World News
Australia: Sculpture of Man’s Chest Banned From Art Exhibit Because it May Offend Immigrants
Infowars – A sculpture of a man’s bare chest was banned from an art exhibit in Australia because the organizers feared nudity may offend people from other cultures and religions.
Yes, really.
Sculptor Alan Goedecke, who describes the piece as “traditional” and “tame,” was told by organizers of the Melbourne event that the bust “has nipples on it, you can see what gender it is so therefore it’s banned.”
“No one can believe it, I can’t believe it, it’s staggering,” said Goedecke.
The owner of Collins Square, where the work would have been exhibited, said it was banned because, “More than 20,000 workers and families from a wide variety of cultures and religious beliefs visit Collins Square every day” and that “the association agreed to no nudity, no political statements, no racism.”
Ridiculous. Issues of excessive multicultural offense are shackling Western art & expression to the point of absurdity. @DanielAndrewsMP‘s #Socialist Republic of #Victoria is trying to walk a political line that doesn’t exist.
This mess will end with us in the Dark Ages.#auspol https://t.co/arhSy72sVN
— Alexandra Marshall (@ellymelly) July 31, 2019
Works by seven other artists were also banned from appearing at the exhibition.
]“Ridiculous. Issues of excessive multicultural offense are shackling Western art & expression to the point of absurdity,” commented Alexandra Marshall.
Mexico vows to take legal action against U.S. after El Paso massacre
NBC – Mexico on Sunday threatened to take legal action against the United States for failing to protect its citizens after this weekend’s mass shooting in the border city of El Paso.
Of the 20 people gunned down at a Walmart adjacent to the Cielo Vista Mall, at least seven were Mexican citizens, and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard promised Mexico City will act.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry called the attack in El Paso a “terrorist act against innocent Mexicans.”
Hong Kong protest and strike brings city to a standstill
Hong Kong protesters have brought the city to a standstill after a pro-democracy movement called for a general strike.
At least 100 flights have been cancelled and metro services widely disrupted as demonstrators blocked train and platform doors to prevent trains from leaving stations.
Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam says the protests are pushing the city to the “verge of a very dangerous situation”.
The city-wide general strike follows a weekend of violent clashes between protesters and authorities, with police deploying tear gas, rubber bullets and other crowd control measures.
Demonstrations on Monday hit seven districts in the city and hampered the morning rush hour.
Hong Kong government: protests are pushing city to ‘extremely dangerous edge’
Reuters – Hong Kong’s government said violence and illegal protests were pushing the city to an “extremely dangerous edge”, as police fired multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters on Sunday and Beijing said it would not let the situation persist.
The Chinese-controlled city, an Asian financial hub, has been rocked by months of protests that began against a proposed bill to allow people to be extradited to stand trial in mainland China and have developed into calls for greater democracy.
A general strike aimed at bringing the city to a halt is planned for Monday. Many flight departures were shown as being cancelled on Monday and a source and media reports said this was due to aviation workers planning to strike.
Tommy Robinson protest turns violent as chairs and bottles hurled at police
Mirror – The Tommy Robinson protest in London has turned violent after chairs and bottles were hurled at police officers in the centre of the city.
In one sickening video, chairs and bottles are launched at officers outside an All Bar One.
Officers with batons drawn formed a line as pro-Robinson supporters ran towards them across the front of BBC headquarters.
A can of beer was thrown into the crowd still assembled outside All Souls Church and a bottle of water towards police.
At least one man is being pinned to the ground by officers.
Another video, filmed earlier in the day, Robinson supporters were seen clashing with police in ugly scenes as the Oxford Street marchers were met with counter protests from groups including Stand up to Racism.
Hundreds of Robinson supporters have been marching through the city centre carried Free Tommy posters, the opposing group walked through the streets with a ‘London is anti-fascist’ banner.
French ‘flying man’ succeeds in bid to cross English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard
NBC – French inventor Franky Zapata on Sunday succeeded in crossing the English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard he designed, after a previous ended with him falling into the sea.
Standing on a platform powered by five small jet engines and carrying kerosene in a backpack, Zapata took off from Sangatte, just outside Calais in France early Sunday morning, trailed by three helicopters.
He reached Britain just over 20 minutes later, waving to onlookers before landing safely in Saint Margaret’s Bay, close to Dover on Britain’s southern coast, according to French television images.
“For the last five to six kilometres I just really enjoyed it,” Zapata told reporters on arrival. “Whether this is a historic event or not, I’m not the one to decide that, time will tell.”
