March 28, 2024

The Power Hour

Knowledge is Power

Today's News: April 09, 2019

World News
Desperate Venezuelans Looting Cemeteries, Rotten Corpses for Jewelry
Breitbart – Desperate Venezuelans, a BBC report revealed Sunday, have begun targeting cemeteries for potential income, stealing everything from jewelry to bones that they can then sell on for a profit.
The BBC spoke to relatives of those buried in the Cementerio del Sur, the largest burial ground in the capital of Caracas, who now need to stand guard at their loved ones’ tombs to protect them from looters.
“I come here every week, or every two weeks. I keep watch. I worry I’ll arive one day and she’ll be gone,” Eladio Bastida, whose wife is buried in the cemetery, told the BBC. “When I buried her, you could just walk in here. but lately you can barely reach her grave, because every tomb has been opened and the remains taken out.”
USA sails massive, F-35-laden warship in disputed South China Sea
Japan Times – In the latest show of military muscle in the South China Sea, the U.S. has apparently sailed its USS Wasp amphibious assault ship near a strategic reef claimed by Beijing and Manila that lies just 230 km (140 miles) from the Philippine coast.
Filipino fishermen near the site known as the Scarborough Shoal initially spotted what appeared to be the massive U.S. vessel on Tuesday, according to ABS-CBN News. It said planes were seen landing and taking off from the ship, some 5 km (3 miles) away from the fishermen’s boat. A video clip shown by the news network appeared to corroborate their account.
Contacted by The Japan Times, a U.S. military spokeswoman would not confirm or deny the Wasp’s presence near the collection of outcroppings that barely jut out above water at high tide, citing “force protection and security.” However, the spokeswoman did confirm that the Wasp “has been training with Philippine Navy ships in Subic Bay and in international waters of the South China Sea … for several days.”
Iranian Guards commander tells U.S. Navy warships to keep distance: ISNA
Reuters – An Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander warned the U.S. Navy to keep its warships at a distance from Revolutionary Guards speed boats in Gulf waters, a day after the United States designated the Guards as a terrorist organization.
“Mr Trump, tell your warships not to pass near the Revolutionary Guards boats,” ISNA news agency reported a tweet from Mohsen Rezaei as saying.
Israelis go to polls in referendum on Netanyahu’s record reign
Reuters – Israelis began voting in an election on Tuesday that could hand conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a record fifth term or see him dethroned by an ex-general who has pledged clean government and social cohesion.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) across the country and close at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT). But the victor may not be decided immediately. No party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-seat parliament, meaning days or even weeks of coalition negotiations will lie ahead.
Dubbed “King Bibi,” Netanyahu has rallied a rightist camp hardened against the Palestinians and played up Israeli foreign policy boons that are the fruit of his ties with the Trump administration.
But the 69-year-old Likud party leader’s hope of overtaking Israel’s founding father, David Ben-Gurion, as longest-serving premier in July has been dented by a looming graft indictment. He denies any wrongdoing.
Inspired by caravans, new wave of Cubans seek U.S. asylum
Reuters – Isel Rojas put his dream of leaving Cuba on hold when the United States ended a generous immigration policy for island residents. But watching coverage of migrant caravans heading from Central America toward the United States on Cuban television last year, he began to see a new path.
One morning in January, he woke up and told his wife he was finally ready. Fifteen days later, he was gone.
“If they can do it, why can’t we?” said Rojas, a 48-year-old who worked in agriculture in the eastern city of Holguin, recalling the images of young men and families traveling en masse to the Mexico-U.S. border.
Rojas is now waiting to apply for U.S. asylum in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juarez, which has become a magnet for Cuban migrants.
Political repression and bleak economic prospects remain the primary reasons cited by Cubans for migrating from the Communist-ruled island, a Cold War foe of the United States. But some in Ciudad Juarez say news of the caravans also motivated them, giving them the impression the United States was accepting migrants.
Since early last year, the caravans have been a frequent target of U.S. President Donald Trump as he advocates for stricter immigration policies. Critics say the president’s statements about the caravans, including a series of angry tweets, have ironically enlarged the groups and publicized asylum as a possible avenue to legal status.
Trump threatens tariffs on $11bn in EU goods over aircraft row
Al Jazeera – The threatened US tariffs are in response to subsidies received by Airbus and target a host of European products.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
De Blasio Declares Health Emergency, Orders Measles Vaccinations In Brooklyn
WCBS – Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency in parts of Williamsburg and said unvaccinated people in several ZIP codes will be required to get an MMR vaccine as a measles outbreak continues to swell in the Orthodox Jewish community.
Under the mandatory vaccinations, members of the city’s Health Department will check the vaccination records of any individual who may have been in contact with infected patients. Those who have not received the MMR vaccine or do not have evidence of immunity may be given a violation and could be fined $1,000.
