1420: Caliphate Cubs

In November 2021, news outlets reported on the increasing “incident numbers” in the city – where the figure grew from 111.6 infected people per 100,000 to 160 per 100,000 in a span of few of days. By the end of November, that number shot up from 209.2 to a record of 223.3.

The ostensibly drastic increases have been used to legitimize new COVID policy measures in the city. First, 2G (vaccinated or recovered) status limitation was announced in order to enter shops, restaurants, and clubs. Social contact limitation was mandated for the unvaccinated. After the order, Mayor Peter Tschentscher, claimed to observe an increase in vaccination numbers, and implied it was the only way out of the pandemic.

Now, an investigation from the Sueddeutscher Zeitung and Welt newspapers has found that the numbers in Hamburg’s Social Services departments were drastically skewed and, in most cases, they didn’t even know who was vaccinated and who was not. This, however, did not stop them classifying everyone with an unknown status as unvaccinated. Indeed, by the end of November, a whopping 70 percent of the positive cases had unknown status.

In the second week of November, the Mayor of Hamburg held a press conference and incorrectly claimed that 90 percent of all new infections were amongst the unvaccinated. In addition, he alleged the 7-day infection average for the unvaccinated was at 605 per 100,000 and just 22 in 100,000 for the vaccinated.

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One last update on this non profit and the mandate. They lost half of their staff to the mandate. The staff that remains is so overworked, they are quitting en masse. I have a feeling they won't exist next year. They are pretty large organization that offers free/low cost child care to a very impoverished area. The sad fact that the people most affected are the folks who depend upon this non-profit for child care.

The College Board argues that the new changes will increase the amount of options for schools regarding when and how to administer the exam. “As we move digital, we are going to be able to give each student a unique version of the SAT,” Rodriguez stressed. This increases the security of the exams and affords schools more flexibility in when they offer the test, and increasingly, students take the exam during the school day and so the flexibility will keep the doors of opportunity open to more students, she argued.

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Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 16:32

WASHINGTON (AP) '-- The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department's top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an ''elevated'' threat from violent extremists in the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, testifying just days after the nation observed the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, said the number of FBI investigations into suspected domestic violent extremists has more than doubled since the spring of 2020.

''We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies,'' Olsen said.

The formulation of a new unit underscores the extent to which domestic violent extremism, which for years after the Sept. 11 attacks was overshadowed by the threat of international terrorism, has attracted urgent attention inside the federal government and at the White House.

But the issue remains politically freighted and divisive, in part because the absence of a federal domestic terrorism statute has created ambiguities as to precisely what sort of violence meets that definition. The U.S. criminal code defines domestic terrorism as violence intended to coerce or intimidate a civilian population and to influence government policy, but there is no standalone domestic terrorism charge, meaning prosecutors have to rely on other statutes.

Olsen's assessment about growing domestic threats tracked with a warning last March from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who testified that the threat was ''metastasizing.'' Jill Sanborn, the executive assistant director in charge of the FBI's national security branch who testified alongside Olsen, said Tuesday the greatest threat comes from lone extremists or small cells who radicalize online and look to carry out violence at so-called ''soft targets.''

''This includes both homegrown violent extremists inspired primarily by foreign terrorist organizations as well as domestic violent extremism,'' Sanborn said.

The department's National Security Division, which Olsen leads, has a counterterrorism section. But Olsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he has decided to create a specialized domestic terrorism unit ''to augment our existing approach'' and to ''ensure that these cases are properly handled and effectively coordinated'' across the country.

The partisan divisions around the domestic terrorism terminology were evident during Tuesday's hearing.

Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic chairman of the committee, played video of the Jan. 6 riot at the outset of the hearing and urged everyone on the committee to ''use this hearing to explicitly condemn the use or threat of violence to advance political goals.''

''It's a simple request, but sadly a necessary one,'' Durbin added. ''This committee should speak with a unified voice in saying violence is unacceptable.''

Several Republican senators sought to shift focus away from Jan. 6 and asserted that the insurrection had taken away attention from the 2020 rioting that erupted in American cities and grew out of racial justice protests. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, castigated the law enforcement witnesses for what he said were ''wildly disparate standards'' in the department's pursuit of suspects in the 2020 rioting and in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the panel's top Republican, showed video of the 2020 violence as a counter to the Jan. 6 footage that Durbin showed.

''Those anti-police riots rocked our nation for seven full months,'' Grassley said.

The FBI and Justice Department say they treat domestic extremist violence the same regardless of ideology. Sanborn said the FBI has opened more than 800 investigations tied to the 2020 rioting and arrested more than 250 people. Attorney General Merrick Garland said last week that the Justice Department had arrested and charged more than 725 people for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 attack.

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Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP

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Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 16:23

AN escape of lab monkeys on a Pennsylvania highway has sparked fears of a virus outbreak after a woman who came into contact with them later fell ill.

Michelle Fallon stopped to help after a truck carrying 100 cynomolgus macaques crashed on Interstate 80, spilling animal crates across the tarmac.

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A truck carrying 100 monkeys to a lab crashed in Pennsylvania Credit: AP 7

One of the escaped monkeys was spotted in a tree off Route 54 on Friday evening Credit: Pennsylvania State Police 7

Michelle Fallon said she developed virus symptoms after helping at the crash sceneState troopers said four of the primates were on the loose and warned the public not to try to catch them on Friday evening.

They have all since been accounted for.

Now it has emerged a passerby who was at the scene is being treated for symptoms of an unknown illness.

Michelle, of nearby Danville, was driving behind the truck when it crashed on the way to a research facility.

She got out to help the driver with the smashed crates, initially believing they were transporting cats.

When she put her hand on a cage, one of the three monkeys inside hissed at her but she was not bitten or scratched.

She said she also stepped in animal feces amid the chaos as four monkeys ran away into woodland.

The next day she developed Covid-like symptoms including a cough and pink eye.

Doctors gave her the first of four rabies injections together with an anti-viral drug.

She said on Facebook she was contacted by the CDC and is being monitored for symptoms of rabies and monkey herpes virus B.

First responders who attended the crash were also told to check themselves for symptoms.

The B virus is extremely rare in humans but leads to severe brain damage and death if not treated promptly.

Victims get it from monkey bites and scratches and there is only one documented case of a human patient transmitting it to another person, according to the CDC.

Lab monkeys have also in past been found to be infected with tuberculosis, Chagas disease, cholera and MRSA.

Anyone who comes within five feet is ordered to register with health authorities and report any symptoms.

"What a day!", Michelle posted online.

"I tried to help out at an accident and was told there were cats in the crates. So I went over to pet them only to find out it's monkeys.

"Then I noticed that there was three in each, with some completely broken, so I knew four had got away.

"I came home to go to bed and my aunt ran into a news crew and she found out not to get too close to the monkey.

"Well, I tried to pet one. I touched the crates and walked in poop. I was told meet the police at the scene to talk about exposure.

'Day from hell'"I spoke with the police and a woman from the CDC. I am getting a letter and I'm very low risk for I don't know what yet.

"But my symptoms are covid symptoms. Like seriously. A day from hell!"

The monkeys were being driven to a lab in Florida after landing at New York's JFK airport on a flight from Mauritius.

The nature of the research project was not disclosed, but cynomolgus macaques are commonly used in pre-clinical drug trials.

Infectious disease experts from the CDC helped Pennsylvania police and health officials seal off the road after Friday's 4pm escape in Montour County.

Troopers issued an alert to the public, sharing a photo of one monkey that was spotted up a tree off Route 54.

They tweeted: ''Anyone who sees or locates the monkey is asked not to approach, attempt to catch, or come in contact with the monkey. Please call 911 immediately.''

Trooper Lauren Lesher said the concern was ''due to it not being a domesticated animal and them being in an unknown territory. It is hard to say how they would react to a human approaching them.''

A helicopter and firefighters with a thermal camera were called in to help with the search by cops and the PA State Game Commission.

News outlet WNEP said woods where one monkey was spotted were searched with flashlights around 7pm.

It said: "We later heard three shots ring out. It's unclear what type of weapon was used and we're not sure where the monkey is or its condition."

At least one monkey was said to have been found on Friday night.

On Saturday the CDC said all 100 macaques had been accounted for.

Three were dead after being "euthanized", but the statement did not say why.

All the surviving animals will be quarantined and checked for signs of illness.

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The truck crashed on Interstate 80 shortly after 4pm on Friday Credit: WNEP 7

Monkey crates were spilled across the highway Credit: WNEP 7

The monkeys were being transported to a laboratory in Florida Credit: AP 7

State troopers and firefighters searched for the escaped animals Credit: AP Monkeys on the loose in Danville, Pennsylvania, after truck carrying 100 primates CRASHES on way to lab We pay for your stories!

Do you have a story for The US Sun team?

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:59

Europe is a huge customer of Russia's fossil fuels. Gas from the U.S. and elsewhere is helping offset fears of a midwinter cutoff.

A Gazprom natural gas facility in Kasimov, Russia. Russia supplies about one-third of Europe's natural gas. Credit... Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg Jan. 25, 2022

While Russia masses troops and military equipment near its border with Ukraine, parallel tensions have been building in world energy markets.

It is not hard to see why. Natural gas flowing through a web of pipelines from Russia heats homes and power factories across much of Europe. Russia is also one of the continent's key sources of oil.

Now Western officials are considering what happens if Moscow issues a doomsday response to the tensions '-- a cutoff of those gas and oil supplies, in the depths of Europe's winter.

The standoff over Ukraine comes at an inopportune time. World energy prices are already elevated as supplies of oil and natural gas have lagged the recovery of demand from the pandemic.

In Europe, record high prices are drawing tankers of natural gas from the United States, Qatar and elsewhere. On Tuesday, White House officials said discussions were underway to get more natural gas to the continent. Whether this will be enough to defuse the risk of an energy cutoff remains to be seen.

Here is a look at some of the key issues.

Why has Europe been hit so hard by the energy crunch? This winter Europe is living through an energy crisis, with soaring prices for natural gas and electricity. It started when storage levels of gas fell well below normal last year.

Natural gas is trading at about five times the price of a year ago. Although prices are now about half of the peak reached late last year, they are roughly seven times higher than levels in the United States. High gas prices raise electricity costs, threaten big increases in consumers' bills and have pushed some energy-hungry factories like fertilizer plants and metal smelters into temporary shutdowns.

Russia has added to these woes. It has exported less gas than usual and has kept storage levels at European gas facilities owned by Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly, at rock bottom. Such tactics have helped raise anxiety about whether enough gas will be available to make it through a cold winter.

''If things get really messy in Ukraine, one can only observe that Europe is in an exceptionally vulnerable position right now,'' said Thane Gustafson, author of ''The Bridge,'' a study of the natural gas trade between Russia and Europe.

How important is Russian gas for Europe? Russia supplies about one-third of Europe's natural gas, and its prominence as a supplier has grown as the continent's domestic output has declined.

Production in the Netherlands, once a major gas producer in the European Union, has been dropping sharply as the Dutch government gradually shuts down the huge Groningen field in response to earthquakes set off by gas production.

Gas is also growing in relative importance as coal-fired power stations are shut down in countries like Germany in order to meet environmental goals and nuclear plants are also closed there and in Britain.

Despite Europe's big investments in renewable energy like wind and solar power, it still needs conventional sources of supply. Gas-fired power plants are one of the few options left.

How seriously would conflict in Ukraine threaten Europe's gas supplies? While flows of natural gas vary and have fallen of late, about one-third of Russia's gas exports to Europe usually go through Ukraine. Those pipelines could become collateral damage during a Russian invasion, analysts say.

President Vladimir V. Putin might cut off all or a large portion of Russian gas flows to Europe in response to still unspecified economic sanctions that the United States and other Western countries have pledged to impose in the event of an invasion.

''If we try to lock them out of capital markets, then they will go to our place of pain, which is energy,'' said Helima Croft, head of commodities at RBC Capital Markets, an investment bank.

Would Putin really cut off energy supplies? Some observers think that Mr. Putin would be wary of taking such drastic steps against what are his most important customers. Doing so would put a key source of revenue at risk.

''While Europe is hugely dependent on Russian gas, Russia is hugely dependent on the European market and can't easily substitute for it,'' said David Goldwyn, who was the special envoy for international energy affairs in the Obama administration.

Mr. Goldwyn, who is now president of Goldwyn Global Strategies, an advisory firm, added that Mr. Putin was trying to strike a balance ''between being a reliable supplier as he has been to Germany and reminding Europe how dependent they are on Russian gas.''

He said a similar logic would be likely to govern Mr. Putin's behavior concerning oil, a more important source of revenue than gas. If Russian oil exports were cut off, consuming nations would expect Saudi Arabia to largely close the gap, but it is worrying that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies have come up short on recent pledges to increase output, suggesting that they are close to their ceilings.

Are there any remedies to head off shortfalls? In recent months Russia has been putting Europe through something of a stress test, squeezing gas flows in an apparent attempt to coerce approval on issues like Nord Stream 2, the $11 billion undersea pipeline connecting Russia to Germany that is awaiting final approval.

Image A Nord Stream 2 gas receiving station in Lubmin, Germany. The undersea pipeline, which connects Russia and Germany, awaits final approval. Credit... Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg Gazprom says it is not doing anything unusual, maintaining it ''delivers gas in accordance with consumer requests in full compliance with current contractual obligations,'' a spokeswoman said.

But while storage levels remain low and prices are high, Europe has not run out of the fuel.

Market forces are working, if belatedly. An armada of giant ships has been bringing cargoes of liquefied natural gas, which is gas chilled to liquid form, lured by high prices and cajoling from the Biden administration. The ships are coming from the United States and elsewhere, and a single tanker can hold the equivalent of three times the current daily transit volumes from Russia through Ukraine.

The surge has been significant: In January, flows of liquefied natural gas to Europe have actually exceeded those of Russian gas. These shipments, along with a relatively mild winter so far, have at least temporarily eased fears of a shortfall.

''There is less risk of running out of gas,'' said Massimo Di Odoardo, vice president for gas at Wood Mackenzie, a market research firm. ''Concerns of blackouts are now becoming less.''

Mr. Di Odoardo said that another reason for January's decline in Russian gas flows to Europe is that European utilities, at current high prices, are choosing to sell what gas they do have in storage, rather than buy from Russia.

Whether liquefied natural gas shipments could offset a complete shut-off of Russian gas to Europe is doubtful. Liquefied natural gas tankers require special terminals, and Europe probably does not have enough receiving terminals to match such enormous losses.

''Import capacity in Europe is being tested right now, so the region would struggle to take substantially more,'' said Laura Page, an analyst at Kpler, a research firm.

How is the standoff likely to leave Russia's relations with its customers? Probably worse. The show of force on Ukraine's border ''is going to damage them commercially in the market,'' said Trevor Sikorski, analyst at Energy Aspects, a research firm.

Mr. Putin's behavior has most likely raised doubts about Russia's claims to be a reliable energy supplier, and it may well hasten the shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, a move that undercuts the Russian economy.

''This crisis will only accelerate the geopolitical motivation to get off the dependency on gas in general and Russian gas in particular,'' Mr. Goldwyn said.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:57

A hybrid car-airplane known as ''AirCar'' has been issued a certificate of airworthiness by the Slovakian civil aviation authority, potentially paving the way for the future of flying vehicles.

The dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle, which looks like a sports car, was created by a team of eight highly-skilled specialists at the Slovakian company Klein Vision, which was founded by Professor Stefan Klein.

Klein has devoted the last 20 years to making the flying car a reality.

It was awarded the certificate by the Slovak Transport Authority after successfully completing 70 hours of ''rigorous flight testing compatible with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards,'' Klein Vision said in a statement (pdf).

Flight tests included over 200 takeoffs and landings and a full range of various flight and performance maneuvers that Klein Vision says demonstrated ''astonishing static and dynamic stability in the aircraft mode.''

The takeoff and landing procedures were achieved even without the pilot having to touch the flight controls, the company said.

It took the team of specialists over 100,000 man hours to convert design drawings of the air vehicle into mathematical models and to then create the final two-seater 1,000-kilogram (2,200-pound) vehicle that is powered by a 1.6-liter BMW engine.

''AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars. It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever,'' said Klein, who is also responsible for research projects in cooperation with brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, and BMW.

''Transportation Authority carefully monitored all stages of unique AirCar development from its start in 2017. The transportation safety is our highest priority. AirCar combines top innovations with safety measures in line with EASA standards. It defines a new category of a sports car and a reliable aircraft. Its certification was both a challenging and fascinating task,'' said Ren(C) Molnr, the director of the Civil Aviation Division (Transport Authority of Slovakia).

The company told CNN that it hopes to have the AirCar commercially available within 12 months, but a pilot's license is required to drive the hybrid vehicle, meaning we won't be seeing many of the flying cars anytime soon.

Anton Zajac, co-founder of Klein Vision, said that the vehicle can fly at a maximum operating altitude of 18,000 feet, and runs on ''fuel that is sold at any gas station.''

AirCar successfully completed its first 35-minute inter-city flight last June between airports in Nitra and the capital Bratislava in Slovakia.

After landing, it took the car less than three minutes to transform back into a sports car, which can reduce travel time by a factor of two.

Klein Vision has also completed tests of a powerful and lightweight ''ADEPT'' Airmotive aviation engine and finalized drawings and technical calculations for the upcoming monocoque model, which will have a variable pitch propeller that could reach speeds over 300 kph (186 mph) and a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).

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Katabella Roberts is a reporter currently based in Turkey. She covers news and business for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on the United States.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:34

SUPPORT TRUTH11.COM

Thank You For Supporting Independent MediaIndependent media is fighting in this war to arm you with the truth and help unite us all

Focus ArticlesThe Vaccine Is Killing Millions of People

The number of people dying from the Covid vaccines is being covered up. The official numbers are in the tens of thousands, which is more than enough to halt all covid vaccines on the planet. The actual number of people injured or dead after receiving the vaccine is already in the millions. And all the vaccinated are expected to die from the vaccine within a few years.

The statistics are being distorted to hide the genocide. Now if someone dies within 14 days of receiving the vaccine they are considered to be unvaccinated. And if they have only received one shot, they are also considered to be unvaccinated.

The hospitals are full of the vaccinated with vaccine side effects. There still is no virus. There is no delta, just vaccine injuries.

Whistleblowers testify that there were no excess deaths in 2020 at all, and as soon as they started the vaccine campaign, deaths increased and all were vaccinated.

Millions of people have been injured for life or murdered within days of receiving the death shot so called vaccine.

Thousands of medical professionals that are upholding their oath to do no harm, have spoken out against the vaccines due to the injuries and deaths they have witnessed in the vaccinated.

And on the other side, thousands of medical professionals are complicit in genocide and have violated the Nuremberg Code. Not providing information on the side effects and risk factors, or the full ingredient list to people makes it impossible for them to give informed consent. If found guilty they could be sentenced to death.

The Vaccine Death Report

This report covers all of the current information around the world of the destruction and death that these vaccines are causing: Read Report Here

___________

THE COVID-19 SCAMDEMICWe have hundreds of articles on Truth11.com exposing the truth about COVID-19 and all measures taken in response to it. Here is an 11 point summary of the big picture and some key focus articles.

1) COVID-19 CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITYSince flu was renamed Covid-19, and other diseases and deaths have been re branded covid last year, unprecedented harm was inflicted on countless millions of people. Western mass media, health professionals, organizations and governments world wide are complicit in the greatest ever public health crime against humanity. They should all be prosecuted and held accountable for their endless mass deception campaign. Read Article Here

2) COVID-19 BIGGEST SCAM IN HISTORY

The Covid Outbreak: ''Biggest Health Scam of the 21st Century.'' Report by 1500 Health Professionals. Read article here

3) FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST 1 = NO VIRUS PROVEN TO EXIST

There have been several requests of information that have been replied to and they clearly state there has been no isolation of ''Covid-19'' The virus does not exist. You can read one of the Freedom Of Information Requests from Canada here

4) FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST 2 = NO DEATHS FROM COVID-19

Another freedom of information request from the UK asked how many people have died from covid-19 alone, not counting those who had other reasons for their death. The answer was NONE. View the request here

5) MASKS GIVE NO PROTECTION AND CAUSE HARM

Mask Test Showing Carbon Dioxide Levels + Mask Test Showing Oxygen Levels = DO NOT WEAR MASKS Read Article HereHazardous Mask Wearing, read article HereMandatory Masks and Vaccines Break the 10 Points of the Nuremburg Code, Read article hereSTUDY: Long term mask use breeds microbes that infiltrate the lungs and contribute to advanced stage lung cancer Read Article Here6) LOCKDOWNS CAUSE HARM AND PROVIDE NO BENEFIT

Lockdowns Are Based On Fraud, read article hereLockdowns Motivated By Occult Doctrine. Read article hereDoctors Questions Lockdowns, read article hereA study of 10 million found that asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 did not occur at all, thus undermining the need for lockdowns, read article here7) DEADLY COVID-19 VACCINES ARE NOT EVEN VACCINES THEY ARE GENE THERAPY AND MUST BE AVOIDED

100,000 doctors & medical professionals oppose COVID-19 vaccine Read Article HereWhy People Will Start Dying a Few Months After the First Covid-19 MRNA Vaccination. Professor Delores Cahill: Watch HereLarge Scale COVID-19 Vaccination Injuries and Deaths, read article here8) NO STATE OF EMERGENCY EXISTS

Each country has its own declaration of emergency guidelines. Here is the Canada-Wide Declarations of Emergency For Covid-19| Understanding how the Declarations of Emergency have never existed, read article here

9) INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS RELATING COVID-19

Each country has its own constitution and charter of rights and freedoms. Here is the Canadian Charter Rights for Individuals | Empower Yourself '' Know Your Rights! | Understanding how COVID-19 measures violate your Charter Rights, read article here

10) BUSINESS RIGHTS, FREEDOMS, VIOLATIONS AND LIABILITY RELATING TO COVID-19

Each country has its own constitution and charter of rights and freedoms for businesses. Here is the Canadian Charter Rights for Businesses | Understanding how COVID-19 measures violate YOUR Charter Rights AND Understanding how COVID-19 measures YOU ENFORCE violate Your Employee's and Patron's Charter Rights, read article here

11) THE NUREMBERG CODE RELATING TO COVID-19The Nuremberg Code as it applies to masks, the Covid vaccines and covid tests. read article here

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There Is No Covid-19 VirusNo record of ''COVID-19 virus'' (SARS-COV-2) isolation by anyone, anywhere on the planet

Freedom Of Information response from Canada's National Research Council: No record of ''COVID-19 virus'' (SARS-COV-2) isolation by anyone, anywhere on the planet. Read Article here___________DR Andrew Kaufman: There is no pandemic, the governments are faking the death counts (simply placing all deaths in the fabricated COVID category), all the governments are using a fraudulent RT-PCR machine to mark healthy people as infected (therefore driving a fear based case-demic of people who aren't ill) plus the vaccine is designed to kill, cripple and/or cause infertility. Read Article Here__________Top Canadian Pathologist Dr. Roger Hodkinson, Tells Alberta Government COVID Is ''The Greatest Hoax Ever Perpetrated on an Unsuspecting Public'' | Masks don't protect, social distancing does nothing, tests are also uselessRead Article Here

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Brave TV Reporter Goes Off Script And Reveals Truth About Covid-19___________

Doctors Around The World Issue Dire Warning:DO NOT GET THE COVID VACCINE

In an effort to combat Big Pharma Corporate Media and Big Tech censorship, doctors around the world are frantically trying to warn the masses of the devastating effects of the experimental COVID vaccines about to be mass injected into the unsuspecting public assisted by military forces around the world.

What could possibly motivate these doctors, nurses, scientists, and other health professionals to make such an impassioned plea? What do they have to gain by taking the time to educate the public on the hidden dangers of a new class of vaccine about to be inflicted upon the citizens of countries around the world?

They have NOTHING TO GAIN, and much to lose, including their careers, and possibly even their lives. Read article here___________100,000 doctors & medical professionals oppose COVID-19 vaccineThe vaccine is now set to kill and cripple the seniors and the uninformed in the first wave of genocide, their vaccine induced deaths and disease states will be used as the excuse to force the vaccine on everyone else, as the evil media and corrupt government will simply re-label the medical genocide as COVID-19 or something more deadly than COVID. This has been the plan the entire time. Read Article Here

___________Why People Will Start Dying a Few Months After the First Covid-19 MRNA Vaccination.Professor Delores Cahill: Watch Here

___________Robert F. Kennedy Jr: 'New COVID Vaccine Should Be Avoided At All Cost'Read Article here

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The Covid-19 Pandemic Fraud Is Deeper Than You Think

Dr Andrew Kaufman presentation to the red pill expo. An excellent explanation of the big picture of this global scam. Watch above or here

___________

Planned Chaos Video and Article Series

This past year has offered a great opportunity for most of humanity to consider their world and what might be important to them. Prepare For Change have put together an excellent documentary and article series called Planned Chaos which questions the madness we are experiencing and its purpose in our lives as a result of this mess.

4 Video Documentary: Video 1 | Media: Tell A Vision + Predictive ProgrammingVideo 2 | CV19: Plan, Scam & Resulting OrderVideo 3 | Racial Divide = Civil WarVideo 4 | No Ordinary Election

9 Part Article VersionPart 1 | MediaPart 2 | COVID-19: Plan, Scam + Resulting OrderPart 3 | Racial Divide = Civil WarPart 4 | No Ordinary ElectionPart 5 | Swamp Draining Is Real and Global Part 6 | Arson and Eco TerrorismPart 7 | Financial War: Power, CorruptionPart 8 | The Spiritual Connection Of QPart 9 | Darkness Drives The Madness

___________

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Castro (Trudeau) Complicit In American Election Fraud

Communist China also gave the Canadian Dominion voting machine company a $400 million financial boost through a Swiss bank account, belonging to the Chinese government. As for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his role in the massive US election fraud, was to harbor the George Soros linked criminal election rigging Dominion voting machine company and let them commit criminal activity, across the US border, which could pretty much be considered as Canada committing an act of war on American independence and democracy, along with China. Read Article Here

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SARS-COV-2 AND OTHER FACTORS INCLUDING 5G | MAY 13 2020

The Association des Officiers De R(C)serve (Association of Army Reserve Officers) spent 50 days investigating issues related to the 2020 ''pandemic''. The report has been prohibited from disclosure for the time being. However, in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation, we have chosen nevertheless to communicate it to civil society.

In order to propose a prevention protocol and to provide information on therapeutic approaches, it is necessary to establish the parameters of the pathogenic agent, which has revealed serious inconsistencies in the official version.

These inconsistencies have led to the identification of obvious corruption and an agenda contrary to public welfare, culminating in criminal and genocidal intent, and the implementation of a totalitarian state, which are reported in our conclusions.

Read article and download full report here

Freedom Parade Berlin: 1,300,000 People Protest Covid Pandemic

The video of this peaceful protest was Banned on you tube. The video was removed because it showed a peaceful protest with over 1,300,000 people not social distancing, not wearing masks and saying they don't believe the lie of Covid-19.

This is a real protest. The protest that we should have done as a global population, but was robbed of us by BLM Antifa fake Soros backed violent attacks and pointless destruction by design.

This is a true protest that calls out the lies of the COVID-19 scam and makes the statement that TODAY MARKS THE END OF THE PANDEMIC!.

They are not social distancing, not wearing masks, see the video for yourself, this is not thousands, this is over a million people. Protesters chant ''We are the people. We are fed up. Stop with the lies. Today marks the end of the pandemic''

''Our demand is to go back to democracy. Away with these laws that have been imposed on us, away with the masks that make us slave!'' Read article here

QTHE PLAN TO SAVE THE WORLD

The QAnon global patriot movement has a plan to fight the evil few. United we stand. United we can overcome the satanic few that have enslaved us. QAnon are a very important group of people, globally fighting and standing up for humanity!. Have faith in humanity!. WWG1WGA! Where We Go One We Go All!

Q Anon | Welcome To The Great Awakening

In the fall of 2017, posts began appearing on anonymous online forums from a mysterious ''Q Clearance Patriot'' '' someone within the U.S. government with top-secret access. These posts have since become ''the biggest 'inside' 'approved' [information] dump in American history,'' giving we, the people unprecedented insight into a far-reaching shadow war between patriots (within and outside of the government and military) and an evil international cabal intent on destroying America and quashing its founding principles. We are witnessing '' in real time '' the exposure of past and present crimes of this cabal, actions to bring them to justice, and the ushering in of a great, global awakening.

This site is an aggregator of these posts as they happen. WWG1WGA!

https://qposts.onlineArticle explaining Q Anon also an amazing documentary. Here

The Fall Of The Cabal

This is a very important film by Janet Ossebaard. It connects many dots that needed to be connected and brings us to the point of horrific truth, that needs to be publicly known. Once known all of humanity will revolt against this evil. We are fighting pure evil. Please watch this film, it is disturbing but the truth is disturbing and warrants our immediate response. The Fall Of the Cabal is exactly what it sounds like. The horrific truth that will spark a global revolution to bring these satanists down. The world is about to change. Watch Film Here or click above Image

Corona Debunked By Biochemistry

This excellent video explains the truth about viruses and how germ theory is still just a theory and has never been proven. The Rothschild's hijacked the medical industry with their more profitable germ theory framework and have perverted medical direction that promotes fake science.

This video proves you cannot catch the corona virus or any cold for that matter from a sick person. They discuss experiments showing after hundreds of attempts they could not infect a healthy person with a cold virus. There is no such thing as an external virus entering the body. The body is simply having a biological response to your body being not at ease, dis-ease due to certain deficiency's such as Potassium deficiency which is fully explained in this video. The reason for this response is also explained and the simple solutions to bring your body back to health. A must see and share. Watch above or in the article here

Dr. Andrew Kaufman: There Is No VirusAnd Now They Want To Genetically Modify Us With The COVID-19 Vaccine

Spiro and Dr. Kaufman discuss the expanding curtailment of basic civil liberties being normalized under the false pretext of a global health emergency.

Doctor Kaufman lays his reputation and his career on the line as he blows the whistle on what he describes as a manufactured crisis to carry out a planned agenda to facilitate global governance and population control.

Doctor Kaufman is a well-educated medical professional who convincingly illustrates, using the CDC's own technical data, how the public has been manipulated on the grandest scale. Watch below and read article and watch two other Kaufman/Spiro interviews covering Reuters (Rothschild's) fake fact checking and if masks should be worn. (they should not) Here

THE REAL REVOLUTION = UNITYREVERSE THE CONTROLPYRAMID

The real revolution that is needed is being hijacked by the corrupt few, the elite, the satanic cabal, the 1% that have funded fake revolutionary groups.

Trading one group of 'few people over another group of few people is not the revolution we need. The real revolution that this planet needs is the global population, uniting and demanding the reversal of the control pyramid. The masses must unite in a global voice and build our utopia that benefits the many, not the few.

This is the perfect time to break free from the same old bullshit that promotes genocide, war, famine, the 1% satanists stealing 800,000 kids per year for their Adrenocrome addiction. It is time for a real revolution away from the sick few controlling billions of people.

We need to scrap all forms of control by any few.

If the many were in control they would choose what benefits themselves, therefore what benefits the interests of the many, not only the few. This is the solution = UNITY

A simple connection of every person on the planet. A unity of our global voice. Where we can all ask ourselves life changing questions for the benefit of the human race and every species on this planet and beyond. And vote on them to be implemented.

THIS IS THE KEY SOLUTION: We must invert the control pyramid to take the power of the few away. And that means ANY FEW. No small group of people should control the many, ever.

Welcome the True Global Revolution: UNITY = The rise of the 99%. Read article here

ROSE/ICKE IV

Rose and Icke will discuss:Who is really benefiting from the protests, the wider political agenda behind the funding of Black Lives Matter and why George Soros and other multinational technology companies are involved. Watch on London Real here or if is not available there it can be viewed here

Huge Victory For Humanity As Khazarian Mafia's Long-planned 666 Offensive Was Stopped Dead In Its Tracks

The forces of light scored a huge victory against the Khazarian Satanists as their long-planned 2020/06/06/06 offensive was stopped dead in its tracks, multiple sources agree. Instead of massive bloodshed involving armed demonstrators (million man occupation of the white house) and the U.S. military, there was a small, peaceful march against racism. This was because the armed saboteurs and their financial backers were all rounded up before their planned climax of mayhem, Pentagon sources say.

The plan that was stopped, aimed to use massive bloodshed to replace the Republic of the United States with a draconian totalitarian government. As Rothschild front man George Soros, told Bild Magazine in September 2014:

''I'm going to bring down the U.S. by funding black hate groups. We'll put them into a mental trap and make them blame white people. The black community is the easiest to manipulate.''

Note: attempts to label this quote as fake appear at the top of internet searches such as ''Lead Stories'' but NSA sources say it's real.

The plan nearly worked as the death of African American George Floyd triggered huge, coordinated acts of looting and vandalism all over the United States.

U.S. military intelligence says the rioting was stopped only after over a thousand armed looters were shot. In addition, U.S. and Russian Special Forces teams went around hunting down and killing the financiers and Khazarian agents stoking the flames. Also, on June 5th U.S. military White Hats found and disarmed three nuclear devices, seized countless pipe-bombs, and arrested two snipers,'' according to NSA sources. Read article here

We Need A Revolution, But These Riots are an Anti-Revolution By Design

''When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system's game. The establishment will irritate you'--pull your beard, flick your face'--to make you fight. Because once they've got you violent, then they know how to handle you.'''--John Lennon

There is something being concocted in the dens of power, far beyond the public eye, and it doesn't bode well for the future of this country. (and many others)

Anytime you have entire nations so mesmerized by political theater and public spectacle that they are oblivious to all else, you'd better beware.

And anytime you have a government that operates in the shadows, speaks in a language of force, and rules by fiat, you'd better beware.

What is unfolding before us is not a revolution. The looting, the burning, the rioting, the violence: Is an anti-revolution.

The protesters are playing right into the government's hands, because the powers-that-be want this. They want an excuse to lockdown the nation and throw the switch to all-out martial law. They want a reason to make the police state stronger. Read Article Here

Mandatory Testing'... of what?

Authorities claim that testing is important for public health officials to assess if their mitigation efforts '' ''shelter in place'' and ''social distancing'' and ''wearing a mask'' '' are making a difference to ''flatten the curve.'' Officials also claim that testing is necessary to know how many persons are infected within a community and to understand the nature of how coronaviruses spread.

Are these reasons sufficient to give up our health freedom and our personal rights, being tested and shamed in public? The answer is no.

Across the nation, police are being told to not apprehend criminals but instead, to arrest parents at playgrounds, to arrest lone surfers on public beaches, to fine ministers and congregation members sitting in their cars listening to a service on the radio, and to restrict movement by creating one-way sidewalks.

People have had enough. They are beginning to see the huge scam that has been perpetrated on the entire world over a viral infection with a global death rate of 1.4% (meaning, 1.4% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have a fatal outcome, while 98.6% recover). This is far fewer deaths than a severe flu season.

While they shut us down and held us hostage in our homes, they changed our society, our lives, our world.

I am not willing to accept this is the ''new normal.''I won't submit to testing.I will refuse mandatory vaccination.I will stop wearing a mask.I will not be afraid of standing next to a friend or family member and will not obey the concept of ''social distancing.''I will understand that an asymptomatic carrier is a normal, healthy person and I will not buy into the fear that I might ''catch something'' from a normal, healthy person.Be brave. Be bold. It's time for us to resist with non-violent civil disobedience. Read article here

Electromagnetic Radiation Due to Cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Technologies: Latest Important Scientific Paper

Conclusion: Wireless devices are ''harmful to human health'...For now, wireless technologies must be avoided as much as possible'...People should be made aware that the EMR from using day to day cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices are harmful to human health.'' Read paper here

Rockerfeller Foundation Plan For Militarized Control Of The PopulationNational Covid-19 Testing Action Plan

The Rockefeller Foundation has presented the ''National Covid-19 Testing Action Plan'', indicating the ''pragmatic steps to reopen our workplaces and our communities''. However, it is not simply a matter of health measures as it appears from the title.

The Plan '' that some of the most prestigious universities have contributed to (Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins and others) '' prefigures a real hierarchical and militarized social model.

The plan calls for 3 million US citizens to be Covid-19 tested weekly, and the number should be raised to 30 million per week within six months. The goal is to achieve the ability to Covid-19 test 30 million people a day, which is to be realized within a year.

The plan the Rockefeller Foundation wants to implement in the United States and beyond. If it were even partially implemented, there would be further concentration of economic and political power in the hands of an even narrower elite sector to the detriment of a growing majority that would be deprived of fundamental democratic rights.

The operation is carried out in the name of ''Covid-19 control'', whose mortality rate has so far been less than 0.03% of the US population according to official data. In the Rockefeller Foundation Plan the virus is used as a real weapon, more dangerous than Covid-19 itself. Read article here

666 The Mark Of The BeastSatanists And Their Genocidal Agenda

The number 666 is displayed proudly on the satanic control and genocidal plan orchestrated by the Satanic Khazarian Mafia, Rothschilds, Rockerfellers and other satanists such as Bill Gates.

The mark of the beast, a chip that will connect to the cloud and your cryptocurrency account, that is to be put in a mandatory, harmful, destructive and deadly vaccine, designed to interact with your body and send and receive data from the cloud.

Satanist Bill Gates has the patent for the technology from your body-to chip-to cloud to-cryptocurrency, and its name is WO2020060606 '' CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEM USING BODY ACTIVITY DATA. Read article here

Bill H.R. 6666 which will allow the government to enter your home, say you have covid-19 a fake diagnosis as the virus is a fake. Force you or a family member to be removed from your home and quarantined or when becomes mandatory, forcibly vaccinated. Read article here

WE MUST RESIST THEIR SATANIC PLAN

The Hidden History Of The Satanic Khazarian Mafia | Rothschilds

This evil is trying to use COVID-19 Scamdemic to carry out satanic genocide. It is time to expose this evil, the greatest evil the world has ever experienced. It is time for the world to work together to eradicate this problem now and forever. Read article here

THE PLANDEMIC

An excellent film by StrangerThanFiction.com. Explaining the current planned scam event COVID-19. A must watch. 5G exposed as the true threat. Excellent critical thinking explanation of the situation that is upon us all. Lots of information that has been released by whistle blowers, doctors, nurses, and people around the world. A great film documenting this current genocidal attempt by the elite. Watch film (click above video) or here

COVID-19 TRUTH

4 Video Interviews By Brian Rose of LondonReal.tv that are banned as the Elite few don't want the truth out there. These are a must see in this time where the new world order agenda is in as they call it ''Warp Speed'' mode. We must stand up to this tyranny. Watch all 4 videos to really know what is going on with this COVID-19 plandemic.

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COV ''ID''-19 84 Global PsyopThe New World Order Plandemic

World Khazarian Zionist Parasite controlled Vatican operated Government Corporations including United States declares war on Humanity. Their goal is 90% depopulation of the human race using deadly vaccines and 5G Weapons.

The World is in a Global War between the Khazarian Luciferian Roman cult and their sycophants v All of Humnanity. We are at war with a Luciferian cult that has taken control of all aspects of world Society and all so called Governments.

America was couped by the khazarian Roman Cult in the 1860s and through proxies, its agents have been destroying America from within every since.

Their strategy over the last 150 years was to dumb down Americans and to convert Americans in to Socialists through Psycological Warfare techniques, including endless propoganda/fake news. The intention was to get the people to call for and demand a New World Order Global Governance System [Problem '' Reaction '' Solution]. The trigger was the planned collapse of the current Central Banking System which was always intended to be destroyed by the Luciferian cult to trigger their New World Order Slave Planet System.

This brings us up to the ongoing Plandemic World Wide shutdown which has been achived in Fake News, Fake science and a global psycological Warfare through CIA Mockingbird Media which is pumping out 24/7 fear porn.

We are witnessing the deliberate collapse of this system and a move toward The New World Order End Game.

The people must organize to ensure that what emerges from the current Plandemic False Flag serves the people and not the cabal that have been running the world from the Shadows for millennia! Read article here

Vaccine TruthNo documents exist proving saftey or effectiveness of any vaccine

The US Department of Health and Human Services and all vaccine makers have been deceiving the American people for over 30 years about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.

Government funding was pulled from Gates Foundation, WHO and CDC (Centre for Disease Control). U.S. Government lost a Landmark Vaccine Lawsuit.

Vaccine injury lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Del Bigtree, producer of the suppressed vaccine documentary, 'VAXXED' and the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) are credited with this victory.

They demanded the relevant government documents proving that all federally approved vaccines had been tested for quality over the past 32 years '-- and there were NONE!

LIABILITY: All government officials who have passed laws legalizing vaccine fraud at the state, national, or international level, or otherwise aided and abetted this vaccine fraud can now be charged with vaccine fraud, criminal malfeasance and in some cases, war crimes under the Nuremberg Code.

Bill Gates needs to be brought to the Military Tribunal. Read artilce here

Truth11 Films | Wireless GenocideMicrowave RadiationPart of the Depopulation Agenda

Truth11 Films 13th release. This film explains the big picture of microwave radiation. Cell phones, Smart meters, Wifi, Cell towers and their connection to chemtrails. From who invented microwave radiation, how it has developed, and the big picture view of exactly what its doing to us all, by whom, why they are doing it and how they are getting away with it, and what we can do about it.

Microwave radiation threatens the continued existence of the human race.

Please share this film freely.

www.brighteon.com/6fadffc4-3f38-47d7-b375-f140f4486247

D is for a Dictatorship Disguised as a Democracy

Our losses are mounting with every passing day.

Free speech, the right to protest, the right to challenge government wrongdoing, due process, a presumption of innocence, the right to self-defense, accountability and transparency in government, privacy, press, sovereignty, assembly, bodily integrity, representative government: all of these and more have become casualties in the government's war on the American people.

The American people have been treated like enemy combatants, to be spied on, tracked, scanned, frisked, searched, subjected to all manner of intrusions, intimidated, invaded, raided, manhandled, censored, silenced, shot at, locked up, and denied due process.

None of these dangers have dissipated.

They have merely disappeared from our televised news streams.

The new boss has proven to be the same as the old boss, and the American people, the permanent underclass in America, has allowed itself to be so distracted and divided that they have failed to notice the building blocks of tyranny being laid down right under their noses by the architects of the Deep State. Read article here

5G Depopulation Agenda

Current multiple threats to humanity, from chemtrails to fluoridation to vaccines to glyphosphates to 5G. These attacks are a coordinated attempt to depopulate 90% of humanity.

Their accelerating program towards the culling of billions of human beings from this planet, SERCO is the lynch pin which implicates the Crown as perpetrator of this well-planned genocide. 5G is key to their plan and must be stopped. Read Article Here

5G Apocalypse ''The Extinction Event''

9/11/01

The Rothschild Khazarian Mafia Chieftains decide that it is time to use America to complete their final take-down and occupation of the Whole World by instituting a major False-Flag attack inside America to blame on the Islamics whom they want America to wrongly attack on their behalf:

So the Khazarian Mafia Chieftains use their top Israeli-American ''Israeli-first'' dual citizens living in America (aka, the PNACers and top NeoCon Cutouts) to plan a major nuclear attack on America on 9-11-01.

Bibi Netanyahu, the operational head of the KM, deployed the Mossad and these Dual Citizens to set up and institute this attack on America which was to be blamed by the CMMM on Muslims.

They informed their top Rabbis and ''Friends of World Zionism'' not to fly on that day and to stay out of NYC, as did ''Larry Silverfish'', one of the primary men involved in the operation.

They used their main cutout in the DOD to lure the Able Danger investigators to the Pentagon Naval Intel meeting room, where they would be assassinated by a Tomahawk cruise missile that was fired from an Israeli Dolphin class Diesel submarine bought from Germany.

Thirty-five of the Able Danger investigators who were investigating and tracking the Israeli theft of 350 decommissioned W-54 Davy Crockett nuclear pits out of the backdoor at Pantex in Texas were murdered by this Tomahawk hit, which was timed with the detonation of bombs pre-planted in the Naval Intel wing, which was newly hardened to no avail. This footage shows the the Pentagon being hit by a missile, that was never shown to public.

The Israeli Mossad front company, Urban Moving Systems, was used to transport the mini-nukes made from the stolen W-54 nuclear pits from Pantex (and originally made at the Hanford processing plant), where they were stored in the Israeli Embassy in NYC and transported to the Twin Towers for detonation on 9-11-01. Read more here

9/11 + The CIA

A former US government intelligence agent who worked for the CIA during attacks on September 11th, 2001, has given a sworn affidavit stating that 9/11 was an inside job. The ex-CIA agent, who's also an experienced commercial airline pilot, has blown the whistle on the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings, claiming that the three towers were actually brought down by controlled demolitions, and not by passenger planes that were flown by amateur pilots.

Former CIA agent John Lear has not only given a sworn statement as an expert witness, but he has also produced conclusive evidence that disproves the official narrative that the towers were destroyed by airplanes that were highjacked and flown by terrorists. Read more here

No Planes on 9/11

We are as a planet mostly all aware that 9/11 was a controlled demolition that resulted in 3 buildings collapse. We understand that this was planned and carried out by the US government as a false flag event to enable the police state and fake perpetual war on terror. We know that no plane hit the Pentagon or building 7, but what about the planes that we have all seen footage of hitting the twin towers. After closer inspection you can see that no planes were present in those towers either. Read more here

This footage shows an non edited timeline showing the second explosion without a plane.

Our latest film TRUTH11 FILMS | WIRELESS GENOCIDE | Microwave Radiation Part of the Depopulation agenda, will be released soon.

This film is 2 hours and 45 mins long, and explains the big picture of microwave radiation. From who invented it, how it has developed, and the big picture view of exactly what its doing to us all, by whom, why they are doing it and how they are getting away with it, and what we can do about it.

We are releasing the film transcript. Simply because its ready now and can be read by many to inform them of the dangers so they can do something about it. The film will be released soon, date to be announced. Read the transcript HERE

World Health OrganizationSetting The Standard For A Wireless World Of Harm

Radiofrequency/microwave radiation is everywhere'--constantly and increasingly emanating from cell phones, WiFi routers, cell towers and telecommunications satellites. It is proliferating unchecked and people are suffering and dying because of it. Via its International EMF Project, WHO is supposed to be protecting us from the harmful effects of this radiation'--radiation that we cannot see, smell or taste, even though it penetrates and affects every cell of our electromagnetic bodies.

WHO is failing to protect its global citizens from this pervasive pollutant in four key ways:

1. industry infiltration2. intentional ignorance3. denial of the science4. disregard for humanity.

This document provides details of these inexcusable failures and what urgently needs to be done to address them. It also outlines what WHO must do to reverse this destructive course'--for itself and for the global citizens it is supposed to protect. Read article and download document here. Download document here

Microwave Weapons Designed To Kill Us= Cell Phones, WiFi, Cell Towers, Smart Meters'... All Part of the Depopulation Agenda

Physicist Blows Whistle on Microwave WeaponryExposes Assaults on Populations Everywhere''We are irreparably damaging the very fabric of life''

The age of wireless technology, ubiquitous microwave transmissions and countless cellphone towers have transformed the planet in profound and fundamental ways. Especially where it concerns human health and environmental integrity, the effects of these various frequency assaults have been nothing short of catastrophic.

If the people of the world truly understood the deleterious effects of these unseen and unfelt frequencies, they would have abandoned their cell phones and bluetooths decades ago. It has been proven beyond any doubt by the best science available that certain types of electromagnetic radiation can have highly damaging effects on the human body. Likewise, when animals and plants are exposed to these fields of harmful EMR, they too suffer great consequences. Read Article here

FACTS

There is now 10 billion times more radiation in our environment than there was in the 1960s.If current trends continue, 50% of the population in Austria, California, England, Ireland, Germany and Sweden will be feeling the effects of electromagnetic radiation by 2017. Canada will be no different.Swisscom, the Swiss telecommunications company, says non-thermal wireless radiation ''has a genotoxic effect'', causing ''clear damage to hereditary material [DNA]'' and an ''increased cancer risk''.EMR adversely affects the blood cells of ALL individuals, whether they feel the effects or not.EMR damages cell membranes, causing them to leak calcium and create many health issues, such as altered brain function, autism, infertility, EHS, hypocalcaemia, DNA damage, thyroid problems, osteoporosis, endocrine imbalances, early dementia, asthma, neurological disorders and multiple chemical sensitivities.Autism in children is doubling every five years, paralleling the rise of EMR, and there is now a 1-in-50 chance of a child developing or being born with autism in North America.Almost every grade in every elementary school in North America has at least one child with autism'--a disorder that was nearly unheard of a generation ago.Electromagnetic radiation breaks down the all-important blood''brain barrier, causing the death of neurons, which can result in early dementia and Alzheimer's disease.Just 5 minutes of Wi-Fi exposure can cause cell mutation, oxidation and rouleaux'-- all of which are associated with illness and disease.The average cumulative whole-body exposure from a Smart meter at 3 feet is about 100 times more than that from a cell phone.How The CIA Made Google

As our governments push to increase their powers, Insurge Intelligence can now reveal the vast extent to which the US intelligence community is implicated in nurturing the web platforms we know today, for the precise purpose of utilizing the technology as a mechanism to fight global 'information war''Š'--'Ša war to legitimize the power of the few over the rest of us. The lynchpin of this story is the corporation that in many ways defines the 21st century with its unobtrusive omnipresence: Google.

Google styles itself as a friendly, funky, user-friendly tech firm that rose to prominence through a combination of skill, luck, and genuine innovation. This is true. But it is a mere fragment of the story. In reality, Google is a smokescreen behind which lurks the US military-industrial complex.

The inside story of Google's rise, revealed here for the first time, opens a can of worms that goes far beyond Google, unexpectedly shining a light on the existence of a parasitical network driving the evolution of the US national security apparatus, and profiting obscenely from its operation. Read Article Here

We Are Right In The Middle Of A Fucking Reptile Zoo

Raoul Duke:

I was right in the middle of a fucking reptile zoo, and somebody was giving booze to these goddamn things. Won't be long now before they tear us to shreds.

Hunter S Thompson

Blue blood lines, vampires, lizard people, consuming blood daily to keep their shape shifting appearance in the public eye. Red Cross has been there on the front lines collecting blood from war carnage, and we donate to them openly, the Queen and the rest of the reptile blood line that have been running our world for thousands of years must be exposed and stopped. Time and time again children have gone missing in many countries and the public are aware of the sinister blood bath ring that surrounds these lizard people. The truth is being realized and with the help of so many cameras and video they can't seem to keep up the shape shifting 100% of the time and we are seeing proof of their true identities. Read Article Here

Putin Announces The Worlds Ruling Class Are Reptilians

The Russian president said that ''95% of the world's ruling class are not even human,'' but are ''cold-blooded hybrids'' who are ''members of an ancient cult.'' Read article here

#ReptilianQueen

From the Royal Website ''Earlier this week the Queen was seen by thousands of people in a form they are not acquainted with. We seek to reassure the public that the Queen is still the Queen, and remains the respected and loved figure they have always known. While she may not be human, she is a devoted leader and Monarch and she believes her subjects will grow to accept her and her family for what they are.'' Read article here

Russia Today Declares 9/11 Was An Inside Job

Possibly the biggest and most public 9/11 story to date.

The Top Of The Pyramid

The United States Is A Corporation

Human Status Of A Corporation = Enfranchisement Vs Natural Person

Living in todays nazi fascist police state, understanding the corrupt system they use to control us cattle is of great importance. Read article here

Everything Is Fake | 40 Things You May Have Thought Were Real

The good thing though is that once you awaken to the deception, you can use it as a tool for raising your consciousness. The idea that virtually everything is fake can be empowering rather than depressing. Fake News, Fake Journalism, Fake Entertainment, Fake PR and Advertising, Fake Medicine, Fake Scientific Research, Fake Acquired Immunity, Fake Food, Fake Water, Fake Choice, Fake Money, Fake Economy, Fake Free Markets, Fake Free Trade Agreements, Fake Accounting, Fake Welfare, Fake Government, Fake Republic, Fake Democracy, Fake Elections, Fake National Security, Fake Defence, Fake Education, Fake Law, Fake Rights, Fake Consent, Fake Morality, Fake Spirituality, Fake Clouds, Fake Lone Nutter Killers, Fake Boogeymen, Fake False Flag Attacks, Fake Crisis Actors, Fake Pandemics, Fake Moon Landing, Fake International Space Station, Fake Space Walks, Fake History, Fake Authority and Fake Universe. Read Article here.

Why Are There No Real Photos Of The Complete Earth? = NASA Has Never Been Into Space

In nearly 60 years of alleged space exploration NASA has never been able to offer us a single genuine photograph of the Earth from space'--NOT ONE! Even though we've had good, high-resolution cameras for nearly 100 years, NASA has never taken a true photograph of the Earth

By their own admission, all of the pictures we see are composites, paintings or computer-generated images. Why is this? Could the answer be, horror of horrors, that NASA has never been into space'--or at least, not far enough from the Earth to get the whole planet in the frame? Read Article Here

War Is A Global Economic and Control Phenomenon

Definition: Phenomenon: | fÉËn¤mÉˌn¤n , -nÉn | noun ( pl. phenomena | -nÉ | ) F act or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.

War is a global economic and control phenomenon that exists in our reality not as a constant of human behaviour, but a manufactured situation that is forced upon us by bankers, the royal family and the other Bilderberg NWO Nazi cronies. Bankers and elite globally without borders have control of apposing countries and forces and they play a game of risk, the board game of global domination. They don't care who wins, because they win on both sides. They supply the money for the arms and sell the arms to both sides. They control the population by creating a world wide situation that no one can avoid. All are called to duty, all forget the current reality and focus on the new world war reality. 120 Countries now in war games. ..Peaceful global revolution can avoid WW3 | No More Business As Usual. Read article here

Weaponized Cell Towers

A microwave oven's internal magnetron, which is virtually the same as that of a radar- or cell phone tower, transforms that electrical energy into microwaves. The magnetron inside a microwave oven an be easily adapted into a very lethal ray gun '' A typical cell phone tower, ''A giant microwave oven on a stick,'' capable of releasing 3,000,000 watts (3 megawatts) of output power to the tower's magnetron '' or even more megawatts, if there is an amplifier at the top.

To put this into perspective, one (1) watt from your cell phone can go 25 miles to the nearest cell phone tower, to relay your call's signal to the person on the other end of the line. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limits the amount of energy that a cell phone tower can release to 400 watts.

These megawatts of extra power are NOT for data transfer '' nothing close to that amount of energy is required for data transfer '' which is an important point, because this suggests that cell phone towers are easily capable of being switched to Weaponized Mode.

That cell phone towers are wired with the capability to release millions of watts of microwave radiation makes them veritable of ''towers of death'', the perfect weapons against an ''invasion'' '' or the mega-slaughter of the domestic population.

Virtually all towns, all over the world have the amount of towers necessary to fry the populations in their vicinity. Read Article Here

No Planes Were Used To Bring Down Any Towers On 911

We are as a planet mostly all aware that 9/11 was a controlled demolition that resulted in 3 buildings collapse. We understand that this was planned and carried out by the US government as a false flag event to enable the police state and fake perpetual war on terror. We know that no plane hit the Pentagon or building 7, but what about the planes that we have all seen footage of hitting the twin towers. After closer inspection you can see that no planes were present in those towers either.

This footage shows an non edited timeline showing the second explosion without a plane.

''Official'' 9/11 story destroyed! Irrefutable un-doctored photographic and scientific evidence, whistleblower videos, expert testimony and undeniable truths. Read full article here

UFO Clear Footage

Secret UFO Footage Released and several other clear videos showing UFO's

View article with all videos here

Welcome To The Global Revolution

'–½ Self Government System '–½

UNITY11

'–½

Global daily tyranny of the few must end, this we all know. Replacing one lizard bastard with another is not the answer. The top down pyramid control system of the few, favours those at the top. The few can make decisions for the many for the benefit of the few. This control system needs to be inverted. Invert the pyramid and have the control be given to the many. The many will choose whats best for the many, not the few. We cannot implement this structure within the current system. We cannot continue to support the current system with our taxes, time and effort as it fuels the few, war, starvation, poverty, and despair.

The Solution:

No More Business As Usual

Stop what you are contributing to the system and spend your time focused on breaking up their control grid, becoming self sufficient and unifying with fellow humans.

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Replace the corrupt government of the few with a global system

where the many decide what is good for the many.

Invert the control pyramid

=

United We Stand '–½ United We Decide '–½ United We Thrive

Self Government System

UNITY11

'–½

Join the Global Self Government Revolution

UNITY11 is a division of Truth11.com

UNITY11 goal is to organize and empower the truth movement. Informed, organized and connected using a system of self government with the goals of world peace and prosperity for everyone. Read more here

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111 Articles On Wireless Pollution

190 scientists from 38 nations have submitted the International EMF Scientist Appeal to the United Nations, UN member states and the World Health Organization (WHO) requesting they adopt more protective exposure guidelines for electromagnetic fields (EMF) and wireless technology in the face of increasing evidence of risk from this rapidly increasing environmental pollutant. The scientists who have signed the Appeal have collectively published over 2,000 peer-reviewed papers on the biological or health effects of non-ionizing radiation. It was submitted on 11 may 2015 to His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, to Dr. Margaret Chan, MD, Director General of the World Health Organization, and to the United Nations Member States. Read article here

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Facebook = CIA

Mark Zuckerberg is David Rockefellers grandson. Fucking Nazi lizard bastards.

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Harnessing Black Holes:

The Large Hadron Collider, Ultimate Weapon Of Mass Destruction

The stakes are the highest they have ever been. The Large Hadron Collider is a dangerous instrument wielded by men and women seeking ultimate knowledge and power. The start-up April 5 has initiated a more reckless use of LHC's capabilities, endangering all life including our universe.

Spouses and family members of the CERN scientists, energy companies supplying electricity to this facility, environmental and spiritual organizations, and citizens in every country '' we must shut this project down now. Read article here

CERN To Attempt 'Big Bang', Stephen Hawking Issues Warning; 'God particle' found by CERN ''could destroy the universe''

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Fukushima Radiation Is Part Of The Depopulation Agenda

Leuren Moret, MA, PhD ABD, confirms that Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, is employing Russian HAARP to lay an electromagnetic fence around Russia to keep out plumes filled with Fukushima radiation, thereby protecting the Russian people from depopulation. Putin is also constructing BRICS, a banking model to protect against collapse of world financial system, built on U$dollar Rothschild-dominated private debt-based fiat-currency as a prison for humanity.

The U.S. Government and Jesuit controlled sections of the HAARP environmental weapons system, under President Barack Obama in coordination with monarchies and Zionist banking networks, are creating polar vortex and nuclear typhoons filled with Fukushima radiation that is then dropped on the northern hemisphere populations, especially targeting the United States people with depopulating radiation. Read article here

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The Fall of the Nazizionists

7 Articles from Benjamin Fulford

G20 meeting was a total defeat for the cabal, Bush and Cohen crime families on the run | Pentagon ready to take action as US Nazionist rogue regime now totally isolated | Over 20 national governments to be overthrown as cabal take-down begins, CIA sources say | First the evil Pope, then the dumb Secretary of Defense, now Netanyahu, next the Bush clan | Torture Report Paves Way For Arrest Of Top Nazionists | US regime under unprecedented attack, black swan event imminent| Read articles here

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Top 5 Special Interest Groups Lobbying To Keep Marijuana Illegal:

1. Police Unions, 2. Private Pensions, 3. Alcohol and Beer Companies, 4. Pharmaceutical Corporations, and 5. Prison Guard Unions. Read Article here

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Truth11 Films

WARNING: Global Extermination In Full Effect

Our 12th film is called; WARNING: Global Extermination In Full Effect. This film is a big picture understanding of the plans that are being carried out around the world to cull the population. The global elite, nazi, sabbetean mafia who have been running our world for thousands of years, are currently carrying out plans to exterminate 95% of the worlds population. When you look at each way they are killing us daily, many feel there is no larger agenda. This film ties in all areas of attack and shows if you look at the big picture for what it is; a global extermination plan, you will see the truth. The film also provides solutions to this problem and explains what is necessary to stop this extermination process, Total Global Revolution. Watch film here

#Trending?, why not spark a revolution: #NoMoreBusinessAsUsual = The Revolution Solution.

Read article here

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Ebola: Biological Warfare By US Government, The Master Criminal Of Our Time

Experts have brought to the public's attention that ebola is a genetically modified organism developed in US biowarfare laboratories in Africa. Read article here

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Nuclear Experimentation | Year 69 Of A 100,000 Year Wast Cycle

On 16th July 1945, 69 years ago, the United States Army set off the Trinity detonation in New Mexico, the beginning of the infamous Manhattan Project.

69 years later, nuclear experimentation has proven to be a failed experiment at every step, and the inextricable nuclear fuel and nuclear war cycles to be a deadly chain of meltdowns, bombings and denials. And still nuclear experimentation industrialists tout the 'safety' and 'cleanliness' of nuclear energy, when the facts of its commercial and wartime destruction tell us nothing could be farther from the truth.

