, but he has put a lot of thought into the more theatrical "production" sets, which are all programmed by him and reflect his lifetime of experiences in discotheques.
"That's where my job as the 'Groovemaster' comes in," Rodgers said. "Because I want those skaters choreographed to the music that I would like to skate to. I know that's a little bit selfish, but I can't help it."
"There's certain songs that to me, I hit the floor as soon as I hear them," he said. "Hey, I mean, I wrote that lyric, 'clams on the half-shell and roller-skates, roller-skates,' to chronicle the whole vibe of what was going on in the summer of '79."
'More Masks, More Covid': New Study Shows Masks Did Worse Than Nothing Against Coronavirus
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:13
Public health experts have been advocating masks for the general public ever since Covid began to spike in the United States in mid-2020. Masks soon became the non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) of choice, despite there being a dearth of pre-Covid pandemic documents advocating them as meaningful tools to stop the spread of coronaviruses.
Even as critics have constantly poked holes in masks as a nearly useless and potentially harmful tool for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, the public health industry has stuck to their guns and insisted in the face of mounting evidence of their ineffectiveness that the American people should continue to wear them (even toddlers).
A new study has blown the debate wide open: It shows that masks are not only worthless against Covid-19, wearing them might potentially be harmful for people's physical and mental health and for society in general.
A peer-reviewed journal article in Cureus called the ''Correlation Between Mask Compliance and COVID-19 Outcomes in Europe'' has come to the stunning conclusion that the higher the mask compliance rates, the higher the Covid case rates. For those who aren't well-versed in statistics, this is the exact opposite of what researchers should find if masks indeed ''worked.''
''Masking was the single most common non-pharmaceutical intervention in the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,'' the article states. ''Most countries have implemented recommendations or mandates regarding the use of masks in public spaces. The aim of this short study was to analyse the correlation between mask usage against morbidity and mortality rates in the 2020-2021 winter in Europe. Data from 35 European countries on morbidity, mortality, and mask usage during a six-month period were analysed and crossed.''
''These findings indicate that countries with high levels of mask compliance did not perform better than those with low mask usage,'' the author Beny Spira, a professor at Sao Paolo, writes.
''For this analysis, all European countries, including West and East Europe, with more than one million inhabitants were selected, encompassing a total of 602 million people. All analysed countries underwent a peak of COVID-19 infection during these six months,'' the professor writes before providing the full dataset.
''[Un-] Surprisingly, weak positive correlations were observed when mask compliance was plotted against morbidity (cases/million) or mortality (deaths/million) in each country,'' the study notes.
The professor shows a scattershot of mask compliance versus cases and deaths per million, as well as a fitted regression line. As one can see, the relationship is positive (not good).
''While no cause-effect conclusions could be inferred from this observational analysis, the lack of negative correlations between mask usage and COVID-19 cases and deaths suggest that the widespread use of masks at a time when an effective intervention was most needed, i.e., during the strong 2020-2021 autumn-winter peak, was not able to reduce COVID-19 transmission,'' the study concluded. ''Moreover, the moderate positive correlation between mask usage and deaths in Western Europe also suggests that the universal use of masks may have had harmful unintended consequences.''
The mask study's results are similar to those of Harvard-led researchers when they found that the higher a nation's vaccination rates, the higher the case rates. The Harvard study of 68 nations and 2,947 counties in the United States published in the European Journal of Epidemiology in late 2021.
The scientific findings were discovered by a Harvard researcher, S. V. Subramanian of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, and Canadian researcher Akhil Kumar.
''At the country-level, there appears to be no discernable relationship between percentage of population fully vaccinated and new COVID-19 cases in the last 7 days (Fig. 1),'' the study stated. ''In fact, the trend line suggests a marginally positive association such that countries with higher percentage of population fully vaccinated have higher COVID-19 cases per 1 million people.''
Those startling results have been further verified at the state-level in the United States: The highest-vaccinated states are now among the few remaining hot spots in the country.
It should come as a surprise to no one that these hot spot states in the United States also happen to be among the last to lift their mask mandate orders. In California, there are cities that are reinstating mask mandates, despite five Covid waves and the absence of evidence that they work.
The United States' Covid policy responses that include quarantining, masks, and social distancing, as well as the 'lockdowns,' have failed to produce statistically significant results fighting Covid, but have wrought serious damage to the economy and violated countless Americans' rights.
An exhaustive Johns Hopkins University comparative analysis published in January found that strict lockdowns failed to significantly reduce Covid-related deaths.
''Lockdowns in the U.S. and Europe had little or no impact in reducing deaths from COVID-19, according to a new analysis by researchers at Johns Hopkins University,'' the Washington Times reported. ''The lockdowns during the early phase of the pandemic in 2020 reduced COVID-19 mortality by about 0.2%, said the broad review of multiple scientific studies.''
''We find no evidence that lockdowns, school closures, border closures, and limiting gatherings have had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality,'' the researchers wrote.
Now, we can add mask mandates to the list of public health interventions that did nothing to stop the spread of Covid-19, but did tremendous damage to the U.S. economy and society.
Syndicated with licensed permission from Becker News. Follow Becker News on Telegram.
Notice: This article may contain commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
Mark Middleton dead at 59 - Bill Clinton's special advisor 'who let Epstein into White House 7 TIMES' dies
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:12
PAL PASSES 22:16, 11 May 2022 Updated : 22:44, 11 May 2022 PRESIDENT Bill Clinton's former special advisor, Mark Middleton passed away Saturday at the age of 59 as confirmed by his family.
Middleton is known for cementing the former president's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
3
President Bill Clinton's former aide, Mark Middleton, has died at the age of 59, his family confirms Credit: Middleton Heat & Air 3
Middleton was known for arranging seven of Jeffrey Epstein's 17 visits to the White House during the Clinton presidency Credit: William J. Clinton Presidential Library 3
Middleton's cause of death was not revealed Credit: FacebookThe cause of his death was not confirmed. Middleton ran an air conditioning business in Little Rock, Arkansas for decades before becoming a special advisor to Clinton and financial director for his Presidential Campaign.
''The Middleton family has lost an inspiring and dedicated leader, as well as a son, brother, husband, and father,'' wrote a representative of Middleton Heat & Hair in a Facebook post.
''Mark leaves behind a company that he helped build from the ground up alongside his family and was proud to run for the last 25 years.
"No words can express our sadness over this loss or our gratitude for your support and prayers during this time"
During his time with Clinton, he reportedly invited Epstein to the White House for at least seven of Epstein's 17 visits.
Middleton may have also flown on Epstein's plane and connected the two powerful men.
He was also a managing partner of the MidCorp Capital investment firm and worked on multiple nonprofit foundations.
While assisting President Clinton, Middleton also worked under then-chief of staff, Thomas ''Mack'' McCarty.
In February 1995, Middleton left the White House. The following year, an investigation by the White House found that he had abused his access to impress business clients and he was barred from the property without senior approval.
He would deny these claims.
Middleton is survived by his wife Rhea; his two daughters Lindsay and Lauren; father Charles Middleton; mother Anita Middleton-Kellar; brother Steven Middleton and sister Sandra Leeann Middleton-Marshall.
Instead of flowers, the Middleton family is asking mourners to donate to Navigate Counseling and Wellness, a service that specializes in counseling and therapy in connection with the New Life Church.
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Bill Gates-backed company says lab-produced breast milk is three to five years away | Al Arabiya English
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:07
''Human milk'' produced in a lab by a Bill Gates-backed company may be available in three to five years, cofounder Leila Strickland told CNN Business.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
BIOMILQ is aiming to create human milk-producing cells in much the same way that some companies are producing lab-grown meat.
Strickland reportedly came up with the idea after struggling to breastfeed her first child, saying that ''a lot of people are grappling with this.''
The North Carolina-based startup received a $3.5 million investment from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a fund started by Bill Gates, The Times reported in June 2020.
Breakthrough Energy's board members include Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, and Virgin founder Richard Branson.
BIOMILQ's team is working on producing artificial human milk by using human breast tissue and milk donated by local women.
These donors then get a gift card for the department store Target in return.
Strickland said that the company is still between three and five years away from taking a product to market.
First, the company needs to grow cells at a larger scale and lower cost than they are currently doing.
BIOMILQ also needs to gain regulatory approval showing that the product is safe for infants.
Strickland was originally a cell biologist and came up with the idea after being inspired by lab-grown meat products.
She says that the artificial milk will provide a nutrient profile closer to that of human milk, compared to baby formula based on cow milk.
Breast feeding exclusively is recommended for the first six months after birth by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and then breast-feeding in combination with solid foods until the age of one.
Baby formula does not provide the same immunity-boosting elements of breast milk that only the human body can provide, according to the Mayo Clinic, which also said that breast milk is easier to digest.
Read more:
Bill Gates visits Pakistan to discuss polio eradication with PM Imran Khan
Biden administration to allocate more than $3 bln for EV battery manufacturing
Apple faces EU antitrust fine over mobile payments technology
Acting NIH Director Admits Appearance Of Conflict Of Interest In Secret Royalty Payments To Fauci, Scientists | ZeroHedge
Thu, 12 May 2022 13:00
Authored by Mark Tapscott via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Undisclosed royalty payments estimated at $350 million from pharmaceutical and other firms to Dr. Anthony Fauci and hundreds of National Institutes for Health (NIH) scientists do present ''an appearance of a conflict of interest,'' according to the agency's acting director.
Acting Director of National Institutes of Health Lawrence Tabak testifies during a hearing before the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of House Appropriations Committee at Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill May 11, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)Dr. Lawrence Tabak, who took over as NIH Director following the December 2021 resignation of the agency's long-time leader, Dr. Francis Collins, told a House Appropriations Committee subcommittee that federal law allows the royalty payments but he conceded they don't look ethical.
Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) told Tabak that ''right now, I think the NIH has a credibility problem and this only feeds into this, and I'm only just learning about this. People in my district say 'well, so-and-so has a financial interest, or they don't like Ivermectin because they aren't benefitting from that royalty '...
''You may have very sound scientific reasons for recommending a medicine or not, but the idea that people get a financial benefit from certain research that's been done and grants that were awarded, that is to me the height of the appearance of a conflict of interest.''
In response, Tabak said NIH does not endorse particular medicines, but rather ''we support the science that validates whether an invention is or is not efficacious, we don't say this is good or this is bad '... I certainly can understand that it might seem as a conflict of interest.''
Moolenaar seemed taken aback by Tabak's response and, while pointing to Fauci, who was also testifying, said ''truthfully, I would say you've had leaders of NIH saying certain medicines are not good.''
Tabak said such statements by NIH are based on clinical trials that are supported by the agency.
Puzzled, Moolenaar then asked Tabak, ''but if the agency is awarding who is the beneficiary of the grant, who is doing the trial, and there is somehow finances involved, that there is a financial benefit that could be accrued if someone's patent or invention is considered validated, do you not see that as a conflict or at least the appearance of a conflict of interest?''
After conceding that there is an appearance of a conflict of interest, Tabak suggested to Moolenaar that ''maybe this is the sort of thing that we can work together on so that we can explain to you the firewalls that we do have, because they are substantial and significant.''
