Today's News: March 23, 2018

World News

US charges nine Iranians suspected of hacking universities
Al Jazeera – US authorities have announced charges against nine Iranians who allegedly broke into the computer systems of 320 universities in 22 countries.
The charged individuals, as well as the organisation they work for, the Mabna Institue, will also be hit with economic sanctions, US officials said on Friday.

France hostage crisis: ‘Two dead’ in Trèbes supermarket
BBC – A gunman is believed to have killed at least two people during a hostage-taking at a supermarket in Trèbes, southern France.
An operation involving elite police is continuing at the Super U shop, where others were wounded.
Reports say the gunman, who remains in the supermarket, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

‘Serious harm to sovereignty’: Beijing angry after US destroyer sails near disputed islands
RT – The passage of a US Navy destroyer near the Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea was a major political and military provocation against Beijing, the Chinese Defense Ministry has warned.

Hong Kong’s massive cash giveaway: 2.8 million citizens to get $510 each
RT – The government of Hong Kong has announced its decision to share the city’s record $18 billion surplus with more than one-third of its residents.

Syrian Air Defenses, Army Ready to Repel Any Attack, Including US Strike – Envoy
Sputnik – Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad has commented on US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley’s claims that Washington is ready to take action on Syria if necessary.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Trump Signs Spending Bill, Reversing Veto Threat and Avoiding Government Shutdown
New York Times – resident Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill into law on Friday, avoiding a government shutdown that had suddenly become a possibility when the president vented angrily on Twitter about his frustration with the bipartisan legislation

Trump Speaks Directly to DACA Illegal Aliens: Democrats ‘Using You for Their Own Purposes’
Breitbart – After President Trump signed the omnibus spending bill that does not fund his border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, he spoke directly to illegal aliens, saying “the Democrats” are “using you for their own purposes.”

Biden: Parkland Students Are ‘Going to Win,’ ‘We Can Beat the NRA
Breitbart – Friday while in Washington D.C. for the “March for Our Lives,” former Vice President Joe Biden spoke with MSNBC after meeting with parents and family members of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, FL.
Biden said the Parkland students are “going to win” in their fight for stricter gun control.
Biden said, “Keep going. They’re going to win.”

Psychiatrist: Increased Psychiatric Drug Use Means More Mass Shootings
Infowars – The psychiatric/pharmaceutical drug industry is worth a staggering $80 billion a year in sales alone, and Washington is literally crawling with lobbyists who have seemingly bottomless pots of cash to smooth the regulatory path for drug manufacturers.

Austin Bomber Had a List of Other Potential Targets
New York Times – Mark Conditt, the suspect in a series of deadly bombings in Austin, left behind evidence of potential future targets before he killed himself.

Economy & Business

Trump ‘forced’ to sign $1.3 trillion bill for national security
WND – Hours before government funding was about to lapse, President Trump announced Friday at the White House that “for the sake of national security,” he signed the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress despite significant misgivings.
“There are a lot of things that I’m unhappy about in this bill. But we were, in a sense, forced … if we want to build our military,” he said in a news conference at the White House.
Democrats, “who don’t believe in” strengthening the military, Trump said, “added things they wanted to get the votes.”
“My highest duty is to keep America safe,” he explained.
Without the bill, which funds the government until September, the government would have shut down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Energy & Environment

Chile droughts: Private water system under pressure
Al Jazeera – Water is becoming increasingly scarce in Chile due to drought, the overuse of aquifers and a dysfunctional system of private water ownership.

Science & Technology

Elon Musk pulls brands from Facebook
BBC – Entrepreneur Elon Musk has had the official Facebook pages for his Tesla and SpaceX companies deleted.
The #deletefacebook movement has grown after data firm Cambridge Analytica was accused of obtaining the personal information of about 50 million users.
Mr Musk had poked fun at speaker brand Sonos after it said it would suspend advertising on Facebook for one week.
His followers challenged him to have his own companies’ pages deleted, which he did within minutes.

House Committee Leaders Ask Facebook’s Zuckerberg to Testify
Newsmax – House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders from both parties sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, calling for him to testify at an upcoming hearing in the wake of the scandal over how Cambridge Analytica accessed its user data.

Craigslist Shuts Down Personal Ads, Cites Sex Trafficking Bill
Newsmax – Craigslist shut down its personal ads section on Friday as concerns grew over unintended consequences of a law approved by Congress which could hold websites liable for promoting sex trafficking.

Health

Delicious Pumpkin Seed Recipes
Care 2 – Are you a fan of pumpkin seeds? Pumpkin seeds are the only alkaline forming seed and full of so many health benefits. Check out these great recipes.

Short term lemon honey juice fasting can be an effective way for healthy individuals to reduce BMI, fat levels in the blood
NaturalNews – Lemon, honey, and fasting: For some people, these words will look anything but connected, but these three, when combined, have been touted to be effective for weight loss, alcoholic liver disorders, and many other health conditions. Their short-term effects on lipid profile and body composition, however, are less known. Researchers from the SDM College of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences, Ujire and Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana have taken it upon themselves to uncover those effects — which they eventually discovered to be very promising.