March 29, 2024

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Today's News: April 25, 2019

Top Headlines
Watch: Bernie Compares Felons Voting to Women and Black Voting Rights
Bretibart – Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said on Wednesday at the “She the People” event in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday that allowing convicted criminals, including felons, to vote is the same civil rights issue as allowing women and blacks to cast a ballot in United States elections.
“I was criticized rather strongly because I said that when we talk about the right to vote that right should exist for people who are currently in jail,” Sanders said to applause from the people attending the event.
“And I was told this was a terrible idea despite the fact that in Canada and in countries all over the world — why did I say that?” Sanders said. “I said that because the right to vote is essential. If you are a citizen, you have the right to vote.”
Then Sanders compared that right to voting rights connection to race and gender.
“And that is a right we must protect because we know the history of this country. We know that women didn’t have the right to vote,” Sanders said. “We know that African Americans didn’t have the rights to vote.”
“So my view is it’s not a matter if you are a good person or a bad person,” Sanders said. “You commit a crime, pay the price, go to jail.”
“But being an American citizen and having the right to vote is something we should never, ever give up on,” Sanders said.
Twitter Shadow Bans Michael Savage For Questioning Notre Dame Fire Narrative            Infowars – Conservative host “may join the rebels in the shadows”
Michael Savage believes that Islamist terrorists may have been behind the Notre Dame blaze, and he is being vocal about it. In response, Twitter has reportedly moved to shadow ban Savage to stop his opinion spreading.
Savage’s reasoning is that terrorists attempted to set the cathedral on fire as recently as 2016, in addition to the fact that hundreds of churches in France have been desecrated over the past year.
why do I say ‘TERRORISTS SET NOTRE DAME ABLAZE? in 2016 3 RADICAL ISLAMISTS WERE CAUGHT IN FRONT OF THE CATHEDRAL WITH GAS CANNISTERS IN THEIR CAR. ARRESTED TRIED AND SENTENCED JUST LAST WEEK https://t.co/B8Pxj9bkjP
— Michael Savage (@ASavageNation) April 15, 2019
how can the
investigation’ of possible arson or terror be ‘over’ when the ashes are still smoldering! LIES, COVER-UP. USE COMMON SENSE. THIS WAS TERRORISM
— Michael Savage (@ASavageNation) April 16, 2019
Savage found that after he expressed that opinion, Twitter stopped a lot of other users from seeing his posts.
“It became apparent Sunday after being temporarily blocked last week following the burning of Notre Dame, that now he may join the rebels in the shadows,” wrote Amanda Metzger, who works for Savage on his website.
“Some followers who used to receive notifications of his tweets on their smartphones no longer received them,” she added.
Metzger also noted that Savage “suddenly found his Periscope live broadcast was limited in the number of viewers.” (Periscope is owned by Twitter).
VIDEO: Masked, heavily armed men escort migrants across AZ border
The American Mirror – U.S. Customs and Border Protection released video over the weekend showing the “escalation of tactics” used to smuggle illegal immigrants into the country, which now apparently involves heavily armed security.
#USBP cameras capture armed men escorting Central American mother and son across the U.S./Mexico border in #Arizona @CBP video available here: https://t.co/xyD26HRlVj pic.twitter.com/dvI3c4ddO6
— CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) April 23, 2019
“U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Ajo station apprehended a woman and her eight-year-old son after witnessing armed subjects escort the pair into the United States, west of Lukeville, Arizona, Saturday night,” the CBP reports.
“Border Patrol cameras observed several men armed with assault rifles escort a mother and child to the international boundary west of Lukeville,” according a statement. “The armed men dropped off the pair in an area commonly used by smugglers to bring massive numbers of Central Americans into the country illegally.”
The video shows at least six armed subjects in what appears to be military style tactical gear mulling about a SUV parked just across the border. After one of the subjects waived to the others, three armed guards escorted the mother and child from the vehicle to an open border fence a short distance away.
New York City tickets 12 people for defying measles vaccination order
Reuters – New York City has issued civil summonses to 12 people it said were not complying with a mandatory measles vaccination order as the number of recorded cases in the city’s worst outbreak since 1991 rose to 390, according to data released on Wednesday.
The city’s outbreak of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly virus began last October and has been largely confined to children in Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn.
Two of the 61 additional cases confirmed since Thursday are in pregnant women, the city’s Health Department said in a statement.
The Health Department took the unusual step earlier this month of issuing an emergency order requiring unvaccinated people in affected neighborhoods to get the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine unless they could otherwise show they had immunity.