In reality, the same destructive energy that powers one, powers the other. Nothing on our planet is more deadly and volatile than nuclear. The entropy caused by nuclear experimentation of both kinds permeates the elements and rattles all life at an atomic level, negatively altering our biological heritage, our land, and our health '' everything we value.

Meanwhile, alternative energy technologies are systematically suppressed while the threat of nuclear warfare continues to escalate '' both for the benefit of the oligarchy. Read article here

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Tokyo Contaminated From Fukushima; Not Fit for Habitation

The policies of the WHO, the IAEA or the Japanese government cannot be trusted.'' and ''if the power to save our citizens and future generations exists somewhere, it does not lie within the government or any academic association.

Dr. Mita states that all 23 districts of Tokyo are contaminated, with the eastern area worst affected '-- up to 4 000 Bq/kg. (The becquerel is a unit of radioactivity. One Bq is the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second.) These findings confirm what the nuclear physicist Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Nuclear Education found in 2012, when he picked up five random soil samples in Tokyo from between paving stones, in parks and playgrounds. The levels of contamination were up to 7 000 Bq/kg; in the US, anything registering these levels would be considered nuclear waste.

Independent science & independent reporting in Japan outlawed

In December 2013, the Japanese parliament passed a bill whereby public officials and private citizens could face ten years in prison for divulging ''special state secrets'', and journalists, five years, for seeking to obtain classified information. The bill is widely interpreted as a way of preventing sensitive information about Fukushima (among other topics) reaching the Japanese public and by extension the rest of the world. Read article here

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What is going on, has been going on and the power within us all

The purpose of this video is to expose the secrets, lies, suppressed information and illicit facts that most of the people in positions of authority would much rather keep you ignorant of and most everyone else doesn't even know exists. It's about challenging the comfortable world of official versions and established thinking by giving you access to the knowledge and information that will make the most powerful people, whether they are in government, business, academia, military, the judiciary, media, or the established church uncomfortable at the very least.It is designed for those seeking ''The TRUTH'' in this world of lies. This includes the truth about our unbelievably amazing ancient history, the truth about who/what has been behind most all of the atrocities committed against mankind and everything else on this planet as well as the truth about what God/spirituality/enlightenment actually is and our intimate connection to the field. Watch film here

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Thrive Documentary

THRIVE is an documentary that lifts the veil on what's REALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream '-- uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Watch film here.

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Army Preparing To Use Lethal Force Against Unarmed American Civilians

A document released by the U.S. Army details preparations for ''full scale riots'' within the United States during which troops may be forced to engage in a ''lethal response'' to deal with unruly crowds of demonstrators. The 132-page document, titled U.S. Army Techniques Publication 3-39.33: Civil Disturbances (PDF), was written in April 2014 and recently obtained by Public Intelligence. The document makes it clear that the techniques detailed therein are to be applied both outside and inside the ''continental United States (CONUS)'' in the event of ''unruly and violent crowds'' where it is ''necessary to quell riots and restore public order.'' The most shocking aspect of the document is the fact that it describes the deployment of a ''lethal response'' directed against ''unarmed civilians,'' including ''sniper response'' and ''small arms direct fire.'' Under the heading ''sniper response,'' the document states, ''Ensure that target leaders or troublemakers are targeted,'' in addition to a passage which states, ''Exploit the psychological effect of an attack.'' Read article here

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GMO Golden Rice | The Scourge Of Asia

Asia's dependency on rice cultivation for both subsidence and income is intuitively understood. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates the agricultural population of lowland rice cultivation in Asia to be over 470 million '' larger than the entire population of the United States. Improvements in rice cultivation would stand to lift hundreds of millions from debt and poverty. Conversely, the disruption of rice cultivation would threaten to mire hundreds of millions in deeper debt, inescapable destitution, and all of the negative socioeconomic implications that follow. Read article here

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Transhumanism | The Road To Singularity

Scientists from all over the world are warning that robots and artificial intelligence could eliminate humanity

A haunting sculpture of a humanoid robotic figure crawling through water is featured at the Grove Hotel in Watford, UK.

The site of the secretive 2013 Bilderberg meeting. The Grove hotel hosted Google's annual Zeitgeist conference just a few short days prior to Bilderberg's gathering. Google's CEO Eric Schmidt, who currently employs top transhumanist Ray Kurzweil as director of engineering, must have felt a kindred spirit at the Grove and its metallic humanoid sculptures.

Transhumanists embrace the idea of radical human evolution aided by technology. Some see an entirely new species emerging when revolutionary technologies begin to be applied to the human race. Technologies for the improvement of human performance are at the center of transhumanist thought. Most of these technologies begin with military applications, and only after a period of use by the military or black operations are they unveiled to the general public. Read article here

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Truth11 Films | Goodbye Blue Sky

Chemtrails, Ignored Genocide From Above

Truth11 Films 13th film release; s a look at the global problem we all face in Chemtrails or geoengineering.

The film explains the difference between contrails and chemtrails, who is spraying us and why. What it is doing to our health and what you can do to prevent the planned global genocide that the elite is attempting.

Chemtrails are part of the global culling of the masses. Yet this obvious pollutant from above is largely ignored.

Hidden in plain sight, most don't understand the dangers that are falling from the sky.

The film enables us to understand what is going on and what to do about it. See film here

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Documentary: The Great Culling

The Great Culling of the human race already has begun. Covertly, insidiously, mercilessly, a global depopulation agenda has been launched. It is being done through chemicals added to our drinking water, food, medicines, and the air we breathe '' chemicals that have the known effect of reducing fertility and shortening lifespan. See film here

Water Control: Another Part Of The Culling Of The Human Herd

The globalist agenda '' thinning the human herd down from near seven billion currently to as low as just half a billion. That means 13 out of 14 of us alive today according to their diabolical oligarch plan simply must die within the next few years. And what better way to rapidly kill off the human population than taking full ownership and control over the earth's limited diminishing water supply. Read article here

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NDAA Indefinite Detention

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Sections 1021 and 1022, authorizes the indefinite military detention, without charge or trial, of any person, including an American citizen, and applies the ''Law of War,'' to U.S. soil, making the United States legally a battlefield. Read article here.

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Cannabis Cures Cancer | High Potency Hemp Oil

The Holy Grail of Natural Medicine has been found. It is High Potency Hemp Oil' grown from selected varieties of Cannabis Sativa (the same species that produces marijuana) specifically selected and bred (through natural, not GMO methods) to have very low THCs (the get-you-high compounds) and very high CBDs (the get-you-well compounds).

Hemp has been illegal to grow in the US since 1933, creating a sort of legislative Reefer Madness, despite the fact that it has been cultivated for at last 9,000 years for fiber, food and remedy. And although legislation has recently been proposed to amend the hemp-hostile laws, growing it remains legal in several states but illegal at the Federal level.

Hemp oil as a treatment for cancer and a host of other diseases and conditions was largely popularized by the efforts of Canadian Rick Simpson who cured his own cancer and tried to share the wonders of his discovery without seeking a patent or other compensation. Although hemp can legally be grown in Canada under strict controls (e.g., farmers must obtain only permitted low THC seed), hemp oil is not a legal substance and Simpson found himself eye-to-eye with the might of the Canadian government. He migrated to Europe where he could pursue his miracle. Read article here

See also

97% Of The Time Chemotherapy Does not Work

Doctors and pharmaceutical companies make money from it. That's the only reason chemotherapy is still used. Not because it's effective, decreases morbidity, mortality or diminishes any specific cancer rates. In fact, it does the opposite. Chemotherapy boosts cancer growth and long-term mortality rates. Most chemotherapy patients either die or are plagued with illness within 10-15 years after treatment. It destroys their immune system, increases neuro-cognitive decline, disrupts endocrine functioning and causes organ and metabolic toxicities. Patients basically live in a permanent state of disease until their death. The cancer industry marginalizes safe and effective cures while promoting their patented, expensive, and toxic remedies whose risks far exceed any benefit. This is what they do best, and they do it because it makes money, plain and simple. Read article here

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Truth11 Films | Fukushima 3/11 HAARP and Nuclear Attack on the World

Truth11 Films 12th Film release: Looks at the Events of 3/11/2011 and how it changed the world forever.

The Japan earthquake and ''accidents'' at the Fukushima's 6 nuclear power plant units starting March 11, 2011 Were deliberate acts of tectonic nuclear warfare, carried out against the populations ecology of Japan, and the nations of the Northern Hemisphere, including the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

This short film is a synopsis of the entire situation, who, why, how, when, and what it means to you. This essential short film informs you of the dangers that are present to you and your family and provides solutions and recommendations for you and your family. The film condenses articles and research from three days prior to the event to present day. It also has information from interviews by Alfred Lambremont Webre released May 9, 2011, with independent scientist Leuren Moret.

This situation affects us all. Please share this film. See film here

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Truth11 Films | The Cost Of WiFi and Cellular Technology

Truth11 Films 11th film discusses EHS ElectroHyper-Sensitivity and the growing issue of wireless pollution from WiFi and Cellular sources. Something that affects us all and poses a serious threat to our health and sanity. The film also looks at the role wireless technology plays in our privacy and freedom. Watch the short film here or above.

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Typhoon Haiyan | An Act Of Weather Warfare

The strongest typhoon ever to hit land, leaving destruction and death in its path, is conveniently attributed to climate change by the mainstream media but that is not the case. In the past week, independent weatherman 'Dutchsinse' shot several YouTube videos dissecting the typhoon system passing through the Philippines, believing it to be produced by weather manipulation, specifically microwave pulse technology. This is an act of weather warfare using HAARP. Read article here

HAARP

'In a United States Department of Defense transcript from April, 28th 1997, then Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, shocked the public by admitting that weaponized weather has been created through the use of ''electromagnetic waves.'' The Weather Modification Association has admitted that governments have been altering the weather since at least 1950.

The HAARP project (High Altitude Auroral Research Project) is an integral part of the attempt to ''own the weather'' HAARP has the potential to jam global communication systems, change weather patterns over large areas, interfere with wildlife migration patterns and negatively affect human health. It is also capable of triggering targeted floods, droughts, hurricanes and earthquakes. Read more articles on HAARP in its category on Truth11 or here

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EHS Electro-Hypersensitivity

Electro-Hypersensitivity (EHS) is a condition that has been known about since 1932 and has been called various names in different countries around the world (particularly in Europe, Canada and the former Soviet Union). The labels include Microwave Sickness, Radio Wave Syndrome, EMF Intolerance Syndrome and Rapid Aging Syndrome. Whatever you call it, the condition is real and has been known to exist for over 80 years.

The typical EHS symptoms are headaches (tension along the sides of the head), heart palpitations/pressure in the chest, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), fatigue, skin rashes (particularly on the face), memory & concentration difficulties, irritability and sleep disturbance. Approximately 300,000 people in Sweden (a country that officially acknowledges EHS as a functional impairment) are affected. Millions of people throughout the world are likely affected, yet most do not realize that microwave radiation and electrical pollution are the cause of their symptoms.

EHS is analogous to an allergy and once the body becomes sensitized to sources of EMF pollution, the only known treatment is to significantly reduce exposure. This can have a dramatic impact on one's life, with some electro-sensitive people giving up their career, their home, social networks and sometimes even their family because it is difficult to live in

our modern environment that is now filled with electrical pollution and microwave radiation. There have been multiple suicides around the world related to severe cases of EHS. Thus, the condition can have devastating effects on individuals and families. Read article; 11 Articles On EHS | Living With Electrohypersensitivity | A Survival Guide here

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SHADE the Motion Picture

SHADE the Motion Picture exposes the true power structure embedded in our global reality, showing the true controllers their plans to Geo-engineer our planet and control the populace. Watch full movie here

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The Fed Is The Biggest Ponzi Scheme In The History Of The World

The value of the U.S. dollar has declined by more than 95 percent since the Federal Reserve was created nearly 100 years ago. As we approach the 100 year anniversary of the creation of the Fed, it is absolutely imperative that we get the American people to understand that the Fed is at the very heart of our economic problems. It is a system of money that was created by the bankers and that operates for the benefit of the bankers. The Fed is the biggest Ponzi scheme in the history of the world, and if the American people truly understood how it really works, they would be screaming for it to be abolished immediately. Read article here

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Police Are More Dangerous To The Public Than Are Criminals

The worse threat every American faces comes from his/her own government.

At the federal level the threat is a seventh war (Syria) in 12 years, leading on to the eighth and ninth (Iran and Lebanon) and then on to nuclear war with Russia and China. The criminal psychopaths in Washington have squandered trillions of dollars on their wars, killing and dispossessing millions of Muslims while millions of American citizens have been dispossessed of their homes and careers. Now the entire social safety net is on the chopping bloc so that Washington can finance more wars.

At the state and local level every American faces brutal, armed psychopaths known as the police. The ''law and order'' conservatives and the ''compassionate'' liberals stand silent while police psychopaths brutalize children and grandmothers, murder double amputees in wheel chairs, break into the wrong homes, murder the family dogs, and terrify the occupants, pointing their automatic assault weapons in the faces of small children.

The American police perform no positive function. They pose a much larger threat to citizens than do the criminals who operate without a police badge. Americans would be safer if the police forces were abolished.

The police have been militarized and largely federalized by the Pentagon and the gestapo Homeland Security. The role of the federal government in equipping state and local police with military weapons, including tanks, and training in their use has essentially removed the police from state and local control. No matter how brutal any police officer, it is rare that any suffer more than a few months suspension, usually with full pay, while a report is concocted that clears them of any wrong doing.

In America today, police murder with impunity. All the psychopaths have to say is, ''I thought his wallet was a gun,'' or ''we had to taser the unconscious guy we found lying on the ground, because he wouldn't obey our commands to get up.'' Read article here

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War Is A Racket

In the 1930s, an outstanding Major General of the Marine Corps, Smedley Butler, went public with information that he was approached by powerful industrialists to be involved in a plot to overthrow the United States government. Led by powerful business magnates with the intention of ousting President Roosevelt and installing a Fascist dictatorship ruled by business magnates and a private army of half a million US soldiers, this coup was disrupted by Butler's integrity and willingness to be one of the military industrial complex's first whistleblowers.

These events led Butler to publish a short book that today still gives us a realistic and truthful picture of the forces keeping this nation in a perpetual state of emergency, involving us in war after war against other nations, and diverting so much of our wealth and resources to military buildup. War Is A Racket. Read article here.

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With All The Extreme Government Corruption, Why Are People Still Supporting The System With Money?

Freedom Is Possible |Extreme Government Corruption Does Not Have To Be Our Reality | We Need To Look At Iceland's Example

The Benghazi murders. TSA groping at the airport. NSA spying on innocent Americans. Unlabeled genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). Illegal wars in the Middle East. Unlimited printing of fiat currency by the privately-owned Federal Reserve Bank. Everywhere you look these days, the federal occupying powers are flagrantly displaying their authoritarian intentions against us all while simultaneously trampling the U.S. Constitution without shame. And yet this tyranny is all being made possible by a compliant populace that continues to dutifully pay federal income taxes.

We the People, who are supposed to be represented by a government structure designed to protect our liberties, have become enslaved to ruthless tyrants that have infiltrated the system's highest ranks. From local officials all the way up to the office of the presidency, corruption has encroached virtually every crevice of the civil structure, and yet there is no conjoined or unified effort by the populace at large to do anything about this travesty.

In places like Iceland, the people have shown their willingness to rise up and rid their government structures of all the scoundrels, which is precisely what occurred during the most recent and ongoing global economic crisis. According to a Forbes.com article from earlier this year, the systemic failure of Iceland's banking system back in 2008, which was the direct result of the same globalist takeover that has already taken place in the U.S. and throughout much of Europe, led to an eventual revolt where Icelanders indicted those responsible and basically kicked them out of all levels of power.

Today, Iceland is one of the freest nations on earth, thanks in large part to the solidarity of its people, who have proven that they value freedom and independence over blind complacency. Read article here and see the Icelandic President discuss choosing democracy and human rights over the banks here

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The Genocide Of The American People | Food As A Weapon

We've reached the point that any person with critical thinking skills can no longer deny that we are being deliberately poisoned. Nearly everything that is reasonably priced to eat or drink is actually toxic. The glowing health claims and the stamps of approval from the EPA, the FDA, and USDA, are fraudulent smoke and mirrors '' people are actually being deceived into spending money to purchase the substances that will lead to disease and demise.

A chemical warfare has been declared on us. The battlefields are our homes, the grocery stores, the pharmacies. This is genocide, and we are the intended victims. As early as 1974 food became the top weapon of the United Nations in a stealthy war waged on the citizens of the world. Read article here.

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Obama Threatens Humanity

He represents the worst of rogue governance. He does so lawlessly. He serves monied interests. They own him. Whatever they want they get. He violates core rule of law principles. He mocks democratic rule. He's waging multiple imperial wars. He's doing so on humanity. He plans others. He looted the nation's wealth. He handed it to Wall Street, war profiteers, and other corporate crooks. He wrecked the economy. He lets popular needs go begging. He ignores growing poverty, unemployment, hunger, homelessness and despair. He governs by diktat. He permits lawless torture. Global renditions persist on his watch. He institutionalized tyranny. He authorized indefinitely detaining anyone called a national security threat without charge or trial (including US citizens). He heads America's Murder, Inc. agenda. He prioritizes targeted assassinations anywhere. He authorized killing US citizens abroad. He deployed special forces death squads globally. They operate covertly in 120 or more countries. He destroyed hard won labor rights. He's commodifying education. He wants it made another business profit center. He's waging war on freedom. He wants it destroyed on his watch. He targets Muslims, Latinos, African Americans, environmental activists, animal rights defenders, truth-tellers and whistleblowers. He pronounced Bradley Manning guilty by accusation. Doing so assures conviction. Read article here

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Truth11 Films | Drones, Assassination WIthout Trial, Nazis In Power

Truth11's latest short film discusses the purpose of the drone program and the actions of the US Government. Obamas drone program is CIA murder of innocent people and drones must be abolished. Here or Watch Below

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Agenda 21 + The Gulf Oil Spill Depopulation Event

The US government and the Chinese government are engaged in an motivated plot to relocate rural and suburban residents to more densely populated urban centers to live in overcrowded conditions where a person's every movement and every activity is monitored. The previously described policies are proving effective in moving populations into densely populated urban centers in accordance with Agenda 21 policy. However, the process is not as speedy as the globalists had hoped. The global elite needed a game-changing event in the United States. In order to speed things up, the elite bankers at Goldman Sachs masterminded the Gulf oil spill to this end. The Gulf Oil Spill Is a Depopulation Event of Epic Proportions. Read article here

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Solving World Hunger With 8 Days Of Peace

It has been calculated that it would cost $30 billion per year to eradicate world hunger. To put that into perspective for you, the US military spent $737 billion on 'military defense' in 2012, $30 billion of which is about 8 days of such an expenditure. 8 days of peace per year could fund the analyzation of world hunger. Imagine what 365 days per year of peace could do. Read article here

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Canada Being Assimilated into a US Dominated North American Security Perimeter

Canada's prime minister recently addressed the CFR. The U.S. and Canada are now further advancing this agenda through the Beyond the Border agreement. Both countries are increasing bilateral border transportation and infrastructure coordination. The perimeter security deal is being sold as vital to improving the flow of trade and travel across the border. In order to appease U.S. fears, Canada has made numerous concessions with no guarantees that it will lessen border restrictions. As part of a North American security perimeter, Canada will always be at the mercy of any new U.S. security measures, regardless of the dangers they may pose to privacy and civil liberties. Read article here

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The Purpose of Geoengineering and Chemtrails is Death

In earlier times it was easier to control a million people than physically to kill a million people. Today it is infinitely easier to kill a million people then to control a million people. '' Zbigniew Brzezinski (National Security Advisor, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg Group).

The evidence demonstrates that the primary purpose of the public nuisance of Geoengineering is to cause bodily injury and premature death with malice aforethought. The Geoengineers are well aware of the consequences of spraying tiny particles aluminum, barium, and other dangerous toxins into the atmosphere. Secondary purposes of Geoengineering include controlling the climate/weather for warfare and profits, and destroying the natural world while furthering the transhumanist/synthetic biology agenda.

The evidence indicates that Geoengineering is an essential element of the elite's Endgame move to depopulate the planet. The pubic must be educated and the stratospheric spraying stopped immediately. Read article here.

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Main Core: 8 Million+ Americans On The List

Are you on the list? Are you one of the millions of Americans that have been designated a threat to national security by the U.S. government? Will you be subject to detention when martial law is imposed during a major national emergency? There is a list that contains the names of at least 8 million Americans known as Main Core that the U.S. intelligence community has been compiling since the 1980s. If you have ever been publicly critical of the government, there is a very good chance that you are on that list. Read article here

Truth11 Films lastest film The Enemy Within. The camps are built, the drills have been run. The police state is secured. Its time to wake up. Don't get on the bus to the camps, if your on the Main Core list get off the grid. View on Vimeo

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Bradley Manning Court-Martial: Secrecy and Injustice on Trial

America honors its worst. It persecutes its best. Manning is heroic. He risked great personal harm. He did so to reveal vital truths. People have a right to know. Washington has no right to conceal them. Secrecy, lawlessness, and contempt for humanity define US policy. Evidence vital to Manning's defense is prohibited. Information refuting charges of ''aiding the enemy'' is barred from trial proceedings. Claiming it's not relevant or harmful to national security doesn't wash. Excluding it reflects police state justice. On June 3, United States v. Bradley Manning court-martial proceedings began. Pre-trial, Obama pronounced him guilty by accusation. Doing so denies any possibility of judicial fairness. His word is final. ''We are a nation of laws,'' he claimed. ''We don't let individuals make decisions about how the law operates. (Manning) broke the law.'' No nation spurns inviolable laws more egregiously than America. Obama reflects the worst of US governance. He rules by diktat authority. He does so secretly. He's waging war on humanity. He does so at home and abroad. With a stroke of his pen he could free Manning. Pronouncing guilt by accusation assures his conviction. Doing so publicly leaves no doubt. So do secret trial proceedings. They violate constitutional law. Read 11 Articles on Bradley Manning here

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US Suspends Constitution In Permanent World War On Terror

Two disturbing developments have occurred in the last couple of days that have gone relatively unnoticed. First, the senate is debating an expansion of the already broad powers of the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) so the U.S. can essentially engage any area in the world in the war on terror, including America. Which brings us to the second development: the Pentagon has recently granted itself police powers on American soil.

'It is hard to resist the conclusion that this war has no purpose other than its own eternal perpetuation. This war is not a means to any end but rather is the end in itself. Not only is it the end itself, but it is also its own fuel: it is precisely this endless war '' justified in the name of stopping the threat of terrorism '' that is the single greatest cause of that threat.'

A self-perpetuating permanent war against a shadowy undefinable enemy appears to be the future of American foreign policy. How convenient for the war machine and tyrants who claim surveillance is safety.

But perhaps most disturbing of all of this is the military's authority to police American streets as if it was in civil war. For all those still in denial that America is a militarized police state, this should be the ultimate cure to your delusion. Read Article Here

Truth11 Films Perpetual War

We have been tricked into fighting perpetual wars of mass genocide for pointless profit. There is no enemy. The enemy is within the US government. All exterior enemies are created to justify the advancing military industrial complex.

There is only one way war will end. The masses must rise up, unite, and demand world peace.

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Chemtrail Budget Exceeds Billions

A select group of diabolic oligarch globalists and their puppet cronies embedded within the United States government are heavily involved in crimes against humanity. These tyrants will stop at nothing to usher their hush, hush global aerosol agenda into full swing.According to a report prepared for the Air Force titled ''Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the WeatherBy 2025 the U.S. Air Force wants to fully control the weather on earth by the year 2025.Far surpassing even the most horrific act of terror (real or staged), posing as literal gods, these globalists will stop at nothing to control the world by not only controlling the fraudulent banking systems but by owning the weather through a process (blanket term) called Geoengineering. It looks as if members of the government's upper echelon and even members of the Senate will go to extreme lengths to suppress this vital information from reaching the American people. In regards to aerosol spraying into the earth's atmosphere, a recent update to data assembled by The Carnicom Institute reveals the chemicals used and their respective levels of concentration. The toxic levels that are being used in these aerosols goes beyond shocking '' it would appear that these levels are indeed criminal by EPA Standards; These figures indicate how many times they are over the allowable toxic limit:

Aluminum: 15.8Antimony: 63.3Arsenic: 418Barium: 5.3Cadmium: 6.0Chromium: 6.4Copper: 9.0Iron: 43.5Lead: 15.7Manganese: 513.8Nickel: 10.7Zinc: 7.5 Read article here___________

Google '' Bilderberg Merger = Planned-Opolis

This years agenda: Domestic Spying, Diffusing Social Protests, War On Syria and Iran + Lots More'...

Google's CEO Eric Schmidt is a regular Bilderberg attendee. his company is ''merging'' with Bilderberg. Google's annual Zeitgeist conference, which has been based at the Grove since 2007, immediately precedes the Bilderberg Group conference by a matter of days.'' Bilderberg's ''being recast as 'Google-Berg' '' partly because of efforts on behalf of activists to tear away the veil of Bilderberg's much cherished secrecy, and partly as a means of re-branding authoritarian, undemocratic secret gatherings of elites as trendy, liberal, feel-good philanthropic-style forums like Google Zeitgeist and TED. Eric Schmidt thinks ''privacy is a relic of the past,'' He ''plans to turn Google into the ultimate Big Brother.'' He and Bilderberg members share a common agenda. In part, it reflects a ''collectivist, permanently networked world (without) individuality and privacy.'' Bilderberg's grand design is one-world government comprised of rulers and serfs. It wants total unchallenged global control. June issues for discussion:

destroying Iran's nuclear facilities within three years; prolonging war on Syria by arming anti-Assad elements; the threat of a global pandemic; controlling 3D printing;Internet control through ''cyber resilience;''smart cities for mass surveillance;diffusing austerity induced social protests;preventing Britain from leaving the EU;propping up the euro to keep the Eurozone intact;minimal 2013 economic growth;increasing central bank power;transferring more wealth from ordinary people to corporations and super-rich elitesestablishing a ministry of truth; Orwell explained its mission and more, saying:''The Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies, the Ministry of Love with torture and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation.''''These contradictions are not accidental, nor do they result from from ordinary hypocrisy: they are deliberate exercises in doublethink.''

In joining with Bilderberg, Google is preparing to enter this ''Hybrid Age'' of advancing technology and rapidly changing geopolitical landscapes with its hands gripped tightly on the reigns of power. With this merger, the world is set to be shaped into a highly surveilled and planned system at the direction of unelected elitists. This is the backdrop to the Google-Berg merger. Governments are going broke. Globalist influences have broken down national borders. Tax exempt foundations and mega corporations are filling the gap. These groups are essentially hijacking national government's policies and advancing a top down, authoritarian system of control. Read article here

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The Vaccine Hoax Is Over!

Freedom of Information Act in the UK filed by a doctor there has revealed 30 years of secret official documents showing that government experts have

1. Known the vaccines don't work2. Known they cause the diseases they are supposed to prevent3. Known they are a hazard to children4. Colluded to lie to the public5. Worked to prevent safety studies

Those are the same vaccines that are mandated to children in the US. Read article here

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Israel and US Lawless Aggression

Israel and America are longstanding imperial partners. They spurn international laws. They do so repeatedly. They ignore their own. They jointly plan and wage wars. Israel's attack on Syria was a joint US/Israeli provocation.

Lawless Aggression | Peace is Law Not War

In August 1928, America, Germany France, Britain, Italy, Japan, and nine other nations signed on and promised wars would no longer resolve ''disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them.'' Violators ''should be denied the benefits furnished by this treaty.'' Article 8 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention of Rights and Duties says ''No state has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another.'' Under Article 10, differences between states ''should be settled by recognized pacific methods.'' Article 11 calls sovereign state territory ''inviolable'....'' The 1950 Nuremberg Principles defined crimes against peace to include: ''(i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances; (and) (ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i).'' On June 26, 1945, the UN Charter was signed. On October 24, it became effective. It failed ''to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war'....'' Fundamental principles have been ignored. They require all Members to ''settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.'' ''All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.'' Article 51 permits armed force only in self-defense against externally generated aggression until the Security Council acts. It has final say. Under no circumstances may one nation, or combination thereof, intervene against another without lawful Security Council authorization. Doing so is lawless aggression.

Belligerents like America and Israel put their own priorities above international laws. They ignore their own as it suits them. Wars rage without end. New ones are planned. Washington wages permanent ones. Peace is a four-letter word. Israel's a longstanding imperial partner. Attacking Syria is their latest provocation. They acted without justification. Doing so reflects naked aggression. Expect Washington, rogue NATO allies, and regional partners to take full advantage. Read article here.

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Obama's SS Is Here Now

The name which struck terror into the German people who still believed in freedom and wanted their nation to remain a peaceful, respectable member within the international community. Nazi Germany's SS was a force for terror and intimidation, creating an aura of fear within the citizenry and horror for the remainder of the world watching the spectacle of a police state far more brutal than any in human history up to that time.Apparently this lesson has not been lost on the dictators of the world since that era as the communist leaders and rulers around the world learned that building an effective domestic spying and military police apparatus was the key to remaining in power. Welcome to modern America my friends, as Obama's SS is here now. Read article here

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Cell Phone Tower Hell On Apartment Roofs Springing Up Everywhere

Corrupt cell phone companies cowardly hiding their towers of hell on the roof of rental units. Corrupt property companies cashing in by selling out the health of their unit holders with no disclosure. Corrupt fascist government ignoring countless health studies and reports claiming their levels are safe, which are 6000 times less stringent than European standards. Thousands sick, and the number is growing. A massive nation wide scam that is affecting us all. Clinics are set up to treat the symptoms of exposure, medical industry acknowledges the health issues, while Canadian and US governments are ignoring them. Read article here | New Study Links Over 7000 Cancer Deaths To Cell Phone Towers. Read article here | Also read 11 Articles On RF Exposure here

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Liberty Was Attacked In Boston By the Nazis In Control

Ron Paul '' Forced lockdown of a city. Militarized police riding tanks in the streets. Door-to-door armed searches without warrant. Families thrown out of their homes at gunpoint to be searched without probable cause. Businesses forced to close. Transport shut down.

These were not the scenes from a military coup in a far off banana republic, but rather the scenes just over a week ago in Boston as the United States got a taste of martial law. The ostensible reason for the military-style takeover of parts of Boston was that the accused perpetrator of a horrific crime was on the loose. The Boston bombing provided the opportunity for the government to turn what should have been a police investigation into a military-style occupation of an American city. This unprecedented move should frighten us as much or more than the attack itself.

Sadly, we have been conditioned to believe that the job of the government is to keep us safe, but in reality the job of the government is to protect our liberties. Once the government decides that its role is to keep us safe, whether economically or physically, they can only do so by taking away our liberties. That is what happened in Boston.

This is unprecedented and is very dangerous. We must educate ourselves and others about our precious civil liberties to ensure that we never accept demands that we give up our Constitution so that the government can pretend to protect us. Read article here

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America is being absolutely consumed by fear, stress, anger and depression; by design

Most Americans live lives of ''quiet desperation'' that are punctuated by moments of great crisis. We spend our prime years working for others (making them rich) in order to pay off debts that we have foolishly accumulated (thus making the banks even wealthier). When most Americans reach the end of their lives, they look back and wonder what they actually accomplished. '.... Jobs are modern-day slavery. We are paid just enough to live and not more. You are punished if you ask for more'... The government gets up to 50% of your paycheck and then 10-20% of that goes to kill people on other parts of the planet'.... Read article here

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Controlled Economic Slavery

Throughout human history, most slavery has been enforced physically '-- with whips and chains. You either did what you were told or they beat you into submission.

Most modern people mistakenly believe slavery has been largely eradicated across our world. They don't see people shackled in chains or being ordered what to do by their owners. Modern culture no longer accepts overt slavery, right? '...Or does it?

As it turns out, slavery is alive and well on our planet, and its shackles are made of numbers, not steel. Read article here

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11 Years of US Illegal Wars Of Aggression Against Muslim People

Our government told us for eleven years that we blew trillions of dollars on wars to protect Americans from al-Qaeda, endangering Social Security, Medicare, the social safety net, the dollar's exchange value, the credit rating of the US Treasury, and our civil liberties in order to save America from al-Qaeda terrorists. So why is Washington now supporting al-Qaeda's overthrow of the secular, non-Islamist government in Syria which has never ever done anything whatsoever to Americans!? Read article here

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False flag attack, kill one patsy, nab another patsy, ship him off to Guantanamo and have a martial law training exercise

= Textbook Nazi Bullshit

Martial law has been declared in Boston to hunt for another patsy. One suspect dead, another kid has been nabbed and is being treated as a terrorist so no trial, straight to Guantanamo with him. Fucking bullshit it was this kid and not the trained mercenaries photographed with back packs with skulls depicting a stupid motto justifying in their pathetic minds the carnage they were about to ensue. False flag with cover up, resulting in martial law exercise. Textbook Nazi Bullshit.! read article here

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Fukushima | A Continuing Nuclear Disaster

Massive radiation releases continue to spread in Japan and globally via the atmosphere, ocean, precipitation, contaminated food & manufactured goods. Calling for a global understanding of how to protect yourself and detoxify yourself from the harmful radiation that now affects us all. Life is not going to be the same, we must learn to fix any problems due to this nuclear fall out. Read article here

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Chemtrials: Daily Global Geoengineering

Even as the mainstream media and a television-obsessed American public refuse to admit the existence of chemtrails and government sponsored weather modification programs, the evidence continues to mount with ever-incresaing speed that not only do these programs exist, but they are also effective and wide spread. Daily global efforts with an aim to dominate the weather completely while dumping disease causing chemicals on us daily. In addition to the recent study published in Environmental Research Letters entitled, Cost Analysis of Stratospheric Albedo Modification Delivery Systems, a 2010 study undertaken on behalf of the Belfort Group, a Belgian ''environmental watchdog'' organization, also corroborates much of the information compiled by citizens and activists the world over regarding the existence of chemtrails and stratospheric weather modification programs.

The study entitled, ''Contrail Science, Its Impact On Climate and Weather Manipulation Programs Conducted By the United States and Its Allies'', seeks to highlight the specific problems associated with contrails emitted by aircraft, the manipulation for defence purposes of some of these by the United States government and the subsequent effect on quality of life. Read article here

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In Amerika Law No Longer Exists

In the 21st century Americans have experienced an extraordinary collapse in the rule of law and in their constitutional protections. Today American citizens, once a free people protected by law, can be assassinated and detained in prison indefinitely without any evidence being presented to a court of their guilt, and they can be sentenced to prison on the basis of secret testimony by anonymous witnesses not subject to cross examination. The US ''justice system'' has been transformed by the Bush/Obama regime into the ''justice system'' of Gestapo Germany and Stalinist Russia. There is no difference. Read article here

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Fluoridegate

Have you ever wondered why most major municipal water utilities across America continue to artificially fluoridate public water supplies when inexpensive fluoride toothpastes are readily available for those who choose to use them? Or why governments and medical groups continue to force fluoridated tap water on the public in spite of the fact that it has many known and proven health risks? These and many other pertinent questions find their answers in the hard-hitting documentary Fluoridegate: An American Tragedy, one of the most powerful documentaries ever made about the fluoride fraud.

A sordid narrative that recaps the dirty history of fluoride and how it came to be an officially recommended water additive, Fluoridegate delves deep into the completely unscientific and blatantly corrupt process by which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) forced fluoride onto the public via the National Program for Water Fluoridation. The film also exposes how Dr. William Marcus, a now-retired senior scientist at the EPA, was targeted and fired for leaking critical information back in the 1990s about the many dangers of fluoride, none of which were being publicly shared in accordance with the EPA's mission and purpose. Watch movie here

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11 Years 0f Torture

January 11, 2013, marked the 11th year that the infamous Guantanamo prison has been in operation by the United States. President Obama ensured the continued operation of Guantanamo for another year by signing the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, and refused to challenge the Congressional mandated ban on transfers from Guantnamo to the federal court and prison system in the United States. Read article here

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The Gun Control Issue = Freedom From Government Tyranny

It would be nice to think that the reason behind the gun control debate was the safety of the population. Although great lengths are taken to ensure the population are swayed by the news of horrible events, mass shootings, real, staged or provoked it is not the reason the guns are wanted out of our hands. It is simply the ease of martial law take over. In reality they are after our guns so we are defenceless against them. Even if they get a large chunk of law abiding citizens to hand in their guns it would be that many people that would not rise up against them armed when the hammer falls.

The definition of the Second Amendment: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Read article here

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BAN GMO | Stop The Elites Global Domination Of The Food Supply

Hidden agendas, divide and conquer, controlling the narrative, and problem-reaction-solution. These are certainly time-honored and effective strategies for the political elites. To get simpler, we could just say lie-cheat-steal-kill.

A powerful elite group first forms a goal, an objective. It clarifies that goal. For example: domination of the global food supply.

With that goal in mind, and with the technology to genetically modify food crops, huge corporations like Monsanto, along with their politicians firmly in their pockets, decide to patent every kind of food seed possible.

Soon, they own food. They license/sell food seeds. They expand the number of GMO food crops.

But they also realize they have to deal with opposition. Read article here.

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2013 NDAA Expands Power of Military to Detain Citizens

In response to widespread outrage over the National Defense Authorization Act passed last year, Congress is said to be working on a more Constitution friendly version of the legislation. The latest version was overwhelmingly approved by the House Armed Services Committee on May 8 and introduced the following week.

The new statute actually states that persons lawfully in the U.S. can be detained under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force [AUMF]. The original (the statute we are fighting in court) never went that far. ''Therefore, under the guise of supposedly adding protection to Americans, the new statute actually expands the AUMF to civilians in the U.S.'' Read article here

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The Gates Of Wrath And Sorrow Open Wide Again In Gaza

Hell is coming. Hell is near. Thousands upon thousands of troops are massing for the ground invasion of a small patch of land crammed full with human beings trapped without any defense against the steel that will destroy them. Several children have already died in the preliminaries. Many, many more will die when the real feast of death begins. Read article here

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The Reality Of The Lesser Of Two Evils

Obama has won reelection, and his supporters think that somehow things are going to be different. Fat chance.

While evil continues to envelop America, the public is focused on CIA director General Petraeus' resignation. The FBI spied on him and found that he was having an affair with his biographer, a woman 20 years younger than his 60 years.

What is it with Americans and sex? Why is an illicit affair the ONLY reason for removing someone from political office? Why is it that government officials, presidents and vice presidents included, can violate US statutory law and torture people, spy on Americans without the necessary warrants, murder US citizens without due process, confine US citizens to dungeons for life without evidence and due process of law, start multi-trillion dollar wars on the basis of contrived allegations that have no basis in fact, murder civilians in seven countries, overthrow legitimate governments, and all of these massive crimes against humanity can be accepted as long as no one in Washington gets any sex out of it?

Why does Washington want hegemony over the world? Why does Washington want this hegemony so badly that Washington is willing to murder women, children, aid workers, husbands and fathers, village elders, anyone on earth including its own American heroes?

What is the evil that drives Washington? How can the evil that drives Washington be contained, stamped out, prevented from destroying the human race? What does the world do when it confronts unbridled evil, which is what Washington is? Read article here

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Real history: Vaccines not responsible for halting infectious diseases of 20th century

A common misconception about vaccines purports that they are the primary reason why infectious disease rates saw a rapid and steady decline throughout the early-to-mid 20th century. But an honest look at the figures reveals that diseases like polio, typhoid, measles, and tuberculosis were already in significant decline long before vaccines were ever even invented, this being the result of improved hygiene and diet. Read article here

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New Euphemism For State Murder:

''Disposition''

Obama Administration's ongoing effort to expand, entrench and ''codify'' the practice of murder and terrorism by the United States government. The avowed, deliberate intent of these sinister machinations is to embed the use of death squads and drone terror attacks into the policy apparatus of future administrations, so that the killing of human beings outside all pretense of legal process will go on, year after year after year, even when the Nobel Peace Laureate has left office.

The new ''counterterrorism matrix'' is ''designed to go beyond existing kill lists, mapping plans for the 'disposition' of suspects beyond the reach of American drones,''

The sickening nature of this perpetual-motion death-machine '-- and the husk-like inhumanity of those who operate it and the sycophants who applaud it '-- are all too plain. These butchers '-- our bipartisan elites, our whole respectable, self-righteous establishment '-- have trapped us all in an Age of Hell. Read article here

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11th Anniversary of 9/11

Fascism and the Fake War On Terror Remain Due To The Masses Living In Denial

We arrive at the 11th anniversary of the false flag attack that changed the world as we know it. The tactic was nothing new. The purpose clear: The false enemy, fake war on terror, enables the establishment to reign fascist terror upon the planet, and it has gone 11 years with no justice or main stream acceptance of the truth.

Many ask me why I still crusade for 9/11 truth. 11 years is no reason to stop fighting fascist propaganda. We must continue to educate and awaken the masses. For those still living in an 11 year bubble of denial.. WAKE THE FUCK UP!

Perpetual war, genocide, and fascist rule continue because the masses live with the assumption that if they ignore the fact that their government is against them, that it will not affect them. Well it does and it affects millions around the world. You cannot sit in denial any more. We have great strength in numbers and we must all rise up and resist this fascist government. A time comes when silence is betrayal. '-- Martin Luther King Jr. Read article here

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What In The World Are They Spraying?

The Chemtrail/Geo-Engineering Cover-Up Revealed

This is a groundbreaking documentary discusses the reality behind the crisscrossing streaks of white clouds trailing behind jet aircraft, stretching from horizon to horizon, eventually turning the sky into a murky haze. The documentary discusses the developing industry called geo-engineering, driven by scientists, corporations and governments intent on changing global climate, controlling the weather, and altering the chemical composition of soil and water. See documentary here

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Propaganda'... In The Grocery Store?!

Food Rating Systems Discourage Consumer Empowerment

We have been hearing a lot about genetically modified food lately. Stories are coming out about their environmental impacts and the role they play in a war waged on our health and the health of our children. We have also been hearing a lot of other stories about our food '' antibiotics and growth hormones in meat or radiation and chemicals in fish from the sea. From the news sources to which I subscribe the truth is clear and simple: we need to consume nutritious, whole foods that are grown organically. Our future and our family is worth it. It is a choice between weakness and strength for our bodies and our minds, an issue of black vs. white. We do not get the newspaper at my house, but I have been known to snag the occasional grocery store flyer from the recycling and have a look. The other day something was in there that made me think. Join me as I pick apart this PROPAGANDA TRASH which has been designed to make us blindly ingest without using our brains. Read article here

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V Is For Victory When We Stand United Against The New World Order

The film V for Vendetta is a shining example of what we are facing and how we can overcome a fight against a corrupt fascist government.

For many this seems such a daunting task they would rather live in denial at the cost of their own health, freedom and economic situation.

Living in denial allows a perpetual state of war. Genocide that fuels the military industrial complex and advances the fascist government that plagues the US, Canada, The UK and Australia and so on..

The first rule of the elite was and is; to 'Divide and Concur'. As the film V is For Vendetta illustrates we have great strength in unity. We must simply organize ourselves. The film shows a symbolic organization and unification of the populous to rise up at once to take control. This is what is required. But we cant stop there.

The same problem can occur when the new ones in control become corrupt. So the solution therefore is in unity we must stay. Not just for one event but to act in unison as a collective making decisions for the collective. Not anarchy, that is where individuals rule themselves without concern for others. I am talking about the individual making a decision that will benefit themselves and in turn everyone else. Read article here

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HAARP

The significance of this qualitative leap could be compared to the transition from cold steel to firearms, or from conventional weapons to nuclear weapons.

Located on an United States Air Force site near Gakona, Alaska, the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Project (HAARP) is the world's largest and most functional ionospheric heater.

Construction began in 1993. Today, HAARP can generate super high powered beams of directed energy. HAARP is designed to shoot these energy beams 200 kilometers up into the sky; affecting an area known as earth's ionosphere. In doing this, HAARP can perform a number of functions. The known uses of HAARP are: weather modification, power beaming, earth tomography (mapping of our planet's interior), Star Wars-type defense capabilities, enhanced communications, communication disruptions, creating earthquakes and mind control. This mobile HAARP ship was used to trigger the March 2011 magnitude 9.0 Japan earthquake. Read article here

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CFR + Google (This can't be good)

Google will meet this Wednesday with the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss ways that they can use their dominant search engine to penetrate and disrupt international crime. Under the cloak of doing good by fighting international crime, Google will likely be given full reign to not only monitor but infiltrate people and organizations that the DoD, DEA, CFR and other alphabet agencies desire. Furthermore, many refer to the CFR as an international criminal gang due to their support for violent regime change, among other questionable behavior. If history is any indicator, the agents of the CFR will use Google as a tool to eliminate competition to their interests. Read article here

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Truth11 Films The Enemy Within

Truth11 Films lastest film The Enemy Within discusses the fascist police state that surrounds us and is a wake up call for some to realize we are controlled by the same people who funded Hitler. The camps are built, the drills have been run. The police state is secured. Its time to wake up. Don't get on the bus to the camps, resist Nazi Fascist control. We have great strength in numbers. We must unite and organize ourselves with self government through internet automation. See film Here

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War Pigs

As Americans mindlessly celebrate another Memorial Day with cookouts, beer and burgers, the U.S. war machine keeps churning. As we brutally enforce our will on foreign countries, we create more people that hate us. They don't hate us for our freedom. They hate us because we have invaded and occupied their countries. They hate us because we kill innocent people with predator drones. They hate us for our hypocrisy regarding democracy and freedom. Just when we had the opportunity to make a sensible decision by leaving Iraq and exiting the Middle East quagmire, Obama made the abysmal choice to casually sacrifice more troops in the Afghan shithole. We have thrown over $1.3 trillion down Middle East rat holes over the last 11 years with no discernible benefit to the citizens of the United States. George Bush and Barack Obama did this to prove they were true statesmen. The Soviet Union killed over 1 million Afghans, while driving another 5 million out of the country and retreated as a bankrupted and defeated shell after ten years. Young Americans continue to die, for whom and for what? Our foreign policy during the last eleven years can be summed up in one military term, SNAFU '' Situation Normal All Fucked Up. These endless foreign interventions under the guise of a War on Terror are a smoke screen for what is really going on in this country. When a government has unsolvable domestic problems, they try to distract the willfully ignorant masses by proactively creating foreign conflicts based upon false pretenses. General Douglas MacArthur understood this danger to our liberty. ''I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.'' Read article here

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Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld convicted of war crimes by international Tribunal

In the first verdict of its kind since former President George W. Bush left office, he and several members of his administration have been successfully convicted in absentia of war crimes in Malaysia.

A five panel tribunal delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after a week long trial that, unsurprisingly, was not covered by American media. The witnesses included several ex-Guantanamo detainees that gave testimony on the conditions and human rights violations that were systematically carried out under orders of the Bush administration.

Former President Bush, Former Vice-President Dick Cheney, Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the legal advisers Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, William Haynes, Jay Bybee and John Yoo that crafted the legal 'justification' for torture that basically said, 'we can if we want to even if it's illegal' were the defendants. None were present, of course, but international war crime trials do not require the presence of the accused. The trial was run according to the standards set by the Nuremberg Trials to convict war criminals after World War II. Read article here

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Leaked U.S Army Document Outlines Plan For Re-Education Camps In America

A leaked U.S. Army document prepared for the Department of Defense contains shocking plans for ''political activists'' to be pacified by ''PSYOP officers'' into developing an ''appreciation of U.S. policies'' while detained in prison camps inside the United States. Read article here.

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Stellar Wind

A project of immense secrecy, it is the final piece in a complex puzzle assembled over the past decade. Its purpose: to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store vast swaths of the world's communications as they zap down from satellites and zip through the underground and undersea cables of international, foreign, and domestic networks'....Flowing through its servers and routers and stored in near-bottomless databases will be all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails'--parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital ''pocket litter.'''... The heavily fortified $2 billion center should be up and running in September 2013.'' In other words, in just over 1 year, virtually anything one communicatesthrough any traceable medium, or any record of one's existence in the electronic medium, which these days is everything, will unofficially be property of the US government to deal with as it sees fit. The codename of the project: Stellar Wind. Read article here

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Radioactive Water One Year After The 3/11 Fukushima Attack

A few days after the one year anniversary of the Fukushima 3/11 attacks on Japan. The worlds largest man made ecological disaster continues to unfold. From ASR, a global coastal and marine consulting firm, The Radioactive Seawater Impact Map. Read article here

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New World Order: Blueprint Of Madmen

A new documentary from Alex Jones definitively declares war against the attempts to control the population through a fear of false dangers. The facts are in'' terrorism as a mass threat is a hoax. It is government, and the elite who control it, that pose the real threat to humanity. This new film will serve as evidence to the fact that government is history's greatest killer'' with various regimes claiming more than 262,000,000 unnatural deaths in the 20th Century alone. Now, a 21st century technocratic global corporate tyranny seeks to kill not mere millions but billions'' through their superweapons, central banking warfare model and eugenics mindset. See movie here.

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Nazification Of America Is Almost Complete

The United States of America is becoming more like Nazi Germany every single day. In fact, the Nazification of America is almost complete. The parallels between Nazi Germany and the United States of today are going to absolutely shock many of you. Most Americans simply have never learned what life was really like back in Nazi Germany. Under Adolf Hitler, Germany was a Big Brother totalitarian police state that ruthlessly repressed freedom and individual liberty. Read article showing 25 signs that Americas Nazification is almost complete here.

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The Copyright Office Is A Corrupt Raceteering Operation For Censorship

It is a known fact that the Copyright Office has been a fraud, does nothing to protect the original content creators, and has deprived America of it's true creativity. When facts and informational material in newspapers can be copyrighted and lead to copyright infringement lawsuits the copyright office is a known corrupt fascist front for the giant mega corporations and mega banks. Copyrights are suppose to only apply to creative material in nature as Judge Philip Pro believes posting an entire article is Fair Use for non commercial entities online since copyright should only apply to content creative in nature and facts cannot be copyrighted. '...The copyright office wants alternative media websites to disappear into a black hole. They are the biotch of the large Mega Corporations that put out propaganda for the Council of 300, the Bilderberg Group, and global power brokers. They know piracy is not the real reason for newspapers losing traffic and losing advertisement money. It is because they lie, distort, and omit the facts. The newspapers lie for the U.S. Government and banksters that really rule America and the rest of the world. Read article here

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A Noble Lie: A New Film Exposing The Truth Of The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing

Noble Lie: A myth or untruth knowingly told by the elite to maintain social harmony, or the social position of the elite. '' The Republic, Plato The 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City was a direct blow to the heart of America. One hundred sixty-eight people were killed, including nineteen children. For those watching the nightly news, terrorism had come home. For years following the bombing, countless victims' family members, survivors, rescuers and ordinary Americans have questioned the official accounts about that fateful day. Hoping to shed light on answers long ignored and censored, both by prominent media outlets and the U.S. government, A Noble Lie peels back what we thought we knew about the bombing and its perpetrators. This film exposes information never before examined or brought to the attention of the American public. See here

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Model For Colonizing Nations (National Destruction) Banksters Handbook

Steps 1-8 from the handbook of the evil corrupt few that are running the planet. Their model; Force and Hypocrisy, used to destroy whole countries in the name of ''freedom'', ''democracy'', ''human rights'' and ''free trade''. They use utmost force and violence to achieve their ends. ''What did you say'...? That you don't want to be liberated and democratized?'' ''Then take this Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Hanoi, Berlin, Dresden, Bagdad, and Basra'...'' ''Take that Vietnam, Tokyo, Gaza, Kabul, Pakistan, Tripoli, Belgrade, Egypt, El Salvador and Grenada'...'' ''And that, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Somalia, Africa'...'' Always bombing people to smithereens'... Of course, always in the name of ''freedom'', ''democracy'', ''human rights'' and ''free trade''. Read article and watch video from ex-IMF Economic hit man John Perkins here

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Truth11 Films | Armed WithThe Truth, United We Stand

Truth11 Films latest release documents the reasons the 99% have risen. It outlines the subjects that need to be discussed, the areas of corruption and areas of government tyranny. Set to Famine, by Opeth. See the film here

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11/11/11 Unite For World Peace

November 11 1918 was supposed to be the end of all war. Instead the propaganda machine continued and with its perseverance the concept of peace was lost as being normal. Perpetual war was created immediately as war was outlawed. By refusing to enforce the ban of the concept of war, perpetual war was born. All war is illegal murder. '... November 11th was not made a holiday in order to celebrate war, support troops, or cheer in the 11th year of occupying Afghanistan. This day was made a holiday in order to celebrate an armistice that ended what was up until that point, in 1918, on of the worst things our species had thus far done to itself, namely World War I. '..... This November 11th 2011 is one where the truth is known by more people than ever before, 1500 plus cities are in protest and the world is awaking to the reality that we can choose world peace. We can choose prosperity. 11/11/11 Unite for world peace. Read article here

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Rex 84 Vs. Globalist Shutdown

For many years the globalists, through the federal agencies they control, have treasonously planned to use devastating orchestrated events to suspend constitutional rights and implement martial law. The best-known plan for martial law/continuity of government is called REX 84. Despite their planning efforts, technology, and billions of dollars spent on martial law training, a handful of activists can utilize simple yet powerful tools to ensure martial law is never implemented. This plan is known as Globalist Shutdown. Read article here

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UNGRIP

From the creators of Esoteric Agenda and Kymatica , UNGRIP penetrates the illusions and delusions of the legal system with direct relation to the psychology of humanity. See movie here

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The Pole Shift In Global Financial Power Is Almost Complete

The process of removing the cabal that has controlled most of the world for the past 300 years is almost complete, according to sources directly involved in the takedown. The takedown is being done by the world's military, police and intelligence agencies. The group being taken down is the Thule Society, Skull&Bones Nazi conglomerate headed by George Bush Senior. This group was trying to start world war 3 in order to reduce the world's population by 85% and start a fascist world government. Instead, they will be bankrupted and put in jail. Evidence of the takedown is now becoming visible for all to see. For example the IMF, supposedly the world's lender of last resort, is saying they have no money to help the Euro. This is publicly available evidence that the post war power structure is ending. Read article here

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The Rise Of The 9/11 Truth Movement and The Second Western Enlightenment

The growth of the 9/11 truth and justice movement throughout the world is unstoppable. The psychopathic elite and their moronic puppets in governments and media institutions cannot prevent the natural progress of freedom, peace, knowledge, truth, and love'... All the establishment sources of information and news, whether television or print, are losing credibility and public trust by the day. They are beyond redemption. Their complicity in war crimes and crimes against democracy will never be forgotten. If they are not in the gutter of history already, they soon will be when 9/11 truth reaches critical mass. '...9/11 truthers and conspiracy theorists are the vanguard of freedom of speech in the West and represent the intellectual resistance to the global totalitarian corporate state that got its big boost after the false flag 9/11 attacks. Read article here

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Ten Years After 9/11

10 years after 9/11 the masses are still living in denial and their action of inaction continues to enable mass murder. This must end. We can not allow the masses to stay in their false reality bubble at the cost of millions of lives. We must all act upon the truth. Ten years ago to the day we were attacked by our own government. On September 11, 2001 the US government plans of pre-meditated mass murder were carried out on its own people. With the intent to enlist the population into perpetual wars of mass murder. And to further enslave the human population deeper into the fascist police state. An ever controlled life of servitude, enslaved to the same people who put Hitler in power. The same people put Bush and Obama into office and thus the Nazi rule still persists to this day. Read article here

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Gandhi On Ending Injustice

US injustice in major policies will end when enough Americans speak the truth. The injustice is literal: US government policies with war and economics are in Orwellian violation of basic laws. The annual costs are millions of human lives, billions damned to suffer, and trillions of dollars looted. Anyone with intellectual integrity and moral courage can see and say these facts. Read article here

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Open proposal for US revolution:

End unlawful wars, parasitic/criminal economics and expose corporate media as propaganda

Revolution is from the Latin, revolutio, a ''turn around'' of political power. The US public would revolt and end unlawful US wars and banksters' rigged-casino fraud if they understood and embraced the central facts of these issues. This four-part series of articles provides the central facts, invites passionate public response, and proposes specific revolutionary public action. Read article here

The King family's civil trial found the US government guilty of Dr. King's assassination

US Corporate media refused to cover the trial or interview Dr. King's wife. His family's opinion is that the US government murdered Dr. King to end his protests against unlawful US wars and his call to end poverty. Read article here

Over 250 million human beings slaughtered by governments in war

The century within which we were all born witnessed over 250 million human beings slaughtered by governments in war and atrocities. War is used as a continuous ''foreign policy,'' with the US in present egregious and unlawful abuse of their superpower status. History will judge when Americans developed the education competence to evolve beyond endless wars. Read article here

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Controlled Economic Collapse

Over 1 Million Deaths Annually, 62 Million People With Zero Net Worth, As The Economic Elite Make Off WIth $46 Trillion

The American public has sustained intensive economic attacks across broad segments of the population. While the attacks have been increasingly severe in scale over the past four years, they have been implemented with technocratic precision. They have been incrementally applied thus far, successfully keeping the population passive and avoiding any large-scale civilian unrest, while effectively reducing living standards for the majority of the population. Read article here

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The Riots Of England Are Exactly What The Establishment Want = Don't Play Into Their Hands = Riots Are Not The Solution

It then comes to a point in time when it is in the best interests of the powers that are in control to let the ponzi scheme they have created collapse. The math makes no sense any more, they need it to fail so they can start the next one hundred year pyramid scheme of fractional reserve banking. We are at 100% of GDP to service the debt. Income tax would have to be raised to 80% to cover the debt. Baby boomers are retiring in mass with nothing to show for their years in the slave system. The elite know its going down and they respond by furiously further robbing us blind, transferring even more wealth back to them in fast forward. Foreclosing on houses and taking vast land ownership, crashing markets and daily gouging the lemmings in the stock market corrupt trading system. When it all collapses you will not even have your house to hold up in'... and thats their plan. Its not enough they want to enslave us and kill and rob us blind, they want to control us with a tight police state. So they instil riots and the masses cry for martial law and beg for a police state. We must not fall for this. Read article here.

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9/11 International Hearings To Be Held In Toronto

A decade after the events of September 11, 2001, which resulted in the immediate deaths of nearly 3,000 people on American soil, countless victims from toxic dust, and hundreds of thousands of deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, international hearings on this pivotal event will begin in Toronto in September. The events of September 11 provided a pretext for a War on Terror that has led to military invasions and occupations, and attacks upon civil and human rights throughout the world. The credibility of the official investigation into the events of September 11, 2001, carried out by the U.S. Government between 2003 and 2005, has been questioned by millions of citizens in the United States and abroad, including victim family members, expert witnesses and international legal experts. Read article here

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There is no freedom, no democracy, and no government accountability in Amerika, a fascist state

Americans are a doomed people for many reasons. One reason is that they are disunited and at one another's throats and, thus, cannot stand up the tyranny issuing from Washington. Read Article here.

