Today's News: May 01, 2019

World News
Assange was subjected to espionage & extortion – WikiLeaks co-founder’s lawyer to RT
RT – The legal team of Julian Assange has filed a criminal complaint in Ecuador, accusing the staff of its London embassy of spying on the journalist. Assange’s lawyer, Carlos Poveda, has shared details of the case with RT.
The complaint against the embassy was submitted to the attorney general’s office in Ecuador on behalf of Assange on Monday. The journalist has been targeted with blanket surveillance for about two years – and subjected to an extortion attempt, Poveda said. The compromised data includes legal, medical and personal information on Assange, yet his legal team did not disclose to whom exactly it had been allegedly leaked.
Apart from Ecuador, the case – namely the alleged extortion attempt – is being investigated by Spanish authorities, as three Spanish nationals are believed to be involved into it.
US interference could lead to ‘collapse’ in Venezuela – Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman
RT – America’s reckless push for a change of regime in Venezuela can only lead to further deterioration in the crisis-ridden state, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has warned.
“If Washington would continue to push forward with its interference … into the internal affairs [of Venezuela] that might cause the whole situation to collapse,” Maria Zakharova told journalists, amid an ongoing coup attempt in the Latin American country, staged by the US-backed opposition leader, Juan Guaido. She said that leaders in Washington don’t see the “malignant nature of such an approach.”
#Bolton: ‘This is clearly not a coup. We recognize #Guaido as the legitimate president of #Venezuela‘ https://t.co/sFa14eHC18 pic.twitter.com/ouMONqBUlQ
— RT (@RT_com) 30 апреля 2019 г.
Earlier, the Venezuelan health authorities said that at least 59 people were injured as the protests initiated by Guaido on Tuesday descended into chaos, involving clashes between demonstrators and the Venezuelan security forces, as well as between rival groups of Venezuelan military personnel supporting the government or the opposition.
WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange gets 50 weeks in prison for bail-jumping
Fox – A British judge sentenced WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday to 50 weeks in prison for skipping bail seven years ago and holing up in the Ecuadorian embassy.
Judge Deborah Taylor said it was hard to imagine a more serious version of the offense as she gave the 47-year-old hacker a sentence close to the maximum of a year in custody.
She said Assange’s seven years in the embassy had cost British taxpayers 16 million pounds ($21 million), and said he sought asylum as a “deliberate attempt to delay justice.”
U.S. News, Politics & Government
AG William Barr testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee over Mueller report handling — live blog
Fox – Attorney General William Barr is testifying Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as he faces questions over the handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report and accusations from Democrats that he sought to present the investigation’s findings in President Trump’s favor.
Barr is expected to be grilled over a Washington Post article that said Mueller contacted Barr to express concerns about the public summary his office put out in March. Mueller made clear he did not feel Barr’s summary was inaccurate, according to The Post and the Justice Department. Rather, Mueller told Barr that media coverage of the letter had “misinterpreted” the results of the probe concerning obstruction of justice.
Barr’s testimony Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to last more than three hours. The hearing will provide the attorney general his most extensive opportunity yet to explain the department’s actions.
Measle-infected baby photos FAKED by NBC News to push mass hysteria and demand vaccine compliance
NaturalNews – Proving yet again that the left-wing media is steeped in fake news and staged events, NBC News with Lester Holt has been caught broadcasting a faked measles photo that relied on Photoshop to add “measles” splotches to the photo of a healthy baby. (See proof, below.)
Amazingly, NBC News broadcasted the faked measles photo along with on-screen text that claims “Nurse battles vaccine myths as measles outbreak hits 555 cases.”
The real myth, of course, is the idea that NBC News is a news organization at all. In truth, they are a left-wing Big Pharma propaganda ministry that deceives viewers even when claiming to “battle vaccine myths.”
With a hat tip to HighImpactFlix, here’s a video that reveals the NBC News faked measles propaganda. (Below)
See HighImpactFlix on YouTube (until they get completely banned).
Trump threatens Cuba with ‘full embargo and highest-level sanctions’ over Venezuela
RT – US President Donald Trump has threatened Cuba with a “full and complete embargo, together with highest-level sanctions” if Havana does not stop its alleged support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Trump tweeted his demands on Tuesday, after Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called for the military and police to take action against Maduro.
While Guaido declared himself president in January with the support of the US and has since gained the support of most of US-allied Latin America, the Venezuelan security forces remain largely loyal to Maduro, and Guaido’s call to arms appears to have been unsuccessful in sparking large-scale defections.