The 12 people issued summons for defying the order must attend a hearing and face a fine of up to $1,000 if found to be noncompliant.
The outbreak in New York City is the largest of several nationwide, with 2019 on track to break the record for the most measles recorded in the United States in a year since the country declared the disease eliminated in 2000.
FDA Approves New Treatment For ADHD Using Electrical Shocks To The Forehead
CBS – It’s the first FDA-approved medical device for the condition and CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez reports that it works by stimulating nerves in the forehead.
The device, called Monarch eTNS, stimulates different nerves in a similar way that studies have shown stimulating nerves in the neck are effective for controlling epilepsy and depression.
“Untreated, these folks can have other psychiatric problems, including depression, chemical dependency, trouble learning in school, and trouble with the law,” said Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
Since ADHD drugs can have multiple side effects, there’s been a search for alternatives.
Now for the first time, a battery powered device offers a non-drug treatment.
Monarch eTNS is a small electrode patch worn on the forehead, usually overnight, that stimulates branches of the sensory trigeminal nerve.
It seems that those low-level electrical impulses travel along the nerves, deep into the brain where they’re thought to interact with nearby brain structures – which affect hyperactivity.
Dr. Borenstein says while it’s not clear how this affects hyperactivity, since the behavioral brain circuits are complex.
“Those circuits in the brain affecting emotions and behavior can be stimulated with this device and affect the ADHD itself,” Dr. Borenstein added.
Netflix is fighting to keep The Office, WSJ reports – Twitter
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, NBCUniversal is preparing to launch a streaming service in 2020 and “has begun internal discussions about removing The Office from Netflix when the contract expires in 2021.”
World News
Gunmen kill polio vaccinator in southwestern Pakistan
Al Jazeera – Attack on vaccination team raises toll in similar attacks since 2012 to at least 95, according to an Al Jazeera tally.
Unidentified gunmen have killed at least one polio vaccination worker in the southwestern Pakistani area of Chaman, government officials say, bringing the death toll from a drive this week to eradicate the virus to at least three.
Gunmen opened fire on a team of vaccination workers in the remote village of Sultan Zai, about 100km northwest of the provincial capital Quetta, on Thursday, said Sami Agha, a local government official.
“The body of the killed polio worker and another person who was wounded have been transferred to hospital,” Agha said in a statement.
Security forces have launched a search operation in the area, and the polio vaccination drive in near Sultan Zai has been temporarily suspended, the statement said.
Bombings intelligence row exposes tension in Sri Lanka government
AL Jazeera – Defence minister says there was a ‘major lapse’ in intelligence sharing and attacks ‘could have been avoided’.
Nearly four days after churches and hotels in Sri Lanka were attacked in a series of suicide bombings that left at least 359 people dead, the government is facing mounting criticism over its failure to act on detailed warnings that an attack was imminent.
The furore surrounds a memo from the police chief that was sent to various security officials on April 11, warning that National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), a locally based Muslim group, was planning suicide attacks on Catholic churches and the Indian High Commission in the capital, Colombo.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attacks, releasing a video in which the bombers, standing side-by-side with NTJ leader Zahran Hashmi, pledged allegiance to the armed group.
The memo was the result of a tip-off a week earlier from India‘s intelligence agencies and included names, addresses, and even phone numbers of the suspects.
US Ready to Declare Venezuela Sponsor of International Terrorism – GRU
Sputnik – he United States is ready to declare Venezuela a sponsor of international terrorism, the head of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Russian General Staff, Igor Kostyukov, said Thursday.
“Washington is basically ready to declare the leadership of Venezuela “a sponsor of international terrorism” and use force or sanctions against Caracas based on this,” Kostyukov said.
The GRU head went on to say that the United States was considering various variants for overthrowing the Venezuelan government and might organise the interference via its allies, possibly Colombia. Though, as he noted, the US plan to have a swift campaign in Venezuela fell through.
Interpol: 157 children rescued from West Africa trafficking ring
The World News – More than 150 children — some as young as 11 — were among 220 people rescued from sex and labor trafficking rings in West Africa, Interpol said.
Most of the victims were beaten, subjected to abuses and told they would never see their families again by their traffickers, said Interpol.
They came from West African countries including the Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo.
Local police working with Interpol rescued some of the victims from places where they were forced to become sex workers, and the majority were working as servants in markets in both countries.