Moolenaar's reference to Fauci was in regard to his telling the Associated Press in a 2005 article that first brought the NIH royalties issues into the headlines that he had donated his royalties to charity.
But the issue faded from the headlines after 2005, and is only now getting renewed attention as a result of revelations first reported on May 9 by The Epoch Times that documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by a nonprofit government watchdog show an estimated $350 million in undisclosed royalty payments from pharmaceutical and other private firms to top NIH executives, as well as to hundreds of the agency's health scientists and researchers.
The $350 million in royalty payments were made between 2010 and 2020, according to Open the Books, the nonprofit that took the NIH to court when it refused to acknowledge the group's FOIA request for documents.
Collins received 14 payments, Fauci received 23 payments and his deputy, Clifford Lane, received eight payments, according to Open the Books.
Adam Andrzejewski, the founder and president of Open the Books, told The Epoch Times Wednesday that NIH continues to withhold important information about the royalty payments, including the names of particular payers and the specific amounts to individuals at NIH.
''With tens of billions of dollars in grant-making at NIH and tens of millions of royalty dollars from third-party payors flowing back into the agency each year, NIH needs to come clean with the American people and open the books. We need to be able to follow the money,'' Andrzejewski said.
''We believe transparency will revolutionize U.S. public policy. There is no better example of this than the third-party (think pharmaceutical companies) payments to NIH scientists. Every single outside payment to a government scientist could be a conflict of interest,'' he added.
The Moolenaar-Tabak exchange took place during a hearing on the Biden administration's 2023 budget request.
Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), who is also a surgeon, told The Epoch Times that ''it's no secret that the agency needs reform. Their many issues were exacerbated and highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing the public with transparent access to how the NIH is spending taxpayer dollars and reaching their decisions is a basic responsibility, and they must be held accountable. Now more than ever, we must commit to reforming our federal health agencies and restoring America's trust in public health.''
"Look in the mirror", Niinist¶ tells Russia as Finland and UK make joint security declaration
Thu, 12 May 2022 12:52
"We make these commitments to our friends in Finland not just because we can, but because we must," PM Johnson said in a press conference after meeting President Sauli Niinist¶.
Both countries have strongly condemned Russia's attack against Ukraine, president Niinist¶ said during a press event. Image: Silja Viitala / Yle, Neil Hall / EPA11.5. 16:11 ' Updated 12.5. 08:47
Finland signed joint security declarations with Britain on Wednesday, a move that president Sauli Niinist¶ described as a "big step forward" for co-operation between the two countries.
The British government said that the bilateral agreements made with both Finland and Sweden would "reinforce their security and fortify northern Europe's defences, in the face of renewed threats".
British PM Boris Johnson flew to Stockholm and then Helsinki on Wednesday to discuss security policy with the leaders of the two Nordic countries.
Johnson said that Russia's war against Ukraine has ended the post-Cold War era and "reshaped our future" as countries that have previously avoided military alignment now rethink their foreign policy.
"We signed a joint statement. We will stand together and support each other in any circumstances, in good and bad weather," president Niinist¶ said in a press conference following the two leaders' meeting.
When asked about the Kremlin's thoughts on a possible Nato membership Niinist¶ denounced Russia's attempt to remove Finland and Sweden's agency over the decision.
"If the case is that we join well, my response [to Russia] would be that you caused this, look at the mirror," Niinist¶ said.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. You'll need an Yle ID to join the discussion, which you can sign up for here. Comments are open on a trial basis until 13 May, and moderated between 10 and 17:30 each weekday.
Johnson's statement of solidarity follows several other allies who have offered support in recent weeks, as both Finland and Sweden close in on decisions over whether or not to join Nato.
While in Sweden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared (siirryt toiseen palveluun) that Britain would defend the country if it were attacked. He added that the UK would support Finland's decision on Nato membership, whatever it may be.
The issue has shot up the political agenda in recent weeks, with public support for a Nato application increasing in both countries, after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Finland is expected to announce its decision in the coming days, with President Niinist¶ and Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) due to give their own views on Nato at 10 am on Thursday. Parliamentary parties will then meet and discuss their positions, with statements expected to follow over the weekend.
Estonian president: Russia unlikely to attack Finland in case of Nato application
Estonian President Alar Karis was also among the leaders to discuss the Nato decision with Niinist¶ on Wednesday.
"For Estonia, and not just Estonia but the rest of the Nato members, this is very good news if Finland and Sweden join Nato," Karis told an Yle reporter after his meeting with the Finnish president, adding that Russia was unlikely to attack Finland militarily in the aftermath of a membership application.
"Russia has given a number of threats so it is probably going to say something but it is not that important. I don't think that Russia will enter somehow millitary to Finland and other countries," Karis said.
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Finnish leaders confirm support for Nato application | News | Yle Uutiset
Thu, 12 May 2022 12:50
President Sauli Niinist¶ and Prime Minister Sanna Marin made the announcement on Thursday morning.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin (on left) and President Sauli Niinist¶. File photo. Image: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva12.5. 10:09 ' Updated 12.5. 12:14
Finland should join Nato to better handle its security, said the country's Prime Minister and president in a joint declaration on Thursday morning.
Sanna Marin (SDP) and Sauli Niinist¶ said they had come to the conclusion after a wide-ranging debate on security policy following Russia's renewed attack on Ukraine.
"Now that the moment of decision-making is near, we state our equal views, also for information to the parliamentary groups and parties. NATO membership would strengthen Finland's security," read the statement.
"As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance. Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days."
Story continues after image
Parliamentary parties are now expected to give their own views on Nato membership, with settled lines expected by next week at the latest.
The two leaders referred to a government report on the changed security situation that was prepared ahead of parliamentary debates on the issue in April.
That report declared that Finnish membership of Nato would be increase stability and security in the Baltic Sea region, while also suggesting that Russia's reaction would not be positive.
Process moves to parliament
Speaker of Parliament Matti Vanhanen (Cen) said that today's statement was a significant step.
"It was an expected and extremely important step in this process," said Vanhanen. "Now the president and the government, these two institutions, will make the official decisions that will then go to parliament."
MPs will then begin processing the Nato membership decision on Monday.
"Parliament will sit from 10am on Monday morning," Vanhanen said.
Monday's session will include a debate on the government's decision, and will be followed by a meeting of the Foreign and Security Policy committee which will present a proposal based on the government's decision for MPs to scrutinise.
If there is a counter-proposal, there will be a vote.
Swedish impact
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told the Swedish public broadcaster SVT that the statement by Niinist¶ and Marin would have an impact on Sweden's decision as well.
"The Prime Minister and President have sent a clear message," said Linde. "We have had close co-operation throughout the process on every level."
Linde said she had a clear idea of what the decision would be for Sweden, but she was not yet ready to reveal her opinion. Among Nato countries, there were quick statements of support from leaders in Estonia, Denmark and Lithuania, among others.
Join the conversation in the comments below. You'll need an Yle ID to join the discussion, which you can sign up for here. Comments are open on a trial basis until 13 May, and moderated between 10 and 17:30 each weekday.
Nadal and Federer told to 'come clean' over Russian stance '-- RT Sport News
Thu, 12 May 2022 12:42
The tennis icons were called out by an angry UK parliamentarian amid reports the ATP could punish Wimbledon for its Russian ban
A British MP has demanded that tennis greats Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer clarify their roles in the potential decision by the ATP to punish Wimbledon after it imposed a ban on Russian and Belarusian players.
Reports have claimed that the ATP could announce a decision this week to strip Wimbledon of rankings points after strong sentiment among the Player Council '' which includes Nadal and Federer '' in favor of the step.
UK MP Chris Bryant has reacted angrily to the potential sanctions for the London grass court tournament, accusing the ATP of acting ''appallingly.''
''Federer and Nadal should come clean,'' said Bryant, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia.
''Do they want [Russian President] Vladimir Putin to fail or don't they care?
''The men's tour are behaving appallingly. It's like they haven't heard what is happening in Ukraine or don't care,'' fumed the parliamentarian.
Nadal has previously described the Wimbledon ban as ''unfair'' but was this week more guarded on the issue as he spoke on the sidelines of the Italian Open in Rome.
''I don't have a clear opinion on the matter and I don't want to declare anything,'' said the record 21-time Grand Slam king.
''[The] only thing we can do is be in touch with Wimbledon and the rest of the ATP management to do the things that work better to protect every single player in the ATP.
''At the end, that's our job: to protect the players and to work [to] the benefit of every single player that we are representing,'' added the 35-year-old.
Federer, 40, has not made any public statements on the matter although the Swiss veteran has been absent from the tour as he continues his recovery from injury.
Wimbledon organizers the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and the UK's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) have isolated themselves among the tennis community by imposing a ban on Russian and Belarusian players from all British events this summer.
That stands in direct contradiction with the policy of the ATP and WTA, which have stated that players from the two countries should continue to compete as neutrals.
Both organizations issued statements suggesting that the Wimbledon ban is discriminatory, with suggestions that the women's tour could follow its men's counterpart in stripping the Grand Slam of rankings points, effectively turning it into a lucrative exhibition event.
Wimbledon chiefs have attempted to defend their stance by claiming it is in line with UK government policy and that the appearance of the likes of Russian men's world number two Daniil Medvedev at the SW19 tournament would somehow signal a coup for the ''propaganda machine of the Russian regime.''
The French Open, which gets underway in Paris on May 22, is allowing Russian and Belarusian players to participate under neutral status.
Record Number Of Americans Died From Drug Overdoses in 2021, CDC Data Show | The Daily Wire
Thu, 12 May 2022 12:35
A record number of Americans died from drug overdoses last year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Data from the CDC's National Vital Statistics System for the year 2021 predicted that 107,622 Americans have died from drug overdoses. The data is not final, and could be under-reported because the data is not complete, but it would mark the largest number of Americans who have died from drug overdoses on record in a single year, and an increase of about 15% from 2020, when 93,655 people died from overdoses. Overdose deaths have also increased by about 50% since 2019 when around 72,000 people died of drug overdoses.
California led the nation in total overdose deaths, with 11,704 predicted deaths for the year 2021. Florida came in second, with 8,171 predicted deaths. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas all suffered more than 5,000 predicted deaths. North Carolina had over 4,000. Five states suffered more than 3,000 overdose deaths, 12 states had more than 2,000 deaths, and nine states had more than 1,000 deaths last year.
California also led the nation in year-over-year increases, with about 2,100 more deaths in 2021 than in 2020. In terms of largest year-over-year percentage change, Alaska led the nation with a 75% increase over 2020. Nearly every state saw an increase in overdose deaths, except Wyoming, which saw no change, and Hawaii, which saw a net decrease of 1.8%.
One drug policy experts cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a major reason behind the spike in overdose deaths.
''The pandemic really upended so many people's lives, especially people already living at the margins,'' Maritza Perez, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, told Politico Wednesday. ''People lost their jobs, they were isolated. These are all factors that increase problematic drug use.''
Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), called the CDC's numbers a ''devastating milestone'' and ''truly staggering.''
Deaths involving synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, were responsible for a large share of the deaths, The New York Times reported. The number of deaths involving synthetic opioids rose from 58,000 to 71,000, while deaths associated with stimulants like methamphetamine rose from 25,000 to 33,000.
The New York Times notes that fentanyl, which comes as a white powder, is becoming more prevalent because it can be mixed with other drugs, including other opioids like heroin, and pressed into counterfeit pills for other drugs.
A study of illicit pills seized by law enforcement agencies, conducted by the NIDA, found that the number of illicit pills containing fentanyl saw a nearly fifty-fold increase between 2018 and 2021. The study found that about 290,000 pills were seized in 2018. That number increased to over 9,500,000 pills in 2021.
''The net effect is that we have many more people, including those who use drugs occasionally and even adolescents, exposed to these potent substances that can cause someone to overdose even with a relatively small exposure,'' Volkow told the Associated Press.
''Compounding the tragedy, we have underused treatments that could help many people,'' Volkow added, according to Politico. ''We must meet people where they are to prevent overdoses, reduce harm, and connect people to proven treatments to reduce drug use.''
Democrats' Bill to Codify Roe v. Wade Is Missing One Key Word: 'Woman'
Wed, 11 May 2022 12:48
Democrats' bill to codify the standards laid out in Roe v. Wade does not mention the word ''woman,'' despite their attempts to display the legislation as being designed to protect women's rights.
Under the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, all 50 states'--including over two dozen states with full bans on any abortion'--have been required to allow the controversial procedure through at least the first trimester of pregnancy under the so-called ''viability standard.'' Republicans and pro-life activists have long criticized the decision as an infringement on states' rights and have worked diligently to have the case overturned.
A leaked draft opinion published by Politico, and later verified as authentic by court officials, revealed that the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) is poised to do just that, leaving Democrats to work frantically to find a way to preserve the Roe standard.
As part of this effort, Senate Democrats are set to vote May 11 on the ''Women's Health Protection Act,'' which would codify the standard. However, the bill has little chance of passing in the upper chamber, where it must overcome a 60-vote threshold to go to a floor vote in the Senate.
A different version of the bill was passed by the House of Representatives in September 2021 in a party-line vote, with Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), a pro-life Catholic, being the only Democrat to oppose the bill.
That bill stated that abortion services are a constitutional right, as decided by SCOTUS in Roe v. Wade, and that access to abortion ''has been obstructed across the United States in various ways,'' including by state laws.
It also stated that health care providers would be able to carry out abortions with virtually no limitations or requirements, a provision aimed at preempting new state laws, as well as superseding some current state laws restricting the procedure.
However, the legislation floundered in the Senate, where Republicans criticized it as being too radical. Even Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who supports the Roe standard, suggested that the bill went too far.
Now, with the threat of Roe's repeal looming on the horizon, Democrats have attempted to soften the bill's language.
But the new draft of the bill has raised eyebrows for its failure to include the words ''woman'' and ''women,'' despite Democrats' attempts to present the abortion issue as a question of women's rights.
Rather, the bill's language covers any ''person'' who is pregnant.
Specifically, the purpose of the bill is to protect ''a person's ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy,'' and would prohibit efforts to ''interfere with a person's ability to terminate a pregnancy [or] to diminish or in any way negatively affect a person's constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.''
The language of the bill conflicts with statements made by Democrats, who have described the issue as a women's issue through gendered language like ''women'' and ''mom.''
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), leader of the 96-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in a May 2 tweet, ''As one of the 1 in 4 women in this country who have chosen to have an abortion, I am outraged & disgusted by the reported draft SCOTUS opinion.''
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) also blasted the decision.
''If tonight's news is true, Michigan's 1931 state law banning abortion would snap back into effect, making any abortion illegal in our state'--even if the mom will die, or if she was raped by a family member. No exceptions,'' she wrote on Twitter. ''My poor mother is turning over in her grave.''
''Tomorrow, the Senate will vote on the Women's Health Protection Act,'' Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) wrote on Twitter. ''If you support #RoeVWade and want it codified to protect the freedom and reproductive rights of women, let your voice be heard today!''
The Senate is set to vote on the legislation on May 11, but because it will need to overcome the Senate's 60-vote threshold, the bill is all but doomed to fail due to GOP objections.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
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Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.
Signal-app moet verdwijnen onder Belgische wetgeving
Tue, 10 May 2022 16:27
In Belgi wordt gewerkt aan een nieuwe wetgeving, waardoor telecomproviders metadata van klanten moeten bewaren. Zij moeten vastleggen met wie je op welk moment communiceert. Dat is tegen de principes van berichtenapp Signal, dat er juist prat op gaat geen gebruikersdata te kunnen inzien.
'Signal illegaal volgens Belgische wet'Signal is illegaal volgens de nieuwe nieuwe wet dataopslag, zo kopte De Standaard onlangs. Zover is het nog niet, maar de impact van de nieuwe Belgische wetgeving rondom dataopslag zullen groot zijn voor Signal. De dataretentiewet is al langere tijd in opspraak in Belgi. Vanwege de impact op privacy heeft het Grondwettelijk Hof de wet al meermaals nietig verklaard. De laatste keer gebeurde dat in april 2021, waarbij werd geoordeeld dat Belgische telecomoperatoren niet langer telefoondata van klanten preventief mogen bewaren. Sindsdien wordt in Belgi gewerkt aan nieuwe wetgeving voor gegevensopslag, wat verstrekkende gevolgen kan hebben voor privacyvriendelijke apps zoals Signal.
Een herziening van de wet die nu op tafel ligt verplicht telecomoperators om alleen metadata te bewaren. Dit bevat niet de inhoud van de gesprekken, maar wel met wie je communiceert, waar en wanneer je je berichten verzendt en welk toestel je daarvoor gebruikt. Dit moet een compromis worden waarbij de privacy van onschuldige burgers niet in het gedrang komt. WhatsApp en Telegram bewaren wel metadata en zouden aan de voorgestelde Belgische wetgeving voldoen. Maar dat geldt niet voor Signal.
Politie en opsporingsdiensten willen over de data kunnen beschikken om onderzoek te doen met wie een verdachte of slachtoffer de afgelopen maanden contact heeft gehad. Locatiedata kan duidelijk maken of iemand in de buurt van het plaats delict is geweest. In de strijd tegen georganiseerde misdaad kan dergelijke data nuttig zijn. Volgens de Belgische politie is er geen andere legitieme methode om aan de informatie te komen. Maar volgens de Liga van Mensenrechten en andere organisaties behandelt de wet elke burger als een potentile verdachte en dat is tegen het principe van onschuld totdat schuld is bewezen.
Einde voor Signal in Belgi?De Kamer gaat zich spoedig over het nieuwe voorstel buigen. Wordt het aangenomen, dan zal Signal moeten verdwijnen uit Belgi of de werkwijze moeten aanpassen. Cryptograaf Bart Preneel van de KU Leuven denkt dat Signal zijn diensten niet meer kan aanbieden in Belgi en waarschijnlijk moet vertrekken. Het is onbekend hoeveel Belgische Signal-gebruikers er zijn, aangezien het bedrijf deze cijfers niet verzamelt. Wereldwijd zijn het er ongeveer 40 miljoen, dus het zou om enkele honderdduizenden Belgen kunnen gaan.
Signal is ook in Belgi een stuk minder populair dan WhatsApp en Telegram en wordt vooral gebruikt door mensen die belang hechten aan hun privacy. De app verstuurt alle berichten versleuteld en verzamelt geen metadata. Toen WhatsApp vorig jaar met nieuwe privacyregels kwam, stapten sommige gebruikers over maar de meerderheid bleef bij WhatsApp hangen om een simpele reden: daar zitten je vrienden. Signal heeft nog niet gereageerd, zodat we niet weten welke keuze ze zullen maken.
Corporate Equality Index 2022 - Human Rights Campaign
Tue, 10 May 2022 14:49
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Workplace Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index is the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.
Share on Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email As the national benchmarking tool measuring policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) employees, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index is a primary driving force for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion. Data from the CEI tells the story of nearly two decades of year over year growth in the adoption of these critical policies and practices indicative of employers' commitment to equality.
Celebrating 20 Years of Impact and Progress Towards LGBTQ+ Diversity and Inclusion
The HRC Foundation's Corporate Equality Index continues to show incredible growth in the number of employers that are committed to implementing LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices.
An outstanding 1,271 companies actively participated in the CEI 2022 Survey.
842 ''Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality'' In the 2022 CEI, 842 employers achieved a top score of 100 and earning the coveted title of ''Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.''
138 Newly rated companies 138 companies, from nearly every industry, participated in the CEI for the first time this year.
379 Fortune 500 employers actively participated in the 2022 CEI
152 American Law Magazine 200 law firms actively participated in the 2021 CEI
Equality At The Fortune-Ranked Companies
All Fortune 500 Participating Not Participating Sexual Orientation in U.S. Nondiscrimination Policy 93% 100% 76% Gender Identity in U.S. Nondiscrimination Policy 91% 100% 68% Domestic Partner Benefits 56% 74% 0% Transgender-Inclusive Benefits 66% 88% 0% Organizational LGBTQ Competency 72% 95% 0% Public Commitment to the LGBTQ Community 72% 95% 0% Average 2022 CEI Score 76% 94% 14% Inclusive Policies and Benefits
99.8% of CEI rated employers explicitly include ''sexual orientation'' as a part of their nondiscrimination policy.
99.7% of CEI rated employers explicitly include ''gender identity'' as a part of their nondiscrimination policy.
77% of CEI participants documented that they provide inclusive benefits for same- and different-sex spouses and partners.
91% of CEI-rated businesses (a record 1,160 of 1,271 respondents) offer at least one transgender-inclusive plan option with current market standard coverage.
Creating An Inclusive Workplace Culture
Equitable policies and benefits are critical to LGBTQ inclusion in the workforce but alone are not sufficient to support a truly inclusive culture within a workplace. Employers recognize that beyond the letter of a policy, additional programming and educational efforts are necessary.
93% of CEI-rated employers (1,182 of 1,271 respondents) offer a a robust set of practices (at least three efforts) to support organizational LGBTQ diversity competency.
93% of CEI-rated employers (1,179 of 1,271 respondents) have an employee resource group or diversity council that includes LGBTQ and allied employees and programming.
662 major businesses have adopted gender transition guidelines to establish best practices in transgender inclusion for managers and teams.
Engaging With The LGBTQ+ Community and Corporate Social Responsibility
Despite the uncertainty caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, CEI-rated businesses followed-through on their commitments to LGBTQ community engagement throughout the year by participating in both virtual and in-person events.
The CEI's Corporate Social Responsibility criteria also ensure that sexual orientation and gender identity protections apply to those standards that businesses require their vendors or suppliers to adhere to, as well as recipients of their philanthropic funds.
93% of CEI-rated businesses (1,187 of 1,271 respondents) met the standard of demonstrating a least three efforts of public commitment to the LGBTQ community.
