Today's New: April 19, 2019

World News
US, Israeli-Made Arms Left by Terrorists Found in Syrian Countryside – Reports
Sputnik – The cache is just the latest hoard of weapons and supplies found by Syrian forces as they have advanced to clear the country from a diverse assortment of terrorists seeking to overthrow the country’s government to establish an Islamist caliphate.
Authorities in the Daraa countryside in southern Syria have showed off a fresh cache of armaments left behind by terrorists as they fled the area, with the Syrian Arab News Agency posting photos of the massive haul, featuring a wide assortment of weapons, some of them made in the USA and Israel.
The catch includes a wide variety of rifles, heavy machine guns, mortar shells and RPG rounds, grenades and an assortment of ammunition of various calibers, with walkie-talkies and field hospital equipment also in the mix. The photos show that some of the equipment is brand new in what appears to be its original packaging.
The discovery is the second cache of arms found in the region in less than two months, with tons of weapons found in Daraa in February in a large warehouse. A separate large cache of arms was discovered in neighbouring Quneitra governorate the same month.
Syrian authorities have recently begun work to rebuild the country after years of foreign-backed conflict, with the war costing hundreds of thousands of lives and prompting millions of Syrians to be internally or externally displaced.
Kushner: Peace Plan Will Be Revealed After Ramadan
Breitbart – The long-anticipated U.S. peace proposal for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be unveiled before the Muslim holiday of Ramadan is over in June, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner confirmed.
Kushner told some 100 foreign ambassadors in Washington on Wednesday that the plan would require an “open mind” from both sides – both of whom will be forced to make compromises, according to source cited by Reuters.
The source quoted Kushner as saying that the “the plan will require concessions from both sides but won’t jeopardize the security of Israel.”
Northern Ireland journalist killed by gunman during riot
Reuters – A 29-year-old Northern Irish journalist was shot dead during rioting in Londonderry overnight, an attack that shocked the region and police said was likely the work of Irish nationalist militants opposed to the 1998 Good Friday peace deal.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
Judge Upholds Mandatory Measles Vaccinations
NPR – A Brooklyn judge has sided with New York health officials to uphold a mandatory measles vaccinations order, dismissing a lawsuit from a group of parents who claimed the city had overstepped its authority.
Judge Lawrence Knipel on Thursday refused parents’ request to lift the vaccination order that was imposed last week to stem a severe measles outbreak. “A fireman need not obtain the informed consent of the owner before extinguishing a house fire,” Knipel wrote in his ruling as quoted by Gothamist. “Vaccination is known to extinguish the fire of contagion.”
On the same day, the city announced that it was closing four more schools and issuing three civil summons for parents who had failed to comply with the mandate.
As of Thursday, the New York Department of Health had recorded 359 cases of measles since the outbreak began in October, up from 329 confirmed cases on Monday. The cases are centered in ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn.
A group of five parents had sued the city over the mandated measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations, claiming that the current outbreaks do not justify “drastic emergency measures” that override individual rights. The lawsuit argued that the outbreak was not a “clear and present danger to public health.”
But the judge disagreed.
“The unvarnished truth is that these diagnoses represent the most significant spike in incidence of measles in the United States in many years and the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn is at its epicenter,” he wrote in his opinion, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Robert Krakow, the parents’ attorney, said that his clients were disappointed and that they were discussing next steps, according to The Journal. He said he was not surprised by the decision.
In Thursday’s release, the city said it had identified three children who were exposed to measles but were still unvaccinated as of last Friday. The cases will go to a hearing, where parents will pay a $1,000 penalty if the violations are upheld, according to the city. Parents who do not appear at the hearing or respond to the summons will be fined $2,000.
The city said its health authority is working with community leaders to ensure schools comply with emergency mandates.
‘God Bless America’ singer banned over ‘racist’ 1930s songs
RT – Once described as “imperishable emblem of America,” Kate Smith has been blacklisted by two major sports teams and her recording of ‘God Bless America’ pulled, on grounds that two of her other 1930s songs were racist and offensive.
