Today's News: August 23, 2018

World News

Trump Admin Authorizes ‘Irregular Warfare’ Operations Across Globe
Washington Free Beacon – The Trump administration is undertaking efforts to grow and advance the U.S.’s “low-visibility, irregular warfare” operations across the globe, according to a new directive issued by the Pentagon.
A new Defense Department directive issued after approval from Congress authorizes and directs the Defense Department to amp up military support to foreign forces and “irregular forces [and] groups” in conflict zones across the world, according to authorizations granted in the annual 2018 defense budget.
Efforts will focus on growing U.S. military assistance to “to provide support to foreign forces, irregular forces, groups, or individuals engaged in supporting or facilitating ongoing irregular warfare operations by U.S. Special Operations Forces,” according to the Congressional authorization.
The Defense Department has been allocated $10 million a year during the next three years to fund these irregular warfare operations.

Iranian spies arrested in Chicago
WND – Two Iranians have been arrested for spying in the United States on behalf of the Islamic regime.
Ahmadreza Mohammadi-Doostdar, 59, and Majid Ghorbani, 38, were arrested on charges of conducting surveillance and collecting intelligence on individuals and groups considered to be enemies of the Iranian regime, the Justice Department said.
Officials said they were collecting photographic evidence of Chabad and Hillel Jewish centers in Chicago.

N.Y. Times deletes immigration status of Mollie’s ‘killer’
WND – The New York Times opted to delete the immigration status of the man suspected of killing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts in an update to a headline about the incident Wednesday.
According to the Twitter account Editing TheGrayLady, The Times made a number of changes to the headline of its story on Tibbetts’s murder before finally falling on “Immigrant Is Charged In Mollie Tibbetts Murder in Iowa, and Trump Seizes on Case.”
Initially, after editors at The Times learned that an illegal immigrant was the suspect behind her murder, the headline read “Trump Seizes on Killing of College Student, After Undocumented Immigrant’s Arrest.”

Reality Winner sentenced to more than 5 years over classified report leak
Fox – Former National Security Agency contractor Reality Winner on Thursday was sentenced to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to leaking a classified report with information on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Giuliani: Trump asked for advice about potentially pardoning Manafort
The Hill – President Trump‘s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said Thursday that Trump asked for advice on whether to pardon his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.
Giuliani told The Washington Post that Trump sought advice while Manafort’s financial fraud trial was taking place, and that the president felt that Manafort was being mistreated by federal prosecutors.

Texas Lt. gov accuses CNN, MSNBC of being ‘accomplices’ in death of Mollie Tibbetts
The Hill – Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) on Thursday accused various media outlets of being “accomplices” in the death of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts, prompting fierce pushback from Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera.
During an appearance on Fox News’s “America’s Newroom,” Patrick accused CNN, MSNBC and Rivera of being responsible for Tibbetts’s death, arguing that the left and news media have been “playing politics” on immigration laws, costing people their lives.
Patrick weighed in after an immigrant named Cristhian Bahena Rivera was charged with murder this week in connection to the death of Tibbetts, 20, who had been missing for more than a month before authorities discovered her body this week.
“The CNNs, MSNBCs, most of the print media and Democrats are all accomplices in the death of this young girl and the death of everyone else,” Patrick declared on Fox.
“Even Geraldo Rivera,” Patrick continued. “I’ve never met the guy. Seems like he has a good heart. I saw him on here Fox saying, ‘I feel badly about this but…’ There is no ‘but.’”
“I’ll be happy to debate Geraldo Rivera any time, any place, anywhere on this issue.”

MSNBC Contributor: Teachers Might Shoot Minority Students if They’re Allowed to Carry Guns
Washington Free Beacon – MSNBC contributor Yamiche Alcindor said Thursday that allowing school teachers to be armed could lead to teachers shooting innocent minority students.
Alcindor joined an MSNC panel where she discussed a policy the Education Department is considering, one that would–according to a New York Times report–allow states to use federal funding on guns or gun safety programs. Alcindor said advocacy groups oppose the idea of teachers being armed not just because they don’t support guns in general but because it could harm students.

Sessions Fires Back at Trump for Saying He ‘Never Took Control of the Justice Department’
Washington Free Beacon – Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday fired back at President Donald Trump following an interview in which the president said Sessions “never took control of the Justice Department.”
Sessions released a statement hours after Trump, in a “Fox & Friends” interview that aired earlier in the morning, castigated the attorney general. Sessions said the Department of Justice “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations,” CNN reports.

Land grab for animal that can’t survive there
WND – ‘Critical habitat’ established though critter hasn’t appeared in state for 50 years
The Pacific Legal Foundation is challenging a 2012 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designation of more than 1,500 acres of Louisiana as “critical habitat” for the frog on behalf of one of the landowners, Edward Poitevent.
The complaint argues the frog hasn’t been seen in Louisiana – let alone on the private land in question – in more than 50 years.
“Moreover, this land cannot sustain the frog: the Fish and Service admits the frog could never survive (in ESA parlance, ‘be conserved’) on Edward’s land without significant, expensive changes to the land, including regularly prescribed burnings and an entire tree repopulation,” states the complaint.

Clueless Pelosi Says Dems Need New Leadership, Doesn’t Realize She’s Leadership
The Western Journal – As much as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi would like to deny or dismiss it, there is a growing movement among rank-and-file Democrats for new party leadership in Congress.
In a rather obvious and odd contradiction, Pelosi just signaled in an interview that she wholeheartedly agrees that there ought to be new leadership of the party … while somehow failing to recognize that she is the leadership of the party (along with Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer).