80% of CEI-rated businesses (1,021 of 1,271 respondents) have written giving guidelines that prohibit philanthropic support of non-religious organizations with an explicit policy of discrimination towards LGBTQ people.
Supporting Equality in the Public Square
503 leading companies are members of HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act, demonstrating their support for federal legislation that would provide the same basic protections to LGBTQ+ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law.
Wear your pride this year. 100% of every HRC merchandise purchase fuels the fight for equality.
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New DOJ Notes Reveal FBI Panic After Trump Tweeted He Knew He Was Being Spied On
Tue, 10 May 2022 13:45
News Analysis
Newly released notes taken by high-level Department of Justice (DOJ) officials during a March 6, 2017, meeting with FBI leadership expose some of the lengths the FBI engaged in to cover up its spying on the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump.
The notes were released on May 8 by lawyers representing former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann as part of an effort to clear him on charges of having lied to the FBI. The notes, in reality, appear to do little to exonerate Sussmann but do provide quite a bit of information on the FBI.
The meeting at which the notes were taken took place just two days after Trump's March 4, 2017, tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of having wiretapped Trump Tower. Trump's tweet panicked FBI leadership, who were unsure exactly how much Trump knew about their efforts to tie him up with Russia collusion allegations.
What the notes reveal is that in response to the tweet, they tried to cover their tracks.
By March 2017, FBI leadership already knew with near-certainty that the Trump''Russia collusion claims were a hoax. They knew that Clinton's campaign had a plan to vilify Trump by portraying him as a puppet of Putin. The FBI also knew that not a single claim in the so-called Steele dossier'--which was the primary source of allegations of Trump''Russia collusion'--had checked out.
FBI agent Peter Strzok during testimony before Congress on July 12, 2018. Strzok oversaw both the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and the counterintelligence investigation into Donald Trump's campaign. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)In fact, at that point, the FBI had already spent three days interviewing Steele's primary source, Igor Danchenko, who disavowed pretty much every claim in Steele's dossier. The FBI also knew that the Alfa Bank story, which claimed that a Trump server was communicating with a Russian bank'--information that had been brought to them by Sussmann'--was bogus.
In short, the FBI knew that all the claims of Trump-Russia collusion had proven to be fake.
But things took a sudden and dramatic turn on March 4, 2017, when Trump said on Twitter that he knew that Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower, a very public claim of spying that set off alarm bells with both FBI and DOJ leadership. Trump's tweet so alarmed these DOJ and FBI officials that the topic dominated a meeting two days later that included FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and the acting U.S. attorney general, Dana Boente.
The problem for the FBI was this: They didn't know how much Trump actually knew about their actions. Just a day earlier, on March 3, 2017, radio host Mark Levin had reported that the Obama administration had obtained Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants that involved Trump and several of his campaign advisers. Levin also reported that Trump's off-the-cuff joke in July 2016'--''Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing'''--had become the basis for the Russia collusion accusations.
But as we now know, the FISA warrants weren't the only thing that the FBI leadership was involved with. The FBI was actively spying on the Trump campaign and the incoming Trump administration's transition communications, a fact that also was revealed in the new notes. The FBI had not only spied on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, but also on another aide, George Papadopoulos, going so far as to lure him to London, where they tried to set him up in a clumsy but elaborate sting.
Carter Page, petroleum industry consultant and former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump, in New York City on Aug. 21, 2020. (Brendon Fallon/The Epoch Times)There were also the new fake accusations brought forward by Sussmann that Trump was tied to the use of a Russian Yota phone. And there was the matter of tech executive Rodney Joffe''a man with deep ties to the FBI''who had been using his access to non-public data to spy on Trump both at Trump Tower and at the White House.
In all likelihood, Trump probably only knew what Levin had reported the day before''that there was a FISA warrant on a campaign aide''but the FBI leadership didn't know how much Trump knew and had to assume that he knew a lot more.
The discussion at the March 6 meeting was dominated by Trump's tweet, with the FBI's McCabe kicking things off by stating that the bureau was trying to determine what was behind Trump's tweets.
Notes at the meeting were taken by three DOJ officials'--Tashina Gauhar, Mary McCord, and Scott Schools. The notes were released because one of the notes appears to show that McCabe stated that Sussmann had represented clients when he took the Alfa Bank allegations to the FBI. Sussmann initially told the FBI that he didn't represent anyone and was merely acting as a good samaritan. It's that lie to the FBI by Sussmann that he has been charged with and Sussmann's lawyers are hoping to sow doubt by introducing that single sentence that appears to say otherwise.
This claim by Sussmann's lawyers, however, is, in essence, a side-show as the notes are double-hearsay evidence written six months after Sussmann told the FBI the exact opposite.
Michael Sussman (C) arrives for a court hearing at a federal courthouse in Washington on April 27, 2022. (Oliver Trey/The Epoch Times)The real bombshells are in the many pages of notes that Sussmann doesn't cite; those notes reveal the true extent of the FBI's panic over Trump's tweet. The first reaction from FBI leadership appears to have been to tell the acting attorney general, Boente, a sequence of lies about their investigation.
The notes reveal that the FBI repeatedly referred to Steele's dossier as ''Crown reporting,'' suggesting the dossier represented some sort of official UK government intelligence, when it was mostly information made up by Steele and Danchenko''a fact the FBI already knew at the time.
The new notes also revealed that FBI agent Peter Strzok lied to his DOJ superiors about what triggered Alexander Downer, the Australian ambassador in London, to come forward to the FBI with information regarding his meeting with Papadopolous. It has always been the FBI's official story that it was Downer who initiated the official Trump''Russia investigation, but that story is now undermined in the new notes, in which Strzok claims that it was Trump's joke about Russia finding Clinton's emails that had triggered Downer.
In truth, Downer had come forward before Trump had even made the joke.
The FBI also lied to the DOJ about the Carter Page FISA warrant, which they claimed was ''fruitful,'' when it actually had revealed nothing nefarious''something that the FBI was aware of by this time.
Trump Tower on 5th Avenue is seen in New York City, on April 10, 2018. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid/File Photo)The FBI appears to have also tried to misrepresent and elevate the Alfa Bank allegations by claiming that the Trump Organization had sent a solicitation to Alfa Bank. Again, this was completely false. The FBI knew within days of Sussmann giving them the Alfa Bank data that it was useless and probably fake.
By Sept. 23, 2016, the FBI's IT team had disproven the Alfa Bank allegations. But rather than admit that, the FBI actually tried to breathe new life into the Alfa allegations through its misrepresentations.
All of these exculpatory facts were not just hidden from interim DOJ officials at the March 6, 2017, meeting, FBI leadership twisted those facts to make them appear like there was a strong case against Trump when they knew there was no case at all.
But the March 6 meeting was only the beginning. Knowing that Trump might now be on to them, FBI leadership immediately increased their efforts to cover their own tracks by intensifying the focus on Trump.
On March 5, 2017, the day following Trump's tweet, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper went on CNN and claimed that there was no ''wiretap activity mounted against the President-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign.''
While Clapper took a defensive stance, the FBI soon went on offense and the bureau's efforts began almost immediately.
On March 15, 2017, FBI Director James Comey suddenly decided to brief the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), about the Carter Page FISA application, which FBI leadership believed Trump had found out about. Comey would provide them with copies of the actual FISA warrant two days later. At this same time, Comey also began his briefing of the congressional Gang of Eight'--the eight individuals within the U.S. Congress who are briefed on classified intelligence matters by the executive branch'--regarding the Page FISA.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper arrives on Capitol Hill to testifybefore the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 5. (AP PHOTO/EVAN VUCCI)On March 20, 2017, Clapper suddenly changed his narrative, shifting from denying the existence of any spying to denying any abuse of the FISA process.
Also on March 20, Comey publicly testified to Congress, revealing for the first time the existence of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Trump and his campaign.
During his testimony, Comey inadvertently acknowledged that he had also intentionally withheld the required congressional Gang of Eight notification of the FBI's counterintelligence investigation. Under questioning, Comey stated that he did so because of ''the sensitivity of the matter.''
The combined efforts of Obama intelligence officials and the FBI would soon culminate in the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, which essentially tied up Trump for the next three years. And in doing so, they ensured that little or no progress was made in bringing the actual perpetrators of the Russia hoax to justice.
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Jeff Carlson is a co-host of Truth Over News on Epoch TV. Twitter: @themarketswork.
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Hans Mahncke is a co-host of Truth Over News on Epoch TV. Twitter: @hansmahncke
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VIDEO - (23) E A on Twitter: "'...@adamcurry'(C) #KlausSchwab shaping ze #future https://t.co/dLqjKPXB0P" / Twitter
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:24
E A : '...@adamcurry'(C) #KlausSchwab shaping ze #future https://t.co/dLqjKPXB0P
Tue May 10 03:47:55 +0000 2022
VIDEO - Taco Bell's 'Mexican Pizza: The Musical' Is a Real Thing With Dolly Parton and Doja Cat
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:18
Taco Bell is celebrating the return of its Mexican Pizza by hosting the cheesiest musical event of the season later this month.
On May 26, ''Mexican Pizza: The Musical'' will premiere exclusively on TikTok at 8 p.m. ET, just days after the fan-favorite item permanently returns to Taco Bell's menu, the fast-food chain confirmed to TODAY Food.
Taco Bell is pulling out all the stops for the star-studded event, which will feature appearances by country crooner Dolly Parton, rapper Doja Cat and TikToker Victor Kunda. The queen of country, a well-documented Mexican Pizza lover, confirmed the news on Monday, sharing a photo of the musical's script on her Instagram.
The musical, written by Hannah Friedman, will feature original music by Grammy award-winning songwriting duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. In a press release, Taco Bell described the production as a "satirical musical about the 'harrowing' story of those who fought to bring back the Mexican Pizza."
Last month, Taco Bell fans rejoiced when Taco Bell announced that the cult-favorite item would be returning for good on May 19 after being removed from the menu in 2020. In case you've never tried it, the dish features two crispy tortillas with ground beef and refried beans inside, is topped with tomatoes and melted cheese and can easily be customized, making it a favorite amongst vegetarians.
Taco Bell asked for Doja Cat's help to announce the exciting news and will also highlight the rapper in its musical since she has been one of the leading voices asking the chain to bring the Mexican Pizza back to its menu.
Kunda, a popular TikToker, famously posted a video on March 9 of himself rehearsing for an imaginary "Mexican Pizza: The Musical by Doja Cat" and is sure to bring plenty of energy to the performance.
Perhaps shockingly, this isn't the first time that TikTok has come together to create a musical. Barlow and Bear, who penned music for the Taco Bell musical, channeled their love for the hit Netflix show "Bridgerton" into a viral TikTok musical. They later went on to win a Grammy for "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical." In 2020, a TikTok musical inspired by the Disney film "Ratatouille" also turned into a real-life filmed concert.
Chrissy Callahan covers a range of topics for TODAY.com, including fashion, beauty, pop culture and food. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookie dough.