If Cuban Troops and Militia do not immediately CEASE military and other operations for the purpose of causing death and destruction to the Constitution of Venezuela, a full and complete….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2019
….embargo, together with highest-level sanctions, will be placed on the island of Cuba. Hopefully, all Cuban soldiers will promptly and peacefully return to their island!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2019
Struggling to explain the Venezuelan military’s reluctance to throw its support behind the US-backed politician, who was a largely unknown figure before he became head of the National Assembly in January, Trump’s administration has put forth the narrative that Venezuela is really under “Cuban occupation” and has sought to punish Havana for its purported role.
Former UNC Charlotte student charged with murder after opening fire on classroom
ABC – Two people were killed and another four injured after a gunman opened fire at the Kennedy Building on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on the school’s last day of classes.
Three of the injured victims are in critical condition, police said at a news conference Tuesday night. The fourth person suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Trystan Andrew Terrell. He has been charged with two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, possession of a firearm on educational property and discharging a firearm on educational property.
The school’s chancellor released the names of the victims Wednesday morning. Ellis Parlier, 19, and Riley Howell, 21, were the two individuals killed.
The injured are Drew Pescaro, 19; Sean Dehart, 20; Emily Houpt, 23; and Rami Alramadhan, 20.
All all expected to make a full recovery. Alramadhan’s family is en route to North Carolina from Saudi Arabia, authorities said.
The suspected shooter, Terrell, will make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon. There is no reason to believe anyone else was involved, officials said.
Charlottesville Judge Rules Confederate Statues Are Protected War Monuments
Breitbart – A judge has ruled that statues of Confederate generals in Charlottesville, Virginia, are protected by state law — which will likely halt any local efforts to remove the monuments, according to reports on the opinion released Tuesday afternoon.
Local CBS affiliate WCAV reports that Charlottesville Circuit Judge Richard Moore defies the recent phenomenon of city councils, schools, and other governing bodies removing historical markers to address modern residents who are offended by what they perceive as endorsements of slavery and white supremacy.
Report: New York City Babies Aborted After 21 Weeks Outnumbered Homicides
Breitbart – The number of babies aborted in New York City at or after 21 weeks of pregnancy outnumbered homicide victims in 2015.
According to the most recent abortion data available for 2015 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and published by the New York Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the number of abortions at or after 21 weeks was 1,485 while the number of homicide victims was 352.
A report at CNSNews.com observed the data showed about 0.96 people per day had been victims of “murder and non-negligent manslaughter” in 2015 in New York City, while 4.1 babies at the gestational age of 21 weeks or older were aborted per day.
Former Minnesota policeman convicted in fatal shooting of Australian woman
Reuters – A former Minneapolis police officer on Tuesday was found guilty of murder for fatally shooting an Australian woman from his patrol car while responding to her 2017 report of a possible sex assault near her home.
Mohamed Noor, 33, was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for killing 40-year-old Justine Ruszczyk Damond outside her home near Minneapolis. The incident drew international criticism, including from Australia’s prime minister, who called the incident “shocking.”
He was acquitted of second-degree intentional murder.
Economy & Business
Trump, Democrats Agree to $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan. How to Pay for It Will Come Later
Daily Signal – President Donald Trump and a delegation of congressional Democrats agreed Tuesday on “big and bold” infrastructure plans with an equally big price tag of $2 trillion over 10 years.
The discussion of how to pay for it was left for another day.
Democratic leaders noted it would include expanding broadband internet access and work on the nation’s power grid, in addition to road construction.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said there was much “good will” from the meeting with the president, a marked departure from previous meetings where illegal immigration was discussed.
“We agreed on a number. This is very, very good: $2 trillion for infrastructure,” Schumer told reporters after the meeting at the White House. “Originally, we started lower. Even the president was eager to push it up to $2 trillion.”
In three weeks, members of Congress will meet again with the president to discuss how they would pay for the big-ticket plans.
Fed eyes new program that could be another version of quantitative easing
MSN – Federal Reserve officials are considering a new program that would allow banks to exchange Treasurys for reserves, a move aimed at ensuring liquidity during difficult times that also would help the central bank decrease the size of its nearly $4 trillion balance sheet.
The so-called standing repo facility is in its early discussion phases. Respected St. Louis Fed economists David Andolfatto and Jane Ihrig have authored two papers on the plan, which they say would ease the regulatory burden for banks that feel pressured into holding ultra-safe assets.
In some quarters, the idea is viewed as a natural extension of current Fed policy. Others, though, think it could be in essence a repackaged form of quantitative easing and thus yet another iteration of the Fed’s decade-long tinkering in financial markets.
The idea comes as central bank policymakers look for ways to cut the bond holdings on its balance sheet without being disruptive to markets.
“With this facility in place, banks should feel comfortable holding Treasuries to help accommodate stress scenarios instead of reserves,” Andolfatto and Ihrig wrote in March. “The demand for reserves would decline substantially as a result. Ample reserves — and therefore the size of the Fed’s balance sheet — could in fact be much closer to their historical levels.”
Energy & Environment
Minimizing fibers used in synthetic fabrics can reduce plastic pollution and save marine life
Natural News – Plastic pollution in the ocean is not limited to just large pieces of trash that can choke, entangle, and injure marine life. The microfibers that make up synthetic fabrics also contribute to pollution, which is why it is important to reduce the amount of tiny fibers shed by synthetic clothing during each wash.
Most images of ocean plastic pollution feature plastic trash that’s big enough to be seen with the naked eye. Microfibers, on the other hand, are so small that observing them requires a powerful microscope. A single washing of a coat made from synthetic fabric can release hundreds of thousands or even millions of these plastic fibers.
Microfibers are small enough to slip through the gaps in the screens of most wastewater filtration systems. Once they enter waterways, they will be carried out to sea.
Experts believe that plastic microfibers make up almost ten percent of the total ocean plastic pollution. There are five times as many fibers as there are carrier bags and microbeads, which are now being targeted by countries that want to reduce pollution levels. (Related: Plastic pollution threatens the food supply from the world’s oceans.)
Science & Technology
Cities Are Tracking Everyone’s Cell Phone Signal
Activist Post – If ever you needed a reason to turn off your cell phone, then maybe this story this will convince you.
The Palm Beach Post recently revealed how the City of Palm Beach, Florida wants to track everyone’s cellphones:
The idea is to analyze where downtown visitors go — what shops, what public places, and at what time — and how they get there. The city could use it to study traffic flow and gauge the impact of changes it makes to the streetscape, while merchants could use the data to strategize to improve business.
Big Brother and businesses are frothing at their mouths in anticipation of tracking everyone.
According to Jason Hallstrom, professor in FAU’s Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, “the research is possible because 80 percent of the U.S. population owns network-connected smartphones, whose signal can be tracked with precision.”
Leaving your cell phone on all the time, allows corporations and Big Brother to know your exactly who and where you are.
“Whether you use the device or not, it is constantly chattering,” sending out a “hello beacon which says, ‘I would like to connect to a network.’ Within that message is a unique code, etched in the silicon. It is constantly being broadcast as you walk around with that device,” Hallstrom said.
A recent Bloomberg investigation revealed that retailers are using location analytics hidden in apps to determine where you are and where you sleep.
They’re buying mobile-phone data that can track where and for how long people shop, eat, see movies — and where they go before and after. It allows them to determine personal details that paint a picture of who consumers are.
A NY Times article titled “Your Apps Know Where You Were Last Night, and They’re Not Keeping It Secret,” revealed that tracking our cell phones is a $21 billion dollar industry.
New type of dementia identified
BBC – Millions of elderly people have a form of dementia that has been misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers.
One expert called it the most important dementia finding in years.
The condition, limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, or Late, shares similar symptoms to Alzheimer’s, but it is a distinct disease, the journal Brain reports.
It may partly explain why finding a dementia cure has failed so far.
Dementia is not a single disease, but is the name for a group of symptoms that include problems with memory and thinking.
There are lots of different types of dementia and Alzheimer’s is said to be the most common and most researched.
But up to a third of Alzheimer’s in elderly people may instead be Late, says the international team of researchers, although both dementias can co-exist.
Late appears to affect the “oldest old” – people over 80 – according to the work that looked at evidence from thousands of post-mortem results.
One in five in this age group has it, meaning the public health impact of the disease will be large, say the researchers.
Unlike Alzheimer’s, it tends to cause a more gradual decline in memory, they believe.
Gardening, Farming & Homesteading
9 of the Best Herbs to Grow in Containers
Care2 – Do you love fresh herbs but lack the space to grow them in a garden? That’s what container gardens are for. Several varieties of herbs can thrive in containers—even indoors on a sunny windowsill.
Here are nine herbs suitable for container gardens, as well as some helpful container gardening tips.