One of the children was found wheeling bags of rice weighing up to 40 kilograms between the borders of the Republic of Benin and Nigeria, a spokesman for the agency said.
“Many of the children are shipped actually into these markets to carry out forced labor. These are organized crime groups who are motivated by making money…. They don’t care about the children forced into prostitution, working in terrible conditions, living on the streets, they are all after the money,” Interpol’s Director of Organised and Emerging Crime Paul Stanfield said in a video posted on the agency’s website.
Forty-seven people were arrested following the raid, the agency said.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
California bill aims to appoint public health official to determine vaccine exemptions
Fox – A California lawmaker recently proposed a bill that would put the decision to dole out a vaccine exemption in the hands of a state public health official – a move that has anti-vaccine supporters up in arms in a state that already has some of the toughest immunization laws in the country.
California state Sen. Richard Pan introduced late last month Senate Bill 276, which if approved would take the decision to grant vaccine exemptions out of the hands of doctors and put it under control of state health officials. Pan, who before turning to politics was a pediatrician, brought forth the legislation in response to reports that some doctors in the state are abusing their power and selling medical exemptions to parents.
“Medical exemptions have more than tripled since the passage of SB 277. Some schools are reporting that more than 20 percent of their students have a medical exemption,” Pan said in a statement. “It is clear that a small number of physicians are monetizing their exemption-granting authority and profiting from the sale of medical exemptions.”
Pan’s legislation also comes as the United States has seen a rise in the number of measles cases nationwide, with California being one of the hardest hit areas for the contagious, but preventable disease.
US Navy Ship Quarantined at Sea for Vaccine Preventable Virus, Despite 100% Vaccination Rate
Free Thought Project – The USS Fort McHenry, a dock landing ship, has been stuck at sea for months, along with hundreds of Marines and sailors aboard after dozens of crew members contracted mumps. The ship remains quarantined as officials with the Navy and Marines Corps Public Health Center conduct an in-depth epidemiological investigation.
The cases began to surface in December after the ship departed Mayport Naval Station in Florida. Although that was the last time at port, “the point of origin has not yet been determined,” the Fifth Fleet noted.
The Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) explained to Business Insider that “based on clinical presentation and laboratory testing, these cases are currently classified as probable cases of mumps,” one of a number of illnesses that all US military personnel are vaccinated against.
Every single person aboard the USS Fort McHenry has been vaccinated against this virus, yet dozens have been infected. Even after more booster vaccines were administered, more cases of the vaccine-preventable virus appeared.
For the First Time, Fmr Big Pharma CEO Arrested for Conspiracy for Fostering Opioid Crisis
Free Thought Project – From the Sackler family — who has made billions from selling opioids to the masses — to the doctors arrested for pushing their pills on unwilling Americans, lawsuits and charges in the opioid crisis abound. However, the companies responsible for distribution of these drugs have largely gone on unscathed, until now.
In a first in the government’s battle against the opioid crisis, the former CEO of one of the largest opioid distribution companies in the country, Rochester Drug Cooperative, and the company itself have been criminally charged with conspiracy.
According to Federal prosecutors, Rochester Drug Cooperative was charged Tuesday with narcotics conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The former CEO of the company, Laurence Doud III was charged with narcotics conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York charged Rochester Drug Cooperative (RDC), one of the country’s largest distributors of opioids, with “knowingly and intentionally” violating federal narcotics laws “by distributing dangerous, highly addictive opioids to pharmacy customers that it knew were being sold and used illicitly,” according to a press release, as reported by ABC.
Doud, according to the charges, distributed tens of miillions of oxycodone, fentanyl, and other opioids, knowing there was no legitimate need for them.
Deutsche Bank starts turning over Trump financial records to NY officials: reports
The Hill – Deutsche Bank has reportedly started turning over President Trump‘s financial documents to the New York state attorney general’s office, according to reports.
CNN and Agence France-Presse each reported the development Wednesday, citing anonymous sources.
The attorney general’s office earlier this year subpoenaed the bank for records on loans made to Trump for several of his business projects.
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CNN reported that Deutsche Bank is turning over documents related to the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, the Trump National Doral Miami resort and Trump’s unsuccessful attempts to buy the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. The AFP report did not specify which documents the bank was beginning to give officials.