VIDEO - Yellen: Eliminating abortion rights would have "very damaging" effect on economy
Thu, 12 May 2022 17:11
Eliminating a woman's right to seek an abortion would have "very damaging effects on the economy and would set women back decades," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said while testifying before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
State of play: Yellen's comments come one week after a leaked draft ruling revealed that the Supreme Court is prepared to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade.
The big picture: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) asked Yellen about the economic consequences for women if the Supreme Court's draft ruling were to be realized.
"I believe that eliminating the right of women to make decisions about when and whether to have children would have very damaging effects on the economy and would set women back decades."What they're saying: "Roe v. Wade, in access to reproductive health care, including abortion, helped lead to increased labor force participation," Yellen said.
"It enabled many women to finish school, that increased their earning potential. It allowed women to plan and balance their families and careers. And research also shows that it had a favorable impact on the well being and earnings of children," she added.Yellen noted that other research has also made clear that denying women access to abortions increases "their odds of living in poverty or in need for public assistance."
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Thu, 12 May 2022 16:52
Breaking911 : SCHUMER: "If the MAGA Republicans get their way, young girls will grow up in a world where if they become pregnant'... https://t.co/YwONLtUPyr
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VIDEO - Evansville carwash owner who spotted escaped inmate Casey White on camera speaks with 44News | Video | wevv.com
Thu, 12 May 2022 16:16
...The National Weather Service in Paducah KY has issued a FloodWarning for the following rivers in Indiana...Kentucky...Illinois...Ohio River at Mount Vernon affecting Union, Posey, Henderson andVanderburgh Counties.Ohio River at Shawneetown affecting Union, Crittenden, Hardin andGallatin Counties..Recent heavy rain has caused rises on the Ohio River, and minorflooding is expected to commence this evening at Mt Vernon andShawneetown.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flooddeaths occur in vehicles.Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize thedangers of flooding.&&...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE SATURDAYNIGHT...* WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast.* WHERE...Ohio River at Mount Vernon.* WHEN...From this evening to early Sunday morning.* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...- At 6:00 AM CDT Thursday the stage was 34.0 feet.- Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stagethis evening to a crest of 35.9 feet early Saturday morning.It will then fall below flood stage late Saturday evening.- Flood stage is 35.0 feet.- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood&&...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers inIndiana...Kentucky...Ohio River at Newburgh Dam affecting Vanderburgh, Daviess,Warrick, Spencer and Henderson Counties....The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers inMissouri...Kentucky...Illinois...Ohio River at Cairo affecting Mississippi, Ballard, Pulaski,Hickman, Alexander, Fulton and Carlisle Counties..Recent heavy rain has caused rises on the Ohio River. Minorflooding has begun at Newburgh and it will crest Friday evening. Theriver is now expected to crest right at flood stage Friday evening.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flooddeaths occur in vehicles.Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize thedangers of flooding.Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.&&...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM THIS MORNING THROUGH SUNDAYAFTERNOON...* WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.* WHERE...Ohio River at Newburgh Dam.* WHEN...Until Sunday afternoon.* IMPACTS...At 38.0 feet, Minor flooding occurs. The river is 2500feet wide and begins covering agricultural land on the Kentuckyside.* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...- At 9:00 AM CDT Thursday the stage was 38.7 feet.- Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 40.4feet tomorrow evening. It will then fall below flood stagelate Sunday morning.- Flood stage is 38.0 feet.- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood&& Security camera footage at a carwash in Evansville, Indiana, showed a man who investigators believed to be escaped Alabama inmate Casey White. Hours later, both Casey White and Vicky White were captured after a pursuit and crash. Full updates available on https://www.wevv.com/
VIDEO - Russia-Ukraine war updates for May 12, 2022
Thu, 12 May 2022 15:53
Ukraine says more than 500 members of its National Guard have been killed since invasionA woman pays her respects at the grave of a fallen soldier in the Field of Mars at Lychakiv cemetery, on April 26, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine.
Leon Neal | Getty Images
More than 500 members of the National Guard of Ukraine have died since Russia's invasion in late February, said Oleksiy Nadtochyi, the head of its operational department, according to NBC News.
This is the first time the military force has announced its death toll since the war began.
Nadtochyi told state media that 501 members were killed and 1,697 have been injured, NBC News reported.
The National Guard covers Ukraine's northern border with Belarus and is also involved in operations in the country's eastern and south regions, Nadtochyi added.
Ukraine's National Guard was formed in March 2014 when Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and serves as a military unit with law enforcement powers.
'-- Chelsea Ong
Ukraine reports battlefield gains as Europe's energy worries grow Ukrainian servicemen unload missiles provided by U.S. to Ukraine as part of a military support on Feb. 11, 2022. The U.S. has committed more than $4.5 billion on security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration.
Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty Images
Ukraine reported pushing back Moscow's forces in a counterattack that could signal a shift in the momentum of the war and shut gas flows on a route through Russian-held territory, raising the specter of an energy crisis in Europe.
Ukraine's armed forces' general staff said it had recaptured Pytomnyk, a village on the main highway north of the second largest city of Kharkiv, about halfway to the Russian border.
"The occupying forces moved to the defense in order to slow down the pace of the offensive of our troops," it said. "The settlement of Pytomnyk ... was liberated."
Following days of advances north and east of Kharkiv, one Ukrainian military source said on condition of anonymity that Ukraine's forces were within just several kilometres of the Russian frontier by Wednesday morning.
'-- Reuters
U.S. Ambassador to Russia met with Kremlin officials, State Department saysUS ambassador to Russia John Sullivan speaks with the media outside the Moscow City Court in Moscow on June 15, 2020.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan met with Russian government officials, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.
The spokesman said the meeting was pre-scheduled and was set up to "discuss a narrow set of bilateral issues."
State Department spokesman Ned Price declined to elaborate on Sullivan's discussions when pressed by reporters during a daily press briefing.
'-- Amanda Macias
WHO's European countries say Moscow office should be moved A man enters the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 15, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images
Members of the World Health Organization's European region have condemned Russia's war in Ukraine, which could result in moving one of the agency's offices out of Russia and suspending all meetings there until Moscow pulls its troops out of Ukraine.
In a statement after a resolution passed on Tuesday, countries in the WHO's European region said they were "highly concerned" over the situation in Ukraine that was "triggered by the unprovoked and unjustified military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine." More than 40 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the U.K., voted in favor of the statement, while Russia, Belarus and Tajikistan voted against it.
The resolution said the WHO should do "whatever is possible to support the government in Ukraine" and to consider the possible relocation of the United Nations health agency's Moscow-based European Office for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases to another country. It also asked the WHO's European director to consider temporarily suspending all meetings in Russia until the country withdraws its military forces from Ukraine.
To date, the WHO has confirmed more than 200 attacks on health facilities and first responders in Ukraine, resulting in at least 75 deaths.
'-- Associated Press
Pentagon says Russian forces have used several hypersonic weaponsU.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrives at a House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the Defense Department budget request, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 11, 2022.
Stringer | Reuters
The nation's highest military officer told lawmakers that Russian forces have debuted hypersonic weapons in their war against Ukraine.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley said Russia's use of hypersonic arms against Ukraine may be the first known combat use of the weapon system. A hypersonic weapon is a missile that travels at Mach 5 or higher, which is at least five times faster than the speed of sound. A hypersonic weapon can travel about one mile per second.
"To my knowledge, it's the first time in a combat situation," Milley said alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Austin and Milley said Russia's use of the weapon had little strategic value.
"Russia has used several hypersonics," Austin said. "Other than the speed of the weapon, we are not seeing significant or game-changing effects," he added.
'-- Amanda Macias
Medical workers evacuate patients into a specially equipped trainMedical workers get patients on a specially equipped train, run by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in collaboration with Ukraine's Ministry of Health and National Railways, to evacuate wounded people from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of the country, in Dnipro, Ukraine May 10, 2022.
Gleb Garanich | Reuters
Medical workers evacuate patients into a specially equipped train to safely transport wounded people from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of the country, in Dnipro.
The train for medical evacuation is operated by Doctors Without Borders, or M(C)decins Sans Fronti¨res, and Ukraine's Ministry of Health and National Railways.
Medical workers get patients on a specially equipped train, run by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in collaboration with Ukraine's Ministry of Health and National Railways, to evacuate wounded people from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of the country, in Dnipro, Ukraine May 10, 2022.
Gleb Garanich | Reuters
Medical workers get patients on a specially equipped train, run by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in collaboration with Ukraine's Ministry of Health and National Railways, to evacuate wounded people from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of the country, in Dnipro, Ukraine May 10, 2022.
Gleb Garanich | Reuters
Medical workers get patients on a specially equipped train, run by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in collaboration with Ukraine's Ministry of Health and National Railways, to evacuate wounded people from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of the country, in Dnipro, Ukraine May 10, 2022.
Gleb Garanich | Reuters
Medical workers get patients on a specially equipped train, run by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in collaboration with Ukraine's Ministry of Health and National Railways, to evacuate wounded people from war-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of the country, in Dnipro, Ukraine May 10, 2022.
Gleb Garanich | Reuters
'-- Gleb Garanich | Reuters
U.S. military has committed $3.8 billion since Russia's invasion of UkraineServicemen of Ukrainian Military Forces move US made FIM-92 Stinger missiles, a man-portable air-defence system.
SERGEI SUPINSKY | AFP | Getty Images
The U.S. has committed more than $4.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, according to figures provided by the Pentagon.
The latest military aid package, the ninth security assistance installment, brings the U.S. military aid commitment to $3.8 billion since Moscow invaded its neighbor in late February.
Here's a look at U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine:
Over 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systemsOver 5,500 Javelin anti-armor systemsOver 14,000 other anti-armor systemsOver 700 Switchblade tactical drones90 155mm HowitzersOver 200,000 155mm artillery rounds72 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers16 Mi-17 helicoptersHundreds of armored multipurpose vehicles200 M113 armored personnel carriersMore than 7,000 small armsMore than 50,000,000 rounds of ammunition75,000 sets of body armor and helmets121 Phoenix Ghost tactical dronesLaser-guided rocket systemsPuma unmanned aerial systemsUnmanned coastal defense vessels17 counter-artillery radarsFour counter-mortar radarsTwo air surveillance radarsM18A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitionsC-4 explosives and demolition equipment for obstacle clearingTactical secure communications systemsNight vision devices, thermal imagery systems, optics and laser rangefindersCommercial satellite imagery servicesExplosive ordnance disposal protective gearChemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protective equipmentMedical supplies to include first aid kitsElectronic jamming equipmentField equipment and spare partsRead more about the weapon systems here.
'-- Amanda Macias
Inside a Ukraine hospital where medics work as rockets fall in Donetsk regionEditor's Note: Images depict wounded soldiers in Donetsk region.
The hospital in the small Ukrainian town of Bakhmut was never intended to receive queues of ambulances bringing the wounded and traumatised from the front line of Europe's biggest battlefield. Nor did the volunteer paramedics expect, four months ago, to be shuttling back and forth to the front line of a brutal tank battle, within earshot of rockets and shelling.