“We made a machine three years ago…and now we’ve crossed the Channel, it’s crazy,” he said, before breaking into tears.
Zapata’s biggest challenge was refuelling with another backpack halfway through the journey across the Strait of Dover, which required landing on a platform mounted on a boat.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
El Paso Terrorist Is a Hardcore Progressive and White Nationalist: Wants Universal Income And Universal Healthcare
Gateway Pundit – Mass shooter Patrick Crusius murdered 20 people today at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
Crusius published a manifesto before his shooting spree.
It is clear from his words that he is a PROGRESSIVE white nationalist – what was once defined as a “Nazi.”
This is not to say he’s a Democrat or a Republican, but he is without question a progressive.
All you have to do is read his manifesto to see the obvious tell-tale signs.
Under his section titled “Economic Reasons” for the attack, the shooter states:
“In the near future, America will have to initiate a basic universal income to prevent widespread poverty and civil unrest as people lose their jobs (to automation). Joblessness is in itself a source of civil unrest. The less dependents on a government welfare system, the lower the unemployment rate, the better. Achieving ambitious social projects like universal healthcare and UBI would become far more likely to succeed if tens of millions of defendants are removed.”
Now THAT is some Nazi level stuff right there. Kill the undesirables so we can have our glorious government programs!
His was an act of environmental terrorism as well:
“The decimation of our environment is creating a massive burden for future generations. Corporations are heading the destruction of our environment by shamelessly overharvesting resources.”
Not exactly sounding like a Republican, but this next quote does remind me of one of the parties:
“I am against race mixing because it destroys genetic diversity and creates identity problems….But the idea of deporting or murdering all non-white Americans is horrific. Many have been here as long as the whites, and have done as much to build our country. The best solution to this for now would be to divide America int a confederacy of territories with at least 1 territory for each race.”
Huh. Where have we heard about a confederacy in the past? We’ll have to think on that one.
More to Walmart Shooting, Sources Tell Reporter: Claim of Second Suspect Killed by Police; El Paso Chosen for a Reason; Walmart in Nearby Socorro, Texas Abruptly Closed
The Gateway Pundit – Giaritelli stated there is more to the story than is being told according to her sources.
Giaritelli says a law enforcement source–the same one who gave the name and age of arrested suspect Patrick Crusius–has told her a second suspect was killed by police, noting that contradicts the mayor.
She also says there is a reason the suspect committed the attack in El Paso rather than his hometown of Allen, Texas. And she pointed out a nearby Walmart that abruptly closed Saturday afternoon after consulting with law enforcement. That Walmart, located in Socorro, Texas, is just about 15 miles southeast of El Paso.
“According to my law enforcement source in El Paso (who gave me the apprehended shooter’s name and age): A 2nd suspect was killed when police responded to the Walmart shooting. Police have not disclosed this info yet. Mayor says otherwise but my source says 2nd suspect is dead.”
“There’s a reason the Walmart shooter in custody went to El Paso instead of carrying out the attack in his hometown in Allen, Texas … I can’t share info yet but it’ll all make sense soon. There is a lot more to the story than what networks are reporting.”
According to my law enforcement source in El Paso (who gave me the apprehended shooter’s name and age):
A 2nd suspect was killed when police responded to the Walmart shooting. Police have not disclosed this info yet. Mayor says otherwise but my source says 2nd suspect is dead.
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 4, 2019
Pay attention to this part ⤵️ https://t.co/3Px5oLrnWs
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 4, 2019
There’s a reason the Walmart shooter in custody went to El Paso instead of carrying out the attack in his hometown in Allen, Texas … I can’t share info yet but it’ll all make sense soon. There is a lot more to the story than what networks are reporting.
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 4, 2019
This is the one suspect police have alive and in custody.
As I reported four hours ago, his name is Patrick Crusius and he is from outside Dallas.
A law enforcement official provided me the two photos from during the incident and after his arrest.https://t.co/OlIR5zvmJ4 pic.twitter.com/Cyqu8sCoJr
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 4, 2019
Tweets by the City of Socorro stating there was no threat to their local Walmart and then abruptly announcing it was closing two hours later.
“In response today’s active shooter, and the public’s concern #SocorroPD will be posting units outside of the neighborhood Walmart at 10301 Alameda. THERE IS NO THREAT. Just wanting to keep our community’s peace of mind to shop comfortably.”
In response today’s active shooter, and the public’s concern #SocorroPD will be posting units outside of the neighborhood Walmart at 10301 Alameda. THERE IS NO THREAT. Just wanting to keep our community’s peace of mind to shop comfortably.
