Today's News: June 02, 2020

World News

German Official Leaks Report Denouncing Corona as ‘A Global False Alarm’

Germany’s federal government and mainstream media are engaged in damage control after a report that challenges the established Corona narrative leaked from the interior ministry.
Some of the report key passages are:

The dangerousness of Covid-19 was overestimated: probably at no point did the danger posed by the new virus go beyond the normal level.
The people who die from Corona are essentially those who would statistically die this year, because they have reached the end of their lives and their weakened bodies can no longer cope with any random everyday stress (including the approximately 150 viruses currently in circulation).
Worldwide, within a quarter of a year, there has been no more than 250,000 deaths from Covid-19, compared to 1.5 million deaths [25,100 in Germany] during the influenza wave 2017/18.
The danger is obviously no greater than that of many other viruses. There is no evidence that this was more than a false alarm.
A reproach could go along these lines: During the Corona crisis the State has proved itself as one of the biggest producers of Fake News.

So far, so bad. But it gets worse.
The report focuses on the “manifold and heavy consequences of the Corona measures” and warns that these are “grave”.
More people are dying because of state-imposed Corona-measures than they are being killed by the virus.
The reason is a scandal in the making:
A Corona-focused German healthcare system is postponing life-saving surgery and delaying or reducing treatment for non-Corona patients.

World outrage grows at Floyd’s death; EU ‘shocked, appalled’.

AP – From Sydney to Paris, world outrage at George Floyd’s death in the U.S. was growing Tuesday as the European Union’s top diplomat said the bloc was “shocked and appalled” by it and thousands marched in Australia’s largest city.
Chanting “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe,” about 3,000 protesters held an impassioned but peaceful march through central Sydney on Tuesday demanding fundamental change in race relations.
In France, protests were planned for the evening in Paris and across the country after calls from the family of a French black man who died shortly after he was arrested by police in 2016. A protest was also planned in The Hague, Netherlands.
Floyd died last week after he was pinned to the pavement by a white police officer in Minneapolis who put his knee on the handcuffed black man’s neck until he stopped breathing. His death set off protests that spread across America.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s remarks in Brussels were the strongest so far to come out of the 27-nation bloc, saying Floyd’s death was a result of an abuse of power.
Borrell told reporters that “like the people of the United States, we are shocked and appalled by the death of George Floyd.” He underlined that Europeans “support the right to peaceful protest, and also we condemn violence and racism of any kind, and for sure, we call for a de-escalation of tensions.”
Protesters around the world have expressed solidarity with Americans demonstrating against Floyd’s death.
In Sydney, a mostly Australian crowd, but also including protesters from the U.S. and elsewhere, marched for around a half-mile under police escort in the authorized, two-hour long demonstration.
Many said they had been inspired by a mixture of sympathy for African Americans amid ongoing violent protests in the U.S., but had turned out to also call for change in Australia’s treatment of its indigenous population, particularly that involving police.
“I can’t breathe” notably were the final words of David Dungay, a 26-year-old Aboriginal man who died in a Sydney prison in 2015 while being restrained by five guards.
“I’m here for my people, and for our fallen brothers and sisters around the world,” said Sydney indigenous woman Amanda Hill, 46, who attended the rally with her daughter and two nieces.
“What’s happening in America shines a light on the situation here. It doesn’t matter if it’s about the treatment of black men and women from here or from another country; enough is enough.”
A total of 432 indigenous Australians have died in police detention since a 1991 Royal Commission — Australia’s highest level of official inquiry — into Aboriginal deaths in custody, according to a running analysis by The Guardian newspaper.
Australia has also never signed a treaty with the country’s indigenous population, who suffer higher-than-average rates of infant mortality and poor health, plus shorter life expectancy and lower levels of education and employment than white Australians.

China considering plans to genetically-modify soldiers to make army of ‘Terminator-style troops’

The Sun – CHINA may be planning to genetically-modify its soldiers for an army of Terminator-style super troops, a defence think tank has warned.
Experts at Rusi say GM soldiers could be faster, stronger and cleverer than their battlefield opponents and even feel no pain.
Their DNA could also be adapted to help them recover more quickly from injuries or give them superior hearing and night vision.
Rusi’s Professor John Louth said: “The threat is obvious and real. Chinese money could be stealing a march on western armed forces and that is deeply concerning.”
The warning comes after Chinese scientist He Jiankui said he used gene-editing technology to make GM babies.
“GM technology is proven with plants, it could absolutely be applied to the person,” Prof Louth added.
“In China, it is reasonable to assume that they are enhancing their battlefield soldiers on all these fronts.”
China jailed Dr Jiankui for “illegal medical practices” over his claims to have made three babies immune to HIV.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Rubio defends Trump after criticism over St. John’s ‘photo op’