The hospital's main job now is to "stabilize" the injured from the battle zone around the town of Popasna in the Luhansk region so that they can be moved on to bigger hospitals in western Ukraine, farther from the main battle.
The sheer scale of a front line that stretches for hundreds of miles has stretched Ukraine's resources to the limit. Some of the ambulances arriving at the hospital are second-hand German or Polish ones.
Paramedics from the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital move an injured Ukrainian solider, who was evacuated from the front line in Popasna, from an ambulance, amid Russia's invasion in Ukraine, outside a hospital in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 5, 2022.
Jorge Silva | Reuters
Injured Ukrainian volunteer soldiers, Maksim (C) and Andrei (R), sit on a bench in a hospital in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 5, 2022.
Jorge Silva | Reuters
Ukrainian volunteer Paramedic Aleksandra Pohranychna, 20, chats with soldiers while on duty, amid Russia's invasion in Ukraine, in Sviatohirks, Donetsk region, Ukraine, April 27, 2022. Pohranychna is the only paramedic serving her unit and waits in the town of Sviatohirsk until soldiers take her to the front or bring the wounded to her. "I decided to join and help," she says. "We have to do it." Her father back in Lviv in western Ukraine gave her money to buy personal protection gear - but her mother has stopped talking to her.
Jorge Silva | Reuters
An elderly civilian man whose feet had to be amputated is helped in a wheelchair by a paramedic, amid Russia's invasion in Ukraine, in a hospital in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 6, 2022.
Jorge Silva | Reuters
Ukrainian soldier 'Jimmy' Slava who is recovering from an arm fracture, smokes outside a hospital in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 5, 2022.
Jorge Silva | Reuters
A nurse cleans blood from volunteer soldier Maksim, who was injured by shrapnel during combat in Popasna, amid Russia's invasion in Ukraine, outside the emergency room at a hospital in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 5, 2022. Maksim signed up to fight a week after the invasion started.
Jorge Silva | Reuters
Ukrainian paramedic Svitlana Druzenko, from the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital, poses for a photo inside a hospital room that is used to store donated medicines arriving from abroad, amid Russia's invasion in Ukraine, in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 6, 2022. "When the war had just begun, I wondered what casualties it would bring. And now I see that number of victims is just huge ... People are dying - and dying in all cities." said Druzenko.
Jorge Silva | Reuters
Jorge Silva | Reuters
Top EU official supports trillion-dollar 'Marshall-style plan' to rebuild UkraineWerner Hoyer, a top EU finance leader and president of the European Investment Bank, has voiced his support for a multi-trillion dollar plan to rebuild Ukraine, saying it must be an international effort.
"What will it cost to rebuild, reconstruct Ukraine? Figures were flying around the room ... but one thing is quite clear to me: We are not talking about millions but trillions," Hoyer was quoted by Reuters as saying. He added that Europe cannot be alone in this effort, and referenced the post-World War Two Marshall Plan that saw the U.S. grant Europe the current equivalent of roughly $200 billion in aid to rebuild itself.
The President of the European Investment Bank, Mr Werner Hoyer at the end of a press conference, after a meeting with Cyprus' president Nicos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace in the Cypriot capital Nicosia. Cyprus, Monday, April 11, 2022.
Danil Shamkin | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Hoyer said that Ukraine would need something similar, and that the cost of such an endeavor had been discussed at the International Monetary Fund, the UN and the World Bank. Ukraine's finance officials say they expect its economy to shrink by half this year. The UN estimates that roughly 6 million people of the country's population of 44 million had fled since Russia's invasion began on February 24.
A key part of the plan, Hoyer said, would be for major state-backed banks in Europe and the U.S. to provide guarantees underwriting Ukraine's government once the war is over.
"It's a challenge for the entire free world to make sure that this (support) will be provided," Hoyer said. "The political leaders must make up their mind as soon as possible, but I think we need a structure that is really targeting a global audience and not just the taxpayers in the European Union."
'-- Natasha Turak
Wed, May 11 2022 11:39 AM EDT
U.S. DOD Secretary tells Congress Russia's nuclear powers pose ongoing threatU.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers that Russia remains an "acute threat" to national and global security "requiring close and sustained coordination across the NATO alliance to prevent further aggression in Europe."
Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine poses a "huge challenge to transatlantic security," Austin said in testifying on the DOD's $773 billion budget request for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. He's testifying alongside Pentagon CFO Michael McCord, and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"Russia's nuclear capabilities also pose significant challenges now and in the future," Austin said.
'-- Dawn Kopecki
Wed, May 11 2022 11:15 AM EDT
Images show injured Ukrainian servicemen inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern MariupolTOPSHOT - A view shows the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol on May 10, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine.
Stringer | AFP | Getty Images
Images show injured Ukrainian servicemen inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern Mariupol.
EDITOR'S NOTE- Graphic Content: Images show wounded Ukrainian Servicemen in Mariupol
This photo released on May 10, 2022 by the Azov regiment shows an injured Ukrainian serviceman inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion.
Dmytro 'Orest' Kozatskyi | AFP | Getty Images
This photo released on May 10, 2022 by the Azov regiment shows an injured Ukrainian serviceman inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion.
Dmytro 'Orest' Kozatskyi | AFP | Getty Images
This photo released on May 10, 2022 by the Azov regiment shows an injured Ukrainian serviceman inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion.
Dmytro 'Orest' Kozatskyi | AFP | Getty Images
This photo released on May 10, 2022 by the Azov regiment shows two injured Ukrainian servicemen inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion.
Dmytro 'Orest' Kozatskyi | AFP | Getty Images
This photo released on May 10, 2022 by the Azov regiment shows an injured Ukrainian serviceman inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion.
Dmytro 'Orest' Kozatskyi | AFP | Getty Images
This photo released on May 10, 2022 by the Azov regiment shows an injured Ukrainian serviceman inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion.
Dmytro 'Orest' Kozatskyi | AFP | Getty Images
-Dmytro 'Orest' Kozatskyi | AFP | Getty Images
Wed, May 11 2022 10:03 AM EDT
Pro-Russian leader installed in Ukraine's Kherson will ask Putin to annex itThe pro-Russian leader installed in Ukrainian's southern city of Kherson, the first city to have fallen fully under Russian control, says he will request that Putin annex the territory for Russia.
"There will be a request to make Kherson region a full subject of the Russian Federation," said Kirill Stremousov, the newly-appointed deputy head of the military-civilian administration in Kherson, according to Russian news agencies. He added that Kherson will be entirely under Russian law by the end of this year.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded by saying that it was up to Kherson's residents to decide whether they would join Russia. But Ukrainian and Western officials warn that Moscow is planning to hold a sham referendum there to justify Russian rule.
Kherson is a strategically important capture for Moscow as it provides a land link between Russian separatist-backed territories in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk and Crimea to the south, which it annexed in 2014.
'-- Natasha Turak
Wed, May 11 2022 9:07 AM EDT
UN says 3,469 killed in Ukraine since start of war, warns death toll is likely higherThe wife of Olexandr Moisenko, age 42 who fell during the fights against Russia lays flowers on his grave at the Field of Mars of Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine on May 10, 2022.
Omar Marques | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The United Nations has confirmed 3,469 civilian deaths, including at least 238 children, in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor on Feb. 24.
The agency also reported 3,760 civilian injuries in the conflict so far.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because the armed conflict can delay reports.
The international body said most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles and airstrikes.
'-- Amanda Macias
Wed, May 11 2022 8:17 AM EDT
Boris Johnson signs security declaration with SwedenU.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed a security declaration with Sweden, pledging to support the Nordic country if it comes under military attack. The security pact can also mean intelligence sharing or joint military drills, Johnson said.
"The declaration makes clear, it's upon request of Sweden that the U.K. will of course provide assistance," the U.K. leader said. "What matters primarily is what Sweden decides to request."
The news comes as Sweden and Finland, the latter of which borders Russia, are set to make their decisions on whether to apply for membership to the NATO alliance, breaking a long-held position of neutrality when it comes to the alliance and Russia. Moscow has threatened consequences if the countries were to join NATO.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson sign documents as they meet at the Swedish Prime Minister's summer residence in Harpsund, Sweden May 11, 2022.
Christine Olsson | Tt News Agency | Via Reuters
Public support for joining the defensive alliance in both Sweden and Finland has soared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking in Sweden alongside Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Johnson stressed the rights of sovereign countries to chart their own courses of action.
"The war in Ukraine is forcing us all to make difficult decisions, but sovereign nations must be free to make those decisions without fear or influence or threat of retaliation," he said. Johnson is scheduled to visit Finland as well to sign a similar security agreement.
'-- Natasha Turak
Wed, May 11 2022 7:38 AM EDT
UN chief does not see Ukraine peace negotiations in the near futureUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a joint news conference with Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita in Chisinau, Moldova May 9, 2022.
Vladislav Culiomza | Reuters
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres does not foresee Ukraine peace negotiations happening soon, he told a press conference.
"This war will not last forever. There will be a time when peace negotiations will take place," Guterres said, speaking alongside Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.
"I do not see that in the immediate future. But I can say one thing. We will never give up," he added.
Guterres has traveled to both Moscow and Kyiv following criticism that the U.N. was not taking an active role in mediating the conflict that began in late February. He has held talks with both Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and has stressed to Putin the need for dedicated humanitarian corridors in areas of heavy Russian shelling in Ukraine.
Guterres visited Russia before visiting Ukraine, a move that was met with frustration and disappointment from many Ukrainians.
'-- Natasha Turak
Wed, May 11 2022 4:37 AM EDT
Ukraine's forces are gradually pushing Russians back from Kharkiv, officials sayUkrainian soldiers next to a destroyed Russian tank on the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine, 8 May 2022.
Diego Herrera Carcedo | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Ukrainian forces are recapturing territory in the region surrounding Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city which is located near the northeastern border with Russia, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian forces have managed to recapture four settlements north of Kharkiv, a press officer with the main Ukrainian force in the area said Tuesday, while Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that Russian forces are "gradually being pushed back from Kharkiv."
"I am grateful to all our defenders who are holding the line and demonstrating truly superhuman strength to drive out the army of invaders," Zelenskyy said. But he added: "I also want to urge all our people, and especially those in the rear, not to spread excessive emotions. We shouldn't create an atmosphere of specific moral pressure, when certain victories are expected weekly and even daily."
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a spokesman for Ukraine's armed forces said in a Facebook update that Russian forces were trying to prevent Ukrainian troops from moving further toward the border in the Kharkiv region and trying to fully capture the town of Rubizhne.
"The occupiers continue to focus their efforts on preventing the further advance of our troops towards the state border of Ukraine, conducting reconnaissance units of the Defence Forces north and north-east of the city of Kharkiv," the spokesman noted.
'-- Holly Ellyatt
Wed, May 11 2022 3:49 AM EDT
Ukraine's Eurovision lifts spirits and wins public affectionUkraine's entry in the annual Eurovision song contest this year is one of the favorites to win the competition amid a swell of global sympathy for the country after Russia's invasion.
