Today's News: February 13, 2018

World News

Dutch FM resigns after admitting lie about meeting Putin
RT – Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra has resigned, a day after he admitted lying about overhearing Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. In 2016 Zijlstra alleged Putin had in 2006 expressed ambitions to create a “Greater Russia.”
The official admitted that his credibility had been damaged by the ongoing scandal to such an extent that his position had become untenable.

South Africa’s ANC says Zuma must leave office
Al Jazeera – South Africa‘s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), says it has decided that President Jacob Zuma must leave office, but said no deadline was set for him to resign.

Bill, Melinda Gates turn attention toward poverty in America
ABC – Bill and Melinda Gates, as the world’s top philanthropists, are rethinking their work in America as they confront what they consider their unsatisfactory track record on schools, the country’s growing inequity and a president they disagree with more than any other.
In an interview with The Associated Press, the couple said they’re concerned about President Donald Trump’s “America first” worldview. They’ve made known their differences with the president and his party on issues including foreign aid, taxes and protections for immigrant youth in the country illegally. And they said they’re now digging into the layers of U.S. poverty that they haven’t been deeply involved with at the national level, including employment, race, housing, mental health, incarceration and substance abuse. “We are not seeing the mobility out of poverty in the same way in the United States as it used to exist,” Melinda Gates said.

Tillerson urges coalition unity in fight against ISIL
Al Jazeera – The fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group is far from over, the US secretary of state has said, urging unity among Arab countries in the Gulf for the sake of regional stability.

Israeli police find ‘sufficient evidence’ to indict Benjamin Netanyahu
CNN – Israeli police said Tuesday there is “sufficient evidence” to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on criminal charges in two corruption cases.
According to a police report published late Tuesday, authorities found evidence of “accepting bribes, fraud, and breach of trust.”
Police stopped short of recommending that charges be brought against Netanyahu. That decision rests with the Attorney General.
In a televised statement Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the allegations against him would come to nothing.

US Strikes Kill 100 Russian Fighters In Syria
The Daily Sheeple – Following up to last night’s bombshell report that at least two Russian mercenary fighters in Syria had been killed by US-led coalition forces, this morning Bloomberg is out with an exclusive, according to which the body count is far greater than had been disclosed: U.S. forces reportedly killed “scores” of Russian contract soldiers in Syria last week “in what may be the deadliest clash between citizens of the former foes since the Cold War”, Bloomberg reported.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

High school students ban national anthem from pep rallies. What the heck?
Fox News – he Star Spangled Banner will no longer be played at rallies at California High School in San Ramon after student leaders determined the song is racially insensitive.
“It was brought to our attention that the national anthem’s third verse is outdated and racially offensive, wrote the president of the school’s Associated Study Body. “We had nothing but good intentions by removing the song so that we could be fully inclusive to our student body.”
Report: Trump’s Proposed Budget Nixes Federal Funding for NPR, PBS
Breitbart – President Donald Trump’s 2019 budget includes a proposal that would eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), according to a report.
The Hill reported that Trump’s budget would cut funding for CPB — which funds public television and radio stations such as PBS and NPR — over two years.

Idaho House Votes Overwhelmingly to Remove Income Taxation from Gold and Silver
Activist Post – Boise, Idaho (February 12, 2018) – The Idaho State House today overwhelming approved a bill which helps restore constitutional, sound money in the Gem State.
State representatives voted 60-9 to pass House Bill 449 sending the measure introduced by House Majority Leader Mike Moyle and Senate Assistant Majority Leader Steve Vick to the Senate for a hearing in the Local Government and Taxation Committee.
Backed by the Sound Money Defense League, Idaho Freedom Foundation, and Money Metals Exchange, HB 449 is a tax-neutral bill which excludes gains and/or losses on the sale of precious metals coins and bullion from an Idaho taxpayer’s taxable income.