A spokesperson for Deutsche Bank told AFP that the bank is cooperating with the investigation but didn’t comment further.
US Navy SEALs Were Warned by Commanders Not to Report War Crimes
Antiwar – Commander said reporting war crimes would cost them their careers
S war crimes in Iraq in general are a well-substantiated fact. Navy SEALs say they saw some “shocking” things, which other SEALs kill children with sniper rifles, spraying civilian neighborhoods with machine gun fire, etc.
Seeing such things was par for the course, in Iraq, but talking about it was another thing entirely. Several platoon members took the matter of war crimes by their platoon chief to troop commanders. They were immediately rebuked.
Not only did the commander tell them not to report the crimes to him, he warned them that talking about the war crimes at all would jeopardize their careers. War crimes are meant to be seen, but not heard about.
It was expected this would be the end of it, but the SEALs went around the commander, and to higher ups in the Navy that were not directly tied to the SEALs. This quickly led to a court-martial for the platoon chief.
It’s broader than just the one platoon chief. The court-martial is quickly delving deeply into the underlying culture of the SEALs. That culture encouraged both the war crimes and silence about them.
US election 2020: Joe Biden launches presidential bid, joining crowded field
BBC – The former vice-president declares his White House run with a rebuke of Donald Trump.
Economy & Business
$220,000 For Every Man, Woman And Child – America Is Now 72 Trillion Dollars In Debt
Economic Collapse Blog – Are you ready to cough up $220,000 to pay your share?  One of the reasons why a day of reckoning for the U.S. economy is inevitable is because we are in way too much debt.  The 22 trillion dollar debt that the federal government has accumulated gets most of the attention, but the truth is that we would still be 50 trillion dollars in debt even if the national debt was eliminated somehow.  Today, debt levels are exploding on every level of society. Corporate debt has more than doubled since the last financial crisis, U.S. consumers are more than 13 trillion dollars in debt, and state and local governments are piling up debt as if tomorrow will never come.  According to a Federal Reserve chart that you can find right here, the total amount of debt in the U.S. financial system has now reached an astounding 72 trillion dollars.
Facebook expects record $5 BILLION fine from FTC over privacy violations
RT – Facebook has told investors it’s probably on the hook for up to $5 billion in fines – a record-high penalty for a tech company in the US – as a Federal Trade Commission probe continues into its violations of users’ privacy.
Citing “a $3.0 billion legal expense accrued in the first quarter of 2019 related to the ongoing US FTC matter” in its quarterly financial statement, Facebook later admits the penalty might be higher: “We estimate that the range of loss in this matter is $3.0 billion to $5.0 billion,” the statement reads, adding that “the matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or terms of any outcome.
Energy & Environment
Powerful cyclone is barrelling towards northern Mozambique
Al Jazeera – Cyclone Kenneth has formed in the Indian Ocean and is strengthening while making its way towards northern Mozambique.
This would be the second storm system to make landfall for the country in just over a month. In March, powerful Cyclone Idai made two landfalls in Mozambique and was responsible for more than 1,000 deaths.
Cyclone Kenneth is not likely to cause anywhere near the amount of deaths or damage that Idai did, but it is expected to come onshore on Thursday afternoon with winds of 194 kilometres per hour gusting up to 240km/h, making its strength equivalent to a category three hurricane.
Science & Technology
Brain implant turns thoughts to speech
BBC – Scientists have developed a brain implant that can read people’s minds and turn their thoughts to speech.
The team at the University of California, San Francisco says the technology is “exhilarating”.
They add that their findings, published in the journal Nature, could help people when disease robs them of their ability to talk.
Experts said the findings were compelling and offered hope of restoring speech.
How does it work?
The mind-reading technology works in two stages.
First an electrode is implanted in the brain to pick up the electrical signals that manoeuvre the lips, tongue, voice box and jaw.
Then powerful computing is used to simulate how the movements in the mouth and throat would form different sounds.
This results in synthesised speech coming out of a “virtual vocal tract”.
What’s the Difference Between Pink Noise, Brown Noise and White Noise?
Care2 – Does your mind start to run away with you when it’s just a litttttle too quiet in the room? You aren’t the only one. That’s because, in silence, every tiny little sound is accentuated. It stands out — it distracts. And before you even recognize it, your attention has shifted.
White noise can help with this, as can all sorts of other “colors” of noise, by blocking out sharp, unexpected noises with a dull, all-encompassing din. Here’s how these magic sounds are built:
White Noise
The various “colors” attached to noise — pink noise, brown noise and white noise, for example — refer to unique patterns of frequencies audible to the human ear. Just as white light is made up of all the colors of the rainbow, white noise is made up of every frequency humans can hear.
White noise sounds like:

