Today's News: April 18, 2019

World News
Czech fury as EU fails to ban ‘dual quality’ products across Europe
RT – MEP’s from the Czech Republic are expressing their disappointment after proposals to ensure that products are of a uniform standard across Europe were rejected by Brussels.
Gunmen kill 14 bus passengers in Pakistan’s Balochistan
Al Jazeera – Passengers were removed from buses travelling from Gwadar to Karachi before being shot dead, officials say.
New York police arrest man with petrol in St Patrick’s Cathedral
BBC – A man has been arrested after walking into New York’s St Patrick’s Cathedral carrying two full petrol cans, lighter fluid and lighters, police say.
They say guards confronted the 37-year-old as he entered the Manhattan church on Wednesday evening.
He spilt gasoline on the ground and officers took him into custody.
Deputy police commissioner John Miller noted that the “suspicious” incident occurred just two days after a fire gutted Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris.
St Patrick’s is the seat of New York’s Roman Catholic archdiocese.
“An individual walking into an iconic location like St Patrick’s cathedral carrying over four gallons of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid and lighters, is something we would have grave concern over,” Mr Miller told reporters.
The NYPD deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism however said it was “too early to say” whether terrorism was a motive.
North Korea says it tested new weapon amid stalemate with US
CS Monitor – North Korea test-fired a new type of “tactical guided weapon,” it said Thursday, and demanded the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from nuclear talks. Pyongyang said Washington has until end of 2019 to reach an acceptable deal.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
>> Read and search the full Mueller report
After years of investigating, the Department of Justice released a redacted copy of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report Thursday. The report is nearly 400 pages and covers subjects ranging from questions about Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election to whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice.
Read the full redacted report below, or download a copy here.
Pelosi, Schumer call on Mueller to testify…
The Hill – The top Democratic congressional leaders are calling on special counsel Robert Mueller to testify on Capitol Hill as soon as possible following what they describe as Attorney General William Barr‘s “partisan” handling of the release of the Mueller report.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) released a joint statement early Thursday, hours ahead of when a redacted version of Mueller’s report is expected to be released and hours after a New York Times report revealed that White House lawyers and Department of Justice officials have already repeatedly discussed details of Mueller’s conclusions.
The Democratic leaders laid out a series of actions they say show Barr as being loyal to the president.
Increasing presence of homeless people seeking shelter at SFO airport
Fox – San Francisco is struggling with a surge of homeless people seeking shelter inside San Francisco International Airport.
San Francisco International Airport welcomes the world to the City by the Bay, but the airport said homeless people have discovered the airport as a temporary shelter; especially in the early morning hours after the last BART train has pulled into the airport. An airport official said they’re working on a short term and long-term solution
Officials said their contacts with homeless people has surged; the airport already working to get them move along.
125 Pounds of Fentanyl, Heroin Seized at Arizona Border
Breitbart – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 125 pounds of heroin and fentanyl with an estimated street value of $2.6 million during a vehicle inspection at the Arizona border Saturday.
Science & Technology
As Governments Adopt Artificial Intelligence, There’s Little Oversight and Lots of Danger
Activist Post – Artificial intelligence systems can – if properly used – help make government more effective and responsive, improving the lives of citizens. Improperly used, however, the dystopian visions of George Orwell’s 1984 become more realistic.
On their own and urged by a new presidential executive order, governments across the U.S., including state and federal agencies, are exploring ways to use AI technologies.
As an AI researcher for more than 40 years, who has been a consultant or participant in many government projects, I believe it’s worth noting that sometimes they’ve done it well – and other times not quite so well. The potential harms and benefits are significant.
Facebook bans UK far right groups and leaders
BBC – Facebook has imposed a ban on a dozen far-right individuals and organisations that it says “spread hate”.
The ban includes the British National Party and Nick Griffin, the English Defence League and the National Front.
The list also includes Britain First, which was already banned, but this latest action will prohibit support for it on any of the US firm’s services.
It said it had taken the action because those involved had proclaimed a “violent or hateful mission”.
“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,” the social network added in a statement.
Alexa Users Beware: Amazon Just Admitted To Listening in to Intimate Conversations Through Device
Western Journal – Feeling nervous about my smart speakers always makes me feel a bit conspiracy theory-ish, as if I ought to be investing in tinfoil hats. Now I’m hoping I didn’t say any of that out loud, else some tinfoil show up in my Amazon shopping cart.
According to a report from Bloomberg on Thursday, the internet giant has thousands of individuals listening in to your conversations, transcribing and annotating them in an effort to make speech recognition better.
“The team comprises a mix of contractors and full-time Amazon employees who work in outposts from Boston to Costa Rica, India and Romania, according to the people, who signed nondisclosure agreements barring them from speaking publicly about the program,” Bloomberg’s report read.
“They work nine hours a day, with each reviewer parsing as many as 1,000 audio clips per shift, according to two workers based at Amazon’s Bucharest office, which takes up the top three floors of the Globalworth building in the Romanian capital’s up-and-coming Pipera district. The modern facility stands out amid the crumbling infrastructure and bears no exterior sign advertising Amazon’s presence.”
Some of the parsing seemed innocuous enough; one worker in Boston described parsing conversations for mentions of “Taylor Swift” and linking them to requests to listen to the artist.
Health
Don’t Be Fooled by New Egg Warnings
Mercola – In 2015, egg restriction was eliminated from the U.S. dietary guidelines due to lack of evidence that cholesterol from eggs cause heart disease. Now, a new study is again urging people to avoid eggs.
The study analyzed data from six studies with a median follow-up of 17.5 years, and claims to have found a dose-dependent relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality.
Health and nutritional experts have weighed in on the study, pointing out its multiple flaws. For starters, the researchers claim eggs cause CVD by raising your cholesterol, but higher egg intake was actually related to lower LDL (so-called “bad” cholesterol associated with CVD).
Several meta-analyses have also refuted the claim that egg consumption raises your risk for CVD.
Eggs contain valuable vitamins and minerals, including selenium, vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B7 (biotin) and B12, high-quality protein, iodine, vitamin D, zinc, omega-3 fats, lutein, zeaxanthin and choline.
Study reveals a connection between the use of NSAIDs and severe C. difficile superbug infections
NaturalNews – Antibiotics are known to disrupt the microbial balance in the gut, increasing the risk of getting infected by bacteria such as Clostridium difficile. However, a new study found that even common pain relievers may promote infections caused by C. difficile. C. difficile causes the most common and most dangerous hospital-born infections in the U.S. and around the world.
For the study, researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine observed two groups of antibiotic-treated mice for a week after infection with C. difficile. They treated one group with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called indomethacin before infection, while the other group did not receive any treatment. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and indomethacin are drugs commonly used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
The results showed that only 20 percent of the mice treated with NSAID survived until the end of the study period while nearly 80 percent of the mice that were not exposed to NSAID lived. The researchers also observed that even a brief exposure to NSAID before C. difficile infection increased the severity of infection and shortened the mice’s survival.
When the researchers carried out further cellular and genetic analyses, they found that NSAID exposure changed the gut microbiota of mice and reduced the production of prostaglandins which are hormone-like substances that play an important role in gut health. These findings aligned with those of earlier studies suggesting that NSAIDs can cause or worsen an inflammatory disease called colitis by suppressing the body’s production of prostaglandins.
13 Reasons to Start Using Peppermint Essential Oil
Care2 -Peppermint is one of the most versatile, popular and beneficial essential oils to keep in your natural medicine cabinet. Here are some of my favorite reasons to start using this potent essential oil.