On Friday, the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team covered up a statue of Smith outside their arena with black tarp, issuing a statement that “several songs performed by Kate Smith contain offensive lyrics that do not reflect our values as an organization.” The Flyers are also removing Smith’s recording of ‘God Bless America’ from their library, the team said.
The two songs in question are ‘Pickaninny Heaven’ (from a 1933 film) and ‘That’s Why Darkies Were Born’ (1931). While there are some “conflicting notions” regarding the latter song, which was considered satire at the time, wrote Stefan Bondy of the the Daily News, “her shocking lyrics from 1939 [sic] are neither humorous nor ironic in 2019.”
FBI’s Facial Recognition Programs Under Fire Over Privacy, Accuracy Concerns
Next Gov – The bureau has largely ignored the Government Accountability Office’s concerns about its use of facial recognition in criminal investigations.
The FBI still has not assessed whether its facial recognition systems meet privacy and accuracy standards nearly three years after a congressional watchdog—the Government Accountability Office—raised multiple concerns about the bureau’s use of the tech.
Since 2015, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have used the Next Generation Identification-Interstate Photo System, which uses facial recognition software to link potential suspects to crimes, pulling from a database of more than 30 million mugshots and other photos.
In May 2016, the Government Accountability Office recommended the FBI establish checks to ensure the software adhered to the Justice Department’s privacy and accuracy standards, but according to a report published Wednesday, the bureau has yet to implement any of the six proposed policy changes.
GAO added every measure to the Justice Department’s list of “priority open recommendations,” though DOJ officials previously disputed whether four of the six policies are necessary.
“By addressing these issues, DOJ would have reasonable assurance that their [facial recognition] technology provides accurate information that helps enhance, rather than hinder, criminal investigations,” Gretta Goodwin, GAO’s director of justice and law enforcement issues, told Nextgov. “Even more, DOJ would help ensure that it is sufficiently protecting the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. citizens.”
House Accepts Limited Constitutional Carry
Gun Owners of America – Thank you for all of your phone calls in support of HB 1177 — Constitutional Carry for Disasters! It passed Second Reading on the House floor Wednesday and we expect final passage on the House floor soon.
If fully passed in its current form, HB 1177 will allow anyone who is not prohibited from possessing a handgun to carry it, open or concealed, when evacuating from a disaster zone within 168 hours of a declared disaster.
Our biggest obstacle to advancing gun freedom right now is the Senate State Affairs Committee. Use the widget above to be connected with Sen. Joan Huffman’s office to let her know we NEED a hearing on gun rights bills!
Rep. Stickland Brings Constitutional Carry to the House Floor.
During debate on HB 1177, Rep Stickland brought amendments that would have broadened the measure into a quasi-Constitutional Carry bill. This should be an easy policy decision for Texas — to follow in the steps of 17 states who allow full Constitutional Carry or 31 states that allow unlicensed open carry.
Instead, the amendments were shut down on points of order. (See the full play-by-play here.)
This continues leadership’s consistent shutting down the issue of Constitutional Carry and propagating gross mistruths about the issue and about gun rights activists (see my video on that topic).
However, we can still chalk down significant wins.
Yesterday’s debate marks the first time that permitless carry has been brought forward in the Texas legislature. The vote marks the first acceptance of a wider population (not an elite class) carrying a handgun without a license in public — albeit with a very limited scope (evacuation from disasters). And the bill passed by 105-37. Click here to see how your Representative voted.
Painesville police: Man uses iguana as weapon at Perkins
News – Herald – Painesville police have arrested a man whose identity has not yet released for disturbing the peace April 16 at Perkins Restaurant, 700 Mentor Ave.
The 49-year-old was apprehended after he removed an iguana from underneath his shirt and began swinging the reptile by the head and tail over his head, according to a department Facebook post. When asked to lower the lizard, the suspect threw the animal at the store manager and fled the restaurant.
Officers were able to track the male down along the 900 block of Mentor Avenue shortly after the incident, according to the post. Police say that the suspect resisted arrest.