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A World Overwhelmed By Western Hypocrisy

As the second decade of the 21st century opens, those who oppose US hegemony and the evil that emanates from Washington risk being declared to be ''terrorists'' If they are American citizens, they can be assassinated. If they are foreign leaders, their country can be invaded. '... And the American sheeple think that they have ''freedom and democracy.'' '.... There is nothing left of the American character. Only a people who have lost their soul could tolerate the evil that emanates from Washington. Read article here

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The Government Has Ordered The Media Not To Cover 9/11

The Pentagon Papers have finally been released by the government. Yet the statements from Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg about 9/11 have not been covered by the corporate media; what else is new. Read article here

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Truth11 Films | Perpetual War

We have been tricked into fighting perpetual wars of mass genocide for pointless profit. There is no enemy. The enemy is within the US government. All exterior enemies are created to justify the advancing military industrial complex. There is only one way war will end. The masses must rise up, unite, and demand world peace. Here is Truth11 Films latest short film set to The Lotus Eater by Opeth. Perpetual War; See film here

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Plans For A Permanent War Against Terror | A War Against A Fake Terror Al-CIA-da

By declaring a global war against nameless individuals, organizations and nations 'associated' with the Taliban and al Qaeda, as well as those playing a supporting role in their efforts, the Detainee Security Act would appear to grant the president near unfettered authority to initiate military action around the world without further congressional approval. Read articles here and here

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Manufactured Reality + A Politically Constructed History

The American people are prisoners of state terror and victims of totalitarian propaganda. The American mind has been under a government and media siege ever since September 11, 2001 when the Bush administration committed the deadliest terrorist attack against America in U.S. history. But there are no cages, or military guards on the streets to signify that America is imprisoned. Guns are not needed to secure an illegitimate reign when people self-police their thoughts and police others by calling them conspiracy theorists if they champion a view of reality that is in stark contrast to the one that the men in power profess and the official ministers of propaganda publicize day and night. Read article here

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Al Qaeda: A CIA Database | Not A Terrorist Group

Shortly before his untimely death, former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook told the House of Commons that ''Al Qaeda'' is not really a terrorist group but a database of international mujaheddin and arms smugglers used by the CIA and Saudis to funnel guerrillas, arms, and money into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. Read article here

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Bilderberg Meeting 2011 '' Swiss National Councillors Letter About This Corrupt Group

This Group unites a kind of European and global elite of Bankers, Industrialists, Diplomats, US and European NATO Brass, crowned heads, Media groups, their Moguls and Editors, as well as Heads of States, whether retired or not, which coordinates, exchanges, organizes and structures, out of all democratic control, the major guidelines towards economic globalization. Considering that the notions of sovereignty and independence are obsolete, if not hindrances to an open Market, this discreet Group develops an ultra-liberal, Free Trade society model, with a (unique) world currency and the IMF as Treasurer. Read article here

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New Madrid fault line attack underway, 15 nuclear reactors targeted

The ''once in 500 year'' flooding of the Mississippi river over the New Madrid fault line is part of a campaign directed against the American people, according to multiple intelligence agency (MI6, CIA, FSB, Japan Security police) sources. The HAARP caused flooding is expected to be followed by an earthquake and then a ''nuclear emergency'' involving the 15 nuclear reactors located in the region. This will be a pretext for mass evacuations into FEMA camps, the sources say. The best way to derail this plan, apart from arresting the criminal cabal in Washington D.C., is to widely announce and denounce these plans in advance. Read article here

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Fake Death Of Bin Laden + The War On Terror False Flag Operation

By now, you are probably worn out from all the speculation about the actual events in Pakistan that claim the death of the public enemy No 1. No photos of a dead Osama bin Laden, burial at sea, instant DNA results and changing versions with every new news report gets old quickly. Capturing him alive for interrogation would maximize the intelligence quest, if that were the real goal. If any significance should be assigned to this account, now is the time to re-evaluate the entire nature of the War on Terror that has destroyed America more in the last ten years than any attack on home soil. Read article here

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The Collapse Of Our Modern World + The Birth Of A Better One

The root cause of most these problems that are bringing down our world right now is bad government. It is bad government (Big Government) that approved the GMOs. Bad government enforced the medical monopoly and allowed the pesticides to kill the honeybees. Bad government drove us into inescapable debt and costly foreign wars. Bad government outlawed health freedom and protected the monopolistic practices of the food companies, drug companies and chemical companies. The downfall of modern human civilization is, as you probably guessed, also the downfall of the very idea that Big Government creates a better society. Because if there's one idea that needs to stay dead after the collapse, it's the idea that We the People somehow need another group of people (government workers) to live off our hard work while hounding us with their false authority, directing every little detail of our lives. What we need in our world isn't more government, but more freedom. If we had freedom, integrity and personal responsibility, we wouldn't even be facing the global collapse that has already begun. Read article here.

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The Global Economy's Corporate Crime Wave

The world is drowning in corporate fraud, and the problems are probably greatest in rich countries '' those with supposedly ''good governance.'' Poor-country governments probably accept more bribes and commit more offenses, but it is rich countries that host the global companies that carry out the largest offenses. Money talks, and it is corrupting politics and markets all over the world. Read article here

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Sociapitalism: How the Government Became the Next Bubble | When This Bubble Bursts America Will Be Changed Forever

In the last thirteen years, a new financial order replaced capitalism in America. With cat-like tread, this transformation has caught most Americans unaware, let alone some of country's best financial minds (many of them fascist anyway). This new order constitutes the socializing of risk. Read article here

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Quantum Physics + Mind Over Matter

Quantum physics has proven that all matter at the subatomic level exists in wave form, and that matter only appears solid when we, as the observer, use our senses to decode and perceive the wave patterns in space and time. Significantly, thoughts, especially concentrated thoughts, also form measurable wave patterns. And thought waves have proven to affect observable matter in the physical world. Read article here

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5 Words Used To Control + Enslave Us

These 5 words are the keys to casting the spell in the attorneys' legal jargon trickery. All commercial transactions / contracts have been designed to remove the men and women from the equation and replace with a legal fictional entity in the matrix system. Read article here

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Centralized government identity program dismissed as being too draconian for Communist China

Gets go ahead in United States

A new program being touted by the Obama administration as a solution to online identity theft actually increases the risk of identity theft while providing the government with a national ID system through the backdoor, paving the way for a world wide web in which users will need government permission to access the Internet. Read article here

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Destroy The Globalists, One Fat Cat Corporations At A Time

Many may ask, ''How exactly can we boycott the globalists when they control everything?'' The answer is by systematically boycotting and replacing them with local alternatives. You can actually start today, by boycotting corporations you may not have even considered part of this nefarious agenda and corporations you not only can certainly live without, but would be better off for it. It requires absolutely no money at all, in fact, it will save you money in the long run and if you decide to replace them, you may learn a valuable skill-set in the process. Read article here

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Suppressing Truth and Promoting War: A New York Times Tradition

During and since WW II alone, America killed millions of mostly civilian Japanese, Germans, Italians, Koreans, Southeast Asians, Central Americans, Africans, Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis, and now Libyans. Read how the New York Times is party to genocide. Just like the rest of the mass media circus. Here

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Flying Saucer Technology Released

Nuclear Engineer, Mehran Tavakoli Keshe, has come forward as being the developer of the technology being used in Iran's new ''flying saucer.'' His technology is claimed to harness magnetism and gravity to allow travel throughout the solar system and beyond. Read article here

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Legalizing War With Secret Memos

Justice Department memos''legalizing'' the crime of aggressive war were secret. Now they're published quickly, and there's a new one out on Libya (PDF). It begins:''The President had the constitutional authority to direct the use of military force in Libya because he could reasonably determine that such use of force was in the national interest. Prior congressional approval was not constitutionally required to use military force in the limited operations under consideration. April 1, 2011.'' read article here

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Obama's Position On Assassinations

The Democrat in office has taken a position on unilateral murder so extreme as to be ''profoundly troubling'' in its legal reach and potential for future use. Read article here

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9/11 Stand Down Orders

The 9/11 attacks have directly led to a dangerous interventionist US foreign policy based on preemptive military action that has transcended administrations and political paradigms. The key to understanding how 9/11 was possible can be found in a single government document, presented in context by Ventura in stunning detail. Just two short months prior to 9/11, then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld oversaw a significant change to DoD procedures for dealing with hijacked aircraft, making it the personal responsibility of the Defense Secretary to issue intercept orders. Of course, on 9/11 no such intercept orders were issued to NORAD, and three of four hijacked airliners were able to hit their targets with precision accuracy, paving the way for literal modern military crusade into the middle east, and now into Africa. Read article here

Jesse Ventura's New book, 63 Documents The Government Doesn't Want You To Read, blows the lid off top secret black ops

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Libya: Another War, Another Pack of Lies

The United States, Britain and NATO don't care about bombing civilians to contain rebellion. Their militaries bomb civilians every day without mercy. They have destroyed most of the community infrastructure of Iraq and Afghanistan before turning their sights on Libya. Read 11 Articles on Libya in 1 here

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''Support The Troops'' Is One Of The Most Cruel Hoaxes In History

Support the troops'' is a clever PR slogan that causes Americans to turn a blind eye to the brutal exploitation of our soldiers and military families for profit and for an evil ideology. Our soldiers and military families are paying for the Bush/Cheney/Obama/neocon wars with lives, limbs, post-traumatic stress, suicides, broken marriages, children without fathers, wives without husbands, and parents without sons and daughters. Read article here.

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Japan Earthquake + Tsunami Caused By HAARP and Nukes In the Seabed

The horrific earthquake weapon attack on Japan, resulting in 10 meter tsunamis along much of Japan's coast line came from rogue elements of the U.S. government located in underground bases in New Mexico and Nevada, according to pentagon and CIA sources. Read articles here and here and a video explanation here

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Rothschild Bankers Looting Nations Through World Bank/IMF

The World Bank/IMF is owned and controlled by NM Rothschild & Sons plus 30 to 40 of the wealthiest people in the world. For over 150 years they have planned to take over the planet through money. The former chief economist of the World Bank, Joe Stiglitz, was fired in 2000. He pointed out to top executives that every country the IMF/World Bank forced their way into ended up with a crashed economy, a destroyed government, and some even broke out in riots. Read article here

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The Connection Between Military Dominance + Planned Economic Crisis

The book Global Economic Crisis carefully ties militarization with the planned economic meltdown.The New World Order's systematic destruction of the planet's middle classes so as to concentrate wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer families. While global uprisings now threaten global governance under a single currency, scheming rulers have long anticipated this reaction. In The Global Economic Crisis, we learn exactly how a planet-wide military dictatorship plans to enforce its feudal vision. Read article here

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Truth11 Films | Techno Revolution + Self-Government System

Truth11 films latest short film is a call to action for peaceful instant global techno revolution, followed by a system that is already in place for global self-government. We are highly connected, we are highly equipped to unite. United we stand for self-government over new world order tyranny. Watch here

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Eliminating The Entire Federal Government Structure Is The Answer

The entire rationalization for the War of Terror against the American people rests upon the willful surrender of our most precious natural rights to a corrupt government. The Geheime Staatspolizei secret state police spawn the Homeland Security society. The criminal acts of the TSA are an affront to every citizen. In this new century, irrevocably harmed is caused by the phony domestic terror phobia. America is a mere shell of herself. Pile on the forced tax to fund socialized medicine over the intense opposition of regular people and you have a perfect storm. How can reform be a practical option when faced with such a perverse political system? The only sensible path for sincere and courageous souls is to work towards a replacement of the central government model of governance. Eliminating the entire Federal Government structure may seem to be impossible. However, aided in this task are the very actions of an evil system! All empires collapse. The United States is no more a monolithic union than the nations of the world are a global brotherhood. The myth that citizens owe an allegiance to a failed federation is absurd. Read Article here

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Revolution Without Violence

The American power structure has been set reeling by something that is simply outside the boundaries of their mental universe: a non-violent, non-sectarian, non-ideological, leaderless revolution by ordinary people. Read article here

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Self Sufficiency | Food Production

There are many gardening techniques that can produce an abundance of food for you and your family without requiring a lot of space, money or equipment. Read article here.

Self-Sufficiency: a universal solution to the globalist problem

Self-sufficiency and the harassing of technology in the hands of the people are the greatest fears of the global oligarchy '' fears that oligarchs throughout the centuries have harbored. Simply boycotting the globalists' corporations and replacing them with local solutions is something everyone can afford to do starting today. Read article here

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Techno Revolution

United We Stand, Connected, Organized + Armed With The Truth

The ability of the social networks to organize a protest almost overnight, because people of similar beliefs and commitments are in close communication with others, has completely changed the nature of political resistance and revolution. This system of revolution toppled a middle eastern dictatorship in less than a month. It threatens to topple two more before the end of February: Yemen and Egypt. We have entered into a new period political resistance. Read Article Here

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Thirty Little Known Facts About America

IRS, IMF, UN, US Treasury, FCC, CIA, FBI, NSA and Executive Orders'... Read article here

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Deconstructing The Sovereign United States

We the people are viewed as the greatest threat to a malevolent government and its partnering corporations and the expansion of what is becoming a full blown police state. The security the government desires is not from foreign terrorists, but rather, from us. Read Article Here

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V

''[T]he occupier, by seeing this sign (V), always the same, infinitely repeated, [would] understand that he is surrounded, encircled by an immense crowd of citizens eagerly awaiting his first moment of weakness, watching for his first failure.'' Read Article Here

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The CFR

The Council of Foreign Relations figured out how many news stations, radio stations and publications it would take to control the majority of opinion. They purchased them and put an editor in place in every one. See movie explaining how this elite group has controlled the big picture with propaganda from so many angles it has brainwashed a nation here.

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The Collective Evolution

'The Collective Evolution' is a documentary aimed at showing the current state of the world, why it needs to be changed, and how each and every one of us can play a role in changing it. Watch Movie Here

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Zeitgeist Moving Forward

''The world is going bankrupt, (whatever the hell that means), because of this idea called debt, which doesn't even exist in the physical reality. Its only part of a game we have invented, yet the well-being of billions of people is now being compromised. Extreme lay-offs, tent cities, accelerating poverty, austerity measures imposted, schools shutting down, child hunger,and other levels familiar deprivation all because of this elaborate fiction'...what are we fucking stupid'' See the first 3 movies here, Read Truth11's review of the movie: there are some mixed reviews of this movie, and for good reason. Don't let the message get lost due to corruption of even the purest ideas and watch the New movie Zeitgeist Moving Forward here

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Obama Is CIA

After eight brutal years of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the nation was ready for any change. Unfortunately, the CIA, through LOOKING GLASS, MK-ULTRA, ARTICHOKE, PANDORA, and other behavioral science programs were ready to answer the call. The CIA answered the call with Obama and most of us bought him and his ''Hope and Change'' propaganda fecundity ''nurtured'' by CIA programs going back some sixty years. Read article here

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Lets Reclaim History

This is not an American government at all. It is a gang.

The deceitful and manipulative leaders in the CIA, the Federal Reserve, the White House, the State Department, and the Pentagon are the most destructive force in the world, and pose the greatest existential threat to human civilization, and world peace. Read article here

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10 New Year's Re-Solutions For Non-Violent Rebellion

Because our representative democracy has become a fraud, and the media and courts are clearly shills for the oligarchs, our only action appears to be non-violent rebellion; one person and community at a time. We can expose the crimes and immorality of the corporate state through civil disobedience and conscientious objection. We can punish multinational companies who commit flagrant fouls on humanity and the environment by boycotting them. Additionally, we can peacefully regain our liberty by becoming less dependent on the system for our basic needs. Read article here

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9/11 Billboards | We Need More Of These

If you are going to donate any money to truth organizations, may we suggest putting money into billboards. We need more of these. In what may be the first of it's kind in the nation, a group of 9/11 Truth activists organized, designed and paid for a commercial billboard in which 1,200 Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth invite the public to ''Examine the Evidence.'' Read article here

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Big Brother Watches You But You Are Not Allowed To Know Its Secrets

One of the hallmarks of an authoritarian government is its fixation on hiding everything it does behind a wall of secrecy while simultaneously monitoring, invading and collecting files on everything its citizenry does. Based on the Francis Bacon aphorism that ''knowledge is power,'' this is the extreme imbalance that renders the ruling class omnipotent and citizens powerless. Read article here

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Secret Underground Shelters | Denver International Airport

Built by the Masonic New World Airport Commission. The Denver International Airport covers the US largest secret underground shelter. It is adorned with disturbing graphic images of burning bushes, people in coffins, children crying, and a soldier with an AK47 and sword killing the dove of peace. Images you would not expect to find in an airport. Put there to illustrate the purpose of the facility. Read article and watch documentaries here

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Jesse Ventura | Conspiracy Theory | Seasons 1 and 2

Episodes covering; 2012, Secret Societies, HAARP, Big Brother, Plum Island, Area 51, Wall St, FEMA Camp | Police State, JFK Assassination, 911 / Pentagon, Manchurian Candidate, World Wide Water Conspiracy, Gulf Oil Spill, Global Warming and the Great Lakes. Watch the episodes here

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The Rand Corporation: A top secret think tank has been pulling the strings of American government for at least 60 years

''We're all the bastard children of RAND and we don't even know it,'' RAND started off as an organization centered around building new weapons for the military but ultimately expanded into politics, science, history and economics and was closely allied with the Ford, Rockefeller and Carnegie foundations. RAND was instrumental in developing the strategy behind the use of nuclear weapons, and how they actively promoting nuking the entirety of Eastern Europe as well as China in case of problems in Western Europe, a policy that could easily have sparked off a catastrophic nuclear holocaust. RAND researchers believed that as long as 10 million Americans survived a nuclear war, the war was won. Read article here

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To Question The Official 9/11 Story Is Simply And Fundamentally Revolutionary

To question the government story about 9/11 is to question the very foundations of our entire modern belief system regarding our government, our country and our way of life'...Bring on the revolution | Pentagon whistleblowers call for a new 9/11 investigation Read article here

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The Deliberate Dumbing Down Of America

This is a very good film showing the systematic approach the government has taken to dumb down America. Covering the education system, poisoning of citizens, fluoridation, and over medication of the population. See movie here

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Let The Banks Collapse and Free Us All From Slavery

The peoples of Ireland, Portugal, Spain etc. are looking at Iceland and realizing its is better for a country to allow banks to collapse that it is to take on generations of debt slavery. Ireland is now expected to be the first country to leave the Euro. They will not be the last. Read article here

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Fly The US Governments True Flag and Judge Their Actions Accordingly

Look at the actions of the US government over the past 70+ years, and judge each action with the governments true flag flying. You will see the forest for the trees. Read Article Here

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In America today, there are approximately five unemployed workers for every single job opening

The truth is that there are not nearly enough jobs out there for everyone that wants one. In fact, it isn't even close. Read article here

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Is WikiLeaks Going To Help The Government Kill The First Amendment and The Bill Of Rights?

Is This The Excuse They Need To Shut Down The Internet?

In order to convert the United States into a third world slave gulag with a high-tech police state overlay, the ruling elite will target and attempt to liquidate alternative media. Eventually extraditing and prosecuting Julian Assange as an enemy of the state is an important element in the effort to kill the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. Read articles here and here and here.

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The Chemtrail Cover-Up

Clandestine NASA-military programs are poisoning the environment. Read article here

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The Big Picture Truth About The Global Warming Scam

Enough is enough of this complete bullshit

Several years ago, the sun was unusually active and all the planets in our solar system experienced a time of ''global warming''. That is a fact which many global warming alarmists just conveniently ignore. If man was the primary cause of ''global warming'' then why were all of the other planets in our solar system experiencing increased temperatures as well? The green agenda is becoming increasingly linked to the population control agenda. Today there are literally millions of people who actually believe that we need to dramatically reduce the number of humans on the planet for the good of the earth. Read article here

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Nazis, Eugenics, Floride and The Rockefeller Foundation

Depopulation programs forged by the Rockefeller foundation in association with the Nazis were the basis of modern day incarnations of eugenics like fluoride poisoning and vaccinations.

Blaylock explains how the eugenics movement began in America through Rockefeller, Ford and Carnegie funding and what originated as The Science of Man project, which was an effort to socially engineer humanity to weed out those deemed ''undesirable'' to the elite. ''Fluoridation is the greatest case of scientific fraud of this century.''- Robert Carlton, Ph.D, former EPA scientist, 1992 The history of forcing fluoride on humans through the fluoridation of drinking water is wrought with lies, greed and deception. Governments that add fluoride to drinking water supplies insist that it is safe, beneficial and necessary, however, scientific evidence shows that fluoride is not safe to ingest and areas that fluoridate their drinking water supplies have higher rates of cavities, cancer, dental fluorosis, osteoporosis and other health problems. Read articles Here + Here

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Manufacturing Consent

Here is an excellent movie by Noam Chomsky on the subject of using media to control the population. See movie here

Pol Pot Genocide of 2 Million Cambodian People in 1975

This movie also covers atrocities such as Pol Pot masacre of Cambodian people in 1975. Something the US Government and global media was complicit in.

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The Game Is Simple | All Economies Will Fail + The IMF Will Enslave Us All

The current economic control system is a pyramid scheme that is coming to the end of its cycle globally. No surprises, just built to fail from inception. The false solution is to roll into a new pyramid scheme by the IMF. As each country falls the IMF steps in and when they do the country suffers to no end. Natural resources are sold off and the country works eternally to pay the debt. Read article on the latest countries for the math to fail here.

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The Big Picture When It Comes To Naked Body + Behavior Scanners

Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano admitted yesterday that body scanners would eventually find their way into U.S. public transportation, trains and boats, but Big Sis is already beta-testing technology that goes even further, by forcing Americans to undergo a behavioral interrogation before they are allowed to enter sports events, rock concerts and shopping malls. '... The use of such technology is not only a complete violation of the Fourth Amendment, it also eviscerates the notion of innocent until proven guilty, and therefore totally undermines everything America stands for. Read article here

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Revolution Baby

Voting '... is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens

The past has shown us when faced with tyranny and corruption, there is only one way for the masses to regain freedom : Rise up, resist, revolt, strike, defy and do it in mass. We have great strength in unity. United we stand. Read article here. See also this article on Europe rising up here

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Marijuana Prohibition Is The Cornerstone Of The Police State

The simple truth about America's marijuana prohibition: any law that allows the easy incarceration of any citizen any time those in power want to do it is the ultimate enemy of democracy. With 800,000 annual arrests over an herb used by tens of millions of Americans, it is the cornerstone of a police state. Read article here

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Pearl Harbor Was An Inside Job

Robert Stinnett published his book ''Day Of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor''in 1999. Stinnett, a decorated WWII veteran and author, requested files about the attack, and the events preceding it, through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He discovered that FDR not only knew about the attack in advance, but that his administration did everything it could to cause a Japanese attack on America. Read article here

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Words Of Truth From System Of A Down

The percentage of Americans in the prison system prison system, has doubled since 1985 | Why don't presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor? | Modern globalization, Coupled with condemnations, Unnecessary death, Matador corporations, Puppeting your frustrations, With the blinded flag, Manufacturing consent, Is the name of the game, The bottom line is money, Nobody gives a fuck. 4000 hungry children die per hour, from starvation, while billions spent on bombs, creating death showers. | Read article here

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Governments are the great mass-murderers of our world

Throughout human history, more human beings have been maimed, tortured and murdered by governments than by any other type of organization on the planet. And virtually all of that activity has been justified under the excuse that they were working to ''make the world a better place.'' Read article here

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9/11 Truth Report in ''Focus Money''

On 2010-09-08 Focus Money, an weekly mainly economic magazine, did a special take on 9/11 truth. This is a major breaktrough, as Focus Money is the second in the market for ecomomic magazines by numbers, edition about 140.000, views probably 50% more. This is the second time Focus Money printed an article about 9/11 truth, after a 5-page article back in January. The old one was titled ''We don't believe you'' Read article here

9/11 Pictures

The 911 pictures article has also been recently updated with new photos. Here

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Eisenhower's Warned Us Of The Military Industrial Complex

We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations. We must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. See speech and read article here

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De-classified Vietnam-era Transcripts Show Senators Knew Gulf Of Tonkin Was A Staged False Flag Event

Aug. 4, 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, where US warships were apparently attacked by North Vietnamese PT Boats '' an incident that kicked off US involvement in the Vietnam war '' was a staged event that never actually took place. Read article here.

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Fluoridation is straight from the Nazi handbook | It must be stopped

Despite damning evidence on fluoride toxicity, bureaucracies and multinationals continue to pollute our drinking water and mess with our physical and mental health. Read article here | Also more articles in the Fluoridation category (right)

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Toronto G20

20 corrupt leaders planning global taxes, austerity, global government and expansion of government tyranny. Nazi police tactics, martial law, police in disguise and paid provocateurs = the black block; hijacking the peaceful protests, that were suspiciously left alone by police. Bait cars, illegal searches, torture and beating peaceful protestors and journalists. Welcome to the Toronto G20. New world order in full effect in police state Toronto. Read article and see photos and videos here. Update article here

Black Bloc'... Paid Provocateurs And Police In Disguise

To justify the spending, a false flag attack by police and paid vandals aid the new world order agenda. See article and watch video here

A Right Is Not A Right If They Can Take It Away

Suspension of rights in Toronto for the G2o, If they get away with this, they will do it again. See call to action article here

Toronto G20 Update

Police violating rights, lying, beating, abducting, raping and torturing protestors. Fascist Police State. Multiple update articles in one here.

Truth11 Films

Toronto G20 Video By Truth11 Films | Fuck Everything You Stand For | Watch here

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New Bill Gives Obama Kill Switch To Shut Down the Internet

The federal government is desperate to seize control of the Internet because the establishment is petrified at the fact that alternative and independent media outlets are now eclipsing corporate media outlets in terms of audience share, trust, and influence. Read article here.

Bill Approved | Obama can shut down the internet for 4 months under new emergency powers.. Read article here

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Food and Depopulation

Since the Rockefeller family came to power (especially after gaining a monopoly with Standard Oil) they have manipulated our government into ruining our financial system by way of the Federal Reserve, energy through oil dependency and food with GMOs (Genetically Engineered Organisms). The intention is to rob us blind and kill us. It's time to wake up. Read article here

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Austerity fascism is the realization of the global elite's agenda for a ''post-industrial revolution''

Top historians, social and financial analysts are warning that the draconian austerity measures currently being prepared by governments in the west will cause riots and even revolutions as people react with fury in response to their jobs, savings, basic public services, pensions and welfare money being seized by the financial terrorists who caused the economic collapse in the first place. Read article here

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Bilderbergers Have Failed and now are trying to activate plan B

The participants at the just ended Bilderberger meeting in Spain are scared they are going to be identified and eventually hunted down, according to an inside source at the meeting. For now Clinton, Bush, Baker and the other Bilderberg Nazi's are trying to cut a deal with China that will allow them access to large amounts of funds which they plan to hide and use to re-assert their power after the current political storm blows over, the source says. Unfortunately for them, this is one storm that is not going to blow over to and allow them to resume their plans for world fascist dictatorship. Article, 2010 agenda, list of attendees and coverage videos here

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The Truth About Alternative Energy and The Real Reason For the Iraq War'... Oil

One of the world's leading experts on trend forecasting says that producing our own energy for our homes and cars (called ''micro generation'') will become ahuge trend in the next couple of decades.

'...Alan Greenspan, John McCain, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, ahigh-level National Security Council officer and others all say that the Iraq war was really about oil. Read article here

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The writing is on the wall for the new world order

'...The solution is really quite simple to reach now that the nightmarish Satanic plan to enslave humanity is coming to an end: live and let live. If you look at the situation objectively you will see there is no reason for conflict between these groups, all the fighting and strife between them has been artificially engineered. Read article here

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Continuity Of Government | Suspension Of The US Constitution

The National Emergencies Act, one of the post-Watergate reforms that Vice-President Cheney so abhorred, specifies that: ''Not later than six months after a national emergency is declared, and not later than the end of each six-month period thereafter that such emergency continues, each House of Congress shall meet to consider a vote on a joint resolution to determine whether that emergency shall be terminated'' (50 U.S.C. 1622, 2002). Yet in nine years Congress has not once met to discuss the State of Emergency declared by George W. Bush in response to 9/11, a State of Emergency that remains in effect today. Read article here

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Hunter S. Thompson | Multiple Quotes Of Truth: Life, Corrupt Politicians and Stupid Wars

''We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear'--fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, fear of getting down-sized or fired because of the plunging economy, fear of getting evicted for bad debts or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer.'' Hunter S. Thompson. Article Here.

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Satanists On The Run | Revolution Is Coming

Satanists who have participated in the plot to enslave humanity are worried and are starting to run. With 40% of Greece's population revolting, the satanists are realizing we have great strength in unity. The masses are becoming aware and revolution is coming. Their plan was to kill at least 4 billion people and permanently enslave the rest of humanity. There is so much evidence for this now that only the fools still relying on Satanic corporate propaganda do not realize it yet. The plan involved a fake alien invasion, germ warfare, starvation, atomic war and artificially generated disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes. Read Article Here

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Overpopulation Is A Myth

As these videos demonstrate, overpopulation is a myth. Globalists and their eugenic minions have misrepresented population statistics for decades in order to justify their agenda to wipe out large portions of the population. See article here

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Police State Toronto and The G20 Summit

Events such as the G20 have become a testing ground for new police state measures and a trial run for a military style occupation. In June Toronto will be on lockdown with rights and liberties severely restricted. Article Here See Video Here

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Understanding Deep Politics

Definition of deep politics: It refers to government in which two dimensions of action always coexist: Overt and covert, or benign and utterly ruthless. Ten distinguished speakers headlining the ''Understanding Deep Politics'' Conference in Santa Cruz this May 14-16'--trace the era of deep politics to JFK's assassination; to the aftermath of World War II, Hitler, Lenin, Weishaupt, or Machiavelli, from there to ancient secret societies, and even back to the dawn of human governance itself. We can trace it forward too; the ways of deceptive government did not end with the ascent of Obama. Quite the opposite. Read article here

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Regime Change By Plane Crash

Nearly a month ago amateur footage was released ostensibly showing a Russian clean-up crew at the crash site killing off the few survivors of the Polish presidential plane crash. See video and read article here

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Two Words Brought Down Building 7; ''Pull It''

World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein, who collected nearly $500 million dollars in insurance on the basis that the collapse of building 7 was accidental, a 47-story structure that was not hit by a plane but collapsed within seven seconds on September 11; Was on the phone to his insurance carrier attempting to convince them that the building should be brought down via controlled demolition. How did Silverstein expect to demolish the building safely when such a process takes weeks or even months to properly set up. How could explosives have been correctly placed on such short notice inside a burning building that had already been evacuated '' unless the explosives were already in place? Read article here.

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Police State 4 | The Rise Of FEMA | Alex Jones

Another excellent documentary by Alex Jones. Extensively covering FEMA, and FEMA camps, executive orders and the growing police state. Watch movie Here or download at infowars.com

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Jason Burmas New Movie | Invisible Empire | A New World Order Defined

This is a comprehensive guide to the new world order and should be watched by everyone. If anyone doubted the truth movement, after watching this movie I think the only skeptics that will remain are the liars who run or benefit from the system and those choosing to live in denial. This is the final frontier, take the truth pill. Watch The Full Movie Here Or download it from InfoWars.com

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What The 9/11 Commission l Really Think

If you still don't know what to believe about 9/11 or doubt the 9/11 truth movement and believe the official story, then please listen to the people that were on the 9/11 commission. This article should spark a doubt in the official story. Enough to have you look into it further, and when you do, you will find great truth. Read here

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The Digital Economy Bill

A draconian Internet censorship bill that has been long looming on the horizon finally passed the house of commons in the UK yesterday, legislating for government powers to restrict and filter any website that is deemed to be undesirable for public consumption. Read article here.

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Top Nazis Planned EU-Sytle Fourth Reich

US Military Intelligence report EW-Pa 128, also known as The Red House Report, which details how top Nazis secretly met at the Maison Rouge Hotel in Strasbourg on August 10, 1944 and, knowing Germany was on the brink of military defeat, conspired to create a Fourth Reich '' a pan-European economic empire based around a European common market. Read Article here

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Benjamin Fulford Articles

AIDS and SARS are bio-engineered weapons designed to reduce the African (''Black'') and Asian populations.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks were an ''inside job'' carried out by the US government as a false flag attack to bring about new imperial mobilization.

The Pentagon, the oil industry, banking elite, and the pharmaceutical industry suppress inventions including free-energy and anti-gravity technology to maintain power.

The US government, using a secret military program HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) has been altering the climate, and using high power microwave energy inducing earthquakes including the Asian Tsunami (2004) and earthquakes in Japan (1995), China (2008), Haiti (2010), Chile (2010).

Haiti Video here | Articles by Benjamin Fulford here, | Articles on HAARP + Induced Earthquakes here

HAARP US Military Weapon That Can Cause Earthquakes and Alter The Climate

13 reasons to suspect HAARP caused the Haiti earthquake here

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The Truth Has Fallen And Taken Liberty With It

Today Americans are ruled by propaganda. Americans have little regard for truth, little access to it, and little ability to recognize it. Truth is an unwelcome entity. It is disturbing. It is off limits. Those who speak it run the risk of being branded ''anti-American,'' ''anti-semite'' or ''conspiracy theorist.'' Truth is an inconvenience for government and for the interest groups whose campaign contributions control government. Truth is an inconvenience for prosecutors who want convictions, not the discovery of innocence or guilt. Read article here

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Pictures Worth A Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to the truth, these pictures speak volumes. From 9/11 truth, to the new world order police state. Each picture says it all. They show your fellow citizens voicing the truth. Evidence of the Truth and graphical representations of examples of truth. See all the pictures Here

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Bill Gates, Rockefeller Foundation, Neo-Eugenics, Vaccines and GMO for Population Reduction

In plain English, one of the most powerful men in the world states clearly that he expects vaccines to be used to reduce population growth.

The vaccine industry has been repeatedly caught dumping dangerous unsafe, untested or proven harmful'--vaccines onto unwitting Third World populations when they cannot get rid of the vaccines in the West. The true aim of the vaccinations is to make people sicker and even more susceptible to disease and premature death. Read article here

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Alex Jones Sticking it to the Propaganda Machine

The last time Alex Jones challenged Heraldo on 9/11 heraldos response was to give him the finger, twice. This time he has to respond to Alex Jones on TV . Alex rips into him and the establishments bullshit.. See video here

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Wall Streets Bailout Hustle

The biggest robbery in history. The wall street bailout con jobs, outlined in detail in this Rolling Stone article. 1. The Swoop and Squat, 2. The Dollar Store, 3. The Pig in the Poke, 4. The Rumanian Box, 5. The Big Mitt, 6. The Wire, 7. The Reaload. Read article here.

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Executive Orders: The Hallmarks Of Fascistic Tryanny

When a president tries to effect one of his Executive Orders into being a national law, he is attempting to circumvent congress, and contravene our Constitution, and move us closer to being a country ruled by men rather than a nation ruled by laws'.... '...In order to maintain the illusion of a democracy, we are still allowed a presidential election every four years; and no one president can serve more than two four year terms. But, it's not any one president who has become a dictator, it is the Office of the Presidency, and those faceless autocrats who control the presidency that has become dictatorial, without many of us ever knowing it. No, we are hardly a democracy. Our beloved United States of America has become a fascist dictatorship, and will remain so, until the majority of Americans come to realize the sad state of our ship of state. Read article here.

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US Government Abdicates

On February 3 2010, Dennis Blair, director of National Intelligence told the House Intelligence Committee that it was now ''defined policy'' that the U.S. government can murder its own citizens on the sole basis of someone in the government's judgment that an American is a threat. No arrest, no trial, no conviction, just execution on suspicion of being a threat. Read article here.

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Obama Declares He Will Rule By Authoritarian Decree

The Obama administration has announced it will now rule by fascist decree and ignore Congress and the American people. Read article here

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Refuse To Pay Government Debt Incurred For Unlawful And Oppressive Purposes

In international law, odious debt is a legal theory which holds that the national debt incurred by a regime for purposes that do not serve the best interests of the nation, such as wars of aggression, should not be enforceable. Such debts are thus considered by this doctrine to be personal debts of the regime that incurred them and not debts of the state. Read article here

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Conspiracy Theory VS Conspiracy Fact

Those who conspire for war, profit, and evil, cry conspiracy theory when their actions are questioned; The masses hear conspiracy theory and regurgitate it upon cue. Its time the masses stopped spewing the term conspiracy theorist and actually looked into the facts, if they did they would find conspiracy fact. Article here

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Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth

Have now reached 1000 professional members, further legitimizing calls for a new investigation into the September 11th attacks based upon physical evidence and analysis that is completely inconsistent with the official story. Article here

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New Arial Photos Released From 9/11

These clouds of dust were the result of pulverized concrete and thermite explosives. The bogus official pancake story would not do this. Take a look at these photos and see if you think this was a collapse layer by layer, on top of the other, compressing the damage, or buildings literally blown to particles of dust. See photos here

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Fake wars, fake war on drugs, drugs peddled by hypocritical government, the military industrial complex set to kill and invasions continue

Whether it's under Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr, or Obama, the policies have remained the same and the damage to our bottom line has been mountainous. It's time to ditch the policies we have come to tolerate for decades before they consume what is left of our moral core. Read article here

120 Years Of US Invasions here

Common themes of US Invasions here

13 Lies: An Abbreviated History Of U.S. Presidents Leading Us To War

Those of you who long ago figured out that George Bush lied about, and twisted, 9-11, the role of Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Osama, and WMDs to justify the invasions of Afghanistan, and Iraq, and to create the War on Terror, will not be surprised to learn that our prior Presidents, and their complicit henchmen, have lied us into every war since our Revolution. Read article here

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Obama Administration Orders World Bank To Keep Third World In Poverty

By preventing poor nations from becoming self-sufficient in blocking them from producing their own energy, the Obama administration is ensuring that millions more will die from starvation and lack of access to hospitals and medical treatment. Read article here

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9/11 Truth From Mos Def and Immortal Technique

Man, you hear this bullshit they be talkin', Every day, man, It's like these motherfuckers is just like professional liars'...YouknowwhatI'msayin? It's wild'... Listen'.... | Lyrics and song Here

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William Melvin Hicks Speaking Pure Truth

''Its just a ride, and we can change it any time we want, its only a choice, no effort, no work no job, job, no savings of money, a choice right now between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, and buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Heres what we can do to change the world right now to a better ride; Take all that money we spend on weapons and defence each year and instead spend it on feeding clothing and educating the poor of the world which it would many times over, not one human being excluded and we can explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.''

Video of the quote Here | Bill Hicks on The Global Elite Here | and more quotes and vidoes of Bills here

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Fuck You I Wont Do What You Tell Me!'.....

It hast to start somwhere, it has to start somehow, what better place than here, what better time than now? All hell can't stop us now!,,,,

Rage Against The Machine Quotes of truth here

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Truth11 Films | Propaganda vs Truth In Advertising

watch video here

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1. The Hyperreality of a Failing Corporate Media System | 2. Inside the Military Media Industrial Complex and 3. Hope Fades for End of the American Empire under Obama

1. Hyperreality is the inability to distinguish between what is real and what is not.Corporate media, Fox in particular, offers news that creates a hyperreality of real world problems and issues. Consumers of corporate television news''especially those whose understandings are framed primarily from that medium alone''are embedded in a state of excited delirium and knowinglessness'.....

2. Among the most important corporate media censored news stories of the past decade, one must be that over one million people have died because of the United States military invasion and occupation of Iraq.

3. There are still a large number of Obama supporters who are basing their opinion of him solely from his campaign promises. Others simply hear what he says and base their opininon on that. In order to properly asses Obama you must look at his actions. There are numerous articles on Truth11 discussing his actions. In two speeches at the close of the decade, the Nobel Peace Prize winner affirmed that peace was no longer peace, but rather a permanent war that 'extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan-- to 'disorderly regions and diffuse enemies--. He called this 'global security-- and invited our gratitude. Read all three articles here

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False flag attack to usher in less rights

The general consensus from the corporate media is, if we want to travel, we have to just put up with our rights being violated. The government puts a man on a plane with no passport and a fire cracker in his shorts and we are supposed to put up with nazi style interrogation. Just another addition to the long list of diminishing human rights.

Evidence clearly indicates staged attack on Detroit flight. Article here

lluminati Vowed in 1969: ''Travel Will Be More Difficult''

Like sheep, humanity had better adjust to constant harassment as long as it tolerates Illuminati control of all important government and social institutions. Read article here

Project Hostile Intent

Mind Scanners the next step if we accept naked body scanners. Under project hostile intent, everyone is remotely screened by passive scanners that pick up brain waves in order to to determine whether they intend to commit violent or terroristic acts. Article here

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Environment, Eugenics and Quotes

''A reasonable estimate for an industrialized world society at the present North American material standard of living would be 1 billion. At the more frugal European standard of living, 2 to 3 billion would be possible.'' '' United Nations, Global Biodiversity Assessment

''A total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.'' '' Ted Turner, founder of CNN and major UN donor

Everyday I encounter people who doubt the plain truth that stares them in the face. The problems is they either can't see the forest for the tress or they do not want to see. Many automatically doubt that big organizations like the Federal Reserve or United Nations could be involved in corruption or conspiracy, and they do it without looking into it at all. They blindly belive they are doing good things. Well for those people this article is for you. It is quotes from the people running those organizations, words from their own mouths, telling you the evil they are planning to do and are doing to you right now. Article here. See also bilderberg quotes here. See also the quote category here.

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War Is Over | If you want it

John Lennon forwarded the peace movement by paying for billboards that spread a message of truth. ''War Is Over!, if you want it''. The government did not like the truth being told to the masses. The add campaign was really starting to cause problems, so they killed him. Read article and watch the movie The US vs John Lennon here

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President John F Kennedy Secret Society Speech

'...we are apposed around the world, by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy,

'...I am asking for your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people. Confident with your help man will be what he was born to be, free and independent. Speech recording and transcript here

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ClimateGate

For years many scientists have been challenging the numbers put out by the Gore climate propaganda machine. Recently emails have been released outlining the deceit, conspiriacy and corruption. See the Climateate category here

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Copenhagen, fake global warming propaganda, the Trilateral Commission, CFR and one world government

'...''The philosophical underpinnings of the Trilateral Commission are pro-Marxist and pro-socialist. They are solidly set against the concept of the nation-state and in particular, the Constitution of the United States.

'...''If the Council on Foreign Relations could be said to be a spawning ground for the concepts of one-world idealism, then the Trilateral Commission was the 'task force' assembled to assault the beachheads. Already the Commission had placed its members in the top posts the U.S. had to offer,''

'...''A former science adviser to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher [Lord Christopher Monckton] says the real purpose of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on Dec. 7-18 is to use global warming hype as a pretext to lay the foundation for a one-world government,'' Read article here | See also this article

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The Fed Is Running Scared

Bernanke's Fed has meticulously sabotaged the economy in order to create a crisis in classic Hegelian fashion. The corporate media tells us the crisis is the result of ineptitude and mismanagement at the Federal Reserve. Au contraire. Like the Great Depression, the even Greater Depression now on the horizon was scientifically created.

The Fed is the primary instrument the bankers are now using to destroy the middle class, hand over all public assets and resources to them, implement a crushing austerity, usher in a new era of global corporatist feudalism and build a sprawling planet-wide slave plantation based on China's totalitarian model.

It is the ultimate dream of the banking cartel. It will be used as the foundation to build world government. Destroying the dollar as the world's reserve currency is only the beginning. Read article here

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A brief history lesson and the economic crisis

The United States does not control its own destiny. Rather it is controlled by an international financial elite, of which the American branch works out of big New York banks like J.P. Morgan Chase, Wall Street investment firms such as Goldman Sachs, and the Federal Reserve System. They in turn control the White House, Congress, the military, the mass media, the intelligence agencies, both political parties, the universities, etc. No one can rise to the top in any of these institutions without the elite's stamp of approval. Read article here |

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A real solution to the financial crisis

Truth11'²s suggested solution to the financial crisis 100% Guaranteed to work, first time. here

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Evidence that George W. Bush had prior knowledge of 911

He states in these two videos that he watched the first plane hit on TV. There was no live coverage of the first plane hitting, there was no coverage on TV of the first plane until a video surfaced that evening. He had a private live video feed. The only way for that to be possible is prior knowledge. Read article and watch the video clips here.

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Microbiologist speaks out:H1NI vaccine is actually a bio-weapon

Joseph Moshe is a microbiologist who had called a radio station, and stated that the H1NI vaccine is actually a bio-weapon, and is the DEPLOYMENT OF A PLAGUE. The official propaganda line is that he had threatened the President, although there is no evidence that this is true. The following day his car was disabled with a magnetic pulse and surrounded by tanks, robots, and a virtual army of Secret Service and FBI agents. Then bombarded with massive amounts of gas. Read article and watch here.

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Media as enablers of Government Lies

If Americans wish to retain the remnants of their liberty, they cannot trust the media to warn them about government tyranny. In order to recognize government deceit, there is no substitute for more citizens to make more effort to find the truth for themselves. Read article here

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George Bush Telling The Truth For A Change

This speech is created from clips of several speeches to tell us all what bush really thinks. Thanks to creators for allowing us to hear the truth for a change from this guy. Click here for the video

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William Patrick Corgan | The Smashing Pumpkins

Flu Pandemic is Propaganda

If you follow some of the links I have been supplying as of late, you'll notice many are focused on the propaganda build up to our day of reckoning with the Swine Flu virus. I say 'propaganda' because, in my heart, there is something mighty suspicious about declaring an emergency for something that has yet to show itself to be a grand pandemic. Our American President Obama has declared a national emergency about this virus, which he in his own words said was, at this point, a preventative measure. So, why declare an emergency if there isn't one? Read article here

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Truth Advertising Campaign

Truth11 photography exhibit here

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Change'... What Change?

The combined US troop deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan have now reached a higher level than existed at any time under the presidency of George W. Bush. This surge past the record set by its predecessor marks another grim milestone in the Obama administration's escalation of American militarism. Read Article here

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What Is Money?

Article here

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Truth11 Films | 911 Truth to Ticks and Leeches by Tool

Watch here

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Government Propaganda To Infest Network TV Shows

An insidious brainwashing program set to be launched next week will ''organically'' weave the government's political propaganda into prime time network television shows, with positive talking points about Obama's environmental, bailout, health care and ''servitude'' agenda being seamlessly integrated into the content of dramas, reality shows and comedies. Read article here

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One Mainframe to Rule Them All

One Mainframe To Rule Them All is a breathtaking rundown of the human microchipping agenda. Concise and effective, it breaks down the coming global information control grid in all its horrifying detail. Watch the movie here

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End the Fed'... The IMF and the rest!

We cannot let the End of the Fed victory be a false one. We can not let the efforts of Ron Paul and many others go to waste, by simply replacing evil with the same evil and a different logo. We cannot allow the IMF to take the place of the Fed. They are the same thing. The same people in control, the same effect on the human population. Read article 300 members of the house support audit the fedhere

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Martial Law

A private security force whose biggest role is helping the U.S. government to ''combat terrorism'' is now patrolling the streets of a town in Montana, acting as law enforcement but accountable to nobody and operating completely outside the limitations of the U.S. constitution in a chilling throwback to the brownshirts of Nazi Germany. Read article here See also these articles here and here

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National Guard, police, and other military units attacked American citizens with tear gas and deployed sound cannons today in response to an ''unpermitted protest'' as bedlam hit the streets on the first day of the G20 summit in downtown Pittsburgh. Read article here

The First Amendment is officially dead in the United States. If this isn't martial law then we don't know what is.

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United We Stand

2 million march on ending government tyranny | The largest protest in US history | Downplayed by the propaganda machine

The last thing the government wants is for the masses to rise up together and realize their power of strength in numbers. Thats why the corporate media reported the latest T.E.A. Party only had tens of thousands of participants. The actual number was the largest in US history, over 2 million. If the corporate media was really on the side of the people they would have reported the significance of the largest protest ever. Read article here | Watch time lapse video here

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Charlie Sheen's Video Message To Obama here

Charlie Sheen has confronted the president on public record about 9/11 truth and for going back on his campaign promises.

The transcript of that conversation is here

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Stop The 9/11 Cover up

On the anniversary of the false flag attacks by our own government, the truth movement is stronger than ever. Polls, petitions and protests show that people know the truth and do not accept the governments ridiculous cover up story. Read article here

Lots of articles and movies on 9/11 truth here or in the categories section >right>

Documentary on the controlled demolition of the world trade centre on 9/11. Watch it here

Pancake theory? Would leave a steel core'...

Lots more 9/11 pictures and links to articles below'... scroll down

And tons of 9/11 articles here

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Obama, Fairey and Propaganda

The Obama ''Hope'' campaign successfully detached the reality of who Obama is and what he stands for and bundled him up as a neat little answer to our problems; what most people hoped would be the deliverance from the countries empirical aims.

'....As is taught in Buddhism; Suffering is ended by the light of awareness. So too is the influencing effects of propaganda'... After all, what is propaganda; but a ploy to persuade through sensationalism and emotional triggers rather than logic and contextual insight? Read article here

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Global Currency

The United Nations has called for the establishment of a new global reserve currency to be overseen by a bank of the world in an effort to reduce the role of the Dollar in international trade. Read article here.

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Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack Obama

Alex Jones latest documentary lays out in precise detail the long-running plot by a cabal of global elitists to take over the world and deliver humanity into grinding slavery and usher in a new Dark Age. It spells out how the elite have worked tirelessly to bankrupt a once proud, industrious, and self-reliant nation through financial terrorism. Fall of the Republic warns what is in store for us if we do not wake up and take back our country and restore its once cherished tradition of liberty and limited government. Read article here Watch movie here or download or order a copy at infowars.com, or prisonplanet.com

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Click here for a large version

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Big Brother Is Watching

UK has more CCTV cameras than China. Read article here

UK Government to install surveillance cameras in private homes. Read article here

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THINK DIFFERENT

Resist the New World Order

Click here to watch the Apple Commercial that aired only twice

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New World Order Organizational Chart and the Pyramid of Power HERE

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Global Power and Global Government

Part 1 | Evolution and revolution of the central banking system

Part 2 | Origins of the American empire: Revolution, World wars and World Order

Part 3 | Controlling the global economy: Bilderberg, the Trilateral Commission and the Federal Reserve

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Scams and Bailouts Are The Cause Of World Depression

This is a great article summarizing all that has and is causing our current global economic crisis. Read article here

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Law

Understanding Law and the lies they tell us we must follow | Know your true rights | Article here

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Taxation

31 Questions and answers the IRS does not want you to know | Article here

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North American Union

President Obama will attend the controversial Security and Prosperity Partnership meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper next month, it has been revealed. Read article here.

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Resisting the new world order

9/11 activists at a July 4th parade. Read article here

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One Global Currency

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev illustrated his call for a supranational currency to replace the dollar by pulling from his pocket a sample coin of a ''united future world currency.'' Read article here

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NAFTA Superhighway and the North American Union

The Trans-Texas Corridor, part of the NAFTA Superhighway projected to link the United States with Canada and Mexico as an integral cog of the North American Union, is back on the agenda after Texas Governor Rick Perry lied in claiming that the proposal was dead earlier this year. Read article Here

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Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder

Read article here

Do Not Get The Swine Flu Vaccine

Lots of articles on this subject in the biological false flag attack category here

Congressman: Obama Could Use Pandemic To Declare Martial Law

Georgia Congressman Paul Broun warned attendees of a town hall event Tuesday that the Obama administration was planning to use a pandemic or a natural disaster to implement martial law in the United States. Read article here

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D-Day, Obama and Hitler

Without the financial support of Bush, the Wall Street bankers, and multinational corporations Hitler would have remained an obscure former Gefreiter in the German army and hyperventilating leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party that would have fizzled out, as did so many other parties in the tumultuous years of the Wiemar Republic. Minus Hitler and his bankster and industrialist backers, 160,000 troops would not have landed on the beaches of Normandy and 10,000 American, British, and Canadian troops would not have died. Bush, Ford, General Electric, IBM, and the Wall Street bankers are responsible for more than 70 million people slaughtered during the Second World War, including about 12 million war-related famine deaths in China, Indonesia, French Indochina and India. Read whole article here

Also see the article Bush and Nazis here

See also

The Anatomy of Blue State Fascism | Explaing the link of Hitler, Bush and Obama. Nazi Rule has been in place since ww2 | Read article here

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For lots of excellent Truth Documentaries click here

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Co-operation vs. competition / Competition is enslaving us all / Economics, slavery and the financial crisis

The human spirit will thrive with co-operation: far more than with competition. So why is our society based upon competition and not co-operation? The current economic system is based upon the masses competing with each-other for limited resources. For one reason, to keep them enslaved to the system. '... The current economic crisis is being caused by the end of a pyramid scheme by the Federal Reserve Bank called the Fractional Reserve Banking System. Read article here

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9/11 was an inside job

The top 40 reasons to doubt then challenge the governments official story of the events of September 11th 2001

Read article and watch Truth11 short film: ''Ticks and leaches'' here

Molten steel and thermite that burns much hotter than airplane fuel can burn being extracted weeks after 9-11

Cut columns are not caused by planes

9/11 was a Nazi false flag attack by our own Nazi government

Some excellent pictures from the Movie Loose change watch here

Plane hitting the pentagon?

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IFC New World Order 2009 Documentary

From the Kennedy assassination, to waco and 911. Documentary covering the New World Order, The Bilderberg group and the truth movement and its crusaders. See movie here

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I am as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!

This speech and several others in the movie Network (1976) holds as true today as it did back then. See the article, clips and the full movie here

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2012 | Pole Shifts | Planet X

Lots of articles and books on this subject that may or may not face us all. The key is if you believe it or not, it doesn't hurt to be very prepared for anything.

2012 Survival Guide here

Survival Guides here

Pole Shift Information here

2012 Information here

Books and further resources here

Articles that feel 2012 will not bring any changes to our planet here

My thoughts on the subject here

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Cybersecurity Is Framework For Total Government Regulation & Control Of Our Lives

The Obama administration's new Cybersecurity system will only make the Internet more vulnerable to attack, while creating the framework for a massively upgraded government surveillance grid that will control and regulate every aspect of our daily lives through the implementation of ''smart'' technology. Read Whole Article Here

Projects to ''master the internet'' in full swing on both sides of the pond

The legislation would allow the federal government to tap into any digital aspect of every citizen's information without a warrant. Banking, business and medical records would be wide open to inspection, as well as personal instant message and e mail communications. Read Whole Article Here

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New World Order Definition and the US Dollar Explained here

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One Giant Leap For Mankind | The Moon Explained

Read article here

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Bail Out Pictures

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G20 Protestor

Protesting the New World Order

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G20 Protestors

Abolish Money

Abolish Economics

Abolish Slavery

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Today we are all prisoners in the USA

As of today, June 1, 2009, even U.S. citizens are officially prisoners in the USA, or exiles barred from entering our own country without the government's permission. Read More Here

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John F. Kennedy | Shadow Government Speech

JFK addressing the American people about the shadow government that operates behind the scenes. He asks for the help of every citizen to expose the truth. This was his last speech before being assassinated by the CIA. Specifically ordered by George H. W. Bush.

Read speech here

Read about the George H.W. Bush connection to Kennedy's assassination here

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Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:27

Signage for Royal Dutch Shell Plc at a refinery near the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.

Cole Burston | Bloomberg | Getty Images

One of the only facilities in the world that uses carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) to reduce the emissions of hydrogen production has been found to emit far more greenhouse gas emissions than it captures.

The Quest plant in Alberta, Canada, owned by oil giant Shell and designed to capture carbon emissions from oil sands operations and safely store them underground, has previously been touted as a "thriving example" of how CCS is working to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

However, an investigation by watchdog group Global Witness, published last week, showed that while 5 million tons of carbon dioxide had been prevented from escaping into the atmosphere at the plant since 2015, it also released 7.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases over the same period.

The investigation noted that, per year, that's the equivalent carbon footprint of 1.2 million gasoline cars.

It means just 48% of the plant's carbon emissions were captured, according to the report. That's far short of the 90% carbon capture rate promised by the industry for these types of projects in general.

In response to the report, a spokesperson for Shell told CNBC via email that Global Witness' analysis was "simply wrong" and stressed that the Quest facility was designed to capture around a third of carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy transitionProponents of CCS believe these technologies will play an important role in meeting global energy and climate goals. And using CCS alongside hydrogen production, which is sometimes referred to as "blue hydrogen" or "fossil hydrogen," has been pushed by the oil and gas industry as a potential solution to the energy transition.

Climate researchers, campaigners and environmental advocacy groups have repeatedly admonished CCS as a climate solution, however, arguing that not only do these technologies have a history of failure, but backing these projects prolongs our reliance on the fossil fuel industry and distracts from a much-needed pivot to renewable alternatives.

"Oil and gas companies' promotion of fossil hydrogen is a fig leaf for them to carry on with their toxic practices '' the extraction and burning of fossil fuels," Dominic Eagleton, senior gas campaigner at Global Witness, said in a statement.

"The single best way for companies like Shell to help tackle the climate crisis is to phase out all fossil fuel operations, rather than find ways to hide their climate-wrecking activity behind false solutions."

The burning of fossil fuels such as oil and gas is the chief driver of the climate emergency and researchers have repeatedly stressed that the best weapon to tackle rising global temperatures is to cut greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible.

Yet, even as politicians and business leaders publicly acknowledge the necessity of transitioning to renewable alternatives, current policy trends show that our reliance on fossil fuels is not likely to go away '-- or even decline '-- any time soon.

'Demonstration project'Shell's Quest CCS facility opened in late 2015 near Edmonton, Alberta and is part of the group's Scotford complex, where hydrogen is produced for use in refining oil sands bitumen (a type of petroleum deposit). The Quest plant does not cover the emissions for the entire facility.

"Our Quest facility was designed some years ago as a demonstration project to prove the underlying CCS concept, while capturing around a third of CO2 emissions. It is not a hydrogen production facility," the Shell spokesperson said.

"The hydrogen projects we're planning '' like Polaris '' will use a new technology that captures more than 90% of emissions. Global Witness are comparing apples with pears."

Shell announced plans in July last year to build a large-scale CCS project called Polaris at its Scotford refinery and chemicals plant. The initial phase is expected to start operations in the middle of the decade subject to an investment decision by the company next year.

A 'serious blow' to fossil hydrogenGlobal Witness said its findings are likely to deliver a "serious blow" to fossil hydrogen proponents pushing for more public funds to support its use, noting that $654 million of the $1 billion costs of Shell's Quest facility stemmed from Canadian government subsidies.

Eagleton described the analysis as "yet another nail in the coffin" for claims made by the oil and gas industry that fossil hydrogen is climate-friendly.

"Governments cannot let the wool be pulled over their eyes to invest vital public funds in projects that will not deliver what's needed to avert climate disaster. Instead, they should use that money to end our reliance on fossil fuels and direct it towards renewable alternatives," Eagleton said.

Commenting on the report, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said via Twitter on Saturday: "This is exactly what happens when people in power care more about their reputation and imagery than to actually reduce emissions."

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:58

Notice of Class Action SettlementIn re Plaid Inc. Privacy LitigationImportant Information '-- Read Carefully.This is a Court approved Legal Notice. This is not an advertisement.

Important DatesMarch 4, 2022 '-- Requests for Exclusion From the Settlement Must Be Postmarked By This Date

March 4, 2022 '-- Objections to the Settlement Must Be Filed with the Court by this Date or Postmarked By This Date if Mailed

March 4, 2022 '-- Notice of Intent to Appear at the Fairness Hearing Must Be Postmarked By This Date

April 28, 2022 '-- Claim Forms Must Be Submitted Online By This Date or Postmarked By This Date if Mailed

May 12, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. PT '-- Fairness Hearing

A Settlement has been proposed in class action litigation against Plaid Inc. (''Plaid''). Approximately 5,000 mobile and web-based applications (''apps'') use Plaid to enable users to connect the app to the users' bank account(s). This class action alleges Plaid took certain improper actions in connection with this process. The allegations include that Plaid: (1) obtained more financial data than was needed by a user's app, and (2) obtained log-in credentials (username and password) through its user interface, known as ''Plaid Link,'' which had the look and feel of the user's own bank account login screen, when users were actually providing their login credentials directly to Plaid. Plaid denies these allegations and any wrongdoing and maintains that it adequately disclosed and maintained transparency about its practices to consumers.

You may be a Class Member if you are a United States resident and you connected a financial account to an app between January 1, 2013 and November 19, 2021. More specifically, you are a Class Member if you own or owned one or more ''Financial Accounts'' (defined in Question 7) that Plaid accessed using your login credentials and connected to a mobile or web-based app that enables payments or other money transfers; or for which you provided Financial Account login credentials to Plaid through Plaid Link; between January 1, 2013 and November 19, 2021.

To confirm whether specific apps or services that connected to your financial account(s) used Plaid for account connections, you can run a search on the SEARCH FOR APP/SERVICE page of this website by clicking here.

Under the Settlement, Plaid has agreed to minimize the data it stores going forward, to delete certain previously retrieved data, and to improve and maintain certain already-implemented enhancements to Plaid Link. Class Members are also able to view and manage the connections they've made between their financial accounts and chosen applications using Plaid, and delete data stored in Plaid's systems by creating a Plaid Portal account, at my.plaid.com.

In addition, the Settlement establishes a $58 million Settlement Fund, to be used for cash payments to Class Members who submit valid claims for compensation, after deducting the costs of the settlement administration, court-approved attorneys' fees and expenses, and Service Awards for eleven Class Representatives. The amount of monetary payments issued to Class Members will depend on the number of valid claims received. In exchange for the benefits the Settlement provides, Class Members will release any and all claims they may have (whether known or unknown) regarding the allegations in the Complaint.

The Court will decide whether to approve the proposed Settlement. If approved, the Settlement will resolve the litigation entitled In re Plaid Inc. Privacy Litigation, Case No. 4:20-md-03056, which is pending before Judge Donna M. Ryu in the Northern District of California.

The class action settlement approval process may take several months, or more if there is an appeal.

Please Read the Notice Carefully.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT FILE A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION You may file a Claim in order to receive a monetary payment from the Settlement Fund. Filing a Claim is the only way to receive a payment from this settlement.

For detailed information about how to file a Claim, see FAQ 16.

Deadline: April 28, 2022 EXCLUDE YOURSELF FROM THIS SETTLEMENT You can exclude yourself from the Settlement by informing the Settlement Administrator that you want to ''opt-out'' of the Settlement. If the Settlement becomes final, this is the only option that allows you to retain your rights to individually sue for claims relating to the allegations in the Complaint. You will not receive a payment from the Settlement if you exclude yourself.