Susan Rice Sent ‘Unusual Email’ To Herself Moments Before Trump’s Inauguration
Infowars – Two Republican senators say they’ve uncovered an “unusual email” that Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice sent to herself on the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham say they find the email odd because of the timing and the substance of the message. They also noted that Rice suggested there was talk of withholding classified information from the incoming Trump administration.
Rice sent the email at 12:15 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2017, her final day in office. In the message, she memorialized a Jan. 5 Oval Office meeting she attended with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
The topic was the ongoing investigation into possible Trump campaign collusion. According to press reports, Comey briefed Obama that day on the unverified Steele dossier.

Obama artist paints black women holding severed white heads
WND – While America is captivated by the newly released portraits of former President Obama and first lady Michelle, there’s something curious about Obama’s artist that’s raising eyebrows: He apparently enjoys painting portraits of black women holding the severed heads of white people. Kehinde Wiley, a New York artist who paints primarily African-American subjects in heroic poses, was chosen by former President Obama to create a portrait of the 44th president to be displayed at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Wiley’s portrait of Obama was unveiled Monday.

Paradigm Shift: City Now Forcing Bad Cops to Pay Victims Out of Their OWN POCKETS—Not Taxpayers
The Daily Sheeple – One of the most corrupt policies in place to protect police officers who commit violence in the line of duty is the legal protection that comes when a victim files a lawsuit against an aggressive cop. When a victim of a police assault wins a lawsuit against the police department, the city’s taxpayers are usually on the hook for the restitution fees. However, a new policy change in Baltimore—which will set a revolutionary precedent—will finally have the guilty officers feeling the pain in their pockets for once.
In a memo sent out by police union president Gene Ryan this week, Baltimore City officers were warned about how they could be charged with punitive damage if a jury finds that they acted with malice during an attack on a citizen.

Bomber Sentenced to 2 Life Terms for Manhattan Attack
New York Times – Ahmad Khan Rahimi, an Afghan-born immigrant who worked quietly behind the counter of his family’s fast-food restaurant before building and planting the bomb that exploded in Manhattan in 2016, was sentenced on Tuesday to two life terms in prison.

Economy & Business

Report: Few Americans reporting cryptocurrency trading to IRS for now
Infowars- Less than 100 people out of the 250,000 individuals who have already filed federal taxes this year through company Credit Karma reported a cryptocurrency transaction to U.S. tax authorities, the company said on Tuesday.
This is despite nearly 57 percent of the 2000 Americans surveyed by the credit score startup and research firm Qualtrics last month saying they had realized some gains from cryptocurrencies, according to a Credit Karma study.

Health

Trump fires first salvo on drug prices
Infowars – President Trump is beginning to move on high drug prices, unveiling a series of modest proposals in his budget request released Monday.
It’s the first time Trump has issued major proposals to lower drug prices since coming to the White House, despite criticizing pharmaceutical companies last year and accusing them of “getting away with murder.”

CDC Director Resigns Following Public Exposure of Tobacco Investments
Mercola – Mere months into her new job as director of the CDC, Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald purchased stocks in a Japanese tobacco company, even though smoking is a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. One day after Politico exposed Fitzgerald’s new investment in tobacco stocks, she resigned from her post as CDC director. Financial conflicts of interest prevented now-former CDC director Fitzgerald from providing Congressional testimony on at least three separate occasions. Two of those hearings involved cancer detection and the opioid epidemic. Newsweek recently published a hit piece against organic food by Henry Miller, ignoring the fact that Miller was fired from Forbes Magazine last year for publishing an article in his name that was written by Monsanto.

8 Foods that Boost Productivity
Dr. Axe – Next time you hit that afternoon slump when it feels nearly impossible to get anything done, it may be time to switch up your diet. Simply incorporating a few foods that boost productivity into a well-balanced and healthy diet may be the key to staying focused and energized to overcome that midday lull and get things done.

Beets
Salmon
Broccoli
Green Tea
Eggs
Dark Chocolate
Almonds
Sweet Potatoes

Final Thoughts

Your diet can have a big impact on many aspects of productivity, including your energy levels, concentration, memory and alertness.
There are a wide variety of foods that boost productivity that can enhance brain power, increase attention and help you stay energized and focused throughout your day.
For best results, pair your favorite brain food for work with a well-rounded and balanced diet along with a few healthy habits to maximize productivity.