— City of Socorro (@City_of_Socorro) August 3, 2019
And two hours later:
Update from SPD regarding the Socorro neighborhood Walmart. pic.twitter.com/0BB0c9fB1x
— City of Socorro (@City_of_Socorro) August 3, 2019
Giaritelli has traveled to El Paso and other border towns many times this year, covering the immigration story and developing sources. She was also the reporter for the controversial report last month that claimed no new borders walls have been built by President Trump.
NARRATIVE CONTROL: Multiple reports, witnesses claim that there were “three or four” shooters at El Paso Walmart, but police only claim one
NaturalNews – A mass shooting has broken out in a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas. It is being widely covered by the media, which is no doubt desperately trying to tie this shooting to a right-wing Trump supporter (but has so far failed).
UPDATE: Just as we predicted, below, the fake news media is now “ruling out multiple shooters” even though countless witnesses are reporting “three people rushing in” with AK-47s and directly witnessing multiple shooters. As with nearly every staged, pre-planned shooting event, the media covers up the truth about multiple shooters and tries to memory hole the truth. It’s happening right now as this shooting event is being twisted into a false narrative of a “lone gunman.”
Here’s what’s being reported so far:
- The shooting took place at the Cielo Vista Mall Wal-Mart, and it is currently reported that 18 people have been killed, with another 30 reported as injured so far.
- Multiple gunmen are being reported. “Three suspects” were said to be in custody by a law enforcement official in El Paso, according to a live update on KTSM news. The presence of multiple shooters will often be deleted from the media as the official fake news media narrative will reduce these events to a single shooter. One witness interviewed by KTSM, Glendon Oakley, said he heard there were “four shooters.” Oakley told KTSM that he is in the military and has a concealed carry permit, but did not indicate whether he was carrying a firearm at the time.
- One person has been arrested so far, according to media reports. The scene has reportedly been secured by law enforcement.
- The shooters reportedly carried AK-47 firearms, which are firearms typically used by communists and Antifa (left-wing) people. AK-47s are also favored by Mexican drug gangs and drug-related criminals. In contrast, U.S. military veterans typically used AR-15s, not AKs.
- There are so far no media reports of any armed citizens engaging the shooters, even though many citizens in Texas carry concealed weapons. Videos published so far depict people fleeing the scene and law enforcement responding in tactical gear.
- It is possible there may have been “multiple locations” where multiple shooters engaged innocent civilians, according to media reports.
- The identity of the shooters is not yet known.
The location of the Cielo Vista Mall is very close to the U.S. / Mexico border, where gang violence often spills over into the United States.
These early indicators point to the mass shooting being a result of cross-border gang violence, although this conclusion may change as additional facts unfold.
El Paso Walmart shooting witnesses saw ‘three to four armed men running in… dressed in all black… shooting’
Intellihub – Major cover-up underway? Why are mainstream sources and officials reporting only one shooter when eyewitnesses claim that they saw 3 to 4 armed men dressed in all black enter the store and start shooting?
Twenty people were killed at a Walmart in El Paso Texas on Saturday reportedly by the hands of a single suspected gunman who was identified by various news sources as Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas. However, information received by Intellihub may tell a different story.
Remarkably, several eyewitnesses to the shooting, a mother and her daughter, were captured on video recounting how three men dressed in all black entered through the front doors of the store as the shooting started.
“That’s when my mom is like ‘no it is actually shooting’ and she saw three men went in and they were all dressed in black,” a young girl named Britney explained. “…that’s when my mom said ‘drop down, go down to the floor.’”
Britney admits that neither she nor her mom actually saw anyone shot or wounded but said the three men were, in fact, holding guns and acknowledged the men were shooting.
Britney’s mother Adriana was near the checkout area at the front of the store with both her children when the shooting started and claims to have seen three or four male shooters dressed in black enter through the front doors.
“As we were waiting to pay, I saw men run in shooting,” she said. “There was at least three or four people… they were dressed in black.”
“I did not see their faces,” she explained. “I saw them dressed in all black… and they were the ones shooting because I could see their weapons and the bullets firing.”
Additionally, it is important to point out that El Paso Mayor Dee Margo originally told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer early on after the shooting that three suspects were taken into custody.
Not to mention, an image taken from security camera footage reveals a shooter who entered the store may have been wearing different pants than the suspect apprehended by police who was pictured in handcuffs.
Five simple questions that blow apart the official fake news narrative about the El Paso Wal-Mart shooting
NaturalNews- The official news narrative about the El Paso WalMart mass shooting is largely fabricated. Even though the violence was real, and people were really shot and killed, the narrative surrounding the tragedy is almost all fiction.