The iguana, nicknamed Cooper by the police department, was seized by officers and taken to the Lake County Humane Society where he will be checked for injuries.
The suspect is currently being held with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and animal cruelty charges.
Man stole $374,000 from USPS customers in one Fort Worth ZIP code, feds say
Star – Telegram – In December, investigators with the United States Postal Service were contacted by representatives of Chase Bank regarding numerous fraudulent applications for new credit cards. The majority of the applications were within the 76133 zip code, which covers an area of south Fort Worth between the Chisholm Trail Parkway and Edgecliff Village, according to the complaint.
The postal service identified the carrier for that area, who told investigators that a man named “Figaro” — later identified as Loragecar Figaro — asked him to intercept credit cards from the mail in exchange for payment, according to the complaint.
Investigators used the carrier to set a fake meeting with Figaro. On Feb. 21, the carrier told Figaro that he had three credit cards to give him. They agreed to meet in south Arlington.
Once at the address, Figaro gave the carrier $200 for the credit cards. Figaro was then arrested along with a man he was with.
Figaro was indicted on Wednesday on a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The USPS carrier was not named in the court documents.
Dems set up showdown with attorney general
Daily Mail – House Democrats SUBPOENA full Mueller report, setting up legal showdown with AG Bill Barr

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler announced Friday morning he was subpoenaing the full Robert Mueller report
‘We need the entire report unredacted and the underlying documents in order to make informed decisions,’ Nadler told ABC
He wants grand jury information Attorney General Bill Barr wants to with hold
The matter could end up in federal courts
Meanwhile House Democrats will hold a Monday conference call to regroup
‘Congress will not be silent,’ Speaker Pelosi told lawmakers Thursday night

Economy & Business
Deutsche Bank faces action over $20bn Russian money-laundering scheme
Blacklisted News – Germany’s troubled Deutsche Bank faces fines, legal action and the possible prosecution of “senior management” because of its role in a $20bn Russian money-laundering scheme, a confidential internal report seen by the Guardian says.
The bank admits there is a high risk that regulators in the US and UK will take “significant disciplinary action” against it. Deutsche concedes that the scandal has hurt its “global brand” – and is likely to cause “client attrition”, loss of investor confidence and a decline in its market value.
Deutsche Bank was embroiled in a vast money-laundering operation, dubbed the Global Laundromat. Russian criminals with links to the Kremlin and the KGB used the scheme between 2010 and 2014 to move money into the western financial system. The cash involved could total $80bn, detectives believe.
Shell companies typically based in the UK “loaned” money to each other. Companies then defaulted on this large fictitious debt. Corrupt judges in Moldova authenticated the debt – with billions transferred to Moldova and the Baltics via a bank in Latvia.
Amazon Retreats from the China Market
Breitbart – E-commerce giant Amazon reportedly plans to close its domestic marketplace to Chinese consumers by mid-July due to Chinese companies dominating the market. Jeff Bezos’ company will continue to sell goods from other countries in China.
CNBC reports that e-commerce giant Amazon will soon close its domestic marketplace in China, instead focusing on selling cloud services and overseas goods in the country. Chinese shoppers will still be able to purchase items from the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark and Japan via Amazon’s global store but will no longer have access to products sold by third-party merchants in the country.
Over the course of the next 90 days, Amazon plans to close down all domestic-selling merchants in China. A source stated that Chinese buyers will still be able to purchase some Amazon products such as Kindle e-readers and Amazon’s online content. Amazon Web services and all cloud-based data storage will continue to operate in the country also.
U.S. homebuilding near two-year low; permits extend decline
Reuters – U.S. homebuilding dropped to a near two-year low in March, pulled down by persistent weakness in the single-family unit segment, suggesting the housing market continued to struggle despite falling mortgage rates.
Energy & Environment
Wild bee species critical to pollination on decline
AP – More than a dozen wild bee species critical to pollinating everything from blueberries to apples in New England are on the decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of New Hampshire wanted to understand if the documented declines hitting honeybees and bumblebees were also taking a toll on the lesser studied bee species in New Hampshire.