A strong jump in measles cases over the past week has New York City has the Health Department taking a firm stand, telling yeshivas to close their doors to unvaccinated students or face closure and fines.
NYC Health Department Puts Yeshiva Schools In Williamsburg On Notice: Allow Unvaccinated Students In At Own Peril
CBS – New York City officials are cracking down on schools in Brooklyn that allow unvaccinated children to attend, telling them to comply or be shut down.
Neighborhood officials said the vast majority of Orthodox Jews in Williamsburg are vaccinated, but because the community is so tightly knit, just a small number of anti-vaxers is allowing this outbreak to grow, CBS2’s Ali Bauman reported Monday.
“There is no religious exemption on measles,” said Gary Schlesinger, CEO of Parcare Community Health Network. “All rabbis, all prominent rabbis have issued proclamations that everyone should vaccinate.”
Barr reveals he is reviewing ‘conduct’ of FBI’s original Russia probe
Fox – Attorney General William Barr revealed Tuesday that he is reviewing the “conduct” of the FBI’s original Russia investigation during the summer of 2016, following calls from Republicans to investigate the origins of the probe.
Barr testified before a congressional panel in what was his first Capitol Hill appearance since revealing the central findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Barr was grilled by Democrats on the handling of that summary, which stated the special counsel found no evidence of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election — but he was also questioned about the initial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants approved to surveil members of the Trump campaign.
Senior Obama cyber official lobbying for China
Fox – China’s government-linked telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies has hired a senior Obama administration cyber security official as a lobbyist, according to a congressional filing.
Samir Jain, former senior director for cybersecurity policy at the White House National Security Council, notified Congress March 27 that he is registering as a lobbyist for the Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Jain is now with the lobbying firm Jones Day.
According to his online biography for Jones Day, Jain worked at the White House from 2016 to 2017 and before that was an associate deputy attorney general from 2014 to 2015, where he worked on national security and computer fraud issues.
At the White House, Jain led a team responsible for cyber incident response and was chairman of an interagency group that reviewed proposed cyber operations by the U.S. government. He also worked on international issues, such as a campaign to win support for U.S.-proposed international cyber norms.
While at the Justice Department, Jain also took part in international negotiations “such as China’s agreement not to engage in cyber-enabled intellectual property theft for commercial gain,” his bio states.
New York Democrats propose new bill cracking down on Airbnb, other home-sharing sites
Fox  – New York state Democratic legislators announced a new bill Tuesday that would regulate home-sharing platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway.
The Latest: NRA backs suit on synagogue-inspired gun control
Fox – A lawsuit backed by the National Rifle Association has been filed in opposition to Pittsburgh’s new gun control laws.
Four Pittsburgh residents are suing the city, Mayor Bill Peduto and the City Council. The suit says the legislation Peduto signed into law Tuesday infringes on the people’s right of self-defense and will do nothing to prevent mass shootings like the one that killed 11 at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue last fall.
A coalition of gun rights groups filed a separate suit seeking to block the laws from taking effect. Both suits were filed in Allegheny County.
Peduto and City Council members say they expected to be sued and are pledging to fight.
Trump says no plan to revive family separations, blames Obama for uproar
Fox – President Trump said Tuesday that the administration has no plans to revive the controversial policy that allowed for family separations at the border, amid renewed speculation about whether the practice could return amid the shakeup at the Homeland Security department.
Economy & Business
Congress to Ban Govt From Offering Free Online Tax Filing
Pro Publica – ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom based in New York. Sign up for ProPublica’s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published.
Just in time for Tax Day, the for-profit tax preparation industry is about to realize one of its long-sought goals. Congressional Democrats and Republicans are moving to permanently bar the IRS from creating a free electronic tax filing system.
Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., passed the Taxpayer First Act, a wide-ranging bill making several administrative changes to the IRS that is sponsored by Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Mike Kelly, R-Pa.
In one of its provisions, the bill makes it illegal for the IRS to create its own online system of tax filing. Companies like Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, and H&R Block have lobbied for years to block the IRS from creating such a system. If the tax agency created its own program, which would be similar to programs other developed countries have, it would threaten the industry’s profits.
“This could be a disaster. It could be the final nail in the coffin of the idea of the IRS ever being able to create its own program,” said Mandi Matlock, a tax attorney who does work for the National Consumer Law Center.
Saudi Arabia on track to become nuclear power?
France24 – Saudi leaders say they need nuclear energy to wean their country of its dependence on fossil fuels. But construction of a first reactor is sparking fears about the Gulf state’s quest for nuclear power in a volatile region.