Fox – The protesters outside the White House Monday, who were cleared by police prior to President Trump’s brief visit to St. John’s Episcopal Church, were “professional agitators” and the media fell for their “calculated” tactics, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said late Monday.
“They knew the street needed to be cleared before 7 pm curfew,” Rubio tweeted. “But they deliberately stayed to trigger police action & get the story they wanted, that “police attacked peaceful protesters.”
The criticism that Trump faced after being photographed outside the church was swift. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement to call out the “photo-op.”
“Across our country, Americans are protesting for an end to the pattern of racial injustice and brutality we saw most recently in the murder of George Floyd,” the statement read. “Yet, at a time when our country cries out for unification, this President is ripping it apart. Tear-gassing peaceful protestors without provocation just so that the President could pose for photos outside a church dishonors every value that faith teaches us.”
The Associated Press reported that at about 6:30 p.m., law enforcement officers were aggressively forcing the protesters back “firing tear gas and deploying flash bangs into the crowd to disperse them from the park for seemingly no reason. It was a jarring scene as police in the nation’s capital forcefully cleared young men and women gathered legally in a public park on a sunny evening, all of it on live television.”
Washington, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted that federal police used munitions on “peaceful protesters” a full 25 minutes before the curfew. She called the decision shameful.
The church caught fire the previous night during unrest over Floyd’s death while in police custody. Trump has spoken out about Floyd’s death and called the video “horrible.” Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and the three other officers with Chauvin have been fired.
Attorneys for Floyd’s family released the results of an independent autopsy report Monday afternoon showing that Floyd’s death was caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain.
Another autopsy, conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office, stated that Floyd died from “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual restraint, and neck compression” while being restrained, Fox 9 reported. Its updated results went public Monday evening.
Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, the presumptive Democrat nominee to face Trump in the November general election, also criticized the president for removing the protesters.
“Tonight the President of the United States used the American military to shoot peaceful protestors with rubber bullets & tear gas them. For a photo op,” Clinton said. “This is a horrifying use of presidential power against our own citizens, & has no place anywhere, let alone in America. Vote.”
NPR reported that U.S. Park Police and National Guard troops were tasked with removing the protesters. The report said Trump stopped in front of the church, held up a Bible and said, “We have the greatest country in the world. Keep it nice and safe.”
Trump was also criticized by church leaders who said they were not aware of the visit. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry told NPR that Trump “used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes. This was done in a time of deep hurt and pain in our country, and his action did nothing to help us or to heal us.”

Trump says to send ‘thousands’ of troops, police to US capital’s streets

AFP – US President Donald Trump on Monday said he was deploying thousands of “heavily armed” soldiers and police to prevent further protests in Washington, where buildings and monuments have been vandalized near the White House.
“What happened in the city last night was a total disgrace,” he said during a nationwide address as tear gas went off and crowds protested in the streets nearby.
“I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults and the wanton destruction of property.”
He denounced “acts of domestic terror” after nationwide protests against the death of an unarmed African American George Floyd in police custody devolved into days of violent race riots across the country.
“I want the organizers of this terror to be on notice that you will face severe criminal penalties and a lengthy sentences in jail,” Trump said as police could be heard using tear gas and stun grenades to clear protestors just outside the White House.
He also called on state governors to “deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets” before heading on foot for a photo op at the riot-damaged St. John’s, the two-century-old “church of the presidents” across from the White House.
One week after Floyd died in Minneapolis, an autopsy blamed his videotaped death squarely on a white police officer who pinned him down by the neck with his knee for nearly nine minutes as Floyd pleaded, “I can’t breathe!”
“The evidence is consistent with mechanical asphyxia as the cause of death, and homicide as the manner of death,” Aleccia Wilson, a University of Michigan expert who examined his body at the family’s request, told a news conference.
The unrest has been the most widespread in the United States since 1968, when cities went up in flames over the slaying of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., and rekindled memories of 1992 riots in Los Angeles after police were acquitted in the brutal beating of black motorist Rodney King.