So they examined 119 species in the state from a museum collection at the college dating back 125 years. Writing in the peer-reviewed journal Insect and Conservation Diversity this month, Sandra Rehan and Minna Mathiasson concluded 14 species found across New England were on the decline by as much as 90 percent. Several of them are leafcutter and mining bees, which, unlike honeybees, nest in the ground.
Debt collectors soon to text, email consumers
CBS – Debt collecting is an age-old business but it may soon receive a 21st-century revamp when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency created in the wake of the financial crisis to protect consumers, proposes new rules for the industry. Among the changes may be whether debt collectors can text and email borrowers as they pursue overdue funds.
The idea of debt collectors adding new methods of communication to their arsenal may stir annoyance, if not fear, among some consumers. After all, the debt-collection industry isn’t exactly beloved among consumers, with the CFPB recording 84,500 complaints about debt collection in 2017, making it one of the most complained-about financial services.
Debt collection is a big business in the U.S., a $10.9 billion industry that employs almost 120,000 workers who help track down overdue payments. Since the financial crisis, American consumers have taken on more debt, and some delinquencies, such as for auto loans, have been increasing. Against this backdrop is a CFPB that critics say has lost its appetite for going after financial abuses by corporations under Trump administration appointees who favor less regulation.
Some consumer advocates say they worry updated rules for debt collectors may lead to an unwelcome flurry of texts, emails and calls to consumers who owe money.
“I’m really terrified the rule will say, ‘Now you can contact them 10 times a day,” every debt collector will max out on it,” said Linda Jun, senior policy counsel at Americans for Financial Reform, a nonprofit group formed after the financial crisis to advocate for Wall Street regulation.
For its part, the CFPB argues the law that oversees debt collections — the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act — is long overdue for an update. The law was passed in 1977 and hasn’t been updated to reflect new technologies like email and texting, said CFPB director Kathleen Kraninger in a Wednesday speech.
Science & Technology
A Real Life Planet of the Apes? Scientists implant human brain genes into monkeys!
Off Grid Survival – The scientists, in an attempt to use gene-editing techniques to make monkey’s brains more human-like, have kicked off a wave of debate into scientific ethics, and have caused some to raise concerns that this could be the begging of a dystopian Planet of the Apes scenario.
Dr. Jacqueline Glover, a University of Colorado bioethicist, told MIT Technology Review: “You just go to the ‘Planet of the Apes’ immediately in the popular imagination.” … “To humanise them is to cause harm. Where would they live and what would they do? Do not create a being that can’t have a meaningful life in any context.”
“The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take,” University of Colorado geneticist James Sikela told the MIT Technology Review. “It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we can expect to recur as this type of research is pursued.”
The disgusting mad science experiment was conducted by researchers at Kunming Institute of Zoology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, working closely with US researchers at from the University of North Carolina. As part of the “research”, they edited the human version of a gene called MCPH1 into the macaques.
The gene-edited monkey’s brains developed similar to the human-like timeline, and they had better reaction times than and enhanced short-term memories compared to the control group.
“Our findings demonstrated that transgenic nonhuman primates (excluding ape species) have the potential to provide important – and potentially unique – insights into basic questions of what actually makes human unique,” the authors wrote.
Y2K-like software glitch takes down NYC communications system, proving vulnerability of modern society to programming mistakes
NaturalNews – Multiple communications platforms throughout New York City reportedly went offline on April 6 due to a Y2K-like bug known as “GPS Rollover,” which took down traffic lights, meter readers, license plate readers and various other automated systems, the news is reporting.
The software glitch affected what’s known as NYCWiN, an integrated control grid that’s used for all sorts of automated tasks that are responsible for keeping NYC up and running. According to Stephanie Raphael, a spokeswoman for the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, a number of “elements” within the NYCWiN system became inoperable after the bug engaged itself.
“We’re working overtime to update the network and bring all of it back online,” Raphael told the media. “No critical public safety systems are affected by this brief software installation period, and we’ve taken several steps to make up for the disruption to the few isolated tools affected,” she added.