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Satellite images of a nuclear reactor under construction on the outskirts of the capital, Riyadh, have reignited fears of an escalation in the tussle for regional hegemony pitting the Saudi kingdom against Iran.
In a bid to allay such concerns, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has asked Saudi authorities to agree to additional safeguards verifying that the nuclear technology is used for peaceful applications.
The Saudi reactor is within months of being completed, according to Robert Kelley, a former director of nuclear inspections at the IAEA, who identified the images first published by Bloomberg last week.
Barr to release redacted Mueller report ‘within a week’
Al Jazeera – Attorney General William Barr says he does not intend to release the full unredacted report ‘at this stage’.
Energy & Environment
Flash flooding hits Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro
Al Jazeera – Unusually heavy rain washes cars down the streets of Brazil’s former capital.
ANOTHER “Bomb Cyclone” Will Bring More Flooding To Parts Of The Midwest That Were Hit By A “1,000 Year Flood” Last Month
Activist Post – Less than a month after a “bomb cyclone” caused a “1,000 year flood” in the middle portion of the country, another “bomb cyclone” of similar strength is going to bring even more flooding to the High Plains and Upper Midwest.  According to meteorologists, it is being projected that this new “bomb cyclone” will be “similar in intensity and in snowfall” to the last one, and the latest forecast is calling for “more than 30 inches in some areas”.
The floods that we witnessed last month absolutely devastated communities throughout the region, and now it is going to happen again.  The middle part of our nation has literally never seen anything like this happen ever before, and this is easily the worst natural disaster to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina.
Science & Technology
Scientists Set to Clone Extinct Stone Age Creature
The Sun – The ginger-coloured foal died when it was just one or two weeks old, some time during the late Stone Age, around 42,170 years ago.
But its body has been perfectly preserved in near perfect condition in Siberian permafrost, and scientists are optimistic that they will obtain enough genetic material to clone the animal and bring its extinct species back to life.
The joint Russian-South Korean research team is led by South Korean cloning expert Professor Hwang Woo-suk, who is also closely involved in efforts to revive the woolly mammoth using cells taken from features preserved in the Siberian ice.
The foal is an example of the cold-resistant Lenskaya breed which died out some 4,000 years ago.
“Researchers are confident of success of the project,” said a source at the North East Federal University in Yakutsk – the world’s coldest city – which is hosting the work, reports The Siberian Times .
“The attempts will continue until the end of April this year.”
Work is so advanced that the team are already selecting a surrogate mother for the ancient horse
Walmart to roll out thousands more robots in stores
Fox – Walmart Opens a New Window. is doubling down on its robot janitors after quietly testing a slew of autonomous machines for more than two years.
The world’s largest retailer announced Tuesday that it plans to roll out more than 3,900 autonomous machines Opens a New Window. in a bid to free up its associates to do more specialized work and focus on customers.
Health
Why Cauliflower Rice Is Surprisingly Controversial
Care2 – The rice lobby is pushing the FDA to officially define the term “rice” to exclude cauliflower rice.
There is a war being waged over plant-based alternatives. Most publicly, almond and other plant-based milks are facing FDA crackdowns over use of the word “milk” or “butter“.
According to FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, “The FDA has concerns that the labeling of some plant-based products may lead consumers to believe that those products have the same key nutritional attributes as dairy products, even though these products can vary widely in their nutritional content.” Yeesh.
But that’s not the only plant-based product facing potential legal issues. The meat industry can’t be happy about Beyond Meat burgers finding their way into the supermarket meat aisle. And the fight has even made its way to rice—cauliflower rice.
The Cauliflower Rice Controversy
Rice farmers in Arkansas want people to stop calling our favorite cruciferous grain alternative “rice”  They worry that the terms ‘cauliflower rice’ or ‘riced cauliflower’ is confusing consumers and are pressuring the FDA to develop an official definition for the term “rice”, so not everyone can use it.
“Cauliflower crumbles, whatever you want to call it. Let’s put it in the vegetable section, the produce section, and keep it out of the rice aisle,” Michael Kline of USA Rice told CBS.
Would it really make a difference if it were called ‘cauliflower crumbles’ instead? Perhaps. Plant alternatives with a familiar name may comfort those who are unfamiliar with this new wave of eating—cauliflower crumbles or bits does not sound as appetizing. That’s especially true with meats and milks, too.
But rice is a unique issue. Rice is a plant itself, albeit a starchy one, that has been demonized in paleo eating circles. Is it fair to call another plant ‘rice’ when it’s in an entirely different family of plants?
Well, it is questionable what authority the government has to change the dictionary. You could make the argument that “rice” is also a verb. A quick Google search defines “to rice” as “to force (cooked potatoes or other vegetables) through a sieve or ricer”. Who’s to say vegetables can’t be described this way? It’s technically accurate.