Five huge questions are screaming out for real answers:
#1) If there’s only one shooter, why did so many eyewitnesses report multiple shooters at the scene?
#2) Why did the local police arrest and hold three suspects in custody, as was widely reported by the media before the story was changed to a “lone shooter?”
#3) Why does the so-called “manifesto” appear to be written by someone far older than 21 years of age? (Answer: The manifesto is a hoax. It was not written by the individual who was arrested as the shooter.)
#4) How does one man kill 20 people and wound another 30 people with a single magazine that only holds 30 rounds? The surveillance photo shows no chest rig, no battle belt and no spare magazines.
#5) If the shooter is on a suicide mission, why does he bother to wear both eye protection and ear protection? Answer: Because he knows he will survive his “mission” and be taken into custody after surrendering to police. It wasn’t a suicide mission at all. Eighteen months from now, the world will have forgotten the name of the shooter, and the media will never report anything about him again. (He will likely be relocated under the witness protection program, living under a new identity after having completed his “mission” for the deep state.)
BONUS QUESTION: If you hate illegals and want to protect America, why would you mass murder Americans shopping in an American store? Wouldn’t you theoretically want to target illegal aliens if that’s who you want to destroy? Nearly all the people who were shot were Americans. It makes no sense to hate illegals and then turn around and mass murder Americans.
ONE MORE QUESTION: Why was the shooter’s online profile changed from “Democrat” to Republican / Trump supporter / QAnon follower? Clearly the deep state is modifying his online profile to match their own conspiracy theories and official narratives about QAnon followers being “domestic terrorists.” This is Orwellian-level psyop stuff being run on the entire nation…
In summary, the official narrative doesn’t add up. In fact, it’s all a “staged violence” event which combines real violence with a fake narrative to achieve a specific political purpose. In this case, the goal is the complete disarmament of the American people, blaming Trump for everything and positioning illegals as “victims” of a mass shooting when, in reality, it was Americans who were actually shot.
Bedoya calls out Congress on shootings after goal
ESPN – Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya used his goal celebration in Sunday’s MLS game at D.C. United to call on Congress to act on gun violence, following a pair of mass shootings in the U.S. this weekend.
After scoring at Audi Field in the nation’s capital, Bedoya ran toward the corner of the field, grabbed an on-field television microphone and shouted into it.
“Hey Congress, do something now. End gun violence. Let’s go!” he said.
The comment was easily heard on FS1’s broadcast of the game but was not audible for the majority of those in attendance at the stadium.
Bedoya’s remarks come in the wake of a shooting Saturday in El Paso, Texas, that left 20 dead and more than two dozen injured, and one in Dayton, Ohio, in the early hours of Sunday morning that killed nine people and injured at least 27.
Before the game, Bedoya had posted on Twitter the first steps he thought policymakers could take to help curb gun violence.
Bedoya said after the Union completed a 5-1 win that a friend suggested he use his platform as a professional athlete to spread his feelings on the issue, but he did not plan to run to the microphone before he scored the goal.
“It’s absurd, man,” Bedoya told reporters. “I’m not going to sit idly and watch this stuff happen and not say something. Before I’m an athlete, before I’m a soccer player, I’m a human being first. This stuff affects me. I got kids. I can’t be the only one here — all you guys, I’m sure feel the same way.”
Asked if he thought he would face any discipline from MLS for his statement into the microphone, Bedoya said, “I don’t care. Fine me if they want. You know what? I’ve got to make a stand.”
Union manager Jim Curtin said he supported Bedoya for “speaking against a true issue.”
Trump calls for DOJ to work with social media companies to identify mass shooters
The Hill – President Trump on Monday called for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to work closely with social media companies to identify potential mass shooters in remarks that referenced the role of technology in enabling real-world violence.
During a speech condemning white supremacy and hatred after the shooting in El Paso, Texas, Trump said the Internet plays an important role in radicalizing mass shooters.
The 21-year-old shooter in El Paso, Texas allegedly posted an anti-immigrant screen to fringe social networking platform 8chan shortly before he killed 20 people and injured dozens more on Saturday.
“The shooter in El Paso posted a manifesto online consumed by racist hate,” Trump said. “We must recognize that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalize disturbed minds and perform demented acts.”
“We must shine light on the dark recesses of the Internet and stop mass murders before they start,” he said. “The perils of the Internet and social media cannot be ignored and they will not be ignored.”
He announced that he is directing the DOJ to “to work in partnership with local, state and federal agencies as well as social media companies to develop tools that can develop mass shooters before they strike.”