Deadline: March 4, 2022 OBJECT TO OR COMMENT ON THE SETTLEMENT You may object to the Settlement by writing to the Court about why you don't think the Settlement should be approved.

You can also write the Court to provide comments or reasons why you support the Settlement.

For detailed information about how to object to or comment on the Settlement, see FAQ 23.

Deadline: March 4, 2022 GO TO THE FINAL APPROVAL HEARING You may, but are not required to, attend the Final Approval Hearing where the Court may hear arguments concerning the approval of the Settlement. If you wish to speak at the Final Approval Hearing, you must state your intention to do so in your written objection or comment.

Deadline: May 12, 2022 DO NOTHING If you do nothing before the deadline to comment, object, or exclude yourself, and if the Settlement becomes final, you will be part of the Settlement Class and bound by the Settlement and give up your rights to sue for claims relating to any or all allegations in the Plaintiffs' complaint in this case.

Deadline: N/A

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:57

The College Board announced today that the SAT will be going fully digital, arguing that the shift will make the test easier to take and administer'--and a better fit for today's students.

The move comes as a growing number of colleges and universities have gone test-optional in admissions, in part because the pandemic made it harder for students to gather safely to take the test, and in some cases out of concern that standardized tests may prevent barriers for some types of students.

Many critics of the test, though, remain skeptical that the changes are meaningful.

Priscilla Rodriguez, vice president of College Readiness Assessments for the College Board, and others affiliated with the design made the case in a call with reporters that the test now offers a ''more approachable and less stressful experience'' for students and educators, a goal that they say was ''at the center'' of the new changes.

Among the changes, the exam length has been cut down by an hour, from three to two, with shorter passages about a broader range of topics and one question per reading section. Scores will also be delivered faster.

Not everything has changed, though. In fact, the core components appear to be much the same. The test will still be scored on a 1,600 point scale, and it will still be administered at a school or test center, College Board says, so students will not be taking it at home. The group did run trials of an at-home version of the SAT early in the pandemic, but it moved away from that idea because it said it ''would require three hours of uninterrupted, video-quality internet for each student, which can't be guaranteed for all.''

The College Board said it had run a successful pilot in November of the digital version it did opt for.

The College Board argues that the new changes will increase the amount of options for schools regarding when and how to administer the exam. ''As we move digital, we are going to be able to give each student a unique version of the SAT,'' Rodriguez stressed. This increases the security of the exams and affords schools more flexibility in when they offer the test, and increasingly, students take the exam during the school day and so the flexibility will keep the doors of opportunity open to more students, she argued.

Changing LandscapeBob Schaeffer, executive director of FairTest, a nonprofit that advocates for making the tests optional, said in a statement today that the SAT's move to digital is simply a ''repackaging'' of the SAT that does not appear to seriously address the criticisms of the test's validity or equity.

''Shifting an unnecessary, biased, coachable, and poorly predictive multiple-choice exam that few schools currently require from pencil-and-paper delivery to an electronic format does not magically transform it into a more accurate, fairer or valid tool for assessing college readiness,'' Schaeffer wrote.

More than 1,800 colleges and universities have test-optional admissions policies today, compared to 1,000 just before the pandemic hit, according to figures from FairTest.

Others have also expressed skepticism.

''The issue was not that the SAT was in paper format... that was not the issue AT ALL,'' Tweeted Jennifer Jessie, a longtime SAT tutor. ''That has not ever come up in the years I've tutored this test.''

The issue was not that the SAT was in paper format... that was not the issue AT ALLNo one said, "my biggest concern about the SAT it is pencil and paper."

That has not ever come up in the years I've tutored this test.

So...okay

'-- jennthetutor ðŸŽ' ðŸ‘(C)🏾🏠#TestFree (she/her) (@jennthetutor) January 25, 2022Some admissions officials were also underwhelmed.

''It's myopic and duplicitous to measure the small victories without measuring the massive real and opportunity costs to society,'' Jon Boeckenstedt, vice-president of enrollment management at Oregon State University, wrote on Twitter. ''For every first-generation and/or low-income and/or student of color the SAT has helped, it's almost certainly hurt hundreds if not thousands.''

For every first-generation and/or low-income and/or student of color the SAT has helped, it's almost certainly hurt hundreds if not thousands. It's myopic and duplicitous to measure the small victories without measuring the massive real and opportunity costs to society.

'-- Jon Boeckenstedt (@JonBoeckenstedt) January 25, 2022The College Board, meanwhile, argues that the SAT is an ''objective measure'' of a student's college readiness. Its leaders also say that students will continue to take the test, even if it's optional. ''When nearly every college went test optional during the pandemic, millions of students still took the SAT,'' College Board officials said in a statement this week. Students still want to take the test so as to have the option of submitting the scores if they do well, the group says.

''In a largely test-optional world, the SAT is a lower-stakes test in college admissions. Submitting a score is optional for every type of college, and we want the SAT to be the best possible option for students,'' said Rodriguez in a statement. ''The SAT allows every student'--regardless of where they go to high school'--to be seen and to access opportunities that will shape their lives and careers.''

More equitable?Some observers see upsides in the changes, though.

''The move to a digital test format is long overdue,'' said Jerome Lucido, a research professor at the USC Rossier School of Education, in an email interview with EdSurge. Digital testing will be more secure, he says, and the shorter format will also make the test ''less of a mental grind.''

However, how colleges use SAT scores in the decision-making process'--and whether the shorter tests are valid'--will determine if the changes will bring about more equity, argues Lucido. The validity of the tests will become known as they get administered, he said.

To improve equity, he said, colleges should not use ''cut scores,'' where the applications of students are not reviewed below a certain score level, and they should place the scores within the context of a student's educational opportunities.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:51

The ''pandemic of the unvaccinated'' was caused by a computer glitch. That was the conclusion of the Health Minister of Germany Karl Lauterbach, after months of vilifying the unvaccinated in the nation's second largest city, Hamburg.

In November 2021, news outlets reported on the increasing ''incident numbers'' in the city '' where the figure grew from 111.6 infected people per 100,000 to 160 per 100,000 in a span of few of days. By the end of November, that number shot up from 209.2 to a record of 223.3.

The ostensibly drastic increases have been used to legitimize new COVID policy measures in the city. First, 2G (vaccinated or recovered) status limitation was announced in order to enter shops, restaurants, and clubs. Social contact limitation was mandated for the unvaccinated. After the order, Mayor Peter Tschentscher, claimed to observe an increase in vaccination numbers, and implied it was the only way out of the pandemic.

Now, an investigation from the Sueddeutscher Zeitung and Welt newspapers has found that the numbers in Hamburg's Social Services departments were drastically skewed and, in most cases, they didn't even know who was vaccinated and who was not. This, however, did not stop them classifying everyone with an unknown status as unvaccinated. Indeed, by the end of November, a whopping 70 percent of the positive cases had unknown status.

In the second week of November, the Mayor of Hamburg held a press conference and incorrectly claimed that 90 percent of all new infections were amongst the unvaccinated. In addition, he alleged the 7-day infection average for the unvaccinated was at 605 per 100,000 and just 22 in 100,000 for the vaccinated.

Furthermore, the Welt newspaper received the following answer regarding the classifications from Hamburg's Senate:

'''...The categorization (used in Hamburg) matches to the one used nationwide'...''

Gerade in den E-Mails gefunden: Am 4.12. erkl¤rte ein Sprecher des Senats auf meine @welt-Anfrage hin, "bundesweit" w¼rden Inzidenzen so ermittelt wie in #Hamburg. Gleichzeitig, so behauptet man nun, begann man zu diesem Zeitpunkt ¼berhaupt erst nachzuforschen, wie gerechnet wird pic.twitter.com/DRxfJFI1e2

'-- Tim R¶hn (@Tim_Roehn) December 27, 2021

Until this weekend, the data on how the classifications are made and how the final numbers are ''calculated'' have not been made public. The mayor claimed by the end of December that the reason for the misclassifications were caused by deploying ''different IT Systems'', where each system used different classifier.

On January 17th, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach had the following to say:

'''...with the situation in Hamburg'... I can claim without a doubt, that the problem was in the automatic classifier of the software. The problem is solved now'... and it was a mistake and was not done on purpose in order to largely blame the unvaccinated for the pandemic'...''

The city of Hamburg was not the only region affected by false COVID numbers.

In mid-November, in Bayern, 48.468 cases of unknown vaccination status were added to the category of unvaccinated '' pushing the incident number of the unvaccinated to 1469, compared to 110 for the vaccinated.

Germany's COVID measures targeting the unvaccinated were introduced in November 2021, and have used these two major data mismanagements as basis for legitimacy.

Nearly 100,000 German citizens are believed to have participated in anti-mandate protests in recent days.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:49

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Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:47

More than 800 lives may have been saved across Europe thanks to better air quality in the first phase of Covid lockdowns, research suggests.

Measures brought in to stem the rise in infections resulted in far fewer cars and lorries on roads, which had the biggest impact on reducing deaths, according to the study led by experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Analysis of 47 European cities found Paris, London, Barcelona and Milan were among the top six with the highest number of avoided deaths. The study noted that closing workplaces and schools in European cities reduced levels of air pollution through less traffic and movement, while public events were cancelled and people stayed at home.

This led to less nitrogen dioxide (NO2) polluting the air, with Spanish, French and Italian cities experiencing the biggest decreases in NO2 of 50% to 60% during the period.

Although strong decreases in NO2 were found, there was a smaller drop in levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which are also produced by natural sources '' such as wildfires and dust '' and other emissions.

Antonio Gasparrini, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at LSHTM and senior author of the study, said: ''The lockdown during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic created immense health and social costs. However, it has offered unique conditions to investigate potential effects of strict policies to reduce pollution levels in urban areas.

''This 'natural experiment' has given us a glimpse of how air quality can be improved by drastic public health measures that would be difficult to implement in normal times. The information can be important to design effective policies to tackle the problem of pollution in our cities.''

The research, published in Nature's Scientific Reports journal, was funded by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. It compared government policies from the 47 European cities from February to July 2020 and estimated the changes in pollution levels and number of deaths.

Rochelle Schneider, an honorary assistant professor in geospatial data science at LSHTM and first author of the study, said: ''This, and other similar studies, can help drive the message that we definitely need to improve urban air quality for human health, and for the environment.

''Government policies decided during the spring and early summer of 2020 gave us a unique opportunity to study a 'real-life' scenario with lower air pollution levels.''

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:47

Hollywood's male stars aren't scared of full-frontal nudity anymore

The latest costume for Hollywood's leading men: Nothing.

Male full-frontal nudity, once the stuff of art-house films, is going mainstream. Bradley Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch are trouser-free in Oscar contenders and Sebastian Stan bares it all in a coming Hulu miniseries. The sight of naked male stars can shock in ways that female nudity no longer does, making for the kind of edginess that Hollywood loves.

Pantless...

The latest costume for Hollywood's leading men: Nothing.

Male full-frontal nudity, once the stuff of art-house films, is going mainstream. Bradley Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch are trouser-free in Oscar contenders and Sebastian Stan bares it all in a coming Hulu miniseries. The sight of naked male stars can shock in ways that female nudity no longer does, making for the kind of edginess that Hollywood loves.

Pantless footage'--featuring actual private parts or a prosthetic'--is being used for comedic effect (like the fake anatomical item issued to Evan Handler on the HBO Max series ''And Just Like That...''), or to underscore a character's vulnerability ( Paul Mescal in Hulu's ''Normal People''). Sometimes it serves the plot ( Steve Zahn '--really a stunt double with a prosthetic'--panicking over a health scare in HBO's ''The White Lotus'') or delivers artsy realism (Oscar Isaac in HBO's ''Scenes From a Marriage'').

Full-Frontal Man reflects several forces overtaking Hollywood right now. He represents a cosmic rebalancing of the scales as the entertainment industry attempts to address sexism. He's an argument that streaming platforms, largely free from ratings rules, can play to male and female audiences with new abandon. And he's a path to free publicity with the potential to light up social media, as happened when Mr. Cooper's comments about his nude bathtub scene in the film ''Nightmare Alley'' went viral.

Engineering a nude scene in a movie or series involves conversations between stars, directors, producers and intimacy coordinators around issues like room temperature and the destruction of outtakes. Movie stars appearing nude include Mr. Cumberbatch in the Netflix drama ''The Power of the Dog,'' but lesser-known actors do it, too, like in recent episodes of HBO's ''Euphoria'' and ''The Righteous Gemstones.'' Nude shots can be so fleeting some viewers don't even catch them, though their mere presence allows filmmakers and showrunners to claim points for subversiveness.

In ''Pam & Tommy,'' a Hulu miniseries out next week, Mr. Stan plays Tommy Lee, the M¶tley Cr¼e drummer married to actress Pamela Anderson. Tommy's private parts appear in close-up'--the production used a prosthetic'--and in a surreal twist the anatomy even has a speaking role.

Many naked men and women wear a prosthetic over their private parts during filming, says Amanda Blumenthal, an intimacy coordinator who works on sets to ensure the safety and comfort of cast and crew. With their straps, the costume pieces are obviously fake to everyone who sees them in person, she says, yet the world witnesses what seems like real nudity thanks to ever more realistic postproduction effects.

During shooting, male nude scenes can be handled less delicately than scenes with female nudity, Ms. Blumenthal says. ''The tendency is to assume that men are less self-conscious about their bodies, which I don't think is necessarily true,'' she says. Fear of unflattering camera angles is a top concern for all actors, she adds.

It is an unwritten rule that people on set don't stare, and that they turn their backs as soon as cameras stop rolling to give actors privacy, Ms. Blumenthal says. The discomfort can go in the other direction, she adds, with some crew complaining about actors who stay disrobed between takes.

Performers who do nude scenes are told that sensitive footage will be destroyed or kept in a secure facility, says intimacy coordinator Chelsea Pace. At least 48 hours before a nude scene is filmed, she says, a legal agreement spells out what the actor is being asked to do, what he or she will wear or not wear, the number of cameras and monitors and who will have access to the footage.

Prosthetic makers say male nude scenes in movies and shows are boosting business.

''Producers will just call me up out of the blue and say, 'Well, we kind of need a penis,''' says Matthew Mungle, a makeup artist and go-to for filmmakers seeking private-part prostheses. He created a prosthetic for actor Simon Rex in last year's ''Red Rocket,'' a film about a washed-up porn star, though he said he has no idea whether it was used. When asked at a film festival, Mr. Rex declined to say.

The latest wave of nude scenes has put male actors under the same kinds of pressure to appear naked that women actors often face. And there are the attendant body image issues.

''Everybody is sexually objectified, and that weirdly registers as equality today,'' says Juliet Williams, a professor of gender studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Eva Husson, a filmmaker who uses full-frontal nudity to convey intimacy in her coming film ''Mothering Sunday,'' calls the practice an important counterbalance to pornography. Her period film features a very naked Josh O'Connor (Prince Charles in ''The Crown''), opposite Odessa Young, who spends even more of the movie unclothed. Men often earn accolades for such scenes while it is seen as routine for women to bare all, Ms. Husson says.

''It really irks me when I see male actors lauded for their bravery and it's considered completely normal for actresses,'' she says.

Nude scenes can lead to opportunity, and some notoriety, for actors. Ansel Pierce, who recently appeared naked in a bathroom on ''Euphoria,'' quickly became known on social media as ''Toilet Guy.'' Jumping on the moment, he posted a TikTok video denying the use of a prosthetic. Soon after, he landed a small, clothed role in a romantic comedy.

Mr. Pierce, 22 years old, says his nude scene reflects the authenticity craved by Generation Z and millennial audiences.

''I'm very confident in my body,'' he says. ''Every part of my body is a part of me as an artist.''

Write to Ellen Gamerman at ellen.gamerman@wsj.com

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:26

By: The Associated Press & Scripps National

The Los Angeles City Council has approved a measure to ban new oil and gas wells and phase out existing ones.

The measure would shut down oil and gas fields in the city after a decade of complaints from residents about negative health impacts including nosebleeds, wheezing and coughing. Residents of the city blamed air pollution on the sites.

Activists say that Black and Latino residents of the city are the most affected by pollution from the sites.

The Los Angeles City Council voted on Wednesday for a plan that would phase out new wells over a period of five years. As CNBC reported, over half a million Los Angeles residents live within a quarter-mile of an active oil and gas well, which can release various pollutants including benzene and hydrogen sulfide.

Phaseouts like these are part of what is being seen as a statewide movement in California to move away from fossil fuel production to meet ambitious, but possible climate goals. There's also a strong public health motivation to the movement.

As the Associated Press reported, California's oil and gas regulator proposed in October to ban new oil and gas wells that lie within 3,200 feet of schools, homes, and hospitals.

Existing wells could potentially be subject to new pollution controls.

Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:22

Dwindling inventories in the developed world, rising demand and doubts about OPEC's output are supporting predictions for higher crude

Updated Jan. 27, 2022 6:13 am ETWall Street's summer forecast calls for $100 oil.

A barrel hasn't cost that much since the summer of 2014, before OPEC launched a price war with U.S. shale producers and sent oil prices into a yearslong slump. Early in the pandemic, prices fell to uncharted depths. But the bust ended last year, when crude prices gained more than 50% and oil stocks led the broader market higher.

The...

Wall Street's summer forecast calls for $100 oil.

A barrel hasn't cost that much since the summer of 2014, before OPEC launched a price war with U.S. shale producers and sent oil prices into a yearslong slump. Early in the pandemic, prices fell to uncharted depths. But the bust ended last year, when crude prices gained more than 50% and oil stocks led the broader market higher.

The benchmark U.S. barrel has added another 16% to start this year, ending Wednesday at $87.35. Brent crude, a key price in international trade, closed at $89.96 a barrel, also up 16% in 2022. Energy shares in the S&P 500 have risen 18% this year, the only sector in the stock index up through Wednesday's close.

Analysts expect oil demand to return to pre-pandemic levels this year and say that prices need to rise higher yet to entice U.S. producers to drill more wells and to discourage consumption that has been unbowed by the highest gasoline prices in years.

U.S. producers have been rewarded by investors for restraint since flooding the market with shale oil before the bust. Meanwhile, break-even drilling costs are rising because of labor and materials inflation and a shakeout that has reduced capacity and competition for hydraulic fracturing and other oil-field services.

''The oil market is heading for simultaneously low inventories, low spare capacity and still low investment,'' Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a research note, lifting their price forecast for the summer quarter by $10 a barrel, to $100 for Brent and $97.50 for West Texas Intermediate.

Goldman Sachs raised its estimate for the period by $20 a barrel, also to $100 for Brent and slightly less for U.S. crude.

Bank of America predicts that West Texas Intermediate will hit $117 by July and that Brent will reach $120.

The case for $100 oil rests on consumption that is increasingly unconstrained by Covid-19, diminishing stockpiles among industrialized nations and doubt that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries can increase production as it has promised the market.

In November, when the Omicron variant emerged, oil markets were gripped with fear that another spell of shut-in consumers was afoot. But Omicron did much less to dent fuel demand than earlier waves of Covid-19 infection. November traffic in the U.S. wound up the highest in a decade, with 12% more miles traveled than a year earlier, when the Delta variant was rampant, and 2.8% more than in November 2019, before the pandemic, the Federal Highway Administration said this week.

As air traffic recovers and still-restricted economies reopen around the world, supplies will be stretched thin, analysts say. Goldman anticipates that by summer the developed world's oil inventories will have drained to their lowest level in two decades.

OPEC and its cooperators, including Russia, have fallen short in their efforts to increase output to pre-pandemic levels. Angola, Nigeria and Iraq have production problems. Russia has blamed lower output on delays in developing oil fields. If negotiations with the U.S. fail to de-escalate tension along the Ukrainian border, where Russian troops have amassed, oil shipments from one of the world's largest producers could be disrupted.

Saudi Arabia, among the few exporters that can quickly increase production, has declined to make up for its market allies' unmet quotas.

Goldman's analysts say that the combination of low inventories and spare capacity have historically been resolved by sharp price rallies. The investment bank said market fundamentals are appearing to be comparable to when prices surged during the 1990-91 Gulf War, Libya's 2011 civil war and three periods in between.

The difference these days is shale. Last decade's fracking boom proved there are huge domestic reserves that can be tapped quickly by a swarm of producers if the price is right.

Domestic crude production has climbed much of the way back from pandemic lows toward the 13 million barrels a day that were being pumped when the economy was shut down in March 2020. Drilling activity remains shy of pre-pandemic levels, but the 491 rigs pursuing oil in the U.S. last week is up from 289 a year earlier, according to Baker Hughes Co .

With larger energy producers under pressure from investors to stick to their drilling budgets and return excess cash to shareholders, smaller, closely held producers led the rebound in drilling last year. Without the scale, bargaining power and quick-to-pay-off gushers of larger firms, smaller producers bear the brunt of rising costs for oil-field services and are unlikely to repeat last year's production growth spurt, analysts say.

Texland Petroleum LP was among the producers that halted output when prices crashed during the shutdown. The closely held Fort Worth, Texas, company has since brought its roughly 1,200 wells back on line and late last year drilled some more. Output remains several hundred barrels a day lower than before the pandemic, yet the company doesn't plan to drill new wells until later this year, given rising oil field costs, such as steel and trucking, said Jim Wilkes, Texland's president.

''We could drill enough if the economics were right,'' he said.

Investors are expecting gangbuster years from the firms that sell services and equipment to oil producers. There is less competition since the oil bust wiped out weaker players and aging equipment was scrapped.

Halliburton Co . shares have started the year with a 35% gain, leading the S&P 500. Larger rival Schlumberger NV is close behind, up 33%, and followed at the top by several oil producers. Halliburton said it expects its customers in North America to boost spending by more than 25% this year.

High prices have producers racing to open up wells that have been drilled but not yet completed, and the market for equipment needed to get the oil flowing is already tight, with roughly 90% utilization, Chief Executive Jeff Miller told investors this week.

''Halliburton is sold out,'' he said.

Write to Ryan Dezember at ryan.dezember@wsj.com

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 13:02

All eyes are on Ukraine. It's understandable given the headlines:

U.S. Weighs Pulling Diplomats' Family Members Out of Ukraine

Russia Thins Out Its Embassy in Ukraine, a Possible Clue to Putin's Next Move: The slow evacuation may be part propaganda, part preparation for a conflict or part feint, Ukrainian and U.S. officials say. It could be all three

The talks between the US and Russia are no longer ''productive'' or ''constructive'' but ''frank''.

But, what if Ukraine is a decoy designed to distract attention? Or, what if Ukraine is only one piece of a much larger puzzle? What if the most plausible place for conflict is not Ukraine but a little 64 mile stretch of land between Russia's Kaliningrad enclave and Belarus? That strip is known as the Suwalki Gap. It has long been considered by NATO as the most vulnerable physical spot in Europe. It's not yet in the news but it's about to be if only we can let go of the myopic tendency to view Ukraine as the only important geostrategic location at the moment.

From The EconomistFirst, not all the action is in Ukraine. The Baltic Sea has been a contested area between Russia and NATO for some time. The ongoing cat and mouse game involving ships, submarines, and spycraft there is reminiscent of The Hunt for Red October. Events only militaries know about culminated in the cutting of the fibreoptic internet cable in Svalbard, Norway on January 7th, 2021. This double cable is one of the fastest internet cables in the world. It is said that many (if not most) commercial and military satellites less than 500 miles high depend on these cables and SvalSat (Svalbard Satellite Station), to both download and upload critical information. Deloitte estimated that roughly 700 satellites fell into this category by 2021.

SvalSat is essential to NASA, the European Space Agency Sentinal Program, Galileo, the Copernicus satellites, The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and more. Is SvalSat really just for observing climate change? Or is it that one of the fastest internet connections in the world is an essential strategic asset that allows NATO to observe what's going on in Russia both from space and from below the ocean surface? One cable is now missing a mile-long stretch. The other cable is operational but there is no redundancy now. The new British Chief of Defence Staff said this cable cut could be considered ''an act of war''.

Perhaps it is a total coincidence, on January 6th, 2021 (the day before the Svalbard cable went down), the Daily Mail reported that the British HMS Northumberland had gotten into a tangle with a Russian submarine it had been tracking above Britain in the Arctic Circle. The incident happened in ''late 2020'' and was only acknowledged because the Northumberland happened to have a camera crew on board who videoed the event. But, why did the story make the news only now? Is it because we have been in the midst of submarine warfare between Russia and NATO and the authorities realize the public has missed the buildup? Here's a backgrounder on how subs can cut cables.

There have been other internet cable cuts. On November 11th, 2021, Norway's LoVe cable was mysteriously cut as well. The ''outer areas of the Lofoten-Vester¥len (LoVe) Ocean Observatory, putting the system offline''. LoVe, which was only declared fully operational in August 2020. What purpose does this cable serve? According to The Drive, ''LoVe's stated purpose is to use its sensors to monitor the effects of climate change, methane emissions, and fish stocks, providing scientists with a live feed of imagery, sound, and other data.'' But, actually, LoVe is probably also essential for collecting ''data about passing (Russian) submarines''. The Drive writes, ''Indeed, data gathered by its sensors is first sent to the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, also known by its Norwegian acronym FFI, before being handed over to the IMR for further study.'' ''FFI is believed to routinely remove traces of any submarine activity in the area before turning over the observatory's data to IMR so that it only contains fishing, currents, and climate information,'' according to a report from Norway's ''News in English'' website.''

Maybe the Cold War was never over. Militaries have continued positioning and performing as if the Cold War is still on, or has been back on, for some time. Remember that the US reinstated the 2nd Fleet to ''full operational capability'' back in 2018. Why? Apparently, the US was already seeing the re-emergence of Russian submarine activity in the region. The Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said in May 2018. ''So as we've seen this great power competition emerge, the Atlantic Ocean is as dynamic a theater as any and particular[ly] the North Atlantic; so as we consider high-end naval warfare, fighting in the Atlantic, that will be the 2nd Fleet's responsibility.'' The Washington Post boldly wrote, ''The US Navy is resurrecting a fleet to protect the East Coast and North Atlantic from Russia. It's hard to be any clearer about intent.''

From a Russian perspective, it matters that the Norwegians were the first to buy (and to be allowed to buy) America's most capable aircraft, the F-35. Norway has shifted from the old F-16s to the formidable F-35s. The Norwegian Air Force tweeted about this on January 6th. They also announced the closing of the old NATO Bod¸ Air Base where the F-16s had been based and the opening of the new Evenes Air Base (which is a bit further North) which will host ''both F-35s and the coming fleet of Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrolling Aircraft (MPA).''

The tweets from Royal Norwegian Air Force @Luftforsvaret celebrate the capability upgrade:

''Today, Norway's F-35s officially took over the QRA mission for NATO and Norway. The introduction of the new fighter jets has been a great success since the first F-35s arrived Norway in 2017. The system will reach full operational capability in 2025.

Thursday 6 January 2022 was a historic day for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. On this day, Norway's new F-35s officially took over the QRA mission, ending the F-16 fleet's 42 year-long mission serving Norway and NATO.forsvaret.no''

Drottningholm PalaceOther strange and interesting events were reported on January 15th when reports began to surface about ''Mysterious Drone Incursions'' over at least two of Sweden's nuclear facilities (Forsmark and Oskarshamn). It was reported on January 18th that more drones were found flying over the Royal Palace and the Drottningholm Palace, the latter being the private residence of the King and Queen of Sweden. Having been involved in the drone space, it may be worth pointing out that the Russians have been extremely active users of smaller, human-controlled drones in Ukraine. They have also become very adept at deploying drones in near battle spaces. These are not the kind of drones the US uses for putting ''warheads on foreheads'' from the other side of the world. These are remotely controlled locally. These are the kind suspected of shutting down British airports at one point. Russian Ukrainians seem to be deeply involved in small tactical drones.

Then there are cyberattacks that are reminiscent of what happened in Estonia in 2007. On January 17th, The Times referred to an interview with Jonas Gahr Store, the Prime Minister of Norway. He said that Norway is experiencing cyberattacks. He said, ''his government's computer systems were crippled by an outage and civilian aircraft were affected by military-grade jamming equipment.'' ''I am very concerned about it.'' ''We now experience hybrid operations, sometimes aimed at companies and technological research, but also [at] key institutions such as the Storting [Norway's parliament].''

Symbol of the Gotland RegimentSo, perhaps it is not surprising to see that the Swedes are ramping up their presence at the Gotland or ''Visby'' Garrison on the island of Gotland. The island is situated smack in the middle of the Baltic. Russian subs and ships have to pass it to move in and out of the Baltic Sea. The island has been a military fortress since the Iron Age. But, it became a heavily fortified garrison in the early 1800s and especially throughout WWII. The Swedes once left it undefended in 1808. The Russians occupied it for 23 days. The Swedish Defence Minister is clearly concerned this might happen again. He has moved tanks onto the island of Gotland and recently re-established six military divisions across the country. The Swedish Rangers also recently returned to Lapland in the far North at Kiruna. That location had been disbanded in 2000 because they thought the Cold War was over. Norway too is boosting its Northern defenses and reporting Russian cyberattacks as well.

Notice that the Finnish public broadcaster, YLE reported that NATO has sent Dutch warship HNLMS Rotterdam to the Baltic Sea. It went to Bornholm which, like Gotland, is a strategically located island at the mouth of the Baltics. The Swedes and Dames are not alone. Last week three it seems that Russian amphibious ''warfare vessels'' sailed into the Baltic Sea via the Danish Strait under the ''Great Belt Fixed Link''. This bridge links the Baltic Sea and The North Sea. According to various reports on Twitter and The Drive said that ''Ropucha class amphibious warfare ships Olenegorskiy Gornyak and Georgiy Pobedonosets'' as well as the ''Project 11711 Ivan Gren class landing ship Pyotr Morgunov'' were seen. ''Three other Ropuchas, the Korolev, Minsk, and Kaliningrad, made this same trip''. The Ivan Gren-class Landing ships carry a battalion of 500 marines. According to TASS, The Ropucha ''carry as many as 10 main battle tanks or other heavy armored vehicles, 340 troops, 550 tons of cargo, or a mixture of all three. They have large clamshell doors in their bow allowing them to deposit these payloads right on the beach''.

So, what is all this about? What's going on in the Baltic? One answer is that Russia has designs on the Baltic countries. We mustn't forget that Russia once controlled this territory under Peter the Great. Putin is said not to hanker for the restoration of the Soviet Union but for the restoration of the Russian Empire under Peter The Great. Russia and Sweden were at war a number of times between the 12th and the 19th centuries. This is exactly why NORDEFCO was established in September 2021. Sweden, Denmark and Norway now coordinate with NATO and the 2nd Fleet in order to counter ''Russia's readiness to use military force to reach political targets'' according to Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist.

But, there is another possible answer, which is that all this is about Kaliningrad and the Suwalki Gap. Kaliningrad is the Russian enclave on the Baltic and in the heart of Europe. It sits on the borders of Poland and Lithuania.

In 2016 The Wall Street Journal wrote, ''Closing the Gap: NATO Moves to Protect Weak Link in Defenses Against Russia: Known as the Suwalki Gap, a 64-mile strip of Poland's eastern border has become a growing focus of U.S. military planning''. Why does the Sulwaki gap matter? The article says, ''Military officers worry that in the event of a conflict with Moscow, the Russian military could use its forces in Kaliningrad, home to numerous military bases and bristling with advanced missiles, to effectively cut off the Suwalki Gap and sever the Baltic states from the rest of the alliance, they said. U.S. war planners believe the allies could have as little as 72 hours to reinforce the Suwalki Gap before Moscow would be able to effectively block access.'' All this is why we see NATO and the West beefing up ties with NORDEFCO and the Baltic/Scandinavian Defence communities.

Russian troops are arriving now not only in Ukraine but also in Belarus. Belarus is taking part in the ''Allied Resolve'' drills which Russia is holding there. It seems at least 30,000 troops will be involved. Russia seems to be moving their famed Iskander/S-400 surface-to-air missile into Belarus as well as Sukhoi Fighter jets. Foreign Policy wrote yesterday, ''They're So Destructive': Russian Missiles Could Dominate Ukraine's Skies: The United States enjoyed decades of air dominance. Not anymore.'' What might the S-400s be aiming at? Perhaps it is relevant that Germany just bought five of America's most sophisticated spycraft, the Boeing P-8. These highly capable spy planes have been increasingly spotted over Kaliningrad. Why? See The National Interest's take: ''Why Russia's Kaliningrad Naval Base Poses a Deadly Dilemma for NATO: The region is quickly becoming an armed fortress full of more and better equipped military forces.'' Why? Because this is the headquarters of Russia's Baltic Fleet. President Putin no doubt feels at a great disadvantage having to pass NATO to get to his port, which we must remember, was once known as the headquarters of The Imperial Russian Baltic Fleet under Peter the Great. Here's the Swedish Defence Ministry's take on the Baltic Fleet.

Belarus is in the news for other reasons as well. Iraq just evacuated nearly 4000 Iraqi nationals who somehow ended up migrating to the EU-Belarus border. There have been many allegations that Russia was ''weaponizing immigrants'' to create problems for NATO and in retaliation for sanctions on Belarus. See Forbes piece: Belarus is Weaponizing Migrants Using Putin's Playbook: Europe Must Legally Fight Back. Many activists in Belarus have recently been purged from academia and media. Only yesterday the US charged Senior Belarussian officials with piracy for the false bomb threat they used to force Ryan Air Flight 4978 to land on May 23rd, 2021 so they could arrest Roman Protasevich, a dissident who they placed under house arrest. See the January 20th announcement from the US Attorney's Office from the Southern District of New York: Belarusian Government Officials Charged With Aircraft Piracy For Diverting Ryanair Flight 4978 To Arrest Dissident Journalist In May 2021: Senior Belarusian Officials Conspired to Use a False Bomb Threat to Unlawfully Divert a Passenger Flight Carrying American Citizens in Order to Arrest Belarusian Dissident.

PotashOn December 28th, 2021 the Wall Street Journal wrote: ''Lithuania is the ''Canary'' of World Order: Russia and China are ganging up on the small Baltic state as they test U.S. and EU resolve''. Why? Belarus exports potash. It is their largest source of foreign currency revenue. Lithuania announced on January 12th that it was terminating the agreement between its railway and Belarus to export that valuable potash. Lithuania is cutting off the cash flow to Belarus. Have we seen wars started over economic events like this before? Memories of America's attempts to cut Japan off from steel before WWII flicker to life. FDR cut off shipments of scrap ion, steel and fuel to Japan in 1940. This economic sanction became a driver behind Pearl Harbour.

Given all these events, perhaps it is worth considering the possibility that the potential for conflict is not exclusively in Ukraine. Perhaps there is a chance that the Baltics and the Suwalki Gap are also ''in play''.

The difference is immense. Another invasion in Ukraine will capture the world's headlines but probably not move the world's markets. Action in the Baltics and across the Suwalki Gap will. Set your Google word searches accordingly. In addition to ''Ukraine,'' you might want to add ''Gotland, Bornholm, Suwalki, Kaliningrad, Belarus, submarines, P-8, S-400. For cultural takes on this situation check out the award-winning Netflix Series ''Occupied'' that presupposes a very subtle and quiet Russian occupation of Norway.

The Sacrifice, 1986 by Andrei TarkovskyAlso see the haunting film, The Sacrifice from 1986. It is a Cannes award-winning drama made by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, that records the final hours before a direct nuclear hit on the island of Gotland. In the film, you realize that war has begun when the wine glasses and the shards of the crystal chandelier start to clink together, making an ominous ringing sound that warns us that something has changed. The characters soon realize that they could have done more to stop the disaster when they had the chance and regret not having understood the gravity of events at the time.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:50

The IRS has partnered with a private company that will verify identities online '' but is the new process is streamlined and 100% secure?

By William Phelps

Washington DC - The IRS, infamous for its inscrutable tax filing rules, has partnered with a private company that will verify identities online '' but is the new process is streamlined and 100% secure?

Paying taxes just got a little more complicated thanks to ID.me. (C) Collage: IMAGO / Panthermedia (stock)The Internal Revenue Service now requires anyone who wants to continue filing using an IRS.gov account to submit a selfie and a bunch of sensitive documents to a private ID verification company, ID.me. The account is necessary for filing taxes online, viewing tax documents, and getting certain tax credit payments,

The IRS told Gizmodo that you'll need to suffer through a selfie-submitting slog to pay your taxes online '' unless, of course, you use a different online tax service or snail mail.

Some Twitter users are already asking why Login.gov, the US government's own ID verification portal, is not an available option. Considering the amount of data now going to a private company, that's a valid question.

ID.me's own Privacy Policy says the company collects and stores all the submitted biometric data you send it to verify your ID, as well as tracking other webpages visited and GPS information.

This is all supposedly necessary to verify IDs, because Social Security Number, ID documents, and your face aren't enough.

The service is also at pains to stress it won't be held accountable for any potential breaches: "We cannot guarantee the security of any information transmitted to or from the Website, and are not responsible for the actions of any third parties that may receive any such information."

Even though there is no evidence of any successful hacks, CEO Blake Hall did tell CBS Sacramento that the platform was the target of four Nigerian cyberattacks in 2020, as well as a staggering number of access attempts from China and Hong Kong.

User reviews call ID.me "Awful"The users have spoken, and when ID.me doesn't work, it really sucks. (C) IMAGO / agefotostock (Stock)Despite ID.me's claims that they successfully verify 9 out of 10 users with their automatic process, anyone who is forced to run the video ID verification gauntlet is in for a nasty experience.

Reviewers of ID.me on Trustpilot, Sitejabber, and Pissedconsumer.com blasted the service. Thousands of reviews gave the service one out of five stars across the board, mainly due to the atrocious video call wait times, frustration with the inability of ID.me to correctly match people's selfies with their IDs, and the opposite of a user-friendly interface.

Users also reported an abysmal customer service hotline, which tended to redirect people back to the online ID verification portal.

The problems don't stop there, because even though ID.me claims it's software has "no detectable bias tied to skin type," studies from the US government's own National Institute of Standards and Safety and other organizations like Harvard University show that face scanning has a proven record of racial bias.

Another major concern is how many people will be left out. Despite ID.me's mission of "no identity left behind," 15% of American adults don't own a smartphone and 23% don't have broadband internet at home, according to 2021 research from think tank Pew Research Center.

"These technologies may be inaccessible for precisely the people for whom access to unemployment insurance is the most critical," Olga Akselrod, a senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, told CNN.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Panthermedia (stock)

More on the topic Finance:

Crypto.com hacked to the tune of $15 million in Ethereum"Billionaire variant": Wealth of 10 richest men doubled during pandemic, says new reportMaya Angelou becomes first Black woman to appear on US quarter

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:29

Minnie Mouse is reclaiming her power in a Stella McCartney power suit.

The longtime Disney sweetheart is trading in her iconic polka dot dress for a pair of pants for the first time this year.

Disneyland Paris announced on Tuesday that Minnie will wear trousers designed by Stella McCartney for the theme park's upcoming 30th-anniversary celebration.

The party will launch in March for Women's History Month, which inspired the new look.

The park's Twitter account shared a sneak peek of Minnie's new outfit, which consists of a dark blue and black polka-dotted pantsuit and matching bow in her hair.

''Stella McCartney has designed Minnie Mouse's very first pantsuit, and it's gorgeous,'' the account wrote.

British fashion designer Stella McCartney will be designing Minnie Mouse's new look. Both: Getty Images For the 30th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris, Minnie called upon the services of British designer Stella McCartney to create her first pantsuit to be worn at Disneyland Paris. DisneyThe 50-year-old British designer and daughter of Beatles legend Paul McCartney spoke to D23, the official Disney fan club, about the collab and revealed she's ''delighted'' about the opportunity.

Minnie Mouse at the official reopening ceremony of Hong Kong's Disneyland in July 2020. AFP via Getty Images''Minnie has always had a special place in my heart,'' McCartney said. ''We share the same values. What I love about Minnie is the fact that she embodies happiness, self-expression, authenticity, and that she inspires people of all ages around the world. Plus, she has such great style!''

''This new take on her signature polka dots makes Minnie Mouse a symbol of progress for a new generation,'' she explained. ''She will wear it in honor of Women's History Month in March 2022. I can't wait for you to see this new look at Walt Disney Studios Park!''

''Minnie has always had a special place in my heart,'' McCartney said. ''We share the same values. Getty ImagesMinnie will also join other famed Disney characters in wearing outfits created especially for the anniversary during the instances when she's not wearing the pantsuit.

Disneyland Paris released a video showing off a few of the new looks and featured colorful reflective dresses, shimmery accessories and more.

The Disney-themed amusement park first opened to the public on April 12, 1992, and has hosted more than 375 million visitors.

The park said in a statement about their anniversary, ''Disneyland Paris has over the years created unforgettable memories that last a lifetime'... no wonder it's become Europe's top tourist destination! The resort is known for bringing unique ideas to life, exploring new paths, and continuously reinventing itself.''

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:28

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, fitness folks hopped onto stationary bikes at home while gyms were closed.

As virtual bike workouts increased, a recent media report stated how female cyclists participating in spin classes have been experiencing urinary incontinence possibly linked to their cycling routine.

Health experts told Fox News that pressure from the bicycle seat on the perineum (the genital area) may contribute to problems with urinary incontinence, sexual arousal, and trigger genital pain and numbness in some female and male cyclists.

Dr Philippa Kaye wrote about the possible link between spin classes and women's incontinence in a recent media report for the outlet the Daily Mail.

Cropped shot of fitness woman working out on exercise bike at the gym. Female exercising on bicycle in health club, focus on legs. (iStock)

"A study of more than 300 female triathletes, who cycle a lot as part of their sport, reported that one in three suffered incontinence and pelvic pain. Experts have also found female cyclists can suffer decreased vaginal and labial sensitivity, and a higher rate of urinary tract infections." Kaye said in the article.

Physical therapists who treat pelvic floor issues, said complaints of pelvic pain can be common among cyclists because the sport involves pressure on the pelvic floor area. Some cyclists may complain of pain, tingling, numbness, or urinary incontinence, health experts told Fox News. These symptoms are found commonly in women but can also occur in men, health experts told Fox News.

One study that looked at the correlation between female cyclists and sexual dysfunction found that nearly 54% of the female cyclists had female sexual dysfunction (FSD), 58% complained of genital numbness, and 69% reported pain in their genital region. According to the study, frequency and duration of cycling were not associated with FSD. However, frequency of numbness was correlated with decreased arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction during intercourse, whereas the frequency of pain significantly reduced arousal, orgasm, and genital lubrication.

INCREASED DAILY EXERCISE FOR 10 MINUTES COULD PREVENT MORE THAN 100K DEATHS A YEAR: STUDY

A study looking at men who participate in cycling found a slight correlation between the years of cycling and the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms, independently of the man's age. The researchers said in the study that high-intensity cycling might have a negative impact on pelvic floor function in some men. The study's authors did however note that further research is needed to analyze the impact of cycling on urogenital problems in this population.

Lauren Tadros, PT, DPT, is a pelvic floor physical therapist at Thrive Integrated Physical Therapy in New York City and told Fox News that she sees urological issues in male cyclists from too much cycling. In the cases of men, Tadros said, "The most common complaint is tailbone pain or scrotal and penile pain from pelvic floor irritation which can then lead to pain with ejaculation, urinary hesitancy and frequency or pain with urination.'¯"

Elizabeth D'Annunzio Shah, PT, DPT, OCS, is also a pelvic floor physical therapist at Thrive Integrated Physical Therapy in New York City and told Fox News that although urinary incontinence may seem to be common in women, "urinating while exercising is not normal".

Cyclists pass the Niskayuna Train Station as they bike on the Canalway Trail in Niskayuna, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File) (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The pelvic floor specialist told Fox News during an interview that individuals who experience incontinence or pain, male or female, should see a health professional to rule out an underlying condition or mechanical issue that could be exacerbated by the cycling class.

Shah explained that the muscles in the pelvic region can become tight which potentially leads to urinary frequency, or they can become weak, typically after having babies or surgeries, which can lead to incontinence. These muscle imbalances combined with the postures and breathing while doing the cycling exercises can contribute to episodes of incontinence, Shah told Fox News.

"It's less about biking but how the person is holding their breath and posture," Shah said.

The physical therapist told Fox News that sitting alone significantly "loads" the spine and pelvic region and adding motions such as lifting weights, while cycling can further the amount of stress on the pelvic floor.

Shah said it is important for cyclists to be aware of their posture and breathing during the exercise routine.

WE MAY NOT NEED 10,000 DAILY STEPS FOR LONG LIFE, STUDIES SUGGEST

Shah explained that during a fast-paced spin class, factors like bearing down while breathing or hunching forward in a poor posture puts extra pressure on the pelvic floor, which can contribute to incontinence.

"If you sit crunched down and lift weights, along with bad mechanics, you will overload the pelvic floor," Shah said.

National Bike Month is a chance to meet other bikers, be environmentally friendly, avoid commuting traffic and save money on gas. (iStock)

Pelvic floor physical therapists address an individual's muscle imbalances and mechanical issues that may contribute to urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction, which can potentially help the individual, perform exercises without episodes of incontinence or pain.

Health experts offered tips to alleviate strain of the pelvic floor:

Wider saddles. Tadros told Fox News she recommends a wider seat, which can spread the pressure out over the sit bones. The PT also recommended a padded seat or padded shorts.Explore using seat-post shock absorbers One study showed seat-post shock absorbers significantly decreased perineal (genital area) pressure by up to 59%.Heighten your handlebars if your handlebars are too low, it can put pressure on your pelvic floor, according to experts who also recommend handlebars be at least the height of the saddle.Breathe! Exhaling during exertion controls intra-abdominal pressure and may help alleviate strain on the abdominal wall and pelvic floor, according to pelvic floor experts. Some physical therapists recommend practicing exhaling as you push down on the pedal while you are pedaling during your spin class. If you feel heaviness in your pelvic floor, scale back.Stand Up More. According to a report in the Urology Times, urologists found cyclists who stood more than 20% of the time while cycling and adjusted the handlebar to a height at least even with the saddle had reduced odds of developing genital numbness.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS

Overall, urologists said that cycling should be promoted as a healthy form of exercise and more needs to be learned about the impact of cycling on urologic wellness in men and women. Health experts also add, if you are experiencing symptoms, seek medical evaluation from a pelvic floor specialist and urologist, to rule out underlying conditions and to help promote a better quality of life.

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Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:12

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it replenishes the body's supply of glucose to boost energy until lunch while providing other essential nutrients. The first meal of the day usually consists of eggs, bacon, toast, fresh-squeezed orange juice, coffee, and milk.

Today, breakfast foods are becoming expensive as food inflation soars to a decade high. Earlier this week, we noted how orange juice prices are rocketing higher due to supply woes in Florida. Now consumers must prepare for 'milkflation'.

This week, a new industry report from the National Milk Producers Federation warns milk supply is falling and isn't going to recover in the near term, which could unleash dairy inflation.

The dominant features of the basic U.S. dairy situation continue to be tighter milk production, record export volumes, higher prices, sluggish domestic consumption, and dropping inventories.

Total dairy cows and total milk production in the United States were both lower than a year earlier during the September-November rolling quarter.

December prices for nonfat dry milk and dry whey were the highest monthly prices since 2014; they, as well as December butter and cheese prices, were all among the highest observed during all months since the beginning of the year 2000. The long period of tough market conditions from 2014 until recently constitutes a major reason for the production contraction that's driving the current situation.

The crux of the problem is the pandemic-related issues, such as dairy cows becoming too expensive to feed, so farmers reduced their herds by sending animals to slaughterhouses. The remaining cows are being fed less, which means lower milk output. Compound that with rising labor and energy costs, margin compression is hitting farmers where it hurts: the pocketbook.

Milkflation is expected to persist "well into 2022," the industry group said. Rising wholesale prices are already impacting supermarket prices where consumers are paying some of the highest average prices since 2015.

Add milk to the latest breakfast item to experience inflationary price pressures. Other breakfast-designated commodities, such as oranges, lean hogs, wheat, and coffee, have risen over the last year due to supply-chain disruptions and bad weather has kept supplies low.

Rising breakfast costs come as inflation for households hit a 40 year high in December, a 7% spike from a year earlier. Real wages are being wiped out as households become frustrated as their purchasing power slumps. Much of this anger has been channeled at President Biden as his polling numbers plummet.

The Direxion Breakfast Commodities Strategy exchange-traded fund is set to release an exchange-traded fund that focuses on coffee, orange juice, wheat, and lean-hog futures to allow speculators to play the inflation breakfast trade.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:03

Pfizer has asked a federal court to let it intervene in a high-profile case that has seen U.S. drug regulators try to slow-walk disclosure of data on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

Pfizer says it supports disclosing the data but wants to ensure that information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is not ''disclosed inappropriately.''

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year after the agency, responding to a FOIA request, claiming it would take 20 years to produce the data on the vaccine.

The FDA later asked a judge to give it 75 years, but the judge rejected the request and ordered the regulator to produce 55,000 pages a month, which would give it about eight months to fully disclose the records.

About two weeks after the order, on Jan. 21, lawyers representing Pfizer asked U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump nominee overseeing the case, to allow the company to intervene.

Pfizer was not aware of the case until executives read news reports about it last month and now wants to help FDA staffers review the documents in question to ensure proper redactions are made, according to the new filing.

In light of the FDA's objections to the sped-up timeframe, Pfizer ''seeks leave to intervene in this action for the limited purpose of ensuring that information exempt from disclosure under FOIA is adequately protected as FDA complies with this Court's order,'' the memorandum supporting the motion for leave to intervene stated.

Government officials told the court that they want Pfizer's help ''due to the unprecedented speed with which the Court has ordered FDA to process the records at issue.''

''FDA anticipates that coordination with Pfizer to obtain the company's views as to which portions of the records are subject to Exemption 4, the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1905, or other statutory protections will be a necessary component of the agency's endeavors to meet the extraordinary exigencies of this case,'' Department of Justice lawyers said in a response to Pfizer's motion.

Plaintiffs, though, asked Pittman to reject Pfizer's bid.

A vial of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 23, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)''Even though the FDA has more than sufficient resources to expeditiously produce the requested documents, and the agency has repeatedly stated its commitment to protecting Pfizer's interests, Pfizer could still assist the FDA with expediting release of the requested documents. Pfizer, however, provides no reason why it needs to intervene in this matter to render that purported assistance. Nor can Plaintiff discern why Pfizer needs to intervene in this matter to assist the FDA with expediting release of the requested documents'--it can render this assistance without intervening,'' Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency said in a brief.

The judge, the group said, should ask Pfizer to clarify how intervening would help quicken the document production.

Additionally, Pfizer lawyers told plaintiffs that while the company does not at present plan to challenge the court's production order, they would not rule out challenging the order at a later time.

''Pfizer does not presently intend to move the Court to reconsider its January 6, 2022 order, but Pfizer is not in a position at this time to waive its ability to do so if circumstances change such that there is good cause at a later time to do so,'' Daniel Tobey, one of Pfizer's lawyers, said in a statement to the court.

Plaintiffs are concerned that Pfizer's involvement will lead to the FDA renewing effort to delay production of the vaccine data.

Pittman is due to hear arguments for and against Pfizer's proposed intervention on Jan. 28 in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas.

Regulators granted emergency use authorization to Pfizer's vaccine in December 2020, alleging at the time that it was highly effective in preventing infection and severe disease.

The vaccine has since proven to provide little protection against infection and its effectiveness against severe illness has dropped, and some side effects linked to the vaccine were detected post-authorization, including heart inflammation and severe allergic reactions.

FDA and other U.S. officials continue to recommend virtually all Americans should get the jab and recently cleared booster doses for individuals 12 and older, while children as young as 5 can get Pfizer's primary series.

Follow

Zachary Stieber covers U.S. news and stories relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is based in Maryland.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:02

By Frank GardnerBBC security correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, This chip - from German firm Q.ant - is designed to facilitate optical data processing for quantum technology

Imagine a world where encrypted, secret files are suddenly cracked open - something known as "the quantum apocalypse".

Put very simply, quantum computers work completely differently from the computers developed over the past century. In theory, they could eventually become many, many times faster than today's machines.

That means that faced with an incredibly complex and time-consuming problem - like trying to decrypt data - where there are multiple permutations running into the billions, a normal computer would take many years to break those encryptions, if ever.

But a future quantum computer, in theory, could do this in just seconds.

Such computers could be able to solve all sorts of problems for humanity. The UK government is investing in the National Quantum Computing Centre in Harwell, Oxfordshire, hoping to revolutionise research in the field.

But there is also a dark side.

Data thieves

A number of countries, including the US, China, Russia and the UK, are working hard and investing huge sums of money to develop these super-fast quantum computers with a view to gaining strategic advantage in the cyber-sphere.

Every day vast quantities of encrypted data - including yours and mine - are being harvested without our permission and stored in data banks, ready for the day when the data thieves' quantum computers are powerful enough to decrypt it.

Media caption, Watch: What is quantum computing?

"Everything we do over the internet today," says Harri Owen, chief strategy officer at the company PostQuantum, "from buying things online, banking transactions, social media interactions, everything we do is encrypted.

"But once a functioning quantum computer appears that will be able to break that encryption... it can almost instantly create the ability for whoever's developed it to clear bank accounts, to completely shut down government defence systems - Bitcoin wallets will be drained."

It's a prognosis echoed by Ilyas Khan, chief executive of the Cambridge and Colorado-based company Quantinuum. "Quantum computers will render useless most existing methods of encryption," he says.

"They are a threat to our way of life."

Quantum-proofing

Seriously? That does sound completely apocalyptic, so why haven't we heard more about this?

The answer is that yes, OK, this would indeed be the case if no precautions were being taken. "If we weren't doing anything to combat it then bad things would happen," says a Whitehall official who asked not to be named.

In practice, mitigation efforts are already in train and have been for some years. In the UK, all government data classified as "top secret" is already "post-quantum" - that is, using new forms of encryption which researchers hope will be quantum-proof.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits a quantum research centre in September 2021

Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Intel and IBM are working on solutions, as well as more specialist companies like Quantinuum and Post-Quantum.

Most importantly, there is currently something of a post-quantum cryptography "beauty parade" taking place at the US National Institute for Science and Technology (NIST) just outside Washington DC. The aim is to establish a standardised defence strategy that will protect industry, government, academia and critical national infrastructure against the perils of the quantum apocalypse.

All of this will not be cheap.

Quantum computing is expensive, laborious and generates large amounts of heat. Developing quantum-safe algorithms is one of the major security challenges of our time.

But experts say the alternative - doing nothing - is simply not an option.

More on this story

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Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 11:45

Spotify on Wednesday confirmed it will remove Neil Young's music from its platform, after the singer demanded that the streaming giant take it down in response to vaccine misinformation being spread by Joe Rogan, a popular podcaster on the platform.

Why it matters: Young is the first high-profile artist to boycott Spotify because of content moderation issues.

What they're saying: ''We want all the world's music and audio content to be available to Spotify users," said a Spotify spokesperson. "With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators.

"We have detailed content policies in place and we've removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.""We regret Neil's decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.''The Wall Street Journal first reported the news. Young confirmed the news in a statement on his website on Wednesday, saying he "could not continue to support Spotify's life threatening misinformation to the music loving public."

"I truly want to thank the many, many people who have reached out to me thanking me for taking this position '-- people who are health professionals on the front lines, people who have lost loved ones to COVID or who are worried for their own children and families," Young said."I sincerely hope that other artists and record companies will move off the Spotify platform and stop supporting Spotify's deadly misinformation about COVID."Catch up quick: Young initially posted a letter addressed to his website Monday night, demanding that Spotify pull his music from its service.

In the letter, addressed to his management team and record label, Young singled out Rogan for his role in spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.''They can have Rogan or Young. Not both," he wrote in the letter, which was not on his website by Tuesday morning.The big picture: Spotify has faced increased pressure to address the way it moderates content in the wake of anti-vaccination comments made by Rogan, who signed an exclusive multi-year deal with the platform in 2020.

Earlier this month, hundreds of scientists and public health professionals posted an open letter to Spotify asking the company to better handle vaccine misinformation on its service, singling out Rogan's show for "promoting baseless conspiracy theories."Worth noting: During an appearance on the Axios Re:Cap podcast last year, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said he does not believe Spotify has editorial responsibility for what is said on its podcasts, including "The Joe Rogan Experience."

What to watch: Whether other major artists follow Young's lead.

Go deeper: Spotify has a Joe Rogan dilemma

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Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 11:32

President Biden Joe BidenNorth Korea conducts potential 6th missile test in a month Clyburn predicts Supreme Court contender J. Michelle Childs would get GOP votes Overnight Defense & National Security '-- US delivers written response to Russia MORE is set to have his first opportunity to appoint a judge to the Supreme Court after news broke that Justice Stephen Breyer Stephen BreyerProgressives see Breyer retirement as cold comfort Briefing in brief: Biden committed to naming Black woman to Supreme Court The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement MORE is expected to announce his retirement in the coming days.

Biden vowed multiple times during the 2020 campaign to appoint the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and a number of Democrats quickly began applying pressure on the president to follow through on that pledge.

Breyer's retirement, which had been a subject of speculation among Democrats, gives Biden and his party a chance to replace the 83-year-old jurist with a younger liberal justice and potentially diversify the bench.

The opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice is rare for presidents and can be a legacy-defining decision. Here's a look at some of the names Biden is likely to consider nominating as Breyer's replacement.

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Jackson is widely seen as the front-runner to be nominated as Breyer's replacement.

The Senate confirmed the 51-year-old on a 53-44 vote last June vote to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, widely viewed as the second-most powerful court in the country. She received support from all 50 Democrats, plus GOP support from Sens. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsClyburn predicts Supreme Court contender J. Michelle Childs would get GOP votes The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement No. 3 Senate Democrat says Biden should tap Black woman for Supreme Court MORE (Maine), Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiClyburn predicts Supreme Court contender J. Michelle Childs would get GOP votes The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement Romney participating in fundraiser for Liz Cheney MORE (Alaska) and Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamClyburn predicts Supreme Court contender J. Michelle Childs would get GOP votes The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement Schumer vows to vote on Biden Supreme Court pick with 'all deliberate speed' MORE (S.C.).

In a narrowly divided Senate where Democrats can afford no defections without Republican support, Jackson offers a potential nominee who has already been confirmed by moderates like Sen. Joe Manchin Joe ManchinOn The Money '-- No SALT, and maybe no deal The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement Poll: Sinema approval higher among Arizona Republicans than Democrats MORE (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema Kyrsten SinemaThe names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement Poll: Sinema approval higher among Arizona Republicans than Democrats Schumer vows to vote on Biden Supreme Court pick with 'all deliberate speed' MORE (D-Ariz.).

Jackson filled the vacancy on the D.C. court created when Biden chose Merrick Garland Merrick GarlandProgressives see Breyer retirement as cold comfort The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement Are the legal walls closing in on Donald Trump? MORE to serve as attorney general.

She previously served as a federal district court judge in D.C., and was considered for the Supreme Court in 2016 when former President Obama Barack Hussein ObamaClyburn predicts Supreme Court contender J. Michelle Childs would get GOP votes Progressives see Breyer retirement as cold comfort The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement MORE was searching for a nominee following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Leondra Kruger

Kruger serves on the California Supreme Court, to which she was appointed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in 2014.

She worked as a clerk for the late Justice John Paul Stevens and later served in the Obama administration as an assistant to the solicitor general and acting principal deputy solicitor general. In those roles, she argued a dozen cases in front of the Supreme Court.

Her name was among those circulated by progressive groups in December 2020 when they urged Biden to name a Black woman as solicitor general, a position for which he ultimately chose Elizabeth Prelogar.

Kruger, who is 45, would be the youngest justice on the bench if nominated and confirmed.

J. Michelle Childs

Biden nominated Childs, 55, a federal district court judge in South Carolina, to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals just one month ago. Though her confirmation is still pending, her name is circulating among the top contenders for Breyer's seat.

Her odds have been boosted, largely thanks to a powerful ally in Democratic leadership: Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the No. 3 House Democrat.

Clyburn had already been pushing Childs as a potential high court nominee, The New York Times reported last year, touting her blue-collar roots in a state that was key to Biden's victory. Childs graduated from University of South Carolina's law school, which Clyburn emphasized as an additional point of diversity to set her apart from the Ivy League-dominated legal elite.

''She is the kind of person who has the sort of experiences that would make her a good addition to the Supreme Court,'' Clyburn told the Times.

But a Childs nomination would be a departure from Biden's first-year records of elevating judicial nominees with backgrounds as public defenders and civil rights attorneys. Her early record as a white collar lawyer specializing in defending employers in workplace suits may provoke an outcry from progressives who have thus far applauded Biden's judicial confirmation record.

Sherrilyn Ifill

Ifill is a prominent civil rights lawyer who has served as the president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund for nearly a decade.

Ifill, 59, announced in November she would step down from her role in the spring of 2022. She was included on Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list last year.

Through her work with the NAACP, Ifill has been a prominent voice on a number of issues important to Democrats, including voting rights, diversity training and other civil rights issues.