Barr: Law enforcement must ‘dominate’ streets amid protests

AP – U.S. officials vowed to “maximize federal law enforcement presence” in the nation’s capital Monday night after days of violent demonstrations led to fires across Washington and left scores of businesses with broken windows and dozens of police officers injured.
In a call with governors, President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr also encouraged more aggressive action against those who cause violence during protests across the country following the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis policeman pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air. The demonstrations have turned violent in several cities, with fires ignited in Lafayette Park across from the White House.
The comments from Trump, Barr and other federal officials appeared aimed at avoiding similar scenes Monday night, when protesters were expected to gather again. But there were also questions about whether using more aggressive law enforcement measures against demonstrators protesting police brutality would only increase tensions.

First NYC Curfew Since 1943

Gothamist – Following two nights of looting and clashes between police and protesters, New York City will impose a curfew beginning at 11 p.m. and ending at 5 a.m.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the decision on Monday afternoon during an interview with WAMC’s Alan Chartock.
“I spoke with the mayor, there’s going to be a curfew in New York City that we think could be helpful,” Cuomo said.
The governor added that the number of NYPD officers would be doubled, from 4,000 to 8,000. Earlier in the day, the NYPD confirmed a New York Post report that all police officers would begin working 12-hour shifts this week.

Michael Snyder: Shocking Evidence That Indicates That Somebody Is Trying to Orchestrate an Internal Uprising Inside the United States

Technical Politics – Violence has erupted in major cities all over America yet again today, and we are being told to brace ourselves for more rioting, looting and civil unrest in the days ahead. The death of George Floyd was a great tragedy, and the vast majority of Americans agree that we do not want to see that sort of police brutality in our nation, and so this should actually be a moment that brings our country together. But instead, America is being torn apart. The protests against police brutality have been hijacked by sinister forces, and they are attempting to channel the outrage over George Floyd’s death in a very violent direction. As you will see below, law enforcement authorities all over the U.S. are telling us that they have identified a highly organized effort to orchestrate violence, and this appears to be happening on a nationwide basis.
Let’s start by looking at what is happening in New York. According to the top terrorism official in the entire city, “certain anarchist groups” were making preparations for “violent interactions with police” before protests in the city even began…
And once the protests started, these groups used “a complex network of bicycle scouts” to direct rioters to locations where police officers would not be present…
These are not just mindless angry mobs. They are being directed with a purpose, and that is very alarming.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has publicly acknowledged that there has been “an organized effort” to turn the protests over George Floyd’s death “into something violent” in her city…
Lightfoot did not really elaborate on why she believes there has been “an organized effort”, but officials in other cities have been willing to give the public more specifics.
For example, law enforcement authorities in Minnesota have discovered “several caches of flammable materials” that were obviously intended to be used for riotin…
And in several other cities around the nation, law enforcement authorities have found bricks staged at or near protest sites.
On Sunday, police in Kansas City announced that they had found “stashes of bricks and rocks in & around the Plaza and Westport to be used during a riot”
And in Baltimore, law enforcement officials were racing to dismantle “mounds of bricks and bottles” that had been staged in downtown Baltimore

Cop shot in head in one of two police-involved shootings at protests in Vegas

CBS – What the local sheriff says were two protest-related shootings in Las Vegas Monday night left a Las Vegas police officer on life support and resulted in the death of a suspect at another scene.
Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joe Lombardo told reporters in an overnight briefing that the demonstrations “led to” both incidents.
He said officers were attempting to disperse a large crowd of demonstrators in front of the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino on the Vegas Strip and were being hit with rocks and bottles form the crowd. While trying to detain some people, Lombado said, “a shot rang out and our officer went down.” The officer was on life support and a suspect was in custody.

Looters clash with protesters as another night of chaos erupts in NYC

NY Post – Hundreds of looters stormed Midtown Manhattan for a second night in a row Monday, brazenly bashing through the windows of high-end stores and making off with stolen goods as police attempted to control the chaos.
The roving gangs began their spree of rampage after a demonstration over George Floyd’s death earlier in the evening, at times clashing with peaceful protesters who desperately attempted to stop the looting and destruction.
“It’s systemic, one person breaks the glass with something,” a witness said about the looting. “Someone else comes up on a bike and robs the store, it’s systemic, you can see.”
In advance of an 11 p.m. curfew, looters breached a Best Buy, Nike Flatiron, Aldo, Microsoft, Michael Kors and the Nintendo store in Rockefeller Center.
In New York, a “cache of bricks” just happened to be sitting directly in the path of rioters on Sunday evening…
Even down in Texas, “a large pile of bricks” was stacked up in front of the courthouse in Dallas and huge stacks of bricks were pre-staged right along a path that protesters would be taking in Frisco.
I don’t know about you, but I have a very hard time believing that all of this is just a giant coincidence.
The fact that huge piles of pre-staged bricks are suddenly showing up at protest locations all over America indicates a level of planning and coordination at a very high level.
Obviously we are dealing with something that is far more complex than just a few thousand angry people letting off some steam.
With the U.S. economy in deep disarray and with a presidential election coming up in November, anger and frustration are likely to remain at very high levels in the U.S. throughout the summer, and that will give those that are organizing these efforts more opportunities to promote violence.