How to Get Soft, Fluffy Towels Without Fabric Softener
Care2 – Given the popularity of fabric softeners, I know I am not alone in this preference. Unfortunately, fabric softeners are spiked with synthetic fragrance and other ingredients that have no business being in our laundry. But here’s the secret; you don’t need commercial fabric softeners, hurray.
Some people love the stiff feel of a line-dried towel – and that’s great, since letting the sun and air dry one’s laundry is the most sustainable way to go. But if you are after soft and fluffy, here is what to know – and bonus points for all of these since they should help to increase the longevity of your towels as well.
Separate
The Washington Post recommends washing towels in light laundry loads dedicated just to towels.
“The key is to really separate properly,” says Gwen Whiting, co-founder of the beloved Laundress. “We really recommend washing sheets and towels separately from each other. They need their own attention, so you don’t want them jammed in with loads of stuff. You need a good cleaning environment.”
Which makes perfect sense. If you’ve got a load of wash that includes a fitted sheet, towels, tee-shirts and some socks, things will get uneven attention.
Lighten the load
Likewise, stuffing too many towels in the wash also invites problems – a fact that, in my quest to be efficient, I never seem to learn. But crowded towels don’t have room to move around, meaning that the heat can’t reach the tangled creases; the damp pockets become stiff and scratchy when they dry outside of the dryer.
Shake each towel out before putting it in the dryer to ensure that wadded-up creases don’t get “ironed” in by the dryer. Along with giving towels the room to dry properly, you can also add tennis or laundry balls. And if you can open the dryer and untangle entwined towels halfway through the cycle, all the better.
Skip the fabric softener!
Oh what tangled webs we weave – despite the promise of commercial fabric softeners, they do not always deliver in the “soft and fluffy towel” department. Read it and weep (from The Post): “Fabric softeners coat a towel’s exterior and often contain oils and petroleum-based ingredients that hinder its absorbency. This filmy coating may mean more frequent washing, which breaks down the towel.” Say no more.
Use almighty vinegar instead
Vinegar is a laundry workhorse superstar! Use 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener compartment of your machine – it softens towels and helps removes bacteria, a much better option than coating said towels with synthetic chemicals. If you want fragrance, you can add a drop or two of pure essential oil to your laundry balls. I have a dedicated washcloth that I add a few drops of essential oil too and toss it in with my towels as kind of an ersatz fabric softener sheet.
Ban the bleach
I don’t like having bleach in my home at all; and for towels, it’s not even good anyway since it flattens the loops that make a towel fluffy and absorbent in the first place. Vinegar will help brighten, but if you need to bring out the big guns, you can use a bleach alternative like OxyClean.
Resist over-soaping
Another counter-intuitive one, but too much detergent can affect all laundry, not just towels. It can made clothing dingy; for towels, it can make them crunchy. Try using half the recommended amount. Carolyn Childers, chief home officer of Handy, tells Real Simple, “If you must use extra detergent for very soiled towels, make sure to change the washer settings, so it’ll have an extra long rinse cycle.”
Don’t cook them
Towels seem like the perfect candidate for the hottest wash, rinse, and dry – but Barton Brass, president of the Turkish Towel Co., tells The Post that that is a no-no. “Heat is probably the worst thing you can do to a towel in the laundry,” Brass says. “Cotton itself is a very soft, cellulose material, and if you burn it or cook it, it’s going to flatten out and it will never get soft again.” Washing and drying at medium heat is the happy place where towels get clean without battering the fiber.
Respect the loops
Since towels made of terrycloth are woven with long loops to absorb the water, maintaining the integrity of those loops is vital for a well-functioning, good-feeling towel. Leaving a damp towel on the floor can not only attract mildew, but the loops can be crushed if left like that for too long. Towels can be damp before laundering, but they should be completely dry upon removing them from the dryer. That said, over-drying them can be hard on the loops as well, so don’t err on the side of too long in the heat.
Spirulina May Be an Effective Treatment for Leptin Resistance
Mercola – Bilirubin inhibits NOX, a metabolic enzyme that reduces NADPH, which is the most important antioxidant recharging molecule in your body. Phycocyanobilin found in spirulina can inhibit NOX and increase NADPH.
Elevated bilirubin might aid weight control by preventing the development of leptin resistance, and spirulina may therefore be an effective way to combat leptin resistance.
Bilirubin also appears to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and atheroprotective properties, and spirulina mimics those effects as well.
Most overweight Americans have some degree of insulin and leptin resistance. This also includes diabetics and many with high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
If you fall into this category, it would be prudent for you to restrict fructose to about 15 to 25 grams per day from all sources. Spirulina supplementation may also be an effective treatment for leptin resistance

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