Economy & Business

U.S. Steel Investing $750M to Upgrade Steel Plant Following Trump Tariffs
The New American – U.S. Steel is investing $750 million to upgrade its 110-year-old plant in Gary, Indiana, attributing the decision to President Trump’s new tariffs on steel imports.

Energy & Environment

Hawaii bracing for damaging winds, catastrophic flooding as Hurricane Lane approaches…
Accuweather – Hurricane Lane will pose a significant threat to lives and property as it spreads torrential rain, strong wind gusts and pounding surf across Hawaii into this weekend.
Lane has the potential to be the single-costliest hurricane in recorded history of Hawaii and may end up causing the most expensive hurricane damage in all of the United States for the 2018 hurricane season, according to AccuWeather President and Founder Dr. Joel N. Myers.
Hurricane Iniki caused just over $3 billion in damage to Hawaii in September 1992, which would be over $5 billion when accounting for inflation.

Science & Technology

Pence: Trump’s national security will be as ‘dominant’ in space as it is on Earth
The Hill – Vice President Pence on Thursday said the Trump administration is taking steps to “ensure American national security is as dominant in space as it is here on Earth.”
Pence spoke at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to endorse the development of President Trump‘s “Space Force,” a new military branch for spac

Amazon Bans Gun Book
Washington Free Beacon – Amazon banned the sale of a gun book on Wednesday night for an unexplained violation of the company’s rules.
The listing for The Liberator Code Book: An Exercise in Freedom of Speech, which had been available on Amazon since Aug. 1, was removed from Amazon’s website. The web address where the book had previously been listed now redirects to an error page. The web address where a Kindle book titled The Liberator: An .STL File Published as a Book also now redirects to an error page.

Health

Top 7 MSG Side Effects + 15 Foods with MSG to Avoid
Dr. Axe – MSG is one of the most controversial ingredients on the planet. While some claim that it’s a totally safe and healthy food additive that can help ramp up flavor and minimize sodium intake, others have dubbed it a cancer-causing food and have tied it to side effects like headaches and high blood pressure.
Despite being found in abundance throughout much of the modern food supply, MSG should by no means by a staple ingredient in a healthy diet. Not only can it cause negative symptoms in certain people who are sensitive to its effects, but it’s also primarily found in unhealthy, heavily processed foods that are lacking in the essential nutrients that your body needs.
Top 15 Foods with MSG to Avoid
Unfortunately, there are many hidden sources of MSG in food, and it can be found in everything from fast food to meat products. The best way to find out if MSG is lurking in your favorite foods is to simply check the label and look for ingredients like “monosodium glutamate,” “glutamic acid,” “glutamate” or “yeast extract.”
Here are a few of the top foods with MSG to keep a look out for on your next trip to the grocery store:

Potato chips
Fast food
Seasonings
Convenience meals
Cold-cuts
Iced tea mixes
Salty snacks
Instant noodles
Sports drinks
Processed meats
Canned soups
Soy sauce
Broth/bouillon
Salad dressings
Crackers

Yarrow: The Herb That Heals Wounds, and So Much More
Mercola – According to Greek mythology, whenever the mighty warrior Achilles became injured in battle, he used the yarrow herb to help heal his wounds faster, and even covered his body with a tincture made from the leaves to stay invincible against arrows.1 Even his loyal soldiers used it, too.
It’s no wonder that when it comes to medicinal plants, yarrow stands out as a top remedy to stop wounds from bleeding. But the usefulness of yarrow does not stop there. Keep reading to learn how you can benefit from this versatile herb.
The Benefits of Yarrow Go Beyond Healing Wounds
The medicinal benefits of yarrow herb have been known for a long time. Native American tribes like the Cherokee, Iroquois, Gosiute and Mohegan used it to as a digestive aid, while the Micmac of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine used the stalk to alleviate colds and “break” fevers.7
Yarrow stalks can also be pounded and made into pulp that’s applied to swollen body parts, bruises and sprains.8 But in fact, all parts of the plant have medicinal applications, and the herb can be taken internally or used externally. Here are some of the many medicinal uses for yarrow:
Helps fights bacteria and viruses
Promotes digestion and detoxification.
Helps relieves cramps and menstrual pain.
May be effective against skin conditions, such as eczema.
Relieves pain from arthritis and rheumatism
Helps relieve hemorrhoids
According to Mother Earth News, the reason why yarrow is such a versatile, healing herb is: “[I]t works to tone the blood vessels, especially the smaller veins, and lower blood pressure by dilating the capillaries. This means it has a beneficial whole-body effect through the blood system, especially on conditions related to hypertension and including coronary thrombosis.”

Good News

America’s Largest Grocery Store Chain is Saying Goodbye to Single-Use Plastic Bags
Good News Network – Kroger, America’s largest supermarket chain, has just announced that it will be phasing out all of its single-use plastic bags in favor of reusable alternatives by 2025.
Kroger operates 2,800 stores across the country, as well as their additional subsidiary stores including Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, and Ralphs.
Their QFC stores in the Pacific Northwest will be the first to eliminate single-use bags by their 2019 deadline, as they are already working around Seattle’s municipal plastic bag ban.