Energy & Environment

Tropical Depression Forms in Gulf; U.S. Threat Next Week?

The Weather Channel – Tropical Depression Three is nearly stalled in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, but it could pose a threat to the U.S. Gulf Coast early next week. Before that happens, life-threatening, dangerous flooding will continue in parts of Central America and Mexico.
The depression formed Monday afternoon in the Bay of Campeche on the first official day of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.
It’s currently centered located about 105 miles west of Campeche, Mexico, drifting westward at less than 5 mph.
The National Hurricane Center is predicting the depression will strengthen into a tropical storm sometime Tuesday. Once it does so, it will earn the name Cristobal.

Science & Technology

Zuckerburg ‘disgusted’ by Trump’s Floyd comments; FACEBOOK will ‘re-examine policies’

The Sun – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he “felt disgust” after President Donald Trump’s controversial comments about George Floyd’s death and ensuing protests last week, according to The Verge.
Zuckerberg is said to have made the comments during a meeting with Facebook employees as he and his company faced backlash for refusing to delete Trump’s controversial comments,
“How to handle this post from the president has been very tough,” the Facebook founder reportedly said in a recording obtained by the site.
“It’s been something that I’ve been struggling with basically all day, ever since I woke up. … This has been personally pretty wrenching for me.
“My first reaction… was just disgust. This is not how I think we want our leaders to show up during this time. This is a moment that calls for unity and calmness and empathy for people who are struggling.”
However, Zuckerberg reportedly continued to say that it was decided Trump’s comments about “when the looting starts, shooting starts” did not break any of the social media giant’s guidelines.
As a result, the tech billionaire told his employees those guidelines could be changed going forward.
“There is a real question coming out of this, which is whether we want to evolve our policy around the discussion of state use of force,” he said, according to The Verge.
“Over the coming days, as the National Guard is now deployed, probably the largest one that I would worry about would be excessive use of police or military force. I think there’s a good argument that there should be more bounds around the discussion around that.”
Zuckerberg’s leaked comments are in stark contrast to public remark he made last week, in which he criticised Twitter for red-flagging some of Trump’s comments about voting and on Floyd’s death and the protests that followed.

Health

Antidepressant Falls Into Shortage

Bloomberg – One of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the U.S. has fallen into short supply, as demand increases due to mental-health strains caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Food and Drug Administration added Zoloft tablets to its list of drugs in shortage on Friday. Zoloft, which is sold under the generic name sertraline, was first approved in the U.S. in 1991. It’s used to treat a range of conditions, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic-stress disorder.
The pandemic has increased concerns over the fragility of the global supply chain and the capacity of manufacturers to respond to spikes in demand for certain therapies. Other drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial medication touted by President Donald Trump as a Covid-19 treatment, have also experienced supply disruptions in recent weeks.
Isolation and anxiety triggered by the coronavirus have heightened demand for mental-health services. Zoloft prescriptions climbed 12% year-over-year to 4.9 million in March, the most ever in the U.S., according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence. Prescriptions receded to 4.5 million in April.
Pfizer Inc. said some versions of its name-brand Zoloft, such as 100 milligram tablets in 100-count bottles, were scarce because of higher demand, according to the FDA’s drug-shortage database. Additionally, generic-drug firms that produce sertraline told the FDA that they weren’t able to get enough active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, to make the drug. Lupin Ltd. said it expects its sertraline to be on backorder for a few months, and Accord Healthcare said it anticipates the shortage will last for two months.
Drugmakers typically don’t disclose where they get active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API. Lupin and Accord didn’t respond to questions about where the API in their versions of sertraline is made.
** Power Mall Products of Interest: Lithium Balance – 200 Tablets & Tranquil – 90 Tablets