Antiviral Remedy

Peppermint essential oil is one of the best natural antiviral remedies, particularly when dealing with the herpes virus, which is at the root of cold sores. In a study published in the journal Phytomedicine, scientist discovered peppermint essential oil demonstrated high potency against the herpes virus, even against strains that do not respond to the drug acyclovir.

Breath Booster

Research found that the rosmarinic acid contained in peppermint blocks inflammatory compounds called leukotrienes and encourages the body to make prostacyclins, which open the airway and improve breathing. Diffuse or use a drop on your tongue to help open the airways. See the guidelines for using essential oils below regarding internal use.

Critter Repellent

While most humans love the smell of peppermint, it seems most critters can’t stand the stuff. That’s why it makes a great natural critter repellent. Put a few drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls around your home to ward off ants, mice and spiders.

Digestion Aid

Perhaps peppermint is most known for its ability to aid digestion, help alleviate nausea and ease digestive upset. It is also frequently used as a natural remedy for food poisoning, gas, vomiting, nausea and motion sickness.

Driving Assistance
Energy Booster

The intense aroma of peppermint can help boost your energy or increase alertness, making it a great essential oil to help keep you awake on long drives. Put a drop of peppermint essential oil on a diffuser bead necklace to energize you throughout the day.

Fever Buster

Peppermint essential oil is a well-known fever-reducing remedy among aromatherapists. For this purpose, use a roller ball on the forehead and back of the neck.

Headache Alleviator

I keep a roller bottle of peppermint essential oil handy and rub it on my temples and the back of my head where the neck and cranium meet to help alleviate headaches.

Liver Health

According to French medical aromatherapy, peppermint essential oil helps to strengthen and regenerate the liver. For this purpose, one or two drops are traditionally used on the tongue. Because it is used internally, it is important to select an essential suitable for internal use, for which many are not.

Mood Magic

Peppermint is classified as an uplifting oil since it tends to boost mood and energy levels. Diffuse several drops or keep it handy on a diffuser bracelet to perk up your mood throughout the day.

Pain Remedy

Peppermint essential oil contains analgesic compounds that reduce pain and inflammation. While it can be used “neat” which means undiluted on the skin to help reduce pain, you may need to dilute it if you have sensitive skin. Apply directly to painful muscles or joints.