Some advocates have pushed Biden to consider professional diversity when considering his court picks, and Ifill's history as a civil rights lawyer would fit the bill. But one potential obstacle facing Ifill is that she has not been through a Senate confirmation hearing, and the White House may not want to risk it in such a narrowly divided Senate.

Other names to watch:

Circuit Judge Eunice Lee and Circuit Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi have both been floated as potential candidates.

Both were former public defenders nominated by Biden to serve on the federal bench and were confirmed last year. Both are women of color, and their past experience would bring professional diversity to the Supreme Court.

Multiple reporters asked White House press secretary Jen Psaki Jen PsakiOvernight Defense & National Security '-- US delivers written response to Russia Briefing in brief: Biden committed to naming Black woman to Supreme Court Biden signs order criminalizing military sexual harassment MORE on Wednesday about the potential of nominating Vice President Harris, a former California attorney general. Biden has said he intends to run alongside Harris in 2024 '-- and she said she's not interested in the job.

Some advocacy groups have urged Biden to consider nominating a Latino judge to the bench, though doing so would likely inflame tensions with some of the Black voters who propelled Biden to the Democratic nomination and ultimately the White House.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) on Wednesday suggested Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto Catherine Marie Cortez MastoThe names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement Democrats torn over pushing stolen-election narrative These Senate seats are up for election in 2022 MORE (D-Nev.), who is up for reelection this year, and Health and Human Services Secretary and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Xavier BecerraOvernight Health Care '-- COVID-19 deaths pass peak from delta surge The names to know as Biden mulls Breyer's replacement The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Breaking: Justice Breyer to retire MORE as potential nominees.

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Archived Version

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 00:49

Game of strategy and skill

TiddlywinksYears active1888 to presentGenresSkill & action gamePlayersusually 2 or 4; sometimes 3; 6 for a triples matchSetup time1 minutePlaying time30 minutes to an hourSkills requiredStrategy, physical skillSynonymsWinksTiddlywinks is a game played on a flat felt mat with sets of small discs called "winks", a pot, which is the target, and a collection of squidgers, which are also discs. Players use a "squidger" (nowadays made of plastic) to shoot a wink into flight by flicking the squidger across the top of a wink and then over its edge, thereby propelling it into the air. The offensive objective of the game is to score points by sending your own winks into the pot. The defensive objective of the game is to prevent your opponents from potting their winks by "squopping" them: shooting your own winks to land on top of your opponents' winks. As part of strategic gameplay, players often attempt to squop their opponents' winks and develop, maintain and break up large piles of winks.

Tiddlywinks is sometimes considered a simple-minded, frivolous children's game, rather than a strategic, adult game.[1][2][3] However, the modern competitive adult game of tiddlywinks made a strong comeback at the University of Cambridge in 1955. The modern game uses far more complex rules and a consistent set of high-grade equipment.

Rules The French

jeu de puces

("flea game"), a catapult version of tiddlywinks

Tiddlywinks is a competitive game involving four colours of winks. Each player controls the winks of a colour, the colours being blue, green, red and yellow. Red and blue are always partners against green and yellow. There are six winks of each colour, which begin the game in the corners of a felt mat measuring 6 feet by 3 feet. This mat is ordinarily placed on a table, and a pot is placed at its centre. There are two primary methods of play with the four colors of winks: a pairs game, and a singles game. The pairs game involves four players, playing in partnerships, with each winker playing a single color. The singles game involves a single winker playing against another single winker, each playing two colors of winks in alternation.

The players take turns, and there are two basic aims: to cover (or squop) opponent winks, and to get one's own winks into the pot. As in pool or snooker, if a player pots a wink of his own colour, then he is entitled to an extra shot, and this enables a skilled player to pot all of his winks in one turn. The point of squopping, which is the key element distinguishing the adult game from the child's game (though recognized in even the earliest rules from 1890), is that a wink that is covered (even partially) may not be played by its owner. The wink on top may be played, though, and sophisticated play involves shots manipulating large piles of winks.

The game ends in one of two ways: either all the winks of one colour are potted (a pot-out), or play continues up to a specified time limit (usually 25 minutes), after which each colour has a further five turns. Then a scoring system is used to rank the players, based on the numbers of potted and unsquopped winks of each colour.

National and international organisations A European wooden mushroom-style container with nylon tiddlywinks discs (1960s)

There are two national associations, the English Tiddlywinks Association (ETwA) and the North American Tiddlywinks Association (NATwA) (the Scottish Tiddlywinks Association having disbanded in the late 1990s). These organisations are responsible for conducting tournaments and maintaining the rules of the game (which actually differ only slightly between the two organisations; the NATwA rules are based on the ETwA rules). International competition is overseen by the International Federation of Tiddlywinks Associations (IFTwA), though in practice it is rarely called upon to intervene.

Competitive play Although tiddlywinks nowadays is a singles or pairs game, competition in the 1950s until the 2000s centred on team competition, with teams consisting of several (two to four) pairs. There were a number of university teams, and international matches were also played. More recently, singles and pairs tournaments have come to be the focus of competitive tiddlywinks, with only a few team matches being played each year. The four most prestigious tournaments are the National Singles and National Pairs tournaments held in England and the United States. The World Singles and World Pairs championships operate on a challenge basis; anyone winning a national tournament (or being the highest-placed home player behind a foreign winner) is entitled to challenge the current champion.

There are several other less prestigious tournaments in England and the United States throughout the year, often with a format designed to encourage inexperienced players. The results of tournaments and world championship matches are used to calculate Tiddlywinks Ratings,[4] which give a ranking of players.

Skill versus strategy, and comparable games The important appeal of the game for many players is the required combination of manual dexterity and strategic thought as well as tactics. Tiddlywinkers often claim that the game combines physical skill (such as in snooker or golf) with the strategy of chess. Tiddlywinks is unique in the combination of skill and strategy it requires. Strategy in tiddlywinks is often rather deep, since winks can be captured. Strategic and tactical planning involves anticipating opponents' moves rather than just building a sequence of one's own moves. Another factor that complicates the game is that there is a time limit to the play of the game; it does not merely run until some objective in the game has been met.

All in all, tiddlywinks goes beyond the purely cerebral nature of a game such as chess. The fact that shots can be made or missed, together with the continuum of possible outcomes, makes strategy much less rigid than in chess, and prevents planning more than seven or eight shots in advance.

Equipment The winks and pot used in competitive play are standard, and are supplied by the English Tiddlywinks Association. The pots are made of moulded plastic (historically always red, though there is no known reason for this), with specified diameters at the top and the base, and specified height. The winks are made in Italy to specified measurements, and are made by slicing an extruded cylinder rather than by moulding, and then smoothing them in a tumbler. Although this leads to some minor variation in thickness, it produces a much smoother edge to the wink than that seen on cheap moulded winks.

The mats are made of thick felt. Mats obtained from different suppliers have different characteristics, and part of the skill of a tournament player is to adjust to different mats.

Squidgers are custom-made by their owners or purchased from squidger makers. A player may use as many as he likes, selecting an appropriate squidger for each shot. Top players may carry up to twenty different squidgers, but will not typically use all of them in one game. The rules governing squidgers are liberal; a range of dimensions are permitted, and the material is not specified, except for the condition that squidgers must not damage either the winks or the mat. Typically squidgers are made from different types of plastic, though glass, rubber, cork and onyx are occasionally seen. The squidgers are usually filed or sanded to give a sharp edge and then polished.

Terminology The game of tiddlywinks has a rich lexicon. Selected terms include:[5][6][7]

Blitz: an attempt to pot all six winks of a given player's colour early in the game

Bomb: to send a wink at a pile, usually from distance, in the hope of significantly disturbing it

Boondock: to free a squopped wink by sending it a long way away, leaving the squopping wink free in the battle area

Bristol: a shot which moves a pile of two or more winks as a single unit; the shot is played by holding the squidger at a right angle to its normal plane

Carnovsky (US)/Penhaligon (UK): potting a wink from the baseline (i.e., from 3 feet away)

Cracker (UK): a simultaneous knock-off and squop, i.e. a shot which knocks one wink off the top of another while simultaneously squopping it

Crud (UK): a forceful shot whose purpose is to destroy a pile completely

Good shot: named after John Good. The shot consists of playing a flat wink (one not involved in a pile) through a nearby pile with the intent of destroying the pile

Gromp: an attempt to jump a pile onto another wink (usually with the squidger held in a conventional rather than a Bristol fashion)

John Lennon memorial shot: a simultaneous boondock and squop

Lunch: to pot a squopped wink (usually belonging to an opponent)

Scrunge (UK): to bounce out of the pot

Squidger: the disc used to shoot a wink[8]

Squop: to play a wink so that it comes to rest above another wink[9]

Sub: to play a wink so that it (unintentionally) ends up under another wink

Tiddlies: points calculated when determining the finishing placement of winkers in a tiddlywinks game

History Nineteenth century The game began as an adult parlour game in Victorian England. Bank clerk[10] Joseph Assheton Fincher (1863''1900)[11][12] filed the original patent application for the game in 1888[13] and applied for the trademark Tiddledy-Winks in 1889.[14] John Jaques and Son were the exclusive distributors of the game named Tiddledy-Winks. However, competition was quite fierce, and for several years starting in 1888 other game publishers came out with their own versions of the game using other names, including Spoof, Flipperty Flop, Jumpkins, Golfette, Maro, Flutter, and many others.[15] It became one of the most popular crazes during the 1890s, played by adults and children alike.[16] In its earlier years, many different varieties were produced to meet the marketplace demands, including those combining tiddledy-winks principles with tennis, basketball, croquet, golf, and other popular sports and endeavours.[17] Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, the public perception of the game changed.

1950s The birth of the modern game can be traced to a group of Cambridge University undergraduates meeting in Christ's College on 16 January 1955. Their aim was to devise a sport at which they could represent the university. Within three years the Oxford University Tiddlywinks Society was formed; although the two universities had been playing matches since 1946.[18] In 1957, an article appeared in The Spectator entitled "Does Prince Philip cheat at tiddlywinks?"[19] Sensing a good publicity opportunity the Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club (CUTwC) challenged Prince Philip (later to become Chancellor of the University in 1976) to a tiddlywinks match to defend his honour. The Duke of Edinburgh appointed The Goons as his Royal champions. The Duke presented a trophy, the Silver Wink, for the British Universities Championship.[20]

The English Tiddlywinks Association (ETwA) was founded on 12 June 1958[21][22] with the Reverend Edgar "Eggs" Ambrose Willis as its first Secretary-General.

1960s During the 1960s as many as 37 universities were playing the game in Great Britain.

In 1962, the Oxford University Tiddlywinks Society (OUTS) toured the United States for several weeks under the sponsorship of Guinness.[23] They were undefeated against teams from the New York Giants and various American colleges and newspapers.[24] A very prominent article appeared in Life magazine on 14 December 1962 with coverage of the Harvard team.[25] Harvard's Gargoyle Undergraduate Tiddlywinks Society (GUTS) dominated winks in this era.[26] In the next few years, Harvard and other colleges continued to play, though at a low ebb. From 1962 to 1966, tiddlywinks play in the United States was governed by the National Undergraduate Tiddlywinks Association (NUTS).

The North American Tiddlywinks Association (NATwA) was formed on 27 February 1966[27][28] with founders from both American (Harvard University and Harvard Medical School) and Canadian (University of Waterloo and Waterloo Lutheran University) teams.

In the meantime, in the fall of 1965, Severin Drix started a team at Cornell, and challenged his friend Ferd Wulkan of MIT to start a tiddlywinks team. MIT and Cornell played in NATwA's tiddlywinks tournaments starting in February 1967, and became dominant. The Harvard and Waterloo teams disappeared from the scene by 1968. The game took particularly strong root at MIT, and the early development of most American players can still be traced to MIT today.

While the basic elements of the adult game were devised by CUTwC in its early years, the rules have continued to be modified under the auspices of the various national tiddlywinks associations. ETwA coordinated the game throughout the boom period of the 1960s when winks flourished. A decline in interest within the UK in 1969-1970 led to the establishment of the three national competitions which have been contested to date, namely the National Singles, National Pairs, and the Teams of Four. There are also annual Open Competitions, notably in Oxford, Cambridge and London.

1970s The first serious trans-Atlantic contact was established in 1972, when a team from MIT including Dave Lockwood[29] toured the UK.[30][31][32] The success of the Americans shocked complacent Britons. Competition started at the highest level, the World Singles, in 1973. A challenge system was agreed between ETwA and NATwA. The supreme ruling body in world contests is the International Federation of Tiddlywinks Associations (IFTwA). To challenge at the world level, a player must win one of the national titles, or finish as the highest placed home player behind a foreign winner. There have been over 65 World Singles contests to date. The Americans dominated all the early matches, and it was not until the 22nd contest that a Briton won for the first time. Since then the top Britons and Americans have been closely matched. After the establishment of the World Singles, a World Pairs event followed, and there have since been over 40 World Pairs contests. International matches have been played since 1972.

Twenty-first century During its history, winks has enjoyed variable levels of interest. The game has never taken a strong hold outside the UK and North America. The focus of British tiddlywinks is still at Cambridge, and CUTwC's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2005 were well attended. The Oxford University Tiddlywinks Society has recently fallen out of existence. Despite this there has recently been some resurgence in the game, with new clubs having been formed recently in the University of York and in Shrewsbury School.

In America, there has been a tradition of tiddlywinks in Washington D.C., Boston, Eastern Ohio, and Ithaca, New York. There was a renewal of winks in 2007 through the MIT Tiddlywinks Association.[33] National competitions are well attended, with a group of enthusiastic young players joining the stock of veteran players who have proved themselves at the highest level in world competition. In the US, the game had a firm footing in certain high schools, since the children of many of the players who took up the game in the late 1960s and early 1970s played when they were in high school.[34] These players are now looking to revive university tiddlywinks in the United States.

On 1 March 2008, there was a Royal Match in Cambridge to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original Royal Match played against The Goons in 1958 (see above). CUTwC players took on HRH Prince Philip's Royal Champions, the Savage Club, with members of the original 1958 CUTwC team in attendance. Cambridge repeated their victory from 1958 by winning the match 24-18.[35]

Since 2000, the World Singles championship has been dominated by Larry Kahn and Patrick Barrie, with each player having won seven matches (as of December 2019).[36]

References ^ Struble, Lillie (15 April 1978). "Letters to the Editor". Library Journal: 790. Have we sold our precious heritage in exchange for frivolity and a game of tiddlywinks? ^ Mackay, James A. (1976). Childhood antiques . p. 76. ISBN 9780800814427. There were some board games, however, which provided little or no intellectual stimulus. Chief among these was ['...] tiddlywinks, whose apparent inanity (to the uninitiated) is often regarded as the ultimate in useless activities. ^ Wooldridge, Ian (1960s). "(unknown title)". British Airways magazine (Interview). At the risk of propagating royal support for tiddlywinks, a game of the utmost tedium played by anti-athletes too tired or apathetic to get up off the floor, I have to concede that his argument makes sense. (of the UK Olympic Committee) ^ Barrie, Patrick. "Tiddlywinks World Ratings" . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ Tucker, Rick (January 2016) [1994]. "Lexicon of Tiddlywinks". 16. Tiddlywinks.org . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ Cohen, Philip M. (December 1977). "Winking Words". Verbatim: 4. ^ Partridge, Eric (1984). Beale, Paul (ed.). A dictionary of slang & unconventional English (8th ed.). London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Appendix devoted to tiddlywinks jargon. ^ "Oxford English Dictionary" . OED.com. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . Entry for squidger, n. ^ "Oxford English Dictionary" . OED.com. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . Entries for squop, v. and squop, n. ^ Census Returns of England and Wales. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK, Public Record Office. 1891. p. Class: RG12; Piece: 1102; Folio: 18; Page: 14 . Retrieved 28 March 2018 . ^ Joseph Assheton Fincher birth registration, General Register Office, England. ^ Joseph Assheton Fincher death registration, General Register Office, England. ^ Fincher, Joseph A. "A New and Improved Game". London, England: Darling & Son, Ltd. for Her Majesty's Stationery Office . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . UK patent # 16,215 (1888). ^ "Trade Marks Journal" (581). U.K. Patent Office. 15 May 1889: 476 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ UK copyright applications at the National Archives, Kew ^ "The Popular Game of Tiddledy Winks". Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database. Historic Richmond Town . Retrieved 21 April 2017 . ^ Tucker, Rick (October 1996). "Tiddlywinks: The Classic Victorian Pastime: On Target for the 21st Century". Game Researchers' Notes. American Game Collectors Association. ISSN 1050-6608 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ Barnes, Simon (21 December 1985). "To the death...". Sporting Diary. The Times (62327): 8 column 1. ^ Strix (18 October 1957). "Does Prince Philip Cheat at Tiddlywinks?" . London, England. p. 12 column 1. ^ Consterdine, Guy (March 1967). On the Mat - 1954-1957 - The Origins of Modern Tiddlywinks . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ "Tiddlywinks World Rules Drawn Up; Association Formed". The Times. London, England. 13 June 1958. p. 13 column 4. The congress, which was sponsored by the Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club, also formed an English Tiddlywinks Association and appointed the Rev. E. A. Willis, a retired Minister, of Richmond, Surrey, who has played tiddlywinks for more than 50 years, as its secretary general. ^ Consterdine, Guy (October 1972). Winks Rampant - 1957-1958 - The Development of Modern Tiddlywinks . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ Moore, Philip. "50 Years Ago". SevernHospice.org.uk. Severn Hospice . Retrieved 27 January 2016 . The year of 1962 was a significant one for me. At the end of May I celebrated my 21st birthday just before the end of my second year reading maths at Oxford, then came August and this tiddlywinks tour. ^ "Winking In". Time. Time Inc. 14 September 1962. pp. 56''57. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ "Hold that Squop!". Life. Time-Life Inc. 14 December 1962. pp. 121''122 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ "Tiddlywinkers Win". The Harvard Crimson. Cambridge, Massachusetts USA. 15 October 1962. p. 3 column 3. ^ "Twinx trounce Harvard, we laugh" (PDF) . The Coryphaeus. Waterloo University students. 6 (24): 3. 18 March 1966. ^ Drix, Severin (August 1974). "History of the North American Tiddlywinks Association, 1962 to 1969". The Missing Wink. Cambridge, Massachusetts USA: North American Tiddlywinks Association: 4, 5, 6, 10 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . (article concluded in February 1975 issue, pages 10, 11). ^ Bowman, Emma; Simon, Scott (21 April 2019). "Not Just Child's Play: World Tiddlywinks Champions Look To Reclaim Their Glory". NPR . Retrieved 21 April 2019 . ^ Shapiro, Fred (25 April 1972). "MIT's world champions" (PDF) . The Tech. Cambridge, Massachusetts USA: 7. ISSN 0148-9607 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ "Winkers Take World Title in British Tourney". Tech Talk. MIT News Office: 1, 3. 5 April 1972. ^ "Bumper MIT Tour Edition". Winking World. English Tiddlywinks Association (21). October 1972. ^ Brown, Sarah (10 January 2007). "Tiddlywinks team plans return to former glory". Cambridge, Massachusetts USA: MIT News Office . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ Aratani, Lori (21 January 2006). "Family's Game Is No Joke Silver Spring Father and Sons Revel in Competitive Tiddlywinks". Washington Post. Washington, D.C. USA. p. B-1 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ "Royal Match of Tiddlywinks". Cambridge, England: University of Cambridge. 3 March 2008 . Retrieved 26 January 2016 . ^ "Major Tiddlywinks Championships". www.etwa.org . Retrieved 31 December 2019 . External links Look up tiddlywinks in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.Look up squidger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.Look up squop in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.The Rules of TiddlywinksWorld and national tiddlywinks championshipsInternational Federation of Tiddlywinks Associations

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United States Supreme Court justice

Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American lawyer who serves as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall, and has served since 1991. Thomas is the second African-American to serve on the Court, after Marshall. Since 2018, Thomas has been the senior associate justice, the longest-serving member of the Court, with a tenure of 30 years, 95 days as of January 26, 2022.

Thomas grew up in Savannah, Georgia, and was educated at the College of the Holy Cross and Yale Law School. He was appointed an assistant attorney general in Missouri in 1974, and later entered private practice there. In 1979, he became a legislative assistant to United States Senator John Danforth, and in 1981 he was appointed Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Thomas Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush nominated Thomas to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He served in that role for 16 months before filling Marshall's seat on the Supreme Court. Thomas's confirmation hearings were bitter and intensely fought, centering on an accusation that he had sexually harassed attorney Anita Hill, a subordinate at the Department of Education and the EEOC. Hill claimed that Thomas made multiple sexual and romantic overtures to her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop. Thomas and his supporters asserted that Hill, as well as the witnesses on her behalf and supporters, had fabricated the allegations to prevent the appointment of a black conservative to the Court. The Senate confirmed Thomas by a vote of 52''48.[1]

Supreme Court experts describe Thomas's jurisprudence as textualist, stressing the original meaning of the United States Constitution and statutes. He is also, along with fellow justice Neil Gorsuch, an advocate of natural law. Many writers and political scientists view Thomas as the Court's most conservative member.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] He is also known for having gone over a decade without asking a question during oral arguments.[9]

Early life and education Childhood Thomas was born in 1948 in Pin Point, Georgia, a small, predominantly black community near Savannah founded by freedmen after the Civil War. He was the second of three children born to M. C. Thomas, a farm worker, and Leola "Pigeon" Williams, a domestic worker.[10][11][12] They were descendants of American slaves, and the family spoke Gullah as a first language.[13] Thomas's earliest known ancestors were slaves named Sandy and Peggy, who were born in the late 18th century and owned by wealthy planter Josiah Wilson of Liberty County, Georgia. Thomas's father left the family when Thomas was two years old. Though Thomas's mother worked hard, she was sometimes paid only pennies per day and struggled to earn enough money to feed the family, and was sometimes forced to rely on charity.[15] After a house fire left them homeless, Thomas and his younger brother Myers were taken to live in Savannah with his maternal grandparents, Myers and Christine (n(C)e Hargrove) Anderson.[16]

Thomas then experienced amenities such as indoor plumbing and regular meals for the first time.[10] Myers Anderson had little formal education, but built a thriving fuel oil business that also sold ice. Thomas has called Anderson "the greatest man I have ever known."[16] When Thomas was 10, Anderson started taking the family to help at a farm every day from sunrise to sunset.[16] Anderson believed in hard work and self-reliance, and counseled the children to "never let the sun catch you in bed." He also impressed upon his grandsons the importance of a good education.[10]

Education Raised Catholic, Thomas attended the predominantly black St. Pius X high school for two years before transferring to St. John Vianney's Minor Seminary on the Isle of Hope, where he was among few black students.[16][17] He also briefly attended Conception Seminary College, a Roman Catholic seminary in Missouri. No one in Thomas's family had attended college.[17] Thomas has said that he left the seminary in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. He had overheard another student say after the shooting, "Good, I hope the son of a bitch died",[12][18] and did not think the church did enough to combat racism.[16]

At a nun's suggestion, Thomas enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, as a sophomore transfer student.[19] While there, Thomas helped found the Black Student Union. He once joined a walkout of the school after some black students were punished while white students went undisciplined for the same violation. Some of the priests negotiated with the protesting black students to reenter the school.[17]

Having spoken Gullah as a child, Thomas realized in college that he still sounded unpolished despite having been drilled in grammar at school, and chose to major in English literature "to conquer the language."[21] At Holy Cross, he was also a member of Alpha Sigma Nu and the Purple Key Society.[22] Thomas graduated from Holy Cross in 1971 with an A.B. cum laude in English literature.[21][22]

Thomas had a series of deferments from the military draft while at Holy Cross. Upon graduation, he was classified 1-A and received a low lottery number, indicating he might be drafted to serve in Vietnam. Thomas failed his medical exam due to curvature of the spine and was not drafted.[23]

Legal education Thomas entered Yale Law School, from which he received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1974, graduating in the middle of his class.[24] Thomas has said that the law firms he applied to after graduating from Yale did not take his Juris Doctor seriously, assuming he obtained it because of affirmative action;[25] Dean Louis Pollak wrote in 1969 that Yale Law was then expanding its program of quotas for black applicants, with up to 24 entering that year under a system that deemphasized grades and LSAT scores.[26] According to Thomas, the law firms also "asked pointed questions, unsubtly suggesting that they doubted I was as smart as my grades indicated."[27] In his 2007 memoir, Thomas wrote, "I peeled a fifteen-cent sticker off a package of cigars and stuck it on the frame of my law degree to remind myself of the mistake I'd made by going to Yale. I never did change my mind about its value."

Literary influences In 1975, when Thomas read economist Thomas Sowell's Race and Economics, he found an intellectual foundation for his philosophy.[15][29] The book criticizes social reform by government and argues for individual action to overcome circumstances and adversity. Ayn Rand's work also influenced him, particularly The Fountainhead, and he later required his staffers to watch the 1949 film version of the novel.[31][15] Thomas acknowledges "some very strong libertarian leanings."[32]

Thomas has said novelist Richard Wright is the most influential writer in his life; Wright's books Native Son and Black Boy "capture[d] a lot of the feelings that I had inside that you learn how to repress."[33] Native Son and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man are Thomas's two favorite novels.

Spike Lee's films also appeal to Thomas, particularly Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. Thomas has said he would like to meet Lee.

Career Early career Thomas with

President Ronald Reagan in 1986, while serving as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

After graduation, Thomas studied for the Missouri bar at Saint Louis University School of Law. He was admitted to the Missouri bar on September 13, 1974. From 1974 to 1977, he was an Assistant Attorney General of Missouri under State Attorney General John Danforth, a fellow Yale alumnus. Thomas was the only African-American member of Danforth's staff. He worked first in the criminal appeals division of Danforth's office and later in the revenue and taxation division. He has said he considers Assistant Attorney General the best job he ever had. When Danforth was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976, Thomas left to become an attorney with the Monsanto Chemical Company, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Thomas moved to Washington, D.C., and again worked for Danforth from 1979 to 1981 as a legislative assistant handling energy issues for the Senate Commerce Committee. Thomas and Danforth had both studied to be ordained, although in different denominations. Danforth championed Thomas for the Supreme Court.

In 1981, Thomas joined the Reagan administration, first as Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education, and then, from 1982 to 1990, as chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Journalist Evan Thomas once opined that Thomas was "openly ambitious for higher office" during his tenure at the EEOC. As chairman, he promoted a doctrine of self-reliance, and halted the usual EEOC approach of filing class-action discrimination lawsuits, instead pursuing acts of individual discrimination.[42] He also asserted in 1984 that black leaders were "watching the destruction of our race" as they "bitch, bitch, bitch" about Reagan instead of working with the Reagan administration to alleviate teenage pregnancy, unemployment and illiteracy.[43]

Federal judge On October 30, 1989, President George H. W. Bush nominated Thomas to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, following Robert Bork's departure.[44] This followed Thomas's initial protestations against becoming a judge.[45] Thomas gained the support of other African Americans such as former transportation secretary William Coleman, but said that when meeting white Democratic staffers in the United States Senate, he was "struck by how easy it had become for sanctimonious whites to accuse a black man of not caring about civil rights".[45]

Thomas's confirmation hearing was uneventful.[46] The United States Senate confirmed him on March 6, 1990, and he received his commission the same day. He developed warm relationships during his 19 months on the federal court, including with fellow judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg.[45][47]

Supreme Court nomination and confirmation Announcement and hearings When Associate Justice William Brennan retired from the Supreme Court in July 1990, Thomas was Bush's favorite among the five candidates on his shortlist for the position. But after consulting his advisors, Bush nominated David Souter of the First Circuit Court of Appeals.[45] A year later, Justice Thurgood Marshall, the only African-American justice on the Court, announced his retirement, and Bush nominated Thomas to replace him.[48] In announcing his selection on July 1, 1991, Bush called Thomas "best qualified at this time".[45]

U.S. presidents have traditionally submitted potential federal court nominees to the American Bar Association (ABA) for a confidential rating of their judicial temperament, competence and integrity on a three-level scale of well qualified, qualified or unqualified.[49] Adam Liptak of The New York Times noted that the ABA has historically taken generally liberal positions on divisive issues, and studies suggest that candidates nominated by Democratic presidents fare better in the group's ratings than those nominated by Republicans.[50] Anticipating that the ABA would rate Thomas more poorly than they thought he deserved, the White House and Republican senators pressured the ABA for at least the mid-level qualified rating, and simultaneously attempted to discredit the ABA as partisan.[51] The ABA did rate Thomas as qualified, although with one of the lowest levels of support for a Supreme Court nominee.[52][53]

Some of the public statements of Thomas's opponents foreshadowed his confirmation hearings. Liberal interest groups and Republicans in the White House and Senate approached the nomination as a political campaign.[54][55]

Attorney General Richard Thornburgh had previously warned Bush that replacing Marshall, who was widely revered as a civil rights icon, with any candidate who was not perceived to share Marshall's views would make confirmation difficult.[56] Civil rights and feminist organizations opposed the appointment based partially on Thomas's criticism of affirmative action and suspicions that Thomas might not support Roe v. Wade.[57]

Thomas's formal confirmation hearings began on September 10, 1991. He was reticent when answering senators' questions during the process, recalling what had happened to Robert Bork when Bork expounded on his judicial philosophy during his confirmation hearings four years earlier. Thomas's earlier writings frequently reference the legal theory of natural law; during his confirmation hearings he limited himself to the statement that he regarded natural law as a "philosophical background" to the Constitution.[61][62]

On September 27, 1991, after extensive debate, the Judiciary Committee voted 13''1 to send Thomas's nomination to the full Senate without recommendation. A motion earlier in the day to give the nomination a favorable recommendation had failed 7''7.[63] Hill's sexual harassment allegations against Thomas became public after the nomination had been reported out from the committee.[64]

Anita Hill allegations At the conclusion of the committee's confirmation hearings, and while the Senate was debating whether to give final approval to Thomas's nomination, an FBI interview with Anita Hill was leaked to the press. As a result, on October 8 the final vote was postponed and the confirmation hearings were reopened.[65] It was only the third time in the Senate's history that such an action was taken, and the first since 1925, when Harlan F. Stone's nomination was recommitted to the Judiciary Committee.[64]

Hill was called before the Judiciary Committee and testified that Thomas subjected her to comments of a sexual nature, which she felt constituted sexual harassment, in her words "behavior that is unbefitting an individual who will be a member of the Court."[66][67][68][69] Hill's testimony included lurid details, and some senators questioned her aggressively.[70][71]

Thomas was recalled before the committee. He denied the allegations, saying:[72]

This is not an opportunity to talk about difficult matters privately or in a closed environment. This is a circus. It's a national disgrace. And from my standpoint, as a black American, as far as I'm concerned it is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas, and it is a message that unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you. You will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate rather than hung from a tree.[73]

Throughout his testimony, Thomas defended his right to privacy. He made it clear that he was not going to put his personal life on display for public consumption, permit the committee (or anyone else) to probe his private life, or describe discussions that he may have had with others about his private life. The committee accepted his right to do so.[74]

Hill was the only person to publicly testify that Thomas had sexually harassed her.[75] Angela Wright, who worked under Thomas at the EEOC before he fired her,[76] decided not to testify.[77] She submitted a written statement alleging that Thomas had pressured her for a date and had made comments about the anatomy of women, but said she did not feel his behavior was intimidating, nor did she feel sexually harassed, though she allowed that "[s]ome other women might have."[78][79][80] Sukari Hardnett, a former Thomas assistant, wrote to the Senate committee that although Thomas had not harassed her, "If you were young, black, female and reasonably attractive, you knew full well you were being inspected and auditioned as a female."[81][82]

In addition to Hill and Thomas, the committee heard from several other witnesses over the course of three days, October 11''13, 1991.[64] A former colleague, Nancy Altman, who shared an office with Thomas at the Department of Education, testified that she heard virtually everything Thomas said over the course of two years, and never heard a sexist or offensive comment. Altman did not find it credible that Thomas could have engaged in the conduct Hill alleged without any of the dozens of women he worked with noticing it.[83] Reflecting the skepticism of some committee members, Senator Alan K. Simpson asked why Hill met, dined with, and spoke by phone with Thomas on various occasions after they no longer worked together.[84] In 2007, Thomas wrote My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir, in which he addressed Hill's allegations and the caustic confirmation hearing.[85]

Based on "evidence amassed by investigative journalists over... years", including new corroborative testimony, journalist Corey Robin wrote in a 2019 monograph, "it's since become clear that Thomas lied to the Judiciary Committee when he stated that he never sexually harassed Anita Hill" and that he had subjected her to sexually harassing comments.[87] Robin concurred that Thomas's description of the accusations as a "high-tech lynching" was an authentic reaction and reflected Thomas's sincere belief about the racial dimension of the Judiciary Committee's inquiries.

Senate votes Clarence Thomas being sworn in as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court by Justice

Byron White during an October 23, 1991, White House ceremony, as wife

Virginia Thomas looks on

On October 15, 1991, after the testimony, the Senate voted to confirm Thomas as an associate justice of the Supreme Court by a 52''48 vote.[64] In all, Thomas received the votes of 41 Republicans and 11 Democrats, while 46 Democrats and two Republicans voted to reject his nomination.[89]

The 99 days during which Thomas's nomination was pending in the Senate was the second-longest of the 16 nominees receiving a final vote since 1975, second only to Bork's of 108 days;[64] the vote was the narrowest margin for approval since 1881, when Stanley Matthews was confirmed 24''23.[90] Vice President Dan Quayle presided over the vote in his role as president of the Senate, but his tie-breaking vote was not needed for confirmation.[91][92]

Thomas received his commission on October 23 and took the prescribed constitutional and judicial oaths of office, becoming the Court's 106th justice. He was sworn in by Justice Byron White in a ceremony initially scheduled for October 21, but postponed due to the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist's wife.[93][94]

Public perception Thomas is associated with the Court's conservative wing.[95] He has rarely given media interviews during his time on the Court. In 2007, he said, "One of the reasons I don't do media interviews is, in the past, the media often has its own script."[17] That same year, Thomas received a $1.5 million advance for his memoir, My Grandfather's Son, which became a bestseller.[96][97] He was the subject of the 2020 documentary film Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in his Own Words.

Political science scholar Corey Robin and Thomas biographer Scott Douglas Gerber have opined that critics such as Jeffrey Toobin have been unusually vitriolic toward Thomas.[98] Robin has compared the way "Thomas has been dismissed as an intellectual nonentity" to similar insinuations made about Thurgood Marshall, "the only other black Supreme Court justice in American history." Gerber likewise writes,

There are a number of explanations for this phenomenon. The first is grounded in race and ethnicity. We should not forget that Thurgood Marshall, Justice Thomas's predecessor on the Supreme Court, and the first African-American appointed, was also sharply criticized during his appointment process and in his early days on the Court. The fact that Justice Thomas is black has undoubtedly played a similar role in how he has been assessed, no matter how much we may hate to admit it.[98]

Other critics have outlined separate reasons, such as liberals' disappointment that Thomas has departed so much from Marshall's jurisprudence.[98] Additional causes for the harsh criticism may be the explosive nature of sexual misconduct allegations, the suspicion among some people that Thomas was not forthright during his confirmation hearings, and the belief that, ironically, Thomas's nomination was a kind of affirmative action akin to the programs that he has criticized as a judge.[98]

Thomas has said he has a preference for non-Ivy League clerks, although he has hired Ivy League graduates.[100] Schools from which Thomas has hired include Notre Dame Law School,[101] Creighton, Rutgers, George Mason, and the University of Utah.[102]

In 2006, Thomas had a 48% favorable, 36% unfavorable rating, according to Rasmussen Reports.[103][104] A YouGov poll conducted in March 2021 found that Thomas was the most popular sitting Supreme Court justice among Republicans, with a 59% approval rating in that category.[105][106]

Thomas's influence, particularly among conservatives, was perceived to have significantly increased during Donald Trump's presidency,[107][108] and Trump appointed many of his former clerks to political positions and judgeships.[109][110][111] As the Supreme Court became more conservative, Thomas and his legal views became more influential among the Court.[112][113][114]

Judicial philosophy Conservatism and originalism Thomas is often described as an originalist and as a textualist.[115][116] He is also often described as the Court's most conservative member,[24][118] though others gave Justice Antonin Scalia that designation while they served on the Court together.[119][120][121] Scalia and Thomas had similar but not identical judicial philosophies, and pundits speculate about the degree to which Scalia found some of Thomas's views implausible.[122][123]

Thomas's jurisprudence has also been compared to that of Justice Hugo Black, who "resisted the tendency to create social policy out of 'whole cloth.'"[124] According to the same critic, Thomas generally declines to engage in judicial lawmaking, viewing the Court's constitutional role as the interpretation of law, rather than making law.[124]

Some critics downplay the significance of originalism in Thomas's jurisprudence and claim Thomas applies originalism in his decisions inconsistently.[126][127][128] Law professor Jim Ryan and former litigator Doug Kendall have argued that Thomas "will use originalism where it provides support for a politically conservative result" but ignores originalism when "history provides no support" for a conservative ruling.[126] Others have argued that Thomas employs a "pluralistic approach to originalism" in which he relies on a mix of original intent, understanding, and public meaning to guide his judgments.[128] Such critics observe that Thomas's originalism most often seems inconsistent or pluralistic when court decisions intersect issues related to race.[127][128] Robin, while calling originalism "at best episodic" in Thomas's rulings, claims it still plays a significant role in how Thomas envisions the Constitution and "functions as an organizing" narrative for his interpretation.

Voting alignment Thomas voted most frequently with Scalia and Chief Justice William Rehnquist in his early years on the Court.[95] On average, from 1994 to 2004, Scalia and Thomas had an 87% voting alignment, the highest on the court, followed by Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter's (86%).[129] Scalia's and Thomas's agreement rate peaked in 1996, at 98%.[129] By 2004, other pairs of justices were more closely aligned than Scalia and Thomas.[130]

The conventional wisdom that Thomas's votes followed Scalia's is reflected by Linda Greenhouse's observation that Thomas voted with Scalia 91% of the time during October Term 2006, and with Justice John Paul Stevens the least, 36% of the time.[131] Jan Crawford asserted that to some extent, this is also true in the other direction: Scalia often joins Thomas instead of Thomas joining Scalia. Statistics compiled annually by Tom Goldstein of SCOTUSblog demonstrate that Greenhouse's count is methodology-specific, counting non-unanimous cases where Scalia and Thomas voted for the same litigant, regardless of whether they got there by the same reasoning.[133] Goldstein's statistics show that the two agreed in full only 74% of the time, and that the frequency of their agreement is not as outstanding as often implied in pieces aimed at lay audiences. For example, in that same term, Souter and Ginsburg voted together 81% of the time by the method of counting that yields a 74% agreement between Thomas and Scalia. By the metric that produces the 91% Scalia/Thomas figure, Ginsburg and Breyer agreed 90% of the time. Roberts and Alito agreed 94% of the time.[134] Robin has called the idea that Thomas followed Scalia's votes a debunked myth.

Crawford wrote in her book on the Supreme Court that Thomas's forceful views moved "moderates like Sandra Day O'Connor further to the left" but frequently attracted votes from Rehnquist and Scalia. Mark Tushnet and Jeffrey Toobin opined that Rehnquist rarely assigned important majority opinions to Thomas because Thomas's views made it difficult for him to persuade a majority to join him.[137]

Number of opinions and frequency in dissent From when he joined the Court in 1991 through the end of the 2019 term, Thomas had written 693 opinions, not including opinions relating to orders or the "shadow docket". These 693 opinions consist of 223 majority opinions, 226 concurrences, 214 dissents, and 30 "split" opinions. Thomas has written the majority opinion in a 5''4 case 40 times, and the dissenting opinion in an 8''1 case 30 times.[138]

From 1994 to 2004, on average, Thomas was the third-most-frequent dissenter on the Court, behind Stevens and Scalia.[129] Four other justices dissented as frequently in 2007.[139] Three other justices dissented as frequently in 2006.[140] One other justice dissented as frequently in 2005.[141]

Stare decisis Thomas spoke favorably about stare decisis'--the principle that the Court is bound by its preceding decisions'--during his confirmation hearings, saying, "stare decisis provides continuity to our system, it provides predictability, and in our process of case-by-case decision making, I think it is a very important and critical concept."[142] But according to Scalia, Thomas "doesn't believe in stare decisis, period."[142] This assessment is consistent with Thomas's record on the bench: factoring in length of tenure, Thomas urged overruling and joined in overruling precedents more often than any other justice on the Rehnquist Court.[143]

Also according to Scalia, Thomas is more willing to overrule constitutional cases than he was: "If a constitutional line of authority is wrong, he would say let's get it right. I wouldn't do that."[144] Law professor Michael Gerhardt has said that Scalia's characterization of Thomas may be incorrect, given that Thomas has supported leaving a broad spectrum of constitutional decisions intact.[145] Thomas's belief in originalism is strong; he has said, "When faced with a clash of constitutional principle and a line of unreasoned cases wholly divorced from the text, history, and structure of our founding document, we should not hesitate to resolve the tension in favor of the Constitution's original meaning." Thomas believes that an erroneous decision can and should be overturned, no matter how old it is.

In 2005, while assistant professor of law at Notre Dame Law School, Amy Coney Barrett wrote that Thomas supports statutory stare decisis. Her examples included his concurring opinion in Fogerty v. Fantasy.[147]

In Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt (2019), Thomas wrote the 5''4 decision overruling Nevada v. Hall (1979), which said states could be sued in courts of other states. He wrote that stare decisis "is not an inexorable command." Thomas explicitly disavowed the concept of reliance interests as justification for adhering to precedent. In dissent from Franchise Tax Bd. of Cal., Justice Stephen Breyer asked what other decisions might eventually be overruled, and suggested Roe v. Wade might be among them. Breyer stated that it is best to leave precedents alone unless they are widely seen as erroneous or become impractical.[148][149]

In Flowers v. Mississippi (2019), a 7''2 decision, Thomas dissented from the ruling overturning Mississippi resident Curtis Flowers's death sentence, joined only by Neil Gorsuch, and suggested Batson v. Kentucky, which forbids prosecutors from using race as a factor in making peremptory challenges in jury selection, was wrongly decided and should be overruled. Gorsuch did not join the section of Thomas's opinion suggesting Batson should be overruled.[150]

Commerce Clause Thomas has consistently supported narrowing the court's interpretation of the Constitution's Interstate Commerce Clause (often simply called the "Commerce Clause") to limit federal power, though he has broadly interpreted states' sovereign immunity from lawsuits under the Clause.[151]

In United States v. Lopez and United States v. Morrison, the Court held that Congress lacked power under the Commerce Clause to regulate non-commercial activities. In these cases, Thomas wrote a separate concurring opinion arguing for the Commerce Clause's original meaning. Subsequently, in Gonzales v. Raich, the Court interpreted the Commerce Clause combined with the Necessary and Proper Clause as empowering the federal government to arrest, prosecute, and imprison patients who used marijuana grown at home for medicinal purposes, even where that is legal under state law. Thomas dissented in Raich, again arguing for the Commerce Clause's original meaning.

Thomas and Scalia rejected the notion of a Dormant Commerce Clause, also known as the "Negative Commerce Clause". That doctrine bars state commercial regulation even if Congress has not yet acted on the matter.[152]

In Lopez, Thomas expressed his view that federal regulation of manufacturing and agriculture is unconstitutional; he sees both as outside the Commerce Clause's scope.[153] He believes federal legislators have overextended the Clause, while some of his critics argue that his position on congressional authority would invalidate much of the federal government's contemporary work. According to Thomas, it is not the Court's job to update the Constitution. Proponents of broad national power such as Professor Michael Dorf deny that they are trying to do so; instead, they say they are merely addressing a set of economic facts that did not exist when the Constitution was framed.[155]

Executive power, federalism, and federal statutes Executive power Thomas has argued that the executive branch has broad authority under the Constitution and federal statutes. In Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, he was the only justice to agree with the Fourth Circuit that Congress had the power to authorize the president's detention of U.S. citizens who are enemy combatants. Thomas granted the federal government the "strongest presumptions" and said "due process requires nothing more than a good-faith executive determination" to justify the imprisonment of a U.S. citizen.[156]

Thomas was one of three justices to dissent in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, which held that the military commissions the Bush administration created to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay required explicit congressional authorization and that the commissions conflicted with both the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and "at least" Common Article Three of the Geneva Convention.[157] Thomas argued that Hamdan was an illegal combatant and therefore not protected by the Geneva Convention, and agreed with Scalia that the Court was "patently erroneous" in its declaration of jurisdiction in this case.

In the Ninth Circuit case East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Trump (2018), which placed an injunction on the Trump administration's asylum policy, Thomas dissented from a denial of stay application. The Ninth Circuit imposed an injunction on the Trump administration's policy granting asylum only to refugees entering from a designated port of entry, ruling that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. Ninth Circuit Judge Jay Bybee's majority opinion concluded that denial of the ability to apply for asylum regardless of entry point is "the hollowest of rights that an alien must be allowed to apply for asylum regardless of whether she arrived through a port of entry if another rule makes her categorically ineligible for asylum based on precisely that fact." Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh also dissented in the decision to deny a stay to the Ninth Circuit's injunction.[158][159]

Federalism Federalism was a central part of the Rehnquist Court's constitutional agenda.[160] Thomas consistently voted for outcomes that promoted state-governmental authority in cases involving federalism-based limits on Congress's enumerated powers.[160] According to law professor Ann Althouse, the court has yet to move toward "the broader, more principled version of federalism propounded by Justice Thomas."[161]

In Foucha v. Louisiana, Thomas dissented from the majority opinion that required the removal from a mental institution of a prisoner who had become sane. The court held that a Louisiana statute violated the Due Process Clause "because it allows an insanity acquittee to be committed to a mental institution until he is able to demonstrate that he is not dangerous to himself and others, even though he does not suffer from any mental illness."[163] Dissenting, Thomas cast the issue as a matter of federalism. "Removing sane insanity acquittees from mental institutions may make eminent sense as a policy matter", he wrote, "but the Due Process Clause does not require the States to conform to the policy preferences of federal judges."[163] In United States v. Comstock, Thomas's dissent argued for the release of a former federal prisoner from civil commitment, again on the basis of federalism.[164] In U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, he wrote a dissent defending term limits on federal House and Senate candidates as a valid exercise of state legislative power.[165]

Federal statutes As of 2007, Thomas was the justice most willing to exercise judicial review of federal statutes, but among the least likely to overturn state statutes.[166] According to a New York Times editorial, "from 1994 to 2005 ... Justice Thomas voted to overturn federal laws in 34 cases and Justice Scalia in 31, compared with just 15 for Justice Stephen Breyer."[167]

In Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Holder, Thomas was the sole dissenter, voting to throw out Section Five of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Section Five requires states with a history of racial voter discrimination'--mostly states from the old South'--to get Justice Department clearance when revising election procedures. Congress had reauthorized Section Five in 2006 for another 25 years, but Thomas said the law was no longer necessary, pointing out that the rate of black voting in seven Section Five states was higher than the national average. He wrote, "the violence, intimidation and subterfuge that led Congress to pass Section 5 and this court to uphold it no longer remains."[168] He took this position again in Shelby County v. Holder, voting with the majority and concurring with the reasoning that struck down Section Five.[169]

Bill of Rights First Amendment By 2002, Thomas was the justice second-most likely to uphold free speech claims (tied with David Souter).[170] He has voted in favor of First Amendment claims in cases involving a wide variety of issues, including pornography, campaign contributions, political leafleting, religious speech, and commercial speech.[citation needed ]

With respect to the Establishment Clause, Thomas espouses accommodationism.[172]

Thomas has made public his belief that all limits on federal campaign contributions are unconstitutional and should be struck down.[173] He voted with the majority in Citizens United v. FEC.[174]

On occasion, Thomas has disagreed with free speech claimants. For example, he dissented in Virginia v. Black, a case that struck down part of a Virginia statute that banned cross burning. Concurring in Morse v. Frederick, he argued that the free speech rights of students in public schools are limited.[176] In Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. in which an off-campus high school student was punished by her school for sending a profane message on social media regarding her school, softball team, and cheer team, Thomas was the lone dissenter, siding with the school. He criticized the majority for relying on "vague considerations" and wrote that historically schools could discipline students in situations similar to the case.[177] In Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, he joined the majority opinion that Texas's decision to deny a request for a Confederate Battle Flag specialty license plate was constitutional.[178]

Thomas authored the decision in Ashcroft v. ACLU, which held that the Child Online Protection Act might be constitutional. The government was enjoined from enforcing it, pending further proceedings in the lower courts.[179] Thomas wrote concurrences in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission, 514 U.S. 334 (1995)[180] and United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group (2000).

In Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, Thomas wrote, "It may well be the case that anything that would violate the incorporated Establishment Clause would actually violate the Free Exercise Clause, further calling into doubt the utility of incorporating the Establishment Clause",[181] and in Cutter v. Wilkinson, he wrote, "I note, however, that a state law that would violate the incorporated Establishment Clause might also violate the Free Exercise Clause."[182]

Thomas has said "it makes little sense to incorporate the Establishment Clause" vis- -vis the states by the Fourteenth Amendment.[183]

Second Amendment Thomas agreed with the judgment in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) that the right to keep and bear arms is applicable to state and local governments, but wrote a separate concurrence finding that an individual's right to bear arms is fundamental as a privilege of American citizenship under the Privileges or Immunities Clause rather than as a fundamental right under the due process clause. The four justices in the plurality opinion specifically rejected incorporation under the privileges or immunities clause, "declin[ing] to disturb" the holding in the Slaughter-House Cases, which, according to the plurality, had held that the clause applied only to federal matters.[185][186]

Since 2010, Thomas has dissented from denial of certiorari in several Second Amendment cases. He would have voted to grant certiorari in Friedman v. City of Highland Park (2015), which upheld bans on certain semi-automatic rifles; Jackson v. San Francisco (2014), which upheld trigger lock ordinances similar to those struck down in Heller; Peruta v. San Diego County (2016), which upheld restrictive concealed carry licensing in California; and Silvester v. Becerra (2017), which upheld waiting periods for firearm purchasers who have already passed background checks and already own firearms. He was joined by Scalia in the first two cases, and by Gorsuch in Peruta.[187][188][189][190]

Thomas dissented from the denial of an application for a stay presented to Chief Justice John Roberts in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit case Guedes v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (2019), a case challenging the Trump administration's ban on bump stocks. Only Thomas and Gorsuch publicly dissented.[191]

Fourth Amendment In cases regarding the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, Thomas often favors police over defendants. For example, his opinion for the Court in Board of Education v. Earls upheld drug testing for students involved in extracurricular activities, and he wrote again for the Court in Samson v. California, permitting random searches on parolees. He dissented in Georgia v. Randolph, which prohibited warrantless searches that one resident approves and the other opposes, arguing that the Court's decision in Coolidge v. New Hampshire controlled the case. In Indianapolis v. Edmond, Thomas described the Court's extant case law as having held that "suspicionless roadblock seizures are constitutionally permissible if conducted according to a plan that limits the discretion of the officers conducting the stops." He expressed doubt that those cases were decided correctly, but concluded that since the litigants in the case at bar had not briefed or argued that the earlier cases be overruled, he believed that the Court should assume their validity and rule accordingly.[192] Thomas was in the majority in Kyllo v. United States, which held that the use of thermal imaging technology to probe a suspect's home without a warrant violated the Fourth Amendment.

In cases involving schools, Thomas has advocated greater respect for the doctrine of in loco parentis, which he defines as "parents delegat[ing] to teachers their authority to discipline and maintain order."[194] His dissent in Safford Unified School District v. Redding illustrates his application of this postulate in the Fourth Amendment context. School officials in the Safford case had a reasonable suspicion that 13-year-old Savana Redding was illegally distributing prescription-only drugs. All the justices concurred that it was therefore reasonable for the school officials to search Redding, and the main issue before the Court was only whether the search went too far by becoming a strip search or the like.[194] All the justices except Thomas concluded that the search violated the Fourth Amendment. The majority required a finding of danger or reason to believe drugs were hidden in a student's underwear in order to justify a strip search. Thomas wrote, "It is a mistake for judges to assume the responsibility for deciding which school rules are important enough to allow for invasive searches and which rules are not"[195] and "reasonable suspicion that Redding was in possession of drugs in violation of these policies, therefore, justified a search extending to any area where small pills could be concealed." He added, "[t]here can be no doubt that a parent would have had the authority to conduct the search."[194]

Sixth Amendment In Doggett v. United States, the defendant had technically been a fugitive from the time he was indicted in 1980 until his arrest in 1988. The Court held that the delay between indictment and arrest violated Doggett's Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial, finding that the government had been negligent in pursuing him and that he was unaware of the indictment.[196] Thomas dissented, arguing that the Speedy Trial Clause's purpose was to prevent "'undue and oppressive incarceration' and the 'anxiety and concern accompanying public accusation'" and that the case implicated neither.[196] He cast the case instead as "present[ing] the question [of] whether, independent of these core concerns, the Speedy Trial Clause protects an accused from two additional harms: (1) prejudice to his ability to defend himself caused by the passage of time; and (2) disruption of his life years after the alleged commission of his crime." Thomas dissented from the court's decision to, as he saw it, answer the former in the affirmative.[196] He wrote that dismissing the conviction "invites the Nation's judges to indulge in ad hoc and result-driven second guessing of the government's investigatory efforts. Our Constitution neither contemplates nor tolerates such a role."

In Garza v. Idaho, Thomas and Gorsuch, in dissent, suggested that Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), which required that indigent criminal defendants be provided counsel, was wrongly decided and should be overruled.[198]

Eighth Amendment Thomas was among the dissenters in Atkins v. Virginia and Roper v. Simmons, which held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits the application of the death penalty to certain classes of persons. In Kansas v. Marsh, his opinion for the Court indicated a belief that the Constitution affords states broad procedural latitude in imposing the death penalty, provided they remain within the limits of Furman v. Georgia and Gregg v. Georgia, the 1976 case in which the Court reversed its 1972 ban on death sentences if states followed procedural guidelines.[citation needed ]

In Hudson v. McMillian, a prisoner had been beaten, sustaining a cracked lip, broken dental plate, loosened teeth, cuts, and bruises. Although these were not "serious injuries", the Court believed, it held that "the use of excessive physical force against a prisoner may constitute cruel and unusual punishment even though the inmate does not suffer serious injury."[199] Dissenting, Thomas wrote, "a use of force that causes only insignificant harm to a prisoner may be immoral, it may be tortious, it may be criminal, and it may even be remediable under other provisions of the Federal Constitution, but it is not 'cruel and unusual punishment'. In concluding to the contrary, the Court today goes far beyond our precedents."[199] Thomas's vote'--in one of his first cases after joining the Court'--was an early example of his willingness to be the sole dissenter (Scalia later joined the opinion). His opinion was criticized by the seven-member majority, which wrote that, by comparing physical assault to other prison conditions such as poor prison food, it ignored "the concepts of dignity, civilized standards, humanity, and decency that animate the Eighth Amendment".[199] According to historian David Garrow, Thomas's dissent in Hudson was a "classic call for federal judicial restraint, reminiscent of views that were held by Felix Frankfurter and John M. Harlan II a generation earlier, but editorial criticism rained down on him".[201] Thomas later responded to the accusation "that I supported the beating of prisoners in that case. Well, one must either be illiterate or fraught with malice to reach that conclusion ... no honest reading can reach such a conclusion."[201]

In United States v. Bajakajian, Thomas joined with the Court's liberal bloc to write the majority opinion declaring a fine unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. The fine was for failing to declare more than $300,000 in a suitcase on an international flight. Under a federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(1), the passenger would have had to forfeit the entire amount. Thomas noted that the case required a distinction to be made between civil forfeiture and a fine exacted with the intention of punishing the respondent. He found that the forfeiture in this case was clearly intended as a punishment at least in part, was "grossly disproportional", and violated the Excessive Fines Clause.[202]

Thomas has written that the "Cruel and Unusual Punishment" clause "contains no proportionality principle", meaning that the question whether a sentence should be rejected as "cruel and unusual" depends only on the sentence itself, not on what crime is being punished.[203] He was concurring with the Court's decision to reject a request for review from a petitioner who had been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison under California's "Three-Strikes" law for stealing some golf clubs because the combined value of the clubs made the theft a felony and he had two previous felonies in his criminal record.

Equal protection and affirmative action Thomas believes that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment forbids consideration of race, such as race-based affirmative action or preferential treatment. In Adarand Constructors v. Pe±a, for example, he wrote, "there is a 'moral [and] constitutional equivalence' between laws designed to subjugate a race and those that distribute benefits on the basis of race in order to foster some current notion of equality. Government cannot make us equal; it can only recognize, respect, and protect us as equal before the law. That [affirmative action] programs may have been motivated, in part, by good intentions cannot provide refuge from the principle that under our Constitution, the government may not make distinctions on the basis of race."[204]

In Gratz v. Bollinger, Thomas wrote, "a State's use of racial discrimination in higher education admissions is categorically prohibited by the Equal Protection Clause."[205] In Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, Thomas joined the opinion of Chief Justice Roberts, who wrote that "[t]he way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."[206] Concurring, Thomas wrote, "if our history has taught us anything, it has taught us to beware of elites bearing racial theories", and charged that the dissent carried "similarities" to the arguments of the segregationist litigants in Brown v. Board of Education.[206]

In Grutter v. Bollinger, he approvingly quoted Justice Harlan's Plessy v. Ferguson dissent: "Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens."[207] In a concurrence in Missouri v. Jenkins (1995), he wrote that the Missouri District Court "has read our cases to support the theory that black students suffer an unspecified psychological harm from segregation that retards their mental and educational development. This approach not only relies upon questionable social science research rather than constitutional principle, but it also rests on an assumption of black inferiority."[208]

Abortion and family planning Thomas has contended that the Constitution does not address abortion.[209] In Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), the Court reaffirmed Roe v. Wade. Thomas and Justice Byron White joined the dissenting opinions of Rehnquist and Scalia. Rehnquist wrote, "[w]e believe Roe was wrongly decided, and that it can and should be overruled consistently with our traditional approach to stare decisis in constitutional cases."[210] Scalia's opinion concluded that the right to obtain an abortion is not "a liberty protected by the Constitution of the United States."[210] "[T]he Constitution says absolutely nothing about it," Scalia wrote, "and [ ] the longstanding traditions of American society have permitted it to be legally proscribed."[210]

In Stenberg v. Carhart (2000), the Court struck down a state ban on partial-birth abortion, concluding that it failed the "undue burden" test established in Casey. Thomas dissented, writing, "Although a State may permit abortion, nothing in the Constitution dictates that a State must do so."[211] He went on to criticize the reasoning of the Casey and Stenberg majorities: "The majority's insistence on a health exception is a fig leaf barely covering its hostility to any abortion regulation by the States'--a hostility that Casey purported to reject."