NYC Subways Sprayed With Unproven Chemical

Newsmax – Goldshield 75, the chemical sprayed in New York City subway cars every night to protect them against COVID-19, is not approved by the EPA for such use since its effectiveness is unproven, according to a report in The City.
Though New York City Transit Authority spokesperson Shams Tarek said Goldshield “claims it’s an antimicrobial against COVID-19,” the company was forced in 2016 to settle a complaint by the Environmental Protection Agency that said the the company made false statements about the spray’s effectiveness.
According to records obtained by The City, the settlement required the company to say Goldshield 75 “does not protect users or others against . . . disease-causing bacteria.”
The company had previously been fined $21,000 and told to say on its label: “This product does not protect users or others against food-borne or disease-causing bacteria.”
In a CBS-2 interview in early April, Goldshield Chief Operating Officer Brian Shlisky said, “We are now using it to cover or coat or protect the MTA subways, and subway stations, the bus depots, and now we are about to go into the buses for the entire New York City transit.”
Shlisky added, the product “attaches to a surface and it has a long carbon chain, which then breaks down things like bacteria and mold mildew etc. And protect surfaces that way. It doesn’t leach. So it doesn’t come off services. It will continue to protect services for long-term.”
But he declined to comment on past EPA actions regarding the product to The City, and he would not say how the Transit Authority came to use it. He also declined to say whether it would protect against COVID-19.
“We do not nor have we ever made claims about COVID-19 in the USA,” Shlisky said.

Hydrogen Peroxide or Bleach: Which Is the Best Cleaner?

Newsmax – Chlorine bleach is a powerful cleaner that is very effective in killing germs like viruses, bacteria, and fungi. But it’s also one of the most toxic chemicals found in homes. When you use bleach to clean surfaces, it leaves a residue that travels into your home’s air that you breathe, affecting your lungs and getting absorbed through your skin, warned Ellen Kamhi, Ph.D.
“Chlorine is extremely dangerous and was used during World War I as a choking agent,” she said. “The active ingredient in bleach, sodium hypochlorite, is incredibly corrosive and capable of causing irritation, pain, and blistering if it comes into contact with your skin. It’s also potentially dangerous when inhaled.”
Kamhi, the author “The Natural Medicine Chest,” pointed out that if you mix chlorine with ammonia, you create chlorine gas — which can be deadly.
She suggested hydrogen peroxide, in the 3% strength solution sold in drug stores, as a good alternative to using bleach.
“While hydrogen peroxide is antibacterial and also capable of killing viruses, its downside is that it doesn’t work instantly,” she warned. “To get the full disinfection effects, you’ll need to leave the peroxide on whatever surface you are sanitizing for varying lengths of time.”
Hydrogen peroxide can be used to whiten laundry and disinfect your dishes in the dishwasher, while it can also be diluted as a wash for fruits and vegetables. People can even put it on their toothbrush to clean and brighten teeth — as long as they rinse well, said the expert.
Kamhi said several other commercial cleaning agents may also be risky, as they may contain harsh cleaning chemicals like ammonia and alcohol.

Animal News

True Best Friend: Dogs Really Will Rescue Their Owners — Or, At Least They’ll Try

Study Finds – Just like Lassie running off to tell everyone that Timmy just fell in the well, we all like to think that our faithful canine companions would save us if the situation ever called for rescue. But, real life is rarely ever like old TV shows. Would your dog really save you if you were stuck in a well or trapped somewhere?
Researchers from Arizona State University set out to answer that question and came to a heartwarming conclusion. Yes, your dog will save you, that is, as long as he or she knows how to accomplish such a task.
The study’s authors gathered 60 pet dogs together and observed what happened when each dog’s owners was seemingly placed in a tough spot. None of the studied dogs had any prior experience or training saving people.
During the main phase of the experiment each dog’s owner was “locked” in a big box with a light-weight door that the dogs could move fairly easily. While they were inside, participanting owners called out to their dogs for help (“help!” help me!”). All the owners were coached a bit beforehand to ensure their cries for help would sound authentic, and were told not to call out their dog’s name, as that may incite the dog to take action out of obedience, not actual concern for their owner’s wellbeing.
“About one-third of the dogs rescued their distressed owner, which doesn’t sound too impressive on its own, but really is impressive when you take a closer look,” comments study co-author Joshua Van Bourg in a release.
According to Van Bourg, the dog’s heroic actions were striking for two main reasons. First, the dogs clearly showed a desire to help their owners, and second, the dogs were also intelligent enough to figure out what actions had to be taken (opening the box’s door).