Today's News: August 17, 2018

World News

Biggest-ever British warship joins forces with most powerful American stealth fighter jets
Fox – Britain’s largest-ever warship, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, is joining forces with the American-made most powerful stealth fighter jets in the world.
The ship is the first of the Queen Elizabeth (QE) Class aircraft carriers and is embarking on its very first transatlantic journey. The giant warship will arrive off the eastern coast of the United States where it will start the first flight trials with the fifth generation Lightning II Joint Strike fighter jets.

US ends Syria stabilization funding, cites more allied cash
AP – The Trump administration is ending funding for Syria stabilization projects as it moves to extricate the U.S. from the conflict, citing increased contributions from anti-Islamic State coalition partners.
The State Department said it had notified Congress on Friday that it would not spend some $230 million that had been planned for Syria programs and would instead shift that money to other areas. Most of that money, initially pledged by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in February, had been on hold and under review since he was fired in March. A small fraction of that amount was released in June.

US sanctions Myanmar forces for alleged human rights abuses
AP – The U.S. Treasury on Friday slapped sanctions on members of the Myanmar security forces for their alleged role in violent campaigns against ethnic minorities across the troubled nation in Southeast Asia.

New Mexico Jihad Compound Destroyed by Unidentified Authorities, But Something Is Fishy
G. Edward Griffin – Following a court order, authorities seized a stolen RV at a New Mexico compound where five adults are accused of abusing 11 children and training them for school shootings. It is not known which law-enforcement agency seized the RV. The FBI is not cooperating with lawmakers who are asking questions, which is raising suspicion that something is being covered up. In addition to seizing the RV, the unidentified law-enforcement agency also bulldozed the entrance to an underground tunnel where the decomposing body of three-year-old Abdul-ghani Wahha was kept, supposedly in expectation that he would resurrect as Jesus and use his powers to help the group combat “corrupt institutions and people” with “violent actions.”Siraj Wahhaj, who was on a terror watchlist for the past 13 years, is the father and also the accused murderer of the boy, and will remain in jail pending a warrant for his arrest in Georgia for the abduction of his son. However, Judge Sarah Backus ordered the other four Muslims to be freed on a $20,000 “signature bond” (meaning they didn’t have to pay). [These facts do not fit well together, which causes us to agree with the skeptics that something is fishy, indeed.]

China ‘training for strikes’ on US targets
BBC – The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress warns of Chinese military ambitions in the Pacific.

Report: Trump considering plan to privatize Afghanistan War
The Hill – President Trump has reportedly shown renewed interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince to privatize the United States’ war in Afghanistan, according to an NBC News.
NBC News on Friday, citing current and former senior administration officials, reported the proposition would replace troops with private military contractors who would work for a government liaison, who would in turn report directly to the president.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Bernie Sanders socialism moves to Democratic mainstream
The Hill – Bernie Sanders and democratic socialism increasingly look to be winning over the Democratic Party, raising concerns among some Democrats about whether it could hurt the party in this year’s midterm elections, and the presidential race of 2020.
The biggest Democratic star of the summer is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who, like Sanders, is a democratic socialist.
Prospective Democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential election are flocking to the Sanders “Medicare for all” bill, which would institute a single-payer health-care system across the country.
And a new Gallup poll this week found that 57 percent of Democrats view socialism favorably, compared to 47 percent who view capitalism positively.

Missouri parents outraged after school district bans fast food
Fox – Parents in Missouri are expressing anger after their school district announced it would no longer allow students to eat fast food any time during lunch or school hours.
The new policy for the Richmond School District was announced on social media earlier this month. Dear Elementary posted the change on its Facebook page and it was promptly met with backlash.
“At the end of the day, we want to be able to decide on our own,” Chris Swafford, a father of five kids in the school district, told Fox 4. “I thought it was overstepping at its finest. It’s up to parents what their children eat.”

Milk Or Water: California Bill Aims To Curb Kids’ Soda Drinking At Restaurants
CBS – A new state bill would give kids two options with their meals at restaurants—water or milk.
Senate Bill 1192 would make water or milk the default drink for kids meals in a push to reduce obesity and access to sugary drinks for children.
The bill passed the Assembly and is on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. If he signs it, California would be the first state in the nation to have such a law.