In Gonzales v. Carhart (2007), the Court rejected a facial challenge to a federal ban on partial-birth abortion.[212] Concurring, Thomas asserted that the court's abortion jurisprudence had no basis in the Constitution, but that the court had accurately applied that jurisprudence in rejecting the challenge.[212] He added that the Court was not deciding the question of whether Congress had the power to outlaw partial-birth abortions: "[W]hether the Act constitutes a permissible exercise of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause is not before the Court [in this case] ... the parties did not raise or brief that issue; it is outside the question presented; and the lower courts did not address it."[212]

In December 2018, Thomas dissented when the Supreme Court voted not to hear cases brought by the states of Louisiana and Kansas to deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.[213] Alito and Gorsuch joined Thomas's dissent, arguing that the Court was "abdicating its judicial duty."[214]

In February 2019, Thomas joined three of the Court's other conservative justices in voting to reject a stay to temporarily block a law restricting abortion in Louisiana.[215] The law that the court temporarily stayed, in a 5''4 decision, would have required that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges in a hospital.[216]

In Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc. (2019), a per curiam decision upholding the provision of Indiana's abortion restriction regarding fetal remains disposal on rational basis scrutiny and upholding the lower court rulings striking down the provision banning race, sex, and disability, Thomas wrote a concurring opinion comparing abortion and birth control to eugenics, which was practiced in the United States in the early 20th century and by the Nazi government in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, and comparing Box to Buck v. Bell (1927), which upheld a forced sterilization law regarding people with mental disabilities. In his opinion, Thomas quoted Margaret Sanger's support for contraception as a form of personal reproductive control that she considered superior to "the horrors of abortion and infanticide" (Sanger's words, quoted by Thomas).[217] His opinion referred several times to historian/journalist Adam Cohen's book Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck; shortly afterward, Cohen published a sharply worded criticism saying that Thomas had misinterpreted his book and misunderstood the history of the eugenics movement.[218] In Box, only Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg publicly registered their votes. Ginsburg and Sotomayor concurred in part and dissented in part, stating they would have upheld the lower court decision on striking down the race, sex, and disability ban as well as the lower court decision striking down the fetal remains disposal provision.[217]

LGBTQ rights In Romer v. Evans (1996), Thomas joined Scalia's dissenting opinion arguing that Amendment Two to the Colorado State Constitution did not violate the Equal Protection Clause. The Colorado amendment forbade any judicial, legislative, or executive action designed to protect persons from discrimination based on "homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships."[219]

In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), Thomas issued a one-page dissent in which he called the Texas statute prohibiting sodomy "uncommonly silly", a phrase originally used by Justice Stewart. He then said that if he were a member of the Texas legislature he would vote to repeal the law, as it was not a worthwhile use of "law enforcement resources" to police private sexual behavior. But Thomas opined that the Constitution does not contain a right to privacy and therefore did not vote to strike the statute down. He saw the issue as a matter for states to decide for themselves.[220]

In Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia (2020), Thomas joined Alito and Kavanaugh in dissenting from the decision that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. (Thomas and Alito wrote a dissent together, and Kavanaugh wrote separately.) The 6''3 ruling's majority consisted of two Republican-appointed justices, Roberts and Gorsuch, along with four Democratic-appointed justices: Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.[221]

In October 2020, Thomas joined the other justices in denying an appeal from Kim Davis, a county clerk who refused to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but wrote a separate opinion reiterating his dissent from Obergefell v. Hodges and expressing his belief that it was wrongly decided.[222][223][224] In July 2021, he was one of three justices, with Gorsuch and Alito, who voted to hear an appeal from a Washington State florist who had refused service to a same-gender couple based on her religious beliefs against same-gender marriage.[225][226][227] In November 2021, Thomas dissented from the majority of justices in a 6-3 vote to reject an appeal from Mercy San Juan Medical Center, a hospital affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, which had sought to deny a hysterectomy to a transgender patient on religious grounds.[228] Alito and Gorsuch also dissented, and the vote to reject the appeal left in place a lower court ruling in the patient's favor.[229][230]

Approach to oral arguments Thomas is well known for his reticence during oral argument. After asking a question during a death penalty case on February 22, 2006, Thomas did not ask another question from the bench for more than 10 years, until February 29, 2016, about a response to a question regarding whether persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence should be barred permanently from firearm possession.[231] He also had a nearly seven-year streak of not speaking at all during oral arguments, finally breaking that silence on January 14, 2013, when he, a Yale Law graduate, was understood to have joked either that a law degree from Yale or from Harvard may be proof of incompetence.[232][233] Thomas took a more active role in questioning when the Supreme Court shifted to holding teleconferenced arguments in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic;[234][235][236][237] before that, he spoke in 32 of the roughly 2,400 arguments since 1991.[238]

Thomas has given many reasons for his silence, including self-consciousness about how he speaks, a preference for listening to those arguing the case, and difficulty getting in a word.[232] His speaking and listening habits may have been influenced by his Gullah upbringing, during which his English was relatively unpolished.[13][21][239]

In 2000, Thomas told a group of high school students, "if you wait long enough, someone will ask your question."[240][241] Although he rarely speaks from the bench, he has acknowledged that sometimes, during oral arguments, he will pass notes to Breyer, who then asks questions on Thomas's behalf.[242]

In November 2007, Thomas told an audience at Hillsdale College, "My colleagues should shut up!" He later explained, "I don't think that for judging, and for what we are doing, all those questions are necessary."[243] According to Amber Porter of ABC News, one of the most notable instances in which Thomas asked a question was in 2002 during oral arguments for Virginia v. Black, when he expressed concern to Michael Dreeben, who had been speaking on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, that he was "actually understating the symbolism ... and the effect of ... the burning cross" and its use as a symbol of the "reign of terror" of "100 years of lynching and activity in the South by the Knights of Camellia ... and the Ku Klux Klan".[244]

Thomas is not the first quiet justice. In the 1970s and 1980s, Justices William J. Brennan, Thurgood Marshall, and Harry Blackmun generally were quiet.[245] But Thomas's silence stood out in the 1990s as the other eight justices engaged in active questioning. The New York Times's Supreme Court correspondent Adam Liptak has called it a "pity" that Thomas does not ask questions, saying that he has a "distinctive legal philosophy and a background entirely different from that of any other justice" and that those he asked in the 2001 and 2002 terms were "mostly good questions, brisk and pointed."[232] Conversely, Jeffrey Toobin, writing in The New Yorker, called Thomas's silence "disgraceful" behavior that had "gone from curious to bizarre to downright embarrassing, for himself and for the institution he represents."[247]

In a 2017 paper in the Northwestern University Law Review, RonNell Andersen Jones and Aaron L. Nielson argued that while asking few questions, "in many ways, [Thomas] is a model questioner", exhibiting habits such as following up on colleagues' inquiries and showing respect to attorneys.[248] Later in 2020, Jones and Nielson posited that Thomas asked questions more frequently when the Supreme Court held oral arguments by teleconferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic because he found the new format more palatable.[249] In the teleconferencing format, justices took turns answering questions and spoke when called on by Chief Justice Roberts. Thomas "has questions that he thinks are valuable", Jones and Nielson concluded, but dislikes the "free-for-all" of typical questioning during oral arguments.[249]

Personal life In 1971, Thomas married his college sweetheart, Kathy Grace Ambush. They had one child, Jamal Adeen. They separated in 1981 and divorced in 1984.[33][250] In 1987, Thomas married Virginia Lamp, a lobbyist and aide to Republican Congressman Dick Armey. In 1997, they took in Thomas's then six-year-old great nephew, Mark Martin Jr.,[252] who had lived with his mother in Savannah public housing.

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas remained active in conservative politics, serving as a consultant to the Heritage Foundation, and as founder and president of Liberty Central.[254] In 2011, she stepped down from Liberty Central to open a conservative lobbying firm, touting her "experience and connections", meeting with newly elected Republican representatives and calling herself an "ambassador to the tea party".[255][256] Also in 2011, 74 Democratic members of the House of Representatives wrote that Justice Thomas should recuse himself on cases regarding the Affordable Care Act due to "appearance of a conflict of interest" based on his wife's work.[257] The Washington Post reported in February 2021 that she apologized to a group of Thomas's former clerks on the email listserv "Thomas Clerk World" for her role in contributing to a rift relating to "pro-Trump postings and former Thomas clerk John Eastman, who spoke at the rally and represented Trump in some of his failed lawsuits filed to overturn the election results."[258]

Clarence Thomas was reconciled to the Catholic Church in the mid-1990s.[259] In his autobiography, he criticized the church for failing to grapple with racism in the 1960s during the civil rights movement, saying it was not so "adamant about ending racism then as it is about ending abortion now".[96] As of 2021, Thomas is one of 14 practicing Catholic justices in the Court's history, of 114 justices total, and one of six currently serving (along with Alito, Kavanaugh, Roberts, Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett).[260]

In January 2011, the liberal advocacy group Common Cause reported that between 2003 and 2007 Thomas failed to disclose $686,589 in income his wife earned from the Heritage Foundation, instead reporting "none" where "spousal noninvestment income" would be reported on his Supreme Court financial disclosure forms.[261] The next week, Thomas said the disclosure of his wife's income had been "inadvertently omitted due to a misunderstanding of the filing instructions".[262] He amended reports going back to 1989.[263]

In 2016, Moira Smith, a lawyer, claimed that Thomas groped her at a dinner party in 1999, when she was a Truman Foundation scholar. Thomas called the allegation "preposterous".[264][265]

Since 1999, Thomas and his wife have traveled across the U.S. in a motorcoach between Court terms.[266][267]

Writings Thomas, Clarence (2007). My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir. Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-056555-8. Thomas, Clarence (2000). "Why Federalism Matters (Dwight D. Opperman Lecture, Drake University Law School, September 24, 1999)" (PDF) . Drake Law Review. 48: 231''238. Thomas, Clarence (1999). "Personal Responsibility" (PDF) . Regent University Law Review. 12: 317''327. Thomas, Clarence (1998). Character. Washington, DC: Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Thomas, Clarance (Autumn 1994). "Punishment and Personhood". City Journal. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Thomas, Clarence (1989). "The Higher Law Background of the Privileges Or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment". Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. 12: 63. Thomas, Clarence (1987). "Affirmative Action Goals and Timetables: Too Tough? Not Tough Enough!". Yale Law & Policy Review. 5 (2): 402''411. JSTOR 40239250. Thomas, Clarence (1987). "Toward a Plain Reading of the Constitution: The Declaration of Independence in Constitutional Interpretation. An Afro-American Perspective". Howard Law Journal. 30: 983''996. Thomas, Clarence (1987). "Why Black Americans Should Look to Conservative Policies". The Heritage Lectures. Washington, DC: Heritage Foundation. ISSN 0272-1155. See also List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United StatesList of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United StatesList of United States Supreme Court justices by time in officeUnited States Supreme Court cases during the Rehnquist CourtUnited States Supreme Court cases during the Roberts CourtBlack conservatism in the United StatesReferences ^ "Roll Call Vote 102nd Congress - 1st Session". Senate.gov. October 15, 1991. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018 . Retrieved May 19, 2020 . ^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (June 27, 2012). "An Older, More Conservative Court". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012 . Retrieved December 11, 2012 . ^ Totenberg, Nina (October 11, 2011). "Clarence Thomas' Influence On The Supreme Court". NPR. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013 . Retrieved December 11, 2012 . ^ Toobin, Jeffrey (August 29, 2011). "Partners". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012 . Retrieved December 11, 2012 . ^ Thomson-DeVeaux, Amelia (July 16, 2020). "Roberts Is The New Swing Justice. That Doesn't Mean He's Becoming More Liberal". FiveThirtyEight . Retrieved January 7, 2022 . ^ "How Kavanaugh Would Change The Court". Data For Progress . Retrieved January 7, 2022 . ^ Bailey, Michael A. (2013). "Is Today's Court the Most Conservative in Sixty Years? Challenges and Opportunities in Measuring Judicial Preferences". The Journal of Politics. 75 (3): 821''834. doi:10.1017/S0022381613000443. ISSN 0022-3816. ^ Bailey, Michael. "Bridge Ideal Points". Michael A. Bailey . 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(August 4, 2002). "Supreme Discomfort". Washington Post Magazine. pp. W08. Archived from the original on September 1, 2002 . Retrieved July 14, 2019 . ^ a b c d e Dolin, Monica (October 3, 2007). "Anger Still Fresh in Clarence Thomas's Memoir". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020 . Retrieved October 19, 2008 . ^ a b c d Brady, Diane (March 12, 2007). "Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Speaks". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. New York City: Bloomberg. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007 . Retrieved July 27, 2018 . ^ Margolick, David (July 3, 1991). "Judge Portrayed as a Product Of Ideals Clashing With Life". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012 . Retrieved October 19, 2008 . ^ Kantor, Jodi; Gonzalez, David (June 6, 2009). "For Sotomayor and Thomas, Paths Diverge at Race". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020 . 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Bollinger, 539 U.S. 244 Archived June 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (2003). ^ a b Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, 551 U.S. 701 Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (2007). ^ Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 Archived August 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (2003). ^ "Missouri v. Jenkins, 515 U.S. 70 (1995)". cornell.edu. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017 . Retrieved June 27, 2017 . ^ Yoo, John, Opinion (October 9, 2007) The Real Clarence Thomas Archived July 17, 2017, at the Wayback Machine The Wall Street Journal. ^ a b c Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (1992). ^ Stenberg v. Carhart, 530 U.S. 914 Archived July 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (2000). ^ a b c Gonzales v. Carhart, 550 U.S. 124 Archived November 8, 2021, at the Wayback Machine (2007). ^ Higgins, Tucker (December 10, 2018). "Supreme Court hamstrings states' efforts to defund Planned Parenthood". cnbc.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021 . Retrieved December 11, 2018 . ^ "US Supreme Court Justices won't hear states' appeal over Planned Parenthood". FOX6Now.com. December 10, 2018. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021 . Retrieved December 11, 2018 . ^ "Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts joins liberal justices to block Louisiana abortion clinic law". cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021 . Retrieved February 10, 2019 . ^ Totenberg, Nina; Montanaro, Domenico; Gonzales, Richard; Campbell, Barbara (February 7, 2019). "Supreme Court Stops Louisiana Abortion Law From Being Implemented". NPR. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021 . Retrieved February 10, 2019 . ^ a b "Kristina Box, Commissioner, Indiana Department of Health, et al. v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky. Inc., et al" (PDF) . www.supremecourt.gov. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 30, 2020 . Retrieved May 10, 2020 . ^ Cohen, Adam (May 29, 2019). "Clarence Thomas Knows Nothing of My Work". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019 . Retrieved November 12, 2019 . ^ "Romer v. Evans". The Oyez Project. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010 . Retrieved April 11, 2010 . ^ Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558, 605 (2003). ^ "Supreme Court finds federal law bars LGBT discrimination in workplace". POLITICO. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020 . Retrieved June 15, 2020 . ^ Balluck, Kyle (October 5, 2020). "Supreme Court rejects bid by ex-Kentucky clerk who defied gay marriage ruling to block lawsuit". TheHill. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020 . Retrieved October 5, 2020 . ^ De Vogue, Arianne; Duster, Chandelis. "Justices Thomas and Alito Lash Out at the Decision that Cleared Way for Same-sex Marriage". CNN. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020 . Retrieved October 5, 2020 . ^ Barnes, Robert (October 4, 2020). "Supreme Court will not hear Kim Davis same-sex marriage case". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020 . Retrieved October 5, 2020 . ^ De Vogue, Ariane; Stracqualursi, Veronica (July 2, 2021). "Supreme Court rejects appeal from florist who wouldn't make arrangement for same-sex wedding". CNN. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021 . Retrieved July 5, 2021 . ^ Higgins, Tucker (July 2, 2021). "Supreme Court declines to decide whether religious flower shop owner can refuse same-sex weddings". CNBC. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021 . Retrieved July 5, 2021 . ^ Dwyer, Devin (July 2, 2021). "Gay couple wins case against florist after Supreme Court rejects appeal". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021 . Retrieved July 5, 2021 . ^ "Supreme Court won't hear case involving transgender rights". AP NEWS. November 1, 2021. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021 . Retrieved November 2, 2021 . ^ Chung, Andrew; Hurley, Lawrence (November 2, 2021). "U.S. Supreme Court spurns Catholic hospital appeal over transgender patient". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021 . Retrieved November 2, 2021 . ^ Press |, Associated (November 2, 2021). "Supreme Court turns down Northern California Catholic hospital appeal over transgender patient". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021 . Retrieved November 2, 2021 . ^ "Justice Thomas asks questions in court, 1st time in 10 years". Fox News. February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016 . Retrieved February 29, 2016 . ^ a b c Liptak, Adam (February 1, 2016). "It's Been 10 Years. Would Clarence Thomas Like to Add Anything?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016 . Retrieved February 27, 2016 . ^ "Supreme Court's Thomas breaks nearly 7-year court silence". Archived from the original on July 31, 2017 . Retrieved October 10, 2016 . ^ Quinn, Melissa (May 7, 2020). "Telephone arguments spotlight usually silent Clarence Thomas". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020 . Retrieved May 10, 2020 . ^ Biskupic, Joan (May 9, 2020). "Justice Clarence Thomas has found his moment". CNN. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020 . Retrieved May 10, 2020 . ^ Liptak, Adam (May 3, 2021). "Justice Clarence Thomas, Long Silent, Has Turned Talkative". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021 . Retrieved May 4, 2021 . ^ Chung, Andrew; Hurley, Lawrence (May 12, 2021). "Amid pandemic, U.S. Justice Clarence Thomas has a question or two". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021 . Retrieved May 22, 2021 . ^ Bravin, Brent Kendall and Jess (May 9, 2020). "Justice Clarence Thomas Finds His Voice". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020 . Retrieved May 10, 2020 . ^ Patterson, Orlando (June 17, 2007), "Thomas Agonistes" Archived July 31, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, p. 2. Retrieved April 28, 2010 ^ Kane, Gregory (December 17, 2000). "Justice Thomas' silence speaks volumes to critics '' tribunedigital-baltimoresun". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016 . Retrieved January 7, 2016 . ^ "Justice Clarence Thomas". The New York Times. December 14, 2000. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012 . Retrieved November 8, 2010 . ^ Barnes, Robert (February 17, 2013). "The question of Clarence Thomas". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017 . Retrieved August 25, 2017 . ^ Bedard, Paul (November 29, 2007). "This Is Not Perry Mason" Archived May 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Washington Whispers. U.S. News & World Report. ^ Porter, Amber (March 27, 2012). "Six Years of Silence for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021 . Retrieved May 15, 2021 '' via Yahoo! News. Of the few times in recent memory that Justice Thomas has felt compelled to join the fray, it was during a hearing in 2002 that stunned the audience most. Speaking passionately on the issue of banning the burning of the cross he said, 'Now, it's my understanding that we had almost 100 years of lynching and activity in the South by the Knights of Camellia and'--and the Ku Klux Klan, and this was a reign of terror and the cross was a symbol of that reign of terror. Was'--isn't that significantly greater than intimidation or a threat?' ^ Garrow, David (October 6, 1996). "The Rehnquist Reins" Archived September 7, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. The New York Times Magazine. ^ Toobin, Jeffrey (February 21, 2014). "Clarence Thomas' Disgraceful Silence". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016 . Retrieved February 27, 2016 . ^ Jones, RonNell Anderson; Nielson, Aaron L. (2017). "Clarence Thomas the Questioner". Northwestern University Law Review Online. 111: 197''229. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020 '' via Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Scholarly Commons. ^ a b Jones, RonNell Andersen; Nielson, Aaron L. (May 7, 2020). "Pandemic Proves Justice Thomas Does Have Something to Say". The Hill. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021 . Retrieved August 25, 2021 . ^ Merida, Kevin; Fletcher, Michael A. (April 22, 2007). "Justice Thomas's Life A Tangle of Poverty, Privilege and Race". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008 . Retrieved April 20, 2009 . ^ "Justice Thomas marches to own tune", USA Today, Associated Press, September 3, 2001. ^ Hennessey, Kathleen (March 14, 2010). "Justice's wife launches 'tea party' group". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 24, 2010 . Retrieved March 15, 2010 . ^ Vogel, Kenneth; Cogan, Marin; Bresnahan, John (February 4, 2011). "Justice Thomas's wife Virginia Thomas now a lobbyist". Politico. Archived from the original on February 6, 2011 . Retrieved February 4, 2011 . ^ Lichtblau, Eric (February 4, 2011). "Justice Thomas's Wife Sets Up a Conservative Lobbying Shop". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 5, 2011 . Retrieved February 4, 2011 . ^ Sonmez, Felicia (February 9, 2011). "House Democrats say Justice Thomas should recuse himself in health-care case". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014 . Retrieved September 23, 2014 . ^ Barnes, Robert. "Ginni Thomas apologizes to husband's Supreme Court clerks after Capitol riot fallout". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021 . Retrieved February 4, 2021 . ^ Heyer, Kristin E.; Rozell, Mark J.; Genovese, Michael A. (2008). Catholics and Politics: The Dynamic Tension Between Faith and Power . Georgetown University Press. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-58901-653-8 . Retrieved March 1, 2013 . ^ Escobar, Allyson (July 18, 2018). "Why do Catholics make up a majority of the Supreme Court?". America. New York, New York: America Press (Society of Jesus). Archived from the original on September 22, 2020 . Retrieved May 7, 2021 . ^ Geiger, Kim (January 22, 2011). "Clarence Thomas failed to report wife's income, watchdog says". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011 . Retrieved January 23, 2011 . ^ Lichtblau, Eric (January 24, 2011). "Thomas Cites Failure to Disclose Wife's Job". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011 . Retrieved January 29, 2011 . ^ Camia, Catalina (January 24, 2011). "Clarence Thomas fixes reports to include wife's pay". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011 . Retrieved February 5, 2011 . ^ Coyle, Marcia (October 27, 2016). "Young Scholar, Now Lawyer, Says Clarence Thomas Groped Her in 1999". Law.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2019 . Retrieved June 16, 2019 . ^ Worland, Justin (October 27, 2016). "Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Denies Groping Accusation". Time. New York, New York. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019 . Retrieved June 16, 2019 . ^ Sherman, Mark (August 6, 2020). "Justice Thomas maps own course, at wheel of his 40-foot bus". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020 . Retrieved August 6, 2020 . ^ "Justice Clarence Thomas -- RV enthusiast". The Takeaway. August 6, 2009. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020 . Retrieved August 18, 2020 . Works cited Foskett, Ken (2004). Judging Thomas: The Life and Times of Clarence Thomas. William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-052721-1. Greenburg, Jan Crawford (2007). Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court. Penguin Group. ISBN 978-1-59420-101-1. Toobin, Jeffrey (2007). The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. Random House. ISBN 978-0-385-51640-2. Robin, Corey (2019). The Enigma of Clarence Thomas. New York, NY: Metropolitan Books. ISBN 9781627793841. Further reading Abraham, Henry J. (2007). Justices, Presidents, and Senators: A History of the U.S. Supreme Court Appointments from Washington to Bush II (5th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7425-5895-3. Brooks, Roy L. (2008). Structures of Judicial Decision Making from Legal Formalism to Critical Theory (2nd ed.). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-59460-123-1. Carp, Dylan (September 1998). "Out of Scalia's Shadow". Liberty. Archived from the original on February 13, 2006. Cushman, Clare, ed. (2001). The Supreme Court Justices: Illustrated Biographies, 1789''1995 (2nd ed.). Supreme Court Historical Society, Congressional Quarterly Books. ISBN 978-1-56802-126-3. Frank, John P. (1995). Friedman, Leon; Israel, Fred L. (eds.). The Justices of the United States Supreme Court: Their Lives and Major Opinions. Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7910-1377-9. Gerber, Scott D (1999). First Principles: The Jurisprudence of Clarence Thomas. New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-3099-7. Hall, Kermit L., ed. (1992). The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-505835-2. Holzer, Henry Mark (2006). Supreme Court Opinions of Clarence Thomas 1991''2006: A Conservative's Perspective. Madison Press. ISBN 978-1-59113-911-9. Lazarus, Edward (January 6, 2005). "Will Clarence Thomas Be the Court's Next Chief Justice?". FindLaw. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010 . Retrieved May 15, 2010 . Mayer, Jane; Abramson, Jill (1994). Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-452-27499-0. Martin, Fenton S.; Goehlert, Robert U. (1990). The U.S. Supreme Court: A Bibliography. Congressional Quarterly Books. ISBN 978-0-87187-554-9. Onwuachi-Willig, Angela (January 2005). "Just Another Brother on the SCT?: What Justice Clarence Thomas Teaches Us About the Influence of Racial Identity". Iowa Law Review. University of Iowa College of Law. 90: 931. SSRN 638281. Presser, Stephen B. (January''February 2005). "Touting Thomas: The Truth about America's Most Maligned Justice". Legal Affairs. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010 . Retrieved May 15, 2010 . Robin, Corey (2019). The Enigma of Clarence Thomas. New York: Metropolitan Books. ISBN 978-1-62779-383-4. Rossum, Ralph A. (2013). Understanding Clarence Thomas: The Jurisprudence of Constitutional Restoration. University Press of Kansas. Thomas, Andrew Peyton (2001). Clarence Thomas: A Biography. Encounter Books. ISBN 978-1-893554-36-8. Urofsky, Melvin I. (1994). The Supreme Court Justices: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Garland Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8153-1176-8. Woodward, Robert; Armstrong, Scott (1979). The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-24110-0. External links Clarence Thomas at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.Clarence Thomas at BallotpediaIssue positions and quotes at On the IssuesAppearances on C-SPANCornell Law School Biography of Clarence ThomasOyez, Official Supreme Court media, Clarence Thomas biographySupreme Court Associate Justice Nomination Hearings on Clarence Thomas in September and October 1991 United States Government Publishing OfficeJohn Jay (1789''1795, cases)John Rutledge (1795, cases)Oliver Ellsworth (1796''1800, cases)John Marshall (1801''1835, cases)Roger B. Taney (1836''1864, cases)Salmon P. Chase (1864''1873, cases)Morrison Waite (1874''1888, cases)Melville Fuller (1888''1910, cases)Edward Douglass White (1910''1921, cases)William Howard Taft (1921''1930, cases)Charles Evans Hughes (1930''1941, cases)Harlan F. Stone (1941''1946, cases)Fred M. Vinson (1946''1953, cases)Earl Warren (1953''1969, cases)Warren E. Burger (1969''1986, cases)William Rehnquist (1986''2005, cases)John Roberts (2005''present, cases)

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Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:31

One hundred and one years ago today, the Chicago Race Riot began with the murder of Eugene Williams and the failure of law enforcement to hold those responsible for his death accountable. On Sunday, July 27, 1919, thousands of Chicagoans sought relief from the brutal heat on the shores of Lake Michigan. Among them was Williams, a seventeen-year-old African American who was on a raft with some friends. They inadvertently drifted across an invisible line that divided the waters by race a few yards out from a ''white'' beach at 29th Street. Beachgoers witnessed George Stauber, a twenty-four-year-old white man, hurl stones at the boys until Williams fell off the raft and drowned. The first police officer at the scene, Daniel Callahan, refused to take Stauber into custody.

A large crowd of people assembled at the 29th Street beach after Eugene Williams's death, Chicago, July 27, 1919. CHM, ICHi-030315 As word spread of Williams's death, a large crowd gathered at the beach and the scene became tense. Soon, the racial powder keg that was Chicago exploded into a race riot that began on July 27 and ended on August 3, 1919. The eight-day riot was one of many racial conflicts throughout the United States that were a part of what became the Red Summer of 1919, when violence was used by whites to reassert racial dominance over African Americans.

Learn more about the event through Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots , a year-long project coordinated by the Newberry Library in partnership with the Chicago History Museum and twelve other Chicago institutions. Explore Chicago 1919.

A group of white men stoning a victim under the corner of a house during the race riot in Chicago, 1919. CHM, ICHi-065493; Jun Fujita, photographerArmed National Guard and African American men stand on a sidewalk during the race riot in Chicago, 1919. CHM, ICHi-065478; Jun Fujita, photographer On PBS's The Future of America's Past , award-winning historian Ed Ayers travels to places that define misunderstood parts of America's past. In his ''Red Chicago'' episode, Ayers visits Chicago during the centennial of the ''Red Summer,'' when long-simmering tensions between white and Black residents in the city erupted in violence. Join him as he talks with a poet, a performance artist, as well as the Chicago History Museum's public and community engagement manager, Erica Griffin. Watch the episode.

The Chicago Stories Initiative Our fellow Chicago community organization, the Lookingglass Theatre, will feature COVID-considerate events/expressions that plumb the depth of Chicago's history and people, while inventing new Chicago traditions to carry us forward together. The first production of this series is Sunset 1919, which commemorates the start of the 1919 Chicago Race Riot by creating art to honor the fallen. This spoken-word piece is meant to peacefully honor the lives of Black humans impacted by the deadly racial attacks that swept the nation that summer, the roots of which stretch back across centuries, and the fruits of which we continue to pluck'--a moment in an unbroken line. See the film.

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Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:26

Poles in Chicago are made up of both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage living in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide Polonia, the Polish term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Chicago from its very beginning. Poles have been a part of the history of Chicago since 1837, when Captain Joseph Napieralski, along with other veterans of the November Uprising first set foot there.[1][self-published source ][2] As of the 2000 U.S. census, Poles in Chicago were the largest European American ethnic group in the city, making up 7.3% of the total population.[3][4] However, according to the 2006''2008 American Community Survey, German Americans and Irish Americans each had slightly surpassed Polish Americans as the largest European American ethnic groups in Chicago. German Americans made up 7.3% of the population, and numbered at 199,789; Irish Americans also made up 7.3% of the population, and numbered at 199,294. Polish Americans now made up 6.7% of Chicago's population, and numbered at 182,064.[5] Polish is the third most widely spoken language in Chicago behind English and Spanish.

History [ edit ] A number of Poles contributed to the history of the city together with Captain Napieralski, a veteran of Cross Mountain[clarification needed ] during the November Uprising. Along with him came other early Polish settlers such as Major Louis Chlopicki, the nephew of General J"zef Chłopicki who had been the leader of the same insurrection. Not to mention certain A. Panakaske (Panakaski) who resided in the second ward in the 1830s as well as J. Zoliski who lived in the sixth ward with records of both men having cast their ballots for William B. Ogden in the 1837 mayoral race in Chicago.[2]

Distribution [ edit ] According to Dominic Pacyga, most of the Poles who first came to Chicago settled in five distinct parts of the city.[6] The first of those Polish Patches, as they were colloquially referred to, was located on the Near Northwest Side. Centering on the Polish Triangle at the intersection of Milwaukee and Ashland avenues with Division street it later became known as Polish Downtown. The second large settlement, developed in Pilsen on the west side near 18th street and Ashland avenue. Poles established two separate enclaves in the Stock Yard district, one in Bridgeport, the other in the Back of the Yards near 47th street and Ashland avenue. Another Polish neighborhood developed in the area around the massive Illinois Steel works in South Chicago in the area colloquially referred to as "the Bush".

Polish communities in Chicago were often founded and organized around parishes mostly by peasant immigrants who named their neighbourhoods after them, like Bronislawowo, named after St. Bronislava.* Sometimes the neighbourhoods are contiguous so its difficult to say precisely where one ends and one begins, as in the case of 'Stanislawowo' by the church of St. Stanislaus Kostka and 'Trojcowo' by Holy Trinity Polish Mission in the former area of Polish Downtown.

Initial historical Polish patches [ edit ] In Polish the ending 'owo' in e.g., Bronislawowo functions similar to English 'ville' in Johnsville or 'ton' in Charleston. When added to a name of a saint, it indicates a Polish sounding town or a village. This is a colloquial phenomenon, not present in educated Polish; however, it persists in the names of different Polish areas of Chicago.

Polish Downtown- (Pulaski Park, River West, Bucktown, Wicker Park, East Village, and Noble Square)

Trojcowo '' The area around Holy Trinity Polish MissionStanislawowo '' The area around St. Stanislaus Kostka in ChicagoKantowo '' The area around St. John Cantius in ChicagoMlodziankowo '' The area around Holy Innocents in ChicagoFidelisowo '' The area around St. FidelisHelenowo '' The area around St. HelenMarianowo '' The area around St. Mary of the Angels in ChicagoJadwigowo '' The area around St. Hedwig's in ChicagoLower West Side

Wojciechowo '' The area around St. Adalbert's in ChicagoAnnowo '' The area around St. Anns in ChicagoRomanowo '' The area around St. Roman'sKazimierzowo '' The area around the former St. Casimir'sBridgeport

NMP Nieustajacej Pomocy '' The area around St. Mary of Perpetual HelpBarbarowo '' The area around St. Barbara in ChicagoBack of the Yards

Jozefowo '' The area around St. Joseph's in ChicagoJanowo '' The area around St. John of GodSercanowo '' The area around Sacred HeartSouth Chicago

Niepokolanowo '' The area around Immaculate Conception in ChicagoMichalowo '' The area around St. Michael's in ChicagoMagdalenowo '' The area around St. Mary MagdaleneBronislawowo '' The area around St. BronislavaSubsequent historical Polish patches [ edit ] Later as Poles grew in number and advanced economically, they migrated further out into outlying areas.[7] The result was that the West Town/Logan Square settlement in Polish Downtown spread westward along North Avenue and northwestward along Milwaukee thereby creating a "Polish Corridor" which tied in contiguous areas such as Norwood Park, Jefferson Park, Portage Park, and Belmont-Cragin.[7] The same kind of advance occurred in the other original areas of Polish settlements so that Poles from both the Lower West Side and the Back of the Yards moved into both sides of Archer Avenue, giving rise to sizable Polish settlements on the Southwest Side of the city such as McKinley Park, Garfield Ridge, Brighton Park and Archer Heights.[7] On the far Southeast Side, the South Chicago "steel mill settlements" spilled over into Pullman, Roseland, East Side, Hegewisch and Calumet City as well as into Lake County in Northwest Indiana, where thriving Polish communities were found in North Hammond, Whiting, the Indian Harbor section of East Chicago and several neighborhoods in the newly built industrial city of Gary.[7]

North Side of Chicago [ edit ] Lincoln Park

Jozafatowo or Kaszubowo '' The area around the parish of St. Josaphat's in Chicago which was initially heavily CassubianLincoln Square

U Przemienienia '' The area around the parish of TransfigurationAvondaleChicago's Polish Village:

Jackowo '' The area around St. Hyacinth BasilicaWaclawowo '' The area around St. WenceslausIrving Park

Polskie Wille - The landmark Villa District, historically known as the "Polish Kenilworth"Niepokalanowo/ Małe Kaszuby '' The area around Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as Little CassubiaPortage Park

Władysławowo '' The area around the parish of St. Ladislaus in ChicagoJefferson Park

Konstancowo '' The area around the parish of St. ConstanceNorwood Park

Teklowo '' The area around the parish of St. TheclaBelmont Cragin

Jakubowo '' The area around St. JamesU Biskupa/ Biskupowo (Stanislawowo) '' The area around the parish of St. Stanislaus Bishop and MartyrHumboldt Park

Franciszkowo '' The area around the parish of St. Francis of AssisiSouth Side of Chicago [ edit ] McKinley Park

Piotropawlowo '' The area around the parish of Ss Peter and PaulArcher Heights

Brunowo '' The area around the parish St. BrunoGarfield Ridge

Kamilowo '' The area around the parish of St. Camillus by Midway AirportBrighton Park

U Pieciu Braci '' The area around Five Holy MartyrsPankracowo '' The area around the parish of St. PancratiusSouth Lawndale

U Dobrego Pasterza/ Pasterzowo '' The area around the parish of Good ShepherdWest Elsdon

Turibiuszowo '' The area around the parish of St. TuribiusRoseland

Salomejowo '' The area around the parish of St. SalomeaHegewisch

Florianowo '' The area around the parish of St. FlorianOver the course of the city's development as the city's Polish community climbed further up the economic ladder and were followed by new waves of immigrants the concentration of Poles shifted to different areas of the city.

Religion [ edit ] As in Poland, the overwhelming majority of Polish immigrants who settled in Chicago were culturally very devout Roman Catholics. Though almost all of the Polish Americans remained loyal to the Catholic Church after immigrating, a breakaway Catholic church was founded in 1897 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Polish parishioners founded the church to assert independence from the Catholic Church in America. The split was in rebellion from the church leadership, then dominated by Irish and German clergy, and lacking in Polish speakers and Polish church leaders. The Bucktown campus of the former Cathedral of All Saints still stands as a testament to this community of faith. The current Cathedral and Cemetery complex on the city's periphery by Rosemont remains active and is still independent from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

Poland is also home to followers of Protestantism and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Small groups of both of these groups are present Chicago. One of the most celebrated painters of religious icons in North America today is a Polish American Eastern Orthodox priest, Fr. Theodore Jurewicz, who singlehandedly painted New Gračanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois, over the span of three years.[8]

While large numbers of Jews from the former lands of the Polish''Lithuanian Commonwealth immigrated to the Chicago area, they faced a historical trajectory far different from that of their Christian counterparts. In the process of Americanization, many Polish Jews in Chicago would lose their identification with Poland, with notable exceptions. There have also been small numbers of Muslims, mostly Lipka Tatars originating from the Białystok region.

The Polish presence in Chicago today [ edit ] Institutions [ edit ] Chicago bills itself as the largest Polish city outside of Poland with approximately 1,900,000 people of Polish ethnicity in the Chicago metropolitan area.[9] Chicago's Polish presence is felt in the large number of Polish American organizations located there, including the Polish Museum of America, the Polish American Association, the Polish National Alliance and the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America. A column fragment of Wawel Castle, the onetime seat of Poland's Royalty, has been incorporated into Chicago's landmark Tribune Tower as a visual tribute to Chicago's large Polish populace.

Culture [ edit ] 'Polish singing bar' on Milwaukee Avenue. Circa 1999

Chicago also has a thriving Polish cultural scene. The Polish Arts Club of Chicago was founded in 1926. The city hosts the Polish Film Festival of America where various Polish films are screened during the weeklong festival every October. Polish stage productions in both Polish and English are regularly staged at numerous venues throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area. The most prominent venues among these are the Chopin and Gateway Theatres. The Gateway, which is also the seat of the Polish Cultural Center in Chicago is the home of the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra. The Lira Ensemble, the only professional performing arts company outside of Poland that specializes in Polish music, song, and dance is Artist-in-Residence at Loyola University Chicago. Chicago is also host to several Polish folk dances ensembles that teach traditions to Polish-American children.

Chicago celebrates its Polish Heritage every Labor Day weekend at the Taste of Polonia Festival in Jefferson Park, attended by such political notables as President George H. W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich, Hadassah Lieberman, Congresswoman Melissa Bean, and Tipper Gore.[10] Illinois, due to the influence of this large population, is also one of the few states that celebrates Casimir Pulaski Day. Some schools and government services in the metro area are closed for the holiday.

The Almanac of American Politics 2004 states that "Even today, in Archer Heights [a neighborhood of Chicago], you can scarcely go a block without hearing someone speaking Polish". This may be anachronistic because, although once true, today the Archer Heights neighborhood is predominately Mexican-American and Mexican, with many of the Polish former residents having died or moved to the suburbs. This is reflected in many of the businesses which served the Polish community having been replaced with businesses which serve the Mexican community. Polish-language business signs, once ubiquitous in Archer Heights, are now quite rare, while Spanish-language signs are seen on many businesses in the area.

Much of 1950s Chicago Polish youth culture was captured in the 1972 musical Grease, in which the majority of characters had Polish surnames (Zuko, Dumbrowski, Kenickie); Jim Jacobs, who conceived Grease, based the musical on his real-life experiences in a Chicago high school. Much of the Polish-American nature of the musical was discarded when Grease was made into a feature film in 1978, casting non-Polish actors in the lead roles, and subsequent productions have also followed the film's lead in toning down the Chicago Polish influences.

Ponglish [ edit ] Some of Chicago Polonia (the Polish term for members of the expatriate Polish community) speak the American sub dialect of Ponglish (usually referred to as Chicagowski by local Poles) a fusion of the Polish and English languages. Ponglish is a common (to greater or lesser degree, almost unavoidable) phenomenon among persons bilingual in Polish and English, and its avoidance requires considerable effort and attention. Ponglish is a manifestation of a broader phenomenon, that of language interference.

Notable persons [ edit ] This section

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adding to it.

( May 2015

) Actors, singers, and directors [ edit ] Stanley Andrews, born Stanley Andrzejewski, an American actor who played the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program Little Orphan AnnieCarlos Bernard, born Carlos Bernard Papierski, an American actor and director, best known for his role as Tony Almeida in 24Casey and Nina Siemaszko '' American actorsWriters and authors [ edit ] Stuart Dybek '' writer of fiction and poetryJohn Guzlowski '' authorBusinessmen and entrepreneurs [ edit ] John S. Flizikowski '' architect of residential, church, and commercial buildings during the late 19th and early 20th centuriesPaul Bragiel '' Silicon Valley entrepreneur & venture capitalist, Colombia national team cross country skierMusicians and composers [ edit ] Jack Benny, born Benjamin Kubelsky, American comedian, vaudevillian, radio, television and film actor, and violinistWalter Jagiello - polka musician known as L'il Wally who was one of the first two inductees into the International Polka Association Polka Hall of Fame.Feliks Konarski '' poet, songwriter, and cabaret performerKrzysztof Klenczon '' singer and songwriter and member of the group Czerwone GitaryRay Manzarek '' keyboardist of The DoorsArtur RodziÅski conductor of opera and symphonic musicFlora Zygman '' pianist, music educatorClergy [ edit ] Vincent Barzynski '' Roman Catholic priest and organizer Painters, sculptors, and artists [ edit ] Jerzy Kenar '' sculptorRichard Nickel '' architectural photographer and historical preservationistEd Paschke '' painterMary Stanisia '' American Catholic artist and painterJohn J. Szaton '' sculptorStanisław Szukalski '' painter and sculptorKatarzyna Mecinski (also known as Fifty na Pol) - YouTube vloggerGovernment officials and politicians [ edit ] Andrzej Czuma '' politician, lawyer and historian, an activist of the Polish anti-Communist opposition in the Polish People's RepublicPeter Kiołbassa (1837''1905) Democratic politician in the City of Chicago who helped organize St. Stanislaus Kostka parishJohn Kluczynski '' U.S. Representative representing Illinois's 5th congressional districtRobert Martwick '' Democratic member of the Illinois House of RepresentativesRoman Conrad Pucinski '' Democratic Party Politician and U.S. RepresentativeDaniel David "Dan" Rostenkowski '' United States Representative and Chairman of the House Ways and Means CommitteeJohn Francis Smulski American politician and businessman.Scholars [ edit ] Oskar Lange '' economist and diplomatMarta Ptaszynska '' University of Chicago professorSports [ edit ] Krzysztof Hausner '' football right-wing forward, most notable for his performances for Cracovia KrakowMike Krzyzewski '' Basketball coachAl Piechota '' Professional baseball player whose career spanned 15 seasonsCriminals [ edit ] Ted Kaczynski '' Evergreen Park math professor and terroristTillie Klimek '' serial killerSteven Kazmierczak '' Northern Illinois University shooting of February 14, 2008See also [ edit ] Diaspora politics in the United StatesFelician SistersPolish Cathedral style churchesPolish Constitution Day ParadePolish FalconsPolish Roman Catholic Union of AmericaFourth Partition, a 2013 documentary filmReferences [ edit ] ^ Lodesky, James D. Polish Pioneers in Illinois 1818-1850, XLibris (2010), p. 79 ^ a b Parot, Joseph J. Polish Catholics in Chicago, 1850''1920, Northwestern University Press (1981), p. 19 ^ Parot, Joseph, J. "Polish Catholics in Chicago, 1850-1920, Northwestern University Press (1981), p. 18 ^ "Chicago city, Illinois - Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. 2000-04-01. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020 . Retrieved 23 January 2010 . ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-02-11 . Retrieved 2010-06-24 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) ^ Pacyga, Dominic "Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago: Workers on the South Side, 1880''1922" University of Chicago Press, 1991, pp. 41''42 ^ a b c d Parot, Joseph, J. "Polish Catholics in Chicago, 1850''1920, Northwestern University Press (1981), p. 75 ^ Serbian Monastery of New Gracanica '' History Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine ^ Paral, Rob (June 2004). "The Polish Community in Metro Chicago: A Community Profile of Strengths and Needs, A Census 2000 Report" (PDF) . RobParal.com. Polish American Association. p. 18 . Retrieved 23 January 2010 . ^ America the diverse - Chicago's Polish neighborhoods (5/15/2005)USA Weekend Magazine. Further reading [ edit ] Erdmans, Mary Patrice. Opposite Poles: Immigrants and Ethnics in Polish Chicago, 1976-1990. Penn State University Press, 1998.Pacyga, Dominic A. (2019). American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish Chicago. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226406619. External links [ edit ] Former President of Poland Lech Walesa speaking on the role of Poles in Chicago in the end of communism in PolandPolish Localizer Polsort '' Polish Businesses and Organizations in ChicagoCurrent Polish patches: Polish Masses in Chicago Area provided by Polsort

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Composite of the organism's observable characteristics or traits

Look up phenotype in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Here the relation between

genotype and phenotype is illustrated, using a

Punnett square, for the character of petal color in pea plants. The letters B and b represent

genes for color, and the pictures show the resultant phenotypes. This shows how multiple genotypes (BB and Bb) may yield the same phenotype (purple petals).

In genetics, the phenotype (from Greek φαινÎ- (faino-) 'showing', and ÏύÏÎς (tºpos) 'type') is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism.[1][2] The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological properties, its behavior, and the products of behavior. An organism's phenotype results from two basic factors: the expression of an organism's genetic code, or its genotype, and the influence of environmental factors. Both factors may interact, further affecting phenotype. When two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species, the species is called polymorphic. A well-documented example of polymorphism is Labrador Retriever coloring; while the coat color depends on many genes, it is clearly seen in the environment as yellow, black, and brown. Richard Dawkins in 1978[3] and then again in his 1982 book The Extended Phenotype suggested that one can regard bird nests and other built structures such as caddis-fly larva cases and beaver dams as "extended phenotypes".

Wilhelm Johannsen proposed the genotype''phenotype distinction in 1911 to make clear the difference between an organism's heredity and what that heredity produces.[4][5] The distinction resembles that proposed by August Weismann (1834''1914), who distinguished between germ plasm (heredity) and somatic cells (the body).

The genotype''phenotype distinction should not be confused with Francis Crick's central dogma of molecular biology, a statement about the directionality of molecular sequential information flowing from DNA to protein, and not the reverse.

Difficulties in definition [ edit ] Despite its seemingly straightforward definition, the concept of the phenotype has hidden subtleties. It may seem that anything dependent on the genotype is a phenotype, including molecules such as RNA and proteins. Most molecules and structures coded by the genetic material are not visible in the appearance of an organism, yet they are observable (for example by Western blotting) and are thus part of the phenotype; human blood groups are an example. It may seem that this goes beyond the original intentions of the concept with its focus on the (living) organism in itself. Either way, the term phenotype includes inherent traits or characteristics that are observable or traits that can be made visible by some technical procedure. A notable extension to this idea is the presence of "organic molecules" or metabolites that are generated by organisms from chemical reactions of enzymes.

ABO blood groups determined through a Punnett square and displaying phenotypes and genotypes

The term "phenotype" has sometimes been incorrectly used as a shorthand for the phenotypic difference between a mutant and its wild type, which (if not significant) leads to the statement that a "mutation has no phenotype".[6]

Another extension adds behavior to the phenotype, since behaviors are observable characteristics. Behavioral phenotypes include cognitive, personality, and behavioral patterns. Some behavioral phenotypes may characterize psychiatric disorders[7] or syndromes.[8][9]

B.betularia morpha

carbonaria, the melanic form, illustrating discontinuous variation

Phenotypic variation [ edit ] Phenotypic variation (due to underlying heritable genetic variation) is a fundamental prerequisite for evolution by natural selection. It is the living organism as a whole that contributes (or not) to the next generation, so natural selection affects the genetic structure of a population indirectly via the contribution of phenotypes. Without phenotypic variation, there would be no evolution by natural selection.[10]

The interaction between genotype and phenotype has often been conceptualized by the following relationship:

genotype (G) + environment (E) '†' phenotype (P)A more nuanced version of the relationship is:

genotype (G) + environment (E) + genotype & environment interactions (GE) '†' phenotype (P)Genotypes often have much flexibility in the modification and expression of phenotypes; in many organisms these phenotypes are very different under varying environmental conditions (see ecophenotypic variation). The plant Hieracium umbellatum is found growing in two different habitats in Sweden. One habitat is rocky, sea-side cliffs, where the plants are bushy with broad leaves and expanded inflorescences; the other is among sand dunes where the plants grow prostrate with narrow leaves and compact inflorescences. These habitats alternate along the coast of Sweden and the habitat that the seeds of Hieracium umbellatum land in, determine the phenotype that grows.[11]

An example of random variation in Drosophila flies is the number of ommatidia, which may vary (randomly) between left and right eyes in a single individual as much as they do between different genotypes overall, or between clones raised in different environments.

The concept of phenotype can be extended to variations below the level of the gene that affect an organism's fitness. For example, silent mutations that do not change the corresponding amino acid sequence of a gene may change the frequency of guanine-cytosine base pairs (GC content). These base pairs have a higher thermal stability (melting point) than adenine-thymine, a property that might convey, among organisms living in high-temperature environments, a selective advantage on variants enriched in GC content.[citation needed ]

The extended phenotype [ edit ] Richard Dawkins described a phenotype that included all effects that a gene has on its surroundings, including other organisms, as an extended phenotype, arguing that "An animal's behavior tends to maximize the survival of the genes 'for' that behavior, whether or not those genes happen to be in the body of the particular animal performing it."[3] For instance, an organism such as a beaver modifies its environment by building a beaver dam; this can be considered an expression of its genes, just as its incisor teeth are'--which it uses to modify its environment. Similarly, when a bird feeds a brood parasite such as a cuckoo, it is unwittingly extending its phenotype; and when genes in an orchid affect orchid bee behavior to increase pollination, or when genes in a peacock affect the copulatory decisions of peahens, again, the phenotype is being extended. Genes are, in Dawkins's view, selected by their phenotypic effects.[12]

Other biologists broadly agree that the extended phenotype concept is relevant, but consider that its role is largely explanatory, rather than assisting in the design of experimental tests.[13]

Phenome and phenomics [ edit ] Although a phenotype is the ensemble of observable characteristics displayed by an organism, the word phenome is sometimes used to refer to a collection of traits, while the simultaneous study of such a collection is referred to as phenomics.[14][15] Phenomics is an important field of study because it can be used to figure out which genomic variants affect phenotypes which then can be used to explain things like health, disease, and evolutionary fitness.[16] Phenomics forms a large part of the Human Genome Project[17]

Phenomics has applications in agriculture. For instance, genomic variations such as drought and heat resistance can be identified through phenomics to create more durable GMOs.[18][19]

Phenomics may be a stepping stone towards personalized medicine, particularly drug therapy.[20] Once the phenomic database has acquired more data, a person's phenomic information can be used to select specific drugs tailored to an individual.[20]

Large-scale phenotyping and genetic screens [ edit ] Large-scale genetic screens can identify the genes or mutations that affect the phenotype of an organism. Analyzing the phenotypes of mutant genes can also aid in determining gene function.[21] For example, a large-scale phenotypic screen has been used to study lesser understood phenotypes such as behavior. In this screen, the role of mutations in mice were studied in areas such as learning and memory, circadian rhythmicity, vision, responses to stress and response to psychostimulants (see table for details).

This experiment involved the progeny of mice treated with ENU, or N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea, which is a potent mutagen that causes point mutations. The mice were phenotypically screened for alterations in the different behavioral domains in order to find the number of putative mutants (see table for details). Putative mutants are then tested for heritability in order to help determine the inheritance pattern as well as map out the mutations. Once they have been mapped out, cloned, and identified, it can be determined whether a mutation represents a new gene or not.

Phenotypic domainENU Progeny screenedPutative mutantsPutative mutant lines with progenyConfirmed mutantsGeneral assessment29860803814Learning and memory2312316510619Psychostimulant response20997168869Neuroendocrine response to stress13118126542Vision15582108606These experiments showed that mutations in the rhodopsin gene affected vision and can even cause retinal degeneration in mice.[22] The same amino acid change causes human familial blindness, showing how phenotyping in animals can inform medical diagnostics and possibly therapy.

Evolutionary origin of phenotype [ edit ] The RNA world is the hypothesized pre-cellular stage in the evolutionary history of life on earth, in which self-replicating RNA molecules proliferated prior to the evolution of DNA and proteins.[23] The folded three-dimensional physical structure of the first RNA molecule that possessed ribozyme activity promoting replication while avoiding destruction would have been the first phenotype, and the nucleotide sequence of the first self-replicating RNA molecule would have been the original genotype.[23]

See also [ edit ] EcotypeEndophenotypeGenotypeGenotype-phenotype distinctionMolecular phenotypingRace and geneticsReferences [ edit ] ^ "phenotype adjective '' Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes". Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com . Retrieved 2020-04-29 . the set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment. ^ "Genotype versus phenotype". Understanding Evolution . Retrieved 2020-04-29 . An organism's genotype is the set of genes that it carries. An organism's phenotype is all of its observable characteristics '-- which are influenced both by its genotype and by the environment. ^ a b Dawkins R (May 1978). "Replicator selection and the extended phenotype". Zeitschrift Fur Tierpsychologie. 47 (1): 61''76. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1978.tb01823.x. PMID 696023. ^ Churchill FB (1974). "William Johannsen and the genotype concept". Journal of the History of Biology. 7 (1): 5''30. doi:10.1007/BF00179291. PMID 11610096. S2CID 38649212. ^ Johannsen W (August 2014). "The genotype conception of heredity. 1911". International Journal of Epidemiology. 43 (4): 989''1000. doi:10.1086/279202. JSTOR 2455747. PMC 4258772 . PMID 24691957. ^ Crusio WE (May 2002). " 'My mouse has no phenotype' ". Genes, Brain, and Behavior. 1 (2): 71. doi:10.1034/j.1601-183X.2002.10201.x . PMID 12884976. S2CID 35382304. ^ Cassidy SB, Morris CA (2002-01-01). "Behavioral phenotypes in genetic syndromes: genetic clues to human behavior". Advances in Pediatrics. 49: 59''86. PMID 12214780. ^ O'Brien G, Yule W, eds. (1995). Behavioural Phenotype. Clinics in Developmental Medicine No.138. London: Mac Keith Press. ISBN 978-1-898683-06-3. ^ O'Brien, Gregory, ed. (2002). Behavioural Phenotypes in Clinical Practice. London: Mac Keith Press. ISBN 978-1-898683-27-8 . Retrieved 27 September 2010 . ^ Lewontin RC (November 1970). "The Units of Selection" (PDF) . Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 1: 1''18. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.01.110170.000245. JSTOR 2096764. ^ "Botany online: Evolution: The Modern Synthesis - Phenotypic and Genetic Variation; Ecotypes". Archived from the original on 2009-06-18 . Retrieved 2009-12-29 . ^ Dawkins R (1982). The Extended Phenotype. Oxford University. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-19-288051-2. ^ Hunter P (March 2009). "Extended phenotype redux. How far can the reach of genes extend in manipulating the environment of an organism?". EMBO Reports. 10 (3): 212''215. doi:10.1038/embor.2009.18. PMC 2658563 . PMID 19255576. ^ Mahner M, Kary M (May 1997). "What exactly are genomes, genotypes and phenotypes? And what about phenomes?". Journal of Theoretical Biology. 186 (1): 55''63. Bibcode:1997JThBi.186...55M. doi:10.1006/jtbi.1996.0335. PMID 9176637. ^ Varki A, Wills C, Perlmutter D, Woodruff D, Gage F, Moore J, et al. (October 1998). "Great Ape Phenome Project?". Science. 282 (5387): 239''240. Bibcode:1998Sci...282..239V. doi:10.1126/science.282.5387.239d. PMID 9841385. S2CID 5837659. ^ Houle D, Govindaraju DR, Omholt S (December 2010). "Phenomics: the next challenge". Nature Reviews. Genetics. 11 (12): 855''866. doi:10.1038/nrg2897. PMID 21085204. S2CID 14752610. ^ Freimer N, Sabatti C (May 2003). "The human phenome project". Nature Genetics. 34 (1): 15''21. doi:10.1038/ng0503-15. PMID 12721547. S2CID 31510391. ^ Rahman H, Ramanathan V, Jagadeeshselvam N, Ramasamy S, Rajendran S, Ramachandran M, et al. (2015-01-01). "Phenomics: technologies and applications in plant and agriculture.". In Barh D, Khan MS, Davies E (eds.). PlantOmics: The Omics of Plant Science. New Delhi: Springer. pp. 385''411. doi:10.1007/978-81-322-2172-2_13. ISBN 9788132221715. ^ Furbank RT, Tester M (December 2011). "Phenomics--technologies to relieve the phenotyping bottleneck". Trends in Plant Science. 16 (12): 635''644. doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2011.09.005. PMID 22074787. ^ a b Monte AA, Brocker C, Nebert DW, Gonzalez FJ, Thompson DC, Vasiliou V (September 2014). "Improved drug therapy: triangulating phenomics with genomics and metabolomics". Human Genomics. 8 (1): 16. doi:10.1186/s40246-014-0016-9. PMC 4445687 . PMID 25181945. ^ Amsterdam A, Burgess S, Golling G, Chen W, Sun Z, Townsend K, et al. (October 1999). "A large-scale insertional mutagenesis screen in zebrafish". Genes & Development. 13 (20): 2713''2724. doi:10.1101/gad.13.20.2713. PMC 317115 . PMID 10541557. ^ Vitaterna MH, Pinto LH, Takahashi JS (April 2006). "Large-scale mutagenesis and phenotypic screens for the nervous system and behavior in mice". Trends in Neurosciences. 29 (4): 233''240. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2006.02.006. PMC 3761413 . PMID 16519954. ^ a b Michod R (1983) Population biology of the first replicators: On the origin of the genotype, phenotype and organism. Am Zool 23:5''14 External links [ edit ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phenotypes .Mouse Phenome DatabaseHuman Phenotype OntologyEurophenome: Access to raw and annotated mouse phenotype data"Wilhelm Johannsen's Genotype-Phenotype Distinction" by E. Peirson at the Embryo Project Encyclopedia

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7 Things You Need To Know About Dr. Neely Fuller, Mentor Of Dr. Frances Cress Welsing. Photo: TwitterDoes the name Dr. Neely Fuller Jr. ring a bell? What about Dr. Frances Cress Welsing? Both intellectual giants, the former mentored the latter and is respected among scholars of racism and inequality. Here are 7 things you need to know about Dr. Neely Fuller Jr.

Outspoken advocate against racism and white supremacyBorn Oct. 6, 1929 at the height of the Great Depression, Fuller served in both the army and air force. During his time in service, the things he witnessed at home and abroad led him to begin studying white supremacy.

He has spent his life studying and explaining the world system of racism as well as offering insight into how it can be countered and replaced with a true system of justice in which everyone is treated fairly and those who need the most help get it.

Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 73: Jamarlin Martin

Jamarlin makes the case for why this is a multi-factor rebellion vs. just protests about George Floyd. He discusses the Democratic Party's sneaky relationship with the police in cities and states under Dem control, and why Joe Biden is a cop and the Steve Jobs of mass incarceration.

''Racism has done more to promote non-justice than any other socio-material system known to have been produced or supported by the people of the known universe,'' Fuller wrote on his website entitled Produce Justice.

''The fear, frustration, malice, and confusion caused by racism, retards or prevents all constructive activity between the people of the known universe,'' he continued. ''The only form of functional racism that exists among the people of the known universe is ''white supremacy.''

Bestselling author and radio hostFuller has authored three books over the course of his career. There is an original book and text book entitled ''The United Independent Compensatory Code/System/Concept: A Counter- Racist Code'' and a word guide of the same name that can be purchased separately.

Fuller also hosts a radio show, podcast and has a YouTube channel under the Produce Justice banner where he discusses his work and positions.

He believes there is no hope for Black-white relationships until racism is abolished In a recorded interview, Fuller has said relationships between Black and white people could never work under a system of white supremacy.

''All of the arrangements between Black people, non-white people on this planet, in all areas of activity, 24-hours a day comes under the banner of, you might say, a tragic arrangement,'' Fuller said. ''And that breaks down into three categories: tacky, trashy, terroristic '-- and it doesn't get any better than tacky. '... You're not gonna get anything better than that. You're not going to get what we call a quality relationship ever under the system of racism. You can only get that quality relationship if you eliminate racism, meaning white supremacy and replace it with a better system.''

He believes racism and white supremacy are the underlying root cause of all social illsOne of Fuller's most famous quotes is, ''If you do not understand white supremacy '' what it is and how it works '' everything else that you understand will only confuse you.''

It is the premise much of his work is based on. On his website, Fuller said he has ''been a long-time victim of and servant to racism (white supremacy) in all areas of activity,'' like millions of others.

He added that his ''experiences, observations, and/or studies'' led him to believe several fundamental things including: ''No major problem that exists between the people of the known universe can be eliminated until racism is eliminated.'' He also believes, ''As long as racism exists, anything said or done by people that is not intended to help eliminate racism and to help produce justice, is a waste of time and energy.''

Focuses on 9 areas of 'people activity' permeated by racism and white supremacyFuller believes racism and white supremacy operate across nine major areas of people activity, according to his website, Produce Justice. They include economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex and war/counter-war.

On his website, Fuller said most people's problems stem from these areas. He explains it this way:

''The overall effect of this system of world government (correctly called 'The System of White Supremacy' and/or 'Racism') is to do great, non-just, and completely unnecessary harm to all so-called 'non-white people' in all of the aforementioned 'The Nine Major Areas of (People) Activity'. If you are a victim of 'The System of White Supremacy/Racism,' it is constructively logical that you seek to know and understand exactly what White Supremacy is, and how it works, in all of 'The Nine Major Areas of (People) Activity' as they are presented and defined in the textbook(s) 'The United-Independent Compensatory Code/System/Concept.'''

He mentored Dr. Frances Cress WelsingDr. Frances Cress Welsing was a well-respected psychiatrist whose work surrounding racism and white supremacy made her a polarizing figure among hip-hop artists and civil rights activists.

''I was looking for the answer to racism and I remember attending a Black Power Committee meeting,'' Welsing recalled on her first time meeting Fuller in a clip on YouTube. ''After the meeting, people were sitting in somebody's apartment eating African food and a gentleman was on the other side of the room and '... mind you I'm looking for further answers to racism, and I hear this gentleman (Neely Fuller) over there in the other corner saying racism is a system.''

The two went on to develop a mentor-mentee relationship.

He did not endorse the idea of Black supremacyWhile Fuller is a major advocate for abolishing racism and white supremacy, he is against Black supremacy, believing both are destructive to humanity.