Ukrainians celebrated last night as the Kalush Orchestra, a folk-rap band that's Ukraine's entry for Eurovision, qualified for the final taking place in Turin, Italy, on Saturday night.
The Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine performs the song "Stefania" at the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The international music competition is taking place for the 66th time.
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
The band's song, "Stefania," has had mixed reviews from critics, but most say that doesn't really matter this year.
With Eurovision's global audience of millions of people (in 2016, the show's semi-final and final drew 204 million viewers, according to its broadcaster, the European Broadcast Union) set to watch the contest, much of the global public is likely to vote for Ukraine if only to show support and solidarity for the country.
'-- Holly Ellyatt
Wed, May 11 2022 3:04 AM EDT
Fighting at 'Snake Island' could determine who controls chunk of Black Sea, UK saysFighting continues at Zmiinyi Island, also known as "Snake Island," with Russia repeatedly trying to reinforce its exposed garrison there, according to the British Ministry of Defence in its latest intelligence update.
"If Russia consolidates its position on Zmiinyi Island with strategic air defence and coastal defence cruise missiles, they could dominate the north-western Black Sea," the ministry said on Twitter this morning.
"Russia's current efforts to augment its forces on Zmiinyi Island offer Ukraine more opportunities to engage Russian troops and attrit materiel," the ministry added, saying Ukraine has successfully struck Russian air defenses and resupply vessels with Bayraktar drones.
In addition, the ministry noted that Russia's resupply vessels have minimum protection in the western Black Sea, following the Russian Navy's retreat to Crimea after the loss of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
'-- Holly Ellyatt
Wed, May 11 2022 2:35 AM EDT
Ukraine gas operator to stop transporting almost a third of Russian gas to EuropePipes, valves and tanks with liquefied petroleum gas are seen in Poland on April 28, 2022. Ukraine's gas transmission operator says it will stop transporting almost a third of Russian gas to Europe.
Beata Zawrzel | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Ukraine's gas transmission operator says it will stop transporting almost a third of Russian gas to Europe.
Moscow's invasion has rendered the operator unable "to carry out operational and technological control" of its facilities to ensure their stability and safety, particularly in Russian-controlled territory such as the Luhansk region, Gas TSO of Ukraine said.
In a statement, GTSOU said it would stop transporting gas through its Novopskov hub from 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Almost a third of the natural gas coming from Russia to Europe (up to 32.6 million cubic meters per day) is transited through the hub.
The company claimed force majeure, which are unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.
GTSOU also said it is possible to temporarily reroute gas to another crossing in Ukrainian-controlled territory, but said Russia's state-controlled gas giant Gazprom has ignored appeals to do so.
"The company repeatedly informed Gazprom about gas transit threats due to the actions of the Russian-controlled occupation forces and stressed stopping interference in the operation of the facilities, but these appeals were ignored," GTSOU said.
Sergei Kupriyanov, a spokesman for Gazprom, said Ukraine's request would be "technologically impossible" and that the company sees no grounds for the decision, the Associated Press reported.
'-- Chelsea Ong
Tue, May 10 2022 11:48 PM EDT
U.S. House passes $40 billion aid package to UkraineRescue workers walk past debris and carsunder ruins in front of the shopping and entertainment center in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa on May 10, 2022, destroyed after Russian missiles strike late on May 9, 2022.
Oleksandr Gimanov | AFP | Getty Images
The U.S. House passed a bill that's set to deliver $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, according to a NBC News report.
The House voted 368-57 after President Joe Biden urged quick congressional action in stepping up support for Kyiv in its war against Russia, the report said.
All 57 no votes came from Republicans, according to NBC News.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who opposed the measure, tweeted: "I oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but we can't help Ukraine by spending money we don't have."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised the largely bipartisan vote, saying on Twitter that the package would build "on robust support already secured by Congress" and "help Ukraine defend not only its nation but democracy for the world."
'-- Weizhen Tan
Tue, May 10 2022 10:55 PM EDT
U.S. has committed more than $4.5 billion to Ukraine since Biden became president Ukrainian servicemen unload missiles provided by U.S. to Ukraine as part of a military support on Feb. 11, 2022. The U.S. has committed more than $4.5 billion on security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration.
Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty Images
Tue, May 10 2022 3:44 PM EDT
Russian forces are at least two weeks behind schedule in Donbas goals, U.S. Defense official saysA Ukrainian serviceman stands guard at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Barvinkove, eastern Ukraine, on April 15, 2022. Fighting in the Donbas is "intensifying" and Russia's military build-up on Ukraine's eastern border continues to increase, the British defense ministry said
Ronaldo Schemidt | Afp | Getty Images
The Pentagon said Russian forces are about two weeks behind schedule in their assault of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin "has not achieved any of the success that we believe he wanted to achieve, certainly not on a timeline," a senior U.S. Defense official said on a call with reporters.
The official, who declined to be named per ground rules established by the Pentagon, said that the U.S. assesses Putin's forces are "easily two weeks or even maybe more behind."
"We would not assess that the Russians have made any appreciable or significant progress," the official added.
'-- Amanda Macias
Tue, May 10 2022 10:13 AM EDT
US spy chief says Putin is preparing for prolonged warDirector of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats" at the U.S. Capitol in Washington May 10, 2022.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
The United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long conflict in Ukraine, and a Russian victory in the Donbas in the east of the country might not end the war, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said.
"We assess President Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine, during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbas," Haines told lawmakers.
She added that Putin was counting on the Western resolve to weaken over time.
'-- Reuters
VIDEO - Fox News Is Headed For Disaster
Thu, 12 May 2022 15:45
Fox News has been on a collision course with its own audience since the stolen 2020 election '-- and you can almost feel the impact coming. The network has made so many dumb bets lately that it's like watching a busload of trailer park residents get offloaded to play the nickel slots in Reno. All you can do is shake your head as you think: I know they're all going bankrupt, and they're already bankrupt. It's been perfectly obvious for years now that Rupert Murdoch and his feckless sons turned against President Trump and actually helped Joe Biden '-- which is not just unforgivable. It's unsustainable.
Why? Because it requires the silence of other prominent conservatives, and the short term memories of GOP voters, to allow Fox News to continue pretending that it's a conservative news network. Guess what: GOP voters have not forgotten about Fox News calling Arizona early '-- and prominent conservatives are no longer interested in ignoring Fox's treachery.
Case in point: Dinesh D'Souza dropped several bombshells on Twitter recently that illustrate that Fox News has nowhere left to hide.
This sort of thing would be unthinkable just a few years ago. D'Souza's tweet virtually guarantees that he will never appear on any Fox News program again. He will be black-listed '-- a common practice at Fox (just ask Rudy Giuliani and Marjorie Taylor Greene and Peter Navarro). Dinesh knew all of this and did it anyway '-- and that should tell you something. (He even tagged a Fox producer on Tucker's team to name and shame him.) Fox has lost its monopoly power on the Right, and it's no longer immune from criticism by the conservative community.
That hasn't stopped Fox News from trying to cut D'Souza out of his own documentary in order to present the work as its own. Just watch this explosive video.
Fox News might as well be Helen Keller right now: it can't see or hear anything about the stolen election. So it cannot allow Dinesh D'Souza's new documentary ''2000 Mules'' to be mentioned on their shows because Fox News told its audience for the last 18 months that election fraud was a myth pushed by conspiracy theorists.
You do remember that, don't you?
The real reason that ''2000 Mules'' is being ignored by the conservative corporate media and the liberal corporate media is because it's true. The stolen 2020 election was the largest political interference operation ever conducted in America. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's charity spent more than $400 million to create a private election system in swing states '-- and he was hardly alone. It took massive coordination from both political parties and the corporate media and federal law enforcement and left-wing NGO's to thwart the will of the American people in 2020.
The problem for both political parties and the corporate media and federal law enforcement and left-wing NGO's is that they pulled it off but they got caught doing it. The fraud was much too pervasive and public to be kept secret. That's why ''2000 Mules'' is creating such an awkward moment at Fox News. Our corrupt institutions have no idea what to do next. They can't admit to the fraud '-- but they also can't dismiss the evidence. (They tried for the last 18 months and it didn't work.) They have to pretend now that nothing is happening and they have to keep pretending until 2024.
It's one thing for the FBI to gaslight the American people. (That's their specialty.) It's a whole different matter for Fox News to spit in the face of its own audience for the next three years and call it rain. Fox executives are not going to allow Trump's rallies to be aired on their channel; they're not going to apologize for pushing Biden's vaccine mandates; and they're not going to allow election fraud to be discussed.
Add it all together: it's a losing hand.
Fox News can bully GOP politicians and conservative influencers into silence because it threaten to blacklist them '-- but social media now makes that sort of ''top down'' control irrelevant. It's easy to shut down Lou Dobbs '-- he's under contract. How do you shut down Catturd? Or Rising Serpent? There's too many people to bully now.
And the truth can break out from anywhere '-- even from the comments section of a tweet from an anonymous account.
Fox News doesn't want to cover election fraud because the GOP establishment doesn't want to find election fraud when it involves cheating to defeat Donald Trump. Fox News is the voice of the GOP establishment. (That's why Rupert Murdoch has secret meetings with Bill Barr rather than Trump at his home during the Trump Administration.) Fox News is the voice of Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham and Mike Pence and Bill Barr and a bunch of other unpopular politicians who want rid of President Trump permanently.
In other words, Fox News is the voice of the uniparty regime in Washington.
That regime doesn't have any GOP voters left. Look at McConnell's poll numbers. Look at Pence's poll numbers. Trump just endorsed a bunch of primary candidates and they just swept through the GOP establishment's picks like Hunter Biden at a strip club. The GOP establishment has the voting machines, but it doesn't have any voters.
Fox News is not on the side of the GOP voters '-- but they do rely on them. So they're caught, and everybody knows it. That's why Fox wants to strong-arm conservative influencers like D'Souza into letting it appropriate his content on voter fraud '-- they need to pretend to care for the sake of the audience. Just watch D'Souza's podcast video again, and listen to what he tells you: Fox News knows that they ''can crucify him'' and so he has to ''stay on the reservation'' or he will be banned. Tucker's executive producer (D'Souza claims) responded to D'Souza's declining their strong-arm ''offer'' by telling D'Souza that ''he was finished'' and that Fox would ''teach him a lesson.''
That's a threat that had teeth before 2020. Now it just sounds like hollow threats from gutless people. The world has changed. The people who are going to get taught a lesson in the next few years are at Fox News.
I Need Your Support!Who held the Biden Administration to account for its corruption every day like me?
Independent and fearless journalists need your support like never before.
I need your support like never before.
The corporate media is completely corrupt. Just go down the list of their fake stories: Russiagate, the stolen 2020 election, the harmful COVID vaccines. The corporate media is actively trying to hide the truth from the American people on a daily basis.
If we are going to survive the current regime then we must stand together.