What basically happened is that the Global Positioning System utilized by NYCWiN, which is supposed to keep track of time in weekly intervals, as well as every 1,024 weeks, or roughly 20 years, reset itself, as it was supposed to – but this threw the system into disarray. NYC knew the reset was coming, and had been warned in advance about potential problems by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – but like with the Y2K bug, nobody really knew the extent of the problems that would ensue.
“The situation shows a real need to do some serious oversight on NYCWiN more broadly,” stated City Councilman Brad Lander, who sits on the council’s technology committee. “What are its goals, what is its critical function, and why are we paying for it?”
FACEBOOK bans UK far-right groups
France 24 – Social media giant Facebook on Thursday banned various far-right British groups including the English Defence League from its network for promoting hate and violence.
Other groups kicked off both Facebook or Instagram include Knights Templar International, Britain First, the British National Party (BNP) and the National Front.
The tech titan banned the groups for contravening its policy forbidding “terrorist activity, organised hate, mass or serial murder, human trafficking or organised violence or criminal activity”.
“Individuals and organisations who spread hate, or attack or call for the exclusion of others on the basis of who they are, have no place on Facebook,” a spokeswoman for Facebook said.
“We ban those who proclaim a violent or hateful mission or are engaged in acts of hate or violence.
“Posts and other content which expresses praise or support for these figures and groups will also be banned.”
Former BNP leader Nick Griffin and Britain First leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen have also been banned in the crackdown.
Health
What Air Pollution Does to Your Body
Mercola – In April 2019, London launched an ultralow emission zone in central London, which will charge motorists more than $16 a day to drive into the area, unless they meet certain strict emissions standards.
In the U.S. alone, more than 3% of premature births haven been attributed to air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM 2.5).
Exposure to air pollution has also been linked to low birth weight babies, intra-uterine growth retardation, stillbirth, congenital anomalies and problems with fetal brain growth.
Living in an area with higher levels of air pollution is also linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes in adults, as well as decreased cognitive function, heart disease and sleep disturbances.
Air pollution that results from growing corn is associated with 4,300 premature deaths per year in the U.S., with associated damages estimated at $14 billion to $64 billion.
>> Check out Dale Mitchell’s interview on The Power Hour April 16, 2019 (hour 2) discussing
MADE in AMERICA! Sun Aire Air Purifiers
Available at ThePowerMall.com or by calling 1-877-817-9829 Mon-Fri, 8 to 4 Central Time.
Organ donor? Organs are cut out of patients’ bodies even while they are conscious and aware, horrifying new science study reveals
NaturalNews – If you’re an organ donor, you might have chosen that status out of a sense of goodwill, thinking that medical personnel don’t harvest your organs until after you’re dead and unconscious. But a new scientific study reveals that organ harvesting is very likely taking place even while patients are still conscious, even though their hearts have stopped beating.
This means that patients are fully aware — and experience all the pain — of doctors rapidly cutting into their bodies and slicing away their organs in order to generate “transplant profits” for the corrupt medical system.
Even when your heart stops beating, you’re still alive and conscious for several minutes
You’re not really dead when your heart merely stops beating, even though that’s what doctors use to pronounce you dead. “[P]eople who have survived cardiac arrest later accurately described what was happening around them after their hearts stopped beating,” said Dr. Sam Parnia, a researcher who studies consciousness after death. His comments were reported by Fox News:
He said: “They’ll describe watching doctors and nurses working, they’ll describe having awareness of full conversations, of visual things that were going on, that would otherwise not be known to them.”
In other words, you’re still alive, conscious and aware for several minutes after your heart stops beating. Just because the heart stops doesn’t instantly disconnect the activity of the brain. (This should be obvious, but the corrupt, evil medical system has whitewashed this issue for years, pretending that death is instantaneous, taking place the moment the heart stops beating.)
Study: Cholesterol-Lowering Statin Drugs Associated with Increased Shingles Outbreaks
HealthImpactNews – A recent meta-analysis review study looked into the association of cholesterol-lowering statin drug use with herpes zoster or shingles outbreaks, and determined there was a strong association of higher risk of shingles for older people who take statin drugs.