''If you say white supremacy, that means you don't have anything such thing as Black supremacy. That's impossible. It's either one or the other and Black people shouldn't aspire to be Black supremacists,'' Fuller said. ''That would be just the same old form of mistreatment, but it would be done in blackface. We should replace the system of white supremacy with a system of justice which means guaranteeing that no person is mistreated and guaranteeing the person that needs help the most gets the most constructive help.''

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Killing carried out by a mob or vigilante group

An African-American man lynched from a tree. His face is partially concealed by the angle of the photograph and his hat.

Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate. It can also be an extreme form of informal group social control, and it is often conducted with the display of a public spectacle (often in the form of hanging) for maximum intimidation.[1] Instances of lynchings and similar mob violence can be found in every society.[2][3][4]

In the United States, where the word for "lynching" likely originated, lynchings of African Americans became frequent in the South during the period after the Reconstruction era, especially during the nadir of American race relations.[5]

Etymology [ edit ] The origins of the word lynch are obscure, but it likely originated during the American Revolution. The verb comes from the phrase Lynch Law, a term for a punishment without trial. Two Americans during this era are generally credited for coining the phrase: Charles Lynch (1736''1796) and William Lynch (1742''1820), both of whom lived in Virginia in the 1780s. Charles Lynch is more likely to have coined the phrase, as he was known to have used the term in 1782, while William Lynch is not known to have used the term until much later. There is no evidence that death was imposed as a punishment by either of the two men.[6] In 1782, Charles Lynch wrote that his assistant had administered Lynch's law to Tories "for Dealing with the negroes &c".[7]

Charles Lynch was a Virginia Quaker,[8]:'Š23ff'Š planter, and Patriot who headed a county court in Virginia which imprisoned Loyalists during the American revolutionary war, occasionally imprisoning them for up to a year. Although he lacked proper jurisdiction for detaining these persons, he claimed this right by arguing wartime necessity. Subsequently, Lynch prevailed upon his friends in the Congress of the Confederation to pass a law that exonerated him and his associates from wrongdoing. Lynch was concerned that he might face legal action from one or more of those he had imprisoned, notwithstanding that the Patriots had won the war. This action by the Congress provoked controversy, and it was in connection with this that the term Lynch law, meaning the assumption of extrajudicial authority, came into common parlance in the United States. Lynch was not accused of racist bias. He acquitted Black people accused of murder on three occasions.[9][10] He was accused, however, of ethnic prejudice in his abuse of Welsh miners.[7]

William Lynch from Virginia claimed that the phrase was first used in a 1780 compact signed by him and his neighbors in Pittsylvania County. While Edgar Allan Poe claimed that he found this document, it was probably a hoax.[citation needed ]

A 17th-century legend of James Lynch fitz Stephen, who was Mayor of Galway in Ireland in 1493, says that when his son was convicted of murder, the mayor hanged him from his own house.[11] The story was proposed by 1904 as the origin of the word "lynch".[12] It is dismissed by etymologists, both because of the distance in time and place from the alleged event to the word's later emergence, and because the incident did not constitute a lynching in the modern sense.[12][6]

The archaic verb linch, to beat severely with a pliable instrument, to chastise or to maltreat, has been proposed as the etymological source; but there is no evidence that the word has survived into modern times, so this claim is also considered implausible.[8]:'Š16'Š

History [ edit ] Every society has had forms of extrajudicial punishments, including murder. The legal and cultural antecedents of American lynching were carried across the Atlantic by migrants from the British Isles to colonial North America.[13] Collective violence was a familiar aspect of the early American legal landscape, with group violence in colonial America being usually nonlethal in intention and result. In the seventeenth century, in the context of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and unsettled social and political conditions in the American colonies, lynchings became a frequent form of "mob justice" when the authorities were perceived as untrustworthy.[13] In the United States, during the decades after the Civil War, African Americans were the main victims of racial lynching, but in the American Southwest, Mexican Americans were also the targets of lynching as well.[14]

Lynching attacks on African Americans, especially in the South, increased dramatically in the aftermath of Reconstruction, after slavery had been abolished and Black people gained the right to vote. The peak of lynchings occurred in 1892, after White Southern Democrats had regained control of state legislatures. Many incidents were related to economic troubles and competition. At the turn of the 20th century, southern states passed new constitutions or legislation which effectively disenfranchised most Black people and many Poor Whites, established segregation of public facilities by race, and separated Black people from common public life and facilities through Jim Crow laws. Nearly 4,800 Americans, including 3,446 African Americans, were lynched in the United States between 1882 and 1968 in what has been termed by historian Thomas E. Smith as a form of "colonial violence".[15][16]

United States [ edit ] Bodies of three men lynched in

Georgia, May 1892

Lynchings took place in the United States both before and after the American Civil War, most commonly in Southern states and Western frontier settlements and most frequently in the late 19th century. They were often performed without due process of law by self-appointed commissions, mobs, or vigilantes as a form of punishment for presumed criminal offences.[17] From 1883 to 1941 there were 4,467 victims of lynching. Of these, 4,027 were male, and 99 female. 341 were of unknown gender, but are assumed to be likely male. In terms of ethnicity; 3,265 were black, 1,082 were white, 71 were Mexican or of Mexican descent, 38 were American Indian, ten were Chinese, and one was Japanese.[18] (See: Interactive map of lynchings in the United States, 1883-1941)

Leo Frank's lynching on the morning of August 17, 1915. Judge Morris, who organized the crowd after the lynching, is on the far right in a straw hat.

[19]Europe [ edit ] In Liverpool, a series of race riots broke out in 1919 after the end of the First World War between White and Black sailors, many of whom were demobilized. After a Black sailor had been stabbed by two White sailors in a pub for refusing to give them a cigarette, his friends attacked them the next day in revenge, wounding a policeman in the process. The police responded by launching raids on lodging houses in primarily Black neighborhoods, with casualties on both sides. A White lynch mob gathered outside the houses during the raids and chased a Black sailor, Charles Wootton into the Mersey River where he drowned.[20] The Charles Wootton College in Liverpool has been named in his memory.[21]

In 1944, Wolfgang Rosterg, a German prisoner of war known to be unsympathetic to the Nazi regime, was lynched by other German prisoners of war in Cultybraggan Camp, a prisoner-of-war camp in Comrie, Scotland. At the end of the Second World War, five of the perpetrators were hanged at Pentonville Prison '' the largest multiple execution in 20th-century Britain.[22][better source needed ]

The situation is less clear with regards to reported "lynchings" in Germany. Nazi propaganda sometimes tried to depict state-sponsored violence as spontaneous lynchings. The most notorious instance of this was "Kristallnacht", which the government portrayed as the result of "popular wrath" against Jews, but it was carried out in an organised and planned manner, mainly by SS men. Similarly, the approximately 150 confirmed murders of surviving crew members of crashed Allied aircraft in revenge for what Nazi propaganda called "Anglo-American bombing terror" were chiefly conducted by German officials and members of the police or the Gestapo, although civilians sometimes took part in them. The execution of enemy aircrew without trial in some cases had been ordered by Hitler personally in May 1944. Publicly it was announced that enemy pilots would no longer be protected from "public wrath". There were secret orders issued that prohibited policemen and soldiers from interfering in favor of the enemy in conflicts between civilians and Allied forces, or prosecuting civilians who engaged in such acts.[23][24] In summary,

"the assaults on crashed allied aviators were not typically acts of revenge for the bombing raids which immediately preceded them. [...] The perpetrators of these assaults were usually National Socialist officials, who did not hesitate to get their own hands dirty. The lynching murder in the sense of self-mobilizing communities or urban quarters was the exception."[25]On 19 March 1988, two plain-clothes British soldiers drove straight towards a Provisional IRA funeral procession near Milltown Cemetery in Andersonstown, Belfast. The men were mistaken for Special Air Service members, surrounded by the crowd, dragged out, beaten, kicked, stabbed and eventually shot dead at a waste ground.[26]

Lynching of members of the Turkish Armed Forces occurred in the aftermath of the 2016 Turkish coup d'(C)tat attempt.[27]

Latin America [ edit ] Mexico [ edit ] Lynchings are a persistent form of extralegal violence in post-Revolutionary Mexico.[28]

On September 14, 1968, five employees from the Autonomous University of Puebla were lynched in the village of San Miguel Canoa, in the state of Puebla, after Enrique Meza P(C)rez, the local priest, incited the villagers to murder the employees, who he believed were communists. The five victims intended to enjoy their holiday climbing La Malinche, a nearby mountain, but they had to stay in the village due to adverse weather conditions. Two of the employees, and the owner of the house where they were staying for the night, were killed; the three survivors sustained serious injuries, including finger amputations.[29] The alleged main instigators were not prosecuted. The few arrested were released after no evidence was found against them.[30]

On November 23, 2004, in the Tlhuac lynching,[31] three Mexican undercover federal agents investigating a narcotics-related crime were lynched in the town of San Juan Ixtayopan (Mexico City) by an angry crowd who saw them taking photographs and suspected that they were trying to abduct children from a primary school. The agents immediately identified themselves but they were held and beaten for several hours before two of them were killed and set on fire. The incident was covered by the media almost from the beginning, including their pleas for help and their murder.

By the time police rescue units arrived, two of the agents were reduced to charred corpses and the third was seriously injured. Authorities suspect that the lynching was provoked by the persons who were being investigated.Both local and federal authorities had abandoned the agents, saying that the town was too far away for them to try to intervene. Some officials said they would provoke a massacre if the authorities tried to rescue the men from the mob.

Brazil [ edit ] According to The Wall Street Journal, "Over the past 60 years, as many as 1.5 million Brazilians have taken part in lynchings...In Brazil, mobs now kill'--or try to kill'--more than one suspected lawbreaker a day, according to University of S£o Paulo sociologist Jos(C) de Souza Martins, Brazil's leading expert on lynchings."[32]

Bolivia [ edit ] The lynching of Bolivian President Gualberto Villarroel in Plaza Murillo, La Paz, on July 21, 1946

On July 21, 1946, a rioting mob of striking students, teachers, and miners in the Bolivian capital of La Paz lynched various government officials including President Gualberto Villarroel himself. After storming the government palace, members of the mob shot the president and threw his body out of a window. In the Plaza Murillo outside the government palace, Villarroel's body was lynched, his clothes torn, and his almost naked corpse hung on a lamp post. Other victims of the lynching included Director General of Transit Max Toledo, Captain Waldo Ballivin, Luis Ur­a de la Oliva, the president's secretary, and the journalist Roberto Hinojosa.[33]

Guatemala [ edit ] In May 2015, a sixteen-year-old girl was lynched in Rio Bravo by a vigilante mob after being accused of involvement in the killing of a taxi driver earlier in the month.[34]

Dominican Republic [ edit ] Extrajudicial punishment, including lynching, of alleged criminals who committed various crimes, ranging from theft to murder, has some endorsement in Dominican society. According to a 2014 Latinobar"metro survey, the Dominican Republic had the highest rate of acceptance in Latin America of such unlawful measures.[35] These issues are particularly evident in the Northern Region.[36]

Haiti [ edit ] After the 2010 earthquake the slow distribution of relief supplies and the large number of affected people created concerns about civil unrest, marked by looting and mob justice against suspected looters.[37][38][39][40][41] In a 2010 news story, CNN reported, "At least 45 people, most of them Vodou priests, have been lynched in Haiti since the beginning of the cholera epidemic by angry mobs blaming them for the spread of the disease, officials said.[42]

South Africa [ edit ] The practice of whipping and necklacing offenders and political opponents evolved in the 1980s during the apartheid era in South Africa. Residents of Black townships formed "people's courts" and used whip lashings and deaths by necklacing in order to terrorize fellow Blacks who were seen as collaborators with the government. Necklacing is the torture and execution of a victim by igniting a kerosene-filled rubber tire that has been forced around the victim's chest and arms. Necklacing was used to punish victims who were alleged to be traitors to the Black liberation movement along with their relatives and associates. Sometimes the "people's courts" made mistakes, or they used the system to punish those whom the anti-Apartheid movement's leaders opposed.[43] A tremendous controversy arose when the practice was endorsed by Winnie Mandela, then the wife of the then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela and a senior member of the African National Congress.[44]

More recently, drug dealers and other gang members have been lynched by People Against Gangsterism and Drugs, a vigilante organization.

Nigeria [ edit ] The practice of extrajudicial punishments, including lynching, is referred to as 'jungle justice' in Nigeria.[45] The practice is widespread and "an established part of Nigerian society", predating the existence of the police.[45] Exacted punishments vary between a "muddy treatment", that is, being made to roll in the mud for hours[46] and severe beatings followed by necklacing.[47] The case of the Aluu four sparked national outrage. The absence of a functioning judicial system and law enforcement, coupled with corruption are blamed for the continuing existence of the practice.[48][49]

Kenya [ edit ] There are frequent lynchings in Kenya, often as a mob executes a person they feel is guilty.[50] McKee (2021) is written largely with reference to a Kenya Lynchings Database that includes reports of over 2,900 lynched persons for Kenya for the years ca. 1980-2021.[51] That number, however, is just a fraction of the total for that period, which may well exceed 10,000.[52]

Palestine and Israel [ edit ] Palestinian lynch mobs have murdered Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel.[53][54][55] According to a Human Rights Watch report from 2001:

During the First Intifada, before the PA was established, hundreds of alleged collaborators were lynched, tortured or killed, at times with the implied support of the PLO. Street killings of alleged collaborators continue into the current intifada ... but at much fewer numbers.[56]

On October 12, 2000, the Ramallah lynching took place. This happened at the el-Bireh police station, where a Palestinian crowd killed and mutilated the bodies of two Israel Defense Forces reservists, Vadim Norzhich (Nurzhitz) and Yosef "Yossi" Avrahami,[a] who had accidentally[57] entered the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Ramallah in the West Bank and were taken into custody by Palestinian Authority policemen. The Israeli reservists were beaten and stabbed. At this point, a Palestinian (later identified as Aziz Salha), appeared at the window, displaying his blood-soaked hands to the crowd, which erupted into cheers. The crowd clapped and cheered as one of the soldier's bodies was then thrown out the window and stamped and beaten by the frenzied crowd. One of the two was shot, set on fire, and his head beaten to a pulp.[58] Soon after, the crowd dragged the two mutilated bodies to Al-Manara Square in the city center and began an impromptu victory celebration.[59][60][61][62] Police officers proceeded to try and confiscate footage from reporters.[59]

In July 2014, three Israeli men kidnapped Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a 16-year-old Palestinian, while he was waiting for dawn Ramadan prayers outside of his house in Eastern Jerusalem. They forced him into their car and beat him while driving to the deserted forest area near Jerusalem, then poured gasoline on him and set him on fire after he was tortured and beaten many times.[63] On November 30, 2015, the two minors involved were found guilty of Khdeirs' murder, and were respectively sentenced to life and 21 years imprisonment on February 4. On May 3, 2016, Ben David was sentenced to life in prison and an additional 20 years.[64]

On October 18, 2015, an Eritrean asylum seeker, Haftom Zarhum, was lynched by a mob of vengeful Israeli soldiers in Be'er Sheva's central bus station. Israeli security forces misidentified Haftom as the person who shot an Israeli police bus and shot him. Moments after, other security forces joined shooting Haftom when he was bleeding on the ground. Then, a soldier hit him with a bench nearby when two other soldiers approached the victim then forcefully kicked his head and upper body. Another soldier threw a bench over him to prevent his movement. At that moment a bystander pushed the bench away but the security forces put back the chair and kicked the victim again and pushed the stopper away. Israeli medical forces did not evacuate the victim until eighteen minutes after the first shooting although the victim received 8 shots.[65] In January 2016 four security forces were charged in connection with the lynching.[66] The Israeli civilian who was involved in lynching the Eritrean civilian was sentenced to 100 days community service and 2,000 shekels.[67]

In August 2012, seven Israeli youths were arrested in Jerusalem for what several witnesses described as an attempted lynching of several Palestinian teenagers. The Palestinians received medical treatment and judicial support from Israeli facilities.[68]

Afghanistan [ edit ] On March 19, 2015 in Kabul, Afghanistan a large crowd beat a young woman, Farkhunda, after she was accused by a local mullah of burning a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book. Shortly afterwards, a crowd attacked her and beat her to death. They set the young woman's body on fire on the shore of the Kabul River. Although it was unclear whether the woman had burned the Quran, police officials and the clerics in the city defended the lynching, saying that the crowd had a right to defend their faith at all costs. They warned the government against taking action against those who had participated in the lynching.[69] The event was filmed and shared on social media.[70] The day after the incident six men were arrested on accusations of lynching, and Afghanistan's government promised to continue the investigation.[71] On March 22, 2015, Farkhunda's burial was attended by a large crowd of Kabul residents; many demanded that she receive justice. A group of Afghan women carried her coffin, chanted slogans and demanded justice.[72]

India [ edit ] Indian Whatsapp lynchings in 2017''18

In India, lynchings may reflect internal tensions between ethnic communities. Communities sometimes lynch individuals who are accused or suspected of committing crimes. An example is the 2006 Kherlanji massacre, where four members of a Dalit family were slaughtered by Kunbi caste members in Khairlanji, a village in the Bhandara district of Maharashtra. Though this incident was reported as an example of "upper" caste violence against members of a "lower" caste, it was found to be an example of communal violence. It was retaliation against a family who had opposed the Eminent Domain seizure of its fields so a road could be built that would have benefitted the group who murdered them.[73] The women of the family were paraded naked in public, before being mutilated and murdered. Sociologists and social scientists reject attributing racial discrimination to the caste system and attributed this and similar events to intra-racial ethno-cultural conflicts.[74][75]

There have been numerous lynchings in relation to cow vigilante violence in India since 2014,[76] mainly involving Hindu mobs lynching Indian Muslims[77][78] and Dalits.[79][80] Some notable examples of such attacks include the 2015 Dadri mob lynching,[81] the 2016 Jharkhand mob lynching,[82][83][84] 2017 Alwar mob lynching.[85][86] and the 2019 Jharkhand mob lynching. Mob lynching was reported for the third time in Alwar in July 2018, when a group of cow vigilantes killed a 31 year old Muslim man named Rakbar Khan.[87]

In the 2015 Dimapur mob lynching, a mob in Dimapur, Nagaland, broke into a jail and lynched an accused rapist on March 5, 2015 while he was awaiting trial.[88]

Since May 2017, when seven people were lynched in Jharkhand, India has experienced another spate of mob-related violence and killings known as the Indian WhatsApp lynchings following the spread of fake news, primarily relating to child-abduction and organ harvesting, via the Whatsapp message service.[89]

In 2018 Junior civil aviation minister of India had garlanded and honoured eight men who had been convicted in the lynching of trader Alimuddin Ansari in Ramgarh in June 2017 in a case of alleged cow vigilantism.[90]

In June 2019, the Jharkhand mob lynching triggered widespread protests. The victim was a Muslim man and was allegedly forced to chant Hindu slogans, including "Jai Shri Ram".[91][92]

In July 2019, three men were beaten to death and lynched by mobs in Chhapra district of Bihar, on a minor case of theft of cattle.[93]

Four civilians have been lynched by villagers in Jharkhand on witchcraft suspicion, after panchayat decided that they are practicing black magic.[94]

In popular culture [ edit ] "Strange Fruit" [ edit ] "Strange Fruit", a 1937 song composed by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher from New York inspired by the photograph of a lynching in Marion, Indiana. Meeropol said that the photograph "haunted me for days".[95] It was published as a poem in the New York Teacher and later in the magazine New Masses, in both cases under the pseudonym Lewis Allan. The poem was set to music, also by Meeropol, and the song was performed and popularized by Billie Holiday.[96] The song reached 16th place on the charts in July 1939.[citation needed ] The song has been performed by many other singers, including Nina Simone.

The Hateful Eight [ edit ] The 2015 film The Hateful Eight, set in post Civil War America, depicts a detailed and closely focused lynching of a White woman in the finale, prompting some debate about whether it is a political commentary on racism and hate in America or if it was simply created for entertainment value.[97][98]

Michiel de Ruyter [ edit ] Contemprary painting of the murder of the de Witts

Michiel de Ruyter, English version Admiral. A Dutch biographical film depicting the 1672 assassination of Dutch politicians Johan de Witt and Cornelis de Witt by a carefully organised lynch mob in the Netherlands.[99][100]

See also [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] ^ Wood, Amy Louise (2009). Rough Justice: Lynching and American Society, 1874''1947. North Carolina University Press. ISBN 9780807878118. OCLC 701719807. ^ Berg, Manfred; Wendt, Simon (2011). Globalizing Lynching History: Vigilantism and Extralegal Punishment from an International Perspective . Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-11588-0. ^ Huggins, Martha Knisely (1991). Vigilantism and the state in modern Latin America : essays on extralegal violence. New York: Praeger. ISBN 0275934764. OCLC 22984858. ^ Thurston, Robert W. (2011). Lynching : American mob murder in global perspective. Burlington, VT: Ashgate. ISBN 9781409409083. OCLC 657223792. ^ Hill, Karlos K. (February 28, 2016). "21st Century Lynchings?". Cambridge Blog. Cambridge University Press . Retrieved July 3, 2020 . ^ a b Michael Quinion (December 20, 2008). "Lynch". World Wide Words . Retrieved August 13, 2014 . ^ a b Waldrep, Christopher (2006). "Lynching and Mob Violence". In Finkelman, Paul (ed.). Encyclopedia of African American History 1619''1895. Vol. 2. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 308. ISBN 9780195167771. ^ a b Cutler, James Elbert (1905). Lynch-law: An Investigation Into the History of Lynching in the United States. Longmans Green and Co. ^ "The Atlantic Monthly Volume 0088 Issue 530 (Dec 1901)". Digital.library.cornell.edu . Retrieved July 27, 2013 . ^ University of Chicago, Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828) Archived May 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine ^ Mitchell, James (1966''1971). "Mayor Lynch of Galway: A Review of the Tradition". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 32: 5''72. JSTOR 25535428. ^ a b Matthews, Albert (October 1904). "The Term Lynch Law". Modern Philology. 2 (2): 173''195 : 183''184. doi:10.1086/386635. JSTOR 432538. S2CID 159492304. ^ a b Pfeifer, Michael J. (2011). The Roots of Rough Justice : Origins of American Lynching. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252093098. OCLC 724308353. ^ Carrigan, William D.; Clive Webb (2013). Forgotten Dead : Mob Violence against Mexicans in the United States, 1848''1928. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195320350. OCLC 815043342. ^ "Lynchings: By State and Race, 1882''1968". University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010 . Retrieved July 26, 2010 . Statistics provided by the Archives at Tuskegee Institute. ^ Smith, Thomas E. (Fall 2007). "The Discourse of Violence: Transatlantic Narratives of Lynching during High Imperialism". Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History. Johns Hopkins University Press. 8 (2). doi:10.1353/cch.2007.0040. S2CID 162330208. ^ The Guardian, 'Jim Crow lynchings more widespread than previously thought', Lauren Gambino, February 10, 2015 ^ Seguin, Charles; Rigby, David (2019). "National Crimes: A New National Data Set of Lynchings in the United States, 1883 to 1941". Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. 5: 237802311984178. doi:10.1177/2378023119841780. ISSN 2378-0231. ^ "The lynching of Leo Frank". leofranklynchers.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000 . Retrieved August 22, 2010 . ^ "The roots of racism in city of many cultures". Liverpool Echo. August 3, 2005 . Retrieved March 3, 2021 . ^ Brown, Jacqueline Nassy (2005). Dropping Anchor, Setting Sail: Geographies of Race in Black Liverpool. Princeton University Press, pp. 21, 23, 144. ^ "Execution at Camp 21". Caledonia.tv. Archived from the original on May 24, 2007. ^ "Hamm 1944". polizeihistorischesammlung-paul.de. ^ Germany, SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg (November 19, 2001). "KRIEGSVERBRECHEN: Systematischer Mord - DER SPIEGEL 47/2001". Spiegel Online. 47 . Retrieved September 3, 2017 . ^ Grimm, Barbara: "Lynchmorde an alliierten Fliegern im Zweiten Weltkrieg". In: Dietmar S¼Ÿ (Hrsg.): Deutschland im Luftkrieg. Geschichte und Erinnerung. Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 3-486-58084-1, pp. 71''84. p. 83. "Die 'bergriffe auf abgest¼rzte alliierte Flieger waren im Regelfall keine Racheakte f¼r unmittelbar vorangegangene Bombenangriffe. [...] T¤ter waren in der Regel nationalsozialistische Funktionstr¤ger, die keine Scheu davor hatten, selbst Hand anzulegen. Der Lynchmord im Sinne sich selbstmobilisierender Kommunen und Stadtviertel war dagegen die Ausnahme." ^ Ware, John. "Guns, grenades and lynchings: Revisiting the funeral murders". The Irish Times . Retrieved December 21, 2021 . ^ "Europe's Flashpoints". Close Up '-- The Current Affairs Documentary. Episode 2. 2018. Event occurs at 2:12. Deutsche Welle TV. Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Public anger erupted. Soldiers were lynched in the streets including young recruits proven to have been deceived by their generals about the true intentions of the attack. Alt URL ^ Kloppe-Santamar­a, Gema (2020). In the vortex of violence: lynching, extralegal justice, and the state in post-revolutionary Mexico. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-97532-3. OCLC 1145910776. ^ Pierre, Beaucage (June 1, 2010). "Representaciones y conductas. Un repertorio de las violencias entre los nahuas de la Sierra Norte de Puebla". Trace. Travaux et recherches dans les Am(C)riques du Centre (in Spanish) (57): 9''32. ISSN 0185-6286 . Retrieved October 1, 2018 . ^ Daniel Hernndez. "A 45 a±os del linchamiento en Canoa, nunca se hizo justicia". YouTube (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. ^ Niels A. Uildriks (2009), Policing Insecurity: Police Reform, Security, and Human Rights in Latin America Policing Insecurity: Police Reform, Security, and Human Rights in Latin America]. Rowman & Littlefield, p. 201. ^ "In Latin America, Awash in Crime, Citizens Impose Their Own Brutal Justice". The Wall Street Journal. December 6, 2018. ^ capuchainformativa_ecmn0t (July 22, 2020). 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Leanpub. ^ "Kenya Lynchings Database" . gialedu.sharepoint.com. ^ McKee (2021). ^ Be'er, Yizhar & 'Abdel-Jawad, Saleh (January 1994), "Collaborators in the Occupied Territories: Human Rights Abuses and Violations" Archived July 15, 2004, at the Wayback Machine (Microsoft Word document), B'Tselem '' The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. Retrieved September 14, 2009. Also . ^ Huggler, Justin & Ghazali, Sa'id (October 24, 2003), "Palestinian collaborators executed", The Independent, reproduced on fromoccupiedpalestine.org. Retrieved September 14, 2009. ^ Goldenberg, Suzanne (March 15, 2002), " 'Spies' lynched as Zinni flies in", The Guardian. Retrieved September 14, 2009. ^ "Balancing Security and Human Rights During the Intifada", Justice Undermined: Balancing Security and Human Rights in the Palestinian Justice System, Human Rights Watch, November 2001, Vol. 13, No. 4 (E). ^ Zitun, Yoav; Levy, Elior (March 30, 2017). 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"Afghan cleric and others defend lynching of woman in Kabul". Reuters. Kabul . Retrieved March 22, 2019 . ^ "در Ú(C)اب٠دختر 27 Ø"اÙه به جرم تÙهین به قران به طرز ÙحشتناÚ(C)ی Ø"نگØ"ار Ù Ø"Ùزانده شد!+فیÙم". dailykhabariran.ir. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015 . Retrieved March 22, 2019 . ^ "بازداشت Û¶ تن به اتهام Ú(C)شتن Ù Ø"Ùزاندن یÚ(C) زن در Ú(C)ابÙ". BBC Persian (in Persian). BBC. March 29, 2014 . Retrieved March 22, 2019 . ^ "زنان Ú(C)اب٠پیÚ(C)ر فرخنده را به خاÚ(C) Ø"پردند". BBC Persian (in Persian). BBC. March 2, 2015 . Retrieved March 22, 2019 . ^ "Age old rivalry behind Khairlanji violence Video". Ndtv.com. November 21, 2006 . Retrieved July 27, 2013 . ^ B(C)teille, Andre. "Race and caste". World Conference Against Racism. treating caste as a form of racism is politically mischievous and worse, scientifically nonsense since there is no discernible difference in the racial characteristics between Brahmins and Scheduled Castes ^ Silverberg, James (November 1969). "Social Mobility in the Caste System in India: An Interdisciplinary Symposium". The American Journal of Sociology. 75 (3): 443''444. JSTOR 2775721. The perception of the caste system as a static and textual stratification has given way to the perception of the caste system as a more processual, empirical and contextual stratification. ^ "Cowboys and Indians; Protecting India's cows". The Economist. August 16, 2016. ^ Biswas, Soutik (July 10, 2017). "Why stopping India's vigilante killings will not be easy". BBC News. Last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi said murder in the name of cow protection is "not acceptable." ... The recent spate of lynchings in India have disturbed many. Muslim men have been murdered by Hindu mobs, ... for allegedly storing beef. ^ Kumar, Nikhil (June 29, 2017). "India's Modi Speaks Out Against Cow Vigilantes After 'Beef Lynchings' Spark Nationwide Protests". Time. ^ "India: 'Cow Protection' Spurs Vigilante Violence". Human Rights Watch. April 27, 2017. ^ Chatterji, Saubhadra (May 30, 2017). "In the name of cow: Lynching, thrashing, condemnation in three years of BJP rule". Hindustan Times . Retrieved June 29, 2017 . ^ "Indian mob kills man over beef eating rumour". Al Jazeera. October 1, 2015 . Retrieved October 4, 2015 . ^ "Muslim Cattle Traders Beaten To Death In Ranchi, Bodies Found Hanging From A Tree". Huffington Post India. ^ "Another Dadri-like incident? Two Muslims herding cattle killed in Jharkhand; five held". Zee News. March 19, 2016. ^ "5 held in Jharkhand killings, section 144 imposed in the area". News18. March 19, 2016. ^ Raj, Suhasini (April 5, 2017). "Hindu Cow Vigilantes in Rajasthan, India, Beat Muslim to Death". The New York Times. ^ "Beaten to death for being a dairy farmer". BBC News. April 8, 2017. ^ "Cow vigilantes strike in Alwar again, kill youth - Times of India". The Times of India . Retrieved July 23, 2018 . ^ "Rape accused dragged out of jail, lynched in Nagaland". The Times of India. March 5, 2015 . Retrieved March 7, 2015 . ^ "Who can stop India WhatsApp lynchings?". BBC. July 5, 2018. ^ "Union minister garlands lynchers, says 'honouring the due process of law', "The Times of India" ^ Raj, Suhasini; Nordland, Rod (June 25, 2019). "Forced to Chant Hindu Slogans, Muslim Man Is Beaten to Death in India". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved February 4, 2020 . ^ "The Hindu chant that became a murder cry". BBC News. July 10, 2019 . Retrieved February 4, 2020 . ^ Bihar three men lynched, The Wire, July 20, 2019 ^ 4 killed on witchcraft suspicion, India Today, July 21, 2019 ^ Cone, James H. (2011). The Cross and the Lynching Tree . Maryknoll, New York: Oribis Books. pp. 134. ^ "Strange Fruit". Pbs.org. PBS Independent Lens credits the music as well as the words to Meeropol, though Billie Holiday's autobiography and the Spartacus article credit her with co-authoring the song. ^ Scott, A. O. (December 24, 2015). "Review: Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' Blends Verbiage and Violence". NYTimes.com. p. C1 . Retrieved September 3, 2017 . ^ Plante, Chris (December 31, 2015). "The Hateful Eight is a play, and a miserable one at that". The Verge. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved September 3, 2017 . ^ Goldfarb, Kara (May 21, 2018). "The Brutal End Of Dutchman Johan de Witt, Who Was Torn Apart And Eaten By His Own People". All That's Interesting . Retrieved August 24, 2018 . ^ Abele, Robert (March 10, 2016). " 'Admiral' makes Netherlands' military history a Hollywood-style spectacle". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 22, 2019 . References [ edit ] Auslander, Mark, "Holding on to Those Who Can't be Held": Reenacting a Lynching at Moore's Ford, Georgia", Southern Spaces, November 8, 2010."The Real Judge Lynch" (December 1901), The Atlantic MonthlyQuinones, Sam, True Tales From Another Mexico: the Lynch Mob, the Popsicle Kings, Chalino and the Bronx (University of New Mexico Press): recounts a lynching in a small Mexican town in 1998.Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America by James Allen, Hilton Als, United States Rep. John Lewis and historian Leon F. Litwack (Twin Palm Publishers: 2000). ISBN 978-0-944092-69-9.Etymology OnLineFleming, Walter Lynwood (1911). "Lynch Law" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclop...dia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 169. Gonzales-Day, Ken, Lynching in the West: 1850''1935. Duke University Press, 2006.Markovitz, Jonathan, Legacies of Lynching: Racial Violence and Memory. University of Minnesota Press, 2004.Before the Needles, Executions (and Lynchings) in America Before Lethal Injection. Details of thousands of lynchingsHoughton Mifflin: The Reader's Companion to American History '' LynchingLynching in Georgia, New Georgia EncyclopediaLynchings in the State of IowaLynchings in AmericaLyrics to "Strange Fruit" a protest song about lynching, written by Abel Meeropol and recorded by Billie HolidayThe Lynching of Big Steve LongIda B. Wells, Lynch Law, 1893NAACP, Thirty Years of Lynching in the United States, 1889''1918. New York City: Arno Press, 1919.Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Lynching in ArkansasSmith, Tom. The Crescent City Lynchings: The Murder of Chief Hennessy, the New Orleans 'Mafia' Trials, and the Parish Prison Mob, crescentcitylynchings.comFurther reading [ edit ] Allen, James (ed.), Hilton Als, John Lewis, and Leon F. Litwack, Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America (Twin Palms Pub: 2000), ISBN 0-944092-69-1 accompanied by an online photographic survey of the history of lynchings in the United StatesArellano, Lisa, Vigilantes and Lynch Mobs: Narratives of Community and Nation. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2012.Bailey, Amy Kate and Stewart E. Tolnay. Lynched: The Victims of Southern Mob Violence. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2015.Bancroft, H. H., Popular Tribunals (2 vols, San Francisco, 1887).Beck, Elwood M. and Stewart E. Tolnay. "The killing fields of the deep south: the market for cotton and the lynching of blacks, 1882''1930." American Sociological Review (1990): 526''539. onlineBerg, Manfred, Popular Justice: A History of Lynching in America. Ivan R. Dee, Chicago 2011, ISBN 978-1-56663-802-9.Bernstein, Patricia, The First Waco Horror: The Lynching of Jesse Washington and the Rise of the NAACP. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press (March 2005), hardcover, ISBN 1-58544-416-2Brundage, W. Fitzhugh, Lynching in the New South: Georgia and Virginia, 1880''1930, Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press (1993), ISBN 0-252-06345-7Caballero, Raymond (2015). Lynching Pascual Orozco, Mexican Revolutionary Hero and Paradox. Create Space. ISBN 978-1514382509. Crouch, Barry A. "A Spirit of Lawlessness: White violence, Texas Blacks, 1865''1868", Journal of Social History 18 (Winter 1984): 217''26.Collins, Winfield, The Truth about Lynching and the Negro in the South. New York: The Neale Publishing Company, 1918.Cutler, James E., Lynch-Law: An Investigation Into the History of Lynching in the United States (New York, 1905)Dray, Philip, At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America, New York: Random House, 2002).Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863''1877. 119''23.Finley, Keith M., Delaying the Dream: Southern Senators and the Fight Against Civil Rights, 1938''1965 (Baton Rouge, LSU Press, 2008).Ginzburg, Ralph, 100 Years Of Lynchings, Black Classic Press (1962, 1988) softcover, ISBN 0-933121-18-0Hill, Karlos K. Beyond the Rope: The Impact of Lynching on Black Culture and Memory. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016.Hill, Karlos K. "Black Vigilantism: The Rise and Decline of African American Lynch Mob Activity in the Mississippi and Arkansas Deltas, 1883''1923," Journal of African American History, 95 no. 1 (Winter 2010): 26''43.Ifill, Sherrilyn A., On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century. Boston: Beacon Press (2007).Jung, D., & Cohen, D. (2020). Lynching and Local Justice: Legitimacy and Accountability in Weak States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Nevels, Cynthia Skove, Lynching to Belong: claiming Whiteness though racial violence, Texas A&M Press, 2007.Pfeifer, Michael J. (ed.), Lynching Beyond Dixie: American Mob Violence Outside the South. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2013.Rushdy, Ashraf H. A., The End of American Lynching. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2012.Page, Thomas Nelson, "The Lynching of Negroes '' Its Cause and Its Prevention," in The Negro: The Southerner's Problem. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1904, pp. 86''119.Seguin, Charles; Rigby, David, 2019, "National Crimes: A New National Data Set of Lynchings in the United States, 1883 to 1941". Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. 5: 1''9. doi:10.1177/2378023119841780Stagg, J. C. A., "The Problem of Klan Violence: The South Carolina Upcountry, 1868''1871," Journal of American Studies 8 (December 1974): 303''18.Tolnay, Stewart E. and E. M. Beck, A Festival of Violence: An Analysis of Southern Lynchings, 1882''1930, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press (1995), ISBN 0-252-06413-5Trelease, Allen W., White Terror: The Ku Klux Klan Conspiracy and Southern Reconstruction, Harper & Row, 1979.Wells-Barnett, Ida B., 1900, Mob Rule in New Orleans Robert Charles and His Fight to Death, the Story of His Life, Burning Human Beings Alive, Other Lynching Statistics Gutenberg eBookWells-Barnett, Ida B., 1895, Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in all its Phases Gutenberg eBookWood, Amy Louise, "They Never Witnessed Such a Melodrama", Southern Spaces, April 27, 2009.Wood, Joe, Ugly Water, St. Louis: Lulu, 2006.Zangrando, Robert L. The NAACP crusade against lynching, 1909''1950 (1980).External links [ edit ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lynchings .Look up lynching in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.Multiple victims

Death of Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith) (1844)Marais des Cygnes, KS, massacre (1858)Great Hanging at Gainesville, TX (1862)New York City draft riots (1863)Detroit race riot (1863)? Lachenais and four others (1863)Fort Pillow, TN, massacre (1864)Plummer Gang (1864)Memphis massacre (1866)Gallatin County, KY, race riot (1866)New Orleans massacre of 1866Reno Brothers Gang (1868)Camilla, GA, massacre (1868)Steve Long and two half-brothers (1868)Pulaski, TN, riot (1868)Samuel Bierfield and Lawrence Bowman (1868)Opelousas, LA, massacre (1868)Bear River City riot (1868)Chinese massacre of 1871Meridian, MS, race riot (1871)Colfax, LA, massacre (1873)Election riot of 1874 (AL)Juan, Antonio, and Marcelo Moya (1874)Benjamin and Mollie French (1876)Ellenton, SC, riot (1876)Hamburg, SC, massacre (1876)Thibodeax, LA, massacre (1878)Nevlin Porter and Johnson Spencer (1879)New Orleans 1891 lynchings (1891)Ruggles Brothers (CA) (1892)Thomas Moss, Henry Stewart, Calvin McDowell (TN) (1892)Porter and Spencer (MS) (1897)Phoenix, SC, election riot (1898)Wilmington, NC, insurrection (1898)Julia and Frazier Baker (1898)Pana, IL, riot (1899)Watkinsville lynching (1905)Atlanta race riot (1906)Kemper County, MS (1906)Walker family (1908)Springfield race riot of 1908Slocum, TX, massacre (1910)Laura and L.D. Nelson (1911)Harris County, GA, lynchings (1912)Forsyth County, GA (1912)Newberry, FL, lynchings (1916)East St. Louis, IL, riots (1917)Lynching rampage in Brooks County, GA (1918)Jenkins County, GA, riot (1919)Longview, TX, race riot (1919)Elaine, AR, race riot (1919)Omaha race riot of 1919Knoxville riot of 1919Red Summer (1919)Duluth, MN, lynchings (1920)Ocoee, FL, massacre (1920)Tulsa race massacre (1921)Perry, FL, race riot (1922)Rosewood, FL, massacre (1923)Jim and Mark Fox (1927)Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith (1930)Tate County, MS (1932)Thomas Harold Thurmond and John M. Holmes (1933)Roosevelt Townes and Robert McDaniels (1937)Beaumont, TX, Race Riot (1943)O'Day Short, wife, and two children (1945)Moore's Ford, GA, lynchings (1946)Harry and Harriette Moore (1952)Anniston, AL (1961)Freedom Summer Murders (James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner) (1964)Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore (1964)

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Wed, 26 Jan 2022 17:47

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire at the end of the current term, giving President Joe Biden a crucial opportunity to replace the liberal justice, NBC News reported Wednesday.

Breyer at age 83 is the oldest member of the court. Former President Bill Clinton nominated him and he took his seat in 1994. Biden as a presidential candidate vowed that his first Supreme Court nominee would be a Black woman.

Breyer will retire as the high court, sporting a 6-3 conservative majority after the Senate confirmed three nominees of former President Donald Trump, shows a willingness to wade into divisive cultural issues and question long-standing judicial precedent.

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer is seen during a group portrait session for the new full court at the Supreme Court in Washington, November 30, 2018.

Jim Young | Reuters

Breyer is expected to step down at the end of the court's current term, NBC reported, citing people familiar with the decision. Biden is expected to act quickly so his successor can be ready to serve when the next term begins Oct. 3, according to NBC.

Republicans, who hope to regain a majority in the Senate, could throw a Biden nominee in jeopardy if they take control of the chamber in January and the seat is still open.

Democrats can confirm Breyer's successor with a simple majority in the Senate, which is currently split 50-50 between the two parties. Vice President Kamala Harris wields the decisive vote in case of a tie.

"It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Twitter.

"We have no additional details or information to share from @WhiteHouse," she tweeted.

A spokeswoman for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Some U.S. progressives, eager to at least preserve the three-seat liberal wing of the court, have pushed Breyer to step down quickly and allow Biden to nominate his successor while Democrats hold the Senate majority.

In interviews over the past year, Breyer appeared to chafe at these calls, while noting that he did not "intend to die on the court."

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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Wed, 26 Jan 2022 15:08

ATLANTA '-- As the world waits for a coronavirus vaccine, WSB-TV staff members were reminded that 45 years ago, swine flu was the new and dangerous virus.

Channel 2'²s Dave Huddleston spoke with historians and doctors about how the fear of the virus led to disaster, and to the lingering consequences of government distrust and vaccine hesitancy.

In 1976, an outbreak of swine flu at Fort Dix, N.J., sickened five and killed one soldier. Scientists worried that 50 to 60 million Americans would be infected and immediately started planning for a pandemic.

''The fear of course, was that what we were going to get was a repeat of the great pandemic of 1918,'' explained Dr. Brian Allen Drake, a history professor at the University of Georgia.

In 1918, about 675,000 Americans died from the Spanish flu, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 1976, Drake said, national leaders wanted to save lives.

''There was an effort to inoculate essentially as many people in the country as possible to prevent that.''

In six months, scientists had developed a vaccine. President Gerald Ford wanted everyone in America to get a flu shot to protect against the virus, according to Discover Magazine.

More than 20 years after the swine flu scare, Dr. Glen Nowak was the CDC's National Immunization Program Communications Director. Nowak said that the agency learned from the events of 1976.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Coronavirus Pandemic in Georgia]

''Influenza is really unpredictable,'' he said. ''You can make a decision to ramp everything up and be prepared and try to prevent a lot of harm,'' he said, ''or you can wait and see what happens.''

The Ford administration chose to ramp up, but the prediction that 50 million Americans would be sickened by swine flu never came to fruition.

[READ MORE: What is a twindemic? A metro health expert explains the potential danger ]

''You just don't know if that strain is going to be one that's going to cause a lot of illness, or it's going to be one where it really doesn't go beyond one or two people,'' explained Nowak.

But of the 45 million people who were vaccinated, 450 developed Guillain-Barr(C) syndrome -- a disorder that can cause muscle weakness, paralysis or even death.

''It wasn't picked up in the clinical trials,'' said Nowak. ''And it wasn't detected until millions of people were vaccinated because it was a one-in-100,000 event. You needed probably 10, 20, 30 people to experience Guillain-Barr(C) syndrome before the light bulb went off, and you said, 'Wow, this may really be related to the vaccine.'''

CONSEQUENCES TODAY

Huddleston dug through newspaper archives and found articles in which people feared getting a flu shot during the fall of the following year.

''I am terrified about getting a flu shot after all the troubles it caused last year,'' wrote Martha W. on Sept. 26, 1977.

''A lot of politicians, columnists and members of the scientific community are criticizing the whole program as having been stupid and even dangerous,'' wrote Dorothy R. in March. ''I am wondering now whether all vaccinations are really safe and effective.''

Dr. Danny Branstetter, medical director of Infection Prevention at Wellstar Health System, said he still sees some of the same fears in 2020.

''Just about every day, I will hear someone, even health professionals, question flu vaccinations,'' he said. ''There are some people that I just can't move, that no matter what data I show them, no matter what topics I try to discuss around vaccines, I can't move them off their fear.''

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Branstetter emphasized that vaccine developments and safety have evolved significantly since 1976.

''We've progressed quite a bit in how we have protected people, but also in the efficiency with which we can make those,'' he explained.

''It's more likely you're going to have complications from the disease we're trying to prevent, than from the actual vaccine.''

Medical doctors and public health experts are urging Americans to get flu shots this year to prevent a twindemic.

[READ MORE: Gov. Brian Kemp, state health officials warn of 'Twindemic' of COVID-19 and flu season ]

LESSONS LEARNED

''The number one take-away is, you have to be cautious when you're interpreting or deciding what to do in response to the discovery of a new virus,'' said Nowak. ''And you have to tell people about the reasons you're being cautious.''

Dr. Nowak said 1976 also illustrated that when politics become involved with science, managing public health becomes difficult.

Because President Ford was aiming for reelection in 1976, some question if the mass vaccination campaign was politically motivated, according to Discover Magazine.

''In 1976, I think what happened was they were beginning to realize the scientific and public health level that what they imagined was going to happen didn't appear to be happening,'' explained Nowak.

[READ MORE: Health officials warn of possible twindemic as flu season approaches ]

''But at that point, so many resources have been devoted to producing and making a vaccine, and there were so many promises about getting people vaccinated, it would have been hard to say, 'We don't need that vaccine. Thanks for all that investment of time and resources, but it doesn't look like it's necessary.' That's a really difficult thing to do.''

As scientists race to create a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, Nowak said that it's vital that scientists, public health experts and political leaders are all on the same page.

''We're going to have to figure out how to have more unified messaging and more unified recommendations and broader support for the actions that they're taking.''

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Wed, 26 Jan 2022 14:50

Efrat Fenigson : He *urges* us to go into *emergency* mode!! What a ''coincidence''!The agenda is being rolled out as planned.Do you'... https://t.co/72NmKhutnI

Tue Jan 25 06:44:37 +0000 2022

Massimiliano RPP : @efenigson Oh yes, we know all the real aim of all this war >>'.... No way!!! https://t.co/c5l1at37yJ

Wed Jan 26 04:55:35 +0000 2022

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Wed, 26 Jan 2022 14:11

GoFundMe is holding off on distributing more than CA$4.7 million ($3.7 million) raised for a trucker convoy in Canada protesting COVID-19 mandates until it receives more information about how funds will be distributed.

''Our goal is to protect the generosity of donors and ensure that every dollar donated on our platform reaches the right place,'' a GoFundMe spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. ''We require that fundraisers be transparent about the flow of funds and have a clear plan for how those funds will be spent.''

Freedom Convoy 2022 has collected over 60,000 donations since its launch on Jan. 14. According to a statement from organizers, the funds will primarily cover fuel costs ''and hopefully food and lodgings to help ease the pressures of this arduous task.''

Multiple convoys have already set out from across Canada '-- destined for the capital, Ottawa, on Saturday. In Saskatchewan, police reported a convoy of over 1,000 trucks heading east.

''I can see a line of trucks for miles and miles,'' Lee Bates, a farmer and truck driver from Alberta, said from his Kenworth as he drove through Manitoba. ''It's incredible.''

GoFundMe said of its scrutiny of the funding distribution, ''This is part of our standard process to ensure the protection of all donors.'' The fundraiser is continuing to accept contributions.

The funds will be released promptly after the organizers submit a withdrawal plan, the GoFundMe spokesperson said.

''Once a withdrawal plan is provided by the organizer, our team is on standby to safely and quickly deliver the funds,'' the spokesperson said but didn't provide an exact timetable.

The organizer, political activist Tamara Lich, did not respond to FreightWaves' request for comment.

Lich is an organizer for the Maverick Party, which advocates for the independence of Canada's western provinces. On Monday, the party issued a statement saying it is ''not directly involved in the convoy.''

The convoy's organizers sought to reassure supporters via a Facebook message that the GoFundMe campaign remains active.

''Hey FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!! We know there is much talk going on about the GOFUNDME but rest assured, if it had been frozen then y'all wouldn't be able to show the love and donate. We see the amazing support of our country. You make us all proud!!'' the post stated.

The protest convoys emerged in response to COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by the U.S. and Canadian governments for cross-border truckers and other essential workers.

Since Saturday, the U.S. borders have been closed for unvaccinated and partially vaccinated Canadian and Mexican truckers. Canada implemented a similar restriction at its borders on Jan. 15.

The Canadian government has continued to back the vaccination requirements. The Canadian Trucking Alliance, the largest carrier organization in Canada, has also called on the industry to accept the mandates, though it had lobbied the U.S. and Canadian governments to delay their implementation.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed the backlash against the mandates, saying that 90% of truckers were vaccinated in Canada. Canadian drivers account for about 75% of the 160,000 drivers who regularly move freight between the U.S. and Canada.

Watch now: Canadian truckers protest vaccine mandatesMore coverageCanadian truckers forced to choose: COVID vaccines or forfeit US runs5 burning questions: Vaccine mandates for cross-border truckingAnalysis: Vaccine mandate or not, US-Canada cross-border freight rates poised to riseClick for more articles by Nate Tabak

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World's Largest English Language News Service with Over 500Articles Updated Daily

"The News You Need Today'...For The World You'll Live In Tomorrow."

What You Aren'tBeing Told About The World You Live In

How The ''Conspiracy Theory'' Label Was Conceived To Derail TheTruth Movement

How Covert American Agents Infiltrate the Internet toManipulate, Deceive and Destroy Reputations

January 25, 2022

Americans Warned Are Unaware Of Looming ''Political Earthquake'' Plot

By: Sorcha Faal, and asreported to her Western Subscribers

A beyond gobsmacking new SecurityCouncil (SC)report circulating in the Kremlintoday first noting the unprecedented blackout that cut off millions across CentralAsia when the power grids simultaneously went down in the former Sovietrepublics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan , saysquick to follow was President Putin holding a teleconference with Cuban President Miguel Diaz- Canel to discuss '' issues of further coordination of the actions of the twocountries in the international arena '''--talks thatfollow top war negotiator Deputy ForeignMinister Sergey Ryabkov warning that the current tensions could lead to a situationon the scale of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis andrevealing he could '' neither confirm nor exclude '' thepossibility of Russia sendingnuclear missiles to Latin America ifthe United States and its alliesdon't curtail their military activities on Russia'sdoorstep'--and when this teleconference concluded, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) issuedan urgent war bulletin announcing that the nuclear weapons armed warships Soobrazitelnyy and Stoikiy of the Baltic Fleet '' have been launched from their home port of Baltiys and embarked on a long-distance mission ''.

This transcript next sees Security CouncilMembers reviewing the latest official '' newspaper of record '' reports in theUnited States, such as:

The Washington Post reporting : Biden on Monday held avideo call with European leaders to discuss joint efforts to deter furtheraggression by the Kremlin against Kyiv, amid a massive buildup of Russianforces along Ukraine'sborder that has raised fears of a renewed invasion.

The leaders '-- including French President Emmanuel Macron,British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and top NATO and European Union officials'-- spoke of their ''shared desire for a diplomatic resolution to the currenttensions.''

Even as the administration seeks a diplomatic resolution tothe Ukraine crisis , the United States and some Western allies have begun totake the kind of dramatic steps typically reserved for the eve of anticipatedarmed action .

The Wall Street Journal reporting : Not since the 1940s has the West been this disunited . Germanyrefuses to allow NATO allies to ship German-made weapons to Ukraine.

France chooses the Western alliance's most critical hour since the 1961 Berlin Crisis to callfor a fundamental rethinking of Western political structures and relations. Britain goes all-in on arming Ukraine.

The European disarray reflects the West's fundamentalweakness: Washingtonhasn't been able yet to forge a consensus that enables the West to pursue acommon objective.

And the Wall Street Journal further reporting : The centerpiece of Mr. Biden's foreign policy platform was reviving America'salliances, but countries don't have allies for the sake of having allies.

The President has invested in cultivating Berlin but has little toshow for it . He can make clear that warming ties are subject to Germany's cooperation on Ukraine.

That means pushing the German government to support moreserious sanctions and to allow third countries to export weapons to Ukraine.

This transcript sees Security Council Members devoting the vast majority of today'smeeting to the just published New YorkTimes article '' This Poll Shows Just How Much Trouble Democrats Are In '', wherein it warns that Biden's '' geostrategic overreach '' is fast leading to a '' political earthquake '' that will annihilate his socialist Democrat Party from power in 2022 midterm election'--sees itrevealing: '' According to the Gallup organization, 47 percent of Americansnow identify with the Republican Party and 42 percent with theDemocrats...Between 2016 and 2020 the Democratic advantage swelled to betweenfive and six points'...When Joe Biden took over from Donald Trump a year ago,Democrats held a 49-to-40 advantage'...From nine points up to five points down inless than a year '-- it is one of the most drastic reversals of party fortunethat Gallup has ever recorded '''--andsees it stating: '' Democrats are telling a story about America '-- about the depthand pervasiveness of racism, and about the existential dangers of Mr. Trump '--that a great many Americans, even a great many would-be Democrats, do not buy ''.

Apparently lost to the memory of the American people, this report notes, isthat the destruction of the socialist DemocratParty by Biden is part of adecades long plot of political power realignment that has seen these Democrats putting into power Republican Party lawmakers throughoutthe entirety of the United States'--apower realignment plot begun under socialist Democrat Party leader PresidentBill Clinton, whose policy insanities enabled the Republicans to retake the entire US Congress forthe first time in 40-years during the 1994 midterm election '--and saw this power realignment plot continuing undersocialist Democrat Party leader President Barack Obama, whose policyinsanities enabled the Republicans to gain and solidify their controlover the US Congress in the 2010 midterm elections '--the main and decades-lasting consequence of whichtoday sees Republicans havingestablished full and total control over the United States Supreme Court.

Also in Americatoday, this report details, it sees the socialist Democrats furiously building a narrative about a political leaderwho lost an election over claims it was rigged, after which he led a deadly insurrectionagainst the government'--a narrative these socialist Democrats and their leftist media propagandists are buildingagainst President Donald Trump'--butwhen viewed through the lens of truthful history, is a narrative bestdescribing German Nazi leader Adolph Hitler, who inhis ascendancy to power as a beloved nationalist icon to make Germany great again, led the deadlyinsurrection called the Beer Hall Putsch , for which he was imprisoned.

With socialist Democrats doing everything in their power to imprison President Trump, and who yesterday impaneled a grand jury in Georgia to criminallyinvestigate his stolen election claim , this report continues, this transcript sees Security Council Members wondering ifthese socialist Democrats evenremember that the persecution of Hitlermade him so powerful he was able to take control over all of Germany, and them further wondering ifthis isn't part of the larger realignment of political power plot that's beenongoing in America for over ageneration.

As to why Security Council Members are discussing these issues relates tothem not knowing who is in control of the Americangovernment'--a discussion contained in the classified at the highest level '' Of Special Importance '' conclusion section of this transcript'--but whosestartling clues about found in the very limited portions of this highlyclassified transcript permitted to be openly discussed among variousministries, it sees Security CouncilMembers reviewing notes from their 15November 2020 meetingrelating to the '' firstin history National Emergency Election '''--sees them reviewing notes from their 5 December 2020 meeting about President Trump '' activating a war plan '''--a secret '' war plan '' that saw PresidentTrump authorizing the USmilitary to seize and examine election servers at a clandestine intelligencefacility located in Nashville-Tennessee'--seesSecurity Council Members reviewingnotes from their 26 December 2020 meeting noting that this Nashville intelligence hub was obliterated in a massivebomb blast '--sees themreviewing notes from their 27 December 2020 meeting that documents the ''Deadly Force''zone activated around the Nashville intelligence hub blast site '--and whose reason for them reviewing these pastmeeting notes, is directly related to the beyond stunning leak last week of the 16 December 2020 Secret Order issued byPresident Trump to the US militaryto seize the voting machines involved in the stolen 2020 presidential election'--a secret order leftist mediapropagandists claim '' was never issued '', but whose claim is not supported by anyevidence. [ Note: Some words and/or phrases appearing in quotes inthis report are English language approximations of Russian words/phrases havingno exact counterpart.]

Americans are beginning tosee what 21st Century war looks like.

January 25, 2022 (C) EU and US all rights reserved.Permission to use this report in its entirety is granted under the condition itis linked to its original source at WhatDoesItMean.Com. Freebase contentlicensed under CC-BYand GFDL.

[ Note :Many governments and their intelligence services actively campaign against theinformation found in these reports so as not to alarm their citizens about themany catastrophic Earth changes and events to come, a stance that the Sisters of Sorcha Faal strongly disagree with in believing that it is every human being's right toknow the truth. Due to our mission's conflicts with that of those governments,the responses of their 'agents' has been a longstandingmisinformation/misdirection campaign designed to discredit us, and others likeus, that is exampled in numerous places, including HERE .]

[ Note: The WhatDoesItMean.com website was created for and donatedto the Sisters of Sorcha Faal in 2003 by a small group of American computerexperts led by the late global technology guru Wayne Green (1922-2013) tocounter the propaganda being used by the West to promote their illegal 2003invasion of Iraq.]

[ Note: The word Kremlin (fortress inside a city) as used inthis report refers to Russian citadels, including in Moscow, having cathedrals wherein femaleSchema monks (Orthodox nuns) reside, many of whom are devoted to the mission ofthe Sisters of Sorcha Faal.]

''Destruction Of TheWorld'' Forecasted Thanks To ''AmazingStupidity'' of Americans

FearStalking America Awakens Europe To True Terror

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Wed, 26 Jan 2022 05:28

The disinformation campaign includes claims that NATO and Ukrainian forces are preparing to attack Russian speakers in Ukraine.

Russian soldiers in the country's Rostov region, near Ukraine, this month. Russia has produced a steady stream of disinformation about Ukraine since 2014, according to American intelligence officials. Credit... Associated Press Jan. 25, 2022

WASHINGTON '-- As the United States issued warnings last month about the Russian troops on Ukraine's borders and President Biden threatened President Vladimir V. Putin with sanctions if he launched an invasion, researchers noticed an uptick in social media posts accusing Ukraine of plotting a genocide against ethnic Russians.

In one example, an arm of the Moscow-controlled broadcaster RT circulated a clip of Mr. Putin saying that events in eastern Ukraine ''resemble genocide.'' News Front, which the State Department has called a disinformation outlet with ties to Russian security services, followed with an article on Dec. 13 that said the United States did not consider the massacres to be a genocide.

In the months since the Russian troop buildup began, Moscow and its online army of allies have pushed out old arguments about western Ukrainians being aligned with Nazism, falsely accused the United States of using proxy forces to plot a chemical attack and claimed that Russia's planned military operations were intended to protect ethnic Russians or pre-empt action by NATO, according to researchers.

American intelligence officials said Russia had produced a steady stream of disinformation about Ukraine since 2014. But they observed an uptick in December and January as Moscow increased pressure on the government in Kyiv.

The technology firm Logically, a British-based company that helps governments and businesses counter disinformation, has been tracking Russian-aligned social media accounts, such as those of RT and Sputnik, along with Twitter accounts of Russian officials. Posts and articles accusing some Ukrainians of being neo-Nazis have dramatically increased since early November, according to Logically. The Moscow-backed information campaign accusing the United States of planning a chemical attack spiked on Dec. 21, the firm said.

Much of the propaganda is aimed at a domestic audience in Russia and at pro-Moscow Ukrainians, said Brian Murphy, the vice president for strategic operations at Logically. If Russia does invade Ukraine, he said, it wants to make sure it has the support of Russian speakers in the country as its tanks and artillery roll across fields or knock down houses.

''There are very few fence-sitters left in Ukraine,'' Mr. Murphy said. ''They are trying to strengthen support in the separatist-occupied regions of Ukraine and within Russia.''

But the propaganda can easily move beyond a Russian-speaking audience.

Intelligence officials have said that while Russia is unlikely to change many minds in Europe, its messaging has had more traction in South America and Africa, muddying the waters about which country is responsible for the Ukraine crisis.