Atlanta charter school drops morning Pledge of Allegiance
USA Today – An Atlanta school is no longer requiring its students to stand each morning for the Pledge of Allegiance.
In a letter to students and families, Lara Zelinski, principal of Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School’s elementary campus, said “students will continue to lead the meeting by asking our community to stand to participate in our Wolf Pack Chant together.” She added that the Pledge of Allegiance could be said at another point during the day within classrooms.
The move comes as the national debate over the national anthem and the NFL continues.
Alabama public schools may soon add ‘In God We Trust’ displays
Fox – Public school officials in Alabama are looking to put God back into their schools through displays of the U.S. motto “In God We Trust” — but critics are speaking out against the move, calling it “a constant push for theocracy.”
State lawmakers in February approved legislation allowing such displays on public property. The motto soon could become more common in Alabama schools, Al.com reported, with legal challenges expected to follow.

Ft. Lauderdale airport shooter sentenced to life in prison
Fox – The 26-year-old airline passenger who killed five people and wounded eight when he opened fire at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood airport last year was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.

Trump to Yank ANOTHER Obama-Era Security Clearance ‘Very Quickly’
Constitution – When asked if he will take away Ohr’s clearance, Trump said, “I think Bruce Ohr is a disgrace. I suspect I will be taking it away very quickly. I think that Bruce Ohr is a disgrace with his wife, Nellie. For him to be in the Justice Department and to be doing what he did, that is a disgrace.”.

New AP Iowa High Court Nullifies Horrible U.S. Supreme Court Fourth Amendment Precedent
Activist Post – A recent ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court effectively nullified bad U.S. Supreme Court precedent in the state. The decision was a win for privacy and demonstrates the how state-level action can undermine overreaching federal power.
The case revolved around a police search of Bion Ingram’s car that led to drug charges. Under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, the search was considered constitutional. But instead of trying to fight the battle in federal court, Ingram’s attorneys chose to challenge the search in state court under the Iowa state constitution. Ultimately, the Iowa high court found that the search violated Article 1 Sec. 8 of the Iowa Constitution.
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable seizures and searches shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue but on probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons and things to be seized.”

Economy & Business

Oil set for longest losing run since 2015 amid economy fears
Chron – Oil headed for the longest run of weekly declines in three years as turbulence in emerging markets and the ongoing trade conflict between the U.S. and China stirred fears that fuel demand may suffer.

Chipotle to retrain all workers on food safety after hundreds fall ill in Ohio
Investment Watch – Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to retrain all of its restaurant workers nationwide on food safety after nearly 650 customers became ill after eating recently at one of its Ohio restaurants.
The company confirmed Thursday to USA TODAY that it would launch the training next week after the episode in Powell, Ohio.

Too Expensive: President Trump Cancels The Veteran’s Day Military Parade
ZeroHedge – Hours after The Pentagon confirmed the President’s military parade planned for Veterans Day has been postponed until at least next year, after the DoD released an estimated cost of $92 million, Trump has scape-tweeted local Washington politicians as responsible for the decision to cancel.
As a reminder, The Hill reports that the Defense Department released an updated cost estimate for the planned parade, which pegged the price tag for the event at $92 million, including $50 million from the Pentagon and $42 million from interagency partners.
That figure is significantly higher than an initial estimate that three U.S. defense officials provided CNN with last month. That estimate pegged the cost of the parade at closer to $12 million, raising new questions about the overall cost of the event.
And then yesterday evening, Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement that the Defense Department and White House have agreed to explore potential dates for the parade in 2019.

Judge rules White House confidentiality agreement is limited in scope
The Hill – A judge in New York has ruled that a confidentiality agreement between the Trump campaign and a former staffer is limited in scope, a decision that could have potential ramifications for other non-disclosure agreements signed by former Trump staffers.

Energy & Environment

Florida’s red tide: Scientists seek solution to toxic algae crisis
Fox – Scientists are seeking a solution to the red tide crisis that has been devastating marine life on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The naturally occurring toxic algae bloom, which was declared an emergency by Gov. Rick Scott on Monday, has littered beaches with dead sea life.