  • TV static
  • Steam hissing

White noise is best used for:

  • Nighttime sleep
  • Concentration
  • Sound therapy

Pink Noise / Brown Noise
Pink noise and brown noise, on the other hand, do not feature every sound at the same level. While still covering the spectrum, pink noise and brown noise are both a lot beefier in the lower frequencies, with brown noise being the deepest of the two.
Pink noise sounds like:

  • Ocean waves
  • Rustling leaves
  • Rainfall

Pink noise is best used for:

  • Nighttime sleep
  • Napping
  • To enhance memory

Brown noise sounds like:

  • Rolling thunder
  • The roar of a waterfall
  • A strong wind

Brown noise is best used for:

  • Relaxation
  • Improved focus
  • To create calm

Health
Walmart Will Sell Genetically Engineered Salmon Nicknamed “Frankenfish”
Off The Grid News – Walmart will sell “Frankenfish,” or genetically engineered salmon, in its stores. Particularly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now permits the sale of AquaAdvantage Salmon.
AquaAdvantage is a genetically modified variety of salmon created by AquaBounty. Specifically, the AquaAdvantage salmon contains the DNA of both Atlantic and Pacific Salmon.
AquaAdvantage is mixing the DNA because Pacific salmon grow faster than Atlantic Salmon. Additionally, the new “Frankenfish” salmon eat 25% less food than regular salmon.
So, AquaAdvantage can make more money by growing more salmon faster with genetic engineering. Moreover, Walmart can increase their sales by offering more salmon at a lower price through the use of genetically modified fish.
Stop cancer cells dead in their tracks with turmeric
NaturalNews – There are many natural ways to stop the spread of cancer. One of the most effective methods is to consume turmeric, a spice that is rich in the anticancer compound curcumin. This natural compound achieves its anticancer effects by preventing inflammation that causes the disease in the first place.
There is strong scientific evidence that cancer and chronic inflammation are closely intertwined. In 1863, Rudolf Virchow noted that cancer often appeared in body parts that suffered from severe inflammation due to injury or a degenerative disease.
Turmeric happens to be a powerful anti-inflammatory food. By neutralizing inflammation, it makes it much harder for cancer cells to appear and grow in an area. (Related: Curcumin found to be one of the best natural ways to alleviate depression.)
Turmeric and curcumin suppresses the inflammation that leads to the formation of cancer cells
Many studies have shown that cancer and other similar chronic diseases originate from inflammation and the damage caused by excessive oxidation. Chronic inflammation is often attributed to poor diet and low levels of physical activity.
It stands to reason that preventing inflammation is the best way to avoid cancer. This can be done by working out on a regular basis and eating nutritious food such as curcumin-rich turmeric.
Curcumin is the primary bioactive compound in turmeric. It is responsible for the yellow color of the spice, as well as the superfood’s inflammation-fighting and cancer-fighting properties.
In its role as a natural anti-inflammatory, curcumin suppresses the activity of various molecules that cause inflammation in cells and tissues. These inflammatory substances include adhesion molecules, cytokines, enzymes, and protein kinases.