Much like its efforts to divide the American electorate in 2016 by stoking debates about racism, guns and other divisive issues, Russia is trying to increase polarization in Ukraine to give it a tactical advantage, Mr. Murphy said.

The State Department said in a fact sheet issued last week that much of the disinformation repeated old themes, such as portraying Russia as a victim of U.S. actions, depicting Western societies as on the verge of collapse because they have moved away from traditional values, and describing Washington as the supporter of revolutions in the region.

Researchers have tracked similar themes coming from Russian accounts, including a rise in posts claiming that NATO and Ukrainian forces are preparing to attack Russian speakers in Ukraine. Allegations of a NATO intervention in Ukraine first hit a peak in late December before spiking higher in mid-January, according to Logically.

Mr. Murphy, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security's intelligence branch, said that claiming NATO interference in Ukraine has long been a standard line of attack by Moscow.

While it is often difficult to track where a particular piece of disinformation originates, researchers can see when many Russian accounts begin pushing the same narrative.

''It looks like a coordinated campaign,'' Mr. Murphy said. ''They come out, around the same time, with similar messaging.''

The claim that the United States was preparing a chemical attack was originally made by the Russian defense minister. But disinformation experts tracked how various accounts amplified it.

Versions of the statement were recirculated by both state-owned media and websites that the U.S. government has said are used by Russian intelligence services, such as News Front and the Strategic Culture Foundation, said Bret Schafer, the head of the information manipulation team at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, which tracks disinformation and other efforts aimed at undercutting democratic governments. The timing of the posts was curious, he said.

A few weeks after the posts appeared in December, American officials said that a false flag operation conducted by Russia could be used as an excuse to move troops into Ukraine in the name of protecting the Russian-speaking population.

Understand the Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine Card 1 of 5Ominous warnings. Russia called the strike a destabilizing act that violated the cease-fire agreement, raising fears of a new intervention in Ukraine that could draw the United States and Europe into a new phase of the conflict.

The Kremlin's position. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who has increasingly portrayed NATO's eastward expansion as an existential threat to his country, said that Moscow's military buildup was a response to Ukraine's deepening partnership with the alliance.

''One could conceivably view Russian messaging last month as an attempt to muddy the water before their own impending operation,'' Mr. Schafer said. ''Or, in classic propaganda terms, to accuse others of that which you are guilty.''

Larissa Doroshenko, a researcher at Northeastern University, said that Russian disinformation tactics in Ukraine used both falsified stories and those that were true but tangential to current events in order to distort narratives or hide true intentions.

Dr. Doroshenko studied Russian disinformation around the 2014 pro-democracy protests in Ukraine and found that even then, Moscow used various means to push narratives.

''We focus on the social media, but it is a multiplatform approach,'' she said. ''It is social media, but it is also these so-called news websites, these propaganda websites, that present themselves to appeal to regular people.''

Mr. Putin took Crimea stealthily, Dr. Doroshenko said. But the troop buildup near Ukraine has been anything but hidden.

She said the Russian troop deployments and threats against Ukraine may be as much about stoking nationalistic feelings as they are about muting domestic criticism of Mr. Putin's moves to shut down nonprofit groups like Memorial International, a human rights organization, or groups affiliated with Aleksei A. Navalny, the Russian opposition leader.

''If you can create an external enemy,'' she said, ''all these issues of what are happening with civic society in Russia are not as important anymore.''

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Tue, 25 Jan 2022 04:53

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday took two monoclonal antibody therapies off the list of covid-19 treatments for now, saying the medications should not be used anywhere in the United States because they are ineffective against the dominant omicron variant.

As a result, the Department of Health and Human Services, which distributes covid treatments to states, notified state health officials that it has halted distribution of the antibody medications made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly, according to an email sent to the states and obtained by The Washington Post.

Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement that data show the two antibody treatments ''are highly unlikely to be active against the omicron variant, which is circulating at a very high frequency throughout the United States.'' Omicron is responsible for more than 99 percent of cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The FDA official said it is ''highly unlikely that covid-19 patients seeking care in the U.S. at this time are infected with a variant other than omicron, and these treatments are not authorized to be used at this time.'' Cavazzoni added the antibodies could be used again if a future variant emerges that is susceptible to the therapies.

Administration officials hope that ending federal distribution of the two monoclonal antibody treatments to the states will prevent covid-19 patients from being given drugs that do not work against omicron. Senior officials last week called health officials in several states to urge them to stop using the Regeneron and Lilly drugs and pointed them to alternatives.

Several treatments remain effective against omicron, including sotrovimab '-- a monoclonal antibody made by GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology '-- and antiviral pills by Pfizer and by Merck and its partner, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. In addition, the use of the antiviral drug remdesivir as an outpatient therapy recently got the green light from regulators.

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However, several doctors and hospitals have complained that some of the covid treatments, including the Pfizer pill and sotrovimab, are in short supply.

Monoclonal antibodies are manufactured proteins that can enhance or mimic the immune system's ability to fight viruses and other pathogens. But the highly mutated omicron variant has thwarted the ability of the Regeneron and Lilly therapies to work against the virus, the FDA noted.

The action on the monoclonal antibodies followed a move by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to set up new sites in his state that administer the treatments. DeSantis has said he is not convinced the therapies are ineffective against omicron and noted they work on cases caused by delta, the variant that previously was dominant.

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In an email last week, DeSantis's spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw, said a small percentage of cases in Florida are still caused by delta. She also said lab tests showing the loss of effectiveness by Regeneron and Lilly against the omicron variant are ''not conclusive.''

A Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions, expressed frustration Monday that some governors are still promoting ineffective medications.

''Frankly, at this stage, it's dangerous that they would do that,'' the official said. ''It's beyond irresponsible to use these products that aren't without their own risks when we know they offer basically zero benefit.''

Last week, a treatment-guidelines committee at the National Institutes of Health discouraged use of the Regeneron and Lilly antibody drugs, saying they are ''predicted to have markedly reduced activities'' against omicron.

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Mon, 24 Jan 2022 16:12

Politics | Litter Boxes for Students Who Identify as Furries? Not So, Says School Official https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/23/us/politics/michigan-litter-box-school.htmlA Michigan school superintendent debunked the rumor after a video from a December school board meeting resurfaced in which a speaker airs concerns about students who ''identify as cats.''

Lisa Hansen addressing the board during a Midland Public Schools meeting in Michigan last month. Credit... Midland Public Schools Published Jan. 23, 2022 Updated Jan. 24, 2022, 10:34 a.m. ET

It started with a comment at a school board meeting, which was later amplified by a Michigan state Republican leader, and culminated with a school superintendent explaining that, no, there were no litter boxes on school grounds for students to use if they identified as furries.

''It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication,'' the superintendent of Midland Public Schools, Michael Sharrow, wrote on Thursday in an email to parents that was also shared on Facebook. ''However, our Midland PS stakeholders may be confused about a false message/accusation that has resurfaced this week and is gaining traction in the social media realm.''

The rumor that furries '-- people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animal characters and sometimes dress up as them '-- used litter boxes in the school district, which is about two hours northwest of Detroit, appears to have started at a school board session last month, based on a video of the meeting.

A member of the public who spoke at the meeting, Lisa Hansen, says in the video that she was informed by someone the day before the meeting that litter boxes had been added to the ''unisex bathrooms'' for students who ''identify as cats.''

''I was stunned,'' Ms. Hansen says in the video. ''And today I am equally stunned and a little bit upset '-- well, not a little bit, a lot of bit upset. Furious '-- I would even use that word.''

Ms. Hansen says in the video that there is an ''agenda that is being pushed through our schools is '-- just my opinion '-- but somewhat nefarious when it comes to some of the activities.''

She goes on to say that this is a ''nationwide'' issue, adding, ''I'm all for creativity and imagination, but when someone lives in a fantasy world and expects other people to go along with it, I have a problem with that.''

Ms. Hansen also says in the video that she plans to do more ''investigation'' into the issue.

In an email on Sunday night, Ms. Hansen described herself as ''a concerned mom trying to protect my child.''

''We parents aren't sure what our schools are up to,'' she said. ''That's the problem. Accountability is not a crime.''

The school board members at the meeting did not respond to Ms. Hansen's comments, but her remarks gained traction after Meshawn Maddock, a chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, shared a video of the school board meeting and the comments on Facebook on Thursday.

''Kids who identify as 'furries' get a litter box in the school bathroom,'' Ms. Maddock wrote in a Facebook post sharing the video of the board meeting. ''Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools.''

In his statement, Mr. Sharrow debunked the rumor as categorically false.

''Let me be clear in this communication,'' he wrote. ''There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.''

Mr. Sharrow did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. The Michigan Republican Party did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday, and Ms. Maddock could not be reached.

According to Furscience, a website run by a multidisciplinary team of scientists studying furry fandom, ''furry describes a diverse community of fans, artists, writers, gamers, and role players.''

''Most furries create for themselves an anthropomorphized animal character (fursona) with whom they identify and can function as an avatar within the community,'' the website says.

In mass media, furries are usually associated with sexual fetishes, the website says, but ''the most-cited draw to the furry fandom is its sense of belongingness, recreation, and escape from the mundaneness of daily life.''

Sharon E. Roberts, an associate professor of social development studies at the University of Waterloo in Canada and a founder of Furscience, said in an email on Saturday that she could not comment specifically about the Michigan school because she was not familiar with the situation.

She added, though, that ''there is evidence of significant misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the furry fandom leading to claims like this (and worse).''

Mr. Sharrow, the superintendent, citing a backdrop of ''this divisive/contentious world in which we currently find ourselves,'' urged parents to contact him if rumors like this surfaced again.

''It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you,'' he wrote.

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Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:18

Photo illustration by The Globe and Mail

Norman Doidge, MD, is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and author of The Brain That Changes Itself. He is executive director of Health and the Greater Good.

Just before Christmas, without much fanfare, Ontario became the first province to approve fluvoxamine '' a decades-old drug few had heard of '' for the early treatment of COVID-19. The December 20 announcement, coming at a time when Canadians were preoccupied with Omicron, and the fear hospitals would soon be overwhelmed, received hardly any news coverage.

Fluvoxamine is a ''repurposed drug,'' and comes from what might seem like a most unlikely source '' psychiatry. It is an antidepressant used most commonly to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. The drug has had two randomized control trials, or RCTs (the highest level of evidence) and four observational studies showing it keeps people with COVID out of hospital, from requiring intubation, and helps prevent death. The discovery of its anti-COVID properties came after impressive sleuthing in France and the United States. Then a partnership co-led by a team of Canadians conducted the large randomized trial that proved what it could do.

This is a good news story, about our public-health officials doing something right, and showing flexibility, at a time when we are learning the limits of our vaccines and accompanying strategies. Reappraisal is in the air, driven by everyone's two-year-experience with the pandemic '' scientists included.

Philanthropist Bill Gates. Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Consider how things appeared in April, 2020, when Bill Gates, whose foundation is the largest private contributor to the World Health Organization, said: ''The ultimate solution, the only thing that really lets us go back completely to normal and feel good '... is to create a vaccine.'' His ''only'' meant, that in practice, our chief hope and focus '' in research, policy, in the media, and even emotionally, for many '' became the vaccines. Mr. Gates articulated what became our master narrative: Public health would stop the spread with extemporizing measures such as lockdowns, discouraging social functions and travel, and closing schools and businesses until the vaccines arrived, all of which would protect us until we achieved vaccine-induced herd immunity everywhere, which, we were told, would eliminate the virus. We put our faith in the vaccines, while other approaches '' such as drugs for early treatment, or a role for our natural immunity, or lowering our personal risk factors, for instance '' got comparatively less attention.

Key individuals predicted '' half promised, really '' we'd be done with COVID, at least in the West, by the summer of 2021. In February, 2021, Pfizer's CEO, Albert Bourla, said the vaccine was still offering strong protection at the six-month mark and ''indicators right now '... are telling us that there is a protection against the transmission of the disease.'' That April, Dr. Ugur Sahin, the CEO of BioNTech (which developed the vaccine for Pfizer), told reporters, ''Europe will reach herd immunity in July, latest by August.'' It wasn't a tough sell. Who would not want it to be true? Having no pandemic experience, we took them at their word. Politicians fostered the idea that our proper aim for handling COVID would be to ''eliminate it everywhere,'' as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. Early treatment doesn't promise that, though it might lower death rates. Eradication had more psychological appeal: let's get it out of our lives forever.

Yet, in dismal December, 2021, two years in, with cases soon to reach record highs, and another lockdown looming and vaccines waning, it wasn't working out that way. Perhaps if we hadn't been so focused on one tool things might have gone differently. And perhaps if certain voices hadn't been silenced, and others handed a megaphone, our pandemic tool kit, and mindset, would have been different too.

People applaud health-care workers from their balconies on the second day of France's first pandemic-related lockdown in Paris, 2020. Paris is home to a psychiatric hospital where COVID-19 questions raised theories about the antiviral properties of antidepressants. THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images

Early in the pandemic, at the Sainte-Anne site of the Parisian mental hospital, Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, something mysterious occurred. The staff started contracting COVID in high numbers, but their patients, gravely mentally ill, did not. Three staff got COVID for every patient, despite the patients having more risk factors, such as being overweight, or having cardiovascular disease.

Someone wondered, could it be that the patients' psychiatric medications were protecting them? The staff homed in on chlorpromazine, a common antipsychotic medication, and learned it had antiviral properties against SARS-Cov-1 and MERS-CoV (the predecessors to SARS-CoV-2). In a May, 2020, publication, they proposed repurposing it for treating COVID-19.

French psychiatrists and scientists next did a multicentre study, looking at 7,230 patients who had been hospitalized in Paris for severe COVID-19. Coincidentally, 300 of the patients were taking antidepressants. The data showed that those on Selective Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors (SSRI) '' a kind of antidepressant '' were less likely to require intubation or die. Not all SSRIs worked equally, but those that did reduced major inflammatory problems (the COVID ''cytokine storm'' that often kills). Lab research showed that the SSRI fluvoxamine had an antiviral effect, and a salutary effect on blood platelets that might protect patients from blood clots.

A sample of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. NIAID-RML via AP

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., in parallel process, a child psychiatrist, Dr. Angela Reirson, caught COVID in early 2020. Sick at home, she started doing research. She recalled a study on mice she had read the previous year. The mice had sepsis '' a dangerous response to infection that can kill. Something akin to sepsis can happen in serious COVID. In the 2019 study, mice with sepsis were given fluvoxamine, which halted the condition. So, in March, 2020, Dr. Reirson contacted another psychiatrist, Eric Lenze, a colleague of hers at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Lenze was a specialist in repurposing drugs. Realizing fluvoxamine had a great safety record, he launched its first small randomized control trial of COVID patients. Not one of the 80 volunteers who got fluvoxamine deteriorated or got COVID lung damage, whereas 8 per cent of the 72 who got a placebo did deteriorate. The findings were published in JAMA in November, 2020.

Next came the Together Trial, the world's largest placebo study of COVID drugs, co-led by McMaster researcher Edward Mills and Brazilian physician Gilmar Reis. To do large trials you need a lot of cases, and Brazil had two million. The study was published Oct. 27, 2021, in the Lancet. It studied about 1,500 unvaccinated patients with COVID-19 who also had another serious illness and were at high risk for hospitalization. Half were given fluvoxamine, half a placebo. In those who took the fluvoxamine as prescribed it reduced the odds of hospitalization or emergency care by 66 per cent and death by 90 per cent.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and government officials give a news conference in 2020 about the pandemic. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

The Ontario Science Table noticed these findings and on Dec. 20 it put fluvoxamine in the guidelines, for doctors to prescribe on an outpatient basis if needed, recognizing ''the need for outpatient treatment options with a reasonable safety profile during an anticipated spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.''

That was significant, because early treatment of COVID '' measures we can take to avoid symptomatic cases from worsening, requiring hospitalization '' has been so minimal. In Ontario, treatment includes monoclonal antibodies (now only one works with Omicron) for specific people at risk, and steroids. Otherwise outpatients were told to rest, drink fluids, and hope their immune system would handle the virus.

True, there was much talk of brand-new, non-repurposed drugs for early treatment. Pfizer's Paxlovid, just approved by Health Canada on Monday, is very new. But repurposed drugs have a track record, and thus often a safety advantage. And the generic ones are cheap. Fluvoxamine costs about $15 for a course of treatment. Repurposed drugs are used by poorer countries that can't afford vaccines or expensive early treatment drugs such as Paxlovid ($500) or Molnupiravir (US$700 and not yet approved in Canada).

So why hasn't treatment focused more on repurposed drugs?

First, because the master narrative, once it took hold, directed our attention away from this possibility. Second, in North America, the first repurposed drug that came to public attention was hydroxychloroquine. When it was endorsed by then-president Donald Trump it became highly politicized. People's opinions about it often had more to do with their political affiliation than whether they had read any of the (now) 303 studies. Third, agencies that regulate drugs, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, mandate that any drug they evaluate have a sponsor, usually a drug company agreeing to assume liabilities for the drug. It's an extremely expensive process. If an old, cheap generic drug shows promise for repurposing, it still needs a sponsor to get approved for that. But drug companies have no financial incentive to do so. So usually there are no sponsors, and the drugs languish.

A person walks past a mural honouring health-care workers in Toronto. Imagery of war and communal struggle became a big part of the COVID-19 narrative: This mural, for instance, uses the pose and bandana of Rosie the Riveter, a Second World War icon. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Of all the reasons that we didn't focus on repurposed drugs, I would argue, the master narrative was the most important, because of the way it organized so many people's thoughts, attention and emotions.

The narrative would not have been nearly as problematic had it not been so tied into something else: the military metaphor that has defined our COVID experience from the beginning. This master narrative was our battle plan and this was a ''war'' to eradicate the enemy virus.

This military metaphor seems second nature in medicine. We are always in a ''war against cancer,'' or ''combatting'' heart disease, Alzheimer's, and AIDS. But this way of thinking only became common in medicine several hundred years ago, after the philosopher Francis Bacon argued the goal of science should change from what it had been '' ''the study of nature'' '' to the very practical ''conquest of nature.'' Soon physicians were speaking of ''conquering'' disease, with ''magic bullets.'' We increasingly left behind the original Hippocratic mindset of medicine as an extension of nature, which involved working with it, as an ally, wherever possible '' not to conquer, but to heal, often with the help of the patient's own healing capacities.

Scientists were to be soldiers in this new army. And here a problem arose. Despite some similarities, science (and medicine) is really best not construed as warfare '' and the kind of virtues that may suit soldiers in an army (following an authority without questioning), are vices in science, which is a mode of critical inquiry. Modern science arose because the world was filled with too many dogmas and orthodoxies that were not to be questioned. That is why the motto of the Royal Society, the first national scientific institution, became Nullias in verba, ''Take Nobody's Word For It.'' It's the role of scientists, as Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman said, to question the experts, and fellow scientists, and debate each experimenter's conclusions, which are based on human judgments and interpretations of data, until there is certainty the conclusion can resist all onslaughts.

Reappraisal of any prevailing narrative requires taking in new insights, which, by definition, arise from a minority viewpoint. When a military metaphor sweeps through a society or a bureaucracy beset by fear, all-or-nothing, you-are-with-us-or-against-us thinking follows. We become more prone to see someone who doesn't go along with the majority view '' including scientists who spot problems with the reigning narrative '' as putting the rest of us at risk, and a ''traitor,'' rather than as someone doing their job. They are attacked, censored or self-censor to survive. In war, you shut up and follow orders, or get court-martialed.

We are especially suspicious of other people during contagion, because our brains are fired up by a primitive circuit that protects us by making us obsessively preoccupied with the purity of those around us. Will this person get me sick? It even fires if we think their actions, or even policy proposals might be risky. The circuit, called the behavioural immune system, causes us to fear, loathe and feel rage toward the ''impure'' germ bearer. It results in many false alarms (think of someone driving alone with a mask on). It's one reason debates about vaccines are emotionally radioactive. Some vaccinated people feel all the unvaccinated bear germs, while some unvaccinated people feel vaccine may put germs or toxins in their bodies.

A nurse administers a COVID-19 vaccine in Orange, Calif., this past summer. Jae C. Hong/The Associated Press

This past summer, as news broke that there were breakthrough infections and vaccine protection against infection was waning, the North American media began to advise us to lower our expectations for them: ''Vaccines Can Only Do So Much,'' read a headline in The Washington Post. Many readers were caught completely off guard. In part they were surprised, because the censorship of scientists who held dissenting views '' and had been warning this might happen '' was much more widespread than many are aware of.

According to an Amnesty International report published in October, censorship and harassment of health professionals, and others, has been a problem ''across the world,'' during the pandemic. Most singled out are those who express critical opinions of their governments' policies (e.g. restrictions of movement, lockdown, or criticisms of government dispensing with civil liberties).

The censors justified these actions as simply banning ''misinformation'' and ''prevent[ing] panic.'' In North America people were not imprisoned, but many brilliant scientists and physicians with proper credentials from places such as Harvard, Oxford and Stanford, were under fire. Physicians were vilified for questioning government policies on lockdowns, masks, aspects of vaccines, mitigation or unproven treatments '' the very things that were, of course, the subject of serious continuing scientific debate. In some jurisdictions in North America physicians are threatened by their regulating boards with suspension or revocation of their medical licenses for spreading ''misinformation,'' forcing some doctors to have to choose between what they '' rightly or wrongly '' see as their patient's best interests, and their own livelihood. But as the Amnesty report states, ''Winning the battle against the virus includes not just government led actions and top-down diktats, but also bottom-up approaches which can only come about if the rights to freedom of expression and access to information are fully enabled.''

Warning signs are seen at a COVID-19 testing lab in Ingelheim, Germany. Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

There were ''snake oil'' claims on the internet, yes, but generally when scientists and health care workers were party to these quarrels, it was because there was a scientific debate. In such a case, to accuse one's opponent of spreading ''misinformation'' is to pre-emptively ascribe to oneself an unjustified certainty '' and to one's opponent bad faith. At times no one really knew what was more harmful '' e.g. keeping children out of school, or sending them in. There was incorrect information aplenty in our novel situation, and that included some spread by officials who flip-flopped multiple times on masks, or who, claiming to ''follow the science,'' differed with officials in similar jurisdictions, based on changing data.

This, in medicine, is called the problem of ''medical reversal.'' An approach thought to be helpful is proven to be harmful, and vice versa. Sometimes two studies can contradict each other even on the same day. Physician-scientist Vinayak Prasad, of UC San Francisco, argues it is the most important problem facing medicine today. The problem of medical reversals didn't disappear the day the virus landed on our shores. We had not only a virus problem, but a medical reversal problem.

The medical boards were in an unusual situation, torn between once-cherished traditions of scientific debate, and the atmosphere of crisis and their wish to do their part in ''the war.'' After all, it is vital that public health, and its officials, in a crisis, be able to convey consistent messages as they ask citizens to change their behaviours, and undergo various privations. But if those messages are to be persuasive, and the requests for such privations scientifically arguable and legitimate, the actions must be based on a full, open, unhampered scientific process solid enough to withstand scientific criticism and debate. Why else should the public go along? Censorship, by giving the public the false impression there are no medical controversies, undermines the censor's own claim to speak in the name of science and public safety. Ironically, it guarantees the public will be left misinformed.

People light a display of about 1,500 candles in memory of COVID-19 victims in Greifswald, Germany. After the original virus spread around the world, more contagious variants like Delta and Omicron superseded it, and researchers scrambled to understand how effective vaccines would be against them. Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP

The authors of the master narrative tend to say the main reason that things have not gone as they predicted is because variants arose. But if anything could have been predicted, it is that viruses mutate. Columbia virologist Vincent Racaniello described how fellow scientists were worried that the new mRNA technology, by focusing on only a small portion of the virus, the spike protein, would make it easy for the virus to ''get around'' or escape the vaccine through mutations. ''That's partly why,'' he said in May, ''all the variants are arising now, because we have only the spike epitopes in there.'' That view didn't get much of a hearing.

It wasn't just the variants' role in declining vaccine efficacy that surprised people. There was something about the execution of the original clinical trials, conducted by the pharma companies themselves, on their own products that also led to this surprise. It's worth going back for a moment and looking at how the problem unfolded.

In December, 2020, the new mRNA vaccines were rolled out, and were, according to the randomized clinical trials, 95 per cent (Pfizer) and 94.5 per cent (Moderna) efficacious in stopping infection. Physician-scientist Eric Topol, head of Scripps Labs, said these vaccines ''will go down in history as one of science and medical research's greatest achievements.''

But by the time summer 2021 arrived, real world experience contradicted Mr. Bourla's and Dr. Sahin's claims of potency at six months, no transmission by the vaccinated, and imminent herd immunity. Pfizer's Mr. Bourla, in his February interview, had called Israel ''the world's lab,'' because it was vaccinated with the Pfizer extensively and several months ahead of other countries, giving the world a glimpse of its future. But when Israeli public health released its six-month data, they showed that vaccine effectiveness had dropped to 39 per cent, and Delta was surging. (The FDA had originally said it would not approve a vaccine less than 50-per-cent effective.) A Mayo clinic study showed that after six months, protection granted by the two Pfizer doses dropped from the original 95 per cent to 42 per cent. Another Israeli study showed it had dropped to 16 per cent. That huge discrepancy couldn't be attributed just to the new variant, Delta, because protection was already fading at five months for the earlier variants too.

Pfizer doses are prepared at a temporary vaccination centre in London. DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images

So why such a discrepancy? The original studies were clinical trials. The Pfizer study followed about 38,000 people without COVID who were divided in two groups '' half got the vaccine, and half a placebo. The investigators asked the question: could the vaccines prevent symptomatic cases of COVID-19? But, as Peter Doshi, senior editor at the British Medical Journal, warned, ''None of the trials currently under way are designed to detect a reduction in any serious outcome such as hospital admissions, use of intensive care, or deaths.'' He explained that, ''Because most people with symptomatic COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms, even trials involving 30,000 or more patients would turn up relatively few cases of severe disease.'' Susanne Hodgson of the University of Oxford agreed: ''The current [randomized control trials] that are ongoing are '... not powered to assess efficacy against hospital admission and death.''

The Moderna report to the FDA on Dec. 17, 2020, confirmed ''there were no deaths due to COVID-19 at the time of the interim analysis to enable an assessment of vaccine efficacy against death due to COVID-19.'' Moderna followed about 30,000 people. When asked by the British Medical Journal, why the trial had not been designed to assess if the vaccine could prevent hospitalization and death, Moderna answered: ''You would need a trial that is either 5 or 10 times larger or you'd need a trial that is 5-10 times longer to collect those events.'' In the Pfizer study of 38,000 people, not a single person in the placebo or the vaccine group died of COVID. By publication date, only one person had died of COVID in the Moderna study. To state it clearly: One person out of about 70,000 in the combined studies of Pfizer and Moderna actually died of COVID. In the real world, at the time, about 60 per cent of COVID deaths were in people over 75 years of age. But only 4.4 per cent of that age group were in the Pfizer study. The sample chosen was not appropriate to answer the public's most pressing question: Could the vaccines save lives?

And how long had the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines been studied, when released for mass use in the winter of 2021? Two months.

These studies looked at the vaccines at their most potent, in a low risk population, and gave us a flattering snapshot. But COVID-19 is a movie.

In contrast, the Mayo study, and the Israeli data, were looking at data over a more realistic time course to test effectiveness.

The waning created a crisis in Israel. Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, director of Israel's Public Health Services, told the FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee on boosters, why the country became the first to roll out a third shot: ''What we saw prior to our booster campaign was that 60 per cent of people in severe and critical condition were immunized, doubly immunized, fully vaccinated and as I said, 45 per cent of the people who died in the fourth wave were doubly vaccinated.'' Most ''breakthrough infections'' are indeed mild, but she was describing life-threatening ones in the vaccinated. As breakthrough infections became commonplace throughout the world, noted Harvard epidemiologist Michael Mina said, the message that ''this is only an epidemic of the unvaccinated '... is falling flat.''

A newly vaccinated patient takes a selfie with the nurse at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel. Tsafrir Abayov/The Associated Press

As for Dr. Sahin's claim that we were on the brink of vaccine-induced herd immunity and being rid of COVID altogether, experts such as Larry Brilliant (who had helped eradicate smallpox with vaccines) and five other scientists wrote in Foreign Affairs in July, 2021, ''Among humans, global herd immunity, once promoted as a singular solution, is unreachable.'' They explained in precise detail why COVID-19 was unlike smallpox, and it could not be ''eradicated,'' such as the fact it is growing in a dozen animal species already. ''If we are forced to choose a vaccine that gives only one year of protection,'' said Dr. Brilliant, ''then we are doomed to have COVID become endemic, an infection that is always with us '...'' That vaccines would get us to a vaccine-based herd immunity had been one of the two main scientific justifications for vaccine mandates. Now it was gone.

The other justification for mandates had been that the vaccinated don't transmit the virus.

Most of us had presumed, when we got our first doses, that we couldn't pass the virus on to others. Public statements repeatedly praised people for ''doing your part to stop the spread.'' But in August, CDC director Rochelle Walensky told CNN, when asked why the vaccinated must wear masks, ''Our vaccines are working exceptionally well. They continue to work well for Delta; with regard to severe illness and death, they prevent it. But what they can't do any more is prevent transmission.''

In fact, the original randomized clinical trials for Pfizer and Moderna did not test if the vaccines stop transmission. Now our best hope was that the vaccinated might transmit less than the unvaccinated. Several studies could be interpreted as showing this. But others found the vaccinated likely had equal transmission. One study, conducted in a prison, concluded that the vaccinated prisoners had as much ''transmission potential'' as the unvaccinated prisoners, adding, ''clinicians and public health practitioners should consider vaccinated persons who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 to be no less infectious than unvaccinated persons.'' Dr. Cyrille Cohen, head of the immunotherapy lab at Bar-Ilan University, and adviser to the Israeli government on vaccine trials, said that with respect to transmission with Omicron, ''we don't see virtually any difference '... between people vaccinated and nonvaccinated,'' adding ''both get infected with the virus, more or less at the same pace.'' The rancour that we, the vaccinated, are increasingly directing against the unvaccinated, fuels itself by remaining wilfully oblivious of this later painful truth: we too spread, to ourselves, and to the unvaccinated, as they to us and each other.

The master narrative was silent about natural immunity and its relationship to vaccination status. Many scientist-physicians, from prominent universities in the U.S. with specialties in public health, argue that one can be for the use of the COVID vaccine, but also against mandating it for unvaccinated people who are already immune.

These scientists maintain what matters is not whether a person is vaccinated or not, but whether they are immune or not. Thus, the European Union recognizes natural immunity in its Digital COVID Certificate, which is in lieu of a vaccine passport, and is not limited to proof of vaccination. You could get a passport and travel if you have been vaccinated or if you have ''recovered from COVID-19'" or if you have a recent test saying you are negative. For air and train travel, Canada has also acknowledged recovery from COVID as an exemption, if one presents a recent negative test '' but, inconsistently, natural immunity is not recognized in most other quasi-mandate situations here. Such scientists think it irrational that government calls for mass mandates are escalating just as the core original justifications for them '' that the vaccinated don't transmit the virus, and the vaccine will bring us to herd immunity '' have collapsed.

A mobile phone shows a European Union digital vaccine certificate. OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images

Those unvaccinated people who were exposed to the virus, make up a huge number. For instance, in the U.S., according to a Columbia University study, by Jan. 31, 2021 (before many vaccines had been given) 10 months into the pandemic, 120 million Americans had natural immunity. Now, 12 months later, with the much more infectious Delta and Omicron variants, it is likely a highly significant majority of the unvaccinated now have natural immunity.

A recent pivotal study from South Africa '' not yet peer reviewed '' shows that in poor communities, where there was modest vaccination (39 per cent of adults), more than 70 per cent of people had already been exposed to the virus in previous waves, going into Omicron. The twice vaccinated had more protection than those who were unvaccinated and never had COVID. But the unvaccinated who had COVID and recovered had more protection from severe disease than the vaccinated. One Israeli study showed that the unvaccinated who recovered from COVID have 27 times less risk of reinfection compared with the vaccinated, and nine times less risk of hospitalization.

In a recent Munk Debate, Harvard's Dr. Martin Kulldorff, an epidemiologist and vaccine safety specialist, argued that mandating vaccines for the naturally immune ''actually creates problems because when people see that they are forced to take a vaccine that they don't need because they already are immune, that causes a lot of distrust in public health. And we have seen during this last year and a half that all the hard work we've done over many decades to build trust in vaccines is now disappearing because we're making these mandates that make no sense from a scientific or public health perspective.''

Public health moves at the speed of trust, as physician Rishi Manchanda wrote. Of the two main approaches to public health '' the participatory, and the coercive '' the coercive usually makes enemies, and tears society apart. It's like a hare: it has quick victories. The participatory approach, is a tortoise; when it fails to persuade, instead of blaming those it serves, it asks, as a scientist might, where have I fallen short, and aims to do better.

People are seen through a frame that reads 'third dose reinforcement' at a mass vaccination clinic for people over 60, in Mexico City. Third doses proved very effective against Delta, and are still important at preventing hospitalization and death in Omicron cases. Luis Cortes/Reuters

Israel's third booster helped beat back the Delta wave. Then Omicron hit. On Dec. 19, The New York Times headlined an article, ''Most of the World's Vaccines Likely Won't Prevent Infection from Omicron.'' Thankfully, the vaccines still seemed like they would prevent those infections from becoming severe '' the key point. A Kaiser study showed that two doses, over time, fell to zero efficacy against Omicron. Then Danish data showed that a booster offered protection against severe disease, but ''only to those over 70 years.'' But would boosters wane too? The U.K. Health Security Agency study showed the protection from the Pfizer booster (third shot) had dropped to 45-per-cent coverage at only 10 weeks.

Then on Jan. 1, 2022, a study of vaccine effectiveness against getting infection in Ontario '' not yet peer-reviewed '' showed a trend that had already shown up in Denmark. It examined provincial data and was authored by members of Public Health Ontario, ICES, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, UHN, and other major Ontario university and health programs.

They found two things of note. The first was that ''VE [vaccine effectiveness against getting infection] against Omicron was only 37% > 7 days following a third dose.'' That doesn't mean that those in the other 63 per cent who did get the infection might not have got some protection from severe infection, but the authors were unable to measure protection from severity from the data that had.

The second finding was more dramatic:, ''We also observed negative VE against Omicron among those who had received 2 doses compared to unvaccinated individuals.'' Translation: Negative VE means that the vaccinated got more infections than the unvaccinated.

That ''negative finding'' they noted, had already been observed elsewhere. ''In the Danish study, there was no significant protection against Omicron infection beyond 31 days'' after the second dose of the Pfizer. The Danes also found significant negative VE estimates 91-150 days after the second dose.'' The Danish study showed those vaccinated with the Pfizer had a 76.5 per cent greater chance of getting infected than unvaccinated people. With the Moderna, the vaccinated had a 36.7 per cent greater chance of getting infected than the unvaccinated after 90 days.

The authors discuss how negative vaccine effectiveness finding might arise. It may not mean that the vaccine actually decreases the person's immunity. There could be confounding factors. One possible explanation they raise is that in Ontario, a vaccine certificate system was introduced in the fall of 2021, and only those who had two doses could travel by air, rail, go to bars, gyms, etc., and so they may have had more social contacts than the unvaccinated who were shut in. But even if true it would still mean that the vaccines are not protecting us as much as we'd like, which is nothing to celebrate.

Another possible explanation the authors raise is ''the possibility that antigenic imprinting could impact the immune response to Omicron.'' It had been observed in the past that the immune system is highly influenced by the first exposure to a microbe (antigen) that it encounters. It's called ''original antigenic sin.'' When a second exposure occurs, to a similar but not identical microbe, the immune system reacts as though it is targeting the original microbe. But the new invader isn't the original, and so the immune system is actually less effective in dealing with this. In essence the immune system is weakened for a microbe too similar to its first similar exposure. This phenomenon was originally described as occurring in influenza on occasion. This is only a theoretical possibility here, not proven for COVID, but now a matter of scientific discussion. The negative vaccine efficacy has since shown up in Iceland, and the U.K. as well. The Ontario authors are to be applauded for thoughtfully laying out some possibilities to think through, so as to determine what might be the cause.

A COVID-19 mural in Vancouver urges people not to worry. Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press

We've had so many mood swings. We had been through a year of defining vaccine success as eliminating the virus, then as lowering infection and stopping the spread, to discovering there were breakthrough infections and transmission to other people, but that they still lowered our risk of hospitalization and death '' that's worth a lot '' though not always in the most vulnerable. In the West, many have responded to waning vaccine protection with time by doubling down, proposing ever more boosters. What is the scientific evidence for frequent boosters? That's a matter of scientific debate.

The original Pfizer study submitted to the FDA booster meeting was shockingly tiny '' a mere 306 patients were given the section, and they had been followed for only a month, and, again, most of the subjects were younger than those at risk (18-55). Pfizer wanted it on that basis rolled out to millions. That was enough to get FDA officials asking hard questions. Crucially, nobody had studied the long-term effects of multiple mRNA boosters '' there hasn't been time. The FDA refused Pfizer's recommendation to approve the booster for the entire U.S. population, with the top two heads of its Vaccine Research and Review Committee, Dr. Marion Gruber, (the head, and former acting chief scientist at the FDA), and Philip Krause (deputy director), and international colleagues, writing in the Lancet:

''There could be risks if boosters are widely introduced too soon, or too frequently, especially with vaccines that can have immune-mediated side-effects (such as myocarditis, which is more common after the second dose of some mRNA vaccines, or Guillain-Barre syndrome, which has been associated with adenovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccines [like the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson]). If unnecessary boosting causes significant adverse reactions, there could be implications for vaccine acceptance that go beyond COVID-19 vaccines.''

When the head scientists of the FDA Vaccine Review committee and colleagues raise such questions, it can't be dismissed as fringe fear-mongering. Shortly after, Dr. Gruber and Dr. Krause quit the FDA because the Biden administration was putting pressure on them to approve boosters before the vaccine committee had even met. The standard practice for approval is for the agencies to convene panels of outside experts to review the data openly, weigh risks and benefits, and take votes. But in December, the FDA and CDC leadership three times took the extraordinary step of not convening those experts for key booster meetings, in essence going around them because committee members had warned that the science supporting boosters for younger people was weak to non-existent, and they had safety concerns. Dr. Paul Offit, perhaps the most high profile provaccine physician-scientist in America, who was on the FDA panel told The Atlantic, he wouldn't advise a booster for his healthy son in his 20s, or a healthy male in his teens, because the risks of myocarditis (higher in males) outweigh the benefits. Dr. Offit rejects the CDC's and FDA's all-or-nothing approach to children's vaccination.

Vinayak Prasad, the UCSF epidemiologist, says if you put the Danish, Ontario, U.S., and Kaiser studies about Omicron together, ''it's time to face the reality about the vaccines.''

''Two doses of vaccine does nothing or almost nothing to stop symptomatic SARS-CoV-2,'' he says. ''Three doses barely does anything, and the effect will likely attenuate over time.'' He says, ''Booster mandates make no sense. '... Boosting should happen in populations where it further reduces severe disease and death '' a.k.a. older and vulnerable people.''

With Omicron surging, Israeli public health met to discuss a fourth booster. The New York Times reported that some scientists on the Israeli government booster advisory panel, ''warned that the plan could backfire, because too many shots might cause a sort of immune system fatigue, compromising the body's ability to fight the coronavirus.'' This immune system fatigue was, perhaps, not inconsistent with negative vaccine efficacy. It's not proven, but the fact that public-health officials were voicing such concerns shows that the doubling down strategy on boosters is being reappraised on safety lines. The EU, in a reversal, has just come out against regular, continuing boosters, saying they are afraid it will weaken the immune system.

People at a private nursing home dance before getting their fourth vaccine doses in Netanya, Israel. Israelis are eligible to get Pfizer as a fourth dose if they're over 60, immunocompromised or work in health care. Ariel Schalit/The Associated Press

From the very beginning, some scientists have wondered whether our goal '' the conquest and eradication of the virus '' was the right one. As Michael Cordingley reminds us in his book Viruses, in each millilitre of seawater there are about 10 to 100 million viruses, and this was a respiratory virus, free-floating, all around us, likely to shape shift and mutate. Could we, conquerors of nature, really overwhelm an enemy so omnipresent and agile?

As we have seen, as part of the reappraisal, there's an increasingly new goal being articulated by most public-health experts, that it's not ''eradication of the virus,'' but it is keeping hospitalizations and deaths down, but also, working with the virus. The chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, professor Hagai Levine, said, ''Because Omicron is so contagious, our efforts to stop its spread are probably pretty futile. '... We are not going to stop this wave.'' Then he dared to say, ''We have been trying to dodge the bullet for two years, and in Israel we have been successful to some extent. But most of humanity is still alive after contracting COVID.''

The Jerusalem Post reported, that in Israel some health experts ''believe the 'magic bullet' this time around will actually be widespread infection.'' It cited Dr. Cohen, saying, ''The fifth wave might end when a large number of people will be infected.''

Just as deaths have decoupled from cases with Omicron, our COVID mandates have decoupled from the science originally used to justify them. But the goalposts are moving, and now it is argued that only mandates will keep hospitals free of high-risk unvaccinated patients. What are the numbers? As of Jan. 20, there are 740 unvaccinated, and 2,091 fully vaccinated people in hospital for COVID (but not the ICU). In the ICUs there are 208 unvaccinated and 263 fully vaccinated people. True, there are fewer unvaccinated than vaccinated people in Ontario, but if surgeries are delayed, it is clearly because both groups are occupying beds. Portraying the unvaccinated as the sole cause is inaccurate, and deflects from the painful fact that Canada has fewer ICU and acute care beds per capita than almost any country in the developed world, and that the current vaccines are not working as well as hoped. What is called for is not more scapegoating and coercion, but healing, and more early treatment for both groups, now that we have it. Honouring the bedrock of medical ethics, no treatment without consent, is humane, preferable and possible.

Also reappraising is Bill Gates himself. He admitted this past November, ''We need a new way of doing the vaccines.'' He also accepted that our focus had been too narrow. ''We didn't get much in the way of therapeutics '... way less than should have been the case.''

Consider how different our narrative is now. More and more officials are saying openly what the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration '' the ridiculed view of 60,000 public health scientists and physician signatories '' said some time ago: Our goal is not eradication of the virus, or a one-size-fits-all policy, but lessening of deaths in the vulnerable through focused protection, and focused vaccination. The immunity we have will be a mix of vaccine immunity and natural immunity, depending on the person. The new plan '' to live with the virus and get back to living a normal life '' is a departure from the pure Baconian ''conquest of nature,'' and hearkens back to the ancient, Hippocratic, notion that we must work with nature as an ally, in a kind of collaboration.

Since nature can indeed be both ''the enemy,'' but also is our very foundation, and potential ally and friend, no narrative that excludes either side of this friend and foe duality can ever do justice to medicine and healing. If the abandonment of Hippocrates was the first medical reversal, we are seeing in its return, a reversal of a reversal.

It's been a blow to our Baconian narcissism to be upended by nature these past two years. That thin-skinned Baconian within seems almost offended to admit that protection has come not only from scientific advances, but from natural immunity. Others might see this as a reassuring reminder that natural processes are not always and only the enemy. We shall find out, as we observe the unvaccinated, to what extent natural immunity, accumulating in waves of infection over time, does or does not protect, for the current or future variants.

Till then, let's give infallibility the day off. We have some ingenuity and some tools in our tool kit, none perfect, but if we use the whole kit, instead of just the hammer, we might be better for it. That goes for how we treat the virus, and how we treat each other. And for those scientists among us '' those strange creatures, always reappraising! '' there is comfort in knowing that after two years of hard work, we have a new narrative, or picture of our situation, which though imperfect, is more nuanced and likely closer to the truth.

COVID-19: More from The Globe and MailThe DecibelHow are scientists tracking the mutations of COVID-19 variants like Omicron to learn what they might do to populations next? Globe science reporter Ivan Semeniuk explains. Subscribe for more episodes.

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Mon, 24 Jan 2022 03:40

When thousands of protesters gathered on the National Mall on Sunday morning to protest Covid vaccine mandates, they did so, they insisted, to preserve personal freedoms. ''No more mandates!'' they shouted as they marched, serpentine and coiled, like the snakes on the ''Don't Tread On Me'' flags hoisted above their heads. ''This is not about vaccine or anti-vax,'' JP Sears, a comedian known for spreading conspiracy theories through sarcastic comedy, told the crowd. It was, he asserted, as Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ''a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.''

But it was, very much, about vaccines. Children's Health Defense Fund, the political wing of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s anti-vax organization, hosted the event. Kennedy, who has been vocally spreading false claims about vaccine safety for decades, addressed the crowd to offer unsubstantiated warnings of the Covid-19 vaccines' dangers. So did several doctors, wearing their physician whites, who also touted ivermectin to prevent Covid (it won't) and rehashed long-debunked studies suggesting vaccines cause autism (it doesn't). Just days after the CDC released its first study showing vaccine boosters help protect patients against hospitalization from Omicron, Dr. Robert Malone, a virologist and well-known vaccine skeptic, falsely told the crowd: ''The science is settled: they're not working.''

The rhetoric took an extremist turn as the speakers addressed the group. Kennedy called the mandates ''a coup d'etat to democracy'' and compared vaccine passports to slavery. ''Even in Hitler's Germany, you could hide,'' Kennedy said, referring to Anne Frank's ultimately unsuccessful flight from the Nazis. Del Bigtree, a prominent anti-vax podcaster who spoke at the rally, invoked the Nuremberg trials to threaten Dr. Anthony Fauci and the press '-- a sentiment also made clear on many of the signs in the crowd.

The rally's permit had predicted 20,000 attendees. A much smaller, mostly maskless crowd gathered on Sunday, filling in from the Lincoln Memorial only to the closest edge of the Reflecting Pool. Even so, those who made the trek to Washington on a bitter January afternoon proved this point: The anti-vax movement has migrated from the fringes to the mainstream, due to the many who joined its ranks since the pandemic began. And now, by drilling down on vaccine mandates, the long-standing movement is recruiting new allies.

The crowd, as expected, was filled with the MAGA faithful, a core constituency that has railed against any and all government mandates since the pandemic's inception. There was no shortage of ''Let's Go Brandon'' paraphanalia, as well as its less polite cousin, ''Fuck Biden.'' A woman wearing a knit hat emblazoned with Trump's ''45'' told me she'd had it with government overreach. ''What other vaccine have you gotten that you still have to wear a mask for?'' she said.

There were also many whose anti-vax activism predated the pandemic. I walked toward the Lincoln Memorial with Liz, who'd traveled from San Diego to attend the rally. Liz, who declined to give her last name, had raised her children partially in Japan, where doctors had stopped recommending adolescent women receive the HPV vaccine after it ''killed some girls, maimed some others,'' she explains. (The claim is unsubstantiated; reported side effects include muscle pain, sleep disorders, and light and sound sensitivity.) She struggles to find trustworthy news sources, she tells me, relying mostly on Children's Health Defense, LifeSiteNews, a Catholic far-right advocacy and news site, and what she reads on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app favored by the right.

But I met many more who are new to the movement, like Stefan, a teacher from Santa Cruz, California, who carried a ''Teachers Against Vaccines'' sign. He and his children were ''traditionally vaccinated,'' he says, but his faith in vaccines changed during the pandemic. He cites Kennedy's latest book, The Real Anthony Fauci , as key to that conversion. ''I'm a full anti-vaxxer now,'' he says. Like Liz, he trusts Children's Health Defense for information '-- a neighbor he trusts had turned him onto it. Most of the rest of his news comes from conspiracy-adjacent podcasts: The Joe Rogan Experience , No Agenda , and HighWire , whose host, Bigtree, spoke at the rally.

A man from the New York area who declined to give his name told me that though he is new to anti-mandate activism, his ex-wife had taken him to court over his refusal to vaccinate their child. ''I won't let children become clinical trials,'' he says. Zhane, a 26-year-old from Virginia, told me she nearly lost her job as a hospital nurse for refusing to get the vaccine. She's worried it could harm her reproductive health, even though studies indicate otherwise. Katie, a Virginia resident, had an adverse reaction to a vaccine as a child and had survived her bout with Covid. She carried a ''Recognize Natural Immunity'' sign in protest of the mandates in Washington, D.C., where she works, even though people who have previously had Covid can become reinfected with the virus and spread it.

As I spoke with people, I heard my fair share of conspiracy theories. They can't figure out why Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been so closely involved in vaccine production. They point to vaccinated people infected with the Omicron variant as proof that the vaccines were never about preventing disease at all, even though vaccinated people are much less likely to get seriously sick than their unvaccinated counterparts. They feel, as many signs stated at Sunday's rally, that Fauci should go to prison.

But many others I spoke with didn't linger on the outlandish claims. At the core of the responses I gathered was something more nuanced: An enduring fear of the virus, frustration with the governments' response, and a feeling that they lack control over the choices they make for themselves and their families. In taking up mandates as their cause, the anti-vax movement had found a powerful conduit for those feelings '-- a circumstance that could make Sunday's rally a potent breeding ground for misinformation.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:58

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:37

Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the Omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States and Canada.

This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered stealthier than the original version of Omicron because particular genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Some scientists worry it could also be more contagious.

But they say there's a lot they still don't know about it, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.

Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inboxWHERE HAS IT SPREAD?Since mid-November, more than three dozen countries have uploaded nearly 15,000 genetic sequences of BA.2 to GISAID, a global platform for sharing coronavirus data. As of Tuesday morning, 96 of those sequenced cases came from the U.S.

''Thus far, we haven't seen it start to gain ground'' in the U.S., said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas, which has identified three cases of BA.2.

The mutant appears much more common in Asia and Europe. In Denmark, it made up 45% of all COVID-19 cases in mid-January, up from 20% two weeks earlier, according to Statens Serum Institut, which falls under the Danish Ministry of Health.

WHAT'S KNOWN ABOUT THIS VERSION OF THE VIRUS?BA.2 has lots of mutations. About 20 of them in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus are shared with the original Omicron. But it also has additional genetic changes not seen in the initial version.

It's unclear how significant those mutations are, especially in a population that has encountered the original Omicron, said Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

For now, the original version, known as BA.1, and BA.2 are considered subsets of omicron. But global health leaders could give it its own Greek letter name if it is deemed a globally significant ''variant of concern.''

Omicron subvariant BA.2 reported in Canada: PHAC The quick spread of BA.2 in some places raises concerns it could take off.

''We have some indications that it just may be as contagious or perhaps slightly more contagious than (original) Omicron since it's able to compete with it in some areas,'' Long said. ''But we don't necessarily know why that is.''

An initial analysis by scientists in Denmark shows no differences in hospitalizations for BA.2 compared with the original Omicron. Scientists there are still looking into this version's infectiousness and how well current vaccines work against it. It's also unclear how well treatments will work against it.

Doctors also don't yet know for sure if someone who's already had COVID-19 caused by Omicron can be sickened again by BA.2. But they're hopeful, especially that a prior Omicron infection might lessen the severity of disease if someone later contracts BA.2.

The two versions of omicron have enough in common that it's possible that infection with the original mutant ''will give you cross-protection against BA.2,'' said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious diseases expert at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Scientists will be conducting tests to see if antibodies from an infection with the original Omicron ''are able to neutralize BA.2 in the laboratory and then extrapolate from there,'' he said.

HOW CONCERNED ARE HEALTH AGENCIES?The World Health Organization classifies Omicron overall as a variant of concern, its most serious designation of a coronavirus mutant, but it doesn't single out BA.2 with a designation of its own. Given its rise in some countries, however, the agency says investigations of BA.2 ''should be prioritized.''

The U.K. Health Security Agency, meanwhile, has designated BA.2 a ''variant under investigation,'' citing the rising numbers found in the U.K. and internationally. Still, the original version of omicron remains dominant in the U.K.

WHY IS IT HARDER TO DETECT?The original version of Omicron had specific genetic features that allowed health officials to rapidly differentiate it from Delta using a certain PCR test because of what's known as ''S gene target failure.''

BA.2 doesn't have this same genetic quirk. So on the test, Long said, BA.2 looks like delta.

''It's not that the test doesn't detect it; it's just that it doesn't look like omicron,'' he said. ''Don't get the impression that `stealth Omicron' means we can't detect it. All of our PCR tests can still detect it.''

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF?Doctors advise the same precautions they have all along: Get vaccinated and follow public health guidance about wearing masks, avoiding crowds and staying home when you're sick.

''The vaccines are still providing good defence against severe disease, hospitalization and death,'' Long said. ''Even if you've had COVID 19 before - you've had a natural infection - the protection from the vaccine is still stronger, longer lasting and actually ... does well for people who've been previously infected.''

The latest version is another reminder that the pandemic hasn't ended.

''We all wish that it was over,'' Long said, ''but until we get the world vaccinated, we're going to be at risk of having new variants emerge.''

----

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:37

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:26

Tom Elliott : The ''surgeon general'' @vivek_murthy: ''Critical part of how we get through this pandemic'' is ''limiting the spread of'... https://t.co/xDxYF5iqrB

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:50

Deadline White House : "I think we're basically just on the cusp of war. I think it's all but certain in my mind that there's going to be'... https://t.co/FItpo7uxZC

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Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:14

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Catherine Herridge : NEW DHS intel report obtained @cbsnews found extremists ''adhering to a range of ideologies will likely continue to'... https://t.co/4jVT0d2zmq

Wed Jan 26 14:58:54 +0000 2022

Kris DeLoof : @CBS_Herridge @CBSNews You are spreading lies! Stop the madness!

Wed Jan 26 17:32:21 +0000 2022

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Wed Jan 26 17:26:25 +0000 2022

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Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:25

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews

Here is some of the most current numbers from three important outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):

Monkeypox

Democratic Republic of the Congo/CIAHealth authorities reported an additional 189 total monkeypox cases. including two deaths in the past two weeks, bringing the country total for 2021 to 3,087 cases with 83 deaths (CFR 2.7%) through December 26.

This is less than half the cases reported in 2020 when a total of 6,257 suspected cases including 229 deaths (CFR 3.7%) were reported in 133 health zones from 17 out of 26 provinces in the country.

Plague

Eight additional human plague cases were reported in the DRC since the last update two weeks prior. This year through December 26, 138 suspected pneumonic plague cases including 14 deaths (CFR: 10.1%) were reported in eight health zones in Ituri province.

In 2020, 461 suspected plague cases of which 31 deaths (CFR: 6.7%) were reported in eight health zones of Ituri.

Animal Viruses and Humans, a Narrow Divide: How Lethal Zoonotic Viruses Spill Over and Threaten Us

Poliomyelitis (cVDPV2)

The World Health Organization reports two additional circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases, bringing the total for 2021 to 19 confirmed.

The cases were reported from four provinces: (Sud Ubangi, Mongala, Nord Ubangi and Maniema). No deaths were reported.

The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine

The total number of 2020 cases was 81.

Spain reports H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in SegoviaHong Kong: Pet store hamsters test positive for COVID-19, Temporary suspension of salesArgentina: Hantavirus case reported in ChubutChina reports 4 additional H9N2 avian influenza cases in late 2021Slovenia: Norovirus outbreak in Ilirska Bistrica affects 123, Not linked to foodMicrobiology and the Clinical Laboratory ScientistUganda reports Rift Valley Fever death in KagadiIsle of Man: 1st H5N1 avian influenza cases reported in geeseSouthern China man survives Balamuthia mandrillaris infection

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Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:22

Ursula von der Leyen : Our semiconductors supplies come from a few producers outside the EU. This is a dependency we cannot afford.The'... https://t.co/GwQnCORUKB

Thu Jan 20 12:23:35 +0000 2022

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Russ : @NickFondacaro @adamcurry @THErealDVORAK uh oh Whoopi made an oopsie at 0:40

Tue Jan 25 01:48:16 +0000 2022

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Streets in Tianjin, China, empty out on Jan. 10, 2022, as the city enters partial lockdown following a spike in omicron cases.

Geno Hou | Future Publishing | Getty Images

Covid lockdowns, quarantines and restrictions are causing a backlog in some of China's major ports, resulting in "chaos" and pushing up air freights by as much as 50% in some cases, analysts tell CNBC.

Ahead of the extended Lunar New Year holiday in China, air freight rates have spiked and some shipping firms have suspended services, putting the spotlight on overwhelmed supply chains again.

It comes as China pushes ahead with its zero-Covid strategy '-- which means a recent spike in infections has resulted in lockdowns and curbs in the largest port hubs and major cities across the country.

"Although ports are still open, current restrictions '' like mandatory quarantines and testing '' continue to slow down transport and cause delays," Atul Vashistha, founder and chairman of supply chain consultancy Supply Wisdom, told CNBC.

China's key priority right now is to limit the spread of Covid cases ahead of next month's Winter Olympics and the upcoming Lunar New Year, he added. However, the ensuing curbs at ports have also let to some "chaos."

"Products are piling up while ships are banned entry. Between negative PCR-test requirements and last-minute re-routing, 2022 is starting off like 2021 ended '' chaos," Vashistha said referring to polymerase chain reaction Covid tests.

Cases have been reported in the key port cities of Shenzhen, Tianjin and Ningbo, as well as the industrial hub of Xi'an, sparking lockdowns and other curbs.

Infections have also been reported in other cities such as Dalian and Anyang.

The capital of Beijing reported its first locally transmitted omicron infection on Jan. 15. On Sunday, less than two weeks before the Winter Olympics, Beijing's authorities introduced new restrictions to contain a recent outbreak after nine locally transmitted cases were found in Beijing on a day earlier.

The Ningbo outbreak in December also sparked some curbs, and disrupted traffic at the world's third busiest port, Ningbo-Zhoushan.

Operations have since largely resumed, but shipments were diverted to Shanghai '-- the busiest port in the world '-- causing congestion and delays there too, Judah Levine, head of research at freight booking platform Freightos Group, told CNBC.

Supply chain tech firm project44 said that the shift from Ningbo port to Shanghai "backfired on some shippers" as congestion at Shanghai increased. As a result, Shanghai recorded an 86% increase year-over-year in blank sailings, it said, referring to an industry term for when a carrier decides to skip a particular port or the entire voyage altogether.

In an email to CNBC last week, Levine from Freightos said all eyes were on China and the impact that strict outbreak containment measures might have on logistics. "Steps were taken to quash the spread of positive cases detected in multiple places including Beijing, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Dalian and several others," he said on Jan. 19.

Rising air freight ratesSea shipping spot rates crept up 4% on the Asia to U.S. West Coast route, Levine said, but they're not likely to go up much further, amid a pause in manufacturing as the Lunar New Year holiday approaches and factories shut down for an extended period.

However, air cargo rates are still spiking, he added.

"With enough time to still move cargo by air, the pre-holiday rush, along with pandemic-restricted capacity is pushing air cargo rates up," he said, adding that the Freightos Air Index showed the China to North Europe rate was at $9.59 per kg in mid January'-- up over 50% from below $6 per kg at the start of January.

The Lunar New Year is China's largest holiday and hundreds of millions of people traditionally travel back to their home towns from the cities they work in.

Some major shipping firms, such as Ocean Network Express and Hapag-Lloyd, suspended services and operations even earlier than last year to celebrate the season, according to Vashistha. That's straining already-fragile supply chains, he said.

This latest shock comes at a bad time for global supply chains. They were already stressed from the Christmas period combined with the omicron variant, but port issues in China take these complications to a new level.

John Ferguson

Economist Impact

Shipping costs have been falling over the past couple of months as the supply chain backlog eased, but the recent Covid surge and any potential port closures are going to cast a shadow over any progress that has been made, said Paul Gruenwald, chief economist at S&P Global Ratings.

"I would say that this is going to slow the improvement we've been seeing over the last couple of months," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Thursday.

Impact of China's zero-Covid on Winter OlympicsChina's zero-tolerance for Covid will have a major impact on global supply chains, said John Ferguson, practice lead for globalization, trade and finance for think tank Economist Impact.

"This latest shock comes at a bad time for global supply chains. They were already stressed from the Christmas period combined with the omicron variant, but port issues in China take these complications to a new level," Ferguson said.

"China's zero-Covid strategy is key as further outbreaks will result in more closures or lockdowns in key areas," he told CNBC. "Given that China has the Winter Olympics coming up, as well as important political events later in the year, it is unlikely that China will abandon its Covid strategy in 2022."

One bright spot is that many companies have already been preparing for stressed supply chains scenarios, and are now putting their plans in place, he said.

Still, it won't be all plain sailing.

"While global companies have become more nimble in this crisis, we still should expect some delays from this latest round of supply chain stress," he added.

Supply Wisdom's Vashistha summed it up: "Combine the shutdowns with the rise in Covid-induced port backlogs, China's zero tolerance policy, and along with reduced aviation capacity, and the problem becomes even more clear: Cargo continues to surge with no way to move it or places to go."