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VIDEO - (15) Kambree on Twitter: "He's lost it. Biden starts SCREAMING about food shortages... which are currently happening under his administration https://t.co/nYFWRkUtZC" / Twitter
Thu, 12 May 2022 15:13
Kambree : He's lost it. Biden starts SCREAMING about food shortages... which are currently happening under his administrati'... https://t.co/e5JAdVbXmV
Wed May 11 21:34:48 +0000 2022
E J L : @KamVTV Don't blame him, hell no, give him another forty years, he'll fix it
Thu May 12 15:11:51 +0000 2022
David LaVita : @KamVTV I think it is time to put Joe back in the Basement so he can hear himself better
Thu May 12 15:06:32 +0000 2022
John _ S : @KamVTV @MNState0fHockey Looks the same doesn't it.https://t.co/sJSwipIe5X
Thu May 12 15:06:11 +0000 2022
VoiceOfFreedom : @KamVTV I pray he gets impeached. He is ill suited to be a leader.
Thu May 12 15:05:03 +0000 2022
#ǪMMÐ...ÐISÐ ''ð½ ЯÐ--DIФ : @KamVTV He had it? ð¤£
Thu May 12 15:01:23 +0000 2022
VIDEO - (8) Pim Gunzel - Componist des Vaderlands on Twitter: "Iemand?????" / Twitter
Thu, 12 May 2022 14:40
Pim Gunzel - Componist des Vaderlands : Iemand????? https://t.co/o63RKOow0k
Wed May 11 21:21:16 +0000 2022
Gerard de Bruin : @pimgunzel er wordt nog voor geklapt ook, ik wil een ander systeem wie we daar willen hebben of niet.
Thu May 12 14:24:15 +0000 2022
Fraud Investigator : @pimgunzel Ons belastingsgeld aan het werk.
Thu May 12 14:21:20 +0000 2022
graf von Wilgenhof : @pimgunzel Ze zijn knettergek van het wilde leven dat ze er op nahouden ! ð¤£ð¤£ð¤£ð¤£ð¤£Zot zijn doet geen zeer , maar het geneest niet !
Thu May 12 13:31:56 +0000 2022
Johan ten Napel : @pimgunzel Los gezongen gepeupel
Thu May 12 13:04:02 +0000 2022
Johan ten Napel : @pimgunzel Wanneer worden wij van deze blamage verlost?
Thu May 12 13:03:14 +0000 2022
grand-moesje van t hof : @pimgunzel Clowns World. Be blessed
Thu May 12 11:34:39 +0000 2022
Cor Van Der Linde : @pimgunzel @FrankKoene30 Mijn hemel.
Thu May 12 11:12:41 +0000 2022
Rien uit Epe : @pimgunzel Open inrichting https://t.co/wpCAOFzNBY
Thu May 12 10:11:27 +0000 2022
VIDEO - Revenge Of The Based: Thiel-Backed Fund To Take On 'Woke' Blackrock Activism | ZeroHedge
Thu, 12 May 2022 14:14
A new financial firm backed by Peter Thiel and Bill Ackman aims to take the 'woke' out of corporate America - and is taking aim at BlackRock's push for 'stakeholder capitalism' ESG purity tests with several new funds that instead promote "Excellence Capitalism."
Vivek Ramaswamy, author of "Woke, Inc," has raised $20 million to launch "Strive Asset Management," an activist fund which will urge companies to drop unprofitable social justice issues pushed by BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street, which Ramaswamy refers to as the "ideological cartel."
The firm seeks to 'restore the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence over politics.'
Strive aims to solve a fiduciary problem created by the three largest U.S. asset managers '-- BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street '-- which control over $20 trillion in assets, exceeding the total U.S. gross domestic product. These "Big 3" firms bear a fiduciary duty to advance the best interests of their clients. Yet in the name of "stakeholder capitalism," they use their clients' funds to exercise decisive influence over nearly every U.S. public company to advance political ideologies that many of their clients disagree with. They engage in coordinated efforts to enact a uniform social agenda across corporate America resulting in higher gas prices and other consumer harms, which Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich recently called "the biggest antitrust violation in history." -Business Wire
"Over the last two years, I have traveled the country and listened to the concerns of everyday Americans who want to be heard in the places where they shop, work and invest," said Ramaswamy. "We want iconic American brands like Disney, Coca-Cola and Exxon, and U.S. tech giants like Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and Google to deliver high-quality products that improve our lives, not controversial political ideologies that divide us. The Big 3 asset managers have fueled this polarizing new trend in corporate America, and that's why we're going to compete with them head-on to refocus American companies on the shared pursuit of excellence over politics."
In one famous example of the "ideological cartel," all three companies sided against Exxon Mobil Corp in its fight against a hedge fund that criticized its climate change strategy.
Ramaswamy has the exact opposite approach.
"We will tell oil companies to be excellent oil companies and coal companies to be excellent coal companies and solar companies to be excellent solar companies," he told the Wall Street Journal.
As the Journal notes, billionaire Peter Thiel 'invested both personally and through his Founders Fund, along with Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and other venture investors.' They also received funding from the Founders Fund, Narya Capital and Flex Capital. Others include Dorado Group Chairman William Kappaz, Cantor Fitzgerald Chairman and CEO Howard Lutnick, energy industry veteran C.R. Sincock II, famed chemist and HIV therapy pioneer Professor Raymond Schinazi, QOL Medical CEO Derick Cooper, and rock musician and venture capitalist D.A. Wallach.
VIDEO - (1284) SCORPIONS-Madison Square Garden,New York city 'WIND OF CHANGE' for UKRAINE ðºð... May 6 2022 - YouTube
VIDEO - (1284) Candace Owens calls out Patrisse Khan-Cullors (BLM Co-founder) a FRAUD - YouTube
VIDEO - (12) RNC Research on Twitter: "Democrat Rep. Katie Porter claims #Bidenflation "reinforce[s]" the "need" for abortion. "The fact that we're seeing this jump in expenses ... pay more at the grocery store, pay more at the pump, pay more for housing
Thu, 12 May 2022 12:59
RNC Research : Democrat Rep. Katie Porter claims #Bidenflation "reinforce[s]" the "need" for abortion."The fact that we're seein'... https://t.co/XhWTPAuF9v
Thu May 12 03:15:26 +0000 2022
VIDEO - Biden Disinformation Czar Demands Power To Edit Other People's Tweets | ZeroHedge
Thu, 12 May 2022 12:33
Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,
In a newly released video clip, Biden disinformation czar Nina Jankowicz demands that ''trustworthy verified people'' like her be given the power to edit other people's tweets, making Twitter more like Wikipedia.
Yes, really.
Asserting that she was ''eligible for it because I'm verified,'' Jankowicz then bemoaned the fact there are people on Twitter with different opinions to her who also have the blue tick but ''shouldn't be verified'' because they're ''not trustworthy.''
''So verified people can essentially start to edit Twitter the same sort of way that Wikipedia is so they can add context to certain tweets,'' said Jankowicz.
She then provided the example, which she claimed was non-political, of President Trump tweeting about voter fraud.
NEW - Biden's new "disinformation" czar wants "trustworthy verified people" like her to be able to "add context" to other people's tweets.pic.twitter.com/V4mLNsB5HV
'-- Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 10, 2022''Someone could add context from one of the 60 lawsuits that went through the court or something that an election official in one of the states said, perhaps your own Secretary of State and his news conferences, something like that,'' said Jankowicz.
''Adding context so that people have a fuller picture rather than just an individual claim on a tweet,'' she added.
Of course, Twitter already slaps warning labels on such tweets, but now Jankowicz wants approved regime propagandists to be empowered to insert their narrative on an individual basis.
Also note how two of the other participants in the conversation were wearing face masks, despite it being a remote Zoom call.
As we previously highlighted, Jankowicz was handed the role of overseeing Biden's 'Ministry of Truth' despite revealing that free speech makes her ''shudder'' while also promoting the lie that the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation.
Jankowicz also ludicrously cited Christopher Steele as an expert on disinformation. Steele was the author of the infamous Clinton campaign-funded Trump 'peegate' dossier' that turned out to be an actual product of disinformation.
But yeah, a person with a proven track record of pushing disinformation and hyper-partisanship should totally be given the power to edit tweets she disagrees with.
* * *
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VIDEO - Breakthrough deaths comprise increasing proportion of those who died from COVID-19 - ABC News
Wed, 11 May 2022 13:39
"These data should not be interpreted as vaccines not working," one expert said.
May 10, 2022, 10:03 PM
' 6 min read
A growing proportion of COVID-19 deaths are occurring among the vaccinated, a new ABC News analysis of federal data shows.
In August of 2021, about 18.9% of COVID-19 deaths occurred among the vaccinated. Six months later, in February 2022, that proportional percent of deaths had increased to more than 40%.
Comparatively, in September 2021, just 1.1% of COVID-19 deaths occurred among Americans who had been fully vaccinated and boosted with their first dose. By February 2022, that percentage had increased to about 25%.
Experts said the increase in breakthrough deaths is expected with more Americans reaching full vaccination status.
"These data should not be interpreted as vaccines not working. In fact, these real-world analyses continue to reaffirm the incredible protection these vaccines afford especially when up to date with boosters," said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor.
In addition, many vulnerable Americans are more than one year out from their primary vaccinations and have yet to receive booster doses.
A resident receives a Covid-19 booster shots at a vaccine clinic in Lansdale, Pa., Apr. 5, 2022.
To date, more than 220 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, 100 million of whom have received their first COVID-19 booster. However, about 91.5 million eligible Americans '-- about half of those currently eligible '-- have yet to receive their first booster shot.
The increase in breakthrough deaths comes as a growing proportion of older Americans enter the hospital for COVID-19 related care.
Last summer, after more vulnerable, older populations had been vaccinated, the share of Americans ages 65 years and older in the hospital had dipped to a pandemic low '-- with younger populations representing the largest age groups of people in need of care. However, throughout the omicron surge, the average age of those in the hospital with COVID-19 has steadily gotten older again.
More than 90% of seniors have been fully vaccinated, but a third of them have yet to receive their first booster shot. Even with overall high vaccination rates in older populations, in recent months, during the omicron surge, 73% of deaths have been among those 65 and older.
A healthcare worker helps a patient in the COVID Area of the Beverly Hospital in Montebello City, Calif., Jan. 22, 2021.
Health experts said vaccines and boosters continue to provide significant protection against severe disease. However, waning immunity re-emphasizes the urgency of boosting older Americans and high-risk Americans with additional doses.
"This trend in increased risk among the elderly further supports the need for community wide immunization. Older populations, especially those with underlying conditions, continue to be at great risk of severe complications, especially as immunity wanes. The best way to protect them is to make sure everyone around them is fully immunized,'' Brownstein said.
All Americans over the age of 50, immunocompromised people over the age of 12, and people who received two doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, are currently eligible for a second booster.
Approximately 10.5 million people in the U.S. have received their second booster dose.
"Given the fact that immunity is waning, we've got to get people boosted," Dr. Anthony Fauci told GBH News's Boston Public Radio on Monday.
In February, unvaccinated adults were 10 times more likely to die of COVID-19 compared to vaccinated individuals and five times more likely to require hospitalization, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Compared to fully vaccinated and boosted adults, unvaccinated people were about 20 times more likely to die of COVID-19 and seven times more likely to require hospitalization.