Herpes zoster, more commonly known as shingles, is a painful skin irritation marked by rows of small sores with tiny blisters. It often strikes people over 50 who have experienced chickenpox during childhood.
It’s suspected that this occurs when one’s cellular immune system is lowered enough to allow activating the dormant varicella virus (chicken pox) remaining after an earlier recovery from it.
What may appear at first as non-threatening small skin lesions can become painful and more debilitating than chickenpox.
This reactivated, more virulent form of varicella virus can damage nerves enough to develop into postherpetic neuralgia, which rephrased in layperson’s language is “after herpes came intense nerve pain.”
Acute and chronic peripheral nerve pain may exist in the areas where the shingles skin lesions are located. The consequences can be lethal.
No to nuggets: Frozen chicken nuggets recalled since they may contain pieces of WOOD
NaturalNews – A few years back, food companies were forced to recall thousands of pounds of their chicken nugget products after people started reporting about finding bits of plastic in their bite-sized foods. The crisis has repeated itself anew, but instead of pieces of plastic, the processed food has somehow been contaminated with chunks of wood.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that Perdue Foods was recalling more than 68,000 pounds (30,844 kg) of chicken breast nuggets sold under the brand “Perdue SimplySmart Organics.” The UPC product bar code of the recalled product is 72745-80656 – it was made in October 2018 and bore an expiry date of October 25, 2019.
The affected processed food product is proudly advertised as having been made from the meat of organically raised chickens. The chicken nuggets are also supposedly free of the potentially harmful protein called gluten, which is very difficult to digest and may therefore cause health problems in the intestine, such as celiac disease. (Related: Tyson Foods recalls over 130k pounds of chicken nuggets after plastic contamination scare.)
Unhealthiest Foods at the Supermarket
Newxmax – When it comes to healthy eating, grocery shopping can make or break the best of intentions. Navigating the aisles can be tricky but, while the key is to be savvy about our food choices, reading food labels for each item can be time consuming. To help kick start things, here are eight foods to avoid while shopping at the supermarket:

Citrus drinks — While the label sounds innocent, many citrus drinks contain high concentrates of sugar, artificial sweeteners and colorants, Reader’s Digest reported. Swapping your citrus drink for water would be the best choice but if you are craving that sweet drink try diluting it in water.
Flavored yogurt — Yogurt may have its place in a healthy diet but the flavored types are not as good as you may think. Most are packed with extra sugar and artificial flavors, Good Housekeeping noted. It is best to stick to plain, unsweetened yogurt.
Cheese-flavored popcorn — Nutritionists often recommend popcorn as a heathy snack but they are referring to the plain variations, not the cheese-flavored brands that are loaded with salt, artificial flavorings as well as saturated fats obtained from oil and cheese, Reader’s Digest noted.
Bottled smoothies — We are led to believe that smoothies are a healthy on-the-go breakfast option but what we are not being told is that many brands cram sugar into their bottled smoothies and little else, Eat This, Not That says. Fresh-made drinks are the best option as they contain more fiber and you can control what goes in them.
Salad dressing — The word salad is synonymous with healthy eating but most salad dressing are packed with sodium, sugar and saturated fat, which will derail any healthy eating plan, Good Housekeeping reported. Try stick to natural dressings such as lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.
Pre-grilled chicken breasts — We know that chicken is a healthy protein source but not when it comes pre-packed. There is a reason why these items have extended shelf lives and that is thanks to copious amounts of sodium and other artificial ingredients that have been packed into the seemingly innocent pre-cooked chicken, Reader’s Digest noted.
BBQ sauce — You can be forgiven for overlooking this unhealthy item. Who would have thought that just a dash of BBQ sauce could have any negative impact on your health? According to Eat This, Not That, it is best to avoid this sauce as most brands are packed with sugar and sugar variants.
Low-fat foods — While we may associate “low fat” with healthy eating, most items with reduced fat content have been loaded with sugar to compensate for the bland taste, Good Housekeeping noted. The full-fat versions may actually be better for your health.