These 7 Foods Contain More Sugar Than You Think
Care2 – By now, most of us know that if we pick up a bottle of fruit juice at the store, chances are we’re drinking it more for its sweet, sugary taste than for our health. One eight-ounce glass of “100 percent” grape juice can pack in as many as 36 grams of sugar, after all. Considering that The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that men eat no more than 38 grams of sugar a day and women 25 grams, it’s clear that every choice matters when it comes to monitoring our sugar intakes.
From pre-packaged dry fruits to our favorite childhood canned soups, here are foods that contain way more sugar than you’d think.

  1. Instant Oatmeal

If you’re someone who enjoys a nice, comforting bowl of oatmeal in the morning, fear not: plain rolled oats contain a slew of health benefits. They are high in fiber, rich in antioxidants and can even improve blood sugar control. It’s just those flavored instant oatmeal packets that you have to look out for, as many of them contain a lot of added sugar.

  1. Cereals

You probably know to steer clear of chocolatey cereals, most artificially flavored and rainbow cereals or cereals that are approximately 50 percent marshmallow. However, even some of the cereals that are marketed as “healthy”, such as Raisin Bran, contain up to 19 grams of sugar per cup.

  1. Barbecue Sauce

If you’re someone who likes to break out the barbecue sauce to marinate, baste or dip your favorite foods come summertime, just be aware that one tablespoon of the sauce can pack in as many as 12.5 grams of added sugar.

  1. Dried Fruits

If you have a hankering for a snack, you might think that grabbing a handful of dried fruit is a wholesome way to tide you over until your next meal. Just be aware that fruit, in general, contains significant amounts of sugar, and when you dehydrate fruit, those sugars are concentrated in a much smaller, more compact bite.
One ounce of dried fruit can provide a whopping 17 grams of sugar, while one medium peach only contains 13 grams and might leave you more satisfied.

  1. Canned Soups

There’s nothing more comforting when you’re sick than tucking into a cozy bowl of your favorite childhood soup—but many varieties, even the savory ones, often contain a significant amount of sugar and sodium.
For instance, one variety of Campbell’s tomato soup contains 20 grams of sugar. That’s the same amount as two doughnuts.

  1. Many yogurts (especially low-fat and flavored varieties)

These days, there’s a yogurt out there for everyone, no matter your dietary preferences. But whether you enjoy a silky almond-based variety, or a thick, Greek-style coconut base, try to buy an unsweetened, unflavored variety if you’re watching your sugar intake.
One small container of Forager’s Organic Cashewgurt in the vanilla flavor provides 12 grams of sugar, while a small container of their unsweetened plain variety only has 1 gram of sugar.

  1. Sports drinks

Gatorade, Vitaminwater and Powerade are all drinks that promise to replenish your sodium and glucose levels after a long, hard sweat session. However, many sports drinks contain anywhere from 30 to 34 grams of sugar per bottle, which is more than many commercial candy bars.

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