Gunman Kills 9 in Dayton Entertainment District
NYT – Nine people were killed and 27 others were wounded, the police said. It was the second American mass shooting in 24 hours, and the third in a week.
The gunman who killed nine people, including his sister, early Sunday morning in Dayton, Ohio, wore a mask, body armor and hearing protection, and he possessed a high-capacity magazine capable of holding 100 rounds, the police said.
The gunman, identified as Connor Betts, 24, used what the police described as an “assault-style rifle” when he opened fire in a busy entertainment district in Dayton. A shotgun was also found in Mr. Betts’s car. Both guns were purchased legally, the police said.
The authorities said they still had not established a motive for the shooting. They said Mr. Betts arrived in the entertainment district Saturday evening with his sister, Megan K. Betts, 22, and another “companion.” Mr. Betts then split from the rest of the group for a period of time before opening fire, the authorities said.
Ohio lawmaker blames mass shootings on ‘drag queen advocates’, ‘homosexual marriage,’ ‘open borders’
Fox- A lawmaker from the northern Cincinnati suburbs is under criticism for a social media post blaming mass shootings on “drag queen advocates,” homosexual marriage,” “the relaxing of laws against criminals (open borders),” and “snowflakes who can’t accept a duly-elected President.” “After every mass shooting, the liberals start the blame game,” wrote State Rep. Candice Keller, R- Middletown, in a Facebook post on her personal page Sunday.
“Why not place the blame where it belongs?”
Screenshots of the post, which are not visible to the general public, were given to FOX19 NOW and other media Sunday, hours after a 24-year-old gunman from Bellbrook, Ohio, killed nine people and injured 27 others in a downtown Dayton nightlife district and one day after a gunman killed 20 people and injured several others at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
Keller was not alone in turning to social media in light of the shootings.
Several 2020 Democratic candidates and current Democratic office holders such as State Sen. Cecil Thomas, D-North Avondale, decried the shootings and expressed frustration and blame over what they called lack of action to curtail gun violence.
Dayton suspect compiled ‘hit list’ and ‘rape list’ in high school: reports
Fox – The gunman who fatally shot nine people — including his sister — and injured more than two dozen others in Dayton, Ohio, early Sunday was reportedly suspended during his high school years for compiling a “hit list” of those he wanted to kill and a “rape list” of girls he wanted to sexually assault.
Conner Betts, 24, who was killed by police less than a minute after he opened fire outside a crowded bar, showed signs of hostility years before Sunday’s violent outburst, according to former classmates.
Betts was reportedly suspended in his junior year at Bellbrook High School after a list of names was found scrawled on a wall in a school restroom, the former classmates said. In an earlier suspension, Betts came to school with a list of female students he wanted to sexually assault.
“There was a kill list and a rape list, and my name was on the rape list,” one female classmate told the Associated Press.
Mass shootings in the United States
Wikiepedia – Mass shootings are incidents involving multiple victims of firearm-related violence. The precise inclusion criteria are disputed, and there is no broadly accepted definition.[2][3][4] One definition is an act of public firearm violence—excluding gang killings, domestic violence, or terrorist acts sponsored by an organization—in which a shooter kills at least four victims. Using this definition, one study found that nearly one-third of the world’s public mass shootings between 1966 and 2012 (90 of 292 incidents) occurred in the United States.[5][6] Using a similar definition, The Washington Post records 163 mass shootings in the United States between 1967 and June 2019.[7]
GOP Rep Dan Crenshaw, Sen Lindsey Graham Push Gun Control In Wake Of Leftist’s Mass Shooting
Information Liberation – GOPers Dan Crenshaw and Lindsey Graham joined with Democrats in a push to disarm their own voter base in the wake of antifa-supporting leftist Connor Betts’ mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
The solutions aren’t obvious, even if we pretend they are. But we must try. Let’s start with the TAPS Act. Maybe also implement state “red flag” laws, or gun violence restraining orders. Stop them before they can hurt someone.https://t.co/2G2pZSWaF1
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) August 4, 2019
Senator Lindsey Graham similarly exploited the shooting to push for gun control:
May not have mattered here, but Red Flag laws have proven to be effective in states that have them. (2/2)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 4, 2019
From Buzzfeed, “Lindsey Graham Is Writing A Bill To Take Guns Away From People Deemed Dangerous”:
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Lindsey Graham told BuzzFeed News he will start crafting legislation next week to expand police powers to preemptively seize firearms from people believed to be a danger to themselves or others.
Graham is angling to get bipartisan support for his bill, and has been in discussions with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Neither would outline specifics Thursday beyond saying it will be an original piece of legislation. Graham said work on hammering out the contents of the bill will begin next week.
Why do Republican sell-outs always push for their own law-abiding supporters to be disarmed after some unhinged criminal commits a crime?
FBI Labels ‘Conspiracy Theories’ As Potential Domestic Terrorist Threats
Prep For That – The FBI now considers “fringe conspiracy theories” as a terrorist threat in the United States, according to a new Yahoo! report. The newly publicized document reveals that the U.S. government feels anti-government theories that involve government corruption are a threat.
The document, dated May 30, 2019, terms the groups as “conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists” and labels them as a “growing threat” which needs to be dealt with. The report lists several recent arrests as being examples of this new threat.
The FBI believes that “fringe ideas,” such as PizzaGate and QAnon, are examples of terrorist groups. PizzaGate is a conspiracy that political figures such as the Clintons participated in a global pedophilia ring. The PizzaGate issue grew by leaps and bounds following Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest and alleged jail cell suicide attempt.
“The FBI assesses these conspiracy theories very likely will emerge, spread, and evolve in the modern information marketplace, occasionally driving both groups and individual extremists to carry out criminal or violent acts,” the Yahoo! reported document states.
The QAnon conspiracy, which believes there is a conspiracy against President Trump, could become a more fascinating topic given the FBI’s assertions. With the 2020 election around the corner and a mainstream media that refuses to pump the breaks on slamming Trump, the FBI could move to arrest any pro-Trump groups which assert media biases or otherwise.
The document mentions Trump by name, stating QAnon as being run by a government official who “posts classified information online to reveal a covert effort, led by President Trump, to dismantle a conspiracy involving ‘deep state’ actors and global elites allegedly engaged in an international child sex trafficking ring.”
More than 20% of millennials claim to have no friends, poll finds
NY Daily News – No new friends. No old friends. No friends… period?
More than 20% of millennials surveyed in a YouGov poll released this week claimed that they don’t have a single friend. And less than a third of Millennials said they have double-digit friends, according to the data, culled online in early July.
Even if younger Americans are overstating their isolation, the jarring numbers reflect long-term rising trends in loneliness. Studies have indicated that loneliness has myriad negative mental and physical health effects.
“Strong social relationships support mental health, and that ties into better immune function, reduced stress and less cardiovascular activation,” Debra Umberson, a professor of sociology at the University of Texas, told Time magazine in 2015.
Thirty percent of millennials reported feeling lonely always or often in the YouGov data, while 20% of Gen Xers and 15% of baby boomers said the same.
Trump told advisers he wants to pull US troops from Afghanistan by 2020 election: report
The Hill – President TrumpDonald John TrumpCNN’s Jake Tapper calls out Republicans who turned down interviews after shootings Booker: Trump ‘particularly responsible’ for rising hate Castro: Trump ‘made a choice to divide people’ for his ‘political benefit’ MORE has informed advisers that he wants to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the 2020 election, NBC News reported Friday, citing five current and former administration and military officials.
The deadline has reportedly increased tension between officials at the Defense and State departments over whether such a withdrawal should happen and its timing.
“It’s tense,” one former official briefed on the matter told NBC.
Last December, Trump reportedly threatened to pull troops out of Afghanistan and to close the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The president reportedly argued that without the military, embassy personnel might not be safe.
Military officials, including Gen. Scott Miller, who commands U.S. forces in Afghanistan, have pushed back against the plan to pull out all troops within the next 15 months, officials told NBC. Officials said Miller would consider withdrawing some troops but would want others to remain to fight ISIS or al Qaeda.
Economy & Business
The Californians forced to live in cars and RVs
The Guardian – As the state grapples with a housing crisis, thousands of people around the San Francisco Bay Area are sleeping in their vehicles.
The faded, creased photograph shows a 13-year-old Vallie Brown smiling shyly as she pulls back her hair in the back of a large van. She is wearing a white one-piece swimsuit and at first glance, she looks like she’s coming back from a sun-soaked day at the beach.
Looking at the picture of Brown, few people would suspect that the girl in the snapshot was living out of that van with her mother. That each night after it grew dark, she curled up on the backseats to sleep. That she wore that swimsuit under her clothes because she had to bathe in gas station bathrooms.
More than four decades later, and long before government data would ultimately confirm her suspicion, her experiences helped Brown to recognize that California’s housing crisis had taken another complicated turn – that the tenuous existence of her family in her youth had become a reality for far too many in the present.
Energy & Environment
Water in Hawaii volcano could trigger explosive eruptions
AP – For the first time in recorded history, a pond of water has been discovered inside the summit crater of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, a development that could signal a shift to a more explosive phase of future eruptions.
After a week of questions about a mysterious green patch at the bottom of the volcano’s Halemaumau crater, the former home of a famed lava lake, researchers confirmed the presence of water on Thursday, officials with the U.S. Geological Survey told The Associated Press on Friday.
“The question is what does this mean in the evolution of the volcano?” USGS scientist emeritus Don Swanson said.
Minnesota Will Pay Residents to Create Bee Friendly Lawns
Eco Watch – It pays to pollinate in Minnesota.
Minnesota’s state budget celebrated pollinators last month by crowning the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee the state bee. And, to protect the plump pollinator, the state earmarked $900,000 dollars for bee-friendly spaces, according to Atlas Obscura.
From that money, the state government will pay the gardening bill for residents who are willing to turn their lawn into bee-friendly spaces, by planting flowers known to attract bees, like creeping thyme, self-heal and dutch white clover.
“When people look at these flowers, they see a nuisance, they see a weed. I see a forage for pollinators,” said James Woflin, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota’s Bee Lab, as CBS Minnesota reports.
While the flowers of these plants will attract all bees, the state is particularly interested in the rusty-patched bumblebee, a fat and fuzzy bee that pollinates apples and tomatoes. The new state bee has faced years of declining populations and is on the brink of extinction while making a last stand in Upper Midwest cities, according to Atlas Obscura.
The state’s Board of Water and Soil Resources will reimburse homeowners 75-90 percent of the cost for converting a lawn to bee-friendly plants and to have a yard with a diverse set of flowers, shrubs and trees, Star Tribune said. It will cover up 90 percent of the cost in areas with a high potential to support rusty-patched bees.
The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a guide for gardeners looking to plant flowers that will attract the rusty-patched bumblebee. The guide encourages people to plant anemones and wild lupine, bee balm and purple prairie clover, and goldenrod and New England aster for consistent blooms through the growing season that will entice pollinators throughout spring, summer and fall, Atlas Obscura reported.
Science & Technology
The Military-Style Surveillance Technology Being Tested in American Cities
The Atlantic – Say you’re on a commercial flight and you pass over a city. You pull out your phone and take a picture. Much of the area that you have photographed is private property, but have you violated anybody’s privacy? You’d probably say no, and you’d be right. But what if, instead of your phone, you use a professional camera equipped with a telescopic lens that’s strong enough to make out individual people in their backyards? Though your actions might raise some eyebrows among your fellow passengers, they are, from a legal standpoint, no different from the first example.
Let’s say you take it a step further. You fly a helicopter over the city at 1,000 feet. Now, with your telescopic camera, you can even make out distinctive features of the people in your frame. Surely this isn’t legal, you might say. Surely a bright line exists between snapping a photo with your phone from an airplane window and focusing a telescopic lens a few hundred feet over someone’s backyard.
But it doesn’t. Even if you happen to record someone sunbathing in a backyard, it is not your fault. It’s the sunbather’s fault, for not taking better precautions to protect against aerial observation.
This Werewolf Mouse Hunts Scorpions And Howls At The Moon
Healthy Food House – In the middle of the Sonoran Desert, there is a unique mouse species, known as grasshopper mice.
These mice can look tiny and cute, but they are made to survive in one of the harshest settings on Earth and are real natural killers, whose preys include insects, lizards, scorpions, and even, other mice.
They are distinguished from most other rodents due to their meat-based diet, and they regularly consume as large, or larger than themselves, preys.
The aggressive manners of these mice don’t improve with age. Rather than making their own nests, these mice take over burrows built by other rodents, and if necessary, they eliminate the occupants by force. The grasshopper mice will also kill and eat other rodents and even members of their own members in tough times.
Additionally, these mice are immune to scorpion venom, and their body converts the toxins into a pain killer. The share the desserts with the Arizona bark scorpions (Centruroides sp), which are the most poisonous scorpions in the world, and their painful venom causes muscle contractions and respiratory failure in people.
The nickname of werewolf mice is due to the practice to howl before a fresh kill. They throw their head back and let out a high-pitched cry, into the night sky. The ‘howl’ is pitched between 9-14kHz and if played back at a slower speed, it sounds like a wolf howling.
First human-monkey chimera raises concern among scientists
The Guardian – Efforts to create human-animal chimeras have rebooted an ethical debate after reports emerged that scientists have produced monkey embryos containing human cells.
A chimera is an organism whose cells come from two or more “individuals”, with recent work looking at combinations from different species. The word comes from a beast from Greek mythology which was said to be part lion, part goat and part snake.
The latest report, published in the Spanish newspaper El País, claims a team of researchers led by Prof Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte from the Salk Institute in the US have produced monkey-human chimeras. The research was conducted in China “to avoid legal issues”, according to the report.
Chimeras are seen as a potential way to address the lack of organs for transplantation, as well as problems of organ rejection. Scientists believe organs genetically matched to a particular human recipient could one day be grown inside animals. The approach is based on taking cells from an adult human and reprogramming them to become stem cells, which can give rise to any type of cell in the body. They are then introduced into the embryo of another species.
Health
Common OTC drugs can cause dementia
Mercola – Anticholinergic drugs block acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that performs important functions in your brain and peripheral and central nervous systems.
In your brain, acetylcholine plays a key role in attention, concentration, memory formation and consolidation, which is why anticholinergic drugs can cause symptoms identical to dementia.
Research assessing effects of anticholinergics found statistically significant associations between dementia and anticholinergic antidepressants, antiparkinson drugs, antipsychotic drugs, bladder antimuscarinics and antiepileptic drugs.
Many common over-the-counter drugs contain anticholinergic ingredients, including antihistamine medications sold under the brand names Benadryl and Chlor-Trimeton, sleep aids such as Tylenol PM, Aleve PM and Unisom, the motion sickness medication Dramamine and various cold medicines.
In the case of Benadryl and many sleep aids the anticholinergic ingredient in question is diphenhydramine. In Chlor-Trimeton it’s chlorpheniramine; in many cold medicines, it’s pyrilamine.
Multiple bottled water brands tainted with arsenic and PFAS
Mercola – The Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently released a health advisory after it was discovered that bottled water from Spring Hill Farm Dairy Inc. was contaminated with known toxic chemicals per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). Other testing found arsenic in brands of water sold at Whole Foods.
Exposure to PFAS while pregnant is associated with learning and behavior issues in infants and children and an increase in the risk of certain cancers. PFAS negatively affect the immune system and increase the risk of high blood pressure.
The source of most bottled water is either from natural springs or municipal supplies; the Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for regulating tap water and groundwater, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates bottled water. However, the EPA has no maximum contaminant levels established for PFAS and only recently released an action plan to address the issue.
You might consider ditching bottled water in favor of a whole house filtration system, which will protect your drinking water and the water you use to bathe, which will help reduce your exposure to toxins getting absorbed through your skin.
Mushrooms really are magic, especially when it comes to brain health
NaturalNews – n many countries, people use mushrooms for medicinal or culinary purposes. A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease suggests that eating mushrooms regularly can help prevent cognitive decline.
The health benefits of mushrooms
Mushrooms are used in various cuisines, and they are considered as nutrient-rich ingredients. Mushrooms contain large amounts of antioxidants that prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.
Unhealthy habits like smoking and even something as vital as breathing can cause the body to produce free radicals that attack healthy cells.
When healthy cells are damaged, the body becomes vulnerable to diseases and some types of cancer. Antioxidants (e.g., vitamins C and E and carotenoids) protect healthy cells from free radical damage.
Some mushrooms are edible, and despite being classified as fungi, they can be found in the vegetable section in grocery stores.
Both cultivated and wild species of edible mushrooms are rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, and protein. Mushrooms also contain lots of vitamins and minerals.
Mushrooms and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
An individual with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may have symptoms characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, like poor memory. However, these symptoms usually manifest in subtle ways that don’t significantly affect quality of life.
Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) hypothesized that consuming nutritious mushrooms may help preserve cognitive function in late adulthood and prevent MCI. (Related: Which mushrooms have the most brain-boosting benefits?)
Extra News
Grasshoppers on pizza? New menu item at Las Vegas pizzeria is taking the world by swarm
USA Today – In the kitchen of a Las Vegas pizzeria, there’s a new ingredient landing atop New York-style slices.
And you might call it chicken of the desert: grasshoppers.
“The Canyon Hopper” pizza at Evel Pie hit the menu this week after a biblical-level migration of pallid-winged grasshoppers swarmed Sin City’s neon lights and sidewalks – an invasion so thick it looked like a storm on weather radar.
“It’s hit the world by swarm,” Branden Powers, Evel Pie’s managing partner and creator, told the USA TODAY Network.
If you stop into the parlor at 508 Fremont St. in downtown Las Vegas, a slice will cost $5.50. But supplies are selling out fast.
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