India’s Kerala state devastated by worst flood in a century
Al Jazeera – Death toll from floods in southern state of Kerala jumps to hundreds, with more than 220,000 forced from their homes.

Science & Technology

Air Force to fly F-15s, F-22s and F-35s controlling attack drones from the air
Fox – The Air Force and DARPA are now testing new hardware and software configured to enable 4th and 5th Generation aircraft to command drones from the cockpit in the air, bringing new levels of autonomy, more attack options and a host of new reconnaissance advantages to air warfare.

The Weaponization Of American Newborn’s DNA Has To Stop!!
The Liberty Beacon – Why has the Government been collecting genetic information on American newborn babies over the past decades, and who told them they could?
Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it’s often done without the parents’ consent, according to Brad Therrell, former director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center.
Like a thief in the night nurses and medical practitioners come with their needles, and instead of taking candy from a baby they take the most sacred genetic code from our precious newborns. In the State of Florida, 383.14 (5), Florida Statutes screens for 32 different core disorders.
Like in the Laboratory of a Frankenstein movie, hospitals around the United States are collecting sacred genetic property and information from American new born babies and a high percentage of the parents are unaware that their child’s DNA is being stored in government labs. The narrative states that it’s in the best interest of the child in case of any future health crisis or external problems that could arise yet the facts are, these procedures are administered without the verbal or written consent of the parents.

Gardening, Farming & Homesteading

This Spicy Natural Pesticide Really Works!
Care 2 – After four years of extensive research, scientists have discovered the perfect compound for keeping pests from snacking on your garden seeds. The answer? Ghost peppers.
Conservationist researchers decided to search for a natural plant compound that would make the seeds less enticing to the mice, while still encouraging germination. It also had to be a substance that wouldn’t wash off for at least a few months.
Capsaicin, the spicy compound in peppers, has long been known to deter rodents. In fact, capsaicin is the natural form of secondary defense for pepper plants to prevent them from being eaten.
When the capsaicin-rich pepper is ground up and applied to other seeds, those seeds gain the same protection of that valuable second level of defense. And since the pepper powder is all-natural and just incredibly unpleasant, it doesn’t get much more gentle for pests or plants. Wins all around!

Recipe: Preserve Your Tomatoes: Make Tomato Jam!

Health

Blue Computer Light Accelerates Blindness, Optical Chemistry Study Shows
Newsmax – Exposure to blue light can speed up blindness, new optical chemistry research at The University of Toledo claimed to show.
Blue light found in digital device displays and from the sun causes molecules in the retina to change so that they kill cells, according to UT News, which reported on the research. When enough cells are killed, macular degeneration results.
Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. with more than two million new cases reported each year, UT News pointed out.
“We are being exposed to blue light continuously, and the eye’s cornea and lens cannot block or reflect it,” University of Toledo department of chemistry and biochemistry assistant professor Dr. Ajith Karunarathne said to UT News. “It’s no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye’s retina.” Karunaranthe said that research could help slow down the process and lead to new therapies like eye drops that prevent the killer compounds from being made.

In 2017, More than 72,000 Americans Were Killed by Drugs – Mostly Pain Killers
Edward Griffin – More than 72,000 people died from drug overdoses between January 2017 and January 2018, according to new estimates from the Center for Disease Control.
That represents a 14 percent rise over 2016, despite a year of calls for action on the drug epidemic from national politicians and the media. Drug deaths continue to eclipse every other cause of non-disease death in the United States, including car crashes, homicides, and suicides. More people died from drug overdoses in 2017 than at any point in the preceding two decades.
The driving force behind last year’s increase is the dangerous class of synthetic opioids called fentanyls, predominantly the medical painkiller fentanyl, but also deadlier analogs like carfentanil and acetylfentanyl. Indeed, while fentanyl overdose rates have continued their meteoric year-on-year climb, rates of death from other opioids—heroin and prescription drugs like OxyContin and hydrocodone—appear to have slowed.
What was once a prescription drug crisis, and then a heroin crisis, might now rightly be termed